Covering genealogy, family history, historical events and places, and anything else related!

Sunday, August 31, 2014

52 Ancestors: #35 John Boe

My great-grandfather John Boe was born on 15 March 1876, in Swift County or Big Bend, Chippewa County, Minnesota. He was the son of Jorgen Jorgensen Boe and Aaste Halvorson (Halvorsdatter) Otterholt, who were second cousins and who were both immigrants from Bø, Telemark, Norway. In 1880 he lived with his parents and siblings in Big Bend. In 1885 the family was in Lac qui Parle, Lac qui Parle County, Minnesota. In 1895 the family was living in West Bank, Swift County, Minnesota.

On 21 March 1897, John married Signe Olson at his family's home in Swift County, Minnesota. The couple was married by O. E. Solseth. Their daughter Lillian Ruth was born on 12 February 1898. Their son Walter T. was born on June 1899. In 1900, the Boe family was living in Benson, Swift County, Minnesota. Son Walter T. died on 26 September 1900. Another son, Walter Floyd, was born on 5 June 1901. By 1904, the family had moved to Mason City, Cerro Gordo County, Iowa. The same year, John attended the St. Louis World's Fair (Louisiana Purchase Exposition) with his brother Hans Adolph "Duff" Boe and his mother Aaste (Halvorson) Boe. At the fair, he met Kathleen Graham (my great-grandmother), the woman who would become his second wife. John and Signe's last child, their daughter Gladys Dorothy, was born in Mason City on 15 June 1905.

John and Signe separated, but according to family lore, never actually divorced. John married Kathleen Graham, and by 1907, they were living in St. Louis, Missouri. He became a father to Kathleen's daughter Vivian, who took his surname. Their son John (my maternal grandfather) was born in St. Louis on 28 April 1908. Their daughter Florence Kathleen was born on 22 November 1909 in Williston, Williams County, North Dakota. In the 1910 United States census, the family was enumerated in St. Louis, in the household of John's mother-in-law Catherine Elizabeth (Winters) Mapplebeck. John was working for Weber Implement Co. as a salesman for the Mitchell car. In 1911, the family was in Williston, North Dakota. John and his brothers Hans Adolph "Duff" and Theodore Jorgen "Ted" formed the Boe Brothers farm machinery business. He was president of the company. Two more children were born in Williston: son James Jorgen on 27 September 1911, and daughter Theodora Catherine on 9 February 1914. In March 1915, the family moved back to St. Louis, and John rejoined Weber Implement Co. He was working for Mitchell-Lewis Motor Co. by October 1915. John and Kathleen's last child, daughter Geraldine Edith, was born in St. Louis on 29 July 1916.

John became president of the Mitchell Automobile Corporation of Missouri in February 1918. In late 1918, the company changed its name to the St. Louis Motor Car Company. John remained president of the company. The company failed in the late 1920s. The Boe family moved to Sarasota, Florida for a year, and then returned to St. Louis. John worked as a factory representative for Marmon Car Co. and for Buick. He was the zone sales manager and covered several northwestern states. He must have met his third wife, Anna Mae Gamble, while traveling for business. She was living in Minneapolis, Minnesota. John left Kathleen (but according to family lore, never divorced her). On 27 June 1929, John and Anna Mae's daughter Jane Ann was born in Minneapolis. According to her birth record, she was a legitimate child, and John and Anna Mae were listed as married in the 1930 United States census. However, their marriage actually took place on 22 August 1934 in St. Joseph County, Indiana. If the family lore about John never divorcing his previous wives is true, John was a bigamist twice over.

On 29 April 1940, John wrote a letter to his daughter-in-law Margaret, my maternal grandmother. She had written to him to let him know that he was going to be a grandfather. He said that he would love to see them, but he couldn't afford many trips because he had not been doing very well for the last few years. He had not been able to find a job in the automobile business because of his age. On April 1, he had started a new job selling living protection. He worked in small country towns, had to pay his own expenses, and he was paid on commission. He said he had not been doing well so far. At the top of the letter, he had written the location "North Branch, Minn." At the bottom of the letter, after his signature, he had given another location: Lindstrom, Minn. At this time, his wife Anna Mae and daughter Jane were living in Beverly Hills, California. Although he had said that he could not afford many trips, John was in California by 27 June 1940, when he died in Norwalk State Hospital in Norwalk, Los Angeles County, California. His death certificate stated that he had been in California for a year, had been in the hospital for 10 minutes, and had been a resident of the community for 10 minutes. His body was sent back to Minnesota and he was buried in Big Bend Lutheran Church Cemetery in Milan, Chippewa County, Minnesota.

Williston, North Dakota city directory, 1911

John and Kathleen Boe and family. Photo from Boe (Bø) and Halvorson-Otterholt; Shared Roots in Telemark. Compiled by Melvin and Alpha M. (Boe) Brodshaug, 1984. Published by Arlene (Boe) Christensen and Marjorie (Boe) Bergee. Printed by Anundsen Publishing Co., Decorah, Iowa.

American Garage & Auto Dealer, August 1919

St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 29 December 1918

St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 22 June 1919

Saturday, August 30, 2014

Sympathy Saturday: Card of Thanks, Walter E. Davis

Mexico Independent, 23 July 1959

Walter E. Davis placed this notice in the Mexico Independent (Mexico, Oswego County, New York) after the death of his wife, my great-grandmother Gertrude (Tarkington) Davis on 9 July 1959 in Syracuse, Onondaga County, New York. The couple lived in Brewerton, Onondaga County, New York.

Friday, August 29, 2014

Thursday, August 28, 2014

Those Places Thursday: 2024 Russell Blvd., St. Louis, Missouri


My great-grandparents John and Paulina (Gersbacher) Schneider owned this home, located at 2024 Russell Blvd. in St. Louis, Missouri. My maternal grandmother grew up in this house. In August 2012, I visited St. Louis and had a chance to see the house. This photo was taken on that trip.

Wednesday, August 27, 2014

Wednesday's Child: Melvin Thomas Bomar

Tennessee Death Records, 1908-1959. Nashville, Tennessee: Tennessee State Library and Archives. Roll #: M-15. Death certificate no. 1045, Melvin Thomas Bomar. 30 May 1911.

Mattie Gertrude Gatlin, the daughter of my 3rd-great-grandparents William Dow Gatlin and Mary Nevins, and her husband John B. Bomar had another child who died young. Their son Melvin Thomas Bomar was born on 22 May 1911 and died 8 days later, on 30 May 1911 in Nashville, Tennessee. Like his brother Alfred Joseph Bomar, he died of spasms. He was buried in Mount Olivet Cemetery in Nashville.

Tuesday, August 26, 2014

Tombstone Tuesday: Ruhestaette der Familien C.J. & J. Schneider


This stone marks the resting place of my great-great-grandfather Carl Joseph Schneider, my great-grandfather John Schneider, and their families. Each person has a smaller stone near this large one which marks the plot. The graves are located in Sts. Peter & Paul Catholic Cemetery in St. Louis, Missouri.

Monday, August 25, 2014

Mappy Monday: Kreis Ahrweiler, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany

Map of the rural district Landkreis Ahrweiler, Rhineland-Palatinate with collective municipalities (Verbandsgemeinden). By Sozi (Own work) [Public domain], 30 January 2007. Available from Wikimedia Commons.

This map shows Kreis Ahrweiler in Rhineland-Palatinate (Rheinland-Pfalz), Germany. The district consists of the towns of Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler, Remagen, and Sinzig, the free municipality of Grafschaft, and the Verbandsgemeinden (collective municipalities) of Adenau, Altenahr, Bad Breisig, and Brohltal.

My Schneider ancestors lived in Remagen.

Sunday, August 24, 2014

52 Ancestors: #34 Edward Theodore Anderson

In 1938, my great-grandfather Edward Theodore Anderson wrote an account of his life for his daughter Helen (my paternal grandmother) and son Earl. I feel very fortunate to have a copy of this account, which is the source of much of the information in this post.

Earl Theodore Anderson was born on 10 August 1882 at his parents' home on 97 Townsend Street, Chicago, Illinois. He was the son of Andrew T. Anderson (Andreas Troedsson) and Marthe Elisabeth Erickson (Eriksdatter). He was baptized at the Immanuel Lutheran Church at Sedgwick and Hobbie Streets. The first school he attended was the Oak Street School on the North side of Chicago. In 1889 the family moved to 5915 S. Morgan Street in the Englewood neighborhood of Chicago. He then attended school in a vacant store at 60th and Racine until Beale School was built. He attended Beale School until 7th grade. He then went to work as an office boy with the Englewood News Co., 6242 Wentworth Ave. He also studied for confirmation, and was confirmed by Rev. Geo. E. Youngdahl in 1897.

His next job was with the Continental Casualty Co. in the basement of the Postal Telegraph building. He learned the printing business at this job. He then worked for different plants, and eventually went to work for the Continental Colortype Co. on Market and Monroe Streets. He was in charge of the platen process. The three color process was used; yellow, red, and blue inks were used on copper plates to produce different colors, including black. The inks were mixed by hand on zinc tables. Edward believed that the ink was affecting his health, and he changed occupations at this time.

Edward took a three-month course in shorthand and typing at Orr's Business College at 63rd and Yale Ave. He subsequently worked for the Chicago and Eastern Illinois Railroad at Dolton Junction, the Chicago and North Western Transportation Company, the Chicago and Western Indiana Railroad and Belt Railway, and in the Vice-Presidents office of the Illinois Central Railroad.

Edward married Ellen Victoria Dahlquist on 20 June 1910 in Chicago. On their honeymoon, they went to White Bear Lake, Minnesota and the Dells in Wisconsin, and  traveled by boat to Muskegon, Michigan. Their first home was at 6638 Sangamon Street, Chicago.

Edward passed a stenographer's examination in July 1910, and on 19 September 1910, he went to work for the City of Chicago.  His starting salary was $90 per month.

On 27 September 1911, their daughter Helen Martha Marie was born. They then moved to 208 E. 70th Street and then to 7244 Lowe Street. The family lived at each residence for a couple of years, and then lived at 6547 S. Peoria Street for about six years. Their son Earl Theodore was born on 7 July 1917.

In 1923, they went to an architect and had plans drawn up for a two-story brick house, and moved to their home at 8241 S. Peoria Street in April 1924.

Around 1928, Edward became the Secretary-City Treasurer for the city of Chicago. His salary was $300 per month. He had to take a salary cut in 1932 through 1938 (ranging from 10 percent to 22 percent) as a result of the Depression.

In 1943, Edward was on the Board of Deacons at Bethlehem Lutheran Church , 58th and South Wells Streets, Chicago. He was deeply religious, and wrote the following about his faith:

During my own life, and since Ellen and I have lived together, we have been blessed immensely by our Creator. He has taken care of us continually and without Him we would not have been where we are today. We have been blessed with God-fearing parents which is an asset far beyond comprehension. We have both had Christian experiences with our Lord Jesus Christ, and expect, after leaving behind this life, to be joined by you, Helen, and you Earl, in the Heaven above which is prepared for those who love the Lord Jesus.

By 1951, Edward and Ellen had moved to St. Petersburg, Pinellas County, Florida. Edward died at New Fern Restorium in St. Petersburg on 2 December 1965. He was buried on 4 December 1965 in Memorial Park Cemetery, St. Petersburg.

 Edward, Helen, and Ellen Anderson

Edward and Ellen Anderson

Chicago, Illinois city directory, 1913

Edward Theodore Anderson draft card. World War II Draft Cards (Fourth Registration) for the State of Illinois. State Headquarters ca. 1942. NARA Publication M2097, 326 rolls. ARC ID: 623284. The National Archives at St. Louis, Missouri. U.S.A.

St. Petersburg, Florida city directory, 1955

Saturday, August 23, 2014

Sibling Saturday: Schneider Siblings


The children of my great-great-grandparents Carl Joseph Schneider and Christina Nagel are pictured in this photo:

My great-grandfather John (Johann) Schneider (born 6 December 1878, Remagen, Ahrweiler, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany; died 11 June 1955, St. Louis, Missouri)
William J. (Johann Wilhelm) Schneider (born 8 December 1883; died 27 June 1951, St. Louis, Missouri) 
Carl J. Schneider (born 17 March 1885, Remagen, Ahrweiler, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany)
Rudolph Schneider (born 21 September 1886, Remagen, Ahrweiler, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany; died 16 February 1955, St. Louis, Missouri)
Anna Maria Schneider (born 25 November 1888, Remagen, Ahrweiler, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany; died September 1983)
Marie (Maria) Schneider (born 11 April 1890, Remagen, Ahrweiler, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany; died 28 November 1918, St. Louis, Missouri)

Friday, August 22, 2014

Funeral Card Friday: John Schneider


Another memorial card for my great-grandfather John (Johann) Schneider
Born 6 December 1878, Remagen, Ahrweiler, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany
Died 11 June 1955, St. Louis, Missouri

Thursday, August 21, 2014

Those Places Thursday: Fort Nashborough


In 1780, James Robertson, John Donelson, and their party of settlers (including my ancestors Abel Gower Sr., Obedience Blakely Gower, Abel Gower Jr., Nancy Gower, and Andrew Lucas) built a settlement at the French Lick along the Cumberland River. They named it Fort Nashborough after General Francis Nash. It was the first settlement in what became Nashville, Tennessee.

Fort Nashborough was reconstructed in 1930 and rebuilt in 1962.The reconstruction was funded by the local Daughters of the American Revolution. In July 2011, the fort was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Fort Nashborough is currently closed for renovations. It is scheduled to reopen in 2015, and will be an open plaza rather than an enclosed structure.

I visited Fort Nashborough in 2007. The photos were taken on that trip.






References
Fort Nashborough
Fort Nashborough
Fort Nashborough History
Revamped Fort Nashborough set to open in 2015

Wednesday, August 20, 2014

Wednesday's Child: Sara Elizabeth and Louise Jane Binkley

The first two children of my 3rd-great-grandparents Davidson Binkley and Angeline Mayo died young. Their firstborn, Sara Elizabeth, was born on 28 September 1853 and died on 11 October 1853. Their next child, Louise Jane, lived just over a year; she was born on 15 November 1854 and died on 18 November 1855. The information about these children came from a family group sheet compiled by P. C. Lampley in 1983. Most of the information on the family group sheet came from the family Bible of Laura Belle (Tarkington) Leech, the granddaughter of Davidson and Angeline (Mayo) Binkley. Although no places of birth were given for any of the children on this family group sheet, the Binkley family lived in Tennessee until sometime between 1856 and 1858.

Tuesday, August 19, 2014

Tombstone Tuesday: Laszlo James and Paula Christina (Schneider) Nagy


Paula Christina Schneider, my maternal grandmother's sister, was born on 27 January 1913 in St. Louis, Missouri. She was the daughter of John Schneider and Paulina Gersbacher. She married Laszlo James Nagy on 18 September 1934 in St. Louis. He was born on 21 September 1908 in New York and was the son of Alexander Nagy and Rosa Koncz. Laszlo died in Waban, Newton, Middlesex County, Massachusetts on 5 December 1992. Paula died in Hadley, Hampshire County, Massachusetts on 7 February 2004. They are buried in Newton Cemetery in Newton, Middlesex County, Massachusetts. Paula designed the tombstone. She and Laszlo were both musicians.

Monday, August 18, 2014

Mappy Monday: Kinneved, Västra Götaland, Sweden

Map showing the borders of the civil parish of Kinneved in the hundred of Frökind, Skaraborg County, Västergötland Region of Sweden, circa 1850-1900. Derivative work by Edaen, combining GS Borås.svg, GS_Skara.svg, GS_Ulricehamn.svg, and GS Vänersborg.svg [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)]. Available from Wikimedia Commons.

This map shows Kinneved and the surrounding towns in the hundred of Frökind, in the former Skaraborg County in the province of Västergötland, Sweden. In 1997, the counties of Skaraborg, Gothenburg and Bohus, and Älvsborg were merged to form Västra Götaland.

My great-great-grandfather Charles John (Carl Johan) Dahlquist and his parents Johannes Christiansson and Maria Christina Jonsdotter were born in Kinneved.

Sunday, August 17, 2014

52 Ancestors: #33 Sarah Greer

Sarah, wife of Francis Hardgrave, was born on 7 February 1751, according to family Bible records. Edythe Rucker Whitley identified her as Sarah Skelton, and the book The History of the Hardgrave Family also states that Francis Hardgrave's wife was Sarah Skelton. Numerous online family trees also refer to Francis Hardgrave's wife as Sarah Skelton. However, she was actually Sarah Greer, daughter of John Greer.

Around 1770, Francis and Sarah Hardgrave moved from Virginia to Surry County, North Carolina; in 1778, the area became part of Wilkes County. They lived near John Greer and other members of the Greer family. John Greer's will mentions Sarah Hardgrave; she was one of the heirs of his estate. She must have been his daughter, since she inherited a portion of his estate along with his other children.

According to the family Bible, Francis and Sarah had the following children: James (born 12 December 1772), Sarah (born 31 December 1776), Robert (born 17 August 1778), Nancy (born 6 August 1780), Hannah (born 22 February 1782), Micajah Lewis (born 1 November 1783), Seeley (born 27 April 1786, died 1791), John (born 29 October 1787), and Skelton (born 7 May 1792).

Skelton is an unusual given name; Edythe Rucker Whitley may have assumed that Skelton Hardgrave was given his mother's maiden name. But he was not the only child in the family who was named Skelton. Hannah Greer, John Greer's daughter and Sarah's sister, named a son Skelton Taylor DeMoss. Sarah's grandson James Russell named a son Skelton. At first I thought that James named his son after his uncle, but then I found out that James' wife Miriam Hill had a brother named Skelton. The name may have come from a family surname, but if so, it must have come from an earlier generation. There is no other evidence that suggests that Sarah's surname was Skelton.

The Hardgrave family moved to Kentucky about 1795, and then to Davidson County, Tennessee around 1799.

Francis Hardgrave died in 1828,  and Sarah was listed as head of household in the 1830 United States census. Sarah died on 30 November 1832.

Davidson County Tennessee tax list, 1929. Tennessee, Early Tax List Records, 1783-1895. Ancestry.com. Original data: Early Tax Lists of Tennessee. Microfilm, 12 rolls. The Tennessee State Library and Archives, Nashville, Tennessee.

Sarah Hardgrave will. Davidson County, Tennessee. Available from Tennessee, Probate Court Files, 1795-1927 on FamilySearch.

Saturday, August 16, 2014

Celtic Connections Conference, Day 2

I'm back home now after a long day! I started off Day 2 of the Celtic Connections Conference with Sheila O'Rourke Northrup's presentation on Irish immigration patterns. It was a very interesting lecture on an important topic. She mentioned the Erie Canal and its expansion, which is relevant to my family history. I then attended Brian Donovan's lecture "Murderers, Rebels and Drunkards: Your Irish Ancestors and the Law." Considering how many black sheep ancestors I have (and I keep finding more!), I may need this information! I then heard Bill Budde talk about Celtic timelines. During lunch, we heard a performance of traditional Irish songs. I then attended Kyle Betit's presentation on society records, which was of great interest to me because one of my ancestors was a member of the Repeal Association. The day ended with John Grenham's lecture on the reasons we sometimes cannot find Irish ancestors in online records when they are there, and ways to improve our chances. It was a great conference! The next one will be in Minnesota in 2016. I hope I will be able to go: I could combine the conference with a research trip!

Friday, August 15, 2014

Celtic Connections Conference, Day 1

Today was the first day of the Celtic Connections Conference, presented in Waltham, Massachusetts by The Irish Ancestral Research Association (TIARA) and the Irish Genealogical Society International (IGSI). After the introduction and welcome, Brian Donovan spoke about http://www.findmypast.com and its resources for researching Irish family history. I then heard Kyle Betit talk about landed estate papers, and then attended Marie Daly's presentation "Researching Irish Domestic Servants." At lunchtime, Sean Ó Dúill spoke about the Irish Gaelic language. I then heard John Grenham speak about Irish church records. He mostly talked about Roman Catholic and Church of Ireland records, but he also discussed other denominations. Next, I was originally supposed to hear Dwight Radford talk about the Irish who stopped along the way before coming to the United States. I had been looking forward to this presentation, since some of my Irish ancestors lived in Scotland before going to the United States. Unfortunately, Dwight Radford was unable to be at the conference. But at least I have the lecture handout in the syllabus. Instead, I heard Janice Duffy speak about passenger lists for the port of Boston, 1848-1891. The original manifests are not the same as the ones given to the United States government. Some of them have detailed information about passengers which tells their stories. I had no idea that passenger lists could contain so much information and found this fascinating.

I am looking forward to Day 2 of the conference!

Wednesday, August 13, 2014

Workday Wednesday: Augusta "Gussie" (Gersbacher) Parker, Hotel Waiter

Vista del Arroyo Hotel, 125 South Grand Avenue, Pasadena, Los Angeles County, CA. Historic American Buildings Survey, creator. Available from Library of Congress and Wikimedia Commons.

My great-grandmother's sister Augusta "Gussie" (Gersbacher) Parker worked as a waiter at hotels in Pasadena, California. The 1927 Pasadena city directory lists Gussie as a waiter at the Hotel Vista Del Arroyo.

Thurston's Pasadena (California) City Directory 1927, Including Altadena and Lamanda Park. Los Angeles, CA: Los Angeles Directory Co. Available from Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1821-1989 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011.

Emma C. Bangs opened the original Vista del Arroyo Hotel in 1882. Daniel M. Linnard purchased the hotel in 1919 and commissioned the architectural firm Marston & Van Pelt to design a new two-story building in the Spanish Colonial Revival style. In 1926, H. O. Comstock purchased the hotel. He hired architect George H. Wiemeyer to redesign the hotel and add a six-story building. Bungalows were also built on the property. The dining halls, including the Sunset Room and the Spanish Room, overlooked the grounds.In 1943, the United States Department of War purchased the hotel and converted in into an army hospital. The building is now the Richard H. Chambers United States Court of Appeals.

The 1934 Pasadena city directory lists Gussie as a waiter at the Maryland Hotel.

Thurston's Pasadena (California) City Directory 1934, Including Altadena, Lamanda Park, and San Marino. Los Angeles, CA: Los Angeles Directory Co. Available from Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1821-1989 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011. 

The Maryland Hotel was located on Colorado Boulevard. It was a year-round hotel, not a seasonal hotel. The first owner, Colin Stewart, was from Maryland and named the hotel after his home state. It was later owned by Daniel M. Linnard. On 18 April 1914, the hotel was almost completely destroyed in a fire. Myron Hunt designed the new building, which opened later that year. The hotel was torn down shortly after 20 August 1937.

When Gussie filled out her application for a Social Security number on 27 November 1936, she stated that she worked for the Huntington Hotel Co.

The Huntington Hotel was originally called the Hotel Wentworth. It was built by Wentworth and designed by Charles Frederick Whittlesey in the the Spanish Colonial Revival style. The hotel opened in February 1907. There were heavy rains during the hotel's first season, so many potential guests went elsewhere, and the hotel closed at the end of the season. Henry Huntington purchased the hotel in 1911, and it was redesigned by Myron Hunt. It reopened in 1914 as the Huntington Hotel. Every evening, formal dinners were held in the Georgian Ballroom. The hotel was originally a winter resort, but in 1926 it began to stay open year-round, and an Olympic-size swimming pool was added. Stephen W. Royce later owned the hotel, and he sold it to the Sheraton Corporation in 1954. The hotel was renamed the Huntington Sheraton. The hotel closed in 1985, but reopened in 1991 as the Ritz-Carlton, Huntington Hotel. The hotel was purchased by the Langham Hospitality Group in 2008 and renamed the Langham Huntington, Pasadena.

Gussie worked as a waiter at least through 1949, but the later city directories do not list her place of employment.

References
Conyers, Patrick, Phillips, Cedar, and the Pasadena Museum of History. Pasadena: A Business History. Images of America. Arcadia Publishing, 2007
Early Views of Pasadena
History of Pasadena, California
History of the Huntington Hotel
The Langham Huntington, Pasadena
The Langham Huntington Pasadena Commemorates 100 Years of Enchanting Hospitality
Richard H. Chambers United States Court of Appeals
Vista del Arroyo Hotel

Tuesday, August 12, 2014

Tombstone Tuesday: Albert Powell Whitman


Albert Powell Whitman was born in Guntersville, Marshall County, Alabama, probably on 4 March 1871. Although his tombstone and death certificate give his birth date as 4 March 1870, he is not listed in the 1870 United States census with his parents James Phillip Whitman and Mary Gilbreath. He married Louise Amanda Tarkington, the sister of my great-great-grandfather, on 3 March 1897 in Davidson County, Tennessee. They had four children: Amanda Mary (born 5 February 1898), Finner Dupree (born 13 December 1903), Joseph Tarkington (born 31 March 1905), and Walter William (born 23 March 1908). Louise died on 13 February 1915. On 7 September 1916, Albert married Lillian Gertrude Pamplin in Williamson County, Tennessee. They had a daughter, Evelyn Lorraine (born 11 November 1917), and a stillborn son (born/died 8 October 1918). Lillian died on 10 October 1918. Albert worked as a postman for the city of Nashville. He died in Nashville on 3 February 1954 (the date on the tombstone is incorrect). On 5 February 1954, he was buried in Mount Olivet Cemetery in Nashville, section 13 lot 75.

Monday, August 11, 2014

Mappy Monday: Rhine River (Fluss Rhein)

Rhein-Karte. Map by Daniel Ullrich (Threedots) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)]. Available from Wikimedia Commons.

This map shows the Rhine River (Fluss Rhein). The Vorderrhein and Hinterrhein come together in Switzerland. The Hochrhein (High Rhine) flows to the west from Lake Constance to Basel, Switzerland. The Oberrhein (Upper Rhine) flows from Basel to Bingen, Germany. This section of the Rhine flows through Switzerland, France (Alsace), and the German states of Baden-Württemburg, Rhineland-Palatinate (Rheinland-Pfalz), and Hesse. The Mittelrhein (Middle Rhine) flows from Bingen to Bonn. The Niederrhein (Lower Rhine) begins in Bonn. After it enters the Netherlands, it splits into branches, including Waal, Merwede, Nieuwe Maas, and Nederrijn, and flows out to the North Sea.

My German ancestors lived by the Rhine River. My Schneider ancestors were from Erpel and Remagen. My Nagel ancestors lived in Bonn for a while. They were originally from Hürth (Hermülheim, Kendenich), which is near the Rhine. My Gersbacher/Gerspacher ancestors were from the Hotzenwald region in Baden, in Görwihl and Niederwihl (now part of Görwihl). My Dreier ancestors were from Niederwihl. Görwihl is at the edge of the river Alb, which is a tributary of the Rhine.

Sunday, August 10, 2014

52 Ancestors: #32 Jorgen Jorgensen Boe

My great-great-grandfather Jorgen Jorgensen Boe was born on 18 November 1850 in Bø, Telemark, Norway and was baptized on 24 November 1850. He was the son of Jorgen Pedersen Boe (Bø) and  Ingeborg Torsdatter Vatner. In 1865, he lived with his father's brother Gregar Pedersen Bø and Gregar's family on the Bø farm in Bø, Telemark. The 1865 census gives his occupation as Tjenestedreng (servant boy, farm hand).

In 1866, he left Norway with his parents and most of his siblings. They left from Christiania (now Oslo) on the Vanadis on 12 May 1866 and arrived in Quebec, Canada on 2 July 1866. The family then settled in Canisteo, Dodge County, Minnesota, where they were enumerated in the 1870 United States census. On 17 December 1873 in Rock Dell, Olmsted County, Minnesota, Jorgen married his second cousin Aaste Halvorson (Halvorsdatter) Otterholt. By 1875 they lived in Swenoda, Swift County, Minnesota with their daughter Kari (born 5 April 1874). In 1880 Jorgen and his family lived in Big Bend, Chippewa County, Minnesota. By this time two more children had been born: John (my great-grandfather, born 15 March 1876) and Hans Adolph (born 5 February 1878).

On 13 August 1880, Jorgen applied for a land patent under the Homestead Act of 1862, for 40 acres of land located in the northwest quarter of the northwest quarter of section 34 of Township 120 North of Range No. 41 west of the Principal Meridian, Swift County, Minnesota. His application was commuted when he paid cash for the land on 8 June 1882. He received his certificate on 25 July 1882. Jorgen and Aaste's son Theodore Jorgen was born on 16 July 1883.

In 1885 the family was enumerated in Lac qui Parle, Lac qui Parle County, Minnesota. Jorgen and Aaste's youngest child, Hannah Gurina Boe, was born on 23 May 1886. In 1895 Jorgen, his wife, his sons, his daughter Hannah, and his parents lived in West Bank, Swift County, Minnesota. In 1900 Jorgen, his wife, and three youngest children were still living in West Bank. He was listed as a farmer.

Jorgen died in West Bank, Swift County, Minnesota on 17 December 1900 and was buried in Big Bend Lutheran Church Cemetery in Milan, Chippewa County, Minnesota.

Telemark county, Bø, Parish register (official) nr. 8 (1849-1861), Birth and baptism records 1850, page 25. http://www.arkivverket.no/URN:NBN:no-a1450-kb20051011050473.jpg

Jorgen Boe. Photo from Boe (Bø) and Halvorson-Otterholt; Shared Roots in Telemark. Compiled by Melvin and Alpha M. (Boe) Brodshaug, 1984. Published by Arlene (Boe) Christensen and Marjorie (Boe) Bergee. Printed by Anundsen Publishing Co., Decorah, Iowa.


 Jorgen J. Boe, Swift County, Minnesota. Certificate no. 5060. United States Bureau of Land Management, 25 July 1882.

Saturday, August 9, 2014

Family Reunion 2014

I had a great time at our family reunion! It was so good to see everyone again. I took many photos and will share a couple of them.

I was especially close to my cousins Amy and Jenny when I was growing up.

This shirt is perfect for my uncle. He has been called Dobby ever since my grandmother brought him home from the hospital as a baby and my mother tried to say "doll baby" but it came out as "dobby" instead.

Thursday, August 7, 2014

Family Reunion!

Today I head to Pennsylvania for a reunion with my mother's side of the family. It has been so long since so many of us have gotten together. It will be great to see everyone.

The photo below is from our 2005 reunion.

Wednesday, August 6, 2014

Wednesday's Child: Mary Elizabeth Bailey

Mary Elizabeth Bailey death certificate. No. 16059, 15 June 1912. Frankfort, Kentucky: Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives.

Mary Elizabeth Bailey was the only child of my great-great-grandfather's sister Lillie (or Lilly) May Gatlin and her first husband John B. Bailey. Mary Elizabeth was born on 27 February 1899 in Bowling Green, Kentucky. After her father died in 1903, she and her mother moved to Nashville, Tennessee, and lived with her mother's sister Ida Lee (Gatlin) Andrews, Ida's husband William Samuel Andrews, and their son Perry Lee Andrews. After Lillie married Charles L. Goodrum in Davidson County, Tennessee on 6 December 1910, the family moved back to Bowling Green, Kentucky, where Mary Elizabeth died of tuberculosis on 15 June 1912. She was thirteen years old.

Tuesday, August 5, 2014

Gloucester County Historical Society Databases

The Gloucester County Historical Society in Woodbury, New Jersey has the following online databases available:

Marriages (1686 - 1939)
Deaths (1686 - 1939)
Cemetery Records (1700s, 1800s, 1900s)
Gloucester County Historical Society Library Catalog
Burlington County Vital Statistics from the Elma Eckert Collection
Burlington County Cemetery Records from the Elma Eckert Collection
Burlington County Obituaries from the Elma Eckert Collection
Burlington County Churches from the Elma Eckert Collection

The databases are available to members who have selected a membership that includes a database searching subscription. A three-month database searching subscription membership is also available.

I found my great-grandmother's stepfather/adoptive father James Mapplebeck's brother and sister in these databases. George Mapplebeck's January 1927 death is recorded in the Deaths database (under the surname Mapleback), and includes a citation to a newspaper article in the Gloucester County Democrat. He died in Glassboro, New Jersey as he was leaving work. A record for Sarah Mapplebeck is in the Cemetery Records database. She is buried in Manahath Cemetery in Glassboro.

Monday, August 4, 2014

Grandma Boe

Grandma Boe and me


My maternal grandmother Margaret Ann (Schneider) Boe passed away 28 years ago today. She was one of the best people that I have ever known, and will always be loved and missed.

Sunday, August 3, 2014

52 Ancestors: #31 Paulina Gersbacher

My great-grandmother Paulina Gersbacher (Pauline Gerspacher) was born on 13 August 1876 in Niederwihl, Waldshut, Baden, Germany. She was the daughter of John (Johann) Gersbacher and Kunigunde Dreier. She came to the United States in 1883 with her mother and siblings; they sailed from Bremen, Germany on the Braunschweig and arrived in Baltimore, Maryland on 26 July 1883. They then went to St. Louis, Missouri and joined her father, who had left Germany earlier.

Paulina's older brother Fridolin died on 30 May 1892, and her mother died on 6 January 1893. Her father then abandoned the family. Paulina, the oldest living child, was only 16 years old. She began working as a servant. Her sister Gussie worked in a laundry, and her brother Joe went with Gussie. But there was no one else to take care of the youngest child, Ann. Paulina did her best to try to take care of Ann. She had to resort to hiding Ann in her room and sneaking food up to her. Eventually, she was caught and was fired from her job. She then began working for A. W. and Adele Schulenberg. Ann went to live with an old woman in a wheel chair. Paulina visited Ann every week on her day off, but because the old woman stayed in the room with Ann and Paulina, it took Paulina some time to find out that the woman often hit Ann with her cane.

The Schulenberg's milkman tried to talk Paulina into going out, but she was turned off to the idea of men and marriage because of her father. Eventually the milkman brought John Schneider to meet Paulina. She could not believe that a man could be so nice. They were married on 23 July 1902 at Sts.Peter and Paul Catholic Church in St. Louis.

Their first child, Christina Maria, was born on 20 April 1903. Their only son, Carl Joseph, was born on 2 June 1905. Sadly, Christina died of meningitis on 27 April 1909. Their daughter Margaret Ann, my maternal grandmother, was born on 16 March 1911. Their youngest child, Paula Christina, was born on 27 January 1913.

After her father died on 8 February 1914, Paulina went to the funeral home to make the funeral arrangements for him, even though he had treated the family so badly. She and her husband are probably the ones that had the tombstone erected on the Gersbacher family plot at Sts. Peter and Paul Cemetery. When Paulina's sister-in-law Marie (Schneider) Illig was sick with influenza in 1918, Paulina brought food to her when others were afraid to go anywhere near her.

Paulina died on 1 December 1966. She was buried in Sts. Peter and Paul Cemetery in St. Louis.

The information about Paulina's life after her mother died and before her marriage was obtained from a letter that my grandmother Margaret Ann (Schneider) Boe wrote to her youngest son in 1976.

Paulina, age 19

Paulina

Paulina, 1918

Paulina, 1936

Paulina and John Schneider

Paulina with her children Margaret, Carl, and Paula Schneider on her 85th birthday, 13 August 1961