3 Tips to Uncover Hidden Genealogy Clues in Obituaries

Introduction: Gena Philibert-Ortega is a genealogist and author of the book “From the Family Kitchen.” In this guest blog post, Gena shows how useful newspaper obituaries are for your family history research—and explains clues in obituaries that even some experienced genealogists might miss. Obituaries are the newspaper articles that most genealogists cut their research... (Read More)

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr: Brief Genealogy & Family Tree Download

Introduction: Scott Phillips is a genealogical historian and owner of Onward To Our Past® genealogy services. In this guest blog post—in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day—Scott searches old newspapers to find out more about Dr. King’s family history—and includes a free MLK family tree download. The year was 1968. If you lived... (Read More)

How to Use My 5 FETCH Goals for Newspaper Genealogy Research

Introduction: In this article, Scott Phillips explains how he uses the acronym “FETCH” to remind him of his five goals when using historical newspapers for his family history research. Scott is a genealogical historian and owner of Onward To Our Past® genealogy services. The beginning of a New Year is always such a grand... (Read More)

Genealogy Humor: Unusual & Funny Names of People (Part II)

Introduction: Mary Harrell-Sesniak is a genealogist, author and editor with a strong technology background. In this guest blog post, Mary shares some of her readers’ responses to an earlier blog article she wrote about the odd and humorous names she’s run across while researching family history in old newspapers. After publishing my Unusual &... (Read More)

Exploring & Preserving Family History with Christmas Cards

Introduction: Gena Philibert-Ortega is a genealogist and author of the book “From the Family Kitchen.” In this guest blog post, Gena searches old newspapers to learn about the history of Christmas cards, illustrating her article with vintage Christmas cards from her own collection. What’s your favorite part of the holiday season? The decorations? The... (Read More)

Genealogy Records: A History of Regional Coverage in the U.S.

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. In this guest blog post, Duncan discusses the availability of genealogy records in various regions of the U.S. She... (Read More)

Did Grandma & Grandpa Write Letters to Santa Claus as Kids?

Introduction: Mary Harrell-Sesniak is a genealogist, author and editor with a strong technology background. In this guest blog post, Mary searches old newspapers to find some of the cute, funny, and heartwarming letters our ancestors wrote to Santa Claus. In our genealogical quests, we often overlook valuable sources of family history—such as time-honored childhood... (Read More)