Names the Same

Over the weekend, I started working on something I had been putting off for forever. To me it had always seemed like a monumental task but somehow, I felt like it just couldn't be put off any longer. I'm sure at this point you are probably wondering what this monumental task was.

This monumental task that I could no longer put off was the beginning stages of inputting my great uncle's, Will Hosch, descendants into my family tree. Big deal ,right? Wrong? My great uncle had 18 children. Yes, you read that right 18, all single births, and all by the same woman, his beloved wife, Maude Johnson Hosch.

As I began on this project, I was reminded of another maddening hurdle a lot of genealogist face, names the same.

This is just 2 of my HOSCH (granddad and uncle Will) lines but so far I have

2 Roy Edwards
6 Roys
6 Wills / Willies

and I haven't even inputted everyone, yet.

All the Willies are how the family reunion was started. Cousin Julius Hosch's wife, Janie, contacted my mother back in the early 60s and stated "with all these Willies in the family we need to have a family reunion." And that's how our family reunion started. Later, my grandmother's side of the family was included.

While having all these names the same can be maddening, it's also what makes my family my family. Strangely, it helps you to get to know your ancestors on a more personal level by focusing on the minute things that separate one Willie in your family/ancestry from another family member with the same surname named Willie.


Till Next Time!