Mary Besch (born 1867) is a mystery. Family oral history changed her sex to male and said that she was the second of three sons born in Albany, New York to Johann Besch (born June 1820) and Rose Keller Besch. Johann and Rose had emigrated from Baden Wertenburg, Germany in 1852. The older brother was Henry Besch (6 Jan 1862 to 28 Oct 1944) and the younger brother was Joseph (28 April 1870 to 30 June 1943). As mentioned above, according to family lore, Mary was a boy, but no one knew his name. The story was that he run away with a circus at the age of 13. He was supposedly last heard from around the turn on the century in California when he wrote saying that he was marrying a nurse from Australia and moving there. A letter to all Besches in Australia with telephones found no connection. Much or all of this may not be true however, because the 1880 census records for Albany county, NY list her as a female by the name of Mary who was living at home. No further information in subsequent census records could be found. What did she do that made the family forget her name and change her sex? Maybe she did run away with the circus and the family decided that it would be better to say that a son had done this than a daughter. In any case, information about Miss Mary Besch would be greatly appreciated. Please respond to directly to Eric@Besch.org. Thank you. Cordially, Eric Eric@Besch.org 3016 Bidle Road (301) 371-3717 Middletown, MD 21769 (888) 264-6644 pager
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I trying to find out what became of Jennie MORENO HERMOSILLO who lived @ 110-1/2 East Market Street, Salinas, CA in September 1944. A 1994 birth certificate shows that she had her 6th child on 09/26/1944 and that the father of this child was Pedro Reynoso HERMOSILLO, a labor contractor, of the same address. Birth Cert shows that she had 5 living children and 1 deceased child as of 09/26/1944. Sometime between 09/1944 and 12/1948 she mysteriously disappeared, leaving her two youngest sons (born 1943 & 1944) with their father, Pedro Reynoso HERMOSILLO. Pedro Reynoso HERMOSILLO apparently remained at 110-1/2 Market Street, Salinas, CA as I have another Birth Cert from 12/06/1948 showing the birth of another son to Pedro Reynoso Hermocillo by a different wife, Guadalupe ALVAREZ HERMOSILLO. This couple was living at the same residence previously occupied by Jennie MORENO HERMOSILLO and Pedro Reynoso HERMOSILLO in 1944. I have been trying to find out what happened to Jennie MORENO HERMOSILLO since about 1968. No one in the HERMOSILLO family will mention her name. Pedro Reynoso HERMOSILLO passed away several years ago, taking the secret of her disappearance with him to the grave. Please help me find out what happened to Jennie MORENO HERMOCILLO and to the four children that she had before 1943.
This is a mystery and probably an Irish Folklore. Does anyone know anything about a girl called Ellen SCANLON her unfortunate drowning at either Kilkenny or Scattery Island?we think it happened last century, thanks for your help glenys in sunny oz greg@treko.net.au
To one & all; I'll try to keep this fairly short as it goes back 40yrs. +.Trying to locate my mothers family & when I would talk with my fathers family every thing would be fine until I would ask about my mother.Then all of sudden everyone either clams up or remark that maybe I have the wrong Family.Had a very close cousin related to my adopted parents,why we would go up to see her every month & in fact the day before my mother died she had come down to bring my wedding present. At the funeral she treated me so nice until I asked the"fatal" question re. my real mother. She quit ALL connections with me to this day !My Uncle claimed he didn't have a brother but at first when i meet my dad he accknowledge him.He had power of attorney for my dad.My adopted parents' attorney took my "papers" from the lock box & I had to go court & pay $700 so the judge could force him to give them to me. I could go on & on with many incidents like this. My birth family suddenly quit writing me claiming either that they didn't know me or that they didn't want any trouble. A undercover cop offered on his own to do some checking but when he talked my uncle, he claimed he didn't have a brother. Then all of a sudden I was told he had received a phone call warning him to back off. Haven't heard from him since.My mothers name was Edith Marie Smith & she was born Sept. 25th,1920,but on her birth certificate she was listed as stillborn !She was from Lima,Oh. & her parents were Obadiah/Orbie/Orba (all listed on added papers) Smith from Indiana & Sarah Louise Clapper Smith from Portage/Wood County/ Ohio.Have 3 siblings some where but don't know names or dates.My birth father never even mentioned my mothers name or siblings names.Uncle claimed that mother & brothers(?) were living right there in Toledo,Ohio. If any knows anything or evens knows where I could look I would apprciate it. Do have added inro. if needed. Thank you to all & any one that can & would help me. Garnet Marie Teal GRIEVE NOT FOR WHAT CAN'T GRIEVE FOR YOU
Hello everyone. Please excuse me if this message is in any way inappropriate to this list but I feel it's important enough to post. I have come across a list of people transported from Pruzany (as well as other small villages and towns) to Auschwitz. I have searched the list for members of my family but found none. I would like to offer to search the list for anyone interested. This list contains 300+ names and birthdates of people mainly from Pruzany but also contains members of other villages and towns too. Please send me the name (partial or full) and birthdate (if possible if not that's ok too) and I will look for the information for you. Please keep in mind this list contains mainly names of people born from 1900 to 1930 (approx.). I hope this is useful to anyone else out there! Please contact me PRIVATELY and be sure to include your name and e-mail address. Thank you. Sincerely, Sherri Goldberg Toronto, Ontario, Canada e-mail: sgoldberg@berkshire.ca
Hello, My name is Julianna Favolise. Many months ago I became a digest subscriber but have not written or been in contact with anyone from this site since I first logged on, so I thought I would reintroduce myself and mention the reason I have logged on to your site and to add another mystery to my search. In 1976 my Grandfather, Hester Kendall was murdered in his home. Someone lured him out to his back porch,came up behind him and struck him in the back of the head with a sledge hammer. He feel dead onto the porch, and the killers doused him and his house in gasoline. Because the place was severely dilapidated it burned completely in a matter of minutes,in fact my Aunt (his Daughter) saw the fire from her home and by the time she got to him the entire place was gone. His bones were placed in a small box and put into a casket,then buried in the family's cemetery. My Grandfather was one of the most hated men in our family and in his community because he was violent, and incestuous, he allegedly had two children by one of his Daughters and when my sisters were five and six they were sleeping in the back of my parents car and he drove by and opened fire on the vehicle just because he hated my Mother and had been arguing with my Father. My family insists that it was two of our relatives who committed the crime and that the local authorities know this but labeled it an accident because they believed it was justified. My interest in his death are to give some resolution and closure to this family chapter and was prompted because I am currently trying to trace my family's lineage. The other murder I am interested in may or may not have Been solved but I have never been notified since I am no out of the loop. In July of 1988 a nineteen year old girl in Rhode Island was brutally murdered and raped (after death) then her body was thrown into a lake. My former husband was the number one suspect. He is in prison for the remainder of his life and I have had no contact with him or his family since that time in my life. He is in prison for crimes he committed to children. For about a year after the girls death my life was more or less in the hands of the police department because of crimes he committed against me and our obvious marital connection. About a year after that I move away and was actually asked out on a date, after accepting the invitation I was informed by a mutual friend that this man I was about to have dinner with was not only the uncle of the victim but suspect number two. This man turned out to be as crazy as my ex-husband. I am not certain where I stand with giving names out on this or any other website so if someone can tell me the rules I will be greatly appreciative especially because I really want to find out what happened. I was NEVER a suspect or related to the victim but my connection to the suspects have left me feeling a connection to her and I feel I need some closure form this chapter in my life. Thank you of including on your digest and forgive me for being long winded. Julianna Favolise Blueheal@aol.com
Dear Kathy, Have you been able to contact all of Capt. Atwood's other descendants? The family story of what actually happened to him may have been passed down in a less easily embarrassed branch of the family. The fact that his granddaughter did not want to talk about him would seem to imply that he did not just die at sea (unless he was a pirate or something? :) ), but did something or died in a way that his granddaughter, at least, thought shameful. Also--was he, perhaps, in the Civil War? We have a similar problem in our family; my grandmother would never speak of her brother, Arthur McLaren (b. 1883 and lived in Chicago, in case anyone has news of HIM) and even tore every photograph of him out of her album--even to the point of scratching his face out of group pictures. She would only say that he was "sick." Which in her lexicon could mean anything--mentally ill, criminal, homosexual...I have since heard a rumor from another family member that he in fact pushed a man down an elevator shaft, apparently on purpose. I am now trying to substantiate that. I wish I could help! Martha Grenzeback graymatters@ibm.net At 07:18 PM 07-06-99 -0700, you wrote: >Date: Mon, 07 Jun 99 10:14:51 PDT >From: "Kathleen Atwood" <rjatwood@mail.portup.com> >To: GEN-UNSOLVED-MYSTERIES-L@rootsweb.com >Message-ID: <AditGD.A.5XD.HF9W3@bl-11.rootsweb.com> >Subject: [GEN-UNSOLVED-MYSTERIES-L] ship captain ATWOOD >Content-Type: text/plain; charset="ISO-8859-1"; X-MAPIextension=".TXT" >Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit > >Dear Listers: > > >I have been searching for ten years on whatever happened to this ancestor. What didn't help was that his late granddaughter, the closest living relative to him, refused to talk about him as if there was something to be ashamed of. > > > >Capt. NICHOLAS ATTWOOD was born in Uckfield, Sussex, England on 4 Apr 1832. His parents are unknown to me. At the age of 16 in London he joined the British merchant marine in 1848, as "boy" (cabin boy?). His land residence at that time was listed as 'Wandsworth'. The next document I have on him is his US naturalization record. It is dated Dec, 1858 in Wayne Co., Michigan. On it it says that he has been in this country at least five years, the last year his residence was Detroit. His name is also spelled ATWOOD, which is how it has been spelled by the family since. The next document I have is his familie's entry on the 1860 census of Detroit, Michigan. He is listed as a 'sailor' and he is living with his family at 221 Park St., Detroit. His family consists of Julia (nee' Sutton, according to a son's death record) age 33, born in Ohio, and daughters Avis (b. 1855 in Michigan; later married Erastus Woodruff) and Elizabeth (b. 1857 in Michigan; later married Charles Linc! >oln, then John McKenny), and sons Nicholas (b. 1859 in Detroit, whereabouts or marriage unknown) and George Samuel (b. 1860 in Detroit; married Mabel Mathewson; was a Detroit fireman). Other than listed as the father on the aforementioned son's death record, the last document I have of Capt. Atwood is in the Polk Directories of Detroit. In the 1864-65 volume, it says "Atwood, Nicholas Capt. 221 Park St.". Then in the 1866-67 volume, it the entry reads "Atwood, Julia, [wid Nicholas] 221 Park St.". > >To date I have found no information on what happened to him. The family tradition is that he died at sea. I searched through two years of the Detroit papers for any mention of his loss, but found none. There is no memorial marker in the family plot, or anywhere in the family cemetery (Woodmare Cemetery, Detroit, Michigan). Julia remained at 221 Park St. until her death in Apr 1891, she never remarried. > > >Due to the lack of success in this line of search, along with the fact that his wife/widow never remarried although she was relatively young and 'propertied', and the reluctance of that granddaughter to talk about him, I am beginning to wonder if he ever really 'died at sea', and perhaps he 'took off' (deserted) his family. > > >Ever hopeful, >Kathy Atwood > >
Looking for descendents of Samuel Evey (b.1851 d.1905) who married Virginia (Jenny) McMackin in Mineral County WV. Children were: Alonzo, Clara and Ellie May.
Dear Listers: This is my first message to this list. Please excuse any errors in protocol. I have been searching for ten years on whatever happened to this ancestor. What didn't help was that his late granddaughter, the closest living relative to him, refused to talk about him as if there was something to be ashamed of. Perhaps someone has specific information on him, or can give me some helpful suggestions. Here is all I know: Capt. NICHOLAS ATTWOOD was born in Uckfield, Sussex, England on 4 Apr 1832. His parents are unknown to me. At the age of 16 in London he joined the British merchant marine in 1848, as "boy" (cabin boy?). His land residence at that time was listed as 'Wandsworth'. The next document I have on him is his US naturalization record. It is dated Dec, 1858 in Wayne Co., Michigan. On it it says that he has been in this country at least five years, the last year his residence was Detroit. His name is also spelled ATWOOD, which is how it has been spelled by the family since. The next document I have is his familie's entry on the 1860 census of Detroit, Michigan. He is listed as a 'sailor' and he is living with his family at 221 Park St., Detroit. His family consists of Julia (nee' Sutton, according to a son's death record) age 33, born in Ohio, and daughters Avis (b. 1855 in Michigan; later married Erastus Woodruff) and Elizabeth (b. 1857 in Michigan; later married Charles Linc! oln, then John McKenny), and sons Nicholas (b. 1859 in Detroit, whereabouts or marriage unknown) and George Samuel (b. 1860 in Detroit; married Mabel Mathewson; was a Detroit fireman). Other than listed as the father on the aforementioned son's death record, the last document I have of Capt. Atwood is in the Polk Directories of Detroit. In the 1864-65 volume, it says "Atwood, Nicholas Capt. 221 Park St.". Then in the 1866-67 volume, it the entry reads "Atwood, Julia, [wid Nicholas] 221 Park St.". To date I have found no information on what happened to him. The family tradition is that he died at sea. I searched through two years of the Detroit papers for any mention of his loss, but found none. There is no memorial marker in the family plot, or anywhere in the family cemetery (Woodmare Cemetery, Detroit, Michigan). Julia remained at 221 Park St. until her death in Apr 1891, she never remarried. Years ago there was in the family a painting of a masted sailing ship that was said to be the 'captain's' ship, but the older members of the family who saw it as children (in the 1930s) do not remember what the name of the ship was, and the painting has long since disappeared. I have so far not been able to connect him up with a ship to find that ship's records to see if either it sank, or if he was just a death aboard ship. It was said that he may have been part owner, but I can locate no records. I contacted the Michigan Vital Records bureau, but they had no state records going back to that time period. They said that if he died and sea, and IF they found the body, the death would be recorded in the county that the body was found in. The number of counties in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Ontario that edge on the Great Lakes was prohibitive, so I have not followed up on that line. I tried to contact the port authority in Detr! oit to see if they have any archives, but I received no response. I have contacted the various Great Lakes shipwreck museums in Michigan, Illinois, Ohio, etc., but there were no 'hits', one of the problems was not having the ship name, as that is how the records are indexed. I have contacted a journalist who has a weekly column recounting Great Lakes' ship wrecks and disasters, but he has found nothing in his sources. He did suggest that many Great Lakes ships were impressed into ocean service during the early 1860s in support of the Civil War effort. I contacted the National Archives, but there was no record of Capt. Atwood among the military records. I also contacted a researcher who explores by diving to the old wrecks. He searched his sources and also came up empty. I did locate a microfilm of Great Lake ships' accidents for 1865, but despite the fact that it listed the ships name, the company that owned it, the type of ship, casualities, and even the cargo, it did! not list the captains' or personal owners (only companies') names Due to the lack of success in this line of search, along with the fact that his wife/widow never remarried although she was relatively young and 'propertied', and the reluctance of that granddaughter to talk about him, I am beginning to wonder if he ever really 'died at sea', and perhaps he 'took off' (deserted) his family. So, if anyone out there has ANY information on whatever happened to Capt. Atwood, or has information as to sources I haven't tried yet, I would appreciate it greatly if you would contact me. I live in a 'remote' area of Michigan (the Keweenaw Peninsula on Lake Superior), so all my research has had to be done through the mail or the internet. I am not is a financial position to hire a professional researcher or I would've done so long ago. I have signed on to several mailing lists in hopes of finding some leads, (various ship and emigrant lists, local interest lists like the one for Wayne Co., etc). But, as soon as I saw this list GEN-UNSOLVED-MYSTERIES, I figured if any list could help me, this would be it. I look forward to hearing from you. Ever hopeful, Kathy Atwood PS My apologies for the length of this message. I just wanted to provide a complete picture of what I had to let the listers know what I had and already had tried. Best of success in your own searches!!!
Hi Tammy! If you don't mind spending any money, I know you can call one of those locator companies for about $25. Some of them advertise that they can locate someone while you are on the phone. I believe they use credit records and other public sources to track your missing person. I am sure you could easily find several of the companies by using your browser. Just an idea! Good Luck! Melissa Titel
Walter Charles Maddox was born 10 Mar 1879 in Owen County, Kentucky, to James Harrison Maddox and Fannie (Kemper) Maddox. He married Lottie TEWELL on 23 Dec 1903 in Madsion, Jefferson County, Indiana. Eventually they moved to Indianapolis, Indiana. Four sons were born to this union, Merrill, Carl, Everett and Floyd. Walter Charles worked at a number of jobs in his life- for the state mental hospital in Indianapolis and for the Railroad. In 1929, when his youngest son was just twelve years old, Walter disappeared. It was a morning like any other. He rose to go to work. Ate breakfast. Lottie packed him a lunch. He kissed her goodbye and was never seen again. The police and members of his lodge looked for him but to no avail. He had simply vanished. One of his sons remains alive this day and would dearly love to know what happened to his father as would his many grandchildren, great grandchildren and great great grandchildren. Does anyone know what happend to Walter Charles Maddox?
He dissappeared - anyone ever heard of him ? We don't think he ever became a citizen so there is no paper trail - if he were alive he may be in his 80s or 90s now - We're lost !!!! Connie Kangas ___________________________________________________________________ You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail. Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com/getjuno.html or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866]
Is "Fred Mulligan" born abt 1880 or so your grandfather? Fred lived in Sherburne, New York with his parents from Ireland and siblings. One day he just up and disappeared. His brother John -- who was in the military passed away (by stray bullet) in 1905. According to journal in library "Fred Mulligan" was in New York City at the time. This is really the last time anyone heard from him. Now -- "Fred Mulligan's" father Patrick W. Mulligan came from Ireland - Sherburne -- unfortunately he (Patrick) was placed in the Binghamton State Hospital and spent 33 years (yes!) 33 years where he finally passed away of a Heart Attack. The State Hospital was a Mental Institution. Did Fred follow in his father's foot steps or was he just a free spirit? Please help!!! !. What happened to Fred Mulligan. 2. Any - any information on the Binghamton State Hospital. -------------------- Milton Coffin and his wife who was a Mohawk Indian. I am only able to strace their children (3) Harry, Bess, and Leon. Milton Coffin was born abt 1850. As far as the family can tell he was born in New York State. One child was born in 1875 in Camden, N.Y. I have been searching for Milton Coffin for about 5 years. Please Help. Judith M. Oxholm Villafane (Coffin) jamis3333@prodigy.net A Page For My Family http://members.tripod.com/~blueflower/index.htm
My name is Tammy A. King. I have an uncle on my mother's side that disappeared around 1985. His name is Edward Everett Thrasher. He was born in Massachussettes, on Jan. 6, or 16, of 1966. His last known whereabouts are Pheonix, Arizona. His parents names are John Henry Thrasher And Kathleen T. Thrasher. If you can provide any help as to what I can do to find him please, email me at ....... matrix@clds.net Thank you for your time, Tammy A. King
Deirdre, I found a Manning W. COCHRANE at the LDS site. He was married 7 Feb 1894 to Olive Ethel MOORE in Lancaster Nebraska. If you've never been there it's at http://www.familysearch.org Happy Hunting! Tracy Duncan Volunteer of Random Genealogical Kindness at http://www.rootsweb.com/~tnraogk/index.htm
My unsolved mystery is this. My great-grandfather, William Samson COCHRANE, has a brother named Manning. The only reason I know this is from my great-aunt Nelle COCHRANE WOODS obituary. In it is says that Manning started a grain company with his father Thomas COCHRANE. It also list a Ruth COCHRANE as a niece. Ruth has to be Manning's daughter because she isn't my great-grandfather's child and the other sister married and would have a different last name. This obituary is from 1950. There is no other listing of a Manning Cochrane in any other obituary of the COCHRANEs. I'm not even sure where to look for him. Deirdre Zehner Kokomo, IN TwinkZ76@aol.com
The last record I can find of my grandfather, Terry W. Kelly, was the birth of my youngest uncle in 1901. No one in the family knows what happened to this man. I saw one record that stated that his wife was a widow, but my father did not remember his death, only his disappearance. My grandfather and grandmother were married in Indianapolis, IN, but in 1901 they lived in Cincinnati, OH. That is where he disappeared from. I have searched the city directories, burial records, death records, etc. If anyone has any ideas about where I can go with this now, it will be greatly appreciated. Rosemary
Have a great mystery for you tonight. Josephine Nolden and Richard Thompson from Beardstown,Illinois,Cass County were married June 1886,a year later they move back to Beardstown or Arenzville and Josephine is pregnant. Richard dies of dropsey Apr.9,1887 and is buried in Potters Field,where noone knows not even the Sexton. Josephine delivers a child Clifford Frederick Thompson on April 15,1887 according to the birth announcement in the paper,First Evangelical Lutheran Records show Clifford being born April 10,1887,no birth record to be found. Last picture of Josephine and Clifford looks to be around 1891,she supposedly died of a tapeworm complication,like her father. Father dies 1904.No obit for Josephine;Clifford is taken in by Grandmother,Maria Nolden,obit states oldest daughter died 26 years before?Which made it 1904 that was the year husband died. I believe Josephine may have died in Arenzville not Beardstown,not sure. What date haven't got a clue.Possibly 1891-1892.Last picture. Family photo taken before Granfather Frederick Nolden died,all children except Josphine are in the photo.Clifford looks to be about 15 years old or so. What happened to her?Anyone have a clue as to where I can look? Ginger