#52Ancestors-Week 47-Thankful

I have a million reasons to be thankful for my grandmother, who I called "Nanya".  One of the reasons I am thankful for her is that she instilled in me an interest in family history, on both her side of the family and my grandfather's side of his family.  One of the best things that she told me was when I asked if we were related to the O'Meara family.  The O'Meara's were often included in our family gatherings and I knew that Jo O'Meara was my great-grandmother's best friend.  So when I asked that of Nanya, she casually said "Oh, they're shirt-tale relatives from way back in Ireland.".  That was probably when I was around twelve years old.  About thirty-five years later, I began doing genealogy and remembered that comment.  It took a lot of research, but eventually I found the connections between the families!  And it did go back to Ireland in the early 1800's.  It's so amazing to think that the families are still connected....as it turned out a friend I know from church is related to the O'Meara family! Just that one question and comment so many years ago, lead to so much family history!

#52Ancestors-Week 46-Random Fact

Okay, this is a weird one and really caught me off guard!  I requested WWII Service records for one of my great-uncles.  When they arrived, I read this random fact: Right testicle surgically removed when he had hernia surgery.  Not really a fact I needed to know about him, but there it was.  You never know what you might learn about an ancestor!

#52Ancestors-Week 45-Bearded

This week's prompt is Bearded.  I believe that the closest ancestor I have who wore a beard was my great grandfather, Moses Thompson Adamson.  Below here Moses is pictured with his wife Lydia.  Moses was born in 1838 and every picture I have seen of him, he is bearded.

#52Ancestors-Week 44: Frightening

Here is what I find frightening....all of the information that is somewhere out there that I may never find or learn!

This past month, I heard from a fourth cousin once removed, who is descended from a sister of my great-great-great grandfather, Patrick Smyth (born in 1809 in Ireland).  This cousin has a great deal more information on the Smyth family than I.  Including Patrick Smyth's parents names!!!  Incredible!

I am so thankful that there are people willing to reach out and share information!

#52Ancestors-Week 43-Cause of Death: Edward E. Adamson

from The Houston Herald, Texas County, MO, July 11, 2002, page 8:

from Mildred Melton's Scrapbook for the year 1879:

"August 8, 1879 Prosecuting Attorney Geiger, Dr. BF Morgan, Jackson Davis, CM Hill and Beauregard Ross went to the Hamilton neighborhood up the river to disinter the body of a young man named Adamson who committed suicide on account of troubles with his wife.  Foul play is now suspected." 

I have tried to find out information about this cause of death for years.  The young man was Edward E. Adamson.  He had been born in about 1857 in Missouri.  He married Martha "Mattie" E. Eldridge in 1875 in Texas County, Missouri. I have found no solid evidence of Mattie since his death.  She may have married George Morse in 1880, but again, I do not have solid proof that this is the same woman, since she is listed as "Mattie Eldridge" for the marriage to George, instead of "Mattie Adamson". I have found neither her nor George in the 1880 Census listings. I tried to get coroner records for the death of Edward Adamson, but was told that the records don't exist. Nor have I come across any other newspaper articles about his death.  So was it a suicide or was it foul play?