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“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

countdown to certification

I’m on the Clock!

The countdown has begun — I’m officially on the clock! I submitted my preliminary application to the Board for Certification of Genealogists, kicking off the…

tree in a field of grass with overlay of a DNA helix

Y-DNA Mystery: Hendrickson or Henderson?

One mystery that has plagued me over the years is trying to unearth our Hendrickson family origins. Faced with the challenge of tracing our direct…

Brooklyn Navy Yard, 1911

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…

Marriage Certificate for Anne Flood and Alexandeer McCulloch

FOUND: My Great-Grandmother’s Sister, Anne Flood

Last month, the New York City Municipal Archives released 9.3 million historical vital records on a free online platform. For me, this was like hitting…

Hazel (Knowles) Ewart Rankin, 1982

Just the Facts: Hazel (Knowles) Ewart Rankin

A brief look at the life of my maternal grandmother, Hazel (Knowles) Ewart Rankin (1913–1984), with key facts and photographs.

Elizabeth (Madden) McKnight and twin boys John and Frank. |

Photogenetic: My Earliest Known McKnight Ancestors

My father’s cousin, Ann Dalton provided me with photos of my earliest known McKnight Ancestors – Elizabeth (Madden) McKnight and twin boys, John and Frank.

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