I don't really believe in miracles - at least not the kind that break the laws of nature. I don't believe a supernatural being can stop a hurricane, or a tornado, or a tsunami, nor do I believe that God reverses a terminal diagnosis if only there are enough prayers lifted his way. Prayer does give us strength to fight disease, and helps our immune system, and with the right doctors and the right attitude we can definitely overcome the odds, but I believe there is a point at which even prayer does not change the outcome.
On the other hand, I do believe that things happen in life that we can't explain by science, things of a less dramatic nature perhaps. You run into a long lost relative in a theater or at a store, and are unexpectedly reunited. You find a valuable item, perhaps something handed down to you from your great grandmother, that you thought you had lost. You are given a second chance when you thought you would never be able to save a relationship or a job. I don't know why these things happen, but they do. In my case, I've always had an uncanny ability to go to a bookstore, hoping to find a book that would address some problem I was having, or help me finish a writing project, and mysteriously, the very book that is sticking out a bit on the shelf is exactly the one I need. I can't even count how many times this has happened.
And in my genealogy, I have encountered this type of small miracle on many occasions.
The one that is on my mind right now involves a diary. First, I should give a little background. On my dad's side of the family (specifically the Brennan side) there was a priest named Robert Brennan (which is also my dad's name). He was quite an amazing individual. He spent time in China as a missionary, learned to read and write Chinese, had several advanced degrees, was a university professor, wrote 11 books, and in his later years was a mystic. The family is extremely proud of him and many of us have at least one of his books, and many pictures of him. For much of his life, he kept a diary, filled with his own thoughts as well as family pictures. The miracles that I am writing about today all involve Father Bob, as everyone called him.
The first miracle occurred in 2010, about a year after my father died. My dad was the genealogy enthusiast in the family, and I didn't even look at his files until after his death. It was then I studied his charts, emails, letters, and anything else he left behind. And then I started building the family tree on ancestry.com.
One day, I was looking under my bed for something I had stored there in a container, when I saw a box I didn't remember putting there. But obviously I had. So I opened it up and found a number of items that had belonged to my parents. One was a box that looked like it had once contained typing paper, or copy paper. It was heavy, so I knew something was inside and I opened it. Inside was a typed diary of Father Bob's. Now it wasn't the original, it was only a copy, but it was amazing. There was so much information of a genealogical nature in it that I couldn't believe I was only now finding it. Besides a lot of typed information, it was full of pictures of the family from long ago. This was an old Xeroxed copy, so you can imagine how poor the quality of the reproduced photographs was. But it was still incredibly valuable to me.
With some investigating I found out that my dad had received his copy from a third cousin (Kathy), who had received her copy from another cousin (Chuck), who had received his copy from a nun who was a friend of Father Bob. The nun is still living, so I contacted Chuck to find out if he thought the nun he got his copy from might still have the diary, and if it was the original. Sadly, I learned from Chuck that the copy belonging to the nun was also a copy, and she had gotten it from another nun, who happened to be Father Bob's sister. The diary that had once been in the hands of Father Bob's sister (now deceased) may also have been a copy, or it might have been the actual diary itself, with the original pictures pasted in.
So I decided I had to look further and see if I could track down the original. If I could, then I might be able to use all those pictures in the family history book - and these are pictures no one else has. So I contacted Chuck again to see if he knew who might have the original and he gave me the name of another cousin, Paul, now deceased. I contacted Paul's former wife, with whom I have a good relationship, and she knew nothing about it, but she said she would contact Paul's widow (his second wife) and see if she had it. So I am waiting to hear back. In the meantime, I have written a letter to the nun to see if she has any idea where the original diary is.
So right now, I am waiting for a genealogical miracle. It has happened before. All of a sudden, I will find a record for which I had been searching for 4 years. Or I get a letter from out of the blue from a relative who has just the bit of information I need to solve a mystery. So I'm hoping for such an event to happen again. If it does, you can be sure I'll write about it here.
Wednesday, May 28, 2014
Tuesday, May 6, 2014
CHRISTMAS EVERY DAY
Lateley, I've really looked forward to the mail arriving. In these days of much more contact via email, there just isn't that much that arrives anymore by snail mail, except bills and junk. My recycling bin runneth over.
But in the last month or so, something exciting arrives about every other day. Once in a while there's a bonanza - like last week when I received four different items in one day.
What are these exciting pieces of mail? They are letters, cards, and photographs from my 2nd and 3rd cousins, responding to my letters or sending me something regarding the family that I can use in the family history book. I have received stories about long deceased relatives that makes them come alive, as well as precious photographs from the 1920s. I've also received partial genealogies and lists of family members from various branches of the family.
And finally, after searching for 5 years, I was able to get in touch with two women from a branch of the family that had been hiding in New Jersey. Well, they weren't really hiding, at least they didn't know they were hiding. But the family moved to New Jersey in 1895, came back to visit relatives in 1920 and again in 1950, but when the older members of the family died, the newer members knew very little about their relatives in Ohio, and contact between the branches was lost. There was a vague memory on the part of some in New Jersey of talk about the Ohio origins of the family, but that was about it, except for some photographs collecting dust in closets.
So when I was finally able to locate one great great granddaughter (and thus my third cousin) of my immigrant Irish grandparents, I was elated. She put me in touch with another cousin, and we have been exchanging emails for the past several days. I can hardly believe it.
The internet, of course, has made this possible. I was able to find the name of the cousin after finding an obituary online for her father, whose name I had in my family tree. However, he was only a name, and nothing more. When I found the obituary, with the name of his daughter and where she lived, I used Google to find her, wrote a letter, sent her my email address, and waited. She contacted me and was quite enthusiastic. Then she sent me the name of her cousin, whom she said had much more information. And for the first time, I have actually seen a picture of Mary Ann Brennan Ryan.
Besides making contact with the Ryan branch of the family, I have also been speaking with some of my father's first cousins and a third cousin from another branch of the family. Yesterday I spoke with two cousins and learned a number of interesting stories about family members. Today should bring a few more phone calls, and hopefully, a wonderful surprise in the mail.
Stay tuned.
But in the last month or so, something exciting arrives about every other day. Once in a while there's a bonanza - like last week when I received four different items in one day.
What are these exciting pieces of mail? They are letters, cards, and photographs from my 2nd and 3rd cousins, responding to my letters or sending me something regarding the family that I can use in the family history book. I have received stories about long deceased relatives that makes them come alive, as well as precious photographs from the 1920s. I've also received partial genealogies and lists of family members from various branches of the family.
And finally, after searching for 5 years, I was able to get in touch with two women from a branch of the family that had been hiding in New Jersey. Well, they weren't really hiding, at least they didn't know they were hiding. But the family moved to New Jersey in 1895, came back to visit relatives in 1920 and again in 1950, but when the older members of the family died, the newer members knew very little about their relatives in Ohio, and contact between the branches was lost. There was a vague memory on the part of some in New Jersey of talk about the Ohio origins of the family, but that was about it, except for some photographs collecting dust in closets.
So when I was finally able to locate one great great granddaughter (and thus my third cousin) of my immigrant Irish grandparents, I was elated. She put me in touch with another cousin, and we have been exchanging emails for the past several days. I can hardly believe it.
The internet, of course, has made this possible. I was able to find the name of the cousin after finding an obituary online for her father, whose name I had in my family tree. However, he was only a name, and nothing more. When I found the obituary, with the name of his daughter and where she lived, I used Google to find her, wrote a letter, sent her my email address, and waited. She contacted me and was quite enthusiastic. Then she sent me the name of her cousin, whom she said had much more information. And for the first time, I have actually seen a picture of Mary Ann Brennan Ryan.
Besides making contact with the Ryan branch of the family, I have also been speaking with some of my father's first cousins and a third cousin from another branch of the family. Yesterday I spoke with two cousins and learned a number of interesting stories about family members. Today should bring a few more phone calls, and hopefully, a wonderful surprise in the mail.
Stay tuned.
Tuesday, April 15, 2014
ODD DUCKS
One of the things you get used to when you get bit by the genealogy bug is that many people think you're a bit of an odd duck. I have to admit, I share that view to some extent. I've been to genealogy conferences and some of those people are a bit odd. Not all, of course. Not me, of course! Or maybe I am.
I certainly was not interested in genealogy when my dad was all caught up in it. I thought I had better things to do with my time, or maybe they were just more urgent: going to work, raising children, welcoming grandchildren, remodeling my house. But once my parents were both gone, my only brother having died over 40 years before, I began to feel a little untethered to the past and my family - what we call in psychology the "family of origin." Of course I had my husband, children and grandchildren, but since the age of 10, I've been mostly disconnected from my aunts, uncles, cousins, etc. A few visits, a few letters, some correspondence relayed from relatives to me through my parents, but no contact on a day to day or at least regular basis. No feeling of being part of something larger.
And that started to feel very lonely.
So I got out my dad's genealogy charts and notes and went to town. And it has become an addiction, one that has gained me some wonderful cousins I never knew I had - cousins who share my philosophy of life, my political views, and my interests. Some have surprised me in that regard. Other cousins may not share all of my views, but they are fun and interesting and I love talking to them. I think my life would be poorer without them - it's certainly richer with them.
One think I have noticed among some relatives and friends who share my interest in genealogy is that most (though not all) of us are in similar circumstances - separated from other family by distance, or coming from a smaller family. Those who come from larger families, or those who see cousins and other family members on a regular basis, don't seem as interested. We all tend to be older as well. I don't think genealogy is something younger people have time for. They're too busy living their lives to think about the past.
Trying to gather all the data I need to make this family history book as comprehensive and complete as possible means that I have to contact a lot of people I don't know. I worry that I'm bothering these people, especially since I know some of them have little interest in family history. As I sit down to write each letter, I wonder if they'll respond or simply throw the letter away. Will they think my request is legitimate, or will they worry that I'm a fraud and simply want to steal their identity? Will they brush off my request as something they care very little about, or will they simply humor me by answering my questions, or better, will they actually welcome the letter?
Most of them have had a positive response. Some have actually enjoyed our new connection. A few have not replied, and I can't blame them. As I said, there was a time when this would have meant nothing to me, and perhaps it means nothing to them. As I said, there are those of us who love genealogy and those of us who think genealogists are odd ducks. When you have lots of contact with family on a daily basis (whether it's your parents, children, siblings, nieces, nephews, or cousins) you are probably going to be less interested. Family is right there every day, so why search for more?
The same seems to be true for Europeans vs. Americans. I don't know the actual statistics on how many Americans vs. non-Americans sign up to build a family tree on ancestry.com, but my guess is that far more Americans do. When I was in Ireland 18 months ago, I noticed that the Irish seemed uninterested in genealogy. Now maybe that is because so many of their records have been destroyed that they could find very little even if they tried, but it may also be because most of them live in the same townlands where their ancestors lived, and all they have to do is visit the nearest cemetery to remember their family members. We Americans, on the other hand, have only been living here a few generations and there is a great curiosity about the land where our ancestors lived.
Knowing this - that so many people I contact help me out even when they have little interest in genealogy - is touching to me. I'm sure it is a bit of an annoyance for some, but they help out nonetheless. There are a few, though, who seem overjoyed when they get my letter. I cherish the new connections I have with them.
And just yesterday, I got a letter from a woman I feared I might never hear from. Am 89 year old woman who was my dad's 2nd cousin and a friend of my mother (it's a small town) - a woman who has 12 children, 31 grandchildren, and 21 great grandchildren. And she not only sent me a lovely note, she gave me the names of every one of her family members. She really made my day!
So if someone contacts you that asks for help with a genealogy project, even if you think they're an odd duck, help them out. They are usually coming from a place like me, one of a severe shortage of family members. And if you are on the other end and are looking for your family, never give up. Reach out, write letters, send emails, take a chance that someone will write back. Because when they do, it's magic and suddenly, you don't feel so odd or alone.
I certainly was not interested in genealogy when my dad was all caught up in it. I thought I had better things to do with my time, or maybe they were just more urgent: going to work, raising children, welcoming grandchildren, remodeling my house. But once my parents were both gone, my only brother having died over 40 years before, I began to feel a little untethered to the past and my family - what we call in psychology the "family of origin." Of course I had my husband, children and grandchildren, but since the age of 10, I've been mostly disconnected from my aunts, uncles, cousins, etc. A few visits, a few letters, some correspondence relayed from relatives to me through my parents, but no contact on a day to day or at least regular basis. No feeling of being part of something larger.
And that started to feel very lonely.
So I got out my dad's genealogy charts and notes and went to town. And it has become an addiction, one that has gained me some wonderful cousins I never knew I had - cousins who share my philosophy of life, my political views, and my interests. Some have surprised me in that regard. Other cousins may not share all of my views, but they are fun and interesting and I love talking to them. I think my life would be poorer without them - it's certainly richer with them.
One think I have noticed among some relatives and friends who share my interest in genealogy is that most (though not all) of us are in similar circumstances - separated from other family by distance, or coming from a smaller family. Those who come from larger families, or those who see cousins and other family members on a regular basis, don't seem as interested. We all tend to be older as well. I don't think genealogy is something younger people have time for. They're too busy living their lives to think about the past.
Trying to gather all the data I need to make this family history book as comprehensive and complete as possible means that I have to contact a lot of people I don't know. I worry that I'm bothering these people, especially since I know some of them have little interest in family history. As I sit down to write each letter, I wonder if they'll respond or simply throw the letter away. Will they think my request is legitimate, or will they worry that I'm a fraud and simply want to steal their identity? Will they brush off my request as something they care very little about, or will they simply humor me by answering my questions, or better, will they actually welcome the letter?
Most of them have had a positive response. Some have actually enjoyed our new connection. A few have not replied, and I can't blame them. As I said, there was a time when this would have meant nothing to me, and perhaps it means nothing to them. As I said, there are those of us who love genealogy and those of us who think genealogists are odd ducks. When you have lots of contact with family on a daily basis (whether it's your parents, children, siblings, nieces, nephews, or cousins) you are probably going to be less interested. Family is right there every day, so why search for more?
The same seems to be true for Europeans vs. Americans. I don't know the actual statistics on how many Americans vs. non-Americans sign up to build a family tree on ancestry.com, but my guess is that far more Americans do. When I was in Ireland 18 months ago, I noticed that the Irish seemed uninterested in genealogy. Now maybe that is because so many of their records have been destroyed that they could find very little even if they tried, but it may also be because most of them live in the same townlands where their ancestors lived, and all they have to do is visit the nearest cemetery to remember their family members. We Americans, on the other hand, have only been living here a few generations and there is a great curiosity about the land where our ancestors lived.
Knowing this - that so many people I contact help me out even when they have little interest in genealogy - is touching to me. I'm sure it is a bit of an annoyance for some, but they help out nonetheless. There are a few, though, who seem overjoyed when they get my letter. I cherish the new connections I have with them.
And just yesterday, I got a letter from a woman I feared I might never hear from. Am 89 year old woman who was my dad's 2nd cousin and a friend of my mother (it's a small town) - a woman who has 12 children, 31 grandchildren, and 21 great grandchildren. And she not only sent me a lovely note, she gave me the names of every one of her family members. She really made my day!
So if someone contacts you that asks for help with a genealogy project, even if you think they're an odd duck, help them out. They are usually coming from a place like me, one of a severe shortage of family members. And if you are on the other end and are looking for your family, never give up. Reach out, write letters, send emails, take a chance that someone will write back. Because when they do, it's magic and suddenly, you don't feel so odd or alone.
Friday, April 11, 2014
MORE CONTACTS WITH BRENNAN DESCENDANTS
It has been a good week. Besides my children coming to visit for my husband's retirement celebration, I have heard from a number of Brennan descendants.
First, I heard from the ex-wife of a deceased Brennan descendant. She did not have to call me after I wrote her a letter, but she did. I didn't think I could laugh so much with someone I had never met. She was such a fun and delightful person, and she had some pretty funny stories to tell me - some that could never be included in a family history book. Though she had been divorced from this descendant, she still had fond memories of him and of his family.
As I type this, I'm waiting for a call from another wife of a deceased Brennan descendant.
My paid research at the Family History Library did not produce any new information. Several hundred dollars for nothing. But in the meantime, I took a chance and sent a letter to someone I thought might be a descendant of Mary Ann Brennan, the eldest child of Ned and Mary Brennan, the original immigrants from Ireland. She was the correct person, put me in touch with another descendant, and I'm on my way to finally learning something about this lost (to me, at least) family.
And several family members suggested I sign up for Facebook to connect with other family members. I had joined Facebook several years ago but terminated my account for a number of reasons, including spending too much time on the computer reading posts from friends and family members. I really didn't need to know who was eating at what restaurant at any given time, who was having a bad day, whose children were acting up, who wanted to argue about politics, religion, or whatever.
So I was reluctant to begin again, but I did. I signed up under my maiden name so my Brennan relatives would at least have a clue as to who I was. I plan on using this particular account just to correspond with my Brennan, Mueller, Schulien and other relatives. Since I have never met some of them, or may have met them once as a child, I was worried that they would ignore my friend request. But using the name Brennan seems to have done the trick and every family member I have reached out to has accepted my friend request, while others have sent me a request. It is wonderful getting to know a little about them.
So I'm connecting with members of a very large Irish family, as well as some of my German relatives from my mom's side of the family. Soon the book will be written, and everyone in the Brennan family will know what I know - the result of over 5 years of research, building upon the decade of research my father did before that. I'm really pleased, and so excited to meet so many wonderful people that are part of my family.
First, I heard from the ex-wife of a deceased Brennan descendant. She did not have to call me after I wrote her a letter, but she did. I didn't think I could laugh so much with someone I had never met. She was such a fun and delightful person, and she had some pretty funny stories to tell me - some that could never be included in a family history book. Though she had been divorced from this descendant, she still had fond memories of him and of his family.
As I type this, I'm waiting for a call from another wife of a deceased Brennan descendant.
My paid research at the Family History Library did not produce any new information. Several hundred dollars for nothing. But in the meantime, I took a chance and sent a letter to someone I thought might be a descendant of Mary Ann Brennan, the eldest child of Ned and Mary Brennan, the original immigrants from Ireland. She was the correct person, put me in touch with another descendant, and I'm on my way to finally learning something about this lost (to me, at least) family.
And several family members suggested I sign up for Facebook to connect with other family members. I had joined Facebook several years ago but terminated my account for a number of reasons, including spending too much time on the computer reading posts from friends and family members. I really didn't need to know who was eating at what restaurant at any given time, who was having a bad day, whose children were acting up, who wanted to argue about politics, religion, or whatever.
So I was reluctant to begin again, but I did. I signed up under my maiden name so my Brennan relatives would at least have a clue as to who I was. I plan on using this particular account just to correspond with my Brennan, Mueller, Schulien and other relatives. Since I have never met some of them, or may have met them once as a child, I was worried that they would ignore my friend request. But using the name Brennan seems to have done the trick and every family member I have reached out to has accepted my friend request, while others have sent me a request. It is wonderful getting to know a little about them.
So I'm connecting with members of a very large Irish family, as well as some of my German relatives from my mom's side of the family. Soon the book will be written, and everyone in the Brennan family will know what I know - the result of over 5 years of research, building upon the decade of research my father did before that. I'm really pleased, and so excited to meet so many wonderful people that are part of my family.
Wednesday, March 26, 2014
CONTACT
Well, I've been hearing from some distant cousins and am learning more about my extended Brennan family. A few contacted me by email in response to the blog, and a few emailed or phoned me after I sent them letters.
I had been somewhat reluctant to send letters to those family members who were only names on the family tree, thinking they might not want to make a connection, or wanting me to mind my own business, so to speak. But since all I had were addresses (no phone numbers, no email addresses) and because I really wanted to complete as much as possible of the family tree and find out more about the lives of my distant cousins, I went ahead and took some chances.
And besides learning the names of more people, I have made some very valuable connections with people I wish I had known all my life. While I can't complain about the fact that we moved away from the family when I was ten years old (who can complain about moving the California with its wonderful weather and great opportunities?) I do regret not having more contact with some of these family members.
Yes, family can be a double-edged sword. Sometimes there are fights, grudges, and misunderstandings, and sometimes people become separated and never reuinited, and I have a hunch that such things happened in this Irish family. I don't know for sure, of course, but I know families pretty well (having been a family therapist for 30 years) and I suspect some of the separations between branches of the family are the result of hard feelings. Other separations may be because some families felt they had nothing in common with other families, while still other separations may be because families moved away. That's what happened with my small branch of the family, and that's what happened with the oldest daughter of Ned and Mary Brennan. Her name was Mary Ann Brennan and she moved to New Jersey with her husband Tom Ryan and their children, and her branch has been the most difficult to track down. Right now, the search is in the hands of the researchers at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City. I hope to hear from them soon.
I have no illusions that everyone of the Brennan descendants will reunite as one big happy family, but I would like to see everyone's name and perhaps a few details of their lives included in this book.
So I'm forging ahead in my quest to reach out to as many people as I can. I still have a few letters to send out, and my dream is to include every descendant of Ned and Mary Brennan in this book.
I'm keeping my fingers crossed.
I had been somewhat reluctant to send letters to those family members who were only names on the family tree, thinking they might not want to make a connection, or wanting me to mind my own business, so to speak. But since all I had were addresses (no phone numbers, no email addresses) and because I really wanted to complete as much as possible of the family tree and find out more about the lives of my distant cousins, I went ahead and took some chances.
And besides learning the names of more people, I have made some very valuable connections with people I wish I had known all my life. While I can't complain about the fact that we moved away from the family when I was ten years old (who can complain about moving the California with its wonderful weather and great opportunities?) I do regret not having more contact with some of these family members.
Yes, family can be a double-edged sword. Sometimes there are fights, grudges, and misunderstandings, and sometimes people become separated and never reuinited, and I have a hunch that such things happened in this Irish family. I don't know for sure, of course, but I know families pretty well (having been a family therapist for 30 years) and I suspect some of the separations between branches of the family are the result of hard feelings. Other separations may be because some families felt they had nothing in common with other families, while still other separations may be because families moved away. That's what happened with my small branch of the family, and that's what happened with the oldest daughter of Ned and Mary Brennan. Her name was Mary Ann Brennan and she moved to New Jersey with her husband Tom Ryan and their children, and her branch has been the most difficult to track down. Right now, the search is in the hands of the researchers at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City. I hope to hear from them soon.
I have no illusions that everyone of the Brennan descendants will reunite as one big happy family, but I would like to see everyone's name and perhaps a few details of their lives included in this book.
So I'm forging ahead in my quest to reach out to as many people as I can. I still have a few letters to send out, and my dream is to include every descendant of Ned and Mary Brennan in this book.
I'm keeping my fingers crossed.
Saturday, March 8, 2014
BRENNAN FAMILY HISTORY
Well, it's time to finally put together everything I have gathered regarding the Brennan family (my father's father's family) and write a family history book. Since I've been unbable to trace the family back before my 2nd great grandparents, Ned and Mary (Fahey) Brennan, even with a trip to Ireland, I've been studying Irish history so as to give my readers a flavor of the country where Ned and Mary's ancestors lived. That has enabled me to write a brief history of Ireland, which will be included in the book.
But before I go any further, I want to make one last attempt to contact some family members that have remained elusive. So I'm using this blog to appeal for help. My hope is that a few Brennan descendants may come across it in a Google search (as others have) and contact me. So this is what I am looking for: Information regarding the families of:
Mary Ann Brennan (1861-1889) who married Thomas Ryan and had 9 children. After living in Ohio for several years, they moved to Jersey City, New Jersey, where they seem to have disappeared into what was apparently a vast Irish community of many Ryans. Tracing them past the 9 children has been impossible so far. The children's names are: Edward, Patrick, Thomas, Mary or Mae, Raymond, Sarah or Sadie, Anne, Joseph and Rita. Mary married Samuel Francis Pierce. The other girls married as well, but I do not have their married names.
Michael Brennan (1863-1939) who married Elizabeth McGrath. They also had 9 children and remained in Lima, Ohio for their entire lives. The children's names are: Lenore or Nora, Alice, Rose, Irene, Edward, Paul, Elizabeth, William and Clement. Lenore married Russell Young. Alice married Wilbur Hanthorne. Rose married Charles Frese. Irene married William Cole. Paul married Lillian Meurer. Rose married Louis Fleck. Elizabeth married Neal Grant.
Bridget Brennan (1870- 1951) married Matthew Carrig and they had 5 children., Marie married Paul Christy. Angela married Bernard Kennedy. Raymond married Lenore Barton.
Edward Brennan (1871-1943) married Bridget O'Brien and they had 8 children. The children's names are: Robert, Cyril, Mary Cecelia, Margaret, Alfred, John Joseph, Catherine and Ralph. Cyril married Margaret Harter. Mary married Paul Abt. Alfred married Helen Fellows.
John Brennan (1875-1953) married Theresa Graff. These are my great grandparents and I have the most information about this family. John and Theresa had 7 children. Their names are Camilla, Margaret, John, Cletus, James, Eleanor, and Richard. Camilla married Lee Blackburn. Margaret married William Furry. Cletus (Keech) married Katie Shaw. Eleanor married Loren Allen. Richard married Lois Hannan.
So there you have it. I do have a great deal of information about many of these families, but there are a few - especially those who moved away from Lima, Ohio - who I've been unable to contact. I would dearly love to hear from any of you who may come across this blog. The more complete we can make the family history, the more valuable and interesting it will be.
So I'm waiting to hear from you. Make a comment or send me an email (ellenterich1@verizon.net) and I'll get back to you right away. Thanks.
But before I go any further, I want to make one last attempt to contact some family members that have remained elusive. So I'm using this blog to appeal for help. My hope is that a few Brennan descendants may come across it in a Google search (as others have) and contact me. So this is what I am looking for: Information regarding the families of:
Mary Ann Brennan (1861-1889) who married Thomas Ryan and had 9 children. After living in Ohio for several years, they moved to Jersey City, New Jersey, where they seem to have disappeared into what was apparently a vast Irish community of many Ryans. Tracing them past the 9 children has been impossible so far. The children's names are: Edward, Patrick, Thomas, Mary or Mae, Raymond, Sarah or Sadie, Anne, Joseph and Rita. Mary married Samuel Francis Pierce. The other girls married as well, but I do not have their married names.
Michael Brennan (1863-1939) who married Elizabeth McGrath. They also had 9 children and remained in Lima, Ohio for their entire lives. The children's names are: Lenore or Nora, Alice, Rose, Irene, Edward, Paul, Elizabeth, William and Clement. Lenore married Russell Young. Alice married Wilbur Hanthorne. Rose married Charles Frese. Irene married William Cole. Paul married Lillian Meurer. Rose married Louis Fleck. Elizabeth married Neal Grant.
Bridget Brennan (1870- 1951) married Matthew Carrig and they had 5 children., Marie married Paul Christy. Angela married Bernard Kennedy. Raymond married Lenore Barton.
Edward Brennan (1871-1943) married Bridget O'Brien and they had 8 children. The children's names are: Robert, Cyril, Mary Cecelia, Margaret, Alfred, John Joseph, Catherine and Ralph. Cyril married Margaret Harter. Mary married Paul Abt. Alfred married Helen Fellows.
John Brennan (1875-1953) married Theresa Graff. These are my great grandparents and I have the most information about this family. John and Theresa had 7 children. Their names are Camilla, Margaret, John, Cletus, James, Eleanor, and Richard. Camilla married Lee Blackburn. Margaret married William Furry. Cletus (Keech) married Katie Shaw. Eleanor married Loren Allen. Richard married Lois Hannan.
So there you have it. I do have a great deal of information about many of these families, but there are a few - especially those who moved away from Lima, Ohio - who I've been unable to contact. I would dearly love to hear from any of you who may come across this blog. The more complete we can make the family history, the more valuable and interesting it will be.
So I'm waiting to hear from you. Make a comment or send me an email (ellenterich1@verizon.net) and I'll get back to you right away. Thanks.
Monday, February 3, 2014
DNA and GENEALOGY
I've been reading up on DNA and how researchers use it to help them learn about where a person's ancestors came from and what migration routes they might have taken over thousands and tens of thousands of years.
The most interesting thing I have learned so far is about mitochondrial DNA or mDNA. DNA, as I'm sure you know, is a coded message, in the form of chemicals attached to each other, that tell the cells which proteins to make. Every cell nucleaus contains a full set of DNA. Half comes from the father, half from the mother. But there is another type of DNA. This is called mitochondrial DNA or mDNA and it exists in the liquid cytoplasm surrounding the nucleus of the cells of the body. This type of DNA comes only from the mother and it has to do with the size of eggs compared to the size of sperm. During fertlization, the small amount of mDNA in the tiny sperm is destroyed, while the amount of mDNA in the larger egg is much higher. Thus, you inherit MDNA only from your mother.
Scientists use mDNA to trace matrilineal lines. And, although all humans have mDNA in the cytoplasm of their cells, only females can pass on that type of DNA. So my great great great grandmother, Anna Maria Elizabeth Gerdemann, passed on her mDNA to my great great grandmother, Maria Bernadina Wrocklage, who passed it on to my great grandmother, Mary Gertrude Frecker, who passed it on to my grandmother, Mary Bernadine Schulien, who passed it on to my mother, Frances Joan Brennan, who passed it on to me. I, in turn, have passed it on to my daughter, and she to her daughters.
Just for fun, I decided over the weekend to see how many descendants of my great great great (or 3rd great) grandmother are living with her mDNA. I was quite shocked that there may be only two lines remaining that carry her mDNA - mine and that of one other family. And this is quite remarkable, as I have many female ancestors among the descendants of Anna Maria Elizabeth Gerdemann. I will only report the female descendants below. Keep in mind there are also many male descendants, but they cannot pass on the mDNA.
Anna Maria Elizabeth (1801-1840) had three daughters. One never married. One had two daughters, two granddaughters, and one great granddaughter. The female line stops after that. The third daughter was my great great grandmother, Maria Bernadina Wrocklage Frecker. She had three daughters. One of those daughters had three daughters herself. Of those three daughters, one became a nun, one died young, and the third had one daughter. The line of daughters ends at that point. The second daughter of Maria Bernadina had three daughters, all of whom had only sons, so the line of women stops there. The third daughter of Maria Bernadina is Mary Gertrude Frecker, my great grandmother. She, too had three daughters. One had no children, and another had one daughter who is still living. This daughter has four of her own daughters, and they produced several granddaughters who are all living. The third daughter of Mary Gertrude was my grandmother, Mary Bernadine. She also had three daughters. One never married and one had only sons. The third daughter, my mother, had one daughter - me. I have one daughter and two granddaughters.
So even though Anna Maria Elizabeth had a large family, including three daughters, 5 granddaughters, 11 great granddaughters, today there are only a handful of women and girls who have passed on or will be able to pass on her mDNA.
While this tidbit of genealogical information may not seem all that exciting or even relevant, it was very interesting to me. In a time when sons are still valued more than daughters, at least in many parts of the world, and in a time when the male surname is still passed on much more than the female surname (though that seems to be changing a bit) it is comforting to note that some things only women can pass on - and one of thse things is their mDNA, which gives researchers some of their best clues as to where our ancestors came from. I think that's pretty nifty.
The most interesting thing I have learned so far is about mitochondrial DNA or mDNA. DNA, as I'm sure you know, is a coded message, in the form of chemicals attached to each other, that tell the cells which proteins to make. Every cell nucleaus contains a full set of DNA. Half comes from the father, half from the mother. But there is another type of DNA. This is called mitochondrial DNA or mDNA and it exists in the liquid cytoplasm surrounding the nucleus of the cells of the body. This type of DNA comes only from the mother and it has to do with the size of eggs compared to the size of sperm. During fertlization, the small amount of mDNA in the tiny sperm is destroyed, while the amount of mDNA in the larger egg is much higher. Thus, you inherit MDNA only from your mother.
Scientists use mDNA to trace matrilineal lines. And, although all humans have mDNA in the cytoplasm of their cells, only females can pass on that type of DNA. So my great great great grandmother, Anna Maria Elizabeth Gerdemann, passed on her mDNA to my great great grandmother, Maria Bernadina Wrocklage, who passed it on to my great grandmother, Mary Gertrude Frecker, who passed it on to my grandmother, Mary Bernadine Schulien, who passed it on to my mother, Frances Joan Brennan, who passed it on to me. I, in turn, have passed it on to my daughter, and she to her daughters.
Just for fun, I decided over the weekend to see how many descendants of my great great great (or 3rd great) grandmother are living with her mDNA. I was quite shocked that there may be only two lines remaining that carry her mDNA - mine and that of one other family. And this is quite remarkable, as I have many female ancestors among the descendants of Anna Maria Elizabeth Gerdemann. I will only report the female descendants below. Keep in mind there are also many male descendants, but they cannot pass on the mDNA.
Anna Maria Elizabeth (1801-1840) had three daughters. One never married. One had two daughters, two granddaughters, and one great granddaughter. The female line stops after that. The third daughter was my great great grandmother, Maria Bernadina Wrocklage Frecker. She had three daughters. One of those daughters had three daughters herself. Of those three daughters, one became a nun, one died young, and the third had one daughter. The line of daughters ends at that point. The second daughter of Maria Bernadina had three daughters, all of whom had only sons, so the line of women stops there. The third daughter of Maria Bernadina is Mary Gertrude Frecker, my great grandmother. She, too had three daughters. One had no children, and another had one daughter who is still living. This daughter has four of her own daughters, and they produced several granddaughters who are all living. The third daughter of Mary Gertrude was my grandmother, Mary Bernadine. She also had three daughters. One never married and one had only sons. The third daughter, my mother, had one daughter - me. I have one daughter and two granddaughters.
So even though Anna Maria Elizabeth had a large family, including three daughters, 5 granddaughters, 11 great granddaughters, today there are only a handful of women and girls who have passed on or will be able to pass on her mDNA.
While this tidbit of genealogical information may not seem all that exciting or even relevant, it was very interesting to me. In a time when sons are still valued more than daughters, at least in many parts of the world, and in a time when the male surname is still passed on much more than the female surname (though that seems to be changing a bit) it is comforting to note that some things only women can pass on - and one of thse things is their mDNA, which gives researchers some of their best clues as to where our ancestors came from. I think that's pretty nifty.
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