Rush Family Research

"...One day I got an email from a 2^nd-cousin-once-removed in California who stumbled on my site in searching for her great-grandmother (my gr-gr-grandmother). My site mentioned a family "legend" that this immigrant ancestor had sewn and displayed a flag when Abraham Lincoln was shot in 1865. My father saw it as a child but nobody knew what happened to it. "It's true," she wrote, "and my mother has the flag!" Dad knew her mother but hadn't seen her in 60 years and was delighted to contact her again. She was a very sharp 90-year old and a fountain of family information. Later that year, a large family reunion was held at the Union League in Philadelphia where the restored flag was contributed to the League's Civil War collection. It now hangs proudly on the second floor landing opposite a life-size equestrian portrait of George Washington. Great-great-Grandmom would be amazed..." Read more here - (by Linda Porter Foh)

"...By that time my dad had died, but I got a job and took Mom back with me two years later, in 1971, and we visited Cavan again, as well as the birthplaces of my grandfathers. Highlights of that trip were the schoolteacher in Cavan who showed us school records (including a note that my grandmother talked too much in class), the old man in Clare who was a young boy when Grandpa left but remembered what a fine hurler he was, and the old lady in Mayo whose father-in-law had spoken of what a good provider my greatgrandfather, a blacksmith, was..." Read more here - (by Diane Culhane)

"Another thrill was when I learned from the Dublin genealogist just a short time before going on vacation to Ireland, that we had Traynor
relatives still living on the same farm where my grandfather was born. In 1987 I had written to a few people with my surname whose addresses were found in an Irish phonebook at the library. Fortunately I knew the townland my Grandfather came from, so I picked those living close to it. One of the people drove 12 k. (my relatives had no phone) to my relative's home and handed my letter to Johnnie Traynor, the son of my grandfather's brother. He gave me the address and I wrote to Johnnie . Since I would leave on vacation before I could receive a reply, I told him the hotel I would be at in Dublin. I had no idea if he got my letter or if he would be interested in seeing me, but upon arrival at the hotel I got a phone call inviting me to visit. I met Johnnie, his wife Maggie, his sister, and his son, "Patsy". After 100 years the Irish and American relatives were united..." Read more here - (by Pat Traynor)

"...On our mother's side, we knew that three of her grandparents were born in Ireland and that one came from an early colonial ancestor.  I wrote to a professional genealogist in England to try to trace this man, John Lantthroppe, who came to this country as a bondsman in 1679.  I also told her that a family story was that he was from Yorkshire.  This woman declined to undertake the research because she was very busy, but she confirmed that the name was only found in Yorkshire, particularly in the town of Ingleby Greenhow.  Through the LDS records, I found the church for this town and obtained their records.  There I found the record of his birth and of his parents' marriage.  On a visit to England in 2001, we were able to visit the church where my 8-great-grandparents were married.  It was quite a thrill for me!  By going backwards in U. S. and colonial records, I was able to connect my great-grandmother with John Lantthroppe..." Read more here - (by Carol Marlo)