During World War II, there were 288 fallen service members from McKean County. The day they died, their stories died too. For many, even the how, when and where of their deaths were lost.

Now a statewide writers’ group headed by Franklin County’s Kathy Harmon is telling their stories. For the past three years her volunteers with Stories Behind the Stars have been researching, writing and posting stories of the nearly 31,900 fallen from Pennsylvania. These memorials are posted on the veterans’ website Fold3.com. More than 8,100 of Pennsylvania’s WWII heroes have been remembered by these dedicated volunteer writers. Eighty-seven of McKean County’s WWII heroes have been memorialized so far.

This important project is part of a national non-profit organization called Stories Behind the Stars. The name refers to the Gold Stars that the fallen receive to honor their ultimate sacrifice. The goal is to tell the stories of all 421,000 Americans who died during WWII. Their memorial stories are posted on Fold3.com and are linked to Find-a-Grave’s phone app. Gravesite visitors will be able to scan the name on a headstone and read the fallen’s story on their phone.

Harmon is hoping to double her group of volunteer writers. Telling the story of a fallen hero’s life is rewarding and ensures that each sacrifice is never forgotten. Extra rewards come when messages of gratitude are received from descendants of the Gold Star veterans.

Harmon often receives expressions of thanks, including one from the nephew of Sgt. Charles B. Headland of Lawrence County, who was killed off Anzio, Italy, on Jan. 26, 1944. The relative requested reprints of an article about Headland’s memorial to share with family members. Another message Harmon received was from the cousin of Cambria County’s Pvt. George Victor Potts, who was killed on Attu Island on May 29, 1943, in a banzai charge. The cousin relayed the thanks of Potts’ daughter, “who is so thankful and grateful. She said no one would ever tell her anything about his death. And I guess they had no way of finding out. She said she cried all day.”

The niece of Franklin County’s Frederick Paul Smith, a paratrooper with the 101st Airborne Division who died on D-Day, had this to say: “Thank you so much for all the info on Frederick Paul Smith published in the local news. He was my uncle; my mother was Anna. A lot of info we didn’t know. You must have done a lot of research. It is greatly appreciated.”

Westmoreland County volunteer John Turanin has written memorials about every WWII Gold Star hero from Monessen. He was contacted by the namesake nephew of Pvt. Victor Albert Trilli, who was killed Jan. 15, 1943, in Tunisia. Trilli’s nephew extended thanks to Turanin for researching and writing his uncle’s story. “We know that other families will feel very grateful, just as we do, for the memorial stories of the sons of Monessen who lost their lives in service to our country.”

Montgomery County writer Chris Moyer was touched by the response he received from the nephew of Mifflin County’s Ensign William Henry Foucart, who was killed during the kamikaze attack on the USS Bunker Hill on May 11, 1945. “I greatly appreciated the article. My grandmother, Evelyn Foucart, and my father, Donald Foucart, did not discuss the loss of their son and brother other than that he died in that war. What a burden those generations endured.”

Harmon is the Pennsylvania director of Stories Behind the Stars. She is looking for more help to complete the stories of the remaining 23,700 fallen from Pennsylvania.

“Eighty years ago, thousands of brave Pennsylvania sons and daughters fought and died for our freedom. Telling stories for those who never could is very powerful,” says Harmon. “They deserve to be remembered.”

Harmon points out that volunteering is fairly easy. Writers work from home at their own pace. This could also be a group project for a history class, a historical society or genealogy project. A bonus benefit is the free access to research sites, Fold3.com, Ancestry.com and Newspapers.com. This three-site package would normally cost $479 per year. But it is free to members who can also use it to search for data on their own families.

For more information, Harmon can be contacted at kharmon@storiesbehindthestars.org. The project website is storiesbehindthestars.org. Discover military ancestors across more than a dozen wars and subjects at fold3.com.

The following is a press release written by the folks at the (U.S.) National Archives and Records Administration:

RFK Files, UAP Records, and More The National Archives continues to deliver for the American people by making more government records available. We released the first tranche of Records Related to the Assassination of Senator Robert F. Kennedy through a web page dedicated to these records. The release of the first 10,000 pages fulfills part of President Trump’s maximum transparency promise in Executive Order 14176. Visit Archives.gov/RFKto explore the records.  Acting Archivist of the United States Secretary Marco Rubio was at the National Archives at College Park on Wednesday, April 23. The Archivist viewed iconic artifacts spanning 250 years of American history and visited the Digitization Lab to receive a briefing on the ongoing digitization efforts related to Executive Order 14176.

Acting Archivist of the United States Marco Rubio tours the stacks at the National Archives at College Park, Maryland, April 23, 2025

On Thursday, April 24, The National Archives released  Records Related to Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs) and Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAPs) at the National Archives. These records and their release fulfill the National Archives’ requirement in the 2024 National Defense Authorization Act to establish the ‘‘Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena Records Collection.”

Photograph of a flying saucer, June 4, 1964. View in the National Archives Catalog

Additionally, the Richard Nixon Presidential Library released 25 boxes of newly declassified National Security Council records, which are now open and available to the public. These include records related to the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks, negotiations to end the Vietnam War and diplomacy with the People’s Republic of China, and more.

Follow the National Archives on Facebook and X.

The Westchester County Historical Society has released a digitized collection of 1,100 pages of eyewitness accounts from the American Revolution, titled “Experiencing the Neutral Ground of the American Revolution: The McDonald Interviews.” The compilation, now accessible on the Westchester County Archives Digital Collections website and New York Heritage site, features 407 interviews conducted between 1844 and 1851 by John Macdonald.

The accounts detail life in the “Neutral Ground,” now Westchester County and southwest Connecticut, during the 1770s and 1780s. They include stories of skirmishes like The Battle of Edgar’s Lane, whaleboat warfare in Long Island Sound, and the experiences of figures like Westchester Guide Andrew Corsa and African American soldier John Peterson. Enslaved individuals who fought in military units or defended properties are also represented.

“These accounts will be an invaluable asset to thousands of individuals, including educators and their students, members of the history community and the general public,” said WCHS Executive Director Barbara Davis. “With the 250th Anniversary of the America Revolution taking place next year, the timing is ideal.”

Macdonald, a former attorney, recorded the interviews with Westchester residents who lived through the war. The original papers were lost after his death in 1863, but a hand-copied version by scribe John English was acquired by historian Otto Hufeland in 1925. The Westchester County Historical Society has managed the Hufeland Collection since the late 1990s.

A $75,875 federal grant from the National Historic Publications and Records Commission funded the project. A professional archivist, librarian, staff, five interns, and volunteers transcribed, annotated, and digitized the interviews. “The long-hand was often difficult to decipher, the language and the spelling were sometimes questionable, so careful analysis by a number of people was required,” said Project Director and WCHS Librarian Patrick Raftery.

The collection includes supplementary materials like biographies, maps, and an annotated timeline. It clarifies historical terms and locations, such as “Saw Pit,” now Portchester. “This accurate, comprehensive and exhaustive collection provides invaluable information about what happened in the Westchester area, through the eyes of those who lived it,” Davis said.

The Westchester County Historical Society, established in 1874, is located at 2199 Saw Mill River Road, Elmsford, NY, 10523. The collection is available at collections.westchestergov.com/digital/collection/mcdonald and nyheritage.org/collections/experiencing-neutral-ground-american-revolution-mcdonald-interviews.

The following is a personal opinion written by C. Philip Byers, a former sheriff in Rutherford County, N.C.:

Every year, thousands of murders in the United States remain unsolved. Today, there are 300,000 cold cases on the books, with thousands more added annually. However, a revolutionary technology — forensic genetic genealogy — could change this grim reality.

Many people first heard of this technique in 2018, when investigators used it to find Joseph DeAngelo, better known as the Golden State Killer. He eventually confessed to killing 13 people and raping about 50 women in California in the 1970s and 1980s.

Since then, the use of genetic genealogy in criminal investigations has steadily grown. This past year, it led police to arrest the man accused of raping and murdering Rachel Morin, a 37-year-old mother of five who was found murdered near a running trail in Maryland in 2023.

The initial inquiry into Morin’s death revealed that the killer’s DNA matched an unsolved home invasion and assault in Los Angeles — but even with this match, investigators couldn’t identify the suspect. This wasn’t a decades-old cold case; the Los Angeles incident had occurred in March 2023, just five months before Morin’s brutal murder. Whomever the DNA belonged to was actively committing crimes, posing a continuing risk to public safety.

For decades, law enforcement relied on the Combined DNA Index System known as CODIS. Launched by the FBI in the 1990s, CODIS compares DNA samples collected from crime scenes to a database of profiles in law enforcement’s possession.

DNA contains unique data points known as markers, which act like a genetic fingerprint. CODIS examines just 20 of these markers, and if no match is found in the database, the case often stalls.

As a result, violent crimes involving unknown suspects go unsolved — and perpetrators remain free to victimize more people. 

The solution: forensic genetic genealogy.

Forensic genetic genealogy relies on detective work and DNA samples. Still, it looks for matches using hundreds of thousands of markers instead of 20. It also compares the new crime-scene samples to vast troves of consented consumer DNA profiles. 

This process yields matches to individuals who share some DNA with the suspect. They may be distant relatives, but their genetic profiles allow investigators to build a family tree. With enough matches, police can find the source of the DNA found at the crime scene.

Police departments often can’t conduct forensic genetic genealogy. In Morin’s case, investigators turned the DNA evidence over to Othram, a company focused on solving contemporary and cold cases. Scientists there used genetic genealogy to develop new leads, culminating in the arrest of a 23-year-old named Victor Antonio Martinez-Hernandez, who was convicted on charges of rape and murder.

Martinez-Hernandez was practically invisible on paper — young and undocumented. However, with a complete genealogical profile, police were able to track him down and bring Rachel’s family justice.

Genetic genealogy has now been used to solve thousands of cold cases. Without it, DeAngelo, Martinez-Hernandez and countless other criminals might still be on the loose. 

The fact that we have this technology now is a reason for hope. We can bring closure to families by solving past crimes and also stop new ones by identifying serial rapists and killers earlier in their trajectories.

Using forensic genetic genealogy infrastructure wouldn’t just bring more criminals to justice. Every case solved quickly means less time and money spent on dead-end leads or long-term investigations. Forensic genetic genealogy testing delivers results in a fraction of the time of traditional methods. Each test costs $8,000 to $10,000, while traditional murder investigations routinely stretch into the six or seven figures.

State and local law enforcement agencies need the flexibility and resources to solve each case as quickly and cost-effectively as possible. Currently, inadequate funding is preventing many investigators from fully using genetic genealogy tools. 

The solution has to be more federal support. The Justice Department makes grants to help reduce DNA backlogs. More help is required. The next federal budget needs to focus on the game-changing application of genetic genealogy. Meanwhile, lawmakers need to re-evaluate how existing resources are being spent. In many cases, cutting-edge technologies can achieve the same or greater results for less money.

With a renewed focus on government efficiency, what better place to start? 

The following is a press release written by the folks at  Findmypast:

• Over half a million new baptism, marriage, and records now available to search online

• Exclusive to Findmypast, this huge new addition will give users a fresh opportunity to uncover their East Anglian ancestors

• Records indexed in partnership with the Suffolk Family History Society, part of Findmypast's exclusive partnership with the Family History Federation

• Plus, brand new Suffolk newspaper title, the East Suffolk Gazette comes online 

Family historians with roots in Suffolk can look forward to delving deeper into their past with over 554,000 new parish records launched on Findmypast this week, alongside thousands of new newspaper pages from the county.

This bumper set of new records are exclusive to Findmypast and offer users a fresh opportunity to uncover their East Anglian ancestors. Whether you're just starting your family tree or trying to knock down a stubborn brick wall, these additions open up exciting possibilities for discovering Suffolk roots.

The new collections include:

Suffolk Baptisms (1722–1855) – 364,307 records

Added to the Suffolk Baptism Index, created by Suffolk Family History Society, which includes 351 parishes and 747,204 records across the East Anglian county. Records can be searched by name, baptism date, parish, place, father’s name, mother’s name, relationship, father’s occupation, notes county and country, source, and entry number.

Suffolk Marriages (1753–1816) – 190,030 records

Added to the Suffolk Marriage Index, Suffolk Family History Society, which includes 576 parishes with records that date back to 1536 and stretch through to the twentieth century. Records can be searched by name, marital status, parish, marriage date and place, spouse’s name, spouse’s marital status and spouse’s parish.

Suffolk Graves and Memorial Inscriptions – 20,837 records

This new collection includes over 20,000 new records relating to burials in the county, searchable by name, birth date, death date, location and cemetery. 

New Suffolk newspaper pages

With a special Suffolk focus this week, Findmypast has published one brand new title from the county and updated several of our existing Suffolk titles. The East Suffolk Gazette has been published online for the first time, with an initial run of 1,256 pages covering the years 1870, 1896 and 1897. The East Suffolk Gazette was established in the Suffolk market town of Beccles, in the east of the county, as its name belies. The paper was launched in 1857, and it was owned by Messrs William Clowes & Sons. 

Updates include over 4,000 brand new pages from the late 1800s added to the Suffolk Mercury and new years added to the East Anglian Daily Times, Haverhill Echo, and the Newmarket Journal.

Mary McKee, UK Archives Manager at Findmypast, said:

“We’re delighted to bring these records online with the help of the Suffolk Family History Society. These kinds of parish records are absolute gold dust for anyone tracing their family back before civil registration began. They offer new leads, fresh insights, and the chance to delve deeper into your ancestors’ lives.”

Transcribed by local experts, these records bring centuries of Suffolk history right to users' fingertips, revealing names, dates, and places that can transform research.

They’re available now to search and explore at www.findmypast.co.uk

I opened my email this morning and received quite a shock: There was an obituary for me: Dick Eastman.

No, this isn’t an obituary for me. It is obviously for some other fellow named Richard (or Dick) Eastman. Otherwise, how could I be writing this?

Richard 'Dick' Eastman Obituary

Published by Legacy Remembers on Apr. 24, 2025.

An avid outdoorsman, 'Dick' climbed many mountains in the Pacific northwest. A scratch golfer, he once shot a 65 at the age of 67. One of his better memories was his trip to St Andrews in Scotland. Dick also loved to salmon fish with the 'boys'. He loved a lot of things, but most of all his only wife Nancy Arlene. Along with his kids Gary, Mark, Stephani and Stacie. He also had 10 grandkids, 12 great grandkids and one great great granddaughter. Dick retired after 34 years at the Bureau of Public Roads (USDOT) as a computer programmer and surveyor.

The following is a press release written by the folks at the (U.S.) National Genealogical Society:

25 April 2025—The National Genealogical Society (NGS) is delighted to announce the appointment of genealogy educator, researcher, writer, and editor Sunny Jane Morton as the new editor of NGS Magazine. Her first issue will be the October-December 2025 issue. Morton takes over the reins from long-time editor Deb Cyprych, who is retiring after nine years of exceptional leadership. Morton is currently the content director at Your DNA Guide and a contributing editor at Family Tree Magazine. She is a past editor of the Ohio Genealogy News, where she also succeeded Cyprych. With Harold Henderson, CG, she coauthored How to Find Your Family History in U.S. Church Records, which received a book award from NGS. Her book Story of My Life: A Workbook for Preserving Your Legacy is now in its second edition. Her forthcoming book, a guide for researching Catholic nuns and sisters in the United States, received research travel support from the Cushwa Center for the Study of American Catholicism at the University of Notre Dame. Her article "Delayed Birth Records in the United States" with Jeanette Sheliga appeared in NGS Magazine, Vol. 50, Number 1 (January-March 2024). She was also a contributor to theFamilySearch Blog from 2018-2023. In addition to her extensive writing and editing, Morton is an instructor at NGS's GRIP Genealogy Institute 2025 (Practical Family History Writing) and the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy Spring Virtual 2025 (Researching Women from 1850-1960). Morton is a longstanding member of NGS and the Ohio Genealogical Society and an associate member of Archivists for Congregations of Women Religious. She has a double B.A. from Brigham Young University in History and Humanities. Morton is a frequent speaker and lecturer at national, state, regional, and local genealogy events. Expressing her enthusiasm about her new position, Morton said, "My role is to reach out into the community and bring expert voices and unknown resources into reach for readers. I look forward to building on Deb Cyprych's legacy, supporting authors and finding exciting and timely topics forNGS Magazine, while contributing to the growth of our family history community." Executive Director Matt Menashes, CAE, shared his excitement about Morton's appointment, stating, "We are so glad to have Sunny as the next editor of NGS Magazine. Her experience will serve readers well. Working with feature authors and regular columnists, Sunny will continue our tradition of exceptional writing on methodology, technology, DNA, reference resources, genealogical societies' needs, and more." ### Founded in 1903, the National Genealogical Society inspires, connects, and leads the family history community by fostering collaboration and best practices in advocacy, education, preservation, and research. We enable people, cultures, and organizations to discover the past and create a lasting legacy. The Virginia-based nonpro?t is the premier national society for everyone, from beginners to the most advanced family historians. NGS Magazine has a circulation of approximately 8,000 individuals and over 500 organizations, including libraries nationwide.

Anzac Day is a time to reflect and remember — and this year, MyHeritage is helping families do just that by offering free access to all Australian and New Zealand records from April 24–29, 2025. Access the free records here With over 2.3 billion records, including WWI soldier portraits, obituaries, and newspaper archives, your readers can explore the lives of ancestors who served and the communities they came from. It’s a meaningful way to honor their families’ Anzac legacies. The collections are completely free to search and view during this time. All that’s needed is a free MyHeritage account.

New Hampshire PBS has partnered with the New Hampshire Society of Genealogists (NHSOG) to bring you a weekly five-session virtual “Intro to Genealogy” Course. The first session begins on Wednesday, April 23.

In this 90 minute weekly workshop you'll learn:

How to find vital records, including immigration & citizenship
Researching the U.S. Census
Tracing your family tree back to 1850—and beyond!
FIVE Live Sessions (all from 6:30 PM-8 PM):

April 23 (First Session!)
April 30
May 7
May 14
May 21
Donate $110 and get:
✔️ Access to all five live & recorded sessions
✔️ An NHSOG membership, including their digital journal (3x/year)
✔️ An NHPBS membership + PBS Passport (if you're not already a member)

Start your journey into the past—sign up today!

Questions? Email us at events@nhbps.org

Virtual (Zoom)

$110

06:30 PM - 08:00 PM, every day through May 21, 2025.

Get Tickets

Event Supported By

New Hampshire PBS

603-868-4430

auction@nhpbs.org

https://nhpbs.org

If you have Irish ancestry that you want to find out more about, there are lots of free Irish genealogy websites where you can discover all about your family history. 

Accredited Genealogists Ireland (AGI) has published a list of ten useful websites where you can deep dive into your family history for free.

Collating census records, parish registers, and more, these websites provide insightful information into Ireland’s historic population.

Find out more about your family history – trace your Irish roots

There are lots of free Irish genealogy websites that let you discover your family history. Compiling information from key online resources from various institutions and digital archives, they provide a comprehensive view of Ireland’s past.

Including useful information from census records, parish registers, land records, and military archives, the guides provide an overview of reputable sources that provide insights into researchers’ family history.

Speaking to Irish Central, AGI’s President Michael Walsh said, “Many people are unaware of the wealth of Irish genealogical information freely available online, while others think that all Ireland’s records were destroyed in the Civil War.

“This guide brings together valuable free resources in one place. Therefore, making it easier for anyone to begin their Irish family history journey, regardless of their experience level.”

The best free Irish genealogy websites – discover your family website 

So, if you’re curious to find out more about your family history, check out these free Irish genealogy websites that let you discover your Irish roots.

1. National Archives: Census records 1901, 1911, survivals 1821-1851.
2. National Library of Ireland: Catholic Parish Registers, property records, newspapers, directories, and heraldic records.
3. Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI): The official archive for Northern Ireland. 
4. Virtual Record Treasury: A reconstruction of the Public Record Office of Ireland, with archives destroyed in 1922.
5. IrishGenealogy.ie: Includes records on births from 1864 to 1924, marriages from 1864 to 1949, non-Roman Catholic marriages from 1845, and deaths from 1871 to 1974.
6. Logainm.ie: Information on place names, useful if you know where your ancestors lived.
7. Griffith’s Valuation: Land records from 1848 and 1864. Includes detailed information on where people lived in mid-19th century Ireland.
8. FamilySearch.org: Free family records from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
9. Irish Genealogy Projects: A volunteer-run website with genealogy resources by county.
10. Military History: Records pertaining to Ireland’s military history.