As genealogists, we are notorious for poking fun at ourselves. We joke about our obsession with family history, our computer addiction, and about the ploys our ancestors may have used to avoid our searches. But sometimes there is a grain of truth hidden in these jokes, and if we really think about them, we may discover a way around these truths.

My ancestors . . .

(A) Must have swum across because I can't find them in any immigration records.
(B) Were deposited here by aliens.
(C) Were abducted by aliens.

So many times when we feel we have searched every record type, we may believe there is a grain of truth in this joke, but it might just be that we are looking in the wrong location.

For instance, if you have an ancestor who you have found record of in New York City, you might be tempted to assume that he came into the country through the Port of New York or Ellis Island. But your searches of New York City or Ellis Island immigration records may be in vain. Knowing the history of the area can help. Historically speaking, in some cases, it was cheaper and more convenient to enter the United States via Canada and the St. Lawrence; in fact, around 1850 it was actually encouraged. (For more information on this, see the “Immigrants to Canada: Emigration Information of the Nineteenth Century” site.

Today's technology can help us to overcome this hurdle. Mega-databases, like those at Ancestry.com, allow users to perform nationwide and even worldwide searches for their ancestors by performing a Global Search, which may turn up ancestors in unexpected locations.

The page of microfilm where your ancestor's name appears is unreadable and appears to have been filmed after a five-martini lunch.

While it may be that the original filming of the document is the reason it is unreadable, many microform copies are made from other microfilms and they may be several “generations” removed from the original. For this reason, a copy in one repository may be of better or worse quality than a copy in another repository. Make a note of the film and page number, and when you have the opportunity to visit another repository that has that film, you might want to do a quick check to see if you have better luck there.

The documentation you seek was . . .

(A) Onboard the Titanic.
(B) Burned in a courthouse fire.
(C) Eaten by a dog.

This is unfortunately often the truth. Records are often destroyed in fires, floods, or natural disasters.

After the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, most of the city's records were lost. Many people had to reconstruct records in order to get their lives back in order. Millions of records had to be re-recorded to prove land ownership, citizenship status, or other life events. For this reason, a search of court records in later years can often yield substantial results.

Alternative sources can also be checked. Local libraries, archives, or genealogical or historical societies may know of or hold some sources unique to your area of interest.

The courthouse clerk who holds your grandfather's naturalization papers has just been insulted by another genealogist.

This can all too often be the truth, and for this reason it is very important for us to always be polite to the keepers of the records we seek, no matter how frustrated we become. But sometimes we can change bad impressions with a smile, a kind word, or a simple act of kindness. We will catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.

You work for years to find the missing link in your family history. When you finally find it and tell your family, Uncle George says, "Oh, I knew that!"

This underlines the importance of interviewing all living family members (I've tried interviewing the dead ones, but they don't always respond!). Even if you had interviewed Uncle George, though, did you ask the right questions? Many times those not familiar with genealogy may not realize the significance of these tidbits. Let him know what exactly what information will help you.

Did you let him know what information you have? Sometimes by showing him a chart or a brief summary of what you know, he may be able to help you fill in the blanks.

Have you kept him up to date with new information you have found? Sometimes new information will help to jog his memory and bring to light new information.

You have finally located the marriage record for the John Smith in your family, and you find that his wife's maiden name is Smith too.

While searching for common surnames can be complicated, it is not impossible. See “Searching for Catherine Kelly in Sea of Kellys” or Patricia Hatcher's article from last week, “Separating Men of the Same Name”.

You know you are a genealogy addict when your dining room table has been transformed into an office and the table has been pushed into a corner to make more room for your files.

Hey, who's been peeking in my window?! I actually have this setup, but with the help of Liz Kersten's “Get It Together” columns, there is hope even for me!