100-Year Mystery
"My father, who recently turned 85, spent his whole life wondering what happened to his grandfather. His own father wouldn’t talk about it and his mother told him not to ask because it was too sad and he didn’t like to be reminded. It bothered my dad his whole life."
"Several years ago my sister and I decided to try to solve this mystery together. She had done some work on a family tree online, and I had called a parish in Ireland to find his birthdate (we knew it was sometime in the mid-1880s). In addition, we called cemeteries and churches all over Brooklyn. We also wanted to get my father dual Irish citizenship, which he was entitled to because his grandfather was born in Ireland. After endless searches online—including old newspapers, census records and many, many phone calls—my sister and I decided it was officially unsolvable. Then, on a whim, I tried Linda. That same day, I received a message from her. In an instant, we knew the date of of my great-grandfather’s death, where he died and how he died. Then Linda accompanied me to the New York Municipal Records, where I received his death certificate, including his birthdate in Ireland and found HIS father’s death records. In six months, my father had his dual Irish citizenship and an answer to this haunting question. When my stoic father spoke to Linda, he cried. With almost no information to go on, Linda was professional, thorough, and cared as much about solving this 100 year mystery as we did. I’m still amazed. This was an incredible gift and my family is so grateful."
— Jenny R, Brooklyn, NY