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Pamela Israel
Sep 19, 20193 min read
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
83 views

Pamela Israel
Aug 31, 20192 min read
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, 20192 min read
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, 20192 min read
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
73 views

Pamela Israel
Apr 5, 20192 min read
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
237 views


Stefan Israel
Mar 14, 20194 min read
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
748 views

Christine Israel
Mar 8, 20195 min read
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
272 views


Pamela Israel
Feb 28, 20192 min read
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
124 views

Pamela Israel
Feb 11, 20192 min read
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
776 views


Pamela Israel
Jan 23, 20191 min read
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
45 views


Pamela Israel
Jan 22, 20191 min read
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
41 views


Pamela Israel
Jan 21, 20192 min read
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, 20191 min read
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
56 views


Pamela Israel
Jan 19, 20192 min read
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
91 views


Pamela Israel
Jan 18, 20191 min read
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
60 views


Pamela Israel
Jan 17, 20191 min read
Celebrate Handwriting!
Post your family handwritten letters to celebrate National Handwriting Day.
77 views

Pamela Israel
Jan 9, 20192 min read
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
476 views

Pamela Israel
Dec 27, 20182 min read
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
59 views


Stefan Israel
Nov 12, 20184 min read
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
21,047 views


Pamela Israel
Oct 23, 20182 min read
German in the Cemetery
Some old cemeteries have gravestones written in German. Here are some tips to help translate some key words.
5,537 views







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