From: fr@compu.com (Fred Rump from home)
Subject: Quintessence of genealogy
Organization: CompuData Inc.
Date: Thu, 1 Oct 1992 02:11:13 GMT
Summary:  maybe it's only me this happens to?
Keywords: people

Today I received a three page, single spaced, typed letter from the Archivist
of the Archdiocese of Baltimore.  Included was a chart of about 25 people and
various photo copies of marriage and baptismal records.

This is from a Rev Paul K Thomas who writes:

"Ordinarily many archivists cannot take the time to do extensive genealogical 
research. Usually I make exceptions in the case of families of priests who 
have already given so much to the Church. HOWEVER, I never realized how large 
an undertaking I had assumed in trying to answer your letter. The project just 
kept growing and growing."

The above is a bit of an understatement.  That man traced all kinds of 
records for me.  He also sent me biographical information and additional hints
as to how to fill remaining holes and where I might be able to get the
answers.  It must have taken the guy at least a week of work to assemble the
marriages (and second marriages after the death of a partner) and trace the
new kids and look up newspapers and on and on.

I keep telling people I correspond with that my help is gladly given because
somebody else will always pay me back.  I only ask that they pass the favors
on down the pike.  It really works.  If you give help, you will get help.

Basically, what I have here is a set of four people who came to America 
(between 1837 and 1865) from Germany and married each other here.  Some of
their siblings joined them later.  I pretty much have the genealogy done for
the descendants of these people.  (One of the four is the daughter of a direct
ancestor I'm working on.  The parents or grandparents of that ancestor could
be the missing link to a genealogy that has been worked on in Germany that
goes back to the beginning of surnames and references some of the first extant
church records of baptisms of common people.  One of these days I'll find the
link - I hope.)

But back to these Americans.  It is amazing to learn how things were different
125 years ago.  The kids born here all seemed to be writing fluent German,
even in old-German script.  I am lucky to find extant information of so many
of my reconnected relatives on this side of the ocean because many became
priests and nuns.  Lots of them.  These people left a variety of records with
their religious orders in their own handwriting and I received copies of these
things.  I knew about some of them because I found some obituaries where
Sister M Cercestiana, or Brother Paul, or Rev Schagemann would be mentioned.
The guys were easy to figure out.  The women, being of a lesser kind :-), all
changed their names as they took their vows.  When I checked the census
records, I find several pages of sisters with funny names.  Not much help
there. But the Church has Catholic newspaper records on microfilm and somehow 
the Archivist was able to find these people for me. (the names must be 
indexed)

I've written to various orders and have always received a reply along with 
copies of pictures, bios and other goodies from these people's past.  It takes
some doing to identify the nuns becaue a member of the 'Sisters of Charity'
could be any one of dozens of orders.  When they were alive, they sort of gave
up the family and worked only for others.  Now, in death, I'm putting them all
back together again.  Kind'a neat I think.  I don't think I could do this
without the computer though.  Much too confusing with all the similar names.


Anyway, I just wanted to share some more wonderful news.  I'm sure I would
feel a vicarious joy when reading about a great find someone else has made. 
So, let's share our successes and keep plugging at the failures.

Fred


-- 
W. Fred Rump 	office:	   fred@COMPU.COM     'mans feet have grown/so big 
26 Warren St.   home: fred@icdi10.compu.com  that he/forgets his littleness'
Beverly, NJ. 08010                          		Don Marquis 
609-386-6846    bang:uunet!cdin-1!icdi10!fr   
Newsgroups: soc.roots