By Nancy Battick When James Roosevelt, father of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, died in 1900, his will contained something unique.

By Nancy Battick American Ancestors’ weekly e-zine recently posed a survey question regarding ancestral languages.

By Nancy Battick If you’ve ever wandered through old cemeteries along the coast of Maine, you may have come across a headstone with the inscription “lost at sea.

By Nancy Battick We’re all victims of genetic roulette.

By Nancy Battick I have a cousin I’ll call Susan, who lives out of state in a nursing home.

By Nancy Battick Occasionally I write about the necessity not to judge our ancestors by today’s standards.

By Nancy Battick Small-town weekly newspapers are wonderful sources for genealogists.

By Nancy Battick The annual Maine Genealogical Society conference is usually held in September, but this year it will be Aug 23, and for the first time you can attend it from the comfort of your own home.

This is the 250th anniversary of the start of the American Revolution.

When the latest Maine Ulster-Scots Project newsletter hit my inbox, I was delighted at their list of activities aimed at reaching people with Scots Irish heritage or those interested in the culture.

By Nancy Battick Those of you who read this column regularly know that I’m always advising genealogists to tap into local resources that may not have an online presence but may have materials that will help you in your research.

By Nancy Battick If you’re new to genealogy you may not have heard of the USGenWeb project.

By Nancy Battick Have you ever wondered if you qualify for membership in a lineage society or how to join a fraternal organization — or if you have Scottish roots, how to join a clan? What’s the difference and what do you have to do to join?  A lineage society, such as the Sons or Daughters of the American Revolution or the Mayflower Society, is open to all who can prove descent from an ancestor qualifying you for membership.

By Nancy Battick On April 17 I presented a program at the Thompson Free Library in Dover-Foxcroft for those who wanted to learn how to research their ancestors but were uncertain how to start.

By Nancy Battick For many years obtaining copies of adoption records was impossible.

By Nancy Battick Ever wonder what traits it takes to make a good genealogist? There are a few defining characteristics that occur in all the successful ones.

By Nancy Battick Friends are important to all of us.

By Nancy Battick Immigration is a hot-button issue, one where people hold strong opinions one way or the other.