The Elusive Ancestor: Quest for Great-Grandfather Richard Bush

06/22/23 • 30 min

We've got an intriguing genealogy mystery on our hands, as we chat with Bonnie Flatt from Illinois about her brick wall: Her DIY research reveals her great-grandfather, Richard Bush. Born in 1834 in either Illinois or Indiana, Richard's origins remain elusive, and Bonnie's quest for answers has led her to explore various strategies, such as understanding the naming conventions of the time period, investigating land records, and examining military records, wills, deeds, and probates.
Elusive Ancestor Research Tips
Unscramble the family using and analyzing the following:

Marriage Records
Analyzing Census Records by following children names, and ages and others living in the home.
County Court Records
Cemetery Records. Or death certificates if recorded by state
DNA Analysis to connect to family, if applicable. May wish to use a professional.
Wills
Land Records
Military records

Need More Information visit a3Genealogy blog: Elusive Ancestor Research tips and Hints posted 25 Jun 2023: linktr.ee/a3genealogy

Be sure to bookmark linktr.ee/hittinthebricks for your one stop access to Kathleen Brandt, the host of Hittin' the Bricks with Kathleen. And, visit us on YouTube: Off the Wall with Kathleen John and Chewey video recorded specials.
Hittin' the Bricks is produced through the not-for-profit, 501c3 TracingAncestors.org.

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Marriage Records
Analyzing Census Records by following children names, and ages and others living in the home.
County Court Records
Cemetery Records. Or death certificates if recorded by state
DNA Analysis to connect to family, if applicable. May wish to use a professional.
Wills
Land Records
Military records

Need More Information visit a3Genealogy blog: Elusive Ancestor Research tips and Hints posted 25 Jun 2023: linktr.ee/a3genealogy

Previous Episode

Unraveling Roots: Revealing Kaufman Ancestral Secrets

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E201 On this first episode of Season 2, join us on an enlightening journey as we explore the world of DIY genealogy with our inspiring guest, Ronnie, a dedicated teacher from Farmingdale, Long Island. Roni joins Kathleen for a session that sorts out four Samuels, the Salvation Army, and why assumptions are the arch enemies of genealogy heroes.
Research Sites/ Repositories

Bronx Jewish Synagogues: http://www.bronxsynagogues.org/ic/bronxsyn/survey.html
NYC Dept of Vital Records: https://a860-historicalvitalrecords.nyc.gov/search
Jewish Gen: https://www.jewishgen.org/databases/jgform.php
Jewish Genealogy Society of NY: https://groups.jewishgen.org/g/main
Familysearch.org: https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/results?count=20&query=%2Bsubject%3Ajewish
Familysearch Wiki: Russia Jewish Records https://www.familysearch.org/en/wiki/Russia_Jewish_Records
fold3.com: may have the naturalization records of parents or holder siblings born in Russia. This database is most often free through your library card.
NY – NARA: New York National Archives may hold naturalization records. https://www.archives.gov/nyc
USCIS. For naturalization records after Sep 1906; some ship manifests https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/document/forms/g-639.pdf

Other Resources

Research Orthodox Church in America (OCA) https://blog.a3genealogy.com/2012/06/research-orthodox-church-in-america-oca.html
7 Steps to Begin Jewish Genealogical Researchhttps://blog.a3genealogy.com/2018/01/7-steps-to-begin-your-jewish-research.html

And be sure to follow the a3Genealogy blog for a full blog post on this topic.
Happy Research (and learning).
Be sure to provide feedback for each episode.

Next Episode

Tracing Greek Ancestry: The Chopelas Chronicles

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Ever wonder how your newly arrived immigrants tackled the new land? Join us for a fascinating journey as we trace the Greek ancestry of our neighbor and guest, Stephanie Holthaus. Stephanie captivates us with tales of her maternal grandfather, Pete Constantine Chepolas. We aid Stephanie through a maze of Greek related ancestral records to trace her family from Greece to Texas with a few stops along the way. Plus, we explore an unexpected twist in Stephanie's ancestry — a DNA cousin of Turkish descent!
Tune in for this engrossing exploration into family history and DYI Greek genealogy!

Hittin' the Bricks with Kathleen - The Elusive Ancestor: Quest for Great-Grandfather Richard Bush

Transcript

John Brandt00:00:01.425

Ladies and gentlemen from the depths of flyover country in the heartland of America , the Kansas City on the other side of the mighty moe , welcome to Hittin' the Bricks with Kathleen , the genealogy show that features your questions and her answers . I'm John , your Humblehubby host , and on this episode we'll be talking to Bonnie Flatt , from the Bray state , the land of Lincoln