Our Family’s Legacy: Sacrifices in War

While researching my family history, I was deeply moved to learn that several of my distant relatives lost their lives in various wars. Discovering their stories and the sacrifices they made gave me a profound sense of connection to the past and a greater appreciation for the freedoms I have today. It’s humbling to recognizeContinue reading “Our Family’s Legacy: Sacrifices in War”

How a Close DNA Match Unraveled Both Our Family Mysteries

For years, I had a couple of close cousin DNA matches on Ancestry that stood out as intriguing mysteries. This is the story of one of those matches—how it led me to uncover the identity of my grandmother’s biological mother, and in turn, helped my DNA match discover her own parentage. It all started inContinue reading “How a Close DNA Match Unraveled Both Our Family Mysteries”

The Mystery of Grammy’s Hidden Heritage

Happy Birthday, Grammy! Our paternal grandmother ‘Grammy’ would be 109 today.  Sadly, she only lived to be 64, passing away in 1980.  Fortunately, she followed our dad from Massachusetts to California in 1962 after my grandfather passed away at just 46.  This made it possible for me and my sister, Stephanie, to grow up withContinue reading “The Mystery of Grammy’s Hidden Heritage”