Taking advantage of Webtember at Legacy Family Tree Webinars

 

My paternal grandfather, Thomas D. Cooke was born in the area which was Fruit Valley, TN.  I've written about that several times in blog posts here and how that Post Office no longer exist.  This is the announcement of that in the Post Office Daily Bulletin.  I went looking for this after attending a presentation entitled "Delivering the Mail: Records of the United States Post Office" by Michael L. Strauss, AG.  This webinar was part of the Legacy Family Tree Webinars that are being offered as part of  "Webtember,"  If you aren't catching these live, you still have an opportunity to view them.  See Webtember:  All Genealogy.  All September Long!  I also really enjoyed the webinar "What’s Next When You Are Told Those Records Were 'Burnt up' ” by  J. Mark Lowe. FUGA.

Source:
“Post Offices Discontinued,” Daily Bulletin of Orders Affecting The Post Office, 10 Aug 1905, Vol 26 Issue 7756. Sheet 1, col 2; digital images, THE DIGITIZED US POSTAL BULLETINS and PL&Rs 1880 - 2013 (http://www.uspostalbulletins.com/PDF/Vol26_Issue7756_19050810.pdf accessed: 9 Aug 2022). 

Always click thru to the Image of the Record

When you are adding records to your tree at Ancestry or any other site, ALWAYS click thru to view the actual image.  It may not be the person you think it is, OR the name may not be correctly indexed. If you had looked at the image(both shown below for comparison)  you can see that it says Drucilla.  There may be additional information on the document that wasn't noted by the indexer as well as other errors in the indexing. It really is worth your time to do this.  This particular record doesn't add the nearest relative or a relationship but there are some which do.  This could waste your time chasing someone who doesn't exist.  If you can add a correction when you notice these, please do so.  If it doesn't allow for a correction to the indexed item I usually leave a comment with the correction so that anyone else viewing the index will be aware.

Early Newspapers great source for marriages and deaths

Most of Bedford County Tennessee's marriage records prior to 1861 did not survive so locating a marriage mentioned in a newspaper is a wonderful find. 

Nashville Whig (Nashville, Tennessee)
Davidson County, TN
Wed. 17 Oct 1821 Page 3
www. newspapers.com

Who are you and how do you know my Grandmother? --Part 1

The Holidays
As the holidays approached  I found myself as I do every year looking through my wrapping paper, gift bags & cards and trying to determine what I need to buy more of in order to get thru the current season.  Inevitably, I also find the box which contains cards I have received over the years as well as some older cards that people sent to my paternal Grandmother.  One from her sister, Kitty Jakes Bell, another from Cora Jakes Gibson(another of her sisters)...one from her niece Olive Bell Shriver and her husband Sam.  One of the cards was from someone I couldn't place in her family and I thought it might be a neighbor or someone she has rented a house from as they lived in East Nashville rentals a bunch after moving from Old Hickory and before she moved to Dickson.  I looked inside to get the name which I believe I had done before and just  figured that the card was from family.  In addition to the name I also noticed faded ink across the entire card.  At first it looked like a letter had been in the card and faded, but on further examination I can see that the sender, a lady I'll call Flora had written a letter on the folded inside of the card.  The letter told of some hardships she and her family were going thru and made me further curious about how they knew each other.  My curiosity was peaked even further when she asked about my Uncle Morris and sent her regards.

Clues from the Letter
Flora and her husband live in Akron Ohio on Austin Avenue.  She gave vague details of the health problems she and her husband had been facing.  Flora's son was in the hospital in Chillicothe (OH?) and apparently it isn't a minor hospital stay as she mentioned not having written to him in awhile.  This leads me to believe that it may have been a Veteran's hospital so I want to check the census records for this family and see what I can find. Flora's daughter is also having a hard time. Her husband has left her and her children(Flora's Grandchildren) at the holidays.  What little information I do know is pulling at my heartstrings and I want to know how it turned out for these people....and yes...how they know my grandmother.  I note all of the clues to her identity in the letter so that I can use it in my research.

1940 Akron Ohio but not at the address on the card.

• Flora was born about 1902 which puts her at about 11 years younger than my grandmother.
• Her husband works at a Rubber Plant( Goodyear or Firestone?)
• Living at home is a daughter age 17 and a son age 15
• Living at the same house in 1935 (Stanford Ave, Akron, Ohio)

A check of the 1930 reveals a bit more

• Flora and her husband have a son age 11 who isn't in their household in 1940
• Flora's husband was working at the Rubber Shop(maybe the plant hadn't expanded at that time)
• All are Born in Ohio and there parents were also according to this census.
• Flora was 15 when she married and her husband 21.

Checking some of the suggested records that pop up when I view the census records at Ancestry.com lead me to find Flora's marriage record as well as marriage records for her daughter.  The older son was in the Navy as I find his death noted with U.S., Department of Veterans Affairs BIRLS Death File as well as a FindAGrave listing which shows his Navy marker..  I wonder if this is how the family would know my Uncle Morris.  He was in the Navy briefly in 1945.  Was the older son the one who was in the hospital

More clues....and more questions.

I want to look for a divorce record for the daughter.  That will give me an idea of what time period the letter was written which will tell me how far back their friendship goes.  I wonder if Ohio has the divorce court records and rulings at Ancestry like Michigan does.  

Lots to think about.  

1840 Van Buren Co TN Will of Robert Boyd--caught in the middle of a county formaton

The above image is a snippet from the inventory of the Estate of Robert Boyd.  Robert's will was written in 1837(Oct 26th) in Warren Co Tennessee.  Van Buren Co TN was formed from part of Warren Co TN along with parts of White County & Bledsoe County. The act to form Van Buren county passed on January 3rd 1840 but according to the information in the act at the TN.gov site, it appears records didn't start until April 1840.

It looks at though Robert Boyd's probate records were caught in the middle of the formation of Van Buren Co. TN.  A note from Will Armstrong, Warren County Clerk states that it(the will in the Van Buren Co Record Book) is a true copy of the original will on file in his office.  So although the probate records start in Warren Co TN...they end in Van Buren Co TN but do have a copy of all the will there.  In the will Robert left pretty much everything to his wife Jane to use in the support of his "little daughter" Ann. He appointed William Logue and John Boyd as executors. The listing of inventory along with the sale starts May of 1840 and wraps up July the 8th of 1840.  I should note that although Wm Logue is listed on the will as executor along with John Boyd I don't see any more listings of him as a witness or purchaser at the estate sale.  This adds more weight to this being William Marrs Logue, Robert Boyd's Father-In-Law who is known to have passed before September 4th 1839(I need to do a blog post on his estate info.). Wm Marrs Logue was the maternal 1/2 brother of my 4th Great Grandfather, John Fleming.

Person making purchases at the estate sale:  John Boyd, Isaac Hillis, James Hillis, Lemuel Romons, Wm L. Fleming, D. C. Russell, Wm McDonald, Jacob Romons, Wm Johnson, J.A. Miller, Thomas Meders,  Isaac? Tomas, Jesse Mooneyham. Wm McDaniel, Elisha Mayfield, George Ledbetter, Wiley Johnson, and John Russell

"Tennessee Probate Court Books, 1795-1927," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-2RKT-G9?cc=1909088&wc=M6QQ-L38%3A179830201%2C179855401 : 22 May 2014), Van Buren > image 3 of 186; county courthouses, Tennessee.

Reminder to Tennessee Residents--Select Genealogy Databases Available thru TEL

If you are resident of Tennessee you have access to a number of genealogy databases from the comfort of your home thru the Tennessee Electronic Library 


Currently you can access the following thanks to TSLA's agreement with Ancestry.com.

Tennessee, Delayed Birth Records, 1869-1909
Tennessee, Death Records, 1908-1958
Tennessee, City Birth Records, 1881-1915
North Carolina and Tennessee, Early Land Records, 1753-1931
Tennessee, Early Tax List Records, 1783-1895
Tennessee, Enumeration of Male Voters, 1891
North Carolina and Tennessee, Revolutionary War Land Warrants, 1783-1843
Tennessee, City Death Records, 1872-1923
Tennessee, Wills and Probate Records, 1779-2008
Web: Tennessee, Supreme Court Case Index, 1809-1950

HeritageQuest(made available thru ProQuest) and a few other databases are available as well.  Some may require your library name and card number while other's will check your IP address to iusure you are in Tennessee.

If you are a resident of another state, check with your state library to see what they offer.  I think it's highly likely that they too have some free databases available.

Will of John R. Cathey--Dickson Co TN -Drawn July 10th 1827--Proved July Term 1828 -- Recorded Jan Term 1830

John R Cathey No. 46

State of Tennessee Dickson County
I John R. Cathey calling to mind the mortality of all flesh and being feeble of body but sound in memory and understanding do ordain this my last Will and Testament hereby revoking all others.

1st I give unto my beloved wife Peggy Cathey during her natural life or widowhood all of my lands that I am now in possession of(except fifty acres lying above my son Archy Cathey's which I give to my son Joshua Cathey).  The balance at my wife's decease to be equally divided amongst my four younger sons vez. Daniel, Samuel, Martin and John Cathey.  Also I give to my said wife all my personal property after all my legal debts are paid.  Also I give unto my Daughters Jane and Dolly, one feather bed, one cow and calf each when they come of age or marry.

2nd As I have give to my son George one filly, to Archie one small Horse and to my daugher Maj., wife of William G. Austin a cow and calf and feather bed they are to have no more of the remaining property as I consider they have had their share and neither more when the rest are raised.

3rd I do constitute and appoint Munford Smith and Peggy my wife my sole Executor to this my last will and testament.In Witness hereof I sign and seal the same 10th day of July 1827




Test. John Forsythe    John R. Cathey his mark (seal)

State of Tennessee Dickson County Court July Term 1828
Then was the within paper writing purporting to be the last Will and Testament of John R Cathey dec'd produced in open court and proved to be such by the oath of Jno Forsythe as subscribing witness thereto and teh same was ordered to be certified accordingly and recorded

Test. Field Farrar Clerk of said Court

State of Tennessee Dickson County January 30th 1830
Then was the last Will and Testament of John R. Cathey dec'd Recorded in Book A page 103
Field Farrar Clerk

Have been working on locating my husband's lines in the census records. I'm going to have a real challenge working on his lines as they aren't based in the South. His family are Canadians and Scots who arrived in Michigan most coming down from Canada. This will give me a chance to try research in that state as well as to get familiar with researching Catholic church records as most of them were of that faith.