Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Sunday, February 20, 2011

David W Emery and President Abraham Lincoln

I posted about my great great great great grandfather, Henry Emery's attendance at one of the Lincoln Douglas debates in Illinois and recently found this newspaper article about his son (my great great great grandfather) David W Emery having a copy of the 1860 election ballot.



The left-hand portion is cut off, but a portion of David W Emery's address listed also matches the 1905 Iowa Census.

Saturday, February 19, 2011

Alice Mabel Emery Holder Mitchell - marriage

Here is the marriage certificate for the second marriage of Abigail (Williams) and Fred J Emery's daughter, Alice Mabel Emery.























Here is the marriage certificate for her first marriage to Fred Colby Holder Jr.    I've attempted to locate corroborating documentation but have come up empty handed.   I note the second marriage states "Mrs" rather than "Miss" Mabel Holder, so it's likely to belong to Alice Mabel Emery.

Friday, February 18, 2011

1930 US Census - Dorothy Holder

Here is the 1930 US Census for Dorothy (Holder) and Alexander Turnbull who were living in Chicago.    If the census is accurate, they were married in 1937 or 1938.



















Dorothy was the daughter of Alice Mabel (Emery) and Fred Colby Holder, Jr and the granddaughter of Abigail (Williams) and Fred J Emery.    Dorothy had lived with her grandmother and Abigail's third husband, Louis Kiefer, prior to her marriage to Alexander.

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Fred C Holder Jr

While searching for the descendants of Alice Mabel Emery (the sister of my great grandfather, Fred Owen Emery Daniels), I was able to locate documents relating to her first husband, Fred C Holder Jr.

I reviewed the 1910 US Census I had posted previously, which indicated Fred had been married for 2 years, yet his wife was not listed as living in the household.   I'm not sure whether that is an error and Alice Mabel (Emery) Holder was mistakenly omitted or whether she was living elsewhere in 1910. 

I stumbled upon Fred Holder's passport application from 1918 which contains some information about Fred.


























He had remarried and had been living in Australia, employed for an Australian company.   He had previously worked for Swift and Company in Chicago.   This confirms I had the correct Fred Holder for the 1910 US Census which indicated Fred was employed by a packing company.
























Never having seen a photo of Fred, a passport application is a great source.  Fred's photo is shown on each page of the application.























The passport application also confirms Fred's father was Fred Christopher Holder.
























I then located a passenger list for the SS Sonoma which sailed on February 11, 1920 from Sydney, Australia and arrived in San Francisco on March 1st (or 6th) which included the name of Fred's second wife, Wanda and their son, Forrest.


























Further research led me to a marriage register for Wanda (Cox) and Fred Holder, who were married January 9, 1915 in Berrien County, Michigan.





















Apparently the marriage of Alice Mabel Emery and Fred C Holder Jr lasted less than 8 years.

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Ottumwa City directory

Here is a city directory from Ottumwa listing my great great great grandfather, David W Emery (listed as D W Emery) employed as a carpenter.

Monday, February 14, 2011

1850 US Census - Sarah Dwire

Here is the 1850 US Census for my great great great grandmother, Sarah Dwire.   I've seen the spelling as Dwyer and Dwire so I wanted to see if I could confirm the correct spelling.


























I also located land grants that Sarah's father, Ellis, purchased in Illinois for Fulton, Peoria and Stark counties on November 3, 1840 which also use the Dwire spelling.

The only census I've come across that used a "y" appears to be the 1860 US Census.  While there are errors on birth year as well as other spelling errors, it seems the correct spelling IS "Dwire".

Saturday, February 12, 2011

Henry Emery and daughter Amelia - biography

Here is a short biography about my great great great great grandfather, Henry Emery and one of his daughters, Amelia (Emery) Standard.















This appeared in on page 99 of a book titled, "Documents And Biography Pertaining To The Settlement And Progress, Stark County, Illinois, Containing An Authentic Summary Of Records, Documents, Historical Works And Newspapers........Biography of Representative Men Of The Past and Present" by M. A. Leeson, 1887.

There is one discrepancy in that it indicates Henry moved to Henry county in 1857, though from yesterday's post regarding Henry's property in Weller township, he had purchased the land in 1852.  Unfortunately, the 1855 Illinois census for Henry county is missing.

It also states he was married to his first wife, Olive Jacobs in 1822, though the photo indicates he was married January 13, 1825.  Also, their first child Mary A Emery was born December 30, 1825.

In any event, it's interesting to have some additional information about Henry's life while living in Illinois.

Friday, February 11, 2011

Henry Emery - Weller Township, Henry County, Illinois property

I located the transfer of property documents to my great great great great grandfather, Henry Emery's property in Weller township, Henry county, Illinois.

Detailed Information


Purchaser:EMERY HENRY
Residence of Purchaser:UNKNOWN
Social Status:
Legal Description:

Aliquot Parts or Lot:SW

Section Number:28

Township:14N

Range:03E

Meridan:4

County of Purchase:HENRY
Details of Sale:

Acres:160.00

Price per Acre:000.00

Total Price:WARRANT

Type of Sale:FD

Date of Purchase:07/01/1852

Volume:707

Page:095


Below is the land grant purchased from Betsey and Darius Sweet who had obtained the land after having served as a private in the War of 1812.


























Detailed Information


Purchaser:EMERY HENRY
Residence of Purchaser:UNKNOWN
Social Status:
Legal Description:

Aliquot Parts or Lot:S2SE

Section Number:28

Township:14N

Range:03E

Meridan:4

County of Purchase:HENRY
Details of Sale:

Acres:80.00

Price per Acre:000.00

Total Price:WARRANT

Type of Sale:FD

Date of Purchase:07/01/1852

Volume:707

Page:095



 Below is the land grant purchased from Norburne Sutton who had also served in the War of 1812 as a private.

























Detailed Information


Purchaser:EMERY HENRY
Residence of Purchaser:UNKNOWN
Social Status:
Legal Description:

Aliquot Parts or Lot:N2SE

Section Number:28

Township:14N

Range:03E

Meridan:4

County of Purchase:HENRY
Details of Sale:

Acres:80.00

Price per Acre:000.00

Total Price:WARRANT

Type of Sale:FD

Date of Purchase:07/01/1852

Volume:707

Page:095


Below is the land grant purchased from James Truel who also served as a private in the War of 1812.


























Below is a Map of Illinois indicating Principal Meridians and Baselines which shows the property matches the plat map and legal descriptions.


All the land grants were processed in Washington DC by President Franklin Pierce on July 9, 1853, though the Illinois database indicates the property was acquired on July 1, 1852.    These documents also verify that the plat map incorrectly spelled Henry's last name as "Emry" rather than the correct spelling of "Emery".

Thursday, February 10, 2011

Galva Emery

The first child born to my great great great grandparents, Sarah (Dwire or Dwyer) and David Emery was Galva who was born January 21, 1855.*

Galva Emery had the distinction of being the first child born in the new town of Galva, Illinois, for which they named their first born child.

Here is a snippet from "History of Henry County" by H.F. Kett Company, page 169:











Unfortunately, Galva died sometime after 1860 and prior to 1870.

*Conrad Emery and His Descendants" by Frederic B Emery, 1970

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Henry Emery - Weller Township, Henry County, Illinois property

Well, the evidence just keeps piling up.    Last year I posted the plat map for the property owned by my great great great great grandfather, Henry Emery.

I found another (color version) of the map which includes the entire eastern portion of Weller township.   Henry's property is in quadrant 28.

























I wasn't 100% confident I had the right Henry Emery, especially since "Emery" was misspelled as "Emry", so I looked up the 1870 US Census and on page 32 (the page following Henry and wife Hannah's census information) and see that Daniel Sunberg, Peter Sunberg and Michael Underwood are listed.  If you look at quadrant 27 on the Weller township plat map, you will see their names and respective properties listed just east of Henry Emery's (Emry) property.




















Even more interesting, here is a drawing of my great great great great grandfather's property from US Indexed County Land Ownership Maps, Henry County, Illinois 1875.













Note the train in the upper right corner, which matches the train tracks that cut through the northern portion of Henry's property on the plat map.

Here is a very short biography* of Henry's second wife, Sarah (Gaffney) who had previously been married to Henry's brother, Frederick Welker Emery.






*From "History of Henry County" by H.F. Kett Company.

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Frank and Rose Emery - burial

Here are the grave markers for Abigail (Williams) and Fred J Emery's youngest child, Frank Raymond Emery and wife Rose (Gugel).




















Frank was born October 31, 1891 in Washington, Iowa.   He died September 29, 1959 in Los Angeles, California.






















Rose was born in South Dakota on September 17, 1891 to Kathrina (Jung) and Christan Gugel.  She died July 8, 1970.

Rose and Frank were buried at the Pierce Brothers Valhalla Memorial Park Cemetery in  North Hollywood, California.

Monday, February 7, 2011

1835 Illinois Census - David Emery, Henry Emery

Here is the 1835 Illinois Census for my great great great great grandfather, Henry Emery (line 20) living in Canton, Fulton County, Illinois.


























I also believe his father, David Emery (my great great great great great grandfather) is also on the same census, listed at #15.

The difficulty with this census is it lacks additional names, birth places and dates of birth.  There are several Emery's living in the area, but many could have been cousins, uncles, etc.

Sunday, February 6, 2011

David and Edith Emery - burial

Here are photos of the grave markers of my great great great great great grandparents, Edith (Fisher) and David Emery.

























David was born January 4, 1780 in Lebanon, New Jersey to Mary (Reed) and John Emery.    He died October 15, 1855 in Canton, Illinois and is buried at the Locust Lane Methodist Church cemetery.


























Edith was born October 3, 1782 in West Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Amelia (Brock) and David Fisher.

She died June 4, 1861 in Canton, Illinois and is buried at the Locust Lane Methodist Church cemetery.

David and Edith were married in 1800 in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

Unfortunately, the marker was misspelled as "Emry".  The correct spelling is "Emery".

Saturday, February 5, 2011

John Emery - burial

Here is a photo of the grave marker for my great great great great great great grandfather, John Emery.


























John was born January 1, 1742 in Lebanon, New Jersey to Margreth and Conrad Hummerich Emery.

He died May 13, 1814 in Plaingrove, Pennsylvania and is buried at the Presbyterian Church cemetery.

The gravestone states: "In Memory of John Emery Who Departed This Life May 13 (illegible but probably "1814") Aged 72 years,  (illegible but should be "4") months".   It also indicates the number of days, but it's not clear, though here is a black and white copy that shows days (though the number is not very clear).


























The symbol to the left is a Revolutionary War symbol.    According to the book, "Conrad Emery and his Descendants",  

On January 20, 1777, John Emery enlisted in the Revolutionary War, his name appearing first on the muster roll of May 15, 1777, as enlisted with the rank of private for the duration of the war. He served in Capt. James Moore's Company (later Capt. Isaac Seeley's Company), Fifth Pennsylvania Regiment, commanded by Col. Francis Johnston, and his name last appears on the roll of September 9, 1778, which shows him sick at the Yellow Springs. Although a resident of New Jersey, he served in a Pennsylvania regiment, which was not unusual for persons living near the Pennsylvania border in New Jersey.*