Alvie and Lethia: a brother-sister pair

This one isn't really much of a mystery, but it was fun looking for and finding them. Check out the names as they were indexed; the indexers sure did struggle with these unusual (and old-fashioned) names!

Alvie Dunn

As far as I can tell, Alvie Burton Dunn was the youngest child of William Dunn and Margaret Gray Dunn. He was born June 5, 1878, never married, and passed away on April 18, 1946. He was a farmer, and lived with his sister Lethia Alafaire Dunn Primm for most of his adult life.

I'm sure that Lethia helped with the farm in addition to keeping up with the house and cooking meals.

Uncle Alvie Dunn, Oliver Lawing

Oliver Lawing married Essie Dunn, who was a niece to Alvie and Lethia. We also have a picture of her sister, Mayme Dunn. Essie and Mayme's father was Alvie and Lethia's brother William Leo Dunn.

Uncle Alvie Dunn

I think Alive liked horses.

From the records, it looks like Alvie and Lethia cared for their parents as William and Margaret advanced in age. Here's a sweet picture of Lethia with her mother Margaret and her cousin Floyd Todd's first wife, Carrie Asbury Todd.

Carrie Asbury Todd, Lethia Dunn Primm, Margaret Ann Gray Dunn. Taken about 1914.

Lethia was born on February 19, 1871, older than Alvie by seven years. She married R. Ernest Primm on May 18, 1893 and became a widow soon after. According to research done by cousin Rita, he died in an accident while working about a year after their marriage. Lethia never remarried. After a long life, she passed away on December 19, 1949 at the age of 78.

I like to think that Alvie and Lethia were somewhat like Matthew and Marilla in the Anne of Green Gables series: a brother and a sister who divided the work on the farm and supported each other. When Alvie registered for the WWI draft, he listed Lethia as his closest relative.

I found a lot of sources for these two; you may be interested in looking at some of them.

Source timeline:

1880 Census

1893 - Lethia Dunn's marriage to Ernest Prim

1900 Census

1910 Census

1917 - WWI Draft Registration

1920 Census

1930 Census

1940 Census

1946 - Alvie's death

Alvie's headstone

1949 - Lethia's death

Lethia's headstone

Margaret Ann Gray

Floyd Todd's first wife (Carrie Asbury Todd), Aunt Lethia Primm, Grandma Dunn (Margaret Ann Gray).
Picture taken about 1914.

 Parents: George Alexander Gray, Mary Wallace
Birth: May 20, 1838
Marriage: May 9, 1857 to William Charles Dunn. He was 30 and she would be 19 in just a few days. They had at least 8 children: Charles Millard, Delia Anita, Molly, Viola, Lethia Alafaire, William Leo, Lloyd L, and Alvie Burton (there may be more children; according to the 1910 census, Margaret bore 11 children, and according to the 1900 census, she bore 12. 7 were living at the time of both of the censuses.)
Death: February 5, 1916

Margaret Ann Gray was born in Tennessee in the year 1838. Steam-powered boats were gaining popularity, and one even crossed the Atlantic Ocean in record time in the year she was born. One thing that happened fairly close to home was that the Trail of Tears began that year in Georgia.

Margaret's family was originally from North Carolina, and had moved to Tennessee no more than two years before her birth, since her older sister Narcissa was born in North Carolina. The family stayed in Tennessee for only a few years; Margaret's sister Mary was born in Tennessee when Margaret was three years old, but by the time Margaret was six (1844), the family was back in good ol' Mecklenburg county where her next youngest sister Lydia was born. Fun fact: Margaret and Lydia married brothers! William was 17 years older than his brother James Franklin Dunn who married Lydia. William and Margaret were married about 14 years before J. F. and Lydia tied the knot. Both couples were married in Gaston County, NC.

Sometime in her childhood, Margaret probably attended school. The 1900 census states that she was able to read and write, so I assume that she learned at school. However, it is possible that one of her parents taught her to read and write.

When she was just shy of 19 years old, Margaret married William Charles Dunn. They lived in the same general area, so they had probably known each other--or at least each other's families--for some time. William was 11 years Margaret's senior. Their children came slowly at first, then more quickly. Charles, their first to survive childhood, was born in late 1859. It was eight years before their next child to survive childhood--my great-great grandma Delia--was born. The next six children came quickly, one every two or so years. The youngest (Alvie) was born when Margaret was 40.

I wonder if the other 3 or 4 children indicated by the 1900 and 1910 censuses came before Delia, but did not survive long enough to be recorded on a census? Because of the closeness in age of her younger children, I believe that Margaret must have had more pregnancies between Charles and Delia. She must have been devastated at the loss of her babies; she still remembered them to have them recorded--even as an impersonal number--when she was in her 60's (1900) and her 70's (1910).

Edward Dunn is listed with the family in the 1870 census. It's possible even that this Edward living with them was not even a Dunn; the census taker could have been lazy and listed all children in the household with the last name of Dunn. He certainly didn't double-check Margaret's place of birth! Anyway, I believe that he's related to Margaret and William. Older children and teenagers often lived with relatives at various times either to help the family they were living with, to be in a more advantageous situation, or even just to have an extended visit. I'm fairly certain that this Edward is not Margaret and William's child, as he was born before the couple were married.

In later life, Margaret and her husband William lived with their children Lethia and Alvie, as you can see in both the 1900 and 1910 censuses. I believe that Margaret was also close to the Todd family, since Floyd Todd's wife is pictured with her and Lethia in the first picture in this post and F. L. Todd reported her death. According to her death certificate, Margaret passed away at the age of 77 due to "natural debility." She passed away just three years after William, her husband of 56 years.

Another picture of Margaret Ann Gray. I think this picture must have gone through a fire to look like this.
We're lucky to have it!

1850 Census

1860 Census
Gaston County, NC

1870 Census

1880 Census

1900 Census

1910 Census

Death record (Paw Creek, Mecklenburg County, NC, 1916)

Grave marker
Note: I believe the year on the grave marker for Margaret's death (1927) is incorrect. The death record I found for "Canty A Dunn" lists the correct parents and the correct birth date and place for Margaret, as well as having F. L. Todd as the informant. We know that Margaret was close to the Todds, as we see in the 1914 picture we have of her with "Floyd Todd's first wife." Also, in 1900 and 1910, William and Margaret both lived with their son Alive and daughter Lethia. It made sense for their children who didn't have families of their own to take care of their parents. In the 1920 census, Alvie and Lethia still lived together, but Margaret was not listed with them.

Carrie Asbury, "Floyd Todd's first wife"

There she is, standing on the right* of two older women: tall, young, beautiful. Her outfit is obviously more stylish than the dresses the other women are wearing. It looks newer, too. "Who is this woman?" I asked myself. "What happened to her? Why is her name so hard to remember?"

I dug. I had to find the answer.

She wasn't listed in my family tree--Floyd Todd was Margaret (Gray) Dunn's grandson through her daughter Viola (Dunn) Todd, and only one wife was listed for him, a Susie C. Rawlings. She lived a long time, so I thought she must be a subsequent wife. I found two marriage records with a search for Floyd Todd, one for Carrie Asbury and one for Susan C Rawlings. Success! I found her, and I had a name.

Carrie and Floyd were married on August 25, 1914. Floyd was 22 and Carrie was only 17. I'm guessing this picture was taken in late 1914. Less than six months after her marriage to Floyd, Carrie was taken by appendicitis on February 8, 1915.

What a tragedy! She was so young. In the picture, she looks happy. She was so full of life. Carrie passed away almost one hundred years ago, but I can still taste the excitement she experienced from being a new bride and being out on her own.


Carrie and Floyd's marriage record
Carrie's death certificate

*She is on the left of the picture, but she was standing to the right of the two older women.

William Charles Dunn

Parents: James Andrew Dunn, Betsy Elizabeth Cox
Birth: April 17, 1827
Marriage: May 9, 1857 to Margaret Ann Gray. He was 30 and she would be 19 in a few days. They had 9 children: Edward, Charles Millard, Delia Anita, Molly, Viola, Lethia Alafaire, William Leo, Lloyd L, and Alvie Burton
Death: January 24, 1913 at the age of 85.

As I researched William's life, three things stuck out to me: he was a farmer, he was a homebody, and he cared about detail. On every census, his occupation was listed as farmer, although many of the other farmers that I've researched listed secondary occupations in the occupation field instead. William identified as a farmer. Of all the documents I found for him, none of them showed him being further than 20 or so miles away from the place he was born. He liked being with his family, both immediate and extended. The thing that made me realize that he payed attention to detail was that his birth date was correct on every record that I looked at. Compared to other records that I've looked at from his time period in the South, he was very particular to get this one thing right. I imagine that carried over to other aspects of his life as well.

_________________

William was born in Mecklenburg county, probably just northwest of Charlotte where he lived most of his life. He was the only boy in his family for the first 6 years of his life, with two older sisters and two sisters between him and his next youngest brother. After that, five more sisters came into his family, followed by the two youngest, both boys. The youngest brother was born just a few months before the 1850 census was taken. All this time, it appears that the family was living in Mecklenburg county, northwest of Charlotte.

William met Margaret Ann Gray about 6 or 7 years later, and they were married--or at least they obtained their marriage license--in Gaston county, immediately east of Mecklenburg county. It's about 20 miles from the county seat of Gaston county to Paw Creek, where the family lived, but I'm guessing that William lived closer than the county seat.

William and Margaret stayed in Gaston County for at least three years after their marriage; in 1860, they were living there with their fist child. Sometime before 1870, though, they were back in Paw Creek, Mecklenburg county, next to William's family. They stayed in the area until William passed away in 1913 at age of 85.


References:

1830 Census (father James listed; all that indicates William is the one boy attributed to that family)

1850 Census:

*note that immediately below the James Dunn family on this census was the
Andrew Dunn family. Andrew was James's older brother.

Index of marriage record
(Gaston county)

1860 Census
(Gaston county)

1870 Census:

1880 Census

1900 Census

1910 Census

Wheelock Winspear

Parents: John Winspear, Catherine Almira Wheelock
Birth: March 8, 1847
Marriage: June 11, 1872 to Ellen Eve Rowe. He was 25 and she was 20. They had six children: John Burrige, Wheelock William, Minnie May, Nellie Grace, Marie Mabel, and Catherine Pearl.
Death: May 27, 1924, at 77 years old

Wheelock was born in New York State near Buffalo. He was named by the maiden name of his mother. For at least the first 13 years of his life, his family lived close to his mother's family in Lancaster, Erie County, New York, as you can see from the 1850 and 1860 Censuses. His family farmed and had boarders, and even a servant at one point.

For some reason or another, the family decided to move from NY to southern Ohio, 450 miles away from where they used to live. The place they settled on was a small town called Pierce, a mere 3.5 miles from Amelia, and about the same distance from the Ohio river, which was also the Kentucky-Ohio border. They probably moved around 1868 or 1869, since Wheelock's 2-year-old niece Girtie was born in NY and his 11-month old niece Maude was born in Ohio. The girls and their parents were living with Wheelock's parents at the time of the 1870 US Census.

In 1872, Wheelock married his life-long companion, Ellen Rowe. Their first child--John--was born across the river in Kentucky, but the rest of their children were born in Ohio. I'm guessing that Wheelock had found a temporary job in KY to help him get his new family on their feet, and then moved back to Ohio to be close to his family once again.

In 1880, Wheelock's mother and youngest sister were living with or right next to his own young family. He had 3 children, including Minnie May (recorded as Minetta on the census). The farm was doing well enough that he could employ a man to help on the farm.

As the years progressed, Wheelock's sons and his daughters were married. He and his wife Ellen stayed in Pierce, Ohio until they moved to Ohio, Ohio (seriously, that's what it's called!) one township over a few years before Wheelock's passing in 1924.

1924 was a difficult year for the Winspear family. On New Year's Eve, (Dec 30, 1923), Wheelock's son John died. Just a few months later, in May, Wheelock passed on from acute nephritis (kidney disease), and then in June of the same year Wheelock's son Wheelock William passed on also.

Thankfully, Wheelock Winspear had provided well for his widow, and they owned their house in Ohio, Ohio, so she would not face as much financial difficulty as another might in her situation. Wheelock was already 77 at the time of his passing, and I believe he was prepared for it.


Sources:

1850 Census:

1855 New York State Census:

1860 still in Lancaster, New York

1870 US Census

Marriage record:

1880 US Census:

1880 Census, Pierce, Clermont, Ohio

1900 US Census:

1910 US Census

1920 US Census

Death Certificate

John B Winspear

John Winspear was Minne May Winspear (Great-Granddad Cliff's mother)'s brother. He died at only 50 years old on New Year's Eve.

According to his death certificate, John died by "gunshot wound to the head" in December of 1923 at 2:30 A.M. "Whether suicide or otherwise [was] to be determined" at the time of the death certificate. Wow. He was a merchant, and I assume did not live a wild lifestyle.

Also according to his death certificate, John was a widower. At the 1920 census three years earlier, however, his wife was listed with him and his two daughters from a previous marriage. I found his two daughters in a 1930 US Census, so I know that at least they survived him. Was the death of his wife so devastating that he couldn't stand to be alive anymore? Was he murdered by a dissatisfied customer? (I doubt it) I guess I won't know. I hope he has found comfort and peace since then.

Josephine Plogsted

Parents: Frederich Henrich (Henry) Plogsted, Marie (Mary) Appleman
Birth date: September 14, 1882 (September 25, 1882 according to death certificate)
Marriage: October 29, 1902 in Cincinnati, Ohio, to Frank Grupenhoff. Josephine was 20 and Frank was 28. They had six children: Cecilia, Edward H, Rosella Marie, William B, Clara A, and Josephine Agnes.
Death date: March 29, 1919, at age 36

The earliest record I was able to find for Josephine was the 1900 census. She was 17 when it was taken, and from it, you can see that her parents were both born in Germany, had been living in the US for 32 years each, and were naturalized citizens of the US. They rented a house on Colerain Avenue in the city of Cincinnati, and young Josephine worked as a dressmaker. At least half of the families listed on the same page as the Plogsteds were also immigrants, mostly from Germany.

Soon after this small glimpse we get into her life, she married Frank Grupenhoff, also a son of German immigrants. At the time, she was still working as a dressmaker, and from the marriage record, we see that they were married by the Reverend J. M. Felden, a Catholic priest. Josephine was still living at Colerain Avenue -- she was living at 3661 Colerain Avenue, to be exact. That address is in the middle of a street now!

It appears that Josephine spent the rest of her life at a cute little house at 4940 Bouton Street, Cincinnati, Ohio. She and her husband Frank were there for the 1910 census, and it is the address on her death certificate. I found a picture of the house on Google Maps Streetview. Look!

Image from street view on Google Maps

When you look at the house with satellite view, you can see the roof over the porch and room next to the porch is flat. I don't know if these were additions after the Grupenhoff family moved out, but I can just picture Josephine's children playing on the porch and climbing out of the windows to sit on the roof when they could get away with it.

Unfortunately, Josephine had to experience the tragedy of two of her children passing away before she did. Clara, the second youngest, died in 1912 from shock she experienced after receiving severe burns. Her death certificate lists "Shock [for?] multiple burns accidentally received (set fire to clothing with lighter match)" as the cause of death, but family lore says she and the other children were playing by a brush fire and her dress caught fire as she tried to jump over it like the other children (source: my dad). She was only three years old. I can't imagine the agony that Josephine must have felt, and I wonder if she blamed herself for not watching the children more closely.

Rosella Marie, the third oldest, died just three years later of diphtheria, a bacterial infection that is now essentially eradicated in industrialized nations because of vaccines. The doctor visited two days before Rosella passed on, but evidently there was nothing he could do, because she passed away on September 16, 1915. Rosella was only 9 years old. (I had to do some digging to find Rosella Marie's death certificate, and I had a really neat experience after I found it that I wrote about here.)

Josephine Plogsted passed away in 1919 at age 36 of heart failure or "acute myocardial insufficiency," according to the death certificate, and the secondary cause was asthma. She had been doing poorly for at least two days--and probably more--before her death, because the death certificate shows that she had been attended by a physician two days before her passing. Her oldest child Cecilia was only 15, and her youngest--my Granny Jo--was only 9 years old when they lost their mother.


Sources:

1900 Census:

1900 Census

Marriage license (1902):

Marriage license, 1902

1910 Census:

1910 US Ohio Census

1920 Census (to give an idea of where her family was when Josephine passed on):

1920 US Ohio Census

James William Wallace

Julia Anna Peters, James W Wallace

Parents: Daniel Wallace, Eliza Kennedy
Birth: March 21, 1867
Marriages:

1. October 31, 1896 to Julia A. Jordan. Julia Jordan was about 20 and James was 29.
2. August 20, 1899 to Julia Anna Peters. James was 32 and Anna was 26. They had two children, Adrian Floyd and Cecil Denver.

Death: December 20, 1944. James was 77 years old.

James grew up and lived in and around Green, Brown, Ohio. That combination of township and county makes me laugh every time! I think there might have been some Whites that lived in Green, Brown, Ohio, too. Oh, so many colors.

ANYway. The 1870 and 1880 censuses show that James grew up with both sets of grandparents, and many of his aunts, uncles and cousins living right next door or down the road from him. Isn't that great? I'm guessing that they all helped each other with their farms and such. I wish I could post a picture of the census with everybody labeled according to how they're related to him (James), but I recently found out that it might not be allowed to post pictures of records from Family Search on the internet, so I'm waiting to hear back on if I have permission. If I don't, I'll be taking down all the record images that I've posted on the blog. The links will still be there, though.

James was the oldest of three boys. His father passed away when he was young, so James's mother had to raise her children on her own. I'm sure having all that family around made a big difference to her, but even with all of his uncles and family around, I wonder if James felt responsible to fill the role of his father in providing for his family, as he was the oldest son?

James was very close to his family on both his father's and his mother's sides. Most of his relatives that lived on land adjacent to his immediate family were Wallaces. I also found two 1880 censuses recording a James Wallace of the appropriate age. One was listed with Elizabeth Wallace (James's mother) and the other was listed with Z. H. Kennady -- or Zedick Hezekiah Kennedy -- Elizabeth's younger brother and James's uncle. On the census, it shows that James was working on the farm, so I think he must have gone to help his uncle out with some of the farm work when the census was taken.

I did find a marriage record for a Julia Jordan (NOT to be confused with Julia Anna Peters!) and a J. W. Wallace. A John Wallace was witness that James and Julia were old enough to marry without their parents' consent and that they weren't too closely related. I'm guessing that this John was James's younger brother. This marriage took place in Clermont County, Ohio, very close to where James grew up. I couldn't find any other records pertaining to Julia Jordan after she and James married, but I think someone has because there's a death date for her on Family Search.

I was unable to find a marriage record for James and Julia Anna Peters, but documents pertaining to their two children (a birth record for Cecil Denver and a marriage record for Adrian) list James Wallace and Julia Peters as their parents. Mabel Shell, Anna Peters's daughter from her first marriage, lived with them until she either married or was of age to move out. I wonder what James's relationship was like with her?

By the 1900 US Census, Mabel is 4 years old and James and Annie had been married for about a year. They were renting a house that didn't have a farm, but most of the people living near them lived on farms.

At the 1910 Census, James and Annie seem to have a really good life going for them. They own their own farm free of mortgage! Their children are growing and going to school--at this point, they have two boys (Adrian, 9, and Cecil, 1.5 years - here's his birth record from 1908) in addition to Annie's daughter Mabel. James seems to have steady work at the sawmill, which brings in a more reliable income than the farm would. Family is close again; James's brother Robert was living close enough to be recorded on the previous page of the census.

Not much seems to have changed by the 1920 Census except that Mabel has moved on, probably to marry and start her own family. I couldn't find a marriage record for her, so I'm not sure who she married or if she did marry. James's son Adrian got married two years after the census was taken, so Annie and James were left with only their youngest child at home, making Cecil essentially an only child for his teenage years.

Sometime before 1930, Annie and James sold their farm and moved into town. James started up a grocery store, and Annie worked there as a clerk. Unfortunately, it seems like that business didn't work out for them, because in 1940 James was working at the saw mill again.

Although he had moved several times, James lived in Brown County, Ohio his whole life. I'm sure he visited other places, though, especially Cincinnati. James passed away just five days before Christmas Day, 1944. World War II was still raging, although the tides had turned and it would end a few months later. James was 77 years old when he passed and was survived by his widow, Julia Anna Peters.

1870 Census:
https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/M6KH-YS9

1880 Census:

1. with mother: https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MZ1D-GZJ
2. with uncle: https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/M89W-DBB

Marriage to Julia Jordan:
https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XDKP-42R

1900 Census:
https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MMCC-1R8

1910 Census:
https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MLNF-1ST

1920 Census:
https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MDBS-5VX

1930 Census:
https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/X4S4-YXF

1940 Census:
https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/KWD1-6W5

Julia Anna Peters

Julia Anna Peters, James W. Wallace

Parents: George W. Peters, Sarah Penny
Birth date: September 9, 1872
Marriages:

1. April 30, 1895 to William Shell. Anna was 22 and William was 27. They had one child, Lena Mabel Shell
2. August 20, 1899 to James W. Wallace. Anna was 26 and James was 32. They had two children, Adrian Floyd and Cecil Denver.

Death date: April 14, 1956

Julia Anna has been a really interesting person to research. It seems like she went by her first name Julia when she was young (see the 1880 Census), but by her first marriage, she was called by her middle name Anna or Annie (see the subsequent censuses).

As you can see from the 1880 census, Julia is the second youngest child in her family. Her father had passed away just a year before the census was taken, so Julia's mother Sarah was listed as the head of household. Julia's older brothers helped to support the family (if you look at the 1880 census in Family Search, you can see Julia's older brother George W and his family listed right before Julia's family unit), but you wonder how Julia's life and perspective were different without her father around for much of her life.

Did you know that the 1890 U.S. Census was burned? Evidently there was an fire in the basement where it was kept, and all fragments except a few maps were destroyed as a result. This fire is what prompted the United States to establish the National Archives. So we don't have any of the 1890 Census records. It would be nice to know more about Julia's family at this point, but I guess we'll just have to live with the gap.

In 1895, Annie married William Shell (I found their marriage license/certificate!). About a year later, their daughter Mabel was born. Around 1898, William passed away. What a tragedy! I'm sure that Annie was distraught! On top of having a young child and not knowing how she was going to survive financially, her husband and companion was no longer there for her.

Annie married again, about a year and a half after William's passing. She married James Wallace, also a young widower. His first wife had passed away three years earlier, just a few months after he and she married. James and Annie married just in time to have their first year of marriage preserved by the 1900 US Census. Mabel is 4 at this point, and James and Annie had been married for about a year. They were renting a house that didn't have a farm, but most of the people living near them lived on farms.

At the 1910 Census, James and Annie seem to have a really good life going for them. They own their own farm free of mortgage!  Their children are growing and going to school--at this point, they have two boys (Adrian, 9, and Cecil, 1.5 years - here's his birth record from 1908) in addition to Annie's daughter Mabel. James seems to have steady work at the sawmill, which brings in a more reliable income than the farm would.

Not much seems to have changed by the 1920 Census except that Mabel has moved on, probably to marry and start her own family. I couldn't find a marriage record for her, so I'm not sure who she married or if she did marry. Annie's son Adrian got married two years after the census was taken, so Annie and James were left with only their youngest child at home, making Cecil essentially an only child for his teenage years.

Sometime before 1930, Annie and James sold their farm and moved into town. James started up a grocery store, and Annie worked there as a clerk. Unfortunately, it seems like that business didn't work out for them, because in 1940 James was working at the saw mill again.

Annie was 83 when she passed away.

1880 Census
https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MZ1D-6Y5

Marriage to William Shell:
https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XD59-LCQ

Birth of Cecil Denver Wallace, Sr. (1908):
https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/X67W-S5S

Marriage of son, Adrian Peters (1922):
https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XZ1N-7LL

1900 Census:
https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MMCC-1R8

1910 Census:
https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MLNF-1ST

1920 Census:
https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MDBS-5VX

1930 Census:
https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/X4S4-YXF

1940 Census:
https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/KWD1-6W5

James Henry Thompson

James Henry Thompson -- my great-great-grandfater -- lived in Newnan, Cowetta County and also in Carroll County, Georgia for a large portion of his life. According to Google Maps, that's less than an hour's driving time away from where I live now! This will be the first time since I started doing family history that I've lived close enough to the places my ancestors lived to actually visit them and look at records of my family members that are not online. Wooo!

Sarah Burke Thompson, probably Hoyt Thompson, James Henry Thompson

James Henry is the man on the right. The woman in the picture is his third wife, Sarah Burke. Many women died young from complications during childbirth, and I believe that is what happened to James's first two wives. It was difficult in those days to raise children as a single parent, just as it is today, so many men remarried not just for company, but also to help raise the children.

Parents: John Henry Thompson, Martha V. Benford
Birth: October 3, 1866 in Heard County, Georgia
Marriages:

1. July 1 1888 to Callie Anita Nolan in Newnan, Georgia. Callie was about 20 and James was 21.
   Children: James Oren Sr., Lillie Belle, and Susie Ella
2. February 12, 1905 to Lena Lenderman. Lena was 19 and James was 38.
   Children: Siddie Odessa, Oliver Glen (Glen), and Clarence Richard
3. June 1, 1919 to Sarah Jane Burke. Sarah was about 32 and James was 52. This was Sarah's second marriage.
   Children: John B, Roy John, Elizabeth, and Harvey Hoyt

Death: February 14, 1943. James was 76 years old.

Since James, Henry, and Thompson were all pretty common names, at first all I found was the 1940 census and the record of his marriage to Callie Nolan. However, when I searched using James Henry's children's names or siblings' names, I was able to find many more records for him.

As you can see in the censuses, James Henry Thompson was listed as Henry or Henry J. This leads me to believe that he was called by his middle name, Henry. Several of his siblings also primarily used their middle names. This is probably another reason I found it so difficult to find records for J. Henry Thompson.

As I've been doing family history work, I've noticed that censuses records seem to be more of a casual record than records such as a marriage record. Census records tend to have less accurate ages and nicknames, while marriage records have more accurate ages or birth dates and names. Therefore, although I've only come across one record that lists J. Henry as James H. Thompson while the others list him as Henry J., I feel that it is more credible since it's a marriage record.

So J. Henry lived in western Georgia, really close to the Alabama border. In 1880, the area that he lived in was so far west that it was called New Mexico! New Mexico was/is located in the south west corner of Carroll county, right next to the Alabama border.

Henry is listed as living in Carroll County up until about 1930, where we see he's living in Coweta County. Coweta is closer to Atlanta and further east than Carroll County. However, Henry's marriage to Callie Nolan took place in Coweta County, and at least their first child (James Oren Thompson, Sr.) was born in Newnan, Coweta County, Georgia in 1892. It seems like Henry moved around some. I don't know how or where he met Callie, but I'm guessing that they lived in Newnan to be closer to Callie's family (She lived in Clayton County in 1880. That's east of Coweta County.)

You may have noticed that J. Henry's three oldest children were not living with him and his second wife in 1910, although his youngest from his first marriage would have been only 15 years old. I don't know where they went, but I'm guessing that J.O., Sr and his two sisters were sent to live with relatives since their widowed father didn't have the means or ability to raise his young children. I'm going to ask Grandma if she knows anything about it.

J. Henry passed away at the age of 76 years old. His youngest child Harvey Hoyt was only 14 years old.


1880 Census:
https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/M8L6-F1J

1880 Census, Carroll County, GA

Marriage to Callie A. Nolan:
https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/KXVK-G4Q


1910 Census:
https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MLV1-WTV

1910 Census, Carroll County, Georgia

1920 Census:
https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MJ8X-5WH

1920 Census, Carroll County, GA

1930 Census:
https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/331Q-X2M

1930 Census, Coweta County, GA

1940 Census:
https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/K7LD-WWD

1940 Census, Coweta County, Georgia

Delia Anita Dunn

Delia was a popular name in the 1800's. The name came from Greek mythology, and it meant "visible from Delos." It's pronounced DEAL-ya, like Amelia Bedelia.

Parents: William Charles Dunn, Margaret Ann Gray
Birth: January 1866
Marriage: January 20, 1892 to Quince Routillus Campbell. Quince was 29 and Delia was 25. They had six children:

A baby boy, who died soon after birth, Grace Viola, William Lafayette, Foy Routillus, Margaret Elizabeth, and Ella Alafaire

Death: October 22, 1925. Delia was only 59.

From the information I have from the censuses, it looks like Delia lived in Paw Creek, Mecklenburg County, North Carolina until she married Quince Campbell. Her father was well-enough off to own his own place, as you can see in the 1870 census. She had one older brother--Charles--who was significantly older than her. It appears that she had some other older siblings who weren't able to survive childhood. So sad!

After Delia married, she moved around some--at least to Ironton, NC and back to Paw Creek. She stayed at home, kept up with housework, and I'm sure she also helped with the farm.

Delia was acquainted with loss--her very first child died the day he was born, and her second-youngest daughter (Margaret) passed away when she was only 15 years old. Delia and Quince were obviously distraught over the loss of their daughter, and they commissioned a beautiful headstone for her with the inscription, "Weep not father and mother for me, For I am waiting in glory for thee." They also commissioned a headstone for their first child, although I'm sure that as a newly married couple, they did not have much money to spare.

Below are the records I have found that chronicle Delia's life.

1870 Census

1880 Census

1910 Census

1920 Census

Delia Dunn's death certificate

Grave marker

Quince Routillus Campbell

"Grandfather Quince Routillus Campbell"

Parents: Joseph Alexander Lafayette Campbell, Sarah Elizabeth Meadows
Birth: July 12, 1862
Marriage: January 20, 1892 to Delia Anita Dunn. Quince was 29 and Delia was 25. They had six children:

A baby boy, who died soon after birth, Grace Viola, William Lafayette, Foy Routillus, Margaret Elizabeth, and Ella Alafaire

Death: December 10, 1943 at age 81.

Wow. I can't believe how many documents I found for Quince R. Campbell, considering how hard it was to find any for Grace Campbell. There are so many! I found census records from both before and after he was married, a record of his marriage to Delia Dunn, and a record of his passing. We have a neat picture of his life here:

1870 Census, Sugar Loaf Township, Alexander County, North Carolina:

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This census record doesn't really list much, but we can still learn from it. Quince's stepmother Jane is listed here (nee Gwatlney), and his half-brother Lebius was already born. Quince grew up in or near Sugar Loaf, North Carolina. This is north of Charlotte and just about directly due west from Greensboro and Winston-Salem, NC. The area highlighted in pink on the map is Sugar Loaf, NC.

Sugar Loaf, Alexander County, NC (screenshot from Google Maps)

1880 Census, Sugar Loaf Township, Alexander County, North Carolina:

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In this census, we see that Quince is still in Sugar Loaf with the family he grew up with. We see that he had attended school within the last year, and that his father and paternal grandparents were born in North Carolina.

1910 Census, Ironton Township, Lincoln County, North Carolina

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A lot can happen in 30 years, and that's how long it has been since the last census that I found Quince in. Quince was married to Delia Dunn in Paw Creek, NC, about 7 miles from downtown Charlotte. Ironton township, where he was living when this census was taken, is about 30 miles northwest of Charlotte. All six of Quince and Delia's children had been born by this point, and they already knew the grief of losing a child. It looks like Quince was a farmer, just like his father before him. He was renting the land he farmed, and the census lists his three oldest children (including Grace!) as being "farm laborers" on the "home farm". I wonder if that was just carelessness on the census taker's part, or if Grace did take a big part in helping with the farm. I wouldn't be surprised, since her younger brothers were a lot younger than her, and she was the oldest. Also, I know Grandma, and I wouldn't be surprised if her mother had just as much gumption as Grandma does.

1920 Census, Paw Creek, Mecklenburg County, North Carolina

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Quince and his family had returned to Paw Creek by 1920, but his two oldest children had moved out. The oldest at home is still listed as a "farm laborer" on the "home farm," but it shows that Quince was working -- at least part-time -- as a carpenter at a broom factory.

1940 Census, Masonic and Eastern Star Home, Greensboro, Guilford County, North Carolina:

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The Masonic and Eastern Star Home was an exclusive community for members of the Masonic and Eastern Star lodges who had retired. Accordingly, we learn from this census that Quince was a member of one of those organizations. We also learn that as late as 1935, Quince was still living in Charlotte. On a side note, the Home is still in business, but is now open to everyone.

I also found the extracted data from Quince's death certificate. This data shows that he was a widower when he passed away, the date of his passing, his birth date, and the names (or at least partial names) of his parents. His father was listed as Joseph F. Campbell. At first I was stumped by this, but then I found some information that showed that his father's nickname was "Fate" or possibly "Fayette,"  short for Lafayette. It makes sense, especially considering that Quince's father was listed as "Lafayett" on one census but "Joseph" on another. The record lists Quince's mother as Elizabeth Meadows. I'm looking forward to learning more about her and finding out if she went by her middle name or if this is possibly another error.

Quince Campbell had a full life. I get a sense of satisfaction as I document it. I'm sure it was full of hardships harder than I can imagine (soft modern girl that I am :), but I imagine it was filled with the joy of family.

Minnie May Winspear

Minnie was born about 10 years after the Civil War, and lived well into the 20th century. What must it have been like to live during that time of leaping changes in technology in the modern world? She started her life without electricity, indoor plumbing, or motorized vehicles. She ended her life after cars had been around for dozens of years, electricity had passed the threshold of television, air conditioning, and telephones that would allow you to talk to someone across the globe almost instantaneously. Even her name reflected the changing times: Minnie was an extremely popular name during the 1870's, and continued to be popular a few dozens of years, but declined gradually until now, when it's very unusual to meet someone named Minnie.

Minnie May Winspear and Clifford L. White

Parents: Wheelock Winspear, Ellen Eve Rowe
Birth: October 21 or December 5, 1877
Marriage: June 7, 1899 to Clifford Levi White. Minnie was 22 and Cliff was 24.
               Their only child was Clifford Winspear White, my great-grandfather.
Death: 1971

Birth record for Minnie Winspear:

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This record is pretty self-explanatory, but it shows Minnie's birth date. As you will see in the other records I've found for her, this is an elusive date! I'm not sure if this is the correct date or not. We also get Ellen's middle initial from this record: E. I'm pretty sure this is the actual record for Minnie, however. I didn't find any other women named Minnie with parents of similar names when I was looking her up.

1880 Census:

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This is the only census I could find with Minnie in it before her marriage. I felt really proud of myself for finding her in this one, since she's listed as Minetta (I think it's a write-o). I found this record by looking up her father's and mother's names. Here she's 2 years old. You can also see her grandmother (Kate, short for Catherine :) and aunt in the two rows above the Wheelock Winspear family. We also see that Minnie's mother was born in England, as well as both of Minnie's maternal grandparents. Minnie's father's family is from New York. I wonder what brought them to Ohio?

Marriage license and certificate for Minnie May Winspear and Clifford Lee White:

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Whew! This document has a TON of information! We get the full names of both bride and groom, we get their birth dates (This shows Minnie's as December 5, in conflict with the birth record that I found for her). We also get each parent's name or maiden name. Maiden names are priceless in family history research, by the way! We also see that Minnie was born and raised in Pierce Township, since she is listed as living at the "same place" as where she was born. 

We also get crucial information about Clifford Lee (or is it Levi? I think I saw that name somewhere ... ) from this record, but I will discuss that in his entry.

1900 Census:

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This is (barely) less than a year after Cliff and Minnie's marriage. This census is another source that lists Minnie's birth month as December. I'm pretty sure that even if Minnie was born in October, she was convinced that she was born in December. Another thing we see from this census is that the family is renting their home, and must live in or near town, since they don't have a farm.

1910 Census:

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From this census, you can see that Cliff Sr. and Minnie were a little bit older when Cliff Jr. was born. In fact, he was born over 7 years after they married! They sure did have a long wait. I'm sure they treasured their only son that they had waited so long for. I remember hearing that Cliff, Jr. was a "spoiled only child," but I suspect that his parents couldn't help it. They had waited so long for this child.

We also see that Cliff Sr. still worked as a "livery man" at a livery stable. If I understand the census taker's shorthand correctly, Cliff Sr. was the employer at the livery stable. The family still rented a house that was not on a farm.

1920 Census:

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In this census, we see that Cliff Sr. is working on his "own account" (OA on the far right) as a manager at a garage. This is probably a natural transition from the livery stable as the country was transitioning from horses to automobiles as their main mode of transportation. It's also interesting to see that Minnie was working outside the home, even though two-income families were much less common during this time period. I don't know what the "creamery office" was, but she was the manager of it. I think that's pretty impressive for a woman from her time period. The family now owns the house that they're living in, but they have a mortgage on it.

1930 Census:

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Minnie isn't working anymore by the time 1930 rolls around. For some reason, the family is renting again.Cliff Jr. had just moved out and married the beautiful Jo Grupenhoff, so Minnie and Cliff, Sr. are empty-nesters. I imagine that it must have been especially lonely for Minnie, since she didn't work anymore. However, it's possible that she was able to visit with her neighbors to pass the time.

1940 Census:

Click to enlarge

Here's a big change! Minnie and Cliff, Sr. own their own home, and it's beautiful and spacious. White Acres housed Minnie and Cliff, Sr. on one side and their son, daughter-in-law, and grandchildren on the other. Cliff, Sr. was a "monument" (aka gravestone) salesman, and Minnie stayed at home, which I imagine she did for the remainder of her life.

Minnie lived into her 90's. Her only grandchild lived in Baltimore with his three children, Minnie's great-grandchildren. She outlived her husband by six years. I don't know much about the remainder of her life, but I hope it was happy and fulfilling.