20% Off Sale on Professional Services at Hungary Exchange!

I'm happy to announce that during the month of November, i'm offering a 20% off sale on my professional services via Hungary Exchange. The 20% discount will be taken off the grand total at the end of all research conducted. To be entitled to the 20% discount, customers must pay the retainer fee before the end of November. This offer cannot be used on existing projects and it ends on November 30, 2011. Contact me if you have questions of any kind.

If you're interested in my professional services, please take a look at my page here. Quotes on projects are, as always, free and I can easily be contacted at my email address: nickmgombash@yahoo.com.

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun - The Ancestors GeneaMeme

I'm a day late with this post, but here is my response to this week's Saturday Night Genealogy Fun! Here are the rules and such: 


1)  Participate in the Ancestors GeneaMeme created by Jill Ball on the Geniaus blog.

2)  Write your own blog post, or add your response as a comment to this blog post, in a Facebook Status post or note, or in a Google+ Stream item.

The Rules:

The list should be annotated in the following manner:

Things you have already done or found: bold face type
Things you would like to do or find: italicize (colour optional)
Things you haven’t done or found and don’t care to: plain type
You are encouraged to add extra comments in brackets after each item 

The Meme:

Which of these apply to you?

1.  Can name my 16 great-great-grandparents

2.  Can name over 50 direct ancestors

3.  Have photographs or portraits of my 8 great-grandparents
4.  Have an ancestor who was married more than three times
5.  Have an ancestor who was a bigamist (my great-grandfather was a wonderful man *rolls eyes*)
6.  Met all four of my grandparents (half passed away before I was born)
7.  Met one or more of my great-grandparents (my g-grandma Sylvia!)
8.  Named a child after an ancestor
9.  Bear an ancestor's given name/s (very distant, yes.. but nothing close)
10.  Have an ancestor from Great Britain or Ireland (my mother's surname is!)
11.  Have an ancestor from Asia (I am a descendant of Attila the Hun.. and I can prove it, too!)
12.  Have an ancestor from Continental Europe
13.  Have an ancestor from Africa
14.  Have an ancestor who was an agricultural labourer
15.  Have an ancestor who had large land holdings
16.  Have an ancestor who was a holy man
17.  Have an ancestor who was a midwife
18.  Have an ancestor who was an author
19.  Have an ancestor with the surname Smith, Murphy or Jones (actually... I don't believe I do)
20.  Have an ancestor with the surname Wong, Kim, Suzuki or Ng (maybe, considering my descent from Attila the Hun and his Asiatic ancestry!)
21.  Have an ancestor with a surname beginning with X
22.  Have an ancestor with a forename beginnining with Z
23.  Have an ancestor born on 25th (my 3rd-g-grandfather James A. J. Costilow & 6th-g-grandfather Christian Schneider)
24.  Have an ancestor born on New Year's Day 
25.  Have blue blood in your family lines (my great-great-grandmother was of Hungarian nobility, and is a descendant of a daughter of King Béla IV of Hungary)
26.  Have a parent who was born in a country different from my country of birth
27.  Have a grandparent who was born in a country different from my country of birth (two great-grandparents were born in Hungary and Poland, though)
28.  Can trace a direct family line back to the eighteenth century
29.  Can trace a direct family line back to the seventeenth century or earlier
30.  Have seen copies of the signatures of some of my great-grandparents
31.  Have ancestors who signed their marriage certificate with an X
32.  Have a grandparent or earlier ancestor who went to university
33. Have an ancestor who was convicted of a criminal offence (ooohhh Hiram Howell....)
34.  Have an ancestor who was a victim of crime (again.. ohhh Hiram Howell.. he was murdered)
35.  Have shared an ancestor's story online or in a magazine
36.  Have published a family history online or in print
37.  Have visited an ancestor's home from the 19th or earlier centuries
38.  Still have an ancestor's home from the 19th or earlier centuries in the family (I would love to buy the Hays Rodgers home in Mississippi)39.  Have a family bible from the 19th Century
40.  Have a pre-19th century family bible

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun - List Your Matrilineal Line(s)

Here are the rules, as posted on Randy Seaver's blog, for Saturday Night Genealogy Fun!!:

1) List your matrilineal line - your mother, her mother, etc. back to the first identifiable mother. Note: this line is how your mitochondrial DNA was passed to you!

2) Tell us if you have had your mitochondrial DNA tested, and if so, which Haplogroup you are in.

3) Post your responses on your own blog post, in Comments to this blog post, or in a Status line on Facebook or in your Stream at Google Plus.

4)  If you have done this before, please do your father's matrilineal line, or your grandfather's matrilineal line, or your spouse's matriliuneal line.

5)  Does this list spur you to find distant cousins that might share one of your matrilineal lines?  

Here's mine:

My matrilineal line is:

a) Nick M. Gombash
b) Réne Rodgers
c) Elaine Florella Stuempges (1926, Polar, WI -1987, Chicago, IL) married Thomas Thurman Rodgers
d) Sylvia Maria Bertha Hedwig Martin (1909, Polar, WI - 2008, Antigo, WI) married Walter John Stuempges
e) Maria Summ (1883, Antigo, WI - 1972, Antigo, WI) married Herman Wilhelm Gustav "Gust" Martin
f) Maria Blum (1860, Gutach, Germany - 1951, Norwood, WI) married Johann Georg Summ
g) Barbara Schneider (1824, Gutach, Germany - 1864, Gutach, Germany) married Georg Blum
h) Barbara Brohammer (1788, Gutach, Germany - 1856, Gutach, Germany) married Jacob Friedrich Schneider
i) Catharina Beilharz (1761, Hohenweg, Germany - 1818, Gutach, Germany) married Christian Brohammer
j) Barbara Winkler (? - ?) married Johann Jacob Beilharz
Similar to Randy, I also had my DNA tested and I came up as mtDNA Haplogroup K. We're cousins, Randy! :)

On my Gombash side, the matrilineal line of my father is:

a) John E. Gombash, Jr.
b) Mary Louise Adas (1940, Chicago, IL - 1986, Chicago, IL) married John E. Gombash, Sr.
c) Martha Violet Czarny (1911, Chicago, IL - 1989, Chicago, IL) married Edward Robert Adas, Sr.
d) Rozalia Sophia Wozniak (1887, Osobnica, Poland - 1959, Chicago, IL) married Wojciech Czarny
e) Agatha Turek (? - ?) married Wawrzyniec Wozniak

My Rodgers grandfather's matrilineal line is:

a)  Thomas Thurman Rodgers (1928, Duck Hill, MS - 1983, Paducah, KY) married Elaine Florella Stuempges
b)  Ellen Inez Martin (1902, Carrollton, MS - 1991, Jackson, MS) married Fred Lamar Rodgers
c)  Samatha Aylene Costilow (1869, Holmes Co, MS - 1908, Carroll Co, MS) married Samuel Christopher Columbus Martin
d)  Martha A. Miller (1836, AL? - 1877, Holmes/Yazoo Co, MS) married James Andrew J. Costilow

My Gombash grandfather's matrilineal line is:

a)  John E. Gombash, Sr. (1935, Caretta, WV - 2005, Joliet, IL)
b)  Catherine Anna Grządziel (1906, Barycz, Poland - 1970, Chicago, IL) married Alex Gombash
c)  Amelia Stec (1887/1888, Barycz, Poland - 1968, Cleveland, OH) married Frank Grządziel
d)  Sophia Zwiszek/Swiszek (? - ?) married Jan Stec

The Family Tree of Lady Gaga

Lady Gaga, born as Stefani Germanotta, was born to parents who both shared Italian ancestry. Her direct paternal line and direct maternal line are both of Italian extraction. I started researching Lady Gaga's family tree about a year ago, and I had since forgotten about it. I remembered it today and I thought I would share with the world (and her fans!) the details of her ancestry. Below, I will briefly write about her family tree. What I don't talk about will be featured in the image of her family tree, so make sure to check that out for additional information.

Lady Gaga's paternal grandfather was Joseph Anthony Germanotta. He was born to Italian immigrants from Naso, Messina, Sicily. Joseph Anthony actually passed away a year ago, today.. 24 Sep 2010. RIP Mr. Germanotta.

Lady Gaga's mother is of Anglo-American and Italian heritage. Her mother is Veronica Rose Ferri and was born to Italian immigrants. At this point, I am unsure where in Italy Veronica's parents were from. Anyone know? :)

Veronica Ferri's husband was Paul Douglas Bissett. Paul's ancestry can be traced back to Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia (where he was from). Paul's surname of Bissett could possibly be an English name of French origin, but his paternal grandmother's surname of Burghardt is definitely of Germanic origin. Paul's mother, Sally Ann Leech, appears to be of English origins. You can't get much more English than Bosley or Morningstar!

Any additional information anyone can provide me with would be much appreciated!

The Hungarian Ancestry of Queen Elizabeth II; Part 3

This entry is part three highlighting the Hungarian ancestors of Queen Elizabeth II. Part three is focused on Erzsébet Macskássy de Rápolt, a second great-grandmother of Countess Klaudina Rhédey de Rhéde. Her ahnentafel list is as follows:


First Generation
1. Erzsébet Macskássy de Rápolt

Second Generation
2. Mihály Macskássy de Rápolt
3. unknown

Third Generation
4. Mihály Macskássy de Rápolt
5. Judit Bethlen de Bethlen
6. unknown
7. unknown

Fourth Generation
8. Ferencz Macskássy de Rápolt
9. Margit Nyakazó
10. Mihály Bethlen de Bethlen
11. Katalin Bornemisza de Petrelin
12. unknown
13. unknown
14. unknown
15. unknown

Fifth Generation
16. Boldizsár Macskássy de Rápolt
17. Ilona Gávay de Noszoly
18. unknown
19. unknown
20. György Bethlen de Bethlen
21. Ilona Csejtey
22. unknown
23. unknown
24. unknown
25. unknown
26. unknown
27. unknown
28. unknown
29. unknown
30. unknown
31. unknown

FamilySearch Find Of The Day: Hiram Howell & His 1847 Taxes

I stumbled upon this 1847 taxation document from Tippah County, Mississippi the other day, and it shed a tiny bit more light (although not much) on the life of Hiram Howell. He is at the top of the document with two of his sons: Reece & David.

Hiram is listed as having 2 slaves, which matches what is listed in the 1850 Federal Census Slave Schedules. In 1850, it was a 21 year old female and a 4 year old male (probably her son?). I assume they are the same individuals listed in this 1847 taxation document. The woman would have been about 17 years old and the male child about 1 year old. This also makes me wonder how a girl of 15 or 16 became pregnant, as she is the only slave in the household. Was Hiram or one of his sons the father of the child? It could be another contributing factor that lead to Hiram's murder in 1853, but we may never know. Reece and David are listed as not owning any slaves.

Reece and David both paid the same amount for county ($.30) and state ($.50) taxes. Hiram on the other hand paid more in taxes (did he own more land than them?) Hiram paid $.72 for county taxes and $1.20 for state taxes.

I'm still looking for Hiram and any of his children in the previous taxation documents, but I don't believe any are listed. I do know, however, that Hiram appears in the 1845 state census in Tippah County. If he's in the 1845 state census living in Tippah County, how come he doesn't appear in the 1845 taxation records? Strange.

My 99 Genealogy Things

I found this list on the Bayside Blog via Tonia Kendrick’s blog, Tonia’s Roots. I thought it was fun, so I decided to share my experiences with everyone, too :)

Key:

Things you have already done or found – bold type

Things you would like to do or find – italics

Things you have not done or found /don’t care to.

99 Genealogy Things

1. Belong to a genealogical society.
2. Joined a group on Genealogy Wise. (I'm not familiar with this website?)
3. Transcribed records. (Almost every day! haha)
4. Uploaded headstone pictures to Find-A-Grave or a similar site
5. Documented ancestors for four generations (self, parents, grandparents, great-grandparents)
6. Joined Facebook.
7. Cleaned up a run-down cemetery.
8. Joined the Genea-Bloggers Group.
9. Attended a genealogy conference. (I still have yet to attend a genealogy conference.)
10. Lectured at a genealogy conference. (I'd eventually like to overcome my fear of public speaking and talk about Hungarian genealogy.)
11. Spoke on a genealogy topic at a local genealogy society/local library’s family history group. (Repeat of 10, no?)
12. Joined the National Genealogical Society.
13. Contributed to a genealogy society publication. (I do enough for Hungary Exchange to fill TONS of publications.)
14. Served on the board or as an officer of a genealogy society.
15. Got lost on the way to a cemetery.
16. Talked to dead ancestors.
17. Researched outside the state in which I live.
18. Knocked on the door of an ancestral home and visited with the current occupants. 
19. Cold called a distant relative.
20. Posted messages on a surname message board.
21. Uploaded a gedcom file to the internet. (I've since deleted every trace of them that I possibly can! There are a lot of thieves out there!)
22. Googled my name.
23. Performed a random act of genealogical kindness.
24. Researched a non-related family, just for the fun of it. (Who hasn't? :)  )
25. Have been paid to do genealogical research. (It's how I make a living!)
26. Earn a living (majority of income) from genealogical research.
27. Wrote a letter (or email) to a previously unknown relative.
28. Contributed to one of the genealogy carnivals.
29. Responded to messages on a message board.
30. Was injured while on a genealogy excursion.
31. Participated in a genealogy meme.
32. Created family history gift items.
33. Performed a record lookup.
34. Took a genealogy seminar cruise.
35. Am convinced that a relative must have arrived here from outer space. Hiram Howell definitely was from outer space!
36. Found a disturbing family secret. (Several, in-fact.)
37. Told others about a disturbing family secret.
38. Combined genealogy with crafts (family picture quilt, scrapbooking).
39. Think genealogy is a passion and/or obsession not a hobby. (Oh, it's definitely an obsession.. and my occupation!)
40. Assisted finding next of kin for a deceased person.
41. Taught someone else how to find their roots.
    
42. Lost valuable genealogy data due to a computer crash or hard drive failure. (Many many years ago when I first began, yes. But not since. Thankfully.)
43. Been overwhelmed by available genealogy technology.
44. Know a cousin of the 4th degree or higher.  (I've found TONS of cousins way more distant than 4th cousins, especially on my Hungarian side!)
45. Disproved a family myth through research. (Does proving it count? haha)
    
46. Got a family member to let you copy photos.
47. Used a digital camera to “copy” photos or records.
    
48. Translated a record from a foreign language. (I translate records for clients and friends all the time.)
49. Found an immigrant ancestor’s passenger arrival record. (I've been able to find every single passenger manifest for all my European lines, with the exception of Martin Domagalski.. stop hiding!)
50. Used microfiche. (You're not a true genealogist if you haven't.)
    
51. Have researched in church records.
52. Visited the Family History Library in Salt Lake City. (Hopefully someday..)
53. Used Google+ for genealogy. (Definitely. I found a cousin through G+.)
54. Visited a church or place of worship of one of your ancestors.
55. Taught a class in genealogy. (I'd love to teach a class on Hungarian research.)
56. Traced ancestors back to the 18th Century. (Without others' previous research, yes.)
57. Traced ancestors back to the 17th Century. (Without others' previous research, yes.)
58. Traced ancestors back to the 16th Century. (Without others' previous research, yes.)
59. Can name all of your great-great-grandparents. (Most definitely!!)
60. Know how to determine a soundex code without the help of a computer.
61. Have found many relevant and unexpected articles on internet to “put flesh on the bones”. (I actually haven't found too many newspaper articles and such relating to my family.)
62. Own a copy of Evidence Explained by Elizabeth Shown Mills. (I need to get a copy.)
63. Helped someone find an ancestor using records you had never used for your own research.
64. Visited the main National Archives building in Washington, DC.
65. Have an ancestor who came to America as an indentured servant.
66. Have an ancestor who fought in the Revolutionary War, War of 1812 or Civil War. (Many!)
67. Taken a photograph of an ancestor’s tombstone.
68. Can “read” a church record in Latin. (I could do this in my sleep!)
69. Have an ancestor who changed his/her name, just enough to be confusing.
70. Joined a Rootsweb mailing list.
71. Created a family website.
72. Have a genealogy blog.
73. Was overwhelmed by the amount of family information received from someone.
74. Have broken through at least one brick wall. (I found you, Ellen Hovis!!)
75. Done genealogy research at a court house.
76. Borrowed microfilm from the Family History Library through a local Family History Center(s). (You can't call yourself a genealogist if you haven't.)
77. Found an ancestor in an online newspaper archive. (That's how I found out about my great-grandfather's previous marriage!)
78. Have visited a NARA branch. (I actually need to. There's one actually 20 minutes from me.)
79. Have an ancestor who served in WWI or WWII.
80. Use maps in my genealogy research.
81. Have a blacksheep ancestor.
82. Found a bigamist amongst my ancestors. (My great-grandfather was quite the bastard.)
83. Attended a genealogical institute.
84. Taken online genealogy (and local history) courses.
    
85. Consistently (document) and cite my sources. (This is something I really need to start doing, although.. 99% of the research I have been doing is in church records from Europe. So if you can't figure out where the information came from with the town name, religion and date.. then you shouldn't be doing genealogy.)
86. Visited a foreign country (i.e. one I don’t live in) in search of ancestors. (The only other country I've been to is The Bahamas.)
    
87. Can locate any document in my research files within a few minutes. (Seconds?)
88. Have an ancestor who was married four times. (I think the most was three.)
89. Made a rubbing of an ancestor’s gravestone.
90. Followed genealogists on Twitter. Follow me! @nickmgombash
91. Published a family history book.
92. Learned of a death of a fairly close family relative through research. (It's quite sad how you have to find out about your great-aunt's death from searching around the internet.)
93. Offended a family member with my research. (All the time. People really need to loosen up and realize it's the 21st century. If someone wants your information enough, they will find it. And no, I've never put their information online. Do you all know there's a database on Ancestry to find your address and birth-date? Yep. It's there. Go look.)
94. Reunited someone with precious family photos or artifacts.
95. Have a paid subscription to a genealogy database. (Been there, done that. The majority of my research is in European church records, which are not online. And if they are online, they're freely accessible.)
96. Submitted articles for FamilySearch Wiki.
97. Organized a family reunion.
98. Used Archives in countries where my ancestors originated. (Online archives count, right? I use the Hungarian archives' databases all the time!)
99. Converted someone new to the love of all things genealogy.