A Mystery Cousin in USA

[Dargie]

My problem is a classic example of "not talking to parents before too late".

My father corrresponded with a cousin in California before his death in 1984. I know her name and the name of a brother but I have absolutely no idea "how" she is a cousin.

She speaks in her letters about another cousin in England named Edna which is of course quite useless!

She obviously descended from either a MCCULLOUGH line or a COX line but I do not know which.

I have heard a chinese whisper in the family that one McCullough, James(my great gradnfather) came to Australia from Ireland (1854)and another brother went to America (details unknown)so I am inclined to think that she came from the McCullough line.

Her married name was RATTAY married to a Fred. She lived in California and although I have a 1995 letter I fear she has now passed away. She speaks of having two brothers

She had a brother Lyman who was born in 1895 and died in 1981. He lived in Salido Colorado.

Now I realize that I have given very little useful information but am hoping that the USA experts may find either a voyage by a McCullough from County Down Ireland around 1850 or a useful birth of a Lyman ? in 1895 Or details of a death of Lyman in 1981
Hopeless? Probably, but you never now.
PS Not sure if this should be in the USA thread but it is a brick wall!

[Raffaele]

The only element of fact I can latch onto is this

Her married name was RATTAY married to a Fred.
Obviously you know her christian name so perhaps you can provide that.
With that information you might be able to find a marriage in the US and her maiden name.
If that surname corresponds with a Lyman ?????? death c 1981 you have a start.

You need someone with access to US records which most people here don't have.

[Jan1954]

What-ho!

I have just been to the Castle Garden website, threw the name MCCULLOUGH in to check for those who entered via New York in the years just from 1849 to 1852. There were 118 results that came up - a right old mixture of men, women and children - through which you may wish to wander to see if there are any likely candidates.

https://www.
castlegarden.org/

[Megan Roberts]

I can access USA records, but as Raffaele says Lyman who?

[Coromandel]

The US Social Security Death Index can now be searched on FamilySearch, which also has some of the US censuses. Perhaps this will help you find a Lyman with a sister of the right name?

I can't find a Lyman with dates 1895-1981 who died in Salida. There are some with roughly similar dates, but without more information it is difficult to pick out a likely one.

I did wonder about this one who has a connection to Salida, Colorado:

Clarence Lyman Rennie, b.28 July 1895 Kansas City, married Sadie Marcelia Reed 1926 at Pueblo, Colorado. Sadie died 1976 in Salida, Colorado, and her husband in 1981 in Pueblo, Colorado according to https://
homepages.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~edburton/fam21684.htm (SSDI on FamilySearch lists him as just Clarence Rennie and says he died in Chaffee, Colorado).

In fact it looks like his first two names were the other way around or that he was known as Lyman, for he is listed on the 1900, 1910 and 1920 censuses as Lyman Rennie (with middle initial 'C' given on the 1920 census). Each time he is with parents John & Edith Rennie (still in Kansas City in 1900, but in Pueblo, Colorado by 1910). His father John Rennie (whose age I failed to copy, sorry) was born in Canada and mother Edith J. in England, according to the 1900 census transcript on FamilySearch. Their children who can be identified from these censuses are:

John Roy Rennie, b. about 1885 Canada (according to 1910 census)
Gordon Rennie, b. April 1886 Canada (according to 1900 census) (1910 census transcript gives middle initial F)
Edith M. Rennie, b. April 1889 Kansas " " "
Lyman Rennie b. July 1895 Kansas " " "
Mary Rennie b. about 1899 Kansas (according to 1910 census)

(You can see some of the original census images on FamilySearch. I was too lazy to check the details!)

There's a family tree here for these Rennies:

https://
wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=AHN&db=wilsongene&id=I25859

which shows that John Rennie's parents were both Scottish and that his wife Edith Jane (maiden name Friend) was from Brighton, Sussex. Unfortunately I can't spot any links to the surnames you've mentioned so I am probably barking up the wrong tree completely.

[Waitabit]

1930 US census shows a John F. Rattay b. 1890 New Jersey, 40 Wife Mary b.1899 age 31+ Edith Rennie- Mother -in-Law.b.England.
Inglewood, Los Angeles, California.

Perhaps Edith was a McCullough.?

[Waitabit]

John Roy Rennie
Date of Birth:24 Jun 1884

Birth County or District: Peterborough,Canada

Father: John Rennie b.Canada..........His Father b. Scotland

Mother: Edith Jane Friend immigration year 1890.
Pueblo Ward 3, Pueblo, Colorado in 1910

[Coromandel]

1930 US census shows a John F. Rattay b. 1890 New Jersey, 40 Wife Mary b.1899 age 31+ Edith Rennie- Mother -in-Law.b.England.

Ooh, that sounds good, Wendy.

There is a family tree on MyHeritage which includes a John Frederick Rattay with wife Edith Mary Wallace Rennie (b. 11 April 1899, Grandview, Kansas). I can only catch glimpses of it by Google searches but the Google links only go to a MyHeritage log-in page so I guess this is a private tree.

Let's hope Marj will confirm that her cousin's name was Mary or Edith Mary.

Perhaps Edith was a McCullough.?

From the Rootsweb tree mentioned in post #5 the maiden name of Edith (the mother) was Friend.

[Waitabit]

Edith in England wasn't in England! just from!
Ancestry has a tree for JOHN F Rattay also. Marj will be able to view & contact the tree owner.
Saw his Army papers he was into Railroad Telegraphy & Printing . Had one child at that time 1917-1918

b.27 June 1888 Bri, Somerset New Jersey

[Dargie]

You WONDERFUL people. I stand amazed. With so many very vague clues it looks as if you have solved my mystery.
I have just read your posts so while on my second cuppa I will go through them slowly then start emailing the family tree contacts.

Raffaele..Thanks for getting things started . Sorry my clues were so vague but I could have helped out with MARY's name. Sorry.
Jan Thank you for the shipping link that web site should keep me quiet for some time!
Megan Thank you for your interest. Unfortunately that was my problem. I knew Lyman was Mary's brother but I did not know her maiden name so therefore did not know his surname.
Coromandel How amazing..you certanly deserve your title! Now the only reason that I mentioned Salida Colorado was that he was living there. Apparently he had a car accident and died some time later so it makes perfect sense that he died in a hospital in Chaffee.
He also had children not far away so may have died in their home.
Waitabit you have jogged my memory. Mary and Fred did live in Inglewood before she moved into a retirement village. Your information is fantastic as I can now go back to England and check the Friend family

Off now to contact some tree owners.......Hurrah Thanks again to everyone. My basic Ancestry sub just doesn't do the trick. I will let you know what I find out! It is still a little hard to think how Mary is my Dad's cousin but I certainly have the tools now to find out.
Marj.