FamilySearch.org has the San Francisco County coroner’s records. These records are as insightful as they are disturbing. Rarely do we get an actual account of our ancestor’s death. It makes these records one of a kind. What’s In The Coroner’s Records? The Coroner’s Office detailed what they found at the scene of the death in…
Tag: Death Records
52 Ancestors, Week 10: Killed in a Wind Storm
It is time for the next 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks post. This week the theme is weather. I have written about this story before, but as I can think of no other weather related event that affected my ancestors at this time, I’ll repeat it. San Francisco and San Mateo are known for their…
Did the de Braga Family Meet the Same Fate as the de Mellos?
I remember when I showed my grandma this photo of her mother-in-law several years ago. Her comments come to me today. She said “Look at how her eyes droop. That’s from malnutrition. Poor Voe.” Voe being the Portuguese word for grandmother. I didn’t think much about it at the time, but it has crossed my…
No More Descendants to Follow in my Mello Tree
When the records for Maia, Ribeira Grande, Sao Miguel Island came online, I was so excited. Finally, I would be able to fill in some gaps in my tree. One of my hopes was to find out if my ancestors, Felicianno de Mello and Rosa Boteilho, had anymore children that I might be able to…
Why did all these children die in Maia in 1861?
I’m working through the Obitos (death records) for the village of Maia, Ribeira Grande, Sao Miguel Island, Azores. Sometimes death records can be depressing. They also present questions that can’t really be answered unless someone has written a history of the area. Case in point, I am working on the 1860s. In 1860, there were…