{"id":101704,"date":"2025-01-27T11:14:25","date_gmt":"2025-01-27T16:14:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.genealogybank.com\/?p=101704"},"modified":"2025-01-28T11:51:45","modified_gmt":"2025-01-28T16:51:45","slug":"genealogy-case-study-mistake-i-made-family-info-i-uncovered-part-1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/genealogy-case-study-mistake-i-made-family-info-i-uncovered-part-1.html","title":{"rendered":"Genealogy Case Study: Mistake I Made, Family Info I Uncovered (part 1)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong><em>Introduction:<\/em><\/strong><em> In this article, Gena Philibert-Ortega gives genealogy tips based on research she\u2019s done recently on her own family tree. Gena is a genealogist and author of the book \u201cFrom the Family Kitchen.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Oftentimes when we find a newspaper article about our ancestor we save it, add the information to our family tree, and move on to the next research task. But it\u2019s important to take some time to analyze that article and ask questions that may lead to other relevant newspaper articles.<\/p>\n<p>In this blog article, I\u2019m going to describe some research I did on my own family tree, a mistake I made, how I changed my searches, and the family history I uncovered.<\/p>\n<p><strong>James Peterson<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>One of my ancestor\u2019s siblings was James Peterson. The family lived in Arizona and James died as a young man. Recently while conducting a search on his father, Lars Peterson, I came across newspaper articles about James\u2019 death.<\/p>\n<p>The first notice of his death appears in the <em>Snowflake Herald<\/em> on 19 October 1917.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_101706\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-101706\" style=\"width: 517px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/doc\/newspapers\/image\/v2%3A1771697DB0038921%40GB3NEWS-177D153FD09E3100%402421521-177D15525664081D%404-177D15525664081D\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-101706\" src=\"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/snowflake-herald-newspaper-1019-1917-lars-peterson.jpg\" alt=\"An article about James Peterson, Snowflake Herald newspaper 19 October 1917\" width=\"517\" height=\"577\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/snowflake-herald-newspaper-1019-1917-lars-peterson.jpg 517w, https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/snowflake-herald-newspaper-1019-1917-lars-peterson-269x300.jpg 269w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 517px) 100vw, 517px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-101706\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Snowflake Herald (Snowflake, Arizona), 19 October 1917, page 5<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>From reading this newspaper article, we learn that:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Word was received on October 18th that James Peterson had died at Camp Funston<\/li>\n<li>He is the son of Lars Peterson of Pinedale<\/li>\n<li>Question as to the disposition of the body<\/li>\n<li>Presumption is that the body will be shipped home for burial<\/li>\n<li>Cause of death is tuberculosis<\/li>\n<li>Peterson was at Camp Funston only a short time<\/li>\n<li>He was there with the \u201cNavajo contingent<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>What questions could we ask now that we have this information? Questions could include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>What is Camp Funston?<\/li>\n<li>Was James a WWI soldier?<\/li>\n<li>Did he die from influenza as well as tuberculosis?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>After doing additional searching online, I did find a photo of him in his military uniform, and I know that Camp Funston was one of the places soldiers were stationed during that time period. I know that Pinedale is in Navajo County, Arizona, so that accounts for the \u201cNavajo contingent\u201d reference. He is not Native American, so \u201cNavajo\u201d refers to the county. Of course, 1917 was during World War I and right before the Great Influenza pandemic of 1918 broke out, so that might account for a few of the facts \u2013 but we still need to research that. Having tuberculosis as a cause of death does not necessarily mean he did or did not also have influenza.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Additional Newspaper Articles<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>I never did find an official \u201cobituary\u201d but what I did find are additional newspaper articles about James\u2019 death. A week after the first article, I found two more newspaper articles. Some of the information repeats what we know, but we learn a few new details.<\/p>\n<p>This article was published by the <em>Holbrook News<\/em> on 26 October 1917.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_101707\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-101707\" style=\"width: 565px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/doc\/newspapers\/image\/v2%3A16141BDEB6C5CF1B%40GB3NEWS-16423934FA7384A3%402421528-16423948FA0BCF02%404-16423948FA0BCF02\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-101707\" src=\"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/holbrook-news-newspaper-1026-1917-james-peterson.jpg\" alt=\"An article about James Peterson, Holbrook News newspaper 26 October 1917\" width=\"565\" height=\"611\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/holbrook-news-newspaper-1026-1917-james-peterson.jpg 565w, https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/holbrook-news-newspaper-1026-1917-james-peterson-277x300.jpg 277w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 565px) 100vw, 565px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-101707\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Holbrook News (Holbrook, Arizona), 26 October 1917, page 5<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>From reading this newspaper article, we learn that:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>James Paterson died two weeks before 26 October 1917 at Camp Funston<\/li>\n<li>His body was sent to Holbrook, Arizona, and then taken to Pinedale, Arizona, for burial<\/li>\n<li>His home (or perhaps his family home) was in Pinedale, Arizona<\/li>\n<li>James was in poor health when he went to Camp Funston<\/li>\n<li>He was in the hospital for some time before his death<\/li>\n<li>Tuberculosis is the cause of death<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>We learn from this newspaper article that James had been sick for some time and that he died about two weeks before this article was published \u2013 which is one week before the previous article was published. Additional research into his cause of death would require his death certificate.<\/p>\n<p>A newspaper column called \u201cHolbrook\u2019s Busy Life Paragraphed,\u201d published on the same day in neighboring Snowflake, Arizona, provides a few more pieces of information. This article was published by the <em>Snowflake Herald<\/em> on 26 October 1917.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_101708\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-101708\" style=\"width: 708px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/doc\/newspapers\/image\/v2%3A1771697DB0038921%40GB3NEWS-177D1558AA4982F2%402421528-177D156B06A56D3E%404-177D156B06A56D3E\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-101708\" src=\"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/snowflake-herald-newspaper-1026-1917-james-peterson.jpg\" alt=\"An article about James Peterson, Snowflake Herald newspaper 26 October 1917\" width=\"708\" height=\"366\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/snowflake-herald-newspaper-1026-1917-james-peterson.jpg 708w, https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/snowflake-herald-newspaper-1026-1917-james-peterson-300x155.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 708px) 100vw, 708px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-101708\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Snowflake Herald (Snowflake, Arizona), 26 October 1917, page 5<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>From reading this newspaper article, we learn that:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Lars Peterson and sons were in Holbrook on Monday to meet James Peterson&#8217;s remains<\/li>\n<li>James died at Camp Funston, Kansas, \u201ca few days ago\u201d<\/li>\n<li>The remains were taken to the family home in Pinedale for burial<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Why do we have three newspaper articles all with some variations of the information about James\u2019 death? The problem with these articles is we don\u2019t know who the informant is or who the reporter was, which means we don\u2019t know how accurate the information is. That\u2019s where additional records can help.<\/p>\n<p>As you read a newspaper article of interest, keep an eye out for other articles in the same newspaper. In this case, the question as to why Lars and his sons went to retrieve James\u2019 body in Holbrook is answered: the train stopped there, and the schedule is posted immediately to the right of the \u201cHolbrook\u2019s Busy Life Paragraphed\u201d column.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_101709\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-101709\" style=\"width: 951px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/doc\/newspapers\/image\/v2%3A1771697DB0038921%40GB3NEWS-177D1558AA4982F2%402421528-177D156B06A56D3E%404-177D156B06A56D3E\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-101709\" src=\"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/snowflake-herald-newspaper-1026-1917-train-schedule.jpg\" alt=\"Holbrook Train Schedule, Snowflake Herald newspaper 26 October 1917\" width=\"951\" height=\"597\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/snowflake-herald-newspaper-1026-1917-train-schedule.jpg 951w, https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/snowflake-herald-newspaper-1026-1917-train-schedule-300x188.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/snowflake-herald-newspaper-1026-1917-train-schedule-768x482.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 951px) 100vw, 951px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-101709\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Snowflake Herald (Snowflake, Arizona), 26 October 1917, page 5<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>I know quite a bit just from these three newspaper articles. Now, a common tendency once you have some clues from a few newspaper articles it to stop there and start pursuing other types of records to learn more, such as military records, a Kansas death certificate, and cemetery records.<\/p>\n<p>Be sure to check out tomorrow\u2019s follow-up blog article, when I\u2019ll explain a mistake I initially made, how I corrected it, and went on to discover more of my ancestors\u2019 stories.<\/p>\n<p>Explore over 330 years of newspapers and historical records in GenealogyBank. Discover your family story! <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.genealogybank.com\/sign-up\">Start a 7-Day Free Trial<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In this article, Gena Philibert-Ortega gives genealogy tips based on research she\u2019s done recently on her own family tree.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":101712,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[12713],"tags":[2719,58954,2020],"class_list":["post-101704","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-genealogy-research-tips","tag-genealogy-search-tips","tag-james-peterson","tag-newspaper-archives"],"acf":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/illustration-0418-2022-featured-graphic-woman-using-computer-2.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/101704","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=101704"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/101704\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":101717,"href":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/101704\/revisions\/101717"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/101712"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=101704"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=101704"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=101704"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}