I’ve performed “One-to-one Autosomal Comparison” matches for each kit, and to each other to ensure that the “One-to-many DNA comparison” was accurate.  We three also match in Ancestry. None of our shared matches uploaded a Gedcom file (family tree), so no new information yet. I’ve decided to jump in feet first and map my chromosomes with my two known Fennimore matches. Maybe not the best move, but I learn by doing.

DNA Painter, like Gedmatch, has a free base option; subscribers receive premium benefits.  My general philosophy is if I am going to use it for more than a week, and it is within my budget, I’ll pay the fee. People should be paid for their work. Besides, I’ve attempted this in excel before, and this is much easier!

My goal is to map my segments to others that share a known ancestor or couple. DNA Painter should help me isolate my William Fennimore-Mary Day segments, allowing me to expand the family tree and contacts.

I am going to use the Gedmatch application “People who match both, or 1 of 2 kits.”  I will run it twice always, using my kit number, since I am using DNA Painter to map my chromosomes at this time.  Right now, I am only interested in the matches I share with each of the two “known” Fennimore kits.

There will be three sections; matches that our two kits share, and matches to each single kit not shared by the other.  As always, I will paste the results into a tab of an excel workbook.  I am only interested in the first sections, common matches shared by both kits. Below is the list of the kits in Gedmatch which share matches with both the descendant of Louis Fennimore, and the descendant of William Henry Fennimore (me). I’ve added a few fields to my spreadsheet:

• Project ID – This will tie back to my project tracking sheet.  I am sure that one is already in my tracker, and I have included it in that field.  The others will receive a new project ID.  The matches may appear already on my main tracker as Ancestry matches, but at this time, I can’t make the correlation. I can always merge later.
  
• Linked –  Some of my matches have the same email address, so a single individual likely manages them. Later, when I start contacting my matches instead of sending multiple requests, I can consolidate.  It will also be helpful to know that they have been correlated with each other by another party.
  
• Paint ID – This is the ID which I will use when adding this match to DNA Painter.  It consists of Project ID-Source abbreviation (G for Gedmatch), Match ID (in this case from Gedmatch)-Date.  I create a little template at the bottom of the screen using the excel concatenate function. I copy and paste the project ID and corresponding match ID, and the output can be copied and pasted into DNA Painter, and my project tracker instead of repetitive typing.  Less chance for errors and easier on the hands.

While I am calling this the Fennimore project, I am only able to map these two kits to a couple; William Fennimore and Mary Day, our common ancestor couple.  You can see by the Gen columns that none of our matches are very closely related, which I would expect for this particular exercise. If I were looking for biological relatives of a living person, I’d be ecstatic to see the opposite.  I believe that the research question (goal) will determine your best approach. But stated earlier, I am jumping in, and you are along for the ride. I welcome backseat drivers! So correct me if I take a wrong turn.

Time to Paint!

I’m firing up DNA Painter, and my prework will hopefully make it a bit easier. I am going to create a new profile in Chromosome Maps. 

I copy and paste each shared match (Gedmatch ID) into the Gedmatch “One-to-one Autosomal Comparison” utility with my kit number. The options selected are position only and display only chromosomes with matched segments.

Highlight the results, and cut and paste into the “Paint a Match” box:

After you have saved the match, another screen will pop up to classify the entry:

Once saved, you can view where the match is placed. Very Cool!

I will repeat this action for each unique match with the two kits. Eventually, I will see some patterns emerge:

Note – When I created my Gedmatch kit list, I worked off my main project tracker. I copied each of the two “People who match both Kits” to a new tab on a workbook.  Beginning with the larger group of shared matches (Louis Fennimore’s descendant).  I used the VLOOKUP feature in excel and eliminated the duplicates on my shared matches with the George Fennimore line and created a single list of unique matches.  Remember, I am mapping my chromosome right now, and they are the same for each comparison. Each unique match was added back into my project tracker with the appropriate information.  I may later find there are duplicates with the testing company matches and my list of Gedmatch kits, but at least I know I haven’t created two entries for the same Gedmatch ID.  How you manage your project is entirely up to you.  I may change over time as I learn, but for now, this is my approach.

It may be too tiny to see in the picture, but there are quite a few matches. Some of which are in a pile-up area, but segments in 5, 18, and 19 look promising. This step is just the beginning; I will repeat the action with my 23andMe, FamilyTree DNA, and My Heritage matches.  These companies provide chromosome mapping so that it will be the same process as Gedmatch. This tool handles them beautifully. I need to find matches of my Fennimore DNA, not descended from this base couple, and see if they have some clues that I could break this wall, so the more matches I map, the better my chances of finding someone. 

So far, the only people I have come across researching this line appear to be using some of my work as a basis. Twenty years ago, I  mailed letters with family trees to all Fennimore families listed in the “white pages “in the vicinity. I received a few responses.  I’ve also corresponded with others electronically, sharing documents when requested, and hearing their family stories. None of the people that I have communicated with knew much about William.  My goal is to find someone who isn’t descended directly from William Fennimore but match my Fennimore DNA. Maybe they will have some information I haven’t yet discovered.  I’ve looked at many matches, and I don’t see the surname or the variations often, which does make me wonder a bit about William.  Plenty of my matches have indirect Day lines in their research.

Painting can be time-consuming, and after a while, copying and pasting matches can get a bit tedious.  I listen to podcasts or music while I do this; it makes the time go by quicker.  Some of my personal favorites are the British History Podcast, Crime Junkie, Murder Squad, and Wondery/LA times series (Dirty John was terrific).  A little foreshadowing for my next post.

Have you used DNA Painter?  If So how did you approach your project?

GEDmatch – Tools for DNA and Genealogy Research ©Copyright 2011-2020 by GEDmatch, Inc.
Ancestry – © 1997-2020 Ancestry
23andMe – © 2020 23andMe, Inc.
DNA Painter – © DNA Painter, 2020
MyHeritage – Copyright © 2020 MyHeritage Ltd
FamilyTreeDNA – All Contents Copyright 2001-2020 Gene by Gene, Ltd.

The post The Fennimore Family of Somerset and Morris Counties New Jersey A DNA Project – Third-Party Tools, DNA Painter appeared first on Once-Removed Genealogy Services.

I’ve chosen to create my Project Management tracking in Excel, but use what works best for you. I like a particular spreadsheet software because I use it daily for my “day job,” and I can pivot and parse data quickly with it. Also, I can add fields easily. I hope to use a third-party tool for analyzing the details, but for now, I need to track my matches across different testing companies and contact the individuals who share DNA. I’ve tested in multiple companies, and I am sure that I am not the only one. I want to track the tests they have taken, whether there is a paper trail, and, most importantly, whether they are willing to participate in the project.

Two crucial subjects to consider are privacy and permission. If I intend to write up my findings (which I do), then I need the approval of the test takers I will use in my proof statement. If a kit is in the “public domain,” it can be used for analysis, but our professional standards require permission to publish. But we will get into that in a later post. Privacy is paramount; I will mask the identity of the test takers. Even though the data is “public,” it is too easy to link kits, and living people to not take this extra step.

For today I am beginning with the shared matches in Ancestry DNA  between a descendant of William H. Fennimore (me) and the descendant of a brother with the most paper documentation.  One of my children is a match, that kit will not be included in the analysis since it is a subset of mine. We have 14 shared matches. I chose Ancestry because I feel more people will have started there, and I have communicated with a few of the other users over the years. The downside is that I don’t know precisely where we match. If I want to identify the potential chromosomes and segments, I will need to convince them to take their DNA to a third party program. Some of the testers have already done this, so I will work on locating them in our various companies and start building my project plan.

My initial project tracking database has the following fields:

I want to obscure the identity of the participants in any “sharing,” going forward, plus I need to link kits, so I don’t contact the same person multiple times, or consider them a separate person. I also want to ensure that I have adequate coverage across the children of William and Mary Fennimore. The matches must come from different lines, not just mine. Finally, I want to make sure I have adequate permission, that they have consented (or not), and to map them via traditional research. Looking at many of my matches, I can tell quite a few have not logged on in over a year. I’m sure the response rates will be low. I will be messaging a total of three times, and then move on.

I’m hopeful we will get enough participants willing to play along.

The post The Fennimore Family of Somerset and Morris Counties New Jersey A DNA Project -Organization and Privacy appeared first on Once-Removed Genealogy Services.

The men were arraigned on 19 November 1891 at the Humphrey Hotel in Glen Gardner. A justice was brought in from a neighboring town since it was determined that the local fellow was not impartial. If the scene described in one news article was true, it took quite a bit of courage for Julia to stand up to her attackers.

During the arraignment, it was noted that many of the attackers wore women’s clothing or covered their faces with rags.  During the trial, witnesses were interviewed to help identify who had committed the crime.  Initially, eleven men were arrested:

1. John Banghart
2. Benjamin Banghart – discharged and arrested in error
3. Austin Lisk
4. Clark Lisk
5. George Siegfried
6. Austin Brown
7. Henry Brown
8. Michael Collins
9. Edward Shannon
10. Harry
    Thatcher
11. Frank
    Miller

[i] 

The trials were held in Flemington, Hunterdon County in December 1891, John Banghart and Austin Lisk were identified as the “ringleaders” so much of the news and court records focus on these two individuals.  John Banghart was found guilty, which appeared to be a bit of a shock to all. His face was covered, and Julia could only identify him with his voice.  However, he spent a great deal of time trying to gather people to attack Julia and bragging about it afterward, which left plenty of witnesses.  One young man, Edward Lisk, who was with Julia and her sister, testified that his father, Austin, was one of the attackers.  Not much is stated about the remaining eight vigilantes, but it is likely they quietly pleaded guilty after the ring leaders

[ii]

The men apparently ended up paying a fine, and jail time was waived.  A collection was raised for Austin Lisk, and he was released once his fine was paid. This was as close to justice as Julia was going to receive. 

The news attracted the attention of prominent individuals interested in helping Julia. If there were a silver lining, this would be it.

There’s more to the story so stay tuned

[iii]

Banghart Case File

[i] “For Tarring a Woman,” The Sun [New York], 20 November 1891, page 1, column 1, digital image; Newspaper.com, (http:///www.newspaper.com : accessed 21 October 2017).

[ii] “The Julia Beam Outrage,” The Courier News, 31 December 1891, page 2, column 2, digital image; Newspaper.com, (http:///www.newspaper.com : accessed 2  February 2019).

[iii] “A Girl Tarred and Feathered,” The Daily Republican, 8 December 1891, page 4, column 2, digital image; Newspaper.com, (http:///www.newspaper.com : accessed 2  February 2019).

The post My Ladies – Julia Beam part 5 – The Trial appeared first on Once-Removed Genealogy Services.

Two decades of research sits in my file cabinets and on my PC.  In the past I’ve tried fan charts, and a few other ways to display my research, nothing made it to the wall.  For the longest while it was because I wanted to find just one more ancestor, my tree was never quite “done”.  I then realized I would never really be finished, however I was proud of my work and really wanted to display it in a manner that wouldn’t bore the regular folks.  While a fellow genealogist may find my five-year search for the name of my Great-Great Grandmother, most people aren’t interested.  I decided finally to look for an esthetically pleasing family tree.  The search for an item that would fit into my home took a bit of time, but I finally found the perfect match.

I searched on Etsy.com, a web marketplace for unique and handcrafted items.  There were quite a few choices but I settled on the Staker Store.  She designs trees out of the names of family members, with leaves indicating place of birth.  I was even able to include my stepparents in my display, something a fan chart wouldn’t allow.  I’m very happy with my artwork, and couldn’t wait to get it up on the wall.  I really should have done it years ago.

The post Get your Family History out of the Files! appeared first on Once-Removed Genealogy Services.

There is a new research tool named Mocavo.  Mocavo is designed specifically for searching sites that are only genealogy related.   I have to ask myself, do I really need another search engine? I use Google for the most part, so why is Mocavo different than Google?  According to their website Google only contains about 5% of the genealogical content, and their search engine will net more results.  That is enough to get my attention.

I like to know a little bit about the company if I am going to do business with them.  I’m a bottom line type of gal so my first question, is how much is it?  There is a Free subscription, and a Mocavo Plus.  Plus is currently $119.40 for an annual subscription.  So what does Plus give me that the free version doesn’t?  More robust searches, wild card searches both of which could make a big difference in data collection. I haven’t yet tested their claims, but will do so before my next posting in this series.   In a recent news release the company has announced a chief operating officer, with a technical and Wall Street background and a chief genealogist.  This model makes sense for a company that wishes to attract investors as well as have a useful product.  I’d be a little nervous at some of the other subscription-based sites.

Okay now to try Mocavo.  There are several ways to search, but I started with uploading my gedcom file.  The website states it can take as much as an hour for the file to appear, and up to 24 hours before getting hits.  The instructions suggest uploading the file via drop-box, I tried both drop box and my hard drive and it worked fine either way.  My tree has about 800 individuals and it showed up quicker than an hour, also it took less than 24 hours to start getting results.  After loading the tree I went to My Connections, this is where you should see your individualized results.  I have 8 pages of results to go through (8 hours after initial upload).  On my first page there seems to be quite a bit on the Church family, circa 1500’s.  I will follow-up with the quality of these and other search results in my next posting.  The real question will be how close of a match are the results.  With surnames like Church and King internet searches can bring a lot of unnecessary data to weed out.

I’ve established I can search but what about privacy?  It’s a big concern of my mine as it is of many.  Always a big question on my mind, who owns my tree?  You may think that is a silly question, but it many cases when you upload your tree to a service; you relinquish that data as result.  According to Mocavo I retain ownership of my tree, I can mark it private or delete it any time.  That’s good to know. My second question is how are living people handled?  Trees marked as private there is no risk of exposure. Public trees, Mocavo will filter out individuals with a birth or death date after 1910.

Overall it looks like a nice idea.  I really have to test the quality of my search results, because like in every other situation not all evidence is created equally.

Stay Tuned!

Mocavo Web Site:

http://www.mocavo.com/

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Raymond Fennimore, Merchant Marine

It was Christmas in the early 70’s.  I’m thinking about 1972.   I was a proud owner of a Polaroid Instant Camera; I seem to recall a bit of family drama, which resulted in this gift from my dad.  For my birthday I received some film for the camera, and since this was a rare occurrence (I am sure it was pricey) I rationed it accordingly.  When I was 9, my parents separated, my mom, and I moved frequently.  My limited picture collection saw a lot of miles, and today very few remain.  The pictures weren’t very good, but one has made it into my scrapbooks, it was the subject that warranted the placement.

There was knock at the back door, and in walked a fellow that I didn’t recognize.  He was old; probably ancient would have been a better description, at least to my young eyes.   I tried to make my escape but I received a non-verbal cue from my mom that it would be rude to scamper off, with a firm grip on my shoulder I was plunked down at the kitchen table.  I can’t recall the tales, but I do remember the man was utterly fascinating, and had a lot of stories I could not resist.  My camera was in the next room, and I wanted a picture.  Being a bit shy I wouldn’t dare ask for him to pose, so I took one on the “sly” from the floor.  I doubt it went unnoticed, if the noise of the camera didn’t clue him in, the smell of the chemicals would hardly be missed.  To his credit, he didn’t call me out on it, and I have my fond memory of him and his visit.

All I know about my subject was that he was a brother of one of my Great Grandfathers.  My mom told me he was Uncle Bill Fennimore, a merchant marine and that he would pop by the house from time to time.  Since Willie Fennimore of that family did not see his 4^th year, it had to be another brother, either Clarence, or Raymond.  My father told me the picture was of Uncle Ray, which would make sense, as Clarence was married and had children.  His visits would most likely include more than a solitary fellow, so my picture is most likely of Raymond Jaques Fennimore, bachelor, and merchant marine.

Although Raymond wasn’t my direct ancestor, many years later I am still interested in the kind old man I met as a child.  Although he was not the youngest, it seems he was the last one home with his mother.  His father William was incapacitated by a head injury and the financial front must have been a bit dire.  In the 1910 Federal Census we find Raymond 17, living along with his mother Matilda, his younger sister aged 14 appears to have moved out to make her way in the world.  Perhaps Ray was already out in the ocean, at this point, and simply found his way home between voyages.  A common theme seems to be late filings of paperwork due to being at sea.  One of the first documents I ever received for Raymond was his application for a social security number (SS5 form).  On this form it is indicated that his employer was the S.S. American Farmer, Pier 62, NYC and that he had an urgent filing because he was a seaman and never received his previous number.  In May 1943, Raymond’s WWII draft registration indicated he was late filing because he had been out to sea as a Fireman aboard a ship.  Although he registered for the WWI, And WWII drafts he doesn’t appear to have served directly in the armed forces in either of these wars, but is working on ships during both time periods.

Thanks to Ancestry.com I have been able to find some additional information on Uncle Ray.  Passenger lists are not restricted to immigrants to America and the multiple comings and goings of our ancestors can be found on Ancestry.com and EllisIsland.org.  Many of his trips are documented in various passenger and crew lists on a few online repositories.  He went to many different places, but the one that seemed to catch my eye was a return in April 1943 to Boston Mass, from Iceland.  My first observation was this would have been during WWII, and it probably an assignment on behalf of the war effort.  I dug a little deeper into the document and noticed that my Uncle’s name with many other’s was crossed out with an indication that one should refer to “sheet number 4, Citizen’s Manifest”, so all that remained were 13 “foreign sailors” with, certain columns completed, as this was really a list of “Alien” arrivals.  When I scrolled down to the bottom of the page I couldn’t help but notice “13* includes (8) survivors”.   I know very little about maritime terminology, but if this possibly means that only 61% of the foreign born occupants survived the trip; I have to think “Deadliest Catch” crews have nothing on these guys.  I decide to do a little research on the role of the merchant marine in WWII, and the vessel.

According to Wikipedia, The S.S. Chateau Thierry served as a troop transport and that after my Uncle left its deck, it was transformed into a hospital ship.  It was originally built in Hog Island for WWI but arrived a little late, only to see active duty in WWII.  If the ship’s main purpose was to transport troops from Europe, then the mortality rate could definitely be high.  The ship is also mentioned in a book called, “Unsung sailors: the Naval Armed Guard in World War II” by Justin F. Gleichauf.  Mr Gleichauf paints a picture of ships so old that Germans didn’t bother to bomb them figuring they would sink soon enough.  He also indicates they were indeed ships used in the war effort and at risk of attack.  In pages 76 and 77, he discusses the trips from Iceland to Boston and mentioning a near collision between The Cheateau Thierry and another ship.  Wikepedia’s entry for Merchant Marines in WWII indicates a high degree of danger “3.1 million tons of merchant ships were lost in World War II. Mariners died at a rate of 1 in 24, which was the highest rate of casualties of any service.  All told, 733 American cargo ships were lost and 8,651 of the 215,000 who served perished on troubled waters and off enemy shores.” The life of a merchant marine did not sound like an easy one.  Raymond Fennimore was 50 years old during this time, demanding work for a man of that age, considering many years of such wear and tear.  I can’t imagine the people he met or the things he witnessed, but it must have been worth quite a few interesting stories.

In looking at his picture with grown up eyes, I see my dad by the sink in a t-shirt, scotch tape on the table, and a coffee cup.  Is it late afternoon? Early evening?  Uncle Ray looks tired, cigarette in one hand, and I doubt it is water in that glass he is holding.  Did he enjoy the visit that day?  Did my parents take the time to make him feel welcome, or were they busy preparing for Christmas and a bit distracted?  I hope his visit was pleasant, and wish I had known him better, or recalled one if  his stories.  He passed away in 1976, hopefully surrounded by family.  If you are out there Uncle Ray, I wish you a Merry Christmas.

Sources:

Ancestry.com. Boston Passenger and Crew Lists, 1820-1943 [database on-line]. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA); Washington, D.C.; Crew Lists of Vessels Arriving at Boston, Massachusetts, 1917-1943; Microfilm Serial: T938; Microfilm Roll: 454. Viewed 15 December 2011.

Ancestry.com. 1910 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2006. Year: 1910; Census Place: Passaic, Morris, New Jersey; Roll: T624_903; Page: 5A; Enumeration District: 0036; Image: 90; FHL Number: 1374916.  . Viewed 15 December 2011.

Ancestry.com. U.S. World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010. Viewed 15 December 2011.

Original data:

United States, Selective Service System. Selective Service Registration Cards, World War II: Fourth Registration. National Archives and Records Administration Branch locations: National Archives and Records Administration Region Branches.

Gleichauf, Justin. Unsung sailors: the Naval Armed Guard in World War II. Annapolis: MD, 1990. Web. <http://books.google.com/books?id=TgFx3m0ySd8C&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0

SS Form Raymond Fennimore, “Freedom of Information Act” Washington, DC.  Image in possession of Elizabeth Pellicane, Private residence.

“S.S. Chateau Thierry .” Wikipedia The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia.org, 2011. Web. <Wikipedia.org>. Viewed 15 December 2011.

“United States Merchant Marine.” Wikipedia The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia.org, 2011. Web. <Wikipedia.org>. Viewed 15 December 2011.

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I’ve been consistently researching my family history for close to 17 years.  Over that time certain ancestors captured my attention, and I have a difficult time putting them aside.  We are all interested in discovering someone of note in our pedigree, but I find the ones that had a bumpy course in life have story worth finding as well.  The famous ancestors will have reams of historic tidbits to pull; their deeds are very well documented, perhaps even exaggerated.  The humble folks, those that struggled to make their way deserve their due too, but the search can be very problematical.  I’d like to take this time to introduce Emeline Church my paternal third great-grandmother, her story is by no means complete, but this is it as it stands today.

Although it was in the beginning of my interest in genealogy by the time I had decided to research my maiden name my grandfather, John King was 10 years gone and his health had been failing for years before that.  I had fond memories of him but I didn’t know much about his family.  When I was a little girl I would visit my grandparents in Stonington Connecticut, he and I would bring a small shovel and go for long walks.  I recall him telling me his own father sold antiques, and that “in the old days” any trash that didn’t burn easily often would be buried.  We would go to spots his father had brought him and dig for old china and bottles.  When my grandfather passed away I met his younger brother Leonard, who looked just like my grandfather before life got the better of him.  That pretty much was the extent of my knowledge of his family.  My grandmother didn’t know much either; John King’s father had died years before she and my grandfather met but she did recall he was an antique dealer.  She is not one to focus on the past, but provided what she could; his mother was named Anna Lee, he was born and raised in Norwich (Connecticut), and that the family was German. I had a little information to work with but it was sketchy at best.  I prepared a bit by looking for German variations of “King” so that I could find all possible spellings of his surname, and to see what research had already been done for the KING surname in Norwich.  I did see that there was a King family that was connected to Benedict Arnold, but the likelihood that we were related was slim. Luckily I do love a puzzle.

I started with what I knew about my grandfather, and built upon that very small foundation. Living in New Jersey and he being from Connecticut would be a bit of a challenge.  This was about 1996 before the Internet was really a genealogical tool that it is today.  I worked, and had two small children so time was limited.  I began with what I could do remotely and accessed the social security death index.  I found my grandfather, and ordered a copy of his application for a Social Security card (SS5 form*).  On this document he wrote his parents were Charles James King and Anna Lee, and that he was born November 1915, in Norwich Connecticut. It also noted he was employed by Norwich Golf Club.  Analyzing the facts gleaned from this form I recalled a family friend mentioning John was an excellent golfer in his youth.  Lee seemed a bit odd for a German surname, but not thinking too hard about it I documented and moved along.  Since my grandfather entered this in his own hand, I had no reason to doubt any of it.  Next I had to get the census records for his hometown.  This was prior to the availability of subscription based census records so I had to locate a repository that held the Connecticut Federal Census.  On one my visits to my grandmother I went to Otis library in Connecticut, and discovered not only the census but also a local directory.  I pulled all occurrences of KING in Norwich back to 1850, with 1920 being the most recent available.  I focused on the census’ that had Charles as the head of household, and Anna as wife, which was 1910, and 1920 the latter having a John L King age three.  My grandfather’s age seemed a bit off in some of the census, but I felt since he completed the social security application himself that it would be the more valid date.  I compiled all the entries for both the Census and the directories and discovered that my grandfather appeared to be the second youngest of many siblings.  His father was an antique dealer in Norwich for decades, and earlier he was a laborer.

With the birth date from my grandfather’s SS5 card I could obtain his official birth record.  In Connecticut each town clerk has the vital records, you must request from the town, so you need to know the town of the event and the date.  There is an additional requirement you must be a registered member of a CT genealogical society to obtain a copy.  I joined a society and sent my request for John King’s birth record to Ms. Muldoon at the Norwich city office.  I received my check back with a note that my grandfather was not in her books for that date, or thereabouts.  This was troubling and I was a bit disappointed, it seemed his family truly stayed in Norwich, and I had a date, where could the record be located?  Years later I would order the Norwich vital records on microfilm from LDS only to discover that my grandfather had inaccuracies on his SS5 form.  He was born John Leonard King, but two years later a younger brother came along and given the name Leonard.  Sometime between the 1920 Census and his SS5 application my grandfather started using James as a middle name.  He also had his birth year 2 years earlier, and shortened his mother’s name from Wohlleben to Lee.  Perhaps he needed to be 21 to work at the golf course, and it is quite possible he didn’t know his mom’s surname; my grandmother also thought his mother’s last name was “Lee”.  John’s SS5 application was also around WWII, and her German surname may have been Americanized for obvious reasons.  Interestingly this was an instance where the census proved correct, and the “first hand knowledge” did not.

Early in my research I had looked into cemeteries that were in operation in Norwich during Charles King’s approximate death date.  None of the online lists mentioned Charles King, but the were also very incomplete. The Norwich directory of 1928 has Charles King (Annie ) listed, but in 1929 Annie (wid) appears at the same address.  Directories were usually a year or so behind, so this would indicate Charles probably died in 1928 or earlier.  I decided to try my luck at the Yantic cemetery in Norwich, and after about an hour located his gravestone.  I now had Charles’s death date and could order this record from the clerk.  Unfortunately being a beginner, with my family in tow I did not think to record the other headstones around his but there were a few, so I do need to make a trip back one of these years.  Charles King’s death certificate indicated his parents were Joseph W. King, and Eliza Hyde both of Norwich.  With Charles birth date from this certificate I was able to locate the birth record as well, which had one differing fact that Eliza was from Hartford.  This perhaps is the more accurate than Charles’s death record, as it was more than likely provided by herself or her husband. I now have two more ancestors to research, and they both seem to be born in Connecticut.

Joseph King was not as easy to locate.  The Norwich town records appear very orderly; no missing volumes on the LDS films, but the only entries I find for Joseph are the birth and death of Charles James King, where he is listed as the father.  He is listed in several census records and quite a few years on the Norwich City directory.  He seems to fall off both after 1920, giving me a window to search for a death certificate.  I ordered the vital record films for Norwich from the LDS again and no birth, marriage, or death records appear in Norwich.  I also searched the surrounding towns of Franklin, Preston, and Montville with no success.  It was at this point I decided it would be best to look at the Norwich town hall in person.  Since I couldn’t get there quickly I hired a professional genealogist.  She opted to go to Hartford and work at the state archives and library.  I waited patiently for her response, hoping she would locate Joseph’s death certificate, or the marriage record for he and Eliza.  I have a strong theory on Joseph’s parents were and I am hoping a vital record will confirm this easily.

The search to find Joseph’s mother and prove the relationship has been a bit difficult, although I feel confident at my conclusion, it’s a case I am still building.  On the 1860 Norwich Census I found a Joseph King age 2 living with an Emily King 45, and Harriet King 1, in what appears to be a poor house or some other institution.  The list is not in alphabetical order, but the three are one right after another and listed as paupers, there are several other families that seem to be recorded in this manner as well.  Although the 1860 census does not indicate relationships this points strongly to a mother and her two children; same surname, the order in which they appear on the census Emily, Joseph, and finally the youngest Harriet, and the three are listed as paupers, while the entries below and above indicate insane.  This is the only occurrence in Norwich for Emeline/Emily King or Joseph King, and there is only one Emeline King listed in the city directory in the years before and after.  There is a strong indication that this may be my Joseph King, his mother, and sister.  The age is in the correct range, however it’s not enough, it doesn’t establish a family relationship between the three, or that they are “my” Kings.  As stated earlier I know Charles J King had a father named Joseph King, whom we think was born in Norwich Connecticut.  The only insight we had into the parents of Joseph was the 1900 Census where it was listed that his father was born in France, and spoke French, and his mother was born in Connecticut, and spoke English.  Contrary to the 1880 census, but to me it’s an important entry.  On a page where almost every place of birth has Connecticut listed, this is a deliberate entry, written more neatly, that stands out.  Could Joseph’s father have been from France?  Family lore had them being German, but anything could be possible at this point.  I then turn to the vital records again.  Up to now my family’s marriages haven’t made it to town hall so I’m not too confident.

I located every King marriage in Norwich during 10 year span and find 3 possible occurrences.  I research all three using census, directories, and Norwich vital records and I can easily eliminate two on what I find.  I am left with one potential marriage; in the births marriages, and deaths book 7 I find John King born in France and Emeline Cranston born in Norwich were married on July 1, 1856.  The dates are in line with the Emily King found in the poor house 4 years and, two children in later.  John King is from France according to the marriage entry; in 1900 Joseph W. King indicates that his father was born in France.  I go to the directory during this time period and there is only one John King appearing for one year, it states he is a physician.  Although this is all considered indirect evidence, the accumulation of facts, and the elimination of other people in Norwich leads me to conclude that this couple was probably the parents of my Joseph W. King and I should research further.  Because Emeline is in an almshouse shortly after her marriage to John King, I decided to search for his death record.  Harriet the youngest child was 1 on the 1860 census, so I start with 1858 and go through until 1861, no death record.  I expand my search to later and early as 1856, still no sign of a death of John King.  I searched a Norwich newspaper during those years no death announcement.  I guess it is possible that he deserted the family, perhaps he wasn’t, a physician but rather a sailor a common profession in Norwich.  It’s been many years of searching and I have not located the fate of John King, so taking the path of least resistance I turned my attention to Emeline Cranston.

Back to the Norwich vital records and I look for a birth of Emeline Cranston, and a death for Emeline King.  Not a single entry.  The unfortunate woman had two young children, possibly deserted by her husband, and was a ward of the town’s poor house, I really wanted to get her story.  Where was her family? What happened to her husband?  Did her lot in life improve after 1860?  With the name Cranston, and Rhode Island not being too far, I checked some records to see if Emily could have been from that family, but nothing jumped out. She languished on my family tree until I subscribed to Ancestry.com.  A quick census search to locate her prior to her marriage to John King and I find an Emeline Cranston living with two children Charles and Annie Cranston on the 1850 Census.  Could this be the Emeline Cranston that married John King in 1856? If so where were Charles and Annie in 1860?  They would have been 17, and 15 years of age.   I accepted that there was a possibility that Emeline Cranston, and Emeline King was one in the same.  Validating this theory would take a bit of time which is at a premium right now, my twins sport schedule, and work is more demanding than ever, Emeline doesn’t get much of my attention.

Years pass, the children are seniors and I find myself looking at a very empty nest, and I start taking on some clients.  I have some success with Google Books with one case, so I try it on some of my brick walls. I stumble upon, Vital Records of Connecticut Series I, Town II Part II Vital Records of Norwich 1659-1848, and the following entry,  “ This may Certify that I lawfully joined together in marriage Mr Charles Cranston of Norwich and Mifs Emeline Church of Montville  this 2Ist day of August AD 1842 Ent by Othniel Gager Asa Roath Town Clerk Justice of the Peace.”

While I am pretty comfortable that Charles is the first husband of Emeline King, I still need more proof.  From this published book it’s very   easy to locate the original marriage entry in the Norwich vital records.  It’s exactly as was published in the book that I found on Google.  To further solidify the link I need to also prove that Charles died before Emeline Cranston married John King in 1856.  I look for Charles death record between 1848 and 1850, I find him deceased in November 1848 of consumption.   Emeline was widowed well before her marriage to John King.  Google books also opened up another door; the publication was A Modern History of New London County Connecticut and an entry on page 41, several generations of the CHURCH family, their military service and most importantly a mention of Emeline’s two marriages.  In this book it is George Cranston instead of Charles, but another similar book has Charles Cranston mentioned.  I feel confident enough to update my family tree and with Emeline’s surname as Church.  Online I find a descendent of Annie Cranston, Emeline’s second daughter from her first marriage. That cousin has a bible record indicating Emeline died in 1877.  I have not been able to locate a death record, which is odd indeed, but perhaps I am not looking in the right spot.

The professional genealogist I contracted to conduct an in-person search for the death record of Joseph King or the marriage of Eliza Hyde and Joseph King has done her magic. I was hoping to find a document stating the name of Joseph’s parents.  Right now the weakest link is that between Joseph King and Emeline Church.  They are on the census together in 1860, and though they are grouped, as a family would be, that year relationship was not collected.  Joseph indicated that his father was French in the 1900 census, and Emeline’s second husband, John King was also born in France.  There are only so many entries of Kings in Norwich, and pretty much I’ve narrowed it down to these individuals by researching any other occurrence of these names and eliminating them.  Finally a small possible link Joseph names his first-born son, “Charles”, the same name as Emeline’s eldest son. I receive an email from Betsy the genealogist that she found three Joseph Kings, but none of them passed away in Norwich.  I ask her to please pull them anyway, as it could possibly belong to my family tree.  I receive a follow-up and she has located the death records of both my second great grandparents.  Eliza (Hyde) King died in Norwich, before Joseph and there was a very long obituary.  In it mentions her parent’s names, but more importantly that Joseph was a war veteran and living in a soldier’s home in Darien Ct.   I never would have looked there for his record so far from the Norwich area.  Sometimes it really is beneficial to hire someone to take a second look, if only to have someone think outside of your own assumptions.  She sent a copy of Joseph’s death certificate, and of course no mention of parents, not surprising the person providing the information was from the Soldier’s Home…. Eliza’s obituary mentioned Joseph was a civil war soldier not likely since he would have been a small child; perhaps that assumption was made because he was in a soldier’s home.  The genealogist found a transcription of Joseph’s grave in the Hale Headstone collection, and he was a veteran of the Spanish-American war.  His company and unit indicated on the stone itself. The genealogist discovered some great information for me to follow-up on, but not one fact strengthening the relationship between Emeline and Joseph.

I still don’t know as much about Emeline as I would like.  Interestingly she,  Joseph King, and Harriet King are not indexed in the 1870 census.  I had done a line-by-line search for Emeline in Norwich, with no hits.  They could have been missed, or all lived elsewhere.  Joseph reappears in the Norwich city directory in 1878, the year after her death.  I also checked with the CHURCH’s in Montville, and no sign of them there in the 1870 census.

I have many questions, some of which I may never find the answer.  Emeline’s father Erastus died after she did, and it didn’t appear he was destitute, did her family help her in any way? Why was her first marriage to Charles Cranston performed by a Justice of the Peace, and her second a Reverend?  What happened to her husband John King? Where is she buried, and what did she die from?  I can’t imagine in Connecticut in 1877 her death would not have been recorded in the vital records.

While it appears as if I hit a bit of a dead end I still have several options.  I can try the collections at the Connecticut state library myself and see if Emeline turns up anywhere else. I can obtain Joseph’s military pension file, which could have genealogical data.  The year he served his file should be with the Veteran’s Administration, but I probably have to put a request through the national archives first, wait for the rejection and then send that rejection to the VA.  The fine people of Norwich had more than one poor house, I can see if a manuscript collection exists with data on residents.  I can also find the church Emeline worshipped at and see if there are any baptismal or other records.  In 1856 Reverend C.S. Weaver officiated the marriage between Emeline and John King.  I can try to track down where the church records exist.  Churches like people have their own genealogy of sorts.  Sometimes congregations broke off from others, ministers may have served multiple churches, and the records will reside in what would be considered their “home” church. Many religions also keep old records in regional repositories with research rooms.  Reverend Weaver appears to be Baptist and also worked in more than one place, so it will be a bit of work to track the records down, if they exist at all.  The Church family in Montville likely belonged to the Congregational church, if I find their church I can perhaps find the minutes, and it might give some insight into the family and Emeline’s early life.  Finally though I felt it was unlikely I would find much I should at least look into probate and land records.  Another path is Harriet King, see if I can find her vital records, if she married and see if there is something that will help there, perhaps she will have an obituary, it appears my Joseph did not.  So while I have a bit of a brick wall, there are still options open.

The family lore proved helpful in isolating Charles’s records, in particular multiple references to antique dealer.  There was more than one Charles J King in the directories and census throughout this time period, but only one with that occupation.  The German family story, seemed only be related to Anna, the mother of John King, my grandfather as that was where she was born.  From what I have gathered about the family to date Emeline Church began life in Montville, New London County, Connecticut 1822 the daughter of Erastus Church and Nancy Ford.  She is one of eleven known children, and her mother passed on in 1826, when Emeline was four.  She was widowed twice and a ward of the Norwich poor house. It appears as if her older children were forced to fend for themselves at a young age. Her lot in life couldn’t have been easy, and I really want to learn the rest of her story.

*Note as of this writing, the availability of the SS5 data and the social security death index is undergoing drastic changes and will be limited in the future.

Sources

Ancestry.com, Social Security Death Index (Online publication – Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2010.Original data – Social Security Administration. Social Security Death Index, Master File. Social Security Administration.Original data: Social Security Administration. Social Security D), Ancestry.com, http://www.Ancestry.com, Number: 040-14-1186; Issue State: Connecticut; Issue Date: Before 1951. Birth date: 23 Nov 1916 Birth place: Death date: Oct 1986Death place: Pawcatuck, New London, Connecticut, United States of America Ancestry.com, 1850 United States Federal Census (Online publication – Provo, UT, USA:Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2009. Images reproduced by FamilySearch. .Original data -Seventh Census of the United States, 1850; (National Archives Microfilm Publication M432,1009 rolls); Records of the Bureau of th), Ancestry.com, http://www.Ancestry.com, Year:1850; Census Place: Norwich, New London, Connecticut; Roll: M432_48; Page: 159B;Image:. Birth date: abt 1822Birth place: ConnecticutResidence date: 1850Residenceplace: Norwich, New London, Connecticut.

Ancestry.com, 1860 United States Federal Census (Online publication – Provo, UT, USA:Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2009. Images reproduced by FamilySearch. .Original data -1860 U.S. census, population schedule. NARA microfilm publication M653, 1,438 rolls.Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Recor), Ancestry.com, http://www.Ancestry.com,Year: 1860; Census Place: Norwich, New London, Connecticut; Roll: ; Page: ; Image:. Birthdate: abt 1858Birth place: ConnecticutResidence date: 1860Residence place: Norwich,New London, Connecticut, United States.

Ancestry.com and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1880 United States Federal Census (Online publication – Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2005. 1880 U.S. Census Index provided by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ©Copyright 1999 Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved. All use is subject to the limited),Ancestry.com, http://www.Ancestry.com, Year: 1880; Census Place: Norwich, New London, Connecticut; Roll: T9_107; Family History Film: 1254107; Page: 141.4000; EnumerationDistrict: 92; Image: 0567. Birth date: abt 1879Birth place: ConnecticutResidence date:1880Residence place: Norwich, New London, Connecticut, United States.

Ancestry.com, 1900 United States Federal Census (Online publication – Provo, UT, USA:Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2004.Original data – United States of America, Bureau of the Census. Twelfth Census of the United States, 1900. Washington, D.C.: National Archivesand Records Administration, 1900. T623, 18), Ancestry.com, http://www.Ancestry.com,Year: 1900; Census Place: Preston, New London, Connecticut; Roll: T623_150; Page: 8B; Enumeration District: 484. Birth date: Jun 1878Birth place: ConnecticutResidence date:1900Residence place: Preston, New London, Connecticut Ancestry.com, 1910 United States Federal Census (Online publication – Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2006.Original data – Thirteenth Census of the United States,

1910 (NARA microfilm publication T624, 1,178 rolls). Records of the Bureau of the Census, Record Group 29. National Archives, Was), Ancestry.com, http://www.Ancestry.com, Year: 1910; Census Place: Norwich, New London, Connecticut; Roll: ; Page: ; Enumeration District: ; Image:. Birth date: 1878Birth place: ConnecticutResidence date: 1910Residence place: Norwich, New London, Connecticut Ancestry.com, 1920 United States Federal Census (Online publication – Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2005. For details on the contents of the film numbers, visit the following NARA web page: NARA. Note: Enumeration Districts 819-839 on roll 323 (Chicago City.Original data – United States), Ancestry.com, http://www.Ancestry.com, Year: 1920; Census Place: Norwich, New London, Connecticut; Roll: T625_197; Page: 16A; Enumeration District: 277; Image:. Birth date: abt 1917Birth place: ConnecticutResidence date: 1920Residence place: Norwich, New London, Connecticut.

Stedman’s Directory of the City and Town of Norwich and Part of Preston Connecticut, Otis Library, Norwich Connecticut, Multiple years.

Town of Norwich, Records of Births in the Town of Norwich 1878 (Official Vital Records town of Norwich), Jesus Christ Church of Latter day saints, School House rd

Town of Norwich Vital Records, Births Marriages and Death, Jesus Christ Church of Latter day Saints, Clinton, NJ 08869, Microfilm of original records 1311437.

Bureau of Vital Statistics, Medical Certificate of Death Charles J King (Connecticut State Department of Health), Collection of Elizabeth Pellicane, private residence, 557. State of Connecticut, Death Certificate Joseph W. King (Connecticut State Department of Health), The State Vital Records Office at the Connecticut Department of Public Health, Hartford CT, Transcription. Connecticut Department of Health, Death Certificate Eliza King (Bureau of Vital Statistics), The State Vital Records Office at the Connecticut Department of Public Health, Hartford CT, Transcription.

Obituary Eliza Hyde King (Norwich Bulletin), State Library Hartford Connecticut, Page 5 Column 6.

Clerk of Norwich Connecticut, Town of Norwich Births Marriages and Deaths boo IX (Norwich New London Connecticut, City of Norwich, New London, Connecticut), Jesus Christ Church of Latter day saints, School House rd Clinton, NJ 08869, Book 7 page 87.

Benjamin Tinkham Marshall, A Modern history of New London County, Connecticut A Modern history of New London County, Connecticut A Modern History of New London County, Connecticut (New York, NYC, Lewis Historical Publishing Company, 1922), Ancestry.com, http://www.Ancestry.com, Erastus Church, son of Peleg Jr and Mary (Leach) Church was born April 6, 1792. He married (first) Nancy Ford, daughter of John Ford. and had children:4. Emeline born Sept 20, 1822 and married (first) George Cranston * (Second) Dr. King of Norwich. Note it was really Charles Cranston see marriage record and census data Second note – John King was listed in the directory as a physician. Digital Image Also available on books.google.com

Email referring to Bible record, Death information of Eliza Church (Connecticut, private individual), Ancestry.com, http://www.Ancestry.com, Personal information…Jul 9 10:49 PM GMT

Ancestry.com, History of Montville, Connecticut : formerly the north parish of New Londonfrom 1640 to 1896 (Online publication – Provo, UT: The Generations Network, Inc.,2005.Original data – Baker, Henry A.. History of Montville, Connecticut : formerly the north parish of New London from 1640 to 1896. Hartford, Conn.: Press of the Case, Lockwood & Brainard Co.), Ancestry.com, http://www.Ancestry.com, Residence date: 1640-1896Residence place: New London, Connecticut, USA. Digital Image Also available on books.google.com

Vital records of Norwich, 1659-1848, Volume 2‬ By Norwich (Conn.), General Society of Colonial Wars (U.S.). Connecticut, books.google.com, viewed January 201.

Charles R Hale, Connecticut Headstone Inscriptions (Connecticut USA, Charles R Hale Collection), Connecticut State Library, Hartford Connecticut, #405-2 Page 62 Darien. King, Joseph W Spanish American War Co. C 3rd CVI died Nov. 27. 1929 age 72 years.

The post The Case of the Unfortunate Emeline Church appeared first on Once-Removed Genealogy Services.

Thank you Veterans for serving and putting your personal safety at risk to protect our country.  Today I will be thinking of you all but in particular I will consider the ones in my circle, and family that have stood with their nation and did what they felt was necessary.  Not all wars are popular; there will always be questions as to whether we belonged in a particular place.  We should never let these issues take away from the sacrifice made by men and women in these conflicts.  Although I was quite young I can still recall the terrible treatment of our soldiers when they returned from Vietnam.  I hope to never witness anything like that again.

In my field I try to locate service records, and pension files.  It is a way of course to fill out the family tree, and push the research back another generation.  Also one really must consider the impact these battles had on the individual.  I need only look to war veterans in my family that I have known to realize it is something that stays with them their entire life.   Many chose not even to discuss their experience at all or until enough years passed by to open that door once again.  Some of our Veterans carry physical burdens their entire life, and others never make it home.  Did they have a home to go to when they returned?  Who worked the farm while they were away?  What challenges did they face in their life because of their answer to our nation’s call?  Don’t just use your ancestors records as a spring-board to determining their lineage, but also consider how it may have changed their lives.

I’ve traveled to many historic places throughout my life and there are a few that really impacted my thoughts on hardships our folks must have withstood.  The two in particular that I have felt it most strongly are Gettysburg PA, and Fort McHenry in Baltimore MD.  My husband has visited the USS Arizona memorial at Pearl Harbor and he felt it truly was a memorable trip as well.  I find touring these sites opens our eyes to the experiences our service men and women may have endured.

I’d like to recognize my war veterans, and offer my appreciation for their efforts.  Without your sacrifices who knows what freedoms we would not have today.  Here is also to hoping that someday we won’t have any conflicts at all.

Brian, My Stepfather – Vietnam War

Joseph, My Father –in Law – Korean War

Walter, My Grandfather – World War II

Joseph, My Second Great Grandfather – Spanish American War

Peleg, My Fifth Great-Grandfather – War of 1812

Peleg, My Sixth Great- Grandfather – Revolutionary War

The post Thank You Veterans appeared first on Once-Removed Genealogy Services.

A few months back my Aunt was scouring Ancestry.com and up popped a cemetery match for my 3^rd great grandmother, Charlotte Ruttel Schellenberger, 2 of her children, and a child of her married daughter.  All circumstantial, but it opened the door to allow for me to order a death certificate and verify it was indeed our Charlotte.  Long story short it’s led to more records that have helped me locate the town, and birth dates of the Charlotte’s son-in-law and his parents.  I then discovered a match on familysearch.org of German records that are indexed; the town, birth dates, parent’s names, and sibling names are spot on so I’ve decided to invest the time to order the films and start going through those records.  My Aunt however is more interested in the family of our Charlotte’s husband and I’ve found a likely match on the index as well, the town is correct, approx birth is there too, the problem is I’d feel a little better if I could find a document such as his death certificate that tied things a little neater.   Since I don’t know exactly when or where his death occurred, I thought I’d take a chance and see if he was buried near his wife.  The burial ground where Charlotte was interred is Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn, Kings County New York.  I viewed the “Green-Wood A National Historic Landmark”, www.green-wood.com and was surprised to see that it was a National Historic Landmark, as well as a very active cultural center. It may seem odd that a cemetery would be used for entertainment, but during the era in which it was designed such places were planned to be destinations for travel, family outings as well as final resting places.

There is a partial on-line database of burials, I recorded the plots for my family and made my plans.  I’m not a big fan of driving in cities, so I convinced my husband and history major son to accompany me on my quest.  My husband I am sure would have been happier to spend the day watching football, and my son made it clear he is interested in “historical events”, not people (forgive him he is 18).  However with a little ingenuity I came up with a bit of bait, pizza.  Whenever we travel my husband and son like to visit restaurants from some of their favorite food network shows, so I suggested we could try one of the pizza places they have wanted to go to in Brooklyn.  A plan was in place we would visit Green-Wood, followed by a trek to L & B Spumoni Gardens for pizza and spumoni.

We entered Green-Wood via the large gothic gate at the main entrance.   Once past the guard office we pulled over, it is there you can join a guided trolley tour, or purchase a map.  Right across from the guard in the main gates is an alcove with a computer inside. If there is a specific grave you would like to locate the program will print out a map directly to the area.  There are many famous “residents, and memorials which are works of art.  The most interesting tomb I observed had a giant bear lying across the top of the monument.  Infamous residents such as William Poole, Boss Tweed can be found in the cemetery, as well as notables such as Louis Comfort Tiffany.  There are plenty of humble folk such as my ancestor there as well.  It’s worth the visit to see some of the interesting pieces of art, and the natural setting.  I didn’t see them but there is also a community of wild parakeets living at Green-Wood.  Birds, history and art there is a little something for everyone there.

Unfortunately Charlotte’s grave was alone probably passing right before my German ancestors moved to New Jersey.  Ironically it was also about that time my husband ‘s Italian family set up their home in Brooklyn.  My family history portion of the jaunt was over, and my companions’ thoughts turned to food.

The distance to the pizzeria was approximately 5 miles it was interesting to see the different neighborhoods.  First we came upon a predominately Jewish area.  It was a beautiful day and families were out with their strollers and children enjoying the summer-like weather.  Slowly this section gave way to a more industrial neighborhood, reminding us we were indeed in a city.  A slight turn and we were back into a different residential area.  This time there were row houses with neatly manicured yards, and small gardens.   A house with “Il Tricolore “ waving proudly next to an American flag, and my husband announced, “we are in the Italian part of town we must be getting close”.  My husband’s family was one of my first projects.  I knew that his ancestors came from Sicily and spent a few years in Brooklyn.  It seems many from their little town of Santa Ninfa resided in the same area of New York when they first arrived to the United States.  Some ventured to the wilds of New Jersey, and most stayed in place.  While there is always exceptions the vast majority of my husband’s ancestors rarely moved once settled.  His surname is fairly uncommon, but a quick search via the white pages at msn.com shows 100+ listings in Brooklyn.  My son was fascinated and we talked about my husband’s family a bit until we came to the restaurant.  It reminded me that my children were very young when I created a little book for my husband’s family and perhaps it was time to reprint a couple of copies for them.

Finally we arrived at what my men consider the point of the entire trip, L & B Spumoni gardens at 2725 86^th St, www.spumonigardens.com.  The specialties there are Sicilian style pizza and spumoni, and both were quite good.  I’m not usually a fan of Sicilian slices but this was extremely light, and quite delicious.  I opted for pistachio spumoni, and it was fantastic!  While I must admit that I was a bit disappointed to have not made much progress on my family tree that day, the trip to the Italian neighborhood really was fun.  It was nice to spend some time with my grown son, and husband and talk about his family, and culture.

The day was fading and it was time to head back to New Jersey.  We departed via the Verrazano Bridge, which brought us along Coney Island and the long stretch of the New York Bay.  I’ve always been fascinated by Brooklyn, it’s my favorite part of New York.  It seems that the past and present residents have created an area with personality galore evident by the sign right before you get on the exit ramp..”Leaving Brooklyn Fuggedaboutit”.

Notes:

If you do have ancestors in Brooklyn there are some very useful sites, and I would start with:

http://www.bklyn-genealogy-info.com/

http://www.deathindexes.com/newyork/city.html

Sources

1. “Genealogy, Family Trees and Family History Records online – Ancetry.com.” Ancestry.com. Ancestry.com, 2011. Web. 15 Oct 2011. <Ancestry.com>.

2.”FamilySearch.org-Free Family History and Genealogy Records.” Family Search. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 2011. Web. 15 Oct 2011. <FamilySearch.org>.

3. “Green-Wood main page.” Green-Wood A National Historic     Landmark. Green-Wood Cemetery, 2011. Web. 15 Oct 2011. <green-wood.com>.

4. “White Pages – Find People for Free.” MSN White Pages. Whitepages Services, 2011. Web. 15 Oct 2011. <http://msn.whitepages.com/name/Pellicane/Brooklyn-NY>.

5. “L & B Spumoni Gardens.” Spumoni Gardens. Spumoni Gardens. Corp, 2010. Web. 15 Oct 2011. <http://www.spumonigardens.com/home.html>.

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Life has been pretty busy.  My day job continues to be more demanding, I’m getting a few requests for small projects, and my twins are leaving for college.  My blog has been ignored a bit as a result, though I am sure few are missing me.  I’ve had managed to dabble a bit in my family tree, but sporadically at best.  For quite a while my goal was to see if I had a Revolutionary War patriot of my own and join D.A.R.  I’ve finally gathered what I think is sufficient proof and I am just waiting for the local chapter to get back into session in the fall.  I’m suddenly without a personal project.

Up to now most of my research efforts have been US, England and Italy and to be honest that has been decision I have made on my part.  From a professional standpoint my desire really is to focus in areas where I feel I offer value to a customer.  This is clearly New Jersey, though I’m pretty well versed in Italian and New England records.  There are some things you just have to do on location.  From a personal standpoint, I’ve had more than enough to keep me busy with my English speaking ancestors, and my husband’s Italian family.  Every so often I peek at my mother’s side of the tree and see Germany and Ireland and shy away.  I’ve always had the perception that this research will be more difficult, Germany because of the language issues, and Ireland I envision great reliance on local records.  Ancestors usually stay put, so no pressure to rush into anything.

This summer my mother came out for the kids’ high school graduation.  Although her interest in genealogy isn’t quite where mine is she will humor me and spend some time researching.  My mom seemed to recall that her great-grandparents owned a farm in Hunterdon County, and that her biological grandfather may have worked there briefly.  While that seemed a stretch we were near our county hall of records so we made a trip.  Much to my surprise it proved to be true.  I guess it was enough to pique’ my curiosity but not enough to get me started.  About two weeks ago my mother emailed me that my Aunt may have found her great-grandmother’s resting place in Brooklyn NY, it was on Ancestry.com records of Green-Wood cemetery.  Since I’m a little over an hour from Brooklyn I volunteered to make a run in the fall and get some pictures.  Because I have been around the block once or twice before I run out there I wanted to establish it is indeed our Emily Schellenberger and if there will be any other graves I should seek.  So I need to learn a little about Brooklyn.

Well, I know that Brooklyn is home to Coney Island, and Dominic the Italian Christmas donkey delivers gifts manufactured there.  I also hear that Green-Wood cemetery is worth the visit just because it’s so magnificent; at least that is what a fellow history nerd has informed me.  One ancestor has left a nice trail and the fine people at the LDS have indexed many of the records of that town.  I’ve got the list of tapes I need.  If the index proves correct I’m well on my way to filling out that branch nicely.  I email my mom she sends it to my Aunt. A sisterly debate takes place as to the veracity of my findings; wisely I stayed out of it.  In the end I get the virtual nod of acceptance and we all share trees.

I order a German ancestry book – a sure sign I am committed (or should be).  My Aunt likes what I found on the Steidle’s but she is really interested in the Schellenberger family.  There is quite a bit of family lore as well as some jewelry she inherited.  There are stories of a Hessen soldier, a colonial reverend and a duchesse in one line and much of it is conflicting.  So the best order of business of course is start with what you know and work backwards.

I worked for a German company for quite a few years, and have known many people who call Germany home.  I expected the records to be efficient and centralized; perhaps two sets one for East and West Germany.  It was then I recalled something else about Germany it has not always been one country.  Most of my former co-workers from Frankfurt and I had grown very accustomed to their accents, and management styles. After more than a decade our division was spun off and purchased by a company in Düsseldorf, very quickly I noticed a distinctly different accent and style.  I had a conversation with a friend from Frankfurt and mentioning the dialect differences, and comparing it to our own country with our regional differences.  He felt in Germany the difference was even greater.  He told me in their grandparent’s time that if a person from each of the two cities were to sit and try to have a conversation they would have barely been able to understand one another. Perhaps it is an exaggeration, but it could prove useful later.

Because I can’t fly off to Germany to research my family, I am dependent on the records I can order at my family history center.  Most of the records available are church records primarily Lutheran and Catholic.  Germany itself is not an old country, and it was a land of changing borders for a very long time.  Because of this it is really important to know where your ancestors lived, and then find the modern equivalent. The German baptismal and marriage records are one of the sets indexed by the LDS.  I imagine while prioritizing projects the need for an index of local records in Germany brought it to the top of the list.   I have to discover from where in Germany my Ferdinand haled.  In 1880  the Census indicated he was Darmstadt Hess, naturalization petition “Emperor of Germany”, and the rest just plain Germany.  Most records indicate he was born in March 1833, and I have found a match in Worms, Hessen, Germany.  However I need to get some more supporting data still.  Worms is about 26 miles from Darmstadt, so it’s not out of the question. The long and short of it is though because Germany unification occurred in 1871, when my 3rd great grandfather was born, it was not a unified country and church records are going to be the most reliable.

Given names are another issue.  I discovered my family in Ulm Germany each person had between 4-5 given names, and in all the families from Germany the first name was rarely used.  Here I thought I was unique using my middle name in everyday life, when my ancestors had been doing it for generations.  How very German, Prussian, Austrian or Bavarian of me!  My ancestors didn’t seem to know where they were from exactly or there names, how exactly am I going to find them?  When Heinrich stated on the ship’s manifest that his mother was Julie Steidle, what he really meant was that she was Anna Christiane Louise Caroline Julie Steidle.  I have to admit this piqued my curiosity.  Was this a naming convention unique to Lutheran Germans?  Time to dig a little deeper and find out German naming conventions.  The short version is that the first name is a “Holy” name and the middle the name used.  When you get into the areas that have multiple given/middle names there may be an indication in the church records of which name the person used in everyday life.   I’m sure I could do an entire article on the naming conventions and still miss something.  Suffice to say that it’s complicated.

I’ve just started my research of German genealogy so this is a very narrow view I am sure.  But it’s certainly has grabbed my interest, I love a puzzle.  Wish me luck in “proving” my family lore that my 3^rd Great Grandfather who immigrated to the US in 1870, is descended from a colonial preacher, a Hessian soldier (yes as in 1776), as well as a mid 16^th century duchess. I will not say that it is impossible because it seems whenever I cast my doubts about one of our family stories it ends up being true.  However I will continue with a very healthy dose of skepticism and find my Ferdinand’s death certificate, excuse me Fransiscus Ferdinandus’ death record.  Well I guess I have my new personal project.

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