Christmas in Iraq
Three days before my 18th birthday I checked in to my first unit, 1st Marine Division, at Camp Pendleton, California. I had completed boot camp in May, combat training in…
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December 21, 2020
Kidnapping, Extortion, and Drama… oh my!
Edward Hampton Jack was my 3rd great grandfather (my dad’s dad’s dad’s mom’s dad). Born in 1823 in Indiana, he lived in Kentucky, was involved in steamboating, and ultimately ended…
December 14, 2020
RootsTech 2020
RootsTech starts this week, and if it's anything like last year, it's going to be a very busy 4 days. Some pre-planning goes a long way to ensuring a fun…
February 24, 2020
Patrick and Mary (Graley) Lawless
I've written about James Lawless in the past -- the eldest of 3 Great Lakes Captains depicted in a framed composite image. I don't know much of his past... or…
February 18, 2020
My Ancestry Wish List
** Updated 2/26/2020: Added #8 - Newspapers.com Improvements & #9 - Ancestral Places** Updated 2/23/2020: Added #7 - MyTreeTags Improvements Quick Links: #1 - Ad Hoc Reports#2 - Research Suggestions#3…
February 10, 2020
William A. Howe (1864-1943)
William Arthur Howe was born in Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, on 18 January 1864 or 1865 to parents Frederick Augustus Howe, Jr. and Malvina L. Spencer. 1870 US Federal Census…
January 7, 2020
Research Questions
There are so many different research opportunities within a family tree. I've found that it can be a bit overwhelming at times trying to figure out what lead to chase…
January 5, 2020
Veterans Day
I didn't know much about my family's history with the military before I joined the Marine Corps. In fact, I didn't know much at all until long after I left…
November 10, 2019
Suspicious Disappearance, part 1
My great-grandfather Otto Koehneke was the oldest of 5 boys to parents William/Wilhelm Koehneke and Mary Gerling. Otto and his brothers grew up in Chicago, Illinois. They were all born…
July 3, 2019