Heritage For Sale

I put your family heritage on eBay today. I’m hoping to get top dollar.  I struggled with the idea at first, but in the end I succumbed to my capitalistic urges.  Because I would never want to have my own heritage up for sale, I thought I would warn others so they don’t suffer the same fate as your ancestors.

I bought the photos of your great-grandparents and relatives, including the little baby in the casket, at the local auction house.  You see, I truly enjoy going to auctions and estate sales.  It’s part of the same pack-rat, “collector” mentality that draws me to genealogy.  What drew me to this sale was the fact that I knew your parents, and the local memorabilia and ephemera was simply too much for me to resist.  I made an emotional purchase, taking all of the box lots containing your family photos, scrapbooks and other newspaper clippings.  I told myself that I wanted to preserve the local history – keeping it out of the hands of the flea market dealers.  But in the end, I realized that it was not my responsibility to preserve your heritage.

Oh, I struggled with the decision to sell the photos – they were the types of photos I wish I had of my own ancestors.  Most of them were even labeled!  I found myself on Ancestry.com, searching your ancestry instead of my own.  When I reached that point I knew that I needed to purge myself of these extraneous photos.

I don’t know why your family wasn’t interested in preserving these family heirlooms.  To me, knowing they exist and not having them would create a void I would yearn to fill.  Perhaps someday, one of your descendants or an extended family member will be interested in genealogy.  Maybe they’ll ask you if there are any old photos lying around.  You’ll have to be the one to break their heart and tell them that all the pictures were sold at an auction.

The genealogist in me wouldn’t let them go into the night without trying to preserve them in some manner.  I made scans of all of them and uploaded them onto the website, DeadFred.com before placing the originals for sale.  At least this way, they will be preserved in some manner.  I may even contact your cousins on Ancestry.com and email them digital scans as well.  That should keep me from feeling too guilty.

So the next time you eat at the local Cracker Barrel, and you see someone on the wall who looks familiar – it may just be your family.

A Matter of Perspective

Had a good visit with my mom's cousin and his wife today, and was able to take my Flip-Pal scanner with me on the road to capture scans of some great photographs, some of which my mother had never seen.  Of great interest were the photos of my grandfather in military uniform, as well as those of my grandmother when she was younger.

William Lee "Johnny Bill" Wright, Florida, c. 1944

My cousin even had some older photos from generations that he was not familiar with, including one of my 4th-great grandmother and her family, taken on her 81st birthday, January 9, 1914 in Norton, Kansas.  She died on March 9th of that same year.

Residence of Hannah Mills Poe, Norton, Kansas on her 81st birthday, January 9, 1914

There were also photographs that came from his grandparents family, my-great grandparents, and thus I was greatly interested in hearing some of the family stories.


One thing that I've learned is that so much of family history is a matter of perspective.  The way someone views a family member and the legends that develop and get passed down are colored by the perspective of the teller.  It is interesting to get a point of view from a different family who may have differing insight into why someone behaved the way they did.


I was able to sit back and observe, letting my mother and dad and mom's cousin and wife talk about people, places and events without interrupting them too much.  It definitely gave me insight, and fodder for future questions to ask about the family.

Sunday's Obituary : Beulah S. (LeMasters) Rockwell (1866-1940)

Source: Commercial-Review, Portland, Indiana, July 18, 1940, page 1.

Rockwell Rites Are Tomorrow


Funeral services for Mrs. Beulah S. Rockwell, who died at her home in Ft. Recovery Tuesday evening, will be conducted tomorrow.  Short services will be held at the residence at 2:15 o'clock (EST) and final rites will be conducted from the Salamonia Methodist church at 2 p.m. (CST) in charge of Rev. Dennison, assisted by Rev. O.L. Nichols.



Sunday’s Obituary – if you have obituaries of family members and ancestors, consider posting them along with other information about that person as part of Sunday’s Obituary. This is an ongoing series developed by Leslie Ann at Ancestors Live Here.

Organizing Digital Photos and Files

I've not been doing much new genealogy research lately, but instead have been working to try to tame the digital beast that is my genealogy photos and files.  It's not going to do me any good to have all of these photos, etc. if the file names remain cryptic ones such as IMG_0339.


I've been slowly identifying each of the photos with a unique identifier by the name of the subject and the date that the photo was taken:


LeMaster_Corinne_10Jun2000
LeMaster_Corinne_30Nov2010
LeMaster_Eileen_25Dec2010
LeMaster_Eileen_25Dec2010(2), etc.


Photos that have multiple individuals, I'm making copies of them both, identifying both and filing under the appropriate family name files. Thus, photos of both of my nieces at Christmas time are filed as such:


LeMaster_Lauren_Honeycutt_Ashley_24Dec2010
Honeycutt_Ashley_LeMaster_Lauren_24Dec2010, etc.


Photos for tombstones simply have the word tombstone after the name, rather than a date.  I've yet to begin sorting and standardizing the files of census records, etc. but imagine I will create a similar system.


My goal is to have these photos so organized that at the next family reunion, I can easily share the entire collection based on an individual should someone desire.


How do you organize your digital images and scans?

Surname Saturday : SHAW

The SHAW surname is in my maternal line.  The origins of the surname are unknown at this time.


Stories and history:


Ahnentafel # 51: Elizabeth Shaw (1827-1900).  Elizabeth was born October 1827 either in Ohio, Indiana or Tennessee, according to census records.  She married December 5, 1847 in Madison County, Indiana to Daniel King (1820-1876).  Daniel was born September 3, 1820 in Ohio.  They raised 10 children in Jackson and Monroe Townships, Madison County, Indiana.  Daniel died February 24, 1876 in Frankton, Madison County, Indiana.  Elizabeth married secondly to William H. Cochran (1828-aft1900).  William was born April 1828 in Ohio.  Last record I've found for him is the 1900 census.  Elizabeth died October 10, 1900 in Frankton, Madison County, Indiana.  Both Daniel and Elizabeth are buried in the Howard Cemetery, Pipe Creek Township, Madison County, Indiana.


Ahnentafel # 102: William Shaw (1800-1849).  William was born January 28, 1800 in Pennsylvania.  He married August 29, 1822 in Brown County, Ohio to Mary Heck (c1803-1890).  Mary was born circa 1803 in Kentucky.  They raised 9 children in Brown County, Ohio and Fayette County, Indiana before moving to Madison County, Indiana.  Mary died August 12, 1890 in Madison County, Indiana.  William died September 25, 1849 in Madison County, Indiana.  Both are buried in the Prewitt Cemetery, Pipe Creek Township, Madison County, Indiana.


Related blog posts:

• Tombstone Tuesday: Daniel and Elizabeth (Shaw) King

• William Shaw - 1850 Mortality Schedule, Madison County, Indiana

• Where was Mary (Heck) Shaw born?

• William Shaw (b. January 28, 1800)

• Happy Anniversary: William Shaw and Mary Heck

Surname Saturday – create a post in which you discuss a surname and mention its origins, its geographical location(s) and how it fits into your genealogy research. Surname Saturday is an ongoing series at GeneaBloggers.

Family Recipe Friday: Three-Corn Casserole

Gloria LeMaster canning vegetables

This is favorite at the LeMaster reunion.  Great way to have a vegetable dish for everyone to enjoy.  It's so easy to make and tasty.


    1 cup sour cream                                               
    1/2 cup margarine, softened                                    
    1 egg                                                          
    1 can whole kernel corn, drained                               
    1 can cream-style corn                                         
    1 8 1/2-ounce box corn bread and muffin mix     
               
In a bowl, mix all ingredients together.   Pour into a greased 2 quart casserole.   Bake at 350 for about 45 minuted until puffed up and golden brown on top.



Family Recipe Friday – is an opportunity to share your family recipes with fellow bloggers and foodies alike. Whether it’s an old-fashioned recipe passed down through generations, a recipe uncovered through your family history research, or a discovered recipe that embraces your ancestral heritage share them on Family Recipe Friday. This series was suggested by Lynn Palermo of The Armchair Genealogist.

Wordless Wednesday: Teddy Bear

Travis LeMaster & teddy bear, 1969

Travis & Teddy Bear, reunited Christmas 2010

[complete with man-tears of joy!]

Wordless Wednesday – a great way to share your old family photos! Create a post with the main focus being a photograph or image. Some posters also include attribute information as to the source of the image (date, location, owner, etc.). Wordless Wednesday is one of the longest running “memes” in the blogosphere and is an ongoing series at GeneaBloggers.

Tombstone Tuesday: Carl E. and Hazel M. (Wallace) Wehrly

Source: Salamonia Cemetery (Jay County, Indiana), Carl E. and Hazel M. Wehrly marker, photographed by Travis LeMaster, 26 March 2009.

Carl Ethan and Hazel May (WALLACE) WEHRLY are buried in the Salamonia Cemetery, Madison Township, Jay County, Indiana.  Carl was my paternal 1st cousin twice removed.


Carl was born February 26, 1905 in Salamonia, Jay County, Indiana, the son of Alva Monroe and Emma C. (YAEGER) WEHRLY.


Hazel was born January 21, 1910, the daughter of John and Hazel May (NEWTON) WALLACE.


I do not yet know when and where they were married.


Carl died August 23, 1946 in Portland, Jay County, Indiana.  Hazel died in 1978.


Tombstone Tuesday – To participate in Tombstone Tuesday simply create a post which includes an image of a gravestone of one or more ancestors and it may also include a brief description of the image or the ancestor. This is an ongoing series at GeneaBloggers.

Black Sheep Sunday: Harry Pierpont

Mug shot of Harry Pierpont

Last week, after watching Public Enemies, starring Johnny Depp as John Dillinger, I turned to Wikipedia and began reading about the lives of John Dillinger and other members of his gang.


When I read the entry for Harry Pierpont, I can across this line which made me stop in my tracks:

"Born in Muncie, Indiana, to J. Gilbert and Lena Orcutt Pierpont..."

Orcutt....Orcutt...why did that name sound so familiar?  Turning to my database, I quickly found my answer.  My paternal 2nd-great grandaunt, Samantha E. METZNER had married James ORCUTT on May 12, 1878 in Jay County, Indiana.  Jay County is just north of Muncie.  Could there be a connection?


Thus began my search of Google and other sources.  I quickly found the website OutlawHistory.com which had a lot of information on Harry's criminal history and his family tree.  Turns out his mother, Lena, was the daughter of James and Samantha!  Harry was my paternal 2nd cousin 2 times removed.  Harry's grandmother, Samantha, had died when his mother, Lena, was only 7.  James ORCUTT remarried and moved to Muncie, Delaware County, Indiana.


My grandmother would have been Harry's 2nd cousin, and I wonder if she knew they were related when she read about his exploits in the headlines.


The Dillinger era in Indiana was a wild and tumultuous time.  Reading the activities of the "Terror Gang" is fascinating.  The times were much as they are today - the populace not trusting the banks, etc.  The fact that Harry robbed banks in my neck of the woods makes me want to dig deeper into the history of this time period in the midwest.


I've spent much of the last week scouring the newspaper articles at Ancestry.com and surfing the web reading about the criminal acts of my cousin and other members of his gang.  Though the portrayals in the movie Public Enemies took liberties with history - Harry Pierpont did break out of the Indiana State Prison at Michigan City and then busted his pal John Dillinger out of the Allen County, Ohio jail in Lima.  It was during this breakout that Harry shot and killed the sheriff.  It was this crime that he was ultimately executed for by the State of Ohio.


Harry died October 17, 1934 in Columbus, Franklin County, Ohio by legal electrocution.  A copy of his death certificate was found at the FamilySearch website:

Harry was buried at the Holy Cross and Saint Joseph Cemetery in Indianapolis, Marion County, Indiana, next to his older sister, Fern.  Later his mother, Lena, was buried there as well.

As I piece together the rest of the story, I hope to connect with others who may be related to this family and may have more stories to tell.


Black Sheep Sunday – create a post with the main focus being an ancestor with a “shaded past.” Bring out your ne’er-do-wells, your cads, your black widows, your horse thieves and tell their stories. And don’t forget to check out the International Black Sheep Society of Genealogists (IBSSG). This is an ongoing series at GeneaBloggers.

Sunday's Obituary : Catherine Elizabeth (Lemasters) Wehrly (1840-1911)

Source: Commercial-Review, Portland, Indiana, December 26, 1911, page 1.

PNEUMONIA IS AGAIN FATAL

Short Illness Ends The Life of Mrs. Catherine Wehrly At Home Of Son

Funeral Services Wednesday

Last Rites for Pioneer Resident of Jay County Will Be At Salamonia

Catherine Elizabeth Wehrly, 71, is dead at the home of her son, Lon Wehrly, west of Boundary, after a short illness of pneumonia.  She had gone from her home in South Portland for a visit with her son and family, and was taken ill while there.

Mrs. Wehrly, who was the daughter of Luman and Nancy (Young) Leemaster, was born in Shelby county, Ohio, June 26, 1840.  Early in life, she came with her parents to Jay county, and has since been a continuous resident.  Her husband, the late John P. Wehrly, died several years ago.  Three daughters and two sons survive, they being Mrs. John Boyd, of Oregon, Belle, wife of John Marlin, of Ft. Recovery; Alice Stump and Lewis W. Wehrly, of Ft. Recovery, and Lon Wehrly of near Boundary, at whose home she died.

The funeral services will be held at the Methodist church in Salamonia Wednesday morning at 10 o'clock.

Sunday’s Obituary – if you have obituaries of family members and ancestors, consider posting them along with other information about that person as part of Sunday’s Obituary. This is an ongoing series developed by Leslie Ann at Ancestors Live Here.

Surname Saturday : KING

The KING surname is in my maternal line.  The origins of the surname are unknown at this time.


Stories and history:


Ahnentafel # 25: Ellen King (1868-1913).  Ellen was born August 24, 1868 in Frankton, Madison County, Indiana.  She married May 13, 1888 in Madison County, Indiana to John William Wright (1860-1945).  John was born February 21, 1860 in Brown County, Ohio.  They lived in Monroe Township, Madison County, Indiana.  According to the 1910 census, Ellen was the mother of 4 children, with only 2 living.  John died June 5, 1945 in Alexandria, Madison County, Indiana.  Ellen died December 24, 1913 in Monroe Township, Madison County, Indiana.  Both are buried in the Odd Fellows Cemetery, Alexandria, Madison County, Indiana.


Ahnentafel # 50: Daniel King (1820-1876).  Daniel was born September 3, 1820 in Ohio, possibly Butler County.  Daniel married December 5, 1847 in Madison County, Indiana to Elizabeth Shaw (1827-1900).  Elizabeth was born October 1827 in Ohio.  They raised 10 children in Jackson and Monroe Township, Madison County, Indiana.  Elizabeth died October 10, 1900 in Frankton, Madison County, Indiana.  Daniel died February 24, 1876 in Frankton, Madison County, Indiana.  Both are buried in the Howard Cemetery, Pipe Creek Township, Madison County, Indiana.


Ahnentafel # 100: William King (c1790-1869).  William was born circa 1790 in North Carolina.  He married before 1816 to Sarah Sullivan (1777-1872).  Sarah was born May 19, 1777 in Taneytown, Caroll County, Maryland. They were the parents of 8 children. They were divorced August 1833 in Wayne County, Indiana.  William remarried March 12, 1834 in Wayne County, Indiana to Nancy Ann Owings (1817-1887).  Nancy was born November 17, 1817 in North Carolina.  They had 8 children and lived in Madison and Wabash Counties, Indiana.  Nancy died July 13, 1887 in Wabash County, Indiana.  Sarah died January 14, 1872 in Madison County, Indiana.  William died May 7, 1869 in Wabash County, Indiana.  Sarah is buried in the Howard Cemetery, Pipe Creek Township, Madison County, Indiana.  William and Nancy are buried in the Dora Cemetery, Wabash County, Indiana.


Related blog posts:

• Daniel King (1820-1876)

• John Wright Cemetery Plot: I.O.O.F. Cemetery, Alexandria, IN

• What Happened To Grandma's Babies?

• Ellen (King) Wright (1868-1913)

• Tombstone Tuesday: Daniel and Elizabeth (Shaw) King

• Tombstone Tuesday: John and Ellen (King) Wright

• Daniel King Family - Madison Co

• Notice of Final Settlement - Daniel King

Surname Saturday – create a post in which you discuss a surname and mention its origins, its geographical location(s) and how it fits into your genealogy research. Surname Saturday is an ongoing series at GeneaBloggers.

Family Recipe Friday: Slum Gully

A quick and easy skillet meal that can be easily adapted for left over Kraft dinner.   Bonnie Wright made this for lunch alot!  I don't know where she got the recipe or if she made it up but my family certainly had it alot for lunches.
 
    1 package Kraft Macaroni and cheese                            
    1 pound ground beef                                            
    1/2 cup chopped onions                                         
    1 14 1/2-ounce can tomatoes,petite diced                       
    1/4 cup ketchup                                                
    1-2 tablespoons sugar                               
           

Grandma "Peach" Wright in her kitchen

Prepare Kraft macaroni and cheese according package and set aside. (You can omit the butter and milk) Brown hamburger and onions, drain.  Add prepared macaroni and cheese, tomatoes, ketchup, and sugar.  Stir and simmer 30 minutes or until flavors are blended.  Adjust ketcup and sugar according to desired taste.  Serve with cornbread and fruit.



Family Recipe Friday – is an opportunity to share your family recipes with fellow bloggers and foodies alike. Whether it’s an old-fashioned recipe passed down through generations, a recipe uncovered through your family history research, or a discovered recipe that embraces your ancestral heritage share them on Family Recipe Friday. This series was suggested by Lynn Palermo of The Armchair Genealogist.

Wordless Wednesday: Lauren LeMaster

Lauren LeMaster, 2011 at Archery Center

Wordless Wednesday – a great way to share your old family photos! Create a post with the main focus being a photograph or image. Some posters also include attribute information as to the source of the image (date, location, owner, etc.). Wordless Wednesday is one of the longest running “memes” in the blogosphere and is an ongoing series at GeneaBloggers.

Tombstone Tuesday: Martin N. and Cora E. (Burley) Wehrly

Source: Salamonia Cemetery (Jay County, Indiana), Martin N. and Cora E. Wehrly marker, photographed by Travis LeMaster, 26 March 2009.

Martin Nimrod and Cora E. (BURLEY) WEHRLY are buried in the Salamonia Cemetery, Madison Township, Jay County, Indiana.  Martin was my paternal great granduncle.


Martin was born April 5, 1888 in Madison Township, Jay County, Indiana, the son of William P. and Olive Jane (SMITH) WEHRLY.


Cora was born in 1882 of unknown parentage.


They were married January 1, 1914 in Jay County, Indiana.  They resided in New Castle, Henry County, Indiana and had at least one child.


Martin died February 5, 1954.  Cora died in 1972.


Tombstone Tuesday – To participate in Tombstone Tuesday simply create a post which includes an image of a gravestone of one or more ancestors and it may also include a brief description of the image or the ancestor. This is an ongoing series at GeneaBloggers.

The Dropbox Experiment

I've been trying out Dropbox, a file sharing utility that will not only allow you to backup files online and sync files between computers, but will allow file sharing with others.  The service gives you 2 GB of storage. The best part about this utility is that it is free.


Once you sign up, you place files in your Dropbox directory on your PC and these files are then accessible from any other computer.  Simply just log into the website and you can access your "home" files from a library or anywhere else.


Another feature that I'm experimenting with is the file sharing feature.  You can designate a directory as "shared" with another user, and that directory is synced each time either one of you updates the files.  So, for example, you could share a directory with family members and each one upload photos from a family reunion, etc.  That way everyone has access to the photos, preventing them from being lost due to hard drive failure, etc.


If you recommend the service to others, and they sign up, Dropbox will give you additional storage space as well.  


Right now I am sharing files with a researcher of the Salamonia, Jay County, Indiana.  I've been copying some of my obituary and tombstone photo files into my Dropbox folder to share with her.  

Valentine Thoughts

Valentine Thoughts


In every heart there is a place
Reserved for just a few
And there in mine, Oh Valentine
Are cherished thoughts of you


From Ruthie


---
This postcard, unmarked, was part of the collection of my paternal great aunt and uncle, Clarence & Vera (HALEY) STUBER.  The "Ruthie", was my grandmother, Ruth (HALEY) LeMASTER.

I'm feeling so forlorn - where has my sweetheart gone?

Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Stuber
Spencerville, Ohio
Route 5


Dear Vera & Clarence -


I am coming to St. Mary's tomorrow.  This card is from Ruth to you folks.


Carrie


Don't you pity this little girl? ha!  E.H.


Nora feels just like her.


---
This postcard, postmarked Portland, Indiana, February 13, 1925, was sent to my paternal great-aunt and uncle, Clarence & Vera (HALEY) STUBER, by her sister, Carrie.  The Ruth and Nora mentioned are sisters of Vera and Carrie, and the E.H. must be their father, Eli Weldon HALEY.  Eli was my great-great grandfather, Ruth was my grandmother, and Nora and Carrie were my great-aunts.

Sunday's Obituary : John Leland LeMaster Jr. (1922-1973)

Source: Commercial-Review, Portland, Indiana, March 28, 1973, page 1.

County official dies

John L. LeMaster Jr., 50, superintendent of the Jay County Home on RR 4, Portland, died unexpectedly early this morning at the Jay County Hospital after a brief illness.

He was appointed as superintendent of the county home in November 1971 by the Jay County Commissioners.  LeMaster and his wife, Helen, assumed their duties as superintendent and matron of the county home on Jan. 1, 1972.

LeMaster had been employed by the Indiana State Highway Department.

He was born May 24, 1922 in Madison Township, Jay County, the son of John L. and Dortha (Delauter) LeMaster.  On Oct. 22, 1941, he was married to Helen Pease, who survives.

LeMaster was graduated from Madison Township High School in 1940.  He was a member of the Salamonia Christian Church where served as a deacon.

Surviving besides his wife are one daughter, Mrs. William (Kay) Addington, RR 6, Portland; five sons, Leland and Terry LeMaster, RR 6, Portland; Douglas and Larry LeMaster, Salamonia, and Gary LeMaster, Redkey; his parents, Mr. and Mrs. John L. LeMaster Sr., Salamonia; three sisters, Mrs. Gail (Jerry) Stoner, Troy, Ohio; Mrs. Ralph (Ardis) Bickel, Anderson and Mrs. Phillip (Ann) Monger, Hagerstown; one brother, William A. LeMaster, RR 6, Portland, and 13 grandchildren.

Funeral services are set for Thursday at 1:30 p.m. at the Williamson & Spencer Funeral Home with Don Potter, minister of the Salamonia Christian Church, officiating.  Burial will follow in the Salamonia Cemetery.

Callers will be received at the funeral home after 1 p.m. on Wednesday.  Memorials may be made to the Hemophiliac search Inc., 60 E. 42nd St., N.Y., N.Y., 19017.

Sunday’s Obituary – if you have obituaries of family members and ancestors, consider posting them along with other information about that person as part of Sunday’s Obituary. This is an ongoing series developed by Leslie Ann at Ancestors Live Here.

Exploratory Data Analysis: Eli Weldon Haley (1866-1957)

Eli & Cora (Metzner) Haley, 50th Anniversary (1938)

Eli Weldon Haley (1866-1957) was my paternal great-grandfather.  What follows is an exploratory analysis of the biographical facts I have discovered about him.


1. Vital records


     1.1. Birth Certificate


          Eli was born March 24, 1866 in Erie County, Ohio¹.  The State of Ohio did require the keeping of birth records until 1867.  State law required the probate courts to record these births from 1867 through 1908, according to the Ohio Historical Society webpage.


          1.1.1. Birth Notice in Newspaper


               If Eli's birth was recorded in a newspaper, I have not yet discovered it. There are editions of the Sandusky Register in existence, and that is one avenue of research in the future.


          1.1.2. Bible Record


               I'm not aware of any surviving Bible record of the Haley family.  My father has the Bible he carried to church, but it doesn't contain any genealogical information.


          1.1.3. Baptismal Record


               The Haley's were members of the Evangelical Association.  I am not aware of any records of baptism for Eli at this time.


          1.1.4. Adoption Record


               There is no indication that Eli was adopted.


     1.2. Marriage license


          Eli was married on July 21, 1888 in Jay County, Indiana to Cora Belle Metzner².


          1.2.1. Marriage notice in newspaper


               I have not searched in newspapers of Jay County, Indiana to see if mention was made of Eli and Cora's nuptials.  Have added this to my 'to-do' list for my next research trip.


          1.2.2. Anniversary notice


              Though I have copies of anniversary notices from the newspapers, they are not sourced, and I need to add that to my 'to-do' list.  Need to determine if the notices are from the Portland Commercial-Review or the Graphic.


          1.2.3. Divorce decree


               There is no indication that a divorce ever occurred, and a recent search of court records during the time period did not turn up a divorce record.


     1.3. Death certificate


          Eli died July 14, 1957 in Madison Township, Jay County, Indiana³. He died at the residence of his daughter, Vera (Haley) Stuber. I need to obtain a copy of his official death certificate from the Jay County Health Department.


          1.3.1. Obituary in newspaper


               Eli's obituary is one of my "missing" pieces.  I need to add finding this to my research "to do" list.


          1.3.2. Funeral home record


               The funeral home record was the subject of a previous post.  Eli died at 6 a.m. and was 91 years of age.  He was buried at the Mt. Zion cemetery in a casket manufactured by the Batesville Casket Co.  


          1.3.3. Tombstone photograph


               Eli's tombstone in the Mt. Zion cemetery has been photographed.  It lists him as Eli W. 1866-1957 and his wife, Cora, is also listed⁴.


2. Census Records


     2.1. Federal Census Records


          2.1.1. 1930 Federal Census


               On April 11, 1930, Eli was enumerated in Noble Township, Jay County, Indiana⁵, as Eli W. Haley, married farmer, age 64, born in Ohio.  Both parents are listed as being born in Ohio. He could read and write and spoke English.  Eli owned his home and it was valued at $4000.


          2.1.2. 1920 Federal Census


               On January 2, 1920, Eli was enumerated in Noble Township, Jay County, Indiana⁶, as Eli W. Haley, married farmer, age 53, born in Ohio.  Both parents are listed as being born in Ohio.  He could read and write and spoke English.  He owned his home and it was mortgaged.


          2.1.3. 1910 Federal Census


               On April 16, 1910, Eli was enumerated in Noble Township, Jay County, Indiana⁷, as Eli W. Haley, married farmer, age 44, born in Ohio.  Both parents are listed as being born in Ohio.  He could read and write and spoke English.  He owned his home and it was mortgaged.  He had been married 21 years.


          2.1.4. 1900 Federal Census


               On June 16, 1900, Eli was enumerated in Noble Township, Jay County, Indiana⁸, as Eli W. Haley, married farmer, age 34,  born in Ohio.  Both parents are listed as being born in Ohio.  He could read and write and spoke English.  He owned his home free of mortgage.  He was born in March 1866.


          2.1.5. 1880 Federal Census


              On June 22, 1880, Eli was enumerated in Liberty Township, Seneca County, Ohio⁹, in the household of his father, George W. Haley.  He is listed as Eli W., age 14, at home, born in Ohio and attended school within the year.  Both his father and mother are listed as being born in Ohio.


          2.1.6. 1870 Federal Census


             On June 6, 1870, Eli was enumerated in Harrisville Township, Medina County, Ohio¹⁰, in the household of his father, George Haley.  He was listed as 4 years old and born in Ohio.


     2.2. State Census Records


          The State of Indiana conducted state census in 1853, 1857, 1871, 1877, 1883, 1889, 1901, 1913, 1919 and 1931.  These however, were merely for the purposes of determining legislative apportionment.


     2.3. Agricultural Census Records


          I have not yet investigated these types of census records to see what information might be shed on the Haley family farm.





     3.1. Draft Registration


          Eli was too old to register for the draft during World War I.


     3.2. Pension Records


          Not applicable, as I have found no evidence that Eli ever served in the military.


     3.3. Service Records


          Not applicable.


4. Land Records


     4.1. Deed records


          Deed records need to be researched more thoroughly in Jay County, Indiana. The family lived most of their adult life in Noble Township, though did live for a while in Madison Township.


     4.2. Plat map / county map


           Jay County published a plat map in 1874, 1881, 1887, 1901, 1910, and 1920 that may be relevant to my search for Eli.  I have access to copies of the 1887 and 1901 plat maps in Jay County, and need to see what information they hold regarding Eli.


5. Supplemental records


     Supplemental records available to research for Eli include county/city directories, court records and will and probate records.  Searching these will be on my next "to-do list" research trip in Jay County at the library.


   One interesting record that needs more research was Eli's mention in the following court case¹¹:
  
       Greer vs. State of Indiana (1929): alleged that Eli as a juror was guilty of misconduct, because before the trial, it was alleged that Eli had stated to a James MILLER, that GREER was guilty, and that if he (Haley) was on the jury, he "would stay until the last dog was hung that he was guilty". 






Sources:


1. Saxman, Nancy & Gloria Schindler, comp., Baird Freeman Funeral Home Jay County Indiana 1956-1958. (Portland, Indiana, n.p., 1996).
2. Jay County, Indiana Marriage Records, Book C-F, page 357.
3. Saxman, Nancy & Gloria Schindler, comp., Baird Freeman Funeral Home jay County Indiana 1956-1958. (Portland, Indiana, n.p., 1996).
4. Mt. Zion Cemetery (Jay County, Indiana), Eli W. Haley marker, photographed by Travis LeMaster.
5. Eli W. Haley household, 1930 U.S. census, population schedule, Noble Township, Jay County, Indiana, ED 38-9, SD 5, sheet 4B, dwelling 97, family 97; National Archives micropublication T626.
6. Eli W. Haley household, 1920 U.S. census, population schedule, Noble Township, Jay County, Indiana, ED [?], SD 40, sheet 1, dwelling 11, family 11; National Archives micropublication T625.
7. Eli W. Haley household, 1910 U.S. census, population schedule, Noble Township, Jay County, Indiana, ED 69, SD 8, sheet 1, dwelling 15, family 15; National Archives micropublication T624.
8. Eli W. Haley household, 1900 U.S. census, population schedule, Noble Township, Jay County, Indiana, ED 63, SD 67, sheet 9, dwelling 179, family 181; National Archives micropublication T623.
9. George W. Haley household, 1880 U.S. census, population schedule, Liberty Township, Seneca County, Ohio, ED 193, SD 1, dwelling 401, family 405; National Archives micropublication T9.
10. George Haley household, 1870 U.S. census, population schedule, Harrisville Township, Medina County, Ohio, Lodi P.O., page 10, dwelling 90, household, 1010; National Archives micropublication M593.
11. Indiana Case Law, New York State Bar Association online [http://www.loislaw.com/advsmy/doclink.htp?alias=INCASE&cite=201+Ind+434], accessed 10 March 2010.






This post was developed as part of the series relating to Building My 2011 Research Template, an attempt to systematically document and source the details of my ancestors' lives. Comments regarding this template and the conclusions drawn in this article are welcomed.