r/Genealogy

The inaccuracy of some trees is incredible. Searched up a person I’ve been researching who appeared in only one other tree but mine. Which I thought, great, maybe they have some extra sources or research I’ve not seen yet.

This woman in question was born in 1824, Northumberland in England. Somehow, this tree managed to establish she was married at negative seven years old in 1817 in Manchester, and had managed to cross an entire ocean (whilst nonexistent) to have a daughter in 1818 at Pennsylvania. To finish it off, she was then baptised in 1829 at Yorkshire.

It’s my winner for the worst I’ve seen yet..

I finally made progress on one branch of my family tree because of an occupation listed in an old city directory. I’d been staring at two men with the same name, similar ages, and basically identical locations, and one random job title finally helped me separate them.

It was such a small thing that I almost skipped over it, which made me wonder how many useful clues I’ve probably ignored because they didn’t look important at first.

What’s the most random detail that ended up solving something for you?

Hello everyone! Have you ever checked what age gap there is between the oldest and the youngest ancestor in each generation of your family tree?

Here is my situation:

Grandparents: 10 years (1935-1945)

Great-grandparents: 15 years (1895-1910)

Great-great-grandparents: 35 years (1845-1880)

Great-great-great-grandparents: 39 years (1816-1855)

Great-great-great-great-grandparents: 48 years (1781-1829)

Great-great-great-great-great-grandparents: 55 years (1731-1786)

The last two are likely higher actually, as I don't have a verified birth date for everyone of course. Still, I find it funny how two ancestors who are "generationally" equally distant from me have the same age gap a grandfather and a granddaughter would have.

What about you? How long does it take in your family tree to reach such an age difference?

His birth name was Vasil Kanalas Panula, he was born Dec 24, 1888 to parents Vasil Panula Sr and Anna Kanalas. He arrived in New York at Ellis Island on December 19,1900 aboard the S.S. Rotterdam. On his naturalization forms, his birthplace and last residence are written as Fatatsino (possibly Fataskino), Czechoslovakia/Hungary. Does anyone recognize "Fatatsino" as a phonetic spelling or historic Hungarian name for a village in eastern Slovakia? Trying to narrow down the modern village or parish so I can locate his baptismal record, Thanks for any leads!

Eight months ago I discovered my great grandfather was Canadian. Born in 1887. Problem is the man changed this last name when he crossed the border. He went from Larrivee to Brown. And he used 3 different birth years. lol even his death certificate had the wrong birthdate.

Among all of the US documents I located about his life, ie petition for immigration, children’s birth certificates, death certificates, census, marriage licenses, draft cards, there was not one document which linked him specifically to his parents in Quebec, Canada. Or his name change.

After putting a request in to my 10th archive organization I located my great grandfathers original social security number application in 1945. On it he listed his mother Elisabeth Brand. (Maiden name).

It’s like I birthed a child. It took me 8-9 months

I'm putting together my family tree on Ancestry. And I've done the DNA test on there. I've hit a wall on one ancestor and am trying to figure out how to proceed. I was hoping the DNA results would help, but so far I don't see a clear trail.

The ancestor in question is Oscar Franklin Moore, my mother's father's father's father. My first record of him is in the 1900 census in Mineral Co CO where he is listed as a 32 yr old miner, living a a boarder with his future mother-in-law. I have a newspaper record of him marrying the daughter of the head of household a month or two after the census, so not sure if he met her and then moved in or the other way around. She was recently divorced as of the census and had a young daughter already from the first marriage.

In the 1910 census they're living in Hinsdale Co CO and started their own household, raising the stepdaughter as well as their own kids. He died in Grand Junction CO in 1914 in his mid 40s from pneumonia. His family shows up a lot in the local Lake City newspaper in the 1900s and 1910s.

His place of birth is listed alternately as Indiana, Iowa, or Illinois depending on the record. And his year of birth back calculates to sometime 1865-1875ish depending on the record also.

I haven't found any records further back that would help ID his parents or earlier ancestors. Moore is a fairly common surname. The missing 1890 census is impeding things some I'm sure. His wife's family came from KY through TX to CO, so I don't think he knew them before meeting in CO.

On the DNA front in my matches I have my father, 2 first cousins on my mom's side, and my parents' first cousins from all 4 grandparents' sides. So that helps pin each other match to one of my grandparents. And my dad has an extensively well mapped tree, so lots of common ancestor matches on that side. But my mom's side is less well developed, especially on her dad's side.

Any ideas on how to use the DNA or other methods to trace him back further?

[supprimé]

I am finally breaking down and asking for help on a brick wall in the family tree, I can only find an exact set of relatives in the 1940 New Jersey census. No other census years, or records listing them together. There are also a couple other similar people but their dates dont add up, and it looks like it has confused family trees and is making it difficult to work backwards. Any information, especially parents or birth/death/marriage records would be really helpful. Thanks for any help!

So here is what I have got:

Joseph A (possibly Aloysious) O Brien birth 8/2/1896, death 1978 New Jersey possible parents: Francis X O Brien, Mary Longworth Possible siblings: Mary A, and Margarete
in the military between August 6 1918 and September 30 1921 Ironworker maybe? Father possibly a Brass founder?
Catherine (possibly E, possibly Irene) O Brien, listed as 40 in census but death index records say birth 11/2/1904, death 1992 New Jersey Marion R, born 1927 New Jersey Joseph Jr, born 1929 New Jersey Catherine, born 1931 New Jersey Jean Ann, born 1933 New Jersey Geraldine, born 1938 New Jersey

Issues I have found: There seems to be a marriage certificate for Joseph A O Brien and Catherine Egan in 1919 in New York, but wrong parent's name for Joseph.

Another issue: I found other 1920 census records for a Joseph A O Brien and Catherine Irene or Irene Catherine O Brien in New Jersey, but again puts her age wrong at birth date 1895, and also appears on the 1940 census with Joseph A O Brien with other kids in New Jersey. Some family trees listing his marriage to Irene Catherine do list his parents of Francis X and Mary Longworth though

One of these Joseph A O Brien appears on 1900 and 1910 census records with parents of Francis X and Mary Ann with the correct age and siblings, how do you tell which one? Or are both of them the same person and he had two families in 1940? It shows they lived like 10 miles apart

Unfortunately, I have a gap in my research regarding my great-great-grandmother's mother. She was Jewish and lived in Pomerania; her mother was Johanna Caspary (or Kaspary) and her father was Hermann Guter. Hermann Guter died in Berlin in 1901, and his side of the family is well-documented. However, I have been unable to find any information on Johanna—neither at *Pommerscher Greif* nor on *Genbaza*—including any record of her birth or the couple's marriage. Unfortunately, the patriarchal nature of historical record-keeping often comes to the fore in genealogy, as the female line is very difficult to trace and inevitably contains gaps. I also had no success searching *JewishGen*. Johanna Guter (née Kasbary/Caspary/Kaspary) lived in the Köslin district and died before 1901. Where else could I look or obtain information—perhaps a death record, a grave, or a marriage record? The marriage took place before the introduction of Prussian civil registry offices, so there ought to be Jewish records somewhere, provided they weren't destroyed during the war. I appreciate any help

I'm trying to find sources for my Polish great-grandmother Zofia Gorzelniak née Klupisz. This is the only branch where I still haven't made it past this generation. I don't have her dates of birth or death, but she was married to Jan Gorzelniak, b. 1897 in Solec. He was an inmate in Auschwitz: victims (dot) auschwitz (dot) org/victims/82257

He also received the Greater Poland Uprising Cross: powstancy-wielkopolscy (dot) pl/jan\_gorzelniak

There's even a picture of him with Zofia.

Their son, my grandfather Marian Jan Gorzelniak, was born 23.01.1924 in Wolsztyn.