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Homeschool Transcripts


Homeschool High School

Posts Tagged ‘genealogy for children’

Lake Claremont Press sent me a couple of books to read and review on my website. Finding Your Chicago Irish, by Sharon Shea Bossard was one of these books.

Before I opened this book I thought it would provide a lot of information about Irish genealogy in Chicago. Well, it has a chapter on genealogy, but the book is much more than that. Bossard writes not only about finding your Irish roots, but enjoying and being a part of the Irish culture in Chicago. Her book is described as a GPS of finding your Chicago Irish.

Her book is divided into twelve chapters which aid researchers and non-researchers on their quest of everything Chicago Irish. By exploring the resources and participating in the events Bossard describes, you will learn more about your heritage and the place of the Irish in the city.

  • Cinema and Theater
  • Music, Dance, and Performance
  • Organizations and Clubs
  • Education, Language, and Media
  • Sports
  • Pubs and Restaurants
  • March and St. Patrick’s Day
  • Events, Festivals, and Tourism
  • Shopping
  • Canines
  • Citizenship and Genealogy
  • Recipes

Of special interest to genealogists is the Citizenship and Genealogy chapter. Bossard discusses how to research and submit documentation for dual citizenship. She goes on to briefly explain how to begin genealogical research, where to find records and suggests local resources and various websites such as Ellis Island.

This book is definitely a must have for anyone tracing their Irish Chicago ancestors. I am giving away a copy of this book on March 19. All you have to do is subscribe to my newsletter to enter the giveaway.

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Yesterday I posted a set of questions I gave my son. Below are his answers and my responses.

Why is my family history important to me?

Son: So I can learn how far my family goes back in history.

One interesting thing I learned about my family history is:

Son: My cousin was a Flying Tiger.

If I were interviewing my parents, I would ask these five questions.

1. Did you get expelled? Mom: No. Your father and I were never expelled from school.

2. Favorite food  Mom: Chocolate and Home Run Inn pizza.

3. Worst grade Mom: F. I’m fairly certain I flunked out of one college course early on.

4. Favorite teacher  Mom: Mrs. Willis my first grade teacher. She was so nice.

5. Best subject  Mom: Band and English/Literature. I loved playing my clarinet and I loved to read. I still love to read. There just aren’t enough hours in the day.

Other things I want to know about my family history:

1. How many family members served in a war? Mom: On my side, Michael Kokoska WWI, Frankie Winkler WWII, Robert Brouk WWII, your great uncle John Vietnam. Those are the ones I have confirmed. There were a few other Kokoska men who were stateside during WWI either training or working in the Army. On your father’s side I have not identified anyone who served yet.

2. How many cousins do I have? Mom: Too many to count.

3. What is my oldest living family member? Mom: Currently that would be your great aunt Bea I believe.

4. Was my family rich? Mom: Not that I am aware of.

5. Was my family ever famous? Mom: Robert Brouk could be considered famous as he was one of the Flying Tigers in China between 1941-1942.

Kids, what would your parents answers to these questions be? What other questions do you have? Write them down and start talking. You never know what interesting facts you will uncover.

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