Tag: Government

Obituary key to finding missing heir – Tulsa, OK man receives $200,000

By Thomas Jay Kemp on February 10, 2009

Nicholas Grod of Portland, Oregon used an online obituary to track down the rightful heir to a fortune in US Government bonds that he found hidden in his basement. KATU-TV (Portland, OR) reports that last year Grod was cleaning out the basement of his Portland, Oregon home and found a homemade box wedged under... (Read More)

New York City – APG Chapter takes detailed tour of GenealogyBank

By Thomas Jay Kemp on June 3, 2008

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)

Our Honored Dead …

By Thomas Jay Kemp on May 23, 2008

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... (Read More)

Private William Christman – first burial in Arlington Cemetery May 13, 1864

By Thomas Jay Kemp on May 13, 2008

The first burial on the grounds of what would become Arlington National Cemetery was on 13 May 1864. Private William Christman was buried in the rose garden in front of General Robert E. Lee’s home in Arlington, Virginia. He was serving with Company G, 67th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry. In May 1863 Secretary of War... (Read More)

Freedman’s Village – Robert E. Lee Estate in Arlington

By Thomas Jay Kemp on May 13, 2008

There are a lot of anniversaries in May. In May 1863 the government organized the Freedman’s Village on the grounds of General Robert E. Lee’s home in Arlington, Virginia. It had “fourteen dwellings, and a church a hospital and a home of the aged and infirm, with streets regularly laid out and named, and... (Read More)

Finding People with Common Names

By Thomas Jay Kemp on January 26, 2008

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)