Trying To Clean Up A Mess I Made

 I am currently dealing with a mess of my own making. Many years ago, when I was too eager to fill empty boxes, I took another person's word as stone without doing the work. I am not adding so many people now, as I am filling in the blanks and dealing with the mistakes I have made. This one is a doozy, but I was unsure, even all that time ago, so I did not go any further than George Washington Joyce/Joice.  That part is good. The rest is a mess which I am cleaning up. 

The daughter of George W. Joyce is my second great-grandmother Agnes Joyce Hines. The Hines family is set in stone, resourced fully.  It's a great story too. But George W. Joyce is a different story. I was sent a marriage verifying that George Washington Joyce married a Jane Iden in Virginia by a family member years ago. I listed Jane Iden because I had that and the 1850 census which lists "Jane" as his wife. That is not enough, trust me.  In the 1860 census George is with his son Elijah, no Jane here.  I thought she must have died or gotten a divorce. Indiana was a Mid-West little Reno in those days, divorce was easy and fast, so it was a very real possibility.  I decided to come back to it later. Then life happened and it was many years before I got back to working seriously due to health. During my sick time I received an obit for Jane Iden listing three husbands, George W. Joice as husband number one.  Quite frankly I was not up to making those kinds of decisions but did. I took it and added it to the tree, even though it didn't seem quite right.  So here I am. Luckily, I am a firm believer that most mistakes can be fixed.  We will see. 

1850 Craig Township, Switzerland County, Indiana

Geo. Washington Joyce 44 (North Carolina), Jane 43 (North Carolina), Agnes 16 (North Carolina), Robert 15 (North Carolina), George W. 13 (Indiana), Peter 11 (Indiana), Hester 9, (Indiana) Effa 9 (Indiana), Elijah 6 (Indiana), Martha 4 (Indiana), Thomas J 4mos (Indiana).  

Side NOTE: Hester and Effa are twins.

Agnes, the daughter of George W. Joyce, married George Washington Hines. My ancestors.

1860 Craig Township, Switzerland County, Indiana-listed as a farmer. George Sr. is dwelling 232, and George Jr. is dwelling 238.

232-George W. Joice 55 (North Carolina), Elijah 16 (Indiana).

238-George W. Joice 23 (Indiana), Mary 20, (Indiana) Ephraim 4 (Indiana).

Oddly at dwelling 231 is a Richard Sharp 28 (North Carolina), Julia A. 42 (Indiana), Susan 13, William A. 5 (Indiana). 

Julia A. was Julia Ann Hines Sharp, sister to George W. Hines. Richard was born in North Carolina, son of Alexander Sharp and Malinda Cardwell. Susan Hines, another sister of George Hines, married Noah Sharp, again son of Alexander and Malinda.

1860 Vevay, Craig Township, Indiana

Robert Joice 27 (North Carolina), Nancy 18 (Indiana), Jane 50 (North Carolina).

Opppps. Found her. She was "in town" with her son and very young wife, probably helping out. 

1870 Vevay, Craig Township, Indiana-listed as a farmer

Joyce, Robert 40 (North Carolina), Nancy J 26, (Indiana) Josephine 10, (Indiana) Henry 6 (Indiana), James 4 (Indiana), Harrison 10 mos. (Indiana), Joyce, Hester 26 (Indiana), Marion 8 (Indiana), Jane 64 (North Carolina).

George Sr. died before 1870.

Robert Joyce marriage record to Catharine Higgins he lists his parents as Geo. W. Joyce and Jane Sharp.

Peter Joyce death cert lists his parents as George W. Joyce and Jane Sharp.

[sigh] I should have done this years ago. Let's see, everything lists her as Jane Sharp/Sharpe.  Switzerland County, Indiana was home to the Joyce and Sharp family from North Carolina. 

I know. Stupid and sloppy mistake. 

For the record, there is a George Washington Joyce/Joice in North Carolina that married a Jane Iden in Virginia. They did move to Indiana.  Still no excuse. Will update later on.

A Nice Potpourri This Week

 I finished getting all of Uncle Dons things in "the box" scanned and in google photos.  His hunting and new driver licenses, letters, birth, obit and other things are now in the file.  A couple of photos as well. The only thing I did not put in the album is the calendar that was on the wall when he died. My grandmother had written on it, and it just felt so personal to me that I could not share it. She spoke to me about her pain during that time and I just could not share that part.  His death in 1938 stayed raw and painful for her all of her life. I have shared this with you here. (https://photos.app.goo.gl/Y3qn7foH1hrYVtpe7) 

I've had several things going on this week. The first thing I did was to go through all of my paper files and replace the beat-up ones with fresh new folders. First time I've done this in 40 years. It took much longer than it should have since I would get stuck inside the folders, lost in the forgotten gems I had found. Now I have a new list of things to add to the program. I also have a clear idea of how I need to proceed, so there is a lot of scanning in my future. My goal is to get them into binders.  I want all of it reduced to a flash drive and binders. Guess I'll see how that goes. The unpleasant and surprising part is that there was a lot of dust involved. Aaaaachoo! Anyway, I have been studying how to this for some time. I did try to do it before and failed. I like this post by Paul Chiddicks on his blog The Chiddicks Family Tree on how he does it. There is also Genealogy Pants post on the same topic.  I love Carly Morgan's Family Tree Notebooks. I bought one page to try as I'm a PC and she's Apple. I could not get it to work. Broke my heart. She also has YouTubes and you should just watch them, well, just because they are great! If anyone reads this and has some wisdom to impart, I'd love to hear from you.

 Usually, I am at the sewing machine but lately I've been into something else. I saw a pattern for an afghan and suddenly wanted a wildflower afghan. Not very far into it yet but I don't have to buy anything. I have so much yarn from other projects that this is a 'freebie'. My favorite kind. (The pattern is called African Flower, a very simple pattern.)

John Martin Is A Pain

 There are days that are going so well that I feel the need to ruin it completely. You know, turn it into a dumpster fire. I just had one. I felt like today is the day! Today I will find out just who my John Martin is. I can do this. I already know what the free sites have, but today I have Ancestry! Success is moments away. Right?

My 3rd great-grandfather was John Martin. My Grandmother knew very little about him. All she could tell me was that his name was John and he fought in the Civil War. Her grandfather, Samuel Sanders Martin, never talked about his father. Grandma even thought maybe he died on a boat or something in the war. Now, I started this family thing in the very late 70's and yeah, I know, I'm old, but I have been beating my head against this wall for a long time.

So, John Martin married Mary Ann Allman (Polly) in Jackson County, Indiana on October 3, 1852. I have the marriage documentation for that. In the 1860 census, I found John and Mary Ann Martin in Sparksville, Washington County, Indiana. John 25, Polly Ann 20, Rebecca Elizabeth 3. My great-grandfather, Sam, was born on Valentines day of that year so they weren't counting infants. John would have been born about 1835 according to his age at that census. So I should look at naming patterns, right? I did try that. Then I remembered something very important. Mary Ann, Polly if you will, was the daughter of Samuel and Rebecca Allman. Yes, the first time I realized that I cried. It still brings tears to my eyes.

By the 1870 census the family is found in Brownstown, Indiana, with Reuben Cockerham. Reuben 27, Mary Ann 33, R.E. Martin 12, and SS Martin 10. Mary Ann Martin married Reuben B. Cockerham January 19, 1869, in Jackson County, Indiana. Rueben had fought in the war as well, leaving as a Corporal. His family was easy to find. 

Now the question is, did John die in the war? Divorce was a thing in Indiana during those years. So that would be a possibility as well. 

After going over military records for the past 40 or so years. [sigh], I did come to a conclusion in studying them. I go over it each time I try to find him, and I still believe I found the right one. Private John Martin, Indiana, enlisted December 1, 1863. He was in the 10th Cavalry Regiment, Company C. This unit became the 125th as the 10th was handed to an African American unit (you should read about them!). He mustered out on August 31, 1865, at Vicksburg, Mississippi. There is the Sultana, which is fascinating but a very long story so I will leave it off. Many of the Company died when the Sultana blew up in April of that year. John was not on the list and his papers say he survived the war, mustering out in August. 

Something new I found this time around was something I thought would help. I found the death cert for Rebecca Elizabeth Martin Beck. Here's the new part. 

John R. Martin. I have a middle initial. This will help, right? 

I have a census with a John R. in 1850 in Washington County, Indiana. He's 15 which puts his birth at 1835. Perfect. Birthplace is KY. 1860 says Indiana but that is often the case. His parents would be Lemuel (42) and Polly Martin (38). Best part is that in 10 years, 1860, he is 25 and a perfect match. Not set in stone yet, but STRONG.

Then this: John R. Martin married Caddie M. Hungate on February 25, 1869, in Washington County, Indiana, the same year Mary Ann remarried. Again, not in stone but STRONG.

I actually found something this time. It was very emotional. I did have to lie down. I'm still recovering today, but I think I will survive this time. I'll add sources when I'm sure and, of course, stronger.

(I wanted Comic Sans but Blogger doesn't have it. Am I going to have to leave this platform??)

WikiTree Wednesday - A New Thread

I think this is WikiTree Wednesday now. Maybe I need to stick with this one. I have added John S. Dye to my Hovis Family. Sarah Ann Hovis is the daughter of Henry and Sarah Hoke Hovis.  Sarah Ann is my third great Grandaunt. She married John S. Dye in 1865 in Indiana. Here they are at WikiTree:

• John S. Dye [Dye-3749]
• Sarah Ann Hovis [Hovis-417]
• Armina V. Dye [Dye-4278]
• James Albert Dye [Dye-4279]
• Henry Elmore Dye [Dye-4280]
• Louis Clarborn Dye [Dye-4281]
• William D. Dye [Dye-4282]

I'm still looking for children. I am certain that I have missed a couple. But the interesting thing about John is that on Ancestry I found his death cert. It lists his parents as James Dye and Sarah Fankbener.  (Crazy name, right? First for me! I have to say it sounds like something I would say when speaking angrily to another in front of children. Sigh. Okay, back to the story.) The only James Dye I have found in the right place and with a son named John S., born in 1839 is a James and Maria Dye, in Salem Ohio. A tree on Ancestry has Maria listed as Maria Guyton.  According to the tree they were married in 1833. Also, according to the tree, Maria died in 1875 and James married a Sarah Maring in 1877. Maring is a lonnnnng way from Fankbener.  No sources to check.  The informant on the death cert was Albert Dye, I have to assume it's James Albert Dye, his son. I have found 1850 and 1860 census records of this family. They are in Salem, Ohio. My John was born in Ohio. I don't know how he came to Indiana, but his family is listed in the 1870 census in Ohio, but John is gone by then.  My John married Sarah Hovis in 1865 in Indiana. He would have been around 25 at the time.  

So now I need to find the true parents. I'm hoping for a Fankbener quite frankly. I want that in my tree.

On another note, on Friday they cut down a tree right outside my window. Perfect tree, sat there for at least 40 years, maybe more. When I opened the blind this morning there were limbs and leaves everywhere. I slept through the night, so if there was a wind, I missed it. Nothing on the patio was bothered. Maybe a little wind came up and the other trees in their grief just let it go. I know I have mourned the loss myself. (I still have all my limbs, though.)

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

Alexander Family and My Headache

 I have a minor mystery. I've been working on my Alexander line lately and have come to several problems I should be able to find answers for.  I'll start with the question I have always had. Female children are so hard to find. I've found if there is a long gap in children during childbearing years, most likely the child died or was a female. 

So, I have a Thomas Augustus Alexander (the Augustus is from other researchers) who was born in 1752, some say Ireland, but I believe somewhere here in the US. He married around 1790 in Tennessee to a Mary Barr, again no records. He did have at least 3 children; George, Grandville C. and William.  Something happened to Mary and there is another marriage.

The second marriage happened about 1800, maybe in North Carolina. Again, I have no records. But Sally (King) is buried with Thomas in Jackson County, Indiana.  She died in 1829 and he in 1849. The only children that I, and many other researchers, have found are: Margaret (KY 1801), James Milton (TN? 1802), John Henry (KY 1803), and Thomas King (KY 1814). She and Thomas were married over 20 years, and she was around 15 to 17 when they married.  There is a lot of gap time. Now on to my real quandary.

I am descended from John Henry (Alexander-24431). In the 1850 Brownstown, Indiana Census he is listed with his wife Mary Frances (Carter) and his children; John H. (my ancestor), and Isaac. That was all. I knew the girls survived because I have their husbands and children. I found Louisa 3, and Mahala 5, in a household in Brownstown with Nancy Hutchinson 43 (KY), Rebecca Hutchinson 14 (IN), and Elizabeth King 45 (KY). My first thought when I found them was, 'Oh, they are visiting with the aunts'. I just felt like I knew that. Seriously. I have not found Nancy or Elizabeth connected to Thomas, or even an Alexander. But they could fit. The girl's father, John Henry is 40 and their mother, Frances is 42 in 1850. They are certainly contemporaries.  

I took a 6-month sub to Ancestry hoping to break through a few of my brick walls. I've been banging my head against this one for just over 3 weeks. So far all I have is a headache. 

In my heart of hearts, I KNOW these women are 'the aunts'.  A knowing cannot be a source. 

WikiTree

Thomas Alexander (Alexander-6724)

Sally King (King-14460)

John Henry (Alexander-24431)

Mary Frances (Carter) (Carter-46827) 

Mahala Alexander (Alexander-24545)

Louisa Jane Alexander (Alexander-24569)

Isaac N. Alexander (Alexander-24570)

The Sad, Embarrassing Truth

 

I think I have finally admitted that one piece of software is not going to cover it all. I have sinned. . . . . (tears and guilt, etc.)  I downloaded the free version of RootsMagic9 just to try and see if I could make sense of it. A couple of videos later I am frustrated not because I couldn't figure it out, but because I couldn't use much of the "new" features that I thought interesting. I had pre-bought 8 before it came out so, I got a discount. Yes, I bought it. Not sorry.

I had created a Fact Type called WikiTree in Legacy and it transferred perfectly to RM9.  But to create one in RM9 is so simple as well.  I can also see who I have gotten entered on the WikiTree site simply by adding it to the People List under Customize. I can see who has a number and who does not, so I know who I need to add to WikiTree.   

I had just started using hashtags in Legacy and loved it. I don't think they transferred. I had added so few that I was unable to find any, but the "Groups" seem to do what I wanted to do with my "tags". I had wanted to be able to make a list of my war veterans by conflict.  Check. Easy peasy. Okay, I still have a lot to do. I can think of so many more "groups" I can do. It's truly a wonderful research tool.

Adding sources are so different from version 7.  I'm not crazy about it, but Legacy is just as different. So, I will have to pull up the big girl panties and do it until it becomes a smooth process.

I have more videos to watch on RM9. I have had trouble finding good videos on 'how to' in Legacy. It's been a little harder.