And now I’m 7!

Photo by Bart Maguire

Here we are - another year has passed.  Which means I’ve been blogging for seven (SEVEN!) years.  It seems like just yesterday that I got the bug and boy has it been a great ride.  Thanks again to Kerry Scott for getting me started (her blog is undergoing a makeover right now but you can find her at Clue Wagon)  And yes, she really does like dead people!

I remember my first post back in 2011 – I wasn’t sure what I was doing and was worried that no one would read it or if they did, care what I had to say.  But I’ve met a lot of people, received some great feedback, and built up my confidence.  And I’ve learned that no matter what I say, it’s MY blog and I can do and say whatever the heck I want.

I think I’ll take my blogiversary as a day to step back and reflect on some of the more popular posts throughout the years.  Not necessarily my favorites but the posts that brought the most views.  I will add that when I write about events in Fresno, I have two Fresno Facebook groups that I share my blogs in so traffic is always higher then.  So here are my top 5.

Wanted: Herman Levy from January 14, 2018.  I haven’t figured any of this out yet and I wasn’t very successful in my search in Salt Lake City but I’m not giving up.  My dad’s cousin’s two children have submitted their DNA to Ancestry.com so maybe between us we’ll figure something out. 

Back in Time from October 14, 2012.  This was definitely one of my favorite posts to write as it shows the letter my grandfather, Sig Levy, wrote to his future in-laws, Birdie and Abe Gunzendorfer, asking for my grandmother’s hand in marriage.  It’s not often you can read both sides of the story.  I’m sure glad they said yes!

On January 5, 2013, I took part in Saturday Night Genealogy Fun and wrote about where my ancestors were 100 Years Ago.  It was fun to put the post together and I was so glad that I had a picture of one of the homes.

Best Wishes for a Long and Happy Life Together, from November 17, 2013 was one of the blog posts I wrote about the wedding of my parents, Gerry (Martin) and Gordon Levy.  A beautiful portrait of my mother in her wedding gown always hung at the end of the hallway in our home so there was no forgetting – ever – what she looked like on that day.  Plus, as kids my sister and I would spend HOURS pouring through the photo album from their wedding and memory book so there will always be lots of memories in my mind.

And a repeat from last year’s top 5 is this post from June 16, 2013 A Bittersweet Day, another Father’s Day without my dad.  It was an emotional post to write as my mom had passed away a few weeks before (May 22) and then we ‘celebrated’ her first birthday (June 8) without her.  So by June 16 I was pretty emotionally spent.  I love looking back at the photos in that post but I wish I knew more about Dad’s friendship with Bob Hope!

Another Facebook group I’m a member of is GeneabloggersTribe.  How nice to be remembered for my blogiversary – you can read it HERE. 

I have so much left to say so I hope you’ll stay with me for the next seven (or seventy) years.

On to eight!

52 Ancestors: Lucky

This weeks’ prompt in the 52 Ancestors challenge is Lucky.  While it is St. Patrick’s Day and the luck of the Irish brought me my first grandchild 16 short years ago today, after some thought I’ve decided to focus on the lucky day of April 16, 1967.  Why this day?  Because on that day my grandparents were in a serious car accident and although injured, they quite possibly were lucky to be alive at the end of that day.



I have so many memories of that fateful day; however, I am also lacking so many memories of that day. 

I remember thinking that “old people” weren’t supposed to get into car accidents although now that I think about it, those probably are the people who got into car accidents.  I don’t specifically remember my grandfather’s driving skills, but I do remember that Grandma wasn’t really a great driver.  I’m not sure I’ll ever know exactly what happened with this car accident but I suspect that Grandpa was, at least, partially at fault because there is a memory stashed away of him feeling remorseful that Grandma was injured.

When I looked on Google Maps to see the location of the accident, I was surprised to see just how close the accident site was to the Community Hospital. 



If I have my directions correct, Sig would have been traveling in the direction denoted by the red arrow, and Mr. Bare would have been traveling in the direction shown by the green arrow.  And as I researched the Community Hospital, I learned it was originally the Burnett Sanitarium (both my parents were born there) and rebuilt at the current location in 1905.

The clear memory I have of this event was visiting my grandmother at home after the accident.  At the age of 71 (the article stated she was 72 but this is an error) and with a severely broken leg (I seem to remember her knee cap was shattered), a large two story home would have been quite a challenge for her.  Luckily, they had the means to have a hospital bed brought into the home and a nurse (full time, I imagine) to care for her.  But where to put the bed?  In the dining room, of course!  While I don’t have a picture of the bed, I do have a picture of the dining room.



The dining room table and chairs must have been moved out (where did they put that?) and replaced with a hospital bed so Grandma could be home where she felt comfortable.  When my dad was growing up, there was a live-in housekeeper so that bedroom, on the first floor, was the perfect place for a nurse to stay so she could be close by during the night if Grandma needed anything.

I don’t remember much else about the event – how long was she in the hospital, how long was her home recovery – but I do remember seeing quite a large scar on her leg after that.  And, sadly, about 15 months later Grandpa was gone so whatever lingering affects she might have had, Grandma had to deal with those on her own.

So much of this involved luck – lucky to have survived, lucky to have the means to bring her home so that she was more comfortable, and lucky to not have too much difficulty with her injuries later in life.  I’m so glad luck was with them!

52 Ancestors: Where There’s a Will

Probably the first will of an ancestor that I reviewed was that of my 5th great grandfather, Ashbel Waller.  In fact, as I was preparing to add the information for this post I’d forgotten that I’d actually written about it before.  Man, this getting old SUCKS!  HERE is the original post.




Thankfully, someone was kind enough to transcribe this for me and it’s confirmed some things that I’ve learned through my research.  I have A LOT of information about Ashbel and this reminds me, again, that I need to actually DO something with it.

Ashbel, the son of Phineas and Rhoda (Taylor) Waller was born 18 October 1759 in Cornwall, Connecticut. ¹    He was baptized 11 November 1759.



Ashbel was married to Sarah Abbott of Sharon on 1 November 1781 by Judah Kellogg JP. ²



The first definitive time I can place him after this marriage is in the 1790 Census in Luzerne, Pennsylvania in a household of 5 members – 1 free white male over age 16, 2 free white females over the age of 16, and 2 free white males under age 16.  Also on the census was Nathan, Daniel and Joseph Waller – most likely his brothers.

1800 shows him still in Luzerne, now with a 9 member household, all of which were free white people.  1 male over 45, 1 male 16 thru 25, 1 male 10 thru 15, 2 males under 10; 1 female 26 thru 44, 1 female 10 thru 15, 2 females under age 10.

In the Ohio, Compiled Census and Census Substitute Index I found Ashbel in Butler County, Ohio in 1807 and 1810.  I wonder what took him to Ohio.

I don’t know what happened to Sarah but Ashbel married again on 5 September 1820 to Elizabeth Blackleach in Butler County, Ohio.  They were married by Rev. James Hugh.  He was enumerated in the Federal Census on 7 August 1820 with a free white woman over the age of 45 – was this Elizabeth prior to their marriage?

By 1830, Ashbel was now a free white male age 70 thru 79 in Union, Butler County, Ohio.  With him were a free white female age 60 through 69 and a free white female 15 thru 19.  I don’t know who the young female might have been as the age doesn’t fit for any of Ashbel’s children.  Maybe a grandchild?

1840 found Ashbel still in Union, Butler County, Ohio.  He was a free white male age 80 thru 89 with a free white woman age 70 thru 79.  I received quite a bit of information from the Butler County Historical Society several years ago (note to self – GET BACK TO THIS!) and in a letter to the County Commissioner in 1985 documenting some grave stones, learned that Elizabeth Blackleach Waller died in approximately 1841. 

What’s interesting about the 1840 census is that not only did I find Ashbel, but on the page before his entry is Jane Turner, a free white female age 50 thru 60.  With Jane were two free white males – one age 10 thru 15, one age 20 thru 30.  Know why Jane Turner is interesting?  Because on 12 April 1842 Ashbel married Jane Turner in Butler, Ohio. ³

And that leads us to Ashbel’s death on 20 September 1848.  Again I am puzzled as to the date of his will – 18 September 1848.  What prompted him to write (or dictate) a will on that particular date?  At nearly 90 years of age, I’m sure he knew he might not have much time but two days before his death?  I can just imagine him lying there and realizing he needed to take care of his family.

I don’t know for sure where Ashbel is buried, but from the information I received from the Butler County Historical Society I learned it is likely he is buried on the property he owned of about 101 acres in the northeast corner of Section 6.  Today it is described as about 0.4 mile eastward from 747 along Hamilton-Mason Road thence about 0.2 mile southward parallel to the meidional section line.

Cyrus Osborne, Ashbel’s son-in-law and the Executor of the will, held a Sheriff’s Sale on 15 September 1849. ⁴ 

At $35 per acre, the sale would have brought $3,535 or about $108,000 in today’s dollars. 



Now that I’m looking again at Zodoc Turner (stated as Zadre W. Turner in the transcription of the will), I’m wondering if that could be Jane Turner’s son who was listed in the 1840 census.

So after all of this, I’m not sure I’m any farther along than I was before.  What I know is that I have so much more research to do, particularly since Ashbel is my Revolutionary War patriot and my potential ticket into the DAR.

One last look for Jane Turner to see if I could find her after Ashbel’s death and look what I found in 1850 in Union, Butler County, Ohio.



Jane Waller with Benjamin Burton (who is this?) and next door?  None other than Zadock Turner!  My guess is that Zadock (or Zodoc or Zadre) was Jane’s son. 

More clues to follow up on.  Zadock, I’m going to find you!

________________________________________________________________
¹ The Official Roster of the soldiers of the American Revolution buried in the state of Ohio.  Columbus, Ohio: Ohio Adjutant General's Dept., 1929-1959
² Connecticut, Town Marriage Records pre 1870 (Barbour Collection)
³ "Ohio Marriages, 1800-1958," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XDFW-852 : 10 February 2018), Ashbel Waller and Jane Turner, 12 Apr 1842; citing Butler, Ohio, reference ; FHL microfilm 0355779 V. 1-4.
⁴ Hamilton Telegraph, 06 Sep 1849, Thu, Page 3