FaceBook Groups can be a big help when you come up against a brick wall on your family history or tree.
I found a small item in a 1942 newspaper which had very little information but it had a nice photo of the person, and his story was sad. I thought I would try to find his family by creating a family tree on Ancestry dot com.
That was back in Aug 2012.
Here is the newspaper item I had to work with:
I was unable to find any other records and all I had on the tree were two names Leonard and his father James. Yesterday, Dec 16, 2016 I decided to post a query on a FaceBook (FB) group page to see if the members could help me with the Leonard Tree. Logically enough the name of the FB group is “(Genealogy) I need your help”.
I posted this on the page.
I got this one reply
I made a screen print of the Find A Grave page that Trish showed me.
Trish found some more records and I too was able to find records
we found birth record
that had the parents names
we found a web page with a small bio, and information about the Canadian troops in Hong Kong.
The bio confirmed the parent’s names
I put all the records and screen prints on the tree
so we now have dates and names
From the small item with two names we have been able to put together a tree with many records and information. I have more work to do to find a family for Leonard but at least now we know that he did not make it back to his parents and at age 20 he was buried in a military plot in Hong Kong.
Without the help from Trish on the FB page (Genealogy) I need your help I would have never been able to find those crucial records and clues.
I hope this has given you some good information about what you can do to get help with your brick walls.
Thank You.
Links to tree, newspaper and Canadian Vet web page:
=====
Tree Created:
————-
Leonard Beattie picture Beattie Feb 1942 – Family Tree
http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/74058955/family
=====
St. Johns, P.Q. (Quebec)
The Bedford News
Feb 19, 1942
Thursday
http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=VK9LAAAAIBAJ&sjid=DzoDAAAAIBAJ&pg=1842%2C2904140
=====
Canadian Vet web page
Genealogical Collection 
I love seeing the process!
Thanks Luanne, It was interesting how fast some one picked up the new records. You will have to use the site on some of your more troubling relatives.
I need to join it!
When I joined the Clarkston Area Genealogy Club, I was talking to them about FaceBook and YouTube as they pertain to genealogy, so I got the idea of seeing what group were on FB. Sure enough there a lots and lots of genealogy theme group pages and some are very helpful. Thanks for stopping by my blog and have a safe and happy holiday season.
I realize that I am a member of the group and then I had forgotten about it and I don’t get notifications. I need to organize my Facebook groups somehow.
Oh you… it must be Dec heat stroke… all that sun shine has fried your FB cells.
Lol