Solving Broken Connections by Connecting With the Living

Happy Memorial Weekend! Although I won't be spending time caring for family members' graves this weekend because no family member is buried close to where I currently reside, I have memories as a child of going to the grave sites of long dead relatives at this time of year.  Grandma Koss would keep a small gardening kit in her car trunk so whenever she passed the cemetery during the warmer months of the year, she could tend to the graves.  It contained gardening gloves, small grass clippers, a bakery paper bag to put weeds in, and a small spade to help dig up flowers and replant.
Last weekend I was reminded of a genealogical family mystery.  My great grandfather, Josip "Joseph" Kos[s] died in 1919 in the Spanish flu epidemic. He was buried in the old part of Oak Hill Cemetery in Gary, Indiana.  His gravestone, in Croatian, was next to a Tony Kos.  I asked how we were related to Tony and I never got an answer.
Out of the blue last week, I received an email to my Ancestry account from a possible relative whose father had been orphaned in Pennsylvania in the 1930's.  Since both his parents died when he was young, the family has no stories.  His father's place of birth was in the same general area in Croatia that my Kos' were from.  I had placed him in my tree years ago in the hopes of locating a living relative who might have some knowledge.  We're awaiting DNA results to see if we match.
We all have genealogy mysteries but the most vexing are those that are fairly recent.  I don't know about you, but I tend to jump to a dramatic conclusion - must have been an out of wedlock birth, an against the then norms of society situation or a major disagreement that makes the information remain secret.  Never dawned on me it could have been as simple as two early deaths of parents that had moved from the area and family lost touch with the remaining children.
Hopefully, I'll soon have an answer to how the mysterious Tony was related to me and why the Pennsylvania branch of the family was disconnected.  Now if I could just discover someone who knows how the Massachusetts branch lost touch I'd hit the trifecta.

Where to Search for Your Immigrant U.S. Ancestors

If you are researching when your ancestors arrived in the U.S., it’s important to know what documents were available to show immigration status.  Although it’s possible your forefathers didn’t become naturalized citizens, meaning they were granted citizenship, it’s wise to check records to gain family insights.

Before the break with Great Britain, immigrants to what is now the U.S. were considered subjects of the crown.  In 1776, every man, woman and child, excluding Native Americans and African Americans, were granted “collective” citizenship.  No documents exist to state that status, however.  It was a right earned by merely being in the country at the time it separated from Great Britain.

Between 1776-1789, an immigrant who purchased land could become a citizen through denization.  Check land records, if available.  Citizens who became naturalized through denization, however, could not hold public office.  An “oath of allegiance” was required to obtain voting rights and to hold a public office.  Oaths were recorded in court records. Even if your relative did not seek naturalization, they were required by law to report to the nearest court and register that they were residing in the country.  Check Report and Registry logs between 1798-1828.

Although the laws changed between 1790-1906, typically 3 steps must have been completed for an individual to be considered naturalized.  After having a Declaration of Intention filed with the local court, a final petition 1-2 years later would need to be submitted in a court in the nearest town.  You may have to check various towns as settlers could complete the paperwork where they currently resided and people were often on the move.  After the petition was accepted, a Certificate of Naturalization was provided by the local court.


Prior to 1906, immigration records were not as complete as in later years.  Only the country of origin and not the city/town may have been listed.  Typically, parent information was excluded but you may get lucky.  For these later records, you will need to file a request with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.  Prepare for a long wait – I have had to wait over a year to obtain my grandparents paperwork but it was well worth it.  The photo alone was a gem!

Why You Should Share Your DNA Results

I have uploaded by DNA results to several sites and you could benefit from doing that, too.  The reason is simple - think about why you tested with the company you chose.  I tested with 23andMe because I wanted to find out the amount of Neandertal ancestry I  carry and that feature wasn't available through the other major sites (Ancestry.com, MyHeritage.com). 

Some folks may have selected a company based on pricing.  Others may have received a kit as a gift.  In the U.S., Ancestry.com commercials are everywhere but that's not necessarily true in other parts of the world.  You stand the greatest chance of maximizing your DNA results by uploading them to sites that accept results.

Last week, I received an email from MyHeritage.com that I have several new DNA matches.  Typically, they are 3rd to 5th cousins that I've connected with in the past.  This time, was different.  Luckily, I recognized the surname as one of my maternal line's great grandmothers of which I have scant information as she had died young in childbirth. 

Immediately, I clicked on the "cousins" tree which only contained 10 entries, most of which was private but I could see the geographic region and I knew that this proved promising.  I wrote the cousin an email and was happily surprised when he responded a few hours later.  We wrote back and forth all week.  The irony is that he lives just a little over 100 miles from the homestead but has no knowledge of the family.  Why?  His grandfather had relocated the family during World War II and never spoke to his children about the family's history.  The grandfather died a few years before the cousin I was corresponding with was born so he could never ask him directly.  There is now only one elderly relative, in his 80's remaining.  He plans on taking my family stories to the elder.  I'm anxiously awaiting his knowledge. 

No telling what you might discover from connecting with a family member across the pond!  DNA matching makes it easy and inexpensive. 

My Latest DNA Results

Recently, my St. Patrick's Day Ancestry.com special DNA deal results were returned.  I had tested with Ancestry years ago prior to autosomal's availability.  When the price for autosomal dropped, I decided to test with two other companies to gain access to their testing population and opted to have my children test with Ancestry.  I decided to purchase the Ancestry test because the price was right ($49.00), I wanted to go back one generation further than my children could do in search for my Morrison and Adams brick wall lines, and I wanted to play with Ancestry's new DNA feature, Thru Lines, without having to wade through my husband's side that my children inherited.

I'm pleased to connect with one Morrison and five Adams' family members.  Although this certainly doesn't resolve my brick wall it does support the direction I was going in with my research.  I suspected that my Edward Adams was the grandson of Sylvanus Adams of Sussex County, New Jersey but not being able to identify Edward's father, I couldn't prove it.  My hunch was due to the interesting male name of Evi.  After Edward died intestate in Perry County, Ohio in 1822, an Evi Adams living in the area served as administrator.  Evi died a few years later and I never was able to find his father, either.  Evi was about the same age as Edward so I surmised that they were either brothers or cousins.  There were several Evi's in Sylvanus Adams' lines before and after him so I felt strongly that Edward's brother/cousin must be related somehow.  DNA seems to be showing that's correct but I still haven't found that one document that's out there somewhere to prove it.

Although I'm pleased with the results I can understand how people who are new to genealogy and DNA give up after getting their results.  I know that the ethnic percents are only as valid as the pool used to compare findings.  In Ancestry's case, I'm 51% German.  I don't know how that's possible since I would have gotten half of my DNA from my mom, who was full blooded Croatian and half from my dad, who was a mix of German, Irish, English, Welsh and Scotts.  Ancestry shows me with NO Irish, English Welsh or Scotts.  According to Ancestry, I'm only 4% French.  23andMe had me as all French and no German.

I not only understand the pools from which the sample was compared differed, but the history of the areas.  My dad's people were from the Palatinate, the German-French area that experienced bloodshed for years and went back and forth between the two countries. So, am I French or German?  I realize I'm a mix of both and I'm fine with that.  If I didn't understand how this works, though, I would be totally confused.

Recently Ancestry got into trouble with their latest DNA commercial.  I believe their well loved commercial about the man trading his lederhosen in for a kilt should have been an eye opener.  I'm thinking that man needs to test elsewhere to get a fuller picture of his ancestry.

Rose is Found - But Not In A Likely Location!

I've blogged in the past about the weird finds that I make in locations that had no connection to the relative I was searching.  I just had another strange occurrence.

Since I did a surname study, my public Ancestry.com and MyHeritage.com trees contain all the Harbaughs in the U.S.  Although they are not all my relatives, I've been fascinated with that family since my mother-in-law shared a 1947 book, Harbaugh History, by Cooprider and Cooprider, that contained the family story going back to the immigrant ancestor, Yost Harbaugh, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1720.  I entered the information from the book, along with several older Harbaugh books that were published, into my trees in an attempt to connect all the Harbaughs.  I did this pre-DNA so I still have the lines of 13 immigrants (Herbach/Harbo) I haven't been able to connect.  Since I have so many Harbaughs and my tree is well sourced, a genealogy hobbyist shared a find she had recently made.

The hobbyist had visited an annual flea marked outside of Gainesville, Florida one Saturday morning and met a newly retired former antique dealer who had sold his shop in Hagerstown, Maryland and relocated to a rural area of Florida.  He decided to sell some of the items he had moved with him to his new home.  One of those items was a photo of a woman (above) and in pencil on the back, was recorded Miss Rose Harbaugh.  A clue to the location where the photo was taken was imprinted by the photographic studio on the front - Hagerstown, Maryland.

The hobbyist had grown up in Maryland and was familiar with the Harbaugh name.  Like me, she is not a relation to the family.  For some reason she can't explain, the photo haunted her and she decided to purchase it.  Once home, she went on Ancestry.com and found several trees that included a Rose Harbaugh.  The family loves to re-use names - there's a lot named George and Frederick.  Although Rose wasn't as widely used (I have identified 37), Rose was often given as a nickname.  In the case of the woman in the photo above, that was what happened - she is really Rosina Elizabeth Harbaugh.

The hobbyist decided she liked the effort I had put into my tree and that it was public but she wanted to make sure that the photograph was returned to someone who would appreciate it's uniqueness.  It was unique in that no one seems to have a photo of Rosina posted.  Also, Rose was noted to be a "Miss."  As a single woman in middle age with no children, it isn't likely she will be remembered.  The hobbyist wanted to find a person who understood the importance of preserving the photo.  Just finding a well sourced tree wasn't enough for the hobbyist so she decided to check me out online.  She said her decision was finalized when she found my website and my genealogical affiliations.

After connecting with me, the hobbyist and I chatted by phone about our genealogical passions and within a week, the photo was in my mailbox.

Rose never visited Florida but her photo gets to retire there.  The second daughter and sixth of nine children born to Jonathan and Elizabeth Stephey Harbaugh, Rose was born 15 Dec 1838 in Maryland.*  At 22, she remained with her parents and siblings outside of Cavetown, Maryland where her father farmed.  By 1870, the family had relocated to Ringgold, Maryland and Rose was employed as a domestic servant.  After both her parents died in 1879, Rose moved in with her brother, Samuel, and his wife, finding employment as a store clerk.  By 1900, Rose was living on her own; unfortunately, her employment status is unreadable in the 1900 US federal census.  In 1910, Rose was working as a 71 year old dressmaker and living on her own.  She died on 5 Dec 1917 in Smithsburg, Maryland and is buried in Smithsburg Cemetery.

Rose's photo is a welcome addition to my Harbaugh collection.  One hundred and one plus years after her death, Rose has found a new home thanks to Elaine May for her genealogical act of kindness.

*All information from Harbaugh History, US censuses and Find-A-Grave with full citations on my trees.

Lineage Societies - What gives?!

I am trying hard not to make this a rant so I'll let you know up front that I'm very frustrated with many of the lineage societies' directions and interpretations of what they consider acceptable.

In the past year, I've completed a number of society applications for clients and myself.  It seems each time there is something a society had a problem with that I couldn't see was an issue.  In the past month alone, I've had to have lengthy discussions with their genealogist over several sticking points.

I could certainly understand if the problem was lack of a record for proof of relationship.  I could also understand if it was because the person could not have been in two places at the same time; in other words, analysis of existing records couldn't determine which John Smith was the John Smith who would be a qualifying ancestor.  If the application directions were completely disregarded, I could also understand a rejection.  I cannot understand the following:

•  Applying for membership that says "send proof of [military] service"  and when more than one proof is sent, such as the enrollment application, pension application, 1890 veteran's census, newspaper clippings, and family letters to two different organizations for two different U.S. wars and being told in one situation that the sources were "a little thin" and in the other, that a record that was housed at the National Personnel Records center were necessary.  So, they never heard about the 1973 fire that destroyed the records they wanted?  Makes you think twice of the level of genealogical understanding of the organization.  How can a pension application, enlistment paperwork and veteran's census be considered "a little thin?
• Applying for a designated individual and then being told that the ancestor doesn't qualify because he was a nobleman and not royalty.  Had to initially laugh at that one because one of the sources for this disputed ancestor was titled, "The Interim King."  I was able to obtain qualification based on the nobleman's wife's father but for the life of me, I don't understand the difference between a nobleman serving as king and someone who inherited it from his father.  The individual who inherited the title came from a line that at one point had the first ruler.  What made that person royal?  I just don't understand.  The organization has yet to explain it to me.
• Being told the application was being rejected because the year for sources was omitted.  When I asked the application number that purportedly occurred I didn't get a response.  I always keep a copy and I couldn't find anywhere where I missed a date.  A week later I received an email that no further information was required.  I understand people make mistakes but own up to it.
• Being told that your application was accepted and two weeks later receiving an email stating that your application wasn't accepted.  Huh?  In that situation, the membership chair had obtained a list from the genealogist and assumed that names placed on the list had all been verified but evidently that wasn't the case; the list was for everyone who had submitted an application.  I understand errors happen but you'd think that the board would all be on the same page.

I'm not knocking lineage societies.  I think they serve a tremendous purpose.  Not only is there fraternity and hopefully, camaraderie, the ideals and promotion of the area of history they represent is important.  They are also a wonderful place to save genealogical information and honor our ancestors.  That said, I really wish they would get their act together.

Take Care With Those Hints!

When I was a newbie genealogist I loved the hints that Ancestry.com provided.  Now all of the online sites offer the same.  I was surprised to recently hear that a colleague of mine still happily accepts every hint that is shown.  Her reasoning was that she could always sort out later if something was amiss.

"Later"  like in never is what I say.  Here's a perfect example of why you need to be careful of those hints:

The hint above flagged for my uncle, George Joseph Kos who did live in northern Indiana and was born in 1921.  Family stories say that, although his attendance area high school was Lew Wallace in Gary, he somehow un-enrolled himself and re-enrolled in another high school at the urging of a football coach.  Of course, his parents found out about it and my grandmother was livid with all parties - the zoned school who allowed a minor to remove himself, the new school and coach for enrolling  him without permission and my uncle, well, for being my uncle.  So, the hint looks legit.

My trusting colleague would have clicked "save" while I would have clicked "ignore" if I didn't have time to check it out.  Ignore is a way to really save the hint to look at later while getting the leaf to disappear.

Now I'm going to analyze if this is a correct document for my uncle so I click "Review" on the hint and this displays:

Wow, that does look legit.  According to the family story, it was Roosevelt High School where he wanted to play football but  he was 15 when that happened.  I could rationalize that he was 15-16 years old during the 1936-1937 yearbook so the age is feasible.  But Roosevelt High School was in Gary, not East Chicago, a nearby town.  Could the towns boundaries have changed?  We see that so often in genealogy.  I'm still wary so I'd click view and this is what is displayed:

So, the Hint was really for a George KOSTIN not George Kos.  This was not my uncle. Then I remember, there were two Roosevelt High Schools.  Duh!

Hints are just that - hints - they are not guaranteed correct information.  Use with caution.