Things that Make You Say "Aww" . . .

My nephew and his wife gave birth to twin girls on July 26th.  They were big girls -- 7 lbs. 6 oz. and 6 lbs. 14 oz. at birth.  Twins run in their mother's family.  Both of the maternal grandparents are twins.  But I cannot recall any twins in my immediate line.

With the permission of Violet and Isabel's parents, I want to share these newest members of the Jones family.

The two girls were welcomed into a home that had a big brother, Quentin.

They definitely seem to be happiest together -- after all, they aren't strangers to each other.

Have you ever been in a situation where one yawn seemed to lead to another?  So have they.

So welcome to the family, Violet and Isabel.  You've been born into a great one!

Great Aunt Kath

Taking a Break

Hotel am Markt Bacharach, Germany
(our hotel the first two nights)

I'm going on an unexpected vacation!  I've blogged before about my cousin, Barbara Pharo, with whom I share a common gg-grandfather.  We met a couple of years ago through Ancestry.com.  Although she lives in Tampa, she grew up in northern Kentucky, across the river from Cincinnati.  In the less than two years that we have known each other, we've traveled to the home of our common ancestor in Kentucky and attended the Ohio Genealogical Conference together.

Barbara had a last-minute cancellation for a European trip she's been planning for the past year for a group of nine. It is part cruise and part land travel. With the encouragement of my husband, I jumped at the chance to go. 

We start out in Germany and then take a train to Amsterdam.  This is followed by a week-long cruise that will take us to ports in Ireland,  Spain, Portugal and Italy.  After disembarking from the cruise ship, we will head by train to Venice for a couple of days.  With stops in Verona and near Milan, we will fly home on day 17.

I've only had two weeks to really get used to the idea that I am going.  Although this is my 5th trip to Europe, I've never been on a cruise and I've never been to Spain or Portugal.  So it will be a mix of places that I love (Rhine River Valley, Amsterdam, and Cobh, Ireland) with places I am sure I will love.

There are nine people in our group -- a nice blend of older and younger, and "crips" and "non-crips." I'm in the "crip" group with my knee and hip replacements, but it hasn't prevented me from doing anything I've wanted to do in the past and I don't expect that it will be a problem now. 

As a fan of European trains, I am excited that our non-cruise travel will almost exclusively be by train.  We are sure to see some beautiful countryside.

So I've got three days to "get my act together."  I've given some thought as to whether or not there will be any blog posts between now and mid-September, and I've decided that I will just have to play it by ear.  I don't know how full my days and nights will be, but taking in the experience will be my top priority.

One thing for sure -- as I have internet access, I hope to read a few of your posts.  I'm sure I'll have a few symptoms of withdrawal when I don't have continual internet access -- but I'll deal with it.  Know that I will be thinking about you and raising a glass of "whatever" to you all -- wishing you could be with me.

Bon voyage!

The 200th Post of Jones Family Matters!



Photo Credit:  PD Photo.org

When I began writing this blog in May 2009, I didn't know how much I would grow to love it.  I worried about having enough material.  Would I ever figure out how to position images?  Would anyone even read it?  Would my family care?

I found that genealogy is never finished.  There are always new discoveries.  I learned that I am much more attracted to finding out who my ancestors were and not nearly so interested in dates and charts. My foggy idea that the blog could serve as "cousin bait" has definitely proved to be the case.  Not only has it helped me forge new relationships with my first cousins, but I've discovered third and fourth cousins I did not know existed.  Martha Darby Rutter, Betty Arnett, Barbara Pharo and the Biedermanns are just some of the cousins who come to mind.

I've become a better researcher.  In striving to tell the story as accurately as possible, I've found myself reexaming records, searching for missing pieces, and actually toppling a couple of brick walls.  I've submitted three articles to genealogical journals for possible publication.  I was just notified that my latest submission will be published in the Ohio Genealogical Quarterly making it three for three.

I discovered that I have a real interest in and love for historical context.  Thanks to my diverse ancestry, I've become much more knowledgeable about German, English, Welsh and Irish history.  Since I'm a 5th generation Jones in Cincinnati, I've become even more appreciative of the city of my birth.

Lately I've even convinced a couple of relatives and friends to have their DNA analyzed for both health and ancestry information.  I've stayed on top of some of the latest software advances such as google+ and  I am scheduled to teach a series of classes on family history blogging at our library in the fall.  I've become much more involved in my local and state genealogical organizations and now been accepted into four lineage groups and one group for Civil War ancestors.

And probably the most unexpected thing -- through Geneabloggers (a group of almost 2000 bloggers writing about their family histories) I've met new friends -- friends whose work I admire.  I look forward to every one of their posts. I'm amazed that these contacts are spread throughout the United States and beyond.  There is great diversity among our group and I've been exposed to traditions that are foreign to me.

So blogging has become a passion for me -- and I owe much of it to those of you who have taken the time to read and comment on my posts.  I look forward to the next 200 posts.

"Our" Vonderheides in the Ships Passenger Lists

Since I started researching the Vonderheide branch of my family (maternal g-grandparents) ten years ago, I was amazed that I could not find this family listed on any ship's passenger list or other common resource such as Germans to America. After all, I knew exactly when the family came through Baltimore on their way to Cincinnati from written family records, naturalization papers and census documents. I chalked it up to the many variations for Vonderheide in the records. I've found this surname listed as: v d Heide, Heide, von der, Heide, von der Heide, and several other variations.
 
Recently, however, one of the members of our local genealogical society published an article containing a ship's passenger list that included Vonderheides from Holdorf, Germany who emigrated to Cincinnati in 1852. They were the aunt and uncle of "my" Vonderheides who did not arrive until 1881. Encouraged by her article, I decided to try again. This time, I think I hit pay dirt. I wonder if you agree with my conclusions.

I searched ancestry.com for passenger lists to Baltimore for June 1881. Scrolling through the document page by page, I found this image:



Click to enlarge

I then looked to see what the transcription was for this record:



Click to enlarge

My Vonderheide family of 1881 included Hermann Heinrich (age 42), Elisabeth (age 43), Joseph and Heinrich (Henry) twins (age 11) and August (age 7). The ages for the parents were correct. Elisabeth could have had the nickname of Liselle. What was clearly "Heinr." on the original record was transcribed as "Heiur", and "August" was transcribed as "Margurt". The poor transcription of the names was understandable, but the ages were clearly wrong. And how did they EVER decide that their surname was HeideHeide?

I'm not surprised that the people responsible for recording the names of the people in steerage were not too concerned about getting the ages of the children correct. Everything else fits. I think I finally found them! In addition, I now know that they came over on a ship called the Leipzig.

S.S. Leipzig
Photo Credit:  Palmer List of Merchant Ships

According to the Palmer List of Merchant Ships:

The steamship LEIPZIG was built for Norddeutscher Lloyd by Caird & Co, Greenock, Scotland (yard #149), and was launched on 13 February 1869. 2,388 tons; 91,68 x 11,89 meters (length x breadth); clipper bow, 1 funnel, 2 masts; iron construction, screw propulsion, low-pressure, single expansion engine, 1,150 hp, service speed 10 knots; accommodation for 84 passengers in 1st class and 735 in steerage.

You can read more about it by clicking on this link.  Search under "L" for "Leipzig." Lesson learned -- don't stop searching too soon.

The 1948 Wedding of Bill Hansen and Florence Ryan

Florence Ryan and Bill Hansen

Every time I'm convinced there are no more treasures in my immediate family left to uncover, a new one turns up.  My sister-in-law, Linda, was going through some things in her home and found a binder full of wedding pictures of my mother and her two sisters.  The three girls were part of that generation that had to wait out World War II for the "boys" to return home.  As the oldest of three girls and a boy, my mother had to wait the longest as her young adult years were put on hold. 

With the war finally over, there was a sudden availability of eligible men. All three started dating prospective husbands, and in the end, all three girls were ready to marry at about the same time.  My mother got married in January, her sister, Evelyn, in April and her sister, Florence in June.  Not only were there three marriages in five months, but my grandmother made the bridesmaid dresses for all three weddings.

So back to the binder my brother and sister-in-law found.  It was filled with beautiful pictures of elegant weddings.  I do not recall seeing many of the pictures before.  My brother felt that the blog was a great vehicle for sharing them with the family.  I put some of the pictures into collages and then decided to make a photoshow with all of the pictures for Florence and her husband, Bill.

I'm glad I can still be surprised.

Six Degrees of Separation

Credit:  Wikimedia.com

In a conversation on google+ a few days ago, Megan Smolenyak asked whether or not two cousins could be connected within 6 degrees?  To quote Wikipedia, "Six degrees of separation refers to the idea that everyone is on average approximately six steps away from any other person on Earth, so that a chain of, "a friend of a friend" statements can be made, on average, to connect any two people in six steps or fewer.

One of my favorite ancestors, and the one who piqued my interest in genealogy, was my paternal gg-grandfather, Britton Wainright.  He died of heatstroke on July 9, 1863 when, as a member of the Indiana Home Guard, he and others marched to confront John Hunt Morgan of Morgan's Raiders.  I've written extensively about Britton in a series of posts. 

Click to enlarge

Over the years, Morgan's story has become larger than life.  It seems like everywhere I go, I am confronted with reminders.  The bike trail I ride on has an historical marker recalling the spot where Morgan and his raiders attacked a train.

Last October, my cousin Barbara and I, traveled to Mt. Sterling, Kentucky to research our Probert ancestors and attend a meeting of the Mongtomery County Genealogical Society.  Following the meeting, we were able to get in the Historical Society.  They had a traveling exhibit of some of Morgan's artifacts on display, including his saddle. One of the members helped hold out part of the saddle where Morgan's information was embossed.

General John Hunt Morgan
2nd Kentucky Cavalry
1863

So last Friday, I traveled to the Lexington Cemetery to track down the grave of a gg-grandmother, Mary Elizabeth Dimond Probert, from a totally different paternal line.  I had forgotten that this cemetery was also the burial location for John Hunt Morgan, his parents, and many other Morgan family members.

Grave of John Hunt Morgan
(Note the Confederate flag at the base)

Morgan Family Plot

The parents of Morgan have a substantial monument and are surrounded by a circle of graves of their children. This memorial is not 100 yards from the gravesite of my grandmother where a Union fatality of the Civil War is buried.  When we were in Mt. Sterling, we were told of both Union and Confederate forces being in Mt. Sterling at the same time shooting at each other.  As a result of one of these encounters, the Court House was burned.

So back to the six degrees of separation game.  I guess I can connect my gg-grandfather, Britton, to my gg-grandmother, Mary Elizabeth.  1) Britton died marching to confront Morgan. 2) Morgan is buried in Lexington Cemetery. 3) Mary Elizabeth Probert is buried about 100 yards from Morgan.  And an additional link -- Morgan was in Mt. Sterling when my gg-grandfather, Thomas Probert, was living there.  Does the game work for dead people?

A "Diamond" in the Rough

As mentioned in the previous post, I had the opportunity to travel to Lexington to research my gg-grandmother, Mary Elizabeth Dimond Probert. I'd only known about her for less than a year.  She was the first wife of my gg-grandfather, Thomas H. Probert, and mother of my g-grandmother Lucy.  In a search of the online Lexington Herald newspaper, I had found a marriage announcement for my gg-grandparents.

(Spelling:  Dimond)

A search of the Lexington Cemetery turned up a burial record for Mary and her newborn son, Thomas. Thomas was buried in the same plot a week earlier.

I was able to find a census record for Mary Elizabeth's father, Joseph, in the 1840 Census. (Spelling:  Dimond)

Same for the Marriage Record from the Kentucky Marriage Index. (Spelling:  Diamond)

A trip to the Lexington Cemetery found everyone in the plot using the "Diamond" spelling.  Yet a review of the Lexington City Directories from the early 1800s to 1902 showed members of the same family with the surname spelled both ways.

Thanks to correspondence with a member of the Ancestry.com community, I felt like I would be able to identify the branch of the Diamond/Dimond family from which Mary Eliz. descended.  I set up a spreadsheet and logged in every person whose surname was spelled either way. Then I was able to narrow my data base to those "Diamonds" that descended from Joseph and Mary Elizabeth.

I knew who Mary Elizabeth's siblings were.  The list posted above is comprised only of her siblings, their spouses, and in a few cases, their children.  I noted that both A.C. (Augustus Charles) and his brother, Richard, made their living drilling wells. David, a member of the next generation, got into the family business.

With this information in hand, my next job will be to research other family members. The cemetery record listed James L. Diamond as the owner of the plot.  There is evidence that James lived in Kentucky, Illinois, Missouri, and then returned to Kentucky.  One census document states that James' father was born in Massachusetts.   I'd say that is quite a lot of clues for one day's work.

Loving Lexington - Mary Elizabeth Dimond Probert

It's only in the past couple of years that I have been able to trace my family to  Lexington, Kentucky. I discovered that my great-grandmother, Lucy Probert, was born there to Thomas H. Probert and Mary Elizabeth Dimond. Tragically, her mother died of consumption and complications of childbirth at the age of 29. 

I've only been able to prove that Thomas and Mary Elizabeth had three children:  Addie, Lucy, and baby Thomas. However, another online genealogist insists that they had a first-born son, William, in 1848.  Based on Irish naming patterns and the fact that Thomas father was named William, I think she is probably right.

In searching for death information on Lucy, I discovered her mother and newborn brother were buried in the Lexington Cemetery.  They are both listed in the Lexington Cemetery online database. This past Friday I had the opportunity to take a day-trip to Lexington and explore my Probert/Dimond roots.

I cannot describe the beauty of this historic cemetery.  It includes a National Cemetery with veteran graves, a mausoleum housing the remains of Henry Clay and his wife, and the family of John Hunt Morgan of Morgan's Raiders fame.  I was surrouded by old-growth trees that made it pleasant on a day with a heat index of more than 100 degrees.

The people in the office graciously assisted me with records pertaining to my family.  Much to my surprise, the unreadable yet unmistakable graves of my gg-grandmother and her infant, Thomas, were worn but visible.  They provided me with a plot of the cemetery and a list of additional names of family members buried in the plot.  Taking this information to the library and using City Directories, I was able to confirm that an online family tree was, in fact, accurate.

There were so many clues!  I now know that another family member died as a result of his participation in the Civil War.  He was in a Kentucky regiment that fought for the Union. Another grave memorialized a young man who died in the Spanish-American War in 1898.  I also learned that the family spelling for "Dimond" was interchangeable with "Diamond".  The lot was purchased by James L. Dimond.  I believe he was Mary Elizabeth's uncle and the brother of her father, Joseph.  I can find no record for Joseph beyond his second marriage in 1844 and I presume he was dead at the time of his daughter's death in 1854. 

But wait . . .  there's MORE!  Stay tuned.

My 16 GG-Grandparents

Randy Seaver of Genea-Musings offers a challenge every Saturday night.  Tonight's challenge was to list your 16 GG-Grandparents, their date and location of birth and death, and their date of marriage.  Here is my list:

Paternal Side

Maternal Side

It should be noted that although Mary Ellen McInerney was born in England, her parents are both from Ireland.  Therefore, I'll count her as Irish for the second part of the challenge.  Also, although Rose Becker was technically French at the time of her immigration, she was ethnically German and lived in the region of France that constantly moved back and forth between France and Germany.

The presumed ancestry of my five gg-grandparents born in the United States is as follows:

•  Britton Wainright - English
• Alexander Jones - Welsh
• Thomas Probert - English or Irish
• Elizabeth Kinley - Pennsylvania Dutch (German)
• Mary Elizabeth Diamond (Dimond) - English or Irish

I really enjoyed the opportunity to look at the all-American me by way of my diverse ancestors. What a great country I live in!  Thanks, Randy, for the idea.

The Wedding That Was - April 2, 1976

 Wedding Day - April 2, 1976

In a previous post, I discussed the "wedding that wasn't."  My fiancee and I called off the wedding one week before it was to take place in July 1974.  He seemed to be remorseful from the beginning that we did not marry, even though he was the one with cold feet.  I promised my Dad that we would never get married -- I believed it when I said it. 

Over the next two years, however, my "ex" made a lot of changes in his life to convince me that he regretted the decision and wanted to get married.  There is so much I could say (but choose not to) because I believe that he is entitled to his privacy and may see things differently.  I'll just say that my large family had become his family and that he really cared about all of us. 

So nearly two years after calling off our wedding, it was on again.  This time it was very much scaled-down and happened within two months of our decision.  We still had unused contracts with the photographer, florist, etc. and just called and rescheduled.  The date was practically determined by my sister, Karen.  She was scheduled to be married on April 10th and knew that she would be moving permanently to Florida.  I wanted her in the wedding and she said it would be impossible to turn around and return to Cincinnati any time soon.  So she suggested we get married the week BEFORE her scheduled wedding. 

In hindsight, I think that was an incredibly gracious offer on her part.  I'm not sure to this day that I should have taken her up on it.  Since, of course, we share the same aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends, many people would feel obligated to attend two family weddings eight days apart.  It would have been one thing if her long-planned wedding was the first one, but in fact, it was the second. 

I remember being very happy on my wedding day.  There was a lot to admire about my "ex" that I found attractive.  I always had this feeling that we could create beautiful and intelligent children together -- and that we did.

Why we split is one of those things most appropriately discussed in another forum.  I believe that when we married, it was definitely the right thing to do at the time. When we decided to divorce 3 1/2 years later, people would comment that it was too bad that we had not realized it would not work before we had a child.  I'm sure that I can speak for both of us when I say that that is the one thing that neither of us regrets.

Things happen for a reason.  I'm a better person because of it.  And best of all -- I have a beautiful daughter as a result of it who has enriched my life.  What could be wrong with that?