Genealogy thread

[Buzz Rules]

Anything in particular anyone is having trouble researching?

 

[disneyworldsk]

Anything in particular anyone is having trouble researching?

Yes. how do you research if a marriage was more arranged/forced to make it easier for emigration to america in ww2 or truly something made of a love connection? coming to america as a refugee required affidavits, if you knew someone already here in america. so if you didn't know anyone and you got married and that person had an affidavit to come to america you were hooked onto the same automatically. apparently....how do i figure that out ? Thanks! love this thread.

 

[Buzz Rules]

Yes. how do you research if a marriage was more arranged/forced to make it easier for emigration to america in ww2 or truly something made of a love connection? coming to america as a refugee required affidavits, if you knew someone already here in america. so if you didn't know anyone and you got married and that person had an affidavit to come to america you were hooked onto the same automatically. apparently....how do i figure that out ? Thanks! love this thread.

Hmm….. What country did your ancestors immigrate from that your trying to research? If they are from Europe in 1930’s-1940’s, than it’s likely that the marriage could be out of love but also opportunity. The idea of arranged marriages in European countries kind of died out by WW1. During WW2, immigration to any Allied power would be extremely difficult due to the risk of espionage. You had to prove a family connection most of the time and marriage is one way to do it. It’s kind of hard to prove love one way or another but maybe see how quick they got married once they arrived in the USA, how long they knew each other, how long did they wait to have kids? Also did the intended groom/bride travel to Europe often to where the spouse came from often. It’s also possible according to history, to have a loving marriage even it’s arranged. People did try to escape the war any way possible as well. If you can provide more details in the context your trying to solve, I may be able to help more. This was just a general answer.

 

[Buzz Rules]

 

[Buzz Rules]

 

[Buzz Rules]

Do you have a university near by? I bet you could get students to do it. - Maybe a professor would even give them extra credit in their classes?

I’m curious @PollyannaMom, do you do family history research?

 

[Buzz Rules]

 

[OrangeBirdGirl]

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/11783243/abel-westfall
Thank you for your ancestor’s service.

Buzz Rules thank you for posting the find the grave site. Lol even though this isn’t my relative. I was at a standstill about 10 years ago as I couldn’t find proof of Great Grandfathers year of death in the 1950’s. And couldn’t get past him in the line. My grandmother didn’t have answers other then he died in whatever year and where he was buried. Just looked, found his grave plus a newspaper clipping of obituary. Now I’m excited to start back up. The site also linked graves to his parents. So thank you!

 

[Buzz Rules]

Buzz Rules thank you for posting the find the grave site. Lol even though this isn’t my relative. I was at a standstill about 10 years ago as I couldn’t find proof of Great Grandfathers year of death in the 1950’s. And couldn’t get past him in the line. My grandmother didn’t have answers other then he died in whatever year and where he was buried. Just looked, found his grave plus a newspaper clipping of obituary. Now I’m excited to start back up. The site also linked graves to his parents. So thank you!

If you need help, ask away. I have plenty of tips.

 

[Buzz Rules]

I am from Ireland and my grandma and now my mom have traced a lot of our family tree. If you need help with Irish ancestors let me know as I might be able to give you info about resources and ways of getting information.

I’m curious @BadPinkTink, how far back have you been able to trace?

 

[BadPinkTink]

I’m curious @BadPinkTink, how far back have you been able to trace?

We have traced family on both my mums side and my dads side. I dont remember exact dates or generations but we have gone back to the early 1800's I think, possibly further on some lines. On both sides we have traced some ancestors to America

 

[Buzz Rules]

We have traced family on both my mums side and my dads side. I dont remember exact dates or generations but we have gone back to the early 1800's I think, possibly further on some lines. On both sides we have traced some ancestors to America

Did they fight in the Revolution/War of 1812? If so, you might be able to get even more information from SAR/DAR.

 

[PollyannaMom]

I’m curious @PollyannaMom, do you do family history research?

Not really. I have copies of some stuff that my aunt and uncle did. I find it very interesting, but haven't added to it myself. - I just stumbled onto the thread in the new posts section.

 

[SirDuff]

I need help please!!!! I am organizing my father's "holocaust box" , that's what we call it. His German Jewish family was either killed or escaped the holocaust and his archived materials about their journeys to life or death are stuffed in a box. I took the box from him and am organizing them.
However....I have come across TONS of letters from concentration camps, labor camps, on the boat to America to freedom, correspondence between relatives after the war, and my grandfather's time in a refugee camp in London. BUT they are all in OLD SCRIPT GERMAN!! I thought I only had two letters and someone online I hired transcribed a couple but it was very expensive. Then I realized I had MANY letters!!!
How can I get them transcribed in an economical way? Google translate does not transcribe old german script.
Help!

I know that you got a bunch of suggestions already but maybe reach out the Holocaust Museum. They might be interested for their archives and, if not, they may have suggestions for you.

 

[RUDisney]

My children were born in Russia in the late 1990s. Ever since we adopted them, my MIL has been telling me that my FIL's father was also born in Russia. No one remembers where. She would love to know if he was born remotely close to where my children were born. I found my FIL in the 1940 census. I know the year he was born. Do you have any tips on finding from where he came from Russia? He was married in or around 1924 in Pennsylvania.

 

[Buzz Rules]

My children were born in Russia in the late 1990s. Ever since we adopted them, my MIL has been telling me that my FIL's father was also born in Russia. No one remembers where. She would love to know if he was born remotely close to where my children were born. I found my FIL in the 1940 census. I know the year he was born. Do you have any tips on finding from where he came from Russia? He was married in or around 1924 in Pennsylvania.

First I would check the marriage certificate and death certificate (if he is deceased). If he had a passport/nationalization records, that could give you the answers your looking for. Check immigration records too. This can almost all be found on Ancestry. The citizenship papers would be the best way to get answers quickly. Keep in mind, the term Russia could also mean any part of the Russian Empire before it’s collapse. Example, people who came from Poland or Ukraine sometimes put down on census documents as Russia. If a city is listed, it might gave a different modern name that can help you identify where it truly is on a map. I hope this helps.

 

[RUDisney]

Thank you, @Buzz Rules. I'll check that out.

 

[Buzz Rules]

Thank you, @Buzz Rules. I'll check that out.

If have any questions, just ask.

 

[Buzz Rules]

Any other questions for today?

 

[Buzz Rules]

I was just going to ask about how you found immigration records because I was having a hard time finding them.
But then just now I found a whole family that came together on a ship in 1872! I'm so excited!

How’s your search going?