No Dead Ends: Finding Your Way Through Family Roadblocks – Program Recap

Published on October 24, 2025

As more and more records become digitally available, we can lull ourselves into thinking that if it is not online it doesn’t exist or it’s not worth my time to track down. Yet, that one piece of information could unlock a whole new trove of records if we just take the time to find it. If you are struggling with roadblocks in your genealogy research, let’s take a look at 4 steps Judy recommends to help break down those barriers.

Thank you to Judy Nimer-Muhn, professional genealogist, for providing a number of strategies we can use when trying to break through genealogical roadblocks.

Step 1: Review

Genealogy research can be very intense and cover so many records, not to mention the numerous rabbit holes that can side track us. In some cases, by just reviewing our current research, we can find particular details we may have overlooked that can shed light on our next steps. What records have you looked at already – did you document where they came from? Pay particular attention to dates and locations – do those match with reality? Are their gaps in your research that you forgot? Sometimes by examining our research again, we can find errors or assumptions that might lead us down the wrong track.

A great way to visualize what you’ve done is to create timelines for individuals or family groups. Be sure to include dates and locations to help identify those research gaps. Timelines are also a great way to have someone else look over your research; sometimes all it takes is a pair of fresh eyes to spot something we missed.

Step 2: Check Lists

Organizing our genealogical research can be half the battle so be sure your research is organized in an efficient and easily digestible fashion. One way to help is to create check lists of each individual you are researching. These can include vital statistics, biographical data, census information, military records, location data, etc.. Check lists can help identify the gaps in your research to focus on as well as provide an easy way to organize your information in a summary fashion. There are a myriad of genealogy check lists available so check with your local genealogical or historical society to see if they have any recommendations. When completing your check list, be sure to include where the information is available. This can help you identify patterns for record accessibility and future avenues to pursue.

Step 3: Online Content

There are so many resources digitally available, but they are scattered across multiple platforms, providers, and groups. When starting research into a specific locale, check out the FamilySearch Research Wiki; this resource will give you the contextual information about a location that can help you understanding what records are available, where those records are available, professionals for the locale, and location specific research strategies. What records are available through libraries or archives, particularly at the state level; indexes can be just as helpful and should not be discounted if the records are not digitally available.

For items in the public domain (manuscripts, family or location histories, maps, etc.), check to see if they have been digitized. HathiTrust, Google Books, and Internet Archive are constantly adding new materials their collections and it is all free.

Don’t be afraid to use social media. There are so many local history and genealogy groups on a variety of platforms that your question might be something someone has already solved. Those groups can provide invaluable information about specific locations, resources, repositories, or contacts. Who knows, you might even make a new friend!

Step 4: Reach Out

If you have exhausted all of your searches and are still coming up empty, reach out to the experts. Subject/geographic experts at repositories can let you know of things that have not been digitized or are only available in a specific location. They may also be able to provide you with different avenues that you might have missed or never thought about. Its even possible they might be able to get print or microform materials delivered to your local public library, saving you time, travel and money.

There are thousands of professional genealogists out there who may be better equipped to help, especially if you are unable to travel. Many professional genealogists are also experts in different ethnic or social groups, which can be invaluable when customs or records are specific to a certain group.

DNA testing has opened up a whole new world for genealogical research, specifically when the paper trail runs dry. Reaching out to DNA matches might be the only way to break down that research barrier, leading to undiscovered branches that tell a more complete story of you.

More Information

If you have questions or would like more information on how to tackle your specific genealogy road block, please contact Judy at judynmuhn@gmail.com. For more information on all things genealogy, please visit our Genealogy Research Guide.

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