On This Day: September 6

1620: William Blake, one of my maternal 9th great-grandfathers, the son of William and Agnes (Thorn) Blake, was baptized at Pitminster, Somerset, England. He came to the colonies with his parents in 1636. He died 3 September 1703 in Milton, (now) Norfolk County, Massachusetts.

Facsimile Signature of William Blake

[Source: Francis Everett Blake, Increase Blake of Boston, his ancestors and descendants, with a full account of William Blake or Dorchester and his five children (Boston, Massachusetts: Press of D. Clapp & Son, 1898), 25-26.]

© 2011 Denise Spurlock

Sentimental Sunday – Remembering “Papa”

There are times when a person comes into our lives and has such an impact that, no matter what happens, they always have a special place in our hearts.

For me, one of those individuals was Eugene (Gene) Hrachovina. I won’t try to explain the relationship – it’s complicated. But Papa has a special corner in my heart. I have wonderful memories of him making aebleskivers for Sunday family breakfasts, driving the dune buggies way too fast, and taking us to dinner at the Redondo Beach pier. He is the only grandfather my son remembers. 

Digital image.
Original photograph in possession
of  Denise Spurlock, 2011.

Eugene (Gene) Hrachovina

December 7, 1917-

December 12, 2000

© 2011 Denise Spurlock

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun - Ahnentafel Roulette - #42 Absolem Eaton

Here is the weekly challenge from Randy Seavers of GeneaMusings:

1) How old is your great-grandfather now, or how old would he be if he had lived? Divide this number by 4 and round the number off to a whole number. This is your "roulette number."
2) Use your pedigree charts or your family tree genealogy software program to find the person with that number in your ahnentafel (ancestor name list). Who is that person?
3) Tell us three facts about that person with the "roulette number."
4) Write about it in a blog post on your own blog, in a Facebook or Google Plus note or comment, or as a comment on this blog post.
5) If you do not have a person's name for your "roulette number" then spin the wheel again - pick a grandparent, a parent, a favorite aunt or cousin, or even your children!

Spinning......

After doing all the math, I am ready to go! My maternal great-grandfather Michael H. Yawman was born in 1842 and would be 168 years old if he were alive. Dividing by 4 gave me a nice whole number of 42 (no fractions here, yay!). Number 42 on my ahnentafel list is Absolem D. Eaton, one of my paternal 3rd great-grandfathers. Here is what it says about him:

42. Absolem D. Eaton, son of Abraham Eaton and Mary, was born 11 Jan 1793 in Rowan Co., NC, died on 20 Nov 1859, and was buried in Bismarck, St. Francois, Missouri.

Here are three facts about Absolem:

• He married Sarah Reaves (daughter of James) on 21 March 1815 in Haywood County, North Carolina. [Source: "North Carolina Marriage Collection, 1741-2004," online database, Ancestry (www.ancestry.com : accessed 20 Mar 2011), Absolam Eaton and Sarah Reaves; citing County Court Records at Waynesville, NC and FHL # 0418147 item 2.]

• In 1825, Absolem purchased 80 acres of public land in Washington County, Missouri; here is a copy of the patent:

Bureau of Land Management, "General Land Office Records,"
online database and images (www.glorecords.blm.gov : accessed 3 Sep 2011),
 entry for Absalom Eaton, Accession Nr. MO0570.565.

• In the 1850 U.S. census, Absolem, his wife Sarah, and youngest daughter Martha, were enumerated in Concord Township, Washington County, Missouri. Absolem, a farmer, owned real estate valued at $500. This was the last census on which he was enumerated. [Source: 1850 U.S. census, population schedule, Concord, Washington, Missouri, p. 125A, family 508, household of Absalom Eaton; digital images, Ancestry (www.ancestry.com : accessed 14 Jan 2010); citing National Archives and Records Administration microfilm M432, roll M432_421.]

Completing this challenge, I discovered I have much less information than I thought regarding my Eaton ancestors. I need to develop a research plan for this family!



© 2011 Denise Spurlock

Sports Center Saturday - Emerging Texas Football Star

Attention Aggies, Cowboys, and Texans recruiters! Today marks the start of the football career of Texas' most promising up-and-coming player!

Digital photograph, copyright Rana Cooper 2011.
Used with permission.

Pictured above in full uniform, James Cooper, special teams player for the Sherman Bearcats, is a young man to watch as his career develops. According to the most reliable source (his mother, who is also this writer's niece), Cooper is the "most focused, hardest working player on the team." Although the Bearcats lost today's game to the Anna Coyotes (30-8), those in the know say the Bearcats are just off to a slow start and will be a force to reckon with in future games.

Cooper follows in the tradition of his Spurlock relatives who were featured in a previous Sports Center Saturday post.



© 2011 Denise Spurlock

On This Day: September 3

1726: One of my maternal 5th great-grandfathers, Caleb Leonard, son of Benjamin and Hannah (Phillips) Leonard, was born in Dighton, (now) Bristol County, Massachusetts. He died 18 March 1814 in Beallsville, Washington County, Pennsylvania. [Source: Joiner, Rev. Darrell and Sallyann (carver@ime.net), Cary Family History.]

Both Caleb Leonard, and his son, Caleb Leonard, Jr., are buried in the Old Section at Beallsville Cemetery; however, the senior Leonard’s tombstone is no longer standing. On July 28, 2008, Debbie Day posted a map and information regarding the location of Caleb Leonard’s grave, as well as a photo of the younger Leonard’s tombstone, on her Beallsville Cemetery and Washington County PA Genealogy Research Blog.

© 2011 Denise Spurlock

Friend of Friends Friday - Will of Richard Cook - 1800

This week I have continued to transcribe probate records of the Cook family of Iredell County, North Carolina. This week I am posting the will of Richard Cook, written in 1800.

In the Name of God Amen.
I Richard Cook of the County of Iredill
and State of North Carolina mindful of that
mortality common to all men and being of
sound mind and memory do on this the
fifth day of April in the year eighteen hundred
make, ordain and publish this my last will
and Testament in manner and Form following
In the first place, To my beloved wife Lucey
I give for her use during her natural life
or widowhood the sole use and benefit of my
plantation on Rockey Creek on which I now
live, and all my Negroes, Mill, Farming utensils
waggon Orchards &c, and to my said wife I
give and bequeath absolutely and to be at her
disposal at her death the Negroes following
Delilah and her children Nancy & Mary
Sal and her children Tab, Hannah, little Jack
Ned, Wyat, Violet and the children they or any
of them may hereafter have.
My Stock of Horses, Cattle, Sheep, & Hogs I allow
to the use of my said wife Lucey so far as she
may choose to keep on the plantation giving
to her and my other Executors the power to sell
or dispose of any animal she may not choose
to keep and the money arising therefrom to be
reserved til the death of my wife and then
by her divided as hereafter directed.
My money, debts and every thing of the kind
I allow to be kept by my Executors untill
the death of my wife then to be by her disposed
of as hereafter directed.
The Increase of my stock after my death and
whatever may be the profits of my wifes Industry
with my hands on my plantation after my
Decease, I allow to her absolutely and entirely.
My household of Kitchen Furniture of every kind
and discription I give to my said wife for her
sole use and disposal.
At the death or marriage of my said wife I
allow my plantation on which I now live
of six hundred and forty Acres, with the Tract
adjoining I purchased of William Hughes
to Richard Jones Cook the son of my nephew
John Cook and I do hereby give and bequeath
the said Tracts of Land on Rockey Creek being
all the Land I own to the said Richard Jones
Cook, to him his Heirs or Assigns forever, at the
death of my said Wife.
My money before mentioned with the following
Negroes, Dick, Jack, Bob, Primor[?] Simon and
Ben, not willed absolutely to my wife, I allow
to be disposed by my wife Lucey among our relations
of both sides as she may judge proper and
right, by will or otherwise, hereby declaring
firm and effectual all such disposals of my
said wife Lucey.
My Sister Lucy Clanton now living on the
small Tract I purchased of William Hughes
I allow the privilege of living on the said Tract
and cultivating the same during her life if
she chooses to continue there.
Farther, I do hereby constitute and appoint my
beloved wife Lucy Cook, my brother Thomas
Cook my Nephew John Cook and Richard
King Executors of this my will, hereby revoking
all former wills and declaring this to be my
last will & Testament.
Signed, sealed, published and declared this day
and date first above written
                                        his name
                            Richard RC Cook   {seal}
                                or mark by himself
In presence of
Ja^s. King
Howell Barker Jurat
Elihu King

[Source: Iredell County, North Carolina, Will Book 1, page 89, will 59, Margaret Cooke 1800, FHL microfilm 1571950, Original wills Beaver, Moses - Kilpatrick, Andrew; Family History Library, Salt Lake City.]

© 2011 Denise Spurlock

Those Places Thursday - The Little Red House



Beulah Belle (Yawman) Spurlock and
Jennifer Jeannine Spurlock, October 1958.
Digital image. Original in possession of Denise Spurlock,
[ADDRESS WITHHELD FOR PRIVACY], 2011.

Affectionately known as the "little red house," this is one of the houses in which we lived in Fairbanks, Alaska. The street address was 424 First Street. I have a few pictures of the interior of the house. It was only one bedroom, and the family story is that Jennifer slept in a drawer at the foot of my bed when she was a baby.

I tried to find the house using Google Earth, but was unsuccessful. The image that comes up is a multi-story building which appears to be in the downtown area, so I suspect the street name has been changed or the "little red house" no longer exists.



© 2011 Denise Spurlock