Tag: Genealogy
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Fun with Genealogy Files Part 2
I recently told you I had taken the first step in an enormous and overwhelming home office reorganization project. My goal is to have all my genealogy files organized before the end of 2015. As I mentioned in Fun with Genealogy Files Part 1, space is of the essence. Smaller spaces work best when…
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9 Tips for Genealogy Success in the New Year
Are you ready to reap greater rewards from your genealogy research? Oh my gosh, me too! With the New Year right around the corner, I’ve been thinking a lot about my family history research goals for 2015. I need to answer pressing questions, overcome brick walls, make new discoveries and connect…
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Who is Aunt Tillie?
A newly found (and positively wonderful!) cousin recently shared a photograph taken in Chicago of our Schmitt ancestors: When we first saw the photo, there was some discussion about who Aunt Tillie might be. Years ago, my new cousin’s aunt had guessed Aunt Tillie might be the sister-in-law of one of the women…
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Touring Chicago’s Oak Woods Cemetery
Timing is everything. Rough draft plans for a mid-October road trip were on the table. Chicago, Door County Wisconsin, and Mackinac Island Michigan were the top contenders. I was Google-ing our options when I saw the “Civil War to Civil Rights” tour offered by the Chicago Architecture Foundation. At Oak…
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Happy Anniversary to the Love of my Life
Happy anniversary Husband ~ thank you for 15 wonderful years! May I have this dance?
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I Forgot My Cemetery Kit
As a result, I couldn’t fix this: Husband and I recently took a genealogical road trip to Illinois. First Stop – Judy Russell. The Legal Genealogist spoke at the Chicago Genealogical Society meeting in Arlington Heights. That was a day well spent. Next up – locate the final resting place of…
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A Second Look at January
In November and December I printed calendars from Family Tree Maker and used them to create my genealogical research to-do lists for the upcoming month. The calendars added a sort of random focus to my family history research which I enjoyed, so I played the same game in January: 01 Jan 1858 –…
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She was a Good Christian Lady
From the Batavia (Illinois) Herald, Wednesday 16 January 1901: “Death of an Aged Mother – Died, at the home of her daughters, Misses Christina and Amanda Tolf, on Hueston [sic] St., West Batavia, Sunday, Jan 13, 1901, after an illness of several weeks, Mrs. Elena Tolf, aged 78 years. Deceased…
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My Favorite Four-Letter Word
You may have a different favorite four-letter word. And mine may surprise you, but here goes. My favorite four-letter word is … D-O-N-E. I love that word! I love the BOOM of it – DONE! As in “that project is”, c’mon, say it with me – DONE! In genealogy, it’s…