June Scavenger Hunt: Find a notable member of the community.

 For the prompt of "Find a notable member of the community," for June's Scavenger Hunt - I could think of no one more fitting than my cousin, Owen Hamner Beck.

*Tombstone photograph from Karen Waddell when she photographed the cemetery about ten years ago.*

To this day, in the Geneva and Smith Mills areas - you likely can't find a person who didn't know Hamner. From his barbecuing to his volunteer efforts around the community - I don't think there's a way Hamner didn't help out the area and its people.

Hamner was my Great-Grandma's (Lorene LaRue Blanford) first cousin. He was the son of Thomas Jesse Beck and his first wife, Laura Pearl LaRue, who was my Great-Great-Grandaunt.

He was an exceptionally close friend to my Great-Grandpa, Dick Blanford, and helped him do many things - including making apple cider. That's the photograph I've decided to share with y'all. Hamner (left in the picture) is helping Dick (center of the photo) with the apple cider process.

Hambone, as many called him, married Drusie Mae Gaines on November 7th, 1931, and they reared seven children together - two being stillborn. Of their surviving children - all were sons. I can only imagine how full Drusie's hands were as they were growing up.

In the 1940 census, the married couple and their children are living on the "Mt. Vernon Rd." and are neighbors of the Bishop's and Rhodes'. In the 1950 census, they're living on Highway 136 and are neighbors of the Dance's and Staser's. Back in those days, everyone knew everyone in that small community... and they were all related too, 😂

Hamner's wife, Drusie, preceded him in death on December 20th, 1990, and then he received his own set of Angel wings on January 25th, 2000. I was almost 7 when he passed - I don't remember Hamner from my childhood (I know I met him but, the memories are just too far back and too fuzzy), but I do remember Grandpa Jady talking about him often after Hamner passed. He always had a story to tell about his Dad and Hamner.

Hamner, like most of the other Beck's, lays resting in the Smith Mills Cemetery.

If y'all have any memories with Hamner, please feel free to share! I imagine several of y'all that are from Geneva and Smith Mills remember him and probably know his sons.

May Scavenger Hunt: Find someone who passed away young.

 Now, this person doesn't have an existing tombstone that I've been able to find... and that makes me want to highlight their short life even more. Those without a tombstone, in my opinion, deserve an extra little bit of thought, because they have no special place of memorial.

This is Laura Pearl (LaRue) Beck and she lived to see the age of 29... the same age I am right this very second.

Laura was born on March 8th, 1888, in Smith Mills, to Benjamin Hardin "Ben" LaRue and Mary Philapine (Lawrey) LaRue. She was one of at least eleven children. Unfortunately, Ben and Mary were plagued by children who would die at a young age.

When Laura was 23 years old, she married Thomas Jesse Beck on November 15th, 1911, in Posey County, Indiana.

Together, they reared three children before Laura's untimely passing. On September 26th, 1917, she passed away from pulmonary tuberculosis. Just 29 years young. The same age I am now... mind blowing, honestly.

Laura was a beautiful young lady. She looked a lot like her siblings - you could tell those LaRue genes were strong. (Or perhaps it's the Lawrey genes..?)

Laura was only about 11 years old when her mother passed away, and about 13 years old when her father passed away. Unfortunately, Laura's three children were even younger than that when they lost her.

Laura was likely buried in Smith Mills Cemetery near her parents -- but even their grave is unmarked. Laura's grave is as well. I'm not even sure what section of the Smith Mills Cemetery that it's in.. likely the older part.

Almost two years later, Laura's widower Thomas Jesse remarried to Mable Claybrook who was about ten years his junior. Together, they had a staggering SIXTEEN children. That's sixteen that I know about! There *could* be a miscarriage or stillbirth I'm unaware of.

Thomas Jesse Beck was the son of Isaac Lawrence Beck and Adrain "Ade" Willingham. He was about eight years old when his father died, and he was about ten when his mother died. Maybe this was something he and Laura connected with each other about.

(A little interesting tidbit to note for the LaRue family -- Laura's brother, Charles Clarence LaRue *my Great-Great-Grandfather* his second wife was Sarah (Beck) Staser. She was actually the niece of Isaac Lawrence Beck. Small town, huh?)

Thomas Jesse Beck lived to see the age of 79 - he passed on September 14th, 1971. His widow, Mable, lived to see 78; she passed away on March 7th, 1981. They are buried in Smith Mills Cemetery as well.

Now - y'all know I've got to do it... I've got to tell you about Laura and Thomas' three children, and then, as an added bonus, I've got to tell y'all about Thomas and Mable's sixteen.

The eldest, and the two youngest children of Thomas and Mable are still living. I will list them as I don't believe anyone here will have a problem with that/privacy and whatnot, but if any member of the family does reach out and wishes their names removed, I'll do so. 🙂 I feel like we're all family here and all related to each other (some of us closer than others lol) so hopefully no one has a problem with the post. 🙂

The three children of Laura (LaRue) Beck and Thomas Jesse Beck:

1. Owen Hamner "Hambone" Beck; born August 5th, 1912, died January 25th, 2000. He married Drusie Mae Gaines. They're buried in the Smith Mills Cemetery. (Hamner was a close friend of my Great-Grandpa, Dick Blanford. Hamner and Lorene (LaRue) Blanford were first cousins.)

2. Catherine Adrain (Beck) Gaines Newman; born November 25th, 1913, died January 6th, 2012. Her first husband was Clifford Gaines, second husband was Frank Newman. She and her first husband are buried in Fairmont Cemetery.

3. Norman Edward Beck; born January 25th, 1915, died February 10th, 1996. He married Beatrice McCormick first, then Mary Della Rice. He and Mary Della are buried in Roselawn Memorial Gardens.

The sixteen children of Thomas Jesse Beck and Mable Claybrook:

1. Naomi Ruth Beck; born in 1920. As far as I know - she is 101, going to turn 102 this year and still living! Talk about some longevity! Naomi was married to Shelby Curtis Harris who preceded her in death in 1993. Naomi lives up towards Indianapolis.

2. Lawrence Clifford "Pete" Beck; born February 15th, 1922, died June 24th, 2003. He married Ella Louise Williams. They're buried in Roselawn Memorial Gardens.

3. Thomas Jesse Beck Jr; born August 27th, 1923, died August 13th, 1924. He's buried in Smith Mills Cemetery.

4. Alvin Richard Beck; born December 4th, 1924, died March 2nd, 2005. He married Nelda Sue Cowan. They're buried in Roselawn Memorial Gardens.

5. Calvin Charles Beck; born December 4th, 1924; died December 7th, 2006. He married Anna Mae Mills (who is still living). Calvin was buried in Roselawn Memorial Gardens.

6. Thomas Rudolph "Rudy" Beck; born September 7th, 1926; died May 8th, 1989. He married Virginia Sonday. They're buried in Oak Grove Cemetery in St. Charles, Missouri.

7. Joyce Louise (Beck) Hanley; born June 18th, 1928, died March 13th, 1992. She married Luther Dixon Hanley. (Their son Jim Hanley is a noted member of our community!) Joyce and Luther are buried in St. Louis Cemetery.

8. Bennie Lee Beck; stillborn on January 27th, 1931. He's buried in Smith Mills Cemetery.

9. Billy Donald Beck; born February 11th, 1932; died January 22nd, 1989. He married Rubye Parker. They're buried in Smith Mills Cemetery.

10. Jerry Wayne Beck; born August 25th, 1934; died March 31st, 1990. He married Patricia Ann Wimber. They're buried in Smith Mills Cemetery.

11. Franklin M. Beck; born April 8th, 1937, died August 30th, 1937. He's buried in the Smith Mills Cemetery.

12. Thomas Larry Beck; born October 23rd, 1938, died May 7th, 2000. His first wife was Vivian Joyce Elmore, his second was Melva Louise Westerman. He's buried with Melva in Smith Mills Cemetery.

13. Phyllis Jean Beck; born March 13th, 1940, died October 3rd, 1940. She's buried in Smith Mills Cemetery.

14. Barbara Sue Beck; born July 7th, 1941, died July 9th, 1941. She's buried in the Smith Mills Cemetery.

15. Scarlett F Beck; still living. Previously married to Chester Ervin Jr, currently married to Billy Herron.

16. Linda P Beck; still living. Married to Harold Fulkerson.

So.. there you have it. All nineteen children of Thomas Jesse Beck... three with his first wife, sixteen with his second wife. And if you'll notice -- only ONE set of twins. However, it seems Thomas and Mable name three different children with the first name of "Thomas." Thomas Jesse Beck Jr, Thomas Rudolph "Rudy" Beck, and Thomas Larry Beck. I guess they really liked the name Thomas, huh?

Hopefully in the Beck line, someone names a daughter "Laura Pearl," in the future. I think that would be a lovely homage to Laura Pearl (Beck) LaRue who died so young. This is almost 105 years later and her memory remains.

Thanks for reading along about my Great-Great-Grandaunt this evening. I'm sure a lot of Beck cousins are about to pop up out of the woodwork so, hello to all of you from a LaRue cousin!

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. 

Are you familiar with the name Floella McDonald? If not, you should be.

In April of 2018, I was working quite a bit on my LaRue/Byrd line. My DNA had just came in and I was making all these new connections and figuring out new sub branches of my tree. In doing so.. I came across something terribly saddening and heartbreaking. 

Has anyone ever heard of the lynching of John Carter in Arkansas in 1927? He was wrongly killed for the murder of a girl named Floella McDonald. Come to find out, the true murderer was the biracial son of a janitor at the church where Floella's body was found.

Floella, come to find out, was my 1st cousin 3x removed. Her Mother, Easter Mae (Byrd) McDonald was the sister of Carrie Annie (Byrd) LaRue - my 2x Great-Grandmother. 

Wow. I'm in utter shock. I had never heard of this story at all. Here is some information of it I found on Ancestry...

** In Little Rock, Arkansas, 1927, a racial riot erupted over the lynching of John Carter, a black man who was the fall guy for the homicide of a 12-year old white girl named Floella McDonald. 

The child was found in First Presbyterian Church. Originally, the blame fell on the church janitor who found the girl along with his biracial son. The men were safely moved to a Texarkana jail before a mob demanded blood. 

In a nearby city, a 38 year-old black man named John Carter had been accused of assaulting a white woman and her daughter. The angry white mob of 5,000 people found Carter, hung him from a pole, shot him and drug him through the streets. They took him to the black community and incited a riot, breaking into buildings, including a furniture retail store. The mob piled the wooden furniture and doors from the church together, set it on fire and burned Carter’s body at the intersection of 9th and Broadway. 

The Arkansas National Guard was deployed to stop the riot, and upon arrival, found one of the mob members directing traffic at the intersection with the arm of John Carter. Fortunately, the black community leader had encouraged black families to stay inside, avoiding a large death toll during the massive tension. 

Once the riot and killing of Carter went to trial, it was dismissed without indictment of anyone involved. The city was concerned about their national reputation in the media. They banned distribution of the black newspapers, The Chicago Defender and The Pittsburgh Courier, with fear that it would cause more tension. To make matters worse, the town was still in search of the killer of 12 year-old Floella McDonald. 

On May 19th, Lonnie Dixon, the biracial son of the First Presbyterian Church janitor, was tried and convicted of murder. He was sentenced to death. After being under watch by the Arkansas National Guard during trial, Dixon was executed a month later. There are current efforts underway to obtain a public marker at the intersection of 9th and Broadway to honor John Carter and pinpoint the tolerance of the Little Rock court system. A small display exists at the Mosaic Templars Cultural Center.

The First Presbyterian Church, Little Rock, where the body of little Floella McDonald was found in the bell tower. On April 12, 1927, a little white girl, Floella McDonald, disappeared on her way home from the library. For three weeks, family, friends, and officials searched for her. Finally, following a foul smell, the black janitor of the First Presbyterian Church found her body in the church’s bell tower. Her head had been bashed in with a brick found nearby. A teenager, Lonnie Dixon, the church janitor’s son, was arrested and charged with rape and murder. Many whites were angry and wanted to “get” Lonnie themselves. Several thousand people went to the jail and demanded that police turn him over. Instead, Chief Burl Rotenberry sent Lonnie to an out-of-town jail, to keep him safe.

No one was ever charged or prosecuted for lynching John Carter. A jury deliberated for only twelve minutes before convicting Lonnie Dixon of killing Floella McDonald. He was executed in the electric chair on June 24, 1927, his sixteenth birthday. **

I am absolutely astounded by this. This is such an incredibly sad and tragic happening. My heart hurts for Floella and her family, which is my family, and it hurts for John Carter and his family. In 1927, almost one-hundred years ago.. things were rough. Racism was alive and well. I'm very surprised that no one in my LaRue/Byrd family had ever heard of Floella McDonald. 

Sure, it happened in 1927, and it didn't happen here in Henderson where we, most of the Byrd descendants, live today... but still. You'd have thought this would have been talked about among the family for generations. I wish my Grandpa were still alive so I could ask him about it and if he had ever heard even just whispers about the event. 

My Great-Great-Grandmother Carrie undoubtedly had to have known about it, Easter being her sister and all. I'm sure letters were exchanged. How could they not have been? My Great-Grandmother, Lorene, would have been 13 years of age... old enough to know about what's going on in the family. I wonder if she was ever told about it. 

Finding this information has left an imprint on me for sure. This is over three years later and I am still stunned. I am still floored. I am still shocked and appalled. It shocks me that in 2021, the lynching of the wrong man is more talked about than Floella's murder itself. I rightfully understand why. Lynching the wrong man happened so often back in those times and it was wrong. Horrendously and terrifyingly wrong.. but still, I feel like John Carter is remembered in 2021, and Floella is not. They should both be remembered. Both were innocent people whos lives were cut short.

I honestly cannot fathom why Lonnie Dixon raped and killed 12-year-old Floella. A burst of rage? Jealousy? I guess we'll never know. The true motive died with him. She was only twelve. He was only fifteen. What kind of motive could he have possibly had? I guess some people are just born evil and maybe he's a prime example of that. 

May you rest in peace, sweet cousin. 

52 Ancestors 2021: Week 23: Bridge

For the topic of bridge, I could probably sit here and try to think up at least ten different things I could write about. I struggled at first - because really besides my Granddad being an Ironworker and working on buildings and bridges, I couldn't think of a further back ancestor to write about. I can't think of any ancestors that would have regularly crossed bridges going here and there.

But then I got to thinking... I do have a lot of river ancestors. On my paternal side -- the Jones' and the White's lived in Mississippi County, Missouri, very close to the Mississippi River. On my maternal side -- my Blanford's and LaRue's lived down in the Geneva, Smith Mills, and Alzey Bottoms areas which is very, very close to the Ohio River. 

I know infinitely more about my maternal side and being that I still reside here in Henderson County today.. I'll write about them for this topic. 

Now, for the literal "bridge," part of this... I'm not too sure how often my ancestors went over bridges. I know there was a ferry in the Alzey Bottoms at one time. There was McDonald's Landing and also an Alzey Landing at one time. I believe the ferry might have moved a person between McDonald's Landing (Kentucky side) and the West Franklin area (Indiana side.) The Alzey ferry, it would have took you to Indiana but into the country -- you'd have still had to travel to Mt. Vernon if that's where you planned to go. Most people probably would have travelled to Uniontown, KY, and crossed directly to Mt. Vernon via their ferry. 

I mention the ferry to Mt. Vernon because my Byrd ancestors came from Posey County, Indiana, to Henderson County, Kentucky, and you guessed it -- settled into the Smith Mills/Alzey/Geneva area. Let's start with the nearest generation -- my Grandpa. Grandpa Jady was born at the old Henderson Hospital (Washington St) here in Henderson on July 31st, 1936. They lived, however, out in the Smith Mills area. 

According to my Grandpa, they lived in three different places that burned before finally settling on what was called "The Latta Place," at the end of Star School Rd in Geneva. Surrounded by corn fields and bayou - I'm sure it made quite an interesting place to grow up through the 40's and 50's. 

His parents - Richard Jerome Blanford was born November 5th, 1913, in Union County, KY (probably somewhere near Morganfield.) Verna Lorene LaRue was born October 9th, 1914, in Smith Mills. 

By the 1920 census, Richard and his family lived on "The Burbank Rd," which is in the Geneva-Smith Mills area. In the 1920 census, Lorene and her family lived in Smith Mills with no road name listed. 

In the 1930 censuses -- Lorene and her family have moved closer to Corydon and in fact, Lorene graduated Corydon High School in 1932 (after she married Richard Blanford as a matter of fact.) Richard and his family, in 1930, live on Trigg-Turner Rd, which again, is in the Geneva area. 

The first census that sees Richard and Lorene married was 1940 -- again, they live on Trigg-Turner Rd. This area, even today, is "Blanford stomping ground." This house that they live in, in 1940, is probably one of the "three that burned." The 1950 census will be released in April of 2022 and I would imagine by that point, the family will be on Star School Rd at the Latta Place. 

Going another generation back -- Martin Blanford in the 1940 census has moved from Trigg-Turner to the "Corydon Smith Mill Rd." Charles LaRue and his wife, Carrie, live on the "Back Corydon Rd," and it lists them as Smith Mills, KY. 

At their deaths - I know Martin Blanford had moved into the city of Henderson proper when he passed in 1968 - but he actually died in Evansville.

I believe the family still lived in Smith Mills when Carrie (Byrd) LaRue passed in 1955... and Charles LaRue lived with his daughter and son-in-law, Richard and Lorene, when he died in 1980. Richard and Lorene had built a wonderful house at 6149 Trigg-Hooper Rd in Geneva. That, too, is where they lived when they passed in 1991 and 1995. 

Let's go another generation back -- to my 3x Grandparents, John Byrd (1839-1922) and Maria Moore (1849-1932). Both were born in Posey County, Indiana. They married there in 1864 - and by the 1880 census, they'd moved their family across the river to the Corydon area of Henderson County. By 1900, they were in the Smith Mills area. 1920 - "Smith Mills Rd," as they call it. In the 1930 census, the widowed Maria is listed as being on "Sandefur Hill Rd," in Smith Mills. 

John and Maria (Moore) Byrd, Charles and Carrie (Byrd) LaRue, & Benjamin and Mary (Lawrey) LaRue are all buried in Smith Mills Cemetery. (Ben & Mary are unmarked, according to family story.)

To this day, the Blanford's, LaRue's, and Byrd's are still prominent out in the Smith Mills area and do a lot of farming in the community -- a lot of that farming is impacted by the Ohio River and the close proximity of it. Some of them even farm on Diamond Island, or at least, they used to. Not sure if they still farm the island today or not. 

I remember many stories my Grandpa would tell, talking about how the flooding of the river impacted their harvest in this year, and that year. Farming here in Henderson County -- our soil is wonderful (or so I've been told) but, if you live close enough to the river... it really is a constant gamble and sometimes, you don't come out a winner. Most gardens in our county can withstand some rain but, having backwater or headwater from the river on top of your field, a foot or more deep, for sometimes a week straight... a lot of times, you can't come back from that. It'll be a complete loss. 

"The Latta Place," that I mentioned before, was on the bayou in Geneva -- and we all know the bayou was fed by the river and rainwater. I imagine at times, that fact made farming the cornfields around Latta Place a daunting task. There is a cemetery not too far away from the Latta Place -- it's kind of like the "Geneva Community Cemetery," but it started out as the Clay family cemetery... known today just as "Clay Cemetery." 

When you look at a map, it's hard to believe that the cemetery itself doesn't get flooded. When I first became curious of going out to that cemetery - I asked my Grandpa numerous questions. Apparently the road will occasionally flood, due to the bayou, to get back to the cemetery... but the cemetery itself won't flood. I was very surprised to learn this fact. 

There are many other cemeteries in the Alzey (especially), Smith Mills, and Geneva areas that aren't as lucky. Matter of fact - a lot of them have been lost to time due to the river. I believe it's the old "Alves family cemetery," that was lost during one of the big flooding events - most probably the 1937 flood took the last of it. The Alves family is an old one in our county with a lot of money and had a lot of land back in the day. A lot of them are buried next door to me in Fernwood Cemetery but before Fernwood came into existence (1852 was its first proper burial in its new location) the family would bury their deceased in the family cemetery in the Alzey area. 

The 1937 flood was probably the most detrimental to the Alzey area here in Henderson County and the Scuffletown bottoms (out near Spottsville/Beals). The city of Henderson, while it does have some low-lying areas in town that will flash flood... we have a motto: "on the Ohio, but never in it." The city proper (city limits) doesn't flood unless it's a torrential downpour (flash flooding) or the area right on Canoe Creek, which of course, is fed by the Ohio River. 

The "top" part of our county is impacted by the Ohio River, but we also have the Green River that cuts through the Eastern part of our county and impacts the Spottsville, Bluff City, Hebbardsville, Niagara, and areas surrounding them. Some of my ancestors lived in the Niagara area - but not too close to the river.. not enough to be impacted by it. But there, too, was a ferry there that I imagine they utilized quite often. 

That's a story for another day, of course. 

Some examples of why I love Remini's app so much!

I thought I would highlight here on my blog some of my favorite examples as to why I love Remini's smartphone photo app so much! You can enhance, colorize, and so much more. So far, my favorite feature is enhancing. It's helped clear up so many old photographs of mine. Here are some examples.

Above is my 2x Grandfather, French Mefford. Look at those ears! It's a wonder my Dad and I don't have car doors for ears! I ponder if it's a result of the heavy endogamy in the Mefford family tree. French's parents were 1st cousins... and his Grandparents were double first cousins. He was the son of George Washington Mefford and Amanda Hardison. (1874-1955)

Above is my 2x Grandmother, Emma Lillie (Turner) Mefford. She was the daughter of Phylander Turner and Lucy Knight. (1879-1964)

The full photograph cleared up. I've tried colorizing it.. but the colors just don't come out 100% right. Maybe one day someone will colorize it for me instead of me trying to use an auto-colorizer. 

Above is my 2x Grandfather, Charles Clarence LaRue. This photo is from when he was around 17 or 18 years old.. so roughly 1900, give or take a year. I've tried coloring this one too and it just doesn't turn out well. Charles was the son of Benjamin Hardin LaRue and Mary Philapine Lawrey. He was the husband of Carrie Annie Byrd and Sarah (Beck) Staser. (1883-1980). 

Above is my 2x Grandmother, Mary Janella (Nally) Thompson. This is a zoom in of her face from a photograph of her and her twin sister. But just look at how much clearer she is.. I'm in awe, I'm stunned.. She was so magnificently beautiful. I wish her beauty would have passed down to me. (1882-1972)

Above is Mary Janella's twin sister, Camilla (Nally) Thompson. Janella & Camilla married brothers -- John Rowan Thompson & Samuel "Sam" Thompson. Thanks to this zoom in and enhancement, we can see that Camilla had a large scar on her face. Assuming this isn't mirrored photography, and she's looking at the camera, it would be on her left side I believe. I ponder what happened? I've never heard stories of her having had a scar before. My Nana nor my Grandma ever said anything about it. I wonder if it had faded by the time my Grandmother was born? (1882-1962)

Janella & Camilla were the daughters of Henry Oliver Nally and Vandalia Gibson. They were second cousins with their Thompson husbands. The Thompson's were sons of Martin Henry Thompson and Elizabeth Levina "Lou" Nally. 

If you've never tried the Remini photo app, please do! It works absolute wonders on your old photographs. 

52 Ancestors 2021: Week 16: DNA

 

Charles Clarence LaRue was born on June 8th, 1883, in Henderson County, Kentucky, to Benjamin Hardin LaRue and Mary Philapine Lawrey. 

Carrie Annie Byrd was born on October 28th, 1884, in Henderson County, Kentucky, to John Byrd and Maria Moore. 

They were married on April 27th, 1904, in Henderson County, Kentucky. 

Together, they reared eleven children -- with three of them dying as young children. Through those eight children that lived to adulthood and had children of their own, they became the Grandparents of at least 63 grandchildren. I'm not even going to sit here tonight and try to count how many great-grandchildren, great-great-grandchildren, and now even great-great-great-Grandchildren that this wonderful couple has. 

Carrie was the first to pass on June 29th, 1955, at the age of 70; leaving Charles, or "Charlie" as he was known throughout the community, a widower. A few years later, he would re-marry to the double (or perhaps triple) widow and once divorced: Sarah Jane (Beck) Hallmark Roberts Wise Staser. 

"Miss Sarah" or "Miss Staser" as her step-children and step-Grandchildren called her - was born Sarah Jane Beck on October 9th, 1887, in Henderson County, Kentucky. She was the daughter of John P. Beck and Alice Logsdon. Her first cousin, Thomas Jesse Beck, married Charles LaRue's sister -- Laura Pearl LaRue. 

"Miss Sarah" married first to John Luta Hallmark on November 14th, 1903, in Posey County, Indiana. After having a passel of children, they divorced sometime around 1917-1918 and then she married a Roberts. I'm unsure what the first name of the Roberts man was...but he must have died shortly after their marriage. Sarah "Roberts" married again on August 17tth, 1921, in Posey County, Indiana, to Martin Van Buren Wise. He, too, died very shortly afterward. By late 1922 or early 1923, she married George Charles Staser, who he remained married to until his death in 1950. 

Miss Sarah, too, passed away before Charles on February 26th, 1976; leaving him a now double widower. Charles "Dad" LaRue eventually passed away himself on November 20th, 1980, at the age of 97.

Growing up, I've heard stories not just from my Grandpa Jady but from my Mom as well. Dad LaRue was quite a character from what I gather. He loved a good joke, a hard-to-solve puzzle or riddle, and could pull off a decent prank every now and again. Charlie loved to use his mind and apparently was interested in his family tree. An interest that he apparently passed down to several of his descendants, including myself. 

That finally brings me to why I'm writing about my Great-Great-Grandparents, Charles and Carrie (Byrd) LaRue for the topic of "DNA." 

I've tested through Ancestry and 23andme, uploaded for free to My Heritage, Family Tree DNA, GEDMatch, and Living DNA. There are LaRue/Byrd descendants on Ancestry, 23andme, My Heritage, and ftDNA. Counting up (so far) all of the descendants, including myself and my Mom, who have DNA tested... the number has come out to 39. 

39 descendants of Dad LaRue and Carrie Byrd have done their DNA on one (or more) website(s). I wonder what this couple would think of that today. I wonder what Dad LaRue would think about having all the descendants that he does. He apparently didn't realize he had half as big of a family as what he did. 

Charlie's father, Benjamin Hardin "Ben" LaRue was born in December of 1844, likely in Hardin County, Kentucky, to Josiah "Si" LaRue and Mary Castleman. He was one of at least eleven children. His parents, though, I believe died by the time Ben turned 10 or so years old.. How and why Ben LaRue ended up in Henderson County is a mystery to me... perhaps he came with relatives. Perhaps he came on his own. Perhaps he followed a Church congregation... I'm really unsure. But we know by September 3rd, 1867, Ben is living in Henderson County, as he married his wife, Mary Philapine Lawrey, here on that date. 

Growing up -- Ben told his children nothing of his parents or siblings -- or at least, not much. In the 1970's, Charlie's daughter, Lorene (my great-grandmother) wrote into a local newspaper for help finding family of Ben LaRue at the behest of her father. I believe she had some answers because my Mom remembers a road trip that she took, during the mid 1980's (after Charlie's death, unfortunately), with her parents and Grandparents, to go out west. Somewhere in Kansas, my Great-Grandma Lorene met some of her LaRue cousins. Most likely, they came through one of Ben LaRue's brothers. 

Today, I have a very good idea of what happened to almost all of Ben LaRue's siblings. His parents definitely disappear between the 1850-1860 census years.. so I believe they both died. Perhaps of an epidemic? Cholera perhaps?

Ben's brother's Samuel & Jim married the Burdine sisters and headed west for Arkansas.

Their brother, William, jumped around between Kansas, Missouri, and Arkansas after marrying a Burnett.

Their brother, Jacob, married three different times (two times to a couple Petty's) out in Kansas.

 It appears their brother, Squire, stayed in the Hardin County, KY, area and married a Stopher (Stofer) woman.

Their brother, David, also married a Petty girl and moved to Kansas. 

Their sister, Sarah, I believe died in 1864 -- likely buried in Hardin County, Kentucky. 

Thomas married a Talbot and moved to Kansas and apparently had nothing but a slew of daughters -- so I don't believe any of them passed on the LaRue name. 

Elizabeth, only appearing in the 1850 census and being 2 years old.. probably died around the same time her parents, Josiah and Mary, did. 

Lastly, Lydia, married a Burdine (brother to the Burdine sisters) and stayed in the Hardin County area. 

If there were any more children of Josiah and Mary between 1850 census taking and their deaths... I've never found them. Only the married children have I been able to find in an 1860 census. Even my 3x Grandfather, Ben LaRue, I cannot find in an 1860 census. I ponder if the youngest LaRue children (those under 18 and unwed at the time of their parents deaths) were placed in an orphanage or something similar. Perhaps this could be why Ben was apprehensive and reluctant to tell his children about any of his siblings or his parents. 

Ben LaRue is a widower by the time of the 1900 census -- his wife, Mary, likely dying in the 1890's. Ben, too, died by January 1st, 1901. I've heard that he and Mary are buried, unmarked, in the Smith Mills Cemetery. Dad LaRue, Carrie, and some of their children reside in Smith Mills Cemetery, too. 

For the last portion of this "DNA" topic -- I'm going to show you just how differently you and a parent can match the same person. DNA is such a random inheritance. You can match siblings of one another at completely different levels! For sake of privacy, I will be using initials only because all of these DNA matches are still living. Some of these cousins have only tested at 23andme, and so far, my Mom hasn't used her 23andme kit yet, so I don't know her cM numbers for those matches so I'll only be reporting my cM values for those. I will be separating these matches as to which child of Dad LaRue and Carrie Byrd that they descend from, starting off with the one I descend from. 

Verna Lorene LaRue, my Great-Grandmother
October 9th, 1914 / May 8th, 1991
Married Richard Jerome Blanford on July 11th, 1931
Mother of 13 children, only 8 of which had children of their own. Grandmother of 29. I couldn't begin to count up how many great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren Lorene and Dick have.

First and foremost, me and my Mom share 3,443 cM with each other. A number that high will always be a parent/child relationship unless you are an identical twin or you've accidentally done your DNA two times and then of course, you'll match yourself as "Self/Twin". 

D. B. -- Great-grandson of Dad LaRue & Carrie Byrd
Mom's 1st cousin -- 1,228cM
My 1st cousin 1x removed -- 565 cM

W. B. -- Great-grandson
Mom's 1st cousin --
My 1st cousin 1x removed -- 537 cM

L. C. -- 2x Granddaughter
Mom's 1st cousin 1x removed -- 651 cM
My 2nd cousin -- 331 cM

L. I. -- 2x Grandson
Mom's 1st cousin 1x removed -- 638 cM
My 2nd cousin -- 326 cM

S. H. -- 2x Granddaughter
Mom's 1st cousin 1x removed -- 660 cM
My 2nd cousin -- 291 cM

S. B. -- 2x Granddaughter
Mom's 1st cousin 1x removed -- 654 cM
My 2nd cousin -- 283 cM

L. H. -- 2x Granddaughter
Mom's 1st cousin 1x removed -- 455 cM
My 2nd cousin -- 248 cM

T. B. -- 3x Granddaughter 
Mom's 1st cousin 2x removed -- 108 cM
My 2nd cousin 1x removed -- 37 cM

Opal Lois LaRue 
March 22nd, 1922 / August 27th, 2006
Married Thomas Allen "Tom" Blanford on June 22nd, 1940
Mother of 14 children, Grandmother of at least 29 (There's a few of Opal & Tom's kids that I don't believe have ever been married or had children). 

These cousins would be DOUBLE cousins for those of us who are descended from Lorene & Richard. Why? Because Lorene & Opal are sisters -- Richard & Thomas were brothers. 

D. C. -- Granddaughter of Dad LaRue & Carrie Byrd
Mom's double 1st cousin 1x removed -- 1,067 cM
My double 1st cousin 2x removed -- 470 cM

J. C. -- Great-granddaughter
Mom's double 2nd cousin -- 483 cM
My double 2nd cousin 1x removed -- 265 cM

A. J. -- 2x Granddaughter
Mom's double 2nd cousin 1x removed --
My double 3rd cousin -- 191 cM

M. B. -- 2x Granddaughter
Mom's double 2nd cousin 1x removed --
My double 3rd cousin -- 103 cM

Bonnie Wyonia LaRue
March 25th, 1916 / March 19th, 2002
Married Martin Albert Ganno on April 21st, 1934.
Mother of 11 children, Grandmother of at least 30.

D. G. -- Grandson of Dad LaRue & Carrie Byrd
Mom's 1st cousin 1x removed -- 622 cM
My 1st cousin 2x removed -- 404 cM

B. B. -- Granddaughter
Mom's 1st cousin 1x removed -- 686 cM
My 1st cousin 2x removed -- 390 cM

J. B. -- Great-grandson
Mom's 2nd cousin -- 418 cM
My 2nd cousin 1x removed -- 253 cM

K. G. -- Great-granddaughter
Mom's 2nd cousin -- 295 cM
My 2nd cousin 1x removed -- 172 cM

J. B. -- 2x Grandson
Mom's 2nd cousin 1x removed -- 254 cM
My 3rd cousin -- 108 cM

A. B. -- 2x Grandson 
Mom's 2nd cousin 1x removed -- 190 cM
My 3rd cousin -- 71 cM

S. P. -- 2x Granddaughter
Mom's 2nd cousin 1x removed -- 141 cM
My 3rd cousin -- 33 cM

D. T. -- Great-granddaughter
Mom's 2nd cousin -- 
My 2nd cousin 1x removed -- 211 cM

T. M. -- 2x Granddaughter
Mom's 2nd cousin 1x removed --
My 3rd cousin -- 82 cM

Woodrow Wilson "Woody" LaRue
November 2nd, 1912 / November 11th, 1974
Married Mary Myrtle Culver on June 29th, 1930
Father of 9 children, grandfather of at least 26. 

R. L. -- Grandson of Dad LaRue & Carrie Byrd
Mom's 1st cousin 1x removed -- 582 cM
My 1st cousin 2x removed -- 318 cM

T. B. -- Great-granddaughter
Mom's 2nd cousin -- 395 cM
My 2nd cousin 1x removed -- 213 cM 

T. J. -- Great-granddaughter
Mom's 2nd cousin -- 293 cM
My 2nd cousin 1x removed -- 171 cM

M. B. -- Great-granddaughter
Mom's 2nd cousin -- 207 cM
My 2nd cousin 1x removed -- 112 cM

K. F. -- 2x Grandson
Mom's 2nd cousin 1x removed -- 136 cM
My 3rd cousin -- 60 cM

G. Z -- Great-granddaughter
Mom's 2nd cousin -- 768 cM
My 2nd cousin 1x removed -- 426 cM

Ann Bessie Louise LaRue
August 20th, 1918 / January 10th, 2008
Married Joseph Willard Buckman on October 3rd, 1940
Mother of 6, Grandmother of 21

J. B. -- Grandson of Dad LaRue & Carrie Byrd
Mom's 1st cousin 1x removed -- 588 cM
My 1st cousin 2x removed -- 419 cM

H. C. -- 2x Grandson 
Mom's 2nd cousin 1x removed -- 168 cM
My 3rd cousin -- 116 cM

K. C. -- 2x Granddaughter
Mom's 2nd cousin 1x removed -- 116 cM
My 3rd cousin -- 98 cM

H. C. -- 2x Granddaughter
Mom's 2nd cousin 1x removed -- 212 cM
My 3rd cousin -- 76 cM

A. C. -- Great-granddaughter
Mom's 2nd cousin --
My 2nd cousin 1x removed -- 215 cM

Shelby Clark LaRue
June 19th, 1905 / August 11th, 1979
Married Amie Lelia Blades on December 6th, 1940
Legal father of 3 children, and 1 child I discovered he had before he married through DNA testing; Grandfather of 6, +2 more if you count the grandchildren through the child he didn't know about. 

A. Y. -- Great-grandson of Dad LaRue & Carrie Byrd
Mom's 2nd cousin -- 303 cM
My 2nd cousin 1x removed -- 159 cM

A. E. -- 2x Grandson
Mom's 2nd cousin 1x removed -- 240 cM
My 3rd cousin -- 58 cM

S. W. -- 2x Granddaughter
Mom's 2nd cousin 1x removed --
My 3rd cousin -- 86 cM

Rosa Lee LaRue
December 31st, 1909 / January 19th, 1988
Married first to Benona Houston Alstadt Sr, second to Ray Alvin Miles.
Mother of 2 children (one by each husband), Grandmother of 3. 

C. A. -- Great-granddaughter of Dad LaRue & Carrie Byrd
Mom's 2nd cousin -- 248 cM
My 2nd cousin 1x removed -- 148 cM

D. D. -- 3x Granddaughter
Mom's 2nd cousin 2x removed -- 29 cM
My 3rd cousin 1x removed -- 17 cM

And then surprisingly... no descendants of Uncle Jimmy have tested, yet. 

James Alma "Jimmy" LaRue
March 22nd, 1924 / December 25th, 1988
Married Sue Catherine Mills.
Father of 4 children, Grandfather of at least 8.

I'm incredibly surprised no one from his line have tested yet.. or if they have, I haven't run across them yet (ruh-roh!) 

By the number of grandchildren I counted up... Dad LaRue & Carrie Byrd should roughly have 154 great-grandchildren. I would go out on a limb to say that it isn't impossible to say that Dad & Carrie might have anywhere from 250-300 2x Grandchildren (myself being one of them.) That number is absolutely astonishing to me. Mind boggling. Perplexing. Astounding. I would love to see the look on Charles & Carrie's faces, today, in 2021 if I were to tell them they possibly had 154 great-grandkids and as many as 300 great-great-grandchildren. I bet they'd be bewildered.

I'll wrap this blog up with a thank you for reading through all of this, and thank you to all of my LaRue/Byrd cousins for DNA testing at the various websites available. It makes this genealogist cousin of yours extremely happy! Please urge our other cousins to test if they possibly can, and if any of you need any help with your tests or test results... send me a message on my Facebook! 

52 Ancestors 2021: Week 12: Loss

 For this weeks topic, the first thing that comes to mind for me is the loss of children and just how many of our ancestors buried multiple infants or young children. So in this blog I'm going to discuss the children lost by three sets of my ancestors: Clint Mefford and Edith Bastin, Frank Bastin Sr and Ilena Singleton, and Charles LaRue and Carrie Byrd. 

First, Clint and Edith.

My Great-Grandparents, Clinton "Clint" Mefford and Edith, nee Bastin, were the parents of eleven children; only eight of those surviving past being a toddler or very young child. 

The first born child was named Billie on November 28th, 1927, in Muhlenberg County, Kentucky, likely near the community of Ennis. Billie is the only child that I haven't been able to obscure a death certificate for but his tombstone gives his date of death as March 27th, 1931. He's buried in Allen's Chapel Cemetery near his father, Clint, and other siblings. 

Billie appears in the 1930 census living with his parents and his younger sister, Mary Ellen (1929-2009). Aunt Mary told me years ago that all of the children died of the same thing, so chances are, young Billie died of bronchial pneumonia. 

After Billie's birth, Clint and Edith had Mary Ellen in 1929, Barbara Ray in 1933, Ima Jean in 1936, Glen Bastin in 1938 (my Granddad), and then came Clinton "Clint" Mefford Jr in 1940. 

Clint Jr was born on June 29th, 1940, in the community of Ennis, in Muhlenberg County, Kentucky. On his tombstone, his date of death is given as February 2nd, 1941, but according to his death certificate, it was February 1st, 1941. For Clint Jr, I do have a death certificate -- bronchial pneumonia / Influenza listed as the cause of death. 

The next child after little Clint was Wanda Lee Mefford, born on December 4th, 1942, again in the community of Ennis; and she died of bronchial pneumonia on January 1st, 1943, according to her death certificate. Again, her tombstone is off -- her birth date by two days and her death date by one. 

The dates on the death certificates are what I'm using as primary information, because the informant (and who helped fill out the certificates) was Clint himself so I believe he knew his children's birth dates and death dates. 

After Wanda Lee came Owen Lee in 1944, Vernon Lee in 1946, Michael Wayne in 1949, and Sharon Ann in 1953. To my knowledge, Clint and Edith never lost another child. It's tough to say why they were plagued by bronchial pneumonia between the years of 1931-1943. Why did only Billie, Clint Jr, and Wanda succumb from this illness? 

It's no doubt that probably the other children: Mary, Barbara, Ima, and Glen probably got sick with the same Influenza their siblings had. Why did they survive and these three didn't? I guess some immune systems are better than others. Age at the time of the influenza played a factor as well, I'm sure. 

Granddaddy Clint worked in the coal mines and Grandma Edith was a homemaker who stayed at home and took care of her home and family. It's tough to say if their living conditions helped the influenza thrive -- I wouldn't think so, as I've heard my Granddad Glen say numerous times, they didn't grow up poor by any means. The coal mining business was obviously very good to Granddaddy Clint and his wife and children, from what my Granddad Glen has said over the years. 

Regardless, in 2021, Billie has been gone for ninety years; Clint Jr for eighty years, and Wanda for seventy-eight. These are entire lifetimes these kids have been gone... Only one sister remains living that would have any recollection of Clint Jr or Wanda, and that would be my Aunt Barbara Palmer of Chicago. Sadly, none alive today would have any memories of little Billie, as he was the first to be birthed, and the first to pass away. It's up to someone like me, the family genealogist, to keep his memory alive. 

I will share this one old photograph of Granddaddy Clint, Grandma Edith, Aunt Mary (standing in the back), Aunt Barbara in Clint's lap, and Edith holding Ima Jean. My Granddad hadn't been born yet, but probably would be conceived within a few months of this photo being taken. 

Second, Frank and Ilena. 

My Great-Great-Grandparents, Franklin Payton Bastin Sr and Ilena Singleton had eleven children in total; but only seven that lived past infancy. 

Bessie was their first child born in 1896, then came Bernice Marie in 1900, Frank Jr in 1901, Jennie Merle in 1904, and Edith Mae in 1908 (my Great-Grandmother). In the 1910 census, Ilena says she's birthed 6 kids at this point and only 5 are living. So there is a child born between 1900 and 1910 that mustn't have a tombstone - could have been a miscarriage early on, even; so perhaps it never had a proper burial. It deserves to be counted as a child, though. It existed. 

Next came William Norman in 1912, and then came the three that died very shortly after their births. First was Arthur F Bastin, misspelled Auther on his tombstone. He was born on December 10th, 1914, in the Nelson area of Muhlenberg County, Kentucky, and died just two days later -- December 12th, 1914. The dates on his tombstone are incorrect -- they say December 8th and December 11th. The death certificate says he died of malformation. 

I'll note that his tombstone looks pretty rough -- and when/if I'm able, I'd love to be able to clean it with some D/2 Biological Solution. 

Arthur is buried in Nelson Creek Cemetery in the community of Nelson, in Muhlenberg County, Kentucky.

The next child that came was Carl D. Bastin, born on November 15th, 1915, and he died March 22nd, 1916. His death certificate is a bit hard to read but I believe the cause of death reads "lung cold followed by bronchial pneumonia." 

There isn't a photograph of his tombstone on Find-a-Grave so that tells me that nobody has found one, but I would imagine since his brother and sister have a tombstone, that he does as well. I probably just need to get down to that cemetery and prod around for the tombstone -- it could be broken and under six inches to a foot of dirt. 

The next to come along was Vernerd Lee Bastin, born on June 29th, 1918, and died on October 24th, 1918. Her date of birth is off by a day on her tombstone. Her name on her death certificate looks more like "Vernon" or "Verna" or "Vermie" as it's been transcribed, but on the tombstone, it's Vernerd. On the birth index, it's Vernon -- she's marked as female on the death certificate as well. The cause of death is listed as influenza and probably labor pneumonia. 

Her tombstone, too, could use some T.L.C. with D/2. The epitaph bittersweetly says, "not lost, just gone before." 

After Vernerd, only one more child was born to Frank and Lena -- Roy Ferguson in 1919. It's another tough nut as to why certain ones of the Bastin children passed away and not the others. Why three in a row? Were they born a bit sickly to begin with? Well, we know Arthur died of malformation...so could Carl and Vernerd also have dealt with being a bit malformed? Frank Bastin, too, worked in the coal industry and his wife, Ilena "Lena" was a homemaker. This was in the 1910 and 1920 censuses whereas by 1930, he gave his profession as farmer. 

It's been 107 years since Arthur passed away, 106 for Carl, and 103 for Vernerd. There isn't a soul alive today that remembers these three Bastin children, nor the one that was born and died sometime between 1900-1910. There's no written record for that child, no family bible mentioning him or her... it's up to me to keep the memory of Arthur, Carl, and Vernerd alive.

Third, Charles and Carrie. 

My Great-Great-Grandparents Charles Clarence LaRue and Carrie Annie Byrd had eleven children but only eight made it past infancy or young childhood. 

First they had Shelby Clark in 1905, then came his little brother, John Franklin, born October 28th, 1906, in the Smith Mills area of Henderson County, Kentucky. John makes an appearance with his parents and his siblings: Shelby and Rosa, in the 1910 census... but he passes away shortly after. He is buried unmarked at the Smith Mills Cemetery (according to family story.) As Kentucky doesn't have any death certificates in 1910, it's unclear what he passed away from.

The next child born was little Mary Ernestine on November 17th, 1908, and she died October 18th, 1909. Whatever took Mary Ernestine in 1909 could very well be what took little John Franklin in 1910. Mary, too, is buried unmarked in the Smith Mills Cemetery near her parents and other siblings. Given that so many of my ancestors have lost children to bronchial pneumonia or influenza -- I ponder if their deaths weren't because of that. 

The next kids to come along were Rosa Lee in 1909, Woodrow Wilson in 1912, Verna Lorene in 1914 (my Great-Grandmother), Bonnie Wyonia in 1916, Ann Bessie Louise in 1918, and then the next little one to pass away young... Francis LaRue. He was born on February 24th, 1921, and died September 30th, 1921. He is the only one to have a death certificate -- but still no tombstone in the Smith Mills Cemetery. 

On his death certificate, he's listed as dying of membranous croup -- that's familiar to me as my other Great-Grandmother Anna Elizabeth (Thompson) Sandefur also lost a sibling, Vannie Louise Thompson, to membranous croup in 1915. A contributory cause to Francis' death was cardiovascular, interestingly enough. At least, that's what the word looks like to me. Truth be told, I thought it said something like "cord laubaum" or something but I don't believe that's right. 

After little Francis came Opal Lois in 1922, and James Alma in 1924. Dad LaRue was a farmer in occupation, and the LaRue's didn't have a whole lot in the way of money, honestly. Their living conditions very well could have impacted the lives of their young children... but as I've said twice already in this post, who knows why death struck three of the LaRue children and just these particular three and not the others. 

When it comes to the children of Frank & Lena and Charles & Carrie -- they're all gone now. For the children of theirs who died young, there's no one left alive with a single memory of them. There aren't any pictures, that I'm aware of... there's no written diary entries mentioning them or anything, as far as I know. So it's up to me, as the family historian, to keep the legacies of these little tots going for generations to remember them. 

It's been 111 years since John Franklin LaRue died, 112 since Mary Ernestine died, and exactly one hundred years this year since Francis LaRue died. That's not just one lifetime ago... that's multiple lifetimes. Without tombstones, these LaRue children would be forgotten about if it wasn't for Francis' death certificate, John Franklin appearing in the 1910 census, and as for Mary Ernestine, I'm guessing we have a family bible somewhere in one of the lines of the family mentioning her birth and death or else...who would know about it? The Smith Mills Cemetery sure isn't the best for keeping records, that's for sure. 

I have several more ancestors who lost more than one child young... but these three stuck out to me to talk about for this blog. Not just because I had tombstone photographs, and not just because I had some death certificates... but it struck me as interesting that each lost three... or at least three were documented, in Lena's case, as there's the missing one between 1900-1910. 

Plus, I haven't had the chance to write too much, yet, on my Mefford or Bastin side. I know way more about my Mom's side of the family.. a lot of them being Catholic, the record keeping is much better. But my paternal side is ever bit as important and with time I intend to write more blogs about them. 

Thanks for reading my ramblings tonight, it means a lot. If you haven't joined Blogger/Blogspot yet, you can create a free account and 'subscribe' or 'follow' my blog here. You can also leave a comment if you'd like. Thank you all!

52 Ancestors 2020: Week 3: Long Line

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks, 2020 Challenges

Week Three: "Long Line."

Long line could be taken in a lot of ways. I could talk about the long line of bus drivers I descend from or the long line of jokesters I come from. Maybe the long line of farmers in my family. But I thought the best thing to talk about when it comes to "long line" is how far back my roots in America go on each branch of my tree. Or at least...the ones I've confirmed the furthest back. 

Firstly, my Mefford line. I have three of them, you know. My 3x Grandparents were first cousins...and then my 3x Grandfather's parents were double first cousins. *Yes, that is banjos you hear playing in the background.*

The first Mefford, or Meffert, in America was Andreas Meffert, born January 2nd, 1707, in Hessen, Germany. He migrated to America with some of his sons in 1749, coming in through, I believe, the Port of Philadelphia. Andreas or as he became to be known as, Andrew, spent the rest of his life living in the Washington County, Pennsylvania area, where he died on August 13th, 1760. His widow, Anna Magdalena Haas Meffert is said to have made the move down to Frederick County, VA, where she died in 1765. 

I descend through their son Casper Mefford. It's interesting to note, and I'll add it right here, that Tom Hanks and Mr. Rogers also descend from Andreas Meffert -- through his son Johannes "John" Meffert. Tom Hanks didn't know about his Meffert lineage until he went to portray Mr. Rogers in a biopic a couple of years ago. A couple genealogists put their heads together and found the connection. Imagine my surprise when I open an article to see the name "Andreas Meffert" in it. I about fainted. 

Anyway -- Casper Mefford was the first to use the spelling Mefford and keep it. He was born August 27th, 1741 in Hessen, Germany, and migrated with his father in 1749. He married miss Maria Siegler in Philadelphia on March 30th, 1763. Eventually, Casper, Maria, and their family migrated south to Virginia where Casper died on November 23rd, 1805, in Rockingham County. Casper's widow, Maria, passed away April 16th, 1816, also in Rockingham County. 

From Casper, I descend from his son John Mefford. John was born October 8th, 1764, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. On January 8th, 1787, in Rockingham County, Virginia, he married miss Mary Lemon. By the 1820 census, John and his family were living in the Logan County, Kentucky, area. John died in Logan County on April 18th, 1842. John's wife, Mary, preceded him in death by at least two years. 

From John, I actually descend through two of his children. Twice through his son, Jacob; and once through his son, George. 

George W. Mefford was born January 11th, 1789, in Rockingham County, Virginia. In approximately 1811, probably in Rockingham County, Virginia, he married miss Anna Hudlow. By the 1830 census, he was living in Muhlenberg County, Kentucky. He died in Butler County, Kentucky, on October 24th, 1877, and his tombstone still stands. Anna preceded him in death on November 19th, 1859, in Butler County...and her tombstone still stands, too. 

As for his brother, Jacob -- he was born May 11th, 1790, in Rockingham County, Virginia. He married miss Susanna "Susan" Hudlow on December 21st, 1808, in Rockingham County. By the 1820 census, they appear to be living in Logan County, Kentucky. Jacob died in the Muhlenberg County area in roughly October of 1835. Susan reportedly died the following year, in 1836.

From George, I descend through his son, Andrew Jackson Mefford, who was born February 25th, 1817, in what was probably Logan County, Kentucky. On July 10th, 1839, in Muhlenberg County, Kentucky, he married miss Catharine "Katie" Mefford -- his double first cousin. Catharine was the daughter of Jacob Mefford & Susan Hudlow. She was born January 28th, 1817, in Logan County, Kentucky. Katie passed away August 26th, 1855, in Muhlenberg County, leaving Andrew a widower. 

Andy re-married and eventually passed away on July 28th, 1873, in Muhlenberg County, Kentucky. From Andy and Katie, I descend through their son, George Washington Mefford. George was born July 13th, 1847, in Muhlenberg County. On March 19th, 1868, in Muhlenberg County, he married miss Amanda Hardison -- his first cousin. 

Amanda "Manda" Hardison was born December 14th, 1848, in Logan County, Kentucky and was the daughter of John A. Hardison and Mary Anna "Annie" Mefford. Annie Mefford was a sister of Catharine "Katie" Mefford, thus making her a daughter of Jacob Mefford & Susan Hudlow. Annie was born circa 1819 and passed away sometime between 1860 and 1870. 

As for George & Manda -- Manda passed away on August 23rd, 1918, in Muhlenberg County. George outlived her and passed away on January 30th, 1930, in Muhlenberg County. From the two of them came only two daughters and two sons. I descend through the eldest boy, French Mefford. 

French Mefford was born April 2nd, 1874, in Muhlenberg County, Kentucky. On February 7th, 1898, he married miss Emma Lillie Turner in Muhlenberg County. French died April 24th, 1955, in Louisville, Jefferson County, Kentucky. Lillie passed December 14th, 1964, in Greenville, Muhlenberg County. 

From them was born one son and three daughters. I descend, of course, through their son -- Clinton "Clint" Mefford. He was born July 29th, 1903, in Ennis, Muhlenberg County. He married the lovely Edith Mae Bastin on June 26th, 1926, in Hartford, Ohio County, Kentucky. He preceded her in death on October 3rd, 1965, in Greenville. She went on to re-marry and lived until April 11th, 1988, passing in Daviess County, Kentucky. 

Their son, Glen Bastin Mefford, was my Grandfather.. and he sadly passed away on August 11th, 2020. From Granddad Glen to Andreas Meffert was nine generations. Nine generations between Granddad and the first Meffert to land on American soil. Even though, in 1749, we weren't quite the United States, were we? We were the British Colonies of America, I believe? 

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Anyway... the second line I can talk about, that goes back even further in American history -- is my mother's maiden name, Blanford. It originally was spelled Blandford before someone dropped the middle D. We hailed from the area of Dorset, England. Just a short distance from the actual town of Dorset is a little place called Blandford Forum and I believe that's where we originated from. We got our last name from the town, more than likely..so who knows what our last name was before Blandford. Or perhaps...the town was named for us. Hmph!

Thomas Blandford was born about 1648 in the Dorset area of England. He is the furthest back documented Blandford I can trace. I believe he came to America around the year 1673, although it could have been as early as 1660. I had previously believed Thomas was a son of a John Blandford & Dorothy Wright, but, there's not a lot of concrete evidence to back that up. 

We know Thomas married Tabitha Wright on June 13th, 1678, in Calvert County, Maryland. The Blandford's at this point are starting to become well documented here in America because they're Catholic. And let's face it... Catholics keep phenomenal records. Thomas passed away in Prince George's County in 1698. Tabitha survived him until 1701. Tabitha had previously had children with William Mills -- that's also a very old name in Catholic America coming over from England. 

From Thomas & Tabitha, I descend from their son, Thomas Blandford. Thomas was born in either late 1678 or early 1679, Calvert County, Maryland. Around 1697 or so, he married Sarah Beaven. They both died in Prince George's County around 1749. 

From Thomas & Sarah, I descend through John Blandford. John was born roughly in 1709 in Prince George's County. His first wife was an Elizabeth Hagan, but his second wife, was a woman named Eleanor, who he married around 1751. Her last name right now remains a mystery. John passed in Prince George's, in 1770. 

From John and his second wife Eleanor, I come from their son, John Baptist Blandford. John Baptist was born about 1758, likely in Prince George's County, Maryland -- and around 1773, he married Elizabeth Clarke. Sometime after that, they made the "Great Catholic Migration" from Maryland down to Eastern Kentucky. John & Elizabeth both supposedly pass in Nelson County, Kentucky, in 1797. 

Their son, John Baptist Blandford, comes next in my lineage. He was born about 1774, likely in Prince George's County, Maryland, and married miss Catharine Hagan on November 12th, 1795, in Nelson County, Kentucky. The Hagan's, too, are an old English Catholic family. John passed away, probably in Nelson or Washington County, Kentucky, in 1818. Catharine eventually migrated with her children to Union County, Kentucky, where she died May 7th, 1859. It is likely she was buried in Saint Vincent / Sacred Heart Cemetery but no tombstone exists today. 

Through them came a son named Richard B (probably Baptist) Blandford. He was born about 1810 in likely Nelson County, Kentucky. Through his second wife, Rosella Jane Boone, whom he married November 9th, 1847, in Union County, Kentucky, I descend. Richard passed away sometime between the 1860 and 1870 censuses, leaving Rosella as a widow. Rosella passed away in 1910 in Union County, Kentucky, and too, is likely buried in Sacred Heart Cemetery with no existing tombstone. 

From Richard & Rosella came a son named Samuel "Sam" Blandford and it is through him and his two wives that he populated present day Union County, Henderson County, and even some of Daviess County with Blandford's. I think even some crossed over the river into Evansville, Indiana. 

Samuel Blandford was born April 15th, 1860, in Union County, Kentucky and he married his first wife, October 8th, 1883, at Saint Vincent Church, in Saint Vincent, Union County, Kentucky... her name was Mary Olive Oatman Raley, "Ollie" for short. The Raley's, too, are an old English Catholic family. 

Ollie preceded Sam in death on June 16th, 1906, in Union County, Kentucky. Sam married again and eventually left his second wife a widow on February 1st, 1916, in Union County, Kentucky. I believe both Sam & Ollie are likely buried in Saint Vincent Cemetery, but again, no tombstones have been found. It's plausible they could be interred at Saint Peter Catholic Cemetery but, again, no tombstones have been located. 

Sam & Ollie bore several children, their son Martin Allen Blanford being my ancestor. Dad Blanford, as he was called, was born February 28th, 1888, in Morganfield, Union County, Kentucky. He married the beautiful Mary Agnes Nally on January 7th, 1913, in Union County -- likely at Saint Peter Church. Agnes bore him six children before the good Lord called her home at an early age -- just 32 years young, on January 28th, 1927. She died of tuberculosis. The Nally family, too, is an old English Catholic family. 

Dad Blanford married again and lived a long life -- he passed away April 24th, 1968, in Evansville, Vanderburgh County, Indiana. Dad & Agnes' first son, Richard Jerome Blanford, was my Great-Grandfather. "Dick" as he was known, was born November 5th, 1913, in Union County, Kentucky. 

On July 11th, 1931, probably in Holy Name Catholic Church, he married miss Verna Lorene LaRue and to them 13 children were born. They both lived long, but hard lives at times. Lorene passed away of breast cancer on May 8th, 1991. The LaRue's had been in Henderson County for quite a while, and Lorene and her immediate LaRue family were Catholic, but I don't believe the LaRue's were always Catholic. I'll talk about them again in a minute. 

Dick passed away from prostate cancer on December 14th, 1995, in Geneva, Henderson County, Kentucky. I actually had the pleasure of knowing my Great-Grandfather, just for a short while. I turned three the February after his passing. 

Their son, James Allen Blanford, who passed away six years ago today.. was my Grandfather. 

From my Grandpa Jady to Thomas Blandford of Dorset, England, are ten generations. Ten generations between the first English Blandford in America to my Grandpa. 

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For my LaRue kin -- we came to America as French Huguenots. As defined on Wikipedia -- "Huguenots were French Protestants who held to the Reformed, or Calvinist, tradition of Protestantism." Now, my LaRue line can be traced further back into France than just what I'm going to talk about but -- my French Huguenot ancestor is my 9th Great-Grandfather, Abraham LaRue or "Le Roux". 

As per Wikipedia -- "The LaRue family and its descendants trace their ancestry back to the French Huguenot Abraham LeRoux, who sailed to America with his family around 1680 as part of a mass exodus from France. According to LaRue descendant and author of Six Generations of LaRue and Allied Families, Otis M. Mather, several attempts to trace Abraham's family to a particular individual or locality in France have been unsuccessful. However, Don Holland Watson began the search in 1961 and, along with his two sisters, visited Germany and France on several occasions, tracing the family from the sub-province of Lalloeu in France to Mannheim, in Germany, and from there to the USA, then tracking the family until modern times, all across the USA in personal visits.

Although there are dozens of family traditions describing in various ways how Abraham and his family first arrived in America, all sources agree that some of the LaRues were murdered during or soon after the Massacre of St. Bartholomew in 1572, and afterward scattered across Europe and, eventually, America, where several members of the family were reunited.

Abraham LeRoux (LaRue) settled in New Jersey, where he died in 1712, leaving behind a son named Peter. Peter had three sons of his own; Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, from which sprang the LaRue families of Virginia and Kentucky."

Peter died in Frederick County, Virginia, in 1783. I descend from his son, Isaac LaRue Sr. Isaac was born 309 years ago today -- January 11th, 1712, in Hunterdon County, New Jersey. Around 1743, he married Phebe Carmen, and reared at least ten children who went forth and populated Kentucky & Virginia with LaRue's of all kinds. On March 20th, 1795, Isaac Sr dies in Frederick County, Virginia. 

From him, comes my 6th Great-Grandfather, Jacob LaRue Sr. Jacob was born May 1st, 1744, in Frederick County, Virginia. He married twice and had a slew of children with both women. I descend through his first wife, Mary Frost, whom he married in 1765 in Clarke County, Virginia. She died in 1804. Jacob eventually moved with a number of his descendants to present day Hardin County, Kentucky, where he died September 15th, 1821. 

My 5th Great-Grandfather was Samuel LaRue -- born about 1781 in Virginia. He married miss Elizabeth Dodge (Dodge is a very old American last name with roots in very early New England American history) on June 2nd, 1801, in Hardin County, Kentucky. Elizabeth passed in 1821 and Samuel shortly after in 1826. They mostly had daughters, which meant the LaRue last name was starting to die out... but they had two sons; one being my 4th Great-Grandfather. 

Josiah "Si" LaRue has been a tough man to trace down. He was born about 1804, likely in Hardin County, Kentucky, and by October 13th, 1828, in Floyd County, Indiana, he married miss Mary Castleman (old German family). They remain, however, in Hardin County in subsequent censuses. It seems they both die between 1850 and 1860. They had at least eleven children -- mostly sons, so the LaRue last name makes a come back! 

A lot of Josiah & Mary's descendants end up in Missouri, Arkansas, Kansas, and even further west. I descend through their son, Benjamin Hardin LaRue. Ben LaRue was born about December of 1844 in probably Hardin County, Kentucky. For some reason, by the mid 1860's, he's made his way to Henderson County, Kentucky, where he marries miss Mary Philapine Lawrey. 

I'm unsure exactly when Mary passes away, but it was between the 1880 and 1900 census. She's likely buried in Smith Mills Cemetery in Smith Mills, Henderson County, Kentucky. Ben LaRue reportedly died on New Years Day 1901 and his will was probated on January 30th, 1901. He, too, is likely buried in Smith Mills Cemetery. 

They, too, had eleven children -- one of them being my 2nd Great-Grandfather, Charles Clarence "Dad" LaRue. Dad LaRue was born June 8th, 1883, in Henderson County, Kentucky. On April 27th, 1904, also in Henderson, he married Carrie Annie Byrd and they, too, had eleven children -- but only eight that survived past a few years old. Carrie predeceased Dad on June 29th, 1955.. and eventually Dad LaRue re-married, 

In 1973, Dad LaRue and his daughter, Verna Lorene LaRue (my Great-Grandmother) wrote into the local Evansville newspaper column "Bish Says" to try and get information on his parents. 

She goes so far as to say "Never heard his father mention any relative." Well -- Ben LaRue had eleven siblings and apparently, he'd never talked about them, either! Eventually, my Great-Grandmother received an answer from this article and came into contact with descendants of Josiah LaRue -- Ben LaRue's father -- who lived out in Kansas. My Mom, her parents, and my Great-Grandparents -- Dick Blanford and Verna Lorene LaRue, went on a road trip and went to Kansas to meet these cousins of Lorene. 

My Great-Grandmother might be gone, and my Great-Great-Grandfather might be gone, too, but.. I've solved the LaRue lineage. I don't, however, know exactly why Ben LaRue didn't talk about his parents or siblings or where he came from. I know he was born in 1844 and I believe his parents might have died between 1850-1860... but.. he still should have been old enough to have known who they were, known their names and whatnot. He had 10 siblings.. he should have at least known their names.. I suppose dementia could have played a factor. By the time he wanted to tell his son, Charles Clarence, about his family... maybe he didn't remember. 

The Lawrey line, too, though, has proved a tough nut to crack. That's a story for another time. 

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These are my furthest back and most well documented "overseas to America" lines. I do have my Sandefur, Gibson, Moss, Hazelwood, etc lines back to the 1700's but, I haven't made the official "jump over the big pond" with them. Not verified anyway. So perhaps I'll talk about those ancestors another day!