A Smörgåsbord of Stories
Every journey needs a first step. In family history, start by talking to all living ancestors and writing down what they say. Travel back in time through their old photos and listen to the stories that spill out. Tour cemeteries and former neighborhoods where memories … read more
Franklin Hesse (1861-1935) lost his parents at an early age. Seeking opportunity, he filed a homestead claim for land in Dakota Territory (D.T.) under the provisions of the 1862 Homestead Act. The Act granted surveyed public land to adult heads of families for a minimal … read more
In 1857, August Dittrich, his wife Anna and their three children left Schlesien [Silesia or Śląsk]. First they traveled to the port city of Bremen. Then they boarded the Republik and sailed to America. Arriving at Kesselgarten [Castle Garden] New York on April 21, 1857, … read more
Back in the days before the Internet, genealogy research was slow. I kept my data in a 3-ring binder and worked in pencil. For queries, I wrote letters and included stamped, return envelopes. I conducted interviews with a cassette tape recorder. Everything was slower. Newspaper … read more
Florence Gertrude “Gert” Rector has no birth certificate and no baptism record. Let me back up. To date, I have not discovered any document that was produced at the time of Gert’s birth that provides her birthdate and birth location. Birthdate Theory: Florence … read more
In February of 2020, I took an online class during RootsTech (an international genealogical conference sponsored by the people at FamilySearch). During this class, students were encouraged to share their genealogical findings through the medium of short videos. We were taught how to mash up … read more