Introduction: In this article, Gena Philibert-Ortega gives tips and links to help you research your family’s 20th-century women. Gena is a genealogist and author of the book “From the Family Kitchen.”
Genealogy is more than researching ancestors from the distant past. Whether it’s documenting our parents and grandparents or a recent immigrant family member to the United States, researching female ancestors from the 1900s is something we should exhaust before researching ancestors from previous centuries.
With that in mind, what 20th-century sources should you consider? The following are some records to begin your search.
Photo credit: https://depositphotos.com/home.html
Birth, Marriage, and Death Records
Birth, marriage, and death records provide genealogists with what they need to connect an ancestor to their parents or spouse. The nice thing about the 20th century is that most states were compliant in registering birth, marriage, and death records at some point. “Most” is not ALL. Some states didn’t have 100% vital record compliance until closer to the 1940s, specifically birth and death records, but you should still look for vital records for all your 20th-century ancestors.
To learn more about records that exist, consult the FamilySearch Research Wiki and search for the state your ancestor lived in for information on vital records and where to find them. Many records are not available online – you may need to order them from the state or county. Consult the Center for Disease Control website for state contact information.
Don’t forget to seek out vital record alternatives when the actual certificate doesn’t exist. For example, historical newspapers, such as GenealogyBank’s Historical Newspaper Archives, provide a great alternative. Other options include church and cemetery records. These alternatives may not be perfect, but they hold valuable clues.
Photo credit: https://depositphotos.com/home.html
Why am I suggesting Google as a genealogy source for your 20th-century female ancestors?
Chances are you conduct a Google search for all kinds of reasons, but Google is also an excellent place to search for an ancestor named on a non-genealogy website or an unknown-to-you cousin’s website.
To conduct a search for your ancestor on Google remember to conduct multiple searches using various search techniques. For example, an exact phrase search (where two or more words are encased in quote marks, for example, “Jane Smith”) or an advanced search to find all that is available. Finally, once you search her name, click on “More” at the top toolbar. A dropdown menu will appear, then click on “Books” to focus your search on the books and periodicals found in Google Books.
Newspapers
20th-century newspapers include the names of women in articles documenting family life, activities, and occupations. Women’s Pages include content that names women. Articles about women clubs and their members appear. Women enter their recipes in newspaper recipe contests. They appear (sometimes with photos) in columns dedicated to reunions, milestone anniversaries, engagements, and weddings.
My biggest tip for newspaper research is to be mindful about your searches and what names and name variations you search for. Her name might have been Margaret Smith, but what was her nickname? Was it Peggy? What about her married name? Through much of the 20th century, women were known by their husband’s names, so searching for Margaret Jones won’t help. Instead, you need to search for Mrs. George Jones and all the name variations for his name (Geo. Jones, G. Jones, etc.).
The benefit of digitized newspaper content is the ease of search, which leads to newspaper articles you weren’t expecting. Start searching GenealogyBank’s Historical Newspaper Archives.
Genealogy Tip: Make sure to read GenealogyBank’s FAQs for tips on searching.
What Are You Researching?
In some ways the 20th century is the easiest to research because we are more familiar with what records exist. However, don’t let that lull you into a false sense of genealogical security. There are those ancestors you can’t find in the census or seem to have been dropped off from outer space, leaving no record behind. Make sure that you understand the record set and how to search in order to get exhaustive results.
Explore over 330 years of newspapers and historical records in GenealogyBank. Discover your family story! Start a 7-Day Free Trial
Note on the header image: two grandmothers sitting on a dock together. Credit: https://depositphotos.com/home.html