Harry C. Goodridge household, 1940, Vanderburgh County, Indiana

Located the 1940 census record of the Harry C. Goodridge household in Evansville, Vanderburgh County, Indiana.  Harry was Corinne's 2nd cousin 3 times removed - their common ancestors were Petrus Theodore Rieber and Elizabeth Schuhmacher.

1940 U.S. Census, Vanderburgh County, Indiana, population schedule, , enumeration district (ED) ED 93-67, SD 8, sheet 16B, 916 Louisiana Street, household 360, ; digital images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 11 December 2016); National Archives, Washington, D.C..

At the time of this enumeration, Harry's family was living at 916 Louisiana Street in Evansville.  He was working as a sheet metal worker in a refrigeration plant.  Harry was 28 years old and born in Indiana.  His wife, Anna, was 25 years old and also born in Indiana.  A daughter, Patricia Ann, aged 8, was also in the house.  Patricia had completed the 1st grade and both Anna and Harry had 8th grade educations.

The family was renting their home and the cost of monthly rent was $20.

In my database, Harry was the son of Harry Augustus Goodridge and Lena Stocker.  While I don't have all the details yet, I show additional children in Harry and Anna's family include sons David and Harry.  I do not yet have Anna's maiden name in my database.

If you have any additional information or are connected to this family, would appreciate hearing from you.

King Cousin Connection

Just received a nice note from a cousin, Leon, who connects with me on the King line.  His ancestor was Thomas King (1817-1864) and his second wife, Martha E. (Haggerty) King (1830-1912) through their daughter Elizabeth.  His Thomas was the brother of my maternal 3rd-great grandfather, Daniel King (1820-1876).  The family lived in Madison County, Indiana.

Elizabeth was married to James Franklin Fink.  Hopefully, he can share some more detail on his line and I can add more cousins to my database.  Prior to his email, I only had Elizabeth's date of birth and no information on a marriage.

It appears that neither of us have discovered the origins in North Carolina of Thomas and Daniel's father, William King (c1790-1869).

Death Notice : Caroline Bishop (Woolston) Chew, 1879

The Weekly Republican (Plymouth, Indiana), 6 Mar 1879, page 3

Located the death notice of my paternal 3rd-great grandmother, Caroline Bishop (Woolston) Chew (1826-1879) at Newspapers.com in The Weekly Republican of Plymouth, Indiana March 6, 1879 edition.

The notice reads:

Mrs. Chew, wife of Dr. A.C. Chew, died of lung fever on the 26th of February.  She was teaching school in the township when stricken down with the fever.  At her request her remains were taken to Ohio for interment.  The Dr. accompanied by three of his sons, started on the sad journy Saturday.

The paper has a typographical error, her husband was Dr. E.C. Chew (Ezekiel Cooper), often listed as E.C. Chew in records.  Lung fever is another name for pneumonia.

This notice cleared up a bit of confusion I had regarding her death - I had thought she might have died in Ohio, as she is buried in Darke County, Ohio where the family had previously lived.  This article was entitled "West Township" and listed all of the tidbits of news, so it would appear that she died in West Township, Marshall County, Indiana.  Her death occurred prior to Indiana requiring death certificates.

I had previously written about the cemetery where she is buried.  Her small marker is along a row next to some of her grandchildren.  Perhaps that is why she wanted to be buried there.

Exploratory Data Analysis : Joseph W. Wright (1838-1919)

Joseph W. Wright (1838-1919) was my maternal third great grandfather.  What follows is an exploratory analysis of the biographical data I have discovered about him.

1. Vital Records

     Joseph was born in April of 1838 in Brown County, Ohio^{1, 2}.

     1.1. Birth Certificate

          The State of Ohio did not require birth certificates at the time of Joseph's birth.  Statewide recording of births started in 1867.

          1.1.1. Birth Notice in Newspaper

               If Joseph's birth was mentioned in a newspaper, I've not yet located it.  Will need to check with state and local archives to see if they have any local newspapers from the time period.

          1.1.2. Bible Record

               I am not aware of any surviving Wright family Bible that mentions Joseph.  Will continue to reach out to extended family in hopes that one can be located.

          1.1.3. Baptismal Record

                I'm not aware of any baptismal record record for Joseph.  I'm not aware of the church affiliation of the Wright family at this time.

          1.1.4. Adoption Record

               There is no indication that Joseph was adopted.

     1.2. Marriage License

          Joseph married Rebecca Heaton on November 1, 1857 in Schuyler County, Missouri³.  They had moved with Rebecca's parents to Liberty Township, Schuyler County, Missouri along with other families from Brown County, Ohio.

          Joseph married Dortha Palmer on April 11, 1891 in Madison County, Indiana⁴.

          1.2.1 Marriage Notice in Newspaper

               I have not yet searched available newspapers from the time period to see if Joseph and Rebecca's or Joseph and Dortha's nuptials were mentioned.

          1.2.2. Anniversary Notice

               I have not yet searched available newspapers from the time period to see if mention was made of Joseph and Rebecca's anniversaries, either.  Their 25th wedding anniversary would have been November 1, 1882.  Rebecca passed away before their 50th.  Will add this to my list of "to-do" items for my next research trip.

          1.2.3. Divorce Decree

               There is no indication that a divorce ever occurred, and a recent search of court records during the time period did not turn up a divorce record.

     1.3. Death Certificate

           Joseph died September 16, 1919 in Monroe Township, Madison County, Indiana⁵ of organic heart over inflation.

          1.3.1. Obituary in Newspaper

               Joseph's obituary appeared in the September 16, 1919 edition of the Alexandria Times-Tribune in Alexandria, Indiana⁶.

          1.3.2. Funeral Home Records

                Will need to search records of the local historical society to see if they have any records of funeral homes that might pertain to Joseph.  Will add this to my list of "to-do" items for my next research trip.

          1.3.3. Tombstone Photograph

                Joseph's tombstone in the I.O.O.F. cemetery in Alexandria, Indiana has been photographed⁷.  A link to his memorial page at FindAGrave can be found here.

2. Census Records

     2.1. Federal Census Records

          2.1.1. 1910 Federal Census

               On April 20, 1910, Joseph was enumerated as head of household in Monroe Township, Madison County, Indiana⁸, as Joseph Wright, male, white, Farmer, age 72.  He was married for the 2nd time for 19 years.  He was born in Ohio, as were both of his parents.  He could read and write and spoke English and owned his home free of mortgage.

          2.1.2. 1900 Federal Census

               On June 27, 1900, Joseph was enumerated as head of household in Monroe Township, Madison County, Indiana⁹, as Joseph Wright, male, white, Farmer, age 62, born April 1838.  He was born in Ohio, as were both of his parents.  He could read and write ans spoke English and owned his home free of mortgage.

          2.1.3. 1880 Federal Census

               On June 18, 1880, Joseph was enumerated as head of household in Monroe Township, Madison County, Indiana¹⁰, as Joseph Wright, male, white, Farmer, age 50.  He was born in Ohio, as were both of his parents.

          2.1.4. 1870 Federal Census

               On September 13, 1870, Joseph was enumerated as head of household in Monroe Township, Madison County, Indiana¹¹, as Joseph Wright, male, white, Farmer, age 33.  The value of his real estate was $3000, and his personal estate was valued at $639.  He was born in Ohio, and was a U.S. citizen.

          2.1.5. 1860 Federal Census

               On June 28, 1860, Joseph was enumerated as head of household in Washington Township, Brown County, Ohio¹², as Joseph Wright, male, Farmer, age 22, born in Ohio.

          2.1.6. 1850 Federal Census

               On September 18, 1850, Joseph was enumerated in the John Wright household in Washington Township, Brown County, Ohio¹³, as Joseph Wright, age 12, male, born in Ohio.  He had attended school within the year.

     2.2. State Census Records

          The State of Indiana conducted census in 1853, 1857, 1871, 1877, 1883, 1889, 1901, 1913, 1919 and 1931.  These, however, 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 investigated these types of records to see what light they might shed on the Wright farm.

3. Military Records

     3.1. Draft Registration

          No draft record has yet to be located for Joseph.  Searches in Brown County, Ohio, where he was residing in 1860 census have not yielded positive results.

     3.2. Pension Records

          I am not aware of any military service by Joseph that would have made him eligible to receive a pension.

     3.3. Service Records

           No military service has been discovered for Joseph, though he would have been at the proper age to have served during the Civil War.  No mention of Civil War service was made in his obituary, and there is no known tradition of Civil War service.  How he managed to not serve during the war is a mystery that needs further research.

4. Land Records

     4.1. Deed Records

          Deed records need to be thoroughly searched in Madison County, Indiana, Brown County, Ohio and Schuyler County, Missouri to see what records mention Joseph.  Will add this to my list of "to-do" items for my next research trip.

     4.2. Plat map / county map

          Plat maps of Madison County, Indiana will need to be searched to see what information can be gleaned that might be relevant for my search.

5. Supplemental Records

     Supplemental records to research for Joseph include city/county directories, court records and will and probate records.  Will add this to my list of "to-do" items for my next research trip.

Sources:

1. Joseph Wright household, 1900 U.S. census, population schedule, Monroe Township, Madison County, Indiana, ED 96, SD 8, sheet 22A, dwelling 411, family 445; National Archives micropublication T623, roll 386, page 39.
2. Ancestry.com. Indiana, Death Certificates, 1899-2011 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc, 2015. Original data : Indiana State Board of Health. Death Certificates, 1900-2011. Microfilm. Indiana Archives and Records Administration, Indianapolis, Indiana.
3. Ancestry.com. Missouri, Marriage Records, 1805-2002 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2007.  Original data : Missouri Marriage Records. Jefferson City, MO, USA: Missouri State Archives. Microfilm.
4. Joseph Wright - Dortha Palmer marriage license (1891), Madison County Clerk's Office, Anderson, Indiana, USA.
5. Ancestry.com. Indiana, Death Certificates, 1899-2011 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2015. Original data: Indiana State Board of Health. Death Certificates, 1900–2011. Microfilm. Indiana Archives and Records Administration, Indianapolis, Indiana.,Joseph Wright, 9-16-1919, Madison County, Indiana.
6. Joseph Wright obituary, Alexandria Times Tribune, Alexandria, Indiana, USA, September 16, 1919, page 1, page 1.
7. FindAGrave, Inc., FindAGrave.com (www.findagrave.com : accessed 14 November 2016), Joseph W. Wright memorial.
8. Joseph Wright household, 1910 U.S. census, population schedule, Monroe Twp., Madison Co., IN, ED 109, SD 8, sheet 2B, dwelling 40, family 40; National Archives micropublication T624, roll 364., Page 168.
9. Joseph Wright household, 1900 U.S. census, population schedule, Monroe Twp., Madison Co., IN, ED 96, SD 8, sheet 22A, dwelling 411, family 445; National Archives micropublication T623, roll 386., Page 39.
10. Joseph Wright household, 1880 U.S. census, population schedule, Monroe Twp., Madison Co., IN, ED 21, SD 3, Page 39, dwelling 329, family 330; National Archives micropublication T9, roll 293., Page 106.
11.Joseph Wright household, 1870 U.S. census, population schedule, Monroe Twp., Madison Co., IN, Page 38, Alexandria P.O., dwelling 275, family 270; National Archives micropublication M593, roll 336., Page 210.
12. Joseph Wright household, 1860 U.S. census, population schedule, Washington Twp., Brown Co., OH, Sardinia P.O., dwelling 360, family 360; National Archives micropublication M653, roll 938., Page 25.
13. John Wright household, 1850 U.S. census, population schedule, Washington Township, Brown County, Ohio, USA, dwelling 1555, family 1560; National Archives micropublication M432, roll 662.

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.

Scanning, Sorting & Purging

In addition to spending some time this week on my vacation doing some research, I've also used this opportunity to catch up on an ongoing project - the digitization of the piles of genealogy paperwork I've accumulated over the years.

I've been scanning everything and will be sorting and filing in digital folders so I will always have it at my fingertips.  Additionally, having it digital will allow me to share the information with other researchers quickly and easily.

Today, I found myself scanning correspondence going back to 1987 !! Not only did I still have those letters and documents, in looking at them, I apparently hadn't extracted all the information into my database.

Once these newspaper scraps and photocopies of documents have been scanned, I have had to make the determination whether or not to keep or purge the documents.  My guidelines have been - if it is a vital record copy, I keep it; if it is a photocopy from a book I am purging it.  In addition, any printouts from census pages or other records that I know have been digitized at FamilySearch or Ancestry I am purging.

So far I've made it through a few boxes, with several more to go.  The sad thing about having all of this information on paper is that I've found I've duplicated some efforts and likely paid for copies of information I already had.

In the end, this process will not only eliminate some of the piles of paper but will hopefully help me stay organized in my research.

Election 2016 : Justice at the Ballot Box

Well, the people have spoken and the contentious election of 2016 is over - Donald J. Trump will be the next President of the United States.

Since this blog details not only my search for my ancestors, but the nuggets of my daily life for my descendants, I thought I'd better drop a line or two about one of the sea change elections of my lifetime.

We voted early this year - Indiana has had early voting since 2012 and our county had Saturday voting the two Saturdays prior to election day.  The wait was about 30 minutes at the courthouse.  It seemed like the turnout was high.

In a non-Presidential election year, I usually in the first two or three people at the polls when they open at 6 a.m.  I'm an early riser, so that doesn't present any problems. But this year, I knew I would be doing research at the Genealogy Center on election day, so we cast our votes early.

I voted for Donald J. Trump for President.

Trump represents a change from the status quo, an unconventional candidate who is not beholden to special interest groups.  He defeated 16 other experienced Republican candidates in the primary, and in the general faced one of the most unpopular Democratic candidates, Hillary Clinton.

Trump also promises an agenda of "America First" which I feel this country needs after the last 8 years of a President who has weakened our position in the world.  He has promised to re-negotiate the disasterous trade treaties and look at America's commitment around the world.  This has really rubbed the establishment elites the wrong way - they fear their power slipping away.  When you are attacked by not only the left but the right as well, you are probably doing something right.

While there's no need to go into all of the negatives for Clinton and the scandals and lack of justice by our own government's Department of Justice and F.B.I., as last night's results show - justice was delivered at the ballot box and we no longer have to deal with the Clintons.

Indiana polls close at 6 p.m. and per usual, was declared a Republican win rather quickly.  We're a very "red" state, and one of the first ones called each election.  It's the rest of the country that I worry about.

I stayed up watching the results come in until about 2 a.m. last night.  At that time, Mr. Trump was leading and it appeared that he would be declared the President.  The looks of shock on the faces of the media was precious.  They just couldn't understand how their favorite candidate wasn't winning. 

Throughout the campaign Trump highlighted the strong media biases which were confirmed by the Wikileaks emails.  Since so many people only get their news from the networks or Fox/CNN, they are only receiving what those media outlets want you to know - and they only deal in soundbites and don't deal with the issues in any substantial way.

My Facebook feed today is full of people wringing their hands in fear of a Trump Presidency.  I'm not sure what exactly they are afraid of - though I see things bandied about that Trump is a racist, homophobe, etc.  He hasn't even been sworn into office and they are acting as if he will be rounding people up, comparing him to a Nazi, etc.  The moment you start to do that against your political adversary, you loose the argument.

Time will tell what a President Trump will mean for our country, but I'm hopeful that America will be moving in the right direction.

I just hope that my other genealogy friends in the blogosphere and on FB will calm down and give the man a chance.

Genealogy & Local History Fair : Indiana State Library

Yesterday, I drove to Indianapolis and attended the Genealogy & Local History Fair at the Indiana State Library.  A native Hoosier, I had never made it down to the State Library - an impressive place that I'm already making plans to return to in order to do some research.

I hadn't heard of this Genealogy & Local History Fair before, and I'm glad that I came.  Not only for the opportunities to learn from the speakers, but the chance to mingle with other genealogists and talk to the vendors/societies that were present.  I picked up quite a few materials and applications for hereditary societies that I am eligible for membership.

The two speakers for the day were Jill Morelli and Ann Staley.  Jill spoke on House Histories and Sanborn maps while Ann spoke on the Everyday Lives of our Ancestors and Using City Directories.  Both of these speakers presented good research examples and keep me interested in their topics.

Though the majority of my ancestors seem to be rural farmers, there have been enough relatives that have lived in cities that I should be utilizing the resources of Sanborn maps and city directories more.  Jill's talk on house histories has me thinking of researching my current house as well as the house that I grew up in, in order to find out more about the when it came into the families possession.  Ann's talk on the lives of our ancestors and reminding us to put them into perspective with timelines gave me some ideas for how to knock down some brickwalls and learn what was going on in the world during the times my relatives were living.

I'm looking forward to continuing to branch out and attending as many conferences as I can to meet fellow researchers and learn more tips and tricks.

Exploratory Data Analysis : Rebecca Ann (Heaton) Wright (1841-1890)

Rebecca Ann (Heaton) Wright (1841-1890) was my maternal third great-grandmother.  What follows is an exploratory analysis of the biographical data I have discovered about her.


1. Vital Records

     Rebecca was born 1841 in Ohio, likely in Brown County¹.

     1.1. Birth Certificate

           The State of Ohio did not require birth certificates at the time of Rebecca's birth.  Statewide recording of births started in 1867.

          1.1.1. Birth Notice in Newspaper

               If Rebecca's birth was mentioned in a newspaper, I've not yet located it.  Will need to check with state and local archives to see if they have any newspapers from the time period.

          1.1.2. Bible Record

               I'm not aware of any surviving Heaton family Bible that mention's Rebecca.  Will continue to reach out to extended family in hopes that one can be located.

          1.1.3. Baptismal Record

               I'm not aware of any baptismal record for Rebecca. I am not sure of the church affiliation of the Heaton family at this time.

          1.1.4. Adoption Record

               There is no indication that Rebecca was adopted.

     1.2. Marriage License

          Rebecca married Joseph Wright on November 1, 1857 in Schuyler County, Missouri².  Rebecca's parents had moved to Liberty Township, Schuyler County, Missouri in the mid-1850s, along with others from Brown County, Ohio.

          1.2.1 Marriage Notice in Newspaper

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

          1.2.2. Anniversary Notice

               I have not yet searched out available newspapers from the time period to see if mention was made of Joseph and Rebecca's anniversaries, either.  Their 25th wedding anniversary would have been November 1, 1882.  Rebecca passed away before their 50th.  Will add this to my list of "to-do" items for my next research trip.

          1.2.3. Divorce Decree

               There is no indication that a divorce ever occurred, and a recent search of court records during the time period did not turn up a divorce record.

     1.3. Death Certificate

          Rebecca died March 25, 1890 in Monroe Township, Madison County, Indiana³, from german measles.  The State of Indiana did not require death certificates at this time.

          1.3.1. Obituary in Newspaper

               Record of Rebecca's death has not been found in any extant local newspapers from the time period.

          1.3.2. Funeral Home Records

                Will need to search records of the local historical society to see if they have any records of funeral homes that might pertain to Rebecca.  Will add this to my list of "to-do" items for my next trip.

          1.3.3. Tombstone Photograph

                Rebecca's tombstone in the I.O.O.F. cemetery in Alexandria, Indiana has been photographed
^4.  A link to her memorial page at FindAGrave can be found here.
2. Census Records

     2.1. Federal Census Records

          2.1.1. 1880 Federal Census

               On June 18, 1880, Rebecca was enumerated in Monroe Township, Madison County, Indiana⁵ in the Joseph Wright household as Rebecca Wright, wife, female, age 42, Keeping House.  Rebecca was born in Ohio, as were both her parents.

          2.1.2. 1870 Federal Census

               On September 13, 1870, Rebecca was enumerated in Monroe Township, Madison County, Indiana⁶ in the Joseph Wright household as Rebecca Wright, female, age 31, Keeping House.  Rebecca was born in Ohio.

          2.1.3. 1860 Federal Census

                On June 28, 1860, Rebecca was enumerated in Washington Township, Brown County, Ohio⁷ in the Joseph Wright household as Rebecca Wright, female, age 20.  Rebecca was born in Ohio.

          2.1.4. 1850 Federal Census

               On August 23, 1850, Rebecca was enumerated in Scott Township, Brown County, Ohio⁸ in the James Heaton household as Rebecca A. Heaton, female, age 9, born Ohio.  Rebecca had attended school within the year.

     2.2. State Census Records

          The State of Indiana conducted census in 1853, 1857, 1871, 1877, 1883, 1889, 1901, 1913, 1919 and 1931.  These, however, 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 records to see what light they might shed on the Wright farm.

3. Military Records

     3.1. Draft Registration

          Not applicable, as Rebecca was female.

     3.2. Pension Records

          I am not aware of any military service by her husband that would make Rebecca eligible for pension benefits.

     3.3. Service Records

          Not applicable, as Rebecca was female.

4. Land Records

     4.1. Deed Records

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

     4.2. Plat map / county map

          Plat maps of Madison County, Indiana will need to be searched to see what information that can be gleaned that might be relevant for my search.

5. Supplemental Records

     Supplemental records to research for Rebecca include city/county directories, court records and will and probate records.  Will add this to my list of "to-do" items for my next research trip.

Sources :

1. Heaton, Dean, "The Heaton Families : 350 Years in America", Gateway Press, Baltimore, Maryland, 1982, page 120.
2. Ancestry.com. Missouri, Marriage Records, 1805-2002 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2007.
Original data: Missouri Marriage Records. Jefferson City, MO, USA: Missouri State Archives. Microfilm.
3. Sandra Freeman, "John William Wright - Ellen King family group sheet," compiled [n.d.] (Alexandria, Indiana, USA). Notes say information from Zelma Cooper & Gloria LeMaster.
4. FindAGrave, Inc., FindAGrave.com (www.findagrave.com : accessed 17 Oct 2016), Rebecca Ann (Heaton) Wright memorial.
5. Joseph Wright household, 1880 U.S. census, population schedule, Monroe Twp., Madison Co., IN, ED 21, SD 3, Page 39, dwelling 329, family 330; National Archives micropublication T9, roll 293., Page 106.
6. Joseph Wright household, 1870 U.S. census, population schedule, Monroe Twp., Madison Co., IN, Page 38, Alexandria P.O., dwelling 275, family 270; National Archives micropublication M593, roll 336., Page 210.
7. Joseph Wright household, 1860 U.S. census, population schedule, Washington Twp., Brown Co., OH, Sardinia P.O., dwelling 360, family 360; National Archives micropublication M653, roll 938., Page 25.
8. 1850 U.S. Census, Brown County, Ohio, population schedule, Scott Township, page 338 (stamped), dwelling 921, family 926, ; digital images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 17 October 2016); 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.

Perry Langwell (1853-1916) at Indiana Central Hospital for the Insane

While searching through the Indiana Death Certificates database at Ancestry, I found this one for Perry Langwell (1853-1916), who was my maternal 3rd-great granduncle, the son of Joseph & Fanny (Reynolds) Langwell.

I was particularly interested in the fact that his place of death was the Indiana Central Hospital for the Insane, and a contributing factor in his death was listed as manic depression.

Perry Langwell death certificate, Marion County, Indiana, April 28, 1916

The reason I found his stay at the hospital interesting is that my ancestor, James Austin Davis (1850-1909) also suffered from mental illness, having spent time in the Owen County Asylum and the Northern Indiana Hospital for the Insane at Logansport, where he died.  

James and Perry were half-brothers, both were sons of Fanny (Reynolds) Davis Langwell (c1830-1883) of Owen County, Indiana.  

There were no family stories of any mental illness passed down in the family, whether by design or the fact that these facts were not known until I uncovered them.  James Austin Davis' mental illness may have set off the chain of events that led to his daughter Ida's life choices, as chronicled at my Ida Davis Mystery page.

Regarding Perry's stay at the hospital, the Indiana State Archive had some information on their website:

I wrote off to the archives to see what the cost would be to obtain the information they had for Perry.  

Mr. LeMaster:  thank you for your inquiry.  Perry Langwell did not leave a very big paper trail.  We do not have his commitment papers.   His medical case file was not preserved.  We do, however, have his entry in the Hospital’s admission book.  It does contain both personal/family history and his diagnosis.  Also cause of death.

For a small fee, they will be able to provide me with copies of the records they have for Perry.  I will be writing off this week to obtain them and see what personal information and diagnosis is contained in the admission book. 

Wordless Wednesday : The Old Tree House

The old treehouse
Ami High, Michelle, LeMaster, Jason LeMaster, Jim McDermitt, Travis LeMaster

Found this old picture of the first tree house/fort that we had at our house.  Standing alongside my neighbors/cousins and my brother and sister.

Contacted by the match of a match

Was contacted by April, who is helping work out the ancestry for Danny, the man who reached out to me but didn't know his paternal ancestry.  April's husband is also a DNA match for Danny.

In looking at his GEDMatch number, her husband didn't match me, my dad or my 2nd cousin, so this leads me to believe that we are both related to Danny on different lines.

Danny's connection to me is estimated to be at 4.4 generations to the most recent common ancestor at GEDMatch, we match at chromosome 6.

Hopefully, some of the other matches at chromosome 6 will overlap with Danny and provide some clues as to who the common ancestor might be.

I know that it is possible, as I have read about these cases being solved on various DNA discussion groups.  We just need more to test.

Charting the atDNA matches

I sent out a massive spreadsheet with charts of those who matched myself, my father and cousin Jeffrey hoping to spur further research and collaboration.  I tentatively called the spreadsheet "LeMaster atDNA", even though many of these matches will turn out to be cousins that share other uplines.  At the least, since the common ancestry of dad, Jeffrey and myself is Luman Cooper LeMasters and Barbara Isabel Wehrly we know that these matches are cousins somewhere in the upline.

My sheets had a page where all of the matches were listed, then a table showing how I had compared each match to each other and how many segments and centimorgans were shared.  Still another chart had the total amounts of shared DNA mapped out with the chromosome and the start and end point.  Each chromosome had its own separate sheet of data where I graphed out the overlapping segments.

At first glance, chromosomes 7 and 15 seem to have a lot of overlap amongst the group of people I've been able to compare.  I'm so thankful for sites like GEDMatch - i just wish more people would upload their results.

Only one email address from GEDMatch was a bounce, and I've already had a reply from someone who is helping, Danny, the gentleman who reached out to me earlier.  Danny's paternal ancestry is a unknown to him at this point, and that is where we match, so this will be an interesting journey.

Wordless Wednesday : William Lee Wright, 1933

Photo of my maternal grandfather, William Lee Wright, taken in 1933 (age 13-14).

Reaching out to close matches

Reached out this weekend to all of my close matches at AncestryDNA and encouraged them to share or link their results to a family tree.  So many people have tested there and haven't bothered to even enter rudimentary information about their family tree.  A couple of my matches had a family tree, but didn't link their trees to their DNA results.

I encouraged each one of those matches to upload their results to GEDMatch so we could compare chromosomes.

In addition, I reached out to matches that I shared in common with my cousin Jeffrey - so I know those matches should either match me on the upline from the LeMaster/Wehrly line.

So far, the only response I've received one response.  Danny, a man who is predicted to be a 4th-6th cousin, who doesn't know his father.  He has uploaded to GEDMatch, so I will try to help see where we have a match.

Baby Steps : LeMaster and Wehrly DNA

Made contact with Jeffrey, an AncestryDNA match who was predicted to be a 3rd cousin to see if we could compare information and chart our common DNA.  Jeff and I are actually 2nd cousins once removed - our common ancestors were Luman Cooper LeMasters and Barbara Isabel Wehrly.

According to AncestryDNA, we shared 189 cM over 10 DNA segments.  Unfortunately, AncestryDNA doesn't give you a chromosome browser to show you exactly which chromosomes we match on.  It's knowing where we match that can help segregate which DNA comes from the LeMaster side.  

I was able to have Jeffrey to upload his AncestryDNA results to the 3rd party site GEDMatch.  Here are the results of the comparison of our DNA:

GEDMatch shows us matching on 8 segments and 192.4 cM.  The differences between AncestryDNA and GEDMatch are due to the cutoff minimum in GEDMatch to be counted as a matching segment.

As you can see, Jeffrey and I match on chromosomes 4,5,6,8,15,18 & 21.  We have a break in chromosome 6 with two long stretches of shared DNA.  

Next, I compared Jeffrey's results with that of my first cousin Debbie to see where they matched each other.

They only match on 4 segments for 62.5 cM.  The matching chromosomes are on 2,8,15 & 16.

I also compared Jeffrey to my dad, to see what DNA they share together.

Jeffrey and my dad share 11 matching segments and 344.5 cM of DNA, much more than he shares with Debbie or myself.  The chromosomes they match on are 3,4,5,6,7,8,10,15,18 & 21 - including two sections on chromosome 6, just like he shared with me.

The common ancestry of all of us testing above are the LeMaster and Wehrly lines, so the DNA we share has to come from these branches or upline from them.  Right now chromosome 6 seems to be behaving very interestingly.

I'm beginning to collect data on matches that I share from the three testing sites to chart out an mark which DNA is coming from which side of the family. This will come in handy for helping those distant matches that triangulate with us in finding the common ancestors.

He Drowned in the Potomac

Sometimes an ancestor or relative seems to call out to you, wanting their story to be told.  Before yesterday, all I knew of William H. Cunningham was his year of birth (1905) and date and place of death (1929, Washington D.C.).  While working on updates on his father, John W., I was drawn to search old newspapers to see what I might find.  It turns out this led me on an interesting search.

John W. Cunningham (1868-1947) was my paternal first cousin 3 times removed, the son of William E. Cunningham and Rachel Lemasters.  Our common ancestors were the Rev. Luman Walker Lemasters and Nancy Young.  While updating his death certificate information from Ancestry.com, I found out that at one time he was the Sheriff of Jay County, Indiana.  Curious to see what stories might mention his service as Sheriff was what led me to the unknown story of his son, William H. Cunningham.

The Daily Reporter (Greenfield, Indiana), May 13, 1929, page 1

The story that grabbed my attention was a news report that appeared in several newspapers across the state, telling the tale of William's death by drowning:

Young Man Drowned.

Portland. - This city city was shocked today to learn that William Cunningham, 24-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. John W. Cunningham here, a student at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. was drowned in the Potomac River while canoeing Sunday.  According to reports from Washington the body has not yet been recovered.

What a sad fate.  I immediately began searching for more information, and found a little more detail in a similar news report:

Indianapolis News (Indianapolis, Indiana), May 13, 1929, page 14

Hoosier Student Drowns.

Potomac River Has Not Yielded Body of Portland Young Man.

Portland, Ind., May 13 (A.P.) - Mr. and Mrs. John W. Cunningham, of this city, have received a message telling of the death of their son, William Cunningham, age twenty-four, by drowning in the Potomac river at Washington.  The body has not been recovered.

The young man, a student at Georgetown University, was riding in a canoe with two other students when the craft was upset by a whirlpool.  He told his companions to swim to shore and he would bring the canoe in.  They swam to safety, but Cunningham was carried under the surface by another whirlpool.

The parents, one brother and one sister survive.  His father is a former sheriff of Jay county.

 Looking for a death record, I searched FamilySearch and located a record of his death, which gives the date as May 18, 1929.  This may be the date when his body was recovered.  I was unable to obtain an image of the record, only the following:

 

This record gives me William's middle name as Harvey.  He was named for his grandparents - William Cunningham being his paternal grandfather and Harvey Drake being his maternal grandfather.

Knowing that he was a student at Georgetown University, I went online to see what they had in the way of digital archives.  They have their old yearbooks and newspapers available for viewing.  In the May 16, 1929 edition of the student newspaper, the Hoya, I found the following article:

Hoya, Vol. 10, no. 28 (May 16, 1929), page 1

 F.S. STUDENT DROWNED SAT.

W.H. Cunningham loses Life in Potomac as Canoe Capsizes Below Chain Bridge

W.H. Cunningham, 24-year-old junior at the Georgetown School of Foreign Service, was drowned in the Potomac River last Saturday afternoon when a canoe in which he was riding with two companions turned over in the swift water about half a mile below Chain Bridge.

Cunningham, with Willard Burkett and W.W. Stevens, his roommates and fellow students, started up the river for an outing early in the afternoon.  At Dempsey's boat house they were joined by a friend, George Davlin.

In two canoes they stared to paddle up the river.  About half a mile from the bridge they came to a swift stretch of water and Cunningham and Burkett tried to make their way through in their canoe.  Unable to force their way through the rapids, they paddled to an island where they were joined by Stevens and the three of them resumed the attempt.

They had progressed about 100 yards into the swift water when the canoe was caught broadside in the rapids, the water spinning the frail craft around and tipping it over.  Burkett, who had been kneeling in the bottom of the canoe, was nearly drowned when his leg was caught in a seat.  All three of the boys came to the surface and seized the canoe.

Unable to right it, they began drifting downstream.  Stevens swam to shore.  Burkett and Cunningham continued to drift with the canoe, calmly discussing the best means of reaching shore without damage to themselves or the craft.  Burkett, at Cunningham's suggestion, removed the pillows from the canoe and seized one of the paddles which was floating alongside.  With this burden he released his hold and started for the Virginia short [sic], calling to Cunningham to steer the canoe into shallow water if possible.  Cunningham answered that he thought he would be able to bring it ashore.

Burkett, on reaching the shore, looked around for his companion.  He saw the canoe bobbing in the current, but Cunningham had disappeared.

Burkett ran back up stream to the point where Davlin was in the other canoe.  They paddled down the river in a futile search for their friend.

The drowned youth, said to have been a strong swimmer, lived in Portland, Ind.  With Burkett and Stevens, he attended Western Reserve University before coming to Washington.  The three boys lived together here at 2410 Twentieth Street.

This article not only gave me the important details of how William died, but also gave me avenues of additional research - the fact that he had attended Western Reserve University as well.  I will need to research local newspapers in Jay County on my next trip to the library.

There is much more to research on this young man and his life, but at least now the story of his untimely death will be known.

William is buried in Green Park Cemetery in Portland, Jay County, Indiana.  A memorial page for him exists at the FindAGrave site.

Indiana Databases at Ancestry Make Subscription Worth Price

Whenever I hear of someone complaining about the high prize of subscription genealogy websites such as Ancestry.com, I have to wonder about where their priorities lie.  Genealogy as a hobby or passion is no different than anything else one might do with your free time - you willingly pay for what you want to get out it in the way of enjoyment.  For me, I would never spend money playing golf or attending concerts, but if that is what you want to spend your money on, who am I to tell you you are wrong.

Recently, Ancestry added three databases relating to Indiana genealogy that has made the annual subscription price worth its weight in gold, so to speak.  Because so much of my ancestry has Indiana ties, I was ecstatic when I found out that birth, death and marriage records from the state level were being imaged and would be available in 2016 at Ancestry.

The publication of these databases has kept me busy updating and adding to the information in my database for my direct and collateral lines with Indiana ties.  Right now, I working through the death certificates database and finding information regarding spouses, causes of death and residences that I didn't already have.  

Having all of these records in one place makes research cheaper because the costs of these long form certificates from the state are $8.00 each.  If I went to each county, I could be paying even more for a certificate. Just recently, I paid $10 per certificate for county level death records. It only takes a few of these online images for me to reach the break-even point on the cost of a certificate. In addition, having the long form from the state will give you information not found at the county level, such as who the informant was for the information. 

Knowing who the informant was for the information provided can be extremely valuable in evaluating the accuracy of the information given.  On the death certificates, information given regarding birth date and names of parents are suspect as clues only - as oftentimes the informant was a son or grandchild who didn't know the maiden names or exact dates of birth.  I've recorded the information as I've found it - using as a clue with a bit of skepticism.  Informants were under a lot of stress and grief, and it is easy to make errors.  I've seen grandmother's maiden names given instead of the deceased's mother's maiden name and I've also seen the birth date of the informant instead of the deceased.  In those cases, I'm assuming that the informant simply was too distraught to understand the question they were being asked.

The long form death certificates also give the manner of disposal and the funeral home and cemetery where they were buried, providing additional avenues of research.  Far-flung relatives could die in one part of the state and be buried "back home" or next to a first spouse.  

The most frustrating piece of information is when you are looking for the names of the parents and the informant states "don't know".  Sad to think that they didn't know the names of their grandparents, but with extended families and lots of years between them it is easy to see how a granddaughter or grandson whose elderly grandparent died at their home wouldn't know where they were born or who their parents were when answering the questions of the physician.

The saddest thing I'm finding while researching these Indiana death records are the number of young children dying from measles and pneumonia.  We are blessed these days to have antibiotics and access to healthcare.  Tragedies do still occur, but they are more rare and shocking today than they were 75 to 100 years ago when it was common for families to lose a child or two.

I look forward to being able to knock down some brick walls and expand my knowledge of extended families through the information gleaned in these databases.  I'm only part way through my database on the death certificate database, I can only imagine how many more discoveries I'll make when I begin with the birth and marriage records from Indiana.

Wordless Wednesday: Bonnie Lambertson & William Wright, 1941

Bonnie Lambertson & William Wright, 1941

Photo of my maternal grandparents, Bonnie Lambertson and William Wright, taken in 1941 before they were married.