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…
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…
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…
