Ermil R. Trapp - A TwigTale

Ermil R. Trapp
Born: August 28, 1923
Died: September 15, 1944 France
Buried: Marion Cemetery, Jackson County, Indiana
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ACTIVITY DURING WWII
Ermil served in General Patton's 735th Tank Battalion in a light tank. He was killed in the Battle of Metz, France in September 1944.

Ermil Trapp Dies in Action September 15
Local Soldier Was Serving With Tank Group in France - Widow Gets Word

Technician Fifth Grade Ermil R. Trapp, age 21, was killed in action September 15, according to a telegram received late Sunday afternoon by his wife, Mrs. Joyce L. Trapp, 620 Euclid Avenue.

"The Secretary of War desires me to express his deep regret that your husband, Technician Fifth Grade Ermil R. Trapp, was killed in action on September 15th in France. Letter follows," read the telegram, signed by J.A. Ulio, adjutant general.

Sgt. Trapp entered the service on January 8, 1943, receiving his training at Fort Lewis, Wash., as a member of a tank battalion. He had served overseas since February 1 of this year. Mrs. Trapp's last letter from her husband was dated September 6.

Lived at Chestnut Ridge.

Born in Jennings county, T.5 Trapp was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Fred Trapp, of Chestnut Ridge, six miles south of this city. He spent most of his life in the Chestnut Ridge community, attending school there. He was employed throughout the county on various farms and also worked at Camp Atterbury before entering the armed forces.

T.5 Trapp was widely known both in this city and throughout the county and a host of friends join with relatives in mourning his death.

Survivors include the widow, the former Miss Joyce Jaynes, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. James Jaynes, with who she makes her home; a fourteen-months-old daughter, Judy Kay Trapp; the parents; five sisters, Mrs. Fern Russell, of Beanblossom, and Marjorie, Carol, Vivian and Phyllis Trapp, all of Chestnut Ridge; and three brothers, all of whom are in service. Ernest Trapp and Murrel Trapp, both serving overseas in England or France, and Donald Trapp, serving on a Navy destroyer in the South Seas.
~frontpage: Seymour Daily Tribune, Seymour, Indiana


Brick at the Veteran's Memorial - Seymour, Indiana

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Grave photo: owned and taken by Tina Brock Smith
Photo: in possession of Former Judy Kay Trapp
Obit: original in my possession
Brick Photo: owned and taken by Sheri Bush
for: Veteran's Day Post 2008

I have 2 step-nephews and 1 full nephew serving right now. One already had several tours in the US Navy and is stateside now. Two will soon be going.

Henry Hovis - A TwigTale

Henry W. Hovis was born on July 1, 1840 in Noble County, Ohio and he died June 11, 1935 in Nashville, (Brown County) Indiana. He was the son of Henry Hovis and Sarah Hogg. On July 9, 1864 he married Elizabeth Ellen. Bohall in Brown County, Indiana.
Elizabeth, daughter of George David Bohall and Catherine E. Draper, was born June 17, 1844 in Jackson County, Indiana and died July 17, 1897.

This is an entry in *1886: History of Jackson County, Indiana. Brant and Fuller.
MARTIN GROVE CHURCH.

This church was organized March 15, 1878, three miles
northeast of Clear Spring. Members: Prudy Elkins, Sarah
Martin, Martha Scott, Hanna Scott, Nancy Cobb, Ollie Winein-
ger, W. A. Williams, Sarah Williams, Mary B. Smith, John C.
Bowman, Adaline Bowman, Martin Beavers, Mary A. Beavers,
Henry Hovis, Elizabeth Hovis and William Paris; ministers:
Elders R. J. Gorbet, David Sexton, J. R. McCoy, J. W. Maynard
and H. Hovis.

As you can see, Henry is also listed as a minister.

They had 4 children: Seth, Mary C., Margaret C. and Martha Jane. Margaret C. Hovis is my great-great-grandmother. My grandmother spoke of her often and said she was her favorite person. Seth was divorced by his wife for violent behavior and died in the County Farm in Independence, Missouri . I have not found Mary or Martha yet.

The church no longer stands.

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*Title: History of Jackson County
Publisher: Chicago: Brant & Fuller 1886
Page: 424
Jackson County Public Library/History Resources Online
http://www.jacksoncountyhistory.org/books/index.asp?book=brantfuller&page=424

John H Alexander

John H. Alexander (son of Thomas) was born 1803 in Ky, and died August 18, 1886 in St. Louis, Missouri. He married 1.Judah Northern December 25, 1828 in Washington County, Indiana. He married 2.Mary Frances Carter[Lucas] January 16, 1841 in Jackson County, Indiana.

Isaac Alexander, b 1850 I believe he died as a child.
John Alexander, b. November 15, 1842, Indiana; d. August 4, 1904, Seymour, Jackson County, Indiana.
Mahala Alexander, b. 1844, Indiana.
Louisa Alexander, b. 1847, Indiana; m. Ephram Wilson, October 27, 1867, Jackson County, Indiana.

My biggest interest right now is finding more information about Judah Northern. About Judah I know little, except that she died before January 16, 1841. I believe she was born in Kentucky though I cannot prove it. I also believe they had at least one child, a son.

Mary Frances was married first to Joel Lucas on July 20, 1826 in Clark County, IN. She liked to call herself Frankie, and it is listed that way on the marriage record. I had always assumed that Joel had died but communication with other researchers has indicated that maybe they were divorced. I know they had at least one child. In the 1840 census of Jackson County she is listed as 30-40 with a male of 5-10 in the household. She and John remained very close to Lucas family members, often listed as a Lucas in the household at the time of a census, so I really don't believe the divorce was a reality. I grew up knowing that Lucas was family.

James Jaynes - A TwigTale

James Jaynes
8/9/01 - 10/21/89

James Jaynes was my maternal grandfather. He was the middle child of 'Tom' Jaynes and Cora Hines Jaynes. Cora always called him Jimmy, and said that was what she intended to name him. I don't know much about his growing up years. He never talked about it. I do know that he and his brother, Harry, were not close. Harry was a heavy drinker all his life. I believe there was some trouble between those two that never healed.

At 19, October 8, 1920, he married Della Mae Alexander. They did not have a large wedding. They were married at the courthouse in Brownstown, Jackson, Indiana. At the time he was working at the Ebner's Ice Factory. His father worked there as well, as the fireman. In the beginning they lived with Tom and Cora. My grandmother loved Cora. She talked about her passionate temper and warm, loving nature. My grandmother's family had been cool and rigid about rules and all the do's and don'ts. My grandmother talked about how she loved the warmth of Cora.

Jim (as he wished to be called) and Della finally settled into a house of their own in a small community called Chestnut Ridge, just outside of Seymour, Indiana in Jackson County. The factory was located in Seymour, so to get to work, Jim walked the railroad tracks several miles back and forth every day. When the Depression hit, it wasn't as hard for them as it was a lot of families. He did have a job, and the need for ice was still there.

My grandfather was a saver. He had saved and saved, hoping to make his own dreams a reality. His hard earned money was safely in the bank. Of course, he was one of those who lost everything. This so scarred him that he never put a dime in the bank again. Later in life he bought and sold property. Yes, he did so with cash. Closing on sales always took longer as the bank always had to wait a few days to get the cash together. He had a large, monster of a safe in his bedroom that he kept every dime in. It didn't matter that everyone assured him his money would be safe this time. He simply wouldn't believe it.

He and Della had a boy, Donald, and then 3 girls. In 1938, Donald died of leukemia. He never talked about his feelings during that time. But when he died, Donalds last photo was still in his billfold.

When his father was unable to work, Jim made sure they had a house and plenty on the table. He believed firmly in taking care of his own. He parents never needed for anything. His mother died in 1948, and his father in 1954.

He did finally put together a business of his own. He became a plumber and electrician. He never turned anyone down because they couldn't pay. He often was paid in goods. They never needed for anything. He provided well for his family, all his life.

He built 2 houses on O'Brien Street in Seymour. The first, they lived in for a few years. The second one, next door was the one they would spend the rest of their lives in. Here is where you can read about it and see a photo.

I remember the phone rang at their house all the time. When it did at dinner time he would turn the air blue as Grandma ran behind him fussing that the 'kids' were listening! It was a joy! We thought it was so funny. He also had some funny words he used often. No one knew what they meant. He would say something that sounded like 'Poo-ay' , but I don't have a clue how to spell it. He thought it was funny.

He loved bingo. He also loved to fish, though he wasn't very good at it and didn't start until very late in life.

I was going through a box from a collection to be put on the Jackson County site and came across a receipt from 1948 for work my grandfather did. Talk about serendipity! What a treasure to me. He stayed quite busy until a few years before his death.


- This was written for:
Genea-Blogger Group Summer Games
4. Write, Write, Write!
D. Write a brief biographical sketch on one of your ancestors.

The Family Language or The Mason/Dixon Line Runs Down The Middle of Our Table

Funny this should be the subject of the Carnival of Genealogy. I have been thinking about the language I heard as a child of late. Language shaped a lot of my youth. Not a foreign language, at least not a recognized one. Perhaps it should be called more of a heavy accent. Now, my ancestors from both sides were here very early. Many, on both sides, fought in the Revolutionary War. So the language has always been English.
Our holiday table was actually the meeting of the North and the South. My father was born and raised in the Alabama Mountains. All of his family were southerners from, as they say, way back. On the other side of the table we have the North. My mother's ancestors were primarily northerners. So it was sometimes very interesting just listening quietly while people talked.
My maternal grandma, Della, whom I loved so much, would say; 'Hello darlin', come give grandma a hug'. Upon entering my paternal grandma's, Bizzie's, I would hear; 'Come give your maw-maw some sugar, girl'. Della was reserved and calm, while Bizzie was all passion. I heard Bizzie call her neighbor who had upset her, 'That damn Yankee woman!' Della would say, 'carry that' and Bizzie would proclaim, 'tote that over here!'
A southern accent seems to label you as lacking in the mental area in the north. I know this from painful experience. If I fell into my, what I called 'south', I was called names by the neighborhood kids. On the other hand, we often visited family in Alabama and a northern accent made you 'uppity'.
Yes, there was a family language, in fact, two. I loved both grandmas' and that tends to overcome any language barriers. So, I am fluent in two languages. Perhaps I am even the bridge between them.
I would love to hear both my grandmas greet me if only once more.


Submitted to the Carnival of Genealogy for August 15th edition, "The Family Language".
Also part of: 2008 Summer Games/Genea-Blogger Group on Facebook - for 4. Write, Write, Write! - B. Participate in a genealogy or family history related blog carnival.

Donald Eugene Jaynes: A TwigTale

Donald "Don" Eugene Jaynes was born September 17, 1921 in Jackson County, Indiana. He was the only son of Della and Jim Jaynes, had a dog named drum and was generally a normal, full of life boy. He had 3 sisters.

He was so happy in February of 1938 to get his Beginners License to drive.


He became ill in May and died June 17, 1938 of Leukemia. They didn't tell my grandmother that he was dying. They did not think she would be able to go on and they were probably right. She had to care for him, and she thought he was going to get better. She often talked about the horrible grief that stayed on her for so long. At this time of year she always became sad and talked about him and his friends. His life had only begun.


She had kept the calendar. This was written at the top of June. Up until this page she had written all kinds of things each day. There were no entries after June by her.

TwigTale: Della Mae Alexander/Jaynes

Della Mae Alexander Jaynes was my favorite grandmother. She died 12 years ago yesterday, and she is much missed everyday. She was born to William Hays Alexander and Olive Ellen Martin on September 4, 1904 in Jackson County, Indiana. The oldest of 7 children, and she was the longest lived of all of them.
In the above photo she was 14 years old.
She married James Jaynes in 1920, and in 1928 her father died.
She and 'Jim' had 4 children. They managed to get through the Depression together, mourned the loss of their only son and build a business after that. He built a plumbing business out of their home and she was the one that took care of the phone. In the early days they were often paid with food or furniture. No one was ever turned away when they needed a plumber. They did fine all their lives and were very happy. They celebrated their 69th wedding anniversary 2 weeks before he died.
She loved birds, particularly canaries, and once she raised them, from egg to adult. The house was full of joyful noise. She was an avid gardener. Her thumb was so green she could grow anything. She loved to read and crochet. She admired Eleanor Roosevelt, and called Eleanor her hero. Her favorite poet was James Whitcomb Riley, and she often read "Little Orphan Annie" and "The Raggedy Man" to me, and just as they were written. She also sewed and taught me when I was barely big enough to have a needle.

Above is a doll quilt she made me 50 years ago.
She loved her family, her church and life. She died quietly on June 6, 1996 in Jackson County, Indiana where she had spent her life.

Bizzie Lee [Beard] Brock

This is my grandmother, Bizzie Lee Beard/Brock with 5 of her 7 children. I have often wondered about her name. Bizzie. If you google it, you get only her. In early census records she is listed as Busy L. and Lee B. If she was born with Elizabeth or another eveyday name, she took the secret to her grave. I often heard people address her as Miss Bizzilee, running it all together like one name. My father, Rufus Lee, is the tallest young man in the back. He died in 2006, completely breaking my heart.

Bizzie Lee Beard was born May 28, 1909 in Atalla, Etowah Co., Alabama. She died January 8, 1989 in Seymour, Indiana. She was the daughter of Charles Pinkney Beard and Beatrice Brown, both of Alabama, and she married Rufus Marion Brock. She attended the Calvary Baptist Church all her life. She was a Sunday School Teacher when I was young. Her mother, Beatrice, died when she was a baby.

I remember her getting up every morning and making biscuits from scratch. Melt in your mouth biscuits. I have asked everyone for the recipe and no one was able to achieve them. The how to was never written down. Something lost in time, I am sorry to say.
My dad always said it was hard when his dad died, but he could hardly stand being without his mom.
I have not been able to get a lead on the Browns. Beatrice was born May 29, 1890 and died October 1, 1911. She possibly had a brother or nephew named Robert Brown in Alabama. The story is they moved away from the area. I do know that they were close to my grandma when she was growing up. I have heard that she lived with them for a while after her mother, Beatrice, died.
A story that Grandma told me was about her wedding day. She said that on the day her and my Grandfather wanted to get married they had to go looking for the preacher. They found him at the local filling station. He married them on the back of a buckboard wagon in the pouring rain. She told me this story herself when I was a young woman of about 13 or 14. So I believe it was true.
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