Online Course: How to Find Your 20th-Century Ancestors
The twentieth century was a watershed for immigration to America. Between 1900 and 1915 alone, more than 15 million immigrants arrived.
Amid this influx, the United States responded with key changes to its immigration policies. Luckily for family historians, this was also a period of increased record keeping. This online conference will provide you with the context, records, and strategies for more fully understanding your 20th-century ancestors’ arrival in the United States.
Last Chance! Tonight at 6 p.m. EST: Discuss DNA Results
Through a combination of instructive videos, educational resources, and a lively panel discussion, you will learn how DNA testing has affected how we do family history,
Learn about the prevalence of genetic surprises, and gain tools to interpret and cope with unexpected test results.
This week we’re featuring eight recent sketches added to Western Massachusetts Families in 1790: Isaac Hemingway Streeter (Middlefield), Ebenezer Bird (Windsor), Isaac Buck (Chesterfield), Noah Drake (Chesterfield), Ebenezer Bacon (Peru), Esther Doud (Tyringham), Cary Briggs (Hancock), and Reuben Cooley (Greenwich). Find people in the 1790 census in historic Berkshire and Hampshire Counties, which includes modern Franklin and Hampden Counties. Search Now
Great Migration & Mayflower Book Sale
To commemorate the 400th anniversary of the Mayflower we are offering 20% off our Great Migration and Mayflower titles through the month of November. This is a "Great" opportunity to build your library of Robert Charles Anderson's groundbreaking works or expand your Mayflower book collection. Take advantage of this offer today, while supplies last! Sale ends 11/25/20. Shop Now
Spotlight: Elmwood-St. Joseph Cemetery, Mason City, IA
by Valerie Beaudrault
Mason City is the county seat of Cerro Gordo County, in north central Iowa. Elmwood-St. Joseph Cemetery is Mason City’s municipal cemetery. Elmwood Cemetery was first established as Mason City Cemetery in 1867. A few years later, in 1875, the Archdiocese of Dubuque established St. Joseph Cemetery, adjacent to Elmwood. The cemetery is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Click the Online Elmwood-St. Joseph Cemetery Search link in the contents list on the left side of the webpage to open a new page. Next, select the "Click here" link to open the interactive cemetery map page and begin your search. First enter all or part of the name of the deceased in the search box. If necessary, select a name from the dropdown list. The results may include first, middle, maiden, and last name of the deceased; dates of birth, death, and interment; birthplace, sex, burial type, and grave information (cemetery/section/lot/plot). The location of the grave will also be highlighted on the accompanying cemetery map.
Facebook Live Friday! Mayflower Research on AmericanAncestors.org
Join us this Friday at 3 p.m. EST for a Facebook Live event where we'll explore one-of-a-kind Mayflower resources and databases available at American Ancestors! You'll learn how to use the many features of the Mayflower website, and how to search the world’s biggest searchable Mayflower database: General Society of Mayflower Descendants Membership Applications, 1620-1920, and other databases on AmericanAncestors.org. Bring your questions to the live session or submit questions now.
FREE: The Great Houses of Yorkshire
Join Curt DiCamillo on a virtual tour of the best country houses in the region, including Castle Howard, location for filmed versions of Brideshead Revisited.
Author Event: Cross of Snow: A Life of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Enjoy a lively dialogue about the life and work of poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882) and his multi-talented second wife, Fanny Appleton Longfellow (1817-1861). Nicholas Basbanes, author of Cross of Snow: A Life of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, will be in conversation with Diana Korzenik, complier of the Appleton Family Archives. Virtual event | December 7| FREE Register Now
Thomas Edelmann was born in Germany more than 25 years after the Allies defeated Hitler. Last year the 49-year-old businessman contacted a retired teacher in Israel to apologize for the actions of the grandfather he never met.
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.
Readers Respond: Baby Books by Lynn Betlock, Editor
Last week's survey asked about baby books. Thank you to everyone who replied. Below is a selection of reader responses.
Leon Morse of Exeter, New Hampshire: I had a stubborn brick wall in my French-Canadian ancestry for years. My great-grandfather was Napoleon Sayers and while I knew that his surname was an anglicization, I couldn’t determine his French surname. I had only the first names of his parents, "Barney" and "Melie." Then, a few years ago, my wife came across my baby book. My mother had recorded my grandmother’s maiden name, "Sayers," but also wrote "Seguin" in parentheses. Wow! With this new information I quickly identified Barnabe Seguin and his wife Emilie Vezina. Soon I had traced my ancestry to the founding of Montreal and later took a trip to a beautiful cemetery in Stanstead, Quebec, where many of my ancestors are buried.
Mary Beth Norton Ithaca, New York: My father kept 5-year diaries—which allowed for a few lines a day—for both me and my younger brother from the time we were born. He carefully wrote entries each day as though he were the child in question. I cherish mine and I’m sure my brother cherishes his.
Virginia Treu Ranweiler of Rochester, Minnesota: My mother not only kept a baby book for me but also a photo book. She labeled the pictures “Virginia at 8 days, …at 12 days, …at 16 days, … at 21 days,” etc. Dad had been called up in February of 1941, at age 40, and I was born 12 days after Pearl Harbor. In the ensuing five years he made ten trips across the Atlantic and three across the Pacific as an officer on troop ships. Mom wanted to make sure that Dad could see my progress when he returned.
Starr Mitchell of Little Rock, Arkansas: My father was born in June 1907. I recently found his baby book and was intrigued with my grandmother’s account of “baby’s first outing.” She wrote that she had followed her husband’s instruction that the baby should be taken out only after it had rained. A rainy day finally arrived and after the rain stopped, her mother arrived with a carriage and driver and they traveled through the streets of downtown Little Rock, visiting the baby’s father’s office. I paused when I first read this. After a rain? Then I realized that dust from horses’ hooves and carriage wheels was something that had to be considered then. I loved this practical glimpse into the past.
David Lile Brown of Glastonbury, Connecticut: It was my baby book that got me interested in genealogy. It contained a four-generation family tree that my mother had filled out. When I was old enough not to color in it, my mother showed me the book and my tree. I understood already that every person had a mother and a father, but I hadn't thought about ancestry. I asked why I never saw these family members. And why did the tree stop at four generations? I am 73 now and my tree is still not complete and never will be. A lifetime hobby was all started by my baby book.
Help Us Tell the American Story—It's Your Story!
American Ancestors helps tell and preserve family stories—the real legacy of America and its people. Through our services, you can search databases of ancestral records, work on research projects with professional genealogists, attend online seminars and events, and engage with real people who care about your family history.
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