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!

How I Have Broken Through Brickwalls

It has been quite some time since I have written on my blog and decided I needed to make the commitment to get back with it. Since the last time I have written much has happened with my Moore’s and I feel that I need to pass what I have learned along to all of you! It is my hopes that it will help others who are searching their Moore lines as well.

One of my biggest breakthroughs I feel is being able to talk with the cutest 93 year old great uncle ever! I knew he existed, but had reservations about contacting him. Now, I am on a mission to find descendants of my ancestors and I feel I have been very successful. I have spoken of my elusive Moore Family here before, and how after 32 years I learned the names of my Great Grandparents.That information came from a letter my Great Aunt Ellen wrote to my grandparents (her brother) in April of 1963. The letter ended up with my Aunt Carrie, who passed away in February 2005. How did I end up with the letter?

I have never had a bond or connection with my family. My parents divorced in 1966 when I was 7 and my mom moved us from Texas to Iowa. The family link there was with family in Texas pretty much was gone when we left for Iowa. In 1999 my dad passed away and I reconnected with my cousin Jennie. Through the next few years, I had a greater desire more than anything to learn about our family history; but no one knew anything! Not even a name! The only information they knew was what I would feed them. I needed more, I wanted to place a name and a face together and I wanted to know who my great grandparents were. I begged for pictures and received a few and Jennie suggested I write our other cousins. She had the addresses, so I got brave and wrote.

Through the reaching out to family I had not seen in over 40 years, I found my answer. My cousin Missie told me her dad would send me some genealogy. I thought it would be a few pages but instead it was a huge box of certificates, death records, marriage records, pictures and the list goes on. In the midst of it all was a letter from Aunt Ellen to my grandparents with my Great Grandparents names. The letter also stated they were part of Austin’s Old 300, a picture of our Great Great Grandmother existed in a book of the early Texas settlers and our Great Great Grandfather Thomas A Moore was one who was captured in Goliad and drew a white bean and was set free.

Although there was a lot of information in this letter, I wanted more. Ellen became my main focus and because of following her, I found additional information on my Moore family including her son and my Great Uncle Claude. It was Claude who filled in many missing pieces of the Moore Family, as well as provides more mystery. In the coming days, I will share the process of what I have done in hopes it will help others in their search as well.

In coming weeks, I will show you how to come forward and find cousins who may have your answers. Are you on Facebook? It is a great way to connect and find cousins. Are you making your self “Findable” so that others who are searching your line will be able to connect? What if you remember a cousin from years ago but have lost contact with them? Can you really find them again? Come learn how to do it all!