Everything must go: Walter Humphry sells out and sets sail

Walter Humphry
1788-1869

Often I find myself researching so many facets of the family tree at once that I feel manic. I can't focus on one thing, one story, one person, one branch long enough to make a difference. Other times, I find myself so laser focused on an individual or family group that it consumes me. It's all I can think about. I want to know every last detail about his or her life.

This week, that person is Walter Humphry, my fifth great grandfather.

Walter was born in Cornwall, England, in 1788 and came to the U.S. in 1849 with his wife, Ann (Truscott) Humphry, and his children. My fourth great grandmother, Frances (Humphry) Foxwell, was 16 at the time. The Humphry family settled in Illyria Township, Fayette County, Iowa, where many of the deepest roots of my family tree are planted. They are both buried in the Illyria Church cemetery and I have been to their gave, touched the headstone, and paid my respects.

Walter died in 1869, but Ann lived on to 1888, reaching the venerable age of 94. Her obituary from a local newspaper is below:

The West Union Gazette March 30, 1888, p. 8

DIED.

HUMPHREY. - Near Volga, Clayton county, Ia., March 18, 1888, Ann Truscott, wife of Walter Humphrey, Sr., deceased, was born in Falmouth county, Cornwall, England, April 5, 1793, consequently was nearly 95 years of age. Deceased emigrated from England with her husband and six children in 1850, settling in Racine county, Wisconsin, removing from there to Fayette county in October, 1852, and has since lived in this and Clayton counties. Five children, twenty-four grand-children and thirteen great-grand-children are the living descendants of the deceased. She lived long beyond the time allotted to human beings, and none seemed to realize it more than she. Often had she expressed herself as ready and willing to die, only waiting the time of her Lord.

“Asleep in Jesus, blessed sleep,
From which none ever wake to weep.”

I have spent a lot of time researching my immigrant ancestors on my German lines, but for some reason I had not looked into my English immigrants to find out exactly when they arrived. Fortunately many of them were very specific in their record keeping and in family histories, obituaries, and other documents tracked details down to ship names. For the Humphry clan, they came on the Java, which arrived in New York Harbor Nov. 28, 1849.

But what about life before that trip? What was happening in the home country? When did they decide to leave Cornwall? Some of these things may never have concrete answers (a fact I am slowly and reluctantly growing to accept), but some things I can discover. Thanks to the power of the Internet and online archives I can get a glimpse at life in the "old country" and perhaps glean a little understanding.

Recently I joined a UK Newspaper Archives website. It was something like $15/month, which I found more than reasonable considering it has issues of the Royal Cornwall Gazette dating back to 1800. I did a cursory search for the Humphry name and found many variations spanning decades, so I narrowed my focus to 1849 - the year they left for America. It was a long shot and I wasn't sure what I'd find if anything, but I feel like I hit the jackpot.

Published in the Gazette in September 1849 is an auction list for the Parish of Mawnan. One Mr. Walter Humphry, a farmer, was selling his entire stock in preparation to leave the country. The listing details every worldly good the Humphry family owned, from livestock to household goods. I couldn't think of a better way to learn about their life before America other than visiting their farm myself.

The Royal Cornwall Gazette Sept. 14, 1849, p. 4

BOSKENSOE AND CARLIDNACK ESTATES,

PARISH OF MAWNAN,

Sheep, Bullocks, Horses, Pigs, Corn with its Straw, Husbandry Implements, Household Furniture, &c., for Sale.

MR. CORNFIELD begs to notify that he has received instructions from Mr. Walter Humphry to SELL BY AUCTION, at BOSKENSOE and CARLIDNACK ESTATES, in the parish of Mawnan, on MONDAY the 17th of September instant, at Twelve o’clock at Noon, the whole of his superior Live and Dead

FARM STOCK, HOUSEHOLD FURNITURE, &c.

LIVE STOCK COMPRISES

2 Working Oxen (6 years old),

2 Two-years old Steers,

7 One-year ditto,

4 Dairy Cows well seasoned in Calf,

4 Heifers ditto,

4 Yearlings.

17 Fat Ewes,

13 Fat Lambs,

7 Excellent Labour Horses,

1 Two-years old Colt,

1 One-year ditto,

9 Pigs.

Dead Stock. – About 3 Acres of prime Barley with its Straw, well saved, and in arish Mows; about 1 acre of Sweet Turnips; about 2,000 fagots of Furze (stacked); Winnowing Machine, Wain and Wheels, Market Cart and Wheels, Ox Butts and Wheels, Double and Single Ploughs, Harrows, Rollers and Frames, Scufflers, Idiots, Ladders, set of Fore and Shaft Harnesses, Whips and Traces, Barn-boards, Sieves, Pikes, Sacks, with a great variety of Agricultural Implements.

Household Furniture. – Bedsteads, Chests of Drawers, Washstands, Swing Glasses, Mahogany and Deal Tables, Mahogany and other Chairs, Carpets and Carpeting, Fenders and Fire Irons, Boilers, Saucepans, Crocks and Kettles, with numerous domestic requisites, together with an excellent Apparatus, &c., &c.

An early attendance is particularly requested.

The Auctioneer invites the attention of Farmers, Breeders, and others, to the above valuable Live Stock, which are well worthy of attention; the Proprietor being about to leave the country, the whole will be sold unreservedly.

May be viewed the morning of the day of Sale; and further information obtained on application to the

AUCTIONEER, Penryn;

Dated September 5, 1849.

Next, to find the actual date of departure from England. On the index to the New York passenger list it says they are from Ireland by way of Liverpool, so I'm thinking they sailed from England to Ireland and then to New York. There is an advertisement for the Java in the Gazette in October 1849 listing its departure as October 6. Now, I have to verify that the Oct. 6, 1849, trip was the one that eventually found its way to New York on Nov. 28.

Successes

Thank you, Internet! I started this blog to help identify family photos I inherited from a beloved great aunt. Since first posting the photos (that belonged to my great-great-great grandmother) about three years ago, I have had a few successes along the road and I've connected with several distant cousins I wouldn't have found otherwise.

A few weeks ago I heard from one of said cousins, who had been looking through family photos of his own and comparing them with those I posted. Suddenly, we had another match! Photo 44 from Grandma Sabin's Archives is now identified as Oliver and Mariah (Sabin) Swezey!

The photos Derek (the distant cousin) sent me for comparison are posted at left. This is exactly the kind of sleuthing I was hoping would come from this blog. The lesson remains simple: NEVER GIVE UP!

On a related note, this week I attended the annual dinner of the Elgin Historical Society. I only knew a few people there, but was glad to be a part of a historical society connected to so much of my family roots. I told the woman seated next to me how grateful I was that the society allowed me to scan some of the photos at their museum, specifically citing the photo of the Shaffer Drum Corps and the storied history of that group.

"Oh! You know something about that?" she exclaimed. "We received that from someone who used to go to a lot of auctions. We didn't know anything about the drum corps!" Now, I'm gathering the many, many newspaper articles I have on the corps, including its history and details about its many performances. The historical society will then be able to have that available for anyone who wants to know more. I'm glad to help!

Of course, through all of it I couldn't stop thinking "THIS PHOTO WAS AT AN AUCTION!?" I don't understand how treasured family history can so often end up in a box of "miscellany" at estate sales. It breaks my heart.

That's why I'll never stop!

Happy searching...

So much happening

It's been well over a month since I last posted, and this one won't be much - but I had to do something to let you know I'm still here, still doing research, and still (somehow) finding success!

My family history summer is continuing even though work is busier than ever. I'm filling the weekends with trips and connections. Tomorrow I'm heading to Altoona to visit my second cousin once removed and scan photos. I'm doing the same in a few weeks with another cousin on my father's side. Last night I received a call inviting me to a dinner with the Elgin Historical Society Sept. 16 and the Sienknecht Family Reunion is Sept. 7.

There's a lot happening!

A few weeks ago I visited my dad's cousin and she had a great number of photos, including some of my grandfather that I'd never seen before. She also had a great photo of all the Sienknecht family men at a reunion in the 1940s. It's the only photo I've seen (so far) that includes my grandfather and his grandfather in the same photo. Those are the kinds of finds I just love!

Right now I'm trying to reach out to Krambeck cousins in Rock Island, Ill., and find out how I can get some research done in Schleswig-Holstein. My father's side of the family has a roadblock that stops at the "old country". Strangely, it's just his "northern" ancestors. His ancestors from southern Germany have records online going back to the 1700s.

Of course, my own last name follows the northern route, so I can't go back past the names of my great-great-great grandparents.

Hopefully I'll have time soon to post more about my recent adventures and some about my discoveries. Happy hunting!

Discoveries in Wilton

Did you know Wilton, Iowa, is home to the oldest continuously-operating ice cream parlor in the United States? That's one of the interesting side notes I picked up on my trip there on Friday, the penultimate excursion on my jam-packed family history summer.

Wilton is home to Tom and Connie Zeleny. Connie is my second cousin twice removed and we scheduled out get-together months ago to go through Kerr family history. As with the majority of my family history excursions, I had never met the Zelenys before, but we corresponded via email for several months. I shared photos and information with them and we had a good time renewing long-lost family connections.

I learned through these conversations that Connie had been very close to her mother's cousins, the Rothlisberger siblings. These siblings are those whose estate I've been hunting for over the past year. The three Rothlisberger children were the children of Charles and Lulu (Kerr) Rothlisberger. Earl, Helen and Hazel never married and all lived to advanced ages. Earl was the last to pass away in 2007 a few months shy of 100. I've done a lot of investigating so far looking for the remnants of their estate, including contacting the executors and a local historical society. Though I had no firm proof, I believed their estate included family photos of the Kerr families. That search is ongoing.

The Zelenys had their own wealth of treasures to share with me. Connie had many photos from her parents and grandparents spanning the years. She also had some family histories and documents. Among the items were photos taken of older photos. She said they were photos taken by Earl and in the images were very old Kerr photos. Of course, the location of the originals remains unknown, but this is proof they exist! Fortunately, the images were fairly clear and I was able to scan them. They may not be as crisp as scanning and actual original photo from 1884, but it will have to do for now!

David and Lydia Ann (Clapper) Moats, Elgin, Iowa.

Among the great photos uncovered were several of David and Lydia (Clapper) Moats. David and Lydia are my great-great-great-great grandparents, the parents of Ella (Moats) Kerr. I had one photo of David previously, but none of Lydia and nothing of them together. David and Lydia both lived to advanced ages (David was 98 when he died in 1917) so you would think there would be photos.

Photos in their collection also helped answer some questions about other images. I identified one previously unknown photo as that of Ferne (Kerr) Malkow and another one as Floyd Patterson, Connie's grandfather.

Ella (Moats) Kerr and Thomas J. Kerr

At the end of the day I came away with nearly 100 new photos of the Kerr and Moats families and a renewed drive to find the remaining Earl Rothlisberger images. Sadly, I fear now that they may have gone to the wayside or have been thrown out by people with no connection or concern for the Kerr family. The executors aren't at fault - they didn't know the details of the family and weren't related. They were charged with the daunting task of processing a life spanning one century. I may have to plan a road trip northeast again soon to scout antique shops in the area. My only hope now is someone bought up a box of our family treasures and are selling them in a discount bin in some forgotten corner. To the average Joe they're just anonymous old photos. To me, they're a unique piece of history.

Happy hunting!

P.S. I usually try to place photos throughout the text so I'm not just plopping a lot of photos on here and calling it good. However, I've run out of content before I've run out of photos I want to share, so I guess for this day you'll have to deal with it!

Four Generations (1914):
David Moats
Ella (Moats) Kerr
Hattie (Kerr) Patterson
Alo (Patterson) Yearous

The various Kerr families in 1914. My great-great grandparents are in the center: William Y. and Anna (Gruver) Kerr. Will is holding my great-grandmother, Leone (Kerr) Shaffer. Anna is holding June (Ker) Light. The remaining members are Floyd and Hattie (Kerr) Patterson and Alo (Patterson) Light; Charles and Lulu (Kerr) Rothlisberger and Earl, Helen and Hazel; Lydia Kerr and Fern (Kerr) Malkow.

Elgin Homecoming

What a weekend! There were so many family history discoveries during my few days in Northeast Iowa that it's hard to know where to begin. I met new people, reconnected with old acquaintances, found some new leads and made some awesome discoveries.

I arrived in Elgin early Friday morning before Homecoming really got underway. Homecoming is the once-ever-five-years festival in Elgin (pop. 700) that brings people from all over back to their roots. It's the town where my grandma grew up, as did her parents...and their parents... and their parents...

My hosts for Friday were Stan and Sharon Shaffer. Stan is my grandmother's second cousin, and though we'd never met before he and his wife graciously invited me into their home. They were warm, friendly, generous, and probably two of the nicest people I've met in recent memory.

We spent time Friday morning getting to know each other a bit before delving into the main reason for my journey: family history! Ironically, Stan had a large stack of documents he'd received from another cousin, Dorothy Gilson. I laughed when I saw them, as I knew where Dorothy had received them - ME! I spent time with the Gilsons last summer during one of my trips to Elgin.

Next, we went on to pictures. Anyone who reads this blog knows I'm passionate about family photos - even obsessed. They're such a rich part of family history. I love being able to see the people about whom I write and research. One of the special pieces Stan had was a pedigree list for a Percheron stallion named Fandango, a product of the Highland Stock Farm run by my great-great-great grandfather, John D. Shaffer.

After a few hours of scanning and talking we went to a local service station to enjoy free grilled hot dogs and chips (yum!). On the way there I started talking about the various things I knew about J.D. and his ties to Elgin: that he was president of the bank, that he moved to town from the stock farm when he wife was ill, that he was member of a martial drum corps and played the drums...

"Drums? I have a drum that belonged to a Shaffer," Stan said. I was immediately excited, though I tried not to get my hopes up. I knew it was a long shot to find ephemera connected to the drum corps. Still, I couldn't help but feel a bit giddy. I wanted to hurry through lunch and start digging in the attic. I had to find the drum!

J.D.'s drum corps had many names through the years: Shaffer Drum Corps, Shaffer Martial Band, Shaffer Fife and Drum Corps. The corps was founded in 1871, when J.D. was just 13 years old. At the time he and a few friends, under the tuteledge of a local Civil War veteran, formed the corps and played for GAR gatherings. As their talent grew, so did their demand. Over the years they began playing at Memorial Day and Independence Day celebrations, town festivals, and other events across Northeast Iowa. In 1930, the 59th year of the drum corps, J.D. and his fellow corps members, Martin Klingman, Robert Peters and F.M. Baldwin, the group was invited to appear at the Waterloo Cattle Congress. At that time the corps posed for a photo with their instruments. When visiting Darlene Shaffer this past winter I caught my first glimpse of this photo in the form of a grainy, wrinkled newspaper clipping. In it J.D. held his snare drum and a pair of ebony drumsticks he had used since 1871.

After lunch Stan headed to his attic and I studied the newspaper clipping. Before long Stan was coming down the stairs with a large snare drum, looking quite similar to the one in the photo. As I inspected it I saw a small label on one side: "J.D. Shaffer drum to grandson Jack Shaffer to grandson Stan Shaffer."

Stan Shaffer holding
his great-great grandfather's
snare drum.

Stan, Sharon and I were all equally excited. I never thought I'd ever see any piece of the drum corps history besides newspaper clippings. Stan and Sharon were excited to finally understand the connection between the drum and their history. The ebony drumsticks, sadly, have a fate unknown. Once upon a time Stan owned them, but at one point he gave the sticks and drums to his nephews and, well... young boys with a drum. Need I say more?

The drum was exciting. but I quickly moved on to the next logical question: Where is the photo? The newspaper clipping was attributed to Clark Studio in Wadena, but that was 1930. I decided to keep that question in the back of my mind as I went about other Homecoming activities.

After a full day of discoveries the Shaffers had to work at the festival information booth, so I left to wander the town. The museum was open, so I naturally went inside to scour the collections. I knew from previous visits that they had several family relics. I saw the familiar things, but a few new items (or new to me anyway). There were several photos in an album that included Shaffers. I learned later they came from the estate of Leota (Phillips) Welch, only child of Jerome and Sarah (Shaffer) Phillips. She must have left her estate to the museum when she passed away more than 40 years ago. I asked the volunteers if I could bring my laptop and scanner to make copies and they said yes! (God bless technology and generous volunteers!) Before long I was setup on the front desk, scanning image after image. I quickly walked around the building looking for more and came to a section highlighting local music. There was a photo of the Elgin Municipal Band from the late 1920s or early 1930s, including my great grandfather and two of his siblings. SCAN. There was a photo of the band from the first Homecoming in 1931 including several family members. SCAN.

Then, I saw it - completely unassuming in it's plastic sheath and propped on a plastic stand. THE SHAFFER DRUM CORPS.

SCAN.

Shaffer's Drum Corps (L to R): M.A. Klingman, J.D. Shaffer, F.M. Baldwin, Robert Peters.

After making copies of everything not nailed down (and a few that were) I left the museum a check to support their work. They didn't ask for it, they didn't expect it, but it was the least I could do. These are priceless treasures to me, so giving a small financial contribution to support their work seemed logical.

There was so much I learned during my time in Elgin (including the transcendent power of the Adult Grilled Cheese Sandwich at Dotzy's Saloon), but that was only half of the trip! This post is getting long, so I'll save my visit to Elkader and my Gruver discoveries for another day. I thought last summer was the summer of family history, but this summer might just surpass it! 

Things in motion

There's been so much going on lately that I have been remiss in actually chronicling it on this blog. Cousins met! Visits planned! Photos acquired! Information gleaned! Trees expanded! Speeches given! Family history is all the rage these days.

I've now given presentations at the Tama County Historical Society and the Central Iowa Genealogical Society on using the Internet in family history. One of the focuses has been this blog, or mores generally the benefits of family history blogging. I think people are weary of blogs, but they don't realize how much you can uncover and the connections you can make.

Case in point: Just last week I received two emails through the contact form in this blog saying "Hello! We're related!" Now I'm corresponding with two Shaffer relatives and sharing information and (hopefully) soon planning to get together. I've also planned visits to relatives in Omaha, Neb., and Wilton, Iowa, this summer and will be attending the Elgin Homecoming festivities next month.

Like I said, so much happening!

I hope soon to have a spare moment to sit down and write more detail about some of the work I've been doing and some of the newest discoveries. I also hope to have another "Family History Summer" like last year. So far it's looking like it will be very possible.

That's all for now - just to say I'm alive and well, and so is my research!

Tracing your political roots

Iowa's 30th General Assembly. John D. Shaffer is on the lower right.

I learned this week if you have an ancestor who served in the Iowa Legislature you're quite lucky.

My great-great-great grandfather, John D. Shaffer, served in the Iowa House of Representatives from 1904 to 1909, representing Fayette County. I have a rather large collection of articles from contemporary Fayette County newspapers discussing "Representative Shaffer" and his affiliations and works in the House. I also have copies of ballots, election reports, and great editorials and other endorsements.

John D. Shaffer's official House portrait,
Iowa 32nd General Assembly, 1907

For a long time I've wondered about pictures detailing his political tenure. As anyone who reads this blog knows I'm obsessed with family photos (it's why this blog came to be two years ago). I've sent a lot of time and some money digging up family relics. J.D. Shaffer's image eluded me for a long time. About 2009 I got my first glimpse of him courtesy of my great aunt, who had one of those photo sketches you see in old history books. Last summer on my trip to Clermont I found his portrait for the first time and when I visited cousins in Ely in December and in more cousins in Volga last month I secured an amazing array of photos featuring the patriarch.

And yet, I wanted more...

Knowing what I do about politicians (and that's not much) I know they like to get good press. They like to be noticed. They like to have their good works documented for posterity. They like to appear official and important. Knowing that J.D. served three terms in the Iowa House I thought there had to be photos somewhere. Even though it was the turn of the last century, there had to be photos of committees or caucuses or even just formal portraits. I started where anyone would start: I Googled it.

One of the first items to pop up was a short bio on J.D. as part of the Iowa Legislature Archives. They have profiles on all the state's legislators going back until the state became a state in the 1840s. They also had two photos: one the sketch I already had and another I hadn't seen before. Of course, they were black and white and low resolution web copies, so I emailed the webmaster and waited.

I didn't have to wait long!

The next day Craig at the Legislative Information Office emailed with larger versions of both photos and connected me with someone at the State Historical Society of Iowa. The archives house a vast array of photos and documents related to our legislators and within the same day an archivist emailed me back saying they had two formal photos and a photo of the entire legislative body. They charged $20 each for high-resolution scanned copies of the photos, but considering the cost of gas and the scarcity of the records I was glad to fork over $60 for the three images.

I also learned the State of Iowa has extensive online records about the legislature, including records of committees and appointments as well as laws and votes. You might think "Of course they'd have records of laws. They're laws." But these online records can tell you the legislators who shepherded the bills through the chamber, who wrote them, who voted for and against them. It can give you a detailed glimpse of your ancestor's political role in shaping the state.

I don't know yet what J.D. accomplished during his tenure. I've read contemporary newspaper accounts of various farm bills and actions to regulate the beef industry. I look forward to digging into this free online archive and learning more. 

"The Internet & Family History" | March 5, 2014

I'll be speaking at the Tama County Historical Society & Genealogical Library on Wednesday, March 5, 2014, at 7pm. The topic: The Internet and Family History. I'm by no means and expert on this topic, but I will be sharing my experiences using free online archives and tools, how to optimize Google for family history research, and the world of family history blogging.

The program is free and open to the public, so if you're in the area stop by!

Kissing cousins, winter weather, and salvation by tractor

A Shaffer Family Picnic in the late 1920s.

Late Saturday afternoon, as I climbed out of the passenger side door of my car while it sat at a precarious 45 degree angle on a snow-drenched stretch of farm drive, I thought to myself, "This was totally worth it."

Hardcore family historians know there's just about nothing that can keep you from making that next great discovery. On this particular Saturday it was Iowa's unrelenting winter weather that threatened to derail my planned trip to Volga. The snow held off for the two-hour drive to the Whitford Heritage Farm, but during my 3-hour visit the show fell steadily and heavily, cloaking the previously discernable farm drive to the point that I veered too far to the left while leaving and hence, ended up stick on a slope.

Thank God for distant cousins with large tractors.

The afternoon was spent with Dalene Whitford and her mother, Darlene Shaffer. Darlene's late husband, Forrest Shaffer, was my great grandfather's cousin. Darlene, who turns 96 years old tomorrow, is sharp as a tack and a genuine sweetheart. When I picked up her late husband's high school graduation photo she happily proclaimed "That's a photo of the most handsome man in the world." She knew my family very well, growing up in the same neighborhood around Illyria Church, and even dated my great-great uncle, J.D. Shaffer for a few years. She didn't elaborate on why that didn't work out.

John and Susan Shaffer with
Tom and Katie Richards, all
my great-great-great grandparents

Darlene had a unique situation in my family history in that I'm related to both her husband and her by blood. I've found in my research in Northeast Iowa that my roots go so far back I'm related to almost everyone about five different ways. In fact, many people in that area can find their trees intersect at some point. Darlene and Forrest were fifth cousins, which might shock some people, but isn't that uncommon. In fact, my great grandparents were fourth cousins once removed.

As the snow fell outside I sat at with Darlene and Dalene at the dining room table, scanner fired up, and scrapbooks piled up. Darlene had been a careful scrapbook assembler in her day and everything was labeled with names, places, and often funny anecdotes. One of the great surprises was finding so many photos of relatives of mine not related to the Shaffer or Whitford family. With everyone living in the same area they were all friends. One great example was a photo of John D. and Susan (Robbins) Shaffer sitting with Tom and Katie (Foxwell) Richards. Both of these couples are my great-great-great grandparents, but only the Shaffers share the connection with Darlene and Dalene.

Perhaps the greatest discovery was one of the last. Dalene had scads of albums ranging from the early 1900s up until present day. As the day wound down I began to skim the more recent albums, trying to find any photos I'd scan before hitting the road. Stuck in a plastic sleeve toward the back was an old cabinet photo of a young family from the 1890s. I looked once, then twice, then recognized the mother immediate - Susan Shaffer.

My heart skipped a beat. This is what I live for.

John D. and Susan (Robbins) Shaffer Family

Turning the photo over, I saw every name spelled out in detail: John D. Shaffer, Susan Shaffer, Mabel Gilson, Israel Shaffer, Jack Shaffer, Ray Shaffer, Myrtle O'Dell, Hazel Whitford, Ethel Bower. Every member of the Shaffer clan save Mary, who was born in 1899. I had to refrain myself from squealing with delight. I held the photo in both hands, looked up at Dalene, and said "This makes it all worthwhile." I kept reciting that to myself as I stood in the snow waiting for someone to come and pull my car off the slope and back onto the road.

Another road trip complete and rife with success. Where to next?

Making Contacts

It's been a while since I've had a chance to blog about family history, but that doesn't mean I haven't been hard at work! This is my self-proclaimed "Year of Research" and I plan to keep up with it as much as I can.

Last month I finally got up the nerve to cold call a bevy of distant cousins. I'm usually reluctant to do so because it feels too much like a sales pitch: "Hello, I'm your cousin, can I come to your house and dig through your personal belongings?" I know that's a bit of hyperbole, but in a very rudimentary way that's what family history is - digging through other people's stuff. Sometimes that stuff is boxes of old photos. Sometimes it's their memories. Either way, it's very personal and can be uncomfortable - especially when it's a relative stranger.

My usual plan of action is to send a letter - and I did a few of those last month as well. I find a letter allows you more of a chance to explain yourself, as well as provide proof of your connection. Most often I try to print of a photo of their direct relative to illustrate my legitimacy.

Out of all the people I called and wrote to, the first one was actually the closest on the family tree. I called my dad's first cousin, who is now 86, asking about family photos. She was unsure of what she had, but we made a plan for me to call back in about three weeks (which is coming up next week). I should mention here that my dad has about 40+ first cousins, the oldest being 90 and the youngest being my aunt, who is almost 58.

Next up was a call to a very distant relation: my grandmother's second cousin. She and I had spoke about six months ago, but lost track of things and I needed to re-connect. Her father had been interested in family history and had a lot of relics of the Gruver family. Last summer when visiting Elgin, Iowa, I saw a dray cart his family donated to the local museum. It was dated from 1873 and used by my great-great-great grandfather, William J. Gruver, when he worked for the railroad. Again, she said she'd begin preparing some photos and I'd touch base later.

Third in line was a letter. This wasn't to a direct relative, but instead the executors of the estate of my great-grandmother's first cousin. How's that for tangential!? My great grandmother, Leone (Kerr) Shaffer, had three cousins by her aunt, Lulu (Kerr) Rothlisberger. The Rothlisberger siblings never married and all lived to an advanced age. Helen and Hazel both died about a decade ago, both in their early 90s. Their eldest brother, Earl, died in 2007 in his centennial year. Sadly, I never met Earl. Even though I knew of him and was very much interested in family history at the time, I didn't make the leap from "knowing of him" to "knowing him."

It's now seven years out from his passing, but knowing he had no direct descendants - no children or nieces and nephews, I became curious about what happened to his estate. Where did the family documents go? The family photos? I got a pit in my stomach. If no one with a family tie was there when he passed, were his belongings thrown away? I began to envision priceless photos of my ancestors being placed on the curbside.

To find out what happened, I went to the newspaper archives. Earl didn't have much of an obituary published, so I resorted to the legal notices. If you're ever wondering about the heirs to a long-lost cousin, keep tabs on the legal notices in the paper around their death. While descendants aren't always listed, the executors are and they are often close family or a close friend who would have the connections to family. Finding Earl's probate notice, I saw the names of his executors, looked up their address, and shot off a letter. I asked them what happened to Earl's estate, if they had anything from it, and where family photos would have gone. Since they were in charge of his estate they could eat least tell me they were destroyed, donated, of given to a family member.

A few days after it went in the mail I received an email saying they had donated a bunch of photos to the Elgin Museum. I also learned that the executors knew my family well (Elgin is a small town). Of the couple the husband used to be babysat by my grandmother and the wife was a native of Toledo, Iowa, where I currently live. I also made another connection: my mother was named after his older sister. Small world!

Since that correspondence I've emailed the Elgin Museum asking about their records. I anxiously await their reply.

There are a few more contacts I made, but this posting is getting rather long. One contact not chronicled here has led to plans to visit Volga, Iowa, next weekend and meet the widow of my great-grandfather's cousin. She's nearly 96 and I'll be visiting with her and her daughter. Hopefully I'll have a blog in a few weeks with photos and information from that journey.

Until then, the research continues!

New Year, New Challenges, Old Questions

If summer 2013 was "The Summer of Family History" in my life then I plan to make 2014 "The Year of Family History" from January to December - including keeping up with this blog!

So far this year I've done more planning than executing, but it's early. I plan to identify and contact living relatives on as many branches as possible as I continue feeding my insatiable appetite for family photos.

I'm also undertaking the page-by-page scouring of the digitized Elgin Echo archives looking for mentions of ancestors and kinfolk. Since I'm related to nearly every person in that area, the work is long and tedious. I've completed 1902 and 1932 (not sure what prompted me to start with those random years). I'm working on 1905 now. I jump around in order to keep things interesting. I mean, I find it ALL interesting, but moving around years keeps new generations in the spotlight and keeps things fresh.

My next big adventure is actually a simple one. There are relatives in my own town with whom I have never discussed family history. Why? I don't know! I think I've taken for granted I could always call them. This year, I'm going to actually do it.

Those are my family history resolutions for the year. What are yours?