Genealogy Chat

Hi Elaine, yes i think it would be 01 then 212 then their phone number

No Gwyneth, I think Friday is ok, before sunset that is. Shabbat is Friday sunset until Saturday sunset. This is truly a fascinating story....I have been following it, can't wait for a letter to get there and be or not be answered. I think someone should phone..but speak to the son first, not Heinz, it could be too much of a shock. Supposing he doesn't know she died. Supposing he waited and waited for her to come.

Am I right in thinking you will need to dial 00 first, then 1. PS Have been following your story - hope the phone call is successful.

Make sure you get them to write down your phone number or email even if Karen says their Heinz is the wrong man....... You don't want her asking him afterwards and him saying......''It's me!!'' and then she has no way to contact you! Hubby says 001 is dialing code for US and then leave off the 0 (if there is one) at the start of the phone number. Merry

the code to USA is 1 and the manhattan code is 212 good luck!!

Thanks, Karen. So I could actually call when I get back from the show tonight. If I call around midnight our time (London time) it should be around 7pm US time - I think that's quite a good time to call, don't you? I will be extremely tactful and polite - and I shall ask to speak to Karen Boley. If she's anything like us women on here, she'll understand the sentimental reasons behind the call (hopefully). As soon as I find out one way or the other if we are on the right track I shall log on and let you all know. I won't be bombarding them with questions, though. I will give them the brief outline of what we have (I don't think I will mention straight off about Herta's death) and who we are looking for and if they confirm that he is the right chap, then I shall tell them that I will contact the Lambeth Archives/SLP and, if they are happy about it, someone will be in touch with them about Herta's belongings. But if they start asking questions and wanting to know more, of course I'll fill them in. Oh yes...seeing as I've never phoned US before...does anyone know what the code is from England?

Tomorrow is Friday. I don't thnk we should call any Jewish people that day. I would think it's a special family day for them. Gwyn

Maybe we should get a list of questions ready for our caller. My questions to start off are: How long had he know Herta? When or did he find out she had died? How did she die? Has he had a happy life since? Toni

i know new york is 5 hours behind us if thats anyhelp is it worth getting either the london paper or the archives to ring either the synagog and find out if he goes there or the social security place( or whater ever is the version of our local council or records office ) and find out if he is the right one first may get a shock if hes told info that doesnt correspond with him

I think Heather's idea is sound. This is an old man not just an entry in an archive. We dont't want to upset him too much. Pauline

Maybe Howard is Heinz's son. and Karen his daughter in law? maybe Heinz's is living with them as he is 86 years old?, if it is the right Heinz's....... I am reading it that he waited a few years, until his early thirty's anyway, before he got married, was he waiting/checking for Herta all of that time.....Did he ever find any answers, do we have all his answers. I do hope so......Lilly

Ring! If you call about 7.30 in the evening one of the others will probably answer the phone anyway and you can feel your way from there. A five hour time difference between UK and New York I think (do your phone books have time differences, like we do in Australia?) Victoria

Ring or write is a hard call. If he has a son living with him we could assume that at some stage he got on with his life whether he knew about Herta or gave up on her, I'd like to think he knew and was able to move on. The not knowing would be worse. On second thoughts I think it might be better to ring and see if you can speak to the children first. That way if it is a problem or shock to him we know someone is home with him. Writing a letter could mean he reads it on his own. It is likely that the children know the story anyway or at least part of it. On a selfish point of view though a phone call is quicker. Thats my thoughts Toni

Just a thought (shoot me down in flames) but if Heinz is still a practicing Jew (which is pretty likely) can we find a local synagogue and perhaps speak to the Rabbi before approaching Heinz. Good idea or not?

...just what I was thinking, Karen. This could just be a bit of a wild goose chase that I've started here LOL (sorry if it is - I know we'll all be disappointed). But at least if we can rule him out then the GR Detectives can go on with their searching... Only thing is, folks, I am off to a flamenco show tonight after work, so I won't be able to call until tomorrow (oh, and what's the time difference? Don't want to be calling them in the middle of the night LOL). If you can't wait till tomorrow - if anyone else wants to take the plunge and give them a call, feel free - just let us know on here that you're going to do it otherwise that poor family might end up with half a dozen strange phone calls later on LOL

Call be quicker, i dont think i can wait weeks for closure on this story if he isnt the one then it`ll take a few days to find the right one i think.

Hi - I'm almost finished with the drafting of the letter...but having just read the last post (Snowdrops), maybe I should address it to one of the other names in that household. Shall I change it, Carol? I keep thinking that maybe I should pluck up the courage and just RING them - maybe ask to speak to one of the others in the family. I have done stuff like that before when I was trying to trace living relatives from a certain branch of my tree - ended up having a wonderful conversation with a 90 year old man who wasn't who I thought he was but who seemed to enjoy the chat all the same LOL I'm quite happy to send this letter, but think of the LOOOONG wait we shall have for a reply! Are we that patient? Erm....nope!!! Probably not LOL What shall we do then? Write - or call?

Lol i bet carol didnt think it would get as far as this, (6 pages)

You lot, what are you like? Well done yet again!!!!!!!! Just a thought, because whoever contacts him (be it you lot or the archive/newspaper people) it'll come as a shock to him after all these years, so..... what about contacting one his children listed? They could then perhaps enquire about it very gently with him? Well done again (and again and again and again). Snowdrops

i just tried to find the article that was in the newspaper i got the website but couldnt find the story i follwed the link that joe gave yester day but it wouldnt work.