Surname Saturday – REEDER (France / Georgia / Iowa / Illinois)

Mary Eva REEDER (or LASSER) is my second great-grandmother. I am not certain if Reeder or Lasser is her maiden name because each of the records I currently have list one or the other. I suppose it's possible that she was married once before and that one of the names could be a married name. Perhaps one day I will know the answer, but for now, I'm sticking with Reeder. This family has been difficult to research for many reasons, but mainly because they moved around the country several times.  My direct line ancestors are in blue.

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First Generation

1.

Mary1 Eva REEDER was born Cal 18 March 1849 in France and died on 26 October 1889 in Iowa, probably in Linn County. Mary married Phillip ROTTMAN before 1870, possibly in France. Phillip was born about 1835 in Bavaria, Germany, and died on 24 June 1885 in Golden, Jefferson, Colorado. Children from this marriage were:

+ 2	i.	John2 W ROTTMAN was born in July 1870 in Henry County, Georgia, and died before 11 October 1937 in Linn County, Iowa.
3	ii.	Louise ROTTMAN was born on 19 October 1871 in McDonough, Henry, Georgia, and was baptized on 27 May 1873 in Louisville, Jefferson, Kentucky. She likely died before June 1880.
4	iii.	Gottlieb ROTTMAN was born 14 January 1873 in Louisville, Jefferson, Kentucky, was baptized on 27 May 1873 in Louisville, Jefferson, Kentucky, and died on 10 July 1873 probably in Louisville, Jefferson, Kentucky, where he is buried.
5	iv.	Anna E ROTTMAN was born in April 1874 in Missouri and died in 1964. Anna first married Joseph W ZARUB on 24 December 1896 in Marion, Linn, Iowa. Joseph was born in February 1874 in Iowa. Anna married second, Jacob M HOAG on 18 December 1912 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois. Jacob was born in 1871 in Illinois and died in 1949.
6	v.	Malissa Elizabeth ROTTMAN was born in 1875 in Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and died between 1896 and 1900. “Lizzie” married Joseph RUSHEK on 6 April 1896 in Big Grove, Johnson, Iowa. Joseph was born on 13 August 1874 in Solon, Johnson, Iowa.
7	vi.	Charles Henry ROTTMAN was born on 11 August 1877 in Ivanhoe, Linn, Iowa, and died on 11 February 1927 in Wilton, Muscatine, Iowa. Charles married Rosanna Elizabeth "Anna" BEATTY on 14 April 1899 in Cedar Rapids, Linn, Iowa. Rosanna was born on 25 November 1880 in Sugarcreek, Cedar, Iowa, and died on 24 July 1958 in Wilton, Muscatine, Iowa. They had 13 children.
8	vii.	Mabel Louise ROTTMAN was born on 28 September 1879 and died on 1 April 1961. Mabel married Paul Frederick William HAASE on 8 May 1901 in Solon, Johnson, Iowa. Paul was born on 3 May 1877 in Germany. They had two children.
+ 9	viii.	George ROTTMAN was born on 19 June 1882 in Mount Vernon, Linn, Iowa, and died on 19 February 1946 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois.

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Second Generation

2.

John2 W ROTTMAN (Mary1 Eva Reeder) was born in July 1870 in Henry County, Georgia, and died before 11 October 1937 in Linn County, Iowa. John married Melvina E HORN, daughter of Samuel HORN and Mary A MARSHALL, on 31 December 1891 in Lisbon, Linn, Iowa. Melvina was born in October 1862 in Johnson County, Iowa, and died in 1944. Children from this marriage were:

10	i.	Ethel3 Mary ROTTMAN was born on 29 May 1892 in Mount Vernon, Linn, Iowa, and died on 17 November 1986 in Iowa. Ethel married George W COSTER, son of James COSTER and Alice F KING, on 21 September 1920 in Lisbon, Linn, Iowa. George was born on 8 September 1893 in Mount Vernon, Linn, Iowa and died on 26 January 1954 in Mount Vernon, Linn, Iowa.
11	ii.	Clarence Leo ROTTMAN was born on 20 September 1895 in Mount Vernon, Linn, Iowa, and died on 6 November 1985 in Mount Vernon, Linn, Iowa. Clarence married Marguerite Alma COSTER, daughter of James COSTER and Alice F KING, on 10 December 1919 in Lisbon, Linn, Iowa. Marguerite was born on 23 April 1899 in Mount Vernon, Linn, Iowa, and died on 12 November 1978 in Iowa.

9.

George2 ROTTMAN (Mary1 Eva Reeder) was born on 19 June 1882 in Mount Vernon, Linn, Iowa, and died on 19 February 1946 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois. George married Anna E STOFFEL, daughter of Carl "Charles" STOFFEL and Mary BRAUN, on 12 February 1914 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois. Anna was born on 19 January 1887 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois, died on 12 June 1936 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois. It is possible that George was married once prior to Anna (still working on this). Children from this marriage were:

12	i.	Edward3 George ROTTMAN was born on 14 December 1915 in Illinois, and died on 10 January 1968 in Mundelein, Lake, Illinois. He served in the US Army during World War II. Edward married Helen –?– after 1940. Helen was born on 23 November 1920 and died on 23 December 1999 in Wisconsin.
13	ii.	Margaret Ann ROTTMAN was born on 28 January 1918 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois, and died on 12 June 1999 in Round Lake, Saratoga, New York. Margaret married Lawrence Henry "Turk" COMERFORD, son of Nicholas D COMERFORD and Margaret A FREEMAN, on 22 July 1940 in Cook County, Illinois. Lawrence was born on 9 November 1916 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois, and died on 9 September 1970 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois.
14	iii.	Marie Ethel ROTTMAN was born on 29 April 1920 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois, and died on 20 July 1989 in Bensenville, DuPage, Illinois. Marie married Harold Leslie MILLER, son of Emil Karl August MILLER and Alma Mary LEPPIN, on 6 July 1939 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois. Harold was born on 4 August 1918 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois, and died on 15 June 1982 in Maywood, Cook, Illinois. Marie and Harold are my grandparents.

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Disclaimer: Information is based on research completed as of 17 April 2013. Some details have been omitted to protect the privacy of living relatives.

Sources: Available upon request.

PDF Available: The content of this post is available as a PDF through Scribd and may updated periodically as new information is found.

Other Blog Posts: To see other posts about the Reeder family, click here. To see other Surname Saturday posts, click here.

Contact: If you would like more information about this family, or would like to share what you know, please contact me at genblogjulie@gmail.com.

Surname Saturday: Rottman (Bavaria / Georgia / Iowa / Illinois)

Ah, now we get to talk about my crazy ROTTMAN family.  The earliest known ancestor is Philip ROTTMAN, my second great-grandfather.  He apparently came to the US from Bavaria, Germany.  This family has been difficult to research for many reasons, but mainly because they moved around the country several times.  My direct line ancestors are in blue.

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First Generation

1.

Philip1 ROTTMAN was born about 1835 in Bavaria, Germany and died on 24 June 1885 in Golden, Jefferson, Colorado.  He married Mary Eva REEDER (or LASSER) before 1870 possibly in Germany or France. Eva was born cal. 18 March 1849 in France and died on 26 October 1889 in Iowa. Children from this marriage were:

+ 2	i.	John2 W ROTTMAN was born in July 1870 in Henry County, Georgia, and died before 11 October 1937 in Linn County, Iowa.
3	ii.	Louise ROTTMAN was born on 19 October 1871 in McDonough, Henry, Georgia, and was baptized on 27 May 1873 in Louisville, Jefferson, Kentucky.  She likely died before June 1880.
4	iii.	Gottlieb ROTTMAN was born 14 January 1873 in Louisville, Jefferson, Kentucky, was baptized on 27 May 1873 in Louisville, Jefferson, Kentucky, and died on 10 July 1873 probably in Louisville, Jefferson, Kentucky, where he is buried.
5	iv.	Anna E ROTTMAN was born in April 1874 in Missouri and died in 1964.  Anna first married Joseph W ZARUB on 24 December 1896 in Marion, Linn, Iowa. Joseph was born in February 1874 in Iowa.  Anna married second, Jacob M HOAG on 18 December 1912 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois. Jacob was born in 1871 in Illinois and died in 1949.
6	v.	Malissa Elizabeth ROTTMAN was born in 1875 in Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and died between 1896 and 1900.  “Lizzie” married Joseph RUSHEK on 6 April 1896 in Big Grove, Johnson, Iowa. Joseph was born on 13 August 1874 in Solon, Johnson, Iowa.
7	vi.	Charles Henry ROTTMAN was born on 11 August 1877 in Ivanhoe, Linn, Iowa, and died on 11 February 1927 in Wilton, Muscatine, Iowa.  Charles married Rosanna Elizabeth "Anna" BEATTY on 14 April 1899 in Cedar Rapids, Linn, Iowa. Rosanna was born on 25 November 1880 in Sugarcreek, Cedar, Iowa, and died on 24 July 1958 in Wilton, Muscatine, Iowa.  They had 13 children.
8	vii.	Mabel Louise ROTTMAN was born on 28 September 1879 and died on 1 April 1961.  Mabel married Paul Frederick William HAASE on 8 May 1901 in Solon, Johnson, Iowa. Paul was born on 3 May 1877 in Germany.  They had two children.
+ 9	viii.	George ROTTMAN was born on 19 June 1882 in Mount Vernon, Linn, Iowa, and died on 19 February 1946 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois.

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Second Generation

2.

John2 W ROTTMAN (Phillip1) was born in July 1870 in Henry County, Georgia, and died before 11 October 1937 in Linn County, Iowa.  John married Melvina E HORN, daughter of Samuel HORN and Mary A MARSHALL, on 31 December 1891 in Lisbon, Linn, Iowa. Melvina was born in October 1862 in Johnson County, Iowa, and died in 1944. Children from this marriage were:

10	i.	Ethel3 Mary ROTTMAN was born on 29 May 1892 in Mount Vernon, Linn, Iowa, and died on 17 November 1986 in Iowa.  Ethel married George W COSTER, son of James COSTER and Alice F KING, on 21 September 1920 in Lisbon, Linn, Iowa. George was born on 8 September 1893 in Mount Vernon, Linn, Iowa and died on 26 January 1954 in Mount Vernon, Linn, Iowa.
11	ii.	Clarence Leo ROTTMAN was born on 20 September 1895 in Mount Vernon, Linn, Iowa, and died on 6 November 1985 in Mount Vernon, Linn, Iowa.  Clarence married Marguerite Alma COSTER, daughter of James COSTER and Alice F KING, on 10 December 1919 in Lisbon, Linn, Iowa. Marguerite was born on 23 April 1899 in Mount Vernon, Linn, Iowa, and died on 12 November 1978 in Iowa.

9.

George2 ROTTMAN (Phillip1) was born on 19 June 1882 in Mount Vernon, Linn, Iowa, and died on 19 February 1946 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois.  George married Anna E STOFFEL, daughter of Carl "Charles" STOFFEL and Mary BRAUN, on 12 February 1914 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois. Anna was born on 19 January 1887 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois, died on 12 June 1936 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois.  It is possible that George was married once prior to Anna (still working on this). Children from this marriage were:

12	i.	Edward3 George ROTTMAN was born on 14 December 1915 in Illinois, and died on 10 January 1968 in Mundelein, Lake, Illinois.  He served in the US Army during World War II.  Edward married Helen –?– after 1940. Helen was born on 23 November 1920 and died on 23 December 1999 in Wisconsin.
13	ii.	Margaret Ann ROTTMAN was born on 28 January 1918 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois, and died on 12 June 1999 in Round Lake, Saratoga, New York.  Margaret married Lawrence Henry "Turk" COMERFORD, son of Nicholas D COMERFORD and Margaret A FREEMAN, on 22 July 1940 in Cook County, Illinois. Lawrence was born on 9 November 1916 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois, and died on 9 September 1970 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois.
14	iii.	Marie Ethel ROTTMAN was born on 29 April 1920 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois, and died on 20 July 1989 in Bensenville, DuPage, Illinois.  Marie married Harold Leslie MILLER, son of Emil Karl August MILLER and Alma Mary LEPPIN, on 6 July 1939 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois. Harold was born on 4 August 1918 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois, and died on 15 June 1982 in Maywood, Cook, Illinois.  Marie and Harold are my grandparents.

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Disclaimer: Information is based on research completed as of 2 February 2013. Some details have been omitted to protect the privacy of living relatives.

Sources: Available upon request.

PDF Available: The content of this post is available as a PDF through Scribd and may updated periodically as new information is found.

Other Blog Posts: To see other posts about the Rottman family, click here. To see other Surname Saturday posts, click here.

Contact: If you would like more information about this family, or would like to share what you know, please contact me at genblogjulie@gmail.com.

Genealogy By the States – Week 2 – Pennsylvania

Ah, Pennsylvania, that pesky state where two of my great-grandaunts claim to have been born.

First, Malissa Elizabeth ROTTMAN, both the 1880 US census and the 1885 Iowa state census state her place of birth as Pennsylvania.¹  An index entry in the Iowa marriages database on FamilySearch states Philadelphia as her place of birth² (no, I have not seen the actual record…ran out of time at the FHL last February).  Yet I have not found a birth record for her in Philadelphia.

Her sister, Mabel ROTTMAN, according to the same two censuses, was born in Iowa.  Later censuses also list Iowa as her place of birth.  Yet for some reason, her obituary states her place of birth as Philadelphia.³  I have yet to find a birth record for her in either place.

This particular family is incredibly difficult to research.  According to the 1880 and 1885 censuses mentioned above, their father, Philip ROTTMAN, was born in Bavaria, and their mother Eva, was born in France.  I have no clue when or where they married or when they immigrated to the US.  These same censuses also suggest they where all over the place, based on the places of birth for their children:

Child	Year of Birth	Place of Birth
John	1870	Georgia (possibly Henry Co.)
Anna	1874	Missouri
Malissa Elizabeth	1875	Pennsylvania (possibly Philadelphia)
Charles Henry	1877	Iowa (probably Linn Co.)
Mabel Louise	1879	Iowa (probably Linn Co.;obit suggests Philadelphia, Penn.)
George	1882	Iowa (probably Linn Co.)

I have not been able to locate birth records for any of the children.  The next step is to figure out what church(es) they might have attended when they were living in Mt. Vernon, Iowa (where the last three children were likely born) and try to find some baptism records.

Another oddity of this family is the maiden name of the mother, Eva.  On some children’s records she’s listed as Reeder, while on others, she’s listed as Lasser.  Could Philip have married two different woman with the same first name?  Could Eva have been married previously and one name is her maiden name, while the other is another married name?  Who knows!

So do I have a connection to Pennsylvania?  Sure, I have a few here and there.  But through this particular family?  Perhaps.  Once I’m able to dig a little deeper into Philip and Eva, maybe there will be a bigger connection to Pennsylvania, perhaps siblings of one or the other.  And if I do find some sort of connection, there are some great records already online through Ancestry and FamilySearch, as well as plenty of resources at the Family History Library that I can start with.

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Sources

1.  1880 U.S. census, population schedule, Mt Vernon, Linn County, Iowa, enumeration district (ED) 264, p. 14, dwelling 118, family 121, Phillip Rotman; digital images, Ancestry (www.ancestry.com : accessed 2 February 2010); citing National Archives and Records Administration microfilm T9, roll 351.  Also, 1885 state census, Iowa, population schedule, Franklin, Linn County, p. 321 (stamped), dwelling 81, family 81, line 6, Phillip Rotman; digital images, Ancestry (www.ancestry.com : accessed 11 December  2009).

2.  "Iowa Marriages 1809-1992," database, FamilySearch (familysearch.org : accessed September 2, 2010), Rushek-Rottman, 1896.

3.  "Mable Haase Rites Held Wednesday," (Mt. Vernon) Hawkeye Record, 6 April 1961.

Genealogy By the States is a theme created by Jim Sanders over at the Hidden Genealogy Nuggets blog.

Resources for Genealogy Research in Iowa

In September, I wrote about my Link Collection to Various Genealogy & History Resources Online.  This collection is my Diigo bookmark library targeted at genealogy.  I created a list for each state, as well as a few countries and various topics.  There is also a list for general genealogy resources.  Over the next week or so, I will highlight some of these lists.

Iowa Genealogy

Following is a list of my favorite Iowa resources.   I use many of them on a regular basis.

Iowa Digital Library – This website is maintained by The University of Iowa Libraries.  There are dozens of digital collections, including Women’s Suffrage in Iowa, Iowa Counties Historical Atlases, Iowa Maps, and Historic Iowa Children’s Diaries.

Iowa WPA Graves Survey – Tombstone transcriptions that were originally collected by the Works Progress Administration in the 1930s.

State Historical Society of Iowa Archive Holdings – Information on the records they have. Also has a death index, by county, for deaths prior to 1935.

Digital Archives of Cedar Rapids Public Library – Free access to digital images of several area newspapers, including Des Moines and Marion, as well as Cedar Rapids city directories and telephone books.

Iowa History Timeline – Good timeline of events relative to Iowa history, from eReference Desk.

Roster and Record of Iowa Soldiers in the War of the Rebellion – Six volumes of books of Iowa regimental histories and soldiers related to the Civil War.

• Volume 1 - Covers 1st through 8th Infantry Regiments.
• Volume 2 - Covers 9th through 16th Infantry Regiments.
• Volume 3 - Covers 17th through 31st Infantry Regiments.
• Volume 4 - Covers 1st through 9th Calvary Regiments.
• Volume 5 - Covers 32nd through 48th Infantry Regiments.
• Volume 6 - Covers miscellaneous organizations of the Mexican War, Indian campaigns, War of the Rebellion and the Spanish-American and Philippine wars; together with historical sketches of volunteer organizations.

Visit Iowa Genealogy for the entire list of Iowa resources, or visit my library to see my entire collection and other lists.

I’m always updating these resources, so be sure to check back regularly.  To receive updates to the Iowa Genealogy list, you can subscribe via RSS.  You can also subscribe to my entire collection at for updates to all of my lists.

Newspaper Search Helps Identify Family Photo

A few weeks ago, I discovered digitized copies of newspapers for Cedar Rapids, Iowa at the Digital Archives of the Cedar Rapids Public Library website.  I made several discoveries for my Rottman family that lived near Cedar Rapids.

One of those finds has to do with the identification of a car that my mother was photographed in when she was a child.  I know that sounds strange, but it’s true.

Below are two photos of my mom, her brother, and their cousin in an antique (by today’s standards) car.  I had no idea where the photo was taken, nor what the year, make, or model was of the car.

While I was doing my newspaper searches, I came across an article in the 14 August 1955 issue of The Cedar Rapids Gazette entitled, “Antique and Classic Autos at Fair.”  In part, the article states:

“A 1904 Cadillac owned by Donald and Robert Rottman of Lisbon.  This car was purchased new by the Rottmans’ grandfather and is in its third generation in the family.”

When I saw the year of the car, I had a déjà vu moment and thought about the photos above of my mom and the old car.  Since there was no photo in the article, I put my thoughts aside, and continued my newspaper search.

Later, I came across another reference to the car in a photo caption, which was in the 11 July 1966 issue of The Cedar Rapids Gazette. 

The caption reads:

“AN AFTERNOON PARADE was one of the Legion day features in Mt. Vernon Saturday.  In this photo, from left, Roland Rottman, 9, David Rottman, 8, both of Mt. Vernon, and Cindy Levien, 14, of Solon ride in a 1904 Cadillac, which was one of the units in the parade.”

Although it’s hard to tell from the newspaper photo if it’s the same car that my mom was photographed in, I was of the opinion that it was certainly possible.  I now had two references to this car and the family, so I emailed my mom both newspaper clippings and asked her if it was the same car.  Her response was “Yes—think it’s Bob Rottman’s.”  And according to the first article, indeed it was connected to Bob.

The first article indicated that Robert and Donald’s grandfather purchased the car new.  That grandfather could have been either John Rottman or James Coster…another mystery for another day.

And All the Stars Aligned

It has been one heck of a week, okay more like one heck of a couple of months, but I digress.  But amidst the chaos, I did experience serendipity.  One by one the stars aligned and led me to quite the discovery.  It’s a mystery I knew I’d solve one day, but figured it would take a tremendous amount of time and research in facilities and records that are not exactly nearby.  But in a strange twist of fate, there it was.

The Back Story

Barbara is a cousin of mine and we met in early 2008 when she emailed me about a common ancestor, Philip Rottman.  We exchanged a few emails and then lost touch until June 2010.  We converse here and there about our Rottman clan periodically through Facebook, trying to learn more about Philip and his wife Mary Eva.  Neither of us has had much luck on this front.

The Stars Begin to Align

The other day, Barbara posted a note on my Facebook wall about a possible passenger ship record for Mary Eva.  Several comments were exchanged, one of which was the following (in part)  from Barbara: 

“…Aunt Anna always said her father told her that Phillip left the family and went to Colorado where he died in a bar fight...He had asked Mary Eva to go with him, but she refused...just a family story, but it may have a hint of truth….”

My response was:

“In my grandmother's notes, there is a mention of Golden, Colorado by his name...the story could very well have some truth to it.”

Here I had someone else mention Colorado, so now I’m working with the assumption that the reference my grandmother made about her grandfather and Golden, Colorado had to mean something.

On Wednesday night, I was reading the September issue of Family Tree Magazine and checking out their top 101 website list.  Listed was Colorado Historic Newspaper Collection.  Now mind you, I’ve known about this possible connection to Colorado for years and I have checked for death records and online newspapers in the past, but this website seemed new to me, and since Barbara and I were on the subject of Philip and Colorado, I made a note of the website.

Last night, I was checking out some of those 101 top websites and came to the Colorado newspaper one.  I did a quick search for Rottman, Rotman and Rothman (all with double “n” too) and got nothing.  Not knowing how good the OCR search was, I decided to browse by newspaper.  I looked at the newspaper in Golden and the ones in Denver, but none of them had the time period I was looking for.  Bummer.

All Hope is Not Lost

I then wondered if I had ever searched GenealogyBank for a newspaper article.  I was sure I had, but they add new stuff all the time.  Something told me to go there and search again.  I did a search for Philip Rottman and a bunch of New Jersey papers came up.  And just as I was about to throw in the towel and get back to what I had previously been doing, I saw it:  an 1885 article in a Denver newspaper.  I just knew it had to be him, right?

I start reading the article.  It seemed promising.  The man was a “stranger” and fell out of a window to his death.  Blah, blah, blah, they don’t know him, his son is there, yaddy-yadda…it seems like this is going nowhere and that there will not be enough information to determine if this is MY Philip.  Then I get to the last paragraph, it starts:

“During the day something was learned of the man.  His name was Philip Rothman and he came from Lisbon, Iowa…”

Mind you, the opening paragraph included his name (the surname was spelled Rottman).  Why it took to the last paragraph of a fairly lengthy article to get to this, well I’m sure the foresight was to annoy me some 120 years later.

Anyway, I knew from that second sentence, this was without a doubt, my Philip Rottman.  The article goes on to talk about his wife, whom he was separated from, and children, suggesting that part of what Barbara has heard was in part, true.

Then, to add even more dancing to the already super-happy dance, it mentions that “he has a mother living at Lisbon, Iowa, who is about 75 years of age.”  Seriously?  While a name would have been nice, just that fact that his mother apparently immigrated to the US, was 75, and living in Lisbon is certainly a huge step forward in learning more about this family.

Another Moral This Week

Even though I was focused on several other things this week, and not really working on this family, something pulled me in a different direction, namely, cousin Barbara.  Then the events followed they way they did in a nice, neat package.  It just goes to show you that things really do happen for a reason.  And, when life hands you a box of chocolates, you better stop what you’re doing and open it…you never know what you might get!

A PDF version of the newspaper article can be read here (I hope, I always seem to have problems with Google Docs).

Rottman Letter, 23 November 1943

A continuation of letters written by my great-grandfather, George Rottman.  The letters were written to his children while he was away from home visiting family in Iowa and Wisconsin in the 1940s.

This letter was written on 23 November 1943 to Marge (Rottman) Comerford.  A transcription follows the images.

    

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Lisbon Ia
Nov 23-43

Dear Marge and all,

Received your letter also books and knee pad and stamps thanks for same I dont wear it all the time as it seems to draw or something.  My knee is better to-day and yesterday so maybe it is good for awhile now.  I got a pair of knee warmers so you dont have to get any.  You must of had quite a party on Shirley would of liked to of been there  I got a letter from Ed and when he lets me know when he is comming I will get there some way.  I dont think the Buses will be too crowded where you get a seat and hold it all the way there.  Well Mabel and Alma had an argument and Mabel left so Rose and I are here alone again.  I have to do some of the cooking or at least watch it and dish up sometimes  I killed a rooster this A.M. so Rose is putting it on to cook now 1:30 P.M. it ought to get done in time for supper.  We have plenty of eggs to eat.  Fishing is out altho we have some yet they are froze.  Ducks are all gone and its no good rabbit hunting till it snows.  I got a squirrel the other day.  Clarence and Donald are husking corn down to Lee Pickets.  I have been doing the chores all except milking and the chickens.  Lots of water to pump but they have a gas engine on the pump and I start it when it starts which is when it feels like it.  The other morning I cranked and cranked till I got tired then went in the house and sat down read part of a paper went out and just came up on the crank once and away it went.  Thats the way it acts  He is going to put in an ele[c]tric motor when he gets around to it and gets things lined up. Vina has been worse the last 3 days.  She keeps Rose busy washing pads and changing her she messes all over the bed like an infant  So I do quite a bit in the house Alma dosnt do anything down here.  I have enough reading matter to last me quite a while as I dont get long to read at a time only at night then I go to bed early.  Well I guess this is all I can think of this time so will close hoping to hear from you soon and see you soon too

Love to all

Dad

Transcribed by Julie Marie CAHILL Tarr, 24 August 2008.

Rottman Letter, 6 October 1943

A continuation of letters written by my great-grandfather, George Rottman.  The letters were written to his children while he was away from home visiting family in Iowa and Wisconsin in the 1940s.

By October 1943, George is back in Lisbon, Iowa, visiting family.  In this letter he discusses the failing health of some of the family members.  The letter was written to Marge (Rottman) Comerford.  A transcription follows the images.

 

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Lisbon Ia
Oct 6-43

Dear Marge and all,

Received your letter and was glad to hear from you.   "How R U cummin" I am cummin fine."  Hope you the same.  My toe doesnt bother me any more.  My arm bothers me some-times Its too bad about Louie he always spoke to me whenever we met.  Yes I am still catching fish got 1-6 lbs 1-5 lbs 1-1 ½ lbs this morning.  Rose and I have fish twice a day thats about all there is to eat and bread and butter  It was too wet and cold for potatoes.  Kill a chicken now and then.  But we get by.  I set the table and put the thing away after we eat. but dont help with the dishes.  Its so hard for Rose to get around.  She hangs on chairs table or anything that's handy when she walks.  She and Ethel dont want me to leave they dont know how she can get along without someone with her Alma and Clarence are also good  Alma washed my clothes Clarence got me a carton of cigarettes and gives me hooks and suckers and use his good pole and line and real and mixes some doe balls for bait so you can see I can't just say I am going back to Chi[cago] and get a job. Alma brings the Daily Gazette down for me to read every night and we have a radio in the kitchen so I get all the news and listen to all the programs I did in Chi[cago].  Alma and Clarence stay down here about 6 nights a week since Mabel is gone Ethel and Geo come one night a week.  Sis [Anna (Rottman) Hoag] is not able to stay up nights.  She and Jake are in Wheaton now they went last Friday.  Jakes sister Carry DeWolf is dying or dead by now I guess.  There Sis is talking about having some kind of operation before she comes back.  I guess you know we have electric lights.  Vina is failing slow but sure.  She sleeps mostly in the days and is awake at night.  She's afraid of night thinking she will die before morning as soon as daylight comes she goes to sleep for an hr or less at a time.  We had supper at 6:30 and Rose is still in there feeding her and it is 8:00 oclock now.  They have a regular hospital bed for her and another bed in there so they get a little sleep some nights.  I go to bed about 9 or 9:30.  I wrote to Dick so he would get it the day he got the milk check but havnt got any word from him yet.  Told him I needed the money.  But they both are the lousy dirty skunks I ever met.  They even Jipp each other and the kids are the same way.  Well I guess I answered all you asked me in your letter.  I hop[e] Shirley is all well again and also Marge.  It seems like Hammans just live for their girls.  They have no other time for any thing else.  Well I think this is all for this time hoping to hear from you soon  Love to all

Dad

Thank[s] for the $

The hens are starting to lay eggs for breakfast to-morrow fish for dinner and more fish for supper.  Laur aught to be here.  Tell Hello to Laurs Ma and Mike and Delos for me

Transcribed by Julie Marie CAHILL Tarr, 24 August 2008.

Rottman Letter, 4 July 1940

A continuation of letters written by my great-grandfather, George Rottman.  The letters were written to his children while he was away from home visiting family in Iowa and Wisconsin in the 1940s.

Although this year is not indicated in the letter, I am pretty sure it was written in 1940, same as the two previous letters of June 1940.  A transcription follows the images.

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Lisbon Ia
4th of July A.M.

Dear Children

Just a few lines in ans to receipt of your letter glad to hear from you.  We are all well.  The reason I am writing is to let Ed know the fish are biting much better now.  I caught one catfish 17 in one 13 and 2 white perch down on that gravel sand bar But I cant go at the right time.  Like to-day I have to wait for Sis [Anna] and Jake [Hoag] well we will get down there about 10 oColock [sic] then I will wait till after dinner so you see the best fishing time is gone There seems to be a lot of bass chasing numerous on the gravel bar but I havnt caught any yet dont use the right tactics I guess well there isnt much new out here and I want to mail this on the way down home so you will get it Sat so if Ed wants to come out I think he can get some fishing.

With Love to all

Dad

Transcribed by Julie Marie CAHILL Tarr, 24 August 2008.

Rottman Letter, 3 June 1940

A continuation of letters written by my great-grandfather, George Rottman.  The letters were written to his children while he was away from home visiting family in Iowa and Wisconsin in the 1940s.

This letter was postmarked 3 June 1940 from Lisbon, Iowa.  It was sent to Marge Rottman in Chicago.  The letter was written to Marge Rottman, Ed Rottman, Marie (Rottman) Miller, and Harold Miller.  A transcription follows the images.

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Lisbon Ia
Sunday.

Dear Marge Ed Marie & Harold

Just a few lines to let you know I got here O.K. at 1:00 P.M.  No trouble of any kind.  They were glad I came.  Sis has got a new car but cant drive yet.  I havnt even been in the car yet as I only got here.  The folks are comming up for dinner to-day, also Geo & Ethel [Coster].  The garden is nice so are the schrubs.  They are mostly in bloom  Jake [Hoag] has got things pretty clear.  I am going to start on the Garage tomorrow.  Then the next is a Door in the kitchen where a window was  I am telling them what I am going to-do and how I am going to do it. and they seem to agree with me whole heartedly.  Sis says go ahead and do what you think best.  So that makes more pleasant conditions to work under.  And I have to take time out to learn Sis to drive as she is not alowed to drive at all without there is a licensed drive with her.  Clarence drove the car Decoration Day  They have only driven it about 14 miles.  Clarance says this fish are not biting at all.  So I don't suppos[e] I will go fishing untill next Sat  Well this is about all I have to tell you at this time.  So will close hoping to hear from you soon

Love to all

Dad

Box 223

Transcribed by Julie Marie CAHILL Tarr, 24 August 2008.

Rottman Letter, Circa June 1940

Over the next several days I will be featuring letters written by my great-grandfather, George Rottman.  The letters were written to his children while he was away from home visiting family in Iowa and Wisconsin in the 1940s.

Although this first letter is not dated, I am pretty sure it was written about June 1940 (he mentions a sale that ends July 3rd; he also mentions an upcoming wedding, which is likely his daughter Marge’s that took place on 22 July 1940).  The letter was written to Marge Rottman, Marie (Rottman) Miller, Ed Rottman, and Harold Miller.  A transcription follows the images.

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Lisbon, Ia
Friday

Dear Marge[,] Marie & Ed & Harold

Received your letter glad to hear from you.  Well I am getting along O.K.  It will take me 3 or 4 weeks more to do what they want done.  I got the Basement done except build some shelves.  I got to put the water system in yet so they can get sistern water in the basement and cut in a door in the Kitchen Build a porch and shingle a roof about 30 x 10 ft.  I put a celotex ceiling on the Basement today.  Well I was fishing Wednesday afternoon caught 2 small bullheads.  They first wont bite.  You can use worms now.  I was fishing one day last week with night crawlers I caught 1 Bullhead 1 small carp and a fair sized white perch I am going to get some crawlers to-night and go fishing tomorrow there is a lot of them in our yard.  Since the ice went out up to now nobody has caught any fish so Ed can use his own judgement.  for myself Ill take Niffersuck Creek.  I dont know what the fare is out here but there is a train leaves Chi[cago] at around 11:30 P.M. and gets here in time for breakfast 615 A.M  The only train that stops here.  I will be home in time for the wedding.  I want to get a new suit of close.  I seen a dandy suit in the Rapids for $17.50 Ill have to buy a new tire too one of mine went flooie Sunday.  Monkey Ward have them advertized for 5.75 until July 3 so Ill have to put the B on sis.  I only got one leaky spare.  Well you didnt ans my last letter so see if you can find time and tell me some news  I havent written to Mabel for a long time so Ill have to drop her a line.  Clarence and the bunch are back from their fishing trip.  They got a lot of fish, we have some yet.  Well I will close for this time.

Love to all

Dad

Transcribed by Julie Marie CAHILL Tarr 24 August 2008.

Saturday in the Attic – 06/05/10

I found this business card among my family papers.  My mom thought her mom had acquired it somewhere along the line, but…. 

Oddly enough, a few weeks before I found this, I had been working on my Parks family, so R H PARKS, to me read, Robert Hall PARKS.  I thought it was a long shot.  Robert Hall PARKS was born in Michigan and lived in Illinois and at some point, Iowa.  What I didn’t know at the time was that he did actually live in New York.  I remembered that his daughter Isabel was supposedly married in New York.  I did confirm that through her marriage record.  But having this business card made me wonder if this was actually my Robert Hall PARKS,as he was tied to New York if only through his daughter’s marriage.

I started to dig around and found the marriage announcement of Isbael to Samuel Brewster in the New York Herald.  I then started to go through the New York City directories on Footnote and consistently found listing for Robert H Parks from 1880 to 1894.  What tipped me off that this was possibly my Robert, was the entry in the 1880 directory:

Although it lists him as a broker working at 5 New, his residence is indicated as Ill.  I found him, his wife, and his daughter in the 1880 census living in a hotel in NYC.  At this point, I had at least placed the him in New York, and it was apparent he had just moved around the time of the census.  As I made my way through each directory, I found the following listing in 1893; it’s the only one that has this business address (there were several other business addresses throughout the years).

 

Who knew this hunch would lead to anything.  All I had was this card (with initials only, albeit) and a dead-end for him in Lake County, Illinois in the 1870 census.  The information about his daughter’s marriage was initially vague and unsourced.  But once I confirmed that, I thought, maybe they all moved to New York and that’s why I can’t find any of them in Illinois.  All of this was confirmed when I found his obituary, which stated at the end “Chicago papers please copy.”  That right there tied him back to Illinois.  And because of this one little card, I was able to figure out when and where Robert and his wife died (both in 1894 in New York) and learn more about his daughter’s family.

Now whether my maternal grandmother actually found this or not is still a mystery, as Robert Hall PARKS is my first cousin five times removed on my dad’s side!

Friday Finds – 04/30/10

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

Note:  Some of these are from last week, but I forgot to post them.

List of NARA Microfilm Publications and Original Records Digitized by Our Digitization Partners – This is list of records that have been digitized and are available via Ancestry or Footnote, as of March 2010.  They will update the list as more records become digitized.

Preparing for a Genealogy Research Trip – Elyse wrote a great article about getting ready for your next research trip.  She even includes a list of items to bring with you

52 Weeks of Online American Digital Archives and Databases: Iowa – Miriam delivers again in this series, this time focusing on Iowa.  I can’t wait to dig further into these sources for my Linn and Muscatine County families.

Non-Population U.S. Census Schedules Online – Kimberly Powell writes about the non-population schedules (agricultural, industry/manufacturing, and social statistics) that are being added to Ancestry.  She notes, “Not all available schedules are online as of yet. The states covered include California, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nebraska, New York, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, and Washington Territory. Some states may have one type of non-population schedule online, but not others.”  Since Michigan was on the list, I spent the better part of the day collecting the agricultural schedules for my folks in Oakland County!

Connecticut Archives, 1629-1820 – According to the Connecticut State Library’s website, “The ‘Connecticut Archives’ are the papers and correspondence of the General Assembly, the Governor and Council, and other colony or state officials. Included in this collection are petitions, drafts of bills, acts, resolves, and other early government documents.”  Most of them are indexed, and the indexes are available online.  More on this is a separate blog post.

The Source:  A Guidebook to American Genealogy – The third edition, edited by Loretto Dennis Szucs and Sandra Hargreaves is available online through the Ancestry.com Wiki.  It’s nice to see this online, as I do not own this book.

Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources – The third edition of this book, edited by Alice Eichholz, is also available online through the Ancestry.com Wiki.  Although I own this book, it’s nice to have an online version for the times I need it when I’m away from home.

The Federation of Genealogical Societies to Digitize War of 1812 Pension Files – I’ve know about this for awhile now, but keep forgetting to post about it.  Running across Dick Eastman’s post, I figured now was as good a time as any.  The post also includes some general information about the War of 1812 and pension files.  I made three seperate donations:  one in honor of Marsha Hoffman Rising, and the other two for my fifth great-grandfathers who served in the war, Robert Parks and Aaron Webster.

FamilySearch Record Search – Tons of new records available this week!

Historical Register and Dictionary of the United States Army (1789-1903) – This book, by Francis B. Heitman, is available via Google Books.  Various details, particularly about officers.

List of Officers of the Navy of the United States and of the Marine Corps from 1775 to 1900 – This book, edited by Edward W. Callahan, is available via Google Books.

German Brick Walls

The topic for the 22nd edition of Carnival of Central and Eastern European Genealogy is roadblocks and breakthrough encountered during your genealogy research.

I have actually had some breakthroughs with my German ancestors, although it’s all been through research here in the U.S.  Now, they’ve become my German brick walls, as I am having a hard time finding information across the pond.

There are several reasons they are now brick walls:

• In some cases, I don’t know where in Germany to start looking.
• I don’t know enough about Germany to effectively search.
• I don’t speak/read German, so when I do find something with potential, I can understand it (online translators do help).

So I am going to use this carnival topic to share what I have found so far on each of my direct-line German ancestors.

Emil MILLER & Hulda WACH – Emil and Hulda are my second great-grandparents.  Alternate spellings I have come across for Miller are Muller and Mueller (with and without the ü).  From the information I have gathered, I believe he was born in Germany around 1862.  He and Hulda married on 8 August 1886 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois.  They had three children:  Heinrich “Henry” Frederick, Emil Charles, and Ida (all born in Chicago).  Except for their marriage, I cannot find Emil in the U.S. and suspect that he died before 1900 (I have yet to find a death certificate).  As for Hulda, she remarried in 1901 to John Fred SEVERING, had another daughter, Lilian, and then I lose her after the 1910 census.  I haven’t the slightest clue where to look for them in Germany.

Henry WACH & Amelia WIETZKE – Henry and Amelia are my third great-grandparents.  This is a recent discovery.  I’ve known of Amelia (also spelled Emillie) since I started my research, as she is found with her children in the U.S. up through the 1920 census.  I had no idea who her husband was, nor her maiden name.  A few months ago, I obtained her son Henry’s death certificate.  Lo and behold, it listed his father’s name AND Amelia’s maiden name and confirmed that they were both born in Germany…jackpot!!  Since Amelia remarried while in Germany, I suspect that Henry died in Germany.  But again, I have no idea where to start looking for either of them.  Henry and Amelia had three children: Hulda (mentioned above), Alvina, and Heinrich :Henry” Emil.  Amelia married an unknown SCHULTZ and had another daughter, Mildred.  All of the children were born in Germany.

Herman LEPPIN & Minnie HAEMFIFLER – Herman and Minnie are my second great-grandparents.  Research indicates that they were both born in Germany.  Herman was born on 22 March 1873 and died on 31 March 1948 in Phoenix, Maricopa, Arizona.  Family notes indicate that Minnie was born in 1872 and died in 1946.  They were married on 26 March 1894 in Cook County, Illinois.  Together they had four children:  Alma Mary, Henry August, Herman Paul, and Charles F. all born in Cook County, Illinois.  Nothing as of yet points to where to further my research in Germany.

Phillip ROTTMAN & Mary Eva REEDER – Phillip and Mary are my second great-grandparents.  Family notes indicate that Phillip was born in Germany, while Mary was born in France.  The notes also indicate that they were married in France.  Research indicates that Phillip and Mary had six children:  John W (born in Georgia), Anna E (born in Missouri), Malissa Elizabeth (born in Pennsylvania), Charles Henry (born in Iowa), Mabel Louise (born in Pennsylvania), and George (born in Iowa).  Research also indicates that Phillip was born in Bavaria, so I guess this could be a place to start.

Charles STOFFEL & Mary BRAUN – Charles and Mary are my second great-grandparents.  Of all the direct-line German ancestors, there is potential to finding information on the across the pond.  Family papers indicated that they were born in Frankfurt, but I was able to confirm that at least Mary appears to have been born in Frankfurt as it is indicated on her death certificate (which I just recently obtained).  I have not been able to find a marriage certificate for them in Illinois, so I suspect they may have been married in Germany.  Charles and Mary had seven children, all born in Illinois:  Henry C, Anna E, Margaret, Charles L, Elsie A, William, and George.  I started to do a little digging when I confirmed that Mary was born in Frankfurt, but was unable to find anything relevant.

There you have it; my German brick walls.  I hope to do a little digging on Charles STOFFEL and Mary BRAUN since they’re the only ones that I have some proof of where in Germany they came from.  I am heading to SLC in September, and they are on my list.

Family Events – Week of July 12 to July 18

Oreste BELLUOMINI – Happy birthday to my step-dad on July 12th.

Thomas Joseph CAHILL – Thomas is my first cousin twice removed, who was born on 15 July 1924.  He died on 17 March 1992.

James Norton GARRISON – Loraine PLATT – James is my great-granduncle, who married Loraine on 15 July 1922.

Agnes SMITH – Agnes is my eleventh great-grandmother, who was born on 29 August 1585 in England.  She died on 15 July 1655 in Hartford, Connecticut.*

Erna Hulda TRAPP – Erna is my first cousin three time removed, who was born on 15 July 1897 in Illinois.  She died in May 1977 in Illinois.

Harriet R TRAPP – Harriet is my second cousin twice removed, who was born on 2 November 1929 in Chicago, Illinois.  She died on 16 July 1988 in Illinois.

George I WEBSTER – George is my second cousin three times removed, who was born about 1905 in Michigan.  He likely died on 16 July 1965.

Mary Ellen COFFINGER – Mary Ellen is my second great-grandaunt, who was born on 18 July 1861 in Chickasaw, Iowa.  She died on 17 February 1916 in Chicago, Illinois.

Theresa K SCHWARTZ – Theresa is my great-grandaunt, who was born on 22 January 1899 in Aurora, Illinois.  She died on 18 July 1942 in Aurora, Illinois.

*Based on information from several compiled source, of which I have not personally verified at this time.

Family Events – Week of June 28 to July 4

Elizabeth “Lizzie” V McMAHON & Arthur L FRANCOEUR – Lizzie is my second great-grandaunt.  She and Arthur married on 29 June 1937 in Cook County, Illinois.

Timothy McMAHON & Margaret RYAN – Timothy and Margaret are my third great-grandparents.  They were married on 29 June 1876 in Cook County, Illinois.

Timothy “Thomas” G McMAHON & Eleanor BRANDENBURG – Thomas is my great-granduncle.  He and Eleanor married on 30 June 1937 in Cook County, Illinois.

Mary “Polly” Wheeler SMITH – Polly is my fifth great-grandmother, who was born circa 30 June 1781.  She died on 30 June 1844.

Charles Henry ROTTMAN – Charles is my first cousin twice removed, who was born on 1 July 1912 in Iowa.  He died in September 1976 in Durant, Cedar, Iowa.

Thomas Robert CAHILL & Margaret “Maggie” MILLETT – Thomas and Maggie are my second great-grandparents.  They were married on 3 July 1887 in Aurora, Kane, Illinois.

*Based on information from several compiled source, of which I have not personally verified at this time.

Family Events – Week of June 14 to June 20

Harold Leslie MILLER – Harold is my grandfather, who was born on 4 August 1918 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois.  He died on 15 June 1982 in Maywood, Cook, Illinois.

Edward MULLIGAN – Edward is my second great-granduncle, who was born on 8 April 1867 in Michigan.  He died on 17 June 1924 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois.

Florence June McMAHON & Robert Anthony DOMBROWSKI – Florence is my grandaunt.  She married Robert on 19 June 1948.

George ROTTMAN – George is my great-grandfather, who was born on 19 June 1882 in Mount Vernon, Linn, Iowa.  He died on 19 February 1946 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois.

Samuel PARKE – Samuel is my ninth great-grandfather, who was born on 20 June 1621 in Stonington, New London, Connecticut.  He died on 22 March 1709 in Stonington, New London, Connecticut.

*Based on information from several compiled source, of which I have not personally verified at this time.

Family Events – Week of May 31 to June 6

Clarence CAHILL – Clarence is my first cousin three times removed.  He was born on 31 May 1900 in Illinois.  He died on 7 December 1964 in Cook County, Illinois.

Emma Amelia COFFINGER – Emma is my second great-grandaunt, who was born on 31 May 1858 in Iowa.  She died on on 10 November 1925.*

Richard SMITH – Richard is my twelfth great-grandfather, who was born in 1555 in England.  He died on 31 May 1612 in England.*

Robert WEBSTER – Robert is my tenth great-grandfather, who was born on 17 November 1619 in Cossington, Leicestershire, England.  He died on 31 May 1676 in Hartford, Hartford, Connecticut.*

Heinrich Fredrick “Henry” MILLER – Henry is my great-granduncle, who was born on 1 June 1887 in Illinois.

*Based on information from several compiled source, of which I have not personally verified at this time.

Family Events – Week of May 24 to May 30

John NORTON – John is my ninth great-grandfather, who was born on 24 May 1651 in Branford, New Haven, Connecticut.  He died on 25 April 1725 in Farmington, Hartford, Connecticut.

John Ward McMAHON & Emma Jane GARRISON – John and Emma are my great-grandparents.  They were married on 26 May 1923 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois.

Rebecca GREENLEAF – Rebecca is the wife of Noah WEBSTER, LL.D., who is my third cousin eight times removed.  Rebecca was born on 27 May 1766 in Boston, Massachusetts.  She died on 25 June 1847 in New Haven, New Haven, Connecticut.

Thomas PACKER – Thomas is my eleventh great-grandfather, who was born in 1595 in England.  He died on 27 May 1608 in London, England.*

Joseph PARKS & Sarah – Joseph and Sarah are my seventh great-grandparents.  The were married on 27 May 1735.  Their son, Robert, is my DAR patriot.

Julius ROTTMAN – Julius is my first cousin twice removed, who was born on 28 May 1907 in Cedar Rapids, Linn, Iowa.  He died on 7 March 1973 in California.

Noah WEBSTER – Noah is my third cousin eight times removed and is the”father of the dictionary.”  He was born on 16 October 1758 in Hartford, Hartford, Connecticut.  He died on 28 May 1843 in New Haven, New Haven, Connecticut.

Ethel Mary ROTTMAN – Ethel is my first cousin twice removed, who was born on 29 May 1892 in Mount Vernon, Linn, Iowa.  She died on 17 November 1986 in Iowa, at the age of 94.

*Based on information from several compiled source, of which I have not personally verified at this time.

Family Events – Week of May 17 to May 23

Theresa “Tessie” CAHILL – Tessie is my first cousin three times removed.  She was born on 8 August 1895 in Illinois.  Tessie died on 17 May 1986, at the age of 90, in Youngstown, Mahoning, Ohio.

John BASSETT – John is my eleventh great-grandfather, who was born on 17 May 1589 in Heyshott, West Sussex, England.  He died on 15 February 1652 in New Haven, New Haven, Connecticut.*

Helen Marie ROTTMAN – Helen is my first cousin twice removed, who was born on 31 January 1909 in Iowa.  She died on 18 May 1995 in Iowa.

John WEBB – John is my tenth great-grandfather, who was born in 1628 in New Haven, New Haven, Connecticut.  He died on 19 May 1670 in Northampton, Hampshire, Massachusetts.*

Elsa Ida Anna “Elsie” BEHNFLETH – Elsie is the wife of my first cousin three times removed, Harry Henry Adolph TRAPP.  She was born on 20 May 1897 in Illinois.  She died on 6 May 1961 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois.

Emma Amelia COFFINGER & John B BROWN – Emma is my second great-grandaunt, who married John on 20 May 1874.*

John “Johnnie” F CAHILL – John is my great-grandfather, who was born on 22 May 1895 in Illinois.  It is thought the he died in January 1967 in Michigan.

James Manly GARRISON – James is my second great-grandfather, who was born on 26 December 1861 in Picton, Ontario, Canada.  He died on 23 May 1909 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois.

*Based on information from several compiled source, of which I have not personally verified at this time.