Delete, Add, Delete, Add.

Copyright 2017, CABS for Reflections From the Fence

Yes, I am still cleaning up old files, notes, and linking documents to the family research data base.  Let's be honest here, I will be at this cleaning linking thing for months and years to come.  Whew, there, I said it!

I flit from web site to web site, delete some email, work on files on the computer, work on the backlog of OneNote clips.  Back and forth I go, frequently diving into deep rabbit holes of research.  I am supposed to be deleting stuff, and instead, I add more.

The other evening in an attempt to toss out one, just ONE, OneNote clip, I wandered over to the Chancery cases at the Library of Virginia.  I don't remember if I knew this or not, but, Rockingham County Virginia cases are now scanned and loaded to the web site. Hours later I had downloaded so many files I lost count.  Some of the files had over 200 pages EACH!  The greatest thing tho, the Library of Virginia web site now allows you to download all 200 pages at one time.  You know I had fun.

No, I have not read each and every page of all those files. But, I did do a bit of looking before I downloaded, to be sure the "Trumbo" person was someone I was seriously interested in.  I tend to "grab" the most important stuff first, just in case the rest goes MIA on the internet later.  Because that MIA thing happens.

The other night was a bonus research night - - I found these three really fun facts.  To fully document and utilize this information will take some time, of course.

Here is a document that states that Catherine V. Fawley departed this life on the ...day of ... of 1888.  Now, Many researchers would be disappointed to only find the year, but, Catherine has been a difficult subject to research.  I have one other reference to her passing, which seemed to indicate she passed in 1889.  The glory of this chancery case is that it states her clear relationship to the rest of her family, including her surviving children, one of which is a Charles G. Trumbo (my great-grandfather).  Oh, by the way, that middle initial, "V", for Catherine - - new to me!

Soon another chancery case revealed this little tidbit of joy in which we learn that Milton May's widow died in March of 1911.  Milton's widow is the half sister of one, C. G. Trumbo, AKA, Charles G. Trumbo.  I did not have this information.  I have something to follow through on now.

Last, not necessarily least, as they say, is this "drawing".  This came out of a case that is a mere 258 pages.  Nope, did not read a lot of this one, as it was getting late and my eyes were starting to cross.  It seems the school district was building a new school building and a number of citizens, including, yes, that Charles G. Trumbo, were objecting to the building.  I think I shall need a couple of glasses of wine when I sit down to read this one. Can't wait to see what else it will reveal.

You too can have fun in the Chancery cases at the Library of Virginia.  Click here.

And, now, back I go to linking, deleting, building, learning - - family history rocks!

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Sunday's Stories, 52 Ancestor Weeks, Week # 45, Catherine "Kate" Dove Fawley

Copyright 2014, CABS for Reflections From the Fence

This is week 45 of my participation Amy Johnson Crow's, once a week challenge to blog about one ancestor a week, tell their story, biography, a photograph, an outline of a research problem — anything that focuses on that one ancestor. More about the challenge can be found at her Blog, No Story Too Small.

Catherine "Kate" Dove was born March 1837, probably in Rockingham County, Virginia to Joseph Dove and Eve Souder, the parents to my knowledge, were never married.

On January 21, 1858 Kate was married to Jacob Fawley, Jr., at Brocks Gap, Rockingham County, Virginia.

Kate and Jacob had two children, George W. and Martha L. before the outbreak of the Civil War.  Jacob died in 1862 at New Market, Shenandoah County, Virginia.

In 1867 Kate had a child, Charles Gratton Trumbo, reportedly fathered by Zachariah Z. Trumbo.  No official records for Charles' birth have been found, yet.

In 1870 Catherine and two of her children were living with her mother, Eve Souder Fulk, and her step-father George W. Fulk, reported by Warren J. Souder, deceased, in his book on the Souder family (published in 1997, see WorldCat), reported this to be a happy home (noted from Warren's unpublished work, shared in 1996).

On May 10, 1876, Cate gave her deposition before Robert B. Reagen, Commissioner, Circuit Court, Rockingham County, Virginia at the residence of the late John Riddle.  The defendant in the case was Benjamin Trumbo, Zachariah's father.  The deposition reads as follows:
     Mrs. Kate Fawley, a witness of lawful age being first duly sworn, deposes and says:
     Q: Where did you live in the years 1866-67 and 68?
     A: My home was at Capt. Fulk's.  During those years I was frequently at John Riddle's dec'd for three or four months at a time.
     Q: What was the manner and conduct of John Riddle while you were living
          in his family?
     A: I don't think a man in his right mind would have acted as he did.  I have seen him go off into a stupor while persons were talking to him-he would rouse up- talk intelligently a moment and then talk childish.  Almost every time you passed him he would say "it will be a fine day if the wind don't raise."  He would frequently repeat questions although they had been answered-four or five times in a few minutes.
     Q: How did the family treat him-as a business man or as a person not to be intrusted with business?
     A: I never heard them say anything to him in regards to business matters.
     Q: Did you ever hear Benj Trumbo-the Defendant in this suit-say anything about John Riddle while you were living in the family?
     A: I heard him say: he was more trouble than Beck.
     Q: How old was Beck, and who was she?
     A: She was about eighteen months old.  She was his (Benj Trumbo's) daughter.
     Further this Deponent saith not.
         /s/ Cate Fawley

Trumbo family researcher Alva T. Wood, deceased, of Harrisonburg, Virginia told me that after Benjamin's first wife, Cynthia Ann Riddle Trumbo died, that Benjamin moved in with her folks along with his 7 children and stayed there until he remarried.  This deposition is important because it states that  Kate had lived in the same household (off and on) during 1866, 67 and 68 with Zachariah, during the time that she conceived their son Charles.

In 1880 Kate was keeping house for Herod Homan and had Charles living with her.

Family tradition tells us that sometime after 1880 Katie was committed to the State Hospital in Staunton, Virginia, where she wandered onto a rail road track and was killed by a train.  Her son Charles, now an orphan, was raised by Herod Homan.

A request made to the Department of Mental Health, Mental Retardation and Substance Abuse Services of the Commonwealth of Virginia in the spring of 1995 for information about Katie during her commitment was denied.  To quote: "The Department of Mental Health, Mental Retardation and Substance Abuse Services has set a statewide facility policy for responding to informational request for genealogical purposes.  We will not disclose patient information for these types of requests due to the fact that provision of the information is outside of the DMHMRSAS mission and request of this nature involve the use of scarce agency resources to locate, copy, and refile records, microfiche/film, etc."  Inquiries by other family members living in Virginia failed to produce any data on Katie.

Friend and research angel AM was able to access some Western Hospital records at the Library of Virginia in June of 2011 and found no mention of Katie.  Thanks AM.

J. Robert Swank in his work "Early Church Records", c. 1968, shows Katie Fawley on the 1888 membership roll of the Broadway United Brethren Church.  This roll also shows: Married-Jacob Fawley, d: 1889).

In January of 2009, Pat Ritchie, Brocks Gap Rockingham County Virginia family researcher and cousin, provided the following information,  transcribed from the minutes from "UB Society Book" which is owned by Dale MacAllister of Singers Glen:
     The following information is some notes from the actual minutes also recorded in the book, looking for Mt. Carmel or Brocks Gap names & information.
"Church Proceeding Singers Glen Circuit UB Church
for Conference year of 1889."

     Feb. 11th 1890
     Class examination Feb. 11th 1890
     The class at Broadway Singers Glen circuit U.B. Church Va. conference met according to appointment in the Hall in Broadway Feb. 11th 1890.  Called to order by Pastor J.D.D.  After reading scripture Prayer and some remarks with reference to the interests and character of the meeting the roll was called and all members passed favor with the following references, name No. 10 Sister Kate Fawley had died in the year.  So far as evidence could be gathered She died in Peace and hope of Salvation through Jesus Christ.

A request in 1995 for a death certificate from the Commonwealth of Virginia revealed no recording of her death during the years 1880-1883.

Another family story came forth that Kate had gone west and died there, possibly even committing suicide. That tradition continues that some family members had seen her headstone.  This story seems to have begun around 1975 from descendants of Ambrose Trumbo and Chestina Gentleman Trumbo and somehow involved several descendants of Charles Trumbo and Anna Holsinger Trumbo.  Some of Charles' descendants were suppose to know where Kate's headstone was.  Alva T. Wood in her research checked with several of Charles' descendants and no one knows how this story began, and no one has any knowledge what so ever about Kate's demise.

Cemetery records for LaSalle County, Illinois were check, no reference to Kate was found, looking for surnames of Trumbo, Dove and Fawley.

Wish list for Kate:  Death proof from a civil record set.  Burial information.  Since I am dreaming here, photo.




* Additional source data can be obtained by contacting me, see the right hand column for a yahoo email address.

** 52 Ancestors Weeks Button courtesy of Amy Johnson Crow.

*** I use many resources to research, FamilySearch.org is a free site.  Ancestry.com is a pay site for which I pay, no discounts, etc.  Fold3, is another site I subscribe to and pay for. None of these sites have asked me to review them, or use them.  See my Disclaimers page for further details.

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