Happy New Year! 

January 1 means college football at the Rose Bowl. The game’s nickname, "The Granddaddy of Them All," was coined many years ago by broadcaster Keith Jackson.

That nickname might apply to a probate record I saw on Facebook at Genealogy Tip of the Day. The document pictured at right could also be called "The Granddaddy of Them All," genealogically speaking. One rarely finds that many names of relatives--and Irish addresses--on a U.S. probate court document.

This listing came from an estate settled in 1914 in Hancock County, Illinois. According to the posting, the individuals (except the last three, who were attorneys) were first cousins (or children thereof) of the deceased.

While information on the Facebook page was limited, supposedly the (unnamed) decedent was born in the U.S. to an Irish immigrant father who had many siblings, including several who remained in Ireland. The decedent had no children and was an only child; therefore all the first cousins were heirs.

The posting feels like an invitation to a mystery. I couldn’t restrain myself from taking a closer look. Can you?