Hittin' the Bricks with Kathleen

New Year: Old Ancestors, New Eyes

• Kathleen Brandt • Episode 2658

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Episode Overview

Hittin’ the Bricks with Kathleen is a podcast focused on genealogy, local history, and practical methods for turning scattered records into meaningful family narratives. In this episode, host Kathleen Brandt shifts the focus from collecting as many names as possible to building one strong ancestral branch by revisiting familiar records with sharper questions and better research tools.

Using the guiding principle “one ancestor, one record, three questions,” this episode demonstrates how focused analysis can transform disconnected documents into a coherent and readable life story.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn

  • Why choosing a single ancestor can accelerate genealogical breakthroughs
  • How focusing on one record group reveals deeper patterns and inconsistencies
  • What three questions to ask of every document you find
  • How timelines, checklists, and re-reading notes expose overlooked clues
  • Ways to turn raw data into stories your family can actually read

Topics Covered

  • Selecting one ancestor to study for an extended period
  • Focusing on a single record group (pensions, land, or census)
  • Asking new analytical questions of familiar documents
  • Building timelines and using simple research checklists
  • Re-reading old notes to surface missed details
  • Applying the FAN method to track friends, associates, and neighbors
  • Translating research data into narrative form
  • Case study: James Nelson Strader and Civil War pension records
  • Setting monthly research goals and sharing progress

Episode Discussion & Key Moments

Kathleen explains how genealogists often stall by spreading their efforts too thin across many names. By intentionally narrowing the scope to one ancestor at a time, researchers can ask better questions and recognize patterns that are invisible in broad family trees.

The episode walks through practical techniques such as building timelines, using checklists, and applying the FAN method to witnesses and neighbors. Kathleen also revisits the value of re-reading old research notes, demonstrating how previously overlooked clues can emerge when viewed through a new analytical lens.

A detailed case study of James Nelson Strader illustrates how Civil War pension records can be mined repeatedly to reconstruct a fuller, more accurate life story.

Key questions examined include:

  • What changes when you focus on depth instead of breadth?
  • How can a single record group support long-term research?
  • What makes genealogical work understandable to non-researchers?

Resources & Research Tools Mentioned

  • Civil War pension files
  • Census, land, and pension record groups
  • FAN (Friends, Associates, Neighbors) method
  • Research timelines and checklists

Why This Episode Matters

This episode encourages a sustainable and disciplined approach to genealogy—one that prioritizes understanding over accumulation. By focusing deeply on one ancestor, researchers can create accurate, readable histories that preserve meaning for future generations, not just data.

About the Podcast

Hittin’ the Bricks with Kathleen helps listeners break through genealogy brick walls by c

Be sure to bookmark linktr.ee/hittinthebricks for your one stop access to Kathleen Brandt, the host of Hittin' the Bricks with Kathleen. And, visit us on YouTube: @HTBKRB with Kathleen John and Chewey video recorded specials.

Hittin' the Bricks is produced through the not-for-profit, 501c3 TracingAncestors.org.

John:

Ladies and gentlemen from the depths of Flyver Country in the heartland of America, the Kansas City on the other side of the mighty moe, welcome to Hittin' the Bricks with Kathleen, the Do-It-Yourself Genealogy podcast with your questions and her answers. I am John, your humble hubby host, and today we'll be talking about putting new eyes on old ancestors or old eye okay. Anyway, there's a lot to cover, so let's start hitting the bricks. Hey, baby. You're silly. Happy New Year.

Kathleen:

Happy New Year to you.

John:

Well, we've already done Happy New Year, so I take that.

Kathleen:

Yes, but it's all months love. People are still hitting the gym trying to meet those goals and they haven't given up on their resolutions yet.

John:

I am I always have been. I've always been dead set against resolutions. I like to spread my failures throughout a 12-month period of time, not try and jam them all into one month.

Kathleen:

I got it. I got it. So, John, that's kind of what we're talking about today. Is it's not failures. So we are talking about new perspectives, starting a new year with a new perspective of genealogy research.

John:

New year, new perspective, and a little bit of uh a kinder, gentler approach to the research you're doing.

Kathleen:

The issue, what I have found, is people hit the new year and they're going to find and finish and do all of this with their research. And in general, I say slow down. This is the new year. It's not time to add new ancestors, but it's time to give the ancestors you've worked on new perspectives.

John:

Okay.

Kathleen:

So what I mean by that is a lot of times we have started an ancestor and we haven't finished them. Let's not go forward and do starting more new ancestors. Let's look at the ones that we already have.

John:

Okay.

Kathleen:

And the reason I'm saying that is when we start out as a beginner, or when we first start out the first five years, we're still in a learning phase. So some of those ancestors that you would say has a brick wall today, they might not anymore because your knowledge has grown. So my thing is let's pick up one of those ancestors and work with them.

John:

But it's time to uh revisit at the beginning of the year as opposed to striking out new.

Kathleen:

That is correct. So I I again I think you know, everyone talks about the resolutions and fresh starts and big plans for the new year. I'm saying let your old ancestors guide you to a brand new year of research. I'm being philosophical because I can be.

John:

Yes.

Kathleen:

Well, I even do that for myself. So there are times that I learn new record groups or I learn something else, and I remember that one brick wall of a client. I would go back and say, Well, did I check the French-Indian War with this client? Did I check the Mexican war records with this client? I didn't know about those records. I didn't know where they were when I first started. You know, we were using those, what do you call it, the hanging, low-hanging fruit at first. But now I can maybe take a new eye in the new year on that old ancestor.

John:

New eyes for old ancestors. That's I kind of like that.

Kathleen:

You like that?

John:

New eyes for old ancestors. Give them corneal transplants.

Kathleen:

You're horrible.

John:

No, I really do like that.

Kathleen:

I wanted to encourage people in 2026 to pause and take a look at what we've already done and find out where our holes are with those people to complete their stories.

John:

With all that in mind, starting off on the new year with uh old old eyes or putting new eyes on old ancestors or old eyes on new researchers. What is your suggestion?

Kathleen:

I have a couple. The idea is that you choose one ancestor and one document that you or a document or a document group, right, that you want to work with. So an example that would be like a pension file. Do you have all of the pension files, the military pension files or war records? So there's one set of records just for one ancestor. And have a checklist for one ancestor. Another one might be a land record. Do you have the land records for that one ancestor? Or do you have a census record that doesn't make much sense at all? Maybe you need to revisit that one ancestor census records.

John:

So pick one and focus on that single document as not necessarily a problem, but to flesh it out fully. So if there's any holes, then focus on those particular issues with just one census or just one military record.

Kathleen:

Exactly. Every time we pick up a document, ask yourself three questions for every document. Every document gives you three more questions to follow. So that is the very key here. And as you're choosing one ancestor, picking up a document and asking more questions. Again, as we get more mature as researchers, this becomes more of a natural practice.

John:

So what would be three questions that might come to mind with my one ancestor and I find, let's say, a pension record? What are just an example of three questions that I might want to ask?

Kathleen:

So pension records at might have a witness. Who was this witness?

John:

Okay, who was the witness?

Kathleen:

If it was a widow's pension. Oh, who claimed it? But you also get information on the family. So did you extract all of that family information? Another question would be with this pension record, where did he end up going? Does the pension record tell you where he died or when he died?

John:

His last known mailing address, I guess the pension record might have.

Kathleen:

Well, yeah, I'm not sure how much we have mailing records in Revolutionary War, but but it did we do have areas.

John:

Yeah, where was he having his Amazon packages delivered?

Kathleen:

That that's exactly it, John. Where where was his Amazon package supposed to be delivered at least?

John:

There you go. One document, three questions, or one ancestor, one document, three questions.

Kathleen:

That's a better formula.

John:

Okay. One plus one equals three.

Kathleen:

One plus one equals three because you get a bonus.

John:

Obviously, the issue that we're kind of addressing here is chasing new records can pull you away from really reviewing in depth the documents you're actually looking at and that might yield more information. So instead of chasing new information, you should be focusing on fleshing out the information that you believe you have.

Kathleen:

And I say to start this part out is with organization. And when I say organization, as you're trying to flesh it out, do you have a timeline for every ancestor? Do you have a checklist? Like your have you checked census, pension, land, probate, wills, those kind of things. And what kind of notes did you have when you first looked at this ancestor that still has a question behind it?

John:

So questions you might have made on that you've passed up on, but those those questions you're right on the margin of, well, who was his aunt really this person? That sort of thing is get those answers.

Kathleen:

Yes, because we also have a tendency of dedicating our research only on that one ancestor, forgetting there is a community around him. So that means that there are witnesses and neighbors and affiliates that work around him. They call it often the fan club, uh, friends, associates, and neighbors. I believe that's what it is. So those people will also provide additional information about the social environment of that community.

John:

So it's a you're really looking at kind of percolating the data that you've already have and see what else will come up related to that specific data, as opposed to jumping into other areas and saying, Well, let me check this other record or let me see this other world. Just sit with what we have and see what comes up with that same data. One ancestor, one record, three questions. This one we have, revisit your timelines, the familiar records, the records you already have, and then your own notes. Look at your own notes again and see what else might rise to the top, what might percolate to the top. Okay, I'm making sure that I'm getting these. I'm taking I'm taking news. Are you taking notes?

Kathleen:

Okay, excellent. I hope our listeners are taking notes too.

John:

But not if you're driving.

Kathleen:

No, not if they're driving.

John:

What else do you suggest? Old eyes on new years or new ears on um no, we're doing John. We are doing ancestors. New, we're doing old ancestors with new eyes. That's what it was.

Kathleen:

That's what we're doing. Old ancestors with new eyes. I do hope that's the title of this particular podcast, actually. So the last thing I'm asking the listeners to think about as they're planning their genealogical new year. What else should they be considering? And one of them is maybe take one ancestor this year instead of someone from every branch of the tree. Figure out one ancestor and fill that one branch as much as you can.

John:

So you just write one person story.

Kathleen:

A one person story for this year. I personally am going to be working on one of my ancestors.

John:

Who's that gonna be?

Kathleen:

James Nelson Strader, who was an alias in the in the Civil War under James Mason instead of James Strater, but he he was a Strater, but he substituted under the name Mason. So that will be my one ancestor this year. I talked about him, but not in detail. And I just happened to follow these rules that we've talked about today. And when I'm following these rules, what I have noticed is I forgot I had 140 pages of his pension records and another almost 80 pages of his service records.

John:

So I am going to work on that because his Those are just sitting in what, a digital file somewhere, and you kind of just forgot that you were there.

Kathleen:

I forgot I had them. And inside them, because he was enslaved, it talks about all of his siblings, his uncles, who all were enslaved on other plantations. And it they identify. I was his uncle, I am his sister, and they have all the la different last names. So I am going to be concentrating on that family this year.

John:

So he's he's really ground zero. You could use him in that information for quality beginning research for other branches of that tree. And you'll know exactly, at least you'll be very sure about the direction you're going.

Kathleen:

That is correct, too. So I'm following my own rules here. I am choosing that one ancestor. I'm I took one document, my pension records, and that's what I'll be working. I will be working on. And I have questions on almost every page of this 140-some page uh pension record. And I also am wanting to work with one ancestor in 2026 to flesh him out, flesh out his story.

John:

And and by doing that, I think you'll probably end up with some well-laid paths into other other people on that trailer.

Kathleen:

Absolutely. Yes, I will. Because I know where he was in Kentucky, enslaved, and I have the enslaver who his enslaver was his biological father, but based on DNA. And I can continue this research and really flesh it out into a probably a story on him without gaps and holes and not just the highlights.

John:

When you're looking at putting your genealogy together and for family consumption, not just other genealogists' consumption, having a full story, I I think that kicks up the interest a lot rather than just having bits of information and the story becomes about the researcher, the work that you've done, as opposed to this is the person and this is who they were. Those are two different two different conversations.

Kathleen:

It is two different conversations, and I'm hoping to have this directed about who was who were the straighter ancestors. Who was James Nelson? He has a very interesting story that I have shared uh bit by bit. But again, until I looked at the pension records, I didn't realize how in-depth it was.

John:

Okay, so um that's a great example. You're gonna be following, you're gonna be following your own advice in the podcast. And so let's go through it one more time then with the suggestions for January as you're getting back into genealogy for the year and planning your 2026 research year. Then we want to pick one ancestor, one record and three questions. That's one, right?

Kathleen:

Every record should have at least three questions.

John:

Right. So one ancestor, one record, and three questions, and then things to look at before. We have three things to revisit before you move on, because we're not this isn't about moving on. This is about looking at that one ancestor. So you want to revisit your timelines, your familiar records that you already have. I'm not saying dive in and get more, and look at the records that you already have, and you might find that you already have a bunch of information that you've just kind of forgotten was sitting in a digital file, like the brickheader did. Yes. And then finally, uh let the one ancestor kind of lead your year. Let that ancestor follow his story or her story, pick the ancestor and let them, the records, guide your research path.

Kathleen:

Yes, I want to add one last really important part though.

John:

Okay.

Kathleen:

Our ancestors want to be shared. So write about them, put them in the family newsletter, put them on a blog, share them on social media, discuss these people, compile a book, do whatever it is that you need at the end of the year, have a compilation of something on that your ancestors.

John:

Yeah, and don't resolve to do it. But um that's a really good, we'll call them a goal. And it's not a resolution, it's something that you can work towards for December. So you have a lot of time to accomplish it. But that would be do something with when you have the information, you've pulled all this information. It's not that you're not going to release this until you have an entire family tree. Write your story about that individual.

Kathleen:

And to write it as you're going along is much easier so that you can compile it at the end, but you already have all the pieces in play. And I'm sorry that you have such a problem with the resolution versus goals, but we will use the word goal here if this makes you happier.

John:

Just goals. No resolutions, goals that are months away. Months away.

Kathleen:

Okay, so John, that is not the way we want to leave this with our listeners. We want our listeners to know this is your new year goal. You have a new year goal. And so you start in January, and every month you should be able to tackle something. One more document, same ancestor, one more timeline, whatever it takes for you to move further on your ancestor.

John:

Well, congratulations, you've made it to the end of another episode. Thanks so much for staying. Thanks to Chewy Chewbacca Brandt for his unwavering lack of interest in anything we're doing. The theme song for Hittin't the Bricks was written and performed by Tony Fitzknuckle and the Moonstones. Watch for the next appearance at your local Techto Silicate Feldspar. Do you have a genealogical question for Kathleen? Drop us a line at hitting the bricks at gmail.com and let us know.

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Kathleen Brandt

Host
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John Brandt

Co-host