kinexxions

I Think I Have it! Maybe...

2012-01-26T11:45:00.000-07:00

As I alluded to in this post, for the past week or so I've been working on a digital file naming scheme for my ancestor research.

I realize that some people are advocates for letting the computer find a specific file by searching for a term with the documents or by using tags and other file properties. Using that premise, file names don't really matter.

However, for me, there is another factor involved in naming files. And that is my desire to make it easier for those who come after me to know what it is they are looking at and some way for them to know what is “most” important. Hopefully, someone will care enough about what I've done to even look at this stuff and know how to access it. And I think I'll still be able to find those somewhat elusive files (“I know I've got it, but where is it?”) using the inherent search capability of Windows.

I'd appreciate some feedback on what my readers think about this “system” of storing files. After writing this post, it seems somewhat complicated but I hope it really isn't. The post is a little long - I get somewhat "long-winded" with the descriptions... As always, double-click on the images to view a larger version.

The basic folder structure is probably similar to what most people use. It includes two “primary” folders – one for the family lines of my Mother and the other one for my Father. Within those primary folders are surname folders for each family line for which some research has been done. This was done because two separate databases are maintained in Legacy – it's just easier for me to keep the various surnames straight. So far it hasn't caused any issues with “crossover” families (same family in both lineages).

That first folder at the top “ADD-to-LEGACY” includes recent data that has not yet been entered into the Legacy database. It primarily includes folders for the families that I did research on while in Salt Lake City last year – families that had not previously been researched: Brinker, Daniel, Dietzler, Ellis, Leatherman, Neel, Rupert, Switzer, Veatch, and Williams.

The folders at the bottom that begin with “z” are research files that, for various reasons, I may want to keep together. Actually, I haven't quite decided what to do with them yet!

For instance, “z-Grandmas-Files” contain photos and information that could be put in with the specific ancestor but I'm thinking that I want to maintain the integrity of that “collection” of data by storing it in all in one place... but I'm just not sure!

The “z-Multiple-Families-Info” folder contains scanned pdf documents of “paper files” such as land records, biographies, death records, marriages, and obituary notices, usually within a specific location (county). As the folder name implies, multiple surnames are contained within each type of document file. Eventually, each of those pdf files will have a corresponding “index document” associated with it and that data will be included in a “master pdf index” file. Index documents have already been created on some of those pdf files, thanks to a project completed several years ago by my niece Tami.

The “z-New-England-Lines” folder includes pdf files on all research done on the lines that connect to the Goodrich and Joslin families, most of which is from published sources. Dealing with those files will be a future project but most of them have been indexed according to the surnames mentioned within.

Back to the surname folders... One of my “requirements” was to create a “system” that would (hopefully) make sense to a non-genealogist family member as well as for me to be able to see everything on each family-line in one place, more or less. So the number “01” folder is the most recent ancestor. In all cases except one that ancestor will be a female (the exception, of course, being the Wiseman surname). So the name of the “01” folder “directs” you to the folder of the person she married, such as the “01-Margaret-see-Benjamin-Foster” folder. The only information or documents that will be in her folder are those that pertain to her prior to her marriage. In the vast majority of cases, that will only be the marriage record. In some cases that folder will be empty and is simply a place-holder that makes the “link” between that family and the one she married into.

The “02” folder will be her parents, and the “03” folder will be her grandparents, etc. with each successive number being the next generation.

In some cases , such as the Hazlett line, there is no information on the siblings. If you look in the Myers folder for “02-John-Margaret” you'll see two folders, which (I think) are self-explanatory. Basically, any information on the ancestors (John and Margaret) is going into the “01-Ancestor-Info” folder. Any information on their children, with the exception of daughter Margaret who married Benjamin Foster, is being put into the “02-Family-Info” folder. Not much research has been conducted on her siblings yet so there isn't a lot of data there. At some point, if more research is done, sub-folders may be created for each of the children of John and Margaret.

In both the Hazlett and Myers family, some research has been done on what may be the next generation. Another folder has been inserted “0Xa-Generation-Below-Not-Proven” to indicate that those possible ancestors have not yet been confirmed. A text document will be included within that folder that provides a summary of the research as well as my reasoning for including that person. This will actually be a modified Legacy report since the data will have been entered in the Legacy database. Hopefully. Someday.

For most of the ancestors, information gathered on both husband and wife are in the same folder, but, of course, there are always exceptions. Because I have so much information on my grandparents, I've separated them into two folders (which seems appropriate since they were married twice and divorced twice).

The naming convention decided upon (for the most part) is:

“Surname-Given Name-Date-Document Type-additional information”
“Phend-Victor-1917-WWI-conscription-record”

This provides a time-line, of sorts, for the ancestor. In most cases the year alone will be used in the date position, but where there are multiple records for the same year I've included the month and day as well.

The files in the “02-Family-Info” folders will be listed in alphabetical sequence by surname then first name, as shown above. If sufficient research has been done on each of the children, separate folders will be created for them.

Because my grandmother was married three times, she posed a bit of a problem. In order to create a “time-line” for her information, I moved the date to the beginning of the file name.

But I'm not sure that I like the idea of having my grandparents in separate folders...

So I renamed a sampling of Grandpa's files with the date first and put them together with some of Grandma's files. This resolves the issue of various names, shared events, and gets them back together again. But the file structure is different...

As another “test” of sorts, I worked with some of the files for Jacob and Catherine (Brinker) Switzer by putting them all in date sequence. The left-hand panel also shows the various folders for the other Switzer families in Columbiana County that were researched to sort out those families. Much of that data, shown above, still needs to be sorted and renamed.

For the older generations I have mostly deed records, tax lists, and estate files as well as some military and pension files. If the estate and pension files are large then they will go into a separate folder (see “02-Eli-Lovina”). Eli's file contains 90 images and Lovina's has nearly 60 images.

This is still in the testing or preliminary phase. It makes sense to me but does it to anyone else?

I severely dislike having to click through multiple levels to get to a document. So, to eliminate another level of sub-folders I am thinking of changing the folders for the “02-Family-Info” where there are folders for the children. In other words, in the Switzer folder for example, rename the “Barbara-Jacob-Manaweck” folder to “02-Family- Barbara-Manaweck” and “02-Rebecca-Peter-Buchecker” to “02-Family- Rebecca-Buchecker”, etc. and move them up one level eliminating the “02-Family-Info” folder. Does that make sense?

If you've read this far, I Thank You, and I hope it hasn't been too confusing. I'm trying to make it simple yet functional. Is it understandable to anyone besides myself? Your thoughts and ideas are most welcome and greatly appreciated...

Up and Away :: Evening Version

2012-01-22T02:00:00.002-07:00

Depending upon the weather, mass ascensions of the balloons are held in the morning and in the early evening. About five o'clock I made my way back to Rotary Park. I could see a bunch of balloons already in the sky and it was an impressive sight!

Even more impressive was seeing the balloons floating just a few feet above the surface of Lake Havasu. Wouldn't it have been fun to be a passenger in either one of the boats or one of the balloons?

There were reportedly six unusually shaped balloons at the festival. This cute little fish is the only one that came close enough so that I could get a nice shot.

Looking to the west, more balloons were ascending. I counted about 40 all in the air at the same time, though not close enough together that you could get them all in one picture.

Another pilot showing off!

For a few brief moments, the sun came out from behind the clouds and the southeastern sky lightened up considerably. I made my way south, toward that spit of land jutting into the lake.

Several balloons landed there but many others continued on further, landing on the southeastern shore of Lake Havasu.

Meanwhile, there were still quite a few balloons drifting off into the western sky.

Carnival rides and other festival activities carried on into the evening, but I did not! I stayed around a few minutes longer, watching the “glow” of some of the balloons still moored on the island.

I also spent a few minutes simply enjoying the awesome sunset that Mother Nature provided for the ending of another beautiful day!

A note about the two photos of the balloons with the golden sky: Those two shots were taken with the camera at the maximum 35x zoom setting and about 20-30 minutes prior to the sunset photo. I made no changes or color corrections to those shots (or any others, for that matter though several had adjustments to contrast and lightness).

Up and Away :: Morning Version

2012-01-21T12:50:00.002-07:00

Friday, January 20th – The campground where I am staying is a reasonable drive from Lake Havasu City. Having seen several signs indicating that a Balloon Festival is in progress this weekend, I got up at (what is for me) an early hour and made it into town by 8:30 am.

Stopping off at the Rotary Park along the channel, across from the Festival venue, I was somewhat disappointed to see only two balloons preparing to rise into the sky. Since I hadn't yet had the opportunity to see the famous (or infamous, depending upon you point of view) London Bridge, I continued walking along the channel. As I made my way around a curve, I saw several more balloons floating in the sky. Apparently there were five or six sites that were being used this morning from which to launch the balloons.

I never did see a multitude of balloons all at one time – there were reportedly 60 some balloons participating in the festival – but it was fun to watch them as they passed overhead.

I'm not sure what the “draw” is about seeing hot air balloons in the sky, but there were a lot of people strolling along the channel and enjoying the day.

One of the “big” things for the pilots of the balloons was for them to display a bit of expertise and skill by “dipping” their basket into the water and skimming along the surface for a short distance.

Success! Touchdown and liftoff.

More coming my way!

I never realized that the pilots had so much control over their balloons. Of course, the air was still, with hardly a breeze blowing.

Some of the balloons came pretty darn close to the London Bridge!

Just as I snapped this picture, the seagull came into the frame. I think it adds something to the picture – just not sure what! LOL.

Passing directly overhead...

What a Way to End the Day!

2012-01-18T02:00:00.005-07:00

Sunday, January 15th – A heavy blanket of gray clouds covered the western Arizona sky all day long. As I was returning to the campground the sun appeared beneath the layer of clouds and quickly dropped behind the mountain range. While driving, I was watching the sky change dramatically - all of a sudden it was as if the sky was on fire! There was no safe place to pull off the road but luckily there was a “scenic view” area a short distance away. I was afraid I would miss the photo op but Mother Nature was good to me, this time!

The “normal” view of the camera just wasn't giving me what I wanted. I was able to get off one panoramic shot before the scene changed completely. This photo has been cropped to about half of that panoramic image, and you just “have” to double-click on it to view the bigger picture! Really.

Travel Update, etc.

2012-01-17T02:00:00.002-07:00

Since leaving Louisiana two weeks ago, Mother Nature has been reasonably good to me. All through Texas, across New Mexico and into Arizona the daytime temperatures were in the low 60s. But the nights were just a bit chilly – in the upper 20s and low 30s. For the most part I stayed in campgrounds that had electricity so I kept warm with the aid of a small electric heater. But still, getting up in the mornings with those low temperatures is not a lot of fun!

So I did some checking of the weather and took a look at the map and have found a spot that is quite comfortable – at least it has been for the past few days! Temperatures have been in the 70s during the day and only dropping into the low 40s at night. I'm not going to say exactly where I'm staying, just that it is in western Arizona – and, no Carol, it's not Quartzsite!

After thinking it over a bit, I've decided to stay here until the end of January when I'll head north to Salt Lake City for RootsTech. I'd like to do some more research while I'm there so I'll be taking this time to review the documents and information obtained last year on my two visits there. I will also be taking a look at my database to try and select which ancestors to research and devise a plan for them.

In addition to that, I have begun (just barely) the boring and tedious but absolutely necessary task of re-organizing my digital files! With everything that I acquired last year and all of the genealogy stuff I had scanned (and never got around to properly naming) prior to leaving on this journey, my digital genealogy files are a really big mess. I can't easily find documents I'm looking for and several, that I know I have, still haven't been found! Anyway, that project is still in its infancy. I'm working with several smaller surname folders to devise a file naming scheme that makes sense to me... more on that later!

In conjunction with renaming files, an even bigger and more complex project on the horizon is to go through and view every document and file – just to see exactly what it is and to ensure that the information and source has been entered into my Legacy database. I know there are a lot of things that have never been entered... Heck, I may even (finally) get around to “attaching” those documents to the appropriate people in the database! But first, before doing that, I need to ensure that the file structures and names are the way I want really want them.

Maybe then, I'll know what I do have! And, just as important if not moreso, where it is located.

One of my favorite quotes regarding genealogy is from fellow Joslin researcher, Dr. Donna Ihns - “When I get to thinking genealogically, I feel like Yul Brynner in 'The King & I': There are times I think I am not sure of what I absolutely know."

Lunch with a Blog Reader

2012-01-16T13:25:00.000-07:00

A few days ago, I had the pleasure of having lunch with one of my blog readers! Nancy Hill (aka Nerthus) had left a comment on a post when I passed through the Tucson area in early December, asking if we could meet. Since I was already in Texas when she left the comment, we agreed to get together when I came back in January – and we did!

We met at a little cafe in downtown Tucson that was relatively easy to get to - I only drove around the block three times before I finally saw the cafe! We spent several hours conversing about Indiana – she is from the southwest part of Kosciusko County and I'm from the northeast corner – about blogging, and of course, about genealogy and family history research.

And, guess what? We're cousins! Imagine that! You have to go back to my 5th Great Grandfather, Hans Jacob Brubaker III (about 1760-about 1830), to get to our common ancestor. So yeah, somewhat distant, but still related ;-)

Nancy Hill and Becky Wiseman. January 11, 2012.

This was my first time meeting with a blog reader. It wasn't as awkward as I thought it would be, in fact it wasn't awkward at all. Perhaps the knowledge that she was from Kosciusko County and interested in genealogy helped. Two genealogists can always find “something” to talk about! It was a pleasure meeting Nancy and spending a few hours with her. Thank you, Nancy!

Kinexxions is Five Years Old Today!!

2012-01-12T02:00:00.007-07:00

In August of 2007, just seven months after I had started blogging, I wrote a post titled Why Blog Genealogy? Why not? in which I stated my focus was “to present the genealogy and history of the families that I am researching, and, hopefully, to reach out to others who are interested in the same families. I wasn't sure if anyone else would be interested in what I had to say, but how would I know if I didn't try?” In that post I also listed several pros and cons of blogging your genealogy that I think still apply today.

Five years later, my primary goal is still the same, as are my reasons for blogging.

That said, there is that little matter of wanderlust that seems to have taken over my life! But that too has taken another turn. This past year I was able to spend a total of 10 weeks at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City! As a result, less time was devoted to traveling and more to the ancestors. I think they were trying to tell me something!

I'd like to thank everyone who has taken an interest in what I write, those that subscribe via a feed-reader and those that visit the blog. Thanks too go to everyone who has left a comment on the blog or contacted me directly. Comments are a reinforcement that what I'm writing is of value to anyone besides myself. Thank you.

I can't say yet what the future will bring or what paths I'll follow, but I do know (hope) that blogging will continue to play a role...

Arizona Sunset

2012-01-11T02:00:00.006-07:00

I hesitated to post two sunset pictures in a row, but you take what Mother Nature gives you – the good along with the bad...

Benson, Arizona.

Sunday, January 8th 2012.

New Mexico Sunset

2012-01-10T02:00:00.007-07:00

The view from my campsite at Rockhound State Park.

Southeast of Deming, New Mexico.

January 6, 2012.

Plant Life at White Sands

2012-01-09T02:00:00.009-07:00

I was amazed at the variety of plants and vegetation that survive in the dunes of White Sands National Monument. The dunes are constantly on the move, engulfing everything in their path and then slowly uncovering them again. Certain plants have adapted to the environment and manage to survive a little longer – as the sand covers them they grow taller, but when the dune moves on and leaves them exposed they can no longer support their tall growth and then they crumble and die. These are but a few of the plants I saw...

There was seldom an expanse of the dunes (close to the road) where there were no human footprints. I walked as far as my legs would take me before the knee began hurting and then turned back. There were other footprints in the sand besides those of us humans - - these prints descended the high dune to the ground about 30 feet below and at a very steep angle! Was it a kit fox? They have adapted to the environment by being very small, no more than 5 pounds. They seldom show themselves during the daylight hours.

All photos were taken on Friday, January 6th, 2012.

White Sands National Monument

2012-01-08T15:57:00.000-07:00

From the title of this post and my post the other day, you've probably figured out that I'm not in Louisiana any more!

Tuesday morning (January 3rd) after spending a delightful two weeks over the holidays with extended family, I departed for points west once again. I zipped through Texas (well, it's not really possible to “zip” through unless you're traveling across the panhandle) in two full days of driving spending one night at Lake Mineral Wells State Park southwest of the Dallas metro area on U.S. 180.

It was a leisurely drive from Mineral Wells along U.S. 180 all the way to Hobbs, New Mexico where I spent the second night (January 4th) at the Harry McAdams Campground on the northwest side of Hobbs.

Thursday (January 5th) was an even more leisurely and interesting drive, going north from Hobbs to U.S. 82 through the high desert and over the Sacramento Mountains to Alamogordo. In spite of the dire warnings on numerous signs on the way to the mountains, the drive through was really quite nice. The grades weren't nearly as steep as some I've been on. It was a gradual uphill climb through a surprisingly forested area and the descent was not bad at all.

That night I stayed at Oliver Lee Memorial State Park, 15 miles south of Alamogordo, at the base of the mountains overlooking the city. The next morning (Friday, January 6th) I drove the short distance to White Sands National Monument arriving just as the visitor center opened at nine o'clock. After watching the very informative movie and viewing the exhibits, I drove on into the dune field.

The sand at White Sands is unlike any that I've ever seen before. The dunes are hard packed and easy to walk on but the texture of the loose sand in the top layer is unusual. Most sand is rather coarse but this sand was so fine and soft – it has a consistency somewhat like talcum powder, it is that fine. When you squeeze it in your hands it sticks together but then easily crumbles. Very cool stuff. And very, very White!

I walked the one-mile nature trail through the dunes and the boardwalk trail then drove on out to the end of the road. The last few miles of the road are unpaved – they bulldoze a road through the dunes with ample areas for pulling off to the side and large parking areas so you can explore the dunes on your own.

Stopping at the end of the road, I strolled through, around, and over the dunes for about 3 hours. It was amazing how easy it was to walk on the dunes. It was also very quiet, few other people were out and about. In fact, I saw no one else while on my walk until I was almost back at the van. Every so often a jet plane from the nearby Air Force Base would fly overhead. But the quietness seemed even quieter once it passed by. It was a cool 36 degrees when I entered the park but with the sunshine and no wind whatsoever it felt much warmer. Though it was short, I very much enjoyed my visit to White Sands.

Plants take root in the dunes and when the dunes move on, these structures are left behind. They are very hard-packed and feel almost as hard as stone, except when you move your hand across the face of the mound it easily crumbles into soft dust.

It's hard to show it, but the top layer of sand is extremely fine and soft textured.

There were a few remnants of the last big snow storm (those white chunks in the center).

This was the only person I saw during my three-hour walk on the dunes. The bright white area on the left side is part of what remains from the last snowfall.

The top of this dune, where I was standing was about 35 feet high.

I saw very few areas of ripples like these, which surprised me. There was virtually no wind blowing on the day of my visit so these had been there for awhile.

The Sacramento mountains off to the east. Snowfall in the area has been light thus far this year, only the highest peaks are snow covered. All photos were taken on Friday, January 6th.

Oh, My!

2012-01-07T13:31:00.003-07:00

Heading west on U.S. Hwy 82, near Hope, New Mexico. December 5, 2012.

Who comes here? From where? And Why?

2012-01-02T22:15:00.000-07:00

Like many other bloggers (genealogy or otherwise), I started to write up something about the “most popular” blog posts for 2011. However, after checking with Google Analytics and seeing only ONE post that was written in 2011 show up on the list in the “top 25” for the entire year, said to heck (well, maybe something a little stronger) with it.

But then I realized the results from Google Analytics only includes actual “visitors” that come to the blog - from referrals by other bloggers/websites or from search engines. Most times the latter ones (from search engines) don't stay very long, sometimes merely seconds. I imagine that the vast majority of people who actually read the blog are using some kind of feed reader. That's true for me, I generally only actually visit a blog to leave a comment.

I also don't think the number of comments a blog post gets means it is more popular or better liked than another. So I came to the conclusion that there really is not a good or easy way of saying what is “most popular” or “most liked” or “most read” or “most whatever” but that's just my opinion. I could be wrong. That actually has happened once or twice before ;-)

Then I decided to see where actual visitors to the blog come from. No real surprise there. Most come through Google. But also from Bing, Yahoo, Networked Blogs, and Alltop. There were, however, five blogs that showed up near the top of that list of “traffic sources” that sent quite a few readers my way: Genea-Musings, Shades of the Departed, Reflections from the Fence, Greta's Genealogy Bog, and Creative Gene (Thank you very much Randy, fM, Carol, Greta, and Jasia).

The next question that came to mind is: What brings people to kinexxions? I've been blogging for nearly five years, have published more than 1200 posts covering my family research as well as 2+ years of travels so I was curious about why people came here. Unlike Amy at The We Tree Genealogy Blog, I don't get a lot of strange or funny search terms.

I've taken the first 50 keywords shown in Google Analytics for kinexxions and separated them into three “top 10” lists. These are the search terms that brought the most people here in the year 2011... Rather than link to specific posts, I'll take the “easy” way out and, if you are interested, let you use the “Google Search” bar in the upper-right corner of the blog to see what comes up!

Top Ten People Keywords – This is where I get really, really frustrated. All of these people are ancestors of mine. And I wasn't contacted by anyone who landed on the blog this year that used these terms!! Why not?

samuel bray
john casper stoever
william p wise
johann nicolas schuder
indiana stemm
phend
goodrich family
joseph joslin, jr.
kate berlin richmond
any new family history on conrad helms?

Top Ten Travel Keywords

the shoe tree nevada
moro rock
caddo lake
georgia guidestones
battle of little bighorn
balcony house mesa verde
walter's wiggles angels landing
wheat fields of eastern washington
chilkoot river bears
sawyer glacier

Top Ten Other Keywords

becky wiseman (The number 1 search term, overall, that brings visitors here!)
kinexxions (Number 5 search term overall)
summary of evidence example
hebron lutheran church
digitize slides
slides to cd walmart
armenian ancestors
how to pronounce tahquamenon
ancestors family genealogy tree blogspot
tickle my funny bone

Well, that was interesting. Or was it?

Adieu. Adios. Auf Wiedersehen. Au Revoir. So Long 2011.

2011-12-31T22:45:00.004-07:00

It's been a strange year with more than the usual ups and downs for me, personally. The year started with some not very good news and then it just got worse, especially the first four months. But it did get better, and it turned out to be one of my best years ever for genealogy research!

I returned to Indiana in mid-December when I was informed that my Mother's physical ailments were more than we had been told. She was diagnosed with cancer and started treatments on January 10th. She did very well the first three weeks then went downhill fast and passed away on February 15th. As you can imagine, it was a very rough time, to say the least.

Three weeks later, after getting Mom's apartment cleaned out and her things taken care of (with considerable help from my niece Tami) I headed out on the road again. Georgia was the first major stop - to visit another niece and her family to deliver some things Mom wanted her to have. I also enjoyed a few days on the beaches of Anastasia Island in Florida and a visit with Denise Barrett Olson, author of the Moultrie Creek Gazette.

I was in southwest Georgia on March 17th, just 10 days after leaving Indiana, and on my way to points further west when I was informed that a dear friend, Lorene Joslin, had a series of strokes and there was nothing more they could do for her. I met up with my cousin Babs and we went to Springfield, Missouri in order to help the family in whatever way we could. Lorene passed away on March 25th. Getting to know and enjoy these two little girls and their parents was a real joy during that time of sorrow.

After getting Babs back to her home in Alabama, I continued traveling westward. I made it through Texas and barely into New Mexico, experiencing high winds and soaring temperatures along the way. Dealing with a nagging knee/leg injury and (I'll admit) probably a bit of depression, I returned to Indiana in April for a short time and a visit to the doctor.

On May 2nd I was heading westward once again. After a brief stop in Topeka to visit a very, very, very distant Joslin cousin I took a meandering route through Kansas, into Colorado and then northward to GeneaMecca where I met up with Carol Stevens on May 19th. We spent nearly three weeks together there (she stayed on for a week longer). Along with some intense research which resulted in several Happy Dances, we enjoyed lunchtime strolls through Temple Square with the beautiful, amazing varieties of flowers and meeting new friends.

But all good things must come to an end. On June 9th I left Salt Lake City and went back to Indiana for a doctor's appointment and to spend some time with family and friends. A few weeks later I was in eastern Ohio to do some onsite research on the Rupert and Switzer families. A heat wave making its way across the midwest cut short my visit to Columbiana County and I headed northward into Michigan and the Upper Peninsula. A highlight for me was visiting the house in Traverse City where my Grandmother had lived a hundred and two years ago!

Before I knew it August had arrived. The drive through the Upper Peninsula of Michigan was wonderful – cooler weather, waterfalls, gorgeous sunsets, and strange creatures. By the middle of August I had made my way west to South Dakota and the Joslin Family Rendezvous.

Then it was on to the Badlands National Park where I had an incredible experience with a herd of Buffalo! In Wyoming I had several more Close Encounters of a different kind and also spent a few days at Yellowstone National Park.

Montana was the place for me in September! I stayed for a few weeks at the vacation home of friends, saw Creatures Great and Small, rustic barns, beautiful sunsets, and spent a few days with Sue and Fred in Glacier National Park.

With intentions of staying on the coast for a while, I made it to the Pacific Shores of Oregon. The beaches were lovely but after traveling for most of the last 2+ years, I realized I was just plain tired and decided to take another break. And where does a family researcher go to get “refreshed”? Why, to Salt Lake City, of course!

Seven weeks were spent in GeneaMecca and I must say, it was incredible! I gathered a tremendous number of deeds and estate files as well as other records, and even found another ancestor.

Hoping to find warmer weather for December I was southward bound. A few hours at Bryce Canyon and a night at Zion National Park, and then I was out of Utah. Mother Nature was not at all cooperative the first two weeks of December and I made a change in plans. After a short visit with my friend/cousin Diana in San Antonio and an even shorter visit to Padre Island, I made it “home” to Louisiana for the holidays.

So, with that, I bid the year 2011 farewell. When I first started writing this post I started it by saying that I was glad it would soon be over. But I took that out, because, you know, after reviewing the year, I think it turned out pretty darned good overall...

And this has got to be the most "link intensive" post I've ever written ;-)

Help Wanted! A gift received from a Genea-Angel!

2011-12-31T10:50:00.005-07:00

The letter below was found on the internet by Jeff Somers who, just a few days ago, found my story of The Search for Hawksbill Church. And then, wonder of wonders, Jeff actually contacted me!

He was able to obtain a partial transcription of the letter, which seems to be a letter of recommendation for my ancestor, Wilhelm George Forster (aka William Foster) signed by two of Jeff's ancestors!

Here's the transcription that Jeff sent:

The Hawksbill Church
We, the complete evangelical, protestant, lutheran parish hereby state
that we have had Mr. Goster (or Foster, name is not clear) for ten years as a pastor in our parish.
He had asked us for this reference, to be presented to an "Honorable Menisteri" (?)
and we are willing to confirm that he has served faithfully and never missed any of the duties of his office.
Especially he spend much time in the youth ministry and tried to keep the youth with their mothers.
This would be desirable for others to do as well.
He does not accept help for his office duties.
He takes all the time needed, to visit sick people, in oder to be with them and to comfort them
So far, we have been quite happy with him, and he ...

I'd love to have a more complete transcription, so, if anyone out there can make sense of the Old German Script, please contact me!

For printing purposes I split the letter into two images and also enhanced the contrast a little. The original image of the letter that was found by Jeff on this Ancestry.com message board posting. I have contacted the poster of that message but have not received a response from him.

If I hadn't blogged about my little trip to find the Hawksbill Church, I would not (most likley) have found this letter on my own. Thank you, Jeff, for contacting me. It's very nice to end this year on a "high" note!!

Christmas :: Past - Present - Future

2011-12-29T15:10:00.001-07:00

=+==+==+= Christmas Past =+==+==+=

When I was younger, before the teenage years, my family always got together at Christmas time with my mother's sisters and brother and their families – usually at my grandfather's house.

As we got older it became more difficult for all of us to get together at Christmas - there were really too many of us to fit in anyone's home. (My mom had three sisters and one brother and altogether they had 19 children.) Then the years went by all too quickly and we all went our separate ways, some got married and had families of their own, others just went away! But as many of us that could, still got together at Christmas. Sometimes it was just Mom and her siblings, but there was almost always some kind of Christmas gathering.

In 1980, after being diagnosed with cancer and having her leg amputated, my Grandmother decided that it was time for the entire family to get together again for Christmas! My mother and I were living in rural Noble County and the township had a community building that we rented and we made all of the arrangements. By this time there were about 75 family members in four generations.

The biggest family Christmas dinner was held in December of 1983 – 28 years ago! It would be the last time this many of the family was together. I think there were only two cousins who were not able to attend. The picture below was taken at that dinner and includes almost everyone who was there. I was taking the picture. (Better double-click on the picture to see all those smiling faces!)

My grandmother is in the wheelchair (she passed away the following May), her sister Jane is sitting beside her, and my nephew Jason is sitting on grandma's lap. Jason was five years old then; he is now 33 years old and has an eight year old daughter of his own. All of those little kids have grown up and many now have families. It is more than a little sad to think about those who are no longer with us – Grandma, Grandpa, Aunt Jane, Uncle Bob, Uncle Walt, Aunt Phyllis, cousin Mike, my sister, and my mother. But it is such a pleasure to think of them and remember the good times we all had together.

=+==+==+= Christmas Present =+==+==+=

Christmas this year was spent in northeast Louisiana with extended family members. Twelve of us gathered together on Christmas Eve to celebrate. After a very good dinner of spicy Jambalaya we moved into the living room to continue one of their traditional events – caroling by telephone! As each family member who could not be present was called we all joined in with a hearty rendition of “We Wish You a Merry Christmas.” I lost track of how many people were called... East Coast, West Coast, and places in-between as well as one couple who was on their honeymoon on a Caribbean Island (they had gotten married earlier this year) and another couple who was vacationing in Thailand! It was a lot of fun.

=+==+==+= Christmas Future =+==+==+=

Ah, the future. Wouldn't it be great to get all of my first cousins and their families together again? Some of us do maintain contact on Facebook so we have stayed in touch that way. But it isn't the same as being together, in person. Many of that next generation – the cousins' children and grandchildren - have never met some of their cousins. I'm sure that some have no idea how many relatively-close relatives they really have!

Of course, it would be a logistical (and financial) nightmare but I think it would be great fun to meet up, oh, say in Hawaii or perhaps on a cruise ship – someplace warm! Just spend a week together doing various activities and have time to leisurely get caught up on all the family news.

Written for the 113th Edition of the Carnival of Genealogy, "A Charles Dickens Christmas."

The Dunfee Family :: George and Nancy

2011-12-26T16:30:00.001-07:00

This is the second installment on the children of James and Sophia (Hazlett) Dunfee.

George Dunfee was presumed to be a son of James and Sophia (Hazlett) Dunfee due to the fact that he resided in the same area of Dekalb County, Indiana as Sophia (Dunfee) McNabb who was known to be a daughter of James and Sophia. Additional information has been found confirming that he is indeed their son. George could have been named after his (presumed) grandfather, George Dunfee (see The Hazlett-Dunfee Connection :: On to Pennsylvania).

Cemetery transcriptions posted on the Dekalb County GenWeb site show that George Dunfee is buried in Corunna Cemetery in Fairfield Township and that he died November 3, 1871 at the age of 56 years 11 months and 12 days, which puts his date of birth at November 22, 1814. The 1850 and 1860 census records for Dekalb County, Indiana show that he was born in Pennsylvania while the 1870 census shows he was born in Ohio. It is highly likely that he was born in Pennsylvania. His age in those census records was 34, 45, and 55, respectively, which is in the right time frame for a late 1814 birth.

Since the two oldest children of George Dunfee were born in Ohio, is seems most likely that he was married in Ohio. However, I have not yet found a record of his marriage to “Nancy” who is listed in census records (1850-1870) as his wife. In the FamilySearch database of Ohio County Marriages I did find a George B. Dunfee who married Nancy Tipton on April 22, 1837 in Athens County, Ohio. However, the location did not seem to fit in with what was known of the Dunfee family. A search of Ohio Death Records, also on FamilySearch, came up with two records of children of George B. Dunfee that showed that he was born in New Jersey. So he is not the George Dunfee in Dekalb County, Indiana.

A possible clue to Nancy's maiden name came from another FamilySearch database (Indiana Marriages, 1811-1859) with the September 29, 1887 marriage record of their son, David Dunfee in Dekalb County. This record (referencing image 00161 on film 4476455) gives his mother's maiden name as “McKnobb” and his father as Geo. Dunfee. It also states that David was born in Ashland County, Ohio. It is possible that Nancy is related in some way to David McNabb who married Sophia Dunfee. I haven't done the research but McKnobb and McNabb are very close in pronunciation.

In my search for the marriage record of George Dunfee, I did find a more positive, though still indirect, link for George Dunfee to James and Sophia (Hazlett) Dunfee.... Shown below in the marriage record for Sophia Dunfee and David McNabb! How cool is that?

Reference Number 208, page 46, FamilySearch image 532 and film number 388736. Richland County, Ohio Marriage Records.

No. 208 David McNabb to Sophia Dunfee
I David McNabb being duly sworn upon and say that I am over the age of 21 years and unmarried at this time. Also George Dunfee being duly sworn depose and say that I am the Brother of Sophia Dunfee and know her to be over the age of eighteen years and unmarried at this time.

Sworn to & Subscribed before me this 25th day of Oct. 1842.
B. Burns Dept Clk.
Signed by George Dunfee and David McNabb.

The other record that provides a link between George and the family of James and Sophia (Hazlett) Dunfee is a land record dated February 21, 1848 in which Jonathan S. Dunfee of the county of Holmes, State of Ohio, sold 160 acres of land in Dekalb county, Indiana to George Dunfee of the county of Ashland, State of Ohio for $600. (NW ¼ S24 T35 R12) recorded in Dekalb County, Indiana Deed Book E page 38. This land is in the same section as that purchased by David and Sophia Dunfee McNabb in April 1855. Jonathan S. Dunfee is known to be a son of James and Sophia (Hazlett) Dunfee.

In the 1850 census of Fairfield Township, Dekalb County, Indiana (page 466), George Dunfee is a 34 year old farmer who was born in Pennsylvania. He has real estate valued at $800. Listed with him was Nancy, age 33, born in Pennsylvania; John, age 9, and David, age 1, both born in Ohio.

George Dunphey resided in Fairfield Township, Dekalb County, Indiana (page 29) in 1860. He was 45 years old and born in Pennsylvania. He was a farmer with real estate valued at $600 and a personal estate of $300. In his household were Nancy, age 44, born in Pennsylvania; David, age 11 and James, 10, both born in Ohio, William, age 6, and Almira, age 2, both born in Indiana.

1870 finds the family still in Dekalb County but now residing in Richland Township (page 346). George Dunfee is 55 and born in Ohio. He is a farmer with real estate valued at $8000 and a personal estate valued at $670. Residing with him were Nancy, age 52, born in Pennsylvania; James, 19, born in Ohio; and William, age 15, born in Indiana.

George Dunfee passed away on November 3, 1871. He is buried in Corunna Cemetery, Fairfield Township, Dekalb County, Indiana along with two of his children, Almira and John.

George and Nancy (McKnobb /McNabb ?) Dunfee were the parents of five known children. There is a nine year gap between the first and second child so it is highly likely that there may have been other children that, perhaps, died before the family came to Indiana.

John Dunfee. Cemetery transcriptions show that John died Sept. 23, 1855, age 15y, 1m, 15d - son of G. & N. He is buried in Corunna Cemetery, Dekalb County, Indiana. His date of birth calculates to August 8, 1840.

David M. Dunfee was born about 1849 in Ashland County, Ohio. He married Clara Currant on July 15, 1873 in Dekalb County, Indiana. By 1880 they were divorced and David was living with his brother James and his wife Sarah in Richland township. On September 29, 1887 David was married to Mary E Tod in Dekalb County. (This is the record that gives his fathers name as Geo. Dunfee and his mother as McKnobb.) I have not found David in census records after 1880. However, the Indiana Marriages database on FamilySearch includes records for two of his children, which gives their parents as David Dunfee and Clara Current . If their place of birth is correct, it means that David moved around a bit. There could also be other children.

George Clifford Dunfee born December 16, 1875 in Monticello, Indiana (White County). He was married to Sarah (Hudson) McDaniel on October 5, 1923 in Warren County, Indiana.

Lillian Claude Dunfee born 1877 in Michigan. She married Raleigh Muir on August 22, 1898 in Marion, Indiana. For whatever reason, it was apparently a marriage of short duration! On May 1, 1899 Lillian C. Muir was married to Martin Kiplinger in White County, Indiana.

James E. Dunfee was born about 1850/51 in either Ohio or Indiana. He was married on July 3, 1870 in Dekalb County, Indiana to Sarah J. Finch. The 1880 census for Richland Township shows that he had two children: a daughter, Mickey, born about 1872 and a son, John W. born about 1878. Both children were born in Indiana. James and Sarah may have had other children. I have not found them in 1900 or later census records.

William C. Dunfee was born about 1854 in Indiana. On January 23, 1872 William Dunfee was listed as a minor heir of Geo. Dunfee who “died intestate more than 15 days prior to this time.” Nancy Dunfee was appointed guardian of William. (Dekalb County, Indiana Probate Order Book "C" page 321.) On October 2, 1875 he was declared of full age (Probate Order Book D). A deed record, dated December 5, 1878 provides the name of William's wife. It shows that Nancy Dunfee and William C. Dunfee and Saphronia Dunfee, his wife, all of Dekalb County sold land to Robert Shippy for $3050. (Dekalb County Deed Book DD page 550.) The 1870 census is the last census record I've found for William and I have not found his marriage record.

Almira Dunfee. Cemetery transcriptions show that Allmira died March 3, 1864, age 6y, 1m, 19d - daughter of G. & N. She is buried in Corunna Cemetery, Dekalb County, Indiana. Her date of birth calculates to January 12, 1858.

In reviewing notes from the early days (1980s) of my “research” I discovered that my deed abstracts were done rather poorly. In some cases I didn't record as much information as I should have. Also, I don't have the records for when George purchased this land. That will, hopefully, be remedied on my next excursion to the Family History Library in February. The following deed records are from Dekalb County, Indiana.

January 27, 1872 David M. Dunfee released and Quit claim to James E. Dunfee and Sarah J. Dunfee, his wife for $1,000 the E ½ SE ¼ S5 T34 R12 (vol. W p85)

May 13, 1873 Nancy Dunfee sold to David M. Dunfee for $500 the W ½ SE ¼ S5 T34 R12 (vol. W p444)

June 29, 1876 Nancy Dunfee sold to James E. Dunfee for $1000 E ½ SE ¼ S5 T34 R12. (vol. BB p531)

February 2, 1877 David M. Dunfee and Clara Dunfee, his wife, sold to Lafayette J. Miller the W ½ SE ¼ S5 T34 R12 for $1400 (vol. CC p110)

February 6, 1877 Nancy Dunfee sold to William C. Dunfee W ½ SE ¼ S6 T34 R12 for $800 (vol CC p114)

December 5, 1878 William C. Dunfee and Saphronia Dunfee, his wife, and Nancy Dunfee of Dekalb County sold land to Robert Shippy for $3050. (Deed Book DD page 550)

March 21, 1883 James E. Dunfee and Sarah Ann Dunfee, his wife, and Nancy Dunfee sold land to Lafayette J. Miller for $4000 (Deed Book JJ page 104)

I have not found Nancy, widow of George Dunfee, or their son William in the 1880 census records for Dekalb County. Their sons David M. and James E. were not found in Dekalb County census records after 1880.

If anyone has information on the George Dunfee family, I'd appreciate hearing from you! Leave a comment below or send me an email at kinexxions “at” gmail “dot” com.

See Dunfee Family :: Index to Posts for more information on the Dunfee family.

I'm “Home” for the Holidays...

2011-12-22T19:29:00.000-07:00

Greetings from Louisiana! I've made it safely to my destination and will be here through Christmas and New Years. It's not “Home” as in Indiana, but it is “Home” in the sense that my friends welcome me as family (we are, after all, distantly related). Mother Nature has not been very cooperative with the weather since I left Utah so it is quite nice to be “settled” in and out of the elements for a few weeks. I can't thank them enough for allowing me to be a part of their family!

To all of my friends and family scattered around the country, and all of the readers of Kinexxions, I offer you my heartfelt wishes for a Merry Christmas.

The Dunfee Family :: Are Jonathan H. Hoff and John H. Hoff the same man?

2011-12-20T03:00:00.039-07:00

This post continues with the search for Jonathan H. Hoff, son of Aquilla and Eliza (Dunfee) Hoff. My intent was to possibly locate living descendants in the hope that they might have additional information on the Dunfee and Hazlett families.

As noted in the previous post, Jonathan was not found in the online census index after 1880. I did find a John H. Hoff in Kansas census records, 1900 through 1930, that I think is a likely candidate to be Jonathan H. Hoff, son of Aquilla and Eliza. However, there is a 5-6 year discrepancy in their ages. This John H. Hoff was recorded consistently as born in 1859/1860, sometimes in Ohio and other times in Indiana. However, census records for Jonathan H. Hoff (1860 through 1880) consistently report that he was born about 1854 in Ohio.

But, this John H. Hoff has a daughter, his first born child, named Eliza... and his middle name is Hazelet!

It should be noted that Jonathan H. Hoff was living with his father, Aquilla, in Drum Creek Township, Montgomery County, Kansas (in the south east corner of the state, on the border with Oklahoma). His mother had passed away on August 6, 1876 in LaGrange County, Indiana. Aquilla returned to LaGrange County, Indiana where he died on June 27, 1883.

In 1900, John Hoff was found in Lyon Township, Decatur County, Kansas (page 6b). Decatur County is in the north west corner of the state, on the border with Nebraska, about as far away as you can get from Montgomery County and still be in Kansas!

John, age 40, born Nov 1859 in Ohio, was residing with his father-in-law James Wilson. John's parents were both listed as born in Ohio; his occupation was Clergyman; he had been married 8 years. His wife Mary was 32 years old and the mother of 3 children: Eliza, age 7 born May 1893; Grace, age 3 born Nov 1896; and his son Joyce, age 3/12 born Feb 1900. There were others in the household of James Wilson but for my purposes, at this time, they aren't important.

In the 1910 census, John H. Hoff is listed as the head of household, still in Lyon Township, Decatur County, Kansas (page 3a). He is age 51, born in Ohio. His father was born in Maryland and his mother in Pennsylvania. He is a farmer doing general farm work. There was no marital status given for John.

His wife and four children were found in Clay Center City, Ward 3, Clay County, Kansas (page 106) in 1910. Clay County is in the northeast corner of the state. Mary Hoff is the head of household, 42 years old, married once for 18 years with 4 children, all living. Mary's occupation was listed as janitor and she worked in a school building. Daughter Eliza was 16 and worked for board with private families. Daughter Grace was 13, sons Joyce and Eryll were 10 and 1, respectively. All of the children were born in Kansas.

The 1915 Kansas State Census has the family residing in Lawrence, Douglas County, Kansas (page 28). Douglas County is southeast of Clay County, one county away from the Missouri state line. John Hoff is age 55, Mary 47, Elisa is 21, Grace 18, son Joyce is 15 and son Ehryll is 6 years old.

1920 finds the family living on Ohio Street in Lawrence, Douglas County, Kansas (page 15a). John H. Hoff is 60 years old, born in Indiana. His parents were born in Ohio. He was a dishwasher in a cafe. His wife, Mary F., was 51 and also a dishwasher in a cafe. Listed with them were their two sons, Joyse W, age 19 and Eryll F, age 10 and daughter Grace E., age 23. There was also a roomer, Matthew B. McIntee who was 36 years old and was born in Connecticut.

The 1925 Kansas State Census tells us that they were still residing in Lawrence (page 36). John H. Hoff was 65 years old and born in Indiana. He came from Missouri and is a cafe keeper and is able to read and write. His wife, Mary F. Wilson Hoff came to Kansas from Indiana. She is 57 years old and a house keeper. Their sons, Joyce W. and Eryll F. were living with them. Joyce was 25 years old and a cafe keeper. Eryll was 15 years old.

In 1930, John H. Hoff is still living on Ohio Street in Lawrence, Kansas (page 7a). We learn that he rent his home for $12, is 70 years old, was born in Ohio. His parents were born in the United States. He was first married at age 32 and has no occupation. His wife Mary F is age 62 and was first married at age 24. Son Joyce W. is 30 and a waiter in a restaurant. Son Eryll F. is 21 years old and a reporter for a newspaper.

The family of John H. Hoff appears to be:

John H. Hoff, born Nov 1859 in Ohio or Indiana (father born Ohio or Maryland, mother born Ohio or Pennsylvania)
married about 1892 to Mary (Wilson) Hoff, born Jan 1868 in Indiana

Their children:

Eliza Hoff, born May 1893 in Kansas
Grace Hoff, born Nov 1896 in Kansas
Joyce W. Hoff, born Feb 1900 in Kansas
Eryll F. Hoff, born about 1910 in Kansas

Previous searches for Aquilla Hoff/Huff born 1815 in online trees produced no results. A few days ago, as I was preparing this post, I did a search for Eryll Hoff, born 1910, in the ancestry public member trees. I chose him because of the rather unusual spelling of his name. Yeah, I do all this census stuff (he really was easy to find) and then look at the online trees. For various reasons, I often wait until I've done some initial research on a family before looking at the online trees.

Anyway, the search for Eryll Hoff returned nine results. Six of those trees gave his parents as John Hazelet Hoff and Mary Fiducia Wilson. One listed his father as John Sherman Hoff with the same mother. The other two did not give his parents.

A search for John Hazelet Hoff also returned nine trees, some different than in the search for Eryll. Three of those trees gave John's parents as Emil Hoff and Mary Martha Emiline Jane Cowper/Cooper and one listed them as Kingsbury Hoff and Cora Matilda Hadley (with John's year of birth as 1865). None of the trees provided sources for the parents.

The entry for John Hazlett Hoff in “The Van Sickler Family Tree” (no parents) provides some nice photographs and one story for John. (I think you have to be signed in to ancestry.com for the links to the trees to work.)

“from the life story of Grace Elizabeth Hoff concerning her father John Hoff: Papa, the only child of along-toward-middle aged parents, had a father "mostly" German born in the United States. His mother, Irish, was born in Ireland and came to the U.S. in her seventeenth year.

I believe Papa inherited the Irish characteristics. I never knew them nor much about them They both died during Papa's early teen years, and he lived with an uncle. This uncle had a family of several big rough boys who picked on and teased their younger, smaller, and somewhat delicate cousin. However, there was money inherited from his parents' estate for his education. He attended Seminary in Indiana and became a Methodist minister.”

From this information it sounds like they don't know anything about the parents of John H. Hoff. Darn. I was really hoping they would have more information on them. I haven't yet, but will be sending a “member connect message” to the owners of “The Van Sickler Family Tree” (with the above story) and “Coghlin / Griffitts Family” tree (which has his father as Emil Hoff but also mentions La Grange, Indiana). I'm not saying I'm right, but I am interested in hearing what they think of my "theory" that Jonathan and John are the same person even though their ages are different. The daughter named Eliza and his middle name lends credence to this theory, I think. What do you, Dear Readers, think?

I wanted to get this post and the previous one with information on Aquilla and Eliza (Dunfee) Hoff published first so I could send those contributors the links rather than trying to explain everything in a message. Hopefully, I will get a response (maybe after the holidays). If not, I'll try the owners of the other trees.

See the Index for previous posts on the Dunfee family.

The Dunfee Family :: Eliza and Aquilla Hoff

2011-12-19T15:30:00.003-07:00

Eliza is presumed to be the daughter of James and Sophia (Hazlett) Dunfee. The primary link is the fact that Eliza was living with Jonathan Haslett in Mifflin Twp, Ashland County, Ohio in 1850. We're making the assumption that Jonathan is probably the father of Sophia. Bottom line is that I really don't have any “proof” that Eliza is the daughter of James and Sophia.

Census records put the year of birth for Eliza Dunfee at 1811, 1813, or 1815 and place of birth in Maryland or Pennsylvania. In 1850, she is 39 years old and born in Maryland. In 1860 she is 47 and born in Pennsylvania. And in 1870 she is 55 and born in Pennsylvania. Chances are, her age in 1850 is probably closer to the truth ;-) since she seems to lose a few years with each census.

Eliza married Aquilla Hoff on September 4, 1851 in Ashland County, Ohio as recorded in volume 2, page 70 (license 1134) of Ashland County Marriage Records.

The image above is from the FamilySearch online database of Ohio County Marriages. There seems to be some “confusion” on the part of the clerk that recorded the marriage or the “authority” who performed the ceremony. Under “Names of Parties” it shows that the record is for Aquilla Hoff and Eliza Dunfee. In the far right column, it states that R. D. Emerson is certifying that “on the 4th day of September Eighteen hundred and fifty one I joined in Marriage Mr. George W. Brown and Miss Eliza Dunfee.”

In actuality, it was Eliza Dunfee who married Aquilla Hoff. When the property of Jonathan Hazlett was sold on October 25, 1853, the majority of the items were sold to Aquila Hoff.

Sale Bill from the estate file (#190) of Jonathan Hazlett. Ashland County, Ohio.

The last entry in the above image (a portion of page 299 of the Ashland County Tract Book) shows that Luke Selby, administrator of the estate of Jonathan Hazlett sold in March 1854 the land that had been owned by Jonathan to Aquilla Hoff. The transaction is also recorded in Ashland County Deed Book 10 page 206.

Aquilla Hoff and his wife Eliza, sold that land to Christian Vesper on March 27, 1857 (Ashland County Deed Book 15 pages 162-163).

That was, essentially, all the information I had on Aquilla and Eliza. Until in November 2010, when I received an email in response to an 11 year old query I had posted on the Hoff Family Genealogy Forum. My correspondent passed along the information that Aquilla and Eliza had moved to LaGrange County, Indiana where she had found them in the 1860 census.

I'm guessing that they probably moved to LaGrange County in the spring of 1857 after they sold the land that had belonged to Jonathan Hazlett. They are listed in the 1860 and 1870 census in Bloomfield Township, LaGrange County, Indiana.

Aquilla Hoff is 45 years old in 1860. He is a farmer with real estate valued at $3000 and a personal estate of $342. He was born in Maryland. Listed in his household was Eliza, age 47 and born in Pennsylvania; Jonathan, age 6 and born in Ohio. Also included was Lucetta Dumbar, 12 years old and born in Indiana.

In 1870, Aqula Hoff is 54 years old. He is still a farmer but has real estate valued at $5000 and a personal estate of $1000. He was born in Maryland. Included in his household were Eliza, now 55 but still stating she was born in Pennsylvania; and Jonathon, who is 16 years old and born in Ohio.

Eliza (Dunfee) Hoff died on August 6, 1876 and is buried in Greenwood Cemetery, Lagrange County, Indiana. There is a memorial for her on Find A Grave. Looking closely at the photo of her gravestone it appears that the word “AGED” is written below the date of death. If so, it might pinpoint her year of birth a little better than the census records.

In the 1880 census, Aquilla Hoff was found in Drum Creek Township, Montgomery County, Kansas. He was 65 years old, retired and born in Maryland. Listed with Aquilla was his son, Jonathan H. Hoff, who was 26 years old, a farmer, and born in Ohio. He gave his father's place of birth as Maryland and that of his mother as Pennsylvania.

According to my correspondent, Aquilla Hoff was born February 15, 1815 in Washington County, Maryland and died June 27, 1883 in LaGrange County, Indiana. However, I suspected that he died in Kansas since that was where he was living in 1880. Turns out, Aquilla really did die in LaGrange County. There is an entry for him in the book “Indiana Deaths, 1882-1920” that was compiled by the W.P.A. (Works Progress Administration). It shows that he died in Newbury Township and was 68 years old.

What happened to their son Jonathan H. Hoff? Jonathan does not appear to be in the census records after 1880 (ancestry online index).

I did find a John H. Hoff in Kansas census records, 1900 through 1930, that I think is a likely candidate to be Jonathan H. Hoff, son of Aquilla and Eliza. However, there is a six year discrepancy in their ages.

But, this John H. Hoff has a daughter, his first born child, named Eliza... and his middle name is Hazelet!

To be continued....

See the Index for previous posts on the Dunfee family.

Padre Island :: Sunset

2011-12-16T10:10:00.000-07:00

Another one of my favorite places in Texas – Padre Island National Seashore. Photo taken December 13, 2011 - a delightful 75 degrees! Oh, yeah....

But things are not always what they seem. Apparently the “Red Tide” had invaded the Gulf waters. According to the Texas Parks & Wildlife website it “is a naturally-occurring, higher-than-normal concentration of the microscopic algae Karenia brevis. This organism produces a toxin that affects the central nervous system of fish so that they are paralyzed and cannot breathe. As a result, red tide blooms often result in dead fish washing up on Gulf beaches. When red tide algae reproduce in dense concentrations or "blooms," they are visible as discolored patches of ocean water, often reddish in color.”

I didn't see the Red Tide, but I did see the results.... Along the upper edge where the tide reaches its highest level, the beach was lined with dead fish. Trust me. It was not a pretty site. And the smell? Well, lets just say that it left something to be desired. It really wasn't too bad once you got past the line of dead fish – which included several varieties of Jelly Fish.

According to a pamphlet handed out at the entrance station, Red tide can cause problems with breathing, coughing, sneezing, and teary eyes – especially with windy weather conditions and rough surf – the exact conditions when I arrived and spent a couple hours walking along the beach!

That night I developed a cough and was sneezing quite a bit. I hadn't yet read the pamphlet so just thought it was the cool, damp night air. But it continued to get worse the next day and when I read the material provided at the entrance station I realized what it was. When I left for several hours and went into Corpus Christi, the symptoms abated somewhat. I had already paid for the second night so decided to stay.

The campground (using the term loosely – it was basically a paved parking lot) was just a few feet from the beach somewhat protected by a ridge of dunes. The smell of decaying fish was negligible once you were off of the beach. I enjoyed the sound of the surf hitting the shore and was lulled to sleep with it each night. There is something that can't be explained about that sound. It's primeval. Coupled with watching the waves coming onto the beach, moving in and out... well, it is mesmerizing.

I had planned on staying here at least five days, but with the symptoms I was experiencing, I reluctantly decided to cut my visit short. I'm happy to report that within a few hours (8-10) of leaving Padre Island, the coughing and sneezing stopped ;-)

A Walk Along the River :: San Antonio

2011-12-15T01:00:00.003-07:00

After leaving Davis Mountains State Park (on December 10th), I spent the day driving to San Antonio. The fog wasn't too bad once I left the mountains and got onto the Interstate Highway and I didn't get into any significant rain until about an hour from the city.

I spent three nights in San Antonio with my friend Diana. She is also a Joslin cousin (3rd cousin once removed). Her great grandfather, Luther Joslin, was a brother to my great-great grandmother, Malissa Mariah Joslin Brubaker Bower. Our families made contact for the first time in 1968, lost contact a few years later, then were reunited in 1999 through the wonders of the internet! The folks I'll be staying with in Louisiana for the holidays are also descendants of Luther. Don't you love it when distant family members become friends too?

One evening we ventured down to the Riverwalk for a stroll and supper. All types of Cafes and Restaurants line both sides of the river for a considerable distance. And, of course, the area was all decked out with lights for the holidays.

Trees were wrapped with lights on every branch and all the way to the top!

It was a rather cool evening but not uncomfortable – if you could stay out of the wind!

I hesitated to include this photo since it is out of focus, but I think it provides more of the ambiance of the evening. I actually kind of like it! Just consider it an “impressionistic” rendition of the Riverwalk...

A Caroling We Shall Go :: We Three Kings

2011-12-14T15:25:00.001-07:00

footnoteMaven is continuing her tradition of Christmas Caroling around the Genea-Blogosphere and I thought I'd join the festivities this year.

Actually, I have many “favorites” when it comes to Christmas Carols. This year I've selected “We Three Kings” with lyrics and music written by the Reverend John Henry Hopkins, Jr. and a somewhat non-traditional, but beautiful, rendition by The Beach Boys.

We three kings of Orient are;

Bearing gifts we traverse afar,

Field and fountain, moor and mountain,

Following yonder star.

O star of wonder, star of light,

Star with royal beauty bright,

Westward leading, still proceeding,

Guide us to thy perfect light.

Born a King on Bethlehem’s plain

Gold I bring to crown Him again,

King forever, ceasing never,

Over us all to reign.

O star of wonder, star of light,

Star with royal beauty bright,

Westward leading, still proceeding,

Guide us to thy perfect light.

Frankincense to offer have I;

Incense owns a Deity nigh;

Prayer and praising, voices raising,

Worshipping God on high.

O star of wonder, star of light,

Star with royal beauty bright,

Westward leading, still proceeding,

Guide us to thy perfect light.

Myrrh is mine, its bitter perfume

Breathes a life of gathering gloom;

Sorrowing, sighing, bleeding, dying,

Sealed in the stone cold tomb.

O star of wonder, star of light,

Star with royal beauty bright,

Westward leading, still proceeding,

Guide us to thy perfect light.

Glorious now behold Him arise;

King and God and sacrifice;

Alleluia, Alleluia,

Sounds through the earth and skies.

O star of wonder, star of light,

Star with royal beauty bright,

Westward leading, still proceeding,

Guide us to thy perfect light.

Greetings from Texas :: Albeit Somewhat Belatedly

2011-12-14T13:55:00.000-07:00

On December 7th I left Arizona, drove through the southwest corner of New Mexico and entered the great state of Texas! Yes, I've been here a week already... I stopped off for a few days at one of my favorite spots in Texas – Davis Mountains State Park – way down in the southwest corner of the state a few miles from Fort Davis.

Mother Nature was still throwing a hissy fit as far as the weather was concerned with colder than normal temperatures. However, there was one very nice day while I was at Davis Mountains – the thermometer actually reached 62 degrees! And there was sunshine and blue skies. It was quite nice, to say the least. Then the clouds and cold temps rolled back in that night... I left Davis Mountains on the morning of December 10th with the area enshrouded in fog and temperatures in the low 30s. The fog and low temps followed me eastward all day long...

Photos taken on December 8, 2011 from the top of Skyline Drive, Davis Mountains State Park. Overlooking the valley below. The campground is nestled between the hills on the left side of the photo.

This past spring and into early summer, parts of western Texas were ablaze with wildfires. Davis Mountains suffered some damage - most of the shrub trees in the upper areas of the park were blackened by fire and there was more extensive damage in the isolated areas.

The sunset wasn't the prettiest I've seen. But it wasn't bad either ;-)

Hazlett Family :: Index to Posts

2011-12-14T13:50:00.000-07:00

This is an "Index" to my posts on the Hazlett family. Additional posts will be added as new information is discovered. I'd love to hear from anyone related to these people, or if you have additional information on them, please contact me (email link is in the upper right corner of the blog).

Sophia Elizabeth Hazlett married James Dunfee, probably about 1810-1813. They were found in Liberty Township, Adams County, Pennsylvania in 1820. Their neighbors were Jonathan Hazlett and George Dunfee. I think there is a good probability that Jonathan is the father of Sophia and George is the father of James. However, there is no “proof” only circumstantial evidence and a gut feeling. George Dunfee “disappears” after 1820. Jonathan Hazlett, along with James and Sophia (Hazlett) Dunfee move to Plain Township, Wayne County, Ohio prior to 1830. They lived in relatively close proximity to each other for the next 20+ years (Jonathan in Richland-Ashland County and the Dunfee family in Holmes County).

It was Just a Matter of Time... The gravestones of Jonathan Hazlett and his wife Elizabeth in Strickland Cemetery, Vermillion Township, Ashland County, Ohio. [November 21, 2011]

Chasing Elusive Ancestors :: The Hazlett-Dunfee Connection Discusses what is known about James and Sophia (Hazlett) Dunfee and provides clues to their possible parents. [December 9, 2011]

The Hazlett-Dunfee Connection :: Back to Ohio Goes back in time to the families found in Wayne, Richland, Ashland and Holmes counties in Ohio. [December 11, 2011]

The Hazlett-Dunfee Connection :: On to Pennsylvania The Dunfee and Hazlett families were also located in York-Adams counties in Pennsylvania. This timeline details the information that is known about them. Are George and Mary Dunfee the parents of James Dunfee? Is Jonathan Hazlett the father of Sophia? [December 12, 2011]

See Dunfee Family :: Index to Posts for more information on the family of James and Sophia (Hazlett) Dunfee.

Originally Posted on December 14, 2011 :: Last Updated on December 14, 2011