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)
Prominent Nashville, TN genealogist, Mary Sue Green Smith (1933-2009) has passed away. She was President of the Middle Tennessee Genealogical Society. She published eight books between 1994 and 2006; mostly reference works to be used in tracing one’s roots in Nashville. She indexed tens of thousands of pre-Civil War civil court records, which added... (Read More)
Genealogies often begin with the comprehensive statement that “the first (insert surname here) to come to America was…”. In our family that would be Captain James Garcelon born in 1739 on the Channel Island, Guernsey, England. However in searching old newspapers you can find the details that just might change family traditions and supply... (Read More)
Newspapers are producing more than newsprint – they are adding video news clips. Flickr photo from George K’s Photostream Here is an example from the New York Times – “Green-Wood Remembers Civil War Dead” Click here and watch in depth report about Green-Wood Cemetery’s effort to document the graves of Civil War veterans. It’s... (Read More)
I had the opportunity Monday night to speak to the New York Metro Chapter of the Association of Professional Genealogists. I have been a member of APG from the beginning – and a member of the New York Metro Chapter for many years. Living in Connecticut I welcomed the opportunity to go to the... (Read More)
When Abraham Lincoln gave his stirring remarks at Gettysburg in 1863 word spread quickly across the nation. The San Francisco (CA) Daily Evening Bulletin of 18 Dec 1863 captured the impact of Lincoln’s words that still move us today.Newspapers report what happens every day giving each of us the emotion, context and impact of... (Read More)
Family Bibles have been treasured by families for generations, but finding them today can be difficult. It was common for families to have a family Bible – a large bound book that was prominently displayed in the family parlor – “…a large octavo volume, with a more or less ornate binding, with blank pages... (Read More)
For more than two decades Halvor Moorshead has been in the forefront of genealogy. Consistently on target his four publications Family Chronicle, Internet Genealogy, History Magazine and his newest title Discovering Family History are the best in the field. Readable and useful, you save each issue, mark them up and act on the suggestions,... (Read More)
Finding people with unusual names can be very difficult but it is easy to find them on GenealogyBank. Today I was looking for Henry B. Platter and his good wife, Rachel (Bittinger) Platter. The Bittingers are my cousins and many of them are from Garrett County, Maryland. Now, Platter is an unusual name. It... (Read More)
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Get Helpful, Usable Tips for Your Genealogy Research.