Hiram and Sally Casto

Hiram Casto was born 3 July 1824 in the area of what is now West Virginia but, back then, was still part of Virginia. His parents were Daniel Taylor and Mary Elizabeth Shamblin Casto.

Hiram moved around quite a bit in his life. He in shown living in Jackson County, Virginia in 1850.

Clipping from 1850 Census

By 1860, he is living in Pekin, Dillon, Tazewell County, Illinois.

Clipping from 1860 census.
Son, George W., is also living with them, but he is on the next page.

He stays in the Dillon area in 1870, but by 1880 he has moved to Washington, Pettis County, Missouri. Then, by 1900, he is living in Williams, Benton County, Illinois. He seems to have stayed in Benton County until he died.

Clipping from 1910 census
Hiram and Sally are living with their son, Mason R. Casto

Hiram married Sarah Casto, the daughter of John George Casto and Katherine Westfall. Sarah and Hiram were second cousins, once removed.

In the 1900 and 1910 censuses, Sarah is listed as having given birth to 12 children.

Clipping from 1910 census showing number of children Sally had and how many are still living in 1910

Five of her children were listed as still living in 1900, and only four of them were listed as living in 1910. I only have seven children listed for her (and her husband), so the other five are still a mystery to me. Here are the children I have so far for the couple:

• Daniel Taylor Casto (born c. 1851)
• Mason Raspburn Casto (born 5 September 1856)
• Harriet Casto (born c. December 1859)
• George Washington Casto (born 5 June 1865)
• John Casto (born March 1868)
• Hiram Franklin Casto (born c. 1871)
• William Casto (born c. 1873)

If anyone knows the names of the other five children I am missing from my list, please send me a message! I would love to complete the family lines here. My brother and I both agree that we think these missing children were very young when they died. Most probably, they were born at least between Daniel and Mason and/or between Harriet and George.

Sarah died 22 April 1913 in Cole Camp, Benton County, Missouri. Hiram died a few years later on 25 October 1924, also in Cole Camp. They are buried at Union-Williams Cemetery in Cole Camp.

Sources:

• 1850 Jackson County, Virginia U.S. Federal Census (accessed on Ancestry)
• 1860 Pekin, Dillon, Tazewell County, Illinois U.S. Federal Census (accessed on Ancestry)
• 1870 Dillon, Tazewell County, Illinois U.S. Federal Census (accessed on Ancestry)
• 1880 Washington, Pettis County, Missouri U.S. Federal Census (accessed on Ancestry)
• 1900 Williams, Benton County, Missouri U.S. Federal Census (accessed on Ancestry)
• 1910 Williams, Benton County, Missouri U.S. Federal Census (accessed on Ancestry)
• Death Certificate, Mason Raspburn Casto (accessed on Ancestry)

Reason A. Colburn

My fourth great-grandfather, Reason A. Colburn was born 4 September 1836 in Alabama. His parentage is thought to be John Colburn and Susan Blankenship, but I have not found any proof of this relationship yet.

On 8 February 1859, Reason married Elizabeth Catherine Wyers. Together, they had at least the following children:

• James A. Colburn
• John H. Colburn
• Jerrie L. Colburn
• Nancy Kizzie Colburn
• Thomas J. Colburn
• David L. Colburn
• Mary M. S. Colburn

Clipping from 1880 census

The more I look into this man, the less I think I know about him. There seem to be several men with the name of Reason Colburn living in Alabama around the time he was. There was my fourth great-grandfather, there was another man about the same age who married a Polly Ann Carter, and there was a man born about 1805.

At least one of the Reasons served in the Confederate States Army in the Alabama Infantry. My ancestor fought (at least) with the 40th Alabama Infantry, Company D, according to his tombstone. There are also records for a Reason Colburn serving with the 28th Alabama Infantry, Company A. While the services in both units spans similar timelines, the two have gaps in places the other helps to fill. So there is a possibility the same man served in both companies.

More work will need to be done to completely rule out my Reason's involvement with the 28th Infantry, but I'll leave that for a Civil War Souls post. Still further research needs to be done on this family in general. I must say, I have unknowingly neglected this family in my research to this point. I need to do some actual digging and see what comes out of it.

Reason Colburn
Photo provided by Thomas Cardenas

Sources:

• 1880 Spencer, Fayette County, Alabama U.S. Federal Census (accessed on Ancestry)
• Tombstone, Reason A. Colburn (as posted by Martha Reid (Chapter) 19 UDC on Find A Grave)

Rosemary Reaber's Scarlet Fever

Rather than highlight a person or a family in my tree, this week, I thought I would highlight a story from my tree.

My great-grandmother, Rosemary Christine Reaber Findley, could tell the most amazing stories. She is the person who gave me the genealogy bug (even if she never officially had it herself). Even though she lived just 30 minutes down the road, I didn't meet my great-grandmother until I was in high school. She was about 90 and living in a nursing home.

I don't remember if my autobiography (which turned into a short personal genealogy) sparked the first meeting, or if it was shortly after our first meeting that I was assigned the project, but I decided to interview her about her life and our family to get some background information on the people who came before me. We became instant friends!

I would often accompany my grandparents on their trips to see her, and I would listen to her stories from her childhood. My favorite of which being the story about her scarlet fever.

Rosemary told me about how she had beautiful long, curly hair as a child. She told me when she was coming up in middle school, though, all of the men were "coming back from the War" (World War I) with young, beautiful French girls. She said she envied the beautiful women and their short haircuts.

Advertisement found on Glamour Daze

She asked her mother if she could cut her hair to resemble these beautiful women. Her mother flatly said "No." But Rosemary didn't let that stop her. She said, one day, after school, she made a detour to the local salon and had her hair cut against her mother's wishes.

Her mother was furious. (She supposedly had quite the temper.)

Not long after this incident, however, Rosemary came down with scarlet fever. In the course of the illness, she ended up losing most, if not all, of her hair. I can't find any reference to this being a symptom of scarlet fever, but I wonder if it was a reaction to whatever treatment she was given as a result of the illness. Still, I can only imagine what it must have been like as a teen losing her hair.

Rosemary got over her illness, and her hair finally started growing back in, But, instead of growing back in curly as it had always been, it grew in straight! 

Her mother, obviously remembering her prior act, said, "That's what you get for having disobeyed your mother!"

Rosemary's hair never did regain its old curl. She, therefore, scheduled frequent perms to keep her hair curly all the way up until she died.

School photo of Rosemary

Sources:

• Photo of Rosemary provided by Thomas Cardenas
• Rosemary Reaber Findley, relation: self

George W. W. Threadgill

The following is a repost from my Civil War Souls blog.

In my last post, I wrote about my 4th great-grandfather, James Campbell. This time, I chose another 4th great-grandfather. James Campbell was on my mother's side of my family, but George Threadgill is on my father's side of my family.

George Washington William Threadgill was born 11 September 1822 in Anson, North Carolina. His parents were David Howell Threadgill and Mary Slaughter. In 1842, he married his first wife, Mary Post. Together, they had (at least) eight children before Mary died in 1858. Mary was from Georgia, and by 1850, the couple is found living in Marion County, Alabama. He's listed as a farmer.

Clipping from 1850 census showing George and Mary's family

Not long after Mary's death, the Civil War broke out. At least George's oldest child should have been out on his own, but George still had a pretty large family to support. At some point, George remarried. He had a second daughter named Lucy in 1861. I am unsure who Lucy's mother is, but I think it may have been Mary Reed, one of George's other wives. I don't know much about Mary Reed, or even when the two got married, but if she is Lucy's mother, that is the only child I have found for this couple.

In 1860, he has moved with his family to Bibb County, Alabama. Here is a listing of his farm description from the 1860 Agriculture Census.

Clipping from 1860 agriculture census

It shows George as having 6 acres of "improved" land and 74 acres of "unimproved" land. It places the cash value of his farm at $100 and his "farming implements and machinery" is valued at $10. The 2 represents the number of working oxen he owns.

By the time George signed up for the War, he had changed occupations from farmer to millwright. George enlisted in the Confederate States Army on 7 April 1862 in Randolph County, Alabama. He enlisted for three years or for the duration of the War.

Taken from Service Records

Company F was officially mustered in on 30 June 1862. They left the camp at Falling Creek, located near Richmond, on 18 August 1862. From there, they marched to Richmond and took a train to Louisa Courthouse. From there, they headed out on foot with the Army of Northern Virginia to engage in the campaign which resulted in the Battle of Manassas. The company not only participated in the Battle of Manassas, but they also were engaged in the capture of Harpers Ferry and the Battle of Sharpsburg.

Taken from Company Muster Rolls

According to his muster rolls though, George didn't get to participate in any of this activity. He is listed as being "absent" from the company. Here, he is shown as being sick in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Taken from Service Records

He is in Raleigh through the June 1862 muster roll, but in July 1862, he has moved to Selma, Alabama.

Taken from Service Records

I lose George between July and December 1862. I can't find him listed in the muster rolls available online. Then, on 1 December 1862, without seeming to have fought at any point in the War, he is back in Raleigh, North Carolina being discharged.

Taken from Service Records

His discharge papers provide a little extra information about George and his illness.

Taken from Discharge Papers

I love these types of documents because they provide a physical description of the person. It says George was 43 years old, he was 6-feet tall with a dark complexion, brown eyes, and black hair.

His medical condition listed in his discharge papers was chronic rheumatism and scrofula.

Taken from Discharge Papers

So, not only was George experiencing pain from the rheumatism, but he had tuberculosis in his lymph nodes. Since he was listed as "sick" pretty much the entire time he was enlisted, I wonder if George was experiencing symptoms before he even joined the Army.

George married his final wife, Elizabeth Flowers, on 23 June 1864. Together, they had five children bringing the total number of children I know George fathered to 14.

George lived to be 87 years old. He died 15 September 1909 in Marion County, Alabama. He is buried at Whitehouse Cemetery in Marion County, Alabama, and even though he didn't seem to serve in any actual battles, he has a military tombstone.

Tombstone photo submitted by rebekahpaw on Find A Grave

Sources:

• 1850 Marion County, Alabama U.S. Federal Census (accessed on Ancestry)
• 1860 Bibb County, Alabama U.S. Agricultural Census (accessed on Ancestry)
• Compiled Service Records of Confederate Soldiers Who Served in Organizations from the State of Alabama (accessed on Fold3)
• Find A Grave Memorial
• US National Library of Medicine - Rheumatic Pain
• US National Library of Medicine - Scrofula

John M. Hitchcock and Mary Roberts Hitchcock

Today, I thought I would tackle a family I know very little about prior to the 1850 census: my Hitchcock line. John Matthew Hitchcock was born about 1805 in Georgia. His parents were Jesse and Lucinda ("Lucy") Harris Hitchcock. (Lucy was the first slave owning ancestor I have come across in my family, but I'll save her for another post.)

On 4 September 1845, John married Mary Roberts. She was born about 1816 in South Carolina. I do not know anything about her family as of yet. (I really haven't even tried looking yet simply because a common name like "Roberts" worries me - particularly when it's before 1850!)

The only children I have been able to find for this family so far are:

• Louisa Hitchcock
• Jesse Hitchcock
• Lucy Ann Hitchcock
• John Hitchcock
• Overton Hitchcock
• Joseph Columbus Hitchcock

Clipping from 1850 census showing Hitchcock household

Clipping from 1860 census showing Hitchcock children in household

The only issues with this list of children is that Louisa and Jesse were born in the mid-1830's which was before Mary and John were married. While I know this did happen from time-to-time back then, the likelihood of it happening that long before their marriage is fairly low.

I have, so far, not found records of John marrying a woman prior to Mary. I have also not been able to locate any proof of the mother of Louisa and Jesse in any records.

As I said before, I know very little about this family before the 1850 census, and unfortunately, the parents of this line died in the 1870's. John died 16 March 1870 (despite appearing in the 1870 census as still being in the household) and Mary died 14 July 1875. Both died in Polk County, Georgia.

This family still requires quite a bit of research, but I'm hoping the fact that I don't know of a Revolutionary War Patriot on this side of the family that I could submit to the Daughters of the American Revolution will only further my quest for answers on this branch.

Sources:

• 1850 Militia District 986, Paulding County, Georgia U.S. Federal Census (accessed on Ancestry)
• 1860 1083 District, Paulding County, Georgia U.S. Federal Census (accessed on Ancestry)
• 1864 Census for Re-Organizing the Georgia Militia (accessed on Ancestry)
• 1870 19th District, Paulding County, Georgia U.S. Federal Census (accessed on Ancestry)
• Georgia Marriages to 1850 (accessed on Ancestry)

Charles O. Stephens and Ethel O. Casto Stephens

I have seen a lot of posts this week from one of the Facebook groups I follow. It's a group centered around one woman's blog about her Casto relatives called Casto Connections. That got me thinking about my own "Casto connection," my great-great-grandmother, Ethel Ona Casto.

Ethel was the sixth (or seventh) of eight children born to Mason Raspburn and Rachel Francis Ferguson Casto. She was born 31 August 1892 in Benton County, Missouri. (I told you I had a lot of Missouri roots!)

She married Charles Oliver Stephens on 4 January 1920 in Sedalia, Pettis County, Missouri.

Charles and Ethel's Marriage License

Charles was the son of John Thomas and Maggie Packhurst (or Parkhurst) Stephens. He was born 14 February 1894 (although his death certificate says he was born in November).

Since Ethel is my Casto connection though, I'll mostly focus on her.

The 1900 census is the first time we see Ethel appear. She is surrounded by a bunch of Castos! She's living in Williams, Benton County, Missouri. Her Uncle George Washington Casto is living right next door, and her grandparents, Hiram and Sarah Casto are living next door to them. (Her grandmother Sarah's maiden name was also Casto.)

Clipping from 1900 census

Clipping from 1900 census showing the rest of the kids in Mason's household

In 1910, she's found still living at home with her parents and her sister, Lydia. Her grandparents have also moved into the house with them.

Clipping from 1910 census

*Notice Sally Casto had 12 children! I can't even imagine that!

Charles and Ethel show up together in the 1920 census. They are living in Sedalia, renting a room or apartment from Rosa Hayes. I don't know who this Rosa Hayes is, but one of her sons, Ross is listed as being a "locomotive fireman" and Charles is listed as being a "fireman roundhouse." Then, after their occupations, it says "Katy." I wonder if these two boys worked together on the Katy railroad, which ran from Missouri to Texas.

Clipping from 1920 census showing occupations of people living in Rosa Hayes' house
Rosa Hayes (head), Ross Hayes (son), Lloyd Hayes (son), Ida Shumate (niece), Charley Stevans (head), Ethel Stevans (wife)

As far as I can tell from the census records, Charles never liked to stay in one place. He always rented homes, never buying. He constantly moved to new cities, though he stayed in Missouri most, if not all, of his life. I wonder if Ethel was the one to keep them from leaving the state.

Together, Charles and Ethel had at least four children:

• Joy Decimund Stephens
• Marion Oliver Stephens
• Isabella Rebecca Stephens
• Robert David Stephens

*I've also seen mention amongst other researchers of a child named Ruth Stephens I don't know when Ruth was born. I can't find her in the household in the census and I haven't found a birth or death record for her yet.

I don't know much about Charles or Ethel's married life or their life past the 1940 census. I know Charles fought in World War I, but that particular War is not (yet) an area of expertise for me. I hope I can find some more stories for this side of the family soon.

Charles died 4 February 1957 at the VA Hospital in Kansas City, Jackson County, Missouri. His cause of death was recorded as brochopneumonia due to multiple liver abscesses and bacteremia.

Clipping from Charles Stephens' death certificate showing cause of death

Ethel died 6 February 1968 in Sedalia, Pettis County, Missouri. Cause of death is presently unknown as the death records online only go to 1963.

Charles (and I assume Ethel too) is buried at Union Cemetery in Pettis County, Missouri.

Sources:

• 1900 Williams, Benton County, Missouri U.S. Federal Census (accessed on Ancestry)
• 1910 Williams, Benton County, Missouri U.S. Federal Census (accessed on Ancestry)
• 1920 Sedalia, Pettis County, Missouri U.S. Federal Census (accessed on Ancestry)
• 1930 Mokane, Callaway County, Missouri U.S. Federal Census (accessed on Ancestry)
• 1940 Fulton, Callaway County, Missouri U.S. Federal Census (accessed on Ancestry)
• Charles O Stephens Death Certificate (accessed on Missouri Digital Heritage)
• Katy Railroad Historical Society
• Marriage License, Charles O Stephens and Ethel Casto (accessed on Ancestry)

Robert Richerson and Frances Isabelle Richerson

Robert Richerson was born 6 December 1876 in Dallas County, Missouri. I have a lot of Missouri roots on both of my parents' sides of the family. I wonder not only what took so many people to Missouri, but also what kept people living there.

Robert was the ninth (or 10th) of 11 children born to James Washington Richerson and Arena Burselia Bowman.

Clipping from 1900 census showing the newlyweds living with Robert's parents

I only have 10 children so far for Arena, and according to this census, it looks like she had one die early. I haven't found the name of this child yet.

He married Frances Isabelle Skaggs on 3 November 1899 in Dallas County, Missouri.

Robert and Isabelle had the following children:

Clipping from 1910 census

Here's a clearer list of the names of the kids:

• William Parker Richerson
• Thomas Arthur Richerson
• James Dolan Richerson
• Irene F Richerson
• Edna Florence Richerson

Robert and Isabelle led a relatively uneventful life. They lived in the same town almost their entire married life, and they seemed to be simple farmers. Since they lived in the 1900's mostly, there are no agriculture censuses for me to check online to see what they may have farmed. I wish I knew more about this family. I think a trip to Missouri is in order to get a better grasp on them and their circumstances.

Sources:

• 1900 Washington, Dallas County, Missouri U.S. Federal Census (accessed on Ancestry)
• 1910 Washington, Dallas County, Missouri U.S. Federal Census (accessed on Ancestry)
• 1920 Washington, Dallas County, Missouri U.S. Federal Census (accessed on Ancestry)
• 1930 Washington, Dallas County, Missouri U.S. Federal Census (accessed on Ancestry)
• 1940 South Benton, Dallas County, Missouri U.S. Federal Census (accessed on Ancestry)

Queen Ellis' Bible

This week, instead of highlighting a couple or family, I thought I would highlight a genealogical document. I chose my mom's mom's mom's mom's family Bible.

Queen Ellis' Bible

Queen Vistie Snipes was born 10 January 1899 in Union County, North Carolina. She married Clyde Ellis on 5 April 1914 in Lancaster County, South Carolina. The Bible was printed in 1924, so this would have been her Bible as a married woman.

Copyright dates found on second page of bible

Queen didn't fill in any information on her parents or grandparents in this Bible, but she did complete the Children's Register pages with all 13 of her children's birthdays. Here is what she included (I have left all of her original spellings as she wrote them):

• James Clarence Ellis, born 11 January 1915 in Chesterfield, South Carolina; married Ola Mae in Kansas City, Missouri
• Virgil Vernon Ellis, born 6 June 1917
• Albert Ellis, born 18 April 1918
• Robert Ellis, born 8 June 1929
• Arthur Fred Ellis, born 17 July 1921 in Gastonia, North Carolina; married Marie Conner in 1962
• Jessie Roberta Ellis, born 21 November 1922 in Gastonia, North Carolina; married Everett M. Grimm on 2 February 1960 in Dinsmore, Florida

(Side note: I find it interesting that Jessie Roberta, my great-grandmother is listed as marrying Everett Grimm instead of her first husband, my great-grandfather, Gerald Dean Richerson. I wonder if Queen didn't approve of their relationship.)

• Dorothy Ellis, born 23 March 1924 in Gastonia, North Carolina; married Warren H. Hall on 11 November in Lancaster, South Carolina
• Clara Ma Ellis, born 17 January 1925 in Gastonia, North Carolina; married Veto A. Vespoint in York, South Carolina
• Earl Dugar Ellis, born 17 September 1927 in Gastonia, North Carolina; married Renee
• Margaret Mae Ellis, born 23 July 1931 in Charlotte, North Carolina; married Don E. Penninger in Lancaster, South Carolina 
• Mikie Berry Ellis, born 27 September 1933 in Charlotte, North Carolina; married Francis White
• Franklin D Ellis, born 29 October 1936 in Charlotte, North Carolina; married Faye Dowell on 28 August 1960 in Statesville, North Carolina
• George Emitt Ellis, born 22 November 1939 in Charlotte, North Carolina

I love seeing how the first child was born in South Carolina, followed by several who were born in Gastonia, and then seeing the family finally settle down in Charlotte where my grandmother eventually was raised. I always find it fun to follow the families as they grow to see where they move to raise their kids.

I love old Bibles, and this is a great one. I think it's fantastic to be able to see my great-great-grandmother's handwriting as she wrote out the names of her children, made notes in the margins of the text, and tucked newspaper clippings inside which were important to her. Plus, the fact that this is a large Bible (measuring over a foot long), it gives insight into the role religion played in Queen's life.

My favorite part of her entire Bible, however, is a completely non-genealogical page I found inside: The Family Temperance Pledge.

Family Temperance Pledge page from Queen's Bible

Being that this bible was copyrighted in the early 1920s, the topic of alcohol and alcohol consumption was a controversial one. I found this page added a touch of character to the Bible that I wasn't necessarily expecting otherwise. This pledge provides a list of 12 rules or ideals by which the family is agreeing to follow:

Family Temperance Pledge
Rules 1-6

1. Moderate drinking tends to drunkenness, while total abstinence directly from it.
2. It is said on reliable authority that in recent years one boy in five becomes addicted to drink by the time he is 21 years of age.
3. Intoxicating drinks can do no good as a beverage, and there are always safer and surer remedies to use in case of sickness.
4. The idea of moderation is full of deceit, and our estimate of the power of our own will is usually a mistaken one.
5. The drinking habit is the cause of the larger portion of the misery, poverty, and crime in our land.
6. Both science and experience prove that even moderate drinking is injurious to health.
7. Eternal interests are often forfeited through drink, for the Bible declares that no drunkard shall enter heaven.
8. The Bible pronounces no blessing upon drinking, but many upon total abstinence.
9. It is easier to keep a pledge publicly, solemnly given than a simple resolution.
10. The pledge protects us from the solicitations of friends, and removes us from the temptations of the saloon.
11. Persons miscalculate their ability to drink in moderation, and become slaves to the drinking habit before they are aware of it.
12. Intemperance obstructs civilization, education, religion and every useful reform.

To me, more fascinating than the existence of the page at all is the fact that it isn't a "completed" page. No one signed it. Is that because Queen was indifferent to temperance? Is that because she was opposed to temperance? Or did she simply not want to mark a beautiful page in the Bible unnecessarily? My grandmother, who currently has possession of her grandmother's Bible, may know the answer. I will need to ask her about her grandparents' views of alcohol next time I speak to her. 

Queen Vistie Snipes Ellis
Provided by Thomas Cardenas

Sources:

• Queen Vistie Snipes Ellis, 1915-1962, The Holy Bible, Hertel's New Standard Alphabetically Indexed Bible (Chicago, Illinois, USA:  The John A Hertel Co., 1924); privately held by Clara R. Findley.
• Photos of Bible taken June 2013 by Brittany Jenkins
• Photo of Queen Ellis provided by Thomas Cardenas

John Threadgill

Another blog I keep is called Patriots Remembered, which is focused on Patriot Ancestors of members of the Daughters of the American Revolution. For my first post on that site last month, I decided to highlight my own Patriot Ancestor in the DAR, John Threadgill (or as the DAR spells it "John Threldkeld"). Since he is obviously, also in my family, I have decided to share my post from that blog on this one.

The following is an excerpt from the Veterans' Day speech I gave at my husband's school this past November. I've added some relative clippings from his and his wife's pension applications. He is, of course, an already "proven" Patriot, so any woman who can prove that she descends from this man can be admitted into the Daughters of the American Revolution. After the speech excerpt, I will provide some further information on his immediate descendants.

"John Threadgill was the fourth child of John and Anabel Threlkeld.  He was born on the 17th of November 1750 in North Carolina.  He and his brothers and sisters were the first in their family to be born on American soil.  His grandfather, Deodatus, who had French roots, traveled from England to the colony of Virginia, by way of Bermuda, just as the Virginia Company and several others had in those days.  John’s father, who was also named John, was born while Deodatus was in Bermuda. 

Now, Bermuda was a great asset to the colonies during the Revolution, providing ships, salt, and gunpowder.  Some say they were so supportive of the American cause that, were they not so far from the mainland, they would have become the 14th colony to join the fight.  So, maybe John was persuaded to fight for the Revolution because of his Bermudian influence, or maybe, since he came from a line of goldsmiths and watch makers, he felt compelled to defend his home which mostly depended on merchants and traders, or maybe there was another reason, but John enlisted in the Continental Army in September of 1775.  He served in the 2nd Virginia Regiment under Colonel William Woodford, Lieutenant Colonel Charles Scott, and Captain Richard Meade.

Excerpt from Mary Cob Threadgill's widow's
pension application describing John Threadgill's service.

Excerpt from John Threadgill's pension application
where he recounts his service in the American Revolution.

Before we get to the battle in which John fought, a little backstory.  Up until this point, Virginia had been pretty quiet.  Most of the action prior to this had taken place in the northern colonies, like Massachusetts.  But in Virginia, there was a road, called the Great Road, which came up from North Carolina and served as the primary route for transporting tar, pitch, and turpentine to the Chesapeake Bay where the British kept and repaired their ships.  This area was also important in the transport of food and livestock to northern colonies and to England as well. 

The port town of Norfolk was where the British fleet often took anchor gathering supplies and forces.  Colonel Woodford saw the importance of this region to the Loyalists.  The American Navy was still a new endeavor, but the British Navy was strong, making this port town impossible to attack from sea.  Great Bridge, a nearby town, was the only landward passage into Norfolk and, therefore, was Lord Dunmore and the British Army’s Achilles’ heel.  For this very reason, Colonel Woodford decided to attack. 

But Lord Dunmore wouldn’t go down without a fight!  Hearing of the rebel forces moving in on Great Bridge, Dunmore moved his troops to meet them.  Dunmore’s first encounter with the patriots happened about 10 miles outside the town where the Princess Anne militia was waiting.  The British, with double the men in their army compared to the militia, easily defeated them causing them to retreat into the swamps.  After that small victory, no doubt Lord Dunmore knew there was no way these rebels could take his town! 

These small skirmishes went on for 11 days.  During this time, both sides were recruiting forces.  The British even had a unit consisting of runaway slaves on their side thanks to martial law which was passed just a month prior.  The British were able to gather the strength of about 670 men.  And a “deserter,” a slave from the Marshall household, a well-known Patriot family (who helped organize the Culpeper Minutemen and who gave us our first chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court), told the Loyalist troops that Woodford only had 300 “shirtmen” gathered at the village of Great Bridge.  But the Patriots had in fact recruited around 900. 

On the morning of December 9, 1775, the British troops marched out from their fort and began crossing the bridge to attack the Patriots’ breastwork, which was positioned on the southside of the causeway.  The Patriots were hiding in the trenches nearby on the island and opened fire on the British soldiers.  Unlike in previous battles where the soldiers would shoot early and miss their targets, these rebels waited until their targets were about 50 feet away before shooting and then retreating further into the wood to the breastwork where more forces were waiting.  The battle itself only lasted about 30 minutes, but the result was incredible. 

Which side do you think won? 

The Rebels! 

The rebel victory at Great Bridge proved to be key in the goal of American Independence.  It was, obviously, great for patriotic moral.  With 102 British men killed or wounded and only one rebel wounded (in the thumb!) in the battle, the win was decisive.  Any doubts that a win was possible were quickly put to rest.  It also persuaded some citizens who were undecided in betraying the crown to join the cause.  It also prompted the Fourth Virginia Convention and the first open public debate on Independence.  It enabled rebel forces to advance to Norfolk, which was later burned, and forced Lord Dunmore and the Loyalists to ultimately abandon Virginia, which was a valuable resource for supplies, leaving all of the area’s goods for the patriots.  (This, in itself, became key to the British surrender at Yorktown in 1781.)  And lastly, it elevated Colonel Woodford, commander of the 2nd Virginia Regiment, so much that it influenced Patrick Henry, commander of the 1st Virginia Regiment and already famous for his speech where he said “Give me Liberty or Give me Death!” to leave the military and become the first Governor of Virginia. 

Thanks to my ancestor, John Threadgill, and others like him that fought in the Revolution, I’m an American, and I’m very grateful for that.  I’m grateful to all the veterans who came after him too and everyone who has helped defend this great country and who has fought for our freedoms."

John Threadgill's signature as found following
his personal statement in his pension application.

The following photo is a clipping from John's pension application. It references a family "prayer book" and provides a list of John and Mary Threadgill's 13 children.

As of this writing, Daughters have successfully joined the DAR under the following children of John and Mary:

• Elizabeth
• George
• Howell
• Lucy
• Randall (spelled "Randle" in the pension application)
• William

This means, each of the following children would be considered a "new child" for this Patriot (which is a great accomplishment in the organization):

• Ann
• Jane
• John
• Martha
• Mary
• Sarah
• Thomas

Keep in mind that some of these lines may not contain living descendants. But so far I have not followed out these remaining lines to see how they develop. That's a post for another day.

Sources:

• John Threadgill's Pension Application (found on Ancestry)
• Mary Cob Threadgill's Widow's Pension Application (found on Ancestry)
• www.gbbattlefield.org 
• www.ushistory.org

Josef Reaber

Josef Reaber was born 9 March 1874 in Pilsen, Bohemia to Johann and Maria Reaber.

1855 Map of Bohemia
Found in the David Rumsey Collection

Josef married Christine Konecny on 17 April 1908 in Chicago, Cook County, Illinois. They had an arranged marriage. Josef knew Christine's father, Johann, before the marriage was arranged.

Together, they had one child, Rosemary Christine Reaber, who was born 22 January 1910 in Chicago. The following is one of only two photos I have ever seen of my great-great-grandfather.

Josef and Rosemary, 1924
Photo provided by Thomas Cardenas

Now, I remember talking to my great-grandmother in 2000 for research on an autobiography assignment I had at school. I interviewed her and my grandmother (Rosemary's daughter-in-law) to get information on our family. Being the overachiever that I am, I said I couldn't know who I was until I knew those who came before me. Little did I know, this one assignment would spark a new hobby of genealogy.

I remember Rosemary saying her parents came over from Bohemia. Since her passing, I have come to learn that her mother was from Vienna, which was not part of Bohemia. I also remember her saying that their last name used to be "like 15 letters long." According to her, it was shortened upon arrival in America.

Up until my brother found this notebook in our great-grandmother's possessions, I had only known of a few spellings of Rosemary's last name, all of which were fairly similar phonetically: Reaber, Reba, Ribar, Ryber, Rybar, and Ruban. The following, written by my great-grandmother, shows yet another spelling of her last name and also mentions possibly another time her name was changed long after they'd been in America.

Notes written down by Rosemary for her granddaughter, Nancy
Provided by Thomas Cardenas

Continuation of notes written by Rosemary for Nancy
Provided by Thomas Cardenas

So now, Rybash is added to the list of alternate surnames for my great-grandmother's family. My favorite part of this story is the stark difference between Josef and Christine's attitudes toward the principal's error. Christine is almost disgusted that the name was misspelled, while Josef, who liked the misspelled name, decided to adopt it completely! One day I hope to find out what the true surname and spelling was, but for now I'm left with these alternates.

Another interesting thing about my great-great-grandfather is his occupation. He was a chemist who worked at the stockyard of Armour & Co., a local meatpacking plant. According to The Encyclopedia of Chicago, Armour was "Chicago's leading industrial enterprise and employer" by 1880.

Armour & Co.

Josef was responsible for the oils and oleo (or margarines) the company produced. Armour refused to let any portions of their slaughtered animals go to waste and manufactured many difference products from the "leftover" parts of their slaughter.

The following clip from the notes of Rosemary state he had "the gift of taste" and "in one day he knew what caused the product to go rancid."

Continuation of notes written by Rosemary for Nancy
Provided by Thomas Cardenas

I have yet to come across any kind of information regarding Josef's level of education, but since I have a Bachelor's of Science in Chemistry, I like to think he had more than just a gift of taste. Josef is the only other person I have come across in the family with a science-related job.

My brother, Thomas, also came across another gem in our great-grandmother's possessions. It was a small memory book completed by our mother. In the short book, our mother wrote down Rosemary's responses to several questions about her upbringing and family. Here are Rosemary's recollections about her own father, Josef.

Clipping from a book called "For My Grandchild"
as written by Rosemary's granddaughter, Nancy
("Grandma" is Rosemary.)

Based on my great-grandmother's memories of her father, I think I would have liked Josef very much.

Josef and, I assume, his wife, Christine
Provided by Thomas Cardenas

Josef died in July 1959, I assume, in Chicago. He is buried at Saint Boniface Cemetery which is located in Chicago, Cook County, Illinois. He and Christine share a tombstone with Christine's parents, Johann and Anna Konecny. One day, I hope to visit the cemetery myself. I have been to Chicago before, but not with the knowledge of my own history there.

Sources:

• The David Rumsey Map Collection
• "Chicago: City of the Century"
• "Chicago Tribune", 8 Aug 2014 article
• Photo of Armour & Co. taken from "Notable Men of Chicago and Their City"
• Marriage License for Josef and Christine Reaber (unsure where I found this)
• "For My Grandchild, A Keepsake to Share and Treasure" memory book. Completed by Nancy Findley, with the help of Rosemary Reaber
• Rosemary Reaber, relation: daughter