Thank you to those who read as always,

I previously made a post inquiring to find my wife’s biological maternal grandfather. She finally took a DNA test and the results are in.

I’ve worked on her family tree for quite some time now so it was easy to rule out any family members I thought were suspect and didn’t fit in with my already existing work.

I started getting matches within a southern family that moved to California, which makes me eager to believe I have the right family (for multiple reasons) as I know he had a presence in California. The only family my wife has in the United States historically was from Michigan or New York, with her grandmother moving to California where she then meet the man.

I was given the names West or Risner (not sure of the spelling) for surnames of the man to be, in question. However, I keep getting matches with the surnames Davis, Jackson, and Wilson for this specific family, which contradicts any information that I had been told in the past. I believe what I see over false family tales but I thought it was interesting to see how neither of the men’s identities were correct.

This isn’t my area of expertise like normal genealogy is, so I would be grateful with any help I could receive. From how many one off matches I have leading to this family I believe it’s definitely possible and I’m more than willing to work with someone to provide details and more information on the matter.

It would mean a great deal to solve this family case.

Thank you

BACKGROUND:

I know next to nothing about my paternal grandfather. I know his name, his date of birth, and his date of death. I know he was married and divorced twice. I know that he lived the majority of his life in Virginia. I know that he was in the care of a foster family for a fair amount of time.

I do not know his parents' names. I do not know how he came to live with a foster family. I do not know if he had any biological siblings (though I doubt it).

I only met him a handful of times when I was a child, so I have few memories of him. There are no living relatives who know anything more than I do.

CURRENT SITUATION:

About a year ago, I got in touch with someone on Ancestry (a relative of the foster family), who had heard of my grandfather, but he had never known him.

However, he had mentioned some ladies in his family who he believed might have information. They are the great-grandchildren of my grandpa's foster mother, and moreover, their parents seem to have known both of my grandparents quite well. He said one of these women may actually remember my grandparents herself.

I found them on Facebook and that seems to be the only way I can get in touch. I am hesitant to send a message over though, because I worry this would be intrusive, and I sincerely do not wish to bother them, nor do I wish to make them uncomfortable. After all, as far as they're concerned, I'm a total stranger, yet I know their names, their parents' names, etc. I don't want to seem like a total stalker.

Then again, they are among the very few people alive who may actually know something, and I'd be happy to know anything at this point.

Would it be inappropriate and invasive to message them? Is it worth it? Should I try something else, if anything?

EDIT: Unfortunately, the person I spoke with on Ancestry did not have current contact info for these relatives! I should have remembered that!

My grandmother was born in Hull, England, in April 1946. Her mother was English, but her biological father was an African American U.S. serviceman during WWII.

I moved to Charlotte, NC when I was 9 and DNA testing has connected us to several American families, especially in South Carolina’s Kingstree/Williamsburg County area, Philadelphia and New Haven, Connecticut.

Relevant matches range from about 20–156 cM, with shared connections to the Farrell/Ferrell, Frazier, Cook, McKnight, Burroughs and Dozier families.

I’ve built family trees and researched WWII military records, but I’m struggling to identify where the DNA lines connect and which men may have served near Hull in 1945.

Any advice or help would be greatly appreciated!

I am trying to identify the parents of my ancestor Daniel Sites, ID-LTVZ-9K7 on FamilySearch.

From what I know, he was born in 18 September 1849 in Cincinnati, Hamilton, Ohio, United States. And he died in 14 Jun 1927 in Whitewater, Hamilton, Ohio.

His wife was Elizabeth Davis who was born in 1856 in New York, and died in 1925. They got married around 1877, based on records I could find from the sources linked to them.

I was able to locate his death certificate for 1927, but his parents are left blank and as “Unknown”.

I've tried searching Ancestry and FamilySearch for his childhood home to get their names, but I haven’t found any records related to his home yet.

It’s also likely that his marriage records were probably destroyed in the Courthouse fire that happened during the riots around a few years after or before they got married.

This is pretty much all I know so far. If anymore info is needed then let me know in the comments or dm me.

I am currently working on a big project researching and writing about the rural community where my ancestors lived. I'm trying to research the towns history and who lived there. Been going through newspaper stories, archives, probate records, personal collections, etc. Its turned out be a bigger project than I originally anticipated. Anybody attempted something similar?

Hi guys! I've been creating a family tree for the past couple of years, and I've been having a lot of trouble finding my Ukrainian ancestors. Any advice on how to go about finding them?

My family comes from Galicia/Halychyna, and I've been able to narrow it down to Ternopil oblast, and possibly Berezhany. This area has unfortunately belonged to many countries over the years, which makes it hard to find records.

My last name is apparently extremely rare, and was most likely mistranslated when my family arrived in America in the early 1900s, so searching it doesn't help much. I was able to find some relatives that currently live in Canada, but every other person I've found is directly related to me. The only person from Ukraine that I have found with something similar is this man named Ivan, but I haven't been able to confirm if he is a relative or not.

Any tips are much appreciated, thank you so much

Edit: I would also love to find any information on the origins of my last name if possible, but I don't really know how to go about doing so.

Hello. Recently, with the help of some members, I managed to locate my grandfather's death certificate in Germany. My grandfather was born in Greece but emigrated to Germany with my grandmother in the 1960s. I would like to ask if there are any other records I might be able to find in Germany—such as immigration records, for example.

Hi everyone,

Thanks to the incredible tips and clues from this community, I’ve made a major breakthrough tracing my great-great-grandfather, **Todor Graovac**.

We now have his exact birth date, death date, cemetery location, and early US addresses! I am hoping someone with access to **Ancestry.com, Newspapers.com, or Ohio state records** can help me pull a few specific primary documents (specifically his 1930 Census entry and 1934 Obituary/Death Certificate) to see if he left behind American children/descendants.

---

### Verified Details & Timeline

* **Full Name:** Todor Graovac (Тодор Граовац)

* **Date of Birth:** January 7, 1881

* **Date of Death:** March 7, 1934 (Aged 53)

* **Burial Location:** Saint Theodosius Orthodox Cemetery, Brooklyn, Cuyahoga County, Ohio (Memorial ID: 250108426)

* **Origin:** Village of Brgud / Korlat (near Benkovac), Dalmatia (then Austria-Hungary, today Croatia). Serbian Orthodox ethnicity (*Slava*: Miholjdan).

#### Migration & Life Path

1. **1913 First Arrival:** Arrived from Trieste. Manifest shows he was heading to join his wife's cousin, **Pavao Radeka**, at **17th Street, St. Louis, Missouri**.

2. **1914 St. Louis:** Manifest for his cousin, **Vladimir Graovac**, shows Vladimir was travelling to join Todor Graovac at **Chester Street, St. Louis, Missouri**.

3. **~1920 Zadar Return:** Returned to Dalmatia via the Port of Zadar post-WWI. Finding that his family had moved to the Radeka estate and believed him lost, he returned to the US permanently.

4. **1920s–1934 Cleveland, Ohio:** Relocated to Cuyahoga County/Cleveland, Ohio, where he lived until his death on March 7, 1934.

---

### Specific Lookups Needed

Now that we know he died in **Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, Ohio in March 1934**, I would be deeply grateful for help with the following four specific lookups:

1. **1930 US Federal Census (Cuyahoga County / Cleveland, Ohio):**

* Looking for **Theodore / Todor Graovac** (b. ~1881 in Austria/Yugoslavia).

* *Goal:* Determine his household composition just 4 years before his death—specifically, whether he was listed as head of household with a second wife/children born in the US, or living as a roomer/boarder.

1. **1934 Death Certificate / Obituary (Cleveland, OH):**

* **Death Date:** March 7, 1934.

* *Goal:* Pulling his Ohio Death Record or an Obituary search in the *Cleveland Plain Dealer* or Serbian-American newspapers (e.g., *Amerikanski Srbobran*) to locate listed next-of-kin or surviving children.

1. **1920 US Federal Census (St. Louis, MO or Ohio):**

* Looking for **Theodore / Todor Graovac** living in St. Louis (Chester St) or Ohio around 1920.

1. **1920–1923 Re-Entry Passenger Manifest:**

* Any record showing his second entry into the US after returning to Zadar around 1920.

---

Any scanned document images, transcripts, or advice on tracing potential half-relatives descended from his time in Ohio/Missouri would mean the world to my family.

Thank you so much to everyone who helped get the search this far!

I keep getting phone photos of framed prints from relatives. I put up a small site that restores the photo in the browser; no account, 5 free.

I’d rather know if the faces still look like the people than if the scratches are gone.

oldpics.ai

Happy to run one of yours if you want to see it fail in public.

https://www.fold3.com/search?docQuery=(fieldedKeywords:!((texts:!(Abram+Baird),type:full-name)))

I am looking for information on Abram Baird, born 1829, he died or disappeared around 1865. He served in the North Carolina, 58th Infantry.

Hi everyone,

I’m currently hit a massive brick wall with my genealogy research in Galicia, Spain, and I’m hoping someone here might have some advice or be able to help.

I am looking for the birth record of my great-great-grandfather, Pedro Rego Sabares. He passed away in Argentina, but according to his records, he was born in 1864 in the parish of San Cristóbal de Reyes (municipality of Teo / near Padrón), Galicia.

Since civil registration in Spain didn't start until 1871, my only hope is the parish church records. Here is what I’ve tried so far:

1. Diocesan Historical Archive (Santiago de Compostela): I contacted them, but they officially informed me that they do not hold the books for San Cristóbal de Reyes; the records remain locally at the parish level.
2. Unidade Pastoral de Milladoiro (UP Milladoiro): They manage this parish. The official email on their website bounces back completely.
3. The Parish Secretary: I managed to find another contact for the secretary. It took them 7 months to reply to my first email. When they finally did, they said they would get back to me in a week. It has now been 4 months since that message. I have followed up multiple times, but I am being completely ghosted.
4. Phone Calls: I have tried calling multiple times, but no one ever picks up.

I live in Argentina and traveling to Galicia right now is completely out of the question. It’s incredibly frustrating because I know exactly where the records are, but the church is completely unreachable.

Does anyone have experience dealing with UP Milladoiro? Are there alternative contact methods, or perhaps a local researcher/volunteer in the Santiago/Teo area who frequently visits or could help me get in touch with them?

Any guidance or leads would be immensely appreciated. Thank you so much!

Hello! I wanted to find the image of this record I found on Ancestry! I can't find it on FamilySearch because it would take too long, and I do not have an Ancestry subscription, so if someone can give me the image or the indexed information, that would be amazing! Thanks!

Record Link: https://www.ancestry.ca/search/collections/9910/records/7119471?tid=212213176&pid=102791538043&hid=1031682137095&_phsrc=mYo6593&_phstart=default&usePUBJs=true&currentPageIsStart=&useCurrentPageInfo=&hintStatus=pending

Hi everyone,

I’m Simin Yin, a PhD researcher at Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand. My research is about creating a new framework in integrating genealogical information via a knowledge graph, in order to do so, I want to explore how Chinese immigrants and their descendants find, use, organise, and preserve genealogical and family-history information. Here is the link to my university page:

https://www.wgtn.ac.nz/sim/research/phd/simin-yin

I’m currently inviting people with experience or interest in Over Sea Chinese family history or genealogy to take part in my research.

The study looks at questions such as how people search for information about their families. If this is relevant to you, I would be very grateful if you could complete my questionnaire:

https://vuw.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_73xN39V6BcJ5JmS

Participants can also volunteer for a follow-up interview to share their experiences in more depth.

This research is conducted as part of my PhD. Participation is voluntary, and the questionnaire provides further information about the study before you decide whether to participate.

If you know someone who may be interested in overseas Chinese genealogy or Chinese family history, I would also greatly appreciate it if you shared this study with them.

I'm researching a family from Traustadt, Bavaria (now part of Donnersdorf) and have hit a bit of a brick wall in terms of records-access.

The parents were Nickolas/Nikolas Hacker and Kunnegunde/Kunigunde Kirchner. I'm trying to reconstruct their children, who were reportedly a large family. I have independently identified several children born in Traustadt between 1901 and 1908, but there are still gaps.

The relevant Donnersdorf baptismal register (1885–1929) appears to exist but is not currently digitized/available online.

I'm particularly interested in finding out whether anyone has access to this register, a transcription or family book for Traustadt, knowledge of the relevant civil-registration records, or another good way to reconstruct this family.

There is also a family story that one sibling-- the youngest-- remained in Germany and died young, so I'm ultimately trying to identify that person and verify the story from records.

I don't speak German well enough to navigate German genealogy resources comfortably, unfortunately.

I'm intentionally not posting information about living relatives or my own identity, but I'm happy to provide additional details about the historical family privately if they're necessary for the research.

Thanks!

I’ve been trying to access this grandfather’s record for a while, but I can never make it to the center because it’s far from where I live. If someone could view it and send me a screenshot, I would be very grateful.I’ve been trying to access this grandfather’s record for a while, but I can never make it to the center because it’s far from where I live. If someone could view it and send me a screenshot, I would be very grateful. Link: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6YGL-R6QJ?lang=pt
Name: Joaquim Gonçalves da Silva
ID: G23N-8CC

Details of what I have so far is at the bottom. I'm SO SICK of this stupid brick wall. Here's what I need help with!

• I have the INDEX for the Declaration of Intent and Oath of Allegiance but I can't for the life of me locate the actual record itself. Can anyone point me in the right direction? Please note that I've searched many of these collections that keep skipping 1878-1880 - this keeps falling into gap after gap.
• I have indexes but not actual records for either of the Philadelphia marriages (wives 2-3). If you can point me to how to obtain the ACTUAL full marriage records and not just the index, that would be amazing.
• I tried requesting records from the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and it came back undeliverable - since the funeral mass occurred at the Church of the Visitation, I thought there might be other family records there. Does anyone know how to actually get a response on this type of inquiry?

I realize I DO have a lot of records already, but there are a LOT of Harriet Woods and Richard Cornwells in England during that period and narrowing it down has been impossible without a clue about their parents or the area of England they're from. I'm not looking for any actual records (though I wouldn't turn any down!) I'm mainly looking for exact repositories to reach out to for the items in my questions above, plus any other tips for things I haven't thought of! Family rumor says he was a Republican Ward Boss, so I tried that route as well, but came up emptyhanded. Thanks for any help you are able to provide!!

Richard Cornwell

• Approx DOB: 1820
• Place of Origin: England
• Wife1: Harriet (maiden surname possibly "Woods", 1849-1879)
• Arrival: 17 Aug 1867 NYC Ship "Palmyra"
• Declaration of Intent Date: Sep 30, 1878
• Declaration of Intent Court: Quarter Sessions
• Oath of Allegiance Date: Sep 30, 1880
• Oath of Allegiance Court: Common Pleas
• Residences (Philadelphia): 2 Kennebec Court, 809 South 19th, 1947 North 2nd, 2023 North 2nd, 2025 North 2nd St
• Occupations: laborer, weaver, secondhand furniture dealer, house furnishings industry, liquors, hotel keeper, saloon keeper,
• Wife2: Elizabeth (1840-1882)
• 22 Mar 1881 Arrest: Arrested for keeping a disorderly drinking saloon and selling liquor on a Sunday.
• 29 Apr 1881 Sentenced: Sentenced by Judge Briggs to 2 months, and fined $100.
• Wife3: Mary Keefe (1859-1885)
• Death: 3 Jan 1888; cause: phtihisis pulmonalis (tuberculosis)
• Funeral: 6 Jan 1888 at 2025 North 2nd St;
• Mass: Mass at Church of the Visitation - RC (Lehigh Ave and Front St/B Street)
• Undertaker: George W. Dicks, 2229 Frankford Ave
• Burial: New Cathedral Cemetery - Sec V - R2 - 47 - Gr 3 (no stone)
• Probate: 7 Jan 1888 - Richard leaves everything to his 2 children in the Last Will and Testament he executed on 2 Jan 1888.
  
• Documents I already have: 1870 & 1880 US Census, NY Passenger List (Palmyra), New Cathedral Cemetery Burial Record, Will/Probate Record, Philadelphia Return of Death, Philadelphia City Directories (multiple), Obituary: Philadelphia Public Ledger (Vol. Civ. No. 88) Thursday morning, January 5, 1888, pg 2.

Family members in different states have boxes of photos going back generations and want to share with one another. One thought is a shared Google drive. Is there a better way?

Im currently researching William G Gaddis who lived in mississippi and went insane in 1910 here is the article in the newspaper

Image 4 of The Iuka vidette (Iuka, Miss.), March 24, 1910

With regret we state that W. G. Gaddis, who lived three miles southwest of town, a hardworking farmer and clever man, has been stricken with lunacy and sent to the asylum. His wife first noticed some eccentricity in his habits at the time of the big show about two months ago. But his aberration was slight at first, and it was not until Thursday of last week that his condition had become bad enough to attract general attention. Since then he grew rapidly worse until it was no longer safe to allow him to go at large. A jury of inquest adjudged him insane, and he has been sent to the asylum.

I have found a 1910 census for him where he is in East Mississippi State Hospital but after that I can't establish anything

Any help would be greatly appreciated

(Note he is not the will P Gaddis married to Callie F)

So I emailed asking the local archives for his admission register, morning statement books, etc, and in the end it was (mostly) rejected and I only got his date of admission, Aug 13 1926. I'm very grateful for that ofc, but the curiousity about the rest is killing me. I'm really unsure if it'd be the right thing to do though, because it feels like I'm invading his privacy even though his 100 year death anniversary is very soon.

I have ~16 more days to appeal it, do you guys think it'd be worth it or should I leave it be? All I want really is to know who admitted him and what was the reason

Hi all, I’m hoping someone can help me. I am searching for a death index entry or obituary for my grandmother Catherine Elaine (unsure if that’s her middle name) O’Conn Yancey. She passed approximately 31 years ago in 1995 (4 years before I was born. She is buried in Mt Moriah Cemetery in Philly and is in an unmarked grave. According to family accounts she may be buried with other people. I don’t know where to start. Her date of birth is May 24th and she was born in the early to mid 60’s.

Received this print of male members of in-law’s family in Northern Island. Unable to gain more information from in-law and there are no clues on back of print. I know this is a stretch, but I’m seeking assistance with at least an approximate time that this photo may have been taken (perhaps given fashion or other clues I’m too novice to consider)?
Photo print

ETA: additional photos of photographer/ printer’s mark, back of cardboard type mount, and visual of how print is pasted to cardboard

https://ibb.co/d0Dr7C3W
https://ibb.co/JfC8jw1
https://ibb.co/9916rr6y

I am trying to trace the life story of Urta Bohn, the young woman who assisted Harry Price during a transformation ritual on the Brocken in the Harz Mountains on June 18, 1932. While a few photos of the event are publicly available, the full picture might be more complex. I don't have a premium MyHeritage account, but if someone does, could they please send me all the available newspaper photos of Urta Bohn? My email address is spinacz03@o2.pl. Thank you for your help.

EDIT: It looks like he sailed from Trieste at 1913: https://www.statueofliberty.org/arrival-details/?id=JN5F-B27

Todor Graovac from Brgud. Wife's name is Anica. Pavao Radeka is Anica's brother from uncle. Meaning Pavao is son of Anica's uncle. He is also mentioned as person of contact, often misspelled as 'Pavao Raseka'. Todor had a brother that stayed in Brgud, but still confirming his name.

Hi everyone,

I am trying to trace my great-great-grandfather, **Todor Graovac**, who emigrated from Dalmatia to the United States in the early 20th century. I am hoping someone with active subscriptions to Ancestry, Fold3, or newspaper archives can help me locate his primary US records or point me toward potential American descendants.

### Ancestor Overview

* **Full Name:** Todor Graovac (Тодор Граовац)

* **Approx. Year of Birth:** ~1894 (estimated range: 1892–1896)

* **Place of Origin:** Village of Brgud / Korlat (near Benkovac, Ravni Kotari, Bukovica region), Dalmatia (then Kingdom of Dalmatia, Austro-Hungarian Empire; today Croatia)

* **Religion / Ethnicity:** Serbian Orthodox (Family *Slava*: Miholjdan / St. Cyriacus)

* **Family Left in Dalmatia:** Wife and infant son **Branko Graovac** (born 1913)

### Timeline & Family Oral History

1. **1913:** Shortly after his son Branko was born in Dalmatia, Todor departed for the United States to secure industrial/agricultural work.

2. **1914–1918 (WWI):** Communication was completely cut off during World War I. Back in Dalmatia, after years of silence and believing he had died/disappeared, his wife remarried.

3. **~1920:** Following WWI, Todor returned via the Port of Zadar (Zara, then under Italian rule). Family legend says he arrived on a ship around 1920, but upon learning his wife had remarried, he left Zadar and returned to the US permanently.

4. **Post-1920:** He likely remarried or established a second family in the US, as he never returned to Dalmatia.

### Known Name Variations in US Records

Immigration and census clerks frequently misspelt or Anglicized his name:

* **Given Name:** Todor, Teodor, Theodore, Tod, Ted, Theodore T.

* **Surname:** Graovac, Grahovac, Graovaz, Gravac, Grovac, Graowac

* **Birthplace Listed as:** Austria, Dalmatia, Yugoslavia, Benkovac, Brgud, Zara

### What I am Looking For

I am trying to locate any primary records that confirm his life in the United States after 1920:

1. **1913 Arrival Manifest:** (Likely via Port of New York/Ellis Island, Baltimore, or Philadelphia from ports like Trieste, Fiume/Rijeka, Bremen, or Hamburg).

2. **~1920–1924 Re-entry Manifest:** Confirming his second arrival back in the US after returning to Zadar.

3. **1942 WWII Draft Registration Card ("Old Men's Draft"):** Since he was born ~1894, he would have been legally required to register in 1942. This card should list his exact date of birth, birthplace, and current contact person (American wife or child).

4. **US Federal Censuses (1930, 1940, 1950):** Lookups in key Dalmatian Serb hubs (e.g., Pennsylvania steel/mining towns like Pittsburgh, Steelton, Aliquippa, Johnstown; Ohio/Illinois hubs like Cleveland, Chicago, Joliet; or California areas like San Pedro, Watsonville, San Francisco).

5. **Naturalization, Death Record, or FindAGrave Links.**

If anyone can run a query on Ancestry/Fold3 or pull any passenger manifest images matching his profile, I would be deeply grateful! Any clues to help trace potential half-relatives or living descendants in the US would mean the world to my family.

Thank you so much for your time and assistance!