NYRICHMO-L Archives

From: <>
Subject: [NYRICHMO-L] Serendipity and 00 info
Date: Sun, 17 Oct 1999 15:37:34 EDT

Hello, all!
Just a few thoughts on the odd twists and turns that genealogy research can
take. I am sure that everyone reading this who has been at this insanity for
more than a week can tell a similar story.

The best thing to come out of my visit across the Harbor to the Staten Island
Institute of Arts and Sciences this summer was being introduced to my new
friend and DECKER cohort, Marjorie, who was born a DECKER and has been
researching her line for twenty years. Marjorie is without benefit of
computer and so isn't online. So I am grateful to Dotty, the SIIAS archivist
who was kind enough to call Marjorie for me and engineer our telephonic
meeting. Next month Marjorie and I will meet in person at the SIHS which I am
really looking forward to.

Meanwhile, Marjorie sent me a packet of info which included a photocopy of an
article from the SI Advance from the 70s celebrating a 50th anniversary party
of my grandmother's cousin, Dewey DECKER. The article mentioned his
grandfather (my ggGfather) Noah Selleck DECKER and that he had fought in the
Civil War. Ho hum, knew that. But then it went on to say that Selleck had
kept a scrapbook of his war days and that it become Dewey's prize possession!!

"Marjorie!" I phoned her breathlessly, "Selleck DECKER kept a scrapbook!!" I
fairly drooled. She and I agreed that Dewey was likely not still among us,
but the children were our best bets. Fortunately the article named all four,
including the three daughters' married names. Marjorie said she would see
what she could do from SI while I said I would go on the Net and search.

Unfortunately an AOL white pages search as well as tedious searches on GO.com
got me nowhere. Hmmm. Then I remembered a commercial I've seen lots of times
for AT&T 00 Info. It claims that one can use it to find the phone number of
anyone in the country, no state or city needed. So I thought it was worth a
try. And it worked! Having the daughter's name as well as the husband's was
very useful. ATT had a number in Florida for a couple by their names and it wa
s her.

She and my father would be second cousins, so she is my 2nd cousin, once
removed. And she couldn't have been nicer. She was unfamiliar with Selleck's
scrapbook (her father is indeed no longer with us) but would ask around among
her siblings. And we're going to exchange what info we have.

I am still (always) hopeful. And I recommend AT&T 00 info. You press 0 twice,
then 1, then you get an operator who will ask what state. Tell him/her you
don't know and you are given to a supervisor who can do a country-wide
search. I took more than one listing, there didn't seem to be a limit and the
charge is 99 cents for the call. Worth it.

Cheers!
Holly Tooker

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