Discover how city directories reveal ancestors' working lives, family relationships, and neighborhood connections beyond what census records show. Learn research strategies for mining genealogical gol...

Discover how childhood mystery books like Nancy Drew, Encyclopedia Brown, and The Westing Game forged essential detective skills for genealogical research and why "playtime" makes us better family his...

Discover how Irish ancestors navigated Brooklyn's crime-filled streets in the 1860s-70s through newspaper accounts of robbery, theft, and survival in immigrant communities.

Five immigrant families traded Europe's endless skies for America's tenements and steel towns. From Kerry plains to Brooklyn and Johnstown - environmental transformation and American dreams.

Discover the remarkable story of William Dowling, a young man from Listowel, County Kerry, who left Ireland in 1857 aboard the Emerald Isle to start a new life in Brooklyn, New York.

Discover the rich Byzantine Catholic traditions of my Slovak and Polish ancestors, from sacred sacraments to holiday customs. A personal journey through immigrant faith practices that preserved ancien...

Discover 3 essential lessons from surprising DNA cousin matches, including a dramatic phone call revelation and Swedish family tree connections.

Discover how Irish immigrant Peter Plunkett transformed from junk dealer to paper manufacturer, building a Brooklyn business empire that supported 11 children and multiple generations. A remarkable #5...

Discover two great-great-grandmothers named Anastasia who lived under Austrian rule in the 1800s. Both carried a name meaning 'resurrection' - one emigrated from Slovakia to Pennsylvania, the other di...

Discover how the FAN Club research method reveals extraordinary family networks through the Plunkett-Dowling story: 10 people, one house, and 120+ years of cooperation in Brooklyn

Discover how Swedish, Irish, and Slovak fathers across generations shaped one family's destiny. Plus expert tips for researching paternal genealogy lines.

Discover how three generations celebrated weddings in the same Byzantine Catholic church from 1945-1970s. A beautiful story of faith, tradition, family, and enduring love across decades.

A heartwarming reunion love story spanning 35+ years - from teenage sweethearts in a church youth group to finding each other again through Facebook and falling in love all over again.

After 5+ years of virtual genealogy conferences, I'm finally attending my first in-person NGS conference in Louisville! Follow along as this veteran virtual attendee discovers the magic of face-to-fac...

Honoring Paul and Stephen Marcisak, two brothers who volunteered for WWII service before Pearl Harbor. Their letters home tell forgotten stories of courage and sacrifice."

Discover how finding my grandfather's 1940 car documents revealed his secret life as a roadster-driving young man—a side of him two generations never knew existed, and how his automotive past unexpect...

A nostalgic journey through five decades of library memories, from childhood summers at Lynbrook Public Library to school libraries and specialized genealogy collections. Follow my path from Nancy Dre...

Discover the story of Percy Jones Hospital, where my grandfather George Dubinsky served in 1945, and how this massive military medical center in Battle Creek, Michigan cared for thousands of wounded W...

Discover the breakthrough genealogical research methods I learned at OGS Conference 2025 from experts like Judy Russell and Michael Lacopo. From indirect evidence techniques to DNA methodology, these ...

The second full day of the Ohio Genealogical Society Conference filled my head with new ideas, resources, and strategies! Five information-packed sessions left me with pages of notes, a growing to-do ...

April 29, 2025 As I prepare for my 3.5-hour drive from Cincinnati to Sandusky for the Ohio Genealogical Society’s annual conference, I’m feeling that familiar mix of excitement and anticipation that c...

Introduction Remember that story I shared about the mysterious Mr. Max? If you missed it, I introduced you to one of my family’s most enduring mysteries—the identity of Clifford Max’s father, born in ...

Family stories are the heartbeat of genealogy. They spark our curiosity, connect us to our past, and often set us on the path of discovery. As I reflect on the first fifteen weeks of my #52Ancestors p...

#52Ancestors – Week 15 – Big Mistake Oh, the mistakes we make when we’re just starting out! When I first began my genealogical journey, I was bright-eyed and eager—perhaps a bit too eager. I’d found c...

For Week 14 of #52Ancestors There’s something uniquely challenging and rewarding about researching ancestors who spoke a language different from your own. As someone who has spent countless hours pori...

For Week 13 of #52Ancestors – Theme: Home Sweet Home When we talk about “home,” what really makes a house a home? Is it the physical structure, the people inside it, or the memories created there? For...

Week 12 of #52Ancestors Challenge: Historical Events When we think of “historical events,” our minds often jump to world wars, presidential elections, or groundbreaking scientific discoveries. But his...

Hello again, fellow ancestry detectives! Remember back in February when I shared my quest to uncover my Swedish roots? Well, grab a cup of coffee (or perhaps some Swedish glögg if you’re feeling festi...

Have you ever wondered what it would be like if your sister married your husband’s brother? Two families joining together not once, but twice? I’ve always been fascinated by this unique connection in ...

The Final Stretch Today was the final day of RootsTech 2025, and I’m officially genealogied-out (if that’s not a word, it should be!). I dragged myself out of bed at 8 AM to start my day a recorded se...

After yesterday’s genealogical marathon, you might think I’d be ready for a break. But no—Day 2 of RootsTech 2025 found me back at my desk (still in pajamas, naturally), coffee in hand, eager to absor...

Join my pajama-clad RootsTech 2025 virtual adventure! Discover how I conquered 50+ genealogy sessions from my home office, organized my conference calendar madness, and uncovered game-changing researc...

This week’s #52Ancestors prompt is “Family Secrets,” and it got me thinking about the stories we choose to tell—and those we don’t. Have you ever wondered what secrets your ancestors kept? What storie...

A #52Ancestors project exploration of chain migration through one Swedish family’s experience When three siblings from Kristianstad län, Sweden set sail for America in the 1920s, they became part of t...

“My baby, just a wrote me a letter…”[1] #52Ancestors – Letters and Diaries Letters are a goldmine for genealogical research. Unlike dry official records, letters capture the raw emotions, everyday exp...

#52Ancestors – Surprises They always say, “Start with what you know,” right? Seems easy enough… but what if you don’t know much at all? What if what you thought you knew turns out to be full of surpri...

Chasing my Swedish Roots

Family history is often like a puzzle—some pieces fit perfectly, while others seem to be missing altogether. For years, Julia Dubinsky was one of those missing pieces. No one knew exactly when she had...

This week’s #52ancestors theme is nicknames, and while we really don’t have too many nicknames in our family, my first thought was to write about my maternal grandparents, Moms and Pops. That’s them, ...

Sometimes, a single photograph can hold an entire world of memories, emotions, and history. For me, that world is captured in a snapshot taken when I was just three days old in 1969. This photo is my ...

Starting this blog feels like opening a time capsule, full of stories waiting to be uncovered. Here, I’ll share my research, discoveries, and maybe some tips for those interested in genealogy. I hope ...