I've heard both "cluster" and "whole family research." When I began genealogy 19 years ago (gee, I'm dating myself), I took a basic, beginning genealogy class at my local adult school. I remember that in proper genealogy, you should take the ancestor and collect all their children (birth, marriage, death) and collect all the grandchildren (birth, marriage, death). Depending on what my goal is, I may or may not do this. And 19 years ago, I did do it to submit to a book. It took about a year to get it. There were no computer sources with online indices. On my American lines, I copied a map of the US. My ancestors were in Missouri (MO). So I hope they all went west. I started to pull the Soundex for the Federal Census for each state west of MO and crossed it off the map.
I remember when Shirley Allegre found a couple of deaths for our common ancestors. Mom and baby died something like a day apart. I don't remember what that record stated (or if it did), but it was probably due to complications from childbirth. It's terribly sad. Also, I was lucky on one of my American lines where deaths were recorded in the 1850s in a particular county in Kentucky. This one did note the cause. Mom and 3 children died within a few months of each other. The cause? Flux. I had to go to an old time disease name web site. Flux is diarrhea. One child probably had it and she washed the clothes along with the 2 babies and they all got it and died. They didn't know about sanitation then and I'm sure the water wasn't changed or the one child's soiled diapers washed separately from everyone else's. Cheri -- To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. Follow the confirmation directions when they arrive. For more options, such as changing to List, Digest, Abridged, or No Mail (vacation) mode, log into your Google account and visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/Azores. Click in the blue area on the right that says "Join this group" and it will take you to "Edit my membership."
