Emily Randall Paz
@emilyrandallpaz.bsky.social
Genealogy & family history (mostly England, Ireland, Germany, Pomerania, U.S.), psychology, travel, food, dance, music. Chicago dweller.
This is how the gargoyles looked on that building before they were removed! (Photo taken 2016) I miss them 😭
December 9, 2025 at 4:46 AM
This is how the gargoyles looked on that building before they were removed! (Photo taken 2016) I miss them 😭
Currently recovering from our trip to Japan, which was jam-packed with activities including kimono rental, tea ceremony, kaiseki lunch, ramen tasting tour, listening bars, lots of walking, and a trip to Shirakawa-go. We are really missing the Japanese service, hospitality, and infrastructure.
December 5, 2025 at 7:27 PM
Currently recovering from our trip to Japan, which was jam-packed with activities including kimono rental, tea ceremony, kaiseki lunch, ramen tasting tour, listening bars, lots of walking, and a trip to Shirakawa-go. We are really missing the Japanese service, hospitality, and infrastructure.
#ManholeCoverMonday from Shirakawa-go in Gifu Prefecture, Japan 🇯🇵
December 1, 2025 at 11:41 AM
#ManholeCoverMonday from Shirakawa-go in Gifu Prefecture, Japan 🇯🇵
The files look like this:
November 12, 2025 at 10:56 PM
The files look like this:
#AncestryHour Behold the beautiful penmanship of my 4th GG Charles Randall who was working as a scrivener in Huntingdon, England when he was just 16 y.o. I've just posted on my blog a deep dive into his life and into Huntingdon c1800-1850 emilyrandall.space/blog/2025/11...
November 11, 2025 at 7:05 PM
#AncestryHour Behold the beautiful penmanship of my 4th GG Charles Randall who was working as a scrivener in Huntingdon, England when he was just 16 y.o. I've just posted on my blog a deep dive into his life and into Huntingdon c1800-1850 emilyrandall.space/blog/2025/11...
Tudor Halloween. Lookin' like we stepped out of a Hans Holbein painting. We received many compliments on our costumes.
November 1, 2025 at 4:05 AM
Tudor Halloween. Lookin' like we stepped out of a Hans Holbein painting. We received many compliments on our costumes.
This ancestor died in an accidental fall from his wagon in 1863. Contributing factors: whiskey and a toothache. (The Buffalo papers ran a few different versions of this story, but in each one they made sure to point out that he was German.) #GenHour #Genealogy
October 30, 2025 at 8:03 PM
This ancestor died in an accidental fall from his wagon in 1863. Contributing factors: whiskey and a toothache. (The Buffalo papers ran a few different versions of this story, but in each one they made sure to point out that he was German.) #GenHour #Genealogy
#GenHour #Genealogy #GermanAmericans New find from full-text search on FamilySearch: The naturalization documents of my 3rd great-grandfather John Arnold, who settled in Buffalo, NY. U.S. citizenship was pretty easy to get in the 1850s, not like today.
October 30, 2025 at 7:19 PM
#GenHour #Genealogy #GermanAmericans New find from full-text search on FamilySearch: The naturalization documents of my 3rd great-grandfather John Arnold, who settled in Buffalo, NY. U.S. citizenship was pretty easy to get in the 1850s, not like today.
Turnout was great at the protest!! Very peaceful! Felt good to be around like-minded people. This was my husband's first-ever protest (not my first lol)
October 19, 2025 at 2:35 AM
Turnout was great at the protest!! Very peaceful! Felt good to be around like-minded people. This was my husband's first-ever protest (not my first lol)
Hello #AncestryHour. I am reminiscing about the wonderful visit I had to Cambridge one year ago. I felt very nervous and intimidated to visit the Archives @theul.bsky.social but I did OK! There I was able to access many documents featuring one of my fave ancestors: Rivers Taylor of Histon #genealogy
September 23, 2025 at 6:46 PM
Hello #AncestryHour. I am reminiscing about the wonderful visit I had to Cambridge one year ago. I felt very nervous and intimidated to visit the Archives @theul.bsky.social but I did OK! There I was able to access many documents featuring one of my fave ancestors: Rivers Taylor of Histon #genealogy
The hubby and I saw Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band last night at The Chicago Theatre. Had no clue Colin Hay or Steve Lukather were in the band. 'Twas very exciting to hear Men at Work and Toto hits along with Ringo's. Ringo is 85 and still going strong!!
September 11, 2025 at 7:03 PM
The hubby and I saw Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band last night at The Chicago Theatre. Had no clue Colin Hay or Steve Lukather were in the band. 'Twas very exciting to hear Men at Work and Toto hits along with Ringo's. Ringo is 85 and still going strong!!
Plate 30 of Compton & Dry's "Pictorial St. Louis" (1876) showing the Bavarian Brewery of E. Anheuser & Co. at the intersection of Arsenal & what is now Broadway #stl #German-Americans
September 4, 2025 at 7:07 PM
Plate 30 of Compton & Dry's "Pictorial St. Louis" (1876) showing the Bavarian Brewery of E. Anheuser & Co. at the intersection of Arsenal & what is now Broadway #stl #German-Americans
Back from a week in the U.P. (Michigan). The highlights were Eagle Harbor and Copper Harbor. The water was so clear up there. Had some nice short hikes too.
September 2, 2025 at 1:09 PM
Back from a week in the U.P. (Michigan). The highlights were Eagle Harbor and Copper Harbor. The water was so clear up there. Had some nice short hikes too.
Hi #GenHour 👋 In May I went to St Pancras cemetery in East Finchley to find the grave of my London policeman ancestor John Randall. I was unsuccessful as the section is overgrown, but I enjoyed the walk. It was peaceful. I saw a fox. More on John here: emilyrandall.space/blog/2025/8/...
August 14, 2025 at 7:36 PM
Hi #GenHour 👋 In May I went to St Pancras cemetery in East Finchley to find the grave of my London policeman ancestor John Randall. I was unsuccessful as the section is overgrown, but I enjoyed the walk. It was peaceful. I saw a fox. More on John here: emilyrandall.space/blog/2025/8/...
I'm making good use of the Custom Event timeline feature on Ancestry for one of the more interesting ppl in my tree: Simon Ockley (husband of my 8th great-grandaunt Martha Austin) #genealogy #FamilyHistory
July 21, 2025 at 7:16 PM
I'm making good use of the Custom Event timeline feature on Ancestry for one of the more interesting ppl in my tree: Simon Ockley (husband of my 8th great-grandaunt Martha Austin) #genealogy #FamilyHistory
The newly loaded parish images from Cambridgeshire and Huntingdonshire are a real "head turner" with the pages not oriented (orientated?) correctly (Ancestry - why are you like this?) #genealogy #FamilyHistory
July 17, 2025 at 1:49 PM
The newly loaded parish images from Cambridgeshire and Huntingdonshire are a real "head turner" with the pages not oriented (orientated?) correctly (Ancestry - why are you like this?) #genealogy #FamilyHistory
Found this 1822 parish marriage record of my 4th great-grandparents in Epfenbach, Germany (on FamilySearch) with the note in the margin that they later went to America (nach Amerika). Reminds me of that Simon & Garfunkul song... 🥹 #genealogy #FamilyHistory #GermanAmericans
July 12, 2025 at 2:14 PM
Found this 1822 parish marriage record of my 4th great-grandparents in Epfenbach, Germany (on FamilySearch) with the note in the margin that they later went to America (nach Amerika). Reminds me of that Simon & Garfunkul song... 🥹 #genealogy #FamilyHistory #GermanAmericans
The 250th birthday of the USA is approaching, and I think this is the perfect time for all you descendants of Patriots to reexamine your trees and edit as necessary. Exhibit A: #genealogy #FamilyHistory
July 9, 2025 at 7:40 PM
The 250th birthday of the USA is approaching, and I think this is the perfect time for all you descendants of Patriots to reexamine your trees and edit as necessary. Exhibit A: #genealogy #FamilyHistory
I've been working with German church records for the past few weeks, mostly via Archion, but I've also discovered that some parish books are on FamilySearch for free! Have seen a wide variety of handwriting styles and legibility. Actually quite like this one from Epfenbach #GenHour
July 3, 2025 at 7:24 PM
I've been working with German church records for the past few weeks, mostly via Archion, but I've also discovered that some parish books are on FamilySearch for free! Have seen a wide variety of handwriting styles and legibility. Actually quite like this one from Epfenbach #GenHour
My ability to read German church records is improving! I now know that my 6th GG Johann Friedrich Kasten died of typhus (Faulfieber). He was one of 5 people at his church (Bergkirchen, Kreis Minden) to die of typhus in the span of the 2 days in Feb 1806 (all adults) #genealogy #FamilyHistory
June 29, 2025 at 2:26 PM
My ability to read German church records is improving! I now know that my 6th GG Johann Friedrich Kasten died of typhus (Faulfieber). He was one of 5 people at his church (Bergkirchen, Kreis Minden) to die of typhus in the span of the 2 days in Feb 1806 (all adults) #genealogy #FamilyHistory
Hello #GenHour! I have been focusing on German Lutheran parish records this week in Archion. It has been exhausting. There is no indexing in Archion, and I need even more browser tabs open than usual to (attempt to) decipher these records. My brain is fried. #genealogy #FamilyHistory
June 19, 2025 at 7:22 PM
Hello #GenHour! I have been focusing on German Lutheran parish records this week in Archion. It has been exhausting. There is no indexing in Archion, and I need even more browser tabs open than usual to (attempt to) decipher these records. My brain is fried. #genealogy #FamilyHistory
I finally created an account in my Merlin Bird ID app a few weeks ago so I can save all the birds I hear/spot. I've really enjoyed using the app around Chicago and at my parents' house in Belleville. There's a lot more diversity in Belleville than I expected. #BirdNerd
June 6, 2025 at 6:21 PM
I finally created an account in my Merlin Bird ID app a few weeks ago so I can save all the birds I hear/spot. I've really enjoyed using the app around Chicago and at my parents' house in Belleville. There's a lot more diversity in Belleville than I expected. #BirdNerd
Hello #GenHour. I am still working through my notes from my archive visits 2-3 weeks ago. These Court of Chancery records at Kew were not easy to deal with, but I did gain some insights into the life of my 8th GG John Edwards, a higler from Hitchin who went bankrupt in 1708 #genealogy #familyhistory
May 22, 2025 at 7:19 PM
Hello #GenHour. I am still working through my notes from my archive visits 2-3 weeks ago. These Court of Chancery records at Kew were not easy to deal with, but I did gain some insights into the life of my 8th GG John Edwards, a higler from Hitchin who went bankrupt in 1708 #genealogy #familyhistory
The weather in Chicago the past few days has been the absolute pits. Dolsot bibimbap and kimchi to the rescue! 🇰🇷
May 21, 2025 at 5:52 PM
The weather in Chicago the past few days has been the absolute pits. Dolsot bibimbap and kimchi to the rescue! 🇰🇷
Yesterday's highlights: Pinner Cafe, British Library (got my reader's pass), Tate Modern (highly recommend the Solid Light exhibit), and Evensong at St Paul's cathedral (VE day anniversary service). I also popped into St Mary-le-Bow and St Mary Aldermary/Host Cafe.
May 9, 2025 at 7:35 AM
Yesterday's highlights: Pinner Cafe, British Library (got my reader's pass), Tate Modern (highly recommend the Solid Light exhibit), and Evensong at St Paul's cathedral (VE day anniversary service). I also popped into St Mary-le-Bow and St Mary Aldermary/Host Cafe.