Military Records

Don't forget possible military service records as a way to fill in data about your ancestors and their male children. The WWI draft registration cards, for example, contain a physical description and a spot for the applicant to list the "next of kin", oftentimes a wife or parent, which can be helpful for the remarried mother whose surname you haven't yet discovered.

Service records from the National Archives will also include more detail on when and where a military man served and what advancements or recognitions may have been earned. Medical conditions are also noted, helping one to prove or disprove the family legend about the "wound" or "condition" that killed Great-Great Grandpa being one he received during his Civil War service. The wait for the record is always worth it!