Immigration: Leaving Children Behind

We've all heard the stories where a father went to America and left his wife and children behind until he could start a new life and save money for them to join him. But I'm not sure how common it was for both parents to come to the U.S. without their children.

Fifteen-year-old Annie Moore, the first person to enter through Ellis Island when it opened in 1892, traveled with her younger brothers to join her parents who had come to America three years earlier. So it definitely happened. As a mother myself, it's hard to imagine leaving my son and not knowing when, or if, I'd ever see him again. It had to be a difficult decision for both parents to leave behind a child.

In 1864, my 2nd great-grandparents, Ignace and Caroline Huber, were married in Paris, France, and worked as a tailor and dressmaker. Their first son, Alphonse, was born that same year. I'm not sure when the couple left France but, by 1868, city directories show they were in Allegheny City, which is now part of Pittsburgh, PA. The 1870 census shows that Alphonse--6 years old by this time--wasn't with them. He didn't see his parents again until 1871 when he arrived in the U.S. with his uncle, Emil Wey. Alphonse was separated from his parents for at least 3 years.

During your research, have you found a similar immigration story of both parents leaving their children to come to America?

Occupations of Your Ancestors

I'm sure most of us would love to find out that our family tree contained royalty or a connection to someone famous. I vaguely remember hearing some story that one of my 2nd great-grandfathers was an exiled Prussian prince who escaped to America. Not likely.

My husband's ancestors include lawyers, doctors, and even one of the first residents of a town south of Pittsburgh. Mine? Mostly laborers: steelworkers, puddlers, coal miners, and glasshouse workers. There were a couple of tavern and shop owners. One of my great-grandfathers was a police officer, and his brother was a fireman.

But I'm proud of my family. They may have been common "everyday" people, but they're my family and I still think they are worthy of researching, remembering, and honoring. Don't research to find sensational stories. Research to learn more about your ancestors' lives and the times in which they lived.

If you need any help researching your family history, please contact me. If you're stuck, maybe I can take a look at it with a fresh eye and find something new.

(Puddler photograph courtesy of Christopher Bailey and the Father Pitt blog.)

Sadly, Research Doesn't Find All Answers

It's disturbing that a search of Pennsylvania death certificates on Ancestry.com shows that close to 5,000 people who died between 1906 and 1944 were not identified. Simply listed as "Unknown Man" or "Unknown Female," they basically disappeared.

Here are some examples:

• Unknown man, about 75 years old, died in Philadelphia of heart disease on March 12, 1916
• Unknown woman, about 50 years old, died in Wilkes-Barre of acute alcoholism on January 31, 1930
• Unknown male child, found along the river in Harrisburg, February 20, 1920
• Unknown foreigner, died in Uniontown Hospital after lower limbs were crushed by a streetcar, September 14, 1907

Their family at the time probably never knew what happened, and those searching for them today will never know. It's heartbreaking.

Which Newspaper Site Is Best for Your Genealogy Research?

There are some sites you can visit to access historical newspapers for free. Chronicling America from the Library of Congress is definitely one you should explore. But if you're thinking about subscribing to one of the paid newspaper websites, it's easy to get confused. Which one should you choose for your research?

Some of the paid sites include:

• GenealogyBank (6,500 papers)
• NewspaperArchive (6,200 papers)
• Newspapers.com (3,300 papers)

Basically, one site isn't best for everyone. I subscribed to GenealogyBank for a year because it seemed to have the most newspapers. But I found out that it didn't work well for my genealogy research because it didn't have many newspapers around the Pittsburgh, PA area. I now work with Newspapers.com and have been much happier with what I'm finding. The number of Pittsburgh newspapers is still limited, but I've found some great information on relatives in newspapers from nearby Canonsburg, Indiana, and Monongahela.

Be sure to sign up for a free trial to test out a newspaper website before you commit. Newspapers are a key resource for your genealogy research, so it's important to find the one that's best for you.

Don't Be Afraid of Cemeteries

One of my favorite activities is to visit cemeteries. With my job and being a mom, I don't go very often, but I've dragged my sister to about 5 cemeteries in the Pittsburgh area. Very few of our relatives have headstones. But when we do find one, it's a beautiful moment.

For those of you who also love cemeteries and Pittsburgh, you have to check out this blog: Pittsburgh Cemeteries | The Art and Architecture of Death. There are photos of headstones from cemeteries located all over the Pittsburgh area, with new images added almost every day. I love this site!

If you have any questions about your family history, please contact me. I could spend all day digging for answers, so I'd love to help.

Research Can Lead You to a Murder

I stumbled upon this article from 1906, describing the horrible accidental death of Lena Abel in Pittsburgh, PA. She's not a relative, but it caught my eye. She was so young.

I had just been searching FindAGrave.com, so I was curious to know where she was buried. Since Pennsylvania death certificates for the years 1906-1944 are on Ancestry.com, I decided to search for Lena there. Her death certificate popped up on my computer screen. She was born in Germany, was the daughter of Joseph & Mary Lang, and was buried in St. Michael's Cemetery on the South Side of Pittsburgh. Several of my Stenglein ancestors are there, too.

But are you ready for a shock? It says on her death certificate that she had burns but died of stab wounds. Apparently, someone started the fire to cover up the crime.

The article above from Newspapers.com appeared in The Indiana Gazette on January 8, 1906. I browsed The Pittsburgh Press in the Google archive and found more details. Her husband, Andrew, was detained because the story of his morning activities didn't add up. Also, a man who roomed at the Abel house indicated that they argued a lot.

The 1910 census shows Andrew J. Abel was an inmate in the Western Penitentiary of Pennsylvania in Allegheny County, so he must have been convicted of her murder.  R.I.P. Lena Lang Abel.

Love of Genealogy = Love of History

My Dad loves history. He reads a lot about historical figures and events and can rattle off all kinds of facts about almost any topic. One of my younger sisters was a history major. Was I a fan of history in school? Not so much.

But I love genealogy and research and could spend all day digging through newspapers, records and books. So it may have taken me a while to appreciate it, but I must be a history nut, too. It must be in my blood!

If you need any help with your family history, particularly in the Pittsburgh area, let me know. I'd thoroughly enjoy it and would be honored to help you.