8 Comments
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Katie Madsen's avatar

I enjoyed reading this post and was intrigued by the example of the grandmother who married her grandson to bypass her kids from getting the inheritance. Wow. What a story. Wonder how that turned out.

If I took the Chronicle Makers Lab, do I need to sign up for the Research Lab?

Denyse Allen's avatar

That inheritance story was in a friend's research in New Jersey, and the subsequent state law which made such marriages illegal. Marriages for financial reasons shouldn't be so obvious apparently!

And since you are a founding Chronicle Lab member, you will get access to Research Lab too! I need to send an email about that (putting it on my list).

Peter Anthony's avatar

Thank you, Denyse, for this thoughtful post. It is a valuable reminder of the richness behind the names and dates in our family trees. These themes help us understand our ancestors as people shaped by love, hardship, decisions, and change, and give us meaningful ways to share their lives with our readers.

Denyse Allen's avatar

You're welcome. I'm all here for relatable stories too!

Willis Smiley's avatar

I’ve got several of these themes in my novel about my ancestors ⭐️

Gary Vincent Winder's avatar

I loved reading the 20 themes and many/all resonate, particularly loss and grief. When I come across infant and child deaths in my tree, I like to add a picture to indicate an unexpected death has occurred.