President's Pen - May 2025
The ever-lively Bill Cole began his talk with the question, “How could one ancestor be so much trouble!?!” That ancestor was – drum roll please – his father! It’s not that he didn’t know who his father was; Bill wanted to discover his father’s whole story, and not just the genealogical basics. Until recently, he had a few family stories, gaps in his timeline, and more questions than answers. It was time for him to do some creative research.
Following Bill’s step-by-step case study affords us another way to look at – and look for – our own brick-wall or troublesome ancestors. I had a similar situation with my second great-grandfather, Anton Weis. Once I identified him by name, I was at a loss for how to find anything else about his life. That is, until I started looking beyond the usual sources and realized that where he was buried was not only a valuable clue but the key to completing his life story. Anton was buried in a Catholic cemetery in St. Louis, Missouri. Catholic church records led to marriage and birth records, which led to newspaper articles, which led to his older brother, which led to finding his family records in Steinbach, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany. Now his life story is full of names, dates, places, adventures, and connections.
The point of Bill’s presentation is to move beyond our genealogical “comfort zone” by investigating useful tips, exploring new avenues of inquiry, and utilizing our FAN clubs. Remember, there is always more to the story. We need to tear down those brick walls by re-examining records for overlooked details, seeking help from friends and family, exploring seemingly unrelated facts, and expanding our research boundaries. If your troublesome ancestor is associated with a particular faith or ethnic group, this may be a valuable clue to locate additional records. Creative thinking is key.
Bill’s first case-study tip said that when confronted with an obstacle, we need to ask where, when, how, why, and what so that our troublesome ancestors will trouble us no more. We need to move beyond our regular research methods and let creativity be our guide. According to Bill, “the harder we work the luckier we get!” How true.
Let us know if Bill’s approach has helped you with your troublesome ancestor.