Tombstone Tuesday - 03-Mar-2009

My mom's side of the family (on her dad's side) has the family name of Domelle (pronounced DOM-lee). Domelle has always been a tough name to research. It looks french, but the census records and immigration records indicate they immigrated from the Austro-Hungarian empire and spoke German. The area of the Austro-Hungarian empire they came from is in modern Romania, but it seems that they emigrated down there from the Alsace-Lorraine region, so maybe they were originally french?

After that, I've got nothing. I have very few photographs, and sadly, it's one of those families where people didn't really keep up with each other. I know I still have family out in Indiana (which is where the Domelle's settled, after a stint of living in Chicago for some of them) and California. There is a branch of Domelle's up in Canada, that I know are related in some way, I believe the original Domelle's who went to the US and the one's who went to Canada were cousins.

It's kind of the bummer part of genealogy - where you hit that wall and then there's just nothing. I think it will have to be one of my resolutions this year that I delve back into the Domelle family and find who else is out there and see who will talk to me!

Meanwhile, several years ago my family took a trip out to Indiana to see all the old places where my grandfather grew up. The farm, the little town, his schools. They were all still there!

My strongest recollection of Indiana (at least the part where we were) is that it's FLAT. FLAT FLAT FLAT. I've never seen such flatness. But then, I've never been to Kansas either, and I hear it's flat there too. And the roads were so straight!!!! My little area of the world here where I've spent most of my life is not flat, there's lots of little hills. No mountains, just hills. And lots of curvy little roads.

We found a cemetery in Indiana where there were some Domelle stones (notice one branch of the family spells it "Domele").

Anthony Domele is my 2nd cousin twice removed, son of John Domele and Mary Tunner. They were born in what was then Hungary (now Romania). Mae was from good ole Indiana though. I wonder if she thought Anthony and his family were exotic?


Anthony (known as "Tony") is my grand-uncle, brother to my grandfather. He was born in Chicago, son of William and Elizabeth Domelle.


Nick is my great-granduncle. He and his wife Barbara were born in what was Hungary (now Romania). Nick is my grandfather's uncle, brother to the William I listed just above.


John and Mary Domele were the parents of the first Anthony (up above). Both emigrated from what was Hungary (now Romania).


So yeah, now I'm going to have to put some more effort into the Domelle's, I've been inspired!