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Genealogy for the New, the Frustrated, and the Reluctant: Our Conversation with a Professional

Ellen Goodwin, Artifcts
September 07, 2023

Reading time: 7 minutes 

We see you! You’re curious about something in your family history but are no genealogy pro. You are strapped for time and fear the complexities and cost involved in getting started and doing the research right.

The good news is that you do not need to become a genealogist to benefit from the voluminous records available online and via traditional hardcopy archives of old. We always encourage you to start “old school” with what you may have at home. Check out our Genealogy Gems checklist.

Notebook paper with list of genealogy research items in your home

In today’s conversation, you’ll learn about how professional genealogists can support your efforts to gain new information no matter if you are a highly experienced researcher or an amateur family historian who loves a good story. Who doesn’t after all? Myths, legends, campfire tales are all about good stories. Even better when they stories are your family’s stories!

Genealogy Research with the Pros

Sheri Bennett, a professional genealogist and project manager with Legacy Tree Genealogists, knows a thing or two about genealogy. A practicing professional for nearly two decades with a degree from Brigham Young University (BYU) and first-hand research experience in Mexico and Chile, she’s seen a lot. Enjoy our chat with Sheri as we explore what professional genealogists bring to the table to resolve your family history puzzles and curiosities. 

Ellen Goodwin: It’s not every day I get to chat with a professional genealogist. I’m hardly even a hobbyist. More an admirer! And you have a deep professional background and interesting specialties, too.

Sheri Bennett: Well, you’re in good company with Legacy Tree Genealogists, because we work with all types of people interested in genealogy. But, yes, you gave my technical background, and that’s been bolstered by my own family research while I was at BYU and over the course of my career. My dad was from Tennessee and my husband the south as well, so between researching their ancestry and my own time in Chile and Mexico, I have developed specialties in the US South and Midwest as well as supporting Spanish-language research.

Goodwin: In your experience, is there a common theme as to why clients hire professional genealogists?

Bennett: The specifics vary but, in general, they simply want to know – what are our stories, who were my people, where did they live and work, why did they move? They want concrete answers.

Sometimes to get these answers you need help that stretches beyond a passive hobby, because as we all know, not all information is created equal. I was shocked when a professor once told me that all those many many many family trees out there are only ~40% accurate! People think they are related to people they are not related to if they accept others’ trees.

Goodwin: That sounds … messy. Does that mean you spend a lot of time correcting trees?

Bennett: A lot of time, no, not necessarily, but it is a very common request from clients. We use two documents per relationship to validate and/or correct a relationship. One document is never enough. Someone else’s tree is never enough.

Goodwin: I think that’s a major draw for people like myself: In seeking these answers, you offer reassurance. Your work meets standards that mean your clients have concrete answers and can avoid passing down inaccurate information.

Bennett: As professional genealogists, the genealogical proof standards from the Board for Certification of Genealogists are the cornerstone of our work and our core values at Legacy Tree Genealogists, too: Care – Cooperation – Accuracy – Respect – Efficiency.

We have an obligation to undertake “reasonable exhaustive research.” The key word being exhaustive. What record could contain the needed information? Tax records, probate, … may all be relevant. And what archive, where, would hold that document?

Goodwin: I love how excited and passionate you get about this work as we’re chatting. Even a document is not just a document to you. For so many, it’s hard to breathe life or context into a piece of paper.

Bennett: Documents are so exciting. It’s a connection! They aren’t just paper – if you know how to interpret them, they can tell a story. Where they were born, to whom, was dad not even listed and was that normal for the time? If you’re lucky, like in some Latin countries, even grandparents are listed in a birth certificate, and you get three generations in one document!

Audio icon on beige background labeled "Listen in!"

Stories are there, hidden in those documents.
 
 

Goodwin: I’m excited just imagining what all that information you research could mean for today’s descendants. I can picture it: here's the city so-and-so was born and raised in, and the church where she was married—see their signatures on the marriage license—and the location where the bakery she and her family operated once stood, and so on.

Bennett: Yes, seeing it all in black and white, it’s amazing. And to your point of envisioning it, we even map those locations out for clients. You could use it to plan a family heritage trip! It’s another way we can bring the research to life for our clients – real people, real places, real relations and roots of yours.

Goodwin: Your specialties, local knowledge, and archival access across your global team must be an incredible asset to your clients. I know that in my mother’s family, the paternal line was the subject of a self-published book in 1992, but the author mentions at the outset all sorts of gaps where no matter how many letters she wrote to archives in England, Germany, and elsewhere, she never found certain records.

Bennett: Absolutely. We have researchers who specialize in different areas across the world. Often when hobbyists or amateur genealogists hit brick walls like your family member did, it’s because they are working online and cannot access the old churches, tax offices, and other archives where original records are kept.

Goodwin: Thinking about those original records, validating places of birth and marriage, for example, are more black and white sorts of records searches. Surely people also come to you with information more akin to family lore that they want you to explore?

Bennett: Ha, yes. And I’m sure you read a lot of family lore at Artifcts, too. Curiosity certainly motivates people. They want to know if the family legends are true. Do we have a Cherokee princess in the family line? Are we really related to Jessie James? Did my ancestors come over on the Mayflower? They are curious, but they don’t have time to unearth this information themselves.

They want to know, are the legends true?

Goodwin: In seeking these answers, you deliver insights and the proof we spoke about earlier. Clients receive a written report, along with a fan chart, copies of the original documents, and even a data file that they can upload to genealogy software to update their tree. Did I miss anything?

Bennett: All of our findings are delivered in a binder and a password protected website, too. And, keep in mind, it's all the research findings along the way, too.

One of our clients in Cuba was trying to trace his family’s origins back to Spain. But it wasn’t as simple as going one or two generations back. Ten generations back and at last we landed his family in Spain. All of our research discoveries along the way, even the dead ends, were valuable and validating.

Nil results are still progress!
 
 

Goodwin: What’s one detail about family history and genealogy research that people might easily overlook?

Bennett: The photos. Often clients want us to find photos of their ancestors, and here there’s an important “yes, but” to consider.

Audio icon on beige background

Was your ancestor in the newspaper? That would help.
 
 

Goodwin: I know exactly what you mean about the feeling of connection when you discover new details and context. I Artifcted a family brooch after a lengthy episode of chasing family history and had I known more about it earlier, I would have worn it on my wedding day.

If I were a client of yours, could I share that Artifct with you to support your research? 

Bennett: Yes! We prefer clients to share files with us digitally, if possible, so we can easily access and review them and avoid duplicating any progress they may have already made in their family research.

We certainly do not want you to send us a brooch or original photo or document. If those resources are Artifcted, all the better! We can weave Artifcts into the biography along with the photos and documents within each Artifct, too.

<<End Interview>>

There’s that age old saying, working smarter not harder. And sometimes, yes, that means calling in a professional genealogist for a course correction, powering through a brick wall, or inspiring your search down paths you’ve never even caught a glimpse of. We love that your Artifcts can capture and boost those genealogy discoveries and sharing and hope you’ll have a lot of fun as you continue your family history research!

Happy Artifcting!

______________

You may also enjoy these additional ARTIcles by Artifcts:

Did You Know Great Grandpa was an Inventor?

Grandma's Secret, Not-So-Secret, Coin Collection

She's the Last of Her Generation

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© 2023 Artifcts, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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Every Room Has a Story: Kitchen Edition

Reading time: 5 minutes 

Welcome to the fourth in our series of the stories of your living spaces: Your kitchen. Often the workhorse of our homes, the kitchen is also ground zero for family gatherings, traditions and oh-so-many memories and stories to go along with it all. Not to mention ALL that cabinet space, which too often ends up becoming the final resting place for long forgotten and seldom used gadgets, mugs, cookbooks, and more! 

What surprises are hidden behind your cabinet doors? What memories and stories are sitting untold? What ‘stuff’ is getting in your way of the job to be done: cooking! Let’s go! 

Catch up on past editions in the series: Living Room |  Kids’ Rooms Bathroom 

Cookbooks, Recipes & More 

Show me a kitchen without a cookbook and I’ll show you... a [insert company name] catalog. Yes, those designer kitchens in our favorite furniture store catalogs always LOOK nice, but our co-founder Heather is always left wondering, where are the cookbooks?  

Growing up, Heather’s mom was a fabulous cook. Heather still remembers sitting on the butcher block counters and doodling in the cookbooks as her mother baked. And we’re certain she’s not alone in her memories in the kitchen and those omnipresent cookbooks.  

Whether your cookbook collection is more accidental than intentional, one thing is for certain, kitchen cabinets and shelves are great for holding, hiding, and yes, collecting cookbooks! Your shelves are so accommodating that they do nothing to help you parse out the useful, the emotionally valuable, or the “it was a nice thought, but not happening” cookbooks.  

And let’s not forget about the recipes. Sometimes it’s not so much the cookbook as it is one of the recipes inside that triggers the memory.  

 
 
 
 
Heather found a handwritten recipe from her father in one of her mother’s cookbooks. Heather framed the recipe, and three moves later, it still sits prominently on her kitchen counter. CLICK THE IMAGE to view the Artifct.

Feeling inspired? Ready to thin that collection? As you do, Artifct favorites on the spot! Really want to wow your family? Include a short audio story of WHY you love that particular cookbook or recipe. Better yet, include a short video of you making the recipe or providing instruction on how-to make the recipe.

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
One of our most-loved Artifcts involves a grandmother instructing her granddaughter on how to make the family’s secret biscuits. CLICK THE IMAGE to view the Artifct.

Gadgets Galore 

Ah yes, kitchen gadgets. As lovers of all things kitchen related, our co-founders Heather and Ellen get it. Who doesn’t want the latest and greatest sure-to-revolutionize-your-dinner-routine gadget? Thankfully for them, space is at a premium in both households, which means that function usually always wins out and helps to keep extra gadgets at bay.  

That said, we know this is not the norm. Our members have shared with us stories of all those gadgets sometimes inherited, sometimes accumulated. We’ve heard firsthand how New Year’s resolutions to eat healthier end up with juice machines, bread machines, blenders, and the like tucked away in the back of our cabinets, taunting us and our half-hearted attempts. 

 
 
 
When @Sue Artifcted her antique cheese grater, she even showed her daughter how to use it! 

But then there are the #battletested kitchen gadgets that have stood the test of time and are woven into the fabric of your family stories around the recipes and holidays they served.

 

 A rolling pin that's been passed down for generations! @Grandmom Artifcted it. CLICK THE IMAGE to view the Artifct. 

For all those kitchen gadgets, whether old or new, loved or maybe forgotten, it’s time we take a hard look at them, too. Do they still work? Will you still use them? Perfect! Keep! If the answer is ‘no’ to either of those questions, consider donating or recycling but not before you Artifct them. A few of these gadgets are even featured in our 108 Things to Declutter list, downloadable here.

Junk Drawers, Fridge Doors, and All Other Surfaces 

Hello elephant(s) in the room! We’re looking at you junk drawer, fridge door, and all other available surfaces where clutter in our kitchens tends to accumulate. 

Barbara Hemphill, of the Productive Environment Institute coined the phrase, “clutter is postponed decisions.” So true! And somehow our kitchens enable us to postpone those decisions even further.

Not today! Pick an area—your junk drawer, your fridge door, or flat surface—and take a hard look at what is there by spreading it out onto an open surface and then thoughtfully reviewing what belongs:

      • Seasonal items can easily be rotated out if you pause to take notice that they are still there, months later. We’re looking at you, hand towels!
      • Sentimental but unnecessary? Great, Artifct it and then recycle, rehome, or otherwise put it in its appropriate space.
      • Any lurking financial or business-related stuff, such as old receipts, invoices, and the like, could potentially be scanned and then shredded.
      • Got mementos overflowing, e.g., old matchbooks, magnets, ticket stubs, and other souvenirs? We bet there are some good stories behind those items to Artifct and share with family and friends. Maybe consider rehoming the actual item if it is no longer needed or used.

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© 2024 Artifcts, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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Oldies-But-Goodies: Summer Reading List from the Artifcts Archives

If you're anything like us, you probably have your favorite newsletters piling up in your inboxes all week, all month, all quarter long. We know how great they are, loaded with useful information, new research, fun tips and more, but the days can be so full. And we want to devote our attention to them, so we save them and wait until we have more time. Is summer that time for you?

If ARTIcles by Artifcts is new to you or piling up from your busy days and months, we’ve compiled a few of our favorites from over the years into your next summer reading list, perfect for your next roadtrip, airplane ride, or other adventure over your summer holidays.

While creating this list made us a bit nostalgic, it also reminded us why we’re here – helping us all to transform our relationships to our ‘stuff’ and to each other, one memory, one story, one Artifct at a time. Enjoy!  

Artifcts Co-founder Heather Nickerson’s Summer Reading List 

USE ARTIFCTS TIMELINES TO ENRICH YOUR FAMILY HISTORY

Have you tried keeping track of your family history? Although I'm a 12th generation Nickerson, I am allergic to genealogy apps or any type of software that makes me feel like I’m embarking on a senior thesis project. Artifcts Timelines however are a (nice cool summer) breeze. Read now -->

A FAMILY HISTORY IN FIVE ARTIFCTS 

When push comes to shove, could you tell your life story in five Artifcts? Which Artifcts would you choose? I’m not sure I could, which is why I love this piece. Read now --> 

STUCK IN THE MIDDLE WITH STUFF: THE SANDWICH GENERATION

These days I'm feeling more like a panini than a sandwich, trying to plan for yet another move with all our 'stuff' while working full time at Artifcts. This one speaks to all of us who are trying to juggle kids, parents, four-legged dependents, and our jobs, and not always in that order. Read now --> 

A VIRTUAL IMPOSSIBILITY OF KEEPING UP WITH ALL MY DIGITAL PHOTOS 

Guilty as charged. This will be mandatory reading for EVERY family member this summer as I refuse to pay for yet another upgrade to our Apple storage plan. Read now -->

15 DECLUTTERING TARGETS FOR ARTIFCTERS

It's actionable, and as my youngest used to say, “Chop, chop!” I think my father is secretly looking forward to a couple of extra helping hands this summer as we tackle the basement with this list in hand. Read now -->

Artifcts Co-founder Ellen Goodwin’s Summer Reading List 

SOUNDS OF SUMMER – VINYL EDITION 

Music is magical. We use it to teach. We use it to celebrate and recover. We even use it to reconnect with loved ones who have been robbed of so much by dementia, but the powerful memories of music bring them joy. What music would make your ‘best of’ cut? Read now -->

FROM RARE ART TO FAMILY HEIRLOOMS: TIPS FROM A MASTER AS YOU CONSIDER SELLING YOUR ‘STUFF’ 

Too often we are our own worst enemies, procrastinating, inflating expectations, and worse when it comes to downsizing and decluttering objects we own. We've taken to heart the perspective and truths that Antiques Roadshow host Lark Mason shared with us from his decades of experience working with families as they auctioned away pieces of their family history. Read now -->

FIVE LESSONS FROM ARTIFCTING WITH MY MOTHER (+ The Epilogue!) 

Artifcting is about connection, one on one, in groups, as communities. This story comes from the heart, offering guidelines to make the most of your time Artifcting with your loved ones. Read now --> 

PINT-SIZED PERSPECTIVE ON DECLUTTERING & MOVING 

It can be hard to be 5, 6, or 7, or any age under 18 really. So little control over nearly everything! This article is about bringing kids into the decluttering and downsizing game to give them back some control as you prepare to move. Don’t miss a more recent article on this theme from our friend Matt Paxton, too. Read now --> 

HOW TO TAKE PICTURES OF OBJECTS AT HOME 

The team at Artifcts wants to support you as much as possible, every step of the way. So when our members ask us for tips—like how to take nice pictures of ‘stuff’—we do everything we can to respond and help. Aesthetics matter! Details matter! If you want to level up from our at-home advice, we collected photo tips from a pro, too. Read now -->

We wish you all the best over these summer months. Happy reading, happy Artifcting!

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© 2025 Artifcts, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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Who Wants Your Family China?

Last week while out walking my dog, I ran into a neighbor. As usual, we started chatting, and 20 minutes later my dog had given up and laid down realizing the walk was on pause.

My neighbor had just returned from a trip to see her son, daughter-in-law, and grandbabies out in Utah. During her visit, she updated her family on some remodeling and upgrades at the family home in Austin. As a part of this process, she’d been required to relocate items around the house to make room for the contractors to do their thing.

By actually picking up and taking stock of items she hadn’t even thought about in years, and being an avid fan of Artifcts, she paused to think, “What is all this? Why am I holding onto it? What am I going to do with it next?”

She told her son she planned to donate the family china sets—yes, plural—and probably even old leaded crystal glasses and bowls that had fallen into disuse. “I know you don’t want my stuff. I read about it in the paper every day. I get it.”

Except, she was wrong.  

Her daughter-in-law did not see it as sentimental clutter, as many her age tend to do. She intsead chimed in, "Didn't one of the sets belong to Alex's great grandmother?“ It had, and her daughter-in-law said, "In that case, I want it. It’s family. Same goes for the crystal.”

Future Options for Your China Set

The irony, according to my neighbor, is that while her daughter-in-law may want her china and crystal, shipping it will be expensive, and it will almost certainly sit in their storage unit in Utah. They live in an adorable bungalow where there’s no space for china.

“I hope I can take it to them myself the next time I take a road trip out to see them. Somehow it makes her feel good to hold onto it. That’s fine by me as long as I don’t have to!”

If your china set has fallen into disuse, think carefully through your options:

Sell

We think that for you to make the best decision, you need all the facts. If you intend to sell your china, do not expect it to be a major money maker. Better to be okay with “something is better than nothing” even if we all know there are wild exceptions out there in the world, like these ceramic plates that sold for over $25,000 at auction.

A simple online search can give you an idea of what your set is selling for in the current market. Because of shipping costs, you’re likely constrained, but for some china (because of the designer, pattern, or quality) shipping may not a barrier. You might discover a single plate will sell for $85 or $3. Check around with sites like liveauctioneers.com, eBay, Etsy, and 1stDibs.

Some online marketplaces, such as Replacements.com, buy china to then sell it off piece by piece to people who are looking for replacements for their set. But read the fine print. Some sites make quotes pending receipt of the items, and then once they receive the items, they could reduce their offer. And the price a piece sells for is going to be substantially different from what they pay you. Know this and be okay letting it go.

Family and Friends 

You really do have to ask!

Do not assume that no one wants it.

Ignore those news headlines.

You might have a friend, neighbor, or loved one with a desire for your china. But avoid attaching strings to that gift. If you give away your china, and they then turn around and break up the set, transform it, or eventually get rid of it, no harm, no foul!

Keep a Few Pieces 

If you’re feeling sentimental or even guilty about letting go of something that was a part of so many family occasions or was originally expensive to purchase, holding onto a few pieces of the set might help you let go of the rest. Perhaps you keep only the tea cups, only the dessert plates, or a platter and/or serving bowl. That can sometimes be enough.

For others of you, you may decide that you need still less. A single cup can become a decoration on a shelf. Or you can use it bedside to float a candle or a single flower.

tea cup and saucer on stack of books

Donate

Donations can be difficult for china. They take up a lot of space and are naturally delicate. Call your local charities and thrift stores to see what they are interested in before you pack it up and haul it over.

Create

If you are the crafty type, we’ve seen creative options for smashing china and setting it into paver stones for gardens and pathways. Others carefully break, arrange, and 3D frame pieces for stunning and creative textual art. 

Artifct That 

You might decide you’re keeping your china, because you’re enjoying using it or simply looking at it. You might decide it’s out of here, tomorrow!

Either way, Artifct that to record its history, like our co-founder Heather did for the china set inherited from her mother-in-law.

Artifcting your china, or any piece of it that you are partial to, and sharing that Artifct can open up conversations you never expected. Sharing might also help you complete the “In the future” field in your Artifct.

Here are some tips for making future plans for your china:

      • If you want that china to “Stay in the family,” make sure they understand why through the story you provide in the Artifct.  
      • If you plan to sell it, great, choose “Sell,” and set a reminder for yourself and Artifcts will email you to help keep you on schedule.  

option in Artifct form to set a reminder to sell an item 

      • If a loved one sees the Artifct and is in love with the china set, fabulous. You can indicate “Bequeath” and to whom. 
      • Selling it tomorrow? Mark, “Too late! Already gone. Enjoy the memory.” to save your loved ones from a frustrating scavenger hunt. 

No matter your plans for your china, make them known to your loved ones, and prepare yourself to let it go to a new home.

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© 2025 Artifcts, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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