Big Shake Up in My Little Family Tree

Sometimes you make genealogical discoveries that aren't all rainbows and unicorns. Sometimes you learn things about your ancestors that are so surprising they make your head want to explode with all the new facts coming out of left field.

This is one of those times.

It started with an email in my box. Someone sharing some marriage information with me. It was a marriage record for J. A. Lenertz. I have one of those, but I didn't think he married again after his wife died. My grandpa never mentioned anything about having a stepmother.

The subject appeared to be my great-grandfather, but I needed to confirm this for myself before I'd buy it. So I did.

Above is a 1936 marriage record for my great-grandfather, John Lenertz...and a second wife. He remarried after my great-grandmother died, yet this is the first I've heard of it.

Who was this lady? I found her in the 1930 census. She was a waitress in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, the same town where my great-grandparents lived.

In my hunting and snooping around, I revisited the death certificate of my great-grandfather. It included the name of his second wife.

How did I miss this? Well, to be fair, there are a ton of errors on most of the Lenertz death certificates I possess. Also, my great-grandmother went by many names other than her birth name. I just figured Genevieve was another one of her names. Besides, my grandfather was the informant on this certificate. Why didn't he mention a stepmother named Genevieve ever in the three decades that I knew him?

But wait...it gets better. And by better I mean worse.

My great-grandmother died December 24, 1935. My great-grandfather remarried on March 16, 1936. Yeah. Do the math on that mourning period.

This wasn't a happily ever after marriage, however. My great-grandfather died about 10 months later.

So there you go, family of mine. Sorry to stumble on this little surprise in the tree, but facts is facts. At least you have something to talk about at the next family gathering.

My question to you, family, is this: did you ever hear Buster talk about Genevieve?

Oklahoma Road Trip, Part 8

Oklahoma Road Trip, Part 1

Oklahoma Road Trip, Part 2

Oklahoma Road Trip, Part 3

Oklahoma Road Trip, Part 4

Oklahoma Road Trip, Part 5

Oklahoma Road Trip, Part 6

Oklahoma Road Trip, Part 7

Over five nights and six days, my family drove 1000+ miles through Texas and Oklahoma. It was hot. It was dry. It was brown. But it was also a chance to visit the places my ancestors once lived and walk where they once walked.

It was nice to take a break from the online genealogy world. Now I am back, but with a slightly different perspective. I will continue on the same path, but this trip reminded me of why I started this journey in the first place.

Thanks to everyone who read all eight installments of this road trip series. I hope you enjoyed it. Should you ever find yourself in the general area around north Texas or south central Oklahoma, be sure get some fried pie.
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Oklahoma Road Trip, Part 7

Oklahoma Road Trip, Part 1
Oklahoma Road Trip, Part 2
Oklahoma Road Trip, Part 3
Oklahoma Road Trip, Part 4
Oklahoma Road Trip, Part 5
Oklahoma Road Trip, Part 6

On this Oklahoma road trip, we saved all of our cemetery stuff for Sunday because many of the other things we wanted to do were closed on that day.

The first thing we did was drive out to Highland Cemetery in Lawton. My great-great grandparents and some others are buried there.

This is Mary Elizabeth Lenertz. She is the aunt of my grandfather. I'm pretty sure she is the "Aunt Beth" he often spoke of. However, there is another Beth in the tree so I may never know.

This is her husband, Irven Ernest Coffey. He has some patents in his name.

I found my great-great grandparents in the next section over. I don't know who bought their stone, or why it doesn't have dates on it. This family tree is very small, so it's just a few people who could have bought the marker.

This entire area was experiencing an exceptional drought. It was so dry. Therefore, all you see in my photos is dead grass.

Next, we went back to Duncan and visited the Duncan Municipal Cemetery. We went to the Jones-Williamson plot and visited all the ancestors there.

Here are my parents. It was about 106 degrees when this photo was taken. My dad is holding paper towels we used to clean off my great-great-great grandmother's stone. Time had covered it in dirt.

I went looking for the grave of my third-great grandmother Nancy Bourland Colbert, but I didn't find it. The excessive heat prevented me from looking any further. However, I did find the headstone of my third-great aunt, Kate (Williamson) Wharton and her husband.

I'm pretty sure this John T. Wharton guy was the one who convinced my great-grandfather to practice medicine in Duncan, Oklahoma and leave his Russellville, Arkansas home.

On this day, we also visited the Chisholm Trail Heritage Center in Duncan. My great-great grandfather Frank Wiley Jones was a trail rider for years, so I wanted to see what life was like for him during that time. The center was very interactive with exhibits, art, artifacts and movies.

All in all, it was a good day.

Oklahoma Road Trip, Part 8

Oklahoma Road Trip, Part 6

Oklahoma Road Trip, Part 1

Oklahoma Road Trip, Part 2

Oklahoma Road Trip, Part 3

Oklahoma Road Trip, Part 4

Oklahoma Road Trip, Part 5

During our Oklahoma road trip, we visited the Chickasaw National Capitol Building in Tishomingo.

Behind the purple-flowered bushes are a set of memorial bricks that people can purchase in tribute to others. My dad had a set made for the ancestors in our Chickasaw line. They sit at the base of the building and welcome all who visit:

My grandmother

My great-grandmother

My great-great grandmother

My third-great grandfather

My fourth-great grandfather

My fifth-great grandfather

My sixth-great grandmother

My sixth-great grandfather

It was 105 degrees on the day we visited the Chickasaw National Capitol Building. The trip was nice, but equally as nice was the Dairy Queen just 2 blocks down the road. It was an ideal end to our day.

Oklahoma Road Trip, Part 7

Oklahoma Road Trip, Part 5

Oklahoma Road Trip, Part 1

Oklahoma Road Trip, Part 2

Oklahoma Road Trip, Part 3

Oklahoma Road Trip, Part 4

During our Oklahoma family history road trip, we visited the Chickasaw Cultural Center in Sulphur. By coincidence, the day we decided to visit was their one-year anniversary and they were having a party with food, movies, giveaways and $1 admissions.

There were lots of people there, but you can't even tell from these pictures. The grounds were laid out nicely so that we weren't all up in each others visits.

While I was there, I stopped by the Holisso Research Center on the grounds and met with the head librarian. We had exchanged emails in the past, so it was nice to see her in person. The library and archives are amazing. There are special collections and staff to assist you in finding historical items. The online library catalog is being built and items are still being moved from the old location and/or being cataloged. Once everything is done, this will be an amazing research space.

The Chickasaw Cultural Center is a first-rate destination for families. I was pleased to share this experience with my son so he could see what it means to be a Chickasaw Citizen.

Oklahoma Road Trip, Part 6

Oklahoma Road Trip, Part 4

Oklahoma Road Trip, Part 1 here

Oklahoma Road Trip, Part 2 here 

Oklahoma Road Trip, Part 3 here

One of the rules for our family history road trip is that we stopped when we saw a train coming. Then my son would get out and take some pictures for his railroad crossing blog.

This is a good thing because it allows me to get pictures like this:

...and I get to see nifty towns like this:

The official greeter in Davis, Oklahoma

Later in the day, we passed over a railroad crossing and my son said, "OH MY GOD THAT'S A RARE BELL!"

He said it's called a teardrop bell and there aren't many around anymore. I'll take his word for it. He knows his stuff.

We spent a lot of time chasing trains and waiting for trains on this road trip, but then again that's a big part of my own family's history.

Oklahoma Road Trip, Part 5 here

Oklahoma Road Trip, Part 3

Oklahoma Road Trip, Part 1 here

Oklahoma Road Trip, Part 2 here

Thanks to some genealogy kindness, we were granted an invitation to visit the current owner of the house my great-grandfather had built for his family.

The owner came out to greet us and we had a long conversation on the porch. She later admitted she was feeling us out before she decided whether or not she should let us in the house. Smart lady. We passed the test!

My dad and a friend of the house's current owner. 

This lady is doing some of the restoration work.

The house is undergoing restoration at a slow pace. The owner gets work done when she can afford to, thus it is in a perpetual cycle of construction inside. 

Here is some of the restoration work already completed:

This is the fireplace in my grandma's room. I know it was her room because I often heard about this fireplace in her room. It is the only bedroom with a fireplace.

Here is the driveway to the house. 

At the height of his medical career, my great-grandfather made his calls in a horse and buggy. I wondered if this driveway was the place he parked it, and how much he had to come and go through the years. Later on, the family purchased a Model A. When the doctor wasn't using it, his boys did. I sat at this point for a minute and tried to imagine the daily life of this family.

The picture above is one of my favorites. That's my dad, touching the house and staring off to the left. He did this a lot during our visit. The whole "let's go see your mom's childhood home" thing happened unexpectedly and quickly. He really enjoyed this visit, spending a lot of time shaking his head in disbelief that he was actually in his mother's childhood home. This was definitely one of the highlights of the trip.


Oklahoma Road Trip, Part 4

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Oklahoma Road Trip, Part 2

Read Oklahoma Road Trip, Part 1 here.

On day 2 of our Oklahoma family history road trip, we drove through Velma on our way to Duncan. The town of Velma has a detailed history online. If you read the whole thing, just know that Frank Jones is my great-great grandfather. His future father-in-law, Christopher Colbert is my third-great grandfather.

My grandmother's middle name is Velma and I don't think it is a coincidence. Maybe her mother knew the Velma for whom the town was named.

After Velma, we headed on to Duncan, Oklahoma. My grandma was born here in 1914 and spoke of it often. Last time I was there, it was during freezing January temperatures. This time it was 100+ degrees and in the middle of an exceptional drought.

I spent some time in the Stephens County Genealogical Society Library. They were very helpful before and during my visit, assisting me in what to bring and what to view when I arrived. They are located at 301 North Eighth Street in Duncan, Oklahoma, 73533. 580-255-8718 or scgs_library@yahoo.com

They have a large collection of the Duncan Banner newspaper on microfilm. I viewed some 1936-1937 issues, hoping they would verify that my grandmother wrote the society column during that time. Unfortunately, the column was not credited, though everything else seemed to be. I have proof she worked for the paper and her wedding announcement mentions the society work. I guess I'll just have to be happy with that, though I did hope to see her name in print.

I did have success in the obituary category. I found announcements in the Duncan Banner for Nancy Bourland Colbert (my third-great grandmother) in 1912, my great-great grandmother Carrie Colbert Jones in 1958, and two of her daughters, as well as others in my family tree.

While we were at the genealogy library, my dad struck up a conversation with Super Volunteer Sandy. He talked about his grandfather, Dr. Sam Williamson who was a prominent physician back in the day and lived right around the corner from the library until the 1930's. Sandy mentioned the current owner of the house and offered to call her. She did and the owner of the house where my grandmother grew up invited us over to visit.

This is why the pursuit of your family history is awesome.

Oklahoma Road Trip, Part 3

Oklahoma Road Trip, Part 1

Last week, I went to Oklahoma with my son and parents. We wanted to visit some Chickasaw sites, do a little genealogy and just have a road trip.

Ardmore was our home base and we set out each morning from there. On the first day, we went to Ada to handle some business with the Chickasaw Nation. This isn't as cryptic as it sounds. My dad needed new glasses and he gets them from the Nation. We went to the eye doctor and the pharmacy.

On the trip there, we paused to consult a map. This guy was no help:

Since this was a family trip, each member of the family had distinct activities they wanted to accomplish along the way. Longtime readers of this blog will not be surprised that my son wanted to photograph train crossings:

On the way back to our hotel, we drove through the Chickasaw National Recreation Area bordering Sulphur. It was a lovely place, but the 100+ temperature didn't make exploration very appealing. We did see some of the park residents, though:

On to Oklahoma Road Trip, Part 2 here.

A Cowboy in the Family: Chisholm Trail Rider Frank Jones

Last week I asked my son what he was learning about in his Texas History class. "Cowboys," he said.

We do have a cowboy in the family and I told him about it.

Frank Wiley Jones (1859-1942) was a Chisholm Trail driver. My grandmother told me as much many times. She was quite proud of the fact.

Recently, I found mention of Frank in the book Chronicles of Oklahoma. He was interviewed for his knowledge of the original Chisholm Trail, as folks were trying to pinpoint its path decades later. This book is available in the digital library of Oklahoma State University. Frank's piece is on page 111 of volume 4, no. 1 (1936):

"Frank Jones is 74 years old, very active and knows the Chisholm Trail from the Red River Station to Caldwell, Kansas. He has driven herds of cattle over this trail in the years of 1878 to 1886 which was the last trip.


Mr. Jones was with me on the location of the trail just east of Comanche to Rush Creek south and east of Rush Springs where the country is solid cultivation the trail is very dim and cannot be easily located only in a general direction. A large portion of this distance was in a sandy hilly country, but Mr. Jones has a wonderful recollection as to the correct location of the trail...."


It's probably no coincidence that Frank's last ride was the same year he got married to Carrie Colbert. He established his own ranch once he took a bride.

My son didn't seem that excited to learn that he had a *real* cowboy in the family. Hopefully I captured enough interest for him to pay extra attention to the class unit.

As for my grandmother, she would be very proud to know her grandfather's days as a Chisholm Trail driver were recognized in a book that is available from her alma mater.

Someday I'd like to go to the Chisholm Trail Heritage Center in Duncan, Oklahoma and learn more about the drivers from back in the day. Do they have any information on Frank Jones? Do they know he's buried right there in Duncan? If they don't, I'll be sure to tell them. My grandma would want it that way.
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The Cousins We Will Never Know

I use Google Alerts to track a few of my less common surnames. Any time one of these names is mentioned online, I get an email notice and a link to the piece.

Today I received a Lenertz alert in my mailbox. On top of the list was an obituary from Minnesota, where my Lenertz came from and left 100 years ago. I didn't have to check my database to know there was a connection because I recognized some of the names in the obituary.

The person in question was my third cousin, once removed. I'm not going to put his name here out respect for the family, as well as to keep the search engines away. I do not know this person or his family. I just know how we are connected.

Our common ancestor was Alexander Lenertz (1826-1879) who had many children including sons Michael and John. Michael spent his entire life in Mankato, Minnesota while John left for Oklahoma.

I read this obituary and compared our different paths in life. The subject of the obit descends from Michael, who stayed in Minnesota and worked in the quarry. I descend from John, who took his geological knowledge to Oklahoma and built a life there.

The deceased in the obituary and I experienced completely different lives in different parts of the country because of the decisions of two brothers over 100 years ago. Our paths never crossed (or did they?) but we have these people in common.

Where am I going with this? I have no idea, but I'm just fascinated with all the connections we have to people we will never know. 

One fact I did find interesting from the obituary was that the subject loved to make homemade beef jerky. My dad (his third cousin) does, too. Must be a Lenertz thing.

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Eleanor's Story

My great-grandmother Gertrude "Eleanor" Baerecke died when she was 42. With the exception of a death certificate and some census records, I don't have much in terms of papers that describe her life.

What I do have are lots of pictures of Eleanor. Way more than any of my other ancestors from this era. These photos tell a lot about my great-grandmother.

I've gathered some of them for a slideshow, which I'm putting here. I hope you like it:

This video is also available in a bigger screen at my YouTube channel.

I hope to do more of these in the future. I think they're a great way to tell family stories to a more technically oriented audience. [And as Rootsmagic pointed out in the comments, a less technically oriented audience as well.]

What should my next subject be? I'm thinkin' RootsTech, but let's just see how it all plays out.

Thanks for watching.

Note: Someone in the comments asked which program I used to make this video. It's Roxio Creator 2011. I have included an affiliate link here:

Tombstone Tuesday: Christmas Birthday Edition

The subject of today's Tombstone Tuesday is my great-grandfather:

Grave marker for Dr. Sam H. Williamson

25 December 1879* - 14 September 1943

Buried in Duncan Cemetery, Duncan, Oklahoma

Photo of Sam Williamson, abt 1907

* Sam's birth year is in dispute. The stone says 1879, but other documents says 1878. See Sam's Find-a-Grave profile here.

Ancestry.com's Yearbook Collection Yields Treasure

This week (or I think it was this week. Heck, I don't even know the date) Ancestry.com rolled out a new collection of U.S. School Yearbooks.

Whenever I com across a new collection or database, I use the test surname Lenertz to see what results I get. I know where the Lenertz's are and should be, so I'm always looking for something new and surprising. I was aware of my great-grandfathers 1910 Notre Dame yearbook photo and was pleased to see it in this collection.

Among all the Lenertz results there was a surprise: a 1934 yearbook from Oklahoma A & M in Stillwater, Oklahoma. There was only one person it could be...my grandfather!

He was a member of Kappa Sigma. This I knew, I just never thought I'd see it for myself.

Then I started thinking...my grandmother was six months older, maybe she was in this yearbook, too. So I go to the search box and type in my grandmother's maiden name and see a page with this:

Isn't she the cutest? All 4'11" of her. She was a Kappa Alpha Theta and very proud of the fact. Any mention of Oklahoma State University and my grandmother would always refer to when it was called Oklahoma A & M.

One time I was talking with my grandpa. He began telling stories and started to hint that my grandma was a real social butterfly in college...always at the party. Well my grandma overheard our conversation and closed the subject on college days. I'll never know what my grandpa was going to say about my grandma's academic pursuits, but I bet it was fun.

Special thanks to Mary Neft Hurst. Ancestry lists her as the donor of this yearbook for the collection. Without her generosity, I'd never have these treasures.

Pride and Joy

The Chickasaw Times is a monthly publication sent out to Chickasaw Nation citizens on a monthly basis. One of the features is a "Pride and Joy" section where parents and grandparents can brag about their kids. There's a family in my neighborhood who gets in that section regularly. I joked with my dad that he needs to keep up with the other grandparents when it comes to getting the grandkids in the paper.

Imagine my surprise this week when I see some familiar faces in the Pride and Joy section: my son and nieces. My dad did a great job with his bragging. He talked about his grandchildren and their ancestral connections. Their second- and third-great grandmothers are original Chickasaw enrollees.

If my grandmother was still here, she would be very proud to see some of her great-grandchildren in the Chickasaw paper. But I think she'd be even more thrilled to see her mother and grandmother in the paper, mentioned by name as original enrollees.

My grandmother, Doris

I inherited her shortness and wide feet.

My great-grandmother, Frankie Jones 

(original Chickasaw enrollee #3702)

My great-great grandmother, Carrie Colbert

(original Chickasaw enrollee #3701)

Thanks for getting my kid in the paper, dad! I think these ladies would be proud of their descendants.

Stand Up and Be Counted

Native American genealogy research can be tricky for many reasons. One of those is the fact that sometimes those of Native American descent did not state the fact on records. Fortunately for me, my ancestors had no problem claiming what was theirs.

The above page is a 1910 census page for the "Indian Population" of Ward 1 in Duncan, Stephens County, Oklahoma. This page is in the back of the regular population schedule for this ward. The second family on the list is my great-great grandparents and five of their six daughters.

Would you believe the enumerator got Jones wrong? He or she did by writing JONE. This is the Frank and Carrie (Colbert) Jones family. Their eldest daughter, Frankie (my great-grandmother), was married with a child of her own by this time and thus not part of this household. It's tough to see in this photo, but Frank is listed as "w" for white, and everyone else is listed as "In" for Indian. Carrie is a descendant of James Logan Colbert, who is a prominent name in Chickasaw history.

On the bottom half of the Indian Population page, it lists the tribe and degree of blood.

I'm not sure why my ancestors stood up to be counted in the 1910 Indian Population census. Was it pride? Or the land? I may never know why they did it, but I am glad they did.

[You can find this record by going to the 1910 U.S. census > Oklahoma > Stephens County > Duncan > Ward 1 > ED 232 > Sheet 21A (or page 21 in Ancestry.com). This Indian Population page is at the back of the population schedule  for this district on Ancestry.com.]