Leah's Family Tree

John Collins of Mendon

2012-01-19T08:00:00.000-08:00

While looking for something else, I found this:

"Doyle Heman of Pittsford, wf., Alzenia, dau. of Moses and Rhoda Jackman."

Which led me to this:

"Jackman, Moses, wf., Rhoda, dau. of John and Rebecca Collins of Mendon."

Which finally led me to this:

Heman Doyle and Alzina Jackman were my 4th great-grandparents. It has long been rumored that Alzina's mother, Rhoda, was the daughter of John and Rebecca (Sherman) Collins but the proof for this, that I have found, has been scant to none thus far. Until now it seems. The above states:

Collins, John. Mendon. died Jan. 5, 1833
Widow, Rebecca Collins, who died Mar. 31, 1833. She was Adm. Apr. 1833.
John Collins appointed Adm. May 14, 1833.
Children, viz. William and Nathan Collins of Barre, N.Y. John Col-
lins of Sing Sing, N.Y. child of a deceased son, William Collins.
Children of Rhoda (wife of Moses Jackman) deceased daughter, viz.
Flora, wife of Holly Dagget of Henrietta. Cyrus Jackman of Sardinia
Erie Co. N.Y. Alzeria, wife of Heman Doyle of Pittsford.
Children of a deceased daughter, Rebecca, wife of Jonah D. Symonds,
viz. George and Joel Symonds of Sardinia, N.Y. Huldah, wife of
Anson Lord of Royalton, N.Y. Darwin and Laura Symonds and William
Symonds, of Rochester. John Collins, a son, of Mendon, Thomas
and George T. Collins of Sardinia, N.Y. both sons of the deceased.
Avis, wife of Samuel Potter of Vt. a daughter, Laura, wife of Oliver
Goodspeed, a daughter, of Genesee or Erie Co., N.Y. Livonia, wife of
Ellery Stone of Warren, Pa. a daughter. Children of Phebe, wife of
Thomas Leet, a deceased daughter, viz. Carolina, wife of --Lippett, of
Farmington, Ontario Co., N.Y. Thomas Leet, residence unknown, both of
full age, and John Leet, ae. 19, of Henrietta, N.Y.

The first two entries above were found in the book Married Daughters, the third from the book Intestate Estates of Monroe County: 1821-1863

What makes this especially exciting is that John Collins was a veteran of the Revolutionary War. When I have the time to pursue membership in the DAR, this is an avenue I could go down.

John Collins is buried in Graves Cemetery in Mendon, Monroe, New York.

Smiths in New York City

2012-01-17T07:30:00.000-08:00

(This post was somewhat inspired by the current Abundant Genealogy series, although it doesn't have much to do with any of the prompts thus far)

What do you get when you mix an extremely common last name and the most populous city in the United States? A rip-roaring good time, that's what! That's right, I have Smiths in New York City and yes, to make matters even more fun, a lot of them are named the likes of John and Mary. BUT, they also happen to be one of my favorite families to research - although, for some reason I rarely blog about them. So why do I like researching my Smiths so much?

New York City. The fact that they lived in New York City actually works in my favor because so many records exist, and many can be accessed through the click of a mouse. The big three, Ancestry ($), FamilySearch and the New England Historic Genealogical Society ($) have good collections. But the best kept secret has to be ItalianGen which has a lot of vital records - and not just for Italians.
The cemeteries. Both Green-Wood in Brooklyn and Trinity Church Parish have websites and burial search engines. Since I have so many relatives, Smiths or otherwise, buried in both locations this makes me very happy. These sites came in especially handy the other day when I was looking for a Smith who seemed to fall off the face of the earth after reaching adulthood. I looked up his family members and there he was, buried in the family plot along with his death date. From there I found an obituary and a whole bunch of other Smiths.
The newspapers. I use GenealogyBank ($) the most, but a free option I also love is Chronicling America. In fact there are a lot of New York (City or otherwise) papers online, see here for some locations. The New York Times Archives are a favorite of mine also, though I liked them a lot more before they imposed that 20 articles a month cap.
The directories. Like newspapers, there are a lot of them online in different locations. I use Fold3 ($) the most, but there are many other places (free or $) which have directories - see here.
The eBooks and texts. I like the NYPL page at the Internet Archive the most, but GoogleBooks is a place I frequently turn to as well.
The New York Genealogical and Biographical Society ($). I know they haven't made the news for the best reasons over the last few years, but I am a very happy member. Their eLibrary has been especially helpful in researching my NYC families.

Other reasons:

The names. Or more appropriately, the middle names. Almost all of my Smiths had a middle name and they usually made a point of incorporating it to some degree in their records. What is more is that a lot of the middle names are pretty unique family names (i.e. Bostwick, Holly, Floyd, Plaine, Cayuga, Westervelt, etc.). When I first started researching them, I often left out the middle name with bad results. I either was overwhelmed with Smiths, or I missed out on valuable hits which included the middle name.
The other relatives. I can't speak for everyone, but with my NYC ancestors, following their name in a record was usually a "son of" or "wife of" mention. This likely speaks more to the size of New York City than to newspapers and record keepers wanting to please future generations. But, I for one am thankful! This is particularly nice when dealing with a surname like Smith and an equally common first name.
They kept their NYC ties. I have ancestors, including my Smiths, who left the Big Apple for outposts, swamps, farms and general wilderness, yet their obituaries/death notices (as well as some other articles) usually appeared in NYC papers. Again, I can't speak for everyone, but my NYC ancestors clearly kept in touch with family back home (I just wish my other ancestors who left home did the same) and for that I am so happy - and lucky!

If you also have Smiths in New York City, well, then we still probably aren't related, but the above resources might prove helpful in researching them (and non-Smiths too).

Disclosure: I have no affiliation with any of the websites or companies mentioned in this post. Pay sites mentioned are ones I have personally subscribed to and their mention here is not to be taken as an endorsement of them or their parent companies. I received no remuneration for this post by any entity.

SNGF: Research Adventures

2012-01-08T01:00:00.000-08:00

Courtesy of Genea-Musings:

1) Decide which of your (many?) genealogy research adventures in 2011 was your "very best" (your definition).
2) Tell us about it in a blog post of your own, in a comment to this blog post, in a Status report or comment on Facebook, or in a Stream note on Google Plus.

I actually went on many genealogy adventures in 2011 even though circumstances kept me from doing much traveling or actual offline research. I can't pick just one, so here are my three favorites:

1. Were They Related? In which I examine a possible relationship between my Tock ancestors and a family they lived with in at least two censuses.
2. Case Study: Clements Family Arrivals. I looked at an arrival record for, I believe, some of my Clements ancestors and muse as to the possible reasons they seem to have traveled to America separately.
3. George S. Mott's Path to Florida and Early Death. I examined the circumstances of the death of my 4th great-grandfather's brother and look for a reason as to why he was in Florida to begin with.

Interestingly enough, the three posts above were also my favorites of all the ones I wrote in 2011. If I had to give an edge to any one of the three, I think it would have to be the George S. Mott article - probably because of the surprising wealth of information I got after just a little chipping.

2012 Goals: Summary

2012-01-06T09:00:00.000-08:00

Review time! My 2011 goals were to 1) find my great-grandmother's parents, 2) start a family record book and 3) purge the papers I no longer needed.

So, how did I do? Well, I managed to learn where in Italy my great-grandmother was born. I also know her birthday. If I can ever get my behind in gear and get over to my FHC (and order the films), I should have this mystery solved... emphasis on SHOULD. I'm giving myself a B- on this one.

As for parts 2 and 3, I'm satisfied with what I've got and what I've done. There is a little more to get rid of and I'm not totally happy with how the record book turned out. But you know what? It'll do and that is good enough for me right now. A- for both.

My 2012 Goals largely fall into the same categories as last year: Research, Writing, Organization - plus a new one to the mix, Wild Card. I'm most excited about my writing goal and have already started work on it. The research goal looks the most daunting - but the things you have to work hardest for also seem to be the most rewarding so I am excited to start tackling it.

2012 Goals: Wild Card

2012-01-04T06:00:00.000-08:00

Instead of just rattling off my goals for 2012 in one post, I'm going to do individual posts on each and then a summary post which includes how I did with my 2011 goals. My goals fall into four categories: Research, Writing, Organization and Wild Card.

My Wild Card Goal(s):
Throughout the year I find myself making little genealogy goals. In that same vein I'm making a "wild card" goal this year. Below are smaller things I'd like to accomplish. I don't plan on succeeding at everything, or even most things on the list, but I'd be happy with one or two items.

Contribute to the FamilySearch Wiki. I have already done a little editing there, but not much.
Learn German and Italian. Not fluently, but I do want to know how to read a vital record.
Add images (aka "media") to my RootsMagic database.
Start arbitrating at FamilySearch Indexing.
Take more advantage of the research courses offered at FamilySearch more often. Right now I just watch a video or two a month.
Go on a short, local research trip - Siskiyou County or Alameda County are at the top of the list. There is also a death certificate in Stanislaus County I've been hankering after for awhile.
Scan! Scan! Scan!
Be better about backing up my files (I'm pretty good but there is still room for improvement)

Of everything above, backing files up regularly and adding media to my RootsMagic database are the highest priorities. Like I said, I'm not pushing myself to do everything above, but these are all things I want to be more mindful of in 2012 - and if I can truly master/accomplish one or two I'd be very happy.

Disclosure: I have no affiliation with any of the websites or companies mentioned in this post nor was I remunerated by anyone for writing this post.

2012 Goals: Organization

2012-01-03T08:30:00.000-08:00

2012 Goals: Research

2012-01-02T08:00:00.000-08:00

Instead of just rattling off my goals for 2012 in one post, I'm going to do individual posts on each and then a summary post which includes how I did with my 2011 goals. My goals fall into four categories: Research, Writing, Organization and Wild Card. The inspiration for this, as was the case in 2011, was the We Tree blog.

My Research Goal:
I know very little about my great-great-grandmother's family. I do know the names of her parents (Niels Christian Nielsen and Engeline Christine Petersen), where they were married (Ottawa Co., Ohio - likely in Benton Twp.), and where they spent most of their lives and died (Alameda Co., California). I even have death certificates and obituaries for various family members (including Engeline)

I don't, however, know the names of Niels and Engeline's parents, or where Niels and Engeline were born, or when they arrived in the US (every record gives a different year). My goal is to find out this information.

There are several avenues I can take, the most obvious being: 1) Niels' naturalization record. I know he naturalized on 15 July 1881 at the Alameda Co. Superior Court; 2) Niels and Engeline's marriage record. They were married in Ottawa Co., Ohio on 30 May 1874 and there are films I can order which cover this timeframe; 3) Engeline had two sisters, one of whom has a death certificate out there I can order and the other an obituary. I'm hopeful that one of these gives me at least some of the information I'm looking for.

2012 Goals: Writing

2011-12-30T07:00:00.000-08:00

Instead of just rattling off my goals for 2012 in one post, I'm going to do individual posts on each and then a summary post which includes how I did with my 2011 goals. My goals fall into four categories: Research, Writing, Organization and Wild Card. The inspiration for this, as was the case in 2011, was the We Tree blog.

My Writing Goal:

So I finally wrote the book on my grandmother's grandfather that I had been kicking around in my head for three years. I gave it to her at Christmas and she really liked it, as did the other relatives who saw it. I'm happy with the book, though I knew from the time that I wrote it that I would be updating it at some point. I thought about waiting until I felt it was truly "ready" but who knows when that could be, if ever? And more importantly, the person I wrote it for is not getting any younger (or more lucid).

As an added bonus to putting it out there now, older relatives were able to comment on it and share what they knew about the subject (my great-great-grandfather, John W. Berger). And, in doing research for the book, I discovered new avenues and databases I hadn't realized were out there.

My goal in 2012 is to update the book. I want to include what my relatives related to me about John, and the new records I will be requesting come January. I also want to make it more scholarly (meaning footnotes and source citations). I did a straight narrative for the audience I was presenting the book to, but if I put it online (which I want to do) I want it to be fully sourced.

Not All Wikipedia Pages Are Created Equal

2011-12-29T07:00:00.000-08:00

While doing a recent project on my grandmother's German ancestors, I was getting more and more frustrated because of the lack of information I was finding on Wikipedia. Yes, I know Wikipedia isn't the most reliable, or scholarly, but I like using it as a "jumping off point." I'll get information which can send me off looking for more information in more credible locations. Also, I'll often look something up there and find links at the bottom of the page to additional information - and more scholarly works.

Clearly, I was having one of my more denser days because it took awhile for it to sink in that maybe I should check other Wikipedia sites for the same information. Case in point: Rinnthal, Germany.

My grandmother's family came from this small (very small) town. The English version of the Rinnthal page is thoroughly underwhelming (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rinnthal). The German version of the same page is much better and even includes a picture of the church (http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rinnthal). Since I don't speak German I use Google Translate, and while it isn't the most accurate or logical at times, I can pretty well get an idea as to what the original German says.

Another example is my great-grandmother's hometown: Peschici, Italy. The English page (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peschici) gives some information, but nothing like what can be found on the Italian Wikipedia (http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peschici).

This holds true for other articles besides those on communities. I found wonderful Wikipedia pages on dialects, foods, culture, history, etc. all on non-English Wikipedia sites. It is easy to use also. Just look up what you are interested in on the English Wikipedia, then when you think a non-English Wikipedia site might have more information, click on the language of your choice on the toolbar to the left. Doing so will take you directly to the same Wikipedia page you were on, just in a different language - and more information in many cases.

Plot Sale

2011-12-23T06:30:00.000-08:00

I had never heard of the buying and selling of cemetery plots making the newspaper before I found the following concerning my great-great-grandmother:

29 Jan 1893, The San Francisco Morning Call, p. 3

"Mountain View Cemetery Association to Mrs. Susanna Berger, lot 271, plat 14, said cemetery. Oakland Township; $57."

What is odd is that her husband had died and was already buried there when she bought this plot. Did she move him or was this an additional space purchase for her? That $57 would the equivalent of over $1400 today. Yikes! I bet plots at Mountain View don't sell for $57 anymore...

What is even stranger is the fact that they were buried in what was, even in the 1890s, a pricey cemetery, yet don't seem to have been able to afford a tombstone for either of them. At least some of their many children went on to be quite successful and wealthy yet none of them seem to have thought of getting stones for their parents graves either. What's up with that?!

Babies

2011-12-21T06:00:00.000-08:00

Another recently discovered, unlabeled, picture from my family archives. The crying little girl(?) in the middle might be my grandmother (I have pictures of her in a similar big white bonnet), but I can't be sure.

If it is my grandmother then this was probably taken in Petaluma, Sonoma, California around 1929.

Where Is It?

2011-12-20T06:00:00.000-08:00

I recently found some more family photos. Unfortunately, most of them aren't labeled - including this one:

There is a flag of California in the picture, but I cannot place it further. I'm thinking the Bay Area, maybe Golden Gate Park? Another possibility is the fact that the 1915 World's Fair was held in San Francisco, though I think this might have been taken later than that (based on the clothing).

Anyone with any knowledge (or guesses) of this place, please contact me - I'd really appreciate any clues!

Comparing SSDI Results

2011-12-19T06:00:00.001-08:00

With all the recent kerfuffle over changes to Social Security Death Index and its removal from Rootsweb, I wanted to re-evaluate all my options. I also wanted to see how different databases deal with people deceased less than ten years (Ancestry has removed social security numbers for their entries). I compared four databases, if you have one that you really like that isn't included below, please let me know about it!

My "test subject" is my grandmother who died about seven years ago. First at Ancestry.com:

The next is FamilySearch:

Then GenealogyBank:

Lastly, NEHGS:

While both NEHGS and FamilySearch include social security numbers, I like FamilySearch best because it includes the state of issuance (like Ancestry and GenealogyBank). FamilySearch is also free which makes it even better! Here's hoping they won't be making Ancestry-esque changes to their database anytime soon...

(I also love the One-Step social security number calculators and chart, so the state of issuance isn't that big a deal - as long as you have the number that is)

Disclosure: I am in no way affiliated with any of the websites or companies mentioned in this post, nor was I prompted or remunerated by anyone to write this post.

Advent Calendar of Christmas Memories: Movies and TV Shows

2011-12-17T07:30:00.000-08:00

I participated in the Advent Calendar of Christmas Memories series back in 2009 and haven't really felt the need to rehash or repost those entries (if you want to read them just check out the posts from December of 2009). But today is a Grab Bag day and I really like what the Passionate Genealogist did with her Grab Bag post. And, you know what else I really like? Holiday movies, TV shows, music, etc.

Movies
In my household "Black Friday" had another meaning not at all related to shopping. It was typically the day my father would pull out his copies of A Christmas Carol (the George C. Scott version from the 1980s is his favorite, but the Reginald Owen and Alistair Sim versions get equal airtime). And thus the infinite loop of Ebenezer Scrooge, Bob Crachit, Tiny Tim and the whole lovable lot would begin and run until about New Year. I like the movies, or rather, I like them the first time I see them each year. But by the twentieth or thirtieth time in a week or two the charm starts to wear a little thin for me. The one version my father doesn't care for is The Muppet Christmas Carol.

And can you guess which Christmas movie is MY favorite? That's right, The Muppet Christmas Carol. When I was little it was just because I liked the Muppets; now it is a mixture of the fact that it brings back memories of my childhood and the fact that the songs are really rather excellent (and yes I sing along with all of them). Other movies that I have to watch every December are Holiday Affair (which I discovered a few years ago), Susan Slept Here (which I discovered many years ago - and get your head out of the gutter, it is nice clean 1950s stuff, despite the title), and Christmas in Connecticut (which I discovered as a teenager). I also love White Christmas (Holiday Inn not so much) and The Man Who Came to Dinner (even if it isn't a Christmas movie in the strictest sense). I'm not a big fan of most of the "classics" however. I have seen Miracle on the 34th Street (both versions), It's a Wonderful Life and The Bishop's Wife. I've even seen them more than once in an effort to like them. Since most people love them however, I won't be a Scrooge so I'll just say "no comment."

On my birthday (which is a few days after Christmas), I always watch The Sound of Music. Originally it was because it just always seemed to come on on my birthday, then it became a tradition.

TV Shows
I've watched them all and like them all. The Rankin/Bass productions hold a spot in my heart though, Jack Frost especially. A Christmas Day staple (because my mother would never let us put on anything that would hold our attention) in my home is the Yule Log.

Music
When I was little I was obsessed with Feliz Navidad. I don't know why, and I don't know why I still like it as much as I do. I do know I went through a phase where I thought I knew Spanish because I mastered the lyrics. Another song I loved when I was little was Mele Kalikimaka (yes, I thought I knew Hawaiian also) and I always had to sing it in my best Bing Crosby voice (which isn't great). Now I pretty much like all the standards.

As far as my family goes, I don't know that they have favorite TV shows or music. My grandmother loves Handel's Messiah though and watches it, usually with my mother, each December.

SNGF: Christmas/Birthday Wishes

2011-12-03T14:00:00.000-08:00

Dear Genea-Santa,

I know I'm probably not your favorite person because you always have to leave off a birthday present under the tree as well as the Christmas goodies, but I promise I've been good this year!

I've been better about sourcing. In fact, I created a whole new tree from scratch and am only adding people, dates and events that are fully sourced. I'm also working of a family history book (albeit slowly) and am doing my best to stay organized. I'm trying to make you proud, Genea-Santa, I really am!

For Christmas/Birthday I would like:

RootsMagic 5. I have version 4 and the update is the #1 thing I want this year. (Disclosure: I paid for version 4 all by my little old self and am in no way affiliated with RootsMagic. I like their product, that is all.)
Indiana Genealogical Society. I want a membership. In fact, I've wanted one for a few years but somehow it always fell through the cracks. All the branches of my grandmother's family tree passed through the Hoosier state at one point, hence my interest in IGS.
NGS Home Study Course. Yeah, this one is a biggie. Even with my member discount it is expensive (but I believe worth the cost). I'm only asking for the first CD this year. (Disclosure: I have no affiliation with NGS. I joined last July, with my own dinero, and it was the best "genea-decision" I ever made).
Evidence Explained, 2nd Edition. I've wanted this one for awhile and even though edition 3 is likely in the pipeline, I'm asking for it now. (Disclosure: I have no affiliation with the publisher, author or Amazon.)

Other things I'd love:

A research trip to Alameda County - especially the half dozen cemeteries where my ancestors are buried.
My great-grandfather's SS-5. He would have been 120 last April so *knock wood* there won't be a problem getting ALL the information I'm paying for.
A naturalization record for just one ancestor. Seriously. I have never had such bad luck as I seem to have with naturalization records. They either aren't available or not where they're supposed to be.
And, of course, the answers to some of my biggest brick-wall ancestors: (Maria) Nicoletta Riccia? Dutchi? Lapiccirella (1892-1987), Heman Doyle (1809-1881), Priscilla Mason Webb (1822-1863) and a host of others.

Thank you, Genea-Santa, for what ever Christmas/Birthday treasures you might bring me. And thank you, Randy, for this week's Saturday Night Genealogy Fun!

SNGF: Historical County Boundaries

2011-11-26T22:00:00.000-08:00

Per Genea-Musings. I went with two locations actually: first was Mendon, Monroe, New York; the second was Livonia, Livingston, New York. Although in different counties, they are actually quite near each other.

View Larger Map

My ancestors (Collins, Jackman, Doyle) arrived in Mendon in 1809 and 1811 respectively. In 1828 some of them decided to move to nearby Livonia. Thanks to the challenge, I now have a better idea where to look when I pursue land records for these ancestors. Both Mendon and Livonia were a part of Ontario County until Monroe and Livingston were formed in 1821.

Case Study: Clements Family Arrivals

2011-11-26T07:00:00.000-08:00

I know very little about my third great-grandparents, Joseph and Elizabeth Clements Allen. They arrived in the US and were married before 1850, lived in Pennsylvania and Ohio, had at least seven children and were likely both dead before 1900.

I have found them in various records but have no idea where they came from (the majority say somewhere in Ireland) and when. I still haven't located them in any passenger records, but I believe I might have found Elizabeth's family.

The Back Story
In 1850 Elizabeth and Joseph were with Elizabeth's parents in Shenango Twp., Lawrence, Pennsylvania.

1850 US Census Excerpt for the Clements Family

Also in the household are Elizabeth's siblings, Jane and John. Jane is listed as being seventeen, which would place her birth date around 1833; John is fourteen, giving him a birth date around 1836. Their parents, James is sixty (so born circa 1790) and Mary is fifty (thus born around 1800).

Elizabeth and Joseph were in Ohio by 1860 but her family is still in Pennsylvania.

1860 US Census Excerpt for the Clements Family

Elizabeth's father seems to have died, the family is enumerated as 'Cleymonds,' and they were in New Castle, Lawrence, Pennsylvania. Mary is listed as being sixty-five (which would change her birth date to around 1795) and in the household are Jane and John (aged twenty-eight and twenty-three respectively) again. Also in the household is someone new, likely another sibling of Elizabeth's. Below mother Mary are ditto marks to denote another Mary, this one thirty-four (born circa 1826).

From these two census records we can create a rough sketch as to what the Clements family might have consisted of:

Father: James Clements, born circa 1790
Mother: Mary Clements, born between circa 1795 and circa 1800
Children: Mary, born circa 1826; Elizabeth, born circa 1828; Jane, born circa 1832/33; and John, born circa 1836/37.

The Mystery
I've looked for arrival records for the family before and never had much luck, until recently.

On 22 May, 1847 the ship Pioneer arrived in Philadelphia from Londonderry. On board were Mary Clements, age fifty (born circa 1797); Mary Ann Clements, age twenty (born circa 1827); Jane Clements, age fourteen (born circa 1833); and John Clements, age ten (born circa 1837).

Is this my Clements family? I'm not certain, but I think it is. The names and approximate birth dates match up very well which makes me think these are my people. The arrival date of 1847 also fits with the fact that they were enumerated in the 1850 US Census.

But where is James? Where is Elizabeth? Why didn't they travel with the family?

Occam's Razor
It is possible that James had come over earlier and sent for his family later but that doesn't explain Elizabeth's absence. I have doubts that Elizabeth and Joseph were married by 22 May, 1847 (their first known child was born in 1850), though it is a possible reason why she did not accompany her family.

It is also possible that Elizabeth stayed with a sibling in Ireland. Mary would have been in her late twenties/early thirties when she started having children if we assume Elizabeth and Mary were her eldest. Considering the age in which they lived, Mary was probably married by 1820 and had at least one other child by the time Elizabeth and Mary came along in the late 1820s. The family was poor and I doubt their relatives were much better off which makes me question whether anyone other than a sibling (or other close relative like grandparent, aunt or uncle) would take Elizabeth in.

Then there is always the possibility that she was already in the US when her mother and siblings arrived. I have a hard time with this because wouldn't it make more sense to make that kind of a trip with her family? And if she did come with her father (the only other person known to be absent from the above record), why would he have taken her over his wife and other children?

However, if you look at the history of Ireland, 1847 was an important year and one of Ireland's worst. The famine was raging and had actually hit its height three months before the family reached the US. 1847 also saw massive evictions of tenant farmers by landlords in Ireland.

This leads me to Occam's razor ("the simplest explanation is the most likely one"). In this case, with everything that is thus far known, I think James and Elizabeth (and likely other family members), for whatever reason, arrived before Mary and the others in 1847. With everything Ireland was going through in 1847, I have a difficult time believing Elizabeth's family (especially her mother) would have left her behind.

While that may be the simplest explanation, it doesn't mean it is the correct one - only time (and more records) will tell.

SNGF: Giving Thanks

2011-11-19T20:00:00.000-08:00

This week's mission via Genea-Musings:

"1) Think about the answers to these questions:
a. Which ancestor are you most thankful for, and why?
b. Which author (book, periodical, website, etc.) are you most thankful for, and why?
c. Which historical record set (paper or website) are you most thankful for, and why?"

For a. I would have to say my great-grandmother, Georgiana Wellons Berger. Not only did she record her memories of her childhood and relatives, she saved tons of pictures, postcards letters, papers, etc. She even collected pictures and bits of information from her family members and saved a lot that pertained to her husband's family. She was also a long time member of the Siskiyou County Historical Society and made sure that the love she felt for her hometown was passed on to later generations.

For b. I'm going with anything and everything having to do with the National Genealogical Society. I finally joined last July and have been reading anything and everything from them I could (and enjoying the many videos on their website). Joining has been one of the best "genea-decisions" I ever made.

Part c. is an easy one: U.S., Department of Veterans Affairs BIRLS Death File, 1850-2010 from Ancestry.com. Released just in time for Veteran's Day, it provided me with service information on many relatives and it gave me a date I had long been searching for, the death date for me great-grandfather.

Wordless Wednesday: Wellons in Warsaw

2011-11-16T23:45:00.000-08:00

Walter E. Wellons
"Taken in Warsaw, Nov. 1919"

Walter, an Iowan, traveled often through his work with the YMCA. His passport application for 1920 states that he arrived in Poland in October of 1919 and was still there in June of 1920 when he had to get his passport renewed. He lists his work as secretary of the YMCA as the reason for his being there.

Poland was in the grips of a typhus epidemic in 1919 and received American aid. I have to wonder if Walter was a part of the relief efforts.

Walter likely gave this picture to his 1st cousin, Mary Lou Ada Wellons (who always went by Ada). Ada in turn gave it to their 1st cousin Georgiana Wellons Berger (my great-grandmother).

It Was Kennedy!

2011-11-15T21:00:00.000-08:00

My father always said that his grandmother had a letter hanging in her home from the President commending my father's grandfather for his WWI service. He was also always sure that the President in question was Kennedy.

Wilson was President when my great-grandfather was discharged from the military. Truman was President when my great-grandfather died. But Kennedy? It didn't make sense to me, until I realized what the letter was:

A Presidential Memorial Certificate (click to see a picture).

According to the Dept. of Veterans Affairs it "...was initiated in March 1962 by President John F. Kennedy and has been continued by all subsequent Presidents."

Mystery solved, it was Kennedy! Now I have to wonder what happened to the letter and if anyone in the family had to apply for it (like you do now).

I do plan on pursing certificates for some of my ancestors (including a possible replacement for my great-grandfather's). At the very least I would like to have one for my grandfather who was career Army and a veteran of WWII, Korea and Vietnam.

Mappy Monday: My Family in 1920

2011-11-14T20:00:00.000-08:00

I'm continuing to examine the residences and neighborhoods my ancestors were living in for each census. This week covers 1920.

View Ancestors in 1920 in a larger map

1400 Vine St., Manistee, Manistee, MI
My great-great-grandparents are living in a pretty diverse neighborhood with a good sized immigrant community (primarily Polish and Swedish). Almost everyone either works in a mill or factory (my great-great-grandfather was working as a machine operator in a planing mill). They also owned their home free of a mortgage.

Croad Family Farm, Mecosta Co., MI
My great-great-grandparents are living in a community of farmers and farm laborers (including themselves). Only them (England) and one other family (Sweden) are not native to the US. They owned their farm but carried a mortgage (like most all of their neighbors).

615 W. Jefferson St., Grand Ledge, Eaton, MI
My great-grandmother married in 1919 and then again, to my great-grandfather, in 1921. Sometime between then she was divorced. In 1920 she is still listed as married but living as a lodger, without her husband. This makes me think that she was divorcing when the census was taken. She was working as a practical nurse. Not much of an immigrant community. Variety of occupations, though many seem to work for either a clay factory or chair factory.

12 Henry St., San Francisco, CA
Home was built in 1913. My 3rd great-grandmother was living with her daughter and son-in-law. Not much of an immigrant community. Variety of occupations, mostly clerks. The family was renting.

Shinn Family Farm, San Joaquin Co., CA
My great-great-grandparents and my great-grandfather were living on the family farm. Not surprisingly, most of their neighbors were also involved in agriculture. Most everyone is from the US. The family owned the farm mortgage free.

1508 Alameda Ave., Alameda, CA
Home was built in 1920 (were my ancestors the first owners?). My great-grandmother was living here with her grandparents, aunt and uncle. Lots of immigrants from all over, variety of jobs but nothing industrial (mills, factories, etc.). They owned the home and had a mortgage.

1225 15th St., Sacramento, CA
My great-great-grandfather was living here. There are no homes here now, mostly state offices. He was renting and working as the manager of a lumber company. Most everyone is from the US, variety of jobs (a few work for the railroad).

536 E. 21st St., Oakland, CA
My great-great-grandmother was living here with her son and daughter. Most everyone works in or owns a store and are from the US. They owned the home (sans mortgage) and it was built in 1915 which makes me wonder if they were the first owners.

429 Center St., Yreka, CA
No home with that address still stands. Both of my great-great-grandparents were likely living here, but only Mary Anna Webb Wellons was enumerated. Mostly everyone from the US and in a variety of occupations.

General Vicinity of the Berger Residence
Cannot locate home. Family was living in an area of what is now Mt. Shasta City that no longer exists. Not much of an immigrant community. Most of the neighbors work for the railroad, rail yard or box factory (there was one in nearby Weed).

Census Sunday: Great-Greats, Part 6

2011-11-13T08:00:00.000-08:00

I've finally had a little time to get back to these posts. They actually take a while to write because as I'm working on them I'm cleaning up (or adding - for shame, I know!) source citations. I will say though that this has been the perfect motivation I needed to go through the census records I had, analyze them and examine the citations for them. Without further ado, here are my great-great-grandparents in the 1850 US Census (only three were known to be alive). 1849 was a good year in my family tree because two of the three below were born then - just in time for the census!

John W. Berger

(Heinrich) Michael Barger/Berger Family
1850 US Census
Marshall County, Indiana

John was nine years old and with his parents and siblings on the family farm in Marshall Co., Indiana. John is not listed as attending school within the year.

1850 US Census, Marshall County, Indiana, population schedule, My Division, p. 450B, dwelling 25, family 25, Michael Barger Family; digital images, Ancestry.com (ancestry.com : accessed 7 November 2011); NARA microfilm publication M432, roll 160.

Susanna vonAllmen
Susanna was a year old in February of 1850. She would have been with her siblings and parents in Olney, Richland, Illinois. I have hunted and hunted but have never been able to find the family in the 1850 census.

George Washington Wellons

John C. Wellons Family
1850 US Census
Pulaski County, Kentucky

George was a year old and with his family in their native Pulaski County, Kentucky. Not long after this census they moved to Indiana. From Indiana they went to Iowa where they remained. George was too young for school, but his siblings between the ages of 5 and 15 had attended school within the year.

1850 US Census, Pulaski County, Kentucky, population schedule, Division 2, p. 112B, dwelling 546, family 546, John C Wellens Family; digital images, Ancestry.com (ancestry.com : accessed 7 November 2011); NARA microfilm publication M32, roll 217.

SNGF: A Veteran's Service and Gravesite

2011-11-12T19:00:00.000-08:00

For this week's Saturday Night Genealogy Fun (challenge here), I'm going with my 2nd great-grandfather, John W. Berger. John was twenty, the son of immigrants, and working the family farm when he enlisted in Company K, 29th Indiana Infantry in October of 1861. He saw action at Shiloh before being taken seriously ill. He spent the next four months in a hospital in Nashville before being discharged in December of 1862.

John W. Berger
circa 1866

John went on to become a minister and traveled the world spreading the message of his church (which was later absorbed into the current United Methodist Church) although he never really recovered from his war illness. He died at the young age of 50 in Oakland, Alameda, California and left behind a widow and nine children, the eldest just eighteen and the youngest a year old (and severely handicapped). John was buried in Mountain View Cemetery in Oakland. His wife joined him there forty years later.

The only marker of the Berger family plot
in Mountain View Cemetery

As you can see, neither John nor his wife Susanna have a headstone, just their surname marking the general plot. It is a dream of mine to remedy this one day and to especially have John's Civil War service acknowledged. I have looked into getting a military headstone placed and hope to get the ball rolling before too long.

Veterans In My Family Tree: The Last 150 Years

2011-11-11T23:11:00.000-08:00

Grandparents:
Everett Heman Shinn: USNR, 13 May 1944 - 13 June 1946. My mother told me that he enlisted right after D-Day and was set to be deployed when the war ended. Well, I now know that half the story is wrong as D-Day was a few weeks after the enlistment date above. I have no idea if the second part of the story is correct, though I would imagine so. She also told me that he was fascinated by the planes as the they took off because they would dip down as if crashing in the ocean after leaving the air craft carrier and then pop up again.

Harry James Allen: US Army (and Navy?), 16 Feb 1945 - 29 July 1946. I know very little about his service. I do know that he was involved in more than just WWII. According to my father he also served in Korea and Vietnam and a picture I have of him in uniform from the late 60's/early 70's seems to corroborate this. According to my father he also served in the Navy, didn't like it, and then re-joined the Army. I have been unable to learn whether he actually was in the Navy at any point. What is interesting is that he was seventeen when he enlisted and a full seven months from his eighteen birthday. I remember reading once that it wasn't a problem to enlist that young so long as your eighteen birthday was within that calendar year (if I'm wrong please correct me). Another interesting thing is that his father, a WWI veteran, died in January of 1946 while he was in the Army. I also know that he achieved the rank of E-6 (staff sergeant) which is pretty impressive, especially when you consider that he was an NCO.

Great-Grandparents:
Gideon Gottlieb Berger: USACC, circa 1918-1919. Was a 1st Lt. in the US Army Chaplain Corps and was stationed at the Presidio of San Francisco, as well as Camp Fremont before the war.

Joseph James Allen: US Army, 11 May 1918 - 23 July 1919. I know very little about his service. My father said that he was badly gassed or injured during the war and that he participated in a major battle in France. My father also remembers seeing a letter from the president (he said Kennedy but it would make more sense if it were Wilson or Truman) to either him or his widow commending his service. My father also said that he spent the last years of him life in and out of the local VA hospital -earlier this year I was finally, and unexpectedly, able to validate this.

Giuseppe Lapiccirella: Unknown, circa 1918-1919. Believed to have served for Italy during WWI.

Great-Great-Grandparents:
John W. Berger: Union Army of the US, 1861 - 1863. Served in Co. K of the 29th Indiana Infantry. Participated in the Battle of Shiloh before being discharged due to illness.

"Pro Deo et Patria"

2011-11-10T18:00:00.000-08:00

I have many veterans in my family tree but few photos of them, and even fewer photos of them in their military uniforms. This is one of the few I do have:

Gideon G. Berger (center) with mother and sister
Likely at the family home of 536 E. 21st St., Oakland
circa 1918

My great-grandfather, Gideon Gottlieb Berger, was a 1st Lt. in the Army Chaplain Corps during World War I. He was stationed at the Presidio of San Francisco not far from his family and hometown of Oakland. The Presidio, which predates the US, was a major center for recruitment, training and deployment during the war.

Before the war Gideon was working at Camp Fremont. Built in 1917, Camp Fremont trained National Guard troops for combat in case the US went to war. Located in the Menlo Park/Palo Alto area, Camp Fremont was closed after the war ended. The Presidio continued to serve as a vital military base until 1994 when it was transferred to the National Park Service. Gideon's father was a veteran of the Civil War, and his sons would be veterans of World War II.

George S. Mott's Path to Florida and Early Death

2011-11-09T08:00:00.000-08:00

I love doing case studies - sometimes I work from a list, sometimes it is the result of what I thought would be a little light research. The case of George Smith Mott falls into the latter category. I was originally looking for a record related to George's father when I unexpectedly found George's obituary. Reading it, I was taken a bit aback because it contained information on George that I hadn't known before and that contradicted what I thought I knew about George (which wasn't much).

George falls into the category of "most neglected" when it comes to researching my family tree: someone never married, died young, and left no descendants. What I knew about him could be summed up in one sentence, and the sentence isn't even my own - it is from page 62 of The New York Genealogical and Biographical Record, Vol. 36 (January, 1905):

"George Smith, never married; killed circa 1836 in Florida, during the Seminole War."

What ~~assumption~~ conclusion do you come to when you read that sentence? If it is that he must have died fighting as a soldier (or in some other military capacity) in the Seminole War then you aren't alone. I'd been living under that assumption for several years. Then I read his obituary:

"Mr. GEORGE S. MOTT, formerly of this city, son of the late Jacob C. Mott, was killed by the Indians at his plantation on Julington Creek, near Mandarin, East Florida, on the 18th May. He had passed the winter in this city, and arrived in Florida on the 17th - only one day preceding his death." - page 2, New York Commercial Advertiser, 6 June 1836

Okay, not only does it sound like George wasn't in Florida in a role connected to the war, he apparently owned land there. I don't know when George established his plantation, but a "G. S. Mott" is listed as a passenger on the steam packet David Brown for Charleston, South Carolina in July 1833. This tells me he had been making trips down south for at least a few years.

I did some Google searches and found some more information in the most unlikely of places, an advertisement for the book 500 Brickwall Solutions to Genealogy Problems. One of the sample solutions contained this sentence:

"...the Jacob C. Mott family of Long Island, NY that had invested in land and citrus crops in Mandarin, FL..."

Well now I know why he was in Florida! But why was he killed, and so soon after his arrival? GoogleBooks helped me out on this next question:

"For several weeks Indian raids have been discovered about the plantations near here. It seems they have been in pursuance of a Mr. [George s.] Mott, a rich man whom they had sworn to kill. He has been a trader among them, and used to whip them. Last week he returned from New York - said he believed they would kill him if they have a chance, that he would go to his plantation and if he could not stay there, he would return and help fight them. Night before last he went, and began to put out some small trees. Just at sunset which it appears is a favorite hour of attack with the Indians, he was placing a tree, and one of his negros putting the earth round it. They fired and shot him dead. The negros ran. The Indians then scalped Mott, went int his house, took what they pleased, set fire to it, and cleared into the woods. This was on the bank of Julington Creek, a branch of the St. John's, directly opposite the settlement of Mandarin, six miles from Dr. Hall's."

The above from a letter written by a resident in the area in Florida written not long after George's death. She goes to discuss the Indians some more:

"'Tis thought the reason they did not do any mischief here before, was because they were determined to kill Mott and did not wish to raise any alarm, until they had accomplished their purpose."

The fighting in the area and George's death made the newspapers up and down the Eastern seaboard:

"A white person named Mott, very recently from the north, was killed and scalped a few days since at his plantation above Mandarin, and about 20 miles from Jacksonville." - from page 2, The Charleston Courier, 24 May 1836

George's native New York papers elaborate:

"By the mails of this morning we have some additional particulars of the murder of Mr. George S. Mott, late of this city. Mr. Mott was killed and scalped on Thursday the 17th of May, at his settlement near Mandarin; his house and store burnt; his gun taken; but neighter his watch nor money touched. He arrived but Sunday previous, from New York, where he has a sister and mother living. His body was brought into Mandarin the next day, and decently interred, by 12 men who volunteered their services for that purpose. At the time of his death, Mr. M. had a boy (half-breed) living with him, who was so affected with the sight of his murdered master that he took sick and died the same night." - from page 2, the New York Commercial Advertiser, 6 June 1836

And, just to show how much I truly neglected researching George, he has a FindAGrave memorial - since 2004 actually. The most touching part of his tombstone is the message at the bottom:

"That the perpetrators of this cruel act may be forgiven is the prayer of his afflicted and ever sorrowing mother"

George clearly wasn't the nicest person, but he was someone's son. He was the brother of my 4th great-grandfather, Isaac Thomas Mott.

The Rural Question

2011-11-08T06:00:00.000-08:00

Most of my ancestors were farmers. Hence, most family events before the 20th Century occurred on the family farm - including births, marriages and deaths. This has proved to be one of the more difficult sourcing challenges I've experienced over the years. Let me explain:

When I first started doing genealogy I would include the nearest town as the place of residence. For instance, a baby born on the family farm in San Joaquin County, California was written as occurring in Woodbridge, San Joaquin, California because that was the closest community to where they lived.

However, it dawned on me fairly quickly that this wasn't the right way to do things because the event never actually happened within the city limits of any town. So, from then on whenever an event on a family farm needed to be recorded, I would just put county and state (i.e. Isabella County, Michigan). More than anything, this was just a band-aid until I could come up with a permanent way of recording these events.

Now I'm cleaning up my family tree and this is a problem I'm once again faced with. Do I stick with what I've done, county and state, or do I go a different route? My concern since the beginning is that county and state just isn't enough information, and also that future generations won't know if I didn't know the town or if the event really did happen in a rural area. But what alternatives are there? The only one I can think of (and have used recently on a trial basis) is by putting "rural" or "farm" in place of a town, for instance: "Rural area, Marshall, Indiana."

How do you record events that did not happen within a community's jurisdiction? This inquiring mind wants to know.

Mappy Monday: My Family in 1930

2011-11-07T12:00:00.000-08:00

I've taken an unexpectedly long break from my 'Census Sunday' series but hope to get back to it soon. In the meantime, I've started making maps showing where my ancestors were for each census. I also wanted to study what kind of neighborhoods they lived in to get an idea as to what the culture of the community was.

View Ancestors in 1930 in a larger map

330 E. Addison St., Jackson, MI

Working-class neighborhood, most residents Michigan natives. Several people in the neighborhood work for the railroad, others factories, my great-grandfather was a lineman for the telephone company. They were renting.

657 2nd St., Warren, OH

Built in 1910. Four bedrooms, 1 bath. Most immediate neighbors are Italian, also Czech and Finnish immigrants on the street as well. Just about everyone works for the steel mill. My great-grandfather was a tailor (he later went to work for the steel mill, Copperweld Steel, as well). They were renting.

Shinn Family Farm, San Joaquin Co., CA

Just about everyone is a farmer or laborer (including my family). Most everyone is from California, though quite a few German immigrants. They owned their own home and farm.

411 A St., Petaluma, CA

When my grandmother and her family lived here it was the parsonage for the Methodist minister - I couldn't believe it sold for over $900,000 recently! 3 bedrooms, 2 baths. Not much of an immigrant population. Variety of occupations (and more than one minister - did they plan it that way?!). Middle-class. They were renting.

208 W. Washington Ave., Jackson, MI

Apartment building. Not much of an immigrant population. Variety of occupations, my third great-grandfather was working as a prison guard. The building is sandwiched between the county clerk and city newspaper.

1400 Vine St., Manistee, MI

Most seem to work for either a boat factory or iron works. Large Polish population.

Croad Family Farm, Mecosta Co., MI

Exact location unknown. Not much of an immigrant population. Most everyone is either a farmer or laborer, including my great-great-grandfather.

1377 Broadway, Alameda, CA

No longer standing, present home build in 1936. Working-class neighborhood (my great-great-grandfather was workin in a lumber yard). Not much of an immigrant population. They were renting.

1434 Everett Ave., Oakland, CA

Built in 1925. Not much of an immigrant population. Middle class, variety of occupations. My great-great-grandmother owned the home.

Gold St., Yreka, CA

Exact location unknown. Most everyone is from California or Oregon. My great-great-grandfather was renting.

1626 Versailles Ave., Alameda, CA

Built in 1928 (I wonder if my ancestors were the first owners). Besides my 3rd great-grandparents, not much of an immigrant population. Mix of occupations. They owned the home.

For a lot of my ancestors, this is the first time I've looked at their neighborhoods. I found it pretty enlightening and I'm curious to see what, if any, changes in patterns I'll find as I go back each decade. I used zillow for the property information above.

Sunday's Obituary: Henry Berger

2011-11-06T08:00:00.000-08:00

Although Henry wasn't a direct ancestor of mine, his obituary is one of my favorites. It provides so much information (which was all new to me the first time I read it) about the family: where they were from in Germany, when they arrived in the US, and when they converted to the religion most of the family stayed with for the rest of their lives:

"Henry Berger of this city died unexpectedly at his home in this city Sunday morning. He was sick only a little over one day. The deceased was 84 years old. The funeral services were held at the Evangelical church at ten o'clock Wednesday, conducted by Rev. Sweitzer, of South Bend. A more extended notice will appear next week.
April 21, 1899, page 4
"OBITUARY OF HENRY BERGER
--
Henry Berger was born in Rindal, Germany, July 1st, 1814. He came to America in 1832. In 1843 he was united in marriage to Sophia Zimmer and to this union was born eleven children, six sons and five daughters. One son and two daughters have preceded him in him to the spirit land. He died at his home in Bremen April 9th 1899, at the age of 84 years, 9 months and 8 days. He was converted October 30, 1848 under the labors of Rev. Geo. Platz, and died in the living faith of Christ. The deceased leaves an aged wife, five sons, three daughters, thirty-two grand children, two brothers and three sisters, besides many friends. The funeral services were held at the German Evangelical church in this city on last Wednesday conducted by Rev. F. Schweitzer, of South Bend." - The Bremen Enquirer, 14 April 1899, page 5

Henry's youngest sibling, John W. Berger (my great-great-grandfather), had died in 1891. Henry and John also had at least one sister and two brothers who had died in infancy. There is one typo in the obituary: the family wasn't from 'Rindal' but Rinnthal (although their parish was in Wilgartswiesen).

Jackpot in the Veterans Affairs BIRLS Death File

2011-11-05T06:00:00.000-07:00

I've recently been feeling disappointed that the year is almost over and I've done practically nothing to solve the bigger mysteries in my family tree. Well, apparently Ancestry heard my whining:

Name: Joseph James Allen
Gender: Male
Birth Date: 7 Apr 1891
Death Date: 2 Jan 1946
SSN: 367072333
Branch 1: AF
Enlistment Date 1: 11 May 1918
Release Date 1: 23 July 1919

Ancestry.com added the US Dept. of Veterans Affairs BIRLS Death File, 1850-2010 where I found the above. Before that record I didn't know when Joseph (my great-grandfather) died, when he was released from the military or even that he had a social security number. Three great mysteries about Joseph answered with one record! Now I can:

Order his social security application
Order his death certificate
Locate/order an obituary for him
Possibly deduce some information about his military service. I plan on looking into July/August 1919 newspapers for Jackson, Jackson, Michigan (where he was from) that mention returning troops.

The mystery of WHERE he died still remains, but thanks to this record I found earlier this year, I know he spent the last years of his life in and out of a VA hospital near Battle Creek. The other possibility is Jackson, where his home and family were.

Now if you'll excuse me, I have a happy dance to go do.

A Librarian in the Family Tree?

2011-11-04T06:00:00.000-07:00

Two things I've always had a soft spot for were libraries and my great-grandmother, Georgia Wellons Berger. Imagine my surprise when I found this:

From page 193 of News notes of California Libraries, Vol. 11

Wellons is a rare surname, and the only Wellons family in Siskiyou County I've come across is my great-grandmother's branch. Besides her father (who was a farmer and gardener), Georgia was the only one with the G. initial. Of the two, Georgia is the only one who would have received the education to be a librarian - and a school one at that. Before her marriage in 1919, Georgia is known to have worked as a teacher in Oakland and her native Siskiyou County. Additional information on the Vineland School District can be found here.

Hoosiers

2011-11-03T06:00:00.000-07:00

Of my grandmother's four grandparents, each one was either born in Indiana or spent a period of their lives living there. Therefore, I spend a lot of time working with Indiana resources. And, on the whole, I've been able to gain quite a bit of information (though not all towns and counties have proved equally easy to research).

What can I do with all the information I've gathered? Well, I can submit it to the two ongoing projects of the Indiana Genealogical Society: Always a Hoosier and Once a Hoosier. I've known about both for a long time but am only just now getting to submitting my info to them both.

My "Always a Hoosier" Ancestors and Relatives:
(for those born before 1930 and buried in Indiana)

Christian vonAllmen (1814-1887), Barbara Steiner vonAllmen (1822-1886), and their children and grandchildren buried in Evansville's Oak Hill Cemetery.

Priscilla (Mason) Webb (1822-1863) and her sons, Samuel Polk Webb (1845-1864) and John Martin Webb (1843-1863). Buried in Sheeks Cemetery, near Bedford, Lawrence, Indiana.

The Berger family (over 20 people, likely many more). Most buried in Bremen Municipal Cemetery in Bremen, Marshall, Indiana.

My "Once a Hoosier" Ancestors and Relatives:
(for those born before 1930, buried outside of Indiana, spent some portion of their lives in Indiana)

Susanna vonAllmen Berger (1849-1932) and John W. Berger (1841-1891). Buried in Mountain View Cemetery in Oakland, Alameda, California along with their son, Jesse (1887-1971).

George W. Wellons (1849-1932) and Mary Anna Webb Wellons (1862-1926). Buried in Evergreen Cemetery in Yreka, Siskiyou, CA. George and Mary Anna also have many siblings and nieces and nephews who fall into this category, as well as the "Always a Hoosier" project.

Andrew Webb (1820-1902), buried in Henley/Hornbrook Cemetery in Hornbrook, Siskiyou, CA.

Have you submitted your Hoosier information to the projects above? Another incentive to do so is that submissions to the "Once a Hoosier" project have been compiled into a publication by IGS (they are up to volume three right now).

Disclosure: I am in no way affiliated with the Indiana Genealogical Society - I'm not even a member (but I hope to be in 2012).

Church Contact

2011-11-02T06:00:00.000-07:00

I've spent 2011 trying to better acquaint myself with church records and the goodies that can be found in them. Well, the year is mostly over and I feel like I've only just scratched the surface. I also have not explored all records and churches of the various denominations of my ancestors, and that doesn't include all the ancestors whose religious leanings are as yet unknown.

The two denominations I have explored in some depth are the United Methodist church and the Roman Catholic church. My great-grandfather and great-great-grandfather were ministers in what is now the United Methodist church so my interest lies in finding biographical information on them above all else (though other records are always welcome too). My grandmother was raised in the Catholic church and her parents are quite the mystery to me, hence my interest in those records.

I feel like I'm at a point where I'm knowledgeable enough about their records that I can request copies without looking like a fool. So, now comes the hard part: find the church's contact information and then actually contact them.

I began my quest with my two Methodist ministers (specifically my great-grandfather because I know where most of his charges were and the years he spent in each). I started at the "Find-A-Church" page of the United Methodist church website. From there I was able to get contact information, and in many instances the churches had websites I could visit (and a page with church history information I could read).

My great-grandfather was a "circuit rider" which meant that he preached at several churches during his career, six in total - spending six or seven years at each place. With that many churches to contact, I decided to come up with a form letter (which I'll also be able to use for my great-great-grandfather):

"Hello,

I am writing to inquire as to what records you might have concerning past ministers of your church. My great-grandfather, _______________, was the minister of your church between the years of ____ and ____. I was wonder if you might have any biographical information on him or any records related to him that you would be willing to share. I would very much appreciate it and would be happy to pay for any fees you might incur. Thank you very much for your time and any help in this matter you are able to give,

(My Name)
(My Address)
(My Phone Number)"

Next up, my grandmother's church, St. Mary's. I already knew which diocese it is in, but a list of all the dioceses in the US can be found here. I went to the Diocese of Youngstown website and located the parish there. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to find an e-mail address, so will have to contact them either through phone or snail mail. I decided to create a form letter for this church as well, even though I won't be able to e-mail it.

"Hello,

My family worshiped at your parish for many years and I was wonder if I could get copies of a few records pertaining to them. I am looking for a copy of my grandmother's baptismal record. I don't know when she was baptized, but her name was ________________ and she was born on __ __, ____. I am also hoping to get a copy of the death record of my great-grandfather, _______________, who died on __ __, ____. I would appreciate any help you can give and would be happy to pay for any fees involved. Thank you,

(My Name)
(My Address)
(My Phone Number)"

Two of the resources I consulted for all this were RootsWeb's Guide to Church Records and an article from Genealogy.About.com

I plan on firing these off in the next few days so wish me luck. If anyone out there has any experience with this sort of thing, do you have any advice to pass on? I'm new to requesting religious records, as well as "cold calling" strangers so insights are always welcome.

November To-Dos

2011-11-01T06:00:00.000-07:00

This will be short and sweet because I'm tired of writing lists and then failing miserably to get anything on them done.

November is NaBloPoMo. I have no delusions of grandeur, or of posting every day. But I would like to double what I've been doing which should equal about 12 posts this month.
Index! Specifically, FamilySearch Index. More specifically, index more in the San Joaquin Co. obituaries project. I've already done five batches in the project but want to do at least ten this month (did I mention it is unbelievably easy to index these records?!). The project is open to anyone (you do need to create a FamilySearch account among a few other pain-free things) and if you are a FamilySearch indexer who wants something on the lighter end of the indexing spectrum, this is the project for you! And yes, this is the same San Joaquin Co. where my family has lived since the county was formed so saying I have a personal stake in the project would be an understatement.

That's it! Two items! If I can't get that done than I should just stop trying.

An Autumn Wedding

2011-10-30T07:00:00.000-07:00

(This post was written for the 111th edition of the Carnival of Genealogy which is all about autumn weddings.)

I actually don't have that many ancestors who were married between September and November, and in the last 100 years the number is very small: two couples. My great-grandparents, Joseph James Allen and Daisy May Croad were married in Jackson, Jackson, Michigan on 28 Oct 1921.

The other couple (again my great-grandparents), Gideon Gottlieb Berger and Georgiana Wellons were married in Yreka, Siskiyou, California on 29 Sep 1919. The time was 11:59am. The groom was just shy of 34, the bride 28. The newspapers reported that they were married in the home of the bride, and that the officiating minister was a good friend of the groom. The bride's mother and sister were the witnesses. The groom's family wished them well, but did not make the trip from Oakland. At the time, Gideon was the minister of the Methodist church in Sisson (now Mt. Shasta City).

Although the marriage was a long and happy one, apparently at least one person wasn't in favor of it at first. When I interviewed my grandmother a few months ago she told me the story: Georgia was working as a school teacher in Edgewood, where Gideon was a minister. They met there and decided to marry not long after. Georgia's best friend apparently didn't approve of Gideon (for whatever reason, though I believe it might have been because their courtship was rather short) and after they got married the two friends stopped speaking... until the friend married Georgia's brother.

Gideon G. Berger and Georgiana (Wellons) Berger
8 Oct 1948, Vallejo, CA

I've always thought of Gideon and Georgia as a pretty modern couple. They were older than the norm at the time when they married. They both were educated and had careers when they met. They both had traveled and lived on their own away from their families and were self-sufficient. In short, they were mature, independent people when they married and although they still had many years and experiences to look forward to, each had their own years and experiences to look back on. I have to wonder if they had any idea that years later, their odd path would become the preferred one for most and the "new norm."

An interesting side note is that a year earlier Georgia and Gideon were living less than a mile from each other in Oakland, but their paths never crossed. Gideon died in 1965, Georgia in 1985. They were married 46 years.

Unexpectedly Confirming A Family Story

2011-10-21T05:00:00.000-07:00

When I first looked for my Michigan ancestors in Ancestry's WWII Draft Registration Cards, 1942 I was frustrated to learn that the state wasn't included. I then put it on the back burner and forgot about it for the last year or so until yesterday when I read this post at GenBlog.

I was able to immediately find my great-grandfather in FamilySearch's collection (which thankfully includes Michigan). But wait a minute, what's this on line seven:

Joseph James Allen WWII Draft Registration Card, 1942 from FamilySearch, p. 1

Joseph James Allen WWII Draft Registration Card, 1942 from FamilySearch, p. 2

The full name, birth date, birth place, residence and employer match what I know about him exactly so there isn't a question as to if this is my guy or not, but...

Who on earth is Mrs. Mary Merrill and why is she the "person who will always know" his address?! In 1942, Joseph had a wife, four children, living parents and several living siblings - none of whom were a Mrs. Mary Merrill. So who is she?

Well, I still don't know but I have an idea. I decided to Google the address after her name, "307 S Dwight Johnson, Mich." and this is what I got:

View Larger Map

One of the stories I had heard about Joseph was that he was badly injured/gased in WWI and spent the last years of his life in and out of the local VA Hospital. I never knew which VA Hospital, or even if the story was true until now. If he had been a full time patient in 1942, I doubt he would have put his Jackson address as his residence or listed an employer. But, it looks like his health was failing enough to where the Veterans Affairs Medical Center knew who he was. By putting them down as the ones "who would always know" his address I wonder he knew he would be a full-time patient there one day...

I started out looking for the draft card because it was something easy to find and add to his file. I really wasn't expecting any surprises or new information... I'm so glad I was wrong.

The Ancestors' Geneameme

2011-10-17T06:00:00.000-07:00

From Geniaus:

The Ancestors' Geneameme

The list should be annotated in the following manner:
Things you have already done or found: bold face type
Things you would like to do or find: italicize (colour optional)
Things you haven’t done or found and don’t care to: plain type
You are encouraged to add extra comments in brackets after each item

Which of these apply to you?

Can name my 16 great-great-grandparents - I know 14 of 16, missing the names of two Italian great-greats.
Can name over 50 direct ancestors - Yep!
Have photographs or portraits of my 8 great-grandparents - I wish! I have pictures for 6 of 8.
Have an ancestor who was married more than three times - Not that I know of.
Have an ancestor who was a bigamist - Again, not that I know of.
Met all four of my grandparents - Met 3 of the 4, but I do have several treasured heirlooms from the one I didn't get a chance to meet.
Met one or more of my great-grandparents - Yes, my great-grandmother, Gladys Viola Healey Shinn.
Named a child after an ancestor
Bear an ancestor's given name/s
Have an ancestor from Great Britain or Ireland - Yes, both places.
Have an ancestor from Asia - Not that I know of.
Have an ancestor from Continental Europe - Yes, Denmark, Germany, Switzerland and Italy. If I want to go WAY back, France and the Netherlands also.
Have an ancestor from Africa - Not that I know of.
Have an ancestor who was an agricultural labourer - I have MANY - most of my 19th Century and earlier ancestors were either farmers or ag laborers.
Have an ancestor who had large land holdings
Have an ancestor who was a holy man - minister, priest, rabbi
Have an ancestor who was a midwife - Not that I know of, though I'm sure a few of them helped deliver a baby of two in their time.
Have an ancestor who was an author - Stephen Vincent Benet is also a third cousin several times removed.
Have an ancestor with the surname Smith, Murphy or Jones
Have an ancestor with the surname Wong, Kim, Suzuki or Ng
Have an ancestor with a surname beginning with X
Have an ancestor with a forename beginnining with Z
Have an ancestor born on 25th December
Have an ancestor born on New Year's Day
Have blue blood in your family lines
Have a parent who was born in a country different from my country of birth
Have a grandparent who was born in a country different from my country of birth
Can trace a direct family line back to the eighteenth century
Can trace a direct family line back to the seventeenth century or earlier
Have seen copies of the signatures of some of my great-grandparents
Have ancestors who signed their marriage certificate with an X
Have a grandparent or earlier ancestor who went to university
Have an ancestor who was convicted of a criminal offence - None in the last 200 or so years though (that I am aware of)
Have an ancestor who was a victim of crime
Have shared an ancestor's story online or in a magazine (Tell us where) - If I count this blog, then I have but that would be too easy/obvious.
Have published a family history online or in print (Details please) - It is on my bucket list!
Have visited an ancestor's home from the 19th or earlier centuries
Still have an ancestor's home from the 19th or earlier centuries in the family
Have a family bible from the 19th Century
Have a pre-19th century family bible - I have copies of excerpts from a pre-19th Century family Bible, does that count?

Least Favorite Foods: 52 Weeks of Personal Genealogy and History

2011-10-01T23:00:00.000-07:00

(This week's prompt has to do with least favorite foods:)

I was always the weird picky kid who didn't like what everyone else did and loved what everyone else hated. My favorite foods were (and are) Brussels sprouts, cabbage, broccoli, onions and anything super spicy or super salty. The short list of the long list of least favorites are:

Tomatoes: My Italian ancestors are probably ashamed, but I loathe tomatoes and always have. It is my number one least favorite food. In fact, I hate anything that has tomatoes in it. Keep your nasty ketchup away from me and my fries and that goes double for ruining my pasta with marinara. If the pizza has enough other toppings I'll stomach the tomato sauce... but I'd rather not.
Peas: My father loves peas and it was frequently at the dinner table growing up. I had them every way: with butter and garlic salt, brown sugar, plain, you name it. And I hated it every time. Now I actually don't mind peas as an ingredient in things and my grandmother's pea salad is out of the world awesome.
Cottage Cheese: I have never liked cottage cheese and to this day, nothing brings out my gag reflex quite as strongly. It also happens to be one of my father's favorite things so you can imagine how big a part of my childhood meals it unfortunately was.
Hard boiled Eggs: I grew up choking down the egg salad sandwiches my mother would give me for lunch and for years thought I hated eggs because of it - turns out I just can't stand hard boiled eggs and anything with them in it. Yuck.
Hamburger: I was never a big meat-eater beyond pepperoni on my pizza and hamburger was the most disgusting. I wouldn't eat it unless it was covered in cheese and even then it could be challenging. A month after my eleventh birthday I became a vegetarian (and still happily am) and my dislike for hamburger played a big part in that easy decision.
Wine/Champagne: I never liked grape juice or grape-flavored anything and this holds especially true for wine. I'm the black sheep in my mother's family of grape growers and vintners and my father's Italian ancestors probably wouldn't think too highly of my tastes either. My mother would give me tastes of wine at special family functions growing up - I think I took her up on her offer once in all those years. She wasn't surprised though and always said I would grow to like it. Nope. I tried it again as a teenager and several times more in my 21st year thinking I could make myself like it but it just hasn't happened.
Apricots: My grandmother would always make me an English muffin with apricot jam on it. Then I would secretly scrape off the jam and enjoy the muffin. It wasn't until I was in high school that I actually tasted an apricot and then realized that I probably dislike them even more than that awful jam.
Corn on the Cobb Though it was never a favorite, I actually didn't mind it growing up. Then I got braces when I was eleven and it became too much of a chore to eat and clean out of my orthodontia later. The braces came off two years later and I still wouldn't eat the corn on the cobb and still don't (I just cut it off the cobb). I never liked messy foods though so that could explain it.
Creamed Corn: Another form of corn I never liked. To be kind to those of you who actually like the stuff I'll refrain from saying what it reminds me of (hint: it is a bodily function that starts with a 'v.')

Spinach, avocados and bananas are other foods I disliked growing up, but then grew to love.

SNGF: List Your Matrilineal Line

2011-10-01T18:30:00.000-07:00

This week's prompt via Genea-Musings is:

"1) List your matrilineal line - your mother, her mother,etc. back to the first identifiable mother. Note: this line is how yourmitochondrial DNA was passed to you!

2) Tell us if you have had your mitochondrial DNA tested,and if so, which Haplogroup you are in.

3) Post your responses on your own blog post, in Comments tothis blog post, or in a Status line on Facebook or in your Stream at GooglePlus.

4) If you have donethis before, please do your father's matrilineal line, or your grandfather'smatrilineal line, or your spouse's matriliuneal line."

I know I've already written, ad nauseam, about my matrilineal line and mtDNA haplogroup (it is K1a4a1 by the way) and I know so little about my father's maternal line. So, here is maternal grandfather's matrilineal line:

1) Everett Heman Shinn (1925, Stockton, San Joaquin, CA - 2000, Sacramento, Sacramento, CA)

2) Gladys Viola Healey (1898, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA - 1998, Lodi, San Joaquin, CA)

3) Katherine Nielsen (1875, Mt. Eden, Alameda, CA - 1918, Alameda, Alameda, CA)

4) Engeline Christine Petersen (1857, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany - probably Dagebüll - 1932, Alameda, Alameda, CA)

And, my paternal grandfather's line:

1) Harry James Allen (1927, Jackson, MI - 2003, Columbus, Muscogee, GA)

2) Daisy May Croad (1896, Montcalm or Mecosta Co., MI - 1990, Pinellas Co., FL)

3) Mary Stokes (1867, Hafodrinog, Glamorgan, Wales - 1923, Millbrook, Mecosta, MI)

4) Charlotte Shepstone (circa 1827, Churchill, Somerset, England - 1896, Somerset, England)

5) Sarah Shoe/Shew (circa 1806, likely Churchill, Somerset, England - circa 1832, Churchill, Somerset, England)

6) Mary UNK. (circa 1776, likely Churchill, Somerset, England - aft.1841, likely Churchill, Somerset, England)

I have not had these mtDNA lines tested and I don't believe any other carriers have either. Luckily, I was able to "cross the pond" without the assistance of DNA testing, but I'd still love to learn more about Engeline and Mary.

Three

2011-09-30T06:00:00.000-07:00

Well, has it really been three years? I'm always surprised when I make it to another blogiversary and it is especially true this year.

2011 has been a tough a year, a REALLY tough year. I could list everything, but the main thing is that my mother was diagnosed with advanced kidney cancer this past spring and all the surgeries and treatments that have ensued since then.

All of this has made genealogy and this blog an afterthought at times. In fact, there were times when I just had to walk away from it for awhile because the idea of researching deceased relatives was just too overwhelming. But, I would always come back to it and I truly think (after this year especially) I always will, I just enjoy it too much.

Believe it or not, but this year has been a pretty good one genealogically. I've actually accomplished a lot though there is still quite a bit left to tackle and get better at. And, although my output has been way down (for obvious reasons), this has been a good year for this blog - the best so far in my personal opinion. First and foremost, I finally changed the name of this blog and now cannot, for the life of me, fathom why I waited so long. I had hated "The Internet Genealogist" since day one - it was an impulsive choice that haunted me. But oddly enough, "Leah's Family Tree" was just as impulsive a choice but I love it, I think because it fits so well where the old one fit so badly. Honestly, now that I have a title that works, I have so much more love for this blog and get so much more joy out of writing posts - who would of thunk it?!!

There are so many excellent genealogy blogs out there, I cannot tell you how touched (and amazed) I am that anyone ever bothers to stop here. A heartfelt thank you to you all.

And, I especially want to say how grateful and appreciative I am to anyone and everyone who has stopped to follow, leave a comment or send me an e-mail. I'd also like to apologize for the lack of acknowledgement at times on my end. I've always had a difficult time staying on top of all my correspondence and it has really spiraled out of control this year. Improving in this area is number one on my blogging priority list!

I'm always excited to see what the new year holds, whether it be calendar or in blog time, and this one is no different. Onward to four!

What Makes A Great GenWeb Site?

2011-09-28T08:00:00.000-07:00

My introduction to genealogy came in the form of an article about the USGenWeb project my aunt gave me in the late 1990s. It was one of the first genealogy websites I ever visited and it is one I continue to come back to often.

There are some county websites that consistently blow me away. I really can't even begin to imagine where my level of information for some families would be without some of those amazing volunteers and all their hard work.

Then there are the other county websites. The ones that I rarely visit and when I do I inevitably see little to nothing has changed or been added in the year+ since I last visited. The ones that are a nightmare to try and read or navigate. And, most frustrating of all, the ones that apparently don't want anyone to volunteer anything to the project (this is what I'm left to assume when I don't hear back from the County Coordinator).

One thing has been constant even if my love for different county sites can vary wildly: I never wanted to be a County Coordinator. I was happy to donate records I had and volunteer to help with other projects as time permitted but that was all. Me, be responsible for a website? Me, be the point of contact for anything? Me, as a project leader? No, thank you.

But guess what happened? Siskiyou County became available for adoption. Siskiyou County, where my great-grandmother was raised. Siskiyou County, the place my great-grandmother loved like no other (a love she passed on to later generations by the way). Siskiyou County, where I had one of the most enjoyable research trips and vacations of my life. I long knew that if Siskiyou County became available I'd jump at the chance in a heartbeat. And, that is exactly what I did.

Yes, I am officially the County Coordinator for the Siskiyou County, California USGenWeb project.

What is more, I want it to be the best possible site it can be. I've already updated the look and added more links but I know I have a ways to go. Which is where I need a little help. What, in your opinion makes a great county site? Why do you go back to some more than others? Content over style? What are some features you have found that you think should be on every county website? Which county websites do you think are exemplary? I'd love to know what you think.

I can tell you what two of my favorites are: Assumption Parish, LA and Isabella Co., MI. I love the amount and diversity of content, and the fact that they are pretty easy to navigate.

Census Sunday: Great-Greats, Part 5

2011-09-18T07:30:00.000-07:00

My great-great-grandparents in the 1860 US Census. Of the sixteen, only five were known to be alive (not counting the four who were still in Italy):

Heman Doyle Shinn

John R. Shinn Family
1860 US Census
Elkhorn, San Joaquin, California

Heman was six and with his family on their farm in San Joaquin Co., California.

1860 US Census, San Joaquin County, California, population schedule, Elkhorn, p. 979, dwelling 788, family 801, John R. Shinn (Head); digital images, Ancestry.com (ancestry.com : accessed 9 August 2011); NARA microfilm publication M652, roll 64.

Emma Sophia Tock
I cannot find Emma in either the 1860 US or 1861 Canadian census records. She would have been a year old in either Calais, Washington, Maine or St. Stephen, Charlotte, New Brunswick.

John William Berger

Michael Henry Barger Family
1860 US Census
German Twp., Marshall, Indiana

John was eighteen and the only child still at home with his parents. He was working on the family farm in Marshall Co., Indiana.

1860 US Census, Marshall County, Indiana, population schedule, German Township, p. 514, dwelling 548, family 570, Michael Barger (head); digital images, Ancestry.com (ancestry.com : accessed 6 September 2011); NARA microfilm publication M653, roll 278.

Susanna vonAllmen

Christian vonAllmen Family
1860 US Census
Evansville, Vanderburgh, Indiana

Susanna was eleven (but enumerated as ten) and with her family in Pigeon Township, an area of Evansville, Vanderburgh, Indiana. Susanna and her younger brother had attended school within the year but her brother Isaac (age nine) was working in the cigar industry and her sisters, Mary (eighteen) and Margaret (fourteen) were seamstresses. Her father was working in the shoe industry.

1860 US Census, Vanderburgh County, Indiana, population schedule, Evansville, p. 632, dwelling 1756, family 1852, Christ Ollman (head); digital images, Ancestry.com (ancestry.com : accessed 6 September 2011); NARA microfilm publication M653, roll 302.

George Washington Wellons

John Wellons Family
1860 US Census
Richland, Warren, Iowa

George was eleven and with his (very large) family on their farm in Warren County, Iowa. While George and his two older brothers are marked as attending school within the year, his two younger brothers (ages nine and seven) are not.

1860 US Census, Warren County, Iowa, population schedule, Richland, p. 757, dwelling 677, family 633, John Wellons (head); digital images, Ancestry.com (ancestry.com : accessed 6 September 2011); NARA microfilm publication M653, roll 341.

Tech Savvy Genealogist Meme

2011-09-16T07:30:00.000-07:00

I still haven't found the time to do the original '99 Genealogy Things' meme, but this meme was too interesting to pass up (and a lot less time consuming, which is a plus for me right now):

The Tech Savvy Genealogists' Meme

The list should be annotated in the following manner:
Things you have already done or found: bold face type
Things you would like to do or find: italicize
Things you haven’t done or found and don’t care to: plain type
Feel free to add extra comments in brackets after each item

Which of these apply to you?

Own an Android or Windows tablet or an iPad
Use a tablet or iPad for genealogy related purposes
Have used Skype to for genealogy purposes - (I've used Skype but not for genealogical purposes)
Have used a camera to capture images in a library/archives/ancestor's home
Use a genealogy software program on your computer to manage your family tree - (right now RootsMagic 4 and Family Atlas; used to use Family Tree Builder and way back when, circa 1999, Family Tree Maker)
Have a Twitter account - (I joined about five years ago. Still have the account but never use it)
Tweet daily - (See above. Twitter and I just never clicked but if you like it, good for you)
Have a genealogy blog
Have more then one genealogy blog
Have lectured/presented to a genealogy group on a technology topic
Currently an active member of Genealogy Wise - (What do you mean by 'active?' I try to go on about once a month)
Have a Facebook Account - (again, I joined Facebook way back when and loved it. Hardly ever on there though in the last two years or so, it is just way too cluttered for my tastes)
Have connected with genealogists via Facebook
Maintain a genealogy related Facebook Page
Maintain a blog or website for a genealogy society
Have submitted text corrections online to Ancestry, Trove or a similar site - (Thus far, the only corrections I've submitted are for people I'm related to)
Have registered a domain name - (I manage a registered domain name, actually three, does that count?)
Post regularly to Google+ (not very regularly but I love Google+ - it is like Facebook in the early days, only better)
Have a blog listed on Geneabloggers
Have transcribed/indexed records for FamilySearch or a similar project (Yes, and I've got an accuracy of 98% at FamilySearch Indexing, something I'm irrationally proud of)
Own a Flip-Pal or hand-held scanner (Maybe some day, right now I'm happy using my camera and iPod Touch)
Can code a webpage in .html - (Yes, and I can make CSS style sheets as well)
Own a smartphone - (I've got an iPod Touch, that has to count for something, right?)
Have a personal subscription to one or more paid genealogy databases - (Yes: Fold3, GenealogyBank and Ancestry. Luckily, they were all gifts, otherwise I'd have to get another job just to pay for them all...)
Use a digital voice recorder to record genealogy lectures (I did once, but either never remember or always get denied permission)
Have contributed to a genealogy blog carnival
Use Chrome as a Browser
Have participated in a genealogy webinar
Have taken a DNA test for genealogy purposes - (Yes. My parents through 23andMe, myself through FamilyTreeDNA)
Have a personal genealogy website
Have found mention of an ancestor in an online newspaper archive
Have tweeted during a genealogy lecture
Have scanned your hard copy genealogy files
Use an RSS Reader to follow genealogy news and blogs - (GoogleReader)
Have uploaded a gedcom file to a site like Geni, MyHeritage or Ancestry (Yes, and I since regret doing it. I've since taken down what I had at Geni and made my Ancestry trees private )
Own a netbook - (Use to want one, now I've got my eye on an iPad)
Use a computer/tablet/smartphone to take genealogy lecture notes (I've used my iPod Touch and laptop, but prefer regular old pen and paper. However, I am a huge fan of the Dragon program and have it on all my devices - makes note taking much easier)
Have a profile on LinkedIn that mentions your genealogy habit
Have developed a genealogy software program, app or widget
Have listened to a genealogy podcast online
Have downloaded genealogy podcasts for later listening
Backup your files to a portable hard drive
Have a copy of your genealogy files stored offsite - (My parents have copies on flash drives, but I haven't updated those in quite awhile)
Know about Rootstech
Have listened to a Blogtalk radio session about genealogy
Use Dropbox, SugarSync or other service to save documents in the cloud
Schedule regular email backups - (Not as often as I'd like)
Have contriibuted to the FamilySearch Wiki
Have scanned and tagged your genealogy photographs - (Many I have, still have a ways to go though)
Have published a genealogy book in an online/digital format - (It is a goal for 2012)

Clearly the social networking aspect is not my strong suit, mainly because I just don't have the time or desire to have a presence on all the sites. If I ever become a professional or speaker, I'd invest more into it.

Census Sunday: Great-Greats, Part 4

2011-09-11T07:30:00.000-07:00

My great-great-grandparents in either the 1870 or 1871 census. Three were not alive for this census and four were in Italy. The remaining nine were:

John Grant Allen

Joseph Allen Family
1870 US Census
Weathersfield, Trumbull, Ohio

He was a year old and living with his family in Weathersfield, Trumbull, Ohio. John's father, Joseph, is listed as a 'laborer' as are his brothers, including thirteen year old Robert. None of the school-age children are listed as attending school within the year though they could apparently read and write. Joseph is listed as a US citizen.

1870 US Census, Trumbull County, population schedule, Weathersfield, p. 494B, dwelling 807, family 808, Joseph Allen (head); digital images, Ancestry.com (ancestry.com : accessed 13 June 2011); NARA microfilms publication M593, roll 1272.

Frederick Rendle Croad

Robert Rendle Croad Family
1871 England Census
Sydling St. Nicholas, Dorset

Fred was five and with his family in Sydling St. Nicholas, Dorset, England on West St. He and several of his siblings are listed as 'scholars' but his father and fourteen year old brother, George, are 'agricultural laborers.'

1871 England Census, Dorset, Sydling St. Nicholas, District 7, RG 10, Piece 2016, Folio 4, p. 4, household 22, Robert Croad (head); digital images, Ancestry.com (ancestry.com : accessed 4 August 2011); The National Archives of the UK, GSU roll 831756.

Mary Stokes

George Stokes Family
1871 Wales Census
Llanwonno (Pontypridd), Glamorgan

Mary was four and with her family in Pontypridd, Wales (enumerated as Llanwonno). Her sisters, Kate and Ellen, were listed as 'scholars' but her brothers, Joseph (fifteen) and Benjamin (twelve) were working in the mines with their father.

1871 Wales Census, Glamorgan, Llanwonno, District 18, RG 10, Piece 5378, Folio 80, p. 41, household 200, George Stokes (head); digital images, Ancestry.com (ancestry.com : accessed 4 August 2011); The National Archives of the UK, GSU roll 849477.

Heman Doyle Shinn
Heman doesn't appear to have been enumerated in the 1870 US Census (I've looked long and hard and never been able to find him or his family enumerated). He would have been about seventeen and living in San Joaquin Co., California - probably with his mother and younger siblings and working on the family farm.

Emma Sophia Tock
Another ancestor I can't find in 1870/1871. Emma would have been eleven or twelve and with her family in either Calais, Washington, Maine or St. Stephen, Charlotte, New Brunswick.

John W. Berger and Susanna vonAllmen

John W. Berger Family
1870 US Census
Prairie Twp., Shelby, Illinois

John and Susanna were in Prairie Twp., Shelby, Illinois where John was a minister for the German Evangelical Association. Also with John and Susanna was their one year old son, Samuel. Samuel died sometime before the 1880 census, probably while John was doing missionary work in Germany in the mid to late 1870s.

1870 US Census, Shelby County, Illinois, population schedule, Prairie Township, p. 196B, dwelling 120, family 124, John Berger (head); digital images, Ancestry.com (ancestry.com : accessed 1 September 2011); NARA microfilm publication M593, roll 277

George W. Wellons
Yet another ancestor I can't find in 1870. George would have been twenty-one and I have no idea where he might have been living. He was born in Kentucky, raised in Indiana and Iowa, and married in Colorado in 1878. He ran away from home around the time of the Civil War and what became of him between circa 1865 and 1878 is a mystery to me.

Mary Anna Webb

Andrew Webb Family
1870 US Census
Sheridan, Crawford, Kansas

Mary was eight and with her father, siblings and half-brother in Sheridan, Crawford, Kansas. They had moved to Kansas at the end of the Civil War but left for Colorado not long after this census.

1870 US Census, Crawford County, Kansas, population schedule, Sheridan, p. 411B, dwelling 29, family 29, Andrew J. Webb (head); digital images, Ancestry.com (ancestry.com : accessed 5 September 2011); NARA microfilm publication M593, roll 431.

Slaves in Henry Wellin's Estate: Friend of Friends Friday

2011-09-02T07:30:00.000-07:00

(This post is an update from a previous post I did on Henry Wellons/Wellins' slaves)

FamilySearch recently released a collection of Kentucky probate records. I was very excited because it meant I might FINALLY get somewhere with my Kentucky ancestors. One of the first finds in the collection was the inventory of the estate of my 4th great-grandfather, Henry Wellins, and the dower of his widow, Thirzah Sayers Wellins. I was especially curious to learn what happened to Henry's slaves after his death. His son (my ancestor and an administrator of Henry's estate) didn't inherit them, so where did they go?

The first mention of slaves is in the inventory of Henry's estate:

Between fifteen bushels of wheat and one hatchet is "Negro woman Sary" and underneath her another slave, this time a boy, with a name that begins with 'Q' but the rest is pretty illegible. Sary is valued at $450.00 and the second at $650.00.

It bothered me that I couldn't make out the second name until I found Thirzah's dower. None of the slaves had been mentioned in the estate sale so the dower document would be the best bet to find another mention of them.

"... after Examining the slaves we believe the old woman [???] not worth any-thing we believe the boy Quales worth 650 dollars the girl Sary worth 450 dollars..."

I now knew what the second name was: Qua(r)les. I also learned that there was actually another slave not even mentioned in the inventory.

(For historical context, all of the above occurred in 1840, over twenty years before the Civil War began.)

The 1840 Census offered some clues as to what happened to Quales and Sary or the "old woman."

In Pulaski Co., in the household of "Thursey Welling" are two "Free Colored Persons." One is a male, likely Qua(r)les, between the ages of 24 and 35 and the other is a female between the ages of 36 and 55. Could Sary or the "old woman" be Qua(r)les' mother? The age gap between the two certainly makes it seem possible.

Henry also owned at least two other slaves that he freed before his death. In 1835 (Pulaski Deeds, v. 8:93), he freed "Isom aged about thirty years of dark complexion" and "Joe aged about twenty six years of black complexion." I believe his son, John (my third great-grandfather) was a witness. An "Isam Wellens" and "Joseph Wellens" appear in the same household in Pulaski Co., Kentucky in the 1850 Census.

'Quales' was a unique name so I went back to his original mention in the inventory just to make sure. In looking at the inventory now, I believe it says 'Quarles'. I wanted to see if there was a Quarles family in Pulaski Co. and sure enough, there was a slave owning Quarles family there. In fact, Tunstal Quarles, the head of the family, has his own Wikipedia page. I originally thought Quarles had some sort of association with the Quarles family (like perhaps they had owned him at some point) but the name appears as a given name for both whites and African-Americans in Pulaski Co. due to Tunstal's notoriety (he was an early pioneer in the area among other claims to fame).

Thirzah died in January of 1870 in Pulaski Co., Kentucky so any slaves she owned would have been emancipated before her death. Thirzah appears in the 1850 Census but not as a slaveholder. I haven't been able to find Thirzah anywhere in the 1860 Census.

I have been unable, thus far, to learn more about Sary, "the old woman," Quarles, Isom/Isam and Joseph.

One Day of German Research

2011-08-20T09:30:00.000-07:00

For the 31st edition of the Carnival of Central and Eastern European Genealogy, the theme is to write about "Personal Research, Research Experiences, and Tips."

I found this to be perfect timing as I have been spending a lot of time on some of my German surnames. A few weeks ago I spent a whole day on these families, especially my Bergers. I had never been able to get far researching them, mainly because they never showed up where they were supposed to be and because I was pretty ignorant when it came to German research.

It didn't start off as a Berger research day, or even a German research day. It started off with me checking out the online classes at FamilySearch. It had been several months since I had seen what they had to offer and it wasn't long before I was thoroughly engrossed in The Journey Takers, presented by Leslie Albrecht Huber. One of the many things about the video that stood out to me was that the place where a family lived (especially if it was in a small community) might not have had the parish they attended. It was entirely possible that they attended the parish in a nearby, larger community.

With that in mind I decided to play around with the German records on FamilySearch. I knew that my Bergers were from an area near the border of France called Rinnthal. The problem was that whenever I looked for my Bergers in Rinnthal I came up with zip. So, with the lesson I had just learned in mind, I broadened my search. I started typing in the names and dates I knew and to my surprise I was getting matches, only they weren't in Rinnthal they were in some place called Wilgartswiesen. A map of the two communities can be seen here (Rinnthal is on the far right, Wilgartswiesen on the far left):

View Larger Map

The two towns are right next to each other (less than three miles apart) and Wilgartswiesen is the larger of the two. The Berger children I was expecting to find all showed up in Wilgartswiesen, as well as some additional children who must have died young. My second great-grandfather, John William Berger, was born after the family came to the US but all except one of his many siblings were baptized in Wilgartswiesen. Another interesting tidbit is that most of John's brothers (who I knew as Philip, Jacob and Michael) were actually named Johann Philipp, Johann Jakob and Johann Michael. Obviously, my John Berger wasn't the first in the family, although he seems to be the only one who actually went by John. Then I read this article at Arlene Eakle's blog and this article at FamilySearch wiki and it cleared up a lot about German naming traditions for me.

I continued to spend time looking through the Wilgartswiesen records (type C02454-0 in the Batch Number box to browse these records at FamilySearch) and started to see a pattern with some of the mothers, their maiden names seemed to always end in "in." For example, Katharina Kupperin, Anna Maria Weilacherin, Elisabetha Daulin, etc. After some hunting, I found a thread that somewhat answered my question regarding the surname endings.

The day wasn't over yet, however. With a lot of my questions concerning German research in Germany answered, I started to shift my focus to my questions concerning German research in the US. Specifically, I wanted to get a better idea as to why my ancestors left Germany for the US. They arrived in the early 1830s, first settling in Stark Co., Ohio. By 1840 they were in Marshall Co., Indiana where they remained.

While I was formulating what to look for next, I remembered the wonderful presentation I had seen in June thanks to the SCGS Jamboree Live Streaming. One of the things Curt Witcher stressed in the presentation was to study not just your family in an area but their neighbors as well because they were likely connected in some way. With that in mind I wanted to look for any common threads between my Bergers and their neighbors in both Ohio and Indiana.

The first census the Bergers appear in is the 1840. I pulled it up and made a note of their neighbors, especially those with German sounding last names. Then I did the same with the 1850 census. Nothing really jumped out at me, but it is an avenue I will continue down. Something else I'm going to look into? Bergers and Matz in the Stark Co., Ohio area in 1830. My ancestors weren't there yet but their relatives might have been.

I also remembered this wonderful narrative lineage from the BCG's Work Samples page. The author's family also had German roots and had settled in Stark Co., Ohio. They were also members of a similar religious order - could that have been the reason my Bergers came to the US? It is something I will also continue to look into.

To end my day of German research, I headed over to one of my very favorite places, the website for the Bremen Public Library. While going through my Berger database I realized I was missing some obituaries I should have. Luckily, the Bremen Library has put them online - free to view and download.

I accomplished a lot that day, but even better I formulated a plan of what I need to do next. I also learned some lessons that I'll apply to my other German lines and future research.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go look for my Bergers in the Stark Co. court records over at FamilySearch...

Disclosure: I am in no way affiliated with any of the blogs, websites, organizations or institutions mentioned and/or linked to in this post. I received no prompting or remuneration of any kind for this post.

Census Sunday: Great-Great, Part 3

2011-08-14T18:00:00.000-07:00

Since my great-grandparents were still living with their parents in 1910 and I already covered this generation of ancestors, you can read about them here. And, this is also the case for the 1900 US census. You can read about them here.

So, here they are in the 1880 or 1881 (with the exception of the four who were still in Italy):

John Grant Allen
I haven't been able to find him in 1880. He would have been about ten and was likely living in Trumbull County, Ohio where the rest of his family was. Twelve years separated John from his next oldest surviving sibling and by 1880 all but John seem to have established their own household. The exception is his brother, Robert, who was living with their father in 1880. They were working as laborers in Niles and John was probably with them though not enumerated.

Marion A. Wood

Charles S. Wood Family
1881 Census of Canada
McKillop, Huron Centre, Ontario

Marion was ten and living with her parents, Charles S. Wood and Diadame Beam, and her siblings. While Diadame was a native Canadian and Charles had spent the majority of his life there, Marion and several of her siblings were born in the US. The family had relocated back to Canada around 1876 and came back to the US not long after this census.

1881 Census of Canada, McKillop, Huron Centre, Ontario, population schedule, district 174, subdistrict E, division 2, p. 79, family #341, Marion Wood; digital images, Ancestry.com (ancestry.com : accessed 13 June 2011); Library and Archives Canada microfilm C-13273.

Frederick Rendle Croad

Frederick Rendle Croad
1881 England Census
Midsomer Norton, Somerset

Fred was fifteen and working as a laborer. He was over forty miles away from home and his family. While he is listed as a 'labourer' many of the people on the page were in the mining industry and I have to wonder if Fred was as well. Where he was living, in Midsomer Norton, was in Somerset's coalfield.

1881 England Census, Somerset, Midsomer Norton, District 1a, RG 11, Piece 2428, Folio 7, p. 9, household 204, Frederick Croad (lodger); digital images, Ancestry.com (ancestry.com : accessed 4 August 2011); The National Archives of the UK, GSU roll 1341584.

Mary Stokes

George Stokes Family
1881 Wales Census
Pontypridd, Glamorgan

Mary was thirteen and at home with her parents. Her father, George was a coker and both her parents were originally from Somerset. Mary's occupation is given as 'scholar' and she was able to speak both English and Welsh.

1881 Wales Census, Glamorgan, Llanwonno, District 18, RG 11, Piece 5296, Folio 41, p. 85, household 376, George Stokes (head); digital images, Ancestry.com (ancestry.com : accessed 7 August 2011); The National Archives of the UK, GSU roll 1342274.

Heman Doyle Shinn and Emma Sophia Tock
See here.

Lauren Everett Healey

Comfort Healey Family, p. 2
1880 US Census
Centerville, Alameda, California

Lauren was two months shy of his seventh birthday and was at home with his parents and siblings. His father, Comfort, was listed as 'farmer' and originally from Nova Scotia. Many of the family's neighbors were also relatives, all connected to Ebenezer Haley who was the first in the family to come out to California. NOTE: The family is divided over two pages, parents on 517B and children on 518C.

1880 US Census, Alameda County, California, population schedule, Centerville, enumeration district (ED) 24, p. 517B and 518C, dwelling 276, family 281, Comfort Haley (head); digital images, Ancestry.com (ancestry.com : accessed 12 August 2011); NARA microfilm publication T9, roll 62.

Katherine Nielsen

Niels C. Nielsen Family
1880 US Census
Eden Twp., Alameda, California

Katherine was four and with her parents and sister in 1880. They were living in Mt. Eden which was later absorbed into present-day Hayward. Her father, Niels, is listed as a laborer. Most of the people enumerated with the family also seem to have North Frisia Danish roots.

1880 US Census, Alameda County, California, population schedule, Eden Township, enumeration district (ED) 23, p. 476B, dwelling 287, family 288, Niels Nielsen (head); digital images, Ancestry.com (ancestry.com : accessed 13 August 2011); NARA microfilm publication T9, roll 62.

John W. Berger and Susanna vonAllmen

John W. Berger Family
1880 US Census
South Bend, Saint Joseph, Indiana

John and Susanna were living in South Bend with their children were John was a minister. NOTE: The family is divided over two pages, parents on 470D, children on 471A.

1880 US Census, Saint Joseph County, Indiana, population schedule, South Bend, enumeration district (ED) 163, p. 470D, dwelling 746, family 867, John Berger (Head); digital images, Ancestry.com (ancestry.com : accessed 13 August 2011); NARA microfilm publication T9, roll 309.

George Washington Wellons and Mary Anna Webb

George W. Wellons Family
1880 US Census
Animas City, La Plata, Colorado

George and Mary were living in Animas City (mistranscribed as 'Ammas City' by Ancestry.com) with their children in 1880. George is listed as a 'farmer.' Also on the same page are Julius A. and Martha (Webb) Nicholson - the sister and brother-in-law of Mary.

1880 US Census, La Plata County, Colorado, population schedule, Animas City, enumeration district (ED) 65, p. 572C, dwelling 37, family 49, George Wellons (Head); digital images, Ancestry.com (ancestry.com : accessed 13 August 2011); NARA microfilm publication T9, roll 91.

Getting the Most Out of DNA Results

2011-08-10T09:05:00.000-07:00

(NOTE: This post is all about genetic genealogy. So, if you aren't at all interested in that sort of thing you might just want to skip this all together.)

I'm continually surprised to find people who have taken an autosomal DNA test and not investigated all the additional things you can do with the results. The fact is that there are A LOT of options you can look into with your autosomal DNA test results, regardless of whether you tested through 23andMe or FamilyTree DNA. Honestly, all the side projects and calculators were a big reason why I wanted to do autosomal DNA testing for myself and my parents and why I want to continue testing other relatives.

Most of these "goodies" are more advanced admixture tests than 23andMe and FamilyTree DNA usually perform. Since I got the test results, I've submitted my father and mother's raw data to Dr. McDonald's BGA project. It was free and I am so glad I did it. Not only did Dr. McDonald send me graphs and maps, but he broke down my parents likely ancestral origins by percentages. The most surprising result was the fact that he detected Jewish ancestry on my father's side (which I think is likely Sephardi, see here). He also detected possible Native American ancestry on my mother's side - something that has long been rumored but never proven. I also downloaded and ran my parents' results through Dienekes' DIY Dodecad calculator (again, free).

Below is a graph showing my father's various admixture results from the basic Ancestry Painting (also called Population Finder through FamilyTree DNA's Family Finder test) by 23andMe, to the additional tests I did through the DIY Dodecad and Dr. McDonald's BGA:

The 21.5% Mideast result includes the Jewish ancestry. I should also point out that the DIY Dodecad results make the most sense when run through the Dodecad Oracle. After putting the values above through the Oracle, I pretty much got that my father was half Italian, half Northern European - which is what the paper trail supports.

I've also uploaded my raw data to Gedmatch.com and while I haven't had any luck with my "matches" there, the eye color predictor proved eerily accurate.

But perhaps the biggest tool I've been using since getting my results is actually the one tool you don't even need any results to use: DNA-Forums. I use it to educate myself on everything from the projects and calculators available out there, to specific SNPs to just general questions about the science. And, speaking of SNPs, a great resource to learn about specific ones is SNPedia. The ISOGG (International Society of Genetic Genealogy) is also a lot more than just the wiki mentioned earlier. It is a wonderful resource and has helped me tremendously in educating myself on genetics.

Honestly, there is a ton more out there on genetic genealogy than I have mentioned here. What is mentioned here are just the tools that I personally have found helpful in allowing me to get the most out of my DNA results - so by all means, go out and explore.

I will say that it can be challenging to wrap your head around a lot of this stuff. I've been interested in genetics since I was first introduced to it in 7th grade but that doesn't mean I've found all this easy. Actually, I struggled to understand most of it (and still do). But, I've been able to figure a lot of it out, so if you have any questions about pretty much anything in this post, let me know and I'd be happy to help if I'm able.

Disclosure: I am in no way affiliated with any of the people, products or companies mentioned in this post nor did I receive remuneration of any kind for this post. I cannot vouch for the accuracy of the tests mentioned in this post or the reputability of the people and organizations performing the tests. I cannot be held liable for any results or experiences others receive with any of the people, products or companies mentioned in this post. I am purely a hobbyist in this subject, therefor my words and opinions on this topic should be taken as such.

Peschici, Please

2011-08-04T10:00:00.000-07:00

I have a new favorite place on this big blue marble called Earth and it is Peschici.

It is a small village in Italy with a present-day population of less than 4500 people. From pictures I've seen it is absolutely gorgeous and is apparently (and not surprisingly) quite the tourist destination. I've never been there (though I'd love to visit) and whenever I say it I feel like I'm ordering some obscure Italian cheese.

Why do I love Peschici, you ask? Because my great-grandmother was born there. Yes, the same great-grandmother who is my biggest brick-wall, the one without parents, a definite maiden name and until recently, a birthplace.

When I ordered her SS-5 the parents were what I was interested in - I wanted names and nothing else mattered. But, a funny thing happened when I got my copy of it in the mail. There were no names listed for her parents (her daughter, who was her legal guardian at the time filled it out and she clearly didn't know much about her mother's ancestry). I was momentarily disappointed until I noticed that her place of birth was listed (I was expecting just a blanket 'Italy' like I had seen on a lot of SS-5s for immigrants). What was listed was 'Peschi' but a quick search reveals that no such place exists. The only thing close is Peschici, which just happens to be about 12 miles from Vieste, where my great-grandmother lived before coming to the US and where her husband (and some of their children) was from.

I'm actually happier that I know her birthplace than if I just knew her parents names. With a birthplace, I have a specific spot that I can start with and build from. If I just had names it wouldn't mean much because I wouldn't have a clue where to begin looking for more information. And, as I've found in researching my ancestors MANY times, names aren't always correct. Case in point, my great-grandfather who said his mother was 'Carmela Scarlano,' then there is my great-grandfather's brother who said that their mother was 'Carmina Scarnia'... and then there are their actual birth registration records which list their mother as 'Carmella Scarano.'

Now that I know her birthplace, I can order films for Peschici (I knew her birthdate, though there is a little confusion over whether it was in 1891 or 1892). Specifically, I can order 1802409 Item 3 and 1802411 Item 1 which include birth registrations for 1891 and 1892.

The wall isn't down yet, but for the first time in a very long time the wall doesn't look so high... or so indestructible.

Anschlag's Confession

2011-07-26T10:15:00.000-07:00

Because my 2nd great-grandfather was only in Los Angeles for a few years, I never really looked into mentions of him in the area papers before now. Imagine my surprise when I found this:

[Note: this is just an excerpt from a very long article. The full article can be found here.]

"...It will be remembered that a few days ago an account was published of the murder of one Julius Fuge, near Oroville, by Anschlag, and of the finding of the body. The confession of this murder was obtained from Anschlag by Prof. U. S. Glick, who has translated Anschlag's confession exactly as it was given by him. The obtaining of the confession was no light undertaking and Prof. Glick deserves great credit for the manner in which he performed so distasteful a duty. Rev. John Berger, pastor of the German Evangelical Church, has been acting as Anschlag's spiritual adviser, and Prof. Glick has been his most able assistant. Prof. Glick labored three days in translating the history of Anschlag, as told by himself, from German into English..."

The Los Angeles Daily Herald; 5 Nov, 1888; page 2

The Anschlag case turned out to be quite the case, getting wide and frequent coverage in the newspapers but this is the only instance, I have found, that mentions John. He hadn't been in Los Angeles, or even California, for very long at the time this happened. His church was the equivalent of what is now the Methodist church, only it was geared towards those of German extraction and services were performed in German. I'd love to know what John thought of his time as "spiritual advisor" to a murderer...

Census Sunday: Great-Greats, Part 2

2011-07-24T09:00:00.000-07:00

Last week, I covered my great-great-grandparents in the 1930 US census. Here they are in 1920 (with the exception of the four who were still in Italy and the two that had died):

John Grant and Marion Wood Allen and Family
1920 US Census - Manistee, Manistee, Michigan

John Grant Allen and Marion Wood were living in Manistee, Manistee, Michigan in 1920 at 1400 Vine St.

1920 US Census, Manistee County, Michigan, population schedule, Manistee District 7, enumeration district (ED) 71, p. 11A, dwelling 218, family 237, John G. Allen (head); digital images, Ancestry.com (ancestry.com : accessed 13 June 2011); NARA microfilms publication T625, roll 783.

Frederick Rendle and Mary Stokes Croad and Family
1920 US Census - Millbrook, Mecosta, Michigan

Frederick Rendle Croad and Mary Stokes were living on their farm in the Millbrook, Mecosta, Michigan area.

1920 US Census, Mecosta County, Michigan, population schedule, Millbrook, enumeration district (ED) 248, p. 5A, dwelling 93, family 98, Fred Randel Croad (head); digital images, Ancestry.com (ancestry.com : accessed 19 July 2011); NARA microfilm publication T625, roll 784.

Lauren Everett Healey and Family
1920 US Census - Sacramento, Sacramento, California

Lauren Everett Healey was living with his family (his 1st wife, my ancestor, had died in 1918 and he had since remarried). They were living at 1225 15th St. in Sacramento, Sacramento, California (which is across the street from the state capitol).

1920 US Census, Sacramento County, California, population schedule, Sacramento Assembly District 15, enumeration district (ED) 118, p. 4B, dwelling 73, family 99, Lauren Healey (head); digital images, Ancestry.com (ancestry.com : accessed 19 July 2011); NARA microfilm publication T625, roll 126.

Susanna vonAllmen Berger
1920 US Census - Oakland, Alameda, California

Susanna vonAllmen Berger was living with her son and daughter in Oakland, Alameda, California at 536 E. 21st St. Susanna had been a widow nearly thirty years.

1920 US Census, Alameda County, California, population schedule, Oakland, enumeration district (ED) 82, p. 3A, dwelling 55, family 60, Suzanna Berger (mother); digital images, Ancestry.com (ancestry.com : accessed 19 July 2011); NARA microfilm publication T625, roll 89.

Mary Anna Webb Wellons
1920 US Census - Yreka, Siskiyou, California

Mary Anna Webb Wellons was still married and her husband, George Washington Wellons, was still alive, but for some reason he isn't with Mary Anna and the rest of his family in 1920. In fact, he doesn't seem to be anywhere in 1920! Mary Anna was living at 429 Center St. in Yreka, Siskiyou, California.

1920 US Census, Siskiyou County, California, population schedule, Yreka, enumeration district (ED) 136, p. 8B, dwelling 219, family 225, Mary A. Wellons (head); digital images, Ancestry.com (ancestry.com : accessed 19 July 2011); NARA microfilms publication T625, roll 149.

My great-great-grandparents, Heman Doyle Shinn and Emma Sophia Tock were living with my great-grandfather, Elmer John Shinn, in 1920. Elmer's 1920 US Census entry can be found here.

Where I'm From: SNGF

2011-07-23T21:59:00.000-07:00

I almost didn't participate in this week's challenge from Genea-Musings, but in the end I'm glad I did.

I am from sun kissed poppies in the breeze, from baking Cheerios by Lodi Lake and Jackson Coney dogs.

I am from the ranch with the red brick courtyard, crepe myrtles and Japanese persimmon tree.

I am from the blooming bougainvillea bringing spring, the Bing cherries in summer, the Flame Tokays in fall and juicy, sweet, tart and tangy citrus in the winter.

I am from summers swimming and deep grey-blue eyes, from Shinns and Bergers, Allens and Lapiccirellas.

I am from a smile and laugh that can light up a room, and the quiet man with the hard-knock past.

From pinochle and root beer floats, rising pizza dough by the radiator and 4-H fashion shows.

I am from Catholic Baptists, Methodist ministers, the simply spiritual and happy non-believers.

I'm from land like the Holy Sacrament, cities by the Bay, the big White Mountain, Copperweld Steel and Kelsey-Hayes. I’m from summer Barbecues in the winter, stuffed bell peppers, and homemade marinara.

From the chaplains of the Presidio, Shiloh, and Hornet, and the patriotic Quaker widow at the Sugar House.

I am from the memories in my great-grandmother’s hope chest, the many gifts from generous people, and the unknown treasures yet to be found.

Wordless Wednesday: The Other Side of the Story

2011-07-20T10:00:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, I posted my "Heritage Pie" breaking down the birthplaces of my 16 great-great-grandparents. I thought it was interesting how 'colorful' my chart was with my ancestors being born all over. But, that was only one side of the story. Here is the rest:

The above pie shows where my great-great-grandparents died. While the pie is a lot less varied, it tells me one big thing: this generation of ancestors were VERY mobile. They came to Michigan from Ohio, England and Wales and they came to California from Indiana, Illinois, New Jersey, New Brunswick and Kentucky. The only ones who stayed put? My Italian 2nd greats.

Heritage Pie: SNGF on Sunday Morning

2011-07-17T10:22:00.000-07:00

This week's challenge from Genea-Musings:

As you can see, 6 of my great-great-grandparents were born in Europe (Wales, England, Italy) and 10 were born in North America (New Brunswick, Canada; California, Ohio, Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, New Jersey, and Kentucky, USA)

My 16 great-grandparents:
16. John Grant Allen - son of Joseph Allen and Elizabeth Clemens/Clements. Born in 1869 in Niles, Trumbull, Ohio. His parents were born in Ireland, though his father at least was an Ulster Scot.

17. Marion Wood - daughter of Charles S. Wood and Diadame Beam. Born in 1871 in Summit, Jackson, Michigan. Her father was from Ireland with Scottish ancestry (an Ulster Scot). Her mother's family were Loyalists who came to Canada from New Jersey after the war. These Loyalists were quite a mixed bag coming from Germany, Scotland, France and England - and that doesn't include the many lines I haven't been able to cross the pond with.

18. Frederick Rendle Croad - son of Robert Rendle Croad and Susanna Tizzard. Born in 1865 in Sydling St. Nicholas, Dorset, England. His parents were English.

19. Mary Stokes - daughter of George Stokes and Charlotte Shepstone. Born in 1868 in Pontypridd, Glamorgan, Wales. Her parents were from England (Somerset) and had come to Wales a few years earlier where her father worked in the mines.

20. Matteo Lapiccirella - son of unknown and unknown. Born unknown in Italy.

21. Carmella/Carmina Scarano - daughter of unknown and unknown. Born unknown in Italy.

22. Unknown father of (Maria) Nicoletta, wife of Giuseppe Lapiccirella - son of unknown and unknown. Born unknown in Italy.

23. Unknown mother of (Maria) Nicoletta, wife of Giuseppe Lapiccirella - daughter of unknown and unknown. Born unknown in Italy.

24. Heman Doyle Shinn - son of John R. Shinn and Mariah Adelaide Doyle. Born in 1853 in New Jersey. His father was English. His mother was at least half English and at least a quarter Irish.

25. Emma Sophia Tock - daughter of James Tock and Martha Wadd. Born in 1859 in New Brunswick, Canada. Her parents were from Lincolnshire, England.

26. Lauren Everett Healey - son of Comfort Heal(e)y and Mary Gertrude Smith Mott. Born in 1873 in Newark, Alameda, California. His father was primarily English and so was his mother. His mother also had Dutch, Scottish and French ancestry.

27. Katherine Nielsen - daughter of Niels Christian Nielsen and Engeline Christine Petersen. Born in 1875 in Mt. Eden, Alameda, California. Her parents were from Schleswig-Holstein, Germany and were Danish.

28. John W. Berger - son of Heinrich Michael Berger/Barger and Fredricka Elisabetha Matz. Born in 1841 in German Twp., Marshall, Indiana. His parents were from the Wilgartswiesen area of Germany and were reportedly Alsacian German.

29. Susanna vonAllmen - daughter of Christian vonAllmen and Barbara Steiner. Born in 1849 in Olney, Richland, Illinois. Her parents were from Lauterbrunnen, Bern, Switzerland.

30. George Washington Wellons - son of John Chapple Wellons and Sarah Elizabeth Hudson. Born in 1849 in Pulaski Co., Kentucky. A lot is unknown about his parents ancestries but he was likely predominantly English with some Welsh ancestry (Wellons was originally Llewellyn).

31. Mary Anna Webb - daughter of Andrew Webb and Priscilla Mason. Born in 1862 in Lawrence Co., Indiana. A lot is unknown about her ancestry as well, though she was likely predominantly English as well. She is also believed to have had some Native American ancestry, though I have found no proof for it as yet.

Census Sunday: Great-Greats, Part 1

2011-07-17T10:00:00.000-07:00

Of my sixteen great-great-grandparents only six where alive and living in the US for the 1930 census:

John Grant Allen
1930 US Census - Jackson, Jackson, Michigan

John G. Allen left Manistee to go work for the prison in Jackson in the 1920s. He and his wife don't seem to have divorced but they lived separately for twenty + years, him is Jackson and her in Manistee. The family story is that John was an electrician and went to Jackson to "electrify" the prison. I have no idea just how much truth there is in that story, but I do know from records like this census that he was a guard there. In 1930 he was living as a lodger at 208 W. Washington Ave.

1930 US Census, Jackson County, Michigan, population schedule, Jackson, enumeration district (ED) 20, p. 15A, dwelling 259, family 482, John G. Allen (lodger); digital image, Ancestry.com (ancestry.com : accessed 13 June 2011); NARA microfilms publication T626, roll 996.

Marion Wood Allen
1930 US Census - Manistee, Manistee, Michigan

Marion (the wife of John above) was living with her grandson at 1400 Vine St. in Manistee.

1930 US Census, Manistee County, Michigan, population schedule, Manistee, enumeration district (ED) 15, p. 11B, dwelling 260, family 285, Mary Allen (head); digital images, Ancestry.com (ancestry.com : accessed 13 June 2011); NARA microfilms publication T626, roll 1008.

Frederick Rendle Croad
1930 US Census - Millbrook, Mecosta, Michigan

Fred's wife, Mary Stokes Croad, had died in 1926. He was living, by himself, on his farm in Millbrook in 1930.

1930 US Census, Mecosta County, Michigan, population schedule, Millbrook, enumeration district (ED) 22, p. 5B, dwelling 122, family 122, Fred Croad (head); digital images, Ancestry.com (ancestry.com : accessed 4 July 2011); NARA microfilm publication T626, roll 1011.

Lauren Everett Healey and Family
1930 US Census - Alameda, Alameda, California

Lauren was living at 1377 Broadway in 1930 with his family (his first wife, my 2nd great-grandmother, had died in 1918 and he had since remarried).

1930 US Census, Alameda County, California, population schedule, Alameda, enumeration district (ED) 215, p. 1A, dwelling 1, family 1, Lauren E. Healey (head); digital images, Ancestry.com (ancestry.com : accessed 4 July 2011); NARA microfilm publication T626, roll 100.

Susanna vonAllmen Berger and Family
1930 US Census - Oakland, Alameda, California

Susanna was living at 1434 Everett Ave. with two of her children. At the time of the census she had been a widow for nearly forty years.

1930 US Census, Alameda County, California, population schedule, Oakland, enumeration district (ED) 206, p. 7B, dwelling 147, family 147, Susanna Berger (head); digital images, Ancestry.com (ancestry.com : accessed 4 July 2011); NARA microfilm publication T626, roll 108.

George Washington Wellons and Family
1930 US Census - Yreka, Siskiyou, California

George was a widow and living with his daughter, "Flo," on Gold St. in Yreka.

1930 US Census, Siskiyou County, California, population schedule, Yreka, enumeration district (ED) 35, p. 11A, dwelling 169, family 283, George W. Wellons (head); digital images, Ancestry.com (ancestry.com : accessed 4 July 2011); NARA microfilm publication T626, roll 220.

Were They Related?

2011-07-14T10:00:00.000-07:00

Setting the Scene
"Emma was 'accidentally' born in Canada on January 27, 1859 while her mother was making a brief visit to relatives living there and was caught in a winter storm and could not return home, creating fears as to her citizenship, but there were no problems." - An excerpt from a biography on my 2nd great-grandmother, Emma Sophia Tock (Shinn).

Emma Sophia Tock
circa 1874

I never put much stock into the story above because there have never been any sources to back it up and it is so vague on the details. But, whenever I did any research on the family I never forgot about the possible relatives in Canada Emma's mother had gone to visit. If there were relatives in Canada who were they? How were they connected to the family? Were they the reason the Tocks chose to leave England for the Maine/New Brunswick area?

The biography above also mentions where the family was supposedly residing at the time of Emma's birth: Calais, Washington, Maine. Looking at a map reveals something interesting about Calais:

View Larger Map

Calais is not only on the Canadian border, it and St. Stephen, Charlotte, New Brunswick run into each other. They run into each other so much so that the family is often enumerated in records in St. Stephen and not Calais.

What a Little Research Turned Up...
I recently decided to revisit this family story and the results were interesting the say the least. Census records were the first thing I re-examined. Unfortunately, Emma, father James and mother Martha (Wadd) Tock aren't on any records (that I could find) in Maine or Canada. But, three of Emma's sisters (Mary Elizabeth, Sarah Jane "Sallie" and Martha Ann/Anna) do appear in census records.

Death Record for Jane Harris Temple

In 1861, Sallie and Martha Ann were living in St. Stephen with a William Harris and his wife, Sarah. Both William and Sarah were from England, born in circa 1813 and circa 1811 respectively. Sallie and Martha Ann are listed as lodgers and are ages five and seven.

Next up is to look for the girls in either the 1871 Canadian census or the 1870 US census. Well, Martha Ann is nowhere to be found in 1871 or 1870, but Sallie is enumerated. She is still with William and Sarah Harris in St. Stephen. The fact that Sallie appears in their household in both 1861 and 1871 is a red flag to me that maybe the Harris family might be more than just charitable to little Sallie and her family.

I was not able to find Mary Elizabeth in the 1860 US or 1861 Canadian Census records. She is in the 1870 US census though, living in Calais. She is listed as a dressmaker in the household of Robert and Jane Temple. Both Robert and Jane were from England. Could Robert or Jane be related to William and Sarah Harris?

Well, I looked up Jane in the Maine death records at Ancestry.com. I was happy to see her record was there and even happier to see that it listed her parents names: William Harris and Sarah Barnes.

I then went and looked up Jane in earlier census years in the US, Canada and England. She appears in Calais in 1860 as Jane Harris and is a servant in her future husband Robert Temple's household.

Were They/Weren't They?
There might be some reasons that could defeat the possibility of a biological connection:

Emma, Mary Elizabeth, Sallie and Martha Ann's mother, Martha Wadd Tock, died in 1861. It is entirely possible that James, unable to care for four small daughters on his own, sent them to live in whatever household would take them - like the Harris family (and later their daughter Jane's household)
The Harris family put 'Wesleyan Methodist' down as their religion, and so did the Tock girls. It is entirely possible that the two families attended the same church and had become close that way. It might also be the reason why both families left England.
I know where in Lincolnshire the Wadd and Tock families were from. I have been able to find records for both James and Martha and their siblings. I have never come across a Barnes or Harris in either family, or in the area in Lincolnshire in which they lived.
They were both from England. Perhaps the families just bonded over their shared origins. Perhaps they left England and came to the Calais/St. Stephen area at the same time.
Both William Harris and James Tock were laborers. Perhaps the two men worked together and the families grew close that way.
Maybe the girls worked for the Harris and Temple households. They might just have been taken in to help Sarah Harris with household chores.

But, there are also compelling reasons why they might have been related:

I have not been able to trace Martha and James' parents. It is entirely possible that either William or Sarah was a first (or more distant) cousin.
William was a laborer and his daughter, Jane, was a servant before her marriage. They probably weren't wealthy or in a financial position to be charitable with anyone other than a relative.
William and Sarah were pushing fifty in 1861. They also had at least one grown child. Unless a relative were in need, I find it hard to believe that they'd choose to take in at least two small children and raise them for ten + years.
Sallie and Martha Ann are never explicitly listed as servants, and for that matter neither is Mary Elizabeth. In fact, Sallie is listed as attending school in 1871. If she were in the household as a servant, I doubt she would have been able to attend school.
Their connection was multigenerational. If the Tock girls were a charity case or worked for the family, I have a hard time believing that they would have continued a connection with Jane and her family - especially since the girls probably joined the Harris family after their mother's death in 1861, when Jane was out of the house and on her own.
Sallie's full name was Sarah Jane Tock - is it just a coincidence that her foster mother was also named Sarah and her foster mother's daughter was named Jane?

So, were they related or not? What do you think?

Note: this post was written for week 2 of 31 Weeks to a Better Genealogy Blog at Tonia's Roots.

The Three Death Certificates of Patrick Henry Hudson

2011-07-12T10:00:00.000-07:00

When it comes to Texas genealogy, I just have a few collateral lines that headed for the Lone Star state. Sometimes I wish I had more ties to the area just so I could take more advantage of all the wonderful resources available. One of these 'wonderful resources' is the collection of Texas Death Certificates online (both FamilySearch and Footnote have collections). My third great-grandmother's nephew (Patrick Henry "Dobe" Hudson) and his family appear in the collection. They settled in Fannin Co. where Patrick died in 1911. Interestingly, he has not one, not two, but three death certificates:

Certificate #1 doesn't offer much information at all - not even his full middle name. Note the death date of April 5th. No medical or personal information is provided, beyond the fact that he was a farmer. If this was the only death certificate available for him I'd be thoroughly disappointed. Luckily...

Certificate #2 is much better. This one, however, gives Patrick a death date of the 6th, not the 5th like above. It also provides some personal information on him like his birthday (Feb. 19, 1840), place of birth (Pulaski Co., Kentucky), his father's name (Vincent Jackson Hudson) and his mother's maiden name (Vaughn). I was also able to learn where he was buried: Hampton Cemetery in Bonham.

Certificate #3 fills in the rest of the picture. Medical information (like cause of death) is included in this one. His death also changes again to the 5th. This certificate also asks something that the others didn't, how long he had been at the residence where he died and in state. Unfortunately, whoever filled out the certificate was a little vague on this one. When it comes to the question about how long he had been at his residence (Edhube), "some years" is given. When it comes to the question about how long he had been in the state, "many years" is given.

The death certificates for Patrick's widow and their children aren't in triplicate so I don't know why Patrick alone had three, or why they couldn't seem to get all the information on one. Looking at the certificates, I imagine the first one was rejected because there isn't much of anything filled out. Two was probably rejected because no medical information was provided, including a physician's signature. Interestingly, certificate #2 is the only one with a registered number (104). I wonder if I were to order his death certificate from the county, which one would they send me? #2? All three of them? It makes me curious about how many more relatives I have out there with more than one vital record for one event...

Patrick's FindAGrave entry (including a picture of his tombstone), is here. His father, Vincent Jackson Hudson, was my third great-grandmother's brother.

Census Sunday: Greats, Part 4

2011-07-10T09:00:00.000-07:00

Since the 1890 US census was largely lost, I don't have the records of my only two living great-grandparents in that census. But, I do know where they were in 1890. Gideon Gottlieb Berger was about five and living with his family at 618 South Olive St. in Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California (the family had moved there in 1888 from Indiana and left for Oakland in 1891). My other living great, Elmer John Shinn, was about thirteen and living on the family farm in San Joaquin Co., California. Elmer is also the only great who appears in the 1880 census:

Heman Doyle and Emma Sophia Tock Shinn and Family
1880 US Census - Alabama Twp., San Joaquin, CA

Elmer was two at the time of the census and was living with his parents, siblings and maternal grandfather on the family farm (which is enumerated in Alabama Township). Nearby is Elmer's maternal aunt and her family (the Russells).

1880 US Census, San Joaquin County, California, population schedule, Alabama, enumeration district (ED) 92, p. 302D, dwelling 257, family 269, Elmer J. Shinn (son); digital images, Ancestry.com (ancestry.com : accessed 3 July 2011); NARA microfilm publication T9, roll 71.

My Pie

2011-07-07T10:00:00.000-07:00

My Family Finder results came in today (over a month earlier than estimated!). I was a little disappointed with my matches, or lack thereof (none were closer than 4th cousin range), but I know the database will only continue to grow. I was pleasantly surprised when I saw my Population Finder pie chart though:

I was expecting just a blanket "100% European" - which is what each of my parents got at 23andMe. The big blue slice is that generic Western European ("French, Orcadian" under population) I was expecting. The orange slice represents "Romanian, Tuscan" (aka Southeastern/Southern European) and on the corresponding map that came with the chart Romania and the countries around the Adriatic are highlighted. Considering that a quarter of my ancestry is Southern Italian, the orange slice makes sense - I'm just surprised they were able to distinguish it from the rest of Europe.

I'm especially impressed that it picked up on the Adriatic connection specifically (represented by the "Romanian" I believe) as my Italian ancestors are from the village of Vieste, which right on the Sea.

For anyone interested in what the Population Finder is and how it is calculated, see here.

Full disclosure: No one but little old me paid for my Family Finder test, nor did I receive remuneration or prompting of any kind from anyone to write this post.

America in My Family Tree

2011-07-04T08:30:00.000-07:00

While I think it is important to acknowledge and honor those that put their lives on the line and took up arms for a cause, I also think it is important to do the same for the "behind the scenes" ancestors who did their parts to help make America what it was when and what it is today. In honor of the 4th of July, these are some of the ancestors I think of when I think of patriotism and the American Dream - two things we celebrate most on this date. These people aren't in history books, they didn't see combat, they didn't enact any landmark laws and most have been largely forgotten by time. They are average people, on the surface unremarkable, the "common man" in every sense of the word, and people who I admire and think of when I think of America in my family tree.

Anne Coles Mott (1747-1840)
Anne was a Quaker with four small children when the Revolutionary War broke out. During the course of the war she lost both her husband and youngest fifth child. She came from a family that supported the American cause (her brother was a spy for General Washington) but lived in a city (New York) that was largely Loyalist in leaning. She didn't have to do anything, I doubt anyone expected her to. But, she did and then she went above and beyond. She nursed the American prisoners being held in the dreaded Sugar House Prison, where conditions were, to put it mildly, horrible. She gave them food, clothing and in at least one instance a place to recover from the prison (only after her husband put up half of a 1,000 pound sterling bail bond). In return, the American soldiers gave her a quilt which she cherished. Many years after the war and towards the end of her life, her great-granddaughter remarked that she continued to leave things outside for the American soldiers and was convinced that British soldiers were hiding in the trees outside her home. My dream has and continues to be to join the DAR through Anne's service.

John Chapple Wellons (1805-1896)
The Wellons family owned slaves. They likely owned them from the time they arrived in Virginia, roughly a hundred years before John's birth, and they continued to own them in Kentucky. A biography written by John's grandson says that John freed his slaves in the 1830s or 40s. I know that John's father, Henry, owned them, but can find no record of John having owned any. Either they were freed upon by Henry upon his death or John did so not long after (as the eldest son the plantation and everything on it would have passed to him). Whoever did it, I'm proud of them. Twenty + years later, when the Civil War broke out, John saw four sons (and very nearly two more if they hadn't been caught for being underage) and several nephews enlist and serve on the side of the Union.

Mariah Adelaide Doyle Shinn (1832-1917)
When Mariah died her obituary mentioned that she was an early pioneer in her community, that she was related to the Beecher family and that she was well loved by those who knew her. She was also the daughter of a prominent early California and Nevada lawyer and judge and her mother's people were some of the oldest and most respected New England families. But it is what her obituary failed mention that I am proudest of. As a little girl her family nearly starved while they tried to establish a community along the then wild Mississippi River before returning in failure to her hometown of Rochester, New York. She got married at twenty and soon had a baby which she took with her on the dangerous and grueling voyage and trek over the isthmus of Panama to reach California. The family prospered for a time but then her husband died of malaria, leaving her with vast amounts of acreage needing to be cleared and unfarmable... as well as three small children. She was also briefly married to a bigamist before divorcing - an event that deeply scarred her. She could have just sold the land and gone back to what she knew and what was easy but she didn't and what's more, that never really seems to have been an option in her mind. The land was cleared, the children raised and a legacy of farming begun. Her husband's dream was not to dig up California's gold but to plant it - a dream she seems to have shared and passed on to later generations.

Susanna vonAllmen Berger (1849-1932)
She was the daughter of immigrants who chose to leave crushing poverty and famine in Switzerland for the US only a few years earlier. At seventeen she married a physical fragile young minister who had been permanently scarred by his time in the Civil War. She then spent the next twenty five years following him to where ever the church sent him. If they were lucky they got to stay in one place for more than a year or two. And even when they were settled in one place she was often left alone in a community of strangers with her young children while her husband traveled and spread his church's message. What little money they did get from his preacher's pay surely wasn't enough for their large family (there were ten children in all) but she made do. And then came the biggest move of all: to Germany so her husband could do missionary work. While there her eldest child died and two more were born. The family's final move was to Oakland, California where her husband died soon afterward. She was only 42 and her youngest child (who was severely handicapped) was only a year old. She went on to raise their children by herself with only her widow's pension (and the charity of others) to support her. She outlived her husband by over forty years. My grandmother's recollections of her, pictures of her in old age I have seen, stories told to me, and letters to her I have read give the impression that she was a pretty formidable person - something I'm sure she had to be to survive everything that had happened to her.

Mary Anna Webb Wellons (1862-1926)
There is a lot about Mary Anna that is admirable. In fact, I could devote a whole post just to her. But I'm just going to salute one thing about Mary Anna - something that is often a forgotten part of the American Dream: the right to vote. When California granted women suffrage in 1911 (nine years before the 19th Amendment passed), Mary Anna started appearing on voter rolls immediately. She exercised her right as an American citizen when she didn't have to, when many women still chose not to, and when many women who wanted to weren't allowed to. She was almost fifty years old when she was able to vote for the first time and until her death fourteen years later appeared on every voter roll. She was also somewhat unique in that she didn't just vote the same as her husband, in fact, they weren't even members of the same party some years. I also think she played a big role in the fact that her daughters also started appearing on voter rolls as soon as they were able - and even they didn't always vote the same as their parents. A loving family where everyone voted according to their individual ideals? That is something I think of when I think of American greatness.

Lauren Everett Healey (1873-1959)
I chose Lauren but it is really all the Healeys that I want to honor here. While the family did a lot that I'm proud of, the reason I'm saluting them here is because of their response to one event in American history: the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake. Lauren (and likely the rest of his family) lost everything that April day. He spent weeks living as a refugee at Golden Gate Park trying to get word to his family through the Red Cross. His family spent that time across the Bay watching their city burn and crumble, all the while not knowing if Lauren was even alive. They could have left, I don't think anyone would have blamed them if they did. But they didn't. They stayed and rebuilt when San Francisco needed them most. They repaid and remained loyal to a city that had given them so much. And most of all, they carried on with their lives and, like so many other San Franciscans, never let one horrible event define (and destroy) their city.

The Immigrants (1620-1920)
From the Mayflower to the Madonna, I salute them. Leaky boats, covered wagons, aching feet, train, plane or automobile - no matter how they made it, I'm so glad and so proud that they did. I am especially proud of the ancestors like my great-grandmother who came to this country not knowing anything about the language, the culture or what the future would bring her family. She came through Ellis Island eight months pregnant with her fourth child headed for a strange land called 'Ohio' and a factory town - a far cry from the Italian countryside she knew so well. While she spent the rest of her life struggling to learn the language, she embraced her new country, and it embraced her like it did for all my other immigrant ancestors.

Happy Birthday, America! Here's to the many things you do better than anywhere else, the mistakes you've learned by, and the amazing people (my ancestors included) you've both attracted and fostered from elsewhere and homegrown.

July To-Dos

2011-07-03T09:00:00.000-07:00

I stopped doing monthly to-do lists because I just didn't have the time to complete all my goals (at one point I was having a hard time completing ANY of my goals). Since I have more time in the summer for genealogy, I'm bringing the list back - at least for now.

Order: my grandfather's death certificate (died in Georgia). Also, look into ordering death certificates for my paternal grandmother's siblings (most died in Ohio) and my 3rd great-grandmother's (Engeline Petersen) sisters (both died in California).
Order: the documentation file associated with the DAR application on my 5th great-grandfather, John Shinn (and possibly other ancestors in the DAR Patriot Index)
Request: A cemetery photo of the grave of my great-grandfather's stillborn sister (I just discovered her existence). She is buried in Oak Grove Cemetery, Manistee, Manistee, Michigan. Another sister is buried in that cemetery and I want to find out if they are buried near each other - if so, then I'll know it is a family plot which might help me find other relatives in the same location.
Contact: the person on Ancestry.com who created a tree with information on the sister of my 3rd great-grandmother, Elizabeth Clemens. This sister has been impossible to track so I'm really curious where they got their info on her (and how accurate it is).
Upload: My GEDCOMS to Gedmatch. I have already uploaded the raw data I have (and will upload my Family Finder results when I have them) but I never uploaded the corresponding GEDCOMS.
Contact: Speaking of my Family Finder results, once they are in I want to get in touch with any matches I might have.
Transcribe: Get back into FamilySearch Indexing. I also just volunteered for a new project I'm VERY excited to start!
Learn: I want to get back to watching more online courses through FamilySearch. At the top of the list are - "The English Parish," "Building A German Genealogy Library," and "The 2 Sides of Interviewing."
Correct: I am horrible at remembering to make correction to typos and mistranscriptions I come across and adding post-ems if need be. I want to get better about making corrections and also go back and make some to certain records (like the census record where my Tock family is indexed as the 'Sock' family).
Attend: I've signed up for and am looking forward to the following webinars - (7/2) "NSDAR -Resources for your Revolutionary War Ancestors with DearMyrtle," and the upcoming July Legacy Family Tree webinars.

I also want to continue my "Census Sunday" posts and the census citation cleanup I've been doing, and post the next installment of Essie Mott's memoir. I don't have any research projects or goals right now, but that doesn't mean I won't be doing ANY research this month.

Disclosure: I am in no way affiliated with any of the websites or companies mentioned (and/or linked to) in this post nor did I receive any remuneration for this post from any party/parties mentioned here or otherwise.

Census Sunday: Greats, Part 3

2011-07-03T07:00:00.000-07:00

I'm counting down my great-grandparents in the US census and this week is 1900. This is the last census where all of them were alive and enumerated. Most were born in the 1890s so this is also their first census. One was born in the 1880s and would have been in the 1890 census if it had survived. One was born in the 1870s and was enumerated in the 1880 census. The only greats not enumerated in the 1900 census are my paternal grandmother's parents who were still in Italy.

John Grant and Marion Wood Allen and children
1900 US Census - Manistee, Manistee, Michigan

My great-grandfather, Joseph James Allen, and his family. They were living at 1514 Vine St. in Manistee, Manistee, Michigan.

1900 US Census, Manistee County, Michigan, population schedule, Manistee Ward 4, enumeration district (ED) 34, p. 10B, dwelling 150, family 193, Joseph Allen (son); digital images, Ancestry.com (ancestry.com : accessed 11 June 2011); NARA microfilms publication T623, roll 728.

Frederick Rendle and Mary Stokes Croad and family
(most children appear on the subsequent page)
1900 US Census - Millbrook, Mecosta, Michigan

My great-grandmother, Daisy May Croad, and her family. They were living in Millbrook, Mecosta, Michigan. Daisy and most of her siblings were enumerated on the subsequent page, their parents appear on the page to the right.

1900 US Census, Mecosta County, Michigan, population schedule, Millbrook, enumeration district (ED) 107, p. 10B, dwelling 210, family 215, Daisy Croad (daughter); digital images, Ancestry.com (ancestry.com : accessed 13 June 2011); NARA microfilms publication T623, roll 731.

Heman Doyle and Emma Sophia Tock Shinn and family
1900 US Census - San Joaquin, California

My great-grandfather, Elmer John Shinn, and his family. They were living on the family farm in San Joaquin County, California.

1900 US Census, San Joaquin County, California, population schedule, Elkhorn, enumeration district (ED) 102, p. 5A, dwelling 100, family 103, Elmer Shinn (son); digital images, Ancestry.com (ancestry.com : accessed 27 June 2011); NARA microfilms publication T623, roll 108.

Lauren Everett and Katherine Nielsen Healey and child
1900 US Census - San Francisco, San Francisco, California

My great-grandmother, Gladys Viola Healey, and her family. They were living at 103 Welsh St. in San Francisco, San Francisco, California.

1900 US Census, San Francisco County, California, population schedule, San Francisco, enumeration district (ED) 66, p. 9A, dwelling 159, family 193, Gladys Healy (daughter); digital images, Ancestry.com (ancestry.com : accessed 27 June 2011); NARA microfilms publication T623, roll 101.

Susanna vonAllmen Berger and children
1900 US Census - Oakland, Alameda, California

My great-grandfather, Gideon Gottlieb Berger, and family. They were living at 1260 E. 10th St., Oakland, Alameda, California.

1900 US Census, Alameda County, California, population schedule, Oakland Ward 7, enumeration district (ED) 392, p. 7B, dwelling 139, family 143, Gideon Berger (son); digital images, Ancestry.com (ancestry.com : accessed 27 June 2011); NARA microfilms publication T623, roll 83.

George Washington and Mary Anna Webb Wellons and children
1900 US Census - Mountain, Siskiyou, California

My great-grandmother, Georgiana Wellons, and her family. They were living in Mountain Twp., Siskiyou, California - which is now a part of Klamath National Forest.

1900 US Census, Siskiyou County, California, population schedule, Mountain, enumeration district (ED) 131, p. 9B, dwelling 188, family 191, Georgia Welons (daughter); digital images, Ancestry.com (ancestry.com : accessed 27 June 2011); NARA microfilms publication T623, roll 113.

Census Sunday: Greats, Part 2

2011-06-26T08:00:00.000-07:00

Since I covered my great-grandparents in the 1920 census last week and the 1930 census the week before that, this entry covers them in 1910.

John Grant and Marion Wood Allen and children
1910 US Census - Manistee, Manistee, Michigan

My great-grandfather (Joseph J. Allen) was living at 817 Engelman St. in Manistee, Manistee, Michigan with his family.
1910 US Census, Manistee County, Michigan, population schedule, Manistee Ward 4, enumeration district (ED) 0038, p. 2A, dwelling 24, family 30, Joseph J. Allen (son); digital images, Ancestry.com (ancestry.com : accessed 11 June 2011); NARA microfilms publication T624, roll 661.

Frederick Rendle and Mary Stokes Croad and children
1910 US Census - Millbrook, Mecosta, Michigan

My great-grandmother (Daisy M. Croad) was living with her family in Millbrook, Mecosta, Michigan on their farm. Daisy's parents had immigrated to the US in 1892 and had become naturalized by 1910.
1910 US Census, Mecosta County, Michigan, population schedule, Millbrook, enumeration district (ED) 0130, p. 13A, dwelling 3, family 3, Daisy M. Croad (daughter); digital images, Ancestry.com (ancestry.com : accessed 13 June 2011); NARA microfilms publication T624, roll 663.

Heman Doyle and Emma Sophia Tock Shinn and children
1910 US Census - Elkhorn, San Joaquin, California

My great-grandfather (Elmer J. Shinn) was living on the family farm in rural San Joaquin Co. (enumerated as Elkhorn Twp.).

1910 US Census, San Joaquin County, California, population schedule, Elkhorn, enumeration district (ED) 0119, p. 1B, dwelling 15, family 15, Elmer J. Shinn (son); digital images, Ancestry.com (ancestry.com : accessed 20 June 2011); NARA microfilms publications T624, roll 103.

Lauren Everett and Katherine Nielsen Healey and child
1910 US Census - San Francisco, San Francisco, California

My great-grandmother (Gladys V. Healey) was living with her family at 25 Lexington Ave., San Francisco, San Francisco, California
1910 US Census, San Francisco County, California, population schedule, San Francisco Assembly District 35, enumeration district (ED) 0119, p. 5B, dwelling 81, family 87, Gladys V. Healey (daughter); digital images, Ancestry.com (ancestry.com : accessed 20 June 2011); NARA microfilm publications T624, roll 98.

Gideon Gottlieb Berger, was living with his family
but was enumerated on a different page for some reason
1910 US Census - Oakland, Alameda, California

My great-grandfather (Gideon G. Berger) was living with his family but for whatever reason was enumerated on a different page. The Bergers were living at 388 Twentieth St., Oakland, Alameda, California.
1910 US Census, Alameda County, California, population schedule, Oakland Ward 7, enumeration district (ED) 0139, p. 12B, dwelling 57, family 61, Gideon Berger (son); digital images, Ancestry.com (ancestry.com : accessed 20 June 2011); NARA microfilm publications T624, roll 71.

George Washington and Mary Anna Webb Wellons and children
1910 US Census - Yreka, Siskiyou, California

My great-grandmother (Georgiana "Georgia" Wellons) was living with her family at 218 North St., Yreka, Siskiyou, California. Interestingly, Georgia was given the middle initial 'A.' in this census. I think maybe they said 'Georgiana' but the enumerator heard 'Georgia A.' or thought her name was "Georgia Anna' and abbreviated. In any case, this is the only instance where she is given a middle initial of any kind.
1910 US Census, Siskiyou County, California, population schedule, Yreka Ward 1, enumeration district (ED) 0121, p. 2B, dwelling 45, family 47, Georgia A. Wellons (daughter); digital images, Ancestry.com (ancestry.com : accessed 20 June 2011); NARA microfilm publications T624, roll 108.

The only greats who weren't enumerated in this census were my paternal grandmother's parents who were still in Italy at the time.

Father's Day Gifts to Myself

2011-06-22T08:00:00.000-07:00

My genealogy budget consists of the money I make house and pet sitting for friends and neighbors. The summertime is usually when I make the bulk on what goes into this budget so the summertime is usually when I am able to get the most done (genealogically). With a recent "genea-pay day" behind me and Father's Day happening I decided to go a strictly paternal route with the records I was ordering:

SS-5 forms, lots of them (more than I was planning to get actually) -

Maria Nicoletta Riccia. My father's grandmother and my biggest brick-wall. She is not in the SSDI but her death certificate lists her social security number. I also know from this website, that she filled out her social security application in 1973, the year her husband died.
Giuseppe "Joseph" Lapiccirella. The husband of the above. He is also not in the SSDI, but his death certificate lists his number. He worked for Copperweld Steel which is likely why he had to get a social security number. I know who his parents are but I ordered his SS-5 because his mother's name never seems to be spelled the same way twice, so I'd like to know how he personally spelled it.
Jane Rose Lapiccirella. My father's mother and the daughter of the above. She is in the SSDI and it lists her as getting her social security number in Ohio before 1951. I want to learn: 1) when exactly she applied, 2) who she was working for at the time and 3) if she was married or still at home at the time she applied.
Daisy May Croad. My father's other grandmother. She is in the SSDI and got her number in Michigan before 1951. I want to learn if she applied before or after her husband's death and where she was living at the time she applied. She also doesn't have a birth record (believe me, I've looked) so I don't have any document that lists her parents names (even though I know who they are).
Harry James Allen. My father's father and the son of Daisy above. He is in the SSDI and it lists him as getting his number in Michigan before 1951. From what I've heard and collected, he seems to have been career Army except for his brief time working for Kelsey-Hayes (which he hated). I want to know when he applied and if he was in the Army at the time and also, if it was before or after he was married.

I also went to RAOGK and put in a request for two death records:

Frederick Rendle Croad. The father of of Daisy above. He died in Millbrook, Mecosta, Michigan in either 1932 or 1956. I got those two death dates from the IGI and an unsourced tree on Ancestry.com so neither date is very reliable. I'm curious to know which, if either, is correct and I want proof for it.
Mary Stokes. The wife of Frederick above. She died in Millbrook, Mecosta, Michigan in 1926. Again, the source for this death date isn't that reputable so I want proof.

I also wanted to order my father's father's death certificate but those SS-5s maxed me out. Luckily, the summer is still young so I won't have too long a wait.

Census Sunday: Greats, Part 1

2011-06-19T07:30:00.000-07:00

Since I covered my great-grandparents in the 1930 census last time, here they are in 1920:

Right off the bat, I am missing my great-grandfather's (Joseph James Allen) entry in the 1920 census. I have looked high and low for years and still can't find it. He should be in Michigan, and since he got married in Jackson in 1921 (and was living there in 1918 when he was drafted into service for WWI), there is a good chance that that was also where he was in 1920.

Daisy May Croad Cuson (later Allen)
1920 US Census - Grand Ledge, Eaton, Michigan

The woman he would marry in 1921, my great-grandmother, was living in Grand Ledge, Eaton, Michigan at 615 West Jefferson St. I was glad when I found this entry for her because it helped clarify what was going on between her and her first husband. They had married in 1919 but were obviously divorced by the time of her 2nd marriage. In 1920 both she and her first husband (who was living in Flint with his family) are listed as 'married' but since they were enumerated separately, they seem to have separated by the time of the census.
1920 US Census, Eaton County, Michigan, population schedule, Grand Ledge Ward 1, enumeration district (ED) 102, p. 3A, dwelling 48, family 51, Daisy Cuson (lodger); digital images, Ancestry.com (ancestry.com : accessed 13 June 2011); NARA microfilms publication T625, roll 763.

Elmer John Shinn, and parents,
Heman Doyle Shinn and Emma Sophia Tock
1920 US Census - Elkhorn, San Joaquin, California

Gladys Viola Healey and grandparents,
Niels Christian Nielsen and Engeline Christine Petersen
1920 US Census - Alameda, Alameda, California

My great-grandfather, Elmer J. Shinn was living at home with his parents, sister, niece and future brother-in-law on the family farm (which is enumerated as Elkhorn Township) in San Joaquin Co., California.
1920 US Census, San Joaquin County, California, population schedule, Elkhorn, enumeration district (ED) 146, p. 20A, dwelling 474, family 488, Heman D. Shinn (head); digital images, Ancestry.com (ancestry.com : accessed 14 June 2011); NARA microfilms publication T625, roll 143.

My great-grandmother, Gladys V. Healey was living with her aunt, uncle and grandparents (Niels Christian Nielsen and Engeline Christine Petersen) at 1508 Alameda Ave. in Alameda, Alameda, California.
1920 US Census, Alameda County, California, population schedule, Alameda, enumeration district (ED) 12, p. 13A, dwelling 251, family 306, Gladys V. Healey (niece); digital images, Ancestry.com (ancestry.com : accessed 14 June 2011); NARA microfilms publication T625, roll 87.

Gideon G. Berger and Georgia Wellons
1920 US Census - Butte, Siskiyou, California

My great-grandparents, Gideon Gottlieb Berger and Georgiana Wellons, were living in Butte, Siskiyou, California where he was the minister of the Methodist Church. At the time of the census they had been married less than four months.
1920 US Census, Siskiyou County, California, population schedule, Butte, enumeration district (ED) 120, p. 7A, dwelling 151, family 155, Gideon Berger (head); digital images, Ancestry.com (ancestry.com : accessed 14 June 2011); NARA microfilms publication T625, roll 149.

The only greats who were not in the US for the census were my grandmother's parents who were in Italy and had not yet immigrated.

SNGF - Most Recent Unknown

2011-06-18T18:00:00.000-07:00

This week's mission:
"1) Determine who your most recent unknown ancestor is - the one that you don't even know his or her name.
2) Summarize what you know about his or her family, including resources that you have searched and the resources you should search but haven't searched yet.
3) Tell us about it in your own blog post, in a comment to this post, or in a status on Facebook."

I've written about them before and indeed, they are my main research focus of 2011. My great-grandmother, (Maria) Nicoletta Riccia(?), seems to have fallen from the sky because her parents, if she had them (I'm beginning to have my doubts!), are a total mystery. I don't have names for either of them, including surnames (though I'm pretty sure Nicoletta's maiden name was Riccia or some variation thereof), dates, or even a location.

I've done genetic testing. Nicoletta is the source of my father's rare mtDNA haplotype, N1a. This makes it interesting to research, but difficult to find genetic matches. I've looked at the microfilms for the village where her husband (and supposedly she) was from and again, no luck. I ordered her death certificate which disappointingly lists her parents as "Unavailable." I've also put in requests for her naturalization file but it doesn't seem to exist.

Luckily, there is one glimmer of hope: Nicoletta had a social security number. And, where there's a number, there's an application (her SS-5 form). I ordered it yesterday, wish me luck.

Family Finder

2011-06-17T12:45:00.000-07:00

Back in November of last year I took a basic (HVR1) mtDNA test through Family Tree DNA. I had planned on some sort of upgrade one day but was in no hurry thanks to the tests my parents took through 23andMe in December.

Well, the summer sale was just too tempting so I opted for the Family Finder test (which is $90 off thanks to the sale!). I like autosomal DNA tests, they are a nice option for people with limited options like me (females) and I am satisfied with what I know about my mtDNA because of the test my mother did through 23andMe. So, Family Finder was the most appealing item on the sale list even though their database is smaller than 23andMe's Relative Finder.

I'm thinking of this test as an investment more than anything. Family Tree DNA is still #1 in the field of genetic genealogy testing and I don't see that changing any time soon and, I can only see their Family Finder database growing (it is still pretty new).

I already know what the Family Finder's Population Finder % will likely be since both my parents were considered 100% European according to 23andMe. So really, I'm just doing this to see what matches I have and might get in the future. Given my experience with 23andMe's Relative Finder, I'm betting most of my Family Finder matches will come from my mother's side (my father had relatively few Relative Finder matches, likely due to the fact that he is half-Italian) though I'd be thrilled if I could find a match through my paternal ancestry - especially the Italian branch.

Disclosure: I am in no way affiliated with either Family Tree DNA or 23andMe. I was in no way prompted or remunerated for this post by any individual or company (including Family Tree DNA and 23andMe). I paid the sale price for the Family Finder test and received no additional discount of any kind from Family Tree DNA.

Census Sunday: Grands

2011-06-12T04:30:00.000-07:00

I'm very excited about the release of the 1940 US census next year, but in the meantime I want to try and better organize the census records I do have. This involves seeing exactly which ones I have and which ones I still need to find, and improving my citations for them (saying they're sloppy is putting it nicely). My goal is to have all this done by the time the 1940 census is released next April.

Starting with the most recently released census (1930) and the most recent generation (my grandparents):

Joseph James and Daisy May Croad Allen
1930 US Census - Jackson, Jackson, MI

My great-grandparents (Joseph J. Allen and Daisy M. Croad). They were living at 330 Addison St., Jackson, Jackson, Michigan. Their children, including my grandfather, appear on the subsequent page.
1930 US Census, Jackson County, Michigan, population schedule, Jackson, enumeration district (ED) 25, p. 18A, dwelling 429, family 459, Joseph J. Allen (head); digital image, Ancestry.com (ancestry.com : accessed 11 June 2011); NARA microfilms publication T626, roll 996.

Giuseppe and (Maria) Nicoletta Riccia Lapiccirella
1930 US Census - Warren, Trumbull, OH

My great-grandparents (Giuseppe "Joseph" and Nicoletta Riccia Lapiccirella). They were living at 657 Second St., Warren, Trumbull, Ohio. My grandmother was not enumerated in this census, even though I'm sure she was making her presence known - she was born four months after the census was taken.
1930 US Census, Trumbull County, Ohio, population schedule, Warren, enumeration district (ED) 31, p. 22B, dwelling 389, family 547, Giuseppe Lappicirella (head); digital images, Ancestry.com (ancestry.com : accessed 11 June 2011); NARA microfilms publication T626, roll 1883.

Elmer John and Gladys Viola Healey Shinn
1930 US Census - Elkhorn Twp., San Joaquin, California

My great-grandfather (Elmer J. Shinn). He and his family (including my great-grandmother and grandfather) were living in the family home in rural San Joaquin County (enumerated as Elkhorn Township). My great-grandfather is the only one who appears on this page, the rest of the family is on the subsequent page.
1930 US Census, San Joaquin County, California, population schedule, Elkhorn Township, enumeration district (ED) 17, p. 9A, dwelling 230, family 231, Elmer J. Shinn (head); digital images, Ancestry.com (ancestry.com : accessed 12 June 2011); NARA microfilms publication T626, roll 210.

Gideon Gottlieb and Georgiana Wellons Berger
1930 US Census - Petaluma, Sonoma, California

My great-grandparents (Gideon G. Berger and Georgia Wellons) and their children. They were living at 411 A St., Petaluma, Sonoma, California. I actually know quite a bit about this home as my grandmother was able to recall many details about the house, street and her neighbors when I interviewed her a few months ago.
1930 US Census, Sonoma County, California, population schedule, Petaluma, enumeration district (ED) 31, p. 4A, dwelling 71A, family 90A, Gideon G. Berger (head); digital images, Ancestry.com (ancestry.com : accessed 12 June 2011); NARA microfilms publication T626, roll 222.

Fort Dix and My Family Tree

2011-06-08T05:30:00.000-07:00

When my 3rd great-grandfather, John R. Shinn, came out to California in the 1850s he left his family in Burlington Co., New Jersey behind and doesn't seem to have kept in touch with any of them. Among the family who saw John disappear into the west were his many siblings, including his sister Jane. Jane had married Joseph Deviny/Devinney and they had several children. Their eldest, Charles Henry Devinney, had a daughter, also a Jane. Jane S. Devinney was married to C(harles) Newell Harker, whose family owned some of the land that became what is now Fort Dix and the home that became the commanding generals' quarters. Convoluted, I know, but the article is interesting nonetheless:

"Native Returns
Farmer Visits Generals

An 85-year-old ex-resident of the farmland that now houses "the Home of the Ultimate Weapon" took a sentimental journey last week to the house in which he was born and raised.
The spry octogenarian is C. Newell Harker, presently of Haddonfield, and the house has since been the home of the 26 commanding generals of Fort Dix. Housing Major General Chase W. Kennedy in 1917, the white frame, two-story home was most recently occupied by Major General Reuben H. Tucker (1961-1962).
It all started one evening in 1917, when the Harker household was visited by a mysterious group of men from the government. The family was informed of a massive plan to help America answer the call to arms for World War I. The designs, plans and maps that were laid out on the Harkers' dining room table months later had materialized into a bustling military reservation.
Since then the five-mile tract of farmland has grown into the 55-square mile "military city" of Fort Dix.
All of the Harker farmland, stables - including the 50-foot well that was dug by Harker and his father, has since been transformed but the house itself, aside from interior changes has remained about the same and can be seen set back from the General Circle, one of the entrances to the main post.
Mr. Harker's birthplace always had a strong sentimental value attached to it, since his Haddonfield residence was built as an almost-exact duplicate.
His recent visit to the old home satisfied the curiosity that had built up in the house's original occupant since he left it over 45 years ago.
As he walked from room to room he unveiled the history of the 150 year old property, relating remembrances of days spent here he discussed everything from the cistern that used to be under the house to the eerie overnight disappearance of his mother's "store-bought teeth."
His running commentary began as soon as he entered the building. "So many things come to my mind... They've taken the partition out here (dining room); this used to be double doors. Hmmm, enlarged the kitchen - used to be two rooms. Look at that banister - still sturdy as a rock! This was an open porch: it's been enclosed and cut off here... this grass area used to have a sidewalk through it."
Through each of the rooms, the elderly guide led his touring party of friends and military escorts. From the cellar ("There used to be a pork barrel and a ham barrel down here.") to the attic, which had been reconverted into finished rooms, ("It's lost its identity.") he smiled, joked, reminisced and remembered parts of his life that were unlocked along with the front door.

Private Puzzled
After thoroughly touring the home, he left the building which he said "was certainly well cared for," and expressed his delight at being able to see it again after so many years.
As his care drove out the driveway, a soldier who had been raking leaves from the lawn, lost control of his curiosity and asked, "Who was that?"
"A gentleman who used to live her," was the answer.
"Is he a general?" was the next question.
"No, just a man who had long been looking forward to... looking back, so today he did just that."
The puzzled private continued to rake the leaves off of the "grass that used to be a sidewalk.""

From page 25, Trenton Evening Times, 15 June 1962.

I'm sure this isn't my only familial connection to Fort Dix as it is both a major military installation (and has been for nearly 100 years) and also because of its location in an area where I have had family since before the county was formed in 1681 - this is just the only familial connection I've been able to uncover... so far.

Another interesting anecdote about the family is that Charles Henry Devinney's brother-in-law lost his business partner on the Titanic.

Mappy Monday: Wood

2011-06-06T06:00:00.000-07:00

My Woods seem to have moved around a lot and in an interesting pattern, coming from Ireland to Canada, then moving to Michigan and then back to Canada and then, finally, back to Michigan. Their time within both the US and Canada also involved moves to different communities. I believe all these moves has a lot to do with the fact that my third great-grandfather, Charles Wood (and his father before him), was a farm laborer for most of his life and probably had to go wherever there was work.

Early history of the family is sketchy but from the few biographies I have of various family members, Charles Wood and his wife, Jane, came to Galt, Waterloo, Ontario in 1855. Jane's family, the Montgomerys, had come to Hamilton, Ontario around 1842 and then Galt around 1849. Both the Wood and Montgomery families originated in Northern Ireland, some sources say County Cavan and some say County Armagh. Below is what I know of the family's locations after the 1861 Canadian census:

View Wood Family, 1861 - 1910 in a larger map

[1] Blue push-pin: North Dumfries, Brant, Ontario, Canada
[2] Red marker with dot: East Zorra, Oxford, Ontario, Canada
[3] Green marker with dot: Summit, Jackson, Michigan, USA
[4] Teal marker with dot: South Dumfries, Brant, Ontario, Canada
[5] and [6] Yellow marker with dot: McKillop, Huron, Ontario, Canada
[7] Purple marker with dot: Farmington, Oakland, Michigan, USA
[8] and [10] Pink marker with dot: Rolland Twp., Isabella, Michigan, USA
[9] Blue marker with dot: Detroit, Wayne, Michigan, USA
[11] Pink push-pin: Rolland Twp., Isabella, Michigan

This Is The Face of Genealogy

2011-06-05T11:15:00.000-07:00

My great-grandmother, Georgia Wellons (Berger), 1891-1985

and her three sisters, Flo, Sadie and Edna (back row)

Picture taken circa 1900, Yreka, Siskiyou, California

For the back story on this post, see here.

"A Long, Beautiful and Useful Life..."

2011-05-30T07:00:00.000-07:00

Recently I was researching my Rose relatives and learned that my fifth great-grandfather's niece, Mary Emma Rose (Mitchell) (Totten) was deaf and was prominent in the deaf community during her lifetime due to her work in education for the hearing impaired. This is her story:

"MARY ROSE TOTTEN

Eminent age is in itself venerable, but when it is united with eminent goodness and eminent services in a good cause it constrains our highest tribute of admiration and reverence. An aged and excellent Christian, who for many generations has faithfully performed her duties, has befriended her race, and in her time did much to rouse public interest in the cause of the education of the deaf, deserves our gratitude; and when death removes her to join that cloud of heavenly witnesses and examples which surround us we feel that her removal is appropriate and that her example should be studied.

Among the first four pupils of the New York Institution for the Instruction of the Deaf and Dumb, when it opened in 1818, was Mary E. Rose. She was born in New York City in 1808, being deaf from birth, and had the advantage, rather rare at that time, of receiving early instruction, entering the institution as a pay pupil at the age of 9. She came of a prominent New York family, which, having met with financial reverses, subsequently removed to Albany. She then became a State pupil from the third senate district.

In 1822 she was selected as an assistant teacher, bearing the distinction of being one of the two first deaf teachers employed at the New York Institution, the other being John H. Gazlay, who was appointed at the same time. Of her selection the records of the institution state:

'She is a very promising young woman, and the directors find her highly useful in the institution as an assistant teacher, while at the same time she is acquiring information as a pupil.'

At this time Miss Rose was quite young, but already gave promise of the great personal beauty for which she was subsequently noted, and traces of which remained with her even in extreme old age. She was, moreover, very intelligent, and though as deaf-mute from birth she could express her thoughts in well-chosen language.

In the dual position of teacher-pupil she remained until 1826, when she resigned to become the wife of Mr. Clinton Mitchell, a hearing gentleman, the nephew of Dr. Mitchell, at that time president of the board of directors of the institution. Upon the death of Mr. Mitchell she was appointed assistant matron at the institution.

In July, 1844, she became the wife of Mr. Nathan M. Totten, a graduate and for some years a teacher of the New York Institution, and with her husband went to the North Carolina Institution, where Mr. Totten had an engagement as teacher. Subsequently, in August, 1847, Mr. Totten transferred his services to the Illinois Institution, with which he continued until his death. In each of these institutions Mrs. Totten, during her husband's connection with it, performed, with intelligence, energy, and womanly tact, the duties of matron. By this latter marriage Mrs. Totten had several children, two of whom still survive, in Illinois, and have families.

In 1853 she returned to the New York institution as a temporary teacher, a position she held till the close of July, 1854. The next year she was reappointed assistant matron, and continued in that position until September, 1871, when she retired with the love and respect of all, after nearly twenty years' service at the institution in a position where she exhibited intelligence, kindness, and administrative ability. In his reports for 1871 Dr. Peet thus feelingly comments on her remarkable career:

'I have to record the retirement, on the 1st of September, of Mrs. Mary E. Totten, the principal assistant matron, who was specially in charge of the girls.

One of the first four pupils with whom the institution was opened in May, 1818, she was conspicuous in its early history, and her bright childhood is still remembered with interest by some of the few persons in New York who can recall the events of fifty years ago. From being one of the pupils whose performances were the most effective in winning public interest and favor to the cause of the deaf-mute instruction, she became a teacher; but the beautiful and intelligent Miss Rose could not, more than her hearing sisters in like circumstances, be left to the quiet of an unpretending, useful vocation. She was soon wooed and won (one of the earliest instances in our city of the marriage of a deaf mute) by a hearing gentleman, for some years a teacher of deaf mutes, and a nephew of the distinguished scholar and philanthropist, Samuel Mitchell, D.D., then president of the board of directors.

As Mrs. Mitchell she became, after the death of her husband, assistant matron of the institution, in which capacity she was for years signally useful.

Forming a second union with one of the teachers, a deaf gentleman, she changed her name again, and as Mrs. Totten, was successively assistant matron in the North Carolina, and matron in the Illinois institution, while her husband was teacher in the same institutions.

Left a second time a widow, more than twenty years, she returned to visit her family connections in the East, and was soon after persuaded to resume her connection with this institution, at first as a teacher and afterwards as assistant matron, in which she gave us sixteen consecutive years of faithful and very efficient service.'

Upon her final retirement from the institution she resided several years in its immediate neighborhood, having, through the efforts of Dr. Peet, secured a competence sufficient to exempt her from care and permit her declining years to be happy and contented. As she grew in years her friends arranged for her comfort at the Gallaudet Home, where she passed her closing days in peaceful serenity.

Her last public appearance at the institution was on the occasion of the celebration of the seventy-fifth anniversary. She was then 84 years old, but seemed much younger. Her end, a peaceful one, came on Wednesday, April 21, 1897; surrounded by kind, loving faces, her spirit took its flight to its final home. Truly, hers was a remarkable career; a long, beautiful and useful life, and a history that is a credit to the New York institution, of which she was the last survival of its original pupils. -- Thomas F. Fox"

From pages 276-278 of Proceedings of the Fifteenth Meeting of the Convention of American Instructors of the Deaf, Held at the Ohio Institution for the Deaf and Dumb, Columbus, Ohio, July 28 - August 2, 1898

The Illinois institution is now known as the Illinois School for the Deaf. Their website mentions Mary Emma as the first matron. Additional biographies on Mary Emma are listed here.

A Silent Wedding

2011-05-23T07:00:00.000-07:00

One of the unexpected perks about doing the Civil War Saturday posts is that it has made me go back and research families I hadn't in a long time (and in some cases never). One of the most interesting re-discoveries to come out of this is Mary Emma Rose, the niece of my fifth great-grandfather, William Lucius Rose. I knew a little about Mary Emma before, but I soon realized I had only just scratched the surface. I'll write more about her later, but below is one of the most interesting articles I found on her:

Salem Register, 25 July 1844

"A SILENT WEDDING. A very interesting ceremony was performed this morning, at the Presbyterian Church in Eighth street - formerly in Murray street. A ceremony interesting at all times, but peculiarly so in the present case, from the physical condition of the parties most immediately concerned. It was a marriage. -- The Rev. Dr. McAuley officiated. A large audience was present, the major portion of it comprising the pupils of an honored and most laudable and educational institution pertaining to our city. The groom had been for some time a monitor in this institution - the bride for an equal or greater length of time has held the responsible post of assistant matron. Thus inmates of one dwelling, and engaged in the performance of assimilating duties, it is no wonder that they had become acquainted each with the other's estimable qualities, and that a mutual affection prompted them to link their destinies in life together. Yet we are assured that word of love was never uttered by his lips or breathed into her willing ear.

And the same reserve was manifested by them at the alter. They stood mute - the voice of the clergyman alone was heard when the solemn vows of marriage were exchanged.

The parties were Nathan Miles Totten, of Huntington, Long Island, and Mrs. Mary Emma Mitchell, widow, of this city - both deaf mutes. Mr. Peet, the esteemed principal of the institution to which they have for sometime been attached, interpreted by signs between them and the clergyman; and he also made the concluding prayer, in the same voiceless but impressive language.

At the close of the ceremony the happy couple entered a carriage, with the groomsmen and the bridesmaid, and proceeded to Brooklyn, where the wedding was provided at the house of a friend; and thence they were to depart, by the three o'clock train, for Huntington, where Mr. Totten possesses a modest property. -- NY Commercial, 17th."

What I find most interesting about this article is that it was carried by newspapers all over the country as if it were a major news story. Was it really that unique for two deaf people to marry back then?

Before I found this article, I had no idea Mary Emma was deaf or of her work to help other people who were hearing impaired. At the time of Mary Emma's second marriage to Nathan Miles Totten (her first husband, DeWitt Clinton Mitchell, had died in 1830) they were living in New York City but not long after they married they would leave to go work in other institutions throughout the US.

Civil War Saturday - Rose

2011-05-21T07:00:00.000-07:00

(This post was inspired by the meme started here)

These Civil War Saturday posts have been immensely helpful to me because they not only help me organize and see what information I have, but also show me where my weak spots are. This is especially true for my third great-grandmother's family, the Motts and Rose/Smiths. I had kind of written off all the lines that were in California at the time of the war, forgetting that many of them had family back east who were caught up in everything that was happening. I learned that my fourth great-grandmother, Mary Johanna Rose Mott (and by extension her husband, Isaac Thomas Mott, who was also her first cousin), had a few nephews who fought in the war:

John Irwin, 1832-1901. He entered the Naval Academy in 1847 and went on to achieve the rank of Rear Admiral, serving as commander of Mare Island among other posts. At the time of the Civil War he was serving on the frigate USS Wabash and was at the battle for Fort Pulaski among others. At his death he was buried in Arlington National Cemetery. John's mother, Frances Everallyn Rose, was Mary Johanna Rose Mott's sister. John's father was William Wallace Irwin, a Senator and mayor of Pittsburgh. John's half-sister, from his father's second marriage, was Agnes Irwin.

Charles Shaler Smith, 1836-1886. An engineer from the North, he chose to fight on the side of the Confederacy. He was a Captain in Company G, 1st Georgia Infantry (Local Troops) out of Augusta. As an engineer, his wartime projects including repairing the Charlotte and South Carolina Railroad (after it was damaged by Sherman's troops) and serving as the architect of the Confederate Powder Works. Several books mention Charles' work, both during and after the war. More recently, the book Never For Want of Powder: The Confederate Powder Works in Augusta, Georgia devotes a section to Charles.

Frederick H. Smith, 1839-1898. The brother of Charles above, Frederick also went south to Georgia. His obituary mentions his service on the side of the Confederacy and I have seen a picture of him in a Confederate uniform. Unfortunately, the commonality of his name has made it difficult to learn more about his war record. Frederick and Charles above were the sons of Mary Johanna's brother, Augustus Frederick Rose.

Exploring Methodist Genealogy Resources

2011-05-19T06:00:00.000-07:00

I've got a great-uncle, great-grandfather and a great-great-grandfather who were members of the clergy of what is now the United Methodist Church. Although the church has played an important role in this branch of my family, I haven't done much to explore the genealogical records available before now. This blog post inspired me to see what the church had to offer and today I put my research request in:

Above is a partial screen shot of my request. I chose my great-great-grandfather because, as you can see, I don't know much about the missionary work that he did. Luckily, he attended a lot of church conferences (every one between his ordination around 1864 and move to Europe to do missionary work around 1874) so I have a pretty good timeline of where he was when he was state side (he returned to the US, and Indiana, around 1879). Another reason I chose my 2nd great-grandfather? Because I'm writing a book about him for his granddaughter, my grandmother, and the chapter about his life in the 1870s is pretty bare.

At $30 per hour the look-up service isn't cheap and it is also the reason why I'm waiting awhile before I put in a research request on my great-grandfather (the son of John Berger above). But I'm curious to see what they have on John, and in a mere 8-12 weeks I'll find out.

If you also happen to have Methodist ministers from Indiana in your family tree, be sure to check out DePauw University's Archives. That website was my introduction to Methodist Church records and all this time later, still one of my favorite resources on the subject.

Civil War Saturday - Webb

2011-05-07T06:00:00.000-07:00

(This post was inspired by the meme started at Nolichucky Roots)

My great-great-grandmother, Mary Anna Webb Wellons, had many relatives who fought in the war. Mary Anna herself was born in the midst of the war. By the time she was three she had lost two brothers to the war, as well as her mother. If there was any one event that defined Mary Anna's early life, it was the Civil War. Her brothers:

John Martin Webb, b. 1843 - d. 1863. He enlisted on 17 August 1862 in Company D, 16th Indiana Infantry and is listed as having received a disability discharge on 3 November 1863 but I know this is wrong as he died on 3 April, 1863 (see his tombstone here).
Samuel Polk Webb, b. 1845 - d. 1864. He enlisted on the same day and in the same unit as his brother above. He was discharged due to wounds on 29 May 1863 at Arkansas Post, Arkansas. He re-enlisted as a Corporal on April 5, 1864 in Company H, 13th Indiana Cavalry and was died at Murfreesboro, Tennessee on 7 December 1864.
William Newton Webb, b. 1846 - d. 1919. He enlisted on 22 September, 1864 in Company A, 9th Indiana Infantry and mustered out on 20 June 1865.

Mary Anna's father, Andrew also had a brother-in-law and nephew who were briefly in the war:

Horatio B. Richardson and his son, Charles Richardson. Enlisted in Company B, 112th Indiana Infantry on July 10, 1863 and mustered out a week later. The unit was formed to repel Morgan's Raid.

Units Covered:

Company A, 9th Indiana Infantry

Company D, 16th Indiana Infantry

Company H, 13th Indiana Cavalry

Company B, 112th Indiana Infantry

Pension Files:

John Martin Webb's father applied for but was denied a pension (filed in Oregon)

Samuel Polk Webb's father applied for but was denied a pension. He reapplied at another date and was granted a pension (filed in Washington)

William Newton Webb applied for and received a pension (filed in Washington)

I was given transcribed portions of Samuel and William's pensions but have not purchased copies of the full, original files yet.

What I Know About Nicoletta

2011-05-02T07:00:00.000-07:00

My big research goal in 2011, as I've mentioned before, is to find my great-grandmother's parents. To do this I also need to know, definitively, what her maiden name was and where in Italy she was from. On her husband, Giuseppe Lappicirella's birth record, there is a notation as to his marriage (which is often the case with Italian records). It includes the date and Nicoletta's name but parts of it are pretty illegible, including her last name (though it does look a lot like Riccia) and where they got married (traditionally a couple would get married in the bride's hometown), I just know it wasn't Vieste (where Giuesppe was from) and it sure doesn't look like Foggia (the village Nicoletta herself said she was from). The actual records I have for Nicolleta are as follows:

The ship manifest entry for the family, including Giuseppe and three of my grandmother's sisters as well as Nicoletta who is listed as 'Maria Nicola Riccia.' I'm tempted to believe that her maiden name was Riccia based on this but Nicoletta told at least some of her children and grandchildren that it was something akin to Dutchi or Dacci. They arrived at Ellis Island in September of 1920.

1930 census entry for the family. Most of the family has 'Americanized' their names, Giuseppe is now Joseph, Mattia is Martha, Michelena is now just Lena. Interestingly, Carmella, who had changed to Clara is still listed as Carmella and her mother, Nicoletta, is mistranscribed as Clara. The source of this mistake, I think, might be due to the fact that Giuseppe and Nicoletta's grasp of the English language was rudimentary at best.

In 1953, Nicoletta and a daughter of her's flew back to Italy for a visit. They came back from Rome to Idlewild in October. I wonder if it was her first time in an airplane.

Her death certificate doesn't help much either. It just lists her birth place as "Italy" and her parents as "Unavailable." BUT, it does list her social security number which means there is an SS-5 form out there she filled out. The only problem is she isn't listed in the Social Security Death Index which is why I haven't pursued her SS-5. Does anyone have any experience or suggestions for ordering a SS-5 when the person isn't in the SSDI? I feel like the key to this mystery is in her SS-5, I just don't want to shell out the $27.00 fee until I've got all my bases incontrovertibly covered.

Civil War Saturday - vonAllmen

2011-04-30T06:00:00.002-07:00

(This post was inspired by the meme started here)

My third-great-grandfather, Christian vonAllman, and his family came to the US from Switzerland around 1844. By the time the war broke out he was close to fifty and his only sons were small children. He did have at least one brother who also immigrated to the US, Jakob. Jakob vonAllmen had two sons who served for the Union:

Jacob/Jakob vonAllmen and John vonAllmen, 1834 - 1919 and 1840 - 1913. Both enlisted on 1 December 1861 in Company I, 63rd Illinois Infantry. They mustered out on 13 July 1865.

Since Olney, Illinois is a small town and the vonAllman name is a pretty rare one I have to include one more soldier:

John vonAllmen. Enlisted in Company G, 136th Illinois Infantry on 13 May 1864 and mustered out on 22 October 1864. I have no idea how he is related, but I'm pretty confident that he is in some way connected to my family.

Units covered:

Company I, 63rd Illinois Infantry

Pension files:

Both John and Jacob filed for and received pensions (filed in Illinois and Missouri)

I don't have copies of either pensions files as yet.

California Pioneer and Immigrant Files

2011-04-29T07:00:00.000-07:00

When I saw that Ancestry had added the database California Pioneer and Immigrant Files, 1790-1950 I started frothing at the mouth. Unfortunately many of my ancestors and their descendants apparently didn't bother to fill out the cards (then again, the Central Valley on the whole doesn't seem to be as well represented as Bay Area pioneers).

But my fourth great-grandfather, Isaac Thomas Mott (Essie's father), had a file:

Transcription:
Name in full: Isaac Thomas Mott
Place of birth: New York
Date of birth: Sept. 3, 1800
Parent{Father: Jacob Mott
Parent{Mother (maiden name in full): Mary Green Smith
Married or unmarried: Married
If married, to whom: Mary Joanna Rose (called Smith, her mother resuming maiden name.)
Date of marriage: 1828
Place: New York City

Date of arrival in California: to remain, Oct., 1852, but had made several previous visits.

Overland or by steamer: Steamer from his home in Mazatlan, Mex.

If by steamer, give name: The "Isthmus"

States lived in before coming to California: New York

Places of residence in State: Benicia, San Francisco

Profession or occupation: in youth, sea captain, later (183- to 1852) senior partner in mercantile firm of Mott, Talbot and Co., Mazatlan, Mex.

Public offices held: --

Politics: --

Where educated: New York

Principal events in history of State: --

Place and date of death: San Francisco, Mar. or Apr. 1860

Signature: Camilla Liès Kenyon (granddaughter)

Miscellaneous Notes.

Had sailed as captain for Howland and Aspinwall. About 1840 settled in Mazatlan, Mex., as senior partner in firm of Mott, Talbot and Co., importers of silks, etc., from China, which were then shipped to the interior. About 1850 became owner of an interest in Johnson's Ranch, near Marysville. Removed to California for permanent residence in 1852.

Interestingly, Camilla Liès Kenyon also filed out "Pioneer and Immigrant File" cards for her father, Eugene Henri Camille Liès (secondly, Essie's husband, and firstly the husband of Emma Holly - Essie's first cousin).

Also included is Alexis Waldemar vonSchmidt, the husband of Frances Everallyn Mott (Essie and my third great-grandmother, Mary Gertrude Smith Mott's sister).

One Lovely Blog Award

2011-04-27T06:00:00.000-07:00

Much to my surprise, I got an award! And to my further surprise, I've gotten it several times over! I have been remiss in not recognizing the nice people who gave it to me earlier: first is *GeorgiaTim of My Georgia Roots, Frances of Fantastic Electrisoil, Tammy of Genealogy Simple and Fun, Deb Ruth of Adventures in Genealogy and Lenore of The Empire Called and I Answered. I'm a fan of all these excellent blogs and have them all in my GoogleReader. I highly encourage visiting their blogs and following them or adding them to your reader if you haven't already. Many thank yous to all of them!

I know the rules say to pass the award on, but it looks like most people already have it. If you are a genealogy blogger who hasn't gotten it yet, then consider yourself awarded.

Civil War Saturday - Hudson

2011-04-23T06:00:00.000-07:00

(This post was inspired by the meme started at Nolichucky Roots)

My third great-grandmother, Sarah Elizabeth Hudson Wellons, has an interesting family when it comes to their participation in the Civil War. Sarah, like her husband John Chapple Wellons, was from Southeastern Kentucky. Both the Wellons and Hudson families had been slave-holders before the war but had reportedly freed them long before the war (indeed, I can't find any record of them owning slaves after the 1830s). Although you'd think they would have favored the Confederacy, the Hudsons fought for the Union. Beginning with Sarah's brother:

Jeremiah Vardeman Hudson, b. 1827 - d. 1879. He enlisted in Company I of the 13th Kentucky Cavalry in Columbia, Kentucky on September 1, 1863 and was a blacksmith. He mustered in on December 21 and mustered out January 10, 1865.

Sarah also had nephews in the war:

Patrick Henry Hudson, b. 1840 - d. 1911. He enlisted in Company A of the 12th Kentucky Infantry in Somerset, Kentucky on October 18, 1861 and transferred to Company E a month later. He was promoted from the ranks on 23 March 1862 and again on 9 January 1863. He also served for a time on detachment with the 23rd Army Corps (additional information here). He was discharged at the end of his term, on October 18, 1864 as a Sergeant.
William A. Hudson, b. 1842 - d. 1930. He enlisted in the same unit as his brother above, Patrick and mustered out on December 13, 1863 at Louisville, Kentucky before mustering in again on January 1, 1864 as a Veteran Volunteer. He was promoted to Full Corporal on November 1, 1864 and mustered out on July 11, 1865 in Greensboro, North Carolina.
Berry Daniel Hudson, b. 1838 - d. 1862. Berry enlisted in Company C, 3rd Kentucky Infantry on August 7, 1861 at Camp Dick Robinson and mustered in there on October 8. He died at Columbia, Kentucky on January 11, 1862.
James W. C. Hudson, b. 1845 - d. bet. 1880 - 1890. James enlisted in Company E, 12th Kentucky Infantry (same as his cousins above) on January 1, 1864 at Louisville and mustered out on July 11, 1865 in Greensboro, North Carolina. I'm related to James through each of his parents. His father, James Hudson, was Sarah's brother and James' mother, Elender Wellons, was the sister of Sarah's husband and my great-great-great-grandfather, John Chapple Wellons.

Units Covered:

Company C, 3rd Kentucky Infantry (further information here)

Company A, 12th Kentucky Infantry (further information here)

Company E, 12th Kentucky Infantry

Company I, 13th Kentucky Infantry (further information here)

Pension Files:

Jeremiah Vardeman Hudson filed for and received a pension (filed in Kentucky)

Patrick Henry Hudson filed for and received a pension (filed in Texas)

William A. Hudson filed for and received a pension (filed in Indiana as an invalid; widow filed in Illinois)

James W. C. Hudson filed for an received a pension (filed in Kentucky)

I don't have copies of any of the pension files though I'd love to one day get them, especially for Sarah's brother, Jeremiah Vardeman Hudson.

Regimental Letters, Diaries, etc.:

None found.

Civil War Saturday - Wellons

2011-04-16T06:00:00.000-07:00

(This was inspired by the meme started at Nolichucky Roots)

My great-great-grandfather, George Washington Wellons (b. 1849) tried to enlist along with his brother, Samuel (b. 1851) but were caught for being underage and sent away. However, several of their brothers did enlist and serve for the Union:

William Montgomery Wellons, b. 1833 - d. 1922. He enlisted in 1861 in Company G, 10th Iowa Infantry. He was wounded at Corinth, MS thirteen months later and discharged on October 4, 1862. He re-enlisted in Company C, 34th Iowa Infantry in January of 1865 and was discharged in Houston, TX on August 15, 1865. More information on William (including a picture) can be found here.
John Chapple Wellons, Jr., b. 1839 - d. 1893. He enlisted on August 29, 1861 in Company I, 8th Indiana Cavalry and mustered out on 20 July 1865 in Indianapolis, IN. One thing of note is that his unit was given furlough in April of 1864, during which time John went home and married Sarah Elizabeth Barnhizer. A roster of his regiment can be found here.
Daniel Hudson Wellons, b. 1844. Enlisted in Company B of the 34th Iowa Infantry (the same regiment as his brother, William, above) on 11 August 1862 and mustered out in Houston, TX on 15 August 1865.
Henry J. Wellons, b. 1847. Enlisted in Company A of the 48th Iowa Infantry on 9 May 1864 and mustered out on 21 October 1864 at Rock Island, IL. His regiment was responsible for guarding Confederate POWs at the Rock Island Prison Barracks.

In addition to my great-great-grandfather's brothers, several other Wellons relatives participated in the war. John Chapple Wellons (George Washington Wellons' father) had several nephews in the war. His sister Nancy had married William Fry and were in Morgan County, Indiana at the time and they had several sons who appear to have fought in the war, though I'll hold off posting information about them until I have more proof. John's sister Elender also had sons who fought in the war, I'll be including them when I write about the Hudsons because Elender was married to the brother of Sarah Elizabeth Hudson, my great-great-great-grandmother and the wife of John (Elender's brother). John's brother, Henry J. Wellons (married Pamella Sayers) had a son who fought in the war:

Henry J. Wellons, b. ca. 1840. He enlisted on 16 September 1861 in Company G of the 27th Indiana Infantry. He died from wounds at Frederick, MD on 27 December 1862.

Regiments Covered:

Company G, 10th Iowa Infantry

Company B, 34th Iowa Infantry

Company C, 34th Iowa Infantry

Company A, 48th Iowa Infantry

Company I, 8th Indiana Cavalry

Company G, 27th Indiana Infantry

Pension Records:

William Montgomery Wellons filed for and received a pension.

John Chapple Wellons, Jr. filed for and received a pension (filed in Indiana)

Daniel Hudson Wellons filed for and received a pension.

I do not have copies of any of the pension files... yet.

The Mason Family and The Civil War

2011-04-10T18:00:00.000-07:00

(This post was written for Bill West's Civil War Genealogy Blog Challenge)

One thing about the Civil War that has remained with me since I first learned about it in elementary school was that it pitted relative against relative and divided many families. For myself, that was the most powerful aspect of the war. It was also an aspect of the war I had a hard time truly believing until I came across it in my own family tree.

Samuel Mason and Nancy Moore were married in Wayne Co., Kentucky in 1806. For anyone wondering, Wayne Co. is near the Tennessee border, which is where Nancy is believed to be from. Samuel and Nancy remained in Wayne Co. for ten years before packing up and moving to Indiana with their four sons. They soon had three more sons and two daughters, the youngest of which, Priscilla, was my 3rd great-grandmother. The family remained in Lawrence Co., Indiana where Samuel died in 1850.

In the 1830s and '40s, several of Samuel and Nancy's sons went south to Texas and settled in Smith Co. where they raised large families. In the meantime, Priscilla, who had stayed in Indiana, married Andrew Webb in 1842 and they quickly had three sons (they'd have ten children in all).

When the war broke out, Priscilla's oldest two sons (John and Samuel) enlisted in the Union, Company D of the 16th Indiana Infantry on August 17, 1862. On September 22 of 1864, the third son (William) enlisted in Company A of the 9th Indiana Infantry. Only one of three would survive the war. John, the oldest, died only a few months after enlisting, in April of 1863. Priscilla died a month later (when her youngest child, my great-great-grandmother, was a year old). Around this same time, son Samuel was discharged at Arkansas Post due to wounds. He re-enlisted in Company H of the 13th Indiana Cavalry exactly one year after the death of his brother, John. Samuel was killed at Murfreesboro in December of 1864. William, the only brother to live to see the end of the war, mustered out in June of 1865.

While Priscilla's sons were serving the Union, a few of her brothers in Texas were fighting for the Confederacy. Her brothers David and Martin enlisted in 1863 in Company F of the 2nd Texas State Troops (Martin had previously served in Company E of the 14th Texas Infantry in 1862). Since names often repeated in the family, I'm having trouble figuring out whether any of her other brothers served for Texas or if it was her nephews. In any case, Priscilla had many relatives serving on both sides. I wonder if she knew and what she thought of the fact that she had close family members on each side. I heard once that she died due to grief over the death of her son a month before, I can only imagine the additional anguish she must have felt knowing she also had brothers and nephews on the opposing side.

Wordless Wednesday: Essie

2011-04-06T09:00:00.000-07:00

Charlotte Estrella "Essie" Mott Lies

I thought it was about time I put a face to the memoirist.

I have no idea when this picture was taken but I think she looks about fifty, so I'm guessing around 1885.

Scottish Naming Traditions

2011-04-04T04:00:00.000-07:00

I was inspired by the Family History Expos Weekly Tip to look at Scottish naming traditions and see if my believed Scottish lines followed the pattern. I was especially curious about my Allen line because they are such a mystery:

Joseph Allen and his wife Elizabeth Clemens/Clements were the first in the family to come to the US. I don't know who Joseph's parents were but Elizabeth's were James Clemens/Clements and Mary. Joseph and Elizabeth had the following known children:

James Allen, b. 1850
(1st born son is usually named after the father's father. It is possible that was Joseph's father's name as well, but I do know it was Elizabeth's. Usually the 2nd born son is named for the maternal grandfather)
Joseph T. Allen, b. ca. 1852
(The 3rd born son is usually named after the father, not the 2nd. But, there are exceptions to every rule, and if Joseph's father was also named James it would make sense)
Mary Allen, b. 1855
(The 1st born daughter is usually named after the mother's mother and since Elizabeth's mother's name was Mary this fits)
Robert Allen, b. 1857
(After the grandparents and father were covered, the next son is usually named after the father's oldest brother. Since I don't know anything about Joseph's family, I don't know if this is true or not)
Catherine Allen, b. 1860
(The 2nd daughter is named after the father's mother. Since I don't know anything about Joseph's family, again, I don't know if this is true or not)
Elizabeth Allen, b. 1865
(The 3rd daughter is named after the mother and this follows that pattern)
John Grant Allen, b. 1869 (my great-great-grandfather)
(The 5th son is either named after another brother of the father or the mother's oldest brother. Elizabeth only had one brother and his name was indeed, John. The Grant is for U.S. Grant who was also from Ohio and became President a few months before John was born)

This was just done for fun and I don't put a whole lot of stock into naming patterns (obviously I'm not going to list Joseph's mother as Catherine based on the above). I do think that some possible leads can be mined from it, however, and will take some of the names into account while trying to find Joseph's parents and siblings.