Gene-o-rama 2014

Gen-o-rama is a family history conference sponsored by the Ottawa Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society in late March or early April almost every year. At Gen-o-rama in 2014,  I was perusing the marketplace to see if there was anything that I should consider purchasing.  Global Genealogy had their books of information from newspapers from Lanark County out and I was considering that it might be in my best interest to purchase one.  But, I had to find one that would be of the most benefit to my research.  So, I was checking the indexes to see if any of my ancestors were listed.  Not surprisingly, there were very few

Farrells listed.  Then I came to the book containing the obituaries for 1902.  I found only one name:  Mary Ann Farrell.  I didn’t think that this could be my great-grandmother, but I decided to check anyway.  As I read the obituary, I really became excited.  This indeed was my great-grandmother.  This obituary listed where Mary Ann died and was buried. I was so excited.  I wrote down the community where she was buried.  However, I did not purchase the book.  I did enter the information into Ancestry that same day through my tablet.  (Yes, there was internet access at the conference.)

After I got home, I began to google Cohorton to see where it is located.  I found that Cohorton was not the name of the community but it is Cohocton and is located about 2 hours southeast of Buffalo, New York.  It is a small community but it does have an historic society which has a Facebook page.

I sent them a message to see if they had any information on my great-grandmother and her family.  About 2 weeks passed and a message was returned.  Mary Ann passed away in 1902 after a period of time suffering from tuberculosis.  Two years previously, she gave birth to a baby girl by the name of Margaret.  Her husband’s name was Frank (Francis) and they had moved there 6 years previously.  That was about the extent of the information that they were able to find in that time.

This gave me more information than what I had before.  I still have more information to find. 

As it turns out, my husband and I own a house in the Niagara Peninsula about 3 hours north of Cohocton.  I was already planning a trip to there for about a week in the beginning of June for a dinner being held by the 57 Field Regiment Association.  I made some adjustments to my plans so that I could go visit Cohocton on Friday, go to the dinner on Saturday evening, and then conclude my business and travel home by Tuesday. 

The staff of the Historical Society of Cohocton had graciously given me their street address and phone number so that I was able to drive down and visit.  I was not able to visit the cemetery that Mary Ann was buried in. I have not finished my research in upper New York State.

You never know what you will find at a family history conference.