‘Two Down, 3 to Go’: How I Reconnected with a Lost Branch of My Family

My journey into genealogy started with a hope — and a deep longing to reconnect with the past. My maternal grandmother, Leah Wasilkofsky, was born in 1872 in Bialystok, Poland, which was part of Russia at the time. She had 5 brothers, and for as long as I can remember, I’ve wanted to find out what happened to them and to locate their descendants.

Penny Crow

For years, the trail was cold. Names changed, records were scarce, and geography worked against me. But I never gave up. I held onto the hope that one day I might find a clue that would open the door to this lost part of my family.

A DNA match and a familiar name

Then, this past fall, I received a DNA match on MyHeritage: a 161 cM match named Jim. Curious, I looked into his family tree and immediately noticed that my grandmother’s maiden name, Wasilkofsky, appeared in his tree, too.

The DNA match with Jim

Jim and I began exchanging messages. Despite the shared surname, we couldn’t quite figure out how we were connected. So we made a pact: if either of us ever discovered the missing link, we’d let the other know.

A Smart Match unlocks the mystery

Months passed. Then, in April, I received a MyHeritage Smart Match that showed my mother and a few cousins in a tree managed by someone I didn’t know. I clicked through, and the details pulled me in deeper. I contacted Sandra, the manager of the tree, right away.

That “stranger” turned out to be the first cousin of Jim’s father. And together, we finally cracked the case! Her paternal grandfather was my grandmother Leah’s brother. His name at birth was Hershel Wasilkofsky, but after immigrating, he had changed his name to Harry Cohen. That explained why I had never been able to find him before.

A segment of Penny’s family tree with the connections to Jim and Sandra mapped out

One of his children, Bessie, was Jim’s great-grandmother — and she was the link that tied all our family trees together.

Sandra had no idea our side of the family even existed. And I, in turn, hadn’t imagined I’d discover a cousin so closely linked to the very branch I’d been searching for. It was an emotional moment.

Continuing the search, fueled by hope

I often say: two down, 3 to go! There are still 3 Wasilkofsky brothers unaccounted for, and I’m more motivated than ever to continue the search.

Thanks to MyHeritage — through both DNA and Smart Matches — I’ve rediscovered part of a family that history had separated. I feel closer to my grandmother now, and it’s a powerful reminder that even the most distant branches can be found if we keep looking.

Many thanks to Penny for sharing her incredible story with us! If you’ve also made an amazing discovery with MyHeritage, we’d love to hear about it. Please send it to us via this form or email us at stories@myheritage.com.

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Source: My Heritage