Iron Rod Press Newsletter Vol. 2, No. 2

Taking Their First Breath

January 13, 2026 - Where were your ancestors born? And I'm not just talking about the country, state, or even city. Do you know exactly where they took their first breath?

I had known most of my life that my mother was born at the mouth of some canyon in Utah County. But I never really looked into which county.

That was until last year when I realized that all my trips to the Timpanogos Cave Trail up American Fork canyon were taking me right past where she was born in 1929.

Of course the house where she took her fist breath is long gone, but just knowing where this happened has made all the difference.

So, how do you find out this information? Check out the resources below to help you on your path. And if you have any stories surrounding the birthplace of one of your ancestors, I would love to hear about it!

If you have parents or grandparents who are still living, ask them for specifics about where they were born.
If they have passed, are there other living relatives, perhaps aunts or uncles who may have memories of know family stories regarding the birth of your ancestor?
Sign into FamilySearch.org and choose one of your deceased ancestors. Are there resources listed attached to verify their birthdate and place?
If not, and they were born in the United States within the past 150 years, can you find a census they were in? (Currently census records up to and including 1950 are available.) Find them in the census and look along the left hand side of the page. Is there a street mentioned?
If your ancestors came from other countries and these suggestions aren't helpful, send me an email and I'll see what I do. As a volunteer at the Lehi Utah FamilySearch center I help patrons all the time. I'd love to help you if I can!

I also invite you to join my Facebook Group "Walking in Their Footsteps: Travel Hacks for a Family History Vacation." I'll be sharing much of what you'll receive here, but you might also find more information for your search.