Fun Facts

Did you know...General search forms may often be stifling your efforts.The absolute fastest way to begin overcoming this limitation is to use the general search box sparingly (especially on large genealogy websites) and focus instead on searching individual record collections. It is the best way, hands down, to immediately increase the number of relevant records you discover about your ancestor?

Did you Know...The Social Security system began during the Great Depression, and the Social Security number (SSN) was created then — in 1936 — to help track the earnings histories of workers. By roughly 2008, more than 450 million SSNs had been issued.

Did you know... many of the genealogy blogs and commercial sites offer a free newsletter? By signing up for these, you'll often get tips, free resources, and news about what's happening in the field of genealogy. Hint: set up a free gmail or Yahoo email account just for this purpose and you won't be overwhelmed with too much in your regular email.

Did you know ... Story County Genealogical Society offers workshops, help sessions, knowledgeable speakers, and an array of learning opportunities? Consider joining us (see Online Join on the main menu) and/or come to our monthly meetings. We're a friendly, helpful group of genealogists!

Did you know ... the 1925 state of Iowa census is known as the "golden census" because it is the only census that asked for the names of parents for all persons enumerated, regardless of age. When viewing the image be sure to look at all three pages.

Did you know....Major ancestry groups reported by Story County residents include: · German - 30% · Norwegian - 11% · Irish - 10% · English - 9% · Swedish - 4% · Dutch - 3% · Danish - 2% · Scottish - 2% · French (except Basque) - 2%....

Did you know... Ancestry.com does offer a free guest account? You can build a genealogy tree, access the free databases (several hundred!), and more. Details: https://goo.gl/CZ3Ibq

Did you know... the word "removed" denotes a difference in generation. Once removed is a difference of one generation, for example, your mom's first cousin is your first cousin once removed.

Did you know ... a collateral relative is defined as any relative who would not be found in your direct line, such as brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, and cousins.

Did you know... Necrology is the list of death records and obituaries that have been published in newspapers, or other comparable public documents or can mean a biographical description of a person who has recently died.

Did you know... a declaration of intention or "first papers", is an official declaration of an alien's intent to become an United States Citizen and lists such details such as name, occupation, birth place... '