Have You Helped Someone With Their Genealogy?
Things have been quiet on the blog because I’ve been fighting some allergies, but let’s change that. Please comment below about your experiences.
I do genealogy and DNA work for pay, but often, I do things for free. In fact, one of my friends says he needs to be my business manager because I’m not doing things right lol…. (I know he’s just kidding.)
I work at a local farmer’s market, and last week, I met a lady who was 80 years old. During our conversation, she told me her father had never married her mother and that her mother had died when she was only a few months old. She was adopted and raised by her mother’s sister and husband. She said she always wondered about her father. I think she said she knew that he’d married, but that was about all she knew. I asked her to give me what details she knew and give me her name and phone number. I told her I couldn’t work on it over the weekend because I was going away, but I’d see what I could find out before the next market.
So, on Tuesday evening, I researched her father’s side. I have to say that it was probably the most straightforward bit of research I’ve done. I only knew his name and approximate age when she was born and that he had a younger sister. In the 1931 Canada Census (you can search the Canada Census for free on Ancestry and MyHeritage, but you will need to pay to view the actual documents. But there is a lot of info on the search screen), I found one family by that name living in the city where she was born, and the boy had a sister. (I actually found this right after she left the market by using the app on my phone, but I wanted to do a proper search on my computer… bigger screen for these eyes).
I never assume, so I continued to confirm this was my guy. As I went along, I kept notes of what I was learning about the family. I then checked the 1921 Canada Census and learned more. I wanted to gather as much about his parents because these would be her grandparents.
I found him crossing the Canada/US border with his wife and son in 1952, and they were going there to live. I learned more about his occupation, his family in the US, and, ultimately, when he died and where he was buried.
But you might be wondering how I figured it was my guy. As I gathered information, I found a tree and realized it was his daughter’s tree (yes, my new friend has a half-sister). The lady was using a username, but I could figure out her likely real name, and I found her on Facebook. I confirmed I had the right family because this lady had researched my new friend’s family and showed my friend in her tree. (Note that no details or names show because all her generation and the previous were shown as living, but there is enough to know I have the right family).
By the time I had researched for around three hours, I had a seven-page report that included photos of my new friend’s father, grandparents, and even one of her great-grandparents. Her grandfather had lived an interesting life, but I won’t get into that.
While driving to the farmer’s market, I called my new friend and asked if she would be going to the market. She said yes, and I told her I had information for her. When I saw her, I asked her again what she knew about her dad.. and she said really nothing, only what she’d told me.
I then reviewed all the information I gathered and showed her the photos. She was beaming and said she never imagined she’d learn so much and that this was the greatest gift of all. I have to tell you that my heart was happy because I could tell she really meant it.
I told her to take the folder I had prepared home, and if she decided that she’d like to contact her sister, I could do that for her as she had no computer. I feel that if her half-sister has her in her tree, she obviously knows about her and might be open to contact.
So we will see what might happen next.
If you’ve had an experience like this, please post in the comments below. It doesn’t have to be the entire story, but it could be what you did and how it made you feel. Happy hunting.
For my research, I used Ancestry, MyHeritage, and Newspapers.com.
If you think you have a friend that might like this blog, please feel free to share it with a friend.
Note: The post above may contain affiliate links. This means I make a small percentage of the sales via these links. This does not INCREASE the price you pay as a consumer. This is a supplement to my income so I can continue to support this blog and make donations to the Alzheimer’s’ Society.
If you’re not already a member of my pack (after all, many of you are Family History Hounds like I am), you can sign up here, or click the form below, and you won’t miss a post. By joining, you’ll not only get updates on blogs, but you’ll also receive special offers from my genealogy friends, and they’ll all come to your inbox.
