I’ve never been a huge fan of migration trails. Of course, how our ancestors got from point A to point B is important. However, what is generally more important is why our ancestors went from Point A to Point B. Usually that why was a person. A friend, relative, or former neighbor found out about […]

I went through many of my great and great-great-grandparents estate settlements when I was much younger, knew less about genealogy, and didn’t bother to copy or read quite a bit of the material. In some cases, time never allowed me to go back, particularly on those families where other records allowed me to easily trace […]

We’ve announced the details of my annual trip to the Family History Library in Salt Lake City–27 May through 3 June 2020. Details are on our announcement page.

I suppose I shouldn’t admit to making a mistake, but it’s instructive to do so. The Bureau of Land Management tract book entries for section 20 in township 20 N Range 26 west contains an entry of interest: the one for Focke Goldenstein. When I first looked at it, I did so in an admittedly […]

ThruLines at AncestryDNA says that the DNA confirms the sibling relationship among four Kiles. It has been awhile since I’ve reviewed the early generations of the Kile family. But this post is not about the paper evidence of the sibling relationship of these four individuals with the last name of Kile. It’s about the DNA. […]

I run hot and cold between several theories about who the Focke T. Goldenstein is who started a homestead claim approximately twelve miles from my ancestor Focke Goldenstein during the time when my Focke was proving up his own homestead claim. And because I’m still gathering evidence, I’m waiting to really formulate a theory on […]