2024 #52Ancestors, Week 29: Automobiles

Ah, the automobile.  We use it for mundane tasks like driving to work, hauling landscaping materials, and toting groceries.  Today, though, I'd like to declare my appreciation for this fine piece of technology that allows me to visit ancestral places with relative ease.  Without an automobile, how likely is it that I would have visited West Virginia and the spot where Colonel John Field lost his life?  Not likely!  Or the cemetery with the monument to the now non-existent town of Wilmington, Kentucky - a place where John Field purchased land with the hope of residing in the new county seat?  Nope, probably wouldn't have made the trek to visit that place either.  Over the last several years, I have enlisted the trusty family steed to take me to various areas of genealogical importance, so today, I pay homage to...the automobile.

In August of 2014, my sister's automobile took us to Pulaski County, Illinois.  Here, I learned where my ggg grandparents were buried and was able to visit the stone of my gg grandparents.  G.W.'s missing date of death has since been rectified.

Then I took a long hiatus from lengthy travels because I became a mom, but in July of 2022, I was back in the driver's seat to southern Illinois.  This time, we were on the hunt for another ggg grandparent, Thomas Green (the above Emma K.'s father).  We found him in Anna Cemetery.

I have visited Thomas one other time since then. 

The next month, I drove across the Ohio River to make the aforementioned trip to Kentucky to locate a cemetery with a couple amusing headstones.

It was in this town that John Field (my 4x great grandfather), purchased 3 lots of land in January 1827 with the intention of building in what was supposed to be the McCracken County Seat. I doubt it happened. When Wilmington flooded in 1832, only a jail, courthouse, and six houses had been completed.  Now, there is no Wilmington - just a couple of commemorative monuments in Wilmington Road Cemetery.

In June of 2023, I took my brand new automobile to Minnesota.  This time, though, I wasn't looking for a dead person.  I was visiting my "Cuzzin Heather" in person for the first time.  This was the only genealogy-related trip for last summer, but it was well worth the drive!

In June of this year, we took a whirlwind road trip through the states of Indiana, Ohio, West Virginia, and Kentucky.  While in Point Pleasant, West Virginia, my daughter and husband were anxious to visit the Mothman statue and museum, but I had genealogy on the brain.  Just down the road from the cryptid tourist traps was Tu-Endie-Wei State Park, a sort of cemetery/historical marker for the Battle of Point Pleasant that occurred in 1774.  At this battle, sometimes recognized as the first of the Revolutionary War, my ancestor, Colonel John Field, died.  He was buried with other soldiers of rank at The Magazine.

Just a few days ago, we returned from a trip to southern Missouri.  For the first time, I was able to visit Hayti - the place where Great Uncle Horace perished.

The site of the former Keystone Building which was partially destroyed by a fire in 1941.  Horace and Commissioner Houston H. Buckley died in the fire.

And then, I went to visit Horace's final resting place.  It took some sleuthing and posting in various Facebook groups, but I was able to determine where the now-defunct cemetery is located.

County Poor Farm #2 was/is located just off the intersection of 412 and Highway Z next to the Pemiscot County Special School District administrative building.  The district superintendent was outside when I pulled up, and he gave me permission to walk the empty field.  I said a few words, left a note and some flowers, and felt a great sense of peace at finally being able to "Find Horace."  Thank you, automobiles, for your assistance.

2024 #52Ancestors, Week 18: Love, Marriage, and Divorce

Something that you hear frequently is that "divorces just weren't that common back in the day."  As I have researched various family lines, I have found this to be distinctly untrue.  I tried to come up with a unique spin for Week 18's Love and Marriage prompt, but it just seems to make the most sense to link to some of my previous posts where love leads to marriage...and then to divorce.

Nettie M. Pearson (divorced in approximately 1915, 1916, 1917, 1933, 1939, and 1945)
Nettie wins the prize for marriages/divorces with a grand total of six husbands. The link above only mentions five of them, but I have recently uncovered a marriage to Ansel Gus Hursey in May of 1917. This brief marriage occurs between her marriages to Roy Hudson and Walter Miller. While I do not have divorce documentation for each marriage, I do have divorce dates for "The Two Walters." I also know that none of these marriages ended due to the death of the husband.

Jennie Grace Terpinitz (divorced in 1936 and 1941)

Jennie was a highly educated and independent woman, but she was married three times and divorced at least twice. As I don't know what happened to her after she returned from World War II, it is possible her third marriage ended in divorce as well.

Dora Isabelle Green (divorced in approximately 1882 and again before 1895)
This sister to my great great grandmother was married and divorced twice, and her third marriage ended with the death of her husband.

Ann Elizabeth Echols (divorced in 1869)
My great great great grandmother is my earliest documented divorce. She and Thomas Green divorced in 1869 after she could no longer handle the changes in his personality caused by his Civil War service.

And if you're looking for a divorce record, I recommend checking out Dade County, Florida.

#52Ancestors, Week 45, War and Peace

 Thomas Jefferson Green

Born: 27 Sep. 1827 - Kentucky
Parents: Unknown

Service: 11th Illinois Infantry, Company F
Enlistment Date: 15 Aug. 1862

Discharge Date: 14 July 1865

Spouses:

Ann Elizabeth Echols - married 1854 (div. 15 Nov. 1869)

Harriet A. Isaacs - married 26 Dec. 1869 - Pulaski County, IL

Children: 

w/ Ann

Emma Katherine Green

Dora Isabella Green

w/ Harriet

Thomas Jefferson Green

Leona Deane ‘Sally’ Green

Richard Monroe Green

George Alfred Green

Death: 19 Apr. 1898 - Anna, IL
Burial: Anna Cemetery - Anna, IL

War:

The 11th Illinois Infantry served from 1862-1865 and was present at some of the pivotal battles of the American Civil War.  In 1862, it was part of the operations at Forts Henry and Donelson where Union forces took control of the Tennessee and Cumberland rivers.  It was also present at the bloody battle of Shiloh that same year. In 1864, it helped secure Vicksburg, a victory that led to Ulysses S. Grant’s appointment as General-in-Chief of the Union army.  Not long after the battle of Fort Blakely in April 1865, the regiment traveled to Springfield, IL, to receive its final payment and discharge.  

Source: The National Park Service website

Peace:

Thomas Green had survived…physically, but like so many others who had experienced the grisly realities of Civil War combat, he returned from service a changed man. Within 4 years, he and his first wife had divorced.  Later, when Thomas filed paperwork for a pension, his ex-wife wrote in her affidavit, “After he came from the army, he got to drinking pretty hard, and that is the reason we separated. The fact is he was never like the same person after he came home."

Thomas remarried to Harriet and had four more children. He applied for a pension in 1879 because his eyes had sustained damage during the war, and he could no longer perform his trade as a blacksmith.

Thomas J. Green died 19 Apr. 1898, at his home in Anna, aged 71 years, 9 months, 11 days, and was buried in Anna Cemetery. He was a member of G.A.R. He left a widow, three sons, and one daughter, Thomas J. Green Jr. of Della Plain, Ark., Mrs. C.C. Terpinitz, George Green, and Richard Green, all of Anna. (Jonesboro Gazette, 23 Apr. 1898)

#52Ancestors, Week 43, Dig a Little Deeper

What is something I had to dig a little deeper than usual to find?  How about...EVERYTHING?! Okay, maybe that's a little dramatic, but sometimes I definitely feel like I dig and dig and dig and never find anything worthwhile.  I've written about many of these experiences on this very blog.

Where was Nettie Pearson between 1945 and her death in 1968?  I've tried tracking her son (he disappears, too), inquiring with the St. Clair County Historical Society (St. Clair County is her last residence listed on the Social Security Death Index), and looking for any variation of her numerous names (Nettie M. Pearson McClure Hudson Miller Reed Johnson), all to no avail.  Neither my mother nor my aunts and uncle were even aware of her existence, so I am currently waiting on her son's merchant marines records in the hopes that I may find a clue to her whereabouts as well as more information to flesh out his lean biography.

The additional list of ancestors who just seem to disappear into the ether without a trace is a lengthy one: Leona (Green) Terpinitz, Jennie Grace (Terpinitz) Lambert Amey Johnson, Thomas J. Pearson, John Field and his son, William Field, just to name a few.  For the last three, it seems unlikely I will ever find a date of death.  Even if there were death records, they were almost certainly lost in fires or floods or perhaps thrown away by a descendant who didn't care to know about the past.  It is likely the best I will be able to do is approximate a year of death based on last known records. The possibility of finding a complete family Bible is a pipe dream.

Speaking of Bibles, anyone happen to have one lying around for the Green family of New York, Rhode Island, Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois? No?  How about a suggestion as to another way to determine Thomas Green's parents?  No obituary, death record, or even Civil War pension file has revealed the answer.  The lone sister I have been able to confirm, Louisiana (Green) Adams, has been of no help.  She lived a long time and had many children and a lengthy obituary.  The obituary gives no clues, and the death certificate is, as of yet, undiscovered.

How was Emma Katherine Green already a Pearson when she married George William Pearson?  Well, I did manage to unearth the truth of that one through deductive reasoning. Pearson children born well before her marriage to George, the marriage of her divorced mother to a Pearson, and various records for her children - individually, they prove little, but if you put the pieces together, you come to the conclusion that she was married to her stepdad's son, John Winston Pearson, before marrying my great great grandfather, George William Pearson.  Sounds like an episode of Maury or Jerry Springer, if you ask me...

I could probably go on forever, but I won't.  If you've read this far, don't take my frustration as an indication that I don't enjoy digging.  I certainly do, but if I'm going to dig every which way but up, I'd like to eventually hit pay dirt.  These "adventures in genealogy" don't always lead to success, but if it's important, you'll keep on digging anyway.

#52Ancestors, Week 41: Genealogical Travels

The last two summers, my family has taken a variety of road trips.  My husband and daughter more or less leave me to plan them, so while I'm researching possible destinations, I keep in mind each of our requirements.

My husband - local distillery

My daughter - something outdoorsy (hiking, bird watching, etc.)

Me - genealogical quest 

The first two requirements are usually fairly easily fulfilled.  Mine is slightly less so, but I still accomplish it more often than not.

It all started, though, with a road trip with my mother and sister to Pulaski County, Illinois, in August 2014.  We didn't have much of a plan other than trying to find some relatives' resting places and then possibly rifling through some documents at the courthouse.  I believe Cuzzin Heather is writing about her stay in a hotel in Ullin (I think it might be the only hotel in Pulaski County), but we opted to stay in Metropolis - the home of Superman - which is just east of Pulaski County in Massac County.  We didn't know it when we booked the hotel, but it was still a relevant place to stay when it came to our family.  The hotel sat right on the Ohio River which our ancestors had to cross when they made their way from Kentucky.

Railroad bridge across the Ohio River - both the river and the railroad were a part of our family for generations

Our first goal was to locate the headstone of Emma Kate and George William Pearson, my great great grandparents.  Thanks to FindaGrave, we knew what cemetery they were in, and we had a general idea of their location.  Considering the size of the cemetery, we found them fairly quickly.

George and Emma's headstone in August 2014

You'll notice that George's date of death is missing.  We assume that's because Emma Kate pre-deceased him by 10 years, so there was no one to remind the children to take care of his headstone. 😂 My mother and I eventually contacted Bell Monument Company (which services the tristate area of Kentucky, Illinois, and Missouri), and after 85+ years, George finally has his date of death on his headstone. 

We next attempted to locate my great great great grandparents in Pearson Cemetery.  Being a family cemetery on land that used to belong to the Pearsons, it was not not marked. We stopped at the courthouse to get an exact location, and they suggested we call a local woman who specializes in the genealogy of the area. Lucky for us, she also happened to live on the land my 3x great grandparents once owned!  We met up with her 'by the dead tree near the old church' (I love how locals navigate), and she took us around the property.  Unfortunately, what's left of Pearson Cemetery now circles an old tree in a cornfield.  The corn was high, so we couldn't get to the headstones, but she did eventually send me pictures of the stones that remained.  I’ve written about some of those stones here.

The tree and cornfield in question

It was a successful trip, and I had plans for returning to Pulaski County in the not-too-distant future.  The next year, though, my daughter was born, and that put a wrench in any leisurely traveling plans for a while.

Fast forward to the summer of 2022.  Having lost 3 of our pets in the course of 5 months (January-May), we decided to honor them by taking various road trips over the course of the summer.  In late July, we took a trip to Carbondale, Illinois.  My husband went to school there, but it also happens to be within 'spitting distance' of Anna, Illinois, and that is where Emma Kate Pearson's father (another great great great grandfather) is buried.  My husband stopped at a local distillery, my daughter got to go hiking at Giant City, and then they humored my 'dead people' obsession, and we went looking for Thomas Green.  Once again, thanks to the magic of FindaGrave, we located our objective quickly (which is very fortunate.  Have you ever been to southern Illinois mid-July?!).

Thomas Green - Civil War soldier, 11th Illinois Infantry

We've been back a time or two, and, the last time, my husband entered the satellite location on Google Maps.  We also left Thomas some local lavender.  I'd like to think he enjoyed it.

On this same trip, we went to Fort Massac State Park in Metropolis.  We mostly went because it was free and right on the river, but it may be that it was also genealogically related.

"George Rogers Clark arrived at Fort Massac on July 30, 1778, with about 175 men..."

Cuzzin Heather and I have been working on this on and off, and we believe we are related to George Rogers Clark through our Field line.  There is quite a bit of conflicting information on this, so we are not yet confident enough to make the claim.  

My little family took another trip a few weeks later, and our destination was primarily Paducah, Kentucky.  We found two distilleries for my husband and a nature center for my daughter.  My genealogical quest was related to Wilmington Cemetery.  I've already written about that, so follow the link if you're interested (PLEASE BE INTERESTED).

This past summer (2023), one of my genealogical adventures included meeting Cuzzin Heather in the flesh!  (Don't worry - distilleries and nature preserves were also visited.)  

Genealogy isn't for everyone, but I am lucky that my family indulges what they find to be a strange hobby.  Of course, my husband is always much more amenable after we've stopped at a distillery or two!  My daughter groans about Mom looking for "dead people" and sarcastically asks if we're going to stop at every cemetery we pass.  *whispers*  Sometimes...it's tempting.

#52Ancestors, Week 36: Working a Trade

Once again, I have fallen behind.  Who would have thought the start of the school year would have set me back?! 😏  For the week of Labor Day, our challenge was to consider those who worked in the trades.  Honestly, I wasn't sure what all that encompassed, so I went to everyone's best friend - Google. "A skilled trade is any occupation that requires a particular skill set, knowledge, or ability. It is usually a hands-on job."  Based on this definition, I would argue most men of older generations would be considered tradesmen.  For this post, I thought I would focus on 3 generations of men all born in the 1800s: Thomas J. Green, George William Pearson, and Horace Irwin Pearson.  These men were all related to each other, but their trades were very different.  

Thomas J. Green (1827-1898) was a blacksmith.  Knowing this helped me to follow him through 2 marriages and identify him in Civil War records.  The 1860 census was the first documentation I found that indicated Thomas was a blacksmith. Interestingly, "by 1860, the United States census recorded 7,504 blacksmith workshops and 15,720 workers employed within them. It also listed blacksmithing as the fourth most popular trade after lumber milling, flour milling, and shoemaking."  Thomas had chosen a popular profession. Blacksmithing was particularly important in the mid-1800s because blacksmiths produced nails (at the breakneck speed of approximately one per minute).  Unlike today's commercially produced nails, these nails were quite expensive.

Thomas utilized his trade during his time in the Civil War where he served as a blacksmith in the 11th Illinois Infantry.  Unfortunately, his Civil War pension file seems to indicate Thomas suffered damage to his eyes as a result of his trade.  An acquaintance of his, William Richardson, related the following: "[Thomas's] eyes looked weak and red.  He was shoeing horses and mules for the train...they discharged him from the train because he could not see to work...He always had shoeing...after night."  Described as a strong, healthy man before his enlistment, working long hours around a hot fire late into the night eventually took its toll. His first wife, Ann Echols, recounted that he returned from the war a changed man, and this is what ultimately lead to their divorce in 1869.

After his divorce from Ann and marriage to Harriet Youngblood, Thomas still listed himself as a blacksmith on the 1870 and 1880 censuses.  If I had to guess, I would say he shod horses and worked on plows and other farming implements in rural Union County, Illinois. I don't know what effect his war-time injuries had on his ability to earn a living.  I only know that, in 1879, he applied for a pension on the grounds of disability, and that pension was eventually granted.  (It might also be worth mentioning that, by this time, industrialization and mechanization had caused a fall-off in the popularity of the blacksmith trade.)

Thomas's son-in-law, George William Pearson (1858-1927), worked on the railroad. The railroad was a popular trade in George's area due to the Illinois Central railroad that ran from Chicago to Cairo, Illinois.  The trade seemed to be ever-evolving.  With every census, George was employed by the railroad, but the job description was always different.  In 1900, he was simply listed as a railroad laborer.  Perhaps he started out building railroads and worked his way up to a more specialized position?  By 1910, he was a loan inspector of railroad goods.  In 1920, he was a car repairer on the railroad.  This is also the occupation listed in the Deaths and Stillbirths Index.  Regardless of the position, "I've Been Working on the Railroad" would have been an appropriate song for George.  Unfortunately, it is likely his line of work led to his youngest son's accident in 1903. 

George's son, Horace Irwin Pearson (1894-1941), lost both his legs in a railroad accident. There is no way of knowing exactly what transpired, but the accident happened near Mounds where George was employed by the Illinois Central railroad.  It seems reasonable to assume Horace was on the way to visit his father.  Whether or not this was the case, Horace probably would have felt comfortable around the railroad, and perhaps this false sense of security led to his tumble from the freight train.

What trade is available to a double-amputee?  Door-to-door salesman doesn't immediately come to mind, but that is how Horace ended up supporting himself. Some might argue that a door-to-door salesman doesn't qualify as a tradesman.  What training do you need?  Is it really necessary to have knowledge or ability?  Perhaps you don't need training, but I would argue the other two are necessary.  Horace would have needed knowledge of his products and also knowledge of his clientele.  As far as ability, he had to be able to convince people they needed his products if he hoped to make a sale.

In 1910, Horace was still living at home with no listed occupation.  I have been unable to locate a 1920 census for him, but I am hopeful that I will eventually be able to make a positive identification by matching him to his line of work.  In 1930, Horace is listed as a canvasser of notions.  A quick search of 'notions' suggests he might have been selling tools necessary for sewing.  By the time of his death in 1941, an article concerning his demise said he sold pencils, shoe strings, and other miscellaneous items, and that he got around by using a platform mounted on roller skates.

From blacksmithing to railroads to selling items door-to-door, these men plied a trade in order to support themselves/their families - an admirable trait at any point in history.

Sources:

1. "The Life of a Blacksmith in the 1800s," Working the Flame, workingtheflame.com/blacksmith-life-1800s/. Accessed 10 Sep. 2023.

2. "Illinois Central Railroad," SCRC Virtual Museum at Southern Illinois University's Morris Library, scrcexhibits.omeka.net/exhibits/show/sihistory/poststatehood/icrr. Accessed 10 Sep. 2023.

#52Ancestors, Week 33: Strong Women

I feel like this post might be something of a cop-out.  I've tried my best to come up with a "new" idea about the strength of my (Pearson and other peripheral) ancestors, but I've discussed that very trait in so many of my previous posts!  Specifically, strong women seem to be first and foremost in many of my musings.  Of course, men had to be strong - physically, at least - but women bore (and lost) children, kept their households running, and sometimes had to accomplish tasks more typically left to men.

For example, I would consider Ann Elizabeth Echols Green Pearson a strong woman. She raised her two daughters alone while her husband fought in the Civil War.  She attempted to coexist with her husband after he returned from the Civil War, but when she discovered that was impossible, she was strong enough to accept that divorce was necessary. It is clear that she did not have a replacement in mind when she and Thomas Green divorced, as she did not remarry for almost 4 years, so she was once again raising her daughters without a husband.

Ann's husband remarried, and he produced a few strong women, as well - his daughter, Leona, and her daughter, Jennie Grace. Leona married and had a daughter with Charles Terpinitz, but when that marriage ended, Leona did not remarry (as was the case with so many women who depended on their husbands to support them).  Leona boarded and worked nearby while Jennie Grace pursued a degree at the University of Illinois.  After Jennie Grace married, Leona pursued a career on the East Coast as a corsetiere.  Jennie Grace, an obviously strong-minded woman, pursued a career in music, and performed overseas.  With the arrival of World War II came the need for women to enlist to serve their country. Jennie Grace did that, too.

Someone else who fits the bill of a strong woman is Nancy Ann Fields Pearson.  In a time when infant mortality was extraordinarily high, Nancy had the misfortune to lose 4 of her 10 children in their infancies.  Not a single one made it to his/her first birthday.  The strength it must have taken to bury those babies and then go about her business is something I cannot comprehend. Also, not long after her husband's death, there is a story of Nancy being assaulted in Cairo, Illinois. (Cuzzin Heather wrote about this incident in one of her previous posts.)  While the report says "grave fears are entertained of her recovery," she did recover, and she ended up outliving one (possibly two) of her remaining six children.

Finally (although I'm sure many more deserve the title of 'strong'), my great grandmother, Lena Pearson, falls into this category for many reasons.  In 1923, after only 7 years of marriage, she lost her first husband to (I believe) tuberculosis.  He left behind not only his wife but a young daughter, Lois. Lena remarried to my great grandfather, Daniel Benton, and had 2 more children.  In 1937, Lena was instrumental in saving both her young son (my grandfather) and Lois (now married with a child of her own) from a fire!  In her later years, Lena survived stomach cancer.  Can't get much stronger than that.

If you've read to the end of this post, I encourage you to click on the link to each woman's story. What I have written here is simply a precursor to a much more detailed account...just to whet your appetite.  ;)

#52Ancestors, Week 21: Brick Wall - Thomas Green's parents

I have many brick walls.  I think any genealogist does.  Eventually, records run out, family histories come up short...or you're really lucky and you are able to track yourself back to Genghis Khan.  I've been working on this particular brick wall for several years, and every time I think I've found something that I am certain will shed a little light...it doesn't. I will do my best to describe said wall and the ways in which I have tried to go over, around, under, and through it.

Thomas Green.  He is my 3x great grandfather and a fairly interesting individual.  He was born in Kentucky in 1826/1827 but spent the majority of his life in southern Illinois.  He served in the 11th Illinois Infantry during the American Civil War and was involved in the capture of Forts Henry, Donelson, and Vicksburg.  After the war, he and his first wife (my 3x great grandmother) divorced. Thomas went on to marry a young widow and have an additional four children.  He died in 1898 and was buried in Anna Cemetery in Anna, IL.  The only part of his life I don't know much about is his childhood...specifically, HIS PARENTS!  

Let's look at all the typical ways one can determine parents:

1. Census Data - Unfortunately, I have been unable to find a definitive 1850 census for Thomas, and anything prior to that only lists head of household.   Strike one. (Later census records indicated that Thomas's father was born in New York.  Thomas's mother was born in either Rhode Island or Ohio.  You try searching the surname Green in New York, and let me know how you do.)

2. Marriage records - I have not found an official marriage record for Thomas Green and Ann Elizabeth Echols.  The year of their marriage (1854) is mentioned in a biography of Ann's brother, Thomas Benton Echols, and is acknowledged in Thomas's Civil War Pension file.  Neither lists his parents. Strike two.

3. Death records - I have three death records for Thomas: an Illinois, Select Deaths Index, a death certificate, and an application for a headstone for Civil War veterans.  Even on the death certificate, there is nothing requesting the names of his parents. Strike three.

4.  Obituary - Found it.  No parents listed, and we're all out of strikes anyway.

Remember that Civil War Pension file I mentioned?  It's over 100 pages of depositions, interviews, documents, and other phenomenal genealogical information, but do you think there is a single mention of Thomas's parents?  That's a big NOPE

It does, however, mention a sister!  Hallelujah!  Now we're getting somewhere!  ...or so I thought.  Thomas's sister was named Louisiana, and she was born in 1819 in Ohio.  She died in Rock Island, Illinois, in 1912.  I haven't been able to locate a death certificate for her, although I have asked my sister (who lives in the area) to stop by the courthouse and see what she can find.  (I'll keep you posted.)  I did locate a very length obituary for Louisiana, but alas, her parents were not revealed. 

I've tried to piece together what I have.  Louisiana in 1819 in Ohio, Thomas in 1826/1827 in Kentucky.  Both children settled in Illinois, albeit very different areas of the state.  I wanted to believe that this narrowed my search, but I also had to take into consideration when/where the parents met and were married...which was a tall order when you consider that it could have been anywhere between New York and Ohio... 

Maybe my sister will get to the courthouse, and Louisiana's death certificate will reveal all.  Maybe a marriage for Thomas and Ann will materialize down in Pulaski County, Illinois, but I'm not holding my breath.  Maybe I'll just have a séance and hope that asking for Thomas and Louisiana Green's parents rings a bell somewhere in the afterlife.

#52 Ancestors: Week 15 - Leona's Solitude

For this week's prompt, I'm going to take a broad interpretation of the concept of solitude.  The generally accepted definition of solitude is "the state of being or living alone."  Other common definitions include "an absence of human activity" or "a lonely, unfrequented place."  All have a distinctly negative vibe. And yet, the ancestors I was considering seemed to bask in their single-ness.  One gentleman lived a long, unmarried life, but he brought joy to those around him with his voice.  One woman found herself divorced in her late 30s.  It was the early 1900s, but rather than marrying again, this woman took advantage of her "solitude" and spent the rest of her life making her way up and down the east coast of the United States.  Her name was Leona Deane 'Sally" (Green) Terpinitz, and this is her story.

Leona was born in Pulaski County, Illinois, in November 1878. She was the only daughter born to Thomas J. Green and Harriet A. Isaacs.  At the young age of 16, in August 1895, Leona married Charles C. Terpinitz in Union County, Illinois.  A single daughter, Jennie Grace Terpinitz, was born to them in April 1898. They are enumerated in Mount Pleasant, Iowa, in 1900 and then in Walnut, Kansas, in 1905.  Charles was a jack-of-all-trades, so there is no telling why they moved further west.  By 1910, however, they have returned to Illinois and are living in Centralia.  Various newspaper articles place Charles and family in Centralia in 1913 & 1914, but sometime before 1917, he and Leona presumably divorce, as Charles marries Sarah Pearl Leach in September 1917.  

At this time, Leona would have been in her late thirties with a daughter in her late teens.  Jennie Grace started attending the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana in 1916, and it would seem that Leona moved with her. In the 1920 census, both Leona and Jennie are rooming with the family of Lillian Osborn in Champaign, Illinois. Leona is a saleslady in a dry goods store and lists herself as a widow even though Charles is alive and well with his new wife. Maybe he was just "dead to her." 😆 

Jennie Grace marries in 1922, and she and her husband move to Nutley, New Jersey.  And what of Leona?  Why, she moves to Brooklyn, New York, and becomes a corsetiere!  Various newspaper ads indicate she was in this business from roughly 1923-1928. She stays close to her daughter, however -  Nutley, New Jersey, is only around 20 miles away.  Solitude when she felt like it, and company when she didn't!

Although Leona and Charles had divorced, separated, considered one another dead...whatever, Leona still visited with her in-laws.  Here, in The Miami News, she is mentioned as one of her brother and sister-in-law's honored guests.  Also mentioned in this article are Leona's daughter, Jennie Lambert, and relatives of Jennie's soon-to-be second husband, Peter Amey. (Charles, by the way, was on his third wife by this time - seems he couldn't handle solitude.) 

 

Jennie marries Peter Amey in Florida in 1936, but the 1940 census finds them back up in Fine, New York.  Leona is with them, too, but as I envision it, Leona was a fashionable elderly woman who probably had her own rooms and occasionally joined her daughter and son-in-law for dinner on the veranda.  I have no way of knowing if this is accurate, but at 62 and having made a living as a single woman for the past 20+ years, I feel as if she wouldn't want to be beholden to anyone, even her own daughter.

In 1941, Jennie is at it again.  She divorces Peter Amey and marries Elmer Johnson. Like her father, she seems unable to find long-lasting relationships, but she insists on remarrying.  I wonder what Leona thought of it.  Did she advise her daughter, who was an extremely well-educated woman for the time, that there was no reason to depend on a man? Perhaps, but she must have at least gotten along with Jennie's husbands.  The 1945 Florida census indicates Leona was living with Elmer and Jennie.  Again, I like to think of her spending the day in her dressing gown, enjoying a good book and a cup of tea.  Maybe she even made an occasional dinner for the three of them.

As with Jennie, I have very little information about Leona after 1945. All I know is that Leona died in Oyster Bay, New York, the 24th of May 1955.  She was 78 years old and had lived more than half her life as a single woman.  But, in those 40 or so years, she saw so much more of the country than the Midwest view her husband had afforded her.  Maybe she hobnobbed with important clients during her time as a corsetiere. Maybe she enjoyed the salt breeze through her hair as she walked the beaches of Florida.  One thing is certain (to me, at least). Leona's solitude was not lonely, but it was most definitely on her own terms.

#52Ancestors, Week 14: Begins with a Vowel

This prompt seemed like a no-brainer. Every part of Ann Elizabeth Echols’s maiden name begins with a vowel. Her two married names connect mine and cousin Heather’s families. Ann’s first marriage was to Thomas J. Green, the father of my great great grandmother, Emma Kate Green. Ann’s second marriage was to Benjamin Everett Pearson, one of Heather’s direct line ancestors. He also happens to be my great great great grandfather’s brother.

Ann Elizabeth Echols, born 1839, was the eldest daughter of Benjamin F. Echols and Sarah Rebecca Arter. According to Thomas Green’s Civil War pension file, he and Ann were married in 1854. She and Thomas had two daughters, Emma Katherine and Dora Isabella, before Thomas answered the call to fight in the Civil War. Unfortunately, like so many others who had experienced the grisly realities of Civil War combat, he returned from service a changed man. By 1869, he and Ann had divorced. Ann’s deposition given for his pension request described the deterioration of their marriage. “After he came from the army, he got to drinking pretty hard, and that is the reason we separated. The fact is he was never like the same person after he came home."

After the Civil War and the death of his second wife, Theodosia, Benjamin Everett Pearson (who had fought for the Confederacy) moved from West Virginia to live near his brother Joseph Allen Pearson in Pulaski County, Illinois. On August 28, 1873, he married Ann Elizabeth (Echols) Green in Alexander County, Illinois. This union was likely a contributing factor to the marriage of Benjamin’s son, John Winston, to Ann’s daughter, Emma Kate in December 1874. Ann inherited quite a few stepchildren when she married Benjamin, but they also added a child of their own to the mix. Virginia M. Pearson was born April 13, 1876, in Olmsted, Illinois.

In 1880, Ann Pearson and family were still living in Pulaski County, Illinois. It is unknown exactly when Benjamin decided to move back to Virginia. Perhaps the catalyst was his mother’s death in Franklin County, Virginia, in 1881, or maybe he left Illinois after his brother, Joseph, died in 1882. Regardless of the motivation, in 1886, when Ann gives her deposition regarding her ex-husband’s pension, her address is Pearisburg, Virginia. Ann lived her whole life in Illinois, so I have to imagine it was difficult to leave behind all she had known.  I think it’s fortunate she had a young child of her own to raise when her husband decided to pull up stakes. Emma Kate remained in Pulaski County, Illinois, and Ann’s other daughter, Dora, was living in northern Illinois.

Ann Elizabeth (Echols) Green Pearson died in Pearisburg, Virginia, on New Year’s Day 1896.

Dora Isabelle (Green) Gillespie Pulliam Johnston - Week 7, #52 Ancestors

This week's prompt is "outcast," and while I'm not sure this ancestor necessarily fits the exact definition of an outcast, I've always found it odd that she settled so far away from her family for most of her life, only to return to her hometown when there was no one left.

Dora Isabelle Green was the second daughter of Thomas J. Green and Ann Elizabeth Echols.  Her birthdate is uncertain.  While the 1860 census lists her as being 2 years old, most other documents place her year of birth as 1860.  By 1870, Dora's parents have divorced, and Thomas has married a young widow, Harriet Youngblood. Interestingly, Dora is listed in the 1870 census as living with her father and Harriet, but she is also listed as living with her mother, Ann, and sister, Emma Kate. In 1873, Ann marries Benjamin Everett Pearson, and the next year, Dora's sister marries one of Benjamin Everett's sons.  In 1876, Ann gives birth to Dora's half-sister, Virginia.

I could speculate about what happens next, I suppose.  Dora's father has had a son with his second wife, and Dora's only full sibling has married and moved to Virginia.  Perhaps Dora, a young, unmarried woman, is left with the unenviable task of looking after her half-siblings.  Perhaps she doesn't get along with her new stepfather and/or new stepmother. The only thing that is certain is that in October of 1877, Dora marries Henry C. Gillespie in Rock Island County, Illinois - about 400 miles northwest of where she's lived her entire life.  

The Rock Island Argus, 20 Oct. 1877

The most reasonable explanation was that Dora was visiting her Aunt Louisiana Adams when she fell in love, but I find it odd that the article mentions Mr. A. A. Adams (her uncle by marriage) but not Dora's parents.  At any rate, in 1880, Dora and Henry are still in the Rock Island area, and a single son is born to them in December, Lawrence Henry Gillespie.  

Though I have never found a divorce record for Henry and Dora, Henry marries Jennie Williamson in 1884, and Dora marries William Pulliam in 1883.  At some point, that marriage fails, too, because Dora marries John Johnston in Algonquin, Illinois, in 1895.  What she did between 1883 and 1895 is a mystery.  There is no census, and I have been unable to find any newspaper clippings related to this time of her life.  Why, as a single woman with a small child, did she not return to her family in southern Illinois?  Her sister had returned to Pulaski County, Illinois, from Virginia and married another Pearson cousin, and her father was still living in the area. Furthermore, Rock Island to McHenry County, Illinois is no mean trip for the late 1800s - about 150 miles.  How/why did she travel that distance?

In 1898, Dora's father dies.  There is no mention of Dora or her sister in Thomas's obituary.  Only the surviving children of his marriage to Harriet are named.  

However, if Mr. John Johnston's obituary was a true account of his life, Dora had a peaceful and comfortable 12 years until his death in 1907.  He must have left her a significant amount of money because she purchases a milk and creamery business in 1908 and runs it in partnership with her son.

The Herald, 16 July 1908

The 1910 census finds Dora living with a cousin by the last name of Shearer.  I don't have anyone by that name in my tree, but I have not fully fleshed out Aunt Louisiana's family, so my best guess is that this cousin is one of Louisiana's children.  In any case, Dora is working as a cashier in a dry goods store.  Lawrence Gillespie and family don't live far away, and I find it strange that Dora does not live with them.

In 1917, Dora's only full sibling, Emma Kate Pearson, dies.  There is no indication in the obituary that Dora attended the funeral.

By 1918, if not earlier, Dora has relocated back to Rock Island County and is working as a servant in the Watertown State Hospital.  This information is corroborated in a 1918 city directory and Lawrence's WWI Draft Registration Card.  Lawrence and his wife, Rachel, have divorced.  She remarried in 1917 and Lawrence apparently decided to try his luck in New York while leaving his 60 year old mother to try her luck as a domestic worker.  Dora is still working there on the 1920 census.

Who knows what transpires between 1920 and 1930, but by 1930, Dora has made the long trek "home" to Pulaski County, Illinois. She is living with her uncle by marriage, Horace A. Hannon and also her son, Lawrence Gillespie.

A few brief mentions in The Pulaski Enterprise in 1938 tell us all that is apparently worth knowing of the last few days of Dora's life, concluding with her death on December 4th:

SENT TO ANNA

Dora Johnson, 78 years of age, an invalid at Olmstead, who is practically without home or kinfolks and who has been cared for by household aid and pension, was sent to Anna yesterday.  She was one of the sorry pictures of old age, neglected and without family.

MRS. DORA JOHNSON

Mrs. Dora Johnson, 78, who was taken to the State Hospital in Anna Thursday, died at the hospital Sunday morning.  She is survived by one son, Lawrence Gillespie, of Olmstead, four grandchildren and other relatives. The body was removed Monday afternoon to Olmstead, where services were held Tuesday afternoon in the M. E. Church South.  Interment was made in the Masonic Cemetery.

Nobody Knows About Jennie Grace (Terpinitz) Lambert Amey Johnson

 

Now, you might have read my post about Nettie M. Pearson and thought, "Gee, there's nothing amazing about this woman other than her multiple marriages."  And I suppose you would be right.  Jennie Grace Terpinitz, however, is a most amazing (and as far as I can tell, forgotten) woman.

Jennie Grace was born April 1st, 1898, the only child of Charles C. Terpinitz and Leona Deane 'Sally' Green  in Anna, Union County, Illinois.  As a granddaughter of my ggg grandfather, Thomas J. Green, she is my 1st cousin 3x removed. Jennie came from a musical family, and this seems to have been a significant influence.  Various articles about her early life mention her participation in theatre and music.

The Champaign Daily Gazette, 1916

The first amazing thing Jennie Grace does is attend college at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign.  This post's portrait was found in the university's 1919 yearbook.  She was a first soprano in the University Women's Glee Club and a member of the Athenean Literary Society.  According to the 1922 yearbook, this society was founded in 1907 for the purpose of "acquiring proficiency in literary eloquence." Jennie Grace was involved in several other groups/committees and graduated in 1922 with degrees in music and journalism.

She married Wilbur Carl Lambert in June of 1922, and the 1930 census finds them living in Nutley, New Jersey.  A luncheon with friends that same year might have introduced Jennie Grace to her next husband.  Listed among the guests was Mrs. J.W. Amey.  Her husband was Dr. Jesse W. Amey, brother to Jennie's next husband, Peter W. Amey.

The Miami News, February 1930

Jennie Grace divorced Wilbur (as far as I have been able to ascertain, their 14-year marriage did not yield any children) and married Peter in 1936 in Dade County, Florida.  Peter was 63 and Jennie Grace was 38.  The 1940 census places them in St. Lawrence County, New York.  Jennie's occupation is listed as a musician.  They share their home with Jennie's mother, Leona Terpinitz.

The marriage did not last long, though.  In 1941, Jennie and Peter divorced (their marriage didn't yield any children either), and Jennie married Elmer Johnson that September.  When the United States entered World War II, Elmer, an officer in the Army Air Forces answered the call, and Jennie didn't feel like being left at home.  She enlisted in the WACS on January 31, 1943, and an article in The Miami Herald says her husband approved of her service.  Of her decision, Jennie said, "He's got his work, and I should have mine, especially in wartime."  This, and other articles covering her service, mention that she spoke French, German, Spanish, and Italian, that she was a retired opera and concert singer, and that she had once studied at the Sorbonne in Paris.  She was certainly a formidable female, even if she did only stand at 5 feet tall (according to her enlistment record)!

The last confirmation I have of Jennie's whereabouts is a 1946 article discussing her service to her country.  Below are a few excerpts:

The Miami Herald, August 1946

Elmer dies in 1961, but there is no mention of Jennie in his brief obituary.  Perhaps she predeceased him, or perhaps she got divorced for a third time.  At present, I do not know when or where Jennie Grace died, but I am fairly certain she did not leave any children behind.  For a woman who accomplished so much, it seems a shame that there was no one to remember her.