A few day ago, I received a call my Aunt. She told me that a distant cousin had passed away in West Virginia. She told me his name and I told her that I was familiar with him. One of the tricks I use to help me research requires looking up obituaries online. And since his death was recent, I was sure to find a digital notice. I took all the information my Aunt relayed to me over the phone and went to work. With the push of few buttons. I found his obituary. It was the first time I had ever seen him. I learned that he was a Veteran of World War II and he received a purple heart for his courage. I did a just a little bit more research and found out why he received his purple heart. His obituary said that he was a member of "Red Ball Express." I also learned the names of the members of his immediate family. Obituaries are often gold mines of information.