I thought I had a pretty darn good idea of the process Portuguese immigrants went through during the sugar plantation era. They signed a contact to work on a plantation while still at home. The applied for a passport. They got on the ship and were listed on the ship manifest. They arrived in Honolulu…
Memorial Day Tribute To Uncle Charlie
If you are a regular visitor to my blog, you have probably heard me mention Uncle Charlie, my Dad’s brother who died in World War II. I wrote about the events that lead to his death in The Sinking of the Liscome Bay. Since I wrote that post, some family stories and new records have…
The 1906 Earthquake and Fire: My Great Grandmother’s Story
I’ve been sorting through old letters that my Grandma Shellabarger wrote me. Many are not noteworthy. Hello, how are you? and nothing more. Others contain tidbits of her life. In one particular letter, she shared with me her mother’s recollection of the moment the 1906 San Francisco earthquake struck. It was one moment that change…
My First Impressions of the 1950 US Census
It’s here! It’s here! It’s here! The long awaited 1950 U.S. Federal Census was released April 1st and I’ve been diving in ever since. I thought I’d share some of my first impressions as I’ve spent several hours wading around these records. Less Information But More Bonus Opportunities Researchers will probably be disappointed that fewer…
I’m A Winner!
This is a little belated, but I want to give a shout out to Daniel Loftus at Daniel’s Genealogy. He had a contest in which he gave away two free Ancestry.com All Access 1 Year Subscriptions and I won one!!! I have never had an All Access subscription, so this is pretty exciting stuff! You…