Signed "Your Cousin"

It seems like I have been searching for Cowhey relatives for a lifetime. It is such an unusual name; every time I look at a new genealogy database or Irish family surname book or an assortment of family trees I type in or search for COWHEY - most often to no avail.

Imagine my excitement when I did a search one day several years ago within what is now Genealogy.com's online user family tree pages. (Back then it was Broderbund's Family Tree Maker site and it was free to access the data.) I typed in COWHEY and, sure enough, there was a Cowhey family tree right before my eyes. Not only did I find the surname that I was looking for, but there listed alongside it were other familiar surnames. I had found a branch of my family online, thanks to a cousin who had done his own research and posted it to the web.

Over the years since that find and my resulting contact with my distant cousin Jim who posted the family tree, I have enjoyed the comfort of knowing that another descendant of my Cowhey ancestors was seeking out the stories of our family. Knowing that Jim was working on the same project and keeping in contact with him to share discoveries has been a great blessing.

Consider this a thank-you from your fellow Cowhey family historian, Jim. Since the first day I received an email back from you signed warmly "Your cousin, Jim" I've greatly appreciated having found you and now others that share our Irish Pennsylvania heritage. You all have become a long-distance "part of the family" so to speak. It is a joy to "meet" others online whom I never knew existed but who share a common bond that only family members can.

Here's hoping that together we will find more Cowhey cousins to share the amazing stories of our ancestors...

This post will be included in the 40th edition of the Carnival of Genealogy posted at Jasia's Creative Gene.