Grandpa's Banking System

 

I went to YouTube the other morning and something caught my eye. The name of the video that YouTube had 'suggested' for me was, "Where to Hide Your Cash When Banks Collapse". It reminded me of a funny family drama that was often mentioned at family gatherings and vacations. Grandpa would laugh, but he didn't change his ways. 

My Grandfather, Jim Jaynes, got his family through the Depression, and this was no small feat. The way things are looking today sometimes makes me think about how they did it, and will we experience such a thing. 

Grandpa was one of the many people who lost everything in the depression. To survive he walked 2 miles on the train tracks every day to get to his work at the ice plant in town, and 2 miles back home after work. They were living in the country, and the train tracks were the shortest route to get into town if you had to walk. He not only took care of his family of 5, but his parents as well. He worked from sunup to sundown, Grandma sewed and gardened, so they got on ok. Grandpa just never, to his death, trusted banks again. 

When they finally moved to town, Grandpa bought two pieces of land and built a house on one, which they lived in until he had the second one built. It was to be their forever home. And what did Grandpa want in his forever home? A great big safe sitting in his bedroom. For some reason he thought bigger was better, which seems to be a common male thought. I don't know why. At any rate, it overwhelmed the room. 

Now, I never saw this thing shut and locked. He had lost the combination when I was a baby. This meant he had to pay to have someone open it. Then he had them fix it so it wouldn't lock again. He was a plumber who dealt in cash, he owned several rental houses which he bought with cash, everyone knew he only took cash. When he sold a property, it took a couple of days longer to close so they could get the cash together. Part of the money went into the safe. It seems he didn't like everything in one place, so he had a "second safe". It was called a coffee can, which he would stuff with cash and bury in the back yard. Yes, the obvious did happen. He buried a can and forgot where. He looked for a long time. As a matter of fact, everyone had a go at looking for it but no one ever found it. We did not know how much was in the can, and if we had, there probably would have been a bulldozer taking all the top soil off the back yard. It has all rotted away by now, I'm sure, both the can and the paper bills. The people who live in the house now have no idea that they have really rich soil in their back yard.

On a side note, just to prove how safe it all was, they never locked their doors. Not until the 1980s when they were in their mid 80s and began to have health issues. According to Grandma, it had something to do with not being able to find the keys. 

Those times are gone forever. 

This is a double post. My blog is now:    FamilyTwigs – TwigTalk – Talking about genealogy, family, creating and recording my personal history, wholeness, and all the things that come in life.  This will be the last double post.

Let's Go On A Journey

 I'm time-traveling through another box of treasures! This time it's a fun journey.

In the summer of 1959 I was 5, and my brother was almost 3. The two of us and my Mother boarded a bus and headed for California. It was 3 days and 3 nights on that thing, with the exception of the bus breaking down in the desert, which I believe was in New Mexico, as there was a bunch of post cards my mother had bought there, and it is the only place she bought anything on the journey there and back.

We were going visiting to my mom's oldest sister, Louise Jaynes Pearson.They lived in San Bernardino. But, I believe we visited my grandaunt, Gladys Alexander Taylor in Los Angeles as well.  We went to Disneyland and the ocean and the cousins were nowhere to be seen, so I am pretty sure we were in LA at that time.

We went to Disneyland!!!! It had opened in 1955.

 The above book had an insert.

 

She even kept the ticket stub. This is the front.

 This is the back. Look at that price. Can you even park for that now?!

 

 

 

I learned many things during my visit. Playing with my cousins in their yard I learned not to go barefoot as walking in the grass was painful, hot, dry, sharp grass crunching loudly. There were ants that bite and it hurt! I was born a water-baby so we visited the ocean. The water, even to a child was dirty and as warm as bath water. The sand was too hot to walk on barefooted. I didn't like anything California but Disneyland and I missed my Dad terribly.  

For Your Information: There is a commercial that says, because of her use of excessive exclamation points, they had changed something. First time I heard it I told my daughter that was me. Not speaking face to face, it's hard to show excitement. So if I use excessive exclamation points you will know I am excited!!!

 

The Generations

 

This is a 4-generation photo. I am the little girl on the left. My Mother, Madelyn Jaynes Brock is next, beside her my grandmother, Della Mae Alexander Jaynes and my great-grandmother, Olive Ellen Martin Alexander Robertson. My mom and I always called Olive, Grandma-Mom. I'm not sure why, but that is all I knew her as. I found her terrifying.  She was a bit cold, sharp and believed a child should be seen not heard. So, I was a very quiet child when in her company. 

The photo was taken at my house. I do recognize the background, but this fact is set in stone with this photo. My mother is the only one that does not have that purse on her arm.  That purse was over-worked, heavy, stiff, leather and all the rage that year. We had a leather place in the county, and everyone had one. Grandma-Mom and Grandma have theirs on their arms. My mother had one as well and she would have it on her arm if we were not at home. I had a matching billfold with my name pressed into it. Sorry, I lost it. It was so stiff I couldn't get money in it anyway, so I lost nothing of value. Phew.  By the way, I'm unlisted in case you find it.

Olive married William Hays Alexander in 1902.  In the 1910 census, William and Ollie Alexander and the first 3 of their children are in a rural area of Jennings County, Indiana. William is listed as a farmer like his father was. He was not happy with that and soon moved his family to Seymour. In the 1920 census, William and Ollie Alexander and 6 of their 7 children are on Glen Lawn Road. This is a small area that was just beginning to be built up. Now it is just a small neiborhood of Seymour called Glenlawn. William repaired automobiles, Ollie stayed home. 

In the 1930 Census, Olive L Alexander was 48 and widowed, as William died in 1928. The L should have been an E as her name was Olive Ellen, though she was always called Ollie. She was living on Euclid Avenue in Seymour, Indiana, and working at the Shoe Factory. She still had 4 children at home, Lucille, Opal, William and Norma, but her married son, Merrill, lived right down the street with his wife and daughter. Her son William, called Bill, was 10. This is interesting because living just around the corner on Noble Street. was a 4-year-old Lois Plumber staying with her grandmother, whom he would one day marry.  I wonder if he ever met Lois as a child. She was a wonderful person. 

Olive married Frederick C. Robertson, "Fred", in 1934.  Fred was warm and nice. Introvert marries extrovert.  Warm versus cold, nice versus mean, light versus dark, oh, never mind. I've noticed it happens a lot, though. Anyway, in the early 1960's Fred contracted TB and was put into a sanitorium. While he was gone Olive had a stroke in the night and could not get to the phone for help. She wasn't discovered until the following day. As soon as she was able to speak clearly, she ordered her lawyer to her side and divorced Fred, getting her name Alexander back. She said she was not going to die as a Robertson. She was going to die as an Alexander. So, 12 years later, in 1975, she did. I don't know why she felt that way. 

The first time I saw a message about any of my family in the late 90's on the RootsWeb Mailing lists was a question about why Olive was buried as Olive Alexander when she was married to Fred Robertson. So now you know.

Now, she will probably haunt me. 

Fred and Olive can be found in the 1940 and 1950 census in Seymour, Indiana. Fred died in 1965 in Salem, Indiana.

There are photos on this blog with Olive and William Alexander and Olive and Fred Robertson. Just search for 'Olive'.

I miss the Mailing Lists on RootsWeb. FB is not the same.

Uncle Don

 

This is my uncle, Donald Eugene Jaynes.  This is the last photo of him that was taken. It sat in my grandmother's living room until she died.  I have it now. He was only 16, a new driver, and a popular guy in his set. He was a good boy and a good son. He got tired one day and just never got better. They took him to the hospital, but the news was bad. He had leukemia. There was nothing that could be done at that time. My grandfather was told that if he stayed in the hospital, they would use Don as a guinea pig. A lab rat. They couldn't help Don, but they might learn something that would help someone else one day. It was 1938 so what could one expect. My grandfather and the doctor decided Don would go home but they would not tell my grandmother that he was dying. After all, she wouldn't be able to function. Instead, they gave her a list of things to make him feel better.  She worked hard to make him better. Then he died. She was devastated. She felt she hadn't done enough. Or worse, did something wrong. Life in that household was never the same after that.  My mother turned 3 just 9 days after he died.  She remembered that time, even though she was so young.  She remembered that they had gone someplace, and Don was laying with the covers to his neck. Everyone was talking quietly so she thought he was asleep. But he never came home. It was years before she could understand. Life had changed; it was never the same again. 

Donald Eugene Jaynes

September 17, 1921 - June 17, 1938

I have put his Funeral Register in a Google Photos Album and I am sharing it. Just click on his name above. I've gone over it and know of, or the families of all these people. It was 85 years ago. I am sure they are all gone now.  If you have or know of a family in Jackson County, Indiana, you might just recognize a name. 

 A lesson was reinforced here. If two men put their heads together and make decisions, nothing good will come of it. My grandmother never got to say her goodbyes. Also, ink and pens were messy and expensive, so most of the time it was pencil.

At WikiTree Jaynes-76

52 Ancestors, Week 1: I'd Like To Meet . . . . . . . . . .

 I have talked over the years about how I wanted to meet one ancestor, in particular, more than the others.  I've written about him before.  I would still love to have a talk with him.  He died just 7 days after I was born. We just missed each other.  Anyway, I wrote about him here, The Eyes of Old Tom, and he came up many times in the blog over the many years I have written. 

I think I need to write about another one I would like to meet. This one is very easy since I always have questions I'd like to have answered from each ancestor.  

I've always felt a special connection with Elizabeth Ellen (Bohall) Hovis. Not that I know that much about her. Her husband I know a lot about. She was never mentioned in the many articles that were written about him. He traveled and would be gone for weeks, she was home with the kids. In the census, he was listed as a farmer, but was he?  I know he was a traveling preacher, and quite a star in a small area of the state. Well, someone was home raising the kids and keeping the farm going. I know it wasn't Henry.  He was there when the census taker came around, but now for much else. I could be just letting my imagination run away with me, but there is these articles in the local paper.

In the May 20, 1897 issue of the  Jackson County Banner there is a small entry: "Elizabeth Hovis vs Henry Hovis, divorce denied, each party to pay their own costs." This is interesting. But in the same paper 2 months later, dated July 22, 1897, there was this.  "Mrs. Henry Hovis died Saturday night. Funeral services were held Sunday at the Bagwell Graveyard." 

I have so many questions. Times were so different for women then, how did she make it?  How did she feel about his constant traveling? How did the farm continue with him gone? How did she feel about being alone? 

Elizabeth was born June 17, 1844  to George David Bohall and Catherine E. Draper.  She was the mother of 4 children, Seth, Mary, Margaret and Martha.  She died  July 17, 1897 in Jackson County, Indiana.

#52Ancestors

Searching For George Brought Sadness

 

I'm still working on photos. I have made a huge dent though. Two large folders are done, and I am working on the next folder, which is larger than the last one, so I will be in it for a while. But they are correctly named and meta data added.

When I need a break I type out obits to add to the program. I have 9 left to do. No problem there! I think an obituary is my favorite source. Yes, I know they are not always right, but for the most part they are. They have a lot of hints in them that can get you to the next step. Anyway, I had a George M. Woodson that did not seem to fit anywhere into my family. I was fairly certain that he should fit in. As I was typing out his obit, the only person I recognized listed was an aunt, Cora Woodson Jaynes. I had no siblings listed for Cora in my program, though I knew her parents names. George died in Italy in 1943. I made the assumption that he was brought home for burial. I then went to Find-A-Grave. No George buried in Indiana. When I removed the place of burial, George Marion Woodson popped up, having died in Italy in 1943. He was buried in Italy. I know, duh. In my defense, most of my people that died on foreign soil in WWII were brought back for burial, at least they have grave sites in the county. I'm not going to check that they are in them! 

Then, another problem. He had no parents or siblings listed on his page on Find-A-Grave. I knew from the obit that his parents were Louis and Mary Woodson. So I went looking for Louis Woodson. No luck there. I had not searched for Cora on Find-A-Grave before, so I tried that. I found her, her parents and siblings were listed. Interesting. There was a Lewis. Not Louis. Spelling can give me a headache. On his page there is no George listed as his son. In the newspaper obit I have, a John Bias was listed as an uncle. Lewis Woodson married Mary Belle Bias. On FamilySearch it was all laid out. In the obit was listed a Mrs. Reichenba and a Mrs. Mae Wheeler as sisters, while in another little blurb article about his death, sisters were listed as Mae Woodson and Mrs. Lucille Reichenba. I know where he fits now. They were all listed as children of Lewis Woodson. There was no death information on George. He was 25 when he died with no wife or child, and obviously forgotten over time. I will have to go and remedy that (and hope it stays corrected). I'll add the obit as well. Now to find sources to go with it all.

This talk about WWII got me thinking about my uncle, Ermil Trapp. He was killed in the Battle for Metz, France in 1944, part of a tank brigade. My mother, a 9 year old at the time, remembered going to meet the train carrying his body home for burial. I know that this ritual happened over and over again. I put their obits and stories on the Jackson County INGenWeb site when I was the CC there. I remember typing out the obits for two brothers. They were the only children the family had. This family gave their all, and I don't know how they kept from falling under the weight of sorrow. I would have to limit myself to only one obit and article a day because I would feel sick after doing more, I wanted to cry all the time. 

These guys are the original Antifa. They gave their lives so we would not have to live under Fascism. It's time to remember that, the price they paid for this freedom we have, and hold it dear.  

Picture from Pixabay (https://pixabay.com/images/search/tree/)

52 Ancestors 52 Weeks - Week 51

James Jaynes

James Jaynes was called Jim by most people, Jimmy by his family. He was born on the 8th of August, 1901, in Jackson County, Indiana. (He was a Leo in every way!) His parents were William Obadier Jaynes and Lorraine Wilcutt. He was the second of 6 children.

He first shows up in the 1910 census with his family. He is 8 years old. They are living in Seymour, Jackson County, Indiana.

In 1920 he is still with his family in Seymour, Indiana. The census was taken on the 15th of January, which will become in the next entry why I mention that. He is 18 and all his family is there.

On the 9th of October, 1920, he married Della Mae Alexander in Brownstown, Jackson County, Indiana. He was 19 and she was 16 years old.

In 1921 their only son was born. Donald Eugene, Don, was born on September 17, 1921. In 1923, Clarice Louise was born. There is a funny story about this one. My grandmother loved the name Clarice. She knew of the name because my grandfather, Jim, had dated a girl with that name. This is the name she gave to their first daughter, and my grandfather had a fit. He would not call the child Clarice! He made sure it was not on the birth record. She was just Louise, but grandma persisted and that was her name, and that was always made clear by one faction in the Jaynes home! She was called Louise all her life. On March 21, 1926 Joyce Lorraine came along.

On the 1930 census, he is listed as Jimmie, age 28, his wife Della is 25. They are still listed as living in the city of Seymour. In the household are Donald, 8, Louise C., 6 and Joyce L., is 4.

Grandpa managed to work through the depression, but life was slim. By the next census the will have moved to "the Ridge", a rural little town at a place called Chestnut Ridge. There Grandma would be able to garden and he could hunt behind their house. He also moved his parents out there. Today the it is a place you just drive through, everything is gone. But at the time, it was a bustling little rural community with its own school. In 1935 this is where my mother was born.

Their last child, my mother, was born in 1935.

In 1938 the family was decimated by the death of Donald Eugene Jaynes. He died June 17, 1938. of leukemia. He was 17 years old. Just beginning his life. It was a devastating blow to them all.

In the 1940 census, they are still at "the Ridge" in Jackson County. His parents live right across the road. He is listed as James, and he is 38, Della is 35. In the house are only two children, Joyce, 14, and my mother at age 4. He was listed as working at the Canning Factory, which was in Ewing or Brownstown, I believe. At this time he had to walk to work, which was miles. My mother said he would walk the railroad, which cut straight through, making the walk lass than following the road.

By 1950 they had moved to "town", Seymour, and he started his own business. He took up plumbing, and I grew up hearing Grandma answer the phone saying, "Jaynes Plumbing". He was very successful and was actively working until the last 3 or 4 years of his life. He often took goods instead of money, remembering how hard it was in the depression.

He was a hard working, funny, kind man, and I miss him still. He loved to fish, but he was more funny than a serious fisherman. He loved to play Bingo. We had to do that at every family thing. Just for him. And there had to be prizes!

On October 21, 1989, James Jaynes died. He was 88 years old. He was buried in Riverview Cemetery, in Seymour, Indiana.

James Jaynes was my grandfather.

Sources:
Birth: James Jaynes, birth certificate (1901), Seymour Jackson County Department of Health, Jackson County, Indiana.
1910 U.S. Census, (Seymour, Jackson Township, Jackson County, Indiana); Page: 160, T624, 357, HeritageQuest.
1920 US Census; (Seymour, Jackson Township, Jackson County, Indiana); , T625, 439, HeritageQuest.
1930 US Census, Seymour, Jackson, Indiana, United States, (Seymour, Indiana); family:173 sheet:7A line:5, T626, 2340329, NARA. FamilySearch.
1940 US Census, 1940 US Census, (Chestnut Ridge, Washington TWP, Jackson County, Indiana), Sheet No. 9 B - Dwelling 162. NARA; Washington, DC 20408. 
Death Certificate: James Jaynes, death certificate no. 243 (1989), Jackson County Health Dept., Jackson County, Indiana.

#52ancestors #genealogy

52 Ancestors 52 Weeks Week 37

William Harrison Jaynes

William Harrison Jaynes, also known as Harry, was born April 10, 1899 in Jackson County, Indiana, to George Thomas and Cora Mae Hines Jaynes. He was the first child of 6, two boys and 4 girls.

I met Uncle Harry when he was very old. I did not get to interview him, or really have a conversation. According to all accounts, he has a very interesting life. The stories all say that he drank a bit, and road the rails. Lived a hobo life, part time. I wish I had first hand information about that. The stories say that when he got tired of "normal" life, he simply jumped a train and was gone for long periods of time. Very simple to do in a railroad town.

That is not saying that Harry had no family. He married Sylvia Pearl Malone on June 30, 1917 in Brownstown, Indiana. They had 4 children: Donald, Edna Margarite, Marion, and Albert. My mother remembered Sylvia, and liked her very much. Unfortunately she and Harry were divorced, and both remarried. Harry married Leona Mabel Coffman on January 6, 1931 in Jackson County, Indiana. There are no children to that marriage, and I believe it lasted a very short time. Harry then married Jessie Patronis on May 15, 1938, again in Jackson County, Indiana.

I have tracked Harry and his family through the census, but it doesn't help to know Harry. He is often missing from the record anyway.

I think Harry tried to be what people expected him to be. You know, a husband and father, with a 9 to 5. My grandfather, his brother James, a.k.a. Jim, was not able to be so generous to Harry. Growing up with Harry was hard. When they were at home, Harry simply took what he wanted, even if it was his brothers. Jim never spoke of Harry, nor did he see him in those last years. There was no outward hostility nor any bad words against Harry. Just a silence.

I've heard from others that Harry was a very engaging man, so nice and interesting. I wish I'd known him better. I'm afraid I don't even have a photograph of Harry, and I'm not sure that one ever existed. It is one of my most wanted articles.

Sources:
"Indiana Marriages, 1811-2007," database with images, FamilySearch, William Harry Jaynes and Sylvia Pearl Malone, 1917; citing Jackson, Indiana, United States, various county clerk offices, Indiana; FHL microfilm 1,314,632.

Marriages Record, 6 January 1931, Indiana, Marriages, 1811-1959: image: 00361; FamilySearch, citing Jackson, Indiana, United States.

"Indiana Marriages, 1811-2007," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VZQB-PDD : 21 January 2016), Harry Jaynes and Jessie Patronis, 15 May 1938; citing Jackson, Indiana, United States, various county clerk offices, Indiana; FHL microfilm 1,220,659.

#52ancestors #genealogy

52 Ancestors 52 Weeks Week 28

Edna Catherine Abbott

She was known as Katie. As a matter of fact, I did not know her full name until I started researching her. She was always just Katie. No one in the family seemed to know it either. I learned it through documents. Her life was short, and she had no living children of her own, but she deserves remembering.

She was born on May 9, 1892, in a small place called Fleming, in Jackson County, Indiana. She was the daughter of Oliver Perry Abbott and Cora M. Hines. I wrote about Mr. Oliver Perry Abbett/Abbott HERE.

In the 1900 census of Monroe Township in Washington County, Indiana, Katie is listed as Catherine Abbott, the 8 year old step-daughter of George T. Jaynes. I discussed the other children of Mr. Abbott in the earlier post, so I will not go over that again.

In 1906, Katie marries a James Buck Hobson. She is, by my calculation, 14 years, 5 months old. James is 22 years old and has been married once. He was divorced in September of 1906. The marriage took place in Jackson County, Indiana, by a Justice of the Peace.

By the time the census taker came around again, Katie is back living with her mother and step-father. She is listed as Katie Hobson, step-daughter age 18. She lists one marriage lasting 4 years, and one child having been born, no children living. She is working as a waitress in a restaurant. James may be living with them as well but is not home at the time. I'm not sure about that. I do know that there is a little blurb in the local newspaper on November 12, 1913, that reads as follows:
Clip:
The Tribune
Seymour, Indiana
Wednesday, November 12, 1913
Page 1

Two divorces were granted today, James Hobson was granted a decree of divorce from Katie Hobson and John L. Jaynes was granted a divorce from Anna Jaynes.

On November 29, 1914, Katie married George Frank Forrest Jr. in Jackson County, Indiana. George, who was called Frank, was 28, and Katie, 22. George has been divorced, as well as Katie.  She signed her name as Edna C. Hobson. George Frank was previously married to Alta Mae Foster, who shows up later in my family, married to another of my relatives. Frank Forrest had one son wtih Alta named Earl Forrest. The family story said that Alta was a drinker and that Frank and Katie raised Earl together. I have found no evidence of the drinking accusation, and Alta did marry again. I'll do more investigative work on this little tidbit.

In the 1920 census, in Seymour, Jackson County, Indiana, George F. Forrest, wife Edna K. and son Earl T. are listed. George is 33, a Teamster, regular hauling, Edna K, Katie, is 24 and Earl T., son of George and Alta, is 10. Apparently the story of Katie and Frank raising Earl together has some merit. 

In the 1930, Seymour, Jackson County, Indiana Census, Katie and Frank are living on Tipton Street. He is 43 and she is 36. He is working as a common laborer at Odd Jobs. It's the beginning of The Great Depression. They are renting the home they are in for $10. Earl has gone. They have been married now for 14 years.

On
May 7, 1934, Katie died. She was buried in Riverview Cemetery in Seymour, Indiana. She was 41 years old. Her obituary:

Seymour Tribune
Monday, May 7, 1934
Page 1

Had Been Resident of Jackson County Throughout Her Lifetime

Mrs. Katie Forrest age forty-one, a life long resident of the county, died
at the home of her sister Mrs. Helen Anderson, 618 South Carter street, at 
12:30 o'clock this morning following a year's illness with a complication 
of diseases.

Mrs. Forrest was born in Jackson county on May 9, 1892, the daughter of 
Oliver and Cora Hines Abbott. She was married on November 14, 1915, at 
Brownstown, to Frank G. Forrest, who survives. During her residence in 
this city she made many friends who mourn her death.


She is survived by the mother, the husband, one son, Earl Forrest, this 
city, two brothers, Harry Jaynes and James Jaynes, both of Seymour, and 
four sisters, Mrs. Myrtel Ballard of Indianapolis; Mrs. Agnes Henley, Mrs. 
Anderson and Mrs. Mary Trapp, all of Seymour. Three Grandchildren also 
survive.

Funeral services will be conducted at 2:30 o'clock Wednesday afternoon 
from the Voss Mortuary with the Rev. W. C. Morris, pastor of the Church of 
the Nazarene, in charge. Burial in Riverview Cemetery.

Friends may call at the Voss Mortuary at any time.

Sources:
1900 US Census, Monroe Township, Washington County, Indiana; Page 106 Dwelling 163 Family 163, T623, 412, HeritageQuest.
Marriage -James Buck Hobson and Kattie Abbott, 3 October 1906, Indiana, Marriages, 1811-1959: ; FamilySeach, Seymour, Indiana.
1910 U.S. Census, Seymour, Jackson Township, Jackson County, Indiana; 
Page: 160, Series: T624 Roll: 357, Heritage Quest.
Article; The Tribune. Seymour, Indiana, 12 November 1913.
Indiana, Marriages, 1811-1959, index, FamilySearch, Edna Catherine Hobson, 1914.
1930 US Census, Seymour, Jackson, Indiana; Family: 120 Sheet: 5A Line: 19, T626, Roll 594, NARA, FamilySearch.
Obituary; Seymour Tribune, Seymour, Indiana, May 7, 1934.

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Cora Hines Jaynes - Part 2

I left off on Thursday at the 1900 census. I'll continue from there.

In the 1910 census they were in Seymour, Jackson County, Indiana. Thomas is 40. He's a fireman at the mill, which would be Blish Mill. Cora is 40, and listed as 2 marriages and seven children, 5 living. The children are Harry, 11, James, 8, Myrtle, 5, Agnes is 2, and step-daughter, Katie Hobson is 18 and living with them. She is a waitress at a restaurant. She was already separated from her first husband, James Buck Hobson. Strangely it says she was married 4 years and that she had one child, which died. She is 18, which means she married at about 14?

Cora is the photo to the left, taken out at the "Ridge".

The 1920 census shows them living in Seymour as well. They are living on Euclid Avenue and renting. The family consisted of Thomas G., age 50, and a fireman at the ice plant. It was called Ebner’s Ice Plant, and my grandfather worked there for a while, as well. James was 18, Myrtle is 16 and working as a trimmer at the shirt factory. Agnes is 12, Helen, 8, and Mary is 5. Harry age 20, his wife, Sylvia age 17 and their child, Edna, 5 months old are also living with them. Harry is listed as labor at the ice plant.

In the 1930 census the family is living in Washington Township. This is out at a place called Chestnut Ridge. It was a rural farm community in the knobs of Jackson County. Thomas is 60 and still listed as a fireman at the ice plant. Cora is 60, as well. Harry is still living with them, but listed this time as divorced, and still at the ice plant. The only other child still at home is Mary, age 16. She is still at school.

It is common knowledge in the family that Harry was a heavy drinker. He also would be gone long stretches of time, riding the rails like a hobo. I wish I had interviewed him before he died. I am sure he had many stories that were amazing. He was well liked and married 3 times. My grandfather was not a Harry fan, and he had good reason, but most people liked Harry. His story for another day.

In 1940, the family is still at Chestnut Ridge according to the census. George Thomas and Cora are in dwelling 161 and my grandfather, James, is in dwelling 162. Both Tom and Cora are 70 years old. She had no children at home to care for. He is no longer working. My grandmother loved Cora and I know she liked living right across the road from them.

On the 21st of December, 1948, Cora died in Seymour. She was 78 years old. I think she had a good life, at least I am hoping so. My great-aunt said that she died of cancer in her female parts. Again, this was wrong. Cora died of cancer of the bladder. They were living on Hancock Street in Seymour, Indiana. She got sick in October of 1948 and lived only until December. Tom would follow her in 1954. They are buried in the Chestnut Ridge Cemetery in Jackson County, Indiana.

The Tribune 
Seymour, Indiana
December 22, 1948

Jaynes, Mrs. Cora Jaynes, 78 died at her home in Seymour Tuesday night at 7:45 o’clock following a six weeks illness.

 Funeral services will be held at the Voss Mortuary Friday afternoon at 2 o’clock.

 Mrs. Jaynes was born in Jackson county, March 8, 1870, the daughter of George and Agnes Joyce Hines. She was married at Brownstown, September 11, 1898 to George T. Jaynes, who survives.

 Besides the husband she is survived by six children; Harry and Jimmie Jaynes, and Agnes Henley and Mrs Helen Anderson all of Seymour: Mrs. Mary Trapp, Seymour, R1; Mrs Myrtle Ballard, Indianapolis; 26 grandchildren, and one sister, Mrs Jane McKinney, Neoga, Illinois.

Sources:
1910 U.S. Census, Seymour, Jackson Township, Jackson County, Indiana, Page: 160.
1920 US Census, Seymour, Jackson Township, Jackson County, Indiana.
1930 U.S. Census, Washington Township, Jackson County, Indiana, Sheet No. 8A Dwelling 151 Family 152.
1940 US Census1, Washington Township, Jackson, Indiana, United States, family:161 sheet:9B line:45.
Death Certificates; Indiana Archives and Records Administration; Indianapolis, IN, USA;  Year: 1948; Roll: 13.
Obituary; The Tribune; Seymour, Indiana; December 22, 1948

52 Ancestors 52 Weeks Week 27

Cora Hines Jaynes - Part 1

This is the life, as I know it, of Cora Hines Jaynes, my Great-Grandmother. She was a mid-wife and "birthed" my mother and her 3 siblings. My Grandmother thought of her as a second mother. She always said that Cora was just common as an old shoe and so warm and loving to her. I'm not sure what that means, other than Grandma loved her. Grandma said, as well, that Cora had a rather infamous temper when it came to old Tom. Seems they never had a matching set of china, at least, not for long. My grandparents lived with Cora and Tom the first year of their marriage. After that, they were never far away.

Cora was born on March 8, 1870, in Neoga, Cumberland County, Illinois, to George Washington Hines and Agnes Joyce. Her mother, Agnes Joyce Hines, died in 1872 when Cora was 2.

The first time she shows up in a record, is the 1870 Census, at 3 months old and in Illinois. In the 1880 census, they are in Neoga, Cumberland County, Illinois. Her father, George Sr. is 45, George Jr. is 22, Jennie, 18, Louisa is 15, and Cora is 10.

After 1880 is a blank until 1890, when she appears in a marriage record. Here, she is 20 years old, and her father is giving his permission to marry an Oliver P. Abbett.  There is a family story about this marriage. My grandmother said that he was much older than her and not very nice to her. I interviewed a great-aunt, one of Cora's daughters, and she was more to the point. She said Cora was horribly abused. Most of everything my great-aunt told me has been dis-proven. Almost all of it. I interviewed her several times and made a point to ask for the same information each time, and it simply did not happen the way she recalled. I cannot confirm or disprove the abuse claim but I have found that Mr. Abbett, that we know as Percy thanks to my great-aunt, was much older than Cora. Mr. Abbett was actually called Perry, and he signed as Oliver P. In 1890, when he and Cora were married, he was 56 and she, 20. The much older thing does apply. The marriage was on the 2nd of April, 1890.

I wondered how on earth these two got together? First of all I found Mr Abbett married a Mary M. Pyatt on August 18, 1858. They had six children That I was able to find. In 1880 there are 4 listed in the census, Delbert, 20, Charles, 19, Lillie, 16, and Ellie is 14. The importance of this census record is very great. Cora's uncle, Charles Hines, married to Celia Higgins, was dwelling number 200. Oliver P. Abbett was dwelling 203. Cora must have met him when she visited her uncle. I have found no other connection.

Cora divorced Mr. Abbett before 1896. So, she was not married to him for very long. I knew there was 2 children. According to my great-aunt, a Katie, which I know about, and a boy named Percy. According to her account, Percy, the child, not the father, wasn't very strong. He just laid down in the floor and died one day. All right. That sounded strange to me, even then. Now, of course, I know that the 'Percy' is most likely named after his father, Oliver Perry. Katie was actually, Edna Catherine Abbett, called Katie. I have not found any reference to Percy, a.k.a. Perry.

On September 11, 1896 Cora married George Thomas "Tom" Jaynes. The 1900 census lists how many children a woman had and how many living. This is wonderful for me. Listed is William H., which is my Uncle Harry Jaynes, Catherine Abbott is step-daughter, age 8. But the great thing is that Cora has borne 4 children, with only 2 living. So there was most likely a Perry Jr. I doubt very much that the child just laid down and died. So, here is one other child I knew nothing about. I don't know if that child was a Jaynes or Abbett. My great-aunt said that both her babies, referring to Cora, were buried in Salem, Washington County, Indiana, which is significant. I have found no confirmation, but that does not surprise me. They were most likely buried in unmarked graves.  I do believe that little Perry Jr. lived into her marriage to Tom Jaynes. All of the records of Mr. Abbott are in Bartholomew and Jackson Counties, except for his death in 1912, which was recorded in Fayette County, Indiana at the home of his son. He was listed at that time as widowed. His entry into the 1900 census in Jackson County, Indiana, listed him as divorced. I have narrowed the death of Perry Jr. to the years between 1896 and 1900. This is a step forward. If they were buried in Washington County, it would have been after the marriage to Tom Jaynes took place. That means Perry, a.k.a. Percy, died as a young child, and the baby was most likely a Jaynes, but could also have been a young child like Perry Jr.

To be continued. . . . .

#52ancestors #genealogy

Sources:
1870 US Census, 1870 US Census, Illinois, United States.
1880 U.S. Census, 1880 U.S. Census, Neoga, Cumberland County, Illinois.
Oliver P. Abbott & Cora Hines, 2 April 1890, Indiana, Marriages, 1811-1959: FamilySearch, Indiana.
George T. Jaynes/Cora Abbott - License & marriage, (1896), Indiana, Marriages, 1811-1959: Image Number: 00343.
1900 US Census, 1900 US Census, Redding Township, 
Jackson, Indiana, United States, Page: 3 Sheet: A Family: 57.
Oral stories recorded from Mary Jaynes Trapp.
Oral stories recorded from Della Alexander Jaynes.

A Program, A Project and A Person

As you know, I purchased Legacy Family Tree genealogy program to suppliment my RootsMagic. I was having a real problem with RM. I have cleaned up the mess it made. A few days ago, there was an update for the program, though I don't know what it was fixing, I hope it fixed my problem. I'm still watching, making sure the mess does not reappear. So far, so good. Legacy is so different that I am slowly learning it's ways. It is not as easy to get around in as my RM, but I have used RM for so many years and so many versions, that I could probably work in it blind-folded. Well, not really. There is a learning curve, for me, to Legacy. I put a GedCom in it without sources. I need to learn how to add them in Legacy and the only way is to do it, over and over. I love the "Marriage List" in Legacy. That is a great feature. I think the "Map Family" is good too. It almost writes the family story for you. In the reports section I love the "Questionnaire"! "Advanced Tagging" is going to be really helpful. The "Alarm" is amusing. Like I would stop? Anyway, I am really looking forward to having the 'skills' to work in Legacy. I may really like it!

I finished up one of my GenWeb counties WWI page. All the Gold Star Honor Roll soldiers are on the site, with an article, in many cases, many articles, and a profile. I have already started on my second county. In one case, I was working on a young soldiers page and realized he had died exactly one hundred years ago on that day. He was only 18. I could say a lot about men and their wars, but I won't, at least not this time. In the era of WWI, most of the boys died from the outbreak of Spanish Influenza. They came in from a nice safe farm into a crowded camp riddled with it, and they did not last long enough, sometimes, to actually see battle. I find it hard to do, these pages. Not as hard as actually being a soldier. I will most likely survive the pain.

My Uncle Don, who died on June 17, 1938, was only 16 years, and nine months of age. He is not forgotten.

The Tribune
Seymour, Indiana
June 18, 1938

Donald Eugene Jaynes, age sixteen, died at the home at Chestnut Ridge south of Seymour at 3 o'clock Friday afternoon. Death followed an illness of one month's duration with acute leukemia.

Funeral services will be conducted at 2:30 o'clock Sunday afternoon from the Voss Mortuary here with Dr. A.A. Cohn, pastor of the First Baptist Church, in charge. Burial in the Chestnut Ridge Cemetery.

The Jaynes youth was a native of Seymour and was born here on September 17, 1921, the son of James and Della Alexander Jaynes. Both the parents survive. He spent his entire life in and near Seymour and made many friends who were shocked to learn of his death.

Besides the parents, he is survived by three sisters, Louise Jaynes, Joyce Jaynes and Madeline Jaynes, all at home.

Friends may call at the Voss Mortuary after 7 o'clock tonight.

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks - Week 23

David Janes

This is a family I need to do a lot of work on.

David Janes is my 3rd-greatgrandfather. He was born in 1811 in Kentucky, most likely Adair County, as that is where they seem to start out. His father was named, David, as well.

About 1829 David married Nancy H. Hughart. (sometimes Huggart) They produced 9 children, youngest of which was my 2nd great-grandfather, William Obadier Jaynes. I wrote about him here and here. There was also Rebecca Hughart, Henry B., Martha B., Grace W., Elizabeth, James Thomas, Nancy M.C., and Eliza Jane Janes. All of the children were born in Kentucky. 

In the 1850 US Census, in Barron County, Kentucky, the family consists of David, 39 and a farmer, Nancy, 36, Henry B., 17, Martha B., 15, Grace W., 12, Elizabeth, 9, James T., 9, and Eliza J., 2. By 1850 Rebecca was married to David A. Turner. She and David Turner married in 1846 in Adair County, Kentucky, but sometime between 1860 and 1870, they moved to Fulton County, Illinois.

In 1860, David and his family are listed in the census in Eastfork, Metcalf County, Kentucky. The family includes, David, 69, and still a farmer, Nancy H., 48, Nancy M.C., 17, Eliza J. 15, and William O. is 8. Most of the children are gone and there is the addition of my ancestor, William.

In the 1870 census the family is living in Campbellsburg in Washington County, Indiana. It really was a migration just a few miles north into Indiana. Land was very cheap, and David is still a farmer. The family is David, 60, Nancy, 58, and Eliza, 23.

I have seen other work online about this family and they have Nancy passing away shortly after the 1870 census, and later David remarrying a Elizabeth Taylor. I have not found any source information about that. I do think David was dead by 1880. I could not find him in the census at that time. I have a lot to do here. I did recently find a book on Adair County History that listed a lot of his family. His father, David, was listed as a pioneer of the county.


Sources:
1850 US Census, Division 2, Barron County, Kentucky; Page 426 Dwelling 325 Family 331, Film number: 803387. FamilySearch.
1860 US Census, EastFork, Metcalfe, Kentucky; Page No. 147 Dwelling 966 Family 966, Series: M653, Series: M653 Roll: 387 Page: 947, Heritage Quest.
1870 U.S. Census, Campbellsburg, Monroe Township, Washington County, Indiana; Page no. 3 Dwelling 22 Family 22, Heritage Quest.

#52ancestors #genealogy

What's Going on Right Now?

For starters, the photo to the left, is of an orchid my mother has grown. She had never raised one before. My sister gave her a little stick of an orchid and this is what happened. Apparently, orchids love my mother! It's a beautiful flower. She has a green thumb, and can grow anything. It's official now.

One very exciting new thing, at least for me, is the formation of the Virtual Genealogical Society, or VGS. It is for people that are unable to get to meetings and conferences. Perfect! This kind of thing has been needed for a long time. Very happy to see it come into being. At $20.00 per year, it is very affordable. The line up of presenters is amazing. How can you turn down such an opportunity? Well, I couldn't. I love being able to participate finally! Here is the website: https://virtualgensoc.com and they are on Twitter. (@VirGenSoc) There is a facebook page that is for members only.

Just had computer trouble this past week, though not on my laptop, which is the one I use most. An update to Windows 10 took out my desktop.  It actually kept saying to install Windows. I was unable to get it into safe mode or get it to recognize the DVD drive to try to reinstall. I finally was able to get it into the "fix" mode by forcing it (doing something you are not supposed to do). It worked. I have reinstalled back to factory default. That means it has been wiped clean. I had trouble with the last 3 updates on that computer. I wonder if it was having some other type of problem. Hopefully that is over now. This is a lesson for everyone. Backup, backup, backup, and then, backup. Nothing lost. This is a lesson I learned back at the dawn of time, and I learned it the hard way. Of course, back then I just had to start over entering from my paper files.  I would not want to do that again. I shudder when people say they don't keep paper. I will stay 'old school', thanks.:)

I accidentally found a source, another Revolutionary War veteran, and one generation back, that I did not know. I have placed my David Janes where he belongs. So I found great treasure, and I'm so excited. I have run onto things quite often by accident, sometimes after searching for years without success. Amazing.

#virgensoc #genealogy #familyhistory

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks - Week 10

Strong Woman

There are many strong women in my family. It is hard to pick just one. Any woman that survived through the Great Depression was strong in my eyes. It was a very hard time.

My great-grandmother was Olive Martin Alexander. I have written a little about her over the years. She was born in 1885. She was the third child born to Samuel and Maggie Martin. In 1902 she married William Hays Alexander. They had 7 children. In 1928, William died, leaving her with 3 of the children still at home.

She went to work. She was, when she retired, a superviser at the local shirt factory. She got her family through the depression. She did not remary until 1934.


To the left is a photograph of Olive and her second husband, Fred Robertson.

In 1963 she had a devastating stroke. The stroke occurred

in the night but help did not arrive until morning. Fred, her second husband, was in a sanitarium for TB. She was partially paralyzed thereafter. I went with my grandmother, Della Jaynes, many times to visit her. I never once heard her complain about her situation. She was mentally sharp for the rest of her life. She survived to the age of 89, and passed away in 1975.

#52ancestors

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

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

Grandpa's Pen - Artifact

My grandfather, Jim Jaynes, was a self-employed plumber.  As a child I would watch him work at his desk with the most wonderful pen.  It is a fountain pen.  I kept it because I was so curious about it as a child.  Now, the bladder inside has turned to dust.  It certainly needs some help to make it work again.  I'm not even sure that can be done.  But it rests on my desk as it did on his for so long. 

4 Generations of Women

The first woman on the right is my great-grandmother, Olive Ellen Martin Alexander who was called 'Ollie' by her friends, Grandma-mom by my mother and I. Next to her my grandma, Della Alexander Jaynes, then my mother and the smallest woman in the group is me. The photo was taken in the late 1950's at my house. It's the only photo with all of us together that I know of. Grandma-mom died in 1972 and my grandma in 1996.


A Women's History Month post.