52 Ancestors - In The Census

This week the scheduled prompt is In the Census. I want to take this opportunity to demonstrate how there is a lot you can do in your research without necessarily having to pay for subscriptions. Most all of the information I will be giving you, will come from FamilySearch, a free site that just requires you to register.

During our Christmas dinner at my Dad's, I took several pages of research and copies of records over to my Step-mom. We went through them and she asked a few questions that I didn't have answers to and at the time I had let my subscription expire with Ancestry. All of that led me to find a new to me record data base on FamilySearch; the Oklahoma, School Records, 1895-1936. 

The topic person of this post will be her grandmother, Leta Grace Moore Sloan and her siblings.

Leta Grace was the fourth child born to James Walter Moore and Mattie Dillahunty. She was born in Greenwood, Sebastian County, AR about 1914.

Other children in birth order were:

• Alta
• Alma
• unknown baby (born and died before 1910)
• Adolphus
• Leon Thomas
• Hershel (died at age two)
• Clyde

Sometime between 1918 and 1920 the Moore family moved from Sebastian County to Vann, Muskogee County, OK.

They first show up in the scholastic census report in 1921 and only the four oldest are of school age.

The next year, 1922, pay attention to how much their birth dates and months change. Who was giving this information, anyway? Also notice Alta's last name is no longer Moore. She married James Cowan in Sept of the previous year.

In 1922, you will notice they're now in District 3. I don't believe they moved, as much as there was a restructuring or labeling of the districts.



In 1923 they are still in District 3. Alma's last name has changed to Pettie becuse she married Luther Petty in Oct of 1922. Once again, their birth months and years are all over the place. I also included the instruction page that lays out the procedures and guidelines for the enumerator.

Try as I might, I cannot find this family at all in 1924 and by 1925 the two older sisters are no longer there but baby Leon has finally joined the ranks. This time they're in District 77.

The next census year I can find is 1927. Earnest Beavers was the census taker. The birth dates are becoming more and more regular now. Leta is listed as being born in July in almost all of them, though its still a toss up as to whether the year was 1913 or 1914 and the days.... well they're still random.

1928: This year James F. Beavers is the enumerator. He was the Notary Public in the previous year.

The 1929 census is very sloppy and inaccurate. The children aren't even listed in the correct order. And Leta's name is spelled horrifically. It looks like the enumerator's name is F J Vann.

December 17, 1929 Leta Grace marries Charley Sloan in Sequoya County, OK . You can see the Sloan and Moore families side by side in the 1930 census. This census was taken 03 April 1930 by Pearl Martin. If she had waited just a few weeks more, baby Dorothy would've made an appearance in this census, as she was born 25 April that same year.

Also of note -- living with the Sloan family are George Sloan's step-daughters with the same last name as his deceased wife. George was first married to Florence David. Her brother was Isaac David who was married to Mollie Wasson. Florence died in 1915; Isaac in 1913. Widows George and Mollie then married one another in 1916.




Around the year 1930 some really big changes and unbearable heartbreak begin to happen. During the next six years this family would see tremendous loss. I don't know how poor Mattie endured it.

 First, notice how James Walter is no longer listed as the parent in the next scholastic census; 1930.  There is no specific death date that I have been able to find for Walter, but he is said to have died around this time. He is buried in Vaught Cemetery, in Webber Falls, OK. 

I can't tell you anything about Walter's death, and believe me I have searched and searched and searched for answers. I don't know how he died or even where. Again, he is said to be buried in Vaught Cemetery where his baby boy, Hershel is buried.

 An outbreak of tuberculosis was about to hit this family hard claiming the life of our young, new mother, in 1933. She was only 20 years old and baby Dorothy was only three. She is also buried in Vaught cemetery. Maybe that is how Walter died as well?



What Leta was doing in Latimer County, I'm not sure but The Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture states:

In 1920–21 the legislature created Eastern State Sanatorium, a treatment facility for tuberculosis patients; now operated as an Oklahoma Veterans Center, it is located two miles northwest of Talihina. Nearby, the Choctaw-Chickasaw Sanatorium for Indian tuberculosis patients was opened in 1917.

She may have been there.


In 1935, her sister, Alma Moore Petty, dies all the way in Tulare County, CA. I don't know the exact cause. Or why she was in Tulare CA. In 1940 her remarried husband and children are in the Exeter, Tulare, California census.

Tulare Advance Register 26 Nov 1935

In April 1936, not even 5 months later, sister Alta Moore Cowan dies from pulmonary tuberculosis in Willcox, Cochise, AZ. She is buried in Sunset Cemetery there. Again, why was she all the way in AZ? The dry air was said to help TB but I have found no record of a sanatorium in Willcox. In 1940 Alta's husband is also remarried. He and his family are still living in Vann, Muskogee, OK.

In the course of six years this family of eight became a family of four. Mattie buried a husband and three young daughters. In 1940 poor widowed Mattie is living in Tulare, CA with her youngest son Clyde. She is a seamstress. Clyde is 18 and is a form setter for a curb company. As I have stated in other posts, the 1940 census asks residents where they were living in 1935. Mattie and Clyde both answered 'same place'.

I can't seem to find Adolphus in the 1940 census but his WW2 draft registration says he's still living in Vann, OK and gives his mother's address as Tulare, CA.

That leaves brother Leon. He is also living in Tulare County, specifically, Visalia. His occupation is listed as laborer for the WPA. In 1935 he said he was also living in Tulare County.

This tale is not yet over. Mattie eventually remarries to a Mr. Mose Pierce Cravy. I think around 1941, going off of social pieces in the Tulare Advance Register. He passed away three years later in 1955. She would then go on to bury at least one more child before she herself died in 1982. Adolphus (named after his mother's father Adolphus Dillahunty) dies two days after the 40th anniversary of Leta's death on the 7 Aug 1973 in Tulare, CA. Mattie herself finally succumbs to death in 1982.

Leon lives to be 79, passing away in 1995. He also would've endured so much loss and the pain of watching his mother's heart break time after time with the passing of each child. I have not been able to confirm death records for Clyde. I can fill in some pieces of his life using other records. One dated 6 Dec 1963 gives his birth date as 13 Jul 1921. His middle name is Francis (most likely named after his great grandfather Francis Marion Dillahunty) and sates he is a used car salesman for Caravan Chevrolet in Tulare County. By 1964 he was selling cars for Tom & Jay's Auto Sales and his wife was named Velma. Voter registration says he was a Democrat and that he was a Taxi Driver in the 40's. I do not know his death date.

I can't imagine the heart break this mother endured in loosing so many dear loved ones; in total two husbands and at least 6 children. I cannot imagine how she remained sane.

Until next time,
Becky

52 Ancestors - Invite To Dinner

As I stated in my first post of the year, my goal this time around is to write about my step-parents' families. For whatever reason I'm finding that, coupled with this weeks prompt, to be a bit difficult. I'm not a literary person. I don't think creatively as much as I do logically. At least not within a literary context. The prompt this week is invite to diner. I think I would have difficulty with this topic no matter what line I was researching, but never-the-less, I have settled on William Henry Schoonover.

William was the brother of  my brother, Tyler's, 2nd great grandmother, Orpha Annette Schoonover. That was mouthful. William and Orpha as well as a sister Jennie May, were the children of George W Schoonover and Martha Helen Story.

William was born 20 Oct 1885, in Linn County, Iowa. I don't know how to tie into the prompt other than I think if I were to invite him to dinner, and were a better conversationalist than I am, the stories he could tell would be interesting.

I want to start off by pointing out how easy it is to just add information left and right just going off the transcribed information given to you in the 'record matches' without ever clicking on the image. But sometimes, if you actually click on the image, so much more information is available that you didn't know before.

That is what first peeked my interest in William. You see, William had a cousin, also named William, and whenever the record match for my William's draft record came up, I wanted to make sure it was him. When I clicked on the image I discovered that William had an artificial left foot! The first thing I thought was, was he born that way or did something happen? I haven't found the answer to that yet.





If you keep looking you'll also see that he had the interesting job of being the chauffeur for Mrs. P E Hall... I think. It's a bit difficult to make out the first initial. If it is a 'P' he most likely drove for Mrs. Philo Eliphlet Hall, whose husband was President of the Railway. Philo passed away in 1915 and his wife Lucretia in 1917 the same year this record was dated. How does one drive a car in 1917 wit an artificial left foot. I would think the clutch would have made him quite sore.

In an effort to find out more about him I have looked at the actual image of every single record every chance I get when it comes to William Henry Schoonover.

In 1910 before being a chauffeur, William was a butcher. His sister Orpha was a dress maker.

In 1915 Iowa had a state census record. From actually clicking on that image we learn that the family was Presbyterian.

On the 8th or 9th of January, 1920,  a little over two years since being a chauffeur, William is still living at home with his parents. His occupation is listed as machinist working in a garage. Then a few months later 0n 3 March 1920, William marries Mrs. Gladys Pelley Parkhurst.

If you're fortunate enough to have family in Iowa you're going to love their marriage records. They are full of detail. From William and Gladys' marriage record I know:

• G W Schoonover consented to the marriage
• William lived in Cedar Rapids
• William was a mechanic
• William was 34 and white.
• This is William's first marriage
• William was born in Iowa
• William's father is GW Schoonover
• William's mother is Nellie Story
• Gladys' full name is Gladys Parkhurst
• Gladys' maiden name was Gladys Pelley
• This is Gladys' second marriage
• Gladys lives in Denver, CO
• Gladys is 30 and white.
• Gladys was born in Iowa
• Gladys' father is Geo Pelley
• Her mother is Mae Sampson
• E W Griffiths is the JP

Just for kicks, because I'm sure if I invited William to dinner, he would naturally bring Glady's, she would have her own stories to tell. In 1910 at the age of 19 she worked as an attendant at Cherokee State Hospital, a hospital for the mentally insane. In March of 1910 they housed 897 inmates (The Humeston New Era Humeston, Iowa) 

In the 1921 Cedar Rapids directory we can find William and Gladys. He is still a mechanic, but now I know where; Haynes Service Station. Gladys is the manager of H C Martin (A local business man. From what I gather from Newspapers he owned a cigar company and possibly the Brown Hotel).

In 1925 William's father died at the age of 66. The Reverend was a Presbyterian minister. If you would like to know more about the Marion First Presbyterian they have a wonderful page on their history here.

The Courier July 1922

As hard as I have tried I just can't find this couple in the 1930 census. The above obituary tells me they were in Chicago in 1925 as well as the article below from 1926

Cedar Rapids Republican 3 Jan 1926

The next place they show up is in California. In 1934 the two are living at E 5042 Eaton St, Los Angeles. This is from William and Gladys' voter registration. They are Republicans. Hoover was Republican. He left office in 1933 and was followed by Franklin D Roosevelt who was a Democrat. In 1936 his voter registration gives his occupation as a manager. He is now a Democrat. Gladys remains a Republican. They now live at E 5218 York Blvd. Surely our dinner conversation will be exciting considering I brought up both religion and politics.

By 1940 they are now living on Colorado Blvd and he gives his occupation as a salesman for an artificial limb company and states that he owns his own business. Again, the 1940 census asks where they were in 1935. They answer "same place"

26 April 1942 William shows up in the WW2 Draft records. He lists his next of kin as his sister, not his wife. She is still alive. Maybe they separated for a time. They are not found together in the '46 and '48 voter registrations, but they're aren't found separately either. I can find only William in '46 and only Gladys in '48. But back to the Draft card. William is still self-employed as the owner of Artificial Limb Co.

By 1952 the couple are shown once again together in the voter registrations. They are both Republican. Truman was POTUS. He was a Democrat. They remain loyal to their party in 1954 when their candidate Dwight D. Eisenhower is in office.

In 1956 William's sister Jennie May Fish passes away.




In 1962 Gladys passes away and in 1966 our ancestor Orpha Sauser passes away. William would go on to live almost another seven years. I don't believe he and Gladys ever had any children, so in a way I am pleased to have written their story. When there are no descendants left behind to ponder your existence you may end up forgotten. I think that is sometimes our biggest fear in death. That we didn't matter or that there will come a time when we're no longer remembered.

So as I eat my dinner tonight. I will raise a glass to William and all the other childless families. That someone will remember their story. And I will always wonder how he lost his left foot!

Until next week,
Becky

I Remain Your Loving Son

 Below is another letter I received on CD from my cousin Diane (she descends from the youngest Jones boy, Bill.) It was written by Jasper Helton Jones (1897-1983) while he was staying in Memphis Texas. One of my favorite things about his letter is the stationary he used. It was from the Cobb Hotel. Four years later that same hotel would be severely damaged by fire, if not destroyed completely.

Jan 14, 1917
Dear Father :
This leaves me fine and dandy. It is pretty cold up here. This morning I just came from the post office and got a letter from Mr. Wilson and he won't get here before Tuesday morning. I saw a lady that knows Mrs Brice. She said she sure was a fine lady. She has two boys age 12 and 16. I think one of them is going to school here and the other one in Chicago going to school. Barn Bates has been awful nice to me. He has been trying to get me a job until Mr. Wilson came but couldn't find any. Work is awful scarce up here. Know there is more Jones's up here than anything. One named J C Jones. I haven't gotten but one letter from you. I'm going back to the post office after a while and see if I have any mail from you. How is Grandma? Better I hope. Is Ora out in Camp or at home? Mrs. Wilson said to tell you not to be afraid of me, she said I was the best boy in town. Well this is a busy little place. But everything is filled with hands. I hope Papa is getting along alright. I am going to have to get about $30 worth of clothes before long if it don't get warmer. Be sure and send my mail to Box 316 in care of Mr. Chas Germany. He is the man that is working where Mr. Wilson is going to work. Everything is sure handy around here. We have electric lights water route and paved sidewalks all over town and it is so handy. I wrote Claude a letter but never have heard from him yet. We have a Rooming House downtown where all of the drunk men stay. They arrested 4 of them the other night. It is right over Waples-Platter house. Well I have got me a pretty girl spotted know and I believe I am get her what do you think about it? I think it will be mighty nice to have a bed partner these cold nights. I almost freeze sleeping by myself. Well if you are ever in Memphis come around to see me. My phone number is 185? (page is torn) I am home almost at any hour at night. Well I had better close. Hoping to hear from you occasionally. 

I remain your loving son,
Jasper H Jones
Memphis, Texas
Box 316 c/o Chas Germany
P.S. (Written on back of envelope) The ground is covered in snow and is still snowing

To read the original letter click the links below:

1. Page 1
2. Page 2
3. Page 3
4. Page 4

I really struggled making out the 'Waples-Platter House' in Jasper's letter.... It was a grocery chain.

Waymarking.com 

Considering that Waples-Platter House was a grocery chain, I believe the Mr. and Mrs. Wilson that Jasper refers to in his letter was James Roger Wilson and his wife Willie. In the 1920 Memphis census he lists his occupation as a commercial traveler for Grocery House Wholesale.

Wichita Daily Times
Wichita Falls, Texas
Tuesday, April 1, 1913

Barn Bates is most likely Barney Dyan Bates. He was living in Comanche, TX in 1910 with his father, Moses and in 1920 he was married and living in Wichita. 

I don't know who Ora is. I wondered briefly if that was my 2nd great grandmother Ora McClung Rutherford. Jasper's brother John Arthur married Ora's daughter Lurie Myrtle Rutherford, but I feel like he would've called her Mrs. Rutherford, not Ora. 

The Charles Germany was Charles Bailey Germany.

One must wonder if that 'pretty girl' he spotted turned out to be his wife, Miss Winnie Lou Charters. The two of them married April 1918 the same week as his brother Frank and Miss Pearle Brown.

The Claude referred to in his letter was one of his older brothers, Claude William Jones (1889-1938)

I would say the grocery industry and Memphis Texas didn't hold much for Jasper. He was working in the oil industry for a Mr. Frank Cullinan, in Electra, Texas by the time he registered for the draft in Aug 1918

I hope you're enjoying these letters as much as I am!

Until next time,
Becky

Remember Me to Mrs. Hughes.

Yesterday I received a wonderful gift in the mail; a CD with pictures of several letters belonging to my Jones line. Most all of them are dated 1915 - 1917. I hope to slowly transcribe them and add them here to the my blog. I will start with this one, written Sept 1916, by Miss Lydia Pearl Brown. She was at one time employed by my 2nd great grandparents Mr. and Mrs. John Calvin Jones, to teach their children. She eventually married their son Thomas Franklin Jones 04 April 1918.

Frank Jones

4 Sawyer Avenue,
Denton, Texas 

My dear Mrs Jones,
I really don't remember whether I have answered your letter or not. If not, I am now. I am so glad to be settled once more. I never was so tired just going from one place to another in all of my life. Sister has her a real nice little home here and has it well furnished. She has everything except what is being shipped from home. We think they will come in tomorrow. We are only two blocks from the college and can look out and see the two main buildings. The college is on a high hill and can be seen from most any part of the Town.  

Denton is one of the busiest towns I was ever in for its size. Of course these two schools here is what gives them the trade. The business part of town is not very large but they have about 7,000 inhabitants.

I certainly wish it was so you could send Fannie Leigh and Emma here to school. Of course they are not far enough advanced yet, but when they do I consider this college here the finest we have in the South. Well, it is the only one of its kind in the South. If I happen to know bad luck. I think I will put in four years of hard study here. I have my course mapped out for that any way whether I succeed or not.

I'm expecting to get me a few pupils to bear my expenses. I have the promise of one and think I will have no trouble getting three or four more. That is as many as I can handle well and go to school too, as I am going to have a pretty heavy course anyway. 

Hope you enjoyed your trip up to Mr Jim's. Frank wrote me that you had gone up there for a few days.
How are you liking your new home by now? I know you enjoy it though for you feel as if it were yours and not someone else's and the time and work put out on it is not wasted. 

Now let me hear from you sometime. Pardon this terrible paper, but this is every bit we have in the house. It is the worst I have ever saw.  

With love to you and the children. Remember me to Mrs. Hughes . - Pearl

If you would like to view the actual letter you can do so by clicking the following links.

1. Page one
2. Page two
3. Page three
4. Page four
5. Page five

Whomever had the letters after Mrs. Jones (Leona Bass) had a bit of confusion with the closing and thought maybe this letter was from Mrs. Hughes, who was John Calvin's mother. You can see their note scribbled on the back of the envelope.

I have written about Mrs Mattie Hughes here and here and here. 

Lona and Pearle at Bomarton, TX

Pearle mentions former pupils and future sister-in-law's Fannie Leigh and Emma. Here they are on the Coffman Ranch

I believe the college Miss Pearle is referring to in her letter is Texas Normal College, now referred to as UNT.

UNT's Digital Library

Corsicana Semi-Weekly Light Corsicana, Texas
Tuesday, April 4, 1916

Until next time,
Becky

Like Mother Like Daughter(s)

Okay -- I'm changing things up a wee bit. I was using the 52 Ancestors prompts from 2015 but I recently found the Author of those on Instagram and saw that she is now hosting a whole new set of prompts via an email subscription. Starting this week, at week three, I will be using these prompts.

This week the prompt is longevity. It took some time to finally find someone that I felt fit the mold but I kept digging until I came to Mary Jane Latham.

 At first I thought I would write about Tyler's 3rd great grandmother "Nell" Story Schoonover, who lived to be 89, but as I was working on a way to phrase the reason I chose her I noticed a branch or two of my step-dad's tree was blank. If you know anything about genealogy at all you should know it can easily turn into rabbit holes and trails and its easy to get off topic. I kept coming back to the fact that my step-dad's grandfather Elmer Moore listed his mother's maiden name as Latham. And he was born in TX. Moore is a very common name and Texas is a very big state. But I finally was able to place Elmer's parents and when I did I found his mother lived to be even older than 89 and had an obituary to prove I was indeed right about Elmer being her son.

Now that I have found her, I have spent quite a bit of time trying to find anything before the 1910 census (other than a few birth records here and there for a few of her children). Her obituary tells us when and where she was married and I can't even find record proof of that! So for now, I will start with what I have and if I find answers along the way I can always add them later.

According to her obituary. Mary J Latham was born in Temple, Bell County, Texas 14 Oct 1877 (the obituary looks like a 2 but that would have made her age 104 not 98). She is said to have married John Rufus Moore 13 Oct 1895 the day before she turned 18. The obituary says this took place in Dallas some 130 miles from where she was born. I often use maps in my research. They can really help you feel good about "hunches" or make you rethink your line of thinking all together.

Mary's husband John Rufus isn't much better as far as pre 1910 records. I have discovered from death certificates and a "Sr." by the same name as one of his sons that John was a twin. His brother was Berry D. Moore and according to his DC the son of Andrew Jackson Moore and Sue Anna Watkins. John and Berry were both born 8 Feb 1869 in Tennessee. John's DC lists his father as Andrew Moore and mother as Watkins. I can find Berry living right along side John and Mary in 1910, 1920, and 1930 so I was hoping if I could find brother Berry before 1910 I would also find John & Mary. That was not the case. Berry married his wife, Rachel Allen, in Williamson, Texas, in 1893,  two years before John and Mary. Williamson County sits directly below Bell County (where Mary was born).

From here I think I will do a timeline and include a map at the bottom:

• 1877 -- 00 - Birth of Mary Jane Latham in Temple, Belle County, TX
• 1895 -- 17 - Marriage to John Rufus Moore in Dallas, TX
• 1896 -- 18 - Birth of first child, Mattie Elizabeth Cook (somewhere in TX)
• 1898 -- 20 - Birth of son Thomas F. Moore in Oklahoma (according to DC)
• 1901 -- 23 - Birth of son Berry D Moore, McNeil, Travis County, TX (according to DC)
• 1902 -- 25 - Birth of Elmer Moore , Travis County, TX (daughter, Marian's BC)
  
  

• 1905 -- 27- Birth of son Johnnie Moore, McNeil, Travis County, TX (only record of him is 1910 census - found birth record on Fold3)

• 1907 -- 30 - Birth of daughter Charlotte "Lottie" Irine Moore, McNeil, Travis County, TX (birth record)
• 1910 -- 32 - Birth of son Warren, McNeil, Travis County, TX (birth record) 

It's here that I want to pause in our time line to mention a few details. Notice the occupation of John Moore in this record. It says lime worker. 

In the 1910 Travis County census, John was listed as a cooper for a lime factory I personally believe he worked for the Austin White Lime Company. His brother, Berry, also gives his occupation as a cooper, but says he works for a barrel factory.

Austin White Lime Company 1890

In addition to John, Mary and the children, living in the Moore household, is Mary's mother, Mary Layton. She is widowed and 60 years old. She states she was born in Mississippi, while her father was born in Georgia and her mother Alabama. I am certain that Layton was an error instead of Latham. **See bottom of post for update**

• 1913 -- 35 - Birth of son, Monroe Allen Moore, Travis County, TX 
• 1915 -- 37 - Birth of daughter, Ruth Lillian, Leesville, Gonzales County, TX (SS Application)
• 1918 -- 40 - Birth of daughter, Marie Flora, Nocona, Montague County, TX (SS Application)
• 1920 -- 42 - Birth of daughter, Edith, Spanish Fort, Montague County, TX (birth record)
• 1920 -- 42 - Death of son, Thomas, from appendicitis
• 1922 -- 44 - Birth of daughter, Evalena, 
• 1927 -- 49 - Marriage of son Elmer to Daisy Gossett, Garza County, TX
• 1930 -- 53 - Precinct 6, Montague County, TX Census. John is listed as a farmer. They rent. Living in the home with them are children: Warren, Monroe, Ruth, Marie, Edith & Evelyena
• 1934 -- 56 - Death of grandson, Curtis Boulware, the 6 year old son of Lottie and Emry.
  
   
  

• 1935 -- 57 - The 1940 Eastland County, TX, census Mary is living with her daughter, Mattie and son-in-law Arthur Cook. The 1940 census asked residents where they were living 5 years prior. Mary answered Dallas, whereas her husband John said Henrietta, Clay County, TX. Clay County is where their son Elmer was living when his son Jimmie Dale was born. Mattie and her husband Arthur said they were living in Eastland, TX in 1935. Arthur is a High School janitor. No occupation listed for John or Mary.
• 1940 -- 62 - Above mentioned census record places her in Eastland, TX
• 1944 -- 66 - Death of her Mother. Mary Jane is still living in Eastland.
  
  ** I was finally able to find more details about her mother and therefore the rest of her family, thanks to a contributor that shared a transcription of the obituary. It turns out Mary Latham not only was named after her mother, but she inherited longevity from her too!**
  
  
  101-Year-Old Pioneer, Mrs. Mary L. Latham, Dies
  Mrs. Mary P. Latham, 101, long-time resident of Austin, died in a local hospital Sunday.
  Mrs. Latham was born in Mississippi, Tenn., Jan. 7, 1843. She came to Wise county, Texas at the age of 19. She remembered the hectic days of the Civil War and the aftermath. When the Indian uprisings took place in Wise county she and her husband moved to Waco, and from there to Travis county.
  She is survived by four daughters, Mrs. Frances E. A. Wylie, of Austin, Mrs. Martha L. Wheeler of Wichita Falls, Mrs. Mary J. Moore of Eastland and Mrs. Ollie B. Wheeler of Lawton, Okla.; 29 grandchildren, 84 great-grandchildren and 28 great-great-grandchildren. She has been a widow for the past 39 years.
  
  Funeral services were held from the chapel of the Wilke Funeral home Monday at 3 p.m. with the Rev. E. L. Sparks officiating.
  
  Pallbearers will be grandsons: Albert Cahill, G. D. Wylie, Perry Wheeler, Thomas Hays, and Edwin Courtner. Burial was in the Merriltown cemetery.
  
  - The Austin Statesman
  February 28, 1944

The Cameron Herald; 13 April 1944

• 1953 -- 76 - Death of sister, Francis E Latham Wiley (age 87). 
• 1954 -- 77 - Death of her husband, John R. Moore. They lived at 413 West Plummer. [Research tip: I had tried a few databases, including Newspapers.com, Chronicling America, and Portal to Texas in search for his obituary to no avail. When I was reviewing John's death certificate I came across his address and decided to google it. That led me to an uploaded PDF of an advertisement from the Eastland Telegram. That in turn led me to google Eastland Telegram archives which led me to the linked page in the caption below]

Eastland Telegram; 24 Oct 1954

• 1970 -- 93 - Death of sister, Ollie Belle Latham Wheeler (age 85). And not even a month later, she buries her son Berry Moore. Burying all your loved ones is the consequence to a long life. I have only touched on a few. Mary is still in Eastland.

• 1971 -- 93 - Buries her last remaining sister, Mattie Lorene Latham Wheeler (age 98). I can find no obituary for Mrs. Wheeler. 
• 1976 -- 98 - Mrs. Mary Jane Latham Moore breathes her last. 

Before I bring this blog to a close I want to write a bit about Mary Jane's parents. We discovered her mother was Mary P Latham. Her father is not as clear, though I believe him to be James Riley Latham. Mary P. gave her last name as Layton in the 1910 census. Her death certificate said her parents were Benjamin Franklin Lathan -- with an 'N' and Becky Filgo. The informant was her grandson George D Wylie's wife. I'm not sure how accurate her information would be. I say this because I find that a James Latham married a Mary Laton in January 1869 in Waco, McClennan County, TX. Maybe Mary P misspoke and gave her maiden name to the census taker in 1910.

I have only found who I believe to be Mary P with her husband once, in the 1870, Johnson County, TX, census, with two month old baby Frances. This location explains why Mary Jane would get married in Dallas.

One more thing before I leave you. Here is the map I promised earlier with markings of all the counties mentioned to help you get a grasp at how much this family migrated throughout the great state of Texas.

Until next time,
Becky

He Came Across On The Harvest Queen

This week the prompt is King and I immediately thought of the 3rd great grandparents of my Step-Mom. I recently discovered the fascinating obituary full of wonderful detail of John Barnett. It may be a far leap to get from King to Mr. Barnett, but being from America the first thing I think of when I hear King or Queen is England. And as you will see from the obituary of John Barnett, he was born in England, as was his wife, and children, including Dawna's 2nd great grandmother Eliza Barnett wife of Joseph David. But I am getting ahead of myself.

Let's go ahead and start with the obituary I mentioned earlier. And see what information we can gather by dissecting it and using FamilySearch (Free site - Registration is required). Ancestry requires I upgrade before it will give information on records over seas. FamilySearch won't show the actual record but it will give information from the record.

This obituary was found on Newspapers.com from The Democratic Press; 10 July 1879



If we do a search for John Barnett born in Rugby, Warwickshire, England we find the following family in the 1851 Wolston, England, Census. They match up perfectly with the names listed in the obituary above.

Remembering that John didn't come to the US until around 1866 we can find yet another census record from England, the 1861 Bedworth, Warwickshire, Census.

This particular census give us a bit more information on the individuals, including what they did for employment. Below are screenshots of John and his daughter Eliza. He is a Coal Miner and she is a
Ribbon Factory Picker. I'm not including the images for the rest of the family, but Eliza's younger sister Mary is 14 and is listed as a 'silk factory throwster' which is someone who twists silk fibers into thread.

A quick Google search led me to a fascinating article about Silk Ribbon Weaving in Bedworth and surrounding areas, where this family was from.

I have located what I believe to be the manifest with John and his family on it. I have traced my own lines to various countries over seas but they are all Pre-Revolutionary War. It was really neat to see someone who came much later than that. I can't be certain, especially since a few details (mainly 'Place of Origin'  --  Ireland) are incorrect. But I also know from experience early records are often times incorrect or off by a bit here and there, depending on who took the information. (A good example is John and Eliza Barnett are living right next door to Joseph and Eliza David in the 1870, Ravenna, Census but their last name is written as Barnard.)

Below is the image of the family I believe to be him. The ship, the Harvest Queen, is said to have departed Liverpool, England and arrived in New York, New York on 18 Oct 1866.

The names are correct, only missing Henry who being old enough to be a man himself and most likely already married back in England could have come on his own later or even earlier. I don't know what to make of 22 year old Eliza being referred to as a servant unless that was her station in England and her sister Mary as a wife, unless she was married and her husband was dead or not present or the 8 month old Mary at all unless she was the child of Mary A that did not survive. Never-the-less, I do believe this to be them.

Here is an advertisement out of the New York Daily Herald, from Friday, 16 March 1866. This may shed some light on the whole Ireland misinformation.

Without upgrading subscriptions or subscribing to new genealogy sites all together, my research can be somewhat limited with this family, but with a bit of creativity we can try to piece together information. For instance I was able to find this John and Eliza Barnett family in the 1841 census, but noticed their son Isaac was missing and there was an infant Harriet, that must not have survived long after the census was taken. When I tried finding Isaac for that census year, I found him living with the John Dunn family. From the obituary, we know that Eliza's maiden name was Dunn, and the ages lead me to believe this family is Eliza's parents. *Notice Selina Dunn --- Dawna's great grandmother, the daughter of Joseph and Eliza David was named Frances Selina/Celena David.

I had a little bit of difficulty finding any record for their marriage, and eventually discovered why. Eliza was transcribed as Elija. This record gives us a specific day, 18 Oct 1831




As of now, I have not been able to find Eliza Dunn Barnett anytime after her mention in her husband's obituary. Not even in the 1880 census. This has led me to search out all the children, to see if she is somehow living with one of them. In doing so, I have discovered many trades or skill sets, that I hardly ever find when researching my own ancestors, who are always farmers.

I will list them in the order they are named in the obituary.

Joseph David - In this census his occupation is listed as a laborer, but in 1870, 1860, and 1850 his occupation is listed as glass blower.

*In the 1870 census you will note children Joseph and Harriet. There is a newspaper article that mentions the death of 8 year old Joseph from heart problems. And Harriet never shows up again, either. I assume she died as well. (speaking of inaccurate records; in the birth records from Ravenna, in March of 1870 there is a birth of a daughter her name is taken as Eliza. The father is Joseph David. This is most likely the birth record of Harriet from the above census. 

George Hartopp, his wife Mary and their 12 year old daughter , Harriet, all work in the silk mill. And in the 1881 Paterson directory he is listed as a weaver. Because of the magnitude of the silk industry in Paterson, it earned the nickname 'silk city'.

Henry Barnett, is living in Arkansas, so like much of my ancestors, his occupation is farmer. As you will eventually see (in later blog posts)  Eliza's children end up in Yell County, Arkansas. I had wondered what brought them South, but after closer inspection, now understand they most likely came to their uncle after the death of their father.

Charles and Isaac are still living in England. As you can see, there is no record of their mother Eliza Dunn Barnett living with any of the grown children. I wonder if she died soon after? I have yet to find burial information on John and can find no record for Joseph and Eliza David after the 1880 census other than her headstone in the Oak Grove Cemetery in Yell County, AR where her daughter Florence is also buried.

Joseph David is said have died 4 March 1884 and to buried in Standing Rock Cemetery in Kent, Ohio. I have found no record of that, but I did find this on FamilySearch. I am fairly certain this is him considering his profession.



I can not think of much more I can write, other than, out of curiosity, I wondered what the Mr. Alexander Topping, who employed John Barnett at the time of his death, did or owned. The 1870 census gives his occupation as Lawyer, while the 1880 said he was retired. Numerous newspaper articles said he was Justice of the Peace. I wonder if Mr. Barnett was a butler or secretary or gardener?

Until next time,
Becky