Bethany Phillips
@bgirlla.bsky.social
Writer. Mom. Nerd. Not usually in that order. Former Hollywood assistant. Current genealogy buff. She/her.
Preserved Bacon would have been awesome! Yeah, my husband gets all the cool ancestors. His mom's side is chock full of early settlers and founders of cities and whatnot. I've got mostly miners with a few railroad guys thrown in. And a LOT of babies born outsides of marriage.
November 18, 2025 at 5:01 PM
Preserved Bacon would have been awesome! Yeah, my husband gets all the cool ancestors. His mom's side is chock full of early settlers and founders of cities and whatnot. I've got mostly miners with a few railroad guys thrown in. And a LOT of babies born outsides of marriage.
On my side, Rembrandt Peale West. On my husband's side, Preserved Clapp and Patience Bacon. We joked for years that if we had twins we were gonna name them Preserved and Patience! Just recently found out that Patience was the first recorded woman physician and surgeon in colonel America.
November 17, 2025 at 10:46 PM
On my side, Rembrandt Peale West. On my husband's side, Preserved Clapp and Patience Bacon. We joked for years that if we had twins we were gonna name them Preserved and Patience! Just recently found out that Patience was the first recorded woman physician and surgeon in colonel America.
I think it's really about which one has more papers in your needed areas. I tend to stick with Newspapers because they have a large selection of papers from my hometown and the surrounding area. Haven't been on GenealogyBank in a while. Can you free trial them both to see who has what you need?
November 11, 2025 at 10:01 PM
I think it's really about which one has more papers in your needed areas. I tend to stick with Newspapers because they have a large selection of papers from my hometown and the surrounding area. Haven't been on GenealogyBank in a while. Can you free trial them both to see who has what you need?
The CA National Guard was deployed to Los Angeles without the governor’s say so.
September 3, 2025 at 4:20 AM
The CA National Guard was deployed to Los Angeles without the governor’s say so.
Actually, when he trotted out a couple of the grandkids a few weeks ago, he did mention Kai being the best golfer. She’s a pretty teenage girl, of course he knows who this one is.
August 30, 2025 at 3:40 PM
Actually, when he trotted out a couple of the grandkids a few weeks ago, he did mention Kai being the best golfer. She’s a pretty teenage girl, of course he knows who this one is.
Yep. So bummed. Earlier I got a DVD for a great-uncle with a ton of information. Just got the same letters everyone else got this week on a few other requests. I was hoping that one request might help eliminate another brother as my mom's bio-dad, but obviously not getting that info now. 😔
August 12, 2025 at 7:10 PM
Yep. So bummed. Earlier I got a DVD for a great-uncle with a ton of information. Just got the same letters everyone else got this week on a few other requests. I was hoping that one request might help eliminate another brother as my mom's bio-dad, but obviously not getting that info now. 😔
I have to admit, it took me a while to realize this is the whole lesson of the book, “We’re Going on a Bear Hunt.”
August 3, 2025 at 10:09 PM
I have to admit, it took me a while to realize this is the whole lesson of the book, “We’re Going on a Bear Hunt.”
It could be mitral. Mitral fever is more commonly known as rheumatic fever; it could be a secondary cause of death.
July 10, 2025 at 12:04 AM
It could be mitral. Mitral fever is more commonly known as rheumatic fever; it could be a secondary cause of death.
Yep. Especially if that person is an immigrant whose name, you are convinced, is so unusual there could be only one. But in reality it’s like being a Smith or Jones. 🤦🏼♀️
July 2, 2025 at 1:40 PM
Yep. Especially if that person is an immigrant whose name, you are convinced, is so unusual there could be only one. But in reality it’s like being a Smith or Jones. 🤦🏼♀️
That’s women most of the time. The rest we’re told to lose weight. 🤷🏻♀️
June 30, 2025 at 3:29 PM
That’s women most of the time. The rest we’re told to lose weight. 🤷🏻♀️
No worries! I hate when that happens too though.
June 29, 2025 at 3:56 AM
No worries! I hate when that happens too though.
#genchat Thanks. What haunts me about this story is that, in wanting to express his grief over the loss of one child, his accidental death coming back home ended up causing the break-up of his family. Older children went to family, the 3 youngest to the "Home for Friendless Children" orphanage.
June 28, 2025 at 3:17 AM
#genchat Thanks. What haunts me about this story is that, in wanting to express his grief over the loss of one child, his accidental death coming back home ended up causing the break-up of his family. Older children went to family, the 3 youngest to the "Home for Friendless Children" orphanage.
I was able to connect with the descendants of a few of her siblings! The granddaughter of her oldest sister said her grandmother never spoke about it much, but she did know that she and the older boys had gone to the orphanage trying to get my ggrandmother back, but she'd already been adopted.
June 28, 2025 at 3:09 AM
I was able to connect with the descendants of a few of her siblings! The granddaughter of her oldest sister said her grandmother never spoke about it much, but she did know that she and the older boys had gone to the orphanage trying to get my ggrandmother back, but she'd already been adopted.
I'm hoping she's buried in the cemetery on the mountain where they lived. It's a tragic story. The family was broken up and my ggrandmother, who was the youngest, ended up in the orphanage. She was adopted out and lost to the family.
June 28, 2025 at 2:51 AM
I'm hoping she's buried in the cemetery on the mountain where they lived. It's a tragic story. The family was broken up and my ggrandmother, who was the youngest, ended up in the orphanage. She was adopted out and lost to the family.
A man sitting by himself next to us got up to leave and told us he'd been eavesdropping on our conversation about the murder, and that he found it fascinating. A good reminder that it's not only important to learn our stories, but to tell them as well.
June 24, 2025 at 12:42 AM
A man sitting by himself next to us got up to leave and told us he'd been eavesdropping on our conversation about the murder, and that he found it fascinating. A good reminder that it's not only important to learn our stories, but to tell them as well.
She would eventually go on to create the public defender system in this country. I know the person later went to jail on other robbery charges, but to my knowledge no one was ever convicted of killing my husband's 2x great-grandfather. 3/
June 24, 2025 at 12:42 AM
She would eventually go on to create the public defender system in this country. I know the person later went to jail on other robbery charges, but to my knowledge no one was ever convicted of killing my husband's 2x great-grandfather. 3/
He interrupted a robbery on his way home from work one night. Clara Shortridge Foltz tried to quit her job in the D.A.'s office to be a de facto public defender for a man who was accused of killing him, however, her request was refused. I'm not sure if this was Foltz's first attempt to do this. 2/
June 24, 2025 at 12:42 AM
He interrupted a robbery on his way home from work one night. Clara Shortridge Foltz tried to quit her job in the D.A.'s office to be a de facto public defender for a man who was accused of killing him, however, her request was refused. I'm not sure if this was Foltz's first attempt to do this. 2/
Years ago I let my kid (who was five at the time) plan my birthday party. So I ended up with a dinosaur-themed party in the park (seemed appropriate) WITH a pinata. Hitting that thing was SO SATISFYING! Highly recommend.
June 8, 2025 at 4:56 AM
Years ago I let my kid (who was five at the time) plan my birthday party. So I ended up with a dinosaur-themed party in the park (seemed appropriate) WITH a pinata. Hitting that thing was SO SATISFYING! Highly recommend.
They are reaching out to possible birth family to try to confirm. And while there's always the personal satisfaction of having figured it out, I'm mostly thrilled to be able to give the adoptee back this part of his story. It's my favorite part of doing this. We all deserve to know our story.
June 6, 2025 at 11:57 PM
They are reaching out to possible birth family to try to confirm. And while there's always the personal satisfaction of having figured it out, I'm mostly thrilled to be able to give the adoptee back this part of his story. It's my favorite part of doing this. We all deserve to know our story.
Last year I was able to prove birth mom, after identifying a half-niece who generously agreed to DNA test. This past week, I think I've identified dad. I honestly wasn't sure I'd do it, especially because adoptee wasn't direct male-line descendant to MRCA so I didn't have the surname to look for. 2/
June 6, 2025 at 11:57 PM
Last year I was able to prove birth mom, after identifying a half-niece who generously agreed to DNA test. This past week, I think I've identified dad. I honestly wasn't sure I'd do it, especially because adoptee wasn't direct male-line descendant to MRCA so I didn't have the surname to look for. 2/