Looking for family history in Chicago between census records? The City in Brief columns can be a source of information about an elusive ancestor. The excerpt below is from the front page of the Chicago Daily News January 21, 1882.
The 19th and 20th century obituaries I transcribe for this blog and for Find A Grave often mention cars (railroad cars that is) or carriages as the mode of transportation for the deceased and their family and friends. I’ve often wondered about the cost of each and which my ancestors chose. As luck would have it,…
Genealogists everywhere know the value of a well-written obituary. In the obits below, you’ll find Names of the deceased and names of others in their circle Nicknames, maiden names, married names of female family members Dates of death Possible dates of birth Addresses of homes Final resting places Connections to other cities and states Church affiliations…
My great-grandfather James Walton died when my maternal grandfather was six years old. The personal information on James’ death certificate was provided by Alfred Pearson, his wife’s brother-in-law. And much of it is wrong. Alfred got a few things right; James Walton did not have a middle name. And he was male, white and married. But James wasn’t born in…
Tri-State Employment Co. posted the following advertisement in the classifieds section of the Minneapolis Journal on December 4, 1915: WANTED – MARRIED COUPLES “We have jobs at Dupree, N.D., Kilkenny, Minn., Cambridge, Minn., Cartio [sic], N.D., Roberts, Wis., Lanesboro, Minn., Benford, N.D., Bloomington Ferry, Minn. and Wilton, N.D., where they furnish separate house, give you…
Obituaries are not the only death-related notices published in newspapers. Families would often post notices expressing their gratitude to others who helped them during such a stressful time. Savvy genealogists look beyond death notices. The “Cards of Thanks” column on the left appeared on page 11 of the Chicago Daily News on January third 1920.
October is Family History Month. I’m often awed by the genealogical clues hidden in obituaries, which is why I post them here and share them on Find A Grave. The image on the left is a snip from the Deaths column that appeared on page 20 of the Chicago Daily News on October 7, 1912. Most of…
How many genealogists have wished for a window into our ancestors’ lives? You’d be surprised at the reasons people in the 19th century used personal ads. Even in large cities, the personals got pretty…well…personal: Who is C.B.W. and why should he call 214? Did George Eheim encounter someone fraudulently doing business in his name? When did the…
I was transcribing obituaries for Find A Grave recently and was once again reminded of all the hidden genealogy gems they contain. How many can you find? From page 7 of the March 11, 1892 edition of the Chicago Daily News; “QUINLAN-March 10, 1892, BRIDGET, the beloved daughter of Patrick and the late Bridget Quinlan, aged 16…
So often we look for the leaves on our family tree on the obituary page of newspapers, but neglect to peruse the other pages in these publications. Even in big cities, neighborhood activities were frequently reported in the newspaper. These brevities give us a glimpse of the day-to-day happenings in our ancestors’ lives. Could one of…
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