where2look4ancestors

  • Ask A Question Day

    Interviewing the people in our family trees can connect them (and us) with historical events in ways that may surprise us. Years ago I asked my mother-in-law about about the day she became a citizen of the United States. “It took two trips to the courthouse.” she said. “The first ceremony…

  • In Loving Memory

    Recently I compared the lives of my third great-grandmother Elisabeth (nee Schmitt) and her sister Christina Kirchheiner. While drafting that post, a document inside Christina’s file caught my eye; a receipt for her funeral arrangements. Three obituary notices were listed. Why hadn’t I followed up on these leads? Immediately I sent a request to the…

  • Girl Scout Birthday

    Happy Birthday Girl Scouts! On this day in 1912 Juliette Gordon Low officially registered the organization’s first 18 girl members in Savannah, Georgia. Most of my Girl Scout days were enjoyed as a junior scout. I had the best leader ever and have many fond memories of scouting. This picture was taken…

  • Obituaries at the Cincinnati Library

    The Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County is 700 miles away. While I wait for warm weather and time off of work I can view the library virtually here. And I can use some of the library’s many resources from the comfort of my home. I’m thankful for a service provided by the very…

  • Good Teeth Gone Bad

    She thought her dentures were looking a bit dingy. So she soaked them overnight. In bleach. In the morning, those artificial teeth were white alright. And so were the artificial gums. So she painted the gums with Mercurochrome. My dad remembered this [anonymous] aunt’s teeth as downright frightening. I can see…

  • Happy Genealogy Day!

  • 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…