Author: EvaAnne

A genealogical brick wall… torn down in a few days

As I promised in my previous post, I’m excited to share what I uncovered during my trip to Salt Lake City last month. I was thrilled to finally break down this “genealogical brick wall” after so many years. Let’s start at the beginning…

My great-grandfather, George Weil, was born in 1889 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to Conrad and Louisa (nee Metz) Weil. He had several siblings close to his age. His mother, Louisa, died when he was 9 years old. At this point, he and three of his siblings were sent to an orphan’s home where they were educated and grew up. When he was an adult, George and his sister Marie searched for their parents, trying to find out what happened to their father and discover more about their German heritage. Through the years, his son and grandson searched occasionally for information about Conrad and Louisa, and recently I also took up the search.

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A successful research trip!

I just got back from my short trip to Salt Lake City! It was all around a successful trip! We celebrated our first anniversary, I was at the Family History Library almost every day, and my husband learned a lot at his workshop! We also fit in some relaxation and hiking on our day off. This was my first trip out west, and now I’m eager to travel more!

Research at the Family History Library revealed a lot about my genealogy, and I’m still going through the records that I found! Coming soon… a post about the 100-year mystery that I solved! In the meantime, here are a few photos from the trip!

After another successful day at the Family History Library!

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Wedding Wednesday: Anniversaries past and present

My grandparents Ed and Millie on their wedding day 70 years ago.
Our wedding day, one year (and a few days) ago.

My grandparents were married 70 years ago today. Before they passed away, they had celebrated 64 anniversaries. This is the first wedding anniversary that they’ll be celebrating together in heaven. My husband and I just celebrated our first anniversary. We hope to share just as many years together!

Upcoming Family History Library Visit

Soon I’ll be traveling to Salt Lake City for a much-needed getaway! My husband and I are combining work and leisure for this vacation. During the day, he will be attending a Biology workshop and I’ll be free to spend my time at the Family History Library! I’m preparing for the research trip by following some advice given by Amy Johnson Crow. Her advice includes: have a plan, have a backup plan, check the catalog before you go, and more. (Update: Diana and Nicole at The Family Locket also give some great advice about visiting the Family History Library! I can’t believe that I missed it before.)

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“We were 50 years old…”

LoraasMarie_KaiserMildred_50yrs5-31-1950
Marie (nee Lawrence) Loraas and Mildred (nee Lawrence) Kaiser on their 50th birthdays on May 31, 1950.

This photograph is from the day that my great-grandmother Mildred and her twin sister, Marie, turned 50 years old. Mildred wrote on the back, “We were 50 years old…” with the date. Family tales explain that Mildred was born just before midnight on May 30, and Marie was born shortly after midnight on May 31. Both of their birth certificates list May 31, and apparently both of them always celebrated their birthdays together on May 31. Even when they grew older, they still looked very much alike! It’s sometimes hard to tell them apart in photographs.