Future Proofing Your Genealogy Research
By: Thomas MacEntee
Try as we might, we really have little control over what will happen to our possessions, even our bodies, after we die. Yes, we can draw up legal documents, we can express our wishes to family members and more; however, there are no guarantees when it comes to these matters. The best we can do is prepare, plan and communicate now.
When it comes to years of genealogy research and material that you have accumulated, what plans have you made to ensure that this legacy does not die with you? In After You’re Gone: Future Proofing Your Genealogy Research, you will find valuable advice on creating a realistic plan to get your “genealogy affairs” in order. Make sure that the next generation of researchers can benefit from your years of hard work and following your passion.
Gravestone Symbols and Their Meaning
By: Treemily
When doing ancestor research, visiting a cemetery may be a haunting, yet thoughtful experience. Gravestones frequently have other, more symbolic inscriptions on them besides names, dates of birth and death. They all typically signify something, maybe a quality that person possessed, a principle they upheld, or a reference to their religious beliefs.
In this article we’re looking into some of the most popular symbols on gravestones and the meaning behind them. That said, you may find different interpretations of certain symbols due to how varied their purpose is in different cultures.
Newspaper archives told about my grandparents
Life happened, my father passed away, and gradually I began to feel a void because I knew almost nothing about his father, who had died suddenly when dad was only 7 years old. Dad never talked about him.
An acquaintance who had written about my grandmother's uncle suggested I might try searching newspaper archives. He told me about the Library of Congress' "Chronicling America" project aimed at digitizing America's newspapers. And then I also learned about a similar project at the University of California at Riverside focusing on California newspapers.
From one set of searches I found a detailed write-up of my grandparents' 1903 wedding in Prescott, Arizona. The article gave a brief account of Grandpa's blacksmithing business and Grandma's teaching career. It even gave a list of wedding guests and named the hotel where the reception was held. From a different search of the California newspapers I found three separate accounts of Grandpa's death.
From the articles I found and a couple of family letters I was able to piece together a timeline showing Grandpa abandoning his blacksmithing business, trying other jobs, running for political office, and finally moving in 1914 to California where he had a couple of sales jobs and business partnerships.