Fred Q. Bowman (1916-2009) Genealogist, Author

Fred Q. Bowman (1916-2009) Frederick Quimby Bowman, 93, passed away in Albany, NY earlier this week. Well known genealogist and author – Fred was a relied upon source of early New York vital records. He was a genealogist who made a lasting difference. Obituary: Times Union (Albany, NY) – November 9, 2009 He is... (Read More)

Him Mark Lai – 麥禮謙 (1925-2009)

Him Mark Lai – 麥禮謙 (1925-2009), noted Chinese-American genealogist and local historian has passed away. San Francisco Chronicle (CA) – May 29, 2009. Edition: 5 star Page: B5(c) San Francisco Chronicle 2009. Reprinted here with permission. by Carl Nolte. Him Mark Lai, a noted historian of the Chinese American experience, died at his San... (Read More)

Wow – we found him!

Yesterday the GenealogyBank Blog wrote about using the old documents in the “Serial Set” that are in GenealogyBank.com. It has been very popular. Today I received this note from a genealogist about what she found on her Revolutionary War ancestor – Captain William York. Tom – We used this set (Serial Set) to prove... (Read More)

‘Great American Success Story’ – William & James Ledford

We receive “fan mail” every day – this letter was so good I wanted to share it. _____________________________________________ Tom, I’ve been working, several months, on an ‘Great American Success Story’. William L. Ledford and his brother James E. Ledford were born in the mid 1840’s in Cherokee County, NC. by the time they were... (Read More)

Unusual Obituaries: Sir Sacheverell Reresby Sitwell

Speaking of unusual obituaries. See this one from GenealogyBank – published in today’s (3 April 2009) Boston Globe. Sir Sacheverell Reresby Sitwell, son of the late Sir George Sitwell (author of The History of the Fork and inventor of a revolver for shooting wasps).Boston Globe, (MA) – April 3, 2009Sacheverell Reresby Sitwell; restored hall... (Read More)

Woman struck blind on seeing her son …

Obituaries can give us the details of our ancestor’s lives that we just don’t find anywhere else. Today I found this obituary in GenealogyBank for Judith Tormey (1800-1898) who died in Newark, NJ. Baltimore Sun 4 July 1898 This obituary article gives us lots of details and clues to fill in the family tree.... (Read More)

A Good Woman Can be Hard to Find…

It can be very difficult to find women in the early 19th Century – finding sources that actually give their names and genealogical details. It was common in the 19th century for genealogical sources to be brief and give only the basic information about a household in the census – or an entry in... (Read More)

James L. Sorenson – DNA Pioneer Dies at 86

James L. Sorenson, a pioneer in DNA research has died. A self-made billionaire, he used his wealth in many causes. Genealogists in particular are aware of his efforts with DNA and genealogy. In 1999 he started the Sorenson Molecular Genealogy Foundation. The group has collected more than 70,000 DNA samples, together with four-generation pedigree... (Read More)