My Day At RootsTech - Thursday

Today was my first full day at RootsTech2017 and even though I'm wiped out, it has been a good experience.  From the opening sessions to the break-outs to the exhibitors - this conference has lived up to its billing.  The fact that the weather has been unusually warm for Salt Lake has been a bonus as well.

The opening session focused on Family Traditions and featured Steve Rockwood, CEO of FamilySearch International.  He put us in the mood to share our stories of family and shared an example from his own family of how a food tradition memory has been passed down from one generation to the next in his family.  At one point, he even had the audience participating in this memory sharing by getting us to turn to one another and share a favorite food memory of our grandmothers.  This was all tied into FamilySearch's push to get people to share their memories and recipes on the site so they will be preserved forever - as well as the family trees.

The Scott Brothers, hosts of HGTV's Property Brothers, were the featured celebrity speakers and they didn't fail to keep the crowd entertained with their stories of their family background.  They really knew quite a bit about their Scottish heritage, and I enjoyed hearing about and seeing the photos from their trips as kids to Scotland to visit castles and other sites associated with their families.  They seemed to have a good understanding of their family history, knowing about certain ancestors and how they lived - which the brothers then tried to associate as to why they each acted and lived the way they do.

I didn't have too bad of a seat to see them, but I didn't get a really good picture of them.  My wife and I enjoy watching their show and now I can say I was in the same zip code with them.  During the opening session, I sat next to an attorney from Wisconsin who had friends in Kokomo, Indiana - so we had a bit to talk about, as well as fellow blogger, Genealogy Jen on my other side.  It was nice to meet new friends.

After the opening session, I followed the crowd over to the Expo Hall to see where all the exhibitors were - all I can say is "wow" - there were quite a few of them.  I wandered around briefly, and caught a glimpse of some Geneablogger royalty at the media row.

Right after this, I caught another glimpse of the Property Brothers, right after they had been interviewed.  These are my best 'celebrity stalking' photos - you can almost make out who they are.

Shortly after these photos, I headed over to the first break out session at 11 a.m.  I chose to attend Kitty Cooper's talk - How to use DNA Triangulation to Confirm Ancestors.  I enjoy reading her blog and since I'm working with my DNA matches at the various sites, this was a good choice for me.  Kitty did not disappoint.  She gave a good talk and pointed the class to how to tell when you have triangulation.  She promised to have her slides available to look at, and I will be referring to them in the future.  She was excited about the Double Match Triangulation Tool that is one of the Innovator Showdown finalists as well.  The class assumed that those in attendance had already done DNA testing and knew the basics.

After her talk, I grabbed a quick sandwich in the Expo Hall and continued to browse and shop with the various vendors.  I skimmed through a lot of them, expecting to go back later for further details.  There was literally something for everyone there - all the major DNA testing companies, software vendors, new tools for scanning and preserving your research, tools for displaying your research, genealogical societies, etc. - you name it, they were there.  When I stopped at the RootsMagic booth, I met a gentleman with the last name of Mendenhall, and I had to ask if he was related to the Quaker Mendenhall line.  Turns out he was, and I gave him my contact card and told him I'd like to share information with him on that line.

My first afternoon session was Dr. Thomas Jones' talk on Writing About and Documenting DNA Test Results.  This was an informative talk that really applied to any written research report. One of the key take-aways for me on this topic was that when he said that writing genealogically means that you must document everything.  That made me think about some of what I'm putting together on this blog and how I need to better cite my sources.

My next afternoon session was with Jen Baldwin on Digging for Details : Getting the Full Story.  I had seen Jen speak before at the Indiana Genealogical Society Conference in Ft. Wayne, and like there, she didn't disappoint with this topic.  She has some interesting family stories and evidence to examine. The main take-away from her talk was that we should treat each document we examine as if it is the only piece of evidence we have on an ancestor - and to really look at every detail to see what other avenues of research that could lead to for a fuller picture.  She also encouraged us to utilize sources such as PERSI and JSTOR, which I definitely need to utilize more. Unfortunately, I didn't get a good picture of Jen while she was speaking.

After that, I decided I would head over to the Family History Library and spend a little time there.  I enjoyed the Discovery Center there, and downloaded some information on family trees through FamilySearch that they said connected me to several famous people, some Presidents and others with the LDS church.  Some of the family lines looked correct, while others might need to be tweaked just a bit.

I browsed upstairs through some of the county books, though I didn't have a real research plan for a trip to the Family History Center.  When I do this again, I will make sure that I have scheduled more time in Salt Lake City so I can research at the library and have an orderly plan of attack.

Overall, I think I learned something from each session, which is the goal of furthering my genealogy education.  In addition, I met a lot of great people today and introduced myself to them, handing them my contact cards and encouraging them to check out my blog and see if we are related.  At the end of the day, I'm tired but excited to further my research and feel that today has energized me and given me some good tips and tools to succeed.

Obituary : Gerald Walker LeMaster, Portland Commercial-Review, March 20, 1987

Obituary of Gerald W. LeMaster
Portland, Indiana Commercial-Review
March 20, 1987

FORMER COMMISSIONER GERALD LeMASTER DIES

Gerald W. LeMaster, 91, RR 6, Portland, died Thursday afternoon in Hometown Nursing Home, Celina, following an extended illness.

Born Jan. 15, 1896 in Madison Township, Jay County, he was the son of Luman Cooper and Barbara (Wehrly) LeMaster.  He first married Mabel Kantner. She died on Jan. 3, 1927.  He then married Pearl Smith on Nov. 24, 1929 and she died on March 9, 1984.

LeMaster was a retired farmer and served as a Jay County Commissioner for one term in the 1960s.  He was a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church in Salamonia.  He was a U.S. Army veteran of World War I, where he served in the Calvary {sic}.

LeMaster was a member of the American Legion Post 211 and the Disabled American Veterans, Portland.

Surviving are one son, Robert J. LeMaster, Lorain, Ohio; three daughters, Mary M. Matthews, Emporia, Va., Mrs. Hugh (Roberta) Lenox, Alanson, Mich., and Mrs. Nadine Perry, Portland; one sister, Mary Olive Taylor, Akron, Ohio; one brother, Elvin C. LeMaster, Columbus, Ohio; 13 grandchildren; 25 great-grandchildren; and five great-great grandchildren.

Services are set for 10:30 a.m. Monday in the Portland Chapel of the Williamson and Spencer Funeral Home. Rev. Francis Bock will officiate and burial will follow in the Salamonia Cemetery.  American Legion Post 211 will be in charge of military rites at the cemetery. 

Friends may call at the funeral home from 4 to 9 p.m. on Sunday and prior to services on Monday.

----
Gerald was my paternal granduncle, the older brother of my grandfather, Ord Wehrly LeMaster.

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

At My First RootsTech

My wonderful wife bought me tickets to Rootstech2017 for my birthday last fall, and today I boarded the flights to make it to Salt Lake City.  I'm looking forward to meeting new people, picking up some research tips and visiting the Family History Library here this week.

I had a pretty uneventful flight, though the layover in Chicago and then the flight out to Salt Lake left me drained.  I arrived at my hotel, checked in and walked over to the Salt Palace in time to register and attend a Wednesday evening session on tracing your Civil War ancestors.

There are a lot of people here - I've seen figures that state 30,000 people will be here - and they are from all over the place.  I've seen folks from Wiesbaden, Germany to Ohio to Colorado and of course Utah.  

I'm chilling at my hotel right now, eating a bite and then perhaps heading down to the pool.  I might be more of a social butterfly tomorrow if I meet up with some new friends.

This event has been one of my goals to attend - and I'm excited to learn and see what all the fun is about!

Cora Bitzer household, 1940, Huntington County, Indiana

Located the 1940 census record of the Cora Bitzer household in Huntington County, Indiana.  Cora was Eileen's maternal first cousin three times removed.  Their common ancestors were Daniel L. Duffey and Susanna Freeze.  Cora's parents were Daniel F. Duffey and Susannah Leedy.

1940 U.S. census, Huntington County, Indiana, population schedule, Andrews, enumeration district (ED) 35-2, SD 5, sheet 5B, Main Street, household 123, ; digital images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 21 January 2017); National Archives, Washington, D.C..

At the time of the enumeration, Cora was living in the town of Andrews.  The census states that Cora was renting her home for $10 per month.  Cora was 69 years old and born in Indiana.  She was widowed.  Her residence in 1935 was listed as the same place.

The record shows that Cora had completed the 7th grade.  Cora had no occupation listed.

Also living in the household was her son Lawrence, age 26, born in Indiana, the owner of a filling station.

If you have any additional information or are connected to this family, I'd love to hear from you.

Chester D. Bitzer household, 1940, Wabash County, Indiana

Located the 1940 census of the Chester D. Bitzer household in Wabash County, Indiana. Chester was Eileen's second cousin twice removed.  Their common ancestors were Daniel L. Duffey and Susanna Freeze.  Chester's parents were William Henry Bitzer and Cora Etta Duffey.

1940 U.S. census, Wabash County, Indiana, population schedule, Lagro Township, enumeration district (ED) 85-6, SD 5, sheet 2A, household 24, ; digital images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 21 January 2017); National Archives, Washington, D.C..

At the time of the enumeration, Chester and his wife were living in Lagro Township. The census states Chester was renting his home for $20 per month and that it was a farm.  Carlos was 33 years old and born in Indiana.  His wife, Velma, was 30 years old and born in Indiana.  Their residence in 1935 was listed as rural Huntington County, Indiana.

The record shows that Chester had completed 1 year of high school and that Velma had completed 4 years of high school.  Chester's occupation was listed as a farmer, and Velma had no occupation listed.

Also living in the household were son John, age 10, born in Indiana who had completed the 4th grade; daughter Lena, age 7, born in Indiana who had completed the 1st grade; son Robert, age 6, born in Indiana; and son George, age 1, born in Indiana.

If you have any additional information or are connected to this family, I'd love to hear from you.

Charles Butler household, 1940, San Diego County, California

Located the 1940 census record of the Charles Butler household in San Diego County, California.  Charles was my paternal 3rd cousin twice removed.  Our common ancestors were Jacobs Lemasters and Hannah ________.  Charles' parents were Frank Carlos Butler and Clara LeMasters.

1940 U.S. census, San Diego County, California, population schedule, San Diego, enumeration district (ED) 62-107, SD 20, sheet 4A, 3083 Island, household 74, ; digital images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 22 January 2017); National Archives, Washington, D.C..

At the time of the enumeration, Charles and his wife were living in the city of San Diego.  The census states that Charles owned his home, its value was $1000 and was not a farm.  Charles was 55 years old and born in Missouri.  His wife, Linda, was 50 years old and born in Canada.  In 1935, their residence was the same place.

The record shows that both Charles and Linda had completed the 8th grade.  Charles' occupation was listed as a janitor in a public school, while Linda had no occupation listed.

Also living in the household was their son Frank, age 26, born in California, working as a tire retreader; and mother-in-law Mary Hoag, age 64, widow, born in England with no occupation.

If you have any additional information or are connected to this family, I'd love to hear from you.

Carlton Chew household, 1940, Gloucester County, New Jersey

Located the 1940 census record of the Carlton Chew household in Gloucester County, New Jersey.  Carlton was my paternal 7th cousin 3 times removed.  Our common ancestors were Richard Chew and Frances Woodward.  Carlton's parents were William Tatem Chew and Lucretta Van Dexter.

1940 U.S. census, Gloucester County, New Jersey, population schedule, Washington Township, enumeration district (ED) 8-49, SD 1, sheet 2A, Hurffville Road, household 23, ; digital images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 23 January 2017); National Archives, Washington, D.C..

At the time of the enumeration, Carlton and his wife were living in Washington Township.  The census states that Carlton owned his home and that it was valued at $1200 and he lived on a farm.  Chester was 33 years old and born in New Jersey.  His wife, Gladys, was also 33 years old and born in New Jersey.  In 1935, their residence was the same place.

The record shows that Carlos had completed the 4th grade and that his wife had completed the 8th grade.  Carlos' occupation was listed as a moulder in a foundry, while Gladys had no occupation listed.

Also living in the household were son Carlton, age 14, born in New Jersey who had completed the 7th grade; son Clifford, age 9, born in New Jersey who had completed the 2nd grade; daughter Shirley, age 7, born in New Jersey who had completed the 1st grade; daughter Eleanor, age 5, born in New Jersey; and daughter Helen, age 4, born in New Jersey.

If you have any additional information or are connected to this family, I'd love to hear from you.

Reaching out to Ruby's matches at FamilyTreeDNA

Have spent some time this week reaching out to my maternal great-aunt Ruby's DNA matches at FamilyTreeDNA.  It has been awhile since I've worked on this line.  There have been quite a few new matches show up recently, and this week I've made sure that I've reached out to as many as possible.  So far, I'm up to the top 90 matches there.

I've been including links to my tree at Ancestry as well as providing a ten generation box chart that RootsMagic generated for Ruby's ancestors.  I have a GEDCOM attached to Ruby's profile at FamilyTreeDNA so folks can search the tree there as well.

I have had some success in making connections through Ruby's Quaker ancestry which stretches back pretty far into colonial America.

Ruby's maternal grandfather is unknown and has been the main reason that I wanted to DNA test in the first place - hoping that it could provide clues to solving that mystery.

Ruby's results are also uploaded to GEDMatch, and her kit number is T166359.

While watching the Super Bowl I will probably be continuing my slog of working through the matches to send out more emails.

Carlos J. Boyer household, 1940, Warrick County, Indiana

Located the 1940 census record of the Carlos J. Boyer household in Warrick County, Indiana.  Carlos was Corinne's maternal 3rd great-granduncle, the son of Christopher C. Boyer and Nancy Ann McCool.

1940 U.S. census, Warrick County, Indiana, population schedule, Anderson Township, enumeration district (ED) 87-1, SD 8, sheet 9A, household 152, ; digital images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 21 January 2017); National Archives, Washington, D.C..

At the time of the enumeration, Carlos and his wife were living in Anderson Township.  The census states that Carlos was renting his home for $8 per month, and that it was not on a farm.  Carlos was 73 years old and born in Indiana.  His wife, Corda V., was 64 years old and born in Indiana.  Their residence in 1935 was the same place.

The record shows that Carlos and Corda had both completed the 5th grade.  Carlos's occupation was listed as a laborer on a farm, and Corda had no occupation listed.

If you have any additional information or are connected to this family, I'd love to hear from you.

Bernard Chew household, 1940, Jay County, Indiana

Located the 1940 census record of the Bernard Chew household in Jay County, Indiana.  Bernard was my paternal first cousin 3 times removed through Ezekiel Cooper Chew and Caroline Bishop Woolston.  He was also my fourth cousin 4 times removed through Samuel Woolston and Cyllania Woolston.  Bernard's first name was Orville, and his parents were William Anderson Chew and Emma Susan Straight.

1940 U.S. census, Jay County, Indiana, population schedule, Salamonia, enumeration district (ED) 38-7, SD 5, sheet 2B, household 37, ; digital images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 24 January 2017); National Archives, Washington, D.C..

At the time of the enumeration, Bernard and his wife were living in the town of Salamonia.  The census states that Bernard owned his home, its value was $800, and was not a farm.  Bernard was 43 years old and born in Indiana.  His wife, Adda, was 38 years old and also born in Indiana.  In 1935, their residence was the same place.

The record shows that Bernard had completed 1 year of high school and Adda had completed the 8th grade.  Bernard's occupation was listed as a pressman for the Sheller Corp. and Adda had no occupation listed.

Also living in the household was daughter Barbara Nell, aged 7, born in Indiana.

If you have any additional information or are connected to this family, I'd love to hear from you.

Arthur Miller household, 1940, Vanderburgh County, Indiana

Located the 1940 census record of the Arthur Miller household in Vanderburgh County, Indiana.  Arthur was Corinne's maternal great-grandfather.  His parents were Mathias Miller and Elizabeth Schaeffer.

1940 U.S. census, Vanderburgh County, Indiana, population schedule, Evansville, enumeration district (ED) 93-77, SD 8, sheet 8B, 1010 West Delaware Street, household 147, ; digital images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 25 January 2017); National Archives, Washington, D.C..

At the time of the enumeration, Arthur and his wife were living in the city of Evansville. The census states that Arthur was renting his home for $18 per month.  Arthur was 33 years old and born in Indiana.  His wife, Marie, was 30 years old and born in Indiana.  In 1935, they were living in the same place.

The record shows that Arthur had completed the 7th grade and Marie had completed the 8th grade.  Arthur's occupation was listed as a laborer for the commodity district with the W.P.A. and Marie had no occupation listed.

Living in the household were their son, Arthur Jr., age 11, born in Indiana who had completed the 5th grade; son Jack, age 8, born in Indiana who had completed the 2nd grade; son Kenneth, age 6, born in Indiana; son Jerry, age 3 born in Indiana; and daughter Patricia Ann, age 1, born in Indiana.

Also living in the household was Arthur's brother, Lawrence, age 25, born in Indiana, a laborer with the W.P.A.

If you have any additional information or are connected to this family, I'd love to hear from you.

Plaque Listing Madison County Indiana Recorders

While doing some research last year in the Madison County, Indiana Recorder's Office, I noticed this plaque which listed the names of all of the Recorders who have served through the years.

Plaque in Madison County, Indian Recorder's Office
Anderson, Indiana

My maternal great aunt, Martha (Phillips) Lambertson, served as the Recorder from 1979 to 1986.

I had previously written a blog post about her career in politics, when she was elected to two terms as a Republican.

Looking at the other names on the plaque, I did not see any others that I recognized as being related.

Albert Metzner household, 1940, Allen County, Indiana

Located the 1940 census record of the Albert Metzner household in Allen County, Indiana. Albert was my paternal 2nd cousin 3 times removed.  Our common ancestors were Jasper Metzner and Hannah Reisenburg.  Albert's parents were Louis Napoleon Metzner and Elizabeth Reiter.

1940 U.S. census, Allen County, Indiana, population schedule, Fort Wayne, enumeration district (ED) 94-42, SD 4, sheet 15B, 915 Lincoln Avenue, household 336, ; digital images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 26 January 2017); National Archives, Washington, D.C..

At the time of the enumeration, Albert and his wife were living in Ward 6 of the city of Fort Wayne.  The census states that Albert was renting his home for $38 per month.  Albert was 38 years old and was born in Indiana.  His wife, Linnea, was also 38 years but was born in Michigan.  In 1935, their residence was Grand Rapids, Kent County Michigan.

The record shows that Albert and Linnea had both completed 4 years of high school.  Albert's occupation was listed as a bartender at a tavern, and no occupation was listed for Linnea.

Also living in the household were sons Gordon, aged 10, born in Michigan who had completed the 4th grade; and Albert Jr., aged 8, born in Michigan who had completed the 1st grade.

If you have any additional information or are connected to this family, I'd love to hear from you.

Aaron Lewis Chew household, 1940, Clarke County, Iowa

Located the 1940 census record of the Aaron Lewis Chew household in Clarke County, Iowa.  Aaron was my paternal 6th cousin 4 times removed.  Our common ancestors were Richard Chew and Frances Woodward.  Aaron's parents were John William Chew and Mary Ann Relea.

1940 U.S. census, Clarke County, Iowa, population schedule, Doyle Township, enumeration district (ED) 20-2, SD 5, sheet 5A, household 97, ; digital images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 23 January 2017); National Archives, Washington, D.C..

At the time of the enumeration, Aaron and his wife were living in Doyle Township.  The census states he was renting his home for $10 per month and they lived on a farm.  Aaron was 74 years old and born in Iowa. His wife, Luella, was 72 years old and also born in Iowa.  In 1935 their residence was rural Clarke County Iowa.

The record shows that Aaron had completed the 5th grade and that Luella had completed the 8th grade.  Aaron's occupation was listed as a farmer, and Luella had no occupation listed.

If you have any additional information or are connected to this family, I'd love to hear from you.

Facebook Page for the TJLGenes Blog

Awhile back I created a Facebook page for this blog, located at www.facebook.com/tjlgenes where I could share blog posts and other items of interest I've been working on.

I'd seen other Geneabloggers do this for the blogs as a way to share and also separate their personal feed from the genealogy work, so I decided to give it a try.  I invited my friends and relatives to check it out.

Not sure at this point where I'm going with this - I have stopped linking my blog posts to my personal facebook feed, but i'm not sure what affect if any having a Facebook page for the blog is driving any traffic.

If you have a blog, do you have a FB page for it?  Your comments and suggestions are welcomed.

John LeMaster : Captain of Graduate Baseball Team

"Graduate Club Forms Two Baseball Teams," The Easterner (Ball State Teachers College), 5 August 1932; online images, Ball State Digitial Media Repository (http://libx.bsu.edu/cdm/ref/collection/BSUDlyNws/id/2758/rec/5 : accessed 7 February 2015), Ball State University Student Newspaper.

Graduate Club Forms Two Baseball Teams

Another baseball league will get under way on the campus with the organization of a two-team league by members of the Graduate club.  John LeMaster of Oakville is captain of one team and Jesse England of Redkey will direct the other.  Games will be at three o'clock on Thursday.

Names have not yet been chosen, as the teams are waiting for a victory before choosing a name.  Both captains are sure of winning the series.

Members of LeMaster's team are the following men: Cushman, Deer, Osborne, Lee Settle, Hoppes, Anderson, Warner, Ritchie and Gibson.

The men on England's team consist of the following: Glancy, Peckinbaugh, Mills, Delph, Caldwell, Cromer, Logan, DeMoss, Branson, Hamilton and Corey.

----
This article ran in the paper of Ball State Teachers College in regards to my paternal great uncle, John Leland LeMaster (1902-1980).  He was an athlete, coach, teacher and principal in his career in east-central Indiana.  At the time of this article, he was living in Oakville, Delaware County, Indiana.  He had previously been basketball coach at Redkey.

The digital archives of Ball State University has quite a few nuggets like this of family history.

 

 

 

 

Clarence LeMaster household, 1940, Jay County, Indiana

Located the 1940 census record of the Clarence LeMaster household in Jay County, Indiana.  Clarence is my paternal great uncle, the son of Luman Cooper LeMasters and Barbara Isabel Wehrly.  His family's enumeration was split over two pages.

1940 U.S. Census, Jay County, Indiana, population schedule, Madison Township, enumeration district (ED) 38-8, SD 5, sheet 9B, household 202, ; digital images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 17 January 2017); National Archives, Washington, D.C.

1940 U.S. Census, Jay County, Indiana, population schedule, Madison Township, enumeration district (ED) 38-8, SD 5, sheet 10A, household 202, ; digital images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 17 January 2017); National Archives, Washington, D.C.

At the time of the enumeration, Clarence and his wife were living in Madison Township.  The census states that Clarence was renting his home for $6 per month and that it was on a farm.  Clarence was 52 years old and born in Nebraska.  His wife, Mae, was 48 years old and born in Indiana.  In 1935 their residence was the same place.

The record shows that Clarence had completed the 7th grade and that Mae had completed the 8th grade. Clarence's occupation was listed as farmer, while Mae had no occupation listed.

Also living in the household were son Garth, age 18, born in Indiana who had completed 3 years of high school, and daughter Vera, age 14, born in Indiana who had completed the 7th grade. 

According to my database, two older children, Kenneth and Mary, were out on their own by the 1940 census, and one had died as an infant.

If you have any additional information or are connected to this family, I'd love to hear from you.

Chester G. Bigley household, 1940, Marshall County, Indiana

Located the 1940 census record of the Chester Bigley household in Marshall County, Indiana.  Chester was Eileen's maternal second cousin three times removed.  Her common ancestors were Daniel Fisher and Susannah Reeves.  Chester's parents were Thomas Jefferson Bigley and Sarah Jane Benedict.

1940 U.S. census, Marshall County, Indiana, population schedule, Union Township, enumeration district (ED) 50-18, SD 2, sheet 17B, household 351, ; digital images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 17 January 2017); National Archives, Washington, D.C..

At the time of the enumeration, Chester and his wife were living in Union Township.  The census states that Chester owned his home and it was valued at $1800, and was a farm.  Chester was 59 years old and born in Indiana.  His wife, Helen, was 35 years old and also born in Indiana.  In 1935, their residence was the same place.

The record shows that Chester had completed 1 year of college and Helen had completed 4 years of high school. Chester's occupation was listed as a painter, with building repair and Helen had no occupation listed.

If you have any additional information or are connected to this family, I'd love to hear from you.

Arthur Bevan household, 1940, Kiowa County, Kansas

Located the 1940 census record of the Arthur Bevan household in Kiowa County, Kansas.  Arthur was my maternal 3rd cousin 4 times removed.  Our common ancestors were Aaron Mills and Charity Mendenhall. He was also my 6th cousin 4 times removed through John Beals and Mary Clayton, and my 7th cousin 4 times removed (3 times) through William Clayton and Prudence Lanckford.  Arthur's parents were Stacy Bevan and Sarah Beals.

1940 U.S. Census, Kiowa County, Kansas, population schedule, Haviland, enumeration district (ED) 49-16, SD 11, sheet 6B, Chestnut Street, household 157, ; digital images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 17 January 2017); National Archives, Washington, D.C..

At the time of the enumeration, Arthur and his wife were living in the town of Haviland.  The census states that Arthur owned his home and the value was $1500 and it was a farm.  Arthur was 63 years old and born in Iowa.  His wife, Madge, was 60 years old and born in Indiana.  In 1935, their residence was the same place.

The record showed that Arthur had completed the 7th grade and that Madge had completed 4 years of high school. Neither of them had an occupation listed in the census.

According to my database, they had at least one son, Herman Lewis Bevan.

If you have any additional information or are connected to this family, I'd love to hear from you.

Family Photos Found At Alexandria-Monroe Historical Society

Sorting through some pictures I took at a visit to the Alexandria-Monroe Historical Society, I thought I would share them here.  The society has a nice collection of old local photos.  I'm looking forward to its re-opening in the spring so I can get back there and do more research.

This first photo was taken in 1954 and shows my uncle Terry, as a young Boy Scout at the new Marie Thurston Elementary school.

In the society's military room, this photograph of my maternal great-uncle, John M. High, who served on the USS Oklahoma at Pearl Harbor, was found:

Another photo in the military room was of my maternal great-aunt, Clara Ellen (Wright) High, who served with the WAVES during World War II:

Another photo I found while browsing at the museum was of my maternal great grandaunt, Geneva Ruth (Aldridge) Pierce when she was a little girl:

These types of wonderful photos are great finds at local historical societies.  I'm looking forward to returning to see what other gems I can add to my family history.

Exploratory Data Analysis : Prudence (Maxson) Smith (1817-1890)

Prudence (Maxson) Smith (1817-1890) was my paternal 3rd-great grandmother.  What follows is an exploratory analysis of the biographical data I have discovered about her.


1. Vital Records

     Prudence was born June 15, 1817 in Greene County, Ohio¹.

     1.1. Birth Certificate

          I have not located any birth record for Prudence, as her birth occurred before the State of Ohio was registering births.

          1.1.1. Birth Notice in Newspaper

               If Prudence's birth was recorded in a newspaper, I'm not aware of it.  Will search contemporary newspapers to see if mention was made of her birth.

          1.1.2. Bible Record

               I am not aware of any surviving Bible records of the Maxson family that mentions Prudence.  Will continue to reach out to extended family in hopes of locating one.

          1.1.3. Baptismal Record

               I am not aware of any baptismal record for Prudence, nor the church affiliation of the family at the time.  Her parents were buried in a Methodist Episcopal cemetery, so they may be affiliated with that denomination.

          1.1.4. Adoption Record

               There is no indication that Prudence was adopted.

     1.2. Marriage License

          Prudence married William P. Smith on October 5, 1836 in Clark County, Ohio².  Other sources had the date as October 3, 1836^1,3,4, but the actual record states the date was the 5th.

          1.2.1 Marriage Notice in Newspaper

               I've not yet searched available newspapers of the time period to see if mention was made of William and Prudence's nuptials.  Will add this to my list of "to-do" items for my next research trip.

          1.2.2. Anniversary Notice

                I've not yet searched available newspapers of the time period to see if mention was made of any anniversary celebrations.  Their 25th wedding anniversary would have been October 5, 1861 and their 50th wedding anniversary would have been October 5, 1886.

          1.2.3. Divorce Decree

                Although there is no indication that they were ever divorced, a complete search of local court records would need to be conducted to be sure.

     1.3. Death Certificate

          Prudence died February 22, 1890 in Salamonia, Jay County, Indiana¹.  I do not have a copy of her death certificate from Jay County, Indiana.  Will add this to my list of "to-do" items for my next research trip.

          1.3.1. Obituary in Newspaper

               I have not yet located an obituary mention for Prudence.  Will continue to search available newspapers to see if one exists.

          1.3.2. Funeral Home Records

               I will need to search the local historical society to see if they have any mention of funeral home records that might mention Prudence.

          1.3.3. Tombstone Photograph

               Prudence's tombstone in the Salamonia Cemetery in Salamonia, Jay County, Indiana has been photographed⁵.  A link to her memorial page at FindAGrave is located here.

2. Census Records

     2.1. Federal Census Records

          2.1.1. 1880 Federal Census

               On June 11, 1880, Prudence was enumerated in the William Smith household in Humboldt, Richardson County, Nebraska⁶, as Prudence Smith, wife, age 62, born in Ohio.  Both her parents were born in New Jersey.

          2.1.2. 1870 Federal Census

               On August 22, 1870, Prudence was enumerated in the William Smith household in Humboldt, Richardson County, Nebraska⁷, as Prudence Smith, age 54, born in Ohio.

          2.1.3. 1860 Federal Census

                On June 9, 1860, Prudence was enumerated in the William Smith household in Madison Township, Jay County, Indiana⁸, as Prudence Smith, age 43, born in Ohio.

          2.1.4. 1850 Federal Census

               On August 21, 1850, Prudence was enumerated in the William Smith household in Jefferson Township, Cass County, Michigan⁹, as Prudence Smith, age 34, born in Ohio.

     2.2. State Census Records

          No census records for the State of Ohio are known to exist.

          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.

     2.3. Agricultural Census Records

          I have not yet investigated these types of records to see what light they might shed on the Smith family.

3. Military Records

     3.1. Draft Registration

          Not applicable, as Prudence was female.

     3.2. Pension Records

           Prudence's husband did serve during the Civil War.  She died before him, so there wouldn't be a widow's pension, but I need to research his pension nonetheless.

     3.3. Service Records

           Not applicable, as Prudence was female.

4. Land Records

     4.1. Deed Records

          Deed records need to be thoroughly searched in Clark County, Ohio; Cass County, Michigan; Jay County, Indiana and Richardson County, Nebraska to see what records might mention Prudence.  Will add this to my list of "to-do" items for my next research trip.

     4.2. Plat map / county map

          Plat maps of Clark County, Ohio; Cass County, Michigan; Jay County, Indiana and Richardson County, Nebraska will need to be searched to see what information can be gleaned that might be relevant to my search.

5. Supplemental Records

     Supplemental records to search for Prudence 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. Brown, Walter L., "The Maxson Family. Descendants of John Maxson and Wife, Mary Mosher of Westerly, Rhode Island", 1954, p. 67.
2. "Ohio, County Marriages, 1790-1950," index and images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org): accessed 30 July 2011. entry for William Smith and Prudence Maxson, married 5 October 1836; citing Marriage Records, FHL microfilm 466399; Clark County Courthouse, Springfield, Ohio.
3. "Biographical and Historical Record of Jay County, Indiana", Lewis Publishing Company, Chicago, 1887, p. 647.
4. Jane Ann Spencer, Williamson & Spencer Funeral Homes, Inc. Portland and Pennville, Indiana Burial Records Book One 1892-1899 (Portland, Indiana, USA: Williamson & Spencer Funeral Homes, Inc., 2008), page 124.
5. FindAGrave, Inc., FindAGrave.com (www.findagrave.com : accessed 16 January 2017), Prudence Maxson Smith memorial.
6. 1880 U.S. Census, Richardson County, Nebraska, population schedule, Humboldt, enumeration district (ED) 320, SD 1, page 11, dwelling 129, household 129, ; digital images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 17 January 2017); National Archives, Washington, D.C..
7. William Smith household, 1870 U.S. census, population schedule, Township 12 Range 13, Richardson Co., NE, Page 3, Humboldt P.O., dwelling 13, family 16; National Archives mcropublication M593, roll 832., Page 121.
8. William Smith household, 1860 U.S. census, population schedule, Madison Twp., Jay Co., IN, Salamonia P.O., dwelling 60, family 60; National Archives micropublication M653, roll 269., Page 9.
9. William Smith household, 1850 U.S. census, population schedule, Jefferson Township, Cass County, Michigan, USA, page 298, dwelling 759, family 767; National Archives micropublication M432, roll 349.


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.

Irvin Arthur household, 1940, Greene County, Indiana

Located the 1940 census record of the Irvin Arthur household in Greene County, Indiana.  Irvin was my maternal 3rd cousin 4 times removed.  Our common ancestors are Alexander Crockett and Elizabeth Watkins.  Irvin's parents were William Riley Arthur and Ida Mae Casner.

1940 U.S. Census, Greene County, Indiana, population schedule, Worthington, enumeration district (ED) 28-11, SD 7, sheet 2B, household 59, ; digital images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 7 January 2017); National Archives, Washington, D.C..

At the time of the enumeration, Irvin and his wife were living in the town of Worthington.  The census states that Irvin was renting his home for $8 per month and that it was not a farm.  Irvin was 54 years old and born in Indiana.  His wife, Florence E., was 48 years old and also born in Indiana.  In 1935, their residence was the same place.

The record shows that Irvin had completed the 6th grade and that Florence had completed the 8th grade.  Irvin's occupation was listed as manager of a gas filling station and Florence's occupation was listed as a matron of a library.

Also living in the household were son Wayne, age 28, born in Indiana, a laborer on the railroad; Kenneth, age 25, born in Indiana, who had completed 3 years of high school; Bernard, age 14, born in Indiana who had completed 7th grade; Leonard, age 13, born in Indiana who had completed 5th grade.

If you have any additional information or are connected to this family, I'd love to hear from you.

He Even Took Money From His Mother

Located another article about James Orcutt, widower of my paternal 2nd grandaunt, Samantha Metzner.  She had died in 1890, and it appears that within a few years, James was in some financial difficulty.

Goshen Daily News, March 20, 1893, page 2

Left Many Debts Behind

PORTLAND, IND.  March 20 - James Orcutt, the time buyer, who left here about ten days ago, has turned out to be a heavy defaulter.  The following persons were beaten by him: John Ebert, $200; Fred Bimel, $250; D. L. Adams & Co., $104; Creamery Package Manufacturin company, $200; Shannon Rhoades, $900; William Humphrey, $300; Leonard Frank, $100; Mrs. Orcutt, his mother, $7000; Fred Axe, $100.  The People's bank also hold $500 of his paper with other people as security.  Orcutt was looked upon as perfectly reliable and honest. 

 I still need to research the court cases involved here in Jay County when I make another research trip.  This article was along the same lines as my previous post.

Later articles indicate that James was arrested and charged with embezzlement.  James was the grandfather of my black sheep relative, Harry Pierpont. 

Homer H. Beals household, 1940, Hamilton County, Indiana

Located the 1940 census record of the Homer H. Beals household in Hamilton County, Indiana.  Homer is my maternal 3rd cousin 4 times removed.  Our common ancestors are John Beals and Mary Carter.  He is also my 7th cousin 4 times removed (3 times!) through William Clayton and Prudence Lanckford.  Homer's parents were Thomas Elwood Beals and Eliza Matilda Hodgin.

1940 U.S. Census, Hamilton County, Indiana, population schedule, Ward 2, Noblesville, enumeration district (ED) 29-18, SD 6, sheet 2A, 1463 Logan Street, household 41, ; digital images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 14 January 2017); National Archives, Washington, D.C..

At the time of the enumeration, Homer and his wife were living in Ward 2 of the city of Noblesville.  The census states that Homer owned his home and that the value was $5000 and it was not on a farm.  Homer was 65 years old and born in Indiana.  His wife, Mabel, was aged 60 and also born in Indiana.  In 1935, their residence was the same place.

The record shows that Homer had completed the 8th grade and that Mabel had completed 4 years of college.  Neither Homer or Mabel had an occupation listed at the time of the census.

Also living in the household was their son, Lyndon, age 29, born in Indiana who had completed 1 year of college.  His occupation was listed as cashier for the newspaper.

If you have any additional information or are connected to this family, I'd love to hear from you.

Herman Asher household, 1940, St. Louis City, Missouri

Located the 1940 census record of the Herman Asher household in St. Louis City, Missouri.  Herman's wife, Jessie, was my maternal 3rd cousin 4 times removed.  Our common ancestors were Alexander Crockett and Elizabeth Watkins.  Jessie's parents were Joel Benjamin Byers and Ellen Elizabeth Carpenter.

1940 U.S. Census, Saint Louis City, population schedule, Ward 8, enumeration district (ED) 96-181, SD 11, sheet 61A, household 412, ; digital images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 8 January 2017); National Archives, Washington D.C..

At the time of the enumeration, Herman and his wife were living in Ward 8 of the city.  The census states that Herman rents his home and that the rent was $8 per month.  Herman was 55 years old and born in Missouri.  His wife, Jessie, was 53 years old and also born in Missouri.  In 1935, their residence was the same place.

The record didn't show that Herman had completed any level of education, but showed that Jessie had completed the 6th grade.  Herman's occupation was listed as mechanic repairman at a garage and Jessie didn't have any occupation listed.

Also living in the household was their daughter, Helen A., age 18, born in Missouri who had completed 3 years of high school.

According to my database, there were additional children in the family not living with them in 1940: Orville, Frank, Alice, Myrtle and Ruby.

If you have any additional information or are connected to this family, I'd love to hear from you.

Grover C. Ault household, 1940, Bledsoe County, Tennessee

Located the 1940 census record of the Grover C. Ault household in Bledsoe County, Tennessee.  Grover's wife, Ada, was my maternal 4th cousin 4 times removed.  Our common ancestors were Peter Swafford and Rennie Howard.  Ada's parents were Aaron Swafford and Nancy Alice Patton.

1940 U.S. Census, Bledsoe County, Tennessee, population schedule, 3rd District, enumeration district (ED) 4-7, SD 3, sheet 16B, household 253, ; digital images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 8 January 2017); National Archives, Washingon D.C..

At the time of the enumeration, Grover and his wife were living in the 3rd District.  The census states that Grover owned his home and the value was $1000 and that he lived on a farm.  Grover was 47 years old and born in Tennessee.  His wife, Ada, was 41 years old and also born in Tennessee.  In 1935, their residence was the same place.

The record shows that Grover had completed 1 year of college and that Ada had completed 3 years of high school.  Grover's occupation was listed as operator of a general store, and Ada didn't have an occupation listed.

Also living in the household were son Wiley, age 21, born in Tennessee who had completed 2 years of college; son Windell, age 18, born in Tennessee who had completed 3 years of high school; and daughter Katherine, age 15, born in Tennessee who had completed 2 years of high school.

According to my database, there was a son Paul, who was not listed with the family in 1940 and another son, Jamie, who had died in 1939.

If you have any additional information or are connected to this family, I'd love to hear from you.