Contagious Genealogy: A Pandemic

  DECEMBER 27, 2021 When looking forward, it’s always good to take a glance in the rearview mirror and check out where you came from. Without my ancestors paving the way, I wouldn’t have the life I live today. Week 52: Future The earliest known ancestor in my tree to have immigrated to the Americas was Edward Bosworth. His adventurous spirit led to my future here in the United States, and I have to assume his mindset at the time of his passage circled around setting up the best possible future for himself, his wife, and his kids. Unfortunately, his travels did not go quite as planned, and he paid the ultimate sacrifice. He sailed from England and arrived in Boston on a ship named Elizabeth & Dorcas in 1634. His death was recorded there in Boston Harbor. It is assumed his death was due to natural causes and that he died onboard the ship as it approached land because of a diary entry written by Samuel Sewall: Edward Bosworth, the Father, being ready to dye ask’d to be carried up...

  NOVEMBER 14, 2021 Over Thanksgiving weekend in 2011, I took a drive with my family up the coast of California in which we met my great aunt Vivian for the first time. Vivian (Foltz) Silva and Kira D. Foltz, San Francisco, California, Thanksgiving weekend 2011. Week 45: Stormy Weather Vivian was the daughter of my great grandparents, George LeeRoy Foltz and Myrtle May Mills. Roy had died at a fairly young age (see his story here ) but Myrtle went on to the age of 97. She didn't pass away until the year 1980, so she had a long life to live after her first husband. Myrtle (Mills) Foltz Haley, undated photo, privately held by descendant Kira D. Foltz. My father and I had known that Myrtle remarried after Roy's death to a man named Benjamin Thomas "Tom" Haley and she became quite close to a few of Tom's kids from his previous marriage. It was known to be a good union, but tragically also cut short, as Tom died just two years later in 1931. Myrtle (Mills) Foltz Haley ...

  MAY 14, 2021 The family tree can’t flourish without all the MOTHERS in our lives. This blog is in celebration of the MOM in my life! Week 19: Mother’s Day Since a picture is worth a thousand words, here’s a few that speak volumes! MOM & ME This is my mom and me at LAX airport heading up to San Francisco and Sacramento for a 4th grade field trip with Calvary Baptist! I was really into wearing clothes from Limited Too, and I thought my hot pink duffel bags were so cool. I don’t really recall how I FELT about fanny packs, but I know I constantly wore them, like I am in the photo. I do remember mini backpacks, like the one I was sporting, were all the rage, too! This snapshot was taken on the trip up north rather than our return home, because our flight was more than 4 hours delayed on the return and NONE of us had smiles on our faces during that airport hangout. THROWBACK! It’s crazy how similar my sister looks to my mom’s kid and teen photos! The genes are strong with this one....

  FEBRUARY 15, 2021 Traditionally, genealogy research involves obsessive characters such as myself scouring through old written records found in churches, attics, archives, government holdings, libraries, trunks, courthouses, or really anywhere all sorts of paperwork can be found. And while these are all pertinent sources, they’re not the only ones to tell the stories of our ancestors! Week 7: Unusual Source A source can come in many shapes and sizes. In addition to written source records such as passenger ship manifests, marriage certificates, or apprenticeship contracts, there are plentiful numbers of unique items in and around the house which can also lend proof to an ancestor’s life moments. Some examples of these would be a quilted blanket embroidered with names, dates, or figures of the owner’s past, a monogrammed family pocket watch, a photo album, or even a soldier’s uniform patch. My favorite family heirloom also makes a wonderful source! I inherited this red goblet from m...