This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Surnames: MOHNEY Classification: Query Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/rw/YEG.2ACIB/178.1.1 Message Board Post: Hi, I've no connections to the BRINKER Family other than some of my 4th & 5th Great Aunts thru the MOHNEY'S marrying them in PA. only. Otherwise, I have no interest in the surname whatsoever!! The only reason I posted about Capt. Brinker is that he was the Capt. in "charge" of Co. C, 78th Reg't. PA. Vol. from Clarion Co., PA. Folks "here" did not know what ever became of the man!! I've found some most "interesting" material on and about "him" and copies of Civil War letters "all about Capt. Brinker" and the personal opinions of some of "his men!" Some are most "colorful" reading expressing anger, hostility, etc., and history is often written incorrectly! Historians tried to make everyone look "famous" when paid to write a self imflated biography about an individual, but not all that "glitters" is "gold!" Such was the case in the 1860's! It would seem to me you're overlooking the obvious solution to your problem, here's a few suggestions from my personal over 36+ years of researching obtaining solutions: 1. Send and obtain your ancestor's Death Certificate since he died in 1913, your State surely ought to have them on file. It could give his place of birth & parents! 2. Have you tried Newspapers for an Obituary? Often they give the persons place of birth and parentage, etc. 3. Check the Court House..the Prothonotary's Office for Emigration records..... in County where he lived, if he is the Emigrant ancestor that late then there would be a Declaration for Citizenship filed there which should give birthplace, etc. These things are usually open to the public and contain much, much information for Genealogy "bug" searchers on their forebears! 4. Work from the "known" back to the "unknown"..it often takes many years and much, much patience!! For instance, after 36 yr's. I'm finding some relatives "now" in California!! Years ago we did not have the "internet" and had to write or else go there personally, which in my opinion is still the "best" way to do Genealogy for the internet contains many errors and many assumptions by unexperienced and greedy researchers seeking for a "quick" solution which is not the case of diligent researching! Ever hear of GIGO?? Much is simply that "garbage!" 5. Check with family members for a Family Bible, old letters, photo's, etc. and pay particular attention to "where" those photo's were taken!! Often it's the "solution" to answers! 6. Check Church records such as Baptism, Marriages, Burial records, etc. Ministers years ago often recorded such things in detail...on the other hand, sometimes nothing was ever recorded at all such as around this area of PA. 6. Check different websites such as usgenweb.com World message boards, familysearch, GeneaNet, etc. Do a genealogy search in your computers search engine and try hunting for new websites. 7. Simply go into Google and put your ancestors name like this example: "+John+M+Doe" ...hit the enter key and often it's amazing what comes up!! [For instance, I just found a place that has a copy of a GG uncle of mine...a letter he'd written while in the Civil War!!!! Of course, of course, I'm sending for it "pronto!" ] 8. Document what you can and footnote all your dates for the older generations...if possible back up your data with photocopies of Wills, Estates, etc. 9. Interview older members of the family for data. 10. Go to Cemeteries and check the gravestones...years ago they sometimes even put where the person was from on the stone! See if the Cemetery has records...these often contain much detail and I've found some that even had the "cause" of Death in their burial records! 11. Check with Morticians [Undertaker's] who may have buried the person they kept very detailed records!! 12. Check for a Burial Permit with the Cemetery...these had to be filed with the State. I've written quite a few "very lengthy" genealogies and the above steps have always resulted in "solutions" for me....Good luck!!!!