Well, I am new to Blogging but here goes. I have done a lot of research for clients over the years and am still learning. Some years ago, my client's main interest was to learn where his ancestor came from in Germany. He could supply most of the family history after he arrived in Evansville, Vanderburgh County, Indiana, but his German origins were a mystery.
I did everything the good genealogist should do. Examined the Intentions and Naturalizations. Although I located both documents, unfortunately, before 1890 in Vanderburgh County intentions and naturalizations merely state the county from which one immigrates. Both documents stated Germany, which agreed with censuses but most censuses do not give any more data than a country. Death records, first recorded 1882 in Indiana, also stated Germany. Next searched were the microfilmed funeral home and church records. At least they were all consistent. He was born in (guess where?) Germany. An obituary in the German newspaper listed his birthplace as Germany and the Evansville city cemetery in which he was interred.
On to the cemetery. By now I was getting a little discouraged. The cemetery office verified the location of the gravesite and since I had failed so miserably to establish any data other than Germany, I decided maybe a photo of the grave would be a small consolation.
It was August around noon and 102 degrees in the shade. The grave was in the sun on top of a hill. After all my research I expected no stone. However, there it was except it had fallen face down. It was one of those old narrow tall ones about thirty six inches high. The longer I stood and looked in frustration at it, the more determined I grew to make a photo. So I grasped the edge and heaved with all my strength and flipped it over. Mercy me!
The inscription gave his name, birth date, the name of the little village and the German state in which it was located as his birthplace. Further, it stated his parent's names and his death date. The moral of this story is never give up! - by Bettie Cummings Cook, CG
3 comments:
Bettie, you probably thought you would never be a blogger... but look at you now, the world's newest published blogger! Thanks so much for this very good story! Although the circumstances may be different, your story is typical of most of us that are just too stuborn to give up! Maybe it is a combination of some knowledge,determination and a lot of luck. It is why we generally succeed.
John G. West, TSGS President
Bettie, Great inspirational story. We have all reached what we thought were dead ends. Thanks to your story you have encouraged allot of people to keep on keeping on.
It seems at times when you finally say, "that is it, I give up" that eventually the solution will somehow come and find you. That is because we really never gave up... totally! Thanks for a good story and reminding us to keep trying.
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