Found Cameras and Orphan Pictures

The blog Found Camera and Orphan Pictures seeks to reunite found cameras, film and memory cards with their lost photographers. Often the "found" posts list hundreds of photos and describe vacations, weddings and other important events in one's life. It's sad to think of these people losing part of their history.

What I like about this blog is that there are a number of success stories and happy reunions of owners and their photos.

All About the Benjamins

I just spent $100 and it was frighteningly easy. Here's what records I sent for and hope to get:

Social Security Appliations for William Woodberry Williamson's 3 youngest kids: Buena Vista, Thula and Wood.

Arkansas death certificates for Buena Vista and Bessie.

If I get these death certificates, and the one from Oklahoma, I'll have collected the whole set for all 7 of WWW's kids. Not bad.

I debated getting the SS Applications because they cost so dang much. However, these three youngsters intrigue me and I want to know more about them. They are the half-siblings of my great-grandfather.

Today I also finalized my cemetery notes for the road trip. I also bought some bribery implements for my son, who won't be so amused to be touring cemeteries in Arkansas, or hanging out in the local library for hours on end.

Next task, a list of significant dates so I can hunt for obituaries or other events in the film reels of local Russellville-area newspapers.

Using Google Maps for Genealogy Road Trips

In preparation for my pending Pope County, Arkansas Ancestral Round-Up, I compiled a list of departed Williamsons (with some Russells, Bowdens, Loves, Hamiltons, Parkers, Brigances and one Fulton to boot). I sorted them by cemetery and made notes so I'd remember their connections to the family tree.

Then I used Google Maps to mark the six cemeteries I'll be visiting in Pope County. The directions I have for some are vague, but just seeing their approximate locations makes me feel confident I can find them.

Google Maps is an excellent collaboration tool for genealogists. Imagine being able to pull up a custom map for Rural County, in AnyState and see where all your ancestral burial grounds are found. People all over the world could work on the same map, marking exact spots where cemeteries, historical markers or special spots are located.

Just think, no more trying to find a cemetery with the directions "several miles east, past the fencepost, on a hill...." All you would have to do is access the map when you needed it.

Once I am sure about the locations of these cemeteries in Pope County are located, I'll release my map to the public. Hopefully others with an interest in Pope County will add to it and all will benefit.

I Rock the Williamson Tree

I had one last marathon session at the Clayton library before the trip to Arkansas. It was a very productive visit, to say the least.

I found death dates for the Williamson girls, as I call the daughters of WWW. It's been easy to get information on the males, but not so much on the daughters of William Woodberry Williamson (1853-1942) and John Laurens Williamson (1811-1862).

I knew Bessie Williamson was widowed young (in 1909, age 29, with a newborn to boot), but I didn't know what happened to her after the 1930 census. Now I know she lived to the ripe old age of 94 and now rests at Rankin Cemetery.

I knew Josephine Williamson married William J. Bowden, but I'd lost track of her after the 1930 census as well. She lived to be 83 and now can be found in Atkins Cemetery.

Julia Buena Vista Williamson has always been tricky. Her mother died young as well, and I lost track of "Buena" in the censuses because she was sent to live with someone else. I knew she married Christopher C. Fulton. He died in Missouri in 1943 (horray for MO online death certificates), but Buena disappears after that. She wasn't in the Missouri death index, and I didn't have a date I could use to see if she was in the Arkansas index. Now I know she lived to be 90 and is buried with her family in Shiloh-Williamson Cemetery.

I should be able to get death certificates for all these ladies. If so, I will have records for all 7 of William Woodberry Williamson's children.

In the John Laurens Williamson department, I got a death year for daughter Betsy Williamson and a confirmation that she's in the Shiloh-Williamson cemetery. I ran out of time before I found information on Sarah Williamson. Can't win 'em all.

From all this infomation I gathered yesterday, I learned that the Williamsons are buried all over Pope County. Today I will sort the names by cemetery and compile a list of who rests where for graveyard visits. Then I will take lots and lots of pictures.

It's not a vacation. It's a preservation mission. :)

Death Certificate Shopping Spree

I ordered some more death certificates this week.

Three for children of William Woodberry Williamson, and 2 children of John Laurens Williamson (and thus siblings of WWW).

Ordering by mail from Arkansas is pretty easy. They don't ask for a copy of photo ID or a SASE like Oklahoma does.

My California records requests rendered several "confirmation" postcards, telling me my certificates would arrive in 12 weeks. However, the post card machine cut the cards funny, so I was sent duplicate post cards for several ancestors.

Your tax dollars at work.

Get Ready, Arkansas

Today I made hotel reservations and everything's confirmed: my first planned family history trip will be in early August in Pope County, Arkansas.

The subject is William Woodberry Williamson (1853-1942), his 3 wives and 7 kids. Also if there's time, John Laurens Williamson (1811-1862), his 2 wives and (guesstimated) 10 children. If anything pertaining to Brigance or Quesenberry falls out of the sky, I'll take that, too.

I have a day planned at the Pope County Library. Their online details of their genealogy holdings is making it easy for me to write down ahead of time what I want to see when I'm there.

I also have a day for cemeteries, chasing down the graves of many, many people.

One day is devoted to court house research as well, but hopefully I can get a lot from the film at the library.

As if there wasn't enough to do, it turns out that BargainsGaloreOn64 is going on at the same time. 160 miles' worth of antiques and garage sales? That's just too tempting...

So the money's spent and the plans are made. Now I have to do my homework, print my notes and be ready to break down walls and get some answers.

Mail Bag, July 22, 2008

The death certificate for William Woodberry Williamson came in the mail today. No real startling news. He was 89 years and 15 days old, though the "15" is written in the "Months" box.

He was a farmer, which I knew. His parents were Jack L. Williamson and Susan Quesenberry (1823-1892). This probably means John Laurens Williamson (1811-1862) went by Jack. I've read that somewhere before.

WWW's cause of death looks like it says "acute nephritis" due to G---ility? I can't read the darn thing. The whole certificate is handwritten.

It looks like the form was filled out by Jack Williamson (1884-1960), son by first wife, Sarah Brigance (1862-1887).

This was my first foray into the world of Arkansas vital records. The process was pretty easy. Looks like an Arkansas death certificate shopping spree is in my future.

Tsk, tsk

The Williamsons were instrumental in the foundation of the Shiloh Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Pope County, Arkansas in 1833.

Some of the minutes from the church were compiled and typed by J. B. Lemley for the Pope County Genealogy and Family Group. Many Williamsons were members of this church. Some acted as Elders or had other leadership roles. My current subject of study, William Woodberry Williamson, was an Elder and is mentioned in many of the meeting minutes, even taking the very notes I am reading in some cases.

In one set of session minutes dated August 19, 1883, I found this little nugget about William Woodberry Williamson:

"Bro. W. W. Williamson was charged with unbecoming Christian conduct or card playing for amusement, which he frankly acknowledged in an open session and further more that he had repented and very sorry indeed that he had committed the deed. On these terms he was pardoned and set aright in the church by a unanimous vote of the session and admonished to watch his future coarse (sic) in life."

The Williamsons of Pope County, Arkansas were a pretty straight-laced group, so there's not much dirt to find. When WWW wasn't playing cards and repenting, he was a farmer, then school teacher, then county treasurer in the 1920's.

Home Again, Mail Bag

I'm back from my mini-vacation in San Diego. Guess what was waiting for me in the mail? A jury summons. Guess what else? My grandmother's SS-5.

No bombshells here. The application is dated December 1, 1936. She was 22 and living with her parents in Duncan, Oklahoma. She was employed by Duncan Publishing Company. I wonder if this was the newspaper job she talked about? I wonder if she did any writing? I'll have to investigate further whenever I get back to Oklahoma.

The house my grandmother grew up in is now called the "Saye Home," but my great-grandfather was the one that built the house. I'm not sure he is recognized as the builder by the locals. They seem more enamored by the later occupants. When I go back there, I plan on proving it was the Williamson Home before it was the Saye Home.

Master of Disaster

I've started actively scanning my genealogy documents. On my computer, I have a folder full of folders--one for each last name or other reference point (like Shiloh Church). Each document I scan goes into one of those folders.

When I am finished, I'll burn the folder to a CD and put another copy in my flash drive. I'll probably also send a copy to family in another state.

It's the librarian/archivist in me that prepares for disaster. If a giant hole swallows my house, all is not lost in the genealogy department because there's another copy somewhere else.

I'm going on vacation so things will be quiet around here for a few days.

Houston, We Have a Brigance

As I mentioned in my last post, I spent yesterday at the Clayton. I stumbled upon a Roots Magic presentation, so I sat for it. When it was done, I was really hungry and tired, but I didn't want to squander the rare opportunity I had to visit the library so I forged on with the mental thought, "just 20 more minutes..."

This is where we pause for a back story: I've been working on the Williamson clan for a while now, specifically William Woodberry Williamson (1853-1942). His first wife was Sarah/Sallie Brigham. She is my great-great grandmother. I have all this information on Williamson going back may generations. I have little on Sarah: a census where she's an adult and an obituary transcription. She died at 25, leaving four children and that's all I know. It's always bugged me that my Brigham line began and stopped with Sarah.

Back to yesterday. In the "20 more minutes," I browsed the History of Pope County, vol. 1 book. It's helped me sort out all the Williamsons in the past, so I thought I'd scan the pages for other names I recognized.

One of those people was John Clingman (1844-1923). I recognized his name from all the Shiloh Cumberland Church minutes but I never had any indication there was a deeper connection to my ancestors other than church mates. The article had a photo of him, so I studied it for a while and scanned the words. He had two sisters, Mary and Margie. The piece goes on to say that Margie married John Brigance and they had five kids. One of those kids was Sarah Brigance...who was the first wife of Wood Williamson.

So my Sarah Brigham is also Sarah Brigance (1862-1887). Woo hoo! I didn't jump up and down in the library and scream like I won the lottery, but I did make the universal sign for touchdown.

Last night I took the info from the Pope County book and hunted around for more on Sarah Brigance. Having her siblings' names helped me find her as a child "Sarah Briganel" in the 1870 census.

Now Sarah has a history and parents. They apparently died young and the children lived with John Clingman and his wife for a while. The article says John Brigance died in the Civil War. At some point, I'll investigate that claim, but for now it's back to the Williamsons...

It's just really nice to see my tree with the Brigham/Brigance line extended now.

And that's why you stay at the genealogy library just 20 more minutes.

Clayton Saturday

I went to the Clayton Library Center for Genealogical Research today. I've been reading all the old Pope County Historical Association Quarterly issues in preparation for my trip to Arkansas. I'm trying to do all I can here so I can cram more into my time there.

I did get a lot of reading done. I also got some information from obituary transcriptions. None of this information pertains to William Woodberry Williamson, but they are helpful pieces to the puzzle.

I also found some information on George Washington Boals (1836-1903), which is going to make one of my email buddies very happy.

At noon, there was a presentation on Roots Magic. If it has to do with genealogy, I'll attend the opening of an envelope. Of course, I was in the front row. One of the Clayton folks is trying to get a regular Roots Magic group going. I don't have the software (yet) but I think I'll mark those meetings on my calendar.

After the presentation ended at 2:30-ish, I was tired and hungry. However, there was still time to read, so I did. I made a wonderful discovery. So good, in fact, that it deserves its own post.

Book Buyin'

In preparation for my Arkansas trip, I ordered an Arkansas Atlas and Gazetteer today. I just have a feeling it will come in handy as we make our way through Pope County. I want to visit a few cemeteries and other locations where the directions aren't exact. I'm hoping this book will help.

I'm also trying to build a little genealogy library of my own, since the books I want to read the most aren't carried by my public library. Along with the Arkansas map, I ordered Professional Genealogy and The BCG Genealogical Standards Manual. I think I'll be happy with both.

"We" Made the Blogfinder

This blog is part of the Genealogy Blogfinder now. Woo hoo!

I've Got Mail

My paternal grandfather's birth certificate came in the mail today. I had no expectations when I sent for it. I just wanted the record in my files, and maybe a suggestion for my great-grandmother's official name. She went by a lot of names.

Here's what the birth certificate told me:

1. My great-grandfather Lenertz was born in Waseca, Minnesota. His death certificate says "Branscato," which I've always assumed meant Mankato.

2. Barecke appears to be the maiden name of my great-grandmother. I've also seen Barake and Bareke. Sometimes she went by Hayward, using her stepfather's name.

3. This Oklahoma birth certificate requires the signature of an attending physician, midwife, parent or relative. This document was signed by Mary Elizabeth Coffey, and she says she's the aunt of my grandfather.

Could this be the "Aunt Beth" other family members refer to? I had her name as Elizabeth M. Lenertz, born about 1890, in my records. That's all I knew.

Even better, she gave her address on this birth certificate for her nephew (my grandfather) and it was a St. Louis, Missouri location. That state is one of the few that digitized their death certificates for online viewing. I searched through the Mary Coffeys and found what I was looking for. Mary Elizabeth Coffey is Aunt Beth.

She died at 57 years of age of "terminal pneumonia." She was buried in Lawton, Oklahoma. (Her parents are buried there, too.)

I order a birth certificate expecting to know all that's on there, and this little official signature adds a small but important piece to the puzzle.

Edited to add: I looked more carefully at my grandfather's birth certificate. It is a delayed copy, filed January 15, 1942. My grandfather (born in 1914) must have applied for it. His parents were dead by then and he was an only child, so Mary E. Coffey was the nearest relative who could verify his birth. The notary was out of Los Angeles County, California. This is where my grandfather lived at the time. Mary Coffey lived in St. Louis. They must have handled this birth certificate business during a family visit.

There is also a signature for "Affidavit of non-relative having knowledge of this birth." This is signed by Mrs. E. E. Murray. The notary was out of Washington County, Oklahoma.

If it wasn't for this delayed certificate of birth, I don't know when I would have found the married name of Aunt Beth: Mary Elizabeth Coffey.

Pick me, pick me!

I love the Genealogy Blog Finder. It's better organized than many of the directories I've seen in the library world.

I submitted this little blog for submission consideration into the index. I'd love to be part of the group.

Working on the WWW Puzzle

Not much time for genealogy today.

This evening, I'm going over some of the minutes from the Shiloh Cumberland Presbyterian Church, once part of Pope County, Arkansas.

The Williamson family was instrumental in its foundation and they were part of its backbone for decades.

William Woodberry Williamson (1853-1942) was a part of many of the sessions that were recorded in these minutes. I am adding the details of those events to my notes on "Wood" as he was called. He was my great-great grandfather. So far, I have 21 pages of typewritten notes. I could easily write a small history on him and I haven't even researched his post-1900 life. Maybe someday when all research avenues are exhausted, I'll write that piece.

Helleauson? Sure, why not.

Yesterday I was trying to figure out why a certain Williamson was not showing up in the 1900 Pope County, Arkansas census. Supposedly he had lived there all his life. How come he was missing from the census?

Well, he wasn't missing. He was just lost in census transcription hell. It seems the person reviewing the record saw HELLEAUSON instead of WILLIAMSON.

The way I found it was a total fluke. I was searching for a record for someone else and I saw the family on the same census page.

Now my little census timeline for this person is complete.

Death Certificate Bender

I've been on a frezy ordering death certificates lately. This week I ordered the following great-grandparents: Yost, Turk, Bourgeaux, and Thibodeaux. Fingers crossed. The one I most desperately need, Yost, is also the one on which I had the least information for the application. If Yost's parents are listed, I will know the names of all my great-great-grandparents and I will have a birthplace for Yost. She's a tricky one.

I also ordered a death certificate for William Woodberry Williamson (1853-1942), and a birth certificate for my paternal grandfather.

A lot of this information I already know, this paperwork would just help verify it.

Introduction

Headstones define our ancestors in terms of a beginning and an end. I am interested in the space between.