This morning my e-mail included a message from Ancestry.com that one of my ancestors had a link...well, I clicked on it and didn't really find anything about that particular person that seemed to fit, but I got started on another mystery.
OneFamilyTree had two different men named Elijah Waybright married to Catherine Helmick. Both had the same birth day, but one died in 1861 and the other in 1882. I checked my sources. I had received my information from someone else. Then I started checking out the sources for the differing information. It is fairly compelling. According to Military Records of Individual Civil War Soldiers an Elijah Waybright enlisted in Company B, 31st Infantry Regiment Virginia of the Confederacy on 18 May 1861. He died 8 September 1861.
So, I decided that I'd better do a little investigation to see which death date was correct. I found Elijah in the 1860 US census of Pendleton County, Virginia on page 122 with wife Catherine and children Elizabeth, Sally A, William, Margaret A, and George W.
In the 1870 census Catherine is listed alone with children William, Phebe and James. Margaret and George are listed with the Abel Wymer household next door on one side and Sallie in the Elias Wymer household, next door on the other. Elizabeth is listed in the household of Nathan Strawder (Strother?). But that is a mystery for another day.
The 1880 census lists Catherine as a servant in the household of Strother Grady whose wife is Sarah. Phebe and James are also enumerated with their mother in this household. Under the Civil Condition column Catherine is listed as a widow. Perhaps Elijah did die in the Civil War.
Sarah, Strother's wife, died on 5 Feb 1882. Strother and Catherine married 10 June 1882. Unfortunately Strother died 11 Feb 1885, the month before their daughter Mary Solomon Grady was born on 31 Mar 1885. Catherine would have been 49. Catherine lived ten more years until 17 Mar 1895.
Interesting notes: Strother's son George had married Catherine's daughter Elizabeth on 28 Sep 1873. Mary Solomon Grady is found in the household of her brother, G (George) Waybright in the 1900 census of Circleville, Pendleton, West Virginia.
More questions: If Elijah died in 1861, who is the father of James, who was born in 1865?
Saturday, March 12, 2005
Sunday, January 30, 2005
Solving a mystery
Yesterday I received a letter from my aunt that included a copy of a photo and letter from a Mrs. Louis Robare of Turtle Creek, PA.
Dated Dec 14, 1947, the salutation was "Dear Aunt Mary & Uncle Henry." She told of the death of Louis Robare on March 20, 1946 with the comment, "...well it sure is awful with out him the world just dont seem the same to me any more,..." She also said that "...all of the rest of the Robares are well we sure have a large family now. I am going to make a book & enter all the family in it so I will send you a copy & tell you how many there are now,..." She then asked, "Aunt Mary do you remember were [sic] Grandmother Robare was born at what part of France, & allso were Uncle Joe Father was born at as we want to put that in the ledger, & there is no one left but you to tell us, so please drop me a few lines so we can enter it....& please tell me all about Beulah children as I would love to know,..."
What is sad is that Aunt Mary, Mrs. Henry Dankmer died the previous month, November 24, 1947. A note at the bottom of the letter seemed to indicate that the writer was not in contact with the family often. She wrote, "P.S. Aunt Mary if you can't write, please get Beulah girl to do it for you, please." Beulah had died 24 years previously.
So who was this Louis Robare? A check of my genealogy database showed no matching Louis Robares. Since it was addressed to "Aunt" Mary, then a guess was that Louis was the son of a brother of Joseph H. Robare, either David L. Robare who married Nellie Aitken, or Frank Robare.
I first found Louis Robare in the 1930 U.S. census of Turtle Creek Borough, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania at 132 9th Street--the same address as given in the letter. He is enumerated as Louis D, a 40 year old white male born in West Virginia (either in 1889 or 1890). His parents were reportedly born in France and Scotland. His wife was Bertha F, a white female aged 37 born in Pennsylvania. Her parents were reportedly born in Germany. Others in the home included a 20 year old son, David L. (named for his grandfather?), Margaret A and eleven year old daughter, Charles J an eight year old son, and an 18 year old daughter Mary A Ayers with one year old grandson Robert H. Ayers.
In 1920 the family included Louis, Bertha, David, Mary, Margaret and Anna Korber, mother-in-law and Louis Korber, brother.
A check in World Connect at Rootsweb included a Bertha Korber married to a Louis Robare. No details of Louis were included, but the parents of Bertha were Joseph C. (or C. Joseph) Korber (b: 1860 and d: 1901 in Pittsburgh, Allegany, PA--buried in the Braddock Monongahala Cemetery) and Anna Tirch (b: 13 Jan 1862 and d: 3 Dec 1934 in Turtle Creek). Bertha was supposedly born 29 October 1893 and died July 1975 in Turtle Creek.
At Ancestry.com a few bits and pieces were found:
The Obituary of Mrs. Anna Korber was found in the Monessen Daily Independent of Monessen, Pennsylvania, 6 Dec 1934, page 5: "Mrs. Anna Korber, mother of Mrs. Thomas J. Wanko, of this city, died Monday afternoon at 1:45 at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Louis Robare, of Turtle Creek. She is survived by three daughters, one son, and thirteen grandchildren. Funeral services will be held at 9 a.m. Friday, December 7, at St Joseph's church, with interment at St. Joseph's cemetery."
Nellie Robare aged 62, widowed, was listed as mother-in-law in household of Thomas S. Creighton and Mary E, his wife. Nellie Robare was listed as born in Scotland.
The Monongahela Cemetery of North Braddock, Pennsylvania tombstone inscriptions were found on Rootsweb and included:
Dated Dec 14, 1947, the salutation was "Dear Aunt Mary & Uncle Henry." She told of the death of Louis Robare on March 20, 1946 with the comment, "...well it sure is awful with out him the world just dont seem the same to me any more,..." She also said that "...all of the rest of the Robares are well we sure have a large family now. I am going to make a book & enter all the family in it so I will send you a copy & tell you how many there are now,..." She then asked, "Aunt Mary do you remember were [sic] Grandmother Robare was born at what part of France, & allso were Uncle Joe Father was born at as we want to put that in the ledger, & there is no one left but you to tell us, so please drop me a few lines so we can enter it....& please tell me all about Beulah children as I would love to know,..."
What is sad is that Aunt Mary, Mrs. Henry Dankmer died the previous month, November 24, 1947. A note at the bottom of the letter seemed to indicate that the writer was not in contact with the family often. She wrote, "P.S. Aunt Mary if you can't write, please get Beulah girl to do it for you, please." Beulah had died 24 years previously.
So who was this Louis Robare? A check of my genealogy database showed no matching Louis Robares. Since it was addressed to "Aunt" Mary, then a guess was that Louis was the son of a brother of Joseph H. Robare, either David L. Robare who married Nellie Aitken, or Frank Robare.
I first found Louis Robare in the 1930 U.S. census of Turtle Creek Borough, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania at 132 9th Street--the same address as given in the letter. He is enumerated as Louis D, a 40 year old white male born in West Virginia (either in 1889 or 1890). His parents were reportedly born in France and Scotland. His wife was Bertha F, a white female aged 37 born in Pennsylvania. Her parents were reportedly born in Germany. Others in the home included a 20 year old son, David L. (named for his grandfather?), Margaret A and eleven year old daughter, Charles J an eight year old son, and an 18 year old daughter Mary A Ayers with one year old grandson Robert H. Ayers.
In 1920 the family included Louis, Bertha, David, Mary, Margaret and Anna Korber, mother-in-law and Louis Korber, brother.
A check in World Connect at Rootsweb included a Bertha Korber married to a Louis Robare. No details of Louis were included, but the parents of Bertha were Joseph C. (or C. Joseph) Korber (b: 1860 and d: 1901 in Pittsburgh, Allegany, PA--buried in the Braddock Monongahala Cemetery) and Anna Tirch (b: 13 Jan 1862 and d: 3 Dec 1934 in Turtle Creek). Bertha was supposedly born 29 October 1893 and died July 1975 in Turtle Creek.
At Ancestry.com a few bits and pieces were found:
The Obituary of Mrs. Anna Korber was found in the Monessen Daily Independent of Monessen, Pennsylvania, 6 Dec 1934, page 5: "Mrs. Anna Korber, mother of Mrs. Thomas J. Wanko, of this city, died Monday afternoon at 1:45 at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Louis Robare, of Turtle Creek. She is survived by three daughters, one son, and thirteen grandchildren. Funeral services will be held at 9 a.m. Friday, December 7, at St Joseph's church, with interment at St. Joseph's cemetery."
Nellie Robare aged 62, widowed, was listed as mother-in-law in household of Thomas S. Creighton and Mary E, his wife. Nellie Robare was listed as born in Scotland.
The Monongahela Cemetery of North Braddock, Pennsylvania tombstone inscriptions were found on Rootsweb and included:
- Robare, Bertha F 1975
- Robare, Louis D 1946
There were also a few other Robare family members listed.
Although not conclusive, I hypothesize that Louis Robare was the oldest son of David L. Robare and Nellie Aitken who were married in Belmont County, Ohio, 27 February 1888. His sister was likely Mary E. who married Thomas Creighton.
Now the question is did Bertha write a family book? If so, where might I obtain a copy? A quick search of the general area of Turtle Creek, Pennsylvania includes sixteen Robare households. Do they know more about my Robare family? I shall have to find out!
Monday, January 24, 2005
Why do I love family history?
Today someone made the comment that they have never been satisfied with anyone's answer for why they do genealogy. I really didn't have an answer either. It's something that I've loved for so long, I'm not sure why it's my passion.
I've been listening to the stories of my ancestors since I was a little girl. I've been interested in recording such things as long as I can remember. For me I feel a real connection to my country...for it was my ancestors who helped to build it. None of them are named by name in the history books, but they were some of the first settlers in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia and other colonies. After settling here, a hundred or so years later, some fought in the American Revolution and then in other wars of our new country. As the country grew, some traveled went west and settled in Ohio. Some of my ancestors fought in the Civil War. Some on the side of the Union and others on the side of the Confederacy. Why did they come here? For religious freedom, opportunity for land, and well, one family came because they had to....
So that is one reason why the Statue of Liberty seems to be such a great banner for my home page, even the island upon which is stands was at one time owned by a direct ancestor. What a thrill it was to finally walk on Liberty Island and know that once it was Bedloe's Island, just a farm where an immigrant family (all of the colonists were immigrant families back then) had settled.
I also like to think that we are all connected...I am who I am in part because of who they were. Many of my ancestors were religious leaders, teachers, farmers and hard workers. They left behind a legacy of love of family, love of country and love of their fellow men. In my search for who they were, I feel that I am learning in part who I am.
I've been listening to the stories of my ancestors since I was a little girl. I've been interested in recording such things as long as I can remember. For me I feel a real connection to my country...for it was my ancestors who helped to build it. None of them are named by name in the history books, but they were some of the first settlers in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia and other colonies. After settling here, a hundred or so years later, some fought in the American Revolution and then in other wars of our new country. As the country grew, some traveled went west and settled in Ohio. Some of my ancestors fought in the Civil War. Some on the side of the Union and others on the side of the Confederacy. Why did they come here? For religious freedom, opportunity for land, and well, one family came because they had to....
So that is one reason why the Statue of Liberty seems to be such a great banner for my home page, even the island upon which is stands was at one time owned by a direct ancestor. What a thrill it was to finally walk on Liberty Island and know that once it was Bedloe's Island, just a farm where an immigrant family (all of the colonists were immigrant families back then) had settled.
I also like to think that we are all connected...I am who I am in part because of who they were. Many of my ancestors were religious leaders, teachers, farmers and hard workers. They left behind a legacy of love of family, love of country and love of their fellow men. In my search for who they were, I feel that I am learning in part who I am.
Beulah Agnes Robare Scott (1894-1923) when she was about eighteen years old. She was a tiny woman who was the mother of three children before she passed away at the age of twenty eight. Beulah was born, lived, and died along the Ohio River. As I learn more about the history of the area, I hope to learn more about her life.
Thursday, January 13, 2005
Monday, January 10, 2005
It's coming together...
I have high expectation for what I want to do with my research. First, I want to document my pedigree as best as I can. I've actually been working on that aspect since I was a little girl. One of my Christmas presents was The Master Genealogist, an excellent software package for my genealogy projects, but the learning curve is quite steep, so it's been a struggle.
I knew that I wanted to post my database online and I was having trouble with miscellaneous "living" folks coming through. I finally figured out how to break my database into four parts starting with each of my grandparents, who are all dead. I still got a few "living" folks that showed up, but they were actually dead, I just hadn't entered a death date for them. Using my grandparents as starting points turned out much better.
I've started with my maternal grandmother first, since that part of my research is the smallest--less than 150 people when I started. Then I began going through my research files and entering documentation. I also found a lot of new information that I hadn't seen before. While searching for something else, I found the World War I draft registration card for my great-grandfather, written in his own hand. Going through the exercise of carefully documenting each source has been great--I've learned how I gained each fact and whether it is likely true. I've also learned that I need to work on getting my files in order! Some of the sources are filed in the wrong place.
The best thing was that I posted this infant database online. Soon I'll attach photos and digital images of documentation. This will create a place where my pedigree actually lives, not just some names and dates.
I knew that I wanted to post my database online and I was having trouble with miscellaneous "living" folks coming through. I finally figured out how to break my database into four parts starting with each of my grandparents, who are all dead. I still got a few "living" folks that showed up, but they were actually dead, I just hadn't entered a death date for them. Using my grandparents as starting points turned out much better.
I've started with my maternal grandmother first, since that part of my research is the smallest--less than 150 people when I started. Then I began going through my research files and entering documentation. I also found a lot of new information that I hadn't seen before. While searching for something else, I found the World War I draft registration card for my great-grandfather, written in his own hand. Going through the exercise of carefully documenting each source has been great--I've learned how I gained each fact and whether it is likely true. I've also learned that I need to work on getting my files in order! Some of the sources are filed in the wrong place.
The best thing was that I posted this infant database online. Soon I'll attach photos and digital images of documentation. This will create a place where my pedigree actually lives, not just some names and dates.
Saturday, January 01, 2005
I found it!
Friday I had a long list of things to do, but I knew that it was my last chance to visit the Salt Lake Family History library in 2004, so I put everything else on hold and went downtown. I took along a thirteen year old son who had to go last time and said he wanted to go next time. This was next time, so he went.
First we checked out the books available for Ohio County, West Virginia. Someone has done an awesome job putting together indexes for the County records, but they were not of the right time period for the people I was searching for. So next we went to the second floor for the US microfilms (that's what my son came along for)
I've been trying to document the vital information of my great-grandmother, Beulah Agnes ROBARE who married Elmer Lee SCOTT. I had a birthdate, but no death date--only a month and year. My grandmother had told me that she died shortly after her ninth birthday in their home in Bellaire, Belmont, Ohio. I searched the online Ohio death certificate database, but didn't find her. I checked the Belmont County Death records last trip to the library, but she wasn't there. This time I checked the Ohio County, West Virginia records and sure enough that's where her death had been recorded. She had died in the Wheeling hospital after a long illness. It was quite an emotional experience to see her name in those records. I'll post the death certificate just as soon as I get the scanner up and running again. The certificate confirmed her birth date and gave the place as Ohio, but as yet I haven't found her birth record. It wasn't in Harrison County or Belmont County.
The library is closed today, so time for a database upgrade.
Happy New Year!
First we checked out the books available for Ohio County, West Virginia. Someone has done an awesome job putting together indexes for the County records, but they were not of the right time period for the people I was searching for. So next we went to the second floor for the US microfilms (that's what my son came along for)
I've been trying to document the vital information of my great-grandmother, Beulah Agnes ROBARE who married Elmer Lee SCOTT. I had a birthdate, but no death date--only a month and year. My grandmother had told me that she died shortly after her ninth birthday in their home in Bellaire, Belmont, Ohio. I searched the online Ohio death certificate database, but didn't find her. I checked the Belmont County Death records last trip to the library, but she wasn't there. This time I checked the Ohio County, West Virginia records and sure enough that's where her death had been recorded. She had died in the Wheeling hospital after a long illness. It was quite an emotional experience to see her name in those records. I'll post the death certificate just as soon as I get the scanner up and running again. The certificate confirmed her birth date and gave the place as Ohio, but as yet I haven't found her birth record. It wasn't in Harrison County or Belmont County.
The library is closed today, so time for a database upgrade.
Happy New Year!
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