I am getting a little frustrated trying to find Ethelbert Nichols and his family in the Wisconsin Censuses. Ethelbert, my 3rd great-grandfather, came to Wisconsin around 1840-1845. He was married to Laura Cooper, and all of their children were born in Wisconsin. At some point, he married Laura's sister, Roxy Ann, presumably after Laura's death. In 1863, Ethelbert is listed on the rolls of the US Civil War draft registrations as living in Manchester, Green Lake County, Wisconsin. In 1870, he and Roxy Ann were in Spencer, Iowa.
After fruitless searches, I began a page by page review of the 1860 US Census of Green Lake County to see if I could find Ethelbert in there. No luck. However, I did find his mother, Amy Nichols. She was living with her sister, Amanda Gilbert, in Green Lake County (Berlin). This was interesting to me, because the previous information I had on Amy was that she had remarried in 1854. Apparently, her second marriage was later than that! Also, I found out that the census transcriptions can really screw up a search. Amy Nichols was transcribed as Amy Michalos. And the Gilberts had been transcribed as Jilberts. So, I've learned something new about my ancestors...but still can't find Ethelbert and Laura and children! So, the search goes on.
Think I'll take a break from the Ethelbert search for a little while, though.
Monday, October 31, 2011
Monday, October 17, 2011
My Ketchum brick wall: Isaac Ketchum
Isaac is Chuck's great-great grandfather. The earliest record I have for him is that he was living in Tennessee in 1837 working for someone clearing a road. In the 1850 census, Isaac and his family were living in Marshall County Tennesee, and he is listed as having real estate worth $300. Listed:
Isaac-43, Susan-32, Mary-15, John-13, William-12, George-10, Squire-8, Sarah-6 and Eliza-1
In 1860, he is found (listed as Isaiah Ketchem) in the US Census living in St. Francois County, Missouri with his second wife, Elizabeth and their children
Listed: Isaac - 52, Elizabeth - 36, George - 17, Squier - 15, Ann - 13, Eliza - 11, Virginia - 8, Tennessee - 6, William Randolph - 17, Julia Randolph - 14, and Josephine Randolph - 4
In 1865, he is listed as living in Verandah township in Randolph County, Illinois with a total of 8 people in his household.
In 1870, his 2nd wife, Elizabeth, is listed in the 1870 census in Plattin, Missouri. (Jefferson County)
I have not found any record of Isaac's death, but it is likely that he died between 1865 and 1870 in either Missouri or Illinois. Seeing if his grave is found in Illinois is one of my goals for our next genealogy field trip.
Trying to chase his parentage is a little difficult, too. Others with family trees that include Isaac have him as the son of Joel Anderson Thomas Ketchum, who died in 1809 in West Virginia...and his mother is listed as Eleanor Tinsley who died in 1797, probably in North Carolina....since he was born in Virginia in 1808, I am pretty sure there is an error in this connection...so, I wait and hope that a record somewhere will shed some light on where he came from and where he ended up.
In the censuses, Isaac is listed as being born in Virginia around 1808
Isaac-43, Susan-32, Mary-15, John-13, William-12, George-10, Squire-8, Sarah-6 and Eliza-1
In 1860, he is found (listed as Isaiah Ketchem) in the US Census living in St. Francois County, Missouri with his second wife, Elizabeth and their children
Listed: Isaac - 52, Elizabeth - 36, George - 17, Squier - 15, Ann - 13, Eliza - 11, Virginia - 8, Tennessee - 6, William Randolph - 17, Julia Randolph - 14, and Josephine Randolph - 4
In 1865, he is listed as living in Verandah township in Randolph County, Illinois with a total of 8 people in his household.
In 1870, his 2nd wife, Elizabeth, is listed in the 1870 census in Plattin, Missouri. (Jefferson County)
I have not found any record of Isaac's death, but it is likely that he died between 1865 and 1870 in either Missouri or Illinois. Seeing if his grave is found in Illinois is one of my goals for our next genealogy field trip.
Trying to chase his parentage is a little difficult, too. Others with family trees that include Isaac have him as the son of Joel Anderson Thomas Ketchum, who died in 1809 in West Virginia...and his mother is listed as Eleanor Tinsley who died in 1797, probably in North Carolina....since he was born in Virginia in 1808, I am pretty sure there is an error in this connection...so, I wait and hope that a record somewhere will shed some light on where he came from and where he ended up.
In the censuses, Isaac is listed as being born in Virginia around 1808
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Gordon Kuether 1909-1987
Gordon Kuether would be my 2nd cousin 2x removed. His grandfather, Carl Kuether was the brother of my great-great grandmother, Louise Kuether (Kuter), who married Henry Groppel, the father of my great-grandmother, Martha Groppel Nichols.
So, doing my online Ancestry.com research, I found Gordon. In 1910, he was 10 years old and was living with his parents Charles and Marie at 100 Maria Avenue in St. Paul, Minnesota. This is near the address where Louise and Henry Groppel lived in 1800. Also living on that same street in 1800 was Carl Kuether, Gordon's grandfather.
In 1925, Gordon Kuether, along with two others was arrested for an attempted armed robbery. The victim turned the tables and the robbery was unsuccessful.
In June 1928, at age 18, Gordon enlisted in the Marines. He was at a Marine Corps base in San Diego, California until October 1928, when he was discharged for "inaptitude for service".
In the 1930 census, Gordon is an inmate at the Minnesota State Reformatory in St Cloud, Minnesota and is a woodworker in a door factory.
In 1942, Gordon sailed from Argentia, Newfoundland to the United States on the SS Santa Maria. The passenger list indicates that his home address was 810 Sherbourne Avenue in St Paul, Minnesota. He is noted to be serving at the Air Force Base in Newfoundland.
In April 1944, he signed on as a member of the crew on a Panamanian ship, Alderbaran, sailing from New York to the "High Seas".
In June 1994, the Alderbaran returned to New York, from Cuba. Gordon is listed on the manifest as a Junior Engineer in the crew. He was noted to have a tattoo on his right arm.
In November 1945, Gordon was on the US ship, SS Frederick Victory, traveling from Le Havre, France to New York, USA. In this passenger list, his home address is again 810 Sherburne Street in St Paul, Minnesota. He is also listed as a married man.
I have found no other records for Gordon, until his death on December 3, 1987 in St. Paul.
I would love to know the rest of Gordon's story. How did he end up in the reformatory? Did he re-enlist in the service during World War II? Who did he marry? Did he have any children? What did he do between 1945 and 1987? Perhaps I will be able to find more if and when we ever get to do a genealogy field trip to Minnesota.
So, doing my online Ancestry.com research, I found Gordon. In 1910, he was 10 years old and was living with his parents Charles and Marie at 100 Maria Avenue in St. Paul, Minnesota. This is near the address where Louise and Henry Groppel lived in 1800. Also living on that same street in 1800 was Carl Kuether, Gordon's grandfather.
In 1925, Gordon Kuether, along with two others was arrested for an attempted armed robbery. The victim turned the tables and the robbery was unsuccessful.
In June 1928, at age 18, Gordon enlisted in the Marines. He was at a Marine Corps base in San Diego, California until October 1928, when he was discharged for "inaptitude for service".
In the 1930 census, Gordon is an inmate at the Minnesota State Reformatory in St Cloud, Minnesota and is a woodworker in a door factory.
In 1942, Gordon sailed from Argentia, Newfoundland to the United States on the SS Santa Maria. The passenger list indicates that his home address was 810 Sherbourne Avenue in St Paul, Minnesota. He is noted to be serving at the Air Force Base in Newfoundland.
In April 1944, he signed on as a member of the crew on a Panamanian ship, Alderbaran, sailing from New York to the "High Seas".
In June 1994, the Alderbaran returned to New York, from Cuba. Gordon is listed on the manifest as a Junior Engineer in the crew. He was noted to have a tattoo on his right arm.
In November 1945, Gordon was on the US ship, SS Frederick Victory, traveling from Le Havre, France to New York, USA. In this passenger list, his home address is again 810 Sherburne Street in St Paul, Minnesota. He is also listed as a married man.
I have found no other records for Gordon, until his death on December 3, 1987 in St. Paul.
I would love to know the rest of Gordon's story. How did he end up in the reformatory? Did he re-enlist in the service during World War II? Who did he marry? Did he have any children? What did he do between 1945 and 1987? Perhaps I will be able to find more if and when we ever get to do a genealogy field trip to Minnesota.
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Time to plan our next Genealogy Field Trip
The tourist season will end in a few weeks, and I'll be able to take a little time off. We've been talking about our next field trip for almost a year. We are planning a trip to western Illinois, within an hour or so of St Louis. Chuck's Ketchum ancestors lived in small towns in Randolph County...so small there aren't any hotels there....so we're trying to find a bigger city to stay in while we explore. If we can take a little more time, we are thinking of tracking his mom's side up in Grafton area. There are so many places to explore in that area...I'd love to have time to visit some cemeteries in St Louis, too, since I have found a number of his ancestors' final resting places documented online. We will see what we find time to do. There is never enough time.
Thursday, February 3, 2011
George Alonzo McColley (1882-1921)
(Martha's 1st cousin, 3x removed)
George Alonzo McColley was the son of James McColley and Caroline Greene. James McColley was the brother of Martha's 2nd great grandmother (Hannah Elizabeth McColley m. Daniel Nichols). Caroline's father was the brother of Martha's 4th great grandmother (Amy Greene, m. Amos Nichols).
George was born in Faribault County, Minnesota in 1882. According to Pioneer Heritage (by Dallas McColley, 1993), George moved to the San Francisco, California area before 1905 and was there during the 1906 earthquake. He married Lulu Longergon with whom he had two children, Maurice (born 1908 in Oregon) and Marion (born 1910 in California). In the 1900 census, George was living with his parents in Prescott, Minnesota and working as a Farm Laborer. In the 1910 census, George, his wife Lulu and their two children were living in Santa Rosa, California with Lulu's parents and siblings. George was listed as being a restaurant worker. He and Lulu were still married when he registered for the World War I draft in 1917. At that time he was working as a driver for Standard Oil. At some point after that he divorced Lulu and married Ione Peterson. Reportedly, he and Ione were divorced in 1919 and Ione remarried to a Mr. F.E. Barrett. However, another article indicated that she was married to Mr. Barrett before she married George McColley, and was still married to George at the time of her death. In 1920, George was registered to vote and living in San Francisco.
On December 11, 1921, George McColley hand-wrote a will giving his belongings to his children, should they care to have them. On December 12, 1921, after George reportedly spent the weekend with Ione at the home of her parents, Ione was driving him to Petaluma and apparently along the way, he killed her and then killed himself.
Here is a copy of an article from the San Francisco Chronicle (taken from Newspapers.com) regarding the circumstances of his death (click photo to get an enlarged version):
The Oakland paper had a somewhat different description, indicating that Ione and George were still married at the time of the incident.
George Alonzo McColley was the son of James McColley and Caroline Greene. James McColley was the brother of Martha's 2nd great grandmother (Hannah Elizabeth McColley m. Daniel Nichols). Caroline's father was the brother of Martha's 4th great grandmother (Amy Greene, m. Amos Nichols).
George was born in Faribault County, Minnesota in 1882. According to Pioneer Heritage (by Dallas McColley, 1993), George moved to the San Francisco, California area before 1905 and was there during the 1906 earthquake. He married Lulu Longergon with whom he had two children, Maurice (born 1908 in Oregon) and Marion (born 1910 in California). In the 1900 census, George was living with his parents in Prescott, Minnesota and working as a Farm Laborer. In the 1910 census, George, his wife Lulu and their two children were living in Santa Rosa, California with Lulu's parents and siblings. George was listed as being a restaurant worker. He and Lulu were still married when he registered for the World War I draft in 1917. At that time he was working as a driver for Standard Oil. At some point after that he divorced Lulu and married Ione Peterson. Reportedly, he and Ione were divorced in 1919 and Ione remarried to a Mr. F.E. Barrett. However, another article indicated that she was married to Mr. Barrett before she married George McColley, and was still married to George at the time of her death. In 1920, George was registered to vote and living in San Francisco.
On December 11, 1921, George McColley hand-wrote a will giving his belongings to his children, should they care to have them. On December 12, 1921, after George reportedly spent the weekend with Ione at the home of her parents, Ione was driving him to Petaluma and apparently along the way, he killed her and then killed himself.
Here is a copy of an article from the San Francisco Chronicle (taken from Newspapers.com) regarding the circumstances of his death (click photo to get an enlarged version):
The Oakland paper had a somewhat different description, indicating that Ione and George were still married at the time of the incident.
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