This page is constantly under construction, so I welcome any inquiries, additional information and  corrections.

I have been actively researching my family tree since 1982, but my curiosity about the family line  was aroused when my grandfather, Thomas Joseph Edward Healy died in 1974.  We found a metal box  with vital records that included grave deeds, a naturalization record, calligrapy papers with  names and birth dates, among other things. I thought about pursuing our family tree at the time,  but I was about to get married and had other thoughts on my mind.

In May of 1982, my grandmother (his spouse) died.  Elizabeth Marie Schaefer Healy was a very  special person in my llfe and once that metal box was re-opened, I was stirred to action.  I had  let too many years pass by and while my parents were still alive, I chose to begin my research.

I want to dedicate this website to my parents, George Joseph Rassman and Patricia Joan Kathleen  Healy AND to my grandparents, Thomas Joseph Edward Healy and Elizabeth Marie Schaefer.  These  people were the true meaning of "family" from the typical Sunday dinners - to the beach outings at  Coney Island - to the weekends at the summer house in Bellport. Those were the days!

In addition, I extend the dedication to Birkenhoerdt-Das Projekt for the insight that lead to  discoveries of ancestors in so many people's trees. Not only am I a contributer to Das Projekt,  but I volunteer my time to search for more relatives and important vital records to increase their  database.  Without their wonderful project, I could have never gone back so far.  It has been a  great pleasure to work with Recs and Ursula!

The information and photographs on this website are not open to the public, in order to protect  individuals from identity theft.  The only way you can view the family history (vital stats and  photos) is through an access code.  To enlarge a photo, click on it twice!

Though this is the Rassman Family Tree, I have included my husband's side (RAINSFORD) and my  sister's husband's side (CUTRONE).  A yellow box will appear in front of the names of those who  are related to me.  A lime box will appear in front of all blood relatives to my brother in-law,  and a fuschia box will appear in front of all blood relatives to my husband.  Naturally, there  will be two colored boxes indicating a marriage and relationship, when known.

This endeavor would not be possible without the assistance of individuals (among the living  and among those who have passed on).  Acknowledgements are extended to: Dale Amman, Evelyn Engel  Balabanski, Donna Hinton Barone, Melinda Hughes Brassill, John and Gert Collins, Anthony Cutrone  and Terri Rassman Cutrone, Vera Engel Dahne, Robert Dixon, Edie Gavin (Ancestralfindings.com),  Christine Rassmann Gaylsh, Darlene Haddad Halicki, Claire J. Healy, Thomas E. Healy and Elizabeth  Schaefer Healy, Margaret Hearne Hinton, Recs Jenkins and Ursula Muellecker Jenkins (Birkenhoerdt- Das Projekt), Judy Jones, Betty Engel MacAlpine, George J. Rassman and Patricia Healy Rassman, Thomas J. Rassman, Richard J. Rassmann, Fred and Lulu Schaefer, Fredericka Engel Schmidt, and Barbara Balabanski Zielinksi.

I have used DIRECT AND PRIMARY EVIDENCE wherever there was a tangible document available (whether  or not I am in possession of the document).  This is also true with all individuals from the  Birkenhoerdt website, where church records were the source of vital statistics.

SECONDARY EVIDENCE can mean a variety of things.  For example, birth dates can be obtained from  the SSDI (Social Security Death Index), marriage and death records, or other documents.  However,  only the birth certificate is considered to be "primary" evidence. When a birth certificate is not  available, and a baptismal is, it can be cited as a direct source of evidence. In the case of the  Birkenhoerdt website, I used "secondary" for most relatives who came to the United States. The  website consists of many contributors with their own histories shared on Das Projekt. I do not  possess any information on "exactly" what documents backed up the records provided to the  website.  This is not to say that I doubt the information, but I am unable to cite the sources.

QUESTIONABLE/UNRELIABLE EVIDENCE was used if there was a conflict of information.  In any case, I  have provided notes to this effect.

A note regarding UNKNOWN individuals...

Tribal pages does not have a feature to list unknown sex of a person.  Therefore, I have listed  all people, with unknown sex, as males.  I have a 50% chance of being correct.  When applicable, a  note regarding this situation will appear in the box to the right of the individual.

Unknown maiden names are not listed as UNKNOWN, for there would be too many. Instead, I have  associated these women with their married familes.  For example, if Mary Unknown married John  Smith, she would be listed as:  Mary nee?/Smith.

In the case where a child was born out of wedlock and the father was unknown, I associated the  unknown father with the mother of the child.  An example would be if Mary Smith had a son, Joseph  from an unknown male, he would be listed as Joseph (with Smith) Unknown.