Although I never lived there, Tamaqua, Pennsylvania, where my parents grew up, is very dear to me. Located in Schuylkill County in northeastern Pennsylvania, Tamaqua was a coal and railroad town. It was settled in 1799 by my ancestor Burkhardt Moser. Tamaqua has a historical society (of which one...
General

An “Easter Egg” in Some Pittsburgh Church Records
Sometimes in computer software we find an Easter egg–“an intentional inside joke, a hidden message, or a secret feature of an interactive work (often, a computer program, video game or DVD menu screen). Apparently they occur in online genealogical...

Working with Insignia
In going through my mother’s things after her death last May, my family and I found insignia related to schools and organizations she and my father were associated with. We found their high school class rings, along with what we thought were fraternity and sorority pins. In my jewel...

Weddings, Heirlooms, and Stories
Earlier this month I attended my sister’s beautiful beach wedding in Rhode Island, which took place on my daughter’s birthday. In honor of the coincidence of the two dates, my sister gave my daughter, who is engaged, the engagement ring that belonged to my paternal grandmother, Julia Mary (Sakusky)...

Observing the 4th of July, 2017
The 4th of July–the nation’s birthday, independence, parades, fireworks, picnics and cookouts, family gatherings. For genealogists and family historians, it’s a chance to savor our family’s role in creating our great country, and share it. Maybe our ancestors arrived in one of the original thirteen colonies, or maybe they...
