where2look4ancestors

  • Chicago’s Daylight and People’s Liberal Churches

    My second great-grandparents Elise [Schmitt] and Jacob Mueller were married by a Justice of the Peace in Chicago in November of 1874. Elise grew up in the Catholic faith, but she may have left the church. I haven’t had any luck connecting Jacob or Elise with a church, so I’ve…

  • Ancestral Autographs

    I shared here how much I enjoy seeing the signatures of my ancestors. A scrolled S, a curvy C, a typical T – any and all of these delight me and give me insight into the personality of my ancestors. The signatures of the ancestors or collateral relatives who are close to my heart…

  • Clarke Reminders

    Franklin Whitfield Blake died on this day in 1955. Frank and I don’t share any DNA, but he does reside in a branch of my family tree. Seeing him on my Family Tree Maker calendar was a reminder to take another look at that somewhat neglected branch. Franklin Whitfield Blake married…

  • Honoring Jacob Mahlon Dixon

    Jacob is buried in section 28 of Rosehill Cemetery in Chicago. I was touched by the sentiment engraved on his headstone:

  • The Cleveland Necrology File

    According to my Family Tree Maker calendar, Abigail (nee Walton) Cowin died on this day in 1876. But I was a little vague about how I “know” this. Abigail is my 2nd great-grandfather’s big sister. She married Edwin Cowin 22 Nov 1862 on the Isle of Man. Every time I see…

  • 1892 Obituaries: April 21

    From column one of page 8 of the April 21, 1892 issue of the Chicago Daily News: Marriages – John A. Gunn/Carrie Fuarey Deaths – Edmund K. W. Blake Anna Gertrude Cartan John J. Dougherty Grace Elizabeth Drake John Eizinger William Gallagher Jennie Gunn Johnnie Griffen Christian C. Garber Joseph…

  • Schmitt Siblings

    I know I shouldn’t have favorites. But I do. One of my favorite ancestors is Jean Nicolas Schmitt, born on this day in 1841 in Hellimer, Moselle, Lorraine, France. He was the third of what would ultimately be 13 children born to Nicolas Schmitt and his wife Marie Anne Gury.…

  • What I Learned at Acacia Park Cemetery

    The goal of our visit to Acacia Park was to locate a headstone for William John McBane, the husband of my 2nd great-aunt Alma E. Mueller. We weren’t disappointed. William was buried alongside other members of his family. It was nice to see the reference to Alma. But I wondered about…

  • Happy Birthday Grandson

    Happy 17th! Wishing you a year of health and happiness.

  • What I Learned at the Batavia Public Library

    I shared my recent visit to the library here. I went with the hope of finding information that will lead me to the final resting place of my 3rd great-grandmother Helena Christina (Åman) Tolf. Batavia is a frequent stop when I visit Illinois. The library is lovely and the librarians…