Reflections on a Family Genealogy Project
A seed was planted during my visit to Kansas in October, 2003. Dad was just beginning his chemotherapy, and I was faced with the prospect of his mortality. Emotionally, this translated as a feeling of being punched in the stomach and getting the wind knocked out of me. And so it was during this October visit that I felt unusually motivated to begin organizing the family photos and completing the work on the family tree Dad had started in the prior year. Oddly, what captured me in that moment wasn’t the desire to research my Dad’s side of the family, but rather Mom’s Eastern European lineage.
Activating the Inner detective
A few days into my visit, I attended an annual community potluck gathering for the members of the Cottonwood Lake association, the homeowner’s group that my parents belonged to as residents of Cottonwood Lake in Sterling, KS. Mom had starting talking with a woman across the table about the wonderful fried chicken that had been specially ordered from Hutchinson which is 30 miles away just for this occasion. Karen was enjoying a nice helping of the potluck food the association members had prepared. I noticed that she had a very gentle way of talking and I felt drawn to engage her in conversation. I learned that she had a daughter who taught math, and studied multimedia graphics. Somehow, this trail led us to talk about the family tree project that I had begun a few days prior. “Oh”, she said. “You really ought to check out the Ellis Island records to see whether there is any information on your relatives.”
The idea took root in my consciousness, and immediately after the potluck I burrowed myself in the back bedroom with the Internet broadband connection. The “Yahoo” search for the Ellis Island website came up immediately. Logging in and signing up for the service was easy. Soon, I made my first scan of the immigration records by searching for the family name “Temes”, the name of my Mother’s Grandmother, and of the Great grandparents Gedalia and Charna Temes who lived in Odessa, Ukraine (Russia) in the later 1800 and early 1900’s. There were several variations on “Temes” to choose from (Temmes, Temes, Temez). In the list of names I noticed that a Chana Temes was listed on a ship arriving in 1910. “But who was Chana?”, I wondered. Our family tree shows that Anna was the youngest of the eight brothers and sisters. Could “Chana” who was 10 years old in 1910 be “Anna”? Then I noticed that accompanying “Chana” was a woman named “Czarne”, age 50 who also come over from Odessa, Russia. The amazing accomplishment of the Ellis Island site is the way that thousands of records have been scanned and made available online for viewers. I pulled up the manifest for the “Lapland” which sailed out of Antwerp on October 12, 1910.
Listed on the fifth line of the manifest was an entry recorded by the immigration officer for Czarne Temes, a passenger who was arriving to see her son Nathan Temes. Nathan had apparently preceded her arrival, although I could not determine the date of his arrival.
So, in this way my interest in tracing the family genealogy grew. A seed that was planted began growing roots. One small researching success seemed to lead me to another as I traced the path of the Temes family. As I shared my discoveries with Mom, the successes became even sweeter. She seemed to be delighted to learn more about her family. I had to work harder, however, to make progress on Dad’s side of the family.
Key Points (Seed Stage)
Oral History Projects can feel daunting and overwhelming at times. A strategy that has worked for me is to spend time sorting through various seeds to find which ideas and motivations are closest to my heart. In the previous story there are key moments that led me in a particular direction.
1) My Father’s interest in building the Family Tree finally triggered a deep response in me to want to help him build the tree. Pay attention to your allurements (strong feelings).
2) An obstacle of researching his side of the family opened the door for me to research Mom’s side. Watch for new doors opening!
3) Providential conversations with exactly the right person who can help trigger your next phase of research often happen typically in those unguarded, relaxed moments. Trust them!
4) Allow your inner detective to help you uncover new information and awaken your curiosity.