When Phyllis Zegers discovered her cousin died alone in Oregon State Hospital in the 1890s, she never imagined it would lead to reconnecting hundreds of families with their forgotten ancestors. In this episode, Phyllis shares how her genealogy research uncovered 3,500 unclaimed cremains at the hospital—and how she's worked tirelessly to honor each person by researching their stories and finding their living relatives. From sending surprise letters that reveal family secrets to sprinkling ashe...
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When Phyllis Zegers discovered her cousin died alone in Oregon State Hospital in the 1890s, she never imagined it would lead to reconnecting hundreds of families with their forgotten ancestors. In this episode, Phyllis shares how her genealogy research uncovered 3,500 unclaimed cremains at the hospital—and how she's worked tirelessly to honor each person by researching their stories and finding their living relatives. From sending surprise letters that reveal family secrets to sprinkling ashe...
North Dakota: Creating Community (with Sarah Walker) | Episode 80
Stories That Live In Us
36 minutes
1 month ago
North Dakota: Creating Community (with Sarah Walker) | Episode 80
When Sarah Walker's grandfather checked his mail one last day before leaving for World War I, he discovered a neighbor had intervened to keep him home—a bachelor farmer needed on the home front. That single act of community support changed everything. Sarah Walker, Head of Reference Services at the North Dakota State Archives, shares her grandfather's journey immigrating at age 10 from Germany through Russia to North Dakota's farmland. We explore how tight-knit immigrant communities preserved...
Stories That Live In Us
When Phyllis Zegers discovered her cousin died alone in Oregon State Hospital in the 1890s, she never imagined it would lead to reconnecting hundreds of families with their forgotten ancestors. In this episode, Phyllis shares how her genealogy research uncovered 3,500 unclaimed cremains at the hospital—and how she's worked tirelessly to honor each person by researching their stories and finding their living relatives. From sending surprise letters that reveal family secrets to sprinkling ashe...