Author: Beth Steury
4 Ways to Celebrate Family History this Thanksgiving
The things we love most about Thanksgiving— the family gathered from far and near, the dining table overflowing with favorite foods, and the cherished, passed-down traditions—create a lovely backdrop for a day spent reveling in family history. …
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Memories plucked from the Family Recipe Box
I can picture the scene so clearly in my mind. Sitting around the Formica topped table in my grandma's old farmhouse kitchen. Gathered with my grandparents, my parents, and my siblings, for a home-cooked-from-scratch meal on holidays …
The Scrapbook
My latest sleuthing adventure has sent me on quite an interesting and thought-provoking journey. It all began with an early morning email message on a Wednesday in July. “I have something I want to run by you,” …
How will you Celebrate National Cousins Day?
There may forever remain multiple who, when, and where questions about the origins of the lesser-known July holiday celebrated on the 24th—National Cousins Day. While some admit the history of this commemoration is “shrouded in mystery,” others …
Two Family Mysteries and their Journeys Toward the Truth
The search for a grandfather Mike Holloway, of Willshire, Ohio, is a man on a mission—a genealogical mission, that is. In recent years, his interest in a long-time family mystery found him taking up the search …
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Lessons Learned . . . And the moral of the story
(DNA Sleuth column - March 2025) For the past month, I’ve been neck-deep in a writing project that has claimed much of the time I usually spend burrowed deep in search angel mode. I’m still popping into …
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“What? Mom’s adopted?!”
In my pursuit to share the wonderful world of DNA with folks far and near, I’m always looking for opportunities to present DNA-themed programs. The Heritage Room at the Berne Public Library has hosted several such presentations, …
The Mystery of the Abandoned Hotel Baby
Thursday, March 16, 1918 . . . Richmond, Indiana. A weeks-old baby boy found alone and crying in a room at the Kelly Hotel. Hotel employees cannot locate parents who may have used a fictious name at …