My Wife's Great-Grandfather

[Drywall]

Story is that she came here by herself. I have heard the stories about how she got a job, got married, raised three kids alone after my grandfather ran off never to be heard of again. I never knew him or heard much about him. All while teaching herself to read and write english. Like I said, the biggest problem is the name Johnson. There are just too many of them. The Minneapolis phone book alone has 25 pages of them. But thanks for your help.

[JeffL]

Ellis Island is only a starting point. I have found NONE of my relatives in their records listed on the site, even though I know they came through Ellis Island.

Chilidog is correct about the census records; those things can hold a wealth of information. I found my paternal great-grandparents listed on the 1900 census for Joliet, IL. The surname at that time was Goode. It was sometime later changed to Goody. But it had started out in France as Godet, thence to Sweden and Gode, G?de, Goude, and Goode. (And people wonder why I have problems tracing them down!!)

My maternal grandmother was from Germany and her maiden name was Kr?ger. It was changed to Krueger in the States, but I also found Kruger, Kreuger, and Kr?eger on grave markers. :cd:

Anyway, it keeps me off the streets and out of the poolhalls!

[Drywall]

Sad to say, I don't even know what town they originally settled in. A couple of my dads brothers were born in Germany but there was never much talk about "the old country." Our forebearers were just not discussed much, at least in front of us kids. I really don't know much of anything about any of them. Maybe we were all outlaws.