Tombstone Tuesday: Keziah and her Beau Go West to Look for Gold

It's another cold, blustery day outside, which makes it perfect to stroll through some old cemeteries.

Today, I found the tombstone of Daniel Howe SIMMONS (1829-1922) in River View Cemetery in Portland, Multnomah, Oregon.  This confused me for a moment as his death certificate indicates burial at the IOOF Greenwood Cemetery.  First question is:  what is IOOF?  The IOOF is the Odd Fellows Organization that was founded with the thought of giving aid to those who need it without needing recognition, in addition to other beliefs.

Apparently, they had quite the following out west and had burial spots for their members.  Both Daniel, and his wife, Keziah KLINGENSMITH (1823-1907), are buried in their cemeteries--  and in two different states.  Daniel resides in Oregon while Keziah passed away while the couple lived in San Diego, CA in 1907.  Keziah was also buried in an IOOF cemetery, although a headstone for her has not yet appeared for me to find.

Daniel Howe Simmons

Daniel was an active member of the Sons of the American Revolution and his bio at Findagrave indicates he was the only (I'm guessing first) member to be buried in Oregon.  I found it interesting that his stone includes the information that his dad, my grandpa, served in the American Revolution.  Well, yeppers, he did.  Daniel was a young teenager when his dad passed in 1843 in Wheeling, WV.

I don't why, but Daniel, along with his mother and siblings, move to Cincinnati, Hamilton, OH, before the 1850 census.  Daniel's bride was from western PA, and attempts to find her in the 1850 census in either locale have not been fruitful.  Sigh.  Their marriage is recorded in 1852 in Hamilton Co, OH.

Daniel and his new bride, Keziah, went to the Pacific Coast in 1852 to search for gold.  Alas, while he never struck it rich, his family ties to the American Revolution and to the growth of early America are pure gold.

Rest sweetly, Uncle Daniel.

Ahh, genealogy.  Just gotta wonder how Daniel got the middle name of HOWE?  Did his dad know him?

©2017  AS Eldredge

Sources:
Findagrave:  River View Cemetery, Portland, Multnomah, OR
Photo credit:  FriendsofRiverView
Death Certificate for Daniel H Simmons
Obituary of Keziah Simmons

Three Doors and Five Windows Found in Digitized Homestead Records

It's always a great day when old records are finally available online and at several onsite locations such as the National Archives and the FamilySearch Family History Centers.  Today, one of my trusty genealogy buffs sent a notice that the Homestead Final Certificates for the following states have been digitized and available to search:

David P Simmons Homestead

Arizona
Indiana
Illinois
Nevada
Ohio
Nebraska



It's time to have some fun now to sort through these records to see if any stories are unearthed!

So far, I've enjoyed seeing the statements given.  For example:

1)  Head of Family
2) United States Citizen
3) Never borne any arms against the government
4)Never given aid to America's enemies

William Henry Simmons, 1837 land

Ahh, genealogy. No sympathy this Saturday, just a day of wondering about the house with 3 doors and 5 windows built around 1865 in Nebraska.

©2017  AS Eldredge

Sources:

http://beatricedailysun.com/news/local/state-and-regional/digitized-homestead-records-for-other-states-now-available-online/article_97553f55-c26d-5a2a-8ee2-0161fc35487b.html

Ancestry.com. U.S. General Land Office Records, 1796-1907 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2008.
Original data: United States. Bureau of Land Management, General Land Office Records. Automated Records Project; Federal Land Patents, State Volumes. http://www.glorecords.blm.gov/.Springfield, Virginia: Bureau of Land Management, Eastern States, 2007.

Ancestry.com. U.S., Homestead Records, 1861-1908 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014.
Original data: Land Entry Case Files: Homestead Final Certificates. Record Group 49: Records of the Bureau of Land Management. The National Archives at Washington, D.C.

Wordless Wednesday: Weaving Reed and Vallandigham

Today started out with a loud crash with the resulting shaking of the house, for it was the day a red oak tree with close to 50 rings (that I could count) had to come down.  It was a mind shaker as I thought about all the years this mighty tree had proudly stood tall and shaded the house.  It had finally given up the chase of life, hence, it was time to reshape the landscape.  As I watched it fall, an overwhelming sadness came over me as I wondered about the small time in history this tree had lived.

Of course, shaking the old brain did lead to revisiting past sources and clues, just to see if any old research can reshape the family landscape.

In my files of old, I found this clip transcribed from Commemorative Biographical Record of the counties of Wayne and Holmes, Ohio, Illustrated, in which the biography of the Honorable William REED is given.  As I already knew, he was married to Maria(h) D HENRY(1834-1897).  I also knew who his parents were- William REED and Maria COOKE of Washington Co, PA.  Maria COOKE is said to be the daughter of David COOKE, a trustee of Washington College.  Dates seem off right now in my mind.

What has me befuddled are the parents of Maria(h) D HENRY, or rather her mother.  Her parents were Samuel Smith HENRY (bat 1786-1853) and second wife Jane COOKE.  Good ole Uncle Samuel was born and raised in Lower St Clair Twp, Allegheny, PA.  Jane COOKE....  now was she the daughter of David COOKE or maybe James COOKE(1758-1830)?  David COOKE did have seven children.  Were there 2 David COOKEs in the area?  Still a mystery to solve!

What left me speechless today was the sentence "Judge William Reed spent his early life in Columbiana County, Ohio, receiving his rudimentary education in the public schools.  He later entered Washington College, from which he graduated in the class of 1845.  He at once entered upon the practice of his profession, his able instructor being C. L. Vallandigham whose reputation is so widely known."

Why wordless?  Because Maria(h) D HENRY's father, Samuel Smith HENRY, was first married to Eleanor LAIRD.  Eleanor LAIRD was the aunt of Clement Laird VALLANDIGHAM(1820-1871). To intertwine this tree branch even further, VALLANDIGHAM's parents raised the half sister to Maria(h) D HENRY after the half sister's mother, Eleanor, died when Margaret Eleanor HENRY was an infant.

See, I told you on July 7th the story of Clement, the only American to be exiled from the Union, was deep in my family tree.  More later on him.

Ahh, genealogy.  Perhaps bright light will shine and a new tree will surface out of the dense forest of the past.




Sources:
http://www.ohiogenealogyexpress.com/holmes/holmesco_bios_r.htm
http://ancestorsatrest.com/cemetery_records/cross-creek.shtml
Cushing, Thomas. A Genealogical and Biographical History of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania

©2016 ASEldredge

Wordless Wednesday: Seeking Hidden Kin in Ohio

Searching old newspapers is a passion of mine.  At least, this activity ranks high on a rainy day or when I stumble across new evidence of a family member.

For years, I have been involved in the Pittsburgh Old Newspaper Project where a dedicated group of volunteers has been reading old newspapers for deaths, marriages, and divorces.  To date, we have indexed and placed over 100,000 deaths online.  The information can be so very useful since the Commonwealth of PA did not start requiring statewide death certs until 1906.  Even then, I have been successful in finding post 1906 death certs and then finding more information in the death notice.

Just today, I have turned my attention to the neighboring state of Ohio.  So many early residents of western PA migrated west after the land was open for American expansion all those many years ago.

Logic now says it's time to wander around Ohio with the locations I know and see what I can find in print to support what I think I know.  A great place to start is Ohio Memory.

Ohio Memory has been diligently working on getting tons of old Ohio information online.  The counties shaded in blue above indicate some digitization of the newspapers has started.  When clicking on the site, you may be directed to Chronicling America.  Chronicling America has long been a favorite place for me to spend many hours looking for those elusive kin. Spend time there as well if you have kin in the area.

Ahh, genealogy.  Gotta run and immerse myself in seeking the hidden past in Ohio.  I'll be wordless the rest of the day as I drink coffee and read and read.....

Sources:
Ohio Memory, http://www.ohiohistoryhost.org/ohiomemory/newspapers.
Chronicling America, http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84028745/issues/

©2016 ASEldredge

Friend of Friends Friday: Ohio Releases 30 Years of Adoption Records

It's a new day and an exciting one for Ohio adoptees.  As of today, adoptees whose adoptions were finalized between January 1, 1964, to September 19, 1996, can apply for a copy of their files.  This equates to something like 400,000 records.

The cost for the records is also reasonable at just $20.  Just remember that mailing the notarized application is most likely the most expedient way to receive the adoption packets which will all be mailed.  None will be given out in person.

This may open a whole new world for those seeking to solve the mystery of their family roots.  To learn more, go to the Ohio Department of Health and click on https://www.odh.ohio.gov/vitalstatistics/legalinfo/adoptfnl.aspx .

Ahhh, genealogy.  Spring into action and dig for those roots!

©2015 ASEldredge