Genealogy Forum NEWS
May, 1998
Mothers & Grandmothers II
Don't Give Up!
Submitted by GFS BARB@aol.com
Mira HENRY my ancestor has been an elusive one to track down, I've been searching for her for six years. I exhausted all the records in Georgia i thought, having gone into 16 counties looking for her.
Last week I got an email from California, someone who descended from her , and husband Joseph CAVENDER. He found proof of her ancestry and parents thru records in TEXAS where some of their children settle in the 1850s.
I had record that they had 10 children but no researcher had all the names, this researcher added two more to the list. It was such a wonderful feeling to get past this brick wall. When you hit one its best to sit back and wait before trying again. I always go to another family or try going in the back door thru all the children and neighbors, for clues. Always review what you already have filed away, clues are always hidden there.
Myra was the daughter of William Henry and Jane Russell she married Joseph in Pendleton County, SC abt 1810. They died in Walker County, GA., now i will start researching there for tombstones , wills, obits etc. and will include that county on my trip plans this summer.
The moral is never give up, hope for the best, and one year you will have all the fantastic luck ive had since the first of the year. Found about a hundred new surnames to research, some of it relating to English and Irish royalty and even presidents. None of these i had to look for they have been just falling in my lap, i'm going to take advantage of lady luck and hope for more. Anyone having HENRY families I'll adopt them all (G)
gfsbarb@aol.com
Grandmother
Submitted by GFS MRG@aol.com
Agnes Anna Hunt was born to William Patrick Hunt and Katherine Murray Hunt on September 15, 1896, in the town of Orienta, Wisconsin. She was married June 28, 1921 to Carl John Anderson in a double ceremony. The other couple was Catherine Hazel Hunt, her sister, and Patrick Jeremiah Sullivan.
Carl and Agnes had three children, Robert Edward, Margaret Rita (Marne), and A. Ruth. Robert and Marne never married and are still living with Agnes. Ruth married Joseph Marion Giuliano.
Joseph and Ruth had five children: Catherine Ruth who married Wayne Shamion, Theresa Rose (Teri), Melissa Rae who married Steve Watson, Robert Joseph who married Julie Kwiatkowski and Michelle Renee. Melissa and Steve have two children, Mariel Elise and Logan Alliso.
William Patrick Hunt was born in Curragh Camp of County Kildare in Ireland on February 9, 1860. His parents, William Patrick Hunt and Margaret Keeshan headed to Kingston Ontario Canada where William was to be stationed as part of the British Military. Margaret never made it, dying at sea on the way. William Patrick Hunt, Sr. died in Canada in a railroad accident. After his father’s death, young William made his way to the state of Wisconsin in the United States, where he met his wife, Katherine Murray. They were married on July 2, 1889, in Erin Prairie, Wisconsin. Katherine was born in Erin Prairie on January 9, 1863 to Patrick Murray and Mary McNeil. Patrick died four years later. Mary was born in Ireland. Archibald, her brother, eloped to Pennsylvania. Mary followed Archibald to the United States, when she was 16, eventually moving to Erin Prairie after living in Keokuk, Iowa.
William and Katherine had three children while living in Ashland, WI. Mary was born on July 23, 1890, William Patrick, III, was born on September 22, 1891, and John Edward was born on July 23, 1893. The family then moved to Orienta (in Bayfield County) where Catherine Hazel was born on February 14, 1895. Agnes was born the following year. The final child born in Orienta was Leo on October 15, 1897, he died the following April. The family then moved back to Ashland. Another son was born on August 20, 1899, he was named Leo. Lloyd Joseph was born January 7, 1901; Francis Murray was born August 23, 1902 and Margaret Rose was born October 7, 1904.
The family then moved to Lac De Flambeau where the final child, Thomas J., was born on September 9, 1906. The family remained in Lac Du Flambeau for three years, then moved to Fosterville (later called Winegar and now called Presque Isle). The family lived in Fosterville until 1916 when there were forced to move to Hurley because William was fired by the saw mill manger, Charlie Thomas, to break up the engagement of Crystal Thomas and John Edward Hunt because the Hunts were Catholic. Agnes remained in Fosterville when the family moved, living with her older sister, Mary. Agnes met Carl there and unknown to Agnes, Carl took instructions to become a Catholic, telling her only when he invited her to his baptism.
As a child growing up, I spent a great deal of time at my grandparents house, we went there every Sunday for dinner. I would also spend weekends there and in the summer at least one week was spent at my grandmother’s house. My grandmother told me wonderful stories about her life, including how she played baseball with her brothers and even had an offer to play with the Boston Blommer Girls.
Agnes also related the events of living in a small lumber town. She fondly told of making bread one day only to not have it rise. She tried everything she could, but it just would not rise. She eventually gave up and through it out, down the hole in the outhouse. The next time she went to the outhouse, she discovered that the bread had finally risen, filling the hole.
When our family got a dog, it brought back stories of the pets that they had. My grandmother knelt down next to a large rocking chair every night to say her prays. She told of a dog they owned that used to join her. The dog would put its paws up on the seat, crossed, and put its head down on its paws. When my grandmother finished, so did the dog.
They also owned cats. One cat had a ball that it played with. When it was done playing, the cat would hide the ball so only he could find it. When it was ready to play again it would get the ball and bring it to you.
One day when my grandmother was making jam; she went out to talk to a neighbor. The jam was still cooking on the stove and jars of already made jam were on the window sill. She suddenly remembered the jam and rushed into the house; only to find the jam on the stove burning. She threw open the windows to clear the house of smoke, forgetting about the jars of jam on the window sill All the jars fell and broke. She went out and invited her neighbor in to see ‘moving pictures’.
My Grandmother
Submitted by GFS Tracy@aol.com
Have you ever gotten one of those gifts that you could never put a price tag on? Not in a million years? I received one of those gifts from my Grandmother for my 18th birthday. Your 18th is a rather "special" birthday. You've grown up... you're legally an adult. My Grandmother reminded me on that day, just how much growing up I had done.
What follows was her gift to me for my very first birthday. She held onto it, keeping it safe for 17 years. Until such a time as I could truly appreciate it, and now I do. I consider it one of my greatest treasures, and a memory of times long since past. We're not as close now as we used to be, and I feel sad when I think about the time we've lost over the years. But reading this helps me remember a time when grandma was my best friend and brings a smile back to my heart.
Happy First Birthday Tracy
I remember Grandma. :-)
What else can I say,
You grow more precious with
Each passing day.
I've watched your first steps,
Your first tumbles too,
That very broad smile
I get just from you.
We waited anxiously for your
First tooth to appear,
But you wouldn't let probing
Fingers come near.
You learned very quickly
A word or two,
And some catchy phrases like
"What did you do?"
You've grown several inches
And gained a few pounds,
In a cute little body where great
Personality and enery abounds.
We've shared happy hours
And lots of fun too,
Hope you'll always remember
How much grandma loves you.
Grandma J.
(Editors note, the picture used for the AOL version of the Newsletter this month is our little GFS Tracy)
Census And Legends
Submitted by GFS Judy@aol.com
Did you know that census records can prove old family legends wrong?
Josephine Saunders Bothem married her second husband Robert Cary in 1865 and lived with him until his death in 1919. Robert was a Civil War veteran and Josephine applied for his pension only to find out another woman, Catherine Bedell Cary Ketchem, had also applied for the same pension!
Catherine claimed she had married Robert in 1855 and lived with him 6 years. Josephine said in her deposition that she had heard Robert had been married before but that his wife had married again while he was off at war. Robert and his family claimed this wasn't true and that no such marriage existed. After much debate and an act of the House of Representatives, Josephine was declared the legal widow and awarded a monthly pension of $30.
But the 1860 NY census tells the rest of the story. Two houses away from Robert Cary's father Flewellon Cary's house is Robert Cary, his wife Catherine and their 3 year old son, Flewellon Cary !!! What happened to the little boy named for his grandfather is still unknown but census records certainly helped me solve the mystery of two wives.
GFS Judy Judy Michael Mable
My Grandmother
Submitted by GFS Bud@aol.com
'Tis My Irish greatgrandmother, Mary Duffy Buckley, was the daughter of one Martin Duffy and Bridget McGinty. According to a great Uncle of mine who was an arialist with the Barnam and Bailey Circus, Mary was quite a package.
Mary rode horses straight up before it was lady like to do so. She fought game cocks, and smoked big black cigars. Her husband Andrew Buckley was the Justice of peace in Clinton, Iowa, after having served in the Civil War.
One day my great uncle, who was a contemporary of my mother, was in the kitchen with great Grandmother and she was smoking her cigar when she heard the grocery boy on the back porch. She handed 5 year old Harold Buckley the cigar. The grocery boy came in, set the groceries on the kitchen table, and saw the boy. He said to Greatgrandma, " Is that kid smoking a CIGAR ??" She promptly replied, "Yes, ISN'T THAT TERRIBLE".
How 'bout those for genes ??
GFS bud
My Mother
Submitted by GFS Nance@aol.com
I have always been proud of my Grandmother Lulu Fowler Krepleevers achievements in haveing her own Mobile Home Park in Toledo (Washington Township called "Twinwall Mobile Home Park" She was also president of the Mobile Home Park Board of Toledo in the '30s and '40s and she was the first person to be the station master for the old Electric railroad that ran through Waterville, Ohio in Lucas County. Her father John Allen Fowler built the station for the Electric railroad that ran through that town.
What I am most proud of is my 83 year old Mother (Lulus' daughter). She went with me and 37 other people of Providence Lutheran of Holland Ohio and Epiphany Lutheran of Toledo most of them our combined high school Luther Leaguers, with adult chaperones to Jacksonville Beach Florida to work for Habitat for Humanity in Co-operation with Beachs Habitat, Carver Community Center, and Oprah Winfrey Habitat project. Mom work right along with the kids in helping building two of the houses.
We put the outside OSB boards on, tar paper, she marked on the floor of both houses where the studs are, she gave the kids moral support, We are so proud of our youth getting up on the roof and roofing both houses and the walls and tarpaper the outside walls, and half of our people went to another site to help clean up property of a 95 year old lady and scrape her house and paint it for her. What an improvement over what it was when we arrived.
Mom and I stayed at the Habitat site all four days, it was easier for her to handle plus there was a porta potty there LOL, the other site you had to walk 4 blocks to go. We stayed at the St. Pauls Catholic Elementary Gymnasium with the use of the whole facility. Most everyone slept on sleeping bags over air mattresses on the gym floor, mom slept on a cot we had brought along. I cannot wait till my pictures I took come back, I am planning on putting a new home page up for the trip.
Oh by the way! we were on PBS for Beaches Habitat and there was a couple articles about what we all did with pictures. After all didn't the Amish start this? Building each other's cabins and barns over 150 years ago?
Ma Moss
Submitted by GFS HOOK@aol.com
The following is an example of a mother's love - not just for her own natural-born children, but for one who had lost her birth mother. The "Ma Moss" mentioned below is Sabra E. COEY MOSS, my gr-gr-grandmother. The original of this letter is in the
possession of my dear cousin of Alberta, Canada.
"...You know my own mother and Ma Moss was own sisters. She was just my aunt but she would't let me call her that. I remember I did just once and it made her awful mad and I knew enough not to call her that any more. I was not adopted, so she was my aunt.My mother and Ma Moss maiden name was Coey. Their parents grandpa and grandma Coe came from Maryland so I suppose they was both born there. I can remember Ma a telling about her father and mother a working for some folks and they had a little girl baby and it died and of corse (her spelling) the burred it up there.
They was real poor and soon after they took a notion to come to Ohio. They did not have a thing only there clothes. They walked clear from Maryland to Ohio and settle down in the hills. They built them a little one room house and there they lived and raised 10 children and 3 besides that died when they was babys so you see they died poor. When I was 52 Katie and I went to Ohio and when I was at one of my brothers he took us over to see our grandpa Coey place and there was the same little house where they was all born in it.
Ma said she was only 14 when her mother died. She said after all the children got married and left, her father went and lived with my own mother and died therre and I was at my own home place and stayed there a week. My step-mother was a living there and she did treat us so nice. It was just a small house one room and a upstairs. I seen the corner of the house where I was born and where my mother died.
After the funeral Ma come back and got me and took me to her house and when I was 2 years old the took a notion to come to Kansas and they took me to my father home to see if they could take me with them and my father look at me and said "Well, you have raised her you think more of her than I do." It made Ma mad and she said that they would take me along with them.
When we was out in Ohio we went to the cemetery where my grandpa and grandma Coey and my mother and 3 sisters was buried. I stood at my mother grave and cried. Seem like I could not leave it, for I knew if it had been my father that died she would not of give me a way..she would of keep us little children all to gether My father married when my mother was only dead 1 year so he had a large family from his last wife too. He was not buried beside my mother he was buried in a cemetary that was on his place. They had it there after my mother died..........I went with my step mother to see his grave but could not shed a tear. It is awful to write this but it is so. I have 2 half sister and a half brother buried there. It is a nice cemetary but not as nice as the one my mother is buried in I have a little sister and a little brother buried there where my mother is buried They are my mother 2 first children and I have a one sister and brother and half brother buried in the cemetary where my mother is buried"
Letter written by Nannie BARNHART WITT circa 1940.
My Lost Grandmother
Submitted by GFS Jan@aol.com
My mother's mother has always been a mystery to me. She died 3 days after my mother was born. I didn't even know her last name! But when I got interested in genealogy, someone told a cousin (on my mother's father's side) that I was doing genealogy, and he sent me some charts, with my grandparents' names. I found out her name was Stanislawa Zeberska. I looked everywhere for her! I could not find anyone with that name, anywhere! I finally called the cemetery where she is buried, and asked them for information about her. The very nice woman who answered the phone told me that she was buried there (at St. Pat's in Lowell, MA), and that there was a child buried with her. I said that I had heard that she had had a daughter, before my mother, but the woman said that this was not her child! So I asked who it was, and she told me his name was Bennie Matweijczyk. Aaaaah!!! I had heard the name Matweijczyk! My mother mentioned a cousin John Matweijczyk. I asked the woman to send me the burial record for my grandmother, and for Bennie.
I waited, and in about 2 weeks I got both records. Bennie was the son of Stanislaw Matweijczyk and Maria Zoberski. Hmmmmmm. She must have been my grandmother's sister. My next step was to contact the Polish Genealogical Society of MA to see if anyone could do some lookups for me in Lowell. I was put in touch with a man who was a member of Holy Trinity Polish church, where all my family went. He was glad to look up for me the name Matweijczyk in the city diretories. He sent me the name and phone number of John Matweijczyk's daughter!
I called my new cousin, explained who I was and what I was looking for. She sent me a bunch of old photos. One was a large family portrait of an old man, and 12 grown children. It was taken in 1946! There names of the people in the portrait were handwritten on the bottom of the picture. In the middle of the names, under the picture of the old man in the center, it said, "Pa Zoberski"!!! Now I was so excited I couldn't believe what I had!!
Many years ago, my mother heard about a plane crash, somewhere in the midwest. The news report gave the name of someone on the rescue team. My mother recognized that name, and somehow tracked it down. She found a cousin, Wanda Velek, who lived in Ohio. I had been trying to find her for 7 years! She was in the picture!!! She looked almost the same in the 1946 picture as she did in the pictures my mother had of her, taken in later years! I knew I was on the right track.
I looked at the back of the picture, and there was the name of the studio! It was in Ironwood MI. How lucky could I get? After all, this was 50 years later! But I checked the online phone directories, and guess what, the studio was still there! In the same place!!!
I called, and of course, the people who own it now are not the ones who owned it in 1946, but when I told them what I was looking for they said that they used to go to church with a Ted Zoberski. I asked if they could put me in touch with him, and they told me he had died, but he had a daughter in FL, and if I would call back in about 2 hours, they would give me her number.
I couldn't wait. I got back online, and started looking in the directories for Zoberski in MI. I figured I would start with the men, and began my search by looking for phone numbers of men with first names the same as those in the photo. The first one I found was John Zoberski, so I called him. I am sure he must have thought I was nuts when I said, Hi, I think I'm your cousin! But as we talked, I found out that I AM his cousin. He then gave me numbers for his sister who is doing genealogy, his cousin Bobbie who is doing genealogy, his aunt, and another cousin, all interested in genealogy! All with email addresses!!! I got busy right then, and wrote them all letters! What a thrill! I found out that I had a whole bunch of cousins, about 50, that I never knew about! I thought my mom's cousin Wanda was an only child! The person in the crash rescue was my mother's cousin who was head of a mountain rescue unit, and an olymic skier!
Then, I got another letter from the cousin in Lowell, MA, and she sent me the address of her aunt, her father's sister, the daughter of my grandmother's sister, in Poland. I wrote to her, and she sent me death records of everyone in the entire family who died in Poland! We have been writing ever since!! She gave my address to her cousin Jan, who lives in Wroclaw, and he has been writing too. His dad was my grandmother's brother! By the way, the cousins in Poland spell the name Zioberski!!! The American cousins didn't know that! So now, I do the Instant Message thing every Monday nite with the 2 cousins in CA. They are also writing to the Poland cousins too.
My grandmother was never in the census records. She came here in 1912, she was 17 years old. She was dead in 1917. I thought I would NEVER find her. City directories are wonderful!!! Don't overlook them. And don't think that you can't find that relative who doesn't show up on the census, you can!
Moms And Genealogy
Submitted by GFS Susi@aol.com
Many people wonder what gets people interested in genealogy, well, sometimes its an adverse reaction to a situation. Coupled with a Grandfather whom was as enthusiastic as I am only, wife most directly disapproved.
Grandmother Inez Mae Scott Hoffman born in Iowa and died in Wyoming, was of a bit reserved type attitude. Some of her ancestral names of course were: Scott, Langdon, and Warden. So unlike my Grandfather Cecil Lee Hoffman. Grandad loved to joke and have fun and tease, as most of his relatives did. Some of his ancestors were: HOFFMAN, DUVALL, PLANTS, PATTERSON, RITCHIE, POWELL, HUFFMAN, FRY, HIGGINS, STOLLAR, STROSNIEDER,AND ELY (IHLI).
As, I grew up, my parents moved to the west. Wyoming caused much pain in my mothers' body so we came to California. But Dad, Ray Dee JONES Sr. , always took us back to Wyoming to see family. Family also came west to visit us and my Dad and Mom's other families that also had migrated to California. Grandad (Lee) seldom missed a time to talk about someone in the family. Grandma Inez did not object loudly, if he did not bring up his Indian ancestors. It seems that she hated Indians with a passion only she could understand.Her brother was not this way. Great Uncle Dan Scott told us marvelous stories about their life and family. I think it was this constant pain that she created when certain ancestors were mentioned that really peaked my curiosity.
It seems that some Indians shot a favorite Uncle or Great Uncle. This person was riding a train and he shot at the indians, the Engineer stopped train and told him that he was sorry but to keep them all from being killed he would have to turn him over to the Indians. Which he did. But Grandma was not ever happy how he was treated and hated Indians.
The clincher was Grandad was part Indian. When Grandad and Grandma Hoffman got married, his father Franklin Hoffman gave Inez a hug and said," welcome to the family, How does it feel being married to an Indian? " Grandad said, he thought he was going to have the shortest marriage on record. They lived happily 49 years together. They made a very great couple, but I always said between Grandad sharing all his stories and pictures and information and Grandma not wanting to talk about it. I think it created an even bigger drive to learn more. I have the picture of the Indian that was Grandad's GGGgrandmom . He was not sure how far back she was he always refered to her as Great great Great Grandmom. His Dad knew whom she was but Grandad did not write it down and it got lost in time. Mom helped him write many names in the album when I was 17 so that more names would not beforgotten. Grandma never wanted the album in the house or around her person. My Dad would always take her for drives or shopping so Grandad could graciously show the album and kin to his grandchildren. Her brother Dan Scott married Cecil's sister Grace Hoffman.
Thanks to a Grandmom who hid the stories and a Grandad whom could hardly wait to share stories, I did as he asked me last time I saw him. " Susi, If you want to persue this go to Pennsylvania and find the rest of my family. My DAD took me there when I was about five years old and I never was able to go back. They are alot of real fine people and you should know about them."
Four years ago, I did just that and they are just as he said.
Grandmom's Memories
Submitted by GFS Susi@aol.com
(Ida) Victoria FOULK JONES NORRIS was born Nov 6, 1898 in Washburn, Iowa.
She was from a very interesting family. She led an even more interesting life.
She married my Grandfather Carl Fremont JONES from Nashua, Iowa. His family came from Ill. and before that NewYork Massachusets area, very early. Her parents were from Pennsylvania very early. They also stopped in ILL before coming to Iowa. Some of her lineage includes ROGER EASTMAN, REV. CALEB TROWBRIDGE, JOHN FOLK.FOULK, MOHR, MOYER, MYERS, BLESSINGERS and others.
My Grandparents did not stay married, probably due to both coming from a very well classed people, where many times, were waited on, to, on there own and very little limited income. They professed until their death to love each other, in their own ways. Grandmom was a very strong minded woman.
She came to visit us often in California, and we, of course, went to Wyoming to visit with her. She cared very much for her brothers and sisters. She talked about her family with love and compassion. Her early married life was not a good event for her. The many adaptions she had to make when she became married and moved away from home and had family right away, I do not think she was ready for.
She got the name Ida from her brother whom as baby could never say Victoria and some how said what was IDA and she was Ida all her life. He himself told me this story about his sister.
She spent many weeks visiting me after I married and had family. I cherish the days we had. She loved to cook and clean and talk about the family. She shared much data with me about her ancestors and where from and whom they were. They spoke a bit of German in her home when she was small but her DAD said she was never to use it outside of the home. ( I never learned where the German came from except the Foulk family) That Americans should be proud of their country and never do anything to disgrace it. Her father disappeared on ship bound for Russia in 1930. I think it affected her very strongly. Her Mother remarried later. I wrote to my Greatgrandmother Margaret Mae EASTMAN FOULK ARCHER until her death in I believe 1958. I remember she passed away about the time I graduated from High School.
My Grandmother spent her last two years in a home in Cheyenne, Wyo..
We spent many hours on the phone and shared many letters. Her last trip to California she spent three weeks with me solid. I would have loved to have convinced her to stay in California but she was a Wyoming native by then and said California got to cold for her. YES, she said that. This spring I could agree with her, whoever heard of snow in San Diego Ca in April. Grandson was camping in it for school. We really did have it.
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Content © 1998 - 2005 GFNEWS, a monthly publication of Golden Gate Services, Inc. of Armada, MI The Editors welcome your ideas and articles, success stories, favorite genealogy research tips, comments and suggestions. The Genealogy Forum is a proud member of the FGS - Federation of Genealogical Societies