I Heart Newspapers

As I've been working on the Payne family tree, I got to a point where I knew there were some newspaper clippings on Newspapers.com that might provide some source information. I don't maintain a subscription, but I decided to buy one month to get the information I needed. First I purchased just the basic subscription, but the newspapers I wanted were not included. So I decided to upgrade, but there was no information about how to upgrade without paying the full amount for premium... so I thought I was going to be stuck paying the basic PLUS the premium. I sent an email to their customer support and within 48 hours, I'd been refunded! So, that's reason #1 to love Newspapers.com. Very responsive and didn't give me grief.

Reason #2 though is... just NEWSPAPERS. I just love how old newspapers used to tell you every detail about a person's life. Like what the bridesmaids wore in the wedding. Or who was visiting from out of town for the weekend. Or who threw a party and who attended. I love how they published pictures of little kids at the pool (and named them and their parents), or how they list the names of all the kids on the honor roll, including their grades. And because I love stalking people (dead or alive, really), I now know that Trudy was on the honor roll a bagillion times. I know that my mother and her bridesmaids wore Dior bows. I know that my Great Aunt Myrna once nursed an unknown dog back to health, thinking it was her own (ummmmm). I know that Julie's dad was the manager of Montgomery Ward in Pampa (did I know that she, too, had a Pampa connection?). I know that my dad was born at 9:29 AM. And, of course, I now know so much more about the families I'm researching.



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