Tides of History: Tracing Family History in Atlantic Canada
This five-week online seminar will provide a detailed overview of essential record sets, repositories, and research strategies for exploring your Atlantic Canadian roots. We will also discuss the historical context of your ancestors’ lives.
New Database—Boston, Massachusetts: Biographical Entries of People of African Descent in Beacon Hill
We are excited to announce a new database, Boston, Massachusetts: Biographical Entries of People of African Descent in Beacon Hill, which adds 7,239 names and 4,479 records to the 10 Million Names project. This database currently consists of one volume (Surnames A-L); the second volume will be published in the coming months. Search Now
Free Guide from American Ancestors
Getting Started with Nova Scotia Research
Research your Nova Scotia ancestors with the help of our free Getting Started download. Nova Scotia has a rich history dating back to the 17th century. This guide introduces you to the best records and resources for your genealogical search.
Ancestral Couples Who Came from Significantly Different Backgrounds
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.
Anne Dempsey, Catonsville, Maryland: My grandmother Bertha Bentley Ward was raised in a strict family of Baptists and Free Methodists. Bertha was a fun-loving girl who played cards, drank alcohol, and danced—much to her family’s disapproval. Bertha’s biggest offense, however, was marrying Irish Catholic Francis Ward. Most of Bertha’s relatives stopped speaking to her after the wedding. I remember driving my grandmother past her family reunion picnics in our local park so she could see who attended; we never stopped. She seemed more interested than upset, but she wasn’t one to show her feelings.
Bruce Randall, Ottawa, Ontario: My great-great-great-grandfather John Simonds (1779–1869) of Vermont was said by his children to be an abusive, lying, and lecherous predator. His wife, Asenath, stoically stayed with him to the end of her life. After she died, none of his six children would take him in or help with his maintenance. He spent the last ten years or so of his life in a poorhouse near Stowe, Vermont.
Cary Coverdill, Washington, Michigan: In 1922, when my mother was almost four years old, she and her parents emigrated from Germany and settled in the United States. After she and my father were married in 1941, my father was shunned by his mother. His mother, who was born in England, had a younger brother who was killed in World War I. Her father later died of injuries he sustained in the conflict. My grandmother couldn’t understand what my father was thinking when he married “a girl from Germany.” I never met either of my father's parents.
James Pratt, Dorval, Quebec: After my great-grandfather Charles Boyle was killed in a railway accident in March 1920, his family ceased all connection with his wife, Myrtle (my great-grandmother), and their two daughters. My grandmother claimed that her mother was shunned by the Catholic Boyle family because she was Protestant. But the truth was only revealed when I took a DNA test several years ago. To my surprise, I had no matches with any Boyle family members, which meant Charles was not my grandmother's biological father. Myrtle's infidelity was almost certainly the reason why she was shunned. I later discovered that the couple was separated and living apart at the time of Charles’s death.
Spotlight: Obituary Databases, Genealogy Society of Southern Illinois
by Valerie Beaudrault
The geographic focus of the collections of the Genealogy Society of Southern Illinois (GSSI) comprises twenty-eight counties located south of Interstate 70. Click the About Us link to learn which counties are included. Among the resources on the GSSI website are three newspaper obituary databases. The obituaries and death notices have been extracted from the Jonesboro Gazette (1858–1939), a number of Cairo, Illinois, newspapers (1848–1909, 1912, 1918), and Pulaski County newspapers (1857–1942). Click database links to open search pages with newspaper descriptions and links to PDF files with transcriptions of the obituaries and death notices.
Resting in Pieces: Fanny Marsh’s Gravestone in Sharon, Vermont
Deborah Stewart Adams recounts her painstaking work to restore her ancestor’s gravestone in Vermont in this free article from the spring 2026 issue of American Ancestors magazine! American Ancestors magazine is a benefit of membership. Read More
How Bronzed Baby Shoes Became More Than Just a Mother’s Treasure!
InthisVitaBrevisarticle,seniorresearcherKimberlyMannistotracesthestoryofafamilykeepsake:apairofbronzedfamilyshoeswithanunexpectedconnectiontoWorldWarII.HerresearchledtoFirstLieutenantBillyG.Gonser,anairmanstilllistedasmissinginaction. Read More
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
