While I was taking the introductory course (online) in genealogy from Boston University, it was pointed out that you can't always take things at face value when you are searching for information about your ancestors. There are a few reasons for this. People don't always remember facts and stories correctly; some information passed down may … Continue reading Just Because Something Is Written In Stone
O’Connell
Three Generations of Brooklyn Stoops
“Look at everything always as though you were seeing it either for the first or last time: Thus is your time on earth filled with glory.” Betty Smith. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn A stoop is a staircase ending in a platform leading to a house or apartment building entrance. In Brooklyn, a stoop is … Continue reading Three Generations of Brooklyn Stoops
Serendipity, Thy Name is Goat
The text of the email read as follows: "Don't ask how I got to your page but I may have what you are looking for..." Sometimes the universe surprises me. Something incredible happens, and I have no explanation for it. My father would call that a miracle. I will call it serendipity. We all have … Continue reading Serendipity, Thy Name is Goat
Brooklyn Tour
It was my youngest sister's idea. In recognition of our parents' 60 years of marriage, we would return to where it all started. Brooklyn! The plan was pretty simple, Mom and Dad would come down from their home in Massachusetts with my sister and meet up with the rest of their children in Brooklyn. I … Continue reading Brooklyn Tour
Addressing My Past
If you know anything about me, you will know I like to research and discover things about my ancestors. I do because, until a few years ago, I did not know all that much about them. Either side of the family was pretty much a mystery except for the O'Connells. For me, the O'Connells were … Continue reading Addressing My Past
The names have been changed to confound the researcher…
It has frustrated me that, while doing genealogical research, I have been unable to make the leap across the pond to Ireland with any of the many family lines in my pedigree that should lead me there. I have been working the Flood, Kelly (seemingly heading to the Isle of Man), O'Connell, Cooke, and Gaynor … Continue reading The names have been changed to confound the researcher…
