ON THIS DATE IN OUR FAMILY - August 20th

TODAY IS AUGUST 20^th

Today is the birthday of my good friend, Pam. I thought in honor of that I would see who in my family tree was born, married or died on this date.

I use my Legacy software to create a list. Find>Detailed Search and then enter the parameters.

Let’s see what we have.  The list contains 18 individuals from our family tree which contains both mine and my husband’s family.

BIRTHS

ANKER, Martha A. - my husband’s maternal great granduncle’s wife - born 20 Aug 1890 in Germany, married Andrew Ludwig on 7 Apr 1921 in Buffalo, Erie, New York.

FORSYTH, Bradley J. - my maternal 2^nd cousin once removed - born 20 Aug 1935 in Michigan – Married Lindsay Weber 30 Oct 1987.

GOULD, Cyrus – born 20 Aug 1841 in Michigan – he is a person of interest in my search for the parents of my paternal 2^nd great grandfather, John C. Gould.

KIMBALL, Ann Eliza – maternal 3^rd great granduncle’s wife’s 1st cousin – born 20 Aug 1845 in Ohio, died 29 Mar 1916 in Portsmouth, Scioto, Ohio

PRITCHARD, Thomas Alexander – my paternal 3^rd cousin’s husband’s father – born 20 Aug 1923 in Detroit, Wayne, Michigan, died 20 Aug 1992 on his 69^th birthday. Married Audrey Hilda Mauer.

MARRIAGES

CLARK, Henry Bryan – my 3^rd cousin 3 times removed – born 14 Jul 1888 in Nebraska and died before 1957.  Married Goldie M. Sackett on 20 Aug 1911 in Berrien County, Michigan.

FINK, Elwood Reynolds – my husband’s maternal Uncle – born 5 Nov 1912 in Ebenezer, Erie, New York, died 29 Oct 1997 in San Diego, San Diego Co., California. Married Esther May Shurgour on 20 Aug 1937 in San Diego, California.

GOULD, Theda E. – another person of interest in my search for my paternal 2^nd great grandfather John C. Gould’s parents.  She was born 16 Jan 1840 in New York and died 1 Oct 1918 in Oxford, Oakland, Michigan – she married as her 2^nd husband, Jesse G. Hosner on 20 Aug 1903 in Oxford, Oakland, Michigan.

KRAWEC, Dr. Charles – is a match to me via the DNA of his descendants.  I haven’t figured out where we connect just yet.  He was born 19 Mar 1931 in Wilkes Barre, Luzerne, Pennsylvania and married Alicia Hedwig Slasinski on 20 Aug 1952 in Dearnborn, Wayne, Michigan.

DEATHS

BOGGS, Andrew Elliot – my maternal 4^th great grandfather, born in 1768 in Pennsylvania and died 20 Aug 1840 in Perry Township, Gallia, Ohio.  He married Hannah Jane Bowen on 6 Jan 1794 in Greenbrier Co., Virginia

CALLAHAN, Wanda Mae – my maternal 3^rd cousin twice removed.  She was born 13 Nov 1925 in Independence, Montgomery, Kansas and died 20 Aug 2014 in Bayou Vista, Galveston, Texas. She married David Walton in about 1944.

CONNORS, Leo Arthur – my maternal grandaunt’s husband’s son.  He was born 1 Jun 1907 in Michigan and sadly died 20 Aug 1907 in Detroit, Wayne, Michigan at only 2 months and 19 days old.

DOTY, James – my paternal 5^th great grandfather and one of my Mayflower ancestors.  He is the 2^nd great grandson of Mayflower passenger, Edward Doty.  James was born 22 Jan 1736/37 in Plymouth, Colonial Massachusetts and died 20 Aug 1817 in Pembroke, Plymouth, Massachusetts.  He married in about 1764 Elisabeth Kempton.  They had 5 know children, one of whom was Issac, my 4^th great grandfather.

The earliest birth in this group is Cyrus Gould born in 1841.

The earliest marriage is Theda Gould in 1903.

The earliest death is James Doty in 1817.

SOME OF THE WELL KNOWN PEOPLE BORN ON AUGUST 20^th

Jacqueline Susann – 1918-1974 – author of Valley of the Dolls

Don King – American boxing promoter

Isaac Hayes – 1942-2008 – soul musician, singer-songwriter

Graig Nettles – 1944 – MLB 3^rd baseman

Connie Chung  - 1946 – American news anchor

Robert Plant – 1948 – British rock vocalist – Led Zeppelin

Al Roker – 1954 – American weatherman

Brad Avery – 1971 – Christian rock guitarist with the band Third Day

Demi Lovato – 1992 – actress

For a complete list you can click here https://www.onthisday.com/today/birthdays.php

HISTORICAL EVENTS THAT HAPPENED ON THIS DAY

• 1737 First public admittance to the Salon de Paris art exhibition at the Louvre in Paris.
• 1838 United States Exploring Expedition headed by Charles Wilkes departs for the Pacific Ocean and Antarctica.
• 1919 Anti-Cigarette League of America forms in Chicago, Illinois

I’ve highlighted the surnames included in this post.  If you find any of them are connected to you, please get in touch.  Particularly if it involves my Gould line, an ongoing brick wall for over 20 years now.

Happy hunting,

Michigan Girl

Copyright ©  2010-2024   Diane Gould Hall
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.  NO USE WITHOUT PERMISSION

 

 

TOMBSTONE TUESDAY ~ My maternal 2nd great grandparents–Joseph Gillespie (1837-1908) and Susan Burgess (1841-1933)

Far left is Susan Gillespie, next to her Joseph Gillespie - the larger stone is their daughter, Louise Forsyth & her husband James F. Forsyth - the lone stone on the right is Susan Gillespie's mother, Elizabeth Gaydon Burgess (1813-1884) 

My maternal 2nd great grandparents were both born in Devonshire, England.  Joseph in Tiverton and Susan in Barnstaple. 

They immigrated to the United States in 1862 with their 2 infants, Susan (my great grandmother) and little William.

Joseph died at age 71 on 26 May 1908 in Detroit, Wayne, Michigan.  His death certificate states the cause of death as Dilation of the Heart.

Susan outlived him by 25 years.  She died of Myocarditis, on 8 Mar 1933 in Detroit, Wayne, Michigan at age 91.

They are buried at Elmwood Cemetery in Detroit.  I’ve been to this cemetery a couple of times during my visits from California.  There are 32 members of my family at rest in this cemetery.

Here are the photos of their headstones

They are in Section O, Lot 53, Graves 14 & 15. 

You may visit their memorials here Joseph #21177918 and Susan #21177747.

If you are connected to this couple I’d love to hear from you.  Joseph had 9 brothers and a sister so there must be many descendants out there.

OTHER POSTS THAT MAY BE OF INTEREST

I wrote about Susan’s mother here - 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks–Week #4–Elizabeth Gaydon Burgess–1813-1884–My 3rd great grandmother

Happy hunting,

Michigan Girl

Copyright ©  2010-2020   Diane Gould Hall

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.  NO USE WITHOUT PERMISSION

FOLLOW UP ~ Why did Ralph Forsyth jump from a 9th story hotel window to his death?

I wrote a post last week about a newspaper article I had located in the Detroit Free Press, about Ralph G. Forsyth.  You can read that post here.

The article did not answer the question as to whether Ralph fell, was pushed or jumped to his death.  I wanted to find out so I ordered his death certificate.  Rather than order from the State of Michigan directly, which costs $34, I chose to use a service I am aware of called Genealogists.com.  You can see their list of services and request a quote for the service you want.  All I wanted was a death certificate and I already had all the information as to which film it could be found on etc.  I located this information on seekingmichigan.org (UPDATE - the new website for Michigan death records is michiganology.org)  The images of the certificates on that site are only available through 1939, at this time.

Michigan, Death Certificates, 1921-1952Name: Ralph G Forsyth
Event Type: Death
Event Date: 07 Mar 1952
Event Place:Detroit, Wayne, Michigan, United States
Gender: Male
Age: 55
Marital Status: Widowed
Birth Date: 10 Aug 1896
Birthplace: Michigan
Birth Year (Estimated): 1897
Father's Name: James Ferris Forsyth
Mother's Name: Louise Gillespie
GS Film number: 001973241
Digital Folder Number: 005363701
Image Number: 03254

I received a quote back from genealogists.com within 24 hours.  The quote was considerably less than $34.  I paid via PayPal and received the certificate by email the following day.

Here is the death certificate.  Everything on this certificate matches the information I already have for Ralph, including his date of birth, place of birth, parent’s names, where he worked and that he was a widower.  I have no doubt that this is the correct death certificate.

                    (CLICK ON ANY IMAGE TO ENLARGE IT)

DEATH CERTIFICATE FOR RALPH G. FORSYTH - 1952

You can see from the items I have pointed out on the certificate, that Ralph’s death was ruled a suicide.  There was an autopsy and the death certificate is signed by the coroner.  I can also see that he was buried at Woodlawn Cemetery in Detroit.
 
Ralph left behind a daughter, Anne and a sister, Catherine.  I’m sure this must have been a very difficult time for the family.  Ralph’s wife had died at a young age, back in 1940.  Then in 1950 his mother died and in 1951 his father died.  Did these deaths lead to Ralph’s decision?  Was he “despondent” as stated in the news article, because of these deaths?

I called Woodlawn Cemetery and spoke to a staff member there.  She was extremely helpful and confirmed that Ralph is buried there and what part of the cemetery he is located in.  I have now created a memorial for him on findagrave.com.  You can visit his memorial here #155345077.


I only have one photo of Ralph.  Here he is shown with his sister, Catherine and his cousin, Irene Milne.  I’m glad to have at least this photo.

LEFT TO RIGHT - CATHERINE FORSYTH, RALPH FORSYTH AND IRENE MILNE

I have been to the cemetery and visited the graves of his parents at Elmwood Cemetery in Detroit, Michigan.

HEADSTONE FOR LOUISE G. AND JAMES F. FORSYTH, Parents of Ralph G. Forsyth

I located numerous articles about Ralph Forsyth and his wife Katherine in the Detroit Free Press.  From the articles I learned that they traveled and visited out of town relatives, and he attended various racing events.  I do hope they were happy.

OTHER POSTS THAT MAY BE OF INTEREST

AMANUENSIS MONDAY - My Grandmother's Journal records the birth of Anne Forsyth, daughter of Ralph & Katherine

MICHIGAN DEATH CERTIFICATE IMAGES RELEASED - 1921-1939

PLEASE contact me if you think you might be related, even remotely, to anyone mentioned in this blog.

Happy hunting,

Michigan Girl

Copyright ©  2015   Diane Gould Hall

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.  NO USE WITHOUT PERMISSION