TJL Genes : Preserving Our Family History

A Pension File Settles It

noreply@blogger.com (Travis LeMaster) — Mon, 26 Oct 2026 09:51:19 +0000

A single government file settled this week, in one stroke, a question this blog has carried for years: was James Wesley Harris really the son of Miles W. Harris? It also handed me a second son nobody in my database had ever heard of, the bride’s maiden name in the clerk’s own hand, and my great-great-grandmother’s birth date in hers.

The file is the widow’s pension for Miles W. Harris — NARA Record Group 15, case WC 18474 (Application 30815, Certificate 14474). Miles enrolled 12 August 1862 in Monroe County and mustered in as a private in Company B, 67th Indiana, at Madison a week later. The July–August 1863 roll has him “absent sick in Hospital Millikens Bend La. since April 12th 1863.” He died 1 July 1863 at Jefferson Barracks General Hospital in St. Louis, of chronic diarrhoea — the Surgeon General’s report and his widow’s declaration agree.

James is proven Miles’s son

The key page is the 1869 “Affidavit as to Births of Minor Children.” Eusebius Stine of Stinesville, who was present at the birth, swore on 27 January 1869 that “James Wesley Harris born on the 21st day of August 1862 at Monroe County and state of Indiana,” the child of Miles W. Harris and Martha E. Harris. Martha’s own 1864 affidavit says the same, and the Pension Office’s 1869 increase brief lists the children as “proved by credible eyewitnesses.” James’s birth date and county are proven — his 1926 death certificate was right all along, and the census age scatter is superseded. One scribal slip to note: her increase declaration writes “31st August” once, against four records saying the 21st. And since the family’s post office was Stinesville throughout, “Stinesville” as his birthplace is now probable rather than unproven.

A second son, born after his father’s death

The same increase brief names a second child: William Henry Harris, born 14 March 1864 — eight months after Miles died. The proof is the attending physician’s affidavit: George W. Allen swore he was “present at the birth... in capacity of Physician.” William Henry’s fate is unknown; he is a new thread, and the 1870 household should now read Martha, James 7, William 6 — which may be why earlier searches missed it. (A small correction to my own premise: William Henry already has a WikiTree profile, Harris-64374, and was already linked as James’s brother and Miles and Martha’s son — so nothing new was created there.)

The marriage, and Martha’s name

The certified marriage license is in the file: license 23 October 1861, Monroe Circuit Court; married 24 October 1861 by Wade S. Walker, J.P. — and the bride is entered as “Miss Martha E. Vint.” Her maiden name now rests on a primary record, not just on James’s death certificate.

Martha, in her own hand

The file’s best pages are Martha’s own. She signed her 1863–1869 papers by mark; by 1916 she was writing her own letters, and in two of them — December 1916 and January 1917 — she states, “I was Born July 4. 1840.” She never remarried, drew Miles’s pension to her death, and in December 1916 was living at 1158 Kentucky Avenue in Indianapolis, where her grandson was, she wrote, “all the Help that I have.” She died 5 August 1918 at the Indiana Soldiers’ Home in Lafayette — the drop card says so, and her last checks were addressed to “SOLDIERS HOME IND.” One loose end the file opened rather than closed: in 1919 a C. M. Harris of Newport, Kentucky, pursued reimbursement of her accrued pension — unidentified, possibly the grandson.

What is still open

The 1870 census for James and Martha has never been found — but the pension file reframes that failure: with Martha 29, James 7, and William 6 in Monroe County, the miss is now more likely an indexing problem than an absence. Her Indiana death certificate (Tippecanoe County, 1918) is the next pull — it may name her parents and test the Stine connection, since Eusebius Stine of Stinesville witnessed James’s birth and may be kin rather than neighbor. And her birthplace is still an open question; WikiTree says Kentucky, and nothing in the file confirms or contradicts it. James’s three WikiTree profiles now carry the pension proof: his parentage note is upgraded from probable to proven, Miles has his service and death sourced, and Martha’s dates are corrected to the ones she wrote herself.

Sources: Widow’s pension file, Miles W. Harris, NARA RG 15, WC 18474 (54 images, reviewed 22 Oct 2026) — Stine birth affidavit 27 Jan 1869; Martha E. Harris affidavit 15 Mar 1864; increase brief passed 8 Feb 1869; George W. Allen physician’s affidavit 27 Jan 1869; certified marriage license, Monroe Circuit Court, Oct 1861; Martha’s letters, 17 Dec 1916 and 28 Jan 1917; pension drop card, 23 Aug 1918. Verdicts follow my research grades: proven, probable, possible, unproven, contradicted.

Grandma Bonnie’s Middle Name

noreply@blogger.com (Travis LeMaster) — Sun, 25 Oct 2026 20:12:13 +0000

By working through the documentation process and verifying each of the facts in my database for my maternal grandmother, I discovered a minor discrepancy in her middle name.

I have always had her middle name listed as Bonnie Mae Lambertson, with her middle name being spelled M-A-E. This is the spelling on her tombstone, death certificate and driver’s license.

However, when I re-examined her birth certificate, her middle name was spelled as M-A-Y.

Now that isn’t much of a variation, but it has me wondering, was the spelling with the ‘e’ versus the ‘y’ simply a matter of preference?

The Woolston Family, Rewritten

noreply@blogger.com (Travis LeMaster) — Fri, 23 Oct 2026 22:49:23 +0000

Of all the families in my tree, the Woolstons of Burlington County, New Jersey, are the one I have had to rebuild most completely this year. Earlier posts on this blog — my 2007 birthday post for Caroline Bishop Woolston, the 2009 Wordless Wednesday photo of her, my 2006 post for Lettice Woolston — were written from the compiled version of this family that I had carried for years. This fall I read the two wills that govern the family, John's (1838) and his widow Beulah's (1854), along with the Burlington County death register, Orphans Court records, and the wills of the preceding generation. The compiled version does not survive the records. Here is the family as the documents give it.

Eleven children, not nine

My database long showed John Woolston (1766–1838) and his wife Beulah with nine children. The wills prove eleven — four sons and seven daughters — and the nine-child set I had matches neither John's will nor Beulah's. The sons: Abel B. (1797–1834), my ancestor; Thomas B. (born about 1804); John B. (born about 1818); and Joseph, who died by 1852 and was previously unknown to me entirely — he married Martha Joyce in 1839 and left a daughter, Matilda, who married William I. Budd. The daughters: Rebecca (Rogers), Lydia (Eayre), Eliza Ann (Wilkins), Beulah Ann (Scattergood), Lettice (Lippincott), Hannah A. (Coles), and Rachel (Merritt). Several of the daughters' death records name their parents outright — "J Woolston" and "B Woolston" — which is about as direct as evidence gets.

Beulah's name is Briggs — proven

For years Beulah's maiden name floated in trees as "Bishop," "Briggs," or nothing. It is Briggs, and it is proven twice over: her 1854 Burlington County death register entry names her parents, and an 1814 Orphans Court citation identifies her in her father's family. She was a daughter of Abel Briggs, a Northampton Township farmer with about 200 acres, and his wife Lettice — born, herself, a Woolston. Abel died intestate in 1787; his estate was insolvent, and 80 acres were sold by court order in 1792 to pay his debts. The "Bishop" surname sometimes attached to Beulah (and to her granddaughter Caroline, below) has no support on either the Woolston or the Briggs side — it is contradicted.

The will fight of 1854

Beulah outlived John by sixteen years and made her own will — and two of her sons fought it. On 6 May 1854, Thomas B. and John B. Woolston filed a caveat against their mother's will, a bare protest with no stated grounds. The caveat was admitted, and that September Thomas B. took administration of the estate himself, with the will annexed. The records don't tell us what the brothers objected to. But it is Beulah's will, caveat and all, that names her children and her son Abel's children — and closes questions this family has carried for generations.

Caroline, settled at last

Beulah's granddaughter Caroline (1826–1879), who married Dr. Ezekiel Cooper Chew in 1842, appears in most trees — mine included — as "Caroline Bishop Woolston," and the Bishop was often treated as her birth name. Her sister Sarah H. Woolston's 1879 will settles it: Caroline was born a Woolston, Abel's daughter. The "Bishop" middle name is real, but it came through her mother's Haines family — her great-aunt Rachel Haines married Japheth Bishop in Burlington in 1804. Caroline's mother, Rachel (Woolston) Woolston — Abel's wife was herself a Woolston by birth — was probably a daughter of Samuel Woolston and Hannah Haines, though that link is still graded probable, not proven.

A Woolston married a Woolston — and there were two lines

Beulah's mother Lettice was a Woolston who married Abel Briggs in 1773, and Lettice's own parentage is now proven: she was a daughter of Samuel Woolston of Northampton Township, whose 1773 will names "Daughter, Lettis Briggs, £15." Samuel belonged to one of two distinct Northampton Township Woolston lines — his (Samuel Sr. and Susannah's) is the one I descend from. The other line, John (1686–1753) and Hannah's, produced Jacob, Melentus, Cornwell, and Newbold Woolston. Untangling which line a given Woolston belongs to has been the quiet work under all of this.

What is still open

One question survives the wills: John Woolston's own parentage. Cornwell, William, and Samuel (d. 1773) have been ruled out as his father; Jacob (d. 1799, intestate), Melentus, and Newbold remain open. One tantalizing record: a "John Woolston Jr." signed a petition on 20 January 1794 — which implies an elder John Woolston was living in 1794. Small conflicts also remain, and I'm leaving them visible rather than tidying them away: Beulah's death appears as both 29 April and 2 May 1854 in the records, and Lettice's birth year (about 1750) is an estimate. This family's WikiTree profiles now carry the corrected children, Beulah's proven name, and the research notes behind every claim.

Sources: Will of John Woolston (1838) and will of Beulah Woolston (1854), Burlington County, New Jersey; Burlington County death register, 1854; Orphans Court citation, 1814; will of Samuel Woolston (1773); will of Sarah H. Woolston (1879). Verdicts follow my research grades: proven, probable, possible, unproven, contradicted.

Revisiting the Will of George Wright (1853)

noreply@blogger.com (Travis LeMaster) — Thu, 22 Oct 2026 16:40:31 +0000

In October 2008, I posted the will of my ancestor George Wright (1780–1853) of Washington Township, Brown County, Ohio ["Will of George Wright (1853), Brown County, Ohio," 9 Oct 2008]. This fall I went back to George in earnest — part of a cluster study of every Wright household in Clermont, Brown, Adams, and Highland counties from Ohio statehood to 1850 — and the will was one of the first records I re-read, this time from the recorded copy itself (Brown County Will Records, vol. 3, pp. 99–100). Eighteen years on, here is what the record actually says, what it doesn't say, and what I've had to correct.

What the will provides

George made his will in August 1845. His wife Elizabeth (Robins) Wright received a widow's life interest only — a room, furniture, and the rent of the farm — not the land itself. His sons John Wright and Samuel P. Wright were provided for, as were two daughters by way of small annuities: Susanna was to receive $10 a year for three years, and Sarah $10 a year for two years. George named three executors: his sons John and Samuel P., and "my brother Joseph Wright." Samuel and Joseph both declined to serve; John qualified alone, posting a $600 bond.

Untangling the dates

Three dates attached to this will have been conflated in family trees — including, at times, my own notes. The probate journal (vol. 1, p. 172) shows the will was probated on 22 August 1853, about two weeks after George's death on 5 August 1853. The recorded copy in the will book is endorsed 23 August 1853 — the day it was recorded, not the day it was probated. John's executor's account was filed 5 March 1856, and the estate was finally settled 9 November 1858, more than five years after George died. As for the will's own date: two careful readings of the date line give different days — the 10th and the 18th of August 1845. Until the original is examined again, I'm citing it honestly as August 1845.

The children — and one daughter who isn't

The will names four children: John, Samuel P., Susanna, and Sarah. Working from the full record set, their marriages are: John to Ann Wardlow (9 Sep 1834); Samuel Pangburn Wright to Rebecca Ruth Hall (17 Apr 1845 — the date sometimes given as 2 June 1845 is a misreading of the recording date); Sarah to Allen Hendrixson (29 Oct 1839); and Susanna, most probably, to Samuel Summers in Henry County, Indiana (22 Jan 1839).

That last identification matters, because there is a decoy. A Susanna Wright married William Riley Hall in Brown County on 29 Oct 1840, and she has been attached to George's family in tree after tree — a tidy story, since her husband's sister Rebecca married George's son Samuel. But that Susanna was not George's daughter. Her 1880 census entry shows both of her parents born in Pennsylvania, and she went on to marry Sidney Ogden in 1857 after Hall's death. She belongs to some other Wright family, still unidentified.

One more absence explained: compiled lists of George's children include a daughter Asenath (born 25 Jun 1825), who does not appear in the 1845 will. She isn't missing because she was cut out — she died 28 Jul 1830, aged five, fifteen years before the will was written.

What we know about George's parents — and don't

Three deeds prove George's mother: in 1808 George conveyed Clermont County land to "my Mother Sarah Wright Widow"; in 1812 Sarah conveyed land to "my son George Wright"; and George's own 1827 deed recites that the land was "deeded to George Wright by his mother the widow Wright." His father was probably the John Wright who died in Clermont County about 1801, but no record I have found states that in so many words — probable, not proven. Sarah's maiden name appears as "Fleming" in compiled sources; I have found no primary record for it, and it should be treated as unproven.

Elizabeth's parentage: still an open question

George's wife Elizabeth Robins (married 27 Jan 1812 in Adams County — a date that comes from Dumford's compiled Shaw Genealogy, since the original Adams County Marriage Book #1 survives at the West Union courthouse but has never been filmed) remains unplaced. I have tested the usual candidates against the records: Obadiah Robins of Allegheny County is unproven (no record names any child of his); Daniel Robins of Adams County is possible as a man, but his 1790 census household contains only one female — there is no room in it for Elizabeth, age nine. Current work is focused on a John Robins whose 1790 Washington County, Pennsylvania household held five females. Elizabeth herself left no will or estate in Brown County — a proven negative, and consistent with the life interest her husband's will gave her.

What's next

The cluster study continues: the John Robins household reconstruction, James Wright's 1899 Adams County probate file, and George's Brown County tax-list run (the FamilySearch images are currently blocked, so that one may wait for a research trip). George's WikiTree profile (Wright-61666) now carries these research notes with full citations, and I'll update this post's predecessor with a link forward rather than rewriting it — the 2008 post stands as part of the record of how this research has grown.

Sources: Brown County, Ohio, Will Records vol. 3, pp. 99–100; Probate Journal vol. 1, p. 172; Clermont and Brown County deed records (1808, 1812, 1827); Brown County marriage records; 1850 and 1880 U.S. censuses. Verdicts in this post follow the evidence grades I use in my research notes: proven, probable, possible, unproven, contradicted.

Christmas Tree, 2025

noreply@blogger.com (Travis LeMaster) — Mon, 22 Dec 2025 20:53:00 +0000

Birthday Research Trip - 2025

noreply@blogger.com (Travis LeMaster) — Sun, 09 Nov 2025 16:41:00 +0000

Spent my birthday in typical fashion by doing a genealogical research trip. This year it was a trip to the archives of Wabash College in Crawfordsville, Indiana where one of only two known copies exist of "The History and Genealogy of the Groendyke Family in the United States", published in 1950 by Howard H. Groendyke.

I'd made a trip over to the Lilly Library once before, only to find out that they were closed, so this time I planned ahead and made sure that they were going to be open and would be ready for me when I arrived.

The book was a typewritten manuscript full of information on the family, down to at least my grandparents and uncle - though they had misplaced him as a child of his grandparents. Mr. Groendyke had spent a lot of time compiling information from various family groups from across the country.

Though I was hoping that the book might have some insight on the earlier generations, I did not find any 'aha' moments that would straighten out the earlier branches of the family. The book did provide some background on the Dutch settlements on the South River and in New Amsterdam and some of the records found there with the early branches of the familes, but then made some suppositions as to how all of the branches were tied together.

Still nothing yet that will definitively tie our ancestor, James Groendyke (1770-1836) and wife Johanna Antonides into the earlier branches. Many interenet trees and sources have James as a son of Nicholas and Violet Story, whereas this work seems to feel that James was the son of Nicholas and Catherine Peterson.

Either way, the tradition of James' father dying in a shipwreck is repeated here and that he was raised by an uncle. Is that uncle the Revolutionary War soldier Johannes "John" Groenendyke (1718-1785) and wife Sarah Lake (1718-1771)?

Will be working through the images I was able to gather from this manuscript to search for further clues, updating my database and also entries of the family on WikiTree.

FOIA Requests for C-Files

noreply@blogger.com (Travis LeMaster) — Fri, 27 Dec 2024 10:45:00 +0000

The Reclaim The Records site just won a FOIA Lawsuit against the Veterans Administration and created a new site to allow researchers to request C-Files (Claim Files) from the VA.

These claims files, according to their press release :

A claims file, or C-File, is the collected file documenting various types of veteran benefits to which a veteran (or their family and heirs) accessed or attempted to access during or after their service, including a military pension, health care, disability or life insurance policies, educational benefits (the GI Bill), mortgage assistance (VA loans), and more.

The vast majority of these files, including all C-Files active since the early 1950s, are still stored within the VA, and have not yet been transferred to the US National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). They often contain tens or sometimes hundreds of pages about the veteran's service and subsequent benefits, and often some basic information about their military service, incredible historical materials that have usually never been seen before.

A C-File can be just a few pages long, or sometimes even a few hundred pages long, depending on which claims were filed with the VA by veterans or their next of kin. C-File records for deceased veterans are usually completely open to the public under FOIA, although occasionally they have a few minor redactions.

So on Christmas morning, I began to request the files of some World War II veterans, including my grandfather - William Lee Wright, and my maternal uncles, Harold Lambertson and Floyd Lambertson. I've also requested the file of my father-in-law, Luther Cummings.

It remains to be seen what information will be contained in these files, how long it will take to receive the information, and what hoops I might have to jump through - but any additional pieces of information just adds to the family history.

Christmas Tree - 2024

noreply@blogger.com (Travis LeMaster) — Wed, 25 Dec 2024 11:56:00 +0000

Christmas Tree, 2024

Our Christmas Tree - December 2024 - photo taken in mid-December.

M4A2 Tank Manual - Ralph LeMaster

noreply@blogger.com (Travis LeMaster) — Tue, 24 Dec 2024 10:33:00 +0000

Was contacted by someone who found this blog and had a copy of a M4A2 Tank Manual that was written on by Ralph LeMaster and he wondered if it was the same family I had written about.

It appears that from the scribbles, that this manual was used by Ralph Vernon LeMaster (1922-2011) who was wife was Donnabell Fields and did serve in the U.S. Army. Ralph would have been my 1st cousin once removed, a son of Chesley Franklin and Clara (Burkey) LeMaster.

Obituary : Peter W. Decker (1947) Crawfordsville, Indiana

noreply@blogger.com (Travis LeMaster) — Mon, 23 Dec 2024 13:54:00 +0000

Recently obtained the obituary of Peter Wilbur Decker from the Crawfordsville District Public Library. Peter was the husband of Pansy Gilliland, sister of my great-grandmother, June. Peter died November 1, 1947 in Crawfordsville, Montgomery County, Indiana.

Peter W. Decker Expires in City

Peter W. Decker, a resident of Montgomery county for the past 26 years and an employee of the Crawfordsville Seed Company for the last three years, died suddenly at 3:45 o'clock Saturday afternoon at his residence 702 Mill street. His death was attributed to a heart attack.

Son of William R., and Amanda Rollins Decker, the deceased was born March 13, 1889 at Beaver Dam, Ind. He married Pansy Gilliland at Bloomington, Ind., Dec. 11, 1912. Mr. Decker was a member of the Freedom Baptist church.

Surviving in addition to the widow and mother, the latter who resides at Browns Valley, are two sons, Wilbur R. and Robert Jean, both of Crawfordsville; one daughter, Mrs. Wandalee Purcell of Gulfport, Miss.; four brothers, Bert of Browns Valley; Alva and Bill of Louisville, Ky., and Delpherd of Fountain City, Ind. and four sisters, Mrs. James Burkett of Culver, Ind., Mrs. Leona Cowden, Mrs. Ernest Patton and Mrs. Fred Hurst, all of Bloomington.

Funeral services will be conducted at the Freedom Baptist church at 1 o'clock Tuesday afternoon in charge of Rev. H.W. Steen. Friends may pay their respects at the Decker residence until 11o'clock Tuesday morning.

Source : "Peter W. Decker," obituary, Journal-Review, 3 November 1947, page 4, column 7.

Tombstone Tuesday : Cemetery Serendipity

noreply@blogger.com (Travis LeMaster) — Tue, 09 May 2023 14:12:00 +0000

Had a little bit of experience with some cemetery serendipity when at the Riverside Cemetery in Spencer, Indiana. Right after I finished photographing the Civil War cannons and the Veterans memorial, I felt drawn to turn to my left. There I noticed a surname that was familiar and I walked over to the gravesite.

The Schell family plot appeared before me. Though not a blood relative, I have done research on this family due to their connections. Elizabeth E. Walker (c1830-1907) who married Dr. Frederick A. Schell had been previously married to Eli Davis, my maternal 4th great-granduncle.

Eli Davis was the son of John and Susannah (Unknown) Davis of Monroe County, Indiana. I do not have his birthdate, and he may have been born in Virginia. He was married to Elizabeth E. Walker, daughter of Gideon and Susannah (May) Walker, on 29 April 1848 in Monroe County, Indiana.

Poor Eli died between the time of his marriage and May 1849, when his probate court records indicate he had died. I know of no children born to Eli and Elizabeth.

Elizabeth married Dr. Frederick A. Schell on 14 February 1850 in Monroe County, Indiana. They were the parents of at least three children : California, Dorothy and Walker.

Locating the tombstones, I learned that Frederick was a veterans of the Mexican War in Company I of the 16th Infantry, as well as the Civil War as assistant surgeon of the 6th Indiana Cavalry.

Frederick and Elizabeth are buried together next to all three of their children and their son-in-law

Tombstone Tuesday - Riverside Cemetery, Owen County, Indiana

noreply@blogger.com (Travis LeMaster) — Tue, 02 May 2023 13:02:00 +0000

Truly enjoyed my visit to this old, historic cemetery in Spencer, Owen County, Indiana.

One of the things that fascinated me was the Veteran's Memorial Pavilion that contains Civil War Cannons and was dedicated by the Women's Relief Corp.

The enclosed frame hold the American's Creed protected by glass. This was rededicated by the VFW in 1985.

Looks as if the GAR post was the Gettysburg Post. Always enjoy seeing these kind of memorials in cemeteries.

This was my first visit to the cemetery, was there with the SAR for a Patriot grave marking.

Blog Anniversary

noreply@blogger.com (Travis LeMaster) — Tue, 25 Apr 2023 12:18:00 +0000

Well April 25th is the anniversary of this blog. Even though I haven't been as active lately, it is still alive and kicking.

Thank you to everyone who has commented, shared or liked a link or post.

As always, I continue to seek out new cousins and continue to learn about my family's history.

Tombstone Tuesday : Faney Languell, Owen County, Indiana

noreply@blogger.com (Travis LeMaster) — Tue, 25 Apr 2023 11:47:00 +0000

Over the weekend, as I attended a Patriot Grave Marking for a Revolutionary War patriot at the Riverside Cemetery in Spencer, Owen County, Indiana, I located the tombstone of my maternal 4th-great grandmother.

Fanny Reynolds was born circa 1830 in Indiana, the daughter of Jesse Reynolds and Mary "Polly" Putman. Some records spell the surname as Runnels. Fanny married my 4th-great grandfather, Austin Davis on 9 February 1850 in Monroe County, Indiana. They were the parents of two children. After Austin died, Fanny married Joseph Languell, whose surname is sometimes spelled Langwell in records. They were the parents of six children. While the tombstone has her name as "Faney", census and other records have it as Fanny.

Joseph's marker was on the opposite side of Fanny's. Interesting to note that both of them died in 1883. Fanny in June and Joseph in June. Perhaps there was some illness that brought them down.

There marker was located in Section N of the cemetery.

Cousin Meet-Up

noreply@blogger.com (Travis LeMaster) — Mon, 24 Apr 2023 12:39:00 +0000

This weekend, I was at Spencer, Indiana in Owen County for a Patriot Grave Marking with the SAR.

I'd reached out beforehand to my cousin, Shelby, to see if we could meet in person for the first time. We have been corresponding through email and Facebook for awhile.

At the local McDonald's we were finally able to meet in person.

Shelby is my maternal 3rd cousin 1 generation removed. Our common ancestor was Ida Davis (1874-1900). Shelby descends from Ida's daughter Pansy, and I descend from daughter June.

It was nice to meet her in person and share some updates to research. Additionally, since she now lives in the area where our common ancestors were from, she might be able to help with some on-site research.

Our common ancestral surnames : Gilliland, Davis, Reynolds, Putman, Swafford, Crockett, and Nosler - just to name a few.

COVID Didn’t Help My Genealogy

noreply@blogger.com (Travis LeMaster) — Sat, 22 Apr 2023 01:11:00 +0000

When the pandemic hit in 2020 and the world seemed to stop for a moment, it didn’t do for my genealogy research what I thought it would do. Working remote on a full-time basis for the first time, I was sure that I would have more time to do research. Surely the time saved in the morning and evening commute would leave more free time to research.

Instead, I found myself working more sporadically on the family tree. Sure, I was able to complete the goal of joining some lineage societies, but I definitely haven’t been able to keep up with day-to-day research. Or this blog.

Work intensified and other outside commitments have eaten up much of my time. Working from home is still working, it’s not being “semi-retired” as someone referred to me when I told them I was still remote.

Many well-intentioned and half-baked projects to write about remain. Hopefully, I’ll get them started before the next crisis draws me away.

DNA Cousin Email Template

noreply@blogger.com (Travis LeMaster) — Tue, 28 Feb 2023 23:24:00 +0000

I’ve been working on a new template to use when reaching out to my DNA matches, hoping to inspire some collaboration. Here’s an example:

Hello cousin -

AncestryDNA predicts that we are 2nd-3rd cousins, sharing 192cM (centimorgans) across 10 segments.

Because you also match my father, sharing 406cM (centimorgans), I know that our common ancestors must be on my paternal side. Looking at the shared matches we have at Ancestry, many of them have ancestry in common with my Lemasters-Wehrly family lines.

Due to the absence of a family tree at Ancestry, I have not found any commonality yet. Are you aware of any anomalies in the family tree?

Would like to work together with you to determine exactly where the relationship lies. Could you provide a screenshot of your top matches at AncestryDNA or provide me access to your results?

I’ve built a family tree online that does not require membership at Ancestry, at https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/LeMaster-580 . This is a collaborative tree, and I would appreciate any corrections or additions you can provide.

If you’d prefer to share information outside of the Ancestry message system, my email is travis.lemaster@gmail.com

I have also tested at other DNA sites - such as 23&Me, MyHeritage, FamilyTreeDNA and LivingDNA.

What are your thoughts?

Self Documentation - County Birth Certificate

noreply@blogger.com (Travis LeMaster) — Tue, 24 Jan 2023 11:18:00 +0000

The next piece of evidence in my quest to make sure that I had documented my own existence and was able to link back through each generation was a copy of my birth certificate provided by the local county Health Department.

The scanned copy of the certificate indicated it was issued back in 1985, so this document was requested by my parents for some official purpose and ended up in my possession. The heading on the document indicates the name of the county Board of Health and titles the document as a Certificate of Birth Registration.

The certificate gives the city and date of my birth, and lists both of my parents by their first, middle and last names - but again it does not list my mother's maiden name.

The birthplace of both of my parents is listed on this certificate. Both of them were born in Indiana, and it gives the exact certificate number, as well as the book and page where the document is maintained.

Once again, regarding the proof standard - this document provides original, direct evidence of my parent's names - but it does not list the maiden name of my mother. The document does, however, list the middle names of both of my parents.

My RootsMagic database has been updated with this source information and the type (original, primary, direct) in relationship to the birth fact.

For many years, this document was the extent of my self-documentation, and it would only be when I began validating my line with an eye towards joining a lineage society, did I realize that my data was incomplete.

Earlier posts on this topic include Documenting Myself and Even Weak Evidence Can Teach.

Self Documentation - Hospital Birth Certificate

noreply@blogger.com (Travis LeMaster) — Mon, 23 Jan 2023 11:05:00 +0000

It has been over a year since I'd posted any updates on my quest to begin making sure I had adequate documentation of each generation, starting with myself. Building out a timeline of each event and keeping a research log, the objective of my first report was "to identify the parentage of Travis LeMaster, born [redacted] in [redacted], Indiana."

One of my first pieces of evidence that I examined in my possession was a copy of my birth certificate. I had two versions - one provided by the hospital itself and one that came from the county Health Department.

The scanned copy of the hospital birth certificate in my collection is not an official, legal document, but rather a ceremonial one provided by the hospital to new parents. I can remember growing up that this birth certificate was used to verify my age during Little League baseball and other sports teams. I doubt that it would pass muster in today's world.

The certificate is embossed with the logo of the hospital

The certificate states my full name : first, middle and surname and states the day of the week I was born (Tuesday) as well as the time of birth - 12:50 a.m. The certificate is signed by the hospital administrator and lists the name of the attending physician, Dr. Paul E. Jarrett, M.D.

Regarding the proof standard, this document provides original direct evidence of my parents, but it does not list the maiden name of my mother.

In order to prove the link between myself and my parents, I would need additional evidence that would list my mother's maiden name.

Earlier posts on this topic include Documenting Myself and Even Weak Evidence Can Teach.

Experimenting with WikiTree

noreply@blogger.com (Travis LeMaster) — Sun, 08 Jan 2023 18:50:00 +0000

As you might have noticed from the widget on the right side of the blog, I’ve been working with creating and updating profiles on WikiTree.

I’m finding I enjoy the wiki format, and the fact that it can be a good source of ‘cousin bait’ to help find other researching with common interest.

I’m working slowly on my direct line ancestors, adding them or updating them with sources, if not already listed.

Another project I’m working on was adding individuals who served with my ancestors in their Civil War unit. Hopefully, some descendants of these men might have additional source material relevant to the unit history or even interactions with my ancestor.

Another plus for WikiTree is that it isn’t behind a paywall, so search engines such as Google will find the research and perhaps bring others to collaborate.

One more place to help share the research on the family.

Happy New Year - 2023

noreply@blogger.com (Travis LeMaster) — Sun, 01 Jan 2023 20:55:00 +0000

Another year has come - 2023 seems to have come faster than previous years. It must be a sign of my old age.

This year was full of challenges, both personal and professionally, but I can't totally blame those challenges for my lack of dedication to maintaining this blog. A bit of laziness touched with lack of progress is the culprit.

If there's one thing that the past year has taught me, it's that life is short. I lost family and co-workers in 2022 to both the expected and the unexpected.

Here's hoping that 2023 will be better.

Madison County Indiana Locality Guide

noreply@blogger.com (Travis LeMaster) — Tue, 15 Nov 2022 11:34:00 +0000

As mentioned previously, one of my projects has been to create locality guides for places where my ancestors lived to aid in finding resources.

On my maternal side, Madison County, Indiana is a place my family has been since its early days.

The United States acquired the land that became Madison County from the Native Americans in the 1809 Treaty of Fort Wayne, and by the 1818 Treaty of St. Marys, considerably more territory became the property of the government. The county was formed 4 January 1823 from lands governed by the Delaware New Purchase.

Madison County was named for James Madison, 4th President of the United States.

County Seat : Anderson
Largest City : Anderson
Record Loss : 1880

A link to the locality guide that I've been working on is here. Any suggestions or additions to additional resources will be appreciated.

Some of the surnames and when they arrived (approximately) in Madison County:

Wright (1867)
Lambertson (1918)
Pierce (1864)
King (1840)
Shaw (1847)
Groenendyke (1842)
Penisten (1840)

Notating AncestryDNA Matches

noreply@blogger.com (Travis LeMaster) — Sun, 13 Nov 2022 11:50:00 +0000

Sunday morning is suppossed to be the day when I work on my DNA matches.

Today it was my AncestryDNA matches who had the workout. I began by filtering my match list by unviewed recent matches.

Today's matches were all in the predicted 4th-6th cousin range, with the highest cM totals being 27cM.

I went through each match by first opening up the match by clicking on the name. Many had no public family trees or had trees that were not very complete. I then selected the Shared Matches tab to see who we both shared DNA with.

Remember, AncestryDNA will only show you a match who shares 20cM of DNA with both you and the match.

Once I opened the shared matches between us, I scrolled down the match list to see what notes I may have already entered for the shared matches.

If I notice a pattern of shared matches notes which might indicate descent from a particular line, I consider that a clue and add a note to the current match for further reference. For example, if the shared matches indicate descent from the Crockett-Hedge lines, I would put a note in this new matches profile that indicates they have ICW (In Common With) matches on the Crockett-Hedge lines.

Until I do further research on this line, there's no guarantee that this match descends from my ancestral Crockett-Hedge line, but at least I have a clue where to start.

When AncestryDNA predicts a Common Ancestor between us, I indicate that by notating that we have a Predicted MRCA (Most Recent Common Ancestor) and indicate the ancestral couple. Later, I can work the match filters by Common Ancestors and verify the path of descent. When I verify the descent, I indicate the Relationship (ie. 2C1R for 2nd Cousin Once Removed) and add each generation in the notes down to the match.

On those occassion where AncestryDNA is telling me that the match and I descend from a couple in my ThruLines that has not been verified yet, I simply note that match as "Hold for further review". There are a few ThruLines predicted for me that are very speculative.

Today, I had a couple of matches that appeared with shared matches that I had no notes indicating any identified relationships. Those I simply marked as "Hold for further review".

I've used this method to weed through the matches in a fairly quick fashion.

Multi-generational Birthday Photo

noreply@blogger.com (Travis LeMaster) — Sat, 12 Nov 2022 12:28:00 +0000

LeMaster family, Evansville, Indiana, 5 Nov 2022

A week ago, I was able to spend my birthday in a manner that I don't believe has ever happened - with not only my daughter and grandchildren, but with my parents as well. As we gathered for a breakfast in Evansville, I was able to convince the waitress to capture the moment and create a memory - a four-generation photo.

Likely it has been twenty years since my daughter and I have been together on my birthday. The fact that we were able to meet on the actual day and have all of us together makes the family historian in me smile. Bonus for me was to see my daughter on her birthday weekend, as her birthday is two days after mine. I enjoy a lot of mileage out of the corny 'dad joke' that she has been my favorite present.

We were able to spend some time together, enjoy a meal, spend some time shopping and hearing all about school with the grandkids before returning home.

I've always been intrigued by multi-generation photos and now I have a pretty good one to capture a moment in time when we were all together.

Locality Guide Planning

noreply@blogger.com (Travis LeMaster) — Tue, 10 May 2022 10:16:00 +0000

Writing out locality guides as an aid for future research projects has been another project goal for my genealogy research this year. Using a locality guide to document where a particular record set exists not only helps keep you on track but also can point to potential new sources.

Excellent resources for building a locality guide can be found at FamilyLocket or GenealogyPants.

I started out by taking my pedigree chart and making a Google sheet of my surnames, their location (county/state), year settled, any notes and an indicator of whether or not I'd created a guide. My paternal LeMaster line, for example, starts with me currently residing in Grant County since 2001. Prior to that, my direct line had been in Madison County since 1968, was in Delaware County in 1967, and Jay County since 1854. My maternal Wright line has been in Madison County since 1867. Anywhere it was possible to have created genealogical records should have a research guide.

My Indiana roots go back quite a ways, particularly on the maternal side, but as I chart out these localities that I can use for later research, it didn't take long to list out places in Ohio, Virginia, New Jersey, etc. The great thing about the locality guides is by understanding the history of the local area you can get a better feel for where your ancestors lived and what records they might have created.

Even those counties where there was not much family activity will have locality guides because eventually they might come in handy when a new branch is discovered or when I've helping someone else out research a particular area.

I'm modifying the templates and suggestions used by others to make the locality guides relevant. Including maps of the townships and neighboring counties has been helpful in getting a sense of how the area was settled. Documenting the hours and locations of the libraries and archives will make my future research trip planning easier and not such a 'shotgun' approach.

Noting any record loss that occurred in the county will be quite helpful in understanding limitations on research in those counties.