Eliza J Hilts

Today while searching for documentation for the Marriage of my Lawrence Hilts and his wife Nancy I came across a webpage http://www.samsgenealogy.com/index.html  (Handy Ancestors, Descendants, & Related Families) with his oldest known daughter Eliza Hilts who married Chauncey Charles Handy . This website had information that I didn't have. Even though I don't have any sources, I added the information to my tree making sure I sourced this webpage. This way I know this is someone elses work and when I find time, I should try to get supporting documentation for this information.

This is why I wish people would include their sources, because then I can review what they looked at, without having to start from scratch and find sources to prove this. However, I have heard that some genealogist don't include sources so that people who want to know more must contact them directly. This way they can find out if you are related and how and have you as a resource if they need it. This can be a smart way too, but then perhaps they should have a statement such as "Sources available upon request."

I personally, don't want to slow down anyone's research efforts for them to have to wait until I reply to their email. There are many times, when I am traveling that I don't check my email, I don't want to check my email or I don't have access to my email. For example, when I went to Peru, until I made it back to the hotel, I didn't have internet access and I only had it because I brought my iPAD along. I wasn't going to bring my laptop because it was too heavy to lug around.

When I was on a cruise this past spring, I didn't check my email because I was too cheap to pay the price for internet access. Plus it was vacation, I had my laptop only to download my pictures from my camera, so that I would have more space available to take more pictures.

Back on track... If you want to collaborate with cousins, you need to get your trees out there. I do want to thank the author of the Handy Ancestors... website for taking the time to publish it on the web. It was put out there in 2008 and four years later a distant relative (me) found it.

I publish/share my tree with Ancestry.com. I do keep my tree private so that people have to contact me to get to view the tree. However, they can match to my tree, it is not totally private. I always ask how they are related to the person they are inquirying about and if I can match them, they have access. If I can't match them, I give them a brief report about the person they are inquirying about.

One final note: don't be a taker without being a giver too. If you take from someone's tree, their information (don't forget to give them credit by sourcing it) perhaps you should give your information so they can update their tree. This way both trees grow into something bigger and more beautiful.

Good Luck in your Genealogy research!