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Genealogy #2
Feb. 25th, 2014 09:41 pm I should make this quite clear how much Genealogy means to mean. For those who think it's a stupid endeavor I have this to say: It will be the most rewarding experience of your life. There's just something profound in searching out family that you didn't know existed.
I guess I started early with my love of Genealogy. I remember having a school project in fourth grade. We had to place on a map on the wall where our family was from. What I knew then is not what I know now. It was unanimously decided that we were German and Irish. What we didn't know was the Russian. Depending on my last name and how it may or may not have changed when my ancestor's immigrated, it could have had a 'covitch' affixed to the end making it Russian. Well, after that fourth grade assignment, I always wondered but never had the means to truly search.
Fast forward about 15 years to 2010 and I now had the means to search. Though I haven't found any Russian lineage, there's still a chance for Irish and Scottish roots. What I do know is that I am unequivocally German. It's been an amazing three years with a ton of discoveries and more than a few roadblocks. I'm still working through some of those roadblocks; my toughest challenge is my Bradshaw ancestors. But the reason for my journal posting is my Miller ancestors.
After a trip to the Genealogical Society and a round or two on the microfilm reader (you have to try these, I find them fun to use) I found my 3x great grandmother's obituary. It wasn't listed in the many obituaries compiled and indexed, but I found it on microfilm. Though I didn't learn my 4x great grandmother's name, I did get my 4x great grandfather's name: George Kocher, Jr; whose father was George Kocher, Sr born in Germany in the '60s; 1760s to be exact.
Since my 3x great grandmother actually died after my 2x great grandmother, I was able to send for her death record. I've said before that Pennsylvania has an amazing death indice and it's affordable: $9.00 for a certified copy. It wasn't always the case and actually, when I started truly searching in 2010, the death records were not available like they are now. I've sent that in the mail today and so begins the waiting game. I'll share that discovery later, good or bad.
I guess I started early with my love of Genealogy. I remember having a school project in fourth grade. We had to place on a map on the wall where our family was from. What I knew then is not what I know now. It was unanimously decided that we were German and Irish. What we didn't know was the Russian. Depending on my last name and how it may or may not have changed when my ancestor's immigrated, it could have had a 'covitch' affixed to the end making it Russian. Well, after that fourth grade assignment, I always wondered but never had the means to truly search.
Fast forward about 15 years to 2010 and I now had the means to search. Though I haven't found any Russian lineage, there's still a chance for Irish and Scottish roots. What I do know is that I am unequivocally German. It's been an amazing three years with a ton of discoveries and more than a few roadblocks. I'm still working through some of those roadblocks; my toughest challenge is my Bradshaw ancestors. But the reason for my journal posting is my Miller ancestors.
After a trip to the Genealogical Society and a round or two on the microfilm reader (you have to try these, I find them fun to use) I found my 3x great grandmother's obituary. It wasn't listed in the many obituaries compiled and indexed, but I found it on microfilm. Though I didn't learn my 4x great grandmother's name, I did get my 4x great grandfather's name: George Kocher, Jr; whose father was George Kocher, Sr born in Germany in the '60s; 1760s to be exact.
Since my 3x great grandmother actually died after my 2x great grandmother, I was able to send for her death record. I've said before that Pennsylvania has an amazing death indice and it's affordable: $9.00 for a certified copy. It wasn't always the case and actually, when I started truly searching in 2010, the death records were not available like they are now. I've sent that in the mail today and so begins the waiting game. I'll share that discovery later, good or bad.
