All We Say, The Battle for American Identity: A History in 15 Speeches with Ben Rhodes
Join us for a discussion of our country and its sweeping history told through fifteen speeches. Don’t miss Ben Rhodes’s All We Say and the insights this celebrated podcaster, author, and speechwriter will share in conversation with historian Douglas Brinkley.
In Search of Mayflower Pilgrim William White of Wisbech by Sue Allan
In this compelling biography of William White, a foundational ancestor to so many across America, Sue Allan reveals who William’s father was and identifies the school William attended as a boy. She also proves that the school was once Wisbech's ancient Holy Trinity Guild Hall. In her signature style, she takes us deep into the history of Ely and the wild landscape of the Fenlands to the heart of William White's life as a young orphan in the streets of Wisbech.
American Ancestors, our quarterly magazine, is seeking a caption for its next cartoon (pictured)! The winning entry will be featured in our summer issue. Click the image to view a larger version (clicking will redirect you to our Facebook page).
This week’s survey asks about your participation in events related to the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence and the American Revolution.
Share your story! Each week in our Readers Respond column, we publish a selection of reader-submitted stories related to our most recent survey. Submissions must be 150 words or fewer and include your full name, city, and state. Published responses will be edited for clarity and length.
49%, Yes, I have at least one ancestor who reached 100.
46%, No, but I have at least one ancestor who reached their 90s.
7%, No, I am not aware of any of my ancestors living into their 90s or 100s.
2%, I am in my 90s.
0.14%, I am 100 or over.
Readers Respond
Michele Frankl, Hendersonville, North Carolina: My maternal grandmother Mary Schlink is 103 and still going! She flies with my aunts to Florida for a few weeks every spring. She went to Georgia and Kansas for family weddings when she was 101. Her mother, Catherine Yesionowski, lived to 92. My maternal grandfather, Richard Schlink, lived to 95.
Thomas Lane, Santa Monica, California: My father, Charles Lane, was born in 1905 and died in 2007 atage 102. He enjoyed a long and successful career as an actor in theater, film, and television, appearing in over 100 stage productions and in 566 screen and television productions, including Mr. Smith Goes To Washington, It’s A Wonderful Life, I Love Lucy, and Petticoat Junction.
Sheila M. Wallace, Pittston, Maine: My great-great-grandmother Mae Zidana Sylvester was born in 1838 and died in 1945, twelve days after her 107thbirthday. She sewed woolen pants for military service membersin five wars. She lived through the Spanish flu when she was 80 years old. Mae had over two hundred descendants at the time of her 104th birthday.She remained active until age 104, when she started to slow down due to failing eyesight. However, she continued to do housework, including husking a bushel of corn that year.
Jan Rosen-Serafini, San Diego, California: My mother, Sybil Jean Blankfield Rosen, lived to 101 and two months: she lived from May 31, 1918 to July 31, 2019. Every time she saw her doctor, she asked him “Doctor, do you think I’ll live to 100?” and he always replied, “Yes!” She was very active for most of her life. We traveled to Paris together when she was 89 and she walked everyone’s feet off. At 98, she danced at her grandson’s wedding to Sunrise/Sunset. At 99, she told me that “life is still worth living.” She never wanted to work on a family history with me, saying, “I don’t want to remember the sad times.” I’ve recently retired and am now starting my research on our family.
Toria Forsyth-Moser, North Yorkshire, England: My 5x great-grandmother Sarah (Smith) Mitchell was born in New York State in 1772 and died in Vienna Rock, Minnesota, in 1875, aged 103. She and her husband Elijah Mitchell settled at Lake Simcoe, Ontario, where they tamed wilderness to farm. They had at least eleven children. After Elijah died, Sarah moved to Minnesota to live with her son Nelson; the 1875 census shows her there at age 102. Sarah’s daughter Dorcas was also a centenarian, dying at age 102.According to Dorcas’s obituary, “Her favourite boast was of her ability as a pedestrian.”
How Out‑of‑work Fishermen Saved the American Revolution “To punish rebels for their treason, Parliament passed the Restraining Act of 1775, banning New Englanders from fishing on the Atlantic Ocean. . . . [These skilled mariners] weren’t just unemployed; they were furious.”
A Tale of Two Stockings This post in the Village Broadside, Historic Deerfield’s blog, describes a simple and hand-knitted stocking and a pair made with fine silk. “In production and quality, they tell us two very different stories of knitting—and style—in the 18th century.”
Should I Keep My Mother’s Wedding Gown? In the “Ask Vanessa” style column in the New York Times, a reader asks for advice on what to do with her mother’s 1941 wedding dress.
The city of Russellville, seat of Pope County, is located in central Arkansas. The Russellville Oakland Cemetery was established in 1843. To begin your search, click on the Burial Records link in the blue sidebar. Next, click the Search Occupied Graves link and enter a name, dates, and/or keywords in the search boxes. Then scroll down and click the Search button. The detailed record includes full name, dates of birth and death, veteran status/military branch, and grave location information. In some cases, there is also a photograph of the gravestone. If you prefer to receive the results in a list, click the Change View link and select the list data button. Search now.
Database News
New Database—South Carolina: Slave Mortgage Records, 1734-1864
We are excited to announce this new database that adds 137,170 names and 137,195 records to the 10 Million Names Project. The collection includes volume-by-volume indexes to the mortgage documents by the first and last names of the grantors and grantees
The location of all the records in the database is South Carolina. No town or city information is available. These records are held by South Carolina's Secretary of State. Search Now
ResearcherChristineBachman-SandersexaminesthehistoryofMalagaIsland,Maine,whereaclose-knit,mixed-racecommunitylivedfordecades.AstourismreshapedMaine’scoastalidentity,racism,classism,andeugenicideologyfueledacampaignthatculminatedintheresidents’forcedevictionin1912. Read More
Your Legacy. Your Peace of Mind. Your Free Will.
As a family historian, you know that wills are important in your research—but have you created a will for yourself? Free Will, an easy and free online will creation tool, will guide you step-by-step through identifying beneficiaries for your assets, supporting the causes that are important to you, and planning for the preservation of your research. Learn More
