More than a decade ago, I began this blog as part of the “52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks” challenge. It started simply — a way to discipline myself to write, to document my research, and to preserve family stories before they faded. After a while, I became more involved in helping others with their research,…
Unraveling the Disappearance of Francis Stephan: How DNA Rewrote a Family Legend
For many years, I believed a story passed down in my family: that Francis Stephan, my great-grandmother Julia Stephan Maier’s only brother, had disappeared and was believed to have drowned in the Ohio River. His body was never recovered. The tale was told with such conviction that I never questioned it—until DNA told me otherwise….
500 Years Since the Wedding that Changed the World – Martin Luther and Katharina von Bora
I haven’t posted anything in a very long time, but yesterday was a significant date. It marked the 500th anniversary of a marriage that was both personal and profoundly political: the wedding of Martin Luther and Katharina von Bora on June 13, 1525. For me, it’s more than history—it’s heritage. I’m their 11th great-granddaughter. Their…
Connecting to Martin Luther the Reformer – Exercise Due Diligence
31 July 2018 Hello, readers. I have learned over the past few years that the majority of visits to my blog come from people who are interested in whether or not Martin Luther the Reformer left any descendants. (He did, and I am one. Read my story here: Martin Luther – Yes, THAT Martin…
Updated Biermann-Lindner and Hartley-Sigmund Family Tree Now Available
I have uploaded another updated Gedcom (November 2022) to this site using Legacy Family Tree. The old rootspersona data is gone. My file includes direct ancestors for me and for my husband’s family, as well as all descendants that I have recorded. Please understand that my research is always a work in progress. I cannot…
Lily Biermann (Terrell) Aultman – Lost Lily
Two children, who shared my maiden name, found in the Cincinnati Children’s Home in the 1900 U.S. census. I passed them by – Lilly Bierman, age eight, and John Bierman, age two – they aren’t my family, I thought. I knew of no orphaned Biermann children in my family. I was looking for my grandfather,…
Caspar Mayer – Who can read this?
Sometimes the record is there, but the technology won’t cooperate when you are uploading an image:
My Direct Line to Martin Luther – Yes, THAT Martin Luther
One of my most popular blog entries is Martin Luther – Yes, THAT Martin Luther – 52 Ancestors #13 I have been surprised to learn that there are a lot of people wondering is Martin Luther has any living descendants. He has, and I am one! Here is my direct lineage to Martin Luther, who…
Revisiting My Mitochondrial DNA
Exactly one year ago I posted “Katrine – REALLY Far Away – 52 Ancestors 2015 #6.” The theme for the week was “So Far Away,” and I thought, who is more distant than my female ancestor who purportedly gave rise to the mitochondrial haplogroup K? My subclade is K1a2b and it is no surprise that…
52 Ancestors Redux
Last year I attempted to complete a second year of 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks. The goal was to write about an ancestor a week all year. I found myself bogged down by optional themes that didn’t always fit my research interests. I fell about seven ancestors short of my goal. I may still write…