Ainslee Moore 1939
I have a routine that I follow every month. I have a list of ancestor’s names that I put into Google, and other search sites that I use. These are my missing relatives that I try to find each month. They are for the most part from my Father’s side of the family. When my father was twelve his family was broken up and scattered. He very seldom spoke of his family. When asked a question about them he gave vague answers at best. I have no pictures of my father before the age of thirty. So it is my job to search for these people each month to see what if anything shows up.
This was what I was doing when I put the name Frank Ezra Moore, into Google. But what I got was another of my missing relatives Ainslee Moore , Frank E. Moore’s, daughter and my Father’s sister. Ainslee is a person I have been searching for years. Frank, was mentioned as her father in a web site They Came to Milton. There it was all the information on Ainslee Moore that I had been looking for. Ainslee had been adopted by a doctor and their family when she was about four years old. I believe that would have been the last time my father saw her.
The next week was spent finding the documentation I needed to back up what I have found. I used ancestery.com, local historical societies, and several digital newspaper sites, that I subscribe to. The proof, the information that I needed started to flow in. Newspaper articles, obituaries, Find a Grave web site, census, and more. I had by this time a nice list of Ainslee’s family to try and reach. In the past I have done this by telephone, but this time I reached out by Face book. I sent two messages out and waited. This is the worst and the best part of genealogy, contacting a missing part of the family. They could be quite unfriendly or receive you warmly. I have experienced both and everything in between. I can well understand why. Here is a stranger asking all these questions about the family, this would put anyone on the defensive.
Let me give you a general background of what happened to my father’s family. He was to lose his mother and a 14-year-old sister within 24 hours victims of the flu in 1920. His father Frank Ezra Moore was unable ( a very generous term) to take care of his family. He was to go to prison and the children scattered. One brother Robert was adopted by a family named Stone or he just changed his name to Stone. He is one of the missing I am still trying to find. Maxwell was about eight years old. He was placed in the county home and was “lent” out to do farm work. At the age of thirteen he was working in the coal mines. The eldest sister Ethel, at about age 20 tried to take care of the rest of the family. My father Charles, age 14, Frank, age 12, and their sister Elzada age ten.
It was several long days before my message sent via face book was answered. Ainslee’s daughter (my first cousin) was to answer me. Unfortunately she had no information about her Mother’s family. It seems the doctor who adopted Ainslee moved the family to Milton Wisconsin. They had originally lived in New York near the border with Pennsylvania. My father’s family lived in Pennsylvania. Most of the family ties were broken and lost. Ethel the eldest was the only one to keep in contact. But I was sent some great family photographs of a young Ainslee and as she grew into old age. Her wedding picture is at the top of the blog. By the large family gatherings, of which pictures I was sent a sizeable family grew in Wisconsin. Judging by the pictures she had a good childhood, then raised a family of five children.
It is very hard to explain but it made me very happy to see that she enjoyed a more normal childhood than her siblings did. The stories of my father’s family up until now were sad and tragic. It also shows how a helping hand can change the life of a person. While I am sure it was not a perfect ending to Ainslee’s story it was much better and happier than those of her siblings.
Moore Genealogy 
I am so glad that you were able to find your family members. I always enjoy finding a new cousin no matter how distant they are in relationship. I can only imagine finding one as close as you just did.
Thanks for reading and your comment. Part of genealogy is finding cousins and the of exchanging information. But this one was special. Many years of work went into this find.
Finding people who have been adopted and adoptees searching for birth family information are probably the toughest part of genealogy. Great luck on finding her!
Thanks for your comments. Yes this was a great find. The best part was finding a cousin who was willing to share so much.
That is so great you were able to find that information and even photos! It’s like finding the treasure at the end of a treasure hunt! And the neat thing about genealogy is that there are a lot of hunts to find treasure! đŸ™‚
I agree we have many treasures out there to find. Thanks for reading and your comment.
Glad your hard work was rewarded. Such a unique wedding dress!
I have had the most comments within my family about that dress. My wife, daughter, daughter in-law all talked about the dress. She just looks so young, to me.
What a great story! Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for your comment. I could not wait to share
Your persistence has paid off! Good for you.
I keep a notebook of brick walls in my family and try to revisit them 2 or 3 times a year. With so much new material added all the time, potential breakthroughs are everywhere!
Thank you for reading my blog and your comments. It is so true that a breakthrough can happen any time. With so much being added to the internet each day it pays to keep at it.
All I ever get when I google my names are my own blog, or “Congrats! You have made it to the end of the internet.” I have actually searched an not had one single hit before. đŸ™‚ That dress is absolutely beautiful.Also good to hear a good adoption story too.
Thanks for reading my blog and your comments. The results that I got are from years of searching. Google is just one tool that I use. I have posting on all sorts of genealogy boards going back 13 years trying to find Ainslee. I only wish that I had found her sooner. So keep searching you never know when that big break is going to happen. But why does it always happen late at night? Then you have to either stay up to 3am or go to bed and just try to sleep.:)
Wonderful story and a beautiful picture. Thanks for sharing her story.
Thanks for taking the time to read my blog. I enjoy your blog as well.
Good for you! This is a huge challenge. Every little piece you find to the puzzle is a huge victory!
You are so right! Genealogy is like doing a thousand piece puzzle, except you also have to go and hunt the pieces also. Thanks for reading and your comment.
Looking forward to your next installment.
Thanks for stopping by. I always look forward to reading your next installments on your great blog.
Oh, that wonderful “At last!” moment – there’s nothing like it! And I echo other comments – the lovely dress, the pleasure that at least one sibling story had a happy ending
You are so right there’s nothing like it. The feeling you get when it all falls into place is fantasist. But now it is back to all those other names of people who need to be discovered.
Monthly searches in Google….great and creative idea! Is there any particular way you structured the searches or just straight forward First, Middle, Last?? I have many mysteries myself. This is going on the list! Thanks!
I used Google and many other search engines such as Mocavo. I also use Ancestry.com, Family search, and many online newspapers. The structure I use varies to see what comes up. I also use the place of their birth or where they lived in my searches. The trick is to keep at it. New information is being added to these sites everyday.
It’s wonderful to read about how your persistence paid off. Once you found one piece of the puzzle, you were able to find several additional pieces.
Yes after you get a key piece of information everything just falls into place. The trick is to find that key piece.
Ainsley was a natural beauty. I hope you have a positive reception from her descendants.
I would like to say the Moore family has nothing but natural beauty; but then I look into a mirror and know better. So far the reception has been very cordial from my cousins. I try not to push too hard with my question as they really don’t know me either.
Wonderful post. You’ve given me another idea to use to try to expand my own research.
Thanks for reading and posting on my blog. Best of luck with your research.
As another Moore (Irish) I had to pop over here to see how you go about your research. Fascinating stuff and as you say, it takes years. When my daughter is older I really want to do this for my paternal ancestors – some very interesting history passed on orally, but so much to find out. Ainslee looks like a very affluent young woman – the younger the child, the greater chance of being ‘saved’ in these difficult situations. A truly interesting blog – I’ll follow in order to learn from you.
Thank you for your kind words. My Moore family may also be Irish but as of yet no proof. I see by your excellent blog that you are traveling this old world of ours. I have not had the chance to do so myself. But I wish more people did. We all should get to know each other better. I look forward to you reading my blog and your comments.
I think people born in small countries tend to travel more – just a theory! My grandfather, Hugh Moore left Ireland in 1921-ish for Canada (Toronto I think), started a successful business there but then returned to Ireland when things went awry – he will be my starting point when I have time for the family research. I agree with you whole-heartedly – blogging narrows the geographical gap between us. đŸ™‚
Genealogy is fascinating, especially when you actually find someone related! My husband is a Goodnough and his Goodenow family had a big reunion In Mass. to celebrate the 350th anniversary of their arrival in the US (1638) so we attended along with other fourth, fifth…tenth cousins two or three times removed. đŸ™‚
Which bring up the subject of variations in name spelling…a genealogist’s nightmare. đŸ™‚
Thanks for visiting our Vance -Turner blog.
Hi Christine! I have a friend whose father was involved in the building of the Quabbin Reservoir in Worcester County, Massachusetts in the early 1930’s. Four towns were demolished to create the water supply for Boston and a few Western Mass areas. There was a high ranking official named “Goodnough” after whom one of the dams was named: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goodnough_Dike. Would he be a relative? Perhaps my friend may still know some folks in the Goodnough family?
When we had our Reunion in Marlborough, Mass we had a picnic at the Quabbin Reservoir one day. Yes, that Goodnough would fit in my husband’s family tree somehow.
Hi. Would you be able to give me a few pointers on how to use Facebook for making these kinds of contacts? Did you set up your own family page there? Have the contacts you made through Facebook also have their own family page?
I will try to answer your questions. I have a very simple face book page. Just a few family members and friends. When I did my research on Ainslee, after finding her in the search, I gathered up some family names and addresses. I then put those names into the “find new friends” box in face book; and they came up. I then sent them a message and waited. If I had received no reply I would have tried to find phone numbers and then mailing addresses.
Wonderful story! As genealogists, we have so many new doors opening because of technology. I do the same as you, Google surnames and associations. Found many answers that way. Wish you continued luck in finding the rest of your ancestors.
Thank you for reading my blog and taking the time to comment. Happy hunting.
An absolutely engaging story. I especially like the photo of your dad’s sister and the detail of the elegant wedding gown.
Thanks for your comment. It is a great photograph and the wedding gown has had many nice comments.
What a wonderful story; thank you for sharing it – and for your tip of Googling the missing regularly. It’s such a good idea and one I shall shamelessly adopt. đŸ™‚
This is great! What a wonderful story and such great work on your part!
Thanks so much for sharing that story about your family. Sometimes the things we find are amazing; sometimes happy or sad, but always they enrich our understanding of who we are and where we came from.
So true. The more I learn about my family’s history the more I understand why things are a certain way in my family. I believe that anyone who does their family genealogy learns more about themselves.
How wonderful that you were finally able to find some missing history. That’s why we keep doing this, right? Hope you eventually find even more.
Thank you for your comment. You are so right that it is the search for the unknown in our family that drives us. Sometimes I wish that my family left behind a detailed book, but then think of the fun I would miss. Best of luck to you in your search.
In reading your post I was struck by the name Ainslee and found I had it reread it because of the similarities to a well known family last name of mine. I must say that is what drew me to reread and really take in your process. I know that from my own searches I’ve tried the same searches and many times come up short, but it’s those times in which something is found that keeps me going back and doing the same searches. I am happy to hear that this particular search of yours was fruitful. Thank you so much in sharing your search with us.
Thank you for reading and commenting on my blog. You just never know when a search will turn up something. With so much information being placed on the internet it only makes sense to keep looking.
You are absolutely correct and each and every nugget that can be gleaned from those searches no matter how small just adds to the picture of those ancestors we search to learn about.
My grandfather- on my mother’s side, started the genealogy search and had extensive information on his side and my grandmother’s. When my grandfather passed away I was awarded the information with the stipulation I continue. I gladly accepted. I have added some, kept up with the newest births and deaths. I also decided to find my father’s side. I figured I would start with his father, thinking it would be easier as his mother came from Italy and I wasn’t familiar with searching internationally yet. Boy was I wrong! . My father’s parents divorced when he was young and they never spoke of his father. It has been an illusive search still. I have found all kinds of other family members but limited information on my grandfather. Thanks for sharing you find.
I know it can be hard. But just stick with it. This search has been going on for years and I finally was rewarded with this break through.
Will you be having more posts, it has been about 6 weeks – hope all is okay with you.
Yes, more post are coming. Time just seems to get away on me at times. Thanks for asking.
Congratulations! It’s always such a wonderful feeling to find that person you’ve searched and searched for. I wish this would work for me. Unfortunately, not knowing my great grandmother’s maiden name has stopped me in my tracks. All records I’ve found refer to her by her husband’s name or just her first name and an initial.
Yes that is a problem that has caused most of us some very big headaches’. I know I have battled that problem many times. It seems in the past ( and not that far back) our female relatives just ceased to be. I think in the next week or two at most I will do a blog on this. I have a few well earned hints to give out.
I look forward to hearing them.
What a wonderful photograhp, she looks so happy. Great bit of research on your part, too, it must be an anxious time waiting to see if you get a response, but worth it for those occasions when you get a good one.
Thank you so much for your comments. I hope you will stop by often. I enjoy reading your excellent blog. You bring a place to me that most likely I will never get to visit.
That’s very kind, thank you. I think you’re going a great job of making genealogy come alive in your blog and I’ll certainly be back. My only problem is that there’s too much I want to read and not enough hours in the day to read it all!
Another great post. Your father’s family story is very similar to my mother’s story. Her mother (Edith King Moore) died shortly after giving birth to her in St. Louis, Missouri in 1939 and her father (James Moore) was unemployed and unable to take care of the children – it was depression era, after all, so not a big surprise. Social services came in and split up all of the children (6 girls, 1 boy) and they were fostered out. The oldest daughter Fay Moore, was determined to get her family back together and basically kidnapped all but the two youngest and left for Iowa, although at some point she ended up in Ohio as that is where she died.
It’s great that you were able to finally find Ainsley and fill in those missing pieces to the puzzle. I’m just at the beginning, but I’m finding that researching Moore’s is a daunting process. Your blog is full of great insight into genealogy and the search process – thanks for sharing your journey!
~Dara
Once more thank you comments. It sounds like your Moore family would be a great story to write up. Best of luck in your search.
What a great photo and story. Shows there is hope đŸ™‚
Thank you for reading my blog and your comment. I have in the past read your blog and hope you find the answers you are looking for. By the way we lived in Syracuse and raised our family there.
Thank you.
Hello! Just stumbled upon this as i create the family tree for my son, Jacob Nottingham, who is the great-grandson of Ainslee Moore/Hewitt/Nottingham! I believe her adopted last name became Hewitt, but i am searching for the correct spelling. She married William Nottingham, my husband’s grandparents. My husband Aaron’s father, also William Nottingham, was one of the 5 kids! Ainslee is survived by 4 of the kids: Helen, Dean (Ralph), Bill, and Brent. She was preceded in death by her other daughter, Phyllis. Great information and i thank you very much! I do believe Helen has family reunions for Ainslee’s side of the family-her adopted family-from time to time. God bless you!
She was adopted by Dr. Horace Leland Hulett and his wife Irene Wing Post and took the name Hulett.
I am glad you found my blog and you liked this posting. I will be writing more about the Moore family in the future. Thank you so much for your comment.
Great blog…it makes your heart skip a beat when you have a great find! Jan
Glad you enjoyed it. This was such a dead end for so long then it just seemed all the doors were opened for me. It told a large and until now an unknown part of my father’s family story.