Friday, August 29, 2014

EVALUATING YOUR RECORDS ON AN INDIVIDUAL PERSON - WHAT YOU WILL LEARN – Gladys Lillian Gould

Gould Gladys family screenshot

I have recently been researching my Grand Aunt, Gladys Lillian Gould.  Today I want to take stock of what I have collected for her and what I still need to look for.

Gladys was born, lived and died in Detroit, Michigan.  I have no record of her living any place else.

Gladys was my grandfather’s sister.  One of three girls in a family of six siblings.  She had three older brothers, Ford, Harry (my grandfather) & Roy.  And two younger sisters,  Adele and Helen.

(Click on any image to enlarge it) 

































Gladys was the daughter of William Val Gould and Mae Thorp.  She was born 11 Jul 1890 in Detroit, Wayne, Michigan. 

GOULD Gladys birth

There is no image associated with her birth record, above.  (Even though there is a little camera icon next to the record indicating that there should be an image)

I will order the image using the Family Search Photo Duplication Request process which I wrote about here on my blog recently. Photo Duplication Requests on Family Search

The first record I have for Gladys is the 1900 census.  She is a little girl, living with her parents and siblings.  From that point I have tracked Gladys in the following records:
  • 1909 Detroit City Directory, working as a stenographer at an optical company, living with her parents at 828 14th Ave.
  • 1910 census – Living with her parents at 828 14th Ave. and working as a stenographer at an optical company.
  • 1920 census – taken in January 1920, she is living with her parents at 818 Hudson Ave. and working as a secretary.
  • 1920 – On July 3rd she married Charles E. Smith, born 30 Oct 1887 in Wigan, England according to his WW I Draft Card.  Died 2 Oct 1966 in Detroit, Wayne, Michigan
  • 1930 census – She and her husband Charles are living with her widowed mother and her brother, Ford, at 5639 Linwood Ave.
  • 1945 – She is the informant on her sister, Helen’s, death certificate.  Her address is listed as 3739 14th St.
  • 1966 – October 2 she is the informant on her husband, Charles’ death certificate.  Her address is listed as 10607 Outer Drive, Detroit, Michigan.
  • 1966 – October 8 – Gladys dies of metastic carcinoma, just 6 days after her husband.
  • 1966 – October 11 – She is laid to rest at Grand Lawn Cemetery in Detroit.
I have all of these events from Gladys’ life entered in Legacy.  This allows me to keep track of what I have and don’t have for a particular person.  And, it allows Legacy to create a timeline for that individual.

GOULD Gladys screen shot of ind info & events

Are there any other records that I could collect for Gladys?  Let’s think this through.
  
1.  She was probably listed in other Detroit City Directories and I know many of those are available online.


2.  She may have been listed in probate records, if they exist, for either her mother, her father, her sister Helen, her brother Ford or her brother Harry, who pre deceased her.   Or even, for that matter, her husband, although she died a few days after he did.

3.  Was there an announcement in the Detroit papers for her marriage to Charles Smith?

4.  Was she a member of any organizations that may have a record of her?

5.  Was there a death notice or obituary published for her husband, Charles?

6.  Was her death notice or an obituary published in the Detroit papers?


Can you think of any other records?  Am I missing anything?  

WAIT!!!  I am missing something.  The 1940 census.  Hang on, while I go and look for it.

I found it.  And look at that, a new family member.  An Aunt named Lena E. Barsh is living in the household with Charles & Gladys.  I’ve never seen that name before.  I know very little about Charles E. Smith’s family.  This may be a clue I can follow up on.  Assuming that the relationship is to the head of household, which makes Lena E. Barsh the Aunt of Charles Smith.
 
1940 CENSUS - CHARLES & GLADYS SMITH & LENA BARSH, DETROIT, MICHIGAN


1940_SMITH_Charles E & Gladys with Aunt Lena BARSH_DetroitWayneMichigan_cropped
CROPPED VIEW OF THE 1940 CENSUS SHOWING CHARLES, GLADYS AND AUNT LENA

I have learned by going back and evaluating my records, I can, in nearly every case, find something I've missed.

I’m going to begin looking for any Detroit city directories with Gladys or Charles listed in them.  When did Charles come to the United States?  Is there an immigration record?  The questions are popping into my head as I write this. 

ONE LAST NOTE:  We should always remember that these are people, not just documents and statistics.  I know you all know that.  As I looked at this couple it made me a little sad.  First of all, I never got to meet my grand aunt Gladys or her husband. We moved away from Detroit when I was 7 yrs. old.  Maybe I met them as a little girl, but I don’t remember.  Charles & Gladys died within 6 days of one another.  He suffered a stroke and lived 26 days.  Since Gladys died of Metastatic Carcinoma of the Ascending colon (cancer of the colon), we can assume she was already sick at the time of Charles’ death.  How very bereaved she must have been in those last days.  Her surviving brother, Roy and sister, Adele along with other family members such as my grandmother and my Dad had to deal with the loss of two family members in 6 short days.  

R.I.P. to both of them.  Here is a link to Gladys & Charles’ memorials on FindAGrave.

Gladys L. Smith Memorial
Charles E. Smith Memorial

Reviewing your events and time lines is an excellent method for evaluating the information you have collected for any of your ancestors.

Please share what you have found when reviewing your records. 
Were there surprises?  Things you missed?

OTHER POSTS THAT MAY BE OF INTEREST
ANALYZING EVIDENCE - What you can learn - John & Bertha Doller 

WEDDING WEDNESDAY - Things are not always what they seem or what they say 

Happy hunting,
Michigan Girl


Copyright ©  2014   Diane Gould Hall
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.  NO USE WITHOUT PERMISSION

Monday, August 25, 2014

AMANUENSIS MONDAY–TRANSCRIBING FLORENCE MILNE'S JOURNAL - A LIST OF BIRTH & DEATH DATES - FEBRUARY


What does Amanuensis mean anyway?

To put it simply, it means a “person employed to write what another dictates or copy what has been written by another.”

As many of you know from reading previous posts on my blog, my maternal grandmother left a spiral notebook, which I call her journal.  In it she left us a list of 183 family members and their birth dates and some death dates, a list of anniversaries and other various lists or things that were important to her.  It’s a treasure that I cherish.  

Today I’m going to be transcribing her list of names & dates from February.

For the previous post transcribing January, please click on this link
Amanuensis Monday - Transcribing my grandmother's journal - January

Here is the page from her journal. This journal was begun when my grandmother, Florence L. Bowden, married my grandfather, Joseph A. Milne, in 1906, so it’s very old.  I don’t touch it anymore.  I have digitized all the pages.  

February

Here is my transcription of this page, with some annotations.  I have indicated the family connection in brackets, even though it’s not part of the document.  I just thought you’d like to know who these people are to me.  And, for any cousins out there reading this, maybe you’ll find it helpful. 
In this post I have added photos of some of the family members listed here. The photos are at the bottom of this list.  

February

Arthur Seigle    Feb. 1  ‘89    died July 22,  36  [1st cousin, twice removed]
Robert Edward Lee Bowden   Feb. 8  ‘63  died  Oct 1906  [Great grandfather]
Andrew Charles Milne   Feb. 8  ‘56   died Dec. 8,  92  [Great grandfather]
Dorothy Irene Milne  Feb. 17  ‘07  died  Feb 24, 1920  [Aunt] 
*  Melville Austin   Feb. 21 – 6-13-46 
died Apr. 17,  39  Mary Donnelly-Seaver   Feb. 20  ‘83  died 4-39 [1st cousin, twice removed]
Carroll Platz   Feb. 26  ‘15
Rosemary Seigle   Feb. 28  [2nd cousin, once removed] 
Elizabeth Verney   Feb. 9  ‘65   3-8-48 [Great grandaunt]
Sadie Cole Wood  Feb. 9   died Feb. 4,  ‘53  73 yrs. 360 days 
Ada King  Feb. 14,  ‘65  died  3-17-49  [Great grandaunt] 
Dora Marie Foster Purcey   Feb. 12,  ‘16 
Edna Gill Verney   Feb. 21,  ‘88 [Wife of 1st cousin, twice removed]
Margaret Scott   Feb. 1, ‘93
Edwina Booth Smullins Milne   Feb. 12,  ‘13 [Wife of Uncle]
Dennis Lee Morrison   Feb. 24,  ‘45   11:38 p.m.  [1st cousin]
Grace Hunter Fenner Jenkins   Feb. 19,  ‘74   died Sept. 15, ‘46  [Great grandaunt]
Margaret King’s Geo    Feb.  17,  ‘40 
Christopher Robert Dattolo  [Feb] 14  ‘80  [2nd cousin, twice removed]

That’s a total of 19 names.  I am very fortunate to have this kind of list from my grandmother.

I have placed an asterisk * next to the names I have not yet connected to our family.  Six of the names are still waiting for me to find their connections.  I have them in my Legacy database as unlinked individuals.  In the lists from the other 11 months of the year, there are also names that aren’t yet connected.  I keep looking from time to time and link them as I identify them.  

This time to add a bit of interest I thought I would post the pictures I have of people who are on this list.

SEIGLE_Arthur_headshot_1916_cropped from pic of he and Lida_resized smaller          MILNE_Andrew C_restored portrait_4 x 5_resized smaller          MILNE_Dorothy_cropped headshot_about 1912_resized smaller
Arthur Seigle                     Andrew Charles Milne                      Dorothy Irene Milne

SEIGLE_Rosemary wife of Russell PERRY_photo_resized smaller         Copy of KING_Ada nee HUNTER_portrait photo recd from Jennifer Waits on 3 Apr 2012_resized smaller
   Rosemary Seigle                             Ada King

I’ve enjoyed sharing this with you and will continue to share the items from my grandmother’s journal.  This is a great way for me to take another look at these lists and perhaps catch something I didn’t catch last time, or take a new look online for records.

UPDATE - All the posts for each month of the year can be found by clicking on this link: http://www.michiganfamilytrails.com/p/blog-page_17.html

Please contact me if you recognize any of the names with asterisks or if you are related to any of these family members.  I’d love to hear from you.  

OTHER POSTS THAT MAY ALSO BE OF INTEREST

FAMILY RECIPE FRIDAY - HOW TO MAKE SHAMPOO (from 1906) 

SHAKY LEAVES ON ANCESTRY CAN LEAD TO NEW RECORDS

FOLLOWING LEADS ON ANCESTRY - ONE THING LEADS TO ANOTHER


Happy hunting,
Michigan Girl


Copyright ©  2014   Diane Gould Hall
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.  NO USE WITHOUT PERMISSION

Monday, August 18, 2014

AMANUENSIS MONDAY - MY GRANDMOTHER'S JOURNAL - A LIST OF BIRTH & DEATH DATES - JANUARY

 What does Amanuensis mean anyway?

To put it simply, it means a “person employed to write what another dictates or copy what has been written by another.”

As many of you know from reading previous posts on my blog, my maternal grandmother left a spiral notebook, which I call her journal.  In it she left recipes, a list of 183 family members and their birth dates and some death dates, a list of anniversaries and other various lists or things that were important to her.  It’s a treasure that I cherish. 

Today I’m going to begin by transcribing her list of names & dates from January.

Here is the page from the journal.  I haven’t “cleaned it up” like I normally would because I like the look of the tattered page.  This journal was begun when my grandmother married my grandfather in 1906, so it’s pretty darn old.  I don’t touch it anymore.  I have digitized all the pages. 



And here is my transcription of it.  I have indicated the family connection in parenthesis, even though it’s not part of the document.  I just thought you’d like to know who these people are to me.  And, for any cousins out there reading this, maybe you’ll find it helpful.

January

Edna Mabel Bowden Duncan Cunningham Wood Jan 1 ‘90    died 22 Feb ‘32 (my grandaunt)
George Keatley Bell  Jan 4 ‘69   died Nov 2 ‘52  (2nd husband of great grandmother)
Lottie May Thornton-Nibbelink   Jan 7 94   May 50 (1st cousin 2x removed)
Joseph Albert Milne  Jan 8 ‘83   Sept 27, 57 12:45 a.m. (my maternal grandfather)
Charlotte Milne    Jan 10 56   died Dec 24, 35 (my great grandaunt)
John Brown Duncan   Jan 16 83 (husband of my grand aunt)
William Harry Verney   Jan 16 ‘89     died Oct 9, 44  (1st cousin 2x removed)
Robert Andrew Milne     Jan 12 ‘09   Nov 17, 69  5 a.m. (my uncle)
Grace Hunter Fenner Jenkins    Jan 19 ‘74    died Sept 15, 46 (my great grandaunt)
*Jane Anne Lyons     Jan 24 ‘26
* Robert Benjamin Edison    Jan 26      died Mar 10, 27
Florence Lee Nora Bowden Milne     Jan 31 ‘88 (my grandmother and author of this journal)
* Virginia Brehmer    Jan 12 ‘11
Albert F. Pfeiffer     Jan 13  (husband of my great grandaunt)
* J. Roy Brehmer   Jan 18  ‘88    Sept 62
* James Wolford        Jan 11
* Pamela Rae Stouse   “  3  44 
Charles Lindow   Jan 1  85     Feb 10, ‘44 (husband of 1st cousin 2x removed)
* Peggy Joyce   93  10     Feb 13, 67

That’s a total of 19 names.  How cool is this list to have? 

I have placed an asterisk * next to the names I have not yet connected to our family.  Seven of the names are still waiting for me to find their connections.  I have them in my Legacy database as unlinked individuals.  In the lists from the other 11 months of the year, there are also names that aren’t yet connected.  I keep looking from time to time and link them as I identify them. 

I’ve enjoyed sharing this with you and will continue to share the items from my grandmother’s journal.  This is a great way for me to take another look at these lists and perhaps catch something I didn’t catch last time, or take a new look online for records.

UPDATE - All the posts for each month of the year can be found by clicking on this link: http://www.michiganfamilytrails.com/p/blog-page_17.html

OTHER POSTS THAT MAY ALSO BE OF INTEREST




Happy hunting,
Michigan Girl


Copyright ©  2014   Diane Gould Hall
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.  NO USE WITHOUT PERMISSION

Friday, August 15, 2014

FUNERAL CARD FRIDAY–BESSIE LINDSAY HOCKSTER

HOCKSTER_Bessie nee LINDSAY_FuneralCard_1971_front & back of card    HOCKSTER_Bessie nee LINDSAY_FuneralCard_1971_inside of card

clip_image002

Bessie was a colorful lady.  Certainly the documents we have concerning her marriages and the births of her children give evidence of her not being your traditional grandma.

But, it’s the more colorful members of our families that it’s fun to hear about.

(Click on any image to enlarge it)
William Lindsay Family circa 1896
The William & Elizabeth Lindsay family - children are left to right, Ellen, William "Bill", Marie (my grandmother) and Bessie


Relationship to me:  Grandaunt – my paternal grandmother, Marie’s sister.
Born: 11 Nov 1892 in Detroit, Wayne, Michigan to William Wallace Lindsay and Elizabeth “Bessie” Fitzcharles.  She had two sisters, Ellen & Marie and one brother, William.
Married first to William Bryant Curry on 11 Sep 1911 in Windsor, Essex, Ontario, Canada.  They divorced 14 Oct 1915.  William Bryant Curry died at Camp Taylor in Kentucky while serving during World War I.  He was a victim of the 1918 influenza.

Lindsay_Bessie_marriage to William B CURRY_1911_Ontario_Canada
Marriage record for William B. Curry and Bessie Lindsay, 11 Sep 1911

Married second to Stewart Frances Hockster on 19 Jul 1913 in Windsor, Essex, Ontario, Canada.  

LINDSAY_Bessie to Stewart HOCKSTER_1913_Canada_cropped
Marriage record for Stewart Hockster & Bessie Lindsay, 19 Jul 1913


Yes, the marriage to Stewart Hockster took place before the divorce from William B. Curry.  Also of note, is that Bessie is listed as a "spinster" meaning never been married.  We know that's not exactly true because she was married to William B. Curry in 1911.  Interesting what we find out when we do our research.

Children born to Bessie:
  • A son, Everett William Hockster born 21 Sep 1910 in Michigan, died 9 May 1985 in Farmington Hills, Michigan.  He married Mary Sophie Ortell.
  • A son, Oliver G. who was adopted by a family named Cline.  Oliver was born 23 Jun 1912 and died 10 Aug 1977 in Kalamazoo, Michigan.
  • A daughter, Ellen Marie born 14 Nov 1914 in Michigan, died 9 Jun 1990 in Los Angeles, California.  She married Robert Boice McConnell.
  • A son, Stewart Hockster, Jr. who was born 1 Jan 1917 in Michigan and died just 10 days later on 11 Jan 1917 in Detroit, Wayne, Michigan.
Lindsay_Bessie & Hockster_Stewart_with Everett &  baby Ellen
Stewart Hockster & Bessie - the young man standing is her son, Everett and the little girl is their daughter, Ellen.


Bessie & her family lived in Detroit, Michigan.  

Stewart Hockster and Bessie were divorced in 1935.  Bessie never remarried.  

Stories from her granddaughters say that she was very social and enjoyed dating and having a good time.

Bessie had 9 grandchildren and lived to be 78 years old.  She died on 28 Oct 1971 from “pulmonary embolus.”

Bessie is buried at Grand Lawn Cemetery in Detroit, Michigan.  When one of her granddaughters went to the cemetery in recent years, she found there was no headstone for Bessie.  Her granddaughter ordered one and it is now placed on the site.  She is buried with her sisters, Marie & Ellen and several other family members.  

LINDSAY_Bessie married name HOCKSTER_headstone_GrandLawnCem_DetroitWayneMichigan

I wish I would have gotten to know my grand aunt Bessie.  I know I met her when I was young, but I don’t remember her.  Fortunately, I have reconnected with her granddaughters and am very close to one of them.  I’m thankful for that.

Tell me about some colorful characters in your family.  Either by leaving a comment or writing about it in your blog.

OTHER POSTS THAT MAY ALSO BE OF INTEREST


BREAKING DOWN BRICK WALLS - FINDING ELIZABETH FITZCHARLES LINDSAY'S PARENTS

LOTS OF NEW LINDSAY INFORMATION

LEGACY 8 SEARCH FUNCTION - WHAT CAN YOU FIND? FEATURING RICHARD LINDSAY

Happy hunting,
Michigan Girl

Copyright ©  2014   Diane Gould Hall
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.  NO USE WITHOUT PERMISSION

Wednesday, August 6, 2014

INTERESTING TIPS & POSTS FROM OTHER BLOGGERS THIS WEEK


blog icon with little pencil

There is a wealth of information available on all the great blogs out there.  I’m always amazed at the new things I learn from reading them.

Here are some of the posts that I found helpful or interesting this past week.  This is not meant to be a list of every great post out there.  I can’t read them all….sadly.  But, here are a few.

TUESDAY'S TIP - Shh! A Little Secret About Michigan Death Records by Miriam J. Robbins at AnceStories

CHECKING MY WATCH LIST ON FAMILYSEARCH FAMILY TREE by Randy Seaver on GeneaMusings

GENEALOGY HANGOUTS, Webinars & Online Chats by Pat Richley-Erickson on DearMyrtle

THE MASTER GENEALOGIST SOFTWARE DISCONTINUED by James Tanner on Genealogy's Star

FOLLOW FRIDAY FAB FINDS FOR AUGUST 1, 2014 by Jana Last on Jana's Genealogy and Family History Blog

10 FREE GENEALOGY DOWNLOADS by Lynn Palermo on The Armchair Genealogist

I hope you will find these posts interesting and helpful.  There’s a wealth of knowledge out there and many who willingly share.  

Thanks to all the bloggers who keep us coming back for more.

Happy hunting,
Michigan Girl


Copyright ©  2014   Diane Gould Hall
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.  NO USE WITHOUT PERMISSION

Tuesday, August 5, 2014

TOMBSTONE TUESDAY–John Conick & Abigail Hartshom Conick


CONICK_John_1756-1838_headstone_SchuylerLakeCem_SchuylerLake_Otsego_New York   CONICK_Abigail_1828_headstone_SchuylerLakeCem_SchuylerLake_Otsego_New York

John Conick and his wife, Abigail are buried at Schuyler Lake Cemetery in Schuyler Lake, Otsego, New York.  Photographs posted to Find A Grave and used with permission of Chuck Metcalfe.

Since I have just discovered new ancestors on my husband’s paternal side of the family, I thought it would be nice to highlight them today.  At least what I know so far.

John Conick or Coneck or McConnick (this name was spelled many different ways) was the son of James Conick and his wife Elisabeth (maiden name unknown).  

John Conick is the 4th great grand uncle of my husband.  John’s brother Jonathan is the direct descendant to the Hall family.

John Conick was the 4th son born to James & Elisabeth Conick.  John married Abigail Hartshom (sometimes shown as Hartson) on 13 Feb 1782 in New Hampshire.  

John fought in the Revolutionary War and was granted a pension for his service.

I’m excited to learn more about this branch of our family.  Right now, I’m just happy to have found new information.  I looked for many years for details about Elizabeth Conick, wife of Cornelius Clark Hall.  Cornelius and Elizabeth are my husband’s 3rd great grandparents.
James Conick & Elisabeth ?
Jonathan Conick & Zeruiah Wheelock
Cornelius Clark Hall & Elizabeth Conick
Rev. George Hall & Almira Rosette
Thomas Cornelius Hall & Cora Brown
Charles Schuyler Hall & Daisy Fern Bright
Gordon Charles Hall & Dorothy Fink

If you are reading this post and find that you are related to any of the names shown here, I would love to hear from you.

OTHER POSTS THAT YOU MAY FIND USEFUL
 



Happy hunting,

Michigan Girl


Copyright ©  2014   Diane Gould Hall
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.  NO USE WITHOUT PERMISSION