Amateur Genealogist Discovers That Her Roots Lead To Brooklyn

Emily Ann Frances was searching for her roots and the search led her to the homes of her grandparents at 1353 69th Street in Dyker Heights.

The search was motivated by her mother’s battle with Parkinsonism. After spending a lot of time  looking up information on the illness, she began to feel curious about the people her in family tree and the stories of the family members who came before her.

“One out of every seven Americans can trace their family roots through the streets of Brooklyn,” writes WNET Thirteen.

This search took Frances to records within the Italian Genealogical Group, the New York City Grooms Index and Brides Index and eventually to the home addresses in Dyker Heights, where the homes still stand.

“I’ve googled the addresses where they live and both houses are still standing. My paternal Grandfather’s house is just 7 blocks away.  The apartment where my maternal Grandmother lived is also very close.  I’ve walked past them this week and it looks as if the appearance of my paternal Grandfather’s house has been completely done over,” writes Frances.

For those interested in genealogy, Frances outlines her process through a series of blogs.

“Little by little the time period in which my Great Grandparents and Grandparents lived will come to life right here.  I’m hoping to get some photos of 13th and 14th Avenues as well as some of the other memorable spots in Dyker Heights such as the side streets in the 80s where many mini-mansions were built, St. Phillip’s Epsicopal Church and Dyker Beach Golf Course,” she says of her next steps.

Tell us if you’ve done any local genealogy searches and what kinds of bits you’ve discovered about your family history.