Family legends: the stories that tell us so much that is real, without telling us anything that is verifiably true.

The relatively short, happy life of one Dutch immigrant and his large family.

Progress! Thanks to a community effort!

My first "brick wall" finally gave way under dozens of snippets of information from newspapers... but now he may be someone else's Brick Wall, and I don't know how to find that person!

One of those rare, thrilling moments of collaboration set me off on a philosophical tangent. And now you get to read it!

Not a lot of information survived the years, but we can set a marker down and keep studying. There is always more to learn.

Even when the destination is clear, the journey might be difficult. In this case, the destination is not clear, and may not exist yet... or may only exist in the past.

Picking up where our story of John H. Callin left off, his wife, Amanda Walker, saw the world change drastically between her girlhood in the 1880s and her death during the Great Depression.

No biography is as straightforward as we pretend - but some have more layers than others.

Our ancestors often lived in the margins of history, and even those who left few records can teach us a lot, if we're willing to study the context.

Asking for help is merely hard - but apparently, nobody knows how to do what I'm asking for help with!

The biography of John H. Callin has layers that shift in meaning, depending on how deeply you examine the records and artifacts he left behind.

Welcome back, cousins! I took the summer off from regular writing, partly to recharge and partly to push ahead on some things that would be much less interesting to write about incrementally. Over the coming weeks, you'll read about some of my progress and setbacks, and I'll continue posting the Ahnentafel series and updates on my Callan One Name Study.

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Welcome to a wrap-up/overview of the previous eight weeks! What interesting patterns do we see in each generation? Let's compare them!

Some updates on my progress gathering data for the Callan One Name Study. #onenamestudies

Today's main source is the kind of thing many of us put off writing - our own memories. They are an imperfect, but vital, source for getting to know our ancestors.

As I prepare to write about a family with a unique faith tradition, let's explore what makes discussing American faith traditions so fraught.

Only a mid-century Midwesterner can pack such an unassuming biography with so many unique details. Here we go, Howie!

Another notable Callan - and this one should feel right at home during Pride Month.

"What's an 'Ahnentafel'?" you ask - read this introductory post for my explanation. Hildur Leander was the second of six children born to Gustaf Hugo Waldemar Leander and Ingeborg Olesdatter (or Swedahl) in Brooklyn, New York. Her father, Gust, had immigrated from Sweden in 1882, when he was 18. Ingeborg's family was from Norway, and they began migrating to Minnesota after 1880, when Ingeborg's older brother, Erik, brought his wife to Todd County.

Our family may not quite look like yours, but we're proud of our kids and the lives we've put together. Here's to celebrating those differences.

Welcome to the biography of our Ahnentafel's first American Immigrant! Arvid William Holmquist, born in Sweden in 1880.

Major behind-the-scenes effort this month. I still have a lot to do to get this One Name Study rolling!

Just looking at the simple facts of their biographies isn't enough; you have to look at everyone around them to see the story of Don and Esther.

What makes a person "notable" may not make them famous, but finding something interesting to write about is often its own reward.

A little late, and a little short - but a full biography of a full life, nonetheless!

Donald Trump is playing the distract and delay game again.

The concept of "honor" is almost never what people want you to think it is.

People who care, people who don't. Un-realism and ignore-ance. If you aren’t comfortable now, why were you comfortable before?

Mary McCullough saw some hard times, but otherwise led a quiet life. One can only speculate how she felt about it all.

Behind the scenes is no way to work - so here's the first of (I hope) many updates on my #OneNameStudy progress.

Putin’s appearance at Moscow’s anemic Victory Day parade was a painful display of nostalgia stained by denial.

Alt: Animated GIF of a man using Word on a laptop and saying, "Get Out Of Here, Clippy!"

When we look back at the lives our ancestors led, how much do we project our lives onto theirs? How do they compare? And how much of that comparison holds up to scrutiny?

His sons and grandchildren remembered him for us, but we have to read between the lines to find out the arc of his story.

Welcome to a wrap-up/overview of the previous eight weeks! What interesting patterns do we see in each generation? Let's compare them!

This week, I'd like to hear from you: What treasured musical heritage ties you to your ancestors? A particular hymn or song? Do you have any professional musicians in your tree? Let me know!