Monday, January 26, 2015

Little Lesson Learned


I have a saying that I used over and over with my kids, and it is worth repeating, 'You just never know.'

There is a point in time when one must admit that they need help.  I hit that point a few weeks ago when I became frustrated trying to find my ggg grandparents.  I joined the Mid-Atlantic Germanic Society (MAGS) for a mere $15.  What I got in return was worth the money spent!

Christoph, wife Dorothea, and their three children arrived in New York in July 1852.  I found naturalization papers for their son Christian in 1860.  With the help of MAGS, I now have evidence of the parents, Christian and his wife and newborn son Christopher living in Baltimore, Ward 1, Maryland. (Images of the 1860 US Federal Census reports are below.)  I know when Christian moved to Manchester, Maryland, but the search continues to learn where Christoph and Dorothea are buried and when they died.  Does the search ever end?!

Lesson learned ... do not overlook any US Federal Census reports.  This is where my research stalled.  If a particular year, 1890 excluded, does not show up in your search, do an Internet search for the report(s) by year and state, and search the report line by line.  There are some US Federal Census reports that ARE NOT indexed and do not pop up in Ancestry.com or Family Search. 



Christoph Monath was listed as Morratt on this Census. 

Christian, too, is shown with a last name of Morratt. 
Best of luck on your genealogy journey.  All roads taken will eventually turn something up for you.  You just never know!