
“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
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.
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.
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…
My Founding Fathers
Father’s Day is bittersweet for me because my Dad is no longer here to celebrate the day with me. Similar to my Mother’s Day post,…
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.






