Why do I hear “no problem” when I say “thank you”? My search led from an old letter to Chick-fil-A’s “my pleasure,” then back to the words and manners we pass down in our families.
Category - Family History
Why Do Some Ancestors Feel Closer Than Others?
Why do some ancestors feel closer than others? Photos, family stories, familiar places, and years of research can shape the connections we feel to people in our family tree.
Would My Ancestors Recognize the Story I Wrote About Them?
I deleted a sentence because I’d gone farther than the records allowed. That small change left me wondering how much of my ancestors’ stories came from evidence and how much came from me. Would they...
We Spend So Much Time Looking Back: What Are We Leaving Behind?
I spend a great deal of time looking for things people left behind. Sometimes it is something important, such as a will, a family Bible, or a letter that explains a relationship. Other times it is...
The People I Almost Walked Past in the Family Tree
When I am working on the Moneymaker side of my family in Virginia, there is always a pull to keep going backward. Find the parents, then their parents, then see whether another generation is waiting...
Labor Day: A Legacy of Work, Rest, and Family
Labor Day arrives each September, signaling the close of summer and the approach of autumn. Many people see it as a three-day weekend for rest, cookouts, or back-to-school shopping. Yet beneath the...
Tips for Writing Compelling Family History Narratives
When you sit down to write about an ancestor, you may have plenty of records in front of you, but still feel unsure how to turn them into something people will want to read. Census records, deeds...
Starting Your Family History the Right Way
Every family history begins close to home. Before you search old courthouse books, census pages, ship lists, military files, or newspaper archives, you begin with the people you already know. You...
Is Genealogy Worth It If Everyone Forgets You?
Someone asked me a hard question once, and I think a lot of people have asked it in their own minds, even if they never say it out loud. They said, “Is genealogy really worth doing? After you die...
What Did Your Ancestors Find in Life?
The Quiet Strengths That Carried Them Forward Family history usually arrives in the form of records. Birth dates written in aging ink. Marriage lines in county books. Census entries that capture a...
The Places Your Ancestors Lived and Loved
Exploring the homes where our ancestors lived can be a fascinating journey through time. These houses are more than just structures; they are the backdrops of countless family stories, traditions...
The Art and History of Bedmaking
Learn about the fascinating art and history of bedmaking from our ancestors. Discover why chicken feathers & wooden slats were popular materials for bed construction and how a 'straw tick'...
How did you get your family involved in genealogy research?
Exploring my family's past has always been a fascination of mine. There's something thrilling about delving into old records, photo albums, and books to discover the roots of my ancestry. It's...
The Amazing Story of Horace Greasley
In WWII, one young soldier named Horace Greasley braved a barrage of Nazi soldiers most every night to break out of his prisoner of war camp to meet up with the woman he loved. Each night, he would...
What is the Indo-European Language, and What Does it Have to Do with Your Ancestry?
Are you interested in the origins of languages? One of the largest language groups of the ancient world (possibly THE largest) was known as Indo-European, and hundreds of languages and dialects have...