Louise Reisenberg: A Leap of Faith (52 Ancestors #17)

Posted on April 29, 2015 by melissawiseheart under 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge, Family History, Genealogy, Photographs, Reisenberg Family, Schroeder Family, Stories

I am fortunate to have a family full of storytellers with long memories. What this means for me, though, is that my genealogical research primarily entails proving or disproving these stories. One story, on which I am currently working, is about my great great grandmother, Louise Reisenberg (or Risenburg).

Louise (Reisenberg) Schroeder, circa 1900.

Louise (Reisenberg) Schroeder, circa 1905.

Louise’s story, if I remember right, is as follows. One day, a sixteen year old Louise was working in the field on her family’s farm, she heard God tell her to leave her home and her family and go to America. She went back to the house and told her parents what God had told her to do. Her parents believed that she should do as God commanded and sold a cow to buy her passage to America. Louise didn’t speak a word of English, so she found a German family on the boat who were heading to Toledo, Ohio and she went with them. In Toledo, she got a job to support herself and married Frederick Schroeder.

Proving the story has been difficult, but I do believe that it is true based on what I have found so far.

Louise Reisenberg was born in Germany in November of 1860.^{1,5,6,8,10,11} She came to America in 1882, and arrived in Baltimore, Maryland on the Hermann on April 19th of that year, at the age of 21.^1,5,6,8 From Maryland, she went on to Ohio, where she met Frederick Schroeder. Fred and Louise married on May 8, 1882 in Lucas County, Ohio.² Louise was a carpet weaver.⁵ Fred and Louise had six children: Emma W., born circa 1883; Elizabeth A., born January 1885; Henry F., born circa 1887; Bertha Amelia, born March 30, 1890; John F., born October 1892; and George Herman, born September 21, 1896.^{3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12}

Fred died sometime between 1896 and 1900.^3,4,5 By 1900, Louise had been naturalized and could speak English.⁵ By 1930, she was living with her daughter, Bertha, and her son-in-law, Lloyd Bersticker. She lived with them until she died in 1955.^10,11

Most of the story couldn’t be directly proven with facts, but I feel that the facts support it. A sixteen year old Louise could have heard God, and her parents could have sold the cow. It may have taken some few years between the initial voice of God and setting off for America. It also would have taken about a month for the actual voyage. It seems likely to me that a non-English speaking young lady would have found a family to travel with that spoke her language. I also have to wonder if maybe this family had connections to the Schroeders in Toledo. Louise arrived in Maryland on April 19th and married Fred on May 8th, so maybe the family arranged it or suggested it. Louise certainly did have a job as a carpet weaver.

Louise Reisenberg Schroeder is one of my ancestors about whom I am dying to know more. She’s always been a bit of a mystery and I’m glad to have uncovered what I have so far.

Sources

1. Baltimore, Maryland Passenger Lists Index, 1820-1897, FamilySearch.org.

2. Lucas County, Ohio Marriages, 1789-1997, Vol. 3, p.379, FamilySearch.org.

3. Ottawa County, Ohio Births, 1841-2003, Vol. 1, p.324, no. 94, FamilySearch.org.

4. Ottawa County, Ohio Births 1891-1908, Vol. 2, p.245, no. 382, FamilySearch.org.

5. 1900 U.S. Federal Census, Benton, Ottawa, Ohio, p.12B, Ancestry.com.

6. 1910 U.S. Federal Census, Toledo, Lucas, Ohio, p.9A, Ancestry.com.

7. Genesee County, Michigan Marriages, 1868-1925, Vol. 2, p.335, FamilySearch.org.

8. 1920 U.S. Federal Census, Toledo, Lucas, Ohio, p.4A, Ancestry.com.

9. Lucas County, Ohio Marriages 1920, Vol. 39, p.483, FamilySearch.org.

10. 1930 U.S. Federal Census, Toledo, Lucas, Ohio, p.12B, Ancestry.com.

11. 1940 U.S. Federal Census, Toledo, Lucas, Ohio, p.7B, Ancestry.com.

12. The Blade Correspondent (Toledo), 5 October 1964, Obituary, Emma Damschroeder, found a copy in my grandparents’ box not cited.

Serilda Long: A Long Life (52 Ancestors #16)

Posted on April 22, 2015 by melissawiseheart under 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge, Family History, Genealogy, Gilliland Family, Long Family, Photographs, Stories

Serilda Long is another ancestor that I have had a hard time tracking. She has appeared as Serilda, Sirelda, Serelda, Serrelda, Serralda, Zerelda, Zerilda, and Cerelda. She has been Long, Gilliland (sometimes Gilleland, Gilland or Gillen), and Bridges. I really should re-evaluate how I spell it. I’ve just been spelling it Serilda because that’s how it appeared on the first record on which I saw it written. It appears most often as Zerelda or Serelda. But I digress.

Serilda Long was born on January 15, 1820, in Kentucky, to parents Daniel and Ruth (Lewis) Long.^{1,3,5,7,8,9,10} She married Leason Gilliland sometime before 1840.¹¹ The story I heard growing up was that Leason worked on a steamboat and was away a lot, but the 1840 Census says that he was employed in agriculture.² I suppose it is possible that he switched professions, as many of my ancestors have done, but that seems like a big change to me.

Serilda and Leason had Daniel circa 1838, William T. circa 1840, Ezra W. in 1841, and Mary Elizabeth on January 22, 1849.^{1,3,5,7,8,11,12} In 1850, Serilda and the children were living with Asa and Maria J. Loundsbury or Longsberry.³ Leason wasn’t there, which caused me to suspect that he had died. However, Sarah A. Gilliland was born in 1853.^5,7,8 Either Leason was still alive and happened to be away from home, prompting Serilda to move in with a friend or neighbor, or Sarah was illegitimate.

Leason was most likely dead by 1857 (I haven’t found evidence of a divorce), as Serilda married John T.M. Bridges on October 15 of that year.⁴ Shortly after their marriage, John Bridges was tried for and convicted of murder and was sentenced to life in Indiana State Prison in Jeffersonville, Indiana in 1859. (See Coroner’s Inquest, Trial Day 1, Trial Day 2, Trial Day 3, Trial Day 4, and The Verdict). By 1860, Serilda had taken a job as a seamstress to provide for her family.⁵ At some point during John’s confinement, they must have realized that the “preacher of the Gospel” who had married them was not actually ordained and the marriage, therefore, not legal. (See Marriage Mystery and Two Marriages). John was released from prison for good behavior on February 2, 1871 (See John Bridges), and Serilda married him again the very next day.⁶

John died in 1899, and Serilda went to live with her daughter, Sarah, and her children. Her son, Ezra, lived with them as well.⁸ Serilda lived with Sarah until her death on September 13, 1907.^1,9,10 Serilda lived a long life, but I wonder if she would have lived longer without all of the stress that she must surely have felt.

Serilda (Long) Gilliland Bridges, circa 1900.

Sources

1. Transcription of the Rakestraw Family Bible.

2. 1840 U.S. Census, Hardin, Kentucky, p. 30, Ancestry.com.

3. 1850 U.S. Census, New Albany, Floyd, Indiana, p. 105, HeritageQuestOnline.com.

4. Floyd County, Indiana Marriages, Volume 4, p. 485, Stuart Barth Wrege Indiana History Room.

5. 1860 U.S. Census, 6th Ward, New Albany, Floyd, Indiana, p. 106, FamilySearch.org.

6. Floyd County, Indiana Marriages, Volume 6, p. 644, Stuart Barth Wrege Indiana History Room.

7. 1880 U.S. Census, New Albany, Floyd, Indiana, p. 2B, HeritageQuestOnline.com.

8. 1900 U.S. Census, 5th Ward, New Albany, Floyd, Indiana, p. 16B, FamilySearch.org.

9. Floyd County, Indiana Deaths, Book CH-20, p. 32, Stuart Barth Wrege Indiana History Room.

10. Obituary, New Albany Evening Tribune, Friday, 13 Sept 1907, p. 4, column 2, Stuart Barth Wrege Indiana History Room.

11. Floyd County, Indiana Deaths, Book CH-33, p. 54, Stuart Barth Wrege Indiana History Room.

12. Floyd County, Indiana Deaths, Book CH-37, p. 67, Stuart Barth Wrege Indiana History Room.

Syntha Irey: The Synthesis of a Name (52 Ancestors #15)

Posted on April 15, 2015 by melissawiseheart under 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge, Documents, Family History, Genealogy, Rakestraw Family, Research Process

The Rakestraws have always been a difficult bunch to try to track down, the women in particular. Like her great granddaughter, Syntha (Irey) Rakestraw lived a short and mostly undocumented life. Also like her great granddaughter, her name is different on every record.

Syntha was born on April 8, 1803. Her father was Phillip (or Philip) Irey of Butler Township in Columbiana County, Ohio. She married Charles Rakestraw on December 6, 1821. The couple and some of their children moved to New Albany, Indiana sometime between 1832 and 1840. I’m still not sure how many children they had, but I have been able to prove eight and have leads on two more. Syntha died of consumption on December 11, 1849, and was buried at Fairview Cemetery on the 17th. I don’t know whether or not she originally had a tombstone, but she currently shares a stone with her daughter, Rebecca Dowerman, who died in 1901.

The first piece of documentation that I ever found for Syntha was the 1850 Mortality Schedule, on which her name is spelled “Sintha.” I had only “known” that she was married to my Charles Rakestraw because of a pedigree chart that my grandma had given me years ago.

1850 Mortality Schedule, Ancestry.com

With a piece of evidence in hand, Sintha is how I spelled it until someone saw it on my Ancestry tree and sent me a very nasty message about how I was spelling Syntha incorrectly and that I should have more respect for my ancestors than to spell their names incorrectly. Luckily, this didn’t turn me off to genealogy, but it did turn me off to having a publicly viewable tree on Ancestry.

The next record I came across was the marriage record for Charles Rakestraw and Sinthy Irey. Now, my grandpa always used to pronounce Missouri as miz-ur-ah and Sunday as sun-dee, so I can see how Sintha might have become Sinthy. I still couldn’t figure out where Syntha had come from, though.

Columbiana County, Ohio Marriages, Vol. 2, p. 103, FamilySearch.org

The next piece of the puzzle came when I borrowed the Rakestraw box of paperwork from my grandpa so that I could scan it all into my computer. Among the papers was a copy of Phillip Irey’s will, which appears to have been part of a probate record. For some reason, whoever copied it was only concerned with the will. In the will, Phillip names his daughter, Syntha Rakestraw.

At last, I knew where Syntha had come from! One day, while working, I came across a roll of microfilm labeled Fairview Cemetery Records, 1841-1864. I thought this strange because the Southern Indiana Genealogical Society had indexed all of the Fairview Cemetery record books and their first index started in 1852. So, like any history/genealogy obsessed, mystery loving librarian, I put the roll on and started to scroll through it. I took note of some names and dates, doing a random sampling. One of the pages that I happened to stop on was an interment record for a Mrs. Rakestraw who had been buried on December 17, 1849. Even though this record said the cause of death was “old lady,” which actually made me picture an old lady beating her to death with a purse, and Syntha had died of consumption, I was sure this had to be her. I included her name and interment date on my sample list.

Fairview Cemetery Records, 1841-1864, microfilm, Stuart Barth Wrege Indiana History Room

I began to go through the books on the cemetery index shelf to see if anything matched my sampling. I finally found matching names in Persons Buried in the Ground by the City of New Albany, which was a transcription of records for burials at the State Street Burying Ground that were later moved to Fairview, and early Fairview burials. Unfortunately, this didn’t clear up the Sintha/Syntha issue.

Then, last year, I decided to research my Rakestraw line to prove that they were here before December 31, 1840 to get a certificate from the Southern Indiana Genealogical Society’s First Families Program. In so doing, I had a hard time proving that Milton was the son of Charles and Syntha. I had to use a lot of siblings to prove connections. One of the records I used was Rebecca Dowerman’s death record. She was Milton’s sister, and her death record listed her parents names as Chas. Rakestraw and Cynthia Irey. Cynthia. Well, I guess I can see how that happened. The informant may not have really known Rebecca’s mother’s name, or they might have said Syntha and the clerk heard it differently. We all know how easily names can be butchered. I still had no second source for proving how to spell her name.

After I had completed the research for the First Families Program, I made plans to go to Fairview and try to find Syntha’s tombstone. My dad went with me. He said he remembered visiting a bunch of ancestor’s graves with his mom and he thought he could remember where they were. We did find a tombstone for Rebecca Dowerman with Cyntha Rakestraw also listed on it. So, now I also had Cyntha in the mix.

Tombstone, Rebecca Dowerman and Cyntha Rakestraw, Fairview Cemetery, photo taken by Melissa Wiseheart, 1 September 2014

A different name for every source. In case you are having a hard time keeping track, here are the variations:

I finally settled on Syntha because, in the absence of corroborating sources, I broke the name into parts and synthesized it in the most logical way I could think to. I most frequently saw it spelled with an “S” instead of a “C.” I most frequently saw it spelled “yn” over “in.” I most frequently saw it spelled “tha” over “thy” or “thia.” So, S-yn-tha. Syntha. It coincidentally agrees with the person who had rather harshly corrected me, but that didn’t influence my decision. I’m always on the lookout for records and would be excited to see if something finally agrees with one of these spellings.

Susanna Stähli: The Woman in the Polka Dot Dress (52 Ancestors #14)

Posted on April 7, 2015 by melissawiseheart under 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge, Family History, Genealogy, Photographs, Von Allmen Family

Friedrich and Susanna (Stähli) Von Allmen (ca. 1895)

Alright, so it isn’t truly polka dot, but I’m not sure what to call it. This is one of the family photographs that has always intrigued me. I often find myself wondering about Susanna Stähli. I love her dress. I also get the impression that she must have been stern, based on her expression here and how tightly her hair was pulled back.

I haven’t really researched my Von Allmen line, as I have a cousin who has done extensive research on them. I tend to research the other side of my family more. Almost everything I know about Friedrich and Susanna (Stähli) Von Allmen is thanks to my cousin, Shirley.

Friedrich and Susanna lived in Wilderswil, Switzerland and immigrated to America in 1883 on the S.S. Canada.

Von Allmen home in Wilderswil, courtesy of Shirley Wolf, Von Allmen Family File, Stuart Barth Wrege Indiana History Room

S.S. Canada, courtesy of Shirley Wolf, Von Allmen Family File, Stuart Barth Wrege Indiana History Room

S.S. Canada Passenger List, courtesy of Shirley Wolf, Von Allmen Family File, Stuart Barth Wrege Indiana History Room

Friedrich and Susanna had eleven children traveling with them, so I can see why Susanna would need to be stern. They purchased land in Floyd County, Indiana to start a dairy. It’s interesting to me that it looks as though they lived at the bottom of a knob in Switzerland and purchased similar land in Floyd County.

Floyd County land, courtesy of Shirley Wolf, Von Allmen Family File, Stuart Barth Wrege Indiana History Room

Gray-Von Allmen Sanitary Milk Company Truck, courtesy of Shirley Wolf, Von Allmen Family File, Stuart Barth Wrege Indiana History Room

Ewing-Von Allmen Dairy Products Bottle, in my possession.

According to St. Mark’s Baptismal Records, Friedrich and Susanna had two more children. As I mentioned before, Shirley has done extensive research and found that there was another child who did not live long.

St. Mark’s Baptismal Records, courtesy of Shirley Wolf, Von Allmen Family File, Stuart Barth Wrege Indiana History Room

Susanna died on December 16, 1898 of stomach cancer.

New Albany Evening Tribune, 17 December 1898, courtesy of Shirley Wolf, Von Allmen Family File, Stuart Barth Wrege Indiana History Room

Kraft Funeral Home Records, courtesy of Shirley Wolf, Von Allmen Family File, Stuart Barth Wrege Indiana History Room

Tombstone of Friedrich and Susanna Von Allmen at Atkins Cemetery, courtesy of Shirley Wolf, Von Allmen Family File, Stuart Barth Wrege Indiana History Room

This may sound strange, but this is, coincidentally, one of my favorite tombstones. It’s a very unique stone in the Atkins Cemetery and I was always drawn to it as a child attending the church.

I do intend to do my own research on the Von Allmens at some point, as I have lots of questions. One thing I often wonder is whether Susanna worked in the dairy or had another job. They immigrated in 1882 and she died in 1898, so there is no record of it on any Census. Certainly, if the dairy was as successful as it seems, she would have needed to be involved in the dairy work.

Von Allmen Family Crest, courtesy of Shirley Wolf, Von Allmen Family File, Stuart Barth Wrege Indiana History Room

George William Rakestraw: The One with the Confusing Timeline (52 Ancestors #13)

Posted on April 1, 2015 by melissawiseheart under 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge, Documents, Family History, Genealogy, Photographs, Rakestraw Family, Research Process, Tombstones

George William Rakestraw was the brother of my great great grandmother, Zerilda Rakestraw Springer. Unlike his sister, he is very well documented. Even so, I’ve had a difficult time researching him. He had an uncle who was also named George William, so he went by William or Willie, but he also had a son named William, who seemed to go by Willie as a child. Willie also had a son, Charles Marion and a cousin, Charles Marion. I understand wanting to honor family members, but at some point, it’s just too much. After hours upon hours of searching, deciphering, and some math, I have Willie mostly figured out.

George William Rakestraw, circa 1900.

George William “Willie” Rakestraw was born on August 20, 1873 in New Albany, Indiana, to parents Francis Marion and Mary Elizabeth (Gilliland) Rakestraw. He had dark hair and blue eyes. He was the baby of the family, as his sister was five years older.

An article appeared in the New Albany Evening Tribune, saying that Willie had married a Mamie Haine on February 2, 1891.

New Albany Evening Tribune, Tuesday, 3 February 1891, p. 4, column 3, Stuart Barth Wrege Indiana History Room

I could not find a marriage record for them in Floyd county, surrounding counties, or Illinois, where I though Mamie might be from. Willie would’ve been seventeen at the time, so he also would’ve needed parental permission to marry.

I did find that Willie married Mamie Haney in Floyd County, Indiana on October 9, 1891. It also appeared in the paper the following day.

Floyd County, Indiana Marriages, Vol. 10, p. 55, Stuart Barth Wrege Indiana History Room

New Albany Daily Ledger, Saturday, 10 October 1891, p. 4, column 3, Stuart Barth Wrege Indiana History Room

It seems their honeymoon period was short-lived because the paper on October 24, 1891 reports that Mamie had filed suit against Willie for support.

New Albany Daily Ledger, Saturday, 24 October 1891, p. 8, columns 2-3, Stuart Barth Wrege Indiana History Room

I couldn’t find what became of that suit, but I believe that Mamie went to Illinois without Willie and was pregnant at the time. I’ve looked at several family trees that say Mamie gave birth to Otto William Rakestraw in Mound City, Illinois on December 25, 1891. I have a copy of a photo of Otto Rakestraw that I got from my grandfather, but I have no proof of his relationship. I’ve sent letters out to try and obtain a copy of a birth record and I hope to hear from someone soon. Willie is listed as being in New Albany in both the 1890 and 1892 Caron’s City Directories, which is how I know he didn’t go with Mamie.

Here is where the timeline gets messy. That’s right, it wasn’t messy before. On October 8, 1893, William W. Rakestraw was born, the son of Willie by Lillian Margaret Bennett. At least, according to both of William W.’s marriage records (1917 and 1933). The 1900 Census and the transcription of the Rakestraw Family Bible both give October 8, 1894. I’m inclined to believe the marriage records, as Census are often wrong and I don’t have access to the original Rakestraw Family Bible to know if there were any transcription errors. There is no birth record on file for him, and his death record gives his birth date as October 8, 1898 (I’m thinking this was written by the informant as 1893 and misread by the clerk as 1898). I’m still holding out hope for a primary source to prove one or the other.

In those same family trees that mention Otto’s birth, it is written that Willie and Mamie were granted a divorce from Mound City on October 23, 1893. I have inquiries out on this as well, but it seems logical to me that infidelity would cause Mamie to file for divorce.

Willie married Lillie Bennett on April 14, 1894 in Floyd County, Indiana.

Floyd County, Indiana Marriages, Vol. 10, p. 363, Stuart Barth Wrege Indiana History Room

There are articles (I’ll get to them in a bit) that give marriage dates of January and April 1893, but since Willie and Mamie were still married that wouldn’t be possible, or at least not legal. I also couldn’t find any marriage records for Willie and Lillie on those dates.

Charles Marion Rakestraw was born on January 22, 1896 in New Albany, Indiana. He is the second son of Willie and Lillie.

Things go downhill for Willie and Lillie the following year. On April 9, 1897, Lillie filed suit against Willie for maintenance. The suit was dismissed on June 11, 1897.

New Albany Weekly Tribune, Friday, 9 April 1897, p. 7, column 2, Stuart Barth Wrege Indiana History Room

New Albany Weekly Tribune, Friday, 11 June 1897, p. 7, column 4, Stuart Barth Wrege Indiana History Room

Lillie then filed for divorce on December 1, 1897. This must have been a long process. It was listed on the court docket on January 14, 1898 and then again on October 1, 1898 and still the divorce was not granted.

New Albany Daily Ledger, Wednesday, 1 December 1897, p. 4, column 4, Stuart Barth Wrege Indiana History Room

New Albany Weekly Tribune, Friday, 3 December 1897, p. 5, column 2, Stuart Barth Wrege Indiana History Room

New Albany Weekly Tribune, Friday, 14 January 1898, p. 7, column 4, Stuart Barth Wrege Indiana History Room

New Albany Daily Ledger, Saturday, 1 October 1898, p. 4, column 5, Stuart Barth Wrege Indiana History Room

On February 20, 1899, Louise Rakestraw was born. Three weeks later, Lillie petitioned to dismiss the divorce case.

New Albany Daily Ledger, Tuesday, 14 March 1899, p. 4, column 4, Stuart Barth Wrege Indiana History Room

On May 24, 1899, Willie filed for divorce and it was granted by the court on June 17, 1899. He asked for and was granted custody of William and Charles.

New Albany Daily Ledger, Wednesday, 24 May 1899, p. 4, column 2, Stuart Barth Wrege Indiana History Room

New Albany Public Press, Wednesday, 31 May 1899, p. 4, column 3, Stuart Barth Wrege Indiana History Room

New Albany Daily Ledger, Saturday, 17 June 1899, p. 4, column 1, Stuart Barth Wrege Indiana History Room

Lillie and baby Louise went to live with Lillie’s mother. Willie, William, and Charles moved in with Willie’s parents and his niece, Mildred Springer.

On June 5, 1902, Willie married Lorena Bender in Louisville, Kentucky. By 1910, Willie and Lorena were living in Madison County, Illinois, but William and Charles were still living with Willie’s parents. Charles did spend some time in Illinois with his dad, as this letter, dated December 15th, indicates.

Willie and Lorena moved to Louisville at some point after 1918 (Willie’s draft registration shows he was still in Illinois). Willie and William ran a music store in Louisville until Willie’s death in 1935.

Tombstone, Cave Hill Cemetery, Louisville, Jefferson, Kentucky, George William Rakestraw, 1874-1935, photo courtesy of Rob M, Findagrave.com

I still have to wonder about Otto and Louise. Why did Willie not seek custody for either of them? Why didn’t he even acknowledge them? With all of my grandfather’s stories that had been passed down through the Rakestraw family, I had never heard of either one until I started researching Willie. William’s obituary said that he was survived by a sister, Louise, so I suppose he must have had some contact with her. I guess these are questions to which I may never know the answers.

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