where2look4ancestors

  • Rainy Day Sunday

    Mother Nature always has the final word. On this particular Sunday, her word was no. No to my plans to photograph Riverside Cemetery in Black River Falls Wisconsin . Unless I wanted to be drenched. Sigh.

  • Many Hopes are Buried Here

    Not far from the entrance to St. Luke Cemetery in Chicago stands a marble statue created in the likeness of Edna Miriam Paul (1897-1907). The phrase Many Hopes are Buried Here is carved at the base of the monument. Edna’s picture graces the front. Parents Charles and Augusta Paul are buried…

  • After Death Remembrances

    Do you think of a death notice as the last time your ancestor may appear in the newspaper? Think again! Probate and will notices aside, there may be memorial notices posted by grieving family members. While sad and touching, remembrances also provide clues for the family history researcher. How many years after death should…

  • 1912 Obituaries: October 7

    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…

  • The Sisters

    In May I visited Bohemian National Cemetery in Chicago. It’s an amazing place with winding lanes, mature shade trees, and lots of unique and interesting headstones. To me, the most interesting feature about Bohemian National was the sheer number of memorial portraits. This is the first cemetery I’ve been to where so many headstones had pictures…

  • Genealogy and the Personal Ads

    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…

  • Babyland

    Infant and child mortality rates have decreased dramatically over the past 100 years, but both still occur at alarming rates. Many cemeteries have sections set aside exclusively for children, something genealogists should keep in mind when researching children. In Minneapolis’ Lakewood Cemetery, this section is called Babyland. It’s a lovely tree-lined…

  • Burials Unknown

    Most obituaries include the name of the cemetery in which the recently departed will be buried. Not always though. And that can be frustrating for genealogists searching for an ancestor’s final resting place. I found a dozen such obituaries recently. I found cemeteries for a few on FamilySearch and added those to Find A Grave. Maybe…

  • Top 10 Genealogy Clues in Obituaries

    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…

  • 1892 Obituaries: April 5

    A tragedy was reported on page 3 of the April 5, 1892 issue of the Chicago Tribune. Ferdinand Mossberg and his little son William were found by William Krantz. The pair had drowned. It appears to have been a deliberate act by Mr. Mossberg: On the same page were the…