трусинскис!

Someone found my blog from Russia! "Trusinskis" is spelled "трусинскис" in Russian! I don't think I ever posted it here, but somewhere I found an item online that told of someone having a housemaid or servant named Trusinsky while living in Moscow. I wish I could find that entry -I have looked. I added "трусинскис" to a list of terms that would be used to direct people to this website for search/googling purposes.

It is unlikely anything much will come from this, but you have to always expand your chances and every little bit may help. Given the ethnic makeup of Latvia both now and in the past, it is almost a sure thing that I have relatives in Russia.

a new source found

I was contacted a few days ago by a woman of Latvian descent. She found me through the message board on ancestry.com. She suggested a Latvian website for me by which I could contact people with a similar surname in Latvia. In fact, she did her own preliminary search and noted how she found around 20 people with the name Trusinskis or Trusinska (the female version of Trusinskis). One has to be invited into the website and she graciously offered an invitation which I, of course, accepted. I will post any successes that I have!

Lithuania

Someone from Lithuania emailed me through this website. Their name is a variation of mine and they do seem interested in learning more. Good news -especially considering I haven't work on my research very much as I have been so busy with work and getting our house ready for sale!

Oh, I did have my dad send a request to the Latvian embassy in Washington in which he requested some vital records, as they provide that service for a very small fee. We should be finding out something in the next month or two that will hopefully take us one step closer to finding a living Trusinsky relative in Latvia and also further back on the "Gunther" family line. I won't publish the specific information because if people want to learn it, they will have to contact me directly and share some basic information they have, but chosen not to share...(ahem...Australia...) (damn, you'd think they'd at least send a note hinting at or explaining their sudden lack of interest or possibly suspicion)

Family crest?

Here is an image from a gentleman with the last name of "Treschinsky" whom I had emailed. He commented on the fact that he did know of some relatives in Riga, as well as Kiev. I wonder if I will find any basis for my heritage being related to this image...

I got an answer from Roberts Trusinskis!

"Declined". HAHA. I sent him an email a couple of times through what appeared to be his work email address. No response. So, I saw that he had a profile on "LinkedIn.com" and paid a small fee to send him an email there. I just got a message back saying that my message was "declined" with the reason given as "inappropriate".

I am only barely annoyed. What is it about someone who doesn't have the level of curiosity to respond to a "hey, we may be related" note that included an explanation?? The note clearly wasn't spam and doesn't solicit any information unless we were both convinced that there was a biological relationship -and the information in that instance would be very limited. Is the suspicion a legacy of the Soviet era?? At least now I know that I shouldn't bother to contact him again. I did ask that he reply if he weren't interested so that I would know not to bother him any further.

If he is a descendant of Johann Theodor Truschinsky -as is possible- I won't contact him.

We do have our source in Latvia who will likely know of this person and any other "Trusinskis" if they are indeed related. Indeed, I probably should have only pursued that route.

DNA Results are in

They arrived late last night. There are 12 exact matches to people in the FamilyTreeDNA.com system. I ordered the most basic, "12 marker" test. To further refine the results, I will have to order the 37 marker test. Of course, the more matches the greater the likelihood of a close biological relationship.

It is unlikely this will yield much new information for my genealogical research, unless I get others who share a similar surname to take the test, as well. I can think of a number individuals I would like to take the test but given they don't even reply to emails, it is unlikely they will take a DNA test for this purpose.

Oh, one more thing: overall, the most matches were with people in Norway (as a percentage of those in the FamilyTreeDNA.com system). I did find that to be interesting!

August Johann Theodor Trusinskis/Truschinsky

I found what I was looking for. I found a birth record for August Johann Theodor's first child. Don't get this wrong, but I am disappointed because it is a daughter, not a son. I am a bit disappointed because when she got married (if so) she very probably did not retain her family name. If it were a son, he and his descendants would be easier to find! I just sent an email to a gentleman in Latvia who may be of some help. I sure hope he responds! (UPDATE: That was the "Roberts Trusinskis")

Jakobs Kirche

A new film has arrived which I will review on Saturday. It has birth records for the late-1930s at Jakobs kirche. I am hoping to find a birth record for a child of my great uncle -whose first marriage I now have documented.

Linking them up

I think I have made a specific link between two of my largest Trusinsky files/threads of research. One is a specific birth document for Eduard Truschinsky. The parents shown on it coincide with the parents of my 2nd largest file of Truschinskys. The occupation of the father is the same in both documents, as well. Additionally, the largest file centers in Livonia -before moving to Riga- while the 2nd largest file is in a different part of Kurland. The link for the two files is in a part of Kurland where they all come together, with dates, names and occupation aligning.

I have four files of Truschinskys of which I have been unable -to this point- to link together. All of the files have overlapping individuals in terms of witnesses to various births. That is not concrete evidence, but is certainly is circumstantial enough for one to assume there is a link. Of course, I need to do a bit more research (as usual), but I am beginning to feel more confident in making the link and possibly continuing for another generation or two. One of the documents suggests Prussia for a place of birth for an individual (finally!)

So much more will be made clear when I get around to ordering or examining online (when they are posted) the revision lists for Kurland and the Russian census of 189x! I just hope they still have records for the areas that I need...

That brings me to another, possibly stunning (okay, the most stunning thus far) revelation about the Truschinsky line...

steps forward but also nothing

SIX films arrived this weekend at the LDS. I am really, really hoping for something on one of them regarding the oldest Truschinsky line of research. That doesn't mean I am expecting something there, as it involves a specific region, but isn't quite for the years I want. However, there may be some other, illuminating records there. Two other films are related to a family who married into the Till family. One record is another film for the Lemsal area. I don't expect to find anything there, as I have already reviewed it and it isn't any more comprehensive than what is online. Finally, I am going to review passports issued by the German embassy in Riga. I am really hoping to find something there for one of my main lines of research. Again, "hoping" doesn't mean "expecting".

I am also trying to contact possible kin around the world, but I continue to fail in getting a response from...anyone.

I have a genealogist in Germany investigating the degree to which it is possible to access public records for some relatives I know had died in Germany in 1968 and 1977. As I had explained to him, the goal is to establish contact with living relatives.

How many variations of Trusinsky are there??!!

I search for variations of my family name and have found -as I have mentioned before- at least four other versions of the name in church documents for people of whom I am quite sure I am related. Now I search for "Trescinskis" and over 2000 hits come up! I wish someone from Latvia would email me and say (if this were true), "Um, Trusinskis and other, similar names are far more common than you suspect. So, it is not likely there is much of a relationship." Maybe that is why some people that I had sent emails in Latvia had not replied (of course, language may be an issue...)

Some success

I did have some success with the last three films that I had ordered and examined. I found four or five marriages. One marriage was for my granduncle -August Johann Theodor Truschinsky. The name was bit difficult to read for the individual he had married, so I will have to return and examine that film again later. This information may be of some use in finding some living descendants in Latvia. I also found a marriage for a Till. All of these marriages are from the 1930s -so they are relatively recent.

Till research isn't going anywhere

I found the Till death record to which I had referred in my last post -well, one film of the two that cover that time period in that community. I did, however, find the death record of the Till who had died in 1827 and was born sometime in the 1770s. It didn't provide any further information -such as where the guy was born. I won't find anything more in birth or death records until I review the Revision lists. They are explained and will eventually be posted here.

No Truschinsky records in the two other films that had arrived. *sigh* I do hold out some hope for some Truschinsky records that are on order for another community. All of the dates that I would like to be covered are not available, but I would like at least one...preferably the one that is for Eduard Truschinsky's birth. That would be huge. It is very unlikely I will find that record, as he was born two years after the last available date of the records to arrive. As will Johann Till, I may have to get some luck with some Revision lists.

Tomorrow I review some records and DNA update

The records are for both Truschinsky and Till. I may have already reviewed the Till records, but I want to be sure I am hoping to find a more detailed death record that what I have found online (http://www.lvva-raduraksti.lv/en.html). The Truschinsky record (two of them, with a lot more on the way!) seeks to find a particular birth record for a Truschinsky, but I will still be quite pleased and a bit surprised if I find any Truschinskys -the records for this area haven't been particularly helpful. I get lots of references to this broad geographic region, but no supporting data to help me develop the links between three broad groups of Truschinskys. If I did find a particular birth record for this Truschinsky, I may be able to link the 20 or 30 individuals I found in the last few weeks with my existing tree. If I can, it will be very exciting and will very likely lead to some living relatives in Latvia!

DNA UPDATE: I have been notified by Family Tree DNA that my samples have arrived and will be heading out to their lab in the next week or so. While I am annoyed at the length of time this takes, I am still excited about the possibilities of where this might lead.

DNA UPDATE ON THE UPDATE: Family Tree DNA has now projected my tests will be complete by...get this...September 5. Ugh.

online resources

I've ordered about 9 films from the LDS and some should begin to arrive in the next week or so. So, I am waiting. While I've been waiting ...and waiting... I have been searching online for books that may be of use in my research. They are almost always in German or Latvian, but if I am only looking for a name or names amongst a list,that is still alright. Anyway, I have found three different German language books -two of which have names that are in my family history! One gentleman died in Kazan (I presume, Russia). That is a death record I would have never found if it were not for this source. Another who may be related worked and lived in a specific city in present-day Poland. I have also begun to realize that in World War I, much of Kurzeme (Kurland) was emptied of population. In fact, my grandmother and her family lived in Ukraine for those years of the war -and they were living in Riga just prior to that! I wonder, how many of my other relatives did not return to Latvia??
I also wonder, how many chose to fight for the Bolsheviks, and, when the Bolshviks didn't control Latvia right away (until after WWII), did they stay in Russia? I know that some Latvians did make that decision. Many civil wars have brother fighting brother. I do not see how this one might have been any different.
There are now -in my view- enough Trusinskys and Tills that I have found (etc) that it is probably likely that some moved to Russia and stayed...even to this day. At some point, I will try to look in Russian directories for the Russian spellings of Trusinsky. However, while I strongly suspect Dr. Karlis Trusinskis has looked at this website, but has not responded, how will I be able to get someone who probably isn't as worldly, but probably very suspicious, to communicate??

Additionally, I am not sure if I should be excited or disappointed with the lack of communication from Australia. I say that because he could be amassing quite a large amount of information (dates, data, pictures, etc) -as Gustav said he is on his behalf, or, perhaps, the issue is no longer being pursued by he and his family. Time will tell.

Truschinsky DNA test

The test has arrived and I will give a sample tonight. It requires three different swabs of the inner cheek. I will send it away tomorrow. I believe the company says that it takes about 3 weeks to get the results.

I want to encourage others to take said test if they feel that may be related (though it only works for the paternal heritage and only on males). The cost is $99 if you make your order as a part of a group/surname project (such as Trusinsky). Here is a link for more information. Also, here is a link to the Trusinsky project. I will post results on the second link.

You can also join a geographic project, as well or in lieu of, to get the discount. The test costs $149 if you do not get it through a project. So, if your heritage is Latvian -or German- you could join one of those groups.

I've found some more trusinskys

I received a response to my email/letter to the DBGG. It was a nice letter that didn't provide to many insights into what I was asking but there was one bit of information which directly let to me finding at least a DOZEN more Truschinskys! (not including children born of a marriage to a female Trusinsky who -hence- have a different surname) My earliest confirmed Truschinsky is a witness to a baptism and I am suspecting that he is a brother of the father. It also gave me a number of birth locations that should be useful -particularly since I ordered records from that area earlier last week. I've started a separate family tree file for the new Trusinskys and will only link them to my existing Trusinsky tree when I've proven a link between them. I am very confident that I will be able to do so!

Also, I sent out an email to a "suspected" "Trusinsky" in the US who I had found online. He responded and shared a bit of information which indicates that there may be a link. He has a relative that does some genealogy and forwarded my email and website to her. That reminds me -I should reply to the gentleman!

I'm back

We arrived from Europe this last Monday. Jane and I visited Iceland, Sweden (2nd time for me) and Finland.

Now that I am back, I have ordered my DNA kit from Family Tree DNA. I've started a group based upon my surname. If people have a similar surname to Trusinsky, they are invited to join the group and -in return- they receive a price $50 lower than if they joined on their own. The lower price is $99 for the base kit. The kit examines the DNA of a male descendant that remains unchanged from generation to generation. It is for this reason that the group is based upon the surname, as the son of Trusinsky has the surname of Trusinsky, etc. However, that being said, I have found at least 4 different spellings of Trusinsky in the documents I have found for my ancestors. I am sure that these are relatives (unless, of course, someone was adopted along the way...).

Here is the link to the project.

Another Trusinsky found!

This one was born in the early 1800s. I have yet another community into which I can search for more Trusinskys. I can't dig too much further, as I have a few items in which I need to make a bit more progress (Australia, Karlis Trusinskis, etc.)

Documents

Here are two documents for my father, Karl Trusinsky, who was named Karlis Trusinskis when he was born in Latvia. I am posting these in the event that Dr. Karlis Trusinskis sees this website, yet is skeptical of its authenticity. The first one he acquired on his first visit back to Latvia a few years ago. While I don't read (or speak) any Latvian, it looks as if the document shows my father's dad is named "Karlis", as well. That is wrong. My father's dad (my grandfather) is named Alexander. The second document, I believe, was given to his family while he was in a Displaced Persons camp in Germany after World War II.

I've also added two photographs to the slideshow on the right. These two pictures are of a few more individuals in Latvia and -possibly- the only pictures of who might be August Johann Theodor Trusinskis -a man whom we think died in 1972 in Riga and had "two wives and three children". The man was my grandfather's brother. I didn't realize that we had a picture of him until I had just scanned them. We have been unable to locate his children or grandchildren in Latvia.

REMEMBER: you can click on the pictures to enlarge them!!

Dr. Trusinskis

I sent an email yesterday to a gentleman in Latvia who was a doctor that worked on a series of journal articles with a possible relative of mine: Dr. Karlis Trusinskis. I emailed him because I cannot find the email of Karlis Trusinskis and so I had asked that the doctor forward the email to him or let him know in some other way about it. **I've changed my profile to allow people to contact me by email if they click on the profile. Prior to that, people had to post a message, but may have chosen not to because they had felt apprehensive about it becoming public.

I hope to hear from Dr. Trusinskis -even if he is unsure if there is a relationship. As I said in the email to his colleague, "there aren't too many Trusinskis' in the world..."

Keep your fingers crossed...

You say Truschinski, I say Trusinsky...

After my wife and I get back from Europe I think I am going to order a DNA test for genealogical research. It will trace a particular gene that is passed from father to son. That means, if, for example, someone 300 years ago had three or four male children and they had children, etc., those people male children and their descendants will have the same gene and a relationship will be proven. At Family Tree DNA they then compare the results with their database. One then has the opportunity to contact others. I know I won't find another "Trusinsky", but I just might find another Trusinski or Trusinskis, etc.

Why the title? It is my own take on the ditty, "you say tomAto, I say tomOto". I mention it because there aren't many "Trusinsky's" in the world, but, as I have mentioned before, I've found at least four variations of the spelling of Trusinsky amongst the documents discovered in my research. I've brainstormed all of the variations of "Trusinsky" and checked the internet. I'm going to list them here and in another posting on the blog in the hopes that some of them find this site and send me a note!

Struck out.

No luck. The only film that was there was for deaths from 1918-1920 and there wasn't a single thing of interest. I don't think Alexander Friedrich Eduard Truschinsky and his death will be heard from again. Now I just wait for all of those marriage records to come in....

Going to examine records tomorrow

I am going to the Oakdale LDS to examine some records that had arrived. They involve the Truschinskys and possible Tills -the two families of greatest interest to me on my father's side. One record is for deaths from 1918-1920 and may have my great granduncle's death record. The particular reason I say "may" is because the notes I have from my father say that he may have died from "Sibia on train" -whatever that means. The "big" insight or information that I seek from this record -besides the date and cause of death for Alexander Friedrich Eduard Truschinsky- is his birth location. I need more information to better track down that line of the family tree.

The other records, I believe, are all for marriages from Jakobs Kirche from 1912-1938. I expect some surprises in those records.

I am done with school for the summer after this Friday. I will get a chance next week to peruse the records at my leisure. Also, I will have to order some more records before I leave for Europe. Something I will order soon will be records from the German Embassy in Riga (pre-WWII). They have passport applications and if so many individuals fled Latvia for Germany in the years prior to WWII, they may have been required to demonstrate German heritage and also to get a passport. That elusive link may be very important for finding a living "Till" in German to whom we are related. There is no information indicating a migration or any Truschinskys from Latvia other than my grandfather one of his sisters, Leontine, who went to Australia. The challenge for that family will be in establishing a link backwards to the time in which they migrated TO Latvia from Prussia or Germany.

Outgoing communcation

Nothing much new since I've established contact with my relatives in Australia. I sent a document that shows everything I have entered into my software from my earliest Truschinsky. While I haven't heard back, I suspect they are waiting for some sort of a series of questions from me. So, I have to get around to making a questionnaire to send and that Michael can use. I will solicit some pictures, as well.

I haven't heard anything from Karina in Latvia yet, but it has only been about two weeks via snail mail.

I still haven't heard anything from the German Baltic genealogy society so a few days ago I sent two letters out via post. I'm hoping I get a response, even if it is that they can't help me with the information that I've provided. Ideally, they have a person or people working on examining their records for my relatives! That, however, is quite the long shot!

I also got a comment on my inquiry that I posted on a genealogy web site regarding my Deifel heritage. So, after two weeks, I have now responded to her. I think a relationship will be established (there are too many similarities) -it is just a matter of where the connection is made. That will please my mother to a great degree and maybe, just maybe, she will start practicing her German as much as I am! In fact, I just ordered a German newspaper to be delivered twice a week. It should be a nice learning tool.

I expect to receive some Truschinsky records from the LDS in the next week or two. I think I will find something there of note.

SUCCESS!

Because of my wonderful 2nd cousin Karina, in Latvia, my father managed to contact via phone his cousin, Helmut Gangnuss, in Australia! Apparently he did give my father his email address. I have written him and exchanged a few emails with his son. He told me a bit about his family, including the fact that S. Gangnuss is his wife. I KNEW there had to be a connection! I have sent the contact information for my Gangnuss contact in Germany to him, so if you are reading this Gustav, you will probably be getting an email soon!

Also, regarding Karina, I did just send her a letter via snail mail (no email usage at her end). In it I suggest an ongoing correspondence by letter and in them we can learn more about one another and our families and, in time, hopefully meet. As some who read this know, while I am traveling to Iceland, Sweden and Finland this summer, Latvia is not on the itinerary. I hope to visit in 2009 with my father. Maybe by that time I will have established a contact with the Tills, though that is a more distant relation. I suppose that with greater biological distance, the interest level on their behalf is more likely to be small. Bummer.

Map of Lativan communities in which I have found ancestors

View Larger Map

You can interact with the map by using the arrows on the left side of the map. In doing so, you can zoom in to see what specific communities are marked in blue and, in some instances, what family line was there. I will at some point post a map of communities in the world in which I currently have relatives.

Ho-hum update

I went to the LDS on Wednesday and took a lot of photos of birth, death and marriage records from Limbazi. Nothing particularly interesting except that I noticed the name "Kerstein" is spelled a few different names in the records (Kirstein, Kerstens). I find it a bit interesting because it isn't a particularly difficult name. The Kersteins are related by the first marriage to August Till, but, as I mentioned in a posting months ago, I am not related to Emma Kerstein through their four children -I am related to August Till by his second marriage and that was to someone with the last name of Puls. I probably won't follow the Kerstein record much more because of that fact. My Rogenhagen contact might be a bit more interested in it, so when you read this contact me if you are interested in finding out more. Anyway, I will have to order a couple of records from Limbazi that range from around 1800 to 1836. Of particular interest would be if I found a more detailed death record for August Till's father, Samuel. All I have is the date of his death, not the place of birth, which would be far more meaningful to further my research chronologically.

I did order four more records on Wednesday. They are all for St. Jakobs Church in Riga. Three of them are wedding records and one of them is a death record for 1918-1920. I hope to find a death record for another Truschinsky of whom it has been suggested died in that range. If I recall correctly, I don't have a birth record for that person. I don't know if his birth will be revealed to be in Kurland or Livland. The marriage records probably will get a Till and/or Truschinsky. I know Johann Till get married at Jakobs, but the date may be just prior to the date for the records I had ordered. I will eventually order those records. It will be a busy summer in that regard.

I have been a bit more, well, "concerned" isn't the correct term, but "focused" might be more appropriate on getting records for deaths in Latvia post WWII. The Latvian embassy in Washington provides a service for $10 in which it sends a form to the Latvian archives to do a search on said individual. I will look more closely at this this weekend. It is through these records that I might be able to establish a contact in Latvia or Germany.

Finally, I sent an email to the DBGG in late April and haven't received a response of any sort. It was recommended by Dr. Hermann Rogenhagen and I felt a bit optimistic that I would get some sort of response, but I have not, as of yet. I am going to wait until around May 20 and then send a snail mail letter to Germany.

Truschinsky frustration

I totally understand that one will inevitably hit roadblocks in genealogy research, but this is a bit crazy. I waited three months to get the information on my great grandfather, August Truschinsky, and after I finally get it, I run into a new roadblock in less than one day! UGH!!! August was born, according to his death record, in Salisburg. This town is now called Mazsalaca. There is no record of his birth in that location. So, I look in surrounding locations and then I do find his birth record. The birth record gives the names of his parents and they are the same as another I found in Truschinsky birth record for a town called at that time Alt Salis (but is now called Salacgriva). I had found the father's death record in Alt Salis a few days earlier and it indicated a birth location in Kurland -Aswiken. This community is now called Aizviki. I searched in the records in nearby, slightly larger towns and, thus far, there are no records. Another person who either died or got married listed their birth location as Diensdorf in Kurland. That community is now called Dinsdurbe. No such luck in my search there, either. What is interesting is that this family has four different communities in which they lived or were born. I still haven't found two supposed brothers in this family, but I did find an unknown female named Olga -though I have not confirmed a relationship.

*sigh* the search goes on...

Truschinsky update

I had some success yesterday at the LDS in Oakdale. I am doing follow up research today at home on the internet. I found the death record for my great grandfather, August Julius Theodor Truschinsky (born in Alojas, Latvia), as well as confirmed the identity and death record of his father (my great-great grandfather) Eduard Truschinsky. The record of my great, great grandfather indicates the cause of death as "erysypelas" and includes a few other words I can't seem to make out. If you google erysypelas, you get, among other things, this link which seems to explain it. Erysypelas seems to also go by the name St. Anthony's fire. It sounds terrible, but also seems to create a quite vivid image in my mind.




I still have another Truschinky, Olga, that I have to tie into the tree. She was married Salacas -the locale where the other records were found.