My Family Research

Stephen Codling was born in 1851 in Canada. At 73, he died as a recluse after having shattered his family and leaving a legacy that was never discussed for two generations.

My paternal grandfather, Charles Cicero Codling, was born in Blenheim Township, Oxford, Ontario, Canada on Christmas Day, 1875.

In the 1910 census, taken in April, Grandpa was still a bachelor living in Monroeville, Indiana, boarding house while working as a telegraph

Growing up in Convoy could be idyllic. Everyone knew who you were, and it really did take the village to raise the child.

Named after her paternal grandmother, Lovina Amanda Roberson, she was 21 years old when she married my grandfather, Charles Cicero Codling.

52 Ancestors Challenge: One of my 256 eight-great-grandparents.

A line of tourist cabins provide a backdrop at Webb's Service Station, just north of Convoy, Ohio, at the intersection of State Route 49 and U.S. 30, a.k.a. The Lincoln Higway.

Remembering a woman I only met as an infant.

Henry Clay Hackett wrote about one of his experiences as a "guest" at Libby Prison in Richmond, Va.

Photos of a map drawn by Josiah Hackett of Casco Bay. The second is a flipped image. He seems to have "east" and "west" on the wrong sides.

Alexis Clements. A mail pioneer. University of Virginia 17 U.S. Infantry Fort Preble Portland Me. Oct. 15, 1862 Dear Friends at home, I am well at present and hope these few lines will find you the same. I guess you have forgotten me. I have not heard from you and I have seen letters come from Flint in 3 days. Our letters come right to the fort and are distributed here. I begin to think there has been some unfair play at the office here as I sent 5 dollars by mail and have no

In 1991, my father's sister, my Aunt Iris, gave me a small box filled with about three dozen folded up pieces of obviously well-aged paper. Each piece of paper was actually stationery, on which Josiah Peter Hackett wrote to his family in Genessee County, Michigan, while he served as a private in the U.S. 17th Infantry during the Civil War. Those letters literally changed my life, and put me on the path to become obsessed with documenting the history of my family and build a t

I’ve been meaning to dive into Amy Johnson Crow’s “52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks” for what seems like 52 years. Finally, even though we are already a few weeks into 2020, here is my first post under the given topic for this week: “Same Name.”

A step-by-step look at how I helped a second cousin find her paternal biological family.

Like the old adage says, "Buyer beware." Even if you aren't actually spending money to obtain family history information, it's still prudent to pay close attention to what you find. Someone related to me somehow has identified this photo of a woman standing next to a man who is seated. Yes, they are probably husband and wife. But are they the right husband and wife? The unknown cousin has posted this photo on Find A Grave and has identified them as John Frederick "Fritz" Reed