Tracing Ancestors

[OnyxCougar]

For many years I've been interested in searching out my family tree. I'm working with members of both sides of the family to try to get what they've got and work with it.

I got a breakthrough last night when my mother's cousin called me and gave me info on his father (my mother's uncle) and his grandparents (my great-grandparents).

Within 3 hours of receiving these little pieces of (what proved to be incomplete/inaccurate) information, I found my Grandparents are from what is now the Czech Republic, in Moravia, in the Ostrava area. It's on the Poland/Czech/Slovakia border.

Now I need to research their parents, and I'm trying to get more information on them in the US (one died in OK and the other in CA). Problem is, to get access to those records online, I need a subscription to one of the big online webistes, and we're talking $200 - $500.

So I thought I'd ask if anyone has a subscription to a genealogy website like ancestry or genealogy dot coms that they'd be willing to let me log in under to access the information I need without paying a freaking fortune.

You can send a PM to keep it private or reply here, whichever you prefer.

Thanks in advance, and any other suggestions on researching are appreciated!

[jinx]

I don't have what you're asking for, but did you try an FHLC at an LDS church? Or their website?

[OnyxCougar]

I've checked for the 4 permutations we have records on of the name of my Grandmother's Father (Koprovic, Koprovich, Koprowicz, Koprowski) and get no results. Being an ex-Mormon, that was one of the first places I looked.

The tree goes like this:
<pre>

--Dad
Me -- --Grandpa
--Mom-- --John Cyril Koprovic
--Grandma (Rose)--
--Marianna Sprc'e
</pre>

The document I have is Rose's Brother (Frank)'s Roman Catholic Baptismal Certificate. It lists John's Surname the 4 ways I have it above, birthplace says "MorOstrava" (took me 2 hours to figure out that meant Moravia, Ostrava) and his occupation as a miner, and Marianna's Birthplace as Janovicich, which is the regional name of Janovice, 10 miles se of Ostrava.

[OnyxCougar]

If someone can read chicken scratch, please take a gander at this page:

http://www.ellisislandrecords.org/se...D=102676020085

Look for the entry for Josef Sprc and Johann Koprowicz and tell me what it says under "who they are staying with". I get br.i.l. Frank ?? , East B?? , PA, Westing house Elek Co??

[OnyxCougar]

Found a record of his tombstone on the net... got his death date and confirmed the way he spelled it at the end.

He came into the US Aug 11, 1903 as Johann Koprowicz and Died Nov, 16, 1941 as John Koprovic. He's buried in Savanna, OK.

[glatt]

It looks to me like they are staying with Frank Kwapp, who works for Westinghouse Electric in East Pittsburgh

[xoxoxoBruce]

How in hell did you read that or anything on that little image?

[Kitsune]

Whoa! The Ellis Island site is awesome! I found someone with my family name from somewhere in Hungary that ended up in Braddock, PA, which I'm almost certain is correct. Outstanding! Thanks!

[OnyxCougar]

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce

How in hell did you read that or anything on that little image?

There's a "click here to enlarge" thing, sweetie.

There was a family get together last weekend in California, and the kids of my mother's generation of the family got together and compared notes, documents and pictures. My mom is sending me copies of the pictures tomorrow. I'll scan and post some good stuff when I get them.



And you're welcome, Kitsune. Glad I could help.

[OnyxCougar]

Found my Great Grandmother, who came over 3 years later with the three children:

Mary Koprovics September 27, 1904 Antwerp

http://ellisisland.org/search/shipMa...=102572090386&

I'm so excited!!!

[xoxoxoBruce]

There's a "click here to enlarge" thing, sweetie.

Yeah, I'd forgotten to turn off my pop-up blocker.

Looks to me like it's; Brother in law, Frank Kwapp, etc, etc.
Could that be right?

[OnyxCougar]

So I wrote Westinghouse:

Comments: I've been tracing my ancestors & my great-grandfather and his
wife's brother are listed on an Ellis Island Manifest on 8-11-1903. It
states they are going to stay with a Frank Kwapp or Knapp, who is with
Westinghouse Electric in East Pittsburgh. Can you confirm if there was a
Mr. Frank Kwapp or Knapp working for Westinghouse at that time? Any other
information on Mr. K or how to contact the appropriate department within
your organization would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

That was yesterday...this is what I got today... (I'm actually impressed...)

During the 1980's and 1990's, Westinghouse Electric Corporation sold all its industrial assets and focused on its media businesses. In 1997, Westinghouse was renamed CBS Corporation and in 2000 merged with Viacom Inc. (a media company). Westinghouse Electric Corporation is a subsidiary of Viacom Inc and licensor of the famous Westinghouse name/trademark.

Your e-mail was forwarded to us today from Westinghouse Electric Company, a nuclear energy company, which is a subsidiary of British Nuclear Fuels, 4350 Northern Pike, Monroeville, PA 15146-2886. (In 1998, Westinghouse Electric Corporation sold its nuclear energy business to British Nuclear Fuels.)

I checked with the Westinghouse/Viacom records center administrator. He did not have any personnel records dating back to the early 1900's, and we could not find any records for Frank Kwapp or Knapp on any of our databases.

Best regards,
Marie
Viacom Inc.

Dead end, but a nice letter, all the same.

[OnyxCougar]

So I'm doing Arimoose's tree, and one of his branches is the Huttenstine line. All I have for Erastus Huttenstine is his name and place of birth, which is PA. I've found a few Huttenstines, most of them from the Wilkes-Barre area, more specifically, Hazleton/Dorrance.

We have any dwellars there??

[richlevy]

I found a few Huttenstines in the Social Security Death Index from PA.

I got the following results from www.familysearch.org . You gotta give the Mormons credit. They know how to do geneology.

Erastus HUTTENSTINE Household
Male

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Other Information:
Birth Year <1862>
Birthplace PA
Age 18
Occupation Laborer
Marital Status S <Single>
Race W <White>
Head of Household Adam HUTTENSTINE
Relation Son
Father's Birthplace PA
Mother's Birthplace PA

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Source Information:
Census Place Mottville, St. Joseph, Michigan
Family History Library Film 1254603
NA Film Number T9-0603
Page Number 507C

Husband
Erastus HUTTENSTINE Pedigree


Birth:
Christening:
Marriage: About 1925 Of, White Pigeon, St Joseph, Michigan
Death: 19 MAY 1942
Burial:





--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Wife
Nellie May DIMMIT Pedigree


Birth: 18 APR 1888
Christening:
Marriage: About 1925 Of, White Pigeon, St Joseph, Michigan
Death:
Burial:

[OnyxCougar]

That's definitely him, I had Nellie's last name as Dunnvitt, Says here Dimmit, but same birth date. I keep forgetting to check the new info in all 4 areas. That was a big help, thanks Rich!