Tranquil Tombstone: Little Angels

Little Jennie & Little Frankie

off by themselves

Brookside Cemetery, Poestenkill, NY

Hiring a Professional Genealogist: Looking for Tips

Have you ever hired a professional genealogist? I have a family mystery, based in New York City, which I have been unable to solve. How do I find a reliable researcher? How much should this cost? I am looking for tips.

Michael Coyle

I am trying to discover what happened to:

Michael Coyle b. 24 Nov 1870 in Moate, Cavan, Ireland

• Oldest child of Patrick & Margaret (Brady) Coyle
• Came to USA May 1885
• Married 9 Nov 1895 in NYC to Mary Josephine Mullane 
• Father of 7 children, all born in New York City
• In 1920 & 1925 living at 223 East 113 St & working as a baker in New York City

Unfortunately Michael’s bakery had hard times and closed. He left his family. Mary Jo died 17 December 1927. Her will shows his location as unknown. He had family in Connecticut & Texas. His youngest daughter saw him a couple years later. He was looking for his wife and she told him her mother had died. His daughters never saw him again.

More details on Michael at my website, Our Leaves & Branches.

I’d like to have an ending for this story. What happened to my great grandfather? Where is he buried? I mentioned to one of my brothers that I might hire a professional to help answer our questions. He said, ‘Where would a professional look that you haven’t already looked?’ I replied, ‘If I knew that I would not need to hire a professional.’

Ancestor Anniversaries, September 13 - 30

13 September 1912   Myron A Boreman [son of John Boreman & Ella Grant] & Elva Gale Mark [daughter of William Mark & Elidia Rebecca Ritter]. Married in Ohio. They had four children.

18 September 1890   George Washington Wolf [son of Frederick Wolf & Louisa C Goetz] & Ida Lerander Homer

20 September 1840   Peter Hartsel & Margaretha Ritter [daughter of Johannes Ritter, Jr. & Anna Mariah]. They had seven children.

22 September 1906   Ernest Lowe Elliott & Lillian Vera Moore [daughter of Peter Jonathan Moore & Caroline Louise Gruissy]. They had one daughter. Ernest & Lillian both lived past 80.

25 September 1836   Stephen Balliet [son of Jospeh Balliet & Susan Green] & Ann Lowrey. They had one son.

30 September 1920   Ralph Ely Moore, Sr. [son of Peter Jonathan Moore & Caroline Louise Gruissy] & Dorothy Otella Derhammer. They had three children. 

Census Sunday: Jasper Pascal Brown from 1870 - 1940

I have been fortunate to be able to trace my paternal great grandfather, Jasper Pascal Brown [b 15 May 1865; d 8 June 1950] through the US Census reports. In 1870 & 1880 he is with his parents, Allen & Emmaline (Smith) Brown in Pike Co, MS. On 21 December 1887 he married Rose Ella Brumfield. Starting with the 1900 census we can see he has followed his father’s lead and become a farmer with a large family of his own.

US Census Reports for Jasper P Brown

Jasper lived his life in Mississippi. I was surprised, therefore, to see him living in Louisiana in 1930. However, when I checked a map I saw that Washington County is just across the border from Pike County so it was not a big move. In 1940 he was back in Mississippi.

Jasper Pascal Brown

In 1930 Jasper & Rose were taking care of two grandsons, sons of their daughter Thelma Lady Brown. In 1940 Bernarr Reynolds, 14, was still with them. There must be a story behind this.

1940 US Census, Pike Co, MS

 These findings are just the beginning of my research into this family. They point the way  to the places I should search. Are you connected to this family? I'd love to hear from you.

Two Year Blog Anniversary

I am excited to find Leaves & Branches celebrating its two year blog anniversary and over 20,000 visits! Thanks to all those who have sent best wishes. Thanks to my daughter who got me started setting up this blog and who continues to help with technical issues.  Thanks to geneabloggers & all the marvelous genealogy blogs that have inspired me to reach further, learn more and do more.

My first blog, ‘Pennsylvania Research for the Mark family’, centered on the discoveries I had recently made. Since then I have added many blogs about my father’s Brown/ Mark family in Ohio & Mississippi and my mother’s Gardner/Coyle family in New York City & Ireland.

Some topics I have written about this past year:

Ancestor Anniversaries

Census Sundays

Surname Saturdays

Salt Lake City Research Trip

Obituaries

The 150^th Anniversary of the start of the Civil War & our Civil War Soldiers

My double great grandparents

Cemeteries

My Trip to Ireland

My dream trip to Ireland in April led to 11 blogs about my preparations for the trip, research there and more blogs about the follow up I have done since my return. I am still surprised I was able to visit the places my ancestors lived.

This year I have also started a web site, Our Leaves & Branches, that details information I have uncovered about my various family branches. My blog & website work well together and expand my opportunities to reach new cousins. My hopes for the future of my blog include connecting with more cousins & solving more family mysteries. I hope I have helped others by sharing the information I have gathered over the years.

Book Report: Ballymachugh & Drumloman South

Ballymachugh & Drumloman South: 

Our Home Place by Sheelin’s Side, County Cavan, Ireland

By Ballymachugh History & Heritage Society, 2008

Printed by R & S Printers, Ltd, Monaghan, Ireland

“Ballymachugh and Drumloman South is a Roman Catholic parish in the barony of Clanmohon in the estreme south of County Cavan, Ireland, bordering the counties of Westmeath and Longford and in the Diocese of Ardagh.”

Contents:

Location, Geology & Archaeology

Civil History

Landlordism

Tithes in the Parish

Ecclesiastical History

Education

Townlands & Census

Famine & Emigration

Agriculture

Shops & Industries

Services

Lough Sheelin

Organisations in the Parish

The Arts

Sport

Finea

I bought this book in a small post office/shop in Ballynarry, Ireland and kept it in my hand for the flight home. It had been recommended to me by a couple different people during my trip and I was very happy to find a copy. Since then I’ve had time to read it carefully and I am even happier that I have this treasure. I’ve been able to read about locations where my Coyle, Cunningham & Brady families lived: Killykeen, Moate & Finea. I’ve read about the churches they attended including St Mary’s Church in Carrick. I found my family in the Griffith’s Valuation charts included in the book. In general I’ve learned more about the history of the place my ancestors lived. If your family lived in this parish, you will enjoy this book.

Ancestor Anniversaries, September 1 - 12

Here are a few September family weddings. 

Maybe you share an anniversary with someone here.

2 September 1897    Herman E Hagans & Edith Edna Ritter [daughter of John William Ritter & Ruth Anna Scott].

4 September 1908    Grant H Thorndyke & Susan A Wolf [daughter of John W S Wolf & Elizabeth Jane Anderson]. Married in Ohio.

4 September 1938    Ralph Lawrence Spice [son of Arthur Spice & Emaline Floy Moore] & Petronela Sarpalius. Married in Ohio. They had four children.

10 September 1796   Joseph Keck [son of Georg Keck & Elanora Catherine Schaut] & Catherine Klingensmith

11 September 1924   Peter Clifford Morrison [son of Seth Benner Morrison & Margaret Jane Gruissy] & Amanda Werth. They had two children.

12 September 1885   Conrad Herbst & Rosa Hahn