Author Archives: debbiemieszala

The Drowning of a Family Fortune: Introducing Historic Mining Law

My grandmother brought a steamer trunk from New York to Illinois in the 1950s. She did not stay long, but that black box, large enough to hold a small child, sat in our basement through at least the early 1970s. … Continue reading

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Identify, Understand, and Reveal: Introducing the Historic Land Laws Collection

Happy New Year’s Eve! If you want to ring in 2025 with a few good books, have I got a deal for you.

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Advancing Your Education: Free Webinar on Solving a Family Mystery This Tuesday

Do I have a genealogy story to tell you this Tuesday! It’s a case study that starts with a missing man. What genealogist can let a man stay missing?

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On the Waters of Grassy Lick Creek: Introducing Historic Kentucky Law

James Hampton gave a gift in 1837, even though he clearly wasn’t thinking of me.

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GRIP Genealogy Institute, 2024

The 2024 GRIP Genealogy Institute offers 20 courses to genealogists. The virtual session, with 11 courses, runs June 23rd through 28th. The in-person session, with nine courses, is in Pittsburgh from July 14th through 19th. Registration is open and some … Continue reading

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Dusty Ancestors

You probably have a neglected ancestor. Some ancestors left plentiful records, or adequate evidence of their existence. When researching bountiful ancestors, we sometimes neglect those nearly silent in documents.

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Advancing Your Education: RootsTech 2024 Virtual Attendance

RootsTech, billed as “the world’s largest family history conference,” runs 29 February to 2 March 2024. Many genealogists are in Salt Lake City for the event. There is a free virtual attendance option for those who could not make it … Continue reading

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