A Brief History of Union Springs (New York)
The brick wall in my ancestry is my 2nd great-grandfather, Charles Russell Leonard. He was reportedly born in Union Springs, New York, in 1830, but finding evidence of this has evaded us. Learning about the places our ancestors lived can prove helpful, though, providing valuable clues about early settlers, churches, industries, and people. This article I found in Yesteryears, Volume 26, was written by Temple R. Hollcroft (1889-1967), former Historian of Cayuga County. It give
The Suicide Pact
As a child, I remember asking my mother to tell me stories about when she was younger. How I wish I had asked all of my grandparents and great-grandparents that question while they were still living. If I had asked my great-grandfather, John Reese, what the most tragic event of his life was, he might have told me first about the death of his little brother, Harold E. Reese, who died at the young age of 6 in 1931, but I'm sure he would have added that just seven years later, h
My mtDNA (Mitochondrial DNA)
DNA is a very complex subject, admittedly too complex for my full comprehension, but one thing that is fairly easy to understand is...
AncestryDNA provides over 73,000 clues
It took me way longer than it should have to test my DNA for genealogy purposes. When I finally did, I was astonished to find that parts...
John Reese registers for the WW II draft
Draft registrations for World War I and World War II can be found online, providing personal details about the lives of our male...
The lands of my ancestors
From the overlook at Whitney Point, New York, a magnificent view is beheld. Apart from the beauty of the surrounding land and Whitney...
