Written by Karen Zach
Whining. I was definitely whining to my husband, Jim. “Your ancestor should be in this census, this township, this county, this time …!” Where is he for heaven’s sakes? Why’s he not here? Oh, I went on and on! Frustrated! I was definitely frustrated and my extremely patient husband was quickly becoming thus, too.
I admit we were novices and this was long before the excellent indexes of today. I had checked but our man wasn’t listed. I admit also that I was shushed twice in the microfilm room (microfilm, how ancient in today’s world). Jim had long gone back into the main room to peruse an old book on Virginians so he could find his first Revolutionary War soldier. He didn’t listen to me as I told him James Kelly wouldn’t be in there but he was bored listening to me growl and watching me read the census.
About to give up, still knowing William Schlabach had to be there and contemplating reading every William in Noble County for the correct wives and kids but realizing how long that would take, I shut-off the reader abruptly and just sat there about to cry (or whine some more).
Finally, the lady next to me turned it back on and queries, “Just who are you trying to find. Write it down for me!” So, I wrote (carefully) WILLIAM SCHLABACH. She eyed it a few seconds, “Do you know what nationality this name is?” Kind of mumbling, I guessed English. She gave me the eye, saying, “No, it’s German,” thus you need to check the index again for how it sounds.
Okay, I who have 56 hours over a master’s felt pretty stupid as she continued to explain that in German, there is no sound for ch thus I should have been looking for a name slaba or how it would be pronounced – sleighbaugh which is what we found it as in the huge 1860 Indiana overall index book. We were able to find it then without any problem. We were so excited and thanked her profusely! She was happy, I believe to be able to do her research in peace. Well, at least for a while! Mistake number two came the same day with hubby again avoiding my frustrations and the same sweet lady coming to my rescue.
Frustrated again and mumbling under my breath, my Knightess calmly requested, “What now?” Feeling like a turtle who should retract into its shell but who is still curious to the world, I shyly said, “Well, the last name is easy at least, Barker and I’ve found many in the Parke County, Indiana census but not my Jesse! He should be here with his brothers and a sister, but where?
Ironically, she looked up and right on the page I was on, she pointed to one that looked like Jeffe, explaining to me that in old writing, two s’s are linked, looking life f f. She strongly suggested I do some background research in regards to the niches in handwriting through the years, as well as how German names are pronounced. I took that to heart and did do a great deal of reading on just that subject.
So, two mistakes, but wait! Number three came yet that afternoon. I was looking at indexes, My Lady sitting beside me and giving me pointers and me jotting things down as fast as I could when the Hubs yelled, “BINGO!” Three hours after my original comment that he’d not find James Kelly in that book, looking page by page by page and reading almost the whole 600 pages he finally found his man. His #1 (he has since found 10) Revolutionary Soldier. Had he listened to me we’d have chalked up yet another booboo.
There ya’ have three mistakes in a day, but we have made many more in our five decades of research. One thing, though, we learned from each and every one of those mistakes!
