Wordless Wednesday: 1970 HS Graduation Portrait

Lisa J. Wallen - Spring 1970
King Sr. High School (Tampa, Florida) Graduation photo

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Tombstone Tuesday: Samuel and Louisa Darling

McCray Cemetery
Wilkinson, Hancock Co., Indiana

Samuel Claude Darling was the son of Samuel S. and Mariah (Luthultz) Darling and the nephew of my great grandmother, Mary Elizabeth (Darling) Runyan. He married Louisa May Sullivan on January 23, 1909 in Henry Co., Indiana. They had two children: Wilbur Harold and Isabella Jane. Louisa was the daughter of Andrew and Isabelle (Johnson) Sullivan and was responsible for writing the lengthy obituary of my great grandmother, Mary Elizabeth.

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Military Monday: Charles Wallen-U. S. Navy WWII

My dad's first cousin, Charles Homer Wallen, Jr., enlisted in the U. S. Navy on March 4, 1943 at the age of 16. He spent from August 1943 until September 1946 in the Pacific theater of war and retired from the U. S. Navy on July 1, 1966.

Charlie aboard the U.S.S. New Jersey anchored at Oslo, Norway July 1947.
U.S.S. Wisconsin in the background.

Charlie and "Tojo" the monkey mascot
Leyte Gulf, Philippine, Is. 1945

Charlie was our second generation family historian, following in the footsteps of his aunt Sula (Wallen) Splitek. He and I worked daily on our family history from January 1, 1998 until shortly before his death on October 4, 2009, almost a dozen years together. We shared some great times.

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In The Beginning...... Year 3: Cousins and More

Today begins my third year in documenting our family history through blogging. The year of 2012 has started out with a bang and there are days I have to struggle to keep up with the momentum. I find myself behind on projects, both genealogy and non-genealogy, and I have yet to fulfill my goals of 2011. But that's OK, most of them can wait.

Blogging, social networks, and volunteerism on FindAGrave.com have certainly been a plus for running into cousins lately; cousins from both sides of my family who are thrilled to swap information and photos back and forth. 

One new paternal cousin, *Ginny, upon finding my blog, immediately sent me an e-mail with a photo attached. The second I saw it, I knew I already had a photo with some of the same people in it. I dug mine out. It was a photo from my paternal grandmother's collection that was unidentified. We knew it was of family but...who? 

My photo, previously unidentified. 

Well, Ginny's photo was completely identified on the back. Her's was a photo of my paternal great grandfather, Andrew Melvin Townsend, son of Lewis and Mary Ann (Patterson) Townsend, and all his living siblings. You can tell by the clothing and background that it was taken on the same day as mine, and you can tell from a camera glitch near the bottom center, that it was taken from the same camera.

Back row L to R: Emma Jane, Lewis Oscar, Olive M., Andrew Melvin, Margaret Ellen; Front row L to R:  Mary C., Theodore E., Sarah Elizabeth "Sadie"

My photo at the top has the three brothers and sister Sadie with unidentified women in the background. Those women are likely daughters or wives. Since I had no other photos of Andrew, I had no idea that the photo I already had was of Andrew and his brothers and one of his sisters. Now, I know! God bless cousin Ginny and God bless me!

Yes, my third year of blogging is starting out with lots of that mysterious stuff they call "serendipity". It could just be the power of the Internet. Or it could be something more....

*Ginny is the granddaughter of Lewis Oscar Townsend.


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Wordless Wednesday: Wallen Siblings - Early 1940s

Four of My Paternal Grand Aunts and Uncles

L to R: Homer, Myrtle, Sula, Hobert

Homer and Hobart are twins; Myrtle is actually a Livesay and half sibling, the youngest and the only one still living of my great grandmother's children. Myrtle will be 92 in October of this year. Sula was the first genealogist in our family. My grandfather Bill, and Sula's twin Tom, and their half brother Ross Livesay are missing from this group.

*Original photo comes from the collection of my paternal grandmother, Illinois Townsend Wallen, now owned and shared by my cousin Sharon Gerth.

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Oliver's Diary: The Schools 1870 - 1905

This week I received an e-mail from a fellow Rockcastle Co., Kentucky researcher who had started corresponding with me last year when he found this blog. His ancestors were from the same area of the county as mine and he still lives in the area today. He and I are familiar with many of the same family groups that lived in the same community. We have exchanged information, documents and photos.

(photo just for illustration)

In this latest e-mail he said he knew my paternal great grandfather, Oliver M. Wallen, was a teacher and he wanted to know if Oliver had ever taught at the "Rocksprings" school, which is still standing today. I was pretty sure the answer was "no" and, since I was busy, it would have been easy just to tell him so and be done with it. I knew that many of the names Oliver used for these schools were probably names of the current teacher at the time, or the name of the teacher that first taught there. However, it was an honest question and deserved a little more than a quick dismissal, so I decided to run a search for the term "school" in the transcription of the diary on my computer. I was surprised with what I found. Again I learn to "never say never".

(photo just for illustration)

First of all "school" is probably one of the most common words throughout Oliver's diary. There were "Select" schools, "Common" schools, "Subscription" schools, and of course "Public" schools. I finally had a list of 17 to 19 different schools to send off to this researcher, not that it was any help to him, but it was certainly worth it to me to save the list in case I ever needed to refer to it. Some of these were schools that Oliver attended as a boy, others are where he taught. I have included the teachers where named, and some of the general locations.

These are the schools mentioned, from the years 1870 through 1905, in Oliver's diary:

1) The Public school at Maretsburg (teachers Harvy Vanhook, M. B. Debord, Miss Ada Hunt)

2) Silas Martin's Select school (Maretsburg)

3) Miss Lucy Martin's Select school

4) The Old Tyree school (teachers William Bloomer, Jo Vanhook, T. J. Cress, W. A .B. Davis)

5) Unnamed Public school (teachers Mr. J C. Watson, Mr. S. D. Lewis, Miss Lucile Joplin, Miss Alice Lewis) (May be the same as #1)

6) The Mount Vernon (Public) school (teachers: Mrs. Rosalind Nesbitt, Miss Ella Joplin)

7) The Kirby school, "near Blue Springs on the Dry Fork of Skaggs Creek".

8) J. N. Brown's Normal school at Level Green (Jasper Newton Brown)

9) The school at Sand Hill

10) Sayer's school house

11) The Copper Creek school

12) The Caloway school (Caloway District)

13) The Estes school house (Pulaski Co.)

14) The Thompson school house

15) Mat Colson's school

16) Miss Ida May Adam's school

17) The Brown school house (may be the same as #8)

18) Milton Wheeldon's school

19) The Norton school house

After I made this list, I went back to recheck words in and around the word "school", and that's when I found it, just what my researcher friend was looking for: "the trustees in Rock Spring Dist (No. 71) gave me their school." This was the school year starting in the fall of 1894. I had missed it during the first search.

So, we have another school, making it 18 to 20 schools mentioned in Oliver's diary. 

20) Rock Springs school

And no, the photos are not of Rockcastle county schools. They are photos from the time period that are no longer under copyright and are just for illustration....because I like illustrations!

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Sunday's Obituary: Viola (Hayes) Parsons

Mrs. L. D. Parsons, 50, Former Women's Dean At ETSTC, Succumbs

     COMMERCE, Texas, Sept. 22---Mrs. L. D. Parsons, 50, of this city died in a Dallas hospital Monday. Funeral services will be held on Wednesday at the First Methodist Church here with the Rev. T. L. Huffstutler, Electra, and the Rev. Joseph M. Connally, Commerce, officiating.

     Mrs. Parsons was the wife of L. D. Parsons, who last week became head of the chemistry department of East Texas Teachers College, where he has taught since 1929.

     Mrs. Parsons at one time taught at ETSTC and was dean of women for several years. She was a charter member of the Woman's Missionary Society of the Methodist Church here and has served as president of the society several terms. She also was a member of the Psychology Club.

     Besides her husband, survivors are two daughters, Mrs. T. L. Huffstutler Jr., Winston-Salem, N.C., and Miss Zinita Parsons, teacher at Mineola; one son, Binnion Parsons of Commerce; two half brothers, Arthur Hays and Walker Hays; and one half sister, Mrs. Bess Whittaker, all of Indianapolis, Ind., and one grandchild.

Viola was the niece of my paternal great grandfather, Oliver Morton Wallen. She was the daughter of his sister Mary J. (Wallen) Hayes. She had a sister Ora, who I believe to have been her twin, that died at about 3 and 1/2 years of age. When Viola's mother died just two years after her sister's death, Viola or "Ola" as she was called then, went to live with her mother's family. Viola made the trek from Kentucky to Texas with her uncle Oliver and his family, her uncle Jesse Wallen, and her great grandmother, Louisa (Tyree) Wallen. Louisa and Viola lived part of the time with another of Viola's uncles, Daniel Thomas Wallen near Gainesville, Texas where Viola started teaching school.

I know that Viola's children, Reba Maurine (Mickey) Huffstutler, Zinita Viola Fowler, and Binnion Deloss Parsons have all passed away in recent years, but I would love to hear from any of their families.

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Wednesday's Child: Joseph W. Townsend 1877-79

Tombstone of Joseph W. Townsend,
son of Uriah W.* and Mary Ann (Cameron) Townsend
Yolton Cemetery, Fayette Co., Illinois

Inscription on stone:

JOSEPH W.

Son of

URIAH W. & M. A.

TOWNSEND

Died

Aug. 3, 1879

Aged 1 Y. 11

M. 12 D.

Take this little lamb said He

And lay him on my breast

Protection it shall find in me

And be forever blest.

*Uriah W. was the brother of my paternal great, great grandfather Lewis; both sons of Joseph L. and Christianna (Wheaton) Townsend.

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Tombstone Tuesday: Robert Patterson 1802-1873

ROBERT PATTERSON

Died May 11, 1873

Aged 70 y. 7 m. 1 d.

Go home dear friends

And dry your tears,

I will arise 

when Christ appears.

My paternal 3rd great grandfather, husband of Mary Root
buried Old Liberty Cemetery, Fayette Co., Illinois
photos taken by me on May 31, 2011

Close up of Robert Patterson Tombstone

Old Liberty Cemetery, Fayette Co., Illinois

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Sunday's Obituary: Mary E. (Breckenridge) Newby

Obit: National Road Traveler - February 25, 1950

                          Mrs. L. P. Newby

Mrs. L. P. Newby obit
National Road Traveler
25 Feb 1950

     Mrs. Mary Elizabeth Newby, 92, widow of L. P. Newby of Knightstown, died early Friday in Anderson where she had made her home for the past four months. Mrs. Newby was a native of Henry County and had resided in Knightstown all her life.

     Her husband was a prominent attorney and a world traveler of note and was prominent in Masonic circles, having served as grand commander of the United States of the Knights Templar. Mr. Newby made several trips to the Holy Land.

     Surviving are a son, Floyd Newby, Knightstown attorney; two grandchildren, Lewis P. Newby of California, and Mrs. Elizabeth Williams of Anderson; four great grandchildren and two sisters, Mrs. Julius Thornton of the Masonic Home in Franklin and Mrs. Grace Albertson of Columbus. A daughter, Mrs. Floss Cooper, preceded her in death.

     Services were conducted Monday with burial in Glencove cemetery, Knightstown.

Mary Elizabeth Breckenridge was the daughter of Robert B. and Julia Ann (Swain) Breckenridge and the wife of my maternal great, great granduncle, Leonidas Perry Newby.


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Walter M. Runyan - He Wasn't Born on Wednesday

Walter M. Runyan - age 3

Wednesday's child is full of woe. 

Last week I posted a photo of the family of Jesse C. and Lena (Hudelson) Runyan but there was one child missing from that group, their first born, their only son Walter. Walter was born May 5, 1912 and while he was still living with his family in 1920, by 1930 he was institutionalized as an epileptic. What a heartbreak for his parents.

Before the turn of the century, epileptics were seen as a menace to society and were segregated from the rest of the population in asylums for the insane and later in institutions like the "Epileptic Village" of Newcastle, Indiana. By the 1950s there were medical advancements in the treatment of the disease and segregation ended. 

In the 1930 census there were over 425 males listed in Epileptic Village, along with my mother's paternal first cousin Walter. It is interesting to note that the various sections of the village were called by numbered "colonies", a term also used for leper populations. The photo below is cropped from a damaged postcard and shows colony 2 of Epileptic Village.

Colony No. 2 - Epileptic Village, New Castle, Indiana

Walter died on Wednesday, October 15, 1958.

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Military Monday: Lawrence E. Runyan Orders of Induction - 1918

Order of Induction into Military Service of the United States

"From and after the day and hour just named you will be a soldier in the military service of the United States."

Letter of induction for Lawrence E. Runyan, my maternal grandfather
World War I - Camp Custer, Michigan

Original letter in my possession

To see a photo of all the inductees or draftees that appeared at the Newcastle, Indiana courthouse on this day, click on this link: 

World War I Draftees - New Castle, Indiana Courthouse - 1918

To see a photo of my grandfather in his WWI uniform, click below:

Memorial Day Weekend Tribute

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Sunday's Obituary: Leonidas Perry Newby 1945

LEONIDAS PERRY NEWBY DIES: PROMINENT IN MANY FIELDS

     Leonidas Perry Newby, aged 90, prominent citizen of this city, for years identified with the legal profession of the county and throughout the Middle West and active in its commercial life until his retirement 25 years ago, passed away in Indianapolis Thursday, Oct. 25, after an illness of many months. He was known internationally in the fraternal world as former Grand Master of the Knights Templar of the United States.

     He was active in local banking circles, organizing the Citizens National bank of this city in 1888 and served as its president until he retired in recent years. In political faith he was a Republican, and served by appointment first, then election, as prosecutor, of the 18th judicial circuit, composed of Hancock and Henry counties. In 1892 he was elected to the Indiana Senate, and re-elected in 1896, serving with distinction.

     Known throughout his life time as Perry Newby to a host of friends, the deceased was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Newby whose family migrated from North Carolina to Henry county in 1837. Perry was born April 9, 1855, near Lewisville, Ind. In 1872, his family moved to Knightstown. In his youth and throughout his life time his first ambition seems to have been for knowledge. As a small boy he performed janitor's duties in the Greensboro schools, and assisted a neighboring blacksmith, in order that he might attend school, and also assist his father's family of six children, of which he was the youngest boy.

     At the age of 16 young Newby entered the Knightstown schools, and taught school during his high school years to earn expenses, attending school alternately. He was the first student to graduate from Knightstown high school, graduating with honors. He attended Asbury college for some months which is now DePauw university. He studied law in the firm of Butler and Swaim, later with J. Lee Furgason, in this city. He was admitted to the Henry bar in 1872, and after a brief partnership with Walter B. Swaim, in this city, he established his own legal offices. For a brief period he was part owner of a newspaper known as "The Knightstown Shield," but he sold his interest, continuing his active legal practice, and other commercial interests in this city and county. For 50 years he was local attorney for the Pennsylvania railroad.

     In September, 1877, he was united in marriage with Mary Elizabeth Breckenridge. Both Mr. and Mrs. Newby were active in the Methodist church throughout his lifetime. He is survived by his widow, and two children, Mrs. Florence N. Cooper, and Mr. Floyd Newby, of this city; also by two grandchildren and four great grandchildren.

     Funeral services were held at the Carlyle Butcher Funeral home in this city, Sunday afternoon, with the Grand Commandery, Knights Templar in charge, with commanderies of adjoining cities, assisting. Burial took place at Glen Cove cemetery.

     Leonidas Perry Newby was made a Master Mason in Golden Rule lodge No. 16, F. and A. M., of Knightstown, in 1882, starting a career of personal fraternal service and honors in Masonic bodies through the Chapter, Council and Commandery of the York Rite, in which he in turn held all presiding offices which culminated in his election as Grand Master of the Grand Commandery of the United States, Knights Templar, in 1922, and in which capacity he served through 1925. During these years he traveled extensively visiting all provinces within his jurisdiction, the United States, Alaska, Mexico, Puerto Rico, the Canal Zone, the Philippines, Hawaii, and Canadian provinces. In addition he toured all the North African states, western Asia and South America. He toured Europe many times.

     Mr. Newby received the honorary 33rd degree of Italy, in 1926, and the Legion of Honor of France and commission as a life officer therein, on March 30, 1926, from the President of France. He was made a commssioner to visit Europe to select the uses to which a $500,000 fund contributed by Knights Templar for European relief during World War No. 1 were to be put. On this trip he traveled with French and Belgian military escort and was at Metz when the armistice was signed.

     For many years he helped support the International Monte Mario Methodist college at Rome, and served as chairman of its board of trustees.

A second, small death notice...

National Road Traveler - November 1, 1945

Obituary of L. P. Newby
National Road Traveler
November 1, 1945

               L. P. Newby

     Leonidas Perry Newby, age 90, widely known Knightstown citizen and internationally known in the Masonic world as a former grand master of the Knights Templar of the United States, died Thursday in a nursing home in Marion county following a long illness.

Leonidas was my maternal great, great granduncle, son of Jacob and Levina (Leonard) Newby. An equally lengthy biography written about him and published in 1906 may be seen here: Amanuensis Monday: Biography of L. P. Newby

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For The Record Friday: Me and the Muzzleloader

Firing the muzzleloader

OK..here it is, just for the record. This photo of me discharging a muzzleloader rifle, was taken on Thanksgiving Day 2011 at the home of my son Michael and daughter-in-law April, on the back of their property. 

There was a lot of target practice going on that day, with various firearms and a fairly large group of family and friends waiting their turn to shoot. I love shooting but, because of the crowd, I decided to opt out and I went over to chat with my sister-in-law Rose.

Finally, when the muzzleloader (owned by April's father) was being fired, my son came to me and said "Mom, you have to shoot this, you know..." I don't think he finished the sentence, but I knew what he meant. He knew I took great pride and interest in my 18th century longhunter ancestors. (Read more here: Treasure Chest Thursday: Sons of a Trackless Forest)

In that moment, I knew very well that Michael was right, and I quickly chose not to pass up this opportunity to connect in this small way to those frontier kin, even if only in my own imagination.

And it was dang cool!

Thanks son!

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Wordless Wednesday: Family of Jesse C. Runyan

Back Row L to R: daughters: Viola, Thelma, Marguerite
Front Row L to R:
Father Jesse (my maternal granduncle), daughter Pearl, Mother Lena (cir. 1934)

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Tombstone Tuesday: Clinton Allen and Pansy K. (Newby) Stevens

Pansy K. Newby b. 2 Jun 1889 - d. 7 May 1953
daughter of Strother and Flora (Lindamood) Newby
(raised from infancy by Truman and Mary (Lindamood) Goldsberry)
Clinton A. Stevens b. 18 Mar 1886 - d. 27 Jul 1946
son of Jasper and Josephine (Burns) Stevens

Oak Ridge Cemetery, Springfield, IL
photo used with permission from FindAGrave.com volunteer BJJ

More about this couple at this link: 

Pansy: Daughter of Strother and Flora (Lindamood) Newby 

Pansy's obituary can be seen here: 

Sunday's Obituary: Pansy K. (Newby) Stevens.

Would love to hear from Pansy's descendants!

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Sunday's Obituary: Pansy K. (Newby) Stevens

My maternal great, great granduncle, Strother E. Newby and his first wife Flora A. (Lindamood) Newby may have divorced prior to, or shortly after their daughter Pansy was born. They were married in August of 1888 and Pansy was born in June of 1889. For reasons unknown, neither parent took responsibility of raising her and Pansy became an orphan. It was a blessing in disguise however, because Pansy's maternal aunt, Mary J. (Lindamood) Goldsberry and her husband Truman, their own children having died young, took Pansy in and raised her as their own and gave her a good education. I had already pieced many of the main events of Pansy's life together before coming across her obituary which confirmed what I already knew. 

Obit: National Road Traveler - March 12, 1953

                 PANSY NEWBY STEVENS

National Road Traveler
March 12, 1953

     LEWISVILLE - Mrs. Pansy Newby Stevens, a former resident of Lewisville, died March 4 at Springfield, Ill., where she had made her home since her marriage in 1918 to C. A. Stevens.

     Left an orphan in infancy, Mrs. Stevens was reared in Lewisville in the home of her aunt and uncle, Mr. and Mrs. Truman Goldsberry. She was a graduate of the Spiceland Academy and Indiana University and later taught at Mt. Comfort and Springfield. At the time of her death she was art director in the Springfield State library. Her husband and an infant daughter, Mrs. Thomas Nelson of Springfield, a son, Chester Stevens of Evanston, Ill., and three grandchildren.

     Funeral services and interment were at Springfield.

I think, in the second paragraph, some words got omitted and it should have read: Her husband and an infant daughter preceded her in death and she is survived by a daughter, Mrs. Thomas Nelson of Springfield, a son...., etc.". Pansy was also married in 1919, not 1918 and her actual date of death was March 7, 1953, not March 4.

You can read more about Pansy here from a previous post: Pansy: Daughter of Strother and Flora A. (Lindamood) Newby

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Asylum Patient Saw Platt Kill Tyree 1885

According to other newspaper articles, there was a close eyewitness to this 1885 murder. Yesterday I found it: another newspaper article about the murder of Jesse Tyree, my paternal 3rd great grandmother's brother, and it named the witness and told his story. Anyone who is, or knows an epileptic, knows they are not deranged in any way. Like the victim, this witness was an epileptic and considered a "lunatic", therefore his testimony could not be used in court. I have now accumulated over 30 newspaper articles concerning the murder of this man, Jesse Tyree, who was once a teacher and somehow ended up in the Eastern Kentucky Asylum for the Insane in Lexington, Kentucky.

Morning Herald: March 23, 1897

Morning Herald
March 23, 1897

                  AN ASYLUM PATIENT

WHO CLAIMS HE SAW PLATT KILL TYREE, DANGERIOUSLY ILL.

     Jason Reed, a patient at the asylum, who claims that he was present when Arthur Platt killed Jesse Tyree, is very ill and may die. He was sent to the asylum twenty-five years ago suffering from epilepsy.

     In his testimony before the Coroner's jury, Reed said that he knew Tyree and slept in the same room with him. He said he saw the shooting; that he was standing only a few feet from the victim when the shot was fired; that he saw Platt and Tyree coming from the dining room into the day room, Platt pushing Tyree and finally shoving him into a seat, that he heard Tyree beg for mercy, hear Platt say: "I'll kill you now," pull the pistol and fire; saw Tyree fall to the floor to his face, hear Mike McGlade tell Platt he was going to report the killing; saw Platt pack up his valise and leave hurriedly. His mental affliction will debar him from appearing in the witness stand against Platt.

You can read my original post on this intriguing story by clicking on this link: Jesse Tyree: Murder of a "Lunatic"

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While Senator Newby Snored...

One simply cannot become an attorney, a state senator, and a bank president (just to name a few of his myriad accomplishments), without being just a little more clever than a thief.

Article from the Indiana State Journal - March 23, 1898

            SENATOR NEWBY SNORED

Indiana State Journal 23 Mar 1898

WHILE ROBBERS LOOTED THE HOUSE AND GOT A SQUARE MEAL

KNIGHTSTOWN, Ind., March 21. - Saturday night thieves entered Senator L. P. Newby's residence and thoroughly ransacked the back part of the house, and Sunday morning the kitchen and pantry were completely looted. Miss Floss Newby, the senator's daughter, had just arrived home from Greencastle and when she retired for the night her pocketbook containing $5 was left on the kitchen table. This was about all the valuables secured by the thieves. The intruders evidently expected big plunder. The senator had been to Indianapolis that day and he brought home with him on the evening train $4,200, $1,700 of which was in coin, the rest being in paper. The timelock at the state bank had been left open after closing hours for the reception of the money, and when the senator left the train he went straight to the bank and deposited the cash in the vaults. The robbers must have been in the house as much as an hour. They lighted a lantern and went about the rooms as if they were at home, sat at the kitchen table and ate oranges and threw the peelings upon the floor. Then they thoroughly examined several garments in a wardrobe and threw the clothing on the floor. They had a real good time while the Newby family was asleep. It is thought to have been the work of local talent.

Leonidas Perry Newby was the brother of my maternal great, great grandfather, John A. Newby. Click on the link below to read more about Senator Newby: 

Amanuensis Monday: Biography of L. P. Newby

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Wordless Wednesday: Bertha M. Newby

Daughter of John Alby and Mary Louisa (Grunden) Newby, circa 1896.
First wife of Otto E. Armstrong. Died in childbirth with first child. 

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