Is there a black sheep ancestor somewhere in your family tree? If so, you are probably curious about some of the stories that have been handed down over the years. How much truth is there in what you have heard, and how much has been embellished or covered over? Perhaps your family prefers to let sleeping ghosts lie – until you discover interesting details while conducting what you thought was a routine check of the census records. Researching or discovering a black sheep ancestor can be fascinating, yet it can be very difficult for you and for your family. When … Continue reading →

You don’t necessarily have to be a genealogist to notice that certain names in your family tree appear more than once. Obviously, surnames are going to be connected to a lot of people. Often, you will find that a first name, or a middle name, is handed down from one generation to the next. What names run in your family? I come from a huge family. I have honestly lost count of how many cousins I have. Both my mother’s side of the family tree, and my father’s side of it, come from long lines of very fertile people. It … Continue reading →

I’ve been watching the television show called “Hoarders” lately, and am completely amazed by it. What I find most striking is that many of the people who are hoarders say that someone else in their family, often one of their parents, was a hoarder, too. It seems to be something that runs in families, and that is a mental illness. Without stating names, I will say that there are a few people in my family who were, or are, hoarders. Some of what I see on the television show “Hoarders”, reminds me of the homes of a few of my … Continue reading →