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

My Ancestral Ties to the Civil War

Battle of Calcasieu Pass Civil War Memorial

Cameron Parish Courthouse, Louisiana

This week marks the sesquicentennial of the start of the Civil War. Many genealogy bloggers are writing profiles of their ancestors who fought. I've enjoyed reading these.

Though I don't have the time to write profiles of my own, I thought that the 1.5 family members who read my blog might be interested in knowing who in their family tree participated in the Civil War.

Union

Maximillian Baerecke 1827-1904 ( Max > Harry > Gertrude > Buster )
Max Baerecke was a German immigrant living in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He served in the 26th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment, Company I. A book called The Sigel Regiment by James S. Pula (affiliate link) was written about this group and their experiences including Gettysburg. Max is in there. He also served in the Mexican War. [Note to family: I own this book if you ever want to borrow it. --Amy]

Joseph Smith 1826-1903 ( Joseph > Mary > John A > Buster )
Joseph Smith (also Schmidt) was a German immigrant living in Kilkenny, Minnesota. He served in the 2nd Minnesota Volunteer Infantry, Company I. His pension file doesn't say much about his experiences and I haven't investigated further yet. Joseph also served in the Mexican War.

Confederate

John Laurens Williamson 1811-1862 (John > William > Sam > Doris )
I haven't researched this person's service too much. Confederate records are more challenging to search, plus there are a few John Williamsons out there. I did read in an unsourced book, that John was injured in his leg in the War. He died at home in Pope County, Arkansas, but his injuries may have contributed to his passing.

Richard M. Jones 1828-1864 ( Richard > Frank > Frankie > Doris )
The photo at the top of this post is a memorial that has Richard's name on it as "Sgt. R.M. Jones." This is the only ancestor I know of so far that died in battle. You can read about the Battle of Calcasieu Pass at this website.

All of these men are my great-great-great grandfathers. There may be more ancestors out there who served in the Civil War. I just haven't found them yet.

So, dear family, when you see stories about the Civil War on television, know that you have roots on both sides of the battle. Also, there will be a quiz on this at Christmas.
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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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Margaret Parx Hays in the Family Tree

Last week I mentioned how I was busy adding my second great uncle, Charles Neilson Jones, and his descendants to my genealogy database. He had many kids who had many kids, so this was no easy task.

One of those people who joined my database was Charles' granddaughter, Margaret Parx Hays. By genealogical calculations, she is my grandmother's second cousin.

I did a quick search online for Margaret Parx Hays to see if I could find any other information to add to her profile. Boy, did I hit paydirt. She was quite the accomplished lady!

Margaret Parx Hays

Margaret Parx Hays was born in Gainesville, Texas in 1912 and passed away in 2008. The dash between those two dates is filled world travel and service to others. Her obituary provides a good timeline of her life.

She has a college building named after her and an entire museum website dedicated to her. She also the creator and benefactor of an historical image collection. Oh, and as far as I know, she's the only ancestor in my tree that's in the Congressional Record.

The "Parx" in Margaret Parx Hays is her father's name. It appears she never married or had children. 

I spent a good hour fascinated and distracted by all I was discovering online about Margaret Parx Hays. She needs to have a book written about her. Perhaps I will put it on my list. I have a lot of potential books on my list as my number of intriguing ancestors continues to grow.

2010 Family Heritage Tour, Part 1

[Part 1 of 3 in a series. Part 2 here and part 3 here. --Amy]

Today began the 2010 Family Heritage Tour, where we go to my mom's ancestral homeland. For many folks, that would be another continent. For my mom, it's Louisiana since the 1700's. This particular tour, however, is focusing on the French and Belgian immigrants who came to Acadia Parish in the 1880's.

After we crossed from Texas into Louisiana, I went south on route 27 to go to Cameron. However, I forgot there were two route 27s, and I was on the wrong one. That's ok because I got to see Holly Beach again. You'll be glad to know we didn't see any oil, just a lot of shells.

The because of my wrong turn, we had to go on the ferry to get from Holly Beach to Cameron. My son took this picture while we were waiting for the ferry:

When we got to the Cameron Parish courthouse, we paid a visit to the Civil War memorial that had my great-great grandfather's name on it (among many other who died that day):

All that travel made us hungry, so we stopped in Lake Charles for lunch:

I recommend a plate of pistolettes.

After lunch, we ventured off I-10 and took the more scenic route to our hotel. My mom got to see a bit of her "ancestral homeland" along the way. Once we got to the hotel, we chatted by the pool, which overlooks the bayou.

For dinner, we went to Prejean's, where we had delicious food and sat at a table in front of the web cam. We called my aunt in California and told her to look for us online. She said it looked like we ordered a lot of food, but I think she was just jealous that she wasn't with us. (Need I remind her of the fried pie incident? But I digress...) Maybe I can do these family heritage tours for hire...

Next up, a visit to the cemetery where my mom's great grandparents are buried and a first-time meeting with my mom's second cousin. Big day ahead on the 2010 Family Heritage Tour!

Click here for part 2.

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.

Follow Friday: Starring Asheville and Buncombe County

This week's recommendation in my sporadic Follow Friday series is almost too good to be true: Asheville and Buncombe County. When I first saw the website, I did a double take: "The purpose of this website is to explore, analyze and preserve the history of Asheville and Buncombe County, North Carolina."

Why was I so excited? Because that's where my Jones ancestors are from! At first, I was skeptical that the blog would be maintained since so many are started only to be abandoned. However, it is regularly updated with really good information. They provide links to books, highlight local history and news, and so much more. It's like a trip to a research library.

But wait, there's more! The blog also offers a search box and several helpful links on the side. It's clear, this blog was designed by a researcher.

Asheville and Buncombe County has so much information that I need to just take some time and read it from beginning to end. If you know of anyone doing genealogical research in North Carolina, do pass this resource along. Their links alone are worth the price of admission.

Thank you to the forces behind this blog. I know how much work it is to maintain a blog and keep it fresh, so your efforts are greatly appreciated by the genealogy community (and one Jones ancestor).

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.]

The Cornerstone of My Research

The newspaper article below is about a Duncan, Oklahoma DAR chapter member finding a scrapbook that shed some light on the history of the town's post office:

Scrapbook reveals history of post office (originally published by the Duncan Banner on August 20, 2009).

What's nifty about the article is that it says my great-great grandfather, Frank Jones, assisted in the placement of the cornerstone of the post office. In that stone is a time capsule of sorts. I would love to see what's in there!

This article is a few months old. When I get back from Mesa, I'll try to track down someone at the Duncan DAR chapter and see if I can learn more about the scrapbook, and maybe more about Frank Jones.

Now I simply must plan a road trip back to Oklahoma. On my to-do list will be a visit to that Duncan building and its corner stone.

[Note: I found this article somewhat by accident. An impromptu search of "Frank Jones" "Duncan Oklahoma" (quotations included) and scrolling through many irrelevant links finally led me to the piece. Sometimes patience and creative searching is what it takes to find little treasures like these.]

Edna Ferber, White Hats and My Family Tree

Recently, I've been corresponding with a third cousin who found me via my ramblings on the Internet. One of our common ancestors is our great-great grandfather, Frank Wiley Jones (1859-1942). If I had the time, I'd write a book about him. He led an interesting life.

Born in North Carolina, Frank and family moved to Texas when he was a baby. He led the cowboy life as a young man, eventually driving cattle on the Chisholm Trail. He also managed a ranch for a widow and ended up marrying her eldest daughter. After the birth of their first daughter, Frank and wife Carrie moved to what is now Oklahoma, acquiring land through Carrie's Chickasaw heritage. During the process of having five more daughters, Frank gave up the cowboy ways and settled in to life as a business man. The one constant through all of Frank's life was the white hat he wore every waking hour of every day.

During one of the emails from my newly-found third cousin, she mentioned that her grandmother said that Frank was interviewed by Edna Ferber for her book Cimarron and he was even credited as a source.

Curious, I asked my librarian friends to look on their shelves to see if they had the book and could find Frank's name in the front or back. None did. I ordered the book myself through interlibrary loan just for my own amusement.

The copy of the book in my possession does not list Frank as a source. However, the subject matter indeed reflects the type of life Frank led as he moved his family from Texas to the land that would eventually become Oklahoma.

In the introduction of Cimarron, Ferber says her characters are imaginary, made up of many bits, pieces and observations that when sewn together create a picture of the spirit of the time.

I'm only a quarter of the way through the pages, but it is quite possible my great-great grandfather was interviewed for this book. He's not one of the characters, but his voice may have helped paint the landscape of the tale. And though the leading man, Yancey Cravat, physically doesn't not resemble the real Frank Wiley Jones, there is one similarity I just can't shake.

At the beginning of Cimarron, Yancey Cravat is described as wearing "always, a white felt hat, broad-brimmed and rolling."

Well what a coincidence. My great-grandfather did, too. Always. Until the day he died:

Carrie Colbert Jones and Frank Wiley Jones
early 1940's, Oklahoma

Another Jones Surprise, or Why Genealogists Should Blog

In my last entry about Keeping Up With The Joneses, I shared that I was learning about my Jones line. I discovered that they spent some time in Cooke County, Texas, but that I had yet not found the time to learn about the area and its genealogy resources.

In the comments section of that blog post one of my friends and faithful readers, who also happens to be a very smart librarian, shared with me a link for a Jones Cemetery and asked if these were my Jones folks. They were!

Many of the names in the cemetery are familiar. Duckett and Bostick stand out. Probably anyone from Asheville, North Carolina has a connection. However, what stood out on that page was a grave marker transcription for:

JONES, Harriet Elizabeth 8 Oct 1859 - 18 Aug 1861
dau of R. M. and Sarah Neilson Jones note: no longer found

This entry got me excited because R. M. and Sarah are my great-great-great grandparents. Harriet was a child I did not know of! My great-great grandfather, Frank Wiley Jones, had another sister! I went to enter her name in my files and I stopped...

She was born on the same day as my great-great grandfather. He was a twin.

The only evidence I had that Harriet even existed came from the Jones Cemetery transcription web page. I've yet to find them in the 1860 census. I'm wondering if they were en route from North Carolina to Texas then.

The only reason I now know about it is because I blogged about my Jones line and someone took the time to comment and share what she knew.

This is why all genealogists should blog. We are not islands. So many other folks out there have information to share. You don't have to be an expert writer. Just get your surnames out there. You'll be surprised at what you find...or who finds you.

[Edit, January 15, 2010: I have found further information that refutes the birth date of Harriet. It seems someone transcribed her brother Franklin's birth date in place of Harriet's. She is Franklin's older sister, having been born in 1856. --Amy]

Keeping Up With The Joneses

I played around with my Jones line last night and made some decent progress. That family had been a brick wall for some time. I couldn't get past my great-grandfather Frank Wiley Jones. Then someone contacted me and shared that Frank's father had been killed in the Civil War. That prompted me to go to the scene of the battle and find the memorial at the courthouse. I wrote about that discovery here.

So for a while, I knew Richard Jones' death date, but that is all. I assumed he was born in North Carolina like everyone else in his family. When I went to the NGS conference in Raleigh, I joked at all the genealogy booths "I'm looking for a Jones in North Carolina. Have you seen one?" I suspected Richard Jones was from Buncombe County, since his son Frank was born there. However, there was no record of Richard. There were lots of other Joneses in Buncombe County, but without a name I was out of luck.

Two weeks after the NGS conference, I got a name. I was researching Frank Wiley Jones and I found a book that listed his grandfather as Wiley Jones. Bingo. Richard's father was Wiley Jones. I had to research the grandson to find the grandfather. Once I looked up Wiley, research got easier from there.

Wiley's parents are Ebed Jones and Mary Wells. Last night, I found their cemetery photos on Find-a-Grave. These are my 5th great grandparents and their photos are just sitting there on the Internet. How crazy and cool is that?

The rest of last night I spent learning more about Wiley Jones and his children. Wiley and wife Anna Duckett are supposedly buried in Jones Cemetery in Leo, Texas. Since there isn't much to Leo, Texas, I'm wondering if the cemetery is overgrown and forgotten. I live 5-6 hours away, so I probably won't have my answer until I can plan a trip to get it.

Also, last night I learned that Wiley's son, my great-great-great grandfather Richard Jones was the oldest son. He had many brothers and sisters. The Jones family have quite a history in north Texas. And here I thought I was the first in my family to move to the state. We've been here for ages.

Welcome to the Family, Wiley Jones

Yesterday, my Jones line was a brick wall. I knew they were from North Carolina, but couldn't make the connection. Have you ever tried to look for a Jones without a birth date? Doesn't work too well.

Today I no longer have a Jones brick wall. In fact, not only did I knock a hole out, I drove a path back 100 years in North Carolina. Here's what happened:

I was putting together a little profile for Frank Wiley Jones. He's one of my favorite ancestors: part cowboy, part businessman, all gentleman. I Googled his name to see what I could find about his days in Duncan, Oklahoma and Indian Territory before that.

Up pops this chapter from "A History of the State of Oklahoma: 1908" (scroll down 1/4 page to see the entry for Frank Wiley Jones.) I knew most of the information on the page, but at the bottom it lists his grandfather as Wiley Jones. I know Frank's father was Richard Manson/Monson Jones, but I never knew the next link up. Now I do. It's Wiley Jones.

I found Wiley in the 1860 census in Cooke County, TX, just where he was supposed to be according to the book. Two doors up from him is Josiah Jones. I know these people came from Buncombe County, North Carolina, so I started digging for a records online that may have a Wiley and Josiah Jones in the same family. I found one led by Ebed Jones. Then it goes back another generation from there.

Just like that. No big discoveries. Just a simple mention of a man's grandfather in a 100-year-old history book.

I've started gathering censuses and various records to verify all this information. So far, it's looking good. I've now pushed far enough back in this line that there is a great deal of documentation.

The sad part of this is that last week I spent about 30 minutes in the western North Carolina genealogical societies booth at the NGS conference in Raleigh. I whined to the booth staffer how I knew my Jones' were from Buncombe County, I just didn't know enough to act on it. I sat there and looked at all the great books they had. I saw many Jones entries, but didn't know which if any were mine. A week later, I know so much more and no longer have access to those books.

For my family, just know you have at least 100 years of Jones history in North Carolina (1750-1850), then 40 years in Texas before the move to Indian Territory / Oklahoma.

Naming Names

Craig at GeneaBlogie had the wise notion to publicize the names he was searching and see if anyone else knows something about them. This is a great idea. I can't believe I never did it before, but I'm posting them here now:

Baerecke, Barecke (WI, IL)
Bean (TN, AR)
Bourgaux, Bourgeaux (Acadia Parish LA, Gilly Belgium)
Bourland (KY, TX, OK)
Brauckman (Germany)
Brigance (TN, AR)
Brigham (TN, AR)
Clingman (AR)
Cloyd (TN, VA)
Colbert (Chickasaw, Indian Territory, OK, MS)
Degreve (LA, Belgium)
Eldridge (St. Landry LA, Milan County TX, KY)
Hood (KY, TX)
Howorth, Howarth (SC, TX)
Jones (Chickasaw, TX, NC, OK, Indian Territory)
Jost (Austria, PA)
Legoffe (France, LA)
Lenertz (IA in 1850's, MN, Luxembourg)
Lockweiler (poss. Luxembourg)
Menou (Acadia Parish, LA, France)
Moore (MS, OK, Indian Territory)
Mitchell (NC, AR)
Neilson (NC, TX)
Perkins (KY, TX, LA)
Quesenberry, Quesenbury (AR, NC)
Shokweiler (poss. Luxembourg)
Shukeveiler (or something like it)
Smith (LeSueur MN)
Sparks (AR, poss. TN)
Tate (NC, AR)
Thibodeaux (Acadia & St. Landry Parishes LA)
Turk, Tuerk (Germany)
Williamson (AR, TN)
Yost (PA, Austria)

Ok, now I have to use the word "genealogy" so search engines will pick it up and people searching for Eldridge genealogy or such will land on this blog.

My challenges are as follows:

Any indication of a Baerecke or Barecke in Chicago in 1892.
A death date for H. H. Baerecke/Barecke.
An idea of what H. H. stands for (I think it's Harry from WI but have no proof.)

Information on the following Lenertz's all born in the 1800's:
Alex Lenertz
Alexander Lenertz
Catherine Lenertz
Frank Lenertz
Henry Lenertz
John Lenertz
Joseph Lenertz
Margaret Lenertz
Mary Lenertz
Michael Lenertz
William Lenertz

Also in search of information on the Pierre Thibodeaux born in Louisiana in 1829, not the one born in 1835.

If you have any information on these folks, or you need more clarification, please email me using the email address provided in the right column of this blog.

Mail Bag Brings Medical History

[For those that need a background information, Frankie is my great-grandmother. She had five sisters. I know what happened to Frankie. I want to know more about her sisters. I've sent away for some records that may help me picture their lives. Periodically, I post what I've discovered.]

I received two more death certificates from Oklahoma. Door-to-door, it took about two weeks. I think the earlier ones I ordered took four.

Now I have death certificates for three of Frankie's five sisters. Two of the three lived long lives, but they had something in common: Huntington's disease.

Did anyone in my family know this? It's inherited.

Now I have to wait for the death certificates of the other two sisters to arrive from California to see if either of them suffered from the same affliction.

Mail Bag

Seems like just yesterday I was whining about the $5 per death certificate increase in Oklahoma.

They may be costly, but they sure are quick. I've received four death certificates already.

Two of the certificates are for sisters of my great-grandmother, Frankie Velma Jones.

Mattie Jones Frensley died at age 88. She's buried in Duncan, Oklahoma. I've seen the Frensley name in many Duncan records and histories. I'll have to explore it further.

Naomi Jones Gable died October 22, 1921 at age 28. It looks like she died from childbirth complications. I do not show a child for Naomi being born in 1921, so either the baby died or I haven't found it in the records yet. Also, this certificate is filled out very sparsely. Fortunately, I know Naomi's parents' names. It looks like the informant is "Mrs. Fuqua," which could be Rutha, but I'm not 100% sure of the signature. I sent away for this death certificate putting the date range as 1920-1926, not sure it was enough information. I'm glad they found a record for me. Now Naomi has a real death date and not a range.

When Frank Wiley Jones' father died in the Civil War, his mother remarried and had another child. I got the death certificate for that child, who grew up to be Anne Manion. She lived to be 92, and is now buried in Oklahoma City.

I also got a death certificate for Nolen Fuqua. He's not blood related, but he did marry Frankie's sister, aka "Aunt Ruth." I needed the record because I couldn't find Nolen's mother's name. I have it now. She was Beatrice Jones. Was she related to our Jones family or is it just a coincidence? Sometimes getting an answer leads to 10 more questions.

Rutha Jones Fuqua's death certificate hasn't arrived yet. Neither have the ones from California. They take forever to get here. Once those arrive, I'll have the records for all of Frankie's sisters.

Slowly and surely I'll have a well-documented genealogy of my Chickasaw Colberts.

Frankie and Her Sisters

One of my 2009 resolutions was to build a foundation to research my Chickasaw Colberts. To do so, I had to start with my great-grandmother and her five sisters.

I already have the death certificate for my great grandmother, Frankie Velma Jones (1888-1951).

Today I filled out the applications for death certificates for the sisters. I was surprised that two of the sisters died in California, as did Frankie. Frankie was the eldest and she was born in Texas. All the other sisters were born in Indian Territory/Oklahoma.

Here's my death certificate shopping list:

Mattie Jones Frensley (1890-1979)
Naomi Jones Gable (1894- ? betw. 1920-1926)
Rutha Jones Fuqua (1895-1991)
Vera Jones Cobble (1901-1967)
Mary Elizabeth Jones Bennett (1909-1987)

I also printed applications for Naomi's 2 children, Ruth's husband Nolen (because I don't know his mom's name), and one of Vera's children.

Notes for my family:

1. These sisters are Doris' aunts. Their children are her 1st cousins.

2. The two California sisters (Vera and Mary) lived in the Pasadena/Altadena area. Do you remember visiting anyone out there in the 1940's-1950's?

Battle of Calcasieu Pass Memorial, Cameron Parish, Louisiana

Recently, I shared details about my day trip to Cameron Parish, Louisiana. Before I went on the trip, I read about the area, and that there was a war memorial at the Cameron Parish courthouse. Supposedly, the marker included the names of Union and Confederate soldiers who died in the Battle of Calcasieu Pass on May 6, 1864. However, I could find no pictures or further information on the Internet about the memorial so I drove there to see for myself.

Below are some photos of the marker and a transcription of the writing on the side of the memorial facing the street. There is writing on all four sides, but the side shown discusses the Battle of Calcasieu Pass:

BATTLE OF CALCASIEU PASS

NEAR THIS SPOT CONFEDERATE SOLDIERS UNDER

THE COMMAND OF COL. W. H. GRIFFIN CAPTURED THE

UNION GUNBOATS WAVE AND GRANITE CITY IN THE

BATTLE OF CALCASIEU PASS, CAMERON, LOUISIANA, ON

MAY 6, 1864. THESE GALLANT MEN DIED FOR THEIR CAUSE:

UNION

QUARTERMASTER JOHN W. TINDALL

SEAMAN JOSEPH JOHNSON

ENGISN HENRY JACKSON

ENSIGN S. R. TYRREL

SEAMAN JOHN SCOTT

QUARTERMASTER JOHN JACOBS

ORD. SEAMAN WILLIAM HAYDEN

ENSIGN A. H. BERRY

CONFEDERATE

PVT. WILLIAM KNEIP

CPL. FERDINAND FAHRENTHOLD

PVT. JOHN LYNCH

PVT. HENRY FOESTERMAHN

PVT. AARON RUSSELL

PVT. J. D. LANCASTER

SGT. R. M. JONES

PVT. A. SCRINKLE

PVT. W. A. JACKSON

PVT. P. WHITTENBERG

PVT. M. YVARRO

PVT. JACKSON J. RISINGER

SGT. WILLIAM INGLE

PVT. WILLIAM GUHRE

I have several pictures of this memorial and close ups of the names. I also have photos of all four sides of the marker, commemorating WWI, WWII and the Korean Conflict. These sides also have the names of Cameron Parish soldiers who served and the dates they were killed in action. If you are interested in these photos, email me at the address provided in the right side of this blog page.

The R. M. JONES mentioned in this memorial is Richard Monson Jones. I also have genalogical information about him I'm willing to share.

Looking for Sergeant Jones, part 2

[Please read Looking for Sergeant Jones, part 1 here. Below is part 2.]

The courthouse survived Rita and Ike. The monument survived Rita and Ike. Would I find Sgt. Jones on the list? I walked forward to get a closer look.

He was there.



I stood there for a minute and took it all in--the battle, the death, the burial, the memorial and the fact that I had this connection to it. I went up the courthouse steps to try and get a better view of Monkey Island. It was clear the ferry that used to run to the island was long gone with the hurricane and would never be back. My chance to see the burial ground was lost forever. I felt sad for a moment, then got real. The burial site of Sgt. Jones was there, but chances were that Rita's storm surge (or Audrey's before that) had displaced the remains. Monkey Island was really just a symbol now. I could see it just steps across the water, but never reach it.

When I visit a site connected to my ancestors, I always stand there for a moment and try to visualize what their lives were like. I imagine the land as it looked in their day. However, the sights and sounds of Cameron's current devastation kept interfering. It was had to get past the isolation. It was just me out there and the creaking destruction blowing in the wind.

I walked down the courthouse steps and over to another monument. This one marked the passing of Hurricane Rita:

It's message confirmed my fear for the fate of those buried on Monkey Island:

I originally went to Cameron, Louisiana with a head full of questions in search of Sgt. Jones. I left Cameron, Louisiana with a heart full of emotions.

My great-great-great grandfather and the 21 other soldiers killed on May 8, 1864 are no longer on Monkey Island. They now envelop the wetlands of the Creole Nature Trail.

Nature creates our history, but it also takes it away.

[Update: I went back to Cameron Parish in July 2010. They have rebuilt several buildings and houses. The area is looking much better, but I still don't think I'll ever get to walk on Monkey Island. --Amy]