If you have been poking around your family history, you’ve probably encountered an ahnentafel (“on-en-toffle”) report. You recognize the names, but what’s with all those confusing numbers? It’s not as difficult as you think – there’s a very simple numbering system that keeps everyone organized, and once you learn it you can browse a printed report faster than looking it up on your computer. I recommend reading Dick Eastman’s explanation of how to read an ahnentafel report, and be sure to read the comments as they clarify some tricky situations.
When looking at old sources from Norway or even some from the US, reading the handwriting on official forms can be very difficult. There are several forms of script, as well as regional variations to make the job more confusing. The excellent FamilySearch.org wiki has an excellent primer on Where is Norwegian Ridge?
Norwegian Ridge was an early name for the area around Spring Grove, Minnesota, where many Norwegian immigrants established their farms and families in America. Read more...@NorwegianRidge
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