Genealogical kindred spirits abound!

Where has this genealogical sparkle been all my life?! This past week, I have received emails from several sources and not all directly related but thrilling contacts nevertheless.

1. Julianne H. found me while she browsed the www.ancestry.com message boards. She had a detailed list of the SS Heliopolis ship's manifest from the first immigrant sailing from Spain in 1907. My ancestors were not on that ship, but the information was boundless and has encouraged me to detail the SS Orteric's manifestinstead of my squinting at each page while looking at the pages for detailed information and passenger names. Thank you, Julianne!

2. Jenifer A. is related to me from afar. Her grandmother is Theodora Silvan Souza's daughter, Dorothy, age 83. Dorothy and I have had some wonderful, long conversations and I smile when I remember how happy she was to reminisce about her youth, her mother, father, their lives together and her life as an adult. We have hopes up that a box she is anxious to open and riffle through may have some Silvan information, especially marriage date and documents from her parent's marriage in Hawaii. All we know is it was early 1919 or earlier.. Their first child (Dorothy's older sister) was Josephine, born April 1920. Jenifer has been a wonderful help as we research and gather the Souza history. Jenifer also found me on www.ancestry.com when she input her family names and my family tree information popped up for her. Sharing the pictures and documents from my tree with her family was a wonderful event for her and for them.

3. Jeanne! She also found me on www.ancestry.com and the criss-crossing avenues from me to her is pretty amazing. My great-great-grandfather James Dillon Chubb was married to her great-great-grandmother -- They divorced to each remarry again. When I was last in Oregon, my mother showed me an old autograph book (1884+) that belonged to her grandfather, Ervin Lyle Chubb -- Inside the book, we found pages listing family members named 'Pool' and they signed as brother and sisters. Then, we found Priscilla L. Chubb and knew she must be married to James D Chubb --- a wife we had never heard of. It added adventure and surprise to our wandering through their family history and Jeanne found me through this blog when the names popped up. How amazing is that? She's shared pictures of Priscilla and her family tree on www.ancestry.com with me and I am so appreciative for that!

4. Cindy S. found my posting about the SS Willesden on www.rootsweb.com -- Another kindred spirit who lives in Utah and she's looking up family history for a friend as a favor! She was excited to read that I had the Spanish poster that lured the Portuguese and Spaniards to the Hawaiian sugar fields and I was happy to email it to her.

5. Judy A. found me by googling her family name or the village of Fuentesauco and my blog popped up. HER GRANDPARENTS WERE ALSO BORN IN FUENTESAUCO!! She and her mother and daughter traveled to the little town in 2006 and I am more than hopeful to talk with her to bombard her with questions about what she saw, who she spoke to, if she found documents relating to her grandmother and where she found them....

A fresh new week ahead. I wonder what stunning results I will find and whether I will 'meet' any more wonderful genealogical kindred spirits along the way?!