Estelle Elizabeth "Bess" Ferrel (52 Ancestors #29)

This week’s challenge is “Musical”.  I really had to struggle to come up with a

subject for this week’s challenge.  There’s just not a lot of known musical talent in my family’s history.  Then I remembered stories about “Aunt Bess”.

Estelle Elizabeth Ferrel was born on the 17th of August in 1880 in Terre Haute, Indiana to William and Mollie Carpenter Ferrel.  She was the youngest of four children and was known as "Bess".  Bess was my great-grandmother’s sister.

It’s unclear if Bess graduated from St. Mary's of the Woods College, or attended there, but she taught piano and violin there through-out her life.  In the 1910 Terre Haute Census, Bess was listed as “Musician Church Work”.  An article found in The Indianapolis News from May 29, 1915 stated that “Miss Bessie Ferrel, of Terre Haute, played several violin solos…” at the Brazil (Indiana) Ladies’ Literary Society of Brazil meeting that occurred that month.

When Bess was nineteen years old her older,and only,sister died (in 1899).  Bess’mother died in 1916, and Bess remained at home to care for her father until his death in March of 1924. Sadly, a brother of Bess died in November of 1924 in a tragic accident. This left Bess with only one other brother living.

In June of 1925, at the age of forty-four, Bess married widower Augustus Ballard.  Augustus had a six year old daughter, Eleanor Mae, who Bess adopted.

Tragedy struck Bess again when her husband Augustus died in 1938 at the age of fifty-seven.  She and daughter Eleanor were listed in the 1940 Terre Haute census, both with no income or occupations listed.  Bess told her nephew that she had a small pension from her husband’s job as a street car conductor, so she must have been living on that, along with giving music lessons.  She gave both piano and violin lessons to her great-niece, who remembers her as “eccentric to put it mildly.”  She remembered that Bess was extremely protective of her hands and would cover her arms with at least one pair of socks for fear sunlight might touch her skin.

Bess’ daughter Eleanor married in 1948.  Bess’ brother, Scott, was widowed in 1950.  When he became ill, Bess took him into her home and cared for him until he died in 1954.  When he died, Bess was almost in poverty.  His will had not been changed after his wife's death and no money was left to Aunt Bess.  Her great niece and great nephew went to an attorney and challenged the will and got some money for Bess.

Newspaper articles that I found show that Bess lived at 1923 Garfield in Terre Haute and as she aged a couple of accidents and robberies were listed under her name.  She fell on ice in 1951 at the age of seventy, and was struck by a car in 1959 at the age of seventy-nine. The robberies reported were rather odd and make me wonder if she had some dementia (underwear stolen off her line, a four year old tree was stolen).  Or perhaps the elderly widow was just taken advantage of by others.  In a letter found that was written in 1961, she wrote of being robbed by family and no one believing her, even her attorney.  A postcard was found that was sent to my aunt from Logansport State Hospital in Indiana stating that her Christmas gift to Elizabeth Ballard had been received.

Aunt Bess died in 1965.  I assume that she died at the state hospital and I am trying to learn more about her death.  She and her husband are buried in Terre Haute near her parents.

Road Trip (52 Ancesstors #28)

This week’s challenge is “Road Trip”.  I made a great road trip a number of years ago to Kentucky.  I swung by southern Indiana to pick up my father and we drove down to Crittenden County, Kentucky for an Adamson family reunion.  This was a reunion of the William Adamson family.  When I first began genealogy, none of our family had ever heard of William Adamson from Kentucky.  The furthest back of the Adamson family that any of us had had known of was Aaron Adamson, born around 1807 in Tennessee.  He was my great-grandfather’s father.  After beginning my research, I found that Aaron’s father was William Adamson, born about 1790 in North Carolina.

I eventually tracked down some descendants of William Adamson Jr., brother to Aaron Adamson.  And the ones I found still lived in Crittenden County.  When I was invited to their family reunion, I jumped at the chance and decided to take my dad with me.

It was a great day for a drive to Kentucky, and we visited the old cemetery and church there before arriving at the reunion.  There was an older Adamson there who was about my dad’s age and they had a great time getting to know each other.  I loved meeting the family that I had been communicating with for some time.  Everyone there was gracious and helpful, sharing what they knew about the family.  It was a great experience and a great day!

Independent-Walter Dickerson 1763-1855 (52 Ancestors #27)

This week’s challenge was to write about “Independent” in honor of the 4^th of July.  My great-great-great-great grandfather is the most researched of my ancestors who fought in the Revolutionary War.

Walter Dickerson was born in New Jersey on 17 June 1763. He served as a private in his uncle Thomas Dickerson’s company during the war. According to service records, Walter joined in July of 1780 for a six month service term, and was wounded in the ankle during his service.

Walter married Penelope Heaton 2 March 1785 in Morris County, New Jersey.  They traveled the Cumberland Gap to Washington County, Pennsylvania for a few years, then on to Butler County, Ohio.  They had 11 known children, the last being born in 1804. Walter and Penelope were listed in the 1820 and 1830 Censuses for Butler County, Ohio. In 1832, Walter was issued $20 for his pension.

By 1835 Walter and Penelope Heaton Dickerson and most of their family had moved to Vigo County, Indiana.  Walter was about 72 years old when they moved. 

According to Revolutionary Soldiers of Vigo County:

“Here they settled down, worked, built their home and reared their children.  They built log houses, log school houses, roads and bridges using a saw mill on what was later the Paul Kuhn property.  In 1822, a son-in-law Graham built the Otter Creek bridge at a cost to the county of less than $300.  The lumber was prepared at the Dickerson saw mill.  The early Dickersons were school teachers, county commissioners, store keepers, judges, postmasters, postmistresses and road supervisors."

Penelope died in November of 1849 (at the age of 86), and Walter remarried in August of 1850 (at the age of 87) to Sarah, widow of Garthwait.  Sarah was about 20 years younger than Walter and was listed as a physician in the 1850 Vigo County Indiana Census.

In 1855 Walter applied for a 160 acre land grant based on his war service. He died in October of that year, but the land grant was issued to his widow Sarah.

Walter "married twice after Penelope's death in 1849 at the age of 86. He attained the great age of 92 years, three months and 21 days."

"Walter Dickerson (1763-1855) died at the home of my grandparents Martha Dickerson and James Ferrel."  from Bessie Ferrel Ballard, 1959. (See Wabash Courier-Vigo Co.IN-Oct. 13, 1855)

Walter and his family are buried in the Dickerson Cemetery, which is now in the Hulman Links golf course.  Cemetery records state that he died at age 92y 5m 21d.  (NOTE: it has been written that Walter and his wife are buried on what was their old homestead.)

"On May 27, 1929, his grave was officially honored with a white marble government tombstone.  Ceremonies were conducted by Fort Harrison Chapter, DAR.  The grave location was described then as 'on the Paul Kuhn farm, directly across the road from the Glenn Orphan Home'".

William Henry Murphy 1838-1891 ((52 Ancestors #26)

Wow, it is amazing that we are halfway through the year now!  And I have to admit, I am impressed that I haven’t missed writing a blog for this challenge each week!  It has been a wonderful challenge, leading me into deeper analysis and research, and for that I am truly grateful! 

I chose to write about my great-great grandfather, William “Bill” Henry Murphy, for this week’s challenge of Halfway. I feel like I have only learned/found half (or less) of information about his life.  Most importantly right now to me, after over twenty years of researching, I still have been unable to learn his date of birth, or locate a picture of him.  Here’s what I do know about William H. Murphy:

I know that William was born in 1838 in Kilkenny, Ireland.  I have found records of the baptisms of his siblings, but not for his.  

William came to Peoria, Illinois from Ireland with his parents and siblings in 1849. They came through New Orleans and settled in the Kickapoo, Peoria County area.  He is listed in the 1850 and 1860 Kickapoo censuses as living with his parents.

Found in the Peoria Daily Transcript 4-3-1863 P2 C6:

"William H. Murphy-Private, 33 years of age, 5 feet 6 inches high, black hair, hazel eyes, dark complexion; residence Kickapoo, Peoria co. IL. Deserted at Peoria, Ill. Sept. 15, 1862."

I believe that this would be my William, although the age is wrong.  Since he deserted that means no pension records from the Civil War.

William married Elizabeth Smyth in 1864 in Kickapoo. He is not found in the 1865 Illinois State Census, but his first two children were born in Kickapoo…James in 1866 and Patrick in 1868.

In the 1870 Census, William and Lizzie are listed as living in Peoria, Illinois with their two sons.  William is listed as a distillery worker.  

 Four children were born to William and Lizzie between 1870 and 1880: Alice in 1870, William H. in 1872, Charles E. in 1874, and Robert Emmett in 1878.  In the Peoria 1880 Census, William and Lizzie are listed with their six children.  William is listed as a cattle feeder.

Two more children were born in the family: my great-grandfather Edward R. was born in 1880, and an infant was born in 1883.  Lizzie died either in childbirth or the following day in 1883.  William re-married a year later, to Anastasia Henebery Cunningham, widow of Daniel Cunningham. 

 In the 1888 Peoria Census, William and Ann were listed at the family home, but only Ann’s children were living there.  It seems that William’s children were living with a brother of Lizzie’s in Peoria.

In the 1889 Peoria City Directory William was listed as Superintendent of Streets, with his office at the City Hall.

William’s wife, Ann, died in 1890, and William died the following year, in 1891.  His obituaries state that he had served as a Deputy Sheriff, Superintendent of Streets, and a term on the City Council.

Because of William’s activities in the city, I think that there would probably be articles in the newspaper about him, but the newspapers from that time are not indexed and are not searchable, nor are they available on Newspaper.com. 

Marriage and Death Certificates for that time do not have dates of birth listed on them. The mortuary who buried him does not have records for 1891.

And that is the sum of what I know.  I would love suggestions on further researching William if anyone has any ideas!