tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-88518590280126123232024-03-18T20:46:22.224-07:00The Genealogy GenieSpecializing in Northern California research, but will gladly help you FREE OF CHARGE with research in all 50 states.Jeanniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15118103744959559899noreply@blogger.comBlogger97125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8851859028012612323.post-60031609945135489642021-02-07T19:58:00.000-08:002021-02-07T19:58:00.934-08:00Dreon<p>It's been six months since my previous post. Why? Covid has made the days feel like they've combined into one long, dark, miserable day. I'm sure you all feel my pain.</p><p>I wasn't sure exactly what I was going to write about until I realized I should mention my Dreon family. They have been a special challenge. First, not too many people are interested in them. My immigrant ancestor, George, supposedly came here during the Revolution from France, though I can find no documents on him from the time. And yet, his son, William, was born in Virginia in about 1785, so I do know he was here. Second, online access to records that pertain to early family members are rare. I feel confident that there are records, but they are pretty far back on my tree and I do not have the resources to research all of my family names to as great of detail as I'd like. And third, my immigrant ancestor had a lot of female descendants, and so while there may be a great many living descendants, they are likely unaware of the family name.</p><p>I put some of what I do know about George Dreon and his wife Mary on Find-A-Grave. As I stated, George was from France and his son (my ancestor) and likely first child, William, was born in Virginia. What I do not know is whereabouts in Virginia the family lived. I do know that the family was living in Logan County, Kentucky circa 1805. What I do not know is whether the Dreon family moved to Kentucky or if the state formed while the family was already there. </p><p>The family had four known children, but I suspect more since there are large gaps between the ages of the four known children. They are:</p><div style="text-align: left;">William, born circa 1785</div><div style="text-align: left;">Elizabeth, born circa 1788, married Henry HALL<br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Henry, born circa 1799</div><div style="text-align: left;">Sarah, born circa 1804, married Fleming THOMAS<br /></div><p>I hesitate to say more, although I do know a bit more. I can also speculate some on where they may have lived in Virginia, but I have found that speculation is often copied and posted as fact in online trees. </p><p>My interest in this branch is not so much in finding out more about George's ancestry, but rather his life here.<br /></p><p><br /></p>Jeanniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15118103744959559899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8851859028012612323.post-786279759895079532020-08-01T08:15:00.003-07:002020-08-01T08:15:42.730-07:00Niho-jima<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Found out my husband's family was from a little place in Hiroshima prefecture called Niho-jima. I've been having so much fun with researching his side. Nothing was known of them, but thanks to a friend of my cousin who translated a family tree, I have more than I'd ever dream. Part of what makes genealogy fun is finding something that nobody else has yet discovered.</div>
Jeanniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15118103744959559899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8851859028012612323.post-47471382705246171022020-03-07T10:53:00.001-08:002020-03-08T09:47:37.137-07:00Six years have passed<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Six years have passed since my last post. Blogs have fallen somewhat out of fashion, but my genealogy research has remained very strong.<br />
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An update on <a href="http://genealogygenie.blogspot.com/2013/05/who-is-father-of-henry-weaver-van-syckle.html" target="_blank">Henry Weaver Van Syckle's ancestry</a>: After his mother, Mary Ann (nee Burger), married Mr. Van Syckle, she married one Abram Williams and had several children. In about 1849 the family moved from New York to LaPorte County, Indiana. After the death of Abram Williams circa 1852, the family then relocated to California, where Mary Ann married one Dr. Bradley in Colusa County. The last record I have found of Mary Ann is still the 1880 Federal Census in San Jose, Santa Clara County, California.* She is listed as Van Syckle.<br />
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That info gave me some clues to Henry Weaver Van Syckle's ancestry. His biography from <a href="https://archive.org/details/historyofcolusag00mcco/page/n8/mode/2up" target="_blank">History of Colusa and Glenn counties California</a> mentions an uncle, Solomon Hasbrook Burger. I believe "Solomon Hasbrook" is a repeating name in the family. One of Henry Weaver Van Syckle's half-siblings was Solomon Hasbrook Williams. His biography, in the above book, lists the following:<br />
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<i>"A self-made man and one of the most successful and highly esteemed ranchers of Colusa County, Solomon Hasbrook Williams has a high standing as a public-spirited and progressive citizen. He was born in the Hoosier State, near South Bend, April 1, 1852, the youngest of five sons and one daughter born to his parents. The father died when his son was an infant; and in 1860 the mother brought her daughter and three sons to California, by way of Panama. They settled in San Francisco for a time, and then came to Princeton, Colusa County, where they engaged in the stock business. It was while living here that Mrs. Williams married Dr. Bradley, her third husband. Her first husband was a Mr. Van Sickle, to whom she bore three children, all of whom are deceased..."</i><br />
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I believe other Burger relatives moved with the Van Syckle/Burger/Williams clan to Indiana from New York. Almira Burger (c.1834-1891), married (1) Daniel Davis and (2) James N. Coulter. Almira's oldest two children were born in LaPorte County, Indiana. By 1860, the family was in Warren County, Iowa, where another Burger lived. Abraham Solomon Hasbrook Burger was born in Orange County, New York in 1830, and lived in Warren County, Iowa for several decades. It is likely that he and Almira Burger were siblings.<br />
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Almira Burger's marriage record to Daniel Davis lists her parents as William Burger and Mary Deets. There's a lot of conflicting information on them online, and so for now, I have put a big question mark on these people's ancestry, but I do lean toward Almira Burger, Abraham Solomon Hasbrook Burger, and Mary Ann Burger, all being children of William Burger and Mary Deets. At the very least, I have no doubt that they are somehow related.<br />
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And what does this tell me about the Henry Weaver Van Syckle's paternal ancestry? Surname spellings of the early 1800's often give me a clue as to ancestry or location. In this case, I think the Van Syckle family most likely went to Orange County, New York from bordering Sussex County, New Jersey. This is where the Van Syckle spelling of the name dominates. I'm looking now for a man, born between 1800 and 1810, likely from Sussex County, New Jersey.<br />
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It's a start.<br />
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*UPDATE: I'm under the weather, a bit stressed, and I never sleep well when the clocks change for Daylight Savings. Genealogy is always my late night companion. I'm so grateful for my insomnia this time because I found the obituary for Henry Weaver Van Syckle's mother, Mrs. Mary A. Bradley.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmPkfP7hSRdwTaKjP3jmElYC9ihW-nmdbc8dxMMBOZgAoI7KoXYowD45vJjItvPJTgTs55_5Ft5zoneFhK6eOsJSbtDzugTcf8FB6k8JIkdbBuuDcnVdaBFwDXb_3fs0BFtkEvlRd53QE/s1600/Mary+Burger.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="221" data-original-width="597" height="118" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmPkfP7hSRdwTaKjP3jmElYC9ihW-nmdbc8dxMMBOZgAoI7KoXYowD45vJjItvPJTgTs55_5Ft5zoneFhK6eOsJSbtDzugTcf8FB6k8JIkdbBuuDcnVdaBFwDXb_3fs0BFtkEvlRd53QE/s320/Mary+Burger.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Jeanniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15118103744959559899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8851859028012612323.post-19569039143809587762014-01-07T23:02:00.001-08:002014-01-07T23:02:06.577-08:00Genealogy Resolutions<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I see that it has been a while since I have posted. With all of work I do to maintain my <a href="https://www.facebook.com/VanSickleFamilyTree?ref=hl" target="_blank">Van Sickle Family</a> site at Facebook, I tend to neglect the blogs. I am tempted to make a resolution to post regularly, but I have other genealogy resolutions in mind:<br />
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1. I have no ancestral information on my 4th generation grandmother, <a href="http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=9671566" target="_blank">Mrs. Alce WORSHAM</a> (nee JOHNSON). I really need to do some digging into the JOHNSON family in Pike County, Missouri circa 1820. That is awfully early in Missouri history. Coupled with the fact that Johnson is such a common surname, I definitely have a challenge ahead of me.<br />
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2. There are tons of records that I need to order for my BROWN family in Cedar County, Missouri. The courthouse there was nearly destroyed completely in a tornado about 10 years ago. I've had some trouble locating some records since that time.<br />
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3. I really want to understand the lives of my <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anabaptism" target="_blank">Anabaptist</a> ancestors. My Brethren family was quite modern compared to Old Order Amish and Old Order Mennonite groups, but that was not always the case. I am somewhat familiar with how my family help establish Brethren churches in Indiana and Missouri (see: <a href="http://www.ingenweb.org/inputnam/church/ladoga-brethren.htm" target="_blank">History of the Church of the Brethren in Indiana</a>. My 4th generation grandparents were Jacob and Hannah RONK). I know too that many in the church struggled with the modernization of society that began in the 19th century. Was this true for my family? I'd love to read, "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Brethren-During-World-Modernization/dp/0871780755" target="_blank">The Brethren During the Age of World War</a>", but did you see the price? Wow!<br />
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4. Speaking of Mrs. Hannah RONK, her parents were <a href="http://genforum.genealogy.com/dever/messages/909.html" target="_blank">Thomas and Nancy (nee DEVER) BROTHERS</a>. Who are Nancy's parents? And does her DEVER branch somehow connect with my other DEVER branch- <a href="http://genforum.genealogy.com/dever/messages/631.html" target="_blank">Henry and Elizabeth (nee MILES) DEVER</a> of Hardin County, Kentucky? I need to find some documentation!!!<br />
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What genealogy resolutions do you have for this year?</div>
Jeanniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15118103744959559899noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8851859028012612323.post-583956995610180482013-08-06T22:52:00.000-07:002013-08-06T22:55:44.150-07:00GEDmatch<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I've been having fun playing with the Predict Eye Color at<a href="http://gedmatch.com/" target="_blank"> GEDmatch</a>. By uploading the results of my DNA test (which I took through Ancestry.com), the test predicted the following color:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1VJUMcKryzC-6Jy6yxFzQ3n-30AuagpTCqTZHxhXtPilPy5NAaXzmZUSc8_JjzZBFMXYeiXo98UCXwyHwJMjFvU1OoDP3mnpbcXpeaX_eApf0q4jimJT8Ds_NliuDxJh-UTiaMsemZBs/s1600/fcdedf_11_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1VJUMcKryzC-6Jy6yxFzQ3n-30AuagpTCqTZHxhXtPilPy5NAaXzmZUSc8_JjzZBFMXYeiXo98UCXwyHwJMjFvU1OoDP3mnpbcXpeaX_eApf0q4jimJT8Ds_NliuDxJh-UTiaMsemZBs/s320/fcdedf_11_.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>Picture from GEDmatch</b><br />
My eyes are a a lot lighter in color overall, especially near the outside of the iris, but the brown in the eye above is in my eye around the pupil.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwhx35uvNgyFUE_-SM9-O_XVe0cxb12WbWFxara8PVLh3A-QOe1BWxTC56IhjLRQX7ccLdPFx28L_NWYnkAyn7bzGwgdQ8wUG3nfQ5iAx5NpkoiZiJ7WimF4_P4CX_n604IuD7WD0_CwA/s1600/eye.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="165" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwhx35uvNgyFUE_-SM9-O_XVe0cxb12WbWFxara8PVLh3A-QOe1BWxTC56IhjLRQX7ccLdPFx28L_NWYnkAyn7bzGwgdQ8wUG3nfQ5iAx5NpkoiZiJ7WimF4_P4CX_n604IuD7WD0_CwA/s400/eye.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>My eye without flash (left) and with flash.</b></div>
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I did read their page on accuracy which says, "FTDNA Illumina and Ancestry.Com results may provide a prediction, but generally there are not enough of the necessary SNPs for it to be
accurate." That being said, I think it was a pretty close match. Not exact, but close.</div>
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The Predict Eye Color test doesn't really tell me anything about my genetic ancestors, but since becoming interested in genetics, I have discovered that my brown eyes are not actually brown at all, but <a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:HumanFemalewithAmberIris.jpg" target="_blank">amber</a>. Pretty neat! Maybe I should change my driver's license.<br />
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The test says, "Read rules from top to bottom. In some cases, a rule cancels out results from rules above it." The rules are based off of the SNP's (single-nucleotide polymorphism- see <a href="http://snpedia.com/index.php/Eye_color" target="_blank">SNPedia</a>). But basically, as one reads down the results of the test, a result can be canceled out. So, though one result lists a "weak amber gradient", the VERY next result lists "inhibit weak amber gradient." ROFL!!! But as you can see from my picture, I do have quite a bit of amber in my eyes.<br />
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One result lists that I have a gray ring around the outer edge of the iris, which I do. I didn't even realize that I had that!! How neat-o!!<br />
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Another fun test is their Rare SNP (Minor Allele) mutation test. Now, we all have genes that have mutated. This does not qualify you to join the X-Men (so sorry). It does qualify you to learn the various diseases that <i>may</i> occur because of these mutations. I will keep in mind that my DNA may indicate that I should really keep an eye out (at least while they are working) for signs of <a href="http://www.ffb.ca/eye_conditions/RD_diseases.html?utm_expid=72770052-0.BPOWTP-SSEWnK6qP3DWxDw.0&utm_referrer=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2Furl%3Fsa%3Dt%26rct%3Dj%26q%3D%26esrc%3Ds%26source%3Dweb%26cd%3D3%26ved%3D0CEIQFjAC%26url%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.ffb.ca%252Feye_conditions%252FRD_diseases.html%26ei%3DQ90BUu7tN8SEygHL1YDYCw%26usg%3DAFQjCNHSIOZ2Wm28uF5HlWFjCuwpxBuJ6w%26sig2%3DdcWCYtU6mZXai3MUrsx7bQ%26bvm%3Dbv.50310824%2Cd.aWc" target="_blank">retinal</a> and <a href="http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/macular-degeneration/DS00284" target="_blank">macular degeneration</a>.<br />
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I am no expert at genetics and so I am going to be participating in some GEDmatch groups at Facebook to learn more about how to interpret the results. Pretty cool stuff. </div>
Jeanniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15118103744959559899noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8851859028012612323.post-78832445368001830442013-05-03T18:43:00.000-07:002013-05-03T18:43:09.984-07:00Who is the father of Henry Weaver VAN SYCKLE?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIhiF6hZMzqsuY4TFkZyB_QagA5GwHAm8ZCjJRtGu2dIbN6t-alBvOg9-SGR5nFemZcAx3nfDfweexnJHytflT7vG3BFJyZZxNyn8-yEMvAoMccVJrsCPgVsHSgPIHNLih7Muf0o8nVA0/s1600/ScreenShot001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIhiF6hZMzqsuY4TFkZyB_QagA5GwHAm8ZCjJRtGu2dIbN6t-alBvOg9-SGR5nFemZcAx3nfDfweexnJHytflT7vG3BFJyZZxNyn8-yEMvAoMccVJrsCPgVsHSgPIHNLih7Muf0o8nVA0/s320/ScreenShot001.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-small;">Henry Van Syckle died near San Jose in 1903.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-small;">His estate was valued at over $50,000.</span></b></div>
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I have a biography on Henry Weaver Van Syckle, as well as his obituary, but I have been stuck on his ancestry for a long time now. <br />
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The biography lists his birth place as New York (born on the Mohawk River) on March 12, 1830. The oldest of three children, Henry's father died when he was just a boy. The bio lists that his mother remarried when he was nineteen, and then Henry moved out west with his uncle, Solomon Hasbrook Burger. And so I have assumed his mother's maiden name was Burger.<br />
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I have found his mother only in the 1880 census (San Jose, Santa Clara Co. CA) as M. A. VAN SYCKLE, age 70, born in New York. Others in the household are Henry, his daughter Pearl, a male listed as "D. BURGEAR", a female listed as "L. BACKAM", a male "Array BACKAM", and Henry's mother, "M. A. VAN SYCKLE". <br />
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What I am hoping to discover is the following:<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>M. A. Van Syckle in other census records (of course a death record, bio, etc. would be just great!) </li>
<li>Whether or not "D. BURGEAR" in the 1880 Census a Burger, and specifically, if he is David Henry Burger (1834-1911, son of Abraham Garrison Burger and Mary BEASMER).</li>
<li>Whether or not "L. BACKAM" is Henry's sister.</li>
</ul>
</div>
Jeanniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15118103744959559899noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8851859028012612323.post-7808982438700347582013-01-27T19:43:00.001-08:002013-01-27T19:44:01.768-08:00An Index Is Great, But An Image Is Better<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
A few years back, Ancestry.com released the <a href="http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=1171&enc=1" target="_blank">Missouri Marriage Records, 1805-2002</a>. Finally, I was able to track down the marriage dates for my dad's grandparents, James and Nannie Brown. I learned that they were married in May 1902, which was about the time I had expected. Great! The end.<br />
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Well, it would have been the end if I hadn't bothered to click on the image, and instead just relied solely on the index. What I found on the image was a very nice surprise. To the left of the marriage record were two little notes, one written by the father of the bride, and one written by the father of the groom, giving consent to the marriage. Here is the note written by Henry Deardorff:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhed4ptzCTEiWziMr73IGS47_ewk1Ct0adVzzO19V8YMEJM3v-yHcsbjflR4P5qfdhVos82lFqVa0vmSCU8VeMjmKjg9VnSyPvsS-ZEOT1PnmCs2Z-Y2Z7U2VbRm4_Hrts1CQxfJomjLP8/s1600/ScreenShot001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="201" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhed4ptzCTEiWziMr73IGS47_ewk1Ct0adVzzO19V8YMEJM3v-yHcsbjflR4P5qfdhVos82lFqVa0vmSCU8VeMjmKjg9VnSyPvsS-ZEOT1PnmCs2Z-Y2Z7U2VbRm4_Hrts1CQxfJomjLP8/s400/ScreenShot001.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-small;">"To the Honorable Circuit C<span style="font-size: x-small;">lerk of Cedar County Mo. </span></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Greeting this is to certify that I have given my consent to the </span></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">ma<span style="font-size: x-small;">rage (s<span style="font-size: x-small;">p)</span> of my daughter to James W. Brown. </span></span></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">My daughters name is Nanna Christina<span style="font-size: x-small;">.</span></span></span></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Your truley (sp)<span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span>Henry C. Deardorff" </span></span></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">When Nannie's sister was married in 1908, both parents signed a consent note:</span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguYnExd_Y9zUjmsObxRDjFy2rz3MrLdHmQzbLBDa3My8LbSWfQibupVFIN8lg3Av4dUSZYuIeaMR1GIPaiQNS1WMWOrdsRe1O3kVjSKykGaG8J4gfEdugNfmA6fAzrP-wfsrUrDfZBBag/s1600/sigs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="138" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguYnExd_Y9zUjmsObxRDjFy2rz3MrLdHmQzbLBDa3My8LbSWfQibupVFIN8lg3Av4dUSZYuIeaMR1GIPaiQNS1WMWOrdsRe1O3kVjSKykGaG8J4gfEdugNfmA6fAzrP-wfsrUrDfZBBag/s400/sigs.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span> </span></span></span></span></div>
I have no picture of either ancestor, but I am very happy to have a copy of their signatures!</div>
Jeanniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15118103744959559899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8851859028012612323.post-5978814862513611862013-01-22T00:04:00.000-08:002013-01-22T00:05:55.218-08:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
My ancestor, Catherine Harshbarger-Deardorff is described beautifully in, <i>"<a href="http://archive.org/details/historyofdescend00hars" target="_blank">A History of the Descendants of Jacob and Maria Eva Harshbarger of Switzerland</a>"</i>:<br />
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"She was a woman full of life and energy, even in her old age, ever cheerful and disposed to look on the bright side of all things...She could never be idle, regularly retiring at 9 o'clock and arose at 4. Her disposition was mild, yet firm. She never manifested anger...she had little education, but was an intelligent conversationalist, and her memory was so good that she was authority on Scripture, of which she was very fond. She and her husband were Dunkards and her home was the 'meeting house' for many years. Her hospitality for strangers and the homeless was unsurpassed...she was among the first to visit the sick and afflicted, her skill as a nurse was well known and her services were more often sought after than that of a doctor."<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM2inBLdAbsyH9gZzzprmSmUerVIN2S0dOeMZYStqzJ3U9u54aHsqBfCH1TTt02vNbik-wnPni5nE8uaKK_0e67Q4GSBg2YS6WI1EUNU3miU2BiMkFM-VgxSh94zJ-onxJyWHtUdCmx2Y/s1600/Cath_Harshbarger3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM2inBLdAbsyH9gZzzprmSmUerVIN2S0dOeMZYStqzJ3U9u54aHsqBfCH1TTt02vNbik-wnPni5nE8uaKK_0e67Q4GSBg2YS6WI1EUNU3miU2BiMkFM-VgxSh94zJ-onxJyWHtUdCmx2Y/s1600/Cath_Harshbarger3.jpg" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-small;">Mrs. Catherine Deardorff,</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-small;">from "<a href="http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~gentutor/faces.html" target="_blank"><i>Faces from the Past</i></a>" by Beverly Whitaker</span></b><br />
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Please pay your respects to my ancestor at:</div>
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<a href="http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=22423747" target="_blank">Find A Grave</a></div>
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Jeanniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15118103744959559899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8851859028012612323.post-73750804684211216352013-01-19T23:48:00.000-08:002013-01-20T12:18:38.188-08:00Schwarzenau Brethren<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim7e_OzRKXAKBLGIrZL28m-4MAKQdsaIPetI2n9C-ZQf-vAdPR4BXckN7PJNKQaK5o88u10tnHciP3IfXh8zDSOM2doGvig_4w23XAyDVM8AEBP_Af0uopMgBdvbLyJpRhNhgFjTnv4rw/s1600/35693757_123931505307.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="186" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim7e_OzRKXAKBLGIrZL28m-4MAKQdsaIPetI2n9C-ZQf-vAdPR4BXckN7PJNKQaK5o88u10tnHciP3IfXh8zDSOM2doGvig_4w23XAyDVM8AEBP_Af0uopMgBdvbLyJpRhNhgFjTnv4rw/s320/35693757_123931505307.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-small;">Left to right:</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=35693757" target="_blank">Nannie Deardorff-Brown</a>, <a href="http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=35693987" target="_blank">David Deardorff</a>, <a href="http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=35694064" target="_blank">Mabel Deardorff-Garman</a></span></b></div>
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Thanks to digging into my Dad's maternal line and laughing my head off at the antics of <a href="http://cdn.pastemagazine.com/www/articles/Dwight%20Schrute%20640.jpg?1356605540" target="_blank">Dwight Schrute</a> on The Office, I've lately been very fascinated with my <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schwarzenau_Brethren" target="_blank">Brethren</a> roots.<br />
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According to <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Related-Families-Botetourt-County-Virginia/dp/0806350237" target="_blank">Related Families of Botetourt Court, Virginia</a></i>, my 6th generation great-grandmother, Mrs. Anna Eva AMMEN, (nee RANCK) <b><i>"...became a Dunkard but Durst [her husband] refused to change his religion...Her Presbyterian parents considered she had committed a grave sin by becoming a Dunkard."</i></b><br />
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No doubt it was Eva's religious beliefs that influence her descendants. Daughter, Barbara (my 5th generation great-grandmother) married Christian HARSHBARGER, also a Dunkard, and their daughter Catherine (my 4th generation great-grandmother) married John Jacob DEARDORFF, another Dunkard. John and Catherine's son, David and wife Eva (<span class="st">née</span> RONK- a relative of my 6th great-grandmother, Anna Ranck-Ammen), opened his home to Dunkard meetings in Cedar County, Missouri, before a church was built there. <br />
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The Deardorff family has Dunkard roots going back nearly 300 years to Anthony Deardorff, who according to the <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Encyclopedia-Missouri-compendium-biography-reference/dp/145891934X" target="_blank">Encyclopedia of the History of Missouri Vol. 2</a></i>, was <b><i>"...a German Dunkard minister, who left his native country on account of religious persecution, and immigrated to America in 1729..."</i></b> When my father, who was raised by his grandmother, told me that as a young boy he went to the Church of the Brethren, I was not very surprised. But that is where my family connection to the Brethren ends (though I now wonder if my longing of a simpler way of life has been somehow imprinted in my DNA).<br />
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In the upcoming weeks, I will be researching my roots through <a href="http://www.cob-net.org/genhis.htm" target="_blank">The Church of the Brethren Network.</a> Besides learning more about my direct ancestors, I will be studying when the Brethren began to adopt modern technology and began to live life a bit differently than their Amish and Mennonite <i>cousins in faith</i>. I am also very interested in how their religion influenced their cooking (my grandmother was an incredible cook, and I believe she learned to cook from her Deardorff mother).</div>
Jeanniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15118103744959559899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8851859028012612323.post-60254096994833888652012-10-16T12:08:00.001-07:002012-10-17T23:12:30.515-07:00Van Salee<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
It is difficult enough with all of the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/VanSickleFamilyTree" target="_blank">Van Sickle research</a> I tackle; I will not dive too far into the Van Salee gene pool. For the most part, I will leave that to others. I foresee a great deal of confusion on the part of the Van Salee researcher. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jan_Janszoon" target="_blank">Jan JANSZOON,</a> the man, is fast becoming lost in a sea of fiction, but Jan Janszoon, the pirate, fueled by modern-day plays and poems, and a current pirate craze in Hollywood, is once again raising his flag and sailing in the perilous Mediterranean of the early 17th century.<br />
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But as stated, I'm not wading too far into those waters. My search for all Van Sickles (especially those tricky 18th century ones) continues. It was when searching for one tricky relative when lo and behold I found the will of one France Abramse VAN SELLEA (a purported descendant of Jan Janszoon.) Because the Van Sickle and Van Salee paths often flow parallel here on land, I do know something about the family, mainly in regard to the relationship of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthony_Janszoon_van_Salee" target="_blank">Anthony Jansen of Salee</a> and his daughter Eva (Mrs. Ferdinandus Van Sicklen). There are enough muddy waters there- the claim that Anthony was the son of Jan Janszoon is likely, but not proven. The claim that Ferdinandus Van Sicklen is related to the VAN DER SICKLEN family of Belgium is downright hysterical when one learns how that information came to be, but it still <i>may</i> be possible. But I digress.<br />
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I did say that I located the will of France Abramse Van Sellea. Now according to records<b><span style="font-size: xx-small;">1</span></b><span class="maintext">, France (Frans) was the son of Abraham Van Salee, a mulatto, and likely a brother of Anthony Van Salee. Frans is an important person in Van Salee history. From my own research I have concluded that Anthony had no other sons, and that all descendants of the Van Salee name are through Frans (such as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_van_Salee_de_Grasse" target="_blank">John Van Salee DE GRASSE</a>).</span><br />
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<span class="maintext">A portion of the will of France Abramse Van Salle can be found online, but for those serious about researching this family, the entire will would be much enjoyed (there is a probate as well, but due to its length, I will not include it.). To follow is my transcription of a transcribed copy (that's right, transcribed at least twice now) of the will of France Abramse Van Sellea (aka Frans Abramse Van Salee):</span><br />
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<span class="maintext"><br /></span>
<i><span class="maintext"><b>The Will of France Abramse Van Sellea<span style="font-size: xx-small;">2</span></b></span></i></div>
<i><span class="maintext"><br /></span><span class="maintext">In the name of God Amen the third day of May in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and thirty seven I France Abramse Van Sellea in the County of Orange in the Province of New York being very sick & weak in body but of perfect mind and memory thanks be given to God therefore calling unto mind the mortality of my body & knowing it is appointed for all men once to Dye do make & Ordain this my last Will & Testament that is to say principally first of all I give and recommend my Soul into the hands of God that gave it & for my body I recommend it to the Earth to be buried in a Christian & like & decent manner at the discretion of my Executors nothing doubting but at the General Resurrection I shall receive the same again by the mighty power of God & touching such Worldly Estate where with it hath blessed God to bless me in this Life I give devise and dispose of the same in the following manner and form <a href="http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/imprimis" target="_blank">Imprimis</a> </span></i>
<i>It is my will and I do order that in the first place all my just debts and bequeath unto my dearly beloved Wife whome I Constitute make and ordain one of my Executrixs of this my last Will and Testament all and singular the Lands <a href="http://www.thefreedictionary.com/messuages" target="_blank">messuages</a> and Tenements and with all my moveable Estate that I now Dye possess'd of by her freely to be possess'd and Injoy'd during her being my Widdow but in case my beloved Wife should compleat a second marriage then I give and bequeath to my wel beloved son France Van Sellea Junr. whome I constitute make Ordain one of my Executors of this my last Will and Testament after my dearly beloved Wife Death Isabala or at her second marriage all and singular the Lands messuages and Tenements with all my moveable Estate that I shall now Dye possess'd of I do give to the above named France Van Sellea my youngest son aforementioned all my Lands and moveable Estate by him freely to be possess'd by him his heirs and assignes for ever, Item I give to my well beloved son Abram Van Sellea one of the best horses that Wife Isabella shall Dye possess'd of and that my youngest Son France Van Sellea Junr. one of my Executors shall deliver unto his Eldest Brother Abraham Van Sellea one of my best horses after a Decease or a second marriage of my Wife Isabella, Further it is my Will and pleasure that in case my dearly beloved Wife Isabella whome I give all my Lands and moveable Estate to during her Life or my Widdow but in case she should Dye or marry again after my Decease then as before mentioned I give all of my Lands and moveable Estate to my youngest Son France Van Sellea Junr.</i><br />
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<i>France Abrams (his mark) Van Sellea (SS)</i><br />
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<i>In the presence of Arie Koning, Johannis De Gran, Johannes Remsen.</i><br />
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<i>One of my Executors and further out of my Estate I give unto my Eldest Son Abram Van Sellea twelve pounds ten shillings and unto my Daughter Anna Mary Van Sellea I do give twelve pounds ten shillings and I do give unto my Second Son Cuffeen Prime Van Sellea twelve pounds ten shillings and I do give unto my third Son Casper Prime Van Sellea twelve pounds ten shillings which in all makes fifty pounds which said fifty pound my youngest Son France Van Sellea shall pay unto my three Sons and Daughters in Current Lawfull money of New York each of them twelve pounds ten shillings as aforest in this my last Will and Testament but if any of my Sons and Daughter before mentioned should Dye before or after my Decease and leave no Issue of their Bodys Lawfully begotten them I give them Legacies to my youngest Son France Van Sellea Junr. my Executor in case of their Death without Issue and further I give and bequeath unto Marya Salmons my Wifes Daughter one Cow, it is further my Will that after my Wifes Isabella Decease or a second marriage that my youngest Son France Van Sellea Junr. whom I give all my Land and moveable Estate to Except the fore mentioned Legacies shall pay unto my forementioned children the abovesaid fifty pounds in Lawfull money of New York in a twelve months time or a year time after the Decease of my Wife or a second marriage and further my Son France Van Sellea Junr. shall deliver a Cow to Marya Salmons my Wifes Daughter in a year after my Wife Isabella Decease or second marriage and I do hereby utterly disallow revoke and disannull all and every other former Testament Wills Legacies and Executors by me in any ways before this Time named Will and bequeathed Ratifying and Confirming this and no other to be my last Will and Testament In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand & Seal the day and year before written.</i><br />
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<i>France Abramse (his mark) Van Sellea (SS)</i><br />
<i><span class="maintext">Signed Sealed Published Pronounced & Declared by the said France Abramse Van Sellea Senr. as his last Will and Testamt. in the presence of us the Subscribers (Viz. this my Will Contains two sheets, Johannes Remsen, Arie Koning, Johannes De Gran.</span></i><br />
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<span class="maintext">P.S. <a href="http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/Dutch-Colonies/2005-09/1125621485" target="_blank">Mr. Howard Swain's post from 2005</a> sums up the connection of the Van Salee family quite accurately.</span><i><span class="maintext"><br /></span></i><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span><span style="font-size: xx-small;">1</span></b>New York Genealogical and Biographical Record, Vol. 121, No. 2, Apr. 1990, <span class="maintext"><span class="asterix"></span><i>"Frans Abramse Van Salee and Descendants- Colonial Black Family in NY and NJ", pgs. 65-71.</i></span><br />
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<span class="maintext"><b><span style="font-size: xx-small;">2</span></b><i>Record of Wills, 1665-1916; Index to Wills, 1662-1923</i>, </span><span class="maintext"><span class="maintext">Vol. 13 1736-1741, </span>Film #874522, New York Surrogate's Court, filmed by The Genealogical Society of Utah, 1971.</span><br />
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Jeanniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15118103744959559899noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8851859028012612323.post-30828415875579377072012-08-31T22:21:00.000-07:002012-08-31T22:21:04.329-07:00Take A Second Look<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">We all have ancestors that we researched diligently, then thinking we have found enough, have put them aside for a while. Well, I learned a lesson tonight: keep searching!<br />
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I found that earlier this year, <a href="http://www.orgenweb.org/clackamas/obituaries/stone-mahala.htm" target="_blank">my great-great grandmother's death notices</a> were placed online. Mitch Ryder, County Coordinator at Clackamas County USGenWeb posted the notices. He also sent me a picture of her <a href="http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=35881160" target="_blank">gravestone</a> many years ago. What a nice man!</div>Jeanniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15118103744959559899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8851859028012612323.post-81969690420500310902012-08-20T12:19:00.000-07:002012-08-20T12:19:50.376-07:00Van Sickle Family Genealogy And History<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">I forgot all about sharing the Facebook site I created on the Van Sickle family here at my blog. Check it out:<br />
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/VanSickleFamilyTree?skip_nax_wizard=true" target="_blank">Van Sickle Family Genealogy And History</a><br />
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I still run <a href="http://groups.ancestry.com/group/68883377/" target="_blank">the family site at Ancestry.com</a> too, but I had a lot of complaint about how it was difficult to find things there. I agree, but unfortunately the format really limits the way things can be shared. I also thought that it would be easier for Van Sickle researchers to find and share info. through Facebook since search engines pick up on what is listed at Facebook. So it's going to be interesting to see if I can juggle it all without making it a big tangled mess.</div>Jeanniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15118103744959559899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8851859028012612323.post-43770633202945182432012-08-08T23:37:00.003-07:002012-08-08T23:40:58.702-07:00My AncestryDNA Results<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">So not so long ago I ordered Ancestry.com's new DNA test. Known as AncestryDNA, this is a genetic ethnicity. I wanted to see if a genetic test would prove/disprove some family stories I've learned after years of tracing my tree<span class="st">. I wanted to see if there was a different story to tell behind my Western European looking appearance. Basically, I wanted the test because it sounded like fun.</span><br />
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<span class="st">So let me first explain what I knew of my ancestry before getting the results. The paternal ancestry of my mom's father is unknown. His mother was born in Aberdeen, Scotland, and so were her ancestors for as far back as at least 400 years. My mom's mom is from England. Most of her family has been in Derbyshire for hundreds of years. </span><br />
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<span class="st">On my dad's maternal side, one line came to America from Germany in the early 1700's, and married into a family who came from France at about the same time. These families traveled together from the east coast to a tiny little area in Missouri in the mid 1850's. It was in this area where my dad's mom was born. There has always been strong sense of Germanic roots on my grandma's side. My dad's paternal side is predominantly Dutch, with bits of brick walls with surnames like "Johnson" and "Stone" thrown into the mix. I can trace almost all of my dad's lines back to colonial America, which has been by far the most surprising thing I have learned about my ancestry. </span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnCPExWLdIo3pmtSrDFGSwNZmBhoicuis-LLFQ5yl5pgOsfRqC9Lzg3B-5eMpxxh1OAxC3lVaG4-517i30IBN20j4jHFz1RKv0ynx_6FKiQDHz7XyuFWS2kfgGIJXj1Gq5_nI-7KhCbEc/s1600/manny-the-beagle-mixed-breed-dog-420x320.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnCPExWLdIo3pmtSrDFGSwNZmBhoicuis-LLFQ5yl5pgOsfRqC9Lzg3B-5eMpxxh1OAxC3lVaG4-517i30IBN20j4jHFz1RKv0ynx_6FKiQDHz7XyuFWS2kfgGIJXj1Gq5_nI-7KhCbEc/s320/manny-the-beagle-mixed-breed-dog-420x320.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="st"><b>I'm a mutt.</b></span></div><span class="st"><br />
</span> <span class="st">And so with my mom's British roots and my dad's colonial roots, it came as no surprise that the ethnicity test revealed that nearly half of my ancestors came from the British Isles. C'mon, my grandma (my mom's mom) has an English accent!</span><br />
<span class="st"><br />
</span> <span class="st">My next largest percentage was from Southern Europe, which the test defined as Italy, Spain, and Portugal. Understanding the migration patterns that humans have taken, a large result in this category was not a surprise. </span><br />
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<span class="st">The next largest percentage came from Scandinavia. When I began researching my family tree years ago, I learned that I have a very strong Swedish ancestry (Swedish royalty, in fact). So again, no surprise.</span><br />
<span class="st"><br />
</span> <span class="st">And I can trace nearly the same percentage of my ancestry back to Eastern Europe. This was a surprise since I cannot trace any one ancestor to this region of the world. There are no surnames in my tree that hint to this region, yet the test shows I have ancestors who were originally from anywhere from as north as modern day Estonia or as far south as the ancient civilization of Greece.</span><br />
<span class="st"><br />
</span> <span class="st">Here is the biggest surprise: although I have <b>MANY</b> ancestors with French and German names, who were born in either France or Germany, I have no genetic connection to the indigenous people of this area. That really was something I wasn't expecting. </span><br />
<span class="st"><br />
</span> <span class="st"></span>One of the most puzzling results of my ethnicity test was that I am 4% Uncertain. <i>Uncertain</i>?? So far I have been unable to find out what that means exactly. <span class="st">Perhaps the stories of a Cherokee woman on my WORSHAM line are true. Maybe Anthony VAN SALEE was the son of a Moroccan woman. Are the percentages of these people so small in my blood that it comes up as uncertain? Or am I really part bunny?</span><br />
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<span class="st">Here are my specific results:</span><br />
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<span class="st">British Isles 48%</span><br />
<span class="st">Southern European 23%</span><br />
<span class="st">Scandinavian 13%</span><br />
<span class="st">Eastern European 12%</span><br />
<span class="st">Uncertain 4%</span><br />
<span class="st"><br />
</span> <span class="st">You may be wondering how I feel about the results. If I were to pick a favorite, it would have to be the 4% uncertain result. I am glad that it is not known at this time. For me, the 4% represents a belief of mine that we are all genetically related, that we're all cousins. And while having a 100% ethnicity determination would not disprove that we are all genetically related, an uncertain number to me kind of backs up my belief. No matter which groups make up that final 4%, I am just happy to be me!</span><br />
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<span class="st">I am also a bit more inspired to start digging again at some of those brick walls. I know I will NEVER be able to trace every last ancestor, but anyone who tinkers with their genealogy will agree that it is fun to try.</span></div>Jeanniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15118103744959559899noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8851859028012612323.post-12391323309685919772012-06-07T13:32:00.000-07:002012-06-07T13:45:14.937-07:00James Hixon Van Sickle<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I noticed that Ancestry.com has updated their U.S. Passport Applications. I love looking through these, especially since many of them contain photographs. So of course I searched for the Van Sickle name! The early Van Sickles named James are a very tricky bunch, but I recognized James Hixon Van Sickle's name when I came across it. I checked my file and noticed that though I had some specific information on the gentleman and his descendants, Mr. Van Sickle's ancestry was incomplete.<br />
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Passports can contain a lot of important information. James Hixon Van Sickle's passport lists his date of birth, city and state of birth, and the name and birth place of his father. It confirmed the educator's biography which was published in the <i><a href="http://archive.org/details/encyclopediaofma03cutt" target="_blank">Encyclopedia of Massachusetts, Volume 3</a></i>. James, the son of <a href="http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=van+&GSpartial=1&GSbyrel=all&GSdyrel=all&GSst=36&GScnty=2003&GScntry=4&GSob=n&GSsr=41&GRid=42857476&df=all&" target="_blank">John Landis Van Sickle</a> (1821-1891) and Alexina CURTIS (1828-1875), was born in South Livonia, Livingston county, New York in 1852. Previous research showed that John was the son of <a href="http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=Van+Sickle&GSiman=1&GScid=65493&GRid=45474748&" target="_blank">James Van Sickle</a> (1796-1871) and Hannah LANDIS (1802-1884).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQxK9ufTMaVqTYONXWCkozRwqmh9OSM6ikWB0_RfxgblTNlkggElLjQAtjVjd673dzRuHb3vITHkrsm0lkdR6gSgHF78UO-Cp1w_9Dz9eCJM4gYcdm3lSpGtkEUNJ554mw0t7JywzKRA0/s1600/ScreenShot001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQxK9ufTMaVqTYONXWCkozRwqmh9OSM6ikWB0_RfxgblTNlkggElLjQAtjVjd673dzRuHb3vITHkrsm0lkdR6gSgHF78UO-Cp1w_9Dz9eCJM4gYcdm3lSpGtkEUNJ554mw0t7JywzKRA0/s320/ScreenShot001.jpg" width="278" /></a></div>
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<b><i>Photograph of James Hixon Van Sickle</i></b></div>
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<b><i>taken from passport issued 17 June 1920</i></b></div>
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A simple <a href="https://www.google.com/webhp?hl=en#hl=en&sclient=psy-ab&q=james+hixon+van+sickle&oq=james+hixon+van+sickle&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&gs_l=hp.12...15729.15729.3.16411.1.1.0.0.0.0.146.146.0j1.1.0...0.0.vmm1-hLCqDU&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&fp=66356edc178ebda1&biw=1600&bih=730" target="_blank">Google</a> search resulted in finding out that James Hixon Van Sickle died in 1926, but I wanted to know the specific date of his death. It was no problem to locate an obituary for such an accomplished gentleman:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDv6CEv1GQTMReb48LbfkfJrNhLeYEamv6g2GqCFkr6M16krWNuyEduUQk7zp2BEs_L1frylEJgQI3lYCwNKPHzqpFoqOvneZHagHZhewGqSfvJ-O9kCVPhfe-INoNTKh5ZSGkoAoJcHk/s1600/Boston+Herald,+13+Feb+1926.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDv6CEv1GQTMReb48LbfkfJrNhLeYEamv6g2GqCFkr6M16krWNuyEduUQk7zp2BEs_L1frylEJgQI3lYCwNKPHzqpFoqOvneZHagHZhewGqSfvJ-O9kCVPhfe-INoNTKh5ZSGkoAoJcHk/s400/Boston+Herald,+13+Feb+1926.jpg" width="208" /></a></div>
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<b><i> </i><i>Boston Herald</i></b></div>
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<b><i>13 February 1926</i></b></div>
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Feeling confident that all that I had researched on James Hixon Van Sickle's ancestry thus far was correct, I felt it time to focus my attention on James Van Sickle and Hannah Landis, the earliest known ancestors of James Hixon Van Sickle. I was having a big issue with this couple. I was having a hard time locating the couple in any early census records. I also could not find their marriage record.</div>
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I know that James Hixon Van Sickle was born in Livingston county, New York in 1852. Trying all sorts soundex and various other searches finally showed the couple living exactly where they should have been, in the town of Livonia from 1830 through 1880. Remember <a href="http://genealogygenie.blogspot.com/2011/10/census-records-and-biographies-i-just.html" target="_blank">my post</a> on the spelling of the surname? The family was listed in the 1850 Census Index as "VANLISLE". The actual image listed "VAN SICLE". This search was so frustrating but it may end up being very rewarding, for in the household of the family was an Ann Sicle, age 75 (born circa 1775), and born in Pennsylvania. Perhaps this Ann was James's mother, an aunt, or maybe even an ancestor of Hannah Landis (and was just listed incorrectly as a Van Sickle). It is a name worth remembering.</div>
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James Hixon Van Sickle's passport had one more important bit of information. It listed that his father was born in Warren county, New Jersey. Formed from Sussex county in 1824, a great many of the Van Sickle lines resided in Warren county in the early 19th century (and they still do). John Landis Van Sickle was born in 1821, before Warren county existed. He was most likely born in the then Sussex county. It is a good place to check for a marriage record for his parents. </div>
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There was no decent match when I searched the marriage records of Sussex county for a James Van Sickle, but I found that in 1819, the index shows there was a Hannah Landis who married a Mr. James VAN DYKE. I have seen the Van Sickle name spelled in various ways, but never Van Dyke, a legitimate name of its own. Once again, I checked the actual document, and this is what I found. The last line reads:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFiPM6FvDIEilL1WyGNDUAo-I60CJsd3-q49usg5vx3b2MnZjEDt64FYDhIOEYAq9mpadV8BU775hlA6m_WK2N9O6WRZQHqVkATI3S_6B1Ouk3TU5GOfgb-B1rkYTuamS2m9XMPr-0CAc/s1600/record_image.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFiPM6FvDIEilL1WyGNDUAo-I60CJsd3-q49usg5vx3b2MnZjEDt64FYDhIOEYAq9mpadV8BU775hlA6m_WK2N9O6WRZQHqVkATI3S_6B1Ouk3TU5GOfgb-B1rkYTuamS2m9XMPr-0CAc/s400/record_image.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div>
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<b><i>"Dec. 16- James Vansyckle Jr to Hannah Landis</i></b></div>
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<b><i>both of Oxford" </i></b></div>
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<b><i><a href="https://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/New_Jersey_County_Marriage_Records_%28FamilySearch_Historical_Records%29" target="_blank">From New Jersey, County Marriages, 1862-1956 </a></i></b><br />
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Now my research has taken me about to another generation, to a James Van Sickle, Senior, who may or may not have been married to a lady called Ann, born circa 1775. And now I am stuck.</div>
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There were a few called James Van Sickle (Van Syckle, etc), who lived in 18th century Sussex county. At least one of them lived in Warren county after it's formation, and he is buried there in the First Presbyterian Churchyard. <a href="http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=Vansickle&GSiman=1&GScid=1976662&GRid=8707337&" target="_blank">This James Van Sickle</a>, according to his gravestone, died on August 1, 1830 at the age of 83 years, 2 months, and 9 days (making his birth date 23 May 1747). His wife was buried there as well, along with others with the surname. He is likely the brother of <a href="http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=Vansickle&GSiman=1&GScnty=1927&GRid=36914307&" target="_blank">Andrew Van Sickle.</a><br />
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And there is actually another James Van Sickle who lived in Livingston county, New York! This James was born circa 1776, and was married to Miss Rachel ALBERTSON in Sussex county, New Jersey on 7 February 1799. I doubt this James is the father of the one who lived in Livonia and was married to Hannah Landis, since his marriage date is three years after the birth of James Van Sickle of Livonia. But (1) Perhaps James Van Sickle, husband of Rachel Albertson, had been married twice or (2) James, husband of Rachel Albertson, is a cousin of James, husband of Hannah Landis. First names are repeating, a common occurrence in family lines of the 18th century. <a href="http://genealogygenie.blogspot.com/2012/05/more-on-van-sickles.html" target="_blank"><i>It does drive me a bit crazy sometimes!</i></a><br />
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To top it off, I think they are all likely connected to one Jacobus Van Sicklen, who was also referred to as James in <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=SJlYAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA133&lpg=PA133&dq=%22jacobus+van+sicklen%22&source=bl&ots=o8DDlsNHtd&sig=CfEa0T6SiK6We_bU7ftnmwBotKk&hl=en&sa=X&ei=_wzRT8D6OMrw0gGkr6H1Dw&sqi=2&ved=0CFwQ6AEwBw#v=onepage&q=%22jacobus%20van%20sicklen%22&f=false" target="_blank">John Waddell Van Sickle's book</a>. I do not think this was in error. Jacobus/James are often interchangeable (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Reference_desk/Archives/Language/2008_January_15" target="_blank">see an explanation at Wikipedia</a>).
</div>Jeanniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15118103744959559899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8851859028012612323.post-90426180677083358922012-05-26T11:37:00.004-07:002012-05-26T11:54:05.230-07:00More on the Van Sickles<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Returning to my <a href="http://genealogygenie.blogspot.com/2011/10/census-records-and-biographies-i-just.html" target="_blank">previous post</a> on the Van Sickles, I am now convinced of another child born to John Van Sickle (b.1757)- a daughter named Eleanor.<br />
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Information on her birth date, birth place, and death date vary, but there are a couple of known facts: <br />
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<li>Eleanor became the wife of <a href="http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=stoops&GSfn=michael&GSbyrel=all&GSdyrel=all&GSst=16&GScntry=4&GSob=n&GRid=71302533&df=all&" target="_blank">Michael STOOPS</a> in Hamilton County, Ohio in 1814.</li>
<li>The Stoops family moved from Hamilton County, Ohio to Fulton County, Illinois (as did Moses Van Sickle)</li>
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Given names are often recycled throughout family lines. <a href="http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/%7Eclifflamere/Aid/AID-Dutch-Naming.htm" target="_blank">This is especially true in Dutch lines</a>. But as families moved west and intermarried with different cultures, the strict Dutch naming customs slowly faded away. In the case of the Van Sickles with an early connection to Hamilton County, Ohio, I can still see remnants of this custom.<br />
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<li>Moses Van Sickle had a sister named Eleanor. She was probably named after Eleanor Van Sickle-Stoops.</li>
<li>John Van Sickle (1779-c.1855) of Dearborn, and later, Ripley county in Indiana, had a daughter named Edith. Moses Van Sickle had a sister named Edith.</li>
<li>Andrew Van Sickle (1781-1844) of Marion County, Indiana, had a son named Michael, probably named after Andrew's brother.</li>
<li>John Van Sickle (b.1779), Andrew Van Sickle (b.1781), and Moses's father, Abraham Van Sickle (b.circa 1780) all had a son named John, all likely named for their grandfather, John Van Sickle (b.1757). </li>
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One big mystery I have is that I have a big unknown listed for the wife of John Van Sickle (b.1757). From what I know, I assume a couple of things about her:<br />
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<li>She may likely have been named Eleanor or Edith </li>
<li>Since John Van Sickle (b.1757) was born in New Jersey, as well as his son John (b. 1779) and Abraham (b. circa 1780), he and his wife were probably married there. Like John, she may also have been of Dutch descent. Their marriage record may exist in a Dutch church.</li>
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Other mysteries are the Van Sickles that I have not been able to trace successfully and with ties to Hamilton County, Ohio: <br />
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<b><i>John Milton Van Syckle</i></b>, born 17 March 1822 in Cincinnati, Hamilton
County, Ohio. He was married there to Susannah, daughter of Hugh
RENSFORD, in 1844. This family moved to San Joaquin County, California before finally settling in Walla Walla County, Washington. <i><b> </b></i><br />
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<i><b>Note: I strongly believe that John Milton Van Syckle is the son of my ancestor, William Van Sickle, and grandson of John Van Sickle (b.1757).</b> </i><br />
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<b><i>Permelia Van Sickle</i></b>, born in Ohio circa 1814. She was married in Hamilton County in 1834 to Lewis RUNYAN, and had several children there before removing to Bartholomew County, Indiana. <b><i> </i></b><br />
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<b><i>Note: I have Permelia as a likely daughter of Gilbert Van Sickle, since both she and Gilbert lived in the town of Colerain in Hamilton County. </i></b><br />
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<b><i>Edith Van Sickle</i></b>, who married Thomas CLARK in nearby Butler County, Ohio in 1836. Though I have successfully traced almost all of the other Van Sickles who married in the town of Hamilton in Butler County, <i> </i>Edith (because of her name) appears to be related to the Hamilton County Van Sickles mentioned here. She may be the daughter of Abraham Van Sickle (b. circa 1780). <i><b> </b></i><br />
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<i><b>Note: Edith Van Sickle has not been shown to be a daughter of Abraham Van Sickle (b.1769) and Nancy CRANE of Butler County, Ohio, whose son, John Van Sickle, married one Mrs. Jane Clark (nee WELCH) in the town of Hamilton in Butler County in 1820, and whose daughter, Mariah Van Sickle, married one Benjamin WELCH (the brother of Mrs. Jane CLARK) in the same town in 1828. It should be mentioned that Abraham Van Sickle (b. circa 1780), did have a daughter who married in Hamilton, Butler County, Ohio- Sarah, the wife of Joseph Perry GRAY. After the death of Abraham Van Sickle (b. circa 1780), Joseph's father, Thomas Gray, married Abraham Van Sickle's widow.</b></i><br />
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P.S. I wonder if Abraham Van Sickle (b. circa 1780) ever had a chance to sit down with the Abraham Van Sickle (b.1769).<i> </i>Did they learn that they were both born in Hunterdon County, New Jersey? Did they discover that both of them had a father named John and that both of their fathers were baptized in the same church? I wonder if they were able to figure out exactly how they were related<i> (from current unproven research, I have determined the men to be third cousins)</i>. Did they remember relatives from their past, like their Great Uncle Gilbert? Did they ask each other whether or not the Gilbert Van Sickle of Colerain, Hamilton County was a relative of Great Uncle Gilbert? (Gilbert Van Sickle of Colerain, was likely the same Gilbert who married one Leane HEATHER in Dorchester County, Maryland. Gilbert and family moved to Colerain from Maryland circa 1812. I have no doubt that there is a connection between the Gilbert Van Sickle of Colerain and the Abraham's Great Uncle Gilbert. My research on the Gilbert/Gysbert lines are very blurred and so I cannot say the exact connection at this time.<br />
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Do you find all of the similar names to be confusing? I find the Dutch naming system to be a charming way of remembering one's ancestors, but as a researcher, I also find it to be a big pain in the backside!<br />
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</div>Jeanniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15118103744959559899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8851859028012612323.post-24384943822903895092012-03-13T15:35:00.004-07:002012-03-13T15:50:49.773-07:00Common Phrases<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Even though I have read many old documents, I rely heavily upon common phrases that were used to help with transcription. It makes a big difference on these aging eyes of mine! Even after all these years, I do find it sometimes difficult to transcribe an entire document word from word.<br />
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For example, I transcribed the will of 6th generation grandfather, John Worsham, last evening. <a href="http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/%7Eworshamwasham/" target="_blank">The important parts of the will had been shared many years ago</a>, but the entire will gives me a better impression of the man. Common phrases for the period like, "I give my soul into the hand of God" and, "I have hereunto set my hand and seal," made the will easier to understand. Other phrases like, "my <b><i>well</i></b> beloved wife," and "...things I give her during her life then to be sold..." told me that John wanted to make sure my 6th generation grandma was going to be okay without him.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcSwI43nTCg903SVlT-EdxFmgMVr9bIMSuZ0bmhlDHsCQU5HVgyfBdPsucSbyVtn6wYlXC_FK-R72y4DM8o5HaYWD6Q7m6BzYtM87LUNh9_UTyyq6w6q_TFH25DjAT4ujPVM7XTQNpdR8/s1600/John+Worsham%252C+24+June+1806%252C+Mecklenburg+Co.+North+Carolina.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcSwI43nTCg903SVlT-EdxFmgMVr9bIMSuZ0bmhlDHsCQU5HVgyfBdPsucSbyVtn6wYlXC_FK-R72y4DM8o5HaYWD6Q7m6BzYtM87LUNh9_UTyyq6w6q_TFH25DjAT4ujPVM7XTQNpdR8/s640/John+Worsham%252C+24+June+1806%252C+Mecklenburg+Co.+North+Carolina.jpg" width="432" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b><i> The will of <a href="http://www.worsham.larrywasham.com/Page343.htm" target="_blank">JohnWorsham</a></i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b><i>written 24 June 1806</i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b><i>Mecklenburg County, North Carolina</i></b></span><br />
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<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">"</span></b><span style="font-size: small;">In the name of God Amen, this 24th day of June 1806</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">I John Worsham being sick & weak in body but of</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">perfect mind & memory thanks be to God for its calling</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">to mind the mortality of my body & knowing that it is</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">appointed for all men once to die, Do make & ordain this</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">my last Will & Testament, that is to day principally & first</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">of all, I give my soul into the hand of God who gave it & my</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">body to the Earth to be buried in a decent Christian man-</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">ner nothing doubting but at the Resurrection I shall receive then</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">again by the mighty power of God, and as touching such worldly</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">Estate as it has pleased God to bless me with in this life, I do</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">dispose of the same in the following manner & form -</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">1st I give to my well beloved wife Dicey the plantation on whereas</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">I now live with two horse ? two cows & calves, two</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">sows & pigs, two feather beds & furniture with her choice of two</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">plows & two pairs of gears. These things I give her during her</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">life then to be sold at 12 months credit & equally divided</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">between all my heirs my son Jeremiah Worsham ? I </span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">? and/or him to have no part of it; 2nd I give & bequeath</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">to my son Jeremiah Worsham fifty shillings currency - </span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">3dly I allow all my land &property except what I have</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">already willed to my wife & my son Jeremiah to be sold at</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">twelve months credit by my Executors which I shall here-</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">after name & my first debt paid out of it & the balance to be</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">equally between my son Hines & my daughter Whittey my</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">son Miles, my son William, my son Branch my son James, my </span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">daughter Nancy, & my daughter Dicey. Lastly I constitute</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">& appoint John Harris Esquire & Thomas Barnett Executors</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">of this my last Will & Testament, and I evoke & disannul</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">all former Wills & Testaments by me made to be void & this</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">only to be my last Will &Testament in witness whereof</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">I have hereunto set my hand & seal this day and</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">year above written - "</span></span></div></div></div></div>Jeanniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15118103744959559899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8851859028012612323.post-3639196990055402012011-12-19T19:29:00.000-08:002011-12-19T19:35:54.775-08:00In The Genes<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcPfTvX9Ta4QpVtCiQrs9Kr09R-8dv7EzA1kldw8wVzC0TrTMNjj7f1WKM7XgyrCgqrAUzIIrrVZyqP3CzJnG2x3z9mXQmK_S7omvHleBG94TwHpcViHHAXTfEh1Y86qjxqybJsJ2wRaU/s1600/ScreenShot001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="201" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcPfTvX9Ta4QpVtCiQrs9Kr09R-8dv7EzA1kldw8wVzC0TrTMNjj7f1WKM7XgyrCgqrAUzIIrrVZyqP3CzJnG2x3z9mXQmK_S7omvHleBG94TwHpcViHHAXTfEh1Y86qjxqybJsJ2wRaU/s400/ScreenShot001.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Please Click Image To Enlarge</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b><br />
</b></span></div>I was asked about genealogy and DNA today. I thought it would be nice if I posted a partial picture of my DNA chart I was given from Ancestry.com. That top line is me. This is a Paternal Lineage Test, so my brother took the test for me. Now, if you put my brother and me in a room together, there'd be no doubt we both fell off the same turnip truck! LOL!!!! We definitely share the same DNA. <br />
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A few things you should know: 1. This is a 46 marker test. Forty-six different values were tested, which are represented on the right (DYS19a, DYS19b, etc); 2. Basically, the more markers that match another person (represented here by the number of lines), the closer related you are; and 3. MRCA, or Most Recent Common Ancestor, refers to how many generations apart a common ancestor<i> <b>likely</b></i> lived. The MRCA number for me and the person on Line 1 is 13 generations. Our common ancestor likely lived around 13 generations ago. That would be my father's father's father's father's....plus eight more father's father side. You get the idea. Or if you don't, if a new generation is born every 25 years or so, our common ancestor lived about 325 years ago.<br />
<br />
Now I'd like to bring attention to the word <b><i>likely</i></b>. Because DNA mutates, there is actually a probability rate for determining MRCA. So basically, the kind folks at Ancestry.com are telling me that it's more likely than not my most recent common ancestor with the person on Line 1 was 13 generations ago. In reality, there's really a 50.2% chance that our common ancestor was 13 generations ago, about a 75% chance it was 18 generations ago, and a 97% chance our common ancestor lived 30 generations ago*.<br />
<br />
If you are curious about your <a href="http://www.familytreedna.com/understanding-haplogroups.aspx">haplogroup</a>, genealogical DNA can be very fun and informative. At this time though, do not expect it to break through any of your brick walls. By the way, I belong to<a href="http://www.familytreedna.com/public/r1b/"> Haplogroup R1b</a>.<br />
<br />
*To determine MRCA probability, there are several good MRCA Calculators out there, like <a href="http://www.moseswalker.com/mrca/calculator.asp?q=1">this one</a>. To understand more about genetic mutations, I suggest reading up on MRCA, alleles, and the infinite alleles model. Pretty techie DNA stuff.</div>Jeanniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15118103744959559899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8851859028012612323.post-3145827326061175272011-10-31T12:40:00.000-07:002011-10-31T12:49:17.009-07:00Census Records And Biographies- I Just Love 'Em<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">My struggle and continued research on the <a href="http://groups.ancestry.com/group/68883377/">VAN SICKLE</a> name has led me to one Moses Van Sickle (1806-1891) of Fulton County, Illinois. While I cannot connect my own line with this branch of the family name, it is Mr. Van Sickle's connection with Southwestern Ohio and his unknown ancestry that has grabbed my attention. <a href="http://genealogygenie.blogspot.com/2011/04/close-but-no-cigar.html">Hey, that sounds just like my family</a>!<br />
<br />
At least [I believe] I've had more success with researching the ancestry this branch. Both Mr. Van Sickle's biography from <a href="http://www.archive.org/details/historyoffultonc00chas"><i>History of Fulton County, Illinois (1879)</i></a> and <a href="http://www.archive.org/details/portraitbiograph00chicag"><i>Portrait & Biographical Album of Fulton County (1890)</i></a> have been very helpful. It was from the ladder that confirmed many facts, including: <br />
<ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Moses was the son of Abraham and the grandson of John, both of whom were born in New Jersey.</li>
<li>The Van Sickle family removed to Pennsylvania when Abraham was "quite young".</li>
<li>The family lived in Venango County, Pennsylvania before moving to Ohio in 1815.</li>
<li>John died in Hamilton County, Ohio and his son Abraham in Butler County, Ohio (circa 1817). </li>
</ul><br />
Census records that span over 30 years clearly show that Moses was born in Pennsylvania, and so I know that the Van Sickles were in the state from as early as 1806. Census records also show both a John and Abraham in Venango County, Pennsylvania in the 1810 Federal Census. Though there were none by the surname recorded in Venango County, pre-1810, a John Van Sickle is enumerated in both the 1790 and 1800 Federal Census in nearby Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: x-small;">1810 Federal Census, Venango County, Pennsylvania</span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJOizvRCInUKQshbJEB23ptZprc02FTVKaQN8FIPYu_MMdjgUd864xrC2CWpLcUr8PuX3xAF8-cSvjMGPNdGNa3BAnHr1pY_elctbrPfp6prT9OWV3ruqHWzXaVW3vfnFDbOOxpv6R3r0/s1600/1800+Westmoreland.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJOizvRCInUKQshbJEB23ptZprc02FTVKaQN8FIPYu_MMdjgUd864xrC2CWpLcUr8PuX3xAF8-cSvjMGPNdGNa3BAnHr1pY_elctbrPfp6prT9OWV3ruqHWzXaVW3vfnFDbOOxpv6R3r0/s320/1800+Westmoreland.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Check the actual census rather than the index.<br />
John Van Sickle (Line 4), spelled here as VAN SIGLES,<br />
was listed in an index as VANRIGLES.</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: left;">If I were to <i>guestimate</i> the birth year of Abraham and John based upon the age of Moses, I would say Abraham was born circa 1781 and John circa 1756 (assuming both were age 25 when their son was born). The age does fit with the census information for the John of Westmoreland County. </div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;">A check in <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=SJlYAAAAMAAJ&dq=%22history+of+the+Van+Sickle%22&printsec=frontcover&source=bl&ots=o7EvmsTLsf&sig=POr6YvPmTxRx2q5okzsCAFhx-Vc&hl=en&ei=GFD7SY2QM5ryswOvjMneAQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1#v=onepage&q&f=false">John Waddell Van Sickle's book</a> on the surname show a <i>very likely</i> match- a John, baptized in New Jersey in 1757, who had five children including one called Abraham, and who had another son who was born in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania. This son also moved to Dearborn County, Indiana, which borders Hamilton County, Ohio. Bingo- I'm convinced!!</div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;">Back up...I've been fooled many, <b>MANY</b> times before. I've learned enough through the years to know that although the Van Sickle book is a great resource, it is not a family Bible. And so, though my tree on this branch does list the above to be true, there is also a big fat "Ancestry Not Proven" comment besides John's name.</div></div>Jeanniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15118103744959559899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8851859028012612323.post-57435112896498606112011-08-27T14:10:00.000-07:002011-08-27T19:10:24.412-07:00Genealogy and Slavery<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Summer will soon be coming to an end. I should think about finishing some of my genealogy projects. Right now, I am indexing the Logan County, Kentucky, Will Records from 1833-1838. Not too many people died in the county during that time, or perhaps the decedents just did not leave a will. Though I don't have too many names to look for, I do have a lot of pages to look through. Reading 1830's script has put a strain on my eyes and some permanent "squint lines" on my forehead.<br />
<br />
Since I've been doing some Kentucky indexing, I thought it to be a good time to bring out my Stone family again to see what I could find. Most of what is out there on Elisha Stone has been put out there by yours truly. Though a recent <a href="http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/%7Ejacmac/stone.htm">website</a> has Elisha as the son of Thomas Stone and Betty Jackman, I'd still like to find some proof (although I do tend to agree with that assumption). Last night, as I squinted my way through dozens of Mercer County records, I managed to find a copy of my ggg-grandpappy's will from 1829. I've read a partially transcribed copy of the will before, but here in front of me was the copy of the real Mccoy! You bet I was excited!!<br />
<br />
The will talks a bit about Elisha's children, mentions his deceased father (though not by name) and a mother-in-law, which judging by the tone of the document, may actually be referring to a stepmother. I then had a queasy feeling in my stomach when I read "...bequeath to my son...a negroe boy...", and felt disgusted when I read, "...the balance of the negroes I give to my daughter..."<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSaz_RIH7hgTgD2qgquEYdT2nZwuGk7tTfktXiVKJsuRZjrAqKtghM77-vDx5eypdUaoIvHFNaRTkXpiPCPaMKi3D4kpl9O8zyYJ31ms_6n-7TspGv2eTMHFRs9EjWNtLVmIP4JLYqjhA/s1600/Wrong.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="91" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSaz_RIH7hgTgD2qgquEYdT2nZwuGk7tTfktXiVKJsuRZjrAqKtghM77-vDx5eypdUaoIvHFNaRTkXpiPCPaMKi3D4kpl9O8zyYJ31ms_6n-7TspGv2eTMHFRs9EjWNtLVmIP4JLYqjhA/s400/Wrong.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Elisha Stone, willing a "negroe" to his son, Elisha Jr. </b></span></div><br />
With the majority of my family having come from northern states, slavery is rather uncommon in my tree. It did exist here and there. Early ancestors who settled in Virginia and in the Carolinas had slaves. My ancestors though had a pioneering spirit and set out to explore the west early in our country's history. By the time of the Civil War, all of my family lived in the mid west for a generation and had long given up the cruel and inhumane business of slavery.</div>Jeanniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15118103744959559899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8851859028012612323.post-8434899114579044532011-07-01T17:23:00.000-07:002011-07-01T17:39:55.904-07:00Free Lookups<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">I realize that since moving to RootsWeb, the <a href="http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/%7Ecagha/"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none;">California Genealogy & History Archives</span></a> has not been receiving as many hits. So for those of you who would rather request a lookup through my blog, I am more than happy to do so. As with the website, please do limit your requests to <b>ONE book and name at a time</b>. And if you don't see a book listed, please ask. I did not list all of the books I have access to here.<br />
<br />
<b>Statewide</b><br />
History of California, 1897<br />
California, Vol. 1-4, 1930<br />
History of the Greater San Francisco Bay Region, 1966<br />
<br />
<b>Alameda</b><br />
History of Alameda County, California, 1883 <br />
History of Alameda County, California, 1928<br />
<br />
<b>Alpine</b><br />
Cemetery Inscription in California Counties of Plumas, Alpine, and Sierra, 1964<br />
<br />
<b>Butte</b><br />
Early Records, Butte and Tehama Counties, California, 1956<br />
<br />
<b>Contra Costa</b><br />
The History of Contra Costa County, California, 1917<br />
History of Contra Costa County, 1940<br />
Illustrations of Contra Costa County with Historical Sketch, 1952 <br />
History of Contra Costa County, California, 1974<br />
<br />
<b>El Dorado</b><br />
California’s El Dorado, Yesterday and Today, 1915<br />
<br />
<b>Humboldt </b><br />
History of Humboldt County, California, 1882<br />
<br />
<b>Imperial</b><br />
The History of Imperial County, California, 1918<br />
<br />
<b>Kern</b><br />
A Memorial and Biographical History of the Counties of Fresno, Tulare and Kern, California, 1891<br />
Where Rolls the Kern: A History of Kern County, California, 1934<br />
<br />
<b>Kings</b><br />
History of Tulare and Kings Counties, California, 1913<br />
<br />
<b>Lassen</b><br />
Fairfield’s Pioneer History of Lassen County, California, 1916<br />
<br />
<b>Marin</b><br />
History of Marin County, California, 1972<br />
<br />
<b>Merced</b><br />
History of Merced County, California, 1925<br />
<br />
<b>Monterey</b><br />
Monterey County, 1889<br />
History of Monterey and Santa Cruz Counties, California, 1925<br />
<br />
<b>Napa</b><br />
History of Napa and Lake Counties, California, 1881<br />
History of Solano and Napa Counties, California, 1912<br />
<br />
<b>Nevada</b><br />
Bean’s History and Directory of Nevada County, California, 1867<br />
<br />
<b>Placer</b><br />
Directory of the County of Placer for the Year 1861, 1861<br />
<br />
<b>Plumas</b><br />
Cemetery Inscription in California Counties of Plumas, Alpine, and Sierra, 1964<br />
<br />
<b>Sacramento</b><br />
History of Sacramento County, California, 1880 <br />
An Illustrated History of Sacramento County, California, 1890<br />
History of the Sacramento Valley, 1961 <br />
<br />
<b>San Francisco</b><br />
The History of San Francisco, 1931<br />
<br />
<b>San Joaquin</b><br />
History of San Joaquin County, California, 1879 <br />
An Illustrated History of San Joaquin County, California, 1890<br />
History of San Joaquin County, California, 1923<br />
History of Fresno County and the San Joaquin Valley, 1933<br />
<br />
<b>San Luis Obispo</b><br />
History of San Luis Obispo County, California, 1883<br />
<br />
<b>San Mateo</b><br />
History of San Mateo County, 1916<br />
History of San Mateo County, California, 1928<br />
<br />
<b>Santa Barbara</b><br />
History of Santa Barbara County, California, 1927<br />
<br />
<b>Santa Clara</b><br />
History of Santa Clara County, California, 1881<br />
History of San Jose, California, 1933<br />
<br />
<b>Santa Cruz</b><br />
History of Santa Cruz County, California, 1892<br />
History of Monterey and Santa Cruz Counties, California, 1925<br />
<br />
<b>Shasta</b><br />
Shasta County, California, 1949<br />
<br />
<b>Solano</b><br />
History of Solano County, California, 1879 <br />
History of Solano and Napa Counties, California, 1912<br />
History of Solano County, California, 1926<br />
Pioneer Collections of Solano County, 1980 <br />
<br />
<b>Sonoma</b><br />
History of Sonoma County, 1880<br />
<br />
<b>Tehama</b><br />
Early Records, Butte and Tehama Counties, California, 1956 <br />
<br />
<b>Tulare</b><br />
A Memorial and Biographical History of the Counties of Fresno, Tulare and Kern, California, 1891<br />
History of Tulare and Kings Counties, California, 1913<br />
History of Tulare County, California, 1926<br />
<br />
<b>Tuolumne</b><br />
From the Backwoods of Old Tuolumne, 1943</div>Jeanniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15118103744959559899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8851859028012612323.post-18880894716180850622011-05-28T18:38:00.000-07:002011-05-28T18:38:07.820-07:00Charles S. Frost & Andrew Frost<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">I saw <a href="http://boards.ancestry.com/localities.northam.usa.states.california.counties.alameda/4043/mb.ashx">this request</a> at the Alameda county message board at Ancestry.com:</div><blockquote style="color: #073763;">Charles S. Frost is buried in the Mt View Cemetery, Oakland, CA. His data is: b 28 Feb 1828 d 9 Aug 1897. Also buried in the cemetery is Andrew Frost who was b April 1827 (Denmark) and d 18 April 1901. I am trying to learn if they were related. <br />
</blockquote><div style="color: #073763;"></div><blockquote style="color: #073763;">Thanks, Bettye</blockquote>Hi Bettye. It appears that there is no connection between the two gentlemen. Here is what I was able to find:<br />
<br />
<br />
<i><b>Oakland Tribune , Oakland, California , Tuesday, August 10, 1897</b></i><br />
<br />
FROST- In East Oakland, August 9, 1897, Charles S. Frost, a native of Maine, aged 68 years, 8 months and 12 days.<br />
<br />
<i><b>Oakland Tribune , Oakland, California , Tuesday, August 11, 1897</b></i><br />
<br />
Death of C. S. Frost.<br />
<br />
Charles S. Frost, a native of Maine, aged sixty-eight years, died at his home, 1523 Eighth avenue yesterday. He had resided in Oakland for fifteen years.<br />
<br />
<b><i>Oakland Tribune , Oakland, California , Thursday, April 18, 1901 </i></b><br />
<br />
FROST- In Fruitvale, Peralta avenue and Hyde street, April 18, 1901, Andrew, beloved husband of Mette S. Frost, a native of Denmark, aged 74 years and 9 days.<br />
<br />
<b><i>Oakland Tribune , Oakland, California , Thursday, April 19, 1901 </i></b><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_wDspFbsAmsJa4t_6__pb_cfdiP4Nz7O6v3sxVoPB60nuv8zTqRI4w4jXj2hY-jLiIIy66i1UAOrlDzizgxt68JLrp9jdoQ5pJfrbJJOrOV-2r6p7hi3IJMvmJzF8NIFfZazEpKMHNo8/s1600/Oakland+Tribune++Oakland%252C+California++Friday%252C+April+19%252C+1901.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="187" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_wDspFbsAmsJa4t_6__pb_cfdiP4Nz7O6v3sxVoPB60nuv8zTqRI4w4jXj2hY-jLiIIy66i1UAOrlDzizgxt68JLrp9jdoQ5pJfrbJJOrOV-2r6p7hi3IJMvmJzF8NIFfZazEpKMHNo8/s320/Oakland+Tribune++Oakland%252C+California++Friday%252C+April+19%252C+1901.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
If you'd like help finding additional information on either gentleman, please do let me know.</div>Jeanniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15118103744959559899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8851859028012612323.post-55062881595947241892011-05-28T17:40:00.000-07:002011-05-28T18:27:52.461-07:00Japanese Benevolent Society Of California Obituaries<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">When it comes to posting obituaries online, I am all over the web. In order to help me slow down my pace, for the next several weeks I will only be posting obituaries at the <a href="http://www.jbens.org/index_e.html">Japanese Benevolent Society Of California</a>.<br />
<br />
P.S. Okay...I'll post one more obit here before focusing on the JBSC for a little while. </div>Jeanniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15118103744959559899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8851859028012612323.post-82801437022930493882011-04-05T18:22:00.000-07:002011-10-31T11:38:14.421-07:00Close But No Cigar<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Hello! I am alive. Keeping up three blogs is a lot of work. Obviously, I've let this one go a bit. But you know me- I never stop researching.<br />
<br />
I really do love to help others with their genealogy, and though I've been so happy to help some of the people at the <a href="http://groups.ancestry.com/group/68883377/">Van Sickle group</a> at Ancestry.com, it's been SO FRUSTRATING to have found nothing further on my own family line. And so several months back, I ordered yet another record- the marriage record of my gggg-grandparents, William Van Sickle and Rachel Jones. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8Kd67ZjF4dDT-kuTABnhpaxOUEKi68cB_Y74l6vJEj4kJCDSzcZEP92BW70Crqk2qB4y9WFd6FRgzOmbMaiQgmblOUM0hDCjbhc_BYTkODiRjs6aTX7hmRT7wQIhIntHYulBmAaefMQU/s1600/Marriage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="271" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8Kd67ZjF4dDT-kuTABnhpaxOUEKi68cB_Y74l6vJEj4kJCDSzcZEP92BW70Crqk2qB4y9WFd6FRgzOmbMaiQgmblOUM0hDCjbhc_BYTkODiRjs6aTX7hmRT7wQIhIntHYulBmAaefMQU/s320/Marriage.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Argh- it is only an index!! I had this information all ready. Oh well, another dead end... or maybe not...<br />
<br />
FamilySearch recently has released <a href="https://wiki.familysearch.org/en/Ohio_County_Marriage_Records_%28FamilySearch_Historical_Records%29">Ohio County Marriage Record</a> images to the public. On their Ohio marriage page, it says, <i>"During the early 1900s, counties began using preprinted register books, with only two entries per page." </i> Cincinnati's courthouses have been <a href="http://www.probatect.org/courtrecords/history.htm">plagued by fire</a> over the decades, the last one [to my knowledge] happened in the late 1800's. The image above, written in the 1900's style [not to mention 1900's penmanship] recorded an event that happened in 1818. <i></i><b>Could it be that the original marriage record has survived and is housed somewhere in Cincinnati?? </b><br />
<br />
Of course, if I'm lucky enough to find a copy of the original record, there is no guarantee that there is any more information listed on the document. In fact, an example of an original marriage record from 1817 is on the FamilySearch site. No additional types of information is listed on the example. Still, I won't let that stop me from trying to get a copy of the original document.<br />
<br />
I'm really stumped on this line. Private researchers I've hired have turned up nothing, and unless I miraculously wake up in Cincinnati or Salt Lake, I may have to put a big ol' stop sign up on the end of my Van Sickle tree.<br />
<br />
If you're looking for a genealogical challenge, I sure have one for you. Please, if you have any advice for me on how to find the ancestry of <b>William Van Sickle</b>, I'd appreciate it greatly.<br />
<br />
William Van Sickle<br />
Born: Unknown<br />
Died: Unknown,though likely before 1830<br />
Married: 29 January 1818, Cincinnati<br />
Spouse: Rachel Jones; she married Mr. Nehemiah Blake circa 1830<br />
Siblings: Unknown<br />
Parents: Unknown<br />
Census Location/Information: Unknown</div>Jeanniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15118103744959559899noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8851859028012612323.post-16956698577970299032010-10-14T17:54:00.000-07:002010-10-27T18:29:15.300-07:00We're All CousinsSo <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20101013/ap_on_re_us/us_obama_and_palin">President Obama is related to Sarah Palin</a>! That's one thing about genealogy that I've always loved: every family is full of surprises.<br />
<br />
Doing family research for all of these years, one would think that I am aware of every famous relation to myself. It wasn't until I read about the Obama/Palin relationship yesterday that I decided to take a deep, deep look into my tree to see if I share some roots with some famous people.<br />
<br />
It sounds difficult, but finding famous relations is actually not so hard if one of your family lines has an <a href="http://roots.cs.byu.edu/digroots/help/AFN.php">Ancestral File Number</a> with the <a href="http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/Search/frameset_search.asp">LDS</a>. Pick an ancestor at the LDS website, locate the ancestral number next to the name of your ancestor, and enter it at <a href="http://roots.cs.byu.edu/digroots/">Relative Finder</a>. Then click on what type of report you would like (Presidents, Kings and Queens, etc.), and tah dah...famous. Or in my case, royalty. Royalty? ROYALTY! You've got to be kidding!!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIcxc8Gfdhj5SXOmEOIqlUvY3PyJIDIYlXFa-Ww78rrN1pd4_JePKsnjjobI3WDKBnJFfI10Cpljh2sMVS54-wXEwaTA9gVe-cNf7LjZDfNk7ODX3S-NEM0Ktbc9tRP9W_Ykl-IsILQDs/s1600/1904683595_94358bf3db.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIcxc8Gfdhj5SXOmEOIqlUvY3PyJIDIYlXFa-Ww78rrN1pd4_JePKsnjjobI3WDKBnJFfI10Cpljh2sMVS54-wXEwaTA9gVe-cNf7LjZDfNk7ODX3S-NEM0Ktbc9tRP9W_Ykl-IsILQDs/s320/1904683595_94358bf3db.jpg" width="219" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Queen Bunny</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Yes, it turns out that I am <b><i>directly</i></b> related through my dad's side (yes, the same guy that lives in t-shirts with sayings on them, faded jeans, and worn out cowboy boots) to some very well-known European royalty, including Charlemagne and William the Conqueror.<br />
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I am also distantly related to some extremely well known and very respectable names like George Washington and Winston Churchill. It's an honor to be related to them!<br />
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I was pleasantly surprised to learn that I am distantly related to three Mayflower passengers (I've always wanted to claim a relation, so woo hoo for me!) , as well as to a signer of the Declaration of Independence. As you may know, I am completely fascinated with the colonial period of American history, and I'm so thrilled to be able to claim relation to some heavy hitters during that time.<br />
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But does it matter to me that Edward III of England is my 20th great-grandfather (that's great-grandfather times 20). Heck yeah! I love history and think it's awesome that I am related to all of these people. Can most people claim relation to famous people too? I think so. You have to remember that there wasn't television back in the day. People had to occupy their time doing something!Jeanniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15118103744959559899noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8851859028012612323.post-50533586299012899722010-10-12T17:31:00.000-07:002010-10-12T17:32:29.182-07:00Where Have I Been?Though you may think that this blog has become permanently inactive, I've been planning a new direction for it. I'd still like to fit an obituary in here and there as well as answer a question or two, but I'm eager to begin a new path for this blog. <br />
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Being inactive here doesn't mean I'm being inactive though. I'm always working on genealogical pursuits. My time has been focused primarily on transcription work for the <a href="https://beta.familysearch.org/">LDS</a>, <a href="http://www2.prnewswire.com/mnr/ancestry/37608/">Ancestry.com</a>, and more recently at <a href="http://www.easyindexer.com/mip/">SFGenealogy.com</a>, as well as keeping very active at <a href="http://www.findagrave.com/">Find A Grave</a>. I also have been adding plenty of obituaries and death certificates at <a href="http://groups.ancestry.com/group/68883377/">The Van Sickle DNA Group</a>, where I am administrator, and some old Van Sickle articles at one <a href="http://boards.ancestry.com/surnames.van-20-sickle/mb.ashx">Van Sickle message board</a> at Ancestry.com, where I also am administrator....[takes a breath]...and putting my two cents in to answer questions at another Van Sickle message board at <a href="http://genforum.genealogy.com/vansickle/">Genealogy.com</a>, volunteering at <a href="http://www.newspaperabstracts.com/">Newspaper Abstracts</a>, and adding to my 1,000,000 Pioneer Californians Project. [Breathe, Jeannie!] Wow, it's no wonder I haven't been here at my blog!!<br />
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My own genealogy research has come to a screeching halt. I'm putting a little money aside for next year to see if I can get <a href="http://www.fgs-project.com/missouri/b/BrwnWmM.html">my Brown family</a> back another generation, and to see if I can break my Van Sickle brick wall (which must be reinforced with steel). I'm also organizing my pictures and info. to make a genealogy scrapbook for my two wonderful nephews for Christmas.<br />
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Oh, but you're probably wondering what is going to happen with this blog? I'm going to [finally!] join the <a href="http://www.thegraveyardrabbit.com/2008/10/invitation-to-join-association-of.html">Association Of Graveyard Rabbits</a>. I'm sure <a href="http://heritagehappens.blogspot.com/">Cheryl</a> has given up on me, but I didn't forget my promise to her. Here's a small preview of what's to come: one day per week I will drive to some old or desolate graveyard and take some nifty pictures to share. I've seen some pretty remarkable graveyards and gravestones that I think deserve some more notice.Jeanniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15118103744959559899noreply@blogger.com3