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Episode Overview

Hittin’ the Bricks with Kathleen is a podcast focused on genealogy, local history, and practical methods for turning scattered records into meaningful family narratives. In this episode, host Kathleen Brandt shifts the focus from collecting as many names as possible to building one strong ancestral branch by revisiting familiar records with sharper questions and better research tools.

Using the guiding principle “one ancestor, one record, three questions,” this episode demonstrates how focused analysis can transform disconnected documents into a coherent and readable life story.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn

• Why choosing a single ancestor can accelerate genealogical breakthroughs
• How focusing on one record group reveals deeper patterns and inconsistencies
• What three questions to ask of every document you find
• How timelines, checklists, and re-reading notes expose overlooked clues
• Ways to turn raw data into stories your family can actually read

Topics Covered

• Selecting one ancestor to study for an extended period
• Focusing on a single record group (pensions, land, or census)
• Asking new analytical questions of familiar documents
• Building timelines and using simple research checklists
• Re-reading old notes to surface missed details
• Applying the FAN method to track friends, associates, and neighbors
• Translating research data into narrative form
• Case study: James Nelson Strader and Civil War pension records
• Setting monthly research goals and sharing progress

Episode Discussion & Key Moments

Kathleen explains how genealogists often stall by spreading their efforts too thin across many names. By intentionally narrowing the scope to one ancestor at a time, researchers can ask better questions and recognize patterns that are invisible in broad family trees.

The episode walks through practical techniques such as building timelines, using checklists, and applying the FAN method to witnesses and neighbors. Kathleen also revisits the value of re-reading old research notes, demonstrating how previously overlooked clues can emerge when viewed through a new analytical lens.

A detailed case study of James Nelson Strader illustrates how Civil War pension records can be mined repeatedly to reconstruct a fuller, more accurate life story.

Key questions examined include:

• What changes when you focus on depth instead of breadth?
• How can a single record group support long-term research?
• What makes genealogical work understandable to non-researchers?

Resources & Research Tools Mentioned

• Civil War pension files
• Census, land, and pension record groups
• FAN (Friends, Associates, Neighbors) method
• Research timelines and checklists

Why This Episode Matters

This episode encourages a sustainable and disciplined approach to genealogy—one that prioritizes understanding over accumulation. By focusing deeply on one ancestor, researchers can create accurate, readable histories that preserve meaning for future generations, not just data.

About the Podcast

Hittin’ the Bricks with Kathleen helps listeners break through genealogy brick walls by c

Be sure to bookmark linktr.ee/hittinthebricks for your one stop access to Kathleen Brandt, the host of Hittin' the Bricks with Kathleen. And, visit us on YouTube: @HTBKRB with Kathleen John and Chewey video recorded specials.

Hittin' the Bricks is produced through the not-for-profit, 501c3 TracingAncestors.org.