Can it be a New Year already?

It is hard to believe it is 2010 already. I have been happy to reconnect with James and Judy LAUX during 2009. It has resulted in some significant expansion of the MICHEL/LAUX family tree as they added their spouses, their children and their children's spouses to the tree. In fact they have added enough data that my master file is now out of date and requires work early in 2010. 2009 got away without significant progress being made on my MICHEL line except for improved organization and storage of documents.

Henry (also known as Heinrich) MICHEL (also called MICHAEL during a period from about 1895 until about 1917) continues to prove very elusive so far as his birthplace and his immigration to the United States. My best data suggests he was born in Reichenau, Germany in 1852. This data comes from a passport application filed in March of 1913 for Henry to return to Germany for a visit of up to three months. In that application he attests he was born on August 11, 1855 in Reichenau, Germany. So far, attempts to confirm this data have not been successful. He also claims in this document to have emigrated to the United States on board the "Werra" sailing from Bremen in January of 1883 and residing in Whitesboro, NY from 1883 continuously until 1913. I have been unable to verify any of these facts to date. The good news is that this gives me lots of leads to follow up on during 2010! The data is pretty consitent with other information that I have indicating that he married Anna Barbara YOPS in Ft. Plain, NY on December 31, 1884. This information comes from the Archives and Historical Department of Montgomery County, NY.

One other significant contribution comes from Sandra HOYT, who is the grandaughter of Francis LAUX, my mother's sister. Sandy and her brother (Robert, often called Bobby in the family) and her sister, Diane have all become interested in the family history project and started a HOYT family web site as well. This should provide yet more data for the database I am building as material they have on their site will connect to my data for at least two or three generations back. Progress, although frustratingly slow is being made.