where2look4ancestors

  • A Respectful Distance

    Much of this summer has been spent meandering in cemeteries near and far. When the weather is conducive to headstone photography, I enjoy walking along the rows of granite and stone to preserve what I can. It may sound strange, but I often think of the names on each marker as part of…

  • Hidden Among the Headstones

    Headstones stand like soldiers in Lincoln Memorial Park Cemetery, Oswego Illinois: And this soldier lies among them:

  • Siblings Share a Headstone

    Auntie died on this day in 1973. Six months later, her younger brother passed away. Auntie and Unkie lived together nearly all of their lives. It was fitting that these siblings should remain together even after death. Their headstone comes to mind every time another Find A Grave contributor asks me to link people…

  • A Show of Patriotism

    Click on the image below to enlarge. Warning – you may feel your heart swell with love of our country and appreciation for the service men and women who make our freedoms possible. Happy Independence Day.

  • Give of Your Local Cemetery

    Graveyards of Chicago; the People, History, Art, and Lore of Cook County Cemeteries is a wonderful resource for genealogists, local historians, and lovers of the arts and social sciences. I carried the first edition with me in April during my Thousand Mile Journey, referring to it before and after every cemetery visit. As soon…

  • Mother and Daughter Share Death Date

    Coincidences abound in my family tree. But this one made me do a double-take. My grandmother and her mother died on the same date – July 2nd – 29 years apart.

  • The Train Engineer

    Legend has it that Gale Cramer gave his life to save the lives of the passengers on his train. His sacrifice was memorialized in Chicago’s Oak Woods Cemetery: You can read a little of his story here. But why isn’t there a news story about this crash online?

  • Happy Camera Day!

    This is a reminder to celebrate Camera Day by snapping a picture or two – of a loved one, your current vehicle or the place you live. Save those precious photos to a place your descendants can find them in 50 years. Imagine how much the value of your snapshot will increase over…

  • Happy Sunglasses Day!

  • Peter Swanson 1848-1937

    From the July 1, 1937 edition of the St. Charles (Illinois) Chronicle; “PETER SWANSON The passing of Peter Swanson of 1042 4th street south Friday, after an illness of several weeks, removes an olden time and respected resident who has lived in this vicinity for nearly 70 years. Mr. Swanson…