For genealogists, the centennial is more than an occasion to revisit the storm’s scale. Disasters can redirect lives in ways that appear throughout the historical record: a family leaves town, relatives take in survivors, an occupation changes, property passes through probate, or a familiar address disappears from the next directory. By examining records from before and after September 1926, researchers may uncover how the hurricane altered a family’s path.

Key takeaways about the Great Miami Hurricane

• The Great Miami Hurricane made landfall near Miami Beach early on September 18, 1926, with the strength of what would now be classified as a Category 4 hurricane.
• The official death toll remains uncertain. A Red Cross report listed 373 deaths and 6,381 injuries, while many people were reported missing.
• The storm affected communities across South Florida and later made another U.S. landfall near the Alabama–Florida border.
• Census records, city directories, newspapers, death records, property files, probate cases, cemetery records, maps, and photographs can help reconstruct a family’s experience.
• A sudden disappearance from local records does not necessarily mean that a person died. Evacuation, displacement, hospitalization, relocation, and changes in recordkeeping are also possible explanations.

What happened during the Great Miami Hurricane?

Miami was expanding at extraordinary speed in the mid-1920s. Dade County had counted 42,753 residents in the 1920 U.S. census, but its population had grown to well over 100,000 by September 1926, according to the National Weather Service. Construction was widespread, newcomers were arriving rapidly, and many residents had little experience with hurricanes.

The storm was first identified northeast of the Lesser Antilles on September 14. It moved through the Bahamas and reached the South Florida coast in the early hours of September 18. Modern analysis classifies it as a Category 4 hurricane at its Miami-area landfall.

The eye passed over the city, bringing a deceptive period of calm. Some residents emerged from shelter, unaware that the storm’s most violent winds would soon return from the opposite direction. The second half of the hurricane brought renewed destruction. Storm surge inundated Miami Beach and areas around Biscayne Bay, while powerful winds damaged buildings, utilities, boats, roads, and rail lines.

After crossing the peninsula, the hurricane moved into the Gulf of Mexico and made another landfall near the Alabama–Florida border on September 20. Its effects extended well beyond Miami, including severe damage in Fort Lauderdale, Hollywood, Moore Haven, and communities along the northern Gulf Coast.

Why the storm’s human toll is difficult to measure

The Great Miami Hurricane caused over $100 million in damage at the time — over $164 billion in today’s dollars — and left more than 40,000 people homeless. Its precise death toll is harder to establish. The National Hurricane Center cites a Red Cross report that listed 373 deaths and 6,381 injuries. It also notes that more than 800 people were missing after the storm.

Several factors complicated the count. South Florida had a large, mobile population that included recent arrivals, seasonal residents, laborers, tourists, and people living in newly developed neighborhoods. Some victims may not have appeared in local records before the hurricane. Others left the area afterward or were temporarily separated from relatives. Bodies were not always recovered or immediately identified.

For family historians, this uncertainty is a reminder that an official total and an individual family’s experience are different kinds of evidence. A death certificate may document one victim, a newspaper may report another person missing, and a later census may show that someone believed lost had resettled elsewhere. Each source answers a different question.

How the hurricane can appear in family history records

Natural disasters rarely create one complete, easily searchable list of everyone affected. Their impact is usually scattered across records produced for other purposes. The most effective approach is to establish what is known before the storm, then follow each person through the months and years that followed.

Federal census records

The 1920 and 1930 U.S. federal censuses provide useful reference points on either side of the hurricane. Compare household members, addresses, occupations, birthplaces, immigration details, and housing information. The 1930 U.S. federal census on MyHeritage may show whether a family remained in South Florida, moved to another county or state, changed occupations, or combined households with relatives.

A change between the two censuses is a clue, not proof that the storm caused it. Marriage, employment, health, economic conditions, and ordinary migration may also explain the difference. Look for supporting evidence before drawing a conclusion.

City directories

Because federal censuses were taken 10 years apart, city directories can bring the timeline much closer to September 1926. Directories often list adult residents, spouses, occupations, employers, and street addresses. Search the U.S. City Directories collection on MyHeritage for entries before and after the hurricane.

Aside from noting whether a person was present or absence, pay attention to additional details. Were they designated a widow or widower? Did they begin a new occupation, or work for a different employer? Did they move to a different address? All these may indicate that they were affected by the hurricane. Consult the directory’s publication date and introductory pages when possible: information may have been collected months before the year printed on the cover.

Death records, obituaries, and cemetery sources

If a relative may have died in the storm, search death certificates, county death records, cemetery registers, burial databases, funeral-home records, obituaries, and death notices. The Florida County Deaths collection on MyHeritage contains records from 1925 onward, although coverage varies by county and period.

Try a range of dates around September 18 rather than limiting the search to the day of landfall. An injured person may have died later, and registration could have been delayed amid widespread disruption. Search with flexible spellings, initials, nicknames, and broader geographic settings. An unidentified or badly transcribed entry may not appear under the expected name.

Historical newspapers

Newspapers reported casualty lists, missing people, hospital admissions, relief efforts, funerals, property damage, and the movements of survivors. Local coverage can reveal small details that never entered a government record, while newspapers in a person’s former hometown may have published news received from relatives in Florida.

Search for a surname alongside an address, employer, neighborhood, or relative’s name. Also try phrases such as “Miami hurricane,” “reported missing,” “among the injured,” “storm refugee,” and “returned from Florida.” Early reports were often incomplete or wrong, so follow the coverage for several days or weeks and corroborate important claims with later records.

Property, court, and insurance records

Deeds, mortgages, tax rolls, building permits, probate files, guardianship cases, and court records may show what happened after a home or business was damaged. A property might have been sold quickly, transferred within a family, rebuilt, or abandoned. Probate records can identify heirs and relatives even when a death record offers little information.

These materials may be held by county clerks, courts, local archives, historical societies, or libraries rather than in a single online database. Search under both Miami and Dade County; the county was renamed Miami-Dade County in 1997.

Maps, photographs, and relief records

Historical maps can place an address in relation to the coast, waterways, rail lines, and heavily damaged neighborhoods. Photographs from the Florida Memory historic hurricane collection and the Library of Congress can add visual context.

Relief organizations, hospitals, churches, civic groups, and government agencies also generated correspondence, reports, lists, and case files. Survival of these records varies, and access may be restricted in some cases. Repository catalogs and finding aids are often more useful than a general name search, especially when records have not been digitized.

A step-by-step research strategy

Here are some guidelines for researching family members who may have been affected by the hurricane:

1. Start with a confirmed identity. Record the person’s full name, relatives, occupation, and last known address before the hurricane.
2. Build a narrow timeline. Look for records from 1925 through 1927, including directories, newspapers, vital records, deeds, and family correspondence.
3. Search beyond Miami. Include Miami Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Hollywood, Moore Haven, other South Florida communities, and the northern Gulf Coast, depending on the person’s location.
4. Trace relatives and neighbors. Displaced people often stayed with family or moved with members of the same household or community.
5. Compare pre- and post-storm sources. Use the 1920 and 1930 censuses as anchors, then fill the decade with annual or event-based records.
6. Separate fact from family tradition. Preserve oral accounts, but test details against contemporary evidence. Dates, locations, and the identities of those involved may have shifted as the account passed between generations.
7. Document negative searches. Note the collections, date ranges, spellings, and locations checked. This prevents repeated work and may reveal gaps in record coverage.

What the centennial offers family historians

Anniversaries often prompt archives, libraries, museums, and historical societies to digitize materials, create exhibits, publish finding aids, or invite the public to share photographs and memories. The 100th anniversary may therefore surface sources that were previously difficult to locate.

It is also an opportunity to preserve material already held by families. Identify the people in photographs, scan letters and newspaper clippings, record the source of inherited accounts, and add evidence-based notes to the family tree. If a relative experienced the hurricane, document not only the dramatic day itself but also what came next: relocation, rebuilding, changes in work, the loss of property, or support from extended family.

The Great Miami Hurricane did not affect every family in the same way. Some lost relatives, homes, or livelihoods. Others left Florida, took in displaced kin, or helped rebuild the region. Following those consequences through historical records can restore individual experiences to an event most often described through totals and photographs of destruction.

Frequently asked questions about the Great Miami Hurricane

When did the Great Miami Hurricane happen?

The hurricane made landfall near Miami Beach early on September 18, 1926. It crossed South Florida, entered the Gulf of Mexico, and made another U.S. landfall near the Alabama–Florida border on September 20.

How strong was the Great Miami Hurricane?

Modern analysis classifies it as a Category 4 hurricane at its South Florida landfall. The category is a retrospective classification because the Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale did not exist in 1926.

How many people died in the Great Miami Hurricane?

The exact number is uncertain. The National Hurricane Center cites a Red Cross report listing 373 deaths and 6,381 injuries, while more than 800 people were reported missing after the storm. Contemporary reports and later sources sometimes give different totals.

Why might an ancestor disappear from Miami records after 1926?

Death is one possibility, but it is not the only one. The person may have evacuated, moved permanently, stayed with relatives, entered a hospital, changed names through marriage, or been omitted from a directory. Follow the person through relatives, associates, newspapers, death records, property records, and the 1930 census before reaching a conclusion.

Which records are most useful for researching a relative affected by the hurricane?

Begin with the 1920 and 1930 federal censuses, then add city directories, newspapers, death and cemetery records, deeds, tax rolls, probate files, maps, photographs, and any surviving family papers. The best combination depends on whether the research question concerns death, displacement, property, or a later move.

Can I search for people affected by the hurricane on MyHeritage?

There is no single record set containing everyone affected. Search relevant collections on MyHeritage, including U.S. federal censuses, city directories, Florida death records, newspapers, and family trees. Compare results across collections and verify family tree information against original records whenever possible.

Yan Sandler is a passionate genealogy enthusiast, specializing in Eastern European and Jewish heritage. He enjoys helping others to uncover their roots, turning complex archival fragments into meaningful family stories for researchers worldwide.

The post The Great Miami Hurricane of 1926: What Its 100th Anniversary Means for Genealogy appeared first on MyHeritage Blog.

Key takeaways about New York in September 1776

• Failed Diplomacy: The Staten Island Peace Conference on September 11 marked the final formal diplomatic attempt at reconciliation before all-out warfare continued.
• British Occupation: The military landing at Kip’s Bay on September 15 allowed British forces to seize Manhattan, beginning an occupation that lasted until 1783.
• Devastating Destruction: The Great Fire on September 20–21 consumed up to a quarter of the city, leaving thousands homeless and destroying crucial property.
• Widespread Displacements: The conflict forced Patriots, Loyalists, and neutral civilians to flee, creating complex migration patterns documented in historical records.

The Staten Island peace conference: A final effort at peace

On September 11, 1776, a delegation representing the Continental Congress met with British Admiral Lord Richard Howe at the Billopp House on Staten Island. The American delegation comprised John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and Edward Rutledge. Howe sought to offer royal pardons and secure a peaceful resolution without further military conflict.

However, the fundamental positions of both sides created an immediate stalemate. Howe possessed authority to grant pardons only if the Americans repealed the Declaration of Independence. The American representatives refused to negotiate without formal recognition of the United States as an independent nation. Consequently, the 3-hour meeting ended without an agreement, ending diplomatic efforts and ensuring that the war would be settled on the battlefield.

The British capture of New York City

4 days after the failed peace conference, British General William Howe launched an amphibious assault on Manhattan. On September 15, 1776, 5 British warships unleashed a heavy naval bombardment against American defenses at Kip’s Bay, near present-day 34th Street. Overwhelmed Continental militia forces broke rank and retreated in confusion. General George Washington arrived at the field and attempted to rally his retreating men, but British forces successfully landed thousands of troops.

By nightfall, British forces controlled lower Manhattan, forcing the Continental Army to retreat to Harlem Heights in the north. The capture of New York handed Britain a strategic deep-water port, which served as their primary naval and military headquarters in North America for seven years. The occupation transformed city life, turning New York into a crowded garrison town for British troops and a destination for Loyalists seeking British protection.

The great fire of New York City

Disaster struck during the late hours of September 20 and the early morning of September 21, 1776. A fire erupted near the Fighting Cocks Tavern near Whitehall Slip and quickly spread across lower Manhattan, driven by strong dry winds and timber-framed structures. Because many firefighters had evacuated the city or taken their equipment, extinguishing the blaze proved extremely difficult.

The fire destroyed between 10% and 25% of the city’s buildings, burning down centuries-old homes, businesses, and landmarks such as Trinity Church. British military commanders suspected Patriot arsonists and arrested hundreds of residents for questioning, though no official proof emerged. The destruction forced thousands of residents into encampments made of canvas tents and wooden huts, known locally as “Canvas Town.”

Tracing your family history in revolutionary New York

The upheaval in New York in September 1776 generated extensive record trails that allow modern researchers to discover their ancestors’ roles. Whether your ancestors served in the military, held Loyalist convictions, or lived through the destruction as civilians, several specific source collections document their lives:

• Revolutionary War Pension Files: Continental soldiers who survived the defense of Manhattan often applied for pensions decades later. These detailed applications describe personal experiences at Kip’s Bay, Harlem Heights, and subsequent campaigns.
• Loyalist Claims and Losses Records: Loyalists who fled to New York or lost property in the Great Fire submitted formal claims to the British government for financial compensation, providing details on family members, former residences, and lost personal belongings.
• Military Service Records and Muster Rolls: British Army muster rolls, Hessian regiments logs, and Continental Army rosters record enlistment dates, hospital stays, casualties, and desertions during the 1776 campaign.
• Church Registers and Property Deeds: Local parish registers of baptisms, marriages, and burials offer vital dates before and after the fire, while land registries track property transfers and post-war land confiscations.

Organizing these findings becomes clear when you construct a family tree to track ancestral lineages across generations.

Combining your lineage with a targeted search across billions of historical records helps locate individual military entries, pension filings, and tax lists.

Furthermore, taking a simple DNA test can connect you with genetic relatives who share descent from colonial New York families, providing new leads for your family history.

To discover more historical insights and explore special resources dedicated to early American history, visit the MyHeritage America 250 site.

FAQs about New York in September 1776

Why was New York City strategically vital in 1776?

New York City offered a centralized location along the Atlantic coastline and a superior deep-water harbor. Controlling the Hudson River allowed the British military to sever communications and troop movement between the New England colonies and the rest of the continent.

Who was responsible for starting the Great Fire of New York?

The origin of the fire remains historically unconfirmed. British authorities accused American sympathizers of setting the fires deliberately, while George Washington and Continental leadership denied ordering the destruction, despite recognizing the city’s strategic value to Britain.

How can I determine if my ancestor was in New York during these events?

You can search digitized military muster rolls, Loyalist compensation claims, town tax rolls, and Revolutionary War pension applications. These documents list residences, military unit movements, and property losses sustained during the autumn of 1776.

The fateful events of September 1776 altered the trajectory of the American Revolution and reshaped the lives of ordinary citizens. Exploring military rosters, compensation claims, and church registers helps bring your ancestors’ experiences during this historic crisis to light.

Yan Sandler is a passionate genealogy enthusiast, specializing in Eastern European and Jewish heritage. He enjoys helping others to uncover their roots, turning complex archival fragments into meaningful family stories for researchers worldwide.

The post New York 250 Years Ago: Tracing Your Revolutionary War Family History appeared first on MyHeritage Blog.

With help from MyHeritage researcher Naama Lanski, Adriana was connected with her second cousin Raanan Gidron in Israel. When Adriana and Raanan first saw each other during a video call arranged by MyHeritage, the connection between them was immediate.

We are delighted to share that in August 2026, Adriana traveled around 14,000 kilometers from Australia to Israel to meet Raanan and her newfound family in person.

Raanan was waiting for her at Ben-Gurion Airport. When they saw each other, they embraced, overcome with emotion.

“Here is my long-lost cousin,” Adriana said. “Here you are.”

Watch the moment Adriana and Raanan met in person for the first time:

Although it was their first time together in person, the meeting felt instantly familiar. Raanan described it as “magical,” like meeting a family member he already knew.

Raanan and Adriana

During her visit, Raanan introduced Adriana to more of her Israeli relatives. Adriana was especially moved by the family resemblance. “When I look at the family in Israel, I can see my father’s face in them,” she says.

They spent time getting to know one another, sharing meals, and talking about their family history. Adriana especially appreciated the opportunity to speak openly about the Holocaust and the impact it had on their family. Their parents’ generation had found it difficult to talk about those experiences and losses. Now, the cousins could begin piecing together what had happened and share the emotions that came with it. She described the experience as a kind of “international group therapy”: for the first time, she said, she could cry with other members of her family about the Holocaust.

Adriana and Raanan also visited us at the MyHeritage headquarters in Or Yehuda. Our team had followed their story from its earliest stages, and it was deeply moving to welcome them in person and see the relationship that began on a screen become such a warm and natural family bond.

Adriana and Raanan at the MyHeritage headquarters

The reunion has changed Adriana’s sense of her place in the world. Before taking the DNA test, she felt overcome by grief and isolation. Now, she says, being surrounded by her cousins has given her a new sense of connection and possibility. “I feel like I’ve been born again through this experience,” she says.

The relationship will continue long after Adriana’s journey home. Her Israeli relatives now have an open invitation to visit her in Australia, and the younger members of the family are already showing interest in taking her up on it.

Adriana spent most of her life believing that no one remained from her father’s family. Today, she is part of a growing circle of relatives who have welcomed her with open arms.

“This new family is healing me,” she says.

We could not be more honored to have played a part in bringing Adriana and Raanan together, and we wish them many more years of shared memories, visits, and family connection.

Have you also made an incredible discovery with MyHeritage? We’d love to hear about it! Please share it with us at stories@myheritage.com.

The post Cousins Meet at Last in a Healing Reunion 80+ Years After the Holocaust Shattered Their Families appeared first on MyHeritage Blog.

Born in Mumbai in the early 1980s, both girls were adopted as infants by different Dutch families. They grew up miles apart, completely unaware that they shared the exact same parents. Yet, against all astronomical odds, life kept pushing them toward each other — first as strangers, then as childhood friends who jokingly called each other “Sis,” and finally, 30 years later, as full biological sisters, verified through MyHeritage DNA.

This is their unbelievable story.

Growing up different

“I was born in Mumbai in 1983 and was adopted at four months old by a wonderful Belgian-Dutch couple who were teachers,” says Meena Geltink.

From Meena’s adoption papers

“Growing up as an Indian girl with dark skin in a small Dutch village, I always felt different. I was great at gymnastics, but I tried not to stand out too much — I already stood out enough just by existing.”

Meena as a child

“My parents were always open about my adoption,” says Meena. “We even celebrated October 25 — the day I arrived in the Netherlands — as my second birthday, and traveled to India together to learn about my heritage. Still, without any information about my biological family, I felt a deep sadness and isolation.”

Meanwhile, Minal Tijssen was leading a parallel life. “I was adopted at three and a half months old in 1982 by loving parents in Made, Brabant,” says Minal. “Like Meena, I loved sports — gymnastics, field hockey, tennis. But despite having a warm family, I felt an intense inner loneliness. Seeing other Indian people actually frightened me as a child, and when people looked at me, I thought, ‘I’m not like you.’ I felt like an alien with no anchor to my true identity.”

Minal’s adoption announcement

“My parents told me I had been left in a basket outside an orphanage in Mumbai,” says Minal. “For 42 years, that sparse detail was the only origin story I had.”

Cosmic coincidences

Long before a DNA database could connect them, destiny was already dropping hints. “When I was 12, my family went camping in Austria,” says Meena. “A boy from another Dutch family kept calling me ‘Minal!’ I corrected him, but he insisted: ‘No, you look exactly like a girl I know named Minal back home.’“

“At age 14, my parents sent me to a weekend gathering for international adoptees,” says Minal. “I went with a friend, terrified as usual. That’s where I met Meena. During dinner, I noticed her staring at me. I felt uncomfortable at first — who was this girl who looked like me?”

Meena (left) and Minal (right) as teens

“Then she came over and told me about her vacation friend who had mistaken her for me,” says Minal. “It turned out that boy was my primary school classmate!”

“Our friends were stunned by how much we looked alike,” says Meena. “They dragged us both into the bathroom. We stood side by side, looking into the mirror in disbelief. Same eyes, same nose, same smile, same dark skin, same love for gymnastics.”

Minal (left) and Meena (right) were strikingly similar

“We clicked instantly,” says Minal. “We began writing letters back and forth for 6 years. Because we felt such a strange, instinctual bond, we affectionately addressed each other as ‘Sis.’ But as we grew into adults, life took over. We didn’t have social media back then to keep us connected. By 2011, we had lost touch. I assumed our ‘sisterhood’ was just a sweet fairytale we made up as teenagers.”

“We both moved on, and built separate lives,” says Meena. “I lived in Gemert, and Minal moved to France.”

Searching for answers

Both women made separate attempts to trace their roots back to Mumbai, only to hit devastating dead ends.

“In 2004, and again in 2025, I visited the orphanage in Mumbai listed on my court papers,” says Minal. “Both times, there were no record files, no mention of my name, and no answers. The staff ushered us out. I left feeling erased — did I even exist? Where did I come from?”

Meena tried to learn about her origins, too. “In 2017, seeking answers, I took a MyHeritage DNA test,” she says. “But month after month passed with no close family matches. Eventually, I gave up, lost my password, and deleted the app from my phone.”

‘This is real… full biological sisters’

Nine years after Meena took her test, Minal finally received a MyHeritage DNA kit in the spring of 2026.

“One day, I was sitting on my couch in France when a notification popped up on my phone: Your MyHeritage test results are ready!” Minal recalls. “I opened the app. At the top of the list, under Immediate Family, it read: ‘Sœur (Sister): Meena, Netherlands.’

“I sat there frozen, trembling. I got into my car to pick up my son from soccer practice and suddenly burst into uncontrollable tears — tears coming from a place so deep inside me that I had never felt before.

“I rushed to Facebook, tracked down Meena on Messenger, and sent her a screenshot of her profile: ‘Meena, do you remember how we used to call each other sisters? Well, check your MyHeritage app… we might actually be real sisters.’“

“I was so confused!” Meena exclaims. “I couldn’t even remember my login password. My partner helped me log back into my old account. He looked at the centimorgan data, checked it twice, and looked up at me: ‘Meena… this is real. You are 100% full biological sisters.’“

‘It’s an unbelievable feeling’

The DNA data confirmed what their hearts had known in that bathroom mirror 30 years earlier: Meena and Minal share the exact same biological mother and father.

“For my whole life, I felt like I didn’t belong anywhere,” says Minal. “But when the test confirmed Meena was my full sister, everything changed. I finally felt: I exist. I am alive. I’m not an alien. I was really born, because my sister came from the exact same belly, the exact same parents.“

“Now, we text and video call every single day,” says Meena. “We share so many of the same traits, memories, and even music tastes — we both grew up obsessing over the Backstreet Boys! It’s an unbelievable feeling.”

The two finally reunited in the Netherlands in mid-August. Watch their emotional reunion in the video below:

“When I see you, it’s like I’m home,” Minal told Meena.

A sisters’ embrace

Meena and Minal

Meena and Minal

The sisters’ incredible story resonated all over the world, with news outlets from People.com and the New York Times to CBC Radio and the Indian Express reporting on it. We are very grateful to Meena and Minal for sharing their story with us and with the world. It’s such a poignant reminder of how powerful and life-changing DNA testing can be for adoptees and others seeking long-lost relatives.

If you’ve also made an amazing discovery with MyHeritage — and it doesn’t have to be as mind-blowing as this one! — we’d love to hear about it. Please share it with us at stories@myheritage.com.

The post Both Adopted from Mumbai, They Called Each Other ‘Sis.’ 30 Years Later, They Found Out They’re Actually Sisters appeared first on MyHeritage Blog.

Explore the 20 new and updated historical record collections added this month

Collection	Description	Number of Records	Link to Search
Austria Newspapers from OldNews.com	An index of historical national, regional and local newspapers, periodicals and gazettes from Austria.	135,414 newspaper pages added for a total of 14,450,293 newspaper pages	Search collection now
Canada Newspapers from OldNews.com	An index of historical national, regional and local newspapers and periodicals from Canada.	137,145 newspaper pages added for a total of 3,011,981 newspaper pages	Search collection now
Canada, Alberta Marriage Index, 1877-1950	An index of marriage records from Alberta, Canada, between the years 1877 and 1950.	506,705 records	Search collection now
Chile Newspapers from OldNews.com	An index of historical national, regional and local newspapers, periodicals and gazettes from Chile.	1,064,141 newspaper pages	Search collection now
Greece, Voter Lists, 1843-1864	An index of voter lists from Greece, between the years 1843 and 1864.	301,828 records	Search collection now
Ireland, Dog Licence Registers, 1865-1926	An index of dog licence registers from Ireland, between the years 1865 and 1926.	8,169,650 records	Search collection now
Italy Newspapers from OldNews.com	An index of historical national, regional and local newspapers, periodicals and gazettes from Italy.	2,200,156 newspaper pages added for a total of 9,807,936 newspaper pages	Search collection now
Italy, Tuscany, Florence Military Service Roll Index, 1866-1945	An index of military service roll records from Florence, Tuscany, Italy, between the years 1866 and 1945.	629,584 records	Search collection now
Italy, World War I Casualty Lists	An index of casualty lists from Italy's involvement in the First World War.	1,037,950 records	Search collection now
Netherlands, Names & Stories in Newspapers from OldNews.com	An index of records of names, events, and stories, found in newspapers from the Netherlands on OldNews.com.	283,506,000 records added for a total of 710,829,331 records	Search collection now
Netherlands, South Holland, Leiden Population Registers, 1606-1939	An index of population registers from Leiden, South Holland, the Netherlands, between the years 1606 and 1939.	1,903,320 records	Search collection now
Portugal Newspapers from OldNews.com	An index of historical national, regional and local newspapers, periodicals and gazettes from Portugal.	425,099 newspaper pages	Search collection now
Spain Newspapers from OldNews.com	An index of historical national, regional and local newspapers and gazettes from Spain.	106,062 newspaper pages added for a total of 23,852,856 newspaper pages	Search collection now
Montana, County Births	An index of birth records from various counties in Montana, United States.	517,408 records	Search collection now
Montana, County Deaths, 1886-2004	An index of death records from various counties in Montana, United States, between the years 1886 and 2004.	766,493 records	Search collection now
New York City Municipal Deaths, 1795-1949	An index of municipal death records from New York City, United States, between the years 1795 and 1949.	15,218,600 records	Search collection now
North Carolina, Deaths and Burials, 1898-1999	An index of death and burial records from North Carolina, United States, between the years 1898 and 1999.	7,336,620 records	Search collection now
North Carolina, Voters Registration, 1900-1908	An index of voter registration records from North Carolina, United States, between the years 1900 and 1908.	867,528 records	Search collection now
Pennsylvania Death Index, 1906-1975	An index of death records from Pennsylvania, United States, between the years 1906 and 1975.	1,190,250 records added for a total of 7,752,736 records	Search collection now
Texas, Deaths, 1890-1977	An index of death records from Texas, United States, between the years 1890 and 1977.	12,079,300 records	Search collection now

• Austria Newspapers from OldNews.com This collection of historical national, regional and local newspapers, periodicals and gazettes from Austria was created through the use of MyHeritage’s advanced optical character recognition (OCR) of articles primarily from the mid-1700s to mid-1900s. In addition to news of the day that may contain names of relatives, they contain a wide range of vital record substitutes such as birth, marriage, death notices and obituaries. Search Austria Newspapers from OldNews.com
• Canada Newspapers from OldNews.com This collection of historical national, regional and local newspapers and periodicals from Canada was created using MyHeritage’s advanced optical character recognition (OCR) of articles primarily focused from the mid-1700s to early-2000s. In addition to daily and weekly publications that often include names of relatives, they also contain a wide range of vital record substitutes such as birth, marriage, death notices and obituaries. Search Canada Newspapers from OldNews.com
• Canada, Alberta Marriage Index, 1877-1950 This collection contains marriage records from Alberta, Canada, between the years 1877 and 1950. Records typically include the names of the groom and the bride and the year and place of marriage. Some records also include the place of residence. Search Canada, Alberta Marriage Index, 1877-1950
• Chile Newspapers from OldNews.com This collection of historical national, regional and local newspapers, periodicals and gazettes from Chile was created using MyHeritage’s advanced optical character recognition (OCR) of articles primarily focused from the mid 1800s to mid 1900s. These printed articles feature daily news that may include mentions of relatives, and offer a rich variety of vital record substitutes, such as birth, marriage, and death notices, along with obituaries. Search Chile Newspapers from OldNews.com
• Greece, Voter Lists, 1843-1864 This collection contains voter lists from Greece, between the years 1843 and 1864. Records typically include the name of the voter, their year of birth, the year and place of residence, and the name of the father. Many entries also include occupation, property holding, and whether the voter was native to the district and, if not, their place of origin. Search Greece, Voter Lists, 1843-1864
• Ireland, Dog Licence Registers, 1865-1926 This collection contains dog licence registers from Ireland, between the years 1865 and 1926. Dog owners were required by law to hold a licence for each animal, and the licences were registered at the local courts. Records typically include the name of the licence holder, and the date and place of registry. Search Ireland, Dog Licence Registers, 1865-1926
• Italy Newspapers from OldNews.com This collection of historical national, regional and local newspapers, periodicals and gazettes from Italy was created using MyHeritage’s advanced optical character recognition (OCR) of articles primarily focused from the mid 1800s to mid 1900s. These printed articles feature daily news that may include mentions of relatives, and offer a rich variety of vital record substitutes, such as birth, marriage, and death notices, along with obituaries. Search Italy Newspapers from OldNews.com
• Italy, Tuscany, Florence Military Service Roll Index, 1866-1945 This collection contains military service roll records from Florence, Tuscany, Italy, between the years 1866 and 1945. Records typically include the name of the conscript, date and place of birth, their year and place of residence, and the name of the father. Many entries also include occupation, and military service details such as the conscription class year, rank, unit, military district, and service number. Search Italy, Tuscany, Florence Military Service Roll Index, 1866-1945
• Italy, World War I Casualty Lists This collection contains World War I casualty records of Italian soldiers, covering the period of Italy’s involvement in the war, typically between 1915 and 1918 (though many notable outliers exist, including soldiers who fought as volunteers for other nations on the Western Front at the outbreak of hostilities). Records include the name of the soldier, the date and place of birth, the date and place of death, and the name of the father. Many entries also include the soldier’s rank, military unit, cause of death, military district, and any decorations received. Search Italy, World War I Casualty Lists
• Netherlands, Names & Stories in Newspapers from OldNews.com This collection contains records of names, events, and stories, found in newspapers from the Netherlands. The records were extracted from the newspaper articles using advanced AI technology developed by MyHeritage. Records typically include the name of the individuals mentioned, the relationships between them, the newspaper name, the publication place and date, and a snippet of text from the article, along with the full OCR text. Records may include events such as birth and marriage announcements, obituaries, public achievements, and business events, and often add details such as residence, occupation, and associated locations or institutions. Every record includes a summary of the article generated automatically by AI. Search Netherlands, Names & Stories in Newspapers from OldNews.com
• Netherlands, South Holland, Leiden Population Registers, 1606-1939 This collection contains population register records from Leiden, South Holland, Netherlands, between the years 1606 and 1939 — registers kept by the municipality to record its residents by household and to follow their moves into, within, and out of the city. Records typically include names, the date and place of birth, the place of residence, the date of registration, and the date of death. Many entries also include relatives in the household, occupation, religion, the previous residence and the residence moved to, and the date of establishment in the municipality. Search Netherlands, South Holland, Leiden Population Registers, 1606-1939
• Portugal Newspapers from OldNews.com This collection of historical national, regional and local newspapers, periodicals and gazettes from Portugal was created using MyHeritage’s advanced optical character recognition (OCR) of articles primarily focused from the mid 1800s to mid 1900s. These printed articles feature daily news that may include mentions of relatives, and offer a rich variety of vital record substitutes, such as birth, marriage, and death notices, along with obituaries. Search Portugal Newspapers from OldNews.com
• Spain Newspapers from OldNews.com This collection of historical national, regional and local newspapers and gazettes from Spain was created using MyHeritage’s advanced optical character recognition (OCR) of articles primarily focused from the late 1600s to early 2000s. In addition to news of the day that may contain names of relatives, they contain a wide range of vital record substitutes such as birth, marriage, death notices and obituaries. Search Spain Newspapers from OldNews.com
• Montana, County Births This collection contains birth records from counties in Montana, United States, from the year 1880 onward. Records typically include the name of the child, the date and place of birth, and the names of the parents and their birthplaces. Records of stillbirths may also include the date and place of death. Search Montana, County Births
• Montana, County Deaths, 1886-2004 This collection contains death records from counties in Montana, United States, from the year 1886 onwards. Records typically include the name of the deceased, the date and place of birth, the date and place of death, the names of the parents and their birthplaces, and the name of the spouse. Search Montana, County Deaths, 1886-2004
• New York City Municipal Deaths, 1795-1949 This collection contains municipal death records from New York City, New York, United States, between the years 1795 and 1949. Records typically include the name of the deceased, the date and place of birth, the date and place of death and burial, the names and birthplaces of the parents, and the name of the spouse. Many entries also include the age at death, race, marital status, and occupation. Search New York City Municipal Deaths, 1795-1949
• North Carolina, Deaths and Burials, 1898-1999 This collection contains death and burial records from North Carolina, United States, from the year 1898 onwards. Records typically include the name of the deceased, the date and place of birth, their place of residence, the date and place of death and burial, the names and birthplaces of the parents, and the name of the spouse. Many entries also include occupation, marital status and ethnicity of the deceased. Search North Carolina, Deaths and Burials, 1898-1999
• North Carolina, Voters Registration, 1900-1908 This collection contains voter registration records from North Carolina, United States, between the years 1900 and 1908. Records typically include the name of the voter, the place of birth, the date and place of the application to register to vote, and the name and residence of a relative. Many entries also include the age of the voter. Search North Carolina, Voters Registration, 1900-1908
• Pennsylvania Death Index, 1906-1975 This collection contains death records from Pennsylvania, United States, from the year 1906 onwards. Records typically include the name of the deceased, the date of birth, and the date and place of death. Search Pennsylvania Death Index, 1906-1975
• Texas, Deaths, 1890-1977 This collection contains death and burial records from Texas, United States, from 1890 onwards. Records typically include the name of the deceased, the date and place of birth, the date and place of death, the date and place of burial, and the names of the parents. Many entries also include the age, marital status, and ethnicity of the deceased, as well as the name of the informant who reported the death. Search Texas, Deaths, 1890-1977

Example of what you could find in these records

Among the births recorded in the new Montana, County Births collection is that of Myrna Adele Williams, born on August 2, 1905, in Helena, Lewis and Clark County, Montana. Better known as Myrna Loy, she went on to appear in more than eighty films before The Thin Man remade her overnight in 1934 as Nora Charles, the wittiest screen wife of her era, a role she reprised across five sequels. She was never nominated for a competitive Academy Award, but received the Kennedy Center Honors in 1988 and an Academy Honorary Award in 1991.

Her birth certificate — filed as a delayed registration in 1931 — names her parents as David Franklin Williams, a farm real estate agent, and Della Mae Johnson, a housewife, and records that both were born in Radersburg, Montana.

Summary

We hope these valuable collections help you make new discoveries in your family history research. Searching the collections on MyHeritage is free. To view the records or to save records to your family tree, you’ll need a Data, Complete, or Omni plan. For newspaper collections from OldNews.com, an Omni plan, or an OldNews Pro plan, is required to view the full newspaper images on OldNews.com. If you have a family tree on MyHeritage, our Record Matching technology will notify you automatically if records from these collections match your relatives. You’ll then be able to review the record and decide if you’d like to add the new information to your family tree. Enjoy the new collections!

The post MyHeritage Adds 338 Million Historical Records in August 2026 appeared first on MyHeritage Blog.

This year’s program covers AI and technology, U.S. research, MyHeritage, DNA, research methods, and more. Each Wednesday focuses on a different area of family history research, with sessions led by experienced genealogists and speakers from around the world.

All Webtember webinars are free to attend live, and recordings are available to watch free for a limited time after each session.

Register for Webtember 2026

Here’s the 2026 lineup:

Wednesday, September 2: AI and Technology

Webtember begins today with sessions exploring how AI can support family history research:

• Using AI to Answer the Big Three: What, Where, and Why of Ancestor Locations — Diana Elder, AG, AGL
• Top 5 AI Tools for Transcribing Handwritten Historical Documents — Nicole Elder Dyer
• Using AI to Analyze Land Records and Reconstruct Family Narratives — Thomas MacEntee

Wednesday, September 9: U.S. Research

The second week turns to U.S. research, with a particular focus on Pennsylvania and Ohio:

• Novel NYC Records — Alec Ferretti
• 5 Ways Tax Lists Can Assist Your Pennsylvania Research — Katy Bodenhorn
• 10 New Tools for Pennsylvania Research — Kory L. Meyerink, MLS, AG, FUGA
• Top 10 Websites for Ohio Genealogy — Dana Palmer, CG®, CGL®

Wednesday, September 16: MyHeritage

September 16 is dedicated to MyHeritage, with sessions designed to help family history researchers make use of MyHeritage’s collections and tools:

• MyHeritage Collection Catalog: Navigating A Great Genealogy Resource Without Getting Overwhelmed — Melissa Barker & MyHeritage Webinars
• A MyHeritage Webinar — MyHeritage Webinars
• Fresh Tools for Smarter Genealogy on MyHeritage — Daniel Horowitz & MyHeritage Webinars

Wednesday, September 23: DNA

The fourth week focuses on using DNA matches and research tools to answer family history questions:

• Using ‘What Are the Odds? Plus’ (WATO) to Solve DNA Mysteries — Jonny Perl
• Connecting with DNA Matches: Using Tools & Technology for Collaboration — Jennifer Zinck, CG®, CGL®, AG®, AGL
• Leafless but Not Hopeless: Identifying DNA Matches Without Trees — Paula Williams
• Visual Phasing and Genetic Recombination: A 7-Generation Study — Jerome Spears

Wednesday, September 30: Research Methods

Webtember concludes with four sessions covering historical context, personal papers, same-name research, and challenging research problems:

• The Widow Won, the Barkeep Lost: Using Historical Context and the FAN Club to Enrich Your Family Stories Method — Candace Marx
• Manuscripts and Timelines: Finding Ancestors in Personal Papers — J. Mark Lowe, FUGA
• Taming Same-Name Research — Jenny Hansen, AG®, AGL
• UNreasonably Exhaustive Research: Finding a Mother & a Father for a Man of Common Name, Born c1788, Virginia — Elizabeth Shown Mills, CG®, CGL®

Join Webtember 2026

With 18 webinars spread across five Wednesdays, Webtember offers plenty of opportunities to pick up new research ideas and learn from genealogy experts throughout September.

The conference is free to attend live, and recordings of each session will remain available free for a limited time afterward.

Webtember starts today, so take a look at the schedule and register for the sessions you’d like to attend.

Register for Webtember 2026

The post Webtember 2026 Starts Today: Join a Month of Free Genealogy Webinars appeared first on MyHeritage Blog.

In honor of Labor Day, MyHeritage is opening its entire collection of US and Canadian census records — no subscription required — so you can trace exactly how your ancestors earned their living.

Search U.S. Census records for free

Search Canadian Census records for free

Why census records are a goldmine

Tucked into nearly every census schedule since the late 1800s is a column that tells a rich story: occupation. A record might show your great-great-grandfather was a “cooper” (barrel maker), or that an entire branch of your family worked the same mine for generations. These details recreate a world — showing what industries shaped your ancestors’ towns and how migration and economic shifts moved families from farms to factories to offices over time. Some records trace an entire industry’s rise and fall within one family — textile workers and telegraph operators giving way to mechanics within a single generation.

What’s included

From today through September 7, 2026, search free:

• 876.1 million records across 54 U.S. collections — every federal census from 1790–1950, plus state censuses
• 52.3 million records across 15 Canadian collections

Quick tips

1. Start with grandparents or great-grandparents you already know.
2. Follow the occupation column across multiple census years for the same person.
3. Check the whole household — other family members’ jobs are listed too.
4. Save what you find; free access ends September 7.

Free access runs today through September 7, 2026 only.

Search US Census records now
Search Canadian Census records now

The post Free US & Canada Census Records for Labor Day: What Your Ancestors’ Jobs Reveal appeared first on MyHeritage Blog.

To address this challenge, Legacy Family Tree Webinars has launched Learning Paths, a new feature that turns related webinars into structured learning experiences. Each path brings together 3–6 webinars, selected and arranged by experts so that one session builds naturally on the next. 

There are 105 Learning Paths available at launch, covering everything from genealogy and DNA fundamentals to advanced research methods. You can follow one of these curated paths or create a custom path based on your own interests and research goals.

Explore Learning Paths on Legacy Family Tree Webinars

About Legacy Family Tree Webinars

Legacy Family Tree Webinars is a MyHeritage company that offers online education for family history researchers at every level. Its extensive library features presentations by leading experts on genealogy, DNA, historical records, research methodology, technology, and many other subjects.

The webinars provide practical instruction that researchers can apply to their own work, whether they are learning the fundamentals, exploring a particular place or record type, or developing more advanced research skills.

This new feature builds on this rich educational resource by organizing related webinars into clear, focused sequences.

What are Learning Paths?

Learning Paths are guided courses made up of 3–6 webinars on a specific genealogy subject and sequenced in a recommended viewing order. You can follow one of these ready-made paths, or create a custom Learning Path of your own. 

After enrolling in a path, you can see the included webinars, track which sessions you have completed, and continue watching them in the recommended order. When you complete the full path, you’ll receive a printable customized certificate marking your achievement.

Topics covered by Learning Paths

Learning Paths make it easier to find the webinars most relevant to your current research goals. Rather than searching the full library one webinar at a time, you can select a topic and follow a structured series of sessions.

Options for beginners include Getting Started in Family History, Foundations in DNA, and Foundations in MyHeritage.com.

Other paths explore more specialized subjects, including:

• Using artificial intelligence for genealogy, from everyday applications to AI-assisted research logs
• Understanding Ethnicity Estimates and working with Y-DNA, X-DNA, or mitochondrial DNA
• Evaluating indirect, negative, or conflicting evidence
• Researching African American family history, including research beyond 1870 and the study of enslavers’ records
• Working with censuses, land records, newspapers, cemetery records, and manuscript collections
• Conducting research in specific U.S. states, Canadian regions, Ireland, Scotland, England, Germany, and Italy
• Preparing for Board for Certification of Genealogists certification
• Turning family history research into a finished book

You can browse all 105 paths or filter them by categories such as Beginners, DNA Testing, Historical Records, Methodology, Places and Ethnicities, and Technology.

Exploring curated Learning Paths

To explore Learning Paths, visit FamilyTreeWebinars.com and click the new “Learning Paths” tab in the navigation bar, or go directly to familytreewebinars.com/learning-paths.

Navigating to Learning Paths on FamilyTreeWebinars.com

When you’re signed in, the Learning Paths you’ve enrolled in appear at the top of the page, together with your progress in each. Using the dropdown menu on the upper right, you can sort them according to recent activity, how much of the path you’ve completed, or the paths you haven’t started yet.

Viewing and sorting the Learning Paths you’ve enrolled in (click to zoom)

The next section lists the curated Learning Paths for you to browse. You can filter them according to category using the dropdown on the left, or sort them by featured, newest, most enrolled, or shortest Learning Paths using the dropdown on the right.

Browsing curated Learning Paths (click to zoom)

Enrolling in and completing a Learning Path

Click on a Learning Path to see more details, including an overview, estimated duration, and a full list of the webinars included in this path. Click “Enroll” to add it to your list of Learning Paths, or “Start” to jump right into the first webinar.

An example Learning Path page (click to zoom)

If you’ve already started this Learning Path, you’ll be able to continue right where you left off from this page.

Continuing a Learning Path you’ve already started

Your progress along the path also appears in the right-hand sidebar on the webinar page:

Viewing a webinar within a Learning Path (click to zoom)

Once you finish watching the webinar, click “Mark Complete & Continue” to move to the next one.

When you complete the Learning Path, you’ll be presented with a customized, downloadable certificate with your name and the date of completion.

Certificate of Completion for a Learning Path (click to zoom)

You can re-download it anytime from the Learning Path page.

Creating your own Learning Path

The curated Learning Paths cover a wide range of subjects, but sometimes you may want a combination of webinars tailored more precisely to your interests or current research. You might want to focus on a particular research problem, collect presentations by a favorite speaker, or prepare a course for a genealogy society, special interest group, or family member.

The Build Your Own Learning Path tool allows you to select any 3–6 webinars from the catalog and arrange them in the order that makes the most sense to you. The tool is located at the bottom of the Learning Paths page, below the All Learning Paths section.

Creating your own Learning Path (click to zoom)

To share a custom Learning Path, simply copy the link from the address bar at the top of your browser and send it to whomever you like. Anyone with the link can follow the path at their own pace, which makes it easy for a group to learn from the same material without coordinating viewing times.

You can edit the path anytime from the custom Learning Path page. Just click “Edit path” above the list of webinars:

Editing a custom Learning Path (click to zoom)

Then reorder the webinars, remove them, or add new ones.

Cost

Enrolling in Learning Paths, building custom paths, tracking progress, and earning certificates are all free for every registered member of the FamilyTreeWebinars.com community.

Free webinars included in a Learning Path remain available to everyone. If a path includes members-only webinars, a Webinar Membership is required to watch those sessions.

Start exploring Learning Paths

Learning Paths make it easier to turn the extensive Legacy Family Tree Webinars library into a focused learning plan. Whether you’re new to the site or have been watching webinars for years, you can choose a curated path that matches your goals, track your progress, and build your knowledge one webinar at a time. You can also create and share a custom path tailored to your own research interests.

Explore the 105 curated Learning Paths or create your own, and strengthen the skills that matter most to your research.

Explore Learning Paths on Legacy Family Tree Webinars

The post Legacy Family Tree Webinars Introduces Learning Paths appeared first on MyHeritage Blog.

Chi è mio padre

Mio padre è nato nel 1941 nel nostro paese natale, Dörsdorf, il più giovane di 11 figli. Non ha mai conosciuto suo padre, morto nel maggio del 1941, pochi mesi prima della sua nascita, avvenuta in ottobre. Forse è anche per questo che la domanda sulle proprie origini lo ha accompagnato così profondamente per tutta la vita.

La sua è stata una vita dedicata agli altri. Inizialmente si è formato come falegname, poi ha cambiato percorso professionale — prima diventando massaggiatore e assistente di piscina, e successivamente fisioterapista sportivo. Ha lavorato come libero professionista per 26 anni ed è stato allenatore della squadra Rot-Weiß Hasborn per quasi 40 anni. “Il Rot-Weiß è la mia anima”, dice, e si capisce subito che non sta esagerando. Ancora oggi — a quasi 85 anni — conduce il gruppo di ginnastica per anziani di Dörsdorf, che lui stesso fondò nel 1987.

E poi c’è la Croce Rossa. Ne fa parte dal 1956 — quest’anno sono 70 anni. Ha iniziato a 14 anni occupandosi delle raccolte fondi, poi è diventato tesoriere, ha fondato nel 1960 il gruppo locale della Croce Rossa Giovanile e ne è stato il primo responsabile — all’epoca con sei ragazze; nel 1972 i giovani erano diventati 33. In seguito è stato responsabile operativo e delle emergenze e, per 24 anni, anche presidente dell’associazione locale della Croce Rossa di Dörsdorf. Oggi ne è presidente onorario. Per il suo impegno nella vita pubblica ha ricevuto la medaglia d’onore della città di Lebach. “Tutto fatto con gioia”, è l’unica cosa che dice a riguardo.

In tutto questo, la fede lo accompagna. È cattolico e Dio ha un ruolo importante nella sua vita. Quando gli si chiede delle diverse grafie del suo cognome, sorride e minimizza: “Che siamo ‘Dio dona’ o ‘dono di Dio’ — siamo comunque figli di Dio”.

Come è iniziato tutto

La nostra ricerca delle origini è iniziata con un test del DNA. Intorno al 2015, MyHeritage era sempre più presente e ci siamo incuriositi: da dove veniamo davvero? Poco alla volta, quasi tutta la famiglia ha fatto il test. Quando sono arrivati i risultati — una percentuale da una zona, un’altra percentuale da un’altra — ne sono rimasta immediatamente affascinata.

La curiosità si è trasformata in una passione. Sono diventata membro Premium e, soprattutto durante il periodo del Covid, passavo giorno e notte a lavorare sull’albero genealogico. Ho consultato vecchi libri genealogici locali e registri parrocchiali, ricostruito ogni linea familiare singolarmente e trovato continuamente nuovi pezzi del puzzle grazie ai collegamenti su MyHeritage. Una volta che inizi, è quasi una dipendenza. Oggi il nostro albero genealogico conta quasi 8.900 persone.

Un nome che ha viaggiato con la storia

Più andavo indietro nel tempo, più il nome stesso diventava affascinante. Nel corso dei secoli veniva scritto a volte con l’accento e a volte senza — Dieudonné o Dieudonne. Mio padre lo scrive senza accento. Mi ha spiegato che l’accento sulla “é” compariva e scompariva a seconda che la nostra regione appartenesse in quel momento alla Francia o alla Germania: “Quando perdevamo la guerra e diventavamo francesi, c’era l’accento. Quando tornavamo tedeschi, spariva”.

Quando da giovane dovette richiedere la carta d’identità, all’ufficio gli dissero semplicemente che da quel momento l’accento sarebbe stato eliminato — così, dopo 17 anni, il suo nome era improvvisamente cambiato. I nostri antenati, tra l’altro, vivevano già nel Saarland nel 1735; oggi nessuno in famiglia parla francese. Ciò che rimane è il dialetto — e il nome.

Una radice che non ci aspettavamo

Non ci aspettavamo tutto ciò che abbiamo scoperto. Nella nostra linea genealogica abbiamo incontrato Maria Theresia Karoline Oberthal, nata nel 1793 a Freisen — una donna ebrea che in seguito si convertì al cattolicesimo e sposò un membro della famiglia Dieudonné. Questa parte delle nostre origini compare anche nei risultati del DNA, con una piccola percentuale di ascendenza ebraica ashkenazita. È una pista che vorrei continuare a seguire, perché finora sono riuscita a trovare pochissime informazioni su di lei. Ma sono proprio scoperte come questa a mostrare quanti percorsi diversi possano convergere all’interno di un unico cognome.

L’idea del regalo

Sapendo quanto il suo nome e le sue origini siano importanti per mio padre, per il suo 85° compleanno volevo regalargli qualcosa di davvero speciale — non semplicemente un’altra gita, ma qualcosa che appartenesse soltanto a lui. Mentre lavoravo all’albero genealogico, mi è venuta un’idea: e se lo portassi per un giorno esattamente nei luoghi in cui avevano vissuto i suoi antenati?

Ho organizzato personalmente l’itinerario e raccontato tutto in una lettera. In quel momento, il nostro antenato più antico conosciuto era Jean Dieudonné, nato nel 1625. Ma appena pochi giorni prima del viaggio, durante un’ultima ricerca, ne ho scoperto un altro: Gilles Dieudonné, nato intorno al 1590 a Carvin — circa 500 chilometri di distanza. Improvvisamente, la nostra storia arrivava ancora più indietro nel tempo di quanto avessi immaginato.

Un viaggio nel tempo

Un giorno di primavera siamo partiti da Dörsdorf in direzione della Lorena, per poi tornare nel Saarland: Vergaville, Albestroff, Bettviller, Tholey, Scheuern, Dorf. Tappa dopo tappa, nomi e date sono diventati luoghi reali: campanili, strade, cimiteri.

Ci siamo fermati in ogni antica chiesa. Molti di questi edifici esistevano già quando i nostri antenati vivevano in quei luoghi. “Sicuramente sono entrati anche loro qui dentro”, ha detto mio padre. Così, in ogni chiesa abbiamo acceso una candela, in memoria di chi non c’è più e per il benessere di chi è ancora con noi. Per lui, uomo di fede, era qualcosa di più di un semplice gesto — era un piccolo segno silenzioso del legame che ci unisce.

Non sono mancati anche momenti più divertenti. Da qualche parte in Francia, improvvisamente una macchina della polizia si è fermata accanto a noi con i lampeggianti accesi — due persone del Saarland ferme davanti al cartello di un paese avevano incuriosito gli agenti. Noi non parlavamo francese e loro non parlavano tedesco. Abbiamo comunicato con gesti, mani, piedi e Google Translate. Alla fine, uno dei poliziotti ci ha persino scattato una foto e girato un breve video, con l’auto della polizia e i lampeggianti sullo sfondo. Anche questo fa parte della ricerca degli antenati nella loro antica terra.

Il momento che ha reso tutto speciale

Mio padre in realtà è un tipo piuttosto duro. Ma quel giorno questa storia lo ha profondamente commosso. Già quando aveva letto la lettera con cui gli annunciavo il viaggio, era rimasto senza parole. Abbiamo concluso la giornata cenando insieme nel nostro paese natale, Dörsdorf — alla locanda “Zur Starz”, che esiste dal 1870 circa e che anche i suoi genitori frequentavano. Quando siamo tornati a casa, mi ha abbracciata forte e ha semplicemente detto:

“Grazie per questa bellissima giornata.”

Per me, è tutto racchiuso in quelle parole. Un uomo che non aveva mai avuto la possibilità di conoscere suo padre si trovava improvvisamente nei luoghi in cui i suoi antenati avevano vissuto, amato e ricominciato ogni volta da capo. I nomi e le date dell’albero genealogico non erano più semplici informazioni, ma persone con delle storie. E lui era uno di loro.

E la ricerca continua

Da tempo ormai non faccio più queste ricerche soltanto per noi. Una volta, attraverso un piccolo DNA Match di appena l’1,9%, sono entrata in contatto con una parente lontana la cui famiglia non sapeva nemmeno da dove iniziasse il proprio albero genealogico — e sono riuscita a regalarle un albero completo. Momenti come questi sono tra i più belli per me.

Grazie alla grande famiglia di mio padre, il nome Dieudonné continua a vivere. E la mia ricerca non è finita: ci sono ancora piste da seguire, grafie più antiche e indizi che voglio approfondire. Forse un giorno qualcuno dalla Francia si farà persino vivo dopo aver ritrovato i nostri antenati nel proprio albero genealogico.

Se c’è una cosa che ho imparato, è questa: un albero genealogico non è mai soltanto una raccolta di date. È un modo per mostrare alle persone che amiamo da dove vengono — e per donare loro qualcosa che resta. Per l’85° compleanno di mio padre sono riuscita a regalargli proprio questo: 400 anni di storia familiare, racchiusi in un solo giorno.

Un sentito grazie ad Anne e a suo padre Aloysius per aver condiviso con noi questa storia così emozionante. Se anche voi avete fatto una scoperta speciale grazie a MyHeritage, ci farebbe piacere conoscerla. Potete raccontarci la vostra storia scrivendo a stories@myheritage.com.

The post Il cognome di mio padre ha 400 anni di storia. Per il suo 85° compleanno, abbiamo seguito le sue tracce fino in Francia appeared first on MyHeritage Blog.

Who my father is

My father was born in 1941 in our home village of Dörsdorf, as the youngest of 11 children. He never met his own father, who died in May 1941, just a few months before my father was born in October. Perhaps that is one of the reasons why the question of where he comes from has affected him so deeply throughout his life.

His has been a life in the service of others. He first trained as a carpenter, then retrained — first as a masse therapist and pool attendant, and later as a sports physiotherapist. He was self-employed for 26 years and served as the trainer for the Rot-Weiß Hasborn major league team for almost 40 years. “Rot-Weiß is my soul,” he says, and you can tell: there’s no exaggeration there. To this day — at almost 85 — he leads the senior gymnastics in Dörsdorf, which he founded himself in 1987.

And then there is the Red Cross. He has been a member since 1956 — this year makes it 70 years. He started at 14 as a collection agent, became treasurer, founded the local Youth Red Cross group in 1960, and was its first leader — back then with six girls, and by 1972 there were 33 young people. Later, he was the readiness and operations manager and also the first chairman of the DRK local association in Dörsdorf for 24 years. Today, he is the honorary chairman. For his service in public life, he received the medal of honor from the city of Lebach. “All with joy,” is all he says about it.

Faith carries him through all of this. He is Roman Catholic, and God is important to him. When you ask him about the different spellings of his name, he waves it off with a smile: “Whether we are ‘God gives’ or ‘gift of God’ — we are children of God.”

How it all began

Our search for traces began with a DNA test. Around 2015, MyHeritage was present everywhere, and we were curious: where do we actually come from? Little by little, almost the whole family here at home took a test. When the results arrived — this percent from here, that percent from there — I was immediately hooked.

Curiosity turned into a passion. I became a Premium member, and especially during the Corona period, I sat at the family tree day and night. I scoured the old local family books and church records, traced each line individually, and always found new pieces of the puzzle through the connections on MyHeritage. Once you’re in it, it’s like an addiction. Today, there are almost 8,900 people in our family tree.

A name that migrated with history

The further back I went, the more fascinating the name itself became. Over the centuries, it was sometimes written with an accent, sometimes without — Dieudonné or Dieudonne. My father himself writes it without an accent. He explained to me that the accent on the “é” came and went, depending on whether our region belonged to France or Germany at the time: “When the war was lost and we were French, the accent was there. And when we were German, it was gone.”

When he needed his identity card as a young man, he was unceremoniously told at the office that they were simply leaving the accent off now — after 17 years, his name was suddenly different. Incidentally, our ancestors were already settled in Saarland in 1735; nobody in the family speaks French today. What remains is the dialect — and the name.

A root we hadn’t expected

We hadn’t expected everything we found. In our line, we came across Maria Theresia Karoline Oberthal, born in 1793 in Freisen — a Jewish woman who later converted to Catholicism and married into the Dieudonné family. This part of our origin is also reflected in the DNA results, with a small Ashkenazi Jewish percentage. It is a trail I would still like to follow, because little can be found about her so far. But it is exactly such discoveries that show how many different paths converge in a single family name.

The idea for the gift

Because I know how much his name and his origins mean to my father, I wanted to give him something very special for his 85th birthday — not just another excursion, but something that belongs to him alone. While sitting at the family tree, the thought came to me: what if I took him on a day trip to the exact places where his ancestors lived?

I mapped out the route myself and recorded everything in a letter. At that time, our oldest known ancestor was Jean Dieudonné, born in 1625. Just a few days before the trip, during a final search, I discovered another one: Gilles Dieudonné, born around 1590 in Carvin — about 500 km away. Our trail suddenly reached back even further than I had thought.

A journey through time

One day in spring, we set off from Dörsdorf towards Lorraine and back to Saarland: Vergaville, Albestroff, Bettviller, Tholey, Scheuern, Dorf. Stop by stop, names and dates became real places: church towers, paths, cemeteries.

We stopped in every old church. Many of these buildings have been standing since before our ancestors lived there. “They were definitely in there too,” my father said. So we lit a candle in each one, in memory of the deceased and for the well-being of the living. For him, a man of faith, this was more than a gesture — it was a quiet sign that we belong together.

There were also lighthearted moments. Somewhere in France, the police suddenly pulled up next to us with flashing blue lights — two Saarlanders parked in front of a town sign made the officers curious. We couldn’t speak French, and they couldn’t speak German. We communicated using our hands, feet, and Google Translate. In the end, one of the police officers even took a picture of us and shot a short video, with the police car and its flashing lights in the background. So much for ancestor research in the old homeland.

The moment that made it all worthwhile

My father is actually a bit of a tough guy. But on this day, the subject really softened him. Even when he read my letter kicking off the journey, he was blown away. We ended the day with a dinner together in our home village of Dörsdorf — at the “Zur Starz” inn, which has been around since about 1870 and where his parents had previously been guests. When we came home afterwards, he hugged me tightly and simply said:

“Thank you for the beautiful day.”

For me, everything is captured in that. A man who never had the chance to meet his own father suddenly stood in the places where his ancestors lived, loved, and repeatedly started anew. The names and dates from the family tree were no longer dry facts, but people with stories. And he was one of them.

And the search continues

I have long since stopped doing this research just for us. Through a small DNA Match of only 1.9%, I once came across a distant relative whose family didn’t even know where their family tree began — I was able to present her with a complete tree. Such moments are among the most beautiful for me.

Through my father’s large family, the name Dieudonné lives on. And my search is not over: there are still open trails, older spellings, and clues I want to follow up on. Perhaps one day someone from France will even get in touch, having rediscovered our ancestors in their own list.

If I have learned one thing, it is this: a family tree is never just a collection of dates. It is a way to show the people you love where they come from — and thereby give them something that lasts. I was able to give my father exactly that for his 85th birthday: 400 years of family, in a single day.

Many thanks to Anne and her father Aloysius for sharing this touching story with us. If you have also made a special discovery with MyHeritage, we would love to hear about it. Feel free to email your story to us at stories@myheritage.com.

The post My Father’s Surname Goes Back 400 Years. For His 85th Birthday, We Followed It All the Way to France appeared first on MyHeritage Blog.