Memory Tree Genealogy Journal

 Happy Memorial Day weekend! Throughout my (brief) course of work as our self-appointed family genealogist (!), I've loved stumbling upon heroic stories of our ancestors and their military experiences.  While Memorial Day is specifically set aside to honor the memory of our fallen heroes - the men and women who died while protecting our country as members of the US Armed Forces - today's journal entry is a little different.  A few months back, I came across an article in the Aberdeen American (South Dakota) documenting the unbelievable account of Ernest Melvey and his experience aboard the USS Westover in WWI.  Ernest Melvey (1896-1973) is my husband's paternal great-uncle.  I've transcribed the article below in its entirety. Why write about this at-sea adventure for Memorial Day?  While our fallen military heroes paid the ultimate sacrifice...many of our heroes have been affected by the traumatic stress of war and extreme danger.  PTSD is part of our vernacu

Are you using the long weekend to get a jump-start on your family history research?  Extra time to comb through records, articles, and photos?  After wearing both boys out at the playground this morning (and subsequent naps!), I decided to dig into the state records at Family Search - LDS genealogy website that I love, love, love for many reasons. If you've experimented at all with their state records database, you know what I mean by "dig".  Many of the databases available are simply a collection of scanned records with no index...requiring lots of patience and time to painstakingly "flip" through the digital pages to find your item of interest.  This patient searching has paid off on many occasion - leading to some of my biggest finds!  One database in particular that has been helpful for my research is the collection of Pennsylvania Probate Records .  Unlike some of the other state collections of probate records, this collection is organized by county with

"Love is many things...none of them logical" - William Goldman, The Princess Bride . Marriage has been on my mind lately.  As I write this, I'm taking a quick break from penciling-in names on a beautiful fan tree print that I ordered from Etsy a few months back .  Actually putting names and dates on paper is somewhat intimidating!  After months of research and fact-checking, I'm still nervous writing the information on a print that most certainly will go in a frame on my wall.  Years from now, I hope it will be passed from our meager estate to our sons to share and treasure.  May the facts be correct, so help me gosh. Just double-checking a few marriage dates for my great-grandparents Willis Lester Parrish and Maude Ella (Mercer) Parrish, I noticed that they were 18 and 16 years of age, respectively, on their marriage day.  They lived with Maude's father, George Mercer, until at least 1930...along with their daughter (my paternal grandmother) Margie Lanell,