This my grandpa. Born in Ukraine, he eventually settled in New Jersey after WWII. . During the war, he fought in the Soviet Red Army against the Nazis. . The Nazis were bombing a train that my grandmother was on, and she was having difficulty helping her father evacuate. That’s when a handsome, mustachioed soldier […]
Many years after my grandfather and his second wife passed away, their house in the country stood abandoned and vandalized. Up in the attic, I found a lot of photos. In one particular box, I found a gold medal from 1948 and this photograph. My grandfather is the dapper guy on the left. When I […]
“Your story is the greatest legacy that you will leave…it’s the longest-lasting legacy you leave.” ~Steve Saint . Thinking of my parents as we remember and celebrate my dad, who passed away ten years ago. We honor his legacy on his tenth anniversary in heaven. . I love how happy my mom and dad are […]
Some flashbacks are better than others, especially when they bring back memories of dear friends and family. . Here I am in Milwaukee, Wisconsin at Alverno College. I’m on the left, my mom is on the right. One of my mom’s best friends, Sister Andre, is front and center. During her college years at Marquette […]
In my 25 years of doing family trees, I’ve found no greater joy than coming across a story or a photo of an ancestor, either my own or in someone else’s tree. Photographs make our loved ones seem more real, while stories written by or about them share a small piece of their life journey […]
What do you remember about your grandparents? What are you asking them now (and writing down!) to remember them when they’re gone? . I remember how funny they could be. My grandfather had a joke for everyone he met. He called the grandkids “little monsters,” in the most endearing way. He loved popcorn, peanuts and […]
It’s a unique mix of magic and anxiety. It’s a moment of truth. It’s a feeling unlike any other. It’s an experience called NOSTALGIA. When we discover old family photos, we are given a passport to a place called memory. This experience is powerful – everyone can relate to it. Have you ever opened a closet in your parents’ […]
I love getting mail – real mail, that is. There’s just something fun about walking down my driveway, opening my mailbox, sifting through piles of junk mail and discovering a handwritten note addressed to me. It makes me feel special, cared for and loved. Human handwriting –those unique scribbles and scrawls and signatures–is the secret sauce that makes mail magical. When someone […]
Every year on January 1, millions of people around the world vow they will start journaling and documenting their life. Hundreds of people also commit to asking their loved ones about their lives and family histories. In fact, journaling is one of the most common New Year’s Resolutions. But by March, most people have given up […]
This community of photo lovers, family historians, and memory-keepers of all types continues to inspire us daily! You share such beautiful family photos and stories. . And speaking of beautiful photographs, look at this one of @peregrineblues grandmother on her holy first communion. . She was such a beauty, all the way until she passed […]
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