I've been trying to research my grandfather's family, and I'm finding very limited information. His surname was Oberzol.
My grandmother divorced him and never spoke to him again, so my mother and aunt knew little about him. It took all their combined memory to remember his sisters/brothers names, and no one could remember his mother's name. I had to find that on my own (Antoinette). I still don't know her last name, but I'm finding it might be Todalskai, Todalski or Stodalski. I can't find anything on her beyond a 1920 census where her first name is spelled differently.
My grandfather died in 1994, and his siblings all died long before him. I have no idea if my mother has any living cousins out there, and neither does she. All I've found are some SS death records and a 1920 census. On the census it states that both of my great-grandparents came from Austria in 1905. First of all, we were always told they came from Poland. My great grandmother didn't speak English, only Polish, and my great grandfather always said he was from Poland (according to my grandmother).
Also, on this census, the last name, Oberzol, is spelled wrong. I was thinking there might be a chance that they came to America together. In 1905 they would have been 27 and 16. Could that have been a coincidence, or a mistake, or would they have been married that young?
How much can be taken as truth from the censuses?
And where should I go from here? I had no clue they were even from Austria, never mind what part, and I don't know who could tell me. I'm sad I got my hopes up. I thought I might find something worthwhile. I never met my grandfather, and my mom won't talk about him. I'd just like to know more...