I just switched names on two pictures in the family album: two great grandfathers, August F. Buschick and Henry Voigt. It has been quite a few years now since I received the family album; it's been years since I scanned all the pictures in it. It was about time I got the correct names under the great grandfathers.
THE ALBUM HAD BEEN NICELY ORGANIZED
The great grandfathers, side by side, on first page, and great grandmothers on the backside. Years ago I had put question marks next to their names: August Buschick? Henry Voigt? thinking their wives were back-to-back to them. But I wasn’t sure back then. One would think the grandfathers on one side of that first page would match up to the grandmothers on his back side. I penciled the names on the first page because there was no identification. I guess it could be they had never met their grandfathers since both died before either mom and Flo were born. On the great grandmother's side the writing is either my mother’s or aunt Florence’s. I knew the grandmother’s were correctly identified because both mom and aunt Flo were old enough before they died to remember them. So that is how the album pages have been for many years.
THE REALIZATION
As it turns out the position of the pictures should have clued any of us on who was who. Position 1 on the great grandfather's page matches with position 1 on the great grandmother's page, not 1 with 2 (or back-to-back) positions as originally thought possible. As confusing as it was, it is moot now because they are properly identified in the album...finally! Henry Voigt is Henry, and August is August F. Buschick.
HOW DO I KNOW THAT?
Recently I went to the Chicago History Museum Research Center (CHMRC) where I was told a picture of my great grandfather Buschick existed. Why would they have a picture of him there? Well, between the 1850s and 1880s, he was involved in and owned a steam boiler manufacturing business in Chicago and became somewhat well-known for one reason or another.
The clerk brought my request over to the table. I donned the required white gloves, and opened the large envelope containing the infamous picture. One look and immediately I knew I had the wrong identification of him back home. The picture is a little different then the one in the album. It could be a little older, but he is wearing the same suit. Still they are the same person and that's what counts.
This must be the writing of a business partner or employee: A.F. Buschick; My old Supt. on the front and on the back is A.F. Buschick; 15 years my supt GKS [?] 1885. (August died in 1883.) I believe the writing from a person who worked for, or with, August had to be correct. I don't think he would have known my great grandfather Henry Voigt who was a carpenter in another part of Chicago. [Incidentally, the picture has been catalogued in CHMRC as A.J. Buschick. I mentioned the correct initials to the clerk. I hope she has a chance to correct it.]
For several years, I knew the CHMRC had a picture of my great grandfather, but things got in the way and I just never got over there until recently. This image confirmed I had to switch the identifications in the album. Big problem: the image of Henry identified as August Buschick is out on Ancestry.com’s family trees and there are too many trees to try to correct. It is also on one of my earlier blog posts. I have since made a note on that post. I just hope someone who is reading this blog post owns one of those online trees and will correct the error. I am truly sorry this has happened, but it does and is now corrected. This is what genealogists/family historians do…correct errors as we research.
