OOOPPPS!!!! I wrote that little bit below on the weather about ten days ago. Since then we've had a touch of snow and more cold weather. Nice today though, February 22nd.
It's not easy to keep coming up with things to write about our ancestors but there is more out there to be had than you think. For instance, I learned that William Holt, an older brother to our ancestor Thomas, lost his wife, Mary Means, to Rabies in 1788. She was just twenty five years old. I can't imagine such a tragedy.
It was 9* night before last and my water line froze) Guess what, it's still frozen. It's now 11:05 and still only 26*. Yesterday it reached a high of 25---Brrrrr. I was out digging a little this morning but dedided to wait until it gets above freezing at least. Still no water in the house. Ahhh, 2pm, not even a trickle but temp is 38, maybe by dark---I hope.
YIPPEEE, I have a volunteer for Beaver County Gravesites for my Gravestone picture taking project. I just tried to add it to my blog but it disappeared. At almost 85--4 more months---I'm not the most accompolished character with the computer, but I'm trying so stick with me. As soon as I find it I'll add it. Thank you for volunteering. We can have a lot of fun with this project. I'll get busy now and get my site set up---lets hear from volunteers anywhere, we have long-gone relatives all over the place, not just Beaver County, Pa. This could be fun and also informative as too where our roots are. Any of you out there who read this can send pictures of Gravestones of their ancestors graves to be added to the file whether I ask for them or not. In fact, that would be great. Also, any family stories about any of our ancestral lines that you have would be great. I'll publish every one I get. Be sure to give me permission to publish the pictures and/or story when you send it.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Back At Last, also, with a "FIND A GRAVE" proposal
I haven't the foggiest notion whether there is anyone still visiting my blog. I hope there is as I'm finally back---for awhile anyway. Part of the long delay time was the computer and part was just plain laziness on my part. And, part on my reader's shoulders. It's not easy to keep coming up with family data. I'm using what I have and had hoped to get a few followers to participate to enlarge the info about our collective families.
I've come up with a thought as to how you can participate. My wife, Genie, has begun working as a local picture-taker volunteer with an outfit called "Find a Grave." Upon request by "Find a Grave" she takes photos of the requested gravestones in cemeteries locally which are then published on the "Find a Grave" site. It's a large national organization. It's all done on the Internet. I had a brainstorm the other day: why didn't I do the same thing but getting my blog readers---you know who---take pictures of gravestones of our own long-gone relatives and publish them on my blog site, or on another site with a link to my site as well as a link to the picture providers site if the picture provider so chooses. Crazy? Maybe. But could be interesting and informative.
It would work something like this: One of you, anyone reading my family blog, would request a photo of a grave of such and such ancestor who is buried in this or that cemetery in "anytown." Any blog reader who is in the vicinity of that grave site would take a photo of the grave and send it to me on the Internet for publication on the blog.
I'll be back real soon with another ancestral family data item. Boy it would be great to have pictures of at least some or even one of their gravestones to go along with the history. By golly, I have pictures of a few of our ancestors' graves. I'll do one so you can get the idea of what I'm after. I'm not after you to write a blog, although that would be nice. I want to set up an affiliated site with family photos and photos of graves of ancestors---some who passed away long before photography was even invented.
Let me know what you think.
I've come up with a thought as to how you can participate. My wife, Genie, has begun working as a local picture-taker volunteer with an outfit called "Find a Grave." Upon request by "Find a Grave" she takes photos of the requested gravestones in cemeteries locally which are then published on the "Find a Grave" site. It's a large national organization. It's all done on the Internet. I had a brainstorm the other day: why didn't I do the same thing but getting my blog readers---you know who---take pictures of gravestones of our own long-gone relatives and publish them on my blog site, or on another site with a link to my site as well as a link to the picture providers site if the picture provider so chooses. Crazy? Maybe. But could be interesting and informative.
It would work something like this: One of you, anyone reading my family blog, would request a photo of a grave of such and such ancestor who is buried in this or that cemetery in "anytown." Any blog reader who is in the vicinity of that grave site would take a photo of the grave and send it to me on the Internet for publication on the blog.
I'll be back real soon with another ancestral family data item. Boy it would be great to have pictures of at least some or even one of their gravestones to go along with the history. By golly, I have pictures of a few of our ancestors' graves. I'll do one so you can get the idea of what I'm after. I'm not after you to write a blog, although that would be nice. I want to set up an affiliated site with family photos and photos of graves of ancestors---some who passed away long before photography was even invented.
Let me know what you think.
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Computer Problems
This is not an excuse for tardiness, this is actually happening. I'm not sure what's wrong but my computer has been going wacky lately so if the young lady that keeps the thing going can take it, off it goes for a check up.
With a little luck I'll be back to you in a few days. I know you can hardly wait---hmmmnnnn!!!!!
To do this upsets me no end, especially with the holidays coming up. Be back as soon as I can, Bob
With a little luck I'll be back to you in a few days. I know you can hardly wait---hmmmnnnn!!!!!
To do this upsets me no end, especially with the holidays coming up. Be back as soon as I can, Bob
Monday, December 6, 2010
Christmas Just Around The Corner
It's hard to believe the year is almost over. It's even harder to believe that this will be my 84th Christmas. It seems that it was only yesterday when we kids trooped down the stairs in wild excitement to see what Santa had left us under the tree. Ohh those wonderful tree's. Color beyond belief and packages galore spread everywhere under the heavily decorated branches. Such wonderful memories. Ahh, but there is always a negative side when you are old, you remember those who where there then but are no longer with us. You know though, it's nice to remember them and renew your love for them.
I've been pondering about what to put in my blog to commemorate those wonderful Christmas's past. I'm open to suggestions. My sister Virginia, Sis, and I are the only two remaining of the immediate family who participated in those wonderful Christmas mornings there at Holtdale so long ago but yet so fresh in my mind. I am working on my memoirs and have put a section in them on those wonderful mornings. I may just use that.
I get quite a few visitors to the blog but very few comments. I'd hoped to work up a dialog with those who are remembering along with me in the blog. Unfortunately and to my great disappointment that hasn't happened. I suppose I'm partially to blame by not being more prompt and prolific in my submissions. I'm going to try and do better next year so stick with me. Maybe I'll somehow entice you to join me verbally. I hope so. Bob
I've been pondering about what to put in my blog to commemorate those wonderful Christmas's past. I'm open to suggestions. My sister Virginia, Sis, and I are the only two remaining of the immediate family who participated in those wonderful Christmas mornings there at Holtdale so long ago but yet so fresh in my mind. I am working on my memoirs and have put a section in them on those wonderful mornings. I may just use that.
I get quite a few visitors to the blog but very few comments. I'd hoped to work up a dialog with those who are remembering along with me in the blog. Unfortunately and to my great disappointment that hasn't happened. I suppose I'm partially to blame by not being more prompt and prolific in my submissions. I'm going to try and do better next year so stick with me. Maybe I'll somehow entice you to join me verbally. I hope so. Bob
Thursday, December 2, 2010
"Values, The 30's and Now"
Winter, summer, fall or messy spring, one particular treat we used to enjoy when I was a kid in the 1930's was going to the movies. It was usually always the Saturday afternoon matinee. Mostly we went to either the Beaver theater, the Majestic (dubbed the “Bucket of Blood”) or the Oriental in Rochester. We were usually given $0.16 cents, $0.11 cents for the show and $0.05 cents for a hot dog or ice cream cone afterward. The movie was either a “shoot-em-up western,” “Tarzan and Jane,” a spook thriller with “Boris Karloff’s fangs leering hungrily at his intended victim,” “Our Gang,” Shirley Temple or the Three Stooges, but always the good guy wins. Rochester and the “Bucket of Blood” was most often the choice. Besides, Grandad Holt had his Dental office just across the street from the “Bucket” and frequently worked on Saturday, so we could get a ride home after the movie. Otherwise, it was a five mile walk each way.
Because of the enormously increased violence and the apparent sea-change, negatively, in the moral values in our society these days, I have tried to think reflectively in comparing the entertainment for young folks then with now. Yes, we certainly were exposed to violence in the movies then, but no where near as violent, sexual, vulgar and graphic as that viewed today. Even when someone was shot, which was rare and even then always the bad guy, and he was usually only wounded. Indeed, sort of roughing up the bad guy was usually the extent of the violence. We practically never saw blood, never heard even mild cursing, the sex act was rarely even vaguely alluded too, even in adult movies.
Today, shooting, stabbing, bloody murder, unspeakable violence and sex are explicitly performed not just publicly in the Theater but on the television screens in our homes.
The only comparative conclusion one can come too is that our society has coarsened enormously over the eighty-four years of my lifetime along with the concomitant weakening of our all important moral values. And at the risk of being thought of as just a negative, old bellyacher, I don’t see positive change on the horizon anywhere. In fact, just the opposite, it appears to be getting worse. I saw an extremely disconcerting statistic just this last week, “ in just slightly over 48% of families with children are the parents married.” And even where there is a marriage, the parents aren’t always living together.
I submit that such a society cannot long endure. And unless we begin acting immediately to repair our sorely damaged moral values, even my generation’s grandchildren will not ever see or experience the wonderful, vibrant nation we were up until about forty years ago when the downward spiral began. Even our music has degenerated into nothing more than two and at most three instruments, a drum, guitar and maybe a violin. It consists mostly of rhythm (drum) noise and gyrations by the performers. "Country Western" still has a little of the old values but even there the deterioration is evident..
Am I just an old man unwilling to change? I don't think so. I first became disturbed years ago by the deterioration of our music from the wonderful sounds of many instruments playing collectively, rhythmically together and frequently supporting wonderful singing voices, individually and or collectively. The sound was the important thing not their gyrations and costumes.
Because of the enormously increased violence and the apparent sea-change, negatively, in the moral values in our society these days, I have tried to think reflectively in comparing the entertainment for young folks then with now. Yes, we certainly were exposed to violence in the movies then, but no where near as violent, sexual, vulgar and graphic as that viewed today. Even when someone was shot, which was rare and even then always the bad guy, and he was usually only wounded. Indeed, sort of roughing up the bad guy was usually the extent of the violence. We practically never saw blood, never heard even mild cursing, the sex act was rarely even vaguely alluded too, even in adult movies.
Today, shooting, stabbing, bloody murder, unspeakable violence and sex are explicitly performed not just publicly in the Theater but on the television screens in our homes.
The only comparative conclusion one can come too is that our society has coarsened enormously over the eighty-four years of my lifetime along with the concomitant weakening of our all important moral values. And at the risk of being thought of as just a negative, old bellyacher, I don’t see positive change on the horizon anywhere. In fact, just the opposite, it appears to be getting worse. I saw an extremely disconcerting statistic just this last week, “ in just slightly over 48% of families with children are the parents married.” And even where there is a marriage, the parents aren’t always living together.
I submit that such a society cannot long endure. And unless we begin acting immediately to repair our sorely damaged moral values, even my generation’s grandchildren will not ever see or experience the wonderful, vibrant nation we were up until about forty years ago when the downward spiral began. Even our music has degenerated into nothing more than two and at most three instruments, a drum, guitar and maybe a violin. It consists mostly of rhythm (drum) noise and gyrations by the performers. "Country Western" still has a little of the old values but even there the deterioration is evident..
Am I just an old man unwilling to change? I don't think so. I first became disturbed years ago by the deterioration of our music from the wonderful sounds of many instruments playing collectively, rhythmically together and frequently supporting wonderful singing voices, individually and or collectively. The sound was the important thing not their gyrations and costumes.
Thursday, November 18, 2010
The children of Ralph and Agnes (Baxter) Ecoff, my Gr Gr Grandparents
The genes of the long and illustrious line of the Ecoff family were brought to the Holt line by Agnes Baxter Ecoff when she married John Childs, and whose daughter, Agnes Gertrude Childs, married Frank Raymond Holt in 1898 in Beaver, Pennsylvania.
Ralph Ecoff and his wife Agnes Baxter migrated from Harmon County, Maryland to Borough Twp, Beaver County, Pennsylvania sometime in the 1830's. Their son, Ralph (9 Sep. 1818- 24 Jan 1855) was the first of the line to marry in Pennsylvania when he married Margaret Alaman (15 Jun 1822- 18 Apr 1854) on 9 Dec 1840, in Borough Twp., Beaver County, Pennsylvania. Ralph's and Margaret's first child appeared on the scene not quite 13 months later when they were blessed with the birth of their first son, Samuel, on the 29th of Dec 1841. Five more children were born at fairly regular intervals, starting with Asa b 28 Nov 1843, Rochester, PA; John Henry, b 14 Dec 1848, Rochester; Agnes Baxter, b 28 Jan 1848 - d 22 Jun 1930, Beaver, PA; Mary Crawford, b 12 Nov 1851, Rochester, PA; and Margaret Alaman, 15 Apr 1854, Rochester, PA. Unfortunately, the children's mother, Margaret Alaman Ecoff, died three days later on 18 April, 1854, probably from complications during the birth of her daughter, Margaret Alaman. As an interesting aside, at least to me, my oldest sister Miriam, who lived just two short months in 1921, is buried on the grave of her Gr Gr Grandmother, Margaret Alaman Ecoff.
My Gr Grandfather, John Worrell Marshall Childs, married Agnes Baxter Ecoff, the oldest daughter of Ralph and Margaret Ecoff, and their daughter, Agnes Gertrude Childs, married Frank R. Holt, who were the parents of my father, John, and my Uncle Frank.
Ecoff males served in every American War from from the War of 1812 through WWll. One may have served in the Revolutionary War, however, I have not been successful in my search for the immigrant Ecoff. The name Ecoff is reasonably common, historically, in Germany, Norway and Sweden but our immigrant Ecoff's country of derivation and when he arrived in America is still a mystery, at least to me.
Ralph Ecoff and his wife Agnes Baxter migrated from Harmon County, Maryland to Borough Twp, Beaver County, Pennsylvania sometime in the 1830's. Their son, Ralph (9 Sep. 1818- 24 Jan 1855) was the first of the line to marry in Pennsylvania when he married Margaret Alaman (15 Jun 1822- 18 Apr 1854) on 9 Dec 1840, in Borough Twp., Beaver County, Pennsylvania. Ralph's and Margaret's first child appeared on the scene not quite 13 months later when they were blessed with the birth of their first son, Samuel, on the 29th of Dec 1841. Five more children were born at fairly regular intervals, starting with Asa b 28 Nov 1843, Rochester, PA; John Henry, b 14 Dec 1848, Rochester; Agnes Baxter, b 28 Jan 1848 - d 22 Jun 1930, Beaver, PA; Mary Crawford, b 12 Nov 1851, Rochester, PA; and Margaret Alaman, 15 Apr 1854, Rochester, PA. Unfortunately, the children's mother, Margaret Alaman Ecoff, died three days later on 18 April, 1854, probably from complications during the birth of her daughter, Margaret Alaman. As an interesting aside, at least to me, my oldest sister Miriam, who lived just two short months in 1921, is buried on the grave of her Gr Gr Grandmother, Margaret Alaman Ecoff.
My Gr Grandfather, John Worrell Marshall Childs, married Agnes Baxter Ecoff, the oldest daughter of Ralph and Margaret Ecoff, and their daughter, Agnes Gertrude Childs, married Frank R. Holt, who were the parents of my father, John, and my Uncle Frank.
Ecoff males served in every American War from from the War of 1812 through WWll. One may have served in the Revolutionary War, however, I have not been successful in my search for the immigrant Ecoff. The name Ecoff is reasonably common, historically, in Germany, Norway and Sweden but our immigrant Ecoff's country of derivation and when he arrived in America is still a mystery, at least to me.
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Joseph Leman/Lehman/Davis Update---DNA
I want to bring you up-to-date on the attempts of my first cousin, Frank Davis, and myself to determine just whom Joseph Davis's father was. Joseph, you might recall, was the lineal ancestor, actually Grandfather, of my mother, Naomi (Davis) Holt. We know that Joseph's mother was an Irish lass named Agnus Leman. (The name has been spelled several ways: Leman/Lehman, Leeman.) She was born c1820 somewhere in the Emerald Isle. We also know she had a son, Joseph, born c1840 who stated in the 1880 census that he was born in Pennsylvania. Where? To date, no one knows. Nor does anyone know whom his father was. My grandfather, Albert Hooker Davis, always said his grandmother's name was Agnus Lehman/Leman/Leeman. He never mentioned a grandfather, and I never thought to ask.
Enter DNA testing. DNA testing requires a direct line male descendant in order to acquire the same DNA as Joseph's, which is exactly what Frank Davis, Joseph's Great Grandson, is. I am also a Great Grandson but through my mother so my DNA wouldn't get it done. When the results came in, low and behold, not Davis, nope, but Boyd. Boyd??? Where the heck did that come from? Joseph's father, obviously. Or so we thought. The results were 36 markers exactly and 1 was not. Bingo, 99.9% certain Joseph's father was a Boyd. Well, maybe.
Months later, after searching for Boyds, another match came in. This one with 37 markers right on, and an absolutely perfect match, none of this minus 1 business. Perfect fit, but the name is Hamilton. Here we go again. The Boyd is a few generations back---probably. I have big questions about her pregnancy. 1) When did Agnus arrive in America, and was she pregnant when she arrived? I don't know. 2) Did she get pregnant in Ireland or America? I don't have a clue. If in America, where? Pennsylvania? I really don't know. I need to know where and when she lived near a Hamilton in late 1839 to have a prayer of finding Joseph's father.
I am assuming she became pregnant here in America. Ok then, where was she living in late 1839? Where there any Hamiltons living close by? There is some question about Joseph's exact birth date since the 1840 census gives only male, head of household names, unless the female was the head of household. In the 1850 census (when finally everyone is named) Agnus is living with her to-be husband, Samuel Davis, in Middlesex Township, Butler County, Pennsylvania, and is listed as Agnus Leman, single, born in Ireland. No Joseph in sight. In fact he doesn't show up until the 1880 census living next door to his mother, Agnus and her husband, Samuel Davis in East Deer Twp, Allegheny County, PA. As an interesting aside, in 1850 she is listed as Agnus, in 1860 and 1870, she is listed as Nancy and in 1880 she again is listed as Agnus. She died in 1881 and is buried as Nancy.
By then, Joseph had married twice, first to a young lady whose name, (I think but have no proof) was Susan Potts, who died, possibly during the birth of Joseph's oldest daughter, Laura. He then married Sarah Ann Kennedy in 1869 and had four children by her. Interestingly, in 1869, his Father-in-Law, William Kennedy, in his Bible, listed his name as Joseph Leeman (sp). In the 1880 census of East Deer Twp., Allegheny County, Pennsylvania he was calling himself Joseph Davis.
I put all this in an earlier blog hoping to get a little help from an interested reader. I'm again calling for your help. The DNA data clearly establishes that his father's surname was Hamilton. The only thing I know to do is assume that Agnus got pregnant in Pennsylvania. The DNA Hamilton family whom Joseph matches have a long history of living in Pennsylvania. Indeed, in Western Pennsylvania.
My guess is Joseph was an out-of-wedlock child, born in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, father ---- Hamilton, mother, Agnus Leman. He obviously was farmed out, possibly to relatives on either side, somewhere in Allegheny County in 1850 because he doesn't show up with her in the 1850 census when she is living with Samuel Davis.
He married Sarah Ann Kennedy in 1869 and his first child in this second marriage was Martha Bell Elizabeth, born 23 October, 1870. She was followed by Amy Nancy, Anna Theresa and Hooker Albert aka Herbert Albert. The last two are not mentioned in the Kennedy Bible.The birth information on his new family is listed in his Father in Law William Kennedy's Bible, and the 1880 census. I doubt he lived very far from his mother at any time from his birth in 1840 or early 1841 until her death in 1881 in East Deer Twp. (or Tarentum) Allegheny County, Pennsyvania.
Where oh where was he in 1850, 1860 and 1870? Leman immigrants from Ireland show up in Allegheny, Butler,and Armstrong Counties during those years. I really would like your help in finding our Hamilton relative.
Enter DNA testing. DNA testing requires a direct line male descendant in order to acquire the same DNA as Joseph's, which is exactly what Frank Davis, Joseph's Great Grandson, is. I am also a Great Grandson but through my mother so my DNA wouldn't get it done. When the results came in, low and behold, not Davis, nope, but Boyd. Boyd??? Where the heck did that come from? Joseph's father, obviously. Or so we thought. The results were 36 markers exactly and 1 was not. Bingo, 99.9% certain Joseph's father was a Boyd. Well, maybe.
Months later, after searching for Boyds, another match came in. This one with 37 markers right on, and an absolutely perfect match, none of this minus 1 business. Perfect fit, but the name is Hamilton. Here we go again. The Boyd is a few generations back---probably. I have big questions about her pregnancy. 1) When did Agnus arrive in America, and was she pregnant when she arrived? I don't know. 2) Did she get pregnant in Ireland or America? I don't have a clue. If in America, where? Pennsylvania? I really don't know. I need to know where and when she lived near a Hamilton in late 1839 to have a prayer of finding Joseph's father.
I am assuming she became pregnant here in America. Ok then, where was she living in late 1839? Where there any Hamiltons living close by? There is some question about Joseph's exact birth date since the 1840 census gives only male, head of household names, unless the female was the head of household. In the 1850 census (when finally everyone is named) Agnus is living with her to-be husband, Samuel Davis, in Middlesex Township, Butler County, Pennsylvania, and is listed as Agnus Leman, single, born in Ireland. No Joseph in sight. In fact he doesn't show up until the 1880 census living next door to his mother, Agnus and her husband, Samuel Davis in East Deer Twp, Allegheny County, PA. As an interesting aside, in 1850 she is listed as Agnus, in 1860 and 1870, she is listed as Nancy and in 1880 she again is listed as Agnus. She died in 1881 and is buried as Nancy.
By then, Joseph had married twice, first to a young lady whose name, (I think but have no proof) was Susan Potts, who died, possibly during the birth of Joseph's oldest daughter, Laura. He then married Sarah Ann Kennedy in 1869 and had four children by her. Interestingly, in 1869, his Father-in-Law, William Kennedy, in his Bible, listed his name as Joseph Leeman (sp). In the 1880 census of East Deer Twp., Allegheny County, Pennsylvania he was calling himself Joseph Davis.
I put all this in an earlier blog hoping to get a little help from an interested reader. I'm again calling for your help. The DNA data clearly establishes that his father's surname was Hamilton. The only thing I know to do is assume that Agnus got pregnant in Pennsylvania. The DNA Hamilton family whom Joseph matches have a long history of living in Pennsylvania. Indeed, in Western Pennsylvania.
My guess is Joseph was an out-of-wedlock child, born in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, father ---- Hamilton, mother, Agnus Leman. He obviously was farmed out, possibly to relatives on either side, somewhere in Allegheny County in 1850 because he doesn't show up with her in the 1850 census when she is living with Samuel Davis.
He married Sarah Ann Kennedy in 1869 and his first child in this second marriage was Martha Bell Elizabeth, born 23 October, 1870. She was followed by Amy Nancy, Anna Theresa and Hooker Albert aka Herbert Albert. The last two are not mentioned in the Kennedy Bible.The birth information on his new family is listed in his Father in Law William Kennedy's Bible, and the 1880 census. I doubt he lived very far from his mother at any time from his birth in 1840 or early 1841 until her death in 1881 in East Deer Twp. (or Tarentum) Allegheny County, Pennsyvania.
Where oh where was he in 1850, 1860 and 1870? Leman immigrants from Ireland show up in Allegheny, Butler,and Armstrong Counties during those years. I really would like your help in finding our Hamilton relative.
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