Dehart Children (continued)...finally

December 11, 2015 I wrote about the children of George Jackson DeHart (1835-1916) and his first wife, Sarah Frances Skaggs ( 1845-1885). They are my great-great grandparents.  This post can be re-read at The DeHart Children.  The first five children: James Floyd (1861-1920), Fletcher C. (1865-1867), Virginia Alice (1866-1950), Oto C. (1867-1969), and Emma Susan.
 
Emma Susan, child number 5, is my direct line. She was born in 1869 and died in 1956 at age 87 which incidentally is the age her grandson, Vern (my dad), was at death.  She was featured in the post Emma Susan DeHart Borden published April 19, 2016.

Of George and Sarah's nine children, I have told what I know about the first five and promised to finish the telling of the others.
James Floyd
Fletcher
Virginia Alice
Oto
Emma
...
Daniel
William
George
Mae
...And from his second marriage
John Cavet
Mary Carolina


FINALLY, I am ready to finish.
 
I have been studying about George Jackson DeHart, his siblings, his parents (Samuel and Sophia), his Civil War soldier brothers, as well as his grandfather, Abraham, a revolutionary soldier. It has captured me, but I need to finish the summary of his immediate family.

It appears that the family moved west shortly after Emma Susan was born in 1869. The 1870 census states they lived in Township 5, Range 9, Madison, Illinois. The post office is listed as Upper Alton. If you are familiar with the area, you see that they lived near St. Louis on the east side of the Mississippi River.

By December 21, 1871, the family lived in or near Danvers, Illinois. Danvers is not far from Bloomington.  There their next child was born.

# 6. Daniel B Dehart (1871-1877)

# 7. William LeRoy Dehart (1875-1876)

     One thing about all these babies is that we can follow the moves of George and Sarah across the prairie. William was born in Grant City, Iowa.

Emma Susan was about eight when her brother, Daniel, died. Undoubtedly, she also witnessed the birth and death of her brother, William. He was part of her life from when she was 6 to 8. What a sad childhood for this little girl.

Child # 8 George Frank DeHart (1882-1965)
Child # 9 Elizabeth Mae DeHart (1883-1974)

Click on the Elizabeth Mae DeHart link above to read more about her.

Baby Mae was only about 2 when her mother died. Her older sister, Emma Susan, was about 16 so was probably a big help along with Alice, age 19.

George remarried Miss Sarah Caroline Corey in 1888. They had two children, John Cavet (1888- ) and Mary Carolina DeHart (1891-1918).  It was for the health of Mary Carolina that the DeHarts moved to Texas.

There is still a lot to learn about the DeHarts. My aunt Bonnie, granddaughter of Emma Susan, was a very active genealogist specifically interested in her grandmother's history. She took a trip from her home in Oregon to Monroe County, West Virginia in 1988 to discover where Emma Susan DeHart was born.

Next, I will be sharing her journal from that trip

          

    

DeHart

The surname DeHart has always been one of my favorite ancestral names. Who knows why or why we have these types of preferences or maybe I am the only one. I knew a few names from this family before doing much research.  My understanding was that Abraham DeHart started our line in this country and fought in the Revolutionary War. It is through him that many relatives have obtained the proper documentation for membership in Daughters of the American Revolution. It has been suggested that he may have even come to the colonies with Lafayette. Family lore is such fun.
 
Proving or disproving is not on my current to do list. However, I am curious about the DeHart Lineage. It is generally accepted that Abraham was married to Christina Ensninger. I say generally accepted because after surfing around on the web, I found a site for the DeHart Family.  I find that there might be some debate on this. I will need to continue my research.  However, for now, I wish to share the information I found on a family group sheet written by the great granddaughter of George Jackson DeHart (my 2nd great grandfather. I will italicize the name of George Jackson DeHart in the rest of this writing to clarify that he is my direct ancestor.

     This group sheet starts with the son of Abraham, Samuel DeHart born in 1807 in Monroe County, West Virginia.  He died in 1882 after spending his whole life in the state of West Virginia where he lived close to his father, Abraham DeHart.  Samuel married Sophia Spade in 1829. 

Samuel and Sopia Spade DeHart had 10 children. I have added their statistics to my Legacy Database, but do not intend to detail that information in my Cousins post at this time. I will share their names and birthdates however. Isaac (1830), William Calahill (1833), Catharine (1842),  George Jackson (1835), John L. (1837), Corneluis L. (1838), Michael Alexander (1840), James Robert (1843), Mary S. (1846), and Joseph (not sure of birthdate)

I found a few interesting pieces of information about these individuals. Isaac married Minerva Susan Skaggs, William C. married Elizabeth M. Skaggs, and George Jackson married Sarah Francis Skaggs. I assume these Skaggs girls were sisters, but I have yet to investigate.

All of Samuel and Sophia's children were born in Monroe County, West Virginia.

Isaac, William C. and George Jackson all moved to Iowa at some point in time. George Jackson DeHart went on to Texas eventually.

Isaac, William C., George Jackson, John L., Michael Alexander, and James Robert were all confederate soldiers in the Civil War.

James Robert DeHart and his brother, Michael Alexander DeHart enlisted on the same day, April 17, 1862. John L. DeHart enlisted April 30, 1862. William C. also joined in 1862 although I have not found the exact date.  Great, Great, Great Grandma Sophia must have felt a profound sorrow with at least six of her sons gone to fight for the south.

Investigating war records is not a part of genealogy that I have researched much. I have found that each young DeHart brother took the amnesty oath when the war came to its end. I look forward to finding out more about these Civil War soldiers, the sons of Samuel and Sophia DeHart, my 3rd great grandparents.

Photo Fun

You may have wondered about the picture of Emma Borden and Mae Corey in the last couple of posts. It was probably easy to figure out they were cropped. What did that picture look like? Here it is.

 

The back of the photo says "taken in Calif. 1945-46 winter"

Grandma Borden, LaVonne, Aunt Mae Corey

 

LaVonne is actually my Aunt Bonnie's given name.  I am surprised to know Grandma Borden and Aunt Mae traveled to California. I did know my Aunt Bonnie had lived there at one time. I wonder if they were just traveling because Bonnie was not married until 1948.

 

 

 

 

Several years later in the 50's

It looks like Sunday dinner at Great Grandma Borden's house.

 Billy, Margie, Susie, Grandma B., Mary, Vern, Bill

 

Aunt Bonnie must have taken the picture.

 

Aunt Mae-Sister of Emma Susan DeHart Borden

Within walking distance of the home of my great grandmother, Emma Susan DeHart Borden (1869-1956), was the residence of her younger sister, Mae (1883-1974). She was my great great aunt and was a sweet, sweet lady.  In another post, I mentioned their sister, Alice (1866-1950). These three girls had six brothers and two half siblings.

Aunt Mae was fourteen years younger than Grandma Borden. One family story says Grandma Borden (Emma Susan) accompanied Mae to Chicago for some reason and that is where she met William Borden. Some records says Emma and William were married in Lake City. They lived in Chicago in their early married years because this is where their only child, my grandmother Nina, was born September 19, 1900.

Aunt Mae married Arthur Henry Corey. Their children were Howard, married to Hester Bowles. Audrey, married to Ted Bean, and Carl, married to Phyliss Devitt.  Although to most of my readers, these are just names. Growing up, I often heard the names Howard and Hester. I think I just liked the ring of the H's. I remember Audrey and her family for several reasons. Audrey made a crude remark once when I was probably less than 10 years old. It was so gross in my little mind that I remember it clearly to this day.  She and her husband, Ted, also had a boy about my age, Teddy. I don't remember him fondly either. He was my second cousin once removed. I remember a big family reunion in Lake City where the old parents (they were probably in their 30's) played a wild game of softball and all the kids walked to the uptown theater to see the movie "Oklahoma". Oklahoma came out in 1955.

The movie theater in Lake City, Iowa is still in operation. I guess this is where my grandmother, Nina, sat during the silent movie days and helped with the music. From silent movies a hundred years ago in grandma's youth to a theater which now only runs films on the week-ends. Times change. However, this theater hangs on with town volunteers manning the concessions and admissions. What a town legacy!

Back to Aunt Mae

Mom and I spent the night at Aunt Mae's home one night when either she or Grandma Borden was ill. The house was full of cuckoo clocks which caused us not to sleep much due to the unsynchronized elements of the clocks. Mom was a bit fussy the next day I remember.

Aunt Mae lived to be around 91. She came to my wedding in 1966 when she was around 84. I have a picture of her in the receiving line and even remember the wedding gift she gave us.

Elizabeth Mae Dehart Corey
1883-1974
Younger sister of my great grandmother, Emma Susan DeHart Borden

Emma Susan Dehart Borden

As much as I like researching and uncovering lost pieces of family history, I especially like writing about family members who I actually knew. I hope to make them come across as the real people they were. Emma Susan Dehart Borden was my great-grandmother who lived in Lake City, Iowa. Her daughter, my grandmother, Nina, was her only child. I knew them both.

I never knew G'ma Borden's husband, William, but my dad carried his name as a middle name. My dad told me once that his Grandpa Borden was his favorite grandfather. This surprised me because Dad was only about 8 or 9 when his Grandpa William Borden died
(1865-1930). Dad was given his grandfather's watch and Dad passed it to me a few years ago.

My cousin, Sue, was named for both our great-grandmother, Emma Susan, and our grandmother, Nina. Her name was Nina Susan but she always used the Susan part of her name. I wished I had been named "after" someone. Amazing the odd things we can decide are great on the other side of the fence.

William Borden was a carpenter by trade and built many structures. Not very many years ago, my dad showed me a barn that his grandfather had built. Grandma Nina wrote in Grandma's Own Words that the family had gone to Texas for a year to help George and Sarah build a homesite.

I have several heirlooms from these great-grandparents. I will photograph them another time and post them.  My two favorites are a cup with William's name on it and a silver thimble that Emma used for sewing. The thimble is tiny. I think I have always liked it because of its size and the tales of her darning my dad's socks. In addition to the cup and thimble, I have a chair, a small table, and a few dishes.

As a little girl, my parents spent a lot of time in Lake City or so it seemed to me. We lived about 20 miles away. Just a few years ago when dad was still alive we drove to Lake City for some reason. He commented that there was a time when he thought he knew everyone in that town and now he knows no one. As I have researched the collateral relatives, I am beginning to understand his point.

Before I continue, I must make a clarification here. The general rule of thumb is to write out the names of the grandparents being discussed instead of saying Grandpa or Grandma. I have accomplished that in some posts but it is just not working here.
Grandma Emma Borden's house was on Woodlawn Avenue. It was the last house on the left on the edge of town just before going down a rather large hill. A modern brick home now stands in that spot. Grandma Borden's house was across the street from her sister's home. Aunt Alice and Uncle Sherm lived there. They would actually be my great-great aunt and uncle and as old as that sounds...they really were. One my life's most boring afternoons was spent in their living room. It smelled like old people and there was nothing to do. I lay on the piano bench fingering the keys carefully as to not make a sound. A couple of times I was not successful. I was visiting them with my grandmother, Nina, and she wasn't happy with me. I have no idea where my mother was.

I don't think I would have felt as bad if my mother had been there.

My great grandma Borden

From Olmsteads to DeHarts

My great grandmother Jennie Emily Olmstead Wright has been my featured ancestor for several posts lately.  There is much more to discover, but I am leaving her for a while to look at my dad's other grandmother's family, Emma Susan DeHart Borden.   As with g'ma Jennie's maiden name of Olmstead being the focus, it is the maiden name of DeHart that I will be looking at next.

Here they are again

I was lucky to have actually met and known these two great-grandmothers of mine.  I did spend more time with Grandma Borden (Emma Susan DeHart Borden (1869-1956). She lived several years longer than Jennie Emily Olmstead Wright (1861-1952).

Emma Susan DeHart was the daughter of George Jackson DeHart from Lake City, Iowa.  She was born in Monroe County, West Virginia  and the daughter of George's first wife, Sarah Skaggs. I have already written about him in George Jackson DeHart, George Jackson DeHart (1835-1916) part two,  and The DeHart Children which contains a photo of Emma's parent, George and Sarah DeHart. In an unpublished post titled The DeHart Children (continued), I intended to finish the listing of children but dropped that ball. I will get back to it in time.
       Also I found Emma Susan DeHart Borden's father,GGGrandpa George Jackson DeHart's grave in Dalhart, Texas a few years ago.  I have been exploring the papers loaned to me by my aunt's daughter and have shared the obituary of George's brother, William Calahill DeHart.  I am aware of two family genealogist besides my aunt who have researched the DeHart family and left some interesting papers from which I continue to learn about and become acquainted with this family.

However, before I get too far into the DeHart ancestors and fill you in on our DeHart grandfathers back to the Revolutionary War, I will devote my next post to Emma Susan DeHart Borden, my great-grandmother.

 

Pedigree Alternative

 

 

 

 

 

 

The fan chart below has the same information as does the pedigree chart which is included in the post Off a Little. This chart is in a different format which might be easier to understand for some readers.

 

This is to help follow the lines as I discuss the Olmsteads, DeHarts, and Wrights.

 

The large spaces have been used to shift the chart towards the bottom of the page where it can be enlarged without too much interference from the right side of the screen.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Grandma's Photo Shoot

I have shared several pictures of my great-grandparents, Charles and Jennie Wright, with their children. I have come upon some photos of ggrandma Jennie which I had not seen before. I am showing them here along with one of question.

This photo is not new to me and may have already been shown in an earlier post. In the flowered dress is Emma Susan DeHart Borden and in the dark dress with the hat is Jennie Emily Olmstead Wright. (I wonder if I got my love of black from Jennie). These ladies are my paternal great grandmothers.

This is the only photo of the group that is not clearly identified on the back as Jennie Wright. I do not know for sure but I think I recognize the background as the house where she lived when I visited as a child.

 

This picture and the one that follows are interesting. It appears that Jennie is wearing the same dress, shoes, and pin.  Her hat looks a little different, but maybe not. I think her face and demeaner appear very different. In the first picture she looks unusally glum. In the second picture she looks a little younger.

 I can certainly see the resemblance to my father in her.

 

Below are Jennie and Charles Wright. I am guessing they are standing in front of their daughter, Hattie's, house. Again, I am just guessing. I know Hattie and her husband lived in a very large house.  

 

GGrandpa Charles looks like a prosperous gentleman in this picture which I have been led to believe he was. GGrandma Jennie might not like being caught without her hat. Her hair almost looks like a wig to me.

 

 

The picture below is the picture I don't know about. Nothing is on the back but it was in a collection of other Wright family pictures. Do you think it is Jennie as a young woman? Her face is shaped the same.  I hope one of my second cousins might know. I moved Charles and Jennie's family pictures to the Featured Post on this main page. As I look over the family, I am wondering if this could be Flo. She and her mother have a very similar shaped face.

 

The Olmsteads - Friday's Feature

One of my dilemmas is whether my great grandmother Jennie Emily Olmstead Wright's maiden name was Olmstead or Olmsted. Many genealogists will tell you it doesn't really matter. I recently came upon a genealogy and history of the Olmstead name. Of course, it listed dozens of variations, but the authors decided to use the spelling of Olmsted. However, in my poking around, running down rabbit trails, working in majorly inefficient ways, I found a photo on Find a Grave of whom I believe to be my second great grandparents, Nathan and Anna Olmstead. This photo answers the question for me. I will be using the Olmstead spelling from now on.

In my post about my great-great grandparents, I mentioned that the families of my great grandmothers, Jennie Olmstead Wright and

Laura Hamilton Grisso,  are the two maternal lines  about whom I have the least information. This inquiry into the Olmstead line has turned up more than I anticipated. I don't think GGrandma Laura's will be as complete.

 

If my research is correct and I think it is... G Grandma Jennie was the oldest child of Nathan and Anna Mae Groat Olmstead. She had been born in Schenevus, Otsego County, New York on November 26, 1861. ( I was married on the same day only 105 years later).  In the 1880 census, when Jennie was 18, the family had moved to DeKalb County in Illinois. They must have arrived only a couple of years before the census because the youngest child, Mary, is listed as two years old yet born in New York where all the other children were born.

 

As mentioned in the post Sac County, Iowa, Charles and Jennie settled in Sac County around 1883 about a year after they were married. I was surprised to find Nathan and Anna Olmstead in the 1885 census also living in Sac County. Sometime between 1880 and 1885, they all moved to Iowa from Illinois. Did they move at the same time or several years apart?

 

Further research shows the parents of Nathan W. Olmstead to be Roswell (1805-1889) and Lucy Merrill Olmstead.  I am gathering Olmstead research into Roswell's roots and a little on his other children, but will leave this line for a bit to focus on other lines connected to my dad.

 

Eight Generation Review

 

Roswell/Nathan/Jennie/Albert/Vern/Me/My kids/My grandkids.

 

 





Wordless Wednesday was made for Wrights

I found the following two pictures a fun comparison.

 

Mary and Vern

 

Albert and Nina

Vern's parents

 

William C. DeHart

Here is the obituary copy which I found in my Aunt Bonnie's papers that I mentioned in the post Those Collaterals. Remember, I said it was the first thing I looked at in those documents.  William C. DeHart was a brother to my 2nd great grandfather George Jackson DeHart. Enjoy this read. I don't really even know how to describe the flowery language. It is just very different from obituaries of today and even of some other obituaries which are as old.

Obituary

 

     William C. DeHart was born in Union, Monroe County, West Virginia January 24, 1832; died at the family home near Lake City, Iowa March 9, 1912 thus making his earth habitation 80 years, 1 month and 15 days.  He was one of a family of ten children, all of whom were professed Christians and four of them had preceded him to the celestial shore.

     He was reared on a farm among the hills and the then wilds of West Virginia, where educational advantages were very meager.  Yet in the midst of these circumstances he resolved to make the very best of his life, and by lending his influence to the noble things of his day soon won for himself the respect and esteem of all who knew him.  While yet a boy he became a friend to all and a welcome visitor in every home.  When he arrived at his maturity he had equipped himself with those noble virtues that so beautifully fitted him for the noble life that he so well spent in service to his fellow beings.

     He was married to Miss Elizabeth Skaggs of his own community in October, 1853.  To this union were born two children and they were a happy family until God in his infinite wisdom saw fit to call his loving companion to the Heavenly city.  This occurred near the beginning of the great Civil war when he, like other noble citizens of his day, was not disobedient to "his country's call".  Loyal and brave, he shouldered his musket and marched in defense- I say it, yes I will - marched in defense of his country.  This I say because he was associated with a people who were loyal and brave sons of the South, who were fighting for what honest hearts told them was a righteous cause.  During the war he was captured and for months suffered the hardships of prison life until about a month before the surrender, he was released, being more dead than alive

    April 15, 1863 he was again married, to Miss Mary E. Cooper of Pulaski county, Virginia, who proved to him a loving and affectionate companion the remainder of his life's journey.  To this union were born three children, who together with the two children by former marriage, have been a great pleasure to him during the declining years of his life.

     In 1866 he moved to Somers county, West Virginia, where he lived until the fall of 1887, when he moved to Iowa, stopping on a farm about five miles from Lake City, where he lived until 1900, then moved to the present home, where he passed a happy life until the Lord saw fit on Saturday morning about 11 o'clock to open the wings of the cherubim and call him home.

     In his early life he became a Christian and voluntarily enlisted in the Master's service.  As a Christian soldier he was a welcome visitor in every home  His presence brought peace to the troubled, pleasure to the distressed and comfort to the sorrowing.  His ear was sensitive to the call of his neighbor, his eye was keen and could see afar off the welfare of his brethren.  His feet were always ready to go upon errands of mercy.  Such noble characters never die, but "Oh, how are the mighty fallen."

     For many months he has been growing weaker and more tired, patiently ,but anxiously awaiting the summons that would call him to his reward.  He was confined to his bed for only a few days.  Kind and loving hands did all that could be done for his comfort and to restore him, but his race was run, his earthly end had come, and without a struggle he steeped into the chariot of death and the horseman bore him to the arms of Jesus.
    
     He leaves to mourn his loss a loving and devoted wife, five affectionate children-Sam DeHart of Ottumwa, Mrs. Rose Boyer of Lowell, West Va., Rufus DeHart, Martin DeHart and Mrs. Allie Sievert all of near Lake City.  Also there are sixteen grandchildren and six great grandchildren, a large family connection and a multitude of sorrowing friends, with all of whom we want to sympathize in this their sad hour of bereavement.
     The parting indeed is hard to bear, but let us be comforted in the knowledge that our loss is his gain, and should he be permitted to speak to us at this moment we might hear him say, "Nay, do not weep, my joy is complete and you will all come soon."
     A large body of friends gathered at the family residence Monday at one o'clock and accompanied the sorrowing friends to the Baptist church, where the funeral services were conducted by the pastor, Rev. T.A. Searcy, from whence the remains were followed to Lake City cemetery and there laid in the silent city of the dead.


Whew!

I am thinking about my grandmother, the one pictured in the Featured Post, on the right hand side of the page.  William was the brother of her grandfather, George Jackson DeHart.  William died in 1912 when my grandmother was around 12, and they lived in the same small community. I don't think it is too much of a leap to assume she knew her great-uncle. I almost get the chills when I think of someone I knew knowing these ancestors whom I am just discovering.

The Featured Post changes periodically. I mentioned that my grandmother is pictured there. However, this will not be the case eventually when another post is featured.


 

    

 



Off a little

Does anyone notice when I fall off my regular schedule of posting on Monday, Wednesday, Friday. One week it was Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday, or so I thought. Upon further review I discovered it was Wednesday, Thursday, Sunday. Did anyone notice? I doubt it. It really shouldn't matter, but I feel like I missed an assignment. I suppose it is the old teacher in me.  I think I might be off my schedule for awhile but still posting three times per week. I just thought I should warn my regular readers. 

My time is being taken up with rabbit trails down holes that contain information on the Olmstead family and the DeHart family.  Nathan and Anna DeHart had a daughter named Jennie who married Charles Howard Wright. Jennie and Charles are my great-grandparents.  I recently read an article or heard a speaker mention that just because one's great-grandparents are no longer living doesn't mean they aren't still your great-grandparents. Thus, the present tense is accurate.

I am also in the midst of discovering more about great-grandma Jennie's parents and ancestors. This has been one of my goals for a long time. I think a lot of this information has been out there. I just had to discover it. The Olmsteads promise to be an interesting family.

Jennie and Charles had a son named Albert, who is my paternal grandfather. He married Miss Nina Frances Borden. Her parents were Emma Susan DeHart Borden and William Borden.

The DeHarts lived in Lake City, Iowa and the Olmsteads and Wrights lived in Sac City, Iowa just up the road.  I wish to concentrate on these families for awhile. These are the ancestors of my father on both his mother and his father's side of the family.

I am disappointed with how this pedigree chart looks. I will be working on another way to present it. I hope it will help in clarifying whom I will be talking.

The more I learn....

The more I learn...the less I know. As a life long learner, I have always been aware of the truth in this statement.  This is why 'tweens, teens, and many young people think they know everything. They actually probably do know everything in their little sliver of life. However, the longer one lives, the more one realizes how much there is out there to become aware of let alone learn.  I am now starting to accept the truth of this statement when it comes to genealogy.

I have been to another genealogy learning day.  Saturday I was introduced to how my Legacy database and the Family Search Website can be directly linked.  The presentation was excellent. Just one more avenue which I probably don't have time to go down.  This was a morning special interest group given at a local genealogy library which offers research facilities, classes, and many different  special interest groups.

Because I rode with a friend, I was able to stay for an afternoon session.  This one was the DNA special interest group. I am far behind in the ability to use DNA in my research. But, I am learning. Little by little, I will know more. I have at least been tested as has my husband. Now after I get everything linked in my Legacy database to Family Search, I can start researching DNA. I believe I only need to make contact with about 400 4th cousins or closer on my side and around 200 on my husband's side. How much time could that take?  Then there is the whole question of testing for the Y chromosome. I am considering checking out the kits as Father's Day gifts for my oldest maternal relative and my male double cousin. I have a lot to do.  I am glad I have been working on a few more family stories for Cousins to print soon or my blog might dry up, and I don't want that.

So much to do, so little time. So much to learn....So much fun!!!!!!