Good Sunday morning, everyone! Last weekend was one of those horrific weekends. Mass shootings, taking innocent lives and affecting the lives of countless others for years to come.

Dear America,

Genealogist Megan Smolenyak has created a brief video assembled “from bits and pieces” that Megan and her husband, Brian, and friend, Michael Mills, had recorded on their iPhones when they attended the opening of the new Statue of Liberty Museum.

Do you ever scan the obituaries, see a familiar name, then slowly realize that yes … that was someone who was important to you, years ago?

The major Christian denomination churches in the U.S. kept records that are often overlooked by genealogical researchers. Perhaps because these records are not always easily obtainable, or because a specific church may not be known, genealogists often neglect to pursue their availability.

Good Sunday morning, everyone! I’m going to talk about a topic that makes us somewhat uncomfortable … integrity. I often think of integrity as doing the right thing even when no one is looking.

The statement from the C&EI Railroad for the work crew was $500. That was a crushing amount for a high school student working a summer job in 1956 to pay.

Growing up in Danville, I had parents who set the example for the importance of volunteering within our community.

Anyone old enough to remember the day 50 years ago on June 20, 1969, when America’s astronauts walked on the moon, has the unique opportunity to share personal memories of that day.

It was eight years after the March 1, 1920, fire that destroyed the elaborate Mudlavia that a new hotel began being erected by Windsor J. Weaver of Indianapolis.

Genealogist Joe Beine’s many websites offer a wealth of information for genealogical researchers — both beginners and advanced — as well as other topics of interest.

Good Sunday morning, everyone! I was in a meeting last week with Vicki Haugen, the president and CEO of Vermilion Advantage, and something she said stuck with me.

Chicago always has been magical to me. The tall, tall buildings … the crowded sidewalks … the glistening lake, dappled by sailboats … the deep-dish pizza at Pizzeria Due … the sauerbraten and creamed spinach in the paneled womb of The Berghoff.

The tiny village of Danville still stood at the edge of a vast prairie when Eleanor Berry married Gurdon Hubbard on a May day in 1831. Eleanor’s sister Orleatha (also spelled Orlethy) had introduced her to the fur trader the previous winter and her matchmaking proved successful.

“Freedom lies in being bold.” — Robert Frost

Genealogical research is a popular video topic offered by YouTube. A website that provides links to the top 25 genealogy YouTube channels is a handy place to start. The channels listed at http://tinyurl.com/yytsbvky include Ancestry, FamilySearch (includes videos of many RootsTech seminars),…

Good Sunday morning, everyone! When I took the position as president here at the United Way office, I thought I would just be raising funds to be able to offer great programs to Danville and the surrounding communities, and help more of our residents live a better life.

If you were an old lady who had met Lincoln as a girl, you could be expected to embroider your memories a little. You might vividly recall his kindly eyes, or repeat something he said, or show off the silver dime that he gave you.

Dick Eastman’s Online Genealogy Newsletter recently posted an article, “Decades of History Could Be Erased from Australia’s Memory as Tape Machines Disappear.” Although this problem pertains to the National Archives of Australia, others probably will have the same problem.

Good Sunday morning, everyone! Have you ever failed at anything? I’m guessing you said, “Well yes, who hasn’t?”

A whipping post once stood on what is now Danville’s Main Street. It was located in front of where the First National Bank building was built in 1918. It was the city’s lone sky scraper and still stands, empty now, a monument to better days.

As this nation continues to commemorate the 75th anniversary of World War II’s D-Day, the National Archives has posted links to its records pertaining to that event at https://tinyurl.com/y5wh53qh. These include climate conditions, General Eisenhower’s messages, invasion planning, naval oper…

Good Sunday morning, everyone! There has been a lot of talk in our community about the crime. People are scared to go out at night. People want to move from our area.

In the spring of 1838, Jeremiah Van Reed and Ezra V.R. High traveled to Warren County to visit Charles V.R. High. The following are excerpts from Jeremiah’s journal.

The Illiana Genealogical & Historical Society’s (IGHS) most recent issue of its quarterly publication, Illiana Genealogist (Vol. 55, No. 2, Summer 2019), has been sent to society members and includes an interesting variety of articles.

Good Sunday morning, everyone! Another mass shooting with many lives lost in Virginia a few weeks ago, it’s unimaginable. Going to work as they always did; it should have been a safe place. The shooter, also employed with the city of Virginia Beach, was described as a quiet, polite guy, a “n…

Today, the Williamsport Park is home to the Warren County 4-H fair, a swimming pool, the senior citizen building, playground, a new shelter house, parks program, baseball diamonds, tennis and basketball courts.

On an October day in 1840, they were auctioning off the personal property of the Edward Wilson estate. Marcus Snow was among the bidders at the three-day sale. The auction took place at the Wilson home located near where the Salt Kettle Rest Area on Interstate 74 is now.

When Dorothy Lamon Teillard died in 1953, at age 95, the Commercial-News noted that the last local living link to Abraham Lincoln was broken.

Genealogists today seem to be bombarded with news and articles about DNA tests and their effectiveness in solving crimes and reuniting family members. Some additional bits of related information are included here.

Good Sunday morning everyone, and Happy Father’s Day!! The nation’s first Father’s Day was celebrated on June 19, 1910, in the state of Washington. However, it was not until 1972, 58 years after President Woodrow Wilson made Mother’s Day official, that the day honoring fathers became a natio…

The U.S. World War I Centennial Commission, with the support of the Doughboy Foundation and others, is making available a free digital download of Debra M. Dudek’s World War I Genealogy Research Guide: Tracing American Military and Non-Combatant Ancestors.

“Are you going to be part of the solution, or are you going to be part of the problem?”

As a practicing veterinarian, my heart breaks when I see clients forced to skip necessary, even life-saving treatments for their pets based on the cost. Yes, vet bills are expensive. I am a veterinarian, and I, too, have felt the blow of an expensive trip to the veterinary emergency room fol…

Good Sunday morning, everyone! Have you heard of "The Latte Factor"? It’s a book written with the idea in mind that we spend to much money on fancy drinks like a latte and not enough is going into saving for a rainy day. It’s phrased “Say later to the latte.”

When Conkey asked young Bill Pate to look after his store in Conkeytown for a few hours, the youth readily agreed. It was the social center of the community and also an official U.S. Post office.

Good Sunday morning, everyone! In my Mother’s Day column, I talked about no one handing you a book to help you raise your child. So, I want to change that statement because we do hand new parents that very book.

The Indiana Historical Society’s (IHS) genealogical conference, Midwestern Roots, scheduled for July 19-20 in Indianapolis, promises to offer something for researchers at every level of expertise. IHS has posted an article on the Top 10 Reasons to Attend, at http://tinyurl.com/y3tlc4vd, but …

The 75th anniversary of D-Day will be marked this week with parades, tours, concerts, films, memorial services, fireworks, conferences, sea landings, battle reenactments and receptions for the veterans, most of whom are in their 90s.

This year marks the 100th anniversary of Warren County 4-H. The first year, the county’s 4-H'ers displayed their projects at the Covington fair. The following year it was held at the Clint Butler farm at Carbondale, Ind.

Good Sunday morning, everyone! Do you have a smartphone? Silly question, right? Have you given much thought to how it has changed your life?

Megan Smolenyak’s Honoring Our Ancestors Newsletters continue to post tidbits of interesting information. The April 17 issue tells of the town of Story, Ind., that is for sale for $3.8 million.

Good Sunday morning, everyone! Each of us make hundreds of choices each day. Starting with what to have for breakfast. What to wear today. So, most are inconsequential, but some choices are significant. No matter your choices, one after the other, they have gotten you to where you are today.

Last week, I came face-to-face with Danville history in Berkeley County, West Virginia.

There was quite a bit of grumbling among the regulars who frequented his service station when Illinois passed a law requiring citizens to purchase a driver’s license in 1939, Hons Shafer recalled.

Access to adoption information varies depending on the particular state. The American Adoption Congress has posted a helpful chart that provides information on access to adoption records at https://tinyurl.com/y4kk4jfv.

In June 2001, my car caught on fire and my brakes gave out while I was driving 80-pius mph on Tri-State Tollway. By the grace of God I escaped without a scratch … on my body. Although I appeared fine outwardly, I had suffered some sort of break.

Anyone interested in researching an ancestor’s participation in the Civil War could be greatly helped by the information provided by the National Archives’ article, Civil War Records: Basic Research, which can be found at https://tinyurl.com/y24qgjlp.

Last month I said the college you attend doesn’t matter – and I’ll stick to that – but the teachers who staff schools can make all the difference in the world.

Good Sunday morning, everyone, and, most of all, happy Mother’s Day! I love Mother’s Day because I love being a mom more than anything else in life.