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Where Do You Start?
In William Lavelle's case, it started with stories about his grandson, James Ivan Lavelle, 1909-1976, who inherited his grandfather's gift for storytelling, though there is no proof James ever met his grandfather, or father for that matter.
My inlaws came to live with us in 2006, and to keep a longish story short, William almost saved my sanity, LOL. His great grandson, Richard told me bits and pieces of his father and grandfather, John Henry Lavelle, who Richard never met.
So, I used the stories, to eventually get to the 'Wild West Actor' who was the double for Buffalo Bill, and most of the 'stories' James had told were true in part just a generation off usually. Richard's father had told Richard and his brother two different stories about his father and grandfather, stories of being orphaned, and saved(by an uncle by marriage), where his father was buried, in Ohio, which was right, I found John Henry's death record in Ohio, right where it was supposed to be. :)
For 30 years my inlaws thought John Henry's father was also John Henry, and for 30 years they didn't find their Wild West Actor. I found John Henry's birth record(as William) information on the FamilySearch site which listed William A Lavelle and Carrie Erickson as his parents. Slowly, the pieces and bits came out, the stories that Richard had known but didn't tell me came out.
But, after 3 years, I cannot find William in the 1850-1900 census records. I can find many items I am slowly posting in the other thread, many articles, cast lists, descriptions of William, but nothing that tells me who his parents were other than that they were James and Hannah/Anna Sweeney Lavelle of PA, or Ireland. I have stories of spying for the Union in the Civil War, but not a single military record for him, but I have the stories.
Sometimes the stories are enough, because what William was in the end was a grand storyteller, and though he never met his grandchildren, great grandsons and great great grandchildren he passed a fine gift to them. I think he would be tickled to know what he wrought. :)
My inlaws came to live with us in 2006, and to keep a longish story short, William almost saved my sanity, LOL. His great grandson, Richard told me bits and pieces of his father and grandfather, John Henry Lavelle, who Richard never met.
So, I used the stories, to eventually get to the 'Wild West Actor' who was the double for Buffalo Bill, and most of the 'stories' James had told were true in part just a generation off usually. Richard's father had told Richard and his brother two different stories about his father and grandfather, stories of being orphaned, and saved(by an uncle by marriage), where his father was buried, in Ohio, which was right, I found John Henry's death record in Ohio, right where it was supposed to be. :)
For 30 years my inlaws thought John Henry's father was also John Henry, and for 30 years they didn't find their Wild West Actor. I found John Henry's birth record(as William) information on the FamilySearch site which listed William A Lavelle and Carrie Erickson as his parents. Slowly, the pieces and bits came out, the stories that Richard had known but didn't tell me came out.
But, after 3 years, I cannot find William in the 1850-1900 census records. I can find many items I am slowly posting in the other thread, many articles, cast lists, descriptions of William, but nothing that tells me who his parents were other than that they were James and Hannah/Anna Sweeney Lavelle of PA, or Ireland. I have stories of spying for the Union in the Civil War, but not a single military record for him, but I have the stories.
Sometimes the stories are enough, because what William was in the end was a grand storyteller, and though he never met his grandchildren, great grandsons and great great grandchildren he passed a fine gift to them. I think he would be tickled to know what he wrought. :)
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