I attended the Scarborough Historical Society, where I am a member, meeting the other night. It was really interesting. They had taken Scarborough High School yearbooks over the decades and had individuals from many of those years speak about the advertising and advertisers that bought displays in the yearbooks. Initially, one person talked about the development of school yearbooks from the “Profiles of Part of Class Graduated at Yale College” published in 1806, through the addition of photos into yearbooks because of the letterpress process and halftone printing in the 1880s, to the first few years of yearbooks of Scarborough Maine in the nineteen teens. He spoke about those first advertisers and what happened to the businesses over the hundred years since.
Then, individuals that graduated in 1939, 1945, the mid-1950s, and the 1960s each spoke about their respective yearbook advertisers and what happened to many of the businesses and/or their locations. It was a fascinating talk that gave me pause to think….
Milking machine advertisingThe Kanakadea (1921) Alfred College, Alfred, NY Source: Ancestry.Com
I recently found an online yearbook for an ancestor in my Mowbray-Mapes Project. (I’ll be blogging about that find shortly.) I extracted information about the ancestor, photos of him, and clubs he belonged to, but I never considered looking at the advertisers in his yearbook. Who was marketing what to the graduating class? I looked at that yearbook and will definitely will at yearbook advertisers in the future. The advertisers provide an amazing perspective to the life and times. I’ll consider if the ads intended to sell the company as a place for the graduates to work or did the ads intend to sell to the students and/or their family? Understanding the advertisers in a yearbook understanding the community and the businesses that the young people of the day found important.
Lessons Learned:
Analyzing the advertising in yearbooks and incorporate into individual’s history as appropriate.
The stepson of a grand uncle of mine recently contacted me. I had written about his mother and stepfather a few years ago and he found my blog posting to be fascinating. His mother married my grand-uncle when he was about two and a half. In my posting, I mentioned that his mother had a child when he was four-years-old. The child, a boy, was a half-sibling; he and the baby had a common mother but different fathers. What he found so fascinating was that neither he nor his other half-siblings had any knowledge of the child who was born and died about seven weeks later.
My wife commented about the encounter, “What if the mother didn’t want anyone to know?” Was I right in telling the story? It is a tough moral question. I rested my hat upon the following facts:
Both mother and father had passed.
The child had passed (as an infant).
I didn’t name any living individuals in my story.
Last, but not least, I had the sources that told the factual story.
Nevertheless, my wife’s comments made me think. What should be the criteria about when not to tell a story? I try to be careful about never telling the names of living people, is that enough?
A cousin recently asked about Minerva Tolliver Mannin(g)’s Native American background. She wondered “if [I] have any evidence that Enoch and Minerva Mannin were Cherokee?” I told her that I no such evidence and I don’t believe she did (because of my X-Chromosome analysis). I then pointed her to my blog article “DNA, the X Chromosome & Minerva Tolliver Manning.” Then, I thought about the issue a bit more.
Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is quite simple. You receive your mtDNA from your mother. I received mine from my mother, but my son received his from his mother and none from me. Also, mtDNA doesn’t change much over time. That means my mtDNA is the same as my mother’s, which is the same as her mother’s (Madonna Montran), which is the same as her mother’s (Ida Barber), which is the same as her mother (Sarah Blackhurst), and the same as her mother (Fanny Taylor).
The same process is true for Minerva Tolliver Mannin(g)’s descendants. All of her children have her mtDNA, however, only her daughters carry that DNA on to their children. To prove, beyond a shadow of a doubt that Minerva was Native American, if we find a descendant of her daughter’s daughter’s daughter and that person is tested, the haplogroup that descendant is in would prove the descendant was Native American.
Haplogroup Migration Map
Courtesy of Edgarcayce.org.
Native Americans have mtDNA haplogroups A, B, C, D, and sometimes X. My mtDNA haplogroup is T2b, which clearly identifies my maternal ancestry to be from Europe. If the female descendants of Minerva are A, B, C, or D, we can be certain that Minerva was Native American. I Minerva’s female descendants are I, J, K or T, U, V, or W, we can be fairly certain that Minerva’s female ancestry was from Europe.
The key in using mtDNA for genealogy, or any DNA for that matter, is to determine who should be tested in order to prove a particular question. In this case, the proof comes from finding a child of the female line of Minerva and have that individual tested.
I’ll admit, my research into descendants of Minerva is not complete. I welcome anyone who has information regarding her descendants, particularly female descendants, to help me fill in the many blanks and gaps that I have. That said, this is what I think I know.
Minerva Tolliver Mannin(g) had five daughters, Nancy Ann, Sarah Jane, Mary Ermaline, Gresella, and Prudence.
Nancy Ann married Jessie Monroe Barnett. They had four daughters
· Flora Belle, Sarah A. Sadie, and Nettie. I have no further information regarding Sarah, Sadie, or Nettie.
· Flora Belle married George Wesley Horn. They had two or three girls, two of whom died as children. One child, Helen Elvira Horn, married Harold Anderson and lived until 1968. I have no records regarding her children.
Sarah Jane married Joseph Hatfield Bryant. They had five daughters.
· Nancy Ellen Bryant married John M Horn. They had one girl that I know of, Mary A. Horn. I have no marriage information or children information regarding her.
· Adella Mamie Bryant married Elmer Boaz Knowles. They had five daughters. One died as a child, leaving four to consider.
· Elsie Lillian Knowles married Vernon Smalley. I have not information about any children of theirs.
· Clara Lavina Knowles married Luther Elbert Parker. I know of one child of theirs Elsie Joan Parker.
· Lorraine Grace Knowles married Richard Markham Taylor. They had three daughters, two of whom may still be living. I also have information regarding several of those children’s children, so this line may be my best area of further inquiry and contacts.
· Bessie Katherine Knowles married Albert Dickerman. They had one daughter that I know of, Lillian Katherine Dickerman.
Mary Ermaline married Thomas N Jones. I know of no children of them.
Gresella (or Greselle) is a mystery to me. I have no marriage or child information regarding her.
Finally, there is Prudence. I believe she was married twice. Once to Frank P. Bare and again to someone surnamed McDonald. I don’t know of any children that she had.
Actions:
If you are descended from any of these individuals, I would really like to hear from you. I would like to fill in Minerva’s descendants as well as I can. Please contact me either through commenting on this blog posting, directly via my email address (dontaylor50 (at) me.com), or though Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/dontaylor50/).
I will also try to contact any of the descendants that I do know of, particularly in the Knowles, Taylor line and see if any of them would be interested in doing a mtDNA test to prove conclusively if Minerva was Native American or not.
I plan to continue working on my own and fill in whatever descendants that I can.
I recently connected with a third cousin I hadn’t known of through Ancestry DNA. We knew we were a match, but my cousin’s tree was private. After contacting her, she shared her tree with me and we quickly determined our common ancestors are our 2nd great grandparents, John William and Eliza Jane Fannin Manning. I am descended from their daughter Mary and cousin Bonnie is descended from their other daughter Phoebe. Now that I saw her tree information, the question arose in my mind, what do I do with this new information?
Twenty years ago, I probably would have accepted what Bonnie had in her tree, incorporated it into my tree (duplicating much information), and felt that I had a breakthrough finding lots of new information. Today things are a little different. Instead of accepting her work, I reviewed her sources and citations. Did she have sources I didn’t have? Of course, I expected her to have many things regarding her ancestors before our common ancestor and she did. So, I dutifully made notes of those sources and citations so that I may go through them personally and glean what facts I might.
1870 Mortality Schedule entry for Rachael Mannin
Via Ancestry.com
I also reviewed her sources and citations for individuals that we had in common. The vast majority of them were the same as I already had. For example, we both cited the same census records. She did have a couple sources that I didn’t have. One was a US Census Mortality Schedule showing the death of Rachael Fugate Mannin (John William Manning’s grandmother). It provided a cause of death that I didn’t have before. I had the dates for her death from a family bible, but finding collaborating evidence in a census schedule is great. I should have looked for a record in the Mortality Schedule but hadn’t. There were a couple other little things I noticed, for example, she cited John William Manning in the 1850 Census. I hadn’t. I had his father, Enoch, in the census, but hadn’t made an entry in 4-year-old John’s record showing he was living with his mother and father in Bath county, Kentucky and that I had accounted for him in the 1850 census. It is a little thing, but I like to be thorough.
Then, I used my genealogy software to find another ancestor who died during the year preceding the 1870 census. I had one, 3rd great grandfather Stephen Blackhurst. He was in the mortality schedule, which shows he died of dropsy of the bowels (ascites) a new fact regarding another ancestor.I am very happy for the DNA Match with cousin Bonnie and the new facts that sharing information can bring. Thank you Bonnie!
Lessons:
If a person died in the year preceding the 1870 Census, be sure to check for that individual in the mortality schedules.
Sometimes it is the simple things that can be questionable. For example, Charles Fred. Schlotterbeck’s name. On Ancestry.Com there are 2 trees which indicate his name as Charles F. Schlotterbeck. Almost every document I’ve found regarding Charles indicates his middle initial but nothing more. There are 8 member trees which indicate his middle name is Frederick. So, I wondered, where did they get “Frederick” from. One source I’ve encountered, a Christening index, indicates his middle name as “Fred.”; however, it is a leap to say it is “Frederick” from just that. It could just as easily be Fredric or Fredrick. It could be Friduric, Friedrich, or even just plain old Fred and the period in the index was just an interpretation of an errant dot. I’ve emailed a couple of the folks to see what the source for “Frederick” is. I also ordered the microfilm from Family Search to view the original document the index was made from for myself. Possibly, the film will help as well. In any event, I’m sticking with “Fred.” until I see an original source that indicates something else. Even that is tentative until I actually see that original document and not just the index.
SC-04 – Charles Fred. Schlotterbeck (1870-1927)
Charles F. Schlotterbeck
Photo from Mark LeFevre
via Find a Grave
Charles Fred. Schlotterbeck was born 25 Feb 1870, in Hagerstown, Washington county, Maryland, the sixth of eight children of John Jacob and Katherina Bertha (Schmidt) Schlotterbeck. Two of his siblings, Louisa and Emma died before he was born. There is some confusion regarding Charles’ birthdate. His christening index indicates he was born on 23 Feb 1869, however the 1870 Census, taken in June 1870 clearly indicates his age as 3/12 and that he was born in February. So, I am confident that the 1870 year is correct. The 23rd or 25th day might still be in question, again, I’m very interested to double-check the christening record’s original and see if it may have been misinterpreted.
Charles father was a farmer and his mother was keeping house according to the 1870 Census. His two brothers, William and Daniel, and his sister Bettie were living in the same household.
Two more brothers, George & John, were born before the 1880 Census at which time his father was still farming and his two oldest brothers were working on the farm. Charles and his three youngest siblings were attending school.
Charles moved to Martinsburg, West Virginia and met Wilhelmina Fredericka Rumple. They were married at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Martinsburg at a 2 pm ceremony on 24 Oct 1893.
34 East North Street (Today) Hagerstown, MD
Was the Schlotterbeck home in 1920
Photo via Google Maps
Their first child, John Frederick was born ten months later on 24 Aug 1894 in Martinsburg. At the time, Charles was a Saloon keeper. John was the first of eleven children the couple would have.
Their second child, Catherine Anna Schlotterbeck, was also born in West Virginia sometime in 1895-1896.
Their third child, Lillian Marie was born in Maryland in 1897 or 1898, so it appears that the young family moved to Hagerstown by then.
Charles moved to Martinsburg, West Virginia and met Wilhelmina Fredericka Rumple. They were married at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Martinsburg at a 2 pm ceremony on 24 Oct 1893.
Their first child, John Frederick was born ten months later on 24 Aug 1894 in Martinsburg. At the time, Charles was a Saloon keeper. John was the first of eleven children the couple would have.
Their second child, Catherine Anna Schlotterbeck, was also born in West Virginia sometime in 1895-1896.
Their third child, Lillian Marie was born in Maryland in 1897 or 1898, so it appears that the young family moved to Hagerstown by then.
On 14 Sep 1899, Charles and his five living siblings attended a birthday party, in Hagerstown, celebrating his father’s 68th birthday.
The 1900 census finds Charles owning a home at 412 North John St Lane(?). rural Washington County. He is working as a baker. With him is his wife, Minnie, of seven years and four of their children, Frederick, Catharine, Lillian, and Rhinehart.
The 1910 census corrects the address where they were living to 412 North Johnathan Street, a location that is a vacant lot today. Charles still owns the home. With Charles is his wife, this time spelled “Relanins” however, she and Charles had been married for 16 years at this point. Another four children are living in the home, Carl J, “Relanina,” Herbert M, and the baby, Robert J only 11 months old. Charles’s occupation is the proprietor of a bakery.
Marker for Charles &
Whilhelmina Schlotterbeck
Photo posted by Sanebee
Via Find a Grave
The 1920 census shows that Charles and family had moved to 34 East North Street. John Frederick & Catherine had moved out by then and “Relania” (Wilhamina) died in 1910, leaving eight children at home. Living with them was Charles’ brother, George. Charles was working as a baker, this time at a pretzel factory.
The 1922 Hagerstown city directory indicates that Charles moved again, this time to 31 E Lee. Also living at 31 E Lee was his son, Herbert M (also a baker) Lillian M., Rinehart V., and Wilhelmina (John’s wife). I also expect that his minor children would have been living there also making for a very full house.
Charles Fred. Schlotterbeck’s wife, Wilhelmina, died on 6 Apr 1925. Charles followed her two years later dying on 24 Oct 1927. The two are buried at Rose Hill Cemetery, Hagerstown, Washington county, Maryland.
Lessons:
Never accept other people’s work without performing an analysis of where they got their information from. If their citations to match their facts, try to determine how they arrived at the fact in question.
Consider a fact as “tentative” if its source is an index, then seek out the document that the index was created from.
Actions:
Review Christening Document for Charles Fred. Schlotterbeck – Maryland Births and Christenings, 1650-1995 – GS Film number: 859283, Reference ID: p.368.
Sources:
Ancestry.Com Census Records – 1870 US Federal Census – Hagerstown, Washington, Maryland; Roll: M593_596; Page: 84A; Image: 174.
Ancestry.com, U.S. City Directories — Hagerstown, Maryland – 1922 – Pgs 644-645.
Family Search – 1880 US Federal Census – John Schloterbeck, Hagerstown, Washington, Maryland, United States; enumeration district 146, sheet 68C.
Family Search – 1900 US Federal Census – Chas H Schlotterbeck, Hagerstown city Ward 5 (east part), Washington, Maryland, United States; sheet 10A, family 212.
Family Search – 1910 US Federal Census – Chas F Schlotterbeck, Hagerstown Ward 5, Washington, Maryland, United States; enumeration district (ED) 149, sheet 7B, family 159.
Family Search – 1920 US Federal Census – Charles F Schlotterbeck, Hagerstown Ward 4, Washington, Maryland, United States; sheet 4A, family 77.
Family Search – Maryland Births and Christenings, 1650-1995, Charles Fred. Schlotterbeck, 23 Feb 1869; citing ; FHL microfilm 859283.
Family Search – West Virginia Births, 1853-1930, Slanterback, 24 Aug 1894.
Family Search – West Virginia Marriages, 1780-1970, Charles F. Schlotterbeck & Wilhelmina F. Rumple, 24 Oct 1893.
Find-a-Grave – Memorial #42279195 – Charles F Schlotterbeck.
Newspapers.Com – The Herald and Torch Light (Hagerstown, MD) –
Oct 19, 1893 · Page 6 – Approaching Nuptial.
Newspapers.Com – The Mail (Hagerstown, MD) 22 Sep 1899 · Page 14 – A Festal Occasion.
