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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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Laid to Rest: Church Death and Burial Records

 

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Records of our ancestors' deaths can be found in a wide range of places. Beyond death certificates or registers, clues to an ancestor's death can be found in cemetery maps, meeting minutes, even church bulletins. 

I've found death information in some unusual places and have learned more about ancestors in the process. I wrote about some of my finds in the article, "Laid to Rest: Church and Burial Records," for the June 2025 issue of Stirpes, the Journal of the Texas State Genealogical Society. They've given me permission to share the article. I hope it gives you some new ideas of where you might find your ancestor's elusive death information.

Until next time... 

 

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  1. Marian B. WoodOctober 7, 2026 at 9:15 AM

    Very practical guide, thank you, including the additional resources at the end.

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    1. Nancy Gilbride CaseyOctober 7, 2026 at 9:36 AM

      Thanks. The other editors were actually responsible for that, but I'm glad they tagged on to my article. I love a good resource list!

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  2. Lisa S. GorrellOctober 7, 2026 at 10:20 AM

    I enjoyed this article the first time I read it and now re-reading, I see you mention the Ouachita Baptist University's archives. I have researched at both Arkansas locations as I, too, have a Baptist minister in my family. Thanks for sharing the article.

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    1. Nancy Gilbride CaseyOctober 7, 2026 at 10:31 AM

      Yes, quite the little treasure those archives are. We have a lot of similarities in our trees it appears, Lisa! Thanks for reading (and reading again!).

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  3. Colleen G. Brown PasqualeOctober 8, 2026 at 5:56 AM

    A wonderful & helpful article. Thanks of rsharing that.

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    1. Nancy Gilbride CaseyOctober 8, 2026 at 10:04 AM

      Thank you, Colleen. Appreciate you reading and commenting.

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