Category: Genealogy
-
His Name is What?
The other day I shared a trio of given names favored by my Walton ancestors. So imagine my surprise the first time I saw my maternal grandfather’s birth certificate: I knew Grandpa as John George Walton. He signed everything John G. Walton. My mother thought her father’s name had once been George…
-
Behind the Camera
If there was a fire and I could save only one thing, it would be a box of pictures. These snippets of life are treasured moments of my ancestors and they mean the world to me. Many of the pictures in my collection are far from perfect. During my learning…
-
What’s in a Name?
In a word – everything! When naming their sons, my Walton line chose from a short list of monikers. My grandfather was John (1905-1980), who’s father was James (1871-1911), who’s father was James (1843-1916), who’s father was John (1809-1870), who’s father was Thomas (1783-1843). Grandpa John had an older and…
-
From Known to Unknown
Beginner genealogists are encouraged to start with what they know and work backward toward facts as yet unknown. But in the case of my third great-grandmother, I know more about her 1822 birth then I do about her 1901 death: Lena Stina, or Helena Christina as she would later be…
-
Autos Kill Two Great-Grandfathers
Family stories provide great clues for genealogy research. Even if the whole story turns out to be slightly less than factual, there is often a kernel of truth contained therein. My paternal great-grandmother’s 2nd husband died 27 Feb 1956. My dad’s recollection of Charlie Otto’s death was that he had stepped…
-
Earning a Living during the Depression
Grandpa was one of the kindest men I have ever known. So two of the family stories about him make me cringe every time I hear them. Born on this day in 1905, John George Walton was a married father of two during the worst days of the Great Depression. Having…
-
A Tale of Two Sisters
When the two sisters traveled from France to America with their mother and seven of their siblings in 1854, Elisabeth was seven and Christina was just five years old. Hailing from the Lorraine region of France, both girls spoke German. They both attended church and school in their new hometown of Cincinnati Ohio,…
-
She Was Once Young
When you meet someone who is old, do you think they were always old? Or do you wonder about the path that led them to this place, the events that shaped them into the person standing before you? Ranghild Katarina Henrietta Tolf a.k.a. “Auntie” was my great-grandfather‘s sister. She was a surrogate grandmother…
where2look4ancestors 