TAJ Posted November 15, 2009 Share Posted November 15, 2009 I started researching my family tree almost 3 years ago and within the first few weeks found a paternal side uncle of my mother's no one had been in contact with since about 1940 - this included some 1st cousins of my mum's that until I found them didn't know they had any living relatives on this side of the family - using GenesReunited. Over the last couple of years I had added to the tree, but no further big break throughs. I started my search as my grandmother had been missing since 1939 - she left behind 5 daughters and was never seen again. In the last 3 weeks I have managed to find details related to her brother & sister's family and through a third party on the same website I have discovered my grandmother was in the ATS in the WW2, then remarried and took a ship to Australia - I can see her on the electoral role up until 1954 in Oz. For my mother the last she knew of her mother she was 7 years old, she is now 77 - after 70 years of knowing nothing this is a major breakthrough. You see those stories on the website about people being reunited/finding lost relatives, but you never think it will actually happen to you. The other key fact was one of my mother's sisters told me the name of their mother's sister 2½ years ago - without that information none of this would have happened, sadly she died 2 years ago not knowing where her information led. Tracy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bellekatz Posted November 15, 2009 Share Posted November 15, 2009 I had a half-sister I never knew about who found me though Genes Reuniter 2 years ago! We are great friends now and have so many similar traits and likings it is uncanny. She would never have found me without it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted November 15, 2009 Share Posted November 15, 2009 What a fascinating story. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sadietoo Posted November 15, 2009 Share Posted November 15, 2009 Oh how joyous and frustrating family history can be.... I am so pleased for you that you were able to trace your grandmother...anyone who hasn't tried to do this just won't understand the euphoria when you make a break through!!! my mother's family moved down to the south coast from Gateshead after just before the war. My maternal grandmother had been cut off from her family because they deeply disapproved of her marriage...she was only 51 when she died when I was just two...and I have longed to find out about her, and her birth family ever since. Sadly my Mum, who was born in Gateshead died when she was still young, her brother and sister who were born in Sussex knew nothing of their northern forbears, and so there was no-one to ask who might know anything..all I knew was that my great grandfather was called Henry, and he was born in Yorkshire.. However fools rush in and all that... Amazingly, I have managed to unearth a whole load of stuff, and was pleased to be able to pass some of this on to my uncle, (my mum's youngest brother) before he too sadly died earlier this year.... I was up against it because my grandmother's maiden name was Smith. I wouldn't have been able to do it without the fabulous people at Rootschat.com, which is an absolutely free site which I heartily recommend to anyone starting out on family history. Congratulations TAJ, and happy hunting to any other omleeters out their trying to find which flock they belong to Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TAJ Posted November 15, 2009 Author Share Posted November 15, 2009 I have found loads of interesting stories along the way - the book 'The Suspicions of Mr Whicher' which is currently in the top seller list is all about a famous murder case in Road, Somerset - my 2nd great grandfather (Thomas Benger) was one of the two people that found the body and is mentioned a number of times in the book, as is an older relative (Mrs Quance). My grandfather's uncle died in WW1 in the 1st offensive in the Somme - it is said he over stayed his leave to sort out a marital issue and as punishment was posted to the front line and sadly died. I currently have just under 2,000 people in my tree, so I have been busy and gone back to the 1400s on some lines, most lines are back to at least 1830s. Tracy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seagazer Posted November 16, 2009 Share Posted November 16, 2009 It is really interesting isn't it. Both sides of my family have relations that haven't talked to each other for years and my Dad has just caught up with some of them via Genes. My great grandmother left my grandmother with her partner's (can't find marriage certificate) family and disappeared after my great grandfather died at the age of 27 . We have never found out what happened to her and my grandmother's baby sister. So sad. My mum has found a cousin that she had no idea existed on her dad's side. She thought the brothers were all dedicated batchelors so she was so excited when the cousin popped up. I'm going to get back into it all now I've got spare time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiggy Posted November 16, 2009 Share Posted November 16, 2009 I found my uncle, my Mom lost touch with him when they were children & I've met up with his daughter a few times now, we get on really well, I've still to meet my uncle, he was very poorly earlier this year but is back at home now, so maybe this christmas Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley Posted November 16, 2009 Share Posted November 16, 2009 What lovely stories!! I've done a lot of our family history , we have no missing people or extraordinary stories......and it's still exciting Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ain't Nobody Here Posted November 16, 2009 Share Posted November 16, 2009 I love reading these stories . I found my birth mother in the Australian phone book on the internet . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poachedegg Posted November 16, 2009 Share Posted November 16, 2009 What fascinating stories and how goes to show how useful and powerful modern technology has become in tracing relatives . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TAJ Posted November 16, 2009 Author Share Posted November 16, 2009 I love reading these stories . I found my birth mother in the Australian phone book on the internet . The person my grandmother married had the surname Glassey - I have only found 14 people in the whole Australian phonebook with that surname, so that is an avenue I am already going to follow up, there may be some connection. Tracy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ain't Nobody Here Posted November 16, 2009 Share Posted November 16, 2009 I hope you have success . Having an unusual surname certainly helps . There were only 2 with my mum's name, her aunt and her brother (she actually lived in England but I didn't know that!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TAJ Posted November 16, 2009 Author Share Posted November 16, 2009 I hope you have success . Having an unusual surname certainly helps . There were only 2 with my mum's name, her aunt and her brother (she actually lived in England but I didn't know that!) An Australian geneaology website contact gave me the link to cemtary records they are putting online - within 10 mins I found her 2nd husbands cremation record and I know she died after him, so I am getting closer. Tracy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Posted November 16, 2009 Share Posted November 16, 2009 I have found cousins that were linked via great grandparents - photos of my family are sooo similar to hers. Then some from another side of the family - but we are stuck because of the French link with the great great grandfather. Another cousin has a letter written to her from my great aunt - who had a funny name and that confirmed the link. Just amazing. Then of course it all helps when you are searching for more leads. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TAJ Posted November 17, 2009 Author Share Posted November 17, 2009 This just gets better after 3 years of not finding a trace of my grandmother. Through a few web contacts and Tasmanian genology sites I found her husbands cremation record (I knew he had died 1st), but could not find her at all. Then I used RootsChat.com and went to the Australian bit. There are so many people happy to look at their local records on your behalf. Anyway someone has not only found her cremation and last address, but they are going to the cemetery tomorrow so have offered to send me a photo of her grave stone from down in Tasmania. Isn't the web a wonderful thing when it works? Tracy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ain't Nobody Here Posted November 17, 2009 Share Posted November 17, 2009 Wow, that's great . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted November 17, 2009 Share Posted November 17, 2009 How fantastically kind! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TAJ Posted November 17, 2009 Author Share Posted November 17, 2009 How fantastically kind! She offered and said she knew where the plaque would be (its her ashes in a remembrance wall) as it was near her uncle's. My mum and her sister are really pleased to know what happened to ehr in the end. Tracy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seagazer Posted November 18, 2009 Share Posted November 18, 2009 Thats really lovely, how nice of them to do that for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TAJ Posted November 18, 2009 Author Share Posted November 18, 2009 Thats really lovely, how nice of them to do that for you. I now have the photo and the director of nursing at the care home she was in until she died in 1982 has given me more details and knows people that knew her. Tracy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seagazer Posted November 18, 2009 Share Posted November 18, 2009 Thats brilliant, so often you leave asking about ancestors until its too late and there is no-one around that remembers them. I'm going to go to France soon to visit my Great Grandfather's war grave. I know I don't know him, he died in 1916 but I'm pretty sure it will be emotional. There are no photos of him, family bust ups meant that lots of things were destroyed. Even worse the war records for him were destroyed during the second world war I think. That would have given details such as height etc. You never know though one day I may find a relation who knows some details. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
