I Still Love the "Leg Work"

For most genealogists these days, our research revolves around the Internet.  Since I work for Penn State's on-line education my whole life usually revolves around the Internet.  But as thrilled as I am with the Internet and the new resources becoming available every day,  I still love just taking a research trip (even when the ancestors aren't mine!).

Interestingly,  I usually do plenty of research before a trip and gather family sheet information from my database, cemetery information and maps from the web, and then set upon my quest. A few weeks ago,  I agreed to accompany a friend on one of her research trips. As we had to travel 2 hours to our destination it gave me time ask a few basic questions like what our goals were for the day.

She wanted to find her GG grandmother's grave and her GG grandfathers grave.  She knew they were in two different cemeteries, her GG grandfather having remarried and moved after the death of his first wife. 

Me: "So where is GG Grandma buried?"
S:  "It says here she was buried on the Frey family farm in Franklin County."
Me:  " Did you do some internet research?  Do we have directions to this cemetery?"
S: "No,  we're women.  We can stop and ask."
Me:  Stunned.  I say nothing.  I think to myself, 'Do you really think random people are going to know where the Frey family farm was in 1856?'

We arrive in Chambersburg, PA and S. directs me to turn right.  I ask why and then see a yarn shop in front of me.  "Oh,  that's why."  S.  points out that not only is it a fabulous yarn shop (she's a knitter)  but that "old women hang out in yarn shops",  and this is probably a good place to start asking.

One of the women taking a yarn class that Friday morning does indeed know where the Frey family farm is and gives us directions to the only cemetery she knows of on that road.  We get there,  and it's not the right one.  But a chat with a Mennonite woman from across the street, puts us on our way to the Frey dairy farm.  We stop and the farm and look for someone to ask if there is a family plot on the farm. On the farm a phone call from hired help to the owner tells us that the the current "Frey family farm"  has only been here for two generations.  For  something in the mid-1800's we should head to the other side of town.  We get directions to another cemetery,  and head off once again. 

At the next stop we do not find our goal Elizabeth Stauffer Swartz wife of Henry Swartz; but we do very unexpectedly find Henry Swartz's mother.  Anna Swartz Frey (twice married). Not only that her headstone says she is the daughter of Joseph Martin and Elizabeth Miller.  I LOVE tombstones with that kind of information!  Imagine my friends excitement to get another generation back.  I was completely  in awe of a headstone that told us wife of (both husband's names),  daughter of (parents names) and mother of (etc...) Yet we were still disappointed at not being able to find the one grave we actually came looking for.   Enter  the man who lives next door,  he's the keeper of the small cemetery, only about 20 graves.  And he tells us that yes,  this was the original Frey family farm and this would be considered "Frey Family Farm" cemetery but that there are three family plots on the huge original homestead.  Maybe our Elizabeth is in one of the others and we again get directions and proceed on for about another mile. And there she is nestled in the plot that is along Grand Point Road.  It took only 2.5 hours total and six very helpful and friendly people!

We came away from the day with new genealogy information for S. and a story for all time of what all the best detectives call the "leg work."