Long time no write! I know it has been awhile, but I’ve been very busy with all of my genealogy and museum work, but I am going to try to get back to blogging on a semi-regular basis. I also
Mappy Monday – Road to the East
Since the Second World War, Siberia and the Russian Far East are associated with deportations and prison camps. It is difficult to imagine that in decades past, thousands of Latvians and other Balts traveled there willingly to make new homes.
In Loving Memory: A Special 52 Ancestors Post
This is my Week #39 52 Ancestors post, and it is dedicated to a very recent ancestor of mine, my grandmother Aina Margrieta Līcīte, married name France, who passed away yesterday at the age of 95. Aina Margrieta (Līcīte) France
The Dreaded Corner House of Rīga
During the Soviet era, there were few buildings so feared and dreaded in Latvia as the “Corner House” – an otherwise nondescript building on the corner of Brīvības and Stabu streets (though of course Brīvības street – meaning Freedom Street
Five Cents – November 25, 1927
This is part of my series of interesting newspaper articles that I find in the old Latvian newspapers available through Periodika. Most of the articles I post are in some way related to migration, wars or other events that are
Research on Second World War Displaced Persons
I am posting this on behalf of a member of the FEEFHS (Federation of Eastern European Family History Societies) Facebook group, since I know a number of readers here are descendants of Second World War Displaced Persons, and could thus
Bringing Out the Great-Grandfathers, Part 2
Part 2 in my series on my great-grandfathers. Part 1 is here. Today’s great-grandfather is Arvīds Vilhelms Francis. Arvīds was born on August 7th, 1894 (Old Style) at one o’clock in the afternoon at Kroņi farm on the Nābe estate,
Bringing Out the Great-Grandfathers, Part 1 (updated)
I was looking through old blog posts recently, and realized that I started a series of posts on my great-grandfathers (almost four years ago now), but that I never finished the series. I only talked about one of my great-grandfathers!
Baltic Herald – August 3, 1904
This is part of my series of interesting newspaper articles that I find in the old Latvian newspapers available through Periodika. Most of the articles I post are in some way related to migration, wars or other events that are
Connecting with Living Relatives
People always ask me how to find and connect with living relatives. It can be done, and there are a number of ways to approach it. Depending on the approach and what your priorities are in locating living relatives, you