Wehrly Family Photos

Used my Flip-Pal scanner a couple of weeks ago and was able to scan some photographs from cousin Judy (Wehrly) Solms that were in an album her mother had made.  Her brother, Frank Wehrly had told me about the photos and we were able to spend an afternoon together. Frank & Judy are my second cousins once removed. The photos were glued in an album, and I was able to stitch the family photograph together.

Frank & Kathryn (Migron) Wehrly family
Back row : Janice, Paul
Front row : Judy, Frank Sr., Kathryn, Frank Jr.

Several other photos I was able to scan in full.  It was good to be able to scan these and then share them digitally.

 

Frank & Kathryn (Migron) Wehrly in Ft. Recovery, Ohio

Frank's parents were Alva Monroe & Emma C. (Yaeger) Wehrly.  Alva was the younger brother of my great-grandmother, Barbara Isabel (Wehrly) LeMasters.

Alva M. & Emma C. (Yaeger) Wehrly

This photograph was of several members at a reunion in 1960.

Wehrly Family 1960
Hollis & Betty, Lisle & Cora, Frank & Kathryn, Norval & Mary & Grandma W.

These are the children of Alva & Emma and spouses.  Lisle married Cora Baldauf, Frank married Kathryn Migron, Mary married Norval DeLauter and Betty married Hollis Steen.

There are more photographs to sort through and scan, but it was nice to see these distant family members I had never seen before.

Tracing the Tree Up and Down

If there is one thing that working with my autosomal DNA results has taught me – it’s that I need to be sure to work my family tree both up and down. 

While the goal for most people pursuing genealogy seems to be working the tree up, as in “how far back did you go”, when working with autosomal DNA matches and trying to make connections it becomes quickly apparent that you also need to work your tree down as well.

For example, there are several matches that are 3^rd and 4^th cousins on my 23andMe Relatives page.  I’ve been working on contact them all, making a spreadsheet, trying to figure out where we match, etc.  The hope is that I can connect with as many of these new cousins as possible.  Because many of these matches don’t have a very complete family tree, working “up” it is hard to make a match to my tree if I haven’t worked my tree “down” because the surnames in our files never match.

Does that make sense?  How many branches of my public Ancestry tree (and my database for that matter) are simply taken back generation to generation with just my direct ancestors?  More than I would like to admit.  Yet those are the places where I am likely to make a match.  Rarely did those early American families only have one or two children – often there were a dozen or so – and that is where I need to do some work.

I need to begin to take my far reaching g-g-g-g grandfather’s family and work them forward as much as possible in order to meet in the middle with some of these closer DNA matches.  Otherwise, it will be nearly impossible to figure out just how we are connected.

Looks like I have my work cut out for me!

Gedmatch Cousin : Distant Match but no shared DNA

Cousin Dave reached out to me after seeing a match with the GEDCOM file I had posted at GEDmatch.com.  Though we are not closely related, and shared no DNA, I found it interesting to make another connection.

Dave and I are 9th cousins once removed on the Jewett and Parratt lines. Ezekiel Jewett (1643-1723) and Faith Parrat are my paternal 9th great-grandparents and Dave's 8th great-grandparents.  My line is as follows:

Ezekiel Jewett (1643-1723) and Faith Parrat

Francis Jewett (1665-1751) and Sarah Hardy (1673-????)

Samuel Jewett (1694-????) and Ruth Hardy (1699-1737)

Samuel Jewett (1725-1791) and Sarah ________

Sally Jewett (1749-????) and John Philbrick (1748-1840)

Joel Philbrick (1781-1846) and Sally Fox (1788-1868)

Emeline Philbrick (1817-1881) and Albert Moulton (1819-1864)

Clara Moulton (1843-1899) and John Adam Metzner (1840-1895)

Cora Belle Metzner (1868-1955) and Eli Weldon Haley (1866-1957)

(my paternal great-grandparents)

Dave and I also connect as 9th cousins twice removed. on the Spofford and Burpbee lines.  Samuel Spofford (1653-1744) and Sarah Burpbee (1660-1729) are my maternal 9th great-grandparents and Sarah is the child of Dave's 8th great-grandparents. My line is as follows:

Samuel Spofford (1653-1744) and Sarah Burpbee

Thomas Spofford (1678-????) and Bethiah Hazeltine (1682-????)

 Elizabeth Spofford (1715-1772) and Bennett Field (1709-1770)

Bethiah Field (1746-1807) and Seth Pierce (1744-1835)

Gordon Pierce (1773-1875) and Thirsa Smalley (1775-1861)

Francis S. Pierce (1806-1881) and Rebecca Page (1806-1893)

Edmund G. Pierce (1837-1875) and Catherine Groenendyke (1843-1913)

William Francis Pierce (1865-1950) and Clara A. Penisten (1869-1906)

Edna Muriel Pierce (1897-1968) and Virgil Lee Wright (1894-1972)

(my maternal great-grandparents)

Both sets of these families were early settlers of Rowley, Essex County, Massachusetts.  

Obituary : Sebastian Haley (1823-1900), Jay County, Indiana

Evangelical Messenger
September 5, 1900, page 571

HALEY - Sebastian Haley was born in Fairfield Co., Ohio, March 1, 1823, and departed this life in Jay Co., Ind., Aug. 19, 1900, aged 77 y., 5 m. and 19 d.  He was united in marriage with Lydia Rader, Feb. 5, 1846.  To this union thirteen children were born, of whom twelve survive.  Bro. Haley united with the Evangelical Association in his boyhood days.  He was a subscriber for the "Messenger" over 40 years.  He leaves 12 children and his aged companion with a large number of other relatives.  J.M. Smith.

----

Sebastian Haley (1823-1900) was my paternal 3rd-great granduncle, the brother of my ancestor, George J. Haley.  The names of twelve of his children were: Mary Ann, George, John, Frederick, Samuel, Amanda, Elizabeth A., William, Sarah, Rebecca, Jacob and Allie M.  I do not yet know the name of the 13th child, and there is much I need to gather on his descendants.

Sebastian is buried at the Mt. Zion Cemetery in Noble Township, Jay County, Indiana.

DNA : Eileen's Maternal Haplogroup T1a1

The results of Eileen's maternal haplogroup tested at 23andMe is T1a1, a subset of T1, which comes from her mitochondrial DNA.  This DNA is passed from the maternal line, so it comes from her mother, her mother, her mother, etc. all the way back.

The example populations of British fits nicely with Eileen's very European Ancestry composition results.

Exploratory Data Analysis : Nancy (Young) Lemasters (1812-1904)

Nancy (Young) Lemasters (1812-1904) was my paternal 3rd-great grandmother.  What follows is an exploratory analysis of the biographical data I have discovered about her.
1. Vital Records

     1.1. Birth Certificate

          Nancy was born June 2, 1812 in Pickaway County, Ohio¹.  Census records and tombstone records consistently place her birth at this time and place^2,3,4.

          1.1.1. Birth Notice in Newspaper

               If Nancy's birth was mentioned in a local newspaper, it has been lost to time.  I am not aware of any surviving contemporary newspapers from the area.

          1.1.2. Bible Record

               I am not aware of any surviving Young family Bible records.  Will continue to reach out to extended family in hopes that one does exist.

          1.1.3. Baptismal Record

               I am not aware of any baptismal record for Nancy.  The family were members of the Methodist Episcopal church in days.

          1.1.4. Adoption Record

               There is no evidence that Nancy was adopted.

     1.2. Marriage License

          Nancy married Luman Walker Lemasters on January 19, 1832 in Shelby County, Ohio⁵.  Their marriage license was the subject of a previous post.

          1.2.1 Marriage Notice in Newspaper

               I have not yet searched out available newspapers from the time period to see if Luman and Nancy's nuptials were mentioned.

          1.2.2. Anniversary Notice

               Luman and Nancy's 25th wedding anniversary was January 19, 1857 and their 50th anniversary was January 19, 1882.  Will need to search contemporary newspaper accounts to see if any mention was made of anniversary celebrations.

          1.2.3. Divorce Decree

               There is no indication that Luman and Nancy were ever divorced, and a search of the Jay County, Indiana court records did not produce any evidence.

     1.3. Death Certificate

          Nancy died August 26, 1904 in Salamonia, Jay County, Indiana¹.  I do not have a copy of her death certificate from the Jay County Health Department.  Will add this to my list of 'to-do" items for my next research trip.

          1.3.1. Obituary in Newspaper

               Nancy's obituary appeared in the September 1, 1904 edition of the Portland Commercial-Review in Portland, Indiana.

          1.3.2. Funeral Home Records

               Funeral home records might be available that would help in my research for Nancy.  Will add this to my list of "to-do" items for my next research trip.

          1.3.3. Tombstone Photograph

               Nancy's tombstone in the Salamonia Cemetery, Jay County, Indiana has been photographed.

               Her memorial page at FindAGrave is located here.

2. Census Records

     2.1. Federal Census Records

          2.1.1. 1900 Federal Census

               On June 4, 1900, Nancy was enumerated in the William Cunningham household in Madison Township, Jay County, Indiana⁶, as Nancy Lemasters, mother in law, white, female, born June 1812, age 87.  She was a widow, mother of 12 children, 7 of whom were living.  She was born in Ohio, and both of her parents were born in Virginia.  She could not read or write, but could speak English.

          2.1.2. 1880 Federal Census

               On June 7, 1880, Nancy was enumerated in the Luman Lemasters household in Madison Township, Jay County, Indiana⁷, as Nancy Lemasters, wife, age 67.  She was born in Ohio, and both of her parents were born in Virginia.  She could not read or write, and her occupation was listed as keeping house.

          2.1.3. 1870 Federal Census

               On August 3, 1870, Nancy was enumerated in the Luman W. Lemaster household in Madison Township, Jay County, Indiana⁸, as Nancy Lemaster, wife, age 57.  She was born in Ohio.  She could not read or write, and her occupation was listed as keeping house.

          2.1.4. 1860 Federal Census

               On June 4, 1860, Nancy was enumerated in the Luman W. Lemaster household in Madison Township, Jay County, Indiana⁹, as Nancy Lemasters, age 48, born in Ohio.  She could not read or write.

          2.1.5. 1850 Federal Census

               On September 25, 1850, Nancy was enumerated in the L.W. Lemasters household in Salem Township, Shelby County, Ohio¹⁰

, as Nancy Lemasters, age 38, born in Ohio. She had attended school within the year.
          2.1.6. 1840 Federal Census

               Nancy was likely the white female between the age of 20 and 30 in the Luman W. Lamasters household enumerated on June 1, 1840 in Salem Township, Shelby County, Ohio¹¹.

     2.2. State Census Records

          The State of Indiana conducted state census in 1853, 1857, 1871, 1877, 1883, 1889, 1901, 1913, 1919 and 1931.  These,Ihowever, were merely for the purposes of legislative apportionment.

          No state census records in Ohio are known to exist.

     2.3. Agricultural Census Records

          I have not yet examined these types of census records to see what light they might shed on the Lemaster farm.

3. Military Records

     3.1. Draft Registration

          Not applicable, as Nancy was female.

     3.2. Pension Records

          I am not aware of any military service by her husband that would make Nancy eligible for pension benefits.  Her father, Philip Young, was a veteran of the War of 1812.

     3.3. Service Records

          Not applicable, as Nancy was female.

4. Land Records

     4.1. Deed Records

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

     4.2. Plat map / county map

          Jay County, Indiana published a plat map in 1874, 1881, 1887, 1901, 1910 and 1920 that might be relevant to my search for Nancy.  I have access to the 1887 and 1901 maps, and need to see what information they contain.

5. Supplemental Records

     Supplemental records to research for Nancy 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. Young, L.I.C. Biography of the Young Family 1759-1904, Fremont, Ohio: Fremont Printing Co., 1904, p. 50.
2. Lemaster, Howard M. & Margaret Herberger, "Lemasters, U.S.A., 1639-1965", Carlinville, IL, 1965, p. 195.
3. Luman W. Lemaster household, 1860 U.S. census, population schedule, Madison Township, Jay County, Indiana, Salamonia P.O., page 2, dwelling 10, family 10; National Archives micropublication M563, roll 269.
4. William Cunningham household, 1900 U.S. census, Jay County, Indiana, population schedule, Madison Township, ED 62, SD 8, sheet 3, dwelling 48, family 49; National Archives micropublication T623, roll 380.
5. "Ohio, County Marriages, 1789-1994," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XZVP-THV : accessed 06 Feb 2014), Luman W Lemaster and Nancy Young, 19 Jan 1832; citing Shelby, Ohio, United States, reference 64; FHL microfilm 562857.
6. William Cunningham household, 1900 U.S. census, Jay County, Indiana, population schedule, Madison Township, ED 62, SD 8, sheet 3, dwelling 48, family 49; National Archives micropublication T623, roll 380.
7. 1880 U.S. census, Jay County, Indiana, population schedule, Madison Township, enumeration district 161, SD 6, page 6, dwelling 52, family 53; digital images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 26 February 2014); National Archives, Washington, D.C.
8. 1870 U.S. census, Jay County, Indiana, population schedule, Salamonia P.O., page 31, dwelling 231, family 234; digital images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 4 March 2014); National Archives, Washington, D.C.
9. Luman W. Lemaster household, 1860 U.S. census, population schedule, Madison Township, Jay County, Indiana, Salamonia P.O., page 2, dwelling 10, family 10; National Archives micropublication M563, roll 269.
10. L.W. Lemasters household, 1850 U.S. census, population schedule, Salem Township, Shelby County, Ohio, dwelling 109, family 109; National Archives micropublication M432, roll 729.
11. 1840 U.S. census, Shelby County, Ohio, population schedule, Salem Township, page 101, Luman W. Lamasters, digital images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 5 March 2014); 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.

Obituary : Katie (Metzner) Kile (1873-1895), Jay County, Indiana

Evangelical Messenger
January 22, 1859, page 59

KILE - Katie Kile, daughter of W. and W. Geo. Metzner, was born in Jay Co., Ind., March 25, 1873, and after an illness of four weeks, departed this life at her home in Portland, Ind., Jan. 1, 1895, aged 21 y., 9 m. and 4 d.  She leaves to mourn her loss husband, mother, one sister and two brothers.  She joined the Ev. Association about two years ago and was a faithful worker and always ready to advance the cause of Christ.  Funeral services were held by the writer.  E. J. Thompson.

---

I have not yet placed Katie in my Metzner family in Jay County.  Did locate her marriage record on September 27, 1894 in Jay County, Indiana to Henry Kile.  Henry was born September 19, 1862 in Marion County, Ohio and died September 15, 1933 in Jay County, Indiana.  Both are buried at the Mt. Zion Cemetery in Noble Township, Jay County, Indiana.

Divorce Notice : Ida B. Hancock v. Samuel J. Hancock, Monroe County, Indiana (1894)

Bloomington World
Bloomington, Indiana
April 26, 1894, page 3

Located this notice of the filing of the divorce of Ida B. (Davis) Hancock (1874-1900), my maternal 2nd great-grandmother.  This is the first time I've seen her name with a middle initial of "B".

New Suits Filed :  The following suits have been filed since the last term of court:.....Ida B. Hancock vs. Samuel J. Hancock, Divorce.  

I've not been able to locate a copy of the divorce record yet. Several years ago I wrote requesting a copy of it, but was unsuccessful.  I may need to pay a courthouse visit.  Now that I have a better date of the filing, I might have better luck in finding the record.

A letter in my files on Ida states they filed for divorce May 1894, were married August 27, 1892 and lived together until February 3, 1893, when he abandoned her. For past two years she was a resident of Bean Blossom Township.

Will continue my search for more on Ida's short life.

Admixture - Eurogenes - Eileen

Used the free tools at Gedmatch.com to compute the admixture of Eileen's DNA using the Eurogenes K13 project.  Admixture is when two or more previously separated populations interbreed.  The Eurogenes project is for those with primarily European ancestry, and more detail can be found at the Eurogenes Genetic Ancestry Project blog.

Population  

North_Atlantic 44.69%

Baltic                 24.31%

West_Med         17.01%

West_Asian        6.64%

East_Med           4.91%

Red_Sea             0.25%

South_Asian       1.52%

East_Asian -    

Siberian -    

Amerindian         0.22%

Oceanian            0.44%

Northeast_African -    

Sub-Saharan -    

This gives an interesting picture of Eileen's deep ancestry, with slight traces of Native American not picked up by 23andMe.

Admixture : Eurogenes - Travis

I took advantage of the free tools at Gedmatch.com to compute the admixture of my DNA using the Eurogenes K13 project.  Admixture is when two or more previously separated populations interbreed.  The Eurogenes project is for those with primarily European ancestry, and more detail can be found at the Eurogenes Genetic Ancestry Project blog.

Population  

North_Atlantic 44.47%

Baltic                 26.11%

West_Med           12.66%

West_Asian          6.16%

East_Med              5.55%

Red_Sea               0.15%

South_Asian          1.98%

East_Asian -    

Siberian -    

Amerindian           1.29%

Oceanian -    

Northeast_African  1.52%

Sub-Saharan          0.10%

This paints an interesting picture of my deep ancestry with only slight variation from 23andMe, showing traces of Native American.

Tracking my atDNA matches

I've been spending a lot of time lately maintaining a spreadsheet of my autosomal DNA matches as suggested by Jim Bartlett and detailed at Kitty Cooper's blog.  In the meantime I've been reading and trying to learn as much as I can about how autosomal DNA works.

I've added the matching detail and the chromosone mapping from the first set of 23andMe matches as well as those from Gedmatch.  I have over 1000 matches at 23andMe alone - it will take me some time to get this all down.

I'm lucky that both of my parents have tested now at 23andme. Mom's results are ready, dad's are just about ready.  Because they've been tested, I can easily tell which of my matches come from which side of the family. 

Using the spreadsheet, I will triangulate among the matches to identify relatives that match me at the same chromosone segments.  This should help identify that we are descended from a common ancestor.  Then, hopefully, we can use the family tree information to determine which ancestor.

Right now, I've clearly identified the common ancestors of two matches on my paternal side and one match on the maternal.  There is so much more to discover!

DNA : Eileen's Ancestry Composition

Eileen's results processed from the DNA test she took at 23andMe and her results were not quite what she expected.

Here is the "Conservative" estimate of her genetic make-up : 97.9% European, 2.1% unassigned.

There was no trace of any Native American, or any other ancestry for that matter, than European found.  A full 51.1% of non-specific northern European and 43.6% of non-specific European.

Here is the "Standard" estimate of her genetic make-up : 99.6% European, .4% unassigned.

This is a better break-down, showing 18.7% British & Irish, only 58.3% non-specific northern European and 21.7% non-specific European.  The .8% eastern European is interesting, as this is an unknown aspect of her family history.

Here is the "Speculative" estimate of her genetic make-up : 43.2% British & Irish, 9.8% French & German, .7% Scandinavian and 38.8% non-specific northern European.

The 2.4% non-specific southern European and 1.2% eastern European will be the most interesting to see if we can discover during this DNA research.  There is no known history of this ethnicity in her family.

Eileen was surprised that no Native American showed up on the test, and I was surprised that we weren't related to each other.  We have Swiss Mennonite families in the same area, I thought for sure we would be distantly related.

The good news is that we are hopeful that her mom and brother will test with 23andMe as well.

Death Certificate : Adam Holzhauer (1845-1910), Erie County, Ohio

"Ohio, Deaths, 1908-1953," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/X88V-NHL : accessed 30 Mar 2014), Adam Holzhauer, 07 Oct 1910; citing Huron, Erie, Ohio, reference cn 54608; FHL microfilm 1952609.

Located the death certificate of Adam Holzhauer (1845-1910), husband of Mary Elizabeth (Haley) Holzhauer, at FamilySearch.  A couple of things stand out about this death certficate.

First of all, the cause of death - strangulation due to hanging himself - suicide.  Such a sad ending.  

Next, the date of death is not filled out, only the date of burial.  Did they not know when exactly he died?  Was he not found for some time?  Perhaps a newspaper search will yield some clues.

The informants name given as Frank A. Holzhauer of Buckingham, Illinois. This was his son, now I have another location to research.

Adam is buried at the Scotts (now Scott Union) Cemetery in Huron, Erie County, Ohio with his wife.  They both have memorial pages at FindAGrave.com

Obituary : Mrs. Adam Holzhauer (1848-1908)

Sandusky Star-Journal
Sandusky, Ohio
February 10, 1908, page 10

DEATH Claimed Well-Known Huron Woman in a Cleveland Hospital

Special to the Star-Journal

HURON, O.  Feb. 10. - Mrs. Adam Holzhauer, a well known resident of this place, died Sunday morning at a hospital in Cleveland, where she had been taken last Tuesday to undergo and operation.  An examination of Mrs. Holzhauer's condition shortly after her arrival disclosed the fact that she was suffering with a cancer in the pit of her stomach, making an operation impossible.

Mrs. Holzhauer was 57 years of age.  She leaves a husband, one son, Frank, and one daughter, Emma.  The remains will be brought here this evening and the funeral will occur Tuesday afternoon at 1 o'clock from the Evangelical church.

----

Another obituary located at Ancestry.com for Mary Elizabeth (Haley) Holzhauer, daughter of George J. and Rachel (Gary) Haley, my paternal 2x-great grandaunt.  This one gives the names of two surviving children that I previously did not know.

The earlier obit from the Evangelical Messenger did not give the place of death.  

Her memorial page at FindAGrave is located here.  The names of her deceased children are there as well : Jennie and John.

I've done some preliminary research at Ancestry family trees and it appears that daughter Jennie may have died from suicide.  More mysteries.

Obituary : Mary Elizabeth (Haley) Holzhauer (1848-1908)

Evangelical Messenger
February 26, 1908, page 24

HOLZHAUER - Elizabeth Holzhauer, a daughter of the sainted Rev. George Haley, was born October 24, 1848, in Fairfield County, Ohio, and died February 9, 1908.  In the spring of 1863 she came with her parents to Huron, Ohio.  Soon afterwards she gave her heart to God and united with our Church at Huron, Ohio, of which she was a very faithful member.  In 1869 she was united in marriage with Adam Holzhauer; the union was blessed with 2 sons and 2 daughters; one son and 1 daughter preceded her in death.  The cause of her death was cancer of the stomach.  She was a good wife and a loving mother, a noble and devout Christian, a regular attendant at the church services, and ever ready to assist in every worthy enterprise of the church.  She leaves husband, 1 son, 1 daughter, 4 brothers, 3 sisters and a large circle of other relatives and friends.    C.H. BUNDT

----

This obituary for Mary Elizabeth (Haley) Holzhauer helps connect her to the family of George J. and Rachel (Gary) Haley.  Prior to this find, I had only tracked her through the 1860 census, when she was 11, and she was not with the family in the 1870.  As her obituary indicates, she married in 1869 to Adam Holzhauer.  This now gives me another line to track down to the present, as she had 2 sons and 2 daughters for me to research.

Exploratory Data Analysis : Gincy _____ Cromeans / Cummings (c1814-aft1880)

Gincy ______ Cromeans / Cummings (c1814-aft1880) was Eileen's paternal 2-great grandmother.  What follows is an exploratory analysis of the biographical data I have discovered about her.

1. Vital Records

     1.1. Birth Certificate

          Gincy was born circa 1814 in South Carolina¹ or circa 1816 in South Carolina², according to census records.

          1.1.1. Birth Notice in Newspaper

               Without an exact data and a surname, finding any mention of Gincy's birth in an newspaper will be impossible at this time.

          1.1.2. Bible Record

               I am not aware of any surviving Bible record of the Cummings family.  Will continue to reach out to extended family in hopes that one is discovered.

          1.1.3. Baptismal Record

               I am not aware of any baptismal record for Gincy, and without and a surname, finding one will be impossible at this time.

          1.1.4. Adoption Record

               There is no indication that Gincy is adopted.

     1.2. Marriage License

          Gincy and Spencer Cromeans/Cummings were married before 1832, probably in the Walker County, Alabama area.  To date I have been unsuccessful in discovering a record of their marriage.  Their first child, Patrick was born in September 1832 in Walker County, Alabama.

          1.2.1 Marriage Notice in Newspaper

               Without an exact date to search, finding a mention of Gincy and Spencer's nuptials will be impossible for now.

          1.2.2. Anniversary Notice

                As with a wedding notice, without an exact date to search, finding any mention of anniversary celebrations will be difficult.

          1.2.3. Divorce Decree

               There is no indication that Gincy and Spencer were ever divorced, but a thorough search of court records in Winston County, Alabama will need to be completed.

     1.3. Death Certificate

          Gincy's exact date of death remains unknown at this time.  She was living as of June 17, 1880, when the census of Wayne County, Tennessee was completed.

          1.3.1. Obituary in Newspaper

               As with other newspaper items, without an exact date of death, it will be nearly impossible to find an obituary record for Gincy.

          1.3.2. Funeral Home Records

               Funeral home records in Wayne County, Tennessee will need to be searched to see if a record could be turned up for Gincy.  Will add this to my list of "to-do" items.

          1.3.3. Tombstone Photograph

               Gincy's final resting place has not been discovered, though it is assumed that it is in Wayne County, Tennessee.  Will continue to search for it and add it to my "to-do" list.

2. Census Records

     2.1. Federal Census Records

          2.1.1. 1880 Federal Census

               On June 17, 1880, Gincy was enumerated as the head of household in District 9, Wayne County, Tennessee¹, as Gincy Cummings, white, age 66, housekeeper.  She was born in South Carolina as were both of her parents.

          2.1.2. 1870 Federal Census

               As of yet, I have not been able to locate Gincy in the 1870 census.  I believe she should be in Alabama or Wayne County, Tennessee.  Son Patrick was in Winston County, Alabama and son Wyatt was in Colbert County, Alabama in the 1870 census.

          2.1.3. 1860 Federal Census

               As of yet, I have not been able to locate Gincy in the 1860 census.  I believe that she should be found in Winston County, Alabama.

          2.1.4. 1850 Federal Census

               On October 25, 1850, Gincy was enumerated in the Spencer Cromeans household in Northern District 38, Hancock County, Alabama², as Gincy Cromeans, age 34, female, born in South Carolina.

     2.2. State Census Records

          Gincy was located in the 1866 state census of Alabama, living in Winston County, Alabama³.

     2.3. Agricultural Census Records

          I have not yet examined these types of census records to see what light they might shed on the Cummings families.

3. Military Records

     3.1. Draft Registration

          Not applicable, as Gincy was female.

     3.2. Pension Records

          I am not aware of any military service by her husband or father that would have made Gincy eligible to receive these types of benefits.

     3.3. Service Records

          Not applicable, as Gincy was female.

4. Land Records

     4.1. Deed Records

          Deed records need to be thoroughly researched in Winston County, Alabama and Wayne County, Tennessee to see what records might mention Gincy.  Will add this to my list of "to-do" items for my next research trip.

     4.2. Plat map / county map

          Plat maps in Winston County, Alabama and Wayne County, Tennessee will need to be researched to see what might be relevant to my search for Gincy.

5. Supplemental Records

     Supplemental records available for research on Gincy 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. Gincy Cummings household, 1880 U.S. census, population schedule, District 9, Wayne County, Tennessee, ED 169, SD 4, page 14B, dwelling 87, family 87; National Archives micropublication T9, roll 1284, page 87.
2. Spencer Cromeans household, 1850 U.S. census, population schedule, Northern District 38, Hancock County, Alabama, dwelling 5, family 5; National Archives micropublication M432, roll 6, page 357.
3. "Alabama, State Census, 1866," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/V6PL-4JM : accessed 30 Mar 2014), Jency Commins, Winston, Alabama; citing Department of Archives and History, Montgomery; FHL microfilm 1492023.

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.

Throwback Thursday : Dad Addressing the School Board

The Alexandrian, Alexandria, Indiana
July 8, 1996, page 1

Back in the summer of 1986, my dad addressed the Alexandria-Monroe School Board regarding concerns regarding staffing issues in the schools.  He made the front page, and this was the start of his political career on the board. 

Bloomington Evening World, June 17, 1916 page 3

Bloomington Evening World
June 17, 1916, page 3

ELLETTSVILLE items

Robert Gilliland is confined to his home on account of heart trouble.

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Robert Farrell Gilliland (1849-1916) was my maternal 3x-step-great grandfather.  He married my 3x-great grandmother, Mary Ellen (Swafford) Davis on November 15, 1884.  They had 2 children together, and raised the 2 children of Mary's daughter, Ida Davis.

Robert died August 4, 1916 at Whitehall, Clay Township, Owen County, Indiana.  He is buried in the M.E. Cemetery in Ellettsville, Monroe County, Indiana.

Obituary : Barbara Helen (Haley) Easterday (1835-1908)

Evangelical Messenger
April 15, 1908, page 23

EASTERDAY - Barbara Helen Easterday, nee Haley, daughter of Rev. Geo. Haley, was born at Goshen, Hardin Co., O., Nov. 20, 1835, and died at her home at Portland, Ind., March 28, 1908.  In 1853 she was united in marriage with Christian Easterday.  This union was blessed with 3 sons and 3 daughters.  The youngest preceded her in death.  Mother Easterday was converted when only ten years of age.  She united with our Church and remained faithful.  Her daily life was a living testimony to the saving and keeping power of the grace of God.  She was a true Christian, blessed with a kind, sympathetic and humble disposition, and was esteemed by all who knew her.  She leaves husband, 3 sons, 2 daughters, 19 grandchildren, 4 brothers, 2 sisters and a host of other relatives and friends.  Franklin S. Erne

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Barbara Helen (Haley) Easterday was my paternal 2x-great grandaunt, our common ancestors are George J. and Rachel (Gary) Haley.  Her children were William B., John G., Philemon, Rachel and Mary Abbie.  The family lived in Fulton County, Ohio for a time before moving to Noble Township, Jay County, Indiana.

DNA : Wardlaw Connection

Researcher Amanda contacted me because she saw my Gedcom file at Gedmatch.com contained a set of common ancestors with her - William Wardlaw and Jane Harper.  They happen to be my maternal 7th-great grandparents.

William born circa 1700 in Scotland or Ireland immigrated to America and ended up in Augusta County, Virginia.  Jane Harper's birth and death dates are unknown to me.  I show they were the parents of seven children : James, John,  Hugh, Joseph, Robert, William and Margaret.  They were the generation that fought in the Revolutionary War.

My line comes through Robert born circa 1745 Augusta County, Virginia who settled in Brown County, Ohio. He married circa 1768 to Janet Downey.  Amanda's line comes through Hugh Wardlaw born circa 1740 who settled in Abbeville District, South Carolina.  He married Elizabeth Coulter.

Taking the information from our kits at Gedmatch, I did the one-to-one match comparison.

The results show that we have no matching DNA.  This can mean a number of things:

1. My paper trail genealogy from William Wardlaw and Jane Harper is wrong.
2. Amanda's paper trail genealogy from William Wardlaw and Jane Harper is wrong.
3. Not enough DNA from William Wardlaw and Jane Harper was passed down to me.
4. Not enough DNA from William Wardlaw and Jane Harper was passed down to Amanda.

I've posted at one of the FB groups for DNA genealogy to get opinions of those more seasoned in the DNA genealogy game.  So far, it appears that anyone of the options above could be the case.

How secure am I in the paper trail genealogy?  Not as secure as I should be. The early generation comes from a compiled Wardlaw genealogy.  Robert Wardlaw becomes Wardlow when he gets into Ohio.  There is a 45 year gap between William's supposed birth and Roberts.  Could there be another generation in between?  Very possible.

Either way, more research will need to be done on this line to see if it is valid.