Genealogical Library
Orphan Heirlooms
Do you have an orphan heirloom in need of rescuing?
If so, click here to submit details.
If so, click here to submit details.
Ancestry Daily News and Ancestry Weekly Journal links may no be longer active,
so if there's an article you'd like to see, email us and we'll re-post it with a fresh link.
so if there's an article you'd like to see, email us and we'll re-post it with a fresh link.
- Spring 2025 - Ironclad - The Magazine of the American Civil War Museum - "The Strange Travels of a Civil War Bible" by Megan Smolenyak
- January/February 2015 - Family Tree Magazine - "Heirloom Homecomings"
PDF format [Pages 8-9] by Sunny Jane Morton - May/June 2014 - American Spirit Magazine - "Home Again: Returning orphaned heirlooms to their families" by Anne Morrissy
- March 13, 2013 - The Kerryman - "A letter from America gets a reply - 29 years on!" by Dónal Nolan
Read this article in PDF format
- March 5, 2013 - Huffington Post - "Letter to Ireland Answered -- 28 Years Later" by Megan Smolenyak
- August 4, 2012 - Quad-Cities Online - "Message from the past: Hunters of family history get an unexpected gift" by Laura Anderson Shaw
September 1, 2011 - Huffington Post - "Orphan Heirloom Rescue: 1870 Diary of an Irish Immigrant" by Megan Smolenyak
Winner of Best of 2011 from the Irish Fireside Award- August 9, 2011 - Huffington Post - "Send Your Orphan Heirlooms Home" by Megan Smolenyak
- November/December 2009 - Ancestry Magazine article - "Found! Silver Where"
- September/October 2008 - Ancestry Magazine article - "White Night Rescue"
- July/August 2008 - Ancestry Magazine article - "Where is the Honor Guard?"
- May/June 2008 - Ancestry Magazine article (digital version) - "Found! Who Gets the Bible"
- January/February 2008 - Ancestry Magazine article (digital version) - "When Bibles Go Camping"
- November/December 2007 - Ancestry Magazine article (digital version) - "Travelin' Man"
- September/October 2007 - Ancestry Magazine article - "Freeing the Freeman Bible"
- July/August 2007 - Ancestry Magazine article - "Serial Centenarians"
- May/June 2007 - Ancestry Magazine article - "Something Squirrelly Going On"
- March/April 2007 - Ancestry Magazine article - "She Had Me at Junkyard"
- January/February 2007 - Ancestry Magazine article - "No Longer Missing In Action"
- December 3, 2006 - Ancestry Weekly Journal article - "How Do We Stop This Epidemic?"
- November/December 2006 - Ancestry Magazine article - "From Carol to Karolyn"
- September 3, 2006 - Ancestry Weekly Journal article - "Tips from the Pros: Super-Rescuers"
- September/October 2006 - Ancestry Magazine article - "Vaughan, But Not Forgotten"
- July 15, 2006 - Ancestry Weekly Journal article - "Orphan Rescue: From Nursing Home to Nursing Home"
- May/June 2006 - Ancestry Magazine article - "From America to Israel and Back"
- March 6, 2006 - Ancestry Daily News article - "Flea Market Rescue"
- October 6, 2005 - Ancestry Daily News article - "Mystery of Cipriano Pedrini"
- January 11, 2005 - Ancestry Daily News article - "The Swedish-Born Orphan"
- September 9, 2004 - Ancestry Daily News article - "The Land of Lost Photos"
- August 30, 2004 - Ancestry Daily News article - "The 111-Year Bible Rescue"
- July 13, 2004 - Ancestry Daily News article - "Finding Bibles Online"
- April 09, 2004 - Ancestry Daily News article - "Rescuing the Resh Bible"
- October 30, 2003 - Ancestry Daily News article - "Solving Mysteries by Broadcasting"
- September/October 2003 - Ancestry Magazine article - "Returning Lost Heirlooms"
Read this article in PDF format. Includes photos and screenshots. Published by and provided here with the kind permission of Ancestry Magazine. - September 2, 2003 - Ancestry Daily News article - "Postcards from the Edge"
- August 19, 2003 - Ancestry Daily News article - "Freegift Becomes A Gift"
- August 5, 2003 - Ancestry Daily News article - "Help the NGS Rescue Family Bibles"
- July 1, 2003 - Ancestry Daily News article - "Military Records Go Marching Home"
- May 8, 2003 - Ancestry Daily News article - "Bible Rescue Insurance"
- April 8, 2003 - Ancestry Daily News article - "A Daughterly Chain"
- March 26, 2003 - Ancestry Daily News article - "Googling a Bible Home"
- February 13, 2003 - Ancestry Daily News article- "A Bridal Book Goes Home"
- February 4, 2003 - Ancestry Daily News article - "Another Family Bible Returned!"
- December 19, 2002 - Ancestry Daily News article - "Returning a Family Bible"
- November 14, 2002 - Ancestry Daily News article - "Rescuing Orphan Photos"
- January/February 2002 - Ancestry article - "Finding Homes for Your Orphan Photos". Read this article in PDF format. Published by and provided here with the kind permission of Ancestry Magazine. Or click here to read without images.
Marge Rice is one of the most prolific orphan heirloom rescuers I know. I first encountered her back in 2001 and she's still continuing her orphan photo rescuing efforts through her web site, Faces From the Past. Here are her latest stats:
