Tombstone Tuesday : Cemetery Serendipity

Had a little bit of experience with some cemetery serendipity when at the Riverside Cemetery in Spencer, Indiana.  Right after I finished photographing the Civil War cannons and the Veterans memorial, I felt drawn to turn to my left.  There I noticed a surname that was familiar and I walked over to the gravesite.

The Schell family plot appeared before me.  Though not a blood relative, I have done research on this family due to their connections.  Elizabeth E. Walker (c1830-1907) who married Dr. Frederick A. Schell had been previously married to Eli Davis, my maternal 4th great-granduncle.

Eli Davis was the son of John and Susannah (Unknown) Davis of Monroe County, Indiana.  I do not have his birthdate, and he may have been born in Virginia.  He was married to Elizabeth E. Walker, daughter of Gideon and Susannah (May) Walker, on 29 April 1848 in Monroe County, Indiana.

Poor Eli died between the time of his marriage and May 1849, when his probate court records indicate he had died.  I know of no children born to Eli and Elizabeth.

Elizabeth married Dr. Frederick A. Schell on 14 February 1850 in Monroe County, Indiana.  They were the parents of at least three children : California, Dorothy and Walker.

Locating the tombstones, I learned that Frederick was a veterans of the Mexican War in Company I of the 16th Infantry, as well as the Civil War as assistant surgeon of the 6th Indiana Cavalry.

Frederick and Elizabeth are buried together next to all three of their children and their son-in-law

Tombstone Tuesday : Faney Languell, Owen County, Indiana

 Over the weekend, as I attended a Patriot Grave Marking for a Revolutionary War patriot at the Riverside Cemetery in Spencer, Owen County, Indiana, I located the tombstone of my maternal 4th-great grandmother.

Fanny Reynolds was born circa 1830 in Indiana, the daughter of Jesse Reynolds and Mary "Polly" Putman.  Some records spell the surname as Runnels.  Fanny married my 4th-great grandfather, Austin Davis on 9 February 1850 in Monroe County, Indiana.  They were the parents of two children.  After Austin died, Fanny married Joseph Languell, whose surname is sometimes spelled Langwell in records.  They were the parents of six children.  While the tombstone has her name as "Faney", census and other records have it as Fanny.

Joseph's marker was on the opposite side of Fanny's.  Interesting to note that both of them died in 1883.  Fanny in June and Joseph in June.  Perhaps there was some illness that brought them down.

There marker was located in Section N of the cemetery.  

Cousin Meet-Up

This weekend, I was at Spencer, Indiana in Owen County for a Patriot Grave Marking with the SAR.

I'd reached out beforehand to my cousin, Shelby, to see if we could meet in person for the first time.  We have been corresponding through email and Facebook for awhile.

At the local McDonald's we were finally able to meet in person.

Shelby is my maternal 3rd cousin 1 generation removed.  Our common ancestor was Ida Davis (1874-1900).  Shelby descends from Ida's daughter Pansy, and I descend from daughter June.

It was nice to meet her in person and share some updates to research.  Additionally, since she now lives in the area where our common ancestors were from, she might be able to help with some on-site research.

Our common ancestral surnames : Gilliland, Davis, Reynolds, Putman, Swafford, Crockett, and Nosler - just to name a few.

An Interesting Cluster of DNA Matches

For years, I've wanted to solve the mystery of who my great-grandmother June's father was - ever since my grandmother first told me the story of how her mother was an orphaned child.  This blog even has a section dedicated to the mystery of Ida Davis and her children's parentage. 

As the above graphic indicates, June's mother was Ida Davis (1874-1900).  By the time Ida passed at age 26, she had two daughters : Pansy and June.  June was my great-grandmother.  Both of these girls were raised by their grandmother, Mary Ellen (Swafford) Davis Gilliland (1854-193) and her 2nd husband, Robert F. Gilliland.  Both girls used the Gilliland surname.

While I continue to search for paper records to document clues as to June's father, when autosomal DNA testing came on the scene I had renewed hope that a nearly 120 year-old mystery might be able to be solved.  I've tested myself and my mother at all the major DNA databases, hoping to utilize the tools to find a connection.

Utilizing the Shared Matching tools at AncestryDNA, I was able to sort my mother's matches with her male cousin "L" on her mother's side.   Because mom and "L" share grandparents, all of their shared matches have to be on either through the genetic upline of either Clemon Lambertson or June Gilliland.  Because I have a rather robust tree, I was able to look at their shared matches and identify several right away and group them into clusters.

The shared matches that I couldn't identify became the ones that I looked more closely at.  One match in particular (M.W.) shared by my mom and Cousin L shares 168cm across 8 segments with mom.  AncestryDNA predicts her in the 3rd-4th cousin range.  Looking at the matches shared with mom and M.W. were many names that were unidentifable.

I began working on building out Quick & Dirty Trees for each of these matches, hoping to find commonality.  Many of these matches only had one or two names in their tree, others were a bit more detailed.  I have scoured them looking for clues in common places and names, hoping to tie them together.  Eventually I was able to tie a couple of them together with common ancestry.

In addition, mom has tested at 23andMe and I was able to find a couple of matches there who also tie into the family tree of the matches at Ancestry.  These matches are distant cousins to each other, but did not know of their connections.

At AncestryDNA, matches M.W., K.H., P.B, and A.S. appear to tie into common ancestry through James Wesley Harris (1862-1926) and Laura Alice Livingston (1860-1942) of Monroe County, Indiana.  Additionally, at 23andMe, matches T.F., K.S. & K.A. also have common ancestry to this couple.

Additional matches at Ancestry further up the line from Harris-Livingston connection include the Vint and Stine families, all of whom have Monroe County, Indiana connections - right in the hotbed of where June's family was living.  I have identified additional matches of mom from these lines on both the Stine and the Vint families.  In the Q&D tree of James Wesley Harris, his mother, Martha Ellen Vint (1840-1918) was the daughter of Wiliam Henry Vint & Sarah Stine.

Recently I was able to have additional cousins test who descend from Clemon and June at AncestryDNA.  They also share common DNA with this cluster of matches.  Cousin A and Cousin B are both my 2nd cousins.

If my Q&D trees are correct, M.W. and K.H. are sisters and P.B. is their 1st cousin. A.S. is the nephew of P.B.  From 23andMe, T.F. is a 2nd cousin to M.W., K.H. & P.B.  K.S. is the son of T.F, and K.A. would be 1st cousin twice removed.

I have worked this tree out using the WATO tool at DNA Painter, trying to figure out a hypothesis.  I need more data, and will be reaching out to other descendants, including those who descend from June's sister, Pansy, to see if we can make the connections work.

While I don't have access to mom's Cousin L's matches to these individuals, I am encouraged by the amount of DNA shared and continue to work the Q&D Tree for more clues to tie in additional matches.  Eventually I will solve the mystery of June's ancestry.

Research Trip to Monroe County, Indiana

Last August, I headed down to the Bloomington area to do research at the Monroe County History Center. I would highly recommend visiting or utilizing this research facility if you have Monroe County, Indiana roots.

I had previously written to the History Center in the past, and they had been very accomodating in regards to providing documents relating to family history.  In preparation for this trip, I had let them know ahead of time that I wanted to look at the following probate records:

*P 101 5 Davis, James Guardianship 1879

*P 102 2 Davis, James Insane 1880

*P 84 5 Davis, James Heirs 1880

*P 87 7 Davis, James Estate 1880

*P 90 4 Davis, James Estate 1880

*P 92 8 Davis, James Estate 1881

*P 93 4 Davis, James Estate 1879 

 *P 236 6 Gilliland, Robert Estate 1916

I was curious if the James Davis listed in these estate records would tie into my Davis family in Monroe County.  Ida Davis' father was James Austin Davis (1850-1909) who was listed as being an inmate in the Owen County, Indiana asylumn in 1880.  Since the Davis family was back and forth between Owen and Monroe Counties, I hoped that the estate records might somehow be related to his condition and guardianship.  The Robert Gilliland estate I was interested in because Robert was the stepfather of Ida Davis.

When I arrived, the museum staff had the records pulled and they were ready for me to look at.  Unfortunately, the James Davis in these estate records was not related to my Davis family at all.  So that was a bust.  

However, the Robert Gilliland estate record was an interesting find.  He died with an estate worth less than $500 in 1916.  Back in 1989, I had written to the Monroe County Clerk's office regarding whether or not they had a will on file for Robert.  The response was that they did not.  Had I been a little wiser in my genealogy research, I would have thought to check for a probate file - which I'm now glad that I have.  Lesson is to always be thinking of additional sources of information and never giving up.  I expect to do a future blog post on the estate of Robert Gilliland.

At the History Center, I was able to then begin searching for other family records that might be relevant to the family, and I was able to get copies made of several land records that I will explore in future posts.

One item of interest was a copy of the marriage license of my great-grandparents, Clemon Beals Lambertson and June Gilliland, which I didn't previously have a copy of.

There was also a photo album of related families where I located a photograph of Everett Gilliland, who would be June's half-brother.

After spending several hours at the museum making copies of land records for future examination, I decided to head over to Elletsville and visit the cemetery where June's mother, Ida, and her grandparents were buried.  It had been probably twenty years since I had been over that way.

The Methodist Cemetery in Elletsville isn't hard to find, in a pretty nice area and was easy to walk around.  I went around and took pictures of known ancestors and any one who had names that looked familiar for further research.

Above is the stone for Robert Gilliland and his second wife, Mary Ellen (Swafford) Gilliland.  Mary was my 3rd-great grandmother.  Her daughter, Ida Davis, is part of my biggest family mystery.  Ida's death certificate indicates that she is also buried in this cemetery, likely near this marker, though there is no stone for her.  The two infants stones in front of Robert & Mary's stone are for Robert & Mary's grandchildren : William Dorris Gilliland (1912-1914), son of William Everett & Maude (Arthur) Gilliland and William Harrell Gilliland (1928-1928), son of William Everett & Florence (Arthur) Gilliland.

Somewhere in this plot is where I believe that Ida is buried.  Logically, since she was 26 at the time, and this is a family plot, she should be here.  But why no stone?  Likely due to cost.  I have tried to obtain records of burials at the cemetery, but no such luck.

As I left, I couldn't help but wonder if my 3rd-great grandmother's spirit wasn't guiding me in some manner, since it turned out the date of my trip to visit her grave was on her birthday.

The Ultimate Sacrifice

Today in the United States it is Memorial Day, a day to remember and recognize those who have given the ultimate sacrifice while in military service to our country.  

Looking through my RootsMagic database, I found the following individuals who gave the ultimate sacrifice (undoubtably, not a complete list) :

• Daniel Beals (1822-1863), died in Louisville, KY while a member of Company A, 101st Indiana Infantry during the Civil War.  He was the son of Nathan C. & Elizabeth (Chew) Beals, making him my maternal 4th-great granduncle.
• Samuel Chew (c1743-1778), died in Connecticut during the Revolutionary War while serving in the Continental Navy.  He was the son of Thomas & Martha (Taylor) Chew, making him my maternal 7th-great granduncle. The USS Chew was named in his honor.
• Joseph Davis ( -1777), died in New York City after capture by the British on 13 Feb 1777, while serving in the 1st Regiment out of Monmouth, New Jersey.  He was the son of Thomas & Bethia (Maxson) Davis, making him my paternal 1st cousin 8 times removed.
• Johann Jacob Deutsch (1821-1863), died of yellow fever while serving in Company D, 13th Connecticut Infantry during the Civil War.  He was the 4th-great grandfather of my daughter, Corinne.
• John W. Duffey (1845-1863), died at Cumberland Gap while serving in Company G, 118th Indiana Infantry during the Civil War.  He was the son of Daniel L. & Susanna (Freese) Duffey, making him Eileen's 2nd-great granduncle.
• John Wesley King (1837-1865), died at Paducah, Kentucky while serving in Company G, 17th Indiana Volunteer Infantry during the Civil War.  He was the son of William & Nancy (Owings) King, making him my maternal 3rd-great granduncle.
• John Cooper LeMaster (1934-1953), Marine Pfc., killed in action in Korea.  He was the son of Donald Cooper & Luella (Gibbons) LeMaster, making him my paternal 2nd cousin.
• Gurdon Lord Pierce (1841-1864), died at Cold Harbor while serving as Lt. of Company C, 112th New York Volunteers.  He was the son of Austin & Mary Ann (Sterlin) Pierce, making him my maternal 1st cousin 5 times removed.
• Reuben Sherman (1845-1864), died at Andersonville Prison while serving in 135th Ohio Infantry.  He was the son of Lorenzo & Sophia (Moulton) Sherman, making him my paternal 1st cousin 4 times removed.
• Frederick Charles Wildt (1921-1944), killed in action 20 Jul 1944 in France.  He was the son of Arthur & Anna Magdalena (Damm) Wildt, making him Corinne's great-granduncle.

Looking over this list, I am honored by their sacrifice and proud of their history.  Though I have the service records for some, there are many in this list that I need to document their time in service.

June Kirk (Gilliland) Lambertson (1898-1951), Adoptive Surname, 52 Ancestors # 8

June Gilliland

The eighth ancestor in my 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks project is my maternal great-grandmother, June Kirk (Gilliland) Lambertson (1898-1951). Previously, I'd written about the details of her life in an Exploratory Data post.

June's origin story has been the subject of the first major mystery in my genealogy research.  Her daughter, my grandmother, told me that June was an orphan, but there was more to that story.  June's father's name remains unknown at this point, and this post will tell how she came to have the Gilliland surname. 

June's birth certificate

June was born in Indianapolis, Marion County, Indiana on June 11, 1898.   Her birth announcement lists the fact that she was born at the "Door of Hope", which was associated with the Wheeler Mission in Indianapolis.  Her birth certificate lists her as "Infant (female) Davis" and her parents are listed as Atkinson and Ida Davis.  The search for just exactly who June's father was continues, with previous posts on the subject here and here. 

Ida (Davis) Hancock Morris (1874-1900), June's mother, has an entire section devoted to the mysteries of her life on this blog.  She died when June was just two years old, leaving her an orphan.  June also had older sister, Pansy.

Both June and Pansy were taken in and raised by Ida's mother, Mary Ellen (Swafford) Davis Gilliland (1854-1932).  Mary raised her two granddaughters, Pansy and June alongside the two children she had with her second husband, Robert Farrell Gilliland (1850-1916).

June Gilliland

I've not yet located any formal documentation that states that June was formally adopted by her grandmother and step-grandfather, or when exactly she started going by the Gilliland surname.  These records may either be located in Monroe or Owen Counties, Indiana.

June has not yet been located in the 1900 census, but her sister Pansy was found living with the Gilliland's and listed with the surname Davis in Clay Township, Owen County, Indiana.

At the time of the 1910 census in Richland Township, Monroe County, Indiana, June was listed as the step-granddaughter in the Robert Gilliland household as "June Gilliland".  According to newspaper accounts of her baptism at the Ellettsville Baptist Church in 1911, June was using the Gilliland surname.  When she married my great-grandfather in Monroe County, Indiana on June 28, 1917, she listed her surname as Gilliland.  Pansy was also using the Gilliland surname when she married Peter Decker in 1912.

Clemon and June Lambertson

It's pretty evident that June clearly went by the Gilliland surname from a young age, whether or not she was formally adopted by her grandmother and step-grandfather.  Whether she ever knew who her father was or his surname will never be known.

This explains why we have the Gilliland surname in our family tree though we do not have Gilliland ancestry.

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.

George Wright FAN Club, 1850 census, Brown County, Ohio

George Wright appears in the 1850 census of Washington Township, Brown County, Ohio in dwelling 1556, family 1561.  The census lists George as a 69 year-old farmer, born in Pennsylvania, along with his wife, Elizabeth, age 68, also born in Pennsylvania.

In focusing on his FAN (Friends, Associates & Neighbors) club, I’ve looked into the neighboring ten households before and ten households afterwards to ensure that I’m covering all of his close neighbors.  What I’ve discovered is that, as expected, many of these families are inter-connected through marriage and have been part of the same network for several years.

In this analysis, I started with George’s household and then moved to through the ten households prior before picking up and working on the ten households after his enumeration.

Living in the same household as George and his wife, Elizabeth, are four other Wrights, including Samuel P., age 33, farmer, born in Ohio.  This is George’s known son. [His middle name was Pangburn, a potential clue to another family relationship.]  Samuel’s wife, Rebecca R., age 24, born in Ohio and their two children: Elizabeth S., aged 4, born in Ohio and George H., age 2, born in Ohio complete the household.

Next door is the family in dwelling 1555, family 1560 headed by John Wright, age 35, farmer, born in Ohio.  This is also George’s known son.  John’s wife, Anne, age 34, born in Ohio and their five children : Elizabeth J., age 14, born in Ohio; Joseph, age 12, born in Ohio; Nancy, age 9, born in Ohio; Mary, age 7, born in Ohio and Maxamelia, age 4, born in Ohio complete the household.  [These names all match the 1883 sketch of John Wright’s family in the History of Brown County, Ohio.  I descend from John’s son, Joseph.]

The family in dwelling 1554, family 1559 is headed by John Robbins, age 52, farmer, born in Pennsylvania.  Living in the household are Mary, age 23, born in Ohio; William, age 20, born in Ohio; Elizabeth, age 19, born in Ohio; Sarah, age 17, born in Ohio; George, age 14, born in Ohio; Cecilia, age 12, born in Ohio; Amos, age 6, born in Ohio; and Lydia, age 4, born in Ohio. [Could this be a brother to George's wife, Elizabeth Robins/Robbins?]

The family in dwelling 1553, family 1558 is headed by William P. Hindman, age 24, born in Ohio.  Living in the household are Amanda, age 25, born in Ohio and Caroline A., age 2, born in Ohio.

The family in dwelling 1552, family 1557 is headed by Allen Hendrixson, age 33, farmer, born in Kentucky.  Living in the household are Sarah, age 30, born in Ohio; Elizabeth, age 9, born in Ohio; George, age 8, born in Ohio; William M., age 5, born in Ohio; Nancy, age 2, born in Ohio and Susana, age 6 months, born in Ohio. [Allen Hendrixson married Sarah Ann Wright on October 24, 1839 in Brown County, Ohio.  Sarah was the daughter of George and Elizabeth (Robins) Wright]

The family in dwelling 1551, family 1556 is headed by William Hindman, age 62, farmer, born in Kentucky.  Living in the household are Nancy, age 58, born in Pennsylvania;  William, age 7, born in Indiana; as well as Martha J. Huggins, age 32, born in Ohio; Vilena Huggins, age 8, born in Ohio; and Eveline Davis, age 15, born in Ohio.   

The family in dwelling 1550, family 1555 is headed by Mary Robins, age 50, born in Ohio.  Living in the household are John, carpenter, age 26, born in Ohio; Josiah, carpenter, age 25, born in Ohio; Samuel, carpenter, age 19, born in Ohio; Lucinda, age 17, born in Ohio and William M., farmer, age 15, born in Ohio.

The family in dwelling 1549, family 1554 is headed by Jonathan W. Riley, age 26, miller, born in Ohio.  Living in the household are Olive, age 29, born in Ohio; John O., age 4, born in Illinois and Rosella, age 2, born in Ohio.

The family in dwelling 1548, family 1553 is headed by John W. Riley, age 60, miller, born in North Carolina.  Living in the household are Sarah, age 58, born in Kentucky; Elizabeth, age 24, born in Ohio and Thirza, age 17, born in Ohio.

The family in dwelling 1547, family 1552 is headed by Thomas Purdy, age 28, farmer, born in Pennsylvania.  Living in the household are Lucinda, age 24, born in Ohio, and William T., age 2, born in Ohio.

The family in dwelling 1546, family 1551 is headed by William Wilson, age 50, farmer, born in Virginia.  Living in the household are Sarah, age 49, born in Pennsylvania; Elizabeth, age 22, born in Ohio; Sarah A., age 16, born in Ohio; Martin, age 14, born in Ohio; Josiah, age 9, born in Ohio and Letty J., age 7, born in Ohio.

This ends the enumeration of the ten households prior to George Wright in Washington Township, Brown County, Ohio in the 1850 census.  Next I will focus on the ten households afterwards.

The family in dwelling 1557, family 1562 is headed by John T. Reeves, age 38, farmer, born in Ohio.  Living in the household are Eliza, age 39, born in Ohio; Frances, age 19, born in Ohio; William R., age 16, born in Ohio; Rebecca, age 14, born in Ohio; John R., age 7, born in Ohio; Daniel Smith, age 19, laborer, born in Ohio and Sybil Jacobs, age 81, born in Virginia. [John T. Reeves married Elizabeth Jacobs, daughter of William & Sybil (Little) Jacobs - another branch of my family.]

The family in dwelling 1558, family 1563 is headed by James Calvin, age 39, farmer, born in Ohio.  Living in the household are Matilda, age 30, born Ohio; David, age 12, born in Ohio; Mary J., age 8, born in Ohio; Christena, age 6, born in Ohio; Martha J., age 4, born in Ohio and John T., age 2, born in Ohio.

The family in dwelling 1559, family 1564 is headed by Jane Calvin, age 66, born in Virginia.  Living in the household are Albert, age 32, farmer, born in Ohio; Robert, age 30, farmer, born in Ohio; Luther, age 28, farmer, born in Ohio and Jane, age 26, born in Ohio. [Believe this is the Jane Wardlow who married Joseph Calvin January 12, 1805 in Clermont County, Ohio.  Jane was the daughter of Robert & Janet (Downey) Wardlow.]

The family in dwelling 1560, family 1565 is headed by Morris Vance, age 33, farmer, born in Ohio.  Living in the household are Nancy, age 33, born in Ohio; Margaret, age 10, born in Ohio; Jane, age 9, born in Ohio; James H.P., age 5, born in Ohio; John, age 3, born in Ohio; Joseph, age 1, born in Ohio and Abraham S., aged 1 month born in Ohio.  [Morris Vance married Nancy Calvin, daughter of Joseph & Jane (Wardlow) Calvin.]

The family in dwelling 1561, family 1566 is headed by Margaret Wardlow, age 44, born in North Carolina.  Living in the household are Elizabeth J., age 17, born in Ohio; Catherine S., age 14, born in Ohio; Jacob W., age 12, born in Ohio; Margaret, age 9, born in Ohio;  James, age 7, born in Ohio and Thomas G., age 3, born in Ohio. [Believe this is Margaret (Hoss) Wardlow, who married Philander Wardlow on December 26, 1822 in Brown County, Ohio.  He died August 25, 1847 and was the son of William and Isabel (Nesbit) Wardlow.]

The family in dwelling 1562, family 1567 is headed by Matilda Wardlow, age 30, born in Ohio.  Living in the household is Isabella, age 70, born in Virginia and David, age 17, born in Ohio.  [Believe this is Matilda, daughter of William and Isabel (Nesbit) Wardlow.]

The family in dwelling 1563, family 1568 is headed by Ellis M. Dye, age 41, farmer, born in Ohio.  Living in the household are Margaret, age 38, born in Ohio; Sarah J., age 16, born in Ohio; James H., age 14, born in Ohio; Matilda A., age 12, born in Ohio; David G., age 9, born in Ohio; Noah E., age 7, born in Ohio; Mary A., age 5, born in Ohio; Mary A., age 5, born in Ohio; John R., age 3, born in Ohio and Henry P., age 1, born in Ohio.

The family in dwelling 1564, family 1569 is headed by Patrick Vance, age 43, farmer, born in Ohio.  Living in the household is Rebecca, age 43, born in Ohio; Ruth, age 20, born in Ohio; John, age 18, born in Ohio; Elizabeth, age 16, born in Ohio; David, age 12, born in Ohio; Daniel, age 10, born in Ohio; McKea, age 8, born in Ohio; William W., age 5, born in Ohio and Jesse H., age 2, born in Ohio.

The family in dwelling 1565, family 1570 is headed by William Vance, age 46, farmer, born in Kentucky.  Living in the household is Margaret J., age 25, born in Ohio; Joseph C., age 23, farmer, born in Ohio; Lydia A.M., age 19, born in Ohio; Mary M., age 17, born in Ohio; Sysena, age 15, born in Ohio; Sophrona, age 12, born in Ohio; William H.H., age 10, born in Ohio; Thomas C.H., age 6, born in Ohio; Lafayette S., age 4, born in Ohio; and Hanson L.P., age 1, born in Ohio.

The family in dwelling 1566, dwelling 1571 is headed by Hysom Moler, age 34, farmer, born in Kentucky.  Living in the household is Nancy A., age 27, born in Ohio; Thomas S., age 8, born in Ohio; James L., age 6, born in Ohio; Matilda A., aged 3, born in Ohio; Henry H., age 1, born in Ohio and Margaret, age 16, born in Ohio.

I will be adding these names and family members to my spreadsheet of George's FAN club and begin searching for additional clues that might tie them to George, either through marriage or land records.  

If you have any connection or are related to any of these families, I would love to hear from you.

Elvin Cox household, 1940, Butler County, Kansas

Located the 1940 census record of the Elvin Cox household in Butler County, Kansas.  Elvin is my maternal 3rd cousin 4 times removed.  Our common ancestors are Charles Davis and Hannah Piggott.  He is also my 6th cousin 5 times removed through James Brown and Honour Clayton.  His wife, Lavina, is my 1st cousin 5 times removed through John W. Davis and Mary Barker.  Hannah's parents were Nathan Davis and Dinah Kemp Hobson.  Elvin's parents were Reuben Cox and Eliza Jane Pearson.

1940 U.S. census, Butler County, Kansas, population schedule, Richland Township, enumeration district (ED) 8-40, SD 5, sheet 1B, household 156, ; digital images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 21 February 2017); National Archives, Washington, D.C..

At the time of the enumeration, Elvin and his wife were living in Richland Township.  The census states that Elvin owned his home and that it was a farm valued at $1000.  Elvin was 64 years old and born in Kansas.  His wife, Lavina, was 64 years old and born in Indiana.  In 1935 their residence was the same place.

The record shows that Elvin had completed the 8th grade and that Lavina had completed 4 years of high school. Elvin's occupation was listed as a farmer, and Lavina had no occupation listed.

According to my database, they were the parents of nine children, none of whom were living with them in the 1940 census.  Their names were : Genevieve, Evadne, Waldena, Kermitt Merrill, Marcella, Rhonda, Elvin Smilas, Victor S., and Vestal H.

If you have any additional information or are related to this family, I'd love to hear from you.

FTDNA Cousin Results

My two maternal first cousins recently tested at FamilyTreeDNA, and the above chart show the amount of DNA they share with me.

Cousin Kellie shares more DNA with me than her brother.  At 1204.82 cm, she is actually a little above the normal expected range for a first cousin.  Cousin James shares 1046.75 cm with me.

By comparison, great aunt Ruby shares 998.10 cm of shared DNA with me.

I am currently working on extracting the In Common With matches that Kellie and James have with me.  Any of these matches should match on either the Wright or the Lambertson side.

Likewise, by comparing their matches with myself and Ruby's matches, we can also narrow down those that match on the Lambertson or Davis side.  I'm hoping that their DNA is one more step towards solving the parentage of June Davis Gilliland Lambertson.

Mom's Patriot Ancestors

Another one of my genealogy goals for 2016 includes working towards documenting descent for admission into heredity societies.  For instance, mom had recently asked if it was possible to prove descent for her to become a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR).  We have those patriot ancestors, but it will just be a matter of documentation.

In order to facilitate the process, I went to the DAR's website and their Patriot Ancestor search engine, searching for individuals in mom's line that might have been recognized as Patriots.  I was able to locate several ancestors.  There may be more that have served but aren't recognized yet, but I wanted to start with the lines that were already recognized and prove descent from them.

Here are the Patriot Ancestors found that mom descends from:

NICHOLAS BARKER - A006109 

Nicholas was recognized for patriotic service from Guilford County, North Carolina for furnishing supplies.  

Line of descent : Nicholas Barker & Hannah Allen>Abner Barker & Lydia Osborne>Mary Barker & John W. Davis>Mary Davis & John T. Beals>Nathan T. Beals & Elizabeth C. Poe>Pearl M. Beals & Charles W. Lambertson>Clemon B. Lambertson & June K. Davis>Bonnie M. Lambertson & William L. Wright>mom

JOHN CORBIN - A025944

John was recognized for patriotic service from Culpepper County, Virginia for furnishing supplies.

Line of descent : John Corbin & Frances Fant>Frances Corbin & Benjamin Kendrick>Elizabeth Kendrick & James Putman>Mary Putman & Jesse Reynolds>Fanny Reynolds & Austin Davis>James A. Davis & Mary E. Swafford>Ida Davis & unknown>June K. Davis & Clemon B. Lambertson>Bonnie M. Lambertson & William L. Wright>mom

DAVID CROCKETT - A027938

David was recognized for patriotic service from the Watauga Settlement, Washington District, North Carolina as a signer of the Watauga Petition in 1776.

Line of descent : David Crockett & Elizabeth Hedge>Alexander Crockett & Elizabeth Watkins>David Crockett & Mary Ann Nosler>Mary Ann Crockett & Peter K. Swafford>Mary E. Swafford & James A. Davis>Ida Davis & unknown>June K. Davis & Clemon B. Lambertson>Bonnie M. Lambertson & William L. Wright>mom

JOHN DAVIS - A030436

John was recognized for patriotic service from Hillsborough District, North Carolina for payment for services rendered.

Line of descent : John Davis & Mary Chamness>Charles Davis & Hannah Piggott>John W. Davis & Mary Barker>Mary Davis & John T. Beals>Nathan T. Beals & Elizabeth C. Poe>Pearl M. Beals>Charles W. Lambertson>Clemon B. Lambertson & June K. Davis>Bonnie M. Lambertson & William L. Wright>mom

THOMAS HEATON - A054052

Thomas served as a private from Virginia in the 3rd Company of Captain Peyton in Colonel Heth's 7th Regiment.

Line of descent : Thomas Heaton & Susan Taylor>James R. Heaton & Elizabeth Jacobs>Rebecca A. Heaton & Joseph W. Wright>John W. Wright & Ellen King>Virgil L. Wright & Edna M. Pierce>William L. Wright & Bonnie M. Lambertson>mom

SAMUEL HUTCHINSON SR- A061427

Samuel was recognized for patriotic service from Norwich, Vermont for being a member of the Committee of Safety in 1777.

Line of descent : Samuel Hutchinson & Jemima Dunham>Sarah Hutchinson & Francis Smalley>Thirsa Smalley & Gordon Pierce>Francis S. Pierce & Rebecca Page>Edmund G. Pierce & Catherine Groenendyke>William F. Pierce & Clara A. Penisten>Edna M. Pierce & Virgil L. Wright>William L. Wright & Bonnie M. Lambertson>mom

NICHOLAS KEMMER - A064441

Nicholas served as corporal from Pennsylvania in Captain Finney's 4th Regiment of the Pennsylvania Line.

Line of descent : Nicholas Kemmer & Sarah Fayler>Elizabeth Kimmer & Godfrey Heck>Mary Heck & William Shaw>Elizabeth Shaw & Daniel King>Ellen King & John W. Wright>Virgil L. Wright & Edna M. Pierce>William L. Wright & Bonnie M. Lambertson>mom

MORDECAI MENDENHALL - A077381

Mordecai was recognized for patriotic service from Guilford County, North Carolina for rendering material aid.

Line of descent : Mordecai Mendenhall & Charity Beeson>Charity Mendenhall & Aaron Mills>Henry Mills & Hannah Woodward>Hannah Mills & Isaac S. Poe>Elizabeth C. Poe & Nathan T. Beals>Pearl M. Beals & Charles W. Lambertson>Clemon B. Lambertson & June K. Davis>Bonnie M. Lambertson & William L. Wright>mom

AARON MILLS - A079836

Aaron was recognized for patriotic service from Guilford County, North Carolina for furnishing supplies.

Line of descent : Aaron Mills & Charity Mendenhall>Henry Mills & Hannah Woodward>Hannah Mills & Isaac S. Poe>Elizabeth C. Poe & Nathan T. Beals>Pearl M. Beals & Charles W. Lambertson>Clemon B. Lambertson & June K. Davis>Bonnie M. Lambertson & William L. Wright>mom

HENRY MILLS - A079909

Henry was recognized for patriotic service from Hillsborough District, North Carolina for services rendered.

Line of descent : Henry Mills & Hannah Thornburg>Aaron Mills & Charity Mendenhall>Henry Mills & Hannah Woodward>Hannah Mills & Isaac S. Poe>Elizabeth C. Poe & Nathan T. Beals>Pearl M. Beals & Charles W. Lambertson>Clemon B. Lambertson & June K. Davis>Bonnie M. Lambertson & William L. Wright>mom

SAMUEL NESBIT - A082390

Samuel served as a soldier from Virginia in Capt. Alexander Stewart's Company.

Line of descent : Samuel Nesbit & Mary Berry>Elizabeth Nesbit & Samuel Wardlaw>Anna Wardlow & John Wright>Joseph W. Wright & Rebecca A. Heaton>John W. Wright & Ellen King>Virgil L. Wright & Edna M. Pierce>William L. Wright & Bonnie M. Lambertson>mom

MATTHEW OSBORNE - A084526

Matthew was recognized for patriotic service from Guilford County, North Carolina for services rendered.

Line of descent : Matthew Osborne & Mary Reynolds>Lydia Osborne & Abner Barker>Mary Barker & John W. Davis>Mary Davis & John T. Beals>Nathan T. Beals & Elizabeth C. Poe>Pearl M. Beals & Charles W. Lambertson>Clemon B. Lambertson & June K. Davis>Bonnie M. Lambertson & William L. Wright>mom

ANTHONY RAINES - A093504

Anthony served as a private from Randolph County, North Carolina in the militia under Colonel Lyteral.

Line of descent : Anthony Raines & Nancy Graham>Elizabeth Rains & John W. Poe>Isaac S. Poe & Hannah Mills>Elizabeth C. Poe & Nathan T. Beals>Pearl M. Beals & Charles W. Lamberston>Clemon B. Lambertson & June K. Davis>Bonnie M. Lambertson & William L. Wright>mom

FRANCIS SMALLEY - A105541

Francis served as a private from Vermont under Captains Bush, Hazen and Brush and Colonel Olcott.

Line of descent : Francis Smalley & Sarah Hutchinson>Thirsa Smalley & Gordon Pierce>Francis S. Pierce & Rebecca Page>Edmund G. Pierce & Catherine Groenendyke>William F. Pierce & Clara A. Penisten>Edna M. Pierce & Virgil L. Wright>William L. Wright & Bonnie M. Lambertson>mom

JOSEPH SMALLEY - A105547

Joseph was recognized for his patriotic service from Norwich, Vermont as a Member of the Committee of Safety in 1777 and Sealer of Weights and Measures in 1781.

Line of descent : Joseph Smalley & Jemima Ordway>Francis Smalley & Sarah Hutchinson>Thirsa Smalley & Gordon Pierce>Francis S. Pierce & Rebecca Page>Edmund G. Pierce & Catherine Groenendyke>William F. Pierce & Clara A. Penisten>Edna M. Pierce & Virgil L. Wright>William L. Wright & Bonnie M. Lambertson>mom

ROBERT WARDLAW - A120761

Robert served as private from Virginia and served at the Battle of Guilford Courthouse.

Line of descent : Robert Wardlaw & Janet Downey>Samuel Wardlaw & Elizabeth Nesbit>Anna Wardlow & John Wright>Joseph W. Wright & Rebecca A. Heaton>John W. Wright & Ellen King>Virgil L. Wright & Edna M. Pierce>William L. Wright & Bonnie M. Lambertson>mom

ABRAHAM WOODWARD - A131418

Abraham was recognized for his patriotic service from Guilford County, North Carolina for giving material aid.

Line of descent : Abraham Woodward & Hannah Thornbrough>William Woodward & Elizabeth Millikan>Hannah Woodward & Henry Mills>Hannah Mills & Isaac S. Poe>Elizabeth C. Poe & Nathan T. Beals>Pearl M. Beals & Charles W. Lambertson>Clemon B. Lambertson & June K. Davis>Bonnie M. Lambertson & William L. Wright>mom

Now the hunt begins to documenting the descent from the established lines.  We will meet soon to decided which line we want to pursue first and find out the process for her becoming a member.

If you are related to any of these families or have any additions or corrections, I'd love to hear from you.

Samuel Green Hancock (b.1867) Social Security Application

Searching at Ancestry.com for hints on the Ida Davis mystery, I located some additional information about her husband, Samuel G. Hancock (b.1867).  Thanks to their database on the U.S. Social Security Applications, I found out that his middle name was Green, and that he applied for his Social Security in 1937.

Name:	Samuel Green Hancock
SSN:	315055918
Gender:	Male
Race:	White
Birth Date:	17 Oct 1867
Birth Place:	Owen CO, Indiana
Father Name:	Joseph Hancock
Mother Name:	Margaret M Vaughn
Type of Claim:	Original SSN.
Notes:	Jun 1937: Name listed as SAMUEL GREEN HANCOCK

Previously, the last record I had for Samuel was the 1930 census, when he was a resident of Perry Township, Marion County, Indiana.

Samuel was married to Ida Davis on August 28, 1892 in Monroe County, Indiana.  A suit for divorce was filed in Monroe County, and mentioned in the April 26, 1894 issue of the Bloomington World.  

I've located additional marriages for Samuel in Owen and Marion Counties, Indiana, and at least 3 children, but have yet to find much on them.  Many online trees have tried to connect Samuel as the father of either Ida's daughter Pansy or June, but no hard evidence has appeared.  However, daughter Pansy was born December of 1894, just 8 months after the divorce notice appeared in the newspaper.

If you are related to this family, I would definitely like to hear from you.

Shaky Leaves : Albert F. Adams household, 1930 census Monroe County, Indiana

Albert F. Adams was the husband of my maternal first cousin three times removed, Gladys Marie Gilliland.   Through Ancestry.com hints, I was able to locate their family in the 1930 census of Washington Township, Monroe County, Indiana.

1930 U.S. Census, Monroe County, Indiana, population schedule, Washington Township, enumeration district (ED) 53-25, SD 10, sheet 5A, dwelling 93, family 93, ; digital images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 19 December 2015); National Archives, Washington, D.C..

At the time of the census, Albert owned his own home, valued at $2000, owned a radio, and had been married for 6 years.  His age was listed as 30, and he was born in Indiana, as were both of his parents.  He worked as a laborer in a stone mill.

Wife Gladys was 29 years old, born in Indiana, as were her parents.  She did not have an occupation listed.  Children in the household were Wilma, aged 4 1/12, and Albert E., aged 2 4/12, both born in Indiana.  Albert was also mentioned as a "Junior", but his middle name was Eugene, while his father's was Fritch.

I had already located the family in the 1940 census in the same location.  Their son, Lloyd, was the one who provided me with many photographs of the Ida Davis and Gilliland families.

Gladys was the daughter of William Everett and Maude Nell (Arthur) Gilliland.

If you are related in any way to this family, I would like to hear from you.

Marriage Record: Robert F. Gilliland to Mary Davis, Owen County, Indiana, 1884

"Indiana Marriages, 1811-2007," database with images, FamilySearch(https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XXFV-S4Q : accessed 15 August 2015), Robert Gilliland and Mary Davis, 15 Nov 1884; citing Owen, Indiana, United States, county clerk offices, Indiana; FHL microfilm .

Located the marriage record of my maternal 3rd-great grandmother, Mary Ellen (Swafford) Davis to her second husband, Robert F. Gilliland in Owen County, Indiana while searching at FamilySearch.  Prior to this find, I had thought they were married in neighboring Monroe County.

Mary was the daughter of Peter Kirkpatrick and Mary Ann (Crockett) Swafford.  Robert was the son of William John and Margaret Ann (Wilson) Gilliland.  Both had been previously married.  Robert was previously married to Sarah Kellar in 1879 in Monroe County, Indiana.  Mary was previously married to James Austin Davis in 1873 in Monroe County, Indiana.  Both of these earlier marriages ended in divorce, though I've not yet discovered the records.

I'm not aware of any children that Robert had with Sarah Kellar, but Mary and James Austin Davis had two daughters, Ida (b. 1874) and Delia (b.1877).  Together, Robert and Mary had two children, William Everett Gillilland (b. 1885) and Mary Florence Gilliland (b. 1887).

Later, Robert and Mary helped raise the orphaned daughters of Ida, Pansy and June (my great-grandmother).