Friday, July 31, 2009

Obituary: Lillie Miller (1873-1937)

Source: Evansville, Indiana, Daily Press, July 29, 1937

Mrs. Lillie Miller, 64, of 719 N. Fifth-av, died Wednesday in her home.

Surviving are: sons, Arthur, Lawrence, Fred and William; daughters, Mrs. Eva L. Dever, Mrs. Sadie Hoover, and Mrs. Helen Miller; nine grandchildren, and a brother, John Schaefer, all of Evansville.

Funeral services will be at 7:30 a.m. Saturday in the home, continued in St. Anthony's Catholic Church at 8 a.m. Burial in Park Lawn Cemetery.

[Ed note: Interestingly, her husband's obituary stated that he was buried in Locust Hill Cemetery, but so far, records from there have not turned up a burial there. More research is needed.]

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Tombstone Tuesday: Virgil Lee & Edna Muriel (Pierce) Wright

My maternal great-grandparents, Virgil Lee and Edna Muriel (Pierce) Wright are buried in the Park View Cemetery in Alexandria, Madison County, Indiana.



Virgil Lee Wright was born July 6, 1894 in Orestes, Madison County, Indiana, the son of John William and Ellen (King) Wright.



Edna Muriel "Peach" Pierce was born February 7, 1897 in Madison County, Indiana, the daughter of William Francis and Clara (Pennisten) Pierce.



Virgil and Edna were married on June 19, 1915 in Alexandria, Madison County, Indiana. Virgil and Edna lived out their lives in Monroe Township, Madison County, Indiana.

Edna died March 3, 1968 in Anderson, Madison County, Indiana and Virgil followed on March 25, 1972 in Alexandria, Indiana.

Virgil and Edna were the parents of three children, all of whom were born in Madison County, Indiana:

  • Clara Ellen Wright (1916-2005) married John M. High, had 2 children.
  • William Lee Wright (1919-1973) married Bonnie Mae Lambertson, had 2 children. These are my grandparents.
  • Barbara Lou Wright (1932-2008) married Robert L. Webster, had 2 children.


Monday, July 27, 2009

Obituary: Mathias Miller (1861-1936)

Contacted the reference section of the Willard Library in Evansville, Indiana and requested a copy of the obituary for Corinne's maternal great-great grandfather, Mathias Miller.

Mathias "Mat" Miller, 74, retired stove moulder, of 719 N. Fifth-av, died Wednesday night in Deaconess Hospital. He leaves: the widow, Lillie; daughters, Mrs. Sadie Hoover, Mrs. S.E. Deyer and Misses Helen and Anna Miller; sons, Arthur, Fred, Lawrence and William; sisters, Mrs. George L. Miller, Mrs. Henry Mossberg and Mrs. Anna Kreipke, and nine grandchildren. Rev. Clyde H. Koehler, St. John's Evangelical Church, will officiate at funeral services at 10 a.m. Saturday in Ziemer's Funeral Home. Burial in Locust Hill Cemetery.

They did not indicate which newspaper the obituary was located in, but believe it was the Evansville Press. I will have to verify this in order to cite the record.

I have posted a memorial for Mathias Miller (1861-1936) at FindAGrave, but volunteers have been unable to locate a tombstone or even a record of his burial. Perhaps the obituary was in error.

Saturday, July 11, 2009

LeMaster - Haley marriage: Jay County, Indiana

My paternal grandparents' application for a marriage license in Jay County, Indiana is below. There are a lot of interesting facts you can learn from a marriage license application, provided that the informants know their mother's maiden name, etc.
My grandfather listed his occupation as a farmer, my grandmother as a domestic. Both were born in Jay County, Indiana. Her birthdate of April 12, 1911 contradicts other information I have in my database, where I showed her as born on April 11. Will have to investigate that discrepancy.
Although I already knew the information, I appreciate the fact that this application gave the names and places of birth for their parents. Grandpa's parents, Luman C. LeMaster and (Barbara) Isabelle Wehrly were both born in Jay County, while grandma's parents, Eli W. Haley was born in Erie County, Ohio and Cora Belle Metzner was born in Jay County, Indiana. At the time of the marriage, great-grandmother LeMaster was deceased, she having died in 1930.
I find it interesting to look at their signatures on the application. Although the name is spelled LeMaster with a capital 'm' throughout the application, the signature shows that grandfather signed his name Lemaster with a lower case 'm' in this case.
The marriage was performed on February 20, 1932 by Ruth's brother-in-law, Eugene Kunce, who had married her sister, Clara Elnora Haley.

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Trip throughout Ohio

Source: Tipton Tribune, Tipton, Indiana, Thursday, August 12, 1915, page 7.

Mr. and Mrs. Omer Whisler and daughter Edna and son Harry, and Mr. and Mrs. Charley Lambertson, of Cicero, left last Thursday morning in the former's machine for a trip through Ohio, they returned Tuesday and traveled three hundred and fifty-five miles without a single mishap and had fine weather and roads. They visited in Dayton, also went to the soldiers home at that place and visited at Middletown, Germantown and Eaton. They reported a hail storm in some parts of Ohio on Sunday afternoon and much rain. Mr. and Mrs. Lambertson, of Elwood, parents of Mrs. Whisler looked after the home of Mr. and Mrs. Whisler during their absence.

Mr. and Mrs. Frank Fisher and son Ralph of near Cicero, spent Friday with Mr. and Mrs. Lambertson at the Whisler home.

Comment: A trip that we might take for granted today must have been quite an experience in 1915. Sounds like they were visiting Lambertson relatives back in Ohio. Nelson J. Lambertson, a great-uncle to Charles Lambertson and Lola (Lambertson) Whisler, was a resident of the National Military Home in Dayton. He was a Civil War veteran. The towns of Middletown and Germantown were areas where Lambertson members were known to have resided.

Monday, June 15, 2009

Motoring to Elwood

Source: Tipton Tribune, Tipton, Indiana, Thursday, June 10, 1915, page 7.


Omer Whisler and family, Walter Noble and family motored to Elwood Sunday and spent the day with Mrs. Whisler's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Cary Lambertson. Edna, the daughter that has been spending the past week with her grandparents returned home with them.

Comment: The Walter Noble family must have been a family friend, as I do not know of any connection to the Lambertson family.

Saturday, June 06, 2009

Thanksgiving Dinner, 1913

Source: Tipton Tribune, Tipton, Indiana, Thursday, December 4, 1913, page 7.

Mr. and Mrs. Carry Lambertson of Elwood spent from Friday until Monday here, guests of their daughter, Mrs. Lola Whisler.


Chas. Lambertson of Cicero was the guest of his sister, Mrs. Lola Whisler Thursday.

Comment: What the paper isn't saying is that this must have been Thanksgiving dinner and an extended visit. I also wonder why Charles Lambertson's family isn't mentioned - did his wife and children celebrate Thanksgiving at home or with someone else? Yet again there is another way to spell Carey W. Lambertson's name. I've chosen to go with Carey.

Friday, June 05, 2009

Sunday dinner guests

Source: Tipton Tribune, Tipton, Indiana, Thursday, August 21, 1913, page 3.


Omer Whisler and family spent Sunday in Elwood the guests of Mrs. Whisler's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Carey Lambertson


Omer Whisler and family and their guests Mr. Wagner and family, of Ohio, were the relative guests of Frank Fisher and family near Cicero, Wednesday.

Comment: I do not know the relationship of the Wagner family to the other members of the Lambertson clan. Omer Whisler and Lola May (Lambertson) Whisler had two children, Edna and Harry.

Thursday, June 04, 2009

Mrs. Lambertson of Elwood

Source: Tipton Tribune, Tipton, Indiana, Thursday, May 29, 1913, page 3.

Mrs. Lambertson of Elwood who has been here visiting her daughter Mrs. Omer Whisler has gone to Onward to visit for a few days with her daughter, Mrs. Maude Fischer and family.

Comment: Lola (Lambertson) Whisler and Maud (Lambertson) Fisher were the daughters of Carey W. & Clara (Cook) Lambertson. Lola married Omer Whisler, Maude married Frank Fisher. I hadn't heard of Onward - it is located in Tipton Township, Cass County, Indiana, population 81 in the 2000 census.

Tuesday, June 02, 2009

Lambertson siblings stay in touch

Members of my Lambertson family managed to stay close knit by traveling on the weekends, as evidenced by these newspaper column tidbits :

Soucre: Tipton Tribune, Tipton, Indiana, Thursday, May 1, 1913, page 2.

Omer Whisler and family spent Sunday near Cicero with Charles Lambertson and family.

Source: Tipton Tribune, Tipton, Indiana, Thursday, May 22, 1913, page 6.

Charles Lambertson and family of Cicero spent Sunday here with his sister, Mrs. Omer Whisler and family.

Comment: Charles Lambertson and Lola (Lambertson) Whisler were the children of Carey W. & Clara (Cook) Lambertson. Although they didn't live too far away by today's standards, it must have been an effort to stay in touch and have to travel before the days of highways, email and cellphones.

Monday, June 01, 2009

Miss Edna Whisler returns

Source: Tipton Tribune, Tipton, Indiana, Friday, June 14, 1912, page 7.

ALBRIGHT

Miss Edna Whisler who has been visiting her grandmother Mrs. Carrie Lambertson of Elwood returned to her home at this place Friday.

Mrs. Carrie Lambertson of Elwood spent Friday here with her daughter, Mrs. Omer Whisler.

Comment: Again, either the name is incorrect or they have confused Carey Lambertson with his wife, Clara Lambertson. Carey Lambertson (1847-1918) & Clara (Cook) Lambertson (1848-1943) were the grandparents of Edna Whisler.

Sunday, May 31, 2009

Lambertson family visits

Source: Tipton Tribune, Tipton, Indiana, Thursday, May 23, 1912, page 3.

ALBRIGHT

Miss Leona Lambertson who has been visiting her aunt, Mrs. Lola Whisler for the past week, returned to her home in Cicero Tuesday.

Omer Whisler, wife and children, Edna and Harry, Walter Noble and wife were the guest of Mr. and Mrs. Bert Lambertson of Elwood, Saturday.

Mrs. Charlie Lambertson and children of Cicero spent Monday and Tuesday at this place, the guests of Omer Whisler and family.

Comment: Leona Lambertson (1904-1998) was the daughter of Charles Wilson and Pearl May (Beals) Lambertson. Lola (Lambertson) Whisler and Bert Lambertson were the brother and sister of Charles Lambertson.

Saturday, May 30, 2009

Bert Lambertson & wife visits from North Dakota

Source: Tipton Tribune, Tipton, Indiana, April 5, 1912, page 6.

Bert Lambertson and wife from North Dakota are here visiting his sister, Mrs. Lola Whisler and family. Mr. and Mrs. Lambertson have not been back to Indiana since they moved to North Dakota which has been about five years ago. Mr. Lambertson's parents live here at Elwood, and he has a sister at Cicero and they will visit them while here. It is said they are thinking of remaining in Indiana.


Comment: Bert Sigler Lambertson (1886-1971) was the son of Carey W. & Clara (Cook) Lambertson. I do not know where in North Dakota they were living. The sister at Cicero would be Maud (Lambertson) Fisher.

Friday, May 29, 2009

Gossip column gets facts incorrect

Source: Tipton Tribune, Tipton, Indiana, Thursday, November 30, 1911, page 6

ALBRIGHT

Carrie Lambert, wife and son of Elwood spent from Friday until Monday with their daughter Mrs. Omer Whisler and family.


Mrs. Omer Whisler and children Mr. and Mrs. Carrie Lambertson of Elwood spent Sunday with Henry Baitz and family.

Comment: Apparently, newspapers were getting their facts wrong even a hundred years ago. Both of these snippets of local gossip concern the same families. Carey W. Lambertson (1847-1918) probably didn't appreciate his name being butchered in the paper. Apparently, he and his wife, Clara (Cook) Lambertson were visiting their daughter, Lola May (Lambertson) Whisler and her husband, Omer. Not only did the newspaper spell the name incorrectly, but the lack of the comma in the second article makes it seem that Mr. and Mrs. Lambertson are the children of Mrs. Omer Whisler when in fact it is the other way around. I do not know the connection to the Henry Baitz family.

Thursday, May 28, 2009

Overreaching Government restricts access to records (again!)

After being told at the Jay County Indiana Recorder's office that I could not obtain a copy of the discharge papers from my ancestor, Luman Walker Lemasters, due to privacy concerns and current Indiana law, I contacted my state representative and received the following reply:

Dear Mr. LeMaster,

Thank you for your e-mail. Representative Turner received your correspondence and asked that I respond on his behalf.

After speaking to the Department of Veterans' Affairs, you are correct, you can't obtain your great-great-grandfather's discharge papers without photo identification and a copy of his death certificate. The Department of Veterans' Affairs suggested that you could try your local library, apparently many local libraries have copies of Civil War discharges.

At this point in time it is too late in the legislative session to introduce new legislation; however, Representative Turner will keep your situation in mind as he drafts legislation for the 2010 legislative session.

Again, thank you for your e-mail. Please do not hesitate to contact Representative Turner with further questions or concerns.

Fortunately, I already had a copy from the National Archives and was able to verify (sneak a peak) at the miscelleanous records book in Jay County to verify that there was nothing new there. I found it ironic that I was discussing privacy act and laws with a clerk who didn't understand the silliness of worrying about Socrial Security numbers, etc. being disclosed in a discharge paper for a man who died before there was such a thing as Social Security.

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

William Shaw - 1850 Mortality Schedule Madison County, Indiana

Searching through some scanned documents, I came across an old photocopy from a book that I must have found years ago - not properly cited. My citation reads "1850 Mortality Schedule for State of Indiana" - no author, no date and no idea what repository I found this in.

Listed on page 47 is a typed list of the mortality schedule for Madison County, Indiana, the 68th District, page 30 that lists my ancestor, William Shaw, husband of Mary (Heck) Shaw.

William Shaw, age 50?, male, married, born in Pennsylvania, died September, Farmer, Bronchitis, sick 300 days.

Also listed on the same page was a Mary Shaul, 6 months, female, born Indiana, died December, Arcipales, sick 30 days.

I will need view the actually mortality schedule to obtain a proper source, but at least this gives me a clue as to when William died and the cause.

Sunday, May 24, 2009

Where was Mary (Heck) Shaw born?

I was contacted by another fellow researcher who found my database at WorldConnect and questioned why I had stated that my ancestor, Mary (Heck) Shaw, was born in Ohio and not Bracken County, Kentucky, as had been stated by other researchers. Receiving this email made go back and take a look at the information that I had regarding Mary, and I found that I had gaps to fill.



My source for her birthplace as Ohio was an email from a third researcher - a source, but obviously not a primary source. Because I didn't know where this researcher had received their information, I began to look at what I did have on Mary.


According to my database, Mary was the daughter of Godfrey & Elizabeth (Kimmer) Heck, and had married William Shaw on August 29, 1822 in Brown County, Ohio. William died in Madison County, Indiana in 1849 and Mary died August 12, 1890 in Madison County, Indiana. Both William and Mary are buried in the Prewitt Cemetery in Pipe Creek Township, Madison County, Indiana. I have been to their graves and have posted photographs at FindAGrave for both of them.


Ok, so far I had a source for Mary's death date and birth date - her tombstone states that she died August 12, 1890 aged 87 years, 4 months and 27 days. If this age is correct, then subtracting backwards would give her a birth date of March 16, 1803. However, that doesn't give me the birthplace.


Noticing that I didn't have the 1850 census record sourced for Mary, I began browsing through the records until I found her - in Jackson Township, Madison County, Indiana. There I found her listed as a farmer with a real estate valued at $1500, born in Kentucky. All of the known children were living with her, exact for oldest daughter, Elizabeth, who had married Daniel King and was living right next door.




Ok, so now at least I had a source - whether or not this is the best source remains to be seen, but it is a starting point. I'll need to check other census records, etc. to see if I can collaborate the birthplace of Kentucky. Notice that daughter Elizabeth (Shaw) King is listed as being born in Tennessee because the census taker made a 'ditto' hash mark - under the Tennessee birthplace given for her husband, Daniel. This opens a whole other can of worms because I've seen other records for Daniel that place his birthplace as either Ohio or Indiana.





Saturday, May 23, 2009

Virgil Lee & Edna Muriel (Pierce) Wright: Death Certificates

Recently I obtained copies of the death certificates of my maternal great-grandparents, Virgil Lee and Edna Muriel (Pierce) Wright from the Madison County, Indiana Health Department:





I already knew their date of death and places of burial, but for some reason had not bothered to obtain the official copies of the death certificates.

In doing so, I discovered that Virgil suffered from diabetes, something I didn't know.

The next step in documenting their lives will be to obtain a copy of their birth certificates. I'm going back through my files and filling in the gaps in the paper trail of my research.