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Heirloom Investigation: Where Did This Cutlery Set Come From? Part 1

My father-in-law recently gave me a box of goodies that has me very excited! He gave me an old set of cutlery - five knives and four forks, and I've been on the hunt for who the set might have belonged to.  It's time for an heirloom investigation! I'm going to draw on some lessons I learned in a material culture class I took a few years ago to do so.   Description First, let's look at what we have and describe it. This process slows me down to really look at the items as a whole and at each individual piece to find every clue possible. (Click on any photo to enlarge it.)   The Box   The set was in an old paperboard box which was very brown with stains and age. The box had been sealed with brown tape, possibly gummed tape.  The box measures 10" long x 3-7/8" wide x 2" deep. The box bears a typed mailing label addressed to Mrs. Harold Casey, Box 307, Crescent, Oklahoma. Another postal label covers the zip code.  The return address states: After 10 days retu...
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Mysteries Solved! Cases Studies in Cracking Death and Burial Puzzles


Last year I was excited to hear that the editors of Stirpes, the journal of the Texas State Genealogical Society, had planned to publish an issue with a death theme. Now that might sound morbid, but think about it...there are so many records and resources that we can use to determine death dates, burial places, etc. And they might not be the ones you immediately think of, such as Find a Grave or a death register. 

I have had my share of challenges to determine when various ancestors died, where they were buried, etc. I wrote the article "Mysteries Solved! Case Studies in Cracking Death and Burial Puzzles," for the June 2025 Stirpes issue, "Final Footsteps: Our Ancestors' Journey."

I hope reading about these cases will give you ideas for solving your own death and burial puzzles. 

Let me know in the comments if any of these approaches might work for your case. Or, if you've had a similar success, share them here so we can all learn from one another.

Got Texas roots? Learn more about the Texas State Genealogical Society here. 

Until next time... 

© Nancy Gilbride Casey, 2026. All rights reserved.  


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  1. Marian B. WoodJuly 16, 2026 at 4:55 AM

    Fabulous case studies! TY for fresh takes on how to answer such questions about where/when ancestors dies and where they were laid to rest.

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    1. Nancy Gilbride CaseyJuly 16, 2026 at 9:22 AM

      Thank you Marian. I am glad you found it useful. That's the goal! Thanks for reading and commenting.

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  2. Lisa S. GorrellJuly 17, 2026 at 6:37 AM

    Great article and case studies. I loved reading your article last year.

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    1. Nancy Gilbride CaseyJuly 17, 2026 at 8:15 AM

      Thank you Lisa! I appreciate that a lot. Glad you're reading Stirpes!

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