Join us for a special five-week course with Genealogist Else Churchill of the Society of Genealogists—the premiere and largest genealogical society in the UK—and explore English roots prior to 1700. Else will provide practical research strategies, an overview of essential and lesser-known resources, and illustrative case studies to take your research to the next level. Learn More
Upcoming Free Webinar, May 28
American Ancestors Virtual Open House
Do you want to make real headway in your family history research? The genealogists, databases, and unique collections at American Ancestors can help! Join us for a special online discussion that highlights the many benefits and services available to members.
FREE Guide: Getting Started in German Family History
Germans have been immigrating to America since the seventeenth century and today are the largest self-reported ancestry group in the country. To succeed in researching your German roots, it’s important to know the town in Germany your family came from. Many records were recorded by local bürgermeisters, priests or ministers, or police officials, and are organized by town.
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.
Pat Gowdy, Boston, Massachusetts: My Italian grandparents were farmers in a rural part of northern Italy before they migrated to the San Francisco Bay area. They settled first in the city of Oakland and then in suburban Lafayette.
Amanda Madden, Arlington, Massachusetts: My great-grandfather was brought from Cork, Ireland, to Boston as an infant in 1880. The family lived in Boston’s West End neighborhood until 1910, when they moved to Bunker Hill Street, just steps away from the monument. Massachusetts General Hospital, where I have worked for 22 years, is located in the West End—most of which was razed in the 1960s as part of an ill-fated urban renewal plan.
Joy Metcalf, Northport, Maine: In 1940, my grandparents moved from the (very) small town of Sharon, Massachusetts, to a 160+ acre farm in coastal Maine. There they raised their own livestock and gardens and farmed with horse-drawn equipment. I have many fond memories of bringing the hay in on a wagon and filling the hay mows, helping to make butter from the fresh milk, and weeding the huge gardens.
Elizabeth Ekström Richards, Durham, North Carolina: In 1925, my grandparents Oliver and Ruth (McFarlane) Ekstrom left the bustling city of Chicago, where they grew up, to become missionaries in Guatemala. They worked first in Guatemala City and later moved on to smaller cities. In 1935, Oliver went on a mission trip in the backcountry. He chose to drink river water against the advice of his guide. It was a fatal decision.
Madeleine Fischer, New Orleans, Louisiana: My paternal great-grandfather, John Fischer, headed a bank in the small town of Kewanee, Illinois. The family lived in a stately mansion with beautifully landscaped grounds. When my grandfather Lyle Fischer and my grandmother Anne Clark married in 1922, the young couple moved into the mansion. It has since been converted into a funeral home, which I have toured.
25 Questions to Bring You Closer to Your Mom “But how well do you actually know the woman you call Mom? And when’s the last time you asked her a question that prompted a long, contemplative answer?”
How to Preserve Your Family History Like an Archivist San Francisco’s KQED, a public media organization, ”spoke to experts on how to best preserve documents, digitize records and how best to connect with organizations who may be interested in your archives.”
“And who donated the original set of dozens of books that gave the Franklin Public Library its start in 1790? ... None other than Benjamin Franklin.”
Spotlight: The Acadian Ancestral Home Cemeteries, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia
by Valerie Beaudrault
Acadia is a region in Maritime Canada that includes north and eastern New Brunswick and parts of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. The majority of the cemeteries documented on the Acadian Ancestral Home Cemeteries website are located in New Brunswick. The site comprises a collection of tombstone photographs from about fifty cemeteries from through the region. Click the cemetery name in the contents list to open the cemetery page. There you will find a link to an index of names and thumbnail images of the tombstones. Data fields in the index include last name, first/wife of/other family names, row number, and headstone number. Search Now
Spring 2025 Issue of American Ancestors Now Available
This issue focuses on the grand opening of our renovated and reimagined headquarters and our new Family Heritage Experience. After over a decade of planning and the hard work of countless individuals, a new vision for American Ancestors has come to fruition. As always, the issue contains information about our membership benefits, news, events, and educational opportunities. Email us to share your thoughts on the issue! American Ancestors magazine is a benefit of membership. Join American Ancestors today to receive this and other great membership benefits.
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
