What's In A Name? Open To the Possibilities

The "Maybe's" Of It All

I love patterns, and lucky for me, there are plenty to be found in genealogy.  It's so satisfying to find them in my research notes, database reports, or spreadsheets.  It may not give me an answer to a problem, but it can give me something quantifyable to look at maybe leading to some circumstantial evidence for a line that I'm stuck on.  One type of pattern that I like the most is naming patterns.  There are all sorts of naming patterns, and I have yet to find one in one of my lines that follows the official naming pattern "rules," but I do seem to find patterns within my family lines' given names.

 Don't Forget the Brothers and the Sisters

My maternal grandfather's surname is Blacketer.  Because it's a unique name, especially the further you go back in time, it's a pretty easy name to trace.  However, what makes this line so difficult is the given names.  Come again?  Well, to say it's a big family is an understatement, and apparently everyone just absolutely adored each other.  Hence, they named their children after their siblings, uncles, aunts, and the like ~ a lot.  Furthermore, many migrated with each other causing generations of those with the same exact names within the same age ranges to be living near each other!  Nothing's ever easy, is it?  In Ancestry.com's family trees, you can find many branches of this family ~ both sourced and unsourced.  Furthermore, on the surname message boards, you can find many confused researchers wondering, "Are we related?"  So, one day I decided to "figure them out," dilligently following each line, going from the "bottom up" then the "top down."  I already knew who the progenitor of my line was, William Alexander Blacketer from Scotland, I knew all of his children, and I knew how I connected to William.  This took time, but I don't think that it was particularly hard.  The main thing that I saw that other researchers may have overlooked was collateral lines ~ their ancestor's brothers and sisters.  They hadn't followed those lines, so that when another Blacketer "popped up" where their ancestor's line was [which relatives tend to do], they hadn't any idea if or how they were related.  To me, though, the Blacketer surname is not like the surnames "Jones," "Williams," or, God forbid, the dreaded "Smith," so I didn't feel too particularly intimidated.  Although, one thing that struck me while doing this research and again once I was done with the research was the given name patterns.  Interestingly enough, they exist in my line even today.

Can a Curse Be A Blessing?

My grandfather's name was James Wesley Blacketer.  He was my Gran's husband ~ you remember my Gran, right?  Well, they named their first born son James Wesley, and he named his first born son, James Wesley, a first cousin of mine.  Want to take a wild guess as to what my first cousin named his first born son?  Bingo!  Bob.  Just kidding.  He named him James Wesley. [And aren't my descendants lucky that I've got this part figured out?  Your welcome.  It was my pleasure.]  What was an unpleasant task was figuring out all the other branches ~ both close and distant.  The curse, if there is one, in this family is the replication of given names.  However, the curse is also a blessing in this case because it happens frequently.

The First Ones

To give you an example, I decided to take my grandfather's name and search my "Blacketer" database for the name "James Wesley," "James" as a first name or a middle name, and "Wesley" as a first name or a middle name.  Keep in mind, however, there are plenty in my database that don't have a middle name recorded and there are plenty of "J." and "W." middle initials.  Also, I looked up the earliest recorded James and the earliest recorded Wesley because I was curious as to who the first American Blacketer's in this family were with these names.

As They Moved West, Westley Lost a "T"

The oldest Wesley was actually a "Westley."  Born in 1771, William Westley was the son of William Alexander and Rachel Mary (?) Blacketer.  [Accck! Another Mary.]  William Westley had 10 known brothers and sisters and the next brother down from him is my 3rd great-grandfather, David Blacketer.  Also, this Westley named a son of his Wesley M..  [Will wonders never cease?] Interestingly [but not surprisingly], there's only one other William Westley [with this exact spelling] that I have found, and he was the brother of my 1st great-grandfather Harrison Blacketer.  The stats on the name Wesley are as follows:

[3] Wesley Blacketer

[1] Wesley M. Blacketer

[4] James Wesley Blacketer

[1] John Wesley Blacketer

[2] William Westley Blacketer

[1] John Wesley Blacketter

Let's Name Him "James" So the Name Will Never Die Out

The oldest recording of James in my Blacketer family is James Blacketer born in 1801.  He was the son of my 3rd great-parents David and Mary F. (Cox) Blacketer.  [Oh look, another Mary.]  This James also had a son named James born in 1833.  Well, if they were worried about the name "James" dying out in the Blacketer family, they needn't have worried.  Here are the "James" stats from my Blacketer database.

[8] James Blacketer

[1] James A. Blacketer

[1] James D. Blacketer

[1] James P. Blacketer

[1] James T. Blacketer

[1] James W. Blacketer

[1] James William Blacketer

[4] James Wesley Blacketer

Of Course I'm Not Sure...

So, you might be wondering, "Are you 100% sure that they were all named after the original James and/or Wesley?"  And the answer is, "No.  I can't be sure."  However, it's interesting to notate, to look at, to ponder, and to analyze.  You can take this information and add it to other information such as migration patterns, and together they might yield some interesting results.  My grandfather's name, James Wesley, probably wasn't the best name to look at.  The progenitor of the family, William Alexander, probably would've been better.  So briefly, here are the stats on the name William:

[23] William as a 1st name

[1] William as a 2nd name

[4] Willie [may or may not be a nickname for William]

Coincidences Do Happen...

Let's face it, though, these could all be coincidental, right?  Perhaps the most convincing of all is the number of times the generations have the same group of names.  For example, William and Rachel's children were as follows: Henry Burrell, John, William Westley, Elizabeth, David [my 3rd great-grandfather], Nancy B., Rachel, Keziah, Norman, Mary "Polly" [another one, yay me!], and Jane.  The following is a summation of their children's names ~ the one's that repeat [Also, I am missing 3 of the children's lines]:

[5] John

[3] Elizabeth

[3] William

[3] Thomas

[2] Rachel [named after Rachel Mary?]

[2] Nancy

[2] Jane

[2] Mary

[2] David

[2] Jonathon

[2] Henry [1 as a first name; 1 as a middle name]

[2] Wesley [1 as a first name; 1 as a middle name]

[1] Alexander [not repeated, but is the middle name of William, the progenitor of the line]

Keeping Your Mind Open...

Could you imagine going to Grandpa William's and Grandma Rachel's for Thanksgiving with all these kids with the same names?

"Hey, you, John #4.  Quit hitting Thomas #2." 

"And William #1 quit pulling Elizabeth #3's braids."

"And John Henry quit feeding the dog turkey!"

"No, not you, John #'s 1-4 or just plain Henry!  I mean John Henry!"  

[Yowzer!  Nope.  I couldn't imagine that nightmare...]  Furthermore, these names repeat more and more down the lines.  So when they migrated with each other, it was hard to keep up with all of them.  Moreover, my grandfather James Wesley and my Gran seem to have given some of the same names to their children: James Wesley [already mentioned], David, John, and...Mary [Goodness me!]  Of course, you have to be careful with this thinking.  Why do I say this?  Does anyone remember my Gran's name?  Anyone?  Anyone?  Why, it's...Mary, of course! [Rolling eyes heavenward.]  The whole point of all this is that it's probably a good idea to keep an eye on the names in your family ~ to keep your mind open to the possibilities...

What Thanksgiving Looks Like

Remember the episode of Friends where Joey gets the turkey stuck on head, and Phoebe tries to help him get it off. Then Monica walks in & freaks out. Has that ever happened at one your family's Thanksgiving Dinners?
 

Or maybe it looks a little more like this:

I know my family's Thanksgivings varied from year-to-year.  No, no one wore the turkey on their head [O.K.  maybe they drank a little Wild Turkey, but definitely no turkeys on the head...]  Most years ours resembled the picture above, but we are an Aggie family.  My dad, brother, and I are all graduates of Texas A&M University.  When I say I'm an Aggie, I mean I bleed maroon [our colors are maroon and white].  It's a way of life.  Anyways, our rival here is that "other" school in Texas, and as per a longstanding tradition we have usually played them in football on Thanksgiving Day.  I and my family have spent many a Thanksgiving on the road on our way to the football game and eaten dinner at a hotel buffet.  Now, let me just say that as the person who always had to set the table "just so," and was also in charge of helping with the dishes, I cannot express enough what an awesome idea the Thanksgiving Day buffet at a hotel is.  No, there are no leftovers, but truth be told, there are only so many meals one can stomach in a row that involve turkey.  Admit it, at some point in the weekend [if you aren't a vegetarian], your body "screams" for beef.  [Well, at least mine does.]  So, we didn't always have that traditional Norman Rockwell Thanksgiving meal, but we were together giving thanks for all the blessings that we had.  And really, that was our family tradition at Thanksgiving.

What Is the Tradition?

This got me to thinking about what the tradition of Thanksgiving really is.  Most would say pilgrims and Native Americans were the ones who started the tradition.  Well, if they had a meal together and they gave thanks for it, they certainly didn't call it "Thanksgiving."  The term "Thanksgiving" wasn't coined until 1863 when Lincoln, on the encouragement from Sarah Josepha Hale ~a magazine editor~ and her readership, signed a Proclamation making Thanksgiving a federally observed holiday.  He did so in hopes of unifying a divided country in the midst of the Civil War.  That first Thanksgiving in 1863 was not really officially celebrated by the troops.  There were some who did what they could with what they had wherever they were.  When I first read this I immediately thought of my own ancestors that I knew had been in the Civil War.  So, I looked them up to see where they were exactly when they may have celebrated the first Thanksgiving as a federal holiday.  After all, it became a federal holiday for them.  I already knew where their families were, but where were my Civil War soldier ancestors on Thanksgiving Day in 1863?  A Thanksgiving meant to ease the suffering of all who were involved in the war ~ those fighting, those being fought, and those being fought for. 

Look 'Em Up

I did this by looking up my ancestors in Ancestry.com's, Civil War Research Database.  It has a link to the regiment and company that they served in.  The regimental history is in chronological order and includes the movement of the regiment and companies as well as the battles they engaged in.  This can give you an idea of where they were at particular times.  I have quite a few Civil War ancestors, but to give an example, my 2nd great-grandfather was a musician in the Civil War for Company G, Michigan 1st Infantry Regiment [Union], having stretched the truth by 2 years when he signed up indicating he was 17years old when he was only 15 years old.  According to the regimental history, Daniel [when he was actually 17yo] and his regiment arrived in Gettysburg 2 Jul 1863, and they were heavily involved in the Battle of Gettysburg as well as many squirmishes and fighting in the surrounding areas until Feb 1864.  Doesn't exactly give me where he was Thanksgiving Day, 28 Nov 1863, but it gives me an idea that if he did celebrate it, it wasn't much of a celebration.  I'm pretty sure, though, he was giving thanks that he was still alive after the Battle of Gettysburg, unlike so many of his fellow soldiers.

An Appeal For Thanks

Then in 1864, under the direction of the Union League Club of New York City, many donations came from all over in abundance, and the Union troops were fed a Thanksgiving meal in the middle of a war that had grown weary. Here was part of the Union League Club's public appeal for donations:

"We desire in the twenty-fourth day of November there should be no soldier in the Army of the Potomac, the James, the Shenandoah, and no sailor in the North Atlantic Squadron who does not receive tangible evidence that those for whom he is periling his life, remember him..."

Captain George F. Noyes from General Phil Sheridan's Army of Shenandoah had this to say about the 1864 Thanksgiving feast:

"The want of proper appliances compelled most of the men to broil or stew their turkeys, but everyone seemed fully satisfied, and appreciated the significance of the sympathetic thank-offering of the loyal North.  One soldier said to me, "It isn't the turkey, but the idea we care for,' and he thus struck the keynote of the whole festival."

My, How Things Have Changed, But the Sentiment Remains the Same
In contrast, today's troops are fed in a whole different way on Thanksgiving.  Take a look at how we give thanks to our soldiers today for their unfailing service and unselfish sacrifice on our behalf: 

So on this Thanksgiving I have many blessings to be thankful for, but I'd also like to say thank you to all of our troops who keep us free and safe, and to their loved ones who sacrifice their families for our families.  May God bless you all for the sacrifices that you make on our behalf.  May we always remember and never forget all that you do for us:

Credits and Sources: 
Friends Thanksgiving 1992. Digitial Video. Qukez, 2008. You Tube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJY6L52RhUs : 2009.

Kurtz, Nick., narrator. Thanksgiving in Iraq. Digital Video. AirForceDJ, 2007. You Tube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hqFlrwzhFM4 : 2009.
Thanksgiving. cpmsglife, 2006. You Tube. Digital Video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=reDiz5nkxK8 : 2009.

Peacock, Tom and Roxanne. "Thanksgiving 1863-1864." Civil War Reenacting and Cooking Blog, 15 Nov 2009. http://civilwarcooking.blogspot.com/2009/11/thanksgiving-1863-1864.html : 2009.

Thanksgiving Over There - The Civil War. Pilgrim Hall Museum. http://www.pilgrimhall.org/thot-cw.htm : 2009.

United States Pennsylvania Lancster County Neffsville. FSA/OWI Black-and-White Negatives. Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C., Wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Thanksgiving_grace_1942.jpg : 2009.

National Park Service. U.S. Civil War Soldiers, 1861-1865 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2007. Original data: National Park Service, Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System, online <http://www.itd.nps.gov/cwss/>, acquired 2007. http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?ti=0&indiv=try&db=nps_civilwarsoldiers&h=3777104 : 2009.

Historical Data Systems, comp.. American Civil War Regiments[database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 1999. Original data: Data compiled by Historical Data Systems of Kingston, MA. http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?ti=0&indiv=try&db=hdsregiment&h=3986 : 2009

Setting the Setting

Please note: this is post #5 of an ongoing research problem that involves an old arson case from 1957, in which a house fire occurred, killing my Paw Paw's [grandmother's] brother, Roscoe Martin and all four of his children.  For better clarity, here are the previous posts:

He Had Me at "Detective"
Here's My Plan, Stan
Somehow, Someway, and Someday 
Technological Shores of the Internet

What Was Going On In 1957?
 This was the question I asked myself when trying to place Roscoe and his family in a time and place.  In order to understand what was going on at the time that Roscoe and his 4 children were killed in a house fire that was ruled as arson, we need to understand what was going on in the world as a whole, in the United States, in Vienna, Johnson County, Illinois, and in my branch of the family.  Will this provide any direct answers to who set the fire?  I don't know.  Probably not, but it will help to understand the times.  We have progressed so far in technology, and we get caught up in the "now" that we either forget or we just don't plain know what life was like "back in the day."  Here's a short, but informative video, entitled "The 50's - What Happened in 1957?" from One Special Dream Studio on YouTube that gives us a glimpse of what was going on in 1957: 





Pretty cool, huh?  Both the addition of video to Family Stories and the actual video itself.  [Why didn't I go high-tech sooner?]

Little Egypt
Johnson County, Illinois is located in the southernmost part of Illinois.  The culture of this area is markedly different than the rest of Illinois because the pioneers who settled here were mostly from the south [i.e., Tennessee, Kentucky, North Carolina, Virginia, etc.]  As most people do, when they migrated they brought their beliefs, their religion, their culture, etc. and set-up shop, so to speak, for better or for worse, in southern Illinois.  The culture in this area is more like St. Girardeau, Missouri and/or Paducah, Kentucky than it is the rest of Illinois.  Quite a few of these pioneers were descendants of folks who were from the mountains ~ first in North Carolina, then in Tennessee.  This area was nicknamed "Little Egypt" in the 1830's.  It's believed that when the the rest of Illinois experienced bad harvests, settlers traveled south in order to buy grain from the southern region of Illinois where harvests were good, just as in Egypt as told in the Genesis 41:57 and 41:1-3.  There are several places in southern Illinois named after places in Egypt, such as Cairo, Illinois [pronounced Cay-row].  Southern Illinois was also a place that had decidedly torn loyalties during the Civil War, and these torn loyalties were the impetus for many family feuds that occurred in Johnson County as well as Williamson County [north of Johnson County].  Furthermore, southern Illinois was an important area for the Union side due to the accessible waterways and for the crops that were grown there, namely cotton and tobacco.  In addition, coal mining and the railroad were key industries here as well.  Below is a map of Johnson, County, Illinois where Roscoe lived and where he died with place markers.  I also included place markers for towns where Nelson and Mary Casteel Martin settled as well as Roscoe's father and grandfather.  Nelson and Mary were Roscoe's great-grandparents that migrated from Wayne County, Tennessee to Johnson County before 1850 and were the subjects of my Saturday Surname post this past weekend.








View Johnson County, Illinois in a larger map  

From the Perspective of My Branch of the Tree
So, what was going on in my branch of the family tree at the same time?  My dad had graduated from Breckenridge High School in San Antonio, Texas, married my mother, and had begun classes at Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas in 1955.  My parents were living in College Station, Texas in 1957, and had just had their first child the previous year.  My Paw Paw [my father's mother and Roscoe's sister] was living in San Antonio, Texas and my dad's sister had just graduated high school there before the summer of 1957 when Roscoe and his children were killed.  Roscoe's and Paw Paw's father, Joel Arthur Martin had passed away in 1948 at the age of 76 in Johnson County, Illinois and was buried in Taylor Cemetery.

So hopefully this gives us a better idea of the time and place in which Roscoe and his family had been living.  As more family members are found and more details are uncovered, I will add placemarkers to this map.  As I mentioned earlier, I don't know if this will help me find more clues, but it definitely gives me the "lay of the land," and helps to fill-in some details in Roscoe's story.



Sources and Credits:
 Ford, Jeffrey, narrator. The 50's - What Happened in 1957?. Video tribute. Digital video. One Special Dream Studio, 2007. You Tube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-TpEsSjhgA : 2009.

Egyptian Area Agency on Aging. The History of Southern Illinois. http://www.egyptianaaa.org/SI-History2.htm : 2009.

Adventures in Preservation.  Southernmost Illinois History. http://www.southernmostillinoishistory.net/civilwar.htm : 2009.

All photos in slideshow (courtesy of Photobucket) are privately held by Mrs. Caroline Martin Pointer, Conroe, Texas, 2008.

Giving Thanks

Thank You
I had the distinct honor this past weekend of receiving the Kreativ Blogger Award six times, and I am simply speechless.  However, I'm not wordless because that would definitely be a blogger's nightmare.  I am extremely humbled by their choice, for they are fellow bloggers who have outstanding blogs themselves.  They are as follows:

Greta at Greta's Genealogy Bog
Felicia at My NOLA Heritage
Jennifer at Jennifer's Genealogy Blog
Mavis at Conversations With My Ancestors
Earline at Ancestral Notes
Russ at My Tombstone Collection

In keeping with the "rules" of this award I must share with you seven things about myself and pass the award on to seven other bloggers.  So here goes:

Things About Me:
1. I have a cat named Peanut.  Everyone who follows me on Twitter probably has been introduced to my Pug, Millie the dog, but I don't think anyone knows I have a cat.  She pretty much "puts up" with us, but I know if we stopped feeding her and scooping her litter box, she'd be so outta here.

2. My Cajun neighbor's husband works in Alaska, and he brought me back a calendar of Alaskan wildlife.  This month is the Sea Otter ~ so cute!

3. Speaking of calendars, my birthday is less than a month away.  [Yikes!]

4. I read romance novels.  [There.  I said it.  Hey, after all the technical and historical reading that I do, a girl's gotta unwind.  Tho' sometimes I combine the two & read historical romance novels.]

5. I also read Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series.  It gives me a peek into the New Jersey culture and accent, and I love it.  Plus, Stephanie is a chick with attitude.

6. I still haven't seen snow.  I've seen snowflakes and patches of ice on top of a few mountains, but no snow.

7. I like to sneak away on cold, sunny days, go to Barnes & Noble, purchase overpriced, fattening [but yummy] coffee, and snuggle down in an overstuffed chair on the second floor in front of the big window overlooking the waterway, and read books.

Touch ~ You're It
O.K., my deep, dark secrets are out. ;)  Well, some of them at least.  Technically I should be sharing 42 things about myself, but, uh...hello people, a girl must maintain some secrets...some mystique, right?   So, without further ado, here are the seven fellow bloggers that I am passing the Kreativ Blogger Award to:

Joy at Joy in the Burbs - If you want to learn how to "go green" at home as well as the fine art of coupon clipping, you simply must visit Joy's blog.  She is the coupon queen.  I fall very short of the example she sets forth.  So, it's time you visited Joy in the 'burbs.

Jillian at Is Dis Normal or Dysfunctional - Have you ever wondered how a mom gets along with 3 rambunctious boys, 1 husband, maintains her sanity, and writes things, like, a blog and a book?  Oh, and don't forget the sprinkle of humor.  It makes you wonder, "Is Dis Normal or Dysfunctional?"

Jean at The Walrus and the Carpenter - Well, for me, it is simply enough that her blog's name comes from Lewis Carroll's Through the Looking Glass, but if this doesn't tickle your fancy, how about this: she's a published author.  Jean writes Christian books for children and young adults, and I am simply in awe of her work.  I read her blog and complete her writing exercises in hopes that her talent will rub off on me.

Vickie at BeNotForgot - Not only is she a fellow Texan, she is an extremely creative Texan.  If you haven't seen her work yet, you are simply missing out on beautiful digital scrapbooking designs that Vickie creates.  All of which center around her family's history.  A family history that will not be forgotten by those who come after her.  SO, go visit her pictorial family story.

Janine at Janinealogy - Putting aside for the moment that she, too, is a Texan, Janine is a true artist, but more than that, she's a magician.  There really is no other word for it.  Her ability to take a damaged photo, which looks completely destroyed to an untrained eye, and transform it to something better than what it was before is simply phenomenal, if not magical.  She brings the past back to life.  Go see her perform her magic on her blog or when she guest posts on TipSquirrel's blog.

Herstoryan - Another fellow Texan, Herstoryan lives near me, and I can't wait to meet her in person.  As for her blog, have you ever wondered what your ancestors ate?  What were their recipes?  Herstoryan has a yummy family history blog that delves into recipes of the past.  Recipes that show us how much more alike we are with our ancestors than we think we are.  We have a strong connection with food, and so did our ancestors.  Not only does she share recipes from the past, but her ongoing research on her ancestors as well.

Sara Beth at Lessons From My Ancestors - Don't let the cute flowers and ribbon fool you into thinking this is just another "fluff" blog.  This is a geneablog of substance.  Through Twitter and her blog, Sara Beth has been introducing us to one of her ancestors ~ Sylvia, her 5th great-grandmother.  For a genealogist, having the written word penned by your ancestor is gold, and Sara Beth has it.  Well, she has pictures of it.  You see, Sylvia's diaries' home is a museum, and Sara Beth made a visit.  Ah, we should all be so lucky, right?  Sylvia's story revealed by her 5th great-granddaughter is priceless.  Read.  Enjoy.

Well, what are you still doing here?  Go read!

SNGF ~ One of the Nicest Things

On his blog, "Genea-Musings,"  Randy Seaver every Saturday issues a writing mission ~ Saturday Night Genealogy Fun.  This Saturday the mission ~if we choose to accept it~ is the following:

1. What is the Nicest Thing another genealogist did for you, or to you, in the last week or so?  (If you have no examples for this past week, go back in time - surely someone has done a nice thing for you in recent years!)

2.  Tell us about it in your own blog post, in a comment to this blog post, in a comment on Facebook, or in a tweet on Twitter.


I Accept Your Challenge and Raise You Many Nice Things
Well, Randy, I do choose to accept your challenge.  My hurdle to jump is not finding a recent "nice thing," but is trying to remember all of the "nice things" that have been done for or to me this week by other genealogists.  The genealogy community is so welcoming, so generous, and so, well, just plain wonderful.  This, frankly, is a problem I can definitely live with!  [Can I hear an, "Amen?"]

[cue Julie Andrews' singing "These Are A Few of My Favorite Things" from "Sound of Music"] 

These Are A Few of My Favorite "Nicest Things":
I have received not one, not two, but three Kreativ Blogger Awards this week from Greta [Greta's Genealogy Bog], from Felicia [My NOLA Heritage], and from Jennifer [Jennifer's Genealogy Blog].  It is always wonderful to win an award for something you do and/or have done, is it not?  I can tell you it's even better when your peers give you that award!  Thank you so much!  It lets me know that all that time I take trying to get an image "just right" or a word, paragraph, and/or an idea "just right" is worth the time and trouble.  It makes it worth it to know that others are reading and watching and are enjoying it.  That is very gratifying and is definitely a "nice thing."  Thank you!

When the Dog Bites...
If you've been keeping up with my Roscoe Martin Family Murder Mystery, then you know that I am pretty heavily encouraging interaction from those who read my blog.  For me, it's all about the goal ~ finding out who killed them and why they were killed.  I don't know everything, and I am willing to receive any help that anyone can give.  And this is where the generous genealogy community comes in to play ~ not to mention those who aren't even a part of the genealogy community.  I have had input on my strategy posted in "Here's My Plan, Stan" ranging from supportive opinions to helpful suggestions.  Gini [Ginisology], Mavis [Georgia Black Crackers], and Joy [JoyintheBurbs She has great pics of the wedding we went to in NOLA last weekend on her blog...yes, she's an IRL ~in real life~ acquaintance of mine] all echoed my thoughts of foul play in this case.  Sheri Fenley [The Educated Genealogist] and Jennifer [Jennifer's Genealogy Blog] had suggestions for me ~ things I hadn't thought of.  How cool is that?  And all of them along with Craig Manson [GeneaBlogie] were very supportive and encouraging.  To all of them, I say thank you!

When the Bee Stings...
Likewise, on my post from last night, "Technological Shores of the Internet" ~ a continuation of the murder mystery ~ I received 2 supportive and encouraging comments from Herstoryan [who's practically a neighbor of mine.  I bet we've walked by each other in the mall or library and just didn't know it.  How 'bout lunch this week ~ real life, not virtual?] and Missy [Bayside Research Services ~ love her blog header.  I'm in it.  Go look.  I'm on the beach.  See, I'm the hot chick [snort] waving with one hand and holding a huge margarita in the other hand...]  Seriously, though, I appreciate the feedback.  It keeps me going when searching for my family story.  Of course, this doesn't even take into account all the Twitter retweets and feedback that I've received during the week...all of them gifts that I treasure!

When I'm Feeling Sad Grateful...
"Thank you," just doesn't seem enough, but I'll say it anyway.  Thank you.

These Are A Few of my Favorite "Nicest Things"

Surname Saturday ~ Martin

Have You Seen This Surname?
At times, it seems as if my Martin's came from, well, nowhere.  Everyone, I'm sure, who researches their family lines feels like this from time to time.  Ah, but no one comes from nowhere ~ so we must press on ~ diligently looking for our family, turning over every rock.

Wanted!
So, here's my "wanted" poster for my Martin family line.  Yes, I am aware that this is an extremely common name, but it doesn't hurt to try, right?  Here's what I do know:

• Nelson Martin [my 3rd great grandfather] was born abt. 1820 in North Carolina.  [No pesky details to clutter up this story.  No sireee.]
• Nelson Martin moved to Wayne Co, TN sometime bet. 1820 and 1841.  [Alas, no travel log left behind.  I guess they thought no one would care when they moved or who they moved with  They thought wrong...]
• Nelson Martin married Mary Ann "Polly" Casteel in Wayne Co, TN in 1841. [I'm so glad he didn't marry someone with a common name.  I mean, why make it harder? ;) ]
• Nelson & Mary [Casteel] Martin ~ their first 4 children were born in Wayne Co., TN: Joel Harrison b.1842 [my 2nd great-grandfather]; William Green b.1844; Genoria Ann b.1846; and Andrew Taylor b.1847.
• Nelson, Mary, and their 4 children moved to Johnson Co, IL sometime bet. 1847 and 1850.  [Could you imagine?  Almost 400 miles with the little kiddos?  I wonder if they heard the phrase, "Are we there yet?" a few times.]
• The Martin's are said to have known and traveled with at least 2 other families: the Kerley's and the West's.
• The Kerley Family: Daniel and Mary "Polly" [?] Kerley and their son Osburne Kerley.  [Well, I'm glad that my Mary "Polly" had another Mary "Polly" with whom to discuss the importance of...being a Mary "Polly"?]
• The West Family: Woodson and Martha [Casteel] West.  [This Martha Casteel is thought to be a sister of Mary...Perfect, Mary and Martha, get it?]
• Not only is it said that these 3 families knew & traveled with each other, but it's been said that Daniel & Mary "Polly" Kerley raised both Nelson and Woodson as their own along with their son Osburne.  [Why?  Why?  Oh, why?]
• In the 1850 census Nelson Martin and his family are living with Daniel Kerley and his family in Johnson Co., IL.  ["Polly?"  "Yes," they replied in unison.]
• In the 1850 census in Johnson Co, IL, Woodson West and his family are living nearby the Kerley's and the Martin's, and Osburne Kerley and his family are living nearby his parents, the Martin's and the West's. [Snug as a bug in a rug.]
• In May 1851, Nelson's and Mary "Polly's" fifth child is born: Martha Jane.
• In July 1851, Nelson buys his first 40 acres of land in Johnson Co., IL ~ near all the "fam."
• In May of 1852, Nelson buys his second 40 acres of land in Johnson Co, IL.
• Nelson and Mary "Polly" Martin go on to have 5 more children in Johnson Co, IL: James Henry b.1854; Mary E. b.1855; Nelson Alexander "Nell" b.1861; Rosencious b.1863; and John Franklin b.1870.
• Nelson Martin died 7 Jul 1887 from  "debility from malignant tumor" as per his death record.
• It's been said that Nelson was a Republican in a decidedly Democrat county in southern Illinois, having been one of only 40 votes for Abraham Lincoln in 1860 in Johnson Co., IL back in the day when your vote was made vocally...in front of everyone.  [Douglass received 1563 votes.]
• It's been said that Nelson Martin served as Justice of the Peace and was a farmer in Johnson Co, IL.
• It's been said that Mary "Polly" was a midwife and knew herbal medicines, and was said to have had her own horse and buggy in order to make house calls.
• Two of Nelson and Mary "Polly's" sons ~ Joel Harrsion [my 2 great-gf] and William Green ~ both served in the Civil War for the Union side.

Please note: Anytime that I used the phrase, "It's been said..." means this information is not verified, but I included it just in case it "rings a bell" with another researcher.  [A girl can hope...]  However, I wish I knew more about Nelson's origins, and more about the relationship between him and the Kerley's and the West's.

So, have you seen this surname ~ MARTIN?

Technological Shores of the Internet

“All you need is the plan, the road map, and the courage to press on to your destination.” ~ Earl Nightingale Quotes [U.S. Motivational writer and author, 1921-1989 from ThinkExist.com]

You Are Here
On the second post, “Here's my Plan, Stan,” concerning Roscoe Martin, his family, and the tragedy that befell them, I spoke of my plan and promised the strategy in which I will use to implement the plan.  So this post is my “road map” to finding who killed my grandmother's brother and his four children in a house fire 14 Jul 1957 in Vienna, Johnson County, Illinois, and why.  After this “road map” post, I will be “stepping-up” the Roscoe posts with detailed accounts of my searching with screen shots and everything.  This way you'll know exactly how I'm searching ~ not just where.  As always, if you have suggestions, please feel free to chime in with help.  This is a “win-win” because I can derive help from others, and hopefully, others can derive some help from me.

They Saw My Light
I mentioned in my last post, “Somehow, Someway, & Someday,” of how the genea-gods favored me with a smile, giving me genea-bliss in the form of a distant cousin.  A distant cousin who knew Roscoe.  A distant cousin who Roscoe nicknamed his first son after.  A distant cousin who will be sending me information about this tragedy.  I'd like to take a moment and point out the “vital importance of being earnest” in your family story search.  To not leave any stone unturned.  To walk down every avenue, known and unknown, in searching for your family story, for your earnestness will indeed payoff.  Certainly, this isn't the first time that I've been contacted by a “distant cousin” who, too, is researching their family story, but it is the first time I've been contacted by a distant cousin who has some of the specific information that I seek.  That's a good feeling, to say the least.  It's good to know that the time that I've taken to set-up familial beacons on the technological shores of the internet have not been in vain, for it's proof that the familial “ships” really do see the light on the shore through breaks in the darkness and the distance of time.

This Road Map is Written in Pencil
Here is the “road map” that I intend to use to guide me to the answers that I seek.  This is not written in stone, but will change as the search goes on.  As new information is gathered and assessed, this road map will indeed change.  For example, when I receive the information from my distant cousin, I will update this list, hopefully, crossing items off the list, but knowing genealogy, it will probably bring more things to add to the list. ;)
 

Correspondence

• Mail application and $13 check to the Johnson County Historical & Genealogical Society.
• Mail request & check for Roscoe's Social Security Application.
• Mail request for military records [National Archives].
• Contact Barnett family researcher of this same area.  See if any relation to Police Chief Barnett.
• Contact Vaughn family researcher to see if has any info.  [Roscoe's maternal grandmother, Catherine Caroline, was a Vaughn.]

Update Online Familial Beacons

• Place a new query on Ancestry's message board on the Martin surname board as well as the Johnson County, Illinois board.
• Place a new query on the Rootsweb Martin mail list and the ILJohnson mail list.
• Place a new query on the Genforum Martin surname board as well as the Johnson County, Illinois board.
• Place new queries on the Genealogy Wise Martin surname group and Illinois group.  Also search for southern Illinois and/or Johnson County, Illinois groups.
• Search Ancestry's family trees looking for others who have Roscoe and/or Norma.
• Search Rootsweb's WorldConnect family trees for others who have Roscoe and/or Norma.
• Add pertinent info to My Heritage tree, Dynastree tree, and Family Link tree.
• Notate any researchers on the above boards and make contact with them.
• Surname Saturday on Twitter and on blog: post names, names, & names.  Saturday's blog post will be a re-cap of the week's research in hopes of connecting with someone who knows something.
• Promote research on Facebook and Genealogy Wise page.
• Check Diigo.
  

  Phone Calls:

• Johnson County Sheriff's Dept. to find where the sheriff's department's reports from 1957 would be located for arson cases, if they still exist.  Also inquire about the Medical Examiner's report and its location. [The ME suggestion is from Sheri Fenley ~ thanks Sheri!]
• My aunt [dad's sister]: See what she knows ~ told to her by my Paw Paw, Roscoe's sister.

 

Systematic Online Search:

• FamilySearch.org: Consult outline for research in Illinois, search for available materials & make a “to order”/to do list; search databases for available info, and notate other researchers.
• Illinois Regional Archives Depository / Southern Illinois University: looking for available pertinent records such as Roscoe's birth certificate, etc.  Also see just what is available.
• Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library, Springfield, IL: look for instructions for search in the Vienna Times [A suggestion made by Jennifer.  Thanks Jennifer!]
• Ancestry.com: Find pertinent databases; search found databases.
• National Archives & Record Administration: Find info to obtain military records.
• Heritage Quest/ProQuest: Search for books in Johnson County, Illinois and/or books concerning Martin surname.
• Google Books: Search for books on Johnson County, Illinois and/or Martin surname.
• PERSI: Check for articles concerning Johnson County, Illinois and/or Martin surname.
• USGenWeb: for Johnson County, Illinois: run searches for pertinent names & places; place query.
• Genealogy Trails for Illinois: run searches for pertinent names and places; place query.
• Interment.net: run search for Roscoe and children; if positive, contact poster of info.
• Google [general search]: timeline and history of the lie detector test.
• Google Genealogy Search: run searches for Roscoe & others involved.
• Google Earth, Google Maps, & Historic Map Works for applicable maps of area.
• Find A Grave: look to see any if any other possible relatives have left virtual flowers on any of these family members' virtual memorials.  Make contact.
• Montgomery County Memorial Library [online database]: Perform searches for Johnson County, Illinois & Martin surname.
• Clayton Genealogical Library [online databases]: Perform searches in catalog & for microfilm for Johnson County, Illinois and Martin surname.

Visit and Research:
Montgomery County Memorial Library
Clayton Genealogical Library
Local Family History Center

Courage?  Check.  Plan?  [Just Call Me Stan.]  Check.  Road Map?  Check.
So, have I forgotten anything?  The above is listed in the order in which I plan to complete it.  Some can be done simultaneously [ah, the joys of a laptop and a desktop].  As I mentioned before, I will be going into detail as to how I'm searching online with screen shots [Hey, I'm going high-tech!  Thanks to Denise for her review on her blog Family Matters of Jing which I downloaded and plan to use for screen shots.]  Also I use Gensmarts, and I will be sharing how I use that as well in my research.  As you can probably guess and as I mentioned above, I will be increasing my posts on this particular research problem.  It will be technical, but I believe that the search can be a part of the family story.  Remember, it's interactive, so feel free to tell me what you think.  Well, time to go because it looks like I've got a mountain to climb...

Credits:
All images from Microsoft Office Clip Art.

Wordless Wednesday: Thank You

A Veterans Day Thank You

 

Are Your Ancestors in a Box?

Your Ancestors Really Don't Want to Live in a Box!
Do you have a box of old photographs on the top shelf of your closet that you inherited?  Have you had the time to go through them?  Or maybe you have "sifted" through them, but you don't  have any idea what "to do" with them?  Maybe you know they're your family, but you don't know who they are.  Well, what are you waiting for?  Roll up your sleeves, get the box down, and blow off the dust.  Your family story is in that box for goodness sakes!  Is this how you want your descendants to handle your family story?  Do you want to be just an unidentified photo in a box on the top shelf of one of your descendant's closets?  I didn't think so.  So liberate your ancestors from that box!


Something Shady Can Be Helpful
Old photos ~ even unidentified ~ are a great resource for finding your family story, and lucky for you, I know of an informative and beautiful tool to get you started on this journey of finding your family story.  This past Friday, the footnoteMaven's Shades of the Departed e-magazine debuted.  Formerly in blog format, the monthly e-magazine can be read online or downloaded in PDF format for your reading pleasure.  And I really do mean "pleasure" ~ it's absolutely beautiful with motivating and informative articles to help you with your family story.  Oh, and guess what?  You don't have to know how to spell genealogy to read it...you'll probably learn how to spell it, though.  [If you want...]  The whole point is to get you interested in finding, preserving, and sharing your family story, especially through old photographs.  After all, everyone has a family story, right?



Confessions
Now, I do have to confess that the footnoteMaven graciously extended an invitation to me to be a columnist in Shades of the Departed.  I feel very grateful for this opportunity!  Thank you, fM.  So, without further ado, click on the image below for Shades of the Departed...

Somehow, Someway, and Someday

Roscoe, Centaurs, and Genea-Bliss
I know I promised in my last "Roscoe" post an outline of my strategy for this post, but when the mythological genea-gods smile down on you, well, you must take the opportunity to perform the thankful "Genea-Happy Dance..."  [Yes, I have "Greek" mythology on the mind.  Thanks to the person ~you know who you are~ for putting it there.]

The mythological genealogy gods work behind the scenes like invisible hands sometimes "toying" with us for their amusement alone, leaving us frustrated when we cannot scale that proverbial "brick wall".  However, sometimes when we least expect it they look down upon us mere mortals and favor us with a token of genea-bliss.  I don't know what I did [set-up a bunch of online familial beacons, maybe?], if anything, to deserve a mythical genea-nod but I know better than to look a gift centaur in the mouth.  I'm taking it, and running away quickly before they can change their minds.  So, what's my token of genea-bliss, you ask?  Well, are you sitting down?

My Internet Bread Crumbs

Remember in my last "Roscoe" post I shared how I had found online memorials of Roscoe and his children on Find A Grave?  They had been entered by a wife of a distant cousin with a brief note on the fire that had killed them.  In addition, I added my photos to their memorials.  At the time, I had made a mental note to contact her, but I wasn't researching Roscoe at the time, but some other "Martin's".  Plus, this was before I found out that the fire had been ruled as arson.  I recently updated the photos in Find A Grave with some [hopefully] better looking photos.  Now, this is where the hands of the mythological genea-gods come into play.  From what I can tell, the wife of my distant cousin who set the memorials up and/or my distant cousin happened to check the memorials.  They saw the photos that I had added as well as my notes.  Then they somehow found my Genealogy Wise page, became members at Genealogy Wise [is there a referral incentive program? ;) ], read my latest Family Stories blog post that shows up on my  GW page that featured Roscoe, and posted answers to some of my questions I had posted.  Here's some of what my distant cousin posted on my Genealogy Wise wall:

We were glad to see the pictures you entered.  We are the only ones who have ever put flowers on their grave.  We have never missed a Memorial Day.  I guess you know all five are buried in one grave.  The fire was so hot that they were buried together.  Roscoe has a veterans memorial but the children have no monument.  Roscoe's widow hasn't been dead that long and is buried at Taylor with a nice rock close to Roscoe and the children.  My grandmother was Ida Martin Taylor and a sister of Joel Arthur Martin (Grandma always called him Bub and Mother and others always called him Uncle Bub), so the Martin's are my family also.  When John Winston was a baby they let  my Mother Addie May take him.  Roscoe nicknamed him Jackie after me.  I was about 11 at the time and remember him well.  Mother and my Stepdad wanted to adopt him, Roscoe was willing but Norma took him back.

About the lie detector test, one of the State men that gave it told Uncle Bent that they were the meanest people he had ever given the test.  They could lie and never show it.  This was never published but passed from Uncle Bent to my Mother to me so I believe it.  There is some history I can give you about our Martins and family and community remarks about the fire.  The house belonged to Mother and Roscoe's cousin, Addie and Charlie Cheek.  The house was located in the country just off Route 45 before you get to Vienna.  I was raised on down the country road from there.  It was a small house but was a two story house with 2 rooms upstairs.  That is where the children were.  They never had a chance.  I also have the death certificates of the 5 if you want a copy.  Also copies of the cemetery and where they are buried.

My distant cousin also found my email, or maybe my contact button on my blog.  Here is some additional information:

"After I hear from you, I will send more info that I have by e-mail or reg. mail however you prefer.  My grandma Ida was your Great G'Father's sister...My wife was excited that you found Roscoe and the children on Find A Grave.  She put them on because she didn't want them forgotten..."

Wow, huh?  It's a lot of information to digest.  There are many things of interest, and I will tackle them in length in my next post, provided the seances I have planned this weekend while in New Orleans for a wedding at St. Patrick's Church don't produce some "connections".  That's a joke.  Well, the seance part is a joke.  The New Orleans wedding at St. Patrick's Church is not, but wouldn't that be cool if we could actually talk with our ancestors instead of trying to read their minds?  [Of course, that would take all the fun out of it...]

So, Do You Have a Nickname?
Now, I'd like to point out that some of the information that my distant cousin has already provided and the info that he is willing to share is exactly what my blog, "Family Stories" is all about.  Certainly, names, birth dates, and death dates are welcome and important, but where else would I find out that my Great-Grandfather was affectionately called  "Bub" by his sister Ida and "Uncle Bub" by other family members?  My Paw Paw called him "Pop" as indicated on her photos of him.  So, this is another piece of my great-grandfather's story.  [It also makes me think about my loved ones' nicknames for me.  Do I have them written down somewhere?  Well, the ones that I actually like, that is...]

Yes, I Have a "Thing" for Jewelry
It's also interesting to note how the info he gave me compliments the info that I've been able to assemble on my own.  It reminds me of the "multi-faceted-ness" of family stories.  [Yes, I'm making up words now.  Just "go" with it.]  How, as the family stories are created, the family members are all a part of it as it occurs.  Each family member representing a "facet" of the gem ~ the family story, and when the light actually shines on another facet of the family story, well, it's just that more beautiful, is it not?

There's That Word Again...Forgotten
My distant cousin mentioned that his wife put the memorials on Find A Grave "...because she didn't want them forgotten..."  And that is what it seems to "boil down to" every time, doesn't it? We want our ancestors and loved ones to not be forgotten.  So we search, we write, and we search a little more, then write a little more.  All so they won't be forgotten.  No matter how they lived.  No matter how they died.  They will not be forgotten, which is why somehow, someway, and someday Roscoe's children ~ Jack, Bill, Jerry, and Cheryl ~ will have a tombstone...in remembrance.  They will not be forgotten and neither will their story.

So, now you know why I am in genea-bliss right now, albeit with a herd of centaurs chasing me.  [A group of centaurs is a herd, right? ;) ]

Sources:
Martin Research Files. Privately held by Caroline M. Pointer, [ E-address & street address for private use,] Conroe, Texas.

Shii. Image of Athena and Jason on Cup made by Douris ca. 480-470 B.C. [Digital Image]. 2006. Public Domain.  
 (http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Douris_cup_Jason_Vatican_16545.jpg : accessed Nov 2009 at Wikimedia Commons).

Clicgauche. Bronze Young Centaure Malmaison. [Digital Image]. 2006. Public Domain. (http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Centaure_Malmaison_crop.jpg : accessed Nov 2009 at Wikimedia Commons).

 Dic-as. Diamond La Luz de Dia. [Digital Image]. 2003. Public Domain. (http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Diamant_la_luz_de_dia.jpg : accessed Nov 2009 at Wikimedia Commons).

Michael, Nick. Beham, (Hans) Sebald (1500-1550): Buffoon and Two Bathing Women (P. 216, B. 214), copperplate engraving, 1542, a good impression of the first or second state of four, trimmed just inside the platemark, retaining a strip of blank paper outside the borderline. [Digital Image]. 2006. Public Domain. (http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hercules_fighting_the_Centaurs.jpg : accessed Nov 2009 at Wikimedia Commons).

Wordless Wednesday : Brazos River

Where the Family & I Went on Sunday

Play It Again, Sam

[This is a submission for the 83rd Carnival of Genealogy (COG) ~ the theme of which is "Musical Instruments".  The beautiful COG poster below was designed and provided by the footnoteMaven.  This COG will be hosted by Janet Iles at her blog Janet the Researcher.]

Everything Else To Go
My mother always wanted to play the piano, so I took piano lessons for 7 years.  Yes, seven years.  Whenever I tell people this, they always cringe.  I didn't mind, though, at the time, and I still don't mind.  I mean how do you know if you like and/or are good at something if you don't try?  It's an education ~ just not in a school building.  For the last five of those years, I also took ballet, tap, and jazz dance lessons.  Alas, I never did become a pianist nor a dancer, but they were two things that were checked off my list.  Piano and dance "down" and everything else "to go."



And I Practiced A Little More
I really couldn't stand my piano teacher; she was really grumpy.  I got the impression that she didn't like kids very much, which was kind of odd since that is exactly who she taught.  I had a more than healthy "respect" for her, though.  At one of my first lessons, I made a mistake while playing and she "rapped" my hands with her musical stick pointer "thingy".  Now, stop cringing and getting all upset on my childhood's behalf.  Every time I share this little tidbit, people always get all upset, and if someone did it to my child, well, let's just say they'd know exactly what a "mama bear" is once I was done.  However, this was a different time and place.  I always get the question, "What did you do?"  I guess people expect that I went home and told my mom, but I didn't.  I went home, and I practiced.  And I practiced, and practiced, and then I practiced a little more.  I practiced until I didn't make any mistakes while playing the musical piece.  I never did get my hands "rapped" again for making a mistake.  It really had been just about my pride and my sense of competition for me.  And my mom?  Well, she got to listen to me practice while she made dinner, which was her absolute favorite part.  You see, she had grown up poor, seven of eight children, and there had been no extra money for piano lessons while she was growing up.  However, if you could hear my mother sing, you'd know that she can't carry a tune in a paper bag.  Let's just say that my mother is just not musically inclined, but oh, how she wanted to be!

It's A Bust!
Speaking of competition, the real impetus of my "stick-to-it-ness" with the piano lessons was a plastic bust.  You see, every year at the recital for perfect attendance each child received a plastic bust  [6 inches in height] of a famous composer.  My first year my mother and I were a little "spotty" on the attendance, and I didn't receive one.  That moment was when I realized that piano could be competitive.  There was a prize for goodness sakes!  Why hadn't anyone told me this?  If I had known there was a prize, I would've shown up for every lesson.  After that year, I had perfect attendance, and I received a different bust every year for six years.  Towards the end of my piano career, I was even in official piano competitions.

Play It Again, Sam
The demise of my piano career was due to making the volleyball team [and the basketball team, and the softball team].  While there is competition in piano, it's lonely.  I guess I preferred the team sports.  Oh well.  In looking back, I'd do it all again because nothing put a bigger smile on my mom's face than when I practiced while she fixed dinner every evening.  She'd always say, "Play it again, Sam," and I did.