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Arti Unlimited and Professional members can use our new AI-boosted ARTIAssist to enhance their stories and memories with historical and factual details about the items they Artifct.

Unusual Digital Artifcts from Genealogy 

Jill Browne, Genealogist & founder of The Clutter School
October 30, 2024

Earlier this year we called out on social media for a genealogist​ who ​was interested in collaborating with us to see if our co-founder Ellen was in fact related to a global superstar.

Guess who the mystery superstar was? Lady Gaga!

This potential connection seriously confused Ellen, who asked, “Isn’t she Italian!?” whereas her family has a mix of Luxembourgian, German, French, and English heritage. It turns out Lady Gaga was a case of an over eager auto correct in a text message from Ellen’s genealogist aunt. The message should have read Lady Gage, with an “e,” as in the wife of Thomas Wentworth Gage, a commander-in-chief, North America, during the early days of the American Revolution. Granted, Lady Gage is still in impressive ancestor, but she somehow lacks the awe power of Lady Gaga.

We met with our volunteer, Jill Browne, Founder of Clutter School (@MessyNestDeclutterCoach on IG), and discussed exploring other family history instead, potentially through what, with a ​bit of ​latitude, could become ​ancestral ​Artifcts.

Today we’re sharing the highlights with​ you​, Artifcts style, as Family History Month ends, and we all settle in for a long winter’s nap, aka the holiday season with our family where family lore and history are born and shared. Seize the moment. Use these Artifcts as inspiration as you ask for details, sift through old family photos, and maybe even take home an heirloom or two, and Artifct That!

Over to you​, Jill​!

An Uncommon Ancestry Approach to Artifcts 

I love the concept of Artifcts. To me Artifcts offers an opportunity to create a digital museum of whatever one wants to preserve.  
 
As a geographer, I am fascinated by the immovable parts of our histories: landscapes, buildings, towns, roads, statues, and so on. As a genealogist, I can't resist a good cemetery, too. As Winston Churchill said, "We shape our buildings, and afterwards our buildings shape us." He was talking about the Commons Chamber in the UK Houses of Parliament, but the same thing applies to our homes and to the shapes of our cities and towns. Buildings and cultural landscapes show us what we think is important in the part of the world we occupy.

This collection of Artifcts includes only one portable object, and it’s not in Ellen’s family's possession. It's in a museum and probably most people in her family have no idea it exists.

But with this one object, we can all appreciate how a single artifact can become a significant piece of family history to dozens, even hundreds of people with the passage of time. After​ ​all, you probably don’t even know your third cousins, and yet you share the same 2X great-grandparents. If any family heirlooms that belonged to those ​distant ​great-grandparents still exist, most likely you and your third cousins, their descendants, have no idea, or, if you do, have lost the history behind them. 
 
This is one reason why I love the intersection of genealogy and Artifcts, and ​it’s also ​my defence of Artifcting things you don't actually own. It gives people a chance to share and to discover parts of their family's history that basic genealogy doesn't usually include.

Now, let’s check out this Artifcts collection!

The Artifcts

Out of the many possible objects and stories tied to Ellen’s May (maternal) and Bowker (paternal) heritage, here are the ones I chose for Ellen’s ​ancestral ​deep dive:

      • a piece of WWI trench art, 
      • two cemeteries, 
      • a town, 
      • a homestead, and 
      • a national historic site. 

Artifct #1: First World War Trench Art engraved "Leut AH Yorton"

The Artifct preview below shows a piece trench art, in this case a decorated artillery shell. The ​etching​​ indicates​ France, May 21, 1918, A. H. Yorton​.​ ​It ​commemorates the day Andrew Yorton entered the trenches with Wisconsin’s 127th Infantry. As this article from the Lewis Army Museum points out, it's not known whether Andrew created this piece himself or commissioned the work, but the article does offer amazing details of Andrew's service during WWI.

 
 
 
 
Trench art engraved "A. H. Yorton", illustration in "An Introduction to Trench Art: The Story of AH Yorton," Allie Krisko, "Virtual Exhibits," Lewis Army Museum, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, photograph on website (https://lewisarmymuseum.com/virtual-exhibits: accessed 23 October 2024).

And who is Andrew to Ellen?

Andrew Henry “Hank” Yorton (1886-1959) was Ellen’s ​second ​great-uncle, the elder brother of Ellen’s great-grandmother, Rena Yorton Wilson (1888-1965). ​In January 1906, ​Rena ​​married Glidden Wilson, ​​the very man who bought the family harp ​that ​Ellen has often referenced and shared here.

From a family history point of view, the story here is that Ellen’s great-grandmother and all the rest of her brother Andrew's family had to endure the long wait while he was away in France, never knowing if he would return. He sailed for France on February 18, 1918, and while the war officially ended on November 11, 1918, he​ didn’t leave​ France ​until​ December 10, 1918.

The US ​observes​ Veterans Day, and Canada Remembrance Day, every November 11th, making this ​shell ​a fitting Artifct to share and reshare this time of year.

Artifct #2:  Two cemeteries in Aurora, Kane County, Illinois 
 
Can a cemetery be an Artifct? In my book, yes! Cemeteries are pieces of our heritage that connect families to their past. As physical places, they create a tiny dot on the map where we can say, yes, this is part of me. I would be especially likely to keep a cemetery as an Artifct if it had several generations of my ancestors. I don't have that, but Ellen does, and then some!

In fact, Ellen’s maternal family ancestry converges in Aurora: If Ellen were to look at just this one geographic area, she would find the impact of multiple ancestral families.

The Marywood Cemetery in Aurora has the graves for Ellen’s May and other ancestors going back in a nearly unbroken line to their very arrival in the US.  
 
The ​Calvary​ Cemetery has the ​graves and memorials for the ​original May family immigrant parents, Johann Petur May (1799-1861) and his wife Anna Knapp May (1794-1857), who were from Luxembourg. Their son, Nikolaus May (1838-1909), buried in Marywood, was also born in Luxembourg. He emigrated with his parents and at least some of his siblings in 1856. 

The May parents died within a few years of their arrival, but their son Nikolaus, continued to live in Aurora, where he married Eva Kellen (1842-1910). Eva, while born in Germany, had a father who was native to Luxembourg as well. That’s why it’s unsurprising to see Luxembourg feature prominently in Ellen’s maternal side DNA profile.

Artifct #3: The Town of Clockville, New York

Clockville also gets my vote for another unconventional family history Artifct. It has a known connection to not one but two families in Ellen’s family tree (Yorton and Lamoreux). In addition, Clockville is so small, that if Ellen were to visit, no matter where she’d venture in Clockville, she’d probably be retracing her ancestors' footsteps.

Remember Ellen’s great-grandmother Rena Yorton from our Artifct above about the trench art? She descended from Paul Yorton (1793-1871) and among her siblings was a brother, Hank, who was born in Clockville, New York. This is just a hamlet, but in its cemetery, you will find their dad Paul, Ellen’s 4X great-grandfather.

It’s through Rena’s brothers that the connection the Lamoreux family is made: Hank married Electa Lamoreux, and George married Electa's sister, Elizabeth Jane. This connection between the Yorton and Lamoreux families persisted as a number of them migrated west from Clockville to Wisconsin, where Ellen grew up. The “Old Lamoreux place” near Ashland, Wisconsin, is well known and Hank’s and Electa’s son Morris lived there at the end of his life.

BONUS TIDBIT: When you’re conducting genealogy research you often find threads you don’t have time to pull in the moment. This is one of those threads and too good not to share. Previous research by Ellen’s aunt traces the Yortons back to the Netherlands and Germany, although some other members of Ancestry.com may have found different lineages than her aunt, including a potential family association with the Dutch East India Company in Cape Town. That may be valid or completely fanciful. More research for another day!

If Ellen were to visit [Clockville], no matter where she’d venture, she’d probably be retracing her ancestors' footsteps.

Artifct #4: Castle Garden Emigrant Depot

Castle Garden deserves an Artifct if for no other reason than to dissuade you from potentially thinking of Ellis Island as THE point of entry for immigrants to the US. Not so fast!

It’s understandable that many people associate Ellis Island with the immigration of their families, as many immigrants to the USA did pass through the famed location.

But "about 20% of Americans can trace their ancestry to someone who went through [the earlier arrival station] Castle Garden,” according to the US National Park Service. Ellen’s May ancestors immigrated to the US in 1856, which would have put them in the right time frame to be processed at Castle Garden.

Artifct #5: Bowker homestead, Shabbona, Illinois

For the 5th and final Artifct, we’re switching gears for a peek into the paternal (Bowker) side of Ellen’s family to place them on the map (wink, wink) before we close out this genealogical Artifct exploration.

On March 16, 1849, Daniel Bowker bought 160 acres of land from James Jack, a Private in the Army who was given a Military Warrant for the land. Here is a copy of the transfer document dated December 20, 1850.

 
 
Bureau of Land Management, land transfer James Jack to Daniel Bowker, no. 43544, 20 Dec 1850, for SW12-Tp38N-R3-E3M; image General Land Office Records (https://glorecords.blm.gov/details/patent/default.aspx?accession=1020-324&docClass=MW&sid=42unaev4.g2y#patentDetailsTabIndex=1 : accessed 16 Oct 2024).

The land is close to Shabbonna's Grove, named for Chief Shabbonna, a Potawatomi Chief and notable figure in the history of the area. Here is a map of Shabbonna Township, DeKalb County, Illinois from 1860, with Daniel Bowker's name on the south-west quarter of section 12.

 
 
 Lamb, Daniel W, Map of DeKalb County, Illinois (Philadelphia: Daniel W. Lamb, 1860), enlargement showing D Bowker's land (SW 1/4 of section 12, Shabonna Township); image, Library of Congress (https://www.loc.gov/resource/g4103d.la000110/?r=0.306,0.82,0.288,0.127,0 : accessed 16 Oct 2024).

You can see how the area looks today – wide open farmland – on Google street and satellite view. 

Genealogy and Artifcts

These are the sort of Artifcts that genealogy and family history research can turn up, with only a taste of the finer details left in to give you a feel for how genealogists go about the telling of family history. But for most people, it’s not about the historical facts and dates but the key themes, stories, and connections behind these discoveries that matter most. And have no doubt, there are loads of more conventional artifacts hanging out in Ellen’s tree should she go looking to Artifct them, too – census records, photographs, drawings, certificates of birth, marriage, and death, and so on.  
 
Artifcts is a wonderful place for keeping and sharing memories. The five Artifcts I've shared are about recovering memories, recognizing the connections, and discovering and sharing the stories and doing so in a way that resonates through the generations. I hope they inspire you to preserve and share your own family history discoveries, traditional or otherwise, too.

Happy Artifcting! 
 
Jill

Enjoy all things family history? Take a look back at these ARTIcles, too.

DIY Family History Book: Publish Your Artifcts with Akin

An Easier and More Personal Approach to Family History

Use Artifcts Timelines to Enrich Your Family History

10 Ways Genealogists are Using Artifcts That May Help You, Too

How to Artifct Family History and Heirlooms

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© 2024 Artifcts, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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A Family History in Five Artifcts

It’s family history month, and if you had to, could you tell your family history in five Artifcts or less? Sound impossible? We weren’t sure, so we decided to put it to the test. 

We reached out to one of our super Artifcters, @Grandmom and asked her, if she had to choose just five Artifcts to tell her story, could she? And if she could, what five would she choose?  

Thankfully, @Grandmom was up for the challenge, although she did preface it by saying “Are you sure, just five? That’s all I get?” Yep, that all you get, at least for this ARTIcles story. “Well, good thing I have my timeline, at least I know where to start!”

Over to you @Grandmom to walk us through your family history, Artifct by Artifct. (The below excerpts are from an interview we did with Grandmom; the words in quotes are direct from the source!)

________________

GRANDMOM'S FAMILY HISTORY IN JUST 5 ARTIFCTS

Artifct #1: The Beginning

The Milking Chair My Grandfather Built

“Well, I guess I better start at the beginning, sometime in the 1860s. One of my oldest Artifcts is the milking chair my father’s father made his wife. They lived on a farm in southern Georgia. He built it for her because she was so short, that none of the regular chairs were a good fit. He built it right after the Civil War, I don’t think he used a single nail, only pegs. You don’t see that these days.” 

 

Artifct #2: Childhood in Rural Georgia

Mother's and Grandmother's Wash Boards

Next up? “Well, that would have to be Mother’s and Grandmother’s wash boards. I still have them after all my moves. We grew up in rural Georgia, and we didn’t have much back then, but Mother always made sure we were well dressed and presentable. I still remember her using these boards to do our laundry. I even used them when I was younger! It’s just what you did back then. I can’t imagine what the kids would do today if they had to use washboards. I can tell you; they probably wouldn’t do laundry!”   

Artifct #3: Traveling Far Far Away

Snake Tales

“The next one is one of my favorites—my snakeskin! I still remember [my friend] Shirley’s reaction, ‘I’m not going to do it Martha, you do it, you shoot the snakes!’” What makes the snakeskin so special? “It reminds me of all the crazy adventures and travels that Bobby [my husband] and I had when we were first married. I never could have imagined living overseas, or going on safari, or doing all the crazy things we used to do. I was telling [my granddaughter] about what we did back then, and she didn’t believe me at first. I had to show her the pictures AND the snakeskin. I was something back then!” For the record, we still think you’re something @Grandmom!   

Old photo of a group of people standing around a large dead snake

 
 

Artifct #4: Family Time

Our Trusty Station Wagon

“I guess my next Artifct would be our old station wagon, and the photo of the three boys [our sons] in the back. [It's a private Artifct.] Back then we didn’t use seatbelts; I’m not even sure if we had them in the way back! But man, those boys loved that station wagon; Bobby and I did too! We took it everywhere—Brazil, Europe. I still remember I once got a speeding ticket in Rio while driving the station wagon. I had never gotten a ticket before in my life! So many memories. I can still hear Bobby yelling at the boys to quiet down back there or else. The boys remember too!”  

Feeling inspired? Create a new Artifct!

Not a member yet? No problem! Sign up free to start Artifcting.

 

Artifct #5: Small Momentos of a Life Well Lived

International Spoon Collection

Sounds like travel and all your adventures overseas are a big part of your family history and story @Grandmom? “It was our life back then. We didn’t think twice about it when we were doing it, but it was what our family did. It’s what our boys remember. Living overseas teaches you so much. So, I guess my last Artifct would have to be my spoon collection.

I have one from every place I’ve ever lived or visited! I have at least two hundred! The one spoon I didn’t have until recently was Monrovia. I couldn’t find one when we were living there, but then Joy [my daughter-in-law] found one on Ebay and now my collection is complete! It’s amazing to think that had life been different, we could have stayed in Georgia. I know my boys are thankful we did not do that.” 

Souvenir spoons hanging on a wooden display rack

 
 
One of these is not like the other. Is that a spork in the spoon collection?

And there you have it! Five Artifcts; five stories; five memories of a life well lived and well-traveled. If you had to choose, what five objects would you Artifct to tell your story? You can write to us at editor@artifcts.com and let us know, we’d love to hear from you! 

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A very special thank you to @Grandmom for sharing her Artifcts and story with us. For those of you curious about this amazing woman, she lived to be 85, had three grown sons, 10 mostly-grown grandchildren, and had lived in six countries and traveled to well over 50. She was married to the “love of her life” for over 40 years and was proud to be her family’s keeper. Why did she Artifct? “To tell the histories and stories behind all my stuff. If I don’t the boys will have no way of knowing what is what.”

We thank @Grandmom's family for letting us reprint this ARTIcle (which originally ran in 2023) as a special tribute to her and the amazing life she lived.

© 2025 Artifcts, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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Estate Planning of Things

Over the last several years, there has been a movement in technology called the “Internet of Things.” This is the growing interconnection, via the internet, of computing devices embedded in everyday objects. At some point in the future, all our home and business technology are expected to be seamless and interconnected.  

In the past, estate planning has been solely or almost completely concerned about passing a person’s assets at death. It has not been connected to other parts of life and especially not connected to the parts of all our lives that have no monetary value: family history, legacy, values, etc. If the IRS does not value it, we often ignore it in estate planning.  

If the IRS does not value it, we often ignore it in estate planning

We need to start thinking about Interconnected Estate Planning to make estate planning more wholistically connected with our lives. Especially in this age of downsizing and decluttering, we need to start thinking about how we plan to transfer our things to our children, families, and friends in a way that transfers not just the title and ownership, but also transfers the “Why” so those people and others will understand the importance and the stories behind those assets. We also can think about making those transfers during life when we have the chance to assure the best stewardship of the items for the future.  

 
 
 
 
You can watch the full episode of Evenings with Artifcts: Modern Estate Planning here.

How do we start Interconnected Estate Planning? Many of us are paralyzed or overwhelmed and do not start estate planning until late in life, or – at worst – when it is too late. Among the negative thoughts I have heard are: 

  •  “I’ll just leave this to be handled after I am gone.” 
  • “My children/grandchildren/friends/family all know what I want and they will divide everything fairly.” 
  • “I do not want to make any decisions that might make people mad after I am gone.” 
  • “I don’t want to dwell on my own death.” 

In my experience, it is much better to make a plan than to leave the disposition of your estate to chance. Many estate planning attorneys, accountants, insurance professionals, and others who help to manage assets for estates have stories of families broken apart because the person who died was not clear about disposition. There are lawsuits that have dragged on literally for decades where beneficiaries argue about these assets… and not always the most expensive items. 

 In my experience, it is much better to make a plan than to leave the disposition of your estate to chance

Fortunately, there is a solution. Creating an interconnected plan can start with considering just a few items, and without even going to an attorney. By considering these items, you have the chance to answer the most important question your beneficiaries will have after you are gone: Why? Why are these items important? Why did she save that? Why does it matter? 

In one of the episodes of Evening with Artifcts, Jeff Greenwald said, “When you are giving an object away, it motivates you to tell the story. Stories don’t take up much space at all.” So, start with a small list of items you value. Title the list “Personal Property Memorandum” and state at the start that you intend this to be included in your current or any future Will, and date it. Make the list and consider why you think those items are worth giving away, what they mean to you, name the beneficiary, and describe what the item might mean to the beneficiary.  

Artifcts can be a great way to start organizing your thoughts. Once you have the items in Artifcts, you could print out the items, and use the printout as part of your Memorandum. With Artifcts, you can also write directly in the "In the Future” field that the object in question is to be given to a particular person.  

By considering who should get the items, you can decide whether to wait to give it away now, or make it part of your estate. As you make these decisions, just update your Memorandum (and Artifcts!) at any time. 

This is a simple way to pass along items with the most meaning in your life to those who can most benefit. 

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Looking for additional tips to help you tackle the estate planning of things? You might also enjoy:

Estate Planning & The Art of Artifcts

Insider's Look at What It Means to Clean Out an Estate

How Well Managed Is Your Family History Estate?

© 2025 Artifcts, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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When Insurance Isn't Enough: Preserving What Truly Matters

Across the US, homeowners are watching their insurance premiums skyrocket. According to an analysis of insurance industry reports, average premiums have risen over 20% in the last year alone, with no signs of slowing. And when disaster strikes — from hurricanes and wildfires to floods and theft — insurance payouts can take three to six months or longer to be fully processed and received. 

Even when claims are approved, homeowners are often left grappling with another harsh truth: some things can be replaced, but many cannot. And often the things that cannot be replaced are the ones that we value most. They may not be the ones that hold the most financial value, but they certainly tend to hold a lof of what we call “heart value.” 

What’s a Needlepoint Pillow Worth? 

Let’s say your insurance company writes you a check for the fair market value of your damaged or stolen items. Refrigerator? Check, that’s easy. Sofa and loveseat, double check.  

But what’s the monetary value of Nana’s handmade needlepoint cushions that sat in her living room for decades? Or the vintage charm bracelet your mom wore every holiday? How about your child’s first fingerpainting, lovingly framed and hung in the hallway? 

The answer: There is no replacement cost high enough to recover the meaning of these items. And that’s why we Artifct. 

There is no replacement cost high enough to recover the meaning of these items

When Disaster Strikes, an Artifct Is Your Memory Vault 

Natural disasters don't give us time to prepare. But a digital record of your most sentimental belongings means you can prove ownership, document financial value (when possible), and most importantly — preserve the memories even if the object is lost. 

While insurance companies assess damage and estimate costs, your family won’t be left trying to remember what that cherished object looked like or where it came from. You’ll already have a rich, secure record, and a legacy to pass on. 

This October, we challenge you to Artifct the irreplaceable. Not everything in your home, just the things that would break your heart to lose. Start with: 

  • A family quilt with generations of history sewn into its fabric
  • The wedding china no one dares eat off of, but everyone remembers
  • Dad’s old fishing rod, full of childhood memories
  • A handwritten letter tucked in a book from someone long gone 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Vintage Handwritten Love LetterClick on the image to view the Artifct, one of many irreplaceable items of this family's history.

At the end of the day, no insurance policy (or AI algorithm for that matter) knows what matters most or what items have the most heart value to you and your family.  

Your Family’s History Is Worth Saving 

As you celebrate Family History Month this October, don’t stop at genealogy charts and old photographs. Think about the physical items that tell your family’s story. Think about the why behind them. And give yourself (and future generations) the gift of preserving not only the item, but the history, stories, and memories that go along with it. 

Because in the end, your history is more than names and dates. It’s the objects you touch, the stories you tell, and the people you love. 

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Looking for additional tips to help you be prepared for all of life's what ifs? You might also enjoy:

Insurance & The Art of Artifcts

How to Choose the Right Home Inventory App for You

How a Simple Act Saved One Man's Most Valued Memory of His Dad

© 2025 Artifcts, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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