Jannet Walsh – Jannet L. Walsh

Send letters, cards by mail, start preserving family history

Jannet L. Walsh
Monday, June 30, 2025
Murdock, Minnesota

Dear Readers,

If you want to receive a letter, you need to write a letter first!

I’m writing you today to express my deepest concerns about the lost art of letter writing, including sending postcards, or greeting cards through the mail.

To be clear, letters and cards you can hold in your hand, write with ink and pen to create letters, forming words, sentences, next placed in an envelope, addressed, and attach postage stamps in the upper right corner of the envelope.

Writing grant ends for Creative Individuals grant, Minnesota State Arts Board, National Endowment for the Arts, 2024

Jannet Walsh is a fiscal year 2024 recipient of a Creative Individuals grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board. This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board, thanks to a legislative appropriation by the Minnesota State Legislature; and by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.

Higgledy-Piggledy Stones: Family Stories from Ireland and Minnesota published October 24, 2023!

Jannet L. Walsh
October 31, 2023
Murdock, Minnesota

I’m excited to announce my book Higgledy-Piggledy Stones: Family Stories from Ireland and Minnesota published October 24, 2023, by Shanti Arts Publishing.

As the book is just out, you can order it online directly at the publisher, and can also request at your favorite bookseller. View details at Shanti Arts Publishing.

Dublin Diaries July 15, 2022

Greetings! I’ve just published the next in a series of Dublin Diaries for July 15, 2022. This is an audio recording from the Brown Bag Lunch at the Swift County Historical Society in Benson, Minnesota, July 14, 2022. Topics of the talk include my Irish American family history in Minnesota, and roots in Ireland. Included also are tips for searching for your family roots.

Dublin Diaries July 10, 2022

I’ve just published the next in a series of videos called Dublin Diaries for July 10, 2022.

I started the series a year ago, and paused the videos while working on my book. Dublin Diaries is about rural Dublin Township, Swift County, Minnesota, along with topics of searching for Irish American roots and more. The township is named in honor of early settlers from Ireland and the capital city of Dublin. You can learn more at Dublin Diaries page.

Public speaking event, July 14, 2022

Upcoming Minnesota public event, July 14, 2022 – Speaking, in person, Swift County Historical Society, Benson, Minnesota – If you are in Minnesota, please join me at the Swift County Historical Society, Benson, Minnesota. I will be the guest speaker at the Brown Bag Lunch, Thursday, July 14, 2022, at noon to 1 p.m., admission free. Bring your own lunch if you desire, and enjoy the company of others in attendance.

Local journalism, newspapers soul of community

The weekly newspapers in rural towns across America are the storytellers of local communities. They are a source of news found in no other location, and might not be published online.

The Kerkhoven Banner, established in 1896, is a weekly print only publication serving the communities of Kerkhoven, Murdock, Sunburg, and Pennock, Minnesota. Their staff first wrote about the early settlers in Swift County in the late 1800s traveling by horse and cart to report the news. It’s now 126 years of continued serve in the rural central Minnesota agricultural region, and the stories keep being reported.

Featured story at IrishCentral, July 3, 2022

I’m excited to announce my story just published at IrishCentral, My top 10 tips for beginning your Irish genealogy search. My story is featured on the Home, Roots, and Genealogy pages of IrishCentral, July 3, 2022.

There were many resources I was not aware of when I really put my genealogy search into full swing about 2010. My story highlights 10 pointers to help jumpstart your family history story. Read story at IrishCentral.

June 2022 highlights, upcoming speaking event in July announced

I am sending out a summary of my blogs and other items related to my book for the month of June 2022. If you missed something, here’s a few items below.

Featured story at IrishCentral, June 27, 2022

1953 vintage Kodachrome slides from Ireland featured at IrishCentral – I’m excited to announce my story Seeing Ireland through my father’s vintage Kodachrome images published June 27, 2022 at IrishCentral.

My story about my late father Martin J. Walsh Jr., of Murdock, Minnesota, originally published on my blog on Father’s Day 2022. I featured his vintage 1953 Kodachrome images from his trip to Ireland. My story was featured on the home, roots, Irish American, and history pages of IrishCentral, June 27, 2022.