Heritage: This is Preservation Week!
Preservation Week is celebrated in the US during the week of April 22-28.
Although it was created in 2010 to raise awareness of some 630 million items in institutions which require immediate care, it also focuses on protecting personal and family history collections.
Some 80% of institutions have no paid staff to care for collections; and 22% have no staff at all (paid or not) for that purpose. An estimated 2.6 billion items are not covered by an emergency plan, and are in danger from disasters.
Events and programs over the week bring attention to the fact that personal items, family history and community collections are also at risk.
Check out the event’s Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/preservationweek, and follow their tweets at #preswk.
During Preservation Week, libraries all over the US offer events, activities and resources that help us preserve personal and shared collections. Continue reading "Heritage: This is Preservation Week!" »
Luck: Is your family lucky?
The story of a Virginia resident's incredible luck has been plastered all over the news today. Virginia Fike won the lottery - not once, but twice! She bought two tickets - each gave her about $1 million.
Another lucky lottery story, from 2011, focused on the McCauley family. Kimberly was delighted when she won $100,000 in North Carolina in a new scratcher game. She’d never imagined winning anything, although her mother Amy had won two huge prizes - $15.5 million in a the New York State Lottery (1991) and $161,172 in the North Carolina Education Lottery (2007). We might assume that "lightning" doesn't strike twice in the same family, but this family did it three times.
Our question now is of luck in families. Do you believe in inherited luck? Do you have stories of luck running in your family? We’d love to hear them, lottery or otherwise. Share them in the comments section.
While you’re thinking about it, take a look at this video, which features the luckiest people in the world. Are you related to any of them?
Finding Family: MyHeritage and divine intervention
John Landry, 1949
Searching for family involves using every tool available. Sometimes, there’s also a bit of divine intervention.
In Texas, Christy Landry and her family were going through a difficult period in March. Her husband, John, went to church and asked for a prayer for his family. The pastor told him that God would heal their family. They didn’t know how soon!
Christy shared their family story with MyHeritage.
She’ll never forget Monday, March 19. She was at the computer beginning the long process of doing their family tree (again), this time on MyHeritage.com.
I was going to redo the entire thing - this time with resources, evidence, and total assurance that I had it right. I began, like anyone else, by adding my name first, then my husband’s, our son and my husband’s father. I was about to add my parents when I saw the first SmartMatch. ’What’s this?’ I thought, as I clicked on it.
John (she calls him JJ) and Christy married in 2011 after being together for eight years. Born in Texas, she was raised near her entire extended family. A very tight-knit family, her parents’ home was the center for holidays and often some 30-60 people gathered there.
Continue reading "Finding Family: MyHeritage and divine intervention" »
Earth Hour: For future generations
A major international event, Earth Hour is taking place today. It’s organized by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and is held annually on the last Saturday in March.
During Earth Hour 2011, more than 5,200 towns and cities in 135 countries worldwide switched off their lights, sending a powerful message for action on climate change.
As family history lovers, we also believe that this is an important subject. As we think about our ancestors and try to understand their lives, we know that one day in the future we will become our family’s ancestors.
We should be asking ourselves about future generations. What kind of planet will they live on? The planet we leave for them tomorrow should concern us today. Continue reading "Earth Hour: For future generations" »
MyHeritage on Pinterest: Family moments, family fun
A picture is worth a thousand words, so who can resist endless photo inspiration? We know we can’t, that’s why we created our new Pinterest profile. It’s our unique, gorgeous space for family lovers everywhere, displaying everything from great DIY ideas, family photo inspiration to celebrity families we love and family reunion tips.
A sneak peek of our Pinterest paradise. Family lovers rejoice!
Continue reading "MyHeritage on Pinterest: Family moments, family fun" »
International Women’s Day: Your stories
Martha Florence Sutter’s “Resistance Fighter” Identity Card, c1940
We’ve had a terrific response to our “International Women’s Day: Heroines in your family” post, where we invited you to submit stories about the incredible women in your families.
The stories we received highlight how women left their mark on their families while remaining a shining example for future generations.
Here are a few examples to inspire you as much as they inspired us. Thank you for sharing them.
Continue reading "International Women’s Day: Your stories" »
Heroines in your family: International Women’s Day 2012
Photo: Galt Museum & Archives on The Commons
International Women's Day is March 8, 2012 and we invite you to submit stories about the heroines in your family. We will showcase the best here in our blog.
We're looking for stories from the major to the everyday achievements of women in your family, whether they saved someone in WWII or raised amazing children as single mothers.
Post your stories and photos on our Facebook page or on Twitter @myheritage with the hashtag #WomenRock.
Here are comments from our own team about what International Women's Day means to them:
Ania - Marketing Manager, MyHeritage:
Continue reading "Heroines in your family: International Women’s Day 2012" »
Valentine’s Day: Love through family history
Millions of couples will celebrate the most romantic day of the year today, February 14. Love is in the air and love stories surround us.
Cupid at the Window Valentine Postcard Ca. Early 1900s
A few weeks ago, MyHeritage asked readers to share their ancestors' love stories or photos that illustrate them. We received touching stories and photos from around the world. It was hard to pick three winners, all the stories are beautiful and special. So we decided to double the number of winners to six! Below you can read the lovely stories:
United States
Continue reading "Valentine’s Day: Love through family history" »
WDYTYA: Marisa Tomei’s odyssey
Following the large audience for the third-season premiere of the US-version of Who Do You Think You Are? - starring Martin Sheen - the second episode focused on Marisa Tomei.
Tomei's story concerned her murdered great-grandfather, and the false belief held by her family about the event's circumstances.
Her odyssey takes her from Brooklyn to Tuscany, Elba, Castiglioncello and Lucca to find the truth about the event, and her mother's BIANCHI and CANOVARO families. Her father, Gary, had already done extensive research on the TOMEI family tree.
Continue reading "WDYTYA: Marisa Tomei’s odyssey" »
WDYTYA: An interview with Lisa Kudrow
Lisa Kudrow in the episode on her own family (Season 1, Episode 3)
Lisa Kudrow, executive producer of the US version of “Who Do You Think You Are?” was the guest for a group phone interview on Friday, January 27.
I was honored to participate in the call which focused on the show’s new season, which begins at 8pm, Friday, February 3, on NBC.
This year"s celebs are Martin Sheen, Marisa Tomei, Blair Underwood, Reba McEntire, Rob Lowe, Helen Hunt, Rita Wilson, Edie Falco, Rashida Jones, Jerome Bettis, Jason Sudeikis and Paula Deen.
Unfortunately, due to a technical glitch, my own questions could not be answered. However, the others asked some great questions, and Lisa responded in kind (see below).
Other geneabloggers on the call were Thomas MacEntee, Lisa Louise Cooke, Angela Walton-Raji, Kathryn Lake Hogan and Diane Haddad, along with newspaper and entertainment industry magazine writers.
Here are some questions and Lisa’s responses.
Q: What advice do you have for people who become frustrated or stuck in their research?
Lisa: There doesn’t have to ever be an end. That's what makes it such a great hobby. I think there's always research you can do on different branches, different cousins and you go back. And then it's not just names and dates. Then you start looking at where they were living, what was happening there at that time, you start looking at historical documents. And you can maybe draw some conclusions or guesses about what was motivating some of their choices in life.
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