Surname Index File of LGCS Members
Members of the Lewis County Genealogical Society are searching family names. Now we have a SURNAME LIST to help contect other genealogists out there who may be researching the same surnames.
If you find a name you would like to inquire about - please send an email to us at wa.lcgs@hotmail.com with the surname listed.
On the SURNAME LIST you will also see location of the names being searched. Last Upadate: June 2012.
As more information becomes available to aid in research, such as timeframe - the list will be updated, along with more member's surnames.
Click either of the Surname Cloud pictures to access the Surname File.
Immigrant Ancestral Family Names
Don't ignore a record just because the names recorded on a document do not match the spelling used today, especially when an immigrant ancestral family is involved.
- Unitl this century, names were not spelled the same way consistently.
- Copy the record and compare it with other information about the family before discarding it as irrelevant.
Document Everything!
Train yourself to photocopy or transcribe the title page(s) of a publication or the bibliographic information of each record or publication used to document an ancestor.
Any statement made about an ancestor that is not documented cannot be accepted as true by others.
Others who read and accept statements blindly will pass on errors, this results in perpetuating false relationships in pedigrees!
Help stop that endless cycle by footnoting your research with standard bibliographic citations, including the name of the publication, author, publisher, year of publication, and the location where you found the source.
When citing unpublished information such as microfilm copies of primary records (wills, deeds, death records, etc.), cite the place involved, the name of the record, the type of record and range of dates you searched, and the library and film number of the source.
If your conclusions about relationships are based on circumstantial evidence, state the logic of your conclusions and the sources to support your conclusions in footnote form.
You won't regret following this professional approach to research!
Always spell out states! The two letter abbreviations have confused many family researches over the years resulting in incorrect information being recorded as true facts.
Queries