Mary McGunnigal, Galesburg — stumbling onto the Mayflower

Mary McGunnigal has lived in Galesburg since 1979. A few years ago, she started helping her daughter navigate an Ancestry.com subscription — and ended up tracing her family line all the way back to 1620 and the Mayflower. McGunnigal joined Galesburg's Morning News on Friday, June 26, 2026, to share the story of her discovery and offer tips for anyone who wants to try genealogy research themselves. Topics covered in this interview include: How a daughter's DNA test started a genealogy rabbit hole Using family paperwork from the 1980s to verify an online family tree The moment a photo of Plymouth Rock appeared on the screen How census records turned names on paper into real people Who the Puritans were and why they sailed for America What the Mayflower connection means personally The surprising family connections to Gail Borden and Lizzie Borden Tips for beginners — free resources and where to start   Key genealogy resources mentioned: Ancestry.com FamilySearch.org (free) FindaGrave.com (free)   Read the full story: A Galesburg woman's genealogy rabbit hole led to the Mayflower — and Lizzie Borden 🎧 Subscribe to Galesburg's Morning News: Apple Podcasts Spotify