Kirsten Max-Douglas
LightNews LightNews
ourgrowingfamilytree.com
Kirsten Max-Douglas
@ourgrowingfamilytree.com
98 followers 94 following 45 posts
Posts Replies Media Videos
ourgrowingfamilytree.com
Hidden in Plain Sight: The City Directory Advantage

#genealogy #52ancestors #citydirectories #genealogyresearch

ourgrowingfamilytree.com/city-directo...
Hidden in Plain Sight: The City Directory Advantage
Discover how city directories reveal ancestors' working lives, family relationships, and neighborhood connections beyond what census records show. Learn research strategies for mining genealogical gol...
ourgrowingfamilytree.com
October 22, 2025 at 2:00 AM
ourgrowingfamilytree.com
Forged by Mystery: How Childhood Playtime Shaped My Genealogy Obsession

#52Ancestors #genealogy #genealogyresearch #familyhistory

ourgrowingfamilytree.com/playtime/
Forged by Mystery: How Childhood Playtime Shaped My Genealogy Obsession
Discover how childhood mystery books like Nancy Drew, Encyclopedia Brown, and The Westing Game forged essential detective skills for genealogical research and why "playtime" makes us better family his...
ourgrowingfamilytree.com
September 28, 2025 at 3:11 PM
ourgrowingfamilytree.com
#52Ancestors #genealogy #Brooklyn #familyhistory #genealogyblogger
I had ancestors that were both victims of crime.. and a possible criminal!
ourgrowingfamilytree.com/1860s-1870s-...
When Shakespeare Couldn't Save My Family's Money - Our Growing Family Tree
Discover how Irish ancestors navigated Brooklyn's crime-filled streets in the 1860s-70s through newspaper accounts of robbery, theft, and survival in immigrant communities.
ourgrowingfamilytree.com
August 26, 2025 at 3:38 AM
ourgrowingfamilytree.com
#52Ancestors #genealogy #Slovakia #Ireland #CountyMeath #CountyKerry #Poland #Sweden

This one makes me want to travel...

ourgrowingfamilytree.com/wide-open-sp...
From Wide Open Spaces to New American Lives - Our Growing Family Tree
Five immigrant families traded Europe's endless skies for America's tenements and steel towns. From Kerry plains to Brooklyn and Johnstown - environmental transformation and American dreams.
ourgrowingfamilytree.com
August 23, 2025 at 1:20 AM
ourgrowingfamilytree.com
#52Ancestors #Listowel #Ireland #genealogy #IrishAncestors

ourgrowingfamilytree.com/william-dowl...
William Dowling: A Young Listowel Lad in New York - Our Growing Family Tree
Discover the remarkable story of William Dowling, a young man from Listowel, County Kerry, who left Ireland in 1857 aboard the Emerald Isle to start a new life in Brooklyn, New York.
ourgrowingfamilytree.com
August 23, 2025 at 1:19 AM
ourgrowingfamilytree.com
#genealogy

Writing this brought back memories of going to my grandparent's church #52Ancestors #carpatho_rusyn #byzantinecatholic #byzantinetraditions
On my blog - ourgrowingfamilytree.com/traditions/
Or on substack -
ourgrowingfamilytree.substack.com/p/traditions
Sacred Traditions - The Byzantine Catholic Faith of My Ancestors - Our Growing Family Tree
Discover the rich Byzantine Catholic traditions of my Slovak and Polish ancestors, from sacred sacraments to holiday customs. A personal journey through immigrant faith practices that preserved ancien...
ourgrowingfamilytree.com
July 29, 2025 at 1:13 AM
ourgrowingfamilytree.com
Chasing some cousins...
#52Ancestors #genealogy #swedishcousins #dnamatches

ourgrowingfamilytree.com/cousins/
Cousins: 3 Lessons From My Most Surprising DNA Matches - Our Growing Family Tree
Discover 3 essential lessons from surprising DNA cousin matches, including a dramatic phone call revelation and Swedish family tree connections.
ourgrowingfamilytree.com
July 22, 2025 at 2:44 AM
ourgrowingfamilytree.com
Irish Immigrant Success Story!

#52Ancestors #genealogy #irishimmigrant #brooklyn

ourgrowingfamilytree.com/scraps-to-su...
From Scraps to Success: Peter Plunkett's Astonishing Paper Business - Our Growing Family Tree
Discover how Irish immigrant Peter Plunkett transformed from junk dealer to paper manufacturer, building a Brooklyn business empire that supported 11 children and multiple generations. A remarkable #5...
ourgrowingfamilytree.com
July 7, 2025 at 3:28 AM
ourgrowingfamilytree.com
I have always loved the name Anastasia.. turns out, there may be a reason why!

#52Ancestors #Genealogy #slovakgenealogy #galiciagenealogy #hlinka #bosak
ourgrowingfamilytree.com/anastasia/
Two Anastasias, One Powerful Legacy: When a Name Means "Resurrection" - Our Growing Family Tree
Discover two great-great-grandmothers named Anastasia who lived under Austrian rule in the 1800s. Both carried a name meaning 'resurrection' - one emigrated from Slovakia to Pennsylvania, the other di...
ourgrowingfamilytree.com
June 30, 2025 at 2:53 AM
ourgrowingfamilytree.com
For me, the "F" in FAN Club means Family...

#genealogy #52Ancestors #familyhistory #Dowling #Plunkett

ourgrowingfamilytree.com/ultimate-fan...
The Ultimate FAN Club: When Family Becomes Everything - Our Growing Family Tree
Discover how the FAN Club research method reveals extraordinary family networks through the Plunkett-Dowling story: 10 people, one house, and 120+ years of cooperation in Brooklyn
ourgrowingfamilytree.com
June 25, 2025 at 1:33 AM
ourgrowingfamilytree.com
Blogging today in honor of the fathers in my life
#Genealogy #52Ancestors #FathersDay2025

ourgrowingfamilytree.com/fathers/
How Fathers Across Generations Shaped My DNA and Destiny - Our Growing Family Tree
Discover how Swedish, Irish, and Slovak fathers across generations shaped one family's destiny. Plus expert tips for researching paternal genealogy lines.
ourgrowingfamilytree.com
June 16, 2025 at 2:31 AM
ourgrowingfamilytree.com
Love Transcends Time: Three Wedding Stories, One Sacred Legacy

#52Ancestors #genealogy #byzantinecatholic #weddings

ourgrowingfamilytree.com/wedding-stor...
Love Transcends Time: Three Wedding Stories, One Sacred Legacy - Our Growing Family Tree
Discover how three generations celebrated weddings in the same Byzantine Catholic church from 1945-1970s. A beautiful story of faith, tradition, family, and enduring love across decades.
ourgrowingfamilytree.com
June 9, 2025 at 1:39 AM
ourgrowingfamilytree.com
Week 22 - #52Ancestors - Reunion

#genealogy #reunion #lovestory

ourgrowingfamilytree.com/the-ultimate...
The Ultimate Reunion Love Story - Our Growing Family Tree
A heartwarming reunion love story spanning 35+ years - from teenage sweethearts in a church youth group to finding each other again through Facebook and falling in love all over again.
ourgrowingfamilytree.com
June 1, 2025 at 6:10 PM
ourgrowingfamilytree.com
My first NGS in -person conference - links to the other 3 days in the first post.

#genealogy #ngs2025gen #ngs2025

ourgrowingfamilytree.com/ngs-louisvil...
From Pajamas to Louisville: My First In-Person NGS Conference Adventure - Our Growing Family Tree
After 5+ years of virtual genealogy conferences, I'm finally attending my first in-person NGS conference in Louisville! Follow along as this veteran virtual attendee discovers the magic of face-to-fac...
ourgrowingfamilytree.com
June 1, 2025 at 6:09 PM
ourgrowingfamilytree.com
Realized I never posted my Week 21 #52Ancestors post here.

#genealogy #memorialday #marcisak #familyhistory

ourgrowingfamilytree.com/marcisak-bro...
Remembering the Forgotten Heroes: Paul and Stephen Marcisak - Our Growing Family Tree
Honoring Paul and Stephen Marcisak, two brothers who volunteered for WWII service before Pearl Harbor. Their letters home tell forgotten stories of courage and sacrifice."
ourgrowingfamilytree.com
June 1, 2025 at 6:05 PM
ourgrowingfamilytree.com
Can you believe I never saw my grandfather drive a car?
#52Ancestors #georgedubinsky #1936plymouth #2006mazdamiata #genealogy #familyhistory

ourgrowingfamilytree.com/grandfathers...
The Astonishing Roadster Revelation: My Quiet Grandfather's Secret Wheels - Our Growing Family Tree
Discover how finding my grandfather's 1940 car documents revealed his secret life as a roadster-driving young man—a side of him two generations never knew existed, and how his automotive past unexpect...
ourgrowingfamilytree.com
May 20, 2025 at 1:21 AM
ourgrowingfamilytree.com
My Library Journey: From Nancy Drew to Genealogy

#Genealogy #52Ancestors #publiclibrary Our Lady of Peace School - Lynbrook #LynbrookNY

ourgrowingfamilytree.com/library-jour...
My Library Journey: From Nancy Drew To Genealogy Research - Our Growing Family Tree
A nostalgic journey through five decades of library memories, from childhood summers at Lynbrook Public Library to school libraries and specialized genealogy collections. Follow my path from Nancy Dre...
ourgrowingfamilytree.com
May 12, 2025 at 2:36 AM
ourgrowingfamilytree.com
Writing about my grandfather's time at the Percy Jones Hospital
#52Ancestors #genealogy #percyjoneshospital #dubinsky

ourgrowingfamilytree.com/percy-jones-...
The Healing Army: My Grandfather's Service at America's Largest WWII Hospital - Our Growing Family Tree
Discover the story of Percy Jones Hospital, where my grandfather George Dubinsky served in 1945, and how this massive military medical center in Battle Creek, Michigan cared for thousands of wounded W...
ourgrowingfamilytree.com
May 5, 2025 at 3:25 AM
ourgrowingfamilytree.com
Last day of the Ohio Genealogical Society Conference!! My head is full and my feet are tired! Can't wait to implement what I've learned. :)

#genealogy #GenealogyConference #ogs2025 #OhioGenealogicalSociety

ourgrowingfamilytree.com/breakthrough...
Breakthrough Methods: What I Learned at OGS Conference Day 3 - Our Growing Family Tree
Discover the breakthrough genealogical research methods I learned at OGS Conference 2025 from experts like Judy Russell and Michael Lacopo. From indirect evidence techniques to DNA methodology, these ...
ourgrowingfamilytree.com
May 4, 2025 at 12:34 AM
ourgrowingfamilytree.com
Tired, but ready to keep researching! Day 2 of the 2025 #OhioGenealogicalSociety Conference is done. Read all about my day here.

#GenealogyConference #genealogy #ogs2025

ourgrowingfamilytree.com/breaking-thr...
Breaking Through: 5 More Fantastic Genealogy Sessions - Our Growing Family Tree
The second full day of the Ohio Genealogical Society Conference filled my head with new ideas, resources, and strategies! Five information-packed sessions left me with pages of notes, a growing to-do ...
ourgrowingfamilytree.com
May 3, 2025 at 1:06 AM
ourgrowingfamilytree.com
Busy week! I've been up in Sandusky, Ohio at the OGS conference. Check out my OGS2025 blog series (so far), starting with some pre-conference planning.

#genealogy #OGS2025 #OhioGenealogicalSociety #genealogyconference

ourgrowingfamilytree.com/pre-conferen...
Pre-Conference Planning: Making the Most of Your Genealogy Conference Experience - Our Growing Family Tree
April 29, 2025 As I prepare for my 3.5-hour drive from Cincinnati to Sandusky for the Ohio Genealogical Society’s annual conference, I’m feeling that familiar mix of excitement and anticipation that c...
ourgrowingfamilytree.com
May 2, 2025 at 1:59 AM
ourgrowingfamilytree.com
Following the breadcrumbs to identify the Mysterious Mr. Max
#52Ancestors #DNA #ancestrydna #23andme #genealogy #DNAResearch #dnamatch

ourgrowingfamilytree.com/genetic-brea...
Genetic Breadcrumbs: Following DNA to Find the Mysterious Mr. Max - Our Growing Family Tree
Introduction Remember that story I shared about the mysterious Mr. Max? If you missed it, I introduced you to one of my family’s most enduring mysteries—the identity of Clifford Max’s father, born in ...
ourgrowingfamilytree.com
April 28, 2025 at 4:10 AM
ourgrowingfamilytree.com
I've heard lots of stories since starting my genealogical journey...

#52Ancestors #genealogy #genealogyresearch #familystories #genealogicalproofstandard

ourgrowingfamilytree.com/from-family-...
From Family Tales to Documented History: The Genealogist's Journey - Our Growing Family Tree
Family stories are the heartbeat of genealogy. They spark our curiosity, connect us to our past, and often set us on the path of discovery. As I reflect on the first fifteen weeks of my #52Ancestors p...
ourgrowingfamilytree.com
April 21, 2025 at 2:36 AM
ourgrowingfamilytree.com
#52Ancestors #dowling #brooklyngenealogy #genealogy

The Case of the Two Thomas Dowlings: A Genealogical Mix-up

ourgrowingfamilytree.com/the-case-of-...
The Case of the Two Thomas Dowlings: A Genealogical Mix-Up - Our Growing Family Tree
#52Ancestors – Week 15 – Big Mistake Oh, the mistakes we make when we’re just starting out! When I first began my genealogical journey, I was bright-eyed and eager—perhaps a bit too eager. I’d found c...
ourgrowingfamilytree.com
April 14, 2025 at 4:05 AM
ourgrowingfamilytree.com
#52Ancestors #swedishgenealogy #swedishlanguage #swedishroots #ourgrowingfamilytree #genealogy

Reading Swedish records is challenging - until you get some experience!

ourgrowingfamilytree.com/language-dec...
Language - Decoding My Swedish Ancestry - Our Growing Family Tree
For Week 14 of #52Ancestors There’s something uniquely challenging and rewarding about researching ancestors who spoke a language different from your own. As someone who has spent countless hours pori...
ourgrowingfamilytree.com
April 7, 2025 at 2:23 AM