Nancy Scotton-Skinner:A Hoosier Pioneer

With celebrating Mother’s Day last weekend I was curious to see what info I could find on my direct maternal line. I know a lot about my own mom, and her mom (my wonderful grandma), her mother and even her mother and her mother as well, that takes me to my g-g-g-grandmother Martha Ellen “Mattie” Parsell-Brewer, her mother was Sarah Skinner-Parsell and her mother was Nancy Scotton-Skinner, my g-g-g-g-g-grandmother. I know very little of Nancy and her life. So I will see what I can discover!

Sarah Skinner-Parsell, Jessie Brewer-Bishop with son Clarence and Mattie Parsell-Brewer. 

I consider myself lucky to know the maiden name of my g-g-g-g-g-grandmother, Nancy Scotton. The name was listed on the death certificate of her daughter, Sarah Skinner-Parsell, the informant being Sarah’s daughter, Mattie Parsell-Brewer. 

The 1850 census shows us a farmer named Daniel Skinner living in Hancock county Indiana, with his wife Nancy and their children Elizabeth, Susan, and Ebenezer. I know from other family records that my g-g-g-g-grandmother Sarah had a sister named Susan and brother Ebb. This Elizabeth is a new name for me. Further proof that this is the right Daniel and Nancy is that they are living next to John and Sarah Parsell with their daughters, Mattie and Mary.

One of my favorite parts of Nancy’s paper trail is that her eldest daughter, Sarah was born in Indiana on the 12^th of November, 1816. For those of you who don’t know, Indiana officially became a state on the 11^th of December, 1816, so Daniel and Nancy Skinner were settled in Indiana before it gained its statehood!

So where did Nancy come from before she made her way to Indiana? She was born in either Delaware or Maryland, based on census records. I was lucky enough to find the headstone of Nancy on find-a- grave.com and confirm her birth and death dates. Nancy was born 12- Nov- 1797 and died 14-Apr-1868. 

I am without a lead as to who were the parents of Nancy, but I believe that I have found a brother. Nancy is buried in the Scotton (or Scotten) cemetery in Hancock County, Indiana. Also in the cemetery is an Emery Scotton.  

Celebrating the life of Rev. W. B. Smith.

This month rather than diving deep into a family mystery that I’ve solved, I’m going to do something a little different, I want to honor the birth of one of my ancestors. On St. Patrick’s 1905 my Great-Grandpa William Byus Smith was born in Elwood Indiana to Ara Smith and Eliza Olive (Bright)Grandstaff-Smith. He was their 5^th child together; I’m sure that if you would have asked his parents they never would have guessed that they would end up with eight more! (Let’s not forget that Eliza had a daughter named Bertha from her first marriage as well.) 

Rev. William Byus Smith 

Bill(as he was called) married for the first time in 1924 to Anna O. Balser(who I wrote about on my blog in November 2016 in a piece called “The Two Anna’s”) Anna and Bill’s marriage sadly ended in 1940 when Anna died. In 1941 (around the time he became a pastor) Bill married a widow and mother of three young daughters named Mary Melissia (Webb)Eurick. Mary and Bill had two children together: William Arthur Smith in 1942 and Nettie Bea Smith in 1947.

Bill died on the 18^th of November, 1970. There is a lot to tell about Bill’s life but today I just want to share some photos.        

William B Smith (the youngest known photo of him)

Bill at age 19

Anna and Bill Smith (the only know photo of Anna)

Bill Smith taken in the 1930's on South R. st Elwood, Indiana

 

Mary and Bill with their son Billy

Bill cutting one of his last birthday cakes.

Bill and Mary Smith

Lottie's Letters

A of the post cards from Lottie dating from 1906 to 1920

Soon after I got into genealogy, I started reading old letters and going through postcards that my mom’s mom had that belonged to her mom, Mildred Sarah Bishop-Hunter. I found over a dozen postcards and many letters from “Cousin Lottie.” There was one problem she had no known cousin named Lottie. Of course I looked for Charlottes and any “L” name happened to be. Mildred had many female cousins. On her mother’s side there were four and on her father’s side there were seven, none of them fit the bill. As I looked them over again I realized this “Cousin Lottie” often spoke of a Carson. The postcards were postmarked Kokomo, Indiana. Those hints helped but lead me nowhere.  

Then it happened! I found a letter in the envelope marked Mrs. F. Delon, sure enough the letter was signed “Cousin Lottie” and she spoken of her son Carson.  Now the task at hand was to find out if cousin Lottie or this F. Delon was the true relation and who married into the family.

I looked for a marriage record for a Lottie that married a F. Delon.  Thankfully I knew that they lived in Kokomo. I looked in Howard County and I was pleased to find on the 22^nd of September 1908 Lottie Patterson married Frances Delon. Sadly the Patterson surname meant nothing to me at the time. So I knew my next step was to find the maiden names of their mothers.

I was able to locate a marriage record for Lottie and Frances and found that her name Patterson was the name from her first marriage, her maiden name was McAlpin. That name was important. Mildred (the recipient of the letters) was the daughter of Jessie Brewer-Bishop, her mother was Martha Ellen Parcell-Brewer. Martha’s only sister was Mary Elizabeth Parcell-McAlpin. I had not yet traced Mary’s family, but sure enough this Lottie Delon was born Charlotta H. McAlpin, the first cousin once removed from Mildred, my great-grandmother.

Lottie and Carson at home

Since I found out who Cousin Lottie was I looked into her family, her only child was Carson born in 1898. He married and became a druggist moving to Connecticut where he raised his three daughters.

Carson and his wife Leah in 1924 

Lottie stayed in Kokomo until her death in 1936, she was 61.

Lottie in 1894 (age 20)

Lottie’s Letters reminded me of how close I am with my cousins; first, second, third and everything in between as well as some that are farther down. This was just another lesson in the importance of researching the marriages and the children of our aunts and uncle no matter how far back they are in the family tree.

From Lottie, 1914 

Carrie Bishop: A Lady of Class

Looking at family trees I have noticed a sad reoccurring trend with unmarried siblings of ancestors; they are too often forgotten. Their legacy is ours to keep alive. One woman in my tree that lived an interesting life was Carrie Bishop. Carrie Bishop was born on the 20^th of April, 1885 in Greenwood, Indiana, the daughter of John Jacob Bishop and Eliza Ellen Wilson-Bishop. She was the sixth of seven children. Her father came to Indiana from Virginia and her mother from Kentucky.

Carrie Bishop 

Carrie had a life of “rural privilege” her father was an industrial man; he had been a store clerk in his younger days and became a prosperous farmer and served as the town’s postmaster general for many years.

The Bishop children front l-r Jacob, Fred and Frank. Back l-r Mable, Carrie and Flora

In 1907, at the age of twenty-two, Carrie began work at the Greenwood Bell Telephone company as an operator and their bookkeeper.  

She truly was a woman ahead of her time, quickly becoming the manager of the telephone company. She retired in 1950 after 43 years of service. A ceremonial dinner was held in her honor at which time she was gifted an orchid and a diamond pin. 

Carrie hard at work

Carrie was a lady of great class; she was known for dressing up and attending the local opera, and she often traveled across the country to visit family and friends. 

After the death of her parents she had a home built next to her brother Jacob’s home, it was a Cape Cod design, when it was finished in 1936 it was wrote about in the newspaper calling it “lovely.” It seems that everything Carrie did was noteworthy. Her home was full of antiques and other fine things.

Although Carrie never married or had children of her own she took great joy in her nieces and nephews and her great-nieces and great-nephews, shown in the many letters she sent.

Carrie went to her heavenly home on the 15^th of December, 1961 at the age of 76. She is buried next to her parents and many of her brothers and sisters in the Greenwood City Cemetery. 

Carrie

The most important message I have to fellow genealogists is to take the time to trace the aunts and uncles in your tree that never married or had children, you may be surprised by what you find!

   

There is now a children’s book about Carrie! “A Day at Aunt Carrie’s” written by my cousin Amelia N. Williams and myself, it is our first children’s book! It is based off of the stories that we heard growing up from our grandmother Bernice E. Smith, about her mother’s aunt, Carrie Bishop. It takes place in 1948 in Greenwood, Indiana. Not only does the book have eleven fully colored illustrated pages, it also features a biography of the real Carrie Bishop, photographs of her, and genealogy notes about the Bishop family as well.

The Ghosts of Christmas Past

For my December blog I have decided to do something a little different. I’m sharing photos of Christmas heirlooms and my ancestors during the season.  Enjoy! 

  

A postcard from 1908 sent to my Great-Grandma Mildred S. Bishop-Hunter, from her Aunt Hattie Brewer.

Taken in the late 1920's my G-G-G-Grandparents John J. and Eliza E. (Wilson) Bishop in their Greenwood, Ind home. (Oh, how I wish I had that spinning wheel!)

From the Elwood Call-Leader, my Great-Grandma Mary Melissia Webb-Eurick-Smith's letter to Santa Claus.  

Christmas ornaments that my maternal Grandma Bernice Hunter-Smith put on her tree as a teen in the 1950's. They now go on my tree!


   

     

A poem that was written and published by my step-Great-Grandma Georgia A. Fowler-Ellis in 1971.

                                    

             One of my favorites! My Great-Grandma Mildred Hunter's "Shiny Brite" tree. She had this for years and years

                     

Here is a gem from the past. These are the children of John and Eliza Bishop. The sons are Jacob (my G-G-Grandpa), Fred and Frank. The daughters are Mable, Carrie and Flora. We believe it was taken in Christmas 1894.

                                     

                                              My Great-Grandma Anna Marie Hahn-Gwinn-Cornwell, with Santa in the late 1980's.

       

A copy of  the Christmas postcard my G-G-Grandma Jessie Brewer-Bishop sent out to family and friends in 1906. These are the two children she had at the time Mildred (my G-Grandma) and Clarence.

              

       This is a poem that my cousin Amelia Nicole Williams and I wrote, it is not yet an heirloom but it will be some day.

MERRY CHRISTMAS! 

The Two Annas

This is the story of two women both named Anna. I am not related to either one of them, but each played a big part in my family history. My mom’s paternal grandparents are Rev. William Byus Smith and Mary Melissia Webb-Smith. Mom’s maternal grandparents are Rev. Oscar Green Hunter and Mildred Sarah Bishop-Hunter. Before William and Mary, there was William and Anna. Before there was Oscar and Mildred, there was Oscar and Anna.

I’ll start with Oscar Hunter’s Anna, as I knew more about her from the beginning of my genealogy research.

Anna E. May 

Anna Elizabeth May, born 8-Dec-1902 to William May and Lucy Tomlinson-May in Kentucky. She married Oscar Green Hunter, 24-Oct-1919 in Cincinnati, Ohio. She was sixteen and he was twenty. I’m lucky enough to have a little bit of insight on Oscar and Anna when they dated; there are many letters that Oscar wrote her during his service in World War I. Anna’s letters however are not to be found. Nearly every letter he would start off with “Dear Little Friend.” I have been able to gather from his responses to her that she was working in a shop of sorts and that she was close with his family that also lived in Cincinnati. I was able to get their marriage application, listing her as a hat maker. Oscar was a listed as a clerk.

One day after their first anniversary, Anna gave birth to a daughter, Dorothy Ruth Hunter. 1920 census lists only Oscar and Anna, as Dorothy was not born when it was taken. 

Oscar and Anna with Dorothy 

Then the little Hunter family suffered a terrible blow. Anna died of tuberculosis on 4-Feb-1922, she was only nineteen. Oscar was a twenty-two-year-old widower and Dorothy sixteen-month-old baby without a mother. Her obituary said, “She was the beloved wife of O. G. Hunter” Oscar’s dairy listed 4-Feb-1922 simply as “A dark day.”

Anna Hunter 

Years later, in 1935, Oscar married Miss Mildred Bishop, but that is a story for another time…..

Now to William’s Anna.  This is what I knew when I started. William a.k.a. Bill was nineteen and Anna Omega Balser who was thirty-four, a little unusual for the time. She died at the age of fifty on 4-Nov-1940 in Elwood, Indiana. Bill and Anna had no children and Her parents were Henry and Stella Balser. I had a lot of work to do. 

The only known photo of Annie, with her is her husband Bill

It took a while and my big find was found by mistake. Bill’s mother Eliza Olive a.k.a. Lida Bright-Smith’s sister Clara’s 2^nd husband was Rev. Jasper Newton a.k.a. Nod Alderman. Clara and Nod had two children and while looking for birth records for them I found birth records for Nod’s son (from a previous marriage) Richard’s children, their mother was listed as Annie Balser. Sure enough it was Anna Omega Balser.  Now Anna’s story was getting interesting. 

I found that Anna Omega Balser married John Richard Alderman on 19-Jul-1904 she was fourteen and he was a twenty-five-year-old divorced man. As I said earlier, Anna and Richard had children, they had three, all of which died young. The eldest child’s name is unknown at this time. The obituary serves as the only record of this child’s life.

The following month their daughter Pansy May, died on 4-Jul-1906, she wasn’t even seven months old. Years had gone by and Anna and Richard had a son, Arthur William, born 12-Feb-1920 in Elwood, Indiana. He died 31-Oct-1921.

I saw from newspaper articles there were a hand full of times that Anna had filed for divorce; it wasn’t always easy for a woman to get a divorce back then. She filed for the last time in Jul-1924, coming to the judge with a black eye, and claiming among other charges that he would not support her. The divorce was granted 17-Oct-1924, and upon her request her name was changed back to Balser.

A month later Anna married William Byus Smith on 19-Nov-1924, Anna died fifteen days shy of sixteen-years of marriage.   

Branching out: The Cholos

A lot of family researchers are unsure if they should trace their step-families or not. I say go for it! My step-dad’s family is my family, because of love. Full, steps, halves, adoptees:  it’s all family, yet it is very important to state the hows and the whys, people need to know their own roots. This brings me to “Branching Out” I have learned so much about my step-dad’s family tree, I want to share a story from that side once and awhile.  

The Cholos. What can I say about the Cholos? They have an unusual surname, they were migrants and their story, it is full of mysteries.

The Cholos Andrew and Anna with Dorothy, George and Mary

My Step-Great-Grandpa was George J. Ellis, he was son of Dorothy Cholo. When I started genealogy, I looked at the photos my mom had scanned and copied a couple of years before. There in the photos was(were) the Cholo family. Dorothy was the little girl with dark hair. The parents’ names? The other girl and the baby?

George J. Ellis (who I miss dearly) 

I had a family story that Grandpa Cholo was in a Russian prison camp, and escaped by stealing a horse from a drunken guard and rode to Ukraine. The horse died and he met a farmer, he worked for the farmer and soon married the farmer’s daughter. They came to America and had Dorothy and the other children. That was about it. Then I started to ask Grandpa Ellis more precise questions, and I got some answers and I also used Ancestry.com.

I found the 1930 census with a single woman named Dorothy Ellis living in Roscommon, Michigan with her four children: Virginia, Robert, George and Leonard. Next-door were Andrew and Anna Cholo with their children, George and Helen, also two grandsons, Andrew and Nicolas Barber. It listed that Andrew and Anna were both from Yugoslavia.

Now I had names! I could search for Andrew and Anna. In 1940 they were still in Roscommon, this time they are listed as being from Germany. Living next to them was daughter Dorothy and her family; she was now married to Charles Phillips. On the other side of the Cholos was daughter Helen, now married to Gus Yak.

Then I found the 1920 census listing Andrew and Anna was being from Serbia, this time they had two other daughters, Mary and Rose. There are stories of another son, Stephan, that moved back to the old country. I have found no documents to back that up.  

Andrew and Anna Cholo about 1925

I wanted to find the names of both Anna’s and Andrew’s parents. Anna died in 1943, her death record lists her parents as Andrew Micholson and Dorothy Bechup. Locating Andrew’s death certificate, I see his daughter, Dorothy, was the informant, she didn’t know the names of her grandparents, so there were no parents listed.

Anna in the 1930's with her chickens 

    

I was contacted by the daughter of George Cholo, and she sent me a photo that turned out to be Andrew and Anna’s wedding photo.

Bride Anna and Groom Andrew(all others are unknown)

Shocked and amazed were two of the best words to describe how I felt. The timing couldn’t have been better, I was able to get it printed that day and take it to Grandpa Ellis (Andrew and Anna’s grandson) for Father’s Day. He called it the best gift he ever got. To see your grandparents as a young bride and groom for the first time in your eighty’s! I can only imagine how he felt.

I hit a dry spell in the Cholo story. Almost two years later, however, I had two big discoveries.

First I found the Americanization paper for Andrew, it listed, in his words, his place of birth! Selekluc, Austria. (So why was his birth places listed as Serbia, Yugoslavia and Germany earlier? Well, European boarders change all the time and for whatever reason, the Cholos seemed to like their secrets.)         

Then I found the marriage record for Andrew and his second wife Margaret McWatters-Ingles in late 1943. Andrew listed his parents as John Cholo and Thessa Barrow.

Andrew died in 1956, he and Anna are buried in the Elmwood Cemetery, in Grayling, Michigan. Maybe one day I’ll be able to trace the family back even further, but for now I’m pretty content.   

This photo of Andrew was taken only days before his death

      

There is a favor I would like to ask of any Cholo that might read this, please write to me with any info you have!