History of Francis & Rebecca Pierce

The following is a transcription of the handwritten "History of Francis & Rebecca Pierce" located at the Wells County Public Library in Bluffton, Indiana.  The document is located in their genealogy section in the family files under Pierce.

The document was all in the same handwritting, and appears to have been taken from an interview of India (Pierce) Leavell.

History of Francis & Rebecca Pierce

Written 1939 by grand-daughter India Pierce Leavell whose parents were Henry E. Pierce who was born oct 10, 1833 and died July 1, 1901.  He Simeathy Smelser, born April 10, 1834 and died Jan 29, 1918.

"From my earliest recollection until about years of age we lived within about one half mile of their home which was on a farm.  The frame home in which they lived consisted of four large rooms with a front portico, a back porch covering the well.  They must have been in their seventys when I knew them best.  Their seven children were all married and had families of their own.  William Hickey, a foster son resided with them until he married.

Their childrens names were Henry, Frank, Edmond, Albert, Margaret (Burr Simermans grandmother), Minerva and Elmira.  Grandfather Pierce always called the children by their full name.  Grandfather Pierce was a tall slender man and was rather round shouldered, and was never very strong.  He had a smooth face with the exception of side burns.  He was a cabinet maker by trade.  He was a well educated man.  He was born May 9, 1805 in New Jersey and died ____ near Greensfork in Wayne county Ind.  

Grandmother Pierce' name before marriage was Rebecca Page.  She was rather low (short) and not heavy.  She had very black hair that never turned gray.  She was a graduate of a Philadelphia Academy.  She had a wonderful memory and remembered all important dates.  During the Civil War she would read the war news to people who come on horse back for miles to hear the news, as they were the only ones in the neighborhood that received a newspaper.  She was born in Greenbrook Pa. Aug 18, 1806.

Her own father's given name is not known, but her grandfather was Dr. John Page.  She had 2 sisters and 3 brothers, one of them was John, noted detective of Richmond.  She was a Graduate from a college in Philadelphia, and a great reader.  She had the habit of combing her hair afresh, changing to a clean dress, and sitting, each day, down by the window - to read.  She was an expert in yeast rolls and bread, and they were very fond of tea. (May have been of English origin)

Grandfather Pierce was a great reader, well informed.  After their marriage, they resided in Piqua, Ohio where their first son was born Oct 10, 1833.  His name was Henry Aldred Pierce.  Margaret Pierce (Burr's grandmother) was born Oct 17, 1840.  She was married to Wm. Henry Summers Sept 3rd, 1868.  They were the parents of nine children, Lulu (Burr's mother), Park, Edwin, Gurdon, Florence, Chancey, Mina and Ira.  She died Dec. 17th, 1930.

When the foster son, Wm Hickey, left them, they broke up their home and went to live with son, Albert.  Soon after, they all moved to Wayne county, Indiana.  India says that in all the times she was with them, she never saw either of them out of humor or speak a cross word.  Francis died first, of tuberculosis.  She lived a few years longer.

----

At the bottom in another handwriting : Burrs Great Grandfather Abraham Summers Home place was the corner of Wells and Allen County line and 750.
----

Graduation Photo, Alexandria-Monroe High School, 1987

Alexandria-Monroe High School, Class of 1987, Alexandria, Indiana

Doing some spring cleaning and came across this old, faded and dirty black & white photograph of my high school graduation class.  The Class of 1987 of Alexandria-Monroe High School back in May of 1987.  This photograph was taken in the cafeteria after graduation.

The Alexandria-Monroe Public Library has an excellent collection of yearbooks from the Alexandria high schools through out the years.  You can access the collection here.

Eileen's DNA : GEDMATCH match with Slovenian or Austrian roots?

A match at GEDMATCH for Eileen reached out to see if we could establish a connection and asked if she had any ancestry from Slovenia or Austria.  Do not know of any, but the match was predicted to be about 5 generations back.

Wrote back to the match and shared the link to the pedigree chart I've prepared.  The match did not match Eileen's mother, so the match is on her father's side.

Will be interested to see what comes back from this.  The match is at AncestryDNA, which Eileen hasn't submitted a test kit yet.

Exploratory Data Analysis : Jane Ann (Alderman) Penisten (1843-1919)

Jane Ann (Alderman) Penisten (1843-1919) was my maternal 3rd-great grandmother.  What follows is an exploratory analysis of the biographical information I have discovered about her.

1. Vital Records

     Jane was born September 1843 in Indiana^{1,2,3,9, according to census records.  Her tombstone lists her year of birth as 18427.}

     1.1. Birth Certificate

          The State of Indiana did not require birth certificates at this time.

          1.1.1. Birth Notice in Newspaper

               If Jane's birth was mentioned in a local newspaper, it has been lost to time.

          1.1.2. Bible Record

               I am not aware of any surviving Bible record of the Alderman that would record the birth of Jane.  Will continue to reach out to extended family in hopes that one can be located.

          1.1.3. Baptismal Record

               I am not aware of any baptismal record for Jane, nor do I know the church affiliation of the Alderman family.  Later in life she was associated with the Methodist Episcopal church.

          1.1.4. Adoption Record

               There is no indication that Jane was adopted.

     1.2. Marriage License

          I have been unable to locate a marriage record for Jane and John Penisten.  Based on the birthdate of their children, I have assumed that it took place circa 1868 in Madison County, Indiana.  The courthouse in Madison County suffered a fire in 1880 and earlier marriage records were lost.

          1.2.1 Marriage Notice in Newspaper

               Will need to search contemporary newspaper accounts to see if mention was made of Jane and John's nuptials.

          1.2.2. Anniversary Notice

               Until I can locate the specific date of their marriage, I will be unable search for mention of their anniversary in local newspapers.

          1.2.3. Divorce Decree

               There is no indication that John and Jane were ever divorced.

     1.3. Death Certificate

          Jane died April 8, 1919 in Alexandria, Madison County, Indiana⁴.  I need to request a copy of this death record for my files.  Will add this to my list of "to-do" items for my next research trip.

          1.3.1. Obituary in Newspaper

               Jane's obituary appeared in the April 9, 1919 edition of the Alexandria Times-Tribune in Alexandria, Indiana⁵.  Mention of her funeral appeared in the April 10, 1919 edition⁶.

          1.3.2. Funeral Home Records

               Will need to search the local historical society to see if they have records of funeral homes that might shed some light on Jane's funeral.  Will add this to my list of "to-do" items for my next research trip.

          1.3.3. Tombstone Photograph

              Jane's tombstone in the I.O.O.F. cemetery in Alexandria, Madison County, Indiana⁷ has been photographed.  A link to her memorial at FindAGrave is located here.

2. Census Records

     2.1. Federal Census Records

          2.1.1. 1910 Federal Census

               On April 20, 1910, Jane was enumerated as the head of household in Ward 1, Alexandria, Madison County, Indiana⁸, as Jane Pennisten, female, white, age 79, widowed.  She was the mother of 3 children, only 1 of whom was still living.  She was born in Indiana, as were both of her parents.  Her occupation was that of a laundress.  She could read and write and spoke English.

          2.1.2. 1900 Federal Census

               On June 15, 1900, Jane was enumerated in the John Penisten household in Orestes, Madison County, Indiana⁹, as Jane A. Penisten, female, white, born September 1843, age 58, married.  She was the mother of 3 children, 2 of whom were living.  She was born Indiana, her father was born in Ohio and her mother was born in Indiana.  She could read and write and spoke English.

          2.1.3. 1880 Federal Census

               On June 15, 1880, Jane was enumerated in the John Penniston household in Fall Creek Township, Madison County, Indiana³, as Jane A. Penniston, female, age 37, wife, keeping house.  She was born in Indiana, as were her mother and father.

          2.1.4. 1870 Federal Census

               I have not yet located John or Jane in the 1870 census.  I would have expected to find them in Madison County, Indiana, either in Richland Township (where Jane's father was) or in Fall Creek Township (where they were in 1880).  Will continue to search in the hopes that they were mis-indexed.

          2.1.5. 1860 Federal Census

               On June 5, 1860, Jane was enumerated in the Richard Alderman household in Anderson, Madison County, Indiana² as Jane Alderman, age 17, female, born in Illinois.  This was the only record found listing a birthplace in Illinois.

          2.1.6. 1850 Federal Census

               On October 9, 1850, Jane was enumerated in the Richard Alderman household in Anderson Township, Madison County, Indiana¹ as Jane A. Alderman, age 7, female, born in Indiana.

     2.2. State Census Records

          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 Penisten family.

3. Military Records

     3.1. Draft Registration

          Not applicable, as Jane was female.

     3.2. Pension Records

          I am not aware of any military service for Jane's husband or father that would have made her eligible to receive pension benefits.

     3.3. Service Records

          Not applicable, as Jane was female.

4. Land Records

     4.1. Deed Records

          Deed records need to be thoroughly searched in Madison County, Indiana to see what records might mention Jane and her husband.  Will add this to my "to-do" list for my next research trip.

     4.2. Plat map / county map

           Plat maps of Madison County, Indiana will need to be searched to see what information can be gleaned that might be relevant to my search.

5. Supplemental Records

     Supplemental records available for research on Jane 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. Richard Alderman household, 1850 U.S. census, population schedule, Anderson Township, Madison County, Indiana, dwelling 917, family 917; National Archives micropublication M432, roll 158, page 64.
2. Richard Alderman household, 1860 U.S. census, population schedule, Anderson, Madison County, Indiana, Anderson P.O., dwelling 112, family 112; National Archives micropublication M563, roll 277, page 241.
3. John Penniston household, 1880 U.S. census, population schedule, Fall Creek Township, Madison County, Indiana, page 228, ED 31, SD 3, dwelling 195, family 204; National Archives micropublication T9, roll 293.
4. "Indiana Death Index, 1882-1920," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VZ7M-KYD : accessed 29 March 2016), Jane A. Penniston, 08 Apr 1919; from "Indiana Deaths, 1882-1920," database, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : 2003); citing Alexandria, Indiana, City/County Health Office, Anderson or City Health Office, Elwood/Alexandria, The source of this record is the book 2CH-8 on page 64 within the series produced by the Indiana Works Progress Administration., Indiana Words Projects Administration.
5. Mrs. Jane Ann Pennisten obituary, Alexandria Times-Tribune, Alexandria, Indiana, 9 April 1919, page 1.
6. Mrs. Jane Ann Pennisten funeral, Alexandria Times-Tribune, Alexandria, Indiana, 10 April 1919, page 1.
7. FindAGrave, Inc., FindAGrave (www.findagrave.com : accessed 29 March 2016), Jane Ann Alderman Penisten tombstone.
8. 1910 U.S. census, Madison County, Indiana, population schedule, Ward 1, Alexandria, enumeration district 111, SD 8, sheet 4B, 616 South Wayne, dwelling 88, family 88; digital images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 29 March 2016); National Archives, Washington, D.C.
9. 1900 U.S. census, Madison County, Indiana, population schedule, Monroe Township, enumeration district 96, SD 67, sheet 11B, dwelling 226, family 241; digital images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 20 December 2015); National Archives, Washington, D.C.

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.

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

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

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

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

FTDNA Cousin Results

My two maternal first cousins recently tested at FamilyTreeDNA, and the above chart show the amount of DNA they share with me.

Cousin Kellie shares more DNA with me than her brother.  At 1204.82 cm, she is actually a little above the normal expected range for a first cousin.  Cousin James shares 1046.75 cm with me.

By comparison, great aunt Ruby shares 998.10 cm of shared DNA with me.

I am currently working on extracting the In Common With matches that Kellie and James have with me.  Any of these matches should match on either the Wright or the Lambertson side.

Likewise, by comparing their matches with myself and Ruby's matches, we can also narrow down those that match on the Lambertson or Davis side.  I'm hoping that their DNA is one more step towards solving the parentage of June Davis Gilliland Lambertson.

Exploratory Data Analysis : Daniel King (1820-1876)

Daniel King (1820-1876) was my maternal 3rd-great grandfather.  What follows is an exploratory analysis of the biographical data I have discovered about him.


1. Vital Records

     Daniel was born September 3, 1820¹.  The place of his birth has been given as either Tennessee², Ohio³, or Indiana⁴.  These inconsistencies in his place of birth are due to the fact this family moved around quite a bit, and will be addressed in a later post.

     1.1. Birth Certificate

          The State of Indiana did not require birth certificates at this time.

          1.1.1. Birth Notice in Newspaper

                If Daniel's birth was mentioned in a local newspaper, it has been lost to time.

          1.1.2. Bible Record

               I am not aware of any surviving Bible record of the King family that would record the birth of Daniel.  Will continue to reach out to extended family in hopes that one could be located.

          1.1.3. Baptismal Record

               I am not aware of any baptismal record for Daniel.  The King family were affiliated with the Methodist Episcopal faith.

          1.1.4. Adoption Record

               There is no indication that Daniel was adopted.

     1.2. Marriage License

          Daniel married Elizabeth Shaw on December 5, 1847 in Madison County, Indiana.  I do not have a source for this fact in my database.  The courthouse in Madison County, Indiana suffered a fire in 1880 and earlier marriage records were lost.

          1.2.1 Marriage Notice in Newspaper

               Will need to search contemporary newspaper accounts to see if mention was made of Daniel's nuptials.

          1.2.2. Anniversary Notice

               Daniel and Elizabeth's 25th wedding anniversary would have been December 5, 1872.  Will need to check contemporary newspaper accounts to see if any mention was made of an anniversary celebration.

          1.2.3. Divorce Decree

               There is no indication that Daniel and Elizabeth were ever divorced.

     1.3. Death Certificate

          Daniel died February 24, 1876 in Frankton, Madison County, Indiana¹, according to my database.  The State of Indiana did not require death certificates at this time.  

          1.3.1. Obituary in Newspaper

               Will need to seek out contemporary newspaper accounts to see if mention was made of Daniel's death.  Will add this to my "to-do" list for my next research trip.

          1.3.2. Funeral Home Records

               Will need to search the local historical society to see if they have records of funeral homes that might shed some light on Daniel's funeral.  Will add this to my list of "to-do" items for my next research trip.

          1.3.3. Tombstone Photograph

               Daniel's tombstone in the Howard Cemetery in Madison County, Indiana⁵ has been photographed.  A link to his memorial at FindAGrave is located here.

2. Census Records

     2.1. Federal Census Records

          2.1.1. 1870 Federal Census

               Daniel was enumerated as the head of household in Monroe Township, Madison County, Indiana³, as Daniel King, age 50, Farmer, born in Ohio.  He was a U.S. citizen.  The value of his real estate was $14,500 and his personal estate was $ 6,031.

          2.1.2. 1860 Federal Census

               Daniel was enumerated as the head of household in Monroe Township, Madison County, Indiana⁴, as Daniel King, age 39, Farmer, born in Indiana.  The value of his real estate was $ 4,000 and his personal estate was $ 1,375.

          2.1.3. 1850 Federal Census

               Daniel was enumerated as the head of household in Jackson Township, Madison County, Indiana², as Daniel King, age 29, farmer, born in Tennessee.  The value of his real estate was $ 400.

     2.2. State Census Records

          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 census records to see what light they might shed on the King family.

3. Military Records

     3.1. Draft Registration

          I have not yet located any draft registration nor military service for Daniel.

     3.2. Pension Records

          Not applicable.

     3.3. Service Records

          Not applicable.

4. Land Records

     4.1. Deed Records

          Deed records need to be thoroughly searched in Madison County, Indiana to see what records might mention Daniel.  Will add this to my list of "to-do" items for my next research trip.

     4.2. Plat map / county map

          Plat maps of Madison County, Indiana will need to be searched to see what information can be gleaned that might be relevant to my search.

5. Supplemental Records

     Supplemental records available for research on Daniel 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. Sandra Freeman, "John William Wright - Ellen King family group sheet," compiled [n.d.] (Alexandria, Indiana).  Notes say information from Zelma Cooper and Gloria LeMaster
2. Daniel King household, 1850 U.S. census, population schedule, Jackson Township, Madison County, Indiana, dwelling 274, family 274; National Archives micropublication M432, roll 158, page 97.
3. Daniel King household, 1870 U.S. census, Madison County, Indiana, population schedule, Monroe Township, page 35, dwelling 255, family 249, National Archives micropublication M593, roll 336.
4. Daniel King household, 1860 U.S. census, Madison County, Indiana, population schedule, Monroe Township page 145, dwelling 1025, family 1023, National Archives micropublication M653, roll 277.
5. FindAGrave, Inc., FindAGrave (www.findagrave.com : accessed 20 March 2016), Daniel King tombstone.

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.

Impatience with AncestryDNA

Perhaps I was a little too impatient with AncestryDNA, but after I received my results, I noticed that the search feature was not working on the search by surnames.  Received the following response from Ancestry :

Hello Travis,

Thank you for contacting Ancestry in regard to your AncestryDNA test results using surnames and locations.

 Please allow up to two weeks for surname searches and hints to be displayed properly for a DNA test after the results are completed. It had only been 6 days that the test was completed and posted to the account. It can take up to two weeks because the AncestryDNA test and the tree need to be compared to our very large database which takes sometime to complete.

Good to know that it was just me being impatient and not something broken over there.  I guess I was too eager to search my matches by surname.

Henry & Simeathy Pierce lot, Maplewood Cemetery, Anderson, Indiana

Maplewood Cemetery Records, Anderson, Madison County, Indiana

This is a copy of the cemetery records at the office of Maplewood Cemetery in Anderson, Madison County, Indiana for Henry & Simeathy (Smelser) Pierce.  The cemetery is split into two sections, and the section the Pierces are buried in is considered West Maplewood.

According to the cemetery office, many of the records were destroyed in a fire.  Isn't that always the case with my Madison County relatives?  But at least in this case we have this log.

The owner of this lot # 437 is S. Pearce (note the spelling).  In the list of the persons buried in this plot are the following :

Henry Pierce - no other identifying information.  This is Henry E. Pierce (1833-1901), the son of Francis S. & Rebecca (Page) Pierce.

Simeathy Pierce - this is Henry's wife, Simeathy (Smelsor) Pierce.

Frank Pierce - this is Henry & Simeathy's son, Franklin T. Pierce (1861-1919)

Eva Pierce - this is Henry & Simeathy's daughter

These records back up what the monuments display at the cemetery.

Adding updates to LeMaster & Allied Families tree

Because of my recent AncestryDNA test, I've been adding to my family tree at Ancestry, LeMaster & Allied Families, in hopes of seeing exactly where more of my matches connect.  I have always kept this tree as a "bare-bones" tree, leaving my full tree online at myrootsmagic.com/tjlgenes .

However, knowing that many of the matches would be connecting through my 5-great grandparents and earlier, I've been working on updating those lines by working forward from my 5-great grandparents, including everything I have on the descendants in each generation.  I am utilizing the Vertical Pedigree charts that I have stored at on Dropbox as a guide.

Another side benefit of doing this work is that I can let the Ancestry algorithms do their thing and suggest hints for additional records at the site, which will in turn expand my tree.  Keeping my original work on my Rootsmagic database, I should be able to add many more cousins over the next few weeks and keep myself more than busy with blog post fodder.

In one sense, I'm doing extra work by re-typing the family tree into the Ancestry, but I've also caught a few errors and questionable dates this way.

Photo : Virgil Lee Wright (b. July 6, 1894)

This is a photo of my maternal great-grandfather, Virgil Lee Wright, from a collection of photos that mom has.  Someone has written on the backside his name and date of birth - July 6, 1894.  He was born in Orestes, Madison County, Indiana.

In those days, infants of both sexes were photographed in what were dresses to aid in toilet training.  Wikipedia has a good article on breeching.  I'm glad that this photograph was identified, or I'd never figure out who it was.

Virgil was the son of John William and Ellen (King) Wright, the oldest of two sons born to them.

Parentage of Johnathan Collins (b. 1706 Bucks Co. PA)

Received an email from a fellow descendant of Jonathan Collins (b. 1706 Bucks Co. PA) through his son Mahlon, curious as to why I had noted on an earlier blog post that Jonathan's parents were not John Collins and Mary Meachum.

Back in 2008, I had been contacted by another researcher who advised me that Jonathan's parents were not John and Mary (Meachum) Collins.  Lacking any evidence to support my claim, I detached them as his parents.  Right now I cannot locate the email or other correspondence regarding this line.

Jonathan Collins was born October 8, 1706 in Bucks County, Pennyslvania and Ann ____ in 1731 in Hardwick, Warren County, New Jersey.  Their daughter, Deborah, who married Samuel Willson, was my ancestress.

A cursory glance online shows that John Collins and Mary Meachum were from Connecticut.  It is likely that someone has confused two families online and that was where I picked up the data originally.

I am hopeful that this new correspondence can shed some light on the parentage of Jonathan and also break down some other early NJ brickwalls on this part of the family.

AncestryDNA Results Came In : Ethnicity Estimates

My AncestryDNA results came in last week, and above are the graphics for the ethnicity estimates.  Although I know that these should be taken with a grain of salt, and are only as good as the database they are comparing me to, I find it interested to compare the differences from my results at 23andMe and FamilyTreeDNA.

AncestryDNA picked up traces of Native American and West Asian, for example, that 23andMe didn't show.   I've had my results run at GEDMATCH in the various ethnicity calculators and have found similar results.  So way back in time there is a bit of a mystery to solve.

These regions are hard to pinpoint and are very vague such as Europe West or Scandinavia - but again based on the paper trail I'm not too surprised by the results.  

The trace regions in West Asia - the Caucasus region of Turkey, Iran, Iraq, etc. is interesting.  But then again, I have quite a bit of ancestry that remains unknown due to my mystery maternal 2nd great-grandfather.

I've posted on these various topics before under my DNA Genealogy tab.

In Memoriam : Edmund G. Pierce, Anderson Democrat, January 29, 1875

Located this remembrance of my maternal 3rd-great grandfather, Edmund G. Pierce in the Anderson, Indiana Democrat of January 29, 1875.  Edmund had died on January 8, 1875.

IN MEMORIAM 

WILSON GRANGE, No. __ , Jan. 19, 1875.

WHEREAS, We, with deep regret, must announce the death of our beloved brother and worthy lecturer, Edmund G. Pierce, and,

WHEREAS, We regard his death as a great loss to  the community, and to his bereaved family and friends, in as much as he was a good citizen, kind brother, true christian, and as affectionate husband and parent.

RESOLVED, We tender our sincere and heartfelt sympathies to the bereaved family and friends.

RESOLVED, That, as a tribute of respect to our deceased brother, we drape our hall in mourning for thirty days.

RESOLVED, That these preambles and resolutions be entered upon the minutes of this grange, and that a copy be presented to each of our county papers with a request to publish.

D.C. HUFF
D.E.H. THOMAS
LEVI BREWER , Committee

DNA Files & Horizontal Pedigrees

Found a great idea for helping to connect with my DNA matches and figure out where we connect - horizontal pedigrees.  Thanks to a post at Analytic Genealogy, I've been creating horizontal pedigree charts for myself, my parents, and other relatives that I've convinced to do DNA testing.  My hope is that I can use them to share with my genetic cousins in an easier way to find the common ancestors.  The blog post describing how these horizontal pedigree charts can be used is linked here.

So often my matches either don't have a family tree online or if they do, it can become unwieldy to read and figure out where the matches lie.  I find that the horizontal pedigree chart not only makes it pretty easy to see your family lines extended out, but also can show you where there are gaps in your tree without having to look at your software.

I've created a Dropbox folder for my DNA Files and am including these horizontal charts.  I might eventually include other information, but for now I will be sharing the link to the Dropbox folder with my DNA matches so they can easily see where we connect.  Since most matches are below 5th-6th cousins, they should be able to see a common surname on the chart.  

If you are interested, the link to my Dropbox folder and the charts is included here.

Catherine & William Pierce lot, Maplewood Cemetery, Madison County, Indiana

Maplewood Cemetery Records, Anderson, Madison County, Indiana

This is a copy of the cemetery records at the office of Maplewood Cemetery in Anderson, Madison County, Indiana for my maternal 3-great grandparents, William and Catherine (Groenendyke) Pierce.  The cemetery is split into two sections, and the section the Pierces are buried in is considered West Maplewood.

According to the cemetery office, many of the records were destroyed in a fire.  Isn't that always the case with my Madison County ancestors?  But in this case, at least they had this log.

The owner of the lot # 694 is Catherine & William Pierce.  In the list of persons buried there were some interesting finds :

infant Pierce - stamped "See File".  Need to find out who this might be.  I believe I saw another record that stated this was the child of Lyman Pierce, but I'm not sure now.

Edmund  - this is Edmund Pierce, whose tombstone is marked. He died January 8, 1875.

1 adult - I believe that this record refers to William F. Pierce's first wife, Clara, who died in 1906.  Her obituary stated she was buried in the Anderson Cemetery, which was the old name for Maplewood.

Catherine Pearce - note the spelling.  Notes that she was buried December 13, 1913.  Catherine was the wife of Edmund.

Lillian Pearce - note the spelling.  Only 18 years old, she was buried August 14, 1921.  Lillian was the daughter of William and Clara Pierce.

John Granville (Groendyke) - aged 79.  Burial date was February 4, 1929. This must be John Thomas Groenendyke, the brother of Catherine, son of Elias & Nancy (Jenkins) Groenendyke.  Will need to do more research on him.

William F. Pierce - aged 85, buried September 25, 1950.  This was my maternal 2nd-great grandfather.  He has a marker at the cemetery with his second wife, Vida.

Vida Pierce - age not given, buried November 22, 1968. This was Vida (Maddox) Pierce, second wife of William.

Chad Pierce - aged 21 hours.  Infant, buried June 3, 1972.  Chad was the son of George & Annette Pierce.

James Louis Pierce - age 70, buried Feb. 1, 2002 (cremation) at the foot of Lillian Pierce.

These records are interesting for what they show and don't show.  There is a large monument that says "PIERCE" on it, with "E.G. Pierce" on one side and "W.F. Pierce" on the other.  Edmund and Catherine Pierce have a footstone, and there is a military marker for James Louise Pierce.  The infant Chad Pierce has a marker, as does William and Vida have a joint marker.

There is no marker for Lillian Pierce or Clara Pierce or John Groenendyke at the plot.

Death Notice : Edmund Pierce, 1875, Anderson, Indiana Democrat

Anderson Democat January 15, 1875 page 4

While at the the Anderson, Indiana Public Library, I found the mention of Edmund G. Pierce's death in the January 15, 1875 edition of the Anderson Democrat.  This weekly paper didn't have much in the way of an obituary, but it did place his death in Madison County.  Edmund's tombstone is at the West Maplewood Cemetery in Anderson and states that he died January 8, 1875.

Last Friday, Mr. Ed. Pierce, a highly respected citizen, was summoned from the embrace of his kind family and friends to appear on "the sweet Eden shore" there to enjoy the society of the good and blest throughout the annals of eternity.

Edmund was my maternal 3rd-great grandfather, the son of Francis S. and Rebecca (Page) Pierce and the husband of Catherine Groenendyke.

Searching for the Smoking Gun In Madison County, Indiana

Mom searching Miscellaneous Records books, Madison County, Indiana

Spent today researching family history in Madison County, Indiana with mom today, working on trying to find clues on her Pierce line so we can button up the application for the DAR.  While we did make some interesting finds, there was no smoking gun today linking Edmund G. Pierce to his parents, Francis & Rebecca (Page) Pierce to be found.

In the 1850 census, when Edmund should be living with his parents in Wayne County, Indiana - he was enumerated in another household.  He wasn't the only one, as brothers Henry and Francis N. were not in the household either.  I'm sure that a search in Wayne County, Indiana records will need to be done to solve the whys and wherefores.  In the meantime, I was hopeful that something could be found in Madison County.

I knew that Edmund and his brother Henry were found in Madison County, Indiana circa 1863 based on a Civil War draft record, and that the family farm was purchased circa 1870 from the county history biography.  Edmund and wife Catherine were listed in the 1870 census in Lafayette Township as was Francis and Rebecca in the same township.  Edmund died January 8, 1875 in Madison County. My hope was that sometime between the period of 1863-1875 we would find a deed or record that would tie the families together.

We started out our day at the Recorder's office, searching through the Grantor and Grantee Index books (the big ones) writing down the page and book numbers so that we could later get copies.  We ended up finding several records to have copies made, but none of them contained anything about Francis.  Apparently, his time in Madison County was spent without buying or selling land.  There were, however, many records between Edmund and his brothers, Albert O. and Henry E. to be found in Madison County.

A stop at Central Records for a copy of the marriage license for the second marriage of William F. Pierce to Vida Maddox revealed that his birth date on that record was July 10, 1866, not 1865 as is found on his tombstone.  While we were there, I had asked about another marriage record on James F. Wright who I was trying to verify was a relative, and asked about the divorce records for Chester Wright and his father John Wright.  Since I don't have too many opportunities to have the day off to research, I took my chances, but unfortunately, the Central Records couldn't find the divorce cases.  I will continue to search other sources and come up with an exact date before trying again, as I'm not sure they searched that hard for them.

On our way out of the courthouse, we stopped by the Auditor's office, which had the records of the County Commissioners during the time period when William F. Pierce served as County Commissioners.  We found the original minutes where he signed his name, records show he served from January 1, 1918 through December 31, 1923.

Signature of my maternal 2nd-great grandfather, William F. Pierce

Had to stop and get something to eat before heading out to the West Maplewood Cemetery to find the Pierce plot.  It had been awhile since I had been there, but we were able to find it.  I was hoping to get a picture of Clara Pierce's marker, as I realized that I didn't have it.  When we found the plot we realized that Clara didn't have a marker.  There is the big family marker that has "E.G. Pierce" on one side and "W.F. Pierce" on the other; markers for Edmund and Catherine Pierce; one for James L. Pierce and one for infant Chad Pierce, and then a marker for William F. and Vida Pierce.

We next headed over to the Anderson Public Library to see if by chance there were any contemporary newspapers that they had on file that might have a mention of the death of Edmund on January 8, 1875.  Fortunately, they did have the Anderson Democrat on microfilm, and I was able to find mention of his death.  Unfortunately, it wasn't much of an obituary, and made no mention of who his parents were.

The library was able to give us the contact information for the cemetery and we called and made arrangements with the office to come over and view their records.  Of course, a fire had destroyed many of the older records.  They didn't have a card on file for Clara's burial, but in the record of the family plot, there is mention of "1 adult", which we are pretty sure is Clara.  I know in the past I had seen a map of the family plot, but right now cannot locate in my files.  Rather than make copies of the records, I took pictures with my cell phone, and will be able to examine later and will make another post on them.

There were many records to digest which will provide me with some blog fodder for future posts.

Overall, the day had some positives, but at the end of the day we still have no concrete proof to supply on the DAR application that Edmund G. Pierce was the son of Francis & Rebecca (Page) Pierce.  The hunt continues!

Mom's DAR Process - Documenting the Details

Mom met this past Thursday with the ladies from the Kikthawenund Chapter of the DAR at the Anderson, Indiana library.  They were holding their genealogy sessions to help new prospective members with their lineage.  They had already asked her to submit a biography so they could know something about her, believe they had to vote to make sure she was upstanding material.

Previous to the meeting, they had told her to bring documentation for the first 4 generations, so I had sent mom what I had on her parents, grandparents and great-grandparents.  There were actually a couple of items (birth/marriage/death) that I had not accumulated over the years, even though I knew where they were located.  Cost was a factor when I was younger and I hadn't sought them out.  Together we put together a plan and mom went to the Madison County Health Department and County Clerk to obtain what documents she could find.

The meeting with the ladies from the DAR went well.  I think they were glad to see that not only did mom know who her Patriot ancestor was, but that she had a pedigree chart and a good start on the documentation for the process.  I would imagine that not everyone who seeks membership has the lineage already known.

Afterwards, when telling me about the meeting, one of the items that mom stated that we would need would be her grandfather's birth certificate. Apparently, the national organization is adamant about that.  However, Indiana didn't require birth certificates until 1907, and he was born in 1894.  Mom's grandmother, born in 1897, did have a birth certificate, however.  Apparently the filing was rather optional at that point in time.

The regent and other ladies at the meeting suggested that mom apply for her grandfather's long-form death certificate from the state, which might contain the birth date.

Looking over the guidelines for documentation of the line, I believe there might be other things we can use to substitute.  I've found his World War II draft card, for instance, which clearly states his date and place of birth and also there is the census record in 1900 when he was living at home which gives the month and date.  If for some reason that cannot be overcome, it would be a major stumbling block because many of mom's DAR recognized Patriot ancestors would come through this line.

Check out : Is That Lineage Right and DAR Genealogy guidelines for tips on how to prepare your lineage for the application process.

Personally, I'm not sure that the requirement of a birth certificate for her grandfather makes sense when the state didn't require one at the time, as well as the fact that if my sister were the one applying for membership, he would be far enough back that they would just want to see the relationship established through census records.  But then again, I don't get to make the rules.

This whole process has mom interested in her family history and she's learning some things she didn't know about them.  The members are very helpful and the registrar has been emailing mom the long form application and providing tips on what information she needs to complete.

To facilitate this process, I've created a Dropbox folder for the information I've collected on each successive generation from mom to the Patriot ancestor.  That way when she meets with them again she can pull up all the documentation on her computer and they can print out what they need or advise her if they need more information.

We are meeting tomorrow to head to the Madison County, Indiana courthouse to see if we can locate some information that will fill in the gaps.  While we are there, I will also see if I can pick up some additional information on other lines.