The end-of-year holidays are quickly approaching, prompting many of us to scurry about, ensuring our homes are ready to celebrate meaningful traditions for another year. Many cherished holiday traditions have origins in other countries, carried by our immigrant ancestors and now celebrated generations later. If you were to walk with me around my hometown of Lititz in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, you would notice one special decoration gracing countless porches, treetops, and even the … [Read more...]
Finding Women Ancestors In Your Genealogy Research: Remember the Ladies!
How do you go about finding your women ancestors in your genealogy research? It’s a challenge nearly all family historians have faced. Females account for half of our ancestors, but they often prove more difficult to research. My maternal grandmother Lucy (right) with her older sister Janice (left), about 1930. Why Is It So Difficult To Find Women Ancestors In Your Genealogical Research? There are two primary reasons. The first, name changes and conventions, was discussed in a previous … [Read more...]
Legacy Tree Mystery: Miss Mamie – a daughter lost and found
Genealogy adoption mysteries are found in many family trees, with stories and legends about ancestors passed down for generations. Like any good genealogy adoption mystery, the path to discovery can be long and difficult, but is always easier with an expert genealogist on your team. In this Legacy Tree Mystery, we reunite a family torn apart for decades and solve the case of the Mysterious Miss Mamie and her disappearance at the young age of six. The Mystery Mamie's mother died just weeks … [Read more...]