APRIL WAS A VERY BUSY MONTH

In more than a few ways.   What started as a routine month turned out to be very exciting.   The most exciting to me was two cousins found me.  They were both descendants of two different great grandfathers.   One woman, Erin, lives in the USA and the other, Laura, lives in Germany.

How did they find me,  on Google search on this Blog.  Both women were searching for information on their great grandparents and  found the names here.    We have been sharing information, which is great.   They are able to fill in  information on collateral lines. I was able to send Laura photos, complete with names and I was able to send Erin information and she also gave information and some great photos. 

In both cases both of my grandfathers had died untimely, accidental deaths.  I suppose with time, and the sons not being around the information and connection was lost.  On my German line, I have information on three of the six siblings.  I hope in the future one of them will find the names of Frederick Schridde and Meta Hackmann siblings and perhaps a further back with great great grandparents.

On the Irish side, my quest for Bridgets twin sister has been confirmed, I have been searching for her since 2007.   This was rumored and now confirmed, along with four other of Bridgets siblings that also lived in the mill town of  North Braddock PA.  Some of the "mystery" sponsors of Thomas and Bridgets children Baptism are the siblings.     So, the adage of check the sponsors, because they are probably relatives is true.   I just need to find the twin, Katherine Naughton, marriage name.

My Mary Downs, that I found at the Archives, is indeed Bridgets sister.   But, what happened to the six daughters?   I thought the couple May/Michael, disappeared from the face of the earth.  But Erin had found  a couple in Sioux City Iowa, with the same names and fifteen years difference in ago, on the census.   It stated that she was the mother of six with none living.

I had contacted the Diocese of Sioux City and they had no burial record of the Downs daughters.   The Catholic cemetery, All Saints, in North Braddock, had no internments for them between 1896 (when last daughter was born) and 1900, when they were found in Iowa.  More things to ponder.