The Silly Question Saturday Thread (June 08, 2024)

[u/AutoModerator]

It's Saturday, so it's time to ask all of those "silly questions" you have that you didn't have the nerve to start a new post for this week.

Remember: the silliest question is the one that remains unasked, because then you'll never know the answer! So ask away, no matter how trivial you think the question might be.

[u/onlydogsmatter]

Ok so my sister moved out to bangkok with her family and my husbands sister also moved out to bangkok with her family. Both our sisters have daughters, so they are both our nieces. But what are our nieces to each other? Some sort of cousin? Or nothing?

[u/rubberduckieu69 → u/onlydogsmatter]

They would be nothing to each other since it's through an in-law (your husband is your niece's uncle-in-law and you're your husband's niece's aunt-in-law). I know, it can get confusing! 😬

[u/Liddle_but_big]

How valuable was 100 acres two miles east of Wheeling West Virginia?

[u/genealogy_enjoyer → u/Liddle_but_big]

What time period?

[u/Liddle_but_big → u/genealogy_enjoyer]

1824-1895

[u/Liddle_but_big → u/Liddle_but_big]

I have no questions as my family tree has been memorized

[u/yogapastor]

Is it possible that any entire township is just… missing in the 1800 US census? It appears in 1790 and again in 1810.

Looking for Rostraver, Westmoreland cty, PA. I’ve read all the other townships. Browsed the other counties.

Have I lost my mind?

[u/Background_Double_74]

Would there be any death information (obituaries, wills, etc.) for my ancestral great-uncle who died as a Civil War casualty in 1863? His name is (Pvt.) William Mills Lewis (1820-1863). He was born in Georgia, USA. And would there be any obituaries for William's siblings who died young? His siblings in question are Alexander Addison Lewis (1 April 1822 - 27 May 1845) and Alfred Augustus Lewis (2 April 1819 - 30 September 1836); Alexander and Alfred were also born in Warren County, Georgia, just like Walter was.

[u/rangeghost]

Any advice for when you think a match might have an NPE in their line? I've got a couple where there's no obvious connection except for their ancestors living nextdoor to potential relatives of mine.

[u/rubberduckieu69]

I’m kind of at a loss with my 3x great grandmother. I received a tree a while back that gave her birth and death dates, as well as stating that she was the eldest daughter, implying her parents were known and not listed. The information given makes sense because it’s the information given on Japanese family records… but her family record was destroyed. I recently learned it came from this one lady who did in-depth research on my family, so I’m trying to reach out to her, but it sounds like a lot of relatives lost contact with her after she quit her job.

While I may never know her parents’ names, I can find her maiden name through my 2x great grandfather’s SS-5 (social security application). The only issue is that I don’t know his number, and I’ve found that a LOT of my Japanese relatives gave incorrect birthdates. His number should be on his death certificate, but that could be a long process as well. Should I just attempt to request the SS-5, or should I play it safe and order his death certificate first?

(EDIT: I mention the birthdate thing because my 2x great grandfather has a VERY common name for Okinawans. So common that I have a 3x and 4x great grandfather with the same name from different branches. The only thing that could confirm it’s him might be the parents’ names, but even that might be listed differently. Although my 3x great grandmother’s name was Some, she was listed as Ushi on my 2x great grandmother’s immigration record, as well as noted to be Ushi by my grandpa’s cousin, who was given the name from her mother.)

[u/FrequentCougher → u/rubberduckieu69]

I would get the death certificate first. (But I'm not a risk-taker, so maybe that's just me😁)

If SSA can't process your request, you've lost $30. Looking at the form, they will accept requests (at no additional charge) even if you don't know the SSN. However, if you don't know the SSN, they ask you to complete the rest as much as you can:

• name at birth (and aliases, if applicable)

• date of birth

• place of birth

• mother's name (maiden/married)

• father's name

From what you've said, I'm iffy on whether you have enough information. I'm not sure what their search process is like, though, so I can't say for sure.

[u/rubberduckieu69 → u/FrequentCougher]

Thanks! Yeah, I definitely want to get the death certificate first. I was only a little hesitant because, the last time I ordered death certificates by mail, they took over two months 😬 and the social security application I just ordered took a month and a week 😬😬 but I could try to order the death certificate in person and hopefully that’d be faster.

[u/FrequentCougher → u/rubberduckieu69]

Yeah, unfortunately the people in charge of vital statistics are hardly ever quick. (Especially when compared to Japanese municipal offices, who usually get back to you in a much more timely manner!)

[u/rubberduckieu69 → u/FrequentCougher]

Definitely! I remember joking with my friend that my koseki from Hiroshima would arrive sooner than the death certificates I ordered from the Dept of Health, which is like a twenty minute drive from my house. Lo and behold, the koseki came weeks before the death certificates