The online burials database created by Forest Lawn Cemetery in Buffalo, New York, holds a treasure trove of information. Find out how researcher Jennifer Shakshober used these records to untangle a knot of relationships—and uncovered an unexpected family secret in the process. Read More
Upcoming Online Author Event
Writing History with Celebrated NPR Host and Author Steve Inskeep
Steve Inskeep—popular historian-author and host of NPR’s Morning Edition and Up First—presents his new book, Differ We Must, a compelling exploration of Abraham Lincoln’s political strategy. Inskeep will engage in an extended conversation and Q&A about the hows and whys of writing about history. Register Now
Upcoming Free Webinar from Old York Historical Society
Suburbs of Hell: Jail Conditions During the 1692 Salem Witch Trials
Join historian Marilynne K. Roach on at 6 p.m. (ET) October 4 for an online talk about jail conditions during the 1692 Salem Witch Trials. Presented by the Old York Historical Society in York, Maine, this talk is free and open to the public. Register Now
An article by Ms. Roach on the same topic was featured in the spring 2023 issue of American Ancestors magazine, available to members in our online archive.
The Weekly Genealogist Survey
This Week's Survey:
House and Land Occupation Over Multiple Generations
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:
Family Information You Wish You Hadn't Discovered
Total: 2,789 Responses
7%, Yes, I found information about my parents and/or their siblings that I wish I hadn’t discovered.
9%, Yes, I found information about my grandparents and/or their siblings that I wish I hadn’t discovered.
8%, Yes, I found information about my great-grandparents and/or their siblings that I wish I hadn’t discovered.
11%, Yes, I found information about my earlier ancestors that I wish I hadn’t discovered.
7%, Yes, I found information about other relatives that I wish I hadn’t discovered.
5%, Yes, I found information about my spouse’s family history that I wish I hadn’t discovered.
3%, I found unwanted family information pertaining to a category not mentioned above.
67%, No, I haven’t found any information about my family that I wish I hadn’t discovered.
Readers Respond
Dan Kraft, Boston, Massachusetts: In 1909 my great-great-grandfather Louis Rullman of Kansas was accused of attempting to poison his second wife, Nellie, by putting strychnine in her sugar bowl. Nellie had unsuccessfully sued for divorce two years earlier. Louis was acquitted in 1910 after a lengthy jury trial.
Meg Spring, Dresden, Tennessee: While researching my ancestors Justus Taylor and Patience (Pearce), I discovered a newspaper clipping about the couple. The article stated that Patience attempted—unsuccessfully—to kill Justus with an axe and then committed suicide. Definitely not the sort of information I was hoping to find!
Mary Clare, Laguna Vista, Texas: My great-grandmother lost a brother and a sister in the Holocaust—one a supposed suicide at age 80, and the other murdered at Auschwitz. While I wish I had never learned the haunting details of their deaths, it is vitally important to remember and keep bearing witness to this crime against humanity.
Mary Peters, Seattle, Washington: Seven years ago, I took a DNA test. The results revealed that the father who raised me was not my biological father. What a shock! Over the following years, I found a half-brother and a half-sister. My mother’s scrapbook contains several photos of people with surnames matching those of my newly discovered siblings. I have been in correspondence with my half-brother, and through this new family line I found several patriot ancestors and a potential Mayflower connection. Despite the pain caused by the DNA test results, I feel fortunate to have had a good outcome.
David Barnet, Delmar, New York: On Memorial Day a few years ago, my wife's uncle asked me if I could research his revered uncle, a doctor who served in World War II. Little did I know that I would discover a sensational story which made headline news at the time. The doctor was court martialed for writing false medical reports for a fee, to help soldiers avoid military service. Needless to say, this information was not well-received!
Bob Hall, Nantucket, Massachusetts: My great-uncle was rarely mentioned in my family, so I knew little about him until I started doing research on AmericanAncestors.org. Through online research and conversations with my cousins, I learned why he was ostracized from the family. After abandoning his wife and two sons, he gave up his successful barber shop school and engaged in several fraudulent schemes—one of which landed him in jail. His brother (my grandfather) was a kind, responsible, hardworking, honest, and respected gentleman. My grandmother and grandfather met through my great-uncle’s barbershop school. My grandmother chose the right brother to marry!
The Mystery of My Mother’s Prayer Book “It started with an email. The subject line: ‘Sylvia Kanner’s Siddur.’ Kanner was my late mother’s maiden name. Siddur is the Hebrew word for prayer book. I was, to say the least, intrigued.”
Spotlight: Newspapers at James Blackstone Memorial Library
by Valerie Beaudrault
The town of Branford is located in New Haven County, Connecticut, on Long Island Sound. The James Blackstone Memorial Library has made a newspaper collection available in its digital archive. The database comprises more than 143,000 pages from 13 newspapers including Branford Review (1928-1980), New Haven Evening Register (1895-1975), Branford Review And East Haven News (1932-1952), Branford Opinion (1896-1913), Branford Opinion And Guilford Echo (1906-1912), and New Haven Journal and Courier (1935-1936). Search the database by keyword or browse individual newspapers. Search Now
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 non-probate assets. Learn More
