A Series of WWII Memoirs (4): William Carl Simpson (1908-1947)

Or, Subtitled: Not all veterans survived the war after they returned home This is the fourth in a series of memoirs I’m compiling, memoirs that focus on the World War II service of my father, his brother, and my mother’s brother and half-brother. This posting will talk about the WWII experiences of my mother’s half-brother … More A Series of WWII Memoirs (4): William Carl Simpson (1908-1947)

Some Notes on the New FamilySearch AI All-Text Search Tool

In my posting here two days ago, I noted that this past April, the quarterly newsletter of the Tuscaloosa County Alabama Genealogical Society published an article I had written discussing the new FamilySearch all-text search tool. The article was entitled “A.I. & Genealogical Research: FamilySearch Full Text” and was published in Roots and Branches 50,2 … More Some Notes on the New FamilySearch AI All-Text Search Tool

Family Stories and Surprising Ways New Documentation Can Confirm Them: The Story of Robert Allen Sumrall and Margaret and Catherine Ryan

Or, Subtitled: “May her soul rest in peis.” This posting tells a story. It tells a story about a story, one told to me in my formative years. It also tells a story about how sudden genealogical surprises can either confirm or disprove our long-cherished family traditions. So that we do well to keep ourselves … More Family Stories and Surprising Ways New Documentation Can Confirm Them: The Story of Robert Allen Sumrall and Margaret and Catherine Ryan

Samuel Kerr Green (1790-1860): Arkansas Territory Records, 1821-1833, and Brief Sojourn in Arkansas, 1821-2

Or, Subtitled: “Civilization had at last come to Arkansas. So overjoyed were the inhabitants that the community celebrated the first publication of the Arkansas Gazette with a barrel of whiskey” As I ended the previous posting, I told you that, having brought the story of Samuel Kerr Green up to 1830, when he ended his … More Samuel Kerr Green (1790-1860): Arkansas Territory Records, 1821-1833, and Brief Sojourn in Arkansas, 1821-2

Notes on Identifying Old Family Photos as a Genealogical Project: A “Gathering” of Batchelor Family Photos

Or, Subtitled: Mystery Photos of Two WWI Soldiers I’m going to take a short break from my current project of chronicling family lines descending from Thomas Brooks (abt. 1745 – 1805) and wife Margaret (probably Beaumont/Beamon) of Frederick and Wythe Counties, Virginia, to talk about another project on which I’ve recently been working. It’s a … More Notes on Identifying Old Family Photos as a Genealogical Project: A “Gathering” of Batchelor Family Photos

Family of Valentine Ryan and Bridget Tobin of County Kilkenny, Ireland, and Grant County, Arkansas: New Information

Or, Subtitled: Things Are Seldom Quite as Simple as One Would Like in Genealogical Research, Are They? Throwback Thursday they call it, right? This posting is a throwback to a series of posts I did in April 2018, which began with this posting entitled “In Memory of Valentine Ryan, Born in Co. Kilkenny, Ireland, Feb. 23, 1810, … More Family of Valentine Ryan and Bridget Tobin of County Kilkenny, Ireland, and Grant County, Arkansas: New Information

Children of Dennis Lindsey (1794-1836) and Jane Brooks: Martha Ann Lindsey Williams (1829-1914)

The Female School at old Richmond was under the control of Miss Martha Lindsey when I went there to school to Martin. Miss Martha was a remarkable woman in many respects. She was firm and determined, yet gentle and loving to her pupils. Strong of purpose, strong in the hearts of her pupils and strong … More Children of Dennis Lindsey (1794-1836) and Jane Brooks: Martha Ann Lindsey Williams (1829-1914)

Prob. Died Young, Or How Pat Ryan Lost His Eye (As a Union Soldier) (9)

This will be my final posting in this series about Patrick Ryan (1846-1893) and his Civil War pension file. If you’re just discovering this blog, you may want to read the whole series of which this is the final piece. What I want to do now is provide some footnotes to  previous postings in the … More Prob. Died Young, Or How Pat Ryan Lost His Eye (As a Union Soldier) (9)

Prob. Died Young, Or How Pat Ryan Lost His Eye (As a Union Soldier) (8)

I’m floundering a bit as I try to draw to a close this series of postings about Pat and Delilah Rinehart Ryan and their pension applications for Pat’s Civil War service and injuries. The problem is that the deeper I reach into the treasure trove of information this file contains, the more connections I’m spotting … More Prob. Died Young, Or How Pat Ryan Lost His Eye (As a Union Soldier) (8)