How I Research, Part II

A couple of weeks ago, I started this mini-series on my tips and tricks on researching genealogy. During my first post, I discussed some of the types of forms I use to record my research. This week, I thought I would show you how I organize those forms after I create them.

Organization is something that is key when doing anything of the scale of genealogical research. It's important to realize, though, that organization is something that is often different for different people. What I think is organized, may look like a "hot mess" to someone else. It's all about how your brain works.

I'll even tell you now, I utilize several different organization strategies myself for different projects I'm working on. So, one of my methods may work for you; or all, or none of them may work for you. I'll do my best to show the differences in them though, and you can pick for yourself how you want to organize your own research. Since I do use so many different methods, I will only focus on one method in each post so I can more thoroughly explain each one.

First, for my direct line of ancestors, I have a single notebook set up.

It is currently housed in a 1-1/2" binder, and I have simply named it "Brittany's Ancestors." I have it set up with a couple of different types of dividers inside.

The dividers I use in my Ancestor Notebook

The first set of dividers is actually a set of dividers I have split up between two notebooks. It originally started as a set of eight-tab dividers that have an opening for you to label them yourself. (Half of the set is in my ancestor binder; the other half of the set is in my husband's ancestor binder. I used to keep us both in the same notebook when I first started working on his family. Now his family is more researched than my own! So he has another binder just for his family now.)

These dividers house my Ancestor Charts. The tabs are divided with a couple of different kinds of Ancestor Charts. The first tab is the straight line of ancestors -- the chart I showed you in my previous post. The second and third tabs are for Step-families and Adoptive families.

Stepfamily Ancestor Chart from Family Tree Magazine

Adoptive Family Ancestor Chart from Family Tree Magazine

These forms are also available from the Family Tree Magazine website and are great if you have situations like this in your tree where you want to research both a step-parent's or adoptive parent's lines. I don't have many adoptions in my family, but I have a slew of second, third, fourth, etc. spouses that I try to research in addition to my own ancestors.

Unlike the other ancestor chart, which is clearly laid out for you to number them, these charts do not include any kind of internal numbering pattern. I have chosen not to number these lines myself, but I have considered it for some of my collateral lines where I may need help remembering who the central person in the chart is. (For my own ancestors, when I see my dad's name in the middle of the chart, I know we are talking about some of his step-parents; I don't need a note that tells me my dad is "person 2 on chart 1.")

The second set of dividers I have in my ancestor notebook is from the "Ready Index" line from Avery.

Avery Divider that I use for my Ancestor Notebook

It has 15 numbered tabs that you can customize only from the Table of Contents page. It worked great for me though because I have it set up so each number is a "generation."

Generation 1 is me and my husband.
Generation 2 is my parents.
Generation 3 is both sets of my grandparents.
Generation 4 is all four sets of my great-grandparents.
... And the pattern continues.

For each generation, I keep a couple of different forms in there. I have my Family Group Records with the Source Summaries printed on the back. I discussed these forms last time, so I won't go over these again. I will say though, that sometimes I will print out a very small (about 1" wide) copy of a photo for each person, sometimes a tombstone if that's all I have, and tape it next to the person's name. I only do this for the "parents" on the Family Group Sheet since the children in the family are positioned so close together. So far, I have only done this with some of my husband's family though.

I also have copies of a couple of those records that I had already printed out or photocopied. Not every family has copies of records in the notebook. Even in the ones that do have records, not every family has all of the records relevant to them in their section. I stopped printing them out after a while, and I simply keep digital copies now. More on my digital organization in another post.

IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE: Do not store original documents with your research notes, even if everything is acid-free and you think it's okay. Use the strategies I discussed in my last post on Archiving instead. Among other reasons, you'll thank me when you accidentally leave your notebook somewhere and either forget it or it otherwise gets damaged.

I also have a couple of the other forms Family Tree Magazine provides on their website set up in each of the generation sections. The Military Records Checklist and the Census Checklists are definitely my favorites.

I'm actually in the process of redoing my Military Records Checklists because I used to just list all of my direct ancestors in one big list, so the "big list" is in the front of my notebook before my Ancestor Charts. Now, I am working to set it up the same way I do my Census Checklists.

A page of my "big list" for the Military Records Checklist from Family Tree Magazine

You'll see, I block out the options that are outside my ancestor's lifespan. This gives me a clear view of what branches/engagements I should spend my time researching for each person.

One thing I will mention about this form is that it is centered around American military records. The chunk of ancestors at the bottom of this form without any marks is from my Mexican side of the family. This form doesn't work very well for them -- another reason I wanted to re-do this form and switch it over to individual family units. I'm hoping to create my own checklist of sorts for other countries' military records sometime down the line.

For my Census Checklists, I have a new page for each individual Family Group Sheet. This way, aunts and uncles get accounted for in each census as well as direct ancestors.

A page of my Census Checklist from Family Tree Magazine

It takes up more pages this way compared to my old method of listing just my direct ancestors in a continuous stream. It's hard to see in the above photo so I've attached a closeup below, but you'll notice I don't just "check" whether or not I have a copy of the person's census record; I write in the location I found the person in the census. I like doing it this way because it helps me see at a glance if families moved as a unit or if certain branches left on their own.

Closeup of Census Checklist shown above showing locations of census records found

You'll also notice the worksheet only goes up to the 1930 census. I have added a column for the 1940 census in the margin of the document. In a few more years when the 1950 census is released to the public, I will need to make my own version of this document if Family Tree Magazine does not update theirs by then.

I'm hoping, with the Military Checklist broken up this way too that I'll be able to see if entire sets of siblings joined the military, as was often the case in my husband's family, or if only a handful of siblings joined, or if there was any impact on joining the military when a parent served.

The last thing I have in my notebook, though not always in each section, is a small to-do list written on regular, college-ruled filler paper. I keep a much larger to-do list in my Family Tree Maker program, and the Checklists I use serve as their own kind of to-do list showing which records I still need to find; but if there is a particular place I want to remember to look for a record or a particular story I want to remember to try to prove or disprove, I will often keep a note of that in with that family's worksheets.

That about covers it for this particular notebook. Again, this set up may work for you, or it may not. I'll discuss some of my other notebooks and their purpose and organization techniques in future posts.

Archiving Documents

This week, I thought I would give my tips for keeping the precious photos and historical/genealogical documents safe and in good condition. Some of these are common sense, and some of these have been compiled from various genealogical forums and other resources.

Photographs
First, when handling old photographs, only handle the edges of the photo. Even as a kid, I hated the look of fingerprints on pictures, but it's not just an issue with aesthetics. The oils left behind on the face of the photo will ultimately damage the photo over time. If you must touch the photo faces, wear white cotton gloves.

One thing that is a major road block for most genealogists is unlabeled photos. I'm a person who doesn't really label my photos either, so I get it. Unfortunately, even though I know I'm looking at a photo of my uncle, my future grandkids may not know immediately who is in the photo. As a result, they may assume incorrectly the identity of the "mystery" person, or they may be unable to make any kind of assumption at all to his identity.

So, to label a photo, you have two options depending on the type of photo. If the photo is paper-based, use a soft lead pencil. If the photo is more modern (printed on resin-coated paper), use a waterproof, fade-resistant, permanent pen. And, for both utensils, you will want to write lightly. Don't damage the picture by pressing too hard and making indentations.

So now you know how to handle and label your photos. What do you do with them next? Find a way to store them!

I prefer scanning my images and keeping them on an external harddrive. Make sure to scan them correctly the first time so you don't have to handle to photos excessively. Scan them at the highest resolution possible to get the best result. Some home photo scanners can even read old negative strips you may find laying around and pull the photos straight from the source. I haven't scanned all of my photos yet, but the ones of family members tend to be my main priority so I can add them to the family tree.

Also important to know as far as digital photos goes is that JPG files lose a little bit of their content every time they are saved. Because of this, you want to avoid using JPG files if at all possible. TIFF would be a more preferable option.

Then, even though I love having digital copies of my photos, I am a pack rat, so I still like keeping the originals. When storing photos, use an archival-quality box. You can find these at craft stores, The Container Store, or even some department stores. Once the photos are in the proper container, store them in a temperature-controlled setting and keep them off the floor and away from any moisture or moisture-producing pipes or tanks. (If your photos get wet, air-dry them immediately. If you can not deal with the photos within a day or two, freeze them in small batches in Ziploc bags. When you are ready to fix them, unfreeze air-dry them.)

Documents
As with my photos, I love to keep digital copies of all of my important (and even not so important) family documents. Even times when I didn't have my scanner available, I will often find myself taking a photo of the record and then cropping the photo down to size.

For the actual papers themselves, keep all paper documents unfolded when you are storing them. You'll want to store them in an archival-quality folder or envelope. Now, most people tend to store their documents in hanging file folders, but I have noticed that over time, if the folders are not properly compressed, the pages start to sag and start to curl up. So, to fix this, store your paper documents flat. Document boxes work great here.

If the document is already folded, such as a letter, make sure to not force the paper flat. You don't want to accidentally tear the paper. Leave the paper open as far as it is comfortable for a while and see if gravity and the moisture in the air will do the work for you.

Newspapers
One type of document that kind of stands alone as far as archival techniques go are newspapers. Newspapers are not printed on the best paper for archival purposes. So, to assist with this, copy/digitize newspapers as soon as possible and then store the newspapers or clippings in a completely separate box. If you store them in the same box as your other documents or photos, the newspapers could actually damage the other documents.

Books
I LOVE books. All kinds of books. Novels, plays, yearbooks, baby books, family bibles, magazines, cookbooks, etc. take up my entire second bedroom. (I always imagined having a large library in our house when we finally find a place to settle down.)

Of course, I scan whatever I can and store digital copies. Yearbooks have become one of my favorite resources lately (especially when researching my husband's family -- where everyone in his home county seems to be related!). I scan the photos and crop them down to the individual people, clubs, or sports teams. (This is a good example of one of those instances where you don't want to be dealing with a JPG, which loses quality and information every time it is re-saved.)

I also have a fascination with handwriting. The personal messages in yearbooks are such great insights to family history researchers! Did your family member (or at least his or her friends) have a sense of humor? Are there notes of past loves? A lot of people added their phone numbers or addresses too, so it can be great to use that information to recreate your family member's community.

I store all of my books of genealogical importance laying down (rather than standing up in traditional bookshelf fashion). Of course you want the books to be stored in a climate-controlled environment, meaning not the garage or attic, and away from any moisture.

Also, some books' covers tend to be a little sticky (yearbooks are bad for this in particular). They can stick to the book(s) above or below them, and sometimes it can damage the covers. If you find this to be the case for your books, or if you fear this may be the case, you can separate the books with some pieces of acid-free paper.

Finally, some books, especially old scrapbooks and baby books, may be keepsakes you want to preserve despite the fact that they may not have been made on acid-free paper. These may be cases when you would want to seal the book and its contents. Encapsulation is a reversible option for this where the pages or objects are placed in an archival sleeve and sealed with acid-free double-sided tape.

There are, of course, more detailed how-tos and guides out there for archiving documents and heirlooms, but these are the things I find myself using most often since I have very few heirlooms that are not in one of these forms. If you have any questions about any of my techniques or tips and tricks, feel free to contact me. Happy Archiving!

How I Research, Part One

For this post, I will do something a little different. Rather than sharing stories and information about various people in my family, I will start sharing a bit about how I actually research my genealogy. This will be a theme for the next couple of weeks.

To start things off, I thought I would share information about the various forms and resources I use. In general, I keep my family tree in a software program. The program I am currently using is Family Tree Maker, which is owned by Ancestry. I have used two versions of this program: Family Tree Maker 2012 and Family Tree Maker for Mac 3.

Screen shot of my Family Tree Maker for Mac 3 showing my great-grandmother and her family

As a Mac user, I like not needing to use Bootcamp to access my tree, but the Windows version does have a few features that I prefer to the Mac version, like being able to tab between certain information fields; but that's just my personal opinion.

In addition to my digital family tree, I also keep several notebooks with family tree information. These notebooks are filled with various forms I use to keep track of my research. While there are several forms I use, there are three that I definitely use the most.

First, I use the Five-Generation Ancestor Chart from Family Tree Magazine.

Five-Generation Ancestor Chart from Family Tree Magazine

This form is pretty much the staple-document for genealogists. You start with a single person or couple, typically yourself, and you work your way backward through the generations. The people in the chart are given a number. The first person is Number 1, then the rest of the numbers in the chart follow the pattern of:

Fathers = (Number) x 2

Mothers = ((Number) x 2) + 1

I like the chart from Family Tree Magazine because it has five generations and the layout is very clean. Ancestry offers a similar form, but it only has four generations and therefore requires many more pages.

The second form I use is from Ancestry. It is their Family Group Record.

Family Group Record from Ancestry

This sheet is fantastic for recording the basic facts for all members of a specific family. The form from Ancestry has a fantastic layout and works well for me because I write rather small.

What I love most about this form is that it has space for up to 12 children and their spouses. It doesn't help much if a family had more than 12 children, but it is good to see the spouses at a glance, especially when you have siblings marrying other siblings.

The third sheet I use I actually print on the back of my Family Group Records. It is also from Ancestry. It is the Source Summary form.

Source Summary from Ancestry

On the front of my Family Group Records, I cite my sources using numbers, similar to adding footnotes. The numbers correspond to the sources in the Source Summary on the back. This helps make a quick reference for where certain facts were found. It does not help much if you have numerous different spellings for a name or estimations for a date, but I list the first few differences in the "Information Found" column when I feel so inclined. All-in-all, this page suits my source citation needs for my paper records. (I keep much more extensive source citations in my Family Tree Maker program.)

As I said before, there are a lot more forms I use for my research, and I will highlight a few more over in a future post, but these three are my favorites by far. And, as for how I find the information for these forms, I use a few different sites and resources most frequently. These are a few of my favorites:

• Ancestry
• Fold3
• FamilySearch
• Newspapers (on Chronicling America or Newspapers.com or on microfilm at the library)
• Find-A-Grave
• tombstones at other random family cemeteries (whether on Find-A-Grave or not)

Ancestry, Fold3, and Newspapers.com require subscriptions, but they often have free records available in full or in part. Sometimes they have free access weekends on holiday weekends too. FamilySearch, Chronicling America, and Find-A-Grave are all free. Microfilms can be found at a genealogy center or ordered from the Family History Library (run by local Mormon churches and based in Salt Lake City).

That pretty much does it for today. Look forward to my future posts on how I research my family history and other tips and tricks.

J. H. Brissey Dies of His Injuries

Obituaries are often some of my favorite sources of genealogical information. The good ones provide information about the deceased's birth, parents, siblings, spouse, children, hobbies, occupation, burial, cause of death, and locations lived. Others, however, will merely state that someone died and where to send flowers.

The one for my fourth great-grandfather, Jessie Ambrose Brissey, is one of the good ones.

Newspaper in which the obituary was published

Taken from what would have been his local paper, Anderson Daily Intelligencer, this account of Jessie and his death is quite thorough, even if they mistakenly report his middle initial as an "H," instead of an "A." I will share his obituary with you now.

NOTE: All punctuation and capitalization is as it appears in the obituary. I have inserted some things in parentheses for words that seem to be missing letters or if I can't make out a word in the text. I will post the questionable passages and if you think you know what something may say, just send me a message or leave a comment.

Headline for the obituary

Venerable Citizen of This County Never Rallies - Funeral This Afternoon at 5:30

M. J. H. Brissey who has been desperately ill at Anderson county Hospital for several days, passed away yesterday afternoon at 5 o'clock. The funeral services will be held this afternoon at 5:30 at the home of his son, W. L. Brissey of Calhoun street.

Mr. Brissey was seriously injured one week ago last Tuesday when a horse which he was driving ran away and caused him to receive injuries which from the first appeared to be very serious. He had come to the city from High Shoals in a wagon that day, and even before leaving for the city expressed a premonition that he should not come. On the return to the country the horse ran away with the sad results stated.

Mr. Brissey was rendered unconscious and was never thoroughly aroused to consciousness, although he aroused partially at times. He sank into a stupor about three days (a)go (a)nd never rallied. He did not appear to be in pain, but just slipped away.

The deceased had for many years been one of the staunch citizens of Anderson. He was born in Greenville county on the 11th of April 1842, and went to the war with a company from that county. He was a good soldier and served continuously in every battle that his company went into, but was never wounded. He was one of the happiest of the old soldiers at the reunion this year.

He settled in Pickens county after the war and lived there about 25 years and about the same length of time in Anderson. His old home was on South Main near the Orr Mill. Mr. Brissey was a carpenter and millwright by trade and was well known over all of this section of the state. His wife was Miss Permelia Francis Rodgers, daughter of John Rodgers of Greenville county who preceded him to the grave 22 years ago.

Mr. Brissey had retired from active work in the last few years and was giving his time to visiting around among his children. At the time of the accident which caused his death he was living with his son J. H. Brissey at High Shoals five miles east of the city. Mr. Brissey had property in Alabama and Florida.

Of the 11 children born to Mr. and Mrs. Brissey 6 are living. Messrs W. I.(,) J. H. and John Brissey of this city; Mrs. J. C. Nalley of this county; Mrs. Charley Burgess of Jacksonville, Fla, and Mrs. Pr(illegible) Tribble of Belton. It is expected that all of the children with the exception of Mrs. Burgess will be here today.

List of surviving children and where the children currently reside

Mr. Brissey is also survived by four brothers and one sister, C. C. Brissey of Orrville; Dave Brissey of Charlotte, N. C., Charles Brissey of Richland, Ga., Jim Brissey of Pendleton and Mrs. Granger of Greenville.

The announcement of pall-bearers could not be made last night, but the funeral services will be conducted at the home of his son by the Rev. J. W. Speake, his pastor, at 5:30 this afternoon. Interment at Silver Brook. Mr. Speake said last night that he had been urged to stay in Char(illegilble) where he has been on conference matters, but he felt that something was drawing him home and he is glad that he came back at this time. He saw Mr. Brissey passing on the wagon on the day of accident and the good man seemed unusaully happy and cheerful that day. He was a good man indeed, is the encomium(?) of his pastor.

Final paragraph of obituary

Sources:

• 14 June 1914 issue of "Anderson Daily Intelligencer," Page 2 (accessed on Chronicling America)

Radios

I remember my great-grandmother Rosemary telling me once that, where they lived in Chicago, she was the only person on her street to have a radio. She said this with a sense of pride, as if to imply that her family was the richest on the block.

I decided, for this post, I would pull the information for the 1930 census for her block of Chicago and list who did and did not have a radio on her street in 1930.

16th Ward, Block 10, Chicago City, Cook County, Illinois

S. Marshfield Avenue

South Marshfield Avenue, 16th Ward, Block 10, Chicago City, Cook County, Illinois

• Borden Friend, radio
• Kajsa Williams, radio
• Joseph Bradel, NO radio
• Joseph Reaber, radio (my great-great grandfather)
• William Topel, radio
• Ignatz Koperski, radio
• Louis Koncecki, radio
• George Lucas, radio
• John Trevillion, radio
• Mary Carroll, NO radio
• Margaret Ryan, radio
• John Migliore, NO radio
• Daniel Toomey, radio
• Thomas Whalen, NO radio
• Walter Gregory, radio
• Joseph Conklin, radio

So, out of 16 families, only four families on their street don't have radios. Since she did not tell me when they were supposed to have been the "only" family to have a radio, I can not be sure if she was referring to a time earlier in life or not. I don't doubt that at one time in her life, her story may have been accurate.

Sources:

• 1930 Chicago City, Cook County, Illinois U.S. Federal Census (accessed on Ancestry)

William B. Findley

On 20 June, I discussed one of my "brick wall" ancestors, George Hodson Triplett. This week, I thought I would talk about another. His name is William "Ben" (which I have come to assume to be either Benjamin or Bennette) Findley. Like George, I think I know who Ben's parents are, even though I can't yet prove it. (I believe them to be John M. Finley/Findley and Sydney Louisa Brissey.) Here's what I do know:

According to Ben's tombstone, he was born 4 June 1883. According to every census record I find him living, he was born in South Carolina.

The issue for me is not Ben's beginnings though. It's everything else.

The first piece of evidence I found, at some point during my research, was the following document.

Certificate of Marriage, UNKNOWN SOURCE

I don't know where it originated (I think someone posted it in an Ancestry tree, but I haven't been able to track down the original uploader), but it appears to be from a Family Bible. Whose Bible? I don't know. If you know who has the original Bible or copy of this record, PLEASE send me a message or leave a comment here.

So, here we have my great-great grandparents, W. B. Findley and Pearl Olivia Cargill. The record states they were married 14 April 1907. It also says they were both from Anderson County, South Carolina when they got married.

Clipping from the 1907 Anderson, Anderson County, South Carolina Directory

Clipping of 1907 Anderson, Anderson County, South Carolina Directory

Now, if we attempt to walk through the census records, that's where it really gets confusing.

I think I have found them in 1910 living in Lee County, Georgia. The only thing that baffles me slightly with this record is that the child, who would be my great-grandfather, is listed as Ben Jr. My great-grandfather's name was Jesse Lee. I am curious if and when they changed his name because I had never heard of him ever being called or named Ben.

Clipping from 1910 Lee County, Georgia U.S. Federal Census

In 1920, it gets more confusing.

Here, they are seen living in Hart County, Georgia. By this time, my great-grandfather's name is correct and some of his siblings are present.

Clipping from 1920 Hart County, Georgia U.S. Federal Census

But then, here they are seen living in Walhalla, Oconee County, South Carolina.

Clipping from 1920 Walhalla, Oconee County, South Carolina U.S. Federal Census

This census is also from 1920. Also, notice Jesse, Jack, and Pope (spelled Hope in the Hart census) are missing and another child, Ollie May, has taken their place.

I can't help but think this has to be a different family. The children are different. Pearl is listed as being born in South Carolina instead of her actual homestate of Georgia. And Pearl is listed to be about 10 years younger than she is.

Now, all of these things could be explained as follows: They moved between the 5th of January when they are shown in Oconee and the 23rd of January when they are shown in Hart. Pearl's place of birth could have been miswritten or assumed on the part of the enumerator (though there are several families on the same page who are from multiple locations aside from South Carolina). And Pearl's age could have been mistakenly recorded 20 instead of 30.

Despite all of those explanations, I feel confident these are two different families. The problem, however, lies here:

Look at how close all of these locations are! All three counties in question (Anderson, Oconee, and Hart) are touching. This could still very well be the same family.

In 1930, I find the family living in Hart County, Georgia again.

Clipping from 1930 Hart County, Georgia U.S. Federal Census

(Remember, Jesse Lee was living in Chicago by this point.) So it seems once again that the family is clearly living in Georgia, and not in Anderson, South Carolina.

Meanwhile, from 1931 through 1959, a Pearl and a William E Fendley are shown listed in the city directories of Anderson. To me, this proves that this William and Pearl are a different family unit than my Ben and Pearl.

Still, even with this large entanglement sorted out, I find myself with a million questions about this family. My main question is: Why did they move to Anderson County, South Carolina in 1907? What drew them there? Pearl, I assume, moved there with her (recently?) widowed mother and sister; but this is the only time I see Ben listed as a butcher. He always appears as a farmer in the records.

Perhaps it was just destiny playing out. Somehow, the two of them had to have the chance to meet. I've been playing around with Google Earth lately. I hope to plot their respective addresses from the 1907 directory to see where they lived in relation to one another and where Ben's butcher shop was located. Be sure to look for that post further down the road.

Sources:

• 1907-1959 Anderson, Anderson County, South Carolina City Directories (accessed on Ancestry)
• 1910 Lee County, Georgia U.S. Federal Census (accessed on Ancestry)
• 1920 Rays, Hart County, Georgia U.S. Federal Census (accessed on Ancestry)
• 1920 Walhalla, Oconee County, South Carolina U.S. Federal Census (accessed on Ancestry)
• 1930 Rays, Hart County, Georgia U.S. Federal Census (accessed on Ancestry)
• 1940 Rays, Hart County, Georgia U.S. Federal Census (accessed on Ancestry)
• Bible Record of unknown origins
• Map of Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee (found here on FamilySearch)
• Tombstone, William B. and Pearl Olevia Findley (as viewed on Find-A-Grave)

A Revolutionary War Story: Upshaws, Gatewoods, Thorntons, and a Dozier

With today being a day of respect and remembrance of our nation's beginnings, and also being a day most people enjoy with their families, I thought I would highlight an extended family's experience in the American Revolutionary War.

I wrote about John Upshaw's experience in the Revolution in a previous post, and I mentioned how his father-in-law, Larkin Gatewood, was a Sergeant under Captain William Tucker, who was also John's Captain during his first draft.

John Upshaw's daughter, and my sixth great-grandmother, Sarah Upshaw married Benjamin Thornton on 12 January 1796. Benjamin was the son of Dozier Thornton and Lucinda Elizabeth Hill.

This portrait of Dozier hangs in Van's Creek Baptist Church in Elbert County, GA

Portrait copy found on various websites and forums related to Dozier and Van's Creek.

Dozier Thornton also served in the American Revolutionary War. Even Dozier's father, Mark Thomas Thornton, is thought to have aided in the War.

Dozier and Mark are no longer accepted Patriots in the Daughters of the American Revolution. Dozier's grave has been marked twice (once by the DAR and once by the SAR) as being in the North Carolina Militia during the Revolution, though I haven't found any proof of his actual service. But I refuse to give up hope of finding it! I still have a few leads to follow, but they will require actual trips to repositories that aren't yet available online.

Application for Military Headstone for Dozier Thornton, dated 8 November 1927

There seems to be some confusion about Dozier's service online with people thinking he fought in Captain Dunston Blackwell's Division and Major David Dobbs' Battalion. This misinformation comes from a land lottery in Georgia drawn in 1825 (and awarded in 1827) where Dozier is shown as receiving lottery entries. This land lottery was not related to the War in any way. Soldiers did, however, get two drawings in the lottery. That may have sparked some of the confusion.

The fifth person in the family to have aided in the War was (possibly) Mark's father-in-law, Leonard Dozier. (Leonard's relationship to Mark is often debated. While it is clear these two families are related, they may not be father/son-in-law.) Leonard is listed in Abercrombie and Slatten as furnishing beef for the War.

Even despite Dozier and Mark's disputed service, this particular branch of the family tree leaves me feeling very grateful and very patriotic, especially on holidays like today. I hope everyone enjoys a safe and pleasant Fourth of July, and I hope everyone appreciates the actions of the men and women who attributed to the founding of this nation we call The Land of the Free and The Home of the Brave.

Sources:

• Application for Military Headstone, Dozier Thornton (accessed on Ancestry)
• Knight, Lucian Lamar "Georgia's roster of the revolution, containing a list of the states defenders; officers and men; soldiers and sailors; partisans and regulars; whether enlisted from Georgia or settled in Georgia after the close of hostilities"
• SAR Application for Membership, applicant: Isham Stanton Hudmon (accessed on Ancestry)
• SAR Application for Membership, applicant: Walter Wiley Thornton (accessed on Ancestry)

Ellison K. Plyler

My fourth-great granduncle, Ellison Kershaw Plyler, was born 18 Feburary 1837 to Elisha Plyler and Mary Elizabeth Hancock. Whenever I see some male with a birthdate in Ellison's range, I instantly search for Civil War service records. I was not disappointed when I searched for Ellison's.

Ellison enlisted as a Private with the 12th South Carolina Volunteer Regiment, Company I, on 15 May 1862 at Camp Jackson, Virginia for the duration of the War.

Taken from Service Records

Ellison doesn't seem to have a very easy experience at Camp though. By July or August 1862, he is sent to the hospital and he appears "absent" in the muster rolls. I don't, however, find him in any hospital records until October. On 3 October 1862, I see he is admitted to the C.S.A. General Hospital at Farmville, Virginia with rheumatism.

Taken from Service Records

Just a few days later, Ellison is transferred to General Hospital No. 6 in Richmond, Virginia. Whether in this hospital or another hospital, Ellison is listed as being "absent" from his Company due to being in the hospital all the way until 10 January 1863.

Taken from Service Records

After his return, Ellison seems to stay with his company for his longest stretch yet. He appears as "present" up until 1 July 1863 when he is "wounded at Gettysburg, Pa. ... and left."

Taken from Service Records

That phrase "and left" is a little haunting. Growing up near Camp Lejeune, I grew up hearing "no man left behind" a lot. The men in Ellison's Company did not seem to feel that way. They simply left him there when he was wounded.

Ellison's fate was seemingly unknown to his Company for quite some time because they repeat this wording up until March of 1864 when they seem to update the status of their wounded man.

Taken from Service Records

Finally, they list him as being "in the hands of the enemy."

Ellison would remain a Prisoner of War for the remainder of the War. Upon capture, he is sent to Fort McHenry in Maryland. He stays there for about a week or two until he is transferred to Fort Delaware, located in Delaware.

He stays at Fort Delaware until he is finally released on 10 June 1865 having taken the Oath of Allegiance.

Often, when a person took the Oath of Allegiance, their physical description was recorded. I assume this was to help enforce the Oath in the case that the person chose to go back to the Confederacy and pick up arms again against the Union. Ellison's description is one that is a bit unique.

Taken from Service Records

They list his complexion as "sallow." I have seen "light," "dark," and all kinds of various shades in-between described here, but I have never seen "sallow." I wonder if he appeared sallow because of his rheumatism. Or I wonder if his nearly two years as a POW caused his complexion to become sallow.

In any case, Ellison left the War and seemed to go straight home to his wife, Mary (last name unknown), and his two young children, Margaret and Jonas. Not long after being home, Mary becomes pregnant with their third child, John, who is born in 1866. Their fourth, and the last known child I have for the couple, Mary, was born a few years later in 1869.

Ellison lived to be 80 years old. He died of "old age" on 8 January 1918.

Taken from Death Certificate

I'm glad to see that despite his rough experience in the War, he didn't seem to let it hinder his ability to lead a long, full life.

Sources:

• 1870 Cabarrus County, North Carolina U.S. Federal Census (accessed on Ancestry)
• Compiled Service Records of Confederate Soldiers Who Served in Organizations from the State of South Carolina (accessed on Fold3)
• Death Certificate, Ellison Kershaw Plyler (accessed on Ancestry)

George Hodson Triplett

George Hodson Triplett is one of my "problem" ancestors; some call them "brick wall" ancestors. I can not yet confirm his parentage, but I am under the assumption that his parents are Thomas Triplett and Elizabeth Hedgeman Triplett.

George Hodson Triplett
Photo provided by Thomas Cardenas

Despite not knowing George's parents, I do know George was born about 1793 in Tennessee. I know George married Elizabeth Ida Link, presumably sometime before 1821. I also know that in 1850, George and Ida were living in Ozark, Greene County, Missouri. In 1860 and 1870, the couple were living in Marshfield, Ozark, Webster County, Missouri. I also know George was a farmer.

Clipping from 1850 Census

I also can't prove George's children. I assume he is the father of my fourth great-grandfather, John Marion Triplett, but I have no concrete evidence. I am hoping this post will help me figure out more about him or help other Triplett researchers find me.

Please, if you know anything about this family, please send me a message or comment on this post.

Sources:

• 1850 Ozark, Greene, Missouri U.S. Federal Census (accessed on Ancestry)
• 1860 Marshfield, Ozark, Webster, Missouri U.S. Federal Census (accessed on Ancestry)
• 1870 Marshfield, Ozark, Webster, Missouri U.S. Federal Census (accessed on Ancestry)

Jesse Lee Findley

My great-grandfather, Jesse Lee Findley, was one of the few great-grandparents I didn't have a chance to meet. I'll refer to him as Jesse Lee throughout the remainder of this post in order to distinguish him from my grandfather Jesse Joe.

Jesse Lee was born 1 September 1908 in Hart County, Georgia. He was the first (or possibly the second) of at least 11 children born to his parents, William Ben and Pearl Olivia Cargill Findley.

Most of the stories of my great-grandfather were passed down from my grandfather to me and my siblings. According to my brother, Jesse Lee wanted to join the military. (Remember, Jesse Joe joined the Coast Guard as a teenager with the permission of his parents.) According to the story my brother heard, Jesse Lee was not allowed to join the military due to an issue with his eye. The story goes, as a child, Jesse Lee was playing with a stick. He threw the stick in the air, and it came down and hit him in the eye injuring it.

Jesse Lee Findley
Photo provided by Thomas Cardenas

If I had just seen this picture without having known that story, I probably would have thought it was just a sunny day and he was squinting because of the sun.

The biggest mystery to me surrounding my great-grandfather, though, is why he moved around so much. As I mentioned earlier, he was born in Hart County, Georgia. I'm not sure where he was between birth and 1920, but he is seen still being in Hart County, Georgia in 1920. (I'm still leafing page by page through the 1910 census in Hart County, and I haven't given up hope in finding them!)

Sometime between 1920 and 1930, Jesse Lee moves from Hart County, Georgia to Chicago.

Clipping from 1920 Census

He's renting a room from a 29-year-old named Walter Fredericks. Jesse Lee's occupation is listed as being a laborer of "odd jobs," and Walter's is listed as being a chauffeur for a printing business. I wonder if Walter and Jesse Lee met in Chicago after he moved there or if Jesse Lee somehow knew him before moving. According to the census, Walter was born in New York to immigrant parents; his father was from Canada, and his mother was from England. This leads me to believe they did not know each other (or at least for very long) before becoming roommates.

I've always wondered why Jesse Lee left Georgia for Chicago, but in any case, that is, no doubt, where he met his wife, Rosemary Christine Reaber, a native Chicagoan. Rosemary and Jesse Lee married in Chicago on 27 January 1932.

According to the 1940 census, the couple was still living in Chicago in 1935, but by 1938 they appear in a city directory in Jacksonville, Duval County, Florida.

Clipping from Page 1 of the 1938 Jacksonville, Duval County, Florida Directory

In the 1940 census, the family has moved from Jacksonville to DeLand, Volusia County, Florida. Jesse Lee's occupation is listed as "rodman with the State Road Department." I'm not entirely sure what a "rodman" does, but I'm more curious how or why he ended up in Florida from Chicago.

Was this a joint decision with his wife to move to Florida? He seemed to do odd jobs in Jacksonville before moving to Volusia County. Did he get the job with the Road Department before or after moving to DeLand? DeLand is the county seat for Volusia County, so it does at least make sense that they would have ended up there as opposed to another part of the county. (DeLand is in the western part of the county. Daytona Beach is also in Volusia County. Duval County is a few counties north from Volusia.)

I lose the family rather quickly after the 1940 census except from city directories and family stories. I find them in Jacksonville as late as 1944 in city directories. Florida had a state census in 1945. They are still living in Jacksonville, Florida then. But then the trail goes cold.

I know my great-grandfather died in Jacksonville, Onslow County, North Carolina in 1985. So, sometime between 1945 and 1985, the family moved to North Carolina. (My grandfather, Jesse Joe, was living in the next town over by this point.)

Even though Jesse Lee and Rosemary moved closer to their son, Jesse Joe, I see no evidence that they ever saw either of their parents again. Rosemary's parents died in Chicago, and Jesse Lee's parents died in Georgia. I know Rosemary communicated with her mother in letters, but I don't know if they ever visited each other. I have a good idea on Rosemary's relationship with her parents, but I wonder what Jesse Lee's relationship was like with his. Based on the constant moving, either it wasn't very good, or he just craved adventure and new experiences. More investigations will hopefully lead me to the actual reason.

Sources:

• 1920 Rays, Hart County, Georgia U.S. Federal Census (accessed on Ancestry)
• 1930 Chicago, Cook County, Illinois U.S. Federal Census (accessed on Ancestry)
• 1938 Jacksonville, Duval County, Florida City Directory (accessed on Ancestry)
• 1940 DeLand, Volusia County, Florida U.S. Federal Census (accessed on Ancestry)
• 1942 Jacksonville, Duval County, Florida City Directory (accessed on Ancestry)
• 1943 Jacksonville, Duval County, Florida City Directory (accessed on Ancestry)
• 1944 Jacksonville, Duval County, Florida City Directory (accessed on Ancestry)
• Death Certificate, Jesse Lee Findley (provided by Thomas Cardenas)
• Tombstone, Jesse Lee Findley and Rosemary Findley (personally visited in 2006 at Rosemary's funeral)