Greetings Fellow Family History Sleuths,

Welcome to 2023!

In spite of the holidays, the last month has been a busy one for me, so there's plenty to share. Those of you who have been doing genealogy for a while will enjoy articles by Dick Eastman (27 years with his newsletter!) and John Grenham, both long-established genealogical gurus I hold in great esteem. On the other end of the spectrum, I encountered Marcel the Shell, a newcomer to the family quest world (watch the trailer to get a sense if he's new to you as well). In between, I helped out my journalist friend, Sean Kirst, with another one of his heart-warming stories, and CNN with one that was, well, less so. And of course, since it's January, I've got to shout out my girl, Annie, the Irish lass who was first at Ellis Island, by including a lovely song by the Corrs that also shouts Annie out!

Until next time, hoping that you stay warm and find lots of ancestors!

Ellis Island by the Corrs

Thinking of 17-year-old Annie Moore from Cork, Ireland, the first immigrant to arrive at Ellis Island - 131 years ago on January 1, 1892. 🗽

"Six minute medical Leaving no chalk on me Goodbye, Ellis Island, hello land of free"

Wishing you and yours a 2023 full of fresh beginnings. 🥂

Click here to watch.

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Genealogy Roundup, January 18

Photo Credit: Herrick District Library under Creative Commons license

This Newsletter is 27 Years Old! – So much has changed over the decades I've been a genealogist, but one constant - for 27 years now! - is Dick Eastman's newsletter. And I'm so grateful. All these years later, every issue still has fresh content. And as he explains in this particular one, it takes something as extreme as his crashing a plane into treetops and falling 80 feet to the ground to make him miss even a single one (😮). Now *that's* dedication!

If you want to stay on top of the latest and greatest and aren't already subscribing, do yourself a favor and do so.

Thanks a million, Dick! 🙏

7 Things You Didn’t Know about Hakeem Jeffries’ Roots – This article is genealogical, but about a political figure, so if that doesn't appeal to you, please simply ignore this. For the rest, I hope you'll find this interesting! 🙏

Julia Roberts Isn't a Roberts – I recall one of Julia Roberts’ cousins being very disturbed when I wrote this HuffPo article about her not really being a Roberts back in 2011. People within the same family can respond very differently to this kind of revelation.

"I'm just gonna put down Pacman." – Before you groan, note that it's Pasczmasciuz who's changing his own name!

Royalty Inside My DNA – You and a few million others. 😆🧬

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Genealogy Roundup, January 11

Photo Credit: A24 via YouTube

Marcel The Shell With Shoes On – Bet you didn't know that you wanted to watch a movie about a shell with shoes searching for his family. Meet Marcel. 🐚👟👟

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Genealogy Roundup, January 4

Photo Credit: Dave Shea under Creative Commons license

How Death Masks Blur the Lines Between Art, Mourning, and Remembrance – Quite the read. “A person might be dead for 400 years, and you can still see the wrinkles fan out from their eyes without the intermediary of a painter’s brush.”

Sean Kirst: For Henry Wesley, the greatest Christmas gift: Family he never knew – A warm story from a very cold place. 🥶 Hoping Henry, Jean, and all those in Buffalo are all safe and cozy. 🙏

Incoming congressman’s claims his grandparents fled the Holocaust contradicted by genealogy records – Helped CNN out with a little sleuthing. Imagine claiming this about your family when it simply isn’t true.

Tammy Hepps came to Pittsburgh to research the Jews of Homestead and found Jeff Goldblum – 👏👏👏, Tammy Hepps!

I had the wonderful experience of discovering my very first book on the shelves of a bookstore at Tattered Cover - by accident during a snowstorm after helping a friend move to Denver. Several years later, I had the privilege of speaking there when one of my later books was released. What a loss for all of us, but what a stunning legacy Joyce Meskis has left. We are all so fortunate that she graced our lives.

I used DNA analysis to find my birth family and it sent me across three continents – A lovely and intriguing genetic genealogy adoption tale with solid advice.

Grief and genealogy and ‘The Lost Words’ – Moving essay by John Grenham (Irish Ancestors).

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