IAJGS 2014 – Salt Lake City – Sunday and Monday

Finally sitting down to review my notes from the IAJGS conference. It was a very busy week. Here are some of the highlights: Hilton Salt Lake City Center-from their website SundayArrived at the Hilton Salt Lake City Center about 2 p.m. If you ever stay there be sure to make use of the transportation service […]

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IAJGS Conference – Bloggers dinner

First, a note of apology for the lack of posts. If you’re family (or good at noticing details) you will note that my last blog post coincides with the birth of my new grandson, Jack. He’s not really the entire reason for my temporary abandonment, but I figure everyone understands how all-consuming newborns are. (To […]

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52 Ancestors – #18 -The Winchester tradition continues

My three-week hiatus from posting is due to several things; one not-so-great, one sad, and one MARVELOUS!! First, my husband Scott came down with the flu. Not the “I feel gross – I think I have the flu.” flu but “The doctor says people die from this.” kind of flu. Considering our daughter was due […]

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52 Ancestors #17 – Benjamin Edward Ostermann

<!–[if supportFields]>xe “OSTERMANN:Benjamin (b. 1880) ” \f A<![endif]–><!–[if supportFields]><![endif]–><!–[if supportFields]>xe “United States:New York:Brooklyn:389 Fifth Avenue ” \f B<![endif]–><!–[if supportFields]><![endif]–>Benjamin Edward Ostermann was my great-grand uncle on my father’s side. He was born on April 28, 1880 in Brooklyn, New York. His parents, both German immigrants, were Edouard Ostermann and the former Hanshon (Hannah) Goldschmidt.  The […]

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52 Ancestors – #16 – Memento Monday – Sophie’s Shoes

My great-grandmother, Sophie Weiss Spiegel My great-grandmother’s slippers As I am a bit crunched for time this week, I thought I would post a “quickie” about the importance of mementos in our family history. I am quite lucky to be from a family of quasi-hoarders. Thanks Mom!! Not everyone recognizes the importance of keeping their […]

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52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: #15 – Kathryn Winchester Holman

418 Oakdale Avenue Chicago, Illinois(google maps) <!–[if supportFields]>xe “HOLMAN:Kathryn Winchester (b. 1902) ” \f A<![endif]–><!–[if supportFields]><![endif]–><!–[if supportFields]>xe “Illinois:418 Oakdale Avenue Chicago ” \f B<![endif]–><!–[if supportFields]><![endif]–>Kathryn Winchester Holman was born on April17, 1902 at 418 Oakdale Avenue Chicago, Illinois.<!–[if supportFields]>xe “United States:Illinois:Chicago:418 Oakdale Avenue ” \f B<![endif]–><!–[if supportFields]><![endif]–> Kathryn was the eldest of three children born […]

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52 Ancestors- #14 – Brick Wall #1 Moshe Jacob Samuel

Moshe Jacob Samuel is my 5th great-grandfather on my father’s side. I know I should be pleased that I have managed to trace the family back to 1795 England but I want to know more! Where did Moshe come from?  My search to prove (or disprove, which is more likely) that I have some Irish […]

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52 Ancestors – #13 – Family Loss – Jessica Samuel Gray

Alan and Jessica SamuelProbably 1935 or 1936 Today was a sad day. My Aunt Jessica was laid to rest after nearly 79 years on this earth. But this post is not really about her – it’s about maintaining family connections. Jessica was my father’s sister. After many years of being estranged, she and my father […]

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52 Ancestors- Week #12 – A Genealogist’s “Theory of Relativity” – Am I Related to Albert Einstein?

This week’s post doesn’t focus on a specific relative but instead considers the concept of what actually constitutes a “relative”. Who do we include in our family tree? Albert Einstein I get periodic emails from Geni.com updating me about the progress other people have made on “our” family tree. Usually I pay them little attention as most updates […]

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52 Ancestors – #11 Redux – A Genealogical Goose Chase

Sheldon LeonardFamous writer, actor and producer Dad- you did it again!! Yet another one of your stories has sent me on a wild goose chase. This time, it might have been embarrassing. Last week I posted #11 in the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks challenge. I didn’t have a lot of time, so I chose […]

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