Sometimes people researching their family history seem to forget that there is more to their ancestors than a birth and death date. If we’re truly trying to get to know our forebears, those are among the most boring bits of information since they happen to everybody! We all descend from more fascinating people than we [...]

Most people know more about their family history than they think they do. I often run into clients who assure me that the minimal information they’ve provided is ALL they know. Usually after a brief review of their information, I come up with several questions that I think they can probably answer. They usually can.
I [...]

In a day and age where Hollywood constantly rewards mediocrity with ridiculous TV shows that highlight ignorance (i.e. an incompetent and spoiled Jersey girl named Snooky (yes really, that is her name) or a teen that has found herself in the unfortunate circumstance of getting pregnant and landing a TV deal for it), it is [...]

In the hustle and bustle of the holiday, my birthday is sometimes over-looked. I guess it’s my fault for deciding to be born six weeks early, on Christmas Eve. Fortunately, there is one tradition that is never forgotten. Every year for my birthday dinner, we have Chowder. I grew up in Maine and am a [...]

Let’s get excited about finding out more about our family and where we come from! I was thinking about how I, as an individual, am not just one life but a whole network of lives that come together as one. One of the things I love about family history is learning about all those lives [...]

I guess it seemed fitting as I attended the funeral service and saw the casket draped with an American Flag. After all, Veterans Day was just last week. Wells Maudsley was my parents’ age and I’d known him for most of the 20 years we lived in the same neighborhood and attended the same church. [...]