Attic Treasures

It pays to keep looking...

2011-05-06T11:37:00.000-07:00

Even though you've checked a website before, perhaps several times before, it pays to check again. I periodically search the Ancestry Public Member Trees for several of my direct line ancestors. I always hope to find someone researching the same families. I'm generally disappointed. However, yesterday when I checked Henry Pilgrim (my 3rd great grandfather) I saw what purported to be a photograph of him with is wife (Zilpah Pritchett Pilgrim). It's an obvious photocopy of a photograph with a typewritten notation at the bottom that reads "Henry Pilgrim Sr. - and wife Zylphia Pritchett Pilgrim."

Image from the "Warner/Joyce/Schultz/Wahl" Public Member Tree

on Ancestry.com submitted by "jonathantripple"

The picture was added on 11 Feb 2011. I quickly sent a message to the submitter asking how they obtained the picture, how it was identified and who has the original. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I will be able to confirm the authenticity of the photo and perhaps obtain a better copy.

It pays to look...and look again!

Wordless Wednesday...

2010-10-20T10:00:00.000-07:00

State of Illinois Death Certificate #185

Decatur Daily Review newspaper
18 Mar 1916 issue, pg. 8, col. 1

The subject was...obituaries...

2010-10-19T12:33:00.000-07:00

A few months ago I attended a genealogy chat in Second Life - the topic was obituaries. It was another great chat hosted by Genie Weezles. After the chat I visited several of the sites recommended and hit "pay dirt." One of the suggested sites was for the United Brethren Obituaries Index. My husband had ancestors that were United Brethren and I decided to check the index. A quick search for "Burtner" showed Rev. Henry Burtner. When I clicked on the link I didn't just get a transcript, but a clipping of the obituary from the 4 Mar 1857 issue of the Religious Telescope publication (Dayton, OH). This wonderful clipping gave a memoir of Rev. Burtner's life, and contained information I didn't have previously.

I am continually amazed at how great the chats are in Second Life. They are full of useful information.

Tombstone Tuesday...

2010-10-19T11:24:00.000-07:00

Emily Susan Yunker

Daughter of John James & Mary Ann (Younger) Yunker

Born 11 Sep 1873, Effingham county, Illinois

Died 9 Nov 1884, Fayette county, Illinois*

Buried Pleasant Grove Cemetery, Effingham county, Illinois

Emily Susan Yunker spent the morning of November 9th baking pies. Once she finished she went outside to play. While playing around the family's wagon in the yard, she was crushed to death. The pies she baked that morning ended up being served to guests after her funeral.

*Fayette county, IL 1884 death register #1140

On this day in our family history...

2010-10-04T15:35:00.000-07:00

This is Alanson Osborn (also known as A. Lanson Osborn), my husband's great great grandfather. He was born 15 Aug 1822 in Athens county, Ohio and died on this day in 1895 (4 Oct 1895) in Moweaqua, Shelby county, Illinois.

Alanson, is buried in Ludwig Cemetery, Shelby county, Illinois. A short obituary was found in the Moweaqua Call-Mail Newspaper (Moweaqua, Shelby county, Illinois), 9 Oct 1895 issue, pg. 3, col. 1.

The Protrait and Biographical Record of Shelby and Moultrie Counties, Illinois from the Biographical Publishing Co. of Chicago, 1891 (available on-line at the Internet Archive) has a biographical sketch of Alanson on pages 434 to 436.

Treasure Chest Thursday

2010-08-05T11:26:00.000-07:00

My husband's great grandfather, William Albert Downey, owned a cabinet shop/furniture shop in Decatur, Illinois. He had been a carpenter most of his life. We have a photo of him in his shop.

We also have a blank receipt from his business. It shows the address as 2177 North Church St., Decatur, Illinois.

But even more imporant than these items is the piece of furniture we have that was made by William Albert Downey. It's a wash stand. It actually has a mirror to go with it, but when we inherited it the mirror was in really bad shape and was being refinished. Unfortunately it's still in the same condition :-)

From DDDs to remarks...did I miss something important???

2010-04-05T10:33:00.000-07:00

The Genealogy Insider blog had a posting today about DDD schedules. I'll be honest...I hadn't heard of the DDD schedules or paid attention to column 15 of the 1880 census. Perhaps that was because I didn't have any ancestors that had a notation in that column, but I had to be sure I hadn't missed anything. So I set about to check various ancestors, and while I didn't find any ddd's, I did notice something that had escaped my initial research...the census takers "remarks." Here is a portion of the page I was viewing. The enumerater made several comments at the bottom of the page.

None of these were my family, but what if they had been? I might have missed them completely. So now, besides looking for ddd's, I also have to look at the end of township enumerations for any "remarks" I missed. OK...I must go now and get busy.

Wordless Wednesday...

2010-03-31T09:00:00.000-07:00

Helen (Klingler) Fitch

Born 3 Sep 1896 - Iowa

Died 17 Apr 1984 - Phoenix, Arizona

Buried in Mt. Hope Cemetery, Topeka, Kansas

Tombstone Tuesday...

2010-03-30T10:36:00.000-07:00

Christ Church Cemetery

Sherburne, Chenango county, New York

Stephen Medbury - Died 9 Nov 1869

Athalinda Medbury (his wife) - Died 4 Nov 1884

Help! Can a man really die twice????

2010-03-29T21:54:00.000-07:00

Maybe someone out there in the genealogy world can figure this one out. There's probably a very simple explanation...hopefully someone understands these documents better than I do.

It all started when I was trying to find Civil War records for my great-great grandfather, John Johns (born OH between 1840 and 1842). John's wife was Cynthia Pilgrim; they were married 3 Sep 1862 in Dakota county, NE (Vol. 1, Pg. 47).

My first stop was Footnote where I found the following THREE Civil War Pension records. I believe it's the same person because the certificate number is the same, 500787.

At the bottom of each card is "Died" and a date. Two of the cards have Oct. 13 1910 in Monte Vista, CA (which is in Placer county), but the other one has Dec. 10, 1920 in Del Paso Heights, CA (which is in Sacramento county).

How can he die on two different dates...ten years apart??? Help...can someone explain this to me?

To re-enforce that this John Johns is my John Johns...I have Margretta (Blay) Johns' address book which has a notation of "John Johns Del Paso Heights California." Margretta was John's daughter-in-law (married to his son, Robert William Johns). Del Paso is the location of death at the bottom of the first card (above).

On Ancestry I found two records for John Johns in the "U.S. National Homes for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers, 1866-1938" database. Again...these appear to be the same person as they have the same pension certificate number of 500787.

In the first record his wife is listed as Carrie. Could Carrie be Cynthia? Is it a variation of the name Cynthia, or is this another wife? I last found Cynthia in the 1880 census (living in Nebraska), by 1900 she is gone and he's listed as a widow (living in Denver, Colorado). In the 1910 census (enumerated on 16 Apr 1910) he's still in Denver, Colorado but is now living with his daughter, Hattie (Johns) Smith and her family. He's still listed as a widower. In the second veteran's home record above, his wife is listed as Frances...what? Another wife? You've got to be kidding... Could they make this any more confusing? By the way...the age listed in both records indicates his age when he entered the veteran's home.

In the 1920 U.S. Census (enumerated 23 Mar 1920) I can find a John Johns at the National Military Home in Malibu, Los Angeles county, CA. He has the right age and birth location. But there is also another John Johns (with the right age and birth location) living in Malibu, Los Angeles county, CA (enumerated 5 Jan 1920) living with his wife, Fraces(sic). How could this be him when the veteran's home record above indicates he was admitted 27 Dec 1919 and released 10 Aug 1920?

So...are you as confused as I am? Does anyone out there want to take a shot at helping me figure this out? Come on...be brave...

On this day in our family history...

2010-03-29T13:36:00.000-07:00

Jasper Johns and Katie Bliven were married on this day (29 Mar) in 1895; Dakota City, Dakota county, Nebraska (Vol. 3, Pg. 218).

Below is a picture of Jasper and Katie. I believe the photo was taken in Sioux City, Iowa - possibly when they were living with their son, Earl G. Johns at 216 South Collins Street. You can see the house number directly above them.

The 1930 census shows them all living together at that address (#209/209, Pg. 13a, E.D. 34, Sioux City, Woodbury Co., Iowa).

The image below is from Bing maps and shows a current view of 216 South Collins St., Sioux City, IA. I wish it could show a street view of the house.

Wordless Wednesday...

2010-03-17T11:01:00.000-07:00

Tombstone Tuesday...

2010-03-16T13:05:00.000-07:00

Crynant Cemetery, Glamorgan, Wales

Amy Morgan

Born in California 16 Jun 1865

Died at Swansea 20 Jan 1875

"As mine own shadow was this child to me

A second self far dearer and more fair."

Also Elizabeth Morgan

Died 28 Apr 1892

Age 59

"Beloved in Life, Deeply Lamented in Death"

Also Thomas Morgan

Died 19 Jul 1909

Age 81

Thomas came to the U.S. in 1852 eventually making his way to California where he co-owned a gold mine in Cherokee, CA with his younger brother, Jenkin Morgan. Around 1856 he went back to Wales where he married, Elizabeth Williams and by 1859 they are back in the U.S. Around 1870 the family returns to Wales where Thomas and Elizabeth remain for the rest of their lives.

Paris Blues and my family history...hmmmmm

2010-03-16T11:00:00.000-07:00

Have you ever seen the movie Paris Blues?

I don't think I've ever seen it, and you're probably wondering what this has to do with family history. Well a couple of days ago the answer would have been nothing. But that was a couple of days ago...before my Prehn research (that I talked about yesterday), before my recent trek to Genealogy Bank - where I let my fingers do the walking until I found..."Dallas Couple Lands in Paris Film Making."

Evidently Walter Lawrence Prehn and his wife, Carrie (Hille) Prehn, were vacationing in Europe. They made a visit to Paris and wanted to take a quick boat ride (or is that Bateau Mouche ride?) on the Seine. They arrived just as the bateau mouche was starting off. They had to jump to get on the boat, but they made it. The trip is underway, but they realize it's not going to the destination they thought. Curious they stopped a man in a beret and asked where they were going. Needless to say the man was slightly taken aback...he thought they were joking. He informed them that the ship was being used as a movie set and all the "passengers" were actors. The film? You guessed it....Paris Blues. The newspaper article goes on to say that Joanne Woodward and Sidney Poitier stopped by and apologized to the Prehns. And the man in the beret? Why he was the director, Martin Ritt. Walter and Carrie ended up as extras in the movie. So now I'm going to have to rent the movie and watch for them.

I tried to enhance the newspaper photo...but didn't have much success.

I've said it before, and I'll probably say it again, I LOVE newspapers. You just never know what you're going to find. Does this add genealogically to my data? No, but I love the story and I love the little glimpse into their life. Things like this turn them from mere names into people, or ancestors.

Is there a story behind the certificate???

2010-03-15T20:28:00.000-07:00

Sometimes we, as genealogists, focus on events and their corresponding sources (certificates, registers, etc). We tend to overlook the story behind those events or documents. Get the certificate, get the proof and move on to another ancestor. But...

I was recently going through my file folder for Henry Prehn (my great-great grandfather) and his descendants. Entering data, organizing and scanning documents, researching on-line, etc. Henry's son, Walter Lawrence Prehn Sr., lived in Texas. So off I went to look for available Texas records. My first stop was FamilySearch Record Search where I found the death certificate for Margaret Ann Prehn (Walter L. Prehn Jr.'s daughter).

The cause of death is listed as "pulomary hemorrhage" and "severe 3rd degree burns." There are other notations like..."clothing caught on fire," This made me want to find the story behind the certificate. So I went to my favorite newspaper site - Genealogy Bank. There I found the sad tale...

It was Christmas day 1953, and little Margaret had been given a grass skirt as a Christmas present. She had the skirt on...I can just picture her spinning around and watching the grass twirl..., but she got too close to a heater. The skirt caught fire and she was badly burned. She survived 5 months, but her little body was just too damaged, she died 16 May 1954. The story was carried in the 17 May 1954 issue of the Dallas Morning News (TX) newspaper, pg. 10.

Are you like me? Do you want to find the story behind the facts? I can't even begin to imagine how devasted Margaret's parents were. To have such a happy ocassion go so horribly wrong - it's heartbreaking.

Now to find out why she was buried in Palo Alto, California...hmmm...another story behind the story?

A life that began and ended in February...

2010-02-04T11:11:00.000-08:00

According to his obituary (in the Carlinville Democrat (IL) newspaper, the major events of Edward Trover's life occurred in February. He was born 4 Feb 1887 (the son of Edward and Julia Morris Trover); he was married 2 Feb 1907 (to Lois Irene Gates); he died 19 Feb 1956 (in Carlinville, Macoupin county, IL); and he was buried 22 Feb 1956 (in the Carlinville City Cemetery).

Wordless Wednesday...

2010-02-03T09:00:00.000-08:00

Father & Daughter

Bertha Albee & Abraham Lincoln Albee

Tombstone Tuesday

2010-02-02T14:06:00.000-08:00

Abraham Lincoln Albee

20 Apr 1920

Woodlawn Cemetery, Colma, San Mateo county, California

Califnornia Department of Public Health dateh certificate for Abraham Lincoln Alvee (sic), 1920, #2996

The San Francisco Examiner newspaper (California) - 22 Apr 1920 issue, pg. 4 (section cc)

Eeny, meeny, miny, moe...

2010-01-29T20:54:00.000-08:00

It's difficult sometimes to decide which name to use as the primary name when there are several to choose from. Most genealogy programs allow us to enter an alias...that's not the issue. How do I decide which to enter as the primary name? Case in point...

My husband's great great grandmother is listed as Duanna Morehead in 1848 in Vermillion county, IN probate court papers (Box 124) when her step-mother sued her in a petition for dower from property Duanna inherited when her father died.

In the 1850 census for Vermillion, Vermillion county, IN (pg. 107a) she is listed as Duanna Morehead.

On 21 Sep 1859 she marries Joseph Dicken and the marriage register (Vermillion county, IL - Bk. A, Pg. 290) lists her name as Duanah Moorehead:

In the 1860 census for Vermillion, Vermillion county, IN (pg. 132) she is listed as Duanna Dicken :

In the 1870 census for Camargo, Douglas county, IL (pg. 268a) she is listed as Duanna Dicken:

On 9 Jul 1872 she passed away and was buried in Broadus cemetery, Douglas county, IL. Her headstone is engraved Dauanah Dicken.

So my question is...which name should I use as her "primary" name in my database? Duanna? Duanah? Or Dauanah? I would normally lean toward the marriage record, except in this case it appears to be a register that is all written in the same hand. It isn't anything she signed herself. Do I assume the headstone is the most correct? Her husband was alive when she died, wouldn't he have known how to spell her name? But then more records appear as Duanna, so does that one win because it has the majority? Eeny, meeny, miny, moe... Which would you use?

What does a yo-yo, bubble gum, scotch tape and Pez have in common???

2010-01-24T15:04:00.000-08:00

When I was a kid, I remember when we got our first color TV (am I dating myself...or what?). The whole family sat on the sofa as we Ohhhh'd and Ahhhh'd at the vibrant colors dancing across the RCA screen. I think we were watching Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea or Sea Hunt...something like that. The ocean water was incredibly blue.

OK...so back to the question. What does a yo-yo, bubble gum, scotch tape and Pez have in common? My Grandfather...well sort of.

Actually they were all invented during a period of his life. My genealogy software of choice is Legacy Family Tree, and it has the option of including inventions in a chronology of the person's life. I have fun with this. It's always interesting to see what inventions your ancestor may have seen or experienced. What they may have Ohhhh'd and Ahhhh'd over.

From the Chronology tab, click on "Options." In the Chronology Options box (the Include tab) click on the "Select Background Timelines" box at the bottom. Click "Add a Timeline" and you will get a list of timelines you can include (such as Wars, Presidents, Organization of States, etc). Select "Inventions." It's that simple. Now your chronology view has inventions plugged into it.

The screenshot above shows what was invented when my Grandfather was 19 to 27 years old. So what was invented during your ancestors' lifetime? You will be surprised.

Second Life chat provides Real Life benefits...

2010-01-22T15:16:00.000-08:00

Last night I attended a genealogy chat in Second Life (SL) hosted by Genie Weezles (pictured here in front of the whiteboard and used with her permission).

The topic was "sharing." Genie did a wonderful job introducing us to various ways to share our genealogy. I've already implemented some of her recommendations...there is now a "Share This" button on my blog posts. This allows readers to share a posting in various ways (e-mail, Facebook, Twitter, etc).

Another topic in the chat was Delicious - a social bookmarking site. It allows you to have access to your bookmarks/favorites no matter what computer you're on and search/view the non-private bookmarks of other users. I've set up my Delicious account...very, very nice.

Also discussed was Stumble Upon, Su.Pr, Flickr, Picasa, and Transfer Big Files. There was so much useful information in this chat. I'm still setting up accounts, and trying out the things we were shown.

If you haven't checked out Second Life...you're really missing out. There are some very knowledgable genealogists willing to share, help and host chats like this one.

Hoping to see you in SL :-)

Treasure Chest Thursday

2010-01-21T16:02:00.000-08:00

My husband's great great grandfather, Cyrus Downey, was in the Civil War. Our "treasure chest" item is a letter Cyrus wrote to his brother on 22 Dec 1863.

On the other side of the letter he drew a map of the battlefield. Below is a transcription of the letter...well all except for one word (which I can't clearly read). If anyone out there has any ideas about the missing word...please let me know:

December the 22th 1863
Murfreesboro Tenn

Dear Brother
I thot that I would drop you a few lines to let you a few words that I got your letter yesterday, and was glad to hear from you and tell Catharine that I would be glad to have those suspenders and [unreadable word ] and that knife and handkerchief and if I don’t get them before the 15 of next month I can by them here those things will cost me a bout 8 or 10 $ and send me that box when you get the chance but I want them other things rite the way as soon as you can send them I send my love to you all

This is the Chickamoga battle ground and when I get home I will show you where our reg fot hand this to Catharine

Cyrus Downey

It actually looks to me like the word is "pumps," but if that's right...well...what does that mean? The letter was written in pencil and is fading.

The Catharine he refers to is his wife, Catharine (Burtner) Downey. Per his pension file (#263511/379-997), Cyrus enlisted in Company F, 123rd Regiment of Illinois Volunteers on 1 Aug 1862, and was mustered into service on 6 Sep 1862. He was discharged 28 Jun 1865 in Nashville, TN.

My husband and I treasure this letter and are so grateful that his mother passed it on to us. She knew of our interest in genealogy, and knew we would keep it safe.

Wordless Wednesday...

2010-01-20T17:02:00.000-08:00

Before

After

Anna Christina (Zeitz) Osborn

Photo restoration using Corel's Paint Shop Pro X2. I guess that wasn't really wordless...was it?

Breaking up is very hard to do...

2010-01-19T20:03:00.000-08:00

I'm planning on kicking my computer to the curb...well...actually, I'm kicking it to my husband (the computer that is) and he's kicking his computer to the curb. It's about time that I replace my desktop, and so begins the task of making sure all my essential programs get installed on the new beast. So what are my essentials? Here they are (in no particular order):

Legacy Family Tree - genealogy software
Microsoft Office - Word, Outlook, Powerpoint, and Excel
Adobe CS4 (especially InDesign and Photoshop!) - their creativity suite
Photodex's ProShow Producer - for creating slide shows
Techsmith's Camtasia Studio - screen recording software
Corel's Paint Shop Pro X2 - photo editing software
GreenLife Emerald Viewer - viewer for Second Life
LogMeIn - remote computer access software
Evernote - note taking and web page clipping software
Picasa - Google's free image editing software
Transcript - view an image & transcribe it at the same time
Screenshot Captor - software for capturing and annotating screen shots
IrfanView - image viewer and editor
ImgBurn - DVD burning software
7-Zip - compresses and uncompresses .zip and .rar files
BookCat - book cataloging software
CoffeeCup HTML Editor - web design software
FastStone Viewer - another image browser and editor
FileZilla FTP Client - file uploading software
Audacity - digital audio editor
Internet Explorer - internet browser
Firefox - internet browser

Of course, I have to backup my contacts and favorites, and install the software for my printers, and scanner. See what I mean...breaking up (with your computer) is very hard to do. But then I think of the one I'm planning to buy...8GB ram, 1T hard drive, etc., etc. Maybe breaking up isn't so hard after all!

Hmmmm...have I forgotten anything? I'll have to double and triple check my list. Anyone out there have any "essential" software? What are your must haves?

The Wreck of the Alice Buck...

2010-01-13T17:50:00.000-08:00

The year is 1881 and the Alice Buck (a ship out of New York) is bound for Oregon laden with railroad iron for the Northern Pacific Railroad Company. On board is a crew of 24 that included the Captain, Herman Henningser. They encountered a hurricane at latitude 16 degrees north and the ship began taking on water. Although the crew was manning the pumps around the clock, the situation continued to get worse. Capt. Henningser decided to head to San Francisco for repairs. He mistakenly thought they were about fifty miles southwest of the Farallones and turned northeast. Shortly after midnight on September 26th, the ship struck the rocks in Half Moon Bay (San Mateo county, California) and quickly began falling apart. Some of the crew members became "panic-stricken" and jumped overboard...they were never seen again. Others stayed with the ship as long as there was something to hold on to. A couple made it to shore where they were helped by locals. Two young men, Silas Hovious and Frank Hale, received recognition for their heroic actions in saving the lives of some of the mariners from the Alice Buck.

Photo of Half Moon Bay cliffs from Flickr and used under creative commons license by owner "radzfoto"

The 10 Oct 1881 issue of the New York Times newspaper carried the story on page 2. It details the actions of the two 19 year old young men.

Subsequent newspaper articles give the names of those lost: William Barry West, First Mate; D. Crocker, Second Mate; George Parker, a boy of 14; David Black, seaman; Charles Reader, seaman; Patrick Welsh, seaman; John Gunnison, seaman; and "two Chinamen, cook and steward."

The San Mateo County Coroner's Index lists (as unknown) some of the seamen that died in the wreck (A104-A109); notice all were found on different days.

Silas and Frank were each given a certificate and gold medal in recognition of their heroic actions. The certificate reads, in part, "Humanity, unflinching courage and personal peril for the sake of saving human life. These qualities so significantly displayed by yourself and your comrade, Frank Hale, when, on the 27th of September last, you saved four lives from the wreck of the Alice Buck, on the coast of California, near Half Moon Bay..."

The Annual report of the Chamber of Commerce of San Francisco, 18, Volumes 50-53 shows the cost of the gold medals the young men were given...$25.00.

So how is this story connected to my family history? Silas Hovious' son, Edward Hovious married Carolyn Raaen. Carolyn was the daughter of my great grandmother, Minnie Prehn (by her first husband, Lawrence Raaen). This isn't my direct line of research...but it's still an interesting story.

Tombstone Tuesday...

2010-01-12T17:56:00.000-08:00

Veronica Alphenia MANLEY

Born: 7 Sep 1893

Died: 4 Feb 1894

Buried: Green Hill Cemetery, Logan county, IL

Veronica (nicknamed Ronie) was the daughter of John Milton and Rachel Anna (Carrothers) Manley. She died just shy of 5 months old. John and Rachel must have wanted a lasting memory of this precious baby and had this photograph taken after she died. Five of their twelve children died at under 2 years of age.

An update on my "test"...

2010-01-02T14:03:00.000-08:00

On New Year's Eve I posted an article on a test I was performing to see how many researchers with wrong information would be interested in making corrections when provided with documentation (you can read that post here). Out of ten e-mails I sent, three not only expressed gratitude for the information, but quickly corrected their Ancestry Public Tree entry. I am so grateful for their attitude and how swiftly they made the correction.

According to their Ancestry profile a few of the others haven't been on the web site for 6 months or more...so it may be a while before those will be corrected (if ever).

However, there still remains one researcher who in spite of documentation prefers to hold on to the inaccurate information. She found a John Manley buried in Iowa and seems to disregard any information that proves her wrong. I've sent her the correct headstone photo and offered to send her the other sources (obituaries that list her ancestor as a survivor, and the death certificate which lists the correct parents and spouse), but still she doesn't seem interested in accuracy. I find that attitude very sad.

Were there any Happy New Years in my family history????

2010-01-02T13:07:00.000-08:00

Happy 2010! Celebrating New Years yesterday had me wondering if there were any New Years babies born in my family history. I did a search in Legacy and sure enough there were. One was Laura Louise Prehn. According to her Missouri death certificate (#11783), Laura was born 1 Jan 1879 in Webster Groves, St. Louis county, Missouri. She was the daughter of Johann (John) Prehn and Louise Wilhelmine Marie Leue.

She was a bit of a heroine in Jan 1912 when she rescued a couple of women. The story appeared in the Webster Groves Times newspaper on 5 Jan 1912, page 1.

Laura never married and was 77 years old when she died in Webster Groves on 1 Mar 1956. Her body was cremated on 2 Mar 1956 and placed in Valhalla's Hillcrest Abbey Crematory in St. Louis, Missouri.

This is a test...

2009-12-31T14:18:00.000-08:00

Today I did an Ancestry public trees search on my husband's great grandfather, John Milton Manley. This isn't new...I periodically do searches to see if anything has been added that is of interest. I specifically do John Milton Manley because I've been trying to get one of the submitters to correct a headstone photo they have attached to John. The submitter had the correct birth and death, but attached a headstone photo that was for the wrong John Manley (and had information that didn't even match their own dates). I sent the submitter the correct headstone photo. I was thanked and have been waiting (since August) for it to replace the wrong photo that is there. I noticed today that the wrong photo is still there. The only thing that's changed is that the submitter replaced the correct birth and death data that was there with dates that match this wrong headstone. Why? Wouldn't people prefer to post correct information? I don't get it. John's wife was Rachel Anna Carrothers. The wrong headstone photo showed John's wife as Mary. The correct headstone photo I sent showed John Milton Manley's shared headstone with his wife, Rachel A. Carrothers. The submitter shows John dying in Iowa and being buried there. John died in Illinois (he has an Illinois death certificate). He can be found living in Illinois in every census from 1880 to 1930 (well excluding the 1890 census of course...but I'm sure he was there then too).

What is really frustrating is that when I did my search today I found 10 other databases that now include this wrong information. It is just being perpetuated!

My test was to send each of the submitters a message letting them know the correct dates and places and listing my sources. It will be interesting to see how many (if any) of the submitters correct their information. I will happily share copies of my sources.

For the record...John Milton Manley was born 25 Jun 1850 in Iowa and died 31 Jul 1934 in Shelby county, Illinois. This is supported by his Illinois death certificate (which correctly lists his wife as Anna Carrothers and parents as Nathan Manley and Catherine Miller), two newspaper obituaries, his headstone (which I personally photographed in the I.O.O.F. cemetery in Moweaqua, IL), and the 1900 U.S. Census.

I will keep you posted on how many submitters want correct information versus how many just want any information. Okay...I'll get off my soapbox now.

They came through Ellis Island...

2009-12-31T10:31:00.000-08:00

When my great grandparents came to this country from Wales they came through Ellis Island.

Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division #LC-USZ62-37784

They boarded the S.S. Aurania in Liverpool in 1896 with their 5 boys - three bags among all 7 of them. I don't know anything about the particulars of their voyage except that it included one stowaway, 30 year old Samuel W. James. I haven't found the date the voyage began, but other voyages around the same time, by the same ship were taking about 7 days.

Image of S.S. Aurania from EllisIsland.org

Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division #LC-USZ62-7307

I wish my great grandparents were here so I could ask them what they thought and felt when they first saw the Statue of Liberty.

Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division #LC-USZC2-40098

The Davies family arrived in New York on 13 Jan 1896. It's still a mystery to me why my grandfather is listed under the name of Crannog. On his Welsh birth certificate he's listed as David Windsor Cranog Davies.

Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division #LC-USZ62-12595

The Davies family made their way to Scranton, Pennsylvania. On 13 Jun 1896, Caroline went into premature labor and gave birth to a little girl. The girl died the same day and was never given a name. Was she pregnant on the voyage? The death certificate doesn't indicate how premature. The cause of death is merely listed as "before time." Baby Davies was buried in Washburn cemetery the next day, 14 Jun 1896. There doesn't appear to be a headstone. They probably had very little money to place one. The family stayed in Pennsylvania for many years.

Tombstone Tuesday

2009-12-29T17:09:00.001-08:00

Omaha Valley Cemetery (Homer, Dakota county, NE)

Olive W. Combs (May 22, 1870 - Aug 30, 1871)

Jennie B. Combs (Jan 20, 1872 - Jul 29, 1887)

Sattie E. Combs (Feb 29, 1876 - Dec 5, 1897)

Children of S.A. & M.J. Combs

S.A. Combs (1846-1926)

On this day in our family history...

2009-12-28T09:47:00.000-08:00

My great grandfather's brother, William Evan Davis (Davies) died on this day in 1920. He was born 21 Dec 1887 in Garnvach, Bedwelty, Wales (the second of eight children born to Daniel Davies and Caroline Morgan).

William immigrated to the U.S. with his family in 1896 and is found in the 1900 U.S. census in Scranton, PA. I haven't been able to find him in the 1910 census. He shows up in 1920 living in Buford, CO having changed his name to William Mullen (and going by the nickname Bert). It's a family mystery as to why he changed his name. One theory is that he didn't like his father and didn't want to carry his surname. Another theory is that he was in some type of trouble in PA and needed to change his name. His older brother, Thomas Stanley Davis (Davies), also changed his surname to Mullen. Some time around 1917 he married Mamie Tiderman.

They had two children, Bill Mullen (born in 1918) and Clifford Mullen (born in 1919).

The family story was that Bert died in a mining accident in Colorado in 1920. While on a research trip in Salt Lake, I found a book titled "Pre-1963 Colorado mining fatalities" by Gerald E. Sherard (also on FHL film #1698298 item #9). I was hoping to confirm the story of Bert's death. I found the following entry.

"Bert Mullen, Rope Rider, American, 31 yrs old, married, 2 children, employed 10 yrs, Routt county, working at Hayden Bros Coal Corp, Hayden #2 died 1920 Dec 28 of heart failure."

With the date I then researched newspapers and found the following articles:

Almost a year later the following article appeared in the newspaper:

I don't know the connection between Shorty Carmen and Mamie or why he willed her everything. At this point I don't know any more about this family or what happened to Mamie or the children. I found a William L. Mullen born on the same day as Bert's son, Bill, in the SSDI. He's has a previous residence in Colorado and died in Yakima, Washington on 9 Sep 1996.

Sources:

Wales, Monmouth, Garnvach, William Evan Davies birth registration #428 (born 21 Dec 1887 and registered 27 Jan 1888)
Wales, Monmouth, Nantyglo, 1891 Wales Census, Daniel Davies household #231, pg. 38
Pennsylvania, Lackawanna, Scranton, 1900 U.S. Census, Daniel Davis household #152/168, pg. 8a
Colorado, Rio Blanco, Buford, 1920 U.S. Census, William B. Mullen household #163/163, pg. 8b
The Routt County Sentinel (Colorado) newspaper, 31 Dec 1920 issue, pg. 1, col. 2, "Phippsburg Man Dies in Mine from Heart Failure"
The Oak Creek Times (Colorado) newspaper, 1 Jan 1921 issue, pg. 1, col. 5, "William E. Mullen Succombs"
The Routt County Sentinel (Colorado) newspaper, 23 Dec 1921 issue, pg. 5, col. 2.

On this day in our family history...

2009-10-16T11:30:00.000-07:00

Cynthia (Derrick) Blay died on 16 Oct 1910 in Denver, Colorado. Below is her death certificate (#8269 where she's listed as Caroline Blay).

Cynthia was buried the following day (17 Oct 1910) in Edgewood cemetery, Denver, Colorado (Block 79, Section 28, Lot 10). She doesn't have a headstone. We believe we have photos of Cynthia. You can see the photos and read the story here: http://ourattictreasures.blogspot.com/2009/02/who-is-that-woman.html.

Horace Benjamin (Jeff) Albee died 16 Oct 1961 in Ukiah, Mendocino, California. Jeff was known on the rodeo circuit and had many friends that rallied to help him.

Jeff is buried in Little Lake Cemetery, Willits, Medocino, California.

Tombstone Tuesday...

2009-08-18T16:38:00.001-07:00

Daniel Morgan

Born: 9 Jun 1816, in Wales

Died: 4 Feb 1884, in Butte county, California

Buried: Cherokee Cemetery, Cherokee, Butte county, California

-and his wife-

Married: 22 Jul 1845, in Cadoxton Juxta Neath, Glamorgan, Neath, Wales

Janet (Powell) Morgan
Born: 31 Dec 1821, in Wales
Died: 19 Aug 1899, in Butte county, California
Buried: 23 Aug 1899, in Cherokee Cemetery, Cherokee, Butte county, California

"Mother thou art now at home
'Mong angels fair above
But yet below thy child must roam
Till summoned by His love."

Some struggled on in spite of their hardships...

2009-08-14T19:13:00.000-07:00

In 1984 Johnny Jean Clark (Mrs. George D. Clark) wrote to the Coles county, Illinois Genealogical Society with information she wanted to share about her grandfather, Benjamin Franklin Burtner. The third paragraph of her letter (image below) indicates she is sending the autobiography of her grandfather.

The autobiography she enclosed was typewritten. There is no indication if it was transcribed from a handwritten document or if her grandfather was the typist. The document is on file with Coles county Genealogical Society (they published portions of it in Vol. X, No. 9 - Oct 1984 newsletter titled "Among the Coles"), as well as Carnegie Public Library in Charleston, IL.

Here are some passages from the autobiography (no attempt has been made to correct the spelling, grammar or punctuation):

"My father, Jacob Burtner and Miss Leah Evinger of Clark Co., Ills, was married 8 Sept., 1846 and lived in a log house 2½ miles south east of Westfield, Ills, on a 200 acre tract, Mother's Father gave her. In this log house I was born May 15, 1848. In Dec. 8, 1849, a brother was born and Mother died and brother also, Dec. 11, 1849. After that, Father took me to Grandmother Burtners for a home. My Mother's people tried to get me but Father would not give me up. So for that, they beat him out of the estate that was Mother's.

Father worked at a saw mill in Westfield, Ills. In Aug. 16, 1851, Father married Miss Malinda Hackett of Coles Co., Ills. He then moved in a little log house with a stick chimney on Grandfather's place. We lived there about 2 years. In 1858, I think, we moved up to Douglas Co., Ills on a farm, 80 acres, raw prairie land. We had a hard time, I and Father did, because my stepmother was not good to me and father had to work so hard to make a living and get his land paid for and broke out. Had a fair house, frame, 2 rooms. Rail pens, built up and covered with prairie hay for barn. Forked post put in ground and poles over top and covered with prairie hay on top and sides for shelter for stock. Raised corn, wheat, oats, squashes, pumpkins, beans, potoatos and corn. I dropped corn, barefooted, many day with snakes crawling all round me.

We lived there until 1861, the year the War broke out Between the States. Father went to Grandmother's to do some work in Sept. and took the flux and died there. During this time, there was born in the family, 3 half brothers and 4 half sisters. Two died infancy.

In my Mother's family there were two brothers and two sisters besides herself. One sister died early. The other married Rev. David Brown up near Lafayette, Ind. After Father died, the oldest brother, Daniel Evinger came and took me away from my stepmother and took me up to Aunt Betsey Brown's to live, 175 miles away. I had seen then but did not remember anything about them. They had 4 children, three girls, one boy, most all grown. When Uncle Daniel went home and left me, it most killed me. Never away from home much and among strangers. Cousin Mahala, Aunt Betsey's oldest girl, who afterward went to Africa as a missionary, took me in hand for she was the best girl I ever saw. She was my close chum. She sang with and prayed with me. Took me to church, to S. School. Got me into church, that was in Dec., 1862. I joined the U. Brethren Church at the old U.B. Church close to the Tippecanoe Battle Ground, Ind. Uncle David Brown help do the preaching.

Cousin Mahala got married and her and husband went to Africa as missionaries. That made trouble for me for my best friend left me. I loved her as my own life."

Coles county, IL probate record #2385, Bk D, Pg. 636 (dated 2 Jul 1855) shows that Daniel Evinger was appointed guardian over Benjamin (age 7) and his "estate which may be wasted if care benot taken" (image below).

On 14 Feb 1865 (at the age of 16) he joined the Union Army, and was mustered into service at Danville, IL. He was in Company B, 154th Illinois Volunteer Infantry, and ended up in Murfreesboro, TN.

"When we landed there in March, the weather was awful. Cold, rainy time. Lots of men sick, the measels. Took off lots of men. Hospitals was full. We camped inside the Fortress close to Fort Rosencrans. My company lay close to the Nashville Pike. I got sick. Had the mumps. Was sick when Lincoln was killed. That was the Lonsomest Day I ever saw."

He was mustered out at Nashville, TN, 28 Sep 1865.

Daniel was released as Guardian 14 Jun 1869 when Benjamin was of age. At that time, Daniel turned over $340.49 (Benjamin's estate).

Life was not to become any easier for Benjamin as later entries in his autobiography can attest:

"I got acquainted with Miss Mary E. Robertson and was married Dec. 10th, 1871. I then moved to another farm to ourselves, Spring, 1872, had two teams, had 80 acres for corn, Was in dept some $500. And it Rained. Rained up to July. I made no crop. Gave up everything to my creditor and went to work by the month. Moved to Tuscola in Spring, 73. Mary's father was all right but the step mother was Satan himself. She hated me above all men because I was a Federal Soldier and she was a Rebel and I stold the Girl away and married her. When our children were born, she never came near. Walter was born Oct. 24, 1873 in Tuscola. Wilbur E. was born Dec. 22, 1877.

The next spring I was elected constable and I had plenty riding to do. Last of July, I taken the Flux and in Aug., Walter B. took the Flux and died Aug. 27. And Wife took the flux and died Sept. 8, 1878 and I was Down. My stepmother took me and Wilbur to her home west of Tuscola, 6 miles. I never got so I could walk until in November. Stayed there that winter and work. Done what I could. The old lady came and wanted me to give her Wilbur. I told her No. His mother told me not to let her lay her hands on him. There I was again. Worse off than nothing with a dear baby boy to have to commit to the care of others. But I ask God to help me and I went to work."

In spite of the hardships of his life, Benjamin forged ahead. He was something of an inventor and submitted two patents. One in 1880 (U.S. Patent #231,883) for a "Check Row Corn Planter" (image below).

On 7 Sep 1881 Benjamin F. Burtner married Lucy Foreaker in Edgar county, IL. They had 3 sons (Frank, Horace and Paul) and 1 daughter (Nona). In 1882 Benjamin filed his second patent (U.S. Patent #265,570); this one for a washing machine (image below).

Benjamin died on 16 Jan 1930. His widow Lucy is last found in Wharton county, Texas living with her daughter, Nona Fargason. So what can we learn? We all have a choice in life...to overcome our difficulties or be overcome by them.

Please excuse the mess...

2009-08-08T14:19:00.000-07:00

We've changed from our old internet provider to ATT. They told us they could improve our speed AND give us 150mb of space for our web page. So we decided to switch over...what a headache. And now that the switch has been made, they claim that the web space isn't part of the package. So now all the links on our blog are broken and no fix coming in the near future.

Needless to say we're not happy about ATT's misrepresentation. They claim they use an outside company to make their sales calls, and place the blame on them.

Sometimes I really hate computers!

Smile For The Camera - Bling

2009-08-05T21:04:00.000-07:00

Okay...the topic of this "Smile for the Camera" is bling. I searched through my ancestral photos and they are pretty much "blingless." What can I say; they were farmers and miners.

But I did find one family with a little "bling." This is a photo of my husband's granduncle, Richard Lafayette Yunker and his family (wife, Flora; older son, Virgil; and younger son, Glenn). All but the youngest seemed to be wearing a timepiece.

Tombstone Tuesday

2009-08-04T15:12:00.000-07:00

Elsie Maxine Vaughan
Fairlawn Cemetery, Stillwater, Payne county, OK

What else do you see????

2009-08-04T09:19:00.000-07:00

I was looking through some family photo albums at my Mom's this weekend. I'm not talking about professional portrait pictures...I'm talking about those goofy snapshots we take at various events.

I don't remember what it was, but something prompted me to get a magnifying glass to see something in one of the photos. Well - that started me looking at almost all the photos with a magnifying glass. It was amazing what you see.

I generally look at the people in a photo, but rarely look at the background in much detail. It was a walk down memory lane. Like in this photo of my Dad (taken in the early 50's). Up on a shelf is the cookie jar my grandparents always had. I had completely forgotten anything about this cookie jar - until I saw it. All of a sudden I remembered seeing that goofy cookie jar in their home.

I had a great time looking at the background items in photos. What pictures were on the walls, what magazines on the table, what decorative elements. In this same photo I noticed my Dad is wearing a ring. I don't remember ever seeing him wear a ring. Even my Mom had forgotten.

Take a magnifying glass to your old photos...and see what you see!

Why do I make things so much harder than they need to be?

2009-07-30T07:56:00.000-07:00

A friend is giving a "Meet the Author" talk about her book "The Oath and The Covenant" (based on the Scottish Covenanters). I'm working on a Powerpoint presentation for her to use in her talk. Sounds easy right? Well it should be, and it was until I wanted to insert a video clip.

The video clip played fine on my machine, but it wouldn't play on her laptop using Powerpoint Viewer. After to some tweaking and fiddling (which didn't work) I decided to do a Google search.

Possible solution #1: Try a different video format. I downloaded a video converter and tried another format. Well...that didn't solve the problem Back to Google...

Possible solution #2: Check for missing codec. Hey...that must be the problem. It requires MPEG1 which isn't on the lap top. I rush off to download the errant codec. I feel that relief that comes only at the end of what seems like hours of frustration. I play the Powerpoint...fully expecting it to work perfectly...uhhhh wrong! Okay...back to Google...

Possible solution #3: Download and install PFC Pro (that stands for Play For Certain). Okay...anything named "Play for Certain" must be my salvation. It installs as an add-on to Powerpoint. I'm using the 14-day fully functional trial version (the paid version is $129!). So now...I'm happy. Why shouldn't I be? I'm using "Play For Certain"...there's no doubt it will work. Arghhhhhh...wrong again...back to Google...

Possible solution #4: When using video in Powerpoints...save the video to the same place as the Powerpoint. Yeah...like it could be that simple! But I'm desperate...I'll try anything. Guess what...it worked! How could that be? So I go back to my original presentation. The one I did before video conversion, before codec downloading, and before "Play For Certain." It played perfectly! It just needed the video saved in the same place.

If only that Google hit was number one in the search results list! Well that's my day - how's yours?

Wordless Wednesday

2009-07-29T08:15:00.000-07:00

They didn't make it easy...

2009-07-28T19:32:00.000-07:00

If only our ancestors thought about "us" (their genealogy loving descendants) when they had children, named children, married etc. Some of their choices make our research more difficult and challenging.

Case in point...my great great grandfather, James A. Blay. He was born 9 Jan 1858 (the son of Alexander Blay), lived in Jersey county, IL for a time and by 1889 had moved to CO. He died in 1929 in Denver, CO. He had three wives, one of which was named Emma.

Fairmount Cemetery, Denver county, CO

Then there is James A. Blay's uncle, James Blay who was born 3 Jan 1859 (his father was also named Alexander Blay). This James lived in Jersey county, IL and died there in...you guessed it...1929. The name of his wife? Why Emma of course.

Oak Grove Cemetery, Jersey county, IL

Were they trying to drive us crazy? Personally, I think they are on the other side having a good laugh at our efforts to try to figure things out.

Quote of the day...

2009-07-16T17:05:00.000-07:00

"I believe that history is capable of anything. There exists no folly that men have not tried out." by Carl Gustav Jung (Swiss psychiatrist, psychologist)

so true...so true

Where do we belong???

2009-07-16T15:48:00.000-07:00

Years ago my father inherited a trunk from his uncle, John Ivor Davies. Among the items in the trunk were two photo postcards - each depicting a young man in what appears to be WWI army uniforms. On the back of one photo (below) is handwritten: "F.H. Robbins Plainview N.Mex" and "In 134 Inf 34th Div."

On the back of the other (below) is handwritten: "J.B. McHugh Ravia Okla."

I would like to unite these soldiers with their descendants, but so far that is proving difficult. I searched the WWI Draft Registration Cards and found:

Finis H. Robbins who was born 12 Jul 1896, Hale Center, TX (single). He registered in Chavez county, NM (he was the only Robbins with the initials F.H. that was from NM)
Joseph Braker McHugh who was born 22 Nov 1894, Centers, Alabama (single). He registered in Johnston county, OK (he was the only McHugh with the initials J.B. that was from OK)

I can find Finis Robbins in the 1920 and 1930 censuses living in Prairieview, Lea county, NM (single in both). I found a public member tree on Ancestry that included Finis Robbins, but the submitter says he's a distant branch on the tree - so I guess he's not really interested. I haven't been able to find anything for 134th Inf 34th Div.

I can't find Joseph McHugh in the census records. There is an Ancestry World Tree for Joseph Braker McHugh who married Mattie Renfrow (indicating they were married in Ravia OK). A further search in the 1930 census found a Jay B. McHugh (born abt 1899) married to Mattie, but in the vetran column is "no."

John Ivor Davies (the owner of the trunk) served in WWI. Unfortunately, I don't know what division. I assume these young men were friends he met in the service.

Does anyone have any other ideas for tracing these photos?

Tombstone Tuesday

2009-07-07T09:00:00.000-07:00

Cherokee Cemetery

Cherokee, Butte county, California

Another family story proves to be true...

2009-07-03T14:59:00.000-07:00

On a visit to my husband's aunt (several years ago) we were shown the following picture and told that Ivan Luther Osborn (my husband's granduncle - pictured above with his wife, Ruth) was a cook on a movie set and died in an airplane crash in 1955. The photo is what was left of the airplane. We didn't know if the crash happened while working on the movie set, and we didn't know where the crash happened. Last week I decided to see if I could prove any of this story.

I checked Find-A-Grave and found Ivan's burial in Memory Gardens Cemetery, Imperial County, California. The death date matched what we were told by my husband's aunt. I checked historical newspapers on Ancestry, GenealogyBank and NewspaperArchive. Nothing. I next did a google search for databases of airplane crashes and found Plane Crash Info.com. Richard Kebabjian has crash infomation going back to 1920. I checked 1955, but there wasn't a listing for Ivan's crash. I e-mailed Richard (the web site owner) and he was kind enough to e-mail the following newspaper article (from Nevada State Journal) to me. There are still many unanswered questions, but at least we know that the story of the airplane crash was true.

Dies In Crash

El Centro, Calif., April 5. (U.P.) - Ivan Osborne, 48, of Gordon Wells, was killed, and Bruce Bowler, also of Gordon Wells, was seriously injured today when their small plane crashed in the desert 35 miles east of here. Osborne was the pilot.

Wordless Wednesday

2009-06-24T09:00:00.000-07:00

Butchart Gardens - Vancouver Island

A page on books...from her book

2009-06-23T16:14:00.000-07:00

This is a page from a book that Margretta (Blay) Johns kept to record births, marriages, deaths, addresses and other information. This page lists books. Was she listing them because they were books she read and enjoyed? Or was it a list of books she wanted to read? I don't know. But I wanted to learn more about the books and the authors, and I'm bringing you along on my search: I've listed the books (linked to either Internet Archive or Project Gutenberg), the author (linked to Wikipedia) and reviews or quotes from various sites. I enjoyed this small glimpse into her life and finding out more about the types of books she (probably) read.

John Galsworthy

Beyond (1917)

"They who have known the doldrums--how the sails of the listless ship droop, and the hope of escape dies day by day--may understand something of the life Gyp began living now. On a ship, even doldrums come to an end. But a young woman of twenty-three, who has made a mistake in her marriage, and has only herself to blame, looks forward to no end." (quote from Fantastic Fiction)

The Dream Flower (I believe this should be The Dark Flower, 1913)

"To the reader with a critical instinct, the first impression made by Mr. Galsworthy's new novel, The Dark Flower, is that of keen delight at the sheer technical skill of it, the beautiful symmetry of its structure and its symbolism. It is only after enjoying this feature to the utmost that such lovers of fine artistry will begin to enjoy the equally fine interpretation of an almost universal phase of human life." — The Bookman (December, 1913) - (editorial review from Amazon)
"The story is divided into three epochs, "Spring," "Summer"and "Autumn" three great passions in a man's life belonging respectively to his youth, his maturity and his middle age. Of the three women who successively inspire these three passions, the first might almost have been his mother, the second was of suitable age to be his wife, and the third could easily been his daughter. Such is the substance of "The Dark Flower," a curiously interesting and probing study of man's passions and woman's weakness." (quote is from Fantastic Fiction)

Harold Bell Wright

The Shepherd of the Hills (1907)

"The shepherd, an elderly, mysterious, learned man, escapes the buzzing restlessness of the city to live in the backwoods neighborhood of Mutton Hollow in the Ozark hills. There he encounters Jim Lane, Grant Matthews, Sammy, Young Matt, and other residents of the village, and gradually learns to find a peace about the losses he has borne and has yet to bear. Through the shepherd and those around him, Wright assembles here a gentle and utterly masterful commentary on strength and weakness, failure and success, tranquility and turmoil, and punishment and absolution. (editorial review from Amazon)

B. M. Bower

The Long Shadow (1909)

"A vigorous Western story, sparkling with the free, outdoor, life of a mountain ranch. Its scenes shift rapidly and its actors play the game of life fearlessly and like men. It is a fine love story from start to finish." (description from FeedBooks)

Chip, of the Flying U (1906)

"He was hungry for a solitary ride such as had, before now, drawn much of the lonely ache out of his heart and keyed him up to the life which he must live and which chafed his spirit more than even he realized. Instead of such slender comfort, he was forced to ride beside the girl who had hurt him--so close that his knee sometimes brushed her horse-- and to listen to her friendly chatter and make answer, at times, with at least some show of civility." (editorial review from Amazon)

William MacLeod Raine

A Texas Ranger (1910)

"The sun had declined almost to a saddle in the Cuesta del Burro when the sleeper reopened his eyes. Even before he had shaken himself free of sleep he was uneasily aware of something wrong. Hazily the sound of voices drifted to him across an immense space. Blurred figures crossed before his unfocused gaze." (product description on Amazon)

Gene Stratton Porter

The Song of the Cardinal (1903)

"...the tale ...starting with the mangled body of a cardinal some marksman had left in the road she was travelling, in a fervour of love for the birds and indignation at the hunter, she told the Cardinal's life history..." (quote from Gene Stratton-Porter, A Little Story of the Life and Work and Ideals of "The Bird Woman")

Freckles (1904)

"...is the uplifting story of a plucky waif without a name and without one hand, disabled since infancy. Raised in a Chicago orphanage, he survives abuse and harsh circumstances and grows up a brave, loyal, and hardworking young man with a true capacity for self-sacrifice. Freckles becomes a timber guard in the Limberlost swamp in Indiana and exhibits extraordinary courage and resourcefulness on the job. He also falls in love with the Swamp Angel, a young girl whose beauty and kindness bring out the best in others." (product description from Amazon)

What I Have Done with Birds (1907)

"The book is an account of many species of birds that Stratton-Porter studied over the course of five years, including photographs that she took. In each chapter, she discusses a different species of bird and her experiences in the field with that species. She describes in intimate detail her encounters with birds in the Limberlost and how she photographed them in their natural habitat. Her strong feelings against harming an animal or its surroundings for the sake of nature study or photography are evident." (quote from Our Land, Our Literature)

At the Foot of the Rainbow (1907)

"...uses fishing as a backdrop to tell the story of Jimmy Malone and Dannie Macnoun, who is in love with Jimmy's wife, Mary. In addition, this includes a lengthy biographical introduction on the author's life and work." (from Library Journal posted on Amazon)

A Girl of the Limberlost (1909)

"...the timeless story of an impoverished young girl, Elnora Comstock, growing up on the edge of the Limberlost swamp." (product description from Amazon)

Birds of the Bible (1909)

"...a very scholarly work and required a great deal of research. It was by no means decisively popular, but was interesting and replete with illustration, some of which were collected abroad with painstaking care." (quote from Wabash Carnegie Public Library's "The Life and Work of Gene Stratton-Porter")

Music of the Wild (1910)

"While making photographs of birds in the spring of 1910, Mrs. Porter became interested in their music, calls, and sounds; the result was "Music of the Wild". She dedicated this book to her husband's brother, Dr. Miles Porter, then a physician in Fort Wayne." (quote from Wabash Carnegie Public Library's "The Life and Work of Gene Stratton-Porter")

The Harvester (1911)

"Gene Stratton-Porter returns us to her beloved Midwestern woodlands with a hero modeled after Henry David Thoreau. He and his "wonderful, alluring" Ruth ultimately find idyllic bliss in the pure, unspoiled woods, but not before her mysterious past is revealed and resolved." (product description from Amazon)

Marie Van Vorst

Mary Moreland (1915)

"...the story of a stenographer in love with and loved by her employer, a married Wall Street financier. In Mary Moreland, Van Vorst writes her most sophisticated discussion of the moral issues surrounding marital dissatisfaction and infidelity and creates her most complex and admirable heroine. Mary, a self-supporting suffragist dedicated to her career while searching for a passionate love that is neither compromising nor limiting, is a memorable fictional portrait of a young American woman seeking her identity in a world of shifting social and sexual values." (quote from NovelGuide.com)

Vera L. Connolly

The Lone Trail - this appears to have been a serial that appeared in "Woman's Home Companion" magazine in September and October of 1923. The author wrote other serials such as "Cry of a Broken People" (Good Housekeeping, Feb 1929) and "We Still Get Robbed" (Good Housekeeping (Mar 1929). Columbia University Libraries' Archival Collection holds the Vera L. Connolly Papers (27 boxes of her writings, correspondence, and clippings).

The Blue Book ("The Blue Book Magazine)

And finally she lists Favorite Songs - Hall and McCreary, Chicago, Ill. This appears to be a music publishing company. They published "The Golden Book of Favorite Songs" (1915), "The Gray Book of Favorite Songs" (1919), and "The Blue Book of Favorite Songs" (1924).

Tombstone Tuesday

2009-06-23T11:19:00.001-07:00

Eleven year old Emily Susan Yunker spent the morning helping her mother bake pies. Afterward she went outside to play. She was playing around the wagon when it rolled into her; crushing her to death. The pies she baked that morning ended up being served at her funeral. She was buried at Pleasant Grove Cemetery in Moccasin, Effingham county, Illinois.

Did you wear pajamas??

2009-06-20T09:00:00.000-07:00

My great grandparents lived through the San Francisco earthquake on 18 April 1906. I've blogged about them before (http://tinyurl.com/lxq2oy). Today while going through newspaper databases a friend found this advertisement (in The Oakland Tribune, 1 Jun 1906 issue). It made me laugh so I thought I would share.

Don't you just love historical newspapers?

So close...and yet so far...

2009-06-18T09:00:00.000-07:00

Lenore (Hille) Prehn was a special representative for the Southwestern Division of the Red Cross. She had been on the road in Oklahoma visiting some of the 45 charters under her supervision, and on December 21st, 1919 was heading home to be with her family for Christmas. The train she was traveling on (the Frisco Passenger #10) broke an axel and derailed 3 miles east of St. James, Missouri. Lenore was one of two people killed in the accident (the other being J.O. Hopper of West Virginia). Besides her husband, Wiliam Phillip Prehn, she left two young children. She was buried in Kirkwood at Forever Oak Hill Cemetery (Missouri) on Christmas Eve. You can read about the accident here.

She was so close to making it home...yet so far away.

Ding Dong, Strawbridge & Clothier calling...

2009-06-17T19:50:00.000-07:00

My grandfather's brother, John Ivor Davis/Davies (on the left in the above picture), worked as a delivery man/driver for Strawbridge & Clothier Department Store in Phildelphia in the early 1900's. Wikipedia has a page on the store's history that included the following:

The store began as a dry goods store and was founded by Quakers Justus Clayton Strawbridge (1838-1911) and Isaac Hallowell Clothier (1838-1911) in Philadelphia in 1862. In 1868 Strawbridge & Clothier purchased a 3-story brick building on the northeast corner of Market and 8th Streets in Center City Philadelphia, which had been Thomas Jefferson's office in 1790 while he served as Secretary of State, and opened their first store. But soon the old building was replaced by a new 5-story department store offering a variety of fixed price merchandise under one roof.

In the above picture (dated 30 Oct 1912) he's driving the delivery truck. The picture below was taken at a "farwell party" on 18 Apr 1915. John Ivor is in the back holding the child (not his child).

You can see a photograph of the store with delivery trucks and drivers lined up here. Based on the style of vehicles, it appears the photo was taken about the time John worked for the store.

In 1911, the Strawbridge motto evolved from "Small profits, one price, for cash only," into the trademark "Seal of Confidence," which featured William Penn and the chief of the Leni-Lenape shaking hands to cement a treaty. You can see their trademark on the postcard pictured at Remembering Great American Department Stores.

Wordless Wednesday

2009-06-17T09:00:00.000-07:00

Bathing beauty????

2009-06-16T14:25:00.000-07:00

This is my great grandfather, Robert William Johns. Unfortunately, the photo doesn't have a date on it. I don't know anything about cars or dating them. The Model T Showroom website has similar "looking" vehicles (based on looking at the windshield, radiator cap, tires and fenders) that are dated in the early 1920's. The website Ford T 1921 for Sale has photographs that look very similar. The Beefcake Swimwear: A visual scrapbook of vintage men's beachwear website shows similar swimsuit designs from the early to mid 1920's. Of course I can't determine the age of the vehicle or the swimsuit at the time the photo was taken, but I would guess late 1920's.

Looking at this photo always made my Dad chuckle, and I can understand why...I love those knees!

Tombstone Tuesday

2009-06-16T12:33:00.000-07:00

Leah (Evinger) Burtner, wife of Jacob Burtner died 7 Dec 1849, age 21 yrs

buried Otterbein Cemetery, Hutton Twp, Coshocton county, Ohio

Passenger number 105...

2009-06-14T09:00:00.001-07:00

Henry Prehn (Heinrich Prehn) came to the United States from Germany on the ship Bremen on May 12, 1857...he was passenger number 105.

He arrived in New Orleans, but ended up living in Webster Groves, Missouri. The following is a biographical sketch of Henry that was published in the "History of St. Louis County," by William L. Thomas, 1911, pg. 72-77:

HENRY PREHN
The record of Henry Prehn is but another illustration of the fact that character and ability will always come to the front, no matter what the early environment of a man may have been, for from a humble position he has worked his way up in the business world until he ranks among the men of prominence in commercial and financial circles in Webster Groves.
He was born in Germany on the 21st of January, 1833, a son of John Henry and Margaret (Kniff) Prehn, who passed their entire lives in the fatherland. In the schools of his native country Henry Prehn acquired his education and he assisted his father in the work of the home farm until his ambitious spirit prompted him to seek advancement in the business world. Determining to try the opportunities which he heard were open to enterprising youth in the new world he left home and friends and sailed for America, arrive at New Orleans in April, 1857. He continued his journey up the Mississippi river to St. Louis, Missouri, and thence to Gasconade county, this state, where he remained for a short time.
When he returned to St. Louis his entire capital amounted to but two dollars and fifty cents and he at once sought work by which he could provide for his support. He engaged in truck gardening around that city for about six months, after which he came to Webster Groves, and here was employed at various occupations, scorning no avenue through which he could earn an honest living. His time was thus employed until 1867 when, with the money which he had been able to save as a result of constant exertion, unfaltering perseverance and the most rigid economy, he purchased a small stock of goods and opened up a grocery store at this place, with which line of activity he has since been identified. The business had a small beginning, but its gradual expanse, in time, made it one of the most important enterprises of its kind in the city. In 1875 he added a feed department and his trade has now reached most gratifying proportions. The secret of his success lies in the fact that he has never been afraid of work, laboring earnestly and diligently toward the goal of independence, while his methods have ever been honest and aboveboard, never taking advantage of the necessities of others to further his own ends. Putting forth his efforts in financial fields, he assisted in organizing the Bank of Webster Groves and also the Trust Company of Webster Groves, and is now serving as director in both institutions.
Mr. Prehn was married twice. On the 21st of January 1862, he wedded Miss Johanna Leue, and they became the parents of two children: John Henry; and Minnie, the wife of John Carr, of San Francisco, California. The wife and mother passed away in 1871, and on the 21st of January, 1872, he married Miss Mary Caroline Bangert. Unto this union were born nine children, of whom one, John, passed away in infancy. The surviving members are: Louise, the wife of Louis Roemmer, of Pacific, Missouri; Fred, who is associated with his father in business; and William, Carrie, Charles, Robert, Catherine and Walter, all of whom are living at home.
Mr. Prehn and his family hold membership in the First Congregational church of Webster Groves and are well known in the social circles of his community. During the time of the Civil war he served as sergeant of the Home Militia, and in politics he has ever been a stanch republican, giving his allegiance to the party which stood as the support of the Union during the dark days of the Rebellion. He served as postmaster of Webster Groves under the administration of President Hayes, but aside from that office has never sought nor desired political preferment. No citizen, however, is more deeply interested in the welfare of the community in which he resides, for not only has he been progressive and successful in business, but has supported every public movement which has to do with the development and improvement of this district, and is a strong advocate of all those things which are a matter of civic virtue and of civic pride. He is a familiar figure in the community in which he has so long labored, and those who know him respect him for his sterling personal worth as well as for the business ability he manifests, and in all relations of life he measures up to the full standard of honorable, upright manhood.

Heinrich applied for citizenship in St. Louis Co., MO. His oath of allegience was found in FHL Film #1509835, Vol. A, Pg. 428.

Wordless Wednesday...

2009-06-10T09:00:00.000-07:00

Tombstone Tuesday...

2009-06-09T09:17:00.001-07:00

Stephen Medbury died May 2 1856 (aged 85 years, 6 mos, 6 das), buried New Berlin (Greenwood Cemetery), Chenango, New York, USA

A thing of beauty...

2009-06-08T18:51:00.000-07:00

I was at Sutro Library (San Francisco) today looking through San Francisco city directories. My grand parents and great grand parents each ran restaurants in the city. I was trying to find the exact location of those restaurants. In the late 1940s my grandparents (Dave & Melvina Davis) operated a small cafe next to the Fox Theater called the Gold Room.

In the following photo (circa 1945 from the San Francisco Public Library web site http://sfpl.org/) shows a crowd outside the Fox Theater. If you look to the left edge of the photo you can see the small sign identifying the Gold Room.

Both of my parents worked at this restaurant before they were married. This is where their famous "hamburger in the face" incident took place.

I knew that the restaurant was next to the Fox Theater, but I never realized what a magical place the theater was. Wow! is all I can say. It was built in 1929 and torn town in 1963. The following picture (from the William Swain Collection http://tinyurl.com/ndzs82) shows the "grand staircase" in the main lobby. What a sad loss of San Francisco. You can see more images of the Fox Theater at http://tinyurl.com/lju7vg.

I have a menu from the Gold Room. When vagrants came into the restaurant begging for money, my grandfather told them he wouldn't give them cash, but if they were truly hungry he would feed them. They could order anything they wanted from the menu.

One stop shopping???

2009-05-30T19:30:00.000-07:00

This is the wedding photo for Robert Franklin Manley and Pearl Osborn. You would never know by looking at them that they were married in a clothing store. We didn't know either...until we found a newspaper article.

I contacted the Decatur Genealogical Society to see if they had a photograph of the clothing store, or if they knew why it was a popular place for weddings. Unfortunately they couldn't help me with either request. So it remains a mystery. Why a clothing store? I wonder if their wedding clothes were rented or purchased?

I can't believe it finally happened...

2009-05-22T12:48:00.000-07:00

After years and years of research to find the parents of Cornelia Reynolds; I can't believe I finally found them! I had searched through census, vital, probate and land records, as well as historical and biographical books. All to no avail. I had worked through the pre-1850 census records and had narrowed down the possible father, but lacked a way to confirm my theory or to find the name of the mother (who died before 1850).

I had about given up hope. Then on a recent trip to the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah, I found the confirmation I was seeking AND the name of the mother! Cornelia grew up in Hartwick, Otsego county, New York, and that was were I had concentrated my research. Who knew I would find the answer by researching one of Cornelia's siblings and that the answer would be found on the opposite coast.

So don't ever give up! Even if you think you have looked everywhere. Keep looking and digging. You may just find the answer in a place you least expect. And research those allied lines. At least in my research, it seems a better paper trail was left by the siblings of my ancestors than by my ancestors themselves.

Okay...now to tackle finding Cornelia's grandparents :-) That will probably take another 10 years.

Will Picasa save my sanity????

2009-05-16T09:00:00.000-07:00

I've just started using Picasa in an attempt to organize all my genealogy photos and images. I've tried using Picasa in the past, but didn't really like it. I couldn't seem to get it to do what I wanted, and it drove me crazy that it catagorized everything by date. I don't know what made me try it again, but I downloaded it, and set it to search only my genealogy folders. I then began entering tags to each photo and image. The tag I'm using in the person's RIN (Record Identification Number). Using Picasa I can search on an ancestor's RIN and find all the photos, certificates, newspaper articles, and census records for them.

So far things are going well. Of course...I did have to figure out how to get it to display even the small photos. By default it's set to ignore all photos/images that are 250x250 pixels (or less). Some of my images are pretty tiny. Anyway...I couldn't figure out why some of them weren't showing up. Once that was corrected (View, Small Pictures) things are going swimmingly. It's going to take a long (long...long) time to enter all the tags.

I have tried using other programs (like FastStone View), but it wouldn't allow me to add tags, comments to png images. I'm hoping Picasa will make it easier to find things. Especially since I have items in different folders (a folder for headstones, one for census, one for newspapers, and so forth). Will it save my sanity? Only time will tell...

The final installment...

2009-05-11T09:00:00.000-07:00

This blog article ends the letter written by Josiah Osborn on April 7, 1848 and tells the aftermath of the massacre.

...The priest gave me a letter to the Bishop. All being ready, we started, the Indian leading the way, and made all haste to get back to my wife and children. When we came near, we commenced hunting, but could not find them, owing to the dark. We gave up the search until daylight; soon after, we found them, almost perished with hunger and thirst. The Indian got water, and I gave them bread; and in about ten minutes we began to get ready to start; being so near the Indians that had committed the murders, our guide was anxious to return. We started to go by the company's farm, and had got no more than two miles, where we got off at a creek, before we saw an Indian coming toward us; he came up with spped, and spoke very friendly to me, but told my Indian that he would kill me, and put his hand on his pistol. My Indian asked him if he was an old woman that he would kill an old man that was sick, with a sick wife and children? After they had talked for some time he replied that, as he never had shed blood, he would not; but said tell him to hurry and be gone, for the murderers will follow and kill him before he gets to the Umatilla. My Indian told me to hurry; we started, and the Indian followed close behind for some distance, and then left, and we soon got to the farm where we were to change horses. We were directed to stop here till night, but the Frenchman would not let us stay, for he said the Indians would be there before night. Here was the first fire that Margaret and two of the children had seen since Monday. We warmed a few minutes and started as though we would go to the bishop's. When we were out of sight we turned, and thought we would risk going to the fort. We went on as fast as we could, but soon after dark Margaret gave out, and had to be tied to the Indians back, but we got to the fort about ten o'clock. Mr. McBean helped us into an empty room, and we soon had a fire.

We had hardly got warm before McBean came to me, and wanted me to leave my family with him, and go down to the valley by myself, but I refused to leave the fort, and would not go; but God fed us here until Mr. Ogden came up from Fort Vancouver, and brought the women and children here. We had to spend one month among Roman Catholics and Indians, and fed for some time on meat, having but little bread; we helped to eat one horse, which gave my wife the dysentery.

Mr. Ogden one of the principal agents of the Hudson Bay Company, took us down to Oregon city. After we got to the city, John Law died, and we bured in the same grave with Alex Findley. I can say but little more about the massacre; we may say, however, that it was nothing but the hand of the Almighty God that delivered us out of the hands of these cruel savages.

The climate of Oregon is pleasant and healthy. Wheat is good here, so are vegetables. Father Courtney was killed by the falling of a tree. Putnam lost his wife with the camp fever. There is a call here for all finds of machinery. I am now building a saw and gristmill for Rees & Cottle. Jane and Lydia were married about new-year. Jane lost her husband this month, the rest are well.

Yours, &c. Josiah Osborn

The following links have more information on the massacre:

A WPA interview with Catherine (McHargue) Hume dated July 7, 1939 gives the following account:

"Perhaps the most historically notable persons buried in this cemetery were Josiah and Margaret Osborn. Margaret Osborn's grave is marked but Josiah Osborn's is not, but they are buried here close together, also I believe that there are two of their children buried there in unmarked graves. The Osborns first settled in my father's community about the year 1845. In 1847 Marcus Whitman hired Josiah Osborn to assist in building a mill at the Whitman mission. Osborn and his whole family were there at the time of the Whitman Massacre. All of the children were sick with the measles at the time and Mrs. Osborn was sick following a miscarriage in childbirth. I used to play with the Osborn children when I was small and knew the whole family well. Mrs. Osborn has often told me the story of the massacre.

"When the massacre began Josiah Osborn was at work outside and Mrs. Osborn and the children were all sick in the cabin. Josiah Osborn ran to the cabin and taking a single blanket and a loaf of bread he raised the loose boards of the floor and the whole family crept beneath. They stayed there all day, small children, sick children, sick mother and all. They heard all the terrible noise of the massacre, some of which took place just above them.

Mostly the small children were good but sometimes they would begin to cry and then Mrs. Osborn would quiet them as best she could, or if necessary smother their cries beneath their blanket. They stayed there until late into the next night and then Osborn crept out hoping to meet a friendly Indian who would help them to escape. They finally crept away and tried to make their way to Fort Walla Walla. They traveled for several days, sleeping without shelter during the daytime and traveling at night. These measles-sick parents and children had to ford cold flooded streams and then sleep in their wet clothes. It is a wonder that all of them did not die.

Finally they reached the fort but were denied entrance. Apparently the small force there so feared the Indians that they did not dare admit them for fear of angering the Indians. At last they were admitted and hidden in an inner room. Mrs. Osborn was so sick and think that her bones actually protruded through great sores where she lay on the hard floor. They were finally rescued and taken to Oregon City where one child died. Mrs. Osborn suffered for years from unhealable ulcers, the result of her hardships and exposure.

"I knew all of the Osborn children well. They had five girls and two boys. The boys were Alec and Wilson, the latter named after Rev. Wilson Blain, early Presbyterian preacher in this region. Then there was Nancy who was the baby at the time of the Whitman Massacre. After that there were twins, Narcissa and Louisa. Narcissa was named after the wife of Marcus Whitman.

The younger children were Malinda, Margaret and Merinda. Nancy later was rather well known as Nancy E. Jacobs, her married name. The Osborn claim was just east of my father's claim so that I naturally associated with the younger children almost every day. "

The tragic events begin to unfold...

2009-05-06T09:00:00.000-07:00

Continuing the letter of Josiah Osborn written April 7, 1848 recounting the events of the Whitman Massacre. Below is a sketch of Tiloukaikt and Tomahas, Cayuse chiefs that were tried for the murders at the Mission.

On the 29th day of November, the Indians convened for the purpose, apparently, of burying their dead, and continued coming in nearly all day. About one or two o'clock Margaret got up and went into the parlor to see the sick children - the first she had walked for three weeks. The doctor and his wife were in the room, and an Indian came to the door and spoke to the doctor, who went out into the kitchen. Mrs. W. now bolted the door, and the firing soon commenced. Kimble, Camfield, and Huffman were dressing a beef in the yard, Sanders was in the school room, and the other men were at their work. I was in my room, on the bed. The Indians commenced on all at nearly the same moment. They killed the doctor and wounded the three men at the beef, and killed a young man in the room with the doctor and Mr. Gillyean the tailor. Margaret came back into our own room; I asked her what was the matter; she answered that the Indians had risen to kill us. A constant firing was now kept up. Sanders was killed in attempting to get to his family; Kimble got into the house with his arm broke, and got up stairs with the children. Mrs. Whitman being informed that her husband was not yet dead, with the assistance of another woman, she dragged him into the parlor. His head was badly mangled and his throat cut. She was shot in the breat, and Mr. Rogers got her up stairs, and he, by presenting a gun at the head of the stairs, kept the Indians down; but about sun-set they promised that if Mr. R. and the rest would come down and go to the house where the emigrants were, they would not kill any more. Mr. R., with the assistance of an Indian, got Mrs. Whitman down, but no sooner had they got outside of the house than the Indians fired several balls into Mrs. Whitman, and kicked her bleeding body into the mud. They shot Mr. Rogers three times, and left him to die. A few minutes before this last occurrence, I had lifted up the floor and we got under, with our three children and put the boards back in their place. We lay there listening to the firing - the screaming of women and children - the groans of the dying - not knowing how soon our turn would come. We were, however, not discovered.

When it had become dark, and all was quiet, we concluded to leave everthing, take our children and start for the fort, which was twenty-five miles distant, knowing that if we remained till morning death, would be our portion. Taking John Law on my back and A. Rogers in my arms, we started. The first step we made outside was in the blood of an orphan boy. Some of the murdered had their heads split open; some were lying in the mud disemboweled. This night we travelled only two miles. We hid in the brush, about fifty feet from the road, where all the next day, we heard the Indians passing and repassing - When dark came on, we started for the fort and got three miles further. We then gave out , and again hid in the brush, and then spent another mournful day in the Indian country. - When night came on, finding that Margaret was unalbe to travel, I took John Law on my back and started for Fort Wallawalla, yet twenty miles distant. When I had arrived within six miles of the fort, I laid down in the wet grass till morning. About nine o'clock, I reached the fort, where McBean met me, and told me that he had reported me among the dead. He gave me about half a pint of tea and two small biscuits. When we had got warm, I asked for assistance to bring in my fmaily, but was unable to procure any. During the day, Mr. Stanley came up from Fort Collville with two horses, which he offered me. At night we got a little more to eat, and an Indian being hired to go with me, I prepared for a start. Mr. McBean said I must go to the bishop on the Umatilla. I refused, but he said I must, for if I came back we could not have a mouthful of food. I asked him for some bread to carry to my family, for they had had nothing but a little cold mush since Monday. He gave me none, but Mr. Stanley gave me some bread, sugar, tea, and salt. And gave John Law a pair of socks, and a fine silk handkerchief...to be continued

The saga continues...

2009-04-30T09:00:00.000-07:00

This blog post continues the letter written by Josiah Osborn on April 7, 1848. He was a survivor of the Whitman Massacre, and his letter recounts his experiences. Below are sketches of Dr. Marcus Whitman and his wife, Narcissa Whitman.

...A day or two afterwards we met another caravan, in which were David Findley and his family; they had buried their youngest child three days before. Putnam had taken the road to the Cascades. Thus our friends were scattered along the road, trying to find the Wallamette Valley. We now hired another crew of Indians to take us to Fort Wallawalla, up the Columbia river. After bidding farewell to our friends, we put our goods aboard of a small boat, dig out of a white cedar, and started with four Indians. With hard labor we got about half way through the Big Falls, and camped among the rocks by the water's edge. In the morning we got Indians to carry some of our goods to the upper end of the falls, and took our four little children and made our way over rocks and through sand, meanwhile the Indians pulled our boat up through the falls. We then went aboard and proceeded on our way to Dechutes' Falls, and encamped. Next morning made our portage and went on; so made our way up the river, passing thru many dangers, not only by the river, but by being almost without food, except as we bought from the Indians along the river. We ran out of provisions, and had to buy drived salmon. Our children suffered very much with the cold. In ten days after leaving the falls we arrived at Fort Wallawalla.

On Sabbath morning the team came for us, with provisions, and on Monday at noon we reached the Mission, where the doctor and Mrs. Whitman, and Mr. Andrew Rogers, met us with great friendship. We found Mr. Rogers very unwell, but on the mend. Several families had stopped here for the winter. The Cayuse Indians were dying very fast with the measles and dysentery. In about two weeks the doctor's family took them, and, as we lived in the adjoining room, Margaret was taken down on the 8th of November, and, being in a delicate situation, the disease went very hard with her, and resulted in the death of the child, which was born on the 14th and was buried next day. When it was taken to the grave Salvijane was taken down, as we supposed, with the measles, and never rose again; in five or six days she became speechless, and died on the ninth day after she was taken. Our other children - John Law, A. Rogers, and Nancy Anna - were all taken sick, but Nancy was able to be about all the time. I was also sick for several days.

In the last company there was a half-breed came to the doctor's and hired to work through the winter. One day he was at work for an Indian name Tamsicky, harrowing in wheat, and told him that the doctor and Mrs. Whitman were scattering poison into the air, and would kill them all off; that he was not working for him, but the doctor; that he (the doctor) knew they would all die, and he would get their wheat and all they had. He then proposed that, if they would agree to it, he wouldhelp them to kill the doctor and his wife, and all the Americans in the country. As they had a disposition to murder, and wanted satisfaction for the loss of the women and children, it was no difficult matter to incide them agains the Americans...to be continued

A survivor's story...

2009-04-27T09:00:00.000-07:00

The Whitman Massacre

Wikipedia describes the Whitman Massacre as follows:

The Whitman massacre (also known as the Walla Walla massacre and the Whitman Incident) was the murder in the Oregon Country on November 29, 1847 of U.S. missionaries Dr. Marcus Whitman and his wife Narcissa Whitman, along with thirteen others. They were killed by Cayuse and Umatilla Indians. The incident began the Cayuse War. It took place in present-day southeastern Washington, near the town of Walla Walla, and was one of the most notorious episodes in the U.S. settlement of the Pacific Northwest. The event was the climax of several years of complex interaction between the Whitmans, who had led the first wagon train along the Oregon Trail, and the local Native Americans.

You can read the rest of the excerpt here.

Newspapers across the country carried the events (the image below is from the Weekly Wisconsin newspaper, 31 May 1848 issue, pg. 4)

Josiah Osborn and (some) of his family were survivors of the Whitman Massacre. My next several blog posts will be a transcript of a letter written by Josiah on April 7, 1848, to his brother and sister in Illinois. It was printed in the Oquawka Illinois Spectator newspaper on August 23, 1848 and picked up by several papers across the country. The image below is from the Sandusky Clarion newspaper, Oct 16 1848 issue.

Dear Brother and Sister:

After a long silence, I take pen in hand to write you a few lines, to inform you that some of us still remain on this side of the grave, and give you some information of the country, and our troubles since we left the states. I have waited a long time, until I could have something worth writing about.

When we parted with you, we took our journey for Oregon, and had a very pleasant trip, but traveled very slowly. When we reached the Umatilla river we turned and went to Dr. Whitman's, where we spent the winter. We had a very pleasant winter. On the first of March, 1846, we started for the Willamette Valley, and in thirteen days we arrived at the Falls, where had to stop and construct a boat. In about two weeks we had completed our boat, and then started down the Columbia, and arrived at Oregon city on the 24th of April. Here we spent the summer, and in the fall moved up the Wallamette to the Methodist Institute, and spent the fall and winter. In the spring of 1847 we went to our claim on the Califosea, and thought we were done moving.

Dr. Whitman came down and wanted me to undertake to build two mills for the Mission; and, not being satisfied with doing well, I consented to go and spend two years in working for the Mission. On the last of September we started for Oregon City. About the first of October we took water at the city, with six Wallawalla Indians, for the Falls, which we reached on the 5th. Next day we saw the dust rise from a caravan coming from the states. I started to meet them, and the first persons I met were John and Nancy Findley, driving the loose cattle. After passing a few words with them I went on and met the wagons. The first was driven by Wm. McCaw. In this wagon I found one whom I had never expected to see again in this world. Here was aunt Jane Findley, sitting in the wagon, almost worn out with traveling. She was surrounded with a host of children - three of Levi Russell's, four of Dunlap's and one of McCaw's - all dependent upon their grandmother to be taken care of - a burden for the stoutest person. Then rode up James L. Findley and his wife, in good health; then came Alexander Findley, John Dunlap and Milton - Dunlap had been sick for several days. This was a very solemn meeting of friends. After bracing myself up as well as I could, I led this little caravan on to my family. The caravan soon passed on to camp, but John and Nancy Findley remained and took tea with us, and in the evening we went with them to the camp...to be contined

Extra...extra....read all about it...

2009-04-24T09:00:00.000-07:00

I love newspapers and what they add to my research, but it hasn't always been that way. When I first started family history research, I concentrated on vital and census records. I only used newspapers for birth, marriage, and death announcements. That was pretty much the extent of my foray into historical newspapers. One day I was cranking though a microfilm of the Monroe Gazette (that I got through inter-library loan) when I happened on this article.

Of course this isn't on my family...it's my husband's family (I never have this kind of luck in my own research). I'm now a newspaper convert. So much that I have a subscription to GenealogyBank and Newspaper Archive (both have extensive historical newspaper collections) as well as Ancestry. The digitzation and indexing of newspapers isn't perfect. OCR programs can't compensate for light, deteriorated or poor quality news print. But even with this shortcoming it certainly helps to find those obscure articles that we otherwise would miss. Don't be like me...don't overlook the value of newspapers. You never know what you might find.

I wonder why I haven't heard anything...

2009-04-23T14:01:00.000-07:00

I noticed that two new databases have been added to the database portal available at the LDS Family History Center. I'm surprised I haven't read anything about this on any of the blogs. The new databases will be of interest to anyone doing British research.

1. 19th Century British Library Newspaper Digital Archive – this site has about 2 million pages of British newspapers.

2. The Genealogist – British births, marriages, deaths, census records, and directories.

These are available FREE at the FHC through the database portal.

It remains a mystery...

2009-04-18T09:00:00.000-07:00

My great-great grandmother, Johanna (Leue) Prehn died 23 Sep 1871 of puerperal fever (an infection after child birth). Her death is recorded in the St. Louis county (Missouri) death register, item #4698. On 25 Nov 1871 the death register lists the death of William John Prehn. He is 2 months, 5 days at the time of death and lived in Webster Groves (which is where Henry & Johanna lived), and he's buried in the same cemetery as Johanna (Old Pickers). Is this a child of Henry and Johanna? We just don't know for sure. But the mystery deepens...

The baptism records of the First Congregational Church of Webster Groves list two infant baptisms:

Pg. 1, #22 - Charles Henry Prehn, born 17 Sep 1871 and baptized 01 Oct 1871
Pg. 1 #23 - John Frederick Prehn born 17 Sep 1871 and baptized 01 Oct 1871

The parents for both children are listed as Henry & Johanna Prehn. So we know that Johanna gave birth to twins. The only newspaper reference to Johanna's death is found in the "Missouri Republican," 24 Sep 1871 issue (pg. 2). However, that is just one sentence that merely says "Johanna beloved wife of Henry" died.

The mystery is that we don't know what happened to the boys. They simply vanish. They aren't living in Henry Prehn's household in the 1880 census. Henry remarried in 1873. In 1880 he's listed with his two children (14 and 12) from his marriage to Johanna and four children from his second marriage. None of which are the boys listed above.

At the time of her death, Johanna had a 4 year old son and a 2 year old daughter. The most likely scenario is that Henry felt he could take care of these two toddlers, but couldn't take care of twins (or triplets) so decided to give them up for adoption. There was an orphange in Webster Groves called St. Louis Protestant Orphans' Asylum. I found that the Western Historical Manuscript Collection at the University of Missouri had microfilm copies of their records. I checked roll #5 which contained the record of admissions and departures for that time period...nothing. Of course that doesn't mean they weren't given to another orphanage. Henry's will (probated 10 Dec 1913) makes no mention of these boys.

So I have two main questions...

1. Was William John Prehn a child of Henry and Johanna? If so...why wasn't he baptized at the same time as the other two boys? If his age is accurate in the death register, he was born about the 20th of Sep (3 days after the other boys)...so not likely to be Johanna's. The only other Prehn living is Webster Grove was Henry's brother, John Prehn. I don't think this infant could be John's because his wife gave birth to a daughter in April of 1872. Although it's not impossible to have only a six and one half month separation between births, it seems unlikely.

2. If Henry was going to give the boys up for adoption, why have them baptized? But mostly...where did the boys go? They aren't listed as dying or being buried anywhere in the Webster Grove area.

It just remains a mystery...

Don't take NO for an answer

2009-04-13T16:53:00.000-07:00

Several years ago my husband and I (along with my parents) made a genealogy trip to Trinity county, California. We wanted to visit the area where Horace Fitch lived and ran Fitch's Ferry. We stopped at the Trinity County Historical Society in Weaverville...hoping they would have information on Horace and his family. Much to our disappointment the docent said they didn't have anything.

Before leaving, we all strolled through the various displays. I notice in the back of one room there were some card files. They appeared to be a card catalog of the Society's holdings in alphabetical order by surname. Even though we had been told that there was nothing on the Fitch family, I decided to check the card catalog. Imagine my surprise when I saw a card for Horace Fitch and also one for Oscar Fitch (Horace's brother)!

The card for Horace referenced a photo in the Society's collection of Horace and Oscar taken in about 1907.

The back of the photo identifies Oscar in the front riding "Ted" and Horace in the back riding "Jim." On the porch is Oscar's wife, Louisa (Plank) Fitch, and his granddaughter, Dorothy, is on the right edge of the photo. We were allowed to photograph the front and back of the photo.

The catalog card for Oscar referenced a diary or memoir he wrote of his Civil War experience. We weren't allowed to photocopy or photograph it (darn!). So we transcribed what we could.

The moral of the story...don't take NO for an answer. Ask if the agency has a card catalog of their holdings. You never know what you might find!

On the street where they lived...

2009-04-09T20:52:00.001-07:00

Abraham Albee's & Fannie (Fitch) Albee's home on Dorland St. burned down during the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. Fannie's father, Horace Fitch, bought them a lot at 222 Prague St. Abraham purchased two earthquake shacks and had them moved to the lot; where he joined them together. In this picture (L-R) Bertha, Fannie, Winnie, Walter and Abraham Albee holding Jeff are standing next to their Prague St. earthquake shack.

The photo is circa 1906/1907

I checked the McInerney actions (court actions to establish land ownership). I didn't find anything, but then I realized...I wouldn't. The McInerney actions were for people to claim their land after records were destroyed in the earthquake and subsequent fire. Had the Albees put their earthquake shacks on Dorland where they had lived at the time (if they owned the land), there would probably have been an action. But they put the shacks on Prague street. This would have been a new purchase - hence, no McInerney action required. I need to check regular land records to confirm the family story that Fannie's father purchased the land for them.

A rose by any other name...

2009-04-05T09:00:00.000-07:00

Can anyone tell me why my great grandmother's name is Margretta in everything I can find (including in her own handwriting in her life's story), but her obituary (from the 4 Apr 1961 issue of the San Mateo Times newspaper) gives her name as Henrietta? I'm guessing it was just a typo on the part of the funeral home.

Margretta was cremated and her remains were shipped to Colorado for burial in the Leadville cemetery (Lake county, Colorado). I haven't been able to locate her burial location within the cemetery, and her name doesn't show up in any interment transcriptions.

What a way to go...

2009-04-01T09:00:00.000-07:00

Thomas Stanley Davies died 6 Oct 1924 at the age of 38. While on a weekend pass from Denver Veteran's Hospital, he told the family "don't let me lie down." He slept sitting in a chair. A party at the home left all in a careless mood and Tom stretched out on the sofa. They found him dead in the morning. He suffered from dropsy.

Watch that first step...

2009-03-30T14:36:00.000-07:00

Quinto Mariucci was working as a department store janitor when he unfortunately stepped into an elevator that wasn't there. He was found at the bottom of the elevator shaft. Quinto was only 38 years old.

Here is the newspaper article from the San Francisco Examiner newspaper. I would like to find out what department store. Just curious.

What's in a name?

2009-03-27T09:00:00.000-07:00

Sometime after 1910 William Evan Davies changed his name to William Mullen (going by the nickname Bert). There are two theories about why he changed his name - 1) he was in trouble in Pennsylvania and changed his name when he moved west, or 2) he disliked his father and disassociated himself by changing his name when he moved west. Little was known about Bert's death except that he died in a mining accident in the 1920's. I recently found the following newspaper obituary in the Routt County (Colorado) Sentinel newspaper, 31 Dec 1920 issue, page 1.

Now you see them, now you don't...

2009-03-23T09:00:00.000-07:00

The following is extracted from the History of Hardin County, Iowa (Union Publishing Company, 1883), Pg. 547 and refers to Henry Pilgrim and Zylpha Prtichett. Until I found this reference, I didn't know where the Pilgrims were in the 1850s.

The Pilgrims
This township [Buckeye] is located in the western tier of townships in Hardin county. The first settlement was made by two brothers by the name of Pilgrim, who located on the southwest quarter of section 12 in the summer of 1853. They here built a double log house, each part being about sixteen feet square, one story in height, covered with shakes. The body of this house is yet standing, and occupied as a residence. The house was on the stage route from Dubuque to Fort Dodge, and was a station on the route -- the only one between Cedar Falls and Webster City. The Pilgrims, while agents at this station, would feast their guests by spreading the cloth on a dry goods box for a table. When the meal was completed, the cover of the box was removed, and what remained of the repast, together with the dishes, were placed inside.

The Pilgrims were pioneers in the true sense of the term. They remained in this township only until 1855, when they sold out and went farther west. Their place of residence is unknown by those who were interviewed by the historian.

So what happened to them? This next extract holds the answer. It's from a 4 Sep 1890 newspaper article (believed to be The Nebraska Eagle newspaper):

The Pilgrims
After the Lapse of More Than a Third of a century Their Whereabouts is Ascertained

Some History
In the "History of Hardin County, Iowa," I find on page 547 - chapter XXI - Buckeye township - the following account of "The Pilgrims."

"This township is located in the western tier of townships in Hardin county. The first settlement was made by two brothers of the name of Pilgrim, who located on the southwest quarter of section 12 in the summer of 1858(sic). They here built a double log house, each part being about sixteen feet square one story in height, covered with shakes. The doby of this house is yest standing, and occupied as a residence. The house was on the stage route from Dubuque to Ft. Dodge, and was a station on the route - the only one between Cedar Falls and Nebraska City. The Pilgrims, while agents at this station, would feast their guests by spreading the cloth on a dry goods box for a table. When the meal was completed the cover of the box was removed, and what remained of the repast, together with the dishes, were placed inside.

The Pilgrims were pioneers in the true sense of the term. They remained in this township only until 1855, when they sold out and went further west. Their place of residence is unknown by those who were intereviewed by this historian."

Place of residence unknown? Can any one doubt but these are our Dakota county Pilgrims? You have not forgotten our pioneer register - William Pilgrim, and don't you remember the late Uncle Henry Pilgrim? Well, his noble pioneer wife is still living in Omadi, where they settled more than a third of a century ago. I asked this aged woman if she knew who those Pilgrims were that the Hardin county history referred to, when she replied, "Why, bless you, that was me and Henry, and his brothers Michael and William, and William's son Robert." Was it you that used the dry goods box for a table? "You bet it was" she replied, and seemed much pleased to talk about her exciting experiences in the wild primeval lands of Iowa.

When the Pilgrims left Hardin county in 1855 they settled in Dakota county, Neb. Among the first to arrive here were William and his son Robert who were with the Jesse Wigle party, which crossed the Missouri river at Sargeant's Bluffs Aug. 18, 1855. This was the first actual settlement made in Dakota county although Geo. T. Woods and others had previously selected claims.

William Pilgrim from the start was a leading citizen of this county, and in the fall of 1855 was appointed by the governor of the Territory of Neb. as the first register of Dakota county, which office he filled with redit to himself and the pioneers. He was an able thinker and a good scholar, and did much to start the county off on its prosperous career. He has long since gone to his eternal rest, but his boy Robert is still living in the county - a gray haired grand-father now. I asked Robert why he did not select a good piece of land as he could have had his choice of all the land in Dakota county, replied: "Why, I never expected to see the land worth a cent, I supposed all it would ever be good for was to hunt over it for, ducks and geese, and shoot wild turkeys alongs the bluffs. I am surprised to see this county what it is to-day; it seems like a vision - but yesterday I crossed with the rist party to settle here, and to-day wealth and prosperity everywhere abounds."

The next to arrive was the late Uncle Henry Pilgrim and family who settled on the old Col. Warner place in the spring of 1856. Here they lived to endure the hardships of pioneer times, and witnessed the transformation of a wild primeaval land into the rich and beautiful country of to-day. They greeted many of the pioneers to the county as they came down the old Military Road at "Pilgrim's Hill." It was a balmy day in spring the 1st of May, 1855, Mr. Pilgrim had just finished his dinner and stepping to the door he beheld a huge wagon load of children and household goods coming down the hill. It was Michael Kennelly and all he had in the world packed into one wagon. "Hello there" said Mr. Pilgrim. "Hello yourself" replied the dusty emigrant, "I'm hunting for the land of milk and honey, where is it?" "You're standing on it now" said Mr. P.

Well, this is the simple story of the whereabouts of "The Pilgrims," and I hope Hardin county will now know what became of them when they left there in 1855.
M.M. Warner

Henry and Zylpha spent the remainder of their lives in Dakota county, Nebraska. Both are buried in the Omaha Valley cemetery. The following pictures show all that remains of their headstones. The first photo is Henry's, the second is Zilpha's.

What will they think...

2009-03-20T17:42:00.000-07:00

I've spent the last several days re-installing the Vista operating system on my computer and all my programs. Because of my computer's downtime I haven't had access to the internet. Well I had access...I just didn't have the time. Yesterday...when the re-install was pretty much complete, I logged on to my Facebook account. That had me wondering. Will future generations be able to search Facebook archives for their ancestors, much the way we search Ancestry.com for census records? Will they find these little glimpses of our day? You know...the "I watched" this...or "I ate" that. Will they see that I was battling with my computer? I have often thought that these "what I'm doing now" comments were mostly pointless, but now I'm rethinking that. What would I give to have little snippets of the day-in, day-out life of my ancestors? They would be such a treasure. Even if all it said was "I listened to this radio show," or "ate this meal." It would connect me to a little piece of them. I wonder if, some day, Ancestry will have Facebook archives to search (for a fee of course!)? Just a thought...

The whole truth, and nothing but the truth...

2009-03-17T09:00:00.000-07:00

On a research trip to Pennsylvania, we found this letter attesting to the fact that Daniel Clifford Davies was born in Pennsylvania in 1896. He was attempting to obtain a delayed certificate of birth.

This wasn't quite the truth since we had found his 1891 birth certificate while on a trip to Wales.

I guess women aren't the only ones that lie about their age, but at least we admit where we were born.

Are we crazy or what?

2009-03-14T14:35:00.000-07:00

Maybe we're crazy, but it was fun! We decided to rent a little cabin for the night. That doesn't sound so crazy until you understand that the cabin was in the same town where we live. Even the cabin's owner smiled when she saw the address I listed on the registration card. But this little log cabin was so cozy and comfortable. We had a wonderful time. Our friends are chuckling over our little vacation, but it was a fun memory.

Try, try again...

2009-03-13T09:00:00.000-07:00

For several years we believed that James A. Blay had only one wife, Mattie Morris. However, recently we found that he actually had three wives. After Mattie's death he married Emma Lintges in 1906. The marriage lasted only 6 years. James (31 years her senior) filed for a divorce in 1912 citing "extreme and repeated acts of cruelty" on the part of Emma.

In 1913 James married Minnie Zuendt. Minnie (24 years younger than James) was a German immigrant; having arrived in this country in 1907. Their marriage lasted until his death in 1929.

In the following photo, James is sitting next to Emma. I calculate the photo was taken about 1909 or 1910. Melvina (standing on the chair) looks to be about 2 or 3 years old (she was born in 1907). I believe the older woman in the photo is James' mother, Cynthia Derrick, who died in October of 1910.

Goodbye sweet child...

2009-03-09T09:00:00.000-07:00

The second child of Robert William Johns and Margretta (Blay) Johns was Martha Etta. When she was just a little over two and a half years old she contracted scarlet fever. Sadly she never recovered. Here is the article from the Herald Democrat newspaper, 24 Feb 1907 issue, titled "Death of a Little Child."

They held the funeral in their home at 1409 Poplar street and little Martha was then buried in Leadville cemetery (Leadville, Colorado). Her parents paid $6 for a wire basket to be placed around her headstone. Although it's hard to see in this picture, the basket looks like a wire cradle.

Truly inspirational...

2009-03-08T18:51:00.000-07:00

We watched a video today - "Only A Stonecutter." A film by TC Christensen, the true story about mormon pioneer John Rowe Moyle. If you ever get a chance to watch this short film you won't be sorry - it's truly inspirational.

Was my grandfather a heron?

2009-03-05T09:00:00.000-08:00

My grandfather, David Windsor Davis Sr. was born 5 Jul 1893 at 41 Garn Cross Street in Nantyglo, Wales. At the time of his birth, his father was a grocer and the family lived above the store. Below is a picture we took of the building when we were in Wales.

His birth certificate lists his name as "David Windsor Cranog Davies." I don't know the significance of the name Cranog. Only one other brother, John Ivor, had an additional name, "John Ivor Crynant Davies." Cranog is a Welsh boy's name and means heron; a wading bird with grey and white plumage.

Twenty-three was a bad age...

2009-03-01T09:00:00.000-08:00

Twenty-three was a bad age to be if you were the wife of Jenkin Morgan. Both of his wives died at that age.

Hannah (Williams) Morgan died 31 Mar 1872 at age 23 years, 4 months

Catherine (Lewis) Morgan died 5 Sep 1879 at age 23 years, 21 days

Jenkin Morgan died 15 Aug 1900

This is what is left of Jenkin's home in Cherokee, Calif.

Can you hear me now?

2009-02-26T09:00:00.000-08:00

Dave Davis was driving over Berthoud Pass in Colorado with his father-in-law, Robert Johns, who was in the passenger seat. They came up to a slow moving vehicle and "tooted" their horn to have him move over. The slow driver didn't move, so Robert told Dave to pull up behind the vehicle. He then got out through the passenger door, climbed onto the fender of the slow moving vehicle and moved along the running board to the driver's door. He asked the driver of the slow moving vehicle; "Didn't you hear us back there?"

I bet after that the driver moved out of the way whenever someone wanted to get by.

Who is that woman?

2009-02-22T09:00:00.000-08:00

This photo is from a tintype found in Margretta (Blay) Johns' photo album. There was no identifying information. I believe this is Alexander Blay and his wife Cynthia Derrick. Below is an enlarged copy of the woman's face.

The following photo is an enlargement of the woman's face from a group shot I posted earlier. I believe this elderly woman is James Blay's mother, Cynthia (Derrick) Blay. I calculated (based on the apparent ages of the two young girls in the group) that the photo was taken about 1909 or 1910. Cynthia died in October of 1910. She's living with her son, James Blay, in Denver, Colorado and is listed as his mother in the 1910 census (taken 18 and 19 Apr 1910). It seems reasonable that this is Cynthia pictured at the family gathering.

Now compare the faces of the two women. Is it just me or do they look similar? The deep set eyes, general shape of the face, hair style, etc. I really think they are the same woman, just decades apart. If they are the same woman, then the man with her in the tintype is, most likely, Alexander. Plus it makes sense that Margretta would have a photo of her grandparents in her photo album. What do you think?

Thank you for the honor...

2009-02-21T10:39:00.000-08:00

Teri at The Ties That Bind nominated my humble little blog for the Kreativ Blogger Award. Thank you Teri, and thanks for your kind words. I hope everyone will take a moment to visit Teri's wonderful blog at http://terri-thetiesthatbind.blogspot.com/.

Now comes the job of nominating 7 blogs for the awards. I think all the ones I read have already received the award. I'm off to do some blog hunting.

I nominate the following blogs:

A light that shines again - http://tierneyhistory.blogspot.com/

Apple's Tree - http://appledoesntfallfar2.blogspot.com/

Before My Time - http://krentz.blogspot.com/

Colorado Reflections - http://coloradoreflections.blogspot.com/

Desktop Genealogist Unplugged - http://desktopgenealogistunplugged.blogspot.com/

Texas? Why Texas????

2009-02-21T09:46:00.000-08:00

My great-great grandfather, Horace Y. Fitch, was born in New York and died in Stillwater, Payne county, Oklahoma. Based on census records, he lived in New York, California, Kansas and Oklahoma. My mother found something surprising the other day...an obituary for Horace in a Dallas, Texas newspaper. Why Texas? To our knowledge he never lived in Texas, and none of his children lived in Texas. I searched Ancestry's Dallas City Directories (1889 to 1894)...no Fitch. The obituary is printed beneath the title "Special to the news." It remains a mystery. Why would his death be newsworthy in Dallas? Any ideas?

Enjoying a sunny day...

2009-02-20T15:26:00.000-08:00

We had a wonderful break from the snow and decided to go for a drive. We ended up at Mark Twain's cabin. It's a "replica" of his cabin, but has the original chimney and fireplace. Maybe the wild flowers growing near by mean that spring isn't far off.

From there we stopped for a wonderful lunch at Talulah's. After lunch we went to the Veteran's Military Museum and received a warm welcome and tour. Our excersion ended with a stop at Cover's Apple Ranch to pick up an apple pie (yum!). All-in-all...a wonderful time.

What a find...

2009-02-18T09:00:00.000-08:00

On a research trip to Machias, ME, we visited the Machias Historical Society. When we told the volunteer our ancestor's name, she said she had something we might be interested to see. She took us to a room upstairs and showed us a trunk. T here's a plate on top identifying it as belonging to William Albee (our ancestor). The docent said this trunk came on the ship with him.

Here's a close-up of the plate

I found his obituary recently in the Eastern Argus Newspaper (ME), 12 Jul 1836 issue - pg. 1, col. 6. The obit talks about him being a surgeon.

Flying high...

2009-02-14T13:23:00.000-08:00

Talk about a wild ride! How would you like a ride on this swing?

Robert William Johns (on the right in the picture below) built this swing on his homestead in Routt county, Colorado. He named his homestead "Kozy Korner Ranch."

He went that way...

2009-02-12T09:00:00.000-08:00

In honor of Lincoln's birthday I share a story about my husband's 2nd great-granduncle, Col. Pren Metham. He was at Ford's Theater when President Lincoln was shot. Several newspaper articles tell the story of Col. Metham giving chase. Performers back stage indicated the direction Booth took, and Col. Metham might have caught him...except that the path that had been indicated took him into the ladies' lounge. Oops! I hate it when that happens.

They didn't make it easy...

2009-02-10T09:00:00.000-08:00

This is a good reminder that we need to be very creative when looking for our ancestors - the census takers didn't make it easy. I couldn't find my great-great grandfather, John Johns, in Dakota county, NE in the 1870 census. I tried his wife, Cynthia Johns and his children James and Josephine Johns - nothing. I tried a search for all the men with a first name of John living in Dakota county, NE - 142 possibles. I finally did a search for all the men with first name of John, who were born in Ohio in 1842 (plus or minus 2 years). Two possibles - John Martin and John Johnson. Immediately I clicked John Johnson and up pops him with a wife Synthia and children James and Josephine. Yeah! Be creative...you just might get lucky.

Snow Day...

2009-02-09T10:12:00.000-08:00

We woke up this morning to snow. Unfortunately we can't enjoy it because we're still battling colds :-( This is taken looking out our front door.

"the kindest of women..."

2009-02-06T10:36:00.000-08:00

Ella (Fitch) Myers was the mother of 3 small children when she passed away. While making their breakfast her dress caught fire, and she was badly burned. She never recovered. Her obituary testifies to the sweet, loving person she was and how much she would be missed. I love the quote from her obituary..."sympathy is no balm to their wounded hearts."

Will the real Cornelia please stand up...

2009-02-06T09:35:00.000-08:00

We have received pictures from 2 different sources. Each sender contends the picture they sent was of Cornelia Reynolds (who married Horace Fitch). I don't think they look like the same person or even appear to be from the same era. I'm no expert, but the hair style and manner of dress in the second photo appear to be from an earlier time period. Also, I don't think women changed their hair style so drastically back then. What do you think?

Technology...it's a wonderful thing!

2009-02-05T12:03:00.000-08:00

I don't know if I've mentioned it...but I love technology. I love how I can use it for the benefit of my family history. Case in point...photo restoration. Repairing and restoring old photos has never been so easy or fun. This photo took me a couple of hours to fix. Doesn't Uncle Joe look better? Like I said...technology is a wonderful thing. Now all I need is more RAM, a bigger hard driver, a more powerful processor, two 24" monitors, Adobe CS4 and unlimited $$ for all this :-)

Don't go near the water...

2009-02-02T03:15:00.000-08:00

Poor Minnie...she didn't have much luck with husbands. She divorced her first husband, her second died in the influenza epdemic of 1918 and her third husband had a fatal heart attack at 30.

She probably thought she was safe when she married a man 26 years younger...but alas...it was not to be.

She fought the scoundrel and won...

2009-01-29T18:42:00.000-08:00

A while back I was doing a google search for "Colorado historical newspapers," but what my fingers typed was "California historical newspapers." I didn't realize my mistake until I clicked on the first hit. When I found I was at a California site I decided to run my standard list of research names. Little did I know that I would hit upon information I not only wasn't expecting to find, but it was information I knew nothing about. The first thing I learned was that my great-great grandmother, Minnie Prehn, didn't have an easy life (I'll write more on her life later).

One of the newspaper articles showed she was a woman with a lot of fight in her.

Don't underestimate the value of newspapers in family history research. You can find information there that you won't find anywhere else. Sites such as GenealogyBank, Newspaper Archive and Ancestry have put newspapers at our fingertips (but for a usage price).

2009-01-29T18:23:00.000-08:00

Today I had lunch with some friends at a cute little tea shop.

At the end of our meal the check came with a small individually wrapped Dove chocolate for each of us. Inside the wrapper is something called a "Promises Message." I thought mine could be referring to genealogy:

"Failure is only the opportunity to begin again more intelligently."

I will repeat this to myself every time I hit another brick wall.