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Use a Location Search for Obituaries
I was born in New Hampshire and my family has lived there for the past 350+ years. I probably have a cousin in every town in the state. This is especially true in Sanbornton, New Hampshire—I don't think I could throw a rock there in any direction and not hit a relative.
So—I use that to my advantage in tracing my family history.
Photo: Bay Meeting House, Sanbornton, New Hampshire, built in 1836. Source: Wikimedia Commons.
In my experience, I have found that I am related to nearly everyone in Sanbornton—so from time to time I search the Obituaries in GenealogyBank to find a cousin I'd never known.
Genealogists often search an obituary collection by looking for the name of a specific relative. However, another worthwhile approach is to just search on a location where your family has lived for generations, and not enter any individual's name. In this case, I entered "Sanbornton" in the search page's Include Keywords field and then clicked the Begin Search button.
From the Search Results page, I quickly picked one from the list: Ellen (Sanborn) Merriam (1920-2010).
Tri-Town Transcript (Topsfield, Massachusetts), 23 April 2010
Here was a line that brought back memories:
"Born in Laconia, N.H., she was the daughter of the late Howard W. and Elenora (Currier) Sanborn. She was raised on a rural farm in Sanbornton, N.H., and educated in Sanbornton and nearby Tilton. She loved animals especially horses, and was a graduate of the University of New Hampshire, earning her degree in Geology."
It immediately brought to mind days gone by in Sanbornton. She went to school there and lived on a rural farm. Wasn't every home on a "rural farm" back then?
I could picture that farm: the potbellied stove in the kitchen; the snow; the view across the fields; the quiet, secure surroundings.
She attended UNH. My parents and grandparents all attended the University of New Hampshire. Some of my earliest memories are riding the back roads to Durham, New Hampshire, and seeing the University. Eating lunch along the river and getting those giant ice cream cones from the UNH Dairy.
She was "a long time member of the Maple Street Congregational Church." When we lived in nearby Lower Gilmanton there was only one church—and of course it was a Congregational Church. It was an image you would see in every town.
I looked at Ellen's family history and, using multiple sources, I quickly found that her parents—Howard Weaver Sanborn (1887-1957) and Elenora B. Currier (1895-1985) along with her five brothers and sisters—all lived on a farm in Sanbornton. As did her grandparents John Brewer Sanborn (1849-1940) and Asenath Quimby (1850-1891).
Sanborns had lived in Sanbornton since its founding in 1770.
Our family still owns the farm that my 5th-great-grandfather William Huse (1760-1839) purchased when he settled there after the Revolutionary War to raise his family.
Yes, I doubt I ever met Ellen Louise (Sanborn) Merriam, but by reading her obituary it feels like I've known her all my life.
I like to find Sanbornton obituaries so that I can document every cousin in the family.
Genealogy Tip: Don't only search for specific relatives in GenealogyBank—search for the small towns where your ancestors lived. You just might meet a cousin you've never met before.
So—I use that to my advantage in tracing my family history.
Photo: Bay Meeting House, Sanbornton, New Hampshire, built in 1836. Source: Wikimedia Commons.
In my experience, I have found that I am related to nearly everyone in Sanbornton—so from time to time I search the Obituaries in GenealogyBank to find a cousin I'd never known.
Genealogists often search an obituary collection by looking for the name of a specific relative. However, another worthwhile approach is to just search on a location where your family has lived for generations, and not enter any individual's name. In this case, I entered "Sanbornton" in the search page's Include Keywords field and then clicked the Begin Search button.
From the Search Results page, I quickly picked one from the list: Ellen (Sanborn) Merriam (1920-2010).
Tri-Town Transcript (Topsfield, Massachusetts), 23 April 2010
Here was a line that brought back memories:
"Born in Laconia, N.H., she was the daughter of the late Howard W. and Elenora (Currier) Sanborn. She was raised on a rural farm in Sanbornton, N.H., and educated in Sanbornton and nearby Tilton. She loved animals especially horses, and was a graduate of the University of New Hampshire, earning her degree in Geology."
It immediately brought to mind days gone by in Sanbornton. She went to school there and lived on a rural farm. Wasn't every home on a "rural farm" back then?
I could picture that farm: the potbellied stove in the kitchen; the snow; the view across the fields; the quiet, secure surroundings.
She attended UNH. My parents and grandparents all attended the University of New Hampshire. Some of my earliest memories are riding the back roads to Durham, New Hampshire, and seeing the University. Eating lunch along the river and getting those giant ice cream cones from the UNH Dairy.
She was "a long time member of the Maple Street Congregational Church." When we lived in nearby Lower Gilmanton there was only one church—and of course it was a Congregational Church. It was an image you would see in every town.
I looked at Ellen's family history and, using multiple sources, I quickly found that her parents—Howard Weaver Sanborn (1887-1957) and Elenora B. Currier (1895-1985) along with her five brothers and sisters—all lived on a farm in Sanbornton. As did her grandparents John Brewer Sanborn (1849-1940) and Asenath Quimby (1850-1891).
Sanborns had lived in Sanbornton since its founding in 1770.
Our family still owns the farm that my 5th-great-grandfather William Huse (1760-1839) purchased when he settled there after the Revolutionary War to raise his family.
Yes, I doubt I ever met Ellen Louise (Sanborn) Merriam, but by reading her obituary it feels like I've known her all my life.
I like to find Sanbornton obituaries so that I can document every cousin in the family.
Genealogy Tip: Don't only search for specific relatives in GenealogyBank—search for the small towns where your ancestors lived. You just might meet a cousin you've never met before.