Well, as you know from a few posts back my hubby's cousin is getting into the "genealogy thing."
She emailed me last night saying, "I think you have the wrong Henrietta for my Pop, Joe's mom. She died in 1985 and her last name was Coffee at the time." (She had remarried and her new husband was Joseph Coffee.) She goes on to say that she attended the funeral in 1985 and the last name "Zeigler" was never mentioned. I thought to myself, She was being buried as a Coffee not as a Zeigler. Plus, cousin was just a child then, so how much did she remember. I know I don't remember much of my great-grandma's funeral.
So she was wondering how come I had Joseph Reilly's mom listed as Henrietta Zeigler? For she never heard that name so it can't be the right name.
She also saw in a 1920 Newark, NJ census a Joseph Reilly married to a Helen and they had one child Edward. She was sure that had to be the correct family since Pop had a brother Edward.
It took a lot of self control and calming down before I wrote her back. How dare she question my work? She is only a newbie. Ok, I know I have to get over that. I can really be a bratt at times.
I scanned and forwarded a copy of Pop's (Joseph Reilly) death certificate which had his parents names listed. His mother was Henrietta Zeigler. The informant was none other than........... dear cousins, MOM. I said, "Maybe you should ask your mom what she might know." I then sent her a copy of the 1920 Census page I had from Newark NJ. The family highlighted was Head: Joseph, Wife: Henrietta, Son: Joseph, Son: Edward.
What dear cousin forgot to remember is, we can't make the family history up from stories and our memories. How many times are our memories incorrect in some way. I then had to mention there are probably 50 different Joseph Reilly family's in Newark at that time. Most of them had at least one son with the same name. Also we need to keep in mind birth order, Joseph was older then Edward but still a small child and would be with the family. We need to be more selective at which family we claim as ours.
This morning I got a response email saying, "If the Death Cert. says that is her name it has to be true." You know me I wrote another long response letting her know Public Records are sometimes wrong. Records are only as good as the people that gave the information can remember or want you to know. That is why we should always check multiple records.
I had to admit I didn't look into this woman very much - I was to busy focusing on others, that happens. I filled out and mailed a request letter for Henrietta's SS-5 form first thing this morning. Hopefully, this will clear things up and also give us her parents names.
That is all I have to say for now. Helping a friend with a 20 year old Brick Wall. I remember before I even started researching and was just a kid she was trying to find these people. I used to tag along. Yeah, she is 25 years older than me. I have a thing with having older friends. I guess, I always related better with people my parents or grandparents ages. My husband tells me, I am an 84 year old woman in a 34 year old body. LOL.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Next in line please!
Well it has been a few weeks since I was contacted by Matt's boss to do his family research. I was excited another "genealogist" is being born. I have gotten a few generations back on his mom's side since she had more information to work with in her obituary. It had parents names, etc. I know he really wants me to do his dad's side. He really wants me to look into those Irish roots that he wants to be proud of.
Well, I have asked him and his brothers multiple times for their dad's parents names and dates of birth etc. Heck I would be happy with names at this point. No response from anyone. So I am putting this little project on the back burner.
Matt asked me last night if I had done anything on their dad's side. How can I? They gave me no information. I am not good at make believe and writing children's books with fictional characters so I am putting it aside and focusing on my own family troubles.
People just don't understand the hard work it can take to pull together a family history. My husband and I have been married almost 13 years and he still doesn't get it. He sees me going to the library, court houses, hunting for old cemeteries, etc. and still doesn't understand. So I guess, how can I expect others who have no experience with genealogy to get it.
Well, I have asked him and his brothers multiple times for their dad's parents names and dates of birth etc. Heck I would be happy with names at this point. No response from anyone. So I am putting this little project on the back burner.
Matt asked me last night if I had done anything on their dad's side. How can I? They gave me no information. I am not good at make believe and writing children's books with fictional characters so I am putting it aside and focusing on my own family troubles.
People just don't understand the hard work it can take to pull together a family history. My husband and I have been married almost 13 years and he still doesn't get it. He sees me going to the library, court houses, hunting for old cemeteries, etc. and still doesn't understand. So I guess, how can I expect others who have no experience with genealogy to get it.
Monday, March 22, 2010
Moving on to the next Generation - PERRY
Well, I am moving on to the next generation back for the Jacqueline Perry Corr I mentioned in the last post. With her parents names in hand (thanks to her son, Joe)I am moving on.
Charles Boston "JACK" PERRY was born July 26, 1908 in Pennsylvania and died April 3, 1983. His wife Josephine H. KUBIC (or KUBICKI) was born in March 19, 1910 and died March 4, 1978.
I was able to find their tombstone at Cherry Grove Cemetery, Sullivan County, PA. This helps me prove the years are correct for their birth and death.
In 1930 you find the happy couple living in Lower Merion, Montgomery County, PA. They are listed in the Federal Census as being 21 and 20 years of age only being married for about a year. Charles name was listed as "Jack." Don't you just love when they give nicknames on the census. There ages at first marriage were 20 and 19. The census was taken in April 1930 and their daughter Jacqueline wasn't born until June so it was just the two of them in the household. Jack's occupation is listed as being a "Dairyman" at a farm.
I was able to find them both listed on on the Social Security Death Index. This index confirms the whole date of their birth and deaths.
I am now on the hunt for obituaries and/or birth announcements for their daughter to confirm the connection even more.
Charles Boston "JACK" PERRY was born July 26, 1908 in Pennsylvania and died April 3, 1983. His wife Josephine H. KUBIC (or KUBICKI) was born in March 19, 1910 and died March 4, 1978.
I was able to find their tombstone at Cherry Grove Cemetery, Sullivan County, PA. This helps me prove the years are correct for their birth and death.
In 1930 you find the happy couple living in Lower Merion, Montgomery County, PA. They are listed in the Federal Census as being 21 and 20 years of age only being married for about a year. Charles name was listed as "Jack." Don't you just love when they give nicknames on the census. There ages at first marriage were 20 and 19. The census was taken in April 1930 and their daughter Jacqueline wasn't born until June so it was just the two of them in the household. Jack's occupation is listed as being a "Dairyman" at a farm.
I was able to find them both listed on on the Social Security Death Index. This index confirms the whole date of their birth and deaths.
I am now on the hunt for obituaries and/or birth announcements for their daughter to confirm the connection even more.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Trusted to take on a New Family Project
I received a phone call the other day and was asked to please help a business partner of my husbands dig out his family tree. His brother just signed up for Ancestry.com and is lost on what to do. Yes, I took on the challenge.
Step one: I have a copy of their father’s obituary, he just passed away a few weeks back. From that I was able to get his full name, James Joseph Corr, birthdate, where he grew up, school he attended, surviving siblings names, wifes name (she passed away in 1999 – have to look for her obituary), all 9 of his children’s names.
Step two: I enter all obit information into my Family Tree Maker Program – I love this program it helps me keep everything organized and prints out great family group sheets, charts, etc.
Step three: Look for Mrs. Corr’s obituary. Found it in the Philadelphia Inq. Archives online. Her name was Jacqueline Perry Corr. She was born and raised in PA. WAIT I have Perry’s in my family from PA. Now I am really excited. Can’t get carried away – just can’t.
Step four: Hunt down every bit of information I can on this couple. What did I find?
• Obituary for both James and Jacqueline
• World War II enlistment records for James
• SSDI index entry for both. Confirms their birth and death dates.
• Checked the High schools that both had listed as attended in their
obits. They are on the lists of alumni. James has a new “in
memory” page on his schools site.
• Checked the alumni list for Manhatten College – found James Corr
on the list.
• Was able to get Jacqueline’s parents names from her son Joe. Will
move on from there. Still waiting for James parent’s names – I
know they immigrated to this country from Ireland.
With Jacqueline’s parents names in hand I will try to move on a few generations back for them. I love that this family is from the area of Pennsylvania I know well. I have spent years researching my mother’s family in the same counties. I will post my finds in a later post. I know I have so many cemetery pictures, town history books, etc. from Luzerne and Columbia Counties in PA – maybe I will find them, crossing my fingers.
Always remember to start with the living first and get all the information you can and then move on to past generations. It is so easy to get excited and jump to conclusions – remember, “Slow and Steady wins the race.”
Step one: I have a copy of their father’s obituary, he just passed away a few weeks back. From that I was able to get his full name, James Joseph Corr, birthdate, where he grew up, school he attended, surviving siblings names, wifes name (she passed away in 1999 – have to look for her obituary), all 9 of his children’s names.
Step two: I enter all obit information into my Family Tree Maker Program – I love this program it helps me keep everything organized and prints out great family group sheets, charts, etc.
Step three: Look for Mrs. Corr’s obituary. Found it in the Philadelphia Inq. Archives online. Her name was Jacqueline Perry Corr. She was born and raised in PA. WAIT I have Perry’s in my family from PA. Now I am really excited. Can’t get carried away – just can’t.
Step four: Hunt down every bit of information I can on this couple. What did I find?
• Obituary for both James and Jacqueline
• World War II enlistment records for James
• SSDI index entry for both. Confirms their birth and death dates.
• Checked the High schools that both had listed as attended in their
obits. They are on the lists of alumni. James has a new “in
memory” page on his schools site.
• Checked the alumni list for Manhatten College – found James Corr
on the list.
• Was able to get Jacqueline’s parents names from her son Joe. Will
move on from there. Still waiting for James parent’s names – I
know they immigrated to this country from Ireland.
With Jacqueline’s parents names in hand I will try to move on a few generations back for them. I love that this family is from the area of Pennsylvania I know well. I have spent years researching my mother’s family in the same counties. I will post my finds in a later post. I know I have so many cemetery pictures, town history books, etc. from Luzerne and Columbia Counties in PA – maybe I will find them, crossing my fingers.
Always remember to start with the living first and get all the information you can and then move on to past generations. It is so easy to get excited and jump to conclusions – remember, “Slow and Steady wins the race.”
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