Welcome to Family Finds
An Adventure in Genealogy
In addition to stories about my ancestors, I share tips for conducting online family history research. Genealogy is a great pastime, join me on my journey to uncover and document my ancestors lives.

Yet Another Favorite Photo
A favorite photograph of my Grandaunt Grace Osborne Flucawa, includes a neighbor girl named Mary Ann Buskel. The photo dates from 1928, they appear to be having a good time dancing on a park bench.
Origins
I lay down some breadcrumbs this week and highlight the origins of my surname. Spoiler alert, the origins are in a village named Niederlinxweiler.
Family Lore
Family lore holds that in 1920 my great-grandfather inexplicably sold the family farm just as the crop was ready for harvest. The story goes he then went missing with the money from the sale in his pocket.
Mistake
I had a 3rd great-grandparent mistake due to careless sourcing. I discovered, and corrected, the mistake thanks to a DNA match.
Conflict
Among my Tennessee ancestors, I have three Civil War veterans. All 3 served the Union during the conflict. Did they also face conflict at home for their choice?
Textile
My mother began weaving in the mid-1960’s. Over the years she has made all sorts of beautiful hand woven textile items.
Social
I follow at least 20 genealogy groups on social media. These social groups have helped me to further my research.
Document
I have yet to find a document that names the wife of my ancestor Thomas Gillespie. The difficulty is the lack of document creation during the time period in which she lived.
Negatives
While researching brick-wall ancestors, I often have negative results. Research negatives are frustrating, but can be put to positive use.
Spell That
My Koontz ancestors probably often heard, “How do you spell that?” I have identified at least 26 variations during my research.