Thursday, October 2, 2014

Three things I am trying to find.

Most of the time, I have mad research skills. I can find things, it is part of what I do for a living, and I'm good at it. Most of the time. There are times where I am fallible. When google fu evades me. These are the things I've been trying to research. Three things that frustrate me to no end every few months when I go back to them. These are my Holy Grails.

1) The family of Dr. Martin Couney. Cristin O'Keefe Aptowitz  got me back on this case after she gave a talk about her book last week. Couney was the doctor of the Coney Island Infantorium for many years in the early 20th century. His work was sound, and it was said he saved many premature babies. Just how many, and who they were is not exactly known. His papers have not been found, and his only family, his daughter Hildegarde, is untraceable. I'm sure she's dead, but where and when did she die. She is said to have never married and I cannot find her. I'm also a few hundred miles from some where I can find potential leads. Drives me nuts!

2) Information about my Great Uncle Edward A. Plunkett, who served in the 45th division Company A in World War 2 and was killed in action in March 1945. I received his individual death file a couple of years ago. What I'm trying to find are people alive who knew him during the war. Those chances are dying by the day, if they're not already gone. I'm in a Facebook group about the 45th, which is informative but I have hit nothing directly. There's also a strong possibility he had a child, and it's been one dead end after another.

3) Elton John, August 5th, 1982. This was a show I saw at Madison Square Garden and it was a really good concert. Been trying to find a bootleg of it, but have never found one from that specific date. I'm pretty sure it was taped because someone was playing part of the show on the train ride home after the concert. I'd also like to know if the setlist is as I remember. The link says he did The Bitch is Back after Empty Garden, I'm pretty sure it was Goodbye Yellow Brick Road. I wonder if the death crush I went with would remember?

I rotate these items, occasionally I find a small nugget, a name, an extra link to bookmark. Concrete conclusions and evidence has been hard to come by though. So I plod on, knowing that life would not be complete when I find the information, but a path for more mysteries.

2 comments:

s_baghaii said...

For your great uncle, did you try requesting his military records?

Someone Said said...

His records I have. There's not much there we did not already know. I'm trying to find some living army buddies, or even their family members, and have had no success.