Posted by Jim Koch on December 15, 19101 at 16:38:46:
In Reply to: Needle in a haystack posted by Brad Anderson on December 13, 19101 at 11:48:28:
: Okay, this is going to sound ridiculous. I am trying to do a family tree. My great great grandfather was the captain of a boat that sank in the great lakes. That would mean the time frame is somewhere in the late 1800's or early 1900's. According to my grandmother (she is suffering from Alzheimer's) he went down with his ship. His last name was Clayton. That's all I know. I know it's a shot in the dark, but maybe somebody knows something. Thanks.
>
To solve your puzzle you need at least one more piece of information.
The name of the vessel on which he perished would suffice.
The approximate location, or the date of the sinking would help.
The date would likely suffice, since then you could do a newspaper search.
You know your Grandmother's date of birth.
Obviously your Great Grandfather wasn't killed until after she was conceived.
Unless your Grandmother is over a century old her father died in the 20th century.
You might go through old family photo albums and look for records such as death certificates.
If your Great Grandfather owned land or a home the title would have transferred to an heir shortly after his death.
If you can trace the wreck to Lake Erie, let me know and I'll do a library search.
Good Luck.
>
Jim Koch