How Did Harrison Blacketer's Life Turn Out?

I thought we'd jump back to my great grandfather Harrison Blacketer.  How did his life turn out? We left him doing hard labor with a ball-and-chain on his leg and a sign on his back. Despite his poor choice as a young soldier, he went on to have a good life as far as I have been able to uncover. He and his wife did get caught in a lie at one point, but we will get to that later this week. But I thought I'd share a transcription of his obituary and a picture of his and Mattie's tombstone that I took a year-and-a-half ago. Any genealogist would be elated to find this obituary, I think. It is chock-full of information and stories to unpack. And we will get to those this week with some of the storytelling coming from Harrison himself. The information in the obituary is mostly true. For fun, any guesses of what isn't true? 

Tombstone

Harrison and Martha Jane Blacketer's Tombstone in Graceland Cemetery.

Obituary Transcription

Source: "Harrison Blacketer Dead," The Cameron Sun (Missouri), 22 April 1915, p. 5, col. 5; Newspapers.com (http://newspapers.com : accessed 6 May 2018).

HARRISON BLACKETER DEAD

Had Been a Resident of Cameron

For Many Years—Funeral

Services and Interment

Saturday

     Harrison Blacketer was born in

Indiana, April 21, 1845.  Died at

Cameron, Mo., April 16, 1915, fol-

lowing an illness of a week.  He

moved with his father when a boy

to Missouri, locating at Bethany in

Harrison county.  At the age of 16

he enlisted as a soldier in the Army

of the Republic, Company H, Twelfth

Missouri Cavalry, and served three

years.  At the end of the war his 

company was transferred to the

plains to fight the Indians.  It was

while he was in this service carry-

ing the mail from Fort Loramie to

Fort Mitchell he received his injury

from his horse falling on the ice.

     He was married to Miss Martha

Jane Smith April 27, 1890.  To this 

union were born three children:

Wesley, 21; Mildred, 13; and Mau-

rice, 9.  Mr. Blacketer moved to

Cameron in the year 1895 and lived

here till his death.  The funeral serv-

ices were held at the First Methodist

Church, conducted by the pastor,

Rev. G.H. Zentz, Saturday, April

17.  Interment was made at Grace-

land cemetery.

[End of transcription.]

~Caroline

Thriller Thursday: Who's the Ass Now?

Bad Decisions

Humans have been making bad decisions since the beginning of time. We've all made them. No one gets a pass on bad decision-making, not even our ancestors. Some poor decisions have been quite spectacular, especially when alcohol was involved. On about 20 March 1865, my Great Grandfather Harrison Blacketer made one such bad decision, and, thankfully for us, it was recorded.😅

Drunkeness

During the Civil War, Harrison served as a private in Company H of the 12th Missouri Cavalry Volunteers. Captain Collar ordered ten men and one sergeant from Company H to escort a forage train from Eastport, Mississippi, to a specific spot on Bear Creek. And Harrison was one of those ten privates. The only problem was Harrison was stinkin' drunk.

All prosecutorial witnesses stated he had been drunk. Pvt. John D. Shelton testified, "He acted very much like he was drunk." Pvt. James J. Thibedeaux simply stated, "Blacketer was light," but then later elaborated that he "...saw him drink and he was making a noise and laughing." When the Judge Advocate asked about any remarkable behavior, Pvt. Thibedeaux replied, "Yes it was remarkable. Sometimes he talked loud." Sergeant William G. Wallace shared Harrison was "...whooping and making a noise and acted differently from what he was when sober."

Virginia. Mule team crossing brook. Credit: Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, Civil War Photographs, LC-GIG-cwpb-03869. 

Destruction

But Harrison wasn't just charged with "Drunkeness while on duty," they also charged him with "Destruction of Government Property."

Sgt. Wallace explained he had gone to the landing for the wagons and when he returned, he had found some of the ten men had been drinking. He thought Harrison '...was so drunk he did not know what he was about." So he kept Harrison and the other inebriated soldiers in the train's rear with him. Pvt. William H. Grover passed them by to move further ahead on his mule when Harrison pulled out his revolver and it went off shooting the mule Pvt. Grover was riding. The mule died the next day.

Pvt. Thibedeaux further explained that as they were traveling, "Blacketer Said [sic] if he saw a citizen Rebel he would shoot him and pulled out his revolver and it went off." Sgt. Wallace agreed as he thought the shooting of the mule was unintentional because he "...never heard him make any threats."

Here's Your Sign

Though Harrison pled not guilty to the charges, he refused counsel. The Court found him guilty on both charges, but ruled it accidental, not criminal. The Court sentenced him to hard labor for twenty days wearing a ten-pound ball-and-chain on his leg and a board on his back that read, "This is the result of drunkeness on duty."

I wonder what Harrison felt about it? Any regrets?

Source:

Harrison Blacketer (Pvt., Co. H, 12 Mo. Cav., Civil War), court martial case file no. MM-3053, March 1865–March 1865; National Archives ID no. 1848679; Court Martial Case Files, December 1800-October 1894; Record Group 153: Records of the Office of the Judge Advocate General (Army); National Archives, Washington, D.C.

~Caroline

Note: Anne Kruszka of Gene Notes created the blog post prompt Thriller Thursday as listed in Daily Prompts on Geneabloggers.

DAR, Some Secrets, Brother Ed, and the Mayans

US Navy 060417-N-8157C-162 The American flag flies prominently during the World Patriot Tour performance at Hickam Air Force Base (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Every time I go to a DAR event [and I'd say even the meetings are events...pomp and circumstance...which is a very nice surprise amidst my usual days filled with mediocrity] and every time I go to my GenSoc meetings, I feel the pressure to get my DAR app completed.

It's not a bad kind of pressure, and it certainly comes from myself. So while working on several app reviews for my 4YourFamilyStory.com site and while monitoring the new Google Plus Communities that Kenneth R. Marks [from TheAncestorHunt.com blog] and I created and while Christmas shopping, I've been going over my research plans trying to figure out what I need to do so I can get my DAR [Daughter of the American Revolution] and my UEL [United Empire Loyalist] applications completed.

And then I got my 23andMe DNA results and I was sidetracked for a while. {And, no, the results won't help me with this research problem. That would have been nice though.}

But now I'm back.

So. I thought I'd list what I need to do next. {And, no, this is not my research plan, my research plans, or my research log. This is a very informal update of where I am and what I plan to do next and some of the reasons why. My formal research plans and research log are located in OneNote in table and narrative formats.} 

After consulting with my DAR Chapter's Registrar by phone a month ago, I found that I don't need to take my supposed Patriot line back to my supposed-but-proven-for-others-Patriot, Melchior Stock because his son, who is my proposed ancestor, Matthias Stock is also a proven-for-others-Patriot. [That's right 2 of them are proven Patriots.] But? I don't even have to prove Matthias' relationship to his son Michael Stock/Stuck [my ancestor] because it's already been done via another descendant of Michael's, through one of his sons.

Now, I don't descend through that same son of Michael's. Nope. I descend through one of his daughters, Margaret Barbara Stuck who married a Mr. Rook and their daughter, Susannah Rook married Benjamin Brown Vaughan, and it's through their son, Daniel Rook Vaughan, that I descend.

Well, him and the very Catholic Annie J. O'Brien from Ireland.

{As a sidenote, my cousin who descends from Daniel and Annie & who found me through this blog, is coming to Texas in January to photograph tombstones, including Daniel's and Annie's. And since I think I found it last year, but it's broken and was too heavy to turn over and verify, we're looking into identifying it and getting it repaired. So we've been collaborating on family info and such via email. Bonus!}

Anywho. My work was lessened somewhat by my local DAR Chapter's Registrar and I found a cousin and I got my DNA test results back. It's raining genealogy here, no?

Oh, and I checked with my local DAR Chapter's Regent about my grandfather. {We're in the same GenSoc and I strategically sat by her at the Christmas Party a little over a week ago, which was a blast, BTW.} Anywho, I told her about my grandfather probably not being divorced before he married my Gran, and she asked if they'd married, and I said yes, and she said no problem. So. My wayward grandfather isn't going to be a stumbling block on my road to DAR membership. {At least, not yet.}

So. Here's what I still need to get and what I have for each generation:

My Birth & Marriage: No prob. Got those.

My parents BMDs: No prob. Got those. [Well, it is a problem that I have their D's, but there's not much I can do about it.]

My Mom's Parents:

Mary Alice Velda Truitt Blacketer {or my Gran}

Death - Can I order a copy of my Gran's death certificate? No. Her death occurred less than 25 years ago here in Texas and for recent deaths {less than 25 years} only immediate-to-her family members can order them. So. I have one aunt and a couple of uncles that could order it, but I'm not close to them nor in touch with them. However, I do have an aunt-by-marriage that I am in touch with so I can ask her if she happens to have a copy. If not, then I'll need to turn to some secondary documentation. An obit would be nice and since I was there at my Gran's funeral and know that my Mom created the obituary, I happen to know my Gran had one. So I need to look for that. She does appear in the Texas Death Index as well as the SSDI. So once I get a copy of her obituary, I can send off for a copy of her Social Security Application. Also, when I go to San Antonio, I need to visit Gran and snap a photo of her tombstone. {Of course, tombstones can be wrong and not very reliable information-wise - especially for birth info - but I'd like it for my records. And I'll be there, so why not?}

Birth - The problem with her birth is that it seems to vary by 1 or 2 years in the census records {which is not unusual, but in her case it doesn't make sense because of her birthday versus the date of enumeration on the census records} and is {maybe} unclear on her U.S. Passport Application. And I'll write more in detail later after I try to obtain some better documentation, which brings me to her Good-Better-Best documentation options for her birth event.

Best case scenario would be a copy of her birth record. However, according to The Family Tree Resource Book for Genealogists: The Essential Guide to American County and Town Sources, edited by Sharon DeBartolo Carmack and Erin Nevius, statewide birth recordings didn't start until 1914 in Louisiana; Rapides Parish is an original Parish; and there is no information listed for birth records in the Parish at all (pp.282-283 and pp. 293-294). And further general information about birth records is given for after statewide recordings began and Catholic church records are suggested for before (pp.282-283). Additionally, a survey of Clayton Library for Genealogical Research's Microprint Collection and their online card catalog yielded nothing for finding birth records before statewide recordings in Louisiana around my Gran's birth year. And a look at FamilySearch.org's online databases as well as their online card catalog yielded nothing as well as for birth records for Rapides Parish, Louisiana before statewide recordings of births and for around the time she was born. So, unless someone out there knows of anything else, I'm going to say - right now - that it probably doesn't exist.

St Mary's Catholic Church, San Antonio (Photo credit: Rennett Stowe)

Better case scenario would be her baptismal record. I found on an index on FamilySearch.org that she was baptized in San Antonio, Texas in 1913 at St. Mary's Catholic Church downtown. So after such a resounding success with obtaining my Boo's {Gran's mother} baptismal record from the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston Archives, I thought this might not be as difficult as I once thought. However, I talked to a very over-worked Brother Ed at the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Antonio Archives, and they're understaffed. 

In fact, it's just Brother Ed. 

Archiving all by himself. 

And he's 'swamped'.

And he informed me it'd be quicker if I could just come down there and do it myself. 

Challenge accepted, Brother Ed. 

So. A trip to San Antonio {3 hours away} to rummage around the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Antonio Archives looking for my Gran's baptismal record is now on my agenda.

Good case scenario would be a copy of her Social Security Application, it should have her birth date and place and her parent's names, but depending on when that was applied for, this will more than likely be a secondary document for her birth information and second best to her baptismal record, in my opinion, even though she would probably have needed her birth certificate {which I think doesn't exist}or an affidavit to apply for it, but it's direct because it should answer the question of her birth event. 

And this is the thinking behind my opinion: If her 'later' baptism was in 1913, then her baptismal record would be preferable because that would have been created closer to the event of her birth. And would clear up {or maybe not} her birth year.

squared circle - mayan calendar (Photo credit: Thom Watson)

But then what evidence did they provide for her Social Security Application and what, if any, did they provide for her baptism? Thus, I'm gonna try to get both. So, we'll see what we can get. And we'll see what we can see with what we get. {And perhaps her SSA is the better case scenario and her baptismal record is the good case scenario.}

{My suspicion is that my Gran was born before my Boo and Claudius were married and my very Catholic Boo tried to keep this under wraps. {And may be the reason my Gran was born in Cheneyville, Rapides Parish, Louisiana while the rest of the family was in Texas.} So, through trying to find evidence, I'll be exposing her secret, which I'm sure I'm going to hear about it from her in the After Life, which may be tomorrow, according to the Mayans.

So I need to collect what evidence I can, and write a proof argument for her birth based on the evidence and my interpretation of the evidence. {But not before tomorrow because I may not have to do the work.}

Marriage - Speaking of rummaging around the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Antonio Archives, I might as well look for my Gran's and my naughty grandfather's {James Wesley Blacketer} marriage record, or blessing, or whatever. From the various indices found on FamilySearch.org, I've {intelligently, I think} guessed {and maybe incorrectly} that they had a civil marriage that was later blessed by a Father So-n-So at St. Mary's Catholic Church, downtown San Antonio. {More on my  guess below.} 

And then I'll go downtown to the courthouse and look for their civil marriage record and their divorce record. {Thanks to my Big Paw Paw's, my Dad's Dad, penchant for women and lawsuits in Bexar County, I know where to go for divorce records.}

Ironically and coincidentally, the courthouse is right next door to...

 {wait for it...wait for it...wait for it...} 

...St. Mary's Catholic Church downtown San Antonio. So. I'll snap a pic of that. {And perhaps I'll partake of some Holy Water on the forehead, some prayer, and maybe even light a candle. Lord knows my family lines and research need it, eh?}

James Wesley Blacketer {My naughty grandfather. The naughty one that is NOT Big Paw Paw, who also happens to be quite naughty in his own right and lived in San Antonio as well.}

Death - I have his death certificate compliments of FamilySearch.org and I already visited him at his grave located at Ft. Sam Houston in San Antonio and snapped a photo of his tombstone. {But his birth date is off by 2 years on his tombstone.} Oh, and I have his 2 obituaries, which the second has proven to be quite enlightening on some future stories of him, but nothing I need for my applications.

Birth - According to all documentation that I've collected on him, he was born in Council Bluffs, Pottawattamie, Iowa. Now, according to Iowa, I can order it as long as no one really dwells too much on the 'legal' part. {You know, that part where I'm not quite too sure he ever divorced his first wife before he married my Gran.} But while searching in FamilySearch.org, an index indicates that he was baptized a month after his marriage to my Gran at St. Mary's Catholic Church downtown San Antonio. 

Now, why would he do that? Simple. {I think.} To get the marriage blessed by the Catholic Church. Because if you don't think that my Gran's Gran, the very Catholic Annie O'Brien from Ireland and her mother, my very Catholic Boo {Alice Florence Vaughan Truitt} weren't fit to be tied when they found out about my Gran entering into marital bliss with James via a civil union, you're just plain crazy. Well, that's my {maybe intelligent but could be very wrong} guess anyways. 

So. While I'm rummaging around the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Antonio Archives for my Gran's baptismal record and their marriage blessing, I'll have a look-see for James' very-late-but-very-necessary-to-my-Gran {and her mother and her Gran and the Catholic Church} baptismal record as well. At the same time, though, I'll order his birth record from Iowa. It's $15 and what's the worst they can say? No? And why would they? He was born in Iowa and grew up and married the first time in Missouri. {Not that he actually told anyone that. I've just dug around a lot for that info. And wouldn't you know? That marriage record was much easier to get.}

Alice Florence (Vaughan) Truitt {my Boo; my Gran's mother}

Death - I have her death certificate, and while I'm in San Antonio tracing her daughter's records, I'll have a visit with her at graveside and snap a pic of her tombstone for my records.

Birth - I already obtained her baptismal record. And many thanks to the not understaffed Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston Archives for that. 

Marriage - Boo and ol' Claudius Roy Truitt {a.k.a., The Jerk} were married in San Antonio, or so says a book of San Antonio marriages in the genealogy department at my local library {15 minutes away.}, Montgomery County Memorial Library. And? Because the lovely local library is in possession of  the microfilm that contains their marriage record in Bexar County, I need to go snap a copy of that. {It's there. I've seen it. I just didn't get a copy at the time.} But? My Boo divorced 'The Jerk' in San Antonio, so while I'm at the courthouse in San Antonio, I might as well snag that record too, no? {'Cause I've learned from Big Paw Paw that sometimes divorce records are boring and sometimes they're not, but they're always full of info and stories.} And maybe I'll even look for their marriage record at the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Antonio Archives. 'Cause why not? {Of course, they may not have married there. But I'll be there right next to the very over-worked Brother Ed. So why not look?}

Claudius Roy Truitt

Death - I have his death certificate via FamilySearch.org, and I hunted down his tombstone here in Houston and snapped a photo of it already.

Birth - I have a copy of his birth record compliments of Ancestry.com. {Thank goodness because he was born in Kentucky.}

{So. Basically, 'ol Claudius was reportedly a jerk in real life, but so far, he's not been a jerk to me and my research. So there's that.}

Daniel Rook Vaughan {my Boo's dad}

Death - I have his death certificate via fold3.com back when it was still footnote.com. And I may  have located his tombstone and {hopefully} on this same research trip, I can visit him gravesid

English: Plaque on the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Building in Washington, D.C., denoting the founding of the Knights of Pythias at that location in 1864. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

e {with my newly-found cousin} and verify that and snap a photo of his tombstone located in the Knights of Pythias cemetery. And speaking of the Knights of Pythias, I have his membership record from the San Antonio Chapter, and they recorded his death in his membership record. So I think I'm squared away on the evidence of his death. The former is direct and primary and the latter is not as primary and may even be secondary, but it is direct.

Birth - Daniel was born in 1847 in Ypsilanti, Washtenaw Co, Michigan. And because his father's line is the Loyalist line, and because his father was baptized in the Church of England up in Noyan, Quebec, and because I have a suspicion {Thanks to a published history of the wee town of Ypsilanti.} Daniel's grandfather was the sexton of the still-open St. Luke's Episcopal Church in Ypsilanti and may be buried in the church's cemetery, I think Daniel's - if he was baptized and his family was Episcopalian {like me} like I suspect, baptismal records just might be there. I've already contacted them and they informed me that their records are archived in Ann Arbor which at the time didn't take email or snail mail lookup requests. But according to a recent search in FamilySearch.org, they've microfilmed them since the last time I searched. So I'll be placing a rental order. Of course, I could be wrong about their church membership, but I'll deal with that when I have to, if I have to. {His mother's line was decidedly Lutheran and Ypsilanti is a wee town.} So, on second thought, maybe I'll order the microfilm of the local Lutheran Church's records too.

New Orleans - French Quarter: St. Louis Cathedral (Photo credit: wallyg)

 Marriage - According to a book of New Orleans' marriages located in my local library, Daniel and Annie were married in 1874. So, I need to locate where the information came from. Further, it's indexed on FamilySearch.org so I'm going to need to do some digging around on that. And? Would Annie have insisted the marriage be in a Catholic Church or, perhaps, had it been blessed in one? Of course, that brings up which Catholic Church in New Orleans? {Am I allowed to *snort* at this question?} So, I need to do a more thorough survey of the available records and the locations of said records.

Also, note that Daniel was in the Civil War and received a pension that his widow, Annie, later collected. So. That's a good avenue for information as well for a whole lot of events. Hopefully. So that's going on order as well. But when I'll get it and what's in the pension file, I don't know. 

Annie J. (O'Brien) Vaughan {my Boo's mom}

Death - I have her death certificate via FamilySearch.org. And like I mentioned above, I'm pretty sure of her tombstone. The former is direct and primary for her death event. The latter is for my records.

Birth - I've written about this. And the closest document to the occurrence of her birth that shows her place of birth is her first child's baptismal record created in 1876. As far as the date is concerned, that's going to be the very secondary Death Certificate and her tombstone, once I snap a pic of it. Plus, there are the various census records she appears in which silently indicate she never became naturalized citizen. I'll need to write a proof argument explaining the places I've looked for her birth record information {and not found it}, and lay out the case for the secondary and indirect evidence supporting her birth event at the time of the writing of the proof argument.

And here is the Loyalist-Patriot split. Daniel's paternal line is the Loyalist line, and his maternal line is the Patriot line. But? I'll save that for another time. {And if you've made it this far in my ramblings, you should receive a reward from me, like me stopping for now.}

So. Me and some cemetery visits, some picture-taking, a new cousin, some microfilm ordering and reading, another visit to the Bexar County Courthouse, a visit to St. Mary's Cathedral, a visit to the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Antonio Archives, and Brother Ed are all on the horizon. 

Unless the Mayans were right.

San Antonio Texas Alamo (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Other folks go to San Antonio for The Alamo. I'm going for some naughty ancestors. Again.  

~Caroline

Note: If you have some recommendations of places to look for those Louisiana records or any others, please let me know in comments below. However, please refrain from doing the actual research yourself. I know it's tempting and I appreciate the gesture, but I'd like to do it myself unless it's totally impossible for me to do it. And this is partly why I didn't give full dates even though I am aware of them and they are in my research plans. And I'm sure I glossed over a bunch of stuff including my complete thought processes, so if you're confused or have any questions or suggestions, please let me know in comments below.

James Wesley Blacketer's Story Continues...

"He used to walk around in his underwear."

"Excuse me?"

"He used to walk around in his underwear in their house. Didn't matter who was around either. Boo never liked it at all. But he thought he was 'something'."

I'd imagine that my great grandmother, affectionately known and called 'Boo', thought it was highly improper and scandalous for her son-in-law {my grandfather}, James Wesley Blacketer, to walk around in his underwear. 

And I'd overheard when I was a child that my grandfather was a 'jerk' and I knew from my mom that he'd divorced the family -my Gran and all 8 children- because he really had been in love with my Gran, but wasn't too keen on being a father, or at least that was what my mom told me how she felt about it. And him.

Fort Sam Houston, San Antonio, Texas. © Copyright 2012 Caroline M. Pointer

And I also knew he'd been married before because I have a copy of his marriage certificate and his World War I draft registration card that shows he'd been married before. Couple that with the carefully guarded but often whispered rumors in the family about another family of his, and, well, the whole I-like-to-prance-around-in-my-underwear-while-at-home-but-not-alone tidbit about my grandfather, while not surprising, was, um, definitely shocking.

And, really, at the time I spoke with my aunt I was kind of in awe because I'd never met this aunt, or don't remember meeting her because there'd been a family feud in my mom's family when I was younger. So, while I knew her name and knew {by name only} which brother of my mom's she had married, I'd never really known her. And thanks to Facebook and a first cousin who found me there {son of a different aunt and uncle who'd been on the other side of the feud}, I met him in person and my aunt by telephone. And they were all too willing and extremely generous with their family stories, remembrances, rumors, and pictures of the family. {And I cannot thank them enough.}

That's right. Family pictures. Ones that included my grandfather...with his clothes on. {Thank goodness.}

"So, how did you learn about him walking around in his underwear?" {Not that  I doubted her. I mean, who can make this kinda stuff up? And who would want to?!?}

"I used to do Boo's hair at my house later on in her life and she used to tell me things. She never liked your grandfather." {Not hard to guess why.}

"...and your grandfather's niece got a hold of Gran many years ago. She had done the family's genealogy and tracked Gran down. And that's when Gran found out he had had another family."

{Whoa! Right?} My aunt went on to explain how this niece told my grandmother that while my grandfather, James Wesley, had been away from home in Missouri during World War I, he just never came back. They assumed he had died. And by 'they' I mean his mother, father, siblings, his first wife, and their 2 children. Of course, they never received confirmation of his death, but they never knew what had had happened to him. With some Ancestry.com searching, where I originally found the record of his marriage to his first wife, I had already known that his first wife went on to remarry. {So, that wasn't new news to me, but the niece contacting my Gran was.}

And my grandfather met my grandmother and married by 1919 in San Antonio. {I hope there's some kind of divorce to his first wife on record because otherwise, I can say buh-bye to my DAR - Daughters of the American Revolution - application with this bit of info. Although, the UEL - United Empire Loyalists - may still take me.} Anywho, lots of detailed offline researching is in order for my DAR and UEL membership quest.

And, like I mentioned previously, my cousin {who found me on Facebook} shared his family history notebook that he'd compiled with photos and documentation from my Gran's niece {obtained through my aunt} as well as from his own personal collection of photos of his side of the family taken over the years.

James Wesley Blacketer ca. 1920 probably taken in San Antonio, Texas.

James Wesley Blacketer probably taken in San Antonio, Texas.

My Gran {Mary Alice Velda Truitt} and my grandfather {James Wesley Blacketer}.

Now, remember, I never met my grandfather because he committed suicide in 1951. And the only image I've seen of him is a black and white photocopy of him from the backside of his passport application that I found on Ancestry.com.

So, to say that I was thankful and fascinated by my grandfather's images shared with me by my cousin is an understatement. {I mean, I actually had tears in my eyes in the middle of a crowded Starbucks where my cousin and I met and swapped stories and family information. That's right. My cousin lives nearby.}

My cousin later emailed me more photos that he had of the family that hadn't yet made his notebook including color images of my grandfather's passport with the original passport photo of which I'd only seen the photocopy version. {My grandfather needed said passport when he worked and lived in Tampico, Mexico right after he married my grandmother.}

And when I gaze at my grandfather's photos - after the emotion over the enormity of the situation lessens -  all I can think is, "He used to walk around the house in his underwear in front of everyone."

Well, that and the fact that I just found out that my grandfather appears on an arson investigation list in San Antonio less than a year before he committed suicide and those records are located in the City of San Antonio Archives which is open to the public. And that according to a recently found obituary of my grandfather's {different from the one that I had originally found}, there had been an inquest after his death to prove suicide and he'd been unable to work for the past 3 years due to his illness. {And I'll need to find out where those records are located.}

{And, whoa!?! What illness?!?}

And you know what all that means? Another fact-finding mission to San Antonio to investigate - this time - my other jerk of a grandfather who walked around in his underwear all the time and shocked and irritated his mother-in-law. {And I thought my Dad's dad, Big Paw Paw, was naughty. *snort*}

James Wesley, my grandfather, had been a deeply troubled man.

And he keeps me on my genealogy-family-history-storytellin' toes.

~Caroline
{Sources available upon request.}

How does a daughter say goodbye?

Carolyn Marie Blacketer ca. 1943

How does a daughter say goodbye?

I remember most mornings you woke me up with, “Top of the mornin’ to ya and the rest of the day to me.” And that always woke me up because you made me giggle. And no matter how much I tried, I never, ever could beat you to saying it. 

I remember your big smile and the twinkle in your eyes.

And your fierce loyalty. I may have been completely and utterly wrong about something, but you were always there to back me up – no matter what. Do you know how rare that is?!?

I remember Saturday morning shopping at the mall and your generosity to everyone. No one ever caught you on Christmas unawares - even if they showed up on Christmas Day. You always had a present for them. And what about the Christmas where you made up all those rhyming clues and made me hunt for each of my Christmas presents?  Oh, how I loved that.

I remember your stories and pep talks. How could I ever, ever forget the life-altering story you told me of our long line of managing women? Or when I turned thirteen you said, “Now, Caroline, I’ve already been through three teenagers. So, I’ve heard it all. I don’t want to ever hear you say you want to do something just because everyone else is doing it. Would you jump off a bridge if everyone else were doing it? No. No, you wouldn’t.” [The 'Duh.' was understood.]

I remember watching our T.V. shows together. I still watch them. When I'm watching Designing Women and The Golden Girls, you’re always right there laughing with me.

I remember watching you cook, learning how to measure ingredients in my hand, and now I can’t make Gran’s potato salad, Gran’s sausage stuffing, Gran’s peanut brittle,Gran’s refrigerator cookies, and Gran's pralines without thinking of you and Gran while doing it.

Carolyn Marie Blacketer 1954-1955 school year.

I remember all those times you took me to the library. And now I can’t walk into a library without thinking of you. [And considering what I do, that happens a lot.] And what about all those romance books you used to read? I somehow picked that up from you.

I remember your big strong hugs when I needed them the most. And every time you said, “I love you.”

I remember being grounded by Dad numerous times and not being able to go outside or watch T.V. for a week. And how while we’d read in the living room together after dinner during that week, you’d stop reading and say, “When is your father going to learn taking away your reading would be a better punishment?” And I’d answer, “I dunno.” Then we’d go back to reading. *snort*

And your other words of wisdom? “People in hell want ice water, Caroline. Doesn’t mean they’re gonna get it.” And, “If wishes were horses, beggars could ride.” And the sayings I know you got from Gran: like saying “God bless America and all the ships at sea,” when all you wanna do is damn whatever it is that’s upsetting you. And the ever-so-wise, “’To each his own,’ said the old lady when she kissed the cow and the old man who peed in the sea to keep the boat from sinking.” And now whenever I'm upset or stumped, I can't help but think of blessing America, of blessing her ships at sea, of an old lady who must have really loved that cow, and of an old man with creative problem-solving skills.

So. 

How does a daughter say goodbye?

Mom & me in a Ghost Town in West Texas in Jul 1977.

The answer, of course, is...

...she doesn't.

She laughs.

She cries.

She remembers.

She laughs some more.

Then she cries again.

Then she tells.

And then cries some more.

And then she says, “I love you. And I’m gonna miss you somethin' fierce, Mom.”

Then she sighs. And smiles with tears in her eyes as she says,

“Top of the mornin’ to ya and the rest of the day to me.”

~Caroline

Carolyn Marie (Blacketer) Marshall

b. 3 Mar 1939, San Antonio, Texas

d. 28 Sep 2012, San Antonio, Texas

James Wesley Blacketer and his legacy

You know, I didn't start out looking for it or him. Honestly, I didn't. But some of the best things come to me when I'm not expecting them.

And I don't even really like him. Of course, I never met him. But I'd heard enough about him to know that I'd probably not like him. Do you really need to meet someone to know them?

He was weak. Not physically ~ at least, I don't think so ~ but character-wise. In my mind, he was what an author would describe a character in their book as having a "weak chin".

This is why when I found the U.S. Passport Application on Ancestry.com for my grandfather, James Wesley Blacketer, I was both excited and hesitantly anxious, for given the date of the application, I knew what was on the second page. However, I was slow to click the arrow button to advance to the next page.

Why? Well, of the things I'd heard about him, he didn't seem to make the right choices in life.

His children didn't think much of him.

His second wife didn't think too much of him either.

And what his first and third wives thought of him? Well, that's lost in time somewhere.

I mean, it's sad when the only good thing some of your children can say about you is that, "When Mother would take us over to visit with him after the divorce, he was always very happy to see Mother. I think he really loved Mother."

That's sad to me.  It's sad he never tried to be a father to his eight children with his second wife. It's also sad that at the time of those visits, he was married to his third wife, Rose. [Make the bad man stop, right?]

And? It surprised me to find out that he had married before my Gran, and may have had at least one child with his first wife. I often wonder about Virginia Leach and their child together if, indeed, that was his child. What happened to her? What happened to the child? Did they survive? Did she and my grandfather divorce? Or did he just simply leave?

While growing up, I had heard whispers in the kitchen when my mother's family was over that one of my uncles had been contacted by a woman. And when I say "contacted" I mean she just showed up on his doorstep and when he opened the door, she introduced herself and said, "I think we're related." Not the best way to, um, contact possible relatives. She was of Native American descent and explained that a man by the same name as my grandfather was her father, too. And that he'd lived on the reservation for a while.

Of course, I was too young at the time to catch her name nor where she came from. [And really not supposed to be in the kitchen eavesdropping, but a kid learns the best stuff that way, no?] And, really? Today, I'd SO welcome someone coming to my door like that much more than my uncle did back then. [Okay. I'd be shocked, but the family historian in me would be overjoyed. A new branch in the family tree! Hello?!?]

But? It makes me wonder about Virginia Leach and her one child that I know of. Was this child the one who showed up on my uncle's doorstep so long ago? Why didn't anyone pursue this relation? Sure, the thought of it was scandalous and their father had been a louse of a husband and father, but was that her fault?

Of course, I don't know if any of it is true. For all I know, he could have wives and children everywhere along his timeline. But I know for a fact my grandfather was married to a Virginia Leach because I have their marriage record. I know for a fact that he was supporting his wife Virginia Leach and a child when he filled out his World War I Draft Registration Card.

And I was contacted by a Davis cousin researcher. [Our common ancestor being Andrew J. Davis whose daughter Estella Cordelia married a Mr. Smith and their daughter married my grandfather's father Harrison Blacketer.] And in an email to me she said years ago she'd been in contact via snail mail with a descendant of my grandfather's younger brother, Maurice, and that she thought that descendant could shed some light on the matter. I've not been able to find her, but I'm hopeful of finding someone with a part of this story. I'm far from done with researching. In fact, I've only just begun.

But getting back to my grandfather, he committed suicide in 1951. I feel bad for him that he thought life was so bad that the only option left for him was to end his life. Did he have regrets about the decisions he had made? Did he think the effects of his bad choices in life would fix themselves if he were no longer alive? Or that they'd just disappear? Or had he been hurting so much that he just couldn't take it anymore?

"He was always keen on making children just not keen on taking care of them." That's the motto his children always laughingly said about him. It was always a laugh laced with sadness. You know, one of those moments where if you don't laugh, you'll cry. That's his legacy that he left behind.

So, when I found his U.S. Passport Application, I took a deep breath and clicked the arrow to look at the man for the very first time who had been so imperfect, so troubled, so unable to be the man his loved ones needed him to be, and so human.

And I stared.

And I kept staring at him with all these questions and feelings tumbling inside me, and I asked of him what many people ask of those who've decided to take their lives, "Why?"

Unfortunately, he didn't reply. But, at least I had a face to the few facts, to the few stories, and to the many rumors I have of him. And you know what?

His chin looks a little weak.

But I really like his bow tie. Not many men can pull that off.

~Caroline

Sources:

Ancestry.com "U.S. Passport Applications, 1795-1925." Database and images. Ancestry.com.  http://search.ancestry.com/Browse/view.aspx?dbid=1174&path=Passport+Applications%2c+January+2%2c+1906+-+March+31%2c+1925.1920.Roll+1307+-+Certificates%3a+71376-71749%2c+21+Jul+1920-21+Jul+1920.149&sid=&gskw=James+W+Blackster : 2009.

Using OneNote to help me track my research problems

As promised here is the tutorial on how I'm gonna use OneNote to keep track of my research problems. The Research Plan Freebie is available on my companion blog 4YourFamilyStory.com. But I'm curious. How do you work your research problems and keep track of them? Let me know in comments below. =)

~Caroline
 

Loyalist + Patriot = ?

What Do You Get When a Loyalist Line marries a Patriot Line?

I decided since I might have both in the family that I'd finally do the work and then apply to Daughters of the American Revolution [DAR] and United Empire Loyalists [UEL] at the same time.

As far as my supposed Loyalist line is concerned, I've only one that I know about, and that's my Vaughan line. Josephus Vaughan is a proven Loyalist because he migrated to Quebec and is listed as having received his 200 acres for remaining loyal to the crown. [That's right. He didn't fight either. He just believed in what he believed in for whatever reason, lost his family land in Fairfield, CT, where his father had been the town physician, and was forced to migrate to Quebec.] A few generations later, my Vaughan line returns to America and settles in Ypsilanti, Washtenaw Co, MI where my 2nd Great Grandfather, Daniel Rook Vaughan, is born and where he signs up at the age of 15 to be a musician in the Civil War. [How 'bout that? Loyalist to Civil War soldier in 4 generations.]

Then I got to thinking about Daniel's mother's family, and how I had found some information on her mother's line, the Stuck/Stock family. And I wondered if that line had been in America during the Revolution, and if so, what side had they been on?

So I took a look, and the supposed progenitor of this Stuck/Stock family line is Johann Melchoir Stock. Then I ran his name through the DAR system, and lo and behold, he's a proven Patriot because he paid taxes. [Yeah. I know. Another non-fighter.] After a little more digging online, I found a lead on some sourced information on the family. One claim was that he may have only paid taxes, but he offered up his sons to the War. Well, I did find one of the sons in the DAR system, but he's not my ancestor, Johann Matthias Stock. It's one of his brothers. So was my Matthias a Patriot? Did he fight or contribute to the effort? I dunno. But there seems to be quite a bit of information available for this family line. Even if I can't prove Matthias was a Patriot, I don't even have to prove Melchoir's Patriot status with DAR because that's already been done. I just need to prove Matthias and Melchoir's relationship. [And that person with the sourced info indicates where Matthias was confirmed. But I digress...]

Anywho. I thought this made an even better story. An orphaned boy [His mom & dad died before he was 15yo.] who became a man in the Civil War was a descendant from a Loyalist and a Patriot. Did he know? Were his ancestors turning over in their graves when he signed up?

So what DO you get when when a Loyalist line marries a Patriot Line? In this case, you get a Civil War vet and an awesome story. And me trying to document it all officially and write about it.

Next few posts, I'll be going through each person and the documentation I have, what I don't have, and how & where I plan to get it. I may even do it as a video tutorial so I can show you how I'm keeping up with it in Family Tree Maker 2012 software. 

Are you ready to see how this story unfolds? Do I have the right characters? Do I really know the ending?

I dunno. We'll just have to wait and see.

~Caroline

My Gran's Gonna Kill Me

She deftly lifted the next cooked potato and keeping it in the palm of her hand, she first peeled then diced it with a sharp knife.

“Gran, aren’t you afraid of cutting your hand?”

She gave me the same response as my mom had when I’d asked her the last time she made their potato salad.

“No, Dear. I’ve been making this potato salad for a long time, and I’ve never – not once – cut myself while doing it.”

 As she worked on the next cooked potato, I studied her face – the lines crisscrossing her face, the age spots on the back of her hands, the papery thin skin covering her face and arms, her fluffy white hair sticking out from her head – and figured she knew what the heck she was doing.

My Gran must have been in her 80’s when I really watched her make her potato salad. It fascinated me how she was able to hold the cooked potatoes and eggs and dice them in her hands with a sharp knife without cutting her hands.

My mom prepped the potatoes and eggs the same way.

And so do I.

To the best of my knowledge, we’ve never – not once - cut ourselves while doing it either.

I’m pretty sure it’d taste the same if I did the dicing on a cutting board, but I take comfort in knowing that I prepare it the same way my Gran and my mom did.

However, I have added one teeny, tiny ingredient. And I’d bet the $2 that I have in my wallet [I know. I’m a big spender.] that my mom added her own “something” to the recipe. [In fact. I know she did.] I like to think it’s just another layer to the family story.

But I didn’t add this ingredient until I’d been preparing it the exact way my mother had showed me for well over 10 years. And while I’m probably gonna catch a lotta afterlife crap from my Gran for giving away her recipes, I’m still gonna share it. It’s that good. [Heck. What is she gonna do? Come back and haunt me? I wish she would. I have quite a few questions for her.]

Now. Before I give you the complete recipe, you gotta pinky swear that you will NOT change my Gran’s recipe in any way until you’ve been preparing it the same way for at least 10 years. ‘K? If you’re outta the correct ingredients, don’t substitute other crap. This should be a clear sign that it just wasn’t meant for you to make it that day. The don’ts include:

• Putting fruit or nuts in it. [This ain’t fruity or nutty potato salad. Although some of mom’s family was fruity and nutty.]
• Using turkey bacon. [This is just wrong. This ain’t potato salad for dieters.]
• Not using the bacon grease. [This is a must. Again. This ain’t potato salad for dieters.]
• Not putting the onions in it cuz you’re afraid your other half won’t kiss you after eating it. [Honey, once your other half tastes my Gran’s potato salad, you’re gonna get a lotta kisses. It’s that good. Did I mention my Gran had 8 kids?]
• Using sweet relish instead of dill relish. [Save the sweets for dessert. Like pecan or cherry pie. Besides, you’ve already jumped off the dieting deep end with the bacon grease. A piece of pie ain’t gonna make a bit of difference.]
• Using some other type of potatoes other than the regular Russett potatoes. [My Gran’s Gran, Annie O’Brien, was from Ireland, and I have not one potato recipe passed down through my Gran that included golden potatoes, red potatoes, and the like. Save those for your new found fancy schmancy potato recipes. This recipe needs no razzle and dazzle to impress. Hello? Bacon grease.]
• Using more or less of something because you think you know better. [Trust me. My Gran knew better than you.]

Ingredients

• 7 Medium-Large sized Russett Potaoes [I buy the 5# bag, and use the leftovers to make mashed potatoes and my Gran’s potato pancakes with the mashed potato leftovers. Haven’t made up my mind yet if I’m gonna share that recipe with you. It's my Gran's Gran's potato pancake recipe. We’ll see how this goes.]
• 7 Large eggs
• 4 pieces of thick-sliced bacon
• Bacon grease from frying the 4 pieces of bacon
• 2 stalks of celery
• 1 medium-sized sweet onion [It’s not really sweet, so we’re not breaking the whole “This ain’t sweet-tasting potato salad” rule, and it’s one of my mom’s substitutions.]
• 1 Tablespoon of Dill [not sweet] relish
• 1 Tablespoon of mustard [Just the plain ol’ yellow kind. No Dijon-like crap.]
• 1 Tablespoon of white vinegar
• 2 teaspoons of Slap Ya Mama Cajun seasoning [The one with a yellow label.] [This would be my addition to my Gran’s recipe. In fact, I use it in *everything*. You can purchase it online here. So there's absolutely no excuse for you not having this on hand.]
• Mayonnaise, about 1 cup but add ½ a cup at a time.
• Salt to taste

Instructions

1. Rinse the potatoes [don't peel before cooking] and put them and the 7 eggs in a big pot just covering them with water. Place on high heat and bring to a boil. Boil for 20-25 minutes.
2. While the potatoes and eggs are boiling, dice the celery and the onions well. No big chunks. [The potato and the bacon are the stars of this show, folks.]
3. When the potatoes and eggs are done, drain the boiling water out of the pot placing the hot potatoes and eggs in a colander to cool.
4. While they're cooling, fry the bacon in the same pot until crispy but not burnt. [This way there's only one pot to clean and the grease can't pop onto your shirt and ruin it. My mama didn't raise no fool.] Don't cook the bacon in the oven or microwave. Fry. It.
5. Once the bacon is fried completely, take the bacon strips out of the pot with tongs and drain them on some paper towels. Place the pot with the grease to the side to cool a bit.
6. Peel the 7 hard boiled eggs.
7. Place the 7 cooled cooked potatoes and the 7 hard boiled eggs in a big plastic bowl.
8. Peel the skin off the cooked potatoes with a knife [like a paring knife] and dice the potatoes and the eggs. No. You don't have to do it in the palm of your hand. In fact, if you're not related to my Gran, I wouldn't try that. Just make sure the diced potato pieces are on the medium side. Not too big and definitely not too small. [We're not making potato soup here.]
9. Once done with the potato and egg dicing, use both your hands to mix the pieces around. Yes. Use your hands, not a spoon.
10. Add the diced celery and onion to the potato and egg mixture and toss again with your hands.
11. Crumble the 4 slices of crispy [but not burned] bacon strips and toss into this mixture. Yes. With your hands.
12. Add the 1 Tablespoon of dill [not sweet] relish to the mixture and toss with your [you guessed it] hands.
13. Add all the leftover bacon grease from the pot, the mustard, and the vinegar to the mixture and stir it all carefully all with a big spoon just until it's mixed. [I use my big sturdy bamboo wooden spoon. I guess you could use some other kind just so long as it's sturdy.] 
14. Add the Slap Ya Mama seasoning. [I just love the name of this stuff. And it tastes perfect. My Cajun neighbor introduced me to it, and it's made in the same little town she's from, Ville Platte, Evangeline Parish, Louisiana, which also happens to be a parish away from where my Gran was born there in Louisiana. Connections, folks. They're everywhere.]
15. Now. Add the mayonnaise a 1/2 cup at a time. Why? Because my Gran's potato salad is not that wet and drippy kind of potato salad. It's just not. It's hearty. The potatoes break up a little while mixing and while it's not creamy, per se, it's definitely not cubed potatoes with mayonnaise dripping off of it either. So. It's better to add a little mayonnaise at a time because you can always add a little more, but once you've ruined the potato salad with too much mayonnaise, it's ruined. I don't care how much you love mayonnaise, it ain't the star of my Gran's potato salad.
16. Before just adding salt blindly, taste test the potato salad. If you think it needs salt, add it. If not, then don't.
17. Chill for at least 2 hours or overnight.
18. Sprinkle a little Slap Ya Mama on top before serving cuz it makes it look pretty.

Remember that this stuff is good, and will go fast. Especially the 2nd time you make it. So. It's perfectly acceptable to get your serving right after you make it. After all, you're the one who took the time and trouble to follow Gran's recipe and it should be properly taste-tested to make sure that you've made it correctly.

This is what it looks like after you've taken your portion and placed the rest in a serving dish:

After all have taken their portion and then some, this is what it'll look like afterwards:

Not really this yellow. Added a filter cuz it made it look better. =)

Lastly, I won't be there to see if you've changed things around with the recipe. But my Gran will probably be watching you to see if you do it right. And if you do see her, please tell her to come and pay me visit. I have some questions for her.