Right this minute, I’m in Ireland on an Ancestry ProGenealogists Heritage Tour, sitting in the Harbor Hotel overlooking Galway Bay. I’ve spent the last week and a half making a clockwise tour of the island. And, it seems that every time we come around another corner someone reminds us about the time in June 1963 Read More
One of my favorite things about family history is uncovering the stories of ordinary people. People who lived their lives in unassuming ways but still managed to do pretty incredible things. All too often, though, those stories get lost to time in the face of bigger and brighter personalities. Family history is a way to Read More
Here at Ancestry, the Research and Editorial Team (of which I am a part) loves the TV show, Timeless. It makes sense. The show centers around a group of time travelers. And, what family historian do you know that doesn’t wish they could travel back in time to the places their ancestors lived? (If you Read More
I talk to a lot of European World War I and World War II researchers who have adopted the graves of our American service members who are buried in American Battle Monument Commission (ABMC) Cemeteries. The number one thing each seeks is a photograph of their adopted soldier, sailor, or Marine. So, just where might Read More
Prior to World War II, the primary roles of women were homemakers, mothers, wives, and daughters. Their main job was to stay home, take care of the family, and run the household. The man’s role was to go into the workforce and bring home the paycheck. This isn’t to say women did not hold jobs Read More
Jeanne Larzalere Bloom, CG℠, is the president Board for Certification of Genealogists and a full-time professional researcher specializing in Chicago and Cook County research, forensic genealogy, problem-solving, and multi-generational family histories. Researching city-dwelling ancestors is different and perhaps more challenging than general family history research. Jeanne gave us some great tips for overcoming those challenges. Explore more than Read More
On the fateful morning of 7 December 1941, battleship USS Arizona, carrying her crew of 1,512 men, was attacked and bombed by the Imperial Japanese Armed Forces. As the battleship sunk to her fiery death, only 335 of her crew made it out alive, and today, only five survivors remain. Lauren Bruner is a Read More
AncestryProGenealogist, Simon Pearce, reflects on the contributions of those who served and returned from the war by telling the story of Nurse Constance Cundell, awarded for gallant and distinguished conduct in her field. 2016 marks the halfway point in the First World War centenary commemorations and is one hundred years on from a lively year Read More
This article originally appeared in Ancestry Magazine, November-December 2007. Family history clues can be anywhere. An old recipe card may note “these were always served by cousin Mary McGuire” or “Aunt Susie made this every Thanksgiving.” So where do you go from there? Start at the beginning. I was told that Bertha Christine Molzen Deschner, Read More
How many pictures did you snap this summer? Digital cameras and smartphones make it easy to take pictures, but it’s not always so easy to “develop and process” those photos. Instead, we tend to procrastinate photo management and end up with a device filled with images instead of an album of vacation photos to share. Read More