Heart of the Family’s Top 10 Posts of 2020
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I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: 2020 was A LOT.
Those 365 little days really ran the full gamut of emotions. It wasn’t just the start of a new year, but also the start of a new DECADE, full of promise and new beginnings. There were conferences to attend, family gatherings to coordinate, ancestral places to visit… and then, BAM!
You know what happened next. And all of those wonderful plans went right out the window.
But despite the emotional roller coaster ride, 2020 also had its positives (hard to believe, I know). We found new and innovative ways of doing what needed to be done. In-person conferences went virtual. Family gatherings were held via Zoom. And those visits to ancestral places became trips to virtual museums and walks along Google Street View.
We family historians are definitely a resilient bunch!
A Year of Growth & Our Top 10 Posts
I launched the Heart of the Family™ website on 1 May 2020, with the idea that family history isn’t just a hobby… it’s a lifestyle. Maybe it’s because I’ve been researching my family history for most of my life, but I honestly can’t imagine living a life without family history in it (nor would I want to).
My purpose in starting this website has been to help family historians make the past a part of their present through genealogy education, family history lifestyle and technology tips, and blogging tips and prompts (because blogging is the BEST “cousin bait”).
To that end, the following are our top 10 posts of 2020. I hope you find something useful among them – if you do, you can easily pin any of the posts to Pinterest to read later!
Top 10 Posts of 2020
4 Easy Steps to Download Your Ancestry Family Tree
Online family trees are great for finding easy hints and collaborating with cousins, but you should always keep a backup copy on your computer. Here’s how to download your Ancestry.com tree in 4 easy steps.
8 Easy Family History Gifts You Can Make Yourself
Do you like to DIY your gifts? Check out these cool ideas for family history gifts you can make yourself. There’s sure to be something your family will love!
9 Unexpected Places to Find Ancestor Photos
It is wonderful to uncover the facts of an ancestor’s life, but putting a face to a name is the most amazing discovery of all. Find out where to look for ancestor photos.
1 Thing You Should Fix Now On Your Ancestry Family Tree
Whether you realize it or not, you may be doing this one, unhelpful thing on your Ancestry family tree. Here’s how to fix it right now!
War of 1812 Ancestors? Check This Free Database
If you have a Revolutionary War ancestor, you may also have an ancestor who served in the War of 1812. Find out how to search for him/her in this FREE database.
Colorize Old Photos for FREE With MyHeritage in Color
Would you like to see your old family photos come to life in color? Find out what you can do with MyHeritage in Color – it’s FREE!
Clues for Researching Melungeon Ancestors
Could your ancestors have been Melungeons? Find out who they were and how to begin researching your Melungeon ancestors.
How to Remove a Photograph Stuck to Glass
Do you have a favorite photograph that can’t be removed from its frame because it is stuck to the glass? Find out how to safely remove a photograph that is stuck to glass.
10 Resources for Researching Jamestown Ancestors
Have you traced your family tree back to colonial Virginia of the early 1600s? In this post, you’ll find resources for researching your Jamestown ancestors online.
Using Fire Insurance Maps for Family History + Where to Find Them Online
Fire insurance maps are an amazing tool for researching the cities and towns where our ancestors lived. Find out what fire insurance maps are, how to use them, and where to find them online.
Despite being the Year of Crazy, 2020 brought tremendous growth to this new blog.
If you’ve been with us for the whole ride, I THANK YOU for your support.
If you’re new to the Heart of the Family™ community, WELCOME! I invite you to subscribe to our weekly emails, join our Facebook group, or send us a message to say hello. If there’s something in particular that you’d like to see here, I’d love to hear about it!
Let’s make 2021 a fantastic family history year!
I had almost forgotten that 2020 opened a new decade. We can make up for 2020! We just need to stay optimistic while learning from its deficits.