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Archiver > CASTLE-GARDEN > 2001-06 > 0993602408


From: "susan patt spencer" <>
Subject: [CASTLE-GARDEN] Re: my serendipity and patience
Date: Tue, 26 Jun 2001 17:40:08 -0700
References: <f4.bc4b16c.286a1189@aol.com>


Hello all,

This is a bit off topic, but fits the patience theme. When my dad passed
away in 1992 (rip), I had addresses for Kerry cousins and for Belfast
cousins. I was just starting my search for family, and was totally green.

I sent a letter to Kerry, to an address that was 30+ years old. I got two
letters in return! The letter to Belfast took a bit longer to write, and
the response was a bit more circuitous.

The mail sorter at the Roayl Mail recognized the address on the envelope and
set it aside. It was the address to his friend's house, where he used to
hang out as a teen, in the 60's. My cousin Belle had passed away, the house
had burned down and been replaced by a park.

He called his friend - my cousin's husband, who also worked for the Royal
Mail - who called his wife (who lived in the house as a teen) to say there
was a letter from America. She wrote me a lengthy lovely letter regarding
our respective grannies. Like that would EVER happen in America, with our
postal service. I still marvel that for $.34 I can send a letter anywhere
in America, but the service element is definitely different. All of the
letters I write to the Republic of Ireland have no street address. Just the
townland. When my Kerry cousins were sick, the mailman placed the package
from America on the kitchen table. I could go on forever, but then...so
little time.

Cheers to all,
Virus free and loving it, I remain
susan PATT spencer
salem, oregon
----- Original Message -----
From: <>
To: <>
Sent: Tuesday, June 26, 2001 9:25 AM
Subject: Re: [CASTLE-GARDEN] FW: Records for Castle Garden


> I'd like to share my experience on searching ship passenger lists.
>
> I went to the archives in San Mateo to look for a relative i knew had come
to
> the US in 1891. When I went to the drawer for that year I found about 30
> rolls of film. I didn't have the patience for all of them so I picked one
at
> random.
>
> I knew nothing at that time about what port they would have departed from
but
> I knew the arrival port would be New York. I wasn't even sure of the name
> since it had been changed somewhere in route.
>
> I scrolled and scrolled thru yachts, and small and large ship lists. As I
> was getting very tired, and the names were hard to read, I decided to just
> finish the one roll. At almost the end I came across a family and nearly
> fell out of my seat! I had discovered my grandmother, uncle, aunt and
> father, including their original first names! I hadn't even been looking
> for them.
>
> Genealogy takes a lot of patience and an occasional helping of
serendipity.
> It has happened for me more than once.
>
> Don't give up, even if it takes 25 years, which is how long I have been on
> this.
>
> Betty Mann
>
>
> ==============================
> Visit Ancestry's Library - The best collection of family history
> learning and how-to articles on the Internet.
> http://www.ancestry.com/learn/library
>
>
>

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