Helpful Facts

 
"So... If my great great grandfather is your great grandfather, now what relationship does that make us?" Stumped by figuring out what the proper term is for your relative? Use this handy relationship chart to make naming family relationships easy.
 
Do you know the dates of military service for your ancestor? Use this handy timeline to determine which wars they may have fought in.
 
Need a reference to look up whether your ancestor would have fought in a war? Use this timeline to see if they would have served.
 
This timeline is a great overview of significant historical events in Central Texas, set in the context of US and Texas history.
 
Have you ever wondered about the true meaning of those strange old medical terms?  Check out this list.  
 
You probably know many of the abbreviations for rank in the military, but there are some that you just don't see that often, like BMG. The same goes for service medals which you will also sometimes see on grave markers, like the DDSM or the LM. This great reference tool will help you decipher those abbreviations that have you scratching your head.
 
PART 1        PART 2        CROSSES
Would you like to learn to “read” a cemetery? It’s a genealogical adventure! On many older gravestones, there are pictures and symbols that tell stories about your loved ones and ancestors. If you can’t read “gravestone-language” you are missing part of the story. This interesting trio of blog entries from the Billion Graves web site will provide invaluable tools to unlock these symbols.
 
Every year, RootsTech holds a conference and upon completion, streams it for all to watch. They also publish some resources/handouts for you to download. This site allows you to view the speakers for the last several years sessions. This is an outstanding educational resource for genealogical researchers!