Ellis Island Records

I think everyone should do this to see into their past if they can. I went on to EllisIsland.org and punched in my last name, that's all it takes. After a few seconds it popped up with every person with my last name that came through there since it opened. It gave me three names, I have to figure with Edema not being too popular of a name that these have to be direct ancestors of mine in one way or another, especially since they all come Holland. It even allows you to look at the original ship manifest where each person signed back when they arrived. The way it looks, Bertus Jacob Edema was the first person from my family to at least come through Ellis Island, I don't know whether or not he was the first but quite possibly. After a little digging I found that he later died in Alabama of all places.