TOMBSTONE TUESDAY ~ Hazen P. Ward and Elizabeth “Lizzie” Lindsay–Woodmere Cemetery, Detroit, Michigan

Elizabeth “Lizzie” Lindsay is my 1st cousin twice removed.  This makes her the granddaughter of my 2nd great grandparents, William Lindsay and Mary Wallace.

I learned more about Lizzie when I connected with my 3rd cousin, Marian.  She is a descendant of Lizzie’s parents Robert Lindsay, Sr. and Catherine “Kittie” Erb.

Elizabeth “Lizzie” Lindsay was born 22 Jun 1893 in Detroit, Wayne, Michigan. She was a twin.  Her twin brother was Robert Lindsay (1893-1977).

Lizzie was married four times.  First to Robert Bruce on 16 Oct 1912, divorced in 1922; 2nd to Thomas A. Bollman on 30 Jul 1923, divorced in 1933; 3rd to Frederick Ollson 26 Sep 1935 who died 21 May 1950 and last to Hazen P. Ward.  I haven’t located the marriage record for Lizzie & Hazen as of this date.

I plan to write a follow up post about Lizzie’s marriages and life.
 
She is buried at Woodmere Cemetery in Detroit, Wayne, Michigan.  Her fourth husband, Hazen P. Ward is buried alongside her.  They are in the South Lake Section, Lot 429, Spaces 7 & 8.  You may visit their memorials here – Hazen #194746445 and Elizabeth “Lizzie” #194746577.

If you are connected to any of the people mentioned in this post, I’d love to hear from you.

Happy hunting,




Michigan Girl

Copyright ©  2010-2019   Diane Gould Hall

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.  NO USE WITHOUT PERMISSION

WHY DIDN’T I SEE THAT? WHEN THE OBVIOUS ESCAPES US

I just had to share this with all of you.  I’m sure I’m not the only researcher this has happened to.  At least I hope I'm not.

I had occasion today to take a look at the entries in my Legacy database for my paternal great grandmother, Elizabeth “Bessie” Fitzcharles.  

Here is what I know about my great grandmother. These are screen shots from my Legacy program.

(CLICK ON ANY IMAGE TO ENLARGE IT)



I knew that I had an immigration record that I believed to be her (you can see it listed as the third item under events, above), however, I wasn’t sure if it was or not.  There didn’t seem to be any others traveling with her.  When I found this record for her I had not yet learned the names of her parents.  But, I sure don’t see any other Fitzcharles' on this page.  I did check on the pages before her entry.  This is the last page for that particular day, so there are no entries for 28 Apr 1886 after this page.

Here is the image for Bessie Lindsay.  Please note – the annotations in red and the name of the ship were added by me, yesterday, during my re-evaluation of these records.



The 1900 census states that she immigrated in 1886, so that would seem to back up this record.

She married my great grandfather, William Wallace Lindsay, on 21 May 1886 in Detroit, Wayne, Michigan.  So, just a month after arriving in the U.S.

As I was checking on my great grandfather’s information today, I looked at his immigration information.  HOLY COW!!!  He’s on the same ship, on the same date.  How in the heck did I miss that?  Or, did I?

• Have I just forgotten that I had located these records? 
• When did I save those digital copies to my computer?  Looks like it was in November and December 2012, nearly a month apart.
• Was I distracted at the time and I went off in another direction on the tree? I can’t answer that question.

Here is the image for William Lindsay.  Annotations on this record were also added yesterday.



The 1900 census has a clue as to when these ancestors immigrated to the U.S.  Unfortunately, that census record on Ancestry is pretty difficult to read.  Not impossible, but difficult.  Here is that record as it appears on the Ancestry.com site.



Here is the same record with some enhancement and annotations.



In looking at the immigration status on this record it says that William Lindsay has been in the United States either 20 or 23 years.  Can you read the year of immigration?  I can only make out 188__.  What is that last number?  If he’d been here 20 years it should be a zero.  Did he come over here, then go back & get Bessie and return?  That last number almost looks like a 5.  Her entry says she arrived in 1886 and has been here 14 years.  You have to look really closely to see the one before that four.  It could easily be read as 4 years, but matching it with 1886, it must be 14.  

The 1910 census has William as a boarder in someone else’s home and his immigration year is given as 1880.  Bessie is in a completely different residence, working as a housekeeper and it gives her immigration year as 1887.  Since they divorced in 1912, this may explain why they were living in two different residences in 1910.  

NOTE:  Wouldn’t I love to be able to ask my grandmother about all of this?  She died when I was 20 years old.  These are her parents.   I remember her and my Dad always talking about old times and the family.  She even lived with us the last couple of years of her life.  But, alas, I was too busy working and playing to pay any attention.  Please, talk to your living family members now.  Don't wait! 

In the Obituary and Death Notice I have for William Lindsay it states that he came to the United States in 1885.  So, I’m thinking that’s what the last number is on the census record.  

CONCLUSION - I believe, based on the evidence, that those two immigration records are, in fact, my great grandparents.

I have learned yet another valuable lesson.  It’s one that I have learned from other experiences in my research through the years. ALWAYS take another look at all your records.  

Perhaps a timeline would have pointed this out to me?  I don’t think I use timelines enough in my research.  It’s not like I have to create one myself.  Legacy creates it for me based on what I have entered for each person.

Please share any similar experiences you’ve had along these same lines.  Things you should have seen, but didn’t etc. 

OTHER POSTS THAT MAY BE OF INTEREST

EVALUATING YOUR RECORDS ON AN INDIVIDUAL - WHAT YOU WILL LEARN

SURPRISE! A BIRTH RECORD WHERE IT WASN'T SUPPOSED TO BE

Happy hunting,

Michigan Girl

Copyright ©  2014   Diane Gould Hall

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.  NO USE WITHOUT PERMISSION

Lots of new Lindsay information

That's a picture of Bessie Lindsay and an article about Richard "Dick" Lindsay.

Gosh, it's been several days since I've posted. The reason is because I've been so darn busy gathering information from my newly found 3rd cousin. Well, maybe also because the internet has been up and down due to the incredible storm that swept thru here for several days. But...........where was I? Oh yeah, the Lindsay's. This new 3rd cousin, I'll call her May for privacy purposes, has provided pictures, vital records and newspaper articles galore. In exchanging photos I was able to identify the two unknowns sitting at a table with our Great GrandUncle Dick Lindsay, as my grandfather and grandmother. How cool is that? And, when she sent me all those newspaper articles about Great Granduncle Dick Lindsay (he was prominent in Detroit politics for many years) there just happened to be an obituary for his brother, William W. Lindsay. Well, William W. Lindsay is my Great Grandfather and I had not located his obituary. It's been just great connecting with May because she is as passionate about genealogy as I am and she also happens to be very nice and fun to talk to.
That's one of the unexpected joys I've found in my 5+ year journey in locating ancestors and descendants. I have connected with many cousins on all sides of the family and every one of them is a treasure. Some I've become quite close to.
So then today I was in here working and began digging around my information on Bessie Lindsay. She was married twice. The first time was not a happy marriage and according to her granddaughters she didn't talk much about it. I've been trying to locate a marriage record to that first husband and guess what? I FOUND IT! Where? In the Ontario Marriage Records on Ancestry.com. This is the 3rd or 4th time I have found a marriage record in the Ontario records. Seems it was pretty easy to drive over the bridge from Detroit to Windsor and get hitched. Why go out of country? In one case it seemed that there was an "early" pregnancy. This find today is also a bit suspicious as far as dates and could be for the same reason. In finding this record I've gotten the names of the first husband's parents, and the religion as stated by the bride and groom. I am sure this is the right couple because the parents names for the bride match what I have and one of the witnesses is the bride's sister - also a match for what I have.
I've gone on too long already. Never quit looking. While you may not locate something today you never know what you'll find next week, next month or next year. Keep good records on what and where you search, but never hesitate to go back to a place you searched before and search again. New records are being added all the time.

I better get back to "work."
Smiles,
Michigan Girl