Roots & Rabbit Holes

We’re closing out 2024’s 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge with “Resolution.”  I made a resolution at the end of 2023 to do a better job...

Week 50 of the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge is “Chosen Family.” When Melanise Laberge took her husband John to court for failure...

We're on Week 49 of 2024's 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge and the topic is one of my favorites: "Handed Down." I have many family...

The topic for Week 48 of the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge is “Funny Story.”   “Ma, we’ve gotta go!  Everyone is waiting for us!”...

The prompt for Week 47 of 2024’s 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge is “Random Number.”   We’re lucky we lived nowhere near a casino and...

The topic for Week 45 of the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks challenge is “Colorful.”   Probably my favorite piece inherited from Nana Connie...

“Full House” is the prompt for Week 42 of 2024’s 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge.  Managing a home with five kids can be chaotic. ...

“Fire! Fire! Get out, quick!” November 29, 1929 was a bitterly cold and icy night in Westbrook, but five-year old Phil, his parents, and...

Week 37 of the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge is “Tombstone.”   Childhood mortality was much higher in the past, but just because it...

The topic for week 36 of 2024’s 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge is “We Don’t Talk About It.”   When we covered the Civil War in...

Week 35 of 2024’s 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge is “All Mixed Up.” Alex’s great-grandfather, Leyba, was hauled in by the police...

Week 34 of the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge is “Member of the Club.”  Two of my great-grandmother’s sisters were members of a club...

Week 33 of the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge is “Favorite Discovery.”  This is one of my favorite discoveries from this year.   At...

Week 32 of the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge is "Free Space." I've been busy transcribing letters and postcards. This is one...

Week 30 of the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge is “Boats.” My grandfather Fred had a strange sense of humor. Fishing with his boys was...

Week 28 of the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge is “Trains.”  Having already written about all of my known railroading ancestors, Alex...

Week 27 of the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge is “Planes.” In 1993 when Alex was 18, he and his parents emigrated from Russia. ...

Week 26 of 2024’s 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge is “Family Gathering.” “Soup Day” was my favorite day of the week.  The family...

The prompt for Week 25 of the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge is “Storyteller.”  While I don’t have an ancestor who was a storyteller,...

My great-grandmother Blanche’s sister, Rose, was a strong believer in love and marriage…so much so that she married four times!  “Love...