GraveObsessions
Digging up my roots!
Stories from an addicted genealogist
From Colonial New England to Minnesota, Norway to the United States..
learn more about the families I’m researching.
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Ernest Loren Simpson
Ernest Loren Simpson – my grandmother’s father and my namesake (Well, his middle name at least!)
Susan Belle Stanwood
Susan (Stanwood) Clark Simpson was my grandmother’s mother, and the person whose roots I’ve spent my life searching!
Julia Christine Veland
Julia (Veland) Uphouse provides me with opportunities to research my Norwegian heritage! Her mother, Lisbet (Gravdahl),
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Pension file gem: Amos Day, 1856 letter to his father Nathaniel
I spent my Valentine’s Day happily buried in pension and land records at the National Archives in Washington, D.C. On my agenda was the review and photographing of the pension and land records of the family of my 3rd great grandmother, Cynthia (Day) Bursley. Most interesting was the file for Amos Day, a Union solider…
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Grandma and Cedric Adams – believe it or not!
It all started with a tale told by my late Cousin Pat, a book about the history of Minneapolis, and a peculiar warning in Grammer’s autograph book. “Grammer,” as my grandmother was called, was the epitome of what a grandmother should be – doting, kind, and indulgent. Okay, my mom probably didn’t appreciate the fact…
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If only I woulda…..
Spending the last few weeks working on a family history book has brought a few things to light. (Actually, it’s validated some of the mistakes I made along my genealogical journey.) I hope my public confessions will help a newbie or two avoid some of my errors. Here is my list of top things I…
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Poor Lavina: finding your ancestor’s FICO score in census records
Benjamin Bursley. Farmer. Real estate valued at $600. Personal estate value $100. Cool. One small problem. When first reviewing the info contained on the 1860 Federal Census for Monticello, Wright County, Minnesota, it didn’t really mean anything to me. I had no idea how Benjamin’s estate compared to 2014 income standards, nor how his family…
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Getting the ROI on your genealogy subscriptions??
If you’re like me, your email in-box is often crammed with offerings for the latest and greatest – books, websites, webinars, etc. It usually takes a few endorsements before I jump on the bandwagon and subscribe to a new website, but I’ve recently added three subscription-based sites to my list – HistoryGeo.com, Mocavo.com and MyHeritage.com. …
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Twenty Tips for Living with the Obsessed Genealogist
Once infected, always infected. There is no cure for the genealogy bug. The ancestry.com subscription is non-negotiable. Pick your battles carefully. Never, EVER throw away paper found on the office floor. Food. Clothing. Shelter. Computer. The basics of life.
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Julia Hanchet – Original Guardianship Document
This document was found while out shopping for antiques, and I couldn’t pass it up. My attempts to locate descendants of Julia were not successful, so I’m hoping that one will find me so it can be returned to family! The document is posted below along with the transcription: The people of the State of…
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Tuesday’s Tip: HistoryGeo.com – You Can’t Live Without It!
Okay, it might not be as important as food, water, clothing or shelter, but if you are as into maps and land records as I am, then I’m sure you’ll agree – HistoryGeo.com is one of those “must have” subscriptions. Here’s why: HistoryGeo.com takes Arphax Publishing’s superb books, Family Maps series of Land Patent Books…
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Using DNA to answer: ARE YOU MY (great great great great grand-) MOTHER?
In 2010 I took my first autosomal DNA test through FTDNA. I quickly discovered the frustration of autosomal DNA testing. 1) Autosomal DNA provides no hints as to what part of your family tree your match comes from. Given that we each have 64 fourth great grandparents, 128 fifth great grandparents and so on, it…
Lauren Rogers
Addicted Genealogist
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