#15 DNA. 52 Ancestors in a Year

#15  DNA.  52 Ancestors in a Year

I embraced the DNA concept when it began and quickly submitted my husband’s DNA as well as mine.  Surely DNA would someday help in breaking through the brick walls of Shaffner, Kurtz and Gabel ancestors.  Since my husband had ancestors that immigrated from Russia, originally Germans that immigrated to the Volga region, and that ancestry is particularly hard to research, I just knew DNA would help.   And those Pennsylvania Dutch ancestors in Pennsylvania would surely leave DNA that would link me to ancestors.  I certainly didn’t think about non-paternal events!  My thoughts were on DNA from a long time ago. 

Imagine my surprise one morning when my husband had a new first cousin that shared matches with his paternal side. As well as shared matches with other known first cousins.   It is a big family and I thought I knew them all or at least their names.  This name was unknown, so I quickly sent a message to the administrator of the account.  She responded with information of an adoption and the name of the birth mother.  Yes, he had an aunt by that name, but the location of the adoption was miles away and states away from where she lived at the time.  It simply couldn’t be true.  But the family is good at secrets.  I questioned a few who might have known but they were shocked too at the discovery.  The typical  responses were expected; such as, no way my sister would have done that, to DNA is wrong. 

Why was the birth mother at this location at the time of birth?  Since all the players are deceased and those who might have known were deceased, it was difficult to unearth.  My mother-in-law remembered one pertinent detail.  The birth mother had lived with her mother’s brother and his wife while she was growing up.  I quickly added that family line to my Ancestry Family Tree.  A shaking leaf appeared for another uncle, her mother’s brother living in the location of the adoption!  Finally an explanation!  “Shaking leaves” can be good!”

The final information came from another person who had heard of my search.  She told me in confidence, that one of the birth mother’s sisters had told her of the child given up for adoption.  I was honored on Mother’s Day of 2018 to inform the adoptee that we had confirmed her birth mother.

I created a collage of pictures of the family, including aunts, uncles and first cousins.  There is a definite family resemblance.  

I have been able to furnish the “new 1st Cousin” with history of her family.  What a joy for her to discover she had family after 71 years of wondering.  

There are still some unanswered questions and hopefully we will find the answers.  

I keep wondering about the birth mother.  Knowing her economic circumstances in 1947 and unmarried, I understand the why.  Knowing the birth mother, I suspect it was a tough decision and one she carried in her heart for life.  I think she “knows” of our discovery and is now at peace.  

We have not met the new “first cousin”, but look forward to her visit in the summer of 2019.  

#14 Brick Wall 52 Ancestors in a Year--Pennsylvania Dutch Shaffner's

#14. Brick Wall. 52 Ancestors in a Year. Pennsylvania Dutch Shaffner's

Researching genealogy often finds one up against a brick wall.  And I have several, oh which one to choose!

I am choosing my Shaffner ancestors!  Grandpa Shaffner said we were “Pennsylvania Dutch” and I simply can’t find any records in Pennsylvania Dutch land!  (April Fool’s as I am writing this one 1 April 2019).

Seriously, I do believe they were Pennsylvania Dutch and came in as aliens!  With 90% certainty, I believe I have confirmed my 3rd great grandfather, Henry Shaffner as well as his wife Catherine.  In Pennsylvania.  But there are more than 1 Henry or Heinrich Shaffner.

In the 1850 census, Catherine is living with her son, Gabriel, who is my 2nd great grandfather. But her maiden name has ever been confirmed.

What happened to Gabriel’s father?  In 1824, Catherine was receiving a payment from Commissioners for poor children in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania for Gabriel and his brother Henry.  Catherine is listed as a widow.  Since Gabriel was born in 1817, Henry must have died between 1816 to 1824.  Gabriel is mentioned in an article with his sister, Catherine, who married Jonas White.  Gabriel’s siblings were baptized at the Manheim Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church in Mannheim, Pennsylvania but he was not.   Gabriel’s older brother was baptized on 11 February 1816 and his parents listed were Henry and Catherine.  

The first child of Henry and Catherine was born in 1805, so when did they marry?  And where?

And who were the parents of Henry and Catherine?

My father with the Shaffner Family Bible.  And no mention of my 3rd great grandfather!

Interestingly, my Grandfather, John F. Shaffner, who wrote his life history never mentioned his great grandfather.  And there is no mention of his great grandfather or great grandfather in the Family Bible.  He knew his great grandmother, but his great grandfather died when he was 4.

My next goal is find a will and probate from 1816 to 1824 for Henry Shaffner.  Second goal is to look for a marriage record or church record for Henry and Catherine.  Third goal is to identify Catherine's maiden name.  There are lots of options on internet trees but I need proof!

#13 In the Paper 52 Ancestors in a year

This week's challenge, #13, "In the paper".  I struggled with this challenge as I thought of a couple of ancestor discoveries "In the Paper".  Then my niece, Morgan gave me an idea!  

My grandfather, John F. Shaffner, was in the paper more than once!  He was nearly 104 when he passed, so he had lots of interviews.  He also wrote his life story and history more than once.  (And the story is the same each time!)

John was born 18 September 1887 in Harrisburg, Dauphin, Pennsylvania and passed away 17 July 1991 in Dillon, Montana.  He came west with the railroad, serving in North Dakota and Montana.  Grandpa married Della Rae Kurtz in Dillon on 12 September 1913.   He homesteaded in Beaverhead County, Montana where he raised 4 boys.  He gathered and worked on his genealogy most of his lifetime.  Working with his granddaughter, Donnee Shaffner Stibal, he documented family and labeled pictures.  It is truly quite a collection.  Now that they are gone, I so wish I had asked him a few questions!

Grandpa was quite a character!  We all have stories about him; as he taught us all in various ways from learning what hard work was, how to be scared when he drove, perhaps not trusting his mechanical skills but to look forward to each day.  His comment "yesterday is history", was a guideline for me in many situations.  And most importantly how important family was.  I hope more there are more blog challenges to provide more Grandpa Shaffner stories.

He was interviewed for his 100th and his 103rd birthday!  

100th birthday interview

When he is 102 (1989) he returned his typewriter to the desk at the depot

 And he celebrated his 103rd Birthday!

On his 100th Birthday his family gathered to celebrate

His sons, Dean and Don 

second row:  daughter in laws-Eloise, Stella (husband George) and Helen

He lost 2 sons, Walter & George

and 2 wives

With his grandchildren

Bob, Geoffrey, John

Sydney, Gail, Grandpa, Donnee

With his great children

Lori, Grandpa, Lynda

Megan, Greg, Annie

 Josh, Luke, Courtney

#12 A Horse 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks!

The challenge this week was the number “12”.   What  could I write about for 12?  Ancestors, days, marriages, children???  Nothing seemed to work until I thought of 12 as midnight.  We don’t have a midnight in the family but we had 11:30!  A horse!

A horse!  A horse that meant a lot to my Dad, my grandfather, my sister and I.  You see, we are a ranching family and horses are like family and many lived out there life on the ranch.  He was named “11:30” because he wasn’t dark or black enough to be midnight!

My dad acquired “11:30” in 1964 when he bought his ranch from his brother, George.  With the land came 4 horses to mount the “cowboys”.  Dad got “Stubby”, Grandpa got “11:30”, my sister Gail got “Pal” and I got my cousin Donnee’s horse Poquito.  These were older reliable horses for the “cowboys”.  Grandpa was 77 years old, my sister was 10 and I was 14.  We were Dad’s crew!  The horses had some age too.  We think “11:30” was 14 when he came to our ranch.  He lived until his 20’s.

I suspect Grandpa had ridden “11:30” before at his son’s ranch and I suspect Uncle George was hoping to pass Grandpa off to us along with his horse.  Grandpa was a great man but sometimes he considered himself the boss!  I mean after all, he was 77 years old and the patriarch!  If he wasn’t helping the sons in Beaverhead County, he was helping his son, Dean, in Missoula!  We all have stories of Grandpa’s help.  Some good, some funny and some not so good.

“11:30” was a big stout Morgan gelding raised in the Rocky Hills on Grasshopper Creek and around Bannack, Montana.  Probably the only negative point was his fear of barbed wire, or a stick that looked like barb wire or a shadow that looked like barb wire.  You learned to move with him when he jumped to go around the stick or fall off!

Gail riding "11:30".  She inherited the horse from Grandpa

 Grandpa Shaffner

This is not "11:30".  

I am still looking for the picture of Grandpa on "11:30"!

One day my dad gave me instructions of where to find cattle on the creek and a directions of where to move them from the creek to higher country in an effort to get them from the riparian areas and willows.  Grandpa, a neighbor girl, Cathy, and I were to start early before the summer day got hot, gather and move the cattle.  I don’t remember if we got an early start, gathering cattle in willows is hard in summer heat and when we started out it was getting warmer.  I knew the way, but was overruled by Grandpa as he knew a “shortcut”.    I knew we were going the wrong way and a difficult trail uphill.  But after all, I was a kid and a girl, so what did I know!  As Cathy and I worked and pushed the stubborn cows, Grandpa had the “lead”.  I knew the trail we were going and it was the “long way” to the water trough.  As we started up the last steep hill, at the farthest fence to the south of the ranch, the dogs quit us!  They were hot; well so were we! In fact, the dogs ran home!  Which was several miles but I would imagine they laid in the water of Grasshopper Creek to cool off.  When we finally reached the top, Grandpa said; leave ‘em here and they will find the trough.  I knew the trough was back down another coulee!  We left and of course the cows found water.  Dad was a livid with Grandpa.  And we now laugh about the day the day the dogs quit!

Another trip Grandpa took with my sister Gail and my Dad to move some cattle on the creek resulted in Grandpa becoming lost.  Since Dad had a Veterinary Hospital, work on the ranch was often done after work at the Veterinary Hospital was completed.  It was an evening ride to gather cattle and move them.  It was near dark when Dad & Gail headed home and Grandpa took off  on one of his shortcuts.  Since he was on a fast walking horse, we figured we was ahead of us.    “11:30” was noted for his gait and fast walk so it was surprising that he wasn’t at the cabin when they arrived.  It was now dark and where was Grandpa?  The fear was “11:30” had shied at some perceived wire & Grandpa had fallen off & gotten hurt.  

After searching for several hours and going back up the creek with a car and headlights, still no Grandpa.  Dad left him a note and told him to call when he got to the cabin.  Finally Grandpa called that he was in.  Come to find out, Grandpa had gotten off and walked, leading “11:30”, because he was afraid of running into wire in the dark.  Grandpa swore he feel down a prospector’s hole (more likely a deep ravine), & he had to crawl up the reins to get out.

 Grandpa knew the ranch like the back of his hand and if he had given the horse his head, the horse would have returned to the corral.  But Grandpa was a bit headstrong and stubborn and sometimes cranky.  

“11:30”, the horse not black enough to be called Midnight, is a huge part of the Shaffner oral history-just like our ancestors.

#11 Large Family 52 Ancestors in 52 weeks

#11 challenge was to blog about a large family.

I married into a large family.   Where I was raised, families were not this large.  There were a few, yes, but not 13 children!  When I married and moved to a farming community there were many  Germans from Russia, mainly the Volga region.  And they were farm families.  And they needed children to work.

Henry & Mabel Grosskop Gabel on their wedding day

8 February 1920

Huntley, Montana

Henry and Mabel had 13 children.

As in many large families, there are lots of personalities.

There are 13 sons and daughters, with 1 daughter absent at a reunion about 1985.

There are 5 living today.

The first child was born in 1921 and the last born in 1939.

They were a farm family with sugar beets as one of the main crops.

They lived in various locations depending on rented ground.

Celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary in 1973.

Henry and Mabel left a legacy of hard work to all their children.

Both Henry and Mabel immigrated to the United States from Russia. Unfortunately I haven't been able to learn much about that history.  It seems that it wasn't talked about to many of the children.  And now when we wonder, we wish we had asked questions.

  

What a legacy they left.

13 sons and daughters (1absent from the reunion)

Their children with spouses

Children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren 

of

Henry and Mabel Grosskopf

About 1985

 The reunion pictures were about 1985 or 1986.  And since this picture, there are more grandchildren and great grandchildren!  And many more, great great grandchildren!  I can't keep track!

#10 Uncle #52 Weeks Charles C. Lloyd

Bachelor Uncle was the topic for this week's challenge.

Charles Crittenden Lloyd was a bachelor uncle, in fact, my great grand uncle.  He was the son of my great great grandparents, Albert G. Lloyd and Lois Jasper Lloyd.

Charles was born 10 July 1867 in Waitsburg, Walla Walla, Washington.  The family lived on a farm and I assume Charles grew up doing all the farm boy activities.  He appears on the census of 1870 and 1880.

I've always wondered where the middle name Crittenden came from.  It doesn't seem to be a family name.  Charles was and is a mystery.

Charles died 11 October 1891 at the age of 24 in Texarkana, Arkansas.

Why did he leave home?   Why was he in Texarkana?

I have been unable to find information through online sources about Charles.

In the local paper of Waitsburg, The Times,  on October 16, 1891, a newspaper article stated that "the Hon. A. G. Lloyd, received a telegram from Arkansas on Wednesday bringing the sad news that his son Charlie was dead.  He died last Sunday.  No particulars, he died at Texarkana, a town of 1500 inhabitants, the county seat of Miller county in the southwest corner of the state.  At the time of his death, Charles was 24 years, 3 months and 2 days old.  Mr. and Mrs. Lloyd have the sympathy of all in their sad bereavement".

His obituary read: Died-At Texarkana, Ark., Charles C. Lloyd, son of Mr. and Mrs. A. G. Lloyd, at the age of 24 years.  Died from congestion of the bowels.  Was buried at Rosehill Cemetery, October 13, 1891.  This clipping appeared in the Pioneer Portraits of the The Times under 50 years ago, in the 1941 section.

His name is on a tombstone, along with his brother William's name,  at the cemetery in Waitsburg, Washington.  His tombstone is in Block 56, Lot 3, Space 2 of the Waitsburg City Cemetery.  To my knowledge, his body was not returned to Washington.

In his genealogy file, complied by Helen Lloyd Shaffner, she wrote that she thought he went south because of his health.  I vaguely remember the story that after he died somebody contacted his parents and said she was his wife, but since they had never heard of her before, they decided she was "a gold digger" so ignored the letter.  In all of the Lloyd memorabilia, I have never found the letter.

Charles Crittenden Lloyd

1867-1891

There are no dates on the pictures, but I assume they were taken in the 1880's

Funeral Card

Headstone with name

#9. #52 Ancestors--Courthouse

The challenge for #9 was Courthouse.  

Genealogy records are found in a courthouse; records like birth, death, marriage, and probate and land ownership records.  Any trip to a courthouse can be interesting or challenging.  The most helpful people to genealogists are those behind the counter of a county office.  They deserve kudos to the assistance they give to genealogists.  Often time’s genealogists don’t know the dates necessary for a record search and are grateful for the guidance and assistance of clerk.  But searching and asking for records takes some finesse and talents so I volunteered to drive 2 genealogists (who shall remain nameless) to a courthouse in Montana so I could learn from the best.  And what an experience I had!

Driving 100 miles to the courthouse was a piece of cake.  The rest of the day got much more interesting!  I am not sure the clerks were ready that morning for 2 knowledgeable genealogists who “knew the ropes”.  Armed with candy to sweeten the clerks, the search began.  With so many requests for different types of records, the clerk gave up and ushered us into the vault and turned us loose.  Those ladies had a list of what they wanted! Since I was the “go-fer”, I was delegated to go to another floor for marriage records.  The list overwhelmed the clerk and she was more concerned who was going to pay the $1.00 for each record.  I assured her; you pull them; they will pay! Back down the stairs I went and informed them of the cost.  As I recall, it may have been $10.00 for the marriage certificates found.

Meanwhile the ladies had discovered the ledger books.  I don’t recall what was in the books but they were huge.  By then the clerks realized these people know what they are doing so we were allowed to use the copy machine and copy the needed pages from the ledge books.  Sounds simple, right?  The books were huge and heavy.  It took the 3 of us to manhandle those books on the copy machine!

And as we were walking out the courthouse, the Superintendent of Schools office was discovered.  I may have been tired, but not those 2!  Sprinting into the office, they inquired of school records.  We were told to go to the basement!  And there in the dusty basement on shelves were disorganized school attendance books. 

My only find that day were school attendance records for my husband’s ancestors!  

I finally looked at my watch and panicked.  It was after 5 P.M.  I had visions of being locked in the courthouse for the night.