Davey Book Finished At Last

Finally, I have published the book about my mother-in-law and her ancestors, Alice Mildred Davey Higgins 1914-2008; Her Danish, Swedish, and Cornish Ancestry. I know it took me much longer than it should have but I stumbled many times while writing Alice's story. I had so much information it was difficult to know what to include and what to leave out.

I used Lulu.com for the printing and am quite happy with the results. I fear I ordered too many for distribution to family and donations to the various archives, libraries, historical societies,and such, so I have plenty of excess. However, in addition to what I have, anyone can order an on-demand copy at anytime. I priced it basically at cost because I'm not looking to profit in anyway. This was a labor of love!.

Now, I'm back to researching for my next publication. As I haven't decided which direction to take, I'm simply going over previous research and working on finding all the documentation I can until inspiration strikes. In addition, I'll be writing short bios and family stories as I go so when inspiration does strike I"ll have a head start.

~Becky~

Where are Thomas and Elizabeth Stephens in 1870?

This is my writing for today for the February writing challenge. Frustration set in yesterday as I wrote about my husband’s 3^rd great-grandparents, Thomas and Elizabeth (Letcher Nankivel) Stephens. My focus has been Elizabeth’s journey in America – her life as the wife of a lead miner.  Thomas came to the U.S. with his father and brother in 1840 and they brought the rest of the family over in 1842. Even though Elizabeth wasn’t accepted by Thomas’s family with open arms because she was a widow with three boys, she followed along with the large family group.

My frustration has set in because I can’t find the Thomas or Elizabeth in the 1870 US census. They are in Grant County, Wisconsin in 1850, Iowa County, Wisconsin in 1860 and Thomas is in Grant County again in 1880. Elizabeth died abt. 1874. Thomas was a lead miner and I know he went off to other regions to mine through the years – in 1865 he is in Michigan’s UP working the Lake Superior mines. There are a couple of extant letters from Elizabeth to him and from him to Elizabeth during that year. Elizabeth was living in Platteville, Grant, Wisconsin at that time.

I’ve tried every variation of the spelling of Stephens I can think of to no avail. I’ve now begun a page by page search of the 1870 census for both Iowa and Grant counties in hopes at least finding Elizabeth. It appears at least three of their children should still be with her – Jane, Agnes, and Thomas. Not luck with them either. She isn’t living with her daughter Elizabeth Ann Rose, Mary Louise Davey, Irene Persons, or her sons Timothy or Henry Nankivel.

I know missing this census shouldn’t inhibit my writing their story but, for some reason, it just ticked me off yesterday and today. I’ll keep looking for them but will also move ahead tomorrow.

Searching for Sarah Stephens

I’ve been doing a little research in preparation for this year’s February Writing Challenge. My focus will be on the Stephens family which immigrated to Platteville, Grant, Wisconsin. The forerunners arrived in 1840 and most of the rest of the “colony”, as they became known, following in 1842.

Working my way through the children of James and Mary (Murrish) Stephens and trying to fill out their lives, I’ve run into a snag – really one of many but this is today’s topic – with daughter, Sarah aka Sally. Sarah went to Platteville from Perranzabuloe, Cornwall, England with her mother in 1842. She married Warner C. Moore in 1847 and they lived together in Muscoda, Grant, Wisconsin through 1880. Warner died before January 9, 1873 when Sarah filed for a military pension as a widow since Warner had served in the Civil War in the Wisconsin Infantry.

I last find Sarah in the 1880 US Federal Census in Muscoda as the head of the household with her sons, James, Frank and Alfred. To date I’ve not uncovered death records or cemetery markers for either Warner or Sarah. Logically, Warner would be buried in Grant County since he and Sarah are in Muscoda before his death and Sarah and sons are there after his death. Sarah, on the other hand, may have moved from there after 1880.

In an effort to find her on the 1900 census, I’ve been tracing the paths of her children, thinking she may be living with one of them. She and Warner had seven children, two girls and five boys. I’ve been able to track down the girl’s married names but so far no luck finding Sarah. Maybe she died before 1900 but I haven’t found a death record either.

Well, at least she’s not a direct ancestor to me husband which means she’s not a deal breaker!

Ishpeming/Marquette Trip Recap & Summary

I've been back from Michigan for a few days now, well, really just the weekend. There were a number of personal things that needed doing once we got home - like cleaning house, doing laundry, just stuff. There was another reason I didn't post before now though; I wanted to give my "little grey cells' time to work in the background and gel things together. Now it is time to summarize the trip.

First of all, I learned that all the planning I did prior to actually getting in the car and going was well worth the time and effort. I had created two primary lists - a research item list and a daily schedule. The lists were printed and posted on Evernote. I must admit, however, I used the printed lists more than the digital. When we were driving around or sitting in a restaurant it was easy to pull out the printed copy; I didn't need to access the internet, boot up a computer or device, or worry about wireless connections. That's not to say I never used the digital versions but it was nice to have the hard copies available. My husband also had his copies.

The Research List was created first and was the most detailed. I spent many hours on the internet looking for places which might be helpful to my research. I split the list into three locations: Ishpeming, Marquette, and Negaunee. Each listing contained the name of the location (library, archive, museum), address, phone number, hours. Under each listing I identified what I hoped to find there including names and dates when appropriate. For example, in the Marquette section was listed:

Central Upper Peninsula and NMU Archives - 126 Learning Resource Center,Northern Michigan University, 1401 Presque Isle Avenue, Marquette, MI  49855. 906-227-1225; Mon. - Fri. - 8-5, closed for lunch 12-1 - Marcus Robyns, archivist
 Pencils only - can use laptop.

Marquette County Tax Rolls:Amelia Christiansen - Vol 335 Assessment Roll Ishpeming 1885 and Vol 344 1884Larson or Christiansen - Vol 337 Assessment Roll Ishpeming 1887

The Iron Agitator microfilm Jan 7 1882-Dec 1884. Hans Christiansen death.

Look for naturalization papers for Carl August Larsson/Larson between 1885 and 1900

Once I had everything I thought I needed, I called the various locations to verify the days and hours they would be open and asked about any special rules. For instances the "pencils only - can use laptop" as listed above. This is a very important step. When making my contacts I learned the Ishpeming Historical Museum was closing the week before I would be there but, because of the previous contact, they made arrangements for me while I was in town.

With the Research List Complete, I was able to review the logistics and timing for each location and set a schedule for each day. Of course, the schedule was tentative and subject to change. As it happens, I made changes only between Wednesday and Thursday in order to meet up a second time with the genealogist from the Ishpeming Historical Museum, Karen Kasper.

One other thing I did before I left home was to create an Excel worksheet showing the individuals in the families I was researching and whether or not I had found each on everything census in which they should appear. In doing so, I had time to find any I was missing before the trip and verify who was still in the area and who and when others had moved-on.

This trip was very satisfying. I found some new, very important information as well as finding new sources confirming previously known facts. All was done with very little stress because I knew what to do and what to do next. This time "the best laid plans" worked out.

I will soon need to start writing the stories of these two families but, as life would have it, I have another project that must take precedent. My husband's father will turn 100 on November 9 and I have lots of pictures to scan and enhance (some) for a slideshow.

~ Becky

Ishpeming/Marquette Last Day

Day Four

Wow, how time flies! It seems we’ve only just arrived but will be heading home tomorrow morning. I had anticipated a quieter day today but, with the exception of a brief break after lunch, we filled each minute. The break was nice, though. We’d lunched at Doncker’s in downtown Marquette. It’s the same little restaurant/soda bar/candy store President Obama lunched at in February of 2011. (Why he would want to go to the UP in February is beyond me.)I had the best tuna melt ever! Because the NMU archives shuts down for lunch between 12 and 1, we had about an hour and a half to ourselves. We used that time to drive up the Lake Superior coast line and enjoy some time in Presque Isle Park.

Our morning had been spent at the Marquette County Court House where I struck out at the Clerk’s office and the Deeds office but had much better luck at the Probate office. Though I didn’t get probate records for everyone on my list, I did get some of the most important. Fortunately, I had a relatively short list because the person at the desk was only going to work a half-day and didn’t have a lot of time to give to genealogy requests. She was, however, gracious enough to look up my people and make the copies I requested. My thanks to her and I hope she has a great long weekend!

Then after our lunch and sightseeing, we went to the Central Upper Penisula and NMU Archives. Karen, whom we had met at the Ishpeming Historical Society, was volunteering there today so we had a chance to talk a bit more genealogy with her. Again, the items I’d hoped against hope to find there didn’t pan out. Sometimes we just have to accept a negative as an answer.

We’re now back at the motel where I’ll spend some time renaming photos and such. Then we’ll watch some TV – Big Bang premieres tonight. Morning will come soon enough and we’ll be on our way home.

We’ve had a great trip. The weather has been terrific; the colors get more beautiful every day; but I’m ready to get home and get started with the writing.

~ Becky

Ishpeming/Marquette Day Three

I often find it strange how easily we adapt to our surroundings. We’ve only been in the Ishpeming/Marquette area since Sunday but now, mid-week everything feels familiar. We can usually find our way around Ishpeming, Marquette, and Negaunee without the help of the map. With Ishpeming being short on restaurants, we’ve come to recognize the servers at the Country Grill where we’ve been taking our breakfasts and dinners, and they us. Our room at the Best Western is comfortable and is beginning to feel like a home away from home.

We woke this morning to very heavy fog which was predicted to burn off by mid-morning. Based on the prediction, we decided to stick to our predetermined schedule. Our first stop was the Peter White Public Library in Marquette; our only Marquette locations for the day. I had two primary goals at this library – (1) finding the specific item on the microfilm for The Iron Agitator newspaper and (2) finding a book The Early History of a Mining Town: Ishpeming, Michigan, 1852-1920 by Robert D. Dobson.

I had tried to get this book through interlibrary loan last month but was told the few libraries will to lend it would charge for $10 to $30. Since I knew we were making this trip and since WorldCat showed two copies at the Peter White, I decided to wait. It turned out to be a gold mine of information and background material. I’m so glad I found it because its material will be so helpful when I write the Christiansen/Larsen stories. I also found a very nice “picture” book on Marquette.

Now for the big frustration of the day. I have transcriptions listed in Incidents of Mortality In the Marquette Range Iron Mines compiled by Kenneth D. LaFayette from The Iron Agitator of 15 Sep 1883 that states “The engineer Hans Christiansen, of whom we spoke in our last issue as being struck by a fly-wheel at No 2 engine house…”; the key being “in our last issue”. There was no listing for anything form the 08 Sep 1883 issue. Peter White was said to have the microfilm from the Agitator in that time period. The good news is they do have the issue in question; the bad news is the page on which Hans’ accident would have been reported is missing from the microfilm. The issue is there; pages 1,2,3,5,6,7,and 8 are there but the news from Ishpeming always reported on page 4 is not there. (Note, the pages for this issue, and as far as I can see only this issue, are also out of numerical order.) Well, at least, we have an explanation as to why LaFayette didn’t list it in his compilation as I was told he used newspaper microfilm.

On our way back to Ishpeming from Marquette we stopped for lunch at the Midtown Café and Bakery. Not only did I enjoy are nice salad there, when I checked in on Foursquare I became the Mayor and as the new Mayor we got a 20% discount!

Next, we went to the Cliff Shaft Mine museum which was very interesting. Their exhibits include items from many of the mines in the area. The Cliff Shaft Mine was shut down in 1967 and the day they shut down they simply walked away leaving everything in place. The tour with a very knowledgeable docent was quite an experience. If you ever go there, be sure to leave plenty of time to take in everything available.

Our last stop for the day was the Ishpeming Carnegie Library. This is the only Carnegie Library building in the Country still being used for its original purpose. I had two goals there as well but, alas, came up empty this time.

Now it’s time for me to work on getting the camera and Flip-Pal photos into the computer.

~ Becky

Ishpeming/Marquette Day Two

This morning started not unlike yesterday morning. Our first stop was a cemetery but this time it was the Marquette City Park Cemetery. I had previously emailed the Sexton, Paul Albert, and he had emailed back with a map of the cemetery with the Ellstrom and Upperstrom grave locations marked. Thinking this information would be sufficient we began our search. The directions were quite clear but after we had walked the area and beyond more than once, we were stumped. To the office we went; luckily, we found Paul working there thought he hadn’t planned to be there long. In the end, it was a good thing we could find because he pulled out additional records which we were able to photograph. Then, Paul took us out and the plots. Turns the Ellstroms had only one headstone and it was flat, nearly overgrow, and almost illegible. At least, we have a photo of the area where they lay. Carl & Augusta, nee Ellstrom, Upperstrom are the same story – no stones but pictures of the grassy area where they lay. All this thanks to Paul who was so friendly and patient with us.

Having taken more time than expected at the cemetery, we had a quick lunch and then made our way to the Marquette County History Center. It really paid off having made previous contact with the archivist, Rosemary, because they were certainly ready for us when we got there. They had pulled cards for the various names I had given and all I had to do was go through to determine if they were my people or not. Some of the information I already have but some new and interesting items were found as well. The most important from a source I would not have found elsewhere – a listing for the digging of the grave for Christina Elstrom on Feb 8, 1894. That date is the closest I’ve gotten to her death; before that all I knew is she died between 1880 and 1900. Now, when I got to the courthouse I should be able to get her death certificate!

After leaving the History Center, we had just enough time to reach Jim’s cousin’s house in Ishpeming for our 2 o’clock appointment. What an enjoyable afternoon. Not only had he pulled out the old photo albums and family items for us but we thoroughly enjoyed our time with Jim and Rosemary. They are still living in the Family home and have many artifacts that have been there from nearly the beginning. I was able to retake some pictures from the ones taken in 1997 and we found additional new items of interest as well.

Now, I need to do some records updating and bring pictures onto the computer for renaming before I forget what and where they are from. Tomorrow will be another busy day.    

~ Becky

Ishpeming/Marquette Day One

Day One – September 23, 2013, Ishpeming/Marquette

Looking at my schedule for today I thought there would be plenty of down time. I only had three items: the Ishpeming Cemetery where I already knew most of the grave site locations, the Ishpeming Historical Museum which I didn’t expect to need to spend too much time, and the Michigan Iron Industry Museum which would take maybe an hour or so. Well, even starting out early we just got back to the motel around 5:00 pm.

Since our meeting with the Historical Museum wasn’t scheduled until about 10:30, we went to the Cemetery first. I had an item or two to resolve with the office which only took a few minutes and, as it turned out, was somewhat disappointing. When I was there back in 1997, the “old” register books were in the office and I was shown the page and line for Hans Christiansen. (I was new to genealogy and didn’t have enough sense to get a copy or photo.) Now there is a computer printout of the registers which “has all the records” but Hans isn’t on the listing. I’m on a mission is see if I can find out where that old book is. After the office, we went to the grave sites for the Larson family and took pictures of the stones; some of these I already have but not all and we have a better camera now.

We were still a little early for our meeting, so we stopped at McDonald’s for a soda and a sit-down. Finally, about 10:45 we met up with the wonderful volunteers at the Historical Society. Sue gave us some great information about the history of Ishpeming using artifacts to embellish the stories. Karen had done some research on the family lines we’re delving into and shared information on where we may find more. We purchased their publications, A Visit to the Past, Volumes 1 and 2, which I can’t wait to sink my teeth into later tonight.

We had a delightful lunch at the Midtown Café and Bakery in Negaunee recommended by Karen. Believe me, we never would have found it with asking Karen for suggestions. (A travel tip: Always ask the locals where to eat!) After lunch, we found our way to the Michigan Iron Industry Museum in Negaunee where we spent the rest of the afternoon. The presentation at this museum is terrific; it even includes a 20 some minute movie. The displays, which walk one through the industry from its beginning to the present, are professionally done. There are even display boards outside along a walk which describes the geology of the area. There is also a small research room and with the help of Troy, the young man in charge today, I was about to find an important source citation I’d lost along the way.

This was a day well spent and I’m looking forward to tomorrow. For now I’m going to study my new Ishpeming books and get some rest.

Ishpeming and Marquette Michigan Here I Come

I think I’m ready for this research trip!

I have my binders for the Ellstrom/Christiansen/Larson families reviewed and organized.

I have my list of places – libraries, archives, museums, cemeteries – created, printed, and in Evernote.

I have a tentative schedule prepared for each day we’ll be there, both in Marquette and Ishpeming.

I’ve made contact with the various places to make sure they’ll be open. I’ve made phone contact and scheduled appointments with certain archivists giving them more specific information so they can be prepared for my visit.

I’ve schedule a time to meet with the relatives still living in the original house in Ishpeming. 

My husband has done his due diligence with Google Maps so we know not only our route up to Ishpeming but also how to get to all the places on my list.

I’ve backed-up my laptop to my external hard drive and synced my tree with Ancestry.

I’ve checked over my “office supply” bag and have it packed with the binders and my flip-pal.

Oh, yes, I’ve also packed some clothes, toiletries, and such. I’m not so concerned about those items because there will be a good ole’ Walmart nearby. I can always pick up anything I need in the personal vein but not necessarily in the genealogy vein.

I don’t think I’ve ever been so prepared for a genealogy trip before. In the past, I’ve completed some or all the above tasks but I don’t think I’ve done them to such a degree. Here’s hoping all this preparation pays off in the end. My biggest concern at the moment is no having sufficient time to get to every place on my list. Yes, I’ve slotted them all in but will I have to cut one location out in order to have enough time at another? - - Only time will tell.

I can’t wait to get this show on the road. Tomorrow can’t come soon enough!

~ Becky

Preparing for a Research Trip

Well, I'm two weeks away from heading to the Upper Peninsula Michigan, specifically Ishpeming and Marquette. I was there in my genealogy infancy and was fortunate to get as much information as I did but there is much more to be done.

One of the best things to come out of that trip was meeting some of the relatives still living in the area. My mother-in-law, Alice, and her brother, Clifford, spent many summers at the home in Ishpeming still resided in by Larson relatives. We will, of course, spend some time with them again. They have some family scrapbooks and albums I need to review again and now that I have my flip-pal I'll be able to get much better pictures than I got in 1995. Back then I was never able to take a shot without some glare in the picture.

In preparation for the trip, I'm creating a To-Do List on Evernote and this is what I have so far:

Ishpeming:
Ishpeming Carnegie Public Library
Ishpeming Area Historical Society
Cliff Shaft Mine Museum
Ishpeming Cemetery
The Mining Journal office

Marquette:
Marquette County Clerk and Court House
Park Cemetery
Marquette County History Center
Central Upper Peninsula and NMU Archives
Peter White Public Library

Negaunee:
Negaunee Historical Museum
Michigan Iron Industry Museum

Of course, I have specific items for research under each of these locations.

Next week I will begin calling the libraries, museums, and libraries to make sure each will be open. I'll also ask if there are any restrictions on what I can bring with me to research. In some cases, I'll be able to give more information to an archivist or librarian and they may have some things ready for me when I get there.

Now that the date is getting close, I'm getting very excited. I want to be ready and be able to research effectively because I probably won't be going back before I write Alice and her ancestors' story.

~ Becky

Creation and Use of a Census Report

I’ve been looking through my binders and database for the Davey and Stephens surnames. I have plenty of information on these lines but some questions still need answering. Now isn’t that a surpriseJ. Anyway, I see the need to determine if I have each person on all the census records in which they should be recorded.

One concept I’m hoping to at least find evidence for is which of the Stephens, and related families, clan left Cornwall for Wisconsin as a group in or about 1842. They should all be recorded in the 1841 census taken in England; then it is a question of finding who is recorded in the 1850 US census in Wisconsin. According to the History of Grant County, Wisconsin written by Castello N. Holford, published in 1900, the group, locally known as The Stephens Colony, emigrated to Platteville in 1842. They received that designation because there were 50 or more family members included in the cluster. My plan is to identify those family members and see how many names I actually collect.

I’ll use the same process for the Davey family. Fortunately, this line is much smaller and should be easily traced. Of course, one never knows until one actually gets into the investigation.

I have already cited many of these census records but my plan is to create a census report for each person. In the past I’ve used Word to create such reports. I think this time I’ll use an Excel worksheet because the ease of sorting data will help me in the end. The plan is to record as much information as possible from each census including date, location, relationship – to whom, property info, occupation, etc. Once I have everything posted, I’ll be able to sort the information in various ways to see how many were living where in a given census year; who stayed in the area and who moved away; who farmed and who mined and so on.

Even though I think I have most of the records I need for this project, I’m sure I’m missing a few and will need to find someone/s I’m missing in a given census year. I’m so thankful for having access to census records online. Sometimes it can be frustrating when I can’t find someone in the index under any spelling I can think of and sometimes I’ve looked page by page through a given township but I’ve done that sitting in my office with a cup of coffee at hand. In the old days, not so long ago, I’d have had to order the microfilm, wait for it to come in, drive to the library or family history center to use the microfilm readers, and hope I found what I needed in the time I had so I didn’t have to come back another day. Gotta’ love the internet!

If I come across a problem with a particular individual, I may take that information into Evidentia to assist in the analysis of the data. In that case, I’ll also add all the other documents I’ve accumulated for that person. I can, then, easily determine if I have sufficient evidence to make a determination. I should also be able to see what further research, if any, is needed to satisfy the Genealogy Proof Standard.

Now, it’s time to brew another cup of coffee and get to work.

~ Becky

Evidence Gleaned From One Obituary

The Ishpeming Record, Ishpeming, Michigan, Friday, 9 May 1930, page 5, columns 2 & 3; obituary for Mrs. Charles Larson.

To shorten things up a bit, let’s assume I already have sufficient evidence to state that Mrs. Charles Larson is the same person as Amelia (Ellstrom) Christiansen Larson. I could go into greater detail on this but the purpose of this writing is to determine what information can come from her obituary. So here goes.

MRS. CHARLES LARSON PASSES

1. “Mrs. Charles Larson, who was 71 years of age…” places Amelia’s birth in about 1859. Other records put her birth on 24 Nov 1858. She was actually 71 years, 5 months, 6 days old at death.
   
2. “…and a resident here for over 50 years”, she had lived in Ishpeming, Michigan half a century.
   
3. “…passed from life Wednesday night,” – date of death 7 May 1930. The obituary was published on Friday the 9^th of May, 1930. We’ll want to be careful with this one as we’ll find later in this same article that this death date is impossible.
   
4. “…at the family home on East Empire Street.” She lived on Empire Street, Ishpeming, Michigan on and before her death.
   
5. “The deceased had been ill the past several months and death was not unexpected”. This is a clue to follow-up for health history. Will the death certificate give more details?
   
6. “The deceased was a native of Sweden locating in Marquette with her parents 61 years ago, later living in Ishpeming p to the time of her death.” Family and personal information will be found in Swedish records; immigrated in about 1869; original U. S. residence was Marquette. Lots of clues here.
   
7. “Surviving are her husband and the following children: Mrs. Fred Davey Chicago; Miss Teckla, Miss Lida Larson and Clarence Larson, all residents of Ishpeming; Mrs. Albert E Porter, Sault Ste. Marie, and Mrs. H. F. St. Helen of Portland, Ore. The following brothers and sister: Alex Ellstrom, Pueblo, Colo,; Albert Ellstrom, Detroit; Mrs. Charles Seagren, St. Paul, Minn.; Mrs. Axel Peterson, Marquette, and Miss Alice Ellstrom, Saginaw…“ Wow, where to start with this paragraph. First, it tells us Amelia’s husband, Charles, is still living; second, we get a listing of her living children which includes not just her daughters’ married names but the full names of her daughters’ husbands, third we’re told where her children are living on 9 May 1930. We get the same information regarding her surviving siblings.
   
8. “Funeral took place Sunday afternoon at 2 o’clock from the family home…” Here’s where the date calculated in item number 3 proves incorrect. Since the paper was issued on Friday, the 9^th of May and the funeral had already taken place on Sunday, her death could not have been on Wednesday the 7^th. She died 30 Apr 1930 from evidence found here and from other evidence such as Family Bible records and a telegram from Clarence Larson to Mrs. Fred Davey.
   
9. “…from the Swedish Baptist church…” Amelia was probably a member of this church and more records may be available there.
   
10. “The pall bearers were : Mr. John Asplund of Marquette; William Anderson, August Olson, John Swanson, Charles Benson and Emil Olson.” Pall bearers are often but not always family members. They deserve some research to determine their relationship to the deceased and/or family.

The older obituaries and those from smaller communities tend to provide the most information.  Often in the larger cities there is only a death notice giving only the briefest information. Today, due to the cost, printed obituaries seem to be getting smaller; however, with many funeral homes providing memorial type pages on their website the obituary is seeing a come back.

Granted, you can’t take what’s written in an obituary as absolute truth but, wow, what an abundance of clues they can provide!

Effie L Stephens - To Soon Gone

It is always the little ones that tug at my heart when walking a cemetery in search of relations and ancestors. My mind has been flitting back to little Effie L Stephens all day long. She was so small and so young when she died there would never be any descendants to remember her. Her short life might never be recorded if not for this little blog.

Effie was the daughter and first child of Almond Michael and Elizabeth Ann (Bosanko) Stephens. She was born about September 26, 1877 and lived only fourteen days, dying on October 10, 1877. I don't know the cause of death - whether she was sickly from the start or died suddenly without a symptom. I only know her death must have been devastating to her parents and relatives. A great loss to everyone.

We will never know the person she would have become because she never had the opportunity to be more than a sweet angel in her mother's arm. At least, for now, she is not forgotten.

Hillside Cemetery, Platteville, Wisconsin

~ Becky

How My Hopes Were Dashed

I had for many years hoped against hope that my ancestors had never been slave owners. I say “against hope” because many of my lines migrated from the Eastern coast – New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland – to Virginia and into Kentucky before finally entering the Indiana, a free State. But, I told myself, none of my lines had significant wealth which might have been prohibitive. In fact, I family lore in the Buchannan/Benefiel family stated the reason they moved to Indiana was to “get away from slavery.”

However, I’ve known for a while now that my Joseph Leisure owned at least one slave. He wrote in his will written in 1835 that “Item. My negro man John at the death of myself and wife I hereby emancipate and set free.” Joseph died in 1838 but his wife didn’t die until 1853. I thought at least Joseph was planning to free John which made me feel a bit better; that is until my recent trip to Garrard County, Kentucky for further research into this family. All I had previously was a copy of the will but there was more. Included on the second page of the Joseph Leasure Estate Inventory (Will Book 1; pages 401/402) is listed: “Negroes: One negro man named Tom - $150; One negro woman named Milly - $200; One negro man named John - $700.”

Though my heart sank a bit when I found this information, I know I need to take this knowledge in context of the times. I’m sure Joseph was a good man in many ways but I have to admit my impression of him is now a bit tainted. He wasn’t a large land owner, only purchasing some 46½  acres  on Sugar Creek in Garrard County, Kentucky (Deed Book G, page 124), yet he held three people in bondage.

So far, happily, there is no evidence that Joseph’s son, Nathan, my 3^rd great-grandfather ever owned any slaves prior to his move to Indiana in 1834. At least there’s that.

Now the question is how do I objectively write Joseph's biography for the Leisure Publication? Guess I'll have to take some time before I start that.

Finding the Hagstrom Connection

I really need to focus on my current project but for some reason or other little mysteries have sidetracked me lately. First it was the Uncle Angus Miller and Granny Kennedy Walker marriage issues resolved by the return to the newly-updated Indiana records on FamilySearch.org mentioned in a previous post. More recently, it has been the “who are the Hagstroms?” question.

Over the years, my mother-in-law, Alice Davey Higgins, mentioned the Hagstrom family in passing. She would tell me she remembered her mother taking her to Elmhurst, Illinois to visit some relatives named Hagstrom. How they were related she had no idea but she knew the older lady as Auntie Hagstrom.

Back in the day, Alice sent Christmas cards to just about everyone she had ever met so she had a pretty extensive address book. In the book were listed Mr. & Mrs. Axel Hagstrom. With what little information I had and, I must admit, the little time I allotted to these questionable relatives, I pretty much eliminated Axel as a relative even though he was from Sweden and lived in Marquette County, Michigan. He just didn’t seem to connect with Alice’s Mom’s Ellstrom family.

So I put the Hagstroms out of my mind and went on to more pressing issues. Until last week that is when I starting working with some scans I’d made with my FlipPal a while ago. I was renaming, adding captions and, generally, organizing them. Among these scans were three of the Hagstrom women. They consisted of Olga, Teckla, and Auntie! BAH!! However, on the back of one photo was the address in Elmhurst.

Olga, Hannah, and Teckla Hagstrom

Olga Hagstrom

Hannah (Christiansen) Hagstrom

Why this got me going again I don’t know but, for one thing, I wanted to find out: who was “Auntie” and what was her given name? Armed with the other names and the address, I went first to the census records and there with her girls was Hannah or Hanne depending on the census year. Axel had died in 1917 in Chicago so I easily found his death record but it wasn’t much help in my quest.

Because I now knew that Teckla (by the way Teckla is also the given name of Alice’s Mom’s sister) was born in Michigan in 1878, I went to the Michigan records on FamilySearch.org and found the marriage of Abel [sic] A. Hagstrom and Hannah Christiansen. He was born in Sweden and she was born in Denmark.

This, my dear friends, is the AHA moment!!  You see, Alice’s grandfather was Hans Christiansen from Denmark. This is looking good.

I went to the folder I have of research done by my husband’s cousin, Kay Davey*, to see if a connection could be made there. It turns out, based on Kay’s work, Hanne was most likely Hans’ half-sister. They had different fathers; however, both men were named Christian. How’s that for coincidence? Hanne’s birthdate in the Danish records is the same as what is recorded on her death record.

I know there’s a lot more work to be done to be absolutely sure about this connection but, for now, it will suffice for me as I really must get back to my Leisure project!

*Kay Davey died 09 Mar 2012 and boy do I miss her! We shared an interest in family history and she was a wonderful researcher.

Records Hidden; Now They're Not!!

For years, and I do mean years, I’ve been looking for two specific marriage records to no avail. For one thing, I wasn’t completely sure these marriages ever took place but felt my mother knew the facts. The facts she knew but not precise details.

Mom said her Uncle Angus Miller (1883-1950) had been married and his wife, Irene Stevens, had died of cancer. Unfortunately, she never mentions exactly when he was married and until she told me about this, in the around 2000, I thought he had been a confirmed bachelor. From all indications – birth record, census records, real estate, etc. – Angus remained in Rush County, Indiana his entire life but a thorough examination of Rush County records came up dry for any marriage.

Mom also said her mother, Sylvia (Walker) Miller, told her that Granny, Mom’s great-grandmother, Rosa Belle (Kennedy) Walker, had remarried after the death of Daniel Jackson Walker. Apparently, however, the new husband was abusive and the marriage was short lived. Granny’s was a sad story anyway as she lost her first child in 1891 at only one year and two other children and her husband between December of 1895 and March of 1896. Sylvia, the only child left was only four years old. But I digress. Though I’ve looked many times at the marriage indexes at the Rush County, Indiana court house, I’ve never found this second marriage.

Yesterday as I was trying to catch up on some blog reading, I happened onto Harold Henderson's post on his Midwestern Microhistory: A Genealogy Blog that mentioned the indexing work being done by the Indiana State Genealogical Society for Family Search. One of the projects is indexing marriage records for some of the Indiana counties not previously indexed. I noticed Rush County and some surrounding counties had been added to the index. I thought what the heck, I’ll give it another try.

So first I entered Angus Miller in the search field, hit enter and the long sought record appeared. He wasn’t married in Rush County; he was married in Fayette County.  He didn’t marry Irene Stevens; he married Irene Stanton. He was 50 years old when his first and only marriage took place on 04 Feb 1933; that’s just three years before my Mom married my Dad.

Next I tried for Granny’s second marriage. Rosa Belle Walker didn’t bring the desired result but Belle Walker did. Just nine months after the death of first husband, Daniel Jackson Walker, she married John M Larimore on 12 Jan 1897; this being his 3^rd marriage and her 2^nd.

Wow, I cannot thank Indiana State Genealogical Society and Family Search enough for making these finds available to me. Two mysteries solved in a matter of ten minutes! Now, I know I have more research ahead of me to get a better understanding of the impact of these events on the lives of my family but for now I’ll just bask in the joy of the find!!

~ Becky

The Illusive Fresh Girls

For several years now two young women – well they’re not really young having been born and died in the 1800s – have been slipping in and out of my genealogy consciousness. They are not in my direct line but just the fact I’ve had so much trouble learning their lineage keeps me coming back.

Lucinda Fresh was born in Kentucky 26 Jan 1809 (according to her tombstone). She married William R Leisure 14 Nov 1827 in Lincoln County, Kentucky. The couple had three children: Benjamin, Francis, and Sarah E. This Leisure family had lived many years (census records 1850 and 1860) in Rush County, Indiana. Lucinda died 09 Mar 1869 in Howard County, Indiana and is buried in Jerome cemetery in Howard County, Indiana

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Dorinda T. Fresh was born in February 1811 (according to census information). She married Joseph P. Leisure 08 Nov 1836 in Lincoln County, Kentucky. The couple had five children: Elizabeth, Lucinda, William, Sarah M., and John Franklin. Dorinda died 09 Feb 1875 in Rush County, Indiana and is buried in Hannegan cemetery in Rush County, Indiana.

William R. and Joseph P. are brothers of my 3^rd great-grandfather, George Washington Leisure. Are Lucinda and Dorinda sisters? Cousins?

The Fresh surname is apparently very uncommon. A search on Ancestry.com shows only two Fresh families in all of Kentucky in 1820. There is a Benjamin Fresh listed in the Crab Orchard, Lincoln County, Kentucky 1820 census. Listed with him are one female under 10 and one female between 10 and 15 – could that be Lucinda age 9 and Dorinda age 11?

I would love to learn more about these ladies, their parentage, and their early lives. Any help out there?

1940 Census Error Found Already

I've spent just a little time finding "my people" on the 1940 census over the past few days. Since I'm indexing as well and feel more of my energy should be put on that task, I've only allowed a few minutes a day to look for myself. And, since I did my homework before the release and gathered the all important ED numbers, I was ready.

My Indiana relatives were easiest to find as they are mostly rural and tended to stay put over long periods. I found my direct line and a few collaterals were spotted along the way.

Today, when I saw that MyHeritage.com had posted Illinois, I made the effort to find my husband's Chicago family. To my surprise, I found his grandmother listed with her four married sons but no daughters-in-law. Hmm, did they all have fights and run home to Mommy? I doubted that
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Since I had a address for where hubby's Dad should have been and since I was still looking for my mother-in-law, I went to that ED and guess what I found. There they were, both of them, living happily in their own apartment.

Now, in my opinion, the odds are I'll find the other boys living with their wives too. How this error occurred, I don't know. Maybe grandma didn't understand a question about her children - yes, she was the informant-, maybe the census taker didn't ask the questions properly, however it happened my husband's father and, most likely his three brothers, are listed twice in the census.

Mary Frances Leisure Outline

In order to know what I need to fill in while writing Fannie's bio, I've created an outline with what I know. Please note the sources are listed for the same reason - what do I have and what do I need.

What I know about Mary Frances "Fannie" (Leisure) Emay

Ø  Born in Rush County Indiana 26 Oct 1861
Sources: Tombstone, Obituary, 1900 Census - Born before birth certificates were required.

Ø  2^nd child of 6 and only daughter of Joseph & Eliza Jane (Hinton) Leisure
Sources: 1870 Census, obituary, family photo with parents & brothers

Ø  Born just after the start of the US Civil War

Ø  Married William Sidney Emay in Rush County, Indiana on 12 Sep 1878
Source: Rush County Marriage certificate and return
She was just turning 17 when she married.

Ø  Reference: William was an Orphan Train Rider having been brought to Rush County in February of 1862 at the age of 8. (Create appendix with his story.)

Ø  They had 5 children:
     Clara Elizabeth – 11 Sep 1879-14 Mar 1956
      Joseph Blount – 19 Jun 1881-24 Jun 1969
     Cleveland – 18 Sep 1884-24 Jul 1885
     Ola Blanche  - 31 Mar 1886-28 Dec 1970
Sources: Certificates for Cleveland and Ola, obituaries, tombstones, census records

Ø  Her father died 15 Sep 1896 in Rush County.
Sources: Death record and obituaries.

Ø  Husband William died 31 Oct 1901 of a sudden stomach ailment.
Sources: Death record, obituaries, tombstone (Note: he was originally buried in the Hannegan Cemetery but moved to Center Church Cemetery after Fanny died.)

Ø  Children’s marriages:
Clara “Lizzie” to Charles Sumner Stewart 10 Sep 1902 in Rush County, Indiana
Joseph to Luva May Reeves 12 Sep 1907 in Rush County, Indiana
Ola to Glen Ging 23 Oct 1913 in Rush County, Indiana
Sources: county records and misc. announcements

Ø  In the 1910 census, Fannie’s mother, Eliza Jane, is living with Fannie and Ola in Mays, Rush County, Indiana.

Ø  Eliza Jane died 21 Sep 1915 in Rush County, Indiana
Source: Rush County Death Records & memorial card

Ø  In the 1920 census, Fannie is living in the Charles Stewart household with daughter, Lizzie.

Ø  In the 1930 census, Fannie is living in Rush County in the household of Glen Ging with daughter Ola.

Ø  Fannie died 22 May 1951 in Hancock County, Indiana where daughter Ola Ging and family lived and is buried in Center Church cemetery in Rush County, Indiana.
Source: obituary, tombstone photo.

Never Stop Trying; Try Everything!

For years now, literally, I've been trying to find the death certificate for my husband's grandmother, Alice Augusta Christiansen Davey. She died 31 Dec 1948 in Chicago, Cook County, Illinois. It should have been easy. Her death notice was published in the Chicago Daily News and the Chicago Tribune (Don't be deceived by the Larsen surname - that's her step-father's name and she was never legally adopted), and my mother-in-law confirmed the date; as well as, the inscription on the tombstone in the Forest Home Cemetery in Forest Park, Illinois.

But, it wasn't easy. She wasn't listed under Davey or Davis or Davie or any of the spellings I could come up with. But today, because a link to the Cook County Death Index 1908-1988 on Ancestry was posted to the Illinois Genealogy Research Community on Skype by Robin of savingstories, I thought I'd try again.

This time I didn't put in a surname, just the death date; voila!, up came Alice Dayey. I don't think I would ever have tried that spelling but looking at it now it should have been one of my options:)

Now, the next time I'm in Springfield when the Illinois Archives is open, I'll be able to get a copy of the death certificate. Thanks, Robin, for giving me one more push. Never give up; never say can't!