where2look4ancestors

Category: Genealogy

  • Wedding Bells for Peter Tolf and Augusta Landstrom

    How did this young couple meet I wonder? Peter August Tolf was born in Svenarum, Jönköping, Sweden 01 Jan 1858. Augusta Sophia Landstrom was born 13 Feb 1858 in Norra Sandsjö, Jonkopings, Sweden. While they weren’t terribly far from one another, they weren’t exactly neighbors. In May of 1878, Peter, three of his…

  • Françoise Adam: My Sixth Great-Grandmother

    When I last wrote about my 6th great-grandmother Françoise Adam, I didn’t know very much about her. Her first husband Jean Bouché died in 1737. Françoise married my widowed 6th great-grandfather Jean Schmitt in Boulay, Moselle, Lorraine, France on 02 Sep 1739. The couple had at least three children. Shortly after the birth…

  • Wednesday’s Child: The Ryan Children

    The loss of a child must have been devastating to our ancestors. I can only imagine the anguish of parents who lost several children. Like James and Bridget, the parents of Margaret, Michael and Mary Ryan. State registration of births in Minnesota began in 1900, but the rules weren’t really followed statewide until after 1915.…

  • Why Do People Contribute to Find A Grave?

    If you’ve followed my blog for any length of time, you may already know I’m a Find A Grave contributor. In fact, last year my love of cemeteries and headstone photography upstaged my family history research! I believe Find A Grave plays an important role in the preservation of history, art and architecture. And…

  • As the Year Ends

    Looking back on my genealogy-related accomplishments in 2015, my thoughts go first to the one that brought me the most joy. I visited 24 cemeteries this year. Three visits helped with my family history research. Maybe one of the others will help you with yours. If you haven’t yet made your New Year’s Resolutions, please consider…

  • Coincidences in the Family Tree

    I ran across the ads below while reading the newspaper. The April 7, 1884 issue of the Chicago Daily News to be exact. (What? You thought I was reading today’s paper?) Notice the duplicated ad in the center of the column? “Mrs. Mueller, Doctress and Midwife.” This reminded me of a previous…

  • A Surplus of Surnames

    I’ve been climbing my family tree since the days of writing letters and reading microfiche. And while I’m still interested in dead people, in 2015 I focused less on the ones related to me [1] and more on those buried in various Midwest cemeteries [2]. Which means my ancestors have been gathering dust. Well not…

  • Wednesday’s Child: Wisconsin Baby in a Shell

    The first “baby in a shell” headstone I had ever seen was in a large garden cemetery known for a somewhat elite clientele. In October, I encountered another example of this artistic style of carved stone in a small cemetery in rural Wisconsin. The epitaph reads “here lies at rest…

  • Chicago Daily News Obituaries; 26 Dec 1899

    The following obituaries were transcribed from page 11 of the December 26, 1899 issue of the Chicago Daily News: “BAIER-JOHN, beloved husband of Crescentia Baier, Dec. 25, aged 68 years. Funeral services Thursday, Dec. 28, at 9:30 a.m., at his late residence, 377 Sedgwick-st., to St. Michael’s church, thence to…

  • Thoughts on Find A Grave? Share Them Here!

    I’m currently working on a 2016 series of blog posts about Find A Grave