History is so much more than dates and the names of people deemed important by those who write it down and publish their works. “Do you know your great-grandmother? What was her name and how many children did she bear? What was your great-grandmother’s occupation?” These questions form the beginning of the “From the Author”…
Wars, rumors of war, births, unexpected deaths, floods, famine, etc. are not new. It can be easy to forget that. Easy to narrow our focus to what is right in front of us when we are going through disruptions; but disruptions aren’t new. The things that can upend our plans aren’t new either, though…
Who doesn’t have a memory or story about a dish a relative, friend, neighbor or one of your parents made that you really liked or couldn’t stand? What about certain dishes at church and community potlucks, school lunches or your favorite local restaurant? Community is created when we share food with one another. The…
A family tree includes major life events such as birth, marriage, divorce and death, with records, certificates and other evidence to verify the dates. Evidence helps you to separate multiple individuals, who may have the same names and be born around the same time, sometimes even in the same place! While official point in…
Have you ever wondered about how your grandparents lived? Or what your parents’ lives were like when they were children? Some elders in some families share family history or tell stories about themselves or other relatives to willing audiences. In other families, information is harder to obtain. Even in families that tell stories about…
Are you researching an historical event in two separate countries and finding that the dates don’t match? Do you have documents that list a different birth, marriage or death date for an ancestor? Are you wondering which date is correct? Well, just maybe they both are. Not all countries or ethnic groups use the same…
August has arrived. Between Memorial Day and now there have been celebrations, protests, riots and battles throughout the world. In the midst of a world-wide pandemic, some economies are opening up, while others stay closed or shut down. In the U.S., some states formerly recognized Juneteenth and discussions have occurred about making it a national holiday….
Holidays are past. A new year and a new decade have begun. The end of January is approaching. Did you make New Year’s Resolutions or set goals for this year? How is that working out for you? Each day, each hour, each minute actually provides the opportunity to start again. However, it is the…
Not everyone gets the genealogy bug. We get that. Some people aren’t interested in the past. Other people want to know their family history. However, they do not have the time or desire to do the work necessary to compile a family tree, and then fill in their family history. After all, compiling a family tree…