Did my grandmother leave Ireland because of the war for Independence? Or because of the Civil War?
Read more.
15/52 - Sliding Doors (2) - Prologue
The second in a series - the unexpected ways lives intersect can have tragic results.
Read more…
14/52 - Sliding Doors (1)
The chance encounters that change lives.
Read more…
13/52 -- A Rocky Start for My Grandfather
Much of my grandfather’s later life can be explained by where he started.
Read more.
12/52 - Angela's Ashes Averted
How many immigrants returned to their home countries after a frustrating experience with the American Dream?
Read more…
![11/52 - The [Altered] Photo Heard Round the World](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e078a4793d3ea1098311149/72ea19a7-5e2a-4006-85e0-5d66a6f52cd7/Screen+Shot+2024-03-15+at+3.14.00+PM.png)
11/52 - The [Altered] Photo Heard Round the World
If "photo editing" has been going on for years, why is there a tsunami of interest in “The Mother’s Day Photo?”
Read more…
10/52 - Not Every Lottery Win is a Win
When and where you were born is just a matter of luck.
Read more.
9/52 - Living Inside Historical Fiction
What does it mean to live INSIDE a historical fiction novel?
Read more.
8/52 - Immigrants. We Get the Job Done
Imagine immigrating to the US, and 3 years later you are back in Europe…
Read more…
7/52 - Immigration Records are not Always Easy to Come By
Sometimes even an immigration record is not a straightforward thing.
Read more.
6/52 - My Dad, After His Parents Were Committed and Before the Navy
6/52 - What happened to my Dad after his parents were committed in 1932 and 1938?
Read more…
5/52 - Nothing Like a Good GroundHog Day Cry
Not everyone cries on Groundhog Day.
Read more.
4/52 - Archives Should Also Include the Everyday Things
When we think about preserving family history, we need to think about all of the day to day pieces of digital information that are likely to disappear.
Read more.
3/52 - Speaking German
How on earth has high school German stayed with me for 50 years, while other courses are a distant memory?
Read more…
2/52 - Birthmarks
Birthmarks — physical, emotional, and generational — leave a long mark.
Read more…
1/52 - New Year's Resolutions
It’s January 8, where are you with your family history and genealogy New Year’s resolutions?
An Awful Chapter in Virginia's Past
An awful record to read, but one we can’t ignore if we are to have a meaningful understanding of our past. Despite what the history deniers and erasers might think.
Sally Mancini - Quite a character - RIP
When your mom goes, it leaves a big hole in the family tapestry.
Read more…
Holocaust Remembrance Day - January 27
Our history depends on how facts are recorded, and how they are preserved. For inspiration on how to do it properly, look no further than the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum.
1945 – The sad endgame for John Oliver Manson
The sad endgame for my grandfather, John Oliver Manson
Read more…