Posts By: whuskonen

What Do Those Numbers Mean in Census Records?

One thing leads to another in genealogy. I was researching an uncle (by marriage), Waino Aleksanteri Seppelin, who came to this country from Finland in 1910 and very shortly got a job as a laborer in a steel mill in Warren, Trumbull, Ohio, USA. Waino eventually worked into the better-paying job of “heater.” His census

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MyHeritage to be Acquired by Private Equity Firm Francisco Partners

I am a subscriber to MyHeritage.com, a genealogical database provider that has helped me connect with cousins in Finland, from which my paternal grandparents emigrated to America in 1902 and 1903. I am a subscriber because MyHeritage, which is based in Israel, has aggressively marketed its services in Europe, including Finland. Yesterday (24 Feb 2021),

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Genealogical Crime Mysteries – A New Genre

I have been involved in genealogical research for about 25 years. For the last half dozen years, I have been using DNA testing to find relatives. I also enjoy reading detective novels. When I set out to write this review of The Chester Creek Murders, by Nathan Dylan Goodwin, I discovered that there is a

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My Genealogy Beginnings Happened in Salt Lake City

Nearly 25 years ago, I was on a business trip to Salt Lake City, Utah. At the end of the day’s scheduled activities, my business colleague announced that he wanted to visit the LDS Family History Library (www.familysearch.org/locations/saltlakecity-library) to do some research. Since I had nothing planned for the evening, I decided to tag along.

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Collecting Death Certificates–Payoffs and Pitfalls

Who, what, where and when are key questions that are answered by genealogical records. In the following discussion, we are adding two more questions: why and how. Who to collect death certificates for: ● Direct ancestors are a top priority. ● Ancillary ancestors are a second priority. ● Obtaining death certificates is becoming more costly.

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Did the Pandemic Kill Christmas Cards?

2020 probably was a terrible year for Christmas Card sales. At least my experience would indicate that is was. I received only 1 Christmas letter this year via the U.S. Postal Service. Ordinarily, I would receive a half dozen letters from family and friends. I received only two Christmas cards, and one was hand-delivered to

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Found! My Military ID Card from 1962

I recently was doing some sorting and disposing of boxes and clutter in the attic. I found a box of black and white negatives for photography that I took in the 1960s. I moved this collection to my craft room for sorting and curating. Will I find some negatives that are worth printing out as

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FamilySearch.org Points to Mayflower Ancestors

Today, I received an email from FamilySearch.org: “You Have a Mayflower Heritage! “Discover your Mayflower connection, and learn about the sacrifices your relative made for religious freedom and greater opportunities as he helped shape the new world.” When I clicked on the View Relationship link, it led me to my relationship with Stephen Hopkins, my 10th great-grandfather. I

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Binge Watching Life Stories of CNN Personalities

I recently stumbled onto the following series of family history stories. It was broadcast in 2014, but I found it interesting and relevant nevertheless. The link below will give you access if you want to check it out. Note: you will have to endure some commericals. ROOTS: OUR JOURNEYS HOME” kicks off Sunday, October 12th,

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2020: Anniversary Year of the Mayflower

Who’d a thunk it? As a third-generation Finnish-American with a Finnish surname I inherited from my paternal grandparents, I would seem to be an unlikely candidate for membership in the Grand Society of Mayflower Descendents. Yet, I believe that Stephen Hopkins, a Mayflower passenger, and a Plymouth Colony stalwart, is my tenth great grandfather. On

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