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Every Wednesday, The Weekly Genealogist provides readers with news and information about American Ancestors and the genealogical community.

| View in browser     October 19, 2022   Read Past Issues   Feedback? Email Us   American Ancestors Magazine Fall Issue: Common Research Pitfalls   Featured this quarter: how to avoid some common errors in your family history research, and stories from our readers about their own errors. Plus, the story of a whaling ship, Jewish holiday recipes, the ancestry of Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, and more. Join American Ancestors to access the new issue today! Learn More   Recently on Vita Brevis Descendants with a Reputation   What does researcher Chris Child have in common with Jeffrey Dahmer, the man who made headlines as a serial murderer in the 1990s? You guessed it—they're both descendants of Mayflower passengers. Read More   October Used Book Sale Extra 10% Off Used Book Titles   We've refilled our shelves with hundreds of unique and hard-to-find titles! Stock up on essential resources in history and genealogy, and save an additional 10% on all used books through the end of October. Shop Now   If discount is not automatically added upon checkout, enter coupon code UB0102022 to redeem. Membership discounts do not apply to this promotion. Prices valid through 10/31/22, while supplies last.   The Weekly Genealogist Survey This Week's Survey: Family Associations Take the Survey Now Share your thoughts about the survey at weeklygenealogist@nehgs.org. Responses may be edited for clarity and length and featured in a future newsletter.       Last Week's Survey: Visiting an Ancestor's Country of Origin   Total: 4,163 responses 52%, Yes. 29%, No, but I intend to. 18%, No, and I don’t intend to. Readers Respond:   Mary-Alice Wildasin, Kilrush, County Clare, Ireland: I visited Ireland over twenty times—and then I moved here permanently! I came to get my Masters in “History of the Family” and wrote my dissertation on my ancestors’ migration from Kilkenny to Quebec to Bangor, Maine. I felt the pull of my ancestors and settled in Ireland with my partner, an Irish farmer. I feel very much at home here.  Sue Clasen, Westminster, Colorado: I am currently in London, where many of my ancestors originated. I visited the St. Clement-Dane Anglican Church today, where my ancestor Godfrey Nims was baptized. On the 18th, I will be joining the NEHGS tour “Pilgrims in England: The Southeast Contingent” to learn more about the life of my ancestor James Chilton in Canterbury.   Cynthia Russell, Logan, Utah: In the 1980s I lived in Darmstadt, Germany, with my husband while he was serving in the U.S. Army. While doing my genealogy recently, I discovered that my ancestors came from Darmstadt!     Peg Werner, Fergus Falls, Minnesota: In 2012, my son won a talent contest sponsored by his employer in Portland, Oregon. The prize was two round trip tickets anywhere in the world. He was unmarried and, needless to say, there was much good-natured jockeying to be his travel companion. Much to my surprise, he chose to take me to Europe, specifically, to the Netherlands to visit my grandfather's birthplace, where his family had lived for centuries. We hired a car and driver and traveled across the country visiting villages, walking through cemeteries, locating the churches, and eating at local inns. It truly was the trip of a lifetime.  Clark Bagnall, Nashua, New Hampshire: I have ancestors who came from Great Britain in four different centuries, from my mother’s Puritan ancestors to my dad and his parents who came over in the 20th century. In 1985 I visited England and I located the house my grandfather had inherited in 1901, where my dad had grown up. The owner graciously showed me around the property. Then, he showed me initials carved in a tree next to the house and asked if I knew whose initials they were. They were my uncle's! My dad's older brother had left his mark for me to find so many years later.    What We’re Reading   Museum Will Preserve Stories of Public Housing Residents: “You Don’t Know Where You’re Going Unless You Know Where You Came From” The National Public Housing Museum will be located in the last remaining original building of the Jane Addams Homes, a public housing complex built in Chicago in the 1930s.The museum will feature recreations of residents’ apartments, in the style of New York City’s Tenement Museum.   Russians Search for Jewish Roots to Flee Putin’s Army Draft for Israel “Under Israel’s Law of Return, anyone with at least one Jewish grandparent is eligible for Israeli citizenship, as are people who convert to Judaism.”   Nearly ‘Erased by History’: African Americans Search for Lost Graves “Families and volunteers seek out and restore abandoned cemeteries as a way of recovering their own personal stories.”  Rena Quint, Child Survivor, Found Herself in Her Family History Holocaust survivor Rena Quint had begun to doubt her own memories, until, in the 1980s, she started to seek and find answers in repositories, in conversations with other survivors, and in Polish archives.    'We Never Thought This Would Happen': Girl Kidnapped Aged Four Miraculously Reunited with Family 53 Years Later “Susan Gervaise, now 57, was taken from her biological family in Pontefract, West Yorkshire, by a couple in 1969.”  The Feminine Art of Bow Hunting “Although hunting is often styled as a sport of men, American magazines marketed bow hunting to women in an attempt to legitimize and civilize the sport.”   Database News The Genealogist: New Volumes Available   We’re excited to announce the release of volumes 5-9 (1984-1988) of The Genealogist, which adds more than 12,800 records. This database is presented in partnership with the American Society of Genealogists and is available to search for free. Search Now   Spotlight: Newspapers of Twin Falls, Idaho by Valerie Beaudrault   The city of Twin Falls, located in southern Idaho, is the seat of Twin Falls County. The digital newspaper archive of the Twin Falls Public Library includes fourteen titles from 1904 to 2013. Search by keyword or date range, filter results by newspaper title or date range, and browse individual newspapers. Search Now   Upcoming Lectures, Courses, Tours, and More October 20 Free Lecture: Verifying Descent from Salem’s Accused Witches   November 2–16 Online Seminar: Finding Origins: Cluster Research in Practice   November 14 Free Author Talk: Kerri K. Greenidge with The Grimkes: The Legacy of Slavery in an American Family View All Upcoming Events   Free Video from American Ancestors Basics of New England Research   Whether your ancestors lived in New England in the 17th century or the 21st century, this presentation will give you the basic information to begin—and advance—your research into New England records. Watch Now   Planning for the Future? Name Beneficiaries for Your Non-Probate Assets Today   Non-probate assets such as an IRA, 401(k), or life-insurance policy are not covered in your will or trust—you must name beneficiaries separately. Our friends at FreeWill.com have provided a free and secure online tool to guide you through naming beneficiaries for your assets in one easy place. Preserve your legacy, make sure your loved ones are provided for, and support the causes most important to you—get started today! Learn More   Educational events brought to you by Vol. 25, No. 42, Whole #1125 Copyright ©2022 New England Historic Genealogical Society. All Rights Reserved,.   American Ancestors, 99-101 Newbury Street, Boston, MA 02116, 1-888-296-3447 Unsubscribe Manage preferences Membership   \|   Database News   \|   Expert Help   \|   Give   \|   Live Chat |
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