I am so happy! Finally, a DNA match which led to a successful connection. Just before bed Tuesday night, I read an email from Ancestry, alerting me to a new match. I recognized the person's user name, as someone who'd had a tree om Ancestry a few years ago. Though the tree is no longer there, I was pretty sure it was the same person.
My first action yesterday, was to make contact. I messaged her, and received a response within a few hours. We are indeed 4th cousins, maternally. Audrey's grandfather John, and and my 2nd great - grandmother Elizabeth, were brother and sister.
I don't know who was more excited, me or her. She's has only scan knowledge of her mom's family. so she's pretty happy about our connection, as am I!
I've amassed quite a bit of information on the Glen side of the family, and believe it or not, even have some photos. That is itself, is highly unusual, because pics, heirloom, documents, memorabilia, are RARE for any of my family lines. Today I scanned some of the pics I have, and went to Kinko's to have a larger photo copied. Then it was off to the post office.
Friday, May 6, 2016
Tuesday, April 26, 2016
The Strother John Butler Family ~ Thomas Belford
The research into Strother Butler (my 3rd ggrandfather) continues. In
1870, he, wife Hester and 9 children are living in Lewis County, Mo. By
1880, 3 more children have been added to the household. So, who were
the children, and what happened to them? Their children were:
12) Thomas Belford Butler (2/22/1867- 6/27/1921). Son of John Strother & Hester, Thomas was also my 2nd ggrandfather. Married in 1887, he and wife Hattie (Majors)
(1871 - 6/27/1945) were parents to 8:
Emmett
Cora
Bessie
Stella
Ellery
Nannie (My grandmother)
Virgil
Lorraine
12) Thomas Belford Butler (2/22/1867- 6/27/1921). Son of John Strother & Hester, Thomas was also my 2nd ggrandfather. Married in 1887, he and wife Hattie (Majors)
(1871 - 6/27/1945) were parents to 8:
Emmett
Cora
Bessie
Stella
Ellery
Nannie (My grandmother)
Virgil
Lorraine
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| Tom & Hattie Butler |
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| Emmett Butler |
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| Ellery & Nora Butler |
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| Ralph & Lorraine Nickerson |
Sunday, April 24, 2016
Black Sheep Sunday
I'd
categorize poor Alfred as a n'er do well. Perhaps he was an
alcoholic. Constantly in trouble and in the news, he skated by on the
skin of his teeth, considering the period in which he lived.
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| 12/18/1926 |
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| 4/2/1929 |
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| 4/12/1929 |
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| 7/6/1933 |
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| October 1934 |
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| January 17, 1935 |
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| January 19, 1935 |
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| 11/25/1947 |
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| 3/28/1951 |
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| 2/26/1953 |
Saturday, April 23, 2016
The Strother John Butler Family ~ Lucretia
The research into Strother Butler (my 3rd ggrandfather) continues. In
1870, he, wife Hester and 9 children are living in Lewis County, Mo. By
1880, 3 more children have been added to the household. So, who were
the children, and what happened to them? Their children were:
11) Lucretia (3/1875 -?) Marries Albert McGinnis(5/2/1869-2/26/1904) in 1894 in Keokuk, Ia.
They had 3 children:
1) Viola (2/25/1895-3/17/1952). Also known as Esther. She was married twice. Her first marriage was in 1912. to a John Warwick. Alonzo Hatwood her second husband, died in 1940, in Decatur, Ill. They lived first in Indiana, then Ill. Viola/Esther died there herself in 1952.
2) Alberta (9/1898-?)
Also known by Berta, and/or Bertha. First marries William Robinson in
1917, in Fort Dodge, Iowa. Later, she marries an unknown
Stevens/Stephens/Stevenson. I don't know exactly who or exactly when
she married. She reportedly lived in Galesburg, Ill.
3) Alfred (1/28/1900-5/1953) He was born in Keokuk, died in Decatur, Ill. Married Mary Frances Moore in 1923.
I felt sorry for the McGinnis children. It appears they were orphaned and/or left to the care of their grandparents, after 1904, when their father Albert 'presumably' died. In 1905, 1910, 1915, they are listed with Henry & Mary McGinnis. Then the girls marry, and at one point, Alfred is living with them.
Did Lucretia die? For the longest, I believed both Albert & Lucretia had met an early demise. Then, I discovered a death record for Albert, on Familysearch. Is Lucretia's record there too? Misfiled, maybe? Did she remarry? But would she have abandoned her children? Wouldn't she have been enumerated in at least one census with them? What happened to her?
11) Lucretia (3/1875 -?) Marries Albert McGinnis(5/2/1869-2/26/1904) in 1894 in Keokuk, Ia.
| Name | Alfred Mc Ginniss | |||||||||||
| Event Type | Marriage | |||||||||||
| Event Date | 12 Apr 1894 | |||||||||||
| Event Place | Keokuk, Lee, Iowa, United States | |||||||||||
| Gender | Male | |||||||||||
| Age | 26 | |||||||||||
| Birth Year (Estimated) | 1868 | |||||||||||
| Father's Name | Henry Mc Ginniss | |||||||||||
| Mother's Name | Mary Thomson | |||||||||||
| Spouse's Name | Lucritia Butler | |||||||||||
| Spouse's Gender | Female | |||||||||||
| Spouse's Age | 21 | |||||||||||
| Spouse's Birth Year (Estimated) | 1873 | |||||||||||
| Spouse's Father's Name | Jno Butler | |||||||||||
| Spouse's Mother's Name | Hester Conn | |||||||||||
They had 3 children:
1) Viola (2/25/1895-3/17/1952). Also known as Esther. She was married twice. Her first marriage was in 1912. to a John Warwick. Alonzo Hatwood her second husband, died in 1940, in Decatur, Ill. They lived first in Indiana, then Ill. Viola/Esther died there herself in 1952.
3) Alfred (1/28/1900-5/1953) He was born in Keokuk, died in Decatur, Ill. Married Mary Frances Moore in 1923.
I felt sorry for the McGinnis children. It appears they were orphaned and/or left to the care of their grandparents, after 1904, when their father Albert 'presumably' died. In 1905, 1910, 1915, they are listed with Henry & Mary McGinnis. Then the girls marry, and at one point, Alfred is living with them.
Did Lucretia die? For the longest, I believed both Albert & Lucretia had met an early demise. Then, I discovered a death record for Albert, on Familysearch. Is Lucretia's record there too? Misfiled, maybe? Did she remarry? But would she have abandoned her children? Wouldn't she have been enumerated in at least one census with them? What happened to her?
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Sunday Look Back ~ "Boon? or Bust?"
I look back on the past week, on my progress, or lack thereof (genealogically speaking). Not a bad week at all. And, I managed to learn several valuable lessons along the way. For instance:
I've learned that sometimes it pays to re-read, re-trace your paper trails. I've learned that sometimes when a door 'seems' to close in your face, it can actually reveal a tunnel to a trove of treasures. I learned that sometimes strangers are a lot nicer than you'd expect. I've learned to keep researching records on Familysearch.org., as they are constantly updating and adding to their collections. Finally, I've learned that sometimes you just get lucky, and stumble onto stuff!
My search for my elusive kin began slowly enough. I'm always meandering around Ancestry. One of my forays, led me to the 1940 census for The Iowa State Hospital, finding an inmate by the name of Robert Butler. Possibly, a cousin (not sure what degree :), last seen in the 1925 state census, widowed, living in Keokuk, Ia. All the vitals match. Is it possible to determine if this is the correct Robert, and if so, what happened to him? When did he die? Are his records accessible?
Another possible relation, in the person of Louis Dade (maybe an uncle of Robert), died in 1959, in the state prison in Fort Madison, Ia. I wondered if his records were obtainable.
I tried calling vital records in Des Moines. Of course, the system is completely automated. What I was able to comprehend, was that certified copies of death certificates are $20. "What about plain, ordinary run-of-the-mill copies, for genealogy purposes? Could I order Louis' death certificate?" But it's doggone near impossible to speak with anyone with a pulse! I left two voice messages. Never received any response,
Meanwhile, while on Familysearch, I discovered another possible connection, while researching Lucretia Butler (sister of Robert, aunt to Louis). Lucretia married an Albert McGinnis, had 3 children, and was residing in Keokuk. The family as a unit is last seen in the 1900 census. After then, the children are only found in the household of their grandparents. I wondered what could have happened to both parents, in seemingly the same period of time. I imagined an epidemic,or some kind of accident taking their lives. THEY WERE NOT FOUND ANYWHERE! Suddenly, Tuesday, there was a death record for an Albert McGinnis, DOD: 1904 in Keokuk, right there on Familysearch! All the vital stats match.
Also found a dc for infant Wm. Henry McGinnis, DOD 11/8/1900. Parents: Albert & Lillie Butler. Lillie/Lucretia...similarities...could it be? Could this be another McGinnis child? If not for the fact that their youngest child, Alfred was born approx. 1902, I'd think Lucretia might have died in childbirth in 1900, or that they'd divorced, and Lillie was the name of the second wife.
Stumped, and not getting through to Vital Records in Des Moines, I reached out to The North Lee County Historical Society. I spoke with Andy, who has helped me before with research. When queried, he suggested I try the recorder's office, which I did. They gave me the name and number of a volunteer, who I was told, does research right there in the recorder's office in Lee County. To make a long story short, I spoke with Pat (the volunteer), and gave her my spiel. She says she'd do the look-ups, and make copies (if found), for $5 per record, plus a very reasonable hourly fee, of course. . As to information about Robert, she's promised to email me the name, and number of another volunteer in nearby Henry Co. Things couldn't have worked out better!
I don't have old photos, nor much in the way of family documents. But I do have a few letters which were written to my grandmother, Ophelia, and her sister Nellie. While sprucing things up a bit, I opened a bag containing the letters (trust me when I say that I have scraps of paper, notes, files, etc. EVERYWHERE! I re-read a few of the letters. I didn't really expect to find anything new, and I didn't. Not much anyway. But, there was one letter, written to Aunt Nell (Nellie) from a cousin in Ark. She spoke of spending time with my grandmother, and of a recent family reunion, which apparently, my grandmother had attended. I'd often asked my mother why grandma had never gone to any of the reunions, as she was so fond of her family, spoke of them so frequently, and with such reverence. Well, It appears she did go. Why my mother wasn't aware, I don't know.
As for me, it's possible she did mention it, and I wasn't listening. I didn't become interested or involved in genealogy until 2003. Grandma died in 1998. Definitely my loss, on both counts....
I'd say things worked well....absolutely a boon!
I've learned that sometimes it pays to re-read, re-trace your paper trails. I've learned that sometimes when a door 'seems' to close in your face, it can actually reveal a tunnel to a trove of treasures. I learned that sometimes strangers are a lot nicer than you'd expect. I've learned to keep researching records on Familysearch.org., as they are constantly updating and adding to their collections. Finally, I've learned that sometimes you just get lucky, and stumble onto stuff!
My search for my elusive kin began slowly enough. I'm always meandering around Ancestry. One of my forays, led me to the 1940 census for The Iowa State Hospital, finding an inmate by the name of Robert Butler. Possibly, a cousin (not sure what degree :), last seen in the 1925 state census, widowed, living in Keokuk, Ia. All the vitals match. Is it possible to determine if this is the correct Robert, and if so, what happened to him? When did he die? Are his records accessible?
Another possible relation, in the person of Louis Dade (maybe an uncle of Robert), died in 1959, in the state prison in Fort Madison, Ia. I wondered if his records were obtainable.
I tried calling vital records in Des Moines. Of course, the system is completely automated. What I was able to comprehend, was that certified copies of death certificates are $20. "What about plain, ordinary run-of-the-mill copies, for genealogy purposes? Could I order Louis' death certificate?" But it's doggone near impossible to speak with anyone with a pulse! I left two voice messages. Never received any response,
Meanwhile, while on Familysearch, I discovered another possible connection, while researching Lucretia Butler (sister of Robert, aunt to Louis). Lucretia married an Albert McGinnis, had 3 children, and was residing in Keokuk. The family as a unit is last seen in the 1900 census. After then, the children are only found in the household of their grandparents. I wondered what could have happened to both parents, in seemingly the same period of time. I imagined an epidemic,or some kind of accident taking their lives. THEY WERE NOT FOUND ANYWHERE! Suddenly, Tuesday, there was a death record for an Albert McGinnis, DOD: 1904 in Keokuk, right there on Familysearch! All the vital stats match.
Also found a dc for infant Wm. Henry McGinnis, DOD 11/8/1900. Parents: Albert & Lillie Butler. Lillie/Lucretia...similarities...could it be? Could this be another McGinnis child? If not for the fact that their youngest child, Alfred was born approx. 1902, I'd think Lucretia might have died in childbirth in 1900, or that they'd divorced, and Lillie was the name of the second wife.
Stumped, and not getting through to Vital Records in Des Moines, I reached out to The North Lee County Historical Society. I spoke with Andy, who has helped me before with research. When queried, he suggested I try the recorder's office, which I did. They gave me the name and number of a volunteer, who I was told, does research right there in the recorder's office in Lee County. To make a long story short, I spoke with Pat (the volunteer), and gave her my spiel. She says she'd do the look-ups, and make copies (if found), for $5 per record, plus a very reasonable hourly fee, of course. . As to information about Robert, she's promised to email me the name, and number of another volunteer in nearby Henry Co. Things couldn't have worked out better!
I don't have old photos, nor much in the way of family documents. But I do have a few letters which were written to my grandmother, Ophelia, and her sister Nellie. While sprucing things up a bit, I opened a bag containing the letters (trust me when I say that I have scraps of paper, notes, files, etc. EVERYWHERE! I re-read a few of the letters. I didn't really expect to find anything new, and I didn't. Not much anyway. But, there was one letter, written to Aunt Nell (Nellie) from a cousin in Ark. She spoke of spending time with my grandmother, and of a recent family reunion, which apparently, my grandmother had attended. I'd often asked my mother why grandma had never gone to any of the reunions, as she was so fond of her family, spoke of them so frequently, and with such reverence. Well, It appears she did go. Why my mother wasn't aware, I don't know.
As for me, it's possible she did mention it, and I wasn't listening. I didn't become interested or involved in genealogy until 2003. Grandma died in 1998. Definitely my loss, on both counts....
I'd say things worked well....absolutely a boon!
The Strother John Butler Family ~ James, John, Robert, Mary, Katie & Eva
The research into Strother Butler (my 3rd ggrandfather) continues. In
1870, he, wife Hester and 9 children are living in Lewis County, Mo. By
1880, 3 more children have been added to the household. So, who were
the children, and what happened to them? Their children were:
5) James (Abt. 1862 - ?) Circumstances unknown. According to the 1895 Iowa State Census, he was divorced, so he must have married at some point. Beyond that, naught.
6) John (Abt.1863 -11/16/1920) John is married at least twice (no children that I could find). His cause of death? Nephritis Colic. (death certificate notes there was a possible rupture of the urethra). Yikes!
7) Robert (2/1868 - ?) Married Lulu (last name unknown), in 1892. They have a daughter whom they named Milda D., born approx. 1893, dies in 1894 @ age 1. Lulu dies in October of 1906 at age 27. Robert is listed in both the 1915 and 1925 Iowa State Censuses. Then he seems to disappear. In 1930, a Robert Butler is in the state hospital for the insane in Center, Iowa. He is 'Negro.' in the right age range, also born in Mo., and his father was from Virginia. Also, the hospital is only 40+ miles from Keokuk. Wonder if someone could check their records for me, and how much information is available. Did he die there?
8) Mary (Abt. 1869 -?) Circumstances unknown.
9) Katie (Abt. 1872 -?) Circumstances unknown.
10) Eva (Abt. 1876 -?) Circumstances unknown.
5) James (Abt. 1862 - ?) Circumstances unknown. According to the 1895 Iowa State Census, he was divorced, so he must have married at some point. Beyond that, naught.
6) John (Abt.1863 -11/16/1920) John is married at least twice (no children that I could find). His cause of death? Nephritis Colic. (death certificate notes there was a possible rupture of the urethra). Yikes!
7) Robert (2/1868 - ?) Married Lulu (last name unknown), in 1892. They have a daughter whom they named Milda D., born approx. 1893, dies in 1894 @ age 1. Lulu dies in October of 1906 at age 27. Robert is listed in both the 1915 and 1925 Iowa State Censuses. Then he seems to disappear. In 1930, a Robert Butler is in the state hospital for the insane in Center, Iowa. He is 'Negro.' in the right age range, also born in Mo., and his father was from Virginia. Also, the hospital is only 40+ miles from Keokuk. Wonder if someone could check their records for me, and how much information is available. Did he die there?
8) Mary (Abt. 1869 -?) Circumstances unknown.
9) Katie (Abt. 1872 -?) Circumstances unknown.
10) Eva (Abt. 1876 -?) Circumstances unknown.
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