52 Weeks of Abundant Genealogy : Life Experiences

Week 5 - Life Experiences : Sometimes the challenges in life provide the best learning experiences.  Can you find an example of this in your own family tree?  Which brick wall ancestor are you most thankful for, and how did that person shape your family history experience?

The brickwall ancestor that has intrigued me the most would be Ida Davis (1874-1900), my maternal 2x great-grandmother.  Though she died at a very young age, she left behind a lot of mysteries.  The biggest ones are the parentage of her two children, Pansy and June.  June was my great-grandmother.

Photo of Ida Davis (1874-1900) and daughter June

Though I've attempted to document her life through records I've been able to find, unfortunately there is no one left around who knows the true stories surrounding the parentage of her children.  Perhaps there is still a court record  to be found - an in-depth research trip to Owen and Monroe County, Indiana courthouses is on my "bucket list".

Probably the most intriguing recent find was locating her in the 1900 census of Marion County, Indiana staying at the "Door of Hope" rescue mission.  I'm 99% sure that this record is her.   Great-grandmother June's birth certificate in Indianapolis provides more mysteries when it spells out her parents as Atkinson and Ida Davis.   Was Atkinson a surname or a first name?

A few different men have been speculated as June's father through family legend.  Photographs of the mysterious gentlemen identified as either Frank Fletcher or Carrie Morris looks strikingly like my great-uncles.  The photograph's Mediterranean appearance, should he be my ancestor, may be the cause for the predominance of dark hair, eyes and skin tone shared by members of my grandmothers family on this side.  One day, I will have DNA testing done to see what interesting mysteries lie within.

When, by age 26, you have at least two husbands, two children and a mysterious past you leave plenty of clues for your descendants.  Ida has kept me intrigued for years, and someday I'm positive I will find the answers.

Surname Saturday : DAVIS

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


Stories and history:


Ahnentafel # 15: June Kirk Davis a.k.a. Gilliland (1898-1951).  June was born June 11, 1898 in Indianapolis, Marion County, Indiana.  She married June 28, 1917 in Monroe County, Indiana to Clemon Beals Lambertson (1898-1994).  Clemon was born October 27, 1898 in Cicero, Hamilton County, Indiana.  They raised 4 children in Elwood, Madison County, Indiana.  Clemon died March 18, 1994 in Anderson, Madison County, Indiana.  June died March 20, 1951 in Elwood, Madison County, Indiana.  Both are buried in the Elwood City Cemetery, Elwood, Madison County, Indiana.


Ahnentafel # 31: Ida Davis (1874-1900).  Ida was born July 2, 1874 in Owen County, Indiana.  She married August 28, 1892 in Monroe County, Indiana to Samuel G. Hancock (1867-     ).  They divorced and she married July 19, 1900 in Monroe County, Indiana to Carvie A. Morris (1853-    ).  The parentage of her two daughters remain unknown, though a Frank Fletcher has been speculated.  Ida died August 2, 1900 in Clay Township, Owen County, Indiana.


Ahnentafel # 62: James Austin Davis (c1850-1909).  James was born circa 1850 in Indiana.  He married July 2, 1873 in Monroe County, Indiana to Mary Ellen Swafford (1854-1932).  Mary Ellen was born August 30, 1854 in Monroe County, Indiana.  They raised two daughters in Monroe and Owen Counties, Indiana.  Mary Ellen died January 28, 1932 in Monroe County, Indiana.  James died June 12, 1909 in Logansport, Cass County, Indiana.


Ahnentafel # 124: Austin Davis (c1824-c1851).  Austin was born circa 1824 in Indiana.  He married February 9, 1850 in Monroe County, Indiana to Fanny Reynolds (c1830-1883).  Fanny was born circa 1830 in Indiana.  They had two children.  Fanny died February 2, 1883 in Spencer, Owen County, Indiana.  Austin died between November 1850 and August 1851 in Owen County, Indiana.


Ahnentafel # 248: John Davis (unk-befNov1845).  John was born in Virginia.  He married before 1824 to Susannah ________ (c1801-aft1860).  Susannah was born circa 1801 in Virginia.  They raised 12 children in Monroe County, Indiana.  Susannah died after the 1860 census in Monroe County, Indiana.  John died before November 1845 in Monroe County, Indiana.


Related blog posts:

• Saturday Night Genealogy Fun: Who is your MRUA?

• June Kirk Davis (Gilliland) Lambertson (1898-1951)

• June Kirk Davis / Gilliland

• Mystery Man : Frank Fletcher or Carrie Morris?

• Fearless Females: Favorite Female Ancestor

• Ida (Davis) (Hancock) Morris (1874-1900)

• James Austin Davis was insane

• Ida D. Hancock - "Door of Hope" - Indianapolis, IN

• Ida Davis (1874-1900)

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

Ida (Davis) (Hancock) Morris (1874-1900)

Ida (DAVIS) (HANCOCK) MORRIS was my maternal 2nd-great grandmother, the wife of both Samuel HANCOCK and Carrie/Carvie MORRIS.


The following facts about Ida's life are known:

• Birth: She was born July 2, 1874 in Owen County, Indiana, the daughter of James Austin and Mary Ellen (SWAFFORD) DAVIS.
• Marriage: She married Samuel G. HANCOCK on August 28, 1892 in Monroe County, Indiana.
• Census: 1900 - believe she is the Ida D. HANCOCK, inmate, at the "Door of Hope", Center Township, Marion County, Indiana.
• Marriage: She married Carvie A. MORRIS on July 19, 1900 in Monroe County, Indiana.
• Death: She died August 2, 1900 in Clay Township, Owen County, Indiana. Cause of death was tuberculosis.
• Burial: She was buried August 2, 1900 in the M.E. Cemetery, Owen County, Indiana.

The following facts need additional research and/or documentation to complete my research:

• Census: 1880 - I have been unable to locate her in the 1880 census.  Her father, Austin, was enumerated in Clay Township, Owen County, Indiana - as insane.  Her mother, Mary, was enumerated in her father's household in Washington Township, Owen County, Indiana as a single woman.  
• Marriage: A copy of her marriage record transcript may provide additional clues.  Would also like to clear up information on Carrie/Carvie MORRIS, as I have been unable to locate records of him after the marriage.
• Obituary: Have been unsuccessful in locating a copy of her obituary in any of the local newspapers of the time.

Ancestry of Ida (Davis) (Hancock) Morris, Ahnentafel # 30 in my ancestry:

Ahnentafel # 60 : James Austin DAVIS (c1850-1909); Monroe Co., IN>Cass Co., IN

Ahnentafel # 120 : Austin DAVIS (c1824-1851); Monroe Co., IN

Ahnentafel # 240: John DAVIS (unk-1845); Virginia>Monroe Co., IN

Related blog posts:

• Saturday Night Genealogy Fun: Who is your MRUA?

• James Austin Davis was Insane

• Ida D. Hancock - "Door of Hope" - Indianapolis, Indiana

• Ida Davis (1874-1900)

• Mystery Man : Frank Fletcher or Carrie Morris?

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun: Who Is Your MRUA?

Randy Seaver over at Genea-Musings has issued another Saturday Night Genealogy Fun challenge: Who is your MRUA - your Most Recent Unknown Ancestor?  Have you looked at your research files recently for this unknown person?  What offline or online sources might you search to help you identify your MRUA?

Here's mine:

Number 15 on my Anhnentafel is June Kirk DAVIS.  I do not know who her father was, but I do know that her mother was Ida DAVIS. Here is a brief outline of what I do know about her parents:

June was born June 11, 1898 in Indianapolis, Marion County, Indiana.  Her birth certificate lists here parents as Atkinson and Ida Davis.  I have found no record of an Atkinson Davis.  I had been told by my grandmother that her mother (June) was an orphan.  June was orphaned when her mother, Ida died August 2, 1900 in Clay Township, Owen County, Indiana.  June was raised by her maternal grandmother and step-grandfather, Mary (SWAFFORD) GILLILAND and her second husband Robert F. GILLILAND.  Both June and her sister took the GILLILAND surname.  June was using the GILLILAND surname when she married Clemon Beals LAMBERTSON on June 28, 1917 in Monroe County, Indiana.  June and Clemon raised their family in Elwood, Madison County, Indiana, where June died on March 20, 1951.  

Speculation in the family has been that June was illegitimate.  At the time of June's birth, Ida was divorced from her husband, Samuel G. HANCOCK, whom she had married in 1892.  I have found a record in the 1900 census for Ida D. HANCOCK, living at the "Door of Hope", apparently a shelter, in Indianapolis, Marion County, Indiana.  June had an older sister, Pansy, who was born December 11, 1894.  I do not know if Pansy and June shared the same father.

June's mother, Ida, remarried on July 19, 1900 in Monroe County, Indiana to Carrie A. MORRIS.  Ida died on August 2, 1900 in Clay Township, Owen County, Indiana of tuberculosis.

A collection of photographs given to me by a cousin showed a mysterious Frank Fletcher, who may be June's father.  The image does bare a resemblance to some of my great-uncles.  I have previously found records of Frank Fletcher in nearby Green County, Indiana in the 1900-1920 census.  Frank Fletcher is mentioned as Pansy's father in her obituary, which states that Pansy was born in Monroe County, Indiana.


I have previously written a post about June Davis here.  I have been unable to locate her in the 1900 census, but did locate her sister Pansy, living with her grandparents in Clay Township, Owen County, Indiana.


If any has any research ideas, I would love to hear them!

June Kirk Davis (Gilliland) Lambertson (1898-1951)

June Kirk DAVIS (GILLILAND) LAMBERTSON was my maternal great-grandmother. She was raised by her grandmother and step-grandfather, and took the GILLILAND surname.

The following facts about June's life are known:

• Birth: June was born June 11, 1898 in Indianapolis, Marion County, Indiana. Her birth certificate lists her parents as Atkinson & Ida Davis.
• Census: 1910 - she is listed in the household of Robert F. GILLILAND of Richland Township, Monroe County, Indiana.
• Marriage: She married Clemon Beals LAMBERTSON on June 11, 1898 in Monroe County, Indiana.
• Census: 1920 - she is listed in the household of Clemon LAMBERTSON in the 2nd ward, City of Elwood, Madison County, Indiana.
• Census: 1930 - she is listed in the household of Clemon LAMBERTSON in the 2nd ward, City of Elwood, Madison County, Indiana.
• Death: June died March 20, 1951 of acute myocardial infarction at Elwood, Madison County, Indiana.
• Obituary: Her obituary appeared in the March 21, 1951 Alexandria Times-Tribune and the March 22, 1951 Elwood Call-Leader.

The following facts need further research and/or documentation to complete my research:

• Census: 1900 - I still have been unable to locate June in the 1900 census. Her sister, Pansy, was living with stepgrandfather, Robert GILLILAND in Clay Township, Owen County, Indiana. Either June was missed, or she is somewhere else. I believe I have her mother, Ida, located in 1900 in Indianapolis at a women's shelter.
• Death: Need to obtain an official copy of her death certificate from the Madison County Health Department.

Ancestry of June Kirk Davis (GILLILAND) LAMBERTSON, Ahnentafel # 15 in my ancestry:

The parentage of June remains unknown. Though her birth certificate lists the name Atkinson & Ida Davis, I have found no records of Atkinson Davis. I believe this was a fabrication. The mystery man, Frank Fletcher, and how he ties into the family remains the subject of more research.

Related blog posts:

• Tombstone Tuesday: Clemon Beals and June Kirk (Gilliland) Lambertson

• June Kirk Davis / Gilliland

• Clemon and June Lambertson

• Clemon, June and Harold Lambertson

• Clemon and June Lambertson family

Mystery Man : Frank Fletcher or Carrie Morris?

This photograph was given to me by my cousin, Lloyd Adams, of Florida. It was part of a collection that his mother, Marie (Gilliland) Adams possessed. The identity of the man is not known for sure, but the photograph was labeled "Fletcher or Morris" suppossedly June Gilliland's father.

June Gilliland (aka Davis) was my great-grandmother. She was the daughter of Ida Davis born July 2, 1874 Owen Co., IN; died August 2, 1900 Clay Twp., Owen Co., IN. Ida Davis was married at least twice : first to Samuel G. Hancock on August 28, 1892 in Monroe Co., IN, and secondly to Carrie A. Morris on July 19, 1900 in Monroe Co., IN.

My great-grandmother, June, was born June 11, 1898 in Indianapolis, Marion Co., IN. Her birth certificate lists her parents as Atkinson & Ida Davis. At the time of June's birth, her mother, Ida was divorced from Samuel Hancock and had not yet married Carrie Morris.

June had an older sister, Pansy Davis, born December 11, 1894. In her obituary in the January 27, 1968 Monticello, IN Herald-Journal, it states that Pansy was born in Elletsville, the daughter of Mr. & Mrs. Frank Fletcher. Who was this mystery Frank Fletcher? How does he fit into the family?

I have found a Frank Fletcher, living in nearby Greene Co., IN in the 1900, 1910 & 1920 with occupation listed as salesman. He was born in Ohio circa 1852-1857, listed as single and living as a boarder in each of these records.