Saturday, January 11, 2014

Wanted: My Family History

I tried something new in my quest for uncovering family history. I paid to run an ad in the classified section of a newspaper.

My third great-grandparents Johnson and Caroline (Reed) Williams both lived well into the 20th century and the age of photography. Johnson passed away in 1943 and Caroline pre-deceased him in 1930. I've never seen a photo of either of them.

Both lived in Rolla, Missouri. Surely, I thought, there must be descendants or friends still in the area who remember them. Or even folks who remember hearing about them.

I paid to run a short ad in the Rolla Daily News: Researching Williams family. Looking for info, photos of Johnson (d.1943) and Caroline (Reed) Williams (d.1930).  

The ad ran and took second billing to a gun show.

Unfortunately, there were no responses. I don't suppose many folks trawl through the online ads looking for this type of query. If it's not printed it's not landing on kitchen tables where folks will spot familiar names as they sip their morning coffee. Back to the drawing board.

3 comments:

  1. Welcome to Geneabloggers, I have experienced that church records are most helpful.. Perhaps you can contact the church your ancestors attended and go from there. I do like the classified ad idea.

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  2. Welcome to Geneabloggers. This is my first visit to your blog. It is very attractive & interesting. I hope you enjoy posting & make new connections with cousins.

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  3. Thanks for stopping by and checking out the blog, Colleen. I appreciate it, and look forward to perusing Leaves & Branches.

    Shelley, I agree with you that the church records are mighty helpful. In this case, I'm keen on trying to locate folks who can help illustrate the Williams' character with family stories and photographs. By the way, "My Genealogical Journey" looks like a great read!

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