SUNDAY’S OBITUARY ~ Harry Whipple Gould–1886-1960–My grandfather

I was only 9 yrs. old when my paternal grandfather died.  We were living in Pompano Beach, Florida.  My grandparents, Harry & Marie lived in a house on the next block from ours.  I was at their home a lot. Prior to moving to Florida we had all lived in Detroit, Michigan.  

I loved my grandpa.  He was always very kind.  I remember that he smoked both cigarettes and cigars.  I have so many questions I’d like to ask him.  But, who asks those questions when they're nine?

Harry Whipple Gould was the second of 6 children born to William “Val” Gould (1859-1924) and Mary “Mae” Eve Thorp (1862-1946).  Harry was born 10 Feb 1886 in Detroit, Wayne, Michigan.  His brothers were Ford V. Gould (1884-1947) and Roy V. Gould (1888-1971).  Harry also had 3 sisters.  Gladys Lillian (1890-1966), May Adele (1898-1984) and Helen C. (1901-1945).

Here’s Harry in some undated photos, as a young man.


On June 6, 1912, Harry married Marie Wallace Lindsay.  They were married in Windsor, Essex, Ontario, Canada. You can read about my search for their marriage record here WEDDING WEDNESDAY - Where were they married?

Harry & Marie – Wedding photos


Harry and Marie had one child, a son (my Daddy), born on New Year’s Eve 1912.  New Year’s Eve was always a double celebration at our house.

My grandparents both worked for the City of Detroit and/or the County of Wayne at various times.  My grandmother, Marie’s, Uncle Richard “Dick” Lindsay was a City Clerk for the City of Detroit for many years.
 
I ended up spending most of my working career working for municipalities.  First the City of San Diego, then the City of Poway, 29 years in total.  Must be in my blood.
 
Harry and Marie enjoyed swimming.  They had a cottage at Lake Huron in Port Huron, Michigan.  I have many family photos of them at that lake and several other lakes.  I remember going to cottage when I was a little girl.
 

I can identify four people in this photo - bottom right is my grandpa, Harry.  Back row on the right is my Dad, in the striped suit is my Dad's first wife, Elaine and next to her is my grandma, Marie.

Harry Gould relaxing on the couch at their cottage at Lake Huron, Michigan

Harry died just two years short of my grandparents 50th wedding anniversary.  I know my grandma Marie missed him terribly.  She lived with us for a few years prior to her death in 1970.

I have dozens more photos of my grandparents, which I cherish.

My grandfather is buried at Grand Lawn Cemetery in Detroit, Michigan, along with his beloved wife, Marie and other family members.  I visit them every time I go back to Detroit.

You may visit Harry’s FindAGrave memorial here #14481532.


I love you Grandpa and will always miss you.

Happy hunting,

Michigan Girl

Copyright ©  2010-2016   Diane Gould Hall

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.  NO USE WITHOUT PERMISSION

FOLLOW UP FRIDAY ~ Private John Gillen’s letter to his sister, Ella–August 1862

Page 1 and 4 of John's letter - click on the image to enlarge it

Page 2 and 3 of John's letter - click on the image to enlarge it

In continuing the story of Private John Gillen I want to share one of the letters he wrote home to his sister, Ella.  To read the whole story of Private Gillen and his death during the Civil War please read MILITARY MONDAY ~ Civil War Pension File - Private John Gillen - Killed in Action 31 Dec 1862 at the Battle of Stones River

This letter was contained in his Civil War pension file.  I’ve never seen any letters written during war time, from any of my ancestors.  To say this was a big find, is to put it mildly.

NOTE: The stationary I've seen, that was used in the past, was two sided, which was probably then folded one inside the other.  This is why the pages seem out of order to us.

The letter shown was written on August 13, 1862 from Iuka, Mississippi.  I first thought the location as Juka, but my research showed it to be Iuka (I’ve used a different font so you can tell the first letter is an I).

Iuka is located in northern Mississippi near the border of Tennessee.  Here is a map of Iuka during the Civil War, September 1862 (available via public domain).



To read about the Civil War Battle of Iuka please click here.

I made the following transcription of Private Gillen’s letter.  I’ve left spelling and punctuation as it was in the letter and transcribed it to the best of my ability.

                                                                                                                                           Aug 13^th 62

                                                                                                                                 In Camp at Iuka Miss

Dear Sister

  I recd yours & Mothers letters yesterday morning & I will answer yours now and hers in a few days  I am well at present we have changed our camp we are now on the Memphis & Charleston RR at Iuka this is a sort of watering place there is several Sulphur springs 4 of which are all fixed up in stile I tell you I like this camp far better than I did any other camp that we have been in since we have been in this state  I hope we will stay here till it gets cool weather there is plenty of good water & a __branch to go bathing in  a train that is the cars pass here one from each way concequental we get our mail regular which is not often the case with us soldiers we were on a scout last week we started from our old camp on the 4^th & O but it was hot in the 3 reg there was several sunstruck 3 of which died well after that we did all of our marching in the night & layed over during the day we were gone 4 days we broke up one reb camp took 11 prisoners 8 or 10 horses & destroyed a cotton factory well did not exactly destroyed it but put it our of runing order we would have got the whole pile of rebs if it had not been for a lousy citizen he give them notice of our aproach the concequence was they were ready to __ as soon as we got to them ther right wing of our reg was in the advance & the left was in the rear guard consequence they got a few shots at them while we did not get a ___ well there was not much ___ing at the cowardly pups as soon as they commenced to retreat the dog was dead for they was all cav & we infantry well as soon as the rebs left we started for camp & we got to within 8 miles of it when we got orders to march to this place well there was no help for it run out ___& got here the next day making in all 6 days that we had been runing around it was the hardest 6 days march that I ever done in all of my marching it hurt me the most it was not the walking but the loss of sleep for we would be going all night & it was so warm in the day time that a man could not sleep to do ___

Ella I am going to get my pay to day or tomorrow & I will send some of it home & I want you to get your likeness taken & send it to me, don’t get it taken on the same kind of stuff as __unless you have it put in a case I want to see if you grow any I expect you are prety near as large as lib are you not  I am as black as a negro very near I tell you this hot sun will take the white out of a person in short notice I am on guard to day & will have to go & stand to hour now in a few minutes well I believe I written about all I can think about at the present time I want you to write as soon as you get this & give me all of the news I know you folks dont write half of the news sow just sit down and write a few lines slow I dont feel like writing to day & then quit

                                                                        yours ___John Gillen Jr

                                                                              

Private Gillen was killed at the Battle of Stones River, Mississippi just a little over 4 months after writing this letter to his sister.

Things I thought of as I reviewed this letter several times.

• Ella was only 14 when her brother was killed.  I wonder how difficult it was for her?
• How did these letters end up in his pension file?  Did Ella or someone else in the family give them to the pension attorney who assisted with the pension claim?
• Did Ella ever get the “likeness” taken?  If so, did she have time to send it to John?
• Does that likeness/photo still exist?  Did John ever have a photo taken?
• Did Ella or any other family member ever visit John’s grave at the Stones River National Cemetery?
• Two of John’s younger brothers served in the Civil War.  Both were mustered in in 1864 and served just a few months.  Did they serve because of their brother’s death?
• Private Gillen cared about what was going on at home and shared everyday things with his sister.
• How worried must the family have been when two more of their sons joined the war?

There’s a lot to think about when researching our family history.  They have never been just names and dates to me.  The longer I research the more my ancestors come alive.  They live in my mind and in my heart every day.

Do you have any letters from your ancestors, written during wartime? I’d love to hear about them.

If you are related to anyone mentioned in this post, please contact me.  I’d love to hear from you.  We might be cousins.

In remembrance,

Michigan Girl

Copyright ©  2010-2016   Diane Gould Hall

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.  NO USE WITHOUT PERMISSION

MILTARY MONDAY ~ Civil War Pension File–Private John Gillen–Killed in Action 31 Dec 1862 at the Battle of Stones River

Today’s post is about Private John Gillen, age 21, who was killed in action on 31 Dec 1862 at Stones River, Tennessee.  He was a Union soldier.

John is the son of John Gillen (about 1804-1880) and Nancy Miller (1815-1913).  He was the 4th child born to this couple.  

Here is the family group sheet.



Private Gillen was the second oldest son.  He was one of three sons to serve in the Union Army during the Civil War.  Both his brothers, Isaac and Martin also served. Those brothers survived the war. However, neither lived past their early 40’s.

Private Gillen was born about 1841 in Ohio.  His family was farming in Union, Lawrence, Ohio in the 1850 census.  By the 1860 census the family had moved to Champaign, Illinois and his father was farming and had real estate worth $600. The family is found in Champaign in the 1870 and 1880 census.  John Gillen (Sr) dies in November 1880.  By the time of the 1900 census Private Gillen’s mother Nancy is living in a home at 420 E. Clark St., in Champaign.  Her daughter, Ella is living with her.  The home is owned and free of a mortgage.

Here is a map and a current street view of E. Clark St. today.


John’s mother, Nancy Miller Gillen, applied for his pension on 22 Apr 1882, as indicated on this pension index card.



I ordered the pension file, my first for a soldier killed in action.  This was the third Civil War pension file I have received, and all of them are full of wonderful genealogical information.

NOTE:  Rather than going directly through NARA for my orders, I use the services of Deidre Denton.  You may access her services via http://twistedtwigsgenealogy.com/ 

I have no affiliation nor do I receive any remuneration from any referrals.  Just letting you know how I got copies of the pension files.

Through the various statements in this pension file I learned that the young John Gillen was responsible for helping to support his family, including sending a large portion of his soldier pay home.  It seems his father, the older John Gillen, was in feeble health and not able to earn a good enough living to support his family.  Once the older John died in 1880, Nancy had no means of support and applied for the pension from her son’s service and death in the war.

Here is her application.  The Green arrow gives Private Gillen’s cause of death.  The Blue arrow gives the date of his father, John Gillen’s death.  And the Red arrow gives the name & exact dates of birth of his three siblings who were under age 16 at the time of Private Gillen’s death.
 


I would certainly say that on that one page alone we have some wonderful genealogical information.  (The entire pension file is 63 pages) The form is signed by Nancy Gillen so we can surmise she is the one who provided the information.  Do we still need to verify those dates?  Yes.

Two of the surprises contained in this pension file are letters written by Private John Gillen to his sister, Ella (Louella Gillen 1848-1942).  I will be transcribing those letters in another post so as not to make this post exorbitantly long.

Private John Gillen is buried at Stones River National Cemetery in Murfreesboro, Rutherford, Tennesse.  There are more than 6,000 Union soldiers buried at this cemetery.  His FindAGrave memorial is #68723997.

There is quite a lot written about the Battle at Stones River, which took place from December 31, 1862 to January 2, 1863.  The casualty percentage at this battle was second only to Gettysburg in all major engagements during the Civil War.

https://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/national_cemeteries/Tennessee/Stones_River_National_Cemetery.html

http://www.history.com/topics/american-civil-war/battle-of-stones-river

http://www.civilwar.org/battlefields/stonesriver/stones-river-history/10-facts-about-stones-river.html?referrer=https://www.google.com/

I hope one day I will find a photo of young Private Gillen, as he talks about family photos in his letters to his sister.  In the meantime, I hope that I’ve honored his memory and his service to our country.

OTHER POSTS THAT MAY BE OF INTEREST 

What I Learned from One Single Page of a Civil War Pension File - 1864 - Edith E. Thorp

The Civil War - How our Country Dealt with the Aftermath - Creation of our National Cemeteries

If you are related to anyone mentioned in this post, please contact me.  I’d love to hear from you.  We might be cousins.

Happy hunting,

Michigan Girl

Copyright ©  2010-2016   Diane Gould Hall

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.  NO USE WITHOUT PERMISSION

SEPIA SATURDAY ~ WAR and PEACE–My Uncle Bob–Robert Andrew Milne–World War II

Image from http://sepiasaturday.blogspot.com/

Robert Andrew Milne was my Mom’s only brother.  He was 15 years older than her.

Robert is the son of Joseph Albert Milne and Florence Bowden Milne.  He was born in 1909, the second child of four born to this couple.
 
My Uncle Bob was small in stature, standing only 5’ 7” and weighing just 114 lbs.  He had blue eyes and brown hair.

Here he is with his mother and in his military school uniform.


My mother’s memories of her brother Bob, were few.  Bob was sent off to military boarding school as a teenager.  When he would come home, my Mom said he would always take the time to talk to her and make sure she was doing well.  My Mom said that Uncle Bob and his father (my grandfather) didn’t get along very well.  She didn’t know why. Mom also told me that Bob had a lifelong problem with alcohol which affected many areas of his life.

Below is a photo from 1934.  That’s Uncle Bob, his maternal grandmother, Florence Hunter Bowden Bell, his sister Joan Milne, his paternal grandmother, Susan Gillespie Milne Smith and the little girl in the front is his sister, Pat, my mother.  Their sister Dorothy Irene Milne died at age 13, in 1920.

 
I know Bob married Edwina Booth on 4 Mar 1943.  There was a stillborn child born in November 1943.  This couple divorced 13 Apr 1944.
 
He didn’t marry again until 22 Dec 1961, at age 52, when he married Dorothy Delahoyde.  Sadly, Dorothy died just four years later.

Bob would have been 32 years old when he went into the service during World War II.


Here is a copy of a portion of Uncle Bob’s discharge papers, showing his unit and the medals he won.  He served as a Surgical Technician.



Here is a picture of my Uncle Bob with his wife, Dorothy, on the beach in 1962.



I only have vague memories of my Uncle Bob.  He lived his entire life in Detroit, Michigan.  We moved from Detroit when I was only 7 yrs. old.

Robert Andrew Milne died 17 Nov 1969 at age 60.  His cause of death was generalized carcinoma of the lung.
 
I’m proud of my Uncle Bob for his service to our country.  I wish I would have gotten to know him better.  But, I’m glad I can honor him here.

If you have any connection to the people in this post, please contact me I’d love to hear from you.

Happy hunting,

Michigan Girl

Copyright ©  2010-2016   Diane Gould Hall

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.  NO USE WITHOUT PERMISSION

WORDLESS WEDNESDSAY ~ Presidential Headlines Through the Years

 And so it goes, through the centuries.  Good or bad, these were some of our choices.

Tomorrow we will return to our regular programming.

Michigan Girl

Copyright ©  2010-2016   Diane Gould Hall

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.  NO USE WITHOUT PERMISSION

TOMBSTONE TUESDAY ~ Deacon Simeon Clark & Betsey Hall–New Hampshire

Both this photo and the one for Betsey were taken by me

Deacon Simeon Clark & his wife Betsey “Betty” Hall are my husband’s paternal 4th great granduncle & aunt.

Transcription of headstone of Deacon Simeon Clark

Dea. Simeon Clark died 9 Dec 1793 aged 70

Transcription of headstone of Betsey Clark

In memory of Mrs. Betsey Clark relict of Dea. Simeon Clark who died Aug. 5, 1817 AEt. 80

You may visit their findagrave memorials here #19037680 and #19057076
 
This is an interesting branch of the family and Deacon Simeon Clark is often referenced in two books I own, about Keene.

A short biographical sketch about Deacon Simeon Clark is located on page 584 in the book Very Poor and of a Lo Make by Abner Sagner.

Also on this page is mention of Jesse Clark (brother of Deacon Simeon Clark) who is also a 4th great granduncle to my husband.


“Clark, Deacon Simeon (1723-1793), and his wife Betty Hall (1730-1817) came from Wrentham, Mass. (whre the first two of their eight children were born) to Keene in about 1760.  In addition to the important position of church deacon he was three times elected selectman.”

When my husband, Ron, and I visited Keene, New Hampshire several years ago, we spent time at the Historical Society, the newspaper, the local bookstore, and, of course, several cemeteries.

It was during this visit that I purchased two books.
 
Very Poor and of a Lo Make by Abner Sanger (a daily journal of early life in Keene) – published in 1987, ISBN 0-914339-17-6.



The other book I purchased was History of the Town of Keene from 1732 when the township was granted by Massachusetts, to 1874, when it became a city, by S.G. Griffin, M.A. Published in 1904, ISBN 0-917890-21-3

Deacon Simeon Clark is listed in this book on pages: 148,150,151,161, 216, 218, 219, 232, 235, 237, 276, 284, 296, 588, 671 and 672.

You don’t have to buy this book to read it.  It is available for download or reading at this site https://archive.org/details/historyoftownofk00grif



Both of these books have been invaluable in learning about the history of the Hall family and all their connections, in New Hampshire.
 
The Clark also spelled Clarke, family is linked several times to the Hall family.  With a small community there are a limited number of families.  You will usually find families intermarrying. Brothers and sisters marrying into the same families.

I’ve done a lot of research on Ron’s family going back to 9th and 10th great grandparents.  There’s a lot more work to do and I enjoy every minute of it.
 

Remember, if you think you might be related to anyone mentioned in this blog post, please contact me.

OTHER POSTS THAT MAY BE OF INTEREST

TOMBSTONE TUESDAY - Unity Clark Durant 1762-1781 - daughter of Deacon Simeon Clark
TOMBSTONE TUESDAY - Dorcas Morse Clark- 1645-1725

Happy hunting,
Michigan Girl

Copyright ©  2010-2016   Diane Gould Hall

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.  NO USE WITHOUT PERMISSION

DID YOUR GRANDMOTHER VOTE? ~ How old were your female ancestors when the 19th amendment passed?

It’s an election year in the United States.  This year we will elect the 45th President of the United States.
 
This process has gone on as long as we have been a free country.

However, it wasn’t until the ratification of the 19th amendment on August 18, 1920 that every woman was granted the right to vote.

Here are some sites you can look at to learn the history of the Women’s Suffrange Movement in the United States.

Origins of Women's Suffrage in the U.S.

Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution from Wikipedia

19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution:  Women’s Right to Vote

Some states allowed women to vote prior to the passing of the amendment.  I’m proud to say that my home state of Michigan was one of them.  Michigan allowed the women to vote in 1919.
 

“The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the Unites States or by any State on account of sex.”

So, who among my women ancestors were alive when this amendment passed?  Did they register to vote?  Did they vote?  I wish I could ask them.  My mother wasn’t yet born when this amendment passed.

Checking my female ancestors - which women lived to see the passing of the 19th amendment? 
 
How old were they when the amendment was passed?

Marie Lindsay Gould – paternal grandmother = 32 yrs.
Mae Thorp Gould – paternal great grandmother = 58 yrs.
Florence Bowden Milne – maternal grandmother = 32 yrs.
Susan Gillespie Milne – maternal great grandmother = 60 yrs.
Florence Hunter Bowden Bell – maternal great grandmother = 51 yrs.
Susan Burgess Gillespie – maternal 2nd great grandmother = 79 yrs.

The only two women from this list that I knew, were my grandmothers, Marie Gould and Florence Milne.  Marie died when I was 20 and Florence when I was 36.  I never remember discussing politics with them.

Checking my husband’s female ancestors - which women lived to see the passing of the 19th amendment?
  
Dorothy B. Fink – husband’s mother = age 7 yrs.
Freada Doller Fink – husband’s maternal grandmother = 25 yrs.
Bertha Keller Doller – husband’s maternal great grandmother = 55 yrs.
Daisy Bright Hall – husband’s paternal grandmother = 38 yrs.
Cora Brown Hall – husband’s paternal great grandmother = 66 yrs.

My husband would have been alive during the lifetime of all the ladies, except Cora.  However, he was only 3 when his grandmother, Daisy died. Bertha lived in New York and died when my husband was only 7 months old.  And he says he never remembers speaking to his grandmother Freada or his mother, Dorothy, about politics.

I wish I knew the answers to my questions.  I hope that every one of these women took advantage of their right to vote.  There was a Presidential election held in November 1920.  This would have been the first time women in ALL 48 states could vote.  In the 1916 Presidential election, "about" 30 states allowed women to vote.

I’ll be voting tomorrow, as I have in every election since I turned voting age, which for me, was 21.

Which one of your female ancestors would have been alive to see the 19th amendment pass?

Did you ever talk politics with them?  If so, what were their views?

I would love to hear their stories.  Please share in a comment or on your own blog post.

Get out and vote!

Michigan Girl

Copyright ©  2010-2016   Diane Gould Hall

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.  NO USE WITHOUT PERMISSION

SEPIA SATURDAY ~ WAR and PEACE–Corp. Glenn C. Gillen–Killed in Action WW I

Image from http://sepiasaturday.blogspot.com/

Since our theme for this month is War & Peace, I will begin by reposting portions of the story about my 2nd cousin 3 times removed, Corp. Glenn Clifford Gillen.

Corp. Gillen was sadly killed in one of the last battles of World War I, in France.  He was only 22 years old.

Photo of Corp. Gillen in his uniform before he left for duty

Here is his story.

The Gillen family is a direct line for me.  I descend from William Gillen (1782-1841) and his wife Rachel Frampton (1781-1855).  They are my 4th great grandparents.

It is one of their great grandchildren that is the focus of my post today. 

Corp. Glenn Clifford Gillen

born 1 Jan 1896 in Chesapeake, Lawrence, Ohio

Killed in action 25 Sep 1918 in France

Glenn’s parents are Elijah C. Gillen and Bessie Etta Cowen.  Glenn was the 2nd son born to this family.  He had 3 sisters and 5 brothers, two of which were twins.  All but the youngest girl would have had vivid memories of him.
 
Here is his draft registration card.
 


During this tough time in our country, I wonder what this young man thought as he registered for the draft.

His parents visited him before he left for duty in September 1917.
And there was a family picnic too.




I think about this family, like millions of others, who said goodbye to their sons and never saw them again.


From the Independence Daily Reporter, 21 Oct 1918, pg 3.
This article is titled HOME BOY HIT BY MACHINE GUN BULLET and is a letter from Sgt. Ben Taylor to his mother Mrs. Myrtle M. Taylor.  In it he mentions his experience and then says the following:
“I don’t know how true it is but I heard that night that Sergt. Frank D. Coate and Corp. C. Gillen were killed in action….”

Glenn’s mother, Bessie, was finally able to make a journey to France to see her son’s grave, in 1931.  She was 61 yrs. old and appears to have traveled alone.  We can only imagine how she felt as she walked up to his headstone, so far from home.

Name	Bessie Etta Gillen
Arrival Date	4 Sep 1931
Birth Date	1 Dec 1869
Birth Location	Missouri
Birth Location Other	Springfield
Age	61
Gender	Female
Port of Departure	Cherbourg, France
Port of Arrival	New York, New York
Ship Name	America

Here are Corp. Gillen’s parents, Bessie & Elijah and here are his siblings gathered together, years later.

Corp. Glenn Clifford Gillen of Independence, Montgomery, Kansas served in the 139th Infantry, 35th Division, Company D.

You can find his memorial on findagrave.com by clicking here.
He is buried in the Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery & Memorial in Romagne, Lorraine, France.

Here is a photo of his headstone.  Used with permission.



I’m glad to have met Glenn C. Gillen all these years later, and learned a little about him and his family.  He never married and had no children that I am aware of.  But, his memory lives on.
Rest in Peace Corporal Gillen.

If you think you might be related to anyone mentioned in this blog post, please contact me.
 
If you would like to view the original posts about Corp. Gillen you may access them by clicking on the links below.  There’s a little more detail and extra images in the orginal posts.
 
A MOTHER’S PILGRIMAGE ~ Bessie Cowen Gillen's visit to the grave of Glenn C. Gillen
 
FOLLOW UP FRIDAY ~ Photo of Corp. Glenn Clifford Gillen ~ Killed in Action in WW I

In remembrance,
 

Michigan Girl

Copyright ©  2010-2016   Diane Gould Hall

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.  NO USE WITHOUT PERMISSION