Descendants of Luman Walker Lemasters & Mary Keziah Chew Facebook Group

Trying to gather information on more recent generations and helping to share family memories, photos and stay connected - I created a Facebook group page for descendants of my paternal 2nd-great grandparents, Luman Walker Lemasters and Mary Keziah Chew.

Luman Walker Lemasters Jr. (b.19 Oct 1842 Shelby Co., OH; d. 18 Nov 1931 Salamonia, Jay Co., IN) & Mary Keziah Chew (b. 13 Feb 1847 Mt. Holly, Burlington Co., NJ; d. 22 Feb 1927 Madison Twp., Jay Co., IN) were married 2 Oct 1864 at Versailles, Darke Co., OH.  

They were the parents of the following children:

Beulah Sarah (1865-1940) m. Lynn Lumas Rockwell 
Luman Cooper (1867-1933) m. Barbara Isabel Wehrly 
Phillip D. (1869-1869)
William Clifford (1870-1922) m(1). Lella Edith Lewis m(2). Willie Pannill Brown 
Mary Elsie (1873-19420 m. Matthias Jefferson Atkinson 
Bertha Fidelia (1874-1922) m. John Henry Yaeger 
Ord Otterbein (1876-1937) m. Emma W.G. Garmhausen
Edith Mabel (1879-1949) m. Henry Christian Meinholtz 
Una Maude (1884-1968) m. Senator Winfield Phillips 
Arthur Raymond (1885-1971) m. Maude Gertrude McLaughlin 
Vernon Walker (1888-1955) m. Helen Louise Garmhausen 


Spelling variations of the surname sometimes included a final 's' and capital 'M'.  Most common spelling of the surname today is LeMaster.

Descendants of Luman Walker Lemasters Jr. & Mary Keziah Chew Private group · 49 members Join Group For descendants of the various LeMaster families who descend from Luman Walker Lemasters Jr. (1842-1931) & Mary Keziah Chew (1847-1922).

 

Obituary : Bertha (LeMaster) Yeager, Brazil Daily Times, 16 March 1922

"Prominent Woman Dies Suddenly," obituary, Brazil Daily Times (Brazil, Indiana), 16 March 1922, page 1; digital image, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : 18 Feb 2017 ).

PROMINENT WOMAN DIES SUDDENLY

Mrs. John Yeager Died At A Local Hospital Shortly After Noon Today After A Short Illness

Was Prominent In Church Affairs

Was Also a Leader in Civic and Social Circles - Survived by a Husband and Six Children - Funeral to be Announced Later

Mrs. Bertha Yeager, wife of Prof. John H. Yeager, principal of the Meridian street school, of 604 South Walnut street, died very suddenly at a local hospital at 12:45 o'clock this afternoon.  The deceased underwent a serious operation last Sunday and apparently was improving, but this morning she suffered a relapse and complications of heart trouble resulted in her death.

Mrs. Yeager was 47 years old and was one of ten children born to Mr. and Mrs. LeMaster, of Portland, Ind., and was the first member of the family to die.  She is survived by the husband and six children, Clarence, a student at Purdue University; Mary, Helen, John Vernon, George and Luther Yeager, all of this city.  She is also survived by the parents, Mr. and Mrs. LeMaster, of Portland, and four sisters and five brothers, as follows : Mrs. Beulah Rockwell of Fort Recovery, O.; Mrs. Elsie Atkinson, of Portland; Mrs. Maud Phillips, of Nebraska; Mrs. Edith Meinholtz, of Colorado; Cooper and Clifford LeMaster, of Portland; Dr. O.O. LeMaster and Dr. W.W. LeMaster, of Sidney, O., and Arthur LeMaster, of Decatur.

The deceased had been a prominent worker in church affairs in Brazil for a number of years.  She was also a leader in civic and social circles and in all movements for the benefit of the city and its civic life.  She was a member of the First M.E. Church, a teacher in the Mothers' Cradle Roll class, an industrious worker in the Woman's League, a member of the Evening Choir and of the Home Missionary Society and was also formerly president of the Child Welfare section of the Women's Christian Temperance Union.  She was also a member of the Royal Neighbors.  Mrs. Yeager was a devoted mother and a pleasant and helpful neighbor and her untimely death will be mourned by a large circle of friends. 

The funeral arrangements will be announced later.

------
Bertha was my paternal great grandaunt, sister of my ancestor, Luman Cooper LeMaster.  This was the local obituary in the Brazil newspaper, I had previously written a post about the obituary that was posted in the Portland, Indiana paper.

Shaky Leaves : John Aaronson (1678-1741)

John Aaronson (1678-1741) is my 8th great grandfather on my paternal side.  The surname variants are many, and include Arison and Areson.  Ancestry.com currently is showing me 5 hints for him in my LeMaster & Allied Families member tree.  Four hints are from historical records.

I will ignore the Ancestry Member Tree hints for now and concentrate on the records.

One hint was from the database New Jersey, Abstracts of Wills, 1670-1817.  

Ancestry.com. New Jersey, Abstract of Wills, 1670-1817 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011.

Original data: New Jersey State Archives. New Jersey, Published Archives Series, First Series. Trenton, New Jersey: John L Murphy Publishing Company.

1741, Dec. 14. Aaronson, John, of Mansfield Township, Burlington Co., yeoman: will of.  Children - Benjamin, Joseph, Aron, Thomas, Elizabeth and Sarah.  Grandsons-John Atkinson and his brothers and sisters.  Negroes-Phillis and Ester.  Real and personal estate.  Wife Mary sole executrix.  Witnesses-Benja. Talman, Francis Thompson, Elizabeth Talman, Isaac DeCow medius. Proved March 3, 1742.  Lib. 4, p. 357.1742 -3, March 3.  Inventory of personal estate £498.6.10 3/4, includes bonds, bills and note £220.2.8 1/2, and negro children £30, made by Robert Rockhill, David Rockhill and Benjamin Shreve.

The names of John's children matches what I had in my RootsMagic database, though I didn't have daughter Elizabeth listed.  I descend through son Joseph (b. 1706).  There may have been more children, but at least I know that these were the ones living by 1741.

I did not know that the family owned slaves, but they must have at least owned the two women.

Another hint was from the database U.S. Census Reconstructed Records, 1660-1820.

Name:	John Areson
Gender:	M (Male)
State:	New York
County:	Queens County
Town:	Flushing
Residence Year:	1700
Household Remarks:	"AN EXACT LIST OF ALL Ye INHABITANTS NAMES WthIN Ye TOWNE OF fflUSHING AND P'CINCTS OF OLD AND YOUNG ffREEMEN & SERUANTS WHITE & BLACKE &C. 1698. . . . ffreemen-men".

This record gives another alternative name for John, but matches where my database had him being married to Mary, circa 1702.  

Another hint was from the database New Jersey, Compiled Census and Census Substitutes Index, 1643-1890.

Name:	John Aaronson
State:	NJ
County:	Burlington County
Township:	Mansfield
Year:	1707
Database:	NJ Early Census Index

The other record hint was from a compiled family tree database, so I'm ignoring that one as well for now.

I've updated the information I have for John in my RootsMagic database, and I added the additional children to my Ancestry Member Tree.

If you are related and/or have any additional corrections or information, I would love to hear from your.

Exploratory Data Analysis Through 2x-Great Grandaunts & Uncles

Though it took much longer that I had hoped, have finally finished by series of exploratory data analysis through my 2x-great grandaunts and granduncles.  Previously, I had written about my results through my 2x-great grandparents.  My next steps are to move on to my 3x-great grandparents as well as start work on some of Eileen's ancestors and Corinne's ancestors.

Working on this series has allowed me to find out where there are gaps in my research and has added much data.  Now I just need to follow up with my "to-do" lists before my next research trip to make sure I use my time effectively.

Here are the links to posts about the exploratory data analysis posts for my 2x-great grandaunts and granduncles:

• Beulah Sarah (LeMasters) Rockwell (1865-1940)
• Phillip D. LeMasters (1869-1869)
• William Clifford LeMaster (1870-1922)
• Mary Elsie (LeMasters) Atkinson (1873-1942)
• Bertha Fidelia (LeMasters) Yaeger (1874-1922)
• Ord Otterbein LeMaster (1876-1937)
• Edith Mabel (LeMasters) Meinholtz (1879-1949)
• Una Maude (LeMasters) Phillips (1884-1968)
• Arthur Raymond LeMaster (1885-1971)
• Vernon Walker LeMaster (1888-1955)
• Minerva Prudence (Wehrly) Jackson (1867-1948)
• John William Wehrly (1870-1954)
• Orilla Catherine (Wehrly) Andrews (1872-1970)
• Benjamin Franklin Wehrly (1873-1895)
• Henry Leonard Wehrly (1875-1924)
• Harvey Allen Wehrly (1877-1968)
• Alva Monroe Wehrly (1878-1952)
• LeRoy Garfield Wehrly (1880-1883)
• Ida Laura (Wehrly) Scholer (1883-1963)
• Blaine Pearle Wehrly (1884-1964)
• Ethel May (Wehrly) Shreeve (1886-1951)
• Martin Nimrod Wehrly (1888-1954)
• Andrew Frank Haley (1864-1937)
• George David Ellsworth Haley (1868-1941)
• Rachel Emma Pernina (Haley) Hanlin Zorn (1869-1963)
• Charles Wesley Haley (1872-1893)
• Carrie Mae (Haley) Graves Booth Marks (1877-1956)
• Ora Amanda (Haley) Bittikofer (1884-1961)
• William A.L. Metzner (1866-1879)
• Wesley F. Metzner (1872-1953)
• Chester Arthur Wright (1896-1955)
• John Herman Pierce (1895-1959)
• Edward E. Pierce (1900-1900)
• Lillian Pierce (1902-1921)
• Nehersta Edith (Pierce) Miller Roberts (1910-1979)
• William McClellan Pierce (1913-1978)
• Cloyd J. Pierce (1916-1962)
• Charles D. Pierce (1918-1991)
• Robert F. Pierce (1923-2005)
• James Louis Pierce (1931-2002)

Exploratory Data Analysis: Mary Elsie (LeMaster) Atkinson (1872-1952)

Mary Elsie (LeMaster) Atkinson (1872-1952) was my paternal great-grandaunt.  What follows is an exploratory analysis of the biographical data I have discovered about her.

1. Vital Records

     1.1. Birth Certificate

          Mary was born February 15, 1873 in Darke County, Ohio¹.  Finding her birth record was the subject of a previous post.          

          Mary was born April 26, 1872 in Darke County, Ohio², according to her obituary.  I have not reconciled the discrepancy.

          1.1.1. Birth Notice in Newspaper

               Will need to search contemporary newspaper accounts to see if mention was made of Mary's birth.

          1.1.2. Bible Record

               I am not aware of any surviving Bible records of the LeMaster family.  Will continue to reach out to extended family in hopes that one does exist.

          1.1.3. Baptismal Record

               I am not aware of any baptismal record for Mary.  The family was affiliated with the Methodist Episcopal church.

          1.1.4. Adoption Record

               There is no indication that Mary was adopted.

     1.2. Marriage License

          Mary married Matthias Jefferson Atkinson on September 15, 1894 in Jay County, Indiana^{2, 3}.

          Mary's name was listed as Elsie Lemasters on the license, and the grooms name was spelled 'Mathias' rather than 'Matthias'.

          A copy of their marriage license was the subject of a previous post.

          1.2.1. Marriage notice in newspaper

               Will need to search contemporary newspapers to see if mention was made of Matthias and Mary's nuptials.

          1.2.2. Anniversary notice

               Matthias and Mary's 25th wedding anniversary would have been September 15, 1919.  Will need to search contemporary newspapers to see if mention was made of any anniversary celebration.

          1.2.3. Divorce decree

               There is no indication that Matthias and Mary were ever divorced.

     1.3. Death Certificate

          Mary died on June 5, 1942 in Madison Township, Jay County, Indiana².  According to her obituary, she suffered a heart attack.

          I do not yet have a copy of her death certificate, will add this to my list of "to-do" items for my next research trip.

          1.3.1. Obituary in newspaper

               Mary's obituary appeared in the June 5, 1942 edition of the Portland, Indiana Commercial-Review².  Her obituary was the subject of a previous post.

          1.3.2. Funeral home records

               According to her obituary, Mary's funeral arrangements were handled by the Williamson funeral home.  Will add searching for these records to my list of "to-do" items for my next research trip.

          1.3.3. Tombstone photograph

               Mary is buried at the Salamonia Cemetery in Salamonia, Jay County, Indiana.  I need to obtain a photograph of her tombstone for my records.

2. Census Records

     2.1. Federal Census Records

          2.1.1. 1940 Federal Census

               On April 16, 1940, Mary was enumerated in the Lynn Rockwell household in Ft. Recovery, Mercer County, Ohio⁴, as Mary E. Atkinson, age 67, widow, born in Ohio.  She had completed the 8th grade.  Her residence in 1935 was listed as Sidney, Shelby County, Ohio.  No occupation was listed.

          2.1.2. 1930 Federal Census

               On April 12, 1930, Mary was enumerated in the Luman W. Leamasters household in Madison Township, Jay County, Indiana⁵, as Elsie Atkinson, daughter, age 57, widow.  She was born in Ohio and her father was born in Ohio and mother in New Jersey.  Her occupation was listed as housekeeper.  She could read and write and spoke English.

          2.1.3. 1920 Federal Census

               On January 12, 1920, Mary was enumerated in the Mathias J. Atkinson household in Madison Township, Jay County, Indiana⁶, as Mary E. Atkinson, wife, age 48.  She was born in Ohio and her father was born in Ohio and mother in New Jersey.  She could read and write and spoke English.  No occupation was listed.

          2.1.4. 1910 Federal Census

               On April 22, 1910, Mary was enumerated in the Mathias J. Atkinson household in Madison Township, Jay County, Indiana⁷, as Elsa M. Atkinson, wife, age 39.  She had been married for 15 years, no children.  She was born in Ohio, her father born in Ohio and mother in New Jersey.  No occupation was listed.

          2.1.5. 1900 Federal Census

               On June 4, 1900, Mary was enumerated in the Mathias J. Atkinson household in Madison Township, Jay County, Indiana⁸, as Mary E. Atkinson, born April 1872, wife, age 28.  She was born in Ohio, her father in Ohio and mother born in New Jersey.  She could read and write and spoke English.  No occupation was listed.  She had been married for 5 years, no children.

          2.1.6. 1880 Federal Census

               On June 5, 1880, Mary was enumerated in the Walker Lemasters household in Madison Township, Jay County, Indiana⁹, as Elsie Lemasters, daughter, age 8.  She attended school within the year.  She was born in Ohio, her father in Ohio and mother in New Jersey.

     2.2. State Census Records

          The State of Indiana conducted state census in 1853, 1857, 1871, 1883, 1889, 1901, 1913 and 1921.  These, however, were merely for the purposes of legislative apportionment.

     2.3. Agricultural Census Records

          I have not yet investigated these types of records to see what light they might shed on the Atkinson farm.

3. Military Records

     3.1. Draft Registration

          Not applicable, as Mary was female.

     3.2. Pension Records

          I am not aware of any military service by her husband or father that would have made Mary eligible for military benefits.  Her father did serve in the Civil War, but I don't believe she was ever eligible for any minor's benefits.

     3.3. Service Records

          Not applicable, as Mary was female.

4. Land Records

     4.1. Deed Records

          Deed records need to be thoroughly searched in Jay County, Indiana and Mercer County, Ohio to see what items might mention Mathias and Mary. Will add this to my "to-do" list for my next research trip.

     4.2. Plat map / county map

          Plat maps for Jay County, Indiana and Mercer County, Ohio need to be searched as well.  Will contact the local historical society to see what information they might have on Mary and Mathias.

5. Supplemental records

     Supplemental records available for research on Mary include city/county directories, court records and will and probate records.  Will add these to my "to-do" list for my next research trip.

     In 1907, Mary was listed as resident of Section 7, Madison Township, Jay County, Indiana¹⁰, living on 98 acres.

     In 1922, Mary was listed as a resident of Madison Township, Jay County, Indiana¹¹, in the biographical sketch of her father.

     In 1922, Mary was listed as a resident of Salamonia, Jay County, Indiana¹², in the obituary of her sister, Bertha.

     In 1923, Mary was listed as a resident of Madison Township, Jay County, Indiana¹³, in the obituary of her husband.

Sources :

1. "Ohio, Births and Christenings, 1821-2003." Index and images. FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org) accessed 18 April 2013, Darke County, Ohio Birth Registers with index 1863-1878 vol. 1.
2. Mary Elsie Atkinson obituary, Commercial-Review, Portland, Indiana, USA, June 5, 1942, page 1.
3. Jay County, Indiana, Original Marriage License, "Mathias J. Atkinson to Elsie Lemasters, 1894"; County Marriage Returns Collection; Jay County Historical Society, Portland, Indiana.
4. 1940 U.S. census, Mercer County, Ohio, population schedule, Ft. Recovery, enumeration district 54-26, SD 4, sheet 1A, household 4, digital images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 23 April 2013); National Archives, Washington, D.C.
5. Luman W. Leamasters household, 1930 U.S. census, population schedule, Madison township, Jay County, Indiana, ED 38-8, SD 5, sheet 6A, dwelling 127, family 127; National Archives micropublication T626, roll 595.
6. Mathias J. Atkinson household, 1920 U.S. census, Jay County, Indiana, population schedule, Madison Township, ED 72, SD 67, sheet 5, dwelling 54, family 54; National Archives micropublication T625, roll 440.
7. 1910 U.S. census, Jay County, Indiana, population schedule, Madison Township, enumeration district 67, SD 8, sheet 4B, dwelling 87, family 89; digital images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 23 April 2013); National Archives, Washington, D.C.
8. Mathias J. Atkinson household, 1900 U.S. census, Jay County, Indiana, population schedule, Madison township, ED 62, SD 67, sheet 3, dwelling 63, family 64; National Archives micropublication T623, roll 380.
9. 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.
10. Complete Directory of Jay County (Portland, Indiana, USA: M. & M. Directory Co., 1907), page 230.
11. 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), page 197.
12. Mrs. John H. Yeager obituary, Commercial-Review, Portland, Indiana, USA, March 17, 1922, page 2.
13. M.J. Atkinson obituary, Portland Commercial-Review, Portland, Indiana, USA, August 25, 1923, page 1.

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.

Correcting Birth Date Mary Elsie LeMaster (1873 Darke County, Ohio)

While preparing an analysis for my paternal great-grandaunt, Mary Elsie (LeMaster) Atkinson, I was searching for documentation of her birth in FamilySearch's birth record database for Ohio.  My database had her birth date as April 25, 1872 in Rose Hill, Darke County, Ohio, so I knew she should be listed.

Unable to find her in the index, I decided I would browse the individual county records for Darke County and see what they had.  Fortunately, they did have a birth volume that would cover the time period when she was born.

The volume had an index, and I was able to locate her.  Her name was mispelled as Mary E. Leamaster.  

Thinking that was why she wasn't indexed, I went back the main search screen at FamilySearch and tried to find her.  No such luck.

Going back to the index, and then paging through the volume, I did find her birth record, and a surprise.  The date I had was totally wrong.  Her birth was listed as February 15, 1873 instead of April 25, 1872, which was what her obituary had stated.  What a discrepancy.  Another good reason to seek multiple sources for a fact and dig until you get the original record.

Source : "Ohio, Births and Christenings, 1821-2003." Index and Images.  FamilySearch. (https://familysearch.org) accessed 18 April 2013, Darke County, Ohio Birth Registers with index 1863-1878 vol. 1.

Marriage License & Return: Mathias J. Atkinson to Elsie Lemasters, 1894

Source: Jay County, Indiana, Original Marriage License, "Mathias J. Atkinson to Elsie Lemasters, 1894"; County Marriage Returns Collection; Jay County Historical Society, Portland, Indiana.

MARRIAGE LICENSE

STATE OF INDIANA JAY COUNTY, SS:

To All Who Shall See These Presents - Greeting:

Know Ye, That any person empowered by law to solemnize Marriages, is hereby authorized to join together, as Husband and Wife,

Mathias J. Atkinson and Elsie Lemasters

and for so doing this shall be his sufficient authority.

In Testimony, Whereof, I J.A.M. Adair, Clerk of the Jay Circuit Court, hereunto subscribe my name and affix the seal of said Court, at Portland this 15'' day of September 1894

J.A.M. Adair Clerk

STATE OF INDIANA, JAY COUNTY, SS:

This Certifies, That I joined in Marriage as Husband and Wife, 

Mathias J. Atkinson and Elsie Lemasters

on the 15" day of Sept. 1894

S.A. Armstrong, Min.

Source: Jay County, Indiana, Original Marriage Return, "Mathias J. Atkinson to Elsie Lemasters, 1894"; County Marriage Returns Collection; Jay County Historical Society.

MARRIAGE RETURN

1. Full name of GROOM Mathias J. Atkinson

2. Place of residence Madison Tp. Jay Co.

3. Age next birthday 30 years

4. Color White

5. Occupation Farming

6. Place of birth Madison Tp. Jay Co.

7. Father's name Daniel Atkinson

8. Mother's maiden name Sarah Long

9. No. of groom's marriage First

10. Full name of BRIDE Elsie Lemasters

11. Place of residence Madison Tp. Jay Co.

12. Age next birthday 23 years

13. Color White

14. Place of birth Dark Co. Ohio

15. Father's name Luman W. Lemasters

16. Mother's maiden name Mary K. Chew

17. No. of bride's marriage First

18. Place of marriage Home of L.W. Lemasters

19. By S.A. Armstrong Minister

20. Date of marriage Sept. 15" 1894

This record of the marriage of Mathias J. Atkinson and Mary Elsie Lemasters was located at the Jay County Historical Society in Portland, Indiana.

Mary Elsie was my paternal great grandaunt, the daughter of Luman Walker Lemasters and Mary Keziah Chew.  After their marriage, they remained in Madison Township, Jay County, Indiana, where Mathias was engaged in farming.

On This Day : January 11

1627: Martha RAUSCHENBERGER born in Egenhausen, Wurttemberg. Martha was my 9x great-grandmother.


1655: Thomas CHENEY married Jane ATKINSON in Roxbury, Suffolk County, Massachusetts.  Thomas was the son of William CHENEY and Margaret COLE.  They were my 10x great-grandparents.


1662: Richard HERITAGE married Mary TIMMS.  They were my 10x great-grandparents.


1695: John CRANDALL born.  John was the son of Samuel CRANDALL and Sarah COLBY.


1707: Deborah STILLMAN born.  Deborah was the daughter of George STILLMAN and Deborah CRANDALL.


1712: Peter KOUWENHOVEN born.  Peter was the son of Pieter Willemse VAN KOUWENHOVEN and Patience DAWS.


1721: James WRIGHT born in Falkland, Fife, Scotland.  James was the son of Robert WRIGHT and Elizabeth HENDERSON.


1727: Joseph CLARKE died in Westerly, Rhode Island.  Joseph was the son of Joseph CLARKE and Margaret Turner.  He was my 8x great-grandfather.


1752: William PIERCE born.  William was the son of Josiah PIERCE and Miriam COOK.


1765: Phineas MAXSON born.  Phineas was the son of Samuel MAXSON and Mary DOWNING.


1749: Michael CHEW died in Deptford Township, Gloucester County, New Jersey.  Michael was the son of John CHEW and Sarah JENNINGS.


1793: Steffan PETRY died in York County, Pennsylvania.  Steffan was my 5x great-grandfather.


1795: Joseph HEATON born in Loudon County, Virginia.  Joseph was the son of Thomas HEATON and Sarah TAYLOR.


1835: John Ballinger SMITH born in Greene County, Ohio.  John was the son of Seth SMITH and Nancy CLEMONS.


1836: Cynthia BALES married Samuel Houston MYERS.  Cynthia was the daughter of Solomon BEALS and Elizabeth JOHN.


1838: Jeremiah POE married Margaret BRAY in Morgan County, Indiana.  Jeremiah was the son of John W. POE and Elizabeth RAINS.


1849: Sidney YOUNG born in Green Creek Township, Sandusky County, Ohio.  Sidney was the son of Noah YOUNG and Orlintha BROWN.


1855: William Fleming McLANE married Elizabeth GUFFY in Putnam County, Ohio.  William was the son of George William McLANE and Margaret A. FLEMMING.


1859: John Wesley KING married Mary Catherine HENDRICKS in Madison County, Indiana.  John was the son of William KING and Nancy Ann OWINGS.


1865: Caty CURL died.  Caty was the daughter of Silas WILLIAMS and Mary HUNT.


1866: Ida Bell MILLS born.  Ida was the daughter of Aaron MILLS and Catherine FARMER.


1875: Samuel S. LAMBERTSON born in Preble County, Ohio.  Samuel was the son of Carey W. LAMBERTSON and Clara E. COOK.


1885: Edith SILLS died in Wabash County, Indiana.  Edith was the daughter of Christopher SILLS and Samantha SHELLY.


1889: Eddie DAVIS died in Long Run, West Virginia.  Eddie was the son of Joseph Newton DAVIS and Almeda DAVIS.


1890: Irvin Claude ROCKWELL born.  Irvin was the son of Lynn Lumas ROCKWELL and Beulah Sarah LeMASTERS.


1916: Mary KRATZER died in Schuyler County, Missouri.  Mary was the daughter of James R. HEATON and Elizabeth JACOBS.


1944: Henry MIGUET died.  Henry was the son of Claud Francis MIGUET and Eliza NETCOTT.  He was Corinne's 3x great-grandfather.


1944: Nora Jane McOWEN born and died in Toledo, Lucas County, Ohio. Nora was the daughter of Kermit Laverne McOWEN and Evelyn Myrtle RANDALL.


1950: Edwin Everett CHALFANT died.  Edwin was the son of Solomon Elija CHALFANT and Matilda Gregg MAXON.


2007: Kathryn Virginia BOLDING died.  Kathryn was the daughter of John James CUMMINGS and Zella May MERIDETH.

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.

Sunday's Obituary: Mary Elsie (LeMaster) Atkinson (1872-1942)

Commercial-Review, Portland, Indiana, June 5, 1942, page 1

MARY ATKINSON DIES SUDDENLY


Heart Attack Suffered Friday Morning Proves Fatal


Mrs. Mary Elsie Atkinson, aged 70, died suddenly Friday morning at 10:30 o'clock, from a heart attack while she was preparing for a visit with friends in Ohio.


Death occurred on the LeMaster farm, one mile west of Salamonia, where she had spent the greater part of her life.


The deceased was a daughter of L.W. and Mary K. (Chew) LeMaster, and was born in Darke county, Ohio, April 26, 1872.


On September 15, 1894, she was united in marriage to Mathias J. Atkinson, who preceded her in death, August 24, 1923.


Surviving are a foster son, Albert Franks, of Detroit, Michigan, who was reared in the home, and the following brothers and sisters; Edith, wife of Henry Meinholtz, of Colorado Springs; Maude, wife of Dr. S.W. Phillips, of David City, Nebraska; Arthur (Art) LeMaster, of Portland; and Dr. D.W. LeMaster, of Sidney, Ohio.  Four brothers and two sisters are deceased.


The body was removed to the Williamson funeral home for preparation, and where it will remain.


Funeral arrangements have not been made, awaiting information from relatives.



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.

Sunday's Obituary: Mathias Jefferson Atkinson (1863-1923)

Portland Commercial-Review, August 25, 1923, page 1

M.J. ATKINSON PASSES BEYOND


Mathias Jefferson Atkinson, 59, died Friday afternoon at 3:30 o'clock at his home southwest of Salamonia.  Death was the result of heart trouble, from which he has suffered for the past ten years.  He became seriously ill two weeks ago and for eighty hours before his death was unconscious.  An X-ray taken of his heart a short time ago showed it to be three times its natural size.


The deceased was born in Madison township, November 23, 1863, the son of Daniel and Sarah (Long) Atkinson.  He has made his home on the farm where he died all but two years of his life.


Surviving are the widow, Mary Ellen (LeMaster) Atkinson, and two half sisters, Mrs. Charles Jetter and Mrs. John Van Croft, of near Salamonia.  No children survive.


No funeral arrangements have been made.


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Mathias Jefferson Atkinson was my paternal great-granduncle, the husband of Mary Elsie (LeMASTER) ATKINSON (1872-1942).  Note the obituary listed her name as "Mary Ellen", the first time I have seen it so named.  The obituary lists no children, but family history states they raised a foster child, Albert Frank ATKINSON (1897-    ).




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.

Sunday's Obituary: Bertha Fidelia (LeMaster) Yaeger (1874-1922)

Source: Commercial-Review, Portland, Indiana, March 17, 1922, page 2.

MRS. JOHN H. YEAGER DEAD BRAZIL, IND.

Mrs. Bertha Yaeger, 47, wife of John H. Yaeger of Brazil, Ind., passed away Thursday noon.  She underwent an operation Sunday noon and never recovered.  She was a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. L.W. LeMaster of Salamonia.  Mr. Yaeger was a principal for sixteen years in the schools at Brazil, and also taught in the Madison Township schools.  Mrs. Yaeger was formerly a teacher in the Michigan schools and taught in Portland and Madison Township schools about nineteen years ago.

The deceased is survived by the husband and six children, Clarence, Mary, Helen, John Vernon, George Walker and Luther.  She is also survived by the following brothers and sisters: Mrs. L.L. Rockwell of Fort Recovery; L.C. LeMaster , west of Salamonia; W.C. LeMaster of Denver, Colo.; Mrs. M.J. Atkinson of Salamonia; Mrs. Henry Meinholtz of Alamosa, Colo.; Mrs. S.W. Phillips of David City, Neb.; A.R. LeMaster of Geneva, and Drs. O.O. and V.W. LeMasters, both of Sydney, O.

The body will arrive in this city Saturday and will be taken to the home of Mr. and Mrs. L.W. LeMaster at Salamonia, where it will lie in state until the hour of the funeral.  The complete funeral arrangements will be announced later.

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Note the surname is spelled both Yeager and Yaeger in the same obituary, almost as bad as LeMaster/LeMasters.  The tombstone in Salamonia Cemetery spells the surname Yaeger.

I didn't know that Bertha taught in Michigan, will have to research this as well.

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.

When You Break The Microfilm Reader, It's Time To Go Home

Microfilm reader at Jay County Public Library

My first research trip of 2011 turned out to be a productive one.  I had planned a visit to the Jay County Public Library in Portland, Indiana in order to obtain copies of obituaries from the local newspaper.  Prior to my trip, I had created a "to-do list" using the features of my RootsMagic database.

Though my focus was going to be strictly on obituaries, I decided to contact the Jay County Historical Society via email to see if by chance someone could come in on Saturday and let us look around.  Normally, the museum is only opened through the week.  On my last research trip, the microfilm reader at the library stopped working, and I wanted to have a back up plan in case it was broken again.

My dad wanted to go with me on this trip, and I was excited to have him come along.  He's been getting interested in family history again, reading my blog daily, doing off site research and preparing mini-history books on our ancestors.  We met at 7 a.m. in the morning and headed out to Portland.

Arriving at the library, my cell phone rang and it was Tom Young from the Historical Society letting me know that he could open the museum for us and let us do some research.  We agreed to meet at 10 a.m., so that still gave dad and I a few hours at the library.

As I quickly began to scour the local newspapers, which stretch back into the 1880s, I was pleased with the rate of success.  At only $0.15 per copy, these obituaries are a bargain.  I only wish that the entire collection of these small town newspapers were online somewhere, such as Ancestry, so that I could do an every name search and locate tidbits of information about the daily lives of the families.  The society notes in the earlier newspapers are great sources of information.

Just before 10 a.m., we headed down the Historical Society, where we met Tom.  My dad and Tom graduated from Portland High School in the same class, and as we talked we also realized that we have a distant connection through the Haley-Easterday families.  Tom mentioned that he has read my blog, always nice to hear that as well.  Will have to see what more information I could share with Tom about the Haley and Easterday families.

I wanted to focus on the records of the township schools at the museum, and right away dad found a school photo from 1931-32 of Mt. Zion school in Noble Township that had included his mother, Ruth Pauline Haley.  Fortunately, someone had taken the time to identify each and every person in the photo.  Very serendipitous to find such a picture right off the bat.

We spent about two hours at the museum, where I obtained copies of anniversary notices from the local newspapers, recipes submitted by family members to locally-published cookbooks, funeral home records and marriage supplemental transcript records.  Someone had taken the time to print these from the courthouse and place them in binders at the Historical Society, giving me access to information that normally would have been locked up at the courthouse on a weekend.

It's easy to get so involved in your research that you forget to eat, but around noon we decided that we'd better not overstay our welcome with Tom. We thanked him for letting us research on Saturday, and headed to lunch for a sandwich.

After lunch, we called my aunt Juanita and uncle Harold, and found out they were home.  We were able to visit with them for a good couple of hours, sharing the information we had just discovered.  Dad gave Juanita a booklet he had put together on the Lemasters family, including records on our ancestors' Civil War service.  Harold and Juanita shared some memories about the members of the families in the obits I had discovered.  My cousin Mark and his wife and daughter showed up right as we were leaving, and it was good to see them again.  Dad told them about this blog, so hopefully they will check it out and see some of the information we've discovered.

Then it was back to the library for a couple more hours of research.  Dad was digging into the plat maps and the city directories while I was burning up the microfilm reader printing obituaries.  As in the morning, was able to make great headway.  Just around 4 p.m., however, the microfilm reader decided it was time to surrender.  The reel just refused to advance forward or backwards. That was my cue that it was time to call it a day.  After notifying the staff of the problems, we decided to pack it in and call it a day.

We called my uncle Paul and aunt Betty, found out they were home, and stopped by for a visit on the way out of town.  We again shared the research and gave them a copy of the family history dad had put together.  Uncle Paul remembered some stories and shared a few tidbits about the family members whose obituaries I had obtained.  Cousin Nancy stopped by and we found out she is getting married in June; also saw cousin Phil briefly.

It was a long day, but a good day from a research standpoint.  Now I just have to source the data, and will post copies of the obituaries on the blog.

Finds from the visit to the Jay County Public Library:

• Information regarding the 1949 polio epidemic in Portland, something I want to document as it affected my family
• Obituary of Patty Lou LeMaster, age 12, from the November 1, 1945 edition of The Commercial-Review.
• Obituary of Maxine Elizabeth LeMaster, age 10, from the April 4, 1931 edition of The Commercial-Review.
• LeMaster, Sr., age 77, from the January 14, 1980 edition of The Commercial-Review.
• Obituary of Clarence Harrison LeMaster, age 75, from the November 29, 1963 edition of The Commercial-Review.
• Obituary of Elvin Cooper LeMaster, age 87, from the May 17, 2000 edition of The Commercial-Review.
• Obituary of Garth Luman LeMaster, Sr., age 76, from the February 6, 1998 edition of The Commercial-Review.
• Obituary of Bertha A. (LeMasters) Hercules, age 69, from the January 2, 1962 edition of The Commercial-Review.
• Obituary of John Leland LeMaster, Jr., age 50, from the March 28, 1973 edition of The Commercial-Review.
• Obituary of William A. LeMaster, age 54, from the October 16, 1978 edition of The Commerical-Review.
• Obituary of Roger A. LeMaster, age 45, from the March 6, 1972 edition of The Commercial-Review.
• Obituary of Bertha (LeMasters) Yaeger, age 47, from the March 17, 1922 edition of The Commercial-Review.
• Obituary of Beulah S. (LeMasters) Rockwell, from the July 18, 1940 edition of The Commercial-Review.
• Obituary of Catherine Elizabeth (Lemasters) Wehrly, from the December 26, 1911 edition of The Commercial-Review.
• Obituary of Ralph V. LeMaster, age 73, from the February 1, 1996 edition of The Commercial-Review.
• Obituary of Floyd LeMasters, Sr., from the February 12, 1982 edition of The Commercial-Review.
• Obituary of Mary Elsie (LeMasters) Atkinson, age 70, from the June 5, 1942 edition of The Commercial-Review.
• Obituary of Ord Otterbein LeMasters, from the September 15, 1937 edition of The Commercial-Review.
• Obituary of Rachel (Lemasters) Cunningham, from the March 12, 1913 edition of The Commercial-Review.
• Obituary of Maude (LeMasters) Phillips, from the September 16, 1968 edition of The Commercial-Review.
• Obituary of Matthias Jefferson Atkinson, age 59, from the August 25, 1923 edition of The Commercial-Review.
• Obituary of Ferry Mae (Bickel) LeMaster, age 86, from the July 21, 1978 edition of The Commercial-Review.
• Obituary of Ora Lee (Brady) LeMaster, age 87, from the April 16, 2008 edition of The Commercial-Review.
• Obituary of Clara L. (Burkey) LeMaster, age 90, from the October 31, 1985 edition of The Commercial-Review.
• Obituary of Dr. William Anderson Chew, from the January 7, 1914 edition of The Commercial-Review.
• Obituary of Carrie V. (Haley) Thornburg, age 98, from the August 6, 2003 edition of The Commercial-Review.
• Obituary of Larry LeMaster, age 24, from the February 28, 1974 edition of The Commercial-Review.
• Wedding announcement of Ora Lee Brady and Garth L. LeMaster from the May 11, 1942 edition of The Commercial-Review.

Finds from the visit to the Jay County Historical Society:

• Photograph of my grandmother, Ruth Pauline Haley, int he Mt. Zion School of Noble Township, 1931-32.
• Funeral record of Frank Haley, August 1, 1937 from the Baird Funeral Home.
• Marriage supplemental record of Pearl M. Metzner to Edward H. Baumgartner from June 2, 1915.
• Marriage supplemental record of Archibald E. Chew from October 27, 1909.
• Marriage supplemental record of Mamie Petry from October 12, 1907.
• 45th Anniversary announcement of Mr. and Mrs. Lisle Wehrly, from April 1, 1969.
• 50th Anniversary announcement of Mr. and Mrs. Vern Haley, from March 3, 1966.
• LeMaster entries in the 1927 Jay County Directory
• LeMaster entries in the 1941 Portland, Indiana City Directory
• LeMaster entries in the 1949 Portland, Indiana City Directory

I'm looking forward to planning out my next research trip.