I have just started to work on my daughter-in-law?s, and granddaughter?s, genealogy. My daughter-in-law?s great grandmother was Ethel Melissa GOEWEY who was born on 23 Jan 1905 in Charlestown, New Hampshire. She was married twice ? the first time to Perry Warren BURT on 24 Sept 1925 and the second time to Gerald F. BLOOD on 22 Nov 1930. Ethel Melissa?s parents were Joseph H. GOEWEY and Cora Jane LAWRENCE. Joseph and Cora were married on 24 Dec 1895 in Chester, Vermont. The document was found on ?Family Search ? Vermont Marriages 1791 ? 1974? and it identifies Cora Jane?s parents but does not identify Joseph GOEWEY?s parents. This could be that they were not recorded or they were not included in the transcription of the records. (I have noticed in this website that there is usually two records for the same event, one that if for the groom and the other for the bride. In this case there was only one transcribed document). I do have some indication who Joseph GOEWEY?s parents were. Ethel Melissa?s daughter did some work on her family tree. In my daughter-in-law?s papers, that she received from her grandmother was a notation that Joseph H. GOEWEY?s parents were David GOEWEY and Elizabeth ROBINSON. The family lived in both Vermont and New Hampshire. In the majority of the marriages of Joseph and Cora?s children in Vermont they state that Joseph was born in Weatherfield, Vermont, but one has him being born in Acworth, New Hampshire. Working with the U.S. census is very difficult for the GOEWEY family since the name was usually transcribed wrong. For instance in the 1930 census it was ?GORNEY?, in the 1920 census it was ?GOEWEY?, in the 1910 census it was ?GOLLEY?, in the 1900 census it was ?GORWEY?, and in the 1880 census is was ?GOWEY?. In the census Joseph?s birth year was stated to be from 1870 to 1865 with the majority in the 1865-66 range and always stating that he was born in Vermont.

The census also stated where Joseph?s parents were supposed to come from and that too has been all over the East Coast of the U.S. In 1930 it was Vermont / Vermont, in 1920 it was New York / New Hampshire, in 1910 his parents birthplaces were not mentioned, in 1900 they were Vermont / Vermont, and in 1880 there were Vermont / Vermont.

I started looking for Joseph?s parents, David GOEWEY and Elizabeth ROBINSON but was not able to find much. I did find in the 1870 census for Weatherfield, Windsor, Vermont (where Joseph GOEWEY is stated to have been born), a David H. GOEWEY, again with the wrong transcribed GOEWEY name, this time ?GORNEY?, age 40 born in New York and his wife Elesibeth age 27 born in Vermont with a daughter Ida age 5/12 (Jan 1870) born in Vermont. I could not find Joseph who should have been 4 or 5 years of age in 1870. There was no sign of him anywhere in Vermont, New Hampshire, or New York and I suspect he was staying with relatives and was not counted. He shows up in the 1880 census in Weathersfield, Vermont at 15 years of age working as a farm laborer with the Newell family.

I now was looking for a David H. GOEWEY and I found in ?Ancestry.com ? Vermont Death Records, 1909 ? 2008? a David H. GOEWEY who died on 28 Nov 1911 in Chester, Windsor, Vermont at the age of 78 years, 7 months, 14 days. He was stated to have been born in Troy, New York and the son of Amrose (Ambrose) GOEWEY and Anna GOEWEY. This David H. was married to Esther Fidelia RUMRILL and had at least four children. 1) Martha Ann GOEWEY; 2) Ester J. GOEWEY; 3) David Addison GOEWEY who married (1) Mildred Grace YOUNG and then (2) Viola Dorcas OATES; and 4) Henry Allen GOEWEY.

If this David H. GOEWEY is Joseph H. GOEWEY?s father then he was married at least twice. The first time to Elizabeth ROBINSON, about 1863 and the second time to Esther Fidelia RUMRILL, about 1881 and he was from Troy, New York born about 1833. His parents were Ambrose GOEWEY and Anna. There is only one Ambrose GOEWEY that I can find and he is the son of Barent GOEWEY married to Magdalena LAPPEUS. Ambrose was married at least twice ? the first time to Anna COONRADT and the second time to Rachael Van OSTRANDER. Most of the information on the web has a majority of Ambrose?s children attached to Rachael instead of Anna COONRADT. I think this is wrong for several reasons. The first is that Anna COONRADT?s father Philipp COONRADT wrote a will in 1840 and was probated in 1842. The will is found in Volume 31, page 520 as identified in the ?Abstracts of Wills of Renseleer County, New York ? Volume III of Manuscript transcribed by Coralynn Brown.? In it he mentions his infant son Elijah, his wife Susannah, his daughter Catherine the wife of William Watts, the children of daughter Lydia, and his daughter Anna the wife of Ambrose GOEWAY, and his infant daughter, Rachel. The wording implies that Anna COONRADT was still alive in 1840. In addition to the death certificate of David H. GOEWEY identifying his mother as Anna there are two additional marriages in Manhattan, New York for children of Ambrose GOEWEY. They are on 08 May 1872 for Oliver GOEWEY marring Mary GILMORE and on 29 Jun 1873 when Luther GOEWEY was marring Jeanetta WILSON. In both cases they identified their parents as Ambrose GOEWEY and Anna COONRADT. In the 1850 census of Poestenkill, Rensselaer, New York, Oliver GOEWEY is identified as 13 years old and Luther GOEWEY as six (6) years old. The oldest GOEWEY child shown is Adam GOEWEY age 22. Unless Ambrose GOEWEY was married a third time, before Anna and Rachael all the children identified in the 1850 census were the children of Ambrose and Anna COONRADT and Anna was alive at least until 1844.

I would appreciate if anyone can add, confirm, or tear apart any or all of the above information.

RJ