Sentimental Sunday

Trying to locate our ancestors is often frustrating work.

So far, I've located my great-great-grandfather but once in the Census records of Louisville, KY. I did very recently locate his immigration into this country, in 1852.

One reason it can sometimes be difficult to locate those family members is when there is a name that may seem difficult to spell or pronounce. In this case, the ancestor is Gottleib Dreher.

On line 10 of the above Census record, we find Gautlipe Traiuer. You see what I mean? If not for his wife Sarah and son August, I might never have located him!

In order to locate this record, I had to do a city-wide search for all individuals named August. Well... it wasn't a one-day search! In 1860, Louisville, KY was a widely known German immigration haven, with literally thousands of Bavarians making their way to the river-front city. And if not for the fact that August's mother, Sarah, was listed with the family, I might have overlooked this entry.

We must remember to always look for the exact, but never forget to look for the abstract as well. You might be surprised at what you turn up!