Grantor & Grantee Research in Madison County, Indiana

Deed Records, Madison County, Indiana Recorder's Office

Went last Friday to the courthouse in Anderson to do some research on my Madison County, Indiana families.  Unlike other times when I've spent researching there, this time I had a plan.  I was focusing on four families : Alderman, King, Penisten and Wright and called them my AKPW group.  My goal was to start with the earliest records and see if I could discover when they came into the county and find transactions related to my direct lines.

I met with some success, mainly in getting the book and page numbers for future reference, but did also manage to obtain a couple of copies.  They only charge $1.00 per page, but those big books are hard to copy from.  Currently, they are in the process of imaging their records.  Anything from 1958-on is currently imaged, but of course, the records I am looking for are about 100 years earlier.  Below is a listing of what I did find, have not identified all of these records as my family.  Spelling may be off as well, some of that handwriting was difficult to read.

GRANTOR BOOK 1 1827-1850

ALDERMAN, Richard to SHAUL, William February 22, 1837 Book 4, page 372
ALDERMAN, James to NELSON, Andrew August 26, 1840 Book 6, page 369
ALDERMAN, John to GUSTIN, John November 2, 1844  Book 9, page 165 or 168
ALDERMAN, John to GNASH, Stephen   May 8, 1848  Book 11, page 472
ALDERMAN, J to GNASH, S April 22, 1850 Book 13, page 633

KING, Thomas to KING, David  December 11, 1844 Book 9, page 133
KING, Daniel to BRAY, Edward  February 16, 1849 Book 12, page 111
KING, D to KING, T  August 9, 1848 Book 13 page 65
KING, G S to DAVIS, J February 6, 1850 Book 13 page 104
KING, G S to MANN, A J September 6, 1850 Book 13, page 342
KING, Thomas to RUTH, Jesse January 28, 1850 Book 13, page 362
KING, Daniel to SIGLER, Francis November 23, 1850 Book 13, page 557

PENISTEN, Isaac to PENISTEN, Martha October 29, 1834 Book 2, page 228
PENISTEN, Isaac to PENISTEN, George May 21, 1836 Book 3, page 105 or 106
PENISTEN, Isaac to PENISTEN, George May 25, 1836 Book 3, page 106
PENISTON, John B to OOTON, Jordan March 24, 1838 Book 4, page 305
PENISTO, Washington to WILFONDG, George  September 24, 1838 Book 4, page 460
PENISTEN, George to PENISTEN, George B August 10, 1840 Book 6, page 417
PENISTEN, John B to PURGET, Henry June 11, 1841 Book 6 page 422
PENISTON, John B to SNELSON, Isaac P July 29, 1845 Book 9, page 88
PENISTON, H to WILSON, J.A. et al February 22, 1850 Book 13, page 121

WRIGHT - my Wrights were not in the county until the Civil War era, did not search Book 1

GRANTEE BOOK 1 1827-1850
Book is missing from the Madison County courthouse *

GRANTOR BOOK 2 1850-1858

ALDERMAN - No Aldermans found

KING, W to WHITEHEAD, G November 21, 1853 Book 16, page 205
KING, Wm to KING, J A December 3, 1853 Book 16, page 443
KING, D to KING March 11, 1854 Book 16, page 442
KING, D to DOUGLASS, T.H. March 11, 1854  Book 16, page 446
KING, Jno T to VORE, Jacob October 22, 1853 Book 17, page 160
KING, Danl to BECKWITH, T L January 21, 1856 Book 18, page 359
KING, Naten to SEEMANS, Saml April 7, 1858 Book 20, page 545

PENISTON, J B to PENISTON, Allen April 11, 1855 Book 17, page 396
PENISTON A to PENISTON Jr  April 13, 1855, Book 17, page 397
PENNISTON, Isaac to HUNT, Wm. February 11, 1856 Book 18, page 530
PENISTON, J. W. to PENESTEN, Allen September 29, 1856 Book 19, page 189
PENISTON, J. W. to PENESTEN, Allen September 29, 1856 Book 19, page 190
PENISTON, Allen to PENISTEN, G W September 29, 1856 Book 19, page 192
PENISTON, J. O. to PENISTEN G W September 29, 1856 Book 19, page 198

WRIGHTS - My Wrights were not in the county until the Civil War era, did not search Book 2

GRANTEE BOOK 2 1850-1858

ALDERMAN - No Aldermans found

KING, N from SMILY, R May 26, 1851 Book 14, page 266
KING, W from SIKES, Jesse December 30, 1851 Book 14, page 624
KING, Dnl from Smily, R October 17, 1851 Book 14, page 655
KING, T from KING, D August 9, 1848 Book 13, page 65
KING, D from Auditor M Co August 2, 1853  Book 16, page 197
KING, D from DEBOY, J  December 21, 1853 Book 16, page 441
KING, N from KING, D March 11, 1854 Book 16, page 442
KING, J A from KING, Wm December 3, 1853 Book 16, page 443
KING, J O from DAVIS, A G September 9, 1854 Book 17, page 73
KING, Daniel from RASS, R et al may 22, 1855 Book 17, page 475
KING & NICHOL from SMITH September 15, 1855 Book 17, page 552
KING & NICHOL from SMITH September 15, 1855 Book 17, page 556
KING, JOHN O from SCHALLBERGER January 26, 1856 Book 18, page 286
KING & HOPKINS CO   February 12, 1856 Book 18, page 387
KING, J W from COMER, Wm April 23, 1856 Book 19, page 622-624
KING, Newton from WILSON M H December 27, 1857 Book 20, page 261
KING, John from HADEN PARISh November 27, 1856 BOok 20, page 299

PENISTEN, Allen from PENISTEN J B April 18, 1855 Book 17, page 396
PENISTEN, Isaac from PENISTEN Allen April 18, 1855 Book 17, page 397
PENISTON, A from PENISTEN J W September 29, 1856 Book 19, page 189
PENISTON JW from PENISTON A September 29, 1856 Book 19, page 190
PENISTON JW from PENISTON A September 29, 1856 Book 19, page 192
PENISTON JW from PENISTON JB September 29, 1856 Book 19, page 192
PENNISTON Wash from KELLER, John March 28, 1857 Book 19, page 728
PENNISTON Wash from STANLEY, Thomas January 30, 1854 Book 19, page 730

WRIGHTS - My Wrights were not in the county until the Civil War era, did not search Book 2

GRANTOR BOOK 3 1858-1868

ALDERMAN - No Aldermans found

KING & NICHOL to DAVIS, Rebecca December 17, 1858 Book 21, page 470
KING & NICHOL to WILLIAMS A M December 28, 1858 Book 21, page 531
KING, Thomas to PURRELL E J October 18, 1858 Book 21, page 545
KING, Jno S to HOPKINS E November 27, 1858 Book 21, page 614
KING, Jno S to HOPKINS E November 27, 1858 Book 21, page 615
KING, Thomas to KING, Washington January 14, 1861 Book 24, page 151
KING, Amos to FRASTER R D October 3, 1861 Book 25, page 114
KING & NICHOL to SMITH, Jno April 30, 1862 Book 26, page 62
KING, Henry to DEHORITY, Jas M October 25, 1861 Book 26, page 162
KING, A J et al to GUSTIN December 31, 1860 Book 26, page 187
KING, John R to SHELTON, John August 29, 1863 Book 25, page 370
KING, Daniel to KING, Newton October 10, 1863 Book 25, page 478
KING, Newton to SUMMERS, Sml January 25, 1864 Book 27, page 520
KING, Amos to WALDEN E J June 13, 1864 Book 28, page 122
KING, Sarah E to LEE, Wm H October 5, 1864 Book 29, page 123
KING, Daniel to WILLIAMS Jas B December 21, 1864 Book 29, page 244
KING, Sarah E to HEFLER G December 27, 1846 Book 28 page 461
KING & NICHOL to BROTHERS, Wm February 11, 1865 Book 28, page 495
KING, A J to WILLIAMS, W W August 1, 1865 Book 31, page 228
KING, A J et al to WARD, Thomas December 5, 1864 Book 31, page 581
KING, A J to DOHNER June 5, 1866 Book 32, page 30
KING, A J to WALDEN, E J August 13, 1866 Book 32, page 137
KING, Mary J to CONNELL, J R March 18, 1867 Book 30, page 578
KING, A J et al to CRAIG, John February 17, 1866 Book 33, page 429

PENISTEN, Wm to BRONENBERG, M December 25, 1854 Book 21, page 211
PENISTON, M.J. to PENISTON, B.F. March 11, 1859 Book 23, page 497
PENISTON J W to LAWLER, James January 26, 1861 Book 24, page 53
PENISTON J W to ADAMS, Robert January 26, 1862 Book 24, page 492
PENISTON J W to ADAMS, Robert January 26, 1862 Book 24, page 493
PENNISTEN F D to FOOS, Alex January 1862 Book 26, page 330
PENISTON H M to SLIMMER, William February 24, 1863 Book 25, page 240
PENISTEN Wash to CLARK, S B June 13, 1864, Book 29, page 24
PENISTON H to KIRK, William April 17, 1865 Book 29, page 354
PENISTON John to CROAN, D E March 21, 1866 Book 31, page 609
PENISTON John to PENISTEN Mary July 17, 1866 Book 32, page 267
PENNISTEN W H H to HUNT, Wm A November 18, 1867 Book 33, page 308
PENNISTEN W H H to SHELLY, W H February 13, 1868 Book 33, page 461

WRIGHT - Only searched for Joseph Wright, none found

GRANTEE BOOK 3 1858-1868

ALDERMAN - No Aldermans found

KING, Thomas from DAVIS, George April 16, 1858 Book 21, page 181
KING, Amos J et al from JACKSOn, J H April 5, 1858 Book 21, page 56
KING, Thomas from OBRIEN,Thomas April 22, 1857 Book 21, page 180
KING, Thomas from DAVIS, George April 16, 1858 Book 21, page 181
KING & NICHOL from WILLIAMS A M February 18, 1859 Book 21, page 538
KING, Thomas from KING, Washington January 14, 1861 Book 24, page 151
KING, Amos J from GUTHRIE, William November 20, 1860 Book 25, page 113
KING, Wm M from BUCK, Henry December 27, 1867 Book 26, page 58
KING, Wm M from LAKE, Richard May 30, 1862 Book 26, page 179
KING, H N from WILSON, J W July 11, 1864 Book 25, page 442
KING, Newton from KING, Daniel October 10, 1863 Book 25, page 478
KING, Amos J from WILLIAMS, R N July 18, 1864 Book 28, page 163
KING, Amos J from McKINNEY Jacob July 17, 1864 Book 28, page 164
KING, Amos J from BROW A February 12, 1866 Book 32, page 27
KING, Amos J from SANDERS, Wm May 30, 1866 Book 30, page 73
KING, George W from JARROLL, Joseph May 2, 1866 Book 30, page 75

PENISTON Isaace W from HOLLINGSWORTH James July 29, 1861 Book 24 page 308
PENISTON H M from THOMPSON W A January 18, 1862 Book 24, page 561
PENISTON H M from BREWSTER RD October 18, 1862 Book 26, page 221
PENISTEN Wm B from PAINTER, Geroge March 19, 1863 Book 26, page 550
PENISTON John B from HAZLETT, James July 31, 1865 Book 31, page 211
PENISTON Allen from WRIGHT, Henry D October 23, 1860 Book 30, page 158
PENISTON Allen from HEINE Harris October 17, 1860 Book 30, page 160
PENISTON Allen from JACKSON Margaret October 4, 1860 Book 30, page 162
PENISTON Allen from YOUNG, Margaret February 24, 1863 Book 30, page 163
PENISTON Allen from VINYARD, Henry Aprill 11, 1860 Book 32, page 266
PENISTON Mary J from PENISTON John B July 17, 1866 Book 32, page 267
PENISTON Allen from ADAMS, Robert December 31, 1866 Book 32, page 334
PENISTON Wm H H from THOMPSON W A July 10, 1866 Book 33, page 190
PENISTON Wm H H from THOMPSON W A September 17, 1867 Book 33, page 206
PENISTON Wm H H from MOORE, Barkley Septmeber 28, 1867 Book 33, page 365

WRIGHT, Thomas from WRIGHT, Loretta September 17, 1862 Book 26, page 206
WRIGHT E B from VANCOUN, E J January 1, 1863 Book 26, page 328
WRIGHT John from CALVIN, Robert October 14, 1863 Book 27, page 164
WRIGHT Elijah from COON, Harrison August 22, 1863 Book 27, page 177
WRIGHT, Iradell from HENDRICK, Wm September 15, 1864 Book 28, page 201
WRIGHT, Iradell from Auditor M Co September 15, 1864 Book 1, page 5
WRIGHT, Iradell from Sheriff M Co February 23, 1865 Book 29, page 337
WRIGHT, Iradell from CHEVINGTON, William January 2, 1865 Book 29, page 234
WRIGHT, J from HOPPERWORTH, William October 9, 1865 Book 31, page 470
WRIGHT Iradell from BEESON September 23, 1865 Book 30, page 217
WRIGHT, W O from SUMPTER, James April 12, 1867 Book 30, page 325
WRIGHT, Joseph from WRIGHT, John November 1, 1867 Book 33, 280
WRIGHT, David from PREWITT, John H March 13, 1868 Book 33, page 504

* Though the courthouse no longer has a copy of Grantee Book 1, the State Archives and FHL has a copy in their catalog scanned - something to search at a future date.

Shaky Leaves : Isolina Simpson Death, 1914, Butler County, Ohio

Ancestry.com, "Ohio Deaths, 1908-1932, 1938-2007", Ancestry.com Operations, 2010, Provo, UT.

Working through more of the shaky leaves hints at Ancestry.com for my LeMaster & Allied Families and updated the record of the death on September 29, 1914 in Butler County, Ohio for my maternal first cousin 4 times removed, Isolina "Issie" (Lambertson) Simpson.

This record is a death index compiled by the state, and indicates that she died in Butler County and the record is filed in volume 1449 and certificate number 48466.

Issie was the wife of Edward Simpson and the daughter of George G. and Harriett (Jones) Lambertson. Our common ancestors are John and Sarah (Willson) Lambertson.

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

Charles Pierce, Alexandria High School, 1936

1936 Alexandria High School Spectrum, Alexandria,, Indiana

This is the yearbook photo of my maternal great-granduncle, Charles D. Pierce (1918-1991), in the 1936 edition of the Spectrum, the yearbook of Alexandria High School in Alexandria, Indiana.

This edition of the yearbook didn't list the activities that the Senior class members participated in.

Charles was the son of William F. & Vida (Maddox) Pierce, the half-brother of my great-grandmother, Edna Muriel (Pierce) Wright.

The yearbooks from this high school are available online at Alexandria-Monroe Public Library.

Shaky Leaves : Charles M. Trainer household, 1940 census Warren County, Ohio

Working through more of the shaky leaves hints at Ancestry.com for my LeMaster & Allied Families and updated the record of the 1940 census in Morrow, Warren County, Ohio for my maternal 3rd cousin twice removed, Charles M. Trainer and his wife.

1940 US Census, Warren County, Ohio, population schedule, Morrow, Salem Township, enumeration district (ED) 83-21, SD 7, sheet 8A, household 175, ; digital images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 24 April 2016); National Archives, Washington D.C..

Charles was working as a truck driver for a creamery, and had lived at the same residence in 1935.  He and his wife had both completed 4 years of high school.  They were renting their home.  Charles was 22 years old and his wife Estalena was 24 years old.

My common ancestors with Charles are John & Sarah A. (Willson) Lambertson.  Charles was the son of Charles T. & Bessie N. (Mengle) Trainer.

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

Exploratory Data Analysis : Catharine (Groenendyke) Pierce (1843-1913)

Catharine (Groenendyke) Pierce (1843-1913) was my maternal 3rd-great grandmother.  What follows is an exploratory analyis of the biographical data I have discovered about her.

1. Vital Records

     Catharine was born February 4, 1843 in Madison County, Indiana¹, according to her biography.

     1.1. Birth Certificate

          The State of Indiana did not require birth certificates until 1907, so no birth certificate for Catharine is available.

          1.1.1. Birth Notice in Newspaper

               If Catharine's birth was mentioned in a local newspaper, it has been lost to time.

          1.1.2. Bible Record

               I am not aware of any surviving Bible record for the Groenendyke family that would record the birth of Catharine.  Will continue to reach out to extended family in hopes that one will be found.

          1.1.3. Baptismal Record

               I am not aware of any baptismal record for Catharine, nor do I know the church affiliation of the Groenendyke family.

          1.1.4. Adoption Record

               There is no indication that Catharine was adopted.

     1.2. Marriage License

          I have been unable to locate a marriage record for Catharine and Edmund G. Pierce.  They were married May 15, 1864 in Madison County, Indiana², according to her biography.  The courthouse in Madison county suffered a fire in 1880 and early marriage records were lost.

          1.2.1 Marriage Notice in Newspaper

               Will need to search contemporary newspaper accounts to see if mention was made of Catharine and Edmund's nuptials.

          1.2.2. Anniversary Notice

               Catharine was widowed less than 10 years from the date of her marriage, when Edmund died January 8, 1875 in Madison County, Indiana.

          1.2.3. Divorce Decree

               There is no indication that Catharine and Edmund were ever divorced.

     1.3. Death Certificate

          Catharine died December 10, 1913 in Lafayette Township, Madison County, Indiana³.  The cause of death was valvular heart disease. 

          1.3.1. Obituary in Newspaper

               Catharine's obituary appeared in the December 11, 1913 edition of the Alexandria, Indiana Times-Tribune⁴ on page 1. The obituary stated that she passed away at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Margaret Jones in Lafayette Township.

          1.3.2. Funeral Home Records

               Will need to search the local historical society to see if they have funeral home records that might shed some light on Catharine's funeral.  Will add this to my list of "to-do" items for my next research trip.  According to her death certificate, the Albright funeral home handled the arrangements.

          1.3.3. Tombstone Photograph

               Catharine's tombstone in the Maplewood Cemetery in Anderson, Madison County, Indiana⁵, has been photographed.  A link to her memorial page at FindAGrave is located here.

2. Census Records

     2.1. Federal Census Records

          2.1.1. 1910 Federal Census

               On April 23, 1910, Catharine was enumerated in Lafayette Township, Madison County, Indiana⁶ in the John W. Jones household as Catherine Pierce, mother in law, female, aged 67, widowed, born in Indiana.  Both of her parents were born in Indiana.  She could read and write and spoke English and had no occupation.

          2.1.2. 1900 Federal Census

               On June 4, 1900, Catharine was enumerated as head of household in Lafayette Township, Madison County, Indiana⁷, as Catharine Pierce, female, born February 1843, age 57.  She was born in Indiana as were both of her parents.  She was listed as widowed, the mother of 2 children, both living.  She was renting her home.  She could read and write and spoke English.

          2.1.3. 1880 Federal Census

               On June 3, 1880, Catharine was enumerated as head of household in Lafayette Township, Madison County, Indiana⁸, as Catharine Pierce, female, age 37, widowed, keeping house.  She was born in Indiana, her father was born in Ohio and her mother was born in Ohio.

          2.1.4. 1870 Federal Census

               On July 15, 1870, Catharine was enumerated in the E.G. Pierce household in Lafayette Township, Madison County, Indiana⁹, as Catherine Pierce, age 27, female, keeping house.  She was born in Indiana, and could not read.

          2.1.5. 1860 Federal Census

               On July 11, 1860, Catharine was enumerated in the Eli Groenendike household in Pipe Creek Township, Madison County, Indiana¹⁰, as Catharine Groenendike, female, age 17, born in Indiana.

          2.1.6. 1850 Federal Census

               On September 9, 1850, Catharine was enumerated in the Elias Groanendike household in Pipe Creek Township, Madison County, Indiana¹¹, as Catharine Groanendike, age 6, female, born in Indiana.

     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.

     2.3. Agricultural Census Records

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

3. Military Records

     3.1. Draft Registration

          Not applicable, as Catharine was female.

     3.2. Pension Records

          I am not aware of any military service for Catharine's father or husband that would have made her eligible for a pension.

     3.3. Service Records

          Not applicable, as Catharine was female.

4. Land Records

     4.1. Deed Records

          Deed records will need to be thoroughly searched in Madison County, Indiana to see what records might mention Catharine and husband Edmund.  Will add this to my "to-do" list of 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

     A biography of Catharine appeared in the 1893 Portrait and Biographical Record Madison and Hamilton Counties, Indiana¹.  It mentions that her parents, Elias and Nancy (Jenkins) Groendyke were pioneer settlers of Madison County, Indiana and settled about one and a half miles southwest of Frankton.  The biography states that she and Edmund Pierce were the parents of five children.

     Supplemental records available for research on Catharine 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. Portrait and Biographical Record of Madison and Hamilton Counties, Indiana: containing biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens of the counties, together with biographies and portraits of all the presidents of the United States (Chicago: Biographical Publishing Company, 1893), p. 124.
2. Portrait and Biographical Record of Madison and Hamilton Counties, Indiana: containing biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens of the counties, together with biographies and portraits of all the presidents of the United States (Chicago: Biographical Publishing Company, 1893), p. 125.
3. Catherine Pierce, death certificate 1913-H218 (1913), Madison County Indiana Health Department, Anderson, Indiana.
4. "Madison County Woman Is Dead," obituary, Alexandria Times-Tribune, 11 December 1913; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 24 April 2016), The Alexandria Times-Tribune; page 1.
5. FindAGrave, Inc. FindAGrave.com (www.findagrave.com : accessed 24 Apr 2016), Catharine Groenendyke Pierce memorial.
6. John W. Jones household, 1910 U.S. census, population schedule, Lafayette Township, Madison County, Indiana, ED 107, SD 8, sheet 8A, dwelling 162, family 171; National Archives micropublication T624, roll 364., page 145.
7. 1900 U.S. census, Madison County, Indiana, population schedule, Lafayette Township, enumeration district (ED) 94, SD 67, page 345A, sheet 3, dwelling 46, family 46, ; digital images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 24 April 2016); National Archives, Washington, D.C..
8. Catharine Pierce household, 1880 U.S. census, population schedule, Lafayette Township, Madison County, Indiana, USA, page 1, ED 23, SD 3, dwelling 2, family 2; National Archives micropublication T9, roll 293.
9. E.G. Pierce household, 1870 U.S. census, population schedule, Lafayette Twp., Madison Co., IN, Page 32, dwelling 235, family 235; National Archives micropublication M593, roll 336., Page 184.
10. Eli Groenendike household, 1860 U.S. census, Pipe Creek Twp., Madison County, Indiana, dwelling 863, family 863; National Archives microfilm publication M653, Roll M653, page 277.
11. 1850 US Census, Madison County, Indiana, Pipe Creek Township, dwelling 549, family 549, ; digital images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 24 April 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.

Mom's DAR Process - Francis Smalley - Documenting Generation 3

What follows is the documentation that was collected and submitted with mom's application to the DAR through Patriot ancestor Francis Smalley for Generation 3 of her application.

Previously, I had posted about the steps in documenting Generations 1 & 2.

For this generation, the death certificate of Virgil Lee Wright, the birth certificate of Edna Muriel Pierce, the death certificate of Edna Muriel Wright and their marriage application was used as source information.

The death certificate for Virgil Lee Wright was issued by the Madison County, Indiana Health Department as certificate no 1972-C068.  The certificate stated his date of death was March 25, 1972 at Bradford N.H. (Alex) - this was the Bradford Nursing home in Alexandria.  His primary cause of death was listed as hypostatic pneumonia with myocardial infarction and arteriosclerosis - diabetes as contributing factors.  The death certificate states that his place of burial was Parkview Cemetery in Alexandria, Indiana.

Virgil Lee Wright, death certificate no. 1972-C068 (1972), Madison County Health Department, Anderson, Indiana, USA.

The birth certificate for Edna Muriel Pierce was issued by the Madison County, Indiana Health Department as Certificate 97-H664 in Book H-1 page 38, filed on 2/16/1897.  The certificate states she was born February 16, 1897 in Orestes, Indiana, the daughter of William F. Pierce & unknown Penisten.  Both of her parents were listed as born in Indiana.  Previously, I had listed her as being born in Alexandria, as her obituary had stated she was born in Alexandria.

Edna Muriel Pierce, birth certificate 97-H664, Book H-1, page 38 (1897), Madison County, Indiana Health Department, Anderson, Indiana.

The death certificate for Edna Muriel Wright was issued by the Madison County, Indiana Health Department as certificate 1968-0165.  The certificate stated she died March 3, 1968 at Community Hospital, which was in Anderson, Indiana.  Her primary cause of death was listed as pulmonary edema and congestive heart failure.  The death certificate states that her place of burial was Parkview Cemetery in Alexandria, Indiana.

Edna Muriel Wright, death certificate no. 1968-0165 (1968), Madison County Health Department, Anderson, Indiana, USA.

The marriage license for Virgil and Edna was filed in Madison County, Indiana Clerk's Office Book 20, page 187 (1915). Virgil was a farmer and Edna was a doing house work.  Virgil's residence was rural route 20, Alexandria and Edna's was rural route 19.  Virgil's birth date was listed as July 6, 1894 in Madison County and Edna's as February 16, 1897 in Madison County.  Edna's parents were listed as William Pierce, a farmer, and Clara Pennisten, both were born in Madison County, Indiana.  Her father's residence was listed as Alexandria, Indiana; her mother's was blank (she was deceased).  Virgil's parents were listed as John W. Wright, a farmer, and Ellen King.  His father's residence was listed as Alexandria, Indiana; his mother was listed as deceased.  Note that Virgil's mother was listed as deceased, though Edna's had a line through the residence - both mother's were deceased.  This was the first marriage for both of them.  Virgil's father's consent was attached to the application, as he was under 21. The marriage was performed the day the license was issued, June 19, 1915, by Rev. Newton Wilson of Alexandria, Indiana.

Virgil L Wright and Edna M. Pierce marriage, (1915), Madison County Marriage Book 28: page 187; Clerk's Office, Anderson, Indiana.

A birth certificate was not available for Virgil, though one was available for his wife.  Indiana did not require birth certificates until 1907, so filing was rather optional before this time.  When mom was first meeting with the local chapter, it was thought this might be a stumbling block, and they suggested she send off to the state for the long-form death certificate.  In the end, they were able to use the date of birth for Virgil from his marriage license.

If you have any additional information or are connected to these families in any way, I would love to hear from you.

Fishing Story : The Ones That Got Away

Alexandria Indiana Times-Tribune, 31 Aug 1949, page 4

My grandpa liked to fish, and I found this mention of one of his trips to Lake Tippecanoe in Indiana in the Alexandria Times-Tribune of August 31, 1949 where my grandmother was mentioned as well.  Apparently, the fish got away!

Bill Wright, employee of the post office, was telling the folks back home about the "ones that got away," while on his vacation.  Mr. and Mrs. Wright were fishing at Tippecanoe lake last Saturday night and had a string of six fish tied on the back of the boat.  The boat drifted into some weeds and the fish became tangled up in the weeds and broke loose.

Among the catch was the largest fish ever caught by Mrs. Wright, a one and one-fourth pound crappie.

That's the story! 

These snippets of information from the local newspapers provide a lot of color to the lives of my ancestors and make for some interesting reading.

Clara Ellen Wright, Alexandria High School, 1935

1935 Alexandria High School Spectrum, Alexandria, Indiana

This is the yearbook photo of my maternal great-aunt, Clara Ellen Wright (1916-2005), in the 1935 edition of the Spectrum, the yearbook of Alexandria High School in Alexandria, Indiana.

She was a member of the Spectrum staff her Senior year, was a four-year member of the Girl Reserves, in the Health & Photography Club, the Booster Club, Mixed Chorus, Home Economics Club and served on the Student Council.

The yearbooks from this high school are available online at Alexandria-Monroe Public Library.

Thoughts on IGS 2016 Conference

Last Saturday, I attended the Indiana Genealogical Society's annual conference in Fort Wayne, Indiana at the Allen County Public Library.  This was my first conference since joining the society earlier this year.

The venue couldn't have been better, as I love spending time at the Genealogy Center.  I took advantage of the break time and part of my lunch hour to squeeze in some research, as well as the hour the library was open after the conference wound down.  Even though I'm within an hour of this library, I can never get enough research time there.  You need to put it on your bucket list if you've never researched here.

The conference was value priced as far as I was concerned, and had two great speakers : Jeanne Larzalene Bloom and Jen Baldwin.  It was tough to decide which sessions to attend, but I was glad to receive syllabus copies for all sessions in my registration packet so I can glean the information later for those sessions I didn't attend.

Pre-conference, I was able to make a contact from the Illinois Genealogical Society at the IRAD display who took one of business cards and is going to see what she can find out on my Gurdon Pierce who died 1861 in Sugar Grove, Kane County, Illinois.  I was glad I had a few business cards with me, and this was a reminder that I should probably have some "genealogy" business cards printed up with my contact information.

Jen Baldwin

The first session I attended was Jen Baldwin's presentation on Being More Than Social on Social Media.  While most in the audience were already on social media, Jen's presentation focused on building a plan for your social media presence, whether for your personal brand or for a society  you represent.  There were several representatives of local genealogical and historical societies in the audience.  Jen stressed the importance of having not only an established goal for your social media presence but a plan to deal with the risk of success and failure in a medium that expects instant response.  

I also attended Jen's presentation on Paperless Genealogy : Eliminating the Binders, File Cabinets and Post-It Notes.  Eliminating the paper piles is a long standing goal of mine, and she presented a variety of digital tools that compliment genealogical research such as Evernote, OneNote, Trello, Endnote, Mendeley, To-Doist, Wunderlist, Dropbox, GoogleDrive & Pinterest, just to name a few.  She provided examples of how she utilizes these services for her research and showed the benefits of having research notes, etc. digitally preserved and at hand through our mobile devices. The key is to find a system that works for you and create a habit of converting (or starting with) the digital format instead of printing the piles of paper.

After a quick lunch, I was back in the stacks for a bit doing some research.  One thing I discovered on this visit to the library was that when you search their card catalog in the Genealogy Center, you can have the results texted to your cellphone.  No need to bother with pencil and paper, just have the text with you as you browse the stacks!  

I attended the annual meeting of the Society after lunch, rather than continue researching, for a couple of reasons.  I wanted to learn more about how IGS operates and what programs they offer and since I was paying dues I thought I should see where my money was going.  I must say that I am impressed at this well-run organization, both financially and activity-wise they seem to have it together.

I enjoyed seeing the presentations of the members who had joined the heritage societies within the IGS - those who had Civil War ancestors and the Territorial Guard - those whose ancestors were in Indiana when it became a state.  I now have a goal to see if I have an ancestor who qualifies as a Territorial Guard ancestor, I know of several Civil War veterans to qualify.

Jeanne Larzalere Bloom

After lunch, I attended Jeanne Larzalere Bloom's session - You're Not in Kansas Anymore : Essential Resources for Urban Area Research.  Though I don't have many ancestors in large urban areas, there are several collateral lines that are in those areas and I've been interested in finding out how to research them.  Jeanne's presentation outlined a strategy for research that could be adapted to any situation, but she focused on the specific problems and unique record sources that are available in large urban areas, such as Chicago.  I was able to glean a lot of strategy tips that I can use on tracking my kin through the big cities and sort out who is who.

The final session I attended was another one from Jen Baldwin - Going Back to School : Utilizing University Resources.  This presentation gave me a lot to work with, and I've been utilizing it over the past few days since the conference.  Sources such as the special collections and digital archives of local universities can provide tons of items for use in family history, such as maps, that will be found nowhere else.  She highlighted some of the special collections in Colorado that gave me tools to research my LeMaster great-uncle who was out in Fort Collins.

When the conference wrapped up, there was still an hour left until the library closed, and I took advantage of that time to seek out a couple of surname books to see if there was anything of interest on my lines.  

All in all, I had a great time at the conference, made some connections, learned several things and supported my state society.  I'm already looking forward to attending next year in Indianapolis, as well as looking into other conferences and events that were highlighted out at the vendor tables.

I apologize for the horrible pictures I snapped from my cellphone.

They Went Off To War Together

William Lee Wright (1919-1973)

Robert Earl Walsh (1922-2016)

One of the family stories I had heard for years related to my maternal grandfather, William Lee "Johnny Bill" Wright and my maternal great-uncle, Robert Earl Walsh going off to war together during World War II.  The two had married sisters : my grandfather married Bonnie Mae Lambertson in 1941 and my great-uncle married her sister, Ruby June Lambertson in 1944.

Both men served in the Army Air Corps during World War II and wanted to become pilots.  A heart murmur kept my grandfather grounded, and he became a radioman, while Bob was a pilot, though too late in the war to go overseas.

Thanks to Newspapers.com I was able to verify the story that they did, in fact, join up together.  In the January 6, 1944 edition of the Alexandria Times-Tribune in Alexandria, Indiana, I found the following :

Alexandria Times-Tribune, Alexandria, Indiana, January 6, 1944, page 1.

Twenty-one Men Leave Today to Learn Whether or Not They Will Soon be Wearing Uniforms

Another group of 21 men from the north part of Madison county left Alexandria this morning for Fort Harrison at Indianapolis to take their final physical examinations for entrance into the armed services.  This was the first call of the new year.

All of the men will return this afternoon, and those who are excepted for the Army will have 21 days furlough before starting their training. Some accepted for the other branches will have shorter furloughs before reporting to camps.

The group today included the following men:

Alexandria - Joseph Little, Earl Bramel, William Wilson, James Zetel, Paul Roby, Marvin Willis.

Elwood - Wallace Garret, Miton Hodson, Ralph Hartsock, William Wright, Marvin Call, Clifford Bryan, Clifford Bryan, Robert Walsh, James Murray, Paul McCord, James Beeman, Edgar Barnett.

Frankton - Harold Etchison.

Anderson - Herbert K. Closser, Harold Durham.

Three of the men were volunteer fathers, Ralph Hartsock, William Wright and Harold Durham.....

Noted that the article mentioned my grandfather was a volunteer who was a father.  He had married in 1941 and his son was born in 1942.  I was not aware that he was living in Elwood (where my grandmother's family was from) in 1944, unless the paper made a mistake. 

Another story I had heard was that my great-grandmother was upset when she found out her adult and married son had enlisted in the Army, and that she spent time writing letters to Congressmen to get him out of the Army.  Not sure if that one will ever be verified, but at least the one about Bob Walsh and "Johnny Bill" Wright signing up for the Army together was true and has been verified.

Exploratory Data Analysis : John Penisten (1838-1908)

John Penisten (1838-1908) was my maternal 3rd-great grandfather.  What follows is an exploratory analysis of the biographical information I have discovered about him.


1. Vital Records

     John was born December 1838 in Indiana¹, according to census records.

     1.1. Birth Certificate

          The State of Indiana did not require birth certificates at this time.

          1.1.1. Birth Notice in Newspaper

                If John's birth was mentioned in a local newspaper, it has been lost to time.

          1.1.2. Bible Record

               I am not aware of any surviving Bible record of the Penisten family that would record the birth of John.  Will continue to reach out to extended family members in hopes that one will be found.

          1.1.3. Baptismal Record

               I am not aware of any baptismal record for John, nor do I know the church affiliation of the Penisten family.  Later in life they were associated with the Methodist Episcopal church.

          1.1.4. Adoption Record

               There is no indication that John was adopted.

     1.2. Marriage License

          I have been unable to locate a marriage record for John and his wife Jane Alderman.  Based on the birthdates of their children, I have assumed that it took place circa 1868 in Madison County, Indiana.  The courthouse in Madison county suffered a fire in 1880 earlier marriage records were lost.

          1.2.1 Marriage Notice in Newspaper

               Will need to search contemporary newspaper accounts to see if mention was made of John and Jane's nuptials.

          1.2.2. Anniversary Notice

               Until I can locate the specific date of their marriage, I will be unable to search for mention of their anniversary in local newspapers.

          1.2.3. Divorce Decree

               There is no indication that John and Jane were ever divorced.

     1.3. Death Certificate

          John died March 10, 1908 in Madison County, Indiana.  I do not have a copy of his death certificate.  Will add that to my list of "to-do" items for my next research trip.

          1.3.1. Obituary in Newspaper

               John's obituary appeared in the March 11, 1908 edition of the Alexandria Times-Tribune², stating that he died of paralysis.

          1.3.2. Funeral Home Records

               Will need to search the local historical society to see if they have records of funeral homes that might shed some light on John's funeral.  Will add this to my "to-do" list for my next research trip.

          1.3.3. Tombstone Photograph

               John's tombstone in the I.O.O.F. cemetery in Alexandria, Indiana has been photographed³.  A link to his memorial at FindAGrave is located here.

2. Census Records

     2.1. Federal Census Records

          2.1.1. 1900 Federal Census

               On June 15, 1900, John was enumerated as head of household in Orestes, Monroe Township, Madison County, Indiana⁴, as John Penisten, white, male, farmer, born December 1838, age 62.  He was married and had been married for 32 years.  He could read and write and spoke English and rented his home.  He was born in Indiana, both parents were born in Ohio.

          2.1.2. 1880 Federal Census

               On June 15, 1880, John was enumerated as head of household in Fall Creek Township, Madison County, Indiana⁵, as John Penniston, white, male, farmer, age 41.  He was born in Indiana, and both of his parents were born in Ohio.

          2.1.3. 1870 Federal Census

               I have not yet located John in the 1870 census. I would have expected to find him in Madison County, Indiana, either in Richland Township (where his wife's father was) or in Fall Creek Township (where they were in 1880).  Will continue to search in the hopes that they were mis-indexed.

          2.1.4. 1860 Federal Census

               On July 18, 1860, John was enumerated in the Sarah Pennington household in Richland Township, Madison County, Indiana⁶, as John Pennington, age 20, male, farmer, born in Indiana.  The name was clearly spelled Pennington in this record.

          2.1.5. 1850 Federal Census

               On October 1, 1850, John was enumerated in the George Peniston household in Richland Township, Madison County, Indiana⁷, as John Peniston, age 11, male, born in Indiana.  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.

     2.3. Agricultural Census Records

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

3. Military Records

     3.1. Draft Registration

          I have not yet located any military draft records for John during the Civil War period.

     3.2. Pension Records

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

     3.3. Service Records

          I have not yet located any evidence of military service for John.

4. Land Records

     4.1. Deed Records

          Deed records will need to be thoroughly searched in Madison County, Indiana to see what records might mention John and wife Jane.  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 might be gleaned that would be relevant to my search.

5. Supplemental Records

     Supplemental records available for research on John 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. John Penniston household , 1880 U.S. census, population schedule, Fall Creek Township, Madison County, Indiana, page 22B, ED 31, SD 3, dwelling 195, family 204; National Archives micropublication T9, roll 293.
2. "Died of Paralysis," obituary, Alexandria Times-Tribune, 11 March 1908; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 17 April 2016), The Alexandria Times-Tribune; page 2.
3. FindAGrave, Inc. FindAGrave.com (www.findagrave.com : accesed 17 April 2016), John Penisten memorial
4. 1900 US census, Madison County, Indiana, population schedule, Monroe Township, enumeration district (ED) 96, SD 67, sheet 11B, dwelling 226, family 241, ; digital images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 20 December 2015); National Archives, Washington, D.C..
5. John Penniston household , 1880 U.S. census, population schedule, Fall Creek Township, Madison County, Indiana, page 22B, ED 31, SD 3, dwelling 195, family 204; National Archives micropublication T9, roll 293.
6. 1860 U.S. census, Madison County, Indiana, population schedule, Richland Township, page 132, dwelling 947, family 947, ; digital images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 17 April 2016); National Archives, Washington, D.C.
7. 1850 U.S. Census, Madison County, Indiana, Richland Township, dwelling 725, family 725, ; digital images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 17 April 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.