Mom Said: Don't Touch That Dear, it Might be Dirty

When we all were kids our parents probably said some version of, "Don't touch that because it might carry germs." And as we all know germs can make you go Kablooie!

The same is true of genealogy research. Mom told me that right at the get-go: if you're going to simply (and lazily) cut and paste some one else's data onto your tree your tree might go Kablooie later. And of course, as we do know, Mom was right about that and so very much else. Thanks Mom!

I like Ancestry.com a lot. Mom likes FamilySearch.org too. When we talk and both say, I'm going to go look that up, she uses FS and I use Ancestry. It just worked out that way.

Now if you use Ancestry or especially Family Tree Maker and see those little green leaves, it's very tempting to just click and merge any ol' piece of data into your tree. Hey, that sounds right, you'll say to yourself... and not double check sources.

We read about this issue all the time. And I've tested some researchers by double checking enough so that I come to trust them. Only then will I go ahead and merge what they have into my own tree.

"Test and then trust," Reagen said. Mom said it first;)

An old family photo.

Don't know who they are because no one took a moment

to write their names on the back. How sad is that?!

Think they might be from the Zeller line.