The case started as cases normally do, with me selecting a rescue prospect. Marilyn Traylor Syx’s submission about an 11-pound family Bible caught my eye immediately:
I came into possession of this Bible when my aunt died in 1990 at age 95.
You’ve done the work—but what will become of it? When no one in the family decides to pick up where you’re leaving off, consider donating it instead.
“The first, best step is to identify the local historical society in the area where the artifacts are from,” says Curt Witcher, manager of the Genealogy Center at the Allen County Public Library.
Up to your elbows in dirt and weeds? Take a break from gardening, gather your family together, and create personalized stepping stones that will remind you of family all year long.
Supplies:
Bag of quick-setting concrete. A 50 lb. bag makes seven 10″ stones. Consider a box of concrete tint for colors besides gray.
Stepping stone molds like plastic plant saucers or foil pie tins.
In 1880, 5-year-old Eugene Hamp was in the Fulton County, Ohio, county home. He must have made quite an impression on the home’s administrators considering they wrote the following about him:
This boy is the child of Frank Hamp said to have been hung by a mob in the state of Missouri for horse stealing and was abandoned by his mother who is now leading a disreputable life.
For urban families, city directories can be a gold mine of information on the changing circumstances and household composition of families between federal census years.
Facts about Susan Sloane are on her gravestone in Cathedral Cemetery in Wilmington, Delaware. She was born in 1854, died in 1904, and was the wife of Frank A. Sloane.
March 1846, Port of Bremen, Germany. My greatgreat- grandfather, Christian Beckman, is fearful of being drafted into the German army. He hides in a large wooden trunk that has been in the family for three generations, and his brothers load him onto the ship Westphalia. Once at sea, Christian gets out of the trunk. Fifty days later, he lands in America.
We’ve all heard it—“put on a coat, or you’ll catch a cold.” But was Grandma just spouting clichés or did she have some inside insight into human biology? See for yourself:
Fish is brain food. Fish is a good source of omega-3 fatty acids, important to brain function. But you can have too much of a good thing.
Like it or not, there isn’t a hobby out there you can jump into without a little investment of time and money. Genealogy is no exception. But before you get that expensive new camera, before you invest in a trunk-load of new software, before you add a room to your house to store all of your great finds (trust us, these will come in time), take the advice of someone who’s been there.
What happens if you try to name your son “Friday” in Italy, “4Real” in New Zealand, “Metallica” in Sweden, or “@” in China? You risk running afoul of the law.
Italy is one of a number of countries with laws on the books intended to prevent parents from giving children names that might subject them to shame or ridicule.
When I traveled to Italy on my honeymoon, I expected to dig up a trove of information from my great aunt and great-uncle who still resided in the old family house. I learned a lot. But I also discovered there was so much I’d never know.
When I arrived in Italy, I asked my Great-uncle Domenico to show me the family land. He pointed behind the house to a patch where corn used to grow.
