#52Ancestors Week 2: Favorite Find

Question

We got some great responses last week for 52 Ancestors! Let's see some more this week! Here's the prompt!

From Amy Johnson Crow: Week 2's theme is "Favorite Find." This could be a discovery that you made from breaking down a brick wall or something that just made you smile. (Like on my ancestor's Civil War pension application when it asked, "Is there an official record of your marriage?" and he answered, "No, it's recorded at the courthouse." Sometimes, you just have to laugh.)

I've got a few favorite finds. I'll be sure to post my response below. If you have a blog, feel free to link it! If not, comment below and tell us all about your answer!

Comments

Picture this. Your cousin in Rome sends you a picture of your father that you've seen a million times. It becomes a favorite find!

https://allroadhaverhill.blogspot.com/2022/01/52-ancestors-week-2-favorite-find.html

Answer 1

Good morning! My favorite find is a receipt for the purchase of a cemetery plot, which led to breaking down a brick wall I'd been trying to dismantle for 26 years: http://www.ourprairienest.com/52-ancestors-week-2-favorite-find/

Answer 2

Over the years a number of people have told me that I look like Meryl Streep, a dark-haired Meryl Streep. So, it was thrilling to find out that she is actually my 8th cousin!

Answer 3

Longevity in my family.

My fifth great grandparents, Samuel Price and Ann Moore had 9 children born between 1760 and 1784.  The shortest lived child passed at age 74; the longest lived child passed at age 93.

Image: https://www.ancestry.com/sharing/27100941?h=114be4&utm_campaign=bandido-webparts&utm_source=post-share-modal&utm_medium=copy-url

Answer 4

My favorite find, and one that made me smile!  It's the wedding announcement of my great grandfather and great grandmother John E. & Catherine (Harwell) Drummond.  

Here's the text of the announcement along with a link to the document:

Rev. J.C. Hudson solemnized the marriage of J.E. Drummond, of Florence, and Miss Katie Harwell, of Sheffield on the evening of Nov. 4, 1890.  Mr. Drummond is a good South Carolina boy, and in taking to himself his mild brunette, with bright sparkling eyes, he adds to Florence to the detriment of Sheffield.

https://www.newspapers.com/clip/65790532/marriage-of-driimrnond-harwell/?xid=637&_ga=2.147238263.1528148365.1642566403-1323841059.1626920100

I love that, it's so cute and not anything that you would see in an wedding announcement today!

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Drummond-3451

Answer 5

Among the Unconnected people in the Tree I found Tena Finder. She was connected to her husband and a daughter. When I looked for sources to expand her tree, I found the 1900 Census, the first one where she was enumerated, and the 1930 one, where she was already a married woman.

I added all people I found in those censuses. For the two sons I added I also looked for an obituary to be able to get them off my Watchlist immediately.

Answer 6

My latest favorite find was a church record that confirmed that a child existed. I knew there had to be a child that died young, but didn't know how I'd ever find him. I did! And I posted about the find on my blog. Here's the link.

https://familytreesandbranches.blogspot.com/2022/01/52-ancestors-in-2022-week-2-favorite.html

Answer 7

My grandmother is skittish about sharing her past. My opa was in the German military in the 40s. My oma was a soup maiden in the 40s for the army. My most prized find (have not seen in person yet) is a photo of my oma hugging 2 of her "boys". It brings it home that regardless of the dark spots those were people too and they were just young boys and it makes them human too. It changed my perspective on history as there are people who make decisions good or bad but we don't forget those bad people otherwise how do we tell the entire story?