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

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

I am descended through:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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



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

1887 atlas of Jay County, map of Lancaster/Salamonia

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

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

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

Sources:

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

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

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.

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.

Exploratory Data Analysis : Prudence (Maxson) Smith (1817-1890)

Prudence (Maxson) Smith (1817-1890) was my paternal 3rd-great grandmother.  What follows is an exploratory analysis of the biographical data I have discovered about her.


1. Vital Records

     Prudence was born June 15, 1817 in Greene County, Ohio¹.

     1.1. Birth Certificate

          I have not located any birth record for Prudence, as her birth occurred before the State of Ohio was registering births.

          1.1.1. Birth Notice in Newspaper

               If Prudence's birth was recorded in a newspaper, I'm not aware of it.  Will search contemporary newspapers to see if mention was made of her birth.

          1.1.2. Bible Record

               I am not aware of any surviving Bible records of the Maxson family that mentions Prudence.  Will continue to reach out to extended family in hopes of locating one.

          1.1.3. Baptismal Record

               I am not aware of any baptismal record for Prudence, nor the church affiliation of the family at the time.  Her parents were buried in a Methodist Episcopal cemetery, so they may be affiliated with that denomination.

          1.1.4. Adoption Record

               There is no indication that Prudence was adopted.

     1.2. Marriage License

          Prudence married William P. Smith on October 5, 1836 in Clark County, Ohio².  Other sources had the date as October 3, 1836^1,3,4, but the actual record states the date was the 5th.

          1.2.1 Marriage Notice in Newspaper

               I've not yet searched available newspapers of the time period to see if mention was made of William and Prudence's nuptials.  Will add this to my list of "to-do" items for my next research trip.

          1.2.2. Anniversary Notice

                I've not yet searched available newspapers of the time period to see if mention was made of any anniversary celebrations.  Their 25th wedding anniversary would have been October 5, 1861 and their 50th wedding anniversary would have been October 5, 1886.

          1.2.3. Divorce Decree

                Although there is no indication that they were ever divorced, a complete search of local court records would need to be conducted to be sure.

     1.3. Death Certificate

          Prudence died February 22, 1890 in Salamonia, Jay County, Indiana¹.  I do not have a copy of her death certificate from Jay County, Indiana.  Will add this to my list of "to-do" items for my next research trip.

          1.3.1. Obituary in Newspaper

               I have not yet located an obituary mention for Prudence.  Will continue to search available newspapers to see if one exists.

          1.3.2. Funeral Home Records

               I will need to search the local historical society to see if they have any mention of funeral home records that might mention Prudence.

          1.3.3. Tombstone Photograph

               Prudence's tombstone in the Salamonia Cemetery in Salamonia, Jay County, Indiana has been photographed⁵.  A link to her memorial page at FindAGrave is located here.

2. Census Records

     2.1. Federal Census Records

          2.1.1. 1880 Federal Census

               On June 11, 1880, Prudence was enumerated in the William Smith household in Humboldt, Richardson County, Nebraska⁶, as Prudence Smith, wife, age 62, born in Ohio.  Both her parents were born in New Jersey.

          2.1.2. 1870 Federal Census

               On August 22, 1870, Prudence was enumerated in the William Smith household in Humboldt, Richardson County, Nebraska⁷, as Prudence Smith, age 54, born in Ohio.

          2.1.3. 1860 Federal Census

                On June 9, 1860, Prudence was enumerated in the William Smith household in Madison Township, Jay County, Indiana⁸, as Prudence Smith, age 43, born in Ohio.

          2.1.4. 1850 Federal Census

               On August 21, 1850, Prudence was enumerated in the William Smith household in Jefferson Township, Cass County, Michigan⁹, as Prudence Smith, age 34, born in Ohio.

     2.2. State Census Records

          No census records for the State of Ohio are known to exist.

          The State of Indiana conducted census in 1853, 1857, 1871, 1877, 1883, 1889, 1901, 1913, 1919 and 1931.  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 Smith family.

3. Military Records

     3.1. Draft Registration

          Not applicable, as Prudence was female.

     3.2. Pension Records

           Prudence's husband did serve during the Civil War.  She died before him, so there wouldn't be a widow's pension, but I need to research his pension nonetheless.

     3.3. Service Records

           Not applicable, as Prudence was female.

4. Land Records

     4.1. Deed Records

          Deed records need to be thoroughly searched in Clark County, Ohio; Cass County, Michigan; Jay County, Indiana and Richardson County, Nebraska to see what records might mention Prudence.  Will add this to my list of "to-do" items for my next research trip.

     4.2. Plat map / county map

          Plat maps of Clark County, Ohio; Cass County, Michigan; Jay County, Indiana and Richardson County, Nebraska will need to be searched to see what information can be gleaned that might be relevant to my search.

5. Supplemental Records

     Supplemental records to search for Prudence include city/county directories, court records and will and probate records.  Will add these to my list of "to-do" items for my next research trip.

Sources:

1. Brown, Walter L., "The Maxson Family. Descendants of John Maxson and Wife, Mary Mosher of Westerly, Rhode Island", 1954, p. 67.
2. "Ohio, County Marriages, 1790-1950," index and images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org): accessed 30 July 2011. entry for William Smith and Prudence Maxson, married 5 October 1836; citing Marriage Records, FHL microfilm 466399; Clark County Courthouse, Springfield, Ohio.
3. "Biographical and Historical Record of Jay County, Indiana", Lewis Publishing Company, Chicago, 1887, p. 647.
4. Jane Ann Spencer, Williamson & Spencer Funeral Homes, Inc. Portland and Pennville, Indiana Burial Records Book One 1892-1899 (Portland, Indiana, USA: Williamson & Spencer Funeral Homes, Inc., 2008), page 124.
5. FindAGrave, Inc., FindAGrave.com (www.findagrave.com : accessed 16 January 2017), Prudence Maxson Smith memorial.
6. 1880 U.S. Census, Richardson County, Nebraska, population schedule, Humboldt, enumeration district (ED) 320, SD 1, page 11, dwelling 129, household 129, ; digital images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 17 January 2017); National Archives, Washington, D.C..
7. William Smith household, 1870 U.S. census, population schedule, Township 12 Range 13, Richardson Co., NE, Page 3, Humboldt P.O., dwelling 13, family 16; National Archives mcropublication M593, roll 832., Page 121.
8. William Smith household, 1860 U.S. census, population schedule, Madison Twp., Jay Co., IN, Salamonia P.O., dwelling 60, family 60; National Archives micropublication M653, roll 269., Page 9.
9. William Smith household, 1850 U.S. census, population schedule, Jefferson Township, Cass County, Michigan, USA, page 298, dwelling 759, family 767; National Archives micropublication M432, roll 349.


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.

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

Military Monday : Gerald Walker LeMaster, World War II Draft Registration, 1942

Working my way through the hints in the Ancestry database for World War II Draft Registrations, 1942 and located this registration in Jay County, Indiana for Gerald Walker LeMaster, my paternal granduncle.

Ancestry.com. U.S., World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010. Original data : United States, Selective Service System. Selective Service Registration Cards, World War II: Fourth Registration. Records of the Selective Service System, Record Group Number 147. National Archives and Records Administration., Gerald Walker LeMaster, Jay County, Indiana.

This draft record adds to the information I've collected about Gerald, who was the son of Luman Cooper Lemasters and Barbara Isabel Wehrly.  Gerald's draft registration gives his date of birth as January 15, 1896 in Jay County, Indiana.  This differs by exactly one year the record found in Social Security Records.

Gerald was 46 years old at the time of this registration, and his nearest living relative was his wife, Pearl (Smith) LeMaster.  Note on the registration card that her maiden name was written on the card and then scratched out and "LeMaster" written down.  Gerald's place of residence was Madison Township in Jay County, Indiana and his telephone was at Salamonia.  His mailing address was Rural Route 6, Portland.  He was a self-employed farmer.

Physically, Gerald was described as having a ruddy complexion, white male, 5' 8", with brown hair and brown eyes.  He weighed 220 lbs.

The draft registration card notes that Gerald had operational scars on his breast.  What medical procedure did he have done? Something with the heart?

Military Monday – We all have ancestors who have served in the military. Military Monday is a place to post their images, stories and records of their service in various branches of the military. Military Monday is an ongoing series by Cindy at Everything’s Relative – Researching Your Family History.

Surname Saturday : Briggs

The BRIGGS surname is in my paternal line.  The origins of the surname are English.

Anhnentafel # 141 : Beulah Briggs (1773-1854).  Beulah was born 1773 in Burlington County, New Jersey.  She married John Woolston (1766-1838) in 1793 in Burlington County, New Jersey.  They had at least one son.  John died April 12, 1838 at Mt. Holly, Burlington County, New Jersey.  Beulah died April 28, 1854.

Ahnentafel # 282 : Abel Briggs (c1740-bef1839).  Abel was born circa 1740 in New Jersey.  He married Lettice Woolston (1752-1787) on January 25, 1773 in Burlington County, New Jersey.  Lettice was born October 15, 1752 in Burlington County, New Jersey.  They had at least one daughter.  Abel died before 1839 in Burlington County, New Jersey.  Lettice died December 11,1787 in Burlington County, New Jersey.

Ahnentafel # 564 : Francis Briggs (1715-1763).  Francis was born 1715 in Salem County, New Jersey.  He married Rachel Stockton (aft1715-   ).  Rachel was born after 1715 in Springfield, Burlington County, New Jersey.  They had at least one son.  Francis died June 1, 1763 in Burlington County, New Jersey.

Ahnentafel # 1128 : John Briggs (c1680-bef1753).  John was born circa 1680 in Newton, Salem County, New Jersey.  He married Sarah Smith (c1680-     ).  Sarah was born circa 1680 in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, England.  They had at least one son.  John died January 20, 1753 in Newton, Salem County, New Jersey.

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.

Will Abstract : Lewis Bland (1870) Shelby County, Ohio

Shelby County Ohio Will Abstracts Book 2 1869-1881, Shelby County Genealogical Society, Sidney, Ohio, 1999

page 24 LEWIS BLAND  9 Apr 1866  21 Apr 1870 (A-1872)

Of Jackson Tp.  Mentions wife (not named); son Geo. W. BLAND; dau Jane CLATON; the heirs of son Rolla BLAND; step sons Wm. F. & David SMITH.  Wit. William A. JONES John N.W. KIRTLEY 

Located this will abstract of Lewis Bland while at the Allen County Public Library in Fort Wayne recently.  Lewis was the husband of Martha Lemasters (1799-1844), who was the daughter of Jacob and Hannah (____) Lemasters, making Lewis my paternal 3rd-great granduncle.

The will was dated April 9, 1866 and probated April 21, 1870.  I don't have an exact date of death for Lewis, but it must have been before April 21.  

The naming of at least three children George W., Jane and Rolla will give me more potential relatives to search.  I've not looked into the Bland family to trace the line forward.  They might have more information on my early Lemasters.  Apparently Lewis did remarry after Martha's death.  My sources say Lewis was born in 1799 in Paris, Bourbon County, Kentucky.  He is buried in the Pleasant Hill Cemetery in Jackson Center, Shelby County, Ohio.

Notice that the Claton surname comes back up again, this Jane (Bland) Claton might have been married to a member of the Claton family who married into the Lemasters as well.

I will be looking online at FamilySearch for the original records to see what else I can find about this probate file.

Surname Saturday : Baldwin

The BALDWIN surname is in my maternal line.  The origins of the family are likely English.  This particular line of Baldwins were Quakers. 

Stories and history :

Ahnentafel # 959 : Ann Baldwin (1750-    ).  Ann's birth was recorded on 5th month, 18th day, 1750 at New Garden MM, North Carolina.  She married Samuel Millikan (1742-1817) on 6th month, 10th day, 1767 at New Garden MM, North Carolina.  Samuel was born December 11, 1742 in Chester County, Pennsylvania and died November 3, 1817 in Randolph County, North Carolina.  They were the parents of 10 children, recorded at Center MM, North Carolina. I do not know when Ann died.

Ahnentafel # 1918 : William Baldwin (c1720-1802).  William was born circa 1720.  He married Elizabeth Smith (c1730-1773) circa 1750. Elizabeth was born circa 1730 and died September 19, 1773.  They were members of the New Garden Monthly Meeting of Friends in North Carolina.  William married secondly to Ann Hunt on June 18, 1788 at New Garden.  William and Elizabeth were the parents of twelve children.  William died August 19, 1802 in Guilford County, North Carolina.

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.

Marriage License : Charles Alber and Florence Lucille Lewis, Wabash County, Indiana, 1924

"Indiana, Marriages, 1811-1959," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/27KH-TBH : accessed 21 May 2014), Clarence Alber and Lucile Lewis, 10 Sep 1924; citing Wabash County; FHL microfilm 001409333.

Located this marriage record at FamilySearch for Eileen's maternal grandaunt, Florence Lucille Lewis (1906-1984) and Clarence Alber (1902-1970).  They were married September 10, 1924 in Wabash County, Indiana.

Clarence was the son of Charles and Mary (Smith) Alber.  Lucille was the daughter of Lawrence Solomon and Ruth Alice (Sills) Lewis.

According to the license, Clarence was born in Warsaw, Indiana and his occupation was basket maker.  Lucille was born in Wabash, Indiana and resided at home.

They were the parents of at least one child, according to my database.

Metzner Family Enjoys First Reunion in Many Years

Portland, Indiana Commercial Review, July 20, 1909, page 1

EIGHTY-SIX AT DINNER

Double Birthday at Westchester Attended by Crowd

Auto Bears Unusual Burden

Metzner Family Enjoys First Reunion in Many Years

Eighty-six person enjoyed the dinner spread on the wide porch and lawns of the Axe home at Westchester Sunday, for a reunion of members of the family.  The occasion celebrated the birthdays of Mrs. Catherine Metzner, 90 and Mrs. Amanda Axe, 28.  Mrs. Metzner has been in the country since 1835, when she came from Germany.

The day was enlivened by games and exchanges of reminiscences of childhood days.  In the afternoon, a memorable hour, for Grandma Metzner at least, was a short trip in George Maxwell's auto.  With him also rode the youngest attendant, the 14 months old baby of Irvin Metzner.

Those present were: Wesley Metzner and family, William Metzner and family, Mrs. George Stolz, Mrs. Mary Huey of Rome City, Mrs. Harry Green and family, Mrs. Lydia Smith and family, Irvin Metzner and family, Mrs. Amanda Axe, Mrs. Nora Bergman, Mrs. Gilbert Pierpont of Indianapolis, Jacob Haley and family, Geo. S. Haley and family, William Haley and family, Levi Patterson, Fred Martin, Jacob Haley, E.T. Haffner, Mrs. Philip Stolz, Wesley Metzner, Eli Via, William Axe of Michigan, all Haley, George Maxwell, Mrs. Nora accompanied by their families. [typesetting error : should read from Wesley Metzner, Eli Haley, George Maxwell, Mrs. Nora Via, William Axe of Michigan, all accompanied by their families]

There were present, four children, six granchildren and 15 great grandchildren, besides other relatives.

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Always wonderful to have these family reunions published in the papers, particularly the mention of the all of the names of the relatives.  The trick is seeing if I can identify each of these named individuals and how they are related to Grandma Catherine Metzner

Wesley Metzner and family - This is Wesley T. Metzner (1855-    ), her son.

William Metzner and family - This is William F. Metzner (1844-1929), her son.

Mrs. George Stolz - This is Catherine E. (Metzner) Stolz (1853-1943), her daughter.

Mrs. Mary Huey - This is Mary A. (Metzner) Huey (1862-1925), her daughter.

Mrs. Harry Green and family - This is Loetta J. (Metzner) Green, her granddaughter.  Loetta was the daughter of William F. and Mary A. (Haley) Metzner. 

Mrs. Lydia Smith and family - This is Lydia Ann (Metzner) Smith, her granddaughter.  Lydia was the daughter of William F. and Mary A. (Haley) Metzner.

Irvin Metzner and family - This is Irvin G. Metzner (1879-    ), her grandson.  Irvin was the son of William F. and Mary A. (Haley) Metzner.

Mrs. Amanda Axe - This is Amanda A. (Metzner) Axe, her granddaughter.  Amanda was the daughter of William F. and Mary A. (Haley) Metzner.

Mrs. Nora Bergman - This is Nora May (Stolz) Bergman, her granddaughter.  Nora was the daughter of George W. and Catherine E. (Metzner) Stolz.

Mrs. Gilbert Pierpont - This is Lena (Orcutt) Pierpont, her granddaughter.  Lena was the daughter of James and Samantha E. (Metzner) Orcutt.

I was able to identify the four children and the six grandchildren from the list of names.  The others mentioned include members of the intermarried Haley and Metzner families.

Lisle E. Wehrly (c1902-1981), 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.

Lisle E. Wehrly (c1902-1981) was the son of Alva Monroe and Emma C. (Yaeger) Wehrly.  His marriage to Cora E. Baldauf on April 3, 1924 in Jay County, Indiana was found in the database.  Prior to this find, I did not have a date or place for their marriage.

"Indiana, Marriages, 1811-1959," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/V6RG-7H9 : accessed 13 Aug 2013), Lisle E Wehrly and Cora E Baldauf, 1924.

Lisle was my paternal first cousin twice removed.  Our common ancestors were William P. and Olive Jane (Smith) Wehrly.  Lisle and Cora were the parents of three children.  In the 1930 census, they were living in Ft. Wayne, Allen County, where Lisle was working as a machinist.

Orilla Catherine Wehrly (1872-1950), 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.

Orilla Catherine Wehrly (1872-1950), was the daughter of William P. and Olive Jane (Smith) Wehrly. Her marriage to Arthur B. Andrews on December 25, 1893 in Jay County, Indiana was found in the database.  Prior to this find, I didn't have the exact location of their marriage.  Note the record uses the spelling 'Wehrley'.

"Indiana, Marriages, 1811-1959," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/V6RP-VQ2 : accessed 05 Aug 2013), Arthur B Andrews and Orilla C Wehrley, 1893.

Catherine was my paternal great-grandaunt.  Her father, William P. Wehrly, was my great-great grandfather.  A previous post details more information about her life and what I have discovered.

Photo: Harvey Allen Wehrly & Nettie (Shreeve) Wehrly

Harvey Allen Wehrly & Nettie (Shreeve) Wehrly

Cousin Tonya Lang provided me with a copy of this picture of her great-grandparents, Harvey Allen Wehrly and Nettie (Shreeve) Wehrly.  She found my blog while searching for information on the Wehrly family.  

Harvey was the younger brother of my great-grandmother Barbara Isabel Wehrly, making Tonya and I third cousins.

Harvey was born December 21, 1876 in Salamonia, Madison Township, Jay County, Indiana, the son of William P. and Olive Jane (Smith).  He married Nettie Shreeve on October 9, 1898 and they were parents of 7 children.

According to Tonya, Harvey died when she was 8, but she remembered that he always wore a three piece suit with a tie, and kept a watch with a watch chain in his vest pocket.  I look forward to sharing more information with her.

Obituary : Olive Jane (Smith) Wehrly (1846-1913)

Portland Commercial-Review, Portland, Indiana, December  7, 1913

Fellow research Judy Myers sent me a copy of the obituary of my paternal 2x-great grandmother, Olive Jane (Smith) Wehrly (1846-1913) from the Portland, Indiana Commercial Review.

11 Children Survive Her

Mrs. Olive Wehrly Dies Monday From Inroads of Lingering Illness

Husband A Few Years Dead

Many Descendants Left By Well Known Resident of South Shanks Street

Mrs. Olive Smith Wehrly, widow of the late William P. Wehrly, died at the home of her son-in-law L.D. Jackson, South Shanks street about 7:30 o'clock Monday evening after a lingering illness.  Mrs. Wehrly has been in failing health for the past year or more and for a number of weeks has been confined to her bed.

She was born at Lisbon June 17 1846 and was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William Smith, both deceased.  Mrs. Wehrly is survived by the following children, her husband having died about three years ago: Prudence, wife of L.D. Jackson at whose home she died, Martin Wehrly, J.W. Wehrly, and Blaine Wehrly, all of this city; Belle, wife of Clifford LeMasters and Alva Wehrly, both of Salamonia, Mrs. Ethel Shreeves of Van Wert, Ohio, Henry Wehrly of Garrett, Mrs. Oda Scholer and Harvey Wehrly of New Castle, Mrs. Kate Andrews of Hamilton, Ohio.  One brother also remains, John Smith of Humboldt, Nebraska.

Judy notes some issues with the obituary:

Travis,

I found my paper copy of her obit, not the greatest, but look at the date!  The paper is the Commercial Review in Portland.

1) This implies that she died 6 DEC 1913.  She was born at Lisbon 17 Jun 1846.  I have seen issues of the paper where they had a mistake in the date, but I haven't seen one where the month was wrong.  So. . .  Using a day of the week calculator I found that 7 Dec 1913 was a Sunday, but 7 Jan 1913 was a Tuesday. 

2) Here is the abstract of her death certificate from Jay Co.

Wehrly, Olive

Portland

Jan 6 1913

F

Jan 26 1846

CH-2A

39

Green Park, Portland, IN

She died in Portland on 6 Jan 1913.  She was born 26 Jan 1846.  Next two entries are volume and page references.  She was buried in Green Park.

3) And then there is her tombstone:  born 23 Jun 1846, died 6 Jan 1913

I am going to assume she died 6 Jan 1913!

It is easy to see how Jan and Jun may have been interchanged someplace along the line, but what to do with 17, 26, and 23.  (My husband suggested averaging them!)

If you get a copy of her death certificate, please let me know what it says.  They are not engraved in stone!  And I'm sure they were mistakes in transcribing them.

One of my relatives died in her teens, her death certificate has her mother's name on it instead of hers, and the last name is mutilated.

Thanks,

Judy

A mystery for me to have to go to the library and solve.  It would appear that the masthead of the newspaper might be wrong, as January 7, 1913 would be a Tuesday, and not December 7th.  The obit does state Olive died on a Monday.

Other errors include daughter Belle being married to the wrong LeMaster, she was married to Luman Cooper LeMaster, not Clifford.

The birthplace of Lisbon is interesting, it could be referring to New Lisbon over the county line in Henry County, Indiana.  In his biography, Olive's father William was listed as a resident of Henry County.  All census records indicate a Michigan birthplace, however.