Summer Is Over!

Summer is over. School is back in full mode for those with children or young adults headed to college.

For me, summer meant being away from the computer for a good bit. And not by my choice. Mother Nature had other plans! Southwest Texas was hot and dry. We had the dust from the Sahara desert move in and mix with the pollens from our trees and grasses. Living at the bottom of the Texas Hill Country, this mixture was a menace to a lot of us (yep, me). I was sick for several weeks with allergies/respiratory issues.

And then, my best friend, my "patient-with-all-this-genealogy-stuff" husband, had his 2nd knee replacement surgery.

And, as if the other stuff wasn't enough, I tried to spend as much time as possible with my five grandchildren. They've lived within minutes of our home for years and we've been blessed to have a big part in their lives almost daily. The family was moving almost 2,000 miles away from us, and my husband and I tried to spend as much time as possible with our grands. 

So, fall is in the air (I'm dreaming, you know) in the beautiful Texas Hill Country/Wintergarden Area of Texas, and we've had some good rains over the past two days.

I hope you had a good summer. As for me, I'm ready to get back to the computer and continue on with the genealogy work I'm doing for myself and for others.

Fall is upon us!! Almost. Saturday, September 22, 2018, will be here soon.

Happy End of Summer and Almost Fall to y'all!

Revis

Tuesday Tips

This Tuesday Tip is for those of you who are just beginning your research journey. The internet has an abundance of websites that offer tips for beginners. And don't forget libraries, genealogy conferences and seminars held by local and state organization. And, then, there are the BOOKS.

Today my tip is going to point you to a book written by Shannon Combs-Bennett. She's an author, researcher, and lecturer, and often speaks and writes about genetic genealogy. And researching methods!

The book can be found on Amazon at Genealogy Basics in30minutes by Shannon Combs-Bennett and at Genealogy Basics Website.

Genealogy Basics in30minutes by Shannon Coombs-Bennett

Happy Ancestor Hunting! 

Revis

Motivation Monday!

It's MOTIVATION MONDAY! What are you up to today? Are you researching your ancestors? Enjoying the summer with your children or grandchildren? Traveling the beautiful United States of America or elsewhere?

I found the quote below on Pintrest. I don't know who wrote it, but I think it's appropriate for Motivation Monday. Wherever you are, I hope you are finding time - and being motivated - to write your own story!

  Revis

Friday Faces From the Past - The Unknown Boys

The "Unknown Boys"  - that's what we call this picture we found among my Grandmomie's things after she died. Over the years, I've shown it to numerous family members at family reunions and other get-togethers from Texas to Mississippi.

What's interesting is that my Mother and her immediate family lost everything in two house fires. Everything. 

The pictures my maternal Grandmomie Stuart-Dennis had in her possession when she died had come from family and friends after the fires. She and my Grandfather Dennis divorced after my Mother married. Looking through the pictures, it was pretty obvious that none of the pictures were of my paternal Grandfather Dennis' family. And surprisingly, many pictures were marked with names. The few unmarked pictures have been hard to trace. I thought it would be easy since they must have been acquired by my Grandmomie Stuart-Dennis recently in time (post-fire). 

My family believes that these are pictures of some of the family (or maybe friends) of the Teel's or Stuart's of Fisher County, Texas.

The Teel's came to Texas by way of Oklahoma, Missouri, Iowa and Virginia and included the Ham's of Bibb County, Alabama and (Indian Territory) Oklahoma, Other surnames are Parker, Cassidy and Lawrence. 

The Stuart's came to Texas from Neshoba County, Mississippi, and included surnames Yates, Musgrove, Cooksey, Barber, Jones, Stainton/Stanton, Hester and more.

Here's cropped versions of the young men, who I assume are brothers, in the group picture.

If you have any ideas or think they might be from your family, please contact me.

 Revis

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: Week 8: Heirloom

Week 6 prompt of Amy Johnson Crow's 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks is Heirloom.

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: Week 6: Favorite Name

Week 6: Favorite Name

When I saw this prompt for the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks challenge, I KNEW which name I would pick. I've always loved this name. It is the name of my great-great-grandmother who came from Prussia to the United States (Texas) in 1885. 

My family says this is her picture. 

Her name is Friederika Sophia Louise Trenckmann/Trenkman Ziegenfuss.

Friederika Sophia Louise Trenckmann/Trenkman Ziegenfuss

Born 3 Oct 1846 - Prussia, Died 5 Mar 1920-Wichita Falls, Wichita County, Texas

Friederika, known as "Freda" by her family, married Gottlieb Ziegenfuss (16 Aug 1820-Mutzel, Jerichower Land, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany - 20 JAN 1890-Tarrant County, Texas). 

Friederika's place of birth may be Hamberg (or Hamburg) according to her children. Her marriage date (and place) to Gottlieb Ziegenfuss is before 1869 when their oldest (assumed) child was born. And her parents' names are still a mystery to our family. 

More about her can be found on my old blog Vintage Gal's Genealogy. 

Loving her name, though, and one day hoping to find information on the people who named her. 

Revix 

52 Ancestors: Week 7 - Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day to All!

I don't remember sending this little Valentine

because my sister and I were so small.

But we did, and our little 

signatures are on the back to prove it 

(no picture of back of card so you'll just 

have to trust me on this). 

This Valentine went to our 

Great-Grandmother

Nina Ada Baldridge Dennis 

[read more about her at 52 Ancestors: Week3]

Blessings on this Valentine's Day, 

which is also the first day of Lent 

and Ash Wednesday 2018!

Revis

52 Ancestors: Week 5: In the Census

Week 5 - In the Census 

And here I go again, playing catchup. But I'll get there. Oh yes, I will! 

This blog challenge at 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks deals with censuses.  

I decided I wanted to stress to new researchers to be sure and look at the original census (or any other original record that you have access to). Check what it says for yourself. Don’t depend on me OR others.

I have quite a few examples I could use, but this one relating to William "Bill" Cauble is easy to see. 

By June of 1880, William Cauble, a/k/a William Jefferson Alonso Cauble, was married to Julia Hardin and living in the household with Benjamin F. Hardin, Julia’s brother, as the head. From research over the years, I knew that these families had lived in McLennan and Hill Counties, Texas. They traveled northward to live in Callahan County, Texas before ending up in Eastland County, Texas (enumerated on the 1900 census).

William Cauble is listed on the 1880 United States Federal Census for Precinct 1, Callahan, Texas[1], and below is what is transcribed at Ancestry:

Name:	William Cauble
Age:	26
Birth Date:	Abt 1854
Birthplace:	Texas
Home in 1880:	Precinct 1, Calhoun, Texas, USA
Dwelling Number:	141
Race:	White
Gender:	Male
Relation to Head of House:	Brother-in-law
Marital Status:	Married
Father's Birthplace:	(TN)
Occupation:	Farmer
Neighbors:	View others on page
Household Members:	Name Age Benj. F. Hardin 35 Louisa Hardin 62 Locretia Hardin 37 William Cauble 26 Julia Cauble 22 Nannie Cauble 4 Lou Cauble 1 James Cauble 3/12

What? Calhoun County, Texas? I recognized all the names from years of research so I knew this was the correct family, but the place of residence was wrong. I know where Calhoun County, Texas is, and it's not my Hardin-Cauble's stomping grounds. Here's the family listed in the above transcription:

1880 U.S. Federal Census for Callahan County, Texas

Benj. F. Hardin household

There’s a lot of miles (about 363.9 miles, according to Google Maps) between Calhoun County, Texas and Callahan County, Texas.  Calhoun County is in the mid-coast area of Texas (on the Gulf of Mexico). Callahan County, Texas is in the rolling plains area of Central Texas. My people were never in the Gulf coast area of Texas - at least not these family members.

Going to the original census record (see below), I can see that the person who transcribed this census for Ancestry made Callahan County out to be Calhoun County. A quick glance of the pages before and after this record showed handwriting more clearly and it is indeed “Callahan” County.

1880 U.S. Federal Census for Callahan County, Texas

Page that Benj. F. Hardin family is listed (page 18-handwritten)

1880 U.S. Federal Census for Callahan County, Texas

1 page over from the Benj. F. Hardin family (page 19 handwritten)

And, yes, I left a note beside the transcription at Ancestry that the place of residence was Callahan County and not Calhoun County. I leave a lot of notes to bring attention to error(s), or what could be error(s). And, yes, I do hope that those that find any errors I've made in my work will the same for me. 

Revis 

---

[1] 1880 U.S. census, Callahan County, Texas,  population schedule, Supervisor’s District 175, Enumeration District (ED) 3, page18 (penned), page  329 B  (stamped), dwelling 141, family 143, William Cauble, digital image , Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 31 Jan 2017), citing NARA microfilm publication T9 roll 1294.

52 Ancestors: Week 4

Week 4: Invite to Dinner

The prompt for Week 4 at 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks is Invite to Dinner. I would love to have all my ancestors come to dinner and chat. Would that not be the best thing "next to sliced bread" for any genealogist or lover-of-family-history? I think so. 

For this challenge, I'm going to send out the invitation to my PaPa Dennis (as my mother and her brothers called him). Other grandchildren called him PoPo Dennis. Here's one of my favorite pictures of him: 

Oran Martin Dennis (born 10 Sept 1879-Guadalupe Co.,
TX and died 13 August 1956-Tom Green Co., TX)

I'd probably invite him to a picnic on the Frio River near where I live in southwest Texas. Something like the old picnics the Dennis' used to have years ago along the Llano River. 

"Picnic group" consisting of the Dennis family

As we visited, I'd hope that I could remember all the questions I have been wanting to ask him for years. I'd ask him to "Pass the chicken" and then:

1. Do you know where your father Marion Washington Dennis was born?

2. Did you know that your father is actually a Freeman descendant and not a Dennis? 

3. Did you ever hear him speak of family around Carroll County, Georgia?

4. Did you ever hear your father mention Elmore, Alabama?

5. Would you be surprised to learn that your male line is that of the Freeman's who are Native American Indian? [and the Dennis men are Y-DNA tested and Haplogroup Q-M3]. 

6. Your father had a brother. Was he named Joseph or John?

7. What was your Grandmother Dennis' name?

Surely after we discussed all my questions about his father (and mother), we would be ready for pecan pie, and I would hope he was as patient and kind as my mother said he was, as I continued with: 

8. How did you meet Nina Ada Baldridge? [See Week 3 blog post]

9. How did you get the nickname "Chief"?

10. Do you know what happened to Katherine, your adopted daughter, and her  husband and baby?

11. Can you tell me who these people are in these pictures? (I'd have pictures 

to show him!)

12. What brought you to Tom Green County, Texas?

13. Did you ever see your youngest brother, Marion William Dennis, after he  went to live with the Miles family?

14.  What was my grandfather, Aubra, like as a child?

I'm sure there would be more questions. And more stories. And more eating. And, I'm sure, lots of laughs and hugs. 

Revis 

52 Ancestors: Week 3

Week 3: Longevity

I am still playing "catch-up" in the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks challenge. Longevity could have gone a lot of different directions, but I'm going to stick with posting about one of my ancestors who lived life the longest and who was one of the main reasons it took so many years to discover who her mother really was.

Nina (pronounced "nine-ah") Ada Baldridge was born in Hays County, Texas on 17 August 1878 to John David Baldridge (21 October 1850-TX - 31 December 1917-Harwood, Gonzales County, TX) and his second (2nd) wife Jemima Elizabeth Stroud (3 April 1856-Lockhart, Caldwell County, TX or Parker County, TX - 10 August 1882-San Marcos, Hays County, TX-probably, unproven, no record found of her death or burial place. Stroud Family Bible). She died at the age of 91 on 3 February 1970 in San Angelo, Tom Green County, Texas. 

Nina married Oran Martin Dennis (10 Sept 1879-Guadalupe Co., TX - 13 August 1956-Tom Green Co., TX) on 4 November 1902 in Kerr County, Texas. My family called her "Mama Dennis" and him "PaPa Dennis" or "PoPo Dennis".

Oran Martin Dennis and wife, Nina Ada Baldridge Dennis
with two of their grand-daughters.

I remember Mama Dennis as a young child. Fleeting memories, but memories of a lady with jet-black hair. Much like the picture above, but close to the end of her life at 91 years old.

Over the years, family members had these memories of Nina. "No one really knew how old Mama Dennis was". "She always dyed her hair. Always!" "She said she was younger than Papa Dennis, but...." This last comment almost always ended with a laugh!

Nina Ada Baldridge Dennis, you were almost 92 years old (not 82 years old) when you died in 1970 in San Angelo, Texas. You lived a long life. Much longer than you would have your family to believe.

Look for more to come on Nina and her parents in the future. 

Revis  

52 Ancestors: Week 2

Week 2: Favorite Photo

The prompt for this week is “Favorite Photo”. I have to admit that I can’t begin to pick one. I like them all! But the favorites I pick for this post are that of my great-grandfather, Jeff Stuart, and his two sisters, Orpha and Emma. They were the children of James Monroe Stuart (1863-Neshoba Co. MS – 1947-Fisher Co., TX) and Nancy Emma Musgrove (1871-Nehosba Co. MS – 1899-OK).

Orpha Abigail Stuart Terry was born 15 May 1889 in Neshoba Co. Mississippi and died 3 June 1976 at Roby, Fisher County, Texas. Sometime after her birth, her parents and her maternal grandparents, Moncier Nowell Musgrove Jr. (1841-SC – 1908-Houston Co. TX) and Susan Frances Yates Musgrove (1844-AL – 1929-Houston Co. TX) left their home near Arlington in Neshoba County, Mississippi for Ratcliff in Houston County, Texas. Some of Susan's Yates family members had moved to Houston County, Texas, a few years earlier.   

Jefferson Davis Stuart was born 4 July 1891 in Brown County, Texas as James Monroe Stuart and Nancy Emma Musgrove Stuart traveled northward into Oklahoma. Jeff died on 13 August 1949 at Roby, Fisher County, Texas.   

Emma Cora Lee Stuart was born 30 May 1893 in Texas (probably Callahan County). She died 7 October 1983 at Roby, Fisher County, Texas.

The children’s mother (my great-great-grandmother), Emma Musgrove Stuart, died in Oklahoma and left “Monroe” (as he was called by family in Neshoba County, Mississippi) with three young children to raise by himself. The picture below is the only one I have of her.    

I grew up at Roby, Fisher County, Texas, where a young “Monroe” Stuart brought his three children to be near friends they had met in Oklahoma who had moved to Texas. He never remarried after their mother’s death. 

I never knew my great-grandfather, Jeff Stuart (called “Dad”) because he died about nine years before I was born. But I grew up calling his sisters “Aunt Orpha” and “Aunt Emma” and remember them fondly.

These pictures are part of the collection that led to my start in genealogy! 

James Monroe Stuart ("Monroe), Nancy Emma Musgrove Stuart,
children Orpha, Jefferson Davis.
Picture taken after July 1891 birth of baby Jeff.

Orpha Abigail, Jefferson Davis and Emma Cora Lee Stuart

Do you have favorite photos? And if so, do you know their stories? 

Revis

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: Week 1

I’ve decided to get back to blogging and what better way to start than with the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks challenge by Amy Johnson Crow. She’s been doing this challenge for the past few years, but I’ve never felt I had the time to join. I’m late in getting started for 2018, but here goes!

Week 1: Start 

When I helped my mother sort through boxes of old pictures in about 1998, I started my journey into family history. I didn’t know it would lead to genealogy at that time because I was interested in the old pictures for an album. My goal was to scan every picture and make an scrapbook of my Grandmomie Eva Nell’s family lines. I don’t remember exactly how many pictures there were, but it was a lot. And surprisingly most were “marked” with name(s). 

Some of the pictures that "started" the hunt for ancestors!

Of course, one thing leads to another. Can you scan and put pictures into a scrapbook without knowing the “who” “what” “when” and “where’s”? I sure couldn’t. The internet was young at this time (or, at least, it was to me). But I found a few genealogy websites. My favorite was Genealogy.com’s Gen Forum. And then there was RootsWeb and Ancestry.

As my mother and I looked through photos over the course of several months, a first cousin (of my mother) joined us one day. Louise was the family genealogist and had been searching the family for years. That’s all I needed to head fast (start) forward into genealogy. A mentor. Someone who was, and is to this day, one of the best genealogists I know.

Pictures. Watch where they can lead you. And start the journey to discover your family. 

Revis