I had the wonderful opportunity to go back home and spend the weekend with my mother. During morning coffee we got to talking about family history and low and behold she busted out this file of unbelievable documents.

Things such as my great grandfathers boarding pass on a German ship into the US. It was on Sept 18, 1918.

Same great grandfathers 7th grade report card from his school in Valasske Senice. His grades were all dobry or velmi dobry! This was quite amusing.

His birth certificate, born in the same community

His Declaration of Intention, which basically is a signed statement upon entering the US that you will abide by the laws of the land and renounce being an anarchist and not a polygamist or believe in polygamy. Also he had to renounce his allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state or sovereinty, and particularly to Francis Joseph. Emperor of Austria and Apostolic King of Hungary? " This is interesting because his hometown is right on the Czech/Austrian border. His sponsor paid $40.82 so he could enter the US. What does that equate to in present dollars? It was a healthy sum I believe?

Just neat stuff!

You need to make color copies of every item and picture she showed you even if it is black and white...color copies will show the age of the paper.

Ask any close family members if they too want copies and make the copies before the wealth of history is lost. Have her help you make a family tree and get the names spelled correctly.

My husband is German and his mother/relatives have done a wonderful job of tracing ancestors. My children can go back six generations on that side of the family...names, dates too. Funny thing, they were all Lutheran so in addition to birth and death dates they have baptism and confirmation dates.

My son's middle name is his paternal great grandmother's maiden name...her baptism or confirmation certificate written in German is framed in his bedroom.

quote:

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particularly to Francis Joseph. Emperor of Austria and Apostolic King of Hungary? " This is interesting because his hometown is right on the Czech/Austrian border.

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Don't forget, this was around the time of World War I, so what is now the Czech Republic was a part of the Austria-Hungary Empire. That's probably why that statement.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Austria-Hungary

Pretty cool stuff though!



[This message has been edited by BohunkAg (edited 5/12/2011 4:10p).]