Two things I can tell you about my ancestors: there are a lot of Margarets and a lot of accidental deaths. Harman Alexander Updegraff was born 28 August 1821* in Somerset County, Pennsylvania to Harmon Updegraff and Rachel Howard. He was a farmer in his early years and later became a conductor of a freight […]
Do you have ancestors that lived in the District of Columbia? Here are some suggestions on getting started with local DC records. Newspapers Birth, Marriage, and Death Announcements DC Public Library: Baltimore Sun 1837-1985 The Washington Post 1877-1994 Washington Times 1990-Present You may search in any of the 25 DC Library Branches or online at […]
Old Newspapers How else would I know that my 4th great grandfather died at at 90 with all his teeth? The Library of Congress Chronicling America is a great starting point for old newspapers. Not all newspapers are digitized, but keep checking as more are added everyday. You can search for an ancestor’s name or […]
On 23 July 1948, Roscoe Campbell Hutchinson was electrocuted while on the job at the National Tube company. He was 51 years old, leaving a wife, four children, two brothers, two sisters, and his mother Loretta Hutchinson. A week after Roscoe’s unexpected death, Loretta Hutchinson stepped around a large commercial grass mower and was hit […]
If only all obituaries were this informative! Here we have the complete birth date, location, marriage date, wife’s full name, immigration year, children’s names and locations, and memberships. Finding out the specific area of origin from “across the pond” can be pretty difficult to come by. Cardiganshire, as listed in the obituary, is one of […]
I believe this is the oldest obituary I have of a direct ancestor, Walter Harris, my 4th great grandfather. Walter was born 1769 in Wales. He came to America at the age of 85 with his wife, Sarah, and settled in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. He died 10 years later in 1864. His obituary is particularly interesting: […]
Katie's Grove 