Tuesday, December 31, 2019

2019 YEAR END FAMILY TREE PROGRESS REPORT ~ By the numbers–A comparison of the past 6 years of my research


As a year and a decade draw to a close, how has my family tree changed?
I began writing my blog in 2010, but it languished until I got serious in 2013.  It wasn’t until the end of 2014 that I began looking at the statistics and charting my progress
Our ultimate goal is to find ancestors.  It’s never about how many people we can add to our tree, but more about being sure we have done our work in verifying and sourcing.  We never want to leave false information for our descendants.

However, that being said, we can look at various statistics and come to a conclusion about whether we are doing our work well.

Let’s take a quick look at a comparison of my statistics from year end 2014 and year end 2019.  This will cover 6 years of research: 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019.
CLICK ON ANY IMAGE TO ENLARGE IT
2014 and 2019
What I can see from the comparison of my Legacy database over 6 years are the following changes.

I’m pleased with my progress.  I’m not just willy nilly adding people to my database, but slowly growing my tree by about 363 people per year.  My source list is fairly steady, as I’ve created many Master Sources and rarely have to add to my list.  I’m pleased to see that I’m adding Events on a regular basis.  This means I’m adding to a person or family story by creating events based on census records, city directories, obituaries, military information etc. 
  • How have you done over the past few years or even the past year? 
  • Are you happy with your progress? 
  • What would you like to accomplish this next year?
HERE ARE MY GENEALOGY GOALS FOR 2020
  • Continue to blog about our family and share their stories
  • To once and for all break down my two biggest, long standing brick walls
  • To become better at reading DNA results and connecting the dots
  • To have a great time at Rootstech 2020 in February
  • To continue to occasionally teach classes and help others grow their family tree
  • To finish the small box of scanning that’s been in my office for several years
  • To continue to enjoy what started as a hobby and has now become a passion for me
Here’s to a year full of genealogical breakthroughs and fun!

Happy hunting,
Michigan Girl

Copyright ©  2010-2019   Diane Gould Hall

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.  NO USE WITHOUT PERMISSION

Wednesday, December 25, 2019

WEDDING WEDNESDAY ~ CHRISTMAS MARRIAGES in our family


A very Merry Christmas to all of you genealogists out there. 

Since it’s Wedding Wednesday and it’s Christmas, I thought I’d take a look at how many of mine and my husband’s ancestors got married on December 25th.

I used the Legacy SEARCH feature – Search > Detailed Search > then use the criteria as I’ve indicated.


My search brought up a list which contained 7 couples in my Legacy database with a marriage date of 25 Dec
.
1824 – James Campbell POLLOCK & Jane “Polly” BOWEN – Jane is my 1st cousin 5 times removed – they were married in Washington Co., Maryland

1825 – Charles STEWART & Margaret CALDER – Margaret is my 3rd great granduncle’s wife’s sister – they were married in Glenmuick, Aberdeen, Scotland

1856 – Anthony Bowen BOGGS & Lamenda CHRISTIAN – Anthony is my 1st cousin 4 times removed – they were married in Lawrence Co., Ohio

1867 – Ann Eliza BUFFINGTON & Adam HUFFMAN – Ann was first married to Archibald BOGGS who is my 1st cousin 4 times removed – they were married in Kanawha Co., West Virginia

1872 – John Martin FRAMPTON & Amatha WHITTAKER – John is my 1st cousin 5 times removed – they were married in Pittsfield, Pike, Illinois

1899 – George Granville LENNEBACKER & Sadie R. COLE – These people are listed in my grandmother’s genealogy journal – I have yet to figure out how we are related, but believe we are because she kept a list of several Lennebacker & Cole events – they were married in Mt. Clemens, Macomb, Michigan

1900 – Charles E. LUNSFORD & Clara E. CLARK – Charles is my 1st cousin 4 times removed – they were married in Clinton Co., Ohio

I didn’t find any ancestors from my husband’s family married on this date.  At least none that I’ve recorded a date for.
 
Christmas was not an “official” holiday in the U.S. until 26 Jun 1870.  If you’d like to read about the history of this holiday here’s a link The History of Christmas

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Happy hunting,
Michigan Girl
Copyright ©  2010-2019   Diane Gould Hall
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.  NO USE WITHOUT PERMISSION

Wednesday, December 18, 2019

MAYFLOWER SOCIETY ~ Episode 4–Exciting news! I’m ready to mail my application package




WOW!  THE DAY HAS FINALLY COME AND I’VE COMPLETED MY APPLICATION PACKAGE

I’m very happy to be at the point of having put my package of proof/evidence together and being ready to mail it.

Long ago I set my goal to “someday” joining the Mayflower Society.  I had in mind which line might be the one.  However, I didn’t find that crucial piece of evidence I needed until June of this year.  I wrote about that BIG find here FINALLY! Proving the father of my 3rd great grandmother, Olive Doten Hart (1805-1887–WHAT DID I FIND?

Here we are 6 months later and I’m ready.
 
Included in my application package is evidence of my connection to passenger EDWARD DOTY.  The line of descent has been proven up to Generation 5, my 4th great grandfather, Isaac Doten, Sr. (1768-1852) and his wife Sally Nimblet (about 1766-1849).
My job was to provide evidence from Generation 6, my 3rd great grandparents down to me in generation 12.  THAT’S PROVING 7 GENERATIONS.

Piece by piece, generation by generation, I collected the documents.  Most of them were already saved on my computer and connection to each person in my Legacy program.

For the missing marriages of my 3rd great grandparents and my great grandparents, I needed to provide other evidence that showed they were a couple and that they produced children together.  Census records and birth and/or death records of their children, their own death certificates and obituaries helped to fill the gap of the missing marriage records.

As I wrote in a previous post, I was missing my own marriage certificate.  I went to our county office and got a copy of that.

Here are the generations from Edward Doty, Mayflower passenger to me.
(CLICK ON ANY IMAGE TO ENLARGE IT)


Here is a picture of the 2” thick application package.


Here is a photo showing the seven generations for which I provided evidence, all separated and displayed.


And finally…..here is the envelope on the scale at the UPS office, ready to be sent out.  100 pages of evidence, 3 pounds, an original and one copy.  


I mailed the package Monday and it was received last night.  There is only one other application ahead of mine, for revue.  Once it is reviewed and the information entered on the “official” application form, it will be sent to another person for final approval.  I understand that process can take months.

So, unless I am contacted by them for more information or further evidence all I can do is wait.

I’ll let you know if my package was complete enough or whether I missed something.
 
I’m excited that the process has moved forward and hope I’m accepted into the society.

Are you a member of the Mayflower Society?  If so, from which passenger do you descend?  Maybe we are distant cousins?

To read my other posts about my Mayflower Society journey, click here.

Happy hunting,
Michigan Girl

Copyright ©  2010-2019   Diane Gould Hall

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.  NO USE WITHOUT PERMISSION

Friday, December 6, 2019

FOLLOW UP FRIDAY ~ The obituary for Isaac Doten Hart–died 2 Sep 1920 in Bay City, Michigan

Published in Bay City Times, 2 Sep 1920, page 3

 A couple of days ago I wrote about Isaac D. Hart having been injured in an accident in 1905, involving a street car.  I said that I located those articles, about the accident and following court case, while searching for his obituary.

Well, I did find his obituary.  It was published in the Bay City Times on 2 Sep 1920, page 3.  This was 15 years after the street car accident and there’s no indication that his death was related to the accident.  His death certificate lists cause of death as Senility
 
Here is my transcription of his obituary:

Isaac D. Hart aged 86, died Wednesday afternoon at the home of his son, Ellis C. Hart, 230 Lincoln avenue, north, after an illness of several weeks.  Mr. Hart, years ago, was a teacher of music in the Saginaw schools.  Later he moved to North Williams, where he lived for many years and for a number of years past he has made his home with his son in this city.  His wife died a little over a year ago.  He is survived by his son, two brothers, Leonard of Lansing and Simeon of Detroit, a sister, Mrs. Arminda Ingram of Saginaw, five grandchildren and six great grandchildren.  Funeral services will be held at the home at 2:30 Friday afternoon and the remains will be taken to Armada, Mich., for interment Saturday morning.  The family requests that flowers be omitted.

Isaac was predeceased by his wife, Eliza who died in 1915.  Both of them are said to be buried in Armada, Michigan (as stated on their death records).  I have not yet located the cemetery where they are buried.  I looked again this morning, conducting all sorts of searches on FindAGrave and Billion Graves.  I also looked again, for an obituary for Eliza and could not locate one.

If anyone reading this has more information as to the burial location of Isaac & Eliza, I would love to hear from you.  Or, if you are related to this family and perhaps have information to share or want to ask me questions, please get in touch.

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Happy hunting,
Michigan Girl
Copyright ©  2010-2019   Diane Gould Hall
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.  NO USE WITHOUT PERMISSION

Wednesday, December 4, 2019

ANCESTORS IN THE NEWS ~ Isaac D. Hart takes Bay City Traction Co., to court for damages - Michigan 1905

Today I was looking more closely at Isaac Doten Hart, the oldest child of my 3rd great grandparents, Henry Hart and Olive Doten.  It’s through Olive’s line, the Doten’s, that I hope to be accepted into the Mayflower Society.

Isaac Doten Hart is my 2nd great granduncle.  He was born 18 Mar 1834, probably in Canada.  He married Eliza Maria Richards on 20 Apr 1860 in Lapeer, Lapeer Co., Michigan.  They had one child, a son, Ellis.
 
I was searching for an obituary for Isaac when I came across a couple of other interesting tidbits.  I enjoy finding newspaper articles about my ancestors that tell me more about their daily lives.
 
In this case, Isaac D. Hart was struck by a street car and thrown from his rig, while delivery butter & eggs in his “wagon.”  The incident took place on 13 Jul 1905 in Bay City, Michigan while he was crossing Columbus Street.  He was not badly injured, but did sustain bruises.

Article 1 – Isaac Hart Dumped out of His Wagon
Bay City Daily Tribune, 14 Jul 1905, page 5


Article 2 – Says he want $2,000 in damages
Bay City Times, 31 Jul 1905, page 4
Article 3 – The case goes to trial and now the damages are $2,500
Bay City Times, 11 Oct 1905, page 3


Article 4 – The jury decides on $50 - I'm sure, a disappointment to the plaintiff, Isaac
Bay City Times, 13 Oct 1905, page 1

I’m happy that no one was seriously injured in this mishap.  I’ve certainly learned that taking people or companies to court is nothing new.  It’s been happening for centuries and usually makes for interesting reading.

Have you found newspaper articles or other references to your ancestors going to court?  I’d love to hear about them.

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WHAT I NEVER KNEW ABOUT COURTHOUSE RECORDS

Happy hunting,
Michigan Girl


Copyright ©  2010-2019   Diane Gould Hall

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.  NO USE WITHOUT PERMISSION