Maggie N.

Genealogy

I think most peoples' interests in family genealogy usually begin at family gatherings, like a funeral or reunion. I know that was the case for me while a teenager because in three consecutive years, I lost a beloved grandparent. Each time the trek to the graveyards during the funerals brought me to headstones surrounding the newly deceased grandparent and each time, most everyone did not know how they were related. I put the family jigsaw puzzle together by identifying everyone through the records office, church records and obituaries.

My genealogical forays were furthered not only by photographing the gravestones of my family but also the Early American gravestones of rural Vermont and New York (I studied art history with an emphasis on early American folk art). Later, I was lucky to finish a certificate program at Brigham Young in the early 80's and began to help other people with their genealogical queries on the side.

My roots are not very "American"; my earliest immigrant settler sailed down the Erie Canal from France in 1827. I spent years reading French microfilms for my own Alsatian ancestry. My mother is largely Eastern European so I branched out in microfilms from Hungary, Slovakia and Russia Poland. My children's roots have taken me through American records, specifically colonial New Jersey and old Philadelphia. Recently, I tackled my impossible Irish ancestors in county Kerry with slow but steady research in their government records.

Projects

I lead the Polish Roots Poland Project as well as the Slavic Roots project.

I am also the leader of the Slovak Roots project.

I co-lead the The Holocaust Project which was started by the amazing Gaile.

I lead the Irish Roots sub-project for county Kerry while I break bricks walls on my impossible Irish roots.

I am also co-leader of the Donauschwaben Project and the Volhynia project.

I am serving as interim leader for the William Penn project while the phenomenal project coordinator, SJ Baty, keeps it in motion for WikiTree.

Although I have no family connections, you will find me cleaning up certain colonial Virginia profiles for the U.S. History project as well as any Quaker settlers in colonial New Jersey for the New Jersey project.

I occasionally lend a hand in the Magyarország, Slovensko and other Slavic category projects at WikiTree. I can also help read Hungarian (Magyar) records or any records written in Latin if you need assistance. If you have a profile of a Hungarian ancestor here at WikiTree, let me know if you need sources. If you have found naturalization records or passenger records but can not understand/read the village for your immigrant Hungarian ancestor because of historical boundary changes, I will help pinpoint location. I eventually hope to start up a Magyer Roots project when I find time.

I used to co-administer, with genealogist Nick Gombash, the Hungary Exchange genealogy group at Facebook if you need help doing research in Hungary. I also have a rare Hungarian One Name Study registered with the One Name Guild. The Study is hosted by the Guild at their website Stermenszky One Name Study.

My back-up files (upload: 2016) are on RootsWeb. Stermenszky Files. I am still in process of moving them all to WikiTree.

My Hungary surnames are:

Nagy, Stermenszky, Sebő, Rakai, Lorintz, Adam, Simon, Rozgany, Zsebik/Sebik, Farkas, Petö, Danko, Gyerus, Haluska, Vladikovsky/Hladikovsky, Polgaŕ, Söss/Sass, Plachetka, Chudi/Chudy, Kovacs, Mész, Szabo, Soka/Zsoka, Fabriczky, Istvanek/Istvanyik/Stephanik, Gothard, Skolnik, Pal, Gaal, Gäll, Császár, Svab.

Locations in Hungary (and some now in Slovakia):

Abaúj-Torna: Vendégi, Bódva-Vendégi (Hostovice), Jablonca (Silická Jablonica), Szin, Bódvaszilas, Szögliget, Varbóc, Hidvégardó, Derenk (extinct), Zubogy, Szádalmás/Almás (Jablonov nad Turňou), Körtvélyes (Hrušov). Borsod: Szendrő. Gömör: Krasznahorkaváralja (Krásnohorské Podhradie), Borzova (Silická Brezová), Rozsnyó (Rožňava), Végtelke (Slavec). Pozsony: Szekula (Sekule), Malaczka (Malacky).

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Tree of Life

If you are lucky enough to be a genealogist, you are lucky enough. – Ruth Padilla ________________________________________________________________

"Genealogy is not about genes, it is about reconstructing family relationships, which are not necessarily genetic relationships. The 16th century heralds were doing genealogy long before Mendel discovered genetics." ~ A One-Name Researcher

"History remembers only the celebrated, genealogy remembers them all.” ~ Laurence Overmire

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Biography

Magda does Franche-Comté, France & Eastern European heritage research as well as some American research. Her Canadian roots are in Ontario. She is a historical records searcher interested in specific northeastern Hungarian villages, especially where she has a registered One Place study. ^[1]

• Russ Worthington, firsthand knowledge. Click the Changes tab for the details of edits by Russ and others.

My Ancestors Research Statistics

Genealogy is not a race; statistics in genealogy is not necessary but looking at them does make one work harder. After 40 + years of research, I know what records I need to continue onward in this crazy journey back on ancestors. It ALL depends on records. With my Irish line, they will never go back very far because the records simply do not exist for them. In my one Polish ancestor Wawrzyniec Kosakowski, I know will be able to confirm to his parents and grandparents once I get through the Russian language in those records.

1. ↑ Entered by Russ Worthington, Jul 22, 2012