About Tom Kemp

Thomas Jay Kemp is the Director of Genealogy Products at GenealogyBank. Tom Kemp is an internationally known librarian and archivist – he is the author of over 35 genealogy books and hundreds of articles about genealogy and family history. He previously served as the Chair of the National Council of Library & Information Associations (Washington, DC) and as Library Director of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania and the New England Historic Genealogical Society. An active genealogist, he has been working on his own family history for 47 years. With the rapidly growing online archives at GenealogyBank – it is a great day for genealogy!

Family Tree Have Branches in Oklahoma? Search OK Newspapers Now

Genealogists often find that they have cousins in all 50 U.S. states because our relatives, over the centuries, picked up and moved to greener pastures.

To meet the needs of genealogists, GenealogyBank.com offers a strong collection of recent and historical newspapers from all 50 states—including 55 newspapers from Oklahoma to help you research your ancestry from the “Sooner State.”

photo of a migrant family in Oklahoma, 1936

Migrant family in Oklahoma, 1936

Photo: Family on the Move in Oklahoma, 1936. Credit: Library of Congress, cph 3c30176 http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/cph.3c30176

You can search for your ancestors in our Oklahoma newspaper archives here:

Search Oklahoma Newspaper Archives (1871 – 1923)

Search Oklahoma Recent Obituaries (1982 – Current)

Here is the complete list of the newspapers currently in our OK newspaper archives. Each title is an active link taking you to that newspaper’s search form where you can enter more information such as ancestor surname, date ranges, and more to narrow your genealogy search.

City Newspaper Date Range Collection
Ada Ada Evening News 10/29/2007 – Current

Recent Obituaries

Altus Altus Times 1/14/2008 – Current

Recent Obituaries

Alva Alva Review-Courier 9/5/2000 – Current

Recent Obituaries

Antlers Antlers American 10/14/2010 – Current

Recent Obituaries

Ardmore Daily Ardmoreite 12/1/2004 – Current

Recent Obituaries

Bartlesville Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise 10/18/2007 – Current

Recent Obituaries

Bethany Bethany Tribune 12/7/2012 – Current

Recent Obituaries

Chickasha Express Star 3/31/2006 – Current

Recent Obituaries

Claremore Claremore Daily Progress 7/3/2007 – Current

Recent Obituaries

Duncan Duncan Banner 4/26/2006 – Current

Recent Obituaries

Durant Durant Daily Democrat 5/29/2007 – Current

Recent Obituaries

Edmond Edmond Sun 10/24/2005 – Current

Recent Obituaries

Enid Enid News and Eagle 8/1/2008 – Current

Recent Obituaries

Fairland American 10/4/2012 – Current

Recent Obituaries

Frederick Frederick Press-Leader 12/3/2006 – Current

Recent Obituaries

Grove Grove Sun 2/25/2008 – Current

Recent Obituaries

Guymon Guymon Daily Herald 5/30/2008 – Current

Recent Obituaries

Hobart Hobart Daily Republican 1/4/1907 – 6/30/1920

Newspaper Archives

Hobart Hobart Democrat 1/10/1908 – 7/1/1909

Newspaper Archives

Hobart Hobart Weekly Chief 7/2/1908 – 12/31/1908

Newspaper Archives

Langston Langston City Herald 11/14/1891 – 3/30/1893

Newspaper Archives

Lawton Lawton Constitution 10/1/2006 – Current

Recent Obituaries

McAlester McAlester News-Capital & Democrat 12/4/2007 – Current

Recent Obituaries

Miami Miami District Daily News 8/19/1917 – 1/31/1923

Newspaper Archives

Miami Miami News-Record 12/3/1999 – Current

Recent Obituaries

Miami Miami Record-Herald 7/28/1899 – 10/9/1903

Newspaper Archives

Miami Miami Weekly Herald 9/23/1899 – 11/20/1903

Newspaper Archives

Midwest City Midwest City Sun 7/10/2008 – Current

Recent Obituaries

Moore American 1/3/2007 – Current

Recent Obituaries

Muskogee Indian Journal 7/6/1895 – 7/6/1895

Newspaper Archives

Muskogee Muskogee Daily Phoenix and Times-Democrat 2/18/2004 – Current

Recent Obituaries

Norman Norman Transcript 9/19/2007 – Current

Recent Obituaries

Nowata Nowata Star 10/3/2012 – Current

Recent Obituaries

Oklahoma City Daily Oklahoman 1/25/1898 – 12/31/1913

Newspaper Archives

Oklahoma City Guide 10/6/1898 – 8/1/1903

Newspaper Archives

Oklahoma City Oklahoman 11/1/1982 – Current

Recent Obituaries

Pauls Valley Pauls Valley Daily Democrat 9/8/2007 – Current

Recent Obituaries

Pawhuska Pawhuska Journal-Capital 10/17/2007 – Current

Recent Obituaries

Perry Perry Daily Journal 12/4/2012 – Current

Recent Obituaries

Perry Perry Journal 10/3/1901 – 9/1/1904

Newspaper Archives

Perry Perry Republican 1/1/1914 – 12/28/1922

Newspaper Archives

Poteau Poteau Daily News & Sun 7/29/2009 – Current

Recent Obituaries

Pryor Daily Times 12/26/2007 – Current

Recent Obituaries

Shawnee Shawnee News-Star 10/2/2009 – Current

Recent Obituaries

Stillwater Stillwater News Press 9/11/2007 – Current

Recent Obituaries

Tahlequah Cherokee Advocate 4/29/1871 – 7/3/1897

Newspaper Archives

Tahlequah Tahlequah Daily Press 12/29/2005 – Current

Recent Obituaries

Tulsa Native American Times 10/27/2009 – Current

Recent Obituaries

Tulsa Tulsa World 1/1/1911 – 12/31/1922

Newspaper Archives

Tulsa Tulsa World 1/1/1989 – Current

Recent Obituaries

Tuttle Tuttle Times 3/29/2006 – 1/27/2010

Recent Obituaries

Vinita Vinita Daily Journal 11/10/2012 – Current

Recent Obituaries

Waurika Waurika News Democrat 2/11/2010 – Current

Recent Obituaries

Weatherford Weatherford Daily News 11/27/2012 – Current

Recent Obituaries

Woodward Woodward News 4/26/2010 – Current

Recent Obituaries

Augusta, Georgia, Newspapers Now Online: Coverage from 1700s Forward

GenealogyBank has newspapers from Augusta, Georgia, online from 1792 to today. Wow—that’s a lot of newspapers recording the history of the Garden City in the heart of Dixie.

city seal and logo for Augusta, Georgia

Illustration: Augusta city seal and logo. Credit: Wikipedia.

You can learn so much more than just the basic facts about your family tree when you research your genealogy in these historical and recent Augusta newspapers. Discover your Southern ancestors’ marriage announcements, obituaries, and personal stories—everything that tells us the fabric of their lives.

Dig into our online archives and discover your GA ancestry now!

Newspaper Date Range Collection
Augusta Chronicle 1/7/1792 – 11/30/2003 Newspaper Archives
Augusta Chronicle 1/1/1994 – Current Recent Obituaries
Augusta Herald 7/17/1799 – 12/28/1815 Newspaper Archives
Augusta Union 1/27/1900 – 1/27/1900 Newspaper Archives
Colored American 12/30/1865 – 1/13/1866 Newspaper Archives
Daily Constitutionalist 3/19/1833 – 12/31/1869 Newspaper Archives
Loyal Georgian 1/20/1866 – 2/15/1868 Newspaper Archives
Southern Centinel 11/28/1793 – 5/31/1798 Newspaper Archives

Irish American Passenger Lists in Old Newspapers

I love it that the Irish Nation newspaper routinely published lists of all arriving passengers from Ireland. These lists gave the names of the passengers, where they were from in Ireland, and where their destination was in the United States.

This is an excellent resource to find what often can be a very difficult piece of Irish genealogy information: where in the Old Country your Irish immigrants came from.

In this example the newspaper published the lists of passengers from 11 ships that arrived that week.

Arrivals from Ireland, Irish Nation newspaper article 29 April 1882

Irish Nation (New York, New York), 29 April 1882, page 7

There is no other source for this information. These are the only passenger lists that include the names, home towns and destinations for arriving immigrants.

It is an essential tool for Irish American genealogists.

38 Nebraska Newspapers Now Online in Our Archives

Searching for your ancestors in Nebraska? GenealogyBank has 38 Nebraska newspapers online in its newspaper archives, to help you research your family history in the “Cornhusker State.”

photo of 19th century Nebraska homesteaders

Photo credit: Wikipedia. Hey, is that Uncle Willie on the left?

Use these two links to search for your ancestors in all of our Nebraska newspaper archives, or click on an individual title in the below table to use that newspaper’s individual search form:

Search Nebraska Newspaper Archives (1868 – 1983)

Search Nebraska Recent Obituaries (1996 – Current)

City Newspaper

Date Range

Collection

Ashland Ashland Gazette

2/3/2011 – Current

Recent Obituaries

Beatrice Beatrice Daily Sun

6/10/2002 – Current

Recent Obituaries

Bellevue Bellevue Leader

2/27/2009 – Current

Recent Obituaries

Broken Bow Custer County Chief

10/4/2010 – Current

Recent Obituaries

Chadron Chadron Record

4/12/2005 – Current

Recent Obituaries

Columbus Columbus Telegram

9/19/1999 – Current

Recent Obituaries

David City David City Banner-Press

9/13/2011 – Current

Recent Obituaries

Fremont Fremont Tribune

8/16/2000 – Current

Recent Obituaries

Gering Gering Courier

11/6/2008 – Current

Recent Obituaries

Grand Island Grand Island Independent

9/14/2006 – Current

Recent Obituaries

Gretna Gretna Breeze

2/23/2011 – Current

Recent Obituaries

Hemingford Hemingford Ledger

11/7/2008 – Current

Recent Obituaries

Kearney Kearney Hub

5/30/2005 – Current

Recent Obituaries

Lexington Lexington Clipper-Herald

6/23/2005 – Current

Recent Obituaries

Lincoln Lincoln Journal Star

6/1/1996 – Current

Recent Obituaries

Lincoln Lincoln Journal Star: Web Edition Articles

11/4/2003 – Current

Recent Obituaries

Nebraska City Daily Nebraska Press

8/6/1868 – 12/28/1876

Newspaper Archives

Nebraska City Nebraska City News-Press

2/9/2005 – Current

Recent Obituaries

North Platte North Platte Telegraph

5/3/2004 – Current

Recent Obituaries

Omaha Afro-American Sentinel

2/22/1896 – 3/25/1899

Newspaper Archives

Omaha Danske Pioneer

10/17/1895 – 10/10/1901

Newspaper Archives

Omaha Enterprise

8/10/1895 – 7/3/1897

Newspaper Archives

Omaha Omaha Herald

10/30/1878 – 6/30/1889

Newspaper Archives

Omaha Omaha Morning Bee-News

9/9/1935 – 9/9/1935

Newspaper Archives

Omaha Omaha Star

1/7/2011 – Current

Recent Obituaries

Omaha Omaha World Herald

8/24/1885 – 12/31/1983

Newspaper Archives

Omaha Omaha World-Herald

1/10/2011 – Current

Recent Obituaries

Omaha Progress

3/22/1890 – 3/7/1891

Newspaper Archives

Papillion Papillion Times

1/27/2011 – Current

Recent Obituaries

Papillion Suburban Newspapers

6/29/2005 – 1/29/2009

Recent Obituaries

Plattsmouth Plattsmouth Journal

5/2/2007 – Current

Recent Obituaries

Ralston Ralston Recorder

5/6/2009 – Current

Recent Obituaries

Schuyler Schuyler Sun

10/20/2011 – Current

Recent Obituaries

Scottsbluff Star-Herald

4/20/2005 – Current

Recent Obituaries

Syracuse Syracuse Journal-Democrat

3/6/2009 – Current

Recent Obituaries

Wahoo Wahoo Newspaper

2/1/2007 – Current

Recent Obituaries

Waverly Waverly News

4/21/2009 – Current

Recent Obituaries

York York News-Times

3/8/2000 – Current

Recent Obituaries

What Counties & Towns in Ireland Did Our Ancestors Come From?

Genealogists know the frustration of tracking down your Irish immigrant ancestor’s birth, marriage or death certificate, hoping that it will be the document that finally tells you where in Ireland your family came from—only to be disappointed once again.

Irish American death certificates

Irish American death certificates

So many census registrars simply wrote “Ireland” on the form, giving no additional clues about the town or county. This practice can present a challenge to those of us seeking to locate the towns or counties in Ireland where our Irish immigrant ancestors came from.

You can see this problem in the 1892 New York state census, which is online. Here is a typical entry, for the Scully family. The census tells us that the family members were born in “Ireland” and now live in Albany, New York.

1892 New York Census: Scully

1892 New York Census: Scully

Credit: “New York, State Census, 1892,” index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/X366-VPR. Accessed 21 Mar 2013, Kate Scully, 1892.

How are we going to find out exactly where in Ireland the Irish family members were born? Irish American Newspapers!

It has been my experience that Irish American newspapers are the genealogist’s most reliable source for finding information about our Irish ancestors’ birthplaces. Will every Irish obituary or marriage record give these details? No—but many of these old Irish American newspaper records do.

Let’s turn to historical Irish American newspapers to try and find the birth place of the first Scully member listed in the NY census.

Searching GenealogyBank for references to Catherine Scully of Albany, I found her obituary published in the Irish World News (New York City, New York), 2 December 1893, page 5.

Catherine Scully obituary, Irish World News newspaper article 2 December 1893

Irish World News (New York City, New York), 2 December 1893, page 5

Bingo. This old newspaper obituary tells us that she was born in Ballingarry, which is in County Tipperary, Ireland.

And there are more genealogical clues…It tells us that:

  • She died 3 November 1893 at her home in Albany, New York
  • She was a widow—her husband was Andrew Scully
  • Her maiden name was Hayde
  • She was a Catholic, and was buried at St. Agnes’ Cemetery
  • Her four surviving children were: Ellen, John, Lawrence and Patrick
  • She was a member of the Ladies’ Catholic Benevolent Association, Branch 25

Now that we know she was born in Ballingarry, County Tipperary, Ireland, in 1846, we can look for images of the Irish town from 150 years ago.

The search for images of Ballingarry was easy: Wikipedia has an engraving of a street scene from the town in 1848.

What a treasure to have an image of this Irish town from the time when she was born!

illustration of Ballingarry, Ireland

Illustration: Ballingarry in 1848. Credit: Wikipedia.

Hey—could that be her on the right side of this image standing with her father?

Every genealogist wants to know exactly where in Ireland—or any country—their family came from.

Newspapers are a great resource for finding those family facts. Dig into GenealogyBank’s newspaper archives online and find the details and stories of your ancestors’ lives.

Irish Trivia Quiz – Test Your Ireland IQ

What do you know about your ancestors from Éire? Are you as cute as the fox of Ballybotherem? Put your Irish ancestry prowess to the test. Take this Irish trivia quiz and provide answers to these 10 questions about Irish family history, counties in Ireland and other fun facts about the Old Country now!

Irish Trivia & Family History Quiz

Irish Heritage & Family History Quiz

Click Start below to begin.



Start

How to Find Georgia Marriage Records

It is easy to find copies of your Georgia ancestors’ marriage certificates and records using two basic online genealogy tools: GenealogyBank.com and FamilySearch.org. If your ancestors lived in Georgia, let’s see how we can find information about them.

marriage certificate for Walter B. Dense and Mamie T. Thornton found using FamilySearch's Georgia marriage records

Marriage certificate for Walter B. Dense and Mamie T. Thornton found using FamilySearch’s Georgia marriage records. Credit: FamilySearch.

FamilySearch.org has put Georgia marriage records from 1785 to 1950 online.

You may search for these old marriage records online here: https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1927197

A typical search will produce a marriage certificate like this one for Walter B. Dense and Mamie T. Thornton.

marriage certificate for Walter B. Dense and Mamie T. Thornton

Marriage certificate for Walter B. Dense and Mamie T. Thornton. Credit: FamilySearch.

Image Credit: “Georgia, County Marriages, 1785-1950,” index and images, FamilySearch: https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/KXVC-7NK Accessed 19 March 2013, Walter B. Dense and Mamie T. Thornton, 1879.

This historical marriage certificate tells us that they were married by the Rev. Walker Lewis on 10 September 1879 in Bibb County, Georgia.

Marriage certificates can be brief and to the point. As genealogists we are thrilled to have them and to look at them—but we want to know more about the couple and their wedding.

Newspapers can give us even more details on the lives of our ancestors.

Let’s start searching the marriage records that were published in Georgia newspapers.

Let’s strategize this search.

In this case the groom’s surname, Dense, is a common word—but the surname itself is not very common. The word “dense” could possibly appear in a marriage announcement, but it is not likely to come up except as a surname.

By searching on the “Georgia Marriage Records” page in GenealogyBank I can focus my search results to bring up just marriage announcements that were printed in Georgia newspapers.

GenealogyBank search page for Georgia Marriage Records & Engagement Announcements

GenealogyBank search page for Georgia Marriage Records & Engagement Announcements

Search Georgia marriage records at GenealogyBank here: http://www.genealogybank.com/gbnk/newspapers/explore/USA/Georgia/?type=marriage_engagement

GenealogyBank search box and search results page for Dense wedding

GenealogyBank search box and search results page for Dense wedding

That worked: their wedding announcement was the first of ten search results.

Marriage in First Street Methodist Church, Macon Daily Telegraph newspaper article 16 September 1879

Macon Daily Telegraph (Macon, Georgia), 16 September 1879, page 4

The historical newspaper article is giving us a lot more detail about the wedding then the basic facts recorded on the marriage certificate—so many details that we can almost picture the wedding in our minds.

Marriage in First Street Methodist Church, Macon Daily Telegraph newspaper article 16 September 1879, page 4

Macon Daily Telegraph (Macon, Georgia), 16 September 1879, page 4

  • For example, we learn that the couple was married at the First Methodist Church in Macon, Georgia.
  • The church, “crowded to its utmost capacity,” was “tastefully decorated with evergreens” at half past eight in the evening when the wedding began.
  • The old newspaper article named the members of the wedding party and chief guests.
  • The Rev. Walker Lewis performed the wedding ceremony “in a clear and distinct manner.”
  • At the end of the ceremony “Professor Coley played the wedding march.”

Think about it—the details, the setting…picture the wedding scene in your mind.

The end of the old newspaper marriage announcement gives us even more details about the family and their occupations, and describes the reception and supper that followed at the bride’s father’s (Reuben Thornton) home on Second Street.

Marriage in First Street Methodist Church, Macon Daily Telegraph newspaper article 16 September 1879, page 4

Macon Daily Telegraph (Macon, Georgia), 16 September 1879, page 4

Details about special life events like this are only found in historical newspapers.

These are two great genealogy resources for finding your Georgia marriage records: the certificates on FamilySearch, and the newspaper marriage announcements in GenealogyBank with the details about the couple and the wedding.

Oh, the newspaper editor added one more comment about this wedding.

Marriage in First Street Methodist Church, Macon Daily Telegraph newspaper article 16 September 1879, page 4

Macon Daily Telegraph (Macon, Georgia), 16 September 1879, page 4

The editor had described the packed church and the beautiful wedding and added “At the close Professor Coley played the wedding march, and the dense audience dispersed.”

It’s great to not only learn about the details of our ancestors’ lives and weddings— it’s also fun to see the wry humor of the times.

It’s a great day for genealogy!

List of 50+ Mississippi Newspapers Online

Mississippi is in the heart of the Old South. Today there are three million Mississippians living in the Magnolia State—and millions more have lived in the Delta area since its first settlement over 300 years ago.

With more than 50 Mississippi newspapers currently online and growing, GenealogyBank’s historical archives are your starting place for researching your family tree—dating back to the American Colonial period up to modern times—in this old Southern state.

photo of Meridian, Mississippi

Photo: Meridian, Mississippi. Credit: Wikipedia.

Here is the list of the Mississippi newspapers currently available in our online archives:

City Title Date Range*

Collection

Biloxi Biloxi Herald 1/14/1888 – 11/26/1898

Newspaper Archives

Biloxi Daily Herald 3/31/1888 – 12/31/1909

Newspaper Archives

Biloxi Sun Herald 2/12/1994 – Current

Recent Obituaries

Brandon Free State 1/20/1900 – 1/20/1900

Newspaper Archives

Clarksdale Clarksdale Press Register 4/20/2005 – Current

Recent Obituaries

Cleveland Bolivar Commercial 10/2/2009 – Current

Recent Obituaries

Columbia Columbian-Progress 11/3/2008 – Current

Recent Obituaries

Columbus Columbus Packet 12/12/2010 – Current

Recent Obituaries

Columbus Commercial Dispatch 5/7/2002 – Current

Recent Obituaries

Corinth Daily Corinthian 6/12/2011 – Current

Recent Obituaries

Eupora Webster Progress-Times 3/25/2003 – Current

Recent Obituaries

Forest Scott County Times 8/5/2003 – Current

Recent Obituaries

Gautier Mississippi Press 8/15/2006 – Current

Recent Obituaries

Gautier Mississippi Press, The: Web Edition Articles 10/18/2012 – Current

Recent Obituaries

Greenville Delta Democrat Times 1/8/2002 – Current

Recent Obituaries

Greenwood Greenwood Commonwealth 5/29/2000 – Current

Recent Obituaries

Gulfport Daily Herald 1/1/1910 – 12/30/1922

Newspaper Archives

Hattiesburg Lamar Times 4/21/2011 – Current

Recent Obituaries

Hattiesburg Petal News 4/21/2011 – Current

Recent Obituaries

Indianola Indianola Enterprise-Tocsin 9/16/2010 – Current

Recent Obituaries

Jackson Clarion 1/6/1886 – 1/11/1888

Newspaper Archives

Jackson Clarion Ledger 1/19/1888 – 3/6/1890

Newspaper Archives

Jackson Jackson Advocate 2/23/2011 – Current

Recent Obituaries

Jackson Mississippi Free Press 12/16/1961 – 8/1/1964

Newspaper Archives

Jackson Mississippi Link 2/17/2011 – Current

Recent Obituaries

Jackson Mississippi Weekly 5/18/1935 – 5/18/1935

Newspaper Archives

Jackson Northside Sun 7/1/2007 – Current

Recent Obituaries

Kosciusko Star Herald 1/7/2008 – Current

Recent Obituaries

Laurel Laurel Leader-Call 5/2/2006 – Current

Recent Obituaries

Louisville Choctaw Plaindealer 11/10/2005 – Current

Recent Obituaries

Louisville Winston County Journal 3/25/2003 – Current

Recent Obituaries

Magee Magee Courier, The & Simpson County News 1/3/2008 – Current

Recent Obituaries

McComb Enterprise-Journal 12/24/1999 – Current

Recent Obituaries

Meridian Meridian Star 2/17/2006 – Current

Recent Obituaries

Mound Bayou Mound Bayou News-Digest 5/13/1950 – 5/13/1950

Newspaper Archives

Natchez Ariel 7/20/1825 – 7/19/1828

Newspaper Archives

Natchez Mississippi Free Trader 11/20/1844 – 3/28/1854

Newspaper Archives

Natchez Mississippi State Gazette 3/6/1818 – 5/14/1825

Newspaper Archives

Natchez Southern Clarion 5/13/1831 – 11/18/1831

Newspaper Archives

Natchez Southern Galaxy 5/22/1828 – 3/18/1830

Newspaper Archives

Natchez Statesman and Gazette 5/18/1825 – 10/24/1832

Newspaper Archives

New Albany New Albany Gazette 11/20/2008 – Current

Recent Obituaries

Olive Branch DeSoto Times-Tribune 3/25/2005 – Current

Recent Obituaries

Oxford Oxford Eagle 2/9/2012 – Current

Recent Obituaries

Picayune Picayune Item 2/5/2008 – Current

Recent Obituaries

Starkville Starkville Daily News 3/9/2008 – Current

Recent Obituaries

Vicksburg Daily Commercial 3/21/1877 – 12/28/1882

Newspaper Archives

Vicksburg Golden Rule 1/27/1900 – 1/27/1900

Newspaper Archives

Vicksburg Light 1/18/1900 – 1/18/1900

Newspaper Archives

West Point Daily Times Leader 3/27/2008 – Current

Recent Obituaries

Winona Winona Times & Conservative 4/2/2009 – Current

Recent Obituaries

6 More Newspapers Being Added to Recent Obituaries Collection

Here’s a look ahead at six of the new newspapers we are adding to our “Recent Obituaries” online collection in April. This is just a snapshot of the millions of obituary records that we add every month to GenealogyBank to help you find your ancestors and trace your family tree.

GenealogyBank's "Recent Newspaper Obituaries" search box

GenealogyBank’s “Recent Newspaper Obituaries” search box

These recent obituaries are from five states and the District of Columbia: California, Florida, Michigan, New Jersey, Virginia, and Haymarket, D.C.

You can view our entire Recent Obituaries archives online: http://www.genealogybank.com/gbnk/obituaries/

Pasadena-San Gabriel Valley News Journal (Pasadena, CA)

  • Obituaries:  02/25/2009 – Current

Asian Fortune (Haymarket, DC)

  • Obituaries:  06/01/2000 – Current

Miami Herald, The: Blogs (Miami, FL)

  • Obituaries:  03/10/2008 – Current

Metro Times (Detroit, MI)

  • Obituaries:  08/04/1999 – Current

Horse News (Flemington, NJ)

  • Obituaries: 06/30/1994 – Current
  • Note:  missing 2/2003-12/2003

Powhatan Today (Powhatan, VA)

  • Obituaries:  04/02/2008 – Current

Irish American Genealogy & Family History Facts Infographic

Irish American Genealogy & Family History Facts Infographic

In celebration of Irish Heritage Month, here are some interesting facts about Irish ancestry in America.

Irish American Population Statistics

  • There are 34.5 million people who claim Irish ancestry in America
  • Approximately 11% of the total United States population is Irish American
  • There are over 7 times more people of Irish descent in the United States than the entire population of Ireland

History of Irish Immigration to America

There were 2 major waves of Irish immigration to America.

  1. The first immigration period was in the Colonial era of the 18th century. These people set sail from the northern provinces of Ireland looking for new lives as American pioneers. The migration consisted of approximately 250,000 Scots-Irish who were predominately Protestant. The major ports of entry for these incoming Irish immigrants were in New York and Philadelphia.
  1. The second wave of immigration was between 1846 and 1900. During this period approximately 2,873,000 people fled to America from the southern provinces of Ireland. This was primarily due to the Great Irish Potato Famine, which caused poverty and starvation throughout Ireland. These new arrivals were predominately of Catholic denomination. The major American ports of entry were in New York and Boston. The Irish also arrived on trains and ships from Canada, which was then called British North America.

Origins of the Saying “Luck of the Irish”

During the 1848-1855 California Gold Rush many Irish immigrants headed out West to mine silver & gold. Many Americans said the immigrants’ mining success was due to luck, not skill—hence the saying “Luck of the Irish.”

Common Irish Surnames

Here is a list of the top 10 most common Irish last names and their meanings:

  • Murphy – Sea Battlers
  • Kelly – Bright-headed Ones
  • O’Sullivan – Hawkeyed Ones
  • Walsh – Welshmen
  • O’Brien – Noblemen
  • Byrne – Ravens
  • Ryan – Little Kings
  • O’Connor – Patrons of Warriors
  • O’Neill - From a Champion, Niall of the Nine Hostages
  • O’Reilly – Outgoing People, Descendants of Reilly

Percentage of Irish Americans by State

The Northeastern United States has the highest concentration of Irish Americans. The following 9 states all have more than 15% Irish ancestry in their total populations. The states are listed in descending order from highest to lowest total Irish population percentages. Massachusetts has the highest percentage in the United States with 22.5% of its residents claiming Irish ancestry.

  1. Massachusetts
  2. New Hampshire
  3. Rhode Island
  4. Delaware
  5. Connecticut
  6. Vermont
  7. Pennsylvania
  8. New Jersey
  9. Maine

The following 9 U.S. states also have high Irish American populations of 12-14%. Montana has the highest in this range with 14.8% of its population claiming Irish ancestry.

  1. Montana
  2. Iowa
  3. Nebraska
  4. Wyoming
  5. New York
  6. Missouri
  7. Ohio
  8. Colorado
  9. Illinois

11% to 11.9% of the residents in the following 7 states claim Irish ancestry.

  1. Oregon
  2. Maryland
  3. Kansas
  4. Washington
  5. Minnesota
  6. Nevada
  7. West Virginia

The remaining states have less than 11% Irish ancestry in their total populations.

Famous Americans Who Are a Wee Bit Irish

From presidents to outlaws, there have been many famous Irish Americans throughout U.S. history. Here are a few of them:

  • John F. Kennedy a.k.a. JFK: 35th President of the United States
  • Henry Ford: Founder of Ford Motor Company
  • Barack Obama: 44th President of the United States
  • William Henry McCarty Jr. a.k.a. Billy the Kid: Outlaw
  • Judy Garland: Actress & Singer
  • Bill O’Reilly: TV Host & Political Commentator
  • Conan O’Brien: TV Host & Comedian
  • Grace Kelly: Actress & Princess of Monaco
  • Walter Elias Disney a.k.a. Walt Disney: Film Producer & Co-founder of the Walt Disney Company
  • Danica Patrick: NASCAR Driver
  • Eddie Murphy: Actor & Comedian
  • Mel Gibson: Actor & Film Producer

Top Irish Genealogy Records

The top genealogy records to trace your Irish roots are:

Did You Know?

Civil registration in Ireland didn’t begin until 1864, although some non-Catholic marriages were recorded as early as 1845. Fortunately for genealogists, Irish American newspapers routinely published the news of Irish births, marriages and deaths for more than half a century before Ireland started recording them.

Got a little Irish in you? Discover your Irish American ancestry at http://www.genealogybank.com/gbnk/ethnic/irish_american/

Follow GenealogyBank on social media with hashtag #IrishHeritage for more Irish American genealogy facts throughout Irish Heritage Month.

Sources:

http://www.biography.com/people/groups/famous-irish-americans

http://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/facts_for_features_special_editions/cb13-ff03.html

http://www.edwardtodonnell.com/

http://www.energyofanation.org/waves_of_irish_immigration.html

http://www.irishcentral.com/roots/The-10-most-popular-Irish-last-names-2-133737553.html?page=3

http://names.mongabay.com/ancestry/st-Irish.html

http://www.udel.edu/soe/deal/IrishImmigrationFacts.html

http://www.wikipedia.org/