Sunday was another day of hours of research that ended me right back where I started. Maria Chatrina Armstrong (1741-1798) is my maternal 4th great grandmother. At least I suspect her last name is Armstrong, she married first 'Isaac' William Henry Bollinger (1738-1770) in about 1763 - and had Frederick Bolinger (1766-1843), my 3rd great grandfather. After Isaac's death, Maria remarried Philip Ausmus.
I decided to research the data I have on Maria' maiden name.... whether she is related to the Armstrong family of Pennsylvania that brought us Colonel John Armstrong, Revolutionary Was hero (Hero of Kittanning) and friend of George Washington, and his sons who served in Congress. (pictured is Johann Balthasar Bullinger, an ancestor.)
Four or five hours later, I still cannot prove that Maria Chatrina's last name was Armstrong.
Wow, I now have a start on the list of things to research at Salt Lake. If I can make one break through on all my 'questionables,' brick walls, and unsourced data, I will consider the time and money spent well worth it.
I remember the sheer joy when after I had spent years trying to find my mother's grandfather's family - had posted queries on message boards and searched every source I could think of for John Crawford (such a common name) - one day someone answered one of those posts with images from the family Bible that listed John's mother, father, sister and brother with dates. After years of searching that brick wall came tumbling down. The person who had that information was descended from John's sister.
This made the years of work worth while and gives me the desire to continue on.
Well, next time I'll try to work through another family tree 'mystery' and see where it takes me. At least it is fun reading about the people who might be my ancestors.
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