I love historical newspapers for helping me put my ancestors in their piece of history when writing about them. And sometimes I get very lucky, like with my great-grand Aunt Myrtle, who was a missionary to China and besides her life as a single woman running a school in China -- so far from Ohio where her family lived-- she lived through two Revolutions, the Japanese invasion of Hong Kong, and was part of the repatriation exchange of diplomats and missionaries and other POWs caught in Hong Kong or the allied countries when the invasion occurred by ship off the coast of Mozambique...then she went back after the war and was eventually kicked out by the communists. All of which I learned about because her hometown newspaper keyed their coverage of Asia around her! There were so many articles! And even after she retired to Ohio, she made the newspaper again, when she, at age 84, met the actor who played Hop Sing in the old TV Western series “Bonanza!” and he cooked dinner for her! If you’re interested: https://jahcmft.blogspot.com/2013/11/ancestor-highlight-miss-myrtle-bell.html
I love historical newspapers for helping me put my ancestors in their piece of history when writing about them. And sometimes I get very lucky, like with my great-grand Aunt Myrtle, who was a missionary to China and besides her life as a single woman running a school in China -- so far from Ohio where her family lived-- she lived through two Revolutions, the Japanese invasion of Hong Kong, and was part of the repatriation exchange of diplomats and missionaries and other POWs caught in Hong Kong or the allied countries when the invasion occurred by ship off the coast of Mozambique...then she went back after the war and was eventually kicked out by the communists. All of which I learned about because her hometown newspaper keyed their coverage of Asia around her! There were so many articles! And even after she retired to Ohio, she made the newspaper again, when she, at age 84, met the actor who played Hop Sing in the old TV Western series “Bonanza!” and he cooked dinner for her! If you’re interested: https://jahcmft.blogspot.com/2013/11/ancestor-highlight-miss-myrtle-bell.html
Wow! That’s amazing! Not only the life of your great-grandaunt but the fact that it was so well documented!
Would like to know more about Adeline Behan
Stay tuned! The story of Adaline Geehan will start July 20! She was a remarkable woman!
Really great tips for how to dig deeper into ancestors and piece together their stories.