AMANUENSIS MONDAY - TRANSCRIBING MY GRANDMOTHER'S JOURNAL - BIRTH & DEATH DATES - AUGUST

What does Amanuensis mean anyway?
To put it simply, it means a “person employed to write what another dictates or copy what has been written by another.”

As many of you know from reading previous posts on my blog, my maternal grandmother left a spiral notebook, which I call her journal.  In it she left recipes, a list of 183 family members and their birth dates and some death dates, a list of anniversaries and other various lists or things that were important to her.  It’s a treasure that I cherish.

Today I’m going to be transcribing her list of names & dates from August.

For the previous posts transcribing January through July, please click on these links.
Amanuensis Monday - Transcribing my grandmother's journal - January
Amanuensis Monday - Transcribing my grandmother's journal – February
Amanuensis Monday - Transcribing my grandmother's journal – March
Amanuensis Monday - Transcribing my grandmother's journal – April
Amanuensis Monday - Transcribing my grandmother's journal – May
Amanuensis Monday - Transcribing my grandmother's journal – June
Amaneunsis Monday - Transcribing my grandmother's journal - July

Here is the page from her journal.  This journal was begun when my grandmother, Florence L. Bowden, married my grandfather, Joseph A. Milne, in 1906.  She was just 18 years old at the time.  This journal is very old and falling apart.  I have digitized all the pages and have the original stored in a safe, archival box.

(CLICK ON ANY IMAGE TO ENLARGE IT)


Here is my transcription of this page, with some annotations.  I have indicated the family connection in brackets, even thought it’s not part of the document.  I thought you’d like to know who these people are to me.  And, for any cousins out there reading this, maybe you’ll find it helpful.

I’ve added whatever photos I have of the family members named in this list. (See below)

ADDITIONAL NOTE:  I REDACT THE BIRTH DATES & FULL NAMES OF PEOPLE WHO I’M AWARE OF, THAT ARE STILL LIVING, FOR THEIR PROTECTION. 
August

* Hazel HARRIS Aug 3  ‘89
Susan C. CRESSE died Mar 26 ‘13   Aug 4 [2nd great grandmother, mother of Daisy Skinner & Florence Bell]
Florence H. Bowden BELL Aug. 7  ‘69     5-27 ‘46  [great grandmother, daughter of Susan Cresse]
Eva Knowles GILLESPIE Aug 7  ‘63 or ‘69  [wife of great granduncle]
Ralph Milne FORSYTH    Aug 10  ‘96 Feb 3-7-52 [1st cousin twice removed]
Everett Pierre ROE Aug 12  ‘93  May 14  ‘58 [husband of grandaunt]
Etta VERNEY Aug 24  ‘92  Oct 1  ‘61  [1st cousin twice removed]
Raymond GILLESPIE   Aug 27    died Dec ‘43  [1st cousin twice removed]
Daisy D. SKINNER  Aug 28  ‘77  died Nov 20, ‘48 [great grandaunt, daughter of Susan Cresse]
* Alfred W. LANGTON    Aug 5  ‘10   3-29-39 
* Donald SEARLS Aug 9   Nov 25  1954  [
* Frank ROEMER    Aug 19
* Margo Francis RIGGS Aug 26  ‘30
* VERNEY (Boy) Aug 3   ‘35
* Billy DONALDSON Aug 27  1037
Etta COCKBURN   Aug 24  ‘92
*Naia Anne COONS Aug 29  ‘41
Aunt Ada’s great grand child  Katherine  Aug 10  ‘40  [2nd cousin once removed]
Barbara      ‘53? [2nd cousin]

That’s a total of 19 names, (including the name that is lined out).  I am very fortunate to have this kind of list from my grandmother.

I have placed an asterisk * next to the names I have not yet connected to our family.
 
EIGHT of the names are still waiting for me to find their connections.  I have them in my Legacy database as unlinked individuals.

In the lists from the other 11 months of the year, there are also names that aren’t yet connected.  I keep looking from time to time and link them as I identify them
.
This month I am fortunate to have photographs of four of the people listed.
                                                 
Susan C. Hunter Cresse Haskins nee BOGGS                                    Florence Bowden Bell nee HUNTER
                                                    
       Everette Pierre Roe                                                               Daisy Skinner nee HUNTER

NOTE: All 3 ladies pictured this month are related.  Susan in the first photo, is the mother of both Florence and Daisy.

Here is a post I wrote about the Hunter sisters and them being featured on Maureen Taylor’s article for Family Tree.

SIBLING SATURDAY - THE HUNTER SISTERS

Please contact me if you recognize any of the names with asterisks or if you are related to any of these family members.  I’d love to hear from you.

Happy hunting,
Michigan Girl

Copyright ©  2014 Diane Gould Hall
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.  NO USE WITHOUT PERMISSION

FUNERAL CARD FRIDAY–The very sad story of Brian Rankhorn and his young children-25 years ago

 
This is a post about a tragedy that happened 25 years ago to my sister, Norlaine’s son, Brian, and his two young children.
 
Backstory – My Dad was married once before he married my mother.  He had two daughters during that first marriage.  I never met my half sisters until 1980.  We were all grown up and they had children of their own.  Since they lived in Detroit and Ohio and I lived in California, I only met my sisters one time.  My sisters names were Norlaine and Virginia.  Sadly, they are both deceased.
 
Norlaine was the oldest of the two sisters.  She married and had two children.  A son, Brian and a daughter (still living).  I never got to meet Brian. 
 
Brian got married and had a son, Brian Keith Rankhorn, II born 14 Oct 1985.  Then he and his wife had a daughter, Tabitha Dawn Rankhorn born 5 Jun 1987.
 
On January 4, 1990 in Mt. Gilead, Morrow, Ohio, Brian and his two young children died in a fire, in their home.  Brian Sr. was 25, Brian Jr. was 4 and Tabitha was 2. 

Here are photos of Brian Sr., Brian Jr. and Tabitha.

    
These photos are courtesy of The Columbus Dispatch

Here is the newspaper article from The Columbus Dispatch on 6 Jan 1990.

(CLICK ON ANY IMAGE TO ENLARGE IT)

 





























My sister Norlaine talked about this incident every time we spoke, up until her death in 2001.

There are memorials for this family on Find A Grave.  You can visit their memorials by clicking on these links:
Brian Rankhorn, Sr.    Brian Rankhorn, Jr.     Tabitha Rankhorn

I don’t know what has become of the little Brian & Tabitha’s mother.  I hope she has gone one with her life and that she is happy.

As we all know, family history is not always about happy stories.  Our ancestor’s lives were just like ours, some happy times and some very sad times.  I try to remember that as I review their stories.

OTHER POSTS THAT MAY BE OF INTEREST
FUNERAL CARD FRIDAY - BESSIE LINDSAY HOCKSTER
FUNERAL CARD FRIDAY - EVERETT PIERRE ROE

Happy hunting,

Michigan Girl

 

Copyright ©  2010-2015   Diane Gould Hall

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.  NO USE WITHOUT PERMISSION

HOW MUCH PROGRESS HAVE I MADE IN ONE YEAR? FAMILY STATISTICS REPORT FOR 2014

      

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL MY READERS.  

I APPRECIATE EVERY ONE OF YOU.  I WISH YOU ALL A SUCCESSFUL RESEARCH YEAR IN 2015!

This is a topic that was first shared last year on Randy Seaver’s blog Genea-Musings.   It’s all about the statistics or numbers in your database.

OK, numbers aren’t so much fun, right?  But, they can certainly tell us if we are making progress in our research.  And, that is a good thing.

If you use Legacy you can read my post from last January about how to find your statistics.  Click here http://www.michiganfamilytrails.com/2014/01/how-to-find-your-family-statistics-in.html

Here are my statistics from last year:

(CLICK ON ANY IMAGE TO ENLARGE IT)

• Have I made progress in my research?
• Have I added more people/individuals?
• Do I have more Master Sources?
• How about my source citations, more or not?
• How does my percentage of citations compare to last year?

Here is my report from 2014.  (I am leaving town for a couple of days and know that I won’t be working on my database until after January 1st, so I can post these numbers for 2014).



I see some increases in the numbers, so apparently some progress was made this past year
. 
One statistic that I am particularly interested in, is my percentage of citing sources.  Last year I had a great result in that I was 222.3% sourced.  To get that number you divide your number of individuals into your citations.  So last year I divided 9060 by 4075.

This year I will divide 9719 by 4363.  That comes out to 222.7%.  So, I am still sourcing my entries and in fact my number has gone up a bit.  That’s good to know.

Here are the some of the above statistics compared between years.

	2013	2014	CHANGE
NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS	4075	4363	+288
NUMBER OF FAMILIES	1451	1543	+  92
UNIQUE SURNAMES	1062	1143	+  81
MASTER SOURCES	687	712	+  25
CITATIONS	9060	9719	+659

I have only listed some of the statistics, but you can see that there has been an increase in all of them.
 
My challenge to you is to run the same kind of report from your software.  Then, at the end of 2015, compare it and see how you are doing
. 
WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS FOR 2015?
* To increase the number of source citations you have?
* To increase the number of individuals?
* To be better at citing your sources?

Whatever they are, use your software to it’s full capacity and it will help you stay on track.

OTHER POSTS THAT MAY BE OF INTEREST

ADDING A RECORD TO LEGACY FROM ANCESTRY - Step by step instructions

LEGACY 8 - The Search Function - What Can You Find?

Happy hunting,

Michigan Girl

Copyright ©  2010-2014   Diane Gould Hall

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.  NO USE WITHOUT PERMISSION

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD–Harry Norman Gould 1912-1991

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY DAD–He would have been 102 years old today

My Dad was the son of Harry W. Gould & Marie Lindsay.  He was born on New Year’s Eve 1912 in Detroit, Michigan.  He died on 3 Feb 1991 in Trenton, Wayne, Michigan.
Throughout my life it was always a double celebration on New Year’s Eve.
 
My Dad loved to laugh and he was a great story teller.  He could remember so many jokes and I never knew how he did it.
 
I’m thankful that I went through old family photos with him in the years before he died.  There are many we still hadn’t gotten to and I would give anything to ask him a few questions.

ALWAYS ask your parents & grandparents questions about their families.   Use your smart phone or your tablet and record your conversation or write things down.  You will never regret it.

Here are some pictures from the past.  My grandmother, my Dad’s mother, had an old photo album.  You know, the kind with the black pages.  She and my grandpa took quite a few pictures.  Hard to believe these pictures are 100 years old.


MY DAD AT 5 MONTHS WITH HIS MOM & HIS DAD - Detroit, Michigan
 

MY DAD AT ABOUT 6 YRS. OLD ON THE RUNNING BOARD OF HIS GRANDFATHER'S CAR


MY DAD WITH HIS MOTHER – DETROIT, MICHIGAN CIRCA 1914


MY DAD AS A TEENAGER,  IN THE MID 1920’s in his bathing suit


ME & MY DAD IN 1981, CELEBRATING MY BIRTHDAY - SAN DIEGO, CA.

I miss you and I love you Dad. 


Bye for now,
Your daughter, Diane

Copyright ©  2010-2014   Diane Gould Hall

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.  NO USE WITHOUT PERMISSION

AMANUENSIS MONDAY-TRANSCRIBING MY GRANDMOTHER'S JOURNAL-BIRTH & DEATH DATES-OCTOBER

What does Amanuensis mean anyway?
To put it simply, it means a “person employed to write what another dictates or copy what has been written by another.”
 
As many of you know from reading previous posts on my blog, my maternal grandmother left a spiral notebook, which I call her journal.  In it she left recipes, a list of 183 family members and their birth dates and some death dates, a list of anniversaries and other various lists or things that were important to her.  It’s a treasure that I cherish.
 
Today I’m going to be transcribing her list of names & dates from October
.
For the previous posts transcribing January through September, please click on these links.
Amanuensis Monday - Transcribing my grandmother's journal - January
Amanuensis Monday - Transcribing my grandmother's journal – February
Amanuensis Monday - Transcribing my grandmother's journal – March
Amanuensis Monday - Transcribing my grandmother's journal – April
Amanuensis Monday - Transcribing my grandmother's journal – May
Amanuensis Monday - Transcribing my grandmother's journal – June
Amaneunsis Monday - Transcribing my grandmother's journal – July
Amanuensis Monday - Transcribing my grandmother's journal – August
Amanuensis Monday - Transcribing my grandmother's journal - September
 
Here is the page from her journal.  This journal was begun when my grandmother, Florence L. Bowden, married my grandfather, Joseph A. Milne, in 1906.  She was just 18 years old at the time.  This journal is very old and falling apart.  I have digitized all the pages and have the original stored in a safe, archival box.

(CLICK ON ANY IMAGE TO ENLARGE IT)
 


Here is my transcription of this page, with some annotations.  I have indicated the family connection in brackets, even thought it’s not part of the document.  I thought you’d like to know who these people are to me.  And, for any cousins out there reading this, maybe you’ll find it helpful.

I’ve added whatever photos I have of the family members named in this list. (See below)
 
ADDITIONAL NOTE:  I REDACT THE YEAR OF BIRTH & PART OF THE NAMES OF PEOPLE WHO I’M AWARE OF, THAT ARE STILL LIVING, FOR THEIR PROTECTION.
 
OCTOBER
PATRICIA ANN  Oct 3   [my mother]
ETTA MILNE  died Jan 26  ‘90   Oct 4  ‘87  [grandaunt]
MYRA SEIGLE  died Dec 29, ‘38    Oct 4 ‘59  [great grandaunt]
*  BARBARA WIDMER  Oct 8 
* FRANCES LENNEBACKER  Oct 19
* LEANDER WOOD  Oct 21  died aged 67  Sept 4, 1942
RAPHAEL HUNTER  Oct 24  ‘90  71  90 [great granduncle]
* DOROTHY JANE TITUS  Oct 28  ‘14  
* FANNY ROEHN  Oct  27  ‘85     ‘66
MARILYN SILER  Oct 30  ‘40   [probably connected via Raphael Hunter, great granduncle, who married Lucy Della Siler]
RONALD    Oct 2  ‘36
* CHAS PURCEY 3rd    Oct 17  ‘41
RIGGS Oct 6  ‘51
* MARTHA  Oct 6 ‘40?  Sept 23, 75
* HAROLD COKER  Oct 2  1889  Sept 28 ‘75
SARAH JANE PERKINS  Oct 9  ‘79 [possible 2nd cousin once removed]
 
That’s a total of 16 names, (including the names that are lined out).  I am very fortunate to have this kind of list from my grandmother.

I have placed an asterisk * next to the names I have not yet connected to our family.
EIGHT of the names are still waiting for me to find their connections.  I have them in my Legacy database as unlinked individuals.  Were they friends of my grandmother & grandfather, neighbors, or are they all family?
 
In the lists from the other 11 months of the year, there are also names that aren’t yet connected.  I keep looking from time to time and link them as I identify them.
 
This month I have photographs of two of the people on the list.  Of course I have lots of pictures of my Mom, who is still living.  And I have pictures of my great grandaunt Myra.
 
PICTURES OF MY MOM
      

PICTURES OF MY GREAT GRANDAUNT MYRA HUNTER SEIGLE
  
That's Myra with 5 of her sisters.  She is in the front row, far right.  

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Etta Milne, the second name on this list, was the second child born to my great grandparents, Andrew Charles MILNE and Susan Anne GILLESPIE.  It is their son, Joseph who married my grandmother, Florence.  Florence is the author of this wonderful journal.  Until I began doing family research, my mother had no idea that their were 4 children in her father’s family.  Only two children lived.  Margaret “Etta” Milne was born 3 Oct 1887 (same birth month & day as my mother, as a matter of fact) in Detroit, Michigan.  Little Etta died at the age of 2 years, on 26 Jan 1890 in Cleveland, Cuyahoga, Ohio.  Her cause of death was diptheria.  How sad.  

Here is her obituary from the Detroit Free Press.


Transcription of obituary: “MILNE, At Cleveland, January 26, 1 a.m., Etta, only daughter of Mr. and Mrs. A.C. Milne, formerly of Detroit.  Funeral from depot in Detroit on Monday, January 27, 3 p.m.”

I do not know where Etta is buried.  Since her funeral was “from the depot” in Detroit, she may be buried in that city.
 
Please contact me if you recognize any of the names with asterisks or if you are related to any of these family members.  I’d love to hear from you.

OTHER POSTS THAT MAY BE OF INTEREST TO YOU
SIBLING SATURDAY - THE HUNTER SISTERS
FAMILY RECIPE FRIDAY - CHOCOLATE FUDGE FROM MY GRANDMOTHER'S JOURNAL

Happy hunting,
Michigan Girl

Copyright ©  2010-2014   Diane Gould Hall

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.  NO USE WITHOUT PERMISSION

CHRISTMAS THEN & NOW - WITH FAMILY & FRIENDS

I thought this year I would post photos of some of the Christmases from the past and more recent times. 

*  How many photos do you have in your family that were taken in front of the Christmas tree? 
*  Or around the Christmas dinner table? 
*  Do you celebrate Christmas or another holiday?

Here are some of mine.  From both my family and my husband’s. Click on any of the images to see a close up.

I wish each and every one of you a very Merry Christmas or whatever holiday are celebrating.

  

MY DAD'S FAMILY CIRCA 1920

MY BROTHER JOHN - 1944

ME - ABOUT AGE 3

Me & my brother, Norm with our parents & grandparents-1954

My maternal Uncle, Bob - 1960

My husband & his family - 1953 - The Hall, Fink & Long families

Me & my brother, Norm, about 1958 in Florida

Ron Hall, Jeff Hall, Scott Hall & Dorothy Hall-1990

Jeff & Scott Hall - circa 1979-80

  

Friends-Ron, Nancy, Me, Lara & Morgan

Ron & I with our granddaughters

My Mom

  

My nephew & niece - Myriah & Joshua

My brother John, niece Myriah, nephew Joshua

, sister-in-law Melinda & my Mom

Our granddaughter, Lexi & me

       

Texas friends, Debbie & Steve with me & Ron

At the Ehrke's for Christmas 2010 - Our friends Roxanne, Rick, Sean & me

     

The Grandparents - all of us - 2013

AMANUENSIS MONDAY–Death Certificate of Joseph Jackson Hunter–Age 25

What does Amanuensis mean anyway?

To put it simply, it means a “person employed to write what another dictates or copy what has been written by another.”
 
Today I will transcribe a death certificate.
It is a death certificate for Joseph Jackson HUNTER, first cousin twice removed. Son of Raphael HUNTER & Lucy SILER.

You know those wonderful Photo Duplication Requests that many of us have been using?  Yes, the ones that have been discontinued.
I had a couple of last minute requests I turned in before the December 5th deadline and have received one of them back.  I felt that same excitement when the email came. Oh boy, another record!


I ordered this certificate because I was curious why Joseph Hunter had died at the age of only 25 yrs.  I had located his death record index on the family search site.  From there I had created a memorial on findagrave.com memorial #92249329.  I requested a photo of the headstone and the request was kindly fulfilled.

Here is his death certificate:

 
Let’s take a good look at this certificate top to bottom.  Will it confirm information I already know?  Give me new information? Let’s find out.

Place of death:  St. Clair County, East St. Louis, Illinois
Registration No. 856, Primary Dist. No. 3647, number stamped in the top middle of certificate appears to be 31905.
This is a Coroner’s Certificate of Death
Died at St. Mary’s Hospital
Length of residence where death occurred: 1 mos. 0 ds
1a. Place of residence: State-Illinois, County-St. Clair, Township-Sugarloaf, City or Village-Dupo
2.  Full Name: Joseph Jackson Hunter
3.  Sex – Male
4.  Color or Race – White
5.  Single, married, widowed or divorced – divorced
5a.  If married, widowed or divorced husband of – Louise Hunter
6.  Date of birth – March 2, 1913
7.  Age – 25 years, 5 months, 0 days
8.  Trade, profession etc – Electrician Helper
9.  Industry or business – Montsanto Chem. Co.
10. Date deceased last worked at this occupation – July 38 [should that be 18?]
11. Total time (years) spent in this occupation – 5
12.  Birthplace – East St. Louis, Ill.
13. Name of father – Raphael Hunter
14. Birthplace of father – Kentucky
15. Maiden name of mother – Lucy Siler
16. Birthplace of mother – Tennessee
17. Informant – Mrs. R. Hunter, P.O. Address – Dupo, Illinois
18. Place of burial – Cemetery – St. Paul; location – Columbia, Illinois; Monore County, Illinois
19. Date – Aug. 4, 1938
20. Undertaker – Albert L. Dashner, Dashner Funeral Home, Dupo, Ill.
21. Date of death – Aug. 2, 1938
22. Inquest & autopsy held and deceased came to his death on the date stated above…….death was from compression fracture to 5th cervical vertebrae.
Date of Onset or occurrence:  July 3, 1938
Manner of injury was: Dived in Mississippi river at E. Corondlete
Accidental, suicidal or homicidal – Accidental
Was injury related to occupation – No
23. Injury rec’d in E. Corondlete township
Specify whether injury occurred in industry, in home or    in public place:  Mississippi River
24. Signed: Leo L. Madden, MD Coroner
Address 403A Collinsville Ave.  E. St. Louis, Ill.
Date Aug 3, 1938  Telephone – E2213
25. Filed Aug 4 1938 (stamped) R. C. Fannier registrar
P.O. Address  E. St. Louis, Ill

When I went over this certificate the first couple of times, I had missed some things.  Transcribing the record brought those to my attention.

MY NEXT STEPS:

• See if there is a newspaper article about this incident.  If he dove into the Mississippi River and was injured that would certainly be news worthy.
• Find the divorce record for he and his wife Louise.
• Since there was a Coroner’s inquest, I may be able to order that record.
• Enter this as a source in Legacy and link it to all appropriate data & events.  And, enter the image of the certificate in the photo gallery (plus sign next to his death info).

So, now I know why Joseph Jackson Hunter died at the age of 25 years.  And don’t I know so much more about him?

OTHER POSTS THAT MAY BE OF INTEREST
MICHIGAN DEATH RECORDS ONLINE - Where can you find them?
CORONER'S CASE FILE - Robert L. Bowden - An analysis

Happy hunting,

Michigan Girl

Copyright ©  2014   Diane Gould Hall

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.  NO USE WITHOUT PERMISSION