My #21

Being new to this genealogy blog thing, I am learning something new every day! In tracking down ways to get my blog on various lists, I stumbled across Randy Seaver's Genea-Musings blog. His prompt for yesterday was “Who is #21 on your Ahnentafel list? Well, that got me scurrying to my Family Tree Maker program to find the answer.

By coincidence, I have been corresponding about this lovely lady with someone who posted her grave on the findagrave.com web site. My #21 is Emily R. Jamison, wife of Abram Gooding Mauzy of Rushville, Indiana. I don't have a picture of her that I know of, but I do have boxes of unidentified photos, some of whom could be her. Emily was the daughter of Wesley Jameson and Mary Reed, born 29 May 1828 in Bourbon County, Kentucky and died 12 July 1873 in Rush County, Indiana. I don't have a photo of her, but here is a link to the photo of her gravesite in the East Hill Cemetery, Rush county, Indiana. It's a beaut!

Thanks for the idea, Randy!

Tombstone Tuesday-James M. DeHority

Here is the final resting place of James M. DeHority and his wife Susannah Huffman DeHority in the Elwood City Cemetery, Elwood, Indiana.

At the top is noted that the mausoleum was rebuilt in 1899, indicating that it had fallen into some disrepair at one time. When I first saw the mausoleum it was in sad shape, but on a more recent visit, I was pleased to see it had been cleaned up, repaired and locked up. A recent reading of the cemetery by the Elwood-Pipecreek Genealogy Society lists its occupants as:
Anna DeHority (1833-1880)
Bertha M. DeHority (1877-1877)
Frank E. DeHority (1875-1942)
Homer DeHority (1881-1881)
James H. DeHority (1844-1899)
James M. DeHority (1853-1907)
James M. DeHority (1819-1890)
Jane H. DeHority (1850-1937)
John W. DeHority (1840-1881)
Joseph A. DeHority (1850-1853)
Mary J. DeHority (1855-1856)
Myrtle DeHority (1874-1968)
Myrtle L. DeHority (1876-1954)
Susannah H. DeHority (1816-1899)
William B. DeHority (1838-1839)

Who are the people in your neighborhood?

I started this post three days ago, then the flu hit. Let me see, where was I?

Following George L. and Anna Warren DeHority hasn't gotten me any closer to my James M. DeHority's parents (yet), but I am more convinced that I'm on the right trail. In searching the 1860 census for Anna, I did notice some familiar names. Also living in Pipe Creek Township in 1860, so, not far from James M., is Andrew Griffith(age 31) and his wife Nancy(34), with children Mary(6) and Sara(3). This Andrew is a railroad agent and lists his birthplace as Delaware. Thomas Dehorty (the one with the will that mentions my James, I think) had a grandson Andrew Griffith by his daughter Elizabeth. Another hint that this might be him is that member of his household is a William Lord(21). Thomas has a great grandson William Lord by his daughter Elizabeth with her first husband William Cubbage and their daughter Mary. That would have made Andrew his uncle. Coincidence? I don't think so. It looks like maybe a group of folks from Delaware settled in the same area of Indiana. Going fishing at Ancestry, I find a source Hamilton County, Indiana, Index to Marriage Record 1850 - 1879 which shows that an Andrew J. Griffith married Nancy J. Huff on March 6, 1852. The date would support the ages of the children. Where was Andrew in 1850? I can't find him in Delaware or Indiana, but he seems to be in Franklin County, Ohio listed as an attendant in a "lunatic asylum". The age of this Andrew is consistent with my target, and supporting this hypothesis is the presence of a Cubbage Dill as another attendant. Both the Cubbage and Dill families lived near the Delaware Dehortys. If these conjectures are true, Andrew must have had an interesting trek from Delaware to Indiana.

I sure seem to be able to find out more about the people around my DeHoritys than I can find about my DeHoritys.

Happy Birthday, Grandma!

This lovely lady is my grandmother, Mary Marcella (Wychulis) Douglas. Today would be the 111th anniversary of her birth. I was named for her (actually for both my grandmothers, as they had the same first name.....pretty convenient!), and she has a special place in my heart. She is one of my ancestors that I had the very special privilege to know personally.

Grandma was born February 5, 1898 to Jacob and Anna Wychulis, two immigrants to Pennsylvania from Lithuania who came to this country between 1888 and 1895. Mary grew up in Old Forge, Pennsylvania, the fourth oldest of eight children. She met my grandfather, Adam Anthony Douglas, who had immigrated from Lithuania in 1914, and they were married in St. Casimir's Church, Pittston, Pa, on May 23, 1921. This is a photo of their marriage certificate.

St. Casimir's must have been a Lithuanian church, as their names have a Lithuanian spelling, Dobrovolskas (Douglas) and Vaiciulis (Wychulis). I remember Grandma telling a story on herself about when she and Grandpa were dating. One night she wanted to go out with another fellow and so she told Grandpa she couldn't go out with him. Who should she meet when she was walking home with her date, but Grandpa. She said he was pretty mad. I guess he forgave her.

Grandpa died in 1956 and Grandma lived until 1984. Grandma always regretted not having more education. I remember that for a while, Grandma was one of the cafeteria ladies, making lunch at a high school in Alexandria, Virginia, where she lived. But mostly, I remember Grandma coming to stay with us when my dad was stationed away from the family. Since there were 6 kids in my family, I know how much mom must have appreciated the help. Here is a picture taken about 1958 of Grandma and some of her grandchildren. I'm the cute one, second from the right with the donut braid on top of her head.

I know how much I appreciated having her to talk to. She used to say, “Be a good girl, Mary Lou. Study hard, and help your mother.” She was a devout Catholic, and I remember her “saying her rosaries” every day. Also, watching her “stories” every day.....she introduced me to “Search for Tomorrow” and “Guiding Light” when they were 15 minute episodes. I watched “Guiding Light” for years.

Now that I'm a “Nana”, I think about her often. Her family was the center of her life. Her life wasn't big, and she probably didn't think it was very special.

But it was special to me.

Little Boy Lost

Well, I finally got a few minutes to read the 1860 census for Madison County, IN. Only 42 pages, not too bad! That year, most of my DeHoritys were Doughertys. I saw my James Madison DeHority with wife Susannah and sons John and James. I was on the lookout for George L. DeHority's family, minus George as he appears to have passed around 1857.

It doesn't take very long to find Anna (Warren) Dougherty. There she is on page 105, age 37, born in Delaware. She is listed as a seamstress, so that must be how she is keeping the family going after George's death. She is listed with children James (9), David (7), George (4) and Thomas (3). George?! I have the other boys in my database, but not George. Who is this little guy? Maybe I should look for them in 1870.

By 1870, Anna's fortunes seem to have improved. She is still in Madison County, IN, but she is listed as the wife of William Etchison (56), farmer born in North Carolina. According to the Pioneer Cemeteries of Indiana web site, there are lots of Etchisons in the area at this time. Anna's sons James (17) and Thomas (13), are there, along with daughter Emma Etchison (5). Where are David and George? Well, David is listed as a farm laborer working on the Kidwell farm. But no George. I think I might know where he is.

In the Duck Creek Cemetery, Frazier Farm listing on the Pioneer Cemeteries site is an entry (#15558) for a little grave for George N. Dehority, 7 y. 9 m. 5 d., December 3, 1866 or 63. I've often wondered who this little guy might be, now, I think I know. If the date on the stone is 1863, the age would be right for the George on the 1860 census. Too sad!

What happens to Anna? Well, by 1880, Anna is again a widow, still in Madison Co., IN, and living with daughter Emma, now 17, and son Thomas (22). After that, I'm not sure what happens to her. I haven't yet stumbled on her gravesite. Maybe I will.

But she isn't near that little boy on the Frazier Farm.