Gävle Goat

Gävle Christmas goat, 23 December 2006. Photo by Stefan [CC-BY-SA-2.5 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5)]. Available from Wikimedia Commons.

Since 1966, a giant Yule goat (Julbock) has been erected in the central square (Slottstorget) of the town of Gävle, Sweden on the first day of Advent. The Yule goat is a traditional Scandinavian Yule and Christmas symbol.

The Gävle goat often does not survive until Christmas. It is frequently burned by arsonists. In 1977, it was burned six hours after it was erected. In 2010, two men attempted to kidnap the Gävle goat by helicopter.

So far, non-flammable protection methods, volunteer guards, a fence, and webcams have not prevented its destruction. This year the Gävle goat is being guarded by taxis.

There is a Twitter account for the Gävle goat (Gävlebocken).

References
Gävle Christmas Goat goes up
Gävle goat
Gävle goat targeted in foiled helicopter heist
Julbock: The Swedish Christmas Goat
Sweden's Christmas goat torched yet again
Yule Goat

52 Ancestors: #48 Hugh Winters

My 4th-great-grandfather Hugh Winters was born about 1810 in Carrickmacross, County Monaghan, Ireland. He married Mary Bennet on 24 January 1831 at St. Mary's Church in Edinburgh, Scotland. He was living in Leith (now part of Edinburgh), but there was no Catholic church in Leith at that time. Their marriage was also recorded at the Church of Scotland in South Leith.

Their first child, my 3rd-great-grandfather John, was born on 19 December 1831. Their second child and first daughter, Sarah, was born on 14 June 1834, and died on 10 September 1834. Their son James was born on 2 October 1835, their son Peter was born on 19 August 1838, and their daughter Mary was born on 27 November 1840.

In 1841, Hugh and his family lived at St Andrews St. No 78, South Leith, Midlothian, Scotland. Daniel and Catherine McKensie also lived with the family. Hugh was listed as a "Clothier Broker & Fireman in Dart." Leith was a port city; Hugh probably worked as a fireman on ships. He may have also sold clothes on the docks. The 26 September 1844 issue of the Caledonian Mercury includes a short item about the Leith docks; Hugh may have been one of the "hawkers of ready-made clothes."

 

Caledonian Mercury, 26 September 1844. Available from British Newspaper Archive. Image © THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Hugh and Mary's daughter Catherine (or Catharine) was born about 1843.

Hugh became a member of the Repealers of Leith in 1843. John Finnegan, who became a member at the same time, was one of the baptismal sponsors for Hugh's daughter Mary. The Repeal Association had been started by Daniel O'Connell; its goal was the repeal of the 1800 Act of Union between Great Britain and Ireland.

Freeman's Journal, 23 May 1843. Available from British Newspaper Archive. Image © THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Hugh and Mary's daughter Margaret was born on 24 January 1848. In 1849, Hugh and most of his family sailed from Glasgow to New York City on the Pursuit; they arrived on 12 June 1849. 

Passenger Lists of Vessels Arriving at New York, New York, 1820-1897. Microfilm Publication M237, 675 rolls. Records of the U.S. Customs Service, Record Group 36. National Archives at Washington, D.C. Year: 1849; Arrival: New York, New York; Microfilm Serial: M237, 1820-1897; Microfilm Roll: Roll 080; Line: 12; List Number: 706. Ancestry.com. New York, Passenger Lists, 1820-1957 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.

His wife Mary and daughter Margaret did not sail with them, but they were also in New York by 1850, when the entire family was enumerated in Brooklyn, New York in the 1850 United States census. Hugh and Mary's daughter Elizabeth was born in Brooklyn on 12 January 1851.

Hugh's wife Mary had probably died by 1855. That year, Hugh was a boarder in the home of John and Rosey Moran, and none of his children were living with him. His daughter Mary was a servant in the home of John and Mary Blair, and his son Hugh and daughter Margaret were in the nursery in Flatbush, New York. In 1860, he and his son Hugh lived with Martin and Mary Lyn and two children, Mary and Cath Lee. Mary Winters, age 30, born in Ireland, also lived with them. If this is Hugh's daughter Mary, her age and birthplace are incorrect. She may also have been a new wife or a relative.

In 1865, Hugh lived in at 302 Hicks in Brooklyn with wife Margaret. Also listed in the household were sons Hugh and James, but Hugh was in the navy and James was in the army, so they may have been away from home. If James is the son of Hugh Winters and Mary Bennet, his age is incorrect; he would have been 29, not 21. He could also have been a stepson, which would explain why the younger son, Hugh, was listed first. Hugh worked as a laborer.

Brooklyn City Directory for the Year Ending May 1st, 1865. Compiled by J. Lain. New York: J. Lain and Company. Available from Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1821-1989 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011.

In 1866, Hugh testified for the defense at the trial of Eugene J. Fergus. Fergus was charged with the murder of Patrick McGuann.

Brooklyn Daily Eagle, 23 November 1866.

Hugh was naturalized in Kings County, New York on 25 October 1867. His son Hugh was naturalized on the same day.

 

Hugh Winters naturalization index card. Soundex Index to Petitions for Naturalization filed in Federal, State, and Local Courts located in New York City, 1792-1989. New York, NY, USA: The National Archives at New York City. Available from Ancestry.com. New York, Index to Petitions for Naturalization filed in New York City, 1792-1989 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2007.

In 1870, Hugh lived with wife Eliza. Eliza died on 5 April 1874. Hugh's son Hugh died shortly before Eliza, on 26 March 1874. Hugh's daughter Mary died on 12 September 1876.

In 1880, Hugh lived at 22 Atlantic Street in Brooklyn, with James and Mary Feenan. He was listed as blind, and was also enumerated in the 1880 Schedules of Defective, Dependent, and Delinquent Classes.

On Christmas Day in 1881, Hugh was admitted to the Kings County Alms House with a sore leg.

Admission record, Hugh Winters, Kings County Alms House, 25 December 1881. New York State Archives, Albany, New York. New York State Archives; Albany, New York; Census of Inmates in Almshouses and Poorhouses, 1875-1921; Series: A1978; Reel: A1978:46; Record Number: 5828. Available from Ancestry.com. New York, Census of Inmates in Almshouses and Poorhouses, 1830-1920 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011.

Hugh died on 7 February 1887 in Kings County Hospital in Flatbush, New York. He is buried in Holy Cross Cemetery in Brooklyn, Section West, Range C, Grave 4, along with wife Eliza, son Hugh, and daughters Mary and Margaret.

Death record, Hugh Winters, 4 February 1887. Town of Flatbush, Kings County, New York, Record of Deaths. Municipal Archives, New York City.

Follow Friday: War of 1812 Archaeology

The Maryland State Highway Administration's archaeologists partnered with state, county, and federal agencies to survey and excavate  War of 1812 sites (battlefields, encampments, and a shipwreck). Their papers have been published in the book Archaeology of the War of 1812. The archaeological sites are also discussed on the blog War of 1812 Archaeology. If your ancestors participated in the War of 1812, you may find it to be a good source of historical information. Some posts include information about individuals. For example, the farmstead of Aaron and Tabitha Williams, which was also a tavern during the 1820s and 1830s, was fortified during the War of 1812.

Thanksgiving, 1977

This photo of me, my parents, and my brother was taken on Thanksgiving Day, 24 November 1977. We did not know it at the time this photo was taken, but 24 November 1977 was also the day that my maternal grandfather John Boe passed away.

Wedding Wednesday: Delmar Borg and Marybell Ellis

My first cousin 3 times removed Delmar Emil Borg married his first wife Marybell Ellis at the Augsburg Lutheran Church in Porter, Indiana on 24 March 1940 (Easter Sunday).

Vidette Messenger, 26 March 1940

Tombstone Tuesday: Joseph John and Dorothea (Andre) Gersbacher

Joseph John Gersbacher was born on 8 May 1879 in Niederwihl, Waldshut, Baden, Germany. (In the United States, he gave his date of birth as 12 May 1880.) He was the son of John Gersbacher and Kunigunde Dreier. His second wife, Dorothea Andre, was born on 28 June 1887 in St. Louis, Missouri. Joseph died on 4 September 1970, and Dorothea died on 16 January 1988. They are buried in New Saint Marcus Cemetery in St. Louis, Missouri.

Mappy Monday: Chicago Districts

Chicago districts map. By Peter Fitzgerald [Public domain]. Available from Wikimedia Commons and Wikitravel.

Many of my ancestors lived in Chicago, Illinois, This map shows the districts of Chicago.

52 Ancestors: #47 Jesse Tarkington

Jesse Tarkington, the younger brother of my great-great-grandfather James William Tarkington, was born in Williamson County, Tennessee on 14 July 1862. He was the son of Joseph Tarkington and Amanda Russell.

In 1880, Jesse worked as a farm laborer in Williamson County, Tennessee, where he lived with his parents and many of his siblings. By 1885, he had moved to Nashville, and he worked as a blacksmith for the Louisville & Nashville Railroad. In 1886, he worked as a guard at the penitentiary. He then worked for the Nashville, Chattanooga & St. Louis Railway; he was a boilermaker in 1888, and by 1890 he was a fireman. By 1900, he had become an engineer.

Jesse married Pauline "Lena" Hitner on 12 July 1891. They had six children: Thomas Burrell (born 2 August 1892), Jessie Pauline (born 27 March 1895), Elmer (born 3 March 1898), George Washington (born 22 February 1900), John Frederick (born 10 December 1904), and Jesse Edwin (born 17 October 1909).

On 15 September 1909, Jesse was killed in a railroad accident. On the Nashville, Chattanooga & St. Louis Railway, No. 4 passenger train, west bound, and No. 31 fast freight, east bound, collided one mile west of Pegram Station. Jesse was the engineer on the freight train. The engineer on the passenger train, who was also killed in the accident, was Joseph Greener Gower, my second cousin 4 times removed (through one of my other family lines).

Jesse was buried in Mount Olivet Cemetery on 20 September 1909, in the Tarkington family plot, Sec. 13 Lot 75. On 16 December 1914, his body was moved to Sec. 13 Lot 275.

Jesse's youngest son, Jesse Edwin, was born a month after Jesse's death. Sadly, Jesse Edwin died on 27 October 1914 at age 5.

Nashville Directory, 1885. Nashville, TN: Marshall and Bruce. Available from Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1821-1989 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011.

 Nashville City Directory, 1886. Nashville, TN: Marshall and Bruce. Available from Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1821-1989 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011.

Nashville City Directory, 1898. Nashville, TN: Marshall and Bruce. Available from Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1821-1989 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011.

Directory of Nashville and Rural Routes of Davidson County, 1903. Nashville, TN: Marshall & Bruce. Available from Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1821-1989 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011.

Marion Star, 15 September 1909

 Morning Oregonian, 16 September 1909

Jesse Tarkington death record. Tennessee State Library and Archives; Nashville, Tennessee; Tennessee Death Records, 1908-1959; Roll #: 5. Available from Ancestry.com. Tennessee, Death Records, 1908-1958 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011.

Mt. Olivet Cemetery Lot Owner Card File, 1851-1995. Nashville, Tennessee: Metropolitan Government Archives.

Photo by CB - Find a Grave contributor

National Adoption Day

The Saturday before Thanksgiving is National Adoption Day. The day is intended to raise awareness of the large number of children in foster care waiting for adoption, and to celebrate adoptive families.

My great-great-grandmother's sister Clara Matilda Borg and her husband Nils A. Samuelson never had biological children, but they raised a girl, Etta Maria Carter, and a boy, Leroy G. "Roy" Johnson.

1910 United States Census, Westchester Township, Porter, Indiana, population schedule, enumeration district 152, page 9A. Available from  Ancestry.com. 1910 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2006.

1920 United States Census, Westchester Township, Porter, Indiana, population schedule, enumeration district 157, page 4A. Available from Ancestry.com. 1920 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2010. Images reproduced by FamilySearch.

The Vidette-Messenger, 20 March 1934, page 2. (The name of the daughter is listed incorrectly.)

My 3rd-great-grandfather's brother John G. Gatlin and his wife Martha Ann Gower legally adopted a little girl, Tennessee Reed (Minnie Gatlin after the adoption), in 1874.

Miller, Alan N. Nineteenth Century Tennessee Adoptions, Legitimations, and Name Changes. Baltimore, MD: Clearfield, 2009. Page 51.

The girl's biological parents reconciled after the adoption had approved, and wanted her back. The Davidson County, Tennessee Circuit Court ruled that it was in the best interests of the child for her to remain with her adoptive parents. The below excerpt from an article in the Nashville Union and American, 3 December 1874, shows that the adoptive mother and daughter had formed a close bond.

Nashville Union and American, 3 December 1874. Available from Chronicling America.

My great-grandmother Kathleen (Graham) Mapplebeck Boe was the biological daughter of James Graham, but when her mother Catherine Elizabeth Winters married James Mapplebeck, she took his name and he became her father. The adoption may have been informal rather than legal, but Kathleen's application for a Social Security account shows that James Mapplebeck was the man that she considered to be her father.

Kathleen Graham Mapplebeck Boe, SS no. 494-07-1459, 11 December 1936, Application for Account Number (Form SS-5), Social Security Administration, Baltimore, Maryland.

Follow Friday: Once A Hoosier…Always A Hoosier

The Indiana Genealogical Society has launched a new blog, Once A Hoosier…Always A Hoosier. The blog includes information on thousands of deceased people who were born before 1930 and lived in Indiana at some point or were buried in Indiana. It is browsable by county, and can also be searched. If your Indiana ancestors are not included, you may use the submission form to add them.

Those Places Thursday: 713 Loucks Ave., Peoria, Illinois

In 1941, my maternal grandfather's brother James Jorgen "Jim" Boe lived in Peoria, Illinois and worked as a floorman for Kresge. His future wife, Laverne "Lee" Grimm, worked as a saleswoman for Kresge. She lived at 713 Loucks Ave., Peoria with her widowed mother Lydia and many of her siblings. The Grimm family had moved to the house fairly recently (they lived at 117 E. Armstrong Ave., Peoria in 1940). Lee lived there until her marriage to Jim in September 1942. Lydia continued to live at 713 Loucks Ave. for at least ten more years.

Polk's Peoria City Directory, 1941. Available from Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1821-1989 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011.

Wednesday's Child: Magdalena Dreier

Death record, Magdalena Dreier, 25 February 1849. Staatsarchiv Freiburg L 10 Nr. 5777, Bild 142. Permalink:
http://www.landesarchiv-bw.de/plink/?f=5-498378-142.Standesbücher / 1810-1870 > Waldshut; Amtsgericht > Niederwihl, Görwihl WT; Katholische Gemeinde: Sterbebuch 1810-1869.

Magdalena was the second child of my 3rd-great-grandparents Jakob Dreier and Franziska Schäuble, and the younger sister of my great-great-grandmother Kunigunde Dreier. She was born on 17 June 1848 in Niederwihl, Waldshut, Baden, Germany. She died a little more than eight months later, on 25 February 1849.

Tombstone Tuesday: Fred Taschner

Fredrick Taschner was born on 26 July 1887 in St. Louis, Missouri. He was the son of Albert Taschner and Theresa Brickner. Fred's father died when he was six years old. About 1900, his mother married Adolph Heinrich. Fred worked as a painter. His first wife was Leah Jane "Lillie" Claymore. Fred married his second wife Anna Maria "Ann" Gersbacher (my great-grandmother's sister) on 19 May 1934. Fred died in St. Louis on 26 January 1952 and was buried in Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Cemetery, section 010K, lot 0024E.

Mappy Monday: Pasadena, California, 1917

Pasadena, California. Automobile Blue Book, vol. 8, section 1, 1917. Available from the Perry-Castañeda Library Map Collection.

This map, published in 1917, shows some of the roads and locations in Pasadena, California. My great-grandmother's sister Augusta "Gussie" (Gersbacher) Parker was living in Pasadena by 1927, and she continued to live there until her death in 1969.

Census Sunday: D. Binkley, 1860 U.S. Census, Agricultural Schedule

D. Binkley. 1860 United States Census, Township 9 Range 2, Williamson County, Illinois, agricultural schedule, pages 49-50. Ancestry.com. Selected U.S. Federal Census Non-Population Schedules, 1850-1880 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.

My 3rd-great-grandfather Davidson Binkley was enumerated in the 1860 United States Census, agricultural schedule, as D. Binkley. His farm was in Township 9, Range 2, Williamson County, Illinois (post office: Marion).

He had 20 acres of improved land. The cash value of his farm was $200, and the cash value of farming implements and machinery was $100.  On June 1, 1860 he had 2 horses, 1 milch cow, 4 other cattle, and 7 swine. The value of his live stock was $350.

During the year ending June 1, 1860, he had the following produce: 120 bushels of Indian corn, 5 bushels of peas and beans, 18 bushels of Irish potatoes, 20 bushels of sweet potatoes,100 pounds of butter, and 20 gallons of molasses, made from sorghum.

The value of his homemade manufactures was $5, and the value of his animals slaughtered was $40.

Articles of Confederation

Articles of Confederation. Available from Our Documents.

On 15 November 1777, the Second Continental Congress adopted the Articles of Confederation, which established a weak central government and a loose confederation of sovereign states. A president was not included. The states, not the central government, had the power of taxation.

On 16 December 1777, Virginia became the first state to ratify the Articles.The last of the thirteen states to ratify the Articles was Maryland; ratification took place on 2 February 1781. On 1 March 1781, a ceremonial confirmation of the final ratification took place in Congress.

Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union Between the States of New Hampshire, Massachusetts Bay, Rhode Island, and Providence plantations, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. Williamsburg, VA: Alexander Purdie, 1777. Available from Library of Congress.

References
Articles of Confederation
Articles of Confederation (1777)
Articles of Confederation: March 1, 1781
Digital History: Articles of Confederation
The First Constitution: The Articles of Confederation 
Milestones: 1776-1783: Articles of Confederation, 1777-1781
Primary Documents in American History: The Articles of Confederation

52 Ancestors: #46 Kathleen Graham

My great-grandmother Kathleen Graham was born on 31 October 1879. She was the daughter of James Graham and Catherine Elizabeth Winters. Her birth name may have been Catherine; earlier records list her by that name. She was either born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, or was born in Chicago, Illinois and came to Montreal as a baby. I think that Montreal is the more likely birthplace; her mother's father John Bennet Winters was living in Montreal at the time of her birth.

After 1883, Kathleen's father James Graham either died or left his family. Kathleen's mother Elizabeth claimed to be a widow, but the family story is that James Graham had been a Catholic priest and had returned to the priesthood. I have not yet confirmed the family story, but because of it, I think that James may have left his family, even if he did not leave for the priesthood.

On 20 November 1885, Kathleen's mother Elizabeth married James Mapplebeck. Kathleen and her younger brother Garfield took his surname. They may not have been legally adopted by him, but Kathleen thought of James Mapplebeck as her father. He was the man that raised her.

Between 1891 and 1892, sometime after the 1891 Census of Canada, the Mapplebeck family moved to Alton, Madison County, Illinois. James Mapplebeck was a glassblower, and the Illinois Glass Company was located in Alton. James Mapplebeck had left the family by 1898; he went to California. Kathleen had lost another father.

On 9 August 1901, Kathleen gave birth to a daughter, Vivian. Vivian's father was Samuel R. Bowen Samuel had worked at the glass company, and then had gone to Olean, Cattaraugus County, New York for the summer, while Kathleen was pregnant. Kathleen had him arrested, and he was brought back to Alton, Illinois. A young widow, Lulu (Fox) Masterson, came back with him. Although she had only known him for two months, she paid his bail. They returned to New York while Samuel was out on bail, and he married her on 22 July 1901. In October 1901, he returned to Alton, accompanied by his wife and stepson. Kathleen had him jailed for illegitimate parentage, but he was released on a writ of habeas corpus. He was to be tried on another charge, but I have not yet found any additional information on him. Kathleen showed remarkable strength, especially for her time. Many women would not have had the courage to stand up for themselves the way that she did.

Kathleen was known as Mrs. K. G. Walker, and her daughter was Vivian Walker. I suspect that she adopted this name to pass as a widow because of the stigma of illegitimacy. Walker was her mother's mother's maiden name.

Kathleen moved to St. Louis. At the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair (where, according to my mother's first cousin Marie, she got paid for talking), she met John Boe. He was already married, but by the time their son John (my maternal grandfather) was born on 28 April 1908, he and his wife had separated and he and Kathleen had married. They moved to Williston, Williams County, North Dakota, and their daughter Florence was born there on 22 November 1909. In the 1910 United States census, the family was enumerated in Kathleen's mother's household in St. Louis. They were in Williston, North Dakota in 1901. Their son James Jorgen was born on 27 September 1911, and their daughter Theodora Catherine was born on 9 February 1914. The family moved back to St. Louis in March 1915, and their daughter Geraldine Edith was born in St. Louis on 29 July 1916.

Kathleen's husband John was president of the St. Louis Motor Car Company. The company failed in the late 1920s, and the family moved to Sarasota, Florida for a year. They then returned to St. Louis. In 1929, John left Kathleen; he had a daughter with a much younger woman, who he later married.

Kathleen worked for Pevely Dairy. According to her 1930 United States census enumeration, she was educational director. She filed a patent for a design for a scorecard on 4 April 1927, and the patent was granted on 16 October 1928. The design included milk bottles; she probably created it while working for Pevely Dairy. According to my mother, Kathleen was responsible for the introduction of milk into the St. Louis public schools. Free milk programs were established in the St. Louis Public Schools; these are probably the programs she was involved with. By 1936, she was working for the U.S. Census Bureau.

Kathleen was a member of Eastern Star. She attended the Presbyterian Church.

When she was older, Kathleen lived with her children. According to the "Flag of the Day" article in the 30 August 1966 issue of the Chicago Tribune, a flag was flown every day at the home of her son-in-law William A. Paley (husband of her daughter Geraldine) in Wilmette, Illinois, and Kathleen took the flag down at sunset.

Kathleen died in Brentwood, Missouri on 17 November 1967. She was cremated, and her ashes are interred at Hillcrest Abbey Crematory and Mausoleum.

Winters family Bible

1881 Census of Canada. Hochelaga Village, Hochelaga, Quebec. Ancestry.com; reproduced by courtesy of Library and Archives Canada, Ottawa, Canada. (James Graham is enumerated on the previous page.)

W. H. McCoy's Alton City Directory, Including the Towns of Upper Alton, North Alton and East Alton. 1901-1902. Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1821-1989 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011.

  Alton Telegraph, 24 October 1901

Alton Evening Telegraph, 18 May 1905

Boe, Kathleen. Design for a Score Card.Patent USD76601. Application filed 4 April 1927. Patented 16 October 1928. Available from http://www.google.com/patents/USD76601. 

 St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 17 November 1967

Thankful Thursday: Peggy Lorraine (Clark) Trickey Lampley

Fred and Peggy (Clark) Trickey. Milwaukee Journal, 10 October 1943.

I am thankful for my second cousin once removed, Peggy Lorraine (Clark) Trickey Lampley. Peggy was the daughter of Clifford Irwin Clark and Nina Lorraine Leech. Nina was the daughter of Patrick Henry Leech and Laura Belle Tarkington. Laura Belle was my great-grandmother Anna Gertrude Tarkington's oldest sister.

I never met Peggy, but I have several family group sheets that she compiled, which she probably sent to my paternal grandfather. Most of the information was taken from the family Bible of Laura Belle (Tarkington) Leech, and from notes that Laura Belle wrote before she died.

My 3rd-great-grandfather's name was recorded as Benjamin Davidson Binkley. All the other documents that I have found give his name as Davidson Binkley. The name of his wife, my 3rd-great-grandmother, was recorded as Angeline Isabelle Mayo. I wonder if her middle name was actually Isbell (her paternal grandmother's maiden name),

The names and dates of birth and death of Davidson and Angeline's children are recorded. Their first two children, Sara Elizabeth and Louise Jane, died very young; Sara Elizabeth lived for about two weeks, and Louise Jane lived for just over a year. These children never appeared in census records, and there were no Tennessee birth and death certificates in the 1850s. If I did not have Peggy's family group sheet, I would not know about these children.

The family group sheet for Davidson Binkley and Angeline Mayo includes a note which states that Davidson Binkley had worked for Spillers (possibly for the Spiller family; he is buried in Spiller Cemetery in Williamson County, Illinois), that Lee Mayo (Angeline's brother) had worked for "old Mrs. DeMoss" at Bellevue,  and that Lee Mayo gave "Grandma Binkley" (his sister Angeline) money to buy a house at Vaughn's Gap, Tennessee. The family group sheet for my 3rd-great-grandparents Joseph Tarkington and Amanda Russell includes the note "Pauline Chilton Tarkington told Maydell that Amanda Russell was a great beauty & southern belle who married beneath her" and also mentions that Pauline has a picture. (I would love to see this picture someday!)

If Peggy had not compiled these family group sheets and shared them with my family, I never would have known these things. I am very thankful that she shared them.

I wonder what happened to Laura Belle (Tarkington) Leech's family Bible. I suspect that Peggy probably had it; her mother was Laura Belle's only daughter, and family documents are often passed down to daughters. Peggy died in 1985. When I learned that she had a son with her husband Fred Logan Trickey (also named Fred Logan Trickey), I hoped that I could get in touch with him. I found out that he had been living in New York City, not too far away from me, but then I learned that he had died in 2010. Her other son is sportscaster Jim Lampley; because he is a public figure, it may not be easy to get in touch with him.

Wednesday's Child: Clarence J. Gatlin

Clarence J. Gatlin death record. Center for Health Statistics, Alabama Department of Public Health, Montgomery, Alabama.

Clarence J. Gatlin was born on 15 May 1906 in Nashville, Tennessee. He was the son of Clarence Bateman Gatlin (my great-great-grandfather John William Morton Gatlin's brother) and Ella Lee. The family was still in Nashville in April 1910, when they were enumerated in the 1910 United States census. The 1911 Nashville city directory states that Clarence Gatlin had moved to New Decatur, Alabama. The family was in New Decatur by 14 November 1910, when Clarence J. died of heart trouble. He was buried in Nashville, Tennessee. The family was once again living in Nashville by 1912.

Veterans Day

Available from Veterans Day Poster Gallery, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Public and Intergovernmental Affairs.

On Veterans Day, I would like to thank the members of my family that have served in the United States military, or served allied nations in World War I. In addition to ancestors, this list includes uncles, cousins, and relatives by marriage.

Revolutionary War
Adam Binkley
Frederick Binkley
Abraham Louis DeMoss
Elisha Garland
Lazarus Gatlin
Jesse Greer
Francis Hardgrave
Benjamin Isbell
Henry Isbell
Thomas Isbell
Benjamin Mayo
James Mayo
Joseph Mayo
Stephen Mayo

War of 1812
Chapman Gordon
Francis Hardgrave
Skelton Hardgrave
Elias L. Mayo
Thomas Mayo
Andrew Russell

Mexican War
James Thomas Gilliam
Thomas E. Gilliam
James Hardgraves
Robert Francis Hardgraves
Thomas Tarkington

Civil War (Union)
Davidson Binkley
Samuel August Samuelson
Hugh Winters

World War I
John Joseph Berberick
John G. Leech
Ferdinand Constand Schneider
Cornelius Thomas de Kam (Canada)
Edward Otto Troedson (Australia)
George Arthur Troedson (Australia)

World War II
Gilbert Joseph Blocker
Theodore Boe
David Theodore Borg
Delmar Emil Borg
Walton E. Borg
Clifford Irwin Clark
Louis D. Hightower
William Philip Carl Illig
Norman Kowelman
James Bratton Lampley
Harry Ashby Lee
William Patterson Leech
Leroy N. Mayrant
Julian G. Nagle
Amanda Mary (Whitman) Pybas
Earl Mason Roberts
William Robert Ruty
Karl J. Schneider
Fred Logan Trickey

Korean War
Harry Ashby Lee

Other Veterans
John Joseph Koestler, United States Army 1958-1964
Frank Casole, United States Army 1977-1981
Todd Thompson, United States Air Force 1991-2011

Current Service Members
Jon Rodriguez, United States Marines

Military Monday: Andrew Russell, Private in 2nd Regiment Kentucky Volunteer Militia, War of 1812

General index card for Andrew Russell. National Archives and Records Administration. Index to the Compiled Military Service Records for the Volunteer Soldiers Who Served During the War of 1812. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration. M602. Available from Fold3.com.

Report of the Adjutant General of the State of Kentucky. Soldiers of the War of 1812. Printed by authority of the legislature of Kentucky. Frankfort, KY: E. Polk Johnson, 1891. Available from Internet Archive.

My 5th-great-grandfather Andrew Russell was a private in the 2nd Regiment Kentucky Volunteer Militia during the War of 1812. Colonel William Jennings commanded this regiment. Tunstall Quarles, Jr. armed and equipped one of the companies of the 2nd regiment and became its captain. Andrew Russell was one of the men in his company. He and the other company members enlisted on 1 September 1812. Some of the men, including Andrew Russell and Tunstall Quarles, were from Pulaski County, Kentucky.

Andrew and the rest of his company were enlisted until 1 October 1812.  Colonel Jennings' regiment established Fort Jennings, located on the Auglaize River in Ohio, midway between Fort Barbee and Fort Defiance.