ID 78946638 © Sitriel | Dreamstime.comBeautiful autumn Slovakia landscape in Litmanova. Autumn landscape photo taken in Slovakia - beautiful meadow in Litmanova

Our Growing Family Tree

Adding family, one branch at a time.

Beautiful autumn landscape in Litmanova, Slovakia. ID 78946638 © Sitriel | Dreamstime.com

WWII POW Aftermath: The Haunting Collapse of a Promising Army Officer

March 16, 2026

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Kirsten M. Max-Douglas

In January 1940, Stephen Marcisak walked into a recruiting office in Fort Bliss, Texas, and enlisted in the Regular Army. Within two years, his commanding officer described him as “highly intelligent,” “direct,” and “forceful” — a natural leader destined for greater things. By December 1942, he had earned his commission…
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Her Secret to Family Survival? Keep the Door Open

March 9, 2026

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Kirsten M. Max-Douglas

My great-grandmother Mary Plunkett Dowling lost her mother when she was about five years old. She spent the next forty years making sure no one else in her family would face that kind of unmooring. Hers is a story of family survival, practiced quietly, year after year. No newspaper headlines…
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The Truth About Oäkta in some Swedish Birth Records

March 8, 2026

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Kirsten M. Max-Douglas

The first time I found oäkta in Swedish birth records, I felt something close to embarrassment. My ancestor’s story, I assumed, was one she would have wanted hidden. I was wrong. Sissa Andersdotter was twenty years old when her son Sven was born in 1867 in Näsum parish, Sweden. The…
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RootsTech 2026 Day 3: 26 Sessions, One New MacBook, Zero Regrets

March 7, 2026

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Kirsten M. Max-Douglas

RootsTech 2026 Day 3 delivered everything I hoped for – tough session choices, a standout watch on DNA methodology, and a final session on sharpening research writing that felt like the perfect way to close out the conference. In between, I took full advantage of the flexibility that virtual attendance…
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RootsTech 2026 Day 2: Five Advanced Sessions and One Very Tired Brain

March 6, 2026

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Kirsten M. Max-Douglas

RootsTech 2026 Day 2 was a full day — and a heavy one. Seven sessions, most of them Advanced/Professional level, plus a running battle with the session calendar to figure out what to watch now, what to move to replay, and what to add to the wish list for next…
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RootsTech 2026 Day 1: Fifteen Sessions, Zero Regrets, One Tired Genealogist

March 5, 2026

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Kirsten M. Max-Douglas

Day one of RootsTech 2026 is officially in the books, and I have fifteen online sessions, a stack of in-person slides, and a very full Obsidian notebook to prove it. In this RootsTech 2026 Day 1 recap, I’m walking through everything I watched as a virtual attendee – from Polish…
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The Surprisingly Simple Secret to Scheduling RootsTech Sessions

March 4, 2026

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Kirsten M. Max-Douglas

RootsTech 2026 starts March 5th, and I have 28 Priority 1 sessions already on my calendar. Scheduling RootsTech sessions strategically – not just adding everything that looks interesting – is what separates a productive virtual conference from three months of half-watched replays. My system starts with a dedicated Google Calendar…
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She Lost Two Children, Then Crossed an Ocean to Build a New Life

March 3, 2026

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Kirsten M. Max-Douglas

In January 1885, Anastasia Hlinka buried her first child in the village of Litmanova, Slovakia. Maria Hurkala lived seventeen days. Nine years later, Anastasia buried a second child, Petrus, at seventeen months old. And then she crossed an ocean to build a new life — not in a dramatic moment…
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Popular Posts

WWII POW Aftermath: The Haunting Collapse of a Promising Army Officer

March 16, 2026
Her Secret to Family Survival? Keep the Door Open

March 9, 2026
The Truth About Oäkta in some Swedish Birth Records

March 8, 2026

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