[Ger-Poland-Volhynia] (no subject)

[Gary Warner]

June,

You are correct that you have the wrong attitude if you expect that your 
names will magically appear.  It would seem that if your ancestors were in 
the US since the mid 1800s that there should be lots of evidence in the US 
Census records that exist for all decades except for the 1890 census which 
was almost entirely burned in a fire.  The best bet for success is to 
always start with what you know and work your way backwards, ONE STEP AT A 
TIME.  You can almost never take more than one step at a time, no matter 
how lucky you feel, because there is almost always some vital information 
that you will miss that is THE clue you need.  Obviously you do not know 
the family name if you are thinking that it was "Kuprowski or 
Kuppenheimer"  Do you know if it was changed legally, or did it just happen 
one day (no pun intended- that is how my family name changed).  If you 
cannot find the data on your direct lines, then try researching cousins, 
aunts and uncles who may have kept the original name.  All I can say is be 
diligent, and seek help if you get stuck.  As an example, on the Latvian 
side of my family, my uncles had the surnames Sherman, Schuman (3 of 
them).  My grandfather had the name Shauman.  But the family name is really 
Schaumann.  Now how in the world would I have ever discovered that 
information unless I had vigorously pursued my many cousins to find that out?

Also try looking at the SGGEE website for some clues on how to do research 
at http://sggee.org/ResearchAids.html

Gary Warner
Gig Harbor, WA



At 12:43 PM 1/14/2003, MJD221 at aol.com wrote:
>I am not sure if I am writing to the correct place, but I think it's time 
>I cancel this E mail subscription.  I really don't know anything about my 
>family other that they were from Germany or Poland with the names 
>of  Kuprowski, or Kuppenheimer - the name being changed to Cooper once 
>they came to America. The family has been in the U.S. since the middle 
>1800, settling in Virginia,  so I am at a standstill of fining any 
>information on where the family came from originally.  I have  I have 
>enjoyed reading all the correspondence and feel I have learned a lot of 
>history. I must confess I was just waiting for the names magically appear 
>and answer my questions, but that's just not happening.
>
>Anyway, thank you and good hunting to everyone.
>                    June
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