As I was sitting up late one night tucked into our family room couch with my computer, I was multi-tasking as I usually do by doing some “light” genealogy while I watched TV. A movie came on called “Bad Day at Black Rock” from 1955 starring Spencer Tracy. I’m a pretty big fan of Spencer Tracy…
While my second great-grandfather, Orlando Shrum, was a young man living in Shenandoah County, Virginia with his parents and siblings in September of 1858, he received a letter from his older brother David, who lived in Grass Valley, California. David had set out a few years earlier to find his fortune in gold mining. I’ve…
I’m sharing more of the letter my 16-year-old second great-grandfather, Orlando Shrum, received from his 27-year-old brother David in 1858. David left Indiana in 1855 and traveled to California to mine for gold. You can read the first part of the letter HERE. I don’t know what “great difficulties” David is referring to that Orlando has…
When I read we had a gold miner in the family, I thought it couldn’t possibly true. We aren’t exactly the adventurous type in this family. I don’t even like amusement park rides anymore because they make me woozy. But there he was, David Shrum, staring back at me from a book my grandmother had…
To anyone other than a genealogist, getting excited when you learn about a tragedy in your family history is kind of morbid. But I wouldn’t say the word “excited” is exactly the right term. Interested. Fascinated. Connected. In July of 1870, my third great grandfather, Orlando Shrum, was a successful young brickmason in Halbert Township…
A full month has passed since RootsTech 2018, and the experience is still kicking around in my head. I’ve been looking for a way to express my take-away from the conference. It’s my third RootsTech I’ve attended and the first as an Ambassador. I’ll be highlighting my full interviews with the fabulous keynote speakers from RootsTech….