52 Ancestors Biography- James W. Hyman

James W. Hyman - My 2nd Great-Grandfather

James was born on 07 Jan 1854 in Clark County, Indiana to German Immigrant parents- Daniel Andrew Hyman (1810-1860) and Mary Bedleman (1817-1895). He had at least 4 sisters: 

1. Mary A. (b. 1839)

2. Henrietta (1840-1918)

3. Ellen (b. 1846)

4. Matilda Amelia (b. 1850)

James was a Cooper- made barrels. 

Photo courtesy of Google.com

On 03 Nov 1874, James married Mary Kime.

Mary Kime

Born: 05 Feb 1859 in Clark County, Indiana

Died: 14 Oct 1917 in Jeffersonville, Indiana, age 58

Daughter of William Martin Kime (1819-1871) & 

                        Cynthia Ann Bell (1834-1901)

James and Mary had 9 children: 

1. James Henry (1878-1964)

2. Elizabeth "Lizzie" (1880-1932)

3. Joseph (b. 1882)

4. Myrtle May (1884-1953) (my great-grandmother)

       Read more about her Here.

5. Stella E. "Della" (1890-1962)

6. Eva Lena "Lena" (1892-1941)

7. John Huffman (1895-1967)

8. Katherine Belle "Katie" (1897-1956)

9. Henry Ruben (1899-1951)

James died at the age of 72 on 20 Aug 1926 in Jefferson County, Kentucky. Cause of death- Organic Heart Disease. He is buried in the Eastern Cemetery in Louisville, Kentucky. 

Wednesday's Portrait- Spanish Influenza

This one deemed appropriate for our current situation in the world. I didn't get this picture from my personal family history and/or collection, but on Facebook. 

Tombstone Tuesday: Henry Joseph Lo Conti

Tombstone Tuesday #1

Henry Joseph Lo Conti

Henry Joseph Lo Conti "Hank"

born: 17 Jun 1929

died: 05 Jul 2014, age 85

Buried: Maple Shade Cemetery 

                  in Independence, Ohio

Family

Parents: Giovanni John "John" LoConti (1891-1975) &

                        Philomena "Fanny" Bronstein (1899-1994)

Siblings: Andrew Nick LoConti (1914-2003)

                   Nick Henry LoConti (1916-2017)

                   Joseph LoConti

Wife: Bonita F. "Bonnie" 

Children: Kathleen, Judy, Maureen, Rick, Pam, Lisa,

                    Douglas, Robert, Carla, Christopher, & 

                   Joseph.

Mappy Monday- Drievorden, Germany

One of my 7th great-grandfather on my fathers side was Gerhard Jeckering. He was born in 1673 and died in 1735 in Drievorden, Germany. This destination is definitely at the top of my bucket list! 

Drievorden, Germany

Drievorden is a small town that lies between Emsburen and Schuttorf in Lower Saxony Germany. Since 1974, it has since been incorporated into the municipality of Engden. 
The name Drievorden is derived from the number three & "small house", "apartment", etc. I've looked this up on Wikipedia- it's all a bit confusing the way they have it worded. 

Taken from Wikipedia.com

Drievorden is predominantly Catholic and is known for it's active agricultural landscaping and a large annual event for the St. Hubertus shooting club which takes place in the restored old school house. 


There doesn't seem to be a whole lot in the area- I couldn't even find a church or school picture online. Hotels in the area- you would have to stay in Bad Bentheim or Emsburen. 

Star Wars (1977-2019)

Early January, I made a post of cousins of mine who were actors in The Wizard of Oz- you can read that post here. I have some cousins who were in the Star Wars films, so here you go! 

The Original Trilogy- 

1977- Star Wars: Episode IV- A New Hope 

1980- Star Wars: Episode V- The Empire Strikes Back

1983- Star Wars: Episode VI- Return of the Jedi

Prequel Trilogy-

1999- Episode I- The Phantom Menace 

2002- Episode II- Attack of the Clones 

2005- Episode III- Revenge of the Sith

Sequel Trilogy-

2015- Episode VII- The Force Awakens

2017- Episode VIII- The Last Jedi 

2019- Episode IX- The Rise of Skywalker

~George Lucas (born: George Walton Lucas Jr.)- my 8th cousin, 2x removed

born: 14 May 1944 in Modesto, California

George was born George Walton Lucas Jr., the son of George Walton Lucas Sr. (1913-1991) & Dorothy Ellinore Bomberger (1913-1989). He has 3 sisters: Wendy, Ann & Kathleen. 

George is the writer, producer and director for the very successful 'Star Wars' franchises. Before researching him, I knew he had been the director of the films, but I had no idea he wrote and produced them as well. Needless to say, just from Star Wars alone, even if he never did anything else in his life, he'd be set. Net worth? 4.6 billion dollars! (as of 2020). 

George has married twice- first time in 1969 to Marcia Lou Griffin (b. 1945) and then second to Mellody Hobson (b. 1969) in 2013. He has two daughters- Amanda Lucas (adopted)(b. 1981) & Everest Hobson Lucas (b. 2013). 

~Mark Hamill (born: Mark Richard Hamill)

born: 25 Sep 1951 in Oakland, California

Mark was born Mark Richard Hamill to William Thomas Hamill Jr. (1926-2014) & Virginia Suzanne Johnson (1927-1998). He has 6 siblings- Jeanie, Will, Kim, Terry, Jan & Patrick. 

Mark Hamill and Siblings

Mark Hamill is best known for playing Luke Skywalker in Star Wars, which won him the Saturn Award for Best Actor three times.

Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker in 1977 A New Hope

Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker in 2017 The Last Jedi

Mark married Marilou York (b. 1951) on 17 Dec 1978. They have 3 children: Nathan (b. 1979), Griffin (b. 1983), and Chelsea Elizabeth (b. 1988). 

~Carrie Fisher (born: Carrie Frances Fisher)- 10th cousin

born: 21 Oct 1956 in Beverly Hills, California

died: 27 Dec 2016 in La Jolla, California 

Carrie was born Carrie Frances Fisher on 21 Oct 1956 to Edwin Jack Fisher (1928-2010) & Mary Frances "Debbie" Reynolds (1932-2016).  She has three siblings: Todd, Tricia Leigh, and Joely. Carrie died on 27 Dec 2016 at the young age of 60 of a heart attack. Her mother, actress Debbie Reynolds, literally died a day later.

Carrie was best known for her role as Princess Leia in Star Wars.

Carrie as Princess Leia in 1977 A New Hope

Carrie as Princess Leia in 2019 The Force Awakens 

(Although she had already passed before this film was made, editors used unused film and pulled them together to create a role for her in this film)

Carrie married musician Paul Simon in 1983 and divorced in 1984. She was with Bryan William Lourd until 1992. Together, they had a daughter- actress Billie Lourd (b. 1992).

Carrie Fisher is buried with her mother at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Hollywood Hills, Los Angeles, California. (Plot- Courts of Remembrance Section, Map #A71, Sarcophagus 84)

A Genealogy Post about Toilet Paper-- Why not?

In these tough times of the Coronavirus and a bizarre toilet paper shortage, I thought I'd make a quick post about the Scott Family and the Scott Paper Company.

Edward Irvin Scott was born on 13 May 1846 in Greenfield, Saratoga, New York. His parents were Alexander Hamilton Scott (1804-1879) & Sophronia Wood Seymour (1816-1904). 

Edward Irvin Scott

On 22 Aug 1872, Edward married Sarah Frances "Fannie" Hoyt (1847-1916) and they had 2 children: Arthur Hoyt (1875-1927) & Margaret (1876-1966). 

In 1879, Edward and his brother Clarence started the Scott Paper Company in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Because toilet paper had been considered "unmentionable" prior to the Scott Brothers producing it, by 1890, Scott Paper Company was the leading producer of bathroom tissue in the United States. 

The family had a large paper plant in Chester, Pennsylvania and the whole family was involved. Edward's daughter Margaret, her husband Owen Moon was the third president of the company and his son Arthur was the inventor of the throw-away paper towel and a perforated paper for easy tearing. He was also the second president of the Scott Paper Company. 

Arthur Hoyt Scott

Paper Towel Patent 

Edward Irvin Scott died on 24 Apr 1931 at the age of 84. He is buried in the Eastlawn Cemetery in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania. 

I have to say, I am not directly related to the Scott Family, but there is a connection with my 1st cousin, 5x removed- Mary Hendricks (1800-1833)-- let's just leave it at that. 😄 

Siblings of Mary Bostick

Today, I posted a blog about my 2nd great-grandmother Mary Bostick (1848-1920). You can read that Here, This post is about her siblings, my 3rd great-aunts & uncles.

Mary's parents were Miles Bostick & Margaret Francerider (sometimes read as Tresenriter?) They had 8 children:

1. John Samuel

2. Sarah Elizabeth

3. Mary 

4. Nancy

5. Mildred Jane

6. Alice

7. Miles Jr.

8. Charles Henry 

1. John Samuel Bostick

John was born in 1844 in Indiana. He was a cooper most of his life, married twice. He first married Laura Harlow (b. 1850) on 11 Jul 1868 in Clark County, Indiana. John and Laura had 8 children: Rosa, Lillie, Ida Estella, Birdie, Daisy, John, Mary & Blanche.

John married secondly to Alta M. Pollard on 11 Jul 1868. Together, they had 2 children: Charles H. & Hester S.

2. Sarah Elizabeth Bostick

Sarah was born on 04 Apr 1845 in Georgetown, Indiana and died on 23 Oct 1917 at the age of 72. She was married to John Treat and had at least 2 children: Hettie Ann & William E. There is another John Treat in Indiana at the same time who married a Sarah Elizabeth, which made this search difficult.

3. Mary Bostick

Read about her here.

4. Nancy Bostick

Nancy was born about 1852 in Indiana. I couldn't find much about her, just that she was in the 1860 United States Census with her family.

5. Mildred Jane Bostick

Mildred Jane was born on 08 Aug 1855 in Indiana and died on 23 Feb 1942 at the age of 86. She married Louis Zimmerman (1849-1918) and they had 2 daughters: Maybelle "Belle" & Bertie. Both her daughters died of colon cancer.

6. Alice Bostick

Alice was born about 1856 in Indiana.  I couldn't find much about her, just that she was in the 1860 United States Census with her family.

7. Miles Bostick Jr.

Miles was born about 1860 in Indiana.  I couldn't find much about him, just that he was in the 1860 & 1870 United States Census with his family.

8. Charles Henry Bostick

Charles was born on 08 May 1863 in Salem, Indiana  and was a real estate agent most of his life. He married Anna L. McAtee (1872-1938) on 27 Mar 1894. They had 2 sons: Henry M. & Joseph D. Charles died on 26 Jan 1938 in Louisville, Kentucky of a coronary occlusion. He was 74 years old.

52 Ancestors Biography- Mary Bostick

Mary Bostick- my 2nd great-grandmother.

Mary was born on 21 Aug 1848 in Kentucky to Miles Bostick (b. 1812) & Margaret Francerider (1827-1906).  Early sources when I first started researching several years ago always referred to her as Mary Ann, but I recently found her burial and death certificate and it states: Mary E. 

She was the 3rd child out of 7 children:

1. John Bostick (b. 1844)

2. Sarah Elizabeth Bostick (1845-1917)

3. Nancy Bostick (b. 1852)

4. Jane Bostick (b. 1855)

5. Alice Bostick (b. 1856)

6. Miles Bostick Jr. (b. 1860)

Mary married Isaac Hendricks (1843-1918) on 02 Jan 1867 in Jeffersonville, Indiana. Census records show Mary having had 8 children total, but only 4 living- I have yet to find out when she had these other 4 children and when they passed. They also showed that Mary worked as a seamstress. 

Children of Mary & Isaac: 

1. William Henry (1868-1941)

2. John T. (1869-1945)

3. Anna (1874-1935)

4. Isaac Jr. (1883-1942)

Mary died on 17 May 1920 at the age of 71. Her cause of death sounds complicated- Cerebral Apoplexy- described online as "a sudden disease caused by spontaneous, endogenic, non-inflammatory circulatory disturbances involving cerebral blood vessels". She was laid to rest in the Sellersburg Cemetery in Sellersburg, Indiana. 

Thomas Tracy- a Common Ancestor

Introduction:

Before it was discontinued, I really enjoyed playing around with Ancestry's We're Related app. I think there was a lot of speculation with this app- whether or not the famous ancestors it said you were related to were actually true. I had the app for I think close to 2 years (maybe) and I tried to prove every single celebrity that We're Related threw at me. I can definitely say that more than 50% of the people it gave me, I couldn't really for sure say- yes, I'm related to this person. However, there were quite a few that I did prove to be legit, and that's fun!

Through this app, I found Thomas Tracy, my 10th great grandfather on my mother's paternal side. He was one of the common ancestors that presented several celebrity cousins and some fun surprise connections with friends.

Thomas Tracy was born on 07 Nov 1610 in Gloucestershire, England to the son of Paul Tracy (1556-1626) & Anne Shakerly (1563-1615). He immigrated to America and settled in Norwich, Connecticut. Thomas was married to Marthe Bourne. I saw somewhere he had more than one spouse, but I only have the one in my tree, because that's who I'm related to. I haven't expanded it.

Thomas and Martha had 4 children in my tree that had descendants that I know of or know personally- Mary (1633-1671), Jonathan (1646-1704), Miriam (1648-1732) and Solomon (1651-1732).

Cousins Found through Thomas Tracy

                           

  Frank Morgan (Left) & Ralph Morgan (Right)-- Frank was the Wizard in The Wizard of Oz

A Polygamist Family

Hey All,

It's been awhile since I've posted. I decided to write outside of celebrity or my own tree today. 

I recently worked on a someone's tree for them- a friend from high school. What I discovered...was...a lot! First, I discovered that we share a common ancestor- we are 11th cousins, which is just insane.

Second, I discovered my first Polygamist family to research! I have done many family trees for friends and acquaintances, but this is the first time I've come across this  type of family- it was interesting for sure! 

This post is about one of his ancestors- just the shear amount of information is insane.

Benjamin Franklin Barney

Born: 12 Mar 1832 in Springfield, Sangamon, Illinois

 ~Son of Charles Barney (1783-1865) & 

                            Deborah Riffle (1808-1888)

Benjamin was the 14th child out of 18! He was a Farmer, Fruit-grower and a stock raiser. He fought as a private in the Utah Militia during the Indian Wars.

Benjamin was also a polygamist, like his father (2 wives), except that Benjamin had 3 wives and a total of 33 children!

Wife #1: Caroline Beard, married 27 Apr 1849

    ~she was 23, he was 17.

Born: 15 Jan 1826 in Virginia

Died: 26 Sep 1905 in Lakeshore, Utah

   ~Daughter of Christian W. Beard (1790-1846) & 

                                             Margaret Almendroad (1800-1852)

Wife #2: Priscilla Ann Shepherd, married 08 Apr 1857

     ~she was 15, he was 25.

Born: 04 May 18423 in Mount Pleasant, Indiana

Died: 20 Sep 1916 in Elsinore, Utah

    ~Daughter of Moses Trader Shepherd (1820-1866) &

                                          Eliza Jane Adamson (1822-1897)

Wife #3: Karen Caroline Nielsen, married 07 Dec 1865

    ~she was 21, he was 33.

Born: 28 May 1844 in Denmark

Died: 28 Oct 1933 in Elsinore, Utah

Benjamin's 33 children with his 3 wives: 

One very sad thing about this family is that Mormons outlawed polygamy on 24 Sep 1890. Benjamin was required to choose only one wife to "keep" and he chose Karen, his third wife. The other two wives and their children were left to fend for themselves! Caroline remained in Lakeshore, Utah. Priscilla and her 10 children moved into a two bedroom house with a dirt roof in Monroe, Utah. Benjamin and Karen moved to Annabella, Utah where they started a dairy farm.

Benjamin died on 07 Dec 1904 in Elsinore, Sevier, Utah at the age of 72 of gangrene of a limb (doesn't mention what limb). He was buried in Monroe City Cemetery in Monroe, Utah.