Surname Saturday : Mills

The MILLS surname is in my maternal line.  The origins of the surname appear to be English.

Stories and history :

Ahnentafel # 119 : Hannah Mills (1833-1914).  Hannah was born January 9, 1833 in Morgan County, Indiana.  Hannah married August 11, 1855 in Monrovia, Morgan County, Indiana to Isaac S. Poe (1830-1909).  Isaac was born August 20, 1830 in Chatham County, North Carolina.  He served in Company E, 12th Indiana Infantry during the Civil War.  They raised 7 children in Morgan and Hamilton Counties, Indiana.  Isaac died November 20, 1909 in Norton, Norton County, Kansas.  Hannah died March 9, 1914 in Norton, Norton County, Kansas.

Ahnentafel # 238 : Henry Mills (1780-1833).  Henry was born March 31, 1780 in Guilford County, North Carolina.  Henry married January 10, 1810 in Jefferson County, Tennessee to Hannah Woodward (1790-1862).  Hannah was born September 3, 1790 in Guilford County, North Carolina.  They raised 10 children.  Hannah died June 22, 1862 in Morgan County, Indiana.  Henry died March 16, 1833 in Morgan County, Indiana.

Ahnentafel # 476 : Aaron Mills (1749-1794).  Aaron was born December 22, 1749 in Virginia.  Aaron married January 18, 1774 in Guilford County, North Carolina to Charity Mendenhall (1754-1836).  Charity was born January, 19, 1754 in Guilford County, North Carolina.  They raised 10 children.  Charity died February 19, 1836.  Aaron died December 15, 1794 in Guilford County, North Carolina.

Ahnentafel # 952 : Henry Mills (1720-1810).  Henry was born September 23, 1720 in Chester County, Pennsylvania.  Henry married January 18, 1740 in Virginia to Hannah Thornburg (1725-1791).  Hannah was born in 1725.  They raised 11 children.  Hannah died March 27, 1791 in Guilford County, North Carolina.  Henry died October 10, 1810 in Guilford County, North Carolina.

Ahnentafel # 1904 : John Mills (1688-1760).  John was born in 1688, probably in England.  John married in 1708 in Chester County, Pennsylvania to Rebecca ________. Rebecca was born circa 1688 and died in 1740 in Monocacy, Maryland.  They were the parents of 5 children. John married secondly in 1742 to Rebecca ________. They were the parents of 7 children.  John died November 24, 1760 in Guilford County, North Carolina.

Related blog posts :

• Isaac S. Poe household - Hamilton Co., IN and Norton Co., KS

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.

Sunday's Obituary : William Haley (1860-1933)

Source: Commerical-Review, Portland, Indiana, October 27, 1933, page 1.

William Haley Dies in Noble

Heart Trouble-Dropsy are Fatal to Former Resident of Portland

William Haley, 73, died this morning at his home near Bellefontaine, death being due to heart trouble and dropsy.  He had been in failing health since February and seriously for three weeks.

Mr. Haley was born September 12, 1860, in Noble township and resided on the farm where he was born northeast of Portland until locating in this city in 1918 and residing here until last February.  His parents were Sebastian and Lydia (Rader) Haley.

In 1884 he was married to Jennie Laicock, who died April 1, 1929, and remarried February 12, 1933 to Nora Hoadeschell, who survives.  Mrs. Hazel Thornburg of Portland is a daughter.  There are three grandchildren, Katherine, Ruth and William Thornburg, and one sister, Mrs. Eli Haffner of Portland.

Funeral services will be Monday afternoon at 2 o'clock at the residence in charge of Rev. Russell Haley of Peru, assisted by Rev. J.O. Lewis of Portland.  Burial in Green Park cemetery.

On This Day : August 5

1698 - Joseph HADLEY born.  Joseph was the son of Simon HADLEY and Ruth ________.


1726 - Richard CHEW died in Deptford Township, Gloucester County, New Jersey.  Richard was the son of Richard CHEW and Frances WOODWARD.


1777 - Phebe SUMNER married Welcome GARRETT.  Phebe was the daughter of Robert SUMNER and Phoebe BEALS.


1798 - Daniel JACOBS born in Pennsylvania.  Daniel was the son of Michael JACOBS and Margaret ________.


1808 - James Thomas JACOBS married Isabella FEILY in Adams County, Ohio. James was the son of William JACOBS and Sibell LITTELL.  They were my 5x-great grandparents.


1830 - Amanda Cassandra MAXON born in Pennsylvania.  Amanda was the daughter of Jesse MAXON and Jane NANGLE.


1853 - George WRIGHT died in Brown County, Ohio.  George was the son of John WRIGHT and Sarah FLEMING.  George was my 5x-great grandfather.


1858 - John Aaron SWAFFORD born in Bradley County, Tennessee.  John was the son of Aaron SWAFFORD and Sarah SWAFFORD.


1878 - Mary Jane RICHARDS born.  Mary was the daughter of John Thomas RICHARDS and Mary Jane CROCKETT.


1880 - Thomas A. SWAFFORD born.  Thomas was the son of John Aaron SWAFFORD and Bell SEABORN.


1881 - Francis S. PIERCE died in Wayne County, Indiana.  Francis was the son of Gordon PIERCE and Thirsa SMALLEY.  Francis was my 4x-great grandfather.


1882 - Rebecca A. SWAFFORD married Andrew Woolsey COVEY in Richmond, Missouri.  Rebecca was the daughter of John B. SWAFFORD and Nancy Rowena MILLARD.


1893 - Benjamin Zellen KING married Elizabeth Ann SCHELL in Frankton, Madison County, Indiana.  Benjamin was the son of Daniel KING and Elizabeth SHAW.


1896 - Orville Bernard CHEW born in Jay County, Indiana.  Orville was the son of William Anderson CHEW and Emma Susan STRAIGHT.


1908 - Mary Josephine STURDEVANT born in Hamilton County, Indiana.  Mary was the daughter of Joel Dixon STURDEVANT and Lula INGERMANN.


1911 - Kermit Russell DAVIS died.  Kermit was the son of Winchester Journey DAVIS and Lula Iona DAVIS.


1930 - Joan Lemaster BILLING died in Piqua, Miami County, Ohio.  Joan was the daughter of George BILLING and Isabelle Helen LeMASTER.


1982 - James A. SWAFFORD died in Richmond, Missouri.  James was the son of James Calvin SWAFFORD and Louisa Catherine LEE.


1998 - Eva Louis DEVER died in Evansville, Vanderburgh County, Indiana.  Eva was the daughter of Mathias MILLER and Elizabeth SCHAEFFER.


2003 - Carrie Verle THORNBURG died in Muncie, Delaware County, Indiana.  Carrie was the daughter of Eli Weldon HALEY and Cora Belle METZNER.

On This Day : July 13

1659 - Samuel CASS born.  Samuel was the son of John CASS and Martha PHILBRICK.


1708 - Josiah PIERCE born in Woburn, Middlesex County, Massachusetts.  Josiah was the son of Samuel PIERCE and Abigail JOHNSON.


1732 - Samuel WILLSON married Deborah WILLETS in Bethlehem, Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Samuel was the son of Samuel WILLSON and Hester OVERTON.  Deborah was the daughter of Joseph WILLETS and Deborah SEAMAN.  They were my 8x-great grandparents.


1754 - Sara GROENENDYKE married Evert WESSELS in New York, New York.  Sara was the daughter of Samuel GROENENDYKE and Mayke VERKERK.


1784 - Elizabeth HODGKINS born in Pennsylvania.  Elizabeth was the daughter of Samuel James HODGKINS and Elizabeth ________.


1791 - Nathaniel LEWIS born in Canada.  Nathaniel was Eileen's 4x-great grandfather.


1809 - Rebecca SUMNER married Joshua WRIGHT.  Rebecca was the daughter of Bowater SUMNER and Rebeckah BURRAS.


1815 - Hugh WARDLAW married Rebecca HIRONS in Clermont County, Ohio.  Hugh was the son of Robert WARDLAW and Janet DOWNEY.


1816 - Margaret MAXON born in Fayette County, Pennsylvania.  Margaret was the daughter of Joel MAXON and Hannah FIELDS.


1820 - Jacob WEHRLY born in York County, Pennsylvania.  Jacob was the son of Heinrich WEHRLY and Christina SAUBEL.


1835 - William Armfield THORNBURG married Maria CLEVENGER.  William was the son of John THORNBURG and Elizabeth BEALS.


1851 - Barbara SHERRICK died in Coles County, Illinois.  Barbara was the daughter of David SHIRK and Barbara ERB.


1864 - Thomas M. WAMSLEY born in Ohio.  Thomas was the son of Samuel WAMSLEY and Catherine GROENENDYKE.


1866 - Andrew S. CHEW died.  Andrew was the son of Nathaniel CHEW and Sarah SPRINGER.


1867 - James Aaron SWAFFORD born in Tennessee.  James was the son of William Harrison SWAFFORD and Ann E. VICKERY.


1879 - Justin Irving YOUNG born. Justin was the son of Charles YOUNG and Anna M. THRAVES.


1883 - Charlie BUTLER born in Jasper County, Missouri.  Charlie was the son of Frank Carlos BUTLER and Clara LEMASTERS.


1890 - Elijah W. CHEW died in Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa.  Elijah was the son of Elisha Dunham CHEW and Elizabeth HERITAGE.


1898 - Norman Delmar PATTERSON married Nellie O. WILCOX in LaCygne, Linn County, Kansas.  Norman was the son of James C. PATTERSON and Amanda Cassandra MAXON.


1910 - Clay SWAFFORD died in Bledsoe County, Tennessee.  Clay was the son of Aaron SWAFFORD and Nancy Alice PATTON.


1924 - Henry Leonard WEHRLY died.  Henry was the son of William P. WEHRLY and Olive Jane SMITH.


1967 - Amanda HENRY died in Bledsoe County, Tennessee.  Amanda was the daughter of Aaron SWAFFORD and Nancy Alice PATTON.


2003 - Margaret S. CHEW died in LaCrosse, Wisconsin.  Margaret was the daughter of Nathaniel Durbin CHEW and Nettie TRUMBAUER.

On This Day : May 3

1587 - John FIELD died in East Ardsley, Yorkshire, England.  John was the son of Richard FIELD.  John was my 12x-great grandfather.


1691 - John BROWN died.  William was the son of William BROWN and Ann MERCER.


1706 - Samuel CRANDALL married Mary WILBUR.  Samuel was the son of Samuel CRANDALL and Sarah COLBY.


1735 - Silvanus MAXSON born in Westerly, Rhode Island.  Silvanus was the son of John MAXSON and Hannah MAXSON.


1735 - Stephen MAXSON born.  Stephen was the son of John MAXSON and Thankful RANDALL.


1747 - Susanna PIERCE born.  Susanna was the daughter of Enoch PIERCE and Mary MASON.


1769 - Mary HADLEY born.  Mary was the daughter of Joseph HADLEY and Mary CASHAT.


1777 - William KOUWENHOVEN died in Freehold, New Jersey.  William was the son of Pieter Willemse VAN KOUWENHOVEN and Patience DAWS.


1800 - Deborah DOAN died in Ontario, Canada.  Deborah was the daughter of Samuel WILLSON and Deborah WILLETS.


1825 - David William KING born near Zanesville, Ohio.  David was the son of William KING and Sarah SULLIVAN.


1829 - Anne Marie Louise KAHRE married Johann Jacob DRUCKER.  Anne was the daughter of Heinrich Hermann KAHRE and Anna Marie Elisabeth KAHRE.


1831 - Elizabeth Louisa DAVIS born.  Elizabeth was the daughter of Nathan J. DAVIS and Keziah DAVIS.


1833 - Catherine PETRY born in Eldorado, Preble County, Ohio.  Catherine was the daughter of Stephen PETRY.


1838 - Rachel THORNBURG married Mahlon CLEVENGER.  Rachel was the daughter of John THORNBURGH and Elizabeth BEALS.


1842 - Mandley PIERCE married Emily THOMAS.  Mandley was the son of Samuel PIERCE and Persis BARROWS.


1851 - Henrietta KING died in Madison County, Indiana.  Henrietta was the daughter of Daniel KING and Elizabeth SHAW.


1857 - Joel HIATT died.  Joel was the son of William HIATT and Charity WILLIAMS.


1868 - Ermina PETRY married Albert Garrison LEWIS.  Ermina was the daughter of Solomon PETRY and Anna SHURLEY.


1870 - Sarah May PEEPLES born in Maxinkuckee, Marshall County, Indiana.  Sarah was the daughter of George PEEPLES and Katherine McMILLEN.  Sarah was Eileen's great-grandmother.


1888 - John W. RITT married Tille MAASBERG in Evansville, Vanderburgh County, Indiana.  John was the son of Karl Ludwig RITT and Christine SCHMIDT.


1890 - Eleanor MEFFORD died in Brown County, Ohio.  Eleanor was the daughter of James HODGKINS and Hannah ALFORD.


1901 - William Byrd SWAFFORD born in Bledsoe County, Tennessee.  William was the son of Aaron SWAFFORD and Nancy Alice PATTON.


1909 - Nathan H. BEALS died.  Nathan was the son of Nathan C. BEALS and Elizabeth CHEW.


1916 - Benjamin Davis DEACON died in Mt. Holly, Burlington County, New Jersey.  Benjamin was the son of Joseph DEACON and Beulah HAINES.


1933 - Marion Clark BRUNER died.  Marion was the son of Andrew Jackson BRUNER and Selina HAWORTH.

On This Day : April 4

1598 - John CLARKE died in Suffolk County, England.  John was the son of John CLARKE and Margaret ________.  John was my 11x great-grandfather.


1650 - Isaac BACON born in Bridgewater, Plymouth Colony, Massachusetts.  Isaac was the son of Daniel BACON and Mary READE.


1670 - Joseph CLARKE born.  Joseph was the son of Joseph CLARKE and Bethiah HUBBARD.


1716 - Joseph WITTER born.  Joseph was the son of John WITTER and Sarah TEFFT.


1723 - Hannah TAPPAN died in York, Maine.  Hannah was the daughter of Robert FESSENDEN and Mary ________.


1765 - Aaron MENDENHALL died in East Caln, Pennsylvania.  Aaron was the son of John MENDENHALL and Elizabeth MARIS.


1784 - Robert PATRICK died.  Robert was the son of John PATRICK and Janett McPHEETERS.


1827 - Michael SHIRK died.  Michael was the son of Ulrich SCHERCH and Anna SWARR.


1834 - Ruth BALES married Isaiah RICE.  Ruth was the daughter of William BEALS and Rachel JOHNSON.


1838 - Nelson J. LAMBERTSON born in Stillwell Corner, Butler County, Ohio.  Nelson was the son of John LAMBERTSON and Sarah A. WILLSON.


1838 - Jane NEWBY died.  Jane was the daughter of Richard WILLIAMS and Susanna PAINTER.


1841 - William H.H. PIERCE born.  William was the son of Royal Storrs PIERCE and Juliet MORTON.


1843 - Curtis THORNBURG married Mahala CLEVENGER.  Curtis was the son of John THORNBURGH and Elizabeth BEALS.


1856 - Jasper METZNER born in Bearcreek Township, Jay County, Indiana.  Jasper was the son of William METZNER and Barbara POWELL.


1858 - William Anderson CHEW born in Darke County, Ohio.  William was the son of Dr. Ezekiel Cooper CHEW and Caroline Bishop WOOLSTON.


1866 - Charles Morton POE born in Morgan County, Indiana.  Charles was the son of Isaac S. POE and Hannah MILLS.


1867 - Hubert LEMASTERS born in Indiana.  Hubert was the son of Jacob LEMASTERS and Sarah Ann HALFHILL.


1874 - Elizabeth MOORE died in Madison County, Indiana.  Elizabeth was the daughter of Isaac PENISTEN and Sarah Elizabeth ________.


1886 - Millard F. LYST died in Madison County, Indiana.  Millard was the son of John LYST and Sarah Wilson LAMBERTSON.


1890 - Josephus BOYER died in Warrick County, Indiana.  Josephus was the son of Christopher C. BOYER and Nancy Ann McCOOL.


1891 - Joseph SUMNER died.  Joseph was the son of Absalom SUMNER and Pricilla JACKSON.


1905 - Pina BOYER married Pearl BATES.  Pina was the daughter of Christopher C. BOYER and Amanda F. ________.


1905 - Madeline DAVIS born.  Madeline was the daughter of Joseph Newton DAVIS and Almeda DAVIS.


1905 - Ralph Eugene FISHER born in Cicero, Hamilton County, Indiana.  Ralph was the son of Francis Franklin FISHER and Maud LAMBERTSON.


1909 - William Francis PIERCE married Vida MADDOX in Madison County, Indiana.  William was the son of Edmund G. PIERCE and Catherine GROENENDYKE.  William was my 2x great-grandfather.


1932 - Sarah May PEFLEY died in Argos, Marshall County, Indiana.  Sarah was the daughter of George PEEPLES and Katherine McMILLEN.  Sarah was Eileen's great-grandmother.


1935 - Mary Jane YOUNG died in Orestes, Madison County, Indiana.  Mary was the daughter of Daniel KING and Elizabeth SHAW.

Sunday's Obituary : Carrie V. (Haley) Thornburg (1905-2003)

Source: Commercial-Review, Portland, Indiana, August 6, 2003, page 2.

Carrie Thornburg

Carrie V. Thornburg, 98, Muncie, died in Liberty Village there Thursday.  She was Jay County native.

Born in Jay County on May 14, 1905, to Eli and Cora (Metzner) Haley, she was a homemaker and attended Mt. Zion United Methodist Church.

Surviving are several nieces and nephews.

Services are Thursday at 10 a.m. in the Baird-Freeman Funeral Home with Pastor James Ballenger presiding.  Burial will follow in the Mt. Zion Cemetery, Portland.

Visitation is one hour prior to services.

Memorials may be made to the charity of the donor's choice.

Sunday’s Obituary – if you have obituaries of family members and ancestors, consider posting them along with other information about that person as part of Sunday’s Obituary. This is an ongoing series developed by Leslie Ann at Ancestors Live Here.

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

Microfilm reader at Jay County Public Library

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Finds from the visit to the Jay County Public Library:

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

Finds from the visit to the Jay County Historical Society:

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

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

Funeral Record: Cora Belle (Metzner) Haley (1868-1955)

Source: Cora Belle Haley Funeral Record, Baird Funeral Home, Jay Co., Indiana 1954-1956, Saxman & Schindler, compiler, n.d.

At the Jay County Public Library I was able to locate the funeral record for my paternal great-grandmother, Cora Belle (METZNER) HALEY, who died April 28, 1955.

Cora died in Madison Township, at the Stuber residence.  Vera (Mrs. Clarence) STUBER was her eldest daughter, and was taking care of her.  It is my understanding that Cora had been blind in her later years.

Cora died April 28th at 6:40 p.m. in the evening, aged 86 years.  She was born August 21, 1868 in Jay County.

The name of her father was given on this record as Adam Haley, an obvious error, as Haley was her married name.  Her father's name was John Adam METZNER, known more often in records as Adam.  Her mother is listed as Clara Metzner, which was her married name - her mother's maiden name was Clara MOULTON.

Cora was buried in an oak casket manufactured by Hutton.  I'm wondering if this was the J.M. Hutton Company of nearby Richmond, Indiana.

There were miscellaneous charges for wires to Chicago and Marine City (Michigan), and a phone call to what looks like Evast, Michigan.  These were probably to notify relatives.  More than likely, these were relatives on the Haley side, as I haven't discovered any surviving out-of-town Metzner relatives.

The bill for the funeral was to be charged to Mrs. Clarence Stuber, Route 3 Ft. Recovery, Ohio; Mrs. Galen Miller, Muncie; Mrs. E.C. Kunce, Lawrenceville, Illinois; Mrs. Waymon Thornburg; and Mrs. Ord LeMaster.  These were the surviving children (all daughters) of Cora and Eli Haley.

Funeral Record: Eli Weldon Haley (1866-1957)

Source: Eli Haley Funeral Record, Baird Freeman Funeral Home, Jay County, Indiana 1956-1958, Schindler & Saxman, ed., 1996

The Jay County Public Library in Portland, Indiana has several books of funeral home records of the Baird Freeman Funeral Home, compiled by local editors.  I was glad to find the records of my paternal great-grandfather, Eli Weldon HALEY (1866-1957).  Eli died July 14, 1957 in Madison Township, Jay County, Indiana.  His wife, Cora, had died in 1955.

I was glad to have located this record, as I found out that I had his death in the wrong month (I had it as June) in my database.  I need to go to the Health Department and obtain an official death certificate on my next visit.

Eli's date of death was July 14th at 6 a.m.  He was 91 years of age, being born March 24, 1866 in Erie County, Ohio.

His residence was listed as Madison Township, and his death occurred at the Stuber residence.  Vera (Mrs. Clarence) Stuber was his eldest daughter, and I know that they were taking care of them in their older years.

The record lists his father as George W. Haley and mother as Mary Jane Sherrick, which correlates to records that I have found.  He was buried in the Mt. Zion cemetery in a casket manufactured by the Batesville Casket Co., an Indiana company still in operation today.

I found it interesting to see the miscellaneous charges listed on the record, including charges for wires to Troy, Ohio and Cleveland(?) and a phone call to Marine City, Michigan.  I assume that these were made to notify relatives.  The phone call to Marine City, Michigan could have been to Eli's sister, Carrie Mae (HALEY) GRAVES, wife of Arthur GRAVES.  The Haley's were from the Cleveland area, so this might be to some other relatives.  I'm not sure who may have been in Troy, Ohio.  

The funeral record lists who to charge the bill to : Mrs. Clarence STUBER, Route 3 Ft. Recovery (Ohio); Mrs. Galen Miller, Muncie; Mrs. E.C. Kunce, Danville, Illinois; Mrs. Waymon Thornburg; and Mrs. Ord LeMaster.  These are the surviving children, all daughters.

Family Milestones: September 8th

My maternal 6th-great grandaunt, Ruth MILLS, was born on this date in 1763.  Ruth was the daughter of Henry and Hannah (THORNBURG) MILLS, and the younger sister of my Aaron MILLS.  Ruth married January 27, 1780 to James JOHNSON, son of Charles and Sarah (CREW) JOHNSON.  James was born in 1763.  They had 9 children and were members of the Society of Friends in Guilford County, North Carolina. Ruth's death is recorded 6th month, 25th day at Deep River MM, Guilford County, North Carolina.

Family Milestones: September 1st

My paternal great granduncle, William Clifford LeMASTERS, was born on this date in 1871 in Darke County, Ohio.  William was the son of Luman Walker and Mary Keziah (CHEW) LeMASTERS Jr., and the younger brother of my Luman Cooper LeMASTERS.  William married August 20, 1892 in Jay County, Indiana to Lella Edith LEWIS, daughter of Morgan B. and Hattie (HOOVER) LEWIS.  Lella was born April 9, 1877 in Madison Township, Jay County, Indiana.  They had 4 children.  William was a banker and worked for banks in Ohio and Colorado.  William and Lella later divorced.  Lella died April 1, 1943 in Martinez, California.  William died July 26, 1922 in Colorado.  He is buried in Colorado Springs, Colorado.


My paternal 4th-great granduncle, Samuel MOULTON, was born on this date in 1792.  Samuel was the son of John and Avis (HURLBUT) MOULTON, and the younger brother of my Selah MOULTON. Nothing further is known at this time.


My maternal 6th-great grandaunt, Rebeckah MILLS, was born on this date in 1765.  Rebeckah was the daughter of Henry and Hannah (THORNBURG) MILLS, and the younger sister of my Aaron MILLS.  Nothing further is known at this time.

Family Milestones: May 14th

My paternal grandaunt, Carrie Verle HALEY, was born on this date in 1905 in Jay County, Indiana.  Carrie was the daughter of Eli Weldon and Cora Belle (METZNER) HALEY, and the older sister of my Ruth Pauline HALEY.  Carrie married on December 21, 1927 to Waymon THORNBURG, son of Arthur F. and Minnie (WARREN) THORNBURG.  Waymon was born December 26, 1903 in Portland, Jay County, Indiana.  They lived in Portland, Jay County, Indiana.  Waymon died July 17, 1973 in Portland, Jay County, Indiana.  Carrie died August 5, 2003 in Muncie, Delaware County, Indiana.  Both are buried at Mt. Zion Cemetery, Jay County, Indiana.

My maternal 5th-great grandaunt, Mary KIMMER, was born on this date in 1797.  Mary was the daughter of Nicholas and Sarah (FAYLER) KIMMER, and the younger sister of my Elizabeth KIMMER.  Nothing further is known at this time.

Family Milestones: February 24th

My maternal 5th-great granduncle, James WARDLAW, was married on this date in 1814 in Clermont County, Ohio to Eleanor IRWIN.  James was born February 22, 1788 in Virginia, the son of Robert and Janet (DOWNEY) WARDLAW, and the younger brother of my Samuel WARDLAW.  I do not have dates of birth and death for Eleanor.  They had 5 children.  James died September 5, 1858.

My maternal 6th-great granduncle, Hur MILLS, was born on this date in 1755.  Hur was the son of Henry and Hannah (THORNBURG) MILLS, and the younger brother of my Aaron MILLS.  Nothing further is known at this time.

Family Milestones: February 14th

My paternal grandaunt, Vera Delphene HALEY, was married on this date in 1915 to Clarence Leroy STUBER.  Vera was the daughter of Eli Weldon and Cora Belle (METZNER) HALEY, and the older sister of my Ruth Pauline HALEY.  Vera was born March 10, 1890 in Jay County, Indiana.  Clarence was born February 4, 1891 in Noble Township, Jay County, Indiana, the son of Henry and Martha (________) STUBER.  They had 1 stillborn child.  They lived in Spencerville, Allen County, Ohio and Jay County, Indiana.  Clarence was a farmer.  Clarence died May 20, 1981 in Jay County, Indiana.  Vera died June 1987 in Portland, Jay County, Indiana.  Both are buried at the Mt. Zion Cemetery, Noble Township, Jay County, Indiana.

My maternal 3rd-great granduncle, Henry Eldred PIERCE, was married on this date in 1855 to Simeathy SMELSOR.  Henry was the son of Francis S. and Rebecca (PAGE) PIERCE, and the older brother of my Edmund G. PIERCE.  Henry was born October 10, 1833 in Piqua, Miami County, Ohio.  Simeathy was born circa 1839 in Indiana.  They had at least 6 children and lived in Lafayette Township, Madison County, Indiana.  Simeathy died in 1918.  Henry died in 1901.  Both are buried in the Maplewood Cemetery, Anderson, Madison County, Indiana.

My maternal 4th-great grandaunt, Elizabeth WARDLAW, was married on this date in 1838 in Brown County, Ohio.  Elizabeth was the daughter of Samuel and Elizabeth (NESBIT) WARDLAW, and the younger sister of my Anna WARDLOW.  Elizabeth was born November 27, 1818 in Brown County, Ohio.  I do not know the dates of birth or death for John.  Elizabeth died in Iowa.  Nothing further is known at this time.

My maternal 2nd-great granduncle, Elias A. PIERCE, was born on this date in 1867 in Madison County, Indiana.  Elias was the son of Edmund G. and Catherine (GROENENDYKE) PIERCE, and the younger brother of my William Francis PIERCE.  Elias married December 25, 1895 in Madison County, Indiana to Flora J. CURTIS.  Flora was born November 1871 in Indiana and died between 1920-1930 in Madison County, Indiana.  Elias married secondly to Kate ________.  Elias was a farmer and stock buyer, living in Monroe Township, Madison County, Indiana.  Elias died March 1963.

My maternal 6th-great granduncle, Joshua MILLS, was born on this date in 1761.  Joshua was the son of Henry and Hannah (THORNBURG) MILLS.  Joshua's death is recorded at New Garden MM, Guilford County, North Carolina in 1762, 8th month.

Family Milestones: February 11th

My maternal 6th-great grandaunt, Charity MILLS, was married on this date in 1779 to Samuel HOGGATT.  Charity's birth was recorded at Deep River MM, Guilord County, North Carolina 1758, 4th month, 6th day, the daughter of Henry and Hannah (THORNBURG) MILLS, and the younger sister of my Aaron MILLS.  Samuel's birth was recorded at New Garden MM, Guilford County, North Carolina 1755, 5th month, 29th day (O.S.), the son of Anthony and Mary (________) HOGGATT.  They had at least one child.  Charity died December 24, 1799.  Nothing further is known at this time.

My paternal 4th-great grandaunt, Mary BYERS, was married on this date in 1869 in Wayne County, Ohio to William HAGEN.  Mary was born in 1816 in Warrington Township, York County, Pennsylvania, the daughter of Abraham and Mary (STICKEL) BYERS, and the younger sister of my Barbara BYERS.  I do not have dates of birth or death for William.  Mary died sometime after 1884.  Nothing further is known at this time.

My paternal 3rd-great grandaunt, Margaret JACOBS, was born on this date in 1839 in Congress Township, Wayne County, Ohio.  Margaret was the daughter of David and Barbara (BYERS) JACOBS, and the younger sister of my Susan JACOBS.  Margaret married March 26, 1863 in Wayne County, Ohio to Benjamin DREIBLEBEIS.  I do not have dates of birth or death for William.  Margaret died October 9, 1913.  Nothing further is known at this time.

My maternal 5th-great grandaunt, Mary ROBINS, was born on this date in 1790.  Mary was the daughter of Obadiah and Susannah (HODGKINS) ROBINS, and the younger sister of my Elizabeth ROBINS.  Mary married August 8, 1810 in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania to Samuel PANGBURN.  I do not have dates of birth or death for Samuel.  They moved to Brown County, Ohio.  Mary died August 23, 1810 in Brown County, Ohio.

Family Milestones: January 27th

My maternal 5th-great grandparents, George WRIGHT and Elizabeth ROBINS, were married on this date in 1812 in Adams County, Ohio.  George was born July 31, 1780 in Pennsylvania, the son of John and Sarah (FLEMING) WRIGHT.  Elizabeth was born June 16, 1781 in Pennsylvania, the daughter of Obadiah and Susannah (HODGKINS) ROBINS.  They raised 6 children in Adams and Brown Cos., Ohio.  Elizabeth died November 22, 1857 in Brown County, Ohio.  George died August 5, 1853 in Brown County, Ohio.

My maternal 6th-great grandaunt, Ruth MILLS, married on this date in 1780 to James JOHNSON.  Ruth was the daughter of Henry and Hannah (THORNBURG) MILLS, and the younger sister of my Aaron MILLS.  James was born in 1763, the son of Charles and Sarah (CREW) JOHNSON.  They lived in Guilford County, North Carolina and raised 9 children.  Ruth's death was recorded 6th month 25th day of 1801 at Deep River Monthly Meeting, Guilford County, North Carolina.

My maternal 5th-great grandaunt, Sarah CHEW, was born on this date in 1810.  Sarah was the daughter of Andrew and Anna Marie (BARTHUS) CHEW, and the younger sister of my Elizabeth CHEW.  Sarah married September 2, 1830 to Nathan BAILY.  Nothing further is known at this time.

Family Milestones: January 18th

My maternal 7th-great grandparents, Henry MILLS and Hannah THORNBURG, were married on this date in 1740 in Virginia.  Henry was the son of John and Rebecca (________) MILLS.  Hannah's parentage is unknown.  Henry was born 9th month 23rd day in Chester County, Pennsylvania.  Hannah was born in 1725.  They had 11 children.  Hannah died 3rd month 27th day in 1791, recorded at Deep River Monthly Meeting, Guilford County, North Carolina.  Henry died 10th month 10th day in 1810, recorded at Deep River Monthly Meeting, Guilford County, North Carolina.

My maternal 5th-great granduncle, Levi JACOBS, married on this date in 1828 in Brown County, Ohio to Mary Lou BEATY.  Levi was the son of  William and Sibell (LITTELL) JACOBS, and the younger brother of my James Thomas JACOBS.  Levi was born June 20, 1807 in Brown County, Ohio.  Mary was the daughter of David BEATY.  Levi died March 21, 1882 in Effingham County, Illinois.  Nothing further is known at this time.

My maternal 6th-great granduncle, Moses MENDENHALL, married on this date in 1764 at New Garden Monthly Meeting, Guilford County, North Carolina to Diannah RUDDUCK.  Moses was the son of Mordecai and Charity (BEESON) MENDENHALL, and the older brother of my Charity MENDENHALL.  Moses was born 5th month 13th day in 1743 recorded at New Garden Monthly Meeting, Guilford County, North Carolina. Diannah was the daughter of John and Jeanne (________) RUDDUCK.  They had 5 children.  Moses died 2nd month 10th day in 1835 recorded at Springfield Monthly Meeting, Guilford County, North Carolina.

Family Milestones: December 31st

My maternal 3rd-great grandaunt, Minerva PIERCE, was married on this date in 1868 in Madison County, Indiana to Dr. Daniel SIGLER.  Minerva was the daughter of Francis S. and Rebecca (PAGE) PIERCE, and the younger sister of my Edmund G. PIERCE.  Minerva was born December 6, 1846 in Indiana.  Daniel was born May 1844 in Indiana, the son of Daniel and Elizabeth (SHANK) PIERCE.  Daniel was a physician in Elwood, Madison County, Indiana.  They had 3 children.  Minerva died August 31, 1902 in Elwood, Madison County, Indiana and is buried in the Elwood City Cemetery. I do not have a death date for Daniel.

My paternal 5th-great granduncle, Elisha CHEW, was married on this date in 1794 to Mary SPRINGER.  Elisha was the son of Rev. Jesse and Mary (RICHARDS) CHEW, and the younger brother of my Nathaniel CHEW.  Elisha was born October 5, 1776 in New Jersey.  I do not have dates of birth or parentage of Mary SPRINGER.  Elisha died August 22, 1849.  Nothing further is known at this time.

My maternal grandaunt, Carrie Verle HALEY, was married on this date in 1927 in Jay County, Indiana to Waymon THORNBURG.  Carrie was the daughter of Eli Weldon and Cora Belle (METZNER) HALEY.  Carrie was born May 14, 1905 in Jay County, Indiana.  Waymon was born December 26, 1903 in Portland, Jay County, Indiana, the son of Arthur F. and Minnie (WARREN) THORNBURG.  Waymon died July 17, 1973 in Portland, Jay County, Indiana.  Carrie died August 5, 2003 Muncie, Delaware County, Indiana.  Both are buried in the Mt. Zion Cemetery, Jay County, Indiana.

My paternal 5th-great grandaunt, Content MAXSON, was born on this date in 1732.  Content was the daughter of Joseph and Bethia (MAXSON) MAXSON, and the older sister of my Ephraim MAXSON.  Content married September 19, 1754 to George POTTER, son of Thomas and Mary (BABCOCK) POTTER.   George was born January 3, 1732 in Westerly, Rhode Island.   They raised a family of 9 children.  George died August 19, 1794 and Content died October 24, 1815.

My paternal 5th-great grandfather, Abraham BYERS, was born on this date in 1771 in Pennsylvania.  Abraham was the son of Charles and Elizabeth (________) BYERS.  Charles married circa 1795 in York County, Pennsylvania to Mary STICKEL, daughter of Jacob and Anna Maria (________) STICKEL.  Mary was born August 28, 1768 in Warrington Township, York County, Pennsylvania.  They raised a family of 9 children.  Abraham died January 21, 1823 in Warrington Township, York County, Pennsylvania.  Mary died September 24, 1842 in Warrington Township, York County, Pennsylvania.

Christmas 1982 - Redux

Found these photos from Christmas 1982 taken at my Grandma LeMASTER's house in Portland, Indiana.  The photos were taken by my brother with a Polaroid camera (remember those?).

Grandma Ruth Pauline (Haley) LeMaster (1911-1990)

Great aunt Carrie (Haley) Thornburg (1905-2003) and dad Ord W. LeMaster

Uncle Paul W. LeMaster

Uncle Victor L. LeMaster

Cousin Nancy LeMaster

Cousin Donna Coats

On Christmas day, after opening presents at our house, we would pack up and make the drive to Portland to spend time with my grandma and all of the relatives there.  The house would be packed, and the food was great!