Tag Archives: Ohio

Mary Ann King Murnahan: The Bare Bones of a Life (52 Ancestors #2)

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52ancestors-2015-02

This post was for Week 2 of 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks. Theme: “King.” (See what I did there? )

Mary Ann King, my 3rd-great-grandmother, is one of those ancestors for whom I don’t have a ton of information. I only have the bare bones of her life.

She was born 1 December 1820 in “Nicholas county, Virginia.”1)Historical hand atlas containing map of Gallia County, and histories of Lawrence and Gallia counties, Ohio, (Chicago: H.H. Hardesty, 1882), p. 22. This is according to a county history published in 1882, which makes me wonder about the place. Did they mean Nicholas County which was Virginia when Mary Ann was born, but turned into Nicholas County, West Virginia in 1863? Did they mean Nicholas, Fluvanna County, Virginia? To figure that out, I’ll need to research her parents, Alexander and Nancy (Payne) King, as well as her siblings.

Mary Ann married John Murnahan on 24 June 1838 in Lawrence County, Ohio.2)FamilySearch.org, Ohio, County Marriages, 1789-1997, John Murnahan and Mary Ann King marriage, Lawrence County marriage vol. 1-3, p. 276. Together, they had 10 (count ’em – 10!) children:

  • Elizabeth Jane, born 3 July 1840 (my great-great-grandmother)
  • Nancy, born 4 April 1842
  • Sarah, born 16 June 1844
  • John M., born 26 September 1846
  • Mary, born 24 January 1850
  • Missouri, born 1 August 1853
  • America, born 19 September 1856
  • Sophronia, born 28 December 1858
  • Levi, born circa 1859
  • George, born 1 January 1862

Mary Ann lived with her daughter America and her family in Lawrence County in 1900.3)Wilson Lewis household, 1900 federal census, Lawrence Twp., Lawrence County, Ohio, ED 70, sheet 16A, nos. 270/275. That census is the last record that I have for Mary Ann.

References   [ + ]

1. ↑ Historical hand atlas containing map of Gallia County, and histories of Lawrence and Gallia counties, Ohio, (Chicago: H.H. Hardesty, 1882), p. 22.
2. ↑ FamilySearch.org, Ohio, County Marriages, 1789-1997, John Murnahan and Mary Ann King marriage, Lawrence County marriage vol. 1-3, p. 276.
3. ↑ Wilson Lewis household, 1900 federal census, Lawrence Twp., Lawrence County, Ohio, ED 70, sheet 16A, nos. 270/275.

Della Starkey Ramsey: The Grandmother I Never Met (52 Ancestors #52)

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There are countless inspirations for beginning the quest to discover your family’s history. For me, it started with my two grandmothers. My paternal grandmother Adah Young Johnson, the first of my “52 Ancestors” this year, was the keeper of the family stories and the family Bible. In many ways, she was our family’s historian. But it was my maternal grandmother, Della Starkey Ramsey, who inspired my first search.

I never met my Grandma Ramsey. She died when my mom was only 8. She had suffered a miscarriage and developed peritonitis. Though the condition is still serious, today it is much more easily treated. People typically don’t die from it today. She was only 27.

Grandpa remarried about 4 years later. Mom still had contact with the Starkeys (her mom’s family), but she was closer with the Ramseys. Consequently, Mom didn’t grow up with the stories or the heritage from that side of the family. It wasn’t until I started researching that she knew the maiden name of her Grandma Starkey (Della’s mother).

Mom hasn’t told us many stories about her mom. I hope she won’t mind me sharing this one.

The day of the funeral was rainy. Like a typical 8-year-old girl — and one who is trying desperately to find a sense of “normal” when her world has turned upside down — my mom was worried that her brand new hair ribbons would be ruined. Her father gently assured her that if they did, he would buy her some new ones.

I only have one photograph of my grandmother. Though she is in profile, I love how content she seems and how happy my mom looks.

scan0002Della Starkey Ramsey was born 4 February 1911 in Perry County, Ohio, the fourth of Edward and Clara (Skinner) Starkey’s eight children. She married Ralph Ramsey in 1929. She died 12 July 1938 in Perry County and is buried at the top of the hill in Olivet Cemetery.

Nancy Dillon Kingery: 1842 Was a Rough Year (52 Ancestors #49)

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Timelines are powerful tools in our research. They can show us holes in our research, give us ideas for new places to look, and even help us evaluate evidence. (“She was only 2 when she gave birth? Huh. I think something is wrong here.”)

Timelines are even more powerful when we include dates of a person’s entire family. Doing that for Nancy Dillon Kingery, my 3rd-great-grandmother, gave me a whole new insight into her life.

  • 1808 – Born1)Nancy Ann Dillon Kingery, FindAGrave.com, memorial 70131401. Includes photo of tombstone in Kingry Cemetery in Lawrence County, Ohio. Birth date of 2 August 1808 calculated from age at date of death.
  • 1832 – Married Henry Kingery in Lawrence County, Ohio2)FamilySearch.org, Ohio, County Marriages, 1789-1997, Henry Kingry and Nancy Dillon marriage, Lawrence County marriage vol. 1-3, p. 158.
  • 1833 – Birth of son Armsted3)Henry Rengers [sic] household, 1850 U.S. census, Windsor Township, Lawrence County, Ohio, p. 399, nos. 65/67.
  • 1835 – Birth of son Lewis4)Henry Rengers [sic] household, 1850 U.S. census, Windsor Township, Lawrence County, Ohio, p. 399, nos. 65/67.
  • 1836 – Birth of son William5)Henry Rengers [sic] household, 1850 U.S. census, Windsor Township, Lawrence County, Ohio, p. 399, nos. 65/67.
  • 1838 – Birth of daughter Mary6)Cemeteries of Windsor Township, Lawrence County, Ohio. No publication info.
  • 1839 – Birth of daughter Elizabeth7)Elizabeth Kingery, FindAGrave.com, memorial 70146859. Includes photo of tombstone in Kingry Cemetery in Lawrence County, Ohio.
  • 1840 – Death of daughter Elizabeth8)Elizabeth Kingery, FindAGrave.com, memorial 70146859. Includes photo of tombstone in Kingry Cemetery in Lawrence County, Ohio.
  • 1841 – Birth of son John Peter9)FamilySearch.org, Ohio, Deaths, 1908-1953, John P. Kingrey death certificate, 11782 (1917), digital image.
  • 1842 – Birth of son Samuel10)Samuel Kingery, FindAGrave.com, memorial 70146927. Includes photo of tombstone in Kingry Cemetery in Lawrence County, Ohio. NOTE: The tombstone is hard to read; an earlier transcription varies on the month and day of his death, though both agree that it was in 1842 and he was aged 20 days.
  • 1842 – Death of son Samuel11)Samuel Kingery, FindAGrave.com, memorial 70146927. Includes photo of tombstone in Kingry Cemetery in Lawrence County, Ohio. NOTE: The tombstone is hard to read; an earlier transcription varies on the month and day of his death, though both agree that it was in 1842 and he was aged 20 days.
  • 1842 – Death of daughter Mary (13 November)12)Cemeteries of Windsor Township, Lawrence County, Ohio. No publication info.
  • 1847 – Birth of son Henry Franklin13)Henry Rengers [sic] household, 1850 U.S. census, Windsor Township, Lawrence County, Ohio, p. 399, nos. 65/67.
  • 1848 – Birth of son McCager14)Henry Rengers [sic] household, 1850 U.S. census, Windsor Township, Lawrence County, Ohio, p. 399, nos. 65/67.
  • 1864 – Son John Peter enlists in 173rd Ohio Volunteer Infantry15)Roster Commission. Official Roster of the Soldiers of the State of Ohio in the War of the Rebellion. Vol. 9. Cincinnati: Ohio Valley Press, 1889.
  • 1872 – Death of husband Henry16)Henry Franklin Kingery, Sr., FindAGrave.com, memorial 70128122. Includes photo of tombstone in Kingry Cemetery in Lawrence County, Ohio.
  • 1894 – Died17)Nancy Ann Dillon Kingery, FindAGrave.com, memorial 70131401. Includes photo of tombstone in Kingry Cemetery in Lawrence County, Ohio.

1842. The year that Nancy gave birth to her son Samuel, only to see him die three weeks later. Then 4-year-old Mary died later that fall. Nancy had already lost her 1-year-old daughter Elizabeth in 1840.

How did Nancy cope with the deaths of her children? Was she frightened to discover she was pregnant in 1847 and again in 1848? How worried was she when John Peter went off to fight in the Civil War?

The gap in her children between 1842 and 1847 makes me wonder. Did she have — and lose — another child in that time? Did she avoid getting pregnant, afraid that she would have to bury another child if she did?

While we’ll never know the answers to those questions, seeing this timeline makes us think less about individual events and more about Nancy’s life.

EDIT: If you enjoyed this example of a timeline, you might also like the post I wrote about Nancy’s son John Peter, his entry into the Civil War, and the birth of his daughter: John, This Is Your Daughter: Or, How a Timeline Uncovered a Family Story.

It's kind of strange how we look at time and the events in our ancestors' lives...

It’s kind of strange how we look at time and the events in our ancestors’ lives…

References   [ + ]

1. ↑ Nancy Ann Dillon Kingery, FindAGrave.com, memorial 70131401. Includes photo of tombstone in Kingry Cemetery in Lawrence County, Ohio. Birth date of 2 August 1808 calculated from age at date of death.
2. ↑ FamilySearch.org, Ohio, County Marriages, 1789-1997, Henry Kingry and Nancy Dillon marriage, Lawrence County marriage vol. 1-3, p. 158.
3, 4, 5, 13, 14. ↑ Henry Rengers [sic] household, 1850 U.S. census, Windsor Township, Lawrence County, Ohio, p. 399, nos. 65/67.
6, 12. ↑ Cemeteries of Windsor Township, Lawrence County, Ohio. No publication info.
7, 8. ↑ Elizabeth Kingery, FindAGrave.com, memorial 70146859. Includes photo of tombstone in Kingry Cemetery in Lawrence County, Ohio.
9. ↑ FamilySearch.org, Ohio, Deaths, 1908-1953, John P. Kingrey death certificate, 11782 (1917), digital image.
10, 11. ↑ Samuel Kingery, FindAGrave.com, memorial 70146927. Includes photo of tombstone in Kingry Cemetery in Lawrence County, Ohio. NOTE: The tombstone is hard to read; an earlier transcription varies on the month and day of his death, though both agree that it was in 1842 and he was aged 20 days.
15. ↑ Roster Commission. Official Roster of the Soldiers of the State of Ohio in the War of the Rebellion. Vol. 9. Cincinnati: Ohio Valley Press, 1889.
16. ↑ Henry Franklin Kingery, Sr., FindAGrave.com, memorial 70128122. Includes photo of tombstone in Kingry Cemetery in Lawrence County, Ohio.
17. ↑ Nancy Ann Dillon Kingery, FindAGrave.com, memorial 70131401. Includes photo of tombstone in Kingry Cemetery in Lawrence County, Ohio.

An Overlooked Couple: John Starkey and Mary Monroe (52 Ancestors #47 & 48)

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(Bending my own “rules” here regarding the 52 Ancestors challenge. I’m purposefully combining John Starkey and Mary Monroe since we are oh-so-close to the end and I’m running out of days to catch up!)

As I was preparing this post on my 3rd-great-grandparents John Starkey and Mary Monroe, I realized that I have pretty much overlooked them in my research. (Yes, I’m hanging my head in shame.) Part of it is because I found them in my early days of tracing my family tree. It seems like we don’t revisit those early discoveries often enough. I think that another part is that I allowed myself to ignore them because of their connection with Licking County, Ohio. Licking County can be tough to research in, due to a major courthouse fire in 1875.

That having been said, I’m fortunate with John and Mary, as their marriage record survived that fire.

FamilySearch.org, Ohio, County Marriages, 1789-1997, John Starkey and Polly Monroe marriage, Licking County marriage vol. 1, p. 258.

FamilySearch.org, Ohio, County Marriages, 1789-1997, John Starkey and Polly Monroe marriage, Licking County marriage vol. 1, p. 258.

Did you catch the part in the lower left-hand corner? “Father present.” Unfortunately, it doesn’t give his name. For that matter, it doesn’t specify whose father. Was it John’s or Mary’s? Both of them would have been of legal age in 1827, so why was it noted that the father was present? Who is John W. Patterson? Is he a minister or a justice of the peace? If he’s a minister, what church is he with — and do they have records?

John and Mary lived in Thorn Township, Perry County, Ohio in 1830,1)John Starkey household, 1830 U.S. census, Thorn Township, Perry County, Ohio, page 418. just a couple of households away from John’s mother Elizabeth. I need to take a closer look at Thorn Township and the surrounding area. Who are the Monroes? Can I connect them with Mary?

Mary is last enumerated in the 1860 census.2)John Starkey household, 1860 U.S. census, Thorn Township, Perry County, Ohio, p. 123, nos. 899/872. By 1870, John was married to Martha Harris Orr (who, coincidentally, is my 3rd-great-grandmother on another line).

Looks like I have a good puzzle to work on in the new year.

References   [ + ]

1. ↑ John Starkey household, 1830 U.S. census, Thorn Township, Perry County, Ohio, page 418.
2. ↑ John Starkey household, 1860 U.S. census, Thorn Township, Perry County, Ohio, p. 123, nos. 899/872.

Charity Courson: Phantom Ancestor (52 Ancestors #46)

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SmokeCharity Courson feels like a phantom. This woman who is supposedly my 4th-great-grandmother is everywhere and nowhere all at once. Countless trees (both online and offline) list her as the wife of James Orr and the mother of William Orr. Some trees even list her as the daughter of Benjamin Courson. Most give a specific year of death: 1829, 1830, 1832; take your pick.

The problem is that not a single one of these trees that I’ve seen have a source beyond “GEDCOM file,” that is, if they have any sources at all.

Now, I’m not a source snob. I will consider the information in online trees. There’s too much valuable information to just ignore them out of hand. But no sources anywhere?! This really isn’t giving me a lot to go on.

It doesn’t help that Licking County, Ohio (where she probably lived) had a major courthouse fire in 1875. There are sources that I can — and should — examine. I just haven’t had a chance. Ancestors like Susan Tucker Kelley seem to take my time.

You’ve heard of “brick wall” problems. I think I’d feel better having her as a brick wall. That would be more substantial than being a phantom.

Matilda Debolt: Waltzing Matilda or Merry Widow? (52 Ancestors #45)

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Most of our ancestors follow fairly predicable patterns. Then there’s the occasional ancestor who blows all of those patterns right out of the water. For me, that ancestor is my 3rd-great-grandmother Matilda Debolt.

Matilda was born in 1813 in Ohio, the daughter of George and Mary (Rider) Debolt. In 1831, she married William Harrison Skinner.1)The Holy Bible containing the Old and New Testaments, National Publishing Co., Philadelphia, no date. Family Info: Stephen Skinner Family Bible, Present Owner: Bertha Stalbaum, Location: in Valparaiso, IN in 1983. Photocopy in the Family Bible Records collection at the Ohio Genealogical Society, Bellville, Ohio.

Together, Matilda and William would have nine children: Stephen Leroy, Lucinda Mary, Amaretta, Robert Matier, George Austin, John William, William Artillias, John Rezin, and Marion Washington.

So far, Matilda was right on track – get married and have a passel of kids. In May 1850, Matilda’s world came down around her. William became ill and died,2) William Skinner, 1850 mortality schedule, Reading Township, Perry County, Ohio, page 925. leaving her to raise the children. Matilda and the children are enumerated in Reading Township, Perry County, Ohio3)Matilda Skinner household, 1850 federal census (population schedule), page 353a, household 456, family 456. shortly after William’s death. It’s at this point that any resemblance of “normalcy” is gone.

William owned land at the time of his death, enough so that his estate needed to be administered and his children needed guardians. (Matilda, being female, did not have the legal standing to protect the legal rights of her own children.) The guardianship records revealed a tremendous amount of information not only about the children, but also about Matilda.

By 1852, Matilda had married Samuel Crossen.4)George Skinner guardianship records, Perry County Probate Court, case 3353. Originals at Perry County Probate Court, New Lexington, Ohio; also available at FamilySearch.org. By 1859, Matilda was married to Joseph Brown, who was also guardian of some of her children.5)George Skinner guardianship records, Perry County Probate Court, case 3353. Originals at Perry County Probate Court, New Lexington, Ohio; also available at FamilySearch.org.

No death record or tombstone for Samuel Crossen (husband #2) has been found, nor have I found a divorce record for Samuel and Matilda.

If Matilda married Joseph Brown in 1859, she should be Matilda Brown on the 1860 census, right? You’d think so, but you’d be wrong. She appears as Matilda “Craven,” living with her daughter Amaretta and her family in Jay County, Indiana.6)Salathiel Skinner household, 1860 U.S. Census, Jay County, Indiana, p. 49, nos. 345/345. I suspect that “Craven” is actually “Crossen.” No other record has given Matilda’s surname as Craven.

Let’s move ahead to1870. Is she a Crossen or a Brown? Neither. She’s back to using Skinner. She was living in Valparaiso, Porter County, Indiana, two doors down from her son Stephen and his family.7)Matilda Skinner household, U.S. Census, Valparaiso, Porter County, Indiana, p. 141, nos. 53/54.

She kept using Skinner in the 1880 census, when she was living in Pulaski Township, Williams County, Ohio.8)Matilda Skinner household, 1880 U.S. census, Pulaski Township, Williams County, Ohio, p. 627C, nos. 228/240. How do I know this Matilda is mine? Fortunately for me, a copy of the family Bible is on file at the Ohio Genealogical Society. In it, is this marriage record:

McFillen/Skinner marriage record, Skinner Family Bible, photocopy at the Ohio Genealogical Society, Bellville, Ohio

McFillen/Skinner marriage record, Skinner Family Bible, photocopy at the Ohio Genealogical Society, Bellville, Ohio

Yes, Matilda got married for a fourth time, this time to J. W. McFillen. (Even the civil marriage record names him as J.W.9)FamilySearch.org, Ohio, County Marriages, 1789-1997, J.W. McFillen/Matilda Skinner marriage, Williams County Marriage Record vol. 5., p. 280. Would it have killed them to give his name?!)

It is here that I lose Matilda’s trail. The only clue that I have for her after this is an SAR application that states that she died in Illinois in 1899.10)Ancestry.com., U.S., Sons of the American Revolution Membership Applications, 1889-1970, George De Nevin Skinner application, no. 91336, 1964. My next step is to follow her children and see if I can identify any who were living in Illinois in 1900 and start looking there.

Though the question I’ll have to ask myself as I search for Matilda after her 1886 marriage to J.W. McFillen is “What name is she using?” For all I know, J.W. wasn’t her last husband. Even if he was, she has a habit of reusing old surnames.

By the way, the only husband that I’ve been able to kill off (so to speak) is William Skinner (husband #1, for those who have lost track). What happened to the other 3?

Matilda DeBolt Skinner Crossen Brown McFillen.

Perhaps instead of “Waltzing Matilda,” I should call her “Matilda the Merry Widow.”

References   [ + ]

1. ↑ The Holy Bible containing the Old and New Testaments, National Publishing Co., Philadelphia, no date. Family Info: Stephen Skinner Family Bible, Present Owner: Bertha Stalbaum, Location: in Valparaiso, IN in 1983. Photocopy in the Family Bible Records collection at the Ohio Genealogical Society, Bellville, Ohio.
2. ↑ William Skinner, 1850 mortality schedule, Reading Township, Perry County, Ohio, page 925.
3. ↑ Matilda Skinner household, 1850 federal census (population schedule), page 353a, household 456, family 456.
4, 5. ↑ George Skinner guardianship records, Perry County Probate Court, case 3353. Originals at Perry County Probate Court, New Lexington, Ohio; also available at FamilySearch.org.
6. ↑ Salathiel Skinner household, 1860 U.S. Census, Jay County, Indiana, p. 49, nos. 345/345.
7. ↑ Matilda Skinner household, U.S. Census, Valparaiso, Porter County, Indiana, p. 141, nos. 53/54.
8. ↑ Matilda Skinner household, 1880 U.S. census, Pulaski Township, Williams County, Ohio, p. 627C, nos. 228/240.
9. ↑ FamilySearch.org, Ohio, County Marriages, 1789-1997, J.W. McFillen/Matilda Skinner marriage, Williams County Marriage Record vol. 5., p. 280.
10. ↑ Ancestry.com., U.S., Sons of the American Revolution Membership Applications, 1889-1970, George De Nevin Skinner application, no. 91336, 1964.

Robert Nixon: The Will to Learn (52 Ancestors #44)

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If you’ve been reading my past few 52 Ancestors posts, you’ve probably picked up the fact that I had to dig deep to put together the origins of my great-great-grandmother Susan Tucker Kelley. One of the key documents that put it all together was the will of Robert Nixon, who turned out to be Susan’s maternal grandfather.

In his will1)FamilySearch.org, Ohio Probate Records, 1789-1996, Robert Nixon will, Perry County Will Book vol. 2 and B, page 64; Perry County Probate Court, New Lexington, Ohio. dated 5 December 1828, Robert specified his sons and daughters in birth order (grouped by gender):

  • John, my eldest son
  • Levi, Isaac, Jonathan, and Elijah, “my sons the second and third and fourth and fifth sons”
  • my eldest daughter Elizabeth
  • my second daughter Mary Ann
  • my third daughter Susannah
  • my fourth daughter Sarah

He left his sons “my plantation” and instructed them that “they are to keep and to raise my family and to support them and my dear wife Catherine.” The daughters received bequests of either thirty or fifty dollars’ worth of bed, bedding, cows and sheep.

In other words, pretty typical stuff.

I already adored Robert for specifying the order that his sons and daughters were born — and that he actually named his wife! (I get so tired of wills that say “to my beloved wife” and then never actually give her name.) But it was two stipulations in the will that gave me insight into Robert. Instructing his sons that the cows, sheep, etc., to his daughters were to be paid from his plantation, he added this:

“…and they [Robert’s sons] are to give my four daughters schooling so as they can read.”

Regarding his two youngest sons (Nathan and Elijah), the oldest sons were to give them each $100 “laid out in land for them”

“…and they are to give them learning as far as the single rule of three.”

I’ve read a lot of wills over the years. I’ve seen people stipulate that their estate was to provide for a decent burial and a tombstone. I’ve seen wills that state that if an heir contests it, that person would receive nothing. I’ve seen countless wills that leave something “to my beloved wife” and then never give her name. But this is the first time that I’ve seen a will stipulate that the daughters were to be taught to read and the youngest sons learn basic math.

"Book 8," by Brenda Clarke. Used under Creative Commons license CC BY 2.0.

“Book 8,” by Brenda Clarke. Used under Creative Commons license CC BY 2.0.

References   [ + ]

1. ↑ FamilySearch.org, Ohio Probate Records, 1789-1996, Robert Nixon will, Perry County Will Book vol. 2 and B, page 64; Perry County Probate Court, New Lexington, Ohio.

More Than Their Names: William W. Tucker and Mary Ann Nixon (52 Ancestors #42 & 43)

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Finding the parents of Susan Tucker Kelley required researching numerous people and paying attention to detail. If you’ve ever heard me lecture, you’ve probably picked up on my mantra of “our ancestors are more than names.” Ironically, William’s name is part of what helped me identify him.

William Tucker wasn’t just William Tucker. He was consistently shown in the records as William W. Tucker. This turned out to be a huge clue, as there was another William Tucker — William O. Tucker — who lived in Hocking County, where William W. owned land.

He wasn’t just William W. Tucker from Perry County, Ohio. He was William W. Tucker who lived in Jackson Township, Perry County, Ohio in 1840, with a household made up of a male age 20-30, a female age 15-20, a male under 5, and two females under 5. He was the William W. Tucker who bought and sold specific parcels of land in Perry and Hocking counties in the late 1830s and early 1840s.

He was the William W. Tucker who married Mary Ann Nixon in Perry County on 4 February 1836.

Mary Ann Nixon wasn’t just Mary Ann Nixon. She was the one who married William W. Tucker on 4 February 1836 in Perry County. She was the Mary Ann Nixon whose father was Robert Nixon and who had sisters named Elizabeth, Susannah, and Sarah and brothers named John, Levi, Isaac, Jonathan and Elijah.

William and Mary Ann weren’t just William and Mary Ann. They were the parents of three children: Rachel, Greenbury, and Susan.

What happened to them between 1840 and 1848, when the children were appointed guardians by the Perry County Common Pleas court? I don’t yet know. But I do know that to find them, I’ll need to keep in mind more than just their names.

How I Found My Orphaned Milkmaid (Susan Tucker Kelley – 52 Ancestors #40)

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Susan (Tucker) Kelley

Susan (Tucker) Kelley

Finding the parents is the ultimate question in genealogy. The parents of my great-great-grandmother Susan Tucker should have been easy to trace. But the search for Susan and her origins ended up being the case study I used when I applied to become a Certified Genealogist.

Discovering Susan’s maiden name wasn’t difficult. I first found it on the death certificate of Susan’s daughter, my great-grandmother Melzena Kelley Ramsey. 1)Melzena Ramsey death certificate, certificate #41254 (1914), Ohio Historical Society, Columbus. Also available on FamilySearch.org. I had also quickly found the burial place for Susan and her husband John Kelley in Hopewell Methodist Episcopal Cemetery in Perry County, Ohio. 2)Susan Kelley, FindAGrave.com. The tombstone listed Susan’s date of death as 23 February 1914. Bingo! She should have a death certificate and that should name her parents.

I found her death certificate 3)Susan Kelly (sic) death certificate, certificate #10989 (1914), Ohio Historical Society, Columbus. Also available on FamilySearch.org easy peasy. Her parents names, however…

Susan Kelly [sic] death certificate, Ohio certificate number 10989 (1914), downloaded from FamilySearch.

Susan Kelly [sic] death certificate, Ohio certificate number 10989 (1914), downloaded from FamilySearch.

Father: First part name unknown Tucker. Mother: Unknown.

Ok. Maybe her obituary has something.

susan-kelley-obitFinding that obituary 4)Mrs. Susan Kelly obituary, New Lexington (Ohio) Herald, 5 March 1914 was the shortest Genealogy Happy Dance in history. “Yes! I found it! Wait, it doesn’t tell me anything.” What about Susan’s marriage record to John Kelley?

John Kelley and Susan Tucker marriage, marriage volume 4, page 231, Perry County, Ohio. Downloaded from FamilySearch.

John Kelley and Susan Tucker marriage, marriage volume 4, page 231, Perry County, Ohio. Downloaded from FamilySearch.

That marriage record 5)John Kelley and Susan Tucker marriage, marriage volume 4, page 231, Perry County, Ohio. Downloaded from FamilySearch. was less than helpful. Hmmm, they didn’t get married until 1863. Susan should be in the 1850 and 1860 censuses with her parents.

Susan Tucker in Metzer Kindall [sic] household, 1850 U.S. census.

Susan Tucker in Metzer Kindall [sic] household, 1850 U.S. census.

Metzer Kendall household, 1860, Perry County, Ohio. [Note: this household goes across two pages; this image is a composite from both pages.]

Metzar Kendall household, 1860, Perry County, Ohio. [Note: this household goes across two pages; this image is a composite from both pages.]

Who are these Kendalls and why is Susan living with them in 1850 6)Metzer Kindall household, 1850 U.S. census, Hopewell township, Perry County, Ohio, page 384B. and 1860 7)Metzar Kendall household, 1860 U.S. census, Hopewell Township, Perry County, Ohio, page 413.? It was at this point that I started calling Susan “my little orphaned milkmaid.”

What I Did Next

I researched the people who I knew were in Susan’s family: her husband John Kelley and their children. After searching through probate, land records, county histories, and other records, I found no more clues as to Susan’s parents.

Since they didn’t give me the answers I sought, I turned to the next group of people I had associated with Susan: Metzer and Sarah Kendall. Who were they? Metzer Kendall married Sarah Nixon in Perry County in 1845. 8)Perry County, Ohio marriage volume 2-3, page 117, Perry County, Ohio Probate Court. I found no earlier marriages for Sarah, which seems to eliminate the possibility that Susan was her child from a previous marriage. Susan was not mentioned in any of their probate, land records, or in their biographies in the county history.

The Tuckers, Kendalls, and Nixons

I knew three things about this group: Susan was a Tucker, she lived with Metzer and Sarah Kendall, and Sarah Kendall’s maiden name was Nixon. Are there any other connections between the Tuckers, Kendalls, and Nixons? I found one:

William W. Tucker married Mary Ann Nixon in 1836 in Perry County.9)Perry County marriage volume 1, page 183, Perry County, Ohio Probate Court. The 1840 census of Jackson Township, Perry County lists a William W. Tucker with the following household:10)William W. Tucker household, 1840 U.S. Census, Jackson Township, Perry County, Ohio, page 130.

  • 1 male age 20-30
  • 1 male age < 5
  • 1 female age 15-20
  • 2 females < 5

This looks like a young family – a young husband and wife and three small children. Susan was born in 19 March 1840, so she would fit as one of the females under the age of 5.

Following William and Mary Ann, there were no clues in their land records; they sold all land that they purchased, and there are corresponding purchases for all the land they sold. No probate records have been found for them in either Perry or Hocking counties (where they also owned a small amount of land).

The Breakthrough

It was a short record in the Perry County Clerk of Courts records that started to crack the brick wall. On 29 January 1848, it was ordered that Levi Nixon be appointed guardian of:

  • Rachel Tucker, age 11 (born c1837)
  • Greenbery Tucker, age 9 (born c1839)
  • Susan Tucker, age 7 (born c1841)

Further, Isaac Nixon and Solomon Nunamaker were sureties with $100 bond.

Now we have even more of a connection between Tuckers and Nixons. Further, the age of the children exactly fit the ages of the children in William W. Tucker’s 1840 household. Also, the age for Susan in this January 1848 record is consistent with my Susan, since she wouldn’t have had her 8th birthday until March 1848.

The Final Piece

The next phase of research was into Levi Nixon and Isaac Nixon, the guardian and the surety. The History of Fairfield and Perry Counties, Ohio (1883) noted that Levi was the son of Robert and Catherine Nixon.

Robert Nixon’s will, dated 1828, was probated in Perry County. It names the following:

  • wife Catherine
  • sons John, Levi, Isaac, Jonathan and Elijah
  • daughters Elizabeth, Mary Ann, Susannah, and Sarah

All of the Nixons who have a connection with Susan Tucker are in this record. Guardian Levi. Surety Isaac. Foster mother (for lack of a better term) Sarah. Knowing that things like guardianships and sureties typically were not carried out by strangers, my conclusion is the following:

Susan Tucker was the daughter of William and Mary Ann (Nixon) Tucker. Something happened to William and Mary Ann between 1840 and 1848. They had no outstanding property in 1848, so there was no probate. The legal interests of the Tucker children were small, accounting for the small amount of the surety. Susan’s guardian was her uncle Levi, with surety provided by her uncle Isaac. Susan actually lived with her aunt Sarah.

No one piece of documentation states that Susan Tucker was the daughter of William Tucker and Mary Ann Nixon, or that Susan was the granddaughter of Robert Nixon. But taken as a whole, this conclusion fits the facts.

References   [ + ]

1. ↑ Melzena Ramsey death certificate, certificate #41254 (1914), Ohio Historical Society, Columbus. Also available on FamilySearch.org.
2. ↑ Susan Kelley, FindAGrave.com.
3. ↑ Susan Kelly (sic) death certificate, certificate #10989 (1914), Ohio Historical Society, Columbus. Also available on FamilySearch.org
4. ↑ Mrs. Susan Kelly obituary, New Lexington (Ohio) Herald, 5 March 1914
5. ↑ John Kelley and Susan Tucker marriage, marriage volume 4, page 231, Perry County, Ohio. Downloaded from FamilySearch.
6. ↑ Metzer Kindall household, 1850 U.S. census, Hopewell township, Perry County, Ohio, page 384B.
7. ↑ Metzar Kendall household, 1860 U.S. census, Hopewell Township, Perry County, Ohio, page 413.
8. ↑ Perry County, Ohio marriage volume 2-3, page 117, Perry County, Ohio Probate Court.
9. ↑ Perry County marriage volume 1, page 183, Perry County, Ohio Probate Court.
10. ↑ William W. Tucker household, 1840 U.S. Census, Jackson Township, Perry County, Ohio, page 130.

Henry Kingery: The Spelling Lesson (52 Ancestors #39)

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I have to admit that I just know the basics about Henry Kingery, my 3rd-great-grandfather. He was born in Virginia in 1806. (Some people list his birth as being in Franklin County, Virginia, but I haven’t been able to pinpoint the family there yet.) He married Nancy Dillon in 1832 in Lawrence County, Ohio. After their marriage, Henry and Nancy lived in Windsor Township until Henry’s death in 1872.

Henry Kingry and Nancy Dillon marriage record, Lawrence County, Ohio, downloaded from FamilySearch.org.

Henry Kingry and Nancy Dillon marriage record, Lawrence County, Ohio, downloaded from FamilySearch.org.

Pretty basic stuff.

Yet researching Henry and his family has taught me a lot about being flexible with spelling. Here are just some of the ways I’ve seen his surname spelled:

  • Kingery – 1840 census, 1860 census (population and agriculture), 1870 census
  • Kingry – his marriage record and tombstone
  • Kingers – 1850 census
  • Kingra – on his daughter Mary’s tombstone
  • Kingrey – on some of his children’s census records

“Kingers” on the 1850 census was just bad handwriting, in my opinion. The surprising one to me is Kingra. If you weren’t familiar with the family, you might see the name and sound it out with a short “a” (King-ruh). But knowing the family, you can “hear” how it would actually be pronounced with a long “a.”

Long story short: Don’t get hung up on spelling.