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

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...

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

Bathing beauty????

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!

A rose by any other name...

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.

Goodbye sweet child...

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.

Can you hear me now?

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.

Flying high...

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."

They didn't make it easy...

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.

If you build it, they will come...

Some of my favorite pictures are those of the trailer built by Robert William Johns - obviously using skills learned while working at Fruehauf Trailer Company. I love all the homey touches.

This is Margretta sitting in the back of the trailer. Notice they had a stove.

Linoleum on the floor, decorated pillows and wall coverings.

Even a clock on the wall! Do you think the cat traveled with them?

And so it began...

David Davis & Melvina Johns, on their wedding day, 30 Jan 1923. I don't know where the photo was taken, but I don't think it was in front of the court house.

I recently found their wedding announcement in the Yampa (Colorado) Leader newspaper, 9 Feb 1923 issue, on page 1.