September 2026
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An Italian Name, An Irish DNA Story
When my husband, bearing a very Italian surname, took a DNA test a few years ago we anticipated he’d be overwhelmingly Italian. His paternal grandfather, Florindo Lanciano (1904-1971) had all the hallmarks of his Italian heritage – the lifelong nickname of ‘Rocky’, darker skin tone, black hair, and an-all Italian line stretching back decades, all… Continue reading
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From Bloodletting to Cholera: Dr. Anson Colman and Early Medicine in Rochester
In 1824, Dr. Anson Colman (1795-1837) was 29 years old, practicing medicine in the Rochester, New York area during a time when American medicine was only beginning to become more organized and formerly taught. Wanting to expand his knowledge, he traveled east to attend lectures and demonstrations at the Boston Medical School – an impressive… Continue reading
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Two Sisters, Two Very Different Civil War Stories
Yesterday I wrote about my distant cousin, Sophia Colman, who married Dr. John H. Van Evrie, one of the most outspoken racist and pro-slavery writers of the 19th century. Her sister, Cornelia Colman (1830-1914), found herself connected to the Civil War in an entirely different way. Cornelia married Edward Stuyvesant Bragg, a Wisconsin lawyer who… Continue reading
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Helen, You’ve Been Called Out – 1907 Edition
While searching old ephemera connected to my genealogy research, I stumbled across this 1907 postcard from Tecumseh, Michigan. It has absolutely nothing to do with my family – but after 119 years, I feel morally obligated to share it. The sender “E. B. W.” aka “E. B. Whaley” apparently had not heard from Helen in… Continue reading
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Hercules Mulligan: The Tailor, the Spy, and the “Hamilton” Character You Thought You Knew
From the first time I watched the musical “Hamilton” on Disney+, I was hooked. By the fourth time, I knew that if I had the opportunity, I had to see it in person. In New York City. At the Richard Rodgers Theater. In April 2023, I had one of the best – and most emotional… Continue reading
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Orphaned at Eight: Another Chapter in Edward Colman’s Story
Just yesterday, I wrote about my distant cousin ancestor, Edward Colman and the terrible wound he suffered during the Battle of Shiloh. While revisiting his family records afterward, I discovered something about Edward’s childhood that I had somehow overlooked. Long before Edward survived a gunshot wound to the face, he had already experienced tremendous loss.… Continue reading
