What a difference two decades make
By Megan Smolenyak
In April of 2001, a miracle occurred. Well, it certainly seemed that way at the time. The Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation (SOLEIF) opened the American Family Immigration History Center (AFIHC), launching an online database — digitized and indexed — of the passenger records of millions of immigrants who … [Read more...] about Happy 20th Anniversary,
Ellis Island Immigrant Database!
Megan Smolenyak
Happy 20th Anniversary,
Finding Your Irish Roots
Is Easier Than Ever Before
By Megan Smolenyak
Now is the time to get all your documents together so that when the time is right to visit Ireland and discover your ancestors you are ready to go.
More and more Irish genealogical sites are now online, including parish records, so you can do the research here, and as soon as you land you can head straight for that place from whence your ancestors … [Read more...] about Finding Your Irish Roots
Is Easier Than Ever Before
John Lennon and Me
(20 years behind)
By Megan Smolenyak
As the rest of the world commemorates what would have been John Lennon’s 80th birthday, I celebrate my 60th. More or less confined at home. Not the circumstances I would have chosen, but just about all of us are apt to have pandemic-impaired birthdays, so no complaints. Still, a milestone like this makes one reflect, and the lack of distraction makes it … [Read more...] about John Lennon and Me
(20 years behind)
Famous Genealogist Solves Her Own Family’s Mystery
Solving a long-held family history mystery leads to an enigmatic playwright By Megan Smolenyak I couldn’t understand it. My nana had an amazing memory. As a professional genealogist, I’m more aware than most that we should take our family lore with a grain of salt. Whether deliberately or accidentally, it’s distorted as it travels through the generations, but … [Read more...] about Famous Genealogist Solves Her Own Family’s Mystery
Gold Fever: The Shiny, Shady Past of Katy Perry’s Irish Great-Great-Grandmother
She came from a gold-obsessed family, so perhaps it wasn’t so surprising when the treasure bag was found in Hannah’s water closet. But what was this Galway girl even doing in San Francisco? ℘℘℘ Anyone who’s ever dabbled in genealogy knows that certain forebears call louder than others – even when they’re not your own. While researching Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson – better known … [Read more...] about Gold Fever: The Shiny, Shady Past of Katy Perry’s Irish Great-Great-Grandmother