Tag Archives: Ensminger
How my genealogy journey began – Part Three (“The Summer of Libraries and Cemeteries”)
Over the course of the summer of 2011, we traced the path of mom’s Ensminger ancestors across Pennsylvania from the original settlers’ farm in Lancaster County, to York County where the first generation of American Ensmingers were born, where two generations of Ensmingers fought in the American Revolution and two later generations fought in the Civil War, to Carlisle and finally back to Butler.
How my genealogy journey began – Part Two (Lost Boys)
Let me assure you that when the everyday, average person shows up at the records department of the county courthouse, they are NOT met by the head of the history department of the local university, who has prepared a scroll documenting 17 generations of family members.
How my genealogy journey began – Part One (Father’s Day)
I believe there are many people today who come from the same place I did, not really knowing their family history and not sure where to start. I hope that the story of my mom’s search for her father’s family will serve as motivation for others to begin their own research.
Postcards from the past: Charlotte Venita Merriman
It’s sad to think that, 100 years from now, our descendants won’t experience the thrill of reading a letter or postcard from the early 21st Century.
The Ensmingers of York, Pa.
When mom and I began researching her family tree, she believed that the Ensminger name was an uncommon one, and that most of her relatives arrived in the U.S. from Alsace via Ellis Island. We quickly learned that her branch of the family could be traced back to 16th Century Alsace, and that her first Ensminger ancestor to arrive in the U.S., Peter Ensminger, landed in Philadelphia in 1733. So, no Ellis Island. Oh, and mom’s maiden name is not as uncommon as she thought.
Everyday Discoveries 