Fearless Females: Bonnie (Lambertson) Wright

Bonnie (Lambertson) Wright c. 1944-45

My hair in a bun. ha! You can have this

March 2 — Post a photo of one of your female ancestors. Who is in the photo? When was it taken? Why did you select this photo?


This is a photo of my maternal grandmother, Bonnie Mae (LAMBERTSON) WRIGHT (1924-1984).  This photo was one that I was able to scan on my recent visit with my mother's cousin, Mike Walsh.  The photo was apparently sent by my grandmother to her sister, Ruby (LAMBERTSON) WALSH, thus the writing on the back saying "you can have this."  I'm so glad that it has survived all these years.


I chose this photo because it was a new find for me and it is an excellent picture of my grandmother as a young mother.  She would be approximately 20 years old when this photograph was taken.  I can really see my mother in this photo as well.


There was another photo that went along with this one of my uncle, Terry WRIGHT when he was a young boy.  Apparently he won a contest for being the "most typical boy".  The story I've been told was that during World War II when my grandfather was going from training base to base, people would faun over little Terry.  Based on his appearance in the photo, I'm basing the year around 1944 or 1945.

Terry Wright

Terry won a blue ribbon with this picture for being "the most typical boy baby" You can have this too

Once again, in honor of National Women’s History Month, Lisa Alzo of The Accidental Genealogist blog presents Fearless Females: 31 Blogging Prompts to Celebrate Women’s History Month.

Fearless Females: Favorite Female Ancestor

Ida Davis

March 1 — Do you have a favorite female ancestor? One you are drawn to or want to learn more about? Write down some key facts you have already learned or what you would like to learn and outline your goals and potential sources you plan to check.


While I've written about her before, my favorite female ancestor that I would like to know more about is my maternal 2nd-great grandmother, Ida DAVIS.


Ida lived a rather short, hard life - dying at age 26.  Yet before she passed, she was married twice and gave birth to two daughters, neither of whose parentage has truly been established.  One of those daughters, June, was my great-grandmother.

Ida Davis and daughter, June

So many facts about Ida are not clearly documented.  Her parents were James Austin and Mary Ellen (SWAFFORD) DAVIS, residents of Owen County, Indiana. I have Ida's birth date as July 2, 1874 Owen County, Indiana, but do not have a documented source.  If the census record in 1900 at the door of hope I found for Ida D. HANCOCK is her - it gives her birth date as May 1874 in Indiana.


Ida was first married to Samuel G. HANCOCK,  son of Joseph and Margaret (VAUGHN) HANCOCK on August 28, 1892 in Monroe County, Indiana.  A unverified letter from a correspondent states that Ida and Samuel filed for divorce in the May of 1894 in Monroe County, Indiana. They must have divorced before 1897 when Samuel remarried in Monroe County, Indiana.  Ida's second marriage was Carvie A. MORRIS on July 19, 1900 in Monroe County, Indiana.  By August 2nd of that year, Ida died of tuberculosis in Clay Township, Owen County, Indiana.

Death Record of Ida D. Morris, Owen County, Indiana

The two daughters of Ida were Pansy and June.  Pansy, the oldest, was born December 11, 1894.  Her obituary states that her parents were Mr. and Mrs. Frank Fletcher.  June, my great-grandmother, was born June 11, 1898 in Indianapolis, Marion County, Indiana and her birth certificate lists her parents as Atkinson and Ida DAVIS.

Birth certificate of June Davis, my great grandmother

One of my research goals is to search the court records in Monroe County and Owen County, Indiana to see if there are any records that can shed light on the parentage of her daughters.


I have not been able to locate Ida in the 1880 census, when she would be around 6 years old.  Her father, James Austin DAVIS, was enumerated in Clay Township, Owen County, Indiana as a resident of the county home, listed as "insane".  Her mother, Mary Ellen (SWAFFORD) DAVIS, was enumerated in Washington Township, Owen County, Indiana, under her maiden name, living in her father's household.  No listing of Ida or her younger sister Delia have been found in the 1880 census.


I believe that I have found Ida in the 1900 census, living in the 7th Ward of Center Township, Indianapolis, Marion County, Indiana, listed as Ida D. HANCOCK, age 26, born May 1874 Indiana, widowed, with 2 children living.  According to the Encyclopedia of Indianapolis (p. 458), the "Door of Hope" had a purpose to provide 'wayward girls' with shelter and assistance.  There was also an earlier reference to an Ida DAVIS in the 1898 city directory of Indianapolis, living at 606 1/2 E. Wabash.


A cousin provided the pictures I have of Ida and June above, and the following photo as well.  I'm not sure if this may be from an earlier time period and might be Ida's mother instead:

Ida Davis (1874-1900) ?

Would love to solve some of these mysteries regarding my 2nd-great grandmother.


Once again, in honor of National Women’s History Month, Lisa Alzo of The Accidental Genealogist blog presents Fearless Females: 31 Blogging Prompts to Celebrate Women’s History Month.

Tombstone Tuesday : Henry Pierce Family Plot

Source: Maplewood Cemetery (Anderson, Madison County, Indiana), Pierce family plot, photographed by Travis LeMaster, 23 June 2009.

The PIERCE family plot in the Maplewood Cemetery in Anderson, Madison County, Indiana contains the following stones: Eva PIERCE (1877-1949), Frank PIERCE (1862-1919), Simeathy PIERCE (1834-1918) and Henry E. PIERCE (1833-1901).

Source: Maplewood Cemetery (Anderson, Madison County, Indiana), Eva Pierce marker, photographed by Travis LeMaster, 23 June 2009.

Eva PIERCE was born June 21, 1877, probably in Madison County, Indiana, the daughter of Henry Eldred and Simeathy (SMELSOR) PIERCE.  Eva died in 1942.  Nothing further is known at this time.

Source: Maplewood Cemetery (Anderson, Madison County, Indiana), Frank Pierce marker, photographed by Travis LeMaster, 23 June 2009.

Franklin T. PIERCE was born August 21, 1861, probably in Madison County, Indiana, the son of Henry Eldred and Simeathy (SMELSOR) PIERCE.  He died in 1919.  Nothing further is known at this time.

Source: Maplewood Cemetery (Anderson, Madison County, Indiana), Simeathy Pierce marker, photographed by Travis LeMaster, 23 June 2009.

Simeathy (SMELSOR) PIERCE was born in 1834 in Indiana, to unknown parentage.  She married Henry Eldred PIERCE on February 14, 1855.  They resided in Lafayette Township, Madison County, Indiana.  Simeathy died in 1918.

Source: Maplewood Cemetery (Anderson, Madison County, Indiana), Henry E. Pierce marker, photographed by Travis LeMaster, 23 June 2009.

Henry Eldred PIERCE was born October 10, 1833 in Piqua, Miami County, Ohio, the son of Francis S. and Rebecca (PAGE) PIERCE.  He and Simeathy raised six children in Lafayette Township, Madison County, Indiana.  Henry died in 1901.

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Henry was the older brother of my Edmund G. PIERCE, and I have much more to discover about his family.  

Tombstone Tuesday – To participate in Tombstone Tuesday simply create a post which includes an image of a gravestone of one or more ancestors and it may also include a brief description of the image or the ancestor. This is an ongoing series at GeneaBloggers.

Heritage For Sale

I put your family heritage on eBay today. I’m hoping to get top dollar.  I struggled with the idea at first, but in the end I succumbed to my capitalistic urges.  Because I would never want to have my own heritage up for sale, I thought I would warn others so they don’t suffer the same fate as your ancestors.

I bought the photos of your great-grandparents and relatives, including the little baby in the casket, at the local auction house.  You see, I truly enjoy going to auctions and estate sales.  It’s part of the same pack-rat, “collector” mentality that draws me to genealogy.  What drew me to this sale was the fact that I knew your parents, and the local memorabilia and ephemera was simply too much for me to resist.  I made an emotional purchase, taking all of the box lots containing your family photos, scrapbooks and other newspaper clippings.  I told myself that I wanted to preserve the local history – keeping it out of the hands of the flea market dealers.  But in the end, I realized that it was not my responsibility to preserve your heritage.

Oh, I struggled with the decision to sell the photos – they were the types of photos I wish I had of my own ancestors.  Most of them were even labeled!  I found myself on Ancestry.com, searching your ancestry instead of my own.  When I reached that point I knew that I needed to purge myself of these extraneous photos.

I don’t know why your family wasn’t interested in preserving these family heirlooms.  To me, knowing they exist and not having them would create a void I would yearn to fill.  Perhaps someday, one of your descendants or an extended family member will be interested in genealogy.  Maybe they’ll ask you if there are any old photos lying around.  You’ll have to be the one to break their heart and tell them that all the pictures were sold at an auction.

The genealogist in me wouldn’t let them go into the night without trying to preserve them in some manner.  I made scans of all of them and uploaded them onto the website, DeadFred.com before placing the originals for sale.  At least this way, they will be preserved in some manner.  I may even contact your cousins on Ancestry.com and email them digital scans as well.  That should keep me from feeling too guilty.

So the next time you eat at the local Cracker Barrel, and you see someone on the wall who looks familiar – it may just be your family.

A Matter of Perspective

Had a good visit with my mom's cousin and his wife today, and was able to take my Flip-Pal scanner with me on the road to capture scans of some great photographs, some of which my mother had never seen.  Of great interest were the photos of my grandfather in military uniform, as well as those of my grandmother when she was younger.

William Lee "Johnny Bill" Wright, Florida, c. 1944

My cousin even had some older photos from generations that he was not familiar with, including one of my 4th-great grandmother and her family, taken on her 81st birthday, January 9, 1914 in Norton, Kansas.  She died on March 9th of that same year.

Residence of Hannah Mills Poe, Norton, Kansas on her 81st birthday, January 9, 1914

There were also photographs that came from his grandparents family, my-great grandparents, and thus I was greatly interested in hearing some of the family stories.


One thing that I've learned is that so much of family history is a matter of perspective.  The way someone views a family member and the legends that develop and get passed down are colored by the perspective of the teller.  It is interesting to get a point of view from a different family who may have differing insight into why someone behaved the way they did.


I was able to sit back and observe, letting my mother and dad and mom's cousin and wife talk about people, places and events without interrupting them too much.  It definitely gave me insight, and fodder for future questions to ask about the family.

Sunday's Obituary : Beulah S. (LeMasters) Rockwell (1866-1940)

Source: Commercial-Review, Portland, Indiana, July 18, 1940, page 1.

Rockwell Rites Are Tomorrow


Funeral services for Mrs. Beulah S. Rockwell, who died at her home in Ft. Recovery Tuesday evening, will be conducted tomorrow.  Short services will be held at the residence at 2:15 o'clock (EST) and final rites will be conducted from the Salamonia Methodist church at 2 p.m. (CST) in charge of Rev. Dennison, assisted by Rev. O.L. Nichols.



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

Organizing Digital Photos and Files

I've not been doing much new genealogy research lately, but instead have been working to try to tame the digital beast that is my genealogy photos and files.  It's not going to do me any good to have all of these photos, etc. if the file names remain cryptic ones such as IMG_0339.


I've been slowly identifying each of the photos with a unique identifier by the name of the subject and the date that the photo was taken:


LeMaster_Corinne_10Jun2000
LeMaster_Corinne_30Nov2010
LeMaster_Eileen_25Dec2010
LeMaster_Eileen_25Dec2010(2), etc.


Photos that have multiple individuals, I'm making copies of them both, identifying both and filing under the appropriate family name files. Thus, photos of both of my nieces at Christmas time are filed as such:


LeMaster_Lauren_Honeycutt_Ashley_24Dec2010
Honeycutt_Ashley_LeMaster_Lauren_24Dec2010, etc.


Photos for tombstones simply have the word tombstone after the name, rather than a date.  I've yet to begin sorting and standardizing the files of census records, etc. but imagine I will create a similar system.


My goal is to have these photos so organized that at the next family reunion, I can easily share the entire collection based on an individual should someone desire.


How do you organize your digital images and scans?

Surname Saturday : SHAW

The SHAW surname is in my maternal line.  The origins of the surname are unknown at this time.


Stories and history:


Ahnentafel # 51: Elizabeth Shaw (1827-1900).  Elizabeth was born October 1827 either in Ohio, Indiana or Tennessee, according to census records.  She married December 5, 1847 in Madison County, Indiana to Daniel King (1820-1876).  Daniel was born September 3, 1820 in Ohio.  They raised 10 children in Jackson and Monroe Townships, Madison County, Indiana.  Daniel died February 24, 1876 in Frankton, Madison County, Indiana.  Elizabeth married secondly to William H. Cochran (1828-aft1900).  William was born April 1828 in Ohio.  Last record I've found for him is the 1900 census.  Elizabeth died October 10, 1900 in Frankton, Madison County, Indiana.  Both Daniel and Elizabeth are buried in the Howard Cemetery, Pipe Creek Township, Madison County, Indiana.


Ahnentafel # 102: William Shaw (1800-1849).  William was born January 28, 1800 in Pennsylvania.  He married August 29, 1822 in Brown County, Ohio to Mary Heck (c1803-1890).  Mary was born circa 1803 in Kentucky.  They raised 9 children in Brown County, Ohio and Fayette County, Indiana before moving to Madison County, Indiana.  Mary died August 12, 1890 in Madison County, Indiana.  William died September 25, 1849 in Madison County, Indiana.  Both are buried in the Prewitt Cemetery, Pipe Creek Township, Madison County, Indiana.


Related blog posts:

• Tombstone Tuesday: Daniel and Elizabeth (Shaw) King

• William Shaw - 1850 Mortality Schedule, Madison County, Indiana

• Where was Mary (Heck) Shaw born?

• William Shaw (b. January 28, 1800)

• Happy Anniversary: William Shaw and Mary Heck

Surname Saturday – create a post in which you discuss a surname and mention its origins, its geographical location(s) and how it fits into your genealogy research. Surname Saturday is an ongoing series at GeneaBloggers.

Family Recipe Friday: Three-Corn Casserole

Gloria LeMaster canning vegetables

This is favorite at the LeMaster reunion.  Great way to have a vegetable dish for everyone to enjoy.  It's so easy to make and tasty.


    1 cup sour cream                                               
    1/2 cup margarine, softened                                    
    1 egg                                                          
    1 can whole kernel corn, drained                               
    1 can cream-style corn                                         
    1 8 1/2-ounce box corn bread and muffin mix     
               
In a bowl, mix all ingredients together.   Pour into a greased 2 quart casserole.   Bake at 350 for about 45 minuted until puffed up and golden brown on top.



Family Recipe Friday – is an opportunity to share your family recipes with fellow bloggers and foodies alike. Whether it’s an old-fashioned recipe passed down through generations, a recipe uncovered through your family history research, or a discovered recipe that embraces your ancestral heritage share them on Family Recipe Friday. This series was suggested by Lynn Palermo of The Armchair Genealogist.

Wordless Wednesday: Teddy Bear

Travis LeMaster & teddy bear, 1969

Travis & Teddy Bear, reunited Christmas 2010

[complete with man-tears of joy!]

Wordless Wednesday – a great way to share your old family photos! Create a post with the main focus being a photograph or image. Some posters also include attribute information as to the source of the image (date, location, owner, etc.). Wordless Wednesday is one of the longest running “memes” in the blogosphere and is an ongoing series at GeneaBloggers.

Tombstone Tuesday: Carl E. and Hazel M. (Wallace) Wehrly

Source: Salamonia Cemetery (Jay County, Indiana), Carl E. and Hazel M. Wehrly marker, photographed by Travis LeMaster, 26 March 2009.

Carl Ethan and Hazel May (WALLACE) WEHRLY are buried in the Salamonia Cemetery, Madison Township, Jay County, Indiana.  Carl was my paternal 1st cousin twice removed.


Carl was born February 26, 1905 in Salamonia, Jay County, Indiana, the son of Alva Monroe and Emma C. (YAEGER) WEHRLY.


Hazel was born January 21, 1910, the daughter of John and Hazel May (NEWTON) WALLACE.


I do not yet know when and where they were married.


Carl died August 23, 1946 in Portland, Jay County, Indiana.  Hazel died in 1978.


Tombstone Tuesday – To participate in Tombstone Tuesday simply create a post which includes an image of a gravestone of one or more ancestors and it may also include a brief description of the image or the ancestor. This is an ongoing series at GeneaBloggers.

Black Sheep Sunday: Harry Pierpont

Mug shot of Harry Pierpont

Last week, after watching Public Enemies, starring Johnny Depp as John Dillinger, I turned to Wikipedia and began reading about the lives of John Dillinger and other members of his gang.


When I read the entry for Harry Pierpont, I can across this line which made me stop in my tracks:

"Born in Muncie, Indiana, to J. Gilbert and Lena Orcutt Pierpont..."

Orcutt....Orcutt...why did that name sound so familiar?  Turning to my database, I quickly found my answer.  My paternal 2nd-great grandaunt, Samantha E. METZNER had married James ORCUTT on May 12, 1878 in Jay County, Indiana.  Jay County is just north of Muncie.  Could there be a connection?


Thus began my search of Google and other sources.  I quickly found the website OutlawHistory.com which had a lot of information on Harry's criminal history and his family tree.  Turns out his mother, Lena, was the daughter of James and Samantha!  Harry was my paternal 2nd cousin 2 times removed.  Harry's grandmother, Samantha, had died when his mother, Lena, was only 7.  James ORCUTT remarried and moved to Muncie, Delaware County, Indiana.


My grandmother would have been Harry's 2nd cousin, and I wonder if she knew they were related when she read about his exploits in the headlines.


The Dillinger era in Indiana was a wild and tumultuous time.  Reading the activities of the "Terror Gang" is fascinating.  The times were much as they are today - the populace not trusting the banks, etc.  The fact that Harry robbed banks in my neck of the woods makes me want to dig deeper into the history of this time period in the midwest.


I've spent much of the last week scouring the newspaper articles at Ancestry.com and surfing the web reading about the criminal acts of my cousin and other members of his gang.  Though the portrayals in the movie Public Enemies took liberties with history - Harry Pierpont did break out of the Indiana State Prison at Michigan City and then busted his pal John Dillinger out of the Allen County, Ohio jail in Lima.  It was during this breakout that Harry shot and killed the sheriff.  It was this crime that he was ultimately executed for by the State of Ohio.


Harry died October 17, 1934 in Columbus, Franklin County, Ohio by legal electrocution.  A copy of his death certificate was found at the FamilySearch website:

Harry was buried at the Holy Cross and Saint Joseph Cemetery in Indianapolis, Marion County, Indiana, next to his older sister, Fern.  Later his mother, Lena, was buried there as well.

As I piece together the rest of the story, I hope to connect with others who may be related to this family and may have more stories to tell.


Black Sheep Sunday – create a post with the main focus being an ancestor with a “shaded past.” Bring out your ne’er-do-wells, your cads, your black widows, your horse thieves and tell their stories. And don’t forget to check out the International Black Sheep Society of Genealogists (IBSSG). This is an ongoing series at GeneaBloggers.

Sunday's Obituary : Catherine Elizabeth (Lemasters) Wehrly (1840-1911)

Source: Commercial-Review, Portland, Indiana, December 26, 1911, page 1.

PNEUMONIA IS AGAIN FATAL

Short Illness Ends The Life of Mrs. Catherine Wehrly At Home Of Son

Funeral Services Wednesday

Last Rites for Pioneer Resident of Jay County Will Be At Salamonia

Catherine Elizabeth Wehrly, 71, is dead at the home of her son, Lon Wehrly, west of Boundary, after a short illness of pneumonia.  She had gone from her home in South Portland for a visit with her son and family, and was taken ill while there.

Mrs. Wehrly, who was the daughter of Luman and Nancy (Young) Leemaster, was born in Shelby county, Ohio, June 26, 1840.  Early in life, she came with her parents to Jay county, and has since been a continuous resident.  Her husband, the late John P. Wehrly, died several years ago.  Three daughters and two sons survive, they being Mrs. John Boyd, of Oregon, Belle, wife of John Marlin, of Ft. Recovery; Alice Stump and Lewis W. Wehrly, of Ft. Recovery, and Lon Wehrly of near Boundary, at whose home she died.

The funeral services will be held at the Methodist church in Salamonia Wednesday morning at 10 o'clock.

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

Surname Saturday : KING

The KING surname is in my maternal line.  The origins of the surname are unknown at this time.


Stories and history:


Ahnentafel # 25: Ellen King (1868-1913).  Ellen was born August 24, 1868 in Frankton, Madison County, Indiana.  She married May 13, 1888 in Madison County, Indiana to John William Wright (1860-1945).  John was born February 21, 1860 in Brown County, Ohio.  They lived in Monroe Township, Madison County, Indiana.  According to the 1910 census, Ellen was the mother of 4 children, with only 2 living.  John died June 5, 1945 in Alexandria, Madison County, Indiana.  Ellen died December 24, 1913 in Monroe Township, Madison County, Indiana.  Both are buried in the Odd Fellows Cemetery, Alexandria, Madison County, Indiana.


Ahnentafel # 50: Daniel King (1820-1876).  Daniel was born September 3, 1820 in Ohio, possibly Butler County.  Daniel married December 5, 1847 in Madison County, Indiana to Elizabeth Shaw (1827-1900).  Elizabeth was born October 1827 in Ohio.  They raised 10 children in Jackson and Monroe Township, Madison County, Indiana.  Elizabeth died October 10, 1900 in Frankton, Madison County, Indiana.  Daniel died February 24, 1876 in Frankton, Madison County, Indiana.  Both are buried in the Howard Cemetery, Pipe Creek Township, Madison County, Indiana.


Ahnentafel # 100: William King (c1790-1869).  William was born circa 1790 in North Carolina.  He married before 1816 to Sarah Sullivan (1777-1872).  Sarah was born May 19, 1777 in Taneytown, Caroll County, Maryland. They were the parents of 8 children. They were divorced August 1833 in Wayne County, Indiana.  William remarried March 12, 1834 in Wayne County, Indiana to Nancy Ann Owings (1817-1887).  Nancy was born November 17, 1817 in North Carolina.  They had 8 children and lived in Madison and Wabash Counties, Indiana.  Nancy died July 13, 1887 in Wabash County, Indiana.  Sarah died January 14, 1872 in Madison County, Indiana.  William died May 7, 1869 in Wabash County, Indiana.  Sarah is buried in the Howard Cemetery, Pipe Creek Township, Madison County, Indiana.  William and Nancy are buried in the Dora Cemetery, Wabash County, Indiana.


Related blog posts:

• Daniel King (1820-1876)

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

• What Happened To Grandma's Babies?

• Ellen (King) Wright (1868-1913)

• Tombstone Tuesday: Daniel and Elizabeth (Shaw) King

• Tombstone Tuesday: John and Ellen (King) Wright

• Daniel King Family - Madison Co

• Notice of Final Settlement - Daniel King

Surname Saturday – create a post in which you discuss a surname and mention its origins, its geographical location(s) and how it fits into your genealogy research. Surname Saturday is an ongoing series at GeneaBloggers.

Family Recipe Friday: Slum Gully

A quick and easy skillet meal that can be easily adapted for left over Kraft dinner.   Bonnie Wright made this for lunch alot!  I don't know where she got the recipe or if she made it up but my family certainly had it alot for lunches.
 
    1 package Kraft Macaroni and cheese                            
    1 pound ground beef                                            
    1/2 cup chopped onions                                         
    1 14 1/2-ounce can tomatoes,petite diced                       
    1/4 cup ketchup                                                
    1-2 tablespoons sugar                               
           

Grandma "Peach" Wright in her kitchen

Prepare Kraft macaroni and cheese according package and set aside. (You can omit the butter and milk) Brown hamburger and onions, drain.  Add prepared macaroni and cheese, tomatoes, ketchup, and sugar.  Stir and simmer 30 minutes or until flavors are blended.  Adjust ketcup and sugar according to desired taste.  Serve with cornbread and fruit.



Family Recipe Friday – is an opportunity to share your family recipes with fellow bloggers and foodies alike. Whether it’s an old-fashioned recipe passed down through generations, a recipe uncovered through your family history research, or a discovered recipe that embraces your ancestral heritage share them on Family Recipe Friday. This series was suggested by Lynn Palermo of The Armchair Genealogist.

Wordless Wednesday: Lauren LeMaster

Lauren LeMaster, 2011 at Archery Center

Wordless Wednesday – a great way to share your old family photos! Create a post with the main focus being a photograph or image. Some posters also include attribute information as to the source of the image (date, location, owner, etc.). Wordless Wednesday is one of the longest running “memes” in the blogosphere and is an ongoing series at GeneaBloggers.

Tombstone Tuesday: Martin N. and Cora E. (Burley) Wehrly

Source: Salamonia Cemetery (Jay County, Indiana), Martin N. and Cora E. Wehrly marker, photographed by Travis LeMaster, 26 March 2009.

Martin Nimrod and Cora E. (BURLEY) WEHRLY are buried in the Salamonia Cemetery, Madison Township, Jay County, Indiana.  Martin was my paternal great granduncle.


Martin was born April 5, 1888 in Madison Township, Jay County, Indiana, the son of William P. and Olive Jane (SMITH) WEHRLY.


Cora was born in 1882 of unknown parentage.


They were married January 1, 1914 in Jay County, Indiana.  They resided in New Castle, Henry County, Indiana and had at least one child.


Martin died February 5, 1954.  Cora died in 1972.


Tombstone Tuesday – To participate in Tombstone Tuesday simply create a post which includes an image of a gravestone of one or more ancestors and it may also include a brief description of the image or the ancestor. This is an ongoing series at GeneaBloggers.

The Dropbox Experiment

I've been trying out Dropbox, a file sharing utility that will not only allow you to backup files online and sync files between computers, but will allow file sharing with others.  The service gives you 2 GB of storage. The best part about this utility is that it is free.


Once you sign up, you place files in your Dropbox directory on your PC and these files are then accessible from any other computer.  Simply just log into the website and you can access your "home" files from a library or anywhere else.


Another feature that I'm experimenting with is the file sharing feature.  You can designate a directory as "shared" with another user, and that directory is synced each time either one of you updates the files.  So, for example, you could share a directory with family members and each one upload photos from a family reunion, etc.  That way everyone has access to the photos, preventing them from being lost due to hard drive failure, etc.


If you recommend the service to others, and they sign up, Dropbox will give you additional storage space as well.  


Right now I am sharing files with a researcher of the Salamonia, Jay County, Indiana.  I've been copying some of my obituary and tombstone photo files into my Dropbox folder to share with her.  

Valentine Thoughts

Valentine Thoughts


In every heart there is a place
Reserved for just a few
And there in mine, Oh Valentine
Are cherished thoughts of you


From Ruthie


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This postcard, unmarked, was part of the collection of my paternal great aunt and uncle, Clarence & Vera (HALEY) STUBER.  The "Ruthie", was my grandmother, Ruth (HALEY) LeMASTER.

I'm feeling so forlorn - where has my sweetheart gone?

Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Stuber
Spencerville, Ohio
Route 5


Dear Vera & Clarence -


I am coming to St. Mary's tomorrow.  This card is from Ruth to you folks.


Carrie


Don't you pity this little girl? ha!  E.H.


Nora feels just like her.


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This postcard, postmarked Portland, Indiana, February 13, 1925, was sent to my paternal great-aunt and uncle, Clarence & Vera (HALEY) STUBER, by her sister, Carrie.  The Ruth and Nora mentioned are sisters of Vera and Carrie, and the E.H. must be their father, Eli Weldon HALEY.  Eli was my great-great grandfather, Ruth was my grandmother, and Nora and Carrie were my great-aunts.