Today I’m featuring one of the new surnames I’ve discovered in my family tree – Radziņš (feminine form Radziņa, the surname of one of my great-great-grandmothers. Marija Radziņa was born on November 16, 1856. I am not sure yet where
Mysteries Revealed – And Created
So today was my second day, and first full day, at the Latvian State Historical Archives. I was able to view the passports I mentioned in my previous post, belonging to Pēteris Celmiņš and Anna Celmiņa (born Liepa), and confirmed
First Day at the Archives
So I have arrived in Latvia, and today I made my first trip to the Latvian State Historical Archives. And I may have already found something! Since it takes them a few days to find and bring out the requested
Deciphering Handwriting
While looking at the 1895 Census images last week, I found a record that I believe belongs to one of my great-grandfathers, Brencis Līcītis. The Brencis Līcītis listed here is around the right age. Brencis is a fairly uncommon first
Depth of Records
So you have found the parish in Latvia where your ancestors would have attended church. Now comes the question – what kind of information, and how much, will you be able to glean from it? I’ve found that the amount
Bringing Out the Great-Grandfathers (part 1)
It is time for me to do a bit of an introduction to my own family – the mysterious entity that inspired my interest in genealogy and the pursuit of it as an eventual professional career. My family history, as