Daughters of the American Revolution - Verified!

Exciting news came by email this week!  My local chapter had word from the NSDAR in Washington that the genealogists had verified!!! our applications and our member numbers will be coming.

This alone crosses off a "to do" on my life's list that is over 20 years old.  My mother had her applications from 1989 I think they are dated that her cousin had helped her with. At that time Patsy was a Chapter Registrar and was helping my mother join.  She put them in her safe and there they stayed.  I had mentioned them many times over the years but I had at that point not done any genealogy work at all.  So then when I picked up the family history baton once more I decided it was time to finish this project and while we were at it to get every female that was eligible in.  May as well do this only once, right?

There were a few times I hit some frustration.  A few times I wondered why I was doing this for four people.. I couldn't get what I needed or there was no support or any appreciation.  This is a lot of work for one person but in the end, I have brought about a huge accomplishment.. one that I have wanted for a very long time because I am very proud of my heritage.  So!! My mother, sister, daughter and myself are now Daughters.

My mothers cousin also says I qualify for the Colonial Dames, perhaps I will persue that down the road.  The Hugoenot Society might be in the future as well.  One of our ancestor's, William John Witt, is thought to be one of the first Huguenot's of the Manakin Colony, Virginia, I am not sure we have the proof of this.  The last I looked at the Huguenot website, The Huguenot Society of the Founders of Manakin in the Colony of Virginia, he was listed but with a ? denoting there was no proof for him.but I do see the surname "Vaux" on the list as well and he married a Vaux in France.

That is the news for Society's.  Next week I will be going to my first DAR meeting.  I am looking very forward to it.

Saturday Night Fun - 8-29-2009

I haven't met many of my ancestors but here goes. I really enjoy doing Randy Seaver's Saturday Night Fun and have been trying to be more on top of it for if nothing else, it keeps me blogging during down times. Currently sitting and sifting through census images annoy me so the spinning wheel has my attention. That is how my mind works.. I am either spot on with research or feeling like my brain doesn't like to work. When this happens, I have learned it is time to be creative until the research bug hits again. Basically, why fight the tide.. be productive no matter where your head is at! Anywho..... I digress a LOT.

I took my Ahnentafel and see I have met six of my ancestors.

Number 1 and 2 are my parents.  Since they are still alive they are being listed.

Number 3 and 4 are my paternal grandparents.  I met them when I was very small and do not remember them and my father did not stay in touch with them that I know of.  

3. Bozidar (Theodore John) STIVIC (STEVENS)-422: born 1913 in Michigan; died in Detroit Michigan.

4. Bernadine Vevione SHEUFELT-785: born 29 Sep 1914 in Detroit Michigan; died 2 Jan 1997 in Bullhead City, Mohave, Arizona, United States of America.

My maternal grandparents.  My grandmother was the most important person in my world.  My grandfather was a Southern Gentleman and had this very charming way about him.  I have posted seperate blogs about them in this blog previously.

5. John Foster DUNCAN-313: born 27 Dec 1906 in Bradley County Tennessee; died 28 Sep 1995 in Rochester, Monroe, New York, USA.

6. Elizabeth Spalding Dewar FENDER-5: born 21 Mar 1909 in District of St. Mary, Dundee, Scotland; died 3 Mar 1984 in Rochester, Monroe, New York.


As you can see, my post is very late!

Tombstone Tuesday

James C Cowden

13 Nov 1805 in Williamson, Tennessee, USA

23 Nov 1862 in Chestuee Creek, Bradley, Tennessee, USA

Parents:

Tom Cowden 1775–1879

Nancy Crewse 1785–1878

Spouse:

Henrietta Chilcut 1806–1891

Children:

Angelia Cowden 1842–1930

Minerva Jane Cowden 1843–1902

John G Cowden 1846–1925

Deborah Louise Cowden 1852–1939

Madness Monday - Hugh Lawson Baldwin

One frustrating man....

Born 6/14/1809, Amhearst County, Virginia.
Married Betsey Stockton June 15, 1832 in Rhea County, Tennessee.
Census 1840, Meigs County, Tennessee
Census 1860, Bradley County, Tennessee.
Died 6/15/1895, Lancaster, Texas.

His tombstone is in Edgewood Cemetery and I have spoken with two people but do not have a picture of it and not sure I have the entire inscription on the stone but it says husband of S.E.

From an email (7/29)

Byrum's has given me your letter requesting info on Hugh Lawson Baldwin.
I have an H. L. Baldwin 12/29/1809-6/14/1895 buried on lot 53.
m marker says his spouse is S. E. Baldwin. There are no other burials on
this lot - it is a large lot......

And another email (7/29)

The lot #53 that H. L. Baldwin is buried on - the owner is listed as Routh ?. Could a Routh have been a relative that purchased the lot? It is an 8 grave space with only this one marked grave. There could be other burials on it but unless they have a marker we wouldn't have records that far back.

Just a thought.

So this is what I have. I don't have any family by that Routh name so I am betting that is the second wife's maiden name so will do a little research to see if I can find a marriage something for them. I haven't gone back to Virginia to find his birth record yet and I do know who is parents are: William W Baldwin and Betsey Luttrell. (It is the Luttrell line that is my DAR application line.)

I am very stuck on his Texas years. I can not find him on any census, no death information other than that headstone and since I don't know what all is on it, I am not sure if there is another clue on it. His family knew he went to Texas and died there. I am guessing he went there after Betsey Stockton died but I can't find him on anything after the 1860 census.

This is one very elusive man.

Look what I found...

This was hiding on a comment that I had missed. I have been going through this blog today trying to make changes to it that make blogging on it easier for me. So in trying to figure out something, I happened to find this comment with this award.

This is from Tammy. A blog I follow as well in my bloglines feeder.

Thanks so much Tammy! I am sorry it took so long to thank you!

Saturday Night Fun - August 8, 2009

Here is my generation 5.. (16 ggg-grandparents)

17. Anna Landekic: married. Croatia

20. James Sheufelt: born Jul 1846 in , , Ontario, Canada; married 28 Dec 1867 in , Sanilac, Michigan, USA; died.

21. Frances Wilson: born Apr 1846 in , , Ontario, Canada; died.

22. William Oliver Hubel: born 25 Jun 1845 in Norwich Twp, Oxford, Ontario, Canada; married 1872 in Greenleaf, Sanilac, Michigan, USA; died 23 Mar 1913 in Berlin, St Clair, Michigan, USA.

23. Ella Alice Harris: born 1 Jul 1854 in Austin, Sanilac, Michigan, USA; died 2 Aug 1931 in , St Clair, Michigan, USA.

24. William Franklin Duncan: born 1 Sep 1842 in Sparta, Ashe Co NC; married 28 Sep 1865; died 25 Oct 1924 in Clevelend Tennessee Bradley County.

25. Martha Jane Hensley: born 1848; died 25 May 1870 in Bee Log NC, Yancy County plot at foot of Bald (Bold) Mtn..

26. Hugh Wilson Baldwin: born 23 Jul 1841 in Meigs County Tennessee - Rhea Springs; married 29 Aug 1869 in , Bradley, Tennessee, USA; died 14 Mar 1881 in Rhea County , Tenn.

27. Deborah Louise Cowden: born 18 Feb 1852 in Bradley County Tennessee; died 30 Apr 1939 in Clevelend Tennessee Bradley County.

28. George Fender: born 9 Jan 1852 in Dundee, Angus, Scotland; married 9 Jun 1871 in Dundee, Scotland; died.

29. Jane Watt Alexander: born 1852 in Dundee Scotland.

30. John Anderson: born 3 Jun 1855 in Monikie, Forfar, Scotland; married 27 Jun 1879 in Dundee Scotland; died 10 May 1935 in Dundee, Angus, Scotland.

31. Elizabeth Dewar Spalding: born 17 Oct 1855. Scotland.

I am a mix. The missing three will all be from Croatia as I have only figured out my great-grandfathers mother so far. Scotland is a big percentage for me. The Duncan's of Tennessee are from Scotland a few generations back and the Baldwins were English through Connecticut though that link is not made yet. There are only so many hours in a day.

This exercise did teach me how to drag and drop in RM4 so now I know how to fix up my insanely messed up saved files!

SNGF ~ Good Genealogy Luck

Tonight's Fun Assignment

1) When have you had a dose of good genealogy luck? What document or resource did you find just by happenstance or chance? By being in the right place at the right time? By finding a family history treasure in your family's attic or basement? By finding a helpful document or reference without even looking for it?

2) Tell us about it in Comments to this post, in Comments on Facebook, or in a blog post of your own.

My good luck was posted on this blog entry... an OMG! moment.

George W Duncan had been a hard man to track down and his wife was even worse since his son referred to her as "Miss Edwards" in his civil war applications. She turned out to be Jane Edwards. George was a man that I had spent 20 years off and on poking around trying to find him.

Tired of looking for him I thought I would see if there was any pension information out there for Jane and she lived and died in North Carolina. So I spent a night looking for all of the Duncan men on the North Carolina state archives website and finally thought to look for Jane Edwards. I was so excited when I found her civil war widows pension application so ordered a copy to be sent to me. That seemed all well and good, progress, another document to put to her life on my family tree. She had been difficult for years too and suddenly in a couple of weeks I had figured out who she was AND!! found that line of family history already documented by another family historian!

So mail day! In came the envelope and when I pulled out Jane's information, the WONDERFUL person at the North Carolina Archives thought to put a copy of the page from a book showing George W Duncan's death!! He died in Tennessee, I had been looking in North Carolina for years! It was not expected and it was an important find and solved the mystery of "just was that man the G. W. that went to Texas??" I was so glad that he wasn't!