The In-Depth Genealogist a digital community for all genealogists

Exploring a family tree can bring all sorts of surprising details to light, and divorce records provide some of the most complete records of family history. Whole new parts of the family can be revealed in an instant, after being hidden for generations. Some people have more success than others at tracing their family tree, and the actions and choices of their ancestors have a significant bearing on the amount of information available. When we research our family trees we tend to look for happy events such as births and marriages, but often it is actually the less joyous events, such as divorce, which can provide the most useful information. Divorces are often covered up or simply not mentioned in families, and people tend to dislike imagining their ancestors having difficult personal lives, but these sticky situations are often very well-documented, and can provide answers when other sources of information have run dry. It’s often true that the most unfortunate events and circumstances create the most extensive and interesting documentation. Criminal records too can reveal a lot about an ancestor that may not otherwise been available. Individuals might not take as much pleasure in reading about the misdemeanours committed by their relatives as about their accomplishments and achievements, but it’s often this sort of information that gives us the truest picture of our family history. The reason that divorce records make such great reading for those researching their family trees is the sheer volume of information. Comprehensive notes are usually taken on a divorce case, including a blow-by-blow account regarding claims and counter-claims made by partners. Information such as the exact date that an affair started will often be included in divorce records, as well as the person in question, which can make for highly interesting reading when you have ... Read More »

I have been thinking about my grandmother, Eva Zielinski Morgan, a lot lately. She died in April 2011 at the age of 101+. She would have been 102 years old that June. As I was thinking of all the family information she had told me over the years (and taking my walk down memory lane), that is when it hit me: I screwed up. Big time. What was I thinking? Read More »

Being an entrepreneur is such an amazing journey - doing what you love and finally being your own boss is an incredible experience! It’s a lifestyle where you’re able to leave the corporate world behind, work at home, live your passion, and create your own roles and rules. As great as that freedom is, it can also be very overwhelming. Read More »

Louisiana's unique and colorful heritage is never so evident as it is during Mardi Gras, or Carnival season. Mardi Gras, French for Fat Tuesday, is the day before the Lenten fasting season begins. In Louisiana, it's marked by a variety of celebrations including parades, beads, balls, wild costumes, food, drink, and some types of revelry that defy description. Some traditions are believed to date back to French medieval times. Read More »

I was perspiring profusely, I know it was July and I had good reason to be standing in a pool of my own sweat. The added inability to focus, shortness of breathes and screaming voices in my head telling me to run were more than I could blame on the effects of a summer’s day sun. You see, it had come down to this one moment. The moment I had to put ‘it’ out there into the world. Read More »