Specificity helps when composing ancestral queries

It’s wonderful to have a couple of queries this week. With so much available on the Internet – from well-documented genealogy items and information with no proof whatsoever – you don’t see queries as often in newspapers these days.

That’s too bad, because a lot of genealogical information is available from older people who may actually remember the ancestor you’re interested in. It’s information that may be lost if we don’t seek it out while we can.

So what makes a good query?

Be as specific as possible, and try to include not only a name, but at least one place and one date.

Let’s look at three versions of a possible query.

. I’m looking for everything available on the Moore family.

. I’m interested in the Moore family of Abbot.

. I’m seeking the parentage of Alton Jotham Moore and wife, Hattie (Moore) Moore, married about 1898 in Monson. Their children were Gayland Alton, born 1902; Robert and Kathleen. Alton and Hattie are in the 1910 census of Abbot with Gayland and Robert, Kathleen probably not born yet.

The first query is so vague that it probably wouldn’t draw much of a response, especially since Moore at one time was either the ninth or 11th most-common surname in the United States.

The second query is a little better, but would most likely draw answers about Abraham Moore, the first settler of Abbot, whose Scots-Irish ancestors came from Derry, N.H., to Norridgewock, Maine.

Interesting, but not the ancestors of Alton and Hattie, who turned out to be English-descent Moores who came to York, then Mount Vernon and Parkman, Maine.

The third query is much better because it includes dates and places, and enough information to provide other clues. The children’s names are important because Alton’s father turned out to be a Gaylan Moore, and there was an uncle Robert. And their father was Jotham – Alton’s middle name. Someone who knew of Jotham Moore might have answered this query.

What if you don’t have any dates to offer? Well, do the best you can.

You might say, I don’t know Alton and Hattie’s death dates, but my younger sister and I attended a big anniversary at their house in Abbot. Our brother wasn’t born yet. In my case, that would narrow down the time frame of the anniversary party to a three-year period in the 1950s – giving us something to work backward from.

Of course, if you think someone lived until about 1965 or later, you’d want to check the Social Security Death Index at http://ssdi.rootsweb.com

A check for Alton Moore reveals that he died in May 1965. (More recent SSDI info includes the actual date of death.)

The SSDI can be very helpful when you don’t know the year or state where the person was living – perhaps to find death dates, and maybe obits, for great-uncles or distant cousins.

Here’s the best reason to try a query – you might “meet” a brand-new cousin!

Queries in Family Ties are free. Do include your mailing address as well as e-mail, if you have one.

3419. COX-CAREY. Looking for info on the Cox family from the Bangor area. My father was Sherman Carey Sr., and his parents were William Carey and Sadie (Cox), both of Veazie when they married March 5, 1908. Cox reunions were held until about 2000, I’m told. I lived in Maine most of my life before moving to Arizona. Nancy Parry, 1105 East Ponderosa Pkwy, Apt. 117, Flagstaff, AZ 86001; nancyparry@hotmail.com

3420. LAWLER-LAWLOR. Am writing a book about the Lawler-Lawlor family. My great-great-grandparents were Richard and Frances (Wilson) Lawlor, parents of John, Margaret, Annie, James, Thomas and William. James is my line. I’m looking for information on John, Margaret and Annie Lawler. According to my research, Annie Lawler, born 1846 in New Brunswick, married Charles Douglas and lived in Crystal. They had at least four children: Maggie F., William F., Charles J. and Mary E. Douglas. There may also have been a John and a Fannie Douglas. I believe Annie Lawler Douglas died in 1923. Margaret Lawler, born 1844 in New Brunswick, appears to have married John M. Knight in 1869 in Houlton. Don’t know what happened to John, but Margaret moved to South Portland, where she was a housekeeper for a Maine governor and died at about 100. John Lawler, born 1843 in New Brunswick, married Fannie Mobbs and lived in the Old Town area for a period of time. They had at least three children: William, George and Ada Lawler. John died in 1928 in Canaan, and wife, Fannie, died in 1929. Any info on families and descendants appreciated. Patsy (Lawler) Husson, 5 Stetson Drive, Hampden, ME 04444; Lawgirl47@aol.com.

Send genealogy queries to Family Ties, Bangor Daily News, P.O. Box 1329, Bangor, ME 04402; or e-mail queries to familyti@bangordailynews.net.