Obituary : Gerald Walker LeMaster, Portland Commercial-Review, March 20, 1987

Obituary of Gerald W. LeMaster
Portland, Indiana Commercial-Review
March 20, 1987

FORMER COMMISSIONER GERALD LeMASTER DIES

Gerald W. LeMaster, 91, RR 6, Portland, died Thursday afternoon in Hometown Nursing Home, Celina, following an extended illness.

Born Jan. 15, 1896 in Madison Township, Jay County, he was the son of Luman Cooper and Barbara (Wehrly) LeMaster.  He first married Mabel Kantner. She died on Jan. 3, 1927.  He then married Pearl Smith on Nov. 24, 1929 and she died on March 9, 1984.

LeMaster was a retired farmer and served as a Jay County Commissioner for one term in the 1960s.  He was a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church in Salamonia.  He was a U.S. Army veteran of World War I, where he served in the Calvary {sic}.

LeMaster was a member of the American Legion Post 211 and the Disabled American Veterans, Portland.

Surviving are one son, Robert J. LeMaster, Lorain, Ohio; three daughters, Mary M. Matthews, Emporia, Va., Mrs. Hugh (Roberta) Lenox, Alanson, Mich., and Mrs. Nadine Perry, Portland; one sister, Mary Olive Taylor, Akron, Ohio; one brother, Elvin C. LeMaster, Columbus, Ohio; 13 grandchildren; 25 great-grandchildren; and five great-great grandchildren.

Services are set for 10:30 a.m. Monday in the Portland Chapel of the Williamson and Spencer Funeral Home. Rev. Francis Bock will officiate and burial will follow in the Salamonia Cemetery.  American Legion Post 211 will be in charge of military rites at the cemetery. 

Friends may call at the funeral home from 4 to 9 p.m. on Sunday and prior to services on Monday.

----
Gerald was my paternal granduncle, the older brother of my grandfather, Ord Wehrly LeMaster.

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

John LeMaster : Captain of Graduate Baseball Team

"Graduate Club Forms Two Baseball Teams," The Easterner (Ball State Teachers College), 5 August 1932; online images, Ball State Digitial Media Repository (http://libx.bsu.edu/cdm/ref/collection/BSUDlyNws/id/2758/rec/5 : accessed 7 February 2015), Ball State University Student Newspaper.

Graduate Club Forms Two Baseball Teams

Another baseball league will get under way on the campus with the organization of a two-team league by members of the Graduate club.  John LeMaster of Oakville is captain of one team and Jesse England of Redkey will direct the other.  Games will be at three o'clock on Thursday.

Names have not yet been chosen, as the teams are waiting for a victory before choosing a name.  Both captains are sure of winning the series.

Members of LeMaster's team are the following men: Cushman, Deer, Osborne, Lee Settle, Hoppes, Anderson, Warner, Ritchie and Gibson.

The men on England's team consist of the following: Glancy, Peckinbaugh, Mills, Delph, Caldwell, Cromer, Logan, DeMoss, Branson, Hamilton and Corey.

----
This article ran in the paper of Ball State Teachers College in regards to my paternal great uncle, John Leland LeMaster (1902-1980).  He was an athlete, coach, teacher and principal in his career in east-central Indiana.  At the time of this article, he was living in Oakville, Delaware County, Indiana.  He had previously been basketball coach at Redkey.

The digital archives of Ball State University has quite a few nuggets like this of family history.

 

 

 

 

Clarence LeMaster household, 1940, Jay County, Indiana

Located the 1940 census record of the Clarence LeMaster household in Jay County, Indiana.  Clarence is my paternal great uncle, the son of Luman Cooper LeMasters and Barbara Isabel Wehrly.  His family's enumeration was split over two pages.

1940 U.S. Census, Jay County, Indiana, population schedule, Madison Township, enumeration district (ED) 38-8, SD 5, sheet 9B, household 202, ; digital images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 17 January 2017); National Archives, Washington, D.C.

1940 U.S. Census, Jay County, Indiana, population schedule, Madison Township, enumeration district (ED) 38-8, SD 5, sheet 10A, household 202, ; digital images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 17 January 2017); National Archives, Washington, D.C.

At the time of the enumeration, Clarence and his wife were living in Madison Township.  The census states that Clarence was renting his home for $6 per month and that it was on a farm.  Clarence was 52 years old and born in Nebraska.  His wife, Mae, was 48 years old and born in Indiana.  In 1935 their residence was the same place.

The record shows that Clarence had completed the 7th grade and that Mae had completed the 8th grade. Clarence's occupation was listed as farmer, while Mae had no occupation listed.

Also living in the household were son Garth, age 18, born in Indiana who had completed 3 years of high school, and daughter Vera, age 14, born in Indiana who had completed the 7th grade. 

According to my database, two older children, Kenneth and Mary, were out on their own by the 1940 census, and one had died as an infant.

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

Wordless Wednesday : The Old Tree House

The old treehouse
Ami High, Michelle, LeMaster, Jason LeMaster, Jim McDermitt, Travis LeMaster

Found this old picture of the first tree house/fort that we had at our house.  Standing alongside my neighbors/cousins and my brother and sister.

Baby Steps : LeMaster and Wehrly DNA

Made contact with Jeffrey, an AncestryDNA match who was predicted to be a 3rd cousin to see if we could compare information and chart our common DNA.  Jeff and I are actually 2nd cousins once removed - our common ancestors were Luman Cooper LeMasters and Barbara Isabel Wehrly.

According to AncestryDNA, we shared 189 cM over 10 DNA segments.  Unfortunately, AncestryDNA doesn't give you a chromosome browser to show you exactly which chromosomes we match on.  It's knowing where we match that can help segregate which DNA comes from the LeMaster side.  

I was able to have Jeffrey to upload his AncestryDNA results to the 3rd party site GEDMatch.  Here are the results of the comparison of our DNA:

GEDMatch shows us matching on 8 segments and 192.4 cM.  The differences between AncestryDNA and GEDMatch are due to the cutoff minimum in GEDMatch to be counted as a matching segment.

As you can see, Jeffrey and I match on chromosomes 4,5,6,8,15,18 & 21.  We have a break in chromosome 6 with two long stretches of shared DNA.  

Next, I compared Jeffrey's results with that of my first cousin Debbie to see where they matched each other.

They only match on 4 segments for 62.5 cM.  The matching chromosomes are on 2,8,15 & 16.

I also compared Jeffrey to my dad, to see what DNA they share together.

Jeffrey and my dad share 11 matching segments and 344.5 cM of DNA, much more than he shares with Debbie or myself.  The chromosomes they match on are 3,4,5,6,7,8,10,15,18 & 21 - including two sections on chromosome 6, just like he shared with me.

The common ancestry of all of us testing above are the LeMaster and Wehrly lines, so the DNA we share has to come from these branches or upline from them.  Right now chromosome 6 seems to be behaving very interestingly.

I'm beginning to collect data on matches that I share from the three testing sites to chart out an mark which DNA is coming from which side of the family. This will come in handy for helping those distant matches that triangulate with us in finding the common ancestors.

Wordless Wednesday : Tiny Dancer

Michelle LeMaster, Alexandria, Indiana, 1978

Found this picture of my little sister from 1978 in her dance costume.

DNA : First Cousin Match at AncestryDNA

I haven't written about my AncestryDNA matches, other than a quick post about my ethnicity results.  I was pleasantly surprised to see that I had a predicted first cousin match, as I knew of no one who was interested in DNA research.

Right away, I recognized which cousin this was because of who the administrator was.  This match is my paternal first cousin on the LeMaster side.

Unfortunately, AncestryDNA doesn't offer a chromosome browser to show me exactly where we match and use that to compare against other matches.

My cousin's husband and I have been corresponding, they did they DNA test for the ethnicity results, and have a tree at the site.  My cousin's results were updated to GEDMATCH, and below are the results.

GEDMatch predicts the estimated number of generations to a MRCA (Most Recent Common Ancestor) to be 2 generations - which is correct, we share common grandparents.

We share DNA on 24 matching segments as detailed in the chart.  I will use this data to begin mapping other matches against me and my cousin.  I can check my other known paternal line matches and see where we all match and segment out the various lines to determine if the additional matches are through the LeMaster side or the Haley side.

Now I have DNA results from my paternal side at AncestryDNA and my maternal side at FamilyTreeDNA and both are uploaded to GEDMatch.

Wordless Wednesday: Shrine Circus

Evansville Press, Evansville, Indiana, November 25, 1998, page 1

My daughter, Corinne, at the Shrine Circus in Evansville, Indiana.

Mom's DAR Process - Francis Smalley - Documenting Generations 1 & 2

It's been a little over a month since mom submitted her application to the National Society for membership through our ancestor, Francis Smalley.  Hopefully the line will be approved.  She was helped by the ladies of the Kikthawenund Chapter and enjoyed going with me to the courthouses and cemeteries.  Thought I would share some of the information we discovered throughout this process.

I had created a Dropbox folder so that mom and the DAR ladies could access the information from any location.  This also helped me to keep my files better organized and pointed out where I needed to obtain more information.  Each generation was placed in a folder working forward from mom to Francis Smalley.  I liked this method so well that I intend to use this for future lines and with applications to other societies.

For the first generation, the birth certificate of mom and dad, as well as their marriage certificate was used.  The marriage certificate she submitted was one that was signed by the witnesses as well as the minister.


The birth certificate for mom was issued by the Madison County, Indiana Health Department as Certificate 46-E562, Book ICH15 Page 13.  No real surprises here.  Her parents were listed, but their places of birth were not given.  Before this process began, I did not have her actual birth certificate listed as a source in my database.

The birth certificate for dad was issued not by the county, which I expected, but by the city of Portland, Indiana.  The record was filed in Book 6 page 90.  It states that dad was the fourth child of his parents.  Before this process began, I did not have his actual birth certificate listed as a source in my database.

For the second generation, that of my grandparents, the birth and death certificate of William Lee Wright, the birth certificate of Bonnie May Lambertson and the death certificate of Bonnie Mae Wright and their marriage license were used as source information.

The birth certificate for William Lee Wright was issued by the Madison County, Indiana Health Department in Book H-11, page 91.  The certificate stated that he was born in Monroe Township [misspelled on certificate] and that both of his parents were born in Indiana.

William Lee Wright, birth certificate no. Book H-11, page 91 (1919), Madison County Health Department, Anderson, Indiana, USA.

The birth certificate for Bonnie May Lambertson was issued by the Madison County, Indiana Health Department in Book ICH9, page 64 # 315.  The certificate stated that she was born in the City of Elwood and that both of her parents were born in Indiana.  Her middle name was given as "May" on her birth certificate, though later in life she used the spelling "Mae" for her middle name.

Bonnie May Lambertson, birth certificate no. Book ICH9, page 64 # 315 (1924), Madison County Indiana Health Department, Anderson, Madison County, Indiana, USA.

The marriage license for William and Bonnie was filed in Madison County, Indiana as license number 66/255.  At this time, Bonnie was using the spelling of her middle name as "Mae".  William was residing at Rural Route 2 Alexandria and working as a factory worker, Bonnie was living at Rural Route 3 Elwood and unemployed.

William Lee Wright - Bonnie Mae Lambertson, marriage license no. 66/255 (1941), Madison County Clerk's Office, Anderson, Indiana, USA.

The death certificate for William Lee Wright was issued by the Madison County, Indiana Health Department in Book CH37 and filed 7/9/1973.  His date of death was July 9, 1973 at 12:44 a.m. at Community Hospital, Anderson, Indiana.  His age was 53.  The immediate cause was coronary occlusion and it was certified by Richard H. Shafer, MD of Alexandria, Indiana.  I have a vague memory of the night that he passed.

William Lee Wright, death certificate no. Book CH37 (1973), Madison County Health Department, Anderson, Indiana, USA.

The death certificate for Bonnie Mae Wright was issued by the Madison County, Indiana Health Department in Book H48, page 45 and filed April 10, 1984.  Her date of death was April 9, 1984 at 4:00 p.m. at R.R. # 4 Box 328.  Her age was 60.  The immediate cause was hypostatic punomia and myocardial weakness and it was certified by Richard H. Shafer, MD of Alexandria, Indiana.  I have many memories of grandma struggling with cancer and living with us before she passed.

Bonnie Mae Wright, death certificate no. Book H48, page 45 (1984), Madison County Board of Health, Anderson, Indiana, USA.

Working through this process has helped me to extract additional facts and information for my research.  Having the official documents to backup the facts was something that I should have done from the beginning of my research.  Working on these lineage society applications will be good for my overall research.

If you have any additional information or are connected to these families in any way, I would love to hear from you.

LeMaster Cousins Gather

Yesterday, my mom & dad went to Portland and met with some of dad's cousins who were getting together to start off the New Year.  Unfortunately, I couldn't make it, but I was glad that they were able to go and talk about family history.

According to dad, it was a good visit, a lot of catching up over the years and sharing of some family stories and history.  A copy of some of the research that had been compiled (some from this blog) was given to them and now I have contact information to follow up and hopefully share some more research.

Here are a couple pictures that were taken.

L-R: Leland LeMaster, Weldon LeMaster, Doug LeMaster, Kay Addington, Gary LeMaster

The above is a picture of my dad with his first cousins' once removed, the children of John Leland and Helen Eileen (Pease) LeMaster.  Missing from the group was Terry, who was ill, and Larry, who passed in 1974.  Dad is also related to these brothers & sisters through their mother, Helen, who is a Wehrly descendant.  On that line they are third cousins twice removed to my dad.

Ann (LeMaster) Monger

Also at the gathering was Ann, who is my dad's first cousin, the daughter of John Leland & Dortha LeEtta (DeLauter) LeMaster.  She is the aunt of the group assembled above.

Hopefully the next time I am able to get over to the Portland area we can arrange to meet and maybe share some pictures, etc.  Once the weather warms in the spring I have plans to make some stops over there to the historical society and the courthouse.

LeMaster Aunts & Uncles

My paternal LeMaster aunts & uncles (dad's brothers and sisters) gathered together on New Year's Day and my mom shared the following photographs with me.  All taken at Ruth & Doug's in Sheridan, Indiana.

L-R Victor LeMaster, Paul LeMaster, Idola Coats, Juanita Steigerwalt, Ruth Davies, Ord LeMaster

Victor LeMaster

Ord & Gloria (Wright) LeMaster

Paul & Betty (Lanning) LeMaster

Don & Idola (LeMaster) Coats

Harold & Juanita (LeMaster) Steigerwalt

Marriage Record :Leland Harley Addington to Vera Jean LeMaster, 1945 , Jay County, Indiana

Working on filling in some gaps in my database by utilizing the "Indiana Marriages, 1811-1959" database at Familysearch.org to see what updates and corrections I could find.

Vera Jean LeMaster was my paternal 1st cousin once removed, the daughter of Clarence Harrison & Ferry Mae (Bickel) LeMaster.  She married Leland  Harley Addington, son of William Lewis and Mary L. (Smith) Addington on May 11, 1945 in Jay County, Indiana.  The application had "do not publish" written on the top of the application, apparently a notation not to have it published in the newspaper at the time.

"Indiana, Marriages, 1811-1959," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/V6RR-LVS : accessed 01 Jul 2013), Leland Harley Addington and Vera Jean Le Master, 1945.

MALE

1. The full Christian and surname of the man is Leland Harley Addington

2. Color White

3. Where born Randolph Co., Indiana

4. When born April 25, 1924

5. Present residence Jay Co., Indiana

6. Present occupation Farmer

8. Is the male contracting party of nearer blood kin to the female contracting party than second cousin? No

9. Full Christian and surname of father William Lewis Addington

10. His color white

11. His birthplace Indiana

12. His occupation Farmer

13. His residence Jay Co., Indiana

14. Full Christian and maiden name of the mother Mary L. Smith

15. Her color white

16. Her occupation Housewife

17. Her birthplace Indianapolis, Indiana

18. Her residence Jay Co., Indiana

19. Has the male contracting party been an inmate of any county asylum or home for indigent persons within the last five years? No

21. Is this his first marriage? Yes

29. Is the male contracting party afflicted with epilepsy, tuberculosis, venereal, or any other contagious or transmissible disease?  No

30. Is he an imbecile, feeble-minded, idiotic or insane, or is he under guardianship as a person of unsound mind? No

FEMALE

1. The full Christian and surname of the woman is Vera Jean LeMaster

2. Color White

3. Where born Jay Co., Indiana

4. When born December 16, 1925

5. Present residence Jay Co., Indiana

6. Present occupation Factory worker

7. Full Christian and surname of father Clarence Harrison LeMaster

8. His color white

9. His birthplace Nebraska

10. His occupation Factory worker

11. His residence Jay Co., Indiana

12. Full Christian and maiden name of mother Ferry Mae Bickle

13. Her color white

14. Her occupation Housewife

15. Her birthplace Ohio

16. Her residence Jay Co., Indiana

17. Has the female contracting party been an inmate of any county asylum or home for indigent persons within the last five years? No

18. Is this her first marriage? Yes

22. Is the female contracting party afflicted with epilepsy, tuberculosis, venereal, or any other contagious or transmissible disease? No

23. Is she an imbecile, feeble-minded, idiotic or insane, or is she under guardianship as a person or unsound mind? No

Gloria LeMaster, Graduate Certificate List, August 1970, Ball State University

"Ball State University Trustees minutes," Ball State Univeristy, Ball State University Digital Media Repository (http://libx.bsu.edu/cdm/ref/collection/BSUBoT/id/45314/rec/29 : accessed 8 February 2015), , "1970-09-19 Ball State University Trustees Minutes," page 146; Graduate Certification List, August 1970.

Located the following mention of my mother's graduation with her Master's Degree in the Ball State University Trustees Minutes of August, 1970.

LeMaster, Gloria Jean Wright (Mrs.) 27093

Major: Elementary Education

Minor : Library Science

Permanent Address:

214 W. Monroe, Alexandria 46001

Degree :

B.S.in Ed., 1967

Ball State University

Finds like this are interesting, mom was finishing up her Master's with a baby (me!) at home, living in the house on Monroe Street.  We lived there for just a few more years.  Someday I'll write a post about that house.

Shaky Leaves : Chesley Franklin LeMaster (1890-1960)

Chesley Franklin LeMaster (1890-1960) was my paternal granduncle, the son of Luman Cooper and Barbara Isabel (Wehrly) LeMaster.  Ancestry.com is currently showing 8 hints from historical records for him in my LeMaster and Allied Families Member Tree.

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

One of the databases is U.S., FindAGrave Index, which leads to his memorial page.  

Name:	Chesley F. LeMaster
Birth Date:	1890
Death Date:	1960
Cemetery:	Salamonia Cemetery
Burial or Cremation Place:	Salamonia, Jay County, Indiana, USA
Has Bio?:	N
Spouse:	Clara L. LeMaster
Children:	Dale W. LeMaster
URL:	http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-...

Looks like his memorial page needs some updating and biographical information submitted.

In the 1940 census of Madison Township, Jay County, Indiana, Chesley, age 47, was renting a farm for $8 per month.  The household consisted of his wife Clara, age 45 born Indiana; son Ralph, age 17 born Indiana; son Dale, age 12 born Indiana; and daughter Patty Lou age 7 born Indiana.  Two older children were not in the household, daughter Doris was married in 1935 and son Donald was married in 1932.

1940 US census, Jay County, Indiana, population schedule, Madison Township, enumeration district (ED) 38-8, SD 5, sheet 5B, dwelling 179, ; digital images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 9 August 2015); National Archives, Washington D.C..

In the 1930 census of Madison Township, Jay County, Indiana, he was enumerated as "Chessley Leamaster", age 39, renting a farm.  The household consisted of Clara, age 35 born Indiana; son Donald, age 16 born Indiana; daughter Dora, age 15 born Indiana; son Ralph, age 7 born Indiana; and son Dale, age 2 born in Indiana.

1930 US Census, Jay County, Indiana, population schedule, Madison Township, enumeration district (ED) 38-8, SD 5, sheet 9A, dwelling 204, family 204, ; digital images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 9 August 2015); National Archives, Washington D.C..

I was surprised that I didn't already have these census records in my RootsMagic database.  I've since updated his file.

Another hint that was provided listed the exact date of his birth (which I already had), and provided the location of his birth record with the Jay County Health Department.

Ancestry.com. Indiana Births, 1880-1920 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2000.
Original data: Works Progress Administration. Index to Birth Records. Indiana: Indiana Works Progress Administration, 1938-1940.

One new record that I didn't have sourced in my database was the record of his draft registration during World War I.  He registered on June 5, 1917 in Midland, Midland County, Michigan.  He was a laborer with the Dow Chemical Company in Midland, was married with two children.

Ancestry.com. U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2005.
Original data: United States, Selective Service System. World War I Selective Service System Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration. M1509, 4,582 rolls. Imaged from Family History Library microfilm.

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

Shaky Leaves : Bertha Alberta (LeMaster) Hercules (1892-1962)

Bertha Alberta (LeMaster) Hercules (1892-1962) was my paternal grandaunt, the daughter of Luman Cooper and Barbara Isabel (Wehrly) LeMaster.  Ancestry.com is currently showing 7 hints from historical records for her in my LeMaster and Allied Families member tree.

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

There are a lot of records to update in my RootsMagic database, including census records.

In the 1940 census of Richmond, Wayne County, Indiana, Bertha was living with her husband, Russell, son Murvel and daughter-in-law Margaret.  They owned their home and had lived at the same residence in 1935.  Russel was a woodworker in a lumber yard and Murvel was a life insurance salesman.

1940 US Census, Wayne County, Indiana, population schedule, Ward 5, Richmond, enumeration district (ED) 89-32, SD 10, sheet 9B, 625 Sheridan St., family 190, ; digital images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 6 August 2015); National Archives, Washington, D.C..

I already had the 1930 census sourced in my database for the family, they were living in Madison Township, Jay County, Indiana in the Bertha's father's household.  Likewise, I already had the 1900 census record where Bertha was a 7 year old living in Madison Township, Jay County, Indiana.

In the 1921 city directory of Richmond, Indiana lists the family as :

Hercules, Russel J (Bertha A), woodwkr Louck & Hill Co, h 79 State

"U.S. City Directories", database, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 8 Augst 2015), 240; citing "Richmond, Indiana City Directory (Indianapolis, Indiana: R.L. Polk & Company, 1921–1922)."

 Because of this find, I now know the company that Russel was working for, Louck & Hill.  A brief search online found some photographs of the company site.

There was a hint to Bertha's FindAGrave memorial page, which I currently maintain.

Another database was Indiana Births, 1880-1920, which takes information from the WPA birth indices.

Name:	Lemaster
Father:	L C
Mother:	B J Wherley
County:	Jay
Gender:	Female
Birth Date:	26 Jun 1892
Reference:	Jay County, Indiana Index to Birth Records 1882 - 1920 Inclusive Volume I Letters A - Z Inclusive
Book:	H-5
Page:	78

This gives me the exact book and page for Bertha's birth certificate, which I currently do not have a copy.  Will add this to my list of "to-do" items for my next research trip.

The most interesting find was the database Wayne County, Indiana, Quaker Funeral Home Records, 1939-1974, which contained a copy of Bertha's death certificate.

ame:	Bertha Alberta Hercules [Bertha Alberta Lemaster]
Gender:	Female
Birth Date:	26 Jun 1892
Birth Place:	Indiana
Death Date:	30 Dec 1961
Death Place:	Spring Grove, Wayne, Indiana
Age at Death:	69
Father:	Luman C Lemaster
Mother:	Barbara J Wehrley
Spouse:	Russell J Hercules

This is the funeral home's copy of her death certificate, showing that Bertha died in Spring Grove, Wayne County, Indiana at Reid Memorial Hospital on December 30, 1961.  She lived at 625 Sheridan Street, same address as found in the 1940 census.  Her occupation was listed as the co-owner of Builders Supplies.  She died of acute pulmonary edema.  She was 69 years old and died at 10:25 p.m.  Her burial date was January 3, 1962 at Salamonia Cemetery, Salamonia, Indiana.

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

Searching Social Security Applications & Claims Index

Enjoying searching through a new database at Ancestry.com, U.S. Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 and finding additional clues about members of my family.  Though this is just an index, you can find a lot of clues about your ancestors, including married names of those females members of the family.  This database goes beyond the SSDI and looks at the applications and name changes over the years.

An example of the type of information that you will find is this snippet on my paternal great-granduncle.

Name:	Elvin Cooper Lemaster [Elvin C Lemaster]
SSN:	317036832
Gender:	Male
Race:	White
Birth Date:	9 Jul 1912
Birth Place:	Salamonia Ja, Indiana
Father Name:	Luman C Lemaster
Mother Name:	Barbara I Wehrly
Death Date:	16 May 2000
Type of Claim:	Original SSN.
Notes:	Apr 1937: Name listed as ELVIN COOPER LEMASTER; 24 May 2000: Name listed as ELVIN C LEMASTER

From this detail, I have his birth date and place as he filled out the Social Security application, as well as the name of his parents.  The notes section is the most interesting - the date of April 1937 would have been when he applied for his SSN, and the notes also show how at his death there was a name variation in their records.  

This database is too new to suggest hints yet, so I'm searching by surname and location.  In this instance, a search for Lemaster in Jay County, Indiana is giving me hints to any Lemaster who applied from there or listed it as a place on the applciation, and in some cases I've been able to find clues to married names for some of the female members of the family.

The searching is getting quite addictive, and I've been able to add several individuals and birth/death information to my database.

Marriage License : Ord Wehrly LeMaster to Ruth Pauline Haley, 1932, Jay County, Indiana

"Indiana Marriages, 1811-2007," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V6R1-FP3 : accessed 3 June 2015), Ord Wehrly Lemaster and Ruth Pauline Haley, 21 Feb 1932; citing , Jay, Indiana, county clerk offices, Indiana; FHL microfilm 2,168,891.

Located the marriage license of my paternal grandparetns, Ord Wehrly LeMaster and Ruth Pauline Haley at FamilySearch.  Their marriage took place in Jay County, Indiana on February 21, 1932.

Application for Marriage License

Application is Hereby Made for a License for the Marriage of Words Wehrly LeMaster to Ruth Pauline Haley upon the following statement of facts relative to said parties.

Male 

1. The full christian and surname of the male is Ord Wehrly LeMaster.
2. Color White
3. Where born Jay Co., Ind.
4. When born 30th Sept., 1906
5. Present residence Jay Co. Indiana
6. Present occupation Farmer
7. If no occupation, what means has the male contracting party to support a family? 
8. Is the male contracting party of nearer blood kin to the female contracting party than second cousin? No
9. Full christian name and surname of father Luman C. LeMaster
10. His color White
11. His birthplace Jay Co. Ind.
12. His occupation Farmer
13. His residence Jay Co., Indiana
14. Full christian and maiden name of mother Isabell Wehrly
15. Her color White
16. Her occupation Domestic
17. Her birthplace Jay Co., Indiana
18. Her residence Deceased
19. Has the male contracting party been an inmate of any county asylum or home for indigent persons within the last five years? No
20. If so, is he now able to support a family and likely to so continue?
21. Is this his first marriage? Yes
22. If not, how often has he been married?
23. Has such prior marriage or marriages been dissolved?
24. If so, how?
25. When?
26. Is the male contracting party afflicted with epilepsy, tuberculosis, venereal, or any other contagious or transmissible disease? No
27. Is he an imbecile, feeble-minded, idiotic or insane, or is he under guardianship as a person of unsound mind? No
Signature of applicant Ord Wehrly Lemaster

FEMALE

1. The full christian and surname of the woman is Ruth Pauline Haley
2. Color White
3. Where born Jay Co., Ind.
4. When born 12th April 1911
5. Present address Jay Co., Indiana
6. Present occupation at home
7. Full christian and surname of father Eli W. Haley
8. His color White
9. His birthplace Erie Co., Ohio
10. His occupation Farmer
11. His residence Jay Co. Indiana
12. Full christian and maiden name of mother Cora Belle Metzner
13. Her color White
14. Her occupation Domestic
15. Her birthplace Jay Co. Indiana
16. Her residence Jay Co. Indiana
17. Has the female contracting party been an inmate of county asylum or home for indigent persons within the last five years No
18. Is this her first marriage? Yes
19. If not, how often has she been married?
20. Has such prior marriage or marriages been dissolved?
21. If so, how and when?
22. Is the female contracting party afflicted with epilepsy, tuberculosis, venereal or other contagious or transmissible disease? No
23. Is she an imbecile, feeble-minded, idiotic or insane, or is she under guardianship as a person of unsound mind? No
Signature of applicant Ruth Pauline Haley

Subscribed and sworn to before me, this 20th day of Feb. 1932 
Oral H. Barr, Clerk Jay Circuit Court

Be it Remembered That heretofore, to wit: on the 20th day of Feb, A.D., 1932 the following Marriage License was issued, to wit:

State of Indiana, Jay County, ss:
To All Who Shall These Presents, Greeting:

Know Ye, That any person empowered by law to solemnize Marriages, is hereby authorized to join together as Husband and Wife, Ord Wehrly LeMaster and Ruth Pauline Haley, and for so doing this shall be his sufficient authority.

In testimony whereof, I, Oral H. Barr, Clerk of the Jay Circuit Court, hereunto subscribe my name and attach the seal of said Court, at Portland, this 20th day of Feb, A.D. 1932

Oral H. Barr Clerk

Be It Further Remembered, That on this 23 day of Feby, A.D. 1932, the following Certificate was filed in my office, to wit: 

State of Indiana, Jay County, ss:

This Certifies, That I joined in marriage as Husband and Wife Ord Wehrly LeMaster and Ruth Pauline Haley on the 21st day of February A.D. 1932

Rev E.C. Kunce, Minister

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The minister who married by grandparents was Eugene C. Kunce, brother-in-law of the bride, married to Clara Elnora Haley, just three years earlier.  Eugene was a minister of the Evangelical Association.

Finding this record gives the exact date of my grandparents marriage.  I'd earlier found a mention of it in the newspaper of Lima, Ohio were Ruth's other sister, Vera, and husband Clarence Stuber attended.

Grandpa signed his name with a small "m" on the marriage license.

According to the calendar, their wedding occurred on a Sunday.  Wonder if it was right after service?