-----Original Message-----
From: Valerie Chereskin

I found the 1910 census record for them in
Lincoln City, Nebraska and it lists their arrival as 1907.


Well that is your first problem -- do not trust the Census especially
on things such as arrival dates. People did not always remember the
details nor did the records always get written down correctly.
There are so many possibilities. Maybe they did not understand the
question and though the person meant when did you arrive in Nebraska
instead of the USA. Maybe they did not remember or maybe they so oh
we have been here for years and the census taker decided that meant
three years. Take the 1907 as a clue but not a fact.

What makes you certain they came in via Ellis Island? They could have
come in via Boston or a half dozen major ports in the USA. Also a lot of
people going to the midwest went via Canada and the railroad.
Did they have any family members they were going to when they arrived?
Did you look for those family members especially if there is a 1905
census for where ever they were living.

The obvious is that they used variations of the names you think they
used or the spelling and transcription into the modern index is a a problem.
It might be as simple as the names are reverse with the family name and
forename switched around.

Have you tried looking for things like a naturalization record?
If either of the women filed for naturalization the forms would have
asked for arrival details.

Do you have any idea where they would have been coming >from to the USA?
The Hamburg lists survive so if they might have come >from Hamburg
you might want to look at those departure lists.

Don't give up but widen the search parameters and also question your
assumptions in doing the search. Start with simple things like only
using family names and widen the age parameters, etc. and expand the use
of wildcards. If that does not work go further and don't trust memories
or notes or even second hand sources.

Allan Jordan