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.