The theme for Week 30 is "In the News." Have you found an ancestor in the newspaper? (I sure hope so -- newspapers are wonderful resources!) Another possibility for this theme is to consider what historical/newsworthy events an ancestor witnessed or would have read about in the newspaper. Click here to check out all of the themes for 2023!
I remember the days when I used to sit in the library, scrolling through microfilm on a reader, meticulously flipping through page after page, all in the hope of finding some mention of a relative. Thankfully, in today's digital age, many old newspapers have been digitized and made available online. With just a few keystrokes, you can input a search term, a date, and a location, and like magic, you are presented with options. Admittedly, the technology isn't always flawless, but it does serve as a fantastic starting point. Nevertheless, not all newspapers have been digitized, and there might still be instances where a trip to the library is in my future.
For me, one of the most significant uses of newspapers is searching for obituaries. They often contain valuable information about family members, such as the names of spouses, parents, siblings, and children. Another delightful discovery is stumbling upon engagement or marriage announcements, which often provide details about the parents of the couple and even the names of their siblings. Additionally, finding birth announcements that include both parents' names is like uncovering a hidden gem. However, the true treasures lie in stumbling upon your relatives' names in other significant events.
I have a particularly poignant memory surrounding my mother's first husband, Quentin McAbee. He tragically passed away in a work-related accident, falling 540 feet from a skyscraper in the Chicago area. His story made the front page, and it was heart-wrenching for my mother, especially since she had just discovered she was pregnant with their sixth child. She had to raise her children without her life partner by her side. I later discovered that my mother had filed a lawsuit seeking damages for herself and the children. Although I never found an article that listed the outcome of the lawsuit, I do know that she was awarded some compensation, and each of the children received a trust in their name on their 18th birthday.
While searching for more information on this tragic event, I stumbled upon another accident that Quentin had been involved in during World War II. This bus accident had almost slipped from my memory until I stumbled upon the old newspaper articles. Initially, I had been told that Quentin rescued some people during the accident, but the truth was far different.
Quentin himself had suffered severe injuries in the bus accident, and when I think about how fortunate he was to survive it, I can't help but feel grateful. If he hadn't made it through, my siblings wouldn't exist, and it leads me to contemplate the "butterfly effect" of how our lives are interconnected. My mother's second husband, my father, was introduced to her through her sister's husband. If she hadn't married Quentin and become a widow, who knows if she would have ever crossed paths with my father. It's truly astounding to think about the chain of events that led to my existence.
Now, let's take a look at the news article that appeared in Quentin's local newspaper about that fateful night. Green Bay Press-Gazette; Green Bay, Wisconsin; Tuesday, November 18, 1941, Page 7.
Remember to have fun and Just Do Genealogy!
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