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Memorial Day -Town Honors Its Own
May 29
It is always interesting to see what local heroes a town honors over the years. Memorial Day - in remembering its own past and fallen soldiers is a good place to see if any ancestors of yours have been, or might in the future, be honored by their hometown. A good example is the story in Stuart, Florida as it honors with a special monument and bronz...
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Texas Photos
May 27
William Deming Hornaday over his years of the late 1800s into the 20th century he collected about 5,818 photographs, photographic postcards, photo engravings and negatives. They covered sites across Texas, particularly Brownsville, El Paso, San Antonio, and the Rio Grande Valley but also photos of places outside the United States. It is housed no...
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Philadelphia Prison Records
May 25
Eastern State Penitentiary, very large, was built over a number of years (1822-1836). Eastern State Penitentiary Admissions Books A and B for certain years has now been digitized. Book A covers prisoners' name, crime, sentence length, place of origin, race/ethnicity, time in and time out, and comments on moral and educational condition. Some also ...
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Genealogy Resources at Davenport Public Library
May 25
The Davenport Public Library is located in Davenport, Iowa. Their downtown location hosts the Richardson-Sloane Special Collections Center which focuses on local history and genealogy. Patrons can access the Davenport Public Library catalog, and website (including numerous database resource) remotely 24-hours a day. Collections include: Arc...
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Things to Consider Before Taking a DNA Test
May 24
Those who want to take a DNA test have a wide variety to choose from. They are quick and painless to take, requiring only a cheek swap or saliva sample. Most are relatively inexpensive. There are things to consider before taking a DNA test. It doesn't replace a doctor. It is wonderful that the direct-to-consumer DNA tests can be used by pe...
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Alien Registration
May 23
In the 20th century during the Great War -1917-1919 (WW One) and the Second World War (1940-1945), in the United States those individuals not citizens were classified as 'alien residents.' During each of those wars, the aliens residents had to register. Online with the Naturalization Records you can search to see what is available on any of your ...
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The Ancestry Insider Says Goodbye
May 23
Ancestry Insider has been a wealth of genealogy information for over ten years. Nothing lasts forever, though, and the man behind the popular Ancestry Insider website has posted what will likely be his final blog on that website. It is titled "A Fond Farewell". The Ancestry Insider was a readers' choice for the top four genealogy news and resour...
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When Marriage Meant Losing Your Citizenship
May 22
In the early 1900's, American women who married a foreigner instantly lost their American citizenship. Women facing this fate might, or might not, have regained their American citizenship later on. In March of 1907, the United States passed the Expatriation Act. Part of it said: “...That any American woman who marries a foreigner shall ta...
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An Ancestor’s Cause of Death
May 21
You have gotten several relatives official death certificates. Of special interest would be what was written for the person's cause of death. What might be written can be hard to read or even difficult to know what it is. What you may have missed is a special number that comes from the International Classification of Diseases (ICD), or the Interna...
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MyHeritage Introduces Collection Catalog
May 21
MyHeritage has introduced the Collection Catalog. It is a new section on the MyHeritage website that lists the historical record collections indexed and available on MyHeritage SuperSearch. The catalog is useful for both beginners and professionals. The Collection Catalog is a list that some people might think of as a “card catalog” (in re...
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Include Historical Events in Your Family History
May 20
The story you want to write about your ancestor's life is important. You can make that story more relatable if you include some context by writing about the historical events that happened at the time the story was taking place. The historical events help pinpoint the story to a specific place in time. Where were you when …. a significant hi...
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Those Lesser Known Resources
May 19
Here are a few suggestions of lessen known or even never thought of resources to learn more about a certain family or a specific ancestor. The family hometown -- Google the county or town and see what is available there, such as a local museum, a genealogical society, chamber of commerce, civic and fraternal organizations such as Woman's Club, Kiw...
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Family Tree Magazine Creates May Memories Challenge
May 19
Are you having trouble finding ways to write about your family history? Would you like some ideas that will inspire you to write about pieces from your personal history? Family Tree Magazine has some very useful writing prompts that can help you get started. Family Tree Magazine is doing a May Memories Challenge. It is not a contest – and t...
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Good Start Genetics Announces Expansion of VeriYou
May 18
Good Start Genetics, a leading family genomics company, announces the expansion of VeriYou, the company's physician-ordered, genetic counseling-supported, at-home carrier screening test, to now include 19 inherited genetic disorders more prevalent in the Ashkenazi Jewish population. Good Start Genetics is dedicated to women's health and helping...
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Tell Your Mom’s Story
May 17
Did you spend a nice day with your mother on Mother's Day? One of the easiest relatives to document and tell their life story would be your mother. Not all individuals of course, but most will have their mother still alive or recently passed (using another person) making it easier to get their story. Start by making notes of what you do know alrea...
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Genealogy 101
The study of birth, marriage and death records to discover family relatives. more »
Genealogy Dictionary
Definitions for the most common terms and expressions for the field of Genealogy. more »
Genealogy Site Reviews
Reviews of top genealogy and family tree sites, with feature comparisons. more »
