Most Wanted! Ancestors Lost and Found

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Comment by Lisa Ann Dunham on July 16, 2009 at 5:32pm

My Ancestor that has stumped me is Edwin Thomas Harris. He was born according to Cutler's History Of Kansas (You have to scroll to Edwin S Harris) in Bellevue, Michigan and started working on the Railroads at age of nine. I know that he was in Illinois and Missouri about 1860's because he married Anna Spreen of Quincy Illinois in 1863. I have a lot on his later life, but I don't know anything about his beginnings.

Comment by Caren on July 15, 2009 at 3:55pm

Oh.. another mystery. What the bloody frak happened to Frans Osterlund (Robert Nestor's father). He came to America in 1917 with his wife, Edla and then is beleived to have left for whatever reasons. Edla died in 1919 so maybe he left after she died?

Comment by Caren on July 15, 2009 at 3:09pm

Well thanks to awesome people here I have part of my brick wall torn down (I even discovered the year my great-great grandmother died! Thank the gods the family grave yard has the listing online! *lol*).

Now if only I could figure out Robert Nestor's wives. :/ All I know about them are their names. Aino and Anna. Dunno their maiden names.... but I have their birth years and death years. Anna L. (possably Lindstrom) was born in 1892 and died in 1930 in NY. Aino E was born Nov 29th 1894 and died April 1970. My dad only knew her as Aiti (Mother). I do know that Robert and Anna L. married in Michigan as well that's where the family lived till 1919. Robert and Aino E married in NY (Danby or Ithaca) I think around 1935 - 1940. Anna died in 1930. Aino died in 1970

Considering now that Robert came to America in 1911 instead of the 1904 year I thought (his brother came in that year tho). Im almost thinking tho that he and Anna married in Finland. My grandfather (their oldest child) was born in 1914 in Ozark, Michigan (a town that no longer exists! yay! :P).

Comment by Heather Valdez Chambers on July 15, 2009 at 12:51pm

My elusive ancestor is my great great grandmother, Nora/Nola A. Thomas, born about 1886 in Texas to Charles Dawson Thomas and Laura Emily Ferguson Thomas. She is listed as Nora in the 1900 census with her parents, but Nola in the 1910 census. There is evidence that she married Tom Gilley. In the 1910 census, she is living with her parents, her last name is Gilley and she has a daughter, Lenora (my ggrandmother). She's also listed as widowed. The family story is that she married Tom Gilley, got pregnant, but he died before Lenora was born. Then she married Jim Bain and had children with him. I can only find the children in the 1930 census in an orphanage in Waco, TX. I was told from family that Nola died and the children (my ggm's half siblings, but not my ggm) were placed in the orphanage, but weren't adopted out. I have tried to contact the orphanage, but received a reply that I would need a court order to get the records, unless I was one of the children I am requesting information about. Uggh!! In the 1930 census, the children were listed as Alma b. 1914, Robert b. 922, Myrtle b. 1921, Carl b. 1917, and Herbert b. 1919 Bane (notice the spelling change). I have estimated Jim Bain's birth year to be about 1880. I have not been able to find any birth records, death records, or marriage records on any of these ancestors. I have tried to trace Tom Gilley as well, hoping to find info on his wife, Nola, but to no avail. I have looked for them all on Find-a-grave and can not find anything definite. Any help or ideas on where to search would be great!

Heather

Comment by Karyn Van Kainen on July 15, 2009 at 7:40am

My most elusive ancestor? William Willson (b. abt 1816, NY)...could he possibly have a more generic name? :P Although I've found lots of info on William, I've been stumped in my attempts to find his birth record or to further trace his lineage. I just keep telling myself that it will be all the more satisfying when I finally do make that breakthrough!
On another note...if someone helps you in your research, or even attempts to, please don't forget to be courteous. There's nothing more discouraging than spending an entire day looking up records for someone, and not even getting so much as a "Thank you" in return. End of soapbox speech! :)

Comment by Sheila Steane on July 15, 2009 at 1:06am

Having been looking for a marriage of one of my ancestors for 30 years I discovered it online in Cosby Leicestershire just because some kind person had transcribed the Parish Registers and put them online.

Comment by Betty Oliver on July 14, 2009 at 1:15pm

Forgot to add that he was born in Thornhill Ontario Canada

Comment by Betty Oliver on July 14, 2009 at 1:14pm

My illusive butterfly ancestor is Thomas M. Munshaw born c1836 died ? married Mary Saunders (Sanders) in1858 dissapeared sometime after 1866 had two children Peter M born c1860 and Mary Alida b 1867 cannot find anything more on him. This Thomas' parents are Aaron Munshaw and Mary Mulloy. Help!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Comment by Dawn Evans Stringer on July 12, 2009 at 6:32pm

My brick wall has had me stumped for years. My 4ggrandfather was Norval Valentine Heskett / Hiskett (1805-1852), According to a family history written by my ggrandfather in 1947, (and of course there are no source citations) and my grandmother's DAR application, Norval was born 15 Feb 1805 in Loudoun county, VA. The 1850 census and his gravestone both agree with the dateand state. His father is said to have been Benjamin Adam Hiskett (1779-1852), again from the family history. and this is where the mystery begins.There is no mention of Norval's mother. I can find no record of Norval until 20 Feb 1829 when he married Massey Nickols in Marion county, Ohio. I have the marriage record. I have not been able to find him on the 1830 census, but suspect he was living with his widowed mother-in-law, Sarah (Thomas) Nickols, who I also can not find on the 1830 census. There are no other Heskett or Hiskett's in the area around that time. Benjamin Adam is living in Belmont county, Ohio. I need to connect Benjamin Adam to Norval. Most Heskett researchers state that Nancy Nevin ( 1792-1884) was the mother of Norval, but it simply is not possible. For one thing Nancy was 13 when Norval was born. Another thing is that Benjamin Adam and Nancy were married 23 Jan 1812 in Ross county, Ohio, 7 years after Norval was born. So, if Nancy wasn't his mother, who was? Benjamin Adam's was also born in Loudoun county, VA. His father was Benjamin Hiskett (1748-1829).Again in the family history it was said that Norval was raised by his grandparentsbut doesn't say whether it was paternal or maternal, and again I can find no proof to support that fact. I have gotten copies of Benjamin's will hoping that Norval would be mentioned,, and no such luck. I have also gotten the will of Benjamin Adam and again Norval was not mentioned although all of the children of Benjamin Adam and Nancy were named. I have searched the early marriage records of Loudoun county and found no earlier marriage for Benjamin Adam.
So, I have no idea where Norval spent the first 24 years of his life, no idea who raised him, no idea who his mother was, and I am not even sure that Benjamin Adam was his father. I have totally run out of ideas of where to look, and would love to hear any suggestions.

Comment by Caren on July 12, 2009 at 3:57pm

My main brick wall is on my dad's side. My Great-grandfather was born Robert Nestor Osterlund in Pori, Finland in 1888. He came to America between 1903 and 1905 and changed his name to Robert Nestor Lehto. Problem is I have never been able to find him on ANY ship registry. I don't know if he came thru Canada (as he lived in Michigan till around 1920 before moving to NY) or thru any of the U.S ports. I DO know he came with his brother (who's name is possably Rupert. He changed HIS surname to Alve) and mother, Anna (no clue what her maiden name is).

The only info I have on him is the info my dad has given me and what little I've found on ancestry.com (his WWI draft card, even tho he never faught in WWI. Apperantly the war was over before he could even be shipped out.) and his SSI Death card. Possably some sensus records to (1920 I believe or 1930).

Another brick wall is Robert's wives. His first wife is Anna (or Anne) Her surname is believed to be Lindstrom but that's uncertain. Her grave says Anna L Lehto. She died in 1930. No clue where she was born. Just know she's buried in the family plot in upstate NY. *lol* His 2nd wife was Aino E. Don't know her last name or where she's from either. My dad didn't even know her name till I found it on a website. He only called her by her nick name. Aiti (her grave says Rackas Aiti... which means Dear Mother).

Another strange mystery is that of Robert's father. His name was Frans Osterlund (or Osterlunde). He's believed to have come to America in the 1930's and then went back to Finland. My dad has a picture of a cabin Frans and Anna lived in in Pori. All I know about Frans is that he was an orphan who escaped his evil foster father (who had murdered Frans' brother). Frans lived in Russia for a time where he was a bodyguard of Tsar Nicholas II. All I know about Anna is that she was a teacher.

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