Invite to Dinner #52 Ancestors Week 4

Here I am having dinner at my great grandmother Emma Borden’s house. I am guessing this is about 1953 when I was eight. I am seated between my cousin, Sue, age 5, and her brother, Bill, age 3. Of course, the older woman is Grandma Borden, my dad’s maternal grandmother. To her left is my mom at about age 34 (check out that dark hair). Seated next to her is my dad, Vern, and then my Uncle Bill, the dad of the cousins. Their mom, Bonnie, must have taken the picture.

Bonnie and Vern were two of the eight children of Nina Borden Wright. Nina was the only child of Emma Susan DeHart Borden.

Phipps Bits

I would like to introduce a new blog that readers interested in family stories might wish to follow.  The site is http://phippsbits.mfawebdesign.com. This new site is authored by my aunt who is a published writer.

I find her title, Phipps Bits very clever. Her maternal grandparent's name is Phipps. She is also a genealogist so some readers might connect with her familial names: Phipps, Wright, Borden, DeHart, Olmsted, Siglin.

And with a maiden name like Anderson, we can expect many great stories in
Anderson Anecdotes.

Welcome to the Blogosphere, Aunt Cheryl. I am looking forward to your posts.

July 25, 1922

     Albert LeRoy Wright and his wife, Nina Frances Borden Wright, became the parents of the first of their eight children on July 25, 1922. They named the baby LaVerne William Wright. I never knew anything about the LaVerne name, but the William was for his maternal grandfather, William Davis Borden.  Dad once told me his grandpa Borden was his favorite grandpa. Dad was given his pocket watch when his grandfather died. Dad was eight.

     Dad, known to most as Vern, hated his first name of LaVerne. One of his sisters was saddled with the name LaVonne. I think she felt about her name as Dad did his. She was always known as Bonnie. ( Readers will remember her from the recent DeHart adventures to West Virginia)

     Albert and Nina lived in Lake City, Iowa when their first child was born. This was home to Nina's parents, William and Emma Susan DeHart Borden, as well as Nina's DeHart grandparents, aunts, uncles, and other extended family. Albert and Nina lived  places other than Lake City, but as a boy, Dad  spent a lot of time there. He told me not many years before he died that he thought he knew almost everyone in town at one time.

      Much to my surprise, I learned only a few years ago that Albert and Nina baptized their first child in the Baptist Church in Lake City. Some of my research has indicated that George Jackson DeHart, grandfather to Nina, was a dedicated member of that church. Was that a factor? Nina's Grandpa DeHart moved from Lake City to Texas when Nina was a girl. However, I think his influence might have remained. I don't know anything about the other seven children. Were they baptized too?

      Not much of my research time has been spent on Albert and Nina, my dad's parents. What I mostly know is from family stories or personal experience.  They lived many places and had many children. I was only three years younger than their youngest child.  Even though I was their first grandchild. I was nothing special.
Nina and I were both only children, but unlike her I did not want eight children.





Photo from 1943


Ina, Vern, Bonnie
Darlene, Al
Nina, Lee, Albert
Evie, Gene

 Happy Birthday, Dad.

Another Try!

We join Bonnie and Al again today as they continue to try to find the DeHart Cemetery.  This is the fourth segment of the story. To read the first three, click on A Dream Come True, This is all DeHart Land,  Civil War Country.

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Here we are again going up Main Street and turning to the left on Knobs Road, the one lane road.  With houses on both sides, the winding little road goes up and out of town leaving houses and the town behind.  We continue going up around corners with a home built along the road once in a while.  Trees prevented seeing much once in a while.  Other times, we could look down and see the town in the valley.  Wishing we had a small truck to travel this road, a 26 foot motor home was a little too big for these roads.  After a time we came to our road.  We stopped to talk to Ed Raddcliff again, but he wasn't home so we went on another road to see more of the mountain. We couldn't see much with the trees and the one lane road winding up and down.  We stopped at a house and Al talked to a guy.  He said he knew of the grave yard and there were still head stones there.

So back to Knob's Road we went knowing it had to be there.  We parked at another lane where we'd parked the day before.  There was a house and the people were home.  Al talked to them and told them our story.  They said they knew the graveyard was there.  The house was on a little ridge and you walked out on it, and it was there.

This time a log chain was locked across the drive. We took a pillow case, put in our chalk, two beers, my inhaler and  our camera.  We crossed the chain, walked down the lane lined with trees and came out on the hay field.  We walked across one end of a pond and then made our way to the left to get on the wagon road.  A short way down another chain was across the road so we went walking down the road. To the left was a steep hillside with trees and to our right everything was steep with trees.  Also trees limbs had grown together overhead.  It was cooler this morning. Everything was still.  Going down this and wondering why build down here.  Was it water?  We would never know.  Walking and climbing over downed trees, we came to the turn and we followed the road down and down.  Walking along we could see the cleared fields.  When we came even with the pond, we turned and walked toward where the house had stood.  Starting at where the house had been, we both started walking out on the ridge.  Al was on my left looking under trees. The grass was taller then my waist.  Little burrs stuck to our clothes as we walked.  I had a stick about 5 ft. long parting the grass. We even looked under pine trees, still walking back and forth on this ridge.  Looking ahead I saw a part of a gate with some boards on each side, a fence of sorts.  I called to Al and said, "I think I've found it."  Over he came and as we walked closer we could see some stones.  What we'd hope to find was here.  What a felling it was.  I guess it was coming to see some I knew. My Grandma DeHart Borden was born near here.  There were grandparents here.  While standing here I wondered when if anyone had been here last.  Al said, "This makes our trip."

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.

 

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.

March 5, 2016- Blogiversary

I have learned while surfing around in the Blogsphere that bloggers often make mention of their blogiversary - which is the day their blog started.

Thus, I would like to announce that today is my 1st blogiversary. My first published post was on March 5, 2015 and is titled Getting Started.  Recently, Blogger added a new feature called Featured Blog. It can be found on the right hand side of the screen. Readers can go there to re-read this first post if interested. Those who receive email posts may not be able to see this feature. I hope you will take some time to check out the blog itself (www.margietolsdorf.blogspot.com)  and view this feature along with the others I will be mentioning. This first feature blog is the very first writing I posted one year ago. I will be changing this feature blog from time to time, but I will alert you when that happens. 

After a year, I have created a jumble of posts about my dad's family, my mom's family, my husband's family, my travels, my treasures, my photos, my mom's calendar, etc., etc. The jumble just keeps twisting and turning. Of course, one can go to the blog archive on the right hand side of the screen and find any one of the past year's 170 posts. Too much work for most casual readers. Some future family genealogist might dig through it all, but most readers are not going to do that.

I have tried to find a way to help readers find a particular reading that has to do with their surname or other interest. I thought I had found it when I created the Index Page. Have you ever tried it? The Index Page is a tab at the top of the blog. The tabs are Home, Photo Album, About Me, and Index Page. The Photo Album has been neglected, but the Index Page is full of information. It is a stationary page that just sits there unlike regular posts which pile up one on top of another somewhat like placing one piece of paper on top of another.

The second feature on the right of the screen is called Search Cousins.

Again, I believe these can only be seen from the actual blog. The right hand column is cut off when reading a post in email.

Call me a slow learner, but as I am goofing around, I realize what a great feature this is. Suppose you are a cousin on my husband's mother's side of the family. A post about the Bordens, my father's maternal side, is not of much interest to you. But by using the Search Blog window, one can insert Reeder and the posts with that name will come up.  This along with the index should get you to your surname of choice whether it be Augustus, Wright, Tolsdorf, Grisso, DeHart, Phillips, etc. Information on these surnames is not equal at this time. Genealogy is a slow process.

The next features show:

Geneabloggers- This takes the reader to an online community created by Thomas MacEntee. My Cousins blog is listed in this community under Genealogy Blog Roll.

Translate - I am happy that I included this feature since I have had responses from places like Spain, Poland, Ukraine, etc.

Follow by Email - I believe this is a feature used by several of my regular readers. It makes my ramblings easily accessible and readers don't have to remember to go to the site.

Between the featured posts, search blog window, and blog archives, you should be able to consolidate the posts that feature your particular branch of your particular tree.

Blog Archive This is where my almost 170 blog entries are stacked one on top of the other like a pile of papers. The last dated entry is always the one on top.

(Click on colored words to go directly to the example)

I continue to learn new features on the Blogger Platform and to try different ways to present our families' stories to whomever might be interested. Often I share part of my mother's diary calendars on Mondays With Mary. Wednesday is a good day for a short post featuring a photo like this one from last week. And even though this is a genealogy blog, it is my blog to post items of interest to share  and also leave a little of myself on these pages for my grandchildren to know me better.

Thank you to all my readers on this -  my first blogiversary.  I hope you will stick around for another year.  Thanks for reading.

Wordless Wednesday #2

with words.

These two ladies are my dad's two grandmothers. His mother's mother is on the left of the picture and his father's mother is on the right in black with a hat.  I would like you to meet Emma Susan DeHart Borden and Jennie Emily Olmsted Wright.  The best part about these great- grandmother's of mine are that I actually knew them both.

G Grandma Borden used to come to stay with us. She slept with me which I thought was great! She liked to make herself useful by darning my dad's socks. I liked to watch her slide a lightbulb into the toes and stitch away. The thing was my dad didn't like darned socks. Mom didn't have the heart to tell Grandma so she just let her darn away and then disposed of the socks after she left.

What I remember about G Grandma Wright is one time when we went to visit. Mom, Dad, and G Grandpa Charles sat in the living room while G G Jennie puttered in the kitchen.  The thing was she didn't know anyone anymore. I sat on a stool between the kitchen and living room watching both ways.  I was fairly certain she was going to snatch me from my stool and stick me into the oven; the living room folks would not even notice because they were so engrossed in their conversation. I wonder if I had recently read Hansel and Gretel. I was truly frightened.

Later, I learned this was the first time Dad had seen his grandmother when she didn't know who he was. It was a hard day for him.