Season's Greetings

Playing Santa, Christmas 2018

Here it is now late December and it's been over 8 months since my last blog post.  The New Year is fast approaching - time when folks begin to make resolutions and talk about the 'new me', etc.  I'm not so sure that with the turning of the calendar you will see much change in me.

I have been remiss in keeping up with this blog, but I don't want to make excuses. It has been an interesting year.  There were a lot of things going on this year that I should have blogged about, besides the usual day-to-day travails of work-life balance.

I've made some interesting new connections through DNA that I plan to blog about soon.  Additionally, I attended the NGS conference this year and have been trying to implement some of the techniques I learned there to become a better researcher.  I'm working (again!) on cleaning up my RootsMagic database and digital file organization.  I want to continue to utilize the 52 Ancestors-type posts to work out research problems and accurately document my family.

We moved to a new house this year.  There have been illnesses, car accidents and other things that life has thrown our way. Yet through it all we've been blessed and are looking forward to the New Year with anticipation.

Itinerant Farmer, George Washington Haley (1840-1892), 52 Ancestors # 17

George Washington Haley tombstone
Mt. Zion Cemetery
Jay County, Indiana

The 17th Ancestor in my 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks project is my paternal great-great grandfather, George Washington Haley (1840-1892).  George is number 20 on my Ahnentafel list, and previously I've written about the details of his life in an Exploratory Analysis post.

I am descended through :

* his son, # 10 Eli Weldon Haley (1866-1957), married # 11 Cora Belle Metzner (1868-1955), in 1888.

* their daughter, # 5 Ruth Pauline Haley (1911-1990), married # 4 Ord Wehrly LeMaster (1906-1971) in 1932 - my grandparents.

George was born May 16, 1840 in Hardin County, Ohio^1,2, the son of George J. and Rachel H. (Gary) Haley.  His father was a minister in the Evangelical Association, and the family moved around a bit.  By the time of the 1850 census, George was a ten year old student in Jackson Township, Sandusky County, Ohio³.  At the recording of the 1860 census, George was a 20 year farmer in Claridon Township, Marion County, Ohio⁴.

Sometime around 1862, George moved to Ashland County, Ohio, where he married Mary Jane Sherrick on October 14, 1862¹.  I am not aware of any military service during the Civil War for George, and none is alluded to by his obituary or the biographical sketches.

George is one of my relatives who moved around a lot and I need to do more research in land records.  Between 1863 and 1869 the family was living in Seneca County, Ohio, but by the 1870 census they were all enumerated in Harrisville Township, Medina County, Ohio⁵.  During this census, it was recorded that George was a U.S. citizen whose father was of foreign birth and his real estate was valued at $2730.  

The family of George and Mary grew to six children by the time of the 1880 census, when George was farming in Liberty Township, Seneca County, Ohio⁶.  The children were Andrew Frank (1864), Eli Weldon (1866), George David Ellsworth (1868), Rachel Emma Pernina (1869), Charles Wesley (1872) and Carrie Mae (1877).  Sometime before 1884, the family moved to Noble Township, Jay County, Indiana were the seventh child, daughter Ora was born.

George died December 3, 1892 and is buried in the Mt. Zion Cemetery in Jay County, Indiana^2,7.  At the time of his death he was only 52 years old.  I located his estate records at the Jay County Historical Society, and discovered he had an estate of less than $500.

George W. Haley estate packet No 1277 Box 86
Jay County, Indiana

The documents that make up this estate packet will be the subject of a future post.  Basically, the widow had to declare that the estate of personal and real property was less than $500.  The actual inventory showed a total value of $458.75.  Albert Graves and Henry Muller were appointed to be appraisers of the estate.  Albert was later George and Mary's son-in-law, marrying daughter Carrie.

According to his obituary, George had been sick for about one year before he died.  George is one of my ancestors that I need to learn more about, even a picture of what he looks like is unknown to me at this point.


Sources:

1. "Biographical and Historical Record of Jay County, Indiana", Lewis Publishing Company, Chicago, 1887, page 665.
2. George W. Haley obituary, Evangelical Messenger, New Berlin, Pennsylvania, December 20, 1892, page 811. 
3. George Haley household, 1850 U.S. census, population schedule, Jackson Township, Sandusky County, Ohio, dwelling 79, family 81; National Archives micropublication M432, roll 726.
4. George Haley household, 1860 U.S. census, population schedule, Claridon Township, Marion County, Ohio, Marion P.O., page 28, dwelling 201, family 197; National Archives micropublication M653, roll 1006.
5. George Haley household, 1870 U.S. census, population schedule, Harrisville Township, Medina County, Ohio, Lodi P.O., page 10, dwelling 90, household 101; National Archives micropublication M593, roll 1241
6. 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, roll 1065.
7. Jane Ann Spencer, Williamson & Spencer Funeral Homes Inc. Portland and Pennville, Indiana Burial Records Book One 1892-1899 (Portland, Indiana:Williamson & Spencer Funeral Homes, Inc., 2008), page 27.


The 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge was created by Amy Johnson Crow of No Story Too Small blog.  The premise is to write once a week about a specific ancestor - whether it be a story, a biography, a photograph or a research problem.

Michigander Girl, Olive Jane (Smith) Wehrly (1846-1913), 52 Ancestors # 16

Olive Jane (Smith) Wehrly tombstone,

Salamonia Cemetery, Salamonia, Indiana

The 16th Ancestor in my 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks project is my paternal great-great grandmother, Olive Jane (Smith) Wehrly (1846-1913).  Olive is number 19 on my Ahnentafel list, and previously I've written about the details of her life in an Exploratory Analysis post.

I am descended through:

* her daughter, # 9 Barbara Isabel Wehrly (1869-1930), married # 8 Luman Cooper LeMasters (1867-1933), in 1886.

* their son, #4 Ord Wehrly LeMaster (1906-1971), married # 5 Ruth Pauline Haley (1911-1990) in 1932 - my grandparents.

Olive was born June 23, 1846 in Cass County, Michigan^1,2,3, the only daughter of William and Prudence (Maxson) Smith.  The Smith family had relocated to Cass County, Michigan from Jay County, Indiana and resided there from 1844 to 1851⁴.  Olive is the only one of my direct ancestors born in Michigan.

In 1851, the family had returned to Jay County, and settled in Madison Township. At the time of the 1860 census, Olive was listed as being 13 years old and having attended school within the year⁵.

Wehrly-Smith marriage record, Jay County, Indiana

While we don't know of all of the connections between the Smith and Wehrly families before Olive married William P. Wehrly on August 5, 1866⁶, both families were living in the Salamonia area before the Civil War.  Her husband had served in the same unit as Olive's father, William P. Smith, the 139th Indiana Infantry.

After their marriage, Olive and William began raising their family in Salamonia and Madison Township, Jay County, Indiana.  They had a large family of 13 children, 8 boys and 5 girls.  Only one child didn't survive until adulthood.

Their children were Minerva Prudence, who married Lawrence Jackson; Barbara Isabel (my ancestor), who married Luman Cooper LeMasters; John William, who married Esther White; Orilla Catherine, who married Arthur Andrews; Benjamin Franklin, who died at 22 years old, unmarried; Henry Leonard, who married Mamie Salisbury; Harvey Allen, who married Nettie Shreeve; Alma Monroe, who married Emma Yaeger; LeRoy Garfield, who died at age 3; Ida Laura, who married Edward Scholer; Blaine Pearl, who married Gladys Ashcraft; Ethel May, who married William Shreeve; and Martin Nimrod, who married Cora Burley.

In the 1870, 1880 and 1900 census, Olive was listed as keeping house in Madison Township, Jay County, Indiana^6,7,8.  Olive's husband, William, died June 14, 1909 in Salamonia.  I've yet to locate Olive in the 1910 census.

Olive died January 6, 1913 in Portland, Jay County, Indiana², of pneumonia, and was buried beside her husband in the Salamonia Cemetery.  According to her obituary, she was living with her daughter and son-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. L.D. Jackson, on Shanks Street in Portland at the time of her death.

Like many of my female ancestors, Olive is one that I have very little information about, even a picture of what she looked like is unknown at this point.  I only hope that as I continue to search, I will come across additional clues that will bring to light the details of her life.

Sources:

1. William Smith household, 1850 U.S. census, population schedule, Jefferson Township, Cass County, Michigan, page 298, dwelling 759, family 767; National Archives micropublication M432, roll 349.
2. Ancestry.com. Indiana, Death Certificates, 1899-2011 [database on-line], Provo, Utah: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2015. Original data: Indiana State Board of Health, Death Certificates, 1900-2011.  Microfilm. Indiana Archives and Records Administration, Indianapolis, Indiana. Olive Wehrly, 1-6-1913, Jay County, Indiana
3. Wehrly, Blaine & Gladys, "Wehrly & Smith Family History." Report to Wehrly Reunion, New Castle, Indiana, 16 August 1970. Photocopy held by author.
4. "Biographical and Historical Record of Jay County, Indiana", Lewis Publishing Company, Chicago, 1887, page 647.
5. William Smith household, 1860 U.S. census, population schedule, Madison Township, Jay County, Indiana, Salamonia P.O., dwelling 60, family 60; National Archives micropublication M653, roll 269, page 9. 
6. William P. Wehlry household, 1870 U.S. census, population schedule, Madison Township, Jay County, Indiana, page 27, Salamonia P.O., dwelling 197, family 200; National Archives micropublication M593, roll 327, page 87.
7. William Wherly household, 1880 U.S. census, population schedule, Salamonia, Madison Township, Jay County, Indiana, ED 169, SD 6, page 28, dwelling 6, family 6; National Archives micropublication T9, roll 287.
8. William P. Wehrly household, 1900 U.S. census, population schedule, Madison Township, Jay County, Indiana, ED 62, SD 67, sheet 2B, dwelling 44, family 45; National Archives micropublication T623, roll 380, page 77.





The 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge was created by Amy Johnson Crow of No Story Too Small blog.  The premise is to write once a week about a specific ancestor - whether it be a story, a biography, a photograph or a research problem.

The Sawmiller, William P. Wehrly (1845-1909), 52 Ancestors # 15

The 15th Ancestor in my 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks project is my paternal great-great grandfather, William P. Wehrly (1845-1909).  William is number 18 on my Ahnentafel list, and previously I've written about the details of his life in an Exploratory Analysis post.

I am descended through:

* his daughter, # 9 Barbara Isabel Wehrly (1869-1930), married # 8 Luman Cooper LeMasters (1867-1933), in 1886.

* their son, # 4 Ord Wehrly LeMaster (1906-1971), married # 5 Ruth Pauline Haley (1911-1990) in 1932 - my grandparents

William was born November 2, 1845 in Preble County, Ohio^1,2. William was the youngest of a family of 9 children born to John S. and Barbara (Petry) Wehrly.  The Petrys & Wehrlys had migrated from Pennsylvania to Ohio in the early 1820s, settling first in Stark County and then in Monroe Township, Preble County, Ohio.

William was enumerated with his family in the 1850 census in Monroe Township, Preble County, Ohio³.  In 1854, his family moved to Jay County, Indiana, settling in Madison Township near Salamonia.  By the 1860 census, he was enumerated in Madison Township, Jay County, Indiana⁴, where it was noted he had attended school within the year.

In October 1863, William enlisted as a Private in Company I in the 130th Indiana Regiment.  During his service, he was part of Sherman's march to the Sea and the battles at Nashville, Franklin and Atlanta.   I have his military and pension records and will make the subjects of future blog posts.  After the war, he returned to Salamonia where he married Olive Jane Smith on August 5, 1866^1,2.

Marriage record William P. Wehrly to Olive Jane Smith, Jay County, Indiana

There is a nice biographical write up of William's life in Biographical Memoirs of Jay County, Indiana, published in 1901.



Salamonia's sawmill was bought by William in 1876 and he operated it for a number of years, employing over a dozen men in the town.  I've often wondered how many of the houses in that tiny village were built with the lumber he milled.

1887 atlas of Jay County, map of Lancaster/Salamonia

If you enlarge the map, you can see that the saw mill was located just south of town near the river.  I would love to find a picture of what the mill looked like.

According to the biography, William was a well-respected man in Salamonia, and served as town treasurer for a number of years⁵.

William and Olive lived out their lives in the town and when William died on June 14, 1909⁶ he was buried in the Salamonia Cemetery.

Sources:

1. Brown, Walter L., "The Maxson Family, Descendants of John Maxson and Wife, Mary Mosher of Westerly, Rhode Island", 1954, page 123.
2. Wehrly, Blaine & Gladys, "Wehrly & Smith Family History." Report to Wehrly Reunion New Castle, Indiana, 16 August 1970. Photocopy held by Travis LeMaster.
3. 1850 U.S. census, Preble County, Ohio, population schedule, Monroe Township, dwelling 71, family 71; digital images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com:accessed 30 August 2015); National Archives, Washington, D.C.
4. John S. Whorley household, 1860 U.S. census, population schedule, Madison Township, Jay County, Indiana, page 9, Salamonia P.O., dwelling 59, family 59, National Archives micropublication M653, roll 269.
5. Biographical Memoirs of Jay County, Indiana, B.F. Bowen Company, Chicago, 1901.
6. Ancestry.com. Indiana, Death Certificates, 1899-2011 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2015. Original data: Indiana State Board of Health. Death Certificates, 1900–2011. Microfilm. Indiana Archives and Records Administration, Indianapolis, Indiana.
, Wm. P. Wherly, 6-14-1909, Jay County, Indiana.

The 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge was created by Amy Johnson Crow of No Story Too Small blog.  The premise is to write once a week about a specific ancestor - whether it be a story, a biography, a photograph or a research problem.

The Doctor's Daughter, Mary Keziah (Chew) Lemasters (1847-1927), 52 Ancestors # 14

Mary Keziah (Chew) Lemasters

The 14th ancestor in my 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks project is my paternal great-great-grandmother, Mary Keziah (Chew) Lemasters (1847-1927).  Mary is number 17 on my Ahnentafel list, and previously I've written about the details of her life in an Exploratory Data post.

I am descended through:

* her son # 8 Luman Cooper LeMasters (1867-1933), married # 9 Barbara Isabel Wehrly (1869-1930) in 1886.  

* their son, # 4 Ord Wehrly LeMaster (1906-1971), married # 5 Ruth Pauline Haley (1911-1990) in 1932 - my grandparents.

Mary was born February 13, 1847 in Mount Holly, Burlington County, New Jersey^1,2, the daughter of Dr. E.C and Caroline B. (Woolston) Chew.  She was the oldest daughter of the family.

Shortly after her birth, the family moved to Ohio, where in 1850 they were living in Jackson Township of Montgomery County³.  By 1860, the family was living in Neave Township of Darke County, Ohio⁴, where her father was a doctor.

At age 17, Mary married Luman Walker Lemasters Jr. on October 2, 1864 at Versailles, Darke County, Ohio⁵. Luman was a Civil War veteran who had been discharged on May 4, 1864 due to injuries he had received in battle.  Luman had enlisted from Jay County, Indiana, which borders Darke County, Ohio to the northwest.  The distance between Versailles, Ohio and Portland, Indiana is about 52 miles.

While it is possible that the families knew each other before the war, my theory is that they met during Luman's convalescence, perhaps when Mary's father, Dr. Ezekiel Cooper Chew, was treating him for his war wounds.   Tax records show that E.C. Chew was listed as a physician on January 25, 1864 in Lancaster, Jay County, Indiana⁶.  Lancaster is the former name of the village of Salamonia, near where the Lemasters family was from.

After their marriage, the family alternated between living in Ohio and Indiana.  Their daughter Beulah was born in Ohio in 1865, but son Luman was born in Jay County, Indiana in 1867.  Mary and Luman lived in Darke County, Ohio, renting land where they were enumerated in 1870 in Allen Township⁷.  By 1876, they were back in Jay County when their son Ord was born, and the family was enumerated in 1880 in Madison Township, Jay County, Indiana⁸.

Mary was the mother of 11 children, 10 of whom survived into adulthood.  The family was affiliated with the Methodist Episcopal church of Salamonia, and led to its organization in 1876.  As mentioned in the biography in the 1922 county history, Mary was a Sunday school teacher for several years.



When Mary died in Salamonia, Jay County, Indiana on February 22, 1927², she was 80 years old.  She and her husband are buried in the Salamonia Cemetery.

Sources:

1. Mary K. Lemaster obituary, Commerial-Review, Portland, Indiana, February 22, 1927, page 1.

2. Mary K. LeMaster, death certificate Book H-8, page 144 (1927), Jay County Health Department, Portland, Indiana.

3. Ezekiel Chew household, 1850 U.S. census, population schedule, Jackson Township, Montgomery County, Ohio, dwelling 901, family 901; National Archives micropublication M432, roll 714.

4. Ezekiel Chew household, 1860 U.S. census, population schedule, Neave Township, Darke County, Ohio, dwelling 1166, family 1128, page 164.

5. Milton T. Jay, History of Jay County, Indiana: including its World War Record and Incorporating the Montgomery History (Indianapolis, Indiana : Historical Publishing Company, 1922), page 196.

6. Ancestry.com. U.S. IRS Tax Assessment Lists, 1862-1918 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2008. Original data:National Archives (NARA) microfilm series: M603, M754-M771, M773-M777, M779-M780, M782, M784, M787-M789, M791-M793, M795, M1631, M1775-M1776, T227, T1208-T1209; Chew, E.C., District 11, Monthly Tax Lists, January 1864.
7. Luman Lemasters household, 1870 U.S. census, population schedule, Allen Township, Darke County, Ohio, North Star P.O., sheet 21, page 12, dwelling 79, family 79; National Archives micropublication M593, roll 1194
8. Walker Lemasters household, 1880 U.S. census, population schedule, Madison Township, Jay County, Indiana, ED 161, SD 6, page 4, dwelling 47, family 48; National Archives micropublication T9, roll 287.
9. 

The 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge was created by Amy Johnson Crow of No Story Too Small blog.  The premise is to write once a week about a specific ancestor - whether it be a story, a biography, a photograph or a research problem.

The Young Soldier, Luman Walker Lemasters, Jr. (1842-1931), 52 Ancestors # 13

Luman Walker Lemasters, Jr. (1842-1931)

The 13th ancestor in my 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks project is my paternal great-great grandfather, Luman Walker Lemasters, Jr. (1842-1931).  Luman is number 16 on my Ahnentafel list, and previously I've written about the details of his life in an Exploratory Analysis post.

I am descended through:

* his son # 8 Luman Cooper LeMasters (1867-1933), married # 9 Barbara Isabel Wehrly (1869-1930) in 1886.

* their son # 4 Ord Wehrly LeMaster (1906-1971), married # 5 Ruth Pauline Haley (1911-1990) in 1932 - my grandparents.

Luman was born October 19, 1842 in Shelby County, Ohio^1,2.  The Lemasters family lived in Salem Township near Port Jefferson until 1854 when the family moved to Madison Township, Jay County, Indiana near Salamonia³.

In the 1860 census of Madison Township, he was listed as Walker Lemaster, aged 17, born in Ohio, and had attended school within the year⁴.

On April 14, 1861, President Lincoln issued a call for troops to aid in putting down the Rebellion, and Luman was one of many from Jay County to answer the call.  The county history gives the details of the formation of Company C, 39th Regiment Indiana Infantry, in which Luman enlisted on July 21, 1861^2,5.

Luman's unit participated in some hard fought battles in the Western Theatre of the war, including Shiloh and Stone's River.

In May of 1863, the 39th Regiment was mounted and armed with Spencer rifles and renamed as the 8th Indiana Cavalry.  On July 3, 1863 at Decker's Forge, near Winchester, Tennessee, Luman was severely wounded when he was shot through the left breast⁶.

I have often thought about how fortunate that Luman survived this injury.  If he hadn't, I might not be here today.  The bullet passed through the first and second ribs (left side) and lodged within the thorax.

After recuperating in the field hospitals, Luman was discharged on May 4, 1864 at Tyner's Station, Tennessee.

Discharge of Luman Walker Lemasters, 1864

Within a few months of his discharge, Luman was married on October 2, 1864 at Versailles, Darke County, Ohio to Mary Keziah Chew^6,7.  Mary's father was a physician, Dr. Ezekiel Cooper Chew, and I've often wondered if Luman met her during his rehabilitation period.

I have records of Luman's military service during the war and his pension records afterwards.  I intend to share these records in future posts.  One thing that I found interesting was the physical description given for my great-great grandfather. 

At the time of his enlistment, Luman was described as standing 5 feet 3 inches tall with black hair and blue eyes with a dark complexion.  He enlisted at Portland, Indiana for a term of 3 years.  Certainly not a tall man, but a brave one.

Company Descriptive Book
Luman W. LeMaster

8th Indiana Cavalry

Sources:

1. Young, L.I.C. Biography of the Young Family 1759-1904, Fremont, Ohio: Fremont Printing Co., 1904, p. 51.
2. Milton T. Jay, History of Jay County, Indiana: including its World War Record and Incorporating the Montgomery History (Indianapolis, Indiana, USA: Historical Publishing Company, 1922), p. 195.
3. Jay County Indiana Deed Records, Book I page 116, Jay County Recorders Office, Portland, Indiana.
4. Luman W. Lemaster household, 1860 U.S. census, population schedule, Madison Township, Jay County, Indiana, Salamonia P.O., page 2, dwelling 10, family 10; National Archives micropublication M563, roll 269.
5. L.W. Lemaster obituary, Commercial-Review, Portland, Indiana, November 18, 1931, p. 1.
6. Milton T. Jay, History of Jay County, Indiana : including its World War Record and Incorporating the Montgomery History (Indianapolis, Indiana, USA: Historical Publishing Company, 1922), p. 196.
7. Lemaster, Howard M, & Margaret Herberger, Lemasters, U.S.A., 1639-1965, Carlinville, Illinois, 1965, p. 196.

The 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge was created by Amy Johnson Crow of No Story Too Small blog.  The premise is to write once a week about a specific ancestor - whether it be a story, a biography, a photograph or a research problem.

Cora Belle (Metzner) Haley (1868-1955), Hardships & Photos, 52 Ancestors # 12

Cora Belle (Metzner) Haley

The 12th ancestor in my 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks project is my paternal great-grandmother, Cora Belle (Metzner) Haley (1868-1955).  Previously, I'd written about the details of her life in an Exploratory Data post.

Metzner cabin where Cora was born

Cora was born in 1868 in Wayne Township, Jay County, Indiana, the daughter of John Adam & Clara (Moulton) Metzner¹.

Eli & Cora (Metzner) Haley

After her marriage to Eli Weldon Haley in 1888, Cora lived as a housewife in Noble Township, Jay County, Indiana.  She was the mother of seven children, only five of whom survived into adulthood.  The five girls were Vera, Mary, Nora, Carrie and my grandmother, Ruth.  Son Charles (1903) and daughter Orpha (1899) died at age 6 months and 7 years, respectively.

Losing a child was a more common occurrence over a hundred years ago, but I'm sure it was a heartbreaking experience.  I do not have the cause of death for Orpha, but Charles died of acute pneumonia.  This funeral photo is the only known photo of him.

Charles Leo "Charlie" Haley (1902-1903)

Orpha's memory was captured in this family photo of the Haleys.  Since daughter Mary was born in 1895, this photo likely dates just before Orpha died in 1899.

Eli (seated), Cora (standing), Vera, Orpha & Mary Haley

The family farm was the scene of many family gatherings and Sunday dinners after church.  Eli was still farming at the time of the 1940 census, when he was  74 years old. In 1939, after an unfortunate fire, my grandmother & grandfather's family had to move back in with Cora and Eli for a time.  The family was always a close one.

The Haley girls

The Haley girls

After many years of living on the farm, Cora and Eli moved in with their daughter & son-in-law, Vera and Clarence Stuber.  The Stubers lived in Madison Township, where Cora died on April 28, 1955².  I had previously posted about her funeral record.

Cora (Metzner) Haley on the farm

My dad remembers that his grandma Haley in her later years suffered near blindness from glaucoma.  She could only make out shadows.  Yet she was still able to fix a plate and feed herself.  He mentioned my aunts helping to braid her hair. Dad was only 11 years old when she passed, so I need to speak with my aunts and uncle to see if they have other memories of grandma Haley.

Sources:

1. Commercial-Review, Portland, Indiana, April 29, 1955, page 1, Obituary of Mrs. Cora B. Haley.
2. Ancestry.com. Indiana, Death Certificates, 1899-2011 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2015. Original data: Indiana State Board of Health. Death Certificates, 1900–2011. Microfilm. Indiana Archives and Records Administration, Indianapolis, Indiana. , Cora Belle Haley, 4-28-1955, Jay County, Indiana.

The 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge was created by Amy Johnson Crow of No Story Too Small blog.  The premise is to write once a week about a specific ancestor - whether it be a story, a biography, a photograph or a research problem.

Eli Weldon Haley (1866-1957), Married By the Bishop, 52 Ancestors # 11

Eli & Cora Haley, 50th Wedding Anniversary photo

The 11th ancestor in my 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks project is my paternal great-grandfather, Eli Weldon Haley (1866-1957).  Previously, I'd written about the details of his life in an Exploratory Data post.

I've posted before about finding the original marriage return for his marriage on July 21, 1888 in Jay County, Indiana to Cora Belle Metzner. The minister who performed the ceremony was listed as R. Dubs.

The article in the Portland, Indiana Commercial-Review announcing their 50th anniversary gives more information about the ceremony and the officiant.

Portland, Indiana Commerciak-Review
July 31, 1938

The article states that Eli & Cora were married by Bishop Dubs of the Evangelical Association.  The "R. Dubs" was in fact, Rudolph Dubs, the well-known and later controversial bishop of the society.

"...besides the distinguished Bishop there were present also the Revs. Stovenour and Stoops..."

It's not known why the wedding was performed by such a high official of the Evangelical Association.  In fact, the newspaper article mentions that there were two other ministers present at the ceremony as guests.  The Haley and Metzner families were long time members of the Evangelical Association, and Eli's grandfather, George, was a former minister of the society.  Perhaps it was this family connection that led to Bishop Dubs performing the ceremony.

It wasn't too long after this marriage that Bishop Dubs was part of a schism during 1890-91 in the Evangelical Association that led to the formation of the United Evangelical Church.  I found more details at the General Commission of Archives and History of the United Methodist Church and his Wikipedia entry.  His followers were known as Dubsites, and the acrimonious split in the denomination was played out in the courts as fights over church property and the use of the church name.  More information about Bishop Dubs can be found in Annals of the Evangelical Association of North America and History of the United Evangelical Church.

I do not know how this split affected the Haley family personally or their church at Mt. Zion in Noble Township, Jay County, Indiana.   The Haley family had helped build the church, and according to the History of Mt. Zion Church by Madonna Miller, Eli Haley helped lay the bricks to build the church.

The split in the denomination lasted until 1922 when the two churches merged and formed the Evangelical Church.  In 1946 the Evangelical Church merged with the Church of the United Brethren in Christ to form the Evangelical United Brethren (EUB) Church. In 1968, the EUB and the Methodist church merged to form the United Methodist Church. Mt. Zion church is still an active church today.

Mt. Zion UMC, 2002

The 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge was created by Amy Johnson Crow of No Story Too Small blog.  The premise is to write once a week about a specific ancestor - whether it be a story, a biography, a photograph or a research problem.

Barbara Isabel (Wehrly) LeMaster (1869-1930), Dies From Operation, 52 Ancestors # 10

Barbara Isabel (Wehrly) LeMaster

The tenth ancestor in my 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks project is my paternal great-grandmother, Barbara Isabel (Wehrly) LeMaster (1869-1930).  Previously, I'd written about the details of her life in an Exploratory Data post.

Barbara is one ancestor that I don't have a lot of insight into - the only photo I have is the one above, which is cropped from a larger family group photo.  She died well before my father was born, so there are really no stories passed down about her.  Her obituary however, gave me the story for this post.

Grandma Barbara went into the hospital for an operation, and didn't come back home.

I do not know how long she was ill, but she was apparently ill enough to undergo surgery at a hospital.  The hospital was in Union City, Indiana, which according to Google maps, is a distance of 15.9 miles.  Union City is intersected by the Indiana-Ohio line, and has a city in Indiana as well as Ohio.  In 1930, the hospital was in the Indiana side.

According to her obituary¹, Barbara had gone into the hospital for an operation to treat gallstones:

Mrs. Barbara I. Lemaster, wife of L.C. Lemaster, of east of Salamonia, died at 4:25 o'clock Thursday evening at the hospital in Union City.  She underwent an operation for gall stones on January 29, and it was thought that she was recovering until she suffered a sudden relapse.....

Portland, Indiana Commercial Review, February 7, 1930

Barbara's death certificate lists her cause of death as cholaemia, with a contributing factor being gall stones².  

Barbara I. Lemaster death certificate, Randolph County, Indiana, 2-7-1930.

The death certificate gives a few clues to how long she had been suffering.  The physician that certified, H.H. Jones of Salamonia, Indiana, stated that he had attended Barbara from October 20, 1929 until her death.

Cholemia was not something that I was familiar with, but the Wikipedia entry for the disease states it is a condition caused by the presence of excess bile in the blood.  Its symptoms can include drowsiness and in extreme cases, coma.  It is often an early sign of liver disease.  Currently untreatable, it is caused by a blood disorder caused by genetic factors.

To my knowledge, I'm not aware of any others in the family suffering from this condition.  She left 12 surviving children and today has numerous descendants.

Barbara was buried at the Salamonia Cemetery in Salamonia, Indiana where she was joined a few years later by her husband, Luman.

Tombstone in Salamonia Cemetery, Salamonia, Indiana

Sources :

1. Mrs. Lemaster Dies Thursday From Operation, Portland Commercial-Review, Portland, Indiana, February 7, 1930, page 1.
2. Ancestry.com. Indiana, Death Certificates, 1899-2011 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA : Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2015. Original data : Indiana State Board of Health. Death Certificates, 1900-2011. Microfilm.  Indiana Archives and Records Administration, Indianapolis, Indiana., Barbara I. Lemaster, 2-7-1930, Randolph County, Indiana.

The 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge was created by Amy Johnson Crow of No Story Too Small blog.  The premise is to write once a week about a specific ancestor - whether it be a story, a biography, a photograph or a research problem.