Wordless Wednesday – 03/31/10

James Manly Garrison (1861-1909)

James Manly GARRISON, son of James or John GARRISON [1] and Susan —?—, [2] was born on 26 December 1861 in Picton, Ontario, Canada. [3]  James died on 23 May 1909 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois at the age of 47. [4]  He was buried at Oakridge Cemetery in Hillside, Cook, Illinois on 26 May 1909. [5] It is likely that James’ father died before 1871, as he is not listed in the 1871 Canadian census.  Additionally, nearly all mentions of Susan in the Detroit city directories indicate she is the widow of James (sometimes John).  It is not known when or where Susan died.  I have a receipt from Mt. Olive Cemetery in Chicago issued to J M Garrison for the remains of Susan Garrison dated 29 April 1894.  It is quite possible it was for his mother Susan.  No death record has been located in Detroit (her last known residence) or Chicago, the presumed place of burial.

James Manly GARRISON, with son James Norton, ca. 1896.

Another speculation on James’ mother Susan is that she may have been Susan DOLAND.  In the 1871 Canadian census, she is listed in the same household as a Doland family; the ages suggest she could be a daughter.  No additional research has been done to confirm or disprove this theory.

Between 1871 and 1874, James moved from Ontario, Canada to Detroit, Wayne, Michigan.  At some point between 1881 and 1893, he relocated to Chicago, Cook, Illinois.  James returned to Ontario prior to September 1895, where his first son, James Norton GARRISON was born.  By 1897 he was back in Chicago until his death in 1909.

On 23 January 1893, James married Sarah Jane “Jennie” MULLIGAN in Chicago. [6]  Sarah, the daughter of James MULLIGAN and Sarah Norton WEBSTER, was born 16 April 1870 in Flint, Genesee, Michigan. [7]  Sarah died on 26 April 1947 in Chicago. [8]  She was buried at Elm Lawn Cemetery in Elmhurst, DuPage, Illinois on 29 April 1947. [9]  Sarah was raised in Flint, and by 1892, she was living in Chicago.

Children of James Manly GARRISON & Sarah Jane MULLIGAN

James Norton GARRISON, born 19 September 1895 in Petrolia, Lambton, Ontario, Canada; [10] died in September 1962 in Ohio. [11]  He married Lorene or Lorraine PLATT 15 July 1922. [12]

Joseph Webster GARRISON, born 4 January 1898 in Chicago; [13] died 23 July 1930 in Chicago. [14]  He never married and had no children.

Emma Jane GARRISON, born 3 November 1901 in Chicago; [15] died 20 October 1970 in Elk Grove Village, Cook, Illinois. [16]  She married John Ward McMAHON, son of Timothy James McMAHON and Sarah Jane WARD, [17] 26 May 1923 in Chicago. [18]

Robert P GARRISON, born 12 November 1904 in Illinois (probably Chicago); [19] died 19 December 1984 in Kissimmee, Polk, Florida. [20]  He married Florence BOAM, daughter of William Harrison BOAM and Lillian Elizabeth ELMORE, [21] September 1929. [22]

Next Research Steps

• Determine the identity of James Manly GARRISON’s father.  Then determine when he and Susan married, as well as when and where he died.
  
• Research further to see if Susan —?— is actually Susan Doland.
  
• Determine when and where Susan died.

  

Source Citations

1.  Weeks Jacob W.J. W. Weeks & Co., Detroit City Directory, 1874: 264; digital images, Footnote (www.footnote.com).  Weeks Jacob W.J. W. Weeks & Co., Detroit City Directory, 1887: 614; digital images, Footnote www.footnote.com. 

2.  1871 census of Canada, district 59, sub-district F Division 2, Sophiasburgh, Prince Edward, Ontario, p. 10, dwelling 29, family 32, Susan Garrison; RG 31; digital images, Ancestry (www.ancestry.com : accessed October 27, 2009). 

3.  Sarah Jane (Webster) (Coffinger) Mulligan, Family Bible Records, 1801-1936, Holy Bible (unknown: unknown, ca. 1850), privately held by Julie Marie Cahill Tarr, Normal, Illinois, 2001; This Bible belonged to Sarah Jane Webster; it was given to her by her father Calvin Price Webster in 1853.  It is believed that the chain of custody is as follows:  Sarah Jane (Mulligan) Garrison, Emma (Garrison) McMahon, Joan Garrison (McMahon) Cahill, Joseph Cahill, Julie (Cahill) Tarr (current owner).  The bible is in critical condition; very frail and falling apart.

4.  Cook County, Illnois, death certificate no. 13981 (1909), James M Garrison, Cook County Coroner. 

5.  Ibid.

6.  State of Illinois, marriage license no. 195934 (1893), James M Garrison and Sarah J Mulligan; Cook County Clerk. 

7.  Sarah Jane (Webster) (Coffinger) Mulligan, Family Bible Records, 1801-1936. 

8.  State of Illinois, death certificate, no. 13632 (1947), Sarah Jane Garrison, Department of Public Health. 

9.  Ibid.

10.  Ontario, Canada Births, 1869-1909, 000385, 29 - 015704, James Norton Garrison; digital image, Ancestry (www.ancestry.com: October 3, 2008). 

11.  Social Security Administration, "Social Security Death Index," database, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed October 3, 2008), entry for James GARRISON, 1962.

12.  Sarah Jane (Webster) (Coffinger) Mulligan, Family Bible Records, 1801-1936.   

13.  Ibid.

14.  State of Illinois, death certificate no. 23090 (1930), Joseph W Garrison; Cook County Clerk. 

15.  State of Illinois, birth certificate, no. 241968 (1901), Emma Jane Garrison, State of Illinois Department of Public Health. 

16.  State of Illinois, death certificate, no. 05180 (1970), Emma Jane McMahon, Illinois Department of Public Heath. 

17.  Cook County, Illinois, birth certificate no. 11701 (1902), John McMahon, Cook County Clerk.

18.  City of DeKalb, Illinois, marriage certificate, no number listed (1923), John McMahon and Emma Jane Garrison, City Court of DeKalb. 

19.  Sarah Jane (Webster) (Coffinger) Mulligan, Family Bible Records, 1801-1936.

20.  "Florida Death Index, 1877-1998," database, Ancestry (www.ancestry.com : accessed March 31, 2010), Robert Paul Garrison (1984). 

21.  1920 U.S. census population schedule, Chicago Ward 35, Cook, Illinois, enumeration district (ED) 2281, sheet 9B, dwelling 135, family 201, William Boam (head); digital images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed March 25, 2010); citing National Archives and Records Administration microfilm T625, roll 357. 

22.  Sarah Jane (Webster) (Coffinger) Mulligan, Family Bible Records, 1801-1936.

My Take on NBC’s Who Do You Think You Are? Series

I have faithfully watched the first four episodes of NBC’s Who Do You Think You Are? series, and will watch the final three when the air.  Overall, I find the episodes engaging and I always learn something.  But something was bugging me, and I think I' finally figured out what.

Because the show is not geared specifically to the professional or advanced genealogist,  methodology is really not shown, and I’m okay with that.  I feel the purpose of the show is to get people interested in learning more about their family history, and by focusing on the interesting stories of well-known celebrities, it will likely draw people in to both the show and in pursuing their own histories.

I watched a few of the episodes with my husband, and I found myself saying, “It’s really not that easy.”  Again, I get the purpose of the show, but at the same time, they make it look so easy that I’m afraid people will get discouraged once they start to explore their roots and realize it’s not as easy as the show makes it out to be.  But that wasn’t really the thing that bugged me the most.

While I understand that it is necessary to conduct research in the area where your ancestors lived, I also know this is not always possible.  Time and money often prevent us from actually visiting the areas ourselves so sometimes you have to rely on other means to obtain such information, like films from FHL, contacting county or town clerks, and perhaps finding a local researcher.  That’s what irks me about the show.  A clue is uncovered, and bam…off to the next location.  While it’s interesting to see the places they visit and the information they uncover while there, I would think this would discourage many people from wanting to explore their family's history, as I’m sure most don’t have the time or money to do that kind of research.  So while the show is aimed at encouraging people to explore their own ancestry, at the same time, it may be discouraging them given the current format. 

In one breath, they make it seem so easy; you blink and you have a new clue or an answer.  But in another breath, they present it in a manner that leads one to believe you can only find the answers by hopping on a plane each time you find a new clue.  Don’t get me wrong, it' certainly makes the stories more interesting when you see the actual places and see the person’s experience in that place.  But is that the reality of genealogy research for the average person?  Probably not.  For most of us, it’s probably more renting FHL films; corresponding with employees of archives, county courthouses, and libraries; and maybe even working with a researched in the area of interest.

Regardless of my opinion on the matter, I still think it’s a great show.  The variety or stories is fantastic, from New England history (including witch trials), to slave ancestry, to Jewish heritage, to war heroes.  I think it’s helping people learn about history in general and will encourage people to seek out their own family histories.

Wordless Wednesday – 03/24/10

Happy birthday to me!

Diigo Bookmarks (weekly)

• Colonial Connecticut Records

  tags: no_tag

• ShoeString Genealogy

  tags: no_tag

• HistoryLink.org- the Free Online Encyclopedia of Washington State History

  tags: no_tag

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Friday Finds – 03/19/10

Weekly column sharing genealogy-related things that I’ve learned or found.

Article – I came across an article written by Kory L. Meyerink, entitled Witches in Colonial America.  The article even includes a list of those accused based on several sources.  During my own research, I found two sources that indicated that Mary REEVE Webster (wife of William Webster, who was the son of Gov. John Webster) was tried and acquitted for witchcraft in 1684.  She does appear on the list in the article, with some additional information.

Education– FamilySearch is offering video courses on their website.  So far, the Research Series Classes Online offers courses on the following topics:  England Beginning Research, German Research, Ireland Research, Italy Research, Principios básicos para la investigación genealógica en Hispanoamérica (México), Research Principles and Tools, Russia Research, and U.S. Research.  Note:  Some courses require the use of Microsoft’s Silverlight.

Article – I love the magazine Chicago.  They always have interesting feature articles related to the city, many times of a historical nature.  In the March 2010 issue, there was an article written by Geoffrey Johnson entitled, “Camera Obscura.”  The article talks about a woman photographer named Beatrice Tonnesen, who lived and worked in Chicago in the early 1900s.

Irish Genealogy– Kimberly Powell created a list of 12 Top Web Sites for Researching Irish Ancestors at About Genealogy.

Irish Genealogy – Ancestry has published the Ireland, Famine Relief Commission Papers, 1844-1847 collection.  For more information, refer to Ancestry’s blog post Personal Accounts of the Irish Famine Now Online.

Wordless Wednesday – 03/17/10

NIGS – First 3 Classes Complete

In January, I decided to work toward a certificate program offered by the National Institute for Genealogical Studies.  I’m working on the American Records certificate, and have completed my first three classes:  Methodology Part 1, US Census Records, and Electronic Resources.  I started my fourth course, US Land Records on March 1st, and will begin two more courses (Methodology Part 2 and US Vital Records) on April 5th.

So far, I’m enjoying the courses.  I’m learning new things in a structured way, which is helping with my research.  Since these first courses are the Basic Level, there is some overlap with what I already know, but in some cases, it serves as a reminder and is strengthening my knowledge. 

Most of the assignments are practical.  For example, we had to analyze an 1870 Products of Industry schedule of the census.  For me, this was a great exercise, as I had never used this type of schedule prior to this class.

The one thing I don’t like so much is that you don’t really get any feedback from the instructors.  Each level has an Analysis & Skills Mentoring course, where you do “meet” with the instructor twice during the course.  But so far in the other courses, I have not received any feedback.  It is possible that you get feedback upon the completion of the course, but technically, my three course do not end until March 28th (I have completed all the assignments and the exam though).

Some of the assignments are “public” meaning you post them to a message board type tool and others can view your answer (likewise, you can view others’ answers).  You have the ability to send an email message to a classmate, but not the ability to comment directly on their assignment post.  I think this would be a nice feature.

One thing I’ve noticed from the public assignments, is the lack of thought from a few of the students.  In some cases, it seems that they’re just posting a quick answer without putting much thought into it.  In other cases, I’ve seen people basically give the impression that they only use Ancestry for their research, without regard to other resources.  Then, why, I ask, are they taking these courses?  They don’t really seem open to learning about additional resources, and these classes are not exactly cheap.  I truly hope that my impression is wrong, but I fear some of them may simply be after the certificate and postnomials PLCGS (Professional Learning Certificate in Genealogical Studies).  Regardless of the other students’ intent, I am set on learning all that I can to enhance my research and analysis skills.  The certificate and postnomials are a bonus.

Slowly Breaking Through Emil’s Brick Wall

I’ve written about my second great-grandfather, Emil Miller, many times in this blog.  Each post reveals new information or new leads, and ends with next steps.  I’m happy to say that I have found more information, namely a divorce file, which is answering many of my questions (and of course posing new ones).

I had my favorite Chicago researcher, Cynthia, perform a search of the divorce record index for Cook County looking for a divorce for Emil and Hulda Miller from about 1891 to 1901.  She was able to find an index entry and passed along the case file number.  I then ordered the file from the Cook County Court Archives.  Surprisingly, the entire process only took about three weeks.

When the envelope came in the mail, I immediately opened it and starting skimming the papers.  On one of the first few pages was a listing of the children with their ages, matching my family.  Further proving it was the right family was the testimony of Hulda’s brother, Henry Wach.

So, I have the right family, and apparently my instinct about divorce was correct.  But the file held much more information, solidifying some hunches, but also making me ask more questions.

What Did I Learn?

First, my hunch about the 1900 census and Chicago city directory listings for Emil Miller living at 29 Clarinda was confirmed.  The summons was left at Emil’s usual place of residence, 29 Clarinda.  And Hulda’s testimony also noted that they had lived together on Clarinda.

The bill of divorce and Hulda’s testimony indicate that Emil had apparently “left” Hulda about 1895.  Hulda’s testimony further states that two of the children were living with Emil’s “mother,” and one was living with Hulda.  The divorce proceedings took place at the end of 1900, and with the information about the address, I am certain that the 1900 census listing is for Emil and his two sons, Henry and Emil.

There is no indication that Emil appeared in court or provided a deposition.

More Questions

Given the previous uncertainty of the 1900 census I found for Emil, I had always questioned who the “mother-in-law,” Mary Chewrinsky, was who was living in Emil’s household, if in fact it was the right family.  Now that I am certain that this is the right family, I am even more confused about who Mary is.  The summons states the following:  “Served this writ on the within named defendant Emil Miller by leaving a copy thereof for him at his usual place of abode with Mary Miller, his mother member of his family, a person of the age of 10 years and upwards, at the same time informing her of the contents thereof, this 14th day of November 1900.”  To further complicate things, Hulda states in her testimony that they lived on Clarinda Street “with his mother.”  So who is Mary?  Is it Emil’s mother who perhaps remarried taking the surname Chewrinsky?  Her death certificate doesn’t provide any additional clues.

Why did Emil and Hulda separate?  And why did Hulda wait five years to file for divorce.  My guess is that she filed at the end of 1900 because she had met someone she planned to marry (she remarried on 18 January 1901, just over a month after the divorce was final).

Original Questions Still Unanswered

When did Emil die?  I now know that he was alive in November 1900 when the summons was left at his home.  I would assume that since the divorce was granted in December 1900, he was alive at the time, even though there is no evidence he appeared in court or provided a deposition.  This assumption is based on the idea that the divorce would not have been needed had he died.  It is possible that he died between 1901 and 1909 and that sons Henry and Emil went to live with (or near) their mother in McHenry County, as I am able to place both of them there (Henry in 1909 and Emil in 1912; both sons eventually returned to Chicago).

When did Hulda die?  Research indicates that her second husband remarried again before 1920.  So it is possible that Hulda died between 1910 and 1920.  It is also possible they divorced during that time period.

Additional Information

The 1900 census indicates an immigration year of 1881 for Emil.  Since I was able to place the family at 29 Clarinda, I was able to find a voter register for Emil in 1892.  The register indicates that he had been in Cook County, Illinois for 11 years, suggesting that he moved straight to Chicago upon arriving in the U.S.  The voter register also indicates that he was naturalized on 17 October 1892 with papers filed in the Cook County Circuit Court.  An index search of naturalization papers did turn up Emil Miller living at 29 Clarinda, with a naturalization date of 17 October 1892.

Next Steps

• Obtain a copy of the naturalization papers found in the index (mentioned above).
• Keep searching for the correct death record for Emil, focusing on Chicago between 1901 and 1909.
• Search McHenry County for a death record for Hulda between 1910 and 1920.  If that turns up nothing, look for divorce records in the same time period in McHenry County.
• Try to figure out who Mary is.  Is it Emil’s mother?  The 1900 census indicates that they both immigrated in 1881, so it is possible.
• Search for passenger lists for Emil leaving Germany around 1881 (+/- a few years).

Related Posts

• Brick Wall – Emil MILLER/MULLER
• Finding Emil
• An Update on Emil
• New Development in the Emil Miller Case

Diigo Bookmarks (weekly)

• Witches in Colonial America | ProGenealogists

  by Kory L. Meyerink

  tags: no_tag

• Digital Collections & Programs (Library of Congress)

  tags: no_tag

• Illinois Digital Archives

  tags: no_tag

• Chronicling America - The Library of Congress

  View pages from select newspapers and find information about newspapers for a particular location and time period (also shows holdings).

  tags: newspapers

• Glossary of Old Occupations & Trades

  via About.com

  tags: occupations

• Michigan County Histories and Atlases

  tags: Michigan, history

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Friday Finds – 03/12/10

Weekly column sharing genealogy-related things that I’ve learned or found.

Website – At About.com Genealogy, there is a wonderful resource, Glossary of Old Occupations & Trades.

Article – An informative article by Emily McMackin, entitled “Pride of the Irish,” in the March/April 2010 issue of American Spirit (a publication of the DAR).  It was interesting to see the role the Irish played in the formation of America, from politics to culture.  This is a good read for anyone with Irish heritage or an interest in early American history.

Carnival – The first edition of the Carnival of Genealogical Societies was posted the other day.  There are 15 articles in this debut issue, highlighting a project or publication of a particular genealogical society.

Wordless Wednesday – 03/10/10

My Genealogical Maturity

I came across a post yesterday at The Ancestry Insider, entitled, Rate Your Genealogical Maturity.  Since I’ve only been doing this for a few years, I thought I’d take the “test” and see how I rate.  Here are my results:

Sources – Right now I’d rate myself as Practicing: “ Uses a limited number of record types and repositories. Mostly relies on online and microfilmed sources.”  Although I am starting to branch out in to more record types and repositories.  Score = 3

Citations – For this, I’m Proficient:  “Gives complete and accurate source citations including provenance and quality assessment.”  Score = 4

Information – I’m between Practicing and Proficient.  Practicing:  “Judges information by source type, informant knowledge, and record timing. Applies "primary/secondary" to information instead of sources.”  Proficient:  “Additionally, learns history necessary to recognize and evaluate all explicit information in a source.”  Score =3.5

Evidence – For this I’d have to say Stellar, which is capturing both direct and indirect evidence whether in support or conflict.  Score = 5

Conclusions – Right now, I’d have to say Practicing (although I aspire to Stellar), which is:  “Learning to evaluate the quality of sources, information, and evidence. Emerging ability to resolve minor discrepancies.  Additionally, resolves conflicting evidence or uses it to disprove prevalent opinion. Usually applies correct identity to persons mentioned in sources.”  Score = 3

Conclusion Trees – This would be Practicing:  “Never merges entire compiled genealogies into own tree. Contributes or changes community trees only with evidence.”  Score = 3

Overall score = 21.5, placing my overall genealogical maturity at Practicing.  I think this is absolutely accurate. 

It’s also refreshing to know that even though I haven’t been doing genealogy all that long, I have moved beyond the “beginner” title.  I aspire to higher standards in my research, and am taking steps to make that happen.  I belong to NGS and NEHGS and learn so much from reading their publications.  I have purchased several reference books published by well-respected genealogists so I can learn more about research methodology and record types.  I also started taking courses at the National Institute for Genealogical Studies.  I try to take all that I learn and implement it into my own research.

Diigo Bookmarks (weekly)

• The Bailey's Free Genealogy Forms

  tags: no_tag

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Friday Finds – 03/05/10

Records – The Cook County, Illinois Birth Certificates, 1878-1922 collection on FamilySearch Pilot Record Search has been updated.  Since there is no longer a bar indicating the percent complete, I wonder if that means it’s 100%.  Gotta pull out my to-do list and get to work!

Research – I’m definitely on the right track with my Emil Miller research.  I received the divorce record a few days ago, and it is without a doubt my ancestors.  Look for a blog post soon about my new discoveries.

Wordless Wednesday – 03/03/10