A few years back, I went to a reunion for my mother-in-law’s family.  I took charts (including the tri-fold shown above), my computer, and my scanner, with a plan to gather lots of family information.  That is the day that it sunk in just how confusing the Helm family could be.   The Patriarch and Matriarch In 1854, Johann (Phillip) Helm arrived in the United States from Edenboken, Germany.  As far as it

It seems it would be much easier to be the first wife.  You are typically younger, you can set expectations, you don’t have to mother children that are your husbands  (i.ie. avoid the “You are not my mother!”), and you don’t have the image of an earlier wife to get in the way of your relationship.  However, in the past, being in the First Wives’ Club often meant that tragedy would strike. Members of the

  My McCracken lineage has always been something of a mystery.  My great-great grandfather Lemuel Lawrence McCracken was so hard to trace that I joked – much to my aunts’ displeasure –  that he must have been a horse thief.  And, my great-great grandmother McCracken seemingly had no records either.  Through a journey of discoveries over the past 30 years, I have discovered a bit about who they were. The Family Stories When I began this

    Churches provide a space where anyone is free to wander in and join the congregation. They also often provide space for activities – some church actives, some for the community, and some for specific families. In addition, the church records often contain a wealth of genealogical information.    History With Churches Both my husband’s family and my family have extensive relationships with churches of various denominations.  A few years ago, we had the

  Passco “Pat” R. Peelle was the last Passco in our family line, the last standing Peelle in our family line, and drove the streetcar to the end of the line.   Uncle Pat To me Uncle Pat, great-uncle actually but we never made that distinction, was always an old man.  Everything about him was old.  He looked old, smelled old, and had old things.  I remember visiting his home and feeling very uncomfortable, not