Denise's Life in the Past Lane

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Wordless Wednesday - Grandpa and a Chicken

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

My maternal grandfather, William Lee Yawman,

probably early 1940s in El Monte, California.

Monday, February 13, 2012

Amanuensis Monday - Alexander Brandon Power of Attorney to Ransom Spurlock - 1857

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 Utah for the Salt Lake Institute for Genealogy, I added 291 scanned images to my collection of items to be transcribed! I am going to be busy for quite a while.

The document I have chosen to transcribe this week is the Power of Attorney granted by Alexander Brandon to Ransom Spurlock in 1857.

Because one does not grant power of attorney to just anyone, I decided to research Alexander Brandon to see if I could determine the nature of his relationship to Ransom. I discovered that Alexander was living in Bienville Parish in 1850; a 37-year-old farmer, born in South Carolina, he had four children under 10 in his household, but no apparent wife.[1] On 9 January 1851, he married Tabitha Ann Vickers in Bienville Parish; on 19 November 1855, he married Nancy Person.[2] In 1860, Alexander was living in Canton, Van Zandt County, Texas. He was enumerated as a 47-year-old farmer, born in South Carolina; also enumerated were Nancy, age 34 born in Georgia, and seven apparent children, ages 18 down to 1, with the youngest born in Texas and the others born in Louisiana.[3]

So how does this all relate to Ransom? Not sure exactly. Ransom was also in Bienville Parish in 1850, but not exactly a near neighbor to Alexander. (Ransom’s family was #553 in the census enumeration and Alexander’s family was #522.) Ransom’s wife was Ellender Vickers; was there a familial relationship between Ellender and Tabitha Ann? Did Tabitha Ann die soon after her marriage to Alexander? So many unanswered questions, but continued research may lead to the discovery of Ellender Vickers Spurlock’s parents.

Whether there was a family relationship or not, Alexander Brandon trusted Ransom Spurlock enough to grant him power of attorney. Here’s the transcription of the document with the image below.

“The State of Texas)

County of Vanzandt )

Know all men by these presents that I Alexander Brandon of the county of Vanzandt, and State of Texas have made, constuted[constituted], and appointed and, by these presents, do make constitute and appoint Ransom Spurlock of the state of Louisiana and Bienville Parish my True and Lawful agent for me and in my name, place and stead, to sue for and collect, all monies that may be coming to me in said state of La. hereby giving and granting my said Attorney full power and authority to do and perform all and every act, and any thing whatsoever requisite and necessary to be done in and about the collecting of any and all debts, as fully to all Intents and purposes as I might or could do if personally present, with full power and authority hereby Ratifying and confirming all that my said agent, or his substitute, shall lawfully do or cause to be done by Virtue hereof. In Witness Whereof I have hereunto set my hand and [--?--] for seal on the 7^th day of March A.D. 1857. Signed in presence of

W. L. T Burnes) (signed) Alexander Brandon {seal}

T. M. Allen )

The State of Texas )

Vanzandt County )

Before me A. G. Parker, Clerk of this County court of Vanzandt County, this day personally appeared Alexander Brandon, to me Well Known, and acknowledged, to me that he signed and sealed the within and foregoing power of attorney for the purposes therein Set forth and that it was his own free act and deed. In Testimony of which I hereunto set my hand and affix the seal of the county court thereon done at Canton on the 7^th day of March A.D. 1857.

(signed) A. G. Parker, Clerk, of County court Vanzandt County.

I certify that the foregoing is a true Record of the original Power Atty. as filed & Recorded March 24^th A.D. 1857.

John G. Noles Recorder”

[Source: Bienville Parish, Louisiana, Conveyance Records, 1848-1900, E: 115,

Alexander Brandon Power of Attorney to Ransom Spurlock, 24 March 1857;

FHL microfilm 266,008.]

[1] 1850 U.S. census, Bienville Parish, Louisiana, population schedule, Western District, page 285-A, no dwelling number, family 522, Alexander Brandon; online images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 10 February 2012); citing National Archives and Records Administration microfilm publication M432, roll 230.

[2] Art Lewis, transcription, “Bienville Parish Marriage Book A & B; 1849-1872”; USGenWeb (http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~labienvi/b_groom.htm : accessed 10 February 2012).

[3] 1860 U.S. census, Van Zandt County, Texas, population schedule, Canton, page 17, dwelling 128, family 133, A. Brandon; digital images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 10 February 2012); citing National Archives and Records Administration microfilm publication M653, roll 1307.

Saturday, February 11, 2012

Surname Saturday - Ancestor #7 - Myrtle Arminta SNIDER

One of my goals for 2012 is to use the Surname Saturday blogging prompt as a way to assure that I spend some time researching each of my family lines and that I have appropriate source citations for the genealogical facts related to my ancestors. I’ve decided to use my ahnentafel report and work back through the generations starting with my grandparents, writing a summary of each ancestor. If you discovered this post through a search engine and find one of your ancestors listed here, please leave a comment to let me know.

My maternal grandmother, Myrtle Arminta SNIDER, was born 26 January 1878 in Ohio,[1] the oldest daughter of David A. and Ruth (FRANKLIN) SNIDER.[2]

On 26 September 1897, she married William Lee YAWMAN in Lincoln Township, Neosho County, Kansas.[3] William and Myrtle had eight children:

Joyce Opal YAWMAN (1899-1967)[4]
Eunice Evangeline YAWMAN (1901-1999)[5]
Hazel Agnes YAWMAN (1904-1993)[6]
Juanita Marie YAWMAN (1907-2004)[7]
Myrtle Gertrude YAWMAN (1909-19995)[8]
Clarence Leonard YAWMAN (1912-1912)[9]
William Howard YAWMAN (1914-1990)[10]
Beaulah Belle YAWMAN (1915-1999)[11]

After William and Myrtle married, they lived in the southeastern Kansas counties of Labette and Crawford.[12]^,
[13] Between 1915 and 1920, they moved to Kansas City, Jackson County, Missouri.[14] To my knowledge, they remained in Kansas City until about 1939, when they moved to California.[15] William and Myrtle lived at 3304 Freer, El Monte (in Los Angeles County) from about 1940 until his death.[16] Sometime after William’s death, Myrtle moved to Washington where she lived with her daughter Joyce.[17]

Myrtle died on 20 June 1958 in Clarkston, Asotin County, Washington, and is buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, Los Angeles County, California.[18]

While I have the basic research covered for Myrtle, there are additional areas I need to research:

1. Land and property records in the counties in which she and William lived.

2. Newspapers for communities in which they lived.

My brother Arny had several photos of my grandparents that I scanned when I visited him last fall. I have an original of their wedding picture which I have scanned and shared with my siblings.

My grandmother was an accomplished seamstress, and I am fortunate to have in my possession a skirt that she made for my oldest sister sometime in the early 1950s. I seem to recall hearing that she made her own wedding dress, but I need to verify that with someone—perhaps my older sister will know.

Arny told me that Grandma Yawman loved to listen to the Los Angeles Angels’ baseball games on the radio. (The Angels were a farm team at the time.) She was not happy when the Brooklyn Dodgers moved to Los Angeles, because she could no longer hear the Angels’ games!

[1] Washington State Department of Health, death certificate 10617 (1958), Myrtle A. Yawman; Department of Health Services, Center for Health Statistics, Olympia.

[2] 1880 U.S. census, population schedule, Leesburg, Union County, Ohio, enumeration district (ED) 81, p. 181A, dwelling (unreadable), family (unreadable), David A. Snider; digital images, Ancestry (www.ancestry.com : accessed 10 Feb 2012); citing National Archives and Records Administration microfilm T9, roll 1073.

[3] Neosho, Kansas, marriage certificate (no number) (1897), Yawman-Snyder; Neosho County Courthouse, Erie.

[4] Washington State Department of Health, "Washington Death Index, 1940-1996," database, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 30 Nov 2009), entry for Joyce Y. Seely.

[5] Social Security Administration, "Social Security Death Index," database, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 30 Nov 2009), entry for Evangeline Y. Waddell, 1999, SS no. 547-34-7828.

[6] Social Security Administration, "Social Security Death Index," database, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 3 Feb 2012), entry for Hazel A. Yockey, 1993, SS no. 511-24-8870.

[7] Social Security Administration, "Social Security Death Index," database, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 2 Dec 2009), entry for Juanita M. Moerer, 2004, SS no. 486-26-1188.

[8] State of California Department of Health Services, Center for Health Statistics, "California Death Index, 1940-1997," online database, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 2 Dec 2009), entry for Jean Y. Taylor.

[9] findagrave.com, digital images (www.findagrave.com : accessed 23 Aug 2011), Clarence Leonard Yawman, Memorial #34314994, created by Mary Parmele, 1 March 2009.

[10] Social Security Administration, "Social Security Death Index," database, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 3 Feb 2012), entry for William H. Yawman, 1990, SS no. 495-01-4244.

[11] Kern County, California, death certificate no. (no number) (1999), Beaulah Belle Yawman; Kern County Department of Public Health, Bakersfield.

[12] Kansas State Census Collection, 1855-1925, Crawford, Kansas, 1905 population schedule, Osage, p. 43, family 292, household of W. L. Yawman; digital images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 30 Nov 2009).

[13] "Kansas State Census Collection, 1855-1925," online database and images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 30 Nov 2009), entry for W. L. Yawman.

[14] 1920 U.S. census, Jackson, Missouri, population schedule, Kansas City, enumeration district (ED) 34, sheet 11A, dwelling 121, family 306, household of William Yawman; digital images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 30 Nov 2009); citing National Archives and Records Administration microfilm T625, roll 924.

[15] Los Angeles County, California, death certificate no. 1659 (1948), William Lee Yawman.

[16] El Monte City Directory - 1940 (N.p.: n.p., 1940).

[17] Washington death certificate 10617 (1958), Myrtle A. Yawman.

[18] Washington death certificate 10617 (1958), Myrtle A. Yawman.

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Wordless Wednesday - Grandparents and Grandchildren

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

My maternal grandparents, William Lee and

Myrtle Arminta (Snider) Yawman,

with my siblings,

Arnold and Deanna Sherrell,

c1941, probably El Monte, California.

Monday, February 6, 2012

Amanuensis Monday - 1900 Deed - Owens Heirs to R. W. Caskey

My 2^nd great-grandfather Houston T. Owens died 15 September 1895; his wife Sherreldia J. (Hammontree) Owens died on 31 December 1896. In the following deed, their children, as heirs, convey the parcel of land owned in Bienville Parish, Louisiana, to R. W. Caskey. I am not sure of the relationship of R. W. Caskey to the heirs, but the Caskey, Hammontree and Owens families in the area were closely related. Two of Houston and Sherreldia’s known children predeceased them and are not represented in the succession: Andrew J. Owens, who died during the Civil War, and Dialtha Jane (Owens) Spurlock, my great-grandmother, who died in 1893.

"State of Louisiana )

Parish of Bienville )

Know all men by these presents that we the following named parties Hugh R. Owens, Sarah A. Owens, Rebecca U Sims ~~wife~~ nee, Owens wife of Geo. Sims who aids, authorizes, joins his wife herein, Gabral H. Owens, Stewart S. Owens, Sarilda Angeline Owens, Charles T. Owens, John D. Owens, Nancy C. Owens, each owning an undivided one twelfth interest in & to the following described tract or parcel of land lying & situated in Bienville parish Louisiana, viz N E [?] of Sec ³ & Sw ⁴ of SE ² Section 5 & NW⁴ Section 8 less ten acres off of the Sw⁴ of NW⁴ Section 8 Tp 18N Range 5W together with all & singular the appurtinances & improvements thereto belonging, said tract of land belonging to the succession of our deceased father & mother, H. T. & S. J. Owens & Geo. W. Sims who owns two twelfths interest in said land having bought the one undivided twelfth interest of T. A. Owens & Missouri A. Spurlock nee, Owens, both also children of the said H. T. & S. J. Owens, deceased have this day & do by these presents for & in consideration of the price & sum of thirty five dollars for one undivided twelfth of said land to each of us paid cash in hand, the receipt of which is by each of us is hereby acknowledged, granted, bargained sold & delivered with full guaranty unto R. W. Caskey each of us our above mentioned undivided interest in said tract of land to have & to hold to his own use & benefit & his hiers & assigns forever, thus done & signed on this the 4 day of Jan. A.D. 1900.

Attest: J. D. Owens

C. Emery Tooke C. P. Owens

H. N. Upton _her

Sarah A X Owens

^mark

S. A. Owens

G. W. Sims

S. S. Owens

_her

Nancy C. X Owens

^mark

_his

R. N. X Sims

^mark

G. W. Sims

_his

G. H. X Owens

^mark

E. G. Owens

_his

H. R. X Owens

^mark

State of Louisiana )

Parish of Bienville )

Personally came & appeared before me the undersigned authority H. N. Upton, who on oath says he saw E. G. Owens & H. R. Owens sign the within deed for the purposes therein expressed & now recognizes all the signatures to be genuine.

H. N. Upton

Sworn to & subscribed before me on this 19 day of May 1900

C. E. Tooke Dy clk

& Ex. off. Not. Pub.

State of Louisiana )

Parish of Bienville )

Personally came before me C. E. Tooke who on oath says he saw all the parties to the foregoing deed except E. G. Owens & H. R. Owens sign it for the purposes therein expressed & now recognizes all the signatures to be true.

C. E. Tooke

Sworn to & subscribed before me on this 19 day of May 1900

J. W. Tooke clk D.C.

& Ex off. Not Pub.

Attest a true record of original this 14^h day of June 1900

C. E. Tooke Dy. Clk.

& Ex Officio Recorder for

Bienville Parish

Louisiana"

[Source: Bienville Parish, Louisiana, Conveyance Records, 1848-1900, GG: 530, Heirs of H. T. and S. J. Owens deed to R. W. Caskey, 14 June 1900; FHL microfilm 266,022.]

Saturday, February 4, 2012

Surname Saturday – Ancestor #5 – William Lee YAWMAN

My maternal grandfather, William Lee YAWMAN, was born 15 August 1870 in Missouri,[1] the third child of Michael Heman YAWMAN and Nancy Elgin BURTON.[2]

It’s likely that William’s early childhood was spent in Meeker County, Minnesota. By 1880, the family had moved to Denison in Grayson County, Texas[3], and then about a decade later moved to Kansas.[4]

On 26 September 1897, he married Myrtle Arminta SNIDER in Lincoln Township, Neosho County, Kansas.[5] William and Myrtle had eight children:

Joyce Opal YAWMAN (1899-1967)[6]
Eunice Evangeline YAWMAN (1901-1999)[7]
Hazel Agnes YAWMAN (1904-1993)[8]
Juanita Marie YAWMAN (1907-2004)[9]
Myrtle Gertrude YAWMAN (1909-19995)[10]
Clarence Leonard YAWMAN (1912-1912)[11]
William Howard YAWMAN (1914-1990)[12]
Beaulah Belle YAWMAN (1915-1999)[13]

After William and Myrtle married, they lived in the southeastern Kansas counties of Labette and Crawford.[14]^,[15] Between 1915 and 1920, they moved to Kansas City, Jackson County, Missouri.[16] To my knowledge, they remained in Kansas City until about 1939, when they moved to California.[17] William and Myrtle lived at 3304 Freer, El Monte (in Los Angeles County) from about 1940 until his death.[18]

He followed in the trade of his father, working as a shoemaker throughout his life. According to his death certificate, he was not a veteran.[19]

William died 21 January 1948 in Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California, and was buried 26 January 1948 at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, Los Angeles County, California.[20]

While I have most of the basic research covered for William, there are additional areas I need to research:

Land and property records in the counties in which William lived.
Newspapers for communities in which William lived.

When I visited my brother in November, I scanned the few photos he had of William and I recorded his comments about our grandfather. I still need to transcribe the voice recording. Additionally, I need to interview my older sister about her memories of William and see if she has any pictures. I would also like to find any cousins who may have photos of William and his family.

[1] Los Angeles County, California, death certificate no. 1659 (1948), William Lee Yawman; County of Los Angeles, Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk, Norwalk.

[2] 1880 U.S. census, Grayson, Texas, population schedule, Denison, enumeration district (ED) 8, p. 7, dwelling 24, family 26, household of Michael Yawman; digital images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 25 Nov 2009); citing National Archives and Records Administration microfilm T9, roll T9_1306.

[3] 1880 U.S. census, Grayson, Texas, pop. sch., Denison, ED 8, p. 7, dwell. 24, fam. 26, household of Michael Yawman.

[4] Kansas State Census Collection, 1855-1925, Labette, Kansas, 1895 population schedule, Parsons, p. 30, dwelling 5, family 5, household of M. Yawman; digital images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 27 Nov 2009).

[5] Neosho, Kansas, marriage certificate (no number) (1897), Yawman-Snyder; Neosho County Courthouse, Erie.

[6] Washington State Department of Health, "Washington Death Index, 1940-1996," database, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 30 Nov 2009), entry for Joyce Y. Seely.

[7] Social Security Administration, "Social Security Death Index," database, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 30 Nov 2009), entry for Evangeline Y. Waddell, 1999, SS no. 547-34-7828.

[8] Social Security Administration, "Social Security Death Index," database, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 3 Feb 2012), entry for Hazel A. Yockey, 1993, SS no. 511-24-8870.

[9] Social Security Administration, "Social Security Death Index," database, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 2 Dec 2009), entry for Juanita M. Moerer, 2004, SS no. 486-26-1188.

[10] State of California Department of Health Services, Center for Health Statistics, "California Death Index, 1940-1997," online database, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 2 Dec 2009), entry for Jean Y. Taylor.

[11] findagrave.com, digital images (www.findagrave.com : accessed 23 Aug 2011), Clarence Leonard Yawman, Memorial #34314994, created by Mary Parmele, 1 March 2009.

[12] Social Security Administration, "Social Security Death Index," database, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 3 Feb 2012), entry for William H. Yawman, 1990, SS no. 495-01-4244.

[13] Kern County, California, death certificate no. (no number) (1999), Beaulah Belle Yawman; Kern County Department of Public Health, Bakersfield.

[14] Kansas State Census Collection, 1855-1925, Crawford, Kansas, 1905 population schedule, Osage, p. 43, family 292, household of W. L. Yawman; digital images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 30 Nov 2009).

[15] "Kansas State Census Collection, 1855-1925," online database and images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 30 Nov 2009), entry for W. L. Yawman.

[16] 1920 U.S. census, Jackson, Missouri, population schedule, Kansas City, enumeration district (ED) 34, sheet 11A, dwelling 121, family 306, household of William Yawman; digital images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 30 Nov 2009); citing National Archives and Records Administration microfilm T625, roll T625_924.

[17] Los Angeles County, California, death certificate no. 1659 (1948), William Lee Yawman.

[18] El Monte City Directory - 1940 (N.p.: n.p., 1940).

[19] Los Angeles County, California, death certificate no. 1659 (1948), William Lee Yawman.

[20] Los Angeles County, California, death certificate no. 1659 (1948), William Lee Yawman.

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Wordless Wednesday - Halbert Spurlock

Digital image. Original held by J. D. Carson, 1999.

My grand-uncle

Halbert R. Spurlock

(1904-1971)