52 Ancestors 2021: Week 41: Changes

When I think about living through a lot changes - I think about my Great-Grandmother, Anna Elizabeth (Thompson) Sandefur. Nana was born out in the Smith Mills area of Henderson County on August 18th, 1916, and she passed away in Henderson on October 2nd, 2001. She lived a lot of life in those 85 years, let me tell you. 

When Nana was young, she went to school on a wagon led by horses. In the 1920's, my Great-Great-Grandfather, John R. Thompson bought a Model T and I have no doubt that my Nana was amazed at the vehicle. These were the days of no indoor plumbing -- Nana grew up with an outhouse. 

In the late 1940's, Nana had one of the first types of microwaves invented -- Radarange. Imagine going from cooking a TV dinner for an hour and a half in the oven to just a few minutes in a microwave. Well, even in the first microwaves, it probably still took several minutes but less time than the conventional oven. 

Nana lived through the first black and white televisions in the 1930's. She lived through the first color televisions in the 1950's. Nana saw the popularity of the telephone - to the point every house had a corded phone. She lived through party lines, where you'd share the line with six, eight, or ten people. She even eventually saw cordless phones in the 1990's. She also would have seen the invention of the 'car phone' or a 'bag phone' or a 'to go phone.' A predecessor to today's cell phone. 

Nana went from the days of automobiles being scarce to owning an Oldsmobile and driving a school bus for a living. She went from the days where women wore dresses and nothing else to finally owning a pantsuit in the 1980's. 

Nana went from the days that no woman had piercings to seeing women pierce their ears - even getting hers pierced. She went from the days where a woman's place was in the kitchen, that the wife had no job above the satisfaction of her husband and the care of her children.... to women becoming the primary breadwinners in the household. 

My Nana undoubtedly saw the changes in Henderson. She was born during the time of our original L&N train bridge which was in use between 1885-1931. She saw the building of the brand new L&N bridge which was finished May 1931. The old one demolished in 1933. 

My Great-Grandmother would have seen the expansion of roads. She saw the building of the original bridge going to Evansville in 1932. She saw the new bridge, now dubbed the southbound bridge, built in 1965. My Nana saw the days of everyone taking a train or ferry to Evansville slowly come to an end and the motor car became ever more popular. She saw the expansion of some roads going from dirt paths to paved asphalt, from two lanes, to four lanes or more. Nana would have seen the difference between cars being strictly manual transmission to the invention of an automatic. 

Nana would have seen the coming of fast food restaurants like McDonald's, Burger King, Hardee's and more. She would have witnessed some amazing price increases. Milk being roughly 36 cents a gallon in 1916, 48 cents in 1936, 97 cents in 1956, $1.68 in 1976, $2.62 in 1996.. I could go on and on. A gallon of gas in 1916 was 21 cents, down to 19 cents in 1936, up to 29 cents in 1956, 59 cents in 1976, and $1.23 in 1996. 

Nana would have lived through times of "going to town" was a treat and you'd only travel "into town" maybe once a week, sometimes every other week, usually on the weekend.. to literally living in town. She got to see the days of every neighborhood being their own town pretty much. Each neighborhood had their own school, their own corner market, their own hair salon, etc. 

My Nana saw the end of segregation in the mid 1950's. When she began driving a school bus, she was driving kids of all colors and nationalities. It was primarily a rural route, farming community kids. Nana saw Roe vs. Wade in 1973. She would remember Hoffa being the major news case in 1975 when he disappeared. She would remember the JonBenét Ramsey case of the 1990's.

Nana lived through America's involvement in WW1 (1917-1918) and our involvement in WW2 (1941-1945). Her husband, Henry Lloyd Sandefur, served in the Navy in WW2. Nana's brother, Jake, served in the Air Force in WW2. The Cold War -- 1947-1989. Nana lived through the Korean War -- 1950-1953. Vietnam -- 1955-1975. Desert Storm or the Gulf War in 1991. 

And even though she had Alzheimer's and probably couldn't have told you anything about what was going on... she was alive on September 11th, 2001, when the Trade Centers went down. 

She definitely saw a lot of change between the year she was born, 1916, and the year she died, 2001. I can only imagine how baffled she would be at some of the inventions between 2001 and 2021. Imagine having a computer the size of your hand and internet everywhere you go. I'm sure Nana would be floored at the prospect of FaceTime. Tiny vehicles would be another big adjustment for her... back in her day, cars were huge. 

I'm sure I could go on and on for several hours more about the things that changed in her life time, and now since her passing... but I'll go ahead and wrap this blog up. If you're able to -- leave a comment and let me know some of the things you've lived to see invented or the changes you've seen in your lifetime. 

52 Ancestors 2021: Week 40: Preservation

It's no secret to anyone that I've been working on my own family tree since the age of seven years old. In the going on twenty-two years since the year 2000 (when I was 7), I've worked tirelessly on my own family history and not just trying to fill out branches but also preserve the branches and priceless information. 

A few years back, I put together a Mefford/Bastin family binder. I had the thought of doing a binder for each of my Grandparents - so Mefford/Bastin, Jones/White, Blanford/Nally, Sandefur/Thompson... but... I have too much information. Even now, about three years after putting the Mefford/Bastin binder together - I've now disproved some of my information (through DNA testing and whatnot) so the job is never finished. My binders will never be 'perfect.' 

I house my tree currently on Ancestry and I pay for a monthly subscription (World Explorer.) I also use Newspapers.com and GenealogyBank.com. It's very rare that I utilize FamilySearch or any other archival website. I do utilize our local library's obituary collection and Browning in Evansville.

Of course, I have my DNA on every website (or just about every website). Ancestry, 23andme, MyHeritage, FamilyTreeDNA, GEDMatch, LivingDNA, etc. I've got both of my parents on Ancestry and my Dad's tested at 23andme (still trying to get Mom to spit in her kit I bought, ugh.) 

My paid work has really slowed down the work I do on my own tree. In a way, that breaks my heart... sometimes genealogy starts to feel so much like a job, and not a job that I love and enjoy, that I have to step away and work on my own stuff or else I burn completely out and can't do a lick of genealogy at all. 

I'd say my best way of 'preservation' has been extensively researching each and every small cemetery in Henderson County - of course my most in-depth work has been on the Gibson cemeteries in Corydon, KY. Find-a-Grave has really helped me to preserve that information for generations that will come after me. 

My genealogy blog is another great way to help preserve my family history and my families legacy. I get behind in these writing prompts/challenges but, going at my own pace... it really gives me time to think out exactly what I want to write about for that particular prompt. Sometimes I write about the same thing for a second, or even a third time... but I always go more and more in-depth with new details I've found each time. 

I've been trying to get all of my old photographs digitized onto the laptop or my iPhone. I love playing with my old black and white photographs on Remini or MyHeritage. I've had a lot of success with them, to be honest, and couldn't be happier with the results. I've even started sharing some of my photographs to Instagram and TikTok to build a bit of a 'fanbase' for my genealogy, if you will. 

It is my hope that someday I will have a family history book in our local library talking about all the Henderson families of today and their roots to the original settlers. So many of my friends have roots going back in this county to within ten years of its inception but they have no idea. It always hurts me to know that someone doesn't know where or who they came from. 

52 Ancestors 2021: Week 39: Steps

I think this might be the perfect blog to talk to you all about the steps I go through in helping someone with their DNA and finding their biological family. The example I'm going to use today is for Dixie - my 'Granny.' I know she's very open about the process we've used to find her biological Grandpa and she doesn't mind being the guinea pig for my blog as she's a faithful and loyal reader! :)

When I first started talking with Dixie in 2017, she had a very very good grasp of her family tree but, what she most wanted help with was, what she thought was her biological maternal Grandfather and his line. She'd went down a rabbit hole of them being from Australia (due to information on a marriage license) but come to find out, they really hailed from New York. 

We met in person in either late 2017 or early 2018 I think it was (I feel bad for not remembering the exact date. I think it was early 2018 though) and we actually figured out our families are connected. East end Henderson is a small place and come to find out - her younger half-brother was one of my Dad's best friends growing up. My Dad was very well acquainted with Dixie's Dad, and even more acquainted with her Uncle, who taught my Dad how to play guitar. Talk about a coincidence! 

Anyway - we started spending a lot of time together. I told her all about my DNA results in 2018 and how it had been so fun breaking down brick walls with my DNA, and soon after my Mom had tested and that had helped a lot, too. 

Soon, Dixie filled me in on the wonderings of... 'could my Grandma's seven kids each have different fathers?' Her mother, specifically, was supposed to be the daughter of the circus sword-swallower named John "Lucky" Ball. The marriage date of Lucky and Dixie's Mom, Sarah Pauline, match up to Sarah's birthday almost perfectly. 

In November of 2018, we decided to do both Dixie's DNA and her half-Aunt Charlotte's DNA. We knew they were absolutely half-Aunt/half-Niece because we believed Dixie's Grandpa was Lucky Ball whereas Charlotte's Dad was said to be a man named Jack Spearman. 

When they got their results -- I worked on Charlotte's first. In 2018, she was 81 years old and I knew time was precious. On Ancestry, I could tell she was matching with a bunch of Barnett's and Leonard's. This Barnett/Leonard couple had 3 sons... any of the three could have been the biological father, so I was at a stalemate for a moment. Until I uploaded Charlotte's DNA to My Heritage. 

On My Heritage, we hit a 'half-sibling,' match and that removed all doubt over which Barnett boy was Charlotte's father. William Barnett had three sons... One had already passed away, one wasn't in good health I heard, and the other was excited at the prospect of meeting his half-sister! 

Charlotte was absolutely elated to be welcomed with open arms into the Barnett family and she soaked up all the love they had to give, and she gave plenty in return. Sadly, that half-brother that was so excited to finally have a sister, passed away some months back. My heart was broken for Charlotte, but she told Granny to tell me, "I don't regret her finding him. I'll take this year and a half of knowing him over having never known him at all." It meant a lot to me to hear that. 

Anyway - Granny's DNA results were a bit harder to decipher than Charlotte's. First and foremost, I could absolutely tell Granny wasn't matching with any Ball's from New York. She wasn't matching New York whatsoever. After messing with her DNA, I confirmed her paternal lines, and her maternal Grandmother's lines... so all these "unknown" matches were absolutely on her maternal Grandfather's side, whoever he may be. 

The first clue to solving this mystery was the fact that she was matching Stone's. Stone is a very, very popular last name here in Henderson County and as luck would have it, I managed two other Stone DNA kits -- my best friend Jessica, and my best friend Dadie. Dixie matched both of them. Albeit they're kind of distant matches but still - without a doubt matching through that elusive Stone line. 

So I started marking these 'unknown matches,' and I started writing down how these matches were related to one another, taking Dixie completely out of the equation. Usually if you find the common ancestors between a good 3 to 4 of your matches, it's a pretty good clue that you, too, share that ancestral couple. 

I found several that descended through Samuel Woodard and Lucinda Liggett. Several through John Jenkins and Margaret Sigler. Then I found my ace in the pocket... several were matching through John & Margaret's son, Willis "Bud" Jenkins who married... Malinda Stone. Jackpot. 

One of their sons, George, married an Eliza Woodard -- Jackpot... Or is it? Double cousins! George's brother, Andrew, married Nancy Woodard. Ugh. So which one of these couples does Dixie descend through? Well. No choice but to look at each child of both Jenkins/Woodard marriages under a microscope. 

I started with Andrew and Nancy's children... and their children.. no one was adding up. I wrote down my best "possible" "potential" candidates and moved on to the children of George and Eliza. Going through each one... none were seeming a possibility. Until I came across the last one. 

George Lloyd Jenkins was born May 31st, 1902, in Henderson County, Kentucky. He was the youngest child of George and Eliza. He was about 5 years older than Granny's Grandmother, Aggie Barron. George grew up in none other than Henderson's "East End," which is where Aggie Barron grew up as well. 

Unfortunately, I was afraid George was out of the running when I found that he married Nellie May Kitchens on May 18th, 1925, in Evansville. They had two children: a son, Donald Waller Jenkins, and a daughter who was stillborn in 1934. 

I decided to look into Donald Jenkins, even though I knew he couldn't be the father, being born in 1925. Just wanted to research him to see if maybe he had any children that might be willing to DNA test or something. I researched Donald and quickly realized he had no wife and no children - he died in Florida in 1977. 

The piece of evidence I found next took away any and all doubt in my mind that I'd found the right biological family. I found Donald's WW2 draft card and the portion that says, "the person who will always know your address," there it is: John D. Byrnes (friend) 54 Holloway St, Henderson. That's Dixie's DAD. 

Now this N.P.E situation was NOT on Dixie's Dad's side of the tree - it was on her Mom's side.... but in the east end, everyone knows everyone, so the Byrne's knew the Barron's long before the marriage of John D. Byrne and Sarah Pauline Ball.. and it just so happened that Donald Jenkins was John Byrne's best friend.

Donald Jenkins was Sarah's half-brother. Now if they ever knew that... that remains a mystery. Sarah never mentioned a word of a suspicion to Dixie nor to Charlotte... and Dixie, who was especially close to her Dad, says he never mentioned anything to her either that he 'suspected' Donald's Dad to be Sarah Pauline's Dad. So this was a total shock when I revealed my hypothesis. 

There is an old photograph of George Jenkins on Ancestry, and when I showed it to Granny, she and Charlotte both said he resembled Sarah Pauline. Granny showed me an old photograph she had of Donald Jenkins, and she said, "You know, now that I think on it.. I do see the family resemblance." 

This is a perfect story of 'your next door neighbor just might be your relative,' honestly. This is also a prime example of solving a case like this using not 'extremely' close DNA matches. Donald Jenkins never had kids - and George Jenkins, as far as we know, never fathered anyone else. So Dixie will never have a 'half Uncle' or 'half Aunt' DNA match through George, and she'll never have a 'half first cousin' match through Donald having kids. I had to solve this mystery using mostly 2nd cousin 1x removed matches at the time. 

George Jenkins passed away in 1966 in California. I firmly believe he had no idea he was Sarah Pauline Ball's father. If he had been - I doubt he'd have liked his son, Donald, knowing the family, thinking the 'secret' could have gotten out. No, I fully believe George believed Aggie's child was her husband, Lucky Ball's. The dates did line up, after all. 

George, the father, pictured above. The photo comes from a relative on Ancestry. 

A photograph from Granny's collection - her mother, Sarah, on her wedding day in 1943. She was only 14 years old when she got married. She looks 24, doesn't she! She obviously was a mature, attractive young lady. 

Again, from Granny's collection. Her Grandmother, Agnes "Aggie" Barron. Aggie ended up dying from cervical cancer, that I suspect could have came from HPV, when she was just 46 years old in 1953. The woman lived a lot of life in 46 years, having seven children with at least nine different men. (Two men she was married to, and they believed they had children with her, but surprise -- they didn't!) 

After finishing with Charlotte's and Granny's DNA - we've done the DNA of three more of Granny's half-first cousins since 2019 to 2021. We figured out that the child immediately after Sarah Pauline, Rosemary, who also had the Ball last name - she was not a Ball, either (shocker, lol) but instead an Ervin. I made this connection through the half-first cousin matching a half-Uncle. Took away all the hard work. The biological father ended up being, again, an East End Henderson native. The families had known each other for years.

Next we decided to work on Aggie's firstborn child. There had been really no whispers on who the father of Thomas Elbridge Barron (he got his Mom's maiden name) could be. Granny's theory was that possibly someone from the Catholic Church that Aggie attended might have been the father, that's the best lead we had to go on. 

I could tell this half first-cousin (the daughter of Thomas Elbridge Barron) was matching a lot of Hunter's, Hester's, Gibson's, Church's... these are well known Henderson/Union/Webster county families -- and after piecing it together, I realized the father was Wickie Hunter. Wickie was a name known in the east end of Henderson, too, and he never had anymore children (that we know of) so again, this is a case of having to use 2nd cousins and further to decipher. 

The last one we've worked on was Granny's half-Aunt, Helen Ruth; her son was kind enough to test for us to solve the mystery. Helen was interchangeably used the last names Ball and Spearman, but, we knew without a shadow of a doubt that she was neither. I started finding a lot of Bumpus, Cherry, and Shepherd DNA matches and these families are NOT native to Henderson County. After piecing everything together -- I figured out the biological father was a man named George Franklin Bumpus. 

George was born in Stewart Co, TN and died in Hopkinsville, KY. How he and Aggie met one another, we're unclear on. My guess was probably at a club dancing and they decided to have a one night dalliance. George Bumpus married at least once by 1953 when living in Tennessee again, but they never had children. So again, this DNA mystery was solved using 2nd cousins and further; there will never be 'closer' DNA matches. 

Now we've got two more children of Aggie to go.. and we're certain they aren't Ball's or Spearman's either. We're hoping one of the children of the youngest son will test... and on Aggie's youngest daughter -- we're going to have to test a great-grandson of hers. So I'll be looking for a biological Great-Great-Grandfather... that's a genealogical needle in a haystack so to speak. That one will be a challenge, but a fun challenge. 

Thank you for reading about the steps I followed to solve these DNA mysteries and hopefully I can update y'all on what I find on Aggie's two remaining children and their biological fathers. The suspense is killing me on who the biological fathers are!! 

52 Ancestors 2021: Week 38: Fun & Games

I wish I had interesting stories of my ancestors to really go in-depth with for this prompt but, truly, I don't. I do know that my Great-Great-Grandfather, Charles Clarence LaRue loved fun and games - he enjoyed riddles, pranks, jokes.. and that's been passed down through the generations. 

My Great-Grandfather, Richard "Dick" Blanford loved fun and games as well. Matter of fact, his favorite comedian was Jeff Foxworthy - a favorite of mine as well. Joking got passed down to my Grandpa Jady and of course, to my Mom and myself. 

My Great-Grandmother Lorene (LaRue) Blanford was a big fan of Crossword puzzles, I've heard. It makes a lot of sense because my Grandpa, my Mom, and even myself... we each enjoy them immensely. 

My Grandpa Jady is the one who taught me to play so many games -- Checkers, Scrabble, and Clue to name a few of them. Our favorite was absolutely Clue. My Grandpa was so good at that game.. I swear he snuck a peak at the cards, somehow! He was exceptional at Scrabble as well. You'd think he was just 'coming up with a word,' and you'd go to the dictionary to look at up and sure enough, it's a real world. 

We didn't really have any traditions of playing games on holidays or anything like that. I always lived just three or so minutes down the road from my Grandparents so.. we'd play games almost every time I went over for a visit. I actually introduced my Grandma to the Sudoku puzzles in the newspaper and she became an addict playing those. 

Grandma was really good at Excel on the computer, so she figured out a way to make herself a Sudoku puzzle checker spreadsheet to make sure she was working her puzzles correctly. I couldn't explain to you at all how she managed to do it.. I am a complete novice at Excel. It amazed me she was able to figure out how to do it, though. 

Grandma eventually spent the money to get CD-ROM games that we'd play together. Who Wants to be a Millionaire? Wheel of Fortune. Boggle. Scrabble. There's probably more I'm forgetting. We were all really big fans of Trivia style games. Grandma wasn't the best speller so.. she usually lost Scrabble or Boggle to me and Grandpa. If it involved math though, Grandma was a champ. 

She eventually got Bejeweled 2 from a friend of hers and that became my favorite game to play solo. It was strategy and I enjoyed it a lot. Even today, all the years I spent playing that game, has made me an ace at games on my iPhone that are like that. "Match 3" games if you will. 

I'll occasionally play Clue or Scrabble with a friend and I can't help but feel a longing to play again with my Grandparents. Every time I see a Sudoku puzzle, I weep for my Grandma. I can't even bring myself to do Sudoku's anymore. I do still actively play Crossword puzzles and Word Search puzzles. Those are my favorites. 

Sorry that I don't have any photos of us playing games or a whole lot to talk about for this topic. Hopefully the next topic will make up for that. :) 

52 Ancestors 2021: Week 37: On the Farm

When I think of farming and my ancestors -- the number one person who comes to mind is my Great-Grandfather, Richard Jerome "Dick" Blanford. I was fortunate enough to meet Papa Dick when I was a baby - but sadly he passed away just two months prior to my third birthday. 

Dick Blanford was born on November 5th, 1913, in Union County, Kentucky, to Martin Allen Blanford and Mary Agnes Nally. He was the eldest child out of six total - only five surviving to adulthood. 

Dick had a modest upbringing, growing up in the areas of Smith Mills and Corydon in Henderson County. The area known as "Walnut Bottom" in census, actually. Unfortunately, when he was only thirteen years of age - he lost his mother, Mary Agnes, to tuberculosis. I can only imagine how that shaped him as a person. 

On July 11th, 1931, he married Miss Verna Lorene LaRue, the daughter of Charles Clarence LaRue and Carrie Annie Byrd. His brother, Thomas Allen "Tom" Blanford would go on to marry Lorene's sister Opal Lois LaRue. 

Dick and Lorene stuck to the Geneva and Smith Mills area of the county. According to my Grandpa, in his youth, they lived in three different places that burnt down before they settled on the Latta Place. It was a small white house at the very end of Star School Rd in Geneva.. and now it's no longer there. It used to be surrounded by cornfields and bayou. 

After they were older, Dick built a large house on Trigg-Hooper Rd. At this house, Dick did a lot of farming, a lot of raising livestock, and even had an apple orchard. It was at this house that his kids, grandkids, and even some great-grandchildren formed a lot of precious memories. It was this house that I remember very, very vaguely. 

I had a snippet of a memory, like a flash in a dream that he was holding me outside on his lap and I could remember looking up at the night sky. Mom said I was remembering watching Fourth of July fireworks out there, most likely on July 4th, 1995.. I was two years and five months old. 

Over the last few years, I've found numerous articles from the Evansville newspaper chronicling when Papa Dick would sell some livestock, donate to charity, or have an auction at his farm. It's been quite a neat trip back in time to see some of the things I have and read some of things I have. 

To this day, we have an aerial photograph of the house and farm on our wall. We have laminated pages from where he made the Features section of the newspaper for his apple cider, hanging on the wall. My Mom lost her maternal Grandpa when she was just 7 years old so she built a special bond, after that, with her paternal Grandpa. I think in his own way, he tried to make up for her not having her other Grandpa. Very much like my own maternal Grandma made up for me not having my paternal Grandma.

Unfortunately, after Dick passed, the farm was lost. Dick knew that all of his everything -- personal, real estate, etc, would have to be sold because he had a kid or two that were too greedy for their own good and nothing would be able to be divided properly and 'kept within the family.' No one would be able to 'keep' anything without another child being jealous of it. Matter a fact, my Mom says he used to proudly wear a hat that said, "I'm spending my children's inheritance." 

To this day - it still ruffles a few feathers that my Grandpa Jady was given the antique roll top desk of Papa Dick's, and it ruffles even more feathers that Grandpa Jady left it to my Mom when he died. I now have two antique roll top desks - one from each of my Grandfather's and I couldn't be happier. A genealogist needs a proper desk...two or three in my opinion. 

I wish I could remember what Dick was like. I don't remember his voice. I don't remember the apple cider or anything like that. I do remember the apple butter and the apple pie.. as my Grandpa continued to make it long after Papa Dick passed away. My Dad still uses the pie recipe to this day. I remember taking apple butter to show and tell in first grade. Back when we could actually take homemade food to school, share it with our classmates, and it wasn't against the law. 

On December 14th, 1995, Papa Dick passed away at his home in his sleep -- he'd battled prostate cancer for many years. He and Mama 'Rene are buried in Saint Louis Cemetery, which I affectionately refer to as "Blanford Memorial Gardens," because the front of the cemetery has a lot of Blanford tombstones showing from the road, including their own. 

If you visit the cemetery any time soon, maybe stop and introduce yourself to one of Henderson County's most influential farmers. Dick loved meeting new people, and he didn't view anyone as a stranger -- a trait his son, my Grandpa Jady, inherited from him. Sit down for a spell and maybe he'll tell you a story while peeling an apple with a pocket knife. You might learn something. 

Fatally Burned: The Short Life of Betty Jean Duncan

Back in August/September when I was working on the Gibson Cemetery - I stumbled upon the tragic death of my 5th cousin 2x removed, Betty Jean Duncan. Betty isn't buried at the Gibson Cemetery, but her ancestors might be. I know her Duncan ancestors are out in the Duncan Cemetery which isn't too terribly far away from Gibson Cemetery. It's out in the Corydon/Dixie area. 

Betty was the 4x Granddaughter of Nathaniel Benjamin Duncan and Jane Rainey -- my 6x Grandparents through their daughter, Susan Duncan who married Berryman Gibson.. Susan and Berryman are of course buried at the Gibson Cemetery. 

Betty was the daughter of Fines William Duncan and Lola C. Farris. She was born on January 19th, 1934. The tragic accident happened on April 17th, 1945 - Betty was just eleven years old. Betty was left home alone with her younger siblings while her father was apparently at work and her mother went down the road a few blocks to a neighbors house. 

They lived at 534 Dixon St, according to an article in the Evansville newspaper. Little Betty went to light a fire in the stove using coal oil. Unfortunately, her clothes ended up catching on fire, and well, the rest is a tragic history. 

Betty was buried in Fernwood Cemetery but has no tombstone. I would say she's very near where her parents are in the cemetery. It's possible she had an infant tombstone many decades ago and it's just 'gone' now, or beneath the dirt a few inches. I'll try to prod for it sometime this spring. 

Corydon, Ky; Insurance Agent Dies

I wasn't unfamiliar with the name Gayle Frasier whatsoever when I was revisiting the Gibson Cemetery back in August/September for a project. I've seen his tombstone a many of times in my life but - I didn't know exactly who Gayle was until I researched a bit more. 

Gayle was born on February 8th, 1885, in Webster County, KY, to John C. Frasier and Lee Forrest Pressley. (His father is buried in Corydon Cemetery, and his mother is buried in Springdale Cemetery in Sebree.) He had at least three brothers. 

In about 1907 or 1908 - Gayle married Lucile S. Gibson and they only had one son: Ambrose Haywood Frasier. 

It seems the Frasier family jumped around between Corydon, Detroit, Michigan, and Evansville. It was in Evansville that Gayle passed away on May 24th, 1950, at the age of 65. It was the article I found in the Evansville newspaper that clued me into a lot of back story of Gayle's life. He was a local insurance agent, and he was well known in the baseball circles of Western Kentucky. 

Gayle had been a manager of Corydon's Press League champions in the early 1930's, and prior to that, he'd been a player for a many of years. Very neat to learn this tidbit of information! Another famous Corydon resident became to the 2nd commissioner of baseball in 1945 -- A.B. "Happy" Chandler. I ponder if Gayle and Happy knew one another. I can't imagine that they didn't. 

Next time you're out at the Gibson Cemetery - stop and introduce yourself to cousin Gayle. 

The devastating end of Erastus Gibson

Erastus isn't someone I'm unfamiliar with. I've seen his tombstone a dozen times in my life, every time I go out to the Gibson Cemetery.. but I was ignorant to his life's story. Bless this man's heart. This article broke me inside. 

God rest your soul, Erastus. I'm proud to be your cousin -- 1st cousin 4x removed to be exact. 

Erastus was the son of George Harrell Gibson and Cora Francis Young. He was the second of only four children: three boys and one girl. Erastus had married Mary Evelyn Hughes on November 27th, 1912, in White County, IL. They procured a divorce before he left to fight in World War 1, the way I understand it. The article speaks for itself on how life went for Erastus after arriving home from war. 

The next time you're out at the Gibson Cemetery in Corydon.. give some special attention to his grave. He certainly deserves it. Hopefully I can get his tombstone looking new again come this spring. 

Say Hello to Uncle Fagan

James Fagan Gibson was a prominent man in the Corydon community -- he ran the county sanitarium for nine years, and his father had ran it for nine years before him. (I don't believe they ran it consecutively, because his father, John Gregory Gibson died in 1890, then Fagan died in 1911. I think someone ran the county home between Fagan and his Dad.)

James Fagan Gibson was the son of John Gregory Gibson and Mahala Caroline Busby - my 4x Grandparents. That would make Fagan my 3x Great-Granduncle. He was the fourth child out of thirteen. My 3x Grandmother, Vandalia, was number nine out of thirteen. (Rough estimate is thirteen. There might be miscarriages and stillbirths we don't know about.) 

Fagan married Nancy Jane "Nannie" Gibson, his cousin, on April 20th, 1872, in Gallatin County, Illinois. They reared no children. However, they did raise their niece, Minnie Lee Gibson, like she was their own. Minnie's mother, Lucilla, died about eleven months after Minnie's birth. 

It took quite a bit of sleuth work to figure out that Minnie was not their daughter -- a lot of genealogists prior to myself had made the assumption that she was. However, with some heavy handed genealogy and possibly some DNA (to which I don't have access to), it led to the conclusion that Minnie was Lucilla's daughter. We haven't a clue who Minnie's biological father was. 

Fagan was also a member of the Woodmen of the World organization - hence why his tombstone looks the way it does. The best way to describe the Woodmen of the World organization would be like life insurance in today's times. 

From what I understand, the Corydon Sanitarium or "County Poor Farm," was on Diamond Island Rd, just outside the Corydon City limits. After you pass A.B. Chandler Elementary going into Corydon on Highway 60, it would be the next road on your left. The best I understand - the building itself is now gone and there's no traces of the cemetery, either. The only records we have of the burials in the county poor farm cemetery are from death certificates, old records, and family stories. I'm unsure if the land is woods/grown up or if it's a farmers field these days.

Next time you're out at Gibson Cemetery - say hello to Uncle Fagan. A devoted son, brother, husband, and an Uncle who became a Father figure - not to forget, an influential member of the county. 

**His tombstone is one that I definitely plan to get cleaned up in the spring. Behind his tombstone to the right you can see the tombstone of Sid and Mamie (Phillips) Nally. Direct behind theirs is Vannie Louise Thompson.**

My Connection to infamous John Dillinger

This morning while I ate a little breakfast, I decided to watch an episode from the newest season of Expedition Unknown (a Discovery Channel show). The episode was about John Dillinger - who of course I'm not unfamiliar with. We've all seen documentaries, movies, television shows. This morning was the first time, though, that I guess I was listening intently enough to hear mention of the crime that set Dillinger on his path of crime. 

While living in Mooresville, Morgan County, Indiana; he had befriended a guy about ten years his senior -- Ed Singleton. Supposedly Ed was a distant cousin of Dillinger's on his step-mother's side. Ed was the town's pool shark, and apparently, led John into his first crime of robbing a grocery store ran by Frank Morgan. 

Anyway -- what stood out to me was the last name Singleton. I have that in my tree and it's not THAT common of a last name, honestly. So I decided to go to Ancestry and search this 'Ed' Singleton - his full name being William Edgar Singleton. Sure enough, he was born in Lincoln County, Kentucky...the home place of my Singleton's.

It didn't take me long until I pieced him into my tree. He's my 5th cousin 3x removed. Ed Singleton was killed on August 31st, 1937, by being hit by a freight train. Wikipedia incorrectly states he was shot down.. but his death certificate clearly says a train accident, as does a newspaper article I found. 

I wonder if Lincoln County, KY, was a breeding place for men who'd eventually get into trouble. My 2x Grandfather, Frank Bastin, was born in Lincoln County in 1878, and when he was just 13 years old (newspaper article says 12 years old), he stabbed an older boy and was run out of town - or rather, 'left town before he could get good and proper into trouble.' The boy he stabbed, Joe Henry, did survive; so Frank, thankfully, wasn't a murderer. 

Coincidentally enough it was Frank Bastin who married Ilena "Lena" Singleton on October 17th, 1895, in Campbell County, TN. In the 1900 census, they've made their home in Pittsburg, Laurel County, KY. Then by 1910, they've taken up residence in Central City, Muhlenberg County, KY. 

Lena was the daughter of Rufus Franklin Singleton and his first wife, Rhoda Elizabeth Goff. Thanks to DNA, I finally got a good idea of this side of my family tree. Before DNA, the best we knew was that Lena's mother was "Lizzie Goff," and she died between 1880-1900 as Rufus remarries to Laura Ping (who was actually Lizzie's cousin). Thanks to DNA, I made the connection that she was Rhoda Elizabeth Goff. 

My Bastin's and Singleton's -- or rather their collateral lines were in the Crab Orchard, Lincoln County, KY area for generations.. I'm surprised none of our family had made the connection between Ed Singleton (Dillinger's friend) and our family before. I guess it took the family genealogist to figure that out. 

Thanks for reading my coffee fueled morning ramblings. 

52 Ancestors 2021: Week 36: Work

For the most part, I come from a long, long line of farmers. I do have a few ancestors who held different occupations though and I'm extremely thankful for them or else I'd have no "flavor" in my tree, haha. 

Starting off with my parents -- my Dad is a welder, pipefitter, and boilermaker. He's had numerous other jobs in the past though including working at fast food establishments, being a maintenance person at an apartment complex, and even working at a gas station until he found his way into welding. As a youngin', he worked in the tobacco fields, which was kind of like a right of passage back in those days.

My Mom has been unemployed since she was pregnant with me. Her last proper job was at Thornton's in about September of 1992. Prior to that, she worked at the Deli inside the Citi-Center Mall downtown, and had also worked at Riverside Downs racetrack, a beer distributor, a tax office, delivering newspapers, and of course as a youngin', she helped out in the tobacco fields. 

My Grandparents -- Granddad Glen was an ironworker and farmer. I don't know much about his work career other than that work took him to big cities like New York City, Chicago, and Kansas City, Missouri. Grandma Mina, as far as I know, was a waitress for most of her life. Here in Henderson, I know she worked at the Ramada for many, many years. 

Grandpa Jady was a jack of all trades who held many occupations in his lifetime and the most consistent one was farmer. At one time or another, though, Grandpa worked for the oil fields, worked as a maintenance shop foreman, drove a cement truck.. You name it, my Grandpa Jady probably done it. 

Grandma Glynda was a bookkeeper through and through. She was a tax preparer for many moons, but primarily she did books wherever she worked. She did books and secretarial work for many car lots, A.D.M, and her last place of employment was the Dodge Store. Grandma was exceptionally good at math... my weakest subject. 

As for my Great-Grandparents -- Clint Mefford worked in the coal mines - more appropriately, he was a manager of one, and that brought in decent money. It's been said many times that the Mefford family didn't really feel the Great Depression quite like my Blanford family did. Edith, his wife, as far as I know was a homemaker without ever having a true occupation. 

Doc Jones to the best of my knowledge was a farmer and his wife without occupation aside from housewife and fulltime mother. Looking back at census - in the 1930 census, he was a deckhand on a boat and in 1940, he worked for the W.P.A. 

Dick Blanford was a farmer through and through. In his later years, he ran an apple orchard and was well known for his apple cider. He worked a lot with livestock and ever so often you'd see his name in the newspaper for auctioning off either livestock or some old farm equipment. His wife, Lorene, was a stay at home wife and mother - which was a handful, trust me. They had a passel of children. 

Henry Sandefur did a little bit of everything in his life. He was a fireman on and off. I know he drove a school bus at one time or another. In the 1930 census, at just 17, he was working in a furniture factory (probably Delker Brothers here in Henderson.) In the 1940 census, he was working for the W.P.A. His wife, Anna, was a stay at home wife and mother until her children, or at least almost all of her children, were out of the nest. She became a school bus driver and that's the job she retired from in the late 80's. 

My Great-Great-Grandparents -- French Mefford was a farmer and his wife, Emma, did not work. Frank Bastin started out as a coal miner, then a foreman in the coal mines, and then in his later life turned into a farmer. His wife, Lena, did not work. We're getting back into the days where it just wasn't a thing for women to work whatsoever. Their one and only job was to take care of the house, husband, and children. 

Aaron Jones was a blacksmith, until his later years, then he began to farm. Bill White was also a farmer his whole life, either on his own farm, or labor on another's farm. Martin Blanford was a farmer as well - the Blanford's well versed in the nature of farming. It seems like that's quite literally ALL they did. 

Charles LaRue was a farmer as well. The LaRue's are a long line of farmers going back many, many generations. Eugene Sandefur in the 1900 census was a house painter, by 1910 and for the rest of his life until he retired - he was a mail carrier. I believe he mostly ran rural routes even though the family lived in town on Clay St. His wife, Ollie, in the 1900 census is given the occupation of 'weaver,' and that's the only time she's ever listed as having an occupation. 

John R. Thompson was a farmer - although I dare say his best money was made when they found oil on his property in Niagara. The Thompson's, too, are a long line of farmers. It seems like my Catholic lines (Blanford, Thompson, Nally, etc) are all farmers. Not sure if it really has much to do with the religion or not, but it seems likely that it does, at least to some degree. 

I could go on and continue listing my ancestors, but from this point, their occupations wouldn't change. I do believe with heavy certainty that all of my 3x Great-Grandfathers and probably 4x, and 5x, and so on... were all farmers. I can't think of a single one, off the top of my hand, that had a different occupation. 

Unfortunately, this blog is a bit boring and probably isn't as chalk full of information as some of my others but... what can I say? I occasionally have slightly boring ancestors, haha. Not really boring, I guess, but... their work lives were uneventful for the most part. Especially coming from long lines of farmers. I wish I knew more about the types of crops they grew. Sadly, I don't. 

52 Ancestors 21: Week 35: School

I don't really have any teachers or principals in my direct ancestor line -- but I do have relatives who have become teachers and professors. Namely, my Granduncle Charles was a university professor back in the day. He's been retired for a number of years now. He's 88 years old now and still kicking. I was lurking Ancestry yearbooks one time and found a couple of him when he was teaching in various places - namely Cincinnati. I loved seeing them. I have to share one with you!

He even signed their yearbook! He was teaching Spanish/Latin back then. But I know he's taught a many of subjects over the years. His last job, before retiring, was teaching G.E.D. classes at our small community college here in Henderson, Kentucky. He retired from that in the early 2000's. 

My Mom and I have a cousin named Diane who was a teacher for many years here at Henderson County High School - she taught a number of things from Typing I and II to business math, and even business law. Chances are if you went to county high in the 1970's, 80's, or 90's -- you had Mrs. Hughes. 

I also have a Grandaunt who was a teacher's aide for a number of years. I think at some point she might have taught science at the middle school, too, but, I'm not 100% sure. 

As for my direct ancestors - none of them really got much in the way of education. My Dad has a G.E.D, my Mom got some college education. Out of my Grandparents - only one graduated high school and that was my Grandma Glynda. 

For my Great-Grandparents - I know my Great-Grandma Lorene (LaRue) Blanford graduated Corydon High School in 1932 I believe. I think my Great-Grandma Anna (Thompson) Sandefur might have graduated Smith Mills High but I haven't found a yearbook to confirm it yet. 

Most of my ancestors quit school early because they got married and started raising kids or the men had to quit school and start working on the farm. That's why my Grandpa Jady quit school in the sixth grade. 

I wish I had more to write about - I know I've written before about how my Great-Great-Grandparents sold some land to the school board for the new Niagara Elementary School. Aside from that - I don't think any schools sit on my ancestors' land or any gave land for schools besides them. 

For my own feelings when it comes to school - I'm not a fan. I'm an outspoken advocate for homeschooling. I believe today's public school is full of indoctrination. They no longer teach your children how to think for themselves; they control 100% of what your children are learning. They teach them exactly what to think and if you don't fall in line, you're labeled 'unfit.' You're labeled 'different,' and different no longer is a good thing. They want your children to be cookie cutter robots with no ounce of individualism or individual thinking. Essentially, they want your children to be 'we are borg' from Star Trek: The Next Generation.

Believe it or not - my Uncle Charles and my 'Granny' for all intents and purposes (one of my biggest supporters in my genealogy and a loyal reader of my blogs) believe and feel the same way I do about public schooling. Both retired teachers, both have seen the indoctrination from the inside and the outside. 

Anyway - I wish I had more to type up and report about for the 'school' topic but I truly don't. As always, thank you for reading - it means a lot!

52 Ancestors 2021: Week 34: Character

There are several people in my family tree that could be listed as a 'character.' 'Someone who marches to the beat of their own drum.' Perhaps you use the term 'black sheep' for them or 'outcast.' Hell, that describes myself to be perfectly honest with you. 

My Granduncle Charles has always been a bit of a character - a very smart man, actually a university professor at one time or another. A devout Catholic, a family man, but definitely a character. He inherited the jokester nature of a true Blanford/LaRue. 

My late Grandaunt Motts and her spitfire attitude. She had no filter and she liked her coffee black as it could be. She was like the mascot for us black sheep and we certainly miss her to tears. 

Even my late Grandpa Jady was quite a character. He was one of the funniest men I ever knew but also one of the most serious. Grandpa Jady loved to tell jokes, construct riddles, and pull a prank or two every now and again. 

Apparently most of the Blanford's and LaRue's, and of course the Buckman's and Ganno's have gained their personality from Great-Great-Grandpa Charles Clarence LaRue who was quite a card. He loved to laugh, to joke, to pull a few pranks. He also seemed to love word games and mind puzzles. 

Another part of this topic asked if there were any actors or writers in the family. Despite listing a few of the 'characters' I'm related to, I'll go ahead and talk about the actors and writers. 

Actor Tom Hanks is my 7th cousin 2x removed.

Thomas Jeffrey "Tom" Hanks was born on July 9th, 1956, in Concord, California to parents Amos Mefford "Bud" Hanks and Janet Marylyn Frager. It is through his father's side of the family that we are related - hence his Dad's middle name of Mefford. 

His Grandfather was Ernest Hanks; his Great-Grandmother was Mary Catherine "Mollie" (Mefford) Hanks. She hailed from Shelby County, MO, but died in Tehama Co, CA. 

Mollie was the daughter of Jacob Mefford and Sarah (Critchlow) Mefford. Jacob was apparently born in Campbell County, KY, and died in Shelby Co, MO. His parents were John Mefford and Mary (Parker) Mefford. John, from what I can tell, lived his entire life in Campbell County, KY. 

John's parents were Jacob and Ellenor (possibly Hatten) Mefford. Jacob was undoubtedly born in Frederick Co, MD, and died in Campbell Co, KY. Around the 1800's, a lot of Mefford's migrated to Kentucky from many places - Maryland, Ohio, Virginia, and surrounding areas - even Pennsylvania. 

Jacob was the son of Johannes "John" Meffert/Mefford; one of three sons of Andreas Meffert (my 8x Great-Grandfather) who is hailed as the patriarch or the forefather of the Mefford's in America. Johannes was born January 24th, 1732, in the Hesse area of Germany. He and his father and two other brothers arrived in America on September 15th, 1749. In about 1755, Johannes married Susanna Kuntz. 

Johannes' naturalization to 'John Mefford' happened on September 19th, 1762, in Chester County, PA. Johannes' first wife eventually passed and he remarried, then he, too, ended up in KY; supposedly dying in Scott County, KY, in 1796. 

It is through Johannes Meffert (son of Andreas) that Tom Hanks is related to another famous person, and of course, that means I, too, am related to him. 

Even long before knowing Tom was a Mefford - I've always been drawn to him and his movies. I absolutely adore him as an actor. Forrest Gump, Saving Private Ryan, The Polar Express, and even A League of their Own - which was filmed right here in Henderson County! Here my Dad was, a Mefford, living here in Henderson and his cousin was here filming a movie and he didn't even realize it! Hah!

Actor Mr. Rogers is my 7th cousin 2x removed. 

Fred McFeely Rogers was born on March 20th, 1928 in Latrobe, Pennsylvania. His parents were James Hillis Rogers and Nancy McFeely. It is through his mother that he is related to the Mefford's. 

His Grandfather was Frederick McFeely, his great-grandmother was Anna (Lindsay) McFeely. His 2x Grandmother was Susannah (Fish) Lindsay. 

His 3x Grandparents were Joseph Fish and Susanna (Mefford) Fish. Susanna was born in Pennsylvania and died there as well. She died in the Fayette County, PA area and is buried there. Susanna's second husband was an Evans. 

Her parents were William Mefford and Sarah (Holton) Mefford. William was born in Frederick County, Maryland, and died in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. He was the son of Johannes Meffert - thus making him a brother of Jacob Mefford, the ancestor of Tom Hanks.

Mr. Rogers and Tom Hanks are closer related to each other than they are to me. To one another, they are 6th cousins because they share 5x Great-Grandparents, Johannes Meffert and Susanna Kuntz. For me, though, they are both my 7th cousins 2x removed. 

I grew up watching Mr. Rogers and way back then, I'd have never imagined he could possibly be a Mefford. 

Author Debbie Dadey is my 6th cousin. 

Debra Sue Gibson, or "Debbie" as she's known to her legions of fans - was born in Union County, KY to Voline and Rebecca (Bailey) Gibson. It is from her mother's maiden name, Bailey, that she named her series of books -- the Bailey School Kids. 

Her father, Voline Everett Gibson was born in Union County, KY to Everett Wesley Gibson and May (Wicks) Gibson. Her Grandfather, Everett, was born in Union County, KY, as well. He was the son of Harbert Earl Gibson and Minnie (Utley) Gibson. 

Harbert Earl Gibson was born right here in good ol' Henderson County, KY. His parents were William Gibson and Sarah Elizabeth (Walker). They would be Debbie's 2x Grandparents. William's death certificate states he was buried in the Smith Mills Cemetery. 

Her 3x Grandparents were John William Gibson and Susannah (Covey) Gibson. They are buried in Gibson Cemetery #2 in Corydon - which you'll recall I wrote about in a longer blog back in September. They have old but still existing tombstones but they're in need of some tender love and care. 

Her 4x Grandparents were James William Gibson and Mary Watson -- they, too, are buried in Gibson Cemetery #2. The running theme with Gibson #2 is it seems to be for the descendants of James William Gibson. I'm not sure if he bought the land off of one of his brothers, cousins, uncles, or whatever and decided he wanted to start another cemetery on his own land separate from the 'main' Gibson family cemetery. It's only a stones throw away, honestly. 

This makes her 5x Grandparents Berryman Gibson and Susan (Duncan) Gibson who are buried in the main Gibson Cemetery up on the hill. Berryman and Susan, too, are my 5x Grandparents. 

This makes Debbie a 6x Granddaughter, like me, of Joel Gibson - Revolutionary War veteran who is also buried in the main family cemetery on top of the hill. All of the area surrounding the two cemeteries once belonged to the Gibson family -- they owned quite a fair bit of land at one time or another. 

I fell in love with Debbie's books as a kid attending South Heights school where I met her for the first time. I've also been privileged to meet her again at our local library a few years later. Then, most recently, I messaged her to let her know that my Mom's copy of Whistler's Hollow had disappeared many years ago and it had really made her sad. It was autographed and she felt horrid that, inevitably, the person she 'loaned' it to, never gave it back. 

So Debbie sent us a new copy, autographed, and also let me know some amazing Gibson family history as well. I'm excited to hopefully meet with her in the future if she ever comes back to town for a visit. 

Emmy-winning journalist and executive (in many forms of the word!) Betsy Fischer-Martin is my 5th cousin 1x removed. 

Betsy is the wife of journalist Jonathan Martin who currently is a political correspondent for the New York Times. Betsy is the daughter of George Fischer Jr and Sally (Ford) Fischer. It is through her late mother, Sally, that we are related. 

Sally was the daughter of Alexander Ford Jr and Ella Mae (Gibson) Ford. Ella was born right here in Henderson, KY, but ended up living life in several places before calling Louisiana home, where she passed away. 

Ella's parents were Barak Gibson and Gertrude (Thornton) -- they are buried in Fernwood Cemetery, right next door to me. Back in 2019, when the photo of me and Betsy was taken, I gave her a tour of the town and one of our stops was Fernwood. I told her a many interesting facts about the cemetery while we searched for her Gibson ancestors. 

Her 2x Grandparents were Stephen Gibson and Ella Brashear. Stephen/Steven died in a drowning accident in 1913 and is buried in Smith Mills Cemetery. His wife, Ella, died several years later and is buried in Louisville. 

Stephen was the son of Joel E. Gibson and Margaret J. Martin. Joel supposedly died young in 1853 - it's very possible he's buried in the main Gibson Cemetery or perhaps Gibson #2. His wife, Margaret, died a little over 50 years later and she is buried in the Smith Mills Cemetery. I'm not sure that in 1853 that Joel would have been buried there -- more likely buried in the main Gibson Cemetery, just without a findable tombstone. 

Joel E. Gibson was the son of Berryman Gibson and Susan Duncan, my 5x Grandparents. For Betsy, they are her 4x Grandparents - that's what makes us 5th cousins 1x removed. While she was in Henderson, she did breakfast with my Mom who would be her 5th cousin, as Berryman and Susan are Mom's 4x Grandparents as well. 

Funny enough, we went downtown to an antique shop and saw a framed photograph of firemen from back in the day. I told her in the photograph was my Great-Granduncle, Russell Sandefur.

Right after we left the antique shop - we headed to a porch tea party that I was allowed to tag along. The most crazy Godwink ever occurred. It was being hosted by a dear friend of Betsy's late mother and the woman turned out to be my Grandma Glynda's first cousin - Rita (Sandefur) Clement, the daughter of Russell Sandefur, in the photograph! 

We Gibson girls got together in a photograph (the other Gibson's in the photo are closer related to Betsy, than to myself) and then they grabbed a photo of me and Rita together - the Sandefur girls. Rita is not a Gibson descendant as that comes through my Great-Grandmother Anna (Thompson) Sandefur, and not her husband. 

Our last stop of the day, before we lost the daylight that September evening, was to the Gibson Cemetery so she could see the graves of her 4x Grandparents and her 5x Grandfather. 

You can actually see Betsy in the background of this photograph that I took of Joel Gibson's tombstone that day. Photographed with her 5x Grandfather, what a spectacle, huh? I'm not sure she felt it but every time I go out there... I'm overcome with the connection to my ancestors. Gibson Cemetery will always be one of my absolute favorite places on Earth. 

As always - thank you for reading about the interesting people in my family tree! I appreciate every read my blog gets whether you're a loyal follower or a newcomer. Thank you so much!

52 Ancestors 2021: Week 33: Tragedy

There are a lot of things my ancestors have been through that could be described as 'tragic' or 'a tragedy.' It's hard to pick just one or two instances to write about, honestly. Especially since I love for y'all to get to know each and every one of my ancestors on such an intimate level. Every time I write about them, as a matter of fact, I get to know them even better as well. 

One 'tragedy' that I could mention is the family story that my Great-Great-Great-Great (4x) Grandparents died in an accident on their journey back from Hoodsville, Arkansas to Henderson, Kentucky. 

Supposedly, Charles Tandy Sandefur and his second wife, Shilo Watson, died on August 23rd, 1852 and were more than likely buried beside the road they died on. It's possible a few of their children might have perished with them, but I'm not 100% sure.

In 1850, the family is living in the Hoodsville (now it's not even a town) area of Jefferson County, Arkansas. The 1850 census lists them --

Tandy Stanifer - 60
Stulo Stanifer - 38
James A Stanifer - 17
Peter W Stanifer - 16
Isobl Stanifer - 13
Phylo H Stanifer - 12
Susan E Stanifer - 10
Bennett P Stanifer - 7
Thomas W Stanifer - 4
Judia Ann Stanifer - 3
John Stanifer - 0

Charles Tandy Sandefur and Shilo (Watson) Sandefur definitely disappear between the 1850 census and 1860, so them both dying in between those years is certainly plausible. But as for an accident claiming their lives... why didn't it take a child? Did it? Let's take account of each child in the 1850 census with them and where they go from there. 

James Archilles Sandefur dies young in March of 1860 of bronchitis here in Henderson County, Kentucky. His occupation is listed as a storekeeper. He never married nor had any children. He was only 27 years young. 

Peter W. Sandefur disappears after 1850 -- BUT there is a Peter Staniford that mustered into the Civil War (Union Side) in Illinois and mustered out in Pine Bluff, Arkansas. Pine Bluff is Jefferson County, so this MIGHT be our Peter. I can't for the life of me find him in the 1860 or even 1870 censuses, though. 

Isabella Sandefur marries Wilkerson/Wilkinson Brewer on July 8th, 1852, in Jefferson County, Arkansas - she was 16 years young. They appear in Pine Bluff, Arkansas for the 1860 and 1870 census, and then Whiteville, Arkansas for the 1880 census. She disappears after 1880, as does her husband so they both likely died between 1880-1900. 

Philo Hilyer Sandefur returns to Henderson County, KY, where he marries Susan Rebecca Jarrett (half-sister of outlaw John Marion Jarrett) on February 3rd, 1860. They become my Great-Great-Great (3x) Grandparents through their son, Eugene Henry Sandefur. Philo lives out his life here and dies in the Western State Hospital on January 16th, 1915. In the 1900 census and 1910 census, Philo and Susan live at 1419 Clay St, Henderson KY, beside their son Eugene Henry Sandefur who lives at 1421 Clay St. These houses are directly across the street from the front door of the old Audubon School. 

Susan Elvira Sandefur disappears for the 1860 census, but she re-appears living with her half brother, William Henry Sandefur, in Henderson for the 1870 and 1880 censuses. She then disappears for 1900, 1910... until she dies in Louisville on December 20th, 1921. She was in the Kings Daughters Home and died of general senility. King's Daughters and Sons was a Home for the "Incurables." It was located at 1705 Stevens Ave. It was built in 1909 and used as the home for the incurables until it gradually turned into a nursing home. While digging for more information, I did find her under "Alvina Sanford" in the 1920 census for the King's Daughters Home... but still can't find her in the 1900 or 1910 census. 

Bennett Sandefur re-appears in the 1860 census in Henderson County, KY in the home of his older half-brother, Nathaniel Rufus Sandefur. He then disappears - so it's likely he died between 1860 and 1870. 

Thomas P. Sandefur makes it back to Henderson County, KY, where he's living with his older half-brother Henry C. Sandefur in the 1860 census. On December 4th, 1866, he marries Amelia "Ameny" Williams and they live here in the 1870 and 1880 census... then he disappears. Likely he died between 1880 and 1900. 

Ann "Annie" Sandefur ended up back in Henderson County, KY, for the 1860 census. She's living with her elder half-brother, Charles Tandy Sandefur Jr. By February 24th, 1870, she marries James H. Henry. She passes away on October 6th, 1874, and is buried out in Pleasant Valley Cemetery I believe. 

Lastly, John B. Sandefur, the youngest son, is back in Henderson County, KY by 1860 and living with his elder half-brother Nathaniel Rufus Sandefur. By July 24th, 1873, he marries Arabella "Belle" Williams. Sometime between their last child being born in 1885 and when John dies in 1901 - they moved to Chicago, Cook Co, IL. He died on April 24th, 1901, according to the death index.. yet strangely, Belle and Margaret live alone in the 1900 census and her marital status is "widowed." 

So it does appear that none of the children, or very likely none of the children, died in the accident that took Charles Tandy Sandefur and Shilo (Watson) Sandefur's life. Again, I really don't know if the tragic fate of their dying on the journey back to Henderson actually happened or not. With most of their children coming back to Henderson - it's a possibility they died here between 1850 and 1860. But with a few of their children staying in Arkansas and marrying young... it's entirely possible they left their children alone in the world. 

If they truly died the way they did, I do feel that's quite tragic. Charles Tandy Sandefur fathered at least five children that survived with his first wife, Martha Robards, before her death in 1831 at about 36 years young. Then he married Shilo in late 1831 and they had at least 10 more children that survived. Their eldest daughter together, Eliza Jane, stayed in Henderson and married her cousin, Bennett Sandefur, on March 13th, 1849. Eliza died sometime between the 1880 and 1900 censuses likely in Ohio County, KY, where they removed to and lived. 

Well, I hope this blog helped you get to know my 4x Grandparents and their offspring a bit. It certainly did help me to go over each one of them again. It's strange we always spend so much time on our direct ancestors but rarely ever look at our collateral lines. They can be the most interesting!