Almost 25 years ago, a fellow researcher in Belgium shared with me some information regarding my 6x great-grandfather, Jacques De Backer (1686-1764) who became a Bourgeoisie foraine by buying his citizenship in the town of Ronse. My correspondent told me that the source for this information was “familiearchief de backer” (De Backer Family Archive) records that were digitized by Herman Van Isterdael in 2001. I … Continue reading Familiearchief de Backer
Had artificial intelligence been around in the 1990s, I probably would have retired as a PBX installer instead of becoming a software developer—not that there is anything wrong with that! But history took a different path. My interest in tracing my family history spans nearly 50 years, ignited by Alex Haley’s landmark miniseries, Roots, which aired over eight consecutive nights in January 1977. I have … Continue reading AI assisted genealogy: Van Coppemolle Branch
I am nearing completion of the final draft of “Gathering More Leaves, Volume I.” All that remains is to incorporate an anecdote about an ancestor, Jean Germain Voisard. He served as mayor of Montécheroux, France, from the Bourbon Restoration in 1815 until his death in 1826. Jean Germain Voisard, my father’s 4th great-grandfather, had planned to emigrate thousands of miles from his home in eastern … Continue reading The Simultaneum
The back of this photo says, “Spiegel Family – Dallas, Texas” and does not give a year. And I am going to make some conjectures here: The man leaning against the tree on the far left is my great-great-grandfather, George C. Spiegel. He was a cigar maker in Dallas, Texas. From census records, I have two street addresses for the family. One on San Jacinto … Continue reading Spiegel Family – Dallas, Texas (c. 1900)
Gathering Leaves 