Earlier in the week I was spending a little time surfing the 'net and working on my elusive Millet line. I was checking out early census records on Ancestry.com, and had come across a couple of new (to me) Millet's whom I had never run into before.
Now keep in mind that in all Federal censuses before 1850, only the heads of household were listed by name, with tally marks by age group for all members of the household--parents, children, anyone who lives in that household. Depending on the year, the age groups are broken down by "under 10," or "under 5," "5 to 10," etc. And they're also broken down by males or females, so you can tell there are x number of children by age and gender. They aren't especially helpful since they do not list all residents of the household by name. You can look at the information you already have and try to determine if you have all the children or not. And of course you don't know if all the children belong to the head of household who is listed by name. Case in point: The gentleman whom I believe to be my 4th great great grandfather is Andrew Millet, and in 1830 he is living in Walworth, Wayne Co. NY. He was born in 1867, so by 1830 he's in the neighborhood of 63 years old. You would think there would be no children in his household, at least not very young ones, especially since his wife is older as well. But in this census there are younger adults and small children living with them. Now I am using this as a possible clue that one of his married children & family are living with them. Since I cannot locate his probable son William, whom I am even more sure is my 3gg grandfather, there is the possibility that this younger family is William's.
As I was strolling through the pages, a new Millet jumped out at me. Martha Millet, living in Rushford, Allegany Co. New York in 1830. I had never noticed her before, and so far I've been unsuccessful at finding her in 1840. In 1820 three Millet brothers are living in this county--Daniel, Jonathan, and Alexander. In 1830 Alexander is still here, but no Jonathan and no Daniel. Now, family legend tells us that Daniel went somewhere (Ohio or Michigan?) and was shot by a hunter who mistook him for a bear. If this is really true, and I have not been able to confirm it, Martha may be the widow of Jonathan, if he died between 1820 & 1830. I've not been able to locate him in later censuses either, which makes me think he had died between those dates. He could also have been moving west, leaving his family at home until he found a suitable homestead site and prepared to bring them west.
I'm certainly not done hunting, and will be undertaking a search in 1850 to see what Millet's may be in the area. In 1850, all household members are identified by name. We don't know what the relationship is for sure, but at least there are names.
But I digress. I have discovered that perhaps it's not the wisest thing to do to wait until bedtime to start researching. It literally took me HOURS to get to sleep that night, I was so excited and busy thinking about possibilities.
What's next? Looking at later censuses to see if I can find Martha, although she may have remarried and I would not have her new name, unless her children were listed under Millet and not the new husband's name. And renting some microfilm from the LDS Family History Library for Allegany Co. NY land records, which should tell what these men's wives names were--if they bought and/or sold land.
More later, I hope!
Friday, February 20, 2009
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Serendipity in Oklahoma
This is the ideal place to share this event. I realize I haven't written here in several months, but this looks like a good story to share, since it relates to family history.
I recently received a request to look for an obituary for someone, from an unknown lady in an unknown place. After I located the obituary for her and typed it up and emailed it, she thanked me and said, "If there's anything you need in Oklahoma, just let me know."
Well, people have said similar things to me before, and I usually just thank them and say I will contact them if I have a need for. And I never do, for most of the time they live in areas where none of my family ever lived. This time was different.
I remembered that some of my grandparents' relatives lived in a small town in Oklahoma called "Lookeba." I recently submitted names for temple work for some of them. My great grandmother Johnson's sister (nee Belden) had married a Chambers, and I remembered that later on they had gone to Lookeba, but I forgotten that my grandmother's brother also lived there. In fact, he was the husband of one of the people I had submitted for temple ordinances. Something just told me to mention this town, even though I figured the chances of her being anywhere near it were remote.
Imagine my surprise when she replied and said that her mother had been born there, was still alive (and age 89), as was an older sister, and she goes there every year to put flowers on the graves of her family who are buried there. She asked for the names of my family, so I had to do a little digging to get them all straight, but I sent them on to her yesterday.
Tonight she replied, saying she had met one of my grandmother's nephews, still living and still living in Lookeba, this past spring. And her mother remembered many of the people I had mentioned to this lady.
Talk about a small world! You just never know who you will meet online!
We will continue to correspond, I'm sure. She has promised pictures of tombstones when she goes to the cemetery next Memorial day. I hope for an opportunity to correpond with my mother's cousin Charles (the one she met), it will be great to "get together" with a branch of the family who went south 100 years ago, while my branch came west. And I can't wait to tell my cousin Mike about this latest contact!
I recently received a request to look for an obituary for someone, from an unknown lady in an unknown place. After I located the obituary for her and typed it up and emailed it, she thanked me and said, "If there's anything you need in Oklahoma, just let me know."
Well, people have said similar things to me before, and I usually just thank them and say I will contact them if I have a need for. And I never do, for most of the time they live in areas where none of my family ever lived. This time was different.
I remembered that some of my grandparents' relatives lived in a small town in Oklahoma called "Lookeba." I recently submitted names for temple work for some of them. My great grandmother Johnson's sister (nee Belden) had married a Chambers, and I remembered that later on they had gone to Lookeba, but I forgotten that my grandmother's brother also lived there. In fact, he was the husband of one of the people I had submitted for temple ordinances. Something just told me to mention this town, even though I figured the chances of her being anywhere near it were remote.
Imagine my surprise when she replied and said that her mother had been born there, was still alive (and age 89), as was an older sister, and she goes there every year to put flowers on the graves of her family who are buried there. She asked for the names of my family, so I had to do a little digging to get them all straight, but I sent them on to her yesterday.
Tonight she replied, saying she had met one of my grandmother's nephews, still living and still living in Lookeba, this past spring. And her mother remembered many of the people I had mentioned to this lady.
Talk about a small world! You just never know who you will meet online!
We will continue to correspond, I'm sure. She has promised pictures of tombstones when she goes to the cemetery next Memorial day. I hope for an opportunity to correpond with my mother's cousin Charles (the one she met), it will be great to "get together" with a branch of the family who went south 100 years ago, while my branch came west. And I can't wait to tell my cousin Mike about this latest contact!
Sunday, June 8, 2008
A Belated Memorial Day Adventure
Yesterday we finally got the chance to do the "Memorial Day" activity that was delayed by the early birth of our 11th grandchild some three weeks early. We took our youngest daughters and our new son-in-law on this trip, which actually was an extended sightseeing tour that we often take. Putting flowers on the graves of my mother and my in-laws, who are interred in the same cemetery, was actually one of the last things we did, but we had a couple of other genealogical moments before and after.
My husband grew up in the area of Washington Park, in Portland. All of our children enjoy going through the park, and through his old neighborhood, recalling the stories he told of growing up there. Our first stop was in Washington Park, taking a walk through the lower park, and into the Holocaust Memorial. More on that later. We then went on to the Rose Gardens, which were disappointing because there were very few blooming rose bushes due to our cold and wet spring. Then we drove up past his old house, which has changed since the family sold it back in 1995. A quick look at our kids' favorite houses in the area--the "Spider House" and the "Castle," then we were off to the cemetery. Even though my twin daughters aren't at all interested in genealogy and family history research, cemeteries have always had a certain fascination for them. We visited their Allen grandparents' graves first, and left flowers. There was a new bench which served as a tombstone for someone buried nearby, that wasn't there the last time we visited. Interesting, and a nice touch. Also on a nearby grave, a picture of the deceased was on the tombstone, which we found interesting. Then we drove down to the Mausoleum just down the hill from my in-laws' grave, and added flowers to her burial site. Our younger three children never knew their "Grandma Irene," but have seen pictures of her and have heard stories. She died a year before our son was born, and three years to the day that the twins were born. They were not quite 3 when their "Grandma Nora" died, and not quite 10 when their grandpa died. Our three younger children carry on their legacy a bit: son is named for both of his grandfather's, the twins' middle names are their grandmother's. My mother always went by her middle name rather than the first, and I could never figure out her objection to my dad being called by HIS middle name instead of his first name (by his family mostly). I'm afraid the oldest twin is destined to pass on the tradition of using "Irene" for the middle name of her daughter--since she's the third generation to carry it herself.
But I digress, my real purpose in writing is about the Holocaust Memorial that is set up in Washington Park. This was our third time to visit, and it is just as sobering the third time as it was the first. Especially this time, because our new son-in-law is of Jewish descent through his mother, who is a full-blooded Jew. We read the complete write-ups on the walls of the Memorial, and wondered how the Nazi's could be so cruel to their fellow man. Son-in-law said that he has heard that there were family members who perished in the various purges of the Holocaust, but his mother and grandmother have been unable to learn any details so far. While I did not lose anyone in the Holocaust that I am aware of, this is especially sobering to me as well, because in the closing days of World War II, the Russian Army came through Pommern, driving all German residents, old and young, weak and well, out of their homes and country that had been theirs for who knows how long. My birth father was born in Stolzenhagen, Pomerania, right in the path of the invading Russian army, I'm quite sure. While he came to this country as a 6 month old baby with his parents and brothers, and his mother's family was already here, I know that my grandfather left a brother there, according to immigration records. I am certain that there were still members of my family there following World War II. What happened to them? I can only guess. Millions died in that purge, according to history books. I can only hope that one day I will be able to locate records for them. And the words in the Book of Mormon, 2 Nephi 1:6: "Wherefore, I, Lehi, prophesy according to the workings of the Spirit which is in me, that there shall none come into this land save they shall be brought by the hand of the Lord," have even greater meaning for me.
My husband grew up in the area of Washington Park, in Portland. All of our children enjoy going through the park, and through his old neighborhood, recalling the stories he told of growing up there. Our first stop was in Washington Park, taking a walk through the lower park, and into the Holocaust Memorial. More on that later. We then went on to the Rose Gardens, which were disappointing because there were very few blooming rose bushes due to our cold and wet spring. Then we drove up past his old house, which has changed since the family sold it back in 1995. A quick look at our kids' favorite houses in the area--the "Spider House" and the "Castle," then we were off to the cemetery. Even though my twin daughters aren't at all interested in genealogy and family history research, cemeteries have always had a certain fascination for them. We visited their Allen grandparents' graves first, and left flowers. There was a new bench which served as a tombstone for someone buried nearby, that wasn't there the last time we visited. Interesting, and a nice touch. Also on a nearby grave, a picture of the deceased was on the tombstone, which we found interesting. Then we drove down to the Mausoleum just down the hill from my in-laws' grave, and added flowers to her burial site. Our younger three children never knew their "Grandma Irene," but have seen pictures of her and have heard stories. She died a year before our son was born, and three years to the day that the twins were born. They were not quite 3 when their "Grandma Nora" died, and not quite 10 when their grandpa died. Our three younger children carry on their legacy a bit: son is named for both of his grandfather's, the twins' middle names are their grandmother's. My mother always went by her middle name rather than the first, and I could never figure out her objection to my dad being called by HIS middle name instead of his first name (by his family mostly). I'm afraid the oldest twin is destined to pass on the tradition of using "Irene" for the middle name of her daughter--since she's the third generation to carry it herself.
But I digress, my real purpose in writing is about the Holocaust Memorial that is set up in Washington Park. This was our third time to visit, and it is just as sobering the third time as it was the first. Especially this time, because our new son-in-law is of Jewish descent through his mother, who is a full-blooded Jew. We read the complete write-ups on the walls of the Memorial, and wondered how the Nazi's could be so cruel to their fellow man. Son-in-law said that he has heard that there were family members who perished in the various purges of the Holocaust, but his mother and grandmother have been unable to learn any details so far. While I did not lose anyone in the Holocaust that I am aware of, this is especially sobering to me as well, because in the closing days of World War II, the Russian Army came through Pommern, driving all German residents, old and young, weak and well, out of their homes and country that had been theirs for who knows how long. My birth father was born in Stolzenhagen, Pomerania, right in the path of the invading Russian army, I'm quite sure. While he came to this country as a 6 month old baby with his parents and brothers, and his mother's family was already here, I know that my grandfather left a brother there, according to immigration records. I am certain that there were still members of my family there following World War II. What happened to them? I can only guess. Millions died in that purge, according to history books. I can only hope that one day I will be able to locate records for them. And the words in the Book of Mormon, 2 Nephi 1:6: "Wherefore, I, Lehi, prophesy according to the workings of the Spirit which is in me, that there shall none come into this land save they shall be brought by the hand of the Lord," have even greater meaning for me.
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Dousing For the Dead
Are you intrigued by the title? Do you know what "dousing" is? Do you know what "witching" is? Well, let me explain this to you.
Dousing for the Dead, or Grave-Witching, is similar to water-witching or dousing which you may have seen depicted in an old movie or tv show. But dousing for the dead, or grave-witching, hopefully will turn up something other than water: a body!
Dousing, or grave-witching--is the art of locating a body with a pair of metal rods which react when they come near a body. It's very useful when one is trying to find a burial which does not have a tombstone. And it's weird, but it does work.
One day last week our genealogy society made a field trip to a nearby cemetery. There were about a dozen of us, and only 4 sets of witching rods. Two sets were made from 1/8 " brass welding rods, the other 2 sets were smaller and made of aluminum. About 6 inches of the rod is bent into a handle shape, making each rod look a little bit like the letter "L." After a brief rundown of what to expect when we got to the cemetery, we were off!
Lethene, the lady in charge, showed us how to hold the rods. Taking one in each hand, she set off slowly towards a grave that was marked by a tombstone. When the rods come in "contact" with a buried body, they react, usually by crossing with each other. We watched carefully to see what would happen--and sure enough--her rods crossed as she held them over a grave. We each took our turns with the rods, and it worked for all of us. Some people even had the rods do odd things like turn completely around and point over their shoulders; both rods turn one way or the other instead of crossing, and things like that. There's supposed to be a way to determine if your body is male or female by how the rods react, but none of us knew just what that was. And if a body is more than 100 years old, the reaction of the rods might not be as strong as with a more recent burial. Since we were in the pioneer cemetery of our city, most of the graves were over 100 years old--but we noted pretty good reaction from all of the ones we tried.
On another note, a relative of my dad's had written me last fall to say that the gentleman who is the record keeper of the cemeteries back in Lincoln Co. Kansas, was a grave witcher, and had witched around the grave of my dad's grandmother. You see, she died in 1885-ish and was buried in a cemtery there. Dad's grandfather died in 1920, and was supposedly buried in a different cemtery, which we thought strange since he had never remarried in all the 35 years he was alone. There was no record of Great Grandpa Watson's being buried in the other local cemtery, so the witcher took his rods out to Great Grandma Watson's tombstone and began witching. He reported that there is a man buried next to Great Grandma with no tombstone, and that he is sure it's Great Grandpa! This report came shortly after I first heard about grave witching, and about 6 months before I got to try it for myself. While dousing for the dead probably isn't going to do you much good unless you dig up the body and run dna tests to find out who it is, it's an intriguing activity, and one that you might find interesting if you have any bodies you are looking for. Just get yourself some metal rods about 3 feet in length, bend a handle, and head on out!
Dousing for the Dead, or Grave-Witching, is similar to water-witching or dousing which you may have seen depicted in an old movie or tv show. But dousing for the dead, or grave-witching, hopefully will turn up something other than water: a body!
Dousing, or grave-witching--is the art of locating a body with a pair of metal rods which react when they come near a body. It's very useful when one is trying to find a burial which does not have a tombstone. And it's weird, but it does work.
One day last week our genealogy society made a field trip to a nearby cemetery. There were about a dozen of us, and only 4 sets of witching rods. Two sets were made from 1/8 " brass welding rods, the other 2 sets were smaller and made of aluminum. About 6 inches of the rod is bent into a handle shape, making each rod look a little bit like the letter "L." After a brief rundown of what to expect when we got to the cemetery, we were off!
Lethene, the lady in charge, showed us how to hold the rods. Taking one in each hand, she set off slowly towards a grave that was marked by a tombstone. When the rods come in "contact" with a buried body, they react, usually by crossing with each other. We watched carefully to see what would happen--and sure enough--her rods crossed as she held them over a grave. We each took our turns with the rods, and it worked for all of us. Some people even had the rods do odd things like turn completely around and point over their shoulders; both rods turn one way or the other instead of crossing, and things like that. There's supposed to be a way to determine if your body is male or female by how the rods react, but none of us knew just what that was. And if a body is more than 100 years old, the reaction of the rods might not be as strong as with a more recent burial. Since we were in the pioneer cemetery of our city, most of the graves were over 100 years old--but we noted pretty good reaction from all of the ones we tried.
On another note, a relative of my dad's had written me last fall to say that the gentleman who is the record keeper of the cemeteries back in Lincoln Co. Kansas, was a grave witcher, and had witched around the grave of my dad's grandmother. You see, she died in 1885-ish and was buried in a cemtery there. Dad's grandfather died in 1920, and was supposedly buried in a different cemtery, which we thought strange since he had never remarried in all the 35 years he was alone. There was no record of Great Grandpa Watson's being buried in the other local cemtery, so the witcher took his rods out to Great Grandma Watson's tombstone and began witching. He reported that there is a man buried next to Great Grandma with no tombstone, and that he is sure it's Great Grandpa! This report came shortly after I first heard about grave witching, and about 6 months before I got to try it for myself. While dousing for the dead probably isn't going to do you much good unless you dig up the body and run dna tests to find out who it is, it's an intriguing activity, and one that you might find interesting if you have any bodies you are looking for. Just get yourself some metal rods about 3 feet in length, bend a handle, and head on out!
Friday, October 5, 2007
Genealogy Heaven!
Not a lot to report today. I think yesterday I mentioned my Paxton finds. I was able to verify today that the people mentioned in the deed records were indeed Paxton's. In checking resources for Mason Co. KY I also came across some Pangburns. They're connected to the Paxton's somehow, I just can't remember how. Spent a good part of the day in Mason Co. Also talked over the missionary lady's family from the Vancouver area and gave her some suggestions on what to do next for California. I need to check for marriages for the kids when I get home and have access to the Clark Co. Marriage index.
We had a meeting with the Church's Indexing people today. They'd like our genealogy society to get interested in helping with the indexing project. I've been doing it for several months now. The Church is planning on putting indexes as well as digitized images of all their microfilms, online and for free. A lofty goal, and one that will take years to come to a complete realization of that goal. But you've got to start somewhere.
If you've ever looked for someone on Ancestry's 1930 census index with little or no luck, perhaps this explains it: I learned today that Ancestry farmed out the indexing to China. No wonder I can't find anyone on the index. Silly people!
We had a meeting with the Church's Indexing people today. They'd like our genealogy society to get interested in helping with the indexing project. I've been doing it for several months now. The Church is planning on putting indexes as well as digitized images of all their microfilms, online and for free. A lofty goal, and one that will take years to come to a complete realization of that goal. But you've got to start somewhere.
If you've ever looked for someone on Ancestry's 1930 census index with little or no luck, perhaps this explains it: I learned today that Ancestry farmed out the indexing to China. No wonder I can't find anyone on the index. Silly people!
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
Catch-Up
No, not the stuff that goes on french fries. I'm behind, with all the neat stuff I'm finding at the Family History Library I've neglected to tell all. So here it is in a nutshell:
1. Bates Co. Missouri. DH's mother's family was from here, and after reading the county history and checking records, looks like they have been here anywhere from 1842-1856. Surnames are DeWeese, Wix, Beghtol, Bruner. The Beghtol's and Bruner's don't appear to have made much of a presence in the area, but there were a lot of DeWeese's and Wixes. Found marriages, cemeteries, obituaries (again--those useless old ones with little to no information), and more. My folder for these families runneth over.
2. Union Co., Oregon. I actually researched microfilm here before I turned to Bates Co., to go along with the onsite research I'll be doing on my way home next week. Found death records for Ora McDonald Smith Lindsay's husband, which listed his parents. Found some other deaths in the family too, so I can look for obituaries in newspapers. This family's temple work has not been done yet, for the most part. Permelia Belden Smith (great grandma's sister) had her work done by descendants of another sister who died in a housefire in Marysville, Kansas, but "Aunt Millie's" husband has not. Well, his baptism is done, his endowments and sealing to spouse is in the works. I've got enough information on Ora & Frank to do their work too, since it appears there are no descendants for either of them. Interesting how things come about, isn't it?
3. I may be on the verge of a break-through for one of my dead-end lines: Paxton's in Franklin Co. Ohio in the early 1800's. We've been at a stopping point for my 3gg grandfather for more years than I care to think of, but locating some deed and court records today has given me a couple of possibilities to check out. Seems 3gg grandfather's father was already deceased in 1823 when Samuel Paxton (the 3gg grandpa) married Amy Wilcox. At least that is what is mentioned on his application for a marriage license. He was apparently under age 21, as his mother had to give her consent for his marrying. But in checking early deed and court records, I've come up with three possible fathers for ggg grandpa Sam. One was apparently still living after 1823 since he was wheeling & dealing in land up to at least 1850. That was Jonathan Paxton. The next one was James, who was dead by 1826 when his heirs were buying some more land. Then in 1840 they apparently decided to sell it all for the tidy little sum of $3,050.00. Most of the heirs were from Mason Co. KY. A new place to search? The third one seems to be the most likely candidate (IMHO). Charles Paxton and his associates took one of the founding fathers of Franklinton, Ohio to court twice in 1817 and won both judgements. That's the only mention of him I have come across. There is no 1820 census for Franklin County, unfortunately. But we now have 2 possibilities to check out.
I met a lady today who needs some research done in Clark County WA. She's on a family history mission for the Church. Her family seems to have disappeared between 1920 & 1930. While she & I were discussing her family, she thinks she has located the woman in 1930 in Chico CA, as a servant in an apparently unrelated household. No children with her, no husband. Of course by 1930 the children are probably grown. She is a widow, so the husband died, but did he die in WA or CA? There may be a gentleman by his name in the WA State Death Index, but I have to bring my magnifying glass with me because I can't read whether the last name is Hill or Hall. If it's Hill, I'll check out the death certificate. If it's Hall, he probably died in California between 1920 & 1930.
Tomorrow is day 4. What will I find tomorrow?
1. Bates Co. Missouri. DH's mother's family was from here, and after reading the county history and checking records, looks like they have been here anywhere from 1842-1856. Surnames are DeWeese, Wix, Beghtol, Bruner. The Beghtol's and Bruner's don't appear to have made much of a presence in the area, but there were a lot of DeWeese's and Wixes. Found marriages, cemeteries, obituaries (again--those useless old ones with little to no information), and more. My folder for these families runneth over.
2. Union Co., Oregon. I actually researched microfilm here before I turned to Bates Co., to go along with the onsite research I'll be doing on my way home next week. Found death records for Ora McDonald Smith Lindsay's husband, which listed his parents. Found some other deaths in the family too, so I can look for obituaries in newspapers. This family's temple work has not been done yet, for the most part. Permelia Belden Smith (great grandma's sister) had her work done by descendants of another sister who died in a housefire in Marysville, Kansas, but "Aunt Millie's" husband has not. Well, his baptism is done, his endowments and sealing to spouse is in the works. I've got enough information on Ora & Frank to do their work too, since it appears there are no descendants for either of them. Interesting how things come about, isn't it?
3. I may be on the verge of a break-through for one of my dead-end lines: Paxton's in Franklin Co. Ohio in the early 1800's. We've been at a stopping point for my 3gg grandfather for more years than I care to think of, but locating some deed and court records today has given me a couple of possibilities to check out. Seems 3gg grandfather's father was already deceased in 1823 when Samuel Paxton (the 3gg grandpa) married Amy Wilcox. At least that is what is mentioned on his application for a marriage license. He was apparently under age 21, as his mother had to give her consent for his marrying. But in checking early deed and court records, I've come up with three possible fathers for ggg grandpa Sam. One was apparently still living after 1823 since he was wheeling & dealing in land up to at least 1850. That was Jonathan Paxton. The next one was James, who was dead by 1826 when his heirs were buying some more land. Then in 1840 they apparently decided to sell it all for the tidy little sum of $3,050.00. Most of the heirs were from Mason Co. KY. A new place to search? The third one seems to be the most likely candidate (IMHO). Charles Paxton and his associates took one of the founding fathers of Franklinton, Ohio to court twice in 1817 and won both judgements. That's the only mention of him I have come across. There is no 1820 census for Franklin County, unfortunately. But we now have 2 possibilities to check out.
I met a lady today who needs some research done in Clark County WA. She's on a family history mission for the Church. Her family seems to have disappeared between 1920 & 1930. While she & I were discussing her family, she thinks she has located the woman in 1930 in Chico CA, as a servant in an apparently unrelated household. No children with her, no husband. Of course by 1930 the children are probably grown. She is a widow, so the husband died, but did he die in WA or CA? There may be a gentleman by his name in the WA State Death Index, but I have to bring my magnifying glass with me because I can't read whether the last name is Hill or Hall. If it's Hill, I'll check out the death certificate. If it's Hall, he probably died in California between 1920 & 1930.
Tomorrow is day 4. What will I find tomorrow?
Saturday, September 29, 2007
On My Way
I left this morning, shortly after 10 a.m., about an hour after I had intended to. Arrived in La Grande a little before 3, and checked into my motel, unpacked, unwound just a tiny little bit before heading off to Eastern Oregon University's Pierce Library, to look up some obituaries on microfilm for some of my Union County Oregon relatives. The one I really wanted was for my gg grandmother, Nancy Elizabeth (Davey) Belden, who died in 1889 (not looking up exact date buy I have it) according to the LDS Ancestral File. I know it was a lot to hope for, because these very early obituaries usually contain very little family information, but you never know when you'll get lucky. Looks like I won't get lucky here, because it appears there are no newspapers available which includes the date she supposedly died. I was hoping for (and I know it was a longshot anyway) mention of her parents or at least where she was born. She was married to my gg grandfather in Cayuga Co. NY in the late 1840's, and appears there with husband and a couple kids in the 1850 census. Unfortunately, there are no other Davey's in the census index. Was she dropped off from another planet? I suppose I could get ambitious and read through each township line by line on the 1850, because indexes can be wrong. I just haven't gotten that ambitious yet, but I can see it might come to that some day. Of course there is no guarantee her family was still in the area anyway.
I might add that it took me a long time to get to this library. The camus maps left a little to be desired, and it seems I drove around and around forever with no luck. I ended up at the house I grew up in (we left La Grande when I was 7), but we had already been there a few times over the past few years so it wasn't any big discovery to me. I did ask for directions from a couple of neighbors, but by the time I got back on the road, I had forgotten half of what they told me. I did eventually stumble upon it.
I spent a couple of hours looking at newspapers. Those early newspapers don't usually have obituaries in a neat little section like they do nowadays. So it's read through every page. The first one I found was for Ora Lindsay, who was the adopted daughter of my great grandmother's sister. She died in 1913 at the age of 23. The obit mentioned her husband, but not by name. I assume there were no children, but who knows. I have on my list an obituary for a Laura Lindsay, who died in 1912. Could she have been a daughter of Ora & John Lindsay? Hope to find out on my return trip.
Next I checked for one David Greiner, who was the grandfather-in-law of the lady in Oklahoma who sent me a CD full of pictures of my family in the La Grande area. Her mother-in-law had them, she had no idea why, or if there is any connection between our families. But it was a case in point for posting your families everywhere you can, on message boards, mailing lists, etc. She found me, spend who-knows how many days scanning these pictures, burning them on a CD and sending them to me. One family mystery was semi-cleared up, but a couple more have been introduced.
The last one I found was for my great grandmother's sister, Permelia Elvira Belden Smith, adoptive mother to Ora Smith Lindsay. The obit didn't get mention her name and didn't even get her husband's initial's right. It read "F.M. Smith." Should have been "S.N. Smith." At least it mentioned her surviving sisters and brothers and son, so I know I had the right person in spite of the butchered name/initials. I looked for one for Ora Smith Lindsay's birth mother, who I knew as Rose Anna Hammack McDonald. Thanks to the CD full of pictures and letters, we know who the birth parents were. Ora (her brother is Frank) father died in 1902 in a train accident in North Powder. Was this why these children were given to the Smith's to raise?
But it's late, I am heading to bed in a few minutes. The rest of the trip to Salt Lake will be completed tomorrow. Another report hopefully on Monday.
I might add that it took me a long time to get to this library. The camus maps left a little to be desired, and it seems I drove around and around forever with no luck. I ended up at the house I grew up in (we left La Grande when I was 7), but we had already been there a few times over the past few years so it wasn't any big discovery to me. I did ask for directions from a couple of neighbors, but by the time I got back on the road, I had forgotten half of what they told me. I did eventually stumble upon it.
I spent a couple of hours looking at newspapers. Those early newspapers don't usually have obituaries in a neat little section like they do nowadays. So it's read through every page. The first one I found was for Ora Lindsay, who was the adopted daughter of my great grandmother's sister. She died in 1913 at the age of 23. The obit mentioned her husband, but not by name. I assume there were no children, but who knows. I have on my list an obituary for a Laura Lindsay, who died in 1912. Could she have been a daughter of Ora & John Lindsay? Hope to find out on my return trip.
Next I checked for one David Greiner, who was the grandfather-in-law of the lady in Oklahoma who sent me a CD full of pictures of my family in the La Grande area. Her mother-in-law had them, she had no idea why, or if there is any connection between our families. But it was a case in point for posting your families everywhere you can, on message boards, mailing lists, etc. She found me, spend who-knows how many days scanning these pictures, burning them on a CD and sending them to me. One family mystery was semi-cleared up, but a couple more have been introduced.
The last one I found was for my great grandmother's sister, Permelia Elvira Belden Smith, adoptive mother to Ora Smith Lindsay. The obit didn't get mention her name and didn't even get her husband's initial's right. It read "F.M. Smith." Should have been "S.N. Smith." At least it mentioned her surviving sisters and brothers and son, so I know I had the right person in spite of the butchered name/initials. I looked for one for Ora Smith Lindsay's birth mother, who I knew as Rose Anna Hammack McDonald. Thanks to the CD full of pictures and letters, we know who the birth parents were. Ora (her brother is Frank) father died in 1902 in a train accident in North Powder. Was this why these children were given to the Smith's to raise?
But it's late, I am heading to bed in a few minutes. The rest of the trip to Salt Lake will be completed tomorrow. Another report hopefully on Monday.
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