Saturday Night Genealogy Fun - Guess Your Ancestor's 1940 Census Data

1)  Pick one of the persons from your ancestry who should be in the 1940 United States Census.

2)  Using the column headings below (from 1940 United States Census Questions), predict what the entries will be in each column.

3)  Share your predictions on your own blog post, in a comment to this post, or in a Facebook status or a Google Plus post.

Here's mine:

I'm picking my grandmother, Elaine (Stuempges) Rodgers.  Here are my predicted column entries (in red):

*  State:  Wisconsin
*  Populated Place: Polar
*  Ward of City:  ???
*  County:  Langlade
*  Township or other division of county:  Polar
*  Block Nos.:  ???
*  Enumeration District:  34-19

1.  Location - street, avenue or road:  Mueller Lake Rd. -OR- Polar Rd.
2.  Location - house number:   ??? 

3.  Number of household:  ???
4.  Home owned or rented:  O [by her father, Walter]
5.  Value of home (if owned) or monthly rental (if rented):   ???
6.  Does this household live on a farm?  No
7.  Name of person:  Elaine F. Stuempges
8.  Relationship of this person to head of household:  Daughter

9.  Sex:  F[emale]
10.  Color or Race:  W[hite]
11.  Age at last birthday:  13
12.  Marital Status:  S[ingle]

13.  Attended school or college any time since March 1, 1940:  Yes
14.  Highest grade of school completed:  7th Grade

15.  Place of birth:  Wisconsin
16.  Citizenship of foreign born: [blank]

17.  Residence on 1 April, 1935 - City or town:  Same place
18.  Residence on 1 April, 1935 - County:  Same place
19.  Residence on 1 April, 1935 - State or foreign country:  Same place
20.  On a farm?  No

21.  Was this person AT WORK for pay or profit in private or nonemergency Gov't. work during week of March 24-30? (Yes or No): No
22:  If not, was he at work on, or assigned to, public EMERGENCY WORK (WPA, NYA, CCC, etc.) during week of March 24-30? (Yes or No): No
23. If neither at work nor assigned to public emergency work. ("No" in Cols. 21 and 22), Was this person SEEKING WORK (Yes or No):  No
24. If not seeking work, did he HAVE A JOB, business, etc.? (Yes or No):  No
25. Indicate whether engaged in home house-work (H), in school (S), unable to work (U), or other (Ot): [S]
26. Number of hours worked during week of March 24-30, 1940: 0
27. If seeking work or assigned to public emergency work. ("Yes" in Col. 22 or 23); Duration of unemployment up to March 30, 1940 - in weeks:  0

28.  Occupation: Trade, profession, or particular kind of work, as frame spinner, salesman, rivet heater ,music teacher:  [blank]
29. Industry: Industry or business, as cotton mill, retail grocery, farm, shipyard, public school:[blank]
30. Class of worker: [blank]
31. Number of weeks worked in 1939 (Equivalent full-time weeks): 0

32.  Income in 1939 (12 months ended December 31, 1939): Amount of money wages or salary received (including commissions):  0
33. Did this person receive income of $50 or more from sources other than money wages or salary (Yes or No): No
34.  Number of farm schedule: [blank]

Do You Know Many Twins Are In YOUR Family?

Today I was doing some quick research for a fellow geneablogger. The information I came across seems to conclude that her distant grandmother was a twin; and she mentioned she didn't know of any twins in her family. It got me thinking how many sets of twins were within my own family, and how I was related to them. So.. here's an article devoted to all the twins within my family.. immediate and distant! The order in which I'll list them are: direct ancestors, then aunts/uncles and then cousins.

5th-great-grandfather & 5th-great-aunt
Christina & Jacob Friedrich Schneider; born 07 May 1794, Gutach, Ortenau Kreis, Baden, Germany
Children of Christian Schneider & Anna Mari Erhardt

6th-great-grandfather & 6th-great-aunt
Anna Maria & Jacob Schondelmaier; born 20 Aug 1751, Reichenbach, Ortenau Kreis, Baden, Germany
Children of Johann Jacob Schondelmaier & Johanna Schillinger

1st-great-uncles
Frank & Stanley Bogusz; born 23 Nov 1922, Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, Ohio
Children of Frank Bogusz & Amelia Stec

2nd-great-uncles
Ceabron & Samuel Costilow; born 19 Nov 1871, Yazoo County, Missisippi
Children of James Andrew J. Costilow & Martha A. Miller

2nd-great-uncles
Allen Jasper & William Franklin Rodgers; born 12 Sep 1853, Carroll County, Mississippi
Children of Allen Rodgers & Judith Walker McGehee

3rd-great-aunt/uncle
Jacob & Christine Summ; born 12 May 1860, Gutach, Ortenau Kreis, Baden, Germany
Children of Johann Georg Summ & Anna Maria Schondelmaier

4th-great-aunts
Cyena & Cyrena Blaylock; born 21 Apr 1820, Barnwell County, South Carolina
Children of Levi Benjamin Blaylock & Sarah Tyler

5th-great-aunts
Borbála & Zsuzsánna Marjai; born 06 July 1787, Pthrügy, Szabolcs, Hungary
Children of Mihály Marjai & Erzsébet Szabó

5th-great-uncles
Anton & Stephen Grundmann; born 21 Feb 1805, Johnsdorf, Auscha Kreis, Leitmeritz, Bohemia
Children of Joseph Grundmann & Anna Dorothea Heller

6th-great-aunts
Anna & Catharina Blum; born 08 Jun 1701, Gutach, Ortenau Kreis, Baden, Germany
Children of Adam Blum & Maria Moser

6th-great-aunt/uncle
Anna Dorothea & Franz Joseph Paschant; born 19 Dec 1728, Graber, Auscha Kreis, Leitmeritz, Bohemia
Children of Georg Paschant & Maria Kasper

8th-great-uncles
Adam & Roman Steiger; born 28 Apr 1672, Gutach, Ortenau Kreis, Baden, Germany
Children of Hans Melchior Steiger & Anna

1st cousins, 1 time removed
Kelvin & Kenneth Gombash; dates omitted for privacy
Children of Robert Gombash & Shelby Canoy

1st cousins, 2 times removed
Julie & Susan Dudash; dates omitted for privacy
Children of Stephen Dudash & Susan Gombash

1st cousins, 3 times removed
Máté & Bálint Balogh; born 21 Sept 1891, Tiszadob, Szabolcs, Hungary
Children of Bálint Balogh & Mária Tóth.

1st cousins, 3 times removed
Walton & Walter Costilow; born 28 Aug 1917, Montgomery County, Mississippi
Children of Ceabron Costilow & Della Lott

1st cousins, 4 times removed
Ernest & Waldemar Foltz; born 10 May 1897, Antigo, Langlade County, Wisconsin
Children of Louis Foltz & Christine Blum

1st cousins, 4 times removed
Christina & Johann Summ; born 01 Jul 1880, Gutach, Ortenau Kreis, Baden, Germany
Children of Christian Summ & Barbara Wöhrle

1st cousins, 5 times removed
Jozefa & Jakub Czwojdrak alias Czwojdzinski; born abt 1892, Daszewice, Poznan, Poland
Children of Wiktor Czwojdrak alias Czwojdzinski & Konstantyna Lesniewska

1st cousins, 5 times removed
Bénjámin & Sándor Tóth; born 15 Mar 1873, Tiszadob, Szabolcs, Hungary
Children of Károly Boros Tóth & Rákhel File

1st cousins, 6 times removed
János & Juliánna Péchy de Péchújfalu; born 29 Nov 1803, Tiszadob, Szabolcs, Hungary
Children of Miklós Péchy de Péchújfalu & Katalin Bódogh

1st cousins, 6 times removed
Constantia & Dorothea Quart; born 10 Jan 1824, Blansekow, Westpreußen, Preußen
Children of Jacob Quart & Catharina Adass

1st cousins, 7 times removed
György & Mária Handa; born 25 Apr 1801, Tiszadob, Szabolcs, Hungary
Children of Mihály Handa & Katalin Gajdos

1st cousins, 9 times removed
Adam & Christian Steiger; born 24 Dec 1702, Gutach, Ortenau Kreis, Baden, Germany
Children of Roman Steiger & Christina Baumann

2nd cousins, 3 times removed
James & John Rodgers; born 20 Aug 1883, Dialville, Cherokee County, Texas
Children of Lewis Banks Rodgers, Sr. & Mary Jane Acker

2nd cousins, 4 times removed
András & Eszter Bodnár; born 02 Jan 1870, Taktaszada, Zemplén, Hungary
Children of András Bodnár & Zsófia Szük

2nd cousins, 4 times removed
Eszter & Mária Bódogh; born 09 Nov 1913, Tiszadob, Szabolcs, Hungary
Children of István Bódogh & Eszter Tóth

2nd cousins, 5 times removed
András & Zsófia Batta; born 08 Feb 1836, Tiszadob, Szabolcs, Hungary
Children of András Batta & Zsófia Porkoláb

2nd cousins, 5 times removed
Eszter & Juliánna Cserés; baptized 04 Nov 1851, Tiszaeszlár, Szabolcs, Hungary
Children of István Cserés & Sára Bódogh

2nd cousins, 5 times removed
Charles & Mississippi Howell; born 03 Jul 1862, Fayette County, Tennessee
Children of Charles Chester Howell & Frances Elizabeth Carpenter

2nd cousins, 5 times removed
Sándor & Sára Péchy de Péchújfalu; born 13 Feb 1833, Tiszadob, Szabolcs, Hungary
Children of Sándor Péchy de Péchújfalu & Sára Porkoláb

2nd cousins, 6 times removed
János & Sándor Handa; born 21 Oct 1827, Tiszadob, Szabolcs, Hungary
Children of János Handa & Mária Nagy-Köteles

2nd cousins, 7 times removed
Katalin & Sára Oláh; born 19 May 1770, Tiszaszederkény, Borsod, Hungary
Children of János Oláh & Katalin Bódogh

3rd cousins, 4 times removed
Juliánna & Zsuzsánna Bódogh; born 14 Sep 1886, Tiszadob, Szabolcs, Hungary
Children of László Bódogh & Zsuzsánna Mátyus

3rd cousins, 4 times removed
Alexander William & Jones Philip Harrold; born 28 Jul 1877, Delaware County, Indiana
Children of Jonathan Harrold & Phebe Turner

3rd cousins, 5 times removed
Juliánna & Mária Kun; born 23 Sep 1846, Gelej, Borsod, Hungary
Children of József Kun & Erzsébet Bódogh

3rd cousins, 6 times removed
György & István Bódogh; born 08 Jan 1791, Tiszaszederkény, Borsod, Hungary
Children of Mihály Bódogh & Anna Bede

4th cousins, 2 times removed
Flora & Mattie Blaylock; born 31 Aug 1936, Grenada County, Mississippi
Children of Hardy Benson Blaylock & Myrtle Millie Brown

4th cousins, 4 times removed
Borbála & Erzsébet Deák; born 16 Mar 1871, Tiszaszederkény, Borsod, Hungary
Children of Pál Deák & Juliánna Belényesi

4th cousins, 4 times removed
Eleanóra & Piroska Évva; born 13 Feb 1870, Mád, Zemplén, Hungary
Children of Ferencz Évva & Erzsébet Réthy de Aszaló

5th cousins, 4 times removed
Albert & Margit Bódogh; born 08 Feb 1872, Miskolcz, Borsod, Hungary
Children of Albert Bódogh & Malvina Szepessy de Négyes

5th cousins, 4 times removed
János & Zsuzsánna Sipos; born 23 Jul 1840, Tiszaszederkény, Borsod, Hungary
Children of István Sipos & Mária Bódogh

5th cousins, 4 times removed
István & Zsuzsánna Sipos; born 04 Dec 1848, Tiszaszederkény, Borsod, Hungary
Children of István Sipos & Mária Bódogh

6th cousins, 4 times removed
Barbara & Christina Aberle; born 08 May 1844, Gutach, Ortenau Kreis, Baden, Germany
Children of Conrad Aberle & Maria Wälde

There are many MANY more, but this should be enough for now. I descend from two twins!! :)

A New Generation Added To My MT-DNA Line!

A few weeks ago, I learned of the new price increase for the microfilm rentals through FamilySearch. Nudged by this recent hike in prices, I thought it'd be a good idea to order some records for my own family, which I have been neglecting for a very long time. So, I went and ordered six microfilms for myself (a total splurge.. I know.. haha) before the new prices were installed. And I'm so glad that I did. I have been putting off further research into my European family for quite a while now; the main reason being work. When I'm at my local FHC, i'm working on research for clients and not my own. My FHC is open only a limited amount of hours a week, so it doesn't leave much time for my own personal research.

I've had a week of being able to perform research on my OWN family in microfilm for the first time in a long while, since I'm waiting on a huge box-full of microfilms to arrive, for clientele research. I've found a wealth of information on parts of my German and Polish lines so far this week, including a whole new generation on my direct maternal line.. the line that contains my MT-DNA! Thanks to a good friend of mine, I was able to have my Y-DNA and MT-DNA tested recently. When the results came in for my MT-DNA, I became more and more curious about my direct maternal line ancestors; I knew there was more to find and records to go through, but I had been too busy to research into it farther. Until now!

What I knew before I started my research this week was pretty vague: My 6th-great-grandmother on my direct maternal line was Catharina Beilharz, born 16 Jan 1761 in Hohenweg, to Johann Jacob Beilharz, a day-laborer in Hohenweg, and Barbara Winkler. That's all I knew.

A little bit of information about Hohenweg before we go further. Up until 1908, Hohenweg had belonged to the Evangelical parish of Hornberg. It now belongs to Gutach, where Catharina Beilharz was married to Christian Brohammer, in 1787. And where all of their descendants were born, married and died up until the late 19th century when mass emigration was affecting the world.

Okay, back to Catharina Beilharz. From her marriage record to Christian Brohammer, I knew her date and place of birth and her parent's names. I had previously not known about Hohenweg belonging to the Hornberg parish, so I was stumped. I had noticed some Winkler's within the Gutach records, but I didn't give it much note considering I couldn't find Catharina's baptism. So I ordered the Hornberg records, since I knew that Hohenweg was near the border between the two towns, and low-and-behold.. there was Catharina's baptism record!

The second record I searched for, was the marriage record of her parents: Johann Jacob Beilharz and Barbara Winkler. They were married on 04 Sept 1759 in Hornberg. Johann Jacob was listed as a "viduus" (a widow) and Barbara, as the daughter of Conrad Winkler. No towns were mentioned, so you assume they were from the Hornberg parish.

So who was this deceased wife of Johann Jacob, and what was her name? I found her death recorded on 07 May 1758. She was listed as Lucia, the wife of Johann Jacob "Beylhartz", a day-laborer "auf der Hohenweg", aged 44 years old. I'm now able to guesstimate (I love that word!) approximate birth years for Lucia, as well as Johann Jacob (roughly). I have since found a small handful of children born to Johann Jacob and Lucia, as well as Johann Jacob and Barbara. Most of the children share the same godparents.

While searching for the death of Johann Jacob's first wife Lucia, I stumbled upon a death record on 10 Dec 1758, for a two month old child named Barbara. She was an illegitimate daughter of a Barbara "Winckler". This peaked my interest, as the child was born nine months prior to my Johann Jacob Beilharz and Barbara Winkler getting married. Illegitimate children were common prior to marriages. So off I went, looking for this child's baptism record; she was born 11 Sept 1758. Her mother is listed as Barbara "Winckler", a day-laborer's daughter from Gutach! Those Winkler's I had noticed in the Gutach records years ago, really were MY Winkler's! The godparents of this child helped verify that the mother, Barbara Winkler, was MY Barbara Winkler. Interestingly enough, the birth entry actually listed the biological father.. who must have recognized the child as his own. He was Johann Blum of Gutach. A very common surname in that town, of which I descend from FIVE times! And you thought the deep south of America was incestuous. Ha!

Now knowing that Barbara Winkler was from Gutach all along, I went out searching for her baptism record. And found it easily enough, on 20 Mar 1736. Barbara was the youngest of five children, all born in Gutach. She was the daughter of Conrad Winkler (which we knew from her marriage record) and Catharina. Catharina! The name of my 8th-great-grandmother on my direct maternal line! Yippee! Not being content knowing just her first name, I went looking for Conrad and Catharina's marriage record. They were married on 04 May 1724 in Gutach. Conrad was the son of Hans Winkler and Catharina was the daughter of Georg Aberle, both fathers being day-laborers. Catharina and her father Georg Aberle were from a town that I'm not familiar with, and honestly had a very hard time reading. Which is very uncommon with me and these Gutach records.. I mean, I've been researching in them since 2004! I know these records like the back of my hand!

I was able to find the baptism for Conrad Winkler easily enough, on 08 Mar 1704, in Gutach. He was listed as the son of Hans and Barbara Winkler, day-laborers in Sulzbach, a community within Gutach. Finding baptisms for siblings of Conrad, I noticed that Hans and Barbara Winkler moved around quite a bit within the Gutach parish, moving from community to community between the birth of every child. Work must have been hard to come by, being day-laborers at that time. What I wasn't able to find, was a baptism for Catharina Aberle, Conrad Winkler's wife. It was no-where to be found, nor any baptisms for any children of a Georg Aberle within the Gutach parish at all. But therein lies a clue with her daughter Barbara Winkler's baptism record in 1736. Her first two godparents (there were usually three; two men and one woman) were a Jacob Blum and a Conrad Aberle. Jacob Blum was a day-laborer in Offenbach, a community within Hornberg. Conrad Aberle, whom I'm assuming is a blood-connection to Barbara's mother (Catharina Aberle), was a miller "in Hornberg".

I strongly believe that I'll find Catharina Aberle's baptism within the Hornberg parish.. and the name of my 9th-great-grandmother! The Hornberg parish records begin in the 1630's, nearly 100 years prior to Catharina Aberle's marriage in Gutach, so if I'm lucky I may find two.. or even three.. more generations! Hopefully more to come on Tuesday; cross your fingers, folks!

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun - Ancestral Name Roulette

It's that time again! Here are the rules via Randy Seaver's blog:

1)  What year was your paternal grandfather born?  Divide this number by 100 and round the number off to a whole number. This is your "roulette number."


2)  Use your pedigree charts or your family tree genealogy software program to find the person with that number in your ancestral name list (some people call it an "ahnentafel"). Who is that person?


3)  Tell us three facts about that person in your ancestral name list with the "roulette number."


4)  Write about it in a blog post on your own blog, in a Facebook status or a Google Stream post, or as a comment on this blog post.


5)  If you do not have a person's name for your "roulette number" then spin the wheel again - pick a grandmother, or yourself, a parent, a favorite aunt or cousin, or even your children!



1)  My paternal grandfather, John E. Gombash, Sr.,  was born in 1935.  Divided by 100, that makes 19.35, rounded to 19.

2)  Number 19 on my ancestral name list is Amelia Stec (1887-1968), daughter of Jan Stec and Sophie Swiczek, who married Franciszek Grządziel in 1904.

3)  Three facts about Amelia Stec:

*  She was born in Barycz, Brzozów, Lwów, Poland and had four siblings: Katarzyna (married Franciszek Wojewoda), Mary (married George Karnas), Tekla "Tillie" (married a man surnamed Domaradzki) and Jan.

*  She immigrated on 27 Nov 1908 through Ellis Island, with her daughter Katarzyna (Catherine) Grządziel. They were going to Franciszek Grządziel in Joliet, Illinois. One of my grandfather's brother told me that Franciszek actually didn't know of their oncoming arrival, and Amelia received a horrible beating for it. What a horrible man.

*  Amelia left her husband Franciszek Grządziel sometime after 1919 and was married to a man named Franciszek Bogusz, in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1922. Amelia never divorced her first husband, Frank Grządziel. Frank what I've been told of this man, I don't blame her for getting away.

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun - Two Degrees of Separation

I know this is two days late, but I couldn't resist this one up! It sounded so fun!! Here were the rules:


1)  Using your ancestral lines, how far back in time can you go with two degrees of separation?  That means "you knew an ancestor, who knew another ancestor."  When was that second ancestor born?


2)  Tell us in a blog post of your own, in a comment to this blog post, in a status line on Facebook or a stream post on Google Plus.

And here are several of mine!

1)  My Gombash-Adas-Domagalski Line (1886): Me (born 1986) - I met my grandfather, John Gombash Sr., a small handful of times until his death in 2005. My grandfather (1935-2005) was the son of Alex Gombash and Catherine Grządziel). Since his wife/my grandmother, Mary Louise Adas, passed before I was born.. he would have known her paternal grandmother, Josephine Domagalski (1886-1958). She died one year after my grandparents were married.

2)  My Stuempges-Weishaupt Line (1868): Me (born 1986) - I met my maternal grandmother, Elaine Stuempges Rodgers (1926-1987), as a baby. She was the daughter of Walter John Stuempges and Sylvia Martin. My grandmother knew her paternal grandmother, Anna Weishaupt. She was a native of Graber, Leitmeritz, Boehmia and was born in 1868 to Joseph Weishaupt and Maria Anna Kasper.

3)  My Martin-Märten Line (1846): Me (born 1986) - I was fortunate enough to have met my direct maternal line great-granmother sevearl times. She was Sylvia Martin Flemming (1909-2008) and the daughter of Herman Wilhelm Gustav "Gust" Martin and Maria Summ. She knew her paternal grandfather, Carl Gustav Märten, who was born 1846 in Töpperkuthen, a community belonging to Berneuchen in Kreis Landsberg, Brandenburg, Germany. He died in Polar, Wisconsin in 1934.

Genealogy Find Of The Day: Baptism of My Great-Grand-Uncle, Albert Dudash

For a while now, I've been doing the blogging theme of "FamilySearch Find Of The Day", highlighting new finds I stumble upon and discover for my family tree. I came across a great find today on Ancestry.com and I came to the conclusion I could change the title of my theme: Genealogy Find Of The Day.

Today's "Genealogy Find Of The Day" highlights the baptism record of my great-grand-uncle, Albert Dudash. He was married to my great-grandfather's sister, Elizabeth "Betty Gombash". Below is an extract and image of the record:

First Hungarian Reformed Church, Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania

Entry Number: 96

Date of Birth: 01 November 1908

Date of Baptism: 07 November 1908

Name of Child: Albert

Gender: Male

Legitimacy: Legitimate

Father: Dudás György, csömöri szül. (born in Csömör), ref. (Reformed), bányász (miner)

Mother: Diószeghy Juliánna

Residence: Whitsett, Pa

Sponsor: Fazekas István

Sponsor: Bóczán Jánosné (Mrs. János) szül. (born) Gyüre Erzsébet

Priest: Kalassay Sándor

FamilySearch Find Of The Day: Zsa Zsa Gabor's Maternal Aunt

Today while browsing through the Budapest marriage records in district VIII, I stumbled upon the marriage record for one of Zsa Zsa Gabor's maternal aunts: Rozália Tillemann.

Zsa Zsa Gabor was the daughter of Vilmos Gábor and Jancsi Tillemann, a family of Jewish origin who are from Budapest, Hungary. Below you'll find the document and extract of Jancsi Tillemann's sister's marriage in 1923. You'll notice that Zsa Zsa's father was actually a witness to the marriage!



Entry: 1334
Place of Marriage: Budapest, District VIII
Date of Marriage: 07 October 1923

Groom: Rein Manó
Occupation: nagykereskedő (wholesaler)
Religion: Izr. (Izraelita; Jewish)
Place of Birth: Budapest
Date of Birth: 26 October 1895
Residence: Budapest District VIII, Ér street 2
Father: Rein Schnierl
Mother: Marcusson Breine

Bride: Tillemann Rozália, elvált (divorced)
Religion: Izr. (Izraelita; Jewish)
Place of Birth: Budapest
Date of Birth: 05 October 1898
Father: deceased Tillemann Jóna (Jósza) Hersch
Mother: Reinharcz Chave Feige

Witness: Heltai Simon, Budapest District VI, Rózsa street 71
Witness: Gábor Vilmos, Budapest District IV, Muzeum boulevard 31