6 Lessons from an Ancestry Message

She wasn't listening. A stranger, who contacted me through Ancestry.com and incorrectly claimed a branch of my husband's family as her own, brushed aside my explanation of why his Jacob & Mary couldn't be her Jacob & Mary. I deleted my knee-jerk response before sending it and instead waited and thought about it a little longer.

My exchange of messages with this woman, who I'll call Kate, began as frustrating but ended on a very positive note. I strongly believe in the importance of learning from each other. In this instance, Kate reminded me about being kind and patient when interacting with others, and I hope she picked up some tips that she can use again when searching for ancestors.

Since the purpose of this post is to share lessons and not to shame anyone, I'm changing the names of the family at the center of the Ancestry messages.

Kate contacted me about a Jacob & Mary Fortman in her family tree who she insisted were the same Fortman couple in my husband's tree. I had recorded Mary with a different maiden name, and Kate wanted to know how I came to that conclusion and why I hadn't included one of the couple's daughters, Helen Lucille. She was desperate to find this daughter in the 1900 census, since she didn't have any information about Helen's life prior to her marriage around 1905.

After reviewing the Fortman branch and confirming my sources, I took a look at Kate's tree and saw that she and quite a few other Ancestry members had made some mental errors when they added Fortman records to their trees. When I replied to Kate that our Jacobs were two different men and gave my reasons (which I thought were clearly presented!), her response was "I do think they are the same Jacob, dob and dod both match."

Rather than provide all of the details of my research after receiving that response, I'll just say that I spent many hours digging into Kate's family to try to get her on the right track. It was very challenging, and I never did find Helen in 1900, but this story provides several lessons:

1.  Start with what you know - Helen's obituary provided parent names, place of birth, and the married names of two sisters. Absolutely none of that tied into my husband's Jacob & Mary Fortman. It said Fortman was Mary's maiden name, not her married name. It said Helen was born in a county that was different than (and rather far from) where my husband's Fortmans lived. Yes, obituaries can be wrong and it's good to question, but they are a good starting point. I think Kate fell into the trap of copying records from other Ancestry trees and then let that misinformation cloud her view of the obituary right in front of her.

2.  Don't ignore location - The obituary said Helen was born in 1887 in Bedford County, Pennsylvania. Census records from 1910 to 1940 show that she lived in Bedford and Indiana counties. My husband's Fortman family lived and died in Washington County. This should have been a red flag that prompted Kate to do more digging before assuming she had the right Jacob & Mary.

3.  Consider all household names, not just the parents - Kate was determined to find a Jacob & Mary Fortman in Pennsylvania and chose to ignore their children's names. The two sisters in Helen's obituary were the key in this research. They were difficult to find since one was listed with a nickname (Mrs. Sadie Ward) and the other using her husband's name (Mrs. Charles Conner), but I eventually tracked them down and learned that both their given and married names weren't even close to the daughters of my husband's Fortmans.

They were Helen's half-sisters. It appears that Mary was single when Helen was born in 1887. She was working as a servant when she married Peter Harper in 1891. Mary gave birth to the two girls in 1892 and 1895, and then unfortunately died in 1898 when she was only 30 years old. In 1900, the two young sisters were living in Bedford County with their widowed father, but Helen (who would have been 13 and not the man's biological daughter) was not living with them. The sisters were named at the end of a list of survivors in Helen's obituary, but they were at the top of my list in showing the two Fortman families didn't match.

4.  You may never find a census record - I'm not sure that Kate will ever find Helen's 1900 census record. I tried wildcard searches to account for possible misspellings of her name, looked for matches with her middle name and possible nicknames, searched the entire county for girls her same age, looked at nearby counties, and even scanned numerous pages of the handwritten census for any possible match. I looked at the households of her grandparents, aunts, and uncles to see if she was taken in by one of them. I looked at every household with the same surname as the father named in her obituary. All were dead ends.

5.  Don't respond right away - Take a deep breath and think before sending your response to a fellow researcher. At first, I wanted to tell her why she was so very wrong. She insisted our Jacobs were the same man because all of the vital dates matched. I wanted to point out that they matched because every single record she included in her tree was for the Jacob Fortman in Washington County. After some time to reflect, I decided to stay away from listing her mistakes and take the time to actually help her. I decided to never mention my husband's family again and just get her to focus on the facts I was able to find for her family.

6.  Taking time to help others is extremely satisfying - I didn't know how Kate would respond to my research. Would she say thanks but no thanks and insist that I was still wrong? I had no idea. Well, I'm happy to report that she was very grateful! She wrote back three times to thank me and give me updates. I must say that, while I spent a lot of time on this family that had zero connections to my own, I found the whole experience to be very rewarding. Kate's positive reaction and genuine appreciation had a lot to do with that.

If you don't have time to help a less experienced family researcher, I would say be kind when responding and then move on. But if you can't pass up a challenge and have time to take a short break from your own tree, you may be surprised at how wonderful it can be for both of you.

Harry G. Vance, Horseman...and Mortician?

Harry Grant Vance built a career around horses, and he was born and died in Washington County, Pennsylvania. So when I found a Harry G. Vance in the 1910 census, who was in Carnegie, Allegheny County, working as an undertaker, I was convinced that it was a different man.

Harry was born on May 10, 1868, to John and Mary Jane Shipley Vance in Smith Township, Pennsylvania. At the age of 24, he married Melissa Guthrie at her father's residence in the city of Washington, Pennsylvania. Melissa's father, Robert Guthrie, was my husband's 2nd great-grandfather.

Harry and Melissa had five children, many of whom appear to have been well-educated. Daughters Mary and Gladys were teachers and son Carl was a pharmacist who operated his own drug store. Harry surrounded himself with horses. In 1900, he was a "livery man." By 1912, he was a horse dealer, a profession that continued for 20 years. Here's an ad from 1907 when he was part of Vance & Hood:

The Daily Notes (Canonsburg, Pennsylvania), February 26, 1907

But where was he in 1910? I couldn't find him in Washington County. A search on Ancestry.com kept pointing me to Carnegie, Pennsylvania. The names of the wife and four children matched, but I was still skeptical. This H.G. Vance was a funeral director and even had an ad in the city directory:

R.L. Polk & Co.'s Carnegie Directory, 1910-1911

It turns out that it was the same man, and searching newspapers helped me confirm this fact. I found the following blurb in The Daily Notes from Canonsburg, Pennsylvania in 1909:  "Harry G. Vance is moving to Carnegie, where he has purchased the Steele undertaking establishment. Mr. Vance was for a number of years engaged in the livery business in Canonsburg."

Harry's time as a mortician was also mentioned in his 1950 obituary: "He engaged in the livery and undertaking business in Canonsburg for several years as an associate of the late William H. McNary. He also engaged in the same business in Carnegie for a number of years."

Partial Obituary:  The Daily Notes (Canonsburg,
Pennsylvania), January 17, 1950

It appears that his time as an undertaker in Carnegie didn't last long. Three years after his move was announced in the newspaper, the Carnegie city directory showed him working as a horse dealer.

Harry Grant Vance died in Washington Hospital on January 16, 1950, at the age of 82. I'm sure he loved horses to the very end.

The Two Obituaries of John Wilson Stewart

My husband's 2nd great-grandfather passed away on July 5, 1907, in McKeesport, Pennsylvania. Like many of our ancestors, his obituary appeared in the local newspaper (Pittsburgh Daily Post, July 6, 1907) and included the basic information about his death and family:

"John W. Stewart, 73 years old, a well-known resident of McKeesport, died yesterday morning at the McKeesport hospital from injuries received Thursday when he was struck by a street car. The following children survive: M. Wilson Stewart, a Pittsburgh attorney; J. Boyd Stewart, a physician, and Scott M. Stewart, of McKeesport. A brother, Henry Stewart, 75 years old, has been ill for the last six months, and is now in a critical condition at his home in East Eleventh street, McKeesport."

However, I was lucky to find another, more extensive obituary in Google Books, which appeared in Pittsburgh's Presbyterian Banner on August 22, 1907. This one even provided a description of his character and appearance!

"STEWART--At McKeesport Hospital, McKeesport, Pa., July 5, 1907, John W. Stewart in his 73d year.

Mr. Stewart was born within the present limits of McKeesport, on September 9, 1834. He was married in 1862 to Miss Elizabeth Gamble, of Kiskiminetas, Armstrong county, Pa., who died in October, 1899. Three sons survive him: M. Wilson, J. Boyd and Scott M.

Mr. Stewart came from strong Presbyterian stock. Seven ministers of the Presbyterian Church were close relatives of his mother. Hamilton Stewart, his father, was a pioneer in organized religious effort in McKeesport, and one of the earliest ruling elders of the First church of this city, which office he held 41 years, or until he was called to rest. What may have been the first temperance society west of the mountains was organized in the First church in 1829, by Hamilton Stewart and two others. Henry, the surviving brother of our subject, is the oldest ruling elder of the above church. He was ordained in 1873.

John W. Stewart was a life-long member and for 36 years a trustee of the First church. He was secretary of the board of trustees when he died.

In his treatment of people he was genial and unassuming. His sympathy for the sick and unfortunate was marked. The man's heart beat true. Little did he lecture about right living, but himself lived right, as nearly as men can. So he endeared himself to those who knew him well and commanded the respect of the community.

Mr. Stewart was a man of dignified bearing and fine presence. A full flowing beard, almost white, added to his venerable appearance. While he usually wore a thoughtful look, his face beamed with pleasure when he conversed with friends. He much enjoyed a social talk.

At the time of his death Mr. Stewart was a trustee and treasurer of McKeesport Hospital, where he died, as a result of an accident which befell him on July 4. Much of the man's time was devoted to the interests of this institution. He was also a member of the McKeesport Chamber of Commerce, where, among other great questions, he strove for pure city government. Our heavenly Father has taken this dear brother home."

As you can see, obituaries may vary in each publication, so it may be worth your time to look at each newspaper published in the area to see if there are variations that give you some additional details about your ancestors.

Related Posts:

• Ancestor Birth: Henry Stewart in 1831
• Access the Archives of Colleges & Universities

My Relative, a Catholic Nun

On this day in 1884, my 2nd great-grandfather's sister, Margaretha "Maggie" Klein, entered the Order of St. Francis and then became known as Sister Genevieve. Her obituary contains some great details, so her order must have kept good records.

Convent of Sisters of St. Francis, Millvale, Pennsylvania
From The Catholic Church in the United States of America, 1914

Sister Genevieve outlived all of her siblings and died at the age of 85. She worked as a school teacher and then as a nurse at both St. Francis Hospital in Pittsburgh and New Castle Hospital in Lawrence County, Pennsylvania. Her obituary appeared in New Castle News on April 11, 1949:

Burial Held For Sister Genevieve

Sister of St. Francis Order, Formerly of New Castle Hospital Taken By Death

Word has been received here of the death of Sister Mary Genevieve Klein, of the Sisters of St. Francis, Mt. Alvernia, Millvale, who died last Tuesday, April 5, in St. Francis hospital, Pittsburgh, Pa. Sister Genevieve had been ill for several years.

Sister Genevieve entered the Order of St. Francis March 25, 1884 and was invested with the Franciscan habit on July 14, 1884. She pronounced her perpetual vows on September 24, 1888. On March 1934 Sister Genevieve celebrated her Golden Jubilee.

Since 1926, she had been stationed on active duty in the New Castle hospital, this city, where she remained until her health began to fail several years ago. She returned to Pittsburgh four months ago.

Born in Pittsburgh, March 25, 1864, Sister Genevieve was the daughter of the late Peter and Barbara Steimer Klein. She was the last member of her family.

A solemn requiem mass was offered in her home, in St. Francis chapel, Mt. Alvernia, Pittsburgh, last Friday morning. Burial was in Mt. Alvernia cemetery, Millvale, Pa.

She Died at Pittsburgh's Columbia Hospital

My husband's 2nd great-grandmother, Nancy Gamble Kirkendall, died on this day in 1918. She lived in Saltsburg, Indiana County, Pennsylvania,  but was admitted to Columbia Hospital in the Wilkinsburg area of Pittsburgh for gallstone surgery. She died a few days after the operation.

Nancy was a 75-year-old widow who had lost her husband a few years earlier in 1915 due to a terrible accident. Thomas Roland Kirkendall was riding a horse home to Saltsburg from his farm in Avonmore, Westmoreland County, when he was struck by a speeding car and died of a skull fracture.

I don't know much about Columbia Hospital. In fact, I hadn't heard of it until I saw it on Nancy's death certificate. The Historic Pittsburgh website has a few publications that indicate it opened in 1906. It became part of Forbes Health System and then closed in the early 1980s after a new hospital was built across the street named Forbes Metro. (Since it existed for almost 80 years, I was clearly a self-absorbed teenager not to have heard of it!)

Thomas and Nancy had seven children, one of whom was my husband's great-grandmother, Anna Kirkendall Stewart.

1887 German Obituary: Update #1

After help from reader Michael Stephens (Thanks, Mike!), I have a brief update on my last post about the obituary for my 2nd great-uncle, Jacob Nehren. Jacob died in Pittsburgh on November 6, 1887, and his German obituary was difficult for me to understand, but Mike pointed out that it requested that Troy newspapers copy the obituary. I took this to mean that he could have had family there.

After a quick search on Ancestry.com, I found a Nehren family in Troy, Rensselaer County, New York. William Nehren was born in Germany four years after Jacob, so it's possible he could be a brother or a cousin. William arrived in the U.S. at least a decade after Jacob and was in Troy for the rest of his life. FindAGrave has a photo of his headstone, which shows he died in 1921.

A search of New York newspapers on FultonHistory.com shows that William's obituary was printed in The Troy Times:

"NEHREN--In this city, January 23, 1921, William Nehren, at the residence of his daughter, 1817 Francis Avenue, father of Frank J. and James Nehren, Mrs. H. C. Bender and Mrs. Stephen D. Lincoln. Funeral private from the residence Wednesday morning at 9 o'clock; thence to St. Lawrence's Church, where a requiem high mass will be sung."

I will post another update when I find more information to link William to my uncle Jacob Nehren.

Family Birth: Charles Black in 1901

(Image courtesy of Wikipedia)

On this day in 1901, my second cousin once removed was born in Toledo, Lucas County, Ohio. His parents were Max Black and Catherine Prill. He had one brother, Walter, who was born 18 months after him.

Charles Black most likely knew his Pittsburgh-born grandparents, Charles and Mary Prill, who were also living in Toledo. They owned and operated a hotel called Prill's Hotel before Charles was born and stayed in the area until their deaths in 1920.

Charles married Nelly Kunzman on August 14, 1923, and they had two daughters. When he got married, he was working as a pricer for Walding, Kinnan and Marvin Company, a wholesale drug company. He retired from this company in 1963 as vice president and buyer, after 44 years with them.

Nelly died in 1989, and Charles died on March 12, 1996, in Riverside Hospital. He is buried in Ottawa Hills Memorial Park in Toledo.

If I have any Black cousins out there, I'd love to hear from you!

Ancestor Birth: Henry Stewart in 1831

On this day in 1831, my husband's 3rd great-uncle was born in McKeesport, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. Henry Stewart was the son of Hamilton and Nancy Scott Dinsmore Stewart and stayed in the McKeesport/Versailles area his entire life. He served in the Civil War and then married his wife, Mary Hammond. After Mary and their seven children all died between 1873 and 1875, Henry lived another 30 years on his own. His occupations included farmer, teacher, store clerk, salesman, and shipping clerk.

This is his obituary from The Gazette Times in Pittsburgh on December 25, 1908:

"Henry Stewart, 77 years old, a veteran of the civil war and one of the best known men of McKeesport, died yesterday at his home, 2004 East Tenth avenue, of heart failure and general debility. He was born in McKeesport and was injured at the battle of Wilderness in 1862, after which he returned to McKeesport and married Mary Hammond. He was a member of the First Presbyterian church and the Grand Army of the Republic, having been a past commander and quartermaster of Sam Black post No. 59. But one member of the family survives, a sister, Mrs. Martha Scott of Cedar avenue, North Side. The funeral will take place tomorrow afternoon."

A monument stands in The McKeesport and Versailles Cemetery that lists Henry Stewart, his wife Mary, and the names of all seven children.

German Obituary: November 6, 1887

My great-great uncle, Jacob Nehren, died today more than 125 years ago. I know from his death registration and his veteran burial card that he was 44 years old. He died of cirrhosis of the liver, which I assume was a hazard of being a tavern owner.

Jacob served in the Civil War, apparently under the alias William Cline, before he married my great-grandfather's sister. When he was 19, he first enlisted in the Maryland Infantry and was shot in his left forearm 18 months later. After he mustered out, Jacob then enlisted in the Navy. He was honorably discharged almost 4 years later in 1869.

Although Jacob spent time in Maryland both before and after his military service, he ended up in Pittsburgh sometime between the 1870 census and his marriage in 1872. He ran the bar that was previously owned by his father-in-law and was the father of 2 boys who both died before they reached their fourth birthdays.

Jacob's obituary appeared in a German newspaper, Pittsburger Volksblatt, on November 7, 1887. Unfortunately, I don't know what it says. I can make out bits and pieces but am curious as to whether it may contain any clues about him that I don't already know. I see that it says something about Baltimore near the end, which is where his brother Frank Nehren lived.

If you can translate any of this obituary, please leave me a comment. Thank you!

Be a Genealogy Skeptic

When doing genealogy research, don't believe everything you hear and everything you find. Even if you really, really want it to be the truth, details you uncover may be inaccurate. I'm here to tell you that it's perfectly ok to question.

For example, my 2nd great-grandfather was a Civil War veteran. I have a packet of his military records that confirms his service. When he died in Ohio in 1893, though, there were some statements in his obituary that don't seem to add up.

First, the Toledo Bee obituary says that he "came to America directly after the war [the German revolution of 1848] with Hecker and Schurz, two of the leaders in the revolution." Second, it says "Mr. Jay was a great personal friend of Gen. Hartranft, ex-governor of Pennsylvania, and was one of the pallbearers at the funeral of the ex-governor."

Ok, both things could be true. Who knows, maybe he was on the same ship with Hecker and Schurz before they ended up in completely different U.S. cities. And who's to say that a saloon owner couldn't be best buds with a governor? They weren't in the same Civil War regiment and lived more than 200 miles from each other, but that's not TOO far-fetched, is it?

He could be mentioned in the Governor's archived letters or perhaps there's a newspaper story that names the men who were pallbearers that day. But until I find something to connect him with these famous men, I choose to be skeptical. Remember, family members don't always get it right in stories, obituaries, or death certificates. Questioning can actually be a good thing and makes us better researchers.