Vera McDowell's letters containing practical advice to genealogists first appeared in the Augusta Genealogical Society's newsletter, Southern Echoes, in July 1982, and since then she has become something of a "Dear Abby" in genealogical circles. Mrs. McDowell's emphasis is on problem-solving; thus all her letters bear the unstated refrain: when your ox is in the ditch (i.e., when you're stuck), here's what you do.