THOUGHT FOR THE SEASON – EMBRACING YOUR ETHNIC HERITAGE

Our immigrant ancestors had a tendency to cling to cultural traditions and religious faith.  But gradually, assimilation came after a few generations. Unfortunately, with assimilation comes a blurring and even loss of the rich traditions that are a part of us.

“What the immigrant generation knows and cherishes,
The second generation chooses to discard and forget;
It is the third generation who strives to piece it all together and to remember…”
Hansen’s Law –from Marcus Lee Hansen

Most of us are that third generation and we have an important job to do. During the holidays – interview your family members – Don’t miss this opportunity.

TIP OF THE WEEK – THE CLEVELAND NECROLOGY FILE

Here’s a find if you had ancestors in NE Ohio; about 800,000 paid death notices and local cemetery records, literally at your fingertips, dating back to as early as 1833.

Prior to 1976, the Cleveland Public Library staff clipped death notices from the local newspapers and maintained a file of these notices known as the Cleveland Necrology File. The Library has converted this file into an on-line database that is a breeze to search, readily accessible, and free to everyone.

It contains the complete full text of paid death notices as published in the following newspapers during the time periods listed:  •The Cleveland Plain Dealer – 1850-1975
•The Cleveland Herald – 1833, 1847-1848, 1876, 1878-1879
•The Cleveland Press – 1941-1975
Just go to :  http://newsindex.cpl.org  and enter your search criteria.