Personalized Family Trees Are Great Cousin Bait

Family photos as cousin bait on FamilySearch.org

Ancestor photos are terrific cousin bait on family trees!

Recently, I contacted someone who had posted a photo of a descendant of my husband's great-great-granddaddy, Benjamin McClure. She immediately wrote back to confirm the relationship! We are excited about exchanging other photos and genealogical details. That's why I'm taking the time to personalize all my trees with photos on key ancestors. It's simple, it's easy, so I'm going for it.

Photos Catch the Eye

The handful of photos I've posted on my family trees on Family Search (above), Ancestry, and MyHeritage are designed to attract the eye of anyone researching these ancestors. Instead of a generic silhouette, these ancestors have a face!

I'm in the process of adding some photos to FindMyPast as well, since many of my husband's ancestors (Wood, McClure, Larimer, and more) were from England and Northern Ireland.

The faces personalize family trees and encourage cousins to get in touch. I'm including brief photo captions as well for a bit of added personalization. My photo caption for Marian Jane McClure simply provides her birth/death years and says she is the daughter of Brice Larimer McClure and Floyda Mabel Steiner McClure.

Of course, for privacy reasons, any photos and captions I post do not include faces or names of living people.
Watch Those Ancestors

Click the star to "watch" an ancestor on FamilySearch

On Family Search, I've clicked the star to "watch" key ancestors (see purple oval above). That means I'll get a message if and when anybody else makes any change to these ancestors. Usually I'm notified by email about a message.

But I can also log in and look for a dot above the "messages" link (see purple arrow). If a dot appears there, I'll know there's been a change to a "watched" ancestor OR a possible cousin is getting in touch!

Happy cousin hunting!

Ten Miles of Travel to the Gretna Green

White Pigeon, Michigan - where William Tyler Bentley Larimer
married Elizabeth Stauffer on March 7, 1872

My husband's 2d great uncle, William Tyler Bentley Larimer (1850-1921) lived in Middlebury, Elkhart county, Indiana, at the time of his marriage. His wife, Elizabeth Stauffer (1852-1936), also lived in Middlebury. He was 22, she was 19, both of age to be married without parental consent on the day they were wed.

Yet the couple crossed from Indiana into Michigan to marry. Their wedding day was Thursday, March 7, 1872. On the marriage ledger, he listed his occupation as "rail road," and she said she was an "employee" (no firm or industry indicated).

William and Elizabeth ("Lizzie") were married in White Pigeon, Indiana, by a Minister of the Gospel, whose wife and another local lady were witnesses to the marriage.

Why travel away from their home town to get married?

Sure looks to me like they eloped. Looking at the map and doing a bit of historical research showed me why White Pigeon was their travel destination.

Getting to a Gretna Green

In the Midwest, Crown Point, Indiana was a popular Gretna Green because couples could obtain a marriage license and marry the same day. But Crown Point is 100 miles from Middlebury, where William and Lizzie lived. If they couldn't get married without waiting in Middlebury or anywhere in Elkhart county, it made sense to find another Gretna Green closer to home.

As the map above shows, Middlebury, Indiana, is south of White Pigeon, Michigan but not very far away. In fact, it's only 10 miles. Even if the would-be bride and groom began from Elkhart itself (far left of map), the distance to White Pigeon is just 21 miles.

A rail road runs through it

How did William and Lizzie travel to their chosen Gretna Green? A little research into transportation of the time uncovered that Elkhart, IN was situated along a major railroad line that led to White Pigeon, MI. It would be easy and convenient to hop a train, get married, and take the train home again in one day.

Another clue is the groom's occupation. In the 1870 Census, William was a clerk at the "rail road depot." His father was a "rail road station agent." Obviously William knew the rail lines well.

So my conclusion is that William and Lizzie were planning on getting married when they boarded a train from Elkhart, Indiana to White Pigeon, Michigan. I can't guess whether the newlyweds remained in White Pigeon or returned home the same day. I do know they were married for 49 years, until William died of heart trouble in 1921. Lizzie survived another 15 years.

UPDATE: Interesting family history twist: William and Lizzie's oldest child, born 14 months after the elopement, decided to elope by train to a Gretna Green in Michigan when he married on July 4, 1899.

This is my #52Ancestors post for the prompt "Travel."

Mother's Day: Mom in Context

Context is so important when trying to understand what life was like for ancestors. Where did they live, where did they work or study, and what was the family like, what was the economic and social situation at the time?

On Mother's Day, I'm thinking about Mom and her twin sister, and what it was like for them to graduate high school in January of 1936.

Twins in James Monroe High School

My Mom, Daisy Schwartz Burk (1919-1981) and her sister, my aunt Dorothy Schwartz (1919-2001), went to James Monroe High School in the Bronx, New York. It was more than two miles from their home, so they most likely hopped on a bus to go to school.

No longer in operation, the giant high school had been open for only a dozen years. It is shown on page 103 of The Bronx: It Was Only Yesterday, 1935-1965, by Lloyd Ultan and Gary Hermalyn of the Bronx County Historical Society.

Using the MyHeritage in Color tool, I colorized the black-and-white yearbook photos of Daisy and Dorothy, as shown above. Both were good students who earned honors (see the "Arista" designation in their yearbook profiles).

Graduating into the Great Depression

Daisy and Dorothy graduated high school at the end of January, 1936. It was common to have January graduations in those days, not just for high school but for all New York City schools.

The twins, barely 16 years old, were graduating into the depths of the Great Depression.

Still, they soon found secretarial work in Manhattan to help support the family and supplement income from the family grocery store in the Bronx.


Their older brother, Fred, was finishing college, en route to a teaching position. Dorothy was planning to attend Hunter College, with Daisy continuing to work.

The twins worked in midtown skyscraper office buildings, slightly shorter than those in this New York State Archives photo of the city skyline. They commuted by subway from the Bronx to Manhattan, a ride of less than one hour each way. Jobs in Manhattan were more plentiful and certainly higher paying than those in the Bronx!

On Mother's Day, I'm remembering Mom with much love, and colorizing her with her beloved twin sister. 

V-E Day for Harold Burk in Paris

Harold Burk in Paris - April, 1945

My father, Harold Burk (1909-1978) and his younger brother, Sidney Burk (1914-1995) both registered with their local draft New York City board in October of 1940. Harold enlisted in the military early in March, 1942, at the age of 32. Sidney enlisted in July of 1942, at age 28.

For the 75th Anniversary of V-E Day, I'm retelling the story of my Dad, who was in or near Paris on May 8, 1945.

Harold Burk, Personnel Clerk

As a civilian, Harold was a travel agent at a big New York City hotel, a job that required good typing. This skill landed him the assignment of personnel clerk in the 3163d Signal Service Company of the U.S. Army Signal Corps, a unit responsible for communications. His official designation was Administrative NCO 502.

Harold and his unit spent nearly eight months in Europe, participating in two major campaigns: Central Europe and Rhineland. Their role was to develop communication lines in support of Allied military efforts. He and his unit spent late 1944 and early 1945 near Paris.

Harold Burk, Photographed in Paris

Harold and his Signal Corps unit remained near Paris in the spring of 1945. I know that not just from his military records but from photos he mailed home to family.

As shown at top, Harold posed in front of the Arc de Triomphe in April of 1945 (according to the date on the back of that photo).



He posed with eight buddies from his unit in the photo shown here. The back of the photo has a caption, written by Harold, showing the date as April 22, 1945, and listing the names of others in his unit. Dad is in the front row, second from right.

I can only imagine the cheers and celebrations he joined as the war in Europe ended on this day, 75 years ago. Was he in the heart of Paris or just a few miles outside when the news broke? No letters survive to tell the tale.

Still, these photos helped me follow his movements at this momentous time in World War II. Well done, Dad. Thank you and all the men and women of the military for the vital roles they played in winning the war.

V-E Day for Farkas Family Members in the Service

My 1C1R Robert Farkas in the 303d Medical
Battn of 78th Infantry Division, U.S. Army

The June, 1945 meeting of my Farkas Family Tree was a joyous one, taking place just weeks after Victory in Europe Day on May 8.

This tree group had been formed in 1933 to maintain the close relationships among children and grandchildren of my immigrant ancestors, Moritz Farkas (1857-1936) and Lena Kunstler Farkas (1865-1938).

The "tree" met ten times a year, bringing together dozens of family members from around the New York City area.

During World War II, the highlight of every monthly meeting was when the group listened to the reading of letters written home by Farkas relatives serving in the military. Emotions ran high as the family hoped for the safe return home of all service members.

My aunt, Sgt. Dorothy Schwartz,
served as a WAC in WWII

When the Farkas Family Tree met in June of 1945, it was an especially happy occasion because of the Allied victory and pride in the role of family members who did their part. The minutes singled out the accomplishments of two family members in the service.

I'm highlighting in yellow the quoted excerpts from the minutes of June, 1945 to distinguish them from my explanations.

Sgt. Dorothy Schwartz - Bronze Star Medalist

"Dorothy, now in Belgium, seems to have had quite a riotous time on V-E Day." - This sentence refers to my Auntie, Sgt. Dorothy Schwartz (1919-2001), who was a WAC serving in Europe. She was in an important administrative support role for the 9th Air Force, and by the time of V-E Day, had been moved from France to Belgium as battles were fought and won. Alas, I don't have Dorothy's letter describing her "riotous time" but I am so glad to know that she celebrated.

"Dorothy was awarded the Bronze Star Medal." - In fact, my aunt's citation read: For "meritorious service in direct support of operations against the enemy." During 17 months of bombardment leading up to V-E Day, she took shorthand listening in as commanders discussed when and where to bomb the enemy. Her key role was to quickly and accurately transcribe the bombing orders so they could be distributed to flight commanders right away. She was always cognizant that lives were on the line, and she took her responsibilities very seriously, according to her letters home.

Technician 4th Class Robert Farkas - Three Battle Stars 

"Regional censorship being lifted in the ETO [European Theater of Operations], Bob wrote what he could about where he is and it wasn't much even though a 3d party was not reading the letters." - Robert "Bob" Farkas (1924-2014) had enlisted in the U.S. Army at age 18 and was part of the medical corps. After training, he was sent to England, France, Belgium, and Germany to provide care for wounded service members.

"Bob has three battle stars." - He served in B Company, 303d medical battalion of the 78th Infantry Division of the U.S. Army, and I believe I spotted him in this photo of the 303d. He's smiling in the next-to-back row, 6th from the right. Bob was one of the most prolific of the letter-writers, sending home frequent descriptions of what he was doing and seeing during training and all over Europe. He wrote that he learned more from the aftermath of the first combat experience in Europe than he did from all of his previous training.

Let me salute all the servicepeople who participated in the Allied war effort leading up to V-E Day.

This is my post for week 19 of Amy Johnson Crow's #52Ancestors genealogy prompts - service.

Where Our Ancestors Lived in America

Using books to learn more
about where our ancestors lived

Some years ago, hubby and I took a memorable daylong tour of the Bronx, New York, with Professor Lloyd Ultan, who is the County Historian.

I bought the two books above not just for nostalgia (being a native Bronxite), but also to look up places where my immigrant ancestors lived. In search of historical context for my genealogy research!

Where My Ancestors Lived in the Bronx

Many immigrant members of my family tree settled in the Bronx after spending time in the Lower East Side of Manhattan and, in some cases, living in Jewish Harlem in Manhattan. I found photos and explanations of the streets where they lived and worked in two Bronx books, The Beautiful Bronx and The Bronx in the Innocent Years.

For instance, my paternal grandma Henrietta Mahler (1881-1954) plus one brother and both her parents were born in Eastern Europe. After the parents and two oldest children came to New York City, the rest of the Mahler children were born in the Big Apple.

In 1920, my great aunt Ida Mahler (1892-1971) married immigrant Louis Volk (1890-1952), who was originally from Sukian, Russia. As their family grew, they moved uptown to a series of nice Bronx neighborhoods (Walton Ave., Morris Ave., Rochambeau Ave., Findlay Ave.).

The Bronx books show photos of typical apartment buildings on those streets, explaining that the areas were desirable because they were within walking distance of mass transit like subway, trolley, and bus lines.

It was fascinating to watch the development of the neighborhoods, one historical photo at a time, and imagine my ancestors' daily lives as they shopped in local stores and sent children to local schools. Almost like time travel to when/where my ancestors spent so many years of their lives!

Where Hubby's Ancestors Lived in Upper Sandusky

The small book in the photo is Images of America: Upper Sandusky, a pictorial history of the town in Ohio where my husband's maternal grandma Floyda Steiner (1878-1948) and her family lived before the turn of the 20th century. She and her siblings kept homes there well into the middle of the 1900s.

The book has photos of the very lovely and well-kept Old Mission Cemetery, where Floyda and her siblings are buried. Included was a photo of the infamous gravestone incorrectly inscribed with a death date of February 31. We saw (and photographed) that grave when visiting Steiner graves a few years ago.

The book has lots of photos of churches and schools, some of which were attended by Floyda and her family. In addition, it has some dated photos of local families whose names are familiar from the FAN club of my hubby's family tree.

Some of the homes where Steiners lived in the 1900s are no longer standing, replaced by newer buildings. But my husband and I both enjoyed paging through the history of Upper Sandusky and learning more about the key people and events shaping the town's development over the years--great context for understanding his family history.

Why I Love the 1900 and 1910 US Census

Is it wrong to play favorites? I have two favorite years in the U.S. Census: 1900 and 1910.

As shown above, these are favorites because of the specific questions asked during those two Census years. The answers that ancestors gave were clues to further researching their lives. Here are just two examples.

1900 US Census Clues: Farkas Family

As enumerated in the 1900 Census, my maternal great-grandfather Moritz "Morris" Farkas (1857-1936) was a boarder in the household of a Roth cousin. His birth year is shown as 1857. The month is not indicated (it's omitted from many on this page).

Thanks to this Census hint about birth year, I went looking for Moritz's birth in the Hungarian records a few years ago. At the time, I had to request FHL microfilm #642919 of Jewish records gathered at Fehergyarmat, Hungary. Very exciting to find him there (as "Moses Farkas") after two hours of cranking the microfilm reader at a nearby Family History Center!

1910 US Census Clues: McClure Family

Here's the 1910 Census for my husband's great-great uncle Train Caldwell McClure (1843-1934). Look way over to the right on this record and you'll see "UA" in the column reserved for recording veterans. UA = Union Army!

I searched for and found his Civil War service in Company A of the 89th Indiana Infantry. Train entered the Union Army on August 3, 1862, and was mustered out nearly three years later on July 19, 1865 at Mobile, AL, according to the Report of the Adjutant General of the State of Indiana.

These are only two examples of why I love the 1900 and 1910 U.S. Census. For now, these years are my favorites.

But in April of 2022, I'll have a new favorite: The 1950 U.S. Census, which will be released that year with a lot of detailed information about my ancestors. I can't wait!

Where There's a Will, There Are Cousins

My husband's great-aunt Etta Blanche Steiner Rhuark (1864-1956) outlived all of her siblings except one.

My hubby inherited a copy of her 1952 will inside a box of family paperwork.

Blanche named her sister and other beneficiaries, and also described their relationship to her. A sister, nieces and nephews--giving me a more complete picture of my husband's cousins.

The Steiner Siblings

Etta was one of nine children of Edward George Steiner (1830-1880) and Elizabeth Jane Rinehart (1834-1905).

Sadly, neither of the first two babies lived very long. Then Edward and Elizabeth had a healthy son, followed by six daughters. The last of the girls (born 26 years after the first baby) was expected to be a boy. That's the family story about why my husband's grandmother was named Floyda.

The handwritten list of Steiner siblings shown above was jotted by Floyda's husband, Brice Larimer McClure (hubby's granddaddy), on the back of one of his business cards from the 1940s. Thank you, Granddaddy Brice!

Blanche's Will Names Names

By the time Blanche died in 1956, at the age of 92, she had outlived her husband and all of her siblings except one, Carrie Eilleen Steiner Traxler (1870-1963). In Blanche's will, she named "my sister Carrie E. Traxler" to inherit a home and property. She also named her sister-in-law to inherit property.

Blanche left money to Floyda's grandchildren (including my hubby), naming them in full in her will and identifying them by relationship ("children of ...").

She left money to another sister's grandchildren, also naming them in full and by relationship ("children of ...").

Because Blanche identified each person by relationship, I was able to trace these cousins and add them and their descendants to the family tree. In addition, I connected with one cousin to share genealogy info. Where there's a will, there are cousins!
--
Amy Johnson Crow's #52Ancestors prompt for week 18 is "where there's a will."

Remembering Little Sis in Color

At age 12, my "Little Sis" was a Girl Scout. Here she is at a scouting event, holding a big plate of brownies.

When I uploaded the original black-and-white photo to MyHeritage, its auto-colorizing tool did a good job with her skin color and her hair color.

Even though the scout uniforms and berets aren't as green as they should be in the colorized version, it's still a treat to see my younger sister in color at age 12.

Remembering my Little Sis with love, and missing her, on what would have been her birthday.

His and Her Heirlooms from When We Were Born

With the Covid-19 pandemic keeping us inside since mid-March, I've been documenting family history by writing about heirlooms that will be passed to the next generation.

Wally's baby book and silver porringer

Today is a look at keepsakes from when my husband and I were born.

His: Baby Book and Silver Porringer

My late mother-in-law (Marian Jane McClure
Wood) was given a small baby book to record milestones in the life of her first-born child, my wonderful hubby.

Shown here is the baby book alongside a silver porringer, engraved with baby's initials (WEW). Although the book contains the names of several dozen well-wishers who gave baby gifts, this silver porringer isn't listed. Nor is it listed as a gift for "baby's first Christmas." Although we don't know who presented it to my husband, it's still a treasured heirloom.

The baby book turned out to be a bonanza for my family-history research. In it are the names of many people identified by family relationship, such as "Aunt Nellie Kirby" and "Grandparents McClure." Over the years, as I've fleshed out the family tree, I've recognized other gift-givers as great aunts/uncles and cousins.

By correlating the book with other sources (such as Census records and the diaries of my late father-in-law, Edgar James Wood), I've confirmed who's who in the family's inner circle, and also narrowed down dates for the death of people who don't appear.

Hers: Silver Napkin Ring

Marian's silver napkin ring from the Farkas Family Tree

In my mother's Farkas Family Tree association, the traditional baby gift was a silver napkin ring.

On one side was engraved the baby's initials (mine is shown here).

The other side was engraved with the birth date and "Farkas Family Tree."

No matter whether a baby was a boy or a girl, the Farkas Family Tree bestowed this napkin ring, personalized for each child.

Because I have the Farkas Family Tree meeting minutes from 1933-1964, I know that controversy erupted when the mother of a baby boy asked whether the gift might be something other than a napkin ring. After heated discussion during a family meeting, the mother was out-voted.

According to the minutes, this aunt asked for reconsideration several times at meetings over the years, only to be voted down every time.

Tradition won out, and all babies in the family continued to receive silver napkin rings. That's part of the legacy I'm sharing with my heirs along with this keepsake.

Cousin Bait on Find a Grave

Find a Grave memorial for Grandma Henrietta

Free and easy cousin bait: post photos and link family members on Find a Grave, the giant gravestone memorial website now owned by Ancestry.com.

Here's an example from my father's family tree. This is the Find a Grave memorial for my Grandma Henrietta Mahler Burk (1881-1954).

Look for Family Links

See the arrow pointing to "Family Members" in the middle of this image?

That shows extensive linking of Henrietta to her parents' memorials on Find a Grave, to her spouse (hi, Grandpa Isaac), and to her siblings and one child (hi, Dad).

Most often, only a family member will take the time to link so many family members. And that's a clue to possibly connecting with a cousin. You can "view source" next to the memorial ID number, then write a nice note to the person who manages the memorial, explaining how you believe you're related to the person in the memorial and asking for more info or offering to share more genealogy info.

Look for Personal Photos 

See the two ovals around the words "Added by M Wood" under the grave photo and the person photo?

That tells you who posted the photos. (In this case, me!)

Although volunteers frequently post gravestone photos, they rarely have personal photos of the person who's passed away.

That's why it's a good idea to click on personal photos, read any captions, and then write a nice note to the person who posted them.

Register on Find a Grave to Participate

To send/receive messages, post photos, and link family members' memorials on Find a Grave, you'll need to register, which is free.

Once you've signed in, you can participate in setting bait for cousins and following bait to find possible cousins.

Good luck!

Ancestor Landing Pages as Genealogical Cousin Bait

Ancestor landing pages on my genealogy blog

Cousin bait! 

Genealogy blogs are excellent cousin bait.

I use the ancestor landing pages that stretch along the top of my genealogy blog to summarize what I know about key ancestors in my family tree and my husband's family tree.

When a cousin searches online for a family name, my blog (and my landing pages) will show up in the results.

Over the years, as I add to these landing pages, I've also attracted more views and connected with more cousins.

Posting photos and other images makes these pages inviting and easy to read.

This table shows the number of views for each landing page, as of this morning.



Most Popular: McClure Landing Page

McClure/Donegal is by far the most popular landing page. My husband's mother was a McClure, descended from one of the branches traced in the well-researched book Following the McClures--Donegal to Botetourt, which follows the McClure family across the Atlantic Ocean and through Philadelphia, Virginia, and beyond.

When I blog about an ancestor or family, I put a link on the corresponding ancestor landing page. That keeps the landing pages current.

Welcome, cousins! Hope your next online search lands you on my genealogy blog.
--
Thanks to Amy Johnson Crow for this week's #52Ancestors theme of "land."

Family History: On the Air in Cleveland, Ohio

Cleveland Heights OH Youth Theater TV show 

In his younger days, my husband was "on the air," performing in weekly radio and television shows produced by Children's Theater on the Heights in Cleveland, Ohio. The director was Jerry Leonard. 

Not long ago, I did an online search and found a brief piece about Jerry Leonard in Case Western Reserve University's online Encyclopedia of Cleveland History. The entry had no illustrations. And that's where Wood family history comes in.

Safely stored in my archival boxes are a few black-and-white photos of dress rehearsals from local TV shows in which my husband appeared. He loved to act, and his talented sister painted the scenery. Their classmate Larry Gorjup took the photos during dress rehearsals. 

At top, Larry's photo of "The Emperor's New Clothes," which aired live on Cleveland TV station WEWS in February, 1955. My hubby played the part of a tailor selling new clothes to the emperor.

I contacted the Encyclopedia editors and offered to scan and send the photos, along with informative captions, to flesh out the Jerry Leonard entry. They immediately accepted. 

Now a small part of my husband's family history is part of Cleveland's history as presented in the online Encyclopedia. (The Encyclopedia is looking for new contributors to get involved in writing the entries, by the way!)

If you have photos or stories with a connection to history, please consider sharing with a museum, historical society, university, or other repository. You'll be adding a human dimension to history while keeping your family's history alive for new generations.

Thanks to Amy Johnson Crow for this week's #52Ancestors prompt of "air."

Grandma Minnie's Lavalier Pendant

Minnie Farkas Schwartz's pendant

My immigrant maternal grandma Hermina (Minnie) Farkas Schwartz (1886-1964) lived a modest life, with not a lot to spare for frills like jewelry. She and her husband worked long hours, standing on their feet in the Bronx grocery store they owned.

They took one "honeymoon" trip to Florida during retirement, decades after they were married. Otherwise, their big retirement extravagance(!) was renting an inexpensive bungalow outside New York City for a few weeks each summer.

Yet Minnie left each of her granddaughters a couple of fine jewelry pieces. I received the delicate gold pendant shown here, plus a diamond ring. Sis's inherited earrings have lovely European-cut diamonds. I'm documenting these heirlooms for future generations, and telling Grandma's stories to go along with the jewelry.

The question that Sis and I want to answer is . . . where did Grandma Minnie get this jewelry, and when?

Minnie's Immigrant Background 

Minnie was the second-oldest child of Moritz Farkas (1857-1936) and Leni Kunstler Farkas (1865-1938). The family lived in Beregszasz, Hungary, where Moritz managed agricultural land and leased some land for his own crops.

According to family legend, Moritz was so successful for so long that one year, he didn't bother insuring his crops. That year, a big hailstorm wiped out his plantings, leaving him financially ruined.

In 1899, Moritz sailed for America to make a new life, leaving his wife and children in Hungary. In 1900, Leni's mother sent her to America to reunite with Moritz, while the children remained behind. Finally, Minnie (age 14) and her older brother brought two of their younger siblings with them to New York to reunite with the parents. It wasn't until 1903 that the entire family was together in one small apartment on East 3rd Street in the Lower East Side of Manhattan.

Minnie and Teddy in the Grocery Business

Minnie immediately went to work to help support the family. She met her future husband, Tivador "Teddy" Schwartz (1887-1965) in a Hungarian deli in the Lower East Side. Initially, her family was against the match, but she eventually persuaded them to give their consent. Minnie and Teddy married in 1911, both 24 years old.

Teddy had to give up being an agent for steamship lines when World War I erupted. Instead, he opened a grocery store in the Bronx. For nearly 40 years, Teddy ran a store and Minnie worked alongside him, often relying on her younger sisters to care for her son and twin daughters.

The grocery business helped Minnie and Teddy to weather the Depression with sufficient food, but the stress of long hours standing on their feet hurt their health. Teddy moved his store several times as the population of the Bronx moved northward to more suburban-like neighborhoods. They took their first out-of-state vacation only after selling the store during the 1950s, when they were already in their late 60s.

Who Had Money for Jewelry?

Sis and I wonder how Minnie (or possibly Teddy) acquired the pieces of jewelry that we girls inherited. We agree there was little extra money until possibly after the sale of the grocery store. Maybe Teddy splurged for Minnie's special birthday or their 25th or 50th wedding anniversary? Or Sis wonders whether customers may have paid for groceries with jewelry during the Depression?

Next step: Asking an older cousin whether Minnie's mother might have brought some good jewelry with her from Hungary or inherited jewelry heirlooms from her ancestors. UPDATE: Cousin doesn't know of any inherited jewelry that came from Hungary, so the origin of the lavalier pendant remains a mystery.

Turn on Your GPS and Look at the Actual Image

Oh, it's tempting to accept the transcription here, and not look further.

After all, Aaron Work (1837-1924) is only a roomer in somebody else's household. He's a 1c4r, not a major figure in my husband's family tree.

But maybe he's rooming with a member of the FAN club (friends, associates, neighbors) possibly meaningful to family history?

Time to turn on the GPS (Genealogical Proof Standard). Don't settle for somebody else's transcription.

Always look at the image of the actual record. 

Here's what happened when I went looking for Aaron Work with the GPS in mind.

Transcription says household of King family

I was researching Aaron Work for last week's #52Ancestors prompt, because he was a fire insurance agent and the prompt was fire.

In the 1920 US Census, Aaron was widowed and a roomer, as the transcription shows. Following the Genealogical Proof Standard of referring to the original record rather than relying on a transcription, I clicked to view the Census page.

And that's when I saw something that I've heard about but not yet experienced in 23 years of genealogical research.

"Supplemental" entry

Aaron's entry was added later by a supervisor, long after the enumerator had completed that page. It was marked as "supplemental" and added on April 1st, whereas the rest of that page was dated January 22.

The official Census Day in 1920 was January 1st, but officials continued to follow up and look for people who had not been counted in the first round. Apparently Aaron was one of those people missing when the enumerator came to his door.

Look at the red arrow on the supplemental entry above. The note shows where Aaron really belongs in the Census: "See 4A, line 37." Also note that Aaron has many blank lines above his name. The entry directly above him, with blank lines in between, is of the King household, and therefore the transcription seems to have lumped him into that household. Wrongly, as it turns out.

Page 4A, line 37 

I clicked backward on the Census images from page 8A, where the supplemental entry was listed, to page 4A. Above is a snippet showing number 37 at far left of the Census page. The date of this page was January 13, 1920.

The two people in this household are brother and sister, names that I don't recognize but will have to research to determine if they're at all related to the Work family.

Where Aaron Work was on the day the Census enumerator originally came around, I can't guess. I only know that he was later tracked down and added as a supplemental entry.

If I had accepted the transcription without checking further, I could have been chasing King as a potential FAN club member--and gone down an entirely incorrect path.

Thanks to the GPS, I didn't take a wrong turn. I looked at the image and saw the household where Aaron Work would have been enumerated if he had been home.

In citing my source, I need to mention both the 8A Census page of the supplemental entry and the 4A Census page of the household where the supervisor said he resided in 1920.

Easter and Passover, Past and Present

Marian McClure, age 4

Here's a delightful 1913 Easter photo of my late mother-in-law, Marian Jane McClure Wood (1909-1983), taken in Cleveland, Ohio, when she was four years old. Marian was an adored only child and the family is fortunate to have good photos from her early years.

Also, here is a pretty Easter greeting sent to my husband's uncle Wallis W. Wood (1905-1957) in 1914, in Cleveland, Ohio.

It was mailed from his "Aunt Ada" (Adelaide Mary Ann) Slatter Baker) in Toledo, Ohio.

Relatives sent the Wood children colorful penny postal greetings like this for nearly every occasion. Luckily, we have dozens from the first two decades of the 1900s, excellent sources of info such as home addresses.

Since my husband's grandfather moved his family from address to address during that period, as he built and sold each home, we can track where they were by looking at the addresses on these post cards.


Passover and Easter Today

During the coronavirus pandemic, we are staying at home for safety and aren't able to celebrate Passover or Easter with traditional family get-togethers.

For Passover this year, we participated in a small video-conferenced family gathering and sang some favorite Passover songs--with wine and matzo, of course.

For Easter, my husband and I are cooking a special dinner for two. Dessert: brownies brought by the Easter bunny!

It's a challenging time, and we really miss seeing family and friends, but better safe than sorry. Next year, we'll celebrate with loved ones in person.

The Burk A Bracelet

Hospital bracelet for "Baby Girl Burk A" - firstborn twin (that's me)

A recent #genchat discussion of birth traditions and records triggered my memory of this tiny beaded bracelet, which I used to keep in my jewelry box with other precious keepsakes. It is now in an archival sleeve inside a family history box along with a printout of this, the story of the Burk A Bracelet. I'm using the time spent at home during the pandemic to write more about heirlooms I will bequeath to the next generation.

After I was born, the hospital tied this tiny identification bracelet on one arm. It has pink beads (that's what they used for girls back in the day), plus my surname Burk and the letter A, indicating I was the firstborn. My Sis was Burk B, also with pink beads. We were tiny little babes, neither weighing 5 pounds, and the bracelets were teeny as well.

In our early years, Sis and I would gather around Mom (Daisy Schwartz Burk, 1919-1981) as she was cooking or ironing, and ask her to tell "The Hospital Story," about what happened after Dad (Harold Burk, 1909-1978) brought her to Bronx Lebanon Hospital in New York City for their baby to be born.

Here's approximately what she'd say:

"We had no idea that twins were on the way. At the hospital, Dad sat in the waiting room, holding rolls of dimes for phone calls to tell the family whether the baby was a boy or a girl. After the first girl was born, the staff was about to give Dad the news when the doctor began delivering the surprise second girl, just two minutes later. As soon as Dad found out, he pumped dime after dime into the pay phone calling relatives to tell them about the twins! You girls had to stay in heated cribs at the hospital for a few days until you weighed 5 lbs each; only then you were allowed to go home with us."

Footnotes for future generations: Decades ago, Dads usually weren't allowed into delivery rooms, so they waited in designated waiting rooms, until a hospital staff member informed them about the condition of the mother and child/children.

Rolls of dimes - from the old days when banks rolled coins and would sell to individuals or businesses. A roll of dimes had 50, total value $5.00. Since a typical local three-minute phone call cost 10 cents, this would enable Dad to make 50 phone calls...except he had lots of explaining to do, and some long-distance calls, so likely he needed more than a dime per call.

Waiting rooms had one or more pay phones--public phones that anyone could use by inserting nickels, dimes, or quarters into the slots and dialing (rotary dial) a phone number, one at a time.

Heated cribs were used when the babies were small but weren't ill and didn't need incubators, just a bit of warmth.

Cousin Aaron Work, Fire Insurance Agent

RootsMagic 7 "find everywhere" search box

For this week's #52Ancestors challenge, I used RootsMagic7 to identify anything in the Wood family tree related to the word "fire."

Find fire everywhere

Under the search menu, I typed the word fire (no quote marks) in the "find everywhere" search box (see purple arrow).

After I clicked OK, the software needed about a minute to present a brief results list showing where the word fire appeared in any data field (name, address, occupation, detailed notes, etc.).

Results from any data field

RootsMagic 7 "find everywhere" results

The first result was an ancestor involved in a lawsuit with the Calif. Farmers Mutual Fire Insurance Assn. Not the kind of thing I was looking for this week, but something to follow up in local newspapers of the time.

The second result was an ancestor who flew spitfires in WWII. Not what I wanted for this week's challenge, but an interesting topic for a future blog post.

The third result was my husband's distant cousin, Aaron Work, who was a fire insurance agent. The closest I can get to fire--and an interesting cousin I wanted to know more about.

Aaron Work and Aaron Work

Aaron Work (1837-1924) was my husband's first cousin, four times removed, the son of blacksmith Abel Everett Work and Cynthia Hanley Larimer (she was hubby's 4th great aunt). He was born in Rush Creek, Ohio, named for his grandfather Aaron Work (1778-1858). When only a tyke, Aaron's pioneering parents moved the family to Elkhart county, Indiana.

First cousins Aaron Work and Aaron Work 

As a young man, Aaron and his first cousin, Aaron Work, went to Florence township in St. Joseph county, Michigan, to find work. As shown in the 1863 Civil War registration ledger directly above, both Aaron Works told the authorities that they were "citizens of Indiana."

So far as I can determine, Aaron never served in the Civil War. His obit refers to health problems plaguing Aaron much of his life. Two of his younger brothers fought for the Union, and both died while in the service during the Civil War.

Aaron Work, fire insurance agent

A few years after working in Michigan, Aaron returned to Elkhart county, Indiana, and married Amanda Elizabeth Walmer (1845-1910). According to Aaron's obituary, and confirmed by 1870 US Census records, Aaron was originally a grocer. In the 1880 US Census records, he was a coal dealer, and then served in town government for a time.

Later in life, according to city directories of the late 1800s and early 1900s, Aaron became a fire insurance agent. His 1900 and 1910 US Census entries show his occupation as "insurance agent, fire."

By the time of the 1920 US Census, Aaron was 83, widowed, and living as a roomer with an ironworker and his sister, not related to the Work family. Aaron continued to suffer from health problems, including mitral regurgitation. He died of lobar pneumonia in 1924, at the age of 87.

Face Masks and Family History

This weekend I began stitching up simple yet colorful (and washable) face masks with shoelaces as ties. (I'm using the New York Times directions.)

On the few occasions when I have to go out into the world, I'm protecting myself and my loved ones from coronavirus contamination by covering up. This is what future family history looks like!

Cousins Are Connecting

My first cousin called to say he came across a small cache of notes and photos with names from the 1940s/1950s. He didn't recognize the people--but I did! These are more clues to the exact cousin connection with our family in England and Canada. I'm waiting for him to scan and send so I can study what he found.

Distant cousins are apparently using the time at home to look at family trees and search online, judging by the higher number of inquiries via my genealogy blog and via Ancestry. Maybe I'll get better responses from my DNA matches, too?

Spelunking in My Genealogy Files and Folders

This is my second week of diving into the depths of every genealogy folder and file, one by one. I've shredded an entire bag of unneeded duplicates and scribbled notes after transcribing and adding the data to my digital and online family trees. It's a good start on downsizing!

In the process, I've found more than a few interesting tidbits for followup and will be blogging about these new genealogy adventures very soon.

I also came across color photocopies of handwritten recipes shared with me by a much older cousin who has long since passed away. I decided to mail them to her niece. I hope she'll be surprised and pleased when she sees her aunt's handwriting and remembers the happy occasions when her aunt made those dishes.

What Does an Heirloom Look Like? Not Like This!

This is NOT a family heirloom!

Devon Noel Lee of Family History Fanatics was the guest expert for a recent #Genchat, all about downsizing with #FamilyHistory in mind. (You can learn more from her book.)

Devon posed thought-provoking questions about how to decide what to save for future generations. Judging by the relatively few heirlooms that I've inherited, clearly my ancestors did their own downsizing, starting with decisions about the handful of items they brought from Eastern Europe to America. My husband's family has been in America much longer and has had much more storage space, which is why so many interesting items have survived over the years.

It's so hard to say goodbye

During #Genchat, we had a lively discussion about how difficult it can be to let go of inherited items, especially if they provoke strong emotions about people, places, and events from our family's past.

Still, if we downsize thoughtfully and carefully, we can focus the next generation on items of special significance to our family.

Also, there was a lot of conversation about photos. My take-away: I have to get back to scanning, captioning, and dating as many photos as possible now. Otherwise, descendants may never know who's who.

My little red bench

I do have a number of heirlooms to pass to the next generation. That doesn't include the item in the photo at top. It's a wooden bench about 6 inches high and 12 inches long. Originally, the bench was red with some cutesy saying or song on the top.

As toddlers, Sis and I each had one of these benches, which we put next to the sink so we could reach to wash our hands. This bench has been repainted more than a few times during its long life, moving to ten different homes with me over the years. I'm not particularly attached to it. It just takes up little room and is handy to use whenever I need a step up.

However! No matter how many years it's been with me, I definitely don't consider this bench to be a family heirloom. It has no special significance, other than being a useful little bench. After I join my ancestors, someone else can repaint and reuse it or retire it--guilt-free.

Future Family History: The Upside of Being Inside During a Pandemic

Testing whether a video can be embedded in webinar

Dear future generations: More about living life during the novel coronavirus pandemic of 2020. Here are highlights of the final week in March, spent mostly indoors.

Genealogy galore indoors

The upside of being inside: Plenty of time for genealogy!

Katherine Willson, head of the Virtual Genealogical Association, was kind enough to help me with a test as I prep for my webinar, "Curate Your Genealogy Collection--Before Joining Your Ancestors!" scheduled on November 24th.

I wanted to embed one or two brief (30-second) videos into my webinar. My hubby videoed me showing off an archival box with a scrapbook of World War II letters. I talked about labeling the box on two sides, and keeping the scrapbook safe with archival tissue paper between the pages.

Unfortunately, it turns out video can't be embedded in a webinar (we tested without success, then asked Thomas MacEntee, who explained the technical reason why it won't work). So instead, I'll include photos and do a voice-over during the webinar.

Another upside to being inside: Time to binge-watch genealogy webinars! As a VGA member, I blazed through several previously-recorded webinars, printing the handouts for note-taking as I watched.

It was so much fun participating in both the Friday and the Saturday #Genchat Twitter conversations about downsizing with genealogy in mind (guest expert: Devon Noel Lee of Family History Fanatics). Also I enjoyed this week's #AncestryHour conversation on Twitter.

In addition, I'm watching the MyHeritage webinar marathon, little by little, a great opportunity to learn from the experts!

Meanwhile, outside...

One early morning, I scraped ice off my car and went to the supermarket to take advantage of "senior-only" hours (ahem, I barely qualify, right?).

In the pre-dawn hours, I wiped down my shopping cart with disinfectant and walked through the aisles, rarely seeing another shopper. Happy dance: disinfectant spray was back on the shelves--limit 2 per customer. I bought 2! Fresh chicken in the meat department, no beef for stew or meatloaf. Lots of produce. No toilet paper in stock, but none needed for another month at least ;)

After loading my cart to the brim--ready for two more weeks of staying indoors--I checked out, standing a safe six feet away from the customer in front of me. At home, I unloaded everything and wiped all packages down with disinfectant, just in case, then showered and washed my clothes and coat. Whew.

This was the only time I got into the car all week. Hubby and I walk around the block on sunny days, greeting friends and neighbors from a safe distance.

This will be the rhythm of our days until late April, when I hope New England will be past the apex of this awful coronavirus crisis.

Readers, please stay indoors and stay healthy!

No Longer Forgotten: Searching for Mahler Babies

Searching for "no given name" with surname and parents

My great-grandparents, Tillie Jacobs Mahler (185?-1952) and Meyer Mahler (1861-1910) had 7 children that I knew about, from family photos or Census records or both.

But there were a few gaps between births. One gap (late 1880s) I attributed to Meyer and Tillie arriving in New York City a year apart after leaving Eastern Europe. Were other children born during the gaps?

Checking the 1910 US Census


I returned to the 1910 Census, where Tillie said she was a widow.

As circled on the snippet above, she told the enumerator she had 10 children in all, but only 7 still living. (The 1910 Census is one of my favorites because of this question!)

In the 1900 Census, Tillie said she had 9 children in all, but only 7 still living.

The search was on for these missing Mahler children.

Searching by "no given name"

To look for children that Tillie and Meyer might have had (and lost) in America, I searched the New York City/state birth/death collections of FamilySearch and Ancestry.

These specific databases would be the most likely to have records about babies born/died from the mid-1880s to the early 1900s. The Mahlers lived nowhere other than New York City after arriving from Eastern Europe in the 1880s.

Leaving the "given or first name" field blank, I inserted "Mahler" for the surname and added Meyer Mahler as father, Tillie (no last name) as mother. I also searched for and looked at creative spellings of Mahler (such as "Maler").

The screen shot at top shows the top search results: Two Mahler boys.

Found: Two Mahler boys

The first search result was for a son named Wolf Mahler, born September 10, 1890. Unfortunately, Wolf died at the age of 3 on January 13, 1894, of "acute Bright's" (kidney disease). What makes this particularly poignant is that Wolf's mother Tillie was pregnant with her next child, born in July of 1894.

The second search result was for a baby boy named Sundel Mahler, born sometime early in 1901. He died on April 5, 1901, according to the death index, and was buried (like Wolf) in Mt. Zion Cemetery in New York.

This boy would be #10, born after 1900 (when Tillie told the Census she had 9, 7 still living) and before 1910 (when Tillie told the Census she had 10, 7 still living).

Little Sundel was the last of Tillie and Meyer Mahler's children that I can find. He was born 20 years after their first-born child (that was my Grandma Henrietta Mahler Burk).

Both Wolf and Sundel are now included on my Ancestry family tree, never again to be forgotten.

Still Searching for One Mahler Baby

The other "missing" baby is, for now, still missing, nowhere in the first 150 or so results in Ancestry and Family Search.

I've also searched Mt. Zion Cemetery, where Meyer and Tillie and the two baby boys were buried. Only a few Mahler names are long-shot possibilities. I'm going to check these names by searching for their death certs and parents. The rest of the Mahler names in this cemetery I can rule out due to the burial dates.

My guess is that the missing child was born and died in Latvia before the family left for America, but this is only a guess.

Thanks to Amy Johnson Crow for this #52Ancestors prompt.

Edward Wirtschafter's Day in Court

Edward Wirtschafter and his partner Geza Rev
had their say in the Supreme Court of NY

With the coronavirus shut-down keeping me indoors, I've been taking a fresh eye to my family tree and various ancestors. Because new materials become available online every day, this is a great time to update my genealogy research without leaving home!

Last night, I was surprised to learn something new about Edward Wirtschafter, the husband of my great-aunt Mary Schwartz (1891-1959).

Edward was born in Hungary and trained as a furrier in France before arriving in New York City in 1907. He and my great-aunt eloped on Christmas Eve of 1913. When his U.S. citizenship was finalized a few months later, she--born in Ungvar, Hungary--automatically became a U.S. citizen as well.

Simple Search: Name in Quotation Marks

Searching "Edward Wirtschafter" - top result!

By using a simple online search for "Edward Wirtschafter" (inside quotation marks) I located a book digitized by Google. It's the top result shown here. But directly below it on the results page is another snippet. Take a look:

As shown above in a small article in the Fur Trade Review of February, 1919, Edward joined with coworker Geza Rev to take over the fur manufacturing business where they had been working, after the owner retired. Edward was in charge of design and manufacture, while Geza was in charge of sales.

Now I returned to the top search result, Supreme Court Case on Appeal, and pieced together the following story about Edward's legal odyssey. I'm presenting the overall outline as I understand it, plus a bit of context. NOTE: I'm not a lawyer so the finer points argued in the transcripts are beyond me. And believe me, there were some very detailed points being argued, back and forth, in hundreds of pages of details and exhibits.

Roaring Twenties, Fur Fashions, and Disputes

Fur coats were becoming very trendy as World War 1 wound down and the Roaring Twenties geared up. As demand increased, fur skins and fur coats became even more valuable week after week. Companies were eager to get in on this fast-moving fashion trend.

During the summer of 1919, Wirtschafter, Rev & Co. struck a complicated deal with the Schwartz Brothers*, another fur firm in New York City. The Schwartz firm would acquire hundreds of fur skins and provide them to the Wirtschafter firm.

In turn, the Wirtschafter firm would make dozens of fur coats and deliver to the Schwartz firm for sale. They agreed on pricing that would compensate the Schwartz firm for the raw skins and compensate the Wirtschafter firm for the manufacturing.

However, the two firms were soon at odds, disputing bills and delivery dates and more. Ultimately, the Wirtschafter firm filed suit to receive payment it said was due but had not been paid. The Schwartz firm disagreed, and the case went to a jury.

The bottom-line amount demanded by the Wirtschafter firm: $3,913.30, plus interest--worth nearly $61,000 today.

Legal Complications Ensue

The case was originally filed at the end of 1919. The Wirtschafter firm won a judgement of $3,685.55, including interest, during a jury trial. Then the Schwartz firm appealed.

The New York State Supreme Court Appellate Division considered the appeal.

The final word came in June of 1926. As shown above, the original judgment was affirmed, with court costs awarded to the Wirtschafter firm, as far as I can tell.

Entrepreneur Edward Wirtschafter

Even as the original law suit wended its way through the legal process, my great uncle and his partner parted ways. In 1921, Edward Wirtschafter incorporated a new company, with himself as director, treasurer, and secretary. He built his business by giving personal service and making quality fur fashions. As late as 1953, Edward had a fur business in Manhattan...I found it listed under his name in the phone book.

What an exciting find, learning about Edward Wirtschafter's day(s) in court. All because I'm stuck inside and have lots of time to go over my genealogy research, clicking to do new searches and look for new clues!

* no relation to Edward's in-law Schwartz family.