Genealogy Jottings

In genealogy, common wisdom dictates that the researcher should work backwards from the known to the unknown. This can be difficult if one does not know where to look! Luckily, I have a genealogical roadmap to follow for my research. In my family, Signe Bentsen Fleming wrote all the Bentsen family lore in her 1988 work, Bentsen-Sivertsen History: 1800-1988. Michael Hayden did the same thing for the Reed family in The Reeds of Ashmore, also in 1988. In Tony’s family, Luella J. Hall traced the Walstad family in One Man’s Descendants (1787-1971). These books do not cite sources, but the authors followed the standard genealogical practice of gathering information from relatives as the first step. They wrote these books from that material, and they provide a wonderful path for me to follow as I look for original records today. Thank you, Signe, Michael, and Luella!

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