ROOTS & BRANCHES

I suppose we all have special affinities for particular ancestors. For me, my great-great-grandfather Wellington Bickel Machmer (1849–1943) has always fascinated me, not in the least for the reason that I now own the home that he first bought into the family 101 years ago. He’s also my longest-lived direct-line ancestor, having reached the age …

A happy coincidence came together for me this year to revisit a couple of my previous writings about Pennsylvania genealogy. For a couple of years, I had known that a second edition was due for Pennsylvania: A History of the Commonwealth, a book from Penn State Press and the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission first …

There are many ways to skin a cat. I’m not sure where that old saying comes from—and not curious enough even to Google it and try to find out—but it definitely applies to genealogy. “Say what?” you say. Well, bear with your “Roots & Branches” columnist. When we try to track down documents about our …

Last week, my mask went back on. Since my second vaccination in March and more so once various restrictions in my state eased, I had stopped wearing my mask unless an indoor place I was visiting required it. And since I don’t like crowds in the best of circumstances—and get virtually all of my shopping …

I hope your “Roots & Branches” columnist is going to be forgiven if he indulges in a little humblebrag. And, yes, it’ll probably be a lot more brag than it is humble. The just completed all-virtual International German Genealogy Partnership wasn’t perfect, but it was darn close. And, yes, your “Roots & Branches” columnist had …