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

Fresh Starts

Hello again, for anyone that's still reading my sparce little blog. I noticed over the course of three years, I've only written 86 blog posts. I was most consistent in 2015 when I, along with my SIL, tried to blog along with No Story Too Small by writing a blog post each week after being given a prompt. That year I wrote a total of 38 posts. I feel a little burned out, or researched out, as far as my own line is concerned and this year I thought I might use the 52 Ancestors prompts to blog about my step-parents and their lines. I have two siblings from my step-mom and one from my step-dad, and maybe they would like to know a little about the lines we don't share.

This week the prompt is fresh starts and I figured this new focus could give me a fresh start on my blog starting with my brother, Tyler's 3rd great grandparents, Joseph Jackson Gossett and Lillie Belle Childers.

Joseph Jackson Gossett was the 8th of at least 12 children born to Levi Jackson Gossett and Harriet Meranda Couch. He was born in 1872 in Coleman County Texas.

Lillie Belle Childers was the daughter of Willis William Childers (sometimes misspelled as Childress) and Lottie Windham. Lille was born 16 April 1887 in Mississippi, most likely in or near Kemper County where the family was enumerated in 1880.

By 1900, three year old Lillie, along with her family were living in Rains County, Texas while her soon to be husband Joe was living with his family some 200 miles away in Throckmorton County, Texas.

On 03 March 1907 they somehow came together in Montague County, Texas and were joined in holy matrimony.

The next thirty years would be spent in Texas. Montague and Garza Counties, respectively. They would have at least 7 children, and bury at least two. The 1910 Montague census only lists Joe, Lillie and six month old Daisy (Tyler's great grandmother). But Lillie is marked as the mother of two children, only one living. And in April 1933 their son Willis Hugh Gossett, at the young age of  17 died from kidney failure; specifically acute parenchymatous nephritis. He is buried at Terrace Cemetery in Post, Garza County, Texas.

I wonder if this is what prompted for them to leave Texas to make a fresh start in California. As a mother I couldn't imagine leaving my buried children behind so soon after burying them. Just a few short years later this older couple with their two youngest children, Edward Arnold  (18) and William Carl (15), along with their married daughter Nell and her husband Acie Forston, can be found living in Ontario, San Bernardino, California in the 1940 census, stating that they lived in Pomona California in 1935.

Acie Forston is found twice in the 1940 census. Once living with his in-laws and the other living as a boarder in the home of Fred and Helen Chance also of Ontario. His age is listed  a good 10 years older and he says he lived in Garza, Texas in 1935.

Joseph and Lillie can indeed be found in the Pomona directory for the year 1937. He is listed as a laborer and they live at 678 E State Street. They can be found in the directory living at that same place for the following two years.




Then living on Washington Street in Ontario, California for the year 1940. As you will see below in voter registration records.

The next record found is Lillie's obituary. From The San Bernardino County Sun, Saturday, 17 April 1942.

1942

Newspaper articles would suggest that Joseph soon remarried to a Sarah Stewart Lee but by July of 1944 he charged cruelty and asked for a divorce.

After this I find very little mentioned, aside from the obituaries of Joseph's siblings listing him as a survivor.

Joseph Gossett would live 26 years after the death of his wife and alone bury at least two more children, Daisy Bird Gossett Moore in 1949 and Edward Arnold Gossett in 1955 who died from injuries sustained in a wreck.

At the time of Daisy's death she had two children. Marian Marie who was 20 and Jimmy Dale who was only 10.

Here is the city directory for Elmer and Daisy the year she died.

Joseph Gossett registered as a Democrat in the years 1938, 1940, 1950, 1952, and 1950. Most likely voting for Truman in '48. His address changed with each registration. Here, in 1950, he lived on Cucamonga Ave, in '52 1035 E A St, and in '54 1033 East A Street.

I did find one record where his wife, Lillie, registered as a Republican in '38 but she was a Democrat again come '40 when Franklin D. Roosevelt was elected over Wendell Willkie

As you saw from the obituary for Lillie, she was taken home to Texas to be buried where her son Willis and other family were buried. Joseph, on the other hand, at the age of 84, was buried in Bellevue Memorial Park in Ontario, San Bernardino County, California where at least two of his sons are buried, also.

Until next time,
Becky

The Great Listen -- Test

This year we celebrated Thanksgiving Day at my husband's parents' house and then with my mom on the following Saturday. While at my mom's house I sat down to interview her parents using an app on my phone called StoryCorp.   This app is very user friendly. You can use your own questions, or there is a multitude of questions they have for you to choose from. If you choose their questions they will pop up on your screen with a little check mark in the bottom corner for you to tap after that question has been answered. Then the next question will show up -- like digital index cards. Your interview can be as long as 45 minutes and I have found the audio to be pretty good quality. Once your interview is complete and you have given it a title, summary, and chosen a few tags/keywords/labels you can then choose to download it to your device or upload it to the StoryCorp website. Once it is uploaded to the website there is an option to share it and there is even an embed code to add to your own personal website or blog, which is something I am very excited about.

Whether or not genealogy is your thing, I encourage you to take the time to sit down and listen to your family members. Have your children interview you. Interview your children. Are you going on a long road trip? Pass the time interviewing one another.


I plan on adding a transcription as I get time. To listen to the interview from the StoryCorp website click here.



Until next time,
Becky

The Chillicothe Constitution 15 May 1936 Newspapers.com

Transcription:


Interviewer: This is Becky Drake and I am interviewing my Grandma and Grandpa Melson, Thanksgiving 2017 (Sat 11/25/2017). We are in Siloam Springs, Arkansas



Becky Drake: Ok. Grandpa, what was Thanksgiving like when you were growing up? And where did you celebrate it?


Leroy Melson: Always at my mom's house. Always good. Seems like we always had company.


Becky: So cousins came over?


Leroy: Her sister, Aunt Bea. You probably know about her


Becky: Yeah


Leroy: They were always there. Especially during the war, they was around us all the time, while Dennis was in the war.


Becky: Yeah


Leroy: We always had it together most of the time. They lived about half a mile up the road... quarter mile... half a mile... quarter and a half mile up the road (laughs).


Becky: Was this in Oark?


Leory: Eh, out on the mountain there, South of Oark.


Becky: Okay. Did Grandpa's family ever come or just Grandma's family? Did Grandpa's brothers or sister ever come?


Leroy: Yeah, Tobe and Annie, his brother and his wife, come once, once for sure, pretty regular, I can't remember how many times but they was there.


Becky: What kind of food did she cook? What kind of food did your mom cook, for Thanksgiving?


Leroy: Uhh, we had a pecan pie always.


Becky: Always had a pecan pie.


Leroy: Because we had a pecan tree out in the yard.


Becky: Oh really? Neat!


Leroy: I would gather them up, crack them, and she'd make 'em. She made them pretty..every little bit ... every time I wanted one all I had to do was crack out a couple of nuts and she's make me one.


Becky: Wow, that's great. What about you, Grandma, what was the first Thanksgiving you remember?


Reba: Really I can't remember any when I was at home that they was anything different than just a regular day. I don't think that we made a big thing out of Thanksgiving.


Leroy: After we got married I spent Thanksgiving at her house. They celebrated Thanksgiving (referencing the fact that they were married the day before Thanksgiving 1955).


Reba: Yeah sometimes


Leroy: Her mother (surely bound to before ?)


Becky: Your sister said you guys didn't celebrate birthdays much either, so you just didn't many holidays at all?


Reba: No


Becky: Huh, was that just your family or just that area or...?


Reba: None of my family did ya know momma's brothers or sisters and them, it just wasn't any different than any other day.


Leroy: I remember we always had pork of some kind Momma always butchered a hog right before Thanksgiving.


Becky: Yeah, I had read somewhere where a lot of people butchered their hogs right around Thanksgiving.


Reba: But after we got married, we celebrated it. And we would go over to Momma's and Daddy's a lot of times at Thanksgiving after we got married.


Leroy: And deer hunted.


Reba: Yeah


Leroy: That was when we lived in Tulsa


Becky: When you lived in Tulsa you'd go back and deer hunt?


Leroy: Yeah, during that Thanksgiving season. Three days. Got three days deer season.


Becky: What do you remember most about your mom, Grandma Bondell? What do you remember most about her?


Leroy: Ah, she worked all the time. SHe was busy all the time. And she'd always... I remember when I used to smoke... and hiding out smoking and she'd give me, she got to where she'd give me quarter so I could buy a pack of cigarettes.


Becky: Really? She would pay so you could have cigarettes? Wow.


Leroy: Cigarettes was 21 cents, 22 cents, and they'd have 3 pennies down the side of the package.


Becky: Really?
Leroy: Yeah. And uh, the machines, put a quarter in the machine and you get a pack of cigarrettes with 3 or 4 pennies in it up the side.

Thanksgiving Past

Its nearly Thanksgiving and once again as I get ready to prepare my portion of the numerous meals I will be attending over the next few days, my mind always travels back to the food served at my Mammy's house at Thanksgiving. There are a few items I miss dearly every year because they just aren't made or served at other family gatherings. And there are a few items that are served and always take me back and I can remember just the person who brought it when I was growing up.

This post is going to be my attempt at preserving my memory of my childhood (think pre-teen) Thanksgivings. The morning would be early. Dad and I would get up and bottle feed any calves he may of had at the house. Then we would head to "the mountain" where he owned land and kept his cattle herd. We may have needed to put out hay depending on the weather or just drive through and do a head count and check on any new or expectant mothers. Then I would be dropped off to the busy scene taking place at my Mammy's (his mom), while he would go about tending to any other chores.

As I've written before, before age 12, I spent every other weekend with my Mammy. I was dropped off Friday night and would stay all day Saturday and then would be taken back early Sunday morning for church and would stay for lunch and a few hours afterwards. When I would walk in her door it was often pretty quiet. You might hear the radio coming from the kitchen or the hiss and bobble of her pressure cooker, and maybe, just maybe, her singing along with that radio when you first came in. But on Thanksgiving there was much more noise going on. The TV would be on getting ready for the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade, younger kids would be scattered, and Mammy, Aunt Cathy and Aunt Jeannie would be busy bees in the kitchen. The house was WARM and overtaken with smells of food. So much food.

There were 9 grandkids when I was growing up: Mitch, Amie, Jennifer, Me, Jeff, Jeremy, Mandi, April and Matt.  And in my mind we were "grouped" like this. Mitch was the oldest and separated from any other boys by at least 7 years. He was usually with his Dad or Bampy doing chores. Then there was "the girls" Amie, Jen, and myself who would help out setting the table, fixing glasses, things like these. Then there were "the boys" Jeff and Jeremy (brothers) who were often hunting with their Dad, Uncle Tom. Then there were the young ones - Mandi, April and Matty Pat, playing and occupying themselves in the back part of the house. [This is how I remember it-- Of course things change as we age and start having jobs, and boyfriends and girlfriends. But this is my default memory - probably late 80's early 90's]

When you entered Mammy's house you were in her 'dining room' where she had her large oval table often covered in a white lace table cloth. She had a china cabinet that housed her special dishes. I'm trying to get a picture from Aunt Jeannie, of the pattern. Until then, I think these are what they looked like. Johnson Brother's Heritage Hall Collection.

I was close in the image above. Here are the pictures sent by Aunt Jeannie


These dishes were only used on Thanksgiving and Christmas. I was also able to find this add in the 1982 Sears and Roebuck Spring Catalog:





 She also had a special silverware set we used on these holidays. They were kept in the original wooden box similar to the one pictured below:

And we used red drinking glasses like these (red was one of her favorite colors - her carpet was also red).



Then the long buffet tables were brought out (sometimes set up in the middle of the living room -- sometimes in the dining room against the sliding glass door). They were draped with a flat sheet that had a pretty pattern and is where the grandchildren sat. There were usually 18-20 of us total. We required lots of room.

Now for the meal and who I remember making it. I hope someone corrects me if I'm wrong. Some I am dead certain of - others not so much:

The Turkey and Ham - Mammy, Cathy, or Jeannie. It seems like Cathy made at least one of them (I think the Ham) it may have changed from year to year.

Then there was giblet gravy, and glaze for the ham (Aunt Jeannie made the glaze - and is hand down one of the things I miss every year - I've asked for her recipe and am patiently waiting..... I know it had pineapple juice, brown sugar, and mustard -- I was right minus one thing. Vinegar. And just like many of us she doesn't measure she just mixes and tastes til it's just right ). I'm not sure who made the gravy.

The dressing - Mammy or Cathy(?) -- I hope someone chimes in and helps me out here. Then there was the typical stuff-- we had mashed potatoes, corn (mixed cans of regular corn and creamed corn), green beans (not the casserole). Rolls (sometimes homemade - most often just the brown and serve rolls)

Then there was Aunt Lynn's Sweet Potato Casserole (another favorite):

Mix together:

• 3 cups mashed sweet potatoes

• 1 cup sugar

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 1 egg; slightly beaten

• 1/2 stick butter; soft

• 1/2 cup milk

• 1 tsp vanilla

Topping: Melt one stick butter. Add one cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup flour, 1 cup chopped pecans. Mix together and sprinkle on top of casserole. Bake in 350° oven for 30- 35 minutes.

[Now whenever my brother-in-law's parent's join us at the Drake Thanksgiving, his mom Joyce makes this and hers is nearly the same thing -- if not exactly.] 

There was always a pickle tray with both black and green olives (Jenny loved the black olives and would put them on her fingers.), sweet and baby dills, sometimes mammy's mock apple rings, and there were always pickled beets (another favorite of mine).

Below is a recipe I have used from a cookbook Mammy gave me one year or Christmas.





Then there was Mammy's stuffed celery sticks. Man I loved those. I've never had them anywhere other than her house except for two maybe three occasions where Dawna made them for me. They're a unique item and are nearly impossible to find a recipe that mimics hers online. I've never felt like many would enjoy them or be adventurous enough to try them to find out so I haven't ever made them myself to take places. But this year I am taking them and one other Mammy item - for the sheer reason that I'm nostalgic and get a terrible "homesick" feeling every year around this time. If nobody likes them but me - that's okay. Because I love them.

Now this recipe may or may not be hers - it is the best I have come up with:

Mammy's Stuffed Celery

• 4 cups finely shredded cheddar cheese

• 5 Tbsp mayo (heaping)

• 1 1/2 cup chopped pecans

Mix together and stuff into cleaned prepared 3" lengths of celery.

Then there were her Ham and Cream Cheese Pickle Wraps

All she did to make those was take a slice of wafer meat (ham) and add a bit of cream cheese down the center. She then would place a pickle spear on top and roll. Voila!

And funny enough while scrolling through my Facebook feed the other day, a souped up version of her little appetizer came up. I plan on trying the new version this year simply because I made a batch of jalapeno jelly and need ways to use it. Here it is from Better Homes & Gardens.





And then finally there was dessert. I will never be able to list all the desserts. I'm sure I will forget some. I know we had pecan, pumpkin, and chocolate pies, banana pudding, a jello salad (with marshmallows and nuts, maybe cottage cheese). Mammy LOVED that kind of salad. Here is my maternal great grandmother Bondell's recipe in her own handwriting on the back of an envelope:

Below is a recipe Mammy circled in one of her old cook books she gave me. She may have used this one:



I think Amie would make a chocolate cake, and sometimes made an apple pie. I think there was cherry as well and a cheese cake too. But my all time favorite was Grandma Nall's mincemeat pie. I think she and I were the only one's that liked it. But I'm glad she brought it because it was great. That pie filling was one of the first things I made when I started canning.

Pear Mincemeat
by Willie Nall (pg 31 of "Cook Book; Favorite Recipes From Our Best Cooks")
Fun Fact: This is a pie filling - a dessert. Because of the name 'mincemeat' the people who put the cook book together placed it under the heading: Main dishes - Egg, Casserole, Cheese, Pasta. Since I'm the only one in my family who cares for this, and while I'm not above doing so, I don't usually make entire pies just for myself; I have used it as an add-in to a warm bowl of oatmeal or on my pancakes.

7lbs pears, cut up, not peeled
1 orange, not peeled, cut up
2 lemons, not peeled, cut up
2lb raisins, 1/2 ground, 1/2 whole
5 c. sugar
3/4 c. vinegar
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. cloves
2 lb oleo (this must be a typo - I think it should read 2 Tbsp)
Cook 30 minutes and seal in hot jars.

I have two jars left from that batch and guess what... I'm making this - even if I have to eat the entire thing myself.

This is the best I can do at recreating the memories that flood back to me this time of year. In raising my kids it sometimes seems like we haven't really had much in the way of tradition when it comes to Thanksgiving. They aren't all 3 at the same place at the same time year after year. But maybe they will remember it differently. I have asked them to list their favorite food items and who makes them in hopes that they can get the recipes for when they become older and make Thanksgiving their own.


Hashbrown Casserole, Broccoli and Cheese Casserole and Sister Schubert's Parker Rolls from Nanny Nay Nay's,  Buttermilk Pie from Grandma Reba, Aunt Lisa's cream corn, Nan's leftover turkey salad for sandwiches, Nan's coleslaw, Grandma Marilyn's Possom Pie and Minnie's Oreo Pie.

This is all they could come up with in the hussle and bussle of getting ready before school while their mom peppers them with questions about things they don't really care about or understand in the moment. We have recipes for several of the items but if you made the list and haven't already hand written them, I would appreciate that. I think Grandma Reba's Buttermilk Pie is the only one I have that's hand written.

Do you have any favorite recipes that are unique only to your family? If so, I encourage you to snag up those recipes from those who make them, if they're willing to share, because some day you will want to recreate memories and serve certain foods and you will really wish you had that recipe.

Until next time,
Becky

Marriage(s)

Today's blogging prompt is once again coming to you from the Instagram photo-a-day prompt put out by Genealogy Girl Talks #brickwall

If you're a regular here you know I am not a consistent blogger and not even a consistent Instagram-er these days. Sometimes it feels like I've gathered up all the information I can find that can be proven that is within my financial reach. I've just recently had to cancel many online subscriptions, limiting my research even more. But let's not focus on the have nots but expand and dissect the haves, shall we?

I can remember years ago when I stared researching this branch of my tree. It started with my 2nd great grandmother Julia Emaline Bohannon. She was the second wife of my 2nd great grandfather, Benjamin Harrison Melson. Those who can recall him, called him 'Grandpa Harrison'.

I found their marriage license showing they were married 2 June 1912 in Johnson County, AR by his father Francis Marion Melson who was a JP.  Both resided in Oark. He was 22. She was 20.

Here's the part of the story you may not pick up on if you don't know to look for it. Or haven't been privy to some old time gossip. It was only a few weeks earlier on the 15 May 1912 that an unwed Julia had given birth to her eldest child, Odis Earl Melson.

You may have noticed earlier when I said she was the second wife of Benjamin Harrison. He was first married to a Miss Ethel M. Roberts. She was from Catalpa. They were wed on 7 June 1908. Rumor has it she gave birth to a child and the babe did not survive. The marriage didn't last and Grandpa Harrison moved on to another love interest. But he refused to marry Julia until he knew her child would survive. And luckily for those of us who descend from this union, the baby survived and at least 3 more children were born. My great grandfather Obie Zearl, another son, James Francis, and a daughter Della Marie.

But this isn't the marriage that first popped into my mind when I decided to write today. I want to go back one or two generations further. Try to keep up as I myself can get lost quickly with all the information I'm about to lay out.

Julia was the daughter of James Pleasant Bohanon and Oma Boen. This marriage was the first time I remember using my investigative skills as a genealogist.

In the 1900 Boston and Goodwill Townships of Madison County, AR Julia is listed with her parents James P and Oma. James was 45 born Sept 1854. Oma was 43 born Dec 1856. They had been married 20 years and she was the mother of 9 children. Only 8 surviving. Children living in the home were: Nathanial (Sept 1882), Mary L (Aug 1885), Sarah E (Feb 1888) Julie E (Oct 1889) Madamie (June 1893) and William J (July 1896). That's six children.

When I go to find the marriage record of "Pleas" and Oma I find a record in Newton County dated 30 July 1881 for a J P Bohannon (age 26)  to a Miss Oma Horton. (age 23)

When I began to search for Oma Horton born about 1856 I found the 1880 Newton County Census had an Oma Korton living with the Robert Mooney family-- household 64 family 67. Oma is grouped as household 64 family 68 with two young boys William T  (age 7) and John R (age 3). It says she is married (not widowed) but no other people are listed in this family group. These two boys adds her total to 8 children living. I'm not certain if the baby that died was a Boen or a Horton.

So what was Oma's maiden name and how is she connected to the Mooney's? Are these her parents?

There is a marriage record transcribed as Nely A Mooney to David Horten found on Family Search.  I believe it to be my Oma and her fist marriage.



When I added Oma's parents to my tree, Robert and Zilpha from the 1880 census, I discover something doesn't fit.

A marriage record shows up transcribed as W N Mooney and Zilpha Bowen

I believe the 'N' is actually an 'R' for William Robert Mooney. They married in Webster County,  Missouri, in 1865 when my Oma was 9 years old.

A little more research reveals that Zilpha was first married to James Boen and they had the following children. William Spencer, Sarah, Oma N, Christopher Columbus, and Nancy Emaline.

James died in 1862 and ten years later in Oct 1872 his eldest son William Spencer became the guardian of Oma, and Christopher Columbus and  three years later in September 1875 was appointed guardian of the youngest sibling Emaline. (records found on Family Search : Arkansas Probate Records, 1817-1979; Johnson; Guardian bonds and letters 1856-1913 vol A-C; images 154/496 & 171/496)

And yet all of this is still not what I had planned to write about in the beginning.

James 'Ples' Bohanon.

With a common name like James we can go back to that 1900 Boston and Goodwill Townships of Madison County, AR census. We know he is born about 1854 in Arkansas. And in 1910 you can find the family again living in the Mulberry Township of Johnson County household #14. Did you know that starting in 1910 you can often find a little number beside the 'M' for married indicating the number of marriages a person has had. And interesting enough this census shows that both James and Oma are on their second marriage.




I know that he and Oma married in 1881 so now to find him in 1880.

Strangely enough I find him (age 24) all the way up in Ozark, Lawrence County, Missouri married to a Perline Bohannon (age 44) and her father Elijah H Bohannon.(age 61)

Can that be right? His wife's maiden name was the same as her married name? And she is 20 years older than him?

A little more digging and I can find a marriage record out of Newton County, Arkansas for Perlinia W. Bohannon and James P. Bohannon (twenty years age difference) married in February 1875

Were James and Perlinia related? And how strange for a young man to marry a much older woman.

I can place young James with John J (1821)  and Julia E Bohannon (1833) living in Richland Township, Newton County, AR in 1860 with siblings Mary, Holly, Mira, William, Sarah, and Nathaniel.

And in 1870 living in Jefferson Township with his parents and siblings.


Perlina is found in 1850 living with her father Elijah and mother Lucinda and several siblings in War Eagle, Madison County and in Kings River in 1860 no record of the family at all in 1870.

Now finally here we are at the #brickwall.

James Pleasant Bohannon's father was John J "Ibe" Bohannon. His mother was Julia Elizabeth LNU. Records indicate that John was from White County TN the son of John Bohannon Sr. and Holly 'Holla' Bohannon. In fact John's middle name comes from his Uncle Pleasant Robinson who married his father's sister Lucinda Jane. The only  marriage record I can find for a John Bohannon and Julia Elizabeth are out of Roane County TN in 1842 to specifically an Elizabeth Easter who in later census records also goes by Julia E Bohannon I believe that to be a completely different John and Julia who end up settling in Missouri.


Julia Elizabeth was the daughter of ??? I believe she is the namesake of my 2nd great grandmother Julia Emaline Bohannon Melson and I would love to fill in the missing branches of her tree.

Julia Elizabeth married John J "Ibe" Bohannon:

Their children were:

Mary, Holly Louisa, Myra, William, Sarah Cazada, James Pleasant and Nathaniel Jobe.

Until Next time,
Becky Drake

W is for Written Words

This past week I was fortunate enough to have been given several family documents and letters to go through and scan. My maternal grandfather's first cousin, on his mother's side, brought over an old Family Bible with the copyright date of 1903, an original marriage license from 1893 and several letters and pictures. All belonging to the John Thomas and Lou Elmer (Reynolds) Bynum family. Today I want to share with you one of the letters and add a little bit of perspective into the time frame.

Sidney, Kinchen, John Thomoas, Lou Elmer, baby Grace. about 1903

According to the family Bible, J T and Lou had seven children. The children who are the main topic of this post will be Sidney and his younger sister, Grace, aka Mrs. Herbert A Williams.

Sidney was born on Christmas Eve in 1895 and registered for the draft 5 June 1917.

While carefully looking through the pile of old papers that were lying on my grandparents' kitchen table, I came across this tiny, yellowed, wrinkled envelope postmarked Nov 6 1918 with the address: Base Hospital Ward 12, Camp Pike, AR and it peeked my interest.

Folded and laid inside the worn envelope is a 4 page letter Sidney had written to his sister Grace. It's dated 11-5-18 and begins Mr and Mrs Hurbert Williams....

At the date of his letter Sidney was still single. Grace and Herbert had been married for a little over two years. She married at the very young age of 15. They had a young one year old son named Norman Onis Williams. He had celebrated his first birthday in Aug.

Nearly one month to the day after this letter was written, Herbert would die of pneumonia on December 5, 1918. Then tragically, three months later, Grace would die from wounds sustained when her dress caught fire from the open fire place in the home. She died several days later due to the burns March 3, 1919

At the start of this post, I had only intended to include Sidney's letter, but I think I'll close with an undated letter from Grace to her mother. I can infer the date is between Aug of 1917 and before the winter of 1918 because she mentions her son and the fact that the weather is hot.

Here is Grace's letter.

 

I am so grateful that Stanley and Frances were kind enough to share these treasures with me. It's my hope that they will now live on and be discovered by some direct line descendants of Sidney and Grace.

Until Next Time,

Becky

I was recently given a couple photo post cards that I wanted to include here in this post. No dates but the back of the card on the left says "From Sidney to Mama" "Sidney and K L Bynum". I believe Kinchen is sitting and Sidney is standing. Also - I believe the card on the right to be Sidney on the right with his leg flung over possibly his brother-in-law Herbert Williams. But there is no writing at all on this card. This is just a 'best guess' Herbert married Sidney and Kinchen's little sister Grace in 1916. He was 19. She was 15.