Family / Genealogy ADDICT!

Hello, my name is Tracy and I am a Family History & Genealogy addict.

This epiphany came to me this morning as I was driving to work ; although it shouldn't have come as a surprise.   All the signs were there, but this morning really confirmed that I had, well  . . . a problem.  LOL!

I am on the verge of becoming a senior citizen, so it shouldn't be a surprise to many that Information Technology (IT) and 21st century toys, gadgets and software are foreign to me.  To be honest they are scary!!  So, here is my progression into addiction:

• 2003:  Became a World Explorer subscriber to ancestry.com
• September 2012: Purchased a brand spankin' new laptop - one that I didn't / wouldn't share with anyone
• October 2012: Purchased 2012 Family Tree Maker
• October 2012: Purchased an ipad.  Had to have it; how else was I going to have the ancestry.com app whenever I was on the go?
• February 2013: Immersed myself in ancestry.com video tutorials - LOVE!  Crista Cowan
• 17 February 2013: Created Ancestor FaceBook Page(s) - I have 2 and plan more
• 23 February 2013: Created FAMILY PRESERVES; a Family History Blog
• 28 March 2013: Watched Introduction to OneNote for Genealogists by Brian Bouchard (Paperless Genealogy Blog)
• TODAY, 29 March 2013: Created my very first Hyper Link J

The addiction really took off in late 2012 and in the past 2 months it has become an obession.  The tell tale signs are:

• Insomnia - ancestors keeping you up at night
• Working on your family tree and research every at EVERY moment that you are NOT working on something else
• Thinking about . . . your ancestors;  your brick walls;  your latest research endeavor;  how to improve your research for optimum success
• Obsessing over when the next ancestry.com webinar / YouTube Tutorial will be broadcast; 'jonesing' for more tips and tricks.  I want, NO!  I NEED more Crista Cowan
• On arriving home; I go to the mailbox, DIRECTLY to the mailbox - do not pass go; do not collect $200.00 - looking for the latest records that I sent off for.  IF they aren't there, I immediately go through something akin to 'crashing!'  Have you ever seen an addict pitch a 'royal' temper tantrum?  LOL!
• Talking about your ancestry, your family history blog, etc., etc. with your co-workers throughout the day
• When you've shared (read 'spread') the addiction to your co-works - because they now come to you to ask . . .

 

• What's your latest blog topic?
• Send me the link to your blog; I've been sharing your stories with my Mom
• I am having trouble finding . . . any suggestions?

 

• And today, I IMMEDIATELY thought . . . "I have to blog about this" when I missed taking the exit that I take every day to get to work.  But, today, I was forced to drive over a bridge and through a tunnel - no place to turn around - why?  Because I was thinking . . .

• How much fun I had setting up OneNote for my family history research
• How amazing it has been that I have taken the plunge into the 21st century - learning to use its technology to improve my family history research strategy and to optimize and experience a successful  outcome

Seriously!  Are there 12 Step Programs for this?  LOL!

The final sign is when your two sons; 'generation Y,' are surprised by your use of toys and gadgets from the new century, but applaud your efforts and are proud that you are still learning and growing.

So, I missed an exit; YES, I have an addiction, but if that is the worst that can be said about me, I am okay with it.  I am much more concerned that my sons learn about the importance of family, heritage and history.    And, besides, they are starting to catch the addiction . . . The more the merrier!!

Any other 'addicts' out there who want to publicly acknowledge their addiction?  I am not alone, right?  Share your stories.

 

 

 

Travel Tuesday - Research Trip; a Cost Comparison

Cost Comparison between ‘Physical’ Research Trip and On-line research . . .

I have been a paid subscriber to an on-line genealogy site since 2003; however I didn’t really get involved in my research until about two years ago.  My boys are now grown; my husband and I have an ‘empty nest’ and so I have more time and energy to devote to the wonderful hobby of researching and preserving our family history.  Until recently, I had not physically traveled to conduct family research.  This past November we went on our ‘maiden’ research trip.  It was a small four-day trip and truth be told probably didn’t need to be taken, I could have done the majority, if not all, of the research from the comfort of my home.  But, we were traveling to western Pennsylvania to celebrate Thanksgiving with our eldest son and daughter-in-law, so we decided to take a few extra days and visit eastern Pennsylvania to visit cemeteries, the Courthouse at City Hall, the Free Library of Philadelphia, and the Schwenksfelder Library and Museum located in Pennsburg. 

I frequently see queries on-line from a subscription site asking how they are doing?  OR, would you recommend their site to friends and family?  And, without fail there are numerous complaints about the cost of membership.  On one such query recently, I suggested that a cost comparison be posted showing the costs associated with on-line membership and research vs. traditional - 'old school' research that involved travel to an ancestral location.  After some thought, I decided to take on my own challenge; I’ve reviewed my checkbook ledger and bank statement and below you will find the cost(s) associated with our November research trip to eastern Pennsylvania (table 1) and what it would have cost if we had chosen to do the same research from our PC at home in Virginia (table 2)

As I stated I have a World Explorer Membership, $299.00 per annum *, which works out to be approximately $0.80 per day (24 hour), unlimited access.  On those nights that the ancestors keep me awake (insomnia), I can be on the computer researching into the wee hours of the morning.  I don’t have to worry about operating hours, pull times, copy fees, what I can and cannot bring into the research area, etc., etc.  I don’t have to get in and out of buses, taxis, or trains.  I don’t have to coordinate my schedule with my husband’s or anyone else.  I call the shots.  This isn’t true for research trips.  First my husband and I had to plan the time off; make hotel reservations; make kennel reservations for our dog (read an additional 'hotel fee', becasue that is what it is); plan what we wanted to accomplish and what places, record repositories, etc. that we needed and/or wanted to visit.  We did an initial check-in with these places prior to our trip – the cost(s) of those phone calls are not included in the tables below – but each of them stressed the importance of coordinating with them further when we arrived in Pennsylvania.

Our goals for this trip were to visit six cemeteries; determine the final resting place of our ancestors – 3 cemeteries (husband’s family) and 3 cemeteries (my family).  We wanted to pay our respects, get tombstone pictures and copies of the cemetery maps with plot and lot locations.  We also wanted to visit the Free Library of Philadelphia; we wanted to locate obituaries and city directory pages for our ancestors.  And the Schwenksfelder Library and Museum located in Pennsburg, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania.

Table 1

Table 2

 

*Currently the on-line subscriber site is offering their World Explorer Membership for $34.95 per month; $419.40 per annum; $1.16 per day (24 hour),  unlimited access.  Using these figures Table 1’s total cost would now be $908.40** and Table 2’s total cost would be $28.09.

** Please note that when creating this table I forgot to factor in the the kennel fee for our dog; kennel fees per day are $50.00 x 4 days = $200.00.  That brings our total costs for our four day research trip to $1108.40.

Our membership fee was considered in both tables; as a daily fee is assessed for membership whether I choose to do my research at home OR in tandem with a physical research trip.  Clearly, my membership, with unlimited 24 hour access, the ability to review and save vital records and other source documents to my tree and print unlimited (if I choose) copies without additional cost(s), the ability to connect with other members, the ability to connect with subject matter experts within the genealogical community, access to resources such as the Red Book and The Source and YouTube Tutorials and webinars, and much more, pays for itself.  And, is by far cheaper in the end.

 

Now, no one said, that an on-line subscription or any other on-line genealogical site has ALL the records in the universe digitized and available to the family historian.  They never will; there are just too many documents out there.  So, I will have to make a number of other research trips, but, BUT, where tracing your family tree sometimes would take a person’s life time to just make a dent in the research of just one person on a family tree; it is now possible to get so much further in our climb (quest) than ever before was possible and at a vastly cheaper cost than ever before.  THIS IS what makes the cost of yearly membership worth it to me.  And, there is NOTHING like sitting at the computer searching for my ancestors in my pajamas with a cup of joe nearby.

I will be taking another trip to Pennsylvania – this time to Columbia County – in a few weeks for research, I’ll post cost comparison on my return.  I see this as an on-going project.

 

T

 

Missing Ancestor Report

Female ancestors are hard enough to trace when you only have their married name to go by, but have no information on their maiden name.  Typically in those cases you look to obituaries, marriage certificates and census records.  But my situation is different; I'd call it unique, but I am sure someone out there - if not many someones - have also come across a situation or two like mine. 

My Grand Aunt Mary Lindsey is missing; I say missing because I lose track of her in the records after 1920 and although my Grandfather, Walter Lindsey, had three pictures they didn't offer up much information other than one clue - an address.  The trouble is, the pictures are labeled with Mary's maiden name on one only and her given name on all three.  My Grandfather and his siblings did not have an easy 'Mayberry' childhood; my understanding is that at a very young age the children were 'parcelled' out to local (neighbor) or community farms to live and work - that is what became of Walter and Mary.  Walter lived and worked on several farms until he married my Grandmother and Mary (per 1920 census) was, by the time of 12 years of age living and working on a nearby farm.  She and Walter didn't see each other again until sometime between 1930 and 1946.  My Grandfather's one regret was that he and Mary just never seemed to connect; too much time and distance had separated them.  Though they tried.  According to the 1920 census, Mary and Walter's younger brother, William, was living in a children's home in York, Pennsylvania.  It is not known at this time, if he was adopted or whether he grew up in the home and when he came of age, moved on.  That will have to be another post.  Today's focus is Mary. 

My unique challenge is:
1.  I do not know if Mary ever married? 
2.  I do not know if Mary ever divorced?
3.  I do not know if Mary ever remarried?
4.  I do no know if Mary ever had children

These challenges make the traditional search for female ancestors, well, challenging, therefore I have embarked on a different and somewhat unique approach; The Missing Ancestor Report.  We've all heard and seen Missing Persons Reports, right?  What follows is the Missing Ancestor Report for Mary with what information is known about her, a 'snapshot' of the 1920 U.S. Federal Census and the three photos of her from my Grandfather's (her brother Walter's) collection.

Do you have challenging and/or missing females in your ancestory?  How are you approaching your search / research for them?  I am looking forward to reading your stories and learning your tips / tricks and methodalogies; and, with great anticipation, your success stories!

MISSING ANCESTOR REPORT

MARY LINDSEY

DATE OF BIRTH: about 1908

RACE: Caucasian              SEX: Female

PARENTS: Walter Cleveland Lindsey & Margaret Ethel (nee Learn) Lindsey

Siblings: Walter G. Lindsey; William G. Lindsey; Maretta G. Lindsey

HOME ADDRESS: 35 South Street, York City, York, Pennsylvania

 DETAILS:

Mary was last seen on the U.S 1920 Federal Census

Living in Upper Allen, Cumberland, Pennsylvania on a Farm

(Dwelling #42 / Family #42)

Living with

Emmuel Crone (Head of Household)

Minnie Crone (Wife)

Laura Crone (Daughter)

Lancaster Chester (Grandson)

Mary Lindsey is listed as ‘Not a Relative’ (Mary is 12 years of age)

Known Neighbors

Harry A. Gutshall (head of Household)

Mary E. Gutshall (Wife)

Hellen E. gutshall (Daughter)

Calvin Stone (hired Man)

Ruth Shunk (Servant)

Wilbur Eberly (Head of Household)

Maud E Eberly (Wife)

Russel S. Eberly (Son)

 

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

It is believed that Mary was sent to live and work in a neighboring home / community (it is believed / assumed for financial reasons); we do not believe that she ever returned home

ADDITIONAL DETAILS:

We do know that Mary’s brother Walter G. Lindsey and his wife, Edith briefly reconnected  with Mary between 1930 & 1946

Mary's brother Walter Lindsey had the pictures posted in his collection; the back of one indicates that Mary once lived at 35 Andrew Street, South Beach, Staten Island,

New York

Sadly, Mary and Walter did not stay in touch over the years and nothing further is known about her and her whereabouts.  And, it is unknown whether she ever married or had a family

 

I am Mary's Grand Niece and I am very much interested in finding out about what happened to Mary and if she had a family (descendants).

 

Anyone having any information should contact

http://tlcmeyers.blogspot.com

 

 

REWARD

Missing 'leaf' reunited with Lindsey Family Tree

 

1920 Census

 

Photo A (side 1) - Date: unknown

Mary is on the left

 

Photo A (side 2)

Transcription:

Mary Lindsey

35 Andrew Street

South Beach

Staten Island

New York

 

Photo B (side 1)

 

 

Photo B (side 2)

Transcription:

Mary

4/21/46

Photo C

 

 

Tuesday's Tip - Pruning the Family Tree

Pruning
Verb
Trim (a tree, shrub, or bush) by cutting away dead or overgrown branches or stems, or to control and direct the new growth of a plant.

In January I ordered 13 Death Certificates; 2 Marriage Licenses; and 2 Social Security Applications from the State of Pennsylvania.  The cost - $3.00 per death certificate; $12.00 per marriage certificate and $27.00 per Social Security Application – was by far cheaper than traveling to Pennsylvania and each of the counties.  But, the wait . . . the State of Pennsylvania has cashed my checks or charged my credit card, but I am still waiting for all the ‘snail’ mail to come in.  To say that I am not a patient woman is a gross understatement and yet here I am completely addicted to family genealogy which clearly is not a hobby or profession of instant gratification.  Go figure!

Which brings me to today’s post.  While I am waiting for these much anticipated documents to arrive, I have decided to avail myself of on-line webinars and educational YouTube videos.  I use Family Tree Maker 2012 Software and Ancestry.com, and I am very interested in learning how to maximize the potential of both the software and the on-line program, so that I can get the most from them.

What follows are some of my ‘lessons learned’ and how I am beginning the process of incorporating those lessons, tips and tricks into my daily research and routine.  And, how I have already seen / gleaned results. 

The videos I watched were:

• Using Notes in Family Tree Maker and Ancestry Member Trees to Keep Track of your Family History
• Smart Search Tips & Tricks 
• Using Social Media in Genealogy

As most of us already know, it is important to look at the actual image whenever one is available.  The reason is simple, errors sometimes occur during the transcription process or the original hand writing was difficult to read which caused the transcriptionist to read the information incorrectly.  Or information on the document / image could have been overlooked.

The Using Notes in Family Tree Maker and Ancestry Member Trees to Keep Track of your Family History video takes it one step further; when we save a document to our tree,  it suggests that we open the image and transcribe the information – word for word and in chronological order.  Why? 

1.    It helps us to really pay attention to every detail
2.    We may discover information that we initially overlooked in our cursory review of the
      document / image
3.    It will focus our search – what information / details are we missing?  What records /
      information do we need to narrow or broaden our search and that will help move us
      forward – um, upward – on our family tree?

While watching the video, I had a ‘hand to forehead’ moment of . . . Why didn’t I think of that?  I’ve been interested in genealogy for over 20 years, but have really been going ‘full throttle’ at it for the past 3 – 5 years.  And, I had thought, that I was doing a reasonable job of keeping track of my research.  What I found; where I found it; what I wanted to find; where I thought I could find it; and keeping that information all organized, so that I could refer back to it as necessary with some ease.  The key words here being . . . I had thought.

I am an executive secretary by profession, so this stuff isn’t un-natural to me and yet, while watching the video and listening to the suggestions, I immediately knew that I could, and needed to, do better.  So, it was off to the computer and Family Tree Maker to start the process.

Now my family tree is relatively small compared to some others that I’ve read about; I currently have 493 persons inhabiting my tree.  The decision I made – since I am currently waiting on documents to arrive in the mail – was to go to each individual’s profile and transcribed each document I’d saved to them. 

It is tedious and I could only work on so many profiles a day, but since starting this, I have discovered some things that I ‘missed’ on the initial review of the documents.  For instance, one census record, records that my Great Grandmother had 8 children (births) but that only 3 had lived.  This information has been there the whole time, but I had missed it.  Going through this transcription process allowed me to really focus on the information contained within the image / document; now, I have a research note to go back and see what information I can find, if any, on the five children that didn’t survive.

The other video I have found helpful is the Smart Search Tips and Tricks.  If you are an ancestry.com subscriber you may also frequent their Facebook Product & Services Fan page.  If you do, you have probably seen your fair share of posts from consumers who are frustrated and who complain about the search feature(s) / tool(s) and the search parameters that are not meeting their needs.  And, I confess that I have equally been frustrated at times; however, I have always assumed the fault was mine, rather than ancestry’s.  Which is why I highly recommend watching this helpful tutorial.  For this non-tech / non-geek, it was presented in an easy to understand format.  And, most importantly to me, it worked. 

I have a Great Grandfather that has been elusive; I’ve traced him from England, to Philadelphia, PA in the later 1800’s, I’ve traced him in the census records from 1900 – 1920; in 1920 he is again married - my Great Grandmother passed away in 1900 – and living with his wife and 7 year old daughter.  In 1930, they are all missing; can’t find a one in the census.  In 1940, my Great Grandfather shows up living in an indigent home for men and women in Philadelphia.  To this point, I have not been able to find where he, his 2^nd wife and daughter are in 1930 and I do not know what became of his 2^nd wife and daughter in 1940 – they are not with him in the home for indigent men and women.

To say that I’ve been frustrated with not being able to trace my Great Grandfather and learn more about his life from 1920 – 1940 is an understatement; but after watch the Smart Search Tips & Tricks video, I decided to try some them out and . . .

Voila, I had found the missing daughter; she was on a recently added ancestry.com member tree.  I didn’t take this at face value; I reviewed the tree and the source documents attached as thoroughly as possible, and I was convinced that there was enough information there that would lead me to believe that the tree owner and I were researching and documenting the same family member.  I excitedly crafted an initial e-mail and sent if via Member Connect at ancestry.com.  After several days, they responded and we have been collaborating and sharing information ever since.  There are still one or two questions that we are both striving to answer, two working together is better than one, and, it is always more fun!

Lastly the Using Social Media in Genealogy tutorial is what started me on the path of blogging.  Although I blog mostly for me at this point, I have received good responses from my family members.  And this is a plus!  Typically when I speak of my ‘tree climbing’ adventures and ask family members questions about our ancestors, I get the ‘why are you doing this?’ ‘Why not leave the past, well, in the past?’  And similar comments like those.  Since I started this blog a few weeks ago, I've gotten favorable comments from family and they seem to be interested in what I've learned.  That is really exciting for me, because isn’t that the reason that we do this?  So our family’s stories can be shared.

Well, I have just checked the mail and those documents still have NOT arrived; ugh!!  So, I am off to see what else I can learn and how I can best use that information to continue to control and direct new growth on my family tree.

I would love to hear what you do during those ‘down times’ while waiting for documents to come in or hear back from ‘cousins,’ etc.? 

And, in closing, I highly recommend ancestry.com's webinar's and YouTube tutorials; I've personally found them to be informative, educational, helpful and that they work.  I encourage you to take a look and see if they might be of benefit to you and your search for ancestors.

Family Recipe Friday – Potato Pie (Variations)

Last week I shared my Grandfather’s Potato Pie recipe and the fond memories I have of sharing that meal with my Grandparents and extended Kriebel family.  As promised, I am posting two variations on the recipe along with a bonus recipe for Golden Potato Soup.

I would love to hear if you try these recipes and what variations you come up with. 

Create memories around your table ~ Guten Appetit!

Variation #1:

CHEESEBURGER POTATO PIE

·       Basic pie dough
·       Leftover Golden Potato Soup
·       ½ lb. ground beef
·       Salt and pepper to taste
·       Worcestershire Sauce to taste
·       1 Medium or large onion, diced
·       3-4 carrots, cut into small dice
·       2-3 stalks celery, cut into small dice
·       1 – 2 Tbsps. Corn Starch
·       Shredded cheese [optional] - recommend using same type of cheese
      you used in the soup
 
1.    Roll out the dough – you need enough for a bottom and top layer
2.    Cook and brown ground beef, season with salt, pepper and
      Worcestershire to taste.  Set aside to cool.
3.    Mix onion, carrots and celery with corn starch and line the bottom of
     the pie shell. 

Note:  I prefer to leave the diced veggies raw – they will cook to al dente in the oven – however, they can be sautéed prior, if you prefer.  Recommend that you mix the sautéed veggies with corn starch – this will help prevent the bottom crust from becoming soggy. 

4.    Stir cooled ground beef into the leftover soup and pour mixture over
     veggies.
5.    Top with additional shredded cheese, if desired, and top layer of pie
     dough; cut several slits in top crust to vent
6.    Bake at 350 degrees until crust is golden and heated through.  About 30
     minutes or so.

Slice and serve with a light salad. 

** quantities based on what works for our family and may need to be adjusted based on your family’s needs **

Variation #2:

CHICKEN ~ POTATO POT PIE

·       Basic pie dough
·       Leftover Potato Soup
·       2-3 Chicken Breast OR 4-5 Chicken Thighs, cut into chunks
·       Salt and pepper to taste
·       1 Medium or large onion, diced
·       3-4 carrots, cut into small dice
·       2-3 stalks celery, cut into small dice
·       1 cup frozen peas, thawed (optional)
·       1 – 2 Tbsps. Corn Starch

1.    Roll out the dough – you need enough for a bottom and top layer

2.    Cook chicken until lightly golden and cooked through, set aside to cool
3.    Mix onion, carrots, celery and thawed peas with Corn Starch and line
     the bottom of the pie shell. 

Note:  I prefer to leave the diced veggies raw – they will cook to al dente in the oven – however, they can be sautéed prior, if you prefer.  Recommend that you mix the sautéed veggies with corn starch – this will help prevent the bottom crust from becoming soggy. 

4.    Stir cooled chicken into the leftover soup and pour mixture over

     veggies.

5.    Top with remaining dough; cut several slits in top crust to vent

6.    Bake at 350 degrees until crust is golden and heated through.  About 30
     minutes or so.

Slice and serve with a light salad. 

** quantities based on what works for our family and may need to be adjusted based on your family’s needs **

 

Bonus Recipe

GOLDEN POTATO SOUP
1/2  water
4 – 5 medium potatoes, diced
1 small onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, sliced
1 large carrot, sliced
½ cup shredded white cheddar cheese OR smoked cheddar cheese
1 cup beer OR dry white wine ( be sure to use your favorite) OR
                                      Chicken Broth

Salt and pepper to taste

3 Tbsps. flour
2 cups Half and Half
2 Tbsps. Parsley flakes
 
Combine potatoes, water, celery, carrots, onions, parsley, seasonings, and beer.  Cover and simmer 15 to 20 minutes or until vegetables are tender.  Gradually add Half and Half stirring until well blended.  Add to vegetables and cook until thickened.  Add cheese and stir until melted.  Serves 4 – 6.

Not the Waltons or Ingalls!

Okay, I grew up watching the Waltons and Little House on the Prairie, and I was always touched by how close the family unit was.  Sure there were ‘bumps in the road,’ ups and downs, but when it came right down to it the Waltons and Ingalls loved each other and their familys.  Other than their faith in God, there was no greater bond.

In the 20^th and 21^st century, we have all gotten pretty used to what was once euphemistically called, in my youth, as ‘non-traditional’ families.  At first that referred to divorce and single-parent homes and then it evolved from there.  Today, this ‘type’ of family has become the norm rather than the exception.  So, when I took on the self-appointed title and mantle of family historian I fully expected to find ancestors that had loving relationships and families that were more like the Waltons and Ingalls.  I am beginning to realize that I was wearing ‘rose colored glasses’ and living in a ‘pollyanna’ world.

The truth is that many of our ancestors lived in tough, sometimes harsh times - economically and physically.  Money was tight, living conditions harsh; Disease, famine, persecution, etc.  Watching Charles and Caroline Ingalls and John and Olivia Walton, I came to believe that no matter the hardship or circumstance, our ancestors – my ancestors – would have forged an unshakable bond that would not / could not be torn asunder.  But, in my research I am finding things to be very different.  It is not my place to judge, however I am human, and I must admit some of what I have been finding out about my ancestors has saddened me at least and shocked me at worst. 

In my research I have found a number of ancestors who married, brought children into this world, separated / divorced and left their children behind to be raised by grandparents or in children’s homes.  Yet, went on to marry again and have more children.  And from what I can tell to this point; never the twain to meet.  And, I have found an ancestor who, it would seem, spent the remainder of their life in an indigent home, yet their wife, children, or grandchildrenfrom what I can tell, had no further contact with them.

I have been thinking about this a lot lately; I want to know, I want to understand, how parents can leave their children behind?  How children can leave a parent in the poorhouse / asylum, alone and forgotten?  I want to know what became of the children?  What became of the forgotten parent?  I want to put the family unit back together from roots to branches on the family tree; though they weren’t together in life.

I love my family, past and present; but can’t help mourning the loss of the Ingalls and Waltons that were imagined.

If you’d like, I love to hear your stories / comments.

Family Preserves: Mystery Monday - Understanding Beardsell ~ McLean ...

Family Preserves: Mystery Monday - Understanding Beardsell ~ McLean ...: Background:   Growing up my Grandmother would share ‘glimpses’ of her family – usually when she   thought I was sleeping.   Gram worked ve...

Mystery Monday - Understanding Beardsell ~ McLean ~ Brown

Background:  Growing up my Grandmother would share ‘glimpses’ of her family – usually when she  thought I was sleeping.  Gram worked very hard at keeping everyone at ‘arm’s length’ when it came to her family and revealing their ‘secrets.’  That will have to be another post.

Today’s focus is Gram’s sister Jane Ann (Jennie) Beardsell . . .

Date of Birth: 9 August 1889
Place of Birth: Huddersfield, Yorkshire, England
Emigrated to Philadelphia Pennsylvania: 1898
Date of Death:  10 February 1940
Burial: Magnolia Cemetery, Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania
Married: Twice (topic of today’s post)

As I said, Gram worked hard at compartmentalizing what information she shared about her family, so as not to reveal too much.  So, I would hear bits and pieces about my Dad’s Aunt Jennie growing up – each story revealed rare and fleeting glimpses of who Jennie was and information about her.  Yet, nothing that provided a full picture.

Here is what I thought I knew based on the limited information Gram shared, what other scant information that my Dad recalled, and what tidbits I was able to glean from what Gram had written on the back of the one photo that I had. . .

·         Jennie had a son William (Billy) Brown, Jr.
·         Billy lived in New Jersey with his wife Dee and their 4 children
·         I have a picture showing Ralph McLean, age 27; and Billy Brown, age 8 and his cousin (my
       Aunt) Edith Adele, age 13 – what I didn’t know is who Ralph was and how he, IF he, fit into the
       family

When I began my research into the Beardsell family line, I contacted my second cousin, Billy Brown, to ask what he could tell me about his Mother, Jane Ann (Jennie) and my Grandmother’s (his Aunt’s) family; I learned that he had, some years prior, done some family history research and had a Family Tree printed and was willing to send me a copy.  Rather than better answering my questions about Jennie, the family tree that I received just deepened the mystery, but at the time, I really didn’t realize that.

The tree indicated that Jennie had been married twice, to ‘—‘ McLean and to William (Bill) Brown, Sr.  So, now – I thought – I knew how Ralph McLean fit into the family; he was Jennie and '--' McLean’s son.  And, Billy Brown, Jr. was Jennie’s and Bill’s son.  But try as I might, I couldn’t find anything initially on either marriage.  This past year - I had been researching Jane Ann (Jennie), off and on for the past 2 years or so - I located information on her date of death and then I was briefly stalled again; couldn’t locate any further information on her death – death certificate, cemetery, or burial information – and to date had not been able to come up with any solid documentation about her marriages.  The first break though was determining the approximate date of death for Jennie; I had been talking to my Dad about the ‘wall’ that I had come up against during my research and he was able to narrow down a time frame as to when he thought Aunt Jennie had passed away.  Armed with that, I finally was able to first determine her date of death and then request a copy of her death certificate from the state of New Jersey.

The death certificate  revealed That Bill Brown, husband, was the informant, it listed her brother, George Arthur Beardsell as Next of Kin and provided the next clue - Jennie was buried in the Magnolia Cemetery in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  A call to the cemetery recently revealed that she was buried with Stanley McLean and other McLean family members.  Now, I was puzzled; while I recognized the Mclean surname (I knew I had the right Jennie), I didn’t know who Stanley or the other McLeans were or why she was buried with them.  Not knowing where to go next, I typed in Stanley Mclean into Google and viola, there was my answer.  I had found Jennie!  Stanley McLean and Jane Ann (Jennie) had been married and Ralph was their son.  What I don’t yet know is why she was buried with them.

Simultaneous mysteries that I have not yet answered are . . .

·         When did Jennie and Stanley divorce?

Based on U.S. Federal Census records I can narrow the time frame down.  The 1910 census  reveals that at the time of the Census Jennie and Stanley had been married 2 years and that their son Ralph was 1 year of age.

By the 1920 census, Stanley, while still listed as married, is a ‘Boarder’ at another residence.  Jennie and Ralph are not with him.

A search of the 1920 census records reveals that Ralph, now 10 years old, is living with his Grandparents (Stanley’s Parents) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 

 

My assumption then is that Jennie and Stanley were separated and divorced by 1920.

·         Why didn’t Ralph stay with his mother?
·         Where is Jennie?

By 1930, Jennie is now married to William (Bill) Brown and has a son, Billy, aged 1.

·         When did Jennie and Bill marry?

Based on Billy’s age, they may have only been married a little over a year / possibly 2 years  - 1928/9(?).  There is however, a 10 year gap between federal census enumerations, so it is possible that they were married longer?  I have searched for Jennie McLean (alone) in the 1920 census, no luck; I have searched for Jane Ann McLean (alone) in the 1920 census, no luck; I have searched for both Jane Ann and William Brown in the 1920 census, no luck; and my final attempt was to search for Jennie and William Brown in the 1920 census.  That too failed.  I also looked at her sister, Edith in the 1920 census, thinking / hoping I might find Jennie with her family, no such luck.  And she isn’t found with her brother, George either.

·         What happened to Ralph?
·         What happened to Stanley?

I have located a 1930 census for both Stanley McLean, listed as a ‘Boarder’ now living in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and for Ralph McLean who is now 24, married living in Pennsauken, Camden, New Jersey with his wife, newborn son and 4 step-children ranging in age from 2 – 5 years of age and his mother-in-law.

·         The 1930 census indicates that Ralph was 24 and his wife was 25 at the time of enumeration
        and d it indicates that they were 23 and 24 respectively at the time of their marriage.  This
        would suggest that they had only been married a year, at the time of census enumeration. 
·         Step-Children ranging in age from 2 – 5 years? 

Not knowing much about Ralph or his father Stanley, after 1920, I am not sure that I am looking at the right individuals. 

While I am not a descendant of either Stanley McLean, or his son Ralph McLean, I have to admit I am curious as to what happened to them.  Why did Jennie not keep Ralph with her?  Seemingly she left her first family behind and started a new.  I want to know more.  I want to understand. 

There is usually a ‘grain’ of truth in family stories but, I’ve learned that you need to be open to where your research leads you and what the source documents prove out. 

 

Still some mysteries to solve.

 

** Conscience of space limitations 1910, 1920, 1930, Death Certificate and Picture commented on here have not been attached ** Perhaps a separate post of these in the near future.