I love visiting my parents. Every time I go, not only do my son and I have fun with them in the present time, I also learn a little more about my early years as well as my family history. I just returned from a two day visit to my parents’ house, during which we created some special memories for me and my son. This trip to visit my parents illustrates an important point – there really is no end to the amount of fun and interesting things that a person can discover about their family history even by making … Continue reading →

Since it is September, Halloween candy and merchandise have been creeping onto the shelves for weeks now. This time of year is a lot of fun, and it brings back a lot of great memories from my childhood. While I remember quite a bit about the fun things that I did on Halloween when I was small I can’t help but wonder about what my parents and my in-laws and other relatives did when they were younger. One of the great things about genealogy is that when you do genealogy as a hobby, you constantly get all of these fun … Continue reading →

This year is 2011, which means that it has been ten years since the tragedy that happened in America on September 11, 2001. Where were you when those events occurred? Your descendants will want to hear your story. Now is a good time to record your experiences for future generations to find. Genealogy is the study of family. Perhaps the most interesting part of what a genealogist can uncover in his or her research are photographs, and family stories. Sometimes, these stories are handed down from one generation to the next one. It is even better if you can find … Continue reading →

Yesterday, I took a long walk on the beautiful country roads near my house. The pleasant weather (not too hot nor too cold) and beautiful views made it a very nice experience. Along the way, I passed by not just one old cemetery but two of them. One was located at an historic meeting house built in 1845. The other was located only about a ten minute walk away on a back road. It is perched high on a hill and if you were in a car and not walking by it, you may not even notice that it is … Continue reading →

A woman, who happened to be a genealogist, found an old photo album in an antique store. She purchased it, and decided to try and discover who the people in the photos were, and where their living descendants might be located. To her, it was an interesting puzzle. To the descendants, it was a priceless gift of family history. A woman named Melissa Corley found an old photo album in an antique shop in Easton, Maryland. It cost $75.00 and was filled with old photos of women wearing elegant dresses that had ruffles or beadwork. The dresses were accessorized with … Continue reading →

Genealogists spend a great deal of time searching for documents that prove basic facts about their ancestors. There are many who greatly enjoy the specificity and detail their research requires. One must put in a great deal of effort to make sure everything is correct. Therefore, it is understandable that one genealogist is fighting with the DAR over whether or not his ancestor really fought in the American Revolution. The Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) is a lineage based genealogy group. It was formed when women were denied acceptance to the Sons of the American Revolution, (another lineage based … Continue reading →

Thomas Rose and his wife, Ann Rose, have been foster parents to a total of seventy-one foster children over the years. They are hoping to welcome another foster child into their family very soon. Many of their former foster children remain in contact with them. This must mean that this non-traditional family is doing really well. Over the years, the definition of “family” has changed quite a bit. It has grown from the connection between people who are blood relatives to the relationship between parents and their non-biological children. This can make things a bit challenging for a genealogist, who … Continue reading →

When genealogists put together their medical family tree, they tend to include information that points out which ancestors had certain kinds of cancer, or who had heart issues. You might also want to make a note of relatives who have arthritis. If it runs in your family, CNN has a quiz you can take that will help determine how likely it is that you have it. Arthritis is something that seems to run in my family. I can remember my grandmother telling me when her arthritis was bothering her. As far as I can tell, it seems to have affected … Continue reading →

There is something very special about the letters and postcards that were written by an ancestor. These treasures give genealogists a rare opportunity to have their ancestor tell a story, in his or her own words. It can be exciting to discover a letter or postcard that you did not know existed. One family had a long, lost, postcard from an ancestor delivered to them ninety-six years after it was written. Letters, postcards, and journals that were written by your ancestors are precious. Genealogists can learn a lot from these hand written little time capsules. You might hear a story … Continue reading →

Yesterday I enjoyed a wonderful Easter lunch with my mother and a great Easter dinner with my aunts, uncles, cousins, and others. As I ate my way through the day, I made a few connections between the things that I was eating and some stories from my family history. I have written these connections down in my family history notebook, so that some day I can share this “slice of family history” with my son. The first family history food story involves my mother’s meatballs and sauce. My mother served us meatballs and sauce for lunch. I knew that she … Continue reading →