Category Archives: Pennsylvania

Welcomed by the City of Brotherly Love

First Families Certificate
My 3rd great-grandparents Patrick & Ann Cowhey arrived in Pennsylvania in 1840.

It was great fun to make a trip to the Keystone State just a few months after having my 3rd great-grandparents Patrick and Ann Cowhey designated within the First Families program through the Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania (GSP).

Me with fellow GSP members Susan and Kathryn.
Me with fellow GSP members Susan and Kathryn.

My kids and I drove straight to Philadelphia from the National History Day contest awards ceremony in College Park, Maryland, and we hit all the rush hour traffic as we rolled into the City of Brotherly Love. We arrived in downtown Philadelphia just in time for me to present at GSP’s monthly meeting on the topicĀ All I Really Needed to Know About Genealogy I Learned in Kindergarten.

A special bonus on this evening was the presence of my distant cousin Linda (also a descendant of Patrick and Ann Cowhey). She and I have corresponded for many years about our shared ancestors, but had not yet met. Linda met my children and I at GSP bearing Philadelphia tasty cakes and offering to take us on a driving tour through the city following the meeting. Together we took a bit of a “wild ride” through the tight Philly streets (me driving), glimpsing a few of the important city sites through the windows as we passed. Next time I make it to Philadelphia, I look forward to meeting Linda again for a more leisurely visit.

Thanks to those who attended my presentation at the GSP meeting. I hope to make it back again in the near future!

All I Really Needed to Know About Genealogy I Learned in Kindergarten

Well, not exactly. But it got me off to a great start! If you are in the Philadelphia area on Thursday, June 18, please join me at the Third Thursday meeting of the Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania. I’ll be presenting a back-to-basics look at the genealogical research process using Robert Fulgham‘s well-known essay and examples… Continue Reading

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