Read a sample excerpt from The Record Keeper by Allison Lawrentz Barnhart, Chapter 10, “Secret Sisters.

Read a sample excerpt from The Record Keeper by Allison Lawrentz Barnhart, Chapter 10, “Secret Sisters.
Learn about Stanley Hoffman Sr., a crabber from Deal Island, Maryland who lived there from 1887-1971.
Learn about Stanley Hoffman Jr., a crabber from Deal Island, Maryland who lost his life at a young age.
In August of 1933 a damaging hurricane barreled through the mid-Atlantic states. Stanley Scroggs was 3 and this is the story of how his father Harry flew his Curtiss Robin on to the Eastern Shore from Baltimore to rescue his wife and son from the rising waters in the marshland of Deal Island.
Near and dear to the native Marylander is, of course, the crab. My grandpa spent a lot of his childhood visiting his mother’s family on Deal Island, a rural marshy treasure trove of waterfowl, oysters, and crab located on the Delmarva Peninsula in the Tangier Sound of the Chesapeake Bay. Carl Hoffman was the son […]
The story of Anna Scroggs and Leo Bonne in Baltimore, 1921. A murder, an assault, self-defense and justice. A wild family history story.
Our ancestors held some fascinating occupations. Some dangerous, some unhealthy, some surprising. Check census records and more to discover your family’s work path!
Genealogists often focus on deceased ancestors, overlooking the importance of recording stories from living relatives. Interviewing family members can be done in various ways: casual conversations, prompted journals, or engaging in shared activities. Focus sessions on specific life areas for deeper insights. Remember to document their experiences and also share your own life for future generations.
Exploring family history can extend beyond genealogy to amateur anthropology by using the senses to connect with ancestors’ lives—through touch, sight, hearing, smell, and taste. By immersing in their world using artifacts, photos, recordings, and even replicating their recipes and gardening habits, one can gain a deeper, empathetic understanding of their heritage.
These are just some of the things I remember and some of the things I still get to enjoy about visiting my grandparents. It is a special relationship and they are lovely, kind, wonderful people. I hope I make my grandkids feel at home someday by just being with them like my grandparents have made me feel when I’m with them.
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