Stephanie's Genealogy

Patriarchal Blessings of my Ancestors

2012-01-24T21:07:00.000-05:00

I thought that I had posted this info a few months ago, but tonight I just happened to look at the genealogy blog and it wasn't here. Fortunately all the information and images had been saved, they just hadn't been posted online for some reason. Anyway, better later than never I suppose. :)

I found out several months ago that people can obtain copies of patriarchal blessings received by their deceased direct ancestors who were members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Later-day Saints. Many church members receive a patriarchal blessing as a teenager or adult. Both my husband and I received ours when we were in high school.

According to the church’s website, “Patriarchal blessings are given to worthy members of the Church by ordained patriarchs. Patriarchal blessings include a declaration of a person's lineage in the house of Israel and contain personal counsel from the Lord. As a person studies his or her patriarchal blessing and follows the counsel it contains, it will provide guidance, comfort, and protection.”
http://lds.org/study/topics/patriarchal-blessings?lang=eng&query=patriarchal+blessing

So, I was interested to learn that it is possible to request copies of the original blessings received by our direct ancestors who are deceased on the church’s website, http://www.lds.org/. I started requesting copies a few months ago (you can only request up to 4 per month, since they have a lot of requests to process).

My mom and her family joined the church when she was a teenager, but I knew that many of my dad’s ancestors were members of the church. I was surprised to find just how many of my father’s ancestors were church members, when I sat down and tried to figure that out. You are only allowed to request copies of blessings for your direct ancestors, so I started looking through my genealogy file to see how many may have been church members during their lives. From the information that I have, it is sometimes hard for me to know if an ancestor may have been a member of the church (if I don’t have an actual baptism date recorded in my file), but from comparing the dates that they lived in certain locations with the migration of church members westward across the United States in pioneer times, as far as I could figure I may have up to 99 direct ancestors who could have been church members, possibly going back as far as 9 generations from me.

I thought that was pretty cool – I’ve spent a lot of my time over the years researching my mother’s ancestry, but it’s pretty cool to learn about my pioneer ancestors too. The church was organized in 1830, and as far as I can tell (even though I don’t have all the baptism dates recorded for each of them), my earliest direct ancestors to be baptized in the Church of Jesus Christ of Later-day Saints was in 1832, or possibly in 1831. My 5th great grandparents on my paternal grandfather’s side, Mary Ann Brown and Zerah Pulsipher, were baptized on 11 January 1832 in Onendago County, New York. My 6th great grandmother, Zerah’s mother, Elizabeth Dutton Pulsipher, was also baptized on that same date. And on my paternal grandmother’s side, my 6th great grandfather, Isaac M. Allred, was baptized in either 1831 or on 10 Sep 1832 in Salt River, Missouri (I have found different records showing these different dates for his baptism).

Now, I know for sure that not all of those 99 ancestors were active members of the church, and likely some of those never were part of the church at all. And even if they were church members, I suppose that some never received a patriarchal blessing. But I made a list of all the possible ones, and started to request copies of their patriarchal blessings.

Here is my list of ancestors who I have requested copies of their blessings for so far (and the results of each request):

2nd generation from me (my grandparents):
· John Leo Chidester – no blessing found
· Carl John Spohr Jr. – (I already had a photocopy of his original blessing)

3rd generation:
· James Parker Chidester – no blessing found
· Eliza Lucinda Smith Chidester – no blessing found
· Avagail Taylor Moore – received copy of blessing
· Ivan J Moore – no blessing found

4th generation:
· John William Chidester – no blessing found
· Hulda Samantha Heath Chidester – received copy of blessing
· William Smith – no blessing found
· Mary Moss Smith – received copy of blessing

· John Augusta Moore Jr. – no blessing found
· Edith Hunt Moore – received copy of blessing

· Ephraim Austin Taylor – received copy of blessing
· Sarah Rees Taylor – received copy of blessing

5th generation:
· Joshua Parker Chidester – no blessing found
· Juliett Burgess Chidester – no blessing found
· James Harvey Heath – received copy of blessing

· Hulda Mariah Holden Heath – received copy of blessing
· Jorgen Christiansen Smith – received copy of blessing
· Mette Marie Villardsen Johannesen Smith – received copy of blessing (recorded as Maria Smith)
· Stephen Moss – received copy of blessing

And here is my list of those who I still need to request copies for:

5th generation:
· Elsie Marie Iverson Moss
· John Augusta Moore
· Ida Nevada Levi Moore
· Levi Alderman Hunt
· Lucinda Elvira Hyatt Hunt
· Joseph Ephraim Taylor
· Annie Sophia Brian Taylor
· Thomas Parley Rees
· Sarah Jane John Rees

6th generation:
· John Madison Chidester
· Mary Josephine Parker Chidester
· William Burgess Jr.
· Mariah Pulsipher Burgess
· Joshua Holden
· Mary Talley Holden
· Joseph Hyrum Levi
· Sarah James Flake Levi
· Levi Hunt
· Jane Gadd Hunt
· John Smith DeFreeze Hyatt
· Martha Jane Turner Howd Hyatt
· William Riley Taylor
· Margaret Jane Ellison
· Daniel Gross Brian
· Ellen Barnes Brian
· Thomas John Rees
· Rebecca Williams Rees
· William John
· Sarah Ann Ashton John

7th generation:
· Mary Ann Gifford Chidester
· William Burgess
· Vilate Stockwell Burgess
· Zerah (or Zera) Pulsipher
· Mary Ann Brown Pulsipher
· James Holden
· Biddy McDonald Holden
· Frederick John Levi
· Julia Ann Carroll Levi
· James Madison Flake
· Agnes Haley Love Flake
· William Hunt
· Mary Ann Holmes Hunt
· Samuel Gadd
· Eliza Chapman Gadd
· Elisha Hyatt
· Martha Matilda Smith Hyatt
· Simeon Fuller Howd
· Lucinda Morgan Howd
· Allen Taylor
· Sarah Louisa Allred Taylor
· John Ellison
· Alice Pilling Ellison
· Thomas Rees
· Eleanor Furlong Rees
· Joseph Williams
· Margaret Thomas Williams
· Thomas John
· Margaret Thomas John
· Robert Ashton
· Sarah Liptrot Ashton

8th generation:
· Elizabeth Dutton Pulsipher
· William Taylor
· Elizabeth Patrick Taylor Allred
· Isaac M. Allred
· Mary Calvert Allred
· Matthew Ellison
· Jane Wilson Ellison
· John James Pilling
· Peggy Banks Pilling
· John Brown
· Sarah Fairchild Brown
· Mahdelene Bellegarde Levi
· Thomas Carroll
· Margaret ___ Carroll
· Arthur Samuel Morgan
· Sarah Talbot Morgan

9th generation:
· Sarah Best Taylor
· Mary McGardy Calvert
· Ann Langton Wilson

Here are the copies of the blessings that I have received so far. Patriarchal blessings are generally thought of as personal, so I only provide them here because the ancestors have passed away, and because I thought that it would be beneficial for their descendants to learn more about these people and their faith. Although these records were mostly religious, they may also provide some brief biographical information about the person that may be of some genealogical use, including the person’s name, birth date and birth place, the names of the person’s parents, and the date and location that the blessing was given.

Carl John Spohr Jr., my mother’s father

Avagail Taylor Moore, my paternal grandmother’s mother

Hulda Samantha Heath Chidester, my second great grandmother

Mary Moss Smith, my second great grandmotherEphraim Austin Taylor, my second great grandfather

Edith Hunt Moore, my second great grandmother

Sarah Rees Taylor, my second great grandmother

James Harvey Heath, my third great grandfather
(I don't know why, but it appears that both James and his wife, Hulda, each recieved several different blessings over the years).

1843

1856

1872

----------------------------

I have the followng records too, but still need to get them scanned and added here:

James Harvey Heath: June 1875 & September 1875;
Hulda Mariah Holden Heath, my third great grandmother: 1856, 1872, 1875;
Jorgen Christiansen Smith, my third great grandfather;
Mette Marie Villardsen Johannesen Smith, my third great grandmother;
& Stephen Moss, my third great grandfather.

"Some Colonial Families" -- Stewart Family

2011-04-25T11:19:00.016-04:00

So, I came across this book that has a short section on my Stewart ancestors that I got copies of. I typed up the record yesterday, and thought I'd share it here. I have found some errors in name spellings, but it does provide some helpful family information, I think. The author believed that Luther Stewart's father was James Stewart, but also notes the other possibility that Luther's parents were instead Paul Stewart and Jerusha Spencer (which is the family line that I have recorded in my genealogy file). Lucinda Stewart Giffin, the youngest child of Luther Stewart and Esther Smith, is my fourth great grandmother.

“Some Colonial Families: Avery, Brewster, Mills, Morgan, Smith, Starr, Stewart, Tracy” (book) compiled by Eloise M. Roberts, Avard, Oklahoma, 1926. Book in the ‘American Genealogical-Bipgraphical Index’ collection, at the Godfrey Memorial Library, 134 Newfield Street, Middletown, Connecticut 06457. Photocopies of the ‘Stewart’ section of the book ordered from the Godfrey Library by Stephanie Chidester Bradshaw in April 2011. Includes photocopies of cover page, page with Stewart family crest [not numbered], and pages 53-57. [Typed by Stephanie Bradshaw, April 2011].

Page 53:
“From Hampshire County Deeds, on record at Springfield, Mass. ‘No. 20, p 370 Warranty Deed from Thomas Kanada of Blandford, Mass., to Thomas Smith of Norwich, Conn., yoeman, conveying a certain tract of land in Blandford, bounded, beginning at a maple swamp at the N. E. corner of said lot, thence running north 71 degrees, 30 m west, one hundred sixty rods to a hemlock stake and stones, then running southerly and bounded westerly partly on John Savage’s land, and partly on Lt. Wm. Knox’s land, bounded south upon Philemon Doolittles’ farm, to a hemlock stake and stones, thence northerly on the town line to the first mentioned bounds, containing 50 acres with a mansion house.’ Dated March 18, 1783.
Ibid. No. 25, p 554. Deed of above property ‘being the farm I now live upon,’ from Thomas Smith of Blandford, Mass., yeomen, consideration 140 pounds, to Thomas Kanada of said Blandford. Dated Dec. 2, 1783.
Ibid. No. 24, p 558. Deed from Samuel Smith, Jr., of Norwich, Conn., consideration 45 pounds to Thomas Smith of Montgomery, Mass., conveying a tract in Norwich, Hampshire County, Mass., of one hundred acres ‘being the easterly part of lot No. 63 in the second division.’ Dated May 28, 1785.
(Norwich bounds Montgomery on the North.)
Ibid. No. 25, p 707. Thomas Smith of Montgomery, Mass., yeoman, for 45 pounds sells the above tract of land to John Sanford of Saybrooke, Conn., June 1, 1785.’
Ester Smith, born Apr. 18, 1768, daughter of Thomas Smith and Tamar (Williams) Smith married 1784 Luther Stewart.
According to tradition in the Stewart family Luther Stewart was the son of James Stewart, a native of Scotland who left his home at the beginning of the eighteenth century and settled in Mass. Tradition believed by different branches of the family tells that he lost his wife and 8 children through illness on the voyage to America. Only a . . .”

Page 54:
“. . . foster daughter was left, and he afterwards married this foster daughter. It is claimed that the father, James Stewart, and five sons fought in the Revolutionary War. These sons were Luther, William, and Calvin. The other names are unknown.*
Genealogists tracing the line have thought that there was a second James between James and the emigrant, this James being James, Senior, of Concord, Mass.,** who married Jane and had five children, Phoebe, born Jan. 28, 1731/2: Anna, married Nov. 26, 1741, Thomas McGee and James who married Agnes and lived in Colrain, Mass.*** In proof of this line the genealogist gives much the same records that Mr. Edson gives in support of the theory that Paul Stewart, and not James, was the father of Luther. These lines being conflicting and confusing I am omitting them.
The Revolutionary services of James Stewart as given by the War Department and accepted by the Society of Daughters of the American Revolution is: . . .

[Footnotes]
*This tradition is doubted by George Thomas Edson, of Filley, Neb., who gives another ancestry entirely. But as his supposition as to the ancestry is supported by no proof, I prefer the family records given to me by Andrew Stewart, grandson of Luther Stewart, who claimed his great grandfather’s name was James. Mr. Edson says the town records do not give the parentage of Luther Stewart, but merely lists his birth as on such a date. The records as given in the “Stewart Clan Magazine,” by Mr. Edson, Editor, are:

‘Paul Stewart (Walter 2) born March 23, 1723, in Boxford, Mass., married Jerusha (Spencer?). In 1749 Paul Stewart of Suffield bought land in Blandford, where he spent the greater part of his life. He was in a list of pewholders May 28, 1760, and in 1778 was a creditor with Spencer Stewart to the estate of William Henry; and he, his son Calvin and William Gilmore made a deed of land to the minister, with love as the consideration. In 1782 he deeded land to his son Calvin. In 1790 he appears in the first census with himself and his wife the only members of the family, after which we have no record of them. Children, as taken from town records by Mrs. Jessie A. Porter of Springfield, Mass:
9- Jehiel, Oct. 22, 1750. Marriage intentions Dec. 20, 1778, Rachel Williams.
10- Lusannah, Nov. 22, 1752.
11- Daniel Spencer, Feb. 17, 1775.
12- William, Nov. 3, 1759. Marriage intentions April 22, 1780, Beaulah Meachem.
13- Luther, April 2, 1762, married Mar. 18, 1784, Ester Smith.
14- Jerusha, Sept. 11, 1764, marriage intentions Apr. 22, 1780 William Gilmore.
15- Calvin, May 22, 1767: Married Nov. 8, 1787, Eleanor Taylor, West Springfield.
16- Elizabeth, Sept. 19, 1769: marriage intentions June 4, 1789, Edmund Gilmore.’
** ‘Concord, Mass., Births, Marriages and Deaths,’ printed by the Town. P 129.
*** ‘Early Settlers of Colrain, Mass.’ By Chas. McClellen, pp 72-73.”

Page 55:
“. . . ‘Private in Capt. Hugh McClallen’s Company, Col. David Fields’ Regt., which marched from Colrain to Bennington on the alarm of August 17, 1777, six days.’ Also, ‘Private in Capt. McClellen’s Co., Col. Wells’ Regt. From Sept. 22, to Oct. 18, 1777, with the Northern Army.’
The wife of James is unknown. Of the five sons but one is known” Luther, born Apr. 2, 1762 in Blandford, Mass.* Married Mar. 18, 1784 Ester Smith. Luther Stewart’s war record, as given by the War Department and accepted by the Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution, were: ‘Private in Capt. John Carpenter’s Co. of Guards stationed at Springfield from Oct. 6, 1779 to Jan. 6, 1780.’
Children of Luther Stewart and Ester (Smith) Stewart:
12. Lucina – born April 1, 1785. Died Oct. 29, 1875. Married# ‘In New York State in the Delaware’ to Edward Mills. Their descendants are given in the ‘Avery’ chapter of this book.
13. Lydia – born Jan. 11, 1787.
14. Rolan – born Jan. 27, 1789.
15. Tamar – born March 8, 1791.
16. Nancy – born Jan. 20, 1793.
17. Luther – born Oct. 20, 1794.
18. Ada – born July 19, 1798.
19. Asa – born May 12, 1801.
20. Marvin – born Feb. 17, 1803. Married** 1842 Sally Ann Flower, said to be one fourth Indian blood. They had at least three children, William D., Thomas, and Mary Lucina, who married Eber Hodge in Ohio.
21. James – born Mar. 4, 1806, married* Nancy Whitley, Dec. 27, 1834. Moved to Logan County, Ohio, where the following 13 children were born: . . .

[Footnotes]
*From original town records of Blandford, Mass., copied by Mrs. Jessie A. Porter, Springfield, Mass., for the ‘Stewart Clan Magazine.’
#‘Pioneer and Patriot Families of Brandford Co. Penna.’
*This Stewart family history given to me by my mother, Laura Caroline Taylor, and by Andrew Stewart.”

Page 56:
“. . . I. Andrew – (The family historian who supplied the Stewart line for this book). Born July 5, 1836. Married Kenracie Stratton, his cousin, a daughter of Olive (Stewart) Stratton and Hiram Stratton. Two children were born to Andrew and Kenracie, Olive and Nan. Andrew Stewart died in Lincoln, Nebraska, after 1918.
II. Kitty Ann – born Nov. 19, 1837.
III. John – born May 10, 1839. Died young.
IV. Ester – born Jan. 26, 1841. Married.
V. Milton – born July 10, 1842. Died young.
VI. Joseph – born Aug. 17, 1845.
VII. Whitely – born May 28, 1847. Unmarried. Soldier in Union Army in Civil War.
VIII. Wilson – born May 31, 1849.
IX. Luther – born April 11, 1851.
X. Ed – born June 11, 1853.
XI. Laura – born Aug. 3, 1855.
XII. Nancy – born July 21, 1857.
XIII. Eddy – born Feb. 1, 1861.
22. Olive Stewart, eleventh child of Luther and Ester (Smith) Stewart was born April 1, 1808, in Little Valley, Cattaraugus Co., N. Y. Married in Towanda, Penna., to Hiram Stratton, Feb. 4, 1831. Lived in Missouri. Children of Olive (Stewart) Stratton and Hiram Stratton:
I. Louisa – born April 8, 1832. Unmarried.
II. Myron L. – born May 28, 1833, married Mary Rauk and had children, Luther, Frank, Julia, Mary, Sarah. Myron L. served in the Union Army in the Missouri Militia during the Civil War.
III. Stewart C. – born Jan. 31, 1836. Married Crissie Orr. Children, George, Nannie, Charles C., Oliver, Edward, May, Myrtle E., Stewart C. Stratton was a Methodist Preacher.
IV. George B. – born Sept. 12, 1837. Married Ruth Ellen League. Children, Myron L., William J., and Almeda. George B. Stratton was in the 33 Iowa Regt. Union Army in the Civil War for three years. Was a war prisoner for ten months. . . . ”

Page 57:
“. . . V. Emmaline – born Mar. 20, 1842. Unmarried.
IX. Wilson – born July 21, 1844. Unmarried.
X. Kenracie – born June 13, 1846. Married her cousin Andrew Stewart.
XI. Olive – born Nov. 16, 1849. Married Thomas J. League.

13. Thomas Stewart, thirteenth child of Luther and Ester (Smith) Stewart, born Sept. 9, 1812. Married 1st 1838 in Ohio to Eliza Timmons. Lived in Logan County, Ohio. Had at least three children, Luther, Lucy, and Edmond who died young. Married second, to Ellen La Fre. Children John Mufford and Millard Fillmore.

15. Lucinda, fifteenth child of Luther and Ester (Smith) Stewart, born Dec. 11, 1815. Married Matthew Griffin, and had at least two children, Olive and Ann. Lucinda is said to have been born in Blandford, Mass., but I am inclined to think Lucina is meant, as in 1815 the Stewart family was living in Ohio.

After the Revolutionary War Luther Stewart and family moved from Conn. (?) to N. Y. State, probably Delaware County, then to Seneca Co., and perhaps to Genesee. Then in 1811 to Hamilton Co. Ohio. In 1814 they moved to Clarke Co., and there in 1815 Luther Stewart died. Ester, his wife, moved to Logan County Ohio, and there died in 1845. If Lucinda was born in Blandford Mass., it means that Ester went back to Mass., in 1815, and then back to Ohio.”

My notes:

Numbering of the children of Luther and Ester Smith Stewart is typed as found in the original document: 1 through 11, 13, and 15. No 12th or 14th children were listed. I suppose that this was probably just a numbering error in the original text. Although it does specifically say that Thomas was the thirteenth child, and Lucinda was the 15th, so I suppose it could also mean that there are two children not listed that the author did not know the names of???
Also, “Ellen La Fre” who is referred to as the second wife of Thomas Stewart, should be Elenor Morgan Lefevre Stewart. I have copies of an original letter written by Elenor, which you can view here: http://stephsgenealogy.blogspot.com/2008/07/old-letter.html
And the husband of Lucinda Stewart was Matthew Giffin (not Griffin).

Just for fun . . .

2011-04-20T14:50:00.000-04:00

So, I decided to restore this cool old photo of my great grandpa, Ivan J Moore. I quite enjoy doing this, especially when the photo is cool enough to make the time and effort worth it. And I have always loved this photo – (I have this idea of someday taking this photo to a carpenter and having a little piece of furniture made just like the cute little bench he is sitting on). Anyways, just thought I’d share the ‘before’ and ‘after’ photos.

RootsMagic

2011-04-20T14:42:00.000-04:00

So, I decided to do it. I am going to switch to a new genealogy software – which is a big deal coming from me, since I’m such a die hard PAF fan. But there are some things that I really wanted to do that PAF can’t (most recently, I wanted to import a rather large gedcom file into my PAF file, and I wanted to have a source for each of the new individuals saying where the information came from – as far as I can tell PAF can’t do that automatically, it would require manually entering some 4,000 sources, which is not going to happen). Anyways, someone recommended RootsMagic at a genealogy conference that I taught a training class at last Saturday, and I decided to try it out. They have a free basic version, then if you want you can upgrade to the full version for $29 (don’t know if/when I’ll get to that point, but the free version is good for now). The person who recommended it to me said that it is much better than FamilyInsight (some software that I was using) for syncing your file with the new.familysearch.org site, and they were right. I’ve put in a little time watching a few rather lengthy (but worthwhile) online tutorials from the RootsMagic site so that I know exactly how it all works, and I’m convinced. There are a few little things that I’m still getting used to, but I’ve been pleased so far. And the new.familysearch syncing functions really are very nice, I think better than FamilyInsight – especially because they are integrated right into the genealogy software program, instead of a separate program that you need to open each time you want to use it. It’s been fun to learn how to use it so far. Last night I even happened to find another child (who died as an infant in 1922) for my great great grandparents, John Augusta Moore Jr. and Edith Hunt, when I was using RootsMagic to sync with the new.familysearch site.

Dick family letters

2011-03-21T15:41:00.000-04:00

I wanted to share these two letters that were sent to me by Dan Dyer. They were written to Morris Dick -- one from his sister in law, Mary Eleanor Pratt Dick, and the other by his half brother, Ballard Dick:

Transcript of letter from Ballard Dick to Morris Dick 18 July 1899. Scanned copy of letter e-mailed to Stephanie Chidester Bradshaw from Dan Dyer on 22 February 2011.
"Winchester Ky
July 18 1899
My Dear Brother
I will write you a few times this evening to let you know that I am not well but hope you are all well. My health has been failing me for some time and my means are about exhausted and I am advised to go to the mountains for my health and thought I would ask you to send me some money to help pay my way while gone out there if you will send me som oney I will try and collect money and send it back to you as soon as I get back Just send me what ever amount you are amind to
Write me at
Winchester Kentucky
Clark County
from your Bro
Ballard Dick"

______________________________

Transcript of letter from Mary Eleanor Pratt Dick to Morris Dick 21 Feb 1890. Scanned copy of letter e-mailed to Stephanie Chidester Bradshaw from Dan Dyer on 22 February 2011.
"Grub Gulch Feb 21st 1890
Mr Morris Dick
Dear brother, I have thought so often of writing to you since I left there nearly 14 years ago but kept putting it off until now; I feel it a duty to write you a few lines to inform you of poor Joe's death. He died last sunday morning. 16th he had not been well for sometime when he took Lagrippe and it went into Pneumonia and he did not take proper care of himself. never gave up as long as he could go. I am left with four children to support as best I can
Poor fellow he has acted very impudent [?] for some years and consequently had nothing to leave to me
Our little girl that was born over there on your ranch just 14 years ago today died at sixteen months of age. My eldest girl is nearly twelve years old; we have but one boy the baby he was six in Jan. he is very much like your little Bob was every one thinks he looks so much like his papa.
I have been very poorly myself with this terrible complaint scarcely able to get about, I could not attend Joe's funeral on acct of it; for it was such stormy weather. He leaves lots of friends every body liked him
Where is Lewis? If I knew his where abouts I would write to him
Now you must write to me and tell me how you are getting along and about the children
I will address to Coleville
Hoping this may reach you and to hear from you soon
Yours truly
Mary E. Dick
Grub Gulch
Fresno Co Cal"

Envelope:
"Grub Gulch, Cal
Feb 21 1890
Morris Dick, Esq.
Coleville, Mono Co., Cal [this line of address crossed out]
Willow Ranch Modock Co C
Willow Ranch
Mar . . . 1890 Rec'd"

______________________________

I was also excited when I came across this photo that is assumed to be of Morris Dick on Dan Dyer's family tree on ancestry.com. I've never seen a photo of my 3rd grandfahter, Lafayette Dick, so it's cool to be able to see one of his brother.

Research Notes: Dick & Butcher Families, Part 9

2011-03-21T14:06:00.000-04:00

, 1900 United States Federal Census, District 41, Township 4, Madera County, California, page 40A, sheet 3, ancestry.com image 9, 6 June 1900, Dwelling No. 24, Family No. 33, Lines 13-18:

“Line 13, Mary E Smith, head, white, female, born Sep 1852, age 47, widow, mother of 6 children, 5 children living, born in Georgia, father born in So Carolina, mother born in So. Carolina, occupation: Boardinghouse Kpr, months not employed: 0, able to read, write, and speak English.

Line 14, Lucy A Dick, daughter, white, female, born Mch 1878, age 22, single, born in California, father born in Georgia, mother born in So Carolina, occupation: Ass’t P.M., months not employed: 0, able to read, write, and speak English.

Line 15, Mary E Dick, daughter, white, female, born Sep 1880, age 19, single, born in California, father born in Georgia, mother born in So Carolina, occupation: Domestic, months not employed: 6, able to read, write, and speak English.

Line 16, Emma D Dick, daughter, white, female, born May 1882, age 18, single, born in California, father born in Georgia, mother born in So Carolina, occupation: Domestic, months not employed: 6, able to read, write, and speak English.

Line 17, Walter J Dick, son, white, male, born Jan 1884, age 16, single, born in California, father born in Georgia, mother born in So Carolina, occupation: Day Laborer, months not employed: 8, able to read, write, and speak English.

Line 18, Wesley E Smith, son, white, male, born Mch 1894, age 6, single, born in California, father born in Georgia, mother born in So Carolina.”

_______________________________________________________________________

, 1860 United States Federal Census, District Town Valley, Chattooga County, Georgia, page 110, ancestry.com image 15, 11 July 1860, Dwelling No. 743, Family No. 743, Lines 34-39:

“Line 34, Joseph Pratt, age 34, male, occupation: Farmer, real estate value: 2500, personal estate value: 1810, born in SC.

Line 35, Nancy A Pratt, age 29, female, born in SC.

Line 36, Mary E Pratt, age 7, female, born in Geo.

Line 27, John M Pratt, age 5, male, born in Geo.

Line 38, Theodocia E Pratt, age 3, female, born in Geo.

Line 39, Nancy J Pratt, age 11/12, female, born in Geo.”

_______________________________________________________________________

, 1920 United States Federal Census, District 143, Raymond, Madera County, California, page 276, sheet 2A, ancestry.com image 3, 4 January 1920, Dwelling No. 35, Family No. 38, Lines 6-7:

“Line 6, Mary E. Dick, head, renting home, female, white, age 67, widow, able to read and write, born in Georgia, father born in South Carolina, mother born in South Carolina, speaks English, occupation: none.

Line 7, Walter J. Dick, son, male, white, age 35, single, able to read and write, born in California, father born in West Virginia, mother born in Georgia, speaks English, occupation: Driver, industry: Truck Freighter.”

ancestry.com, California Death Index, 1940-1997:

“Name: Mary Eleanordick Smith

Social Security #: 0

Sex: Female

Birth Date: 5 Sep 1852

Birthplace: Georgia

Death Date: 10 Mar 1945

Death Place: Madera

Mother's Maiden Name: Callaham

Father's Surname: Pratt”

_______________________________________________________________________

Dan Dyer’s ancestry.com family tree,

“Dan Dyer Family Tree” submitted by ancestry.com user, Dan Dyer (username, dandyer51):

“John Dick Birth About 1812 in West Virginiia; Virginia, USA;

Children:

1. Lafayette Dick Birth About 1833 in West Virginia; Virginia, Marriage to Mary Ann Giffin 1875 United States, Residence 1900 Sedalia City, Pettis, Missouri (Children of Lafayette Dick and Mary Ann Giffin: 1. Emma Viola Dick 1876 – 1958, 2. William Joseph Dick 1877 – 1943, 3. James Robert Dick Skillman 1879 – 1967, 4. Courtland Oliver Dick 1888 – 1958)

2. Morris Dick Birth 03 Apr 1836 in West Virginia, Marriage to America C Moore 1865 Carson City, Carson, Nevada, USA, Residence 1870 All Townships, Mono, California, United States, Residence 1880 Antelope, Mono, California, United States, Residence 1900 Goose Lake Township, Modoc, California, Death 13 Nov 1900 in Willow Ranch, California, USA

1st wife of Morris Dick: Meitha Birth 1845 in Missouri, Residence 1870 All Townships, Mono, California, United States, Death bet 1870 and 1875

Children of Morris Dick and Meitha:

1. Susan Dick 1864 –

2. Mary Dick 1867 –

3. Joseph Dick 1869 –

4. Sadie Dick 1875 –

2nd wife of Morris Dick: America C Moore (daughter of Respino Moore 1818 – 1878

& Elizabeth Nelson 1825 –) Birth 04 Oct 1858 in Missouri, USA, Residence 1860 Prairie, Montgomery, Missouri, United States, Marriage to Morris Dick 1865 Carson City, Carson, Nevada, USA, Residence 1900 Goose Lake Township, Modoc, California, Residence 1910 Goose Lake, Modoc, California, Residence 1920 Willow Ranch, Modoc, California, Death 8 Mar 1920 Willow Ranch, California, USA

Children of Morris Dick and America C Moore:

1. Anna E. Dick Birth Jun 1882 in California, USA Death 1961 (Married Edward Rice 1880 – 1953; Children: 1. Helen V Rice 1905 – 2. Clara Rice 1908 – 3. Edward Eugene Rice 1920 – 2001)

2. Grover Cleveland Dick Birth 25 Mar 1885 in Mona County, California Death Feb 1964 (Married: Rua E Barrett 1887 –; Children: 1. Barrett Cleveland Dick 1912 – 1989 2. Nina B Dick 1917 – 3. Ruadell Dick 1919 – 4. Robert E Dick 1921 – 1997)

3. Thomas Moore Dick Birth 16 Jan 1887 in Coleville CA Death 1 May 1967 in New Pine Creek, Lake, Oregon, United States of America (1st Marriage: Mary Ceilia Larkin 1894 – 1945; Child from 1st marriage: Thomas Charles Dick 1911 – 1983; 2nd Marriage: Kathryn Gibson 1889 – 1987)

4. Morris B. Dick Birth 19 Aug 1890 in Willow Ranch, Modoc, California, USA Death Sep 1978 in Turlock, Stanislaus, California, USA (Married: Edna Jane Vincent 1893 – 1975; Children: 1. Bonita Dick 1911 – 1994 2. Morris Byron Dick 1912 – 1992)

5. Emma E. Dick Birth 12 Jun 1892 in Willow Ranch, Modoc, California, USA Death 20 Nov 1909 in Willow Ranch, Modoc, California, USA

6. John D Dick Birth 30 Oct 1893 in Willow Ranch CA Death 13 Jan 1935 in Lakeview, Oregon, USA (Married: Monteza aka Monta Sherman 1904 – 1971; Children: 1. Georgia May Dick 1922 – 1993 2. John Clifford Dick 1924 – 2004 3. Dorothy Lou Dick 1926 – 1995 4. June V Dick 1932 –)

7. Rhesa E. Dick Birth 18 Sep 1897 in California, USA Death Dec 1980 in Granite City, Madison, Illinois, USA”

_______________________________________________________________________

The name Emma seems important to this family: brothers Lafayette Dick, Morris Dick, and Joseph Dick all had daughters named Emma. Is this just coincidence, or could this be the name of a grandmother or other relative???

I think this’ll be the last of these Dick/Butcher research notes that I post to the blog for now. I’ve got lots more notes, but have lost patience with posting all these notes. So, anyone out there who happens to come across this and wants more info, feel free to e-mail you and I’d be glad to just send you everything I’ve got so far. :)

Research Notes: Dick & Butcher Families, Part 8

2011-03-08T20:18:00.001-05:00

http://www.isleham.net/net/hardesty.shtml

Hardesty’s Historical and Geographical Encyclopedia, 1884

“DAVID DICK—son of David and Nancy (Dickson) Dick, was born December 16, 1824, in Ohio. In Wayne county, March 16, 185.3, he was united in marriage with Emily Spurlock, who was born here October 10, 1833, a daughter of Cassander and Bethiah (Booton) Spurlock. The children of Mr. and Mrs. Dick are six living and one deceased: Leander Spurlock was born March 13, 1854, and lives near home; Cassander, born December 6, 1855, died March ii, 1857; the rest at home: Oliver C., born July 21, 1858; William Morris, April 9, 1861; Virgil, October 29, 1866: David Emery, April 20, 1869; Alfred, September 30, 1873. Mr. and Mrs. Dick and their three oldest children are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Mrs. Dick is related to Rev. Burwell Spurlock, the zealous pioneer preacher elsewhere spoken of in this work. David Dick owns and carries on a fine little farm of 90 acres, 1oc~ted on Beech fork. He has two excellent springs on the land, and a fine orchard of apples and peaches. His postoffice address js Falls of Twelve Pole, Wayne county, West Virginia.”

This proves that David Dick of Wayne Co. was not the son of Joseph Dick and Eleanor Butcher – was this Dick family related to our Dicks??? (There are a few family names in common between the family of David & Emily Dick and our Dick family: the names Morris, Oliver, and Joseph Dick & his 2nd wife named a son Cassander Spurlock Dick.)

[searched through the online book, but didn’t find any other Dicks or Butchers (other than those mentioned in the James Cowen bio that we already had]

________________________________________

email

from PTyler107@aol.com

to stephanielbradshaw@gmail.com

date Sat, Jan 15, 2011 at 11:15 AM

subject Butchers

“Hi Stephanie,

I had never clarified who all the children of Joseph Dick and Eleanor Butcher were before, I knew from various documents and stories I came across there were more than was living with Rachel Dick Butcher. I don't know if I had noticed them in these other households or not. Whose homes were they in? Were they bound out because they were orphans? I found a court record of sorts for the death of Samuel Butcher in Cabell County, because two of his children were bound out for service. Horrible thing I think that they did back then, I am not sure you realize it, or had heard it before, but females were not automatically given custody of their own children when the husband/father died.

. . . What I gave you about the Butcher family, my main line, has been hard researched by me, inside the WV Archives and History Library, through lots of rolls of microfilmed court records, books, etc. The special collections library of Marshall University has also been a great source for me. I have looked at every census and tax list, but I have concentrated mostly on the Butchers. My special favorite was the Dusenberry diary, years 1855 and 1856, an almost day by day account of life back in that time frame. My Matthew Hamilton Butcher was mentioned, as well as James Butcher (son of Rachel) and so was Sarah Butchers wedding to Jim Cowen. . . .

I hadn't seen the Hardesty's for that section of Wayne County I guess. Which really surprises me that I had overlooked it! LOL ... more on that Hardesty's later. . . .

Patty”

________________________________________

from PTyler107@aol.com

to Stephanie Bradshaw

date Sat, Jan 15, 2011 at 12:31 PM

subject RE: Butcher ancestors

“Stephanie,

from that Hardesty's I can see that David Dick is not a son of John Joseph Dick. Not sure my phone email is working right; I will try and send you that page when I can.

Patty Tyler”

________________________________________

from PTyler107@aol.com

to stephanielbradshaw@gmail.com

date Sat, Jan 15, 2011 at 1:41 PM

subject RE: Butcher ancestors

“stephanie, you should understand what Hardestys was, it was a series of 'vanity press, books that was originally printed abt 1883 or so. Each person who had a piece added paid the publisher to include them, $5 bucks each from what I heard, which was a lot of money in those days.

From Hardesty's :

David Dick son of David Dick and Nancy (Dickson) Dick' was born December 16, 1824, in Ohio. In Wayne county, March 16, 1853, he was united in marriage with Emily Spurlock, who was born here October 10, 1833, a daughter of Cassander and Bethiah (Booton) Spurlock. The children of Mr. And Mrs. Dick are six living and one deceased: Leander Spurlock was born March 13, 1854, and lives near home; Cassander, born December 6, 1855 died March 11,1857; the rest at home; Oliver C., born July 21, 1858; William Morris, April 9, 1861; Virgil, October 29, 1866; David Emery, April 29, 1869; Alfred, September 30, 1873. Mr. And Mrs. Dick and their 3 oldest children are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Mrs. Dick is related to Rev. Burwell Spurlock, the zealous pioneer preacher elsewhere spoken of in this work. David Dick owns and carries on a fine little farm of 90 acres, located on Beech Fork. He has two excellent springs on the land, and a fine orchard of apples and peaches. His postoffice address is Falls of Twelve Pole, Wayne county, West Virginia.”

________________________________________

from Stephanie Bradshaw

to PTyler107@aol.com

date Sat, Jan 15, 2011 at 7:44 PM

subject Re: Butchers

Patty,

I actually found the same thing in my searching online late last night -- that Hardesty's biography of David Dick in Wayne County shows that he wasn't part of the family. I wonder if his father was possibly a sibling or cousin of Joseph Dick's? (Interestingly, one of Joseph Dick's children from his 2nd marriage to Catherine was Cassander Spurlock Dick, and Cassander Spurlock was the father of Emily Spurlock, David Spurlock's wife). . . .

Research Notes: Dick & Butcher Families, Part 7

2011-03-08T20:00:00.003-05:00

Email from Patty Butcher Tyler:

From PTyler107@aol.com

To stephanielbradshaw@gmail.com

Date Fri, Jan 14, 2011 at 12:55 PM

Subject Re: Butcher ancestors

“Hi Stephanie,

Yes I might possibly a little more about William Butcher, but not a whole lot ... at least not as much as I'd like to know. First I am interested in finding out where you found proof that Eleanor Butcher was William's daughter? I have only supposed her to be his daughter at this point. Did you find a death record for her that tells that William was her father? You have Reuben Butcher as born in Rockingham County and having died in June 1828, did you find a record of that? I had only guessed that he died before 1830, and that his brother Samuel Butcher had died about 1829. So far I had not found proof of this line of Butchers being in Rockingham County, although I have found this county referenced many times as where the Butcher's came from. I did find them in Botetourt County, but they weren't there all that long.

I have guessed William's age as being born about 1760 more or less, and his wife Sarah (last name unknown to me) as born about 1765. William died about October 1824 in Cabell County I believe, and Sarah died about 1835. Both being guesses based upon Cabell County tax lists.

From marriage records in Botetourt Co., VA, I learned of a son named John (b. abt. 1782) who married Sally Maddox on Mar 6, 1802. I believe this John to have been my Matthew Hamilton Butcher's father, but have never found proof of that. For some reason, this John doesn't ever appear to have lived in Cabell County. I think he may have been in Gallia County, Ohio. I believe Sally Maddox may have died and he re-married there, and when he did, my Matthew Hamilton Butcher came to live with his grandparents. This is all a guess on my part, based upon a number of other pieces I have tried to put together.

Next is another son named Samuel Butcher (b. abt 1789) who married Mary Turner 2/28/1809 in Botetourt Co., VA. Samuel was in Cabell County. He's the one I mentioned in the first paragraph.

Then there is another son named William (b. abt. 1792) married to Elizabeth Henson 10/7/1813 Botetourt Co., VA and married a second time, I believe to Elizabeth Brumfield 8/23/1826 Cabell County, VA.

Then there is Hannah Hester Butcher (b. abt 1794) who married Samuel Cowan 12/1/1814 in Botetourt Co., VA. This Cowan family was in Cabell County, I think, I know at least 2 of their children were ... Thomas Jefferson Cowan and James Cowan. James Cowan married Sarah Butcher, daughter of Reuben Butcher and Rachel Dick, as his second wife.

Then there's siblings Reuben and Eleanor, as you know. And there is a James Butcher I believe to also be a son, he works on the Kanawha-James River Turnpike and is mentioned in Cabell County Court records, but I found basically no other information about him. There is a daughter Mary Butcher who married Peter Biggs 1/5/1808 in Botetourt Co., VA, and as far as I know, she never came to Cabell County. And there is a daughter named Elizabeth who married William Hamilton 4/13/1819 in Botetourt Co., VA ... this being after the William Butcher family had already left Botetourt Co, VA. I have guessed that Elizabeth stayed behind with her sister Mary and then married this William Hamilton.

In my family there is a rumored story that Matthew Hamilton Butcher was a Hamilton and not a Butcher. There was also a story in my family that he was the first Butcher in Cabell County, that he came to Cabell County to participate in a fight, and stayed, but from records I can clearly see he wasn't the first Butcher there. If his father were a Hamilton, then my guess is he'd have been maybe this William Hamilton who married Elizabeth Butcher. But he was born in 1812, and I believe he had a brother named Thomas Jefferson Butcher (b. abt. 1809, who is in some Cabell County records) and maybe one sister, named Hannah Butcher. There is a record of a Hannah Butcher who married Andrew Curtis 4/20/1831 in Cabell County.

I don't know if you've followed my Butcher lines or not. My 3rd. great-grandpa was Matthew Hamilton Butcher, my 2nd. was Thomas Jefferson Butcher, my great-grandpa was Benjamin Louis Butcher, my grandpa was Jesse Butcher, and my dad was Baxter Butcher. Matthew Hamilton Butcher's children were born in this order: Elizabeth, Thomas Jefferson, Adaline, Sarah, Lewis Martin, Julia, John (aka Charlie), and maybe a baby girl who died named America (1845) ... she's buried in the Peyton Cemetery close to where several of these siblings are buried.

I hope I haven't confused you. Let me know what questions this brings up for you. Thanks for contacting me.

Patty Butcher Tyler”

________________________________________

from Stephanie Bradshaw

to PTyler107@aol.com

date Fri, Jan 14, 2011 at 5:21 PM

subject Re: Butcher ancestors

"Patty,

Thanks so much for all that info! I only really started researching this family a few weeks ago. . . . Before I started this research recently, all I knew is that Lafayette Dick's father was John Dick.

After searching a while, I found Lafayette Dick and siblings ~~David~~, Notley T., Andrew Jackson, Reuben, Polly, Morris, Mary, Joseph, and America Dick all living with various families in Cabell Co on the 1850 census (except David who was in Wayne Co). The children were all in their teens and twenties at that time, except America Dick who was 6 yrs old. Andrew, Reuben, Lafayette, and America were the only siblings living with each other -- all the rest were just living on their own with different families. These 4 were living with Rachael Butcher and her children. I had come across a marriage record in Cabell Co for Joseph Dick and Eleanor Butcher on 14 Mar 1822, and wondered if they could be connected -- since I knew the Dick children were living with the Butcher family on that 1850 census. [I found that marriage record and a number of other records on Barry Huffstutler's site about Cabell County called "Doors to the Past." You've probably already seen it, but if not, here is the link: http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~wvcccfhr/index.htm (I also found a number of Dick family and related cemetery records and some other vital records on Barry's site, and I now need to go back and see what the site has about the Butchers, if anything).

So, once I found all those Dick children living with different families, I assumed that it was because their parents had died, and I started searching online for info about each child to see if I could find anything about the parents. I found quite a few ancestry.com users who had submitted family trees with Lafayette and these siblings, and showed their parents as Eleanor Butcher and John Joseph Dick (some listed the father as Joseph, some as John, and a couple as John Joseph Dick). So although I didn't have an original source showing that these were the parents, I took that info and have been trying to find more about the family since then.

So, most of the original sources I have found so far are only census records for the children of Eleanor Butcher and John Joseph Dick and other relatives. I also found the marriage record showing that Rachael Dick and Reuben Butcher were married on 1 Aug 1822 in Cabell Co, (which fit with the Butcher family that Lafayette and his siblings were living with on the 1850 census). I don't know yet how Rachael Dick and John Joseph Dick are related -- if they are siblings or cousins? I don't know anything about John Joseph Dick's parents or siblings.

So, the info from the family trees on ancestry.com is what led me to believe that Eleanor and Reuben Butcher are siblings (plus Eleanor named a son Reuben, so that might mean something), and that their father was William Butcher and he was born in 1771. I've only tried contacting one of these people who submitted trees to ancestry.com so far, and haven't received a response so far. But here are links to the family trees that give that information, in case you'd like to take a look:

"CLEDA R STEPHENS FAMILY RESEARCH" family tree, submitted by ancestry.com user "Cleda45" of Cabell County, West Virginia

[Cleda is the one I tried to email, but haven't heard back from.]:

“Joseph Dick Birth 1800 in Virginia, Death 1875 in LIN CO WV

Marriage to Eleanor Butcher abt 1852

1860 Residence Cabell, Virginia

Marriage to Catherine Cook

Eleanor Butcher’s father: William Butcher Birth 1771 . . .”

<=>

“Shrewsbury/Fyfe/Durrett/Lambert Tree” submitted by ancestry.com user “herdmu” from West Virginia:

“John Joseph Dick Birth 1800 in Virginia, United States Death 9 Dec 1868 in Lincoln, West Virginia, United States

Married 16 Mar 1822 in Cabell Co, , West Virginia, USA

Eleanor Butcher Birth 1803 Children . . ."

Ancestry.com "OneWorldTree":

"Rachael Dick Born: 1797

Spouse

Reuben Butcher, son of William Butcher, Born: 1797

Marriage: 1 Aug 1822 in Cabell, Virginia, USA

Children:

1. Rebecca Butcher F 1822

2. Emily Butcher F 1823, Marriage: 24 Nov 1850 in Cabell, Virginia, USA to Greenville Harrison (Born: 1816, Died: 1916)

3. Sarah Octavia Butcher F 1826

4. Ellen Butcher F 16 Jun 1833 in Barboursville, Cabell, Virginia, USA, Marriage: 16 Aug 1855 in Cabell, Virginia, USA to Charles W Shipe

(I know this info isn't original sources, but at least it gives an idea of where to look for records to either confirm or deny the validity of the information that these people have submitted). And there's still a lot more info like this that I haven't been able to go through yet.

One thing that I did find that was useful was a short biography of James Cowen. It's posted on the Wayne Co, WV GenWeb site by by Marilyn Gauge at http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~wvwayne/cowanjasbio.html

Here is the biography of James Cowen from that site:

"Wayne County West Virginia

Biography of James COWAN

James COWAN was born at Beech Fork, Wayne county, February 7, 1821, a son of Samuel and Hannah (Butcher) Cowan. His parents were both natives of Rockingharn county, Virginia, his father born October 7, 1790, and his mother in 1792. His mother died in Wayne county many years ago, and his father died in Scioto county, Ohio, in October 1879. The first wife of James Cowan was Hester Ann Turley, whom he married in Cabell county on May 19, 1844. She died in that county October 24, 1854, having been the mother of: Thomas Jefferson, born March 19, 1845; Samuel Floyd, August 24, 1850, drowned February 22, 1859; Nimrod, October 24, 1852; and Matthew, July 31, 1854, died August 29, 1854. Thomas Jefferson married Lou Reynolds in June 1866; they live in Scioto county, Ohio, and Nimrod lives in Cabell county.

The marriage of James Cowan with his present wife was solemnized September 13, 1855, in Cabell county, and his wife is Sarah Octavia, daughter of Reuben and Rachel (Dick) Butcher. Their children are four: Mary Susan, born January 11, 1852, married John W. Pack, August 2, 1876, and lives in this district; Hannah Rachel, born October 10, 1860, married Elms Hines on Christmas Day, 1878, and they live in this district; Isabell, born December 14, 1863, and Reason, born January 11, 1868, live at home. The wife of Mr. Cowan was born in Cabell county March 23, 1823, and both her parents died in Cabell county. Her father was born in Rockingham county, Virginia, in 1794 and died in June 1828; her mother was born February 7, 1801, in Monroe county, (then) Virginia, and died February 15, 1863. James Cowan lives on the farm in Butler District owned by the pioneer settler of Round Bottom, Samuel Hatton. His postoffice address is Round Bottom, Wayne county, West Virginia.

Submitted by Marilyn Gouge and extracted from Hardesty's Historical and Geographical Encyclopedia, Wayne County, WV, Biographies List, 1884."

So this biography is my source that Reuben Butcher was born in Rockingham Co, and that he died in June 1828 in Cabell Co. I didn't know how Hannah Butcher was related, but this also provides some info on her birth and death, and says that she was a native of Rockingham county. So maybe Rockingham Co is the place to start searching next. I wonder if we could somehow get our hands on a copy of that Hardesty's Historical and Geographical Encyclopedia for Wayne County -- maybe it would have some other family info if we're lucky?

(On the Wayne Co GenWeb site under biographies, there is also a listing for David Dick, ~~which I assume is the same David as Lafayette Dick's eldest brother~~, with a note that his biography is "coming soon," but the page was last updated in 2009 and I emailed about it but have not had a response yet. I don't know if that biography might provide any info about the Butchers, or just the Dicks? And I don't know of that biography came from the same source as the James Cowen Bio, or from another record.)

So, that's what I've got so far. I am still digging through census records and piecing together the families of the Dick children. Next I'll probably see what I can find out about the children of Rachael and Reuben. Sorry I couldn't help with any real proof for the relationship between Reuben, Eleanor, and William. If you come across any more on the family, I'd love to hear about it, and I'll definitely keep you in mind if I find any more useful records.

Thanks!

Stephanie"

________________________________________

, 1900 United States Federal Census, District 17, McComas, Cabell County, West Virginia, page 4, sheet 245A, ancestry.com image 7, 14 June 1900, Dwelling No. 47, Family No. 47, Lines 9-13:

“Line 9, Benjamin Dick, head, white, male, born Jan 1852, age 48, married 24 years, born in West Virginia, father born in West Virginia, mother born in West Virginia, occupation: Farmer, months unemployed: 2, able to read, write, and speak English.

Line 10, Lucy Dick, wife, white, female, born Aug 1855, age 44, married 24 years, mother of 0 children, born in West Virginia, father born in Virginia, mother born in Virginia, able to read, write, and speak English.

Line 11, G W Dick, Lodger, white, male, born Jun 1834, age 66, widowed, born in West Virginia, father born in Virginia, mother born in West Virginia, occupation: Stone Mason, months unemployed: 3, able to read and speak English.

Line 12, Charles Morors [?], Lodger, white, male, born Jan 1883, age 17, single, birthplace not known, father’s birthplace not known, mother’s birthplace not known, occupation: Day Laborer, able to speak English.

Line 13, Gurtie Morors [?], Lodger, white, female, born Oct 1879, age 10, single, birthplace not known, father’s birthplace not known, mother’s birthplace not known, able to read, write, and speak English.”

[do not know the relationship of G W Dick]

________________________________________

1910 Census, Benjamin & Lucy Dick, Thomas & Mary Johnson, Lucinda Johnson families:

, 1910 United States Federal Census, District 17, McComas, Cabell County, West Virginia, page 325, sheet 3A, ancestry.com image 5, 18 April 1910, Dwelling No. 30, Family No. 30, Lines 9-14:

“Line 9, Benjamin Dick, head, male, white, age 59, first marriage, born in West Virginia, father born in West Virginia, mother born in West Virginia, speaks English, occupation: Farmer, industry: General Farm, able to read and write.

Line 10, Lucy A. Dick, wife, female, white, age 53, first marriage, married 34 years, mother of 0 children, born in West Virginia, father born in Virginia, mother born in Virginia, speaks English, occupation: none.

Line 11, Emma H. Johnson, niece, female, white, age 8, single, born in West Virginia, father born in West Virginia, mother born in West Virginia, occupation: none, attended school within the year.

Line 12, Emory T Johnson, nephew, male, white, age 8, single, born in West Virginia, father born in West Virginia, mother born in West Virginia, occupation: none, attended school within the year.

Line 13, Gertie Harrison, Boarder, female, white, age 20, divorced, mother of 1 child, 1 child living, born in West Virginia, father born in Virginia, mother born in West Virginia, speaks English, occupation: Teacher, industry: Public School, unemployed 26 weeks during the year 1909, able to read and write.

Line 14, Geogie B Harrison, Boarder, male, white, age 3, single, born I West Virginia, father born in West Virginia, mother born in West Virginia, occupation: none.

Dwelling No. 33, Family No. 33, Lines 21-32:

Line 21, Thomas Johnson, Head, Male, White, age 48, Married 24 years, born in West Virginia, father born in Virginia, mother born in Virginia

Line 22, Mary V Johnson, Wife, Female, White, age 42, Married 24 years, mother of 10 children, 10 children living, born in West Virginia, father born in Virginia, mother born in Virginia

Line 23, Ishmael O Johnson, Son, Male, White, age 22, Single

Line 24, Laura T Johnson, Daughter Female White 21 Single

Line 25, William C Johnson, Son Male White 19 Single

Line 26, Annie S Johnson, Daughter Female White 17 Single

Line 27, Lillie M Johnson, Daughter Female White 15 Single

Line 28, Harry S Johnson, Daughter White 13 Single

Line 29, Roy R Johnson, Son Male White 10 Single

Line 30, Mary E Johnson, Daughter Female White 7 Single

Line 31, Edgar Johnson, Son Male White 4 Single

Line 32, unnamed Johnson, Son Male White 10/12 Single

Dwelling No. 34, Family No. 34, Line 33:

Line 33, Lucy Johnson, Head, White, age 76, Widowed, mother of 11 children, 7 children living, born in Virginia, father born in Virginia, mother born in Virginia.”

________________________________________

ancestry.com ‘OneWorldTree’

“Henry Harrison Johnson

Born: 3 Dec 1872 Cabell, West Virginia, USA

Died: 25 Apr 1969 Kanawha, West Virginia, USA

Spouse 1

Sarah Elizabeth Chapman

Born: 1873 in Cabell, West Virginia, USA

Died: 1957 in Cabell, West Virginia, USA

Marriage: 1904 in Cabell, West Virginia, USA

Spouse 2

Lilly Belle Johnson

Born: 19 Sep 1875 in Lin, West Virginia, USA

Died: 12 Jul 1904 in Cabell, West Virginia, USA

Marriage: 12 Mar 1896 in Cabell, West Virginia, USA

Children:

Living Johnson M

Otho Jennings Johnson M b. 3 Dec 1896 in Lincoln, West Virginia, USA

Emma Johnson F b. 12 Oct 1901 in Cabell, West Virginia, USA

Emma Hazel Johnson F b. 12 Nov 1902 in Lincoln, West Virginia, USA

Emory T Johnson M b. 1902 in Cabell, West Virginia, USA

Elmer Ellis Johnson M b. 12 Jan 1904 in Cabell, West Virginia, USA

Spouse 3

Lavina Childers

Born: Apr 1872 in Cabell, West Virginia, USA

Died: 1912 in Cabell, West Virginia, USA

Marriage: 1904 in Cabell, West Virginia, USA”

Research Notes: Dick & Butcher Families, Part 6

2011-03-08T19:52:00.000-05:00

Re: I have "The Butcher Book"

Posted by: Debi Williams (ID *****6944) Date: February 15, 2003 at 13:06:04

In Reply to: I have "The Butcher Book" by Sandy Harmsen

“Hi Sandy,

I would really appreciate it if you could look in your book for an Eleanor Butcher. The only information I have on her is that she married a Joseph Dick on March 14, 1822 in Cabell County, VA. I believe she may have been a sister of Reuben Butcher. Any information you might find would be appreciated.

Dorothy and Debi”

Debi Williams, email: dlwunicorn@cs.com

[emailed Debi, but the email failed]

________________________________________

< http://genforum.genealogy.com/cgi-bin/pageload.cgi?reuben::butcher::949.html>

Re: Info. on Thomas Jefferson Butcher

Posted by: Patty (Butcher) Tyler Date: March 25, 2001 at 18:42:52

In Reply to: Re: Info. on Thomas Jefferson Butcher by Billy G. Lee

“Bill, I really have no more information on this Susan than that. If your Susan was already in MS by 1820 and stayed there, then I doubt this is the same one. I cannot really tell the exact date that she was orphaned from the Cabell County Minute Book 3, which is an abstract of the actual minutes of court records, meaning what I have seen of them is incomplete. From what I have been told these were compiled from several court record books, (no actual book called the "minutes"), I have tried to find more information on this but have so far met with no luck. There is supposedly more information to be obtained about orphans of Cabell County than what was put into these minute books. Some people have even told me these records were lost, I really have no idea. A lot of the court record microfilms I have looked at for Cabell County are illegible. There was a Susan Butcher who married a Richard Midkiff in 1843 in Cabell County, but other than this marriage record, I can find nothing of them as a family in Cabell County. There was a James Butcher who was born in 1842 and who on his marriage record in Cabell County lists a Susan Butcher as his mother (but NO FATHER). I have run across some of his descendants and am also trying to help them find out who this Susan is, as I feel certain she is tied into my Butcher line in some way.

In 1817 Butchers first came into Cabell County, they show up on tax lists then, a William and a Samuel, then in the following years there was also a William Jr., James, Reuben, Thomas Jefferson, Sarah, and by 1833 my GGG Grandfather, Matthew Hamilton Butcher is on the lists. The Thomas Jefferson who married Susan Peyton was Matthew's son. William Sr. is last in the tax lists in 1825, then Sarah is on for the next years, I figure Sarah to have been his widow, as I have determined through census records that Wm. Sr. was old. Samuel died in Cabell Co. as he was mentioned in this minute book as having an orphaned son, named William, who was bonded out, this was in 1828 or 1829. It may be possible that Susan was his daughter , but the minute book did not say so, only that she was orphaned. I also think Reuben died in this same time frame, as he was last on tax lists then, and he was never listed on any census. By the 1840 census records and by tax lists, my Matthew was the only Butcher in Cabell County. By 1850 my family line and the line of Reuben Butcher (minus Reuben) with his son James being the head of that household were the only families in Cabell, with the exception of the James with the mother named Susan being a small boy in another household.

Matthew Hamilton Butcher married Lucinda Tackett in 1832, besides their son Thomas Jefferson, they had sons named Lewis Martin and John Tyler and daughters named Elizabeth, Sarah, Julia, America, and Adeline. I have told you all this so that you might have a feel for any of the names that were in this family as I have found they do seem to name their children after other family members. I have no idea of the why's of how mine came to be in Cabell County, nor even who my Matthew's father was. This is what I am still seeking. For all I know there may have been more of my Butchers who moved on from this point, and this was all who stayed, it's anyones guess.

Patty”

________________________________________

< http://genforum.genealogy.com/cgi-bin/pageload.cgi?reuben::butcher::736.html>

Re: Butcher's in Botetourt Co., VA 1790-1810

Posted by: Patty Tyler Date: July 24, 2000 at 17:33:57

In Reply to: Re: Butcher's in Botetourt Co., VA 1790-1810 by G WORKMAN

“I found Joshua to have first been on Monroe County Tax Lists in 1811, I saw him there for 1812 and 1813 also. These records are very faded, hard to read and I stopped looking. I did find him to first appear on Logan County Tax records in 1826 and every year through to 1850. Did he have a son named James? I find James on tax lists starting in 1836, then Allen is added in 1844, and Melvin S. in 1846, I don't see Melvin for any years but 1846 & 1847. The only Butcher I found to be in Logan County that I knew was a part of the Cabell County line was Rachel Butcher (wife of Reuben) and she had a brother living there for a while.”

_______________________________________

Re: Butcher's in Botetourt Co., VA 1790-1810

Posted by: Patty Tyler Date: July 12, 2000 at 16:54:33

In Reply to: Re: Butcher's in Botetourt Co., VA 1790-1810 by Francis Butcher

“Did this William and Samuel move into the Cabell County area about 1818? I find a William and a Samuel on tax lists for Cabell County starting in 1818, also a William Jr. and a James. Then in a few years there is also Reuben, and a few years later, Thomas Jefferson. William Sr. disappears from the tax lists after 1825, and seems to be replaced by Sarah (his widow? she is on the list because she has a male 16 or above in the household). Samuel disappears from the tax lists after 1828. I did find mention of Samuel's death in the Cabell County Minute Book 3, and find his orphan son, William being bonded out. By 1833 my GGG Grandfather Matthew Hamilton Butcher is on the tax lists and by the late 1840's he is the only Butcher on the lists. He had a son named Thomas Jefferson, my GG Grandfather. I am trying to determine which of these men may have been his father. I feel that this William Sr. was the father of most of these men, including this Samuel. Do you have any other information to add to this? Thanks!”

Email address: ptyler107@aol.com

________________________________________

Emailed Patty Tyler:

I found your email address on an old genealogy forum post about the Butcher family. I was hoping that you might know anything about my Butcher ancestors:

Eleanor Butcher b. 1803 in Virginia, was married on 14 or 16 Mar 1822 in Cabell Co, Virginia to (John) Joseph Dick b. 1800. I have found info on their children, but would like to know more about siblings and parents of Eleanor Butcher. All I've found so far is that her father was William Butcher b. 1771 (unknown location), and that Eleanor had a brother, Reuben Butcher b. 1794 or 1797 in Rockingham Co, Virginia. Reuben married Rachael Dick on 1 Aug 1822 in Cabell Co., and Rueben died in Jun 1828 also in Cabell Co. If you have any other info on this family, I'd really appreciate it. I'd be glad to share anything I have about the family.

Thanks,

Stephanie Bradshaw

Research Notes: Dick & Butcher Families, Part 5

2011-03-03T12:55:00.001-05:00

www.ancestry.com, West Virginia Marriage Records, 1863-1900:

“Name: Benjamin Dick

Spouse: Lucy A. Johnson

Marriage Date: 28 Jan 1875

County: Cabell

State: WV”

______________________________________________________________________

, 1870 United States Federal Census, McComas, Cabell County, West Virginia, page 5, sheet 599, ancestry.com image 5, 22 July 1870, Dwelling No. 26, Family No. 26, Lines 14-22:

“Line 14, Joseph Dick, age 70, male, white, occupation: Farmer, real estate value: 150, personal estate value: 350, born in West Va.

Line 15, Catherine Dick, age 46, female, white, occupation: Keeping House, born in West Va.

Line 16, Benjamin Dick, age 18, male, white, occupation: Works on Farm, born in West Va, attended school within the year.

Line 17, Ballard Dick, age 16, male, white, occupation: Works on Farm, born in West Va, attended school within the year.

Line 18, Casander Dick, age 15, male, white, occupation: Works on Farm, born in West Va, attended school within the year.

Line 19, Margaret Dick, age 13, female, white, born in West Va, attended school within the year.

Line 20, Catherine Dick, age 11, female, white, born in West Va, attended school within the year.

Line 21, Henry J. Dick, age 10, male, white, born in West Va, attended school within the year.

Line 22, David H. Dick, age 9, male, white, born in West Va, attended school within the year.”

______________________________________________________________________

, 1920 United States Federal Census, District 47, McComas, Cabell County, West Virginia, sheet 7A, ancestry.com image 13, 14 January 1920, street: Trace Creek Road, Dwelling No. 90, Family No. 96, Lines 18-22:

“Line 18, Benjamine Dick, head, owns home free (not mortgaged), male, white, age 68, married, able to read, born in West Virginia, father born in Virginia, mother born in Virginia, able to speak English, occupation: Farmer, industry: General Farm.

Line 19, Lucie Ann Dick, wife, female, white, age 64, married, able to read and write, born in West Virginia, father born in Virginia, mother born in Virginia, able to speak English, occupation: none.

Line 20, George B Baylous, Boarder, male, white, age 12, single, attended school within the year, able to read and write, born in West Virginia, father born in West Virginia, mother born in West Virginia, able to speak English, occupation: none.

Line 21, Jame H Baylous, Boarder, male, white, age 7 6/12, single, attended school within the year, born in West Virginia, father born in West Virginia, mother born in West Virginia, occupation: none.

Line 22, Marguerett V Baylous, Boarder, female, white, age 6 2/12, single, attended school within the year, born in West Virginia, father born in West Virginia, mother born in West Virginia, occupation: none.”

______________________________________________________________________

“We Relate”

Family: Benjamin Dick and Lucy Johnson

Husband: Benjamin Dick

Wife: Lucy Ann Johnson, daughter of Joseph Johnson and Lucinda Bledsoe, b. Aug 1855 d. 1949

Married 28 Jan 1875 Cabell, WV

“We Relate”

Family: Joseph Johnson and Lucinda Bledsoe

Husband: Joseph W. Johnson b. 4 Aug 1828 d. 19 Aug 1902

Wife: Lucinda Hawkins Bledsoe

Children:

1. John W. Johnson b. 3 Aug 1853 ,Cabell, WV (Marriage 4 Apr 1878 Cabell Co,WV

to Henrietta Morrison)

2. Emily Johnson b. 1855

3. Lucy Ann Johnson b. Aug 1855 d. 1949

4. Joseph Ryland Johnson b. Dec 1858 d. 15 Mar 1910 (1st wife: Elizabeth Porter, 2nd wife: Havanna Leith)

5. Thomas Richard Johnson b. 5 Jan 1862 d. 6 Oct 1945 (wife: Mary Victoria Perry)

6. Stonewall Jackson Johnson b. 15 Oct 1862 d. 4 Sep 1959 (wife: America Perry)

7. Robert Lee Johnson b. 1865 d. 31 Jan 1939 (wife: Percilla Bias)

8. Susan Jane Johnson b. 27 Jul 1870 d. 1918 (husband: Arch Perry)

9. Henry Harrison Johnson b. 2 Dec 1872 d. 1969 (1st wife: Lillie Johnson, 2nd wife: Viney Childers, 3rd wife: Sarah Eliz. Chapman Bragg)

10. Mary Virginia Johnson b. 29 Dec 1874 WV d. Aug 1967

11. Bennett Clay Johnson b. 1879 (1st wife: Mary M. Hatfield, 2nd wife: Elemma Ball)

______________________________________________________________________

Benjamin & Lucy Dick, John & Henrietta Johnson, Cassander & Emer Dick, Joseph & Lucinda Johnson families:

, 1880 United States Federal Census, District 14, McComas, Cabell County, West Virginia, page 5, sheet 111A, ancestry.com image 3, 8 June 1880, Dwelling No. 38, Family No. 38, Lines 30-31:

“Line 30, Benjmon Dick, white, male, age 29, married, occupation: Farmer, cannot read, cannot write, born in W Va, father born in W Va, mother born in W Va.

Line 31, Lucy A. Dick, white, female, age 24, wife, married, occupation: Keeping House, cannot write, born in Va, father born in Va, mother born in Va.

Dwelling No. 39, Family No. 39, Lines 32-33:

Line 32, John W. Johnson, white, male, age 25, married, occupation: Laborer, cannot write, born in W Va, father born in W Va, mother born in Va.

Line 33, Heneretta J. Johnson, white, female, age 17, wife, married, occupation: Keeping House, cannot read, cannot write, born in W Va, father born in W Va, mother born in W Va.

Dwelling No. 40, Family No. 40, Lines 34-36:

Line 34, Casinder Dick, white, male, age 24, married, occupation: Laborer, cannot write, born in W Va, father born in W Va, mother born in W Va.

Line 35, Emmer M. M. Dick, white, female, age 19, wife, married, occupation: Keeping House, cannot read, cannot write, born in W Va, father born in Va, mother born in Va.

Line 36, Franklin H. Dick, white, male, age 2, son, born in W Va, father born in Va, mother born in Va.

Dwelling No. 41, Family No. 41, Lines 37-47:

Line 37, Joseph W. Johnson, white, male, age 55, married, occupation: Farmer, cannot read, cannot write, born in W Va, father born in W Va, mother born in W Va.

Line 38, Lucy H. Johnson, white, female, age 46, wife, married, occupation: Keeping House, cannot write, born in Va, father born in Va, mother born in Va.

Line 39, Joseph R. Johnson, white, male, age 21, son, single, occupation: Laborer, cannot write, born in Va, father born in Va, mother born in Va.

Line 40, Thomas R. Johnson, white, male, age 19, son, single, occupation: Laborer, cannot write, born in W Va, father born in W Va, mother born in Va.

Line 41, Jackson Johnson, white, male, age 17, son, single, cannot write, born in W Va, father born in W Va, mother born in Va.

Line 42, Robert L. Johnson, white, male, age 15, son, single, cannot write, born in W Va, father born in W Va, mother born in Va.

Line 43, Suson J. Johnson, white, female, age 10, son, single, cannot read, cannot write, born in W Va, father born in W Va, mother born in Va.

Line 44, Henry H. Johnson, white, male, age 7, son, single, born in W Va, father born in W Va, mother born in Va.

Line 45, Mary V. Johnson, white, female, age 5, son, single, born in W Va, father born in W Va, mother born in Va.

Line 46, Denit C. Johnson, white, male, age 1, born in W Va, father born in W Va, mother born in Va.

Line 47, Rachel F. Mib, white, female, age 68, [relationship not stated], widow, cannot write, born in W Va, father born in W Va, mother born in W Va.”

Research Notes: Dick & Butcher Families, Part 4

2011-03-03T12:49:00.000-05:00

***Note: I followed the trail of David Dick and his wife, Emily Spurlock, of Wayne County for quite a while before I found a record proving that David was NOT the son of Joseph Dick and Eleanor Butcher. It turns out that David Dick’s parents were actually David Dick and Nancy Dickson or Dixon. I do believe that it is very likely that David Dick was a relative of my Dick ancestors (maybe Joseph Dick and David Dick Sr. were brothers???), but have not yet been able to prove it. So I have not entirely discarded my research on this family – just set it aside in hopes of making the connection in the future. (As I am posting my research notes in the order that I came across the records, the record that gave the names of David Dick’s parents is not shown in this post, but will be listed in one of my later posts).

________________________________________________________

(Wayne County bordered Cabell County)
, 1850 United States Federal Census, District 66, Wayne County, Virginia, ancestry.com image 19, 19 July 1850, Dwelling No. 129, Family No. 138, Lines 22-31:

“Line 22, John Dunkle, age 43, male, occupation: farmer, born in Va.

Line 23, Matilda Dunkle, age 39, female, born in Va, unable to read and write.

Line 24, Joanna Dunkle, age 19, female, born in Va.

Line 25, Henry Dunkle, age 17, male, occupation: farmer, born in Va.

Line 26, Harvey Dunkle, age 16, male, occupation: farmer, born in Va.

Line 27, Nancy Dunkle, age 14, female, born in Va.

Line 28, Elizabeth Dunkle, age 12, female, born in Va.

Line 29, America Dunkle, age 8, female, born in Va.

Line 30, James D Dunkle, age 6, male, born in Va.

Line 31, David Dick, age 25, male, occupation: farmer, born in 0.”

___________________________________________________________________

http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/5640333/family?cfpid=-356643196

"Hatton/Rice" family tree, submitted by ancestry.com user, "clemski":

"Emily Spurlock Birth 10 OCT 1833 in Cabell Co., VA, Marriage to David Dick 16 Mar 1853 in Wayne Co., VA, Death after 1900 in Possibly Wayne or Cabell Co., Wv

David Dick Birth 16 DEC 1824 in Cabell Co., WV Death 12 NOV 1889 in Wayne Co., WV

Parents of Emily Spurlock: Cassander Spurlock and Bethia "Betsy" Booten

Cassander Spurlock Birth 20 MAR 1812 in Cabell Co., VA, Marriage to Bethia "Betsy" Booten 23 Dec 1832 in Cabell Co., VA, Death 4 Apr 1901 in Wayne, West Virginia, United States

Ressidences of Cassander Spurlock: 1840 -- Cabell, Virginia, USA, 1850 -- District 66, Wayne, Virginia, 1860 -- Wayne, Virginia, 1870 -- Union, Wayne, West Virginia, 1880 -- Union, Wayne, West Virginia, United States, 1900 -- Union District (Northeast Side), Wayne, West Virginia

Bethia "Betsy" Booten Birth 9 MAR 1813 in Cabell Co., VA Death 4 AUG 1856 in Wayne Co., VA

Children of Cassander Spurlock and Bethia "Betsy" Booten:

1. Emily Spurlock

2. America Spurlock Birth 18 OCT 1835 in Cabell Co., VA, Marriage to Leroy Newman (Birth JAN 1835 in Cabell Co., VA Death AUG 1904 in Cabell Co., WV) 16 Sep 1858 in Wayne Co., VA, Death 4 JAN 1909 in Cabell Co., WV

3. Mary Ann Spurlock Birth 23 APR 1841 in Wayne Co., Marriage to Greenville Barbour (Birth 16 MAR 1853 in Wayne Co., VA Death 9 OCT 1927 in Wayne Co., WV) abt 1876, VA Death 2 MAY 1892 in Wayne Co., WV, children of Mary Ann Spurlock and Greenville Barbour: 1. Shelby Barbour 1876 – 1876 (male), 2. Okey J. Barbour 1877 – 1947 (male) [other spouses of Greenville Barbour: 2. Eliza J. Carter 1850 – 1914, 3. Celia E. Newman 1863 – 1919, 4. Louisa Myers 1856 – 1933]

4. William E. Spurlock Birth 24 APR 1843 in Wayne Co., VA, Marriage to Evaline D. Ray (Birth OCT 1846 in VA Death 31 JAN 1919 in Cabell Co., WV) 23 Mar 1865 in Cabell Co., WV, Death 30 AUG 1930 in Cabell Co., WV, Child of William E. Spurlock and Evaline D. Ray: Cassie Spurlock Birth 29 MAY 1865 in Cabell Co., Wv Death 7 APR 1948 in Cabell Co., WV [Cassie Marriage to Edward Wright Gallaher (Birth about 1862 in Cabell Co., VA Death 3 JUN 1949 in Cabell Co., WV) 7 Nov 1895 in Cabell Co., WV]

5. Morris Spurlock Birth 30 DEC 1845 in Wayne Co., VA, Marriage to Samantha Cardwell (Birth 12 JAN 1850 in Cabell Co., VA Death 14 APR 1928 in Cabell Co., WV) 22 Dec 1870 in Cabell Co., WV, Death 21 JUN 1933 in Wayne Co., WV

6. Elizabeth Caroline Spurlock Birth 3 MAY 1848 in Wayne Co., VA

7. Arrannis Spurlock (female) Birth about 1851 in Wayne Co., VA"

____________________________________________________________

“Doors to the Past,” Mud River Cemetery in Cabell County, West Virginia

“Mud River Details: Latitude: N 38° 25. 068, Longitude: W 082° 14. 411, Elevation: 640 feet, Accuracy: 16 feet

From Barboursville, WV take US 60 East until you come to the Mud River Baptist Church on your Right. At the Red Light turn Right and go up to the church. The cemetery is located behind the church. It is not fenced but is maintained by the church.

The church and cemetery is located on the Old James River Turnpike at Blue Sulphur. The church was founded in 1807 and the land was donated by John, Thomas, Henry and Eliza Dundas.

Updated February 21, 2008, Submitted by Barry Huffstutler”

Dick burials:

“CYNTHIA A.

WIFE OF

A. J. DICK

DIED

JUNE 23, 1860

AGED

28ys. 7mo. 19ds.”

--------------------

“ELLIE L.

DAU OF

A. J. & M. V. DICK

DIED

OCT. 1, 1872

AGED

5ys. 11mo. 6ds.

Footstone: "E.L.D."

--------------------

“H. L. DICK

FEB. 14, 1857

APR. 20, 1916

HIS WIFE

KIZZIE RAMEY

MAY 17, 1858

DICK”

--------------------

“MARY V.

WIFE OF

A. J. DICK

DIED

JAN. 16, 1873

AGED

32ys. 8mo.

Footstone: "M.V.D."”

____________________________________________________________

http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~wvcccfhr/churches/mudriver.htm

Mud River Baptist Church

“This is the oldest church in the Guyandotte Association of Baptist Churches. The typical church on the frontier began in homes. Later a log structure was built with crude benches for the congregation. This one room structure with stone chimney was used once a week.
A picture of the 1841 building shows two doors, one for the men and one for the women. Men traditionally sat on the left side and women on the right. Traditionally they were served communion from different cups as well!
Two County Court record books corroborate the organization of the Mud River Baptist Church in 1807. Also from the Court records: “The Baptist Society of Mud River, May 5, 1821, John Dundas, Thomas Dundas, and Henry T. Dundas, consideration of 1.00, adjoining the the plantation formally in the occupancy of Col. John Everett, and at the present occupied by said society as a church lot and burial ground…..Beginning on the South side of the main road containing an acre to have and to hold said piece or parcel of ground unto the said Baptist Society of Mud River and their successors forever.”
The 1807 church covenant, in part, states; “The Baptist covenant of a number of members….a home God hath fixed our habitation on Mud River and Guyandotte and adjacent parts an arm of the Valley church with full consent of their body have assembled with out assistant elders and helps from our sister churches.”
____________________________________________________________

http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~wvcccfhr/index.htm

“Doors to the Past” Cabell County, West Virginia website by Barry Huffstutler

"Cabell Co, West Virginia births1853-59:

Jul 15, 1853 DICK, Rufus Albert, M, parents: A. J. & Cynthia Ann"

“Cabell Co, West Virginia births1853-59:

http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~wvcccfhr/births/1856.htm

May 4, 1856, DICK, Margaret Elen, F, parents: Joseph & Catherine

http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~wvcccfhr/births/1857.htm

Oct 1857, DICK, Henry J., M, parents: Joseph & Catherine

http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~wvcccfhr/births/1859.htm

Jun 5, 1859, DICK, Catherine, F, parents: Joseph & Catherine”

_______________________________________________________________________

“Doors to the Past” Cabell County, West Virginia website by Barry Huffstutler

“Cabell Co, W Virginia deaths, 1853-1889, 1917-1922

http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~wvcccfhr/deaths/1872.htm

Oct 1872, DICK, Nellie V., age 5, parents: A. J. & M. Dick”

_______________________________________________________________________

“Doors to the Past” Cabell County, West Virginia website by Barry Huffstutler

“Early Cabell County Marriages, 1809-1850

http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~wvcccfhr/marriages1/1822.htm

husband: DICK, Joseph, wife: BUTCHER, Eleanor, date: 14 Mar 1822”

____________________________________________________________

Buffalo County, Nebraska USGenWeb.org site

http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~nebuffal/marriage/marr1880.htm

Buffalo County Marriages, Vol. 2, 1880

(Data provided by Fort Kearny Genealogical Society)

“Date: 16 Jan 1880, Groom & Bride: DICK, Notley SCOLES, Mrs. Rosa P, Age: 47, 42, Birth place: Virginia, Ohio, Parents' Names: Joseph Dick & Eleanor Butcher, Michael D Phifer & Rebecca Bright, Page: 70”

____________________________________________________________

http://genforum.genealogy.com/dick/messages/744.html

Notley -Joseph Dick-Eleanor Butcher-WVa

Posted by: Carol Blew Jobin Date: November 06, 2000 at 11:21:44

“Searching for info on the family of Joseph Dick and wife Eleanor Butcher, Cabell Co. Va. Son Notley b Va 1830's? died Buffalo Co. Neb early 1900's was my ggrandfather. Carol Blew Jobin”

____________________________________________________________

http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~wvwayne/cowanjasbio.html

“Wayne County West Virginia

Biography of James COWAN

James COWAN was born at Beech Fork, Wayne county, February 7, 1821, a son of Samuel and Hannah (Butcher) Cowan. His parents were both natives of Rockingharn county, Virginia, his father born October 7, 1790, and his mother in 1792. His mother died in Wayne county many years ago, and his father died in Scioto county, Ohio, in October 1879. The first wife of James Cowan was Hester Ann Turley, whom he married in Cabell county on May 19, 1844. She died in that county October 24, 1854, having been the mother of: Thomas Jefferson, born March 19, 1845; Samuel Floyd, August 24, 1850, drowned February 22, 1859; Nimrod, October 24, 1852; and Matthew, July 31, 1854, died August 29, 1854. Thomas Jefferson married Lou Reynolds in June 1866; they live in Scioto county, Ohio, and Nimrod lives in Cabell county.

The marriage of James Cowan with his present wife was solemnized September 13, 1855, in Cabell county, and his wife is Sarah Octavia, daughter of Reuben and Rachel (Dick) Butcher. Their children are four: Mary Susan, born January 11, 1852, married John W. Pack, August 2, 1876, and lives in this district; Hannah Rachel, born October 10, 1860, married Elms Hines on Christmas Day, 1878, and they live in this district; Isabell, born December 14, 1863, and Reason, born January 11, 1868, live at home. The wife of Mr. Cowan was born in Cabell county March 23, 1823, and both her parents died in Cabell county. Her father was born in Rockingham county, Virginia, in 1794 and died in June 1828; her mother was born February 7, 1801, in Monroe county, (then) Virginia, and died February 15, 1863. James Cowan lives on the farm in Butler District owned by the pioneer settler of Round Bottom, Samuel Hatton. His postoffice address is Round Bottom, Wayne county, West Virginia.

Submitted by Marilyn Gouge and extracted from Hardesty's Historical and Geographical Encyclopedia, Wayne County, WV, Biographies List, 1884.”

____________________________________________________________

Wayne County, West Virginia

Biographies

“David DICK (1824-?) Coming Soon”

Copyright 2003-2009 Marilyn Gouge (email: marilynandmonty@cox.net)

This page last updated 3 February 2009

[Emailed Marilyn Gouge on 11 Jan 2011 to see if she has the biography of David Dick, did not hear back from her.]

____________________________________________________________

, 1860 United States Federal Census, [city not stated], Wayne County, Virginia, ancestry.com image 37, 11 June 1860, Dwelling No. 263, Family No. 263, Lines 29-34:

“Line 29, Cassander Spurlock, age 47, male, occupation: farmer, real estate value: 1500, personal estate value: 700, born in Virginia.

Line 30, Mary A. Spurlock, age 19, female, born in Virginia.

Line 31, Wm E Spurlock, age 17, male, born in Virginia, attended school within the year.

Line 32, Morris Spurlock, age 13, male, born in Virginia, attended school within the year.

Line 33, Arrannis Spurlock, age 9, female, born in Virginia.

Line 34, Elizabeth C. Spurlock, age 11, female, born in Virginia, attended school within the year.”
(listed next door)
, 1860 United States Federal Census, [city not stated], Wayne County, Virginia, ancestry.com image 37, 11 June 1860, Dwelling No. 264, Family No. 264, Lines 35-38:

“Line 35, David Dick, age 35, male, occupation: Farmer, real estate value: 800, personal estate value: 250, born in Ohio.

Line 36, Emily Dick, age 25, female, born in Virginia.

Line 37, Leander Dick, age 6, male, born in Virginia.

Line 38, Oliver Dick, age 1, male, born in Virginia."

____________________________________________________________

“Ross Family Tree” submitted by ancestry.com user, “keithross21”:

“David Dick Birth 1825 in Cabell Co., Virginia, USA Death 12 Nov 1889 in , Wayne, West Virginia, USA

~~David Dick, son of Joseph Dick and Eleanor Butcher (Eleanor Butcher, daughter of William Butcher)~~

David Dick married Emily Spurlock 16 Mar 1853 in Wayne,Virginia, USA

Emily Spurlock, daughter of Cassander Spurlock and Berthia Booton

Children of David Dick and Emily Spurlock:

1. Leander Dick Birth abt 1854 in Virginia, Residence 1880 in Union, Wayne, West Virginia, United States, Death 25 May 1925 in Huntington, Cabell, West Virginia, USA

2. Cassander Spurlock Dick Birth 6 Dec 1855 in , Wayne, West Virginia, USA Death 11 Mar 1857 in , Wayne, West Virginia, USA

3. Oliver Dick Birth abt 1859 in Virginia, Residence 1880 in Union, Wayne, West Virginia, United States

4. Wm. Dick Birth abt 1861 in West Virginia, Residence 1880 in Union, Wayne, West Virginia, United States, Death 9 Feb 1950 in Huntington, Cabell, West Virginia, USA

5. Virgil Dick Birth abt 1867 in West Virginia, Residence 1880 in Union, Wayne, West Virginia, United States, Death in , Cabell, West Virginia, USA

6. David Emory Dick Birth abt 1870 in West Virginia, Residence 1880 in Union, Wayne, West Virginia, United States, Married to Mary Robertson Burrell, Death 9 Apr 1889 in , Wayne, West Virginia, USA

7. Charles Albert Dick Birth 30 Sep 1873 in , Wayne, West Virginia, USA Death 26 Jan 1940 in Neal, Wayne, West Virginia, USA”

_______________________________________________________________________

“Brachmann, Kimball, Rebarchek, Schroeder, Newman” family tree submitted by ancestry.com member, “wtomlinson_1”:

“David Dick Birth 16 Dec 1824 in Cabell, , Virginia, USA Death 12 Nov 1889 in , Wayne, West Virginia, USA

Spouse:

Emily Spurlock Birth 10 Oct 1833 in Cabell, , Virginia, USA Death 1905 in , Wayne, West Virginia, USA

Children:

1. Delilah Dick Birth 1847 in Wayne, Augusta, Virginia, USA

2. Leander S Dick Birth 13 Mar 1854 in Cabell, , West Virginia, USA Death 25 May 1925 in Huntington, Cabell, West Virginia, USA, (wife: Leah Childers Birth 20 Aug 1861 in West Virginia Death 21 Jan 1960 in Westmoreland, Wayne, West Virginia, USA)

3. Cassander Spurlock Dick Birth 6 Dec 1855 in , Wayne, West Virginia, USA Death 11 Mar 1857 in , Wayne, West Virginia, USA

4. Oliver C Dick Birth 21 Jul 1858 in , Wayne, West Virginia, USA

5. William Morris Dick Birth 9 Apr 1861 in , Wayne, West Virginia, USA Death 9 Feb 1950 in Huntington, Cabell, West Virginia, USA

6. Virgil S Dick Birth 1866 in , Wayne, West Virginia, USA Death in , Cabell, West Virginia, USA

7. David Emory Dick Birth 20 Apr 1869 in , Wayne, West Virginia, USA Death 9 Apr 1889 in , Wayne, West Virginia, USA

8. Charles Albert Dick Birth 30 Sep 1873 in , Wayne, West Virginia, USA Death 26 Jan 1940 in Neal, Wayne, West Virginia, USA (wife: Cassa Spurlock, daughter of Erasmus Acullus Spurlock & Mary Frances Barbour, Birth 26 Aug 1879 in Dickson, Wayne, West Virginia, USA Death 18 Aug 1959 in , Wayne, West Virginia, USA)

9. Alfred Dick Birth 1874 in , , West Virginia, USA”

________________________________________________________________________

, 1870 United States Federal Census, Union, Wayne County, Virginia, ancestry.com image 26, 12 July 1870, Dwelling No. 170, Family No. 170, Lines 7-13:

“Line 7, David Dick, age 45, male, white, occupation: farming, real estate value: 1200, personal estate value: 200, born in Virginia.

Line 8, Emilie Dick, age 36, female, white, occupation: keeping house, born in Virginia, cannot write.

Line 9, Leander Dick, age 16, male, white, occupation: farm hand, born in Virginia.

Line 10, Oliver Dick, age 11, male, white, occupation: farm hand, born in Virginia, cannot write.

Line 11, William M Dick, age 8, male, white, born in Virginia.

Line 12, Virgel Dick, age 3, male, white, born in West Virginia.

Line 13, David E Dick, age 1, male, white, born in West Virginia.”

________________________________________________________________________

, 1880 United States Federal Census, District 141, Union, Wayne County, Virginia, page 9, sheet 271A, ancestry.com image 9, 7th & 8th June 1880, Dwelling No. 65, Family No. 69, Lines 14-21:

“Line 14, David Dick, white, male, age 55, married, occupation: Farming, born in Ohio, father born in Virginia, mother born in Virginia.

Line 15, Emmaly Dick, white, female, age 46, wife, married, occupation: Keeping house, cannot write, born in Virginia, father born in Virginia, mother born in Virginia.

Line 16, Leander Dick, white, male, age 26, son, single, occupation: School Teaching, born in Virginia, father born in Ohio, mother born in Virginia.

Line 17, Oliver Dick, white, male, age 21, son, single, occupation: Farming, born in Virginia, father born in Ohio, mother born in Virginia.

Line 18, Wm Dick, white, male, age 19, son, single, born in Virginia, father born in Ohio, mother born in Virginia.

Line 19, Virgil Dick, white, male, age 13, son, single, attended school within the year, born in West Virginia, father born in Ohio, mother born in Virginia.

Line 20, David E Dick, white, male, age 10, son, single, attended school within the year, cannot write, born in West Virginia, father born in Ohio, mother born in Virginia.

Line 21, Alfred Dick, white, male, age 6, son, single, attended school within the year, born in West Virginia, father born in Ohio, mother born in Virginia.”

Research Notes: Dick & Butcher Families, Part 3

2011-03-03T12:27:00.000-05:00

Sorry, I took a little break from posting more of my research notes as my computer recently crashed and I’ve been spending a lot of my free time trying to install all the programs and software to get it up and running again. (Luckily, I didn’t lose any of my genealogy files).

“McComas/ Qualls Family” Tree, submitted by ancestry.com user, “JRVS5156”:

“Notley T. Dick Birth abt 1827 in Virginia Death in Cabell, , West Virginia, USA

married to Catherine Cyrus Birth 1830 in Cabell, , West Virginia, USA Death in Cabell, , West Virginia, USA

Daughter of James Cyrus Birth 1790 in ,,Virginia,USA Death 1855-12 in Cyrus Creek,Cabell,Virginia,USA

and Sarah Birth 1795 in ,,Virginia,USA Death in Cabell,,West Virginia,USA

Siblings of Catherine Cyrus:

1. Sarah Cyrus Birth in Cabell, , West Virginia, USA Death in Cabell, , West Virginia, USA, married to John Martin

2. Margaret Cyrus Birth abt 2 Feb 1812 in Cabell, , West Virginia, USA Death 7 Jul 1857 in Waters Mud, Cabell, Virginia, USA married to Joseph Newman 1803 – 1865

3. Elijah Cyrus Birth 1818 in Putnam Co,, Virginia, USA Death 11 Feb 1885 in Cabell, , West Virginia, USA married to Mary Margaret Wentz 1828 – 1901

4. Elizabeth Cyrus Birth 1828 in Cabell, , West Virginia, USA Death abt 1864 in Cabell, , West Virginia, USA

5. (Catherine Cyrus)

6. William Henry Cyrus Birth 1834 in Cabell, , West Virginia, USA Death 11 Feb 1885 in Cabell, , West Virginia, USA married to Sarilda McComas 1836 – 1924

7. Nancy Cyrus Birth 1835 in Cabell,,Virginia,USA Death 3 Feb 1855 in Cabell, , West Virginia, USA

8. Matilda Cyrus Birth 1841 in Cabell,,Virginia,USA Death in Cabell, , West Virginia, USA married to George McComas 1836 – 1919

9. Mary Cyrus Birth 1843 in Cabell,,Virginia,USA”

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“CLEDA R STEPHENS FAMILY RESEARCH” family tree, submitted by ancestry.com user “Cleda45” of Cabell County, West Virginia:

“Joseph Dick Birth 1800 in Virginia, Death 1875 in LIN CO WV

Marriage to Eleanor Butcher abt 1852

1860 Residence Cabell, Virginia

Marriage to Catherine Cook

Eleanor Butcher’s father: William Butcher Birth 1771

Children of Joseph Dick and Eleanor Butcher:

1. ~~David Dick~~

2. Natley Dick Birth 1825

3. Andrew Jackson Dick Birth 1827 in Cabell, , Virginia, USA, 1851, 1st Marriage to Cynthia A Leonard 2 Jan 1851 in Cabell, , Virginia, USA, 2nd Marriage to Mary V Handley 28 Nov 1864 in Cabell, , Virginia, USA, Death 1880 in , Cabell, West Virginia, USA

4. Joseph Dick Birth 1827 in , , Virginia, USA Death 1875 in , Lincoln, West Virginia, USA

5. Reuben Dick Birth 1830

6. Lafayette Dick Birth 1832

7. Notley Dick Birth 1833 in , , Virginia, USA

8. Joseph Dick Birth 1837

9. Mary Dick Birth 1837

10. Polly Dick Birth 1840

11. America Dick Birth 1844

Children of Joseph Dick and Catherine Cook:

1. Frances J Dick Birth 21 Feb 1844 in Boone, Franklin, Virginia, USA Death 1920 in Mile, Cabell, West Virginia, USA

2. Rhoda Dick Birth 1849 Death 1885

3. Benjamin Dick Birth 1851 Death 1928 in , Cabell, West Virginia, USA

4. Ballard Dick (male) Birth 1852 Death 17 Nov 1900 in Huntington, Cabell, West Virginia, USA

5. Cassander Spurkock or Spurlock Dick (male) Birth 1854 in Boone, Franklin, Virginia, USA

6. Margaret Ellen Dick Birth 4 May 1856 Death in Bradyville, Lincoln, West Virginia, USA

7. Henry Jasper Dick Birth Oct 1857 in , Cabell, West Virginia, USA Death 28 Jul 1945 in , Lincoln, West Virginia, USA

8. Catherine Dick Birth 5 Jun 1859 in Cabell, , Virginia, USA

9. David Dick Birth 1862 in Cabell, , Virginia, USA Death 1900

This family tree shows that Catherine Cook had previous marriage before she was married to Joseph Dick, and that her first husband was Hiriam Cremeans – but I disproved this marriage. Please see the notes below . . .

_______________________________________________________________________

“CLEDA R STEPHENS FAMILY RESEARCH” family tree, submitted by ancestry.com user “Cleda45” of Cabell County, West Virginia:

“Andrew Jackson Dick Birth 1827 in Cabell, , Virginia, USA, 1851, 1st Marriage to Cynthia A Leonard 2 Jan 1851 in Cabell, , Virginia, USA, 2nd Marriage to Mary V Handley 28 Nov 1864 in Cabell, , Virginia, USA, Death 1880 in , Cabell, West Virginia, USA

Cynthia A Leonard Birth 1831 Death 23 Jun 1860 in Cabell, , Virginia, USA

Mary V Handley Birth 1844

Children of Cynthia A Leonard and Andrew Jackson Dick:

1. Anna E Dick Birth 1852 in Cabell, , Virginia, USA

2. Rufus A Dick Birth 1853 Death 28 Mar 1854

3. Morris F Dick Birth 1856 in Cabell, , Virginia, USA

4. Henry L Dick Birth 14 Feb 1857 in Cabell, , Virginia, USA Death 20 Apr 1916

Children of Mary V Handley and Andrew Jackson Dick:

1. Lena E Dick Birth 1867

2. Ida A Dick Birth 1869”

_______________________________________________________________________

“CLEDA R STEPHENS FAMILY RESEARCH” family tree, submitted by ancestry.com user “Cleda45” of Cabell County, West Virginia:

“Solomon Cook, son of Peter Cook and Mary Carpenter, Birth 24 Feb 1783 in , Culpeper, Virginia, USA, Marriage to Sarah J Smith 7 Jun 1804 in Cabell, , Virginia, USA, Residence 1850 in District 10, Cabell, Virginia, Death 1850 in Cabel, , West Virginia, USA

Sarah J Smith, daughter of Cabell County Smith (father) and unknown mother, Birth 1790 in Culpepper, , Virginia, USA, Residence 1850 District 10, Cabell, Virginia , Death 1870 in Cabel, , West Virginia, USA

Children of Solomon Cook and Sarah J. Smith:

1. Mary Carpenter Cook Birth 15 Sep 1811

2. John Adam Cook Birth 17 Jun 1813

3. Peter Henry Cook Birth 5 Jun 1815

4. Nancy Jane Cook Birth 1816 in Mason, Logan, Virginia, USA Death 1 Feb 1855 in , Wise, Virginia, USA

5. Sarah Elizabeth Cook Birth 3 Feb 1818

6. James W Cook Birth 1820 in , Mason, West Virginia, USA

7. Catherine Cook, Marriage to Joseph Dick, Burial Aft 1880 in Cabell Co WV”

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www.ancestry.com, Virginia Marriages, 1740-1850:

“Groom Name: Reuben Butcher

Bride Name: Rachael Dick

Marriage Date: 1 Aug 1822

County: Cabell

State: Virginia”

____________________________________________________________________

Ancestry.com “OneWorldTree”:

“Rachael Dick Born: 1797

Spouse

Reuben Butcher, son of William Butcher, Born: 1797

Marriage: 1 Aug 1822 in Cabell, Virginia, USA

Children:

1. Rebecca Butcher F 1822

2. Emily Butcher F 1823, Marriage: 24 Nov 1850 in Cabell, Virginia, USA to Greenville Harrison (Born: 1816, Died: 1916)

3. Sarah Octavia Butcher F 1826

4. Ellen Butcher F 16 Jun 1833 in Barboursville, Cabell, Virginia, USA, Marriage: 16 Aug 1855 in Cabell, Virginia, USA to Charles W Shipe (Born: 1833 in Virginia, USA, Died: 1 Jan 1905 in Cabell, West Virginia, USA)

Children of Ellen Butcher and Charles W Shipe:

1. William A Shipe M 4 Oct 1856 in Cabell, Virginia, USA

2. Mary E Shipe F 8 Jun 1860 in Cabell, Virginia, USA

3. Ellen Shipe F 14 Dec 1861 in Cabell, West Virginia, USA

4. Infant Shipe M 8 Jun 1864

5. Robert A Shipe M 1867 in Cabell, West Virginia, USA

6. Ulysses Grant Shipe M 12 Aug 1872 in Barboursville, Cabell, West Virginia, USA”

_____________________________________________________________________

Eleanor Butcher Dick likely died between 1844 and 1850, because her youngest child, America Dick, was born about 1844. By 1860 her husband, John Joseph Dick, had remarried to Catherine. On the 1860 census John Joseph Dick and Catherine have several children: 17-yr-old Frances, 11-yr-old Rhoda, 10-yr-old Benjamin, 8-yr-old Ballard, 6-yr-old Spurlock, 4-yr-old Margaret, 3-yr-old Henry J., and 1-yr-old Catherine Dick. Because the eldest child, Frances, would have been born around 1843 (around the same time that Eleanor's daughter, America Dick was born, it is possible that Frances was a daughter from Catherine’s previous marriage). The 6-year gap between the two eldest children listed on the 1860 census (in addition to the very close spacing of all of the rest of the children), might also support the idea that Frances may not have been the biological daughter of John Joseph Dick. Assuming that 11-yr-old Rhoda Dick was the first child of John Joseph Dick and Catherine, we might estimate that John and Catherine were married sometime around 1847 to 1849. (And on the 1850 census Eleanor is not listed, and her children are living with several different families in Cabell County, Virginia). So it is likely that Eleanor died between 1844 and 1850.

*Note: throughout all of my research so far, Frances J. Dick lists her father as Joseph Dick. I have not been able to definitively prove or disprove if Joseph Dick was her biological father or not, but from census records it seems that he raised her and was considered her father. From the lack of evidence proving otherwise, I have listed her as a child of Joseph Dick and Catherine Cook in my genealogy file and will leave it that way unless I find other sources in the future that show otherwise.

___________________________________________________________________

Catherine was the second wife of John Joseph Dick, following the death of John Joseph Dick’s first wife, Eleanor Butcher. According to , “Cleda R Stephens Family Research” family tree, submitted by ancestry.com user “Cleda45” of Cabell County, West Virginia, Catherine Cook’s marriage to John Joseph Dick was also her second marriage, and Catherine was previously married to Hiram Cremeans. But I have disproved the marriage between Catherine (wife of John Joseph Dick) and Hiram Cremeans. Catherine was married to John Joseph Dick and was recorded as living with him on both the 1850 and 1860 censuses, as shown below. Catherine, wife of Hiram Cremeans, was also recorded as living with Hiram and their children on both the 1850 and 1860 censuses, therefore, this could not be the same Catherine. As far as I can tell, the Cremeans family is not related to the Dick family at all:

1850 census: Katherine (age 30) and Joseph (age 50) Dick living in Boone County, Virginia with children: Frances J age 7, and Rhoda A age 0

1850 census: Catherine (40 yr) and Hiram (39 yrs) Cremeans living in Cabell County, Virginia with children: Lewis age 18, Cyntha age 15, Minta age 13, Cathrin age 11, Hiram age 9, Wesley age 7, William age 5, and Burton age 2

1860 census: Catherine (age 40) and Joseph (age 60) Dick living in Cabell County, Virginia with children: Frances age 17, Rhoda age 11, Benjamin age 10, Ballard age 8, Spurlock age 6, Margaret age 4, Henry J age 3, and Catherine age 1

1860 census: Catharine (age 49) and Hiram (age 48) Cremeans living in Wayne County, Virginia with children: Cynthia age 23, Minta age 21, Catharine age 20, Hiram age 18, Wesley age 16, William age 14, and Burten age 12

(census records found on www.ancestry.com)

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, 1840 United States Federal Census, [city not stated], Cabell County, Virginia, ancestry.com image 49:

“Name of Head of Family: Joseph Dick

Free White Persons - Males - Under 5: 2

Free White Persons - Males - 5 thru 9: 2

Free White Persons - Males - 10 thru 14: 2

Free White Persons - Males - 15 thru 19: 2

Free White Persons - Males - 40 thru 49: 1

Free White Persons - Females - Under 5: 1

Free White Persons - Females - 30 thru 39: 1

Free Colored Persons: 0

Total - All Persons (Free White, Free Colored, Slaves): 11

Persons Employed in Agriculture: 6

White Persons over 20 Who Cannot Read and Write: 1

Free White Persons - Under 20: 9

Free White Persons - 20 thru 49: 2

Total Free White Persons: 11”

From what we know so far, in 1840 Joseph and Eleanor Dick’s family would have consisted of:

John Joseph Dick, age 40

Eleanor Butcher Dick, age 37

David Dick, age 16

Notley T. Dick, age 15

Andrew Jackson Dick, age 13

Reuben Dick, age 10

(possibly) Polly Dick, age 9 (or a baby)

Lafayette Dick, age 8

Morris Dick, age 4

Mary Dick, age 3

(possibly) Joseph Dick, age 3 (or not yet born)

____________________________________________________________________

, 1850 United States Federal Census, District 6, Boone County, Virginia, ancestry.com images 40 & 41, 5 August 1850, Dwelling No. 275, Family No. 275, Lines 40-42 & Line 1:

“Page 40:

Line 40, Joseph Dick, age 50, male, occupation: Laborer, born in Virginia.

Line 41, Katharine Dick, age 30, female, born in Virginia, cannot read and write.

Line 42, Frances J Dick, age 7, female, born in Virginia.

Page 41:

Line 1, Rhoda A Dick, age 7/12, female, born in Virginia.”

____________________________________________________________________

Because "Boone County was formed from an act of the Virginia General Assembly on March 11, 1847 from Cabell, Kanawha, and Logan counties," it is possible that John Joseph Dick never moved from his previous home in Cabell County, Virginia, but that the county boundaries were just changed around him??? (Not sure if he moved or not).

(Boone County History, )

__________________________________________________________________

, 1860 United States Federal Census, [city not stated], Cabell County, Virginia, ancestry.com image 89, 30 June 1860, Dwelling No. 733, Family No. 724, Lines 16-25:

“Line 16, Joseph Dick, age 60, male, occupation: Farmer, personal estate value: 50, born in Virginia.

Line 17, Catherine Dick, age 40, female, born in Virginia, unable to read and write.

Line 18, Frances Dick, age 17, female, born in Virginia, attended school within the year.

Line 19, Rhoda Dick, age 11, female, born in Virginia, attended school within the year.

Line 20, Benjamin Dick, age 10, male, born in Virginia, attended school within the year.

Line 21, Ballard Dick, age 8, male, born in Virginia, attended school within the year.

Line 22, Spurlock Dick, age 6, male, born in Virginia.

Line 23, Margaret Dick, age 4, female, born in Virginia.

Line 24, Henry J Dick, age 3, male, born in Virginia.

Line 25, Catherine Dick, age 1, female, born in Virginia.”

Research Notes: Dick & Butcher Families, Part 2

2011-02-24T17:34:00.000-05:00

On the 1850 census we find 18-year old Lafayette Dick (along with 23-year old Andrew Dick, 20-year old Reuben Dick, and 6-year-old America Dick) living with the family of Rachael Butcher in Cabell County, Virginia. A search for other individuals with the surname Dick in Cabell County on the 1850 census turns up four other individuals, all in their teens or early 20s, and all also apparently living with families other than their own: 25-year old Notley Dick (male) living with the Robert & Mary McKendree family, 19-year old Polly Dick living with the Benjamin & Sarah Davis family, 13-year old Mary Dick living with the John Merritt family, and 13-year old Joseph Dick living with Rufus & Mary Lenerd family.

We know that Lafayette also had a brother named Morris Dick (Lafayette was living with the family of his brother, Morris Dick, on the 1870 census), but no Morris Dick appears in the 1850 Cabell County census. It is possible that Morris was living outside the county at the time. Another possibility, though, is that he was living with a family in Cabell County and that he was recorded under the surname of the family he was living with??? Searching for this possible scenario returned only one close match: a 13-year old Morris Lusher living with the Matthew & Margaret Lusher family. Interestingly, the family of Matthew and Margaret Lusher is listed with four children, ages 7, 5, 4, and 1 years, and 13-year old Morris is listed last, after all of the other younger children. Could this be Morris Dick??? [Morris is not listed with the Lusher family in the 1860 or 1870 census (although he would have been old to be living with his parents by that time), and no “Morris Lusher” can be found at all on the 1860 or 1870 censuses.]

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, 1850 United States Federal Census, District 10, Cabell County, Virginia, ancestry.com image 94, 2 Sep 1850, Dwelling No. 653, Family No. 675, Lines 17-27:

“Line 17, James Butcher, age 23, male, occupation: Laborer, born in Virginia.

Line 18, Rachael Butcher, age 53, female, born in Virginia, cannot read and write.

Line 19, Emily Butcher, age 27, female, born in Virginia.

Line 20, Sarah Butcher, age 24, female, born in Virginia.

Line 21, Ellen Butcher, age 16, female, born in Virginia.

Line 22, America Butcher, age 12, female, born in Virginia, attended school within the year.

Line 23, Andrew Dick, age 23, male, occupation: Laborer, born in Virginia.

Line 24, Reuben Dick, age 20, male, occupation: Laborer, born in Virginia.

Line 25, Lafayette Dick, age 18, male, occupation: Laborer, born in Virginia.

Line 26, America Dick, age 6, female, born in Virginia.

Line 27, John Thomas, age 26, male, occupation: Laborer, born in Virginia.”

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, 1850 United States Federal Census, District 10, Cabell County, Virginia, ancestry.com image 105, 10 Sep 1850, Dwelling No. 731, Family No. 757, Living in “Hotel,” Lines 15-24:

“Line 15, Robert McKendree, age 50, male, occupation: Inn Keeper, born in Va.

Line 16, Mary A. McKendree, age 43, female, born in Va.

Line 17, Everline McKendree, age 17, female, born in Va.

Line 18, George McKendree, age 15, male, born in Va, attended school within the year.

Line 19, Mary McKendree, age 7, female, born in Va, attended school within the year.

Line 20, Lucinda McKendree, age 5, female, born in Va, attended school within the year.

Line 21, Evira McKendree, age 2, female, born in Va.

Line 22, Notley Dick, age 25, male, occupation: Bar Keeper, born in Va.

Line 23, Elijah C. Smith, age 35, male, occupation: Shoemaker, born in Va.

Line 24, Mary A. Smith, age 10/12, female, born in Va.”

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, 1850 United States Federal Census, District 10, Cabell County, Virginia, ancestry.com image 66, 19 Aug 1850, Dwelling No. 455, Family No. 472, Lines 7-11:

“Line 7, Benjamin S. Davis, age 66, male, occupation: farmer, personal estate value: 50, born in Va.

Line 8, Sarah Davis, age 65, female, born in Tenn, married within the year.

Line 9, James Davis, age 24, male, occupation: farmer, personal estate value: 700, born in Va.

Line 10, Sarah Adams, age 19, female, born in Va.

Line 11, Polly Dick, age 19, female, born in Va.”

-----------------------------------------------------------------

, 1850 United States Federal Census, District 10, Cabell County, Virginia, ancestry.com image 137, 21 Sep 1850, Dwelling No. 950, Family No. 989, Lines 40-42:

“Line 40, John Merritt, age 61, male, occupation: farmer, personal estate value: 2500, born in Va.

Line 41, Jane Merritt, age 45, female, born in Va.

Line 42, Mary Dick, age 13, female, born in Va.”

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, 1850 United States Federal Census, District 10, Cabell County, Virginia, ancestry.com image 53, 13 Aug 1850, Dwelling No. 369, Family No. 381, Lines 22-26:

“Line 22, Rufus Lenard, age 45, male, occupation: farmer, born in Va.

Line 23, Mary E Lenard, age 47, female, born in Va, unable to read and write.

Line 24, Cynthia A Lenard, age 18, female, born in Va.

Line 25, Mary E. Wentz, age 72, female, born in Va, unable to read and write.

Line 26, Joseph Dick, age 13, male, born in Va, attended school within the year.”

---------------------------------------------

, 1850 United States Federal Census, District 10, Cabell County, Virginia, ancestry.com image 54, 13 Aug 1850, Dwelling No. 375, Family No. 387, Lines 24-30:

“Line 24, Matthew Lusher, age 36, male, occupation: farmer, personal estate value: 1600, born in Va.

Line 25, Margaret Lusher, age 29, female, born in Va.

Line 26, Sarah Lusher, age 7, female, born in Va, attended school within the year.

Line 27, James M Lusher, age 5, male, born in Va, attended school within the year.

Line 28, Mary L Lusher, age 4, female, born in Va.

Line 29, Taliaferro Lusher, age 1, male, born in Va.

Line 30, Morris Lusher, age 13, male, born in Va, attended school within the year.”

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“Shrewsbury/Fyfe/Durrett/Lambert Tree” submitted by ancestry.com user “herdmu” from West Virginia:

“John Joseph Dick Birth 1800 in Virginia, United States Death 9 Dec 1868 in Lincoln, West Virginia, United States

Married 16 Mar 1822 in Cabell Co, , West Virginia, USA

Eleanor Butcher Birth 1803

Children:

~~1. David Dick, Son born 16 Dec 1824 in Cabell, , Virginia, USA, died 12 Nov 1889 in , Wayne, West Virginia, USA~~

2. Natley Dick, Son, born 1825

3. Andrew Jackson Dick, Son, Birth 1827 in Cabell, , Virginia, USA Death 1880 in , Cabell, West Virginia, USA

4. Reuben Dick, Son, born 1830

5. Lafayette Dick, Son, born 1832

6. Mary Dick, Daughter, born 1837

7. Polly Dick, Daughter, born 1840

8. America Dick, Daughter, born 1844

9. Benjamin Dick, Son, born 1852, Died 1928 in , Cabell, West Virginia, USA”

_________________________________________________________________

Cabell County, Virginia became Cabell County, West Virginia after West Virginia seceded from Virginia in 1863 during the Civil War.

Wikipedia.org

Research Notes: Dick & Butcher Families, Part 1

2011-02-24T09:50:00.000-05:00

Ok, so I wanted to post my research notes from my searches for the Dick and Butcher families over the last couple months. I’m still in the process of sorting through sources and following new leads when I come across them, but I wanted to post what I’ve found so far and then add more as I go along. My research notes consist mostly of every source that I’ve found, in the order that I found it, with some of my own notes and conclusions interspersed. As you will see, some of the leads I have followed have ended up turning out differently than I originally thought – for example: I found information that a person had submitted to ancestry.com showing that David Dick was the eldest son of Joseph Dick and Eleanor Butcher, but through further research I was able to prove that David Dick was not a child of Joseph and Eleanor (although I believe it is very likely that the two families are related, but I have not yet determined that relationship). So, if you really want to get all the possible information about the entire family that I’ve found so far from these notes, you will probably want to read through all of them in order (I’ll number the posts to help with that). I know that these notes are a lot of sources and can be rather technical, but I wanted to make this information available all in one place. If you are researching this family and have anything to add or any changes to make, I’d be glad to hear from you. Thanks!

[Oh, and sorry about all the extra spaces – I hate it when blog posts don’t look nice and neat, but for some reason blogger keeps adding lots of extra spaces between each line of text, but I’d rather get all my notes posted than spend a ton of time formatting, so this is what you get.]

So, here goes:

_______________________________________

Email:

“from Dan Dyer

to stephanielbradshaw@gmail.com

date Thu, Jan 6, 2011 at 4:17 PM

subject Lafayette Dick

Stephanie,

I have been researching my family genealogy and ran across your website on Courtland Oliver Dick. My great grandfather, Morris Dick, had a brother Lafayette who could be your great, great, grandfather. Their father's name was John Dick but I have no more information. I have no idea what his middle name was, where he came from, etc. Would you have any information on Lafayette's parents? I appreciate any help you could give me.

Thank you,

Dan Dyer

Bend, Oregon”

“from Dan Dyer

to Stephanie Bradshaw

date Fri, Jan 7, 2011 at 9:46 AM

subject Re: Lafayette Dick

Hi Stephanie,

Thank you so much for the information. I am at the same point as you and have come to a dead end at Morris and Lafayette's father John.

Morris Dick married America Moore after the death of Meitha (and 3 children..Susan, Mary & Joseph). Sadie was the only surviving child of Morris and Meitha at the time that Morris and America married. Morris and America had 9 children that I am aware of: Thomas - B 1887; Charley - B 1888; Emma - B 1892; John - B 1893; Bessie - 1895; Morris - B ?; Grover - B ?; Anna - B ?; Rheas - B ?. Morris and America owned and operated a ranch south of New Pine Creek, Oregon located in California. New Pine Creek is located on the Oregon-California border.

John Dick married Monteza (Monta) Sherman and had 4 children: Georgia, John, Dorothy and June. All are deceased except my mother, June (age 78). Morris Dick would be my great grandfather. He is buried in the Willow Ranch California cemetery. America Dick is buried in the New Pine Creek cemetery in New Pine Creek, Oregon.

I hope this information has helped you. I really appreciate all the information you have sent me. Please let me know if you find out any more on John Dick.

Dan”

Posted by: Helen D Date: March 13, 2000 at 21:12:03

In Reply to: Morris Dick - Washington Co NY/Scotland by Donna

Donna,

My husband has Morris Dick's in his family. His great grandfather was the first I know of, born Apr 3, 1836 in Virginia and died Nov 3, 1900 in Willow Ranch, CA. He was married to America Moore who was born in Illinois. They had children, Morris (lived in Hughson, CA in 1967), Grover, Thomas Moore (lived in New Pine Creek,OR), John, Rhesa (Ressie) (lived in Granite City, IL), Emma and Anna.

We have letters from a Mary E. Dick, written to Morris Dick on Feb 21, 1890, with salutation, "Dear brother". She was living in Grub Gulch, CA (which we have discovered is near Yosemite Park to the south. She was writing to inform him of Joe's death. I assume this was her husband. She said she was left with four children to support and no money. She mentioned her little girl that was born on Morris' ranch, feb 21, 1876, had died when she was 16 months old. The others were between 6 and 12. She asked where a Lewis was so she could write him.

We also have a letter from a Ballard Dick, dated July 18, 1899, with salutation, "My Dear Brother", but we have no envelope and the name Morris is not mentioned. Ballard was very sick, living in Clark County, Winchester, Kentucky, and needed money.

There are two letters from a friend, D.M.Barnett regarding deeds and prospects, dated in Sept, 1900.

I don't know if this may be helpful to you or not, but the son, Morris, also named one of his sons, Morris, making three right there, so maybe there is a connection.

My email addresses are jimhelen_dick@msn.com and helendick@autocheq.com if you think there is a connection, we could exchange more info.”

[emailed her, but my emails failed to both of her email addresses]

“Willow Ranch Cemetery

Willow Ranch, Modoc Co., CA

This is the cemetery listing for Willow Ranch, Modoc, CA The ones marked *obit has an obit written in the book. I am not sure if this is a complete list or not.

If you would like more info on the obit's let me know.

Janie Edwards, corajanee@shasta.com, August 1999

“Dick, Bessie*obit 1895-1895

Dick, Charles 1888-1890

Dick, Morris *obit 1836-1900”

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=dick&GSiman=1&GScid=39204&GRid=29961756&

New Pine Creek cemetery, Lake County, Oregon

“America C Dick

Birth: 1858

Death: 1920

Burial:

New Pine Creek Cemetery

Lakeview

Lake County

Oregon, USA

Plot: H 215

Created by: K C, Record added: Sep 21, 2008

Find A Grave Memorial# 29961756”

[includes photo of the cemetery and of this individual’s headstone]

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=dick&GSiman=1&GScid=39204&GRid=29961781&

New Pine Creek cemetery, Lake County, Oregon

“Emma E Dick

Birth: 1892

Death: 1909

Burial:

New Pine Creek Cemetery

Lakeview

Lake County

Oregon, USA

Plot: H 214

Created by: K C, Record added: Sep 21, 2008

Find A Grave Memorial# 29961781”

[includes photo of the cemetery and of this individual’s headstone]

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=dick&GSiman=1&GScid=39204&GRid=29961807&

New Pine Creek cemetery, Lake County, Oregon

“John D Dick

Birth: 1893

Death: 1935

Burial:

New Pine Creek Cemetery

Lakeview

Lake County

Oregon, USA

Plot: H block 157 lot

Created by: K C, Record added: Sep 21, 2008

Find A Grave Memorial# 29961807”

[includes photo of the cemetery]

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=dick&GSiman=1&GScid=39204&GRid=29961832&

New Pine Creek cemetery, Lake County, Oregon

“Kathryn Gibson Dick

Birth: 1888

Death: 1987

Burial:

New Pine Creek Cemetery

Lakeview

Lake County

Oregon, USA

Plot: H block 217 lot

Created by: K C, Record added: Sep 21, 2008

Find A Grave Memorial# 29961832”

[includes photo of the cemetery and of this individual’s headstone]

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=dick&GSiman=1&GScid=39204&GRid=29961847&

New Pine Creek cemetery, Lake County, Oregon

“Thomas M Dick

Birth: 1887

Death: 1968

Burial:

New Pine Creek Cemetery

Lakeview

Lake County

Oregon, USA

Plot: H block 216 lot

Created by: K C, Record added: Sep 21, 2008

Find A Grave Memorial# 29961847”

[includes photo of the cemetery and of this individual’s headstone]

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GScid=8450&GRid=37348159&

Willow Ranch Cemetery, Modoc County, California

“Bessie Dick

Birth: 1895

Death: 1895

Burial:

Willow Ranch Cemetery

Willow Ranch

Modoc County

California, USA

Created by: USA Grannie, Record added: May 21, 2009

Find A Grave Memorial# 37348159”

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GScid=8450&GRid=37348166&

Willow Ranch Cemetery, Modoc County, California

“Charles Dick

Birth: 1888

Death: 1890

Burial:

Willow Ranch Cemetery

Willow Ranch

Modoc County

California, USA

Created by: USA Grannie, Record added: May 21, 2009

Find A Grave Memorial# 37348166”

[includes photo of the cemetery]

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GScid=8450&GRid=37348172&

Willow Ranch Cemetery, Modoc County, California

“Morris Dick

Birth: 1836

Death: 1900

Burial:

Willow Ranch Cemetery

Willow Ranch

Modoc County

California, USA

Created by: USA Grannie, Record added: May 21, 2009

Find A Grave Memorial# 37348172”

[includes photo of the cemetery]

Headstone of America C. Moore Dick

New Pine Creek Cemetery, New Pine Creek, Lake County, Oregon

“America C. Dick

Born Oct. 4, 1858

Died Mar. 8, 1920”

(photo of headstone from www.findagrave.com)

Headstone of Emma E. Dick

New Pine Creek Cemetery, New Pine Creek, Lake County, Oregon

“Emma E. Dick

Born June 12, 1892

Died Nov. 20, 1909

A precious one from us has gone,

A voice loved is stilled,

A place is vacant in our home,

Which never can be filled.”

(photo of headstone from www.findagrave.com)

Headstone of Kathryn E. Gibson & Thomas Moore Dick

New Pine Creek Cemetery, New Pine Creek, Lake County, Oregon

“Dick

Thomas M.

1887-1967

Kathryn E.

1889-1987”

(photo of headstone from www.findagrave.com)

from Janie

to Stephanie Bradshaw

date Fri, Jan 7, 2011 at 3:26 PM

subject Re: Willow Ranch Cemetery website

“Thank you, it's not much help, but this is what I have.

Dick, Bessie obit 1895-1895

At Willow Ranch, CA, Tuesday, Sep-1895. an infant child of Morris Dick

-------

Dick, Morris Obit 1836-1900

Morris Dick, ex-supervisor of Modoc County, and a resident near Willow Ranch, died at his home on the 14th inst, after a long illness. Twelve Years ago deceased bought the B. E. Henderson place, near (I. or L.) Robnett's, and with his family has resided there since. Morris Dick was held in high esteem by his neighbors and friends, and many will regret to learn of his death. Nov-20-1900

Janie”

, 1900 United States Federal Census, Goose Lake, Modoc County, California, Sheet 5B, ancestry.com image 12, 18 June 1900, Dwelling No. 92, Family No. 92, Lines 51-59.

“Line 51, Morris Dick, Head, white, male, born Apr 1836, 64 years old, married 35 years, born in Virginia, father born in Virginia, mother born in Virginia, occupation: Farmer, able to read, write, and speak English.

Line 52, America Dick, wife, white, female, born Oct 1858, 41 years old, married 35 years, mother of 9 children, 7 children living, born in Missouri, father born in Kentucky, mother born in Virginia, able to read, write, and speak English.

Line 53, Anna E. Dick, daughter, white, female, born June 1882, age 17, single, born in California, father born in Virginia, mother born in Missouri, occupation: At School, able to read, write, and speak English.

Line 54, Grover C. Dick, son, white, male, born Mch 1884, age 16, single, born in California, father born in Virginia, mother born in Missouri, occupation: At School, able to read, write, and speak English.

Line 55, Thomas M. Dick, son, white, male, born Jan 1887, age 13, single, born in California, father born in Virginia, mother born in Missouri, occupation: At School, able to read, write, and speak English.

Line 56, Morris Dick, son, white, male, born Aug 1890, age 9, single, born in California, father born in Virginia, mother born in Missouri, occupation: At School, able to read, write, and speak English.

Line 57, Emma E. Dick, daughter, white, female, born June 1891, age 8, single, born in California, father born in Virginia, mother born in Missouri, occupation: At School.

Line 58, John Dick, son, white, male, born Oct 1893, age 6, single, born in California, father born in Virginia, mother born in Missouri, occupation: At School.

Line 59, Oressa Dick, daughter, white, female, born Sept 1897, age 2, single, born in California, father born in Virginia, mother born in Missouri.”

, 1880 United States Federal Census, District 40, Township 3, Mariposa County, California, Sheet 23B, ancestry.com image 6, 24 June 1880, Dwelling No. 7, Family No. 8, Lines 35-38:

“Line 35, Joseph Dick, white, male, age 39, married, occupation: Farmer, born in Va., father born in Va., mother born in Va.

Line 36, Mary E Dick, white, female, age 27, wife, married, occupation: Keeping House, born in Ga., father born in S.C., mother born in S.C.

Line 37, Lucy Dick, white, female, age 2, daughter, single, born in Cal., father born in Va., mother born in Ga.

Line 38, Willis Brewer, white, male, age 27, servant, single, occupation: Laborer, born in Ga., father born in Ga., mother born in Ga.”

_________________________________________________________________

, 1870 United States Federal Census, Township 3, Mariposa County, California, Page 38, ancestry.com image 38, 4 August 1870, Dwelling No. 588, Family No. 592, Line 40:

“Line 40, Joseph Dick, age 29, white, male, occupation: Laborer, personal estate value: 250, born in Virginia, if married within the year state month: Sept.”

_________________________________________________________________

Wikipedia.org

“Grub Gulch (also, Grubgulch) is a former settlement in Madera County, California. It was located 10.5 miles northeast of Raymond, at an elevation of 2474 feet.

The Grubgulch post office operated from 1883 to 1918.”

________________________________________

Ancestry.com, ‘OneWorldTree’

“Joseph Dick

Born: 1840

Marriage: 23 Sep 1869 in Mariposa, California, USA

Spouse: Emma Jane Ashworth

Born: 1851 in Mariposa, California, USA

Died: 30 Sep 1869 in Mariposa, California, USA”

Researching the Dick Family, Part 2

2011-02-20T16:45:00.000-05:00

So, after doing quite a bit of research on the Dick family for the next few days, I was very excited when I found Morris and Lafayette’s parents! And since I didn’t just go online and find them right away – it took some researching and putting the clues together until I figured it out for sure – I really felt like a detective who had solved a case. How exciting! And it’s not every day that you “find” direct ancestors.

So, Lafayette Dick’s parents were Eleanor Butcher and John Joseph Dick of Cabell County, Virginia. (Cabell County was part of Virginia until 1863 when West Virginia seceded from the state during the Civil War and Cabell County became part of West Virginia. This explains why so many records show that the birthplaces of both John Joseph Dick and Lafayette Dick were either Virginia or West Virginia).

I started focusing on Cabell County when I found Lafayette Dick living there on the 1850 census. Then I happened to find Dicks buried in the cemetery of the Mud River Baptist Church in Barboursville, Cabell County, West Virginia, which reminded me of what my great grandmother had said about Lafayette's father being buried in the Mud River Flat Church cemetery in Tennessee. Everything else I've found says that they were from Virginia or West Virginia, not Tennessee. So, it seems that my great grandmother got the state wrong, but did have the right name for the cemetery.

Anyways, on that 1850 Cabell Co, Virginia census, I found 18-year old Lafayette Dick (along with 23-year old Andrew Dick, 20-year old Reuben Dick, and 6-year-old America Dick) living with the family of widow, Rachael Butcher. Wondering if Lafayette was living with the Butcher family because his parents may have recently passed away before 1850, I started searching the county for his brother, Morris. I found 4 other individuals with the surname Dick in Cabell Co. in 1850, all in their 20s or teens, and all living with families with surnames other than their own: 25-year old Notley Dick living with the Robert & Mary McKendree family, 19-year old Polly Dick living with the Benjamin & Sarah Davis family, 13-year old Mary Dick living with the John Merrit family, and 13-year old Joseph Dick living with Rufus & Mary Lenerd family. [Oh, and I also later found that a number of Andrew Dick’s family members were buried in the Mud River Baptist Church Cemetery.]

(In my searches I’d also come across a marriage record for a Joseph Dick and Eleanor Butcher in Cabell County on 14 March 1822, and that stuck with me because Lafayette Dick was living with a Butcher family on that 1850 census).

But I hadn’t found Morris yet on the 1850 census. So I wondered if the kids were all living with other families in the area, maybe Morris was listed under the surname of the family he was living with. So I looked for anyone with the name Morris in Cabell Co., and there was only one with a birth year within 3 or 4 years of Morris Dick: 13-year old Morris Lusher living with the Matthew & Margaret Lusher family. Interestingly, the family of Matthew and Margaret Lusher is listed with four children, ages 7, 5, 4, and 1 years, and 13-year old Morris is listed last, after all of the other younger children. Although we can’t know for sure if this is Morris Dick, it might explain why we can’t find a Morris Dick in the area at the time. (And I checked on the 1860 and 1870 censuses and couldn’t find a Morris Lusher, so it’s a possibility). Also, in my later research I found another connection between the Dick family and the Lusher family: I found a record posted to the rootsweb site by a descendant of the Cyrus family (Lafayette’s eldest brother, Notley Dick, later married Catherine Cyrus) that stated that Notley Dick “was elected constable in Cabell County, West Virginia, in fall of 1853. In February 1854, Notley stabbed Matthew Lusher h.o. Margaret Blake; Matthew died March 1854; court records show Notley resigned as constable in March 1854. . . .” So, apparently Notley Dick stabbed Matthew Lusher, the head of the household where a Morris was living in the 1850 census, and it appears that Matthew Lusher later died from these wounds. I wonder if the stabbing was related to Notley’s job as a constable, or if it was just a fight between the two men – could it have had anything to do with Notley’s little brother, Morris, possibly living with the Lusher family???

Then I thought I’d look up some of the siblings living with Lafayette on the 1850 census and see if I could catch any leads. I started with Andrew Dick, and I found numerous people who had submitted family trees on ancestry.com showing Andrew Jackson Dick with parents, John Joseph Dick and Eleanor Butcher – so that marriage record that I’d come across earlier was the right one. (Some of the family trees listed the father as John Dick, a few said John Joseph Dick, but the majority listed him as Joseph Dick). I haven’t come across anything yet that lists parents for Joseph Dick. So, I need to find more original records, but there are enough family trees that agree on the names of the parents that it’s likely correct. It looks like Joseph Dick had a second wife, and they had a number of children too. (The one thing that I noticed was that Lafayette was listed as a child in the family in several of the family trees that I looked at, but none of them listed Morris in the family. I wonder if that is because someone researched the census records and they didn’t find Morris because he wasn’t recorded under the surname Dick?)

Oh, and it turns out that the Rachael Butcher family that Lafayette was living with on the 1850 census is family too. I found a marriage record showing that Rachael Butcher’s maiden name was actually Dick. And her husband, who was no longer living at the time of the 1850 census, was Reuben Butcher. And it turns out that Reuben Dick and Eleanor Butcher Dick were siblings. I also assume that Rachael Dick Butcher was related to Joseph Dick (could they have been siblings also? Or maybe cousins?), but since I do not yet know who Joseph Dick’s parents were, I haven’t been able to learn more about how Joseph and Rachael may have been connected (other than the fact that their spouses were siblings).

So, I’ve got lots of notes I’ve taken as I’ve been doing this that I now need to sort through and add everything into my genealogy file. I’ve been typing up this information here and there in my spare time since early January, and have compiled quite a bit data – much of it about the children of Eleanor and Joseph Dick, and the children from Joseph’s 2nd marriage to Catherine Cook after Eleanor passed away. I’ve still got a number of records that I’ve found and need to look over and add to my file, but I think I’ll try to start posting my research notes of what I’ve found so far sometime in the next few days, and then add more as I get to it. I’m just glad that I got that e-mail asking me about Lafayette Dick’s parents, because I wouldn’t have started researching that family otherwise (at least not right now). So, anyways, I’ll post the source info for this information with my research notes on my next post, but just wanted to get this info posted for now. If you happen to be another family researcher and you are connected to the Dick or Butcher families, I’d love to share family info!

Researching the Dick Family, Part 1

2011-02-20T15:35:00.000-05:00

In the beginning of January I got an email from Dan Dyer, a descendant of Morris Dick. Morris Dick was the brother of Lafayette Dick, my 3rd great grandfather on my mother’s mother’s side of the family. Dan emailed me asking if I knew anything about Morris’ and Lafayette’s father, John Dick. (He didn’t have any information about John Dick other than his name). I wrote back explained to him that I also knew very little about John Dick and his family, except for Lafayette and Morris Dick, who I had found on some census records years before. But after that I couldn’t seem to keep that family out of my mind, so I started to dig around a bit, and I’m glad I did because it paid off. (And it’s especially cool to be able to learn more about this family line, since Lafayette Dick is the father of my 2nd great grandfather, Courtland Oliver Dick – the namesake of my youngest son, Courtland).

Here’s all of the information I knew about the Dick family before I started researching them these last couple of months:

So, let’s see, here’s how I’m related to Lafayette Dick: Lafayette was married to Mary Anna Giffin, and their youngest child was Courtland Oliver Dick who married Lillie Margaret Conners. Courtland and Lillie’s first daughter was Frances Olive Dick who married Robert Wilson Monk. Their first child was Beverly Frances Monk. Bev married Carl John Spohr Jr., and their 2nd child is my mother, Amy Lynn Spohr.

Ok, so here’s all the info I’ve got so far about Morris and Lafayette Dick and their parents: (I don’t have a lot of details on their family, wish I had more, but the few times I’ve tried to research them in the past I haven’t come up with much).

Lafayette “Lafe” Dick was born sometime around 1833/1840, and I’ve found sources that show his birth location as Virginia, West Virginia, or Kentucky. In about 1875 he was married to Mary Anna Giffin who was born in Jan 1850 in Ohio, the youngest of 8 children of Matthew Giffin and Lucinda Stewart. Lafayette and Mary Anna had 5 children – Emma Viola Dick Miller, William Joseph Dick, Charles Dick, James Robert Dick Skillman, and Courtland Oliver Dick – between 1876 and 1888. Lafayette was a wagon maker (my Grandma Bev has an old wooden chest that it kind of falling apart now, but she said it was made by Lafayette Dick). In 1880 he was living in Lindsey, Missouri working as a wagon maker, and in 1870 he was also working as a wagon maker, but was living in Mono County, California with the family of his brother, Morris Dick.

Lafayette Dick’s father was John Dick, and I don’t know who his mother was. John was born about 1812 in either Virginia or West Virginia. (Lafayette’s mother was also born in either Virginia or West Virginia). Supposedly, Lafayette was buried in the “Mud River Flat” Church cemetery in Tennessee (don’t know a city or county, though). The only sibling that I know of for Lafayette is Morris Dick who was born in Virginia in 1836 or 1840. Morris lived in Mono County, California at least in 1870 and 1880, where he worked as a black smith and farmer. Morris’ wife, Meitha, was born in either Missouri or Virginia, and she died between 1870 and 1880 leaving Morris a widower with several young children. The children that I know of are Susan, Mary, Joseph, and Sadie Dick.

That’s about all I’ve been able to find out about the family so far. I’ve listed my sources for this information below.

Sources:
• 6-Generation Pedigree Chart with Handwritten Notes by Beverly Spohr (In possession of Beverly Monk Spohr as of June 2003)
Handwritten notes say Lafayette Dick was from Va or WVa.

• 1870 United States Federal Census
1870 US Census, , (All Townships), Mono County, California, 6-10 Aug 1870, page 9, dwelling no. 143, family no. 143, lines 34-39:
"Line 34, Morris Dick, age 34, male, white, occupation: Black Smith, real estate value: 2000, personal estate value: 600, born in Virginia, male US citizen 21 years or older.
Line 35, Meitha Dick, age 25, female, white, occupation: Housekeeping, born in Missouri.
Line 36, Susan Dick, age 6, female, white, born in California, cannot write.
Line 37, Mary Dick, age 3, female, white, born in California, cannot read, cannot write.
Line 38, Joseph Dick, age 1, male, white, born in California, cannot read, cannot write.
Line 39, Lafayette Dick, age 36, male, white, occupation: Wagon Maker, born in Virginia, male US citizen 21 years or older.”

• 1880 United States Federal Census
http://www.familysearch.org/ census index
Source Information: Census Place Lindsey, Benton, Missouri Family History Library Film 1254674, NA Film Number T9-0674, Page Number 309D
Household:
“Lafayette DICK Self M Male W 40 VA Wagon Maker VA VA
Mary Ann DICK Wife M Female W 29 OH Keeping House OH OH
Emma V. DICK Dau S Female W 4 MO VA OH
William DICK Son S Male W 3 MO VA OH
Robert DICK Son S Male W 1 MO VA OH”

• 1880 United States Federal Census, , District 46, Antelope, Mono County, California, 24-25 June1880, page 63C, [no dwelling or family number listed], lines 45-48:
“Line 45, Morris Dick, white, male, age 40, widowed, occupation: Farmer, born in Va, father born in Va, mother born in Va.
Line 46, Mary Dick, white, female, age 30, daughter, single, born in Va, father born in Va, mother born in Va.
Line 47, Jos. Dick, white, male, age 11, son, single, born in Cal, father born in Va, mother born in Va.
Line 48, Sadie Dick, white, female, age 5, daughter, single, born in Cal, father born in Va, mother born in Va.”

• 1900 United States Federal Census, , District 108, Ward 1, Sedalia, Pettis County, Missouri, 5 June1900, page 163B, address: 219 West Covhes [?] Street, dwelling no. 114, family no. 136, lines 58-64:
Line 58, Lafayette Dick, head, white, male, born Feb 1833, age 67, married 25 years, born in W. Virginia, father born in W. Virginia, mother born in W. Virginia, occupation: [illegible], 0 weeks unemployed, can read, can write, can speak English, renting home.
Line 59, Mary A. Dick, wife, white, female, born Jan 1850, age 50, married 25 years, mother of 5 children, 5 children living, born in Ohio, father born in Ohio, mother born in Ohio, occupation: Seamstress, 0 weeks unemployed, can read, can write, can speak English.
Line 60, Viola Dick, daughter, white, female, born Feb 1876, age 24, single, born in Missouri, father born in W. Virginia, mother born in Ohio, occupation: [none listed], can read, can write, can speak English.
Line 61, Oliver Dick, son, white, male, born Feb 1888, age 12, single, born in Missouri, father born in W. Virginia, mother born in Ohio, At School, can read, can write, can speak English.
Line 62, Emma Dick, daughter in law, white, female, born Dec 1879, age 20, married 1 year, mother of 1 child, 1 child living, born in Missouri, father born in Tennessee, mother born in Alabama, occupation: [none listed], can read, can write, can speak English.
Line 63, Robert C. Dick, grandson, white, male, born Aug 1899, age 2/12, single, born in Missouri, father born in Missouri, mother born in Missouri.
Line 64, Mary P. Goodell, roomer . . .”

• International Genealogical Index (IGI)/Ordinance Index (OI) [Main File and Addendum] (CD), FamilySearch™ International Genealogical Index v5.0 (record found on 2 Aug 2003)
North America
"Husband: Lafayette DICK
Birth: 1834 , , Virginia
Wife: Mary Ann or Anna GIFFIN
Children:
1. Emma Viola DICK, Male
Birth: 1876 , , Missouri
2. William DICK, Male
Birth: 1877 , , Missouri
3. Robert SKILLMAN DICK, Male
Birth: 1879 , , Missouri
4. Courtland Oliver DICK, Male
Birth: 15 FEB 1888 Lincoln, Benton, Missouri
Death: 06 APR 1958 Kansas City, Jackson, Missouri
Burial: Kansas City, Jackson, Missouri

• Funeral Memorial Book of Courtland Oliver Dick (In possession of Beverly Monk Spohr of Lee's Summit, Missouri.)
“Memorial Record
In Memory of
Courtland Oliver Dick
Born Feb 15 1888
Place Lincoln Missouri
Date: May 6 1958
Age 70 years 1 month 21 days
. . .
Family Record
Father
Lafe Dick
Mother
Mary Griffin
Other Members of Family
wife Lillie M Dick
daughter Frances O Monk
Granddaughter Beverly F Spohr . . .”

• Interview of Frances Olive Dick Monk (“Mamaw”), interviewed by her daughter, Beverly Frances Monk Spohr, October 2003
"Courtland Oliver Dick’s parents, Mary Ann Giffin and Lafayette Dick, went to a church in Tennessee, called Mud River Flat [Beverly thinks it may have been Mud River Flat Baptist Church, but was unsure about this.] There is a graveyard in the church yard, and they found there a grave of John Dick. [Beverly is not sure if this is John Dick, Lafayette Dick’s father, but Mamaw thinks that it is.]
Courtland Oliver Dick’s brother, Charles Dick, was called Chase. Chase participated in some war. [Mamaw didn’t know which war it was. Beverly has a card somewhere from Charles Dick to his mother when he was in the war.]
Robert Dick Skillman [another brother of Courtland’s] married Leona. Leona had one leg shorter than the other because she was hurt as a child. Robert and Leona had four children: Alberta, Berniece, Leland, and Dorothy. Dorothy died when she was eight years old. She is buried at Mt. Hope Cemetery, Kansas City, Kansas. Virginia Dick, Mamaw’s sister, is also buried there. Virginia is buried one row in front and about six graves north of Dorothy.
Virginia died when she was 13 months old. She caught whooping cough and then she got pneumonia. But they wouldn’t let her into the hospital because whooping cough was considered a contagious disease then, and she died from the pneumonia. . . .”

• 1910 United States Federal Census, Kansas City, Ward 8, Jackson, Missouri, , roll T624_786, page 10B, Enumeration District 97, image 1213, dated 15 April 1910, street: Locust, house no. 1223, lines 53-55:
“Line 53, Oliver C Dick, head of household, male, white, age 22, 1st marriage, married 2 years, born in Missouri, father born in Kentucky, mother born in M, able to speak English, occupation: paper hanger, type of worker: w, able to read, able to write, renting home.”

• 1910 United States Federal Census, Fort Scott, Ward 2, Bourbon, Kansas, , roll T624_432, page 12B, Enumeration District 40, image 934, dated 29 April 1910, street: Heyeman Street, house no. 416, dwelling no. 290, family no. 310, lines 74-78:
“Line 74, William Dick, head of household, male, white, age 32, first marriage, married 2 years, born in Missouri, father born in Virginia, mother born in Ohio, able to speak English, occupation: Finisher, industry: Cement Wrks, able to read, able to write, renting home.”

• 1910 United States Federal Census, Kansas City, Ward 7, Jackson County, Missouri, , roll T624_789, page 6A, Enumeration District 196, image 601, dated 27 April 1910, street: East Seventh Street, house no. 4113, dwelling no. 107, family no. 141, lines 24-27:
“Line 24, James Skillman, head of household, male, white, age 24, first marriage, married 4 years, born in Missouri, father born in West Virginia, mother born in Illinois, able to speak English, occupation: janitor, industry: public school, able to read, able to write, renting home.” [James Skillman is James Robert Dick]

• 1920 United States Federal Census, Kansas City, Ward 11, Jackson County, Missouri, , roll T625_928, page 4A, Enumeration District 179, image 103, dated 7 January 1920, street: Gilhom Road, house no. 2940, dwelling no. 66, family no. 102, lines 32-34:
“Line 32, Courtland O. Dack, head of household, renting home, male, white, age 30, married, able to read, able to write, born in Missouri, father born in Virginia, mother born in Virginia, able to speak English, occupation: mailer, industry: newspaper.”

• 1920 United States Federal Census, Kansas City, Ward 10, Jackson, Missouri, , roll T625_926, page 8B, Enumeration District 158, image 956, dated 13 January 1920, street: College Avenue, house no. 2312, dwelling no. 162, family no. 201, lines 63-65:
“Line 64, Emma I Miller, wife, female, white, age 43, married, able to read, able to write, born in Missouri, father born in Virginia, mother born in Ohio, able to speak English, occupation: none.”

• 1930 United States Federal Census
1930 US Census, , Ward 15, Kansas City, Jackson County, Missouri, 5 April 1930, enumeration district no. 48-224, page 222, sheet no. 7A, address: 4116Wayne Street, dwelling no. 75, family no. 110, lines 37-39:
“Line 37, Courtland O’Dick, owns home, value of home: 3000.00, owns radio set, male, white, age 42, married at age 20, did not attend school in last year, able to read and write, born in Missouri, father born in West Virginia, mother born in Ohio, able to speak English, occupation: Mailer, industry: News Paper, class of worker: W, actually at work, not a veteran.”

• 1930 United States Federal Census, Angeles, Los Angeles, California, , roll 153, page 3B, Enumeration District 545, image 176.0, dated 3 April 1930, street: Florence Ave, house no. 3125, dwelling no. 50, family no. 54, lines 74-77:
Line 74, William J Dick, head of household, renting home, monthly rent: 35, not living on a farm, male, white, age 53, married, age 30 at first marriage, did not attend school within the year, able to read and write, born in Missouri, father born in Virginia, mother born in Ohio, able to speak English, occupation: Cement Finisher, industry: Building Const, type of worker: w, not a U.S. Veteran.”

• 1930 United States Federal Census, Kansas City, Ward 4, Jackson County, Missouri, , roll T625_925, page 7A, Enumeration District 60, image 645, dated 8 April 1930, street: Bellview Avenue, house no. 4153, dwelling no. 136, family no. 146, lines 1-4:
“Line 1, James R. Skillman, head of household, renting home, $25.00 monthly rent, has a radio set, not living on a farm, male, white, age 47, married, age 24 at first marriage, did not attend school within the year, able to read and write, born in Missouri, father born in West Virginia, mother born in Illinois, able to speak English, occupation: custodian, industry: public school, not a U.S. Veteran.”

Photos of William Smith and Mary Moss

2010-12-15T09:40:00.002-05:00

And these are the other Smith photos from Gene Halverson. William Smith is my 2nd great grandfather, the eldest son of Jorgen Christiansen Smith and Mette Marie Villardsen Johannesen Smith. William Smith married Mary Moss. Both William and Mary were born in Utah, and both were children of Danish immigrants.

William Smith

Mary Moss

William Smith

William Smith and Mary Moss Smith

I love this picture of Mary Moss and William Smith with some of their grandchildren.

left to right: Jay Coleman Smith [son of Eugene Smith and Sarah Malinda Coleman], Mary Moss, Madge Eugenia Smith Huntsman [daughter of Eugene Smith and Sarah Coleman], Cleone Snow (front) [daughter of Ada Smith and John Snow], Cella Smith Coleman [daughter of William Cappie Smith and Ruby Perry], William Smith Chidester [son of Eliza Lucinda Smith and James Parker Chidester], William Smith, & Deama Smith [daughter of Eugene Smith and Sarah Coleman]. Guessing from the ages of the babies, this picture was taken around the spring or summer of 1918. (The baby in William Smith's arms, William Smith Chidester (who went by Smith), was the eldest brother of my grandfather, John Leo Chidester).

And these last two are of James Andrew Smith, a younger brother of William Smith

James Andrew Smith

Smith Family Photos

2010-12-14T19:36:00.001-05:00

I just wanted to post the Smith family photos that Eugene Halverson shared with me. These are of my 3rd great grandfather, Jorgen Christiansen Smith, and my 3rd great grandmother, Mette Marie Villardsen Johannesen Smith. There is also a picture of Jorgen's 1st wife, Christina Maria Bertelsdatter Berkedahl Smith; and Jorgen's 3rd wife, Wilhelmine Pedersen Swenson Smith. I am so excited to finally see photos of this side of my family!

Jorgen's 1st wife, Christina Maria Bertelsdatter Berkedahl Smith

Jorgen's 3rd wife, Wilhelmine Pedersen Swenson Smith

My 3rd great grandparents, Jorgen Christiansen Smith and Mette Marie Villardsen Johannesen Smith

Jorgen and Mette Smith, Black Hawk Reunion

Jorgen, Christine, Mette, and Wilhelmine Smith

2010-11-23T21:20:00.002-05:00

This is the history of Jorgen Smith and his wives sent to me by Gene Halverson. He wrote it after talking to numerous relatives and researching the family. He has also compiled other family stories, which he refers to in this history, and has included them in a book he wrote about the family called "Smith, Nielson, Hall, Houghton." (This history is similar to the one on the "Hamaker's Homestead" website that I mentioned in my previous post, but this history includes more details). Here is the history in his words:

JORGEN CHRISTIANSEN SMITH (SMIDT)

CHRISTINE MARIE BERTELSDATTER BIRKEDAL

METTE MARIE JOHANNESEN (WILLIS)

WILHELMINA PEDERSEN

by EUGENE H. HALVERSON

"According to his personal records, Jorgen Smith was born May 28, 1823 in Fasted, Haderslev, Projsen (Prussia). (This area was completely controlled by German landlords loyal to the Grand Duchy of Slesvig. It was their desire to be independent being neither a part of Prussia or Denmark but to Jorgen it must have felt like he was in Prussia itself). Fasted was in the Grand Duchy of Slesvig, owned by neither Denmark or Prussia but both had coveted the territory. Faested is spelled with the a and e joined back to back which is a special Danish sounding "A". There are many places with the Faested name - the town of Faested, Faested moors and Faested Plantation. The Lord of this area must have been very powerful.

Jorgen's father was Christian Andreasen from Stenderup, Haderslev, North Slesvig and his mother was Maren Jensdatter Svane (farm name) from Rurop, Haderslev, North Slesvig. All of the family names appear to be Danish. Jorgen was their seventh child. Jorgen was only five years old when lost his father he was drowned while a shortcut across a frozen lake to do his chores. The ice was thin and he fell through. Three months later his mother, Maren gave birth to her eighth child. This must have been a terrible ordeal for the family, but at least three of the children were old enough to work and help provide for the family. The Andreasen boy's took the farm name as their own but some spelled it differently, Smit and Smidt. The farm was named after some German landlord.

I couldn't find the Smidt Farm even though most of the people in the Rodding parish were Smidts. The remainder of the residents were Hansens. The Faested holdings went for many miles but mostly west from the town. Sr Hygum was the Parish, Fros District, and the Old County was called Riberhus, the County is now called Haderslev, in the Country of Slesvig or better still the "Grand Duchy of Slesvig", After the 1864 war it was made a part of Prussia, but in 1920 Germany was forced to give it back to Denmark. Hadersleben is the old spelling for Haderslev and Slesvig is old and Sleswig is new.

For many years Prussian nobles had controlled the provinces of Sleswig, Holstein and Lauenburg. These Princes, Dukes and landlords held powers over the people here that even the Kings of Denmark had given up many years ago. Only here in the Duchy's, Prussia and other backward countries were there laws binding the serf to the Landlord. The peasant was required to work on the masters farm 4, 5 or 6 days a week as he was needed, the remaining time he could work on his farm. What I found interesting was that the peasants in these provinces were fighting Denmark for freedom but should have been fighting their masters instead, maybe they had little choice in the matter? The Stavnsbaandet laws and customs were still in effect in the Duchy's and outlawed in Denmark. If the Dukes and Princes could break from Denmark serfdom would go on. Also farmers who needed care or protection signed their farms and themselves to the feudal nobleman. As a serf, he would still live on his farm, protected and cared for. His father's home, I'm told, was called Christian Andreasen Smidtgaardi (Smidt guard). He would be educated but also be required to fight as a soldier for his landlord. The realization that they did lose their freedom caused a massive migration the America after the 1848-1850 War. The laws that bound the peasants to the masters ended in 1945 and the peasant farmers celebrated their freedom from the master, when the Soviet Union gave them their land and freedom to farm it under a massive land redistribution system.

Laws demanded that everyone receive an education. Whether it was by his landlord or the public system Jorgen did receive a very good education, we are all amazed at what he knew. We don't know where he was taught or who taught him all of the incredible things he knew. He could speak seven languages and could write in five of them, your guess would be as good as mine in what they all were. He had a practical knowledge of drugs and medicines and how to mix formulas. He was capable of caring for the sick and infirm. He was a very good blacksmith and could even make shoes.

Sleswig did owe its allegiance to Denmark so when Jorgen was twenty-two years old, he was drafted by Denmark to serve in the Danish Army, and went to Copenhagen for training from 1845 to 1846 and apparently stayed there for two additional years. Some of the things he knew he must have learned in Copenhagen. When he was in Copenhagen the Duchy of Sleswig revolted and Jorgen was then conscripted by Denmark and sent to Sleswig to quell the revolution. If he had been home at the time, he would have fought with his brothers against Denmark. His allegiance to his landlord and Sleswig would have required him to do so.

When Christian VIII died on January 20, 1848, the new King, Frederick VII, made Sleswig part of Denmark. This caused the Duchies to revolt and their armies began to march north to the border. Jorgen's brothers were in this army. This was an opportunity for Prussia who also sent her armies against the Danes. As fate would have it, Jorgen would fight in a war against his brothers and neighbors. One of his brothers was killed in this war. Jorgen used to feel sad and sometimes cry about this war, praying that it wasn't his bullet that killed his brother. In time the Danish Army with a series of stunning victories recaptured all of Slesvig forcing the Germans beyond the Eider River and the Dannevirke fortifications, the ancient racial boundary built by Queen Thyra, mother of Eric Bluetooth, a thousand years ago.

Jorgen was in the battle for Flensborg on April 9, 1848, Slesvig on April 23, Dybbol on May 28 and Nobell on June 5th. Jorgen said "I was sent with the Frigate Gefioin and in the battle near Ekernforde, on 6 April 1849. I was wounded in my foot, taken prisoner and sent to Rensborg." (I have often wondered if Jorgen learned what he knew about medicines in the hospital at Rensborg.)

The war ended in 1850, he was given a medal of honor with an image of Frederick VII engraved on one side and 1848-1850 on the other and a lifetime pension because of his wound. His wound was severe enough to cripple him some and in later life caused him to use a cane. Jorgen was proud of his medal of honor, we have pictures of him wearing it. I have a copy of a letter to his daughter Dena Smith Mulford when he tells of his pension.

When the last great battle of the War was fought on the 5th of July, 1850. Jorgen was still being held as a prisoner of war in Rensborg. How or when he returned to Haderslev is unknown but he would enter town on crutches wearing a soldier's uniform. He didn't waste much time because on the 1st of September, 1850 Jorgen Smith married, Christina Maria Bertelsdatter Birkedal, age 25 at Laeborg Ribe, Haderslev, Slesvig (film/fiche # 51703 batch # M208002). The two lived in the same county but Rodding was many miles to the east of his home in Faested. Did he know her before the war or did they just meet and marry in the two or three months after the war?

Christina Maria and her twin, Zidsel Kirstine were born 11 April, 1825 at Rodding, Fros, Riberhus (Ribe) now called Haderslev, Denmark. They were the 11th and 12th daughters of Bertel Bertelsen and Maren Jorgensdatter. Rodding was a town and a Parish, District of Fros in Riberhus County that was later given to Haderslev County. Christine and Zidsel had seven brothers and three sisters all older her Father was listed as a shoemaker. He came to Rodding from Sweden when he was a young man as a servant her mother was born in Rodding.

Four children were born to them in the next few years all in Nyby, Riberhus (RIbe)(Haderslev), Denmark, Theldren Maren (Mary) born 28 July 1851, Christian 6 Feb. 1853, Bertel Birkedal 18 Sept., 1855 and Maria 22 March 1857. So far I haven't been able to find Nyby. I have found many Nyby's but none in Ribe (Riberhus) County.

The Elders of the Mormon Church with their teachings and promises of free land with personal freedoms unheard of in Denmark, made the new world seem very desirable. The converts to the Church were persecuted and rejected here, so, the Missionaries began telling them to leave this Old World, come to a land where we will have freedom of worship. Help us build a City for God". Jorgen wanted to be part of this movement and would do his share, everything the Church asked of him he would do, no matter how difficult his calling might be. Jorgen and Christina joined the Mormon Church on 22 February 1854 and he served as one of its missionaries in Denmark until he immigrated in 1857. The Church was a very unpopular church because of polygamy. And when Jorgen's mother, Maren heard he was going to America, she came to him, cried and tore at her hair. "You're going to live with those wicked Mormons," she cried.

In 1857 Jorgen's family and possessions made their way to Liverpool, England. Some family records list the Jessie Munn as an immigration ship, if it was it may have been used on the voyage from Denmark to Liverpool.

On the 30 May, 1857, 298 Danes plus 249 from the English Missions sailed from Liverpool to America on the Tuscarora. The ship's records show that the family consisted of; Jorgen Smith, Christina Maria Smith, Maren Smith, Christian Smith, Bertel B. Smith, and Maria Smith. Elder Richard Harper and his Councilors established rules of hygiene and discipline to combat the misery of seasickness, dysentery, cholera, and other diseases. They provided the food and water also. The Tuscarora, a large three-masted Sail ship left Liverpool on 30 May 1857 and after a pleasant five-week voyage arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on the third of July. The family went from Philadelphia to Burlington, Iowa by train.

I had always assumed that the Smith name came from anglicizing his Smidt name but maybe not? Ethel Taft Petersen told me that, it wasn't so, she said. "When Jorgen came to America he tried to tell them, "My name is Christiansen but with his accent and an impatient government agent who wanted to write a short American name, the agent asked, "What is your profession." Jorgen said, "Blacksmith." "That's it", said the agent, "Your name is Smith."

The Smiths were poor and had no means of getting to Utah. And the Church who had promised them the transportation was deeply in debt. The Church was searching for a way a way to bring the tens of thousands of Scandinavian immigrants that were accumulating in these eastern states. They were scattered everywhere trying find housing and employment.

The crowding and the lack of income caused much pain and sorrow, within days after arriving here two of their four children would die here at Burlington. Four months old Maria died 16 July 1857 and Bertel one the 31 July, 1857, probably from diseases they caught either on the ship or train. A year later, on 22 September, 1858 Christian, 5 years would die. They must have suffered terribly but no one has written about it. Kate B. Carter in her book said, "Times were hard and the immigrants suffered from the lack of clothing and food." Jorgen later moved his family to Leharp, Illinois where Susane was born on May 30, 1859.

In 1861 the Church found a way, they were poor in money but there were many wagons and oxen that had been accumulating in Salt Lake City. So, the Church called many young boys to take these wagons and go after all these people. These youngsters were called the "Down and Back Boy's". And these young boys in a few years brought over 20,000 Saints to Zion. They considered it an honor to serve. They said, "We were able to look the girls over and marry the best looking ones, many marriages were performed along the way. Jorgen also received his calling to be a Down and Back Boy. He to must have looked the girls over because; He married a young good looking one and a weathy lady who helped him financially. (told in the story later)

The Down and Back Boys brought Jorgen to Utah in the Spring of 1861. Hundreds of wagons with about 20 immigrants per wagon. I have no departing and arrival dates or who was the captain of the wagon train? We only know that his covered wagon was pulled by an ox and a cow. The cow was milked for nourishment. I have been told that Jorgen was a scout and often went our to shoot wild game for food. It was a sixteen hundred mile trip to Utah and they had to ford rivers, cross prairies, deserts, and cross over mountain. The wagons were full and the oxen were slow, the pioneers walked most of the way. They walked in wooden shoes, woolen socks or bare feet.

After arriving in Salt Lake City Brigham Young sent them down to Springville and then on to Fountain Green. This was where Two year old Susane died on the 17th of June 1861, shortly after their arrival. Christina had lost four of her five children during their travel to Zion. She seems to have lost a child in every city along the way, only Mary, age seven still lived. Another child was born a few months later here in Fountain Green on September 13th 1861. He was named Jorgen (Jack--John) after his father.

From a hand-written story by Artie Smith Taft, she said, "President Young (Brigham Young) sent him (Grandfather Smith) back to Nauvoo with other men back to bring more Saints back to Utah. (May Nielson Jones also talked about this) She said, "This was about the year 1859 ( 1862 or 1863) and told the men if there were widows or girls old enough to marry, they should marry them. So, there was a widow, Wilhelmine Petersen fell to him to bring. So, he married her before they left. He brought Maria Wilson and married her later. Artie said, "Grandfather said that Christina Maria and he (Jorgen) were separated over little difficulties with his third wife. (Mette Marie). So, if Jorgen married Wilhelmine in a civil marriage, she could be the second wife and Mette the third wife. Mette was his second Temple marriage and Wilhelmine his third. I'm not sure who is second and who is third. I only know that the marriage to Wilhelmine made him quite well to do.

Jorgen Smith married Mette Marie Villadsen on the 21st of February, 1863. He introduced her to Christina by saying "This is my new wife" but Christina would have nothing to do with it. She had already told Jorgen that she wouldn't stand for polygamy. She said "If she comes in one door, the children and I will go out the other." And they did. Each child carried a bundle of clothing on the end of a stick like a hobo in Huckleberry Finn carried. But she had nowhere to go, she planned on asking her parents in Denmark for help but that would take to long. So, she had to swallow her Danish pride and returned home, as she was soon to become a mother again. My wife's great grandmother Christena Marie (Stena) was born one month after she returned, on March 22, 1863.

I recently discovered that Mette Marie didn't like polygamy either but she had no choice. She also didn't want to marry a man twice her age. Jorgen even said: "I am sure lucky and fortunate to have tree Danish vimmens for vives, but one would have been enough". Mette was only a girl of eighteen at the time.

Mette was born in Norr Halne, Biersted, Aalborg, Denmark 3 June, 1841 to Johannes Villadsen and Ane Kirstein Christensen. She was a triplet (2 girls and a boy) she had seven brothers and sisters. She was the smallest of her siblings and her family couldn't care for her. So, Mette was given to a wealthy family who owned a large manor. Her adoptive family didn't allow her family to see her again and did not tell Mette her family name. She never knew her father or his name but believed that it might be Johnsen or Wilesen. In later years a granddaughter found her father’s name to be Johannes Villadsen. Her name then would be Johansen or Johannesen. According to a story by Mariah she called herself Mette Marie Willis. Her husband, Jorgen wrote her name as Wileson. Mette's given name was pronounced by her as Matta Morie. Although Mette was treated as a servant and worked very hard, she did receive a good education. She went on to an agricultural college where she learned the dairy trade.

Mette joined the Mormon Church and wished to come to America. The missionary who converted her to this new religion was young and very good looking. He promised her that there were lots of young men to marry over in Utah. So, she left Denmark. She crossed the ocean on the Franklin with 413 other Danish Saints from Hamburg to New York. These emigrants were quartered below deck. Their bunks were so wide that three persons could easily have room in one of them side by side. Rations included water and such staples as beef, pork, beans and potatoes. There were eleven lanterns, five furnished by the emigrants and six by the ship. The emigrants hired an extra cook and assigned two men to assist him. During the crossing, measles, chicken pox, and other ailments claimed 48 lives (43 of them children), or 11 percent of the company. Mortality was especially high among children. A ladder or steep stairs provided the only exit, and during storms the quarters were "hatched down; to prevent water from flooding the hold. The only light came from a few lamps hanging in strategic locations and shedding a dim yellow glow. The only sanitary facilities were buckets or chamber pots.

Jorgen married Wilhelmine Pedersen on 30 January, 1864. She was a recent Danish immigrant, who was visiting her daughter in Fountain Green. No one seemed to resent Wilhelmine probable because she was a lot older than Jorgen and didn't seem much of a threat, everyone seemed to love her. She had one son and two daughters from a previous marriage. Jorgen more or less married her to give her and her children a home. Wilhelmine's children were loved, adopted and sealed to Jorgen.

Wilhelmine was born on April 6, 1816 at Scowpillow on Lolland Island, a beautiful fertile part of Denmark. Where she grew up and graduated from an agricultural college. She later operated a large dairy farm where she met and married Hans August Swensen. They had three children Christine, John and Amelia. The Family prospered but Hans became tired of the country life and left home for several years.

Wilhelmine and her children had joined the Church and planned to leave Denmark, but her husband returned and forbid them to go. Christine left with missionaries in 1862, a year later John was sent with other missionaries and Amelia was sent to Germany. Wilhelmine left alone but policemen were searching for her, since she had no children with her they let her board the ship. She had a lot of money and even brought her servants with her to Utah where she freed them. Her money also helped Jorgen at times and was used to bring other immigrants to Utah. Her oldest daughter Christina Wilhelmina who left Denmark a year earlier was now married and living in Fountain Green, she married Niels Peter Larsen.

Wilhelmine and her children, John and Amelia were united in England and sailed on the ship B. S. Kimball to America. They had a hard and dangerous trip across the plains to Utah, walking all the way. John tells a very detailed story of the Petersens and the Swensons in his story in this book.

The family now consisted of Wilhelmine and her two children, Christine and her three children and Mette who gave birth to William on 3 January 1864. Three wives and their children in a small one or two room house prompted Jorgen to find a house of his own.

So, in early January 1864 he was one of the ten men, under the leadership of Albert Lewis, who came to a place later called Richfield looking for good land and water for a new settlement. These men were not ordered or "called" by the Church they came because they thought the Church would want them to. Later that year thirty families were called (asked) to go. For protection from the weather, the original ten men built a dwelling place called the "Hole in the Ground". It resembled an Indian wickiup. This strange abode was located where the McKinlay Garage now stands on Main Street. This was on Spring Ditch, which then ran through the 200 South Main Street, two blocks south of the present public square.
So, in the spring of 1864 the family would be split. Christina and her three children would remain in Fountain Green. (Artie Smith Taft told of the difficulties and subsequent separation of Christina and Jorgen when he married Mette Marie) It also would have been harder for him to take another wife and more children before there was even a house to stay in. Hard as it was it was Christina's choice to stay.
The other two women would leave in early spring for Richfield This was Mette and her three-month-old baby, William, and Wilhelmine and her two youngest children. They would have to make do with only what they could carry in their covered wagon. Life was very hard of them there. They lived in the covered wagon and a dugout they built. The floor in the dugout was about three or four feet below the surface of the ground with short walls made of stone or sod and a roof of sod. Rye (Maria) in her story tells of how Mette and the babies escaped the dugout when it filled with water. Both families lived together here for awhile The two families got along quite well and eventually a larger home was built for them. It was built of rock and located on the corner of 408 South First West. Here Jorgen opened the first store in Richfield. Wilhelmine ran the Drug Store in the house. The house is still standing and in fine condition, it now is covered with aluminum siding. I have pictures of it before the siding but not soon enough to see the outside stairway to the attic where the many children slept.
The first trying summer in Richfield was a terrible ordeal. Fields had to be planted, cared for and harvested. They lived in the wagons while the dugout was being prepared. Cattle herds, travelers and settlers were being attacked randomly by the Indians. They did have a good harvest of wheat and it was a blessing because all the northern settlements were plagued by grasshoppers.
Mette gave birth to Maria 28 April 1865, Maria (Rye) was the first white girl born in Richfield. Next year another child, Ane C. was born to her on the 2 November, 1866 but died the same day.
The Blackhawk Indian war had started soon after they settled Richfield. The settling of Richfield without a treaty with the Indians was part of the cause for war. To keep the mail moving between the towns Jorgen, assisted by August Nielsen were appointed the arduous duty of carrying the expresses (Pony Express) during this time, riding from Richfield to Monroe. The job was dangerous and the Indians did interfere with them. A different route had to be taken each time to avoid being ambushed. Jorgen's sixteen-year-old stepson, John, (Wilhelmine's child), rode for him on occasion. Rye said he rode at night and John said his father was fearless.
Fountain Green was about eighty miles away from Richfield over inhospitable terrain inhabited by the Ute Indians. Jorgen must have visited both homes because Christina in Fountain Green gave birth to twins. Wilhelmine and Caroline on 11 May 1865. (from the Nielson and Jorgen's handwritten records) Christina and her family still had to live in Fountain Green until the Fall of 1866 or the Spring of 1867 when they were brought to Richfield. It must have been difficult because it wasn't until 1875 that the rock home that housed his drugstore was finished. (Richfield's first drug store) Jorgen's other families were living in a dugout and a small home at this time. Ethel Taft Peterson said, "The rock house had stairs built on the end of the house so that they entered the attic from the outside for more bedrooms."
The ladies did seem to get along most of the time. But at times at times they were very jealous of each other. In those days a feather tic was given to the wife who was sleeping alone. After sleeping on this feather tic for two long weeks, Christina picked up the old tic, opened Mette's door and threw the tic at her and said "Here's the tic, I want my man."
Christina owned a copper tea kettle that began leaking. Jorgen who was an excellent tinsmith took it away to repair it. When it didn't seem to ever come back, she asked him why he didn't bring it back. He said Mette wouldn't let him. She grabbed him by his beard, pulled him off his chair, and all around the room. The kettle came back.
Richfield had been occupied without permission or a treaty with the Ute Indians. The loss of land and the overgrazing of cattle and stock were causing the Indians to starve. They no longer had access to the most fertile and water of their ancestors. The Indians were now starving, sullen, and angry. They were going to the settlers homes demanding to be fed and stealing livestock. They could be pushed no father, they decided it would be better to fight than to be put on the reservation in the Unita Basin as was suggested.
John Edward, Jorgen's adopted son by his third wife tells how they lost most all their stock and cattle to the Indians in 1865, this was when he and his father joined the militia.
Maria, Mette's oldest child, tells how her mother would climb a scaffold built behind their home to watch for the Indians. She would beat a bass drum to bring the men in from the fields at the first sign of danger.
Mette told Dollie Mulford that; Jorgen was a part of the Militia protecting the settlers and he hated the Indians. Dollie said, "One day when he was away some Indians entered their home sending the children into hiding. Mette scribbled a note on a piece of paper and let the Indians see her burn it. She said it was a message to her God in Heaven, "If they didn't leave, they would be killed and sent to hell." They left in anger.
"An other time Mette and the children where alone when the Indians came for food but found beer instead. When the Indians became drunk Mette was frightened. So, she gathered her children and left the house going down to the river where they hid under a bridge. She stood in the water all night with a baby in her arms and with the other children huddled around her, trying to stop the children from crying or making noises. All night the Indians rode back and forth over the bridge cursing and giving out war whoops."
Dollie's last story tells about Jorgen when he was with the Militia and they were following the trail of a herd of cattle the Indians had stolen. The trail passed by an Indian village occupied by mostly Indian women and children. Something caused the militia to kill them all, even the babies. History calls this the "Squaw Battle". Jorgen didn't like this, so he left. He rode to a spot above the village where he sat on the ground and watched the terrible happening."
The war with the Indians had been going on for two years now and conflicts were becoming more numerous. Brigham Young had forbidden travel between settlements unless they had an armed escort. But it seems that rules were sometimes made to be broken. There were no stores in Richfield at that time and Warren Snow had come from Salt Lake with some calico cloth and other desperately needed items.
Mary Smith asked her mother, Christina if she could go with their neighbors, Hans Peter Petersen and his wife, Amalia, to Glenwood. So, early in the morning of March 21, 1867 they left without an escort. Every thing was going quite well until the wagon started going over a small dugway at Black Ridge where they were spotted by the Indians. Chief White Horse (Shena-Vegan), the cruelest and most daring Indian in the Territory, was herding stock he had stolen near the river. The three were killed and terribly mutilated. Christina could never forgive herself for allowing Mary to go. She grieved terribly.
Rye's story tells of her father's (Jorgen's) premonition at the time of the massacre. As he lay on the bed he said, "Something has happened to Mary, I can see her slumped on a horse and someone is holding her". This was the way she came home. Mary is buried in the old Richfield Pioneer Cemetery West on Center Street where the football field and tennis courts are. When they tried to move her remains to the new cemetery they couldn't find her and some other old graves so they left a marker with all these names on it.
Kaye Bybee was told by a child in one of her classes that, "An old Indian woman called Grandma Florie remembered the massacre, and said, "The killing of Mary, Jorgen's oldest daughter and Jens and Amalia Petersen was a vendetta for what the settlers had done to her people."
Artie said, "When Jorgen Smith heard of the awful tragedy he fainted. The soldiers came and stood guard while the people from Glenwood moved to Richfield and all gathered with their livestock, families and all they owned into the fort (Richfield Fort). Jorgen stretched his wagon cover out from the fort wall to the wagon . This was to keep them from the rain and sun. Christina was never quite the same after this, she always felt that she was to blame for allowing Mary to go. It was hard for Jorgen also

but he had not time to grieve. He had to load his covered wagon with most of his possessions and his three families and go to Richfield Fort. He stood guard night and day at the Fort shooting at the Indians who tried to start fires and do mischief. Jorgen left the safety of the fort many times to secure provisions. He received a Medal of Honor for being a Blackhawk War Veteran and his name appears with others on an historical marker in Bicknell. Jorgen Smith and August Nelson captains of the minutemen to defend Richfield.
Chief Blackhawk sued for peace in 1867 but Shena-Vegan (Chief Whitehorse) was not ready for peace, he kept the settlers out of the southern part of the state for another four years.
The settlers, under orders from Brigham Young, left their homes in Richfield. Wagon after wagon came from all northern settlements. Jorgen's family was taken to Fort Ephraim. The Fort was built of logs, stone and adobe with walls twelve feet high, like an old middle aged European fortress. Three months later Christina gave birth to her last child, Joseph, June 6, 1867.
As soon as they could they moved back to Fountain Green. Times were hard and the children were always hungry. Caroline went out to the fields looking for something to eat. They had learned how to find sago lilies and to eat their bulbs. But this day she ate the bulb of the "False Sago Lily". Today we call the plant, Death Camus. Caroline died 29 April 1869. Caroline was the twin sister of Wilhelmine. Both Caroline and her sister Susane are buried in Fountain Green in unmarked graves. Floods have ruined the area where they would have been buried and I have given the town the records of the death of the children.
In October, 1867, Mette had another child and called her Mary after her sister who was killed by the Indians. Three years later 17 March 1870, James Andrew was born to Mette in Fountain Green. The families all moved back to Richfield in the spring of 1871.
The Indians hadn't bothered anything in the four years that they were absent from Richfield, everything was well preserved. All of the homes and buildings were still standing just as they had been left. The settlers planted their crops and waited for a prosperous year. The town was growing as never before. Then came the grasshoppers, wave after wave of them. The farmers tried to crush them with large rollers and with fire, but nothing worked to stop this terrible scourge. Families were reduced to near starvation. They had nothing to sell. Clothes were made from tents or wagon covers and it was common to see men attending church in buckskin clothes. They who had spinning wheels spun and wove cloth.
Artie said, "On March 1871 under Bishop Higgens, head teachers were appointed, Niels M. Peterson First Ward and Jorgen Smith Second Ward." (Sevier Stake Memories)
Brigham Young had sent his son, Joseph A. Young, to make the settlement safe and to begin the "United Order". Jorgen was appointed head water master over the water of Spring Creek which was used to irrigate the city lots. Like all of the other settlers, he had given everything he owed to the church. One hundred thirty-five families in Richfield had joined the United Order of the Sevier Stake. They felt it was their sacred duty. They were brothers and sisters and worked for the common good of all. Each man was given a job to do. Irrigation canals were dug, roads built and buildings and churches were constructed. With the pooled money from the settlers, the "Order" brought in machines to harvest the crops and grist mills to grind the wheat. The Order soon fell apart, but it had done its job.
All of Jorgen's children were required to begin working outside the home. His oldest son, Jorgen, age ten was sent to Monroe to work in the home of the father of George Hunt. Wilhelmine worked in the home of Jim Peters. The children, because of the times and conditions, received little education. It was only after the Presbyterian schools gained converts to the Church that the Mormon Church and the State began building schools and requiring attendance that things began to change. Opportunity for education came too late for most of the Jorgen's children.
Elizabeth Lazenby Nielson said her mother and father knew Jorgen Smith and said what a good man he was. When it was supper time, he would go out in the streets to invite some traveler or someone who looked hungry to dinner. Jorgen would share all that he owned with others. He gave money to the church to help other immigrants come to Utah. Jorgen and his older children helped haul stone and materials to help built the Manti Temple.
Wilhelmine died in 1882 at age sixty-five. She was a wonderful woman and became a friend to all who knew her. For one who was well-educated and used to servants, she adapted well to her new life style and harsh living conditions. Her daughter, Christine (Mrs. Niels Peter Larsen), preceded her in death in 1878 at the age of 33. John and Amelia, her other children married and lived long, productive lives. She used her wealth to pay the passage for many emigrants, for her church and to help her husband. All their cattle, had been lost to the Indians at Richfield. Family history saved by Lars Peterson said she left Jorgen well fixed.
In the 1880 census Christina Maria (55) lived alone in her own house with her two remaining children, Wilhelmine (15) and Joseph (13). Jorgen (57), and his other two wives, Wilhelmine (64) and Maria (39) and children lived in the other house.
In 1886, years before the Manifesto, when the Mormon Church renounced Polygamy, Jorgen at age 63 was called by the Church to leave Richfield and settle an area farther south. They only got as far as Grass Valley, now called Koosharem. He was probably trying to stay ahead of the Federal Marshals. They were now entering their homes, arresting and jailing any polygamist if they could catch them. They came without warrants, day or night, breaking the door down if it wasn't opened quickly. Jorgen did have more than one wife in one house here but I have yet to hear of any confrontations with the law. This was when the Church asked him to leave Richfield. Federal Law and these laws were now being enforced.
Before Jorgen left Richfield he divided up everything he owned, Christina received one-third of everything. She received the house and lot, five acres of land, two cows, one horse, five sheep, and the lower hay lot for a total of $445 dollars.
Christina's life was never an easy one, only four of her ten children lived to be adults. The hardships of pioneer life had killed six of her children. She never accepted polygamy, but tried to make the most of it. After enduring all this she had to watch her husband with a younger wife leave the place they worked so hard to build. She was 61 years old now, she had been left in Fountain Green and now in Richfield. Autobiographies found here and there in Christina's family has been our only source for information. Ethel Taft Peterson said, "When it was time for Jorgen to leave, Christina walked up to Jorgen, looked him in his eyes, then put her hands on his chest and gave him a push, "Go, she said, "Take her and go, don't come back." Then she picked up her copper kettle and said, "Here, take this with you, Go".
All of Christina's fears had now come to pass. Her husband was gone and she loved and missed him very much Her oldest son, Jorgen, had left for New Mexico taking his sister, Wilhelmine and her husband, John Franklin Haws with him. Jorgen had taken Joseph, her youngest son with him. Christina was left in the care of her daughter, Stena and Stena's daughter, May. A couple of Mette's daughters, Rye and Dena also remained here.
Richard Brinkerhoff said, "His Grandfather (William) was angry because of his many callings, he said, "Jorgen would do anything that Brigham (Young) would ask him to do, this caused much hardship for the family."
Christina would live near here daughter, Stena and her husband, James Nielson. They would live in Richfield for the next eleven years. Then they would move to Spring Glen in Carbon County taking Christina with them. Her granddaughter, May Nielson would stay with her grandmother and care for her until May married. The stories that May tells us seems to be most of our history about Grand ma Smith, stories of loneliness and how she would often cry at night and how she would accept going blind. Recently I found an autobiography of May's husband, Peter Fredrick Jones, he said, "I met May Nielsen while playing at dances at Spring Glenn, she was living there with her Grandmother who was blind". She had five brother's who I had to fight to show them my intentions were honorable. I know Christine lived in Spring Glenn and before that possibly Winter Quarters with the Nielsons because May was there and May was always with her Grandma.
May Tells this story; "I took my two grandmothers to a musical concert. One grandmother could see the performers with their fancy clothes and beautiful instruments, while the other, (Christina) was enchanted with the sound of the music. After telling each other what each had heard or seen, they argued who was the better off, the one who could see or the one who could hear.
Christina still loved her husband it was a hard and lonely for her now, she became very ill for awhile and even lost her memory. May Nielson Jones tells of how she used to cry and feel so depressed and lonely. Her death was slow and sad. When she became well again, her mind was keen. She would sit at her spinning wheel and sing Danish songs and she would take her knitting wherever she went. Christine was always clean and neat and seemed to enjoy herself when and where she could. She would make noodles when eggs were priced low, they were hung on the clothes line in a flour sack to dry. She was remembered for her Danish Dumplings and delicious puddings.
Christina lived in Spring Glen with the Nielson's until her son-in-law James Nielson had gambled away all of his property in Richfield and Spring Glenn leaving the family near poverty. Then Christina returned to her home Richfield in about 1898. She had no money or means to care for herself. Somehow Christina must have got word to Jorgen asking for help. This was when Mette Marie buys the rock house from Jorgen and Christine for $500.00. All three of them sign their names on the deed in the Wayne County Court House 10 May, 1898, witnessed by H.M. Hansen, County Clerk. I believe Christina would only receive a potion of it. But she did get help.
Christina Maria was 75 years old when she passed away on 28 December 1900. She was buried in Richfield Cemetery as Christina Maria but a Granddaughter, I was told took up her headstone in error and replaced it with one bearing her twin sister's name, Fidsel Kirstine. Now this stone is being replaced again by the Taft family with a Christina Maria stone.
Coming to Grass Valley (Koosharem) from Richfield was like, jumping out of the frying-pan into the fire, (from Federal Marshals to Indians) There were Just too many Indians. Time after time Jorgen showed his contempt and hatred for the Indian. It had been twenty years since they had killed and mutilated his daughter, but time had only made him hard and bitter. (this was told to me by a lady in Richfield) One day a band of Indians came to his blacksmith shop to kill him. Read Ryes story of how Jorgen and Mr. Behunin foiled their plans.
Traveling by covered wagon Jorgen took his family down through what is now Wayne County, formerly Piute County, below Fruita and just below Capital Reef National Park and then back up Pleasant Creek towards Boulder Mountain. There were no roads, only a trail. This was a lonely God-forsaken place and he was its second settler. At this time it truly was a Pleasant Creek, it was about 15 feet wide and 12 inches deep and the stream flowed perennially in narrow channels lined with willows. After 11 years of heavy grazing and farming floods deepened the channel to about 20 feet deep and very wide taking gardens and farmland with it. Under his influence, it briefly flourished into a community. Mail service was established between Cainville and Teasdale and he was the first Postmaster. He called it Pleasant Creek but the postal authorities told him there were too many Pleasant Creeks, so he promptly named it Notom. Some say it means No Town. Tom in Danish is a word for vast emptiness. I wonder if Notom means (No longer emptiness). One can only guess how he came up with the name. What else could it mean in the other seven languages he knew?
The Smiths it seems followed the tribe that killed Mary to the far reaches of the earth. As Jorgen was being sent (called) to settle his family in the wildest and the most remote parts of the Utah Territory he naturally followed the Indians who were seeking a sanctuary away from the white-man. He followed them from Richfield to Grass Valley and finally to Pleasant Creek.
Elijah Cutler Behunin who in 1883 was sent by the Church (A.K. Thurber, President of the Richfield Stake) to open the area east of Capital Reef for settlement. Jorgen was following his friend, Elijah down to Pleasant Creek. In her book, "Notom--An Oasis in the Desert" Esther Coombs Durfey told how, "Elijah Behunin and his brother, Mosiah while living at Notom brought a wagon load of food to the tribe of Chief Whitehorse who had contracted measles and were starving. Whitehorse was so grateful he broke down and cried, and was their friend thereafter. And even Jorgen would learn to live peacefully with the Indians but not without some difficulties.
Jay Coleman Smith said, "One day at Notom while all the men-folk were away a band of hungry, hostile Indians rode up to the house demanding food. Mette did feed them but they wanted more and more. She and the children became very frightened. Luckily Mosiah Behunin came riding by at this time and rode his horse up to the Indians and demanded that they leave. But they had no intention of leaving. Mosiah had been around the Indians and knew their language. He told them that they must leave because he knew God and they were displeasing him. He said they were asking to much of these people and they should go away at once. But they still wouldn't go away. So, he got a piece of paper and wrote something on it, with a safety-pin he pinned it on a long cane fishing pole and put it up as high as he could reach. He did this a time or two, telling them that God had told him that he was getting angry and they must go. A dark rain cloud had came along and had now darkened the sky. Taking this as a sign they soon rode off."
I recently seen and photographed Jorgen's old Eli Whitney six-shot pistol (the same man who invented the cotton gin also mass produced guns) and his powder horn, a cow horn on which his name was carved: Jorgen Smith, 1871.
Clay Mulford Robinson said, "Great Grandfather Smith, a Mormon pioneer and emigrant from Germany used this old pistol, an E. Whitney six-shot, to protect his families and property from Indians and desperadoes. He and his three wives and children, were sent to help settle new country. As true frontiersmen their lives were of adventure, hardship and peril. Great Grandfather may not have killed many Indians with this old cap and ball pistol because he was a diplomat. In most cases he was a friend of the Indians and they respected him. Even the chief of one band of Indians apologized to him when some wild young bucks attacked a wagon load of white villagers and murdered, among others his half grown daughter. And without a doubt Great Grandfather carried this old gun at his side, in its homemade holster at the time he visited the chief to investigate the killing. Jorgen Smith was well armed with the best weapons money could buy. His muzzle-loading shotgun is in the possession of Ken Smith and his breach-loading rifle is in the possession of Vern Mott.
Jorgen and his children built several homes and a few are still standing but it is hard to find out who lived where and when. One of the houses that Jorgen built was a rock house and was listed in his wife's (Mette) name on a warranty Deed. A kitchen 15' by 15' and a bedroom 10' by 15'. Orlo's family said the house was torn down and the rocks were removed from the field, it is now an alfalfa field. There was also the Log home that the Mulfords moved in after Jorgen moved to Thurber to live. (the logs were notched on the corners and had a fruit cellar) Elma Mulford Bracy was to young to really know but, "I think we moved in Grandfather's house." (the log house) The rock house and Post office were torn down by the Durfey's in later years. I don't know what happened to the log house. Then there's the Jorgen Smith wooden house that Ester and Golden lived in that still stands but is now a part of a fence in a land dispute between Orlo and Golden. A book "Notom" by Ester Coombs Durfey shows that house, a rock wall, a fruit cellar, what Smith lived in that house is still unknown. I also have pictures of the William Smith home. There must have been another Smith home or two at Notom. Smiths also built in Aldridge and Fruita here in the lower valley.
Jorgen was a most influential man, he was an experienced pioneer by now and knew almost all the building and survival skills. He will always be remembered as a great colonizer of the Church and as one who would do all that was asked of him. His knowledge of medicines and drugs was often needed. His skill as a blacksmith was used to make household utensils and farm equipment. He was also the postmaster, Justice of the Peace (performed the marriages of two of his daughters), and shoemaker. He was the second presiding elder until this branch of the Church was discontinued and went to Aldridge. A trustee on the school board for the Aldridge and Notom Precinct. Their son Johnny (John Christian)who came from Richfield as a three year old died in Noton 8 October, 1896. He was buried in the Smith cemetery at Notom. Marylyn Mott has given us a map and a list of the known family members burried there. Does anyone know where Myrtle Ivie Holt was buried?
Jorgen was an excellent shot and was able to furnish food for his family in both good and hard times. Deer, rabbits or ducks were always a part of the family dinner. He used a muzzle loading rifle, an Ely Whitney pistol and a shotgun all three guns were loaded by pouring the powder and shot down the muzzle of the gun and seating the shot with a ram-rod.
While living in Notom Jorgen was kicked in the head by a horse, for awhile it was believed he was dead and was about to be buried. It took a long time to recover. Jorgen wrote to the Church authorities around 1900 and asked if he could be released from his calling. He said that he was getting too old and life was too lonely. He was immediately released. He sold his 160 acre farm to his son-in-law Charles Mulford who had married Dena Smith. All of the Smiths except Dena had left Notom by now.
The town that Jorgen and his children built eventually turned into a ghost town but Notom has always provided shelter, livelihood and security for those who desired to live there. It is now the Durfey Ranch but is still called Notom by everyone. The Durfey brothers, Lawrence, Golden and Orlo own the ranch.
In 1900 Jorgen's family moved to Thurber (Bicknell), where they enjoyed life and family and made many friends. The cover of my book has a photograph of Jorgen, Mette and Jed Mott and son near his covered wagon at Thurber sometime after he moved here. It was a celebration in honor of the veterans of the Black Hawk Indian War.
We all know how Jorgen fearlessly faced death from the Indians but I was quite unprepared for what I read in Lars Petersen's notes. This story was told to him by a Jane or June Brinkerhoff. As Jorgen lay waiting to part this world a fly began to bother him, he began to sing "Shoo Fly, Don't Bother I", but death really didn't come to him without pain, Clint Chedister said, "His groans of pain were heard all over Bicknell." He died 28 August, 1908 in Bicknell, Utah and was buried there. He was a man with a great determination and left a proud heritage and a name that future generations can be proud of.
The children of all three wives grew to love each other and this special relationship continued through out their lives. The Nielsen Family said Stena and Rye were especially close. Stena Nielson's grand children, Norma and Merle Jones said, "They loved to visit Rye and John Petersen. "John was so jolly and she was so happy. She just loved us to pieces." Jorgen, husband of three wives and father to twenty-five children, always seemed capable, of providing the necessities of life for such a large family, but had the ability to love and give the devotion his family needed.
I was determined to write Jorgen's complete story but the "Rest of the Story" is better told in autobiographies of his children in their own words, Read Rye's and Edward's story to really understand the many hardships the family endured.
I don't know how long they lived in Bicknell but Mette Maria Smith would live out her remaining years in Torrey. She lived thirteen long and lonely years after her husbands death. She said, "This would not have happened if she could have married a man near her own age". She felt that to much was asked of her when she was told to marry a man almost twice her age and a married one at that.
The death of her youngest son, Condy in 1911 caused her a great deal of pain. She would never know what happened to him. She often said, "If I could of known where he was: if I could have laid him away as we did his brother. Oh, this has been worse than death."
Mette was a loving, agreeable woman with a sweet disposition and was loved by all children, her own or the neighbors. Dollie said, "She always had a sugar lump or a cookies for me when I came over. I watched her shear a sheep while rocking a cradle with her foot" She spin wool and make it into cloth. She loved to read and sew quilt blocks. Her health was good most of her life and never seemed to complain. I have a few of Mette's letters that she wrote to some of her grandchildren. Mette was short of stature but moved about like a stately queen. Her smile was beautiful to behold. She had been a widow for sixteen years. She died in her home at Torrey 22 February 1925 at the age of 84 and was buried beside her husband in Bicknell, Utah.
I visited the Durfey Ranch (Notom) and was amazed at how fertile the ground was. they were cutting hay three weeks sooner than up north an it was of an excellent quality. There were many good orchards also. Near his farm was his oldest son William house. There was a mail drop on the front door as he was the postmaster after Jorgen left for Thurber. I talked with Mr. and Mrs. Orlo Durfey about Notom. Jorgen Smith Jr. married Sarah Durfey. We told each other stories of the town and its people and the few who were buried there. the sun was beginning to set and it was peaceful and pleasant, it was hard to leave. There is still a graveyard there with a son and a few grandchildren of Jorgen's there. Jorgen's hearthstone that was moved from his home to be used as a door step on his son's house was moved again to the Old Spencer home in Escalante owned by J.C. and Eva Spencer Haws and is still being used as a stepping stone. His post office had been moved to a spot to save it but some say it has also vanished.

My wife, Joyce Houghton Halverson, is a Great Great Granddaughter, of Jorgen and the fist wife, Christina Maria Smith. A descendant of their oldest living daughter, Christena "Stena" Marie Smith, who married James Nielson. Joyce's Mother was a Nielson."

Danish Smith Ancestors

2010-11-23T20:14:00.000-05:00

Throughout my years doing genealogy, I have mostly focused on my researching mother's ancestors because my paternal grandmother does a lot of research on my father's side, so I've stuck to my mom's side for the most part. But over the last year or so everytime I happen to glance at my gneealogy file and see some Danish ancestors on my dad's side, I think that I need to look into that family line a little. I've put it off, mostly because I don't know anything about research in Denmark. But a week or so ago I decided not to put it off any longer.

The line I was interested in is that of my paternal great grandmother, Eliza Lucinda "Cindy" Smith Chidester. Cindy was married to James Parker Chidester and they had seven children. My grandfather, John Leo Chidester, and his twin sister Jean were the youngest children of Jim and Cindy Chidester. Cindy's parents were William Smith and Mary Moss. Both William and Mary were born in Utah, and both were the children of Danish immigrants who came to America as new members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Later-day Saints. And William Smith and Mary Moss happened to be my only two great, great grandparents who I didn't have a copy of at least one photo of. I didn't really know where to start in my research, as there were several different Danish lines I could have started with. So I decided to see what I could find about William Smith and Mary Moss. Before going to any genealogy sites, I just did a google search to see if anything happened to come up. Not suprisingly, I didn't find anything relavent for William Smith and Mary Moss -- not the most uncommon names out there. So I decided to see what I could find for William Smith's parents, Jorgen Christiansen Smith and Mette Marie Villardsen Johannesen. Pretty soon I came to the website of the Hamaker family, "Hamaker's Homestead" at , and this family happens to have a relation to my Danish Smith ancestors. And there was a pretty lengthy history for Jorgen Christiansen Smith with some photos, and info about a number of other related Smith relatives. I tried contacting the author of the website, but my email was returned. Luckily, they had posted the names and email addresses of all the people who had contributed family histories or photos to the website, so I was able to contact Eugene "Gene" Halverson, the author of the history on Jorgen and the contributor of the majority of Smith photos on the site. Gene and I have since been sharing genealogy via email daily, and he has been very generous to take the time to send me numerous histories that he has written and family photos. I am still taking the time to read through all the histories, but the first one I have started to read about Jorgen and his wives is very interesting.

Apparently, my great, great, great grandmother, Mette Marie Villardsen Johannesen, was the second wife of Jorgen Christiansen Smith, who was practicing polygamy. His first wife was Christina Maria Bertelsdatter Birkedal, and they were married when they still lived in Denmark. They came with several children to America. After settling in Utah, Jorgen took a second wife, 18 year old Mette, and they had several children. And Jorgen also took a third wife, Wilhelmine Pedersen, an older widow with three children from a previous marriage. The families moved around a lot, settling different Utah towns and dealing with the deaths of quite a few of their children through the hard living conditions. From Gene's history, it seems that they also dealt with the difficulties and jelousies of a polygamous family. I can't even imagine what that would have been like. Gene has given me permission to share his histories and photos on this blog, so I'll post the history of Jorgen Christiansen Smith here too.

Henrietta "Nettye" O. Graham Dunn

2010-09-24T16:28:00.000-04:00

So, after spending some time the other day finding out all about Barbara Henrietta Clarkson and her family, I thought I’d be done with genealogy for at least a few days. But yesterday after we got the house cleaned up, the older boys were off to school, and the younger boys were down for their naps, I sat down to check my e-mail and I don’t know why, but I just thought I’d take another look at that family.

This time I looked up a different family member who was also named Henrietta. So, my 3rd great grandmother was Frances America Clarkson, and her younger sister was Barbara Henrietta Clarkson, and she went by Henrietta. Frances ended up naming her youngest daughter by her first marriage Henrietta O. Graham, after her sister. Henrietta O. Graham ended up going by Nettye (I have found a few variations of this spelling for “Nettye,” but most documents spell it this way). So, Nettye was the younger sister of my 2nd great grandfather, John George Graham. John named his second daughter (my great grandmother) Nettie Dorothy Graham. So variations of this name were passed down through the generations.

So I just happened to look online yesterday to see what I could find about my second great aunt, Henrietta “Nettye” O. Graham Dunn. Before I started searching yesterday, all I knew about Nettye was a little info from a couple of census records and a few old family notes taken by my Grandpa Carl Spohr’s cousin, Karen Meng. I knew that Nettye was born in St. Louis, Missouri in 1882, that she had married a man named John William Dunn in 1905, John was a doctor (and there was a family story that he had traveled to be a doctor at the diamond mines in the Congo in the 1920s and brought back “extensive ivory and treasures”), Nettye and John had adopted a daughter named Virginia B. who was born about 1920, and they lived in Chestnut, Illinois, and John died in Florida and Nettye died in either Logan or Lincoln, Illinois. So, I started looking to see what else I could find out about the aunt who my great grandmother was named after.

So, I was really excited when the first thing I found was a 1919 passport application for Nettye O. Dunn – and I was very excited to turn to the second page of the application and see a photograph of Nettye when she was 36 years old (the only 2 other photos I’ve seen of her are the family photo that I posted a few days ago, and another photo of her when she was a much older woman). The application explained that Nettye lived in Deiterich, Illinois and wanted a passport to accompany her husband on a trip to “Africa, Belgium Congo States” for 2 years. The application also provided birth information for Nettye and her husband, a physical desription, and the statement of a witness (Nettye’s brother, William T. Graham). It’s pretty cool to find any photo of an ancestor, but in my experience it’s pretty rare to find photos of them in online databases (and not from relatives), unless the ancestor happened to be famous. I also thought that it was pretty cool that she went with her husband to Africa for 2 years – it seems to me that that would have been a pretty adventurous thing to do for a woman from the Midwest in the 1920s.

The next thing I found was a similar passport application for her husband, John William Dunn, from 1919, also with a photograph. And then I found a second application from 1921 that was filed in Congo Belge (the Belgian Congo) by John William Dunn for himself and his wife to have their passports renewed so that they could extend their stay for “7 months or when work is done.” This application also included a photo of both Nettye and John. And the next document I found was a New York ships passenger list in August 1921 showing Nettye and John returning to the United States (never really thought of using passenger lists to find U.S. citizens before).

After that I found a few more records for Nettye and John after their return to the United States. I found a 1942 WWII draft card for 60-year-old John, which stated that his residence was Chestnut, Logan County, Illinois, but was filed in Pinellas, Florida. (I wonder if Nettye and John resided in Illinois, but if they may have traveled to Florida in the wintertime after John retired? I also found them in a 1945 Florida state census, living in Pinallas, Florida. And the last record that I found was a death certificate for John William Dunn, who I learned did not died in Florida as the family notes had indicated, but actually died in a Veteran’s hospital in North Carolina on 23 August 1945. John died of advanced chronic pulmonary tuberculosis. Although he was in a hospital in Asheville, Buncombe, North Carolina, and had been there for a little over a month before he passed away, his death certificate still listed his usual residence as Lincoln, Logan, Illinois – the only reason that I can think of for him being in a North Carolina hospital is that North Carolina is on the route between Illinois and Florida, and it is possible that he was admitted to the hospital during their travels between the two states. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to find any documents about their adopted daughter, Virginia.

Ancestry.com, “Passport Applications, January 2, 1906 - March 31, 1925 (M1490), 1919, Roll 0734 - Certificates: 72000-72249, 26 Mar 1919-27 Mar 1919,” images 213-214:

“Page 1 of 2:
72047
Form for Native Citizen
[stamped] Department of States
Mar 27 1919
Washington
United State of America, City of St. Louis, Mo:
I, Nettye O. Dunn, a native and loyal citizen of the United States, hereby apply to the Department of State, at Washington, for a passport accompanied by my husband John William Dunn who was born at Elliotstown, Ill. [sentence about John William Dunn was crossed out]
I solemnly swear that I was born at St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, on or about the 8 day of August, 1882; that my [husband] John W. Dunn was born in Elliotstown, Ill and is now residing at Dieterich, Ill. . . .
That I have resided outside the United States at the following places for the following periods: Never;
That I am domiciled in the United States, my permanent residence being at Dieterich, in the state of Illinois, where I follow the occupation of housewife; that I am about to go abroad temporarily; that I intend to return to the United States within 2 years with the purpose of residing and performing the duties of citizenship therein; and that I desire a passport for use in visiting the countries hereinafter named for the following purpose:
Name of Country: Africa, Belgium Congo States,
Object of Visit: To accompany husband.
Name of Country: via England,
Object of Visit: En route to Belgian Congo.
I intend to leave the United States from the port of New York sailing on board the [blank] on April 10th,, 1919.
My last passport was obtained from: Never.
Oath of Allegiance . . .
[signed] Nettye O Dunn
Sworn before me on this 10th day of March, 1919 [signed].
Fee received Mar 17 1919 Afternoon [stamped]
Husband’s citizenship established. H [note written in margin]
(over)

Page 2 of 2:
Description of Applicant
Age: 36 years
Stature: 5 feet, 4 inches
Forehead: medium
Eyes: brown
Nose: regular
Mouth: medium
Chin: round
Hair: dark brown
Complexion: Fair
Face: Oval
Distinguishing marks: scar on left side of face
Affidavit of Identifying Witness
I, W. T. Graham, solemnly swear that I am a native citizen of the United States; that I reside at St. Louis Mo; that I have known the above Nettye O. Dunn personally for 36 years and know her to be a native citizen of the United States; and that the facts stated in her affidavit are true to the best of my knowledge and belief.
[signed] William T. Graham
Night Supt. National Stamp Enam.
4333 Blair Ave
St. Louis Mo
Sworn to before me this 10 day of March, 1919
[signed] W.W. Uall
Clerk U.S. ___ Ct. St. Louis Mo
Applicant desires passport to be sent to the following address:
Mrs. Nettye O Dunn
90 Passport Agency
2 Rector Street
New York City
M.C.
[photograph of Nettye O. Dunn]”

Ancestry.com, “Passport Applications, January 2, 1906 - March 31, 1925 (M1490) > 1919 > Roll 0735 - Certificates: 72250-72499, 27 Mar 1919-28 Mar 1919,” images 307-308:

“Page 1 of 2:
72327
Form for Native Citizen
[stamped] Department of States
Mar 28 1919
Washington
United State of America, City of St. Louis, Mo:
I, John William Dunn, a native and loyal citizen of the United States, hereby apply to the Department of State, at Washington, for a passport accompanied by my wife Nettye O. Dunn who was born at St. Louis, Mo. [sentence about Nettye O. Dunn was crossed out]
I solemnly swear that I was born at Elliotstown, in the State of Illinois, on or about the 19 day of March, 1882; that my father Thomas J. Dunn was born in Kentucky, U.S.A. and is now residing at Dieterich, Ill., R.F.D. . . .
That I have resided outside the United States at the following places for the following periods: Never;
That I am domiciled in the United States, my permanent residence being at Dieterich, in the state of Illinois, where I follow the occupation of physician; that I am about to go abroad temporarily; that I intend to return to the United States within 2 years with the purpose of residing and performing the duties of citizenship therein; and that I desire a passport for use in visiting the countries hereinafter named for the following purpose:
Name of Country: Africa, Belgium Congo States,
Object of Visit: Medical Service
Name of Country: via England,
Object of Visit: En route to Belgian Congo.
I intend to leave the United States from the port of New York sailing on board the [blank] on April 10th,, 1919.
My last passport was obtained from: Never.
Oath of Allegiance . . .
[signed] John William Dunn
Sworn before me on this 10th day of March, 1919 [signed].
Fee received Mar 17 1919 Afternoon [stamped]
(over)

Page 2 of 2:
Description of Applicant
Age: 37 years
Stature: 5 feet, 11 inches
Forehead: medium
Eyes: dark blue
Nose: straight
Mouth: medium
Chin: square
Hair: light brown
Complexion: medium
Face: Oval
Distinguishing marks: none
Affidavit of Identifying Witness
I, W. T. Graham, solemnly swear that I am a native citizen of the United States; that I reside at St. Louis Mo; that I have known the above John William Dunn personally for 15 years and know him to be a native citizen of the United States; and that the facts stated in his affidavit are true to the best of my knowledge and belief.
[signed] William T. Graham
Night Supt. National Enam. +Stamp
4333 Blair Ave
St. Louis Mo
Sworn to before me this 10 day of March, 1919
[signed] W.W. Uall
Clerk U.S. ___ Ct. St. Louis Mo
Applicant desires passport to be sent to the following address:
John W. Dunn
90 Passport Agency
2 Rector Street
New York City
M.C.
[photograph of John William Dunn]”

Ancestry.com, “Passport Applications, January 2, 1906 - March 31, 1925 (M1490) > 1921 > Roll 1462 - Certificates: 129500-129875, 13 Jan 1921-14 Jan 1921,” images 573-574:

“Page 1 of 2:
129772
Department Passport Application
Native
[stamped] Jan – 6 1921
I, John W. Dunn, a native and loyal citizen of the United States, hereby apply to the Department of State, at Washington, for a passport for myself, accompanied by my wife, Nettye Graham, and minor children, as follows: [blank].
I solemnly swear that I was born at Elliotstown, in the State of Ill., on Mch 19, 1882, that my father Thomas J. Dunn was born in Ky. And is now residing at Dieterick, Ill., for the purpose of Physician . . .
That I am the bearer of Passport No 72327, issued by the Dept. of State on Mch 28, 1919; that my legal domicile is in Illinois, my permanent residence being at Dieterich, Ill, and I last left the United States on Apr. 19, 1919, arriving at Matadi, Congo Belge on June 24, 1919. I am now at Tshikafia residing for the purpose of physician, on behalf of: (Name, address, and nationality of firm, corporation, or other organization represented, if any) ‘F’orminiese,’ (Brussels) (Belgian-American).
That I have resided outside the United States at the following places for the following periods:
England (Medical Corps, U.S. Air Service), from Mch. 1918 to Nov. 1918.
Congo Belge, from June 1919 to date;
And that I desire to remain a citizen of the United States and intend to return thereto permanently to reside and perform the duties of citizenship within 7 months or when work is done.
I have not applied elsewhere for a United States passport or for consular registration and been refused. I desire a passport for use in visiting the countries hereinafter named for the following purpose:
Name of Country: Belgium, Object of Visit: en route to U.S.A.
Name of Country: England, Object of Visist: en route to U.S.A.
Oath of Allegiance . . .
[signed] J.W. Dunn
American Conculate at Loauda, Acyola.
Sworn to before me this 4th day of Oct., 1920.
[signed] Reed Paige Clark
Consul of the United States of America
Mail to address on reverse side.

Page 2 of 2:
Description of Applicant
Age: 38 years
Stature: 5 feet, 11 inches
Forehead: medium
Eyes: blue
Nose: large – straight
Mouth: Medium + moustache
Chin: Goatee
Hair: Brown
Complexion: Medium
Face: Oval
Identification
Identified by other Americans at Tshikafa as Dr. John W. Dunn. . . .
[photograph of wife, Nettye Graham Dunn]
Identifying documents submitted as follows: Passport # 72327; Passport # 72047 (wife) of Mch. 16, 1919; Matriculation Pact Bonia, of self + wife; Identity books (But) of self and wife (London).
Send passport to:
Dr. J.W. Dunn
To “Confiria,”
Kinshasa, Congo Belge.
[photograph of John William Dunn]”

Ancestry.com, “New York Passenger Lists, 1820-1957,” Lapland, 14 August 1921, Image 9:

“List of United States Citizens (For the Immigration Authorities)
SS Lapland, sailing from Antwerp, 4th August, 1921, Arriving at Port of New York, 14 Aug 1921
Line 2, John Dunn, age 41, male, married, date and place of birth: 19th March 1882 Elliotstown Ills, address in United States: Dieterich Ills.
Line 3, Nettye Dunn, age 40, female, married, date and place of birth: 8th Aug 1882 St. Louis Ills, address in United States: Dieterich Ills.”

Ancestry.com, “U.S. World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942”:

“Page 1 of 2:
Serial Number 179,
Name: John William Dunn
Place of Residence: Chestnut, Logan County, Illinois
Mailing address: Same
Age in years: 60,
Date of Birth: March 19, 1882,
Place of Birth: Elliotstown, Effingham County, Illinois
Name and Address of Person who will always know your address: Nettye O. Dunn, Chestnut, Illinois
Employer’s name and address: None
Place of employment or business: None
I affirm that I have verified above answers and that they are true. [signed] John William Dunn

Page 2 of 2:
Registrar’s Report
Description of Registrant
Race: White
Height (approx.): 5’ 10 ½”
Weight (approx.): 145
Eyes: blue
Hair: Gray
Complexion: Fair
[signed by registrar] Virginia C. Poceacey
Registrar for local board: Number3, City: Pinellas, State: Florida
Date of Registration: April 27, 1972
Local Board No. 1
Logan County”

ancestry.com, 1945 Florida State Census, Precinct 63, Pinellas, Florida, image 21, page 21:

“Florida State Population Census, 1945
Name: John W. Dunn, Address: Safety Harbor, In or Out: In, Age: 63, Gender: male, Place of Birth: Ill, Degree of Education: Ceol[?], Occupation: Dr.
Name: Nettye O. Dunn, Address: Safety Harbor, In or Out: In, Age: 62, Gender: female, Place of Birth: Mo., Degree of Education: H.S., Occupation: Housewife.”

Ancestry.com, “North Carolina Death Certificates, 1909-1975”:

“Certificate of Death 15339
Registration Dist. No 11-00, Certificate No 213,
Place of Death:
County: Buncombe,
Township: Asheville,
City or town: (If outside city or town limits, write Rural): Rural,
Street, Hospital or Institution: Veterans Administration,
Length of stay in hospital or institution: 1 mos. 6 days,
In this community: 1 mos. 6 days
Home (Usual residence) of deceased:
State: Ill.,
County: Logan,
City or town: Lincoln,
Street or R.F.D.: 635 4th St.,
Is place of residence in corporate limits? Unknown,
Full Name: Dunn, John William, C-1182 762 – Capt., M.C.
If veteran, name war: World War,
Social security No.: None,
Sex: male,
Race: white,
Single, married, widowed, or divorced: Married,
Name of husband or wife: Netty Dunn,
Age of husband or wife if alive: Unknown,
Birth date of deceased: Mar. 19, 1882,
Age: 63 years, 5 months, 4 days,
Birthplace: Dietrich, Ill.,
Usual occupation: Physician,
Father:
Name: T. J. Dunn,
Birthplace: Ky.,
Mother:
Maiden name: Mary Fields,
Birthplace: Ill.,
Informant’s Signature: Hospital records,
Address: Veterans Administration, Oteen, N.C.,
Removal date: Aug. 23, 1945,
Location: Lincoln, Ill.,
Funeral director: Brownell-Dunn & Lovin,
Address: Asheville, N.C.,
Filed Aug 30 1945, registrar: Lola Y. Perkinson
Medical Certification
Date of death: Aug. 23, 1945 at 5:30 AM.
I certify that death occurred on the date above stated; that I attended deceased from July 17, 1945 to Aug. 23, 1945, and that I last saw him alive on Aug. 23 1945.
Immediate cause of death: Tuberculosis, pulmonary, chronic
Far advanced
Duration: Unknown,
No autopsy held,
Signature: D.E. Quinn, Lt. Col., M.C., Clinical,
Address: Veterans Amd., Oteen, N.C. 8-23-45”

Barbara Henrietta Clarkson Heislen

2010-09-24T14:59:00.001-04:00

After my previous post the other day about Frances America Clarkson, I got to thinking about her family, and I did a little searching for her sisters. I’ve not yet had any luck finding anything about Frences’ older sister, Martha W. Clarkson, but I did find info about her younger sister, Barbara Henrietta Clarkson (who went by Henrietta) and her descendants.
I was pleased to find 4 children for Henrietta Clarkson and her husband, Eugene A. Heislen:

1. Victor Heislen, born about February 1876 in St. Louis, Missouri; died of acute bronchitis on 19 Dec 1877 in St. Louis.

2. Josephine Rittenhouse, born about 1876 in Missouri; died before 1910, (adopted).

3. Jennie Heislen, born about 1878 or 1879 in St. Louis, (married Hosea Roy Foskett and had 4 children: Victor Roy, Myrtle V., Rolland G., and Eugene Robert Foskett), and she died on 13 June 1952.

4. William Busing Heislen, born 6 February 1885 in Missouri, (married Blanche A. in about 1905 and had 1 child: Ivy V. Heislen).

Handwritten Drafts for Obituary of Frances America Clarkson Graham Dowling

2010-09-20T15:24:00.007-04:00

My 3rd great grandmother, Frances America Clarkson, was the second of three daughters of Thomas Clarkson and Jane Woodrum. Frances, who also went by “Fannie,” was born on 21 June 1848 in St. Louis, Missouri. On 14 November 1869, at the 4th Baptist Church in St. Louis, she was married to John Nicholas Graham. Over the next twelve years, while the couple cpntinued to live in St. Louis and John worked as a butcher in a “pork house,” Frances gave birth to six children: Amelia Jane, William, Eugene (“Gene”), John George (my 2nd great grandfather), Harry August (“Gus”), and Henrietta (“Nettye”) Graham. When their youngest daughter was a year and a half old, Frances’ husband, John Nicholas Graham, passed away on 27 February 1884. Frances was remarried to William Dowling, who was born in Louisiana, on 1 December 1885. Frances and William had two daughters: Pearl and Violet Ruth Dowling. By 1900 Frances was listed as the the 'head of household’ on the census, and William Dowling was not listed as living with the family. Although family stories recall William Dowling as an unfaithful gambler who deserted his wife and children, it has not yet been proved if William actually did leave the family, or if he possibly passed away. We do know, however, that Frances’ children started working at young ages, probably in an effort to help support the family. Frances’ son, John George Graham, started working as a messenger boy at the nearby Granite City Steel Mill at the age of 7. Frances America Clarkson Graham Dowling lived a long life. She passed away at the age of 83 years on 6 November 1931 in Granite City, Illinois.

About 5 years ago I found this paper at the home of my grandmother in Lee’s Summit, Missouri. Because there are at least four distinct handwritings on the page, I assume that this may have been a draft that family members used to prepare the obituary for Frances when she passed away. I am not sure of who the authors were, although I assume that it was written by some of her children.

“Frances Clarkson was born in St. Louis June 21 - 1850. Went to sleep. Friday, Nov. 6 - 1931. She was united in marriage to John N. Graham Nov 14 - 1869, who died Feb. 27 - 1884, to this union were born, Amelia Bennett St. Louis, Wm deceased, Eugene of Cal, John Granite City, Gus Nashville Tenn, Nettye Dunn, Chestnut
She was married to Wm Dowling Dec. 1st 1885, to this Union 2 Children were born Pearl Flemming and Ruth Gilmore of St. Louis Surviving are 7 Children 36 Grandchildren 25 Great Grand children.
Francis Clarkson was born in St. Louis, Mo., June 21, 1850 and went to sleep in Jesus on Friday, Nov. 6, 1931. She was united in marriage to John N. Graham, Nov. 14, 1869, who died Feb. 27, 1884. For this union -
Francis Clarkson Was Born In St. Louis, Mo., J
Frances Clarkson was born June 21 - 1850
Frances Clarkson was born in St. Louis, June 21, 1850. She was united in marriage John Nicholas Graham, Nov. 14, 1869. To their union were born six children, Amelia Bennett, William (deceased), Eugene, John, and Gus Graham, and Nettye Dunn.
36 Grandchildren.”

This is the only photograph I have of Frances Clarkson (she is the one sitting in the chair on the right).

back row: Henrietta O. Graham Dunn, Eugene H. or William T. Graham, John George Graham, Pearl Dowling Fleming, Henry August Gus Graham, and Ruth Dowling Gilmore

center: Barbara Henrietta Clarkson Heislein (Frances’ younger sister), an unknown man, and Frances America Clarkson Graham Dowling

front: Elva and Edwin Fleming (children of Pearl)

William Vincent and his ancestors

2010-07-29T14:08:00.002-04:00

The other day my Grandma Bev called and asked me a question about a genealogy website, and she mentioned my 4th great grandfather, William Vincent. A few days later I was still thinking about William Vincent, so I decided to see what I could find out. I looked back at my censes chart that I had made for William Vincent and his wife, Mary Elizabeth Vance and their children, and found that last time I had done any research on the family I had only been able to find info about William Vincent after he was married, and I didn’t know anything about his parents or ancestors. The only thing I knew about his family was that he had a brother, John Vincent, who was living next door to him on the 1860 census.

So, I started trying to find out more about William Vincent on a census earlier than 1860 (the first census after his 1851 marriage). After some searching, I came across an 1850 census in Nodaway, Andrew county, Missouri with the family of Irvin and Ann Eliza Goff and their four young children. Living with that family was 21 year old William Vincent, 19 year old John Vincent, and 13 year old Nancy E. Vincent. William and John were both born in Kentucky – their birth dates and locations were consistent with the information that I had about William and his brother. And Nancy was born in Missouri. Interestingly, all three of the Vincent siblings were listed with a $200 real estate value – this made me curious if their parents had recently passed away and willed them each equal amounts of their land/house – because you don’t usually find a 13 year old girl with real estate value.

A chart of census records that I've found for the William and Mary Vincent family so far.

Ancestry.com, 1850 United States Federal Census, Nodaway, Andrew County, Missouri, image 34, dwelling number 199, family number 198, lines 25 to 33:

“Line 25, Irvin Goff, age 32, male, occupation: Farmer, value of real estate: 200, born in Kentucky, cannot read and write.

Line 26, Ann Eliza Goff, age 26, female, born in Kentucky.

Line 27, Ann Eliz Goff, age 7, female, born in Missouri, attended school within the year.

Line 28, Elizabeth A Goff, age 5, female, born in Missouri.

Line 29, James A Goff, age 3, male, born in Missouri.

Line 30, William A Goff, age 1/10, male, born in Missouri.

Line 31, Nancy E Vincent, age 13, female, value of real estate: 200, born in Missouri.

Line 32, William Vincent, age 21, male, occupation: Farmer, value of real estate: 200, born in Kentucky.

Line 33, John Vincent, age 19, male, occupation: Farmer, value of real estate: 200, born in Kentucky.”

(Oh, look at that – I just noticed that Rufina Vincent Warhurst and her husband and son were living near her siblings, William, John, and Nancy Vincent on that 1850 Nodaway, Missouri census page. Fun!)

The other census records I’d found for William after his marriage had shown him living Kansas and later in different towns in Missouri, and when I looked on Google maps I found that Nodaway, Missouri isn’t far from the other places that he resided later on.

After finding that census record, I was able to tie into a family tree that someone had submitted to ancestry.com – it listed the family of Zachariah Vincent and Elizabeth Allegre with the following children: Celia, Sarah, William, John, Rufina, and Nancy E. Vincent. Everything matched: On the ancestry.com family tree, William, John, and Rufina were all born in Kentucky, and then Nancy was born in Chariton, Missouri in 1837. Three years after Nancy was born, both parents passed away in 1840 – which would be consistent with my ideas about the parents passing away and possibly leaving their property to their children. The person who submitted the family tree was the descendant of William’s sister, Rufina Vincent, and they had also included a short story about Rufina and her husband when they moved from Missouri to Kansas to settle and build a new home there. Rufina was only 6 when her parents died, and the story mentioned that she was only 14 years old when she got married – I wondered if a reason for her getting married at such a young age may have been that her parents had been dead for so long and she had to grow up early. Anyways, from that family tree I have gotten the names of quite a few more direct ancestors and their children, which is very exciting because even though I got the information from someone else’s research, it’s still really exciting to find ‘new’ direct ancestors – that doesn’t happen very often. A few of the lines went back to Europe (one French line, and several English ones), and some of them went back really far. So now I’ve added all sorts of new names to this line – including Allegre, Alverson, Cox, Cooley, Jordan, Cowley, Ware, Cocke, and quite a few more. Now I need to see if I can work on filling in the new holes that this information leaves me with. And I haven’t taken a look at the ancestors of William Vincent’s wife, Mary Elizabeth Vance, in a while either.

So, here is a pedigree chart showing the little I knew about William Vincent before this week:

And here’s the pedigree chart with some of the new info about William’s ancestors:

And these photos were included with that family tree that was submitted to ancestry.com – they are of William Vincent’s sister, Rufina Vincent and her husband, James Anderson Warhurst. (If I can’t find a photo of my ancestor, it’s pretty cool to find a photo of his sister at least).

Rufina Vincent Warhurst and James Anderson Warhurst

This is the story that I mentioned about Rufina Vincent and her husband. Pretty interesting, I thought. William Vincent and his family lived in Brown County, Kansas at one point too, before moving back to Missouri later on – I wonder if they had a similar situation and if they lived nearby and interacted with Rufina and her family?

http://www.ancestry.com/, ancestry.com user, “tdrolsum” originally submitted this to “Tammy D.'s Family Tree” on 21 Jun 2008.

“The Warhursts Go West, c. 1850 , Missouri and Kansas
Contributed by Virginia Warhurst, 1631 Ardath, Wichita Falls Texas 76301, 25 March 1974, from information collected by Harry Warhurst; sent to Patricia Johnsen Hicks, Weaverville, California.
retyped by Pat Hicks July 8, 2001

JAMES ANDERSON WARHURST and RUFINA VINCENT

"Many, many years ago, dark haired Rufina Vincent, a girl of 14, and James A. Warhurst, a stalwart youth of 21 summers, were married in a little church in Missouri. After a few short, happy years of life in Missouri, during which chubby Gus and tiny Bell were born to them, they decided to move to the territory of Kansas.
"Having sold their property and collected their possessions, they bought an unblemished team of young horses, a new wagon and harness, and clothing and cloth enough to clothe them for a year. They also bought a year's supply of flour, meat, sugar, coffee, and other provisions. They stored their supplies in their home.
"The evening before the day they planned to start was rather sad, for it was not easy for such young people as Rufina and Jim to say good-bye to their relatives and friends and go to live in such a lonely, uninhabited place.
On returning home this particular evening, they backed the wagon up to the door and put the harness under the wagon in order that they might be ready to load early the next morning. After turning the horses in their pen, they retired for the night.
"During the night they were awakened by fire falling in their faces. They snatched up the children and barely escaped with their lives. Their only belongings which were not destroyed by fire were their night clothes and their horses, as the crumbling house fell on the wagon and destroyed both it and their harness.
"Undaunted by such a hard blow, they sold their horses, bought a yoke of oxen, a wagon, and what supplies they could, and started on their journey to Kansas. They crossed the Missouri river at Iowa Point into Kansas, and began looking for a favorable location. They arrived in Kansas two years before it was open for settlement.
"They drove in a northwest direction across what was later Doniphan County, Kansas, and into what is Brown County, Irving township, and settled at a place. When it was surveyed, several years later, it proved to be the southwest quarter of section 21, township 1, range 18, east.
How did they happen to stop at this particular spot?
They were driving along the divide one day, hot, thirsty, and tired. The children were exceptionally cross and the oxen in great need of water. Suddenly the oxen smelled the water in the creek north of them, which was later called Cottonwood Creek, and in the creek which they were approaching, known as Roy's creek. Suddenly they (the oxen) took the matter of location into their own hands, and turned north, left the trail, and ran away, making for water. Jim ran beside the frenzied animals, whipping them over the head, but to no avail. After he had become winded, he jumped back into the wagon, and shortly after, the oxen plunged over a high bank into Roy's Creek, the water of which came into the wagon box.
"Rufina carried the children to the north side of the creek, climbed the steep bank, and said smilingly as she stood wringing the water from her skirts, "Now, Jim, that's a pretty mess," at which he smiled grimly. After she had the children as dry as possible, and he had led the oxen (now quite tame) out and tied them to a tree, they realized that all their earthly possessions were soaking in creek water. So, with no great amount of clothing, they proceeded to carry their goods and trappings out and spread them on the bank to dry.
"While Jim was occupied with the oxen, hauling the wagon out a piece at a time, Rufina took the babies and walked west, perhaps a hundred yards. She noticed water seeping out of a bank, and, with the aid of a stick, she soon had a nice little spring running and had it dug out enough so that one could dip water from it with a cup. Very enthusiastically, she ran to where Jim was and told him she had found water - a good place to camp. They later moved their belongings to the spring and camped.
"There was an abundance of grass near the creek, and on a flat west of the spring, the grass was higher than the oxen's backs. They decided that since nobody seemed to be near to have a claim, this was the very spot upon which to build their home. So they cut logs and dragged them across the creek and built a house near the spring. They laid claim to the creek bottom, staked out their claim, cleared the brush from a bend in the creek and plowed it, ready to plant a crop in the following spring.
"Spring came at last and Jim planted every kind of seed which he had brought from their home in Missouri: including corn, potatoes, squash, pumpkins, turnips, beans, etc. The year proved to be a very favorable one. Although they had more corn than they needed and all the hay they could cut with a scythe, and an abundance of everything, they could not sell a wagon load of their produce for 50 cents, because the only people near them were Indians who were always hungry, but never had any money to buy with.
"Rufina and Jim could not turn the Indians away, as they were in reality trespassers on Indian lands, and so they had to endure a great deal. While they had plenty to eat, they had no neighbors, no money, and could not sell anything they had. Consequently, they made trips to Missouri to work to get provisions and clothing. Later, they purchased a flock of sheep, and Rufina helped shear them. She then scoured, carded, spul and wove the wool into cloth from which she made the clothing for the family.
"In later years when the country was open to settlement and surveyed, the Warhurst place proved to be mostly rolling plains instead of bottom land as they had hoped. Their house was only 50 yards from the Brown county line. Shortly after their land was surveyed, their house burned and they built another higher up on the hill. They had lived on this place for over 35 years when Rufina died at the age of 50 years. Jim, broken hearted, sold the place and went to Oklahoma where he spent the rest of his life with his devoted daughter, Bell. Both Rufina and Jim were buried one-half mile from the place where their first house stood."

Courtland Oliver Dick

2010-07-14T17:43:00.000-04:00

Courtland Oliver Dick was my great, great grandfather. He was born on 15 February 1888 in Lincoln, Benton county, Missouri, the fifth and youngest child of Lafayette Dick and Mary Anna Giffin. Courtland had one older sister and three older brothers: Emma Viola Dick Miller, William Joseph Dick, Charles Dick, and James Robert Dick Skillman. When he was about 10 years old, Courtland moved to Kansas City, Jackson county, Missouri, where he lived the rest of his life. On 29 October 1908, Courtland Oliver Dick and Lillie Margaret Conners had a baby girl, Frances Olive Dick (my great grandmother). At the age of 20, Courtland was then married to Lillie Margaret Conners in December 1908. When Courtland was about 22 years old, he started work for the Kansas City Star newspaper as a mailer, and continued at that job as long as he lived.

About the same time Courtland started working for The Star newspaper, his wife, Lillie, had her second baby girl, Virginia Ann Dick on 17 July 1910. But just before Virginia reached her 14th month of life, she passed away. According to an interview of Frances Olive Dick Monk by her daughter, Beverly Frances Monk Spohr, in October 2003, Frances’ baby sister, “Virginia died when she was 13 months old. She caught whooping cough and then she got pneumonia. But they wouldn’t let her into the hospital because whooping cough was considered a contagious disease then, and she died from the pneumonia.” Virginia was buried in the Mount Hope Cemetery in Kansas City, Wyandotte county, Kansas. The family could not afford a headstone to mark Virginia’s grave, and her mother, Lillie, saved her money and was able to have a headstone placed at her daughter’s grave when she was an old woman.

Courtland’s only surviving daughter, Frances Olive Dick (she got her middle name, Olive, from her father’s middle name, Oliver) was married on 12 March 1930 in Liberty, Liberty county, Missouri, to Robert Wilson Monk. Frances had two children: Beverly Frances Monk born in 1932, and Robert Wilson Monk Jr. born in 1938.

Courtland signed many documents “C. O. Dick,” and his granddaughter Beverly remembers that he went by “Ollie.” Beverly told me that Courtland’s daughter, Frances, called her parents Mama and Papa, and that Beverly called them Mimi and Popi.

Courtland died on 6 April 1958 in Kansas City, Missouri and was buried in the Forest Hill Cemetery in Kansas City. Courtland’s wife, Lillie, lived in Kansas City until her death in 1973.

Photograph: Courtland Oliver Dick, Lillie Margaret Conners Dick,

Loretta Hall (unknown relationship), and Frances Olive Dick.

__________________________

Here are three census records from 1910, 1920, and 1930 that show Courtland Oliver Dick and his family:

1910 United States Federal Census, Kansas City, Ward 8, Jackson, Missouri, , roll T624_786, page 10B, Enumeration District 97, image 1213, dated 15 April 1910, street: Locust, house no. 1223, lines 53-55:

“Line 53, Oliver C Dick, head of household, male, white, age 22, 1st marriage, married 2 years, born in Missouri, father born in Kentucky, mother born in M, able to speak English, occupation: paper hanger, type of worker: w, able to read, able to write, renting home.

Line 54, Lilly M. Dick, wife, female, white, age 19, 1st marriage, married 2 years, mother of 1 child, 1 child living, born in Missouri, father born in Nebraska, mother born in Illinois, able to speak English, occupation: none, able to read, able to write.

Line 55, Olive Dick, daughter, female, white, age 1, single, born in Missouri, father born in Missouri, mother born in Missouri, occupation: none.”

1920 United States Federal Census, Kansas City, Ward 11, Jackson County, Missouri, , roll T625_928, page 4A, Enumeration District 179, image 103, dated 7 January 1920, street: Gilhom Road, house no. 2940, dwelling no. 66, family no. 102, lines 32-34:

“Line 32, Courtland O. Dack, head of household, renting home, male, white, age 30, married, able to read, able to write, born in Missouri, father born in Virginia, mother born in Virginia, able to speak English, occupation: mailer, industry: newspaper.

Line 33, Lillie M. Dack, wife, female, white, age 29, married, able to read, able to write, born in Missouri, father born in Nebraska, mother born in Illinois, able to speak English, occupation: none.

Line 34, Francis O. Dack, daughter, female, white, age 11, single, attended school within the year, able to read, able to write, born in Missouri, father born in Missouri, mother born in Missouri, able to speak English, occupation: none.”

1930 US Census, , Ward 15, Kansas City, Jackson County, Missouri, 5 April 1930, enumeration district no. 48-224, page 222, sheet no. 7A, address: 4116Wayne Street, dwelling no. 75, family no. 110, lines 37-39:

“Line 37, Courtland O’Dick, owns home, value of home: 3000.00, owns radio set, male, white, age 42, married at age 20, did not attend school in last year, able to read and write, born in Missouri, father born in West Virginia, mother born in Ohio, able to speak English, occupation: Mailer, industry: News Paper, class of worker: W, actually at work, not a veteran.

Line 38, Lily M. O’Dick, wife of head, female, white, age 39, married at age 17, did not attend school in last year, able to read and write, born in Missouri, father born in Kentucky, mother born in Illinois, able to speak English, occupation: none.

Line 39, Frances Monk, daughter, female, white, age 21, married at age 21, did not attend school in last year, able to read and write, born in Missouri, father born in Missouri, mother born in Missouri, able to speak English, occupation: none.”

__________________________

I found a clipping from an unknown newspaper that had been laminated and used as a bookmark when I was visiting the home of my grandma, Beverly Monk Spohr (Courtland’s only granddaughter). Here is Courtland Dick’s obituary from that newspaper clipping:

“In Loving Memory of

COURTLAND OLIVER DICK.

__________________________

He Had Been a Mailer for The Star 47 Years.

__________________________

Courtland Oliver Dick, 70, of 4116 Wayne Avenue, died yesterday at St. Luke’s hospital. He had been ill three weeks.

Mr. Dick had been a mailer 47 years for The Star and had been a member of Mailers local No. 7 for 41 years. In 1951 he was a delegate from his local to the International Typographical union convention in Detroit. He was born in Lincoln, Mo., and had been a resident of Kansas City 60 years.

Surviving are his wife, Mrs. Lillie M. Dick of the home; a daughter, Mrs. Frances Monk, 9648 Lee boulevard, Leawood; a sister, Mrs. Emma Miller, 2312 College avenue; a brother, Robert Skillman, El Monte, Calif.; two grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Services will be at 2:30 o’clock Tuesday at the Newcomer chapel. Burial will be in Forest Hill cemetery.

The pallbearers will be Robert E. O’Dell, G. R. McNib [?], Clarice [?] Taylor, Robert W. Brown, M. J. Sweeney and Henry C. Slier.[?]

In our hearts a memory is kept,

Of one we loved and will never forget.”

'My Life History by Lucinda Chidester'

2010-06-07T17:51:00.001-04:00

This life history of Eliza Lucinda “Cindy” Smith Chidester was written by her in February 1980. The original document is handwritten in a blue spiral notebook, 34 pages long with an extra piece of paper clipped to page 28. It is in the possession of Steven John Chidester of San Diego, California, Eliza’s grandson. Typed by Steven’s daughter, Stephanie Chidester Bradshaw, in 2004. (The only changes that have been made from the original text are the correction of grammatical and spelling errors.)

My Life History by

Lucinda Chidester

“When I was born down in Notom, Utah my parents told me there was three feet of snow on the level.

The only help mother had was a midwife named Mrs. Woolman. She said I weighed around seven pounds.

Several cattlemen lost their stock because the snow covered all the feed.

The house I was born in only had two rooms, which was the case with most of the houses of that time. It was made of logs with a lean-to kitchen. I saw it once after I was about fifteen. Wish I had paid more attention to it so I could remember it better now.

It had a fireplace in the front room and a cook stove in the kitchen and that was all the heat it had.

My dad was a farmer and had moved down there from Richfield which was a foolish move but he wanted to be near his parents who had moved from Richfield because my grandfather Smith had been called by the church to go settle in Notom because he was such a versatile man, the kind that was useful in pioneer days. He could do most anything from doctoring the sick to making things. He was also a blacksmith and a very inventive man with whatever he had on hand. A tin can became a cup or a strainer or a grater or a pan depending on the size of the can. Nothing was wasted that could be used.

My mother was very skilled also. She was a good seamstress and could do most any kind of handwork there was. She made everything we wore except our shoes and she probably could have done that too with a little practice as her father had been a shoemaker by trade over in Denmark and when she was a little girl he used to let her make doll shoes out of the scraps of leather from the shoes he made, with his supervision of course, and she said they were pretty good.

Her father was a convert to the Mormon church and when he immigrated to Utah all the way from Denmark he had brought his shoe making tools with him. He had brought his first family with him and my grandmother was wife number two, which he married in Utah. She had come here from Denmark also with her parents, the Jeppe Iversons.

Now getting back to my life:

When I was a baby about 8 months old my parents moved from Notom to Thurber (now called Bicknell). They were really on their way back from Richfield where my mother’s folks lived, but my uncle Jim Smith who had a store here offered dad the job of hauling his freight from Richfield so he stayed here and bought a farm down at the “old town” as it was called after most of the people had moved higher up on the trench [?] north, and after living there for a while they too moved to the new town so the children wouldn’t have so far to go to school in the winter. Dad kept on farming but would ride down and back morning and night. Before they left, however, another son was born to them, my brother Arvil and he was the last child they had.

Then when I was about four years old they moved to Torrey. Dad had traded his home in Thurber to a man named Heet Liston. The farm in Torrey was about sixty-four acres and it had a bigger house with an orchard of fruit trees.

But the irrigation water was a small stream from Sand Creek, which came from the mountain on the north. Not long after this the town started to build a canal so they could farm more ground and my dad worked on the canal every summer until it was completed. This was done with pick and shovel plows and scrapers so it took a long time because it was 8 miles long. This water came from the Fremont River.

I can’t remember when we moved to Torrey and that is strange because I can remember a few instances that happened while we lived in Thurber. Once was when the threshers were all seated around the table and I asked mother if they were all my uncles. I remember how they all laughed and one man held me on his lap and said he would be my uncle. This man was John Handcock and he was from Torrey and it turned out that he was our next door neighbor when we moved down there. He and his wife Josie were always so good to us kids and we loved them.

Josie could play the organ and guitar and John the fiddle and they both were good singers and step dancers, or tap dancing as it is now called.

Cindy and Jim Chidester

When Josie found out I could sing she taught me songs and saw to it that I had a part in every entertainment that came along.

Josie ran the hotel and once there was a traveling show come to town, which was rare. It consisted of movies and slides. This was a picture show, as we called it. She had me sing for the man so he gave me a job singing while he changed reels. At that time it would take about 10 min. to change the reels and he wanted me to sing while he did it and said I could earn a free ticket. Josie accompanied me on the organ. I enjoyed it and thought I was really a big shot.

Here is an amusing incident connected with the traveling show that I forgot to mention. There was some kind of entertainment coming up where my sister Ada had to sing. Well I had been going with her to practice every time so I had learned the song just by listening. So whether I had run out of songs or why I don’t remember but I sang Ada’s song. Well, Ada was so mad that if Mother and Dad hadn’t been there she would have beaten me good. I guess they and Josie thought it was cute.

The big days in Wayne County were Xmas, the fourth and twenty-fourth of July, and May Day. The committee that was appointed to take care of the programs for the celebrations always included Josie, so I was assured a part as one of the maids of honor to the Goddess of Liberty on the fourth or Miss Utah on the 24th, which generally meant a song by me.

Sometimes I would be afraid to sing before such a large crowd, but between Josie and Mother and Dad they would talk me in to it and Josie would teach me a new song. I generally had a small flag that I would wave during the song.

The maids of honor and the Goddess of Liberty always wore white dresses with generally ribbon sashes of red white and blue ribbon.

The celebrations on the 4th and 24th consisted of a program in the morning with a children’s dance or “little dance” as we called it in the early afternoon, then horse racing in the afternoon and a “big dance” in the evening.

I forgot to mention about the foot races the children participated in where we always received candy, popcorn, and peanuts.

This paragraph should have been written back a ways in my story. I said I probably would have had a small flag to wave as I sang, especially if it were a patriotic song, which it generally was on the fourth, but on the 24th it would be a pioneer song. One song in particular I remember was:

Roll on in thy beauty, Oh Flag of the Free, The Stars and the stripes shall my song ever be.

What anthem so thrilling is rolling along.

Till millions of free men have learned the glad song.

‘Tis the time honored star spangled banner shall be

In solid triumph firm

The flag of the free.

My sister Ada and I had to wash the dishes and I had to stand on a stool to reach them.

One time just before the fourth some trouble broke out in the choir over something and the members announced they wouldn’t sing. The bishop John Riley Stuart was quite upset about it he said, “What will I do?”

Well Josie said, “Don’t worry, I will get you a choir. So she got us kids together and taught us some patriotic songs. She stood me on a table with a flag in my hand and had me beat time.

I guess it sounded pretty good for after the first song Cutler Behunin jumped to his feet and yelled “Hurrah for the little choir! You old choir sit back and stay back because the little choir has you beat all to peaces.”

Well I wasn’t old enough to remember what the repercussions were about that but I can imagine that the old choir members must have felt pretty silly.

When I think back growing up was fun except I was such a coward. I remember how the coyotes used to howl at night on the edge of town, which always scared me so that I was always home at night unless I was with my folks, who sometimes would go to the neighbors to spend the evening. I also think back that the only other sounds that we heard were when a wagon or a horseman went by. So the town was pretty quiet.

I remember when we used to go up to Thurber to trade at Uncle Jim Smith’s store. How excited we were! Dad and Mother sat in a spring seat with Arvil in between them and Ada and I would sit just back of them on a board stretched across the wagon box. We nearly always had on new dresses made out of checked gingham or some bright calico and we felt so special.

I remember how thick the prairie dogs were on each side of the road and how they would come out of their holes and raise up on their hind feet and chatter as we went by. You don’t see any of them any more I guess the cars have frightened them away. In the fields the farmers used to turn the water down their holes and when they would come up for air they would kill them with their shovels because they did a lot of damage to the grain crops.

We made our own entertainment, which consisted mostly of dances with some town plays that the schools would put on.

My favorite names were Ruby and Sadie so I always had dolls by those names. Ruby was a pretty one with blond curls and sleeping eyes when you laid her down with a kid jointed body. She had brown eyes and was about 15 or 18 inches tall but Sadie’s body was homemade by mother and a very good body it was too with the legs sewn on so she could sit too. Her head was of china with yellow hair and painted features. I loved them both equally and spent many happy hours playing with them and I learned to sew making doll clothes with mother’s help.

My first schoolteacher was Sarah Ann Lasenby, one old maid they called her. I don’t know how old she was but I do remember her hair was turning gray.

I remember the blackboard was higher than I could reach so I had to stand on a stool. I remember writing “cat” and I had to reach so high even on the stool that it came out perpendicular and the kids all laughed. I was embarrassed and vowed to myself I would learn to write straight.

I was frightened of animals, especially horses, cows and dogs, but when my dad was along I lost my fright and really enjoyed going places in the wagon and later on in the white topped buggy dad bought. It had two seats and top made of white canvas with curtains that could be rolled up and tied when the weather was good. I don’t know whatever happened to it. Dad took great pride in his fat horses. I don’t remember ever seeing any of his animals poor and he was disgusted with anyone who starved theirs.

Eliza Lucinda "Cindy" Smith Chidester

I was always afraid of the dark and when Ada was gone I had to sleep alone so I invented a pal whom I named Sadie Lamb. She was a pillow laid lengthwise beside me. We would talk awhile and I would snuggle up to her, cover my head, and go to sleep. This was in a way like some youngsters today with a favorite blanket or crib quilt.

Nellie Behunin and I liked to climb trees. Just east of their place was the Morril field with some real big trees that we used to climb. I made sure Mother and Dad never knew about this or they would have put a stop to it. I was so small for my age that Dad had always said, “you are too little to do this or that I’m afraid you will get hurt.” So lots of the things I did, I made sure they didn’t know about.

I took advantage of the “too little” stuff when it meant work and they would make Ada do it. Then some time when we were alone she would beat me because she knew I was faking.

After Leah got married to Will Brinkerhoff she lived in Thurber and when he would go away to work she would have Ada or I come up and stay with her. We enjoyed it and once I went to school the spring quarter, which was held in the old Grants Store.

The teacher was Leona Coleman and I was afraid of her because I saw her slap a boy who was in the eighth grade. He was up reading and got to laughing over something somebody said or did and I remember how red his face got when she hit him.

At the time there was no high school in Wayne County and the school year was only five months, so by the time the students graduated from the eighth grade they were fifteen and sixteen years old. When a student recited they always stood and faced the class.

On Fridays we always had a spelling bee and most of the time I could spell a lot of the kids “down,” including Ada, but she could far outdo me in arithmetic.

Braiding the May Pole is what we always did on the first day of May. The Primary always had a program with the braiding of the May pole as one of the parts. Then there would be a children’s dance after the program. I loved to braid the May Pole and felt so important to be one of the “braiders.”

One time some Indians came to town with a show. I was sure curious and wanted to go real bad, but only if my parents went. They did and I sat between them and really enjoyed the show.

I was the original “second-hand Rose,” but I didn’t mind at all wearing the clothes Ada outgrew and could hardly wait some times to wear some of her things that were passed down to me. Of course some times they would have to be altered a little here and there, but Mother could easily do that. We wore our hair braided only on special occasions when Mother would curl it in ringlets with a curling iron heated in a lamp chimney of a coal oil lamp. She would put a ribbon bow on the side near the top of the head.

In the winter we wore wool stockings knitted by Mother, which meant quite a lot of knitting for that many people - seven children and she and dad. But she was a fast knitter and I can remember how her fingers seemed to fly. Of course each one had just two pair of new ones and when the knees and heels wore out she would knit new ones in. I used to hold the skeins of yarn while she wound them into balls.

Lucinda and James Chidester

As far back as I can remember my playmates that stand out mostly in my mind were Grace Woolsey, Nellie Behunin, and Myrtle Burr.

We were all about the same age give or take a few months and with our dolls and playhouses we had a wonderful time.

Josie taught me all the different chords on the organ and I soon got so I could accompany people when they sang or played the violin and it wasn’t long before I was playing for dances with Bro. Jim Huntsman on the fiddle. He only played in Torrey but Arth Jacobs and Jonny Jacobs also played in Teasdale and Thurber and I went along as the accompanist. I believe my pay at first was 25 cents for a dance then it changed to 50 cents and on up to two dollars.

This went on for quite a long time after I started going with Jim who used to complain about bringing me to the dance and then having me sit and play the piano instead of dancing.

Another man I used to accompany was Jesse Young. He played the clarinet. That was the first time I had ever heard “The Stars and Stripes Forever.” They danced it as a two-step.

When they first started high school they held it in the old rock schoolhouse, which is now torn down. I went. There were only two teachers, Miss Bess Montgomery and Horace H. Higgs. No music teacher or any others. They taught every thing from home ec to animal husbandry. Miss Montgomery taught a class in German. Some of us who took German used to show off around the other students by talking German and we thought we were something because we could converse in another language, although we didn’t know as much as we pretended.

Well I am getting ahead of my story a little.

There was another lady moved here, I didn’t know if she was a school teacher or not, but she could play by note so Mr. Young got her to play the piano so that let me out of the orchestra and it sounded better too.

As I grew up I was just as giggly as any girl at that age - worse than some I suppose, but I was made to feel so special at home and with Josie that I guess I thought I was special with everyone.

When I was about 15 I went to a dance and two guys from Bicknell were there and one of them was Jim Chidester. He had gone with my sister Ada a few times so when he asked if he could take me home I said yes and that was the start of our romance.

Well I only went to high school one year and all that time I was going with Jim. We went together three years before we got married. I was so in love by that time that I knew he was the right one. I had had plenty of other boy friends during that time, but no one quite measured up to him and so we got married on December 27, 1916.

We went up to Loa and got our marriage license then came back to Bicknell to his folk’s place and that evening Bishop Arthur Mecks married us and we lived there with his folks the rest of the winter. I didn’t particularly like living in, but that seemed to be all we could do, as his father had a sawmill out on the Boulder Mountain and he and his brothers, Will and Dewey, worked there. They would come home for the weekend to get supplies and then go back out Monday morning.

Spring was getting closer and I had had about enough of living in, so I wrote to Walter my brother who was herding sheep up in Wyoming and asked him if we could rent his house and farm in Torrey. He said yes so we moved down there.

Ross Nelson Chidester, William Smith Chidester, James Franklin Rasmussen, James Parker Chidester, John Leo Chidester, Mary Jean Chidester, Leah Bernice Chidester Erickson, Eliza Lucinda Smith Chidester, Ross Niles Rasmussen, and Gwen Chidester Rasmussen

We had a team and wagon that Grandpa Chidester had given us plus a blacktop buggy. I had an iron bed, steal as they were called then, and had made some quilts. We also had two pillows that Jim’s mother gave us from the feathers of some of the innumerable ducks that Jim had killed. Plus a secondhand range stove, a set of chairs, a cotton carpet for the front room, and a glass-doored cupboard that he got from Pectol’s store for hauling a load of freight from Salima. My folks loaned us a table. We had quite a few dishes and cooking utensils that different ones had given us as wedding gifts.

We also had a cow, and my dad gave us two pigs, and I hatched some chickens.

We lived down there for about two years and that is where my oldest son, Smith, was born. I named him after my dad, William Smith, and as there was already a Will Chidester (Jim’s brother), we called him Smith. It was also popular to give the oldest son his mother’s maiden name at that time and that was another reason.

I am also getting ahead of my story here. They were building a new recreation hall in Bicknell the winter before Smith was born and because there wasn’t any work in Torrey we moved to Bicknell and lived in part of Mandy and Chids house so Jim could work on this building.

He had learned the carpenter trade by working with John Kyle, Ben Brinkerhoff, and Rufe Brown. He was a better plasterer than a carpenter, but he did learn the carpenter trade and got so he could build houses outright, except for making cabinets and the finishing, except he could put in windows and hang doors and case them up. He used to say he “wasn’t a carpenter, just a wood butcher.” Any way he did get good enough at plastering and building that he got quite a lot of work all over the county and some even in Koosharem. I think I would be safe in saying he worked in anyway half the houses from Torrey on up to Loa and several in Grover and got most of his money, but to this day there are a few people who still owe him money and when they get around me they act so uncomfortable like they think maybe I am going to mention it. I surely wouldn’t want to carry guilt around like that for ten or twenty dollars which was quite a lot of money in those day and we needed it badly.

There was always more work up around Bicknell than in Torrey so we kept going back. It was hard for Jim to stay away anyway. He thought there was no place in the world like Bicknell. So we rented a farm and moved up there, bought a house right across the street south of his folks’ place and that is where we were living when our second baby was born. He was premature and only weighed five pounds and a few ounces. But he only lived five weeks because he contracted baby flue, they called it, because so many babies died that year. That was a terrible ordeal to go through. We named him James Collin and he is buried here in the Bicknell Cemetery.

They had his funeral in our home.

Jim’s folks went over into Emery County for the winter and we moved across the street and that is where we were living when Gwen was born just a year lacking a week after Collin. Dr. Nelson was the doctor for Wayne County as he had been for some time, but when I took sick with Collin he was over to Richfield so we had to get Mary Williams, a midwife from Teasdale. She did very well and delivered me with out an anesthetic. Dr. Nelson always used chloroform, and not enough of it either.

When Gwen was about 2 yrs. old, Jims folks had moved from Emery County to Carbon Co. and they sent word to us about how much work there was getting props out for the mines so we went over and lived in a house that belonged to Uncle Charl Chidester all of us in two rooms. Lucy and Harold, Granpa and Grandma Chidester, Dew and Mit. I forgot there was a tent that some of them slept in, until we moved out on the mountain where the timber was where some of us lived in a tent. The men would cut the timber and haul it into town. We stayed there for most of the summer and as it was getting close to fall I decided I had better take my children and come home. So we boarded the train in Clear Creek and came home and Jim stayed on to keep working. He worked about a month longer and then he come home also and his folks went back to Price. I can’t remember if the job ran out or what happened.

That winter Jim’s folks stayed over in Price as his dad wasn’t feeling very well, in fact he hadn’t been feeling well for several years and in December he died. They brought him home for burial.

We had moved back in our own home before that and that is where we were living when Ross was born.

There were some deer hunters came to Bicknell to hunt deer out on Boulder Mountain. They were looking for someone to take them out, and Jim got the job. They were from up around Eureka and Salt Lake. Well, I guess they weren’t very good hunters as Jim ended up killing his own deer and one for each of the others. When they left for home they gave him all the leftover food.

They came back the next year and he took them out again. That was shortly after Ross was born and that was where Ross got his name, after one of the hunters, Len Ross. Of course I had heard the name before and liked it.

When Ross was about two years old there was a plague, I guess you could call it. It was spinal meningitis hit the county and Wayne County was hit hard and several people died of it. There wasn’t any in Torrey. So I wrote to Buss and Gladys who were living in Richfield to see if we could rent their place in Torrey. It was just east of my dad’s. I can’t remember how much farming land we had, but there was a one-room rock house with a basement.

He said yes, so we moved down there. As near as I can remember it was in the spring. We had some cows, and our team and wagon, chickens, and pigs. There was a small orchard and a good garden spot. By that time, Jim was getting quite a lot of plastering to do so with what we raised we got along pretty well.

Lucinda and her youngest son, John Leo Chidester (my grandfather)

We stayed in Torrey about two years this time or maybe it was less. Then I was going to get another baby and as there wasn’t a doctor in Wayne County, except an old horse doctor as they called him, we moved over to Richfield and Jim got a job building boats up at Fish Lake. Buss and Ada both lived there and we rented a house in the northwest part of town.

Bernice was born the 19th of May and we stayed there until some time in June close to the opening of fishing season and Jim just couldn’t stay away from Bicknell any longer so he took Smith and Gwen and headed for home and I stayed with Ada until we could move back. I kept Ross with me.

So we moved back to Bicknell. By that time Jim had bought a different place in Bicknell where Cula Ekker now lives, only at that time there were two rooms and a loft. We lived there until after our twins were born and when they were three years old we moved down into our present home, which Jim built on a lot we got from Leah. It wasn’t finished, and there is still some of it that isn’t finished now, but it far surpasses anything we lived in before. It is paid for and I want to stay in it as long as I live. But I do plan on visiting my family now and then.

I forgot to mention the Great Depression, which started here about 1929 or 30, the year Bernice was born, but it didn’t seem to hit Wayne County then unless I just can’t remember. Nobody had any money and people traded work for food and other things.

Jim and John K____ [?] built a house in Grover for Sid Rimer and took muttons and hay mostly. He paid a little money. We had horses and a cow, so the hay we could use, and the muttons sure helped out with the food. I had always canned lots of fruits and vegetables, so we had plenty to eat.

Then Jim helped build houses for others and took lumber for his work. Some of the men would go and work at the sawmill getting out logs for him in trade for him building their houses. So that’s how we got most of the lumber to build our house.

Smith and Ross joined the CCC Camp and Jim got on the W.P.A. for ten days a month and that’s how we got the windows, and doors, and flooring. Buss and Gladys had moved back to Bicknell in the meantime and he ran a garage here.

In 1938 my mother died. We had moved dad and mother up here as they had gotten quite senile and couldn’t run the farm any longer. Buss moved down to Torrey to run the farm and cattle and they moved here in his home. Buss later bought the farm and gave his home here as a dower payment. This happened in about 1936. The folks had lived here about two years when mother died. They had gotten where they couldn’t live by themselves, so us girls took turns taking care of mother and the boys took care of dad.

In the meantime my family was growing up. Smith was about 20, Gwen 17, Ross about 15, and Gwen wanted to get married. I said no, and she threatened to get married when she was 18. I was down to Torrey helping with my dad who was awful sick, and the next day after she was 18 she went and got married to Frank Rasmussen. I surely felt bad and so did she years later. My dad died on the 15th of December. That is a terrible thing to loose your parents, but in their case they were better off.

Well, Frank went up to Salt Lake where his uncle owned a furniture store and got a job working in the store. He found an apartment for them to live in and they moved up there and that is where Jimmy was born on July 30, 1941. Their oldest son and our first grandson - and we were delighted. He was such a cute dimpled baby with red hair, blue eyes, and a peaches and cream complexion. They named him James Franklin and that pleased grandpa Jim. We always called him Jimmy.

James Parker, Eliza Lucinda, and Steven John Chidester (my father)

When World War II started, Smith and Ross were both old enough that they would soon be called. Ross was going to school and working in a defense plant in Ogden. At the time he was working there, some army recruiter came to the school and gave them a pep-talk about patriotism and Ross got all fired up to join the air force. He wrote us a letter with a paper for us to sign for our consent. We wouldn’t do it and so he came home to try to talk us into it, but we wouldn’t sign and so he didn’t get to join. We figured he was way to young and have always been glad that we didn’t let him talk us into it. He went in soon enough as it was.

Smith was drafted, but with his bleeding ulcers as soon as he got to eating army food he got sick. They put him in the hospital at Fort Douglas and kept him for a while and then tried him again, but they soon gave him an honorable discharge. He went to defense work for the rest of the time the war was on and later he had an operation that cured him.

When Smith and Katherine first met, she had come to Bicknell to visit Freeda Bullard. They got acquainted, fell madly in love, and in two weeks they went to Salt Lake and were married. Then they came down here and rented a house, and Smith worked as an electrician for Garkane.

Gwen and Frank moved back to Bicknell when it looked like Frank was going to be drafted. They lived in Vera G___ [?] little house and that is where they were living when he was drafted.

In the meantime Bernice turned 16 and she got acquainted with Merrill Erickson from Koosharem who was home an _____ [?] from the marines and they wanted to get married. We were opposed to it because she was too young, but they won out and we had a big wedding for them here at home and they went down to Camp Pendleton, California where they lived until he was discharged. Then they came back and lived in Loa where his brother, Harold, ran a garage, and that’s where they were living when their first baby, a boy, was born. They named him Lee Merrill. The little fellow was born premature and he only lived a short time, I can’t remember just how long. But he is buried here in Bicknell next to Collin.

Life goes on, and they soon had Judy, who was born in Salina Hospital also. Then they moved to Salt Lake where Kelly was born, then to Las Vegas where Debbie was born, then to California where Willie and Collin were born.

In the meantime Ross had joined the navy and was down in the South Pacific right in the thick of the fighting and maybe you don’t think that was hell to go through. We only had radios then and would sit with our ears glued to it whenever the news was on, hoping and praying that he would come through alright, and when that suicide Japanese bomber hit their deck I was petrified until I heard from him. I didn’t know anyone could stand that much misery and still go on living.

After the war was over, Ross decided to make the navy his career.

When he met Phyllis, he was stationed in Norfolk, Virginia. She was from Florida and was visiting her cousin in Norfolk, Virginia and the cousin’s husband was a navy man too, so that’s how she and Ross happened to meet. They were married July 28, 1950.

They were transferred about every three or four years from then on for the next 24 years, and now when he lives in one place for that long he gets itchy feet and wants to move somewhere else and now he has got Phyllis liking it too. Don’t know how long it will go on, but probably until he gets too old to start over.

In the meantime Gwen had developed heart trouble and the doctor advised them to move to California, so I kept her three boys and they moved down there. Neil was just a baby. Frank got a job in the building trade and after they got settled he came up and got me and the boys. By that time Neil had forgotten his mother entirely and so I stayed down there until he got used to her again. They were living in Long Beach, but they soon bought a home in Norwalk and moved into it.

John had graduated from high school and started college in Ephraim, and Jean married Al Griffin under protest. I wanted her to go to college too, but no, she would get married, so we made the best of it. John had decided he wanted to be a lawyer and so he worked in the summer in the timber and saved his money and went to school in the winter. He went to Snow College one year, then onto Utah State if I remember right. Then he was drafted and served a stretch in the army.

Cindy Chidester

About that time Gwen had to have heart surgery and I was down there with her. She came through it all right and seemed to be ____ [?] and it lasted seven years. Then the doctor said they would have to do it again. That was sure a big worry. Well, she underwent open-heart surgery again, but it was too much for her and she died. At that time Jimmy was married. Rossie was in the navy and Neil was only 14 years old. Well I brought Neil home with me after the funeral, but he missed his mother so much that he would only stay a short time and then he would have to go back down there again. Rossie had gotten out of the navy by then and he lived in the old home. I don’t know what Neil would have done if he couldn’t have gone from here to California and then back here again. You never saw such a lonesome little boy in your life. Bernice was awful good to him too, and so was Jimmy who did all he could to get him to go back to school, and so did I try to get him in school here. As time went on he got more used to his mother being gone and when he was seventeen he enlisted in the army and served a year over in Vietnam in city of Saigon. And now he is married to Ethie and doing well working in the carpenter trade with Jimmy.

It has been pretty lonesome since Jim died, but you learn to live with it. I have 21 grandchildren and 24 great grandchildren and I’m getting old. In fact, I am 83 years old now and don’t move as fast as I used to. But I plan to yet be around for a while. I enjoy staying home, but I enjoy my family also and visit them once in a while. I don’t always approve of the decisions they make, but it is their lives, not mine. John had open-heart surgery last summer, and that was sure a worry, but he came through aright and Steven is going to be married on May the seventh, and I have just gotten through making him two quilts and one for Jenny who will be married next month. This will be the second time for her. So time goes on and there is nothing we can do about it.

By the way, this is February 1980. The inflation is bad - a gallon of gas is over a dollar - $1.05 or $1.15, I believe.

My neighbors are very nice to me and wait on me as much as I will let them.

I lost Bernice. They found her dead in bed. That was a hard blow.”

Pedigree Chart of my Danish Ancestors

2010-06-07T15:26:00.002-04:00

I also wanted to include a little pedigree chart of my great grandmother, Eliza Lucinda Smith. (Although some of the names have been abbreviated because they didn’t fit in the space provided, you get the general idea – feel free to contact me if you’re interested in any details).

Just click on the chart to zoom in.

Ancestors from Denmark

2010-06-07T15:08:00.005-04:00

My paternal great grandmother, Eliza Lucinda “Cindy” Smith Chidester, has crossed my mind a few times lately. I have focused a lot on my mom’s German and Czech ancestors, and it’s intriguing to me to learn about Eliza’s Danish ancestors – I have no experience at all in research in Denmark, and their names and naming patterns are different than other cultures that I’m used to. So I thought I’d look a little closer at my Danish ancestors.

My great grandmother, “Cindy,” died just before I turned three years old, and I’m not sure how often I was able to visit with her while she was alive, but my mom always told me that we seemed to have a special connection. Her parents were William Smith and Mary Moss. William Smith was born in Fountain Green, Utah in 1864 and Mary Moss was born in Washington, Utah in 1865.

William Smith was the oldest son of Jorgen Christiansen Smith and Mette Marie Villardsen Johannesen. Jorgen and Mette had 12 children: William, Maria, Ane Christine, Mary Christine, James Andrew, Evadine Magdaline Margretha, Ane Laurine, Adlaida Smith, Eliza, Catrine Elise, John Christian, and Constantine Smith. Jorgen Christiansen Smith was born in 1823 in Fasted, Sondre-Hygum, Haderslev, Denmark, the 7th of 8 children of Christian Andreassen and Maren Jensen Svane. Mette Marie Villardsen Johannesen was born in 1841 in Norre Halen, Biersted, Ålborg, Denmark, the 4th of 8 children of Johannes Villardsen and Ane Christina Christensen. After moving to the United States, Jorgen and Mette were married on 21 Feb 1863 in Salt Lake City, Utah. Jorgen died in 1908 in Thurber (now Bicknell), Utah and Metter died in Torrey, Utah in 1925.

And Mary Moss was the 5th child of Stephen Moss and Elsie Marie Iverson. Stephen Moss and Elsie Marie Iverson had 12 children: Annie Christina Moss, Jeppe Iver, Holger, Martin Harris, Mary, Andrew Daniel, Ada, Emma, Orinda, Joseph Reinhart, Clarinda, and Malinda Moss. Stephen Moss was born in 1825 in Overglud, Glud, Vejle, Denmark, the son of Holger Moss and Karen Sorensen. And Elsie Marie Iverson was born in 1829 in Vestbirk, Østbirk, Skanderborg, Denmark, the 3rd of 6 children of Jeppe Iverson and Anna Christina Mortensen. After coming to the United States, Stephen and Elsie were married on 31 Dec 1856 in Salt Lake City, Utah. Stephen died in 1881 in Richfield, Utah and Elsie died in 1920 in Torrey, Utah.

I would like to know more about my Danish ancestors, as all of this information that I have about them came from my paternal grandmother’s genealogy file. I would love to find stories or pictures of these ancestors. I cherish the photographs of my ancestors that I have been able to collect, and I have a copy of at least one photo of each of my great, great grandparents except William Smith and Mary Moss – I only have a handful of pictures of my great grandmother, Eliza Lucinda Smith Chidester, and I have never seen a picture of her parents, William and Mary (so if any of you relatives out there happen to have pictures of any of these family members, I would be very grateful for any copies that you would be willing to share). The one thing I do have is a life sketch written by my great grandmother, Eliza Lucinda Smith Chidester. (Actually, my dad has it). But I was able to read through her handwritten life story and type it out, so I will post that too. She did mention her grandpernts in her life story, but I'm interested to know more about their lives -- why did they come to the United States from Denmark and how were their lives different before and after they came, what roles did the LDS church play in their lives, and what were their families like?

Photographs:
Eliza Lucinda Smith and her husband, James Parker Chidester
and
Eliza Lucinda Smith Chidester with her youngest children: twins, Mary Jean and John Leo Chidester (my paternal grandfather).

Levi Hunt, Jane Gadd, Emanuel Hunt, and Phoebe Louisa Fellows

2010-05-18T16:34:00.014-04:00

I got an e-mail the other day from a descendant of my 4th great grandfather, Levi Hunt, and his second wife, Phoebe Louisa Fellows. I was looking at the information I have about this family, and I found it very interesting. I typed it up to share with the relative that e-mailed me, so I thought I'd share it here too.

William Hunt and Mary Ann Holmes lived in England and had 11 children. Their 9th son was Emanuel Hunt, and their 10th son was Levi Hunt. William and Mary Ann and several of their children (including Emanuel and Levi) were baptized in the Church of Jesus Christ of Later-day Saints in England, and then came to the United States. Phoebe Louisa Fellows was born in Winter Quarters, Nebraska. After moving to Utah, Emanuel Hunt married Phoebe Louisa Fellows in March 1857. A year later, Emanuel’s younger brother, Levi Hunt, married Jane Gadd in June 1858. Jane was also a convert to the church who came from England. Levi Hunt and Jane Gadd had three sons: Joseph William, Levi Alderman, and Samuel Sylvester Hunt. And Emanuel and Phoebe had a daughter, Sally Maria Hunt (Talbot). Then Emanuel Hunt died in March 1863. Just 3 months later, in June 1863, Jane Gadd Hunt died (I am assuming that she possibly died of complications from childbirth, since she had her youngest son only 7 days before her death). So Phoebe Louisa Fellows Hunt was left a widow with a 5-year-old daughter, and she was pregnant at the time. Levi Hunt was left a widower with three boys, ages 3 years, 1 year, and 7 days old. Levi and Phoebe were married on 1 April 1863 in Nephi, Utah. 2 months after they were married, Levi’s youngest son, Samuel Sylvester Hunt, died when he was only 3 months and 4 days old. Then 3 months after the baby’s death, (after being married for 5 months), Phoebe had her second daughter from her first marriage to Emanuel, Phebe Ann Hunt (Hadden). Between 1864 and 1882 Levi and Phoebe had 8 more children: Samuel Isaac Hunt, Eliza Jane Hunt (Olds), Mary Ellen Hunt (Sheppard), Sara Susanna Hunt (Chidester), Amelia Emaline Hunt (Fredrieson) (Grundy), Alice Melinda Hunt (Nay), Rosetta Hunt (Talbot) (Harmon), and Wilford Hunt. Levi and Phoebe raised 13 children together (including baby Samuel who died). Levi and Phoebe both continued to live in Utah until their deaths in 1921 (Levi) and 1928 (Phoebe).

Nettie's Obituary

2010-03-30T13:10:00.011-04:00

This is the newspaper obituary of my great grandmother, Nettie Dorothy Graham Spohr:

"Nettie Spohr

Mrs. Nettie (Graham) Spohr, 72, of 1621 Fourth St., Madison, a lifelong resident of the Quad-Cities, died Tuesday morning May 13 at St. Joseph Hospital, Kansas City, Mo.
Mrs. Spohr was visiting with her son, Carl Spohr Jr. and his family in Prairie Village, Kan., and was stricken with an apparent heart attack. She was taken by ambulance to the hospital where she died a short time later.
She was employed at Glik’s Department Store for 42 years and was still working on a part time basis as a sales clerk.
Mrs. Spohr attended the First United Presbyterian Church in Granite City.

Her husband, Carl Spohr, died June 20, 1979 and she also was preceded in death by a sister Susan Osborne.
Other survivors include three brothers John and Clifford Graham both of Granite City and Kenneth Graham of Florrisant, Mo.; four sisters, Mrs. Florence Spohr and Mrs. Fred (Pearl) Bright, both of Madison, Mrs. Cora Davis, Arleta, Calif., and Mrs. Earl (Bernice) Williams, ____, Colo.; four grandchildren ____ grandchild.
____ call after 4 p.m. today at ____ Home, 501 Madison ____ where funeral services ____ 1 p.m. Friday, May 16. ____ in St. John Cemetery, ____.”

Nettie Dorothy Graham Spohr’s newspaper obituary is in the possession of Beverly Monk Spohr of Lee’s Summit, Missouri as of 2005. The newspaper clipping is from an unknown newspaper and has a section at the bottom of the article torn off – hence all the blanks at the end of the article.