{"id":2478,"date":"2017-11-30T10:56:59","date_gmt":"2017-11-30T16:56:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ronaldimiller.com\/wp\/?page_id=2478"},"modified":"2017-11-30T10:57:50","modified_gmt":"2017-11-30T16:57:50","slug":"brick-walls-and-how-to-break-them","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/ronaldimiller.com\/wp\/brick-walls-and-how-to-break-them\/","title":{"rendered":"Brick Walls and how to break them"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2><strong>BRICK WALLS Updated November 2017 with comments and thoughts pertaining to researching and breaking them down<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>I had a Brick Wall in finding the name of the father of my great-grandmother Sophie; discovered that his name was Henry.\u00a0 But then I had anotehr brick wall failure in finding her mother\u2019s name, or the family connection to a relative living in her family home according to the 1894 Philadelphia City Directory.\u00a0 As it turned out, he was not the connection.<\/p>\n<p>This is a discussion of my brick walls and how I was able to break them with the help of my &#8211; at the time &#8211; unproven cousin Leslie.\u00a0 This was a journey with lots of twists and turns.\u00a0 Never thought I\u2019d ever find the names of my great grandmother Sophie\u2019s parents, much less her siblings and his.\u00a0 Finding Henry was the beginning of the trail that ultimately resulted in breaking all the walls.\u00a0 And I\u2019m adding comments relating to how our research progressed.<\/p>\n<p><b>The 2015 Brick Walls remaining after identifying Sophie\u2019s father as Henry:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>What were Sophie\u2019s parents \u2018real\u2019 names?<\/li>\n<li>Did they have other children besides Sophie?<\/li>\n<li>What happened to Sophie\u2019s parents after her marriage in 1893?<\/li>\n<li>Where did they die?<\/li>\n<li>Where were Sophie\u2019s parents buried? Were they divorced and buried in different cemeteries?<\/li>\n<li>Who is the relative living in Sophie\u2019s house in 1894 as listed in the City Directory?<\/li>\n<li>How are Leslie and our two family tree branches connected? Who is our MRCA Most Recent Common Ancestor?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>This is how I discovered Henry.\u00a0 Sophie was 19 when she married and the law required her father to approve.\u00a0 The key to solving the brick wall was Sophie\u2019s father who was listed as Henry on her marriage license.\u00a0 Here is the background on how I found her marriage license:<\/p>\n<p><b>In 2008<\/b> Leslie emailed me, \u201dI was doing some research in Philadelphia and came across some information about Sophie Garfinkle. \u00a0She married Charles Goldenberg in 1893 and the license number in the Marriage index is #62136. \u00a0You can order a copy of the marriage record from the city of Philadelphia for $35. \u00a0If you are interested, let me know and I\u2019ll look for the info in my files about where you should write.\u201d\u00a0 This correlated with the family stories I had heard from my mother, that her grandmother Sophie was born in Philadelphia and married Charles who was a businessman in Troy, Alabama. So, sent for a copy of the license and . . . . success!\u00a0 The information regarding Charles was proven, and my great-great-grandfather\u2019s name was Henry on Sophie\u2019s 1893 marriage license.\u00a0 His name was not Earl as my mother and Aunt believed, and there was no indication of Sophie\u2019s mother\u2019s name except \u2018Millicent\u2019 as remembered by my mother.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"2479\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/ronaldimiller.com\/wp\/brick-walls-and-how-to-break-them\/garfinkel-tree-before\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ronaldimiller.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/GARFINKEL-Tree-Before.png?fit=553%2C370&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"553,370\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-title=\"GARFINKEL-Tree-Before\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ronaldimiller.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/GARFINKEL-Tree-Before.png?fit=553%2C370&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-2479\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ronaldimiller.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/GARFINKEL-Tree-Before.png?resize=553%2C370\" alt=\"\" width=\"553\" height=\"370\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ronaldimiller.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/GARFINKEL-Tree-Before.png?w=553&amp;ssl=1 553w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ronaldimiller.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/GARFINKEL-Tree-Before.png?resize=300%2C201&amp;ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 553px) 100vw, 553px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>This is where Sophie and her family lived in 1893 when she got married.\u00a0 It was built in 1812 on a lot 871 square feet.\u00a0 The house was 1,524 square feet. It is listed on Zillow.com: <i>319 Catharine Street, a charming 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom colonial home in quaint Queen Village.\u00a0 Step from the tree-lined street into a warm living room featuring hardwood flooring and an original fireplace.<\/i>\u00a0 However, I\u2019m certain that in 1893 it had more than two bedrooms; probably 4 or 5 small ones.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"2480\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/ronaldimiller.com\/wp\/brick-walls-and-how-to-break-them\/319-catherine-st-and-area-4\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ronaldimiller.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/319-Catherine-Street.jpg?fit=116%2C288&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"116,288\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;2.2&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;iPhone 5s&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1474300211&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;4.15&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;40&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.0083333333333333&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;319 Catherine St and Area&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"319 Catherine St and Area\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ronaldimiller.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/319-Catherine-Street.jpg?fit=116%2C288&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-2480\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ronaldimiller.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/319-Catherine-Street.jpg?resize=116%2C288\" alt=\"\" width=\"116\" height=\"288\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Knowing Henry\u2019s name, I was sure this would be a quickly resolved brick wall.\u00a0 It should be easy to find Henry and his wife in the 1900 census, Philadelphia city directories, ship manifests, naturalizations records, death records, and in a cemetery:\u00a0 WRONG . . . no trace of them existed.\u00a0 I could not find any record of Henry.\u00a0 I Searched through Philadelphia city directories and there is no Henry Garfinkle listed.\u00a0 And no Henry in any of the many area Jewish cemeteries; I contacted all nineteen (19) of them.\u00a0 And no census records. And no ship manifest record for Henry GARFINKEL.<\/p>\n<p>Before discovering the 1893 marriage license &#8211; thanks to Leslie\u2019s finding a potential marriage index for a Sophie GARFINKEL &#8211;\u00a0 all I knew regarding Sophie\u2019s parent\u2019s names was the family lore:\u00a0 Earl and Millicent.\u00a0 So now I knew that \u2018Earl\u2019 was really \u2018Henry\u2019.\u00a0 I also guessed that Millicent was probably not the name of Henry\u2019s wife.<\/p>\n<p><b>In January 2011 <\/b>Leslie found a 1910 census record. While the census was not Leslie\u2019s relatives, she always saved anything with the Garfinkel name even thought it was not her branch.\u00a0\u00a0 \u201c . . . here\u2019s a 1910 census record I found in my files for Eli and Matilda Garfinkel.\u00a0 The names are strikingly close to Eli (Earl) and Millicent.\u00a0 There is a daughter, Reba and Nettie living with them.\u201d \u00a0 Leslie had recalled family conversations that included the name Nettie so this was another clue that Leslie and I were cousins.<\/p>\n<p><b>In December 2015<\/b>.\u00a0 Leslie learned that Ancestry had added a new collection of probate records from Philadelphia.\u00a0 I searched them and found a possible match. This was my email to Leslie:<\/p>\n<p><i>\u201cJust found a possible mother of my Sophie GARFINKEL who lived with your Jacob\/Joe BANKS at 319 Catherine Street.\u00a0 But I can\u2019t find any death certificate or burial reference online.\u00a0 I\u2019ve attached relevant probate documents.\u00a0 From your research, does this Mollie GARFINKEL fit into any of your research?\u00a0 She died in Philadelphia August 20, 1915.\u00a0 She had the following listed children: Charles, William, <\/i><b><i>Sophia GOLDENBERG<\/i><\/b><i>, Rose MANDEL, May RICE, and Rebecca FLOMENHOFT.\u00a0 Since the documents do not mention her husband he must have already died. I\u2019m guessing some document should list his name, perhaps her death certificate. I\u2019m looking for any records such as an obituary, cemetery record, death certificate, marriage, census,\u00a0 . . . anything that can help confirm or deny this potential source.\u00a0 I can\u2019t find any marriage record for Mollie, so I\u2019m guessing he might have been married in Russia.\u00a0 I&#8217;m planning on requesting marriage records of the children in hopes they can provide additional facts.\u201d \u00a0 <\/i>Was Mollie my Millicent?\u00a0 She was the Matilda on the 1910 census based on her children\u2019s names and the probate record.\u00a0 So where was Mollie buried?\u00a0 Was her husband named Eli as on the 1910 census? Had she divorced or remarried?<\/p>\n<p><b>In summer of 2016 <\/b>I contacted the Philadelphia JGS and a volunteer took photos of the grave\u2019s of Mollie.\u00a0 She was buried next to and Ely (not Eli and Matilda recorded on the 1910 census). \u00a0 The stones had their birth and death date information.\u00a0 This enabled me to obtain Ely\u2019s death certificate.\u00a0 However, it did not have any definitive information.\u00a0 Even his given name was virtually illegible: Iheill.\u00a0 But I noticed that his home address was the home address on the 1910 census.\u00a0 Sometime before 1910 they moved to 442 Emily Street and that was the address on the death certificate.\u00a0 Later, when we translated the gravestone, it was \u2018obvious\u2019 that they had recorded his Hebrew name on the death certificate: Ikhel.<\/p>\n<p>This was the last major piece of the puzzle.\u00a0 It only took from 2005 to 2016 to discover my great grandmother\u2019s parents were named Ely and Mollie. \u00a0 Not Earl, not Eli, not Henry; and Not Millicent, not Matilda.<\/p>\n<p>I had found my great-grandmother Sophie\u2019s father and mother buried in Philadelphia, as well as their children\u2019s names. \u00a0 Her name was in probate records and on her tombstone was Mollie . . . not Millicent.\u00a0 My Aunt Millicent thought she was named for an ancestor named Millicent.\u00a0 She was close.\u00a0 My Aunt was named for Mollie . . . . who was Malka on her 1882 ship manifest, and Matilda on a census form. \u00a0 Henry was not Earl but Eli on a census form, and Ely on his tombstone with his Hebrew name listed too.\u00a0 More on his Hebrew name later.<\/p>\n<p><b>In November 2016<\/b> I had one major brick wall remaining.\u00a0 How were Leslie and I related; who was our common ancestor?<\/p>\n<p><b>RECAP: The 2015 Brick Walls now SOLVED . . . one Brick Wall remaining<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>SOLVED What were Sophie\u2019s parents \u2018real\u2019 names?\u00a0 Ely and Mollie.<\/li>\n<li>SOLVED Did they have other children besides Sophie?\u00a0 Seven total children and we know their names and spouses.<\/li>\n<li>SOLVED What happened to Sophie\u2019s parents after her marriage in 1893?\u00a0 They lived in Philadelphia, Ely died 1911, Sophie 1915.<\/li>\n<li>SOLVED Where did they die?\u00a0 Philadelphia.<\/li>\n<li>SOLVED Where were Sophie\u2019s parents buried? Were they divorced and buried in different cemeteries?\u00a0 Not divorced; buried next to each other.<\/li>\n<li>SOLVED Who is the relative living in Sophie\u2019s house in 1894 as listed in the City Directory?\u00a0 A transient relative.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Ely and Mollie, who lived at 319 Catherine Street, had many relatives that lived with them or used their address in 1893-94 as a residence for ship manifests, giving birth, and passport applications . . . that we know of.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; Frank (Freink) GARFINKEL passport application in April <b>1894<\/b> listed <b>he lived at 319 Catherine Street.<\/b><\/p>\n<p>&#8211; Clare GARFINKEL born March <b>1894<\/b> in Sophie\u2019s house, <b>319 Catherine Street.<\/b> Clare\u2019s father was Mollie\u2019s brother William.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; Chaim RUBENSTEIN\u2019s <b>1894 <\/b>manifest card notes he was meeting his son Samuel (Schumle) <b>at 319 Catherine Street.\u00a0 <\/b>My guess, still unproven, is that Chaim is the brother of Mollie.\u00a0 Best evidence is that Chaim was born about 1849, and since Mollie was born about 1852 a sibling connection seems reasonable.\u00a0 Still looking for documentation to validate this.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; William GARFINKEL, is Ely and Mollie\u2019s child.\u00a0 In <b>1893 <\/b>William\u2019s son <b>Harry was born at 319 Catherine Street.<\/b> Can\u2019t help but think \u2018Harry\u2019 was named after the ancestor who was \u2018Henry\u2019 on the 1893 marriage license.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; And our \u2018Jacob GARFINKEL\u2019 who was listed in the <b>1894<\/b> City Directory as<b> living at 319 Catherine Street<\/b> with no Occupation and no Business Address?\u00a0 I believe he was one of the many GARFINKEL relatives using the home address for whatever purpose needed.\u00a0 We may never positively identify him since we believe we have accounted for all the known \u2018Jacob GARFINKEL\u2019s\u2019, but it would appear that since he was not in the Directory in 1893 or 1895, is not an unidentified relative in a Philadelphia cemetery . . . that he was another extended relative temporarily living at 319 Catherine Street.<\/p>\n<p><b>NOW SOLVED November 2017<\/b>:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><b><\/b><b>How are Leslie\u2019s and our two family tree branches connected; who is our MRCA Most Recent Common Ancestor? \u00a0<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><b><\/b><b>Leslie and I are 4th cousins once removed (4C1R) and our common ancestor is Moshko GURFINKEL.<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>So how did we make this connection and break this last major Brick Wall?<\/b><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ronaldimiller.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/Screen-Shot-2017-11-20-at-20.59.19.png\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"2481\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/ronaldimiller.com\/wp\/brick-walls-and-how-to-break-them\/screen-shot-2017-11-20-at-20-59-19\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ronaldimiller.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/Screen-Shot-2017-11-20-at-20.59.19.png?fit=1376%2C1568&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1376,1568\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-title=\"Screen Shot 2017-11-20 at 20.59.19\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ronaldimiller.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/Screen-Shot-2017-11-20-at-20.59.19.png?fit=625%2C712&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-2481\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ronaldimiller.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/Screen-Shot-2017-11-20-at-20.59.19-899x1024.png?resize=625%2C712\" alt=\"\" width=\"625\" height=\"712\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ronaldimiller.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/Screen-Shot-2017-11-20-at-20.59.19.png?resize=899%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 899w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ronaldimiller.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/Screen-Shot-2017-11-20-at-20.59.19.png?resize=263%2C300&amp;ssl=1 263w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ronaldimiller.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/Screen-Shot-2017-11-20-at-20.59.19.png?resize=768%2C875&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ronaldimiller.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/Screen-Shot-2017-11-20-at-20.59.19.png?resize=624%2C711&amp;ssl=1 624w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ronaldimiller.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/Screen-Shot-2017-11-20-at-20.59.19.png?w=1376&amp;ssl=1 1376w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ronaldimiller.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/Screen-Shot-2017-11-20-at-20.59.19.png?w=1250&amp;ssl=1 1250w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 625px) 100vw, 625px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>This November, when the Chicago weather was bad by any definition and I could not play golf, I devoted time to these brick walls. \u00a0 The result was that we crushed the brick wall. \u00a0However, the purpose of this article is not to provide the specifics of our success.\u00a0 I hope the more interesting story is how these walls were crushed after my more than 20 years of searching, including the past 12 years with the collaboration of my cousin Leslie.<\/p>\n<p><b>Please allow me to take a short side track relating to Brick Walls and how to burst them. Then I\u2019ll get back to my story.<\/b><\/p>\n<p>Perhaps those who have brick walls that seem hopeless and unsolvable may take solace in knowing that they may eventually break their walls down.\u00a0 You may find information that solves brick walls, even brick walls that you didn\u2019t know you would have.\u00a0 New archive and document discoveries are made almost daily, and many are put online.\u00a0 Unfortunately many archives are not indexed or accessible even to local residents.\u00a0 Patience is difficult, but required.\u00a0 For example, our Society has many cemetery, synagogue, and Jewish orphanage data projects underway.\u00a0 Genealogical data is currently being collected, analyzed, compiled and put into our JJCD (JGSI Jewish Chicago Database).\u00a0 \u00a0 And many organizations, like JewishGen, and Special Interest Groups (SIG\u2019s), have projects underway or planned that will bring new as yet unknown records into the public domain.\u00a0 Some projects will take years but they will be completed and most made available online.\u00a0 And a recent trend is of people returning to the towns of their ancestors.\u00a0 Their resulting explorations are uncovering new cemeteries and some thought totally destroyed.\u00a0 They are being indexed and photographed (eventually added to JOWBR).\u00a0 And the newly discovered archive records they find are being made public.<\/p>\n<p>Today the Internet has made genealogy research almost easy.\u00a0 But don\u2019t be fooled, it takes time to learn how to use the online websites, tree programs, organizations, blogs, and other available resources.\u00a0 If you are not a member of the social media genealogy related groups, on FaceBook for example, you are not taking advantage of great resources that will help your research.\u00a0 And, you will not be able to keep up-to-date with the progress being made in every aspect of genealogy. \u00a0 With DNA genealogy in its early stages, it takes a very long time to become proficient enough to convert a match to a documented family tree member.\u00a0 New tools are being developed and made available, mostly through DNA related organizations, blogs and social media groups like FaceBook.<\/p>\n<p>For anyone new to genealogy research you will often hear \u2018old timers\u2019 talk about how they had to make trips to regional archives, or go to Washington D.C. or Salt Lake (LDS), to access and view the rolls of microfilm and documents that were only available there; often waiting in line to access a microfilm or microfiche reader machine.\u00a0 And then there was the requirement to convert surnames into SOUNDEX coding to obtain the correct index microfilm which would lead to ordering the desired microfilm which often took 2 weeks or more to arrive.\u00a0 I could go on . . . times have changed.\u00a0 The relevance is that as you delve into the various archives you will see references to SOUNDEX, microfilm, microfiche and other now arcane systems. Let\u2019s get back to how you can crush your Brick Wall.<\/p>\n<p>So whether you are new or an old hand at genealogy, you have to devote time to be successful.\u00a0 If you belong to a JGS, like ours, there are many resources available to you.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019m recapping my genealogy journey alluding to the research aspects and archived sources that may lead to eventual success.\u00a0 Ultimately, the key to our success was a combination of all the efforts discussed below.\u00a0 As a result of using all of these resources, we were able to use grave stones (Hebrew names) and an 1854 Revision List &#8211; these are census records.\u00a0 We used the source Revision List document, translated, to verify the transcribed data that is on JewishGen.<\/p>\n<p>Thought the years we collaborated, exchanged ideas and theories, connected our oral histories, births, deaths, cemetery records, marriages, probate, census, passenger manifests, naturalizations, newspapers, and other sources.\u00a0 These were the records that our years of notes, records collecting, researching and analysis that made the last connection seem almost easy. Everything was validated during one week in November.<\/p>\n<p>Some additional thoughts that may help solve your brick walls.\u00a0 And we all do have brick walls!<\/p>\n<p>One of the dangers of online genealogy is the ease at which false family connects can be made.\u00a0 Before you put a relative on your tree be sure to view the source documents.\u00a0 If they are not available, then you will have to compile enough secondary sources to make the connection.\u00a0 When in doubt . . . annotate the potential non-connection and what is needed to convert it to \u2018confirmed\u2019.\u00a0 There are many online genealogy trees online that allow anyone to make additions and changes to your tree.\u00a0 And if you find someone with a tree branch that connects to your branch, you have no way of knowing if it\u2019s a valid connection until you can verify it.<\/p>\n<p>No DNA was used in our research . . .\u00a0 although we wish we had some to compare. \u00a0 However, we are now in the process of trying to connect a recently discovered family named DNA match to one of our branches. \u00a0We\u2019re still in the beginnings of this research which will, of course, require documents.<\/p>\n<p>The resources Leslie and I used during our search for our MRCA &#8211; Most Recent Common Ancestor &#8211; are many.\u00a0 Some are listed for those who may not have considered them in their research.<\/p>\n<p>-JewishGen.com Family Finder: Leslie and I connected on our common ancestors surname.<\/p>\n<p>-Family tree names supported by vital records. Knowing or constructing birth, death, towns, addresses, family members, events from documents which include census, ship manifests, naturalizations, cemetery records, marriage, birth, death, family stories, City Directories, Rosenbaum Bank tickets, JewishData.com, Find-A-Grave, newspaper articles (Tryit! IL), FamilySearch.org (free), Ancestry.com (free at library),\u00a0 footnote.com, FHC microfilm of birth &amp; death &amp; marriages (free), Revision Lists (census records in Europe), ViewMate on JewishGen, FaceBook, Linkedin, local Jewish Genealogy Society resources, and the outreach of strangers taking photos and finding documents.<\/p>\n<p>Computer tree programs:\u00a0 NO:<\/p>\n<p>Sometimes a genealogy tree program is not needed. Leslie did not use one.\u00a0 She has not selected a software program to create a tree . . . yet.\u00a0 And she still has not decided on DNA.<\/p>\n<p>Computer tree programs: YES:<\/p>\n<p>I have been using computers since 1984.\u00a0 While I didn\u2019t use a tree program until 1995, I created a family history\u00a0 website, and used paper and computer saved records.\u00a0 The software programs were both PC &amp; Mac based until support for the Mac tree software was ended.\u00a0 I now primarily use Reunion for Mac as my family tree program, and FamilyTreeMaker-8 on my iPhone.\u00a0 That\u2019s handy when I don\u2019t have my laptop with me.\u00a0 There are PRO\u2019s &amp; CON\u2019s to all software:\u00a0 Great features but steep learning curves which are very time consuming.\u00a0 I learned only what I needed to do what I wanted to do.\u00a0 It was easier to keep paper records and charts until I had so many family branches that I kept getting lost.\u00a0 The software programs were very helpful in keeping me on the proper branch, and make corrections when I determined a connection was incorrect.\u00a0 And software allows creating trees that can be easily shared and put on the internet when appropriate using GEDCOM files.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>JewishGen.com Family Finder: Leslie and I initially made Email contact using the JewishGen.com Family Finder system (Registration is free &#8211; you list all the surnames and geographic areas you are researching).\u00a0 We didn\u2019t find a surname connection until 2 years after our initial contact when I had followed every lead I knew and still could not get past my brick walls.\u00a0 So I recontacted everyone I had in my records, including all the Family Finder\u2019s researching my family surnames.<\/p>\n<p>The emails and snail mail letters I sent included additional information I had found during the intervening 2 years.\u00a0 The takeaway:\u00a0 Keep contacting potential researchers and relatives without being too intrusive.<\/p>\n<p>My family history website was helpful as I could provide the URL (Website address) along with the pertinent new information which was enough to generate interest. Potential and actual relatives could easily review my family information and documents at their leisure.\u00a0 And some relatives, even thought not directly in my surnamed branch, provided me with family documents and stories that they had for their parents and grandparents.\u00a0 Not only were these interesting historical records, but added \u2018meat\u2019 to the \u2018bones\u2019 of \u2018names &amp; date\u2019 genealogy. And these are making it helpful when further researching and expanding those branches.\u00a0 Recently a 3rd cousin contacted me as he has decided to do family genealogy.\u00a0 He noted that he didn\u2019t need his mother\u2019s branch because I had completed that.\u00a0 He wanted to find his father\u2019s branch.\u00a0 A new genealogist joining the fray!\u00a0 And what he discovers may help my research.<\/p>\n<p>Exchange information: Names, Dates, Relatives children, Addresses, Occupations. Some data will validate or invalidate each person\u2019s tree; some data fills voids; and some data is new to each person or to both branches;.\u00a0 VERIFY with documentation.\u00a0 Can\u2019t say this enough. Because WRONG information and documents cause you to perpetuate false relatives. E.g. Be sure that names, dates and address are consistent.<\/p>\n<p>Privacy is an issue that impacts all genealogy researchers, their families, and friends.\u00a0 Don\u2019t put family tree data into the public space if you don\u2019t want it made public.\u00a0 Don\u2019t exchange personal data until you know who you are sharing with.\u00a0 Sounds obvious, but if you don\u2019t fully understand how GEDCOM files are created you may inadvertently make public your private information.\u00a0 And don\u2019t take a DNA test and use your real name and email address if you want your DNA profile kept private.\u00a0 You can use a false name or nickname or initials, and create a new email address only for use with your DNA so no one knows it\u2019s you. Anyone who is a potential connection will contact you at your DNA email address; you don\u2019t have to respond.\u00a0 Who would do this?\u00a0 Anyone who takes a DNA test to see what their heritage groups were.<\/p>\n<p>Wild Goose Chases:\u00a0 A Wild Goose Chase I followed for a year was based was on names that fit family lore, documents (marriage 1893), and time frame (1908), and location (Philadelphia). Millicent &amp; Henry GARFINKEL in 1908 in Philadelphia purchased tickets at the Rosenbaum Bank used by immigrants for booking passage to and from Europe.\u00a0 My assumption was that these were \u2018my\u2019 Henry and Millicent.\u00a0 When I accessed the actual documents I was able to prove they were not \u2018my\u2019 relatives.\u00a0 I obtained source documents from the Rosenbaum Bank, their ship manifest, England census records, England marriage license, and England voting records.\u00a0 End result was that these were the wrong folks.\u00a0 But even dead ends are helpful.\u00a0 Nothing worse than connecting \u2018bad\u2019 branches . . . . they can ruin an otherwise good tree unless annotated as possible or unproven. And I learned a lot about archives that I didn\u2019t know existed until I was forced to seek and obtain source documents.<\/p>\n<p>That sums up my journey into busting these brick walls; I have more.\u00a0 But for those who just can\u2019t wait to view my family history website to see all the details . . . .\u00a0 Leslie and my MRCA &#8211; Most Recent Common Ancestor &#8211; is Moshko GURFINEKL.\u00a0 We know because we documented our family tree branches until they joined. See the tree above.\u00a0 Of course we also have documented the descendants of the branches shown down to our parents.<\/p>\n<p>My Ely A. GARFINKEL is Ikhel Avrum, as listed in the 1854 Bessarabia Revision (Census) List.\u00a0 He was living in the town of Lyublin.\u00a0 He is\u00a0Simon\u2019s son Yechiel = my Ikhel.\u00a0 So we have finally confirmed for sure how we are related.\u00a0 Moses Shimon was Eli\u2019s first cousin since their fathers (Geinikh and Simon were brothers living in the same household in the Russian Empire (Pale of Settlement) in the town of Lyublin,\u00a0county (Uyzed) of Soroki\u00a0 in the Province of Bessarabia which is today Moldova. The city of Lyublin is now called Nimereuca.<\/p>\n<p>Leslie and I took from 2005 to 2017 to prove our family connection.\u00a0 We are 4th cousins once removed (4C1R). Our great GGG Grandfather\u2019s were brothers.\u00a0 Ely and Moses headstones reference different paternal names (bar Geinikh = Enoch in Leslie\u2019s case. and bar Yakov = Jacob in Ron\u2019s.).\u00a0 Their father, my GGGG Grandfather was Moshko GURFINKEL (born about 1790 and died prior to the 1854 census.\u00a0 Moshko was married to Enta SOROKOVA (1791 \u2013 XXXX).\u00a0 For my grandchildren, Moshko is their GGGGGG Grandfather.\u00a0 WOW!\u00a0 I wish success to all those seeking to break their brick walls.<\/p>\n<p>DETAILS:<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/ronaldimiller.com\/wp\/garfinkel-family-connection\/\">http:\/\/ronaldimiller.com\/wp\/garfinkel-family-connection\/<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/ronaldimiller.com\/wp\/garfinkel-family-connection\/gurfinkel-1790-descendants\/\">http:\/\/ronaldimiller.com\/wp\/garfinkel-family-connection\/gurfinkel-1790-descendants\/<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<!-- AddThis Advanced Settings generic via filter on the_content --><!-- AddThis Share Buttons generic via filter on the_content -->","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>BRICK WALLS Updated November 2017 with comments and thoughts pertaining to researching and breaking them down I had a Brick Wall in finding the name of the father of my great-grandmother Sophie; discovered that his name was Henry.\u00a0 But then I had anotehr brick wall failure in finding her mother\u2019s name, or the family connection [&hellip;]<!-- AddThis Advanced Settings generic via filter on wp_trim_excerpt --><!-- AddThis Share Buttons generic via filter on wp_trim_excerpt --><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-2478","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/P33fOZ-DY","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ronaldimiller.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2478","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ronaldimiller.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ronaldimiller.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ronaldimiller.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ronaldimiller.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2478"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/ronaldimiller.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2478\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2483,"href":"https:\/\/ronaldimiller.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2478\/revisions\/2483"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ronaldimiller.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2478"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}