Tag: Family History

Sawyer Free Library’s Gloucester Genealogy Group: “Getting Started in Italian Research” 

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

 ~ SAWYER FREE LIBRARY

Sawyer Free Library’s Gloucester Genealogy Group: “Getting Started in Italian Research” 

The Sawyer Free Library is pleased to share that the Gloucester Genealogy Group is back in action and kicking off its monthly meetings this January at 21 Main Street in downtown Gloucester. 

Researching your genealogy can provide information about where your ancestors lived, what they did, and how they may have lived.  The Sawyer Free Library holds a vast and diverse collection of resources to help you with your research. In addition, each month, the Library’s Gloucester Genealogy Group will present genealogy-related programming, including lectures from guest speakers with expertise in numerous related topics. All events are free and open to the public. Registration is required at sawyerfreelibrary.org. 

On Saturday, January 27 from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. nationally recognized professional genealogist, author and lecturer, Senior Genealogist Rhonda McClure will present virtually to the group at 21 Main Street on â€śGetting Started in Italian Research.” This lecture looks at how to start researching your Italian ancestors by examining records generated in the U.S. and Italy and what is most important in effectively researching Italian records. 

Then on Saturday, February 17, from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m., Rhonda McClure will again join the group virtually to share about the importance and details of â€śOrganizing Your Family Papers.” The March meeting will be presented in partnership with the Rockport Public Library. On March 9 from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m., the Libraries will welcome Michael Brophy, a nationally known, professional genealogical researcher, heir search specialist, and lecturer from the Boston area. This event will occur in the Brenner Room of the Rockport Public Library.

Registration is now open for all three Gloucester Genealogy events at sawyerfreelibrary.org or by calling 978-325-5500.  

Currently the Sawyer Free Library offers a wide variety of local history resources, in person and online, at its temporary location at 21 Main Street. The Library’s Local History Collection contains materials about Gloucester and Cape Ann and written by and about Gloucester and Cape Ann authors. Subjects include local history, genealogy, biography, and some fiction. Materials are in the form of books, hand-printed items, maps, city documents, and more.

The Sawyer Free Library is looking forward to officially opening its renovated, expanded, and modernized space in the fall of 2025 which will feature a Local History Research Center. This new center will revolutionize how Gloucester’s historical research materials are curated, archived, preserved, and accessed, offering an insider’s passport to the rich cultural history of the city and region.

For more information about Sawyer Free Library’s digital archives, local history resources, and services or to register for the Gloucester Genealogy Events, visit sawyerfreelibrary.org or 978-325-5500

To learn more about or to invest in the 2025 Sawyer Free Library’s History Research Center, please visit sawyerfree2025.org.

The Dreaded AD

Posted on by God's Morning

mom then and now

Alzheimer’s Disease is not a happy subject, nor one that is specifically Cape Ann focused, but is one that has, is now, or may one day effect many GMG contributors and readers, personally or through a loved one.

My mother, who is a very young, healthy and still beautiful 82 year old, has been suffering from increasing memory loss for a couple of years, and has been on Donepezil for almost a year, with little noticeable affect.  Recently she took a sudden, severe and alarming cognitive nosedive which has resulted in my spending more time at her house attempting to get her back on a even keel and doing damage control on the chaos of paperwork, bills not paid, and other alarming developments that occurred very rapidly.  While going through and organizing papers and her surroundings, I have been coming across a lot of the old photos and history that you have been seeing me share on the blog recently.

Over the past year, I have been researching Alzheimer’s, memory and brain health in general.  I wanted to share some of what I have learned in case it might be beneficial to someone else in a similar situation, now or in the future.  Also, if anyone has other helpful information to share from their own experiences, it would be most welcome.    Continue reading “The Dreaded AD” →

Ellis Island Passenger Search

Posted on by Alicia Pensarosa

The Ellis Island Foundation now offers free online searches of passengers that have immigrated to America through Ellis Island. It’s free, you just have to sign up!  www.ellisisland.org

I was able to find my Grandfather, Great Aunt and Great Grandparents. The site gives you a passenger record, passenger manifests and even images and information about the ship. You can purchase copies of the documentations through the Ellis Island Foundation. Tip: when searching you may want to try different name spellings in order to find your family.

My Grandfather was born in the US, but as a child went back with his mother and sister to Italy for medical care and ended up staying until WWI ended. This documents their return trip. Such a fun way to discover your family’s history!

This is my Grandfather’s passenger record:

The passenger list from October 17, 1919:

The Ship: