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Honoring Our Ancestors
June 15, 2011
www.honoringourancestors.com
www.rootstelevision.com

Greetings Fellow Family History Sleuths,

Genealogy can take you to unexpected places. Four years ago, I traced the roots of then-candidate Obama to a village called Moneygall in Ireland. I never would have imagined then that this research would eventually lead to me being personally thanked by the Obamas and Kennys (Irish Prime Minister and his wife) in Ireland, but that's exactly what happened on May 23rd. Can't tell you how much I loved hearing the g-word in a Presidential speech! Here's wishing you your own entirely unexpected genealogical adventures this month!

Megan

Hr

Meeting President Obama in Ireland

Meeting Obama in Ireland

For a genealogist who is so diligent about discovering the lives of others, I am spectacularly bad at recording my own. If it weren't for Facebook and Twitter, I'd hardly remember what I did last week, but this past week is definitely worth remembering so I've decided to post some photos and a brief video to my blog to help retain the memory.

Back in early 2007, I traced Barack Obama's roots to a small town in Ireland by the name of Moneygall. On May 23, 2011, he visited there to meet his distant cousins and pay tribute to his Irish heritage. I also traveled to Ireland and had the opportunity to meet the President and First Lady, as well as the first couple of Ireland, Taoisearch Enda Kenny and his wife, Fionnuala.

Click here to view photos and a video that capture some of those moments.

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Hr

Genealogy Round Up, May 19

Buzzy Jackson and I both interviewed with TaRhonda Thomas of 9news in Denver re: genealogy
Who do you think you are? Tracing your family's roots | 9news.com

Another Irish Obama song -- this one's a reel. Fun video, too.
Barack Obama Reel

Any fellow Bones fans out there? If so, this might interest you: What Kind of Name Is Boreanaz? 
What Kind of Name Is Boreanaz?

Ahoj, Jozef! (former mayor of the village all Smolenyaks come from) And thanks, Thom Kolton
A few words from Jozef Smoleňak

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Hr

Genealogy Round Up, June 2

Irish American Barack Obama Heartily Welcomed Home

Know anyone 50+ who'd like some help from me with their family history?
Discover Your Roots Sweepstakes

Can I ask y'all a favor? If you're part Irish, if you're familiar with Annie Moore (first immigrant through Ellis Island), if you support historical venues & resources, if you're descended from immigrants(!), pls "like" this Cobh, The Queenstown Story page (the Irish counterpart to Ellis Island):
http://www.facebook.com/cobhthequeenstownstory

National Archives Names First Wikipedian In Residence

The World's Most Creative Marriage Proposal? A Graffiti Mural Time Lapse.

Think they're finally realizing this might not be such a bad thing?
'Blue Bloods,' 'Dancing with the Stars' among oldest-skewing shows

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Hr

Genealogy Round Up, June 9

Wow, one of my Army cases from 2002. RIP, Cpl. Moore.
Local soldier to be buried - NewsandSentinel.com | News, Sports, Jobs, Community Information

Shared the front page of local paper (Haddonfield Sun) with a tree!
http://t.co/RLX4cWB

Julian, Adrian Riester, Buffalo-Born Twin Friars, Die On Same Day At Age 92

Like the sound of this latest genealogy TV show
UKTV signs first product placement deal | Media | guardian.co.uk

I used the original Chef Boiardi as a naturalization example in my Who Do You Think You Are? how-to genealogy book!
Chef Boyardee's granddaughter writes a family cookbook/history

Thank goodness for the scrapyard owner. I think the women should be "sentenced" to place flags at local cemeteries each Memorial Day for the next 5 years. Commemorative military gravemarkers stolen from local cemeteries
Stolen from a graveyard, found at Philly scrapyard

Woman, 100, has bank account dating to 1913

Say it isn't so!
The 'Jersey Shore' cast traveling across Italy to discover past

Great read!
The Time Traveler's Guide to Medieval England: A Handbook for Visitors to the Fourteenth Century

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Hr

Upcoming Events

If you plan to be near any of the events where I'll be speaking, I would love to meet you. It's always a kick for me when folks mention that they read this newsletter, my blog, Huffington Post or whatever, so don't be shy about introducing yourself!

For more information on these events, please see my Events Calendar. And if you're interested in scheduling me, just click here.

  • June 18, 2011 - Homerville, GA - Huxford Genealogical Society - "Remembering Our Ancestors," "Cases That Made My Brain Hurt," "Cold Cases: Genealogist, Coroner and the FBI" and "Reverse Genealogy: Techniques for Finding Your Lost Loved Ones"
  • October 8, 2011 - Salt Lake City, UT - American Society of Genealogists - "Giving Back: A Look at 10 Years of Genealogy Grants"
  • February 8, 2012 - Princeton, NJ - Present Day Club
  • May 19, 2012 - Valley View, OH - East Cuyahoga County Genealogical Society - "Trace Your Roots with DNA," "Reverse Genealogy: Techniques for Finding Your Lost Loved Ones," "Find The Obituary! Online Newspaper Research" and "Cases That Made My Brain Hurt"

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