Findingdeeproots

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Findingdeeproots Finding Deep Roots specializes in researching, documenting, and sharing genealogical information.

Genealogy Has No Finish LineNearly 20 years ago, I traveled to my maternal grandmother’s birthplace to research my famil...
10/04/2026

Genealogy Has No Finish Line

Nearly 20 years ago, I traveled to my maternal grandmother’s birthplace to research my family history. While looking through records, I came across someone with my family’s surname whose name I had never heard before.

That seemed strange because my great-grandmother had an amazing memory and shared countless family stories. I assumed the person wasn’t connected to us—but I wrote the name down anyway.

Years later, I found that same name in a census record and decided to look closer.

I discovered this person was my great-grandfather’s sibling, who had died young when my great-grandfather was only five years old.

Suddenly, an unfamiliar name became family.

That ancestor remains on my “learn more” list today. Every so often, I search again, hoping a newly digitized record, newspaper, or other resource will reveal another piece of the story.

It taught me an important genealogy lesson:

Never stop looking.

A clue that means very little today may unlock a family mystery years from now. Keep your notes. Revisit old records. Search again.

Sometimes bringing an ancestor back into the family story begins with simply writing down a name.

— Shawna Ferguson, Co-Owner, Finding Deep Roots

“That’s My Cousin!” Okay…but Which Kind?In Black culture, we can make almost anybody family.The neighbors down the stree...
09/27/2026

“That’s My Cousin!” Okay…but Which Kind?

In Black culture, we can make almost anybody family.

The neighbors down the street? Cousins.
Your childhood teammates? Cousins.
That coworker who has been there through EVERYTHING? Cousin.
Your parents’ best friend’s children who aren’t technically related to you at all? Definitely cousins.
And let’s not forget our beloved play cousins!

But then you start doing genealogy and suddenly somebody wants to know: “Is that your first cousin, second cousin, third cousin…or first cousin once removed?” Wait a minute. We were doing just fine with COUSIN!

Genealogy wants details, so today we’re going to make this a little easier. First cousins are people who share the same grandparents. For example, if your mother and your cousin’s father are siblings, you and that cousin are first cousins.

But what happens when you’re in different generations? That’s where “removed” comes in. Your first cousin once removed is either your first cousin’s child or your parent’s first cousin. You still share the same family line, but you are separated by one generation—that’s what once removed means.

Here’s an easy way to remember it:

Cousin number = how far back you go to find the shared ancestors.
Removed = the number of generations separating the two relatives.

Still scratching your head? Watch this Facebook video from Steve Owens for another look at understanding cousin relationships:
https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1MyEsxNVvH/

When we’re building our pedigrees at Finding Deep Roots, we want to understand exactly how those branches connect.

Black Wealth, Black Businesses & the Records That RememberAs we continue researching our family history, we are reminded...
09/20/2026

Black Wealth, Black Businesses & the Records That Remember

As we continue researching our family history, we are reminded that Black wealth and entrepreneurship in the early 1900s were very real—and our family records can help us document it.

A recent article, “Black Folks Built Wealthy Neighborhoods Across America—Where Are They Now?”, highlights thriving Black communities such as Greenwood in Tulsa, Hayti in Durham, Jackson Ward in Richmond, and Sweet Auburn in Atlanta. These communities supported Black-owned businesses, banks, professionals, homeowners, and cultural institutions. Yet many were later devastated or disrupted by racial violence, discriminatory policies, displacement, urban renewal, and highway construction.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/other/black-folks-built-wealthy-neighborhoods-across-america-where-are-they-now/ar-AA2a2isM?ocid=socialshare

This history became personal while researching my own family. My 2x great-grandfather, Moses Moon, was a Black business owner in the early 1900s in Vanderbilt, Fayette County, Pennsylvania. Among my family records is an April 29, 1922, article from The Daily Courier in Connellsville, Pennsylvania, referencing his confectionery retail store. What today would be called a convenient store or bodega.

Think about what that one newspaper article tells us. Moses Moon wasn't simply a name on my pedigree chart. He was an entrepreneur. A businessman. A member of his local economy. A Black man building something for himself and his family during an era when opportunities for African Americans were deliberately restricted.

Unfortunately, the story of Black prosperity cannot be separated from the forces that worked against it. In our previous Finding Deep Roots blog post, we discussed race massacres and the destruction of Black communities, including Greenwood during the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre. Racial violence was often intertwined with economic competition and white supremacy, while systemic discrimination created additional barriers to Black families building and retaining wealth.

Read our Finding Deep Roots Blog: Navigating Sensitive Conversations with Family Elders
https://findingdeeproots.com/navigating-sensitive-conversations-with-family-elders-understanding-the-challenges-of-revisiting-the-past/

This is another reason as to why genealogy is so important. Census records, newspapers, deeds, tax records, city directories, wills, and business records can reveal that our ancestors weren't simply surviving—they were working, purchasing property, operating businesses, supporting communities, and building wealth.

Researching our pedigrees allows us to put their names back into that history.

Moses Moon owned a confectionery store. More than 100 years later, his descendant knows his story—and is telling it.

That is the power of genealogy. At Finding Deep Roots, we're building forests.

From Chattel Slavery to Reparative Justice: Why Genealogy MattersChattel slavery was a system in which enslaved people w...
09/06/2026

From Chattel Slavery to Reparative Justice: Why Genealogy Matters

Chattel slavery was a system in which enslaved people were legally treated as property—bought, sold, inherited, and forced to labor for the benefit of others. Its impact disrupted families, communities, land ownership, inheritance, and generational wealth.

Today, the conversation about repair continues. Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley recently announced an updated Caribbean reparations manifesto addressing the lasting consequences of slavery and calling for reparative justice. Read the Guardian article
https://www.theguardian.com/news/2026/jun/18/barbados-prime-minister-manifesto-slavery-reparations?utm_source=chatgpt.com

This also takes us back to our earlier Finding Deep Roots blog, “From Census Records to Global Justice,” highlighting Ghana President John Dramani Mahama and the growing international recognition of the historical injustice of the trafficking and enslavement of Africans. Read our Finding Deep Roots blog
https://findingdeeproots.com/from-census-records-to-global-justice/?utm_source=chatgpt.com

So, where does genealogy fit into this conversation?

Researching census records, vital records, military records, property records, wills, Freedmen’s Bureau documents, and other historical sources can help us document our ancestors and better understand our pedigrees—the generations connecting us to those who came before us.

Our ancestors were more than statistics. They had names, families, stories, and descendants.

Research them. Document them. Remember them.

We’re building forests at Finding Deep Roots.

More Than a Cookout: A Tradition Rooted in Family & HistoryIn my hometown of Altoona, Pennsylvania, the Sunday School Pi...
08/30/2026

More Than a Cookout: A Tradition Rooted in Family & History

In my hometown of Altoona, Pennsylvania, the Sunday School Picnic has roots in the African American church community. What began as a gathering of local Sunday schools for fellowship, recreation, and cultural celebration grew into something even greater—a treasured tradition that brings families and generations together. And that is exactly what we experienced again this year.

There was great food, plenty of laughter, children playing, conversations with relatives we don’t see nearly enough, and stories from gatherings past. And when the picnic ended, the celebration continued with a lively family game night filled with friendly competition, jokes, and even more memories to carry with us until next year. But gatherings like this are about more than having a good time.

They are opportunities to strengthen family connections and preserve family history.

Every conversation with an elder can reveal something about the generations before us. Every old family story may contain the name, place, relationship, church, occupation, or event that becomes a clue in our genealogy research. Even reconnecting with relatives we haven’t seen in years can introduce us to another branch of the family—and another perspective on our shared history.

Genealogy isn’t simply collecting names and dates. It’s discovering the people, experiences, traditions, and communities that connect one generation to another.

Family gatherings give us an opportunity to experience that history while it is still living and breathing around us.

In a world where busy schedules can easily keep families apart, traditions like the Sunday School Picnic remind us to make time to gather. Talk. Listen. Laugh. Ask questions. Take pictures. Tell the old stories again—and make sure the younger generations hear them. Because someday, the memories we’re creating today will become part of the family history someone else is researching.

At Finding Deep Roots, we believe every gathering is an opportunity to celebrate the family we have, honor the ancestors who came before us, and preserve our stories for the generations still to come.

This is how connections are made.
This is how traditions survive.
This is how we build forests.

Best regards,

Shawna

Family Gatherings Are More Than Celebrations — They’re Research OpportunitiesFamily reunions, homecomings, cookouts, wed...
08/23/2026

Family Gatherings Are More Than Celebrations — They’re Research Opportunities

Family reunions, homecomings, cookouts, weddings, birthdays, and holidays give us something incredibly valuable: time together across generations. And for a family historian, those gatherings can become an important part of the genealogy journey.

Genealogy is the study and tracing of our family history, but that history isn’t found only in census records, certificates, and databases. Sometimes the information we’ve been searching for is carried in the memories of the people gathered around us.

Every person we discover who came before us becomes another Ancestor—a person from whom we are descended. At a family gathering, an older cousin may remember an ancestor’s nickname. An aunt may know where a great-grandmother was born. Someone may bring an old photograph that finally puts a face to a name you’ve researched for years. Another relative may remember the church, neighborhood, cemetery, or hometown that leads you to your next record.

Each discovery can help strengthen your Pedigree—the ancestral line connecting you from one generation to the next. And pedigrees don’t always connect perfectly. Sometimes there are gaps. That’s why conversations with family can be so important. One memory, name, date, place, or photograph may provide the clue needed to reconnect generations.

So, when your family gathers, celebrate—but also research!

Bring the old photographs. Ask the questions you’ve been meaning to ask. Record the stories. Talk to the elders. Exchange information with cousins. And don’t forget to document what you learn so those family stories can be researched, verified, and preserved.

The beauty of genealogy is that while we’re researching the people who came before us, we’re also creating stronger connections with the family around us today.

Know your ancestors. Build your pedigree. Preserve your genealogy.

At Finding Deep Roots, we don’t just build family trees—we build forests.

Research, Reunion, and RenewalEvery summer, Finding Deep Roots takes a brief pause from hosting genealogy workshops. Whi...
08/16/2026

Research, Reunion, and Renewal

Every summer, Finding Deep Roots takes a brief pause from hosting genealogy workshops. While it may appear that we’re taking a break, the truth is—we’re doing some of our most important work.

Genealogy is much more than searching census records, reviewing deeds, or tracing names through historical documents. It is also about walking where our ancestors walked, sitting with family members, attending reunions, returning home, and listening to the stories that have been lovingly preserved through generations.

These moments cannot be found in an archive. They are found around dinner tables, in church homecomings, at family reunions, in old cemeteries, on front porches, and in conversations with elders whose memories continue to guide us.

This season gives us the opportunity to continue researching our own families—to visit the communities that shaped our ancestors, reconnect with relatives, discover new branches of our family trees, and celebrate the remarkable people whose sacrifices made our lives possible.

There is something profoundly moving about standing on land your ancestors once owned, worshipping in a church they helped build, or meeting cousins you’ve only recently discovered through genealogy. Those experiences breathe life into the documents we spend so much time researching. Just as importantly, they renew our minds and our spirits.

The work of genealogy requires patience, curiosity, and compassion. Taking time to immerse ourselves in our own family histories allows us to return refreshed, inspired, and better prepared to help the families we serve.

Every reunion reminds us why preserving family stories matters.

Every homecoming reminds us that history is alive.

Every conversation with an elder reminds us that there are still treasures waiting to be uncovered.

As we return to our workshops, we’ll bring with us new discoveries, fresh perspectives, and an even deeper appreciation for the importance of family history. Until then, we encourage you to do the same.

Visit a relative
Attend your family reunion
Go back to your hometown
Walk through an old cemetery
Ask the questions you’ve been meaning to ask
Write down the stories that only your family can tell
Research isn’t always found in another document. Sometimes it’s found in laughter shared between cousins, in tears shed while remembering loved ones, or in the quiet realization that you are standing exactly where your ancestors once stood. At Finding Deep Roots, we believe genealogy is about more than building family trees.

We’re building forests.

One story
One family
One generation at a time
We look forward to seeing you when our workshops return. Until then, enjoy the journey, cherish your family, and continue discovering the legacy that has always been yours.

Happy researching!

— Lisa & Shawna
Finding Deep Roots

Back to Our Roots This SummerAt Finding Deep Roots, we are always encouraging others to research their family history—bu...
04/26/2026

Back to Our Roots This Summer

At Finding Deep Roots, we are always encouraging others to research their family history—but this summer, we’re taking time to do the same for ourselves.

We’ll be taking a brief break during the months of May, June, and July as we focus on researching our own family histories. This time allows us to dig deeper, uncover new connections, attend family gatherings, and continue growing our own forests.

While some events will be on pause, we are still here for you. We will continue responding to posts, messages, and emails, and we look forward to staying connected with our community throughout the summer.

We’ll be back in mid-August, refreshed and ready to continue building with you.

In the meantime—keep researching, keep asking questions, and keep digging.

We can’t wait to see what you discover.

04/19/2026

The Joy of Watching Stories Come to Life

There’s something special that happens in our genealogy workshops—and it never gets old.

We truly love engaging with library patrons as they begin or continue their journey into family history. Whether it’s someone just starting out or a returning participant coming back with new discoveries, every workshop brings moments that remind us why we do this work.

And then it happens…

That pause.
That smile.
That look of surprise.

The “oh wow” moment.
https://findingdeeproots.com/events/

It might be seeing a parent as a child on a census record…
recognizing a familiar name in an unexpected place…
or finally connecting a piece of the family story that once felt out of reach.

Those moments are powerful.

We especially enjoy welcoming back returning clients who share what they’ve uncovered since we last met. Watching their confidence grow and their family trees expand is truly rewarding.

At the same time, there’s nothing like helping new patrons take that very first step—guiding them as they begin discovering just how rich and meaningful their family history can be.

At Finding Deep Roots, we’re not just teaching research—we’re creating experiences, building connections, and helping people uncover the stories that make them who they are. And we look forward to seeing what you discover next.
https://findingdeeproots.com/services/genealogy-workshops/

Because we don’t just build trees…we build forests.
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/cRquIMwxGxw

We Build Forests — One Breakthrough at a TimeGenealogy is a journey filled with discovery—but let’s be honest, it can al...
04/12/2026

We Build Forests — One Breakthrough at a Time

Genealogy is a journey filled with discovery—but let’s be honest, it can also come with its fair share of frustration.

There will be moments when the records don’t line up. Names change. Dates don’t make sense. Documents seem to disappear. You may hit what feels like a complete stop in your research—a roadblock that makes you question whether you’ll ever find the answers you’re looking for.

But this is where the real work begins.

Every seasoned researcher knows that roadblocks are not the end—they are part of the process. Some breakthroughs happen in a day. Others take weeks, months, or even years. Records are constantly being digitized. Archives open new collections. Information becomes public that wasn’t available before. What you can’t find today may be waiting for you tomorrow.

Sometimes, overcoming a roadblock requires stepping away from the computer. It may mean visiting a courthouse, a local archive, or the very town your ancestors once called home. It may mean asking one more question, calling one more relative, or taking another look at a record, you thought you already understood.

Genealogy is not about perfection—it’s about persistence.

Every piece of information you gather matters. Every name you document, every date you confirm, every story you capture adds another layer to your family’s history. Even the smallest detail can unlock the next step in your journey.

At Finding Deep Roots, we remind our community that we don’t just build family trees—we build forests. Forests take time. They grow slowly, steadily, and with intention. Each branch, each connection, each discovery contributes to something much greater than a single tree.
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/uIcLoncKxHQ

So, when you feel stuck, don’t stop.

Pause if you need to. Reassess your approach. Try a different path. But keep going.

Because your ancestors are there.
Your story is there.
And your breakthrough may be just one record away.

Address

Pittsburgh, PA
15214

Opening Hours

Monday 5pm - 9pm
Tuesday 5pm - 9pm
Wednesday 5pm - 9pm
Thursday 5pm - 9pm
Friday 5pm - 9pm
Saturday 10am - 5pm

Telephone

+14123533381

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