Possibilities - The Parents of Abram Beebe

The parents of Abram Beebe have remained a mystery over the years. Multiple trees list Joel Beebe and Mary Hale as parents. Not a single tree had any proof of this, but I recently discovered possible evidence pointing to these parents.

Abram Beebe was probably born in December 1822, and probably in Tioga County, New York. Around 1840, he married a woman named Lovisa or Louisa. It is possible that her surname was Castline. Abram died on 12 April 1895 in Candor, Tioga County, New York. His grave site has not been located, but he may have been buried in Maple Grove Cemetery in Candor. Abram and Lovisa had at least seven children - the line I'm tracking goes through his son Clark.

Abram was a millwright and spent his life in and around Tioga County except for a short stay in nearby Tompkins County and a possible brief foray into nearby Broome County. There isn't any indication that he was born or lived anywhere other than New York. 

JOEL BEEBE, WHO SERVED IN THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR

Joel Beebe was born about 1757, possibly in Connecticut. He may have married Mary Hale in Derby, Connecticut, in February of 1823, but was surely married for the first time before that. His death date is unknown, but it may have been 1839. 

Joel enlisted as a Private in the Revolutionary War in April 1777 and served for more than six years. He was in the Company commanded by Captain Charles Pond in Colonel Meigs Regiment of the Connecticut Line. He then transferred to the Second Connecticut Regiment, commanded by Colonel Swift, and served until the close of the war. He applied for a pension in March of 1818. 

In July of 1820, he stated that he was 63 years old, a resident of Derby, Connecticut, and had no property or securities. He listed his occupation as a farmer and basket maker. and stated that he had a wife who was "feeble and infirm, being troubled with dropsy" and an 18-year-old child. All his personal property was valued at $45.13. 

Another page of his pension application, which may have been added when his wife applied for a widow's pension, gave the following information.

• Joel Beebe was a resident of Milford, Connecticut
• He married (no date given) Mary Beebe, who was born 1783/4. 
• Mary died March 21, 1874, aged 90 years, 11 months, and 21 days in Iowa. 
• Children were listed as follows on an undated piece of paper. (A second similar listing is stamped 1923, so it was added to the file at a much later date.)
• David Beebe, born 1808-10, died 1891 in Iowa. Married Nancy Heaton.
• Fannie Beebe married Elijah Bills.
• Mary Beebe married Elliott Foster and lived in Tioga County, New York.
• Abram Beebe lived near Candor, New York. (The list that is stamped 1923 states that Abram was unmarried.)

The pension file appears to confirm that an Abram was the son of Joel. But there are several red flags.

• First, in his pension application, Joel makes it clear that his wife is "feeble and infirm." That wife's name is never mentioned in the file. This, and the fact that they have an 18-year-old child, implies that she is older.
• There is a marriage record on 1 February 1823 in Derby, Connecticut, for Joel Beebe and Mary Hale. Does this mean his first wife died and he remarried? Or is this a totally different Joel Beebe? The record is unclear, but this is the couple usually given as Abram's parents.
• Is Abram a product of this second marriage, or are there multiple Abrams? 
• If Joel married in February of 1823 in Derby, Connecticut, did he then move to Tioga County, New York? Abram's birth date is often given as 1 December 1822, but census records vary it from 1820 to 1827, so he may be a child of this marriage. 
• There is still a Joel Beebe in Derby, Connecticut, in the 1830 census. The family makeup is 1 white male, 70-79; 1 female, 60-69; and 1 female, 30-39. This does not seem to fit with Joel losing one wife and then remarrying Mary Hale, who would have been only about 47 at the time. But it does fit with having an older wife. It's unclear who the younger female is.

So, did everyone assume that the Abram referred to in this pension file was Abram who married Lovisa? The Candor residence certainly points to him. But the biographical information was written later, not by Joel himself, and its source is unclear.

And, on top of all that, there is a second Joel Beebe who looks interesting. He was a 70-year-old living in Covington, Tioga County, Pennsylvania, in 1850 (just over the border from New York). And he is a miller!! Oddly enough, this particular Joel Beebe and his wife, Elizabeth, ended up moving to Minnesota, and he is buried about 15 miles from my house. 

So that gives me a long list of things to look for. This list includes: 

1. Are there other Abram Beebe born in the period of about 1820-1827, particularly in Tioga County, New York? Or any born earlier that would fit in with the patriot Joel? 
2. Both Joel Beebes had children, and they need to be tracked and confirmed. 
3. More information about the Pennsylvania Beebe needs to be found. Because he was a miller -- and Abram was a miller --- there could be some connection. Often, these occupations were passed down from father to son. 
4. Are there other candidates for the father of Abram? Were there other Beebes living in Tioga County, New York? Check both the 1820 and the 1830 census. 
5. Make sure to learn everything about Abram Beebe, including land purchases, probate records, newspaper articles, etc. 

There is obviously a lot more work to be done before I can rule anyone in or out. 

NOTE: Most of the information above is sourced. Contact the author for more information regarding these sources and Abram Beebe.

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This week's #52Ancestors Prompt is POSSIBILITIES

County Line Cemetery

I've always thought of County Line Cemetery as a family cemetery - probably because we're related to so many people buried in that cemetery. County Line Cemetery sits on the boundary between Franklin and Williamson County, Illinois. The Baptist church is in Williamson, the cemetery in Franklin. The last time I was there was the summer after my grandmother died, when we took a crazy family trip to southern Illinois and visited the cemetery.

When I was younger, my grandmother would go down every year around Memorial Day, and I'd go with her. We'd put flowers on the graves, but I wasn't savvy enough to ask the right questions. It was surely a missed opportunity.

Looking at the list of burials found on Find a Grave, I see tons of relations.

• Armes: related by blood. 
• Beasley: related by marriage, including Elvira Edwards Beasley, my 3rd great-aunt
• Blades: not related, but at least one of them was one of my mom's best friends growing up.
• Butzek: Anthony (1907-1943) and Stella M Edwards (1912-1989)- my maternal grandparents.
• Cardwell: related through marriage
• Davenport: Louisa Lavina Edwards Davenport - another 3rd great aunt
• Edwards: there's a lot of them, including my great-grandfather George Elmus Edwards (1880-1923), two of my grandmother's siblings - Hazel and George Everett, my great-great grandfather, Hugh Richard Edwards (1855-1928) and his wife Martha Rains Edwards (1854-1936), my 3rd great-grandfather Hugh H Edwards (1824-1907) and his wife Mary Hilton Edwards (1825-1894), my great-grandmother Olive Isabelle Pogue Edwards (1893-1959)
• Finney: related by marriage
• Fletcher: related by marriage
• Jordans: related by marriage
• Parker: related by marriage
• Rains: including my 3rd great-grandfather John Rains (1832-1917) and his wife Elizabeth Armes Rains (1832-1900)
• Rotramel: related by marriage
• Summers: related by marriage
• Williams: related by marriage

There are 588 memorials listed on Find a Grave. It is 82% photographed. I can likely look through the other names not listed above and find a connection to each of those people. And that's why it feels like a family cemetery!!

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This week's #52Ancestors prompt is At The Cemetery

Questions That the Records Can't Answer

There are a lot of questions I have for my ancestors as I research them, that the records cannot answer. Here are just some of the questions I wish I could ask about!!

FLORENCE HALLIDAY'S FIRST MARRIAGE

In January of 1916, my grandmother, Florence Halliday, married Harold Edwards in Eldon, Iowa. I knew about this early marriage quite a while ago, including the facts about the birth of a son, the divorce, and my grandmother's subsequent remarriage to my grandfather. But a couple of years ago, I found a newspaper article talking about the wedding. "The marriage took place on the stage in the last act of '$1 for a Kiss' of the Moore and Watterson show playing at Eldon, Iowa."[1] Turns out that Harold Edwards was a former actor who had become a salesman. According to the marriage license, my grandmother was 16, but she was actually 18.[2] 

So just a few of my questions to my grandmother would be:

• What were you thinking? 
• Why did you give your age as 16?
• What drew you to this man? Was he a sweet talker?  
• What was it like getting married on stage?

THE DEATH OF MICHAEL PHILIP MARTIN

My great-grandfather, Michael Philip Martin, died on 7 August 1923 in Hocking, Monroe County, Iowa. I have his death certificate, which lists his cause of death as "killed by fall of slate in coal mine," so I knew he was killed in a mining accident.[3] But a graphic newspaper article gave the rest of the story. 

"Two of Mr. Martin's sons were working with him at the time the accident occurred. A huge chunk of slate about 7 feet long and 12 inches thick fell on his head, almost mashing him to a pulp. It required three men to remove the slate." [4]

By a process of elimination, I realized that one of those two sons was, in fact, my grandfather, George Michael Martin. Another article provided an even more graphic and grisly description of the injuries. At the time, Michael Phillip was 47 years old and left a wife and nine children.

So my questions to my grandfather would have been: 

• What was it like to work in a coal mine? 
• How old were you when you started working in the mines? 
• How did you manage to go back into the mines after that accident?
• How did your mother react? 
• Did your family receive any benefits from the mine owners? Or did you, as the oldest son, become the main breadwinner of the family?

Since I knew both my grandparents quite well and usually even spent a week or two with them every summer, I wish I had thought to ask more about their lives. While I suspect that neither would have talked about these two episodes, I might have gleaned some hints about how they affected the rest of their lives.

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This week's #52Ancestors prompt is Questions That the Records Can't Answer.

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[1]"Married in Eldon," The Gazette (Cedar Rapids), 1 February 1916, p.2, col. 3.

[2] Iowa Marriage Records, 1880-1947; digital image, Ancestry. Wapello County, p.90-93, #1454, Edwards-Holiday, January 1916.

[3] Death Certificate #68-508, (Amended in 1951). Mike Martin 8/7/23, Hocking, Monroe County, Iowa. 

[4]Albia newspaper clipping, undated, and no paper listed. 

 

Living a Quiet Life

When I think of my grandparents, George Michael Martin and Florence Halliday, I think of them as living a quiet life. And they did -- when I knew them.

My earliest remembrances of my grandparents are of them sitting on the front porch of their house on the east side of West Frankfort, Illinois. I have vague memories of that house -- I think it was on Cherry Street. There may have been a swing on the front porch. There was definitely an outhouse in the backyard. That was the main memory I have of that house. I can't even picture my grandparents inside the house but I've never forgotten the outhouse. 

At some point, they moved across town to a small house on Parkhill. I believe I was told my grandma's sister, Mary, paid for the house. I don't know if that was true, but by this time, my grandfather was not working. He had been crippled in a coal mining accident and spent the rest of his life in pain. And this is the house that I always picture them in.

My grandfather had a recliner that sat next to the large picture window. From there, he could watch TV, read the newspaper, and survey the world outside. He spent most of his time there, periodically going to the Elks club for a couple of beers. 

I picture my grandmother either sitting on the couch or working in the kitchen. She was a good cook and part of that apron-wearing generation, so when she was in the kitchen, she almost always had on an apron. When fixing lunch, she usually had the radio turned on. It sat on the hutch (which now sits in my living room), and she listened to the local news - mainly about people who were admitted to or released from the local UMW hospital. Whenever we visited, she always made a meal of roast beef and Yorkshire pudding - and she baked a peach pie.

My dad's sister, June, lived with my grandparents. She faced some intellectual challenges, but in many ways, her life was more outward-facing than my grandparents'. Every day, weather permitting, Aunt June would walk up town and wander through the shops, where she was well known to most of the shop owners. She rarely bought anything except true-confession magazines that she really liked (and that, as kids, we thought were terribly risqué). But she brought back the local gossip she had gathered. 

My grandparents did not own a car. I suspect that my grandmother never learned how to drive, and my grandfather's injury likely prevented him from driving. But I think, as they grew older, that fact kept them even more isolated. They lived in a small town where most everything was within walking distance, but getting to the downtown area did require walking quite a number of blocks. 

So this was their everyday life. Quiet. Routine. Seemingly peaceful. There was no hint of what their lives had been like before I came along -- and that's a different story entirely!!

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This Week's #52Ancestors Prompt is Quiet Life

A Brick Wall Revisited

Whenever I am asked about my biggest brick wall, I always have the same answer. It's really no contest. It is my great-grandfather, Anton Martinek. But is that really his name?

Here's the information I have on Anton Martinek. He was born on 11 October 1876 in the Silesian area of Austria. He married my great-grandmother Marie Mienciel on 14 December 1903, and they divorced in 1912. Other than the divorce, I have no proof of any of it. The other information came from the family.

Here are some other things that might be true or might not be:

• The name might have been Marcinek or Martinek. It might have been spelled Martinec or Marcinec or Martineck or Marcineck - or some other variation.
• His first name may have been Anton, Anthony, Tony, Antony or Andros.
• Anton was married once before he married Marie. 
• Anton may have had a son from that first marriage, or perhaps a brother named Kasimir who came over with Marie and her children.
• In 1910, Anton used the name Andros Menson in the Jefferson County, Ohio, census.
• Anton may have traveled to the US on the same ship as Albert Butzek, Marie's second husband.
• Marie may have met Albert on the ship coming over (likely only a family story).
• Anton left Austria because he was one step ahead of the law.
• Anton was jealous and beat a man in Austria.
• Anton may have gone to Pennsylvania after the divorce. 
• Anton obviously died--when and where is a mystery.
• My aunt Lila may have known more information about her father, but she never shared it before she died. 

One of these days, I will sit down, build a detailed research plan, and dig in to find the answers to some of these questions. It will require searching a variety of records, some in a language I don't read. But I definitely plan to solve this mystery.

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This week's #52Ancestors prompt is Brick Wall Revisited.

Farmers and Coalminers: No Addresses, No Stories

This week's prompt for #52Ancestors is "Address With a Story". I can't think of any of my ancestors who had an address with a story. They were either farmers or coal miners. Their stories didn't lie with their addresses but were found in their occupations and daily lives.

The farmer ancestors lived out in the country. They all had RFD (Rural Free Delivery) or RR (rural route) numbers when the postal service started using those. They did not live in areas where farms had names, so there wasn't much to distinguish one location from another. If the mailman delivered mail to their farm, he would have been familiar enough with the area to easily find it. But early on, their mail was just held at the post office for pick up whenever they happened to get into town. 

My coal mining ancestors lived in small towns, often company-owned, and they moved a lot.  When my coal-mining ancestors were back in County Durham, England, their addresses were as simple as "Chester Moor". 

Even in my own life, we moved a fair amount. I was born in Chicago, and there, it's not the addresses that you talk about - it's the neighborhood. I was born in Englewood. We moved to the Pullman/Roseland area, then out of the city, first to Dolton, then South Holland, and then to Oak Forest. In college, I moved back to the city. First into the Near West Side/Garfield Park area, then the Humboldt Park/Logan Square area, and finally the Austin area. The last move was to Minnesota, where I've remained for longer than I care to mention!!

None of these ancestors had any special addresses, and none of these addresses had a story!

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This Week's #52Ancestors prompt is Address With a Story

A Turning Point that Changed My Thinking

One of the things I learned when starting out in genealogy was that while family members might not actually lie, they might not tell the whole truth. I had been researching for quite some time when I learned this fact the hard way. 

After researching my dad's family for a couple of years, I learned that my paternal grandmother, Florence Halliday (1897-1967), had been married before she married my grandfather, George Michael Martin (1900-1973). And not only had she been married to a man named Harold R. Edwards (1894-1930), but she had also had a child with him, a son named Richard Eugene Edwards. I figured this was a deep, dark family secret that my dad didn't know about. But I learned I was wrong. He knew. He would likely even have known his half-brother when he was very young. 

So why did no one ever bother to mention this to me? My aunt had no problem talking about it later when I asked her. She was the one who explained that he had some kind of physical or mental issue and that he lived with my great-grandmother, Margaret Clark Halliday (1872-1948).  He was 18 years old when he died in 1934. My dad would have been about five. 

But there's more to this story. Until I was writing this blog post, I hadn't looked at his actual death certificate. I had the FamilySearch index information and a note that it was a locked record, and I had added it to my list. But I forgot about that (didn't read my notes), clicked the link, and discovered that the death certificate is no longer locked.

Reading the death certificate made me re-examine what I thought I knew. The death certificate was from Franklin County, Illinois. His name was listed as Richard Eugene Edwards, born 17 August 1916. That confirmed what I knew about him. He died on 12 September 1934 at the age of 18. Then I noticed the informant. It was my grandfather, Mike Martin. So that meant he was likely living with my grandparents, not my great-grandmother in Iowa. 

The second thing I noticed was the cause of death -- general paralysis for 9 1/2 years. It went on to list the contributory cause as "Injury to head at birth, bedfast for 18 years". Those couple of lines explained a lot, yet left many unanswered questions. 

First, what was the injury at birth? I haven't located a birth record for him. He's not in any Iowa index where I think he was born, and those records are locked, so I'll need to spend time looking through them at some point. 

Second, it would have been quite difficult for my grandmother to take care of a bed-bound son while trying to raise a new family after she married my grandfather. But it's unclear who was really taking care of him. My aunt Betty claimed her mom, my great-grandmother, was taking care of him. She was the youngest and still at home, so she might have had firsthand knowledge. 

Richard doesn't show up in the 1930 census either with his mother or his grandmother. His father, Harold, had remarried to a woman named Blossom Cheek, and they cannot be found in the 1930 census either. When Harold died in December of 1930, his obituary made no mention of his young son, so it is unlikely that Richard was living with them. 

That got me wondering if he wasn't in some kind of institution? If he were truly bedfast, caring for him would be quite a challenge. My great-grandmother was getting older, and my great-grandfather had died in 1933. 

My grandparents had moved to West Frankfort, Illinois, sometime between the birth of my Aunt June in January of 1926 and the birth of my father, George Robert, in December of 1929. Richard wasn't included in their household in 1930, but neither was my father, who had been born about three months before the census was taken. Had they taken Richard with them when they left Iowa, or had they taken him in after the death of my great-grandfather? 

Writing this blog post has been a turning point in searching for Richard Eugene Edwards and has changed my thinking. I went from being sure my great-grandmother had been caring for him all his life to wondering who was caring for him.

My next steps will be to conduct additional research on possible homes or institutions near West Frankfort where my Uncle might have lived. I also need to find Richard's birth record. Does it mention any injury that occurred at birth? I may never uncover the mystery of Richard Eugene Edward, but I'd like to honor his short life by telling his full story.

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This week's #52Ancestor Prompt is TURNING POINT. Last week's prompt was CHANGING MY THINKING

All Those Conflicting Clues in Census Records

 As a baby genealogist, I had no idea what to do with all the conflicting clues I found in census records. Over time, I learned that these things should be noted, highlighted, and eventually resolved. I also started to understand how these conflicts occurred in the first place. 

AGES

How could someone age only five years within a ten-year period? People didn't always know exactly when they were born or how old they really were. The person providing the information might have been a child or a neighbor who was just guessing at the ages. And of course, there were times when people just lied. Perhaps a woman didn't want everyone to know she was ten years older than her husband. All these things get noted and can provide clues to one's actual age.

PLACE OF BIRTH

How could someone be born in Pennsylvania on one census and in Ohio on the next? This was a bit trickier. Since we don't know who provided the information (except in the 1940 census), they may be only guessing. Sometimes people don't realize they may have been born in Pennsylvania because they moved to Ohio when they were very, very young - and Ohio was the only home they knew growing up. Sometimes a boundary may have changed. There are lots of reasons for this confusion. 

Sometimes the names of countries change. For example, on one census, a person might be listed as born in Germany. In the next census, they could be listed as born in Austria-Hungary. Clues are noted and eventually dealt with — in this case by understanding history and boundary changes and by looking at maps.

NUMBER OF CHILDREN

Another conflicting clue in the census is in the 1900 census, when a woman was asked how many children she had given birth to. What if they say seven and you are sure it was only four? That's a great clue because it means you should be looking for additional children that were born and likely died before the census was taken. 

YEARS

Sometimes you have to look at a date as more of a range. For example, on the censuses that provide an immigration year, it could be off by one year or five. The person giving the information might be guessing. Or the person just forgot exactly what year it was. The farther they get away from the event, the more likely errors can creep in. 

RESOLVING CONFLICTING CLUES

Census records can be a gold mine for genealogists. They are typically the low-hanging fruit that enables you to track where a person was every ten years. But they can't be taken as the gospel truth. 

Enumerators were human. They made mistakes. They had to make copies of the information they gathered, so there is a risk of errors. Reading the enumerator's instructions can help you understand why they might have written something puzzling to you.

Make sure you are pulling out every piece of information from the censuses. Spend time correlating the pieces, resolving any conflicts you encounter.

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This Week's #52Ancestors Prompt is CONFLICTING CLUES.

Those Big Decisions That My Relatives Made

This week's #52Ancestors prompt, Big Decisions, got me thinking about 

decisions made by relatives that impacted their lives.

My maternal grandmother, Stella Edwards Butzek, made the decision as a young woman to move to Chicago to find work. This turned out to be a good decision as she met and married my grandfather, Anthony Butzek. As a young married couple with a young child, they made the decision to move to southern Illinois, where Anthony farmed and worked the coal mines. After Anthony's untimely death in a mining accident, my grandmother made the decision, yet again, to move to Chicago where she spent the rest of her life.

My paternal grandparents, George Michael Martin and Florence Halliday Martin, made the decision to move from Albia, Iowa, to West Frankfort, Illinois, as newlyweds. It's not clear what prompted this decision, but I suspect the coal mines in Iowa were close to being played out, and they saw a better financial future in southern Illinois. They raised two children and spent the rest of their lives in West Frankfort.

I had several relatives who made the big decision to immigrate to the United States. These included my grandfather, Anthony Butzek, who came over in 1909 with his family. He was just a toddler and obviously had no say in the matter, but his parents made that decision. Perhaps it was for a better life; perhaps there were legal issues in the old country, as the family stories suggest. 

My paternal Halliday great-grandparents moved from County Durham, England, to Iowa, from one coal-mining area to another. And it was a successful move. My paternal Clark great-great-grandparents moved from Lanark County, Scotland, to Iowa, stopping first in Ohio. Despite the challenges, life was reasonably good for them. 

Further back in time, I had relatives who decided to move westward. They moved from North Carolina to Tennessee and Kentucky, finally ending up in southern Illinois, although some ended up in Texas and Oregon. 

What caused all these people to pack up and make these moves? More land, better opportunities, anti-slavery sentiments, or a combination of things that made the decision easier? Did they have so little that packing up and moving wasn't a big deal? I can't answer these questions—I can only speculate. Whatever the reasons, I am grateful for these moves. Because in the end, it gave me a better life!

What The Census Suggests??

My grandfather, Anton, came to the U.S. in 1909 at age two, along with his mother, Maria, age 25; brother Gustav, age 4; sister Milada, age 10 months; and stepbrother or uncle, Kasimir, age 17 (he was listed as a brother-in-law but was going to his father Anton). They were on the way to join their father/husband, Anton Martinek, in Dillonvale, Jefferson County, Ohio.

I had difficulty finding the family in the 1910 census. But while searching for the children, I eventually stumbled upon the following family living in Jefferson County, Ohio. 

• Menson, Andros, head, M, W, aged 37, Married 2, married for 4 years. B AustPolish, F & M B AustPolish, arrival 1909, Alien, Polish Language, Miner, Coal Mine. Can read but not write. Rents a home.
• ---Mary, wife, F, W, Age 25, Married 1, 4 years. B AustPolish, F & M B AustPolish, arrival 1909, Polish language.
• --- Gustava, son, M, W, aged 5, single, B AustPolish, F & M B AustPolish 
• --- Andy, son, M, W, age 3, single, b. AustPolish, F & M B AustPolish
• --- Milada, daughter, F, W, aged 1 year 6 months, single, B AustPolish, F & M B AustPolish
• --- Albert, son, M, W, aged 0 months, B Ohio. F & M B AustPolish
• Butcher, Albert, Border [sic], M, W, age 32, single, AustPolish F & M AustPolish, arrival 1909, Alien, Polish language, Miner, Coal Mine. 
• --- Cozina, Border [sic], M, W, age 17, single, AustPolish, F & M B AustPolish, arrival 1909, alien, Miner, Coal Mine.

Was this the family? And if it was, why were they using different last names? Did this provide evidence that the head of the family was always one step ahead of the law, or was there something else going on?

Analysis of the records

• The record is clear and easy to read.
• The enumerator was Wilbur Welday. He appears to be a 20-year-old, native born teacher. So perhaps he struggled with understanding the heavy accents of the people he was enumerating. This family had only been here a few months at the time of enumeration.
• The immediate neighborhood was full of Austrian, Polish-speaking coal miners. 
• I found no other census record that provides a match for the names of the wife and children. 
• The names of the wife and children all match except for Andy, who is likely my grandfather Anton. He may have been called Antony, and if you say that quickly, it may sound like Andy. This can't be said, however, of the last name Menson. There does not seem to be any way to pronounce Martinek that would sound like Menson.
• There is also a bit of confusion about Albert. His birth date was actually in 1911, and his brother Rudolph was born in March of 1910, but there's more mystery surrounding those two, which I won't go into here. Both were born in Jefferson County, Ohio. 
• Because of the specifics of the names, ages, and other information, it seems unlikely that a neighbor provided the information.
• Gustava was listed as age five but Andros and Mary were married four years ago. 

So, who are the two boarders? I suspect that Albert Butcher may, in fact, be Albert Butzek. In May of 1912, Mary or Maria divorced her husband, Anton Martinek, while living in Vermilion County, Illinois. In May of 1913, she and Albert Butzek would be married in Vermillion County. 

In 1920, the Ivan Butcek family (yes, it's another weird census) was still living in Vermillion County. In the same household was a man named Charlie, aged 37. The age is off, but this might be the person listed as Cozina Butcher in the 1910 census. 

Or perhaps Cozina was Kazimir, who came over with Mary and her children, and he was inadvertently enumerated as Cozina Butcher. This is yet another mystery in this family. 

Do I have the right family? I think the answer is yes. But there is no answer to why they use the name "Menson" or why Anthony is "Andros". This man, who is my great-grandfather, remains a mystery. He disappeared after the divorce, and although there are a couple of possibilities for him, in 1920, I can't find an entry that I can definitively say is him. 

This census entry raises more questions than it answers. But it suggests that Andros/Anthony might have been hiding his identity. There are all sorts of rumors about him -- this census just adds to the mystery.

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This week's #52Ancestors prompt is WHAT THE CENSUS SUGGESTS

Favorite Photo - with Grandma and Grandpa Martin

One of my favorite photos has always been this one. It was taken in early 1952. The photo is of my grandparents, George Michael "Mike" Martin and Florence Halliday Martin, holding their first grandchild - me!!

My grandparents were a handsome couple. They were in their early 50's in this photo. It was likely taken in front of their home in West Frankfort, Illinois, and based on the way we are dressed, it was likely in the spring of that year. I think they both look proud of their granddaughter, and I hope I've made them proud over the years by telling their stories!

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This Week's #52Ancestors Prompt is Favorite Photo.

What Happened to James Pogue? A Theory in Progrss

James Pogue is my 3rd great-grandfather. I know very little about him. He was likely born about 1807, probably in Kentucky. I'm not sure who his parents were. He married at least twice. First in 1831, in Gallatin County, Illinois, to Lydia Medlin, and second in 1839 in Franklin County to Nancy Plaster. Some trees also speculate about a marriage to Nancy Taylor. It's unclear if that's an additional marriage or if Nancy Plaster and Nancy Taylor were the same person.

James, along with a group of others in his neighborhood, served briefly in the Black Hawk War in 1832. He was part of Captain Archilaus Coffey's Company, 1st Regiment, 1st Brigade of Illinois Volunteers.

James had at least four children: William R., George W., L.E. (possibly Lydia), and Josiah Pogue. There may have been two others - David and James. It's not even clear who the children's real mother is. The family, minus David and James, is enumerated in the 1850 Franklin County census. But after that, they seemed to have disappeared. 

In 1860, Josiah was living with the John M Foster family. George hasn't been found, but he enlisted in the Union Army in May of 1861 in Anna, Illinois. I've seen no sign of L.E. Pogue, the family's only daughter. She would have been about 15 or so in 1860, so likely too young to get married. Perhaps she was adopted by someone and changed her name. And I don't even really know what her first name was. I've always assumed it was Lydia because her brother Josiah named his first daughter Lydia. But in truth, I don't know.

William R. Pogue was a 22-year-old living in Springfield, Lane County, Oregon. He married and stayed in Oregon, buying land and raising a family. He eventually ended up in an asylum, where he died in 1921. 

For years, I assumed that both James and his wife had died sometime after 1850, since they could not be found in the 1860 census. But I found a land purchase in 1851, and later that year, an interesting abstract of a court record in Franklin County, Illinois.

The court record, which gave the last name as Page (a common mis-transcription of the name), noted that one James Page had willfully neglected his minor children - George W, aged 9, Lyenin, aged 7, and Josiah, aged 4. One Joseph Swafford was made their guardian. I haven't been able to locate the original of this court record. The interesting thing is that this transcript does not mention William R., who would have been 11 or 12 at the time, and still a minor.

In April of 1852, James Poague of Franklin County sold the land he had purchased just a year ago. And this was the last record I've been able to find for James Pogue.

So what happened to him? And why wasn't William listed in the court case? 

In the fall of 2025, I took a SLIG course, Tracing Westward Journeys: Events that Paved the American West (1787-1890), coordinated by Katherine Willson. One of the instructors, Amber Oldenburg, discussed the Oregon Trail, noting that it was unknown how many people actually died along the trail as they traveled west.

I got to thinking about William R. Pogue, the young man who ended up in Oregon. How and why did he travel out there? Was he traveling alone, working his way out there? That led me to wonder whether his father might not have taken him and headed west, perhaps dying somewhere along the way, leaving a young William to fend for himself. 

So this is my Theory in Progress--the possibility that James Pogue and his son William traveled west to Oregon once he sold his property in 1852. He may have only had the capacity to take care of one child and chose the oldest. He may have been lured by the stories of others who travelled west, found gold or good land. 

My next step will be to revisit the 1860 census records to see whether James Pogue is listed anywhere. Since I don't know for sure when they might have made the journey, I want to check manuscripts, diaries, etc., to see if there is any mention of James Pogue and, perhaps, how and where he died. 

While this is just a theory, some parts of it make sense. It may be a theory that is very hard to prove. But it's a place to start!

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This week's #52Ancestors Prompt is Theory in Progress

A Colorful Tale

Early in my research, I was surprised to learn that my paternal grandmother had been married before marrying my grandfather. It was one of those family secrets that people don't talk much about, but they assume you know.

I obtained a copy of the marriage record. Dated 25 January 1916, Florence Halliday, age 16, was married at Eldon, Wapello County, Iowa, to H.W. Edwards, aged 24. H.W., whose name I learned was Harold, was listed as a salesman.[1] Although my grandmother was listed as aged 16, she was born on 15 February 1897 and was therefore almost 19 years old.[2] It's unclear why the age was incorrect.  

What made this marriage colorful (besides being puzzled about the listed age) was reported in a newspaper article I found about the wedding.

"Married in Eldon," The Gazette (Cedar Rapids, IA), 

1 February 1915, p.2, col.3. From newspapers.com.

First, it was noted that Florence's new husband had given up a theatrical career, although he was employed by a company that likely made theatrical scenery. Is this what attracted her to him in the first place?

Secondly, the marriage took place on stage during the last act of the play $1 for a Kiss. That had to have been an extraordinary wedding ceremony. The play was written by Moore and Watterson. J.G. Moore was listed as a witness to their marriage, along with J.M. Baker. Were they both actors in the play? No record of a play by that name has been found, so it was likely just a local production. 

Their wedding reception was a banquet given by the "Sons of Rest". This appears to be a social group, perhaps formed around theater people. There doesn't seem to be any formal group by that name. 

Eight months later, a son was born—Richard Eugene Edwards.[3] This was another family secret. It's unclear what illness Richard had, but it was some sort of chronic disability. He spent most of his short life living with his Halliday grandparents. Richard died on 12 September 1934 in West Frankfort, Franklin County, Illinois, aged 18. He was listed as an Invalid.[4] 

The Halliday-Edwards marriage didn't last very long either. The final divorce decree was issued on 1 May 1919 in Albia, Monroe County, Iowa. Florence was awarded custody of Richard and child support of $12 a month.[5] 

Harold didn't waste any time remarrying. On 6 May 1919 in St. Louis, Missouri, he married Miss Blossom Cheek of Decatur, Illinois.[6] That marriage also didn't last very long. Harold died on 2 December 1930 in Jacksonville, Illinois.[7] 

Harold was a mysterious person. In addition to his early theater career, his name was often listed differently. He usually went by H.R. Edwards, occasionally Harold. But when he married Florence, he was listed as H.W. Edwards. He appears to have established himself as a salesman until his death. His birth date is given as 4 September 1893 on his World War I draft registration.[8] His tombstone agrees to the day and month but lists the year as 1894.[9] His obituary lists his birth date as 9 September 1891.[10] But even if you use the earliest year, he died young, before he was forty years old.

Harold was not the only family member who went on the stage. His brother Charles had toured the country in various productions. He also died before he was forty.[11]

My grandmother married George Michael Martin on 12 September 1925 in Albia, Monroe County, Iowa.[12] They lived there for a couple of years before moving to West Frankfort, Illinois, where they lived a fairly routine life.

Florence Halliday Edwards Martin died 10 July 1967 in West Frankfort, Franklin County, Illinois, of congestive heart failure.[13] She left no sign of her early, colorful life.

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The #52 Ancestors Prompt for Week 2 is A Record that Adds Color

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SOURCES:

    [1] “Iowa Marriage Records, 1880-1947,” digital image, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/3998653:8823: accessed 7 June 2023); Wapello County, p. 90-93, #1454, Edwards-Holiday, January 1916; Iowa Department of Public Health.

    [2] Clerk of the District Court, Keokuk County, SIgourny Iowa. Copy received from grandmother’s files. Florence Halliday, 1897, Keokuk County.

    [3] Birth record not found. Date of birth from: “Illinois Deaths and Stillbirths, 1916-1947,” database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NQ1J-SRQ: accessed 8 June 2023), Richard Eugene Edwards, 12 September 1934, Franklin County,; Public Board of Health, Springfield, FHL microfilm 1,712,057, image #948.

    [4]“Illinois Deaths and Stillbirths, 1916-1947,” database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NQ1J-SRQ: accessed 8 June 2023), Richard Eugene Edwards, 12 September 1934, Franklin County,; Public Board of Health, Springfield, FHL microfilm 1,712,057, image #948.

    [5] “Court Records, v. 31, 29 April 1918-29 Oct 1920,” digital image, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CS4R-GXYD : accessed 8 June 2023); District Court, Monroe County, Iowa, Record No. 31, p. 235, April 1919 term, 1 May 1919, #9819, Divorce Decree Florence Edwards, Plaintiff vs. H.R. Edwards, Defendant.

    [6] “Cheek-Edwards,” Herald and Review (Decatur, IL), 9 May 1919, p.9, col. 4-5; digital image, newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com: accessed 9 June 2023).

    [7] “Illinois Deaths and Stillbirths Index, 1916-1947,” database, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/423029:2542: 9 June 2023); Jacksonville, 2 December 1930, Harold R. Edwards.

    [8] “World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918,” digital image, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/30810145:6482: accessed 9 June 2023), St. Joseph City, Missouri, Draft Card E, S, Harold Edwards.

    [9] Find a Grave, memorial #26082249, photo by kpet. Graceland Cemetery (Decatur, Macon County, Illinois), H. Robert Edwards Sept 4 1894-Dec 2, 1930.

    [10] “Decatur Resident Dies in Jacksonville,” Hearld and Review (Decatur IL), 3 December 1930, p.3, col. 6; digital image, newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com: accessed 9 June 2023).

    [11] “Charles Edwards, Actor, Is Dead at Fort Dodge: Wife and Family Here,” The Gazette (Cedar Rapids), 18 June 1918, p.3, col. 4; digital image, newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com: accessed 8 June 2023).

    [12] “Iowa, Marriage Records, 1880-1947,” digital image, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/3193437:8823: accessed 9 June 2023); Monroe County, #94, 68, 012948, September 1926, Martin-Edwards; citing Iowa State Board of Health.

    [13] Death certificate, Florence Halliday, Franklin County, Illinois. Copy in author's possession.

The Ancestor I Admire The Most

There are many ancestors I admire. They didn't do anything important - they just survived, and in my mind, that's something to be admired. My grandmother was one of those who endured many trials and tribulations. She did not have an easy life. 

Stella May Edwards was born on 23 July 1912 in Williamson County, Illinois. Her parents were George Elmus Edwards and Olive Isabel Pogue. Stella was ten years old when her father died in March of 1923, leaving her mother to raise the three remaining children. Her little sister Hazel had been killed in a horrible fire just a couple of years before. 

Stella's mom remarried in 1926 to Joseph Kehder. That marriage produced a half-brother, Richard Eugene "Gene" Kehder, who remained close to his half-sister until her death, even after the marriage ended in divorce. Olive Pogue went on to marry at least one more time, possibly two. She lived until 1959. 

My grandmother moved to Chicago to find work sometime around 1930. There she met and married Anton Martinek/Butzek. (He legally changed his name to Butzek, the name of his stepfather, when he was naturalized in 1943.) The couple stayed in Chicago for a couple more years, where my mother was born. They moved back to southern Illinois by 1935, where a son was born in 1939. 

Life was hard in southern Illinois during the depression. My grandfather farmed during the day and worked in the coal mines in his spare time. He learned to farm by reading books on agriculture, and apparently, he had one of the more prosperous farms in the area. But even that wasn't enough. He was working on a WPA road crew in 1940. Things were only going to get worse.

In November of 1943, my grandfather was killed by a falling piece of coal while working in Old Ben Coal Mine #15 in Franklin County, Illinois. My grandmother and her two young children stayed in southern Illinois for some time. (My mom was ten, my uncle just three.) They moved into town, and my mom graduated from West Frankfort High School. My grandmother didn't actually sell the farm until many years later.

Sometime after 1950, the family moved to Chicago so my grandmother could find work. She worked at a meat company near the stockyards for a while, then moved to Goes Lithographing as a secretary. She held that job for many years until her "retirement." 

Early in my life, my parents bought a small house in Dolton. My grandmother and Uncle Tony lived in a small upstairs apartment. I always felt lucky that they were close by. I used to go upstairs every night and brush my grandmother's hair. I assume she found it relaxing, but I remember it as being a way to bond with her. 

Even after my grandmother retired, she still did odd jobs. She often "looked after old ladies," as she described it—sitting with them and taking care of them. She moved from her small Roseland apartment to a basement apartment in Blue Island. She kept active in her church and had many friends. 

My grandmother died on January 1, 1989. She had gotten in her car to go to church. Her Bible was on the seat next to her. It was sudden and unexpected. She was only 76 years old. 

My grandmother never did anything extraordinary. She just went to work every day to support herself and her children. She never remarried, having lost the love of her life early on. She loved her church. She loved her grandchildren, and I was happy that my sons, her first great-grandchildren, got to know her a little bit. Her life was not unlike that of many of my other ancestors, admired for how they faced life's daily challenges.

The first #52Ancestors Prompt of 2026 is An Ancestor I Admire

A Member of the Band

One of the family stories I've heard is that a relative was a member of Sousa's band. Unfortunately, the tale doesn't include the person's name, so I'm left to guess which family to focus on.

I've eliminated the fact that the person actually played with John Phillip Sousa. Sousa's Band was the most popular in the world in the early 1900s. It was tough to secure a spot in this band, so it's unlikely that my relative played in Sousa's band.

But in the early 1900s, a "Sousa band" was a generic term for a brass or concert band that played a lot of Sousa marches. These were typically city- or regional-level bands that performed at picnics, celebrations, and other community events. This is most likely the "Sousa band" in which my relative played.

I will focus on the Halliday family. The Hallidays were coal miners from County Durham, England. British coal miners had a strong tradition of forming brass bands. Almost every colliery had a band. This tradition came with the miners to America. 

In the early 1900s, most towns in Iowa's mining areas had municipal bands. Albia, which was central to my family, had the Albia Band, which played at July 4th celebrations, county fairs, and other community events. I'll be on the lookout for any lists of Albia band members. 

Typical coal mining bands were heavy on brass instruments, including cornets or trumpets and trombones. Apparently, British coal-mining bands also commonly included euphonium players. Unfortunately, the type of instrument this person played was not included in the family story.

The Albia Band frequently played Sousa marches. They would have had uniforms and traveled to other communities to perform. To try to answer the question of who played in a "Sousa Band," my research plan will include some of the following resources:

• Census records
• Newspaper articles 
• County/city histories
• Iowa State Archives
• Local museums and historical societies

While I will focus on the Halliday family due to their Durham mining connections, I will also examine other lines that lived and worked in the area. Watch this space!!!

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This week's #52 Ancestors prompt is Musical.

Family Heirlooms

I'm always jealous of folks who have inherited a lot of family heirlooms. I have very few, so I treasure the ones that I have, even though they are not very old.

I inherited my paternal grandmother's hutch.[1] It is likely about 75 years old and sat in my grandparents' kitchen in southern Illinois. At one time, there was a matching table and chairs, but these are long gone. The only thing I remember that sat on the hutch was a radio. I can still picture my grandmother listening to that radio as she prepared meals. She always listened to the lists of people who were hospitalized or who had passed away. When she heard mention of someone she knew, she'd yell into the living room to my grandfather to tell him. That was the social media of the time. Today, the hutch sits in my living room, filled with genealogy books on the top shelves and serving dishes in the bottom. 

A second treasured heirloom is a pocket watch. This belonged to my dad, but I believe it was handed down to him from his English grandfather.[2] He was a little vague. For some reason, I always admired this watch. As a child, I'd take it out of the drawer and look at it. It was the one thing I wanted. I mentioned that to my parents during one visit. There was a bit of pushback as my dad thought it should go to my brother. But my mom made sure to give it to me before I left.

I have one other heirloom. I have no idea how old it is or where it came from. It's a small, opal-like ring that had belonged to my maternal grandmother.[3] I never saw her wear it -- she wasn't one to wear jewelry. I didn't even know she had it, but I got a bunch of her jewelry after her death, and the ring was among the other things. The stone appears to be slightly cracked. But I've worn it to every job interview and consider it my lucky ring. 

My family were poor farmers and coal miners. They had very little. But the few items I have are wonderful reminders of the people they came from. And without knowing their actual stories, I can imagine more colorful stories!!

Genealogical Information

[1] Florence Halliday, born 15 February 1897, What Cheer, Keokuk, Iowa. Married 1) 25 January 1916, Eldon, Wapello, Iowa, to Harold R. Edwards. Married 2) 12 September 1925, Albia, Monroe, Iowa, to George Michael Martin. Died 10 July 1967, West Frankfort, Franklin, Illinois

[2] Robert Halliday, born 21 April 1867, Carrville, Durham, England. Married 25 December 1893, Appanoose County, Iowa, to Margaret Lafferty Clark. Died 3 August 1933, Albia, Monroe, Iowa.

[3] Stella Mae Edward, born 23 July 1912, Corinth, Williamson, Illinois. Married 9 May 1931, Chicago, Cook, Illinois, to Anton Martinek/Butzek. Died 1 January 1989, Blue Island, Cook, Illinois. 

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This week's #52 Ancestors prompt was Family Heirloom.

 

Letters to the Editor

Currently, I have a couple of friends who regularly write letters to the editor. One is a genealogist, the other a lawyer. They are always interesting, well-written letters that convey opinions better than I ever could.

But my favorite letter to the editor remains the one my friend Steve wrote when he was 10 years old. It was written in 1955  to the editor of the Ithaca Journal  regarding a crossword puzzle clue.  I will willingly admit that there's no way I could have written such a letter at the age of 10. And, in case you wondered, Steve is still a very well-read guy - a habit he obviously learned early in life!!!

Ithaca Journal, 29 April 1955, p.6. From newspapers.com

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This week's #52 Ancestors prompt was WRITTEN.

Family Recipes Bring Good Memories

 As I was digging through my recipe box, looking for family recipes, I came across much more than I expected. And it brought back a lot of fond memories.

When I was younger, I copied recipes onto index cards, so I have tons of recipes I've never tried. I can tell I've never tried them because they aren't stained, and they have no comments written on them like "Yummy," "make again," or "no one liked."

I inherited both of my grandmother's recipe collections. My maternal grandmother's are mostly all neatly typed on small index cards. She likely typed them at work during her lunch breaks. She was a good cook when she didn't burn things. One recipe caught my eye. It was labeled "Banana Cake (Mrs. Hess)". Mrs. Hess was a church member who lived near us when we lived in Dolton. She always did a Vacation Bible School, which I wrote about earlier this year. 

My paternal grandmother wrote her recipes out. I grabbed one called Blarney Stones, which I've never tried. It's a vague recipe - it says bake in a slow oven. It doesn't say how long or even what exactly you end up with, which explains why I've never tried them. Somewhere, I have her recipe for Yorkshire Pudding, which I believe was handed down from her English father's line. I've never tried it either because I'm sure I couldn't live up to hers. 

There were two recipes that I've made frequently. One is for Sloppy Joes. This was handed down from my Aunt Laura. She ALWAYS made these for me whenever we visited because she knew how much I loved her sloppy joes. Didn't matter what else she fixed or what the occasion was - there was always a pot of Sloppy Joes!!!

The other was my mom's lasagna recipe. I never cooked much growing up (well, not really at all). Her lasagna was the first grown-up meal I learned to make. (Okay, I was in college when I learned it.) 

Besides the recipe cards, I found tons of recipes clipped from newspapers and magazines, recipes scribbled on box tops, and on the back of a church bulletin. I have no clue who clipped these. They could have come from my mom or either of my grandmothers. But they represent at least 100 years of food choices made by the women in my family.

This week's #52 Ancestors prompt is FAMILY RECIPE

The Two Moses Jones - The Same Name but Very Different People

As genealogists, we often encounter people with the same name. Many times, it's father and son or uncle and nephew or some relation or the other. We learn, sometimes the hard way, that 'senior' and 'junior' don't always mean 'father' and 'son'. There can be two people with the same name in the community, and they are just designated as the older and younger.

But sometimes we encounter people with the same name in totally different places, with no relationship between them at all. Jones is one of the most common names, but encountering two different men named Moses Jones was fun!

THE FIRST MOSES JONES

Moses Jones is my 5th great-grandfather. He is my DAR patriot. Moses was born about September 1762 in Isle of Wight County, Virginia. He married twice -- first to Hester Thomas in 1791 in Gates County, North Carolina, and second to Elizabeth Allen Thomas in 1806 in Wilson County, Tennessee. I descend through Moses and Elizabeth. 

Moses was a private in the Revolutionary War, serving from North Carolina. He served first in a Regiment commanded by Captain Walton. After the war, he moved to Wilson County, Tennessee, where he served again in the War of 1812. 

Moses Jones moved his family to Illinois in 1819, a year after Illinois became a state. He settled in Franklin County, Illinois. He applied for a pension in 1831, which is how we learned more about his life. He died in April of 1851 at the age of 89, having survived two wars, multiple moves, and the rigors of frontier life. He is definitely a man that I am proud to call an ancestor. 

THE SECOND MOSES JONES

The other Moses Jones I've encountered is not my ancestor. He is the 3rd great-grandfather of my friend Steve. Steve's family was heavily involved in the American Revolution, living on Long Island during the war, serving in various military units, and having involvement in Washington's Culper Spy Ring. 

His Moses Jones was born too late to be involved in the war. And I know little about him. It's possible his father served, but that hasn't been confirmed yet. But this Moses Jones was born in 1773 in New Jersey. He married Elizabeth Van Sickle at the Old Clove Dutch Reformed Church in Wantage, New Jersey, in 1793. He and Elizabeth had eight children before he died in 1813 at the age of 40. I haven't found any record of him serving in the War of 1812, but that is a possibility. 

Two men named Moses Jones - one from the south who lived a long life despite fighting in two wars. A second in the north, who was not as fortunate. Both left a legacy that lives on today. 

This week's #52 Ancestors prompt is "Names the Same."

Raymond Ryan, the Spruce Squadron, and Post-War Work

Raymond Ryan was the 3rd child of Stephen and Nellie (Lanham) Ryan He was born on 4 May 1897 in St. Paul, Ramsey County, Minnesota.[1] 

As he grew up, Ray followed in his older brother's footsteps and got a job working for the railroad. He worked for the Northern Pacific both before and after World War I. He started as a clerk and then became a tapeman earning $35/month. The tapeman operated the ballast tamper, a machine that was used to pack and level the crushed stone under the tracks. He was promoted to rodman at a new salary of $55/month. The rodman was the surveyor's assistant, holding the leveling rod.[2]  

When Raymond registered for the draft in June of 1917, he gave his address as Ellensburg, Washington, and his employer as the Northern Pacific. He was described as tall, of medium build, with gray eyes and dark hair.[3] This matched his employment record, which listed him as 6 feet 2 inches tall, 175 pounds, with brown hair and gray eyes.[4]

In March of 1918, Ray enlisted in the Army. He was assigned to the 112th Spruce Squadron, which brought him to Vancouver, Washington. The Spruce Production Division was a home-front division and part of the Army Signal Corps. There was a need for spruce for airplane wing spars and fuselage frames, and fir for ships. The Pacific Northwest was the primary source for this wood. Sitka spruce, which grew heavily in Washington and Oregon, was in high demand because it did not splinter when hit by a bullet. 

Lumber mills in the area could not keep up with the demand for this wood, and soldiers were assigned to help speed up production of the spruce. Vancouver Barracks was the center for receiving, training, and disbursing the Spruce Soldiers who were stationed throughout the Pacific Northwest. They worked in camps near railroads, logging operations, and mills. By November 1918, about 18,000 soldiers were engaged in logging, construction, and mill work, working at Vancouver Barracks and 235 camps across the Northwest.

The 112th Spruce Squadron, Ray's unit, was a "production inspection" unit. They moved from camp to camp, gathering statistics on the amount of lumber being processed. The statistics were then provided to the Army Planner. The group traveled all over the Northwest, including Idaho, Montana, eastern Washington, and Oregon. The Spruce Squadron started demobilizing almost immediately after the Armistice was signed, as they were no longer needed. 

Raymond was demobilized in December 1918. He likely returned to St. Paul for a visit, but he was obviously drawn to the Pacific Northwest. By 1920, he was living in the small logging and mining town of Index, working on the railroad. He boarded at the Globe Hotel.[5]

A year later, Raymond married 21-year-old Genevieve Hyatt of Everett, Washington.[6] They remained in Everett, and in 1930, Ray got a job working as a welder at the City Water Department.[7] 

In November of 1938, Ray became the Sheriff of Snohomish County. It is likely that he was a Deputy Sheriff for some time before that. One of the notorious cases he was involved in was the murder of Harry Fain by his wife, Mabel Fain, in 1937. He appears to have provided information about the case to various area newspapers.

From 1945-1949, Ray was the Superintendent of the Washington State Reformatory. A newspaper article noted that: 

"After four years of what law enforcement men are just about unanimous in terming the institution's finest administration Ray Ryan Friday stepped down as superintendent." 

The number of escaped prisoners had decreased during his tenure, and Ray had purchased surplus military equipment, saving money. The equipment was used to train inmates so they would have a trade upon release. 

All was not perfect, though. Another article in the same newspaper, accused Ray of using inmate labor to help build a house for himself. He disputed the claim, stating that only Union labor was used for construction and that inmates only cleared brush on the worksite.[8]

Ray and his wife Genevieve were living in that house in Index in 1950 when the census enumerator came around. Ray was working as an investigator for the Attorney General, and Genevieve was teaching grade school.[9]

Ray's next role was working as the chief Deputy U.S. Marshal in Anchorage, Alaska. According to his obituary, he became friends with Henry "Scoop" Jackson during that time. But Henry Jackson was already a U.S. Senator by then. However, earlier in his life, Jackson was a county prosecutor for Snohomish County, so that's likely where Ray encountered him.[10]

In May of 1969, Ray filed for divorce from his wife Genevieve. They had been separated for two years, and the grounds were cruelty and personal indignities. The divorce was granted to both parties. Genevieve died in 1977.[11]

Ray died on 8 June 1998 of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, complicated by diabetes and organic brain syndrome. When he died, he was living in Longview, Cowlitz County, Washington, likely closer to his children in nearby Kelso and Castle Rock. Both his death certificate and his obituary listed his wife as Genevieve so perhaps they reconciled at some point.[12]

Ray was an active participant in the communities he lived in. He participated in Catholic Church activities, was a member of the Everett Elks Lodge, and  the American Legion. He was the former president of the WWI Barracks 129, likely a local veterans group. He was a member of the "4 & 8" which was an invitational veterans society. He was also a past president of the Washington State Sheriff's Association.[13] Raymond Ryan was buried in the Cowlitz View Memorial Garden next to Genevieve, who was also included on his headstone.[14]

Children of Raymond Ryan and Genevieve Hyatt. 

• Raymond Richard Ryan, born 2 February 1933 in Snohomish County, Washington; died 15 May 2015 in Cowlitz County, Washington. He was an LTC US Army veteran, serving in Vietnam and a Bronze Star Medal winner.
• Rosemary Ryan Dahl, born 1936 Snohomish County, Washington. Died before May 2017.

This week's #52 Ancestors prompt was WAR TIME

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    [1] “World War I draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918,” digital image, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/6482/records/31846176 : accessed 22 August 2025), Serial # 2077, Raymond Bernard Ryan, Washington State.

    [2] “Northern Pacific Railway Company personnel Files, 1890-1963,” digital image, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/2157/records/158201 : accessed 22 August 2025), Raymond Bernard Ryan, 1916 Application and personnel file #11-5645. 

    [3] WWI Draft Registration.

    [4] Northern Pacific Railway Company Personnel Files

    [5] 1920 U.S. Census, Snohomish County, Washington, population schedule, Index City, e.d. 176, sheet 4a, dwell 96, visit 101, Ray Ryhan in Globe Hotel; digital image, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/6061/records/13946170 : accessed 20 August 2025).

    [6] “Washington, Marriage Records, 1854-2013,” digital image, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/2378/records/1035520 : accessed 20 August 2025), Cert. #74898, 1921, King County WA, Raymond B Ryan and Genevieve E Hyatt.

    [7] 1930 U.S. census, Snohomish County, Washington, population schedule, Everett City, e.d. 31-20, sheet 6a, dwell. 33, family 14, Ray Ryan household; digital image, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/6224/records/112581137 : accessed 20 August 2025).

    [8] “Earl Lee Takes Over as Ray Ryan Leaves Reformatory,” Daily Herald, 16 April 1949, p.1, col. 6-7; digital image, newspapers (https://www.newspapers.com : accessed 20 August 2025). And also page 10.

    [9] 1950 U.S. census, Snohomish County, Washington, population schedule, Index, e.d. 31-80, sheet P71, #9, Raymond B Ryan household; digital image, Ancestry(https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/62308/records/65482859 : accessed 20 August 2025). NOTE: This page is out of order and the entry for Raymond Ryan references P1. P1 - Block 8, Avenue A. Not at Home. See p71. 

    [10] “Raymond B. Ryan,” Longview Daily News, 6 June 1988, p.10, col.1; digital image, newspapers (https://www.newspapers.com : accessed 20 August 2025).

    [11] “Washington, Divorce Records, 1968-2017,” digital image, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/61251/records/1376508 : accessed 20 August 2025); #6283, Certificate of Absolute Divorce, 1969, Raymond B Ryan and Genevieve Ryan. 

    [12] “Washington, Death Records, 1907-2017,” digital image, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/6716/records/6398725 : accessed 20 August 2025). Cowlitz County, #146-8 8 13379, 1988, Raymond B Ryan.

    [13] Raymond B. Ryan obit.

    [14] Find a Grave #130512433, photo by Jim.