Census Records . . .

. . . are your friend! Okay, they can't buy you drinks, or designate drive for you, but . . .

. . . they can provide useful information about siblings of your direct ancestors.

For example, I didn't know that my great-grandmother Mary Willie Watson Boone (maternal) had quite a few siblings. In fact, other than the fact that she married Victor Ivo Boone and had 15 children by him, I didn't know much about her.

Now, I know that she had seven brothers/sisters, and that her father Richard Hiliary Watson had nine brothers/sisters.

Census records can also help you find out who your ancestors married.

So, for the past few days, I've been adding siblings, marriages and children to my direct ancestors, because . . .

. . . I want as complete a portrait of the family as I can possibly get.

I want future researchers to see the connection between family members, and have enough information to make the necessary connections in their own research.

So, when dancing with the ancestors, pay close attention to census records.

Oh, did I mention, that when reviewing census pages, I found that my great-grandfather Smith (paternal) lived just a few doors down from his future second wife? Uh-huh, try that one on for size. I wonder if she baby-sat for him and his first wife. EEEWWW!

S