Family History

,

"Tall Man Dead" - Patrick Miles (1834-1903)

,
"Tall Man Dead" - Patrick Miles (1834-1903)

My 3rd great grandfather, Patrick Miles, was a tall man. Apparently he was one of the tallest in his county at the time of his death in 1903. He stood six feet and six inches "in his stocking feet." This is his story.

,

"The Quietest One of All" - Patrick Hanley (1887-1937)

,
"The Quietest One of All" - Patrick Hanley (1887-1937)

Patrick Hanley (1887-1937) is my 2nd great uncle. By all accounts he was a quiet and well liked man. This is his story, with a first hand audio account from people who knew him. 

,

The Missing Decades of "Dear Aunt" Agnes Grzeskowiak (1898-1970)

,
The Missing Decades of "Dear Aunt" Agnes Grzeskowiak (1898-1970)

Agnes E. Grzeskowiak (pronounced gresh-KO-viyak) is my 2nd great aunt. She never married and had no children. Information about her during the three decades between 1940 and her death in 1970 remains elusive. Here is her story.

,

Amanda Rhoads Hubert (1864-1903) - Our Lesser Known Ancestors

,
Amanda Rhoads Hubert (1864-1903) - Our Lesser Known Ancestors

Amanda (Rhoads) Hubert (1864-1903) is my 3rd great aunt. I only know of her because of a few census entries and the photo above. She married late, died early, and had no children to tell her story. Here is what I found about one of my lesser known ancestors.

Ellen Amelia (George) Malzi (1866-1961) - Stories of Tragedy and Strength

Ellen Amelia (George) Malzi (1866-1961) - Stories of Tragedy and Strength

Ellen Amelia (George) Malzi (1866-1961) married John August Malzi (1865-1899) in 1891. She was widowed young, two months before their last child was born. Pictured here is Ellen, husbandless, with her 4 surviving fatherless children. Here are her stories of tragedy and strength.  

The Voice of the Detroit River, Frank Zuzek (1904-1981)

The Voice of the Detroit River, Frank Zuzek (1904-1981)

Frank Zuzek (1904-1981), Voice of the Detroit River - "Listeners always sat spellbound when Frank Zuzek recounted the tales of the Great Lakes freighters on the Detroit River. No one was better qualified to tell the stories."

 

,

A 109 Year Old Postcard Finds Its Home

,
A 109 Year Old Postcard Finds Its Home

In 1908 Ida Jordan wrote this postcard to her brother announcing the birth of their niece. This is the story of how that postcard was returned to descendants of the Jordan family.  

,

The Psychogenealogist Pic of the Week (#47)

,
The Psychogenealogist Pic of the Week (#47)

John Edward Campbell (1892-1959) and Maryann Rukamp. "Uncle Ed" was the husband of my 2nd great aunt Amanda Alice (Rhoads) Campbell (1895-1988). She was the sister of my great grandmother.

 

,

The Psychogenealogist Pic of the Week (#46)

,
The Psychogenealogist Pic of the Week (#46)

This is Sister Jamesetta Rhoads. Born Lucille Rhoads (1906-2004), she is my first cousin twice removed. Sr. Jamesetta is one of several in my family tree who devoted their lives to a religious order. 

 

6 Tips: How to Date and Enjoy Your Kodachrome Photo Slides

6 Tips: How to Date and Enjoy Your Kodachrome Photo Slides

Here 6 tips for dating, scanning, cleaning, organizing, saving, and sharing your family Kodachrome and other photo slides. These are treasured images too often lost. It may be up to you to save them.  

,

Genealogy, Suicide, and Your Family Tree

,
Genealogy, Suicide, and Your Family Tree

Societal taboos about suicide often leave the stories of those who take their own lives untold. Here is the story of my 2nd great uncle, John Rhoads (1886-1922).  

,

"Nothing but the choicest meats" - Henry Peter Ratz (1867-1934)

,
"Nothing but the choicest meats" - Henry Peter Ratz (1867-1934)

My 2nd great grandfather, Henry Peter Ratz (1867-1934), was a butcher. Though, as you'll learn, perhaps not a very successful one. This is his story.

,

Finding Vasilios Demetrio Halvangis

,
Finding Vasilios Demetrio Halvangis

Here's the story of how I found genealogy records of my great grandfather, Vasilios Demetrio Halvangis (1891-1937). Born on the island of Samos, Greece, he came to the U.S. in 1911 on the S.S. Martha Washington. 

The Psychogenealogist Pic of the Week (#36)

The Psychogenealogist Pic of the Week (#36)

Grant Avenue in San Francisco's Chinatown (1969). How I gave new life to my grandfather's dusty 35mm family photograph slides.  

,

Family History, Genealogy, and Cocker Spaniels

,
Family History, Genealogy, and Cocker Spaniels

A collection of 25 vintage photographs of cocker spaniels and their families. Which is your favorite?

The Psychogenealogist Pic of the Week (#29)

The Psychogenealogist Pic of the Week (#29)

The Psychogenealogist Pic of the Week (#29) - Disneyland, 1965

,

"Uncle Ed Costlow and Family. My Mother's Brother"

,
"Uncle Ed Costlow and Family. My Mother's Brother"

Here's a wonderful photo of my 3rd great uncle, Edward Costlow (1876-1945) and his family. Learn how to spot clues from photos and census records to help identify family members and clear up genealogy mysteries. 

,

Discovering My Connection to the Kring Family of Pennsylvania

,
Discovering My Connection to the Kring Family of Pennsylvania

"From Sea to Shinning Sea: The Kring Family" - By Sandra Kring Leonard. Here's the story of how I discovered my connection to the Krings of Pennsylvania. 

The Psychogenealogist Pic of the Week (#27)

The Psychogenealogist Pic of the Week (#27)

The Psychogenealogist Pic of the Week (#27) - Chapel in The Pines, Hartwick Pines State Park in Grayling, Mich.

Podcast Spotlight - Extreme Genes: America's Family History and Radio Show

Podcast Spotlight - Extreme Genes: America's Family History and Radio Show

Extreme Genes is an entertaining and information family history and genealogy radio show. Check out episode 180 (and a mention of The Psychogenealogist at the 6:15 mark)