Have you ever thought you knew something only to find out that you actually didn't?
That's where I find myself in my family research.
I am stuck.
Oh, how I
hate that word.
I grew up knowing with certainty, that on my mom's side of the family, we knew who we were and where we came from.
Now, that I'm continuing the search my Grandpa Haines started, I realize that I've had a false sense of security. This leaves me with some questions...
Why do I care?
Does it matter anyway?
Why would "knowing" give me security?
I guess the answer is that these people are connected to me, and I feel like they're missing. I want to know more about them than I already do. I want to record their lives and
tell their stories.
And finally - even though I don't know them -
I love them.
I grew up with these faces...
Meet Henry! Henry is my 3rd Great Grandfather. He's rockin' that beard isn't he? His is a tragic story. He served in the Civil War and we have letters written between he and his wife, Ursula, during his time of service. They were desperate to reunite and he survived the war. He got sick on the way home and died four days after their reunion. He left behind three young children.
But I can find no record of his birth or family.
Meet John! John is my 2nd Great Grandfather and would have been Henry's son-in-law if they'd ever met. I think he's a
snappy dresser with the best mustache I've ever seen. He married Henry's daughter, Mary, and they bought a home together after their wedding. They were waiting to move into it when John died of diabetes. He left behind three young children - one of whom was my Great Grandma Edna. Like many women, Mary was destitute and eventually had to put all the children up for adoption.
He too leaves behind a mystery as to his background. To make matters worse, they lived in New York and his last name is Johnson. Can you get names more common than John and Mary Johnson?
So how do I get
unstuck?
I'm not sure yet, but when I find out, trust me, you'll be the first to know.
Family History Tip: Hitting roadblocks is common in genealogy so be prepared for frustration. Carefully comb through any documents and records you may have, looking for clues about work and home life. Finally, use different types of spellings for family names as census takers are notorious for misspelling names.
