LEAP YEAR CHUCKLE

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© 2012, copyright Linda Hughes Hiser

I'm In--The 1940 Census

I have signed up to help index the 1940 census. I have been transcribing for Family Search for over a year primarily working on the World War I draft registrations from various states.  It's fun and easy.    I hope you will pitch in and help with this effort, too.

I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU. All comments are welcome; however, if they are inappropriate, they will not be published.   

PLEASE post your e-mail in the comment section if you would like to network about a particular surname or topic. I will capture it for my use only and not include it when I publish your comment.

© 2012, copyright Linda Hughes Hiser

Tombstone Tuesday--Matella A. Lepard Hull

     Matella A. Lepard Hull is my second cousin, twice removed.  She was the daughter of Isaac Lepard and Sarah Ann Woollett. Born on February 8, 1859 in Attica, Venice Township, Seneca County, Ohio, Matella lived her entire life within the small farming community. 

Matella A. Lepard Hull

     
On February 7, 1878, she married  Abraham W. Hull, son of Michael Hull and Barbara Free Hull.  Abraham was born on October 3, 1863 was also raised in Venice Township. 

     The Hulls raised three children on the Hull farm outside town; Arza B Hull, Ida Mary Hull Wilhelm and Mina B. Hull Songer.  

     Matella died at age eight-one on May 24, 1941 at her home in Attica.  She is buried beside her husband, Abraham W. Hull, in the Attica Venice Joint Cemetery.

I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU. All comments are welcome; however, if they are inappropriate, they will not be published.   

PLEASE post your e-mail in the comment section if you would like to network about a particular surname or topic. I will capture it for my use only and not include it when I publish your comment.

© 2012, copyright Linda Hughes Hiser

Destination: Carnegie Library of Sandusky, Ohio and a BIG SURPRISE

Over the weekend my brother and I planned a little Monday day trip to Sandusky, Ohio.  Ken has become very involved with a new church and I wanted to see it; however, when Ken mentioned that there was a Carnegie Library in town which once housed a concert hall complete with a beautiful organ, I was onboard.  Readers might remember past blogs of our searches for Carnegie's that provided more than a library for the lucky community where it was built. 

We were warmly welcomed at the church and given a full tour of the building and the various classrooms.  As a gift I was given a CD of the worship team's music.

Former Erie County Jail

After lunch, we made our way into Sandusky.  Ken already knew the location of the library.  Out came the camera....Miss Snap Happy was primed and ready!  Next to the library is the old Erie County jail.  Check out the photo....nice digs for the sheriff.  Today the library has been expanded and extends into the building that once housed the jail.  More on that later in another blog.....

Elegant front of
Sandusky Carnegie Library

It's always a good trip when Ken is part of the travel team.  He has such a warm way with complete strangers....that winning smile and hardy laugh.  He totally charmed the lovely lady librarian at the information desk.  Within minutes she was giving us the most informative guided tour of the building.  

As she was finishing up, she asked if we had been down to the Archives Room.   Archives...."So," says Linda,"Does that mean you have a large genealogy section in the library?"  Her reply was "yes".  Then somewhere.....in the back of my mind.....I remembered one of my favorite blogs, Graveyard Rabbit of Sandusky Bay......Carnegie Library of Sandusky located on Sandusky Bay..... Can you hear the light bulb clicking on in my head ;-) 

"Well I read a blog about cemeteries in Erie County and I bet the writer does her research here," says myself.  The librarian asked who the blogger was and my reply, "Dorene".  The librarians eyes danced with delight and she responded, "Dorene! Dorene works here and is probably downstairs right now!"

Flipside meets Graveyard Rabbit of Sandusky Bay

We followed the librarian down to the lower level and there was Dorene sitting in front of her computer.  I walked over and said, "Hi Dorene, Linda from Flipside."  What a grand meeting.  Hugs and smiles....Geneabloggers are such a warm and nurturing community.  For both of us, it was the first time we had met a fellow Geneablogger in person.

I have followed Graveyard Rabbit of Sandusky Bay for several years.  Dorene's blog is well reseached and she is such an engaging writer.  The reader can always count on photos and often newspaper articles on the folks belonging to the individual tombstones.  If you are not part of her following, I encourage you strongly to hop over and give her a look.

Serendipity ruled the day.

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PLEASE post your e-mail in the comment section if you would like to network about a particular surname or topic. I will capture it for my use only and not include it when I publish your comment.

© 2012, copyright Linda Hughes Hiser

Tombstone Tuesday--Peter Gemmell, Fenwick Covenanter

     Back in 2005, while my husband, brother and I were traveling around the lowlands of Scotland, we stayed a day or two in Fenwick, Scotland near the town of Kilmarnock.  A large portion of the trip was spent looking for anything Gemmell--not in my surname line, but belonging to a friend of my brother.

     The second day of our stay in a wonderful B & B in Fenwick (pronounced Fenick), I saw a pamphlet in the lounge area for the Fenwick Old Parish Kirk.  AND, a Gemmell was buried there.  Suddenly, we were all in the rental car and heading for Low Fenwick and the Kirk.  As I remember, it was a dark and dreary afternoon--the perfect setting for a wander in an old cemetery.

     What an exciting find this turned out to be.  Firstly, I had either forgotten or never knew about the history of the Scottish Covenanters and shame on me as a life long Presbyterian!  The kirkyard was full of them....8 to be exact, which is more than in any other Scottish burial ground. 

    I found a useful site called Scottish Covenanter Memorials Association, which defined covenanter, "Simply stated, the Covenanters were those people in Scotland who signed the National Covenant in 1638. They signed this Covenant to confirm their opposition to the interference by the Stuart kings in the affairs of the Presbyterian Church of Scotland."

     Second, I don't know what I was thinking....maybe my mind was washed out by the rain....but I only photographed the one tombstone we were in search of...again, shame on me! 

     Finally, had I been able to do a little research on the Old Parish Kirk, I would have known ahead of time that the church faces east/west and is an odd angle within its boundary.  The kirk was built in 1643 in the shape of a Greek cross.  The guard posts at the gates that were built so that families could protect their dead from the resurrectionists.

The Peter Gemmell tombstone reads:

"Here lyes the corpse of Peter Gemmell,

who was shot by Nisbet and his party, anno 1685, for bearing his faithful testimony to the cause of Christ. Aged 21 years.
‘This man, like holy anchorites of old,
For conscience sake was thrust from house and hold;
Bloodthirsty red-coats cut his prayers short,
And even his dying groans were made their sport.
Ah, Scotland! breach of solemn vow repent,
Or bloody crimes will bring thy punishment.’"

     Electric Scotland on line has Ramble Round Kilmarnock, by Archibald R. Adamson.  There are two excellent chapters on the Fenwick Old Parish Kirk, Chapter VII and Chapter VIII.

I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU. All comments are welcome; however, if they are inappropriate, they will not be published.   

PLEASE post your e-mail in the comment section if you would like to network about a particular surname or topic. I will capture it for my use only and not include it when I publish your comment.

© 2012, copyright Linda Hughes Hiser

Road Ruminations--Just call me ".............."

     Several days a week, I have a 40 minute drive to work crossing the southern portion of the city of Cleveland, Ohio on two interstates.   I have made this journey now for several years and since the car almost drives itself, except during in inclement weather, it gives me time to explore a variety of topics in my mind.  Usually they verge on the ridiculous....this being one of those ;-)

     My given name is Linda Lee Hughes.  I married a Hiser.  I have never been one of those folks who is married to a her name.  I know some who will be become furious if you call them by a name abbreviation or nickname.  All of my genealogy is done as Linda Hughes Hiser; however, I am a variety of variations of my name in numerous places; Linda L. Hiser and Linda H. Hiser being two.  I am finding as I get older and need to decide what my name will be...for instance on my social security, drivers license, bank statements, etc., so everything will be the same.

     While driving and thinking this over (see, I told you this was somewhat ridiculous!), my mind wandered over to all the names I have been called during my, now, 65 years.  I have deleted those that might be offensive ;-D.

 

1. Linda--the given name
2. Lindee--family nickname
3. Lindy--spelling from my Aunt Barb McGoey Hughes
4. Lin--current family nickname
5. Lynn--as spelled by my paternal grandmother, Grams
6. Deeow--Ken's variation when he was too young to pronounce Lindee
7. Pickle Puss--toddler nickname from parents since I screwed up my mouth like I was eating a sour pickle....lol
8. Jerse--another toddler nickname from parents.  For Jersey Joe Walcott a boxing champion.  I hope I wasn't running around punching people ;-)
9. Mrs. Linda--my preschool teacher name
10. Mrs. Hiser--the more formal preschool teacher name
11. Miss Linda--sometimes used by my current co-workers
12. Linda Carol--JoAnn at work kept forgetting my name was Linda and called me by the name of Carol.  Once she got it right, she decided to call me Linda Carol!
13. Hughes--swimming coaches
14. Hughesie--college nickname
15. Mr. Pickles--from my son, Aric
16. Mom--my boys
17. Aunt Linda--my nieces and nephews
18. Cousin Lin--obviously, my cousins
19. Linda Lou--co workers
20. Sis--my bros

      I'm sure there are others; however, I think twenty is a good number.

 

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PLEASE post your e-mail in the comment section if you would like to network about a particular surname or topic. I will capture it for my use only and not include it when I publish your comment.

 

© 2012, copyright Linda Hughes Hiser

Wandering Down an Unknown Path--The Orr Family

     Sunday I had another full day off work and found myself....again....working with my Family Tree Maker--updating and looking for holes in my research.  Since I seem to have been focusing on my Frederick family, it was only a push of a key to wander over to the Orr Family of Columbiana County, Ohio. 

     My maternal great grandmother, Lucinda Frederick was an Orr.  Her brother, Matthew Thomas Orr, lived in Lisbon, Columbiana County, Ohio during the late 1800's and early 1900's until his death in 1909.  Matthew had two wives and children with both.  He had four daughters with his first wife, Mary Ellen Smith.  I have made next to no progress tracing those young gals.  Following Mary Ellen's death in 1879, Matthew married Elizabeth Keck and had three children.  To date I have not found any information on daughter Della M. Orr.  Son, William Monigan Orr, has a short history having lived only twenty eight years.  Feeling pretty frustrated, I plugged the final Orr into the FamilySearch search engine and up popped a marriage record....Hallelujah!!!!

     Julia B. Orr, nicknamed Jewel, born in Lisbon, Columbiana County, Ohio in July, 1883, daughter of Matthew Thomas Orr and Elizabeth Keck married John L. Moore on October 4, 1916.  John L. Moore was from the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania area.  I wonder if she met her future husband while visiting her Aunt Lucinda Orr Frederick, who was a Pittsburgh resident?

     Julia and John have not been too easy to follow, even with John's birthplace listed as Austria.  I was only able to find one census report, that being the 1920 Pennsylvania Census.  The Moore's lived at 4303 Andover Terrace in Pittsburgh and John was employed by the railroad as a secretary.  There is a listing on Find-A-Grave for a Julia Orr Moore buried in Lisbon Cemetery along with her parents and brother.  Her husband is not buried there.

     End of story......nope!

     I just had to do a search on John's family.  His father's name was Dunlop Moore.  Interesting and should be an easy one to research.  And it was!  Rev Dunlop Moore was a very prestigious Presbyterian minister in Pittsburgh.  A prolific writer and staunch support of drinking (!) much to the surprise of the fellow members of the Presbytery.  Rev Dunlop and his wife, Rosetta Lewis, had six children.  I spent the afternoon successfully searching for information about the males and then decided to take a chance on John's sister, Rosetta A. Moore.

Captured from a Houston Genealogical Website

     With Rosetta I hit the mother load of interesting people.  Rosetta married John Duff Houston in Pittsburgh in 1909.  John's father, James W. Houston, was involved in a large grocery interest, the James W. Houston & Co. Wholesale Grocers, 21 Seventh Ave., Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.  By the 1930's, John was the president and manager of his father's company. 

     So, I spent an entire afternoon wandering down this genealogical path, researching folks that aren't actually related to me.  I learned a little and was able to add several of them to Find-A-Grave.  And it all began with my first cousin twice removed, Julia B. Orr.

*****************

I updated this blog in 2021 with additional information that I did not have in 2012.  Matthew Thomas Orr.

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© 2012, copyright Linda Hughes Hiser

The Importance of Continually Checking Through Your Hard Copy

     I know this isn't an earth shattering piece of genealogical philosophy....more a gentle reminder to myself...."Linda keep checking those hard copy files!"

     This week while going through a box of my maternal grandmothers papers, I happened upon a short, but SWEET written account of my Dad's comings and goings before he left for his service in Korea during the summer of 1952.  I obviously had cut it out of one of Teek's journals, folded it and put it back for a later time.....then forgot it.

     I was only five and have limited memories of all the details. Many events have been filled in by family photos and my Dad's army documents and a few stories told by my Mother.

Sarah VanGilder Hughes (Grams), Martha Frederick Stark (Teek),
Martha Stark Hughes (Mom) holding Kenneth George Hughes
and George Henry Hughes (Pop Pop)

George VanGilder Hughes holding Kenneth George Hughes
Linda Lee Hughes in front
Beside Dad:  Sarah VanGilder Hughes, Martha Frederick Stark
and George Henry Hughes

....and now these two photos pulled from an old family album can take their rightful place in my family history....Growing Up Hughes.

I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU. All comments are welcome; however, if they are inappropriate, they will not be published. 

PLEASE post your e-mail in the comment section if you would like to network about a particular surname or topic. I will capture it for my use only and not include it when I publish your comment.

© 2012, copyright Linda Hughes Hiser

The Graveyard Rabbit Returns--Huge Stones of Scotland

My brother, in brown, is over 6 feet tall

Thankfully, I saw Carol's post, over at Reflections From the Fence, which alerted me to the reopening of the Graveyard Rabbit Meme. The challenge is to post your favorite tombstone photo. Like most of you, I have snapped countless tombstones for myself and Find-A-Grave. How to pick a fav?

I decided on one taken of my husband and brother beside G-IG-A-N-T-I-C tombstones found in the cemetery of St. Ninian's Priory in Whithorn, Scotland. This size memorial marker was not unusual in older cemeteries around Scotland. Any genealogist would be thrilled to find a family member's history etched on a stone this huge!

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PLEASE post your e-mail in the comment section if you would like to network about a particular surname or topic. I will capture it for my use only and not include it when I publish your comment.

© 2012, copyright Linda Hughes Hiser

Happy 60th Birthday Ken!!!

     Born on base at Camp Carson, Colorado on February 12, 1952, my brother Ken almost didn't make it to see the second day of his life.  Apparently, there was some medical issue and had our Dad not gone back to see how is baby son was doing following the birth, Ken would not have survived.  I, for one, am grateful that Dad was a doctor and was so quick to respond.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KEN

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© 2012, copyright Linda Hughes Hiser

Finished--I guess NOT.....More Zeigler, Qween, Quinn Adventures.

     I have been researching the pants off these folks, primarily using online resources.  My last blog regarding Edna May Frederick Zeigler Gween, brings the reader up to date with all my latest research on her life. Now, I would like to continue with my first cousin once removed, her only child and daughter, Mary Alethea Zeigler Quinn.

Note:  I recently realized I was misspelling Mary's surname.
 It should be Zeigler.

     I have touched on Mary's life in other Frederick Family blogs.  Truthfully, I don't know all that much about her.  I never knew her.  My mother did not follow her cousin through the years, although they lived within a short drive of each other.  Perhaps it was an age difference as my mother was born when Mary was eighteen. 

     Fortunately, I have found a few tidbits among the memorabilia by my Mom and her Mom, my maternal grandmother, Martha Marie Frederick Stark. 

     Mary was born about 1903, probably in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to Henry G. Zeigler and Edna Frederick Zeigler.  Her father, was a shoe salesman.  About 1915, when Mary was twelve, her parents divorced.  I have a World War I draft registration dated 1918 from her step father, William Clinton Gween, stating that he was married to Edna Frederick Zeigler. 

     From the two photos I have of Cousin Mary, she was a pretty young lady, favoring her mother, Edna May Frederick Zeigler Gween. 

Application for a Marriage License
Robert B. Quinn and Mary A. Zeigler

     

     On November 2, 1925, Mary A. Zeigler and Robert Bruce Quinn, son of Thomas Brown Quinn and Margaret Frances Wells Quinn applied for a marriage license in Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania.  I have a little peek into the day of the wedding, November 4, 1925, thanks to my maternal grandmother and the typewritten account I found in my mother's "baby book".

     

Robert B Quinn and Mary A. Zeigler Quinn
circa 1925

     

December 17, 1928

     This was a fun little find on Ancestry.  Mary was an employee of Joseph Horne's in Pittsburgh and several of them are presenting  series of Christmas programs.  KDKA is a Pittsburgh station.

     On the 1930 Pennsylvania census, Bob is listed as a retail merchant for a garage.  Once again the waters become murky.  I have found a listing for about a ten year period from the late 1940's into the 1950's in Sharon, Pennsylvania for Robert B. and Mary Quinn.  

     In 1940, the Quinn's were renting a duplex apartment at 611 Aureliaus Street, Swissvale, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania.  Robert was employed as an assistant metal----.  Both Robert and Mary are high school graduates.   Mary's mother was not living with them in 1940.

     By 1942, Robert and Mary moved to Sharon, Pennsylvania slightly east from Youngstown, Ohio.  There are city directories for them in Sharon from 1942-1959.  Robert was employed as a factory worker with Westinghouse, although in 1945, he is listed as with the United States Navy.  There is then a gap between 1945-1952.  Could Robert have signed up to serve in World War II?  Robert B. Quinn did serve as a Corporal with the United States Marines during World War I from June 26, 1918 - April 15, 1919.

     I have a card from "Aunt Edna, Cousin Mary and Bob and "Bumper" the dog from 1952.  Perhaps Edna had moved to Sharon, Pennsylvania and was living with her daughter and son-in-law.

     Mary and Bob did not have any children.  My mother told me that she thought that in her later years, Edna lived with her daughter and son-in-law.  The last address I have for them in the 1960's is on Alpine Blvd in Pittsburgh, which appears to be in the Forest Hills section of town.

The Pittsburgh Press
Monday, October 6, 1969
page 40

     Mary Alethea Zeigler Quinn is buried in the same cemetery as her mother, William Penn Gardens of Remembrance located in Churchill, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania.  She died on October 4, 1969.

The Pittsburgh Press
September 27, 1971
page 39

     I did find an obituary and a veterans card for a Robert B. Quinn.  Robert died September 24, 1971 and is buried at Woodlawn Cemetery, Wilkinsburg, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania.  I wonder why Robert is buried in a cemetery in Wikinsburg and Mary is in Churchill?

     

Updated October 2023

I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU. All comments are welcome; however, if they are inappropriate, they will not be published. 

PLEASE post your e-mail in the comment section if you would like to network about a particular surname or topic. I will capture it for my use only and not include it when I publish your comment.

© 2012, copyright Linda Hughes Hiser

Finished.....although maybe not......

    Whenever I think I have found all I can about my maternal great grandaunt, Edna May Frederick Zeigler Gween and her daughter, Mary A. Zeigler Quinn, I come up with something new. I keep poking around looking for new leads, primarily for myself, as there were no descendants from this branch of the Frederick tree. Edna had only one child and her daughter, Mary, had none.

     First, I found that for over a decade, I have misspelled the Zeigler surname!  That took a short time to change all the various listing on FTM and out on the net.  Next, I found that Edna's first husband, Harry G. Zeigler was actually named Henry G. Zeigler....more corrections needed.  Is Harry a nickname for Henry????

Zeigler/Frederick marriage license

     Another little tidbit turned up when I located the marriage record for Henry and Edna dated 1899.  The Frederick family was living in Esplen, Pennsylvania at that time.  I knew they resided there by the 1900 Pennsylvania census report and apparently they relocated from Columbiana County, Ohio earlier. 

     Before finding the marriage license, I had estimated their marriage about 1899, since Edna was not enumerated with her Frederick family.  I was on target--their marriage was September 6, 1899 in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania.  The Zeigler Family lived in and around the greater Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania area.  Their daughter, Mary A. Zeigler was born about 1903.  So far I have not been able to locate her birth information. 

     Henry was a shoe salesman with a department store in Pittsburgh during the early days of their marriage.  The marriage came to an end about 1915.  By 1920, Henry went back to live with his parents.  I have not traced him further.

     Edna remarried by 1918, William Clinton Gween.  The Gween's made their home in various places in and around the greater Pittsburgh area.  William must have died by 1930.  Recently I located two city directory listings for Edna Gween.  She is living alone and there is no mention of her husband.  Edna was employed as a telephone operator.

     My mother once told me that she always thought that her Aunt Edna was gainfully employed as she seemed to have money for lunches out, nice clothes and would usually bring her a little present each time she visited.  She  had no memory of Aunt Edna's husband, although, I was told that at the funeral of my maternal grandfather, Charles Edward Stark, my mother's father, that it was said that Edna and Martha, my mother's mother, might become closer now that they were both widows. 

     The only record I have of Aunt Edna's death and burial was written in the back of several of my maternal grandmother, Martha Marie Frederick Stark's, annual date books.  Edna died on January 25, 1961 and is buried at William Penn Memorial Cemetery.  I have not visited the cemetery and do not have any photographs of the memorial marker.

Also on Flipside:
1. Edna May Frederick Zeigler Gween

2. Edna May Frederick Zeigler Gween and Mary A. Zeigler Quinn

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PLEASE post your e-mail in the comment section if you would like to network about a particular surname or topic. I will capture it for my use only and not include it when I publish your comment.

© 2012, copyright Linda Hughes Hiser

Ten year mystery solved ????? Or just more questions !!!!

     I found this old cabinet card photograph at least ten years ago in a cardboard box of items that once belonged to my paternal grandmother, Sarah Margaret VanGilder Hughes.  The mystery--who are these people? 

     It made sense to me that the baby was my paternal grandmother with her parents, George Ethelbert VanGilder and Jessica Pool VanGilder.  The question was...why did they go from Morgantown, West Virginia to McKeesport, Pennsylvania to have a photograph taken?  Were there family members living in McKeesport that they were visiting and while there, decided to have the local photographer take the picture?

     Although I haven't come to a definite conclusion to this photo mystery, I have recently found a piece of information that gives me a clue.  Once again I am turning to those newly added Pittsburgh City Directories that are on ancestry.com.  I think I have put every possible Pittsburgh family name into the search engine.  On a whim, I decided to try the surname "Pinyerd".  John A. and Sarah Pool Pinyerd lived in North Charleroi, Pennsylvania in the early 1900's and although North Charleroi is quite a ways down the Monongahela River from Pittsburgh, it was worth a shot. 

     Up came this record!  John A Pinyerd did live in McKeesport, Pennsylvania in 1897.  WHOA!!!  Unfortunately, this is the only city directory with their name listed.  Sarah Pool Pinyerd was my paternal great grandmother's sister.   I do know that Sarah Pinyerd was back in Morgantown, West Virginia on the 1900 census.  If the Pinyerd's were still living in McKeesport in 1899, that baby could be my grandmother OR this could be a picture of John and Sarah Pinyerd with their little daughter that died as an infant or child.

     The man in the photograph appears to have brown eyes.  The few photos I have of my paternal great grandfather show him with light eyes, probably blue.  The woman in the photograph favors my paternal great grandmother, but her face is somewhat fuller in photos I have that were taken during the late 1890's. 

     My money is on the Pinyerds; however, I will never probably know for sure.  They had no descendants.

Additional Pinyerd blogs on Flipside:

John A. Pinyerd

Sarah Ann Pool Pinyerd

I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU. All comments are welcome; however, if they are inappropriate, they will not be published.   PLEASE post your e-mail in the comment section if you would like to network about a particular surname or topic. I will capture it for my use only and not include it when I publish your comment.

© 2012, copyright Linda Hughes Hiser

William Christian Olesen--Naturalization Petition

William Christian Olesen
Petition for Citizenship 1930

Again, Flipside scored a new documents for my paternal great grand uncle, William Christian Olesen--his Certificate of Arrival in the United States, the 1928 Declaration of Intention for Citizenship and his 1930 Petition for Citizenship.  Thank you ancestry.com.

William Christian Olesen
Certificate of Arrival

Oddly, the information on Great Grand Uncle Bill's Certificate of Arrival, which was used as the basis of his petition to become a US citizen, is actually the second time he traveled from England to America. As mentioned in an earlier blog, Bill first came to the US with his sister, my paternal great grandmother, Elizabeth Olesen Hughes, on August 7, 1910 from Liverpool, England on the ship, Celtic. Uncle Bill lived with his sister and her husband, John George Hughes, in Woodlawn, Pennsylvania and was probably employed then with J & L Steel.

Bill traveled back to England in the summer of 1920. On the voyage back he was accompanied by his mother, Ferdinande Weiss Olesen and his sister, Emily Olesen Richards. They arrived at Ellis Island on July 24, 1920 on the S.S. Aquitania. It is this arrival in the United States that was used for the petition for citizenship.

I have never found citizenship papers for my paternal great great grandmother, Ferdinande Weiss Olesen. Perhaps she was "grandfathered" in with her son, Bill Olesen. That might make sense since she accompanied him on the voyage.

William Christian Olesen
Declaration of Intention 1928

These documents give me a better picture of how Uncle Bill looked. I never realized how big a fellow he was, standing at 6 feet tall and weighing 210 pounds. The papers also confirm that he was a locomotive fireman and that he was living with my great grandparents at 131 Spring Street in Woodlawn, Pennsylvania.

Now if I could only find a photograph!

Tombstone Tuesday:William Christian Olesen on Flipside.

I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU. All comments are welcome; however, if they are inappropriate, they will not be published. 

PLEASE post your e-mail in the comment section if you would like to network about a particular surname or topic. I will capture it for my use only and not include it when I publish your comment.

© 2012 copyright Linda Hughes Hiser