Have you ever thought about how your ancestor’s possessions would be valued in today’s world? I often think about this because it helps me to better compare their situation against my own. On the 1850 United States Population census individuals were asked about only the value of their real estate….
This has always been one of my favorite photos, probably because of all the wonderful stories that come to mind when I see it. This photo is of my second great-grandmother Loretta Alma Ward. Loretta was born on September 15, 1878, in Stanton, Montcalm, Michigan to Francis M. Ward and…
In previous posts, I wrote about my great grandmother Mae Arla (King) McKenzie and the letters she wrote to her daughter Cora. As in everything, timing and context are important when analyzing the lives of our ancestors. To catch up on the life of Mae and her family thus far, take a moment…
In previous posts, I wrote about my great grandmother Mae Arla (King) McKenzie and the letters she wrote to her daughter Cora. As in everything, timing and context are important when analyzing the lives of our ancestors. To catch up on the life of Mae and her family thus far, take a moment…
My great grandmother, Mae Arla (King) McKenzie would have been 116 years old today. In celebration of her birthday, I would like to share a letter written by her to her daughter Cora. Several of these letters, as well as cards and photos, were given to me a couple of…
This isn’t the first time that my great grandfather, Orlie Charles McKenzie, has appeared in a “Thriller Thursday” post. Unfortunately, in this post, things don’t turn out well for Orlie. The story I am going to share today has been repeated many times in my family. There is a little…
Did Alma Ward exist? This is the question I have been asking myself for about a week. Now that I’ve asked the question, let me fill you in on the details. Until recently, I believed Alma Ward to be my paternal 2nd great aunt, and the sister of my 2nd…
Michael King was my paternal 6th great grandfather. Born in Philadelphia, York County, Pennsylvania to Philip and Catherine King in 1741. I think every genealogist dreams of finding an ancestor that was alive during such a historically significant event as the Revolutionary War (1775 – 1782). I haven’t yet found…
There is one cemetery that I have visited more times than I can count. The cemetery is the Briley Township Cemetery in the village of Briley in Atlanta, Montmorency, Michigan. Briley Township Cemetery I had visited this cemetery many times as a child, but once I really found my passion…
I, like many genealogists, can find myself getting lost in my research. Spending many hours in a library, family history center or searching online. Something that I need to remind myself of is that genealogy research is about family! This means that is should not be solo research, or at…
Finding this 1930 census record makes me remember that even though a pedigree chart follows a specific line, sometimes those lines intersect in ways that aren’t obvious. I have looked at this census several times for two different families, one on each side of my family tree. Joseph Royer in household…
My grandpa Alex always joked about having an uncle that was also his grandfather… Before you stop reading and think that there is something a little strange happening in my DNA, let me fill in the details behind this story… My grandfather was Alexander Orlando McKenzie born in 1924 to Orlie C. McKenzie and Mae Arla…
