I recently wrapped up a deep dive into identifying the right George Long out of twelve possibilities in Ohio—yes, twelve. Along the way, I found a Civil War pension card attached to dozens of trees... but the man in that file died after my George did. This blog post is a look at how I applied "reasonably exhaustive research" and why original records matter more than ever.

Family stories are the heartbeat of genealogy. They spark our curiosity, connect us to our past, and often set us on the path of discovery. As I reflect on the first fifteen weeks of my #52Ancestors p...