Using the search for Isaac McKee as a case study, this presentation explores how oral history can serve as a research starting point and how land, probate, census, and other genealogical records can help uncover the truth behind family stories.
Annela Buffin is the founder of Buffin Ancestry, where she provides genealogical research services focused on careful analysis and records-based family history. Her work centers on connecting oral history with documentary evidence, with particular interest in land, probate, and post-emancipation records. She also volunteers at a FamilySearch Center in North Carolina and continues her genealogy education through formal study and practical research.