Week 11 #52Ancestors

 Week 11: Lucky    

This week I am using a writeup from a cousin about his grandfather. James Spencer Loper was "lucky" to survive the sinking of the HMT Rohna. I have requested a book on the subject and will write more of my own words once I learn more. 

 "James Spencer Loper was born on September 19, 1924, in Georgia. His father was named James Lloyd Loper and his grandfather was named James David Loper. His mother’s maiden name was Mary Magdalene Valentine. My grandfather, James Spencer, enrolled in the U.S. Army and went off to fight in World War II in May of 1943. On November 26, 1943, he was on board a British ship called the H. M. T. Rohna, off the coast of North Africa. The morning after Thanksgiving, German-guided missiles slammed into the port side of his ship. The sinking of this ship was the biggest loss of American soldiers from a shipwreck during World War II. Out of the over two thousand men on the ship, only about half survived and James Loper was one of those survivors. He did not survive unscathed; he suffered a broken arm while escaping from the sinking ship and was awarded a Purple Heart for it. After he got his Purple Heart, the U.S. Army shipped him right back out to war. He spent the majority of the rest of his time in North Africa and India. While in India, he saw many strange things such as lots of cobras, Bengal tigers, elephants, and multitudes of people. When he got back from war, he married Ruby Virginia Monsees on September 15, 1946, in Macon, Georgia. He obtained a job as an engineering draftsman for The United States Air Force, later becoming an electronic engineer, working on guiding systems for missiles. He contributed to part of the book called, Forgotten Tragedy: The sinking of H.M.T. Rohna. James Loper has since retired and currently resides in Phoenix, Arizona with his wife and daughter. - written by Nathan Loper, grandson of James"

Week 12 #52Ancestors

 Week 12 The theme for Week 12 is "Membership." It isn't unusual to find our ancestors as members of a group, such as churches, school alumni, veterans organizations, or fraternal societies. Have you found an ancestor who was as member of a group? Or maybe you've made a discovery by being a member of a genealogical or historical society. Write about it this week! 

 Membership in the GAR was very important to Frederick Sumner Oatley, the 3rd Great Grandfather of my husband. Fred served as Department Commander and was the last surviving member of his post and at the time of his death was Vice Commander for his Department. So a little about the GAR: these were Union veterans, organized locally into posts, and the posts of a state made up a department. The organization was only open to civil war union veterans and membership had to be voted on. The group is no longer in existence since the years have gone by. Before the group was officially disbanded it named as its heir Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War. The SUVCW site has a great quote about why the GAR came about in the first place and helps me realize why it was so important to Fred to maintain that membership. 

 “Men who had lived together, fought together, foraged together and survived, had developed an unique bond that could not be broken. As time went by the memories of the filthy and vile environment of camp life began to be remembered less harshly and eventually fondly. The horror and gore of battle lifted with the smoke and smell of burnt black powder and was replaced with the personal rain of tears for the departed comrades. Friendships forged in battle survived the separation and the warriors missed the warmth of trusting companionship that had asked only total and absolute commitment.”

Week 10 #52Ancestors

 Week 10 The theme for Week 10 is "Translation." Would any of your ancestors have needed someone to translate for them? Have you had to work with records in a language other than your own? No matter the language, it's a good time to write! 

Meet the Pierre Mathieu Family. The Mathieu’s came to Connecticut from Quebec in 1860. They came to the small town of Sprague CT, where Zephyr was born. That’s what I knew, Zephyr was the father of Clarence and Pierre was Zephyr’s father. I tried every spelling iteration I could think of in the search field but nothing would come up correct for a census in 1880. They had to be there! So I went old school page by page through the 1880 census for Sprague CT. What I found challenged how I hear my own surname now. Pierre and Azilda Mathieu were listed as Peter and Elizabeth Mycue. I was able to confirm this using the family shape The ages were correct and the older siblings of Zephyr who had been born were listed with similarly misspelled names. To this day when watching any European sports event I listen to how the announcer says Mathieu, I still have never heard it sound like how I would pronounce Mycue. (It’s pronounced Matthew btw.)

Week 8 #52Ancestors

 Week 8  The theme for Week 8 is "I Can Identify." Genealogy research is about identifying the correct people to attach to our family trees. Who have you worked hard to identify? Another way to interpret the theme would be to highlight someone like my grandfather, who could spot (and correctly identify all kinds of mushrooms. (My sisters and I never got the knack of doing that!) 

“I Can Identify” Gussie Smith’s father by using multiple pieces of evidence that do not pass standards of proof documents. Gussie Smith was born 6 Nov 1860 according to her death certificate. The witness on the death certificate was her son-in-law and on the certificate he lists John Smith as her father and unknown for mother. Oh boy, what a challenge this will be! After much frustration, as I was looking through my grandmothers belongings that had been passed down to me, I find a document. This is the original discharge papers from the civil war for a James T Colley. The paper was still in an envelope with the words “This is to Sertify that James T Coley was a soldier in the Confederate Army of Virginier – Pitt Smith” Here is a not quite as common Smith name and obviously this Colley must have been family in order for my grandmother to have this documentation. There were also a few other Colley items, including stock certificates and receipts. So now I could look for a Pitt Smith or James Colley that would be kin to John Smith. Alas Pitt had a brother named John Smith and a sister Mary Smith who married James Colley. Through this connection I have been able to identify the Smith family that we descend from.

Week 7 #52Ancestors

Week 7  The theme for Week 7 is "Outcast." Sadly, it isn't uncommon to find someone who was set apart from their family or who was rejected by society. This week, you could give them back at least part of their story. You could also take a different angle and write about an object that was cast out, or maybe getting a cast-off. Feel free to be creative! 

This prompt outcast brings to mind one specific kin. I present my 4th Great Uncle Rufus Simmons. Rufus was the brother of Albert Simmons, my 3rd great-grandfather. The reason I chose Rufus for this post was he was executed for desertion during the civil war. Nothing screams outcast like being killed by your government. I have come across the orders for his execution and provided them below. Rufus was born about 1840 and grew up with his family in Trussville, Alabama. In November of 1861, he enlisted in the Confederate army. He was in the Alabama 25th with many of his brothers. In March of 1862, he was on furlough for sick leave at the hospital in Mobile, which upon release was to return to service, by May 18th, 1862, he was dropped from the rolls as a deserter. He did return to the army on 6 Jun 1862. Then again on 24 Apr 1863, he deserted from Shelbyville, TN, and stayed away until he returned to service yet again on 29 Aug 1863. Finally, he had one more desertion in October of 1863. This time when he returned Gen. Hindman chose to make an example of him. At Dalton, GA on 30 Dec 1863 Rufus was sentenced to be shot to death by musketry.

Week 6 #52Ancestors

 Week 6: Social Media Have you found an ancestor via social media? How about the social column of an old newspaper? (Those were basically the Facebook of the day!) How about imagining what an ancestor would say on social media? 

This week I feature my great-grandmother Susie Allen. Susie was from Birmingham, Alabama (as were many other Susie Allens). I was having a hard time narrowing the family down. Luck would have it that I inherited some old family photos, including one of Susie taken when she was in her late teens, but also in the pile was a photo labeled Trussie Stanfield which was obviously taken at the same sitting – background was the same and the 2 girls were in identical dresses. I wound up posting to the local message board for Birmingham with the random question of “Does anyone know about a Trussie Stanfield” Sure enough the community came through and someone replied that her maiden name was in fact Allen. Now I was able to search for an Allen household containing daughters Susie and Trussie.

Week 5 #52Ancestors