There has always been an air of mystery in my family surrounding the life and death of my great-uncle Phillip James. The second of three brothers who immigrated from war-torn Macedonia to New Albany, Mississippi, around 1910, Phillip was the most personable and fun-loving of the three.
Most of us started our family research looking for our parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, and so on. We may have occasionally branched out to include one of their siblings when that sibling was our own aunt or uncle, particularly if we already knew or had heard stories about that person. But, eventually, the tendency to concentrate only on our narrow, direct line returned.
Gary Mokotoff doesn’t take paying clients. As an author, editor, lecturer, and leading figure in the field of Jewish American genealogy, Gary has spent years immersed in the discovery of his own family history and prefers to encourage others to do the same. But occasionally, a request for assistance comes along pertaining to the Holocaust.
In my ongoing trolling for my Rawlins roots, I came across a description of the Rawlins “temperament” from a 19th century historian. After a brief list of laudable qualities, he adds this tidbit: “If noted for any peculiarities worthy of mention they are, reticence . . .
My grandmother Francesca Calandra arrived at Ellis Island on 16 April 1912 from Palermo, Italy, and eventually settled in St. Louis. Like many Italian immigrants, Francesca brought with her traditions—including food. And, most importantly, a recipe that has evolved into a special holiday dish my family calls spedini.
What do you do when you find this image of a tombstone among Uncle John’s papers—but you’ve never heard of Sarah or anyone named Herendeen? You have one clue: the writing on the back of the photo stating Oak Grove Cemetery, Sullivan, Moultrie County, Illinois. So now what?
Step 1: Census Enumerations
Sarah died in 1907, so step one is to search for her in the 1900 U.S.
Ever wondered why certain family members died so young or why several members of a family disappeared without explanation at about the same time? The simple answer may be disease—until recently, epidemics, including the following, swept across the country, generation after generation, taking young and old alike.
As I tackle orphan heirloom rescues, I often wonder how items stray from family hands in the first place. This request, received from Verma Goodwin of California, had the answer built in:
My grandmother, Lutitia Ann Dean (McKelvey, Ledbetter, Vaughan, Thompson), was married four times. Her third husband, James W.
Parks to Fit
Do you have plans for a research trip or vacation? If so, the National Park Service’s Interactive Map Center can identify parks, monuments, or historic sites that could be worth a side trip. The park locator finds sites based on search criteria, such as interest in the Revolutionary or Civil War, or cultural heritage including African, Asian, or Native American.
Traipsing through cemeteries to see the tombstone of an ancestor has been written about so frequently that the activity has to be a significant endeavor. But why? A walk through an ancestral cemetery—or even lunch or dinner in a cemetery—can enhance your family history research by providing context.
