kirsidahl.bsky.social
@kirsidahl.bsky.social
What do a quiet Swedish couple, a German immigrant, a Polish phone operator & a toddler with sticky fingers have in common?
One little East Side house.
65 years. 3 families.
Read the story 👉 open.substack.com/pub/kirsidah...
#FamilyHistory #StPaulMN #TheHouseOnMagnolia
The House on Magnolia
One House, Three Families, and 65 Years on St. Paul's East Side
open.substack.com
May 6, 2025 at 2:49 PM
My 2x great-grandfather, Thomas, lived through war and hardship.
I never met him—but I wanted to know what he’d say if he could.
So I asked. And this imagined letter reminded me why I do this work.
Read the post: kirsidahl.substack.com/p/poignant-a...
Poignant and Wishful: A Letter From my 2x Great-Grandfather
Thomas Stieren writes a letter of encouragement with the help of Artificial Intelligence (AI)
kirsidahl.substack.com
April 22, 2025 at 3:03 PM
My great-grandmother brought a tradition with her from southern Italy: a savory Easter pie we call God Bread. 🍞🇮🇹

Here’s a short video I created about it.

youtu.be/QWYEpQJcx1Y

Curious — does your family have a unique name or twist on this dish?
God Bread: An Italian Easter Tradition Passed Down for Generations
YouTube video by Kirsi Dahl - Genealogy Stories From the Tree
youtu.be
April 15, 2025 at 8:19 PM
I did a test with 5 AI platforms. The results varied, but there was a big surprise when I asked each of them to rank the results.

kirsidahl.substack.com/p/transcribi...
Transcribing History with AI: A Surprising Experiment
Testing a Civil War Document on 5 Different AI Platforms
kirsidahl.substack.com
April 15, 2025 at 8:11 PM
🚨 New Story Alert! 🚨
Thomas Stieren joined the cavalry despite having almost no experience riding horses—and soon paid the price. From brutal training to a life-long debilitating injury, his first months in service were anything but glamorous.

📖 open.substack.com/pub/kirsidah...
The Civil War Experiences of Thomas Stieren, On and Off the Battlefield - Part 1
The war was just the beginning. The hardest fight came after.
open.substack.com
April 3, 2025 at 9:03 PM
Nov 6, 1860: The U.S. elects Lincoln, and my 2x great-grandfather, Thomas Stieren, signs his Declaration of Citizenship—knowing war is inevitable.

This story imagines what it meant to choose America on the brink of war.

📖 Read the full story: kirsidahl.substack.com/p/the-last-q...
Thomas Stieren's Declaration of Intent to Become a U.S. Citizen
Thomas Stieren declares citizenship at the brink of Civil War in "The Last Quiet Day"
kirsidahl.substack.com
March 25, 2025 at 8:22 PM
Every writer needs an editor! In the latest podcast, I chat with my editor & friend about the importance of feedback, the difference between editing and creative critique, and why trust is key in an editor-writer relationship.

Listen here 🎧: open.substack.com/pub/kirsidah...
The Value of an Editor in Family History Writing
Listen now | A copy editor is an important part of helping your stories succeed but don't let perfection get in the way of authenticity
open.substack.com
March 18, 2025 at 5:32 PM
March is #WomensHistoryMonth, and I’m celebrating the bold, determined women in my family tree.

From defying tradition for love to fighting for workers' rights, their choices shaped generations. Read their stories: open.substack.com/pub/kirsidah...

💜 #FamilyHistory #HerStory
Defining Moments: The Women Who Shaped My Family Tree
Stories of courage, fortitude, and the choices that shaped generations
open.substack.com
March 13, 2025 at 5:12 PM
The story connected to my preview is now live!

It was the summer of 1936. The heat was relentless. And my grandfather made a choice that changed everything.

📖 Ain’t Gonna Be Nothin’ – New blog post: open.substack.com/pub/kirsidah...
February 25, 2025 at 5:15 PM
Somewhere in this album are stories waiting to be told, but most remain nameless and unidentified. Could they be part of your family tree?

🔍 View the album & help solve the mystery: flic.kr/s/aHsjzfKHaY

#Genealogy #FamilyHistory #UnknownAncestors #CrowdsourcingHistory #CabinetCards
UNIDENTIFIED
All of these photos were in Mary Alice Devine's (daughter of Ellen Geehan & Robert Devine) collection. Mary Alice Devine was born in Blakley in Scott County, Minnesota. Born 1890. She married Robe...
flic.kr
February 18, 2025 at 5:09 PM
Reposted
substack.com/@kirsidahl/n...
Sometimes, you just need some great #Genealogy content to read. Haven’t found these outstanding Substacks yet? You’ll find Kirsi Dahl & Lori Olson White serving up #FamilyHistory content on #GenStack each week. Check out their preview! @kirsidahl.bsky.social
Kirsi Dahl on Substack
What great fun! Thanks for tagging me, @Lori Olson White PREVIEW: The air was thick and unmoving, the kind of heat that pressed down on a person, heavy and relentless. Fifteen-year-old Louis sat dre...
substack.com
February 15, 2025 at 10:59 PM
🍽️ My mom’s Pfaltzgraff dishware wasn’t just for show; it was her way of bringing us all together. Here’s how her collections became part of our family story: open.substack.com/pub/kirsidah...
A Place at the Table
My Mom’s Love Affair with Pfaltzgraff Dishes
open.substack.com
February 10, 2025 at 7:42 PM
Genealogy is often about sharing discoveries. What happens when a story feels too personal to share?

🎙️ Tune in now: substack.com/home/post/p-...

Have you tried writing without the intention of sharing? Let me know your experience.

#Genealogy #Storytelling #Podcast
A New Perspective on Storytelling
Listen now | When a Story Stays Untold
substack.com
February 4, 2025 at 5:02 PM
If there was one thing I could tell new family researchers it’s this! “…hints might suggest a promising lead, they should never replace your own research.”
January 28, 2025 at 8:44 PM
Reposted
Family history research is about painstaking attention to detail, it’s about assembling multiple sources and multiple pieces of evidence before reaching a reasoned conclusion about our ancestors life. This step by step journey and the attention to detail shows exactly how it should be done 👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻
History, mystery, and some surprising twists. In my latest podcast, I explain how I used Reasonably Exhaustive Research to confirm the death date of my 2x great-grandfather Michael Haider. 🎙️

Tune in: open.substack.com/pub/kirsidah...

#Genealogy #FamilyHistory #Podcast
Evidence-Based Genealogy
Tracing the Final Years of Michael Haider
open.substack.com
January 28, 2025 at 9:07 AM
What do our names reveal about us? In my latest blog post, I uncover the stories behind some fascinating names in my family tree—including my own. Names are more than labels; they’re legacies. 🌟

🔗 Read here: open.substack.com/pub/kirsidah...

What’s the most unique name in your family tree?
What’s in a Name? Quite Possibly, Everything.
The Stories Behind the Names
open.substack.com
January 28, 2025 at 4:48 PM
Reposted
NEW PODCAST EPISODE! Nathan & Helen ramble down research paths, discuss the value of family history research logs, ponder on whether to pay or not to pay, and reflect on the ways to pass the family history baton on. Available wherever you get your podcasts https://rss.com/podcasts/familytreetalk/
January 20, 2025 at 5:30 PM
Reposted
Thank you to all those following me it means so much. Please could I ask you to share my free genealogy podcast on all your social platform networks to raise my listener numbers. This month is all about DNA 101 (the basics) with @donnasr.bsky.social armchairgenealogy.transistor.fm
Armchair Genealogy - Family Tree & History
Explore genealogy with "The Genealogy Guy" on Armchair Genealogy, one of the latest genealogy podcasts produced in the UK. Tune in as expert genealogists and diverse practitioners share their knowledg...
armchairgenealogy.transistor.fm
January 25, 2025 at 11:38 AM
History, mystery, and some surprising twists. In my latest podcast, I explain how I used Reasonably Exhaustive Research to confirm the death date of my 2x great-grandfather Michael Haider. 🎙️

Tune in: open.substack.com/pub/kirsidah...

#Genealogy #FamilyHistory #Podcast
Evidence-Based Genealogy
Tracing the Final Years of Michael Haider
open.substack.com
January 24, 2025 at 7:16 PM