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Sunday, February 10, 2008

Hard Work

So I have spent these last couple of weeks working on family history. I have enjoyed it immensley, but there have been times where I have felt like giving it up. Dead ends, lack of information, bad information, no information, etc etc have put me into a crazy delirium. Its almost like when you go to say something and someone else interupts you and after they get done they ask you what you were going to say... and you can't remember. And so it goes with family history, just when you think you know what you have what you need, you realize that you need more information. This week has paid off; I think. It might take some more researching and time but I think I may have hit the motherload working on Ken's line. He basically has about 3 generations back (on both sides) but not much else. So, away I went looking for answers. I have discovered that it helps to collaborate with others. I found someone else working on Gene's line and another one working on Ken's line.
Ancestry.com has several family trees that are being contributed to. If you have a name that might be in someone else's line you get a "hint" that they might be someone to contact for more information or to see if they are even working on the same line. I found Joyce, a woman in Ohio that has gone back several more generations on Ken's line; at least that's what I initally thought. So she sends me an email back saying who might be related and attached a pdf document showing decendants of a particular person. After comparing locations, dates and family members I come to a quick conclusion that yes, this is the same line. Only after my jubilant email to Ken do I take a closer look and discover that my Edward could not have had a certain child as he was born 50 years earlier. So, I had to break the news to Ken...sorry, I spoke too soon. I spend the rest of the week feeling completely foolish and humilated as I jumped to a conclusion.
But then I get an email back from Joyce saying that according to the information I sent her that there is a high probability that my Edward is the SON of her Edward. She quoted a census record and said she would do some more research...Not that I want to jump to conclusions, but the odds are pretty good that we are talking about the same boy who has the same mother, father and siblings that are within the same geographical location at the same time. It is nice when things work out the way they should. But I also have in the back of my mind the oft familiar warning: "If it's too good to be true, it probably is."
I will update as soon as I have more information.

2 comments:

Ken Hendricks said...

Thanks for doing my family history. And your branching out with something not about a book? I'm surprised. I thought you were a purist.

Kathy said...

That is exciting about Ken's family. It does make it easier when you don't have to go back 15 generations to ge started. Family History work is fun but frustrating too. Good luck on your search and thanks for doing it. We appreciate it. Aaron I think it's time for an updated picture on your blog. I hardly recognize you in the picture you have on it.