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About Megan Smolenyak

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So far Megan Smolenyak has created 1179 blog entries.

Genealogy Roundup, September 7

By |2016-09-07T10:56:53-04:00September 7th, 2016|Books, Celebrities, Family History, Genealogy Roundup, Human Interest|

In this week's Roundup, read about a woman who, inspired by a memoir of her grandfather found after his death, delved deeply into the world of her great-grandfather, a prominent portrait painter in Warsaw in the early-to-mid-20th century. Also this week: old documents which had lain in a bottle for more than 60 years tell about life, death, and love as seen through the eyes of a young girl called Hanna, a Who Do You Think You Are? retrospective, Melissa McCarthy, Irish Civil Registration records, and more . . .

Genealogy Roundup, August 31

By |2016-08-31T11:11:42-04:00August 31st, 2016|Genealogy Roundup, Human Interest, Military, Research|

In this week's Roundup: dream over Russian window art (stunning!), read the stories of some Missouri adoptees who were able to learn their biological parents' identities thanks to passage of a recent law, check out the world's tallest cemetery, and much more.

Genealogy Roundup, August 24

By |2016-08-24T12:16:03-04:00August 24th, 2016|Celebrities, DNA / Genetic Genealogy, Genealogy Roundup, History, Human Interest, Immigration, Military|

In this week's Roundup, get your funny bone tickled with an Ellis Island cartoon, explore a tattoo shop formerly frequented by medieval pilgrims (and still in the same business!), check out two family sagas you might enjoy reading, and more.

Genealogy Roundup, August 10

By |2016-08-10T10:34:48-04:00August 10th, 2016|DNA / Genetic Genealogy, Genealogy Roundup, Human Interest|

This week: a heartwarming video about the trans-Atlantic reunion of sisters who never knew of each other (made possible by DNA, with a little help from Ancestry.com and British Airways), the man who named the Buffalo Bills, empty mansions, and more.

Tim Kaine Ancestral Samplings

By |2016-08-09T11:38:47-04:00August 9th, 2016|Celebrities, Family History, Human Interest, Immigration, Research|

I recently took a peek into the family tree of Tim Kaine in a piece that combined a big-picture perspective with a mini-saga of the Kaine branch. During the course of my research, though, I came across other random tidbits of interest, so thought I’d share them clustered by branch of the family tree.

What the Family Tree of Tim Kaine Has in Common with Downton Abbey

By |2016-08-04T13:35:12-04:00August 4th, 2016|Celebrities, Family History, Immigration, Research|

No sooner had Hillary Clinton announced Tim Kaine as her running mate than articles on his roots began to appear – mostly about his inherent Irishness. But what else was there to learn?

Genealogy Roundup, August 3

By |2016-08-03T11:19:06-04:00August 3rd, 2016|DNA / Genetic Genealogy, Genealogy Roundup, History, Human Interest|

In this week's Roundup: Ukrainian flower crowns (gorgeous! be sure to click through to the gallery in the photo credit), ancestry tourism, a juxtaposition of portraits and genetic ancestry from Brazil, talking statues, and more.

Hillary Clinton’s Celtic Roots

By |2016-07-27T12:49:57-04:00July 27th, 2016|Celebrities, Family History, Human Interest, Immigration, Research|

When it was announced that Hillary Rodham Clinton would be inducted into the Irish America Hall of Fame in 2015 for her work on the Irish peace process, it was inevitable that I would explore the branches of her family tree, but it wasn’t the first time. Having delved into her roots in years past, I was familiar with the basics, but when I took a deeper dive into the Welsh portion of her heritage, I discovered that it’s rather surprising that Hillary Rodham Clinton exists at all.

Genealogy Roundup, July 20

By |2016-07-20T12:20:52-04:00July 20th, 2016|Family History, Genealogy Roundup, Human Interest|

In this week's Roundup, read about a 90-year-old man who's digitized over a million records at FamilySearch -- what a great help to people looking to explore their family history! Also this week, explore an island with a dark past, check out the new Ellis Island artwork gracing a building in Tribeca, find out the "latest" in baby names, and more.

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