On April 1st, 2022, the National Archives released the 1950 Census. A law passed in 1978 requires 72 years before the census is released to the public. The official count date for the 1950 Census was 1 April 1950. Because of the need to return and gather information from people that the census taker missed … Continue reading 1950 Census: I Think They Missed a Brownstone
Kelly
Just Because Something Is Written In Stone
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
Small World…
The universe has a way of reminding us that we live on a small planet. I work in a government office in Southeastern Virginia. I am part of an eight-man team; six are government civilians, two are active-duty military officers. Of the eight, three have childhood roots in Brooklyn or Nassau County on Long Island. … Continue reading Small World…
Up On The Roof
While listening to Spotify a few months ago, a James Taylor cover of “Up On The Roof,” by Carole King and Gerry Goffin, began playing. To me, the song is quintessentially about New York. As luck would have it, I was putting together flash drives of old family photos for my siblings at that moment … Continue reading Up On The Roof
I am getting back to work here
I have not posted on the blog since last summer. In the interim I have been working on my other blog. If you know about that blog, you know about it. If you don't, let's just say I do not want to cross contaminate between the two blogs. This is the lighter of the blogs, … Continue reading I am getting back to work here
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
60 Years
My parents, Regina and Jerry Baumann were married on June 3, 1957. Today is their 60th wedding anniversary.
What I Found in a Photo
While enrolled in a basic genealogy online course through Boston University I discovered that you can tell a great deal about the lives of people from looking at old photos and analyzing the objects around them. Nothing is meaningless. To test my research skills I decided to work with a favorite photograph of my maternal … Continue reading What I Found in a Photo
Fred Goat Remains Ellusive
Yes, I am still chasing Fred Goat. In a blog post, In Search of Fred Goat, last November I began the search for a photo of the Fred Goat Company Logo that once adorned the rambling company buildings at the corner of Dean Street and 3rd Avenue in Brooklyn, New York. After the NY Municipal … Continue reading Fred Goat Remains Ellusive
The Perils of Disproving Family Legends
I am knee-deep in genealogy paperwork this weekend. A package from the National Archives containing the military records of my great-grandfather, Sidney J. Kelly, Sr. spilled over 100 photocopied pages across my table that probably have not been disturbed since the 1920's at a time when his widow was seeking assistance with pensions and death … Continue reading The Perils of Disproving Family Legends