How Does Everyone See You?

I laughed when I saw this picture. It is really true in a way. I definetly feel like a detective when researching my family. I have numerous brick walls. There are even times when I break through that brick wall that I just sit down and cry. Years of being frustrated with very little to go on. 

Don't forget that even the slightest thing can give you a clue. For years I had been trying to find information of my paternal great grandmother. I had only known her as Adelle. And that my grandmother shared her name as her middle name. In the United States Census she was listed as Adelle living with her husband Peter in New York. in 1920. But then in 1930 she was gone. Peter was listed as a widow with my grandmother and her brother. What happened to Adelle? My Mom then recalled my grandmother saying how her mother had died in childbirth. How sad. But she didn't know when. We have no idea where her mother and father are buried as she never spoke of this to anyone. I found a Peter Swenson married a Nanny Johnson August 26, 1911 in NY but didn't think it was my family. But the date was very familiar. My grandmother had been married three times and one of her wedding dates was August 26. And my father died on August 26 so this was just too coincidental. Then my mom came across a note written by a woman we knew was related to my grandmother but didn't know how. And in the note was a burial card for her mother. Alma Johnson! Alma was Nanny's sister! Well sister-in-law. Alma had married Theodore Johnson, Nanny Adelle's brother. Yes her middle name was Adelle. I was so happy to find this new information. 

So don't forget to sometimes go with your gut instinct sometimes and put the information aside until you can prove a source. I have a section in my file cabinet for misc. stuff like this to go back to. Never give up!