American Inspiration Author Talk with Extended Q+A
Matt Paxton with Keep the Memories, Lose the Stuff: Declutter, Downsize, and Move Forward with Your Life
Your boxes of photos and family memorabilia aren’t just stuff—they’re attached to a lifetime of memories, and letting go can be scary. Matt Paxton (of Hoarders and Legacy List fame) and his helpful new step-by-step guide can help you sift through clutter, let go when necessary, and identify the items worth keeping.March 8 at 6 p.m. (ET). Register Now
FREE Virtual Family History Conference—Begins Tomorrow!
Join Us at RootsTech 2022
RootsTech, the world's largest celebration of family history, returns to a virtual platform March 3-5, 2022 with inspiring keynote speakers, over 1,500 sessions, and more. Make sure to visit the American Ancestors booth in the virtual expo hall for special conference offers and check out class sessions from our own David Allen Lambert, Ann Lawthers, and Melanie McComb. Register Now
NEHGS is on TV!
See VP of Research Services Lindsay Fulton on the newest episode of Samantha Brown'sPlaces to Love
Lindsay talks with Samantha Brown about her family history and demonstrates why New England Historic Genealogical Society is a great place to visit. The show is available online now at the show's website (second video down). Stream Episode Online Now
Want to watch on live TV? The episode is airing now around the country—find your local PBS station here, It will air on Boston GBH on Sunday, April 3 at noon.
Spotlight: Madison’s Historic Cemeteries, Georgia
by Valerie Beaudrault
The city of Madison, seat of Morgan County, is located in central Georgia. Madison’s Historic Cemeteries website presents cemetery maps and related resources. The Obituary Project links the individuals buried in Madison’s cemeteries with their obituaries, including some digital images. The Military Veterans section lists gravesite information for over 450 veterans from the American Revolution through Vietnam. The Interesting Facts section includes information on materials used for grave markers, makers’ marks, and slave burials. Explore Now
Online Seminar
Finding Irish Origins: A County is Not Enough!
Our Irish experts will help you navigate the basics of Irish migrations to the U.S. and Canada, provide key records and strategies for research, and demonstrate how DNA can help. March 19 at 2 p.m. (ET).
Getting Started in Jewish Genealogy—last chance before live broadcast!
This four-week online seminar will provide you with key strategies for progressing in your Jewish family history research. Live broadcasts: March 2, 9, 16, and 23 at 6 p.m. (ET).
From Pilgrims to Patriots: Researching Early New England Ancestors
Discover essential records for colonial New England research, learn how to verify Mayflower connections, and more. Includes five lectures, lunch, and reception. March 26 at 9:30 a.m. (MT).
Last week's survey asked if you attended a school that your parents or grandparents attended. We received 3,284 responses. The results are:
21%, Yes, I attended a grade school that at least one of my parents attended.
4%, Yes, I attended a grade school that at least one of my grandparents attended.
1%, Yes, I attended a grade school that at least one of my earlier ancestors attended.
22%, Yes, I attended a high school that at least one of my parents attended.
5%, Yes, I attended a high school that at least one of my grandparents attended.
2%, Yes, I attended a high school that at least one of my earlier ancestors attended.
13%, Yes, I attended a college that at least one of my parents attended.
3%, Yes, I attended a college that at least one of my grandparents attended.
2%, Yes, I attended a college that at least one of my earlier ancestors attended.
11%, I have a different example of family members attending the same school.
53%, No, I did not attend a school that any of my parents, grandparents, or earlier ancestors attended.
This week’s survey asks what types of possessions you would put on a five-item “legacy list” to represent your family’s past. Take the survey now
Want to share your thoughts on the survey with us? We are always happy to hear from our readers. Email us at weeklygenealogist@nehgs.org. Responses may be edited for clarity and length and featured in a future newsletter.
Last week's survey asked if you attended a school that your parents or grandparents attended. We received a large number of emails and want to thank everyone who replied. Below is a selection of reader responses.
Catherine Mace, Eureka, California: Both of my parents were Army brats, as was I. My mother's father was stationed at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, when she was in high school, and my father was stationed there when I was in high school. My mother and I even had a couple of the same teachers.
Eben W. Graves, Norwalk, Connecticut: I graduated from Bowdoin College in 1967, 90 years after my great-grandfather, James W. Sewall. After I signed the matriculation book, President James E. Coles flipped the pages and pointed to the signature of the explorer Robert E. Peary. After confirming that Peary had been in the class of 1877, I noted that my great-grandfather's signature must be close. I located it on the same page. An earlier ancestor, Dummer Sewall (1732–1832), a great-grandfather of James W. Sewall, was an overseer and the third treasurer of the college.
Julie Busse, Wilmette, Illinois: I have many connections to Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. My grandfather, Thomas M. Carter, attended Garrett Theological Seminary, on the Northwestern campus. My mother, Ruth Carter Langford, attended a preschool at Northwestern. My husband and I have graduate degrees from Northwestern and our daughter and son-in-law are professors at Kellogg, the business school at Northwestern.
Starr Mitchell, Little Rock, Arkansas: In the 1930s, my mother graduated from Little Rock Central High School. In the 1950s, so did my sister. In 1957, nine courageous Black students began attending Central High School, making history. In the 1960s, my brother and I were assigned to one of two public high schools built the previous decade to discourage desegregation. Later, I was grateful that my sister’s kids and my sons went to Central. In the next generation, four of my mother’s great-grandchildren attended the school.
Christine West, Annapolis, Maryland: My father (b. 1919) and grandfather (b. 1888) had the same name—Harold Raymond West— and were born in the same house in Methuen, Massachusetts. They both attended the one-room Merrill School and had the same teacher, Grace Buswell, who taught for 42 years. My dad said that she was already an old lady when she taught his father and was a very old lady when she taught him. Dad said the men of the town brought her to school via sled or wagon, depending on the weather, because she could hardly walk.
March Book Sale
Save 20% on the Entire Experts' Choice Collection!
Check off your reading list with 20% off any title from our curated collection of 29 genealogical classics, sure to be of interest to researchers from beginner to pro. Act fast—this offer only runs through March!
Savings will automatically appear at checkout and cannot be combined with any other discount, including the American Ancestors member discount.
Database News
New Searchable Catholic Records Volumes
This week we’re announcing the addition of 41 new volumes to Massachusetts: Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston Records,1789-1920 from Our Lady of Ostrobrama (Boston), Our Lady of Pity (Cambridge), St. Stanislaus (Chelsea), St. Ann (Dorchester), St. John the Evangelist (North Chelmsford), Holy Trinity (Lawrence), and St. Jean Baptiste (Lynn). This update is part of our multi-year collaboration with the Archdiocese of Boston. Search Now
You Can Help Educational Programming
Our free webinars, public lectures, and outreach programs bring the knowledge of our experts to the world. Your support has enabled us to introduce high school students to genealogy, to teach new and curious researchers how to begin their family trees, and to host the brightest genealogists of our time in free programs. Your gift to our Annual Fund supports this important work. Help us share the joy of family history with researchers of all ages and levels by supporting American Ancestors’ educational programs today! Thank you. Give Now
