Church Record Sunday: Mt. Zion Church has served Noble area since 1852

The following is an article that appeared in the Portland, Indiana Commercial Review on March 19, 1977, page 19.  Mt. Zion church was the spiritual home of my HALEY and allied families for many years. I've added my comments in red.

The Mt. Zion Church in Noble Township was organized in 1852, just a few years before the beginning of the Civil War.

This was about the same time Muncie celebrated the completion of the Bellefountain and Indianapolis railroad to Muncie and the same year of the first state fair held at Indianapolis.

A. Nicolai and Frederick Schumerman of St. Mary’s, Ohio circuit conducted the organizational meeting the Mt. Zion (Evangelical Association) at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Sebastian Haley.[maternal 3rd-great granduncle, brother of George J.]  The Haleys were married Feb. 25, 1846 and came to Jay County in 1850 from Ohio, where he purchased 120 acres of land.

Charter members of the church were: Mr. and Mrs. Sebastian Haley, Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Houdeschell, Mr. and Mrs. Frederick Wentz, Mr. and Mrs. Dan Ferner, and Catherine Young.

Daniel Ferner started a tile factory and pottery, in 1861, one of the first industries in the township.  They came to Jay County from Fairfield County, Ohio, and located on a 92-acre farm.  They lived in an old log cabin for two years, then built a hewed log house for a pottery and brought clay from Ohio to make the pottery.  This didn’t prove to be successful, so he made tile from local clay.  In 1879, he moved into a better home.  He and his wife had 11 children.

These charter members worshipped in homes and barns from about 1852 to 1855 when they built a log church.  The 20 or 25 feet square structure seated about 100.  The land was donated by C. Young.  The pews were homemade.

In 1881, the log church was replaced with a brick building 30 by 50 feet at a cost of $2,000.  Most of the labor was donated.

The bricks for the new building were made and burned by Fred Haley [son of Sebastian] in Noble township.  Henry Miller donated the sand and the lime was purchased from the Wagner Lime Kiln, near Fort Recovery, Ohio.  The church was dedicated Dec. 11, 1881 by William Yost from Cleveland, Ohio.

In the early days of the church, people often walked two or three miles to meetings.  At night, they carried lanterns.  Years later, a light plant furnished lights, and when electricity was available, the church was wired for electric lights.

In 1887, the Mt. Zion Church of the Evangelical Association had a membership of 88.  Class leaders were George W. Haley [2nd-great grandfather] and A.[August] Geggenheimer [2nd-great granduncle - husband of Sarah C. Haley] ; exhorters were William Haley [son of Sebastian] and Albert Graves.  Pastor was Rev. H.E. Meyers of Fort Recovery.

Among the preceding pastors were: L.S. Fisher, G.W. Holderman, B.F. Dill, J.D. Pontius.

Sunday school attendance during the 1880’s averaged 60. Adams Metzner [2nd-great grandfather John Adam Metzner] was superintendent.

The church later changed to part of the Portland Circuit.  J.E. Young served from 1910 to 1911 and W.I. Weyant of the Pittsburgh Conference filled the vacancy for two years.

In 1933, the church was re-roofed at a cost of $180.  Mt. Zion became an Evangelical United Brethren Church in 1946, following a merger of the two denominations.

This church was then assigned to the Albright Circuit in 1951.

On Sept. 7, 1952, a centennial celebration was held.  Guest speakers were Rev. Reuben H. Mueller, Rev. C.W. Walmer, a former pastor, and Rev. Hugh Cobb.

In 1958, the church was remodeled by digging a basement, bracing the walls with cement pillars, and raising the floor of the sanctuary three feet.  Cost of the project was $4,000 besides the donated labor.

Later a furnace, well, water system, restrooms, and a kitchen were installed.  A tile ceiling was installed in 1960.  Since then, new carpeting and wallpaper have been added.

The church is now a two-point charge with Westchester United Methodist Church.  Rev. Larry Werbil is pastor and Earl Brumm is superintendent.

Mt. Zion church photographed by author in 2009

John Wright Cemetery Plot: I.O.O.F. Cemetery, Alexandria, IN

Above is a copy of the cemetery plot map of the I.O.O.F. cemetery in Alexandria, Madison County, Indiana for John W. and Ellen (KING) WRIGHT.  They are buried in Section C, plot 242.

I visited the Monroe Township Trustee's office today, and they were generous enough to provide me with a copy of the plot.  

The trustee added the directional arrows and placed the question mark on grave number 1.  Ella WRIGHT is buried in grave # 2, and John W. WRIGHT is in grave # 3.  Grave # 1 appears that it is much smaller, and that it could be for a child.

Ellen [Ella in the record] was buried in 1913, and John in 1945.  John was listed as having a vault, but not Ellen.  I went back out to the cemetery to double check that there were only two stones.

There are only two stones, one for Ellen, the other for John, with a larger stone that says "WRIGHT" on both sides.  The plot is located just inside the cemetery near the war memorial monument, and is along the edge of the circle drive.


While this is not conclusive proof, it does lend some credence to the fact that an infant or two might be buried with them in this cemetery plot.

Beals & Hinshaw: Buggies and Wagons: Westfield, Indiana

Source: Postoffice Directory of Hamilton County, Indiana; 1893-94; Ledger Book and Job Print, Noblesville, Indiana, page 49.

I found this advertisement listing the business venture of my maternal 3rd-great grandfather, Nathan Thomas BEALS (1856-1915).  It was nice to find a record of him during the 1890's in Hamilton County, Indiana.

Previously, in 1885 census he was living in Humboldt, Richardson County, Nebraska where his occupation was listed as school teacher.  The 1900 census in Jackson Township, Hamilton County, Indiana lists him as a dealer in hardware.

Earlier I had posted about his obituary and his death in Arkansas.  There are many mysteries about this man yet to be discovered.

I have not yet identified the relationship with A.S. HINSHAW.  However, there was a Beals-Hinshaw connection, as Nathan's sister, Elizabeth, married Solomon Hinshaw in Hamilton County, Indiana.  It was their sons, Ed and Luther, that Nathan was involved with in the sawmill business in Arkansas.

He was referred to often in the records as simply "N.T. Beals".  

Nathan Thomas BEALS was born February 17, 1856 in Westfield, Hamilton County, Indiana, the son of John T. and Mary (DAVIS) BEALS.  He married September 26, 1876 in Hamilton County, Indiana to Elizabeth Caroline POE, daughter of Isaac S. and Hannah (MILLS) POE.  Nathan died February 16, 1915 in Leola, Grant County, Arkansas and is buried in the Cicero Cemetery, Hamilton County, Indiana.

What Happened to Grandma's Babies?

Until I started digging more deeply into the census records, I was sure that I had written down everything about the family group that was my maternal 2nd-great grandparents, John William and Ellen (KING) WRIGHT.  I always knew that my great-grandfather, Virgil, had a younger brother named Chester Arthur, who went by the name "Mike".  End of story, right?


The census records tell a slightly different story, beginning with the 1900 census of Monroe Township, Madison County, Indiana.  Ellen WRIGHT is a wife, aged 31, married for 14 years and the mother of 3 children, 2 of them living.  So that means that one of her children was deceased by 1900.  In the 1910 census of the same township, Ellen is aged 41, married for 24 years and the mother of 4 children, 2 of them living.  So sometime between 1900-1910 there was another child that was born and died.


I'm now seeking two additional children for this family:

Unknown child # 1: born between 1888 (marriage date) and 1900 census; died before 1900 census

 Unknown child # 2: born between 1900 census and died before 1910 census.

Who are these additional children?  Are their names lost to time?  There are no headstones in the local cemetery.  No one has included them in any family group sheets I've ever seen for this family.  There is no known Bible record that shows who these babies might have been.


A search of the birth records indexed by the WPA has been negative for any WRIGHT that would match this family.  Likewise for the death records. Indiana law required the recording of births in 1882.  However, compliance with the law was sketchy up until around 1900.  These births probably took place at home during this time period.


My best bet would be to find a mention in a local newspaper, but alas, the local paper in Alexandria at the public library starts with 1905.


Any clues on where to begin to find these babies?

The first wife of Edmund G. Pierce (1837-1875)

My maternal 3rd-great grandfather, Edmund G. PIERCE, was married on October 17, 1858 in Preble County, Ohio to Lydia DUELL, daughter of Joshua and Abigail (BORTON) DUELL.  Lydia was born March 26, 1838 in Pilesgrove, New Jersey.

Edmund and Lydia's marriage was short-lived, as she died September 14, 1860, according to her tombstone, and is buried in the West Grove Cemetery, Centreville, Wayne County, Indiana.  The Borton/Duell family Bible record, however, records her death as "Lydia B. Pierce departed her life the fifteenth of the eight month 1860".

Lydia's family were Quakers, and I haven't found any evidence that Edmund was, though I do not know what faith the Pierce family was.

Ancestry user oregontrailgal has provided me with information from the Bible, and has posted the information online.

I have yet to find the family in the 1860 census.  They could be in either Preble County, Ohio or Wayne County, Indiana.  Edmund was living in Wayne County, Indiana in the 1850 census.  After Lydia's death, he married Catherine GROENENDYKE in 1864 in Madison County, Indiana - my line.

Preble County, Ohio and Wayne County, Indiana are both border counties, so I will have to continue to search for records in both places.

Historic Quaker Cemetery Disturbed

From across the Rootsweb mailing list for Hamilton County, Indiana comes the following disturbing news:

In the early-mid 1960's the Westield Women's Club embarked in a "beautification project" that resulted in the removal and stacking of the grave markers in the Westfield Old Friends Cemetery on south Union Street. They contacted Conner Prairie and offered them the stones but were told that the museum wasn't interested in any stones with dates of death after 1836. When a few interested citizens learned of the "project" and expressed their dissatisfaction with the treatment of this graveyard the stones were re-set in four rows on the back of the cemetery along with a single marker with the names of all known burials and a marker commemorating the civil war veterans buried there. All of the burials remained in place with no way of determining the exact location of the dead, since the markers ahd been moved from their original locations.

Fast forward to 2010:

The City of Westfield Parks Department has commenced construction of a new park to be named the Old Friends Memorial Park on the property. This will include constructions of walls, trail ways and water fountains. Initial demolition in the northwest end of the property has already yielded intrusion into a grave. A backhoe sits on top of graves ready to disturb more graves. All of this is within the rights of the City of Westfield as a municipality. The Hamilton County Cemetery Commission is initiating action to at least bring a pause to this project for further consideration by the Westfield city government.

If you are interested in genealogy in Hamilton County and share our dismay that a local municipality would show such utter disregard for the remains of our ancestors, please contact the City of Westfield Parks Director, Melody Jones, at (317)804-3100 and share your displeasure with this project. You may write Ms. Jones at 2728 E. 271st Street, Westfield, IN 46074. In an election year, disfavor expressed about an issue like this goes a long way.

Bob Goode

Hamilton County Cemetery Commission

You can read more about this discovery covered by the local Fox affiliate here.

So many cemeteries have been lost to time and/or development, and the story about this one hits home because I discovered I had ancestors buried there.


A listing of some of the burials known to have taken place at the cemetery are listed on the Indiana Genweb.  Among those buried there are my maternal 5th-great grandparents, John W. and Mary (BARKER) DAVIS.  


In looking over the list of names at the cemetery, I see many Quaker names that I recognize as relatives, including: Baldwin, Bales, Barker, Davis, Hiatt, Jessup and Stout.

John Beals: Bank of Westfield, Indiana

Source: Postoffice Directory of Hamilton County, Indiana; 1893-94; Ledger Book and Job Print, Noblesville, Indiana; page 47.

My maternal 4th-great grandfather, John T. BEALS (1827-1917), was listed as serving on the Board of Directors of the Bank of Westfield in Westfield, Hamilton County, Indiana.  I located this directory in the Hamilton East Public Library in Noblesville, Indiana.

I was unaware of his involvement with this bank until this discovery, and will have to do some more research into the nature of his involvement. Previously, I had located articles about his grandson's involvement with a banking scandal in Hamilton County.  

John Beals was a Civil War veteran in Company A, 101st Regt., Indiana Volunteers and a farmer in Hamilton County after the war.  He also was elected in 1892 to serve as Hamilton County Assessor.

John was born June 25, 1827 in Clinton County, Ohio, son of Nathan C. and Elizabeth (CHEW) BEALS.  He married April 19, 1848 in Hamilton County, Indiana to Mary DAVIS, daughter of John W. and Mary (BARKER) DAVIS.  John died September 18, 1917 in Sheridan, Hamilton County, Indiana and is buried in the Summit Lawn Cemetery, Westfield, Indiana.

Obituary Omissions

Sometimes the newspaper makes a mistake, other times perhaps the family is so distraught that incomplete information is given.  


An example is my maternal great-grandmother's obituary in the March 5, 1968 Anderson Herald.

Funeral Services Set For Muriel Wright

ALEXANDRIA - Funeral rites for Mrs. Muriel Wright, 71, wife of Virgil Wright of Rt. 3, have been arranged for 1:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Christian Church.  The Rev. Eugene Lamport will be the minister in charge. Interment will be in the Parkview Cemetery.

The family will receive friends at the Karl M. Kyle Funeral Home after 2 p.m. today, and the Eastern Star Chapter will conduct memorial rites there at 8 p.m. today.

Mrs. Wright died Sunday noon at Community Hospital in Anderson after an extended illness.

A lifelong resident here, she was born in Alexandria, Feb. 16, 1897, to William F. and Clara Penniston Pierce.  She was married to Mr. Wright in 1915.  She was a member of the Christian Church, Order of the Eastern Star, Alexandria Chapter 179 and the Rebekah Lodge.

Surviving are the husband; two daughters, Mrs. Clara Ellen High and Mrs. Barbara Webster, both of Alexandria; a sister, Mrs. Nehersta Roberts of Santa Monica, Calif.; five brothers, McClelland, Charles, Eddie, and Bobby Pierce, all of Alexandria, and Jimmy Pierce of Indianapolis; six grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

For some reason, my grandfather, William Lee WRIGHT, her only son, was not listed at all in the obituary.  Someone who didn't know better might think that he was deceased at the time.

Family Milestones: September 27th

My maternal 5th-great granduncle, Joseph WRIGHT, married on this date in 1818 in Brown County, Ohio to Clarissa GARDNER.  Clarissa's parentage is unknown.  Joseph was the son of John and Sarah (FLEMING) WRIGHT, and the younger brother of my George WRIGHT.  Joseph was born January 26, 1798 in Kentucky.  Clarissa was born circa 1800 in New York.  They had at least one child.  Clarissa died January 29, 1882 in Brown County, Ohio.  Joseph died December 13, 1856 in Brown County, Ohio.


My maternal 6th-great grandparents, Nicholas KIMMER and Sarah FAYLER, were married on this date in 1784 in Berks County, Pennsylvania.  Nicholas was born circa 1763.  Sarah's date of birth and death are unknown.  Nicholas served in the Revolutionary War.  They had 11 children.  Nicholas died October 19, 1841 in Fayette County, Indiana.


My maternal 2nd-great grandaunt, Daisy L. WRIGHT, married on this date in 1890 in Madison County, Indiana to Thomas A. FOX, son of Phillip and Mary Susanna Katherine Jane (RECTOR) FOX.  Daisy was the daughter of Joseph W. and Rebecca (HEATON) WRIGHT, and the younger sister of my John W. WRIGHT.  Daisy was born June 1873 in Madison County, Indiana.  Thomas was born September 1869 in Madison County, Indiana.  They had 4 children and lived in Madison County.  Thomas died February 1, 1926 in Madison County, Indiana.  Daisy was still living after the 1930 census.


My maternal 5th-great granduncle, William J. JACOBS, married on this date in 1821 in Brown County, Ohio to Zoa WILKS.  Zoa's parentage and dates of birth and death are unknown.  William was the son of William and Sibell (LITTEL) JACOBS, and the younger brother of my James Thomas JACOBS.  William died June 23, 1879 in Brown County, Ohio.  Nothing further is known at this time.


My paternal 4th-great grandaunt, Barbara SHERRICK, was born on this date in 1785 in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.  Barbara was the daughter of David and Barbara (ERB) SHIRK, and the younger sister of my David SHERRICK.  Barbara died July 13, 1851 in Coles County, Illinois.  Nothing further is known at this time.


My paternal 6th-great grandaunt, Rebecca HAINES, was born on this date in 1744 in Burlington County, New Jersey.  Rebecca was the daughter of Jeremiah and Hannah (BONNELL) HAINES, and the younger sister of my Robert HAINES.  Rebecca married June 7, 1775 in Burlington County, New Jersey to John WHITE, son of Josiah and Rebecca (FOSTER) WHITE.  John was born September 9, 1747.  They had 6 children.  John died August 21, 1785.  Rebecca died March 22, 1826 in Mauch Chunk, Carbon County, Pennsylvania.

Family Milestones: September 26th

My paternal 6th-great granduncle, John MAXSON, married on this date in 1724 in Westerly, Rhode Island to Thankful RANDALL, daughter of Matthew and Eleanor (UTTER) RANDALL.  John was the son of John and Judith (CLARKE) MAXSON, and the younger brother of my Bethia and Elizabeth MAXSON.  John was born April 21, 1701 in Westerly, Rhode Island.  Thankful was born circa 1701.  They raised 10 children in Westerly.  John died in 1786 in Westerly, Rhode Island.


My maternal 3rd-great grandparents, Nathan Thomas BEALS and Elizabeth Caroline POE, were married on this date in 1876 in Hamilton County, Indiana.  Nathan was the son of John T. and Mary (DAVIS) BEALS.  Elizabeth was the daughter of Isaac S. and Hannah (MILLS) POE.  Elizabeth was born September 26, 1856 in Morgan County, Indiana.  Nathan was born February 17, 1856 in Westfield, Hamilton County, Indiana.  They lived in Hamilton County, Indiana and Richardson County, Nebraska and raised 3 children.  Elizabeth died September 27, 1935 near Greentown, Howard County, Indiana.  Nathan died February 16, 1915 in Leola, Grant County, Arkansas.


My maternal 7th-great grandmother, Johanna KOUWENHOVEN, was born on this date in 1695 in Brooklyn, New Amsterdam.  Johanna was the daughter of Pieter Willemse and Patience (DAWS) VAN KOUWENHOVEN.  Johanna married circa 1720 to Johannis ANTONIDES.  Johannis was born March 28, 1683 in Franeker, Netherlands.  They had 4 children.  Johanna died after 1743 in Freehold, New Jersey.


My maternal 6th-great grandaunt, Mary HEATON, was born on this date in 1709.  Mary was the daughter of Samuel and Susan (HAWES) HEATON, and the older sister of my John HEATON.  Nothing further is known at this time.

Great-Grandma Made the Funnies (sort of)

While searching through the newspaper collection on Ancestry.com in the Anderson Herald of Anderson, Indiana for mention of my maternal great-grandmother, Edna Muriel WRIGHT, I came across the following panel from the Mary Worth strip from 1963.


I wonder how many friends and family members may have cut this out of their papers and sent it to my great-grandmother.  

Pallbearers similar to baptismal witnesses

Pallbearers are similar to baptismal witnesses in the sense that they are usually close relatives.  When you find them listed in funeral notices in newspapers, checking out the family dynamics can lead to further clues regarding relationship, residency, etc.


A recent example I discovered was the notice of the funeral of Miss Nellie Fox in the Anderson Herald (Indiana) published December 14, 1954:

ALEXANDRIA - Last rites for Miss Nellie Fox, formerly of this city, were conducted Saturday in the Gipe, Williams and Kyle Chapel. The Rev. Robert T. Huber, First Christian Church pastor, officiated the services.

Pallbearers were Welcome Tuxford, Fred King, Fred Wright, Virgil Wright, Chester Wright, Herman Pierce. Burial was in Park View Cemetery.

 Nellie Fox was the daughter of Thomas A. and Daisy L. (WRIGHT) FOX.

 Fred King was the son of Suman Douglas and Amanda Louisa (FOX) KING, and a 1st cousin to Nellie.

 Fred Wright was the son of Charles R. and Bertha C. (LEONARD) WRIGHT, and a 1st cousin to Nellie.

 Virgil Wright was the son of John W. and Ellen (KING) WRIGHT, and a 1st cousin to Nellie.

 Chester Wright was the son of John W. and Ellen (KING) WRIGHT, and a 1st cousin to Nellie.

 Herman Pierce and Welcome Tuxford were not related by blood to Nellie Fox.  However, Herman Pierce was the brother-in-law of Virgil Wright.  I'm not sure who Welcome Tuxford was.

Family Milestones: September 25th

My paternal 2nd-great granduncle, Abel Woolston CHEW, married on this date in 1862 in Greenville, Darke County, Ohio to Salome H. HOLDEMAN.  Abel was the son of Dr. Ezekiel Cooper and Caroline Bishop (WOOLSTON) CHEW, and the older brother of my Mary Keziah CHEW.  Salome's parentage is unknown.  Abel was born November 11, 1843 in Blackwood, Gloucester County, New Jersey.  Salome was born November 1844 in Ohio.  Abel was a teacher and farmer.  They raised 10 children and lived in Charlevoix County, Michigan.  Abel died January 6, 1903.

My maternal 3rd-great grandaunt, Clarissa A. WRIGHT, married on this date in 1878 in Brown County, Ohio, to William Henry BALLEIN.  Clarissa was the daughter of John and Anna (WARDLOW) WRIGHT, and the younger sister of my Joseph W. WRIGHT.  William's parentage is unknown.  Clarissa was born March 29, 1856 in Brown County, Ohio.  William was born January 1847 in Ohio. They had 2 children and lived in Brown County, Ohio.  William last known living after 1900 census in Washington Township, Brown County, Ohio.  Clarissa died September 27, 1884 in Brown County, Ohio.

My paternal 2nd-great granduncle, Hosea Tillson SMITH, was born on this date in 1849 in Cass County, Michigan.  Hosea was the son of William P. and Prudence (MAXSON) SMITH, and the younger brother of my Olive Jane SMITH.  Hosea served in the Civil War in the 11th Indiana Cavalry.  He married Mary ______. Hosea died in Jackson County, Oregon.  Nothing further is known at this time.

Do Name Collectors Have a Place at the Table?

Are you a Name Collector or a Genealogist?  Can one be both?  A debate seems to be raging in the genea-blogosphere, and the recent post by Karen at Genealogy Frame of Mind has me wondering what place a “name collector” has at the genealogical table. A good definition of the differences between a Name Collector and a Genealogist is presented by Elyse at Elyse's Genealogy Blog.

When I first started out researching my family history, I was around 12-13 years of age.  My dad had done some research on the family, and I decided that I would pick up where he left off.  This was in the early 80s, back when I used a Commodore 64 (remember those?) to organize my genealogy.

At the time, I was entering names and dates into the computer without regard to proper citation of my sources. One of my ancestors had completed a genealogy on the BEALS family in my maternal line; my dad had obtained a genealogy of the LEMASTER line as well.  Names and dates went into the database without a thought of citing where I obtained the information, or more importantly – evaluating the quality of the data in those books.

So in those early days, I was definitely a Name Collector.

These days I would consider myself a Family Genealogist – that is, I do try to document and cite my sources as accurately as possible.  I try to correct gaps in my database as often as I can in order to make my research as complete as possible.  However, there is still quite a residue in my database from my Name Collector days.  Sometimes, even today, I can get carried away by a new discovery and fail to properly document the information, believing that I will “remember” and go back to add the source later.  It is a continuing struggle to not get ahead of myself.

I have an online version of my family tree database stored at WorldConnect.  My database contains a warning to those who would sample the information. There are errors and omissions, as well as undocumented facts presented.  I appreciate it when someone takes the time to correct my data with a post-em or sends me an email.  If I do not have the source of the documentation, I apologize and let them know right away.  Am I part of the problem?  Does my database create too much “white-noise” out there that causes disdain from true genealogists?

When I find information about a family online that I am researching that is un-sourced, I treat the information as a clue and seek to prove/disprove the information presented.  Many times these tidbits of undocumented information can lead to breakthroughs that will tear down a brick wall.  I treat this information much in the same way I treat the published genealogies out there that are nothing more than a collection of names, dates and facts without any sources listed.

As I transition from a Name Collector to a full-fledged Genealogist, I am not bothered by those who are Name Collectors.  Perhaps they are just starting out – or perhaps they haven’t matured beyond this stage.  Either way, I find that I have enough genealogical “sins” of my own to worry about chastising others for their failings. 

Family Milestones: September 24th

My paternal 4th-great grandaunt, Beulah Haines WOOLSTON, married on this date in 1829 in Burlington County, New Jersey to Daniel DEACON, son of Daniel and Margaret (RIDGWAY) DEACON.  Beulah was the daughter of Samuel and Hannah (HAINES) WOOLSTON, and the younger sister of my Rachel WOOLSTON. Beulah was born December 24, 1810 in Burlington County, New Jersey.  Daniel was born May 20, 1808 in Burlington County, New Jersey.  They had 5 children.  Daniel died June 13, 1866 in Burlington County, New Jersey.  Beulah's death date is unknown.


My maternal 2nd-great grandaunt, Jessie PENISTEN, married on this date in 1920 in Anderson, Madison County, Indiana to Lawrence SPENCE, son of Thomas and Suzan (BERRY) SPENCE.  Jessie was the daughter of John and Jane (ALDERMAN) PENISTEN, and the younger sister of my Clara PENISTEN.  Lawrence was born January 18, 1863 in Madison County, Indiana.  Jessie was born September 9, 1870 in Madison County, Indiana.  Lawrence was an Army veteran of the Spanish-American War and the Phillipine Insurrection.  Lawrence died March 29, 1961 in Indianapolis, Marion County, Indiana.  Jessie died February 27, 1948 in Alexandria, Madison County, Indiana.  Both are buried at the Odd Fellows Cemetery, Alexandria, Madison County, Indiana.


My paternal great-grandaunt, Edith Mabel LeMASTERS, was born on this date in 1879 in Jay County, Indiana.  Edith was the daughter of Luman Walker and Mary Keziah (CHEW) LeMASTERS, and the younger sister of my Luman Cooper LeMASTERS.  Edith married April 20, 1910 in Jay County, Indiana to Henry MEINHOLTZ.  Henry was born July 9, 1875.  They had 4 children.  Henry died January 20, 1948.  Edith died July 29, 1949.  Both are buried in Colorado Springs, Colorado.


My paternal 3rd-great granduncle, John LEMASTERS, was born on this date in 1804 in Mason County, Virginia.  John was the son of Jacob and Hannah (________) LEMASTERS, and the older brother of my Luman Walker LEMASTERS.  John married December 14, 1828 in Washington County, Pennsylvania to Mary H. BAKER.  Mary was born July 30, 1808 in Pennsylvania. They had 10 children and resided in Ohio and Pulaski County, Indiana.  Mary died in Wayne County, Ohio.  John died March 25, 1866 in Starr City, Pulaski County, Indiana.


My paternal 6th-great granduncle, Joseph DAVIS, was born on this date in 1726.  Joseph was the son of John and Elizabeth (MAXSON) DAVIS, and the younger brother of my Thomas William DAVIS.  Joseph married in 1745 in Stonington, Connecticut to Comfort LANGWORTHY.  He married secondly to Dorcas ________.  Comfort's parentage and dates of birth and death are unknown.  Dorcas was born circa 1726.  Joseph and Comfort had 10 children; Joseph and Dorcas had 4 children.  Joseph died in 1798.  Nothing further is known at this time.

Obituary of Marvin Dailey

Thanks to Ancestry user rhondohoyes1950, I was able to locate a copy of the obituary for Marvin DAILEY, second husband of Erma (HAYES) WRIGHT.

Marvin Dailey Passes Away on Thursday


Tipton - Harry Marvin Dailey, 75, of 570 Kentucky avenue, Tipton, died Thursday afternoon at 4 o'clock at the Jones convescent home in Marion.


He was born May 10, 1892, in Fayette county, the son of Oliver and Margaret Farr Dailey.  He was married in 1922 to Irma Wright, and she died in 1949.  In 1951 he was married to Ressie Anderson.


He was a former tinplate worker and resided in Elwood prior to moving to Tipton.  He was last employed at the Tipton County memorial hospital.


Survivors include the widow, two daughters, Mrs. Kenneth Harting Jr., of route 2 Elwood and Mrs. Jack French of Fort Lauderdale, Fla.; three sons, Merrill of Kokomo, Warren of Goshen, and Marvin of Trinity, N.C.; the following step children, Mrs. Harry Browning of Tipton, Mrs. Harold Porter, Kenneth Anderson and Thomas, all of Elwood and Warren Anderson of Indianapolis; 19 grandchildren.


The body is in the Mitchell funeral home in Tipton where friends may call anytime.


Funeral services will be conducted at 2 o'clock Saturday afteroon, at the Mitchell home. Rev. Chester Mitchell will officiate.  Burial will be made in the Fairview cemetery.

This obituary gives me some good information, including a timeframe for his marriage to Erma (HAYES) WRIGHT of 1922, and his full name and birthplace.

Family Milestones: September 23rd

My paternal 3rd-great granduncle, Charles MOULTON, was married on this date in 1853 in Newark, Licking County, Ohio to Charlotte Cordelia PHILLIPS, daughter of David and Charlotte (GILBERT) PHILLIPS.  Charles was the son of Selah and Lydia (FENNEL) MOULTON, and the younger brother of my Albert MOULTON.  Charles was born November 12, 1832 in Rutland County, Vermont.  Charlotte was born May 1831 in New York. They raised 4 children and resided in Marion County, Iowa and Holt County, Nebraska, where Charles was a farmer, carpenter and wagonmaker.  The last record I have for Charles and Charlotte is the 1910 census of Atkinson Township, Holt County, Nebraska.


My paternal 6th-great grandaunt, Judith MAXSON, was born on this date in 1689. Judith was the daughter of John and Judith (CLARKE) MAXSON, and the older sister of my Bethia and Elizabeth MAXSON.  Judith married Samuel BURDICK.  Nothing further is known at this time.

Wright - Dailey family

I decided to do some fishing this evening to fill in some blanks in my WRIGHT family.  Working with my maternal great-granduncle, Chester Arthur "Mike" WRIGHT and his family, I noticed that I didn't have much on his first wife, Erma Violet HAYES, after her divorce from him and her subsequent marriage to Marvin DAILEY.

Checking out Ancestry.com, I found the DAILEY family living in Campbell County, Kentucky in the 1930 census.  They were enumerated on April 21, 1930.

Marvin's occupation was listed as a steelworker in a rolling mill.  He and Erma's children were listed under the WRIGHT surname, after stepdaughter V. June WRIGHT.


Marvin rented his home, didn't own a radio, and was 37 years old.  Erma, his wife, was 27 years old.  Children listed (under the Wright surname) are : V. June, age 9, Merrill, age 6, Warren, aged 4, and Eugene aged 2.  This is a census enumerator error, as only V[ivian] June should have the WRIGHT surname, the others were children of Erma and Marvin DAILEY.


I do not have the divorce record for Erma and Chester Arthur WRIGHT, but it must have taken place sometime before 1924, probably in Madison County, Indiana.  They were married there on March 5, 1920.

Family Milestones: September 22nd

My maternal 4th-great granduncle, Samuel Pangburn WRIGHT, was born on this date in 1816 in Adams County, Ohio.  Samuel was the son of George and Elizabeth (ROBINS) WRIGHT, and the younger brother of my John WRIGHT.  Samuel married April 17, 1845 to Rebecca Ruth HALL.  Rebecca's parentage is unknown.  Rebecca was born circa 1825 in Ohio.  They raised 6 children in Brown County, Ohio.  Samuel died February 1860 in Brown County, Ohio. Rebecca was still living at the time of the 1860 census in Washington Township, Brown County, Ohio.

Grandpa LeMaster in the National Guard

I made a new discovery recently about my paternal grandfather, Ord Wehrly LeMASTER, while searching the Indiana State Digitial Archives : he had served in the National Guard.


According to the database, grandpa enrolled on March 30, 1923, making him just 16 years old (he would turn 17 in October).  His city of residence was Salamonia in Jay County.


I talked to my dad about this, and he told me that grandpa had never mentioned serving in the National Guard to him.  Another mystery to be researched!  Could this explain why grandpa didn't graduate high school until 1928?  


I assume from this database that there may be some records at the Indiana State Archives.  I could request service records from the National Personnel Records Center, but I need to obtain a copy of his death certificate first.

Ord W. Lemaster - National Guard 1898-1940

Record Series:	Military Records
Collection:	National Guard 1898-1940
County:	Statewide

Reference Number:	GUA032823
Enrollment_Date:	03/30/1923
City Of Residence:	Salamonia
County Of Residence 2:	Jay
Notes:
Box:	315
Location:	40-F-3
Name:	Ord W. Lemaster
Party Type:	Name

Tombstone Tuesday: Susannah (Reeves) Fisher

Eileen's maternal 4th-great grandmother, Susannah (REEVES) FISHER, is buried in the Washington-Lawson Cemetery, Union Township, Marshall County, Indiana.

Susannah was born November 8, 1789 in Virginia.  She married Daniel FISHER, son of George and Mary (________) FISHER, who died December 7, 1833, probably in Byrd Township, Brown County, Ohio.  They were the parents of 7 children.  Susannah came with her children first to Miami County, Indiana, and finally to Marshall County, Indiana, where she is listed in the 1850 census.  Susannah died October 26, 1855 in Marshall County, Indiana.

Source: Washington-Lawson Cemetery (Marshall County, Indiana), Susannah Fisher marker, photographed by Travis LeMaster, 4 September 2010.

Family Milestones: September 21st

My maternal 5th-great granduncle, John WARDLAW, married on this date in 1806 in Highland County, Ohio to Elizabeth LANCE.  John was the son of Robert and Janet (DOWNEY) WARDLAW, and the younger brother of my Samuel WARDLAW.  Elizabeth's parentage is unknown.  John was born June 15, 1779 in Rockbridge County, Virginia.  They had at least 1 daughter.  Nothing further is known at this time.


My paternal 5th-great grandaunt, Sarah CHEW, was born on this date in 1761 in Gloucester County, New Jersey.  Sarah was the daughter of Jesse and Mary (RICHARDS) CHEW, and the older sister of my Nathaniel CHEW.  Sarah married circa 1780 to James EARLY.  James' parentage and dates of birth and death are unknown.  Sarah died February 7, 1845.  Nothing further is known at this time.

Family Milestones: September 20th

My paternal 4th-great grandaunt, Anne WOOLSTON, married on this date in 1817 in Burlington County, New Jersey to Joshua WOOLSTON.  Anne was the daughter of Samuel and Hannah (HAINES) WOOLSTON, and the older sister of my Rachel WOOLSTON.  I do not yet know the parentage of Joshua WOOLSTON.  Joshua was born circa 1797 in Burlington County, New Jersey.  Anne was born March 16, 1797 in Burlington County, New Jersey.  They had 5 children.  I do not have Anne's date of death. Joshua died in 1860 in Burlington County, New Jersey.


My maternal 5th-great grandmother, Elizabeth RAINS, was born on this date in 1789.  Elizabeth was the daughter of Anthony and Nancy (GRAHAM) RAINS.  Elizabeth married October 15, 1807 in Randolph County, North Carolina to John W. POE.  John's parentage is unknown.  John was born 1781 in North Carolina. They moved to Morgan County, Indiana before 1850.  Elizabeth died in Morgan County, Indiana.  John died after September 17, 1850 in Morgan County, Indiana.


My maternal 5th-great grandaunt, Mary NESBIT, was born on this date in 1779 in Virginia.  Mary was the daughter of Samuel and Mary (BERRY) NESBIT, and the younger sister of my Elizabeth NESBIT.  Mary married Alexander MARTIN on April 23, 1805.  Mary died in 1852.  Nothing further is known at this time.


My maternal 3rd-great grandaunt, Nancy Ann WRIGHT, was born on this date in 1840 in Brown County, Ohio.  Nancy was the daughter of John and Anna (WARDLOW) WRIGHT, and the younger sister of my Joseph W. WRIGHT.  Nancy married August 12, 1860 in Brown County, Ohio to Levi WARDLOW, son of Arana "Rainey" and Adelina D. (DENNIS) WARDLOW.  Levi was born April 7, 1839 in Ohio.  They had 7 children and lived in Washington Township, Brown County, Ohio.  Levi died December 29, 1926 in Washington Township, Brown County, Ohio.  Nancy died July 17, 1912 in Washington Township, Brown County, Ohio. Both are buried in the Wardlow Cemetery # 2, Washington Township, Brown County, Ohio.

Family Milestones: September 19th

My paternal 5th-great grandaunt, Content MAXSON, married on this date in 1754 to George POTTER, son of Thomas and Mary (BABCOCK) POTTER.  Content was the daughter of Joseph and Bethia (MAXSON) MAXSON, and the older sister of my Ephraim MAXSON.  Content was born December 31, 1732.  George was born January 3, 1732 in Westerly, Rhode Island.  They had 9 children.  George died August 19, 1794.  Content died October 24, 1815.

Family Milestones: September 18th

My paternal 2nd-great granduncle, Frederick P. WEHRLY, married on this date in 1850 to Lavina OBLINGER.  Frederick was the son of Johannes and Barbara (PETRY) WEHRLY, and the older brother of my William P. WEHRLY.  Lavina's parentage and dates of birth and death are unknown.  Frederick was born July 10, 1827 in Preble County, Ohio.  Frederick died October 30, 1909.  Nothing further is known at this time.


My maternal 5th-great granduncle, William NOSLER, married on this date in 1825 in Owen County, Indiana to Margaret JOHNSON.  William was the son of Conrad and Sarah (PAINS) NOSLER, and the older brother of my Mary Ann NOSLER.  Nothing further is known at this time.


My paternal 6th-great grandaunt, Elizabeth SCHERCH, was born on this date in 1698.  Elizabeth was the daughter of Ulrich and Barbara (GRUNDBACHER) SCHÜRCH, and the older sister of my Ulrich SCHERCH.  Nothing further is known at this time.


My paternal 6th-great granduncle, John DAVIS, was born on this date in 1723.  John was the son of John and Elizabeth (MAXSON) DAVIS, and the younger brother of my Thomas William DAVIS.  John married Mary SAUNDERS.  John died August 29, 1792 in Bristol, Connecticut. Nothing futher is known at this time.

Rummaging Through The Family

What better way to create family memories than to be a part of a family rummage sale!  Well, maybe there are better ways to create memories, but our family rummages have been memorable lately.


We've made the circuit in the past year with a sale at my house, one at my mom's, and now the third "family" rummage.  With both parents retired and wanting to downsize, and me trying my hand at 'flipping' auction finds - we've managed to have some good sales.


Today, I helped mom & dad with their sale held at my brother's house during the Frankton Heritage Days weekend.  I had quite a bit of merchandise in the sale myself, mostly stuff I've picked up at auction sales as box lots.  So far, I've managed to make my investment many times over.  There is a buyer for nearly everything imaginable.

Ok, so it may have looked a bit like a scene out of Sanford & Son, but we had a pretty good time once the initial stress of setup was over.  You get to meet a lot of interesting people when you hold a rummage sale.  Almost as interesting as the people you discover when tracing your family tree.

Mom holding an LP of The New Christy Minstrels

[anyone wanna buy it?]

Family Milestones: September 17th

My maternal 5th-great granduncle, Balaam RAINS, was born on this date in 1801. Balaam was the son of Anthony & Nancy (GRAHAM) RAINS, and the younger brother of my Elizabeth RAINS.  Nothing further is known at this time.


My paternal 3rd-great granduncle, Edward F. MOULTON, was born on this date in 1829 in Rutland County, Vermont.  Edward was the son of Selah and Lydia (FENNEL) MOULTON, and the younger brother of my Albert MOULTON.  Edward married on October 12, 1854 in Putnam County, Ohio to Ziltha WILLIAMS.  Ziltha's parentage is unknown. Ziltha was born circa 1837 in Ohio. They had 6 children.  Edward died February 23, 1876 in Marion County, Iowa.


My paternal 5th-great grandaunt, Judith MAXSON, was born on this date in 1720. Judith was the daughter of Joseph and Bethia (MAXSON) MAXSON, and the older sister of my Ephraim MAXSON.  Judith married on January 10, 1740 in Westerly, Rhode Island to James DAVIS, son of Willam and Elizabeth (PAVIOR) DAVIS.  James was born in 1720.  They had 7 children.  James died September 11, 1777.  Judith died in 1778.

Family Milestones: September 16th

My paternal 4th-great grandaunt, Sarah PHILBRICK, was born on this date in 1773.  Sarah was the daughter of Deacon John and Sally (JEWETT) PHILBRICK, and the older sister of my Joel PHILBRICK.  Nothing further is known at this time.


My maternal 5th-great granduncle, William HEATON, was born on this date in 1764 in New Jersey.  William was the son of John and Abigail (PAXTON) HEATON, and the younger brother of my Thomas HEATON.  William married before 1789 to Abigail ________.  Abigail was born August 28, 1767.  They had 5 children.  Abigail died sometime after 1792.  William died in 1815 in Greene County, Pennsylvania.

Jay County, Indiana Genealogy Library Completes Move

According to the latest addition of the Jay County Journal, the genealogy library, which had been located on Commerce Street in Portland, has been finally consolidated into the East Main Street Museum.


Some materials are now being stored at the Gilpin Annex next to the museum.  Included among these are the seven large file cabinets which hold probates and ledgers holding court documents.  The society requests that you call ahead at least two days in advance if you anticipate using these resources, to ensure that they have the staff available to assist.


The museum is located at 903 E. Main Street in Portland, Indiana.  The website is located at www.jaycountyhistory.org Phone number (260) 726-7168.  Museum hours are Monday-Friday, 10:00 a.m. to 4 p.m.


Looks like I'll be calling ahead, as the probate records are ones that I definitely want to research on my next trip there.

Family Milestones: September 15th

My maternal great-grandaunt, Mary Elsie LeMASTERS, married on this date in 1894 in Jay County, Indiana to Matthias J. ATKINSON.  Mary was the daughter of Luman Walker and Mary Keziah (CHEW) LeMASTERS, and the younger sister of my Luman Cooper LeMASTERS.  Mary was born April 26, 1872 in Rose Hill, Darke County, Ohio.  Matthias was born November 23, 1863.  They had 1 child.  Matthias died August 24, 1923.  Mary died June 5, 1942.  Both are buried in the Salamonia Cemetery, Jay County, Indiana.

Family Milestones: September 14th

My paternal granduncle, Charles L. HALEY, was born on this date in 1902 in Jay County, Indiana.  Charles was the son of Eli Weldon and Cora Belle (METZNER) HALEY, and the older brother of my Ruth Pauline HALEY.  Charles died February 27, 1903 in Jay County, Indiana and is buried in the Mt. Zion Cemetery, Jay County, Indiana.


My paternal 6th-great granduncle, Jeremiah HAINES, was born on this date in 175 1 in Burlington County, New Jersey.  Jeremiah was the son of Jeremiah and Hannah (BONNELL) HAINES, and the younger brother of my Robert HAINES.  Jeremiah married April 26, 1775 in Burlington County, New Jersey to Mary HANN. Mary's parentage and dates of birth and death are unknown.  Jeremiah died June 15, 1776.  Nothing further is known at this time.


My maternal 5th-great grandaunt, Lucinda PIERCE, was born on this date in 1769.  Lucinda was the daughter of Seth and Bethiah (FIELD) PIERCE, and the older sister of my Gordon PIERCE.  Lucinda married on November 27, 1788 to Thomas WELCH.  Thomas was born February 17, 1757.  They had 11 children.  Thomas died March 20, 1832.  Lucinda died January 25, 1854 in Enfield, Connecticut.

Groendyk Baptismal Record of New Utrecht

Thanks to Barbara Poole of Life From The Roots blog, I now have good information that places my GROENDYK / GROENENDYKE family firmly in the New Utrecht area and clears up the name of James GROENDYKE's spouse.  


A Google book search had indicated that the family was mentioned in The New York Genealogical and Biographical Record in Volume 114, 1983.  Not having access to this publication, I put out an A.P.B. on Twitter, and Barbara was quick to respond.  She not only graciously copied the page that I needed, but also others that included several Dutch families that I am sure I am distantly connected with.  Now, I just get to sort it all out!

The record shows that Peter GROENDYK, son of James GROENDYK and Johanna ANTONIDES was baptized on May 25, 1800 at the Reformed Church of New Utrecht, Long Island.  Witnesses were Peter ANTONIDES and wife Ida RYDER.

My database had Peter born May 2, 1800 in New Jersey, with the source for this information being a correspondent.  There has always been a question in my mind whether James' wife was an ANTONIDES or not, and this record seems to clear this up.  I had believed that she is the daughter of Peter and Catherine (VANDERVEER) ANTONIDES.  However, Teunis Bergen in his genealogy on the ANTONIDES family states that Peter was deceased in 1796.  So, perhaps the witness is Johanna's brother, Peter?

Tombstone Tuesday: Sarah May (PEEPLES) PEFLEY (1869-1932)

Eileen's maternal great-greatmother, Sarah May (PEEPLES) PEFLEY, is buried in the Washington-Lawson Cemetery, Union Township, Marshall County, Indiana.


Sarah was the daughter of George and Katherine (McMILLEN) PEEPLES.  According to her obituary in the Culver Citizen, she was born on a farm near Maxinkuckee on May 3, 1870, although her tombstone clearly says 1869. Sarah married Albert Duffey PEFLEY, son of Thomas Jefferson and Ruth (DUFFEY) PEFLEY, on October 9, 1898 in Culver, Marshall County, Indiana.  They had 4 children and resided in Lagro Township, Wabash County, Indiana.  Sarah and Albert divorced circa 1924.  Sarah died April 4, 1932 in Argos, Marshall County, Indiana.


Source: Washington-Lawson Cemetery (Marshall County, Indiana), Sarah May Pefley marker, photographed by Travis LeMaster, 4 September 2010.

Linking Feature at Find A Grave

I have several family memorials at the FindAGrave.com website that I've created over the years.  What started out as a site for the gravesites of the rich and famous has become a genealogical tool for those who would like to have photographs of far-away tombstones of their ancestors.


I have used the "Request A Photo" feature frequently with great success in obtaining photographs, and when possible, I try to help out others looking for their ancestor's tombstones in my area.  It's a great way to give back a little bit to the genealogical community.


One feature that I'm starting to utilize at FindAGrave is the linking feature where you can add family links.  By adding these family links, you can tie together whole families at FindAGrave.  Often times, one spouse will die and the survivor may move on to another area and be buried in a totally different cemetery.  Not to mention how far-flung some families can be.  By linking children with their parents, someone can quickly link to all available tombstone photographs of a particular family.


If you haven't yet used this feature, I would highly recommend it.