Memory Tree Genealogy Journal

Image Source HERE ...still a mystery!   (*Context - John Etzel (1826-1904) is my 3rd great-grandfather on my mother's maternal side of the family) Every family researcher - novice and professional alike - eventually finds themselves face to face with what is commonly called a genealogical "brick wall".  In less than a minute, I can rattle off my list of most-wanted individuals.  I will neither confirm nor deny that these brick walls have robbed me of precious sleep on occasion.  What if?  Where?  Who?  Why?   Last year, I wrote a bit about John ETZEL (1826-1904) , his will and probate record in Reading, Berks County, Pennsylvania.  Mr. Etzel emigrated from Germany to the United States about 1854, according to the 1900 US Federal Census in Reading, PA.  Prior to this, though, I hit a brick wall with both John and his wife, Maria Schumacher (1837-1894).  The local prothonotary office could not locate a copy of...

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...