It's Neu with a Treusch for Treasure Chest Thursday

The title sounds like a slurring of the words after too much holiday cheer?  Actually, it's the TREUSCH, I mean, the truth.

Several months ago, I wrote about an unknown cousin who had attended a 1935 family funeral.  Just who was cousin Elizabeth TREUSCH?  Click to read about her mysterious appearance in my life here.

Fast forward to the day before yesterday.....

In reading the group forum I belong to in Allegheny Co, PA, I came across an entry on the immigration of the NEU family from Germany to Pittsburgh to Kansas, etc.  It's always interesting to note how our ancestors traveled in the past.  Guess they didn't have to worry much about the body pat downs of today.  Wow, now that conjures up an image!  Can you imagine how your grandma or great grandma would have reacted to being searched as they sought to fly in the air?  Of course, flying up in the air was either not available at their early times or it wasn't as widely used by the general population as it is today.

Anyway......

The name NEU rang a bell in the deep corners of my feeble brain.  It seems like I knew someone who married into that family.  Ahh, a quick search of my genealogy database confirmed it.

Uncle Francis McClain CALDWELL (1868-1934) had indeed married a Margaret NEU (b. 1871) in Pittsburgh.  They had four children of which I am aware.  Three of their children were girls and fourth child, a son.  I had married names of the girls from Uncle Frank's obit and from the 1935 funeral of cousin Austin BRENDEL.  I even knew the addresses of Margaret NEU CALDWELL and the four children from the wedding announcement list of my parents.

And that is where I lost them all.  From time to time, I would look around and just couldn't pin any living names with the names and addresses I had on paper.

Until 2 days ago.

With the wonderful technology of today and helpful genealogy buffs, I found the grave of Uncle Frank.  Near him is wife Margaret with a year of her death.  I asked my group if anyone knew who all was buried close to them and in their plot.  With the delightful assistance of volunteers, I was sent a list of both the CALDWELL and NEU plots in the old cemetery.  One lady even volunteered there was an Elizabeth TREUSCH in the NEU plot.

Bingo!

By checking the census records now, I could find Elizabeth NEU TREUSCH.  And she was the older sister of Margaret NEU CALDWELL.  No blood relation to me, but I will be happy to share the family info with a great grandson of Uncle Frank and Aunt Maggie.  You see,  I also stumbled across a living, breathing kin of theirs through the blood of one of their daughters.

So, now I can happily give them a Christmas present of the past.

Ahh, genealogy.  Ain't it fun to be NEU again?  Yep, it's the TREUSCH!


Special thanks to Beverly and Helen for your assistance in this puzzle.


©2010 AS Eldredge