Yearbook photos on Ancestry

Yesterday I started going through the documents for my Daughters of Union Veterans of the Civil War, 1861-1865 application, but I wanted a cup of coffee. I have found I cannot have a drink near my paperwork so I needed to do some work online.

I went to the little leaf on the title bar of my Ancestry.com account and followed some of those leads. Sometimes it's too time intensive and I can't follow those trails so I decided to go a different route. I opened up my tree and started looking at my tree in the vertical view vs. pedigree view. I like to look at hints that are newer than the 1800s. I like the ones of those that are still living.

I found my uncle's high school photo in his school yearbook. Today I found my cousin's photo in her yearbook. I'll often download the picture and then crop to make it their profile picture if I don't have one for them. These yearbook photos give me a glimpse into my family in other ways than I have seen them.

My uncle was fifteen when I was born so when this photo was taken I was about three. I kind of remember him in looking like this, but he still have would been in his twenties in my memory instead of a teen. It's fun to look in the yearbook and see if it really is a family member.

I do have a brother I've never met, and unfortunately passed away in 1988. He was only two years older that I am. I have a picture of him when he was very young, but none when he was older. I found a Paul Nelson that could be him, but I'm not sure. If so this would give me a glimpse into what he looked like as a schoolboy. I'll keep hunting and hopefully find something that gives me an image of him. Thanks Ancestry.com for providing these! I appreciate it!

                                                 

                                           

Address labels for document identification

Today's Geneaology was something I did yesterday and the day before. I was going through the photocopied documents needed for my DAR supplemental application. On the back of each photocopy should be your name and other identifying information in case papers get separated it is known to whom they belong.

I took some Office Depot return address labels-the 1/2 x 1 3/4" size and made up a template on Avery.com with the needed info. I typed in my name, my DAR number, and my DAR chapter name. I think I could have put my ancestor's name as well, but I didn't.

I also did the same thing for all the documents I'm turning into the National Society Children of the American Revolution. I'm in the process of submitting thirteen applications. Two for my youngest sons and eleven for some of my grandchildren.

When I first submitted my DAR app I wrote on every single document the needed info. This was a lot less time consuming and looks much neater.

It looked like this: Vikki Grieshaber  DAR#----------
                               Letitia Coxe Shelby Chapter

Happy Blogiversary to me!

I was surprised when I found this Happy Blogiversary Post to me today on GeneaBloggers Tribe. Wow! I am so honored. I don't post as much as I had hoped I would, but am trying to get caught up and post everyday like my original intent.

I have thirteen children and thirteen grandchildren. I still have five living at home. Recently an older son just moved out with his family after living with us for nine or so months. They were relocating from the East Coast back to the West Coast and needed a soft place to land. No sooner did they move out and a younger brother and his family are in the process of moving in.

I homeschool my youngest four and taxi them back and forth to various classes and extracurricular activities. This leaves little time to post on my blog. I'm going to try and post a little something every day though. Because! I do genealogy every day and posting what I'm doing or have found was why I started my blog in the first place.

Thanks so much GeneaBloggers Tribe for the Happy Blogiversary post! I appreciate it!

AncestryDNA Matches/Matches Map

I belong to the San Diego Genealogical Society and it's Facebook page. A recent post was about the little golden nugget found on Ancestry DNA Matches.  In the upper right hand corner and on the same title bar as your Hints/New/Starred/Regions is a little button that says, "Matches Map." When the button/link is clicked it takes you to a map and it shows you a map of the world, if widened enough. When I click I immediately see a map of the USA. It then shows me my matches up to 4th cousins.

The idea is that you can see where your DNA matches live and if any live close enough to you. I found a match very close in proximity to myself! The initials are CC and when I click the tear-dropped shape it tells me who it is and their relationship to me. This match happens to be a 4th cousin. I live very close to the Barona Indian Reservation, and recognized the last name immediately. It is the maiden name of one of my friends and is well known in the community.

It turns out they are from my paternal great-grandmother's side. My great-grandma was Susie Kregear and CC's mom was a Kregear. She was from Michigan as is my Kregear family. We corresponded back and forth a little bit and plan on meeting in person soon.

I had previously figured out that there were some other family members here in San Diego, but I hadn't figured out how we were related. Now I know.

It just goes to show that what you know could really valuable to someone else. If the poster on Facebook had not posted that I would never have taken the time to figure this out. Hopefully they'll have some photographs or wonderful bits of information on our Michigan family. I'm also happy to know other people who share a very distand past with me.

Joined the National Society United States Daughters of 1812 too!

Back in June 2016 I inquired with the San Diego Chapter of the National Society United States Daughters of 1812 about joining. I found a paternal grandfather that qualified, and he was from my maiden name of Nelson. I received an online application to print and fill out. I had homework to do!


This is the information I sent in the original email:

U.S., War of 1812 Service Records, 1812-1815

VIEW RECORD

Name	Sampson Nelson
Company	60 REG'T (MINOR'S) VIRGINIA MILITIA.
Rank - Induction	PRIVATE
Rank - Discharge	PRIVATE
Roll Box	152
Microfilm Publication	M602

I did have a hard time proving that my 3rd great-grandfather was the son of my 4th great-grandfather. My 4th great-grandfather Sampson Nelson died in the fall of 1830. My 3rd great-grandfather Eli Nelson, his son, was born about 1831. Since Sampson died before Eli was born they were not on any documentation together.

In the 1850 Census Nancy VonSchriltz (Sampson's widow who had remarried and my 4th great-grandmother, was listed as head of the household with an Eli aged 20. This was the earliest documentation I have found with Eli being tied together with the Nelsons.

Name

Eli Nelson

Age

20

Birth Year

abt 1830

Birthplace

Ohio

Home in 1850

Salem, Meigs, Ohio, USA

Gender

Male

Family Number

161

Household Members

NameAge

NameNancy Vonschriltz

Age57

NameLucy Ann Nelson

Age25

NameSilas Nelson

Age22

NameEli Nelson

Age20

By December 2016 I had sent my application to our local chapter membership registrar to preview. In December 2017 I received news that my application had been approved and I was an official member!

I attended my first 1812 meeting in April. They only meet twice a year, and with my schedule right now I'm not able to go. I'm hoping to free that up this coming year so I can participate. I did receive my name tag a few months ago, and I need to order my ribbon to wear to the meetings.

My lineage from Sampson Nelson:

Sampson Nelson

|

Eli Nelson

|

Rufus Nelson

|

Ray Nelson

|

Arthur Nelson

|

Victor Nelson

|

Me

Finding Your Roots starts January 8 on KPBS! Don't miss it!

Season 5 Guide

Joining the Daughters of the American Revolution

Earlier this year my application to join the Daughters of the American Revolution was approved! I swore in and took my oath in February joining the Letitia Coxe Shelby Chapter here in San Diego County.

I had been trying to go through a paternal line that had a bit of trouble with the documentation. After a phone conversation with my mom she sent me in a different direction. I was now going through my maternal line. My great-aunt belonged to DAR, and I only needed to prove my lineage to her! That was easy! I already had birth certificates for myself, my husband, my mom, and birth and death certificates for my dad, grandparents. I then showed where my grandfather and great-aunt were brother and sister. 

I had attended a meeting before my swearing in and so was happy to join these lovely ladies. I am now the Chaplain for our chapter. I've been able to attend monthly chapter meetings, district luncheons, and a service day. 

I have my ribbon with my official pins. My ancestor is my 4th great-grandfather Elihu Hickok. 

I've recently turned in a supplemental application for my patriot Thomas Comstock who was Elihu's father-in-law which would make Thomas my 5th great-grandfather.

     My lineage for Elihu Hickok:

                 Elihu Hickok (Sabra Comstock)

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Amanda Hickok

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William Harmon Wheeler

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Jennie Sarah Wheeler

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Harold Arthur Morgan

|

Merrilyn Jean Morgan

|

Me

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

             My lineage for Thomas Comstock:

                   Thomas Comstock (Sarah Comstock-his cousin)

|

Sabra Comstock

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Amanda Hickok

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William Harmon Wheeler

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Jennie Sarah Wheeler

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Harold Arthur Morgan

|

Merrilyn Jean Morgan

|

Me

A Cox Story: A Pioneer Family by Barbara J Cox

Today I had some downtime after providing security at a three day youth conference. I am "friends" with some of my extended family that I have found on Ancestry. My distant cousin Barbara J. Cox wrote a book entitled A Cox Story: A Pioneer Family which can be found online. I printed it out and placed it in a three ring folder so I could take it with me and read away from my computer.

Browsing through I saw that another family member Harriet E. Doud had written a fictionalized account of her pioneer life in Hoof-Beaten Trails where she gives insight into her childhood during the pioneer times. 

This is the description given by the seller: Harriet Eberly Doud (1841-1944) was born in Wood County, Ohio, taught school in Indiana before settling in Norwalk. She wrote this book of stories about the pioneers along the Portage River in western Ohio in 1893 but it was not published until 1938. 

I found it on ABE Books and ordered the seller's first edition copy hoping the seller still has it. I'm waiting to hear if they do. 

Here is an Amazon link to the book: Hoof-Beaten Trails

Blogiversary!

Ebenezer Johnson

Today I was researching Ebenezer Johnson on my maternal line. Ancestry gave me some hints, but I wanted to review the information I had to make sure these hints are for my Ebenezer Johnson. I reviewed one of my resources which is Vermont Wills and Probate Records, 1749-1999 for Ambrose N. Johnson who is Ebenezer's son.

My take away for today was in the Heir List on page 156. I was able to find middle initials for some of his descendants. This will help with hints in the future as I confirm that they are for my family or not.

Vermont, Wills and Probate Records, 1749-1999 for Ambrose N Johnson

Seeking Michigan: Correction Records

As I was using Facebook the other day I came across a post from someone speaking of the Correction Records from Seeking Michigan. I didn't know those existed on that site, but I immediately followed the link to see what I could find since my dad had been imprisoned in Jackson State Prison.

Correction Records

I ordered the index card since losing $5 was better than losing $10. I didn't get any confirmation that they had his record, but I figured they did, and I was right. I ordered it on Monday and received the digital copy today.

I still need to decipher the coding used, but I've already gained some information that I didn't have before.

On the index card I found:

1. He escaped from prison on March 31, 1968 and wasn't caught until April 4, 1968.

2. His IQ was 104.

3. His discharge date

4. FBI #

5. Height & weight, eye and hair color, complexion: ruddy, build: medium

6. He had a flower tattoo

7. Last address

8. Military record: Navy

9. Education: 10

10. Occupation: Railroad Switchman

Since I found all of this information plus more I decided to spend the $20 to purchase the Corrections Registry to see if I can find out why he was incarcerated. The note on the card says R/UnA for Offense. Then his secondary was Prison Escape.

I had a hard time finding the Correction Records on Seeking Michigan again. I had to travel through my browsing history to find it. I'll update after I receive the registry.

Arthur Stephen Morgan and Jennie Wheeler Morgan

For some reason I was researching my 2nd great aunt and her daughters; my first cousins 2x removed. I noticed that Blanch had some 24 hints on Ancestry so I clicked and found a goldmine! There was a family picture that included my 2nd great-grandmother Rhoda Bailey Spear Morgan. I have seen a picture of her before, but was excited to come across another picture that had been submitted by Ancestry member chrogonin.

Then I found them. My Great-Grandparents;Arthur and Jennie (Wheeler) Morgan I have never seen a picture of them before. I had no idea what they looked like. The picture was taken before my grandfather was even born. The youngest family member in the picture was born in 1894. My grandfather was born in 1908. From this picture it's evident to me he had his mother's eyes.

Arthur Stephen Morgan and Jennie Wheeler Morgan (my great-grandparents)

Their son Harold Morgan and his wife Agnes Long Morgan (my maternal grandparents)

The original picture

The National Society United States Daughters of 1812

I've been working on my application to apply to The National Society United States Daughters of 1812. I'm hoping to join from my Nelson line through Sampson Nelson. I've sent my application in for preview. I've copied my documents, and written the necessary information on the back of each. My glitch is that Sampson Nelson and Eli Nelson, his son, never appear in documents together by name. Sampson died the year Eli was born. Eli is listed in the 1830 census as a tic mark, but not a name. I don't have a birth or death record for Sampson either. I do have a marriage record, and his 1812 service record which I found on Ancestry and Fold3.

To further complicate things his wife was Ann Carnes, but went by Nancy. On their marriage record she is listed as Ann Carnes, but after that is referred to as Nancy Nelson. When Sampson died Nancy married his friend Lewis Vonschriltz so she is also Nancy Vonschriltz. Nancy is on record as having a son named Eli Nelson so I'm hoping those facts can be tied together.

Now I'm going to work on application to Daughters of the American Revolution.

Happy Hunting!

1860 Census for Salem Township, Pomeroy, Meigs, OH

In today's research I researched Eli Nelson my 3rd great-grandfather. I'm trying to provide a good direct link between him and his father in documents which hasn't been easy. His father Sampson Nelson died the year Eli was born.

I hit the Search button on Ancestry.com, and up came an 1860 Census for Ohio. I looked over the page, but there are a few discrepancies with the information stated in the census. So what to do? Is this my Eli Nelson? How do I work through the information?

On line 20, N Nelson is listed. However I need E Nelson not N Nelson. Who is listed with him? Matilda who is a 27 year old female, Roena a 5 year old female, and Mills a 5 year old male.

Facts as I know them: My Eli Nelson has a wife named Matilda who would have been 27 at the time of this census. Eli had a daughter names Rowena/Roena who would have been 5 at this time, Eli had a son named Miles about age 3 at this time.

Right below N Nelson is a N Vonschriltz, 66 year old male.  I believe this was actually my 4th great-grandmother Eli's mother Nancy Nelson Vonschriltz. Nancy would have been 66 or 67 at the time of this census. Listed with N Vonschriltz is L Nelson 36 year old female who was likely Nancy's daughter-Eli's sister Lucinda Nelson who would have been 36 at the time of this census. I don't have Lucinda as ever being married so her living with her mother at age 36 would have been normal, I believe. Under L Nelson is E Rifee 16 year old male. Nancy's daughter Mary Nelson married Andrew Rife and had a son named Eli Rife who would have been 16 in 1860.

Given the info in this census I believe they are my Eli Nelson and Nancy Vonschriltz. This helps me narrow down Nancy's death period as I didn't have anything on her past 1850. I will continue to research this document. I have looked several pages before and after. There are other Nelsons and Vonschriltzs in the the area at that time. Ultimately I would like to know when Nancy died and where she is buried.

Vietnam Veteran's Peace Memorial-San Diego

I found it! Many years ago (20-yes it's taken me that long) the memorial was moved from Old Town to Balboa Park. As I usually only went to the San Diego Zoo when I ventured to Balboa Park I never knew where it was located. In the past years we started using the Park more with home schooling field trips and high school graduations from River Valley, While we were down there I always wondered where the memorial was, but never knew.

On October 1 we went to a wedding and as we were walking away from the wedding-there it was! It was hidden behind a building. No wonder why we never saw it when we drove by scanning the lawns for anything that would resemble a memorial.

Here are the pics I took with my iPhone which has miserable focus.

                                 My uncle's name is on the right side, second from the bottom.

                                                             Morgan, Ronald E. PFC

DAR Records and Genealogy Information Found Within Them

Saturday when I went to the San Diego Genealogical Society's monthly Saturday meeting a representative from the SAR (Sons of the American Revolution) and the DAR (Daughters of the American Revolution were there. The DAR rep opened up new avenues for me. There is some family I haven't been able to find either a date or a document. As I understood it only the first three generations starting with me need both exact dates and places of births, deaths, marriages. Past those generations one good date is needed. Hurrah! I might have an exact death date, but not an exact birth date. This opens up the possibilities for me!

I went online to the DAR website and started researching my under the green GRS tab at the top of the page. I then went down to the Ancestor link and typed in my known Revolutionary ancestors.
I have three that I know of that have been confirmed with DAR.

Those men are:
Nathaniel Hollister
Moses Stickney, Sr.
Paul Stickney

For Nathaniel Hollister I purchased the Application that had been submitted by someone else for $10, and the supporting documents they submitted for $20. Gold mine!

I instantly found birth and death dates for several people, spouses, children, etc...which when I posted the info on my Ancestry.com tree opened up new hints and now I have some photos to go with those faces.

Just this morning I found the Civil War records for a 5th great uncle, several headstone pictures on Find-A-Grave.

I found I had purchased the application for Moses Stickney, Sr. in the past, but would still like to purchase the supporting docs for him.

By the way all three of these men came from my father's side which is very redeeming. My father wasn't known for being an upstanding citizen so to find all these wonderful men in my lineage well it's very satisfying.

Happy Hunting!

Silas Nelson-My 4th great uncle

                                          

Silas Nelson

Silas is my 4th great uncle on my father's father's side. On Ancestry.com I came across a page of links that Lilajane2 had originally posted. It's titled Links about Capture of OH 7th Knoxville CAMPAIGN. I read through this treasure and found a link for the book pictured above.

My Uncle Silas was part of the Ohio 7th Calvary. He died of chronic diarrhea in Richmond, VA, where Belle Isle is located in April 1864.

According to Links about Capture of OH 7th Knoxville CAMPAIGN, "Participating in the Knoxville Campaign in the autumn of 1863, the 7th suffered a significant setback in a small skirmish in Greeneville, TN, on Nov. 6. Confederate Major General Robert Ransom, Jr., and Brig. General William E. "Grumble" Jones dispersed Union cavalry and infantry in the area, seizing numerous prisoners from the 7th Ohio Cavalry and the 2nd East Tennessee Mounted Infantry regiments.

The book shown above is one man's look into what happened to those men taken captive. One of those men was Salmon Bickel.  Supposedly Salmon Bickel was a relative of Silas Nelson, but I haven't found that connection yet. I Googled Salmon Bickel and found this; http://www.galliagenealogy.org/History/salmon.htm

I've been able to find Sila's Death Registry in the U.S., Registers of Deaths of Volunteers, 1861-1865, and his widow's Pension application.

I've started reading John Ransom's Andersonville Diary, and look forward to finding out more about my 4th great uncle, Silas Nelson.

Making Connections

Been corresponding with two DNA matches. We're all three related, but the other two don't know who their biological fathers are. I seem to match a few other people who don't know their fathers. One had hired a professional researcher and I was her closest DNA match, but we're still distant, distant cousins. Hopefully they find their answers sooner than later.

Philander Wickham

Researching the Wickham line today after receiving an email about DNA and matching. I
match a Wickham with only 2 segments, but trying to figure out who our common ancestor 
is. I'm starting at the last known male Wickham in my line which is my 4th great-grandfather
George Wickham and his wife Lydia Cox.

George Wickham's life story according to Ancestry.com: When George Wickham was born on February 20, 1813, in New York, his father, Asher, was 25 and his mother, Hope, was 27. He married Lydia Cox on July 4, 1833, in Wood County, Ohio. They had nine children in 26 years. He died in 1890 in Toledo, Ohio, having lived a long life of 77 years.

I have researched the Wickham's before, but I am going back and researching the male line to try and find the match with whom I share DNA. 

I started with George and Lydia's oldest son Philander. Philander is my 4th great-uncle. Philander was from Ohio serving in Union army. He died from wounds encountered in the Civil War: 28 Feb 1864 • Died from wounds Company D, 111th Infantry Regiment Ohio on 12 Apr 1864, Knoxville, Knox County, TN, USA. He is buried in the Knoxville National Cemetery in Tennessee. 

Since Lydia his mother is listed as his beneficiary on the Civil War Pension card, it is my assumption that he died a single man. Thus my match doesn't descend from Philander.

Photo credit from Find-A-Grave.

My Ebay Find

One evening I was researching my husband's side of the family on Ancestry.com. I had been working on Henry and Mary Magdalena Allgeier who lived in Indiana. Henry and Lena are his 2nd great grandparents on his paternal side. I was telling him that sometimes people sell old pictures on ebay. To show him I went to ebay and typed in the names I had just been researching. A whole page of items showed up. These pictures were for sale on ebay. I couldn't believe it. I was able to negotiate with the seller and she brought the price down 60% for me which was the same had I only bought one picture. She had bought a photo album from someone in another state with the intention of selling the individual photos, and these photos were labeled. My husband's family landed in Kentucky, but this side of the Allgeier family traveled to Indiana to live.

Henry and Lena (Magdalena) Allgeier with two of their children

Henry Allgeier-2nd great grandfather

Frank Allgeier -2nd great grand uncle (Henry's 1/2 brother)

Joseph and Nicolas Allgeier -Great Grand Uncles ( Henry and Lena Allgeier's children)