The McNutt Mystery

A new little part to the Levi James McNutt mystery came to me the other day.
A person named Gardner is a Find A Grave volunteer over in Mississippi.  She found Sarah Frances Hopkins grave stone!
Sarah Frances Hopkins is the daughter if Elisha and Elizabeth Smithwick Hopkins.  She is also the only Sarah Hopkins that was the daughter of Elisha and Elizabeth Hopkins, the Grandparents of Levi James McNutt. This makes it possible that this is the grave of LJ McNutt's mother.

This graveyard is in Guntown, Lee County, Mississippi. It's an old graveyard and apparently abandoned even though it is right in town.  An interesting thing was the good condition of the gravestone.  I said that someone must have put a new stone there since the one placed there in 1874 would have been well worn by now.  I was hoping there might be living relatives still in the area. Gardner wrote back and mentioned that the gravestone was an example of pottery markers.  Apparently these where found in northeastern Mississippi and northwestern Alabama. Pottery markers are glazed and weather well compared to marble markers.
http://hillcountryhogsblog.blogspot.com/2010/03/loyd-style-stoneware-or-pottery-grave.html
I will be writing to Guntown city hall to find out if they know anything about the folks buried in the field across from them...

Did the Snare family go to Nebraska?

The whole herd move from Illinois to Nebraska!
Mary Ann Snare [b:1832 in Licking County, Ohio] married William Maxwell Reed [b: 1827 in Newark, Licking County, Ohio] over in Licking County, Ohio.  They moved over to Knox County Illinois about 1855 where children, Mahala, Nora, William, Otis, Effie and Hulda where born. 

Then as a family, the Reeds moved to Nebraska about the same time as the Jeffery's, whom they had married into, came from Grant County, Wisconsin.  I was wondering if the Snare's moved to Nebraska along with the other families.  It looks like John Jeffery even took his father-in-law Jacob Hall to settle in Nebraska territory. So there must have been a number of ox drawn wagons going west to Lancaster County, Nebraska a little before 1867.

Daniel and Mary Ann "Polly" Crowell Snare moved with the family from Licking County, Ohio to Knox County, Illinois about 1855.  Daniel and Mary Ann didn't go to Nebraska though.  They both died in Harmon, Knox County, Ill. 
So the next question is, did any of the Snare kids go to Nebraska [besides Mary Ann].


Hummm.  No, Melissa Snare got married to William C. McElrea and they lived out their lives in Harmon, Knox County, Ill.
Sidney Whipple Snare ended up in Grand Junction, Mesa County, Colorado. He married Sarah Ellen Babbitt.
Sarah Ellen Snare married Martin Milam and ended up in San Bernardino, San Bernardino County, California.
So what happened to Laura, Lyman and Reevis?
Did they stay in Ohio?
Inquiring minds want to know.
Time to do some census review and a little looking in the Licking County OH and Lancaster County, Neb archives on
www.usgenweb.com
Guess I'd better go find out!

Genealogy fun while unpacking, Brown and Palmer

I couldn't help it. Even while I am still unpacking and trying to get the house in order I had to look around on the internet. In an Ancestry.com newsletter someone mentioned state census.' I have had a good time looking at the state census related to the places our folks have lived because you never know what kind of information you will find. Some are as plain as the early Nebraska state census, where people where named and the places they lived where listed, and that was it. But the early Iowa census was another matter. I found my many time great grandparents Fred and Susan T. Knowles Brown with all their kids. Not only that, but the 1885 Iowa State Census had as much info as the Federal Census. Profession, where born, what county if they where born in Iowa, whether their parents where native or immigrant and if they could vote [males only]. It also showed that males where subject to military duty. And while perusing this document I happened to glance down the page and see Claude and Mary Palmer where living nearby. Mary is the daughter of Susan T and Fred Brown. Nice bit of extra information there, because I didn't know that Claude and Mary had a daughter named Carrie.

Moving genealogy stuff

Ok, Moving isn't the greatest fun I've ever had. But this time it went a little better. I had family papers in files if they weren't in the books yet. There's plastic hanging file boxes that a few hanging files slip right into. They're nice because you can use the carry handle to tote them right off to the latest place of research or pack into the right size box just as they are.
This time, photos where in the proper photobook or in a central repository [a large plastic file] so they could be safely transported. I even got everything into the boxes in some sort of order so that when I got the chance to work with the information over here at the new place, I would know what it was! [Where not talking the most tidy mind here - I'm the "pile it, don't file it" kind].
Now if I could only find my camera and memory sticks and such...

Isn't it neet to come upon some surprises sometimes?
Here we have a picture of my Aunt Kathy and her father Arthur Lovell Martin. She has this photo in a frame in her home office. I asked her about it in an offhand way. She surprised me with a story about the photo and several stories related to it.

Experienced genealogical researchers say to talk to living family members first and see what kind of information and artifacts they may have in their possession.

My Aunt was always in my life. I took her for granted. I never thought to ask her any questions about family because she didn't offer any information. And here she turned out to have a treasure trove of memories and on top of that, a few shoe boxes of wonderful photos!
When I sat and looked at these photos with her I got to ask more questions which lead to more memories, and even more places to search.
Remember, never take anyone in your family for granted...

Finding People

When I got the cardboard box with what remained of my Great-Grandmother Blythe Stillwell's articles I was blessed that mounds of photos survived. I guess no one saw the value in these photos, but I did!
I didn't know all the people in those photos but I knew enough [and had my Mother to ask about others]. Thus started my genealogical journey finding out about the family I never knew.
And while I was looking for the people I knew I kept the photos of those I didn't.
This is one of the photos I put aside for later. I'm glad I did because the writing on the back of this postcard turned out to be a clue to the identity of one of the fellows pictured!

It was written to John Hinkley, Great Grandma Nonnie's adoptive father. On the back it says, " April 19, 1910. Can you pick Guy out? This is his force of men. He is the foreman of NP freight house. He has seven men under him. He first had this taken today.
Angie
He wanted me to send you one."

I had some pictures of William and Angie Hinkley at verious times of their lives. William was John Hinkley's brother. At one point I followed them through the US census. When John T. and Sallie Delaney Hinkley moved from Missouri to Nebraska, his brother William along with Angie Phillips Hinkley and their kids moved up to Butte, Montana! So I looked through further census for them in Montana, and what do you know? Guy is their son! I got that box out and looked through to see where I had read that name before and there was the postcard.

The clothing Guy's crew is wearing tells me that NP is a railroad.
A lookup on Google for NP railroad revealed a Wikipedia listing of original Montana railroads and their successors. NP was the Northern Pacific & Montana Railroad.

Keep those old photos with the people you don't know, because if you look long enough, you will!

World War One Draft Cards

Did you know one of the best ways to find out about your early 20th Century male ancestor's physical characteristics? Find out if he has a WWI Draft registration card! Not only that but the information included on these cards could lead to other family members information.

This is the WWI Draft Card of my Great- great Uncle, Opie Hicks.
On the back of this card the examiner recorded information about eye color, hair color, complexion and build. On the front is nearest living relative, draftees birthplace, father's birthplace, place of employment.

From this card I learned that Opie had brown eyes and dark brown hair. He was 5 foot 8 inches tall. He was a farmer with a place near Farnam, Nebraska. He was born 10 Aug 1896 in Jonesborough, Tenn [where his father was also born] and that his father was W.R. Hicks.

You can confirm lots of theories about a male ancestor using these cards.
A good start for looking at these cards is

Online World War One Indexes & Records
http://www.militaryindexes.com/worldwarone/index.html

This and many other sites can be found by Googling World War One Draft Cards.
Lots of fun!