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From Scraps to Success: Peter Plunkett’s Paper Business
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#52Ancestors Week 27 – Family Business Sometimes the most remarkable family stories hide behind the simplest occupations listed in census records. When I first discovered my paternal 2x great-grandfather Peter Plunkett in the 1860 census, listed as a “junk dealer,” I never imagined the entrepreneurial journey that single entry represented.…
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Two Anastasias, One Powerful Legacy: When a Name Means “Resurrection”
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Discover two great-great-grandmothers named Anastasia who lived under Austrian rule in the 1800s. Both carried a name meaning ‘resurrection’ – one emigrated from Slovakia to Pennsylvania, the other died young in Polish Galicia. Their shared name connects across time and tragedy.
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The Ultimate FAN Club: When Family Becomes Everything
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Week 25 of #52Ancestors Challenge: FAN Club When Elizabeth Shown Mills coined the term “FAN Club” – Friends, Associates & Neighbors – she gave genealogists a powerful research strategy. But I’d like to expand that definition slightly to include both Friends AND Family, Associates & Neighbors, because family networks often…
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How Fathers Across Generations Shaped My DNA and Destiny
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The exploration of family ancestry highlights the impact of father figures across generations. The author reflects on paternal lineage, focusing on Swedish roots and their accessibility. Key figures include David Sten, a courageous immigrant builder, and George Dubinsky, a devoted WWII soldier. Both passed down enduring lessons of strength, commitment,…
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Love Transcends Time: Three Wedding Stories, One Sacred Legacy
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Week 23 of #52Ancestors Challenge: Weddings Sometimes the most beautiful family stories don’t hide in dusty archives or DNA matches, but live in the continuity of sacred moments that span generations. Today I want to share the story of three weddings that took place in the same congregation across nearly…
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The Ultimate Reunion Love Story
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Week 22 of #52Ancestors Challenge: Reunion When people ask about the greatest reunion of my life, they expect me to talk about discovering long-lost ancestors through dusty church records or connecting with distant DNA cousins across continents. After all, my blog is filled with stories of Swedish brick walls, mysterious…
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Remembering the Forgotten Heroes: Paul and Stephen Marcisak
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Memorial Day Special – #52Ancestors On this Memorial Day, as we honor those who served our nation, I find myself thinking about two men whose stories deserve to be told: my grandmother’s brothers, Paul Marcisak (1922-1959) and Stephen Marcisak (1913-1961). These weren’t generals or war heroes whose names appear in…
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My NGS 2025 Journey: Amazing Learning, Ready for Solitude
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As I write this final conference post from my room at The Galt House, I’m reflecting on what has been an absolutely incredible in-person genealogical immersion. Today’s sessions were the perfect capstone to my first NGS conference, taking me from foundational methodology all the way to cutting-edge AI applications. But…
Our Growing Family Tree
Adding family, one branch at a time.
Beautiful autumn landscape in Litmanova, Slovakia. ID 78946638 © Sitriel | Dreamstime.com
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