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Methodology and Skills Friends, Associates, Neighbors (FANs)

Your Ancestor’s FAN Club

Drew Smith
Jun 12, 2025
45 views
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Free through June 19, 2025
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Syllabus
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Content

Play. Playing.
Introduction
6m 53s
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Types of Records
7m 19s
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What You Do with Fan Club
2m 14s
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Genealogy in 4-D
1m 23s
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Example #1
4m 09s
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Example #2
7m 20s
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Example #3
5m 23s
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Example #4
4m 29s

About this webinar

Our ancestors were each surrounded by family, associates, and neighbors. By researching them, we discover additional records pointing to our own ancestors. Your Ancestor’s FAN Club shows you how to perform cluster research for your ancestors and their families, associates, and neighbors.

This webinar was first released 21 December 2020 on the Genealogy Guys Learn website.

About the speaker

About the speaker

Drew Smith
Drew Smith is an associate librarian emeritus at the University of South Florida Libraries in Tampa, specializing in genealogical research. He is the co-host of The Genealogy Guys Podcast and the host of the Genealogy Connection podcast. Drew is a
Learn more...

Key points and insights

In the insightful webinar “Your Ancestor’s FAN Club: Using Cluster Research to Get Past Brick Walls,” genealogist Drew Smith explores the powerful technique of FAN Club research—tracing not only direct ancestors but also their Family, Associates, and Neighbors. This method reveals connections often overlooked in traditional research and offers new pathways to break through long-standing genealogical obstacles. Drawing on compelling case studies, Smith demonstrates how the FAN approach can uncover maiden names, confirm identities, and explain migrations, making it an indispensable strategy for genealogists facing missing links and puzzling records.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Power of Proximity and Association: The FAN Club method emphasizes the significance of those surrounding an ancestor—witnesses on legal documents, adjacent names in census or cemetery records, neighbors in land deeds, or even pallbearers at funerals. These individuals often hold the key to understanding your ancestor’s background, movements, and relationships, particularly when direct evidence is unavailable.

  • Prioritizing Research Leads Through Interaction Levels: Not all FAN Club members carry equal weight. The webinar details how to rank individuals based on the frequency and type of their interactions with your ancestor. Shared surnames, repeated appearances across multiple documents, or involvement in pivotal life events (e.g., marriage, church functions) indicate stronger links worth prioritizing in research.

  • Real-Life Case Studies Illuminate Methodology: Through several compelling examples—including discovering Sarah Grodowitz’s maiden name via her son’s Social Security form and correcting misidentified surnames in marriage records—Smith illustrates the practical impact of FAN Club research. These stories showcase how shifting the research focus to surrounding individuals can unearth crucial information and clarify genealogical puzzles.

To fully appreciate the transformative potential of FAN Club methodology, viewers are encouraged to watch the complete webinar. It provides a wealth of detailed examples, step-by-step analysis, and actionable techniques that can dramatically improve your research accuracy and success.

For those ready to delve deeper, the accompanying syllabus offers valuable supplementary resources. These include recommended record types, prioritization strategies, and additional reading to enhance your genealogical toolkit. Explore these tools to expand your research horizons and uncover the untold stories hidden in your ancestor’s network.

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