Viola Browning: The Traveler (52 Ancestors #47)

Posted on by under 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge, Browning Family, Documents, Family History, Genealogy, Photographs, Research Process

This week’s ancestor isn’t in my direct line.  She’s my half third great aunt, my third great grandfather’s daughter from his second marriage.  I took an interest in her simply because of an interesting document I came across.

As I was going through one of my grandparents’ boxes of papers, I found a stack with surnames I didn’t recognize:  Hite, Dell, Ringold, Orr.  I hate it when I can’t connect people, so I set to work.  My first clue was a death record for Viola Browning Hite Dell, the daughter of Daniel Browning and “unknown.”

Daniel’s wife, Ossian, has always been a mystery.  Thinking that Viola might lead me to more information on Ossian made me want to continue to pursue this lead.  The next document was a copy of a passport with a photo.  This was the first time I had come across a non-traditional source and I was very excited.  The copy is poor, but I was able to make out the information.

Browning, Viola - Passport

Passport for Viola Browning Hite, 1920.

Further research revealed that Viola was not Ossian’s daughter, but Daniel’s daughter with his second wife, Nancy Catherine Ringold.1  This was a clue as to what happened to Ossian and when.  I followed that lead, and then I came back to Viola.  I wondered what else I could find on her.

Melvina Viola Browning was born on August 22, 1878 in Jefferson County, Kentucky.1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,12,13  Her parents were Daniel and Nancy Catherine (Ringold) Browning.1,13  Viola married William Marders Hite in 1898.2,3,4  They had one daughter together, Clara M.2,3  William died on March 3, 1917 of myocarditis.4

In March of 1920, Viola applied for a passport, with the purpose of traveling to Holland.6  She received her passport the next week and did go to Holland.7  Viola returned from Rotterdam in June of 1920 on the S.S. Noordam.8

Passenger Ships and Images, N Noordam 1902-1923

S.S. Noordam

New York, Passenger Lists, 1820-1957, Roll T715, 1897-1957 2001-3000 Roll 2785

Passenger list for S.S. Noordam, 9 June 1920.

Some time after her return, Viola moved in with her daughter and son-in-law, Clara and Luther Wetherby.9  By 1940, she was living on her own again and had taken in a boarder.10

Shortly after that, Viola moved to Florida.  She married James W. Dell in Pinellas County, Florida in 1949.11  Viola died on November 12, 1963 in St. Petersburg, Florida.  She was buried in Pleasant Grove Baptist Church Cemetery in Pleasant Grove, Kentucky.13

Sources

  1. Ancestry.com. 1880 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2004.  Year: 1880; Census Place: Boston, Jefferson, Kentucky; Page: 4D; Enumeration District:0089.
  2. Ancestry.com. 1900 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2004.  Year: 1900; Census Place: Middletown, Jefferson, Kentucky; Roll: 533; Page: 11A; Enumeration District:0147; FHL microfilm: 1240533.
  3. Ancestry.com. 1910 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2006.  Year: 1910; Census Place: Anchorage, Jefferson, Kentucky; Roll: T624_483; Page: 5B; Enumeration District:0001; FHL microfilm: 1374496.
  4. Ancestry.com. Kentucky, Death Records, 1852-1963 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2007.
  5. Ancestry.com. 1920 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2010. Images reproduced by FamilySearch.  Year: 1920; Census Place: Middletown, Jefferson, Kentucky; Roll: T625_577; Page: 4A; Enumeration District:7; Image: 663.
  6. Ancestry.com. U.S. Passport Applications, 1795-1925 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2007.  National Archives and Records Administration (NARA); Washington D.C.; NARA Series: Passport Applications, January 2, 1906 – March 31, 1925; Roll #: 1120; Volume #: Roll 1120 – Certificates: 1500-1875, 26 Mar 1920-26 Mar 1920.
  7. Passport. 26 Mar. 1920. Viola Browning Hite. Copy in My Possession, New Albany, Indiana.
  8. Ancestry.com. New York, Passenger Lists, 1820-1957 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.Year: 1920; Arrival: New York, New York; Microfilm Serial: T715, 1897-1957; Microfilm Roll: Roll 2785; Line:12; Page Number: 49.
  9. Ancestry.com. 1930 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2002.  Year: 1930; Census Place: District 1, Jefferson, Kentucky; Roll: 752; Page: 10A; Enumeration District: 0184; Image: 212.0; FHL microfilm: 2340487.
  10. Ancestry.com. 1940 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012.  Year: 1940; Census Place: Jefferson, Kentucky; Roll: T627_1320; Page: 9A; Enumeration District: 56-15.
  11. Ancestry.com.  Florida Marriage Indexes, 1822-1875 and 1927-2001 [database on-line].  Provo, UT, USA:  Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2006.
  12. Ancestry.com. U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2015.
  13. Florida Office of Vital Statistics. Certificate of Death. 13 Nov. 1963. Viola Browning Hite Dell. Copy in My Possession, New Albany, Indiana.

 

Owen Lindley: Quaker Records Are the Key (52 Ancestors #46)

Posted on by under 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge, Family History, Genealogy, Lindley Family

Owen Lindley, my sixth great grandfather, is another one of the Quakers who made the journey from Orange County, North Carolina to Orange County, Indiana in 1811.  He was the nephew of Jonathan Lindley and Deborah Dicks.  When I went back through my files to see what I had on him, I realized that was almost all I knew about Owen.

I began searching for him on Ancestry.  With their recently added Quaker records, I felt sure I would find something.  And I did.

Owen Lindley was born on the 9th day of the 6th month, 1763, in Orange County, North Carolina.1,2,3,5,6,7  His parents were Thomas and Sarah (Evans) Lindley.1,2,3,6  He married Sarah Thompson in 1784.3,4,5,7  They had six children:  James, Sarah, Martha, Thomas, Jonathan, and David (1797-1797).3,5,7  Sarah died in 1797, possibly due to complications from child birth, and Owen married Grace Chambers in 1798.3,6,7,8  Their children were Aran, Polly, Queen Amy, Elizabeth, Elenor, Grace, David, Owen, and Chambers.7,8

Owen died sometime between June 2, 1828 and July 21, 1828.7,8  He left a very detailed will, wherein he leaves his mare, Blaze, to his wife.8  I don’t know why, but I always enjoy reading about ancestors’ pets.  I suppose it makes them seem more alive to me.

The Annual Monitor for 1830 had a nice paragraph about him:

In early life he submitted to the baptizing power of Truth; and thereby was qualified to become a useful member of the Church.  In his last illness he forcibly expressed the interest he felt in the dear Redeemer.9

I’m very glad I was able to find this information on Owen Lindley.   I often get frustrated with Ancestry because they update so often and everything changes.  However, the addition of the Quaker records definitely made me very happy.  Without them, I wouldn’t have known much about Owen. Hopefully, I can continue to collect information on him.

Sources

  1. Ancestry.com. U.S., Quaker Meeting Records, 1681-1935 (database on-line). Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014.  Guilford College; Greensboro, North Carolina; Records 1814, Volume 11; Collection: North Carolina.
  2. Ancestry.com.  U.S., Hinshaw Index to Selected Quaker Records, 1680-1940 (database on-line).  Provo, UT, USA:  Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012.
  3. Ancestry.com. U.S., Encyclopedia of American Quaker Genealogy, Vol I–VI, 1607–1943 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2013.
  4. Yates Publishing. U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560-1900 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2004.
  5. Ancestry.com. U.S., Quaker Meeting Records, 1681-1935 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014.  Guilford College; Greensboro, North Carolina; Women’s Minutes, 1838-1885; Collection: North Carolina Yearly Meeting Minutes.
  6. Heritage Consulting. Millennium File [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2003.
  7. Brown, Roger. “Owen Lindley (1763-1828).” Find A Grave. Findagrave.com, 04 Sept. 2015. Web. 20 Nov. 2015. Find A Grave Memorial# 151843637.
  8. Ancestry.com. Indiana, Wills and Probate Records, 1798-1999 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2015.  Probate Records, 1816-1943; Author: Indiana. Circuit Court (Orange County); Probate Place: Orange, Indiana.
  9. Ancestry.com. U.S. and UK, Quaker Published Memorials, 1818-1919 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2013.

 

Paul Razor: An Unexpected Revolutionary Ancestor (52 Ancestors #45)

Posted on by under 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge, Documents, Family History, Genealogy, Razor Family

Paul Razor was my fifth great grandfather.  He married Mary Catherine Cook.  This was really all I knew about him until last week.  I was researching him to see if I could turn anything up and I came across a reference to service in the Revolutionary War.  Since I have access to the select and non-select Revolutionary War pension records, I looked for him in the index.  There he was.  I pulled the corresponding roll of microfilm and found the documents pertaining to Paul Razor.  It is often difficult to read the writing, but I’ve learned quite a bit about him.

Paul Razor began his service in Pittsylvania County, Virginia in April of 1777.  He volunteered under Captain William Witcher for six months.  They began at Pittsylvania Old Courthouse and marched to Long Island, where they were stationed under the command of Colonel Shelby.  Here, they were charged with driving the Indians out of the settlements.  In June of 1781, no longer a volunteer, he was instructed to take a load from the mill to Pittslyvania County and to William Penn’s house in Amherst County, Virginia in his wagon with his team of horses.  He was then ordered to join the army near Williamsburg.  He did meet the army, which was under the command of General Lafayette and General Wayne.  Paul was then attached to this unit and was employed in hauling goods and whatever else they needed a wagon to do.  They then marched to Petersburg and continued on toward Richmond.  They camped 18 miles below Richmond.  Here he was discharged by General Wayne in September of 1781.

He requested pension in January of 1834.  In his pension request he included other information about himself.  Paul Razor was born in Easttown, Pennsylvania in 1750.  He lived in Pittsylvania County, Virginia until 1790.  He then moved to Fayette County, Kentucky, where he lived for five years.  He then moved to Shelby County, Kentucky, where he lived at the time of his pension request.  His testimony of service was confirmed by two witnesses and pension was granted.

Sources

  1. National Archives and Records Administration. “Paul Razor (R8626).”  Microfilm. Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application Files (Select and Non-select) (1800-1900): roll m804-2008. Accessed 4 November 2015. Stuart Barth Wrege Indiana History Room.

Deborah Dicks: Conviction and Courage (52 Ancestors #44)

Posted on by under 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge, Dicks Family, Family History, Genealogy, Lindley Family

It is 1811.  You are a Quaker woman living in North Carolina, a slave state.  You are anti-slavery.  In fact, your husband is an abolitionist.  One night, the two of you discuss what can be done about your situation.  Although North Carolina is your home, living in a place where a man, or woman, is considered less than another solely because of the color of their skin is unconscionable.  Something has to be done.  It is decided that you and your extended family will move to a free territory.  Your husband makes the necessary arrangements and discusses the plan with family and friends.  When the day arrives, you are one of 218 people traveling to Indiana territory.  This land is mostly wooded, and the Indians living there are often hostile.  It will take weeks to reach this new home, and a dwelling will have to be built upon arrival.

How terrifying must this have been?  I don’t know that I would have had that much courage, but Deborah (Dicks) Lindley did.  That was just part of her story.

Deborah Dicks was born on the tenth day of the tenth month in 1757.1,2,3  Her parents, Zacharias Dicks and Ruth Hiatt, were both Quaker ministers.1,2,3,4,5  She married Jonathan Lindley, a Quaker abolitionist, in 1775.2,3,4,5,6  They had twelve children.2,3,7,8

In 1811, seeking a life in a land free from slavery, Deborah, along with her husband, 29 other family members, 75 other Quakers, and many free black families, moved from her home in Orange County (now Alamance County), North Carolina to the wilderness of the Indiana territory.  Their original destination was Terre Haute.  Due to Indian discontent in that area, they settled further southeast of their original destination.  They named this area Orange County after their home county.2,3,4,5,8

Sadly, Deborah died on August 9, 1811, just a few weeks after her arrival.  Her grave is the first marked grave of a white woman in Orange County, Indiana.2,3,5,8

Jonathan and Deborah Lindley memorial stone with original tombstones on either side. Photo taken by Melissa Wiseheart, 28 Feb 2014.

Jonathan and Deborah Lindley memorial stone with original tombstones on either side. Photo taken by Melissa Wiseheart, 28 Feb 2014.

Sources

  1. Ancestry.com. U.S., Quaker Meeting Records, 1681-1935 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014.  Guilford College; Greensboro, North Carolina; Minutes, 1700-1900; Collection: North Carolina Yearly.
  2. “Deborah Dicks Lindley.” Find A Grave. Jacquie Cooksey, 07 Sept. 2006. Web. 20 Oct. 2015.
  3. Dunaway, Stewart E. The Battle at Lindley’s Mill. Second ed. S.l.: Lulu, 2009. Print.
  4. Powell, William Samuel. Dictionary of North Carolina Biography. Vol. 4, L-O. Chapel Hill U.a.: U of North Carolina Pr., 1996. Print.
  5. McCormick, Mike. Terre Haute: Queen City of the Wabash. Charleston, SC: Arcadia, 2005. Print.
  6. Yates Publishing. U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560-1900 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2004.
  7. Ancestry.com. U.S., Quaker Meeting Records, 1681-1935 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014.  Guilford College; Greensboro, North Carolina; Records 1814, Volume 11; Collection: North Carolina.
  8. Oslund, Nancy Lindley. “Jonathan Lindley: The Paoli Pioneer.” The INGenWeb Project. INGenWeb, Nov. 2003. Web. 26 Aug. 2015.

Heinrich Ludwig Wilhelm Schröder: A Question of Paternity (52 Ancestors #43)

Posted on by under 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge, Family History, Genealogy, Photographs, Research Process, Schröder Family, Schroeder Family

As I’ve mentioned before, my grandma gave me a pedigree chart years ago.  I use this chart as a road map to finding out more about my ancestors.  On this chart, my grandma gave my great-great-grandfather’s, Frederick Ludwig Schroeder, birthday as December 12, 1850 and his parents as Heinrich Ludwig Wilhelm Schröder and Louise Reese.  I have yet to figure out where she found this information.

Years ago, I entered my family tree on MyHeritage.com and, in so doing, connected with a cousin I never knew I had.  This cousin provided me with a photograph of Heinrich and his parents, Friedrich Wilhelm Schröder and Auguste Wilhelmine Besser.

Frederick Wilhelm Schroeder, Auguste Wilhelmine (Besser) Schroeder, and Heinrich Ludwig Wilhelm Schroeder (ca. 1875)

Frederick Wilhelm Schroeder, Auguste Wilhelmine (Besser) Schroeder, and Heinrich Ludwig Wilhelm Schroeder (ca. 1875)

Earlier this year, I began to get curious about Heinrich.  I looked for him on FamilySearch and found an index to his baptismal record.  He was christened on January 5, 1851.  If that date is correct and Frederick’s birth date is correct, there is no way he could be Frederick’s father!

Unfortunately, there was no image attached to the index and it didn’t give much information.  Fortunately, I work in a place that is certified to receive film on loan from the Family History Library in Salt Lake City.  I ordered the associated roll, Deutschland Geburten und Taufen, 1558-1898 (German Births and Baptisms, 1558-1898), and looked for Heinrich’s record.  My German is very basic, but I managed to find and decipher it.

Heinrich Ludwig Wilhelm Schröder, son of Friedrich Wilhelm Schröder and Auguste Wilhelmine Besser was born on December 13, 1850 in Prussia.1  Definitely not Frederick’s father.  I feel as though we must be related if we have a photograph, but I haven’t yet figured out how.  Could Heinrich and Frederick be cousins?

It’s disappointing to have to take two generations off of the tree, but I’d rather have it be right.  There is still much work to be done on Frederick to find out who his father was.  My biggest hurdle is that Frederick didn’t live very long.  Consequently, I’m a little stuck as to where to look next for evidence of his parents.

Sources

  1. “Deutschland Geburten und Taufen, 1558-1898,” , FamilySearch(https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NZ5S-8XJ : accessed 12 August 2015), Friedrich Wilhelm Schroeder in entry for Heinrich Ludwig Schroeder, 05 Jan 1851; citing ; FHL microfilm 1,050,751.