The mistake that wasn't - Ancestors in 52 Weeks

This year's challenge is 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks and is run by Amy Johnson Crow.

Topic Info:
Mistakes. We all make them. (We are human, after all.) What's a mistake that an ancestor made? What's a mistake that you've had to correct in your research? What was something that you were sure was a mistake in the records, but turned out to be right?

Background
My mother would never talk about her family. In fact, growing up when I asked, which wasn't often, I was told they were all dead and to leave it at that. It was the look sad look on her face which caused me not to push. Eventually, I left to get married and my mother opened up to me about her cousin Jimmy, which led me to my grandfather, Louis Paul. Then I kept looking, and with help, I found my great grandfather, Jules and eventually his father Aloysius Hyppolitus Gauquie. I was able to go back generations. 

Due to finding Jules' birth information, I knew Aloysius was drafted into the Belgium military and his parents weren't married until after his birth - once his father returned from serving. 

The military document showing Aloysius being drafted. Credit

Where I can, I try and put the "flesh" on the ancestors bones. I try and understand what made them do what they did, what could have been their thought processes, by finding out as much as I can about them. This was my next step to find out about Aloysius. 

I thought Aloysius had stayed in Belgium. This was my assumption. Imagine by shock when I was trying to get a picture of Jules by asking for his passport application and found Jules', Annie (his wife) and Aloysius, all had naturalization paperwork with the registrar in a nearby town where they lived called Newburgh. 

The registrar asked me if I knew of Aloysius as Jules mentions him and he seemed like a relative. I told her he was actually Jules' father and I would like a copy of anything they could give me. I found Aloysius had filed for naturalization and Jules thought he obtained it after his father became a citizen. However, he was wrong because he was termed an adult when his father became a citizen which is why he didn't become one for years afterward. 

The email I received regarding documents on Jules, Aloysius and Annie Gauquie. Credit: J. Fitzgerald

Who is/was Aloysius Hyppolitus Gauquie?
This is the question which kept going around in my mind. According to the documents I found, I had him being born in Eessen, Belgium and as he was 51 years old, it put him being born about 1847. He worked in a Creamery, and lives in Chester, NY. He's been in the US for 14 years, which put him in the US about 1884. He had at least one son, but there was no mention of his wife, Florentina, which was in Jules' birth entry documents. 

Aloyse Gauquie's Intention to become a citizen paperwork. This shows his birth and other details. Credit: Orange County NY registrar.

I went looking for census and couldn't find him. I could find Jules and could but more of his life story together but Aloysius, who was now going by the name Aloyse, was a ghost. 

Once again I went looking for other Gauquie names in the Orange County area. It's a very unique name for the area as you can imagine. In fact, I was even told my family couldn't have come from Belgium because the name isn't a Belgium one - its French. I was shocked as I had documents, but whatever. 

Where did he go?
Anyhow, I could find others and I found a Charles Gauquie. Upon looking at all the information I had on him, I found one census, in 1910, which had 3 Charles' living in the same family home. One was the head of household, aged 35, one labelled son, aged 6 months, and finally one labelled father, aged 64. The father's age put him about the same age as Aloyse, but his names Charles? 

The 1910 US Census showing the Gauquie Families living next to each other Jules' family is the first 3 lines then Charles Gauquie is the next grouping including last line of Charles Gauquie, father, aged 64. Credit

I didn't know what was going on, but started a file on this new Charles Gauquie and collected information. one of the bits of information was a will. Charles Gauquie passed away December 5, 1917 at St. Luke's Hospital, Newburgh, NY. Within these pages was a list of children. The children listed are: Charles, Fharille Holloway, and Jules. 

Charles Gauquie's will listing children about 1/2 down and Jules mentioned last sentence. Credit 

So not only is this person Jules' father, but Jules now has 2 siblings and I can start to connect the family up. 

What's also shocking is Aloyse/Charles makes it known he wants Jules, my great grandfather, to get nothing. 

Written within the will, his son Jules purposely omitted from getting anything. Credit

A Mistake? Or a Mixup?
After I found this out I then started to go through all the information I had on the Charles' in the family and separate it out. I was thinking this was a mistake and was another relative. I thought I had them all mixed and really messed up. 

I found there was a Charles who was registered in the poorhouse in 1916. Once again all the information matches what I had - age, Chester area, Belgium, amount of time in US, occupation, and parents name. This locks in this Charles WAS Aloyse. 

I asked my cousins who know a bit about the family's history about it. No one knew anything about him. I kept looking here and there because there was something I was missing, but I had huge chunks of time missing from him. 

New information comes to light - highlights my mistake that wasn't
One day I was checking my email and I had an email from a person looking for information on Gauquie's in Chester, NY. When I asked the person for more information, I got a shock. 

He said he has information of a Charles Gauquie was his 2x great grandfather. He was married to a Margaret and and a few children one of which was George Charles Gauquie, but he grew up knowing the name of Joseph, and with the last name of Wittman/Whittman. He asked if I knew anything of this and I didn't. I told him I believed him, due to gaps in my research, but we needed to see if we could join the information in paperwork. 

He said his father actually had to legally change his name to what he wanted it to be because according to the Social Security Administration he was still George Charles and couldn't get his pension until his name was changed legally. I asked for paperwork and he didn't have any. It took me awhile, but I eventually found it listed in the newspapers. 

Newspaper notice of change of name. Credit

The final notice of change of name becoming legal. Credit

This is how close Goshen and Chester NY are to one another. Credit: Google Earth

I finally found the 1910 census which linked a Charles, same year of birth, in the Goshen, NY area, which is close to Chester, NY.

He was married with a Margaret and lists children which just happened to match up with some of the ones I had found information for. There was a Charles, Margaret, Joseph, Caroline (suspect she was known as Carrie) and the other kids were known as S child or step child.

Cropped 1910 US Census showing the Gauquie family with step family. Credit

I was finally able to find Aloyse's son Charles' Obituary when he died in February 1952. He lists his father as Charles and born in Belgium. This puts even more weight with him being the same person.

Son Charles' obituary listing a Charles Gauquie as his father. Credit

Caroline(Carrie) and Ella's headstone. Credit

Filling in the Timeline
I sat down and made up a timeline using both of his names. George Charles, it was known he was called Joseph though, was born in 1899, which was right around the time my timeline stops. My new cousin gave me George's brother's name Frank John Gauquie born in 1905 which was still in the time where I had nothing. 

Then there's Ella.

In my earlier research I had come across a headstone for an Ella Gauquie who was born in 1902 and died 1907. The interesting part? Ella was buried with another girl called Carrie Wittman which would put them step sisters. This is on your right.

First I put everything I had down for Aloyius, or Aloyse. Then I started to add everything I had about the Charles person I suspected. Finally adding the census and my new cousin (the person had contacted me) information in. 

The evidence was stacking up with the connections. It's really uncanny on how the information fit like a key into its lock. The results are outstanding. Everything fits. See below.

Finally, what is really interesting is when Charles made out his will, he still did not mention Margaret, nor any of their children, in it. We do not know why he he had done this. I don't think it's a question anyone will ever be able to answer.

The Final Part
Sometimes things just fall into your lap and this is what happened next. My husband and I had done our DNA tests mainly to see what they'd come back with and where it would be tracked back to.

Imagine my shock when I checked my DNA matches, and the person who emailed me - my new cousin - comes up as a relation in the DNA list. It puts him down as a 3rd cousin which is about right but so many times removed.

Cousin Thomas' DNA against my DNA. Taken from my Family Tree DNA account.

I still cannot find why or where he changed his name officially. I'm now of the belief he changed it to make it sound more American. I'm not sure why he decided to do this when he did. I think he may have left Margaret, and all of their children and step children, because he might have fallen into bad times and couldn't support them. I think he left them, in hope people would be more likely to help her and the kids than with him being with her.

If you put all the information above together, I believe there is no doubt Aloysius Hyppolitus Gauquie is also Charles Gauquie there is just no paperwork to confirm it.

Ancestors in 52 Weeks - Using DNA to find X marks the spot!

This year's challenge is 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks and is run by Amy Johnson Crow.

Topic description:
DNA is a powerful tool in genealogy research. What is a discovery you've made using DNA? What ancestor do you think can be found with genetic genealogy? Of course, you can take the prompt in other ways. Do you have an ancestor whose initials are D.N.A.?

I've written before about DNA, its usefulness and some tools which you can use. Also, I've written before about DNA and tracking people using it and paper on my paternal side. Further, I've written about combining your DNA along with history to get some more background on your family history. I've also done a few other DNA posts (honestly I didn't remember doing many!) including some questions on DNA.

However, this time I wanted to do something a bit different. I really don't spend much time looking at the DNA side as it gives me a headache with how complex it is! Or seems to be at least to me.

My DNA & Its Findings
This time I'm going to start off with my DNA map as now (sometimes when the companies get more samples it changes due to the overall bigger community it now has compared to when I started it).

My DNA map in 2014 & My DNA Map in 2019 

My matches during this time haven't moved at all. This is good, because with documentation, I've found (so far) this map is very correct.  Sometimes these have to be redone due to the sample sizes changing.

On my paternal side, my grandfather was born in Germany and migrated from there. The documents in the US prove this and I have found documents in Germany (44% above) which verify this. There is also a family tree there but I need documents to support it.

My paternal grandmother, was born in Poland Russia (46%) and migrated from there. Once again the documents in both the USA and Poland confirm this.

My maternal grandfather was born in the US to migrants (meaning my great grandparents) from Belgium and Denmark. This is proven above by Belgium being within the 44% and Denmark being 8%. on the above map. They migrated from these countries to the USA. I have gotten paperwork from US to Belgium which is correct. With Denmark, I started to do research, but had to stop and concentrate on other areas which I had gotten more information.

My maternal grandmother was born in the US to migrants (my great grandparents) from Poland. Both her mother and father came from Poland which is 46%. As for this one, My great grandmother, I have some documents linking her and per parents to Poland. However, with my great grandfather, I haven't had a chance but its going to be very complicated as he's one of my brick walls I've written about.

What about the 2% one?

Credit

If you notice, I've talked about all the countries listed except for one - Southeast Europe. Why is it I have DNA from here? It could be where people had fled to during the past wars, history and have Germanic times (think Jules Cesar) or during the Germanic-Roman areas and this is what is showing up in my DNA.
settled here. Also, if you know you're history, then you know about way back when during

This is why sometimes its very useful to know or research history. It puts a new perspective or spin on it and how history has influenced your history.

But can you prove relatives?
Yes, you can. Many people have started to take these tests now. Because of this, once you get a good proven knowledge of your tree, you can start to prove these people - if they are on your tree that is!

I saw a last name I recognized but couldn't remember where. We (my husband helped as like I said above I'm not good with understanding this stuff and he thrives on it!) compared mine to this other person I'll call Gail. Based upon what we could we mapped her to a certain cousin as you can see below under the X-DNA.

My DNA Kit against Gail's. CM or centimorgans which are shared using GEDMatch. 

Then we looked at areas where we shared and noticed a few things. Its an X chromosome so it means a female match and the blue is shows where we match (see the arrows). There is a bit of sharing going on  and we figured out we've got to be 2nd cousins or thereabouts.

Our X chromosomes match. X means female and Y are male. To be a female I have XX as my main make up. One of these from each parent. 

 Then I went looking on my family tree to see if I could find Gail.... And we found her.!

Using blue circles are Myself and My Grandfather, Louis.
His brother, William, is a yellow circle. Gail is his granddaughter which is the other yellow circle.

The female we have in common is -- Annie Larson Gauquie!!! She's in the purple.

From my Ancestry tree - The blue circles are me and my grandfather. The Yellow are Gail and her Grandfather. Our X Chromosone that we match on is....from Annie which is their Mother (in purple)! 

So we're correct in saying we are 2nd cousins which the DNA proves. Ancestry even says the same thing.... She is alive and is my 2nd cousin!

DNA can be complicated but when it proves things like this its very rewarding at the same time.

Credit

A-Z Blogging Challenge - The letter V is for Viking!

In 2017, there was a challenge. I heard about it from jillballau blog and more information can be found out about it on the A-Z Blogging Challenge (which was at http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/) page itself. However, as I was testing links I found the A-Z Blogging Challenge link is no longer working *frown*

Many people had done this challenge in April 2017, but I’m a rebel and do things when I have time, so I’ll do mine now. I’ve been working on it over many days, and was hoping to get it all done before posting BUT it’s taking me a lot longer than I expected. I’ll do a few posts now and work on the rest. 

I know I have about ½ of this challenge done in draft format, so not too bad.  J

What can I say – I’m an original. So, here I go…

The letter V is for Viking! 

My father has a father that came from Germany and a mother from Russia Poland or Poland. I started to dig back using last names and found there were others with the name, including Nur where I found their marriage entry,  and it started following the Bug River up to Dansk or Danzig as the area has gone by both names. 

Upon doing a tiny bit of research, I found there was a link to the Vikings and this area of Poland.

The link from Poland to the area. Credit

On my maternal side we have a Larsen which comes from Denmark which was probably viking land, but I haven't gotten that far in my research. 

Alrup or now Aarup in Denmark where my great grandmother says she came from. Credit: GoogleEarth

However, my father has done his DNA and what shocked us was when Norway came up on his DNA. Its light but its there. We couldn't figure it out because as far as we know we had his father come from Germany and his mother from Russia Poland. 

My father's link to Norway and the Vikings.

However when I did a search, we found there IS a link. Way back in the eighth century if you can believe this web entry which I posted above.

In some researching looking for my paternal grandmother's ancestry, I found one of the last names/surnames follows up one of the rivers, which shows they were merchants which used the river for selling. Due to this, I can believe my father's ancestors, on his maternal side, can go right back up the river to Danzig or Ddansk. 

As you can see by the yellow dots the line was going up river. I had more but lost it when I changed computers. Map credit: GoogleEarth

Add this to where the Vikings were, I can believe they found the land and did trade and/or pillaged towns there. I wasn't sure of the DNA and Vikings side but following up paperwork which matches makes it hard to question history doesn't it?

A-Z Blogging Challenge - The letter U is for USA (Wojtkowski/a, Jagodzinski, Ostryski,Schmitz, Gauquie, Larsen)!

In 2017, there was a challenge. I heard about it from jillballau blog and more information can be found out about it on the A-Z Blogging Challenge (which was at http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/) page itself. However, as I was testing links I found the A-Z Blogging Challenge link is no longer working *frown*

Many people had done this challenge in April 2017, but I’m a rebel and do things when I have time, so I’ll do mine now. I’ve been working on it over many days, and was hoping to get it all done before posting BUT it’s taking me a lot longer than I expected. I’ll do a few posts now and work on the rest. 

I know I have about ½ of this challenge done in draft format, so not too bad.  J

What can I say – I’m an original. So, here I go…

The letter U is for USA (Wojtkowski/a, Jagodzinski, Ostryski,Schmitz, Gauquie, Larsen)!

The United States is a melting pot and I'm a perfect example of it. 

I have Polish, Russian, German, Belgium, French, Danish and more. The ones I've listed are the places I've traced each of my 2x great grandparents, great grandparents or even grandparents back to. 

My DNA says the same things but actually shows more Finland which I wasn't expecting. 

My DNA Map from FTDNA.

Each of these ancestors of mine have come through Ellis Island after week's long sea voyages. Some manifests I've been able to find and others I haven't. This doesn't mean I've stopped looking for them. 

My great grandfather's page 1 of arrival in NY USA. Credit Ellis Island

My great grandmother and grandmother's cropped page 1 of arrival in NY USA. Credit: Ellis Island

My 2x great grandfather page 1 of arrival in NY USA. Credit Ellis Island

My 2x once removed great aunt of arrival in NY USA. Credit Ellis Island.

All these ancestors came for different reasons I think can be categorized as:

• Safety
• Health and Food
• Freedom of Religion
• Land of Opportunity

Most of my ancestors came for the first two reasons, due to what little information I have gathered in their home countries due to war and famine. The last two reasons I think only a few of my ancestors came for which is because they felt in their home countries their religion and opportunities in the USA outweighed staying, so they left. 

Can we ever be sure of these reasons? No. Not unless someone recorded someone asking that question. However, by were they came from, I get the feeling they were basically forced to run or else it would have meant their lives. 

The 2 I felt were different were the Gauquie's and Schmitz. I think in the Gauquie's defense King Leopold II was in charge and things were not looking good due to the fighting there among people. 

With my grandfather, which is the Schmitz, I think it was economic due to the inflation of the German mark and the rise of Hitler and employment. My gut tells me its also he had a falling out with his father which was the last straw and took off to the US to be with his Aunt and Uncle. 

My grandfather's page 1 of arrival in NY USA. Credit: Ellis Island

However, each had their own reasons why they gave up their home country. 

It makes me think of today's refugees. Could it be they are feeling the same way my ancestors did and had to give up their home country? 

I'm in immigrant in Australia. However, for the most part, I wasn't fleeing from any of the stuff I've listed. I fell in love with someone in another country and one of us had to give up their home country. We looked at it from a logical standpoint and found we would get more if we live in Australia with more time off and easier to get and pay for a house than anywhere else. This and my husband's family was much closer than my own. 

However, since the current political attitude, I've been bullied harassed and called names. I have even been told I should give up my American citizenship because I was out of touch. 

Those of you who have called me names including liar can kiss this. Credit

Well, they can kiss my big butt I'm not giving anything up. I'm more American than most. Just because some people use phrases which mean one thing but to someone else another. This was after someone using the phrase snowflake which I hate especially after finding someone in my extended family died in the Nazi death camps. My generation don't understand history and using phrases like that are just WRONG. 

Again, they can kiss my big butt. 

A-Z Blogging Challenge - The letter K is for Koblenz, Germany (Schmitz)!

In 2017, there was a challenge. I heard about it from jillballau blog and more information can be found out about it on the A-Z Blogging Challenge (which was at http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/) page itself. However, as I was testing links I found the A-Z Blogging Challenge link is no longer working *frown*

Many people had done this challenge in April 2017, but I’m a rebel and do things when I have time, so I’ll do mine now. I’ve been working on it over many days, and was hoping to get it all done before posting BUT it’s taking me a lot longer than I expected. I’ll do a few posts now and work on the rest. 

I know I have about ½ of this challenge done in draft format, so not too bad.  J

What can I say – I’m an original. So, here I go…

The letter K is for Koblenz, Germany (Schmitz)!

When if first chose Koblenz it was due to my paternal grandfather, Mathias, being born here. While this is correct, and my great grandparents, Johannes and Anna, were married here, they weren't from here. Each of Mathias' parents were actually born in other towns. 

Where IS Koblenz?

Before I get too far ahead I guess I should let you know where Koblenz, Germany is.

From Google Earth

Germany, and my grandfather, was not really talked about when I was growing up. All I really knew was I had a grandfather, and he wasn't a very nice person. Also, he was German. That was about the extent of my knowledge until I went researching. 

First clues

My first clue to Koblenz was in my grandfather's naturalization record. 

Taken from Ellis Island website. Look at entry 16 and you can see Germany. 

The next clue was in the ship manifests I found. This backed up the nationalization record information. It also gave me clues to who my father remembers as his aunt and uncle were who he had pictures of.  My father could remember the people and faces but couldn't remember the last names. The uncle's name he could remember because my father's name was American for the person's first name - Gerhert or Gerald. 

My grandmother's manifest with his father's address shown. Taken from Ellis Island manifest.

Family Picture with Dad and his "uncle" and "aunt" going to Germany

Family Picture with Dad and his "aunt" Gertrude in NJ USA

   

What really made an impact was when I was able to get my grandmother, Genevieve's naturalization record. This had a copy of their wedding certificate. Shortly after, I was able to find a second wedding certificate on FamilySearch, for same people, address but different witnesses and place within a few months of each other. One was held in the NYC marriage office and the other was at St Monica Church in NYC. 

First marriage certificate in January 1934

First marriage certificate in March 1934

Marriage Certificate Jean put in with her naturalization papers.

Along with the place on the wedding certificates being different, but it gave me a place to start looking. However, its a small community and I couldn't get very far. Germany's privacy laws don't help either. 

My research stalled on this line for a few years. Then I started to research my great grandmother's line the Klepperich's. I got this information from the wedding certificates. This led me to a Facebook group on the line of Klepperich's and, in the meantime, I did my DNA as well. 

While the Facebook group was interesting, I wasn't getting any place with it, so that research area stalled. 

However, I did end up hearing from someone who was a DNA cousin and asked me about the Schmitz line. We compared notes, not that I had many at this point, but you have to be willing to share to get and learn things. We ended up friends on Facebook, and found she was in the Klepperich's Facebook group too. Again this link stalled because of lack of information. 

A few more years went by and in the interim I had put basic information on WikiTree. However, I was finding the entries and emails on this were annoying and not very informative. However, I was busy researching my maternal line and decided to get to it when I slowed on my mother's side. 

I've only just, in August 2018, with help of some researchers, fond this information out. One of the administrators for WikiTree contacted me asking me about the information I had on my grandfather's side. She was trying to figure out how we joined into the Klepperich side of things. 

I gave her a run down of what I did, which is above here. She got in contact with some researchers in Germany and they went to Neidgermendig, Germany and to where they keep the records. They hit the jackpot for me. They returned with my great grandparent's marriage certificate, my grandfather's birth certificate AND a family tree which goes back to the 1600 and 1700s! 

My grandfather's birth certificate with translations.

My ancestry.com tree with part of my paternal line.

It is and was jaw dropping stuff! 

In doing this, my one DNA cousin and I were able to track down which of our family's interconnect as well. 

This only goes to show, try something different and ask around. You might get surprised and find out some information! Remember sometimes you have to give a little to get back tenfold! 

Now I can track down where generations have come from...which is all around this area. 

A Genetic Geneameme in response to a post on GeniAus

Apparently on Facebook is a Geneameme created by The Genetic Genealogist, Blaine Bettinger. People usually post it on Facebook, but I'm posting my response here.

1. First person you DNA tested? My hubby tested first.

 
2. What was your own first test? FTDNA FamilyFinder

3. Year you took your first test? 2014 -  I think.

4. What was your most recent test? Well I paid for my father MtDNA test to be done.

5. Have you done full mtDNA genome? My father has but not myself.

6. What is your mtDNA Haplogroup? Like I said, I haven't tested by my father has - Haplogroup H11a and

 HVR1: 16188.1C, 16293G, 16311C
HVR2: 195C, 263G, 309.1C, 309.2C, 315.1C
Coding Region: 750G, 961G, 1438G, 4769G, 5585A, 8448C, 8860G, 13759A, 15326G

 

7. Any exact mtDNA matches? Not yet

8. Max Y-DNA markers you/male relative tested? 0 not tested - yet

9. What is your father’s Y-DNA Haplogroup? Dunno not tested

10. Any exact Y-DNA matches? Not yet

11. Tested at all of the Big 3 Companies? FTDNA

12. Have you had a whole-genome test?  No

13. About how many tests do you control/administer? 2 - myself and father

14. Do you use GEDmatch? Not really but have uploaded to them.

15. Favorite GEDmatch tool? Nothing really - still confused.

16. Were you able to test any of your parents? Yes, my father

17. Were you able to test any of your grandparents? Nope.

18. Age of the oldest person you’ve tested? 84

19. Are you all done testing relatives? No way

 
20. If you could ask ANY one ancestor to test, living or dead, who would it be? All of my paternal and maternal great grandparents. They would be even more lost with the whole science thing than I am.

Tracking family using paper and DNA

Over the last 16 years, I've been trying to track down my paternal Polish heritage and ancestry. When I first started to work on genealogy, this was one reason why I started to do genealogy - to find out where my grandmother, who was basically the only grandparent I really knew, had grown up.

From talking to her when I was in my childhood and into my early teens, I knew it was not a good area where she grew up. However, she did talk about playing in the rivers with her cousins and

1980s my grandmother and I in Newburgh, NY USA

always having cousins around her. I did ask once what rivers were they grandma and she told me, but the only one that stuck was the Bug River in Poland as, at the time, I thought it was a very funny name for a river. Anyhow, these memories helped me pinpoint down the area she grew up in.

However, back 16 years ago, there wasn't too much documentation on the web and I didn't have the resources to go tracking down the information. However, over the years, I didn't give up. If anything, I became more determined. Then when I lost my job nearly 3 years ago, I decided to crack open the information and really get into researching all my family.

Maternal Side Search
At first I had hits on my maternal side and started to find out information and go back and back. I found out an uncle I was told that had died had not and cousins, I didn't know about, were there. In fact, talking to some cousins they told me some of that part of the family had been looking for US! I found extended family in Pennsylvania, Virginia, Alabama and even Poland! Yes, I tracked my mother's side back to Poland and found a cousin there as well!

My DNA make up from Family Tree DNA

However, the downside was I my paternal side was still a huge mystery. In 2013, my husband, who is researching HIS genealogy (yes I'm guilty - I got him hooked!), was asked to do a DNA test because one of the probably cousins needed a link as they hadn't found paperwork and they only had a story to go on. He agreed and our world and knowledge of DNA started. After he took his test, and found the person WAS a cousin - a very distant but still a cousin.  (On a side note - they did find paperwork with both sides of the relatives listed which agreed with the DNA test).

DNA: Why did I do it & what to do with it?
Then we sat there and looked at each other and were thinking the same thing - I should take one, so off we sent for a DNA test for me in 2014. I took it, and got the results. I looked at them and thought they were interesting but what now? To me it looked like list of people with a range of cousins based upon the test. Then I realized to learn about the Polish in my DNA wasn't going to be that easy because I am Polish on BOTH sides.

Anyhow, as I asked questions, my husband, who's obsessed (or so it seems) with DNA results, started going on about blocks of DNA and matches. These I could pretty much understand - if your DNA is the grey part and the greys and other colors match then you are related somehow even if it is 1,000's of years. Then he started to go on about this and that and the eyes started to glass over and roll and his voice started to sound like the teacher in Peanuts (imagine wawa wawawa wa wawa over and over again). I realized this was going to require me to do some real research to understand anything more than colors match equal cousins somehow. I put it away in my to be done pile.

Dad to the Rescue with DNA

My father's DNA make up from Family Tree DNA

Anyhow, getting back to my paternal side, after I was seeing a bit of reasoning with what was going on and no documentation was coming forward either, I decided to bite the bullet and ask my father, who I was interviewing via the phone (when we'd call each other I'd ask questions - interesting concept with me in Australia and my father in New York and we'd be talking about ancestors), if he'd take a test. I told him I just wasn't having any luck whatsoever in anything I was trying, so would he. I would pay for it completely, it wasn't painful (just scratching each cheek with a think that looked like a toothbrush) and send it to me. The only thing was it would have his name on it. He agreed and off it went to him in January 2015.

My grandmother's obituary from Times Herald Record in 1988

Over the last 9 months, I've been keeping an eye on the results of both mine and my father's DNA and looking for hints via paper records. I called in microfilm from FamilySearch, which I had never done before, and went on the search of the building and area of the Mormons near me and spent the day there reviewing the microfilms I ordered in. Finally! Paperwork, other than my grandmother's obituary, which said who her mother was - Mary Slepovronskia (spelled wrong!) and who her father was - Adam Wojtkowski. I found my grandmother's marriage certificates. Yes, certificates - 2 of them. One was in the official offices and one was in a Roman Catholic Church in New York City.

Did DNA but Don't give up on paperwork!

2015 Letter enclosed with naturalization documents

Then I came back and I was starting to work on my maternal grandfather - another Polish ancestor - and ran head first into the US Federal Government files. I figured I'd wiggle my way through it as this one was a complete ghost. The first time was the number I found in the one file and it came back sorry we don't have that person by that number and they recommended me doing what's called an Index Search. After I did an index search and then asked for his Alien File or A File to be sent to me it did give up some information, but not much.

I then figured if I could do it for him, maybe there was something there on my grandmother. I knew she was a minor when she came over but why not give it a shot and filled out all the information on her. Back around 2012, I did come across her and my great grandmother's ship manifest so I had the names they used when they arrived in the US, so I put all the information I had down for her and sent it away in 2014. Let's just say when you deal with the US or state governments, the requests take awhile - think of how long a baby takes - 9 months if not longer - and you'll get a result. What appeared was shocking - My grandmother a lot of information including her parents were both naturalized as well! Upon seeing this, within an hour I put in for both my great grandparents naturalization files to be pulled.

Taken from Google Early in October 2015. Shows areas around Nur, Poland.

Upon getting that information in mid 2015, I now knew my grandmother and great grandfather were both born in Wojtkowice Dady Poland (which was both Russian and German at times). My great grandmother was born in Malkinia Poland (which was both Russian and German at times) and both locations were within 50 miles of each other! I also found my great grandparents were married in 1906 in Nur Poland which was 1/2 way between the two towns.

Using DNA to find cousins
Taking this information, I went into my father's DNA profile and started to look at the people that were pretty close 2-4th cousins. One of them had a Polish email address! Bingo! I emailed this person in August 2015. We have been talking via email about our connection and agree we are related but by which ancestor? He recently found my great grandparent's wedding certificate, which was written in Russian, and sent it to me from the archives. This took me back another generation on BOTH sides of my father's ancestry. 

DNA cousin against my father's DNA in FTDNA

My DNA cousin told me his mother was born and grew up in one of the towns north of Nur Poland which was probably the connection as it seems, by the wedding certificate/document, my ancestors married all up and down in the small villages along one main road in this area of Poland.

We're still looking to track more information down, but usually cracking the area your ancestor comes from - in ANY country (I've done this in Belgium/France and now twice in Poland) - is the hardest step. You get that area down and it seems the information comes to you in tidal waves.

My great grandparents' 1906 Russia Poland wedding document

I don't make promises lightly. I've only made 4 major promises in my life - and one of them was to my father to find out where his mother came from and to track down our cousins there. Until we link up- fully - with paperwork we're very close to finding a cousin. I did tell my father about the wedding document but are still looking for without a doubt paperwork linking us to DNA cousin Lukasz, but I think we are are only a few steps away as paperwork for this area was kept well apparently. 

Happy dance from https://media3.giphy.com

Helpful Hints on DNA
I do have a 2 things to say to wrap this post up. First, try and get your paperwork to match DNA. Remember DNA doesn't change but paperwork could so keep looking. Second, if you do decide to do DNA, please make sure people can contact you AND fill out the ancestor information as much as you can because this is how people know where you are looking. Adopted and looking? Why not put this in here too. Keep on looking but make sure you help yourself by filling out information fully and correctly and ask questions! Questions are helpful to learn anything.