On This Day: November 29

1915: My mother, Beaulah Belle “Bea” Yawman, was born in Walton Township, Labette County, Kansas, the eighth and youngest child of William and Myrtle (Snider) Yawman.

Mom was twice married. In 1935 she married Archie E. Sherell in Johnson County, Kansas; they had three children, Deanna Dale, Arnold Lee, and Archie Anthony Neil. Mom and Archie were divorced in 1945 in Los Angeles County, California.

In January 1953, she married my father J. J. “Jack” Spurlock in Yuma, Yuma County, Arizona. With their marriage, my mother added another daughter to her family: Gloria Jane, my dad’s daughter from his previous marriage. Two children were born to Bea and Jack: me and my sister Jennifer.

Although Mom worked outside the home from time to time, she was first and foremost a mother. Here is one of my favorite photos of her:

Grandson Ron, great-granddaughter Christen, Mom, great-
granddaughter Rachel, daughter Jennifer - circa 1997.
Digital image. Original held by Cheryl Chaney Beaver, [ADDRESS
WITHHELD FOR PRIVACY], Lone Grove, OK, 2011.

She died on 5 June 1999 in Bakersfield, Kern County, California, after a brief bout with pancreatic cancer. It was her wish that her body be donated for medical research. She is memorialized on the gravestone at my dad's grave in Lone Grove Cemetery, Lone Grove, Carter County, Oklahoma.

Last year I wrote the post Remembering Mama. I wish that my grandchildren had had the opportunity to know their great-grandmother personally, but they have grown to know her through our sharing our memories of this special woman.


© 2011 Denise Spurlock

Amanuensis Monday - 1842 Deed - Godfrey Tallinger to George Sitterley

On his TransylvanianDutch blog, John Newmark defines an amanuensis as “a person employed to write out what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another.” For more information about this daily blogging prompt, see John’s post Amanuensis – Why?.

I have amassed quite a collection of scans of handwritten documents related to my ancestors—primarily marriage records, deeds, and wills. As I have been transcribing these documents, it occurred to me that most of these documents were not actually written by my ancestors, but rather dictated to someone else, and then transcribed by a clerk into official records.

This week I have transcribed the deed by which my maternal 3rd great-grandfather Jurry Hendrik (George) Sitterly acquired a piece of property in Rochester, New York, in 1842. He purchased the property from his son-in-law and daughter, Godfrey and Deborah Anne Tallinger. I found it interesting that this deed describes the location of the property using street names as reference points. Several maps of Old Rochester, drawn by Silas Cornell, can be found here on The Erie Canal website.

“THIS INDENTURE, made this First day of September One thousand eight hundred and

forty two BETWEEN Godfry Tallinger and Deborah Ann Tallinger his wife of the City

of Rochester of the first part, and George Sitterley of the same place of the sec-

ond part, WITNESSETH, that the parties of the first part, in consideration of the

sum of Six hundred dollars to them duly paid, have sold, and BY THESE PRESENTS,

do grant and convey to the said party of the second part, his heirs and assigns, ALL

that tract or parcel of land situate in the City of Rochester in the County of Mon-

roe and State of New York known and distinguished on a map made by Silas Cornell

on the Triangular Tract in the City of Rochester made for O. N. Bush and T. Mathews

as lot No. Twenty eight (28) and situate at the corner of William & Court Street

being Forty feet front on William Street and about Fourteen (14) feet in rear and

extending back to an ally Fifteen (15) feet in width.

“WITH THE APPURTENANCES, and all the estate, title, and interest therein, of the

said parties of the first part, And the said Godfrey Tallinger does hereby cove-

nant and agree to and with the said party of the second part, his heirs and assigns,

that the premises thus conveyed, in the quiet and peaceable possession of the said

party of the second part, his heirs and assigns, he will forever WARRANT AND DE-

FEND against any person whomsoever lawfully claiming the same or any part thereof.

“IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties of the first part have hereunto set their hands

and seals the day and year first above written.

SEALED AND DELIVERED)           Deborah Ann Tallinger     (L.S.)

                                                )

IN PRESENCE OF                 )                 Godfrey Tallinger       (L.S.)

“Monroe County (ss) On the 8th days of October 1842 before me came Godfrey Tallinger

to me known to be the person described in and who executed the within deed and ack-

nowledged that he executed the same.

“A true copy of the original recorded                                   Nelson Hall

October 8, 1842 at 8 O'Clock A.M. & examined     Comr. of Deeds

                                                                        J.W. Smith Clerk”

[Source: Monroe, New York, Deed Books, 57: 598, indenture, Godfrey and Deborah Ann Tallinger to George Sitterley, 8 Oct 1842; FHL microfilm 82,582.]

© 2011 Denise Spurlock

On This Day: November 27

1768: Samuel Hall, my 6^th great-grandfather, gave consent for a license to be issued for the marriage of his daughter Phoebe to my 5^th great-grandfather Isaac Eaton. Here is my transcription along with a copy of his consent:

“Mr. John froohek liveing in North Carolina in Roan ^County

I send these few lines to you to testify you

that I am satisfied that the [?] hear of

Isaac Eaton shall have my dater faby

hall to wed [?] that [?] and if you will

[?] grant him lisons for the same you will

a blige [oblige] me Samuel Hall

  Deted [Dated] November 27 1768”

A typed transcript of the Rowan County, North Carolina, marriage bonds appears below:

These documents provide the documentation for the typed transcript:

[Source: North Carolina, Rowan County, marriage records; "North Carolina, County Marriages, 1762-1979" digital images, FamilySearch (www.familysearch.org : accessed 26 Nov 2011).]

No actual marriage record for Isaac and Phoebe has been found.

Isaac and Phoebe (Hall) Eaton were the parents of six known sons: William, Abraham (from whom I descend), Samuel, Daniel, Isaac, Jr., and Joseph. I do not know at this time whether they had any daughters.



© 2011 Denise Spurlock

Let Us Give Thanks!

For family,

For friends,

For home

And country.

The Glory Window at Thanks-Giving Square,
Dallas, Texas
Digital image by Denise Spurlock, 2009.

Happy Thanksgiving!

© 2011 Denise Spurlock

Wordless Wednesday - Grandma and Grandpa Yawman

Digital image. Original held by Arny Sherrell, [ADDRESS WITHHELD FOR
PRIVACY], Dripping Springs, TX, 2011.

Myrtle Arminta (Snider) Yawman - 1878-1958

and

William Lee Yawman - 1870-1948

This picture of my maternal grandparents was probably taken in the 1930s.

© 2011 Denise Spurlock

Descended from James Chilton, Mayflower Passenger

Heather Wilkinson Rojo, of the Nutfield Genealogy blog, has started a new meme for Thanksgiving—to list your ancestors who arrived on the Mayflower.

I know of only one: James Chilton, believed to be the oldest passenger on board. A signer of the Mayflower Compact, he died 8 December 1620 while the ship was anchored in Provincetown Harbor.

Here is my line: 

James Chilton, wife unknown
Isabella Chilton married Roger Chandler
Sarah Chandler married John Solomon Leonard
Isaac Leonard married Deliverance Ames
Benjamin Leonard married Hannah Phillips
Caleb Leonard married Jemima Minthorn
Rhoda Leonard married Luther Cary
Ephraim Cary married Matilda Gandy
Rhoda Cary married Joseph Franklin
Ruth Franklin married David Snider
Myrtle Snider married William Yawman (my grandparents).

Located in Provincetown, Massachusetts, this is a memorial for the Mayflower passengers who died while the ship was anchored in the harbor there:

By T.S. Custadio ToddC4176 01:26, 1 March 2007 (UTC)ToddC4176 at en.wikipedia
[GFDL (www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or
CC-BY-SA-3.0 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/)],
from Wikimedia Commons

© 2011 Denise Spurlock

Amanuensis Monday - Deed - Andrew Yawman to Nicholas Yawman (1848)

On his TransylvanianDutch blog, John Newmark defines an amanuensis as “a person employed to write out what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another.” For more information about this daily blogging prompt, see John’s post Amanuensis – Why?.

I have amassed quite a collection of scans of handwritten documents related to my ancestors—primarily marriage records, deeds, and wills. As I have been transcribing these documents, it occurred to me that most of these documents were not actually written by my ancestors, but rather dictated to someone else, and then transcribed by a clerk into official records.

While in Salt Lake City in October, I focused on trying to find records of my Yawman ancestors. I found the following deed in which my 2nd great-grandfather Andrew Yawman and his wife Catherine Sitterly Yawman sold a piece of property to Nicholas Yawman, Andrew’s brother. I did not find the deed representing the original purchase. This typewritten transcript was likely prepared by a clerk many years after the purchase.

“THIS INDENTURE, Made this Twenty Second day of December in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and Forty eight BETWEEN Andrew Yawman and Catherine his wife of the City of Rochester County of Monroe and State of New York of the first part, and Nicholas Yawman of the same place of the second part,

“WITNESSETH, That the parties of the first part, in consideration of the sum of Seven hundred Dollars to them duly paid, have sold, and By these Presents, do grant and conveyto the said part of the second part, his heirs and assigns, all that tract or parcel of

LAND, situate in the said of Rochester and know and distinguished upon a certain map Recorded in Liber sixty two (62) of deeds page two hundred forty one (241) in the Clerks office of the County of Monroe as lot number twenty three (23) being a subdivision of that part of great lots Forty six (46) and Forty seven (47) lying west of the Erie Canal and which said lot twenty three (23) contains ninety two hundredths of an acre of land more or less & being the same premises conveyed by by the Albany City Bank to the said Andrew Yawman by deed bearing date the Tenth day of August 1848.

“WITH THE APPURTENANCES, and all the estate, title and interest therein of the said parties of the first part. And the said Andrew Yawman doth hereby convenant and agree, to and with the said party of the second part, his heirs and assigns, that the premises thus conveyed, in the quiet and peaceable possession of the said party of the second part, his heirs and assigns, he will forever WARRANT AND DEFEND, against any persons whomsoever, lawfully claiming the same or any part thereof.

“IN WITNESS WHEREOF, The parties of the first part have hereunto set their hands and seals the day and year first above written.

“Sealed and Delivered in Presence of

            Thomas Moran Jr.                                      Andrew Yawman (L.S.)

                                                                                            HER

                                                                              Catharine X Yawman (L.S.)

                                                                                            MARK

“State of New York    )

Monroe County ss:      )           On the 27th day of December 1848 personally appeared before me the subscriber Andrew Yawman and Catherine his wife to me known to be the persons described

in the above instrument who acknowledged that they executed the same and the said Catherine on a private examination apart from her husband acknowledged that she executed the same freely and without fear or compulsion of her said husband.

A true copy of the original recorded              )  Jeremiah Cutler Comr. of Deeds

Sept. 5, 1850 at 2 O'Clock P.M. & Exam'd.)

                                    John T. Lacey Clerk”

Source:  Monroe, New York, Deed Books, 92: 130, deed,
Andrew Yawman and wife to Nicholas Yawman,
5 Sep 1850; FHL microfilm 825,856.

© 2011 Denise Spurlock

Of Friend-Ships - 3rd Annual Great Genealogy Poetry Challenge

This is my second post in Bill West’s Third Annual Great Genealogy Poetry Challenge. The challenge is to:

Find a poem by a local poet, famous or obscure, from the region one of your ancestors lived in. It can be about an historical event, a legend, a person, or even about some place (like a river)or a local animal. It can even be a poem you or one of your ancestors have written! Or if you prefer, post the lyrics of a song or a link to a video of someone performing the song.

In my grandmother’s scrapbook, I found several poems written by her brother, Walter Ivan Martindale (1883-1958). I don’t know whether Walter wrote poetry throughout his life or only in his later years. 

Of Friend-Ships

While living in the gloaming, near the ending of lifes way,
And in memory I’m roaming through the scenes of yesterday,
As I count my many blessings and treasures that I own,
I find among the sweetest, are the friend-ships I have known.

For all along my journey, through each hour, and every day,
Their friendly smiles and hand-clasp has brightened up the way,
They my follies and my failures have seen and understood,
I could not live without them and would not if I could.

If we never met with sorrows, or temptations on our way,
We might never know the comfort friend-ship brings to us each day,
And if we but live in friend-ship and each fellow of us can,
Then the world would be united in the brotherhood of man.

For friend-ship has this virtue, that it knows not sect or creed,

The parish priest, the minister and folk of lesser breed,
The white, the red, the black man, of every land or clime,
Can enjoy each other’s friend-ship as they serve their day and time.

For friend-ships high and holy, for friend-ships kind and true,
Of high estate and lowly, I am humbly grateful too,
And when my days are over and my earthly journey ends
I shall thank our heavenly Father that I’ve had such lovely friends.

I previously featured one of Walter I. Martindale’s poems in the post Love Stories – Our Golden Wedding Day.


© 2011 Denise Spurlock

Sunday’s Obituary – William Lee Yawman (1870-1948)

I haven’t found an obituary for William Lee Yawman, my maternal grandfather; the following funeral announcement appeared in the Los Angeles Times:

Los Angeles Times, 24 Jan 1948, p. 11, col. 7; digital images, ProQuest 
(www.proquest.com : accessed 19 Nov 2011), Historical Los Angeles Times.  

“YAWMAN, William Lee, beloved husband of Myrtle A. Yawman, father of Joyce O. Seely, Eunice E. Waddell, Hazel A. Yockey, Juanita M. Moerer, Myrtle G. Taylor, Buleah B. Sherrell and William H. Yawman, brother of Nora Welch, Martha Bly, Georgia, John and Fred Yawman.

“Services Monday at 11 a.m. in the Little Church of the Flowers.

“Forest Lawn Mortuary in charge.”

© 2011 Denise Spurlock

Third Annual Great Genealogy Poetry Challenge

Bill West at West in New England is hosting his Third Annual Great Genealogy Poetry Challenge. The challenge is to:

Find a poem by a local poet, famous or obscure, from the region one of your ancestors lived in. It can be about an historical event, a legend, a person, or even about some place (like a river) or a local animal. It can even be a poem you or one of your ancestors have written! Or if you prefer, post the lyrics of a song or a link to a video of someone performing the song.

My paternal great-grandfather Ambrose Martindale managed and owned sawmills in Missouri and Texas. For this year’s challenge, I have selected a poem not written by an ancestor nor by a poet from the area in which my ancestors lived. It does, however, express the often-tragic experiences of those who worked in the mills.

The poem is "Out, Out" by Robert Frost. The text of the poem is below, or you can listen to this reading:

Out, Out
by Robert Frost

The buzz saw snarled and rattled in the yard
And made dust and dropped stove-length sticks of wood,
Sweet-scented stuff when the breeze drew across it.
And from there those that lifted eyes could count
Five mountain ranges one behing the other
Under the sunset far into Vermont.
And the saw snarled and rattled, snarled and rattled,
As it ran light, or had to bear a load.
And nothing happened: day was all but done.
Call it a day, I wish they might have said
To please the boy by giving him the half hour
That a boy counts so much when saved from work.
His sister stood beside him in her apron
To tell them "Supper." At the word, the saw,
As if it meant to prove saws know what supper meant,
Leaped out at the boy's hand, or seemed to leap -
He must have given the hand. However it was,
Neither refused the meeting. But the hand!
Half in appeal, but half as if to keep
The life from spilling. Then the boy saw all -
Since he was old enough to know, big boy
Doing a man's work, though a child at heart -
He saw all was spoiled. "Don't let him cut my hand off -
The doctor, when he comes. Don't let him, sister!"
So. The hand was gone already.
The doctor put him in the dark of ether.
He lay and puffed his lips out with his breath.
And then - the watcher at his pulse took a fright.
No one believed. They listened to his heart.
Little - less - nothing! - and that ended it.
No more to build on there. And they, since they
Were not the one dead, turned to their affairs.

© 2011 Denise Spurlock

Family Recipe Friday - Mama's Pumpkin Pie

Thanksgiving calls for pumpkin pie and nothing is better than Mama's recipe. It's easy: Follow the recipe on the label from Libby's canned pumpkin with two modifications: Add an extra egg and TRIPLE the spices! You can find the original recipe here.

Looks yummy!

© 2011 Denise Spurlock

Wordless Wednesday - Andrew Yawman

Photo courtesy of Gary A. Yawman

ANDREW YAWMAN

1810-1891

Emigrated to the U.S. c1832

Naturalized 1842

Andrew Yawman, my maternal 2nd great-grandfather, is also my most recent immigrant ancestor.

© 2011 Denise Spurlock

On This Day: November 15

1905: My paternal grandparents, Jasper Jackson Spurlock and Mamie Olive Martindale, were married, probably in Cushing, Nacogdoches County, Texas. [Source: Spurlock, Mamie Olive (Martindale), Scrapbook, ca 1950-1970; privately held by Cheryl Anne (Chaney) Beaver, [ADDRESS FOR PRIVATE USE,] Lone Grove, Oklahoma. 2010. Photocopy in possession of Denise Spurlock.]

For several years I have been searching for additional documentation of this marriage. I have searched the Nacogdoches County marriage records on microfilm at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City and the original marriage book at the Nacogdoches County Courthouse. Both the bride and groom indexes indicate the marriage record is on page 463 as seen on the following images (near the bottom of each page):

Nacogdoches County, Texas, Marriage Book I,
Groom Index; FHL microfilm 1003584.

Nacogdoches County, Texas, Marriage Book I,
Reverse Index (Brides); FHL microfilm 1003584.

However, page 463 contains the marriage records of two other couples:

Nacogdoches County, Texas, Marriage Book I, 463; FHL microfilm 1003584.

I have searched both the microfilm and the marriage book page-by-page and could not locate the Spurlock-Martindale record. The only scenario I can come up with to explain the missing record is the document was loose and inserted at page 463 in accordance with the date of the marriage, and, when the marriage book was microfilmed, the certificate was removed and misplaced.

I also have a copy of an undated marriage announcement clipped from an unknown newspaper. On a recent visit to the Dallas Public Library, I searched microfilmed copies of the Nacogdoches, Texas, Daily Sentinel, for the period from November 15 to December 1, 1905, and did not find the original. Following is a copy of the article: 

Someday I hope to find either the marriage record or the newspaper in which the announcement appeared. Or perhaps some other documentation will surface to corroborate the information I have.

© 2011 Denise Spurlock

Amanuensis Monday - Andrew Yawman's Naturalization (1842)

On his TransylvanianDutch blog, John Newmark defines an amanuensis as “a person employed to write out what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another.” For more information about this daily blogging prompt, see John’s post Amanuensis – Why?.

I have amassed quite a collection of scans of handwritten documents related to my ancestors—primarily marriage records, deeds, and wills. As I have been transcribing these documents, it occurred to me that most of these documents were not actually written by my ancestors, but rather dictated to someone else, and then transcribed by a clerk into official records.

Last week I presented the sworn statement made by my maternal 2^nd great-grandfather Andrew Yawman with respect to his desire to become a citizen of the United States. This week I have transcribed the naturalization form filed in the Mayor’s Court of the City of Rochester by which he was declared a citizen. The text that was filled in on the document is italicized and underlined; the pre-printed part of the form is in regular font. His previous deposition is referred to in this document as being “annexed.”

MAYOR'S COURT

OF THE CITY OF ROCHESTER.
Of the Term of November in the year 1842 1042[stamped]

COUNTY OF MONROE

And City of Rochester, ss.
Be it Remembered, that on the 2^nd day of November in the year

1842 in this present Term, Andrew Yawman of

the city of Rochester in said County, personally appeared in open Court, and produced the following ^annexed

report and affidavit, heretofore duly filed in this Court, pursuant to the laws of the United States:

            To the Judges of the Mayor's Court of the City of Rochester:

The Subscriber, [blank] of the [blank] of [blank] in

the county of Monroe, humbly reports that he was born in [blank]

[blank] in the Kingdom of [blank] a subject of the

King of [blank] on or about the [blank]

[blank] day of [blank] that he has ever since his said arrival, resided in the United States,

and particularly that he has resided at his present place of residence for the last [blank] that it is his

bona fide intention to continue to reside in the United States, and to become a citizen thereof as soon as the laws in relation to

naturalization will permit, and to renounce all allegiance to every foreign power, prince, state and sovereignty whatever, and

particularly to the King of [blank]

City of Rochester, ss.

being duly sworn, says, that the facts set forth in the foregoing report are true.

Sworn to in open Court, this [blank] day

of [blank] 184[blank], before me.

                                                                        Clerk of the Court.

City of Rochester, ss. [illegible] W^m. Chappell and W^m Allgood

being duly sworn, say that they are citizens of the United States-that they are well acquainted with the above named

Andrew Yawman that he has resided in the United States for more that five years last

past-is of good moral Character, as they verily believe, and attached to the principles of the Constitution of the United States.

Sworn to in open Court, this 2^d day}                                   W^m Chappell

of November 1842 before me.         }                                   W^m Allgood

                                    E. Jae[?]         Clerk of the Court.

Whereupon such proceedings were had that the said Court were satisfied that the said

Andrew Yawman had resided in the United States

for more than five years last past-and he having in open Court taken the oath that he will support the

Constitution of the United States, and that he has absolutely and entirely renounced all allegiance and

fidelity to every foreign prince, potentate, power, state and sovereignty whatever, and particularly to the

King of The French and the Court being satisfied that the

said Andrew Yawman hath in all respects conformed

to the laws of the United States in relation to the naturalization of aliens:  Therefore it is considered

by the said Court, that the said Andrew Yawman be, and he is hereby,

admitted to become, and declared to be, a citizen of the United States.

[The following four lines appear to the left of the above paragraph.]

Judgment signed this

2 day of November

1842

  L. Mathews

City of Rochester, ss. [?]

I Andrew Yawman do solemnly swear, that I will support the Constitution of

the United States, and that I hereby renounce all allegiance and fidelity to every foreign prince, potentate, power, state and

sovereignty whatever, and particularly to the King of The French So help me God.

Sworn to in open Court, this 2^nd day           }

of November 1842 before me.                      }

                                    E. Jae              Clerk.                         Andrew Yawman

Source: Monroe, New York, Naturalization Petitions, c. 1823-1906,
File 5, Petition Number 1042, Andrew Yawman; FHL microfilm 980,257.

© 2011 Denise Spurlock

Sunday's Obituary - Forest Snider (1883-1961)

"Forest Snider Dies Thursday," The Marysville Journal-Tribute,
14 Sep 1961, p. 2, col. 2;
digital images,
Genealogy Bank (www.genealogybank.com : accessed 4 Jul 2010).

"Forest Snider Dies Thursday

Forest E. Snider, 78, of 118 E. Eighth St. died Thursday at the Union County Home after a long illness.

Born Jan. 16, 1883 in Union County, he was the son of Joseph and Melissa (Blue) Snider. 

Surviving is a brother, Ellison Snider of Marysville.

Funeral services will be held 10 a. m. Saturday in the Faulkner funeral home with the Rev. Ralph Tropf officiating. Burial will be in Oakdale cemetery."



© 2011 Denise Spurlock

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun -- A Veteran's Service and Gravesite

This week, Randy Seaver of GeneaMusings.com has issued the following challenge:

1. To celebrate Veterans Day, pick one of your ancestors or relatives with a military record and a gravestone. 
2. Tell us about your ancestor's military service. 
3. Tell us about your ancestor's gravestone - where is it, what is the inscription, when were you last there? Show us a picture of it if you have one available.
4. Write your own blog post about this ancestor and his gravestone, or share it in a Comment to this blog post, in a status line on Facebook, or in a Google Plus Stream post.  

For this week’s challenge, I have chosen to write about George M. Spurlock, one of my paternal great-granduncles. George enlisted in Co. B of the 12th Louisiana Infantry (CSA) on 8 March 1862. He was captured by Federal forces on 16 December 1864 at Nashville, Tennessee, and transferred to Louisville, Kentucky, on 7 March 1865. On 10 March 1865, he was sent to Camp Chase, Ohio, and then transferred to Point Lookout on 26 March 1865. He appears on a Roll of Sick Prisoners of War, released 6 June 1865, after taking the Oath of Allegiance to the United States. [Source: Compiled Military Service Record, George M. Spurlock, NARA Publication M320, Compiled Service Records of Confederate Soldiers who Served in Organizations from the State of Louisiana; digital images, Fold3 (www.fold3.com : accessed 28 January 2011).]

George died in Milam County, Texas, on 9 January 1880, and is buried at Lilac Cemetery. I took the following photo of his tombstone when I visited there on 4 November 2011:

Digital image; copyright Denise Spurlock, 2011.

G. M. SPURLOCK

BORN

Apr. 11, 1844

DIED

Dec. 9, 1880

————

A light from our household is gone

A voice we loved is stilled

A place is vacant in our hearts

That never can be filled.

© 2011 Denise Spurlock

Defending Liberty and Freedom – Veterans Day 2011

In 1919, U.S. President Woodrow Wilson issued a proclamation declaring Armistice Day on November 11^th as a day to honor those who lost their lives service to the United States during World War I. In May 1954, President Dwight Eisenhower signed a bill expanding recognition to include all who have served our country in the armed forces; shortly afterward, Congress changed the name of the holiday from Armistice Day to Veterans Day.

Today I honor those from my family who have served in the military (or in the case of the Revolutionary War, provided support to the army):

My siblings:

« Arny Sherrell

« Tony Sherrell

« Jennifer Spurlock

Civil War veterans:

« James H. Burton

« James B. Forshee

« Ambrose B. Martindale

« Howell B. Martindale

« Michael Yawman

Revolutionary patriots:

« Luther Cary

« George Clayton

« Thomas Cook

« William Justice

« James Reeves

© 2011 Denise Spurlock

On This Day: November 10

1825: My paternal 2^nd great-grandmother Sherreldia Jane Hammontree, the daughter of Hugh Hammontree and Rachel Caskey, was born in Tennessee. She died on 31 December 1896 and is buried at Hurricane Cemetery in Claiborne Parish, Louisiana. [Source: Kelly Christian Priestly, "Hurricane Cemetery, Claiborne Parish, Louisiana," transcription, USGenWeb Archives (http://files.usgwarchives.org/la/claiborne/cemeteries/hurrican.txt : accessed 21 Apr 2010), entry for Sherreldia J. Owens.]

Digital image. Original held by Denise Spurlock,
[ADDRESS WITHHELD FOR PRIVACY], Lomita,
California, 2007.

© 2011 Denise Spurlock

Wedding Wednesday – A Surprise to Their Friends!

My granduncle Walter Martindale married Snodie Chambers on 4 November 1903 in Nacogdoches County, Texas. Last week I found the following announcement of their marriage:

“Mr. Martindale and Nodie Chambers were married last night at the Baptist parsonage by Rev. A. J. Holt. Mr. Martindale is the son of A. B. Martindale, the prominent mill man of Mahl, and Miss Chambers is an attractive and popular young lady of Mahl. The wedding was unexpected to their friends, who nevertheless extend congratulations.”

[Source: (Nacogdoches) Daily Sentinel, 5 Aug 1903, p. 3, col. 4; Dallas Public Library, Texas Collection, The Daily Sentinel, microfilm reel #4.]

The official record of their marriage appears below:

[Source: Nacogdoches County, Texas, 14 vols. (Nacogdoches County Courthouse, Nacogdoches),
vol. H, p. 70, marriage certificate (1903), Martindale-Chambers; FHL microfilm 1,003,583.]

Snodie was the love of Walter’s life. On their 50^th wedding anniversary, he wrote a beautiful poem featured in the post Love Stories: Our Golden Wedding Day.

© 2011 Denise Spurlock

Travel Tuesday – Texas and Oklahoma Road Trip!

Every year my sister Jennifer takes a week of vacation at Halloween, and I schedule a trip to Texas to visit if I can. Although Jennifer is not as interested in genealogy as I am, she makes a great research assistant. We usually take a 2-3 day road trip while I’m there to visit cemeteries and courthouses. This year we focused more on visiting family.

We started on Tuesday with a drive up to Lone Grove, Oklahoma, where several nieces and nephews live. We stopped in Denton for breakfast and my sister showed me the county courthouse there. (They refer to it as the "Kremlin"!)

I had emailed my nieces in advance and they gathered up birth, marriage, and death certificates, as well as photos, to be scanned. (I took my FlipPal Mobile Scanner along on this trip.) I was amazed at the documents my sister and her husband had saved throughout their lives together! We also visited Lone Grove Cemetery where my father, my sister and my brother-in-law are buried.

On Wednesday, we headed south. Our first stop was at Richland Springs Cemetery in Richland Springs, San Saba County, Texas. Charles W. Spurlock, our 1^st cousin once removed, and most of his children are buried there. I had planned to take pictures with my phone, using the BillionGraves app. I was disappointed because reception in the area was poor and, as a result, the GPS wasn’t working. It was the first time I had tried to use BillionGraves in a remote location and didn’t realize I could take pictures without the GPS recognizing the cemetery. I later found out that I could still upload the pictures to the site once I was back in range. So only one picture will be uploaded to BillionGraves and the other photos I took will be uploaded to FindAGrave.

From Richland Springs, we drove to Dripping Springs (just east of Austin) to visit my brother Arny and his wife Elaine. Arny had pulled out many photos and albums to share with us. He had some great photos of our Yawman grandparents! He even had class pictures from his elementary school days, all his high school yearbooks, and numerous photos from his bowling days and military service! While I scanned pictures and documents, I turned on a digital voice recorder to capture all the memories and information he shared. That evening, we enjoyed dinner at the Creek Road Cafe in Dripping Springs.

On Thursday, we traveled to Round Rock (just north of Austin) to visit cousin Loretta Spurlock whom we had not met before. Her father and our grandfather were half-brothers, 30 years apart in age! Loretta has been working hard to gather information on all the descendants of John Spurlock (our common ancestor). She gave me a stack of documents, emails, and notes she had collected so that I can update my database. She also gave me several photos. We had a lovely afternoon, listening to all the stories and memories Loretta shared and which she allowed me to record as well.

On Friday morning, we left Round Rock and traveled east to Milam County to visit Lilac Cemetery. Our great-granduncle George M. Spurlock is buried there. I already had a picture of his tombstone, but there was an inscription at the bottom I couldn’t read. The GPS in BillionGraves app was working and I took several tombstone photos to upload. And I transcribed the inscription on George’s tombstone! Lilac Cemetery is a Texas historical site and I took a photo of the marker.

Before I left on Saturday, we visited the Dallas Public Library to go through microfilms of the Nacogdoches Daily Sentinel. My hope was to find the marriage announcement for my grandparents. I have a copy of a newspaper article, but there is no indication of what newspaper it was in or the date it was published. We didn’t find it, but we did find an announcement regarding my granduncle’s marriage.

As always, I enjoyed the time I spent visiting my sister, her children, and other family members in Oklahoma and Texas. Now comes the work of organizing all the information and photos. I’ll be sharing more over the coming weeks!

© 2011 Denise Spurlock