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.
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.
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.
This week's Roundup brings us pictures from a unique and memorable honeymoon, a matching grant challenge to preserve WWI memorials, and an interview with Australian comedian, Nick Cody.
Easily one of the most popular and reliable box office performers today, actress, comedian, producer, and now fashion designer Melissa McCarthy has a lot to be proud of. Following a string of hits, she’s now part of the long-anticipated Ghostbusters dream team of Leslie Jones, Kate McKinnon, and Kristen Wiig. While they’re all ghostbusting, I thought I’d do a little ghost-searching – that is, for the ancestors who populate McCarthy’s family tree – and here’s what I learned.
Cecilia Chien was told by her father that her family was descended from a king of the 10th century. She began investigating her roots in 2002 and discovered that she is a 38th generation descendant of King Chien (852-932) who founded a prosperous kingdom in the Yangzi delta. Her goal is to write an account, “1,000 Years of a Chinese Family,” an odyssey back to the land of her parents. She will be visiting China this year to further her research. Cecilia requested and received funding to cover half of her round-trip airfare to Shanghai for her fieldwork.
Becky Shuff, one of the Q2 2016 Seton Shields Genealogy Grant recipients, undertook the role of caretaker for Terry Cemetery in Victor, WV. She was approved by a local correctional facility for the provision of six inmates and one guard to help with the upkeep of this cemetery, with her responsibility being the provision of equipment and meals for the inmates and guard. So for the first time ever, this grant is for a lawnmower.
This week: Explore a mystery mansion for sale in London, watch a suspense trailer for the New York Public Library (somebody had fun making this and it's fun to watch, too!), TLC announces that Who Do You Think You Are? will return for a ninth season, and much more . . .
This week, explore a unique town in Ohio founded by a freed slave from Virginia as well as a treasure trove of Civil War photos, get a genealogy lesson from Michelle Obama, and learn what one community did to remember unclaimed persons.
This week, a look at the burial site of George Washington's grandma, some of the individual stories of unclaimed persons in New York City, keeping the memories of loved ones alive, and much, much more!
