What does your family's "name cloud" look like? From researcher Hallie Kirchner, learn about this unusual method for visualizing your family history using free online tools.
There are an estimated 35 million Mayflower descendants worldwide. Join experts from American Ancestors for a three-part online course that will explore the many resources, record collections, and research strategies for verifying your connection to the Mayflower. November 1–15 (Wednesdays). Register Now
The Bookstore at NEHGS
Save 10% on Selected Used Titles
Get 10% off our entire selection of used history and genealogy titles from the Bookstore at NEHGS through the end of the month. These hard-to-find books are sure to fly off the shelves! Use coupon code UB1023 to redeem. Membership discounts do not apply to this promotion. Prices valid through 10/31/2023, while supplies last.
Share your thoughts about the survey! Please limit submissions to 150 words or fewer. Responses featured in a future newsletter may be edited for clarity and length.
Last Week's Survey:
Correspondence Lessons or Courses Through the Mail
Total: 2,727 Responses
21%, At least one of my ancestors or relatives took correspondence lessons or courses through the mail.
1%, At least one of my ancestors or relatives worked for a correspondence school.
21%, I have taken correspondence lessons or courses through the mail.
1%, I worked for a correspondence school.
39%, I don’t know whether any of my ancestors or relatives took correspondence lessons or courses through the mail.
35%, I don’t think any of my ancestors or relatives took correspondence lessons or courses through the mail.
Readers Respond
Bridget Wanderer, Missoula, Montana: After being discharged from the Army Air Corps in October 1945, my father, Peter John Wanderer, Sr., needed to find an occupation that would support his family. He went to work for my uncle John Roland Peterson, a CPA in Hamilton, Montana. John had completed a correspondence course in accounting and owned a successful accounting firm. While working for John, my father completed the same correspondence course. My father went on to own or run several businesses, including a trucking company and a diamond drilling company. He served as CFO for two of the largest hospitals in the state over the span of twenty years.
Cheryl Lassiter, Mesa, Arizona: My mother, Laura Frances Harley Lassiter (1930-1996), was a television repairer in Evanston, Wyoming. She learned the trade through a correspondence course. She inspired me to study electronics in college, and I went on to several rewarding careers in the computer field.
Laurie Sisson, Alexandria, Virginia: In the 1970s, my husband was stationed with the army in Germany. Our son was reading by kindergarten, so we used mail-in courses to provide more challenging material for his first and second grade studies. My husband took college classes by mail, so there was a lot of home study going on.
Laurie Hoyt Popwell, Stone Mountain, Georgia: My dad, Malcolm Hoyt, was a student at Dartmouth College when the Japanese invaded Pearl Harbor. He enlisted and served two tours of duty in Europe as a staff sergeant with the Black Hawk Division Third Army. While serving, he took college courses through the mail. In 1948, he graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Georgia with a Bachelor of Business Administration.
Uncovering the Lost Story of a WWI Soldier This account from Reader’s Digest Canada describes how a man from Edmonton, Alberta, researched the military service of George Watson, his grandfather’s brother.
Dawn of the Bathroom “The bathroom didn’t become a thing until the nineteenth century, and most working-class US homes added plumbed-in amenities in piecemeal fashion over time.”
The city of Bozeman, seat of Gallatin County, is located in southwestern Montana. Over 16,000 individuals are interred at Sunset Hills Cemetery, which is owned and maintained by the city. The earliest known burial occurred in 1872, predating the establishment of the cemetery. Click the Interactive Map button to begin your search. Search by burial or by lot owner. Data fields include first and last name, veteran status, and grave location information. The grave’s location will be highlighted on the map. Search Now
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
