November 11, 2025, Thanks to everyone who joined on the Zoom this past Sunday, Nov. 9. We had cousins from coast to coast and from age 5 to age 95 on the call. We took a look at several veterans from our family, focusing on World War 1, World War 2, and the Korean War. Searching for Military Records There are many ways to find out information about our ancestors who served in the military. Ancestry.com has a military database to search and you can find out a lot of information. I have found that draft enrollment cards, as well as VA files, and applications for military headstones. For example, here is my grandfather, Louis J. Keating's, WWII draft enrollment card. I also found Joseph Motier's application for a headstone. Cousin JoAnn Brennan recommends the Fold3 database for searching military files. Fold3 is available through Ancestry.com for an extra fee or with FamilySearch or at LDS research centers. ...
We had a fun Zoom call on Sunday, September 28, 2025 to discuss two female ancestors who both had very interesting, long lives. Both of them were born in Davenport in the second half of the 19th century. Neither of them married, but they were both very involved with their families. Between the two individuals, they traveled far from Davenport to Chicago, California, and New York. The first highlighted ancestor was Emily Motier (1851-1935). She was the third daughter born to Joseph Motie and his wife Mary Maguire. Emily was born on September 11, 1851. In an undated obituary for Emily found in Eleanor's scrapbook, the writer describes Emily's early life quite lyrically. The writer described Joseph and Mary as "pioneer settlers" in Davenport. The obituary explained Emily's journey to the convent, writing, "Before the era of railroad transportation, she (Emily) traveled by steamboat up the Mississippi River from Davenport to Dubuque to enter the Novitiate of ...