The Obituary of John Turner Acord

 Today's prompt from Genealogly Girl on Instagram is #favorite. One of my favorite rescources is Newspaper articles. Yes, sometimes there are typos. Sometimes, the information isn't 100% correct. And sometimes it can show you where other rescources may not be accurate. But they also help fill in gaps and build your tree and answer questions you've always had. 

One of those questions for me has been about the deaths of my 3rd great grandparents, John Turner and Sarah Zulema KOSIER ACORD. According to their headstones they died one month apart. John died, according to his headstone, 7 January 1934, and Sarah died on her 72nd birthday, 6 February 1934. It's always felt like there was a story there. There may not be, but it feels like it. I've searched for years for obituaries and I finally found his in the Southwest American that was published Thursday, 11 January, 1934 out of Fort Smith, Arkansas. 

Southwest American, Fort Smith, Arkansas, Thursday, Jan 11, 1934, page 2

If you go off the obituary and look at a 1934 calendar, it would appear he actually died on the 8th of January. We may never know which resource has it right, but it is worth noting, regardless. But I still can't seem to find one for her. 

This past summer I was given boxes of resources that had belonged to my great uncle's first wife, Tommie HOSKINS MOONEY. One of those rescources was the complete set of Northwest Arkansas Connections: Selected Obituaries by Jimmie and Doris EVANS DEWBERRY. In Book 3 there is one snippet on page 93 that came from The Herald-Democrat, Clarksville, Arkansas, Thursday, 15 February, 1934, Oark items:

"We are very sorry to hear of the death of Mrs. James A. Acord. The bereaved ones have our sympathy."

The DEWBERRY's make note of the typo giving James the middle initial 'A' rather than 'T' but state that the death date matches the death certificate and tombstone as well as the date given by family members of Sarah Zulema KOSIER ACORD. 

I may never know the story. There may not even be one. It may be as simple as a coincidence or as tragically sweet as a broken heart. 

Newspapers remain one of my favorite resources though. And despite their inaccuracies, they still have a way of helping us to see beyond dates and dashes to see relationships, skill sets, employment and communities. 

Until next time, 
Becky

Gone Without A Trace

I'm going to try to do a little blogging again using FREE sources since I let my Ancestry subscription lapse. It wasn't worth the money for what little "new" I was discovering anymore. I still have access to my tree and any pictures I've uploaded and that helps as I learn to build my tree and use Family Search for more than just random searches. I'm using a few prompts from Genealogy Photo A Day for the month of September. Today's prompt will be a combination of the first three days of September:  SURNAME, MAIDEN NAME, and PARENTS

The focus of this post will be my 4th great grandparents James H KOSIER and his wife Adaline.

The reason for SURNAME is because in the 7 sources I have for James his surname is spelled:

1. C-O-Z-I-E-R 1850 Ancestry transcribes it as C-A-Y-I-E-R and Family Search C-A-Z-I-E-R
2. K-E-I-S-E-R  1860 Ancestry and Family search both transcribe it the same
3. C-O-S-I-E-R  1870 Ancestry and Family search both transcribe it the same
4. K-O-S(Z)-I-E-R  1880 Ancestry and Family search both transcribe it the same 
5. K-O-S-S-I-E-R Texas Muster Roll 
6. K-O-S-I-E-R  Texas Voter Registration 2x

The reason I chose this couple for MAIDEN NAME is the fact that I have Adeline's maiden name as HOWARD but I don't have any sources to verify this. I have yet to find any marriage records for them.

And lastly, PARENTS, because I don't know who either of their parents are.

The first time I find James and Adaline, is the 1850 census for Knox County, TN. They are living in dwelling # 1115 and they are family #1124. Their last name is looks to be spelled C-O-Z-I-E-R. Family Search has this name transcribed as C-A-Z-I-E-R. Enumerated in their household is a daughter Elizabeth (7), son John H (5), son William E (3), daughter Mary A (7/12).

James is a laborer on the 1850 census, surrounded by farmers. The value of his property is considerable less than the others on the page at 350. Neighbors are: CHILDRESS, GIDEONS, WHITE, and MAY to name a few.

By 1860 this family has moved to Red River, Texas. He now lists his occupation as farmer but again the value of his estate is considerable less than the others. He now has seven children: Elizabeth (17) John (15), William (13), Mary (10) and new to the family are Loretta (8), Evaline (6), and James (2). All children were born in Tennessee indicating they hadn't lived in Texas for more than two years, tops.

Knowing that this family is in Red River Texas in 1860 leads me to feel confident that the following Muster Index Card for James KOSSIER  is my ancestor.




Voter Registration for Red River County, Texas, dated 9 July 1867,  entry 545 shows a J H KOSIER followed by a (546) James KOSIER both state they had only lived in the state and county for seven years. Both men were born in Tennessee. I believe J H is John Howard, the eldest son of James and Adeline.

By 1870 James and Adeline have moved to Johnson County, Arkansas. James and his wife are family #8 The three oldest children have since married and are living on their own nearby, enumerated as family #'s six, nine, and ten. The children remaining at home are Mary (20), Loretta (17), Eveline (14), James now going by Robert (12) and finally my ancestor Zulema (9). Texas is her birth state. James property value is about the same as his neighbors. His occupation is farm laborer. One thing of note about this census is that under the heading Constitutional Relations, both items are marked. He is a US citizen older than 21 and his right to vote has been denied or abridged on other grounds than rebellion or other crime.





In 1880 James and Adeline are living in the neighboring county of Madison, Boston Township. They still have Evaline and Robert living at home. William is living next door with his family.

After 1880 I can no longer find James and Adeline nor several of their children.

1900 census

Elizabeth and Franklin Lafayette Stewart --  Lee, Johnson County
John Howard Kosier unknown but his son Hugh was born in Winthrop, Little River, AR in 1888
William E Kosier died 1895 It is rumored he and his wife died of typhoid fever weeks apart.
Mary and Joseph McCallister unknown
Martha Loretta Acord unkown, husband Thomas died in 1886 in Franklin County, AR
Evaline Kosier unkown
Robert James Kosier unknown but living in Hill, Johnson County, AR in 1910
Sarah Zulema and John Turner Acord -- Hill, Johnson County, AR

This little family unit often has left me with more questions than answers. Where did everyone go after 1880? I've even tried finding the Kosier siblings via their young children who were born in the late 1870's-80's and sometimes even they are missing without a trace. If you have any answers or theories to provide on these families I'd love to hear from you.

Until next time,
Becky