Accepting a challenge for 52 Ancestors in 52 weeks, developed by Amy Johnson Crow, (https://www.amyjohnsoncrow.com/52-ancestors-in-52-weeks/) is a bit daunting. With the interruptions in my life, I hope to be able to complete this challenge and write a blog each week. Sounds easy, right? The first topic for the challenge is “First”.
“First” brings up many ideas. “First” Ancestor I knew, “First” genealogy trip, “First” ancestor research success; the list is huge!
The “First” Ancestor I knew was my father’s parents, John & Della Kurtz Shaffner. I was able to spend time at their ranch in Beaverhead County, but my grandmother died when I was 9 (1960) so I have very few memories. My grandfather lived to be 103 (1991) so I have many memories! Really a book should be written about Grandpa Shaffner as he was a character and full of life. (Cousins memo: Write your stories of Grandpa Shaffner and send them to me). What a life he led, born in 1887, beginning work with a railroad in 1907, working in Washington D.C. for a Senator, coming west with the railroad job, traveling to Yellowstone Park in 1913, Homesteading in Beaverhead County, Montana in 1916, raising 4 boys, losing 1 son in World War II, having 3 sons in the South Pacific at the same time in World War II, (every letter written home by a son was saved) ranching, working as a railroad telegrapher to support the ranch, losing a wife, eloping with his 2nd wife at age 79, living in town, helping his sons in a bindery and a ranch, teaching his granddaughters how to ride and work/move cattle (or we learned how not too), and seeing a man on the moon. But Grandpa Shaffner had a love for his family and his family history and worked for his lifetime to document his genealogy. Let’s just say there are lots of notes scribbled on various papers. He did work with my cousin, Donnee Shaffner Stibal, and she was able to create family group sheets. Grandpa was very good about labeling pictures too.
My mother’s mother (Calla Lloyd) was also a “First” ancestor that I knew. But she lived in Waitsburg, Washington; so I saw her yearly. Mostly I remember trips to Waitsburg for Memorial Day where we placed flowers on ancestors graves. My grandfather died before my mother married, so his grave was decorated. Then both sets of great grandparents. And then the graves of great grandparents and their children. Along the way, Mother told the stories that she grew up with or lived. While not old enough to write them down (or smart enough) we heard them more than once. The Lloyd family was also interested in their family history and cut newspaper articles out if their name was in the paper, scribbled notes on various papers, labeled pictures (and they had many studio pictures taken), kept every momento from funeral cards to newspapers to letters and quilts. Since the ancestors had come west in 1845 & 1852, moved to Waitsburg in 1859; there is a collection. Which I inherited.
My mother loved genealogy and worked on it before the age of computers. I inherited her collections-maternal & paternal. It took me 12 hours to sort the collection into manila folders labeled by name.
Genetics must play a part in my love for genealogy!
The “First” Genealogy success was discovering that the horse thief claimed in the family, was actually another family member by the same name. In the Lloyd collection, I discovered a copy of a newspaper article from 1894 about “Tony Lloyd” and the story of stealing horses. Since I had discovered Tony Lloyd in Fort Benton in 1900 and his occupation as a gambler, I figured the story of him stealing horses was correct. The newspaper article mentioned that Tony Lloyd served time in prison. Thinking it would be neat to find the prison records, I began searching and the Walla Walla Petitionary records were on line! There was enough information online that I discovered that “Tony Lloyd” the gambler was not the horse thief, but another “Tony Lloyd” in the family. His parents were listed on his prison record confirming his genealogy. And if I submitted $17 to Washington Records, I could have the entire court case, prison records and his mug shot—from 1894! Well you know, I bought! My husband questioned my purchase, after all, $17 for a prison record for my hobby??? I explained that I doubted he could drive me to Olympia, Washington for research any cheaper. End of discussion and my genealogy habit was hooked.
My “First” Genealogy Trip that was memorable was a trip to a Kurtz reunion in Pennsylvania. Of course it necessitated a stop at a library in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania where I was met by an older librarian. I told him the family I was researching and asked if there would be a family file. He looked down his nose at me as he asked questions. I told him I had been to the cemetery, found my great grandfather’s grave and was given index cards of Shaffner burials. He said; “Well you got more than I have ever gotten from that cemetery.” He continued his appraisal of me and it didn’t look favorable for obtaining his help. He brought out the family file and said; “There isn’t much in it”, as he threw on the table. His action indicated that I was rather a nuisance. The older family friends who were driving me around, were asleep in the lobby chairs by this time. He nodded to them and said, “Are they with you”? I opened the file to discover the letter that my cousin Donnee Shaffner Stibal had written requesting information. He made a comment about the letter and I opened my folder and showed him the letter that he had written to Donnee after receiving he(. r letter. He was rather shocked (remember I said I inherited a collection) and he remarked; “Oh you are for real”! After that He couldn’t have been more helpful!
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