News
A starting point for researching black sheep an...
Do you know who your “black sheep” ancestors are? Every family tree has them. At one time, their names were rarely mentioned, spoken in hushed tones after the kids had...
A starting point for researching black sheep an...
Do you know who your “black sheep” ancestors are? Every family tree has them. At one time, their names were rarely mentioned, spoken in hushed tones after the kids had...
What were our ancestors' names 1,000 years ago?
What were the names of ancestors who lived 1,000 years ago? Few genealogists are able to document a lineage going back that far. The paper trail gives out on almost...
What were our ancestors' names 1,000 years ago?
What were the names of ancestors who lived 1,000 years ago? Few genealogists are able to document a lineage going back that far. The paper trail gives out on almost...
"Destroy if Dead" boxes for sensitive documents...
Last month, I shared the story of a person who wanted to create a “Destroy if Dead” box for personal documents or photos that they are not ready to part...
"Destroy if Dead" boxes for sensitive documents...
Last month, I shared the story of a person who wanted to create a “Destroy if Dead” box for personal documents or photos that they are not ready to part...
History Mystery 12: A brief history of the Chin...
Readers, you amaze me. I thought last week’s history mystery, shown above, would be one of the hardest since #6 in 2023. I even included an obscure hint to muddy...
History Mystery 12: A brief history of the Chin...
Readers, you amaze me. I thought last week’s history mystery, shown above, would be one of the hardest since #6 in 2023. I even included an obscure hint to muddy...
A common idiom turns out to be 1,600 years old
Nicole and I recently returned from a trip to visit her family in Taiwan, with a stop in Japan. Among the gifts we brought back were some local snacks for...
A common idiom turns out to be 1,600 years old
Nicole and I recently returned from a trip to visit her family in Taiwan, with a stop in Japan. Among the gifts we brought back were some local snacks for...
Genealogy scams, part I: the Buchanan Estate Hoax
I recently shared the story of a reader we'll call Anita, who came into contact with two DNA relatives (see our March 13, 2025 newsletter, DNA relatives part 5: “no...
Genealogy scams, part I: the Buchanan Estate Hoax
I recently shared the story of a reader we'll call Anita, who came into contact with two DNA relatives (see our March 13, 2025 newsletter, DNA relatives part 5: “no...