ProGenealogists on John Day's Trail

In August I put ProGenealogists on John Day's trail with an $1,800 retainer. This is the third hire of professional genealogists in an attempt to find that rascal. I've spent thousands of dollars and thousands of hours personally researching him. Still don' know who his parents are. As Sir Winston Churchill said: " Never give in. Never give in. Never, never, never, never . . . ."

A Confusion of Days

I've spent many frustrating hours in recent days, searching for my 2nd great grandfather, John Day (d1842 or 1846 in Wisconsin). Problem is this wonderful digital age that provides us with tremendous resources also is providing a blizzard of bogus data naively posted by genealogists who leap to convenient assumptions and don't document.

I'm finding pedigrees that report my John married to the wrong women in the wrong state and siring children from the grave! I've found one pedigree that appears to have a mother giving birth to a son and then marrying him and having children by her son!

I'm sure I've made some mistakes too; but some of what's going on in cyber genealogy is just ridiculous.

Document. Document! DOCUMENT!!!

Another Cousin Pops Out of the Ether

Another cousin popped out of the Internet ether last week to ask what I could help her identify her great grandfather. She found me on the Internet. Her suspect was Paul Glen Day, son of Theodore Barber Day. I was pleased to corroborate her information, moving the rascal from suspect to definitely guilty as charged. I refer to my grandfather's half-brother as a rascal because he has frustrated many genealogists by using aliases. He is found in the 1930 U.S. Census as Gus Day.

Anyway, I fired back a quick response and received another in reply.

"Thank you so much for responding! I am literally crying right now because I have worked so long and had on this, and it has all been such a mystery to me and my parents for years."

I've received a lot more help over the years than I've given other genealogists, so I'm always thrilled when I can light up someone's day; especially if they are a cousin.