Fun With Search Terms

This past month has brought some interesting search terms to my blog.  Always fun to find out how someone finds me. These were the top search terms, according to my Blogger stats:

• freezer slaw - Wow, Grandma Wright's recipe was extremely popular this month.  Of course, a lot of folks have cabbage on and were probably looking for a good recipe.  I hope they enjoyed it. 
• Harry Pierpont - Not surprised at all to find his name in the list.  Harry is my bad-boy cousin, Dillinger gang leader, and only known relative to be executed via the electric chair.  Probably my main obsession of late has been tracking down newspaper articles on his early bank robbing career.  Look for more posts in the future.

The following search terms didn't get near as many hits, but they made 

• U S Navy records online -  My May post about Ancestry posting U S Navy muster rolls online has been popular.
• 1900 "portland indiana" -  Not surprised to find this search brings folks here, as most of my paternal ancestry lived in the Portland, Indiana area.
• anna hunnicutt economy indiana - Don't have this lady in my database, though am familiar with the Quaker settlement there.
• cora wehrly -  Someone was looking for my Wehrly tree, wish they would have stopped and left a comment.
• easterday family tree -  Same with the Easterday family tree - which married into my Haley line in Jay County, Indiana.
• open faced peach pie -  Someone was hungry, hope they liked my family's recipe.
• ruby june lambertson - Ruby is my maternal great-aunt, and recently I posted some pictures of she and my grandmother.  Was this visitor a relative?  They didn't leave a comment.

Black Sheep Sunday: Kokomo Robbers Held In Detroit

Call-Leader, Elwood, Indiana, April 3, 1925, page 1.

KOKOMO ROBBERS HELD IN DETROIT

Two Young Men Arrest and $ 7,100 in Securities Are Recovered

STOLEN AUTO PROVES CLUE

(International News Service)

Detroit, Mich., April 3. – James E. Hayes, 27, said to be the third member of the bandit gang which last week held up and robbed the Southside bank at Kokomo, Indiana, of $ 9,000, was held by the police today.  His alleged accomplices, Henry Pierpont and Thaddeus Skeer, also held here, will be taken to Kokomo.  Five thousand dollars have been recovered.

Detroit, Mich., April 2 – Frank Mason, alias AL Pierpont, 24, and Thaddeus Skeer, 22, were arrested here to day and are being held for Kokomo (Ind.) police in connection with the robbery of South Kokomo Bank last week, in which nearly $10,000 was taken.

A girl giving her name as Louise Brunner, 22, of Fort Wayne, Ind., was arrested and, is being held as a witness.  Miss Brunner was trailed to Detroit by detectives, who apprehended Skeer and the girl as the two met.  Mason was arrested later.

Pierpont was found with $ 4,000 on his person and bonds and securities totaling $5,400 were uncovered in the apartment where the trio was found.  The loot originally amounted to $ 7,000 in negotiable securities and about $ 2,000 in Liberty bonds.

Suspension [sic] was directed toward Skeer, it is said, when it was learned that the machine used by the bandits had been stolen in Fort Wayne a few days before.

He was suspected of the automobile theft, and when the robbery was reported, police began working on the theory that he was implicated.

Kokomo, Ind., April 2 – Louise Brunner, held as a witness at Detroit in the South Kokomo robbery case, Harry Pierpont and Thaddeus R.  Skeer, both held as suspects in the robbery, are to be returned to this city tomorrow, according to word received by Kokomo police tonight.  All the bonds, amounting to $ 7,1000, stolen from the bank, have been recovered and have been identified by A.E. Gorton, cashier, according to information received here.  A part of the case has also been recovered.

The three prisoners have waived extradition and warrants charging petit larceny and bank robbery, have been issued here by City Judge Joseph Cripe against Pierpont and Skeer.

---

This account of the arrest of cousin Harry PIERPONT (1902-1934) and part of his gang in Detroit was from found during research at the Elwood Public Library, and provides a different take on the account from other papers, such as here and here.

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: Ora Lee (Brady) LeMaster (1920-2008)

Commercial-Review, Portland, Indiana, April 16, 2005, page 2

Ora Lee LeMaster, 87, 229 W. McNell St., Portland, died Tuesday at Miller's Merry Manner in Dunkirk.


Born on June 17, 1920, in Jay County, to Harry and Rebecca (Lindsay) Brady, she was married on May 9, 1942 , to Garth L. LeMaster, who died on Feb. 5, 1998.


She was a homemaker and attended Portland Friends Church.


Surviving are three sons, Garth L. "Mike" LeMaster, Portland; James "David" LeMaster, Portland, and Pat LeMaster, Balbec; a daughter, Martha "LeAnn" Morrical, Indianapolis; three sisters, Ann Reed, Florida, Marie Bierbaum, Elkhart, and Doris Myers, Minnesota; nine grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren.


Services are Monday at 11 a.m. in Baird-Freeman Funeral Home.


Burial will be in Salamonia Cemetery.


Visitation is Monday from 9 to 11 a.m. at the funeral home.


Memorials may be sent to Portland Friends Church, Gideons International or State of the Heart Home Health and Hospice.




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.

How many facts do you add to your Ancestry tree?

I'm sort of proud of the family tree I've been creating on Ancestry.com.  As I've written about before, I'm taking baby steps to ensure that I document and source as much information as possible.  In contrast to my tree on WorldConnect, which contains my entire GEDCOM database, with this tree I've just put out a "skeleton" of the family tree.  


Right now, I've been focusing on my maternal line, working with my grandparents and great-grandparents to be sure that I have all facts listed with source citations, and have been adding some photos and other media.  My intent is to slowly move back through each generation and add source information.  I understand this is Genealogy 101 but when you find yourself going back and re-examining your work with fresh eyes you begin to see things you've missed.


Question for those who use public trees on Ancestry, how many facts do you add to your trees?  Besides the birth, death, marriage and census information, do you add the "miscellaneous" facts such as draft registration, mentions in the newspaper, etc?  


I've finding that there is much information I either don't have sources for in my Rootsmagic database, or the sources are derivative and I need to seek out the original sources.  Too many items I thought I had scanned, I'm realizing that I hadn't, so that adds to my list of things to do.  Such fun!

Black Sheep Sunday: Laketon Robbers Traced To Warsaw

Elwood Call-Leader, April 1, 1925, page 4

LAKETON ROBBERS TRACED TO WARSAW


Fort Wayne, Ind., March 31 - Efforts of police departments and sheriff's officers to find trace of the bandits who robbed the Laketon State bank, Laketon, Ind., this morning, in the northwestern section of the state, were unavailing, according to fragmentary reports received here tonight.  One report indicated that the bandits who fled in two autos had been traced to Warsaw, Ind., but communications from that city did not substantiate the rumor.


According to word received here from Laketon, the bandits secured slightly over $1,000, which they secured from the cash drawer of the bank.  Cashier E.L. Bright, who was held at bay while the money was taken, is quoted as having said that over $8,000 in liberty bonds and nearly that much in currency was overlooked by the bandits in their haste to escape.


---
This article provides some follow-up to the suspected robbery by Harry PIERPONT (1902-1934) of the Laketon State Bank in Laketon, Indiana.


Further transcripts from the Wabash Plain Dealer were provided by Ron Woodward, Wabash County Historian from the April 1, 1925 edition:


---

SEARCH FOR LAKETON BANDITS CONTINUES; CLEWS ARE MEAGER

Exact loss placed at $1,969.31 by Cashier E.L. Bright following check of accounts.  Sheriff Summerland goes to Marion on possible clue.  Willy-Knight coupe was stolen at Ft. Wayne. 

Cashier tells story of robbery.

Sheriff Summerland went to Marion this morning in response to a call from the sheriff of Grant county, who thought he might have a possible clue to the bandits who robbed the Laketon bank yesterday.  Deputy Sheriff Smallwood was inclined to think, however, that the Marion clue was not as good as another that came this morning from the northern part of the state.

An officer from Lagrange county telephoned here this morning that three men in a Willys-Knight car stopped at a small town in his county and had dinner at a boarding house.  When they paid the woman who served the meal they asked here for a ten dollar bill in exchange for silver.

If it was the bandits who robbed the Laketon bank, it is wholly possible the officers thought, that they wished to get rid of some of their silver as they had taken from the bank $20 in half dollars and $150 in quarters.

License Stolen at Ft. Wayne

Officials in the northern part of the state are on the lookout for the robbers, some cities, including South Bend, having men out on motorcycles to apprehend them if possible.

There is no clue other than the description E.L. Bright, cashier, of the Laketon bank, was able to give of the men, and the fact that they were driving a Willys Knight car.  It has been ascertained that the license number on the Willys Knight car, which is known to the officials, had been stolen from a Buick car in Fort Wayne last week, so that this offers no tangible clue.

The license had been issued to Lagrange county and belonged to a salesman who worked out of Fort Wayne, but whose home is in Lagrange.  His numbers were stolen last week.

Farmer Gets Number

The procuring of the license number of the Willys Knight was a very thoughtful piece of work on the part of a farmer named Bohnstedt, who lived north of Laketon near where the bandits left the Willys Knight and where they returned in the Ford coupe after they had stolen the money.

The two men who did the actual robbing left a third man in the car until they should return.  Mr. Bohnstedt noticed the Willys Knight coupe standing in the road-which was a by-road-about 6:30 in the morning and it remained there for about three hours.

The car attracted the attention of Bohnstedt because the man in it seemed so nervous.  He would get out and look around the car, doing that frequently.  Later Mr. Bohnstedt talked to him and the man said he was stalled because of a bad battery.

The farmer then became suspicious and took his number, writing it on the side of his wagon so he would not forget it.  And it was from the wagon bed that officials procured the number.

Bandits Get $1,969.31

The bandits procured $1969.31 from the bank, according to the check-up made yesterday afternoon by the cashier.  From the safe they got $1200 in currency, $495 in gold, $20 in halves, $150 in quarters, $2.50 in pennies, making a total of $1867.50.

On the counter they got $28.39.  They also got $73.42 which were the receipts from the Moyer farm sale, which Mr. Bright had clerked.

In the cash drawer near the safe was about $1000.  Mr. Bright said, but this the bandits overlooked.

Fully insured

The total loss is covered by insurance, Mr. Bright said yesterday.

“None of the depositors will lose anything as we have complete insurance coverage,” said Mr. Bright.  “I figured that right away as soon as I realized what was being done and then I knew too that there was no use to resist.

“Mrs. Ogden happened to be in the bank Tuesday morning, though generally she does not come until noon.  We were sitting in the ? room which is right in line with the front door and we could easily see the front part of the bank.  I had a business letter that I wanted Mrs. Ogden to know of and I was reading it to her when a man came in the front door.  I went to the front counter and gave him $5 in change as he had asked.

Story of Robbery

“He looked to be a man of 21 or so.  He was shabbily dressed and had a court-plaster across his nose.  I asked him if he had been in an accident and we started chatting.  After a while I happened to glance out the front door and saw a strange man looking in and watching me closely.  In a second he opened the door, held his gun drawn and then the man at the counter got his gun and said:  “You had better put ‘em up.”

“I realized at once what was happening and called Mrs. Ogden to put up her hands.  One of the men went back and brought her in behind the counter and then they asked me where the money was.  I told them in the safe in front, but they doubted me.  Finally I convinced them and they took the money, all the time keeping us both covered.  One man seemed frightfully nervous.  The right hand which was holding his gun shook a great deal as he worked with his left.

“It really made me sick to see them scoop up all that money and put it in their sacks, but resistance was useless.  When they finished they asked for my gun.  I convinced them I didn’t have any and then they put us in a back room and told us to stay there five minutes.  I was out as soon as I heard their car start which was about thirty seconds.  I think and then I got on the telephone and called every town anyways near.

“Just then a man came in at the front door of the bank-a customer-and I asked him to go out and spread the word.”

Good Business Institution

The Laketon bank is a small frame building and is located on a corner.  It does a good business, it is said, due to the good farming country around Laketon.

S.D. Henry is president of the bank; George Frederick, vice president; F.L. Bright cashier; Violet Ogden, assistant cashier/  Directors include Mr. Henry and Mr. Frederick, Lyman Metzger, William Frev A.M. Robinson, John Tryon and H.W. Rager.

The bank was the scene of more or less excitement all day yesterday, though in the late afternoon there was nothing more than quiet, curious conversation among those who dropped into the bank to hear the story of the robbery and to wonder whether “any one lost anything.”

State Bankers Interested

Mr. Bright kept the bank open all day, though did no business.  After the word of the robbery spread, he did little but answer the long distance telephone calls.  The State Bankers’ association, who are making special efforts to capture bandits, were notified and two of their members came last night to consult with Mr. Bright regarding the affair.

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: Ralph Vernon LeMaster (1922-1996)

Commercial-Review, Portland, Indiana, February 1, 1996, page 14

Ralph V. LeMaster, 73, Elkhart, a native of Portland, died Tuesday evening in the emergency room at Elkhart General Hospital.


He retired from NIPSCO in 1983 after working there for 27 years.


A World War II Army Air Corps veteran, LeMaster was a member of the Grace Bible Church.


Born May 2, 1922, in Portland, he was married Dec. 16, 1942 to Donnabel Fields, who survives.


Surviving besides his wife are three sons, R. Vernon LeMaster, Greenville, S.C., Robert and Jeff LeMaster, both of Elkhart; one sister, Doris Shaneyfelt, Portland; one brother, Dale LeMaster, Springfield, Mass.; nine grandchildren; and one great-granddaughter.


Services are set for 11 a.m. Saturday at the Westbrook-Metz and Clouse Funeral Home, Elkhart, with Rev. Mike Fisher officiating.  Burial will be in Sugar Grove Cemetery with military graveside services.


Friends may call at the funeral home from 2 to 4 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. Friday.


Memorials may be made to the Grace Bible Church.




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.

Family Recipe Friday: Strawberry Lo-Cal Milk Shake

Note: I loved these when I was a kid, never knowing that they were low calorie.  No guarantee, but if grandma says so, it must be true!

Strawberry Lo-Cal Milk Shake

Bonnie Wright  discovered this quick and refreshing strawberry milkshake recipe.   It's low-calorie if you use artificial sweetner.   When the kids were involved in baseball, we would make one before a game to hold them over until after the game when we would have supper.   We enjoy them in the winter as well and if you use frozen strawberries, they are thick.  

This low calorie milkshake is great made with fresh or frozen strawberries.  

    1 cup 2% milk                                                  
    1 cup strawberries                                             
    1 tablespoon artificial sweetener *  
    1 cup crushed ice           

                                   

Put all ingredients blender and blend.   * I use 1/4 cup sugar instead of sweetener.

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.

Rev. Philip Lemasters (1836-1915)

Last night I took one of those detours in my online searching and began looking for census records at Ancestry.com for my paternal 2nd-great granduncle, Philip LEMASTERS.  Philip was the son of Rev. Luman Walker and Nancy (YOUNG) LEMASTERS.


Philip was the oldest son of the family and was a Methodist minister.  Surprisingly, I discovered I didn't have much information about him in my database.  The last post I had written regarding Philip was his 1900 census record when he was in Allen County, Ohio.


The USGenweb Project posted a biography of Philip that was transcribed from History of Allen County, and Representative Citizens, edited by Charles C. Miller, published by Richmond & Arnold, Chicago, Illinois, 1906:

Rev. Philip Lemasters

Rev. Philip Lemasters, one of Spencerville's most
venerated citizens, whose ministerial life covered a most interesting
period of the history of the Methodist Episcopal Church in Ohio, is as
well and widely known as any clergyman of that religious body.  He is a
native of Ohio, born June 10, 1836, in Shelby County, near Fort
Jefferson, and is a son of Luman W. and Nancy (Young) Lemasters.  
      The Lemasters family is of French extraction.  The father of our
subject died in 1888. The mother was born in Pickaway County, Ohio, and
at her death, in 1904, was in her 92nd year.  Their nine children all
survive and are as follows:  Philip, of Spencerville; Mrs. Rachel
Cunningham, of Salamonia, Indiana; Mrs. Catherine Wehrley, of Portland,
Indiana; L. W., of Salamonia, Indiana; Jacob, of Nebraska; Mrs. Phoebe
Wilson of Fort Recovery, Ohio; Mrs Mary Petrie, of Salamonia Indiana;
Mrs. Martha Loofborrow, of Ord, Nebraska; and John of St. Paul,
Nebraska.
        Philip Lemasters attended the public schools of Shelby County
and later enjoyed academic and collegiate training at Liber College, in
Indiana.   He taught school in Butler and other counties in Ohio, in the
meantime preparing himself, by special study, for entrance into the
Methodist Episcopal Conference of Central Ohio.  This had been his
ambition almost from the age of 16 years, when he joined the church, and
the desire to devote the energies of his body and the powers of his mind
to spreading the Gospel grew with his growth and increased with
unfolding opportunity.  In 1870 he was ordained a deacon by Bishop
Clark, and in 1872, an elder, by Bishop Harris. 
          The first charge to which the young minister was sent was that
of Columbus Grove, and his subsequent charges, in order of incumbency,
were: Spencerville, Salina, St. Johns, West Cairo Mount Victory, Quincy,
Ansonia, Huntsville, Bettsvlle, Weston, Mendon and the back to
Spencerville among old friends and esteemed members of his former
congregation.  He located at this point in 1891, and after a service of
three years preached one year at Allentown.  In 1895 he was placed on
the supernumerary list, after almost a quarter of a century of faithful
and consistent work in the ministry.  In the early days his charge,
included a number of preaching appointments, miles apart, sometimes as
many as eight, and every day of the week would be filled, with three
services every Sunday.  This entailed much riding, often over rough
country and the acceptance of hospitality in many different homes.  He
preached his last sermon at Spencerville on November 12, 1905, in the
absence of the regular pastor, with much of his old-time fire and
conviction. 
        At the close of his second year in the ministry, on September 1,
1870, Mr. Lemasters was married by Presiding Elder Roberts to Elizabeth
Hover, who was born at Lima, Ohio, in 1846.  At the age of 17 she joined
the church of which she has been a faithful member ever since.  Her
parents were Cyrus and Martha (Post) Hover, the former of whom is
deceased, his death taking place March 8, 1896, at the age of 74 years
and three days.  He was the second of four brothers who located in the
vicinity of Lima, coming in 1833 from Trumbull County, Ohio.  On August
4, 1847, Cyrus Hover married Martha Post, who still survives and lives
with her daughter, Mrs. Hitchcock, at Lima.  Her parents were C. C. and
Elizabeth (Bryant) Post, a well-known family of this section.  Mrs.
Hover is the oldest surviving member of this branch of the Post family.
She was born in Knox County, Ohio, August 7, 1827.   The children of Mr.
and Mrs. Hover were: Elizabeth, wife of our subject; Mary, wife of R. H.
Gamble, of Lima; C. A., who is in the loan and real estate business at
Lima; Kate, wife of D. H. Crites, of Elida; B. G., of Lima; Minnie, wife
of James Cochrun; Florence, wife of F. W. Newell, of Hammond, Indiana;
and Martha (Mrs. Hitchcock), of Lima.  Mr. and Mrs. James Cochrun reside
in the old Hover home in Spencerville.       
         Mr. and Mrs. Lemasters have but one child, a daughter, Bessie,
who in 1903 was married to A. E. Henry.  They have one daughter, Nellie
Elizabeth, born January 4, 1906.   Mr. and Mrs. Henry reside in the
pleasant home of Mr. and Mrs. Lemasters of Spencerville.

Noting that the biography stated that Philip taught school before becoming a minister, I decided to see what I could find on Ancestry.com.  Realizing that I didn't have record of him in the 1860 census (the earliest when he would be on his own), I began my search there.


I was able to locate Phillip living in the Henry STALEY household in Jackson Township, Shelby County, Ohio.  He was listed as Philip Lamasters, age 24, teaching common school, born in Ohio with a personal estate valued at $ 400.

I'm not yet sure what the relationship between this Henry STALEY and the John STALEY who married Catherine YOUNG (daughter of Phillip & Nancy Ann (McLANE) YOUNG), who was Phillip's aunt.

Atkinson Family: Madison Township, Jay County, Indiana (1907)

Source: Complete Directory of Jay County, M. & M. Directory Co., Portland, Ind., 1907, p. 230.

My paternal great-grandaunt and uncle, Matthias Jefferson and Mary Elsie (LEMASTERS) ATKINSON, were listed in the 1907 Jay County, Indiana Directory, living in Madison Township.

This directory now gives me the Section number where their home was, as well as the fact that they owned 98 acres.  The "h" indicates that the land was owned by the husband.

Black Sheep Sunday: Laketon Bank Robbed Today

Call-Leader, Elwood, Indiana, March 31, 1925, page 1.

Laketon Bank Robbed Today

Wabash, March 31. – The unmasked bandits held up and robbed the Laketon State bank, north of here, shortly after it opened this morning, making away with between $1,000 and $1,800.  The bandits overlooked several thousand dollars in bonds.

---

The Laketon bank robbery in Wabash County, Indiana was one that was believed to be the work of Harry PIERPONT's gang.  However, after Harry's arrest, the clerk was unable to identify Harry as the robber.


I also received the following transcription from Wabash County Historian Ron Woodward, from his files on the robbery from the March 31, 1925 Wabash Plain Dealer:

BANDITS LOOT LAKETON BANK 

HOLD CASHIER AND ASSISTANT AT BAY WITH GUNS WHILE THEY RIFLE VALUT OF OVER $1,000

     Armed with revolvers, two youthful bandits, calmly walked into the Lateton State Bank at 9 o’clock this morning and after covering E.L. Bright, cashier, and Mrs. Violet Ogden, assistant cashier, with guns, looted the money drawers of between $1,000 and $1,200.  they left the bank immediately and stepping into a Ford Touring car sped away to the north before an alarm could be given.

     Arriving at a point five miles northeast of Laketon the robbers abandoned the Ford and transferred their loot to a Willys-Knight coupe and proceeded on their way.  The Ford touring car was stolen in Milford, Ind., and it is presumed that the more powerful car was also a stolen machine.

     The bank opened about 8:15 this morning according to Mr. Bright and at about 9 o’clock, the young men stepped inside.  No one besides Mr. Bright and Mrs. Ogden were present at the time.  One of the bandits stepped around the counter and forced Mr. Bright and Mrs. Ogden to hold up their hands.  The other remained outside the cage to serve as a lookout.

     “I was backed up against the wall,” said Mr. Bright, “and told not to move unless I wanted to be shot.  The one fellow then scrapped the money off the counter and took change out of the vault and each drawers.  He passed it on to the other man and then the two of them backed out of the door and jumped into the Ford touring car.”

Loss Over $1000

     “I haven’t been able to make a check of the exact loss but it won’t run much over $1000,” said Mr. Bright.  Detectives operation Webster Bureau at Indianapolis informed the United Press today that they believed the loss would reach $2500 judging from the reports they had received.  Mr. Bright denied this statement.

     Residents of Laketon report that early in the morning they saw the Willys-Knight coupe in Laketon and that it contained three men.  The car was driven around the street and passed the bank several times.  The number of the license plates is known by authorities and may prove a big asset in locating the robbers.

Start Pursuit

     As soon as possible Robert Fulton, S.A. Pense and R. Stranglin, all of Laketon, jumped into a car and started in pursuit of the bandits but their efforts were of no avail.  The first car ahd too great an advantage in time and had disappeared.  Police in Northern Indiana cities were informed of the robbery shortly after it occurred an detectives are now at work on the rather meager clews.

Laketon in Turmoil

     Laketon was very much excited today.  The little hamlet which is accustomed to a peaceful existence suddenly became a hot bed.  The news of the robbery spread like wildfire and it was not long before autos bearing folks from surrounding towns began to arrive on the scene.

     Some of the depositors were anxious as to the amount taken thinking that perhaps the loss would seriously cripple the finances of the bank.  There was no cause for alarm as the bank was covered by insurance and business was carried on as usual following the excitement.

Bandits Show Craftiness

     The transfer from one machine to another in order to throw pursuers off the track was a craft move on the part of the bandits.  They had long before it was attempted, evidently carefully planed the job.

     Both were young men, judged by Mr. Bright, to have been ? ? of age.  They were of dark complexion and wore conventional clothes. 

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: Patricia Lou LeMaster (1932-1945)

Commercial-Review, Portland, Indiana, October 29, 1945, page 5

MISS LEMASTER DIES SATURDAY


Two Weeks Illness Fatal To 12-Year-Old Portland Girl


Patty Lou LeMaster, 12, of West High street, died at the Jay County Hospital at 3:30 Saturday afternoon following a two weeks illness of flu and complications.  Her condition had been critical for the past week.


The child was born in Madison township on December 2, 1932, the daughter of Chesley and Clara (Burkey) LeMaster, who survive.


Also surviving are the three brothers; Donald in the Navy in the South Pacific; Ralph in the army now home on furlough and Dale in the Marines stationed at San Diego, Califf., one sister, Mrs. Doris Shaneyfelt of Salamonia and the grandfather, John Burkey of East Walnut street.


Funeral services will be held at 2 o'clock Tuesday afternoon at the Salamonia Methodist church with Rev. H.G. Perry officiating.  Burial will be in the Salamonia cemetery.


The body will remain at the Williamson funeral home where friends may call until the hour of the funeral.


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: Shelly

The SHELLY surname is in Eileen's maternal line.  The origins of the surname are unknown at this time.


Stories and history:


Ahnentafel # 31: Samantha Shelly (1848-1933).  Samantha was born December 16, 1848 in Dora, Wabash County, Indiana.  She married May 21, 1872 in Wabash County, Indiana to Christopher Sills (1840-1913).  Christopher was born February 15, 1840 in Jackson Township, Champaign County, Ohio.  They raised 5 children in Lagro Township, Wabash County, Indiana.  Christopher died March 19, 1913 in Dora, Wabash County, Indiana.  Samantha died March 20, 1933 in Grant County, Indiana.


Ahnentafel # 62: Jacob Shelly (c1794-1863).  Jacob was born circa 1794.  He married before 1841 to Elizabeth Rickert (c1818-1900).  Elizabeth was born circa 1818 in Ohio.  They raised 7 children in Lagro Township, Wabash County, Indiana.  Elizabeth died February 18, 1900 in Dora, Wabash County, Indiana.  Jacob died July 1863 in Dora, Wabash County, Indiana.


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: Strawberry Dream Pie

This recipe has been a LeMaster family favorite for a number of years:

Everyone looks forward to strawberry season.   While it was a short season this year because of the weather we were still able to enjoy some of our favorite strawberry desserts.   I always make this simple strawberry pie for Jason's birthday.   It was very light and refreshing and it only takes one cup of sliced strawberries.

Strawberry Dream Pie

Makes 8 servings

    1 4-ounce package  vanilla pudding   (not instant)                         
    1 3-ounce package strawberry jello                             
    2 cups water                                                   
    1 teaspoon lemon juice                                         
    1 1/2 cups whipped cream                                       
    1 cup sliced strawberries                                      
    1 baked 9-inch pie shell, cooled *  
                          
Combine pudding mix, gelatin, water and lemon juice in a saucepan.  Cook and stir over medium heat until mixture comes to a boil. Pour into a bowl and chill until thickened.  To hasten chilling, place bowl of pudding mixture in larger bowl of ice and water, then stir until thickened.  Fold in whipped topping, blending well, stir in strawberries.  Pour into pie shell and chill until set, 1-2 hours.  Garnish with additional whipped topping and strawberries. 

*Spray pie pan with vegetable cooking spray for easy serving and clean up before placing pastry in pan.

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.

Pierpont Family in Indianapolis, Continued

Polk's 1912 Directory, City of Indianapolis, Indiana

Continuing my research into the PIERPONT family in Indianapolis, the 1912 Polk's Directory at Archive.org listed the following PIERPONTS: [h = house; b = boarder]

Pierpont Clarence M, lab, h 1011 S Harding

Pierpont David F, lineman b 117 Greely

Pierpont Ezra M, lab, b 1141 McLain

Pierpont Francis H, clk, b 1141 McLain

Pierpont Gilbert J, woodwrkr, h 1234 Lee

Pierpont John E, lab, h 1847 Jones

Pierpont John T, mach hd, h 1141 McLain

Here we have Harry's father, Gilbert J (alternatively Joseph Gilbert), listed as a woodworker living at 1234 Lee, the same residence as he had in the 1911 directory.  


Harry's grandfather, John T., was a machine hand, with his house at 1141 McLain, the same residence from the 1910 census and 1911 city directory.  The Ezra and Francis listed as boarders in his residence were his sons.


The Clarence M. PIERPONT, listed as a laborer, was still living at Harding Street from the 1911 directory.  John E. PIERPONT, laborer, had apparently moved from 615 Warren avenue in 1911 to 1847 Jones in 1912.  New to the directory listing is David F. PIERPONT, the lineman boarding on Greely.  The relationships of these men to the Harry PIERPONT family has not yet been established.

Polk's 1916 Directory, City of Indianapolis, Indiana

Jumping ahead a few years to the 1916 Indianapolis Directory, there are some questions raised.  For example, Harry's father, Gilbert does not appear, yet Harry's sister, Fern M., is listed as a boarder.  The following PIERPONT listings are found:

 Pierpont Clarence M, mach hd, h 1819 Southeastern av.

Pierpont Edw L., lab, h 1409 Jones

Pierpont Ezra M, woodwrkr, b 1742 W Morris.

Pierpont Fern M, sten 406 Ind Pythian bldg, b 1107 Blaine av.

Pierpont Frank H, lab, b 1742 W Morris.

Pierpont Jno T, woodwrkr, h 1742 W Morris. 

Pierpont Roy, renovater, b 2810 Schofield av 

The unidentified Clarence PIERPONT continues to appear, though his residence has changed from the 1912 listing.  The Roy PIERPONT, listed as a renovater and boarder on Schofield avenue, is an unknown at this point.

The Edw L. PIERPONT, laborer, living on 1409 Jones, I believe to be the son of John T. and Hester PIERPONT, and the younger brother of Joseph Gilbert PIERPONT.  If so, this Edward would have been born March 1885 in Indiana, as listed in the 1900 census.

John T. PIERPONT, now listed as a woodworker, had moved from the 1912 directory to a new residence at 1742 W. Morris.  Also boarding again with him was his son, Ezra M. and Frank H.

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Harry's sister, Fern M. PIERPONT, is listed in this 1916 directory as a stenographer, boarding at 1107 Blaine Avenue.

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