Wordless Wednesday - Grain Bin

Grain bin at the location of the Frank Fowlie Farm

This is a photo of the location of the farm where Frank and Clara (Ross) Fowlie lived before they moved to Lake View, Sac, Iowa. Frank and Clara Fowlie are my great grandparents.

As far as I can tell, there is nothing at this site that was there at the time the Fowlie's owned the property. I'm told that the grain bin is located near where the house was located. I took the grain bin photo last week while passing through Iowa. Below is a photo of Frank and Clara Fowlie on the farm. Below that is an aerial photo of the farm.

Frank and Clara on the farm

Mid-October 1948, Farm East of Lake View, IA

Tombstone Tuesday - Velois and Anna Parker

This is the tombstone of Velois D. Parker and his wife Anna B. (Wood) Parker at Wautoma Union Cemetery, Waushara County, Wautoma, Wisconsin. They are my 2nd great grandparents, the parents of Lloyd Parker, my great grandfather.

I have always operated under the assumption that his name was spelled Valois rather than Velois, so when I saw the tombstone, I was a bit surprised. All other electronic records I have found say Valois. Looks like I'm not going to know for sure unless I find a birth or death certificate or something. This wouldn't be the first time a tombstone was spelled wrong, so I'll continue to look for more information.

Tombstone Tuesday - Philander and Harriet Parker

This is the tombstone of Philander Calender Parker and his wife Harriet N. (Palmer) Parker located at Wautoma Union Cemetery, Wautoma, Washara County, Wisconsin. They are my 3rd great grandparents and the parents of my 2nd great grandfather, Valois D. Parker.

Amanuensis Monday - The death of Fred H. Wandrey

According to Genabloggers, "An Amanuensis is a person employed to write what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another. Amanuensis Monday is a daily blogging theme which encourages the family historian to transcribe family letters, journals, audiotapes, and other historical artifacts."

Fred H. Wandrey was my first cousin, twice removed, meaning he was my grandfather's first cousin. He was the son of Fred G. Wandrey and Lucy Viola (or Viola Lucile) Parker. Viola would be my great grand aunt, on my mother's side. I don't have a lot of details, except birth records indicate he was born in Wautoma, Waushara, Wisconsin May 22, 1906.

I found this article via the newspaper archive of the Appleton Post-Crescent. I was looking for information about the Wandrey's after my grandfather told me that he remembered a cousin that was a school superintendent in Green Bay. What I found was the troubling story of his death. Unfortunately, the story contains only the bare facts and doesn't answer any other questions.

Appleton Post-Crescent
Wed. June 18, 1958
Superintendent of Green Bay Schools Takes His Own Life
GREEN BAY — (AP) — Fred H. Wandrey, about 51, superintendent of Green Bay public
schools since 1952, was found dead in the basement of his home Tuesday afternoon with a shotgun wound in his chest.

Dr. Cletus Belisle, Brown County coroner, said death was a suicide.

He said the shotgun was found near Wandrey's body and that there were powder burns on the hands and chest. The body was found by Wandrey's wife when she returned home.

Wandrey came here from Beaver Dam where he had been superintendent since 1949. He
was superintendent at Richland Center from 1943 to 1949 and also had been head of schools at Black River Falls.

He was a graduate of Cumberland High school.

Other survivors include two daughters.

Wordless Wednesday - 1937 Photos

This sequence of images depicts my grandfather, Elvis J. Brassfield and his parents, Floyd and Thelma (Hunt) Brassfield on May 16, 1937. There are no details as to what the event is, perhaps some high school prom or banquet. Elvis didn't graduate High School until 1939. Note the Ice sign, advertising the family business and the back end of one of the family trucks is in a couple of images. These were probably taken near their home on South Street in Lake City, Iowa. More images after the jump...

Tombstone Tuesday - Samuel and Sarah Hunt

This is the tombstone of Samuel and Sarah (Beistline) Hunt at Blair Cemetery, Blair, Nebraska.Samuel and Sarah are my 3rd great grandparents. They are the parents of my 2nd great grandfather, John Hunt. They are buried in Block: 29 Lot: 9 Graves 10 and 11.

This was a challenging photo environment, so the picture is pretty poor. It was fairly early in the morning, so the stone was lit from behind. I have another from November, but it was very late in the day so it is lit from the glossy side of the stone. Anyway, that's my excuse for the shoddy photography on this one. You might notice the Beistlin tombstone right behind the "NT" in HUNT. It was featured in an article a couple weeks ago.

I don't have much detail on Samuel Hunt beyond the dates on the stone. My notes indicate that he was born in Kimbolton, Guernsey County, Ohio. He was living in Cedar County, Iowa in August 1868 when he was married to Sarah Beistline of Pennsylvania. They moved to Nebraska between 1870 and 1880. Sarah died in 1889. Samuel was living with his son John Hunt at the time of the 1900, 1910 and 1920 census. 

Wordless Wednesday - Frank Fowlie portrait at Fort Sill

This is a portrait of my great-grandfather, Frank Brown Fowlie (1892-1977) while stationed at Fort Sill, Oklahoma during World War I.

Tombstone Tuesday - J.P. Johnson

This is the tombstone of J.P. and Hannah (Branshus) Johnson at Blair Cemetery, Blair, Washington County, Nebraska. They are my third great grand parents and the parents of Jennie (Johnson) Hunt (1878-1914). According to the 1900 census, they had 17 children, 9 of which were still living as of 1900.
A transcription of the tombstone and more info after the jump...

Sunday's Obituary - Mary Fowlie Hull

This is the obituary for Mary Anne (Fowlie) Hull from 1974. Mary Anne Fowlie was my great grand aunt and was the sister of my great grandfather, Frank Brown Fowlie.

Unfortunately, the copy I have does not list the newspaper it was published in. The obituary was likely written by a friend or family member and published by a paper in Webster or Calhoun County, Iowa. It is transcribed after the jump...

Funeral Card Friday - Mary Fowlie Hull

This is the funeral card of Mary Anne (Fowlie) Hull. Mary Anne Fowlie was my great grand aunt and was the sister of my great grandfather, Frank Brown Fowlie. I transcribed the funeral card after the jump...

Wordless Wednesday - Frank Brown Fowlie

This is a photo of my great-grandfather, Frank Brown Fowlie (1892-1977). No date was provided, but it is likely to be the mid 1910s.

Tombstone Tuesday - Mary Fowlie and Clarence Hull

This is the tombstone of Mary (Fowlie) and Clarence Hull located at Callender Cemetery, Callender, Webster County, Iowa. Mary Anne Fowlie was my great grand aunt and was the sister of my great grandfather, Frank Brown Fowlie.

Mary was born prior to the move from Benton County to Calhoun County. According to the notes, she was born April 27, 1884 in Garrison, Benton County, Iowa. The family moved to Calhoun County between July 1886 and March 1887. She was the 7th child of 13.

Mary was married to Clarence Edward Hull on May 23, 1908 in Des Moines, Iowa. They were still living in Des Moines, Polk County, Iowa at the time of the 1910 census. They never had any children of their own, but in 1920 their 14 year old niece Pearl Bishop was living with them in Lake Creek, Calhoun, Iowa. Pearl was the daughter of Mary's sister Sylvia, who died in 1916.

By 1930, Mary and Clarence Hull were living near Callender, Webster County, Iowa. Clarence died in 1944 and Mary remained in Callender until at least 1949. She was living in Gowrie, Webster County, Iowa by 1967. She died at the Gowrie Care Center April 17, 1974.

I took this photo at the Callender Cemetery, which is quite large. By chance I started the search on the west side of the cemetery and parked the car within 100 feet of the tombstone, which I located in less than 15 minutes. I marked the location with GPS and you can see it on the map, by the green arrow, after the jump, so click read more for that.

Wordless Wednesday - The Ross children with Zip the dog

This photo shows Clara, Mary, George and Mason Ross with "Zip" the dog. Clara (Ross) Fowlie was my great grandmother and these are her siblings. This photo was apparently taken around 1900 and was grouped with a number of photos from a visit by uncle Henry, George Henry Stotler.

Tombstone Tuesday - John and Susanah Beistline

This is the tombstone of Susanah and John R. Beistline (Beistlin) located at Blair Cemetery, Blair, Nebraska. They are my 4th great grand parents. The parents of my 3rd great grandmother, Sarah A. (Beistline) Hunt. Sarah was the wife of Samuel Hunt, they were the parents of my 2nd great grandfather, John Hunt. John Hunt's daughter Thelma married Floyd Brassfield. Hopefully some of those names are ringing some bells.

Veteran's Day 2011

Memorial plaque for my 1st cousin (2x removed), Vilas D. Parker.
MIA, presumed dead for over 43 years. Recovered in 1987.

On the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918, the armistice ending World War I was signed. November 11th became a day of remembrance for that war, it was Armistice Day. Following World War II, November 11th became a day not just to remember World War I, but to honor all American veterans.

So on this day, I'd like to point out some of the veterans that I am connected to. The list is not complete, so I'm sorry if I've forgotten someone. Out of respect for privacy, I'm not going to mention veterans still living, but I am still grateful for their service.

All gave some, some gave all. The list is after the jump.

Wordless Wednesday - Ross family with Uncle Henry

George Henry Stotler, uncle Henry, with his sister Mary Stotler-Ross. Mary is holding her son John F. Ross Jr. Her children, George, Mary, Clara and Mason Ross are in the front row. Clara (Ross) Fowlie is my great grandmother and Mary (Stotler) Ross is my 2nd great grandmother.

John Ross Jr. was born in May 1899 and George Henry Stotler died in February 1902, so that is the time frame of this photo. This photo was probably taken during a visit by Uncle Henry to Calhoun County, Illinois. He was visiting from Mahomet, Illinois or Indianapolis, Indiana. He lived in Indianapolis at the time of the 1900 census. That would be about a 9+ hour, 570 mile trip by car in 2011, but in 1900 it's hard to imagine what it would have taken to make that trip.

Tombstone Tuesday - Elvis and Abigail Brassfield-Stout

This is the tombstone of Elvis Stout and his wife Abigail (Brassfield) Stout located at McGinnis Cemetery, Madison County, Iowa. Abigail was my third great grand aunt, she was the sister of my third great grandfather, Wiley D. Brassfield.

Abigail is buried within a yard or two of her mother, Sarah (Hill) Brassfield and there are several Stout's buried nearby.

According to my notes, Abigail was born in Indiana and Elvis Stout was born in Bartholomew County, Indiana. My notes also indicate that they were married January 11, 1853 in Mahaska County, Iowa. There are not many instances of the name Elvis in my database and Elvis Stout is one of the earliest. I don't know this for a fact, but it is possible that my 2nd great grandfather, Elvis H. Brassfield, was named for his uncle, Elvis Stout.

Worldless Wednesday - Helen and Oliver Ross

This is a photo of my great grand aunt Helen Ross (later Helen Ross-Whitted) and great grand uncle Oliver Ross. It was captioned "Helen age 3+, Oliver 9 months" so it's from around 1906. They were living in Lake Creek township, Calhoun County, Iowa during this time frame. They are the siblings of my great grandmother, Clara (Ross) Fowlie.

Tombstone Tuesday - Victoria Naomi Brassfield

This is the tombstone of Victoria Naomi Brassfield at McGinnis Cemetery, Madison County, Iowa. Victoria is my 1st cousin, four times removed. She is buried adjacent to her grandmother and my 4th great grandmother, Sarah (Hill) Brassfield. Victoria was the daughter of John D. Brassfield and Martha A. McClelland. According to my notes, she was born July 15, 1868 and died May 22, 1871. I also have May 2, 1871 down, but the 1959 McAllister book, Brasfield-Brassfield genealogies, and tombstone both say May 22.

300th post

Well, this is the 300th post to this blog. I decided to include a photo from August 1938 of my grandfather, Elvis J. Brassfield and his mother, Thelma Sarah (Hunt) Brassfield along with the mile mark 300 sign. It looks like they are standing in front of their home on South Street in Lake City, Iowa.

Not much to say about the last 100 except that it's taken quite a while to get to 300. One of my favorite articles to research was the Military Monday feature about Oliver Ross. I made a number of cemetery visits this summer, so I'll be posting more of those pictures in the future. I also have quite a few posts in the queue scheduled to be published in the next month or so. I have some scanned photos to post, too. You can wait for them to be posted or you can spoil the surprise by looking through them on Flickr:

• http://www.flickr.com/photos/iowisbrassfield/

Wordless Wednesday - 413 W. South Street then and now

Above is a photo of 413 W South Street, Lake City, Iowa from the 1930s. It was the home of the Floyd Brassfield Family in the 1930s. Below is a photo of the same house in August 2011. The house looks very similar, though appears to be in rough shape from the outside. No brick chimney in the lower photo.

Tombstone Tuesday - Sarah Brasfield

This is a closeup of the tombstone of Sarah Brasfield located at McGinnis Cemetery, Madison County, Iowa. Sarah R. (Hill) Brasfield was my 4th great grandmother. She was the wife of John Wiley Brasfield and mother of my 3rd great grandfather, Wiley D. Brassfield. As far as I can tell this family used both "S's" so I'm not sure why they have Brasfield on the tombstone. The stone appears to be more recent than 1879, perhaps it is a replacement stone or something.

According to the 1959 McAllister book, Brasfield-Brassfield genealogies, Sarah R. Hill was born November 2, 1804 in North Carolina. Sarah had 11 children from 1827 to 1850. Looking at where her children were born, she moved from North Carolina to Indiana between 1831 and 1833 and then to Iowa between 1848 and 1850. John Wiley Brassfield apparently died prior to 1850. He is not listed in the 1850 census and Sarah is listed as head of household.

Sarah is buried near Victoria Naomi Brassfield, her grand daughter and daughter of John D. Brassfield. She is also within a few steps of her daughter Abigail (Brassfield) Stout.

Amanuensis Monday - Abraham Martin Parker

According to Genabloggers, "An Amanuensis is a person employed to write what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another. Amanuensis Monday is a daily blogging theme which encourages the family historian to transcribe family letters, journals, audiotapes, and other historical artifacts."

Today I'm posting a transcription of an article from page 480 of Augustus G. Parker's 1911 book, Parker in America. Abraham Martin Parker was my 4th great grandfather on my mother's side. Philander C. Parker was my 3rd great grandfather. I think the part that interests me most is the first paragraph and the second to last one where it tells how Abraham moved from Connecticut to Canada to Nunda, NY. Then his son Philander Calender Parker moved to Wautoma, bringing our family to Wisconsin.

ABRAHAM MARTIN, NUNDA. N. Y.
He migrated from Canada about seventy years ago and settled at Nunda, Livingston Co., N. Y., where he continued to live until his d., 1862. He m. Miss Harriette Benton. To them were b. Philander C., Abraham M. Jr., Harry Munroe, James M. (who still lives on the old homestead, two miles from Nunda), Elutheria, Mary E.

Mary E. m. John Bryant and now lives at Ridge, near Mt. Morris.

Elutheria d. as did Harvey and Munroe.

Philander C. moved to Wautoma, Wis., where he d. about twenty-five years ago.

Abraham M., Jr. (f. of Lester B.), m. about 1846, Sophronia Putnam and settled in Whitesville, Allegany Co., N. Y. He d. 1891. Their chn. were Clarence L., Lester B., Volney A., Abraham A. and Adele.

Clarence L. lives at or near Norwich, N. Y.; is 55 yeas of a., has one s., Yorke.

Lester B. res. in Lowville, N. Y., a. 52. Volney A., at Wellsville, N. Y., a.45. Abraham, if alive, is a. 43. Adele m. E. W. Griffith, who is Supt. of Public Schools in Glenn Falls, N. Y.

Lester B. has four chn.: Glenn M., Fay L., Linn B., all of Lowville, and one dau., Mrs. Charles Bostwick of Lyons Falls, N. Y. Glen M. is a. 24, unm., dealer in coal at Lowville, Fay L., a. 21, m. lives in Lowville; a coal dealer. Lynn B. 8 years old.

Lester B. was b. in Whitesville, educated at the district school and two years at Belfast Academy; moved to Lewis county, 1876; m. Mary E. Glenn, 1877. In 1884 he purchased lands in Montague, Lewis county; moved there and started lumbering, his express station and shipping point being Lowville. Lumber business still goes on at Parkers. He also has interest in a retail yard at Lowell, and is head of the firm, L. B. Parker and Son, coal dealers, Lowville. His w. Mary E., d. 1902; in 1903 he m. Cora Fenton of No. Four Lewis county, where he is interested and spends about half his time. L. B. P.
Lowville, May 10, 1904.

Statement made by Clarence Lucas of above family, b. 1849.

Father's name, Abraham Martin Parker of Whitesville, N. Y.
Mother's name, Sophronia Wood (Putnam) Parker.
Grandfather's name, Abraham Martin Parker, of Nunda, N. Y.
Grandmother's name, Harriet Benton Parker, of Nunda, N. Y.
Gr-grandfather's name, Archeleus Putnam of Woodstock, Vt.
Gr-grandmother's name, Nancy (Wood) Putnam of Woodstock, Vt.
Clarence Lucas, Lester Benton, Adele Martin, Volney Archeleus and Abraham Martin were the chn. that grew to manhood and womanhood, b. to Abraham and Sophronia Parker; four other chn. d. in youth.

Abraham Martin, deceased, James M., Mrs. John Bryant of Ridge, N. Y., James M. of Nunda, N. Y., were chn. of Abraham Martin and Harriet (Benton) Parker, and their other chn. moved to Wisconsin in 1859-1860.

The Putnams and Wood left Woodstock, Vt., in the '30s of 1800, and settled at Whitesville, Allegany Co., N. Y., then almost an unbroken wilderness.

The Parkers left Connecticut in an early day; went to Canada, and after a few years moved to Messenger's Hollow, near Nunda, where Abraham and Harriet Parker res. until d. I am of the opinion that the Bentons were friends even before they all lived in Western N. Y., for Harriet Benton had a bro. named Abraham Martin Benton. His mo. lived to be over 99, and d. because her stomach could no longer perform its work, not having been sick, of account, all her life.

Archeleus Putnam was of the Isreal Putnam family, was a soldier in War of 1812, d. on his 85th birthday, and was a very sturdy man in all respects. His ancestry on maternal side went straight back to Plymouth Rock at landing of the Pilgrims. His mo. also lived to be a trifle over 99. So both my gr.-gr.-mos. lived over 99 years each. Address of living chn.: Clarence Lucas, Norwich, N. Y.; Lester Benton, Lowville, N. Y.; Mrs. Elbert W. Griffith, 6 Pearl St., Glen Falls, N. Y.; Volney Archeleus, Wellsville, N. Y.

The above is from page 480 of Augustus G. Parker's book, Parker in America published in 1911.

Wordless Wednesday - Mason and George Ross

This is a photo of Mason Ross and George Ross. They were brothers of my great-grandmother Clara (Ross) Fowlie.

It is captioned: "Mason age 13, George age 15" on the reverse. That would date this photo to around 1905. George was born in 1890 and Mason in 1892. They were living in Lake Creek township, Calhoun County, Iowa during this time frame.

Tombstone Tuesday - Mason and Daisy Ross

This is the tombstone of Mason, Daisy and Eleanor Ross. Mason Ross was the brother of my great grandmother, Clara (Ross) Fowlie. I took this photo on a recent trip through Iowa.

Funeral Card Friday - Daisy Barham Ross

This is a scan of the inside of the funeral card for my great grand aunt, Daisy L. (Barham) Ross. She was the wife of Mason Ross, who was the brother of my great grandmother Clara (Ross) Fowlie.

Wordless Wednesday - Frank Fowlie WWI

This is a photo of Frank Brown Fowlie, my great-grandfather, at Fort Sill, Oklahoma during World War I.

Tombstone Tuesday - Harry and Clara Andresen

This is the tombstone of Harry and Clara (Homire) Andresen located at Keystone Cemetery, Kane, Benton, Iowa. Clara Homire was the daughter of Lewis Homire. Clara would be my half-first cousin, three times removed since her grandmother Charlotte (Kiesel/Homire) was my 3rd great grandmother.

Lake City Cemetery

Lake City Cemetery, Lake City, Calhoun County, Iowa is a cemetery I haven't visited yet. According to my notes, Mason Ross might be buried here as well as his wife Daisy (Barham) Ross. I don't have too many other details, but looking at the map, it seems like a very large cemetery. If I have decent weather, I should stop and visit it sometime on the way through Calhoun County.

Update: I added a photo of the main entrance and I was able to locate the Hipple group and Mason and Daisy Ross.

Tombstone Tuesday - Rudy and Elfreda Homire

This is the tombstone of Rudy and Elfreda (Jacobs) Homire located at Keystone Cemetery, Kane township, Benton County, Iowa. Rudy Homire is my half-first cousin, three times removed. Rudy's grandmother Charlotte (Kiesel-Homire) is my 3rd great grandmother, but by her 2nd husband. He is the son of Lewis and Lena Homire.

According to familysearch.org's Iowa birth records, Rudy and his brother Roy were both born November 19, 1903. I don't know if they were identical or fraternal twins. His brother Roy is buried in Keystone Cemetery, but quite a few rows to the east.

Rudy Homire and Elfreda Jacobs were married January 31, 1923 in Vinton township, Benton, Iowa according to marriage records on familysearch.org.

Tombstone Tuesday - Roy and Ella Homire

This is the tombstone of Roy and Ella Homire located at Keystone Cemetery, Kane township, Benton, Iowa. Roy Homire is my half-first cousin, three times removed. Roy's grandmother Charlotte (Kiesel-Homire) is my 3rd great grandmother, but by her 2nd husband. Roy is the son of Lewis and Lena Homire and he is buried in the same row as Lewis Homire and William Kiesel as discussed in the last two weeks.

According to familysearch.org's Iowa birth records, Roy and his brother Rudy were both born November 19, 1903. I don't know if they were identical or fraternal twins. His brother Rudy is buried in Keystone Cemetery, but not near Roy.

Roy Homire and Ella Scheib were married November 26, 1924 in Vinton township, Benton, Iowa according to marriage records on familysearch.org.

Three teens charged with 75 counts each in cemetery vandalism

I saw this article in today's Wisconsin State Journal. Click through to the article for a photo, but be prepared to be shocked at the damage. I don't think I have any relatives in that cemetery, but it's disgusting that this sort of vandalism happens. Rock Church Cemetery is a rural church in Grant County, Wisconsin, similar to other rural cemeteries.

Three teens charged with 75 counts each in cemetery vandalism

Three teenagers have been charged with 75 counts each of criminal damage for allegedly participating in an early morning vandalism spree that caused at least $500,000 in damage Aug. 10 at Rock Church Cemetery near Livingston in Grant County.
...
Located on Rock Church Road in the town of Clifton, the cemetery is the site of graves dating back before the Civil War. Dozens of gravestones were damaged or broken.

Vandalism at Rock Church Cemetery shocks families, caretakers

...this cemetery, with gravesites dating to before the Civil War, was desecrated during a night last month — 108 headstones and grave markers were damaged...
...They found granite and marble headstones of newer gravesites pushed to the grass and marble stones of older gravesites ripped into pieces. Some stones broke in half; some broke at the ground level; one broke into 13 pieces. ...

Find a Grave has information on 288 interments at the cemetery.

Tombstone Tuesday - Lewis and Lena Homire

The tombstone of Lewis and Lena Homire

This is the tombstone of Lewis and Lena (Junge) Homire located at Keystone Cemetery, Kane township, Benton County, Iowa.

The Lewis Homire is a half-2nd great grand uncle to me. His mother, Charlotte Kiesel-Homire, was my 3rd great grandmother. I'm not certain what her original maiden name was. After her husband William Kiesel died, in the early 1860s, Charlotte married William Homire and William Homire is the father of Lewis. Her daughter Mary A. Kiesel (with William Kiesel) married Alexander Brown Fowlie. They are my 2nd great grandparents.

The Homire's are buried in a plot adjacent to Henry Kiesel, a half-brother to Lewis Homire.

Kiesel plot adjacent to Homire plot

Tombstone Tuesday - Henry Kiesel

This is the tombstone of my 2nd great grand uncle Henry Kiesel located at Keystone Cemetery, Kane township, Benton County, Iowa. He was the brother of my 2nd great grandmother Mary A. (Kiesel) Fowlie. He is buried next to two of his wives and near his half brother Lewis Homire.

His two wives were significantly younger. So much so that I initially wondered if they were his daughters. I was able to find an obituary that confirmed that these were his wives. Auguste (Doose or Dozy) was 20 years younger and Marie was 27 years younger than Henry. Unfortunately, I don't have a maiden name for Marie.

Tombstone Tuesday - Jane Fowlie

 

This is the tombstone of my 2nd great grand aunt Jane Fowlie located at Parkers Grove Cemetery, Canton township, Benton County, Iowa. Jane was the sister of my 2nd great grandfather Alexander Brown Fowlie.

According to my notes, she was born in Scotland. According to the 1880, 1885 and 1900 Census records, she was living with her brother James in Benton County, Iowa. She is buried next to her mother Margaret and brother James. According to the 1900 US census, she immigrated to the United States in 1866 and is listed as never having children.

Tombstone Tuesday - James W. Fowlie

This is the tombstone of James W. Fowlie at Parkers Grove Cemetery, Canton Township, Benton County, Iowa. James is a 2nd great grand uncle of mine and the son of my 3rd great grandparents George and Margaret (Cantley) Fowlie.

This is another one that I have conflicting dates for. The notes I was given say he was born 28 Oct 1839, but the tombstone says 3 Oct 1836. The 1900 Census says Oct 1939, the 1885 Iowa census says 1833 and the 1880 US census says 1830, so there is a fairly large spread of dates. It appears that James lived in Benton County with his mother and his sister Jane at least according to the 1880 and 1900 census.

The 1900 Census says he immigrated in 1861 and was a naturalized citizen. His occupation listed was "Capitalist" which apparently means he was living of off some kind of investments. At age 60, this might have been some form of retirement savings from a farm sale or something.

Tombstone Tuesday - Margaret Fowlie

This is the tombstone of Margaret (Cantley) Fowlie, my 3rd great grandmother, located at Parkers Grove Cemetery, Canton Township, Benton County, Iowa. She was married to George Fowlie. Their son Alexander Brown Fowlie was my 2nd great grandfather and his son Frank Brown Fowlie was my great grandfather.

There is a discrepancy in birth years. Notes from my grandmother list her birth date as May 19, 1792 rather than 1785 as indicated on the tombstone. The 1885 Iowa census has her listed as born in 1790 and the 1880 US census lists her as born in 1792. Whatever her birth year was, I think it is still impressive to live at least 94 years, have at least 10 children and travel from rural Scotland to rural Iowa. All this with minimal healthcare and no electricity.

A closeup photo is after the jump.

Sunday's Obituary - Glen Bird Parker

This is the obituary for Glen Bird Parker, my great grand uncle. He was the youngest brother of my great grandfather Lloyd Ira Parker. According to my notes, he was born May 22, 1899 and died around December 20, 1960. (assuming December 21 was the date it was written)

I believe this obituary was published in The News and Observer, Raleigh, North Carolina, December 21, 1960. It was likely written by a member of his family.

Glen B. Parker
SANFORD - Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. tomorrow at Rogers Memorial Chapel for Glen Bird Parker, 60, of Sanford, who died yesterday. Burial will be in Grace Chapel Church Cemetery. Surviving are his wife, Mrs. Annie Vera Gaster Parker, two brothers, Clyde of Fond [du] Lac, Wisc., and Lloyd Parker of Westfield, Wisc.; one sister, Mrs. Minnie Ades of Bradenton. Fla. Mr. Parker was a member of the [Rizpah] Temple of the Shrine in Madisonville, Ky., Past Patron of Dawson Spring Chapter of the Order of the Eastern Star, Past Deputy Grand Patron of Dist. 16. of Ky., Watchman of the [Shepherds] of the Acacia Shrine no. 17. Order of White Shrine of Jerusalem of Hopkinsville, Ky., Past Patron of Sanford Chapter no. 48. Order of Eastern Star, and A Charter Member of Jonesboro Chapter and a Member of the Buffalo Lodge of Jonesboro Heights, Sanford. N.C.

This was ocr'd from my scanned copy of the obit by using free-ocr.com
I only had to make a couple changes to the text so I think the ocr worked very well.

Blair Nebraska City Cemetery visit

A view of block 29 including Beistline and Hunt tombstones

On the return trip from Omaha, due to extensive Missouri River flooding, I was forced to detour to avoid the I-680/I-29 closure and my usual crossing at Mormon Bridge (I-680). Since I generally avoid I-80 if I can, I found myself on US30 in Blair, Nebraska and I decided to swing by the city cemetery there. Unfortunately it was fairly early in the day and the long shadows lowered the quality of the photos. Although I think it actually improved the readability of the Beistline monument, most of the other photos didn't turn out too well. This would probably be a good cemetery to visit in the afternoon, at least for the tombstones I was interested in.

The cemetery is quite large, but they have an excellent online capability to search Blair City Cemetery Burials. The blocks are well marked with metal posts and painted stencils, so the online database and markers made it easy to search. Without this capability, I doubt I would have even attempted a foot search. It seemed like a very genealogy friendly cemetery. 

More after the jump...

First Blogoversary

My first post was one year ago today on August 17, 2010. The focus of the blog hasn't changed, I'm still trying to post photos, and obituaries from time to time. I'm just past 275 posts, so I'm not doing too bad for quantity.

Hopefully I will have much more to add before the second blogoversary.

Expect more of the same. I have a good quantity of cemetery items to post, so expect to see those on Tuesdays. I also have a stack of Grandma's photo albums to go through and scan as well. As for the other side of the family, I have a good deal of material to post for that side too. I have about 6 generations of names in the database, so I'll try to cover the ones that I some details about.

Some of the posts that I have enjoyed writing include the following, in no particular order:

• Stotler plot at Crown Hill
• Arthur Brassfield at the Battle of the Coral Sea
• Military Monday - Oliver Ross
• What happened to the Wood family?
• List of Veterans
• Madness Monday - Joseph Fowlie

Tombstone Tuesday - Melissa B. Parker

This is the tombstone of Melissa B. Parker, my 2nd great aunt. It is located at Wautoma Union Cemetery, Wautoma, Marquette County, Wisconsin. She was the sister of my 2nd great grandfather Valois D. Parker.

The tombstone reads:

Melissa B.
Dau. of
Philander C.
Parker
Born Jan. 29, 1849
Died Feb. 16, 1935

McGinnis Cemetery

Entrance to McGinnis Cemetery

My last cemetery stop on the way to Omaha was McGinnis Cemetery, Crawford Township, Madison County, Iowa. This is a small rural cemetery that is off of a main road. In the photo above, you can see the long access road on the right side of the frame. It looks like you are driving up someone's driveway and the cemetery is not visible from the main road.

The tombstones were easily located at this small cemetery. The Stout headstones were within view of the entrance and Sarah Brasfield's tombstone was a few yards south of those.

More after the jump...

Sunday's Obituary - Melissa Parker

This is the obituary of Melissa B. Parker, my 2nd great grand aunt. She was the sister of my 2nd great grandfather, Valois D. Parker. It was published by the Stevens Point Daily Journal, Stevens Point, Wisconsin on February 21, 1935. Mellissa was buried at Wautoma Union Cemetery, Wautoma, Wisconsin near her parents, Philander and Harriet Parker.

Melissa B. Parker, daughter of Philander C. and Harriet N. Parker, was born in Nunda, Livingston county, N. Y., January 29, 1819, and died February 16, 1935, at the age of 86 years and 17 days. One sister and two brothers proceeded her in death. She came to Wautoma with her parents in 1861 and has been a resident of Waushara county ever since. The last years of her life were spent in the home of her niece, Mrs. John Jameson, where she was tenderly cared for in her last illness. Besides her many friends she leaves to mourn five nieces, Mrs. Mabel Jameson, Miss Katie Bird and Mrs. Minnie Ades all of Wautoma, Miss Lou Parker of Plainview, Neb., Mrs. Viola Wandrey of Cumberland and four nephews, Robert Bird of Wautoma, Clyde Parker of Fond du Lac, Lloyd Parker of Westfield, and Glenn Parker of Washington, D.C.

Keystone Cemetery

Entrance to Keystone Cemetery

Since I was passing through Benton County, Iowa, I also visited Keystone Cemetery, Kane Township, Benton County, Iowa. This cemetery is much larger than Parkers Grove Cemetery, but I was still able to find all the tombstones on my list in less than an hour. The primary ones I was looking for were straight up the main entrance road pictured above and a row to the left after the large cross. I spotted the large Kiesel stone from my car after less than 5 minutes in the cemetery.

I wandered the rest of the cemetery looking for Harry and Clara Andreson and Rudy and Elfreda Homire so I photographed a number of other headstones with the same surnames. The weather wasn't too great and it started to rain about ten minutes after I left the cemetery.

Click read more to see the list of tombstones I was searching for and some notes about how they are related.

Parkers Grove Cemetery

Entrance to Parkers Grove Cemetery

I recently visited Parkers Grove Cemetery, Canton Township, Benton County, Iowa on a trip through Iowa. It wasn't exactly "on the way" but it was an interesting diversion. Being a typical rural cemetery in Iowa, I had to navigate a few gravel roads to get there. It was a small cemetery, so I didn't bother to get a map and grave locations in advance. I found that it was small enough to walk and I had very little difficulty finding the graves I was searching for.

Click "read more" below to see the rest of this post

Tombstone Tuesday - August and Henriette Schauer

Main tombstone

Mother, Henriette Schauer

Father, August Shauer

Above are the tombstones of August Schauer and his wife Henriette (Brightenfelt) Schauer. They are my 3rd great grandparents.I'm not certain on the spelling it could be Breitenfeld or some variation of feld/felt and Bright/Breit.

Schauer
The Lord is My Sheperd

Mother
Henriette
1843-1927

Father
August
1841-1916