Working, My Way

Everyone finds their own way of doing things. Each one different. If you try to follow someone else's method to the letter, it usually does not work. I started Thomas MacEntee's "Genealogy Do Over" a couple of years ago. My goal was to find my own way of doing things while cleaning up the mess of 30 plus years of learning how and researching, mostly old school. People are going paperless now. I won't do that. I do keep everything on an external hard drive and in the cloud. I don't trust electronic anything enough to put all my work into it without a hard copy backup. I work better seeing things in print, holding it in my hands. I was never able to go Kindle for pleasure reading. I love books around me. I love their feel. So, I know me well enough to know what I need to work well. I knew before-hand that I would be mirroring my files off-computer with my files on computer. Everything in the folders would match. I also know if I type something, I will not remember it. If I write it down on paper I remember. Something about seeing it on paper does something to my brain. It's just me, or maybe magic.

I watch for blogs and stories online about organizing research and read it closely. Perhaps I will find a little tidbit that I can incorporate into my system that will make it work even better. In Drew Smith's book "Organize Your Genealogy", Chapter Five settled my question on whether I would use binders or file folders. I had been leaning toward binders until then. Binders might look nice and store nicely, but folders are mobile. I had not thought about it quite that way before. His file naming system is one I have decided to use. But I don't agree with him on everything. To me an empty desk is an empty mind. My desktop on the computer and off is a mess when I am working. It's a comforting mess (to me). Anyway, his book stays nearby. I pick it up when I need advice on how to organize something. It's been very helpful, even though I don't use all his ideas. There are still things in it I intend to do. Email set up, mind-mapping, and organizing goals, things that never occured to me. I definately recommend this book for anyone trying to get their genealogical materials and work habits organized. You don't have to follow all his ideas, only the ones you can work with.

I'm trying to log all my research. I have a couple of GenWeb sites that I coordinate and I keep careful log books to know when I put data online, what it was and the reaction to it. I check the counter to see what makes page loads uptick. Is it obituaries or cemeteries? I check my logs for my search engines to see if one name pops up over and over. I can manage what I need to try to get online now, by those factors. Now, I need to apply that kind of thing to my own research.  I should have been doing so all along, but was not. Now is the time!

I use RootsMagic for my main work. I really like to have a 2nd program, and I bought Heredis for that purpose. I updated it to the 2018 version recently and it would not import a gedcom file. Useless to me under that circumstance. I tried to get a fix and they did release one, but it did not make a difference. What a waste. I need to find a second program. I am not fond of Legacy, but I have already wasted money on Heredis, so a free option would be nice.

What to do, that is the question. I am pleased at the way things are going right now. The files are looking nicer, my tree is neater and sourced better. Still much to be done, but things are looking up.

Source:
Smith, Drew. Organize Your Genealogy; Strategies and Solutions for Every Researcher. Family Tree Books, 2016.

MacEntee, Thomas: The Genealogy Do-Over Workbook Paperback 2015

52 Ancestors, 52 Weeks Week 8

Heirloom

This week it is 'Heirloom.' I do not have any heirloom of great monetary value, but each and every one is priceless to me. Before the transplant I gave my brother a chest and my sister a couple of quilts that were from grandparents. But I have quite a few things that are close to my heart. I couldn't pick just one. That is too much to ask.

This little quilt is a doll quilt my maternal grandmother made for me when I was very little. I treasured it then and still do. I inherited a couple of quilts from her when she died. I also have her tatting shuttle, and her crochet needles. She taught me how to sew and crochet. I have a few things that belonged to my great-grandmother.

I have a bible that was my paternal grandmother's which she wrote every thing that happened to all of us in. She tucked photos and notes in. I've blogged the story of this bible before. It is very special to me. I also have a few of her quilts. [Bizzie's Quilts]

I have the fountain pen my maternal grandfather took care of business at his desk with. I used to watch him as a little girl. I had never seen such a pen at home, and was fascinated by it. [Grandpa's Pen]

I have many small items, but they have little monetary value. The things that I have given away, were given to people I knew would treasure them too.

#52ancestors #heirloom

William O. Jaynes, cont.

You find the craziest stuff sometimes. An ancestor will throw you a curve ball, and make you stop and think, "Perhaps that is why I'm nuts, it's genetic." It has been hard to find personal things about William. But I did find one thing. Not what I was expecting, though. Here is the article:

Newspapers.com
The Tribune
Seymour, Indiana
Tuesday, November 17, 1914
Page 4

William Jaynes Alleged to have Objected to Milking and Taking Animal to Pasture.

An unusual case was set for trial in the circuit court today, the defendant, William Jaynes, of Crothersville, being charged with maliciously killing a valuable cow that belonged to his wife. The indictment was returned by the grand jury after an investigation of the charge was made and when arraigned the defendant pleaded not guilty.

According to the witnesses that have been subpoenaed by the state, Jaynes employed Charles Parker, also of Crothersville, to shoot the cow and paid him $1 for performing the execution. Parker, it is said declares that he did not know that the animal belonged to Jaynes' wife and thought that Jaynes wanted the cow killed for beef. He said that he did not inquire why he desired the animal shot. Several persons witnessed the killing and were called as witnesses. It is reported that the only reason assigned by the defendant for killing the cow was that he had to milk her and take her to pasture each day and objected to the work. 

Now what am I supposed to garner from this? He was in his early 60's at the time.  I would have thought he'd have been glad the cow was providing milk for his family. My grandmother spoke often of Raney, but little about him. I may have discovered why. HA!

Last week I bought Heredis 2018. Bad move apparently. I still have hope, but little. They put up a link to get a fix for the problem of importing a gedcom. The fix does not work. It is my 'second' program, I work first in RootsMagic, so I need the import feature to work or it is useless to me. How do you work?

I worked also on going through my paper files and cleaning them up. Small progress there. It is a huge job. Still, it is going well.

Source:
The source is with the article above.

#Jaynes #genealogy

52 Ancestors, 52 Weeks - Week 7

Sam and Maggie Hovis Martin, date unknown.

Valentine

I just didn't see this as a sloppy, soppy love story kind of thing. I thought about skipping this one but I also thought about my great-great-grandfather, Samuel Sanders Martin, who was born on Valentines Day in 1860, in Seymour, Jackson County, Indiana. His parents were John Martin and Polly Ann Allman. Yes, that is John Martin. How many of those are there? I can attest to about a million. Polly Ann? I think her name was Mary Ann, and they called her Polly Ann. That is an entire weeks worth of blogging right there but, this is about Sam. Did I say they called him Sam? Ok, back to the story.

Sam married Margaret "Maggie" Hovis on the 20th of September, 1883 in Jackson County, Indiana. My grandmother told me a story about Sam and Maggie being at a party and then there was a fight. Sam got knifed and his abdomen was laid open. He was said to have been sewn up on the kitchen table. It was a bad wound, supposedly. It was just a story I was trying to prove or disprove for years. I didn't know the date of the incident so it was hard to find anything about it. The story was, the fight was over Maggie.

One evening I was not feeling well, and I just spent the evening in Newspapers.com, reading anything that came up for "Martin". Guess what I found on the September 21, 1882 issue of the Jackson County Banner, a newspaper in the county. Seems there was a party at Phil Allman's house that turned bad. I have proven the story true! Here is the article from the Jackson County Banner in Brownstown, Indiana:

A Rumpus at a Dance.

A dance came off at Phil Allman's on the other side of the river, on Friday night, which was terminated at 2 o'clock in the morning by a difficulty occurring between Everett Brown and Sam Martin. In the melee Brown drew a knife and hacked away indiscriminately at Martin, cutting him badly in the neck, abdomen and arm. We understand that when the cutting was done both men were down and Brown under. Dr. Stilwell was sent for, who dressed and sewed up the wounds, which, although severe, are not of a fatal character. Brown skedaddled to escape arrest and is still at large. Both are young men belonging to the neighborhood.

What an exciting find! I didn't come down for days! The incident, "rumpus", happened on the 15th of September, 1882. By the way, I am glad Brown was "under". Yes, it is personal now.

#52Ancestors #genealogy #Martin

Source:
Article: "A Rumpus at a Dance." Jackson County Banner, Brownstown, Indiana; Thursday, September 21, 1882, Page 4, Newspapers.com

William Obadier Jaynes

I guess I'd better talk about the husband of Raney. I have decided to give her back her proper name. I found it on two of her sons death certs. I have my grandmother orally stating that was her name, so she is now, Lorraine Willcutt/Willcut/Wilcut/Wilcot . . . etc. Jaynes. Still with the surname, though! Anyway, she was married to William Obadier Jaynes on the 19th of April, 1869, in Washington County, Indiana.(1) This union lasted 62 years and produced 12 children, all of whom lived into adulthood.

William was born on the 9th of September, 1851 in Munfordsville, Metcalf County, Kentucky. (2) He was the youngest son of David Janes/Jaynes and Nancy Hughart. I wish I had a photograph of him, but I don't. Any family out there that has one and would like to share? It's on my wish list.

He was listed as "farm labor" or just "labor" in the census and on his death certificate. (2)

William died the 7th of February, 1931 in Seymour, Jackson County, Indiana. His cause of death was Tuberculosis. He was 78 years, 4 months, and 29 days old. He was buried in Conologue Cemetery on February the 9th, 1931. (3, 4) There is no marker on the grave. At the time of his death he lived in Seymour proper, at 420 Circle Street. I know that area and at the time it was a nice little housing development. A lot of the family lived in the area over the years. There is a small church there that most of the family attended.

Now I will track him and hope to fill in the blanks. Flesh him out a bit.

#Jaynes #genealogy
Sources:
1. William O. Jeans and Lurana Wilcott, (19 April 1869), Indiana Marriages, 1780-1992: ; FamilySearch, , Indiana.
2. Seymour Daily Republican, 1912 Jackson County Directory (N.p.: n.p., 1912), Page 64.
3. Obituary - William O. Jaynes, Seymour Tribune, Seymour, Indiana, 9 February 1931, Page 1.
4. Certificate of Death, Jackson County, Indiana; Jackson County Health Department, Seymour, Indiana

52 Ancestors 52 Weeks Week 6

Favorite Name

   
This week it's "favorite name". I don't have a favorite named ancestor. For the most part, their names are traditional names, run of the mill. I do have one ancestor that I thought of right away, though. It's the name I love to hate. It's not a bad name, just confusing.

When I first got on the internet in 1999, I had been working on my family for a long time. You know, old school. I had talked to my grandmother about everyone she had known. She told me the story of "Raney" Willcutt Jaynes. She loved Raney so much she named her second daughter for her. Joyce 'Lorraine'. Grandma said Raney's name was Lorraine Willcutt/Willcut/Wilcut Jaynes, but everyone called her Raney. When I first listed her as Lorraine, I got so many emails telling me in no uncertain terms, that her name was Lorena, or Louraney, or Loraney, or just Raney. Even the offended did not match. So, I changed my entry in my file as a compromise, to Loraney. I don't feel good about it. My grandparents lived right across the road from Raney and William for many years. Raney could not read nor write and would run across the road to my grandmother when she would get a letter. Grandma would read it to her and write her response for her. My grandmother was an avid reader and felt so sorry for Raney. To my grandmother, not being able to read was a fate worse than death. She was certain it was a harsh burden in life to endure.

You tell me what I am to do about this name.

1860 Census (with parents) Rennie
Indiana Marriages: Revenia Willcot
1900 Census: Lourenia
1910 Census: Lurena
1930 Census: Lourany
Death Cert: Luraney Jaynes [Luraney Wilcott]

Even the last name is a pain. Most problems like this can be solved by documents. This one, not so much.

Did I say it gives me a headache? It does.

P.S. I found three more:
Husband's death cert: Lurinda Jaynes
Son DeWitt's death cert: Lorraine Wilcut
Son George's death cert: Lorraine Wilcut

#52Ancestors #genealogy #Willcutt/Willcut/Wilcut

Henry Hovis - The Conclusion (for now)

I realized after the last post on Henry Hovis that I had not listed his family or his data. Writing his story was impossible without that. So this will be the last of Henry for the time being.

Henry was born June 1, 1840 in Noble County, Ohio. His parent were Henry and Sarah Hoke Hovis. I've been told that the Hoke was probably a misspelling of Hogg/Hogue. I haven't proven or disproven that yet. But I have found a Sarah Hogg that fits.

Henry married Elizabeth Ellen Bohall July 9, 1864 in Nashville, Indiana (Brown County). She was the daughter of George David Bohall and Catherine Ellen Draper.

Henry and Elizabeth had 4 children: Mary C. born in 1865, Seth, birth date unknown to me so far, Margaret, known as Maggie, my great-great-grandmother, born in 1869 and Martha Jane, born in 1871.

I feel like I am missing some things. But it is a pretty full story of Henry.

#Hovis #genealogy

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks - Week 5

In the Census

Well this won't take long. There is only one census involved. The 1910 U.S. census of Etowah County, Alabama. It really is the only proof I had that she was real. She, is my great-grandmother, Beatrice Brown Beard.

Beatrice Brown Beard

She was born Beatrice Brown, on May 29, 1890 in Alabama. She should be in the 1900 census with her family, but I have not been able to find her. She married Charles Pinkney Beard on August 22, 1907 in Etowah County, at least I think so. I did get a message once saying that they had seen the marriage record in Etowah and on it was her father's note that it was ok to marry, and he was R.F. Brown. The family story is that she had a brother name Robert. 

The 1910 census lists the family as: Pinkney C., Beatrice, and Lee B. Lee B. is actually Bizzie Lee, my grandmother. Beatrice is listed as 18, but she should be about 20. My grandmother is listed 9 months old, which would be correct. This is the only place I saw her listed for many years.

I sent for the marriage and death record at the state level and they did not have it. I need to find out how to get it at the county level, this year. I searched for R.F. Brown and there are a million, just not one with a daughter that is named or even fits Beatrice, and many had a son named Robert. 

Beatrice died on October 1, 1911. She's buried in Morton Chapel United Methodist Church Cemetery in Walnut Grove, Etowah County, Alabama. I want to know why she died so young.

Do you know Beatrice Brown Beard's family?

#52Ancestors #genealogy #census #Beard #Brown