Must Keep Digging, Sometimes More Than Dirt Appears

I decided to document my search for my great great grandfather, Ezra Peter Koontz.  I had very sketchy information and I wanted to get my To Do list ready for when I am in Salt Lake City at #FGS2015RootsTech Conference.   I knew that my great grandfather, his son, was born in Indiana and that great grandpa was a cabinet maker (there are still items he made in the family).   But, little was ever said about his father and mother.   Well, dig and dig some more -- using variations on names -- great grandpa's name was unusual, Casimer, but he claimed it was really C.P.  Then I tried  g-g grandpa as Ezra, as Ezra Peter, and as Peter.   Then, looking for either of Ezra's wives -- the man made this easy, they were both named Mary Ann.   BINGO!   Found Esra, Mary Ann and son Casimer.   And his occupation was cabinet and chair maker.  What a find!!!   But, now I have to find more and know more about him.

Happy Trails to me!!

#Genealogy #CensusSearch

What's in a name?

For whatever reason, I have been ignoring my great-great grandmother's parents.   My only excuse is that I got caught up in other branches and just never got around to them.    I went through many family reunions where my mother's cousins told me I had spelled their grandmother's name incorrectly.   My Grandmother provided me with the spelling of her mother's name: PHEBE ANN GARDNER KOONTZ.  I went with the theory that her daughter was a better source than any of her grandchildren.   A number of "all knowing" first cousins, once removed, assured me the proper spelling was the traditional PHOEBE.  I then found where great grandmother Koontz signed her own name as PHEBE.   That was a good indication the cousins were wrong.   But, it did not explain the strange spelling of the name.

Now, I am not totally unfamiliar with strange spelling of names.   My mother's name was Jmae (pronounced J me).  So, there had to be a reason Phebe dropped the O.

I finally started going back up the tree.   Phebe's mother, Mary Ann Cummings Gardner, died at an early age and her husband, William G Gardner married three more times.  So, that end was a scramble.   All I had was Mary Ann's father was Abner and they were living in Connecticut at the time Mary Ann and William were married.   Well, I did what I was supposed to do and started the #Census search for Abner.   To the best of anyone's recall Abner had died in 1848, so I was looking before 1850.   I found Abner with the appropriate household members in the right are of Connecticut,  But, this was all before 1850.   No names of family members other than Abner.   So, I stared in #1850Census since it contains a list of all the family members and looked for Mary Ann Cummings in the same town in Connecticut.   Well, what popped up, but Mary Ann as the daughter and Phebe as the wife.  That is right PHEBE.   Wife, not Widow.  Well she was Line 1.   Wonder what was on the #previouspageofthecensus.   Abner was alive and well.   In fact he lived until 1884, not 48.

So,  my great grandmother was named after her grandmother, using the same spelling.   There was a reason.   What is in a name?   Sometimes, a whole lot of family history....

 

I really need to put together a work plan

OK, I am going to #2015FGS and #RootsTech this February and am planning on getting to Salt Lake the first part of the week.   The part of the conference that I am interested in attending most of the sessions are Thursday through Saturday.   That means I will have time to actually RESEARCH!!!  That is why I need to put together a #RESEARCH_PLAN .   I want to make the most of the time I have, not knowing when I will be able to get back to #SLC.   Anyway, I have started with the on line catalog, searching and isolating reference materials.   But, life keeps getting in the way.   Maybe, I need a  work plan to develop a Research Plan.....

Now to verify my cousin's information

OK, now I have the 1850, 1860, and 1870 census updated to my two lines, WEAVER and LANE.   I can now compare what I have previously complied with what my cousin just sent me to see how close we are in information.  This is where #SOURCE is critical -- did the information come from a primary, secondary, or tertiary source?   If the information is from the document provided by my cousin, then she is the source, which is tertiary -- I need to find proof.  But, it gets me moving again.   And, it builds on my #TO-DO List for when I am at Salt Lake City in February at #FGS2015 #RootsTech2015 .  Luckily, I plan to go early and have a few days at the Family History Center as well!!!!!

As soon as __________, I am going to ___________

Well, in this case it was as soon as Legacy 8.0 is released, I am going to go back and update all the census pages I have been collecting over the years.   I used the excuse since Legacy 8.0 allows you to share census (event) information across family members so you do not have to retype or copy and paste.

The best of intentions.   I did 1940.  I started 1930.  I got busy.   Then I received a note from a distant Weaver cousin which has me back in the 1850 - 1880 census records for the Weaver and Lane families.   It was a great kick in the pants.   Now, there are all those other lines that need to be caught up......

#LegacyFamilyTree #CensusUpdate #Genealogy

Closing in on really getting some time....

OK, all this time spent cleaning out my parents' house has put a stop to any research and therefore no updates.    But, it was not for naught.   (like the word usage?)    I never knew that my mother was baptized in the same church that I was and ON THE SAME DAY.    I had always assumed she had been baptized as a child.   Goes to show you, things are not always what you think they are.  If you do not find something when you think it occurred, expand your time search.   Maybe they waited.  #LateBaptism #Genealogy #ChurchRecords

Wish Grandma weren't so cheap.

OK, that might sound a bit harsh, but I just found the death notice for my grandfather in a pile of photos and papers while cleaning out my parents' house.    To say the information is scarce is putting it mildly.   The notice lists my grandfather's name (no date or place of birth), my grandmother's first name (no maiden name, no number of years married), the married names of  their two daughters (no identification of the husbands) and then that there were four grandchildren.    There were only four of us, couldn't you have sprung for a few extra words and named us off, Grandma?

Too often we forget the purpose of a death notice is more that to say so and so died.  It is to give a capsule version of their life and family; those who meant a great deal to the deceased.   As a genealogist, the purpose is to leave a trail for future researchers to follow.    So, as I alluded to, I am cleaning out my parents' house due to the recent death of my father.   I had control of the notice that was placed.   Future researchers, you are welcome!

#DeathNotices #Obituaries #Genealogy