Lost and Found--Grandma Fletcher

Nancy Stewart Fletcher

This is another photograph I purchased while on vacation at Cheat Lake, West Virginia in 2010. It took a little detective work to figure out who this woman was. First, I did purchase a photo of May and Maggie (Margaret) Hicks Devine. The back of this photo lists this woman as Grandma Fletcher, Margaret Devine's mother.

According to the West Virginia marriage licenses, May and Margaret's mother was Samatha Hicks nee Fletcher. She was born about 1867 in West Virginia. Much too young to be 71 in 1903. I looked her up on census reports and found that Samatha's mother was Nancy Fletcher, who is probably the woman pictured above. Nancy Fletcher was born in 1832, which would make her 71 in 1903. According to West Virginia census reports, she was alive until 1910.

Now, for her maiden name. I tried the brothers of their mother hoping that they stayed in West Virginia and had a death certificate on line and VOILA....one did. Nancy's maiden name was listed as Stewart.

Grandmother Fletcher
Margaret Devine's mother
age 71
March 6, 1903

I believe that this is Nancy Stewart Fletcher, Margaret Devine's maternal grandmother.

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 All comments are welcome; however if they are inappropriate, they will not be published.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.

© 2011, copyright Linda Hughes Hiser



Fearless Females-- #6 Heirlooms

     I have quite a collection of sterling silver spoons that belonged to my Frederick family ancestors. They were probably used for tea service as I have only teaspoons.

     This one is beautifully embellished with flowers and scrolls on the front and back.

     Clearly marked sterling silver and the maker's mark is identified in "Kovels' American Silver Marks" as Simpson, Hall, Miller & Co. (1866-1898). Spoons in sterling silver after were made after 1895. The company was located in Wallingford, Connecticut and later became International Silver Company.

     The green star is beside the maker's mark and the red star is beside a letter "D" which would be the year the spoon was made. Unfortunately, my identification book does not give that information. 

Source: Kovel, Ralph and Terry. Kovels' American Silver Marks, Crown Publishers, New York, New York, 1961, page 340. 

© 2011, copyright Linda Hughes Hiser

Fearless Females--#5 How Did They Meet

The Marriage of Christian Invart Olesen and Ferdinande Weiss
West Hartlepool, Durham County, England
There are no pictures or stories that have filtered down through the years that I am aware of. Great Great Grandmother Olesen did come to the United States and lived with my Great Grandmother Hughes until her death. I have been told some stories and memories of "Granny Olesen" by my Dad and Aunt....however, none of her husband and marriage.


Looking at the the 1871 England census, Frederick was deceased and Ferdinande had opened up their home as a boarding house. Note that Christian Olesen was a boarder in the Weiss home....maybe the romance began there ;-)

© 2011, copyright Linda Hughes Hiser

Fearless Females--#4 Marriage Records

This has been a good one for me to do. After searching around for marriage records and reviewing my previous blogs, I noticed that I have never posted the wedding information of my paternal great great grandparents, Christian Invart Olesen and Ferdinande Weiss. When I opened their file in my laptop....it wasn't in there! I had never scanned it.

Christian Invart Olesen, son of Ole Tonne Olesen of Denmark, was a master mariner and ship's chandler. At the time of their marriage, Christian was eleven years older than Ferdinande. Ferdinande, daughter of Frederick Heindrich Adolph Weiss and Ferdinande Lehman, had lived in West Hartlepool, England for almost fifteen years before she married. Frederick was gainfully employed as a banker or broker.


The wedding took place on August 30, 1874 in the parish church in the area where they lived in West Hartlepool....Christ Church. The church is still standing; however, it now houses an art museum.

Both of my great grandparents were literate and were able to sign their names. The witnesses were: Adolph Herman W. Weiss, Ferdinande's brother and Mary E. Middlemiss, the woman that Adolph would marry.

© 2011, copyright Linda Hughes Hiser

Fearless Females--#3 What's in a Name?

   

     Queen Elizabeth Frederick....how regal is that! Queen is my maternal first cousin twice removed. Born on May 31, 1877 in Indiana, she was the daughter of William Jackson Frederick and Emma Hipkins.

     I was able to find this listing of school graduates for Queen and her sister, Edith.

     Queen's father was a well known and respected citizen in Garrett, Indiana. He served as mayor for a time. They had a nice lifestyle with a home in Garrett and a summer retreat at Oakwood Park on Lake Wawasee, Indiana. Queen was at her father's bedside during an illness as evidenced in the news clipping above.

 

     From various newspaper articles that were sent to me, it appears that the Frederick family remained close although separated by distance. There were family reunions and visits to the family homes. Apparently my maternal grand uncle, William Walter Frederick (known as Walter) was a visitor to his uncle William Jackson Frederick's home in Garrett, Indiana and was close with his cousin Queen and her sister Edith.  The newspaper clipping above shows that the two girls took a train to Youngstown to be with Walter when he became ill, only to arrive to late as he died from typhoid fever on February 24, 1899. 

     On October 26, 1901 in Auburn, DeKalb County, Indiana, she married Charles Henry Abell. Two sons were born to this union; Charles Frederick Abell, born on November 8, 1909 in Garrett, DeKalb County, Indiana and William Frederick Abel, born on December 5, 1914 in Garrett, DeKalb County, Indiana. William died two years later and is buried at Lake View Cemetery, Kendallville, Noble County, Indiana. 

     Charles Henry Abell was gainfully employed in Garrett as a coal merchant. He served on numerous town committees and events. The family had a summer home in Rome City, Indiana on Sylvan Lake where they entertained family and friends. On May 28, 1928 at the age of 48 he died and was buried at Lake View Cemetery, Kendallville, Noble County, Indiana.

Photo used by permission of Kennetta Lemon      

     Queen died on 15 Jan 1978, at the age of 100 at Marion, Grant County, Indiana. She is buried at Lake View Cemetery, Kendallville, Noble County, Indiana along with many family members.

-Queen Elizabeth Frederick Abell on Find A Grave 

-Biography of Queen's father, William Jackson Frederick 

© 2011, copyright Linda Hughes Hiser

Fearless Females--#2 Photo of Ancestor

I have gone back through two years of blogs and don't think I have posted this photo in the past. Pictured in a glam pose is my mother, Martha Jean Stark Hughes, on Palm Sunday, 1945. The photo was probably taken in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, perhaps on the University of Pittsburgh campus as Dad was finishing up medical school there at that time.

Unlocking a memory: I note that Mom is wearing a corsage to mark the day. Throughout all my years Growing Up Hughes, there was always a corsage from Dad.....special occasions deserved to be celebrated with flowers. If Mom and Dad were going out....church or dinner, it was a corsage, if not, then a bouquet. And, when I was old enough, I had a corsage to wear too.

© 2011, copyright Linda Hughes Hiser

Lost and Found--May Hicks and Margaret Hicks Devine

May Hicks sitting and Margaret Hicks Devine standing

May Hicks and Margaret Hicks Devine pictured in this photo postcard, perhaps circa 1925 as both ladies appear to have wedding bands on their ring finger. The Hick's sisters were daughters of William Stidger Hicks and Samatha B. Fletcher. Eva May was born on February 26, 1895 and Margaret (Maggie) on November 9, 1897, both in Cameron, Marshall County, West Virginia. The Hicks lived on a farm in Cameron, Marshall County, West Virginia in the 1900 and 1910 census. By 1920 the family had relocated to Liberty, Ohio County, West Virginia.

 

The children of William Stidger Hicks and Samantha B. Fletcher;
1. Eva May Hicks
2. Margaret B. Hicks
3. John W. Hicks
4. Elmer C. Hicks
5. Rhea M. Hicks


Margaret Hicks married John Garfield Devine on April 9, 1921 at Woodsdale, Wheeling, West Virginia. The 1930 Pennsylvania census lists the couple living in Waynesburg, Greene County, Pennsylvania. The Devines are listed as having a daughter, Harriet Devine, age 19. From various records I have been able to locate, it appears that John had a first marrige to Jennie Fordyce on February 16, 1907 in Monongalia County, West Virginia and Harriet is his daughter from that union. John is employed as a drilling contractor with an oil and gas company.


Eva May Hicks married Luster Parsons on January 19, 1923 at Cameron, Marshall County, West Virginia. The Parsons settled in Cameron, Marshall County West Virginia, where Luster farmed. On the 1930 West Virginia census, the Parsons have a daughter, Freda Virginia born on December 30,1926 in Cameron, Marshall County, West Virginia.

Photo postcard was purchased at an antique store in Cheat Lake, West Virginia on a vacation, July 2010. I am not related to this family.

Sources:
-1900 West Virginia Census, Cameron, Marshall, West Virginia; Roll: T623_1765; Page: 3B; Enumeration District: 67

- 1930 Pennsylvania Census, Waynesburg, Greene, Pennsylvania; Roll: 2044; Page: 4B; Enumeration District: 29. (for John Garfield Devine)

-1930 West Virginia Census, Cameron, Marshall County, West Virginia; Roll: 2543, Page: 8A;
Enumeration District: 2. (for Luster Parsons)

-Birth Records, Cameron, Marshall County, West Virginia.

-World War I Draft Registration, Monongalia County, West Virginia; Roll: 1992863; Draft Board: 0.

-World War II Draft Registration, National Archives and Records Administration (NARA); Washington, D.C.; State Headquarters: Pennsylvania; Microfilm Series: M1951; Microfilm Roll: 71.

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.

© 2011, copyright Linda Hughes Hiser