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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Military Monday – Benjamin Bursley – Civil War veteran
With stories of pilgrims and Revolutionary War ancestors, tales of Indian uprisings and cousins scalped, its no wonder I became a genealogy addict at a very young age. My mother must have been quite astounded that her seven-year-old daughter repeatedly asked about her heritage. Mom’s usual response was, “You’re English, Irish, Scotch, Welch, German and…
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Lemuel Bursley, Ensign, War of 1812
As Veteran’s Day is approaching, I thought it appropriate to share the Annual Return of the Company of Foot, commanded by Daniel Beale, in the War of 1812. Included is my ancestor, Lemuel Bursley, whose father Benjamin Bursley served in the American Revolution. The original document is held by the Farmington (Maine) Historical Society.
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Lavina Bursley Stanwood’s Photo Album – Mystery Persons!
My grandmother was captivated with the photo album she inherited from her own grandmother, Lavina (Bursley) Stanwood. Many of the pictures had relatives known to her; however, there were quite a few whose identities remain a mystery. It is my hope that by posting these pictures here, someone will stumble upon these pages and be…
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They once were lost, but now are found….
Like most genealogists, I love old photographs. When visiting antique stores, the shelves of old photos always captivate me, and I’ve been known to “adopt” a “homeless person” (i.e., a photographed person!) or two when there’s sufficient information on the photo to provide clues to the identify of those captured on film. On one such…
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My photo restorations with OnlinePhotoFix.com
Everyone has them – old photos you’d love to frame and display, but which require restoration or touch up due to spots, water damage or simply wear from age and handling. I’ve been busy sifting through many such pictures, trying to find just the right ones to add to my heritage wall, the focus of…
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Mary Hill’s Legacy webinar “Land Records Solve Research Problems” really solved my research problem!
I’ve posted about some of my successes using land records previously, and how I was able to piece together the 18th century business relationships of my Wasgatt and Stanwood families who intermarried frequently on Mount Desert Island, Maine, by using Hancock county’s digitized land records. (You can read my post here.) Having dabbled in land…
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Sleuthing, serendipity and magical Maine maps!
I love maps. They often hold the keys to learning more about our ancestors. They place these people in context with those with whom they lived. They show a community, give us an idea of of who their friends, family and associates were. They simply make it all “click” for me, connecting the dots in…
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Madness Monday – Looking beyond the surface leads to missing Uncle Fred
Uncle Fred. Unmarried. That’s the only thing my grandmother had to say about her mother’s older brother. Quite odd, given that she had photos, stories and other interesting bits of history on her mother’s other five living siblings. I didn’t think much of it as a new genealogist; after all, Fred didn’t have children.…
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Ancestry.com autosomal DNA test debunks Native American family legend
FINALLY! I’ve been very disappointed in autosomal DNA testing…that is, until this month. Ninety-eight percent of the “matches” have been so distant, or have not had enough work done on their family trees, that there has been no way to know how we connect, if, in fact, we do at all. Until now, the only…
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The C-R-A-P in my tree (what’s hiding in YOURS?)
None of us were born professional genealogists. Some of us (such as moi!!) have NO aspirations to become one. However, I love genealogy. I am obsessed with it. I strive to do a good job. I cite my sources. I attend conferences. I read books. I listen to webinars. I apply what I learn. I’m…
Lauren Rogers
Addicted Genealogist
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