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Genealogy -- Family History

GENEALOGY FROM SCRATCH

(a Web Blog)

This project encompasses the Bobeyko, Cortwright, Curry, Hawkins, Kamiak/Kaminsky, Matthews, Ozark/Ovcarik, Richard,  Robichaud, Woulf and affiliated families hailing from Chicago, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Quebec, Poland and Russia.  Ultimately, these families all converged via marriages in Chicago ... in case you were wondering at the connection! 

This is an opportunity to track a new genealogy (family history) project and watch it evolve.  We will start by working from some information provided by the family and then use various resources to find additional information.  Additionally, this project will be used to try out the new Family Tree Maker 2005 software.

This is similar to a "web blog"  in that it is a chronological listing of the progress of this project. The easiest way to use this page is to do a "find" for whatever families and places interest you.  Obviously, you are free to read it in a linear fashion also -- it is arranged chronologically!

Here is a table of the families and places ... we will try to update this as we work on the project!  A hyperlink means that we have posted to the web-site some form of write-up about the family (this does NOT necessarily mean a final report!).  These are all available on the Dave's Family page.

NOTE: All the Family Files that have been created as a result of this project are located on a separate page.  This collection of files is a work in progress and will always lag behind what we know!  This page is always more current than the Family Files page.

NOTE:  the resources used were a mix of those available for FREE on the internet and others were accessed through paid SUBSCRIPTION services.  If you click on a graphic below, a new window will open introducing you to that service/product.

Small print ... Since each project is unique, it does not mean that all projects would progress this way nor does it mean that we would do it this way if we were to do it again.  We just thought you might find it interesting and valuable to see what goes into a genealogy project.  Also, in the interest of space ... not every single Google search or other activity is listed ... we frequently use an iterative approach where we re-visit resources and research methodology to make sure we followed every possible information lead!  There will also be "pauses" in the action as we work on other projects.  Check back frequently to see how we are progressing!

Used the services of Chicago Genealogy, www.chicagogenealogy.com.  A great service (for nominal fees) for tracking down certain basic Chicago records! Success! We now have a 20 January 1911 wedding date and a married name for Anna of Makazenja.

Several resources from the Polish Genealogical Society of America, http://www.pgsa.org/ (look under Databases in Directory for source material)

Something on Cyrillic Script ... http://www.ia.net/~jcarroll/privet/script.html

Another key resource is the PolandGenWeb site ... http://www.rootsweb.com/~polwgw/polandgen.html (just all kinds of great help pages, like Polish Terms, and data pages, the latter at: http://www.rootsweb.com/~polwgw/polandarchives.html)

Another great resource: Polish Roots ... http://polishroots.com/

Researching Russian Roots: http://www.mtu-net.ru/rrr/

Genealogia: http://www.genealogia.ru/en/main/

Cyndislist for Eastern Europe ... http://www.cyndislist.com/easteuro.htm

Other Russian resources ... this area is challenging because of all the conflicts and the changing geopolitical boundaries!  http://maxpages.com/poland/Russian_Research http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Estates/6587/Russia.html http://www.ancestry.com/learn/library/article.aspx?article=5080

1. Date entry seems easy

2. Like the scrapbook feature for including images of documents etc...

3. Struggled with how to include Passenger Record, Census & other ancillary information ... finally ... you use the Edit function on the family view page (basic family structure) to add "Facts" ... you can choose from an extensive drop down list or create your own.

4. Can create a scrapbook for each entry ... great way to collect relevant photos which can be labeled and source information given

5. Nice that you can have as many sources as you want for an item ... you just keep adding what you have.

6. Nice that you can associate images with your sources as well as individuals and events

7. Report created: Bobejko Book 011105,  (see 1/11/05 log for more infor)

Helped by German Occupation Definitions - English Translations, http://www.jewishgen.org/InfoFiles/GermanOccs.htm

Dict.cc, Online Translation Service, http://www.dict.cc

(Matthews Family)

Knowing mother, found Walter ... also confirmed with 1901 census available at:  Ancestry.com (found in Ilford Essex ...).  Interestingly, his father is not with the family ... requires further research.  Found the father in a different locale.

We also did some research on London ... see below

(Matthews -- New York, NJ, Illinois)

already had 1920 census ... showing family  in Chicago, Cook County, Illinois.  Found family in 1930 census, still in Chicago.  With marriage in 1911 in Delaware ... looked for Walter in Delaware, NJ and NY in 1910 ... no success ... even a global search did not look promising!

Ancestry.com

worked from 1910 forward & backward knowing that Emily Cortright was in Allentown in 1911.

remember that the 1890 census was mostly destroyed.  The censuses before 1840 just list Heads of Households and how many others are in the household ... less useful unless you can easily follow the Head of Household)

1/21/05 -- enter data on Cortright & allied families

1. Nice to find Frederick & Agnes Cortright & family in 1910 in Allentown ... entered all family data; same for 1920

2. the family found in the 1900 census has all the right kids and the right wife ... the husband's name is now Allman Cortright!  Allman to Frederick!?!?! This also gave the lead to Mauch Chunk!

3. Now leap back to 1880 since 1890 not available ... luckly Agnes has kept the same name and Frederick the same occupation (carpenter) & they were in East Mauch Chunk

4. Next leap is finding a Cortright family with a son Alman about 13 in 1870.  We find a 13 year old Elman Cortright in East Mauch Chunk!  Discovered another resource ...  Mauch Chunk - Turn of the Century Pictures & realized that it might help to join a mailing list PACARBON-D@rootsweb.com since birth and marriage records have been impossible to find!.

http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~carbdat/ccdp_indx.htm

1. Rupp's 1845 Subscribers List

2. The 1841 Free Bridge Meetings in Mauch Chunk

3. 1836 Presidential Election (Voters from Mauch Chunk)

4. Beers 1875 Atlas of Carbon County (including East Mauch Chunk)

5. The Cemeteries of Carbon County (including the Mauch Chunk cemetery)

http://distantcousin.com/Directories/PA/Allentown/1929/

http://www.railtours-inc.com/history.htm (history)

http://www.jimthorpe.org/history.html (history)

http://www.insighting.co.uk/homauchchunk/photos.htm (photos)

A search of Abebooks revealed the following Mauch Chunk (Jim Thorpe) resource books:

Jim Thorpe and Mauch Chunk (Images of America Ser.: Pennsylvania)

Souvenir of Maugh Chunk, Pa. (The Switzerland of America)
Jim Thorpe and Mauch Chunk 

History of Carbon County Pennsylvania; Compiled from Historical Collections of the State of Pennsylvania, An Illustrated History of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Etc.
A Walking Tour of Historic Jim Mauch Chunk Pennsylvania Postcard

1929 Carbon County, Pennsylvania Financial Directory

Mauch Chunk / Pensylvania. Ansicht mit dem Lehigh River im Vordergrund. Stahlstichansicht aus dem Bibliographischen Institut Hildburghausen um 1850, ca. 12 x 16 cm.

Though none of these help our research they would provide interesting color and they could provide some family information

http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~carbdat/m&h/bio/cort_nd.htm

http://www.tnonline.com/archives/news/1999/01.08/capsule.html 

Marinette Wisconsin ... particularly Coleman and Pound.  Learned that through the years 1880 on, the community changed name from Peshtigo to Coleman to Pound ... all in Marinette County!  knew that the linking marriage of Amanda Robichaud to Frank Woulf took place in August 1884 at Coleman Wisconsin.  So, worked by looking at 1880 census and hoped to find the families ... as it was known that they were originally French Canadian ... eventually, a daughter of Amanda and Frank, Cora, marries Edward Richard (also French Canadian) so looked for his family also.

Starting in 1880 find "Laoh Rabesho" alias Leon Robichaud in Peshtigo Marinette Wisconsin and in 1900 he is living with daughter Amanda and family in Coleman Marinette Wisconsin (both sons also in Coleman!) -- tracked brother Nazaire through 1930

Starting in 1900 we find "Frank Woulf" and family in Coleman, Marinette Wisconsin -- and, Frank's brother Euclid is next door!  We might have also found brother Marcel (listed as Merida Woulf! and living near Alcid Robichaud!) ... we find all 3 brothers in 1910, we find all 3 brothers in 1920, by 1930 we find Marcel & Euclid and not Frank (though Fred who may be a son!) ... at this point there are many Wolf (& variants) throughout the state of Wisconsin. We also find brother Adelard living in Two Rivers in 1930 ... let's now check backwards! We can find him in 1920 in Two Rivers ... can't find him before that though the census states that he emigrated in about 1885!

There is also a Wisconsin Census for Marinette County taken in 1900 ... it doesn't appear to have any new information.

Found Edmond Richard and family in the 1900-1930 census.  Have not found in the 1880 census

Pre-1907 Births, Marriages and Deaths are indexed

1. found marriage of Cora Woulf & Isaie Richard, 6 Oct 1903, Marinette, Vol 02 Page 377

2. found death of Leon Robechand, 1 Apr 1907, Marinette, Vol 03 Page 74

3. found marriage of Amanda Robicheault to Francis Wolf, 17 Jun 1884, Marinette, Vol 01 Page 80

4. found marriage of Nazaire Robichand to possibly Annie Nequette, 3 Nov 1892, Marinette, Vol 01 Page 357

5. found marriage of Alcide Robichean to ???, 22 Aug 1898, Marinette, Vol 02 Page 195

6. possible death certificate for an Alfred Robichaud (could this be Alcid/Alead?) ... this would explain losing him after the 1910 census!

Marinette County GenWeb page: http://www.rootsweb.com/~wimarine/

Also checked out Abebooks and searching on "Coleman Pound Wisconsin" came up with titles like ...

Merchants, Tradesmen and Manufacturers Financial Condition for 1926 Marinette County,Wisconsin

History of Northern Wisconsin /Manitowoc County Wisconsin History

1920 Credit Directory Marinette County Wisconsin WI

which led to searching on "Marinette County" and finding ...

Marinette County Centennial 1879 to 1979

Reconnaissance soil survey of Marinette County.

I Lived at Peshtigo Harbor: The History of an Early Day Saw-Mill Village

Ghosts of the Forest Vanished Lumber Towns of Wisconsin Volume 1

Though none of these is quite pertinent for our project ... you can find some fascinating gems ... as we frequently have!

Since this name is somewhat unusual ... did a general google search (http://www.google.com) ... found obituaries for:

Leone Robichaud, Florence Wisconsin (youngest child of Azarie and Therese Robichaud ... brother & sister-in-law to Amanada) -- gives a great snapshot of her family and growing up!

Delima M. Woulf Rivet, former Coleman and Oconto Fall Wisconsin resident (a daughter of Frank and Amanda Robichaud Woulf)

Also a Robichaud site http://robichaud.info/ ... though I haven't found the Wisconsin Robichaud family yet ...

PA Dept of Health info ... http://www.dsf.health.state.pa.us/health/cwp/view.asp?a=168&Q=202338 ==> for prior to 1906 need to contact County Courthouse, in this case Carbon County http://www.carboncourts.com/archives.htm

www.cyndislist.com

Ancestry.com

Lo and behold, we find Frances and his parents and siblings in Quebec in Ste-Calixte, Montcalm which is where it was understood the family originated from! They are a Catholic family of farmers!

1. found a Robichaud Family in Saint-Alphonse, Jolliette, Quebec ... the originating point of the Wisconsin Robichaud's ... maybe a brother of Leon?

2. Wolfe is a little trickier as it is a more popular name and has many variant spellings ... focusing on Montcalm, Quebec .. nothing jumped out ... we do know that besides Frances, his brother Euclid also emigrated to Wisconsin

Quebec History http://www2.marianopolis.edu/quebechistory/index.htm

Canadian Heritage Gallery http://www.canadianheritage.org/index2.htm 

Had success finding some for the Cortwright (Pennsylvania) and Woulf (Wisconsin)  and Richard (Wisconsin) families

NOTE:  The Origins Network  is in the process of adding the 1871 census to what it offers.  This is a good choice if you would prefer a "pay for what you use" service versus a flat fee service (such as Ancestry). At this time Glamorgan happens to be one of the finished counties!

http://freebmd.rootsweb.com

Found Dec 1879 quarter marriage of Eleanor Georgina Hutchinson to William Matthews in Bridgend

Used GRO service to order the marriage license (for a fee) using the information from the BMD info found (7 pounds)

NBI 2nd Edition (purchased copy) ... for burial records ( http://www.ffhs.org.uk/General/Projects/NBI.htm)

Genuki: Glamorgan http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/wal/GLA/

Cyndi's List: Glamorgan http://www.cyndislist.com/wal-gla.htm

John's Newport Directory (1880): http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~monfamilies/NTD1880.html (unavailable 9/6/05)

Kelly's Newport 1848 Directory: http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~monfamilies/newport1848.html (unavailable 9/6/05)

Monmouthshire Family History http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~monfamilies/myfamily-history.htm

Monmouthshire GenWeb: http://www.rootsweb.com/~wlsmon/

Historical Directories Site: http://www.historicaldirectories.org/

Churches & Chapels of East Newport: http://www.newportchurches.com/Hist.html

Newport Past: http://www.newportpast.com/

Gwent County History Association http://gwent-county-history-association.newport.ac.uk/

Searched Abebooks looking into Bridgend, Glamorgan and Newport & Maindee Monmouthshire and some titles found are ...

Images of Wales Around Bridgend

Our Church - A Historical Sketch of Bridgend United Presbyterian Church, Dumbarton, from its Origin to its Centenary, 1792-1892

Cardiff and Bridgend/Caerdydd a Phen-y-bont Ar Ogwr

Bridgend: The Story Of A Market Town
The Church of Saint David and The Village of Laleston, Bridgend, Glamorgan

Old Bridgend In Photographs

South Glamorgan a County History

The Glamorgan Regiments Of Militia
A Certaine Schoole". A History of the Grammar School at Cowbridge, Glamorgan.

Glamorgan Its History And Topography

The Border Vale of Glamorgan

The Maindee Book

The Chartist Movement in Monmouthshire.

The First Sixty Years 1896-1956: The Newport High School For Boys.
History of Monmouthshire from the Coming of the Normans into Wales Down to the Present Time

A History of Monmouthshire Vol 5 the Hundred of Newport

Newport, Monmouthshire.

Old Bridgend in Photographs

Though we won't pursue any of these at the moment ... they are excellent for local history and adding "color" to the story of a family

http://www.rootsweb.com/~pamonroe/

1930: Woulf/Rivet

You can order certificates for $7 each.  We have ordered death of Leon Robichaud and marriage of Cora Woulf & Isaie Richard, marriage of Amanda Robichaud to Francis Wolf

Looking for references to Robichaud, Woulf and Richards .... Found some Robichauds in St. Alphonse, Quebec (not Leon though!) ... need to check further ... the 1871 Quebec directory is large!

http://linkstothepast.com/manitowoc/ (nothing)

Manitowoc County, Wisconsin Genealogy -- http://www.2manitowoc.com/ -- found the cemetery that Adelard and family are buried in ... Holy Cross Cemetery, Two Rivers.  You have Adelard (d. 1942), Amelai (d. 1963), Edgar J (d. 1966), Hazel (no death date only birth date), Clifford (d. 1969), Arcel (d. 1975)

Ancestry.com Confirmed Arcel birth in 1906 ... in Marinette County!

1910+ census for Richard family lines

Wow!  They have traced the Robichaud family and some of the affiliated families back to the 1600s in Nova Scotia and some lines to 1600 in France! Short of confirming the information that has been found, which would be time consuming ... we will wait for the Pedigree Resource CD and see where that gets us and in the meantime focus on the other lines!

Belarus SIG (JewishGen) http://www.jewishgen.org/Belarus/ , including a section specific to the Minsk Gubernia, http://www.jewishgen.org/Belarus/minsk.htm 

... put Bobeyko into a transliteration source and came up with БОБИКО (need to check it against the tombstone!), САРТЙЧОВ, САРТЙХОВ (for Sartychov), КАМЙНСКИ, КАМИНСКИ (for Kaminsky) and МАКАЗЭНДЖА (Makazenja) and МЙНСК, МИНСК (Minsk)from http://stevemorse.org/russian/eng2rus.html (Transliterating English to Russian in One Step ... check his web site for many great tools to help you search through resources!!)

Genealogy & Ethnic Issues Related to Belarus http://www.belarus-misc.org/bel-gene.htm

Belarus GenWeb http://www.rootsweb.com/~blrwgw/

Belarusian Genealogy http://www.belarusguide.com/genealogy1/index.html

Belarusian Heritage http://www.belarusguide.com/as/heritage/heritage.html

Minsk Vedomosti translations http://members.tripod.com/~allbell/minsk.html

Belarus Archives http://www.archives.gov.by/eindex.htm

History of Belarus http://www.belarusguide.com/as/history/history.html#map

Checked Abebooks though not using transliteration and some relevant titles found include ....

Belarus: At a Crossroads in History (Westview Series on the Post-Soviet Republics

Minsk; A Guide

The Jews of Moscow, Kiev, and Minsk : Identity, Antisemitism, Emigration 

Minsk
Mihck Mnhck Minsk

Cook County, Illinois resources

Also researched out Cook County resources -- Cook County GenWeb http://www.rootsweb.com/~ilcook/ , Chicago Historical Society http://www.chicagohs.org/collections/genealogy.html, Newberry Library http://www.newberry.org/genealogy/L3gabout.html, Polk's 1928 Directory http://www.chsmedia.org/househistory/polk/Menus/Main%20Menu.pdf, Cook County Clerk of the Circuit Court http://www.cookcountyclerkofcourt.org/ (includes an archive section

Illinois state-wide resources http://www.sos.state.il.us/departments/archives/databases.html (archives), http://www.idph.state.il.us/vitalrecords/genealogicalinfo.htm  ... also looked at Bobejo and found a son born to Andreu and Anna ... this matches a family rumor of the first child being a son!

Again, requested a copy using: www.chicagogenealogy.com

Followed up with the Illinois death index, http://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/GenealogyMWeb/idphdeathsrch.html and follow many possible family members

Great site on Cook County and it's wards and the census (maps for each census for each ED and descriptions of the EDs) ... A Look at Cook ... http://www.alookatcook.com/

Illinois Trails, Cook County History and Genealogy http://iltrails.org/cook/

Linkpendium for Cook County http://www.linkpendium.com/genealogy/USA/IL/Cook/

Kindred Trails, Cook County Illinois http://www.kindredtrails.com/IL_Cook.html

Chicago Cemetery Photos http://www.chicagocemeteryphotos.com/

1/13/05 --

1. Started entering Ozark/Owczarek Famly information

1/15/05 --

2. Entered the census data and need to enter passenger and get the family structure established

3. like that you can ad information on alternate names ... basically you can add any kind of "fact" you want whether it's supported or not!

We could similarly work from the address that Andrei gave on the Passenger manifest, 1949 Webster Ave ...in 1910 this is part of Ward 16 and ED 747.  Again ... no success finding Andrei or Gregor Vowick ... until there is an every name index ... it's a needle in a haystack since no emigrant was a "head of household."

NOTE:  Steve Morse has created so many tools that are invaluable to genealogy research ... check them out at: http://www.stevemorse.org/

Graveyards of Chicago http://www.graveyards.com/  ... nothing really entered for Elmwood where Wladislaw and Andreu are buried

 Abebooks (check for localities and relevant family history books)

The Origins Network (resources for Scotland, Ireland and UK)

Using the information on the marriage certificate, researched on www.google.com for references to a Russian Church in Chicago in 1911.  Discovered that it is the Holy Trinity Orthodox Cathedral built in 1906, located at 1121 N. Leavitt Street (which matches the marriage certificate).  Some references about this church are:

http://www.ci.chi.il.us/Landmarks/H/HolyTrinity.html

http://www.katjasdacha.com/htoc/ (appears to not be working - 10/27/05)

http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/S?ammem/cdn:@field(SUBJ+@band(1121+North+Leavitt+Street++Chicago,+Ill+++)) 

http://www.archfilms.com/holy_trinity.html

http://www.ellisisland.org (when you find someone, you have the option to see the ship they emigrated on and learn a little info)

The Ships List ... blurbs on just about every ship! http://www.theshipslist.com/

Bremen & Bremerhaven http://www.deutsche-auswanderer-datenbank.de/enframeset.htm

Lou Amalfi's Emigrant Ship Histories http://www.fortunecity.com/littleitaly/amalfi/13/ships.htm

The Great Ships http://www.greatships.net/

NDL Information & Photos http://schiffe.free-25.de/NDL.htm

Some research via www.google.com and we find

http://www.alexianbrothers.org/english/history/america/hist-hosp-chi.html

(note: this activity is based on data entry and collection and not a pretty publication - pretty will be a future step!)

(note: the scrapbook images are sized to fit so many to a page. The actual stored images are of much better quality and can be printed out individually)

Using Steve Morse's Russian to English Transliteration tool, we decided to see what we could learn ...

ANDREI VOBEIKO

(last name should be Bobeiko)

MI"N"SK   GUBER"N"I

(Misk should be Minsk and Guberi is probably Gubernia ... both used N which is not a Russian letter)

L MAChKEVIChI (we know that hometown is something like Makewicze)

(we ran out of energy at this point and what we got stopped making sense!)

Also rechecked http://www.deathindexes.com/illinois/cook.html to see if their are death indices that would have relevant info

1. added in Anna 2nd marriage to Ignatz Wengerski and the Kamiak sisters ... easy to add a 2nd marriage

2. added in available family photos

3. completed first pass at Bobeyko & Kamiak families

Now, odds are that there are no records that we will be able to obtain for Andreu since so many of the records have been destroyed for Belarus ... only mid 19th century and modern records remain.

Local Catholic Church History and Genealogy -- http://home.att.net/~Local_Catholic/Catholic-Poland.htm#Diecezja%20Rzeszów

(we realize that it would help to know what church the family was associated with ... it will take some certificates to reveal that since the family is buried in St. Adalberts cemetery which isn't associated with a particular church)

Records at Chicago Public Library -- http://www.chipublib.org/001hwlc/sshgenealogy.html

Continued on 1/15 (see above) and 1/18 --

1. Realized that an infant daughter died between arriving in 1905 and the 1910 census & pursued more info"& another daughter later

2. Entered passenger record information for Antoni

3. Report created: Antoni Owczarek and family