Month: January 2026
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Declaring My Bold Genealogy Goals 2026: Accountability Starts Now
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After a successful first year as a genealogy blogger—including selection for Robin Stewart’s GenStack Anthology—I’m declaring my bold genealogy goals for 2026 with public accountability. This year focuses on certification preparation through National Genealogical Society courses in old handwriting and transcription skills, preparing me for the Advanced Skills in Genealogy…
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Storyteller Tuesday Challenge: A Turning Point: When Everything Changed at No. 6 Östad
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Sometimes a turning point doesn’t announce itself with fanfare—it arrives quietly, in the realization of an unexpected pregnancy. In the spring of 1866, two nineteen-year-olds lived and worked at the same farm in Näsum, Sweden: Sven Mattisson and Sissa Andersdotter. When Sissa became pregnant, Swedish church records documented what happened…
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Sixteen Years Old and Brave Beyond Measure: Why I Admire My Great-Aunt Alma
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When I was sixteen, my biggest worries revolved around my high school classes, whether the cute boy outside Moeller High School noticed me, and getting my first job at McDonald’s. My great-aunt Alma Svensson was also sixteen once. But on January 11, 1912, she boarded the S.S. Oscar II in…
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Hello Again: The Genealogist Behind These Stories
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Hello again! As I begin my second year of the #52Ancestors challenge, I wanted to re-introduce myself and share who I am as a genealogist. I’m the researcher behind Our Growing Family Tree, where I’ve spent 25+ years tracing my Irish, Slovak, Polish, and Swedish immigrant ancestors. This genealogy blog…