SURNAME SATURDAY - WHO WAS DAISY BRIGHT?

SURNAME SATURDAY

TODAY'S FEATURED SURNAME

BRIGHT

•  Who was Daisy BRIGHT?
•  Who were her parents?
•  Who were her siblings, if any?

These are the questions I asked when I first began doing genealogy research, back in 2003.  

Here is what I knew about her:

1. She is my husband's grandmother on his paternal side.  She died when he was only 3 yrs. old, as did her husband, so my husband knew nothing at all about them.
2. According to the obituary & a large newspaper article about Charles S. Hall, she was his wife.  
3. Her name was also listed as "spouse" on his death certificate.
4. According to the 1910, 1920 & 1930 census records, she was born about 1882 in PA.

That was about it for information.   I did some poking around, but wasn't able to locate much.  We've got that HUGE gap in information between the 1880 census and the 1900 census. NOTE: A fire destroyed all but about 6,000 records for the 1890 census.

 If she was born in 1882, she wouldn't be on the 1880 census.  By the time the 1900 census rolls around, she's 18 and could be out of the house.  Living where?  With whom?

I found a few more clues.  A likely candidate was Daisy BRIGHT living with the HUNT family.  

Could this be her?

Daisy Bright listed in the 1900 census living with Thomas & Edith Hunt

If so, then who are the Hunt's?  Notice that Thomas Hunt is a glassblower.  That's not a common profession.   

Now I have a little something to go on.  I went to the 1880 census records and typed in Bright, living in Pennsylvania.  Hunting through those records I located an Ellmer Bright in Allegheny County, which is the right location.  Guess what his profession was?  Glassblower!!  OK, maybe I'm on to something now.  But, I'm new to researching back then and I didn't know how to prove the connection.

So, I hired a professional genealogist (she is no longer in business).  It was a huge risk, as I didn't really know her, but she had good reviews and her price was reasonable.  

NOTE: I've only used two other professionals to help me during this time and the results were not as rewarding.  But, sometimes when you have a brick wall you have to try everything.

Within 2 weeks I had my answers.  She called me and then sent me a really detailed step by step report of what she had found.  OH BOY!!!  Was I ever excited.

How correct were my assumptions? 

Well, I'm happy to tell you, they were right on!  Ellmer Bright, the glassblower in the 1880 census is her father.  And, Thomas Hunt, glassblower from the 1900 census is her Uncle.  Here are the facts about Daisy Bright's family.  This turned out to be very sad, as she lost everyone by the time she was 10 years old.

• Daisy Bright was born 19 Apr 1882 in Tarentum, Allegheny, Pennsylvania

• Her parents were Ellmer Bright & Malissa Hunt

• She was a twin (the twin died at birth)

• She had a younger sister named Mabel, born in 1887 and died in 1888, age 1

• Her father, Ellmer died of Consumption in 1889, age 29

• Her mother, Malissa died of possible heart failure in 1892, age 31

Church records for the Bright family of Tarentum, Pennsylvania

Tarentum Methodist Episcopal Church Membership list 1887 with E.E. Bright and Meliss Bright lower left column

 The mystery of Daisy Bright's life was solved.  I located her marriage record to Charles S. Hall, several census records, her death certificate, her burial location (right here in my own city) and the bonus was tracking down my husband's first cousin, Tom (now deceased).  

BONUS FIND -   I have become friends with Tom's daughter, Lynn.  She and I have shared family information and she had several pictures of Daisy and Charles in their younger years.

I almost forgot to include a picture of Daisy.  Here she is as a young woman and then with her husband Charles, holding my husband on his first birthday, 1951.

Daisy Bright Hall - year unknown

 

Daisy Bright Hall & her husband Charles S. Hall with their grandson - 1951

Happy Hunting,

Michigan Girl