Captain Alden Howell: Last Confederate Officer

When Alden Howell passed away in 1947 at the age of 106, he was the last surviving commissioned officer of the Army of the Confederate States of America. It’s a good thing that there were multiple obituaries about this centenarian. Each historical obit gives us more of the details of his life. For example,... (Read More)

Snow & Ice: Winter’s Frosty Fun

Introduction: Duncan Kuehn is a professional genealogist with over eight years of client experience. She has worked on several well-known projects, such as “Who Do You Think You Are?” and researching President Barack Obama’s ancestry. With the East Coast (especially Boston) digging out from yesterday’s blizzard, this seems like a good time for an... (Read More)

Revolutionary War Soldier Andrew Wallace – Dead at 105

In 1772 at the age of 42, Andrew Wallace shipped off for North America from Scotland – and just a few years later he was fighting in the American Revolutionary War for his new country. According to this old soldier’s obituary, Andrew “was engaged in some of the most memorable battles of the Revolutionary... (Read More)

Your Wife – She Just Might Save Your Life

Marriages create life. They connect family trees and create orchards of ancestors. And sometimes your wife pulls you out of a snowbank. That was the case for Abram Decker, 35, of Sussex County, New Jersey, in 1898. The Idaho Daily Statesman reports that Decker went to town late one night for groceries in bad... (Read More)

Revolutionary Patriot George Shell Fought Two Wars Simultaneously

When Revolutionary War patriot George Shell died in 1818, newspapers in Maine, Massachusetts, and New York carried the news – but they each gave him a single-line obituary. However, Revolutionary War veteran George Shell deserved much more; the man fought two wars simultaneously, as detailed in this longer obituary found in another old newspaper.... (Read More)