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SNGF -- An Unusual Newspaper Article About Your Ancestors

Calling all Genea-Musings Fans: 

It's Saturday Night again - 

Time for some more Genealogy Fun!!

Our assignment from Randy Seaver of Genea-Musings is to:

1) Have you found an unusual, chilling, amazing, or fascinating newspaper article about your ancestors? 

2)  If so, please share the article and what you learned about your ancestor(s) from the article.  Provide a source citation too!

Thank you to Lisa S. Gorrell for this SNGF idea.

Here's mine:
Several years ago, I visited the Pittsburg (Calif) Historical Society to write an article for the Contra Costa County Genealogical Society’s newsletter. I had a regular column highlighting local research resources.

I was super surprised to find my mother’s names listed in a newspaper index. We lived in Pittsburg from about 1956 to 1963. It seems my mother was involved with the Junior Woman’s Club in Pittsburg and she was mentioned on various committees as each year these were chosen. Of course, she wasn’t mentioned by her own name but as Mrs. William J. Hork.

Luckily, the historical society also had photocopies of the newspaper articles connected to the index. I was super surprised to find a photo of her standing next to Louis Armstrong, the famous trumpet player. It seems the club hosted a charity concert to benefit the local hospital.[1]

I also found a photo of my mother with my younger sister, dated 12 May 1961.[2]



[1] “Varied Activities of Benefit to Many,” Pittsburg Post-Dispatch, 8 Oct 1964; Woman’s Club clipping files., Pittsburg Historical Society, Pittsburg. None of the articles had page or column numbers.

[2] There is no identifying information about the paper or page number.


Copyright © 2011-2026 by Lisa S. Gorrell, My Trails into the Past. All Rights Reserved.

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