Prairie Roots Genealogy

If you needed a reminder of the value of alllllll the records that aren't digitized that are out there for your genealogy research, consider this it.

Recently, I wanted to learn more about a newspaper story where my great uncle Emile Asselin (who died in France during World War I) returned home to Calumet, Michigan from a "military academy" in De Pere, Wisconsin. After some research and some help from local historical resources like the Brown County Historical Society and the Diocese of Green Bay Archives, I narrowed it down to most likely being the preparatory high school that had once been part of St. Norbert College in De Pere. (Side note: let this also be your reminder to accept nothing at face value, as this wasn't a military academy at all!)

Today, I got an email FULL of information from the friendly local archivist at St. Norbert College, which included yearbooks, information about attendance, and minutes from a literary society... for not just my great uncle Emile, but also his brothers Albert and Donat and his cousin Belus! I had no idea there were other Asselins who attended this school, but the breadcrumbs of that newspaper article about Emile led me to a rich pile of information about the teen years of four different family members. Wonderfully, this included this photo from 1908 of a group of students from Upper Michigan, in which my great uncle Albert is seated second from left in the back and my great uncle Donat is seated on the far right.

Local archives, college archives, county archives -- these are all places chock full of records that you can only access either by going in person or by reaching out to find something specific, but they are so worthwhile and can offer so much richness to your research.

Some food for thought for us as genealogists and humans.

From ONE DROP by Bliss Broyard, chapter 26.

Family Tree Magazine has a great writeup about what you should know about AI as a family historian, linked below. I appreciate their clear acknowledgment of not just the benefits but also the dangers of AI. I too often see genealogical discussions of AI usage focusing on only the positives, but there are some major concerns from copyright issues to environmental impact to false information. If you are going to use AI, I encourage you to read this and make sure you understand the full picture.

A Genealogist's Guide to Artificial Intelligence - Family Tree Magazine This article explores what artificial intelligence (AI) is and how it may affect the world of genealogy. Plus, find tips for using AI for genealogy projects.

Are you attending the Ontario Ancestors 2026 Virtual Conference "From Steamships to Microchips"? If you have connections to Canada or are simply interested in technology and immigration, you should be! The conference started yesterday, but you can still register and view recordings later.

I will be presenting "Michiganders and Canadians: History, Connections, and Immigration" tomorrow morning at 9:15am CDT / 10:15am EDT as part of the conference. There's so much interconnection between Michigan and Canada, and I'm a direct result of that! This is a topic I love talking about, so I hope to see you there. Register at the link below.

https://ogs.on.ca/virtual-conference-2026/

The National Genealogical Society () posted an article listing the top LGBTQ+ archives (primarily from the United States) in celebration of Pride Month. These are great resources if you are researching someone who was known to be part of the community but can also help add context to the experiences of others in a certain time or place. You can find the article at this link or at the NGS UpFront blog:

https://upfront.ngsgenealogy.org/2026/06/join-national-genealogical-society-ngs.html

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What happens when an ancestor seemingly vanishes from the historical record? Or when two "lifelong bachelors" purchase land and live on it together for decades?

As family historians, it’s easy to look at our trees and assume every branch follows a traditional, heteronormative path. But statistically, q***r history is woven directly into our collective heritage.

This Pride Month, I’m breaking down how to read between the lines of standard genealogical records to discover our LGBTQ+ ancestors. From spotting clustering patterns in property deeds to understanding the archival silence of sudden name changes, we can find the trails they left behind when we prioritize evidence over expectation.

✨ Head to the link in my below or to the Prairie Roots Genealogy website to read the full guide on the blog!

Have you ever uncovered an unexpected living arrangement or a unique legal bond while researching your family tree? Let’s talk about it in the comments below!

https://www.prairierootsgenealogy.com/blog/prioritizing-evidence-over-expectation-researching-lgbtq-ancestors

TODAY!

It's not too late to register for my talk "Irish in the Great Lakes" hosted by the Wheaton Public Library and DuPage County Genealogical Society on Zoom. Registration is free and the talk is at 1pm Central today. You can register at the link below or I have a link in the blog on prairierootsgenealogy dot com. Hope to see you there!

https://www.wheatonlibrary.org/event/irish-great-lakes-142304

[Photo in graphic is my great grandparents Thomas O'Rourke and Mary Dubuque O'Rourke, standing in front of Lake Superior]

Behind every military record is a story waiting to be told.

For some family historians, a name on a World War I draft card or a final resting place in a European cemetery is where the trail ends. But when we look closer, the archives hold so much more.

Through the National Archives' incredibly detailed files related to the World War I Gold Star Mothers and Widows Pilgrimages, I was able to trace the deeply moving journey of my great-uncle, Emile, who died in France in 1918, and the stepmother (my great grandmother) who traveled across the Atlantic years later to stand at his grave.

It’s a reminder that genealogy isn’t just about collecting dates—it's about honoring the sacrifices, the grief, and the resilience of those who came before us.

Read the blog at prairierootsgenealogy.com.

For this week's , I wrote about the LeBlanc family graves that are at the St. Francis Xavier Cemetery in Ecorse, Michigan -- the same cemetery that ACGS - American-Canadian Genealogical Society is hosting a cemetery clean-up at this Friday from 2pm to 7pm. At the link, you can learn a little bit about my ancestors who are buried there and what the cemetery helped me learn, and in the comments you can find the sign-up for the cemetery clean-up!

52 Ancestors: At the Cemetery — Prairie Roots Genealogy This week’s theme for the 52 Ancestors in 52 weeks is well-timed, as on May 15th, I’m participating in a cemetery clean-up for St. Francis Xavier Cemetery in Ecorse, Michigan, where some of my ancestors are buried. This may sound odd, but I’m a big fan of old cemeteries, because I think there....