52 Ancestors in 2020 - Week 7: Favorite Discovery

 I’ve missed a couple of weeks of Amy Johnson Crow’s 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks, but I’m working on catching up. The prompt for week 7 is ‘Favorite Discovery’. I’ve had many ‘favorite discoveries through the years. My favorite discovery tends to be my most recent discovery. About a year ago it was the discovery that my father’s bachelor uncle had been married. A few months ago it was the discovery that my great-grandfather’s sister had married her second cousin; his paternal grandfather was a brother to her paternal grandmother! I'll post more about that later.

My most recent favorite discovery isn’t a specific person, but instead is a source! Newspapers.com had a free weekend for Presidents Day. I didn’t really expect much because I can access the site for free from home with my library card, but this also included the Plus edition. Still, I really didn’t expect much because I’d had a subscription a couple of years ago and thought I’d exhausted my options there. But it was free, so I decided to give it a try. I started by searching for some of my Petrini cousins. I found a handful of obituaries in New York newspapers. I already had most of them from online obituaries, but I like to have the scan of the print edition when possible, so that was a plus. Not a huge discovery, but still nice.

Next I decided to search for my Weiss line. It is a large line, and I’ve been researching it for almost twenty years, so I didn’t expect to fine much. I started by searching for my grandfather’s cousin, Josie Weiss Shirk. I’d found her in the California Death Index about 15 years ago, so I knew she’d died in 1958 in Los Angeles. I’ve been looking for an obituary ever since, with no success. But this time…..there it was! 

13 Mar 1958, Thu The Pomona Progress Bulletin (Pomona, California) Newspapers.com

I also found an obituary for her husband and one of her children. By the time the weekend ended, I had 14 new articles about Josie’s family and I saw other articles that I didn’t get clipped. The good news is that MOST were not from Plus newspapers!  I can go back and look for these with my library’s subscription! My new favorite discovery!

52 Ancestors in 2019 - Week 7: Love and a Double Wedding

Valentine’s Day was this week and appropriately, the prompt this week is ‘Love’. And what can symbolize more love than a double wedding?! Today I am going to tell you about one double wedding that is part of my family history.

Paul W. Kolk and his younger brother, Albert Phillip Kolk, were sons of John J. Kolk and Emma E. Lauck. Born in Madison County, Illinois in the early 1900s, they spent most of their adult lives in Alton. Paul was a farmer, working on his father’s farm. His brother was employed by the International Shoe Company in nearby Hartford.

On July 14, 1935, they married sisters in the Methodist Episcopal Church in Carlinville, Illinois. Carlinville is in Macoupin County just north of Madison County. However, the residence in the published marriage license notification is listed as Alton for both brothers and both sisters, so I’m not sure why they traveled to Carlinville to marry. Albert listed his age as 29, and his bride, Mabel, listed her age as 27. Paul gave his age as 32 and Gladys gave hers as 28.

Albert and Mabel had one son together. They were married for 53 years before Mabel’s death in April 1988. Paul and Gladys had a marriage of 52 years for the death of Gladys in January 1987.

To learn more about 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks, hosted by Amy Johnson Crow, visit her website here.

52 Ancestors in 2019 - Week 6: Surprise! He's married!

 The prompt this week is ‘Surprise’. I’m sure every genealogist has had her share of surprises along the way. I certainly have! This week I am going to tell you about one of those surprises.

Harry Holton Kolk was my grandfather’s older brother, the son of Henry J Kolk and Emma Weiss. He was born in 1895 and died in 1949, having never married. I’d seen a couple of pictures of Uncle Harry when he was a child, but I knew very little about him, except that he was my father’s uncle and that he’d never married.

I continued my family history research, I was able to learn a bit more.

• Harry Holton Kolk was my grandfather’s older brother, the son of Henry J Kolk and Emma Weiss. He was born in 1895 and died in 1949, having never married. I’d seen a couple of pictures of Uncle Harry when he was a child, but I knew very little about him, except that he was my father’s uncle and that he’d never married.When he registered for the WWII draft, he was 5 foot 4 inches and weighed 135 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes.
• He was a laborer, working first at the glass works and later at the flour mill.

Imagine my surprise when I was searching NewspaperArchives.com one day, and came across an obituary for Mrs. Lillian Smith that say, in part:

"Mrs. Smith was married here Dec. 24, 1931. In a previous marriage she had been the wife of Harry H. Kolk and will be remembered by many friends here by that name."

 Things get a little confusing from there. My asumption was that I would find a marriage reference for Liilian Twyman and Harry Kolk, find a divorce reference, and then find a marriage reference for Lillian Kolk and Mr. Smith. Instead, I found an article in the 29 Dec 1931 Edwardsville (IL) Intelligencer listing marriage licenses issued. A license was issued to Harry H. Kolk of Alton and Lillian E. Smith of Chicago. 

 Found on Newspaperarchive.com

A notice of a divorce for Lillian E. Smith from Fred K. Smith appeard in the 25 Oct 1924 Alton (IL) Evening Telegraph. 

 Found on Newspaperarchive.com

Lillian was married to Mr. Smith BEFORE she married Harry Kolk! So I am truly confused. Did Lillian divorce Harry and then remarry; to another Mr. Smith? Or is the newspaper mistaken. She died less than five years after she married Harry.

I’ve searched before for a death record for Lillian Smith, and for Lillian Kolk, and came up empty. However, I did some creative searching this week. Let me tell you about it.

• I started by searching both Family Search and the Illinois State Archives death index for Lillian Smith in Madison County Illinois — nothing!
• I searched both sites for Lillian Kolk — nothing!
• I searched Family Search for Lillians (no last name) who died in 1936 in Madison County — BINGO! I found Lillian E. Koek who died 12 Oct 1936 in Alton, Madison County, Illinois. Her spouse is listed as Harry H. Koek. Images are available only in a Family HIstory library or affiliate. I hope to stop by tomorrow evening to download the image and check out the handwriting for myself.
• I searched the Illinois State Archives death index for Lillian Koek and came up empty. So I tried again, this tiime using the minimum two letters required and searched for Lillian KO. The index returned a listing for Lillian E. Kock. If I can’t download and image from Family Search, I will request a copy from Molly Kennedy. (If you do research in Illinois, she is a good person to know. She can retrieve death certificates for much less than the fees charged by most court houses in Illinois!) UPDATE: Molly's website is down. I don't know if she still is available for this.
  

So why did we all think that Harry never married? I don’t really know. His marriage was short-lived, less than five years, whether it ended by divorce or by the death of Lillian. They had no children together (that I know of!!!) But Harry did have four nieces and nephews who would have ranged in age from 5 to 10 years old when he married, and ages 10 to 15 when Lillian died. But they were all convinced he’d never married and passed that information along. The only explanation I can think of is that perhaps, though they may not have divorced, Harry and Lillian separated very early in the marriage, and the nieces and nephews just didn’t remember her existence. I need to explore city directories and other records to see if I can learn more about this marriage. And maybe I will find another surprise! ​​​​

To learn more about 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks, hosted by Amy Johnson Crow, visit her website here.

52 Ancestors in 2019 - Week 5: At The Library - My Books

The prompt for week 5 is “At The Library”. Much of my genealogy research is done ‘at the library’, both in person and through online archives. I often check books out for use at home. And when I find myself referring to a book more several several times, I consider whether it would be more useful to own a copy of the book. Today, I am going to show you the books on my genealogy shelf in my personal library.

 The books

• Coffee Break Italian - Season 1 Transcripts
• Italian Genealogical Records by Traffod R. Cole  
• Italian-American Family History by Sharon Debartolo  Carmack
• Long-Distance Genealogy by Christine Crawford-Oppenheimer  
• Your Guide to Cemetery Research by Sharon Debartolo Carmack  
• The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Writing Your Family History by Lynda Rutledge Stephenson y
• Alton High School Alumni Directory 1996
• Alton by Cheryl Eichar Jett, part of the Imagesof America series
• Our Father’s Business by Jeanette Hahnenkamp Gentry  
• The Streets of St. Louis by William B. Magnan  

In addition, I have an assortment of high school and college yearbooks on my shelf from areas where my family is found. Some of these were passed down, and others I bought online. I’ve not added to my collection recently, because the yearbooks are been digitized and placed online on the college website and/or Internet Archive. Browsing them online isanother way to be ‘at the library’.

To learn more about 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks, hosted by Amy Johnson Crow, visit her website here.

52 Ancestors in 2019 - Week 4: I'd Like To Meet - Great-Grandma Aurelia

The prompt for Week 4 is “I’d Like To Meet”. There have been many ancestors that I’d like to meet; to sit down and talk to, and ask a LOT of questions.
What were you thinking when you named three sons John?
Why is your year of birth different on you marriage record from what it was on you army enlistment?
Why did you list you uncle as your father?
And all those other mysteries a genealogists struggles with.

One person I would really like to meet is my great-grandmother, Aurelia Orsi Petrini. I’ve written about her before (here). Of course I would ask her about my grandma; Did she really dislike her? Did she really mislead Grandma when gave her the family sauce recipe? Or were some of those stories exaggerations by my grandmother?

But I’d also have other questions for her. Since I never knew my grandfather, I’d ask what he was like growing up. I’ve heard storied about him being quite the trouble-maker, but only 2nd and 3rd hand from my mother and her sisters? Was he really as difficult as the stories lead me to believe?

I’d want to ask about her experiences as a young immigrant mother. What was it like to travel by boat to America with three young children, and your husband waiting for you on the other side? Were you afraid as you stepped onto the shores of your new country? Excited? Regretful? Did you ever wish you hadn’t come? What was the best thing about coming here? And what do you most miss about Italy?

I’d want her to share the family stories—stories of growing up in a small village in Tuscany. I’d want to know about her parents; and their parents—back as far as she could tell me.

I’m trying to learn Italian, using Duolingo and Coffee Break Italian. If I could meet her, I’d ask her to spead Italian to me; to help me practice and understand. To learn of the region and the culture she grew up with.

And if I was really lucky, at the end of the day, we’d sit down to a great spaghetti dinner—one she’d let me help her with so I could learn first hand the secrets of her sauce! And of course, I’d pull out my iPhone and take a selfie with her, and I’d finally have a picture of her!

To learn more about 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks, hosted by Amy Johnson Crow, visit her website here.

52 Ancestors in 2019 - Week 3: Unusual Name, Permilia

 

The prompt for week 3 is ‘Unusual Name’. I’ve come across a lot of names that I’ve considered unusual when I first came across them, eg. Myrtle, Magdalena, Ester. But when I think of it, I realize that while they are a little unusual, I have come across the names in other places. But one name I’d not come across in other places is Permilia. Permilia Jane Farthing was the mother of Susie Bierman Knicker Kolk, the wife of Centralia George. (We met Centralia George last week!) Susie also has a sister named Permelia. (Susie's obituary spells her mother's name with an 'i' and her sister's name with an 'e'. Her marriage record to George shows her mother as 'Pernelia, with an 'n'.)

I’ve not researched either Permilia to any extent, and I don’t really plan to, at least until I have established that Centralia George is definitely part of my family tree. Instead, I did a little research on the name of Permilia. While at first I thought it was a bit, um…’different’….the more I learned about it, the more the name grew on me.

According to Think Baby Names, Permelia is a form of Pamela, and means ‘with sweetness’. Already, the names is sounding more pleasant to me! Nameberry states that the name may be a combination of Pearl and Amelia. While Permelia was never really a popular name—it never broke the top 1000 list— it was used relatively frequently in the late 1800s. It seems that currently a lot of names from earlier centuries are making a comeback. I wonder if Permilia will be one of those?

To learn more about 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks, hosted by Amy Johnson Crow, visit her website here.

52 Ancestors in 2019 - Week 2: Challenge, Part II: Centralia George

The prompt this week is ‘Challenge’. In part I I talked about a genealogy challenge I have; to learn more about George Kolk! The earlier post lists most of what I know about George Kolk, the grandson of Jacob Kolk. Today I want to talk about George Kolk from Centralia, Illinois, who may or may not be the grandson of Jacob.

Here is some of the information I’ve found about ‘Centralia George’.

George W. Kolk registered for the WWII 27 Apr 1942. He resided in Centralia, Marion County, Illinois. He listed Mrs. Susan Kolk, of the same address, as the person who would always know his address. He stated he was born 11Jan 1889 in Alton, Illinois.

The 1930 Census shows 42 year old George W Kolk living in Cliinton County, Illinois with his wife, Susie, stepson, Paul D Knicker, and foster son, Arnold Knicker. He is listed as a WW veteran and a truck farmer, #41 on the farm schedule.

George’s obituary details many facts of his life. He was 88 years old at the time of his death in 1976. He married Susie Bierman Knicker in 1927 in Centralia. He moved to Centralia in 1952 after retiring from Illinois Central Hopspital in Chicago as an attendant, where he lived 10 years. Prior to that, he worked as a registered nurse in St. Louis area hospitals. He served in the hospital corps in France during WWI. It also tells me that George was born near Alton, the son of Henry Kolk—good news/bad news, as I’ll discuss later.

I found a marriage record that shows George married in Clinton County, Illinois 31 May 1927. He is 40 years old and was born in Alton, Illinois. His parents are shown as Henry Kolk and Emma Ricks.

Ancestry has an entry in the Social Security Applications and Claims Index for George William Kolk, born 11 Jan 1889 in Godfrey, Madison County, Illinois. Godfrey abuts Alton to the north, so this is in agreement with the obituary. His parents are shown as Henry Kolk and Emma Reicke.

All the above applies to ‘Centralia George’ but does it prove he is the grandson of Jacob Kolk?

A lot of the facts line up. Centralia George was born near Alton, Illinois and presumably, grandson George was born near his grandfather and uncles, also near Alton. So far, I have not found a Kolk in the Alton area who was not descended from Jacob. Centralia George was born in 1889. Grandson George was a minor in Dec 1900, under age 21. This means he was born after 1879 (but before 1900). His uncle William posted bond as George’s guardian in 1908, which means he wasn’t yet 21. This means George was born sometime after 1887, but before his grandfather's death in 1900, which fits the 1889 birthdate on Centralia George’s draft registration and his social security claim. The middle name on the social security document, William, could be a nod to his guardian and uncle, perhaps a favorite brother of his Kolk parent.

This all sounds good, but there is one problem, and it is a big one. Centralia George’s parents are recorded as Henry Kolk and Emma Reicke. Jacob Kolk did have a son named Henry, but he was not dead in 1900! He was born in 1867 and didn’t die until 1916! And to make things even more interesting, he did marry a woman named Emma, but her name was Emma Weiss! (I wrote about Emma for week 1 here).

Is it possible that Jacob had another son named Henry? It is possible, but it seems highly unlikely. I have seen incidents of a second child carrying the name of a previous child who had died, but as I mentioned, George’s uncle Henry was very much alive when he was born, meaning there would have to be two living sons named Henry at the time of George’s birth.

I’ve been unable to find a marriage record for Henry Kolk and Emma Reicke, however, interestingly, I did find a marriage record for Henry Rieke and Emma Kolk, married in 1893 in Montgomery County, Illinois. 

Emma was born in 1871, the daugher of John Kolk and <> Smith. Could she be the long lost Anna Kolk I mentioned in part !? Anna was 2 years old in the 1870 census, obviously born before 1871, but a small discrepency in age on a marriage record is not that unusual. Anna’s parents were Jacob Kolk and Mary Smith. It’s possible ‘John’ is a mistake and should have been ‘Jacob’. Another possibility is that Anna did indeed die before the 1880 census, and Emma was a younger sister born after 1870, She would have been only 7 when her mother died, and possilby sent to live with another family when her father was not able to care for her. That may explain why she didn’t know her parents’ names. But even with all this rationalization, this marriage occurred 3 years AFTER the 1889 birth of Centralia George.

And it still doesn’t explain why Centralia George had the last name Kolk instead of Riecke. It’s possible that after his parents died, that George was raised as a Kolk by Kolk relatives and he didn’t realize that his mother was a Kolk and his birth name was Reicke. Maybe, because he went by Kolk, he assumed his father was a Kolk and his mother a Reicke (or Rieke).

All of my reaching to make the facts fit is no proof that Centralia George and Grandson George are the same person. I am still left with the challenge of finding Grandson George. I strongly suspect that Centralia George is also Grandson George, but I have no smoking gun to prove it! I can search for military records for George, I can order the Social Security application, but if George believed his name was Kolk and his parents were Henry Kolk and Emma Reicke, that is what he would have reported and wouldn’t clear up my mystery at all! Unless I can find a birth record created while George’s parents were still living, this may be a challenge I will never solve! ​​If you have some ideas or evidence to add, it would be very much appreciated. Just leave a comment or contact me!

To learn more about 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks, hosted by Amy Johnson Crow, visit her website here.

52 Ancestors in 2019 - Week 2: Challenge, Part I: Grandson George

 The prompt for week 2 is ‘Challenge’. George Kolk has DEFINITELY been a challenge to me! Who is George Kolk? I only wish I could tell you.

The first time I came across the name ‘George Kolk’ was listed among the survivors in the probate file of Jacob Kolk, dated Dec 1900.

 “and George Kolk - son of a deceased child of said Jacob Kolk - (said George Kolk being a minor, under the aged of twenty one years)”

That sounds pretty straight-forward, but….  I have only found four sons for Jacob, all under age 10 in the 1870 census, and all are still living at the time of Jacob’s death in 1900. The only unaccounted for child is a daughter, Anna, who was 2 at the time of the 1870 census.

 Anna has not been seen since! By 1878, when Anna would have been approximately 10, her mother, Mary Kolk, has died. Is it possible that Anna’s father found that raising a young daughter along with four boys too difficult, and that he sent her to liive with relatives or neighbors? Could George be a child of Anna? The surname Kolk seems to imply he was the child of a dead son, but perhaps Anna gave birth to him outside of marriage?

Whoever George is the son of, in 1908 the Alton, Illinois city directory shows he is living at the same address as his guardian, his uncle William Kolk, the youngest of the sons of Jacob. In a 1908 court filing, William has posted a $1000 bond as George’s guardian. In 1913, George is defendant in a partition suit instituted by his uncles for the estate of Jacob Kolk.

I have found a George Kolk living in Centralia, Illinois who is of the right age, and there is some evidence that he is ‘my’ George, but there is other evidence that makes me wonder. But I’ll share more about this George in part II of ‘Challenge'!

To learn more about 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks, hosted by Amy Johnson Crow, visit her website here.

Sources:

• 1870 U.S. Census, KOLK, Jacob Family, Monticello Post Office, Township 6, Range 9, Madison County, Illinois, 26 Jul 1870, FamilySearch.org, viewed in “United States Census, 1870," index and images,” image 35 of 44, citing NARA microfilm publication M593, accessed 1 Jun 2015.
• KOLK, Jacob, Probate File, Madison County, Illinois, 1901, Box 79 Tray 241, IRAD, Carbondale, Illinois.
• KOLK, George, guardian approved, “Edwardsville Intelligencer,” Edwardsville, Illinois, 29 Jan 1908, page 1, NewspaperArchive.com, accessed 7 Aug 2018.
• KOLK, George et al, Probate Book PR105, Madison County Illinois Circuit Clerk , Madison County, Illinois, Declaration of Intention, page 201, 215, Jan 1908, Madison County Circuit Court, accessed 9 Jan 2019.
• KOLK, George, partition suit, “Alton Evening Telegraph,” Alton, Illinois, 18 Dec 1902, NewspaperArchive.com, accessed 7 Jan 2019.
• KOLK, U.S. City Directories, 1822-1989, Alton, Madison County, Illinois, McCoy Directory Co, 1908-1909, page 173, Ancestry.com, image 90 of 220, accessed 21 Sep 2015.

52 Ancestors in 2019 - Week 1: First: Bonding with Emma Weiss

It’s time for a new start to 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks, hosted by Amy Johnson Crow. For more information about the project, visit her website here.

The prompt this week is ‘FIRST’! This can be interpreted in anyway you choose; first child, first college grad, etc. I’ve chosen to write about Emma Jane Weiss, the FIRST ancestor I bonded with as I learned about her. When I started my research, I didn’t know much about Emma. I knew the name Emma Weiss as I was growing up—she was my father's grandmother. But she'd died when he was only a year old, so of course, I never knew her. As I researched her and learned about her I felt as though I came to know her and I bonded to her. I caught myself wondering what her life was like growing up in rural Illinois, what she made for dinner, and what stories she knew of her grandparents, and how she survived the cold winters. Here is some of what I’ve learned about Emma:   

Emma Jane Weiss was born 4 Dec 1864 in Brighton, Macoupin County, Illinois to Henry Weiss and Catherine Holton Weiss, possibly the last of 10 children. At least that is what her obituary states[419]; but it also gives her name as Mary Jane at one point, so there is a problem with the accuracy of the article! Also, a much younger child, Bertie, listed on the 1880 census[40] as a daughter of Catherine and Henry, but I’ve been unable to learn anything further about Bertie, so I can’t verify the accuracy of that, either!

Emma grew up on her father’s farm northwest of Brighton in Macoupin County, Illinois, where he raised livestock. On 10 April 1894 Emma married Henry Jacob Kolk in Upper Alton, Illinois[46], transitioning from farmer’s daughter to farmer’s wife. Her marriage record states that would be 27 on her next birthday, making her birth year 1868, but all census records and her death record[195] indicate that she was born in 1864. It’s possible that she misled her groom to believe she was younger; it’s possible he wasn’t sure of her age when he made the affadavit; it’s possible the informants for the census and death certificate just didn’t know her exact birth year. I’ve been unable to confirm her exact age with a birth record.
Emma and Henry had two sons together, Harry Holton and William Clyde, who were raised on their farm in Madison County, Illinois. Emma became a widow in 1916 at approximately age 51. The farm was sold shortly after and Emma and her sons moved to town, where the young men took up jobs as laborers.

Emma died ten years later on 24 Sep 1926 in Alton, Madison County, Illinois from Bright’s Disease. The funeral was officiated by the rector of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, possibly in Alton. Emma was buried next to Henry in Godffey Cemetery, Godfrey, Madison County, Illinois.

Sources:

• 40. 1880 U.S. Census, WEISS, Henry & PADDOCK, Robert Families, Brighton Township, Macoupin County, Illinois, 9 Jun 1880, FamilySearch.org, viewed in “United States Census, 1880, index and images,” 64 of 819, citing NARA Series T9 Roll 232 Page 30, accessed 9 Oct 2014.
• 46. KOLK, Henry J - WEISS, Emma J, Marriage Record, Madison County Register of Marriages, License # 3125, Madison County, Illinois, 30 Apr 1894, IRAD, Carbondale, Illinois.
• 195. KOLK, Emma Jane , Death Certificate, Alton, Madison County, Illinois, 24 Sep 1926, Illinois State Archives, Springfield, Sangamon County, Illinois, Roll 219; File #0037327, accessed 8 Jan 2004.
• 419. KOLK, Emma Jane obit, “Alton Evening Telegraph,” Alton, Madison County, Illinois, 28 Sep 1926, page pg 2, NewspaperArchive.com, accessed 20 Aug 2009.

52 Ancestors in 2018 - Week 45: Bearded

It’s no-shave November, and the word of the week is ‘Bearded’! Though I have many living bearded relatives, after scouring my photo collection, I could only come up of ONE photo of an ancestor with a beard. Several had mustaches, but only one beard! Below is that picture.

I believe the man pictured is a great-greatgrandfather; Sylvanus H. DeBee. The portrait is actually a very old and somewhat fragile 16x10-inch painting/drawing. On the back of the picture there is handwriting that says ’S. L. DeBee Sr. It appears someone started to write ’Grandpa’ before writing ove it, though I can only make out the G-r-a for sure. However, a portrait found with is says ‘Grandma DeBee’ on the written on the back, which is important for context. Because other portraits in the stack name other DeBee ancestors, and are probably created at the same time, I believe that ‘Grandma’ is the wife of Sylvanus H. Debee, and that the man identified as Sylvanus L. Sr is actually Sylvanus H. DeBee.

To my knowledge there were only two men in the family named Sylvanus DeBee; Sylvanus H. DeBee (1841-1915) and his  grandson of Sylvanus L. DeBee (1897-1958). The handwriting on the back appears to be that of a granddaughter of Sylvanus L. Debee. It may be that she did not realize that his middle initial was ‘H’ and just assumed that the two Sylvanuses were father and son.

Sylvanus H. was a Civil War veteran. I feel like I’ve seen a photo of him in a Union uniform, sporting the long beard often seen in photos of Union soldiers, however, the photo has not turned up in either a search through my many boxes of photos or online. I may have imagined seeing the photo.

To learn more about my 52 Ancestors in 2018 project, read my introductory blog post.

52 Ancestors in 2018 - Week 44: Frightening

 The word of the week this week is ‘Frightening’. That’s appropriate with Halloween falling this week! It’s also timely, because just this past week I was going through boxes of heirloom photos and documents that I’ve had stored for a decade or more, and came across this invitation that I’d never seen before.

 

This invitation to a Ghost Party certainly looks spooky with the skull and cross bones, and I like the drama of the black background with silver engraving. But what exactly is a ghost party? I did a search of NewspaperArchive.com to get some context. A 1902 article, ten years after the party above, from the San Pete Free Press, Manti, UT tells of the new fad of ghost parties, in which the room is darkened, candles lit, and ghost stories told. You can find the story here.

Found on Newspaperarchive.com

A second article a few years later, 1905, gives more details about a ghost party, Not only is candlelight part of the atmosphere, but the room is draped in black and decorated with creeping things like spiders and skulls! There are some ‘horror house’ touches; the hostess greets guests with a handshake, during which her ‘hand’ become detached (a glove filled with sand)! And of course, the guests take turns telling ghost stories! This article appeared in the Fort Wayne (IN) Gazette, in the same state where Ella Herrold, hostess of the ghost party in the invitation pictured above. I have to wonder if these parties may have evolved into the seances hosted by mediums that were so popular a decade or two later. You can find the story here.

Found on Newspaperarchive.com

Ella Herrold, the hostess of the 1892 party, was born circa 1871 in Indiana, probaby in LaPorte County near Michigan City. She married Julian Frank Hixon 3 Sep 1893, just little over a year after the ghost party took place, so it’s very possible he was one of the ‘ghosts’ in attendance. They raised their three children in Michigan City. Here is a picture of Ella and Frank sometime after their marriage.

To learn more about my 52 Ancestors in 2018 project, read my introductory blog post.

52 Ancestors in 2018 - Week 37: Closest To Your Birthday

The prompt for week 37 was ‘closest to your birthday’. I found no one in my database born ON my birthday, though I did find one who DIED on my birthday — my ACTUAL birthday; same year! But because he is only distantly related and I have done very little research on him, I’m don’t feel like I have anything interesting to say about him.

Instead I decided to look at one of the people with a birthday that is relatively close to mine — within a few weeks of my birthday. I’ve chosen to write about a cousin who is a bit of a mystery to me. His name was Luther Edward Davis, or Robert Russell Wille.

I knew my grandmother’s sister had a son, but that he was not ever talked about. We never saw Aunt Elizabeth often, as she lived ‘way out’ in South Dakota. I always thought of her as an old maid when I was a little girl, but it turns out she’d been married and had a son. That’s really all I knew for a long time. Then one day I found this piece of paper in my grandmother’s handwriting—

I did a little searching and found a few interesting things. First I found a 1940 census page for Fall River County, South Dakota showing 5-year-old Robert Wille living with his parents, Pearl and William. This isn’t much to go on, but the age is consistant for a child who was born in June 1934.

So I kept searching, and found the 1945 census cards for Robert Russell Wille, as well as Pearl Wille and William R Wille, all living in Hot Springs, Fall River County, with the same P.O. Box number. Robert is listed as age 11, which would have been the correct age for a child born in 1934. Now here is where it gets interesting! Robert was born in Bruce, which is in Brookings County, South Dakota, where my great-aunt lived. And more interesting, on the top of the census card for Robert it states ‘adopted son’!

I’ve found a listing in the SSDI for a Robert R Wille, born 8 Jun 1934, died 22 Oct 2011. I believe the card was issued in South Dakota, though I need to go back and read more about the SSDI to verify that.

I’ve also found a couple of marriages for a Robert Wille in Fall River County, South Dakota, with Robert’s birth year estimated to be 1934 or 1935, and a divorce; a California divorce for one of the marriages. I believe these all to refer to Elizabeth’s son, but I’ve not yet done enough research to be sure.

I’d like to find an obituary for Robert. I’d also like to know WHY he was given up for adoption. The little I remember of Elizabeth was that she was a single woman and while not poverty-stricken, probably didn’t have a lot of money. It’s possible she found herself unable to provide for her child when she was no longer a married woman. I wish I’d known enough of the story to ask questions while my Grandma was still alive, but I’m not sure I would have gotten that answers I was seeking anyway. This seemed to be topic not to be discussed!

I found a tree on Ancestry a few years ago, but I don’t have a paid subscription and did not see a way to contact the owner of the tree. I tried tracking her down on Facebook, but unfortunately while the response was very polite, the Facebook user apparently was not the person I was seeking .

To learn more about my 52 Ancestors in 2018 project, read my introductory blog post.

52 Ancestors in 2018 - Week 43: Cause of Death

The theme for Weed 43 is ‘Cause of Death’. We know that everyone is going to have one, and some will be pretty unusual. And others are pretty common, at least at a particular time and place. Today I want to tell you a story about one such death. I have no sources for this story, other than oral history as told by my grandmother.

Grandma had a little sister, Elizabeth Janco, perhaps pronounced Jansgo where she was born in the part of the Kingdom of Austria-Hungary later known as Yugoslavia. Grandma loved her baby sister, and Elizabeth followed big sister Susie everywhere. One day they were outside playing, when little Elizabeth stepped on a thorn; a thorn from a locust tree. Not a big deal, right? It’s a little painful, but…

Have you even seen a thorn from a locust tree? These can be quite long and sharp. Here is an illustration of a twig from a honey locust.

Mathews, F. Schuyler, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

 

 As you can see, even the small thorns are a quarter inch or more! I’m not sure what variety of locust tree was growing in that part of Europe at the time, but any locust thorn was a hazard!
 

In addition to the immediate pain, there were other dangers—the danger of infection. This was the first decade of the 1900s. The tetanus vaccine had not been developed. That didn’t happen until the 1920s, and even then, it was not terribly effective. There was no neosporin to put on the wound, and no antibiotics to be given when the infection started. Penicillin was not discovered until 1928! I think we live in a world where vaccines and antibiotics are so readily available, we sometimes forget just how important they are!

But that was not the case for Elizabeth. Consequently, there was little to be done for her except to clean the wound and hope for the best. Unfortunately, little Elizabeth did develop an infection which Grandma referred to as ‘blood poisoning’. Sadly, Elizabeth sucumbed to the infection. Forever after, Grandma hated locust trees, cursing them whenever she saw one, and woe be it to the seedling that happened to sprout up in her yard!

While there was no happy ending for little Elizabeth, there was a bittersweet ending for Grandma. Shortly after the family came to America, her mother gave birth to another daughter—they named her Elizabeth! Grandma had another baby sister to love and protect.

To learn more about my 52 Ancestors in 2018 project, read my introductory blog post.

Sources:

• "Tetanus", (tetanus.pdf), page 1, Centers For Disease Control and Prevention, viewed 22 Oct 2018
• "Alexander Fleming's Discovery of Penicillin", ACS website, viewed 22 Oct 2018

52 Ancestors in 2018 - Week 42: Conflict

The word of the week is ‘Conflict’!

Most families have conflicts, mine included. As children we fought over toys and tv viewing. As yound adults and even into today, my siblings and cousins argue over our favorite sports teams. And most recently we’ve debated with each other about politics. But those are stories for other times.

Today I want to tell you about a conflict that remains a mystery to me. Shortly after I began researching my genealogy, I discovered a marriage record for my great-great-grandparents, Henry Weiss and Catherine Holton. I haven’t done a lot of reserach on my Holton line; that is a goal for 2019. I did, however, find an abstract of will for Catharine Peterson on HeritageQuest.com. More recently, I came upon Catharine’s entire will as registered in Salem County, New Jersey.

Catherine left her property divided six ways among her children, Amy Carrow, Rebecca Perry Catharine Cole and Samuel Biddle ; the children of her son, Abel Biddle-- Louisa Holton, George Biddle and Abel Biddle; and the children of her deceased daughter, Sarah Holton-- Charles Holton, Rebecca Till, Mary Butler, John Holton, William Holton and Ephraim Holton .

It seems straight-forward until you get to this tidbit: 

Why did Catharine write Mary and Catharine out of her will. Was this the result of a conflict between the women? Did they marry out of their faith or marry a man whom Catharine did not like? Both women migrated to Illinois—Catherine Weiss came to Illinois sometime between 1850 and 1860, about the time Catharine Peterson wrote her will. Did Catharine feel abandoned and angry when they left? I notice that in the will Catharine Peterson spelled her granddaughter’s name wih and ‘a’; Catharine. This is the only time I’ve seen it that way. Could Catharine Peterson be hurt because her granddaughter used an alternate spelling? Or is it as simple as the fact that Catherine distributed their share of her estate to Mary and Catherine before her death. I’m not sure I’ll ever know the answer to this riddle!

One thing I should point out is that, while I am basing this on the conclusion that my great-great grandmother, Catherine Holton Weiss, is the granddaughter of Catharine Biddle, I’ve not yet proved this. I’ve not done an exhaustive search of the records to rule out the possiblity that there is another Catherine Weiss that was related to the Holtons and Biddles and the granddaughter of Catharine Peterson. That is something I plan to work on next year!

To learn more about my 52 Ancestors in 2018 project, read my introductory blog post.

52 Ancestors in 2018 - Week 39: On The Farm

 I’ve missed a couple of weeks, but I’m back with Week 39. I’ll catch up on the others as soon as I can.
This week the magic phrase is ‘On The Farm’. I have a lot of famers in my ancestry — a lot! So rather than choosing one, I’m going to give a quick synopsis of the farming background I have.

 I have farmer’s in virtually every branch of my ancestry. I created this color-coded chart to give me a quick visual on my farming background and where the farms were located. 

 The white backgrounds are ancestors who either weren’t farmers, or I’ve not yet determined their careers. For the most part, the female ancestors are blank. In general, their occupations have been listed as ‘housewife’, however, if they were married to a farmer and lived on a farm, I’m pretty sure it would be safe to label them as ‘farmers’, too!
More recent generations, my parents and grandparents, have chosen occupations other than farming,

My mother’s paternal ancestor’s were from Italy, indicated by purple. My maternal great-grandfather did not farm once he came to the United States, but I have no doubt that he at least helped his parents with farming while he was still in Italy! Both he and his wife grew up in a very small village in Tuscany, and their parents and grandparents were all farmers!
​
My mother’s paternal grandfather was also a farmer. He lived in central Illinois when he first came to the U.S. and may have farmed there. I’ve not found evidence of this, but I do know he owned a farm in Michigan, indicated by pink. Here is a picture of him on his farm, probably during the Great Depression.

 My dad’s side of the family were also farmers. My paternal grandfather farmed with his father as a young man, but moved on to other things as industry moved into the area. However as you move back, you can see that almost all of his ancestors were farmers, with farms very close in proximity. The red, yellow, and green all indicate farms in Fosterburg Township of Madison County, Illinois. The turquoise indicates a farm in the next county, Macoupin, that abuts to Fosterburg, so it was just a few miles away. Below is a plat map of Fosterburg Township illustrating just how closely located they were. 

 The red indicates farms owned by my dad’s paternal grandfather and his brother. The yellow and green are farms owned by his maternal ancestors. And the blue? Well that came as quite a surprise to me. It turns out that those farms were owned by farmers who are probably part of my sister-in-law’s ancestry! It just shows that you never know who you will connect with!

To learn more about my 52 Ancestors in 2018 project, read my introductory blog post.

52 Ancestors in 2018 - Week 36: Work

 We celebrated Labor Day here in the U.S. this week and, appropriately, our word of the week is ‘work’. So I thought I’d share a photo of my grandfather in his place of work. ​

To be honest, I’m not sure exactly what this photo is, but to me it has always looked like a photo of Grandpa with his co-workers. It appears he is being presented an object, possibly a watch or other award. The women appear to be dressed in a style you would expect in the 40s. My grandfather died in 1948, so the 40s make sense if he is being presented an award for longevity.

I don’t know much about my grandfather’s place of work, as he died before I was born. I’ve been told he was a cap maker who cut the sections for baseball caps. I’ve also been told he died on the job, suffering a heart attack at work. A little research has confirmed some of that story. The 1930 census does confirm that William was a cloth cutter at a cap factory, but the 1940 census states that he was a can cutter at a can factory. I have to wonder if that is an error, because his obituary states that he was a member of United Cap, Hat And Millinery Workers Local 17. And my grandmother described to me many years ago how the sections of the caps were cut and pieced together!

But the death certificate also calls into question some details regarding his death. The cause of death was Chronic Cornary Sclerosis, Chronic Myocarditis — heart issues! But he was pronounced dead at the hospital. It’s possible he died at work, but was not pronounced until he reached the hospital. He could also have been brought in alive but died while there. But the details are close enough to satidfy my curiousity.

The death certificate also named his place of work; Adjustable Cap Mfg. Co. I decided to see if I could learn more about this company. I was able to learn that the company relocated from New York City to St. Louis in 1934. Here are a couple of articles I found about the relocation.

The company either had multiple locations in the city or moved more, or perhaps the offices were at a different location than the factory; the locations are within a few blocks of each other. Here are city directory listings from the 1940s. An interesting fact that I learned is that the cap company was officially named Adjustable Engineer’s Cap Corporation. and they manufactured engineers caps. Perhaps from the same pattern as a baseball cap?

 

I also learned that the company was in existance as late as 1971. A want ad appeared in the paper in of that year seeking experienced cap makers.

 

To learn more about my 52 Ancestors in 2018 project, read my introductory blog post.

52 Ancestors in 2018 - Week 3: Longevity

longevity
noun   lon·gev·i·ty   \  län-ˈje-və-tē ,  lȯn- \
: long continuance : permanence, durability

“Longevity.” Merriam-Webster.com, Merriam-Webster, www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/longevity. Accessed 3 Aug. 2018.

'Longevity' is the word for week 3! A marriage that lasts fifty years certainly meets the definition of longevity. As I was looking for couples in my database, I came across several that celebrated a golden anniversary, and even one or two that lasted 60+ years! Today I am sharing a bit about one of those couples.

 I came across this invitation to the fiftieth anniversary of Verne and Velda (Anthony) Hixon when looking through a box of artifacts that had belonged to Verne's sister, Lucile. I knew that is something that I wanted to share.

This motivated me to do a little more research. I hoped to find a wedding announcement for this couple in a  newspaper from Michigan City, Indiana, where Verne lived his entire life. Unfortunately I could find none online. If I really decide I need it I can either request a search from the local library for a fee, or add it to my list of things to explore if and when I get to Michigan City again.

When I couldn’t find quick access to an online newspaper, I took a closer look at what I already knew, and lo and behold, I’d missed a very important detail — Verne’s obituary states that he and Velda were married in South Haven, MICHIGAN!! Though I’d recorded this in my database, it had slipped past me somehow, because I’d assumed that they’d always lived in Michigan City!

That started me on a search for South Haven newspapers, and I was fortunate to find that these newspapers are available online at NewspaperArchive.com, which I can access from home with my library card! I not only found references to the marriage very quickly — an article about a pre-nuptial shower for Velda, and an article about the newly-weds setting up house in Detroit — but I found enough to convince me that the South Haven newspapers will be a treasure trove of information when I am ready to continue my research on the Hixon family! ​I'd say that's a win!

Below is a photo of Verne and Velda celebrating the longevity of their marriage and a copy of the invitation to the Golden Anniversary celebration for Verne and Velda. 

Verne and Velda (Anthony) Hixon
50th anniversary celebration
Michigan City, IN - 6 Oct 1985
photo from the collection of Lucile Hixon Striebel
digitized by KM Kolk

 

Invitation to 50th Anniversary celebration
for Verne and Velda Hixon
from the collection of Lucile Hixon Striebel
digitized by KM Kolk 2015

 

To learn more about my 52 Ancestors in 2018 project, read my introductory blog post.

52 Ancestors in 2018 - Week 35: Back to School

 ​Summer is coming to a close, and this week our theme is ‘Back To School’! I could talk about one of the many teachers in my family, but, the theme brings to mind memories of my ‘back-to-school’s and of my elementary school in particular. Milton School was attended not only by me, but also by my sisters and brother as well as my dad, and presumably his twin brother and older sisters. I recently found a collection of old yearbooks and PTA handbooks among my papers. Here is the cover of the Milton School PTA handbook from 1961-1962.

Milton School PTA Handbook Cover
1961-1962

Milton was an old brick schoohouse, originally built in the early 1900s as a 4-room school. It was added onto more than once through the years to accomodate an increasing population. The school was originally heated by a coal-burning boiler that was still in use when I attended, and I can remember the hills of coal and being scolded to stay away from them. Here is a picture of some of my teachers from Milton. The teacher in the center, Mrs. Pyle, was my favorite, not only because she was a kind and caring teacher, but also because I had her for two consecutive years. I’m not sure who the other teachers are, but I believe the one on the right is Mrs. Starkey, our music teacher. That may be one of our student teachers on the left.

Milton School Teachers ca 1964
photo taken by KM Kolk
digitized 2018

 As the school-age population dwindled through the years, the school became obsolete, and was closed after the 1983-1984 school year. The building has become somewhat famous since closing because it has gained the reputation of being haunted. The story goes that a little girl was murdered by the janitor, who was then found hanged in the basement. This supposedly happened in the 30s, but I’ve never believed it. That would have been about the time my dad was there, as well as parents of many of my friends, and I never heard even a whisper about it! The building hosted ghost tours at one time and was featured on an episode of ScyFy’s Ghost Hunters as well as an episode American Hauntings podcast (Season 1- episode 3). The building was also the site of an investigation by Ghost Research Society.

Milton School was given a second life when an art glass company bought the building in the 1990s and used it as a factory for their work. About ten years ago, the building was revived once again as The Milton Schoolhouse, a small business incubator. The owners have invested a lot of time and money to renovate this formerly condemned building. A few years ago I met up with some grade school friends who I had not seen in 35-45 years or more. We stopped in the coffee house, and then took a tour of the building. It was fun to visit our old classrooms and reminisce about past good times, as well as see the new incarnations. The photos below are of Mrs. Pyle’s classroom and the cloak room. The owners have done a great job with the building!

Milton School - April 2015
photos taken by KM Kolk

 To learn more about my 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks project, read my introductory blog post.

52 Ancestors in 2018 - Week 34: Non-Population

 It’s Week 34 of the 52 Ancestors challenge, and the magic word this week is ‘Non-Population’! I’ve been wanting to look for the non-population schedules for some time. Shortly after I started my family history journey, about 15 years ago, I’d found 24-year-old Samuel Weiss living with his parents in Brighton, Macoupin County, Illinois. He was marked as ‘Idiotic’ on the census form.

 That seemed a pretty cruel classification at the time, but I’ve since learned that there was a precise definition for the word ‘idiotic’ when used for census purposes. I also learned that I might find more information on a ‘non-population’ schedule of the census, in this case the DDR, otherwise known as the 1880 Special Schedule of Defective, Dependent, and Delinquent Classes. I didn’t know where to find these, but this week’s challenge has inspired me to explore. I found that these schedules are available on Ancestry.com, so I did a quick search to see what I could find.

  I do not have an Ancestry subscription, but I am lucky enough to live in a library district that DOES have a subscription that can be accessed in the library by anyone with a vaild library card. And a few years ago, Ancestry made this worth even more by allowing me to have my discoveries emailed to me. Since I do not frequently have time to run to the library to find one item, I keep a list of items to search for, and frequently my list of ‘finds’ gets quite long. I’m not as good as I could be about processing my finds when I get home. This is a long way to explain my surprise when I discovered that I’d found Samuel in the DDD over a year ago and had done nothing about it! I didn’t even remember I’d found him!

  Once I realized I’d already found Samuel in the schedule, I quickly downloaded the page and examined it. The first thing I learned is the precise definition of ‘idiot’ when used in the 1880 census. You can read the detailed description from the schedule page below*, if you are interested. What I learned about Samuel made me sad. Here is what I learned.

As mentioned on the population schedule, in 1880 Samuel lived in Brighton in Macoupin County, Illinois. The DDD tells me that he was partially self-supporting (the population schedule indicates that Samuel worked on a farm, presumably his father’s). His head size was classified as ‘natural', apparently a synonym for ’normal’. The sad fact that I uncovered?; the supposed cause of his idiocy was a fall little Samuel had taken when he was only six months old! How sad, and probably guilt-inducing, for his mother!

According to Find A Grave, Samuel died at age 36 and is buried in Rosebank Cemetery, Dickinson County, Kansas. He may have been living with an older brother who had migrated with his family to Kansas sometime before 1900.

* From the 1880 Special Schedule of Defective, Dependent, and Delinquent Classes:

“The object of this Supplemental Schedule is to furnish material not only for a complete enumeration of the idiots, but for an account of their condition. It is important that every inquiry respecting each case be answered as fully as possible. Enumerators will, therefore, after making the proper entries on the Population Schedule (No. 1), transfer the name (with Schedule page and number) of every idiot found, from Schedule No. 1 to this Special Schedule, and proceed to ask the addition questions indicated in the headings of the several columns.

The word “idiot” has a special meaning which it is essential for every enumerator to know. An idiot is a person that the development of whose mental faculties was arrested in infancy or childhood before coming to maturity.

It is sometimes difficult to distinguish between the stupidity which results from idiocy and that which is due to the loss or deterioration of mental power in consequence of insanity. The latter is not true idiocy, but dementia or imbecility. The enumeration desired for the Census is of true idiocy only. Demented persons should be classed with the insane.

Enumerators may obtain valuable hints as to the number of idiots, and their residences, from physicians who practice medicine in their respective districts.”​

To learn more about my 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks project, read my introductory blog post.

52 Ancestors in 2018 - Week 2: Favorite Photo

Susie Janco - 1920
photo from the collection of Susie Petrini
digitized by KM Kolk - 2007

It’s hard for me to pick a ‘favorite’ anything. I get hung up on ‘I like this one a lot but is it REALLY better than that one? So instead of showing you a ‘favorite’ photo, I’m going to show you one I like a lot. This is a photo of my grandma, Susie Janco, posing in front of an airplane. Handwritten notes indicate this photo was taken in 1920, and other photos of Grandma in the same dress and hat, presumably taken on the same day, show her posing in what appears to be a city. As she lived in the St. Louis area around this time, I suspect this could be Forest Park.

The photo really maked me wonder about the story that goes with it. Was this the airplane of a barnstormer? Barnstorming was an early aviation practice in which a pilots would land his or her plane in random places and take passengers for a quick ride for a fee. Then they would move on to the next spot, often a farmer’s field. This was popular in the early 1920s.  This photo makes me wonder; did Grandma get on that plane? Or did she just pose next to it? If she did get in she never mentioned flying and as far as I know, she was never on a plane. And who is that in the shadows on the other side of the plane? At first I thought it was a shadow of Grandma on a backdrop, but I can see that the shoulders on the shadow are at an opposite slant. I wish I knew more about the circumstances behind this photo.

You can learn more about barnstorming in the 1920s here.
To learn more about my 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks project, read my introductory blog post.