52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks - Week 11: Lucky

Copyright 2018, CABS for Reflections From the Fence

This post as part of my participation in Amy Johnson Crow's 2018 version of the 52 Ancestors meme. This weeks prompt is, "Lucky".  The prompt reads:

Do you have an ancestor who was lucky at something? Lucky to be alive? Lucky at cards? Lucky in love? Maybe you have an ancestor with a name that reminds you of luck or fortune. There's always "luck of the Irish." Maybe you have a story of how luck played a role in finding an ancestor.

Luck surely plays an important part in family research. Actually, I believe it is more that the ancestors want to be found and are not in a mood to play you along and string out the search any longer.  Here are several such lucky days in my family research.

There is the ZZ Trumbo cemetery visit.  It was a week big on drama. And, how Man drove within 50 feet of the burial spot.  I would have parked out front and never pulled way back in to the spot he chose to park the truck.  If memory serves, I was not kind to him, asking him, why in the world he parked wayyyyyy back there. Who knew??  The lucky one, this time, Man.

Searching for Hezekiah provided a photo and a long lovely ride in the country side finding the cemetery.  As usual when Man and I parked the vehicle, we separated, he took one side of the cemetery, I took the other.  I believe this find was mine.  The story is here.

The search for Mariah and Joseph Remley and her sister Susie Blanton was similar.  Man and I first visited in the days of walkie talkies.  He took off in one direction, I in another.  I remember no-see-em bites and that he found the burial spot, alas, NO headstone for Mariah or Joseph.  We do have a photo from our first visit in 2002, and we revisited in April 2016.  I wrote about the 2016 visit here. 

Despite all that "luck" I still get shivers when I think of the search for Man's ancestor Charles Clifford and his new bride, Plutheria (Phoebe) Clifford Clifford.  Yep, as far as I know, she was born a Clifford and married a Clifford.

I was looking for the Cliffords in the 1851 Canadian census.  You can read all about it in my post, One Memory, My Best Genealogy Day, Well, One of the Best.  

Lucky me, the lucky researcher.  Lucky!

* #52ancestors

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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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The Quilt of Many Stitches: Treasure Chest Thursday

Copyright 2016, CABS for Reflections From the Fence

Recently added to my wonderful collection of family heirlooms.  Velveteen pieces.  The stitching I believe is called blanket stitching.

The colors sing to my soul.  This is the only piece that I have with this variety of stitches.

Here is a closer view:

This is the back of the quilt, the fabric seems to be a heavy cotton.  (excuse the out of focus photo)

*  Update.  Friend Terri tells me that this is considered a "Crazy Quilt" and sent me this link.  Tomorrow, I'll be searching for Spider Web stitching.  Stay tuned.

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Sunday's Stories, 52 Ancestor Weeks, Week # 18, Anna Susan (nee Holsinger) Trumbo

Copyright 2014, CABS for Reflections From the Fence

This is week 18 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.

Anna Susan Holsinger Trumbo was born on September 28, 1866 at Long Meadows, Rockingham County, Virginia to Peter Preston Holsinger and his wife, Mary A. Kessler Holsinger.  Anna was one of six siblings and also had a half brother (by her father and his first wife).

Her birth record has been digitally edited for this format, and follows in two images, as the record spans two pages in the original record book.  As with many records in Virginia, the quality is not the best.

Anna married Charles Gratton Trumbo on January 11, 1895 in Rockingham County Virginia - - maybe.  Despite lots of serious and detailed searching, I have yet to locate a church record or a civil record of their marriage. A family Bible, reported to be that of Charles and Anna with a publication date of 1898 has their date of marriage recorded as January 11, 1896 at the residence of John F. Driver (who was a Brethren minister). I have several reasons to doubt that the marriage was in 1896, only one of which is the documented delayed birth registration of one of their daughters, which states the parents were married January 11, 1895.

Anna and Charles had six children. (There may have been 7 children, as there is family tradition of the birth of twins, one dying, one living to adulthood.  No proof has been found, and the family Bible makes no mention of such a child.)

Anna died on October 26, 1934 in the Plains Magisterial District, Rockingham County, Virginia.  She was buried two days later at the Linville Creek Church of the Brethren Cemetery in Broadway, Rockingham County Virginia.

* 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.  None of these sites have asked me to review them, or use them.  See my Disclaimers page for further details.

**** Anna's photo courtesy of Paul G. Holsinger, M.D., compiler, "Descendants of David Holsinger of Virginia" published in 1969.)

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A Reflective Day for Reflections

Copyright 2012, CABS for Reflections From the Fence

Man and I are in Rockingham County Virginia, home of my families for generations.  I can trace my lines back to at least 1800 (even a bit before).  I spent many summers here as a child, visited here many times as a young married gal with babies of her own.  Rockingham has always had an emotional hold on me.

We arrived yesterday, tired, and decided to just sit in the campground, rest, and rest some more.

Today it rained, all day, no deluges, just a steady rain.  Early afternoon, we headed out.  The mist and the rain suited our pensive moods.

Rockingham is truly beautiful, rolling hills, farms, old homes and new.  It is even beautiful in the rain, you can see a rain drop on Jolly's windshield, or maybe that is a tear - -

My daddy always said, nothing stays the same.  He was so right.  The Broadway Diner is closed.  They even closed a section of road, permanently, near where a number of my clan are buried and where my great-grandfather, Charles Trumbo, grew up.  Babies are born, our elders pass.  One of the reasons Man and I are so pensive and reflective is because this is our first visit back after cousin Nancy Trumbo Bodkin died, unexpectedly and much to soon.  Nancy was a spit fire, a wild woman, a giving woman, a great cook, a dear dear friend. Nancy was my partner in crime during the search for the ole Charles Trumbo house.  I wrote about it here and here.  Seriously, if you have not read those posts, you should.  Yea, Nancy was always getting me in trouble.

So, today in the rain Man and I drove to the cemetery to say "Hi" to Nancy and tell her how much we miss her.  The rain helped cover our tears.  Rockingham will never be the same.

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Treasure Chest Thursday, The Halterman Bottles

Copyright 2011, CABS for Reflections From the Fence

This small collection of bottles (and one vase) came from my grandmother, Minnie Agnes Halterman Trumbo.  Some of them may have come from her parent's (Ida Matilda Whitmer Halterman and hubby David Halterman) farm.  They have been in my possession for well over 20 years.  Not particularly valuable, but, treasures to me.

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My Priceless Minnie, Women's History Challenge, COG 103

Copyright 2011, CABS for Reflections From the Fence

The Carnival Of Genealogy traditionally honors women in March each year in conjunction with National Women's History Month.

Thanks to Jasia and Creative Gene for sponsoring the Carnival of Genealogy.  Thanks to footnoteMaven for the poster.

For this issue of the COG I have decided to write a bit more about my grandmother, Minnie Agnes Halterman Trumbo.  I have written bits and pieces about her before here on Reflections.  Remember that wringer washer photo, where she is teaching my two eldest sons how to do laundry, her way??  Maybe you remember my Sentimental Sunday tribute to her and her lovely lillies.

Minnie was born on August 2, 1905 in Rockingham County Virginia and died June 15, 2003 in Broward County Florida. Her ashes are buried in the Halterman Cemetery (on land owned by the Halterman family for well over 150 years) near Bergton, Rockingham County, Virginia.  On July 25, 1923 Minnie married my grandfather, Leonard Homan Trumbo in Frederick, Frederick County, Maryland.

Minnie and Leonard lived and raised their two children in Broadway, Rockingham County, Virginia. Minnie was a great seamstress, working many years in the business, sewing clothes for private clients and doing alterations for a local store's customers.  She also worked in "chickens" for a number of years, when I was quite young she raised baby chicks.  At some point she went to work at the local "egg factory", looking at eggs with light to see if they were appropriate for market.  But, there is no doubt her family and friends in Broadway remembered her for her sewing/stitchery skills.  One distant cousin told me that at one time her closet was filled with beautiful clothes all sown by Minnie.

From left:  My mother, Minnie, my uncle.

For this presentation, I have decided to recite, more or less accurately, the words I spoke at her memorial service, back in Broadway in the Baptist Church.  Originally, when we were advised by the preacher that we could make comments I had thought I would not.  But, at the last minute (well, the last hour), I decided that indeed I did want to say something in her memory.  I started furiously making one-liner notes and elaborated on those one-liners as I stood in front of her friends and family.  What follows are notes I recorded in the written form a few days later, while not a perfect transcription, it is pretty close to what I said that June day in Broadway.  (Note:  Photos were not part of the memorial service.)

"When I was a small child and would be visiting her, she would try to get me to take naps, like any young lady, I did not really want to take those naps, so gramma would "bribe" me by allowing me to take one of her baby chicks to bed with me. Sad to say, a number of those chicks did not survive the afternoon nap.

She lived on the North Fork of the Shenandoah River. I think she loved the river but also feared it, and its power. She constantly warned us to be careful of the river.

From left, Minnie, my grandmother.
Jessie Eloise, my mother.
Moi, holding Son #1 (1st birthday).

Her home had a very long oak stairwell, covered with a long runner, the runner was held in place on each step by a gold bar at the back of each step. She was always warning us to NOT run and to be very careful on those steps. She was always protecting us.

When I was about the age of my nephew, and was learning to drive, I came to visit, she helped me to learn to drive.

When I married and wanted antiques I knew where to come. The Valley is the best place in the world to shop for antiques. I would come with a long list of items I wanted to find. She would drag me around to Clory's (a furniture store), Harrisonburg, New Market as well as every antique store within miles and even to a sale or two. We would find everything on that list, and I would go home with a loaded car.

Minnie and Moi, about 1984

I remember her oven fried chicken. She would cook wonderful HUGE breakfasts, with the best gravy in the world.

She taught me to sew, but she REFUSED to teach me to crochet. She said crochet would ruin my eyes. I learned to crochet however, and also learned cross stitch.

When I would come to visit, she would take me "calling". She would tell me, we have to go visit Pauline, we have to go visit your gramma Halterman. Thanks to her, I met a lot of my relatives.

My twin granddaughters were born in XXXX, Minnie was thrilled with the girls, always wanting photos and bragging on them. She loved them dearly, even tho she never got to meet them.

The last time I saw gramma was in February of last year, when Man and I managed to drag our old trailer to Florida. I called her and asked her if she would like me to come visit, she cried in delight, "WHEN?". I said now. She asked how long it would take me to get to the nursing home. I think she called my mother 5 seconds after I hung up the phone. We had a nice visit over the 2 days that we were there. She told me family stories, and I realized that she still was a little bit "fiesty".

Minnie and Moi, 2002, our last visit.

Now when I lose my temper, I think to myself, I know where that "fiesty" attitude came from, Gramma.

I always have felt that my two grammas gave me different parts of my personality. One was the business side, the other was my country side. Minnie was my country side.

She lived almost 98 years, her mind was clear until almost the end of her life. I could only hope to duplicate that long life and clear mind, and still have a little "fiesty" left, and a little country left in my soul. I hope that I will be as good a gramma to my twin granddaughters, as my gramma was to me."

In retrospect, I believe I know where I got my genie bug, from Minnie.  Oh, could she cook, Man and I both recall huge breakfasts topped off by gravy, fresh green beans with a bit of salty ham for flavoring.  Her oven fried chicken, was to die for, I never could duplicate it.  I also learned about antiques, learned how to sew, and learned some driving lessons that I remember to this day, all from my Gramma.  However, her true gift to me was her unqualified love.

My Minnie, my country gramma.  Priceless to me.



* Even tho Minnie taught me to sew, I never came close to her skills with the needle and sewing machine.

**Reference to sale means an estate sale, most likely an auction.

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90th Carnival of Genealogy--Third Annual iGene Awards

Its time for The Third Annual iGene Awards, The Best of The Best!

It's Academy awards time... time for the Academy of Genealogy and Family History, aka AGFH, to honor their best blog posts of 2009 in the following 5 categories:

Best Picture - Best old family photo that appeared on your blog in 2009. Tell us which you liked best and why.

Best Screen Play - Which family story that you shared in 2009 would make the best movie? Who would you cast as your family members?

Best Documentary - Which was the best informational article you wrote about a place, thing, or event involving your family's history in 2009?

Best Biography - Which was the best biographical article you wrote in 2009?

Best Comedy - Which was the best funny story, poem, joke, photo, or video that you shared on your blog in 2009?

The rest of the challenge reads in part: Start digging back into your archives and choose which of your blog posts deserve to be recognized for outstanding achievement. There is no nomination process. You just need to announce your winning blog posts for the 5 categories mentioned above in an article on your blog and submit it to the Carnival of Genealogy.

I have only been blogging since April of 2009, not even a full year and I found this COG to be a REAL challenge. I spent several hours of delightful review of my past posts. I have posts about RVing and Genealogy, but for this challenge I will only consider posts that have to do with family research.

And the awards go to - - -

Best Picture: The Trumbo Foundry. Winner because of the new horizons I visited before this blog was posted. I learned so much and I got permission to use this photo in my blog and my family history. It is a photo that shows history and “a sign of the times”, and it is my grandfather! And, the place is a place I know!

Honorary Mention (not in the challenge, but I gotta go there):  The Darden sibs. Deserves mention because of the strong emotions this photo gets from me every time I see it, it tugs at my heart in so many different ways.  This is a family that loves deep and have no qualms of sharing that love.

Best Screen Play: They Worked Hard, Bowen version.   The movie will have drama (hurricanes and fire), and characters (my grandmother and the other locals of the Outer Banks, you just HAVE to be a character to live there year round and that is a compliment!).  Actors to play the parts, to be determined (which is my cop out way of saying - I have no clue - I don’t follow movies, or actors much these days.)

Honorary mention: The Series, My Best Vacations, by the entire clan.  Gosh I had fun with this. Would  not be a serious heart tugging movie, nor would it be akin to the movie RV, just some great family fare.  My three favorite summer vacations, by Son # 1 and family.   My three favorite summer vacations, by Son # 2 and finacee’.  And, My three favorite summer vacations, by Man and Moi. 

Best Documentary: Ancestor Military Battles, Solomon B. Eley, my award winner, partly because of the emotional attachment I feel to this ancestor, but also because of the documents I have found, documents of a different kind, that surrender document is among my most exciting genie-finds.

Honorary mention: Citizenship vs love, deserving of mention because it discusses a part of citizenship that is not commonly known or understood.

Another Honorary mention:  Richard Bowen, my Thanksgiving ancestor.  Discoveries while researching this direct lineage ancestor gave me a new appreciation of Thanksgiving, and keep on giving.

Best Biography: Pat Lombardini, my Orphan.  There are other biographies I have done that I love, but this one, beyond a doubt, was a heart string tugger. 

Best Comedy: The Switch.   Winner, because it is one of our favorite family funny stories. It may not be that funny to my readers, but since I am the judge and jury here, it wins!

Honorary mentions: Don’t trust your brother, brothers are special, aren’t they?  They even provide a humorous family story now and then.  And, I had the photos to prove it!

Another Honorary mention goes to:  Did he or did he not drink the hydraulic fluid?  Who can explain why something tickles your black humor fancy?  I can't, but I did giggle a lot over this newspaper find.

Well, there they are, my iGene Awards.  Congratulations to the winners and the honorary mentions too.

* Thank you to Creative Gene for sponsoring this carnival and to footnoteMaven for the poster.

Copyright 2010, CABS for Reflections From the Fence.
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Dear Genea-Santa: 86th Carnival of Genealogy

Thanks to Jasia at Creative Gene for hosting this Christmas challenge.  It reads:

We can't go into the Christmas holiday without our genealogy wish lists for Genea-Santa!!! So write up a list of what you'd like Genea-Santa to bring you and share it in the COG :-)

It has been quite a few years since I wrote a letter to Ole Saint Nick.  Too many years to count.  So, without further ado:

Dear Genea-Santa:

I have been a pretty good girl this year.  I have done lookups, and stomped in several cemeteries (in hot weather and cold, covered in bug spray and sun screen) this past year gathering data to share with other researchers. 

My wishes for this year, not in any specific order:

1.)  A family campout like we did last summer, it was great fun and built great family memories.

2.)  Strength, and focus for me, I really need to finish that Lashbrook book project.

3.)  Time, energy and opportunity for genie-volunteers everywhere, they are the back bone of the genie-community.   While I am talking volunteers here, would it be possible to send a HUGE HUGE HUGE thank you to all genie-volunteers.  We need them to know how much they are appreciated.  Thanks!

4.)  Proof of the marriage of Charles Gratton Trumbo and Anna Susan Holsinger.  This one is gonna be a bit tough as we believe they were married by John F. Driver, of Timberville, Rockingham County, Virginia,  a Brethren, and that the marriage was performed in Driver's home.  (Can you hear the loud SIGHSSS??)  Since I am asking about Charles, would it be too much to find SOME document that shows his parents??  Probably, but, can't blame a gal for trying can ya??

Have a great ride on Christmas Eve, 2009, give the reindeer an extra helping of their favorite treat (carrots, right??). Hug Mrs. Claus, she deserves a big hug and thanks for all she does all year round.  Not sure I can manage the cookies under the tree thing this year, Tana's tree is pretty small.  Besides baking cookies in Tana is tedious, and I am getting rather lazy.  Would it be ok to owe ya on that cookie thing??  Lets face it, you probaby won't miss the calories and I won't miss the carbs from all the cookies that I might eat!

Thanks Santa,

*One last wish, whispered ever so quietly, that trip to Salt Lake City, the mecca of genie-libraries.  Man has promised me one, even a full month in Tana there, so I can research till I drop.  Any assistance you could send our way on this one would be great, as we have had trouble pulling this off by ourselves.   If you cannot supply this wish, for it surely is a BIGGIE, I will understand.  Thanks.
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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??

Ancestor Birthday Celebrations, Minnie Agnes Halterman Trumbo

Minnie was born on August 2, 1905 in Rockingham County Virginia and died June 15, 2003 in Broward County Florida. Her ashes are buried in the Halterman Cemetery (on land owned by the Halterman family for well over 150 years) near Bergton, Rockingham County, Virginia.

This photo, is another "Lookie what I found". I do not remember having it. But, I am so glad to have re-discovered it. My grandmother, Minnie Agnes Halterman Trumbo, teaching Son # 2 (on the left), and Son # 1 (on the right), how to do laundry in a ringer washing machine, in her basement in Rockingham County Virginia. July 1979.



Wow, what a blast from the past, and no caught fingers on those precious hands.

Minnie's memorial at Find A Grave is here. Part of what I said at her memorial service is found there.

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They Worked Hard for the Family, Trumbo style

New to blogging, I have just learned about "Carnivals". The best I can determine, an assignment is advertised, you write a blog about the assignment, then you register your contribution and the reading begins.

The assignment read, in part, "The professions of our ancestors are almost as interesting as the people themselves. Some of our ancestors worked very hard; they took in laundry, worked the land, raised many children, or went to school and became professionals. Photographs of them working are called occupational photographs and are rather hard to find."

I was immediately interested because I have a copy of this really great photo of my grandfather Trumbo working in his foundry.

However, it was determined that there was a bit of a problem with this photo, COPYRIGHT!!

I originally found the photo in the work, "Rockingham County", a part of the Images of America series, Authors: Scott Hamilton Suter and Cheryl Lyon, Published by Arcadia, Charleston SC, 2004. I was thumbing through the book at the Allen County Public Library in Fort Wayne Indiana, and just about jumped out of my seat when I saw it.

I next found it at the Library of Congress, it was part of the Office of War Information collection. I discovered it was taken by John Vachon. (I spent the next hour or so surfing the net, learning about John Vachon, great reading, ya sure learn interesting stuff in this sport.)

I decided to see if John's heirs would grant permission for me to use this photo and 4 more that John Vachon took of my grandfather's business, and they graciously have granted me that permission.

Here is the photo, with much appreciation. It was taken in May of 1941.


My grandfather, Leonard Homan Trumbo, is the man on the left. This is the Foundry in Broadway, Rockingham County, Virginia. We do not know who the other man is. This foundry was being run by Leonard's father, Charles, by 1920. My grandfather worked in the building, which was later called Broadway Garage, until his death in 1961. My mother has a lot of memories of the foundry and garage. Even I remember spending time in there as a child when we would visit.

There is much that can be told about this foundry, but for today, here is just a bit of what my mother told me about it:

"Back behind the stove and close to the window are boxes which were forms to use for making stove parts or whatever they were making at the time. The entire floor was dirt based and then covered with molding sand which was a dark grey color and very fine."

In recent years the foundry building and land was purchased from my grandmother by the city and has been used as some sort of workshop.

It may not look like much of a photo to many, but to me, just looking at it evokes strong memories, it is almost like stepping back through time and being there again, I can almost smell the oil from the garage.

*Before receiving permission to use this photo by the heirs of John Vachon, I prepared another post for the Carnival, They Worked Hard for the Family. I will post it tomorrow. Have no idea if they will take two entries, I shall find out.

**This blog became as much about obtaining permission to use the photo as the photo and its story, I would like to thank the organizers of the Carnival, it was the stimuli to my getting that permission, and I sure learned some interesting stuff along the way.
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Spelling don't count, even IF it is in stone

In the search of the Elusive Ella, which I will chat about some time, but not now, Cousin Reb, was looking at every Trumbo she could find at Ancestry.com. So far, Ella is still elusive, but, it got me to thinking - - - -

Spelling don't count, however, in some search engines, you can use a wild card feature, most search engines require that you type in 3 letters first, then wild card. This works quite well, most of the time, but not so well if the 3rd letter is a vowel. So, what I do when the 3rd letter is a vowel is to search every spelling possible by changing the vowel. First I search with what we consider to be the normal spelling. Then, I switch vowels, so, Trumbo would become Trambo, then Trembo, and so forth. It is quite surprising what I find that way. Found Man's grandmother's birth that way, after looking for 3 years, again, another story, another time.

I was gonna drop Cousin Reb a email and ask her if she had searched that way, when I remembered Zachariah, one of my Trumbos. Zachariah Z. Trumbo is my g g grandfather. He is buried out in Joplin County Missouri. I believe that it was Cousin Reb that got me a photo of his headstone.

Let me tell you, not sure even my tricks of changing vowels would work for ole Zach, proof positive that spelling don't count, even IF it is inscribed in stone.

Got to love it, Z. Z. Treembo.

*I even have a theory of how this happened, whomever ordered the stone wrote Trumbo with the "U" having loops, the cursive "U" now becomes a double "E".