Zilpha Sanders CraderBorn February 20, 1910
Died May 13, 1913
Only child of Phoeba Alice Maud Freeman and George Washington Sanders
Fallon Cemetery, Fallon, Churchill County, Nevada
Inscription "You have been called home, It was God's will"
Mad ancestors or elusive ancestors
who drive US mad!
This blog post is not about someone who made me literally mad but maybe more mad in the sense that I am confused!
My Great Grandfather, Andrew Anderson Smalley was born April 3, 1853 in Falls Township, Wyoming County Pennsylvania. He died on March 12, 1943 in Coos County, Oregon. On his death certificate, his father is stated as B.F. Smalley and mother unknown. Okay, could this be a Benjamin Franklin? That name is fairly common and not easy to pinpoint.
So my next step was to go to the 1860 census of Wyoming County, PA to see if I can find Smalleys. I find 3 Smalley children living with a William Dunlap family and their daughter, Hannah. Mary age 6, Anderson age 5 and Edgar at 3 years. Was Hannah the children's mother? I couldn't assume at that point. Her last name was enumerated as "Dunlap". No Benjamin. Maybe he died? A few census pages away is a Jefferson Smalley family from New York. I set this aside as a possible clue.
1870 census of same location shows as head of family, Jesse Wall and wife Hannah and two Smalley children; Andrew age 17 and Edgar age 14 plus William Dunlap and wife. Mary is not found.
1880 census Andrew Smalley and his wife and children are found in Nevada where he is supposed to be. Back in Falls Twshp, no Walls are to be found! There was a land transaction that Jesse Wall participated in 1882, but what happened to him and Hannah? I scoured any variation of the 1880 census that I could think of to try to locate them. No luck.
In October 2004, I was fortunate enough to take a trip to the Historical Society in Tunkhannock, PA. One of my goals was to try to locate more Smalley information. I located the marriage notice of Andrew and his wife Emma in the local newspaper and found that his mother was listed as "Mrs. Wall". BINGO! That solved that issue.
At that point, I was stuck.
A few months ago I was googling and decided just on a whim to type in Andrew Smalley and Pennsylvania. I got a hit! There was a book called "The Centennial History of Oregon, 1811-1912" By Joseph Gaston which listed a whole biography of my Andrew Smalley. It was full of information and he mentions his parents as being Benjamin L. and Hannah M. which further states my case.
You would think at that point I solved all of my issues. Of course not!
It has lead to further problems.
First claim is that Andrew told the author that his father, Benjamin came to America from Germany when he was 16 years old. Okay I can handle that. What confuses me is that Smalley seems to be more of an English name. So not sold on that senario.
Second item is that he said his father "enlisted in the Federal Army as one of the first volunteers of his state and was killed in the Battle of Bull Run." So I eagerly did some research to find any records of a Civil War enlistment under his name, pension research for the widow, Hannah and Penn State enlistment records and there is no one by that name! So where was Benjamin in the 1860 census? He was gone by that time and there is no census listing for anywhere. There is one candidate for the 1850 Census of Luzerne County for a Benjamin L. age 21 a Mason and born in Pennsylvania. I suspect that could be him. Why did Andrew lie about his father? Was his father a criminal? Did he just die and Andrew embellished his story?
As far as Hannah goes, Andrew states that his mother, Hannah Wall lived with her daughter, Mary in Virginia City, NV same place as Andrew and family and died at her daughter's home. So I went to the 1880 census to retrace any Hannahs and Marys in Storey County, Nevada. I found a H.M. Wall age 39 female born in Pennsylvania and parents born in Penn as a prisoner in the County jail! The age was off by 5 years and she stated that she was married. Where was the husband, wouldn't he have been enumerated in the census? This just couldn't get any worse.
Andrew's brother Edgar supposedly died in a mine accident in Nevada as stated in the Centennial history. I did find a entry for an E. Smalley a miner who died from inflammation of the bowels in the 1880 mortality census of Nevada. An R. Smalley female is found in the 1880 census and could be his wife, Rebecca. She is listed in the same county, as a widow.
As far as Mary goes, do not know who she married and what happened. I need to further dig into Virginia City to find out more, the records are somewhat on the scarce side.
After Andrew and family left Nevada, they headed off to Mendocino County, California to lumber. What is interesting, is the family members of the previous Jefferson Smalley listed in the 1860 census are founded in that area! This group of Smalleys originate from the Killfish area of New York. I suspect that Andrews clan connects with these people, but I cannot at this time prove it.
So many unanswered questions which leads to more! The search still continues!
I was so fortunate to inherit my Great Grandmother's Bible. In between the Old Testament and New Testament I found that my Great Grandmother, Nora (Nell, Nellie) Ellen (Baley) Ball had imprinted each of her children's footprints in her bible. This first posting, shows my Grandmother, Zelma Fern Ball's footprints. She also had an entry that mentioned Zelma's brother, Granville. What a unique and interesting way to commemorate her children's arrival in this world!
Nora Ellen Baley was born December 23, 1885 in Iron County, Missouri to John Riley Baley and Susan Harriet Buxton. She married William Edward Ball 1910 in Ellis County, Oklahoma after her parents and his father took up homesteads during the early part of 1900's.
My mother, never got to know Nora. She died in 1937 when my mother was 4 years old. Nora died due to a stroke and high blood pressure when she was 52 years old. So young. If only she knew or if there was medication at the time that could stave off any symptoms?
We will never know.
Nora's husband, William Edward Ball was a painter and paper hanger in Salem, Oregon. Apparently he was good in his trade and kept busy. I imagine that the paint that she used to imprint her children's feet were from paint cans that he may have had on hand.
Zelma Fern Ball married in 1931 to John Doran May. My mother, was their first born. Zelma never liked her name, she told me. She became a "born again Christian" in the early 1950's and was an early member of the Minnehaha Church of Christ. She did her best to walk the walk and talk the talk. She passed away in October 2005 and her memorial service was comprised of the old hymns that she so dearly loved. My cousin played the piano. I have good memories of her but remember that she was stern in her beliefs and didn't always approve of people's lifestyles. No matter what, she is missed as the matriarch of our family and is still remembered and loved so dearly!
Here is another fun project that Randy Seaver over at Genea-Musings has come up with to further challenge us. I am having fun participating in this exercise and wonder what he will come up with next week!
Here is the challenge for this week:
Provide a list of your paternal grandmother's patrilineal line.
Answer these questions:
* What was your father's mother's maiden name?
Etta Mae Smalley born June 21, 1901 near Myrtle Point, Coos County, Oregon and died February 15, 1993 in Medford, Jackson County, Oregon.
* What was your father's mother's father's name?
Andrew Anderson Smalley born April 3, 1853 in Falls Township, Wyoming County, Pennsylvania and died March 12, 1943 in Myrtle Point, Coos County, Oregon.
* What is your father's mother's father's patrilineal line? That is, his father's father's father's ... back to the most distant male ancestor in that line?
Only Andrew Smalley's fathers name is Benjamin L. Smalley nothing else known about him and he is currently a brick wall.
* Can you identify male sibling(s) of your father's mother, and any living male descendants from those male sibling(s)?
My Grandmother, Etta was one of 14 children. Six of them were brothers: David Jesse died at the age of 46 of a burst appendix was married once for a short time and never had children. Second brother, David Edgar was single all of his life, third brother, Andrew Jr. died as a young boy, fourth Christopher died as a baby, fifth Carl White married a woman with four children and had none. Sixth and last brother, Benjamin L. stayed single and was named after his grandfather.
If so, you have a candidate to do a Y-DNA test on that patrilineal line. If not, you may have to find male siblings, and their descendants, of the next generation back, or even further.
Unfortunately, Andrew's only brother Edgar was married for a short time before he died in a mine accident in Nevada and never had a chance to produce children.
I would have to first break through and be able to learn more about Benjamin L. Smalley's family before this project would be of any help to me at this time.
May and Hutchison Reunion 1948Taken in Washington County, Oregon
Martha Ann (Alexander) Freeman
Born February 13, 1864 in Fulton County, Ohio
Died October 10, 1943 at Fallon, Churchill County, Nevada
Buried at Fallon Cemetery, Churchill County, Nevada
Daughter of Charles G. Alexander and Laura Welch
Carnival of Genealogy - 68th Edition, is "A Tribute to Women".
This posting is about a Quaker Minister who I admire and is a collateral ancestor of mine.
Charity Wright Cook was a prominent minister and missionary and served God by reaching out and preaching the word by travelling all through Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Virginia plus many other states and even abroad to England and Ireland throughout her life.
Charity was born to John Wright and Rachel Wells on February 12, 1745 probably in Prince George’s County, Maryland. She is the older sister of my ancestor, Susannah Wright who was married to “Big” Isaac Hollingsworth. Susannah also became a minister and travelled occasionally with Charity.
Growing up in a Quaker Family she most likely was influenced by the women in the church and most likely at some point in her life got the “calling”. Women in the Quaker faith were allowed to serve as religious leaders. They believed that all people regardless of what their sex have an “inner light” that allows them to receive revelations from God.
Charity eventually married to Isaac Cook around 1763 and became a mother to 11 children.
I chose to write about her because of the many memoirs, diaries, Friends records describing her in such glowing terms. I felt that she had to have been such an influence on people’s life that people were encouraged and loved by her.
Among many anecdotes regarding some of my Quaker ancestors, in the book, “Annals of Newberry, South Carolina by John Belton O’Neall, 1892", He gives this account of Charity and Susannah. “In the women’s meeting, on the preacher’s bench, under their immense white beavers, I recall the full round faces and forms of the sisters, Charity Cook and Susannah Hollingsworth. Both wives, both mothers of large families, still felt it was their duty to preach “Jesus and him crucified”. Her sister, Susannah, was not so gifted. Henry O’Neall and other young Friends, used to affirm, that when Aunt Suzey, as she was called, began to pray, they could always keep ahead of her by repeating the words she was about to say.” I find this tidbit so interesting! How many times do we find such a personal story about our ancestor? There in that same book, John O’Neall mentions a few more “stories” about their father (John Wright) and Susannah’s husband, “Big” Isaac which is so wonderfully written.
John Belton O’Neall recounts another incident regarding Charity, “Charity Cook was a gifted woman. She travelled the States extensively, and twice visited England and Ireland. Her husband, Isaac, once drove into Rabun’s Creek (near Laurens County, SC) at a time when it was high, drowned two horses, and only escaped drowning himself by riding a chunk of land, and she swam to shore and thus saved herself”.
Apparently Charity was a determined woman and didn’t let anything in life get in her way.
Susanna, my ancestor would accompany her sister from South Carolina to the meetings in Virginia and Western Pennsylvania and travelling during the severe winter of 1796-97. The crossing of the mountains was difficult at best and dangerous.
In the Memoirs of Life, Travels and Religious Experience of Martha Routh, during the voyage from America in 1797 to Liverpool she said, “Dear Charity is much the better sailor of us three women, and frequently visits me, when she can get across the stairs. Later on, during the voyage, “This afternoon while Charity was paying me a visit, the sea broke in so suddenly upon us; it seemed like the bursting of a water spout. When we had got things put to rights, we had a second attack as heavy as the first, which seemed to try out Stewards patience.”
On the 19th, Eleventh month of 1799, written in a memoir of Sarah Stephenson, she stated, “Dear Charity Cook (of South Carolina) is confined here in with small pox. 29th of the eleventh month, we returned from Quarterly Meeting and found Charity very ill, the doctor doubting her getting over that night, but yesterday and today the disorder seems more favourable”. Dublin, the 11th, Twelfth Month, “We left Charity Cook with the appearance of a favourable recovery”. This was during a mission trip to Lurgan Meeting, Ireland.
Extracted from the “Charleston Courier of 1807”:
“A Quaker Woman’s Sermon” (Given by Charity)
“Dear Friends: There are three things I very much wonder. The first is that children should be so foolish as to throw up stones, brickbats and clubs into fruit trees to knock down the fruit; if they would only let one another alone, it would fall itself. “The second is that men should be so foolish and even wicked as to go to war and kill one another; if they would only let one another alone, they die of themselves. And the third and last thing, which I wonder at most of all, is that young men should be so unwise as to go after the young women, if thy would only stay at home, the young women would come after them”.
I find this sermon interesting, as accounts say that her husband, Isaac often took care of their 11 children while she travelled.
15th, Third month of 1809, In a letter to his children, written by John Simpson “Dear Children: I and my dear wife are at present at John Buckman’s, expecting to attend Wrightstown Meeting in company with Charity Cook, who seems to enjoy a pretty good state of health for a woman of her years, and has been enabled to travel through this cold winter season, which I have thought might be an encouraging example to others to press forward in their religious duty”.
In the diary of Edward Pease, he states that American Friends such as Charity Cook and Mary Swett, often puzzled their British colleagues when they would stroll down Melksham Street after dinner with pipes in their mouths!
In 1820, at the Baltimore Meeting, Charity was about 80 years of age, being a fine specimen and strong American Constitution as observed by one.
Charity and family eventually went from Bush River Monthly Meeting on to the Miami Meeting into what was Warren County, Ohio. I am sure that she actively participated in that meeting and made her mark there. Her family joined the Caeser’s Creek Monthly Meeting where is died at the 13th of 11 month 1822 aged 76 years, 11 months, 11 days and buried at Caeser’s Creek Friends Burial ground.
Even though Charity was not my direct ancestor, reading accounts of her work, travels, and life were inspiring to me. She had many fascinating adventures which of course were fraught with danger and hardships but her utmost determination and living by what she believed in during tough times is truly amazing!
Once again, our creative and always keeping us bloggers on our toes, Randy Seaver, over at Genea-Musings has challenged us to some Saturday night fun. Tonight's topic is wordles were you type in a bunch of names, in this case, the surnames of your ancestors and then arrange them in artistic types of fonts, colors and layouts. It's actually quite fun trying to find just the right combination that is pleasing to you.
I had difficulties trying to get this image to come up bigger and clearer! I had to really try to find some clever way to get this on here so at least it wasn't blurry.
Here is what I came up with:
I had difficulties trying to get this image to come up bigger and clearer! I had to really try to find some clever way to get this on here so at least it wasn't blurry. This was fun, and I will probably go back to the Wordle website and do some other variations.
Thanks Randy!
Chester Monroe May(Right)
Born December 14, 1906
Washington Co., Oregon
Died March 6, 1950
Tillamook, Oregon
John Doran May
(Left)
Born July 12, 1910
Near Banks, Washington Co., Oregon
Died December 22, 1978
Portland, Multnomah Co., Oregon
Andrew Anderson & Emma May (Tillman) Smalley
Norway Cemetery, near Mrytle Point, Coos County, Oregon
Andrew was born April 3, 1853 in Falls Township, Wyoming County, Pennsylvania. He died March 12, 1943 at Mast Hospital in Myrtle Point, Coos County, Oregon. He was the son of Benjamin L. Smalley and Hannah M. Dunlap. Benjamin L. Smalley is a "brick wall" and cannot find an original record on him.
Emma May was born August 26, 1856 in Tunkhannock, Wyoming County, Pennsylvania. She died February 26, 1923 in Coos County, Oregon. She was the daughter of David H. Tillman and Elizabeth Detrick. I submitted a blog post regarding Emma May with a picture of her at about 13 years old and you can read about it here.
This couple was married May 30, 1873 in Wyoming County and had a total of 14 children. My Paternal Grandmother, Etta Mae Smalley was their youngest child.
Andrew's parents are somewhat of a mystery to me and I will blog about this in detail in a future post.
Florence & Frances Ball
Were fraternal twins born to William Edward and Nora Ellen (nickname Nell) Ball on June 25, 1919 in Salem, Oregon. These daughters were the last surviving youngest. My maternal grandmother being the eldest with a brother in between.
As twins, they couldn't have looked more different nor alike in their personalities.
Florence tended to be reserved, very lady like. She was married 3 times, and her last husband was her keeper. She had a total of two children. She was musically inclined and I remember when I was quite young her playing the accordian. She used to play at dances during the 40's and 50's. My mother was fairly close to her and spent vacation time with her and her family. She passed away in March 2007.
Frances on the other hand, couldn't be more tomboyish. She used to tell my mother that she wished she was born a boy. She was very out going and I remember her at family get togethers her being silly and pretending she couldn't remember who all of us youngsters were and when we would tell her, she would say, "No your not, you are waaayyy too old to be them." That would make us kids laugh and there would be more bantering back and forth. She was great fun and put everyone in stitches. She married a very, quiet almost shy man who just passed away this last year. She lived to celebrate their 55th wedding anniversary and died in 1997. She has one son.
I remember my Great Aunts and very glad that our family made an effort to have regular family get togethers since as long as I can remember. My mother received Aunt Florence's photo album which I in turn have now. These pictures came from scanning the photos. I learned alot about the Ball family just by analyzing their early lives and the history through these pictures. What a treasure!
I decided to take up Randy Seaver's Saturday night challenge and confess to my genealogy junkie tendencies! Check out Randy's blog at Genea-Musings. Randy is a great blogger and always thinks of interesting and fun topics to write about.
The Assignment:
Answer these questions about your genealogy life (mine are in parentheses):
1. When did you start genealogy research? (1979 -30 years now).
2. Why did you start doing research? (My mother had bought a "starter kit" that included pedigree and family group sheets and a small booklet "How to get started in your Genealogy Research". In the early 1950's she did a family tree for a high school project and we started filling out the forms. The next day, I went and purchased that starter kit and another how-to book and I was hooked).
3. What was your first big success in research? (Finding that the family story about being descended from Daniel Boone was somewhat correct albeit that his aunt is my ancestor).
4. What is your biggest genealogy regret? (Not being diligent in source citation).
5. What are you best known for in the genealogy world? (Not known at all, joined Face Book to introduce my blog).
6. What is your professional status in genealogy? (None, but feel I know quite a bit methodology).
7. What is your biggest genealogy achievement? (Able to find that my ancestors have lived in the U.S. for a long time, and how far I have advanced).
8. What is the most FUN you've had doing genealogy? (My many trips to SLC, field trips and the internet).
9. What is your favorite genealogy how-to book? (The Source).
10. What notable genealogist would you like to meet someday? (Elizabeth Shown Mills).
There you are - talk about yourself for a change! Go forth and blog about your True Confessions of a Genealogy Junkie! Or write a comment to this post.
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