Weekly Genealogy Blogging Prompt # 31

Prompt: Have a family member be a guest blogger. Let a family member take the reins and provide a different perspective for a post or two. If you can't find anyone to take the job, interview a relative and spotlight the person yourself.

I didn't approach any family members to be guest bloggers this week, but I did decide to start an interview with my mother. Unfortunately, I was only able to have a few questions answered this week - but I will complete the interview at a later date. The questions come from About.com's Fifty Questions for Family History Interviews.

Why did your parents select your name? Did you have a nickname?

Grandma Wright named me "Gloria Jean". Not sure why that name was chosen, she just said I was a "Gloria Jean". I was nicknamed Gloworm by a friend from school, probably a contraction of Gloria.

Where were you born?

Mercy Hospital in Elwood because there was no hospital in Alexandria. Dr. Overpeck delivered babies there. I weighed 9 lbs. 2 oz. My mother was in labor for 3 days and the doctor wouldn't come to the hospital. He didn't come until right before delivery. Mom was so upset that she never went back to him.

What is your earliest childhood memory?

I remember going up to Tippy Lake and the end of June and hunting for mussels with my dad.

Also remember staying at Grandma Wright's at about age 6. We were going back to her garden when a huge garter snake appeared. Grandma took a hoe and killed the snake and burned it.

What kind of games did you play growing up?

We played Hearts at the lakes, there was a travelling nickel that we could win; we thought that was a lot of money. There were no girls in my neighborhood, so I played a lot with dolls.

Wordless Wednesday: Ezekiel Cooper Chew

Originial Photo at Marshall County Historical Society Museum, Plymouth, Indiana

Tombstone Tuesday: Luman Cooper & Barbara Isabelle (Wehrly) LeMasters

My paternal great-grandparents, Luman Cooper and Barbara Isabel (Wehrly) LeMasters, are buried in the Salamonia Cemetery, Madison Township, Jay County, Indiana.

Luman was born May 27, 1867 in Jay County, Indiana, the son of Luman Walker and Mary Keziah (Chew) Lemasters.

Barbara was born March 14, 1869 in Jay County, Indiana, the daughter of William P. and Olive Jane (Smith) Wehrly.

Luman and Barbara were married on November 13, 1886 in Jay County, Indiana. They moved shortly after their marriage to Ord, Valley County, Nebraska, but returned to Jay County, Indiana after the death of their first child. They lived out their remaining years on their farm in Madison Township, Jay County, Indiana.

Luman and Barbara were the parents of thirteen children, all but the first child were born in Jay County, Indiana.

• [unknown name] LeMasters (1887-1887) died in infancy in Valley County, Nebraska
• Clarence Harrison LeMasters (1888-1963) married Ferry May Bickel, had 5 children
• Chesleigh Franklin LeMasters (1890-1960) married Clara Louise Burkey, had 6 children
• Bertha Alberta LeMasters (1892-1961) married Russell J. Hercules, had 4 children
• Floyd LeMasters (1894-1982) married Shirely Opal Gagle, had 2 children
• Gerald Walker LeMasters (1896-1987) married Mabel Agnes Kantner, had 3 children; married Pearl Lovina Smith, had 2 children
• Stanley Duey LeMaster (1898-1982) married Anna Beard, had 4 children
• Dorothy Dot LeMaster (1900-1984) married Charles Glendon Hunt, had 3 children; married Glen Lock
• John Leland LeMaster (1902-1980) married Dortha LeEtta DeLauter, had 6 children
• Freda Claire LeMaster (1904-1979) married James Orville LaFollette; had 2 children
• Ord Wehrly LeMaster (1906-1971) married Ruth Pauline Haley, had 6 children. These are my grandparents.
• Mary Olive LeMaster (1909-) married Virgil Thornton Taylor, had 1 child.
• Elvin Cooper LeMaster (1912-2000) married Cleo Belle Hanks, had 4 children.

Wright-Lambertson marriage: Madison County, Indiana

My maternal grandparents marriage license from Madison County, Indiana contains a wealth of information.

MALE
1. The full Christian name and surname of this man is William Lee Wright
2. His color: White
3. Where born : Madison Co., Alexandria, Ind.
4. When born : December 1, 1919
5. Present residence: R # 2, Alexandria, Ind.
6. Present occupation: Factory employee
8. Is this male contracting party of nearer blood kin to the female contracting party than second cousin? No
9. Full Christian and surname of father : Virgil Lee Wright
10. His color: White

11. His birthplace : Madison Co., Ind.
12. His occupation : Farmer
13. His residence : R # 2, Alexandria, Ind.
14. Full Christian and maiden name of mother : Edna Muriel Pierce
15. Her color: White
16. Her occupation: Housewife
17. Her birthplace: Madison Co., Indiana
18. Her residence: R # 2, Alexandria, Ind.
19. Has the male contracting party been an Inmate of any county asylum or home for indigent person within the last five years? No
21. Is this his first marriage? Yes
26. Is the male contracting party afflicted with epilepsy, tuberculosis, venereal or any other contagious or transmissible diseases? No
27. Is he an imbecile, feeble-minded, idiotic or insane, or is he under guardianship as a person of unsound mind? No

FEMALE
1. The full Christian and surname of the woman is Bonnie Mae Lambertson
2. Her color: White
3. Where born: Madison Co., Elwood, Ind.
4. When born: Feb. 18, 1924
5. Present residence: R # 3, Elwood, Ind.
6. Present occupation: none
7. Full Christian and surname of father: Clemon Lambertson
8. His color: White
9. His birthplace: Hamilton Co., Cicero, Ind.
10. His occupation: Cabinet-worker
11. His residence: R # 3, Elwood, Ind.
12. Full Christian and maiden name of mother: June Gilliland
13. Her color: White
14. Her occupation: Housewife
15. Her birthplace: Monroe Co., Bloomington, Ind.
16. Her residence: R # 3, Elwood, Ind.
17. Has the female contracting party been an inmate of any county asylum or home for indigent persons with the last five years? No
18. Is this her first marriage? Yes
22. Is the female contracting party afflicted with epilepsy, tuberculosis, venereal or any other contagious or transmissible disease? No
23. Is she an imbecile, feeble-minded, idiotic or insane, or is she under guardianship as a person of unsound mind? No

In the margins is this note : "Consent of parents on file". At the time of this marriage application, Bonnie was under the age of eighteen.

There are a few errors in the information given by my grandmother regarding the birthplace of her mother, but I'm sure that was what she had been told.

Grant County, Indiana resource

Here's a resource for those who may have relatives in Grant County, Indiana. Check out www.grantcounty.net and then click on Departments>Health Department>Vital Records and then click on 'Death By Name'. Here you can search for your family members information and there are links to contact the Health Department to obtain a copy of the death certificate.

One thing I noticed was that the database contained final disposition of the body and the name of the informant, something that could provide clues for further research and answers as to where some of the information came from. The database doesn't state the time frame of the data, but I was able to find deaths from the 1930s all the way to the present.

Grant County is where I reside, and while I don't have much family here, I was able to find out information about some collateral relatives who died in Grant County. I searched my RootsMagic database for anyone I could find in Grant County, and was able to add some information.

There are some LeMaster names in the database who are not close relatives, including :

Paul B. LeMaster death date 5/22/1980 Marion, Indiana. His place of birth was not given, but the date was 8/24/1925. His father was Charles B. LeMaster and mother was Clarisse Busheart.

Raleigh K. LeMaster death date 2/25/1994 Marion, Indiana. He was born 4/16/1908 in Flat Gap, Kentucky. His father was Henry B. LeMaster and mother was Vergie Florence Harris.

Stanley S. LeMaster death date 3/2/2001 Marion, Indiana. He was born 4/10/1935 in Paintsville, Kentucky. His father was Ochal R. LeMaster and mother was Ruth G. Lyon

Roba E. LeMaster death date 1/21/1980 Marion, Indiana. He was born 12/2/1898 in West Virginia. His father was John D. LeMaster and mother was Sarah Pratt.

Jewell E. LeMaster death date 12/22/2005 Marion, Indiana. She was born 12/31/1918 in Keaton, Kentucky. Her father was Tommy Bailey and mother was Erie M. Evans.

Weekly Genealogy Blogging Prompt # 30

Prompt: Write about your experiences with social networking tools for genealogy purposes. Do you use MySpace, Facebook or Twitter? Are you a wiki kind of person? None of the above? Tell readers about your experiences with these tools and watch your social network grow.

I'm not cool, but I don't care.

Social media may appear to be for the young and not the young at heart, but to hear my kids complain about it - now the 'old' people are taking over. I think that it bothers them that I'm on Facebook.

Facebook has allowed me to connect with old friends, relatives and co-workers easily and for free. For the genealogist, social media allows you to connect with fellow researchers and family by sharing your photos and blogs to a wider audience. I've been able to make new friends and trade research ideas, as well as discover a few new cousins online through my Facebook connections.

Because of these Facebook connections, I've been able to share photos of ancestors and tombstones I've taken for Find-A-Grave as well as share memories with living cousins. Fellow genealogists have helped with lookups of information in distant locales after reading my posts and have offered suggestions for further research.

I have my blog posts linked to appear on my Facebook page as 'Notes' so that all of my networked friends will have the ability to read what has been posted without accessing my blog. This exposes my research to my friends and relatives who may not have been aware that I was blogging. Often I use the 'Networked Blogs' application as well to periodically highlight a particular post.

I haven't ventured into the Twitter waters yet, but if I do, I'm sure that I will enjoy that technology as well.

Overall, my experience with social networking and genealogy research has been a positive one. I have been able to expose my blog and my research to a wider audience and have received positive feedback. I've also received research tips and offers of help. Some of my Facebook friends that are not genealogists have asked for tips on how to start their own family history research, and my far-flung cousins are able to read about my research through my linked blog posts.

I would highly recommend using social media as another tool to put your research out there. You never know what genealogical treasure may be turned up through these casual connections, and the friendships that develop can enrich your life and expand your research.

Obituary: Lillie Miller (1873-1937)

Source: Evansville, Indiana, Daily Press, July 29, 1937

Mrs. Lillie Miller, 64, of 719 N. Fifth-av, died Wednesday in her home.

Surviving are: sons, Arthur, Lawrence, Fred and William; daughters, Mrs. Eva L. Dever, Mrs. Sadie Hoover, and Mrs. Helen Miller; nine grandchildren, and a brother, John Schaefer, all of Evansville.

Funeral services will be at 7:30 a.m. Saturday in the home, continued in St. Anthony's Catholic Church at 8 a.m. Burial in Park Lawn Cemetery.

[Ed note: Interestingly, her husband's obituary stated that he was buried in Locust Hill Cemetery, but so far, records from there have not turned up a burial there. More research is needed.]

Tombstone Tuesday: Virgil Lee & Edna Muriel (Pierce) Wright

My maternal great-grandparents, Virgil Lee and Edna Muriel (Pierce) Wright are buried in the Park View Cemetery in Alexandria, Madison County, Indiana.



Virgil Lee Wright was born July 6, 1894 in Orestes, Madison County, Indiana, the son of John William and Ellen (King) Wright.



Edna Muriel "Peach" Pierce was born February 7, 1897 in Madison County, Indiana, the daughter of William Francis and Clara (Pennisten) Pierce.



Virgil and Edna were married on June 19, 1915 in Alexandria, Madison County, Indiana. Virgil and Edna lived out their lives in Monroe Township, Madison County, Indiana.

Edna died March 3, 1968 in Anderson, Madison County, Indiana and Virgil followed on March 25, 1972 in Alexandria, Indiana.

Virgil and Edna were the parents of three children, all of whom were born in Madison County, Indiana:

• Clara Ellen Wright (1916-2005) married John M. High, had 2 children.
• William Lee Wright (1919-1973) married Bonnie Mae Lambertson, had 2 children. These are my grandparents.
• Barbara Lou Wright (1932-2008) married Robert L. Webster, had 2 children.

Obituary: Mathias Miller (1861-1936)

Contacted the reference section of the Willard Library in Evansville, Indiana and requested a copy of the obituary for Corinne's maternal great-great grandfather, Mathias Miller.

Mathias "Mat" Miller, 74, retired stove moulder, of 719 N. Fifth-av, died Wednesday night in Deaconess Hospital. He leaves: the widow, Lillie; daughters, Mrs. Sadie Hoover, Mrs. S.E. Deyer and Misses Helen and Anna Miller; sons, Arthur, Fred, Lawrence and William; sisters, Mrs. George L. Miller, Mrs. Henry Mossberg and Mrs. Anna Kreipke, and nine grandchildren. Rev. Clyde H. Koehler, St. John's Evangelical Church, will officiate at funeral services at 10 a.m. Saturday in Ziemer's Funeral Home. Burial in Locust Hill Cemetery.

They did not indicate which newspaper the obituary was located in, but believe it was the Evansville Press. I will have to verify this in order to cite the record.

I have posted a memorial for Mathias Miller (1861-1936) at FindAGrave, but volunteers have been unable to locate a tombstone or even a record of his burial. Perhaps the obituary was in error.

LeMaster - Haley marriage: Jay County, Indiana

My paternal grandparents' application for a marriage license in Jay County, Indiana is below. There are a lot of interesting facts you can learn from a marriage license application, provided that the informants know their mother's maiden name, etc.

My grandfather listed his occupation as a farmer, my grandmother as a domestic. Both were born in Jay County, Indiana. Her birthdate of April 12, 1911 contradicts other information I have in my database, where I showed her as born on April 11. Will have to investigate that discrepancy.

Although I already knew the information, I appreciate the fact that this application gave the names and places of birth for their parents. Grandpa's parents, Luman C. LeMaster and (Barbara) Isabelle Wehrly were both born in Jay County, while grandma's parents, Eli W. Haley was born in Erie County, Ohio and Cora Belle Metzner was born in Jay County, Indiana. At the time of the marriage, great-grandmother LeMaster was deceased, she having died in 1930.

I find it interesting to look at their signatures on the application. Although the name is spelled LeMaster with a capital 'm' throughout the application, the signature shows that grandfather signed his name Lemaster with a lower case 'm' in this case.

The marriage was performed on February 20, 1932 by Ruth's brother-in-law, Eugene Kunce, who had married her sister, Clara Elnora Haley.

Trip throughout Ohio

Source: Tipton Tribune, Tipton, Indiana, Thursday, August 12, 1915, page 7.

Mr. and Mrs. Omer Whisler and daughter Edna and son Harry, and Mr. and Mrs. Charley Lambertson, of Cicero, left last Thursday morning in the former's machine for a trip through Ohio, they returned Tuesday and traveled three hundred and fifty-five miles without a single mishap and had fine weather and roads. They visited in Dayton, also went to the soldiers home at that place and visited at Middletown, Germantown and Eaton. They reported a hail storm in some parts of Ohio on Sunday afternoon and much rain. Mr. and Mrs. Lambertson, of Elwood, parents of Mrs. Whisler looked after the home of Mr. and Mrs. Whisler during their absence.

Mr. and Mrs. Frank Fisher and son Ralph of near Cicero, spent Friday with Mr. and Mrs. Lambertson at the Whisler home.

Comment: A trip that we might take for granted today must have been quite an experience in 1915. Sounds like they were visiting Lambertson relatives back in Ohio. Nelson J. Lambertson, a great-uncle to Charles Lambertson and Lola (Lambertson) Whisler, was a resident of the National Military Home in Dayton. He was a Civil War veteran. The towns of Middletown and Germantown were areas where Lambertson members were known to have resided.

Motoring to Elwood

Source: Tipton Tribune, Tipton, Indiana, Thursday, June 10, 1915, page 7.


Omer Whisler and family, Walter Noble and family motored to Elwood Sunday and spent the day with Mrs. Whisler's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Cary Lambertson. Edna, the daughter that has been spending the past week with her grandparents returned home with them.

Comment: The Walter Noble family must have been a family friend, as I do not know of any connection to the Lambertson family.

Thanksgiving Dinner, 1913

Source: Tipton Tribune, Tipton, Indiana, Thursday, December 4, 1913, page 7.

Mr. and Mrs. Carry Lambertson of Elwood spent from Friday until Monday here, guests of their daughter, Mrs. Lola Whisler.


Chas. Lambertson of Cicero was the guest of his sister, Mrs. Lola Whisler Thursday.

Comment: What the paper isn't saying is that this must have been Thanksgiving dinner and an extended visit. I also wonder why Charles Lambertson's family isn't mentioned - did his wife and children celebrate Thanksgiving at home or with someone else? Yet again there is another way to spell Carey W. Lambertson's name. I've chosen to go with Carey.

Sunday dinner guests

Source: Tipton Tribune, Tipton, Indiana, Thursday, August 21, 1913, page 3.


Omer Whisler and family spent Sunday in Elwood the guests of Mrs. Whisler's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Carey Lambertson


Omer Whisler and family and their guests Mr. Wagner and family, of Ohio, were the relative guests of Frank Fisher and family near Cicero, Wednesday.

Comment: I do not know the relationship of the Wagner family to the other members of the Lambertson clan. Omer Whisler and Lola May (Lambertson) Whisler had two children, Edna and Harry.

Mrs. Lambertson of Elwood

Source: Tipton Tribune, Tipton, Indiana, Thursday, May 29, 1913, page 3.

Mrs. Lambertson of Elwood who has been here visiting her daughter Mrs. Omer Whisler has gone to Onward to visit for a few days with her daughter, Mrs. Maude Fischer and family.

Comment: Lola (Lambertson) Whisler and Maud (Lambertson) Fisher were the daughters of Carey W. & Clara (Cook) Lambertson. Lola married Omer Whisler, Maude married Frank Fisher. I hadn't heard of Onward - it is located in Tipton Township, Cass County, Indiana, population 81 in the 2000 census.

Lambertson siblings stay in touch

Members of my Lambertson family managed to stay close knit by traveling on the weekends, as evidenced by these newspaper column tidbits :

Soucre: Tipton Tribune, Tipton, Indiana, Thursday, May 1, 1913, page 2.

Omer Whisler and family spent Sunday near Cicero with Charles Lambertson and family.

Source: Tipton Tribune, Tipton, Indiana, Thursday, May 22, 1913, page 6.

Charles Lambertson and family of Cicero spent Sunday here with his sister, Mrs. Omer Whisler and family.

Comment: Charles Lambertson and Lola (Lambertson) Whisler were the children of Carey W. & Clara (Cook) Lambertson. Although they didn't live too far away by today's standards, it must have been an effort to stay in touch and have to travel before the days of highways, email and cellphones.

Miss Edna Whisler returns

Source: Tipton Tribune, Tipton, Indiana, Friday, June 14, 1912, page 7.

ALBRIGHT

Miss Edna Whisler who has been visiting her grandmother Mrs. Carrie Lambertson of Elwood returned to her home at this place Friday.

Mrs. Carrie Lambertson of Elwood spent Friday here with her daughter, Mrs. Omer Whisler.

Comment: Again, either the name is incorrect or they have confused Carey Lambertson with his wife, Clara Lambertson. Carey Lambertson (1847-1918) & Clara (Cook) Lambertson (1848-1943) were the grandparents of Edna Whisler.

Lambertson family visits

Source: Tipton Tribune, Tipton, Indiana, Thursday, May 23, 1912, page 3.

ALBRIGHT

Miss Leona Lambertson who has been visiting her aunt, Mrs. Lola Whisler for the past week, returned to her home in Cicero Tuesday.

Omer Whisler, wife and children, Edna and Harry, Walter Noble and wife were the guest of Mr. and Mrs. Bert Lambertson of Elwood, Saturday.

Mrs. Charlie Lambertson and children of Cicero spent Monday and Tuesday at this place, the guests of Omer Whisler and family.

Comment: Leona Lambertson (1904-1998) was the daughter of Charles Wilson and Pearl May (Beals) Lambertson. Lola (Lambertson) Whisler and Bert Lambertson were the brother and sister of Charles Lambertson.

Bert Lambertson & wife visits from North Dakota

Source: Tipton Tribune, Tipton, Indiana, April 5, 1912, page 6.

Bert Lambertson and wife from North Dakota are here visiting his sister, Mrs. Lola Whisler and family. Mr. and Mrs. Lambertson have not been back to Indiana since they moved to North Dakota which has been about five years ago. Mr. Lambertson's parents live here at Elwood, and he has a sister at Cicero and they will visit them while here. It is said they are thinking of remaining in Indiana.


Comment: Bert Sigler Lambertson (1886-1971) was the son of Carey W. & Clara (Cook) Lambertson. I do not know where in North Dakota they were living. The sister at Cicero would be Maud (Lambertson) Fisher.

Gossip column gets facts incorrect

Source: Tipton Tribune, Tipton, Indiana, Thursday, November 30, 1911, page 6

ALBRIGHT

Carrie Lambert, wife and son of Elwood spent from Friday until Monday with their daughter Mrs. Omer Whisler and family.


Mrs. Omer Whisler and children Mr. and Mrs. Carrie Lambertson of Elwood spent Sunday with Henry Baitz and family.

Comment: Apparently, newspapers were getting their facts wrong even a hundred years ago. Both of these snippets of local gossip concern the same families. Carey W. Lambertson (1847-1918) probably didn't appreciate his name being butchered in the paper. Apparently, he and his wife, Clara (Cook) Lambertson were visiting their daughter, Lola May (Lambertson) Whisler and her husband, Omer. Not only did the newspaper spell the name incorrectly, but the lack of the comma in the second article makes it seem that Mr. and Mrs. Lambertson are the children of Mrs. Omer Whisler when in fact it is the other way around. I do not know the connection to the Henry Baitz family.