Thursday, August 13, 2015

Shaky Leaves : Anna L. (Wright) Vinson (1864-1914)

Anna L. (Wright) Vinson (1864-1914) was my maternal 2nd-great grandaunt, the daughter of Joseph and Rebecca (Heaton) Wright.  She was married to Albert Morris "Ab" Vinson (1858-1921).  Ancestry.com is currently showing 4 hints for her in my LeMaster and Allied Families Member Tree.


One of the hints is a link to Anna's memorial page at the FindAGrave website, which I created and maintain.  Anna is buried in the IOOF Cemetery in Alexandria, Madison County, Indiana.

In the 1910 census, Anna was living in Alexandria, Madison County, Indiana with her husband Albert, who was a deputy sheriff.  Also in the household was Anna's brother, Jesse, and a boarder, Addie Hughs, who was laid off from the paper mill.


In the 1880 census, Anna was living in the Joseph Wright household in Monroe Township, Madison County, Indiana as a 16 year old student.


While neither of these 'hints' were new facts to my database, I did link them to Anna's record in the Ancestry Member Tree and downloaded copies of the images so I can add to my RootsMagic database.

In the database, Indiana Deaths, 1882-1920, which contains data from the WPA index, the following information was found:

Name:Anna L. Vinson
Date:6 Jun 1914
Location:Alexandria
Age:50 Yr
Gender:Female
Race:White
Source Location:City/County Health Office, Anderson or City Health Office, Elwood/Alexandria
Source notes:The source of this record is the book 2CH-8 on page 37 within the series produced by the Indiana Works Progress Administration.

This matches the death date I have for Anna, and provides the book and page number so I can obtain a copy of her death certificate.  Will add this to my list of "to-do" items for a future research trip.

If you are related or have any additional information or corrections, I'd love to hear from you.

Wednesday, August 12, 2015

Mrs. Hercules Routs Robber With Retort

Searching for more information about my grandaunt and uncles roofing company in Richmond, Indiana, located the following snippet (1950) :


Mrs. Hercules Routs Robber With Retort

Richmond, Ind. Dec. 7 - (AP) Mrs. Bertha Hercules told police she thought a man was joking when he walked into her husband's roofing company office, pointed a gun at her and said: "Sister, I need some money and I need it bad."
She had a snappy comebakc:
"Brother, if you can find any money here just go ahead and take it."
She said the man didn't pursue the subject of money any further but walked out.

That snappy comeback might give a little insight into her character.  My dad said that his dad sold roofing for them.  Will have to see what other stories I can find.

Bertha (LeMaster) Hercules was the wife of Russell, and the daughter of Luman and Barbara (Wehrly) LeMaster.

Since this story was picked up by the Associated Press, Newspapers.com has mention of it all across the country.



Found this add in another newspaper, the address 625 Sheridan Richmond Indiana matches where Bertha's residence was listed on her death certificate.  Today, this location is a bar known as the Sheridan Pub.

Tuesday, August 11, 2015

Shaky Leaves : Bertha Alberta (LeMaster) Hercules (1892-1962)

Bertha Alberta (LeMaster) Hercules (1892-1962) was my paternal grandaunt, the daughter of Luman Cooper and Barbara Isabel (Wehrly) LeMaster.  Ancestry.com is currently showing 7 hints from historical records for her in my LeMaster and Allied Families member tree.



I have ignored the Ancestry Member Tree hints for now and will concentrate on the records.

There are a lot of records to update in my RootsMagic database, including census records.

In the 1940 census of Richmond, Wayne County, Indiana, Bertha was living with her husband, Russell, son Murvel and daughter-in-law Margaret.  They owned their home and had lived at the same residence in 1935.  Russel was a woodworker in a lumber yard and Murvel was a life insurance salesman.

1940 US Census, Wayne County, Indiana, population schedule, Ward 5, Richmond, enumeration district (ED) 89-32, SD 10, sheet 9B, 625 Sheridan St., family 190, ; digital images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 6 August 2015); National Archives, Washington, D.C..
I already had the 1930 census sourced in my database for the family, they were living in Madison Township, Jay County, Indiana in the Bertha's father's household.  Likewise, I already had the 1900 census record where Bertha was a 7 year old living in Madison Township, Jay County, Indiana.

In the 1921 city directory of Richmond, Indiana lists the family as :
Hercules, Russel J (Bertha A), woodwkr Louck & Hill Co, h 79 State
"U.S. City Directories", database, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 8 Augst 2015), 240; citing "Richmond, Indiana City Directory (Indianapolis, Indiana: R.L. Polk & Company, 1921–1922)."
 Because of this find, I now know the company that Russel was working for, Louck & Hill.  A brief search online found some photographs of the company site.

There was a hint to Bertha's FindAGrave memorial page, which I currently maintain.

Another database was Indiana Births, 1880-1920, which takes information from the WPA birth indices.


Name:Lemaster
Father:L C
Mother:B J Wherley
County:Jay
Gender:Female
Birth Date:26 Jun 1892
Reference:Jay County, Indiana
Index to Birth Records
1882 - 1920 Inclusive
Volume I
Letters A - Z Inclusive
Book:H-5
Page:78

This gives me the exact book and page for Bertha's birth certificate, which I currently do not have a copy.  Will add this to my list of "to-do" items for my next research trip.

The most interesting find was the database Wayne County, Indiana, Quaker Funeral Home Records, 1939-1974, which contained a copy of Bertha's death certificate.
ame:Bertha Alberta Hercules
[Bertha Alberta Lemaster] 
Gender:Female
Birth Date:26 Jun 1892
Birth Place:Indiana
Death Date:30 Dec 1961
Death Place:Spring Grove, Wayne, Indiana
Age at Death:69
Father:Luman C Lemaster
Mother:Barbara J Wehrley
Spouse:Russell J Hercules

This is the funeral home's copy of her death certificate, showing that Bertha died in Spring Grove, Wayne County, Indiana at Reid Memorial Hospital on December 30, 1961.  She lived at 625 Sheridan Street, same address as found in the 1940 census.  Her occupation was listed as the co-owner of Builders Supplies.  She died of acute pulmonary edema.  She was 69 years old and died at 10:25 p.m.  Her burial date was January 3, 1962 at Salamonia Cemetery, Salamonia, Indiana.

If you are related or have any additional information or corrections, I'd love to hear from you.