Mary MNU Revisited

Copyright 2012, CABS for Reflections From the Fence 

On April 13, 2012, I shared this death certificate with you, not being able to read the mother, Mary's, maiden name.

I even enlarged the area with her name, for a closer look:

Several readers hazarded some guesses, such as Eamersen? Emerson? Eamiers? or Eanuens.

I revisited that death certificate a couple of times this week, as I really need to link it to John, but, I am reluctant to do so until I figure out his mother's maiden name, I know - - - - I'm funny like that.

Last time I looked at the document, I noted that it said Mary E??????  was born in Princess Anne County Virginia.  I know from census work and such that she was born about 1828.

So, I had this brainstorm (well, more like a brain burp, but, whatever - - )  To check the 1830 and 1840 census for Princess Anne County Virginia to see what surnames that begin with "E" might be found.  SOOO, I did:

1830 Princess Anne County Virginia:

Eaton
Edmond(s)
Edwards
Etheredge
Ewell

1840 Princess Anne County Virginia:

Eaton
Edmonds
Eldredge
Emond(s) (Edmond)
Encell (sure looks like Ewell to me)
Erard (Ward, really, looks like Ward)
Etheredge
Evered
Ewell

I am leaning towards Edmonds - - maybe - -

And the search goes on.  And, nope, I have NOT found the marriage of Edward Dews and Mary E??????

SIGH



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I Am Blessed, Friends Everywhere

Copyright 2012, CABS for Reflections From the Fence

Yesterday it was my genie angel, it was such a wonderful day, did I tell you how much I enjoyed it??  Yea, I did.

Last night I got back to Tana and found that RVing friends Kim and Steve (full timers originally from Alaska) were in THIS very campground.  No, we did not plan it, it just happened.  WOOT!  Man and I always enjoy visiting with them, and I get to blame Steve for pushing Man over the cliff with regards to a certain truck purchase, yeap, Steve gets some of the blame too, err, thanks, for our purchasing Jolly.

And, today, at the end of a normal research day (means, I was tired, hot, frustrated from the misses and elated from the hits), I was giving up the reader/scanner, heading back to my computer to review what I had when I almost literally ran into blogger Renate, from Into the LIGHT.   Renate and I have had several wonderful discussions, she resides near Norfolk and has given me some insight into the area now and then.  She is a delightful gal, we were both so surprised to see each other.  A truly delightful few minutes.  She was grabbing a couple of certs and was due at the symphony and I was running to meet Man at the front steps of the library, we probably could have chatted for hours, but only had those few minutes.  Delightful minutes.

I tell you, I am one blessed gal this week!  I put some chinks in the Dews brick wall and have friends falling out of the woodwork!  Or something like that!  LOL.  Enjoy the symphony Renate, I am so glad I almost ran into you and we met like that.

Blessed and fun!

I did indeed work some today on that Dews clan, I found the death certificate for another brother, Robert Lee Dews, read it and weep folks, mother, DK, as in "Don't know".  RATS!

Another sibling, a sister, died 10 months after the records stop in this collection.  Another brother, John, disappears from the records after 1900, a non-reporting time for many vitals in Virginia.  Another sister, Mary who married William J. Banks, also disappears, after the 1880 census, I want to review her research, it has been a while since I looked for her or hubby William.  Elizabeth, yet another sister, married Franklin Creekmur, and she goes MIA after about 1880, I have traced Franklin a bit further. I even have a suspect death date for her, in June of 1898, again, no death record has been found.

I found a few other records that I scanned while I had them in the scanner.  I also found a marriage for a great uncle that I was unaware of, ooooooooooo Henry!

I will spend some hours over the next 24 hours reviewing what I have and what I would like to still find.  I have pretty much given up on obits here, the papers are here, but the process is time consuming, no open stacks.  I may chat about that in a future blog.

But, right now, I am gonna relax a bit (I hear ya snickering, I know, it probably won't happen, but, I need to try!  LOL).

The blessed one is gonna go spoil the fur kids, later - - -




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My Genie Angel and Mary WHO??

Copyright 2012, CABS for Reflections From the Fence

What an interesting day at the library.  You see, I have this genie angel, she lives around Norfolk, she researches many of the areas I do, she helps me, she gives me heads up on new resources to use in my research, she even does look ups for me.  And, tee hee, she reads Reflections!  (Waving at my genie angel - - HI!!!!)

Anyway, she drove up from Norfolk today to Richmond and we met.  What a nice day I had!  We shared some stories, lunch, and shared files. Well, she shared a LOT more than I did, but, we shared.  (Oh, dear genie angel, I did peak JUST a little tonight, you knew I would, you knew I could not resist!  LOL)

After lunch we both did some research, I went for a long shot on one of the Dews clan I have lots of walls in, yes, the same one as that Chancery case I took all those photos of.  I had a note about a burial in 1932, could that be one of the MIA's??  Yes, indeedy it was!  WAHHHOO.  Even better, it has a maiden name for the mother, who is a MNU in my data base (maiden name unknown).  Now, if I could read that name, eh???

So, dear readers, if you want to take a guess at Mary's maiden name leave comments!

And, dear genie angel, I am working on the Dews now, and thank you SOOOOOOO very much for coming to Richmond, it was so wonderful to meet you in person.  Thank you for being so kind to a fellow researcher, you are good people!


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Lorena Estelle Eley Norsworthy Dews Harlow Lenahan Collins::116th COG

Copyright 2012, CABS for Reflections From the Fence

It is time for the 116th Carnival of Genealogy, graciously hosted by Jasia at Creative Gene. The challenge this month:

Picture/Story for Women's History Month. March is Women's History Month and we will once again honor a woman from our family tree by featuring her in the COG. This time we will do so by starting with a photograph and telling either the story of the photo and/or a biography of the woman pictured.

So, here is my photo:

This is Lorena Estelle Eley Norsworthy Dews Harlow Lenahan Collins, this photo reportedly was taken about 1918.  It is believed she is standing on the steps of her home/boarding home which was located at Money Point, in the Norfolk Virginia area.

Lorena was my great-grandmother via my dad's side of the family.   Lorena was born July 4, 1866 near Zuni, Isle of Wight County, Virginia.  Her parents were Solomon B. Eley and Sarah Anne Darden (who always seemed to go by Sallie).

By the time this photo was taken she had been married at least 3 times, and possibly was a honeymooning bride, on marriage # 4. In total she married 5 men, she outlived 3 of the 5, she divorced one and we just are not certain what happened to the fifth.  My dad always said, in a joking manner, that she fed them all poisoned mushrooms.

Lorena has been the subject of several posts here on Reflections, one such post is 4th of July Wishes of a Different Sort, which features a photo of Lorena holding me in her lap just months before she died.

Lorena married Mills L. Norsworthy Apr 1, 1883 in Nansemond County, Virginia.  Sometime before December of 1888 Mills had died and Lorena was a young widow with one child (there may have been other children by this union, but only one survived).

On Oct 27, 1887, in Norfolk County, Virginia, Lorena married hubby # 2, my direct ancestor, William Henry Dews.  Lorena and William had 6 children, 2 of whom died as infants.  William himself would die a tragic death around the 1st of January 1907 in Kempsville, Princess Anne County, Virginia after a falling off a wagon cart just before Christmas.  No death certificate or record for William has been found, however a very short news article was found mentioning the accident.  No burial record has been found either, as the church where he reportedly was buried lost all records to a fire.  William's death in early 1907 left Lorena with 1 son and 3 daughters from that union, the youngest being my grandmother, Florence, who was barely 3 years of age.

Lorena needed to find a way to support herself and her children.  She chose to run a boarding house and was doing so by the time the 1910 US census was enumerated.

Lorena next married Apr 4, 1911 in Norfolk County, Virginia to a James Harlow.  She divorced him in 1915.

Her next hubby is our MIA, according to an old index I found years ago, she married Robert Lenahan/Linehan on Aug 20, 1918 in Norfolk County Virginia.  While writing this post I discovered indexing  at FamilySearch.org, that Lorena and Robert married on the same day (August 20, 1918) in Elizabeth City, Pasquotank County, North Carolina. Robert appears on the 1920 census with Lorena, she was still running her boarding house.  No further record of Robert has been found after the 1920 census.  Family tradition has is that Lorena had him declared dead after 7 years.  No records have been found to support or deny that tradition.

And, last, at the young age of 70 years 9 months and 6 days (give or take), Lorena took as her 5th and last hubby, one John/Jehu/Gehew C. Collins.  John died in October of 1944 and is buried in the Riverside Memorial Park Cemetery, Norfolk, Virginia.

Lorena eventually moved to 815 Freeman Avenue, in Norfolk (now Chesapeake) Virginia.  This address is quite close to Money Point, she did not move far.  She died in late February of 1949 and was laid to rest at the Riverside Memorial Park Cemetery, Norfolk, Virginia.  Several of her children are buried nearby.

The boarding house provided a home and an income for Lorena allowing her to support her children.  Two of her daughters would meet their husbands in that boarding home.  One of those couples were my grandparents.  In the 1930 census my grandparents and their young son, my father, are living with Lorena in that boarding house at Money Point.

I have been very lucky to have a few of Lorena's possessions from her boarding house, one is the boudoir chair found on this Reflection's post,  Treasure Chest Thursday, Lorena's Boarding House Boudoir Chair.

By looking at Google Maps, it becomes quite evident that few homes are still standing in the area known as Money Point.  We have no exact address for the boarding home, the 1920 census seems to indicate it might have been 19 Money Point, and the 1930 census has no addresses shown at all.  The boarding house is most likely long gone, as are so many of its boarders and occupants.  We have several poor photos of what we believe to be the boarding house, and stories shared with us by those who remember it.  All in all, that is rather sad, considering the huge role that boarding house played in the lives of 3 generations of my ancestors.

Lorena standing on her boarding house stairs, a bride 5 times, a widow 3 times, a woman who raised children who, according to all stories that I heard, loved her and each other.  A woman that did what she had to do to survive and provide.  Thank you Lorena for your strength.

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Salt Lake, Research Report, Day 1 and 2.

Copyright 2011, CABS for Reflections From the Fence

Two days at the library, 9 hours the first day, 7 to 8 the second, lunch break a nice hour each day. First day, short orientation film and greeting from some of the volunteers. Then we were let loose on the place.  Becky is currently getting a lot of “nope, they are not here” results, but, she never has to look again in those resources.

I started with vital records, trying to grab images of documents to replace the “index” data I currently have. The digital copiers are really neat, some learning curve time, but, I love not having to print to paper and just saving the files, digitially. Lots of choices, dpi choices, format choices, want PDF, got it, want TIFF, got it. You can even print to a flash drive (which is what I have been doing) or to paper (nope, not doing) and, I discovered today, that I can actually email those docs to myself right from the scanner. I like that! WAHHOOO.

The entire process, finding the film in ALL those stacks, finding the document you want to copy, getting the document all nice and pretty on the digital scanner, printing (or digital printing to the flash drive), returning the film to the proper drawer in ALL those stacks, well, it takes longer than I thought it might. Having to refile the films takes up a hunk of time I was not counting on. But, I did find a trick to that process, which has cut down the time involved, a very good thing.

I had reason to go to the 3rd floor to visit books, not family history books, those are on the main floor, these are like US county books and who knows what else??? I walked out of the elevator and went, WOW and more WOW!! But, found it to be well organized and found my book in just a short time. I want to spend more time up there! WOOOOOEEE!!

I started with a 9 page, 30 item, rough, to do list for SLC, and I also had a 3 page, 21 item, rough, to do list for LDS, which I was using at my local Family History Center, which was easily converted to SLC, eh?? LOL

I have ticked off, or Xxed off maybe 3 to 4 pages of the combined lists so far. Going slower than I had thought it might, but, have had some fun in the research. I have, of course, gone on a tangent or two, researching by the seat of my pants. I was looking for a marriage record, and ended up pulling the record, another record for it, and even the church record. Along the way, I pulled an index and found a birth record that I had no date for.

So far, I have found:

Marriage date of Anna Buss to Mr. Otto, oh, and he is now officially Albert Otto!

Marriage date of Anna Buss Otta to Clarence Lashbrook.

Bonus: decided to look at the marriage, birth and death indexes for Cerro Gordo County Iowa, in poor attempt to find Anna’s parents, and instead found the birth data for her daughter with hubby Clarence Lashbrook. Lucile, you were born, according to the records, on 28 February 1902. So nice to know when you were born.

Lucile's birth record, edited, cropped, and whatever, to get into format I
can share with you.  Lucile born Feb 28, mother Anna Buss, father, Clarence Lashbrook.

Several deeds were copied, land transferred to Edward Dews, Princess Anne County, Virginia, early dates, 1858, etc.  Been wanting those deeds for years.

Edward P. Fox, got your death certificate, and after quite the search, discovered where you were buried, and WHAHOOOO, the 'find of the day', your wife, Jennie Loing, is buried there too. Cemetery card has her as Jennie Loing, wife of Edward P. Fox, filed under “L”. Wahhooo, again, there is Jennie’s death date. Time to make an entry on Find A Grave and find out if you two have headstones! And, is that your daughter-in-law I also found in the records?? And, where is your son?? Oh, and, I now have your marriage record too! So there! LOL  (Jennie's death certificate was not found because she died 1955, and the records available to me here in SLC stop in 1954.)

I have copies of at least 4 death certificates and at least 2 marriages. No new discoveries, but, I have the image of the documents, PROOF. Hear me giggle?? Ya, I know you do.

Probate file I wanted to copy, 1931, records stop in 1927. Rats.  If I really want it, I will have to order it from the county clerk.

Another probate file I was able to access may have upset my data base some. At least one gal looks to be the daughter of another Oakley, and her daddy is not Abraham. This has been a difficult line to search, and I am still not sure I am even researching the RIGHT line. But, this gal, I am pretty sure, she is not the daughter of Abraham. SIGHHH. The data base is gonna need some work, eh??

At this rate, it will be another week before I get through the short to do lists I had ready. Those tangents sure can suck up the time, but, ohhh, sometimes the results are so so so worth it!


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Birthday Observances, Lorena Estelle Dews Nunnally

Lorena Estelle Dews Nunnally was born on January 8, 1901 at Kempsville, Princess Anne County, Virginia to William Henry Dews and his wife Lorena Estelle Eley Norsworthy Dews.   Lorena was known as Rena to some of her family and as Susie to others in her family.

On 18 Sep 1917 in Norfolk County, Virginia, Lorena married Robert Harrison (Rush) Nunnally.  Rena and Rush met in the boarding house her mother ran, as related in yesterday's post, Treasure Chest Thursday, Lorena's Boarding House Boudoir Chair.

Rena and Rush, Virginia Beach, 1920 or 1921

Rush and Rena had one daughter, Norma Marie, who died in infancy.

Rena died on 29 Mar 1989 in Norfolk Virginia and is interred at Riverside Memorial Park, Norfolk, Virginia.  Her memorial at Find A Grave is here.

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Anniversary Observances, Bowen and Dews

On December 23, 1923 at South Mlls, Camden County, North Carolina, Hayden Eugene Bowen (1895 - 1966) and Florence Ruth Dews (1904 - 1996)  were married.

Hayden and Florence, photo dated 1918.

Photo I believe was taken on the porch of the

boarding house run by Florence's mother, Lorena.

* Hayden and Florence were my grandparents.

** Photo shows serious water damage, I am happy it survived the hurricanes.

*** I wrote about Hayden here.  His memorial at Find A Grave is here.

**** I have written about Florence several times, including They Worked Hard for the Family, Bowen style and Memory triggers - -snap goes the flea, and on her birthday, here.  Her memorial at Find A Grave is here.

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Advent Calendar, The Christmas Tree

GeneaBloggers has a Advent Calendar event this year, 24 days of family history related subjects to challenge the researcher. The prompt/challenge for December 1st is:

Did you have a real tree or was it artificial? How big was the tree? Who decorated the tree? What types of Christmas trees did your ancestors have?

For the most part, our families had real trees, that is until Man and I married. First few trees were real till I discovered that I broke out in mini-hives from the pricks of the needles of the trees and Son # 1 was diagnosed with some icky allergies. Thus began the beginning of artificial trees for Man and I.

I have photos of some of our trees, with presents piled around the trunk. One year I cross stitched uncounted decorations, which I still have and use. Several years I had a tree in every room of the house, YES, even the powder rooms, some rooms had more than one, each tree decorated specifically for the room it resided in.

I have photos of the twins helping gramma and grampa decorate our tree.

I even found a photo of my grandmother and her sister, Rena in front of a Christmas tree.

But, I think my most favorite and humorous story about a Christmas tree is about my mother and the tree that was, well, a bit bare, her Charlee Brown tree. I don’t remember the year, I don’t remember how old I was, but, I do remember the story. My mother did an outstanding job of decorating the home for the holidays. We lived in an older home, had some great character, oak built in book cases between the front room and the large dining room. She would put the tree in one of the corners of the front room next to those book cases. I have photos of it in both corners. The tree was real of course, and usually fairly tall.

One year the tree she chose so carefully, when brought in and carefully mounted in its tree stand (maybe a bucket of sand??), well, it was, dare we say it, “thin”. I am gonna guess it was a white pine type, but, I am not sure. Anyway, it had “holes” that made the tree, sadly “ugly”. My mother, the creative one, decided she could fix this little situation, and she did! She went out somewhere, cut some pine limbs, brought them home and nailed them to the tree, filing the “thin” spots. The way I remember it, she even had to tie this tree to the book cases. (Of course, that could be another year’s story, morphed into one as time eases on.)

Now, Mom would have pulled off her little creative tree trimming, except that a holiday guest who was quite well versed in tree attributes noted that there was no way this tree was au-natural. He commented that he had never seen a tree of this type with SOOOOO many limbs! Mom had been caught with her branches nailed!

This might be the Charlee Brown tree, my brother and I and lots of presents.
 

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Spelling Don’t Count, Even in Indexing, Save Me Please!

In my quest for Dews and Creekmores, I went back to Ancestry this AM. I was particularly interested in the Creekmore clan in the 1930 census. Looking specifically for Lloyd and Essie Creekmore, I knew they should be in Norfolk Virginia . My searches for Creekmore or even Creekm* were falling flat. No hits. Well, not for Lloyd and Essie. So, in semi-desperation, I searched for Essie, no surname, born Virginia, living in Norfolk County Virginia. Click search! Almost the first hit on my results was for Essie Aukerman. Age was within decent parameters - - in other words, close enough to catch my attention. So, I hovered over the entry and was not so surprised, but happy to find, Loyd, Essie, Loyd (son) and Essie (daughter). Well, my my.

The extraction for the index reads (noting I edited out some information):

1930 United States Federal Census
Name: Loyd H Aukerman
Home in 1930: Norfolk, Norfolk (Independent City), Virginia
Age: 50
Estimated birth year: abt 1880
Birthplace: Virginia
Relation to Head of House: Head
Spouse's name: Essie
Race: White
Household Members: Name Age
Loyd H Aukerman 50
Essie Aukerman 41
Loyd H Aukerman 13
Essie E Aukerman 11
Carrol W Aukerman 6
Walter E Bishop 21
Carncher E Newsome 69

Goodness, this is my Creekmore clan, indexed as Aukerman. Here is image, enhanced with Photoshop, but, NOT altered in content. I see Creekmore. Ok, the handwriting leaves some to be desired, do you hear the understated sarcasm?

A classic example of spelling don’t count, even in indexing. Oh, save me please!

* Special thank you to friend and researcher Amy, who read my other posts on Mary Dews and subsequent research attempts on the Creekmore connection and forwarded me some additional information.  Thanks so very much Amy!

MRUA follow up

After posting my post for last night's Saturday Night Genealogy Fun - Who is your MRUA, (the search for my Most Recent Unknown Ancestor)  I did indeed hit Ancestry and a LOT of other web sites trying to find out more about Mary, wife of Edward Dews.  I did not find one new thing about Mary.  I searched again for anything new about any of her children.  I did not find anything new, EXCEPT for daughter, Elizabeth, known as Lizzie. 

Elizabeth (Lizzie) married Franklin (Frank) P. Creekmur, or as I found it more frequently spelled, Creekmore.  Late last evening, after several quite frustrating hours of researching with no hits, I found probable burial information for Frank and Lizzie.  I found them both listed as buried at Elmwood & Cedar Grove Cemeteries, E. Princess Anne Road, Norfolk, Virginia, their lot information indicates they are buried close to each other, I think, side by side.  I added memorials for these two at Find A Grave and have requested photos of the graves.  I will see if I can find a kind soul to look for obituaries, since I have full dates of either the death or burial.  I will revisit available dates for death records and see if I can obtain a death record or death certificate.

Thanks to Randy of Genea-Musings for the subject of Saturday Night Genealogy Fun that pushed me to review this family.  Did not find more about Mary, but, I will take this "find" on a family that has been a tough search.

*Memorials for Lizzie and Frank can be found at Find A Grave.

** A really good place to look for burials in Norfolk is at their data base, as of January 2019, located at: https://www.norfolk.gov/index.aspx?NID=2692

Search for this by looking for the City of Norfolk, again, current direct line is: Home > Departments > Cemeteries > Search Burial Records

Ancestor Birthday Celebrations, Florence Ruth Dews Bowen

Florence Ruth Dews was born November 7, 1904 in Kempsville, Princess Anne County, Virginia to William Henry Dews and Lorena Estelle Eley Norsworthy Dews.  (Both William and Lorena had been previously married and were widowed.)

Florence married Hayden Eugene Bowen on December 23, 1923 at South Mills, Camden County, North Carolina.  Florence worked for many years at Rice's Department Store in Norfolk, Virginia and eventually, Hayden and Florence opened their own little clothing store. First they opened Bowen's Sportswear in Great Bridge, Virginia and later opened Nags Head Sportswear in Nags Head, Dare County, North Carolina.  Florence and the Nags Head Sportswear Store were the subject of  They Worked Hard for the Family, Bowen style.

Florence lived her life as an independent woman in a time that the norm was the housewife who was more interested in clean floors and wax build-up. She loved fashion and worked in retail sales most of her life. She had a "career" before it was fashionable or necessary for a woman to do so. When she was first married she had to keep that fact a secrete from her employer so that she could continue to work. She only revealed her marriage when she found herself pregnant and was forced to tell both her family and her employer.

Florence was also the subject of a post titled, Memory triggers - -snap goes the flea.

Florence died on January 8, 1996 in Nags Head, Dare County, North Carolina and is buried at Riverside Memorial Park Cemetery, Norfolk, Virginia with her mother and several siblings.  Her Find A Grave memorial is here.

One of my favorite photos of Florence, my grandmother, in May of 1970 at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, holding Son #1.

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How many ancestors did you "meet" ?

Well Randy Seaver is at it again, challenge time for Saturday Night Genealogy Fun.

Here is your challenge for tonight (or whenever you read this):

1) Write down which of your ancestors that you have met in person (yes, even if you were too young to remember them).

2) Tell us their names, where they lived, and their relationship to you......

While compiling the list, I realized I had written blogs about most of these people, see links. Cept for Ida’s, hers is, well, maybe, sorta about her.

I have color coded the relationships, Blue for Father's lineage, Red for Mother's lineage.

Father: Donald Eugene Bowen, born Virginia, lived many years in Michigan, died in South Carolina.

Donald’s Father (my grandfather): Hayden Eugene Bowen, born Georgia, lived most of his live around Norfolk Virginia where he died.

Hayden’s Father (my great-grandfather): Joseph Eugene Bowen, born Georgia, lived many years in both Georgia and Virginia, died Georgia. I could have met him, we were both alive at the same time, with just a month or so overlap, I seriously doubt I ever met him. So, I won’t count him.

Donald’s Mother (my grandmother): Florence Ruth Dews Bowen, born Virginia, lived in Virginia and North Carolina, died in North Carolina.

Florence’s Mother (my great-grandmother): Lorena Estelle Eley Norsworthy Dews Harlow Lenahan Collins (ya still with me here???), born, lived and died in Virginia.

Mother’s Father (my grandfather): Leonard Homan Trumbo, born, lived and died in Virginia.

Mother’s Mother (my grandmother): Minnie Agnes Halterman Trumbo, lived most of her life in Virginia, moved to Florida where she died.

Minnie’s Father (my great-grandfather): David Halterman, born West Virginia, lived and died in Virginia

Minnie’s Mother (my great-grandmother): Ida Matilda Whitmer Halterman, born West Virginia, died Ohio.

How many of my ancestors did I meet, 8. Cannot count Joseph. I have written about 7 of these ancestors on my blog since April. Sorta, cause of Ida’s entry.

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Saturday Night Genealogy Fun, Genealogy Scavenger Hunt!

Randy Seaver at Genea-Musings comes up with some interesting challenges. Tonight it is a scavenger hunt.

Randy's challenge is in 2 parts:

1) Is there someone on your list of 16-great-great-grandparents that you don't have a census record for, and for which one should be available?

2) Tell us about it in your blog........While you're at it, give us a source citation for your census finding too

Ok Randy, this sounded good, as I have not done any significant research in well over a month. I did not participate in the 16 great greats, but, the assignment gave me a great excuse to stop everything else I was doing and RESEARCH!!!

So, I start looking at the list of the great greats, and what research chore I might have indicated on their individual to do list. Maybe I can delete some to do items from the data base, hmmm, that is always a very good thing!

Hezekiah Bowen, 1834-1908, to do list shows I am curious about some Emanuel County Georgia Land records. Hmmmm, lets skip that for the moment.

Martha Sikes, no to do items.

William H. Remley, to do list says, find maps for enumeration areas of Colleton County South Carolina. I want to see if I can figure out where in the county he lived. I love maps. But, lets skip that for the moment too.

Mariah Grant, no to do items.

Edward Dews, 1830 census and some more land records from Princess Anne County Virginia this time. I decide I am not ready to tackle the 1830 with all those tick marks, gonna skip the land records.

Martha Dews (his wife, maiden name unknown), no to do items. Ditto for Solomon Benjamin Eley, Sarah Anne Darden, Zachariah Z. Trumbo or Catherine (Kate) Dove.

Peter Preston Holsinger, Rockingham County Virginia. Oh, yea, here is some census work that needs doing. 1860, oooohhh, realize he is still enumerated in his father’s household, so get to take that off the to do list. Also need the 1900 census. This is when the bottom fell out, so to speak. Had NO trouble locating Peter, but, did have a bucket load of trouble trying to print from Ancestry. I still don’t know if it is my computer or Ancestry. My frustration level jumped through the roof and I decided that the dogs needed grooming more than I needed to deal with Ancestry, my computer and my printer or this challenge. So, I went and groomed. One dog looks a lot better, but I can guarantee, he was not happy with Ancestry, the computer or printer either!

Hour or so later, I returned to the torture chamber of Ancestry and census. Next on my list of 16 great greats was Mary A. Kessler, nothing indicated, ditto for Daniel Halterman and his bride Barbara Delawder, so I skipped on to Sellestine Whitmer.

I needed just about all census reports for Sellestine. In 1860 he is still enumerated with his father. I discovered I did not have the 1860, so, mucked around, figured out a substandard method of printing and filled in the blanks and eliminated another to do item. (The bonus of looking for Sellestine in 1860 is that I got his father’s report, but, I also found on the same page data for Philip Delawder, including 2 additional children not on the data base, correction of birth year on another of his children, birth year and place for his wife.) I hunted down the 1870 census for Sellestine, no surprises there, and again made a substandard printout of the report for my files.

At this point, it is late, I am tired, I am short of temper with printer, computer and Ancestry and the rest of this challenge will have to wait. I still need to locate for Sellestine the 1880, 1900 and 1910 census reports.

That leaves great great number 16, Sarah Bayse, but she has no to do items attached to her.

Yes, Randy, I source. But, I am going to skip this portion of the challenge for now. My views on sourcing may make the purists cringe. I have talked about sourcing* a few times already on my blog, and I know I will again in the future, so stay tuned.

Evening was not quite “Fun”, but it was interesting, and I did find 3 census reports, deleted several to do items from the data base and added some goodies to Philip Delawder’s family, even tho he is not a great great.

Now, I have to find a way to ask Man to have a lookie see at the computer set up and see if the difficulties are on my end.

* See Sourcing? anyone really sourcing?
Sourcing? anyone really sourcing? Post Script
Exact Science - - You’re Kidding, Right??

4th of July Wishes of a Different Sort

This blog started out to be another chapter of Ancestor Birthday Celebrations, in remembrance of my great grandmother Lorena Estelle Eley Norsworthy Dews Harlow Lenahan Collins. As I was contemplating what I might write, my mind wandered off to points here and there, but, mostly to the Civil War Monument here in the Franklin Cemetery, Lenawee County. At some point, I realized that Lorena was born on the very day this monument was originally dedicated, July 4, 1866. Mind you, Lorena was born in Zuni, Isle of Wight County, Virginia, about 700 miles from Franklin.

Ever since we moved to Lenawee, in 1995, I have had an extremely strong but unexplained attachment to the Civil War Monument in the Franklin Cemetery. To my knowledge, I am not related to anyone in Lenawee County, now or in the past. I am a southern born gal who was raised and lived in the north for all but a few of her years here on this good earth. I have no Union soldiers in my heritage, Man does, I do not.

This monument is said to be the 1st or 2nd monument in Michigan, and maybe in the United States, dedicated after the conflict ended, paid for by popular subscription, dedicated July 4, 1866. That date always startles me, as it is 1 year, 2 months and 15 days after Robert E. Lee surrendered at Appomattox on April 19, 1865, and 1 year 1 month and 30 days after the last meeting of the Confederate Cabinet (Washington, Georgia, May 5, 1865). That does not seem like a lot of time to bring the boys home, start a project to design, finance, produce and raise a monument. I believe the monument is over 30 foot tall, it is made of sandstone, original cost was $1,500.00.

Imagine my surprise when one day in 2005 I made a visit to the cemetery and found the monument MIA. All I could find was the base. I hoped that it was being repaired, but had heard nothing about it, no one I asked seemed to know much about it. (Must not have asked the right people! LOL)

By early summer 2006, the monument was BACK! I was delighted, it had been cleaned with Clorox and buffing stones, refurbished, the names re-inscribed. It was beautiful! On July 4, they had a re-dedication ceremony with local dignitaries, Civil War Reenactors, even Abe Lincoln attended.



July 4th really is a very special day, for me it means more than our Independence Day, it is Lorena’s birthday and the day we celebrate the dedication and re-dedication of the Franklin Civil War Monument. And, now that I have tied Lorena and the Monument’s dates together, I shall never drive past the cemetery without thinking of her.

*Photos: Top, Lorena and Moi, about 2 months before she died.
Middle: July 4, 2006, Re-dedication of the Franklin Civil War Monument
Bottom: New Tablet at the Monument.
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