This month's issue is much more lopsided than usual as you'll find quite a bit pertaining to the work I do assisting the U.S. Army with the identification of our soldiers who are still unaccounted for from WWI, WWII, Korea, and Southeast Asia. That's because it's one of the many government services that was brought to a screeching halt. The good news is that there was enough of a reaction that it's been resuscitated and bonus - we finally get to lean more heavily on SNPs than STRs (for genetic genealogy fans!). Specifics remain vague, but I'm happy to be back trying to bring our soldiers home for the time being.
Of course, that's not all there is! I've decided to share another genealogy classic and this one is apt to ruffle a few feathers as I suspect my perspective puts me in the minority. See what you think when you read the feature article "Enough with the Famous Cousins Already!" You'll also find a thoughtful article about dealing with sentimental objects, a terrific orphan heirloom story, a cool networking tool, and as always, my girl, Annie Moore of Ellis Island (if you've had a chance to read my book, your review would be much appreciated!).
Until next time!
Genealogy Classic: Enough with the Famous Cousins Already!
(AI-generated family tree using a combination of ChatGPT and Whisk)
In just the past week, we’ve been regaled with the supposedly startling revelations that:
Halle Berry and Sarah Palin are cousins
Barack Obama and Mitt Romney are related
Justin Bieber, Avril Lavigne, Ryan Gosling and Celine Dion are all cousins
My reaction to all this can probably best be summed up by this chapter title from my latest book: Barack Obama and Sarah Palin Are Related – *Yawn*
As I explain in that chapter after listing a similar set of famous cousins:
“What are the odds? Oh, about 100%. Well, maybe not 100%. I should probably refrain from addressing one form of hyperbole with another, so I’ll temper my last statement and reduce the odds to 95%. And in the interest of full disclosure, I have to confess that I’m also guilty of participation. The Barack Obama-Brad Pitt (ninth cousins) connection was my doing, so I haven’t exactly been an innocent bystander in the “I can’t believe they’re related” game. But I’m over it, and I hope everyone else is too.”*
The Quest for Annie Moore of Ellis Island – You know I can’t help but remind you of Annie Moore on St. Patrick’s Day! I hope you’ll consider reading about the Irish teenager who was the first to arrive at Ellis Island and what it took to uncover her story. ☘️ 🗽
Arlington Cemetery website drops links for Black, Hispanic, and women veterans – So it turns out one of the soldiers I researched for a posthumous Medal of Honor (Henry Johnson, WWI) is part of this scrubbing. Update: Many people are remarking about online grave memorials. Sites like Findagrave are non-governmental, so they’ll remain, but if you read the article, you’ll see that what’s happening is that his story is being erased from tours at the cemetery.
The Network Of Time – So this isn’t genealogical, but it’s a fun, visual 6-degrees game. I just tried it with Dolly Parton and Alan Rickman and it linked them in 3 photos. Good practice for spotting unexpected connections!
On January 1, 1892, Annie Moore of Ireland tripped into the pages of history and became the poster child of immigration by being the first to arrive at Ellis Island. And then she disappeared. Adding insult to injury, a different Annie Moore usurped her place in history decades later. Now – 150 years after her birth and 100 years after her death – a determined genealogist finally sets the record straight and reveals the true story of Ellis Island’s first.
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