Sunday, February 14, 2016

Celebration Sunday~Genealogy Happy Dance!


     You know the dance. You know you've done it. The one every researcher does after finding something new. The one where you want to jump up and down and shout to everyone around that you found the document, contacted a cousin who has the family Bible, made a DNA connection or found a whole new branch to your tree. The one that is met with glazed stares and eye rolls. 
                     
                                                        Celebration Sunday is a place to share your discoveries. 
      This is a weekly series to enable everyone to tell about their Genealogy Happy Dance moment. This can be done by scrolling down and adding your story to the comments section. You may also put a link to a blog post. 
                                                                             Let's celebrate and dance together. 
                                                                                  A No Eye Rolling Zone


My Happy Dance for this week:
    A discovery at the State Archives in Columbia, South Carolina recently had me doing a quiet happy dance. They tend to disapprove at shouting and jumping for joy in the archives....
         According to family stories, my maternal Great Grandmother, Loretta (McManus) Daughrity (1894-1936) is said to have been adopted. She is recorded in family records as the daughter of William A. McManus (1854-1914) and Francis Virginia McRady (1856-1903). Nothing had been found to document the family story until I found Etta's marriage license application. Along with it was this piece of paper:

Permission for Loretta McManus to Marry
 Signature of William A. McManus
10 Oct. 1912
©Cheri Hudson Passey
   There it was. Documentation giving parental consent to the marriage. Etta was only 17 so her father William A. McManus had to give permission for his Adopted Daughter Loretta McManus to marry David Daughrity. His writing, his signature. 
  Oh, it was so hard to contain my composure. Here was what I had been looking for- actual documentation of an adoption to add credence to the family lore.
                                                                                           Share your discoveries!
                                                                                        Let the dancing commence!


        



18 comments:

  1. I haven't written the post yet but...last night I located the 1772 will, admin bonds, and orphans court records which name my 1752 immigrant ancestor as one of the executors of the estate of a man who was on the same ship with him. One step closer to proving it was the right ship. I also found him on the 1783 tax list which provide a basic for patriotic service in Baltimore County, Maryland. AND I found the image not just the transcripts. I'm still dancing :) ~ Cathy

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    1. Yes! Love it!!! Records from 1752! Amazing find. Congratulations! Doing that Happy Dance with you!

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    2. oops, meant to write "provide a *basis* for patriotic service" - this was the most exciting part. ~ Cathy

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  2. My son's DNA results came in this week on Ancestry.

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    1. That is truly exciting!! Doing a little jig for you now!!

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    1. Thanks, Anna! Would love to hear about one of your finds!

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  4. My happy dance can be found on my blog at http://shannonmthomas.blogspot.com/2016/02/celebration-sundaygenealogy-happy-dance.html

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    1. Woot! Back a generation! I love it! Thanks so much for sharing, Shannon! Got my dancing shoes on!

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  5. The best part of your story is finding the truth NOT in adoption records but in a simple marriage record. This is a good lesson in research. The information we seek might not be where we expect.

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    1. So true, Wendy! Thanks for reading and leaving a comment. Hope you'll share a happy dance moment!

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    2. So true, Wendy! Thanks for reading and leaving a comment. Hope you'll share a happy dance moment!

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  6. Hi Caroline!

    My most recent happy dance and one of the most rewarding search I had!

    http://www.huboutourvillegenealogy.com/wp/?p=2204

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    1. Loved that you solved the case! I appreciate you sharing your blog post. Reading how you broke down your brick wall may help others as they chip away at theirs. Thanks, Diane! Doing that Happy Dance with you!

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  7. My happy latest happy dance was receiving photographs of my great great grandmother Clementine (Wells) Riggin Collins. A descendant of a step-son had them. You just never know from where that next great discovery will come. I wrote about it here: http://tangledrootsandtrees.blogspot.com/2015/04/52ancestors-14-photographs-of-my-great.html

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    1. Fabulous pictures! Thank you so much for sharing your post about finding them. You are right, you never know where that next great discovery will come from! I know you must be thrilled, Scalene. Jumping for joy for you!

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  8. Wow! That is fantastic Cheri! Definitely time for a genealogy happy dance. Congratulations on your amazing find!

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    1. Thanks,Jana! I was extatic to find it! It's also been so much fun to read the comments from readers about their happy dance moments!

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