FRIDAY FINDS ~ Finally figuring out Julia Austin’s parents

 

Julia Maria Austin Thorp

Today I’d like to talk about the wife of my half 2^nd great granduncle, Julia Maria Austin.

It wasn’t until I was a few years into my research that I realized my paternal 3^rd great grandfather, Monson Thorp, Sr. had been married prior to him marrying my 3^rd great grandmother, Lany Cooper.

In finding that out, I came to also learn that his two oldest children, Ann Maria and Wallace Walter were children born to this first wife, Ann Eliza Armitage.

Then I was fortunate to visit with a 3^rd cousin and his wife in Northville, Michigan and obtain a photo of Julia Austin. That’s when I learned she was the wife of Wallace Walter Thorp, my half 2^nd great granduncle.

In doing further research on Julia I have located her death record, burial location and obituary.  BUT, I had always wanted to find her parents and/or siblings. None of those records gave me the names of her parents.

There is an 1850 census in Chenango, Broome, NY that has a Julia, age 5 in a household with parents (William & Mary Austin) and siblings.  Then in an 1855 NY state census this same family is enumerated and Julia is 10 yrs. old.  Is this “our” Julia?  That has always been my question.

By the time of the 1860 census I find a Julia Austin living in the Geer/Gere household with her age being 16 and she is listed as a domestic.  The importance of this is her location, which is Skaneateles, Broome Co., New York.

That’s the place her future husband Wallace Walter Thorp was born and grew up. By about 1860, he was attending Auburn Theological Seminary, just 13 miles from Skaneateles. 

I don’t know how Wallace & Julia met, but they were certainly in the same area at the appropriate time.

While I was writing this post a light bulb went off in my head.

You all know how this feels.  You’ve researched a particular ancestor off and on for years and SUDDENLY it dawns on you!

If 16 year old Julia is working in a household with a husband and wife, could they be part of her family?  Is Elizabeth Geer her older sister? 

Off I went back to the 1850 U.S. census and the 1855 NY state census to see who was enumerated in that household that I suspect to be Julia’s family.  GUESS WHAT?!

There she is, Elizabeth Austin age 17, an older sister of Julia.  And also in the household is baby Sarah Ann Austin, Julia’s younger sister.

CLICK ON ANY IMAGE TO ENLARGE IT

In the 1855 NY state census on the same page as Julia Austin’s family, is her sister Elizabeth, with new husband, Fayette Geer and Julia’s youngest sister, Sara. Although the census lists “sister” as the relationship between head of household, Fayette Geer and Sarah Austin, she is really a sister to his wife.

I have just put this family together!!! Woohoo!!

Why sometimes, does it take us so long to put the pieces together?  I honestly don’t have an answer to that.  But, it has happened to me many times.  I think as we research we remember different details and then they just fall together.

This process made me smile today. 

What are your recent finds?  I’d love to hear about them.

OTHER POSTS THAT MAY BE OF INTEREST

A STATE CENSUS RECORD THAT LEADS TO A LOT MORE QUESTIONS–The Monson Thorp family 

WHAT I LEARNED FROM ONE SINGLE PAGE OF A CIVIL WAR PENSION FILE–1864 –Edith E. Thorp widow of Walter B. Thorp

Happy hunting,

Michigan Girl

Copyright ©  2010-2025   Diane Gould Hall
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.  NO USE WITHOUT PERMISSION

FOLLOW UP FRIDAY ~ Did my great granduncle, Richard Lindsay, win that election I wrote about last month?

Last month I wrote about my paternal great granduncle, Richard Lindsay, receiving a sprig of heather from a family member in South Africa.  This was to wish him good luck in his bid to win an election to City Clerk in the City of Detroit.  You can read that post here ANCESTORS IN THE NEWS ~ Will a sprig of heather from South Africa bring victory to Richard Lindsay at the polls?

Did he win?  Yes!

Detroit Free Press, 7 Nov 1912, page 1

This article from the Detroit Free Press lists election results for Mayor and City Clerk of the City of Detroit.

CITY CLERK

(162 Precincts)

Lindsay (Rep)………………………….27,205

Nichols (Pro)…………………………..17,327

Henderson (Dem)……………………..16,029

Transcription of the last paragraph in the article:

Another surprise came in the “whopping” run of Lindsay, for clerk.  He led City Clerk Nichols by 10,000 and Henderson, Democratic by 11,009.  Nichols drew more than twice as many votes as Earle and yet was behind his victorious opponent by a figure almost as large as that by which Marx defeated Thompson in the mayoralty race. Thus doth the busy voter wield the ax.

Did that sprig of heather from South Africa play a part in Mr. Lindsay’s victory?  We’ll never know.

Richard was still the City Clerk when he was enumerated in the 1920 census.

 

To read more about this interesting family member please read this post 52 ANCESTORS in 52 WEEKS ~ Post #1 - Meet Richard Lindsay (1862-1937) , my paternal great granduncle–He was City Clerk, Estimator at Large and temporary Mayor of Detroit

Please get in touch with me if you have any questions or are related to anyone mentioned in this post.

Happy hunting,

Michigan Girl

Copyright ©  2010-2020   Diane Gould Hall

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.  NO USE WITHOUT PERMISSION

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.

OTHER POSTS THAT MAY BE OF INTEREST

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks ~ Week #8–Leonard Almanson Hart–My 2nd great granduncle and younger brother of Isaac.

Happy hunting,

Michigan Girl

Copyright ©  2010-2019   Diane Gould Hall

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.  NO USE WITHOUT PERMISSION

FOLLOW UP FRIDAY ~ Speaking of divorces…what is the earliest one I have on record?

William Walker Frampton - from page 104 of The Frampton Family by J. S. Wrightnour, published about 1916

A week ago on Wedding Wednesday I wrote a post about how many divorces I had found in my tree on my Legacy database.  These are divorces for whom I have actual records and/or dates.  You can read that post here Wedding Wednesday with a Twist - How many divorces have I recorded?

That got me to wondering.  What was the earliest divorce date?  Are most of the 83 divorces I have in my tree, more recent?  Or do they go back before 1900?  If so, how far back?

I again, used the handy and quick Search feature in my Legacy database. Search>Find>Detailed Search and select your search criteria.

In this case I wanted the marriage, marriage status date AND a second condition also.

What I found was a list of 10 individuals (5 couples). 
The earliest recorded, documented divorce I have in my file is for my 1st cousin 5 times removed and the first of his 3 wives.

William Walker Frampton married Mary E. Miller on 21 Apr 1850 in Adams Co., Illinois.  He filed for divorce on 27 Nov 1865, in the State of Kansas, County of Johnson.
 
Reason for the divorce SHE ELOPED WITH ANOTHER MAN!

Here is the transcription of that record.

The State of Kansas, County of Johnson
William W. Frampton, being duly sworn on his oath, ___ that he has commenced a suit in the Dist. Ct. for Johnson County, State of Kansas against Mary E. Frampton, to obtain a divorce from her, and that she eloped with one Thos. C. Johnson; and that she is not a resident of the State of Kansas at this time: affiant further states that he does not know where she now resides.  Further he saith not. 

Sworn before me this 27th day of M. a no 1865 – AB Mynick, Clerk by B. P. Noteman DC


I don’t know about you, but sometimes I say WOW! when I reviewing records for my ancestors.

Here is the published notice for the divorce.  DO YOU SEE WHAT I SEE?  “The petition will stand for hearing at the next term of said District Court to be held in March, A.D. 1866.”

Why is the date of March 1866 important?  Well…..because according to marriage records, William Frampton married Martha Ann Thomas Johnson (wife of the man his wife ran off with) on 10 Dec 1865 in Johnson, Kansas.  This would have been 13 days after the divorce notice was published, but BEFORE the court had the final hearing the following March.
 
Kansas, County Marriage Records, 1811-1911, page 6 Film No. 001572005.
Name:    Wm W Frampton
Gender:    Male
Marriage Date:    10 Dec 1865
Marriage Place:    Johnson, Kansas, USA
Spouse:    Martha Ann Johnson
Film Number:    001572005

Marriage record - William W. Frampton to Martha Ann Johnson - 10 Dec 1865  

So, did they marry before his divorce was finalized?  I haven’t found any further records regarding the divorce from Mary, so I don’t know.

POST SCRIPT:  Martha Thomas Johnson Frampton was adjudged insane and sent to an asylum in Topeka, Kansas, according to this newspaper article in The Olathe Mirror on 2 Sep 1886.  She died just 6 months later on 8 Mar 1887.  As we know, people were admitted to asylums for reasons such as mental issues, but also for illnesses.

Published in The Olathe Mirror 2 Sep 1886, page 2

William went on to marry one more time, to Ella Eckman 4 Apr 1888.  She was 25 years younger than him.  She filed for his Civil War Pension upon his death in 1912.  This was William's longest marriage - 24 years.

Kansas, County Marriage Records, 1811-1911

Name:    Ella Eckman
Gender:    Female
Age:    33
Birth Date:    abt 1855
Marriage Date:    4 Apr 1888
Marriage Place:    Douglas, Kansas, USA
Spouse:    William W Trampton
Film Number:    001547790

Marriage record - William W. Frampton to Ella Eckman - 4 Apr 1888

William Walker Frampton certainly had no trouble attracting women.  He was never unmarried for very long.

Do you have ancestors who married multiple times?  I’d love to hear about them.

If you are connected to any of the ancestors mentioned in this post, or have any additional information about them, please contact me.
 
OTHER POSTS THAT MAY BE OF INTEREST
TOMBSTONE TUESDAY–Civil War Soldier Headstones (William W. Frampton mentioned here)
FRIDAY FINDS - Newspaper article - David Frampton, Rebel Prisoner - Dec 1861

Happy hunting,
Michigan Girl

Copyright ©  2010-2019   Diane Gould Hall

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.  NO USE WITHOUT PERMISSION

FOLLOW UP FRIDAY ~ WHAT HAPPENED TO THE YOUNG WIDOW OF GORDON FLOWER AFTER HIS SUICIDE?

On July 15, 2016 I wrote a blog post about the tragic suicide of Gordon Wallace Flower, just 3 days after his marriage to Lovina McNinch.  You can read the article here FRIDAY FINDS ~ Gordon W. Flower, dead, only 3 days after his marriage to Lovina McNinch–What was the cause of death?

At that time I had very little information about 16 year old Lovina.  However, I wanted to follow up and find out what became of this young lady who suffered such a traumatic event at a young age.

I found a birth record for Lovina.  The date and place match with other information I have located for her.

Michigan, Births and Christenings Index, 1867-1911
Name    Lovina McNinch
Gender    Female
Birth Place    Hope, Barry Co, Michigan
Birth Date    4 Dec 1880
Father's Name    Patrick McNinch
Mother's Name    Frances McNinch
FHL Film Number    1008314

It was in October 1896 that Lovina married Gordon Flower.  There are no known children born to the couple. The marriage only lasted 3 days prior to his death, however, I was thinking, perhaps they had gotten married because she was pregnant.  Gordon was 16 years older than Lovina.
 
Lovina didn’t wait long to marry again.  I located a marriage record for her to James K. Verrill on 10 Feb 1897 in Hastings, Barry, Michigan, only four months after Gordon’s death.

She is listed as being 18 years old and James as being 30.  Fortunately, I looked under his name and not hers, as the record is written Suveara Flower nee McNinch.  And that’s just how the indexer transcribed it.

(Click on any image to enlarge it)

Marriage record for James Verrill & Lovina Flower nee McNinch - 1897

James & Lovina had their first child Miles James, on 22 May 1899.  Miles died at age 17, while serving as an Apprentice Seaman in the U.S. Navy.  You may visit his memorial on FindAGrave here #11625361.

Other children born to this couple were: Frances M. in 1901, Martha A. in 1904, La Vera M. in 1906 and Leslie R. in 1908.
 
Lovina & her husband James can be found in the 1900 census in Prairieville, Barry, Michigan with their one year old son, Miles.  James is working as a Sawyer and they own their home.   Of note is that Lovina’s previous father-in-law David Flower and a few of his children are living nearby.  There is another Flower family on this page (Homer & Mary). I don’t yet know how or if they may be connected to David Flower.



The next record I find for Lovina is the 1910 census, she is 29 yrs. old.  She and James are still living in Prairieville, Barry, Michigan.  Only now they have added 3 daughters and a second son to their family. James is working as a house painter, and they still own their home.

Excerpt from 1910 census for Verrill family

Lovina is next found in the 1913 Kalamazoo City Directory listing with James.  He is working as a Watchman and they live on the east side of Douglas Ave 2 north of city limits.

As I continued searching for records for Lovina, I sadly, located her death certificate from 24 May 1913.  At the age of 32 Lovina died, during or after some sort of surgical procedure.  The informant on the death certificate is her husband, James and her parents names are correct.  Their is an error in the spelling of the last name as Berrill instead of Verrill.
 


From there I was able to locate her memorial on FindAGrave #165353953.  She and James are buried together.  James never remarried and died in 1956 at the age of 92, leaving a legacy of 11 grandchildren, 17 great grandchildren and 1 great great grandchild.  On his death certificate it gives his wife’s name as Lovina.  He lived 43 years after her death without remarrying.  It was quite common for men to remarry after the death of a wife, especially with young children.  Their 5 children ranged in age from 5 to14 at the time of Lovina’s death.

I have not located an obituary for Lovina, but did find the following on her FindAGrave memorial.  This would appear to have come from an obituary.  I have checked both newspapers.com and genealogy bank with no success.

MRS. LUVENA VERRILL. Mrs. Luvena Verrill, aged 32 years, died this morning at the Borgess hospital following an operation for appendicitis. Previous to the operation Mrs. Verrlll had been confined to her home on Douglas avenue for a period of two weeks. She is survived by her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Patrick McNinth of Plainwell, her husband, three daughters, Frances, Martha and Luvera, two sons, Miles and Leslie, one brother, William McNinth of Alamo, and two sisters, Mrs. Ella Mills of Battle Creek and Miss Minnie McNinth of Plainwell. The funeral will be held Monday morning at 10 o'clock from the Truesdale chapel and burial will take place at the Plainwell cemetery. Kalamazoo Telegraph-Press May 24, 1913
Married Gordon W. Flower 5 Oct 1896 Hastings, Barry, Michigan

I would be very interested in exchanging information with anyone related to Lovina and her family.  Does someone out there have a photo of Lovina or James or their children?  Please contact me if you are connected to this family.

Happy hunting,
Michigan Girl

Copyright ©  2010-2018   Diane Gould Hall

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.  NO USE WITHOUT PERMISSION

FOLLOW UP FRIDAY ~ Harland B. Hart–son of Leonard A. Hart & Georgia Wetherell

I’d like to present more information as a follow up to yesterday’s post about my 2nd great granduncle, Leonard Almanson Hart & his family.

Leonard and his wife, Georgia had four sons; Harland B., Charles A., L. Clayton and Harry S.

I stated in my post, which you can read here, that I did not know when Harland B. Hart, the oldest son, died.  I learned from looking at the 1900 census that he had probably died prior to that year.
 
Thanks to my cousin, Charles, I now have more information.  

According to some old family papers that are in Charles’ possession, here is what is known:

Harland Benjamin Hart was born 21 Jun 1866 in Armanda, Macomb, Michigan.  He died 18 Dec 1890 in Lansing, Ingham, Michigan.  He was buried 19 Dec 1890 at Mt. Hope Cemetery in Lansing, Michigan, in Section B, Lot 104, Sub 5.  He was removed to Section B, Lot 253, Sub 8 on 4th May 1893.

He would have been only 24 years old at the time of his death.

I’ve created a memorial for Harland on FindAGrave.  You can see the memorial here #17839487.  I’ve submitted a request for a photo of the headstone.

In the meantime, I searched on Newspapers.com, which I know carries Lansing newspapers, hoping for an obituary.  I didn’t find anything for Harland B. Hart.  I also tried Genealogy Bank, with no luck.

Then I went back to Ancestry and updated Harland’s information, based on what I’d learned.  I know that I need more solid proof as to his date of death and burial location.  However, I enter this information on my tree in order to create more hints.  I use the the search feature and the card catalog also.

It worked.  Up popped two City Directory hints for him.  They were Detroit City Directories.  Knowing how many of my family members, including Hart’s were in Detroit, this was not a surprise for me.
 
He is listed in the 1888 Detroit directory on page 660 as follows:

Hart, Harland B., clk E H Patterson, rms 374 Woodward Av.

I could find no other Hart’s in this directory that were listed as living at 374 Woodward Ave.   My next step was to find out what kind of company E. H. Patterson was.

 On page 1049 I located the following listing:

Patterson, Edward H., Undertaker, 374 Woodward Ave., h 308 4th Tel 1414

 Conclusion – Harland B. Hart was working for E. H. Patterson and boarding/rooming at the business.

1888 directory listing for Harland B. Hart

1888 directory listing for Edward H. Patterson, Undertaker

Next I find Harland listed in the 1890 Detroit directory on page 566 as follows:

Hart, Harland B, asst T H Roberts, rms 25 Adams Ave.

Again, I find no other Hart’s in this directory that were listed as living at the same address, 25 Adams.  Let’s see what kind of company T. H. Roberts is.

 On page 934 is the following listing:

Roberts, Thomas H, Funeral Director, 23-25 Adams Ave., h 28 Edmund Pl, Tel office 268, h 4412

Conclusion – Harland B. Hart was working for another funeral home, T. H. Roberts and living on the business premises.

1890 directory listing for Harland B. Hart

1890 directory listing for Thomas H. Roberts, Funeral Director

Thoughts – Could there have been another Harland B. Hart.  Certainly.  And, until I can find his death record, an obituary or a burial record from the cemetery, I cannot be positive this is my Harland.  But, most of us have learned over the years that  when we add A & B together, along with other evidence we can come to a conclusion.

Try as I might, I cannot locate a death record on either Ancestry or Family Search for this young man.  The search continues.

Happy hunting,

Michigan Girl

Copyright ©  2010-2017   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

FOLLOW UP FRIDAY ~ Photo of Corp. Glenn Clifford Gillen ~ Killed in Action in WW I

My post today is a follow up to my post from May 29th, when I wrote A Mother’s Pilgrimmage – Bessie Cowen Gillen’s visit to the grave of Glenn C. Gillen – killed in action in World War I.

Glenn was the second oldest of 6 sons born to Elijah Cecil Gillen & Bessie Etta Cowen.  This photo of Glenn C. Gillen was shared with me by Susan B., who is Glenn’s grandniece.

There was a Gillen family get together in Kansas, prior to Glenn leaving for his service in World War I.  I suspect the photo above was taken during that time, as he is in, what appears to be, a uniform of some type.  We have not identified the other people in the photo, yet.
 
Here are photos of Elijah and Bessie, shared with me by their great granddaughter, Susan B.

Bessie Cowen Gillen

Bessie & Elijah Gillen

This is another story about how Facebook has enriched my family history.  I know Susan B. because she and I are members of the same Facebook group, The Lawrence Register.  This is a group of people with ancestors that are from Lawrence County, Ohio.  I cannot even tell you how much information is shared back & forth on this site.   And, how many cousins I’ve met.
Susan B. and I are 4th cousins once removed and share 4th great grandparents.

Here’s a wonderful photo of most of Glenn’s 8 siblings.  The only one missing is his sister Bessie.  She would have still been alive, but wasn’t in the photo.



I bet Glenn would be glad to know that his siblings lived long lives and left many descendants.  Here are their ages at their time of death:
Ross – 89, Laura – 88, Hazel – 93, Alva – 89, Alvis – 80, Ralph – 74, Carl – 92 and Bessie - 76

It’s a sad story about Glenn being killed during the war.  However, by remembering him here, we honor his memory.  And, having an actual photo of him is even better.

A huge thank you to my cousin Susan who shared these wonderful photos with me and gave me permission to use them.

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

Happy hunting,

Michigan Girl

Copyright ©  2010-2016   Diane Gould Hall

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.  NO USE WITHOUT PERMISSION

FOLLOW UP FRIDAY ~ The PROBABLE reason John Lunsford gave only $5 to his daughter, Nancy Boggs in his will

In my post this past Monday about the probate record for John Lunsford, I questioned why he would give land and/or several hundred dollars to some of his 16 children, and only $5 to his son, William and my direct ancestor, his daughter, Nancy.   You can read my post here. 

Well, YIPPEE!  Thanks to my cousin Randy, I now know the probable reason for the small amount to Nancy.  John had sold, for only $100, several pieces of land to Nancy & her husband, Wm. A. Boggs, in 1852.  That was 6 years prior to the writing of his will.
  
Here is the actual deed, showing the transfer of those parcels of land.

(CLICK ON ANY IMAGE TO ENLARGE IT) 
 


When I first saw this posted on our Lawrence Register Facebook group by my cousin, Randy, I was jumping for joy.  I shared the good news with my brother, John.  He is also a genealogist, and it’s fun for us to go on this journey, with our ancestors, together.  John and I both transcribed the land document.  It’s advantageous to have two people do the transcription because then you can compare and often figure out the difficult to read words.

Below are the transcriptions from both of us.

MY TRANSCRIPTION OF THE DEED

JOHN'S TRANSCRIPTION OF THE DEED

I discovered there was more to this document on a second page and added it to my transcription.  Our versions are very similar.  It looks like John had an easier time reading a couple of the words than I did and I indicated those with underlines.
 
You can access the Lawrence County, Ohio deeds by going to the Lawrence Co. Recorder website - CLICK HERE.  Prior to using the Lawrence County Recorder website you might want to use the index to the deeds, so wonderfully prepared for us by a member of the Lawrence Register Facebook group.  Thank you Martha!  You can access that index HERE

What a wonderful resource those deeds are.

We often don’t find answers as to why our ancestors did one thing or another.  But, in this case, I feel like we have a pretty good idea.  Now, to find out why his son, William, only received $5 in the will.  Is there another land transaction out there?

OTHER POSTS THAT MAY BE OF INTEREST

AMANUENSIS MONDAY ~ William Penn Conveys Land to my Ancestor, William Frampton, in 1683

Happy hunting,

Michigan Girl

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