A man who stole ancestors’ baptismal and marriage certificates to falsify his genealogy and thus be promoted to Knight of Honor and Devotion in the Order of Malta has been sentenced to two years in prison by Spain’s Supreme Court – A lot going on here, but I’m glad he got caught and sentenced.

Photo by Rusty Watson on Unsplash

The post Genealogy Roundup, April 17 appeared first on Megan Smolenyak.

Final Honors for a Fallen Hero – None other than Dan Rather wrote about a soldier who was recently identified from WWII.

A Plush Dog, Samurai Sword and 42,439 Guns: Inside an N.Y.P.D. Basement – NYPD’s lost and found is as strange as you probably expected.

Photo credit: Greg Johnson on Unsplash

The post Genealogy Roundup, February 21 appeared first on Megan Smolenyak.

In case you’re curious, no, I would never answer the door in my bathrobe (producers made me do that), but yes, that was my real life mailman, Vince!

The post Genealogy Roundup, July 28 appeared first on Megan Smolenyak.

Kiltmaker Kinloch Anderson’s long history in tartan reveals a fascinating success story – My genie friends of Scottish heritage might find this of interest.

BBC Radio Ulster: Finding a playwright in the family tree – I did an interview with BBC Radio Ulster (about my own roots for once!), so now I’m apparently Marian Smolenyak! My bit runs from 12:03 to 12:10.

Finding Adelia, Val Demings’s Great-Great-Grandmother – I became a little obsessed with Adelia, a great-great-grandmother of Representative Val Demings. Here’s what I was able to learn about her story.

A woman was hospitalized with covid-19. One of her aides turned out to be her long-lost sister – Even pandemics have their silver linings!

Blackstone Reaches $4.7 Billion Deal to Buy Ancestry.com – Wonder how this will play out in the genealogy world

Top Photo Credit: John Michael Thomson / Unsplash

The post Genealogy Roundup, August 5 appeared first on Megan Smolenyak.

Soldier Accounted For From World War II (Franco, P.) – Welcome home, Pvt. Porfirio “Junior” Carrasco Franco. Honored to have researched your family.

‘Game-Changer’ Warrant Let Detective Search Genetic Database – Grrrr …

“That’s a huge game-changer,” said Erin Murphy, a law professor at New York University. “The company made a decision to keep law enforcement out, and that’s been overridden by a court. It’s a signal that no genetic information can be safe.”

Soldier Accounted For From Korean War (Phy, H.) – Welcome home, CPL. Herman Raymond Phy. Honored to have researched your family.

The post Genealogy Roundup, November 6 appeared first on Megan Smolenyak.

These Grandmothers Are Recording Ukraine’s Folk Music Traditions | Atlas Obscura – Love this!

The post Genealogy Roundup, August 28 appeared first on Megan Smolenyak.

The post Genealogy Roundup, August 14 appeared first on Megan Smolenyak.

Beer Is Just One Reason Everyone Gets Along At Sugar Creek’s Annual Slavic Festival – OK, look. I’m happy to see them wearing kroje. But HELL TO THE NO, AN ELLIS ISLAND OFFICIAL DID NOT ADD THE O’ IN FRONT OF YOUR SLAVIC SURNAME!!!

*This has been a public service announcement from a fed up genealogist.*

NatGeo Discontinues Genographic Ancestry Kit Sales, Will Shutter Service by End of 2020 – RIP, NatGeo Genographic.

Woman Uncovers Family History At Lansdale Vintage Store  – Thank goodness she held on to these treasures.

Spanish-American War medal uncovered in Sarasota by man’s metal detector  – Another cool reunion tale.

Oprah’s Keynote at Statue of Liberty Museum Opening  – Oprah speaks at the opening of the Statue of Liberty Museum on May 15, 2019. Her initial comments pertain to Diane von Furstenberg (DVF) who spearheaded the efforts to raise funds for the museum.

She remarks on Lady Liberty’s long-held association with immigration and the American dream, but also addresses the myth vs. the reality – citing the fact that women couldn’t vote, the Chinese Exclusion Act, and Jim Crow. “Make no mistake,” she says, “Lady Liberty’s spirit of inclusion did not extend to people of color.”

Speaking of America’s path, she states, “The wheel is still in spin.” Her speech is ultimately a call to action reminding us that the quest for freedom and the American dream are up to us: “Freedom is what our ancestors died for, and it’s what they lived for, and what we must fight to preserve.”

Photo Credit: Mississippi State Penitentiary Photo Collections

The post Genealogy Roundup, June 12 appeared first on Megan Smolenyak.

Marie Kondo’s advice for decluttering threatens the cultural heritage of refugees like me – Not just for refugees – save the heirlooms!

The Louisiana Roots of Leah Chase, Queen of Creole Cuisine – In honor of Leah Lange Chase, a remarkable woman whose loss at 96 still feels too soon.

Reunited with family history – Diving for (family) treasure

O Say Can You See – Amazing resource for researching those who were enslaved in DC & MD, as well as others involved in their freedom lawsuits

The post Genealogy Roundup, June 5 appeared first on Megan Smolenyak.

Found: A Fancy Baby Boot From the 14th Century – You know you’re a genealogist when your first thought is whether they could do some DNA testing to learn more about the fancy baby.

We Tried To Find 10 BuzzFeed Employees Just Like Cops Did For The Golden State Killer – So many thoughts . . .

Dear Photograph –

96-year-old Mom Reunites with Daughter she was Forced to Give Up 82 Years Ago –   

Tim Schrandt of Ridgeway, Iowa – Too good not to share.

The post Genealogy Roundup, April 10 appeared first on Megan Smolenyak.