|
|
|
| I live in (City / County): | Delano, Hennipen, MN |
| Name: | Bev Nohr rjnohr@aol.com |
| Date: | 2001-08-25 |
| My Favorite RootsWeb Tool: | GenConnect |
| Please contact me: | yes |
| My Success Story: | I was researching my HALL family and had gotten back to Leonard HALL who came to Warren county IL in about 1840. I knew that he had been born in Cortland County NY and that his parents were Stephen and Cynthia Leonard HALL. With a query on a GenConnect board I found a wonderful person, Scott, who then sent me some of his work that put my family back to 1630 when John HALL arrived in the New World! Suddenly I have a new appriciation for early American history!
|
|
|
|
| I live in (City / County): | Minneapolis area, USA, MN |
| Name: | Jennifer O'Byrne Jellomo@aol.com |
| Date: | 2000-04-12 |
| My Favorite RootsWeb Tool: | GenConnect |
| Please contact me: | yes |
| My Success Story: | I have been on a quest for two years to find my family roots. One problem, we didnt know a whole lot about our family and we were searching for one of the most common names, Kelly. We had some basic information in Minnesota and some old family letters that had been photo copied some years ago. At the top of the letters were Derby/ Bryenton. I knew that they were from Canada, but not sure where. Somehow I pinpointed it down to New Brunswick and I started calling. Since I couldnt find either of these towns on any map, I wasnt sure if they still even existed. I called Fredricton County records and they basicly told me how to get some birth and death records through microfilm. Well, I am still waiting on the film to get here! I then looked up the New Brunswick travel bureau and she gave me the number to the Miramichi City hall. I knew they had at once been to a Chelmsford Church for Christmas Mass. This was mentioned in one of the letters. The woman I talked to at the City Hall, just happened to have been to the Chelmsford Church with her boyfriend and his Grandmother. She gave me the name and number of the Preist who does mass there. So I called Father Cramer, and he said he would talk to some of the older folks in town and check the Church records. A week later, he told me to call any of the McKinleys in McKinleyville and ask which one of the McKinleys did family research in that area. So I got a name of a Warren McKinley and talked to him. I gave him the names that I was looking for and left it at that. A week later I had called back to ask a couple more questions and he had talked to a woman in town about the names. All he told me was that she had some information that could help me out, but she was out of town. Meanwhile, Warren McKinley had told me to talk to a Father Brodrick who had done extensive research in that area as well. He told me to talk to two other men. One was a wrong number and my hopes went down. But the Second man, Ben, well, he knew! He had most of my basic missing information. He was related, somewhat distant, but it was a relation! The next day, Elaine, the woman who had some information that could help was home. This was Friday, March 31, 2000. I called Elaine and instantly I knew, she was the one! She knew everything and by heart at that! A relative she was, a much closer one too! Her Grandfather(Bernard) and My Great Grandfather (Thomas) were Brothers. They lived in New Brunswick and Bernard stayed and Thomas left in about 1895 to come to Minnesota. There he met his wife and raised a large family. Now that I had the names of his family, the letters were all coming together! His sisters, Lizzie, Katie and Lydia, all the people talked about in the letters. It was like taking a step back in time. The last letter was written in 1920, by Thomas' mother, Ellen. I dont know when they lost touch. Elaine and I talked for a long time! Learning about each of the families. I found out that she still has a picture of my Great Great Grandparents, Peter and Ellen Kelly and her wedding band as well. The Family bible is still around too! We had been so close, yet not close enough at times in the past. My mom had some information from a Mrs. John Doty on the Kelly family and she thought she had more information, but we didnt know when she had written to my mom and if she was still alive or not. I looked her up, but couldnt find anything, and I didnt even have a first name. Later I found out that this is Elaines sister, Alice Dory. We even had the last name spelt wrong! Something brought us together at this perticular time. Amazingly enough, there is a large "Kelly" reunion taking place in New Brunswick at an Irish festival on July 14, 15, 16 this summer. My parents, my children and I are planning on making a big trip out of this and drive out from Minnesota. I plan on taking my scanner, camera, and lap top to record every bit of information I can! Elaine said they are expecting about 150 desendants of Philip and Katherine Kelly (my Great, Great, Great Grandparents!) As for Elaine and I, we have started the begining of a new friendship. From an older generation to the younger, tradition and family stories are being past on. We are now working together to find our family in Ireland. You can never give up hope. There is always someone else out there looking too! Its fate that brings you together! Jennifer Kelly-O'Byrne
|
