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Pamela Israel
Dec 23, 20231 min read
Photo Christmas Card from 1934
1934 Chicago newlyweds used their wedding photo for their Christmas card decades before photo Christmas cards were popular.
88 views
Pamela Israel
Mar 6, 20231 min read
Milestone Favorites: Language, History & Tips
Unlock Your History launched in 2017! Check out some favorite posts about language history & translating old German, Danish, Swedish.
82 views
Pamela Israel
Jan 14, 20216 min read
A Plea to Save Letters!
Save letters! I have a treasure trove of memories downstairs.
So began the email from my mother earlier this week.
99 views
Stefan Israel
Sep 22, 20204 min read
Three Hansa Cities, Two Emigration Ports, and a History: Bremen, Hamburg, Lübeck
The largest emigration ports from Germany to the New World were the Hanseatic cities Bremen and Hamburg, Germany’s leading ports even today.
1,013 views
Pamela Israel
May 24, 20203 min read
German-Born, Civil War Vet - Newspaper Help
I love scouring old newspapers. I hit the jackpot with Joseph Billman from Erie - German-born and Civil War veteran.
232 views
Pamela Israel
Mar 8, 20203 min read
Like Daughter, Like Mother: Transatlantic Journey
Christine makes the journey across the Atlantic in 1950. Her daughter in Germany worries that her frail mother might not be strong enough.
87 views
Pamela Israel
Jan 21, 20202 min read
Milestones Unlocked
I noticed that our next published blog would be #60. We've accomplished so much. Translations. Genealogy. Blogs. Presentations.
80 views
Pamela Israel
Dec 12, 20193 min read
1960 Christmas Card Mystery
Why were there piles of Christmas cards from 1960 sent from around the world to a young girl in Virginia?
229 views
Pamela Israel
Sep 19, 20193 min read
Washing & Sewing: A Diary & Tins
Sewing, in addition to laundry, used to be a responsibility that almost every woman had. And yet it can be tough to get insights into this p
83 views
Pamela Israel
May 1, 20192 min read
Tips for Finding the Day of the Week
Figuring out the day of the week that something happened can be important in genealogy. Here are a couple approaches.
147 views
Pamela Israel
Apr 5, 20192 min read
German Wedding Invitation Details
Our family has a photo of the framed wedding invitation of my 2nd great aunt and uncle. It's a charmingly simple one. When I first came
235 views
Christine Israel
Mar 8, 20195 min read
The Scandalous Pauline: Discovering a Fascinating Woman
One of the early things my father told me when I asked him about his family was that my great-grandmother, Pauline Volkmann, had left her hu
267 views
Pamela Israel
Feb 11, 20192 min read
From Genf to Geneva and other Translations
When learning about ancestors who immigrated to the US decades or centuries ago, you get a double challenge. Not only is there the translati
755 views
Pamela Israel
Jan 23, 20191 min read
Christmas Letter in February?
We thought it would be fun to conclude our week celebrating
the magic of handwriting with a light-hearted Christmas note that arrived one F
45 views
Pamela Israel
Jan 22, 20191 min read
Joyous German Visit Home: 1925
Eliese Trede, my mother's grandmother, immigrated in 1908, leaving her loving parents on a journey across the Atlantic. This is her 1925
41 views
Pamela Israel
Jan 21, 20192 min read
Beloved Son, Hurry! 1843 Letter
1843 letter in old German handwriting from my 3x great grandfather, to his son telling him to hurry from the army before his mother dies.
85 views
Pamela Israel
Jan 20, 20191 min read
Why Write Notes on Photos?
I remember being flummoxed by my mom's handwriting. What could it possibly mean? How glad I am that I learned cursive and can now read h
56 views
Pamela Israel
Jan 19, 20192 min read
Surviving Manassas: Civil War Diary
Civil War 1862 Diary: Looking at just the week of August 26 highlights his experiences: rebels attacking, burning railroad bridges, fighting
88 views
Pamela Israel
Jan 18, 20191 min read
Handwritten Letters & a Postcard
Day 2 to highlight the Art of Handwriting and your Family through January 23rd, National Handwriting Day. Share a favorite family hand-writt
60 views
Pamela Israel
Jan 17, 20191 min read
Celebrate Handwriting!
Post your family handwritten letters to celebrate National Handwriting Day.
77 views
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