Sunday, February 27, 2011

The French Connection

I am currently in the process of incorporating the research on the French side of the family tree that was done by William E. Loll, my 3rd cousin 2x removed, who wrote 4 volumes of Family History on the Loll Family and traveled to France to do research.

The French Connection begins with Theresa Loll, my 3rd great grandmother. Theresa was born May 12, 1835 in Marcholsheim, Alsace, France. Theresa was born during the last monarchy in France, Louis Philippe I was King of France.

Theresa was the fourth of eight known children born to Antoine Loll and Mary Ann Jehl. During Theresa's childhood there was protest and revolt around France. Strikes and worker demonstrations were becoming more common among the laboring classes. February 24, 1848 brought the end of the monarchy in France when Louis Napoleon Bonaparte was elected President of France by popular vote.  

When Theresa was 17, she moved with her family from Marcholsheim, Alsace, France to the United States. The family ranging from her mother to her four year old sister departed from the Port of Le Harve, France on the "Brig Olivia" or "Bark Olivia". Specific details on the vessel are unknown. From other recorded manifests, the ship was able to provide passage for approximately 159 passengers.  

 
The family arrived at the Port of New York October 7,1852. Interestingly enough, the ship's manifest only includes nine Loll family members, listed as French farmers. Theresa's Father, Antoine Loll is not listed. It is plausible that he traveled to the United States ahead of his family and re-connected with them in the United States. It is unknown if the family moved to the United States to avoid the civil unrest in France or if they interested in the propects of a new life.  

The family then traveled from New York and settled in Knox Township, Clarion County, Pennsylvania.

Theresa was married within a year of arriving to the United States. On January 20, 1853, at age 18, she married Leopold Guth, 23, at the Immaculate Conception Church in Clarion, Clarion County, Pennsylvania. Leopold Guth, born November 14, 1830 in Untersimmonswald, Province of Baden, Germany the son of Anton Guth and Theresia Rösch . Leopold's estimated arrival was in 1850.  Leopold Guth was a jeweler and watchmaker, a skill he leaned from his father.

Nine years after Theresa arrived to the United States, she and her family would live through the Civil War. Her brother John Loll would serve in the Union Army at age 18. In Feburary of 1862 he would be wounded in battle and would die as a casualty of war on June 10, 1862 in a hospital in Washington, D.C.

Leopold and Theresa are documented as living in the Clarion Borough, Clarion County, Pennsylvania on June 1, 1880 according to the 1880 United States Federal Census. On June 7, 1900 Leopold and Theresa are documented as living on Main Street, Clarion, Clarion County, Pennsylvania according to the 1900 United States Federal Census.

Leopold and Theresa had 12 children, 11 of which the names are know. I am a descendant of their daughter, Frances Philomena Guth, my 2nd great-grandmother.

Notable historical events in Theresa's life included the assassination of two Unites States Presidents, President Lincoln on April 14, 1865 and President McKinley on September 6, 1901, the US Purchase of Alaska on March 30, 1867 and the Great Chicago Fire on October 8, 1871.

Theresa lived to be 69 and died on September 12, 1904. She is buried at the Immaculate Conception Church Cemetery in Clarion, Clarion County, Pennsylvania.
References:
  1. 1880 U. S. census, 1880 United States Federal Census schedule, Clarion, Pennsylvania, Family of Leopold Guth. Supervisor's District10, Enumeration District 66, Enumeration Date June 1, 1880, Lines 35-42.; digital image, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com).
  2. 1900 U. S. census, 1900 United States Federal Census schedule, Clarion , Pennsylvania, Family of Leopold Guth. Supervisor's District 14, Enumeration District 6, Enumeration Date June 7, 1900, Lines 19-21.; digital image, (www.ancestry.com).
  3. Find A Grave Memorial# 84821479. www.findagrave.com
  4. Find A Grave Memorial# 84821414. www.findagrave.com

Monday, February 14, 2011

Valentine Loll ~ 1718 - ????

In honor of St. Valentine's Day, I wanted to highlight Valentine Loll, my 6th great-grand uncle who was likely named after St. Valentine.

Valentine Loll was baptized on 06 Apr 1718 in Muntzenheim, Alsace, France according to the Muntzenheim Catholic Church archives. In this era, baptism typically occurred very close to birth. Valentine was the son of Joanne Loll and Catherine Unternaire, my 7th great grand parents.

Valentine married Ursula Holinger on 04 Oct 1740 in Muntzenheim, Alsace, France according to the Muntzenheim Catholic Church archives. He would have been around 22 at the time of his marriage. He and Ursula had two sons.

Valentine was born at a time of war in France and lived through war in Europe so it is not surprising his occupation was listed as a mercenary. Louis XIV had died three years before Valentine was born, Louis XV had just started his reign. By 1718 when Valentine was born France was joined the War of the Quadruple Alliance against Spain. In 1733 there was again war in Europe, The War of the Polish Succession, followed by an additional conflict in 1740, War of the Austrian Succession.

If Valentine was still living, he would have been around 57 when Louis XVI of France and Marie Antoinette were crowned King and Queen of France on 11 June 1775.

Joanne Loll and Catherine Unternaire are my 7th great grandparents. Valentine Loll is my 6th great uncle. 

References:
  1. The Lolls, Book I. The French Loll Family Tree, Page 34
  2. France, Muntzenheim Catholic Church (Muntzenheim, Alsace, France), "Church Logbooks"Copies of the Muntzenheim Catholic Church Records translated from Latin by William E. Loll
    Written in 1990 by William E. Loll, Page 18 of the The Loll's Book II.

First Cousin 2x Removed, Second Cousin - What does it mean?

One item that can be tricky in family tree research is understanding relationships between individuals. Understanding parents, grandparents and children is relatively straight forward. Understanding the relationships between cousins is what tends to be the most confusing. The term second cousin is often used incorrectly.

Some basic information on understanding the relationships between cousins, that I am using from Wikipedia and Genealogy.com:

The degree (first, second, third cousin, etc.) indicates one less than the minimum number of generations between both cousins and the nearest common ancestor.
  • First Cousin: a person with whom one shares a grandparent (but not a parent). These individuals are typically the children of your aunts and uncles.
  • Second Cousin: someone with whom one shares a great-grandparent (but not a grandparent or a parent)
  • Third Cousin: someone with whom one shares a great-great-grandparent (but not a great-grandparent or grandparent or parent)
  • Fourth Cousin: someone with whom one shares a great-great-great-grandparent (but not a great-great-grandparent, great-grandparent or grandparent or parent)

The removal (once removed, twice removed, etc.) indicates the number of generations, if any, separating the two cousins from each other.
  •  The child of one's first cousin is one's first cousin once removed because the one generation separation represents one removal.
  • Oneself and the child are still considered first cousins, as one's grandparent (this child's great-grandparent), as the most recent common ancestor, represents one degree.
  • Removal can also be listed with an x. Example 2x indicates two times removed.
A cousin chart is also a great visual to understand the degree and removal relationships between individuals.

A double cousin is when two siblings of one family reproduce with two siblings of another family. Double cousins share both sets of grandparents in common. Genetically, they can be as closely related as half-siblings.

Information Obtained From:
  1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cousin_Removal, February 14, 2011
  2. http://www.genealogy.com/16_cousn.html, February 14, 2011

Sunday, February 13, 2011

Thank You

Before I go into more specific details of my research, there are numerous individuals I have to thank for helping me on this research journey. Without their valuable contributions, I would not be in the place I currently am with my research. Family Tree research also allows generations to bridge gaps, I consider it a true honor to have met so many wonderful people on my journey, to learn about their stories and experience their lives. Names below are in no particular order.

  • My Grandfather Arthur who has patiently answered numerous questions, provided stories and helped me outline the Murosky and Bukowski family trees to the best of his knowledge.
  • My Father who has taken several road trips with me to Clarion and Vowinckel, Pennsylvania. We visited several sites and cemeteries together on these trips.
  • Edward Zelazny, my first cousin 2x removed, who provided information on the Bukowski family and allowed me to copy his family records and photos.
  • Rita Ann Murosky Niemi, my Great Aunt, who provided additional information on the Bukowski and Murosky Families. She also took me to see the graves of my 2nd Great Grandparents, Vincinety Frank Bukowski and Franciska Kwiatkowski.
  • Tom Murosky, my 3rd cousin, who has provided information on his ancestors.
  • William E. Loll, my 3rd cousin 2x removed, who wrote 4 volumes of Family History on the Loll Family and traveled to France to do research. I was able to purchase all 4 of his volumes and learn more about the Loll Family.
  • Patrick G. O’Neill, my 1st cousin 3x removed, who wrote the O'Neill Descendants of Con & Katherine 1700-2000 with George K. O'Neill, another distant O'Neill cousin, I was able to purchase the book he wrote and learn more about the O'Neill family.
  • Virginia Dorothy McDonald Geary, my 1st cousin 3x removed and also a double cousin, was the oldest living McDonald when I met her last September 2010. She was able to provide first hand accounts of McDonald and O'Neill family members and of visiting Vowinckel, Pennsylvania. She allowed me to copy her family records and photos. I had a lovely visit with Virginia when I flew to Pittsburgh.
  • My McDonald Great Aunts and Great Uncle have been a great source of information about the McDonald family and also about how they grew up.
  • Mary Lynn McDonald Walters, my 1st cousin 2x removed, who was able to provide me with information on the descendants of Cyril Clair McDonald, my Great Grand Uncle.
  • Sr. Janet Staab, my 1st cousin 2x removed, was able to provide me with information on our collective Selker and Guth ancestors. She also allowed me to copy her records and photos.
  • Philip Franz Selker, my 1st cousin 3x removed, was a wonderful treat to meet. I met Philip in college when I was visiting my husband (who I was not yet married to, in Illinois). My husband and I took the train to Chicago to meet Philip, his wife and his daughter. When we got off the train, Philip knew who we were, he said by my "German features". We had a lovely visit, learned about Philip, his WWII military service and about his family.
  • Bernice Clotilda Huefner Wolbert, although not a direct family relation, was able to provide me with information about other family members I was related to. Bernice also provided me the connection for being able to purchase a copy of A Proud People A Proud Heritage, Compiled by the History Committee of St. Joseph Parish, Lucinda, Pa.
  • My Aunts who have provided additional information along the way.
  • Benjamin Patrick Norris, my 3rd cousin 2x removed, has provided a wealth of knowledge on the McDonald, Haggerty and Lynam families.  Benjamin also had extensive knowledge of Vowinckel, Clarion County, Pennsylvania which has been very helpful.
  • Bernard A. Clark, my 7th cousin 2x removed, has done some really fantastic research. Bernard was able to provide details and point me to several helpful references on the Kuhn side of the family which was living in the Pennsylvania before the American Revolution.
  • Cary Christopher, a very experienced genealogist who I connected with in spring of 2014. He researched the McDonald family for a descendant. Cary very kindly shared his very complete and detailed research with me. He also shared family photos and other details he received from other McDonald descendants. 
  • Leo Selker, my 2nd cousin 1x removed, has provided many details on my 2nd great-grandfather Joseph William Selker (our shared grand parent), stories about the family who lived in Clarion. He has also been very kind to share copies of family photos and other family mementos.
  • J. F. Easly, a distant cousin, who wrote a very detailed history on the Easly family. His very detailed and well sourced work includes very specific details and references to many court records. The records document both land, wills and other proceedings. The original author did future generations an amazing service as this research was done before the internet and the search engines that are available today. If you are interested in research - it is highly recommended to read this work.
  • There are other individuals who I have made contact with during my journey who have provided insite, links to sources and suggestions on contacts.



Virginia Dorothy McDonald Geary, my 1st cousin 3x removed and I during my visit to Pittsburgh September 2010

Saturday, February 5, 2011

World Connect - View the Family Tree

The world connect project is hosted by Rootsweb. World Connect allows researchers to upload their family tree for other researchers to view and search. Doing this often allows new connections to be made when multiple individuals are searching the same person.

My research is posted to World Connect. The research is current as of today. Informaiton about living individuals is not posted. The link below will take you to my pedigree displayed in a visual format. Viewing the pedigree in this fashion the major and minor ancestral lines will be visible.

http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=PED&db=mmurosky&id=I1&style=TEXT

The Minor Lines

There are a number of minor family names that occur on both the Paternal and Maternal Sides of the family. The minor lines typically contain two surnames in succession. It is plausible with more research more will be discovered about the minor lines.

Paternal Minor Lines

The Paternal minor lines are an exception to what is noted above. In this case, these two lines are listed as there are only four known names currently known in the Paternal lines Bukowski and Murosky as discussed in separate posts and the two surnames listed below.

Kwiatkowski
Nationality - Polish
Arrival to the Unites States -May 1, 1895

The Kwiatkowski line begins with my 2nd great grandmother Franciska Kwiatkowski. She is the oldest currently known individual in the Kwiatkowski  line. She was born in Poland  around May of 1864.

Zielinski
Nationality - Russian/Polish
Arrival to the Unites States -May 1, 1895

The Zielinski line begins with my 2nd great grandmother Eva Zielinski. She is the oldest currently known individual in the Kwiatkowski  line. She was born around 1870 possibly in Poland.

The Maternal Minor Lines
The minor material lines contain more names in succession.

Allonas
Nationality - French (although it should be noted this portion of France changed borders with Germany often over the course of history)

The Allonas line begins with my 5th great grandmother Madeleine Allonas. The records from Marcholsheim Church in Marcholsheim, Alsace, France document the marriage of Madeleine Allonas to Franciscus Antonine Loll, my 5th great grandfather, on  16 Jun 1786.

The oldest currently known individual in the Allonas Line is Madeleine's father Anthony Allonas, my 6th great grandfather.

Cunningham
Nationality - Irish
Arrival to the Unites States - June 1869

The Cunningham line begins with my 3rd great grandmother Ellen Cunningham born 24 Aug 1847 in County Waterford, Ireland. The oldest currently known individual in the Cunningham Line is Ellen's father Mathias Cunningham, my 4th great grandfather.

Haggerty
Nationality - Irish
Arrival to the Unites States -Date is currently unknown, however the family was in the United States by the 1840's  

The Haggerty line begins with my 3rd great grandmother Anna Haggerty born around 1845 in Farmington, Clarion County, Pennsylvania. The oldest currently known individual in the Haggerty Line is Anna's father Robert Haggerty, my 4th great grandfather.

Hofhaus
Nationality - Fuerstenau, Germany

The Hofhaus line begins with my 3rd great grandmother Katherine Elizabeth Hofhaus born 20 Oct 1829 in Fuerstenau, Province of Hanover, Germany. The oldest currently known individual in the Hofhaus Line is Katherine Elizabeth Hofhaus's father Wilhelm Hofhaus, my 4th great grandfather born in Fürstenau, Germany.

Rösch 

Nationality - German

The Rösch line begins with my 4th great grandmother Theresia Rösch born 1801 in Untersimonwald, Margraviate of Baden, Holy Roman Empire. The oldest currently known individual in the Rösch Line is Theresia's father Johann Rösch , my 5th great grandfather.


Friday, February 4, 2011

The Maternal Lines - Loll

Loll
Nationality - French
Arrival to the Unites States - October 2, 1852

The Loll line begins with my 3rd great-grandmother Theresa Loll. The oldest currently known individual in the Loll Line is Joanne Loll, my 7th great grandfather, born around in the late 1600's in Muntzenheim, Alsace, France.


There are currently 11 generations of ancestors that descend from Joanne Loll.

The Maternal Lines - Guth

Guth
Nationality - German
Arrival to the Unites States - 1850

The Selker line begins with my 2nd great grandmother Frances Philomena Guth. The oldest currently known individual in the Guth Line is Anton Guth, my 5th great grandfather, born around in the 1700's in Germany.


There are currently 9 generations of ancestors that descend from Anton Guth.




Frances Philomena Guth, my 2nd great grandmother.

The Maternal Lines - Selker

Selker
Nationality - German
Arrival to the Unites States - 1885

The Selker line begins with my great-grandmother Frances Philomena Selker. The oldest currently known individual in the Selker Line is Hermann Selker, my 4th Great Grandfather, born around in the 1700's in Germany.


There are currently 8 generations of ancestors that descend from Hermann Selker.











Joseph William Selker, my 2nd great grandfater.

The Maternal Lines - O'Neill

O'Neill
Nationality - Irish
Arrival to the Unites States - May 1851

The O'Neill line begins with my 2nd great-grandmother Winifred Agnes O'Neill. The oldest currently known individual in the O'Neill Line is Con O'Neill, my 8th great grandfather, born around 1650 in Ireland.
There are currently 12 generations of ancestors that descend from Con O'Neill.



Michael O'Neill, my 3rd great hrandfather.

The Maternal Lines - McDonald

The Maternal line begins with my grandmother Mary Eugenia McDonald

McDonald
Nationality - Irish
Arrival to the Unites States - unknown, but there are references to the family in United States in the 1830's

The McDonald line begins with my grandmother Mary Eugenia McDonald. The oldest currently known individual in the McDonald Line is David McDonald, my 4th great grandfather, born around 1803 in Dublin, Ireland.

There are currently 8 generations of ancestors that descend from David McDonald.

Michael McDonald, my 3rd great-grandfather with his wife Anna Haggery and his adult children in front of the family home in Vowinckel, Clarion County, Pennsylvania.

The Paternal Lines - Murosky

Murosky
Nationality - Russian/Lithuanian
Arrival to the Unites States -1892

The Murosky line begins with me. The oldest currently known individual in the Murosky Line is Anthony Murosky Sr., my 2nd great grandfather, born in November of 1863. It is believed the Murosky family is from Lithuania however there are no written sources to verify this claim.

There are currently 6 generations of descendants from Anthony Murosky Sr.

Anthony Murosky Sr., my 2nd great grandfather











The Paternal Lines - Bukowski

To get started, the Ancestral Families of the Murosky Family will be introduced. More details will be provided in later posts. The Paternal line begins with my grandfather Murosky's parents.

Bukowski 
Nationality - Polish
Arrival to the Unites States -May 1, 1895

The Bukowski line begins with my great-grandmother Helen Tillie Bukowski. The oldest currently known individual in the Bukowski Line is Vincinety Frank Bukowski, my 2nd great grandfather, born in November of 1861 in Poland.
There are currently 6 generations of descendants from Vincinety Frank Bukowski.






Vincinety Frank Bukowski, my 2nd great grandfather




Welcome

Our Ancestors – The Murosky & McDonald Ancestral Lines was launched February 4, 2011. The site is maintained by Michelle M. Murosky is a family historian and genealogist. She has been researching her ancestors for over 15 years. The site is used to share research updates and old photographs with family.

In addition to maintaining the research site she is currently working on the “Portraits of a Life” project. The goal of this project is to digitize, archive, restore and share her family’s old photographs. She has the photo collections of her great-grandmothers in her care.



Her great grandmother Helen Tillie Bukowski, her paternal grandfather’s mother, was the original family historian. She took many photos of her children, her parents, her husband’s parents, her siblings, her husbands, her nieces and her nephews. There are hundreds of photos ranging from the early 1900’s through the 1950’s. She also recorded the names and dates on many of the images. Her record keeping was impeccable and has assisted with identifying individuals in the unlabeled photos. In addition to several large albums there were also many loose photos, newspaper clippings and post cards.

Spring of 2014 she acquired the photo collection of Frances Philomena Selker – her paternal grandmother’s mother. This collection of photographs includes many old photographs of members of the family from Clarion, Pennsylvania. This collection includes a grouping of tin-type photographs which are over one hundred years old.

When she isn't working on family history or restoring old family photographs she enjoys photographing nature. Check out her photography portfolio or follow her on Instagram.