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A Native American Revolutionary War Veteran’s Final Request
When I am gone, beat the drum and fire the guns. ~ Captain and Chief Tishomingo As we get closer to July 4th, we think back on the stories of our American ancestors who fought for our freedom in the...
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Hungarian-Born Revolutionary War Vet Dies
I found this interesting obituary for John Baker (1741-1826). Boston Traveler (Boston, Massachusetts), 3 May 1826, page 3 It says that Baker: was a native of Hungary, came to this country with [British...
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Did Your Ancestor Fight at the Battle of Monmouth?
Did your ancestor fight at the Battle of Monmouth during the Revolutionary War? Painting: “Washington Rallying the Troops at Monmouth,” by Emanuel Leutze, before 1854. Source: Wikimedia Commons. My...
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The Three Stooges’ Story Told in Their Obituaries
Introduction: Duncan Kuehn is a professional genealogist with over nine years of client experience. She has worked on several well-known projects, such as “Who Do You Think You Are?” In this blog post,...
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Elijah Sold Shoes Straight from His Saddlebags
No shoe stores in Boston in the late 1700s? According to Elijah Leathe’s obituary, “he was about the first who carried shoes, in saddle bags, to market to Boston, there being then no shoe stores.”...
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Civil War Nurse Mary Maxwell Featured in OGSQ
I received the latest copy of the Ohio Genealogical Society Quarterly (OGSQ) in the mail this week and was interested in the cover story about “Mary Francis (Stokes) Huddleston Maxwell, Civil War...
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Obituaries – Don’t Make This Rookie Genealogy Research Mistake
This is a typical newspaper obituary. It gives the usual genealogical information, including her name (Ella M. Crofoot), age, & date and place of birth. Stamford Advocate (Stamford, Connecticut),...
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Mayflower Genealogy: Finding Your Cousins Using Newspapers
Searching through GenealogyBank’s Historical Newspaper Archives recently, I found this old newspaper announcement for Margaret (Rogers) Smith’s 81st birthday. Dallas Morning News (Dallas, Texas), 23...
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Genealogy Puzzle: What Do These 3 Obituaries Have in Common?
What do the obituaries of Daniel Coit Gilman (1831-1908) of Norwich, Connecticut; Richard Y. Cook (1845-1917) of Lansdowne, Pennsylvania; and James J. Lovitt (1838-1892) have in common? Source:...
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How to Research City Records to Find Your Urbanite Ancestors
Introduction: Duncan Kuehn is a professional genealogist with over nine years of client experience. She has worked on several well-known projects, such as “Who Do You Think You Are?” In this blog post,...
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Veterans Day: Saluting Amos Barnes, Revolutionary War Vet
Our nation has long been grateful to our veterans, starting with the American Revolutionary War. New Hampshire Gazette (Portsmouth, New Hampshire), 12 January 1841, page 3 When Amos Barnes died in 1840...
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Is There a Pirate in Your Family Tree?
Introduction: Mary Harrell-Sesniak is a genealogist, author and editor with a strong technology background. In this blog article, Mary searches old newspapers to learn more about pirates – their...
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Six Facts About Harry Houdini’s Wife, Bess Houdini
Introduction: Gena Philibert-Ortega is a genealogist and author of the book “From the Family Kitchen.” In this blog article, Gena searches old newspapers to discover interesting stories about the life...
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Linus Lounsbury, Revolutionary War Veteran
I found this obituary for Linus Lounsbury, a veteran of the American Revolutionary War, by searching in GenealogyBank’s Historical Newspaper Archives. Columbian Register (New Haven, Connecticut), 23...
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Wow! 4-Page Obituary for William Bullock Clark
I was looking for the obituary of William Bullock Clark (1860-1917), a geology professor at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland. Looking in GenealogyBank’s Historical Newspaper Archives, I...
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Sukey, I Never Knew You
This obituary caught my eye for several reasons. The Balance and Columbian Repository (Hudson, New York), 15 October 1801, page 87 First is the header, with its poem and graphic. “The Knell.” Not...
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African American Slave Born in 1686 Dies at Age 116 in 1802!
While doing genealogy research recently in GenealogyBank’s Historical Newspaper Archives, I came upon the obituary of a woman identified only as “a female slave named Alice,” who died at Bristol,...
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Solve the Robert ‘Believe It or Not!’ Ripley Ancestry Brick Wall (Part II)
Introduction: Mary Harrell-Sesniak is a genealogist, author and editor with a strong technology background. In this blog article, Mary follows up on an article she wrote back in January 2013 and,...
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Legendary Lives: Car Manufacturer Henry Ford
Introduction: Gena Philibert-Ortega is a genealogist and author of the book “From the Family Kitchen.” In this blog article, Gena searches old newspapers to discover more about the life and...
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The Bible: It Just Might Save Your Life – Literally
The Word of God has been known to save the lives of many on a daily basis. And then there is John Brotherton, 1729-1809 (MD4H-4T5). The Bible saved his life – literally. In the mid-1700s Brotherton was...
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Native American Newspapers for Genealogy Research
When births, marriages and deaths occur, Native American families make sure that they are written up and documented in their local newspapers. Family and tribal historians want to data mine...
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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...
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3 Genealogy Goals for 2014: Tasks & Tips for a Great New Year
Introduction: Gena Philibert-Ortega is a genealogist and author of the book “From the Family Kitchen.” In this guest blog post, Gena describes three goals to get your 2014 genealogy research off to a...
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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...
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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...
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I Met Abraham Lincoln: True Stories in Historical Newspapers
Introduction: Gena Philibert-Ortega is a genealogist and author of the book “From the Family Kitchen.” In this guest blog post—in honor of today being Presidents’ Day—Gena searches old newspapers to...
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Hammet Achmet: Washington’s Waiter & Revolutionary War Patriot
Introduction: Mary Harrell-Sesniak is a genealogist, author and editor with a strong technology background. In this guest blog post, Mary presents the fascinating story of Hammet Achmet, who grew up a...
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Humorous, Unusual, and Stranger-than-Fiction Obituaries
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 odd and humorous...
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6 Tips for Name Research with Obituaries: Who Are the Survivors?
Introduction: Gena Philibert-Ortega is a genealogist and author of the book “From the Family Kitchen.” In this guest blog post, Gena takes a close look at obituaries and funeral notices and shows how...
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Tracing Female Ancestors: The Mother of All Genealogy Research
Introduction: Gena Philibert-Ortega is a genealogist and author of the book “From the Family Kitchen.” In this guest blog post, to help celebrate Mother’s Day this weekend, Gena provides genealogy...
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Genealogy: A Brief History of Obituaries & Death Notices
Newspapers have been publishing obituaries for hundreds of years, making it easy for bereaved family and friends to learn the details of the life of the deceased as well as the funeral arrangements....
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Because GenealogyBank Is Growing, Be Sure to Search Again Later
Recently, I checked in GenealogyBank’s Historical Newspaper Archives for a few of my Sawyer relatives in Grafton County, New Hampshire—and didn’t find them. Bummer. When I search in GenealogyBank and...
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Revolutionary War Veteran’s Obituary Was Short—but Said a Lot
William Walcutt was there—a stalwart throughout the American Revolutionary War. He enlisted at Valley Forge 7 May 1778 “while yet a youth.” He was only 17 years old, having turned 17 just a month and a...
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Getting Your Ancestor’s Obituary and a Bonus, Too
GenealogyBank’s deep backfile newspaper archives are packed with stories—over 1.6 billion of them. I like it when old obituaries give key details in the lives of our ancestors. It’s always a bonus when...
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Old Obituary Tells War of 1812 Veteran’s Story
Here is the old obituary of Captain Ambrose Spencer (1795-1814), a young man who fought and died fighting the British during the War of 1812. This obituary from the 1800s was a good newspaper research...
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Massive Online U.S. Obituaries Project Will Make It Easier to Find Your...
FamilySearch International (FamilySearch.org) and GenealogyBank (GenealogyBank.com) today announced an agreement to make over a billion records from historical obituaries searchable online. It will be...
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Remembering the Young: Children’s Death Records in the News
I was reading this old newspaper and noticed that obituary after obituary was for young children. Portsmouth Journal of Literature and Politics (Portsmouth, New Hampshire), 28 August 1875, page 3 So...
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Mayflower Pilgrim Thomas Rogers: Are You a Descendant?
Joseph Atwood Ordway (1852-1904) is a descendant of Mayflower passenger Thomas Rogers—and he thought so much of that genealogical fact, it was included in his obituary. Springfield Republican...
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Descendant of Texas Declaration of Independence Signer Dies
Martha F. Fenstermaker (1943-2014) recently passed away, and in her published obituary it mentioned that she was “a direct descendant of Samuel Augustus Maverick, a signer of the Texas Declaration of...
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Gershom Beach Dead at 77 – the Forgotten Paul Revere
Gershom Beach, a blacksmith in Rutland, Vermont, was 77 when he passed away on 2 September 1805, according to his obituary. Middlebury Mercury (Middlebury, Vermont), 5 February 1806, page 3 Born 24...
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John M’Donogh – Loyal American Patriot ’till Death
Deemed an upstanding citizen by the Salem Gazette, two-time American war veteran John M’Donogh passed away, losing a long fight with disease on 19 March 1809. M’Donogh is noted for serving directly...
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Genealogy Case Study: Researching Isaac Fernald
I recently was researching a man from Oregon named Isaac Fernald (1814-1871), and found information related to him in a variety of places online. Isaac’s Death Reported in the News I began my search...
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Revolutionary Patriot George Shell Fought Two Wars Simultaneously
When Revolutionary War patriot George Shell died in 1818, newspapers in Maine, Massachusetts, and New York carried the news – but they each gave him a single-line obituary. Weekly Eastern Argus...
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Revolutionary War Soldier Andrew Wallace – Dead at 105
In 1772 at the age of 42, Andrew Wallace shipped off for North America from Scotland – and just a few years later he was fighting in the American Revolutionary War for his new country. Elyria...
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Captain Alden Howell: Last Confederate Officer
When Alden Howell passed away in 1947 at the age of 106, he was the last surviving commissioned officer of the Army of the Confederate States of America. San Luis Obispo Daily Telegram (San Luis...
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Alabama Revolutionary War Veteran Dead at 106
In 1853, centenarian William Wicker passed away in Pike County, Alabama. He was 106. This American Revolutionary War veteran had been one of the first settlers to move to Alabama after its introduction...
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Looking for His Obituary – There Was His Face Looking Back at Me
Genealogists benefit from having access to GenealogyBank’s deep newspaper archives with their millions of obituaries, because obituaries detail the lives of our family – immediate relatives as well as...
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Remembering the Amazing Life of Maya Angelou
Calling someone a “Renaissance” person is an overused – and overblown – term these days. If a rock guitarist paints a portrait, the critics gush that he is a “Renaissance man.” However, America – and...
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John Adams & Thomas Jefferson: Intertwined in Life – and Death
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...
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The Nelson Shipwreck & Captain Hagney: Name Research Tips
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...
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