Stepping Sideways, Research Style

Like cousin Anne, I have been over at FamilySearch doing a little snooping.  Unlike cousin Anne, I have not been able to spend hours snooping, and unlike very lucky good researcher cousin Anne, I have found very little.  Searches for several marriages in the New York marriage collection, nadda.  I have come to the conclusion, they must have married on some space ship!

So, I took a quick gander at the Arkansas marriage data base, and found one!  WAHHOOO.  Gotta say, however, if I did not have the date and full names for the bride and groom, I probably would not have looked at the image for WH Pershall and NA Burns or, as I know them to be:  William Henry Pershall and Nancy Almeda Burns.

OK, for the moment it appears I have found all the Arkansas marriages I am gonna find.  So, I note that the site is also offering Deaths in Georgia up to (and including) 1930.  OOO, I have a death in Georgia for mid 1930, and I don't have this fellow's parent's names, could I possibly find his death recorded on the data base, get an image, and would there be, please let there be:

Well, moving sideways, I got the death certificate, but, sighhhhhhh, no parents names.  Bummed, I have their marriage record already, and nope, no parents names there either.

Two steps forward, errr, sideways.  But, I got documents!  WAHHOOOOO!

Copyright 2010, CABS for Reflections From the Fence

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Birthday Observances, Alfred Leonard Lashbrook, AKA Alfred Leonard Keezer

Alfred was born November 25, 1888 in Nebraska according to his World War I Registration document.  Alfred's birth parents are unknown to this researcher.

Alfred was raised (adopted?) by Richard Alvin Lashbrook and his wife, Lemery Sevar Sharp Lashbrook.  Richard and Lemery raised (adopted) another child, Nevada May Pershall.  Both children were mentioned in Richard's will in 1932. In his father's probate file Albert is identified by three names, Alfred Keezer Lashbrook, Alfred Lashbrook, and Alfred Keezer.

Alfred was rather difficult to trace through internet available data bases.  He was found in the World War I Registration data base at Ancestry.com.  After many searches with both surnames and many spellings used, we did find him on the 1910, 1920 and 1930 census reports in California.  Spellings, our most wonderful friend and foe in family research: 1910 Alfred Keezer; 1920 Alfred L. Kezer; and 1930 indexed as Alfred Keyer, but this researcher saw the surname as Keezer.

A. L. Keezer of the Arrow Head Mine filed an Affidavit of Labor & Improvements on Mining Claims, Shasta County, California in Books 1 - 7, 1891 to 1941 as follows:  Interest, recorded in 1931-32; Affidavit signed June 1, 1932; P7-470 filed June 2, 1932 (All in book 6).

Alfred died on March 4, 1937.

A kind volunteer, Robin Bills located and transcribed the short death notice she found in "The Searchlight Redding", Shasta Co., California, Friday, March 5, 1937.

"Alfred Kezzer, aged 45, passed on Thursday night at the county hospital. He was a resident of Whiskeytown.  Kezzer, an exserviceman, is survived by his widow, Mrs. Thelma Kezzer, and one child. Funeral arrangements, in charge of the Home Undertaking Company, are pending."

Alfred, left, World War I era.

Alfred's photo was kindly shared by Linda J. Harney, a descendant of Nevada May Peshall Lashbrook Merrck.  I have digitally edited this photo by cropping.  The original photo was of both Alfred and Nevada.

*Descendants of both Alfred and Nevada speak of their ancestor's adoption by the Lashbrooks.  I have not located any "formal" adoption papers, YET.  In my research I have found that in this time frame (pre-1900) many children were adopted and raised without benefit of  "formal" papers.

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