Blog & Events
Welcome to SYFT!
Welcome to Shaping Your Family Tree, also known as SYFT, as in "sifting" through records for your family tree. Our primary purpose is to encourage you in your genealogical pursuits. While actively encouraging you, we can consult (check out our Services) and inform...
Researching Black Ancestors
Researching Black ancestors In February, we honor Black History! I've created this blog (with help from Perplexity AI) to give genealogists and family historians tips for researching their Black ancestors. This type of research brings unique challenges and...
Visiting the UK? Yes, I am!
Image. Photograph. 22 June 2022. Scottish National Gallery, Edinburgh, Scotland. Photographer: Phyllis Zumwalt, personal collection.Yes! I’ve booked my flights and made my plans! I intend to visit these archives and other institutions below - let me know if you want...
Edinburgh, Scotland – Top Sites for History Buffs
Check these top 10 historic sites when visiting Edinburgh sites.
Evaluating AI for Genealogy Research
Smithsonian National Museum of American History. Deep Blue Supercomputer Tower. https://americanhistory.si.edu/collections/object/nmah_1005331 : accessed 20 January 2025.Are AI tools useful for genealogy research? The short answer is yes, but more consideration might...
Confederate Spies: Three women vital to the Confederacy, in Washington, D.C.
Mrs. Rose Greenhow. , None. [Between 1855 and 1865] [Photograph] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/2017895441/.Oak Hill Cemetery Recently during a trip to Washington, D.C., my son and I ventured through Oak Hill Cemetery, a...
Analyzing Causes of Death for Ancestors
Images: Portrait. Elmo Henry Brown, paternal grandfather. unknown date. San Antonio, Texas. Portrait studio (unknown). Phyllis Zumwalt's private collection.Searching for death records and other details about our ancestors' demise may seem morbid, but the analysis may...
Get in touch!
shapingyourfamilytree@gmail.com
Master of Science (Distinction), Genealogical, Paleographical and Heraldic Studies, University of Strathclyde
Accredited as Qualified Genealogist
Instructor for Genealogy Workshops
Photography Bibliography
Image 1: Images. Photograph. Pulteney Bridge. 17 November 2019. Bath, Somerset, England, United Kingdom. Phyllis Zumwalt, photographer. Private collection. For more information: https://bath.co.uk/attractions/pulteney-bridge.