Aaron Vanness: Bye-bye Brick Wall

I’ve posted about my 5th great grandfather, Aaron Vanness previously. But until recently I didn’t know the names of his parents. But, I am pleased to report that Aaron Vanness is no longer a brick wall!

Aaron was a shoemaker, opening the second shop in the village of Shabbona in the spring of 1873, prior to that he was a farmer. All I knew about his life prior to moving to Dekalb County, Illinois was that he married Euphemia Dey/Dye in Newark, Essex, NJ in 1832. He passed away at the home of his last living child, Lewis D. Vanness in Shabbona Grove on February 16, 1904

Recently, I’ve located the names of Aaron’s parents in addition to his birthplace and birthdate in the register of births and baptisms at Stone House Plains Dutch Reformed Church, Essex County, New Jersey. According to the record, he was born September 21, 1810 and baptized January 1, 1811 in Stone House Plains to Aaron Vanness and Abigail Mandeville. Aaron’s maternal uncle, Nicolas Mandeville also lived in Shabbona from at least the time of the 1860 census until his death in 1881.

Further evidence tying Aaron Vanness II to Abigail Mandeville was located in the 1841 will of his maternal grandfather, John Mandeville. Abigail is also mentioned in the will under the name Abigail Tucker. The surname Tucker is a familiar one, since Aaron had a man by the name of Jabez Tucker (born in NJ – 1823) living with his family on the 1860 US Census in Afton, Dekalb, Illinois. In 1870, Jabez lived next-door to Aaron and Euphemia with their son, Lewis D. Vanness and family. As mentioned before, in 1850 Jabez was living in Newark, Essex, New Jersey in the home of Abby Pierson, 58 along with Giles M. Tucker, 23 and William Tucker, 12. Could they all be additional sons of Abigail Mandeville? An interesting note is that the three Tucker boys share the trade of shoemaking with Aaron Vanness.

In the same birth/baptism register that I located Aaron Vanness’ birth in, there was also an entry for a Ralph Tucker born May 18, 1819 to Abigail Mandeville and John Tucker. Further research to connect the Ralph, Giles, Jabez, and William Tucker as sons of Abigail Mandeville Vanness must, and will be done.

Thomas Buchanan King’s Parentage

Thomas B. (possibly Buchanan) King has been a mystery in our family for longer than we know. My great grandmother, Mazie Mae King (daughter of Thomas’ son John William King) told me as a child that he had been adopted, taking the King surname as his own.

Today though, it seems that the parentage of Thomas Buchanan King may be closer to being solved.

The supposed birthdate for Thomas is March 1850-2, according to census records following his marriage – always the same age as his wife – which leads me to think that since he was illiterate and possibly adopted, he may have not known his exact age or birthdate. I knew that Thomas B. King was married on November 12, 1880 to Eliza Jane Starkey in Gallia County, Ohio. And that the King family left behind records of moves to multiple counties including Jackson, Lawrence, Ross, Fayette, Pike, and Greene. Unfortunately, both Thomas and Eliza Jane continue to evade me where the 1880 Federal Census is concerned, so after having no luck there I tried searching for Thomas King in the area of Gallia County in 1870.

After clicking through several pages and nearly throwing in the towel, I located a Thomas B. King in Bloom, Scioto, Ohio – but his age was 13, giving him a birth year of about 1857. Seemingly way too far off for my Thomas, but his mother’s name struck me. Sandalan King. A very unique name that is eerily similar to one of Thomas’ daughters names, Sandaline “Ann” King, born in Cabell County, West Virginia.

Marriage record of Thomas B. King’s daughter Standalone “Ann” King.

Sandalan was living with the following children in 1870: Alexander (17), Nancy (14), Thomas B. King (13), and Rebecca J. King (4). Sandalan was 50 at this point, so Rebecca may have been a granddaughter.

I located Sandalan on the 1860 census under the name “Sandall Keeton” living in the home of John King and his children; Viletta (13), Alexander (10), Nancy (5), and Mary (3).  At this point the family is living in Bloomfield, Jackson, Ohio. This time, Sandalan had a son named Buchanan Keeton, 5. This is the same family she was living with in 1870, but there is no evidence that she and John King were married.

In 1850, “Sandal Keyton” is living in Cabell, West Virginia, USA with her husband George Keyton and children Mack Harriet 23, Nancy 20, Roxy 19, Emmaletta 16, Mary C. 15, and John 13. Sandalan King (maiden name?) married George Keyton June 4, 1848 in Putnam County, West Virginia, so the children were probably from his previous wife.

Although I do wish there was more recorded evidence to attach Thomas Buchanan Keyton King and Sandalan Keyton to our family tree, I do think that the circumstantial evidence is pointing to this being the answer so many people in our family thought we would never receive.

 

The Lacota Cemetery Vandalism (March 2016)

Last Saturday, I made the short trip from my home to a tiny corner of South Western Michigan to see the cemetery where my Eichler and Reames ancestors were buried. This trip was due to the fact that I had found out that vandals had knocked over around 33 gravestones, many of which appeared from the local new stations photographs appeared to be old.

Instantly upon seeing the article and name of the cemetery, I feared for the graves of my 5x great grandparents: Silas Zane Reames and Mary Polly Phillips Reames. I was also concerned about my 3x great grandparents graves: Minerva McKeeby Eichler and Platt Eichler. Walking into the cemetery was surreal, toppled stones laid every where. My heart sunk more when I realized the markers that were damaged were among the oldest in the cemetery. I quickly located the Eichler family plot (luckily the family stone was not damaged) Minerva and Platt’s stones to the left stood sturdy as they had for 52 and almost 100 years, respectively.

I continued looking around for the grave of Silas Zane and Mary Polly Reames, Minerva Eichler’s maternal grandparents. While I looked, I considered the life of my ancestors. Silas Zane moved his family to the area from Indiana to Cass County, Michigan where at 45 he left his occupation as a sawyer and became a Union Soldier fighting in the Civil War. Following the war, Silas returned to Michigan and worked as a farm laborer up until he was unable to work, probably due to heart trouble and asthma. On March 19, 1910 his bedridden wife of nearly 65 years passed away at the home of their son Isaac Reames in Casco, Allegan, Michigan which is very close to Lacota. Silas died May 18, 1910 and the two were buried under a shared stone in the Lacota Cemetery.

On the 106th anniversary of Mary Polly Reames’ death three bored kids (two fifteen year old boys and a thirteen year old girl) decided to knock over some of the stones in the more historic portion of the cemetery. Perhaps they figured no one cared since the stones were older. But inscribed at the very bottom of Silas and Polly’s marker are barely legible words that still ring true 106 years later: “…not forgotten.”

It is my sincere hope that these kids will realize that people still care about the individuals beneath these old markers, and maybe someday they will grow into the kind of person that will care about individuals buried beneath old stones as well.

Jesse “Joseph” Preston Bender’s WWII Draft Registration

After his youngest two children died in a house fire in November of 1942, Joseph (the name which he was going by at the time) sent his two youngest surviving sons Charles and Harold to a farm where they would be taken care of as payment for working on the farm. His son Jack remained with his mother Elizabeth Jenkins and his father.

According to Jack the couple argued a lot, and eventually divorced. It seems that by the time that Joseph gave information for the WWII draft in 1942 he and Elizabeth had possibly parted ways, but they also tended to move around a bit and it is unlikely that mail or news was reaching them as well as it could. “Jess Preston Bender” was still living in Wayne County, Michigan but listed his nearest relative as “Mr. L. Fast”. I know that Jesse was close with his maternal uncle Clemons “Clem” Fast, but had no uncles with “L” names.

I found a Mr. Lloyd Raymond Fast living in Grosse Point, Wayne, Michigan at the time of the draft. His place of business matched Jesse’s address for “Mr. L. Fast” even more interesting was that this Lloyd Raymond Fast gave his place of birth as Neptune, Ohio which is located in Jesse’s native Mercer County, OH very near Jesse’s birthplace of Dublin Twp.

Looking further into Lloyd, I found that he is the son of George Branaman Fast (1846-1920) and Martha Cecilia Nelson (1861-1954). George B. Fast was the younger brother of Jacob Ginter Fast (1840-1912), Jesse’s paternal grandfather.

Elijah Swift & Sarah Mongold

Elijah Swift, son of James Swift and wife Mary Teats married Sarah E. Mongold (parentage uncertain at the time of writing) were married on October 1, 1873 at Pickaway County,Ohio.

From a previous post concerning Elijah Swift  and brother, Thomas.

Elijah was the son of a farm laborer from Ross County, Ohio. On the 1880 Census, his occupation was written as a farm laborer and the family of five were living in Elijah’s native Ross County, Ohio. In 1900, the family included 11 children, all of which were living in Ross County.

 

By the 1910 census, the family had relocated to Center, Delaware, Indiana after 37 years together and 12 children (11 surviving) the family had relocated. Oddly, only one individual on the page has an occupation listed. The couple was renting their home at the time, but had rented back in Ohio as well.

In 1920, the couple had moved back to Ross County, Ohio where they rented a farm. Also in the home were son James Swift, and a man named Charles Mongold (possibly a brother or cousin of Sarah). Elijah and James found work laboring on neighboring farms.

Elijah Swift died February 9, 1926 of a cerebral hemorrhage. His last known residence was Muncie, Delaware, Indiana and he was laid to rest in the Beech Grove Cemetery. Funeral costs were paid by his sons: Ervin, Earnest, Pearl, Grover, and James Swift.

Sarah lived in Muncie with her son Grover C. Swift and his wife Anna King Swift in 1930. She passed away on March 10, 1933 in Losantville, Randolph, Indiana at the home of Grover Swift. Grover paid her funeral expenses and she was laid to rest beside her husband of 52 years on March 13, 1933.

Nancy Jane Jackson

Nancy Jane Jackson was the mother of my mysterious Great Great Grandfather, Rankin Moore. Naturally, every mysterious figure has an equally mysterious mother…

Everything I knew about Nancy Jane Jackson prior to researching her came from my Mamau, her great granddaughter. Almost every time I saw my Mamau, I would ask about Rankin and his mother. She told me the same few things every time: Nancy Jane Jackson was blind and she had another son who was named Albert Powell. No one knew who raised the boys, it was accepted that they had just raised themselves. She also said that all the information about Nancy came from Rankin’s wife Bertha Daniels Moore, Rankin never spoke about his childhood.

Article on Nancy Jane Jackson’s blind pension, 1936, Middlesborro Daily News.

In 1918, in Bell County, KY Albert Powell (b.1897) of Balkan, Bell County signed up for the draft. He wrote in his mother as Nancy Jane Jackson of Wasioto, Bell, Kentucky. I located “Jane Jackson” on the 1920 Census in Wasioto, Bell, KY living as a boarder in the home of John A. Faulkner. She was 51, widowed, and unable to read or write.

I was also able to locate Jane Jackson on the 1930 Census. She was 60, widowed, and living in the county poor farm. According to the census, she had been seventeen at the time of her first marriage.

In 1936, an article ran in the Middlesborro Daily News concerning Nancy Jane Jackson, her blind pension, and a man named Ed Shackleford. The story covers thirteen weeks of her $2 per week blind pension, totaling $26. One man “Lee” was supposed to take it tot the bank and endorse it for her, but instead handed it over to Ed Shackleford who endorsed the check but it then seems that he intended to keep the money for himself until he was indicted by a jury for the crime. At the time, Nancy was living with Albert Powell in Blackmont, Bell County, Kentucky.

I am still looking for more information on Nancy Jane Jackson and her life. If you are related or have any information please feel free to comment on this blog post or email me by clicking the “About & Contact” link above.

 

 

Jabez Tucker

Jabez Tucker is a mysterious character from my family history, I am not certain if we are related or unrelated but he lived with or in close proximity to the Vanness family for a number of years.

Jabez was born about 1823 in New Jersey. Aaron and Euphemia Vanness were also from New Jersey, they married in Newark in 1830. In 1850, 27 year old Jabez is living in Newark in the home of Abby Pierson, 58 along with Jiles M. Tucker, 23 and William Tucker, 12. Abby also has a few other young men living in her home, leading me to believe that she took in boarders. Jabez, Jiles, and William are all listed as shoemakers. Aaron Vanness was also a shoemaker, so was Jabez an apprentice or business partner?

In 1860, Jabez is living in Afton, Dekalb, Illinois with Aaron Vanness, his wife Euphemia, and their sons Oscar and Lewis. In 1870, Jabez is living in the home of Aaron and Euphemia, along with their son Lewis and his wife Ella, and Lewis and Ella’s children. It is an interesting note that after the 1850 census Jabez’ occupation is no longer written as a shoemaker. In 1860, he was a farm laborer and had no occupation listed on the 1870 census.

In 1880, I cannot locate Jabez Tucker. But, his presumed brother, Giles Tucker and his family are living in Shabbona, Dekalb, Illinois.

Looking into the Newton Family

In searching for Desire Newton, wife of Luther Taylor and mother of his four daughters, I decided to try Google as my last resort for leads. And as usual, Google did not disappoint me.

I simply typed in “‘Luther Taylor’ Desire Newton” and hit go… and one of the first results was a individual’s profile on RootsWeb’s WorldConnect. The individual was William Newton, born about 1780 in Voluntown, New London, Connecticut, USA and who died 30 NOV 1856 in New Albion, Cattaraugus, New York, USA.

The profile for him included part of his will: PROBATE RECORD dated September 28, 1857. Mentions widow Lois; son Isaac Spencer Newton; daughters Anna Newton wife of Stephen Newton, Melinda Whitney wife of Aaron Whitney, Dolly Perry wife of Asa Perry, children of Elizabeth widow of Henry Lawton now deceased, children of Desire Taylor widow of Luther Taylor, children of Lucinda widow of Phineas Hotchkin.

Census records from 1830 and 1840, placed him in Fowler, St. Lawrence, NY where Luther and Desire lived along with three of their girls in 1840. But, I was confused because the excerpt from the will of Newton called Desire the widow of Luther, when it was she who made him a widower after she died circa 1846-1855.

A few months later, I decided to take another look at the family of William Newton and his wife Lois Butter. The first daughter I looked into was Elizabeth Newton Lawton, and what I found helped me decide that this was a viable clue to Desire after all… Elizabeth Newton Lawton died February 9, 1853 in Coopersville, Ottawa, Michigan (which is 30 miles away from where I live!) where she and Henry moved in about 1850. So, if Elizabeth died prior to her father’s death in 1856 and was still listed as the widow of Henry Lawton (he died in 1896), perhaps it was just an error in the language used to describe the family relations?

I will continue to look into this branch of Newtons, now that it does show some promise!

 

 

Lewis and Mary Vanness’ Tumultuous Marriage

Recently, I located another article on Lewis Decker and Mary Smith Vanness’ marriage. This article ran March 15, 1915 in the Daily Chronicle in Dekalb, Illinois. I already knew from the couple’s 1906 divorce that Lewis was a drinker, and sometimes a violent one, but the name “Bud” threw me off…

So, I went to Ancestry and typed the name “Bud Vanness” into the search. And the second item on the page was Laura Ella Vanness’ marriage record from 1927. Her father’s name was in fact listed as Bud VanNess!

Laura Ella VanNess’ marriage certificate to George E. Werner – Allegan County, MI – November 12, 1927.

Looking at photographs I have received of Lewis, I cannot see a scar or any other kind of deformity but, perhaps it just isn’t easy to make out from a photo. I have emailed another descendant of Lewis and Mary’s to see if she knows anything about the incident.

Lewis, Mary, and their children packed up and left Dekalb County, Illinois in 1917. Perhaps it was due to all the gossip that must’ve been spread about their marriage.

Lewis and Mary ca.1940-5.

The Jenkins’ Journey to America (Part I)

My 4x great grandfather, John Jenkins (1830-1905), was the son of Scottish coal miner John Jenkins and Helen Hardie. He married Ann Hillions McCallum on January 11, 1851 in Slamannan, Stirling, Scotland. Together, Ann and John had the following known children: Henry Jenkins born 1855 in Slamannan, Douglas Jenkins born 1857 in Slamannan, Christina McCallum Jenkins born 1859 in Falkirk, twins Margaret McCunnochie Jenkins and James Hardie Jenkins born 1866 in Cumbernauld, and William Jenkins born 1869 in Cumbernauld.

John Jenkins Sr & son Henry on the State of Indiana passenger list which arrived at New York from Glasgow, Scotland and Larne, Ireland on May 4, 1879. Unable to confirm if the younger John is J. Douglas Jenkins due to age discrepancy.

The State of Indiana

John and his oldest sons, John Jr. & Henry Jenkins arrived in New York aboard the State of Indiana on May 4, 1879. They had departed from Glasgow, Scotland.

The three miners found work and a place to live before sending money for Ann to come to the United States along with younger siblings James Hardie Jenkins, Margaret “Maggie” Jenkins, and William Jenkins. On September 22, 1879 they arrived in New York aboard the Devonia. Also accompanying them aboard the Devonia were John Jenkins Jr.’s wife Catherine and two young sons.

Ann Jenkins and younger children aboard the SS Devonia

The SS Devonia

Older sister Christina McCallum Anderson, her husband Gabriel, and their five month old daughter Ann, came to the States the following year, arriving aboard the Ethiopia in New York on May 12, 1880.

Less than a month later, the 1880 US Census was taken and we find the Jenkins family had settled in Lafayette, McKean, Pennsylvania near many immigrants from Ireland and Scotland. John, Gabriel, and James H. all worked in the mines, William attended school, Ann & Christina cared for the home and four month old Ann.

John, Maggie, Henry, and Douglas are not listed in the household. But Maggie Jenkins is listed nearby as working for a servant in the home of J.E. and Catherine Butts. J.E. is a coal operator, and his 26 year old son J.E.P. Butts is a superintendent of coal and lumber.