Breaking through Brick Walls Part 6: Descendancy Research

Finding Current Descendants Part II

I am told quite often I am “lucky” when it comes to finding long lost cousins and those we do not know existed. Luck is not part of my life, I feel it comes from doing some good detective work and like anything else takes know how and practice. In genealogy we always start from what we know and that is what I have done. With finding both my THENNES and MAKOSKY cousins I started with what I knew; the surname and the hometown.

I had searched for the MAKOSKY’S before but could not find them on Facebook. I started with my four cousin’s names and they are not on Facebook, but one of the wives are. Did I know their wives names? No, but I was able to piece information together to find what I needed to find them.

The first place I went to was www.zabasearch.com. Zabasearch is not a database but a search engine that goes out looking for public record and compiles them into a list for you that may give you some additional info for your research. Not all the time, but sometimes it will list:

1. Middle initial

2. Birth month and year

3. Previous known addresses

4. Date of compiled report

When I looked for my cousins, I found three of the four here with middle initials. I knew approximate years and ages, but nothing exact until this info. Finding Jimmy with his middle initial was crucial for being able to find the right MAKOSKY.

With this information I then went to www.whitepages.com. White pages are a more recent list of where people are and can also give you more information on the people. Here I found wives names and for Jimmy was able to verify it was the right one I was searching for because part of the household also listed his parents. A cool side note here, if you are searching on a nickname such as Jim but the person is listed as James, Whitepages is smart enough to detect that and search for the combination of Jim’s.

So from this simple detective work, I took this information back to Facebook, typed in MAKOSKY and 170 popped up. I had the names of the wives and on the second page there was Jimmy’s wife. I instantly emailed her and received a reply and now we are connected.

So is Facebook a Good Thing or Bad Thing? In many, many ways it is a good thing. It is a great tool to help people re-connect and stay connected from far away. The downside for me and so many others, just like genealogy it can become addicting. If you do not have a Facebook page due to worry about privacy issues, then don’t post your private information! I will be interested to see how many of you decide to connect with Facebook, or maybe already are and have found long lost cousins. I know I am not the only one!!!

Breaking through Brick Walls Part 5: Descendancy Research

Finding Current Descendants

In the last year I have found TEN living families that are descendants from my Moore and Thennes line. I have found cousins I did not even know existed. How did I do it? By doing exactly what I have explained in the previous blogs on descendancy research. In the beginning it was cluster research where I sniffed out my grandfather’s brothers and sister in order to find out more about him. So cluster research and descendancy research go hand in hand.

Three branches of my family I found via their family trees. Remember I go searching for trees for my ancestors every few months or so. One branch of my tree came walking into my local Family History Center! No lie- we share the same third great grandparents, Nathaniel Jackson Moore and Rebecca Adams. Her great great grandmother was a sister to my great great grandfather.

The remainder five lines I found on ….Facebook! Yes Facebook!!! Let me tell you it does help to have “different” names to be able to search. Moore is a common name, but my Mom’s maiden name of THENNES is not. Shortly after my mom passed, I decided to go on a mission and learn about her father, my grandfather Fred Thennes. Now I know this has little to do with my Texas Moore History, but the concepts behind them are still the same.

With this line, I simply typed the name THENNES in to Facebook. I have been told any search under 1,000 is doable. Ha Ha This was under that number so I began to look at what had pulled up. The second name I clicked on did not have a THENNES last name but I figured her maiden name was Thennes. In looking at her profile, I saw that magical word of Michigan and the home town of my mom. I instantly emailed her, her reply to me was “How do you pronounce our name?” There are many different ways that people pronounce it, but only those in the family seem to know the right pronunciation. I passed the test and she accepted me as family. (Family branch 1) I had many questions because I had only met my grandfather once for just a few seconds and I truly wanted to get to know who he was. She told me she would ask her father my questions. When I did not hear anything from her in a couple of weeks, I posted on her wall. There her mother (Family branch 2) saw it and directed me towards her GRANDMOTHER (Family branch 3)!!! Her grandmother directed me to her first cousin and also sister in law (Family branch 4) who not only knew my Grandfather the best but took care of him. I learned a great deal about my grandfather. Not only did I come to love a man I never knew, but gained so much compassion and respect for him. I thought how sad how our remarks and judgments keeps us apart from people we would probably love if only given the chance.

Another line I found on Facebook also belongs to my Mom. I only knew one set of cousins growing up and that was my MAKOSKY cousins in Michigan. We spent many a summers in Michigan and they many a summers in Iowa. I had always wondered what became of them, especially Ricky. Tomorrow, I will tell you how I once again connected with this family on Facebook, but how it took a little bit of detective work to get to that point.

Facebook really is a great tool to connect with people. I know there are all the Privacy Issues, but my simple reasoning is if you don’t want people to have you phone and address DON’T LIST IT ON FACEBOOK. I have been on now for over two years with never a problem. I am actually very glad such a thing exists because it is a great way to gather long lost friends and family and connect with them!