Nancy Hendrickson

Expert Author

Nancy Hendrickson, author of five non-fiction books, and over 300 magazine and newsletter articles, is an instructor at Family Tree University and a Contributing Editor for Family Tree Magazine. She is an expert in using the Internet for genealogy research and specializes in connecting family lore with family fact.

Nancy's interest in preserving family history began in childhood, when she listened to her family stories about wagon trains, Civil War battles, Indians, and prairie fires. Since that time, Nancy has been an avid genealogy researcher, photographic archivist of the frontier west, and family history book consultant.

A professional researcher, Nancy is the owner of AncestorNews.com, where she publishes a monthly newsletter, which provides valuable tips and techniques for online family tree researchers.

Favorite Genealogy Quote

Family faces are magic mirrors. Looking at people who belong to us, we see the past, present, and future. -- Gail Lumet Buckley

What are your specific genealogical interests?

Internet genealogy, county histories, military records, American history, Civil War, Revolutionary War, the westward movement, writing family tree books.

What got you into genealogy?

Both my grandmothers were avid storytellers - and the best stories they told were about the family. I have an insatiable desire to preserve the memory of those who have gone before me.

Most surprising genealogical find:

The burial place of my great-great-grandparents. Located on a farm in Missouri, gravestones broken and half-buried in the dirt, covered with broken branches and tree limbs. Finding the stones was a great day.

If you could find the family history of any historical great, who would it be and why?

Elizabeth Custer. She single-handedly kept negative comments about her husband, General Custer, out of print until after her death. On her own she became a lecturer, author of three books, world traveler - - but her life focus was on protecting her husband’s reputation. That kind of commitment to something you believe is quite incredible.
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