Which is easier to find.... Ancestors in 52 Weeks

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

Topic Info:
Not all ancestors are tough to research. This week, who has been easier to research than others?

Jimmy Sherman (I believe) taken before his death.
Credit: University of South Florida Libraries, USAF

Growing up, my mother never spoke about her side of the family. When I pressed she told me they were all dead and we didn't need them. However, once she told me about her cousin James 'Jimmy' Sherman, on the cusp of my leaving to get married, I started to get interested. After things with my marriage settled down, which took a bit of time due to the 3 fires and a wedding and moving countries, I started asking questions. My mother didn't give me much, so I had to take what I could get. 

Louis Gauquie in undated picture.
Credit: J. Gauquie

One piece of information was my maternal grandfather's name, Louis Gauquie (left). Yes, growing up I didn't know his name, but knew he was dead. (However, among my research I found he had died when I was very young.) I went researching and things started to grow.



Once I was able to pinpoint my grandfather's name and knew about the location, I started finding great aunts and uncles as he was 1 of 7 children that my great grandparents had. Then I went looking to learn more about this side of the family - who had lived only about 10 minutes away from where I mainly grew up in the Hudson Valley in New York. 

Picture of Helen Gauquie who passed away in 2014. Credit

From there I found Helen Gauquie, who had just passed away, when I did a normal search on Google. From there I was able to pinpoint Helen's children and I left a message, including contact information, on the memorial page. Before long, I was contacted by my mother's cousin, Teri, and she put me in contact with my direct cousin and uncle. My cousins and uncle I met in January/February 2019. 

Anyhow, this led me to trying to figure out the rest of the family, which was a waterfall of information when I started to find it. By waterfall, I mean, I found out a lot about my mother's aunts and uncles, and then I started to find out about their children, and so on. Once I was confident about them, I turned my sights onto my great grandparents and trying to go backwards. 

Jules Gauquie born Joannes Julius Van Rompaye Credit: Gail Boo Ancestry

I found out a bit about Jules Gauquie. About him being a farmer, helping out the fire departments, and letting kids use his pool, things along those lines. I found his obituary and found he had gave something to all his kids. However, when I started to ask my mother's cousins about him, then we started to learn things about public vs private personality. 

I had found out where Jules came from - Belgium. However, I didn't know how to go about getting the information I needed and stumbled across a website called Geneanet and their boards where you can ask questions. I asked a question and within days I had people helping and sharing where they were getting information. In fact, they found the birth entry of Jules Gauquie, who was actually born Joannes Julius Van Rompaye. This was due to the fact his father, Aloysius Hyppolitus Gauquie was chosen to be in the first Belgium military draft according to the documents behind the birth entry. These documents listed Jules' parents, grandparents and areas within Belgium. 

By this point, I was telling my cousin, who is a Gauquie, about what I had found. One of my helpers in the Geneanet website pointed me to the Belgium Archives. We all wanted some of the questions everyone started to have answered. 

My 3rd Great grandfather Desire Gauquie's entry in Belgium Archives translated.

It took me about a month working with the Belgium website to try and figure out who belongs with who in the entries, which went from Dutch, to French, to what I think is Flemish Dutch to get through the records, but thankfully the Belgium website can be translated to English. I had pages of notebooks written with people's names and information about them along with screenshots, so I could go back and reference what I had been finding.

I used what people call the FAN technique or even use the words cluster genealogy to describe it. I read about it but never had used it before but thought it would be a good use here. 

One of my many FAN sheets I've used to show connections.

Before long, I sat back and looked at what I had found and Wow! I believe I found quite a bit of the family links and where we all come from. Along the way, I was contacted by another cousin of mine who lives in Paris, France of all places. He agreed with my findings and he had gone back one more generation which isn't online. He actually went to one of the locations and into the church to find my what I think is my 7 x great grandfather dating back to the 1700s! 

This cousin's line comes off this person who had a son who went to Paris and the other stayed in Belgium. 

These trees (above) were put together by cousin Herve in 2015. Credit: H. Costille

I'm still trying to put more branches on this side of the tree, but to do this, I have to go page by page in FamilySearch looking at original documents in other languages looking for other people in the family. 

Because of how much information I had and am encompassing, I started up a few Facebook groups, one of which being the Gauquie Genealogy group, so any relations can get to know the other, share information as its a private group, and we can put this Humpty Dumpty family egg back together again. 

The chart from my 2x great grandfather Desire and the stars above are some of the business and people listed below. Credit. J. Fitzgerald

So far, because of the group, we've found connections to the Gauquie Hotel and the family who resided there, the family connection to Galloways Garage in Newburgh, NY, the family connection to Devitts in New Windsor, and the connection to the Van Rompaye Trucking Corp in Chester, NY. 

My 2x great cousin Louis Van Rompaye in front of his business in Chester, NY over 100 years ago. Credit

Of course there are still questions, but this list is starting to get smaller - Thankfully. I just need the time to sit down and go through FamilySearch for the information. 

Military Appreciation: Louis Julius Gauquie - Ancestors in 52 Weeks

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

Topic information:
Who fought in the military? Who worked to stay out of the military? What discoveries have you made using military records?

When I started my family research, it was to find out more about my father's mother and my mother's cousin Jimmy, who was lost in World War 1.

Since then, I've found out more and more about my family on both sides and some days it was a proud feeling and other days was disbelief at the things I was finding and this includes things with the military. 

My mother told me nothing about my Uncle Louis, who this post is named after, other than his name and it was just Louis Gauquie. It wasn't until I started to look for him I started to get the sense like I knew him and what he did. 

Who was Louis Julius Gauquie? 

I guess this is the best way to start. Louis was the oldest son of Louis and Janet Gauquie. He was born in Cornwall, New York on March 5, 1936. He was their first child. The family currently lived in Newburgh, New York.

Louis Julius Gauquie in the 1950s. Credit: J. Gauquie

His father, Louis, was a bridge worker for the Erie Railway Company. In his father's file, his father was called a Bridgeman for the Structures department within the railway system. He worked on the railway bridges and as a painter, I would say, across New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania as these are the areas Erie serviced. It was said by his son Jimmy, his father Louis loved heights and would spend all day up in the air if he could.

The Erie Railroad on a map showing New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania areas. Credit

Louis grew up around Newburgh. His sister who was born in 1939, joined him in growing up in the area. However, in his childhood, the family moved to Milford, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, back to  Newburgh, and in Matamoras, Pennsylvania, then back to Newburgh, New York.

By 1949, his father got out of being employed by the railway and was now a plumber in Newburgh. they stayed in the area now.

In 1953, he was in a school in Newburgh, New York as a junior. But his life was now going to change.

August 13, 1953
Louis enlists into the US military into the branch of Navy.

This shows when Louis was born, died and when he work within the military. Credit

1954
LJ Gauquie, which is who this post is about, is pictured with crew on USS Duncan. This means he has made it into the Navy.

Louis with his shipmates on the Duncan. Credit

Up-close picture of Louis from the picture above. Credit

Hi ships Classification is DDR-874.

The USS Duncan. Credit

"After the end of the Korean fighting in 1953, Duncan remained busy in the Pacific, alternating Far Eastern duty with training and maintenance on the west coast. She visited Australia, Japan, the Philippines, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and many islands of the Pacific." (credit)

By December 1954, Louis was returning from his tour and was Fireman Machinist’s Mate (MMFN rating) in the Navy.

This gives Louis' position and links him with his parents and ship. Credit

In March 1955, Louis marries his wife Edith in Middletown, NY and is out of the Navy as I have him placed as working in New Jersey.

In January 1957, his son Louis is born.

By February 1957, less than a month after his son is born, he's back in the Navy again aboard the destroyer USS Rowan. However, it lists in in 1957 as Other on the VA files.

If you look at the above image, in 1957 he has other duties, so I think he must have been a contractor or something with the military. Credit

Lists Louis as a Machinist mate 3rd class on the USS Rowan. Credit

The USS Rowan in November 1957 in Sydney. Credit

However, the file from the Navy shows him as doing other duties in the military (above newspaper clipping).

From New York to Nebraska

In 1958, Louis, Edith and family have moved to Lincoln, Nebraska. Why? Because he is  now working for the United States Air Force located there. However, they've moved around the area a bit. I'm not sure why, but you can find these out through various business directories.

The question I still have is he with other duties in the military or is he has he applied to be in the air force?

From Newburgh, NY Business directory showing us they've moved to Lincoln Nebraska

From Lincoln, Nebraska's business directory showing where they are living and working including USAF.

"The Air Base was a city in its own right (actually becoming later the 5th largest town in Nebraska). Everything from a barber shop to a credit union to a dental clinic made the base largely self-sustaining. Swimming pools, a gym, tennis courts, baseball fields and clubs soon made their presence felt as well. Bowling Lake was constructed in 1958 using (what has been ironically gestured by veterans as) volunteer time of airmen and officers. The lake was dug on the Northwest side of the base and was known for its fishing qualities and boating events.

Housing was short in Lincoln proper, and between 1956 and 1958 1,000 units of Air Force duplex, apartment and standard houses were built West of Northwest 48th Street. A school, Arnold Elementary was also built, even then operated by Lincoln Public Schools. Older children tended to go to school at Whittier Junior High and then Lincoln High School. It should be said that airmen also found homes inside of Lincoln, especially the Belmont neighborhood of Northwestern Lincoln.

From 1955 through 1964, a considerable number of accidents occurred at the base (but also nationwide), primarily with the B-47 jet bomber. Fatal crashes occurred near Ceresco and near Raymond during 1955 and 1956. Bowling Lake was named for Captain Russell Bowling who commanded a B-47 that careened off the runway at RAF Lakenheath in England and into a nuclear weapons bunker, nearly causing a nuclear incident. The Major Meeks incident was also a well known event in 1964. A JATO (Jet-Assisted Take-Off) bottle burst and crippled his B-47, then known as Captain Meeks made sure his crew was out of the bomber. Unfortunately, his ejection seat failed and he was the only casualty on board, thanks to him there were no others.

Throughout the 1950's Lincoln became a major Strategic Air Command base and a very powerful asset to American nuclear forces. Its B-47 complement would number above 100 at times before 1965 and news of missile deployment assured the area in 1958 that the base would be there long into the future. KC-97 tankers meanwhile stood a less famous mission but nonetheless made the B-47 medium bomber into a strategic one. The 20 aircraft of each squadron provided  support with its dual transport/refueling role. By 1959 an "Alert Force" concept came to dominate SAC's bomber operations in the face of the 1957 Sputnik incident and the now shortened warning time of a Soviet attack. Also in 1959, 2nd Air Force assumed jurisdiction over the base and the naming of several units would change from 1958 into 1962. Strategic missiles coming into the mix would cause institutional changes themselves. Lincoln Air Force Base would move into the 1960's a very large and strong strategic American air base." (credit)

As you can see from the description (above) the base was a very active and important during this time.

In 1967, Louis and Edith welcome a daughter, Debra, to the family.

From Nebraska to California

In 1968, Louis, Edith and their children are now living in California according to another business directory. Again, it lists Louis as working for the Air Force, which still does not answer the questions I asked above.

I do believe he was working on the Travis Air Force Base due to its location to where they were living.

"Assigned to the wing on January 8, 1966, the C-141-equipped 75th Military Airlift Squadron transitioned to the C-5 "Galaxy," becoming the Military Air Command's first operational squadron to fly the new transport aircraft. On February 6, 1972, the wing added a second C-5 squadron, when the 22nd Military Airlift Squadron activated at Travis." (credit)

Even though the above is almost two years prior to his moving to California, I think either he or his command was waiting until things settled with the first groups coming over before sending him and the family.

In February 1970, it has he has signed up again and this time its with the Air Force a per his Veteran's file which lasted until August 31 1974. This was at the time of the Vietnam War.

As you can see by the above Enlistment date 2, he has now joined the military again. Credit

Towards the end of the war, the base was a major player in return of many of the soldiers from North Vietnam. (Credit) As he was stationed there, he might have helped bring the soldiers home.

"While 1965 to 1970 saw more than 5 million personnel go forward from Travis, the following five years saw only a fraction of this number." (credit) And I think it was due to this, he could file his papers to leave the military.

I'm not sure on what he did after this point, but I don't think it was with the United States Military.

In the coming years, his son blessed him with a grandson, Vincent, but died when he was very young.

His daughter graduated from high school and married in California.

From this date, I don't have any further military attachment until the date of his death on December 7, 1995.

The Social Security Death Index showing Louis' death in 1995. Credit

I believe his wife Edith, and daughter Debra, still live in California. Their son, Louis lives in Nevada.

Challenge: Grandparents Day in USA and Canada

GENEALOGY: BEYOND THE BMD has challenged people who blog about their family genealogy to make their blog this week be about their grandparents.

Grandparents day is this weekend on September 10th in the USA and Canada.

Then there was one more step to it - tell us one story from them they told you.

This is where it will get dicey for me to fulfill this challenge. Why?

1. I can never remember meeting my paternal and maternal grandfathers at all. Long story, but they were not good men, or so I've been told, so they kept us away from them. 
2. My paternal grandmother, the one I was closest and the only one to fully know, would only say a sentence here and there about her growing up years to me. However, there are no stories. Only sentences. 
3. My maternal grandmother, and the one I carry her middle name, I only seen a handful of times in my life. Those times she was drugged up by the nursing home staff due to her mental state. 

So, as you can see, I had a very happy home life growing up and this will be a challenge for me to fulfill.

My family tree leading back to my grandparents are:

My Family Tree made by myself for Grandparents Day on Sept 10th

Sadly, all of my grandparents are gone now. In fact, I didn't even have pictures for three of them until about 2-3 years ago, when I started researching and talking to cousins.

Maternal Grandparents
These are on my mother's side. As you can see, from the tree above, these are Janet and Louis we're talking about.

Janet Gauquie

Janet - I met her only a few times before and she was in a nursing home. She had many health complaints along with other factors which kept her in homes since around the time my parents married until her death.

Memory:
One of the best memories I have is when my mother signed her out of the nursing home and brought her to our house for Thanksgiving one year. I was about 8, 9 or 10 years old. The word got out and my brother and all of sisters and their families came along and we joined every table we had and brought as many chairs as we could and sat around the entire table. Talk about a full room. I was able to sit next to my grandmother as the meal progressed.

The sad part is my grandmother sat there looking around at everyone, but didn't eat, drink or say anything. I kept asking if she wanted a drink, some food but she just looked at me. She was on that much medication from the nursing home she probably didn't even know her own name. However, she was there and we all made it known how much we loved her.

Louis Gauquie

Louis - I never met him at all to my knowledge. In fact, my mother would only tell me about stuff he did and said how he treated Janet.

As you can see, on my mother's side, there wasn't much on an influence at all by these people unless you look at how the affected my mother, which was substantial from what I can now see and understand.

Paternal Grandparents
These are on my father's side. As you can see, from the tree above, these are Mathew/Matthew and Jean we're talking about.

Mathew Schmitz taken from his Naturalization paperwork

Mathew/Matthew - I never met, either, as to my knowledge. My father wouldn't bring him up at all. My grandmother would only call him names and get a sour face when he was mentioned.

Jean Schmitz

One of the pictures of me and my grandmother.

Jean - Jean is the only major influence of my life. She's the one that drove my mother to West Point when I was born. She used to have me stay with her two weeks of my summer vacation when I was in school. She was always trying to dress me up in dresses, which I didn't like and it used to annoy her because she wanted a granddaughter that loved to shop and wear frilly things. *shutter*

Stories/Sentences:
Growing up I would hear kids in school talk about their grandparents and stories about their families growing up. We never talked about the past in my family - at all. However, when I was staying with my grandmother, Jean, she would sometimes say things in sentences.

• I loved playing in the Bug and another River with my cousins growing up. We had such great times!
• That was my father's brother. He's gone now. They are all gone now. Assassinated and murdered. 
• *((** Germans! *(&(*& Russians. They can all go to hell! 

Aug 16 1915 The Register Page 5

Aug 16 1915
Marybourgh Chronicle Wide Bay &
Burnett Advertiser Page 4

March 15 1920 The Sun Sydney, Page 8

I heard the names and other statements growing up being called to and at me. This was in the 1980s and I was dealing with the name calling because of having a German last name of Schmitz, but it was the Polish names which were the worst. You can tell if people call you things just to get on your nerves and teasing, but these were things they meant by the looks on their faces. Think of the TV show All In The Family and how they used to call people things. That was as a joke. It got worse if people meant what they were saying. Things like this stay with you a lifetime.

Putting lives back together

Jimmy's wings he earned just before his death

I started my whole journey into genealogy because of two people. One, my mother's cousin, Jimmy, and what happened to him. The other was my grandmother, Jean, and these sentences she would say over and over again. Add this to the tiny cups she gave me when I was young, and I needed to know more about who these people were which made up - Me.

You take what information you are given and work with it until you can put their lives back together as much as you can to feel like you know the person. Jean has given me this and through research, swearing (and there's been A LOT), and determination I have found out what my grandmother most likely went through during most of her lifetime.  I have written many entries in this blog regarding them and each time I find new information out, I sit back in awe of what this little 4 foot 10 inch person did in her life.

Makes mine seem dull and very safe in comparison.