Tombstone Tuesday - Hello, G-G-G Grandfather....I've Been Looking For You!

You can read all about my journey of finding Minnear Cemetery here and here.

On Sunday we took my oldest back to college and then made the 30 minute trip from there to La Fontaine, Indiana to visit Minnear Cemetery, the final resting place of my g-g-g grandparents, Isaac and Caroline BOTKIN.  I was filled with emotion, the result of dropping my child back off at school and the anticipation of finally being able visit the cemetery.

On our way I called the owners of the property as instructed to let them know when I would be arriving.  They didn't answer, they weren't home.  My husband and I made the best of the situation stopping to share a pizza from the BP Station (the only thing open on a Sunday in this small town) and waited until they called back.  And waited and waited.......

Now my husband you must understand has the ultimate Type A personality.  He couldn't wait any longer and decided to drive back to the property to see if they were home but maybe just outside.  My heart was pounding as we drove up the dirt driveway only to find they weren't home.  However I was able to snap a picture of the house.  Looks like part of the original cabin is still there.  What do you think?

Just as we were leaving we saw a car coming down the road.  Could it be?  YES!  They were finally home!  We followed them back into the drive and introduced ourselves.  They were the nicest people, and wasted no time guiding us back into the woods to the cemetery.  And this is what we found:

The tall stone in the back are my g-g-g grandparents, Isaac and Caroline Minnear BOTKIN.  The smaller stone to the left is their daughter Jane BOTKIN.  The other two stones were just the bases.  The stones that, at one time, sat on top are missing.  We know from cemetery records that one of those is for  my g-g-g-g- grandfather, John MINNEAR.  But who is the other stone for?  I have a theory which I will share in another post on another day.   In the meantime, here is a close up of the stone I have been searching for the past few months: 

Find a Grave memorials for Isaac, Caroline, Jane and John can be found by clicking on their names.

To read a fun story about how Thomas Edison figured into the life of Isaac and my g-g grandmother Mariah click here!

Monday Madness - UPDATE!!!!

Here is my Monday Madness post from Monday of this week.

I have an exciting update!! Minnear Cemetery has been located!

And you'll LOVE this.....in the end it was my non-genealogically minded husband who cracked the case! 

The journey towards finding the location has been helped along by many people and I want to be sure and thank them all here:

- DeeDee, my new found "cousin" was able to find a copy of the original deed in the State Libray on her lunch hour. 

- The librarian at the LaFontaine library suggested leads to me that made me think that my first hunch about the cemetery location just might be correct.

- I posted this question on rootsweb and received some great suggestions!

- Heather Allen, Head of Archives/Associate County Historian, Wabash County Historical Museum found even more information about the location.

- Kathleen/Kathleen both left awesome suggestions on my blog posting.

But, as I said, it was my husband who gave me the suggestion that got me the answer I was looking for.  One night, in desperation, I said to him, "I need someone to take a look at all the information I have and give me an idea on what to do next.  I feel like I have everything I need, I'm just missing something."  Within minutes, literally, he said "call the Wabash County Tax Assessor, they will know who owns the property".    DUH......

So, thank you to Kelly Schenkel, County Assessor for providing me with the name and telephone number of Larry Manning, Liberty Township Trustee who was able to give me the address location, name of current property owner and telephone number to call them!

I spoke with the wonderful, friendly people who now live on the land my g-g-g grandparents are buried on and they are happy to let me come down and visit the cemetery.  One of my biggest fears was that there would be no stones left.  Just before we hung up the telepone the homeowner said to me "by the way, is there a child buried there?  One of the stones is smaller than the others."  I replied that, yes, their youngest daughter Jane is buried with them.  She died in 1880 at the age of 14.  Inside I was jumping for joy!  The stones are still there!

On Sunday we are taking my oldest back to college and I am making a side trip to visit Minnear Cemetery. I'm bringing my husband along.

After all, he deserves the honor!

Wordless Wednesday - His Last First Day

My youngest is a senior.  Where did the time go?

Madness Monday - Where in the World is Minnear Cemetery?

Locating Minnear Cemetery in Wabash County, Indiana is truly driving me mad!

Minnear Cemetery is the final resting place of my great-great-great grandparents and I would love to visit their graves but have had no luck in determing the exact location of the cemetery.

Here is what I know:

1.  I have a copy of the deed from 1874 that gives the location on the farms of W.L. Bird and W. H. Minnear (both of which don't exist today) and is listed as rods and feet.  Here is a transcription of that deed.

This indenture witnesseth that William H. Minnear and Huldah J. Minnear his wife of Wabash County in the state of Indiana.



Convey and warrant to the Heir of John Minnear deed for burying ground for said family of Wabash County in the state of Indiana for the sum of as a donation to said family the receipt thereof is hereby acknowledged. The following real estate in Wabash County in the state of Indiana. Towit.


Commencing 41 rods & 5 feet east from the south west corner of south west quarter of the north east quarter of section 26 township (26) north of range 7 east and running due east on said line between W.L. Bird and W. H. Minnear 3 rods and 2 feet thence south 8 rods and 2 feet thence west 3 rods and 2 feet thence north 3 rods and 2 feet to the place of beginning.


In witness thereof the said William H. Minnear and Huldah J. Minnear his wife have hereunto set their hand and seal this eighth day of October 1874.


William J. Minnear


Huldah J. Minnear


State of Indiana


Wabash County ss:


Before me B.F. Lines a Justice of the Peace in and for said county. This 8th day of October 1874 came William H. Minnear and Huldah J. Minnear his wife and acknowledged the execution of the __________ deed.


Witness my hand and Justice seal


B. F. Lines


Justice of the Peace


Duly recorded this 5th day of Jan 1875 at 3 o’clock pm


James M. H_______

I also have a copy from Ancestry.com of the County Plat map of 1875.

I can clearly see section 26 and even see where W.L. Bird's farm is located. 

My madness is this - how do I use this information to determine where the cemetery is located today?

Any suggestions or help is greatly appreciated!

Cemetery Superstitions

If the deceased has lived a good life, flowers would bloom on his grave; but if he has been evil, only weeds will grow.

Never wear anything new to a funeral, especially shoes.

Large drops of rain warn that there has just been a death.

It is bad luck to meet a funeral procession head-on.  If you see one approaching, turn around.  If this is unavoidbale, hold onto a button until the funeral cortege passes.

If you see an owl in the daytime, there will be a death.

If it rains in an open grave then someone in the family will die within the year.

Having only red and white flowers together in a vase (especially in the hospital) means a death will follow soon.

A dog howling at night when someone in the house is sick is a bad omen.  It can be reversed by reaching under a bed and turning over a shoe.

It is bad luck for a pregnant women to visit a cemetery. 

A bird in the house is a sign of a death.

You must hold your breath while going past a cemetery or you will breathe in the spirit of someone who has recently died.

If a women is buried in black, she will return to haunt the family.

If a dead person's eyes are left open, he'll find someone to take with him.

If you dream of death it's a sign of birth, if you dream of birth, it's a sign of death.

If you touched a loved one who has died, you won't have dreams about them.

A person who dies at midnight on Christmas Eve will go straight to heaven because the gates of heaven are open at that time.

Funerals on Friday protend another death in the family during the year.

It's bad luck to count the cars in a funeral procession.

If three people are photographed together, the one in the middle will die first.

The hand of a deceased person could be the cure-all for all kinds of diseases.  Many times sick people were brought to a house where a corpse was laid out, so that the hand of the dead might be laid upon them. (An  Irish superstition)

If anyone stumbles inside a graveyard it is considered a bad omen.  If you fall and touch the ground you will most likely die by the end of the year. (An Irish superstitution)

Seeing a white chicken on your way to a funeral brings bad luck.

If you take three steps backward when leaving a loved one's grave, you will die within three months.

Standing water in a grave means the deceased will be a restless spirit.

Pall bearers should wear gloves when handling a casket to prevent the spirit of the deceased from entering their bodies through their bare hands.

Although the firing of guns at military funerals is seen as a sign of respect, this tradition may have its roots in the superstition that ringing bells and shooting guns work to scare away ghosts and spirits in the cemetery.

 - Facts from the Center For History, South Bend, Indiana. 

What I Learned - The Case of Ralph Ellam

Ralph Ellam is the g-g-g Grandfather of my husband, Mark.  When I first began researching the Ellam family many years ago I had very little to go on.  Mark's grandfather, John "Jack" Ellam, Jr. walked away from the family when Mark's father was young and very little was known about his ancestors.

I have since been able to trace the family roots back to St. Helens, Lancashire, England, where I discovered Ralph living in 1850.  I found Ralph's marriage record in 1853 to Elizabeth Greenall and sadly discovered his death in 1859 at the age of 35 due to an accident in the coal mine he was working in.  At the time of his death his son, William, (my husband's g-g grandfather) was only 9 months old.

With that I closed the case on Ralph.  Afterall, I had managed to find his birth date in England and Wales Christening Records , 1530-1906, his marriage record to Elizabeth in the England and Wales, Free MBD Marriage Index: 1837-1915  and his death in the England and Wales FreeBMD Death Index 1837-1915. I sent for, and received, copies of his marriage and death certificates.  I was even able to find his burial location in St. Helens Cemetery through the St. Helens Council - Deceased Search. 

I thought I had learned all I could about Ralph's relatively short life.  Until this week.

Ancestry.com just put online the England & Wales National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1861 - 1941.  I plugged in the Ellam name to see what I could find and was shocked when the first result turned out to be Ralph!  18 years after Ralph died, Elizabeth his widow, was granted the  effects of Ralph's estate. 

30 April 1877.  Administration of the effects of Ralph Ellam late of Parr near St. Helen's in the county of Lancaster Miner who died 12 April 1859 at Parr was granted at Liverpool to Elizabeth Heaton (Wife of Lambert Heaton) (formerly Ellam widow) of St. Helen's the Relict.

Now to visit the Probate Registry's Website and order a copy of this probate and determine why it took 18 years to close an estate worth less the $100.00 USD. 

What have I learned from the case of Ralph Ellam?  Leave no stone unturned.  I assumed since Ralph was unable to read or even write his own name, and that because he worked in the coal mines, he would have left no estate behind.  I was wrong.

Another page in the story of Ralph's live has been turned.  I can't wait to read this chapter.......

Officials Searching for Family Members

The headline of an article in our local newspaper, The South Bend Tribune, caught my eye as I sat down after dinner last night to read.

Ashes of Eight People Found
Officials looking for families to claim remains left behind in funeral home.

It seems when the former Groner Funeral Home in Dowagiac Michigan closed it's doors three years ago it left something behind in an upstairs kitchenette cupboard, the remains of 8 people.  The building was recently bought by Yazel & Clark Chapel and that is when the boxes, with the names of the deceased on the outside, were discovered.

The Dowagiac Police Department and the Michigan State Board of Examiners in Mortuary Science are assisting in helping to locate families members for the following people:

Frank N. Baldwin (Date of Death unknown)
John C. Gunn (1982)
Robert L. Wallace (2001)
Joseph Livingston (2005)
Johnnie J. Jackson, Jr. (2005)
John P. Brown (2006)

Family members of two others have been located.

If you can help locate the families please contact Brad Yazel at 269-782-2135.

Source:  The South Bend Tribune, Friday, August 13, 2010, page B2. Read full article online here.

Thank you to Brenda from Journey To The Past!

Imagine my surprise when I opened my Google Reader this morning and saw that this blog was the subject of Brenda's Follow Friday posting at Journey To The Past! 

Brenda, a fellow "list maker", inspired me with the postings on her blog regarding how to photograph a gravestone (written by her daughter) and her packing list for cemetery trips, tips I use when visiting and recording cemeteries.

Thank you, Brenda, for recognizing The Faces of My Family.  I'm honored.

Lisa

Happy 226th Birthday!

To my G-G-G-G Grandfather

Benjamin Brane

Benjamin BRANE was born 11 Aug 1784 in Fredrick County, Maryland to Job BRANE and Martha MATTHEWS.  On 27 Jun 1812 in Frederick, he married Catherine SCHMIDT DOLL. 

Benjamin and Catherine had three sons, Daniel Beig (1817-1896), Peter Esta (1813-1894), and Abraham (1822 - 1898).  On the 28 Jun 1859 Catherine died in Montgomery County, Ohio.  Benjamin and his sons moved to Wabash County, Indiana and remained in that area for the rest of their lives.

Benjamin died 27 Jun 1870 at the age of 85.  He is buried, along with his sister Sarah BRANE CULLORS, in Owen Cemetery, Wabash County, Indiana. 

Someday I need to tell the story of how we finally located Benjamin's grave.  It's an amazing story filled with serendipity and a bit of dumb luck!

Tombstone Tuesday - Catherine Kohser Brane

Born:  16 Feb, 1834

Died:  4 Apr 1921

 Buried:  Oaklawn Cemetery, North Manchester, Indiana

Mrs. Brane Dies At Eighty Seven

Mrs. Catharine Brane passed quietly away at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Minnie Hubble, early Friday morning after being unconscious since Sunday. She had been in failing health for some time, gradually growing weaker. With her at the time of her death were her daughter, Mrs. Hubble, and son Will L. Moyer of New York. The funeral service was held Sunday at the Methodist church conducted by Rev. B.M. Bechdolt, and the burial was in Oaklawn cemetery.

Catharine Kohser was born in Alsace Loraine, France, February 16, 1834, and came to this country with her parents about eighty years ago, locating near Akron, Ohio. Later she came to the vicinity of Laketon. She was married to John H. Moyer 67 years ago, and he died eighteen years later while the family was living in Kansas. His death occurred in the spring and the family returned to Laketon in the fall, coming in a wagon driven by Will L., the oldest son. Some years after returning to Laketon she married Daniel Brane, who died twenty-five years ago. Shortly after his death Mrs. Brane come to North Manchester, and this city has since been her home, she living with her daughter, Mrs. Minnie Hubble. She was the mother of six children by her first marriage. Two sons died in infancy, and Mrs. F.M. Eckman died a number of years ago in this city. The living are Will L. Moyer of New York, Jesse Moyer of Richmond and Mrs. Hubble of this city. There are three grandchildren, Mrs. Homer G. Legan of Chicago, Mrs. H.T. Willits of Akron, Ohio, and John Gould Moyer, who is lieutenant commander of the Rochester now in Cuban waters. The living children with the first two of the grand children were present for the funeral. The last named grandchild could not get home. Mrs. Brane had for years been a member of the Methodist church in this city, and was a woman universally liked and respected. Besides her children she is survived by one brother, Charles Kohser, and a sister, Mrs. Mary Schroll.

North Manchester News Journal
April 4, 1921

One Family's Sorrow

Late last night I was playing around in my database, still trying to connect all my BOTKIN family, when I came across a family's sorrow, one that I'm sure was repeated many times during the Civil War.

The family of Abraham BOTKIN and Sarah WILKINSON included nine children, seven of whom were male.  Birth order of the boys goes like this:

George 1832 - 1892, Charles 1833 - 1835, William 1834 - 1864, Wallace 1837 - 1864, Granville 1840 - ?, Joseph 1842 - 1929, Lycurgus 1844 - 1927.

I noticed right away that William and Wallace both died in 1864.  Anytime I notice a death between 1861-1865 for a male of this age my heart sinks.  I always suspect they died in the Civil War and in this case, I was right. 

Taking it from the top, starting with George, this is what I found.

George BOTKIN enlisted on 22 Apr 1861, he mustered out 19 Aug 1861 having served just 4 months. 

Charles BOTKIN died at the age of 2. 

William BOTKIN enlisted on 8 Jun 1862 he was captured on 15 Nov 1863 at Holston River, TN and taken as a POW to Andersonville prison where he died of Anasarca on the 25 May 1864.

Wallace BOTKIN enlisted on 8 Jun 1862 with his brother.  He was wounded in battle on 17 Dec 1864 in Nashville, TN and died from his wounds on 27 Jan 1864.

Granville BOTKIN enlisted on 2 May 1864 and mustered out on 7 Sep 1864.  He enlisted while his brother William was a POW and 23 days before William died.

Joseph BOTKIN enlisted on 14 Sep 1861 at the age of 19, just after older brother George mustered out.  Joseph served until 30 Jul 1865 where he mustered out at Clarksburg, WV.

Lycurgus BOTKIN enlisted on 9 May 1864, a few days after brother Granville, and mustered out the 3 Jul 1865 at Washington, DC. 

7 sons.  1 died as a young child.  The other 6 all served in the Civil War -  2 losing their lives.  As a mother of boys, I can't image the worry and sorrow this family went through.

Sources: Andersonville, Georgia. Andersonville Prisoner of War Database. Andersonville, GA, USA: National Park Service, Andersonville National Historic Site.



Official Roster of the Soldiers of the State of Ohio
Roll of Honor of Ohio Soldiers

Tombstone Tuesday - Gip Botkin

William Gipson Botkin

b:  28 Feb 1865, Wabash County, Indiana

d: 14 Jan 1943, Roann, Wabash County Indiana

LaFontaine, IOOF Cemetery, Wabash County, Indiana

Gip Botkin is my great great grand uncle and the son of Isaac Botkin and Carolyn Minnear.  He worked as a farm hand and never married.  Family legend is that he suffered from Epilepsy although his death certificate states that he died at the age of 77 from a heart attack. 

I don't know what it is about Uncle Gip that makes me want to get to know him better.  I remember feeling so very happy when I came upon his grave in the IOOF Cemetery.  I stood there for a moment smiling and saying "hi Uncle Gip, I'm so glad I found you".