Boston Tea Party Museum Workers in Awe Over Descendant’s Preserved Documents
"'We would call this the Holy Grail,” said Kristin Harris, research coordinator for the museum as she inspected the papers.'" The binder of documents from the late 18th century was passed down by family to Tucker Smith, descendant of Boston Tea Party leader Lendall Pitts. Read More
Recently on Vita Brevis
Finding Irish Origins in Newspaper Archives
When vital records don't provide enough detail, newspaper archives can sometimes reveal the specific origins of your Irish ancestors. Researcher Pam Guye Holland gives two examples of articles that contain details about individuals' places of origin in Ireland. Read Now
Upcoming Online Seminar
Tune in for our Virtual Preservation Roadshow!
Is your closet full of boxes of old family photographs? Is your basement bursting with letters, diaries, and other family documents? This virtual preservation roadshow will teach you best practices for surveying, handling, and storing family materials and provide you with expert advice on how to care for items in your collection. Course materials available upon registration; Live Q&A January 27, 2:00 p.m. (ET). Register Now
The Weekly Genealogist Survey
This Week's Survey:
Do You Live in a Place where a Parent or Grandparent Was Born?
Share your thoughts about the survey! Please limit submissions to 150 words or fewer. Your submission may be featured in an upcoming newsletter or shared on social media; please note in your email if you do not want your story to be shared. Published responses may be edited for clarity and length.
Last Week's Survey:
Winter Holiday Family Traditions
Total: 2,812 Responses
64%, I serve foods and/or drinks that are traditional in my family.
72%, I have decorations and holiday items (ornaments, nativity sets, menorahs, dreidels) from previous generations.
49%, I observe some holiday customs that originated with previous generations of my family.
22%, I observe some holiday customs that are rooted in my family's ethnic heritage.
15%, I observe some holiday customs that are rooted in my family's regional heritage.
44%, I reminisce and share stories about previous generations.
18%, I give gifts related to our family history.
17%, I display or look at photos (or home movies/videos) of previous generations celebrating.
6%, I travel/have traveled to ancestral towns or countries as part of my holiday celebrations.
9%, I celebrate in a way not mentioned above.
4%, I celebrate a winter holiday other than, or in addition to, Christmas or Hanukkah.
2%, I do not celebrate any winter holidays.
Readers Respond
Dawn Zarecki-Reidy, Wells, Maine: I enjoy making our family's fruitcake, a.k.a. "English Wedding Cake." My grandmother Elizabeth Lundgren Zarecki gave me the pans and recipe card that her mother, Ethel Sterndale Lundgren, had given her. Ethel got the recipe from her mother, Annie Capes Sterndale, who brought it with her when she and my great-great-grandfather Richard Sterndale emigrated from Ashton-Under-Lyne, England.
Teresa A. Mills, Virginia Beach, Virginia: I put my tree up every year immediately after Thanksgiving! It gets more difficult as I age and fewer people see it, but I do it because I have never been without a tree. My ornament collection is large, and many ornaments have sentimental meaning. My mom gave me an ornament each year after I married, and I saved my children’s handmade ornaments from their school years. I display my nativity set as well—it is a reminder of the reason for the season.
Dorcas Aunger, Arcadia, California: At age 90, I am the last leaf on this generation of my family tree. I have no children of my own, and my family lives in other states. I will make phone calls to my cousins and watch Christmas programs on television. The hummingbirds that have not flown south for the winter will need to be fed. The pair of squirrels living in my deodar tree will appreciate the paper shell pecans I give them. I'm grateful to be alive and still working on my genealogy.
Alys Walker, Center Ossipee, New Hampshire: One of my favorite holiday traditions is making caramels and fudge using my great-aunt's recipes. She lived next door to my family, and my sister and I enjoyed helping her make candy—especially as taste-testers. When the caramels were cooled and cut, we helped fold and cut wax paper squares for wrapping the caramels. I use the same pan Auntie had to make these delights.
Leslie Duszynski Kannus, Homer, New York: My paternal grandmother, Frances Tomczak Duszynski, loved Christmastime, including the decorations. My father made her a ceramic Christmas tree, complete with lights and a music box that plays Jingle Bells. Frances died in 1969, when I was just three years old. This ceramic tree is in my possession now. It has been repaired with glue several times. I put it out every year. Last week I was looking at old family photos with my husband and our seven-year-old granddaughter. She recognized the ceramic tree in the background in one of the 1960s photos! We shared a special moment when I told her how her great-grandfather made the tree for her great-great-grandmother so many years ago.
Christmas in Maine “Almost 90 years ago, with prose as crisp as a cold winter night and sentiment as sweet as steamy apple pudding, the Pulitzer-winning writer Robert P. Tristram Coffin conjured the timeless pleasures of a yuletide gathering in rural Maine.”
Spotlight: South Carolina Newspaper Database
by Valerie Beaudrault
Winthrop University has made a historical newspaper database available in its Digital Commons. The university is located in Rock Hill, York County, South Carolina, which is in the northern part of the state. Titles in the collection include The Chester Bulletin (4 issues),The Chester Lantern (1897-1909), TheChesterNews (1915-1927), The Chester Reporter (6 issues), The Chester Standard (1854-1857), and The Palmetto Standard (1851-1854). Two student newspapers are also included. Click the title link and then the date link to access and browse the individual issues. Search Now
Non-probate assets such as an IRA, 401(k), or life insurance policy are not covered in your will or trust—you must name beneficiaries for these assets separately. Our friends at FreeWill.com have provided a free and secure online tool to help you plan out your beneficiaries for each of your non-probate assets. Learn More
