Welcome to Ancestral Journeys, my genealogy research blog. Researching one's ancestors is like taking a journey back through time. Each of our ancestors have a story and those stories are waiting to be told. I hope to do that, as well as outline research methods and other information relating to genealogy and family history. Even if we do not share the same ancestry, I hope you will find some of the discussion and ideas of benefit. For my complete profile, click on the 'About' tab at the top of the page.
The Monroe Family – Beginning the Search
Posted by dwsuddarth on 23 November 2009
I recently dug out an old family history that I was given back in 1979 at a family reunion. This family history was done to document my father’s mother’s side of the family. Looking through it has prompted me to begin researching this line in more depth.
My great grandfather’s name was William Hart Monroe. According to the family history I have, William was born 17 October 1880. He married Elsie Belle Studebaker 26 November 1902. William and Elsie had twelve children, the second being my grandmother, Mary Ellen (Mae) Monroe. According to the family history book I have, William died 15 November 1948. In addition, the book names his parents as William Monroe (no birth or death dates given) and Anna McLaughlin (12 May 1851 – 17 November 1920). No other information is given for this line.
Since there are no sources mentioned in the book, I need to verify the information given. The first thing I always do when beginning a new line is try to find all census records which pertain to the person I am researching. Since William was born in October 1880, he should not be listed on the 1880 census. Therefore, I need to find census records for William for 1930, 1920, 1910 and 1900. Once I find those records, I can see what information is on them and see where to go next.
Ancestral Journeys 
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