The Research Journal
Picking up the Trail
Research Journal #1, Entry #2
A few months later, I decided to take up the Saffarin cause once again. I came to the conclusion that his name was probably Seraphine (or some variant of that name). I would go back to the films. If he was there, I was going to find him.
I had no information on Seraphine other than his name and who is parents might be. He must not have come to California with the others or someone would have remembered him. My only hope was that he made it to Hawaii and left records behind. But where did he live in Hawaii? I had no clue.
Since Maria died in 1938, the 1920 census seemed like a good place to start. I knew there weren't that many de Braga's in Hawaii. It shouldn't be difficult to find him through the soundex index. It was lucky day! There was a Serafin Braga living in Honolulu in 1920. I skipped to the 1900 census as their was no index at the Family History Center for 1910. Once again, only one name was close, Sarphine Brago. Was this the guy I was looking for?
Finding proof for people you know fit in your family tree can be difficult. Finding proof that someone connects to your tree is ten times as hard. Immigration searches came up empty. He wasn't listed with his parents and he wasn't listed alone. Seraphine was not listed in any records connected to his family except Maria's mortuary record. I was beginning to think ol' Seraphine was a private joke left behind by my relatives. I had reached an impasse and wasn't sure how to get through it. A little intuition goes a long way in genealogy but you need still need concrete proof before you can be sure of a connection. I needed that proof to really prove this Seraphine was my Seraphine.
Proof Found in the Census:
1900 U.S. Census
Brago, Sarphine
Born Jan 1879, age 21, Portugal
Residence: Honolulu, Oahu
Living Alone
1920 U.S. Census
Braga, Serafin
Age 40, Portugal
Immigrated 1894; Naturalized 1904
Residence: Honolulu, Oahu
Living with:
Olympia, wife
Glory, daughter
Joseph, son
William, son
Maggie, daughter
Olympia, daughter
A few months later, I decided to take up the Saffarin cause once again. I came to the conclusion that his name was probably Seraphine (or some variant of that name). I would go back to the films. If he was there, I was going to find him.
I had no information on Seraphine other than his name and who is parents might be. He must not have come to California with the others or someone would have remembered him. My only hope was that he made it to Hawaii and left records behind. But where did he live in Hawaii? I had no clue.
Since Maria died in 1938, the 1920 census seemed like a good place to start. I knew there weren't that many de Braga's in Hawaii. It shouldn't be difficult to find him through the soundex index. It was lucky day! There was a Serafin Braga living in Honolulu in 1920. I skipped to the 1900 census as their was no index at the Family History Center for 1910. Once again, only one name was close, Sarphine Brago. Was this the guy I was looking for?
Finding proof for people you know fit in your family tree can be difficult. Finding proof that someone connects to your tree is ten times as hard. Immigration searches came up empty. He wasn't listed with his parents and he wasn't listed alone. Seraphine was not listed in any records connected to his family except Maria's mortuary record. I was beginning to think ol' Seraphine was a private joke left behind by my relatives. I had reached an impasse and wasn't sure how to get through it. A little intuition goes a long way in genealogy but you need still need concrete proof before you can be sure of a connection. I needed that proof to really prove this Seraphine was my Seraphine.
Proof Found in the Census:
1900 U.S. Census
Brago, Sarphine
Born Jan 1879, age 21, Portugal
Residence: Honolulu, Oahu
Living Alone
1920 U.S. Census
Braga, Serafin
Age 40, Portugal
Immigrated 1894; Naturalized 1904
Residence: Honolulu, Oahu
Living with:
Olympia, wife
Glory, daughter
Joseph, son
William, son
Maggie, daughter
Olympia, daughter
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home