
“Everything is relative except relatives,
and they are absolute.”
-Alfred Steiglitz
Family history is a way to bring our ancestors to life.
This blog details my journey as a genealogist and is a means to record my notes, recent discoveries, and the stories of my ancestors. The goal of Relatively is to inspire other family historians to preserve and share their own family stories.
RECENT POSTS
Where’s Grandpa?
The Hendrickson family made Brooklyn and Long Island their home for at least 8 generations. So when I found my great-grandparents, Clarkson and Olive Hendrickson…
Viola’s Vital Records Vitally Misleading
Vital records are often the first documents researchers turn to when investigating family history. These records are crucial to genealogical research because they document significant…
Behind the Scenes: Preserving Family Heirlooms
A few years ago, my mother entrusted me with our family heirlooms. It included documents, photos, and various artifacts such as my grandfather’s military medals, his…
Moving Day Madness
I just moved. It seems like I have done a lot of that, especially over the last ten years. This time was more painful than…
Clarkson V. Hendrickson vs. the United States
My great-great-grandfather Clarkson V. Hendrickson, Sr., and Jasper Chisholm, a coworker, filed a claim against the United States in 1912 for payment of overtime work…
Bringing Ancestors to Life with Never-Before Seen Family Photos
As researchers, we have the incredible advantage of being able to conduct genealogical research right from the comfort of our homes. There is so much…
Subscribe
Stay up to date. Receive an email when a new blog post is published.






