My Twins, and mom in the middle, flanked by my step-parents We know quite a bit about my maternal grandmother’s stepfather. His name was Howard Clinton Wissel. He married my great grandmother in 1931 when my grandmother was 12, and eventually adopted her and her sister. He was a bandleader... Continue reading

Usually when I work on a project I am very methodical about documenting every piece of evidence as it comes in. I create folders for a person or a family transcribing the document when needed. I also have my folder of possible related persons that I go through from time... Continue reading

WOODBRIDGE MAIN LIBRARY TO PRESENT AUTHOR AND GENEALOGIST MAUREEN WLODARCZYK On Wednesday, May 25 at 7pm, the Woodbridge Main Library will present a program featuring author and genealogical researcher Maureen Wlodarczyk. Her book, Past-Forward, is a true story of her grandmother's suffering in Ireland and struggle to make a new... Continue reading

New Jersey officially started collecting vital records in 1848. Some towns and counties did have vital records collected, but it is not consistent and varies from locale to locale. I have found the period of 1820-1848 to be some of the most difficult records to track down. This is when... Continue reading

Archibald S. Alexander Library I’ve re-acquainted myself with the library at Rutgers, and in particular the Special Collections. But before I get to the Special Collections lets talk about what is of genealogical interest in the greater library, and the basics (location, hours etc). The Library’s website is: http://www.libraries.rutgers.edu/rul/libs/alex_lib/alex_lib.shtml 169... Continue reading

If you haven't joined the genealogy blog scene yet, let me describe what you're missing: Imagine eavesdropping on the best lunchroom buzz at a big genealogy conference. Smart, experienced researchers exchange advice and laughter-laced banter. Advice flies from every table: on French Canadian sources, on using the Flip-Pal mobile scanner.... Continue reading

Federal Census and their role in family history research There are two varieties of census available for New Jersey, the federal census which is conducted every 10 years, and a state census also every 10 years, but enumeration for the state census is 5 years after the federal. Today’s entry... Continue reading

Baltimore MD Where to begin? The city is packed full of history. I’ve been to Baltimore probably a half dozen times, and have only hit a the tip of the iceberg. Most visit the Inner harbor, and I won’t even touch upon it because, there is enough information out there... Continue reading

Libraries It’s a rainy Sunday and your planned out of doors event fell through, or in most likely in my case it 100 degrees out and I don’t feel like getting a sunburn....So my thoughts turn to where can I go and it will be at least a tolerable temperature.... Continue reading

Where my Trip to the Cemetery led me Part one of today’s blog, we left off with me discovering my great-grandmother’s maiden name was JAQUES, and that possibly the James, Mary Ann, and Emma JAQUES were related to her. In actuality the original trip was a few years ago, and... Continue reading

Using Headstones To Further your Family Tree While it man not be 100% correct, data on tombstones can be invaluable in furthering your research. A little investigative work can really have it’s rewards. It was a beautiful May afternoon and my stepmother and I set out on our trip to... Continue reading

Where to begin your family history.... Like any project you begin at the end - What is the objective of your research. Do you want to find out where your ancestors originated from, the name of your great great grandfather, validate a family story or find out living descendants like... Continue reading