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.