Tombstone Tuesday - The Belchers

John C. and Mary (Shearer) Belcher, Jr.

John C. Belcher, Jr. was the brother of Emma (Belcher) Pointer [wife of Daniel Pointer], and after Emma's untimely death, John C. Belcher and his wife Mary Shearer, raised Harve Pointer [my husband's great-grandfather).  John and Mary's tombstone is located in Collins Cemetery in Collins, Story Co, Iowa next to Harve Pointer's tombstone.

Sweet Lemonade

I know I've mentioned it before, but it bares repeating.  Don't forget to look between the lines.  You know.  The census lines?  That's where the stories are.  Somewhere between the ages and the places of births is where they are hiding.

Every time I see a household in the census with extended family members residing in it, it gets me to thinking.  [I know.  Uh-oh.]  If there was a nephew living in the household, I think, "Why?  What happened?  What's the story?  I mean, I know there's a story there."  How do I know?  Well, I've lived that story.

Remember my younger brother [of my heart], Patrick, who was also one of my sister's children?  And how the mitochondrial disorder that he was afflicted with and also eventually caused his early death was the same disorder that prevented my sister from raising and taking care of him in the first place?  And how my parents took him in and raised him.  Like their own.  Like our own.  And for all the trials, tribulations, and tears, I wouldn't have had it any other way.  Because at the end of the day, I got a younger brother.  One that I had wanted very much.

Well, my story isn't unlike other people's stories.

Harvey "Harve" Lewis Pointer

Take Harvey Lewis Pointer, my husband's great-grandfather, for example.   "Harve" was Daniel Pointer's youngest child.  And when Harve was about 10 months old, his mother Emma died.  And I guess Daniel felt that along with Harve's 5 older siblings, he wasn't going to be able to take care of little Harve.  So, Emma's brother, John C. Belcher, Jr. and his wife, Mary (Shearer) Belcher [Harve's uncle and aunt], took little Harve in and raised him.  Like their own.  Oh, and Harve gained 2 more siblings, as well ~ 2 sisters.  Minnie Etta and Effie.  Now, I don't know if Minnie Etta and Effie were happy about getting a younger brother like I was.  But got one they did.

Some might call this a tragedy.  But I don't think it qualifies as one.  A speed bump on the road of life?  Possibly.  But I think a detour on the road of life is more accurate.  Not sad or bad, but different.

You see, Harve still lived near his Pointer family ~ his father, brothers, and sisters.  Harve didn't lose a family.  He gained one.  And I find it interesting that Harve didn't even use the Pointer name until he married Pearl in 1906.  He called himself a "Belcher".  That says a lot about his relationship with the Belcher family, I think.  But, hey, don't take my word for it.  Nothing tells a story better than a picture, right?  Well, below are two pictures.  The top one is Harve as an adult with his Pointer siblings.  And the one below is Harve as an adult with his Belcher family.

Daniel and Emma (Belcher) Pointer's children.

BLR: Minnie Etta Belcher, Harve Pointer, Effie Belcher; FLR: John & Mary (Shearer) Belcher

See?  I told you he had 2 families.

And when I look into the eyes of Harve's Belcher sisters ~ Minnie Etta's and Effie's ~ I can honestly say I know a little something about how they felt.  About what their life was like growing up with a younger brother of their hearts.  And I also know it wasn't easy for either family ~ Pointer or Belcher ~ when Harve passed away prematurely at the age of 44 due to an accident.  I know it wasn't easy.

Because you gotta remember.  For all the forms, charts, dates, names, and numbers that we collect about them, our ancestors were just like us.  Flesh and blood.  With both good and bad things happening to them.  They had decisions to make from choices they didn't like.  They had things that they had to do when they didn't want to do them.

And just like them,

No matter how many lemons life serves us,

No matter how sour the situation is that we find ourselves in,

One fact remains the same that time cannot change.

We're just gonna add some sugar, water, and ice to those sour lemons and make sweet lemonade.

Tombstone Tuesday: Daniel and Emma (Belcher) Pointer

Daniel and Emmaline "Emma" (Belcher) Pointer are buried in Woodland Cemetery in Iowa Center, Story County, Iowa.  I mentioned yesterday that Daniel was the son of Lemuel and Sarah (Mountz) Pointer, and that Daniel was now off my "bad side" because Great-Aunt Dorothy showed me his [and Emma's] graves and that Great-Uncle Donald shared a photo of Daniel with me.  [Many thanks to the both of them.  These kinds of details add so much to the story.]

Daniel had a total of four wives [which originally helped to put him on my "bad side"].  His first wife was Harriet Johnson and they married in about 1862.  I think.  As far as I can tell, they had only one child together.  A son named John R. Pointer in 1863.  And what happened to Harriet?  I dunno.  That's a good question.  If I had to guess, I'd say she probably died because by the 1870 census, Daniel has married Emmaline Belcher [marriage was 8 Mar 1866 in Iowa], and John R. is listed as his son on this census along with, 2 daughters, Jeanette "Nettie" and Elizabeth.  Now. I say "probably" Harriet died because that would be the logical assumption since her son John R. is living with his dad and his dad's 2nd wife, Emma.  However, until I have some proof of her death, we can't rule out that maybe Daniel was into polygamy or that Harriet ran off with a carny to be in the circus or that Harriet divorced him and left John R.  [Who knows?  It could or could've happened.  I like to keep my options open.]

Daniel and Emma had the following children [as best as I can tell] all born in Iowa:

• Jennette "Nettie" B. was b.abt. 1867
• Anna Elizabeth or Elizabeth Anna, but they called her Annie was b. Jul 1869 [This is the one that married a man by the name of Charles Padelford, then when he died, she married a man by the last name of Ritter, then she moved to California, then Canada, and God knows where else.  She keeps me on my toes.  But I've got some photos of her.  Wait 'till you see her.]
• George Washington was b.4 May 1872 and died in Saskatchewan, Canada [Cuz, why make it easy?  But I've got photos of him, too.]
• William "Bill" was b.abt.1876  [And wait until you hear this man's story and see his photos.  He made the papers.  And not in a good way.]
• Lucille was b. Jun 1879 and died in 1909 in Long Beach, California.
• Harvey "Harve" Lewis Pointer was b. 28 Sep 1882 in Iowa Center, Story Co, IA and died 14 Jan 1927 in Collins, Story Co, IA.  [This is my husband's great-grandfather, and he's got a story, too.  Don't we all?]

Daniel's wife, Emma, died 16 Jun 1884 in Iowa Center, Story Co, IA and was laid to rest in Woodland Cemetery [a.k.a. Iowa Center Cemetery].


Daniel went on to marry twice more to first a Lena Sophia Knese 1 Jun 1892, and then married an Elizabeth Gates on 8 Jan 1902 [And, hey, what a coincidence.  That's my and my husband's wedding anniversary, too.  Um.  Just not the "1902" part.  I'm not that old.]  I don't know what happened to these wives of Daniel's, but I'm assuming they died until a better explanation comes along, or until I find the evidence.  [Again, I'm keeping my options open.]  To the best of my knowledge, he did not have any more children with anyone.  [But, who knows?  Maybe he did.  You can never be too sure about ancestors.]   Daniel passed away 12 Nov 1908 in Canbridge, Story Co, IA and was laid to rest next to his 2nd wife Emma.  Below is their shared tombstone and their "Mother" and "Father" place markers.

Daniel & Emma's shared tombstone from Emma's side.

Close up of Daniel's side and...

...Close up of Emma's side.