Washing & Sewing: A Diary & Tins
Sewing, in addition to laundry, used to be a responsibility that almost every woman had. And yet it can be tough to get insights into this p
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Pamela Israel
- Aug 31, 2019
- 2 min
Chicago. German Painter. White City.
It’s 1893. Chicago. Full of ambitious people eager to make their mark. Twenty-five year old Alois, trained in decorative carpentry and paint
84 views
Pamela Israel
- May 1, 2019
- 2 min
Tips for Finding the Day of the Week
Figuring out the day of the week that something happened can be important in genealogy. Here are a couple approaches.
147 views
Pamela Israel
- Apr 18, 2019
- 2 min
Postcard Clues 100 Years On - Clues to Olof !
It's amazing how curious you can get about people in no way related to you. I've written before about Olof Harrison, a Swede who mov
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Pamela Israel
- Apr 5, 2019
- 2 min
German Wedding Invitation Details
Our family has a photo of the framed wedding invitation of my 2nd great aunt and uncle. It's a charmingly simple one. When I first came
234 views
Stefan Israel
- Mar 14, 2019
- 4 min
We're from Germany but Where?
When you’re tracing an ancestor to Central Europe from a century or more ago, you need to find out which state they were from. Here are some
735 views
Christine Israel
- Mar 8, 2019
- 5 min
The Scandalous Pauline: Discovering a Fascinating Woman
One of the early things my father told me when I asked him about his family was that my great-grandmother, Pauline Volkmann, had left her hu
255 views
Pamela Israel
- Feb 28, 2019
- 2 min
Postcard Pals - Old Swedish Cards in Translation
A series of correspondence to and ​​from the same people opens up a whole new understanding about them. Old Swedish postcards from greater
111 views
Pamela Israel
- Feb 11, 2019
- 2 min
From Genf to Geneva and other Translations
When learning about ancestors who immigrated to the US decades or centuries ago, you get a double challenge. Not only is there the translati
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Pamela Israel
- Jan 23, 2019
- 1 min
Christmas Letter in February?
We thought it would be fun to conclude our week celebratingÂ
the magic of handwriting with a light-hearted Christmas note that arrived one F
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Pamela Israel
- Jan 22, 2019
- 1 min
Joyous German Visit Home: 1925
Eliese Trede, my mother's grandmother, immigrated in 1908, leaving her loving parents on a journey across the Atlantic. This is her 1925
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Pamela Israel
- Jan 21, 2019
- 2 min
Beloved Son, Hurry! 1843 Letter
1843 letter in old German handwriting from my 3x great grandfather, to his son telling him to hurry from the army before his mother dies.
85 views
Pamela Israel
- Jan 20, 2019
- 1 min
Why Write Notes on Photos?
I remember being flummoxed by my mom's handwriting. What could it possibly mean? How glad I am that I learned cursive and can now read h
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Pamela Israel
- Jan 19, 2019
- 2 min
Surviving Manassas: Civil War Diary
Civil War 1862 Diary: Looking at just the week of August 26 highlights his experiences: rebels attacking, burning railroad bridges, fighting
83 views
Pamela Israel
- Jan 18, 2019
- 1 min
Handwritten Letters & a Postcard
Day 2 to highlight the Art of Handwriting and your Family through January 23rd, National Handwriting Day. Share a favorite family hand-writt
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Pamela Israel
- Jan 17, 2019
- 1 min
Celebrate Handwriting!
Post your family handwritten letters to celebrate National Handwriting Day.
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Pamela Israel
- Jan 9, 2019
- 2 min
The Journey & the Journeyman Book
An apprentice butcher's training in 19th century "Germany" included journeying and learning from one expert to another and sta
468 views
Pamela Israel
- Dec 27, 2018
- 2 min
What's Fairfield, IA got over NYC?
See the 1922 comparison of small-town Fairfield, IA versus New York City - it's entertaining what doing genealogy research can uncover t
58 views
Stefan Israel
- Nov 12, 2018
- 4 min
Why burg, why berg?
Berg vs. BurgÂ
These two words show up abundantly in family and place names across the Germanic languages (German, Swedish, Dutch, Englis
19,682 views
Pamela Israel
- Oct 23, 2018
- 2 min
German in the Cemetery
Some old cemeteries have gravestones written in German. Here are some tips to help translate some key words.
5,102 views
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