It’s week 6 in the 52 Ancestors Challenge…Social Media. There are two kinds of social media I’m thinking of this week…both having to do with my grandfathers. One has its roots in the past with newspapers and the other in the present. Both are important in complete genealogy research..
I love researching newspapers to find the stories of my ancestors…everything from love to murder and every business under the sun. In today’s world, reading a newspaper is no longer the way to get your local society news, but back in the day, it was the best way.
Here’s a mention of my grandfather, Owen McKamey, visiting his parents. 1 These tidbits can fill in gaps of place and time and can be sources of good genealogical information.
My other grandfather, Bernard Stabley, Sr., worked as a milkman for Rainier’s Dairy in Penns Grove, New Jersey.
While browsing Facebook one day, I came across a group from Penns Grove and Carneys Point, New Jersey. I asked if anyone remembered my grandfather and received some wonderful responses…
“He was our milkman on Ives Avenue. We called him Benny. Very friendly guy. Often let us have chunks of ice from the milk truck in the summer.” And “many mornings I would wait for him and holler 3 white and 1 chocolate. I remember him as being a jolly guy.” It’s nice to know people still think fondly of him all these years later.
Who doesn’t want to hear wonderful first-hand stories of their ancestors? They are there for you too. You just have to dig a little.
Genealogy tip: Once you find a social media source for your ancestor, keep up with it. No one monitors those outlets all the time and you never know when a juicy tidbit of information will come your way.
Let me know if I can help you start on your genealogy journey or if you’re a seasoned researcher and need a fresh set of eyes on your work.
1 “Special Correspondence, Lake City,” The Knoxville News-Sentinel (Tennessee), 17 Aug 1941, p. 6, col. 2; digital image, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com: accessed 7 Feb 2023).
I love uncovering stories from the past. I spent over thirty-odd years researching my family history. It was wonderful reading your uncovered stories.
Thanks, Paula! They are fun, especially when you talk to people who knew your people. Take care, Gray