Reflections of Cousin JMB

Thank you Walt E. Engle for your perseverance and attention to detail. Those footprints are much more defined because of your contributions.

Cousin JMB

Family Historian, Walter E. Engle

Walter ‘Walt’ Engle first appeared on my Genealogy Radar back in 2001 when he contacted me concerning my queries on Rootsweb.com. He was living in San Diego at the time and was heavily into his Engle ancestors’ footprints swirling in the Midwest dust.

Over the years I learned to respect Walt’s research and appreciate his drive and energy. I came to trust his instincts, finding his data was usually the result of serious research and bull-headed determination. [both traits that I have come to expect from Engle descendants] .

Yes, he made errors, perhaps not the first Engle researcher to do so and obviously not the last, ahem……but when confronted with a possible mistake, he was always eager to research it further, if not eager to retract it without question. That’s why I respected his efforts. He has left a legacy for all who follow. All of us who are still sifting thru the dust of decades to find those precious footprints.

I follow his advice. Never accept as fact any item that remains unverified. Make notes of every idea and tangent sprig of data and where it comes from. It may work into the resulting record or may be disproved. Sometimes it is not for us to decide, but to document. Either way, make a record of it.

I have individuals in my trees that have 2 or more death dates or birth dates. I get questioned on this frequently. I may have my “preferred” date or location, but I may not have documented proof. Therefore, everyone’s opinion is noted to be sorted out at a later ‘date’

Much of the effort from ‘the five cousins’ and the central purpose of ‘englegenealogy.com’ is to sort the KNOWN from the MAYBE. Remember, when you insert a set of parents for a distant ancestor, be sure you know what you are talking about. Do not accept a detail that has no valid documentation.

A mistake picked up by one researcher is multiplying an error; when it is picked up and used by several researchers – without verification – it becomes HISTORY and is eventually unquestioned by subsequent researchers and descendants. It then becomes a solid part of the family story.