California: Here I Come (3 Weeks until Jamboree 2014)

Yes - Three weeks until my husband and I drive to California.  (We live in Arizona, so the drive isn't too far.)  We'll be driving about 330 miles to a town in Riverside County called Anza.  That's where our son, daughter-in-law and grandchildren live:  rural, smaller community, high-desert.

We'll spend one day there and then Walt will drive me to Burbank to Jamboree.  We'll stop on the way at a cemetery in Los Angeles where his parents are interred and we'll take photos of their grave markers.  The last time we were there his Dad's marker wasn't completed.  This is the beautiful Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills Cemetery. And some of the markers are incredible works of art.

Then, we'll drive the rest of the way to Burbank and check into the hotel.  Walt and I will drive around Burbank.  He graduated from Burbank High School, back when.  We'll walk San Fernando Boulevard and enjoy the beautiful trees that line the streets.  We'll visit a couple of used bookstores and look up at the residences that are above the stores.  What a great place to live!  Then, dinner, back to the hotel, and an evening of rest.

Walt spends the night with me and then drives back to Anza on Thursday morning.  He usually sleeps in while I get up to go the the special day at Jamboree before the actual conference begins.  This year the topic is DNA, just as it was last year.

I'll have one DNA day, 2 1/2 conference days, and then Walt will pick me up Sunday afternoon.  We'll stop and have brunch, and then be back on the road to Anza, arriving in time for dinner with family. 

52 Ancestors: #19 Joseph M. Parker (abt 1811-1877)

Joseph M. Parker was born in Kentucky, about 1811.  I have no idea who his parents may have been.

He married Elizabeth Leach in 1850 in White County, Illinois.  I also have no idea who her parents were although I believe she was also born about 1811 but in Illinois.

Joseph and Elizabeth had ten children before Elizabeth died in 1862 in Jefferson County, Iowa. 

Ann Parker (1830 IL-1917 IA) married Albert Bryan in 1850 in Iowa.

Sarah Parker (abt 1833 IL-1899IA) married John C. Layton in 1862 in Iowa.

Margaret Parker (1834 IL – aft 1910 ?) married Joseph Stone in 1862 in Iowa

Louise Parker (abt 1837 IA – 1870-1880 ?) married John Richard Russell in 1860 in Iowa.

Thomas Benjamin Parker (1837IA – 1915 IA) married Ann Eliza Russell in 1862 in Iowa. 

               John Richard Russell and Ann Eliza Russell were siblings.

James Parker (abt 1845 IA – aft 1870)

George Dallas Parker (1847 IA-1922 IA) married Lucinda Olive Heckethorn (spelling varies widely) in 

                      1871 in Iowa

Mary Parker (abt 1850 IA - ?) married William A. Bryan in 1875 in Iowa.

Ira Parker (abt 1853 IA – after 1860)

Iowa Parker (1855 IA-aft 1870) married, I believe, Joseph W. Harner in 1874 in Iowa.

After Elizabeth died in 1862 and was buried in Mount Zion Cemetery, Joseph married Sarah Stone in March 1865.  Joseph and Sarah had four children.

Joseph died in 1877 in Jefferson County, Iowa and was buried in Evergreen Cemetery.

If you are interested in collaborating in this research, please contact me.

52 Ancestors: - #18 Mary Shane Lemon King Merriott (1812-1892)

 Mary Shane Lemon was born in July 1812 in Berkeley County, Virginia, which is now a county in West Virginia.  I believe that her parents were James Shane and Catherine.  In online trees Catherine’s last name varies and I have no birth record for Mary that indicates a name for her mother, other than Catherine or Katherine. 

Mary married George Lemon about 1832.  I am speculating that George was born about 1810 in Virginia.  George Lemon and Mary had two children: George (1833-1864) and Jane Frances (1834-1927).  Later census records indicate that George was born in Ohio and Jane Frances was born in Virginia, but this is not confirmed.

In the 1850 census for Peoria County, Illinois, George and Jane F. are living with his mother Mary King, and children Elizabeth (1842-1918), James (1845-1918), Joseph (1846-1920) and Rufus (1847-1915) King.  A marriage index for Illinois shows that Mary Lemon married William King in July 1839 in Peoria County. 

In the 1860 census Mary is enumerated with William Merrett and has children listed as John T. Merrett, age 5, and Rufus King, age 12. 

According to an obituary in the Brimfield News for Brimfield, Peoria County, Illinois for January 14, 1892, Mary Shane was born in Berkeley County, West Virginia.  At age 24 she moved to Illinois with her father and other family members and then married William King.  Then, in 1857 she was again married, but to William Merriott. 

I am researching the descendants of Mary’s daughter Jane Frances Lemon who married Thomas Greenslade Blackmore.  AND, then, naturally, I am trying to document the ancestors of Mary Shane Lemon King Merriott, as well as the ancestors of her first husband George Lemon.  If you are interested in sharing information about this family please contact me.

52 Ancestors: #17- John William Doyle (1829-1898)

John William Doyle was born in Belmont County, Ohio in February 1829, I believe.  At this time his parents are not known.  A marriage record dated 27 October 1850 in Marshall County, Virginia (which is now West Virginia) shows John Doyle marrying Rebecca Johnson.  In the 1850 census, it appears that both John and Rebecca are in the same household.  So were they living together before they were married?  Just curious.

John and Rebecca had four children that I know of:

Wiley Augustus Doyle (1851 VA/WV- 1924 CO) married Melissa Jane Adams

Mary Emma Doyle (1853-1933) who married Oliver Bryan (I wrote about them earlier)

William Franklin “Frank” Doyle (1856 OH-1928 CO) who married Dora Cleo                  Speckelmire/Specklemier, or other variations of the spelling
James Bruce Doyle (1856 IL-1911 CO) who married Della Ann Speckelmire (various also). 

Yes, the two ladies were sisters, daughters of John Calvin Speckelmire and Charity Mullen.  And there are SOOO many different ways I've found this last name spelled.

In 1858 Rebecca died in Randolph County, Illinois.  I am looking for cemetery records for her.

In September 1862, John enlisted in Company A, 110^th Regiment, Illinois Volunteer Infantry.  He was discharged in June 1865, at the end of the Civil War.  John and his children lived in Jefferson County, Illinois in 1870, but moved to Rawlins County, Kansas, before 1880.

John William Doyle died in January 1898 in Rawlins County, Kansas and was buried in the Achilles Cemetery in Rawlins County.

I would like to collaborate with anyone researching any of these people. 

 SPECIAL NOTE:

I would like to thank Amy Johnson Crow of   No Story Too Small  for encouraging us in our writing attempts for our ancestors.  This is the address in case the link doesn't work.  http://www.nostorytoosmall.com/posts/challenge-52-ancestors-in-52-weeks.  I missed my deadline one week, but this has been a great incentive for me to organize at least a little bit of information about each ancestor on a regular basis.  And, Amy also has been compiling a list every week in a recap.  This list is of all of those blogs and surnames that we have been writing about.  So, I check down the list every week to see if someone else has written about any of those people that I'm also researching.  Thank you, Amy.

GRIP 2015 Classes

What a surprise in my email box last night.  GRIP (Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburgh) announced that it will have TWO sessions next summer (2015), with two weeks in between.  How exciting!!!  Check here for all of the information.  GRIP 2015 classes  Also, as you can see, there are a few seats open in some of the 2014 classes. 

If you have questions about GRIP, you can contact the coordinators, Elissa or Debbie OR I'll be glad to tell you about my wonderful experiences the past two years and how much I'm looking forward to July in Pittsburgh, AGAIN.   

52 Ancestors: #16 - Ann Parker Bryan (1830-1917)

Ann Parker was born in 1830 in White County, Illinois.  I believe her parents were Joseph Parker and Elizabeth Leach Parker.  Ann married Albert Bryan on 12 November 1850 in Jefferson County, Iowa.  She spent the rest of her life living in Iowa, mostly in Poweshiek County.

Albert and Ann Parker Bryan had five children:

Oliver Bryan (1851-1944) Iowa to California [married Mary Emma Doyle]

William Morrison Bryan (1853-1938) Iowa to California [married Belinda N. Alexander]

Sarah Emily Bryan (1855-   ) Iowa

Alice Edna Bryan (1859-1925) Iowa to South Dakota [married Edward Alonzo Stone]

Joseph Theodore Bryan (1865-1950) Iowa to California [married Mary Jane Good]

I believe that Ann died in Montezuma, Poweshiek County, Iowa.  I don’t know which cemetery she may be buried in, and I have been unable to acquire a death certificate.  If you have any knowledge of Ann or this family, I would like to collaborate with you.  Please contact me.

52 Ancestors: #15 Albert Parker (1815-1902) Ohio to Iowa

Albert Bryan, son of Morrison Bryan and Rhoda Johnson, was born on 29 July 1815 in Greene County, Ohio.  He married Ann Parker on 12 November 1850 in Jefferson County, Iowa.  In 1847 Albert was granted a land patent in Fairfield, Mahaska County, Iowa.  Albert worked as a farmer and a master carpenter.  He spent the rest of his live in Poweshiek County, Iowa.

Albert and Ann had five children.  I was able to follow four of the five children, I have been unable to determine what happened to Sarah Emily Bryan who was born in 1855 and was listed in the 1860 census. So, the children of Albert and Ann were

Oliver Bryan (1851-1944) Iowa to California [married Mary Emma Doyle]

William Morrison Bryan (1853-1938) Iowa to California [married Belinda N. Alexander]

Sarah Emily Bryan (1855-   ) Iowa

Alice Edna Bryan (1859-1925) Iowa to South Dakota [married Edward Alonzo Stone]

Joseph Theodore Bryan (1865-1950) Iowa to California [married Mary Jane Good]

I believe that Albert is buried in the I.O.O. F. Cemetery in Montezuma, Poweshiek County, Iowa.  I have been able to acquire a death certificate.  Also, I am looking for information about a grave marker in order to get a photo of it.
 

If you are interested in any of these family members and would like to collaborate, please contact me.