Last year was a big year for me. In finally finishing my book, The Waiting Room, I closed a chapter in my life. Not only did I accomplish something very important to me, in a way I also said good-bye to my parents again. Even though they passed away over two years ago, writing about them nearly every day for over a year kept them in my thoughts constantly. Now, it is time to return to genealogy and involve myself in family activities.
And, in that regard, this is looking to be a busy year. In June we will be traveling to Seattle for my son Terry's graduation from Seattle Pacific University (with a Master's in Education) and in August, we're heading to Ireland to meet a distant cousin, explore some genealogy, and get to enjoy the land of my great-great grandparents' birth. There will be at least one family wedding to attend, and a number of wedding and baby showers. But in between all the planned vacations and events, I have some genealogical goals.
First, with the help of my husband, I'm writing an Eterovic family history. Last year I hired researchers in both Croatia and the Czech Republic and I have all of their findings dating back to the 1700s. I have already written most of the narrative regarding the genealogy, but I am waiting on a few pictures and stories. I have also collected Croatian recipes and even tried cooking a few. Most of the narrative is already written. What remains on my to-do list are a few interviews with senior family members. In the meantime, my daughter-in-law, who is an amazing artist, is working on the cover. Fortunately, one of my husband's nephews went to Brac, Croatia on his honeymoon and brought back pictures of the towns of Milna, and Pucisca, the birthplaces of my husband's grandparents, and one of those pictures will be the focus of the cover. My hope is to have the book completed and printed sometime in March.
Once that project is finished, I want to return to my father's side of the family. So another goal is to see if there is anything else I can find in the nearly non-existant Irish records regarding Ned Brennan and Mary Fahey, my 2nd great grandparents who arrived in America from Ireland in 1860, the year before the beginning of the Civil War. I have asked a research company to do some preliminary work for me and they have suggested several possible avenues they can follow to see if there are any other hints regarding the family. I have also been contacted by a second relative in Ireland who may be able to put me in contact with her uncle, who has done some genealogical work on the family. Then, of course, I hope to meet more family members when I visit Ireland. Maybe someone will have information that has so far eluded me.
A third goal is to find out more about my mother's side of the family. Her ancestors are from Germany and Belgium and while I have many names and dates, there are a few ancestors who remain a mystery. One is her great grandfather, Herman Henry Frecker. He died in his thirties and while I believe I have located a sister and mother, I know very little other than the fact that he was born in Germany and lived in Delphos, Ohio. Recently, my cousin Tim sent me a newspaper article announcing his death. It said only that he had been ill for years because of multiple tumors. I don't know when he arrived in America or how old he was when he came, though Tim believes he may have been born at sea on the journey from Germany. I have so far been unable to confirm that. I'm going to look into the possibility of hiring a researcher in Germany, though the cost my be prohibitive. Maybe in another year or two, I'll travel to Ohio and spend some time looking into records there. I'm certain there must be information locked away in some dusty library or county hall of records. In the meantime, I'm also going to learn more about Germany, its history, and its many geographical regions. After my visit to Ireland, followed by a visit to Croatia in 2013, I may have to visit Germany myself.
A fourth goal is to work on another family history - that of my mother-in-law's side of the family. Hers is the one that goes back to at least three Mayflower passengers. I have already written some of the narrative, as I find it so compelling, and I'm anxious to put it all together for the rest of the family to see. (Before I began doing this work they had no idea they were descendants of Mayflower passengers.)
Finally, like all professional and amateur genealogists, I look forward to the release of the 1940 census in April of this year. That census alone will answer many questions about many relatives, and I can't wait!
So, in terms of genealogy, (as well as family activities and vacations) it's going to be a very busy year and I look forward to many exciting discoveries.
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