Welcome to Family Finds
An Adventure in Genealogy
In addition to stories about my ancestors, I share tips for conducting online family history research. Genealogy is a great pasttime, join me on my journey to uncover and document my ancestors lives.
Birthday
I take a look at my hometown paper on my birthday. It’s fun to discover the headlines my parents read in the paper the day I was born. I’ve picked out a few items to highlight from The Indianapolis Star for Thursday, October 29, 1959.
Stormy Weather
My 2x great-grandfather was an infantry soldier during the American Civil War. At the Battle of New Market, during stormy weather, he lay in the mud for two days and spent the rest of the war in and out of the medical camps.
Voting
Recently my mother provided a story about my great-grandmother voting for her first time in 1920. The story is a little amusing, but I doubt her experience was unique.
Shock
I recently uncovered some unexpected information and it was a bit of a shock. Now, though, I am not certain I have all the information to form the correct conclusion. The person at the center of the revelation had the surname Shock, so, you see, it aligns well with this week’s prompt.
Sports
My mother participated in a competitive, team sport called Sheep to Shawl. It’s not the usual sports event. A sheep is sheared, the fleece is carded and spun into yarn, the yarn is then woven into fabric, and finally, the fabric is fashioned as a shawl.
Changes
Several of my ancestors have surnames that change over time. There are a few methods that can be employed to find records of the variant spellings of surnames.
Preservation
Genealogy is all about preserving the past. Documenting ancestors’ lives, recording family stories, and collecting family memorabilia. This blog site is one way I preserve family stories.
Steps
This week I share some favorite family photos that include steps, stoops and stairs.
Fun and Games
One of my father’s childhood stories is about having fun with some old tires. It’s the sort of fun a boy during the depression could create with found items.
On The Farm
One of my ancestors had a unique route to farm laborer and then farm owner. My 4th great grandfather Jacob Kready came to America during the American Revolution as a soldier hired by the British.