1900 US Federal Census

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Series

Prompt: In the Census

The Twelfth Census of the United States Population Schedule No. 1 always held a bit of mystery for me over the years.  It has to do with the family of my great-grandfather Wesley Hiram Bush living in Waverly Township, Cheboygan County, Michigan. In 1992 I had learned that Wesley and Minerva Bush had a daughter Ivanilla. Ivanilla was born in 1884, died in 1886 and was buried in the Waverly Township Cemetery.  When I found the family in the 1900 US Federal Census I was surprised to see Iva listed and being 15 years of age.  

This mystery baffled me for the past three years. Had she died as an infant or did she live longer? Was the Iva in the census a different person than the Ivanilla who had died? Then I learned about another member of the family. Frank was born in 1890 in Michigan and died in 1892 in Nebraska. Wesley had moved his family to Nebraska to try farming there with his brother Daniel. They only stayed for three years and then moved back to Michigan. Frank was buried in Lexington, Nebraska but he also showed up in the 1900 census at nine years old. This added to the mystery and I took a closer look at the census record. Minerva’s information stated that she had seven children but only five living, but all seven were listed in the census with their ages. Ivanilla and Frank were listed in order of when they were born in the family with the ages they would have been if they had lived.

Find A Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com : accessed 31 March 2018), memorial page for Ivanilla Bush (26 Dec 1884–27 Aug 1886), Find A Grave Memorial no. 131903202, citing Walker Township Cemetery, Fingerboard Corner, Cheboygan County, Michigan, USA ; Maintained by Jan (contributor 47036759) . 

I do not know why they were included in the census, but it was a good lesson for me to look further into what the census was saying in the other columns. I may have figured this out sooner than I did.

Thank you for joining my search!
Dennis

Credit for this series to Amy Johnson Crow, Certified Genealogist

John Daniels and Jane Wootton

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Series

Prompt: Invite to Dinner

For week number four I have chosen to invite my two times great-grandparents John Daniels and Jane Wootton to dinner. There are a few mysteries I would like answered about their lives, and it would be good to chat with them. Information on John and Jane was my first significant find in genealogy. I went to the local Family History Centre and with the help of a co-worker there began my search. The background information that I had was from a baptismal certificate of my great grandfather, which had his parent’s names listed: John Daniels and Jane Wootton. I started out by finding their marriage record.

John and Jane were married 9 November 1839 in Corsham Parish, Wiltshire, England his profession being a labourer. John’s father was Robert, a soldier who had possibly fought in the Napoleonic war. I heard a family story about a watch, which may have been worn by Robert in that war, which he passed down to John.

 John and Jane’s first child, George Turner Daniels was born 30 May 1840 in Corsham. At least three more children were born to this union, Sarah Ann, Mary Jane, William, and Frederic. Frederic was born in France, and possibly Sarah, Mary and William, but I have no documentation at this time other than census info that changes every ten years. The family shows up in the 1840 England census where John is listed as Joseph. I am not sure if that was his middle name or just put down wrong. They live with Jane’s Father in his home at Thingley Bridge, a small settlement just outside of Corsham. The same person who was a witness at their wedding also is living there, William Webb.

I believe John took his family to France to help work on the railroad building as the French had hired a British company MacKenzie and Brassey. From France, John took his family and found his way to Canada. The remaining information is from family oral history.

Not actual accident referred to in this story

John began working on building the railroad in Ontario and was driving an engine to haul rock to Copetown where it was used for the railbed. The problem at Copetown was they were building over quicksand, and it took a lot of rock to fill the hole. One day when John was driving up to the hole the engine overshot, jumping over the end of the track. Both the engine and John were lost in the quicksand. My aunt wrote that young Frederic would always run to meet his dad when John came home from work, but this day John did not come home. Within a few months, Jane died of a broken heart and the family was separated.

This was the spring of 1854, and I do not know what happened to George. Sarah went to live with her uncle George and aunt Rebecca. Mary went to live with Aunt Rebecca’s brother, Richard Quance and his wife, Alice. William and Frederic were taken to the Hamilton Orphan’s asylum.

It would be very interesting to have dinner with John and Jane, and hear all the stories of their lives. What it was like to travel back then when trips took weeks and not hours. When pulling up roots and moving far away to a distant land held the promise of a brighter future. How I was a result of their love so long ago.

Thank you for joining my search!
Dennis

Credit for this series to Amy Johnson Crow Certified Genealogist

My Mother Eva Irene Pettyjohn (Daniels)

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Series

Prompt: Longevity

This week I am writing about my mother Eva Irene Pettyjohn (Daniels). She lived to just over 96 years of age which was sixteen years longer than any of her siblings. Matter of fact the average age in her family was 69.4 years. She would always say that she did not know why she lived so long but the good Lord must have some purpose for her.  She was in a care facility for the last eighteen months of her life, but overall she had a life of good health.

 She was born in Merryflat, Saskatchewan, Canada in 1920 and was delivered by her father, the only doctor that her mother had during the birth. There were nine siblings; one was a boy who died at birth they named him John and buried him on the family farm. She had two older sisters, five brothers and one younger brother. She was lonely at times because her older sisters had married and moved away from home when she was only one year old.

Her fond memories growing up were playing many games around the farm; anti-I-over, volleyball over the clothesline, run sheep run and horseshoes. Inside games were Chinese checkers and Dominoes. Music played an integral part in her childhood. Her mother Sarah would play the piano, and the family would gather around and sing. Her cousin also played the banjo, and the two of them would sit out by the gate and sing “Red River Valley” and “The Old Spinning Wheel,” and other songs as the coyotes would join on in.

Her parents worked hard raising Cattle, horses, sheep, pigs, chickens and turkeys, while tending to a large garden. They butchered the pigs and made salted pork, sausage, bacon and ham, and render the fat for lard. This is where my mother learned her skills at being a homemaker, and I say that with all the respect that I would give any trade.

Evangelical Christianity became an important part of her life as she she gave her heart to God as a teenager. Her father, mother and younger brother moved to Consul, Saskatchewan where her mother cooked at a bible school, the first year it operated.  The next fall the four of them moved to a bible school in Lemmon, South Dakota, where my mother attended, and her mother was positioned as the cook. The following year they moved back to Canada. My mother attended bible school in Robsart, Saskatchewan as the school had moved from Consul, not sure if her mother continued as cook or not. This is where she met my father Robert Clive Daniels. She would dictate the class notes and he would type them up in the wide hallway of the old hospital, which had been converted into the bible school. This way she got to spend time with him without getting demerits for fraternizing with a boy.

In October of 1940 she married Robert and moved to Rolling Hills, Alberta where they raised a family of eight on the farm. She was shy and insecure, but she would take part in community events. She raised her niece from three years old as part of the family admitting that she did make many mistakes but felt blessed for having her in her life. She and Robert retired into the town of Rolling Hills. Robert died in 2003 leaving her alone, but she continued to live in her house being active in the senior club and quilting. At 85 she took up golf and enjoyed the outings very much. She passed away in 2017 leaving a large family as her legacy.

Thank you for joining my search!
Dennis

Credit for this series to Amy Johnson Crow Certified Genealogist

Great Grandparent’s Family Picture

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Series

Prompt: Favorite Picture

Back Row: Frederick, Jane, Robert Elizabeth, Annie, Catherine
Front Row: Margaret, Millicent, Frederic, Edith

The picture I am referring to this week is one of my Great Grandparent’s family. When I first saw this picture I was enthralled by all my Grand Aunts and Uncles and of course my Grandfather’s young age. It was hard for me to imagine these people being as young as they were since I only knew them as being “old.” I knew my Grandfather Frederick and Grand Uncle Robert since he did live in the same community I grew up in and I had met three of my grand Aunts Millie, Annie and Edith

I can remember looking at the picture and thinking about each one and what they were like, what kind of life they led, and who were in their families. Unfortunately, I was too shy of a kid to ask anyone and only picked up bits and pieces that I overheard or the occasional story someone would tell. The most intriguing was that story of my Great Grandfather Frederic Daniels, and this is what I learned.

Frederic Daniels was born on 28 April 1848 in Sotteville-Les-Rouen, France. This was during the years his father John was working on building the railways in France. I am not sure if they left France directly to Canada or if they went back to England first but they found their way to the Hamilton, Ontario area sometime after 1851 and John began working on the railway building there. According to oral family history, John died in Copetown when the engine he was driving went down in the quicksand. John’s wife Jane died a few months later, of what they called a broken heart, and the children were split up into different homes. Frederic went to the Hamilton Orphans Asylum 30 May 1854 at six years of age.

One year later Frederic was taken to live with Mr. Robert McDonald of Valens, Ontario. Mr. McDonald and his wife raised Frederic to adulthood, and I believe that Frederic took over the family farm. Frederic married Margaret Clark Dalziel, 21 September 1872 and they had a family of eight, six girls and two boys. Frederic died 30 May 1908 from cancer according to his daughter Jane. He is interred in the Kirkwall Presbyterian Cemetery in Kirkwall, Ontario.

Thank you for joining my search!

Dennis

Credit for this series to Amy Johnson Crow Certified Genealogist

The Birth of Frederic Daniels 28 April 1848

Recently Evelyn and I had the opportunity to attend Rootstech 2018 in Salt Lake City. It was a trip that I had been wanting to do for a few years now. After the conference was over we took three days to do research at the Family History Library.

Dennis outside the Family History Library

I had a research goal when we went to the FHL and I was able to fulfill that goal finding the land records for Robert McDonald passing his farm down to Frederic Daniels his adopted son, but that is a story for another time. The third day at the FHL I decided to inquire about Frederic's baptismal certificate and found (with the help of the staff) his birth in the French records online. I did not know these records were online it was so nice to have the help of the volunteers.

Since being home I have tried out a translation service and received a translated copy today. Unfortunately the copy I sent to them was low quality and they did have some trouble translating it as good as they could have but I am happy enough with it. Next document I will try a different method and see if it is better quality. The document also got cut off at the bottom and is missing one of the signatures, but most importantly I wanted to get my great great grandfather's signature.

Archives départementales de Seine-Maritime

Here is the translation with my words in the brackets:

By GenealogyTranslations.com
Translated and annotated by Kirill Chashchin Wednesday, March 21, 2018
© Translation 2018 GenealogyTranslations.com

#181
Birth of Frederic Daniels
The year 1848 May 1st at noon, [before] citizen-mayor of commune Sotteville les
Rouen, Deputy Public officer of the civil state appeared citizen Jonn (John) Daniels, driver,
33 years old, residing in this commune, rue des Champs # 27 who declared that on
Friday 28th April this year at 9:30am was born a son residing and of legal marriage
concluded in England with Jane Walten (Wootton), without profession, 24 years old and
presented us the male child who was given the name Frederic.
This declaration was made in presence of citizen William Sutton, 31 years old,
residing at this commune, rue des Changes, and Ruben Jones, driver, 34 years of age
residing in the same commune rue des Champs # 43. Those two signed with me
after reading this document
(signatures) John Daniels, William Sutton

Now I have an interest to discover the place where they lived if it still exists. I can envision a trip to France coming up!

Thank you for joining my search!
Dennis

A Broad Ax, a Bullwhip, a Birth, and a Death

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Series

Prompt: Start

I have challenged myself to write weekly for a year. I am good at starting things but terrible at finishing them, here is hoping that 2018 is a better year for me in this regard. My hope is that weekly encouragement and prompts will keep me motivated through the year, and turn into a writing habit I enjoy so much I would miss it if I stopped.

My enjoyment of family history began in my late teens early twenties at a family reunion in Rolling Hills Alberta. My Grand Aunt Lucelia May Bush (Blair) began to tell stories about her father (my Great Grandfather Wesley Hiram Bush). I remember they made a trip from Michigan, west to Nebraska. Lucelia was born in Nebraska and her brother, Frank Wesley Bush, dies during the sojourn; he was just over 19 months old. I’m not sure why they went, but it could have been that Wesley’s brother, Daniel E. Bush, had moved there previously and encouraged them to join him. After a straight two years of crop failures, Wesley packed up his family and headed back to Michigan.

 She spoke about her Father’s skill with a bullwhip and a broad axe; killing a snake during one of their stops using the bull whip, and swinging the best broad axe in all Michigan. My Grand Uncle Daniel Edward Bush said “Celia was always a good storyteller.” Whether true or not those stories enthralled me and from that time forward I was more than just interested in my family history.

Find A Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com : accessed 02 January 2018), memorial page for Frank W. Bush (31 May 1891–8 Aug 1892), Find A Grave Memorial no. 69325456, citing Greenwood Cemetery, Lexington, Dawson County, Nebraska, USA ; Maintained by CPR (contributor 46798335) .

Minerva Sayer (Bush) and Wesley Hiram Bush, from the private collection of Dennis Daniels received from Robert Clive Daniels.





Thank you for joining my search,
Dennis

Credit for this series to Amy Johnson Crow Certified Genealogist

Welcome to my blog!

With encouragement of my daughter Melanie McFarlane and instruction from Lisa Louise Cooke on her Genealogy Gems YouTube channel, I am launching my Finding Dennis blog.

Over the past three years I have been learning so much about genealogy and family history that it is overwhelming at times. It is time to put this learning into action with better research, sourcing of my research, ensuring it is accurate, and writing what I have found.

At the beginning of 2018 I began a writing program started by genealogist Amy Johnson Crow called "52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks" where she gives prompts each week and I take the prompt and write about an ancestor relating to the prompt. I am going to post what I write here starting with week one and hopefully through the year catch up to the present week prompt.

In these past three years I have had the pleasure of connecting with many cousins, some I have got to meet in person others online, with the hope of one day meeting. I have also been following several genealogists through books, podcasts, websites and webinars. I just had the privilege of attending Rootstech in Salt Lake City! Wow what a conference! I was able to meet many of the genealogists that I follow.

I plan to write about meeting these cousins, the people I meet in genealogy, about my travels and genealogical discoveries along the way.

I appreciate the support of my wife Evelyn and the encouragement she gives me to follow this passion. I am so fortunate to have her and be able to help her on her own road of discovery in family history.

Thank you for joining my search!

Dennis