Hinds Catch-up

It has been two years since I have done anything with this blog. I find that amazing since at one time, it seemed to be much more important to me. However, the genealogy has gone forward, finding a new part of the family I didn't know existed and a trip this year to the Midwest to dig out more information. The story of my great grandfather's death that we were all told (including the new family) has been pretty much debunked only to be replaced by another story that is equally interesting.

As you go, your perception also changes. Basing what you believe to be the personalities of the people from the past on your relationships with your family, clouds who they really were. My great grandfather may have (and I suspect) been less perfect than I originally thought.

All the information gathered this year on our three week trip is going to take some time to process. I don't want to make the same mistakes that I did early on when I started this. My older entries are full of errors and conjecture. I know so much more now so as I wade through all the stuff I found, I will update the stories and correct the mistakes.

Week 13 of the Genealogy Do-Over - Recap

Thomas MacEntee started this 13 weeks ago and I'm probably still on week 2 or 3. citing sources. In doing so, I found small details I overlooked but it's interesting how much more I know about my family from the little pieces.

My grandparents lived in Billings, Montana at 123 N 24th St. That's where we always went to visit and all the documents say they lived in Billings. Until they moved to that house, they farmed while my grandfather worked for the railroad. In my head, I see them living out by the Yellowstone River on a large farm.

From actually writing out each census report and city directory, I now know they moved four times before getting to their final residence. My dad talks about learning to swim in the Yellowstone River but the family only lived on that farm until he was 10. I discounted one residence because it was outside of Billings. In doing so, I discovered another man with the same name as my grandfather also living in the Billings area.

These are the details I missed in my first go around with the family tree. I am finding the same thing with Polly, my great, great grandmother. The family records (not documented) says the mother of Polly was Susannah. On a census, it says her father married Susannah when Polly was already married with children. Most trees show Susannah as her mother and I know that's incorrect.

There is some family lore the mother of Polly was Sally. Again, most trees show Sally as a nickname for Susannah. I actually believe that Sally is the real mother of Polly and have to find documents to prove it. There is a marriage record for John and Sally but it would have made John about 7 or 8. These are the small things that makes this Do-Over rewarding.

My original tree has about 3500 people, my new tree is at 89. I haven't even looked at my mother's side of the family because (although it's going to take forever), I want this to be as accurate as possible. This time, I have ordered the actual records and am taking the time to transcribe them all.

I bought Evidentia. What a blessing and a curse that has been. I have so much to evaluate but each time I tackle one item, like the birth date of my father, it forces me to look at all the documents. There has always been a debate over his birth year. After loading all the items I finally got irritated and ordered his actual birth certificate. It seems he lied and now I know for sure. Without Evidentia, I would have continued with the wrong year.

It has been an interesting journey. I am so glad I decided to start over. Thanks Thomas!

Wk6 Genealogy Do-Over - Smug people should not do genealogy

My grandfather is William Ogden Rhea. He was born in Tennessee and died in Montana. He was born in 1882 and died in April of 1962. He lived on a farm and worked for the railroad. I know everything I need to know about my grandfather and so I added all the records from Ancestry. I didn't really look at them because I know everything there is to know about my grandfather. A little smug, I never thought I could learn anything more because I know everything I need to know about my grandfather.

Come the Genealogy Do-Over. Still smug, I pull the paperwork I needed and started on me. That was boring because I know everything I need to know about me. There are a lot of documents and tidbits for my parents so I skipped back a generation to cite those for my grandfather. It would be easy because yada, yada. yada.

I pull up the Web: Montana, Find A Grave index, 1864-2012. It says he died on July 1, 1962. It doesn't really hit me but I continue to cite it. Finished with that, I pull up the Social Security Death Index. I start typing it in and find the death date is 1968. Wait, how can that be? I know he died in 1962 because we took my dad to the airport so he could fly home and I was just starting high school.

So feeling a little less smug, I look at Find A Grave. The Montana link is is based on the larger national database and on the original Find A Grave, I find my grandfather died on April 17, 1962. I have my own photos of his headstone with the same date. I go back and look at the source citation on Ancestry. It is wrong! I make the adjustment on the source and look at my grandfather's profile. It has been wrong since day one because I was smug. Feeling even less sure, I look at the year discrepancy.

I think I should get a copy of the Social Security Death Index because I can't believe it is that far off on the year. Then it hits me, I have his death certificate buried somewhere in my paperwork. After some searching I find it and low and behold, it says he died in 1962. What I did find however is the social security number on the Death Index is different than the one on the death certificate. DUH, missed that tidbit too. I know there was only one William Rhea in Billings, Montana in 1962 because he was my grandfather. Could it be possible that another William Rhea lived there at the same time? I have made a discovery. There was another William Rhea. I don't know who he is or if he is even related but it's another avenue to explore.  

I have been very sure of my facts and very smug because I was so careful as I accepted each piece of information. After all, my grandfather was unique and I knew everything I needed to know about him.

Thank you Thomas MacEntee for suggesting a Do-Over. Thank you for making sure those of us who were lazy go back and cite our sources. Thank you for telling us to slow down although I now realize that when I'm done scrutinizing each piece of information, I will be a very old woman.

Decided not to do the Family History Writing Challenge

I really thought it was possible to work on the Do-Over and do the challenge but find I'm feeling pushed and not doing a good job on either. So the Do-Over gets my full attention.

Bit the bullet and ordered the birth certificate for my dad. Interesting, I can get the certificate on-line and really quickly for the small fee of $80.00 or get it snail mail for $12.00. I really want it right now, hate waiting, but the difference in price went towards new baseball cleats. I am really anxious to see if they even have one and what it might say. Feels kinda' like Christmas morning seeing what Santa will bring. 

Citing sources has been time consuming but as I go through each document, there are details I've missed. The 1930 census shows my grandfather as a farmer but a little code to the side says he was employed. That confirms the letter he wrote to his brother in 1926 where he talks about the farm and the job with the railroad. I knew he farmed and I knew he was employed but now I also have a time frame. I can't imagine working a full time job and handling a farm at the same time. My dad used to talk about the sugar beets they grew and he would have been 9 or 10 (depending on the birth certificate) working with his brothers on the farm as well. 

While I wait to see how old my dad really was in 1930, I will move on to the 1940 census. Wonder what details I've missed there? 

Day 1 - FHWC - Decisions - Genealogy Do-Over versus the Family History Writing Challenge

It's day one of the Family History Writing Challenge and week five of the Genealogy Do-Over.

The Genealogy Do-Over headed by Thomas MacEntee had us setting all our previous research aside and starting over. Apparently I am not the only one who felt that my tree was out of control and not properly sourced because the group is currently 3700 strong and still growing. Each day the Facebook gets bigger and bigger and I can honestly say I am happier with the current 11 people in my tree than I was with the one that went back generations.

The Family History Writing Challenge, led by Lynn Palermo is an opportunity to share the history of the people who made us who we are. That may be a little hard to do since I not longer have the information available to write about my family.

Ergo, on day one of the Family History Writing Challenge I am not sure what to write. In my last post for the Do-Over, I shared that my father and my grandfather had different birth years depending on the records. I knew in the back of my mind I would be dealing with that issue eventually but with the Do-Over, it was something I could no longer ignore.

(Aside here, isn't "Ergo" a great word!)

I have made a decision. I will attempt to do both the Challenge and the Do-Over. The two are not mutually exclusive. Like the differences in my dad's and grandfather's birth years, having to create and track source citation on my newly minted research log has provided me with little bits of information that previously eluded me. The discovery of these little pieces will provide bite-sized chunks I can use for the Family History Writing Challenge.

Week four - Genealogy Do-Over - Really? Can't we agree on a date?

With the citing of sources and learning the process, it has become very clear that it is no longer possible to ignore the birth dates differences for my father and my grandfather.

My dad, Ernest Rhea and my grandpa, William Rhea, La Brea Tar Pits, October 1947

Until the day he died (at age 79 or 80, depending on whose story you believe) my dad lied about his age and told everyone he was 35. He and my uncle liked to talk about how close they were in age at 11 months apart. My uncle was born in November 1919 (verified) which would make 11 months, October 1920. My dad's birthday was in October but many of his records also say 1921 and that's the story he stuck with. He always kidded my mom about her advanced age being three years older than he. However, I honestly believe some of the records are wrong and he was born in 1920. I have lots of documents with both years so it's up in the air at this moment because the one document I don't have is his birth certificate. It seems Montana's fees are quite expensive so it will have to wait.

My grandfather was maybe born in 1882. My mother copied the pages of the family Bible in 1982 but no one knows where it went after that. I have the copies and it lists my grandfather's birth year at 1882 but many of his other documents say 1881. I believe I will eventually end up using the Bible as proof because it is the source listed on the Delayed Tennessee Birth Certificate. I don't think I can argue with the State of Tennessee.  I can understand the confusion with my grandfather, he did not request the certificate until 1946 at the age of 64.

I'm beginning to think I like my mother's side of the family much better because they documented everything. 

Genealogy Do-Over - Week Three - What I learned from the "Real" Genealogists

I have played with everyone's research logs. Some I like, some I find difficult, and some have great features I wish were all incorporated into one. In the many (many, many) years I have worked with my family history, I have never tracked anything. The Do-Over is forcing my hand.

I am aware of the "Real" genealogists who complain about us "Family History" researchers. It seems to be us against them when it comes to research procedures. I have always just smiled at the attitudes and continued on my merry way, finding sources but not citing them. All of a sudden, it changed.

I can honestly say I have known all along that my research was sloppy. I know there are holes in my research because I couldn't afford to purchase the records I needed. The Do-Over has made it really clear that my careless research has hindered my research and I have already found two proof points I missed. I will be ordering documents as I can afford them.

Then, I actually had to cite a source. What a drag! If you are like me, you have lots of original documents, letters, photos, and certificates. I look at the sheer amount of work I need to do to catch up and want to quit.

Citing sources is a chore and a new process for me. However, I will adjust because I just learned has satisfying it is to have the information verified and documented.

Does that make me a "Real" genealogist? No way. I am still a "Family Historian" who will now use the research processes used by the genealogists while continuing to go my merry way, finding out about my family.

You might be a Redneck

The phrase "You might be a Redneck", popularized by Jeff Foxworthy and defined by Merriam-Webster as a "a white person who lives in a small town or in the country especially in the southern U.S, who typically has a working-class job, and who is seen by others as being uneducated and having opinions and attitudes that are offensive", had an entirely different meaning in the 1920's.

How does this fit into my Rhea family history? One of the reasons my grandmother refused to live in the tiny area surrounding Sneedville, Tennessee was the mine. The only way to make extra money was to work in the mine and she didn't want that for her husband. So, in 1914, William Ogden Rhea and Mellie Farris Rhea, packed their bags and headed north until their money ran out in Billings, Montana.

William Ogden Rhea and Mellie (Farris) Rhea in Los Angeles, California, visiting my newly married parents in August 1947. 

The rest of the family, Martha Jane Rhea, my great grandmother, and three of the kids, continued to farm the land along the Clinch River. They did quite well supporting themselves by growing corn and tobacco. However, several family members were lured into working the mine for the money to supplement the farm income. The working conditions for the miners were brutal all through the Appalachian Mountains. There were no safeguards, the worker's and their families were terrorized, and working the mines brought black lung and other respiratory illnesses.

In a letter to my grandparents on January 1, 1919, Martha Jane Rhea wrote:

"The mining people is going slow. Wages for common work is $1.50, carpenter $3.00 or $3.50. A man by the name of Coberly from Joplin, M.O. is here to setup their machinery. His family is here. They claim to have one million and quarter dollars worth of mineral in sight." Big money for the investors, nothing for the miners.

It all came to a head in 1921 at the Battle of Blair Mountain in West Virginia when more than 10,000 coal miners confronted state and federal troops. Their goal was to unionize the Southwestern West Virginia mine counties. The labor laws in effect today were largely due to this battle for better working conditions. It was the biggest armed uprising in American labor history.

The protesting miners at Blair Mountain wore red bandannas around their necks, hence the term "Redneck". In this short video of the struggle, the bandannas can be seen in some of the pictures.

Do you have Rednecks in your family?

Week two of the Genealogy Do-Over - My car history from 1966 to 1968

As part of the Genealogy Do-Over, we were to write our personal history to use as a starting point for research. I started mine but got sidetracked. I have boxes and boxes of slides that I wanted to scan but had misplaced (read meaning "husband lost") the slide holder for my scanner. I ordered replacement parts and when they arrived,  I spent two days scanning about 300 slides. It was a treat to surprise cousins and friends with 40-year-old photos.

Among the slides were a few photos of my cars. I thought I would use them to augment two years of my personal history.

In 1966, on my 16th birthday, my parents handed me the keys to the 1958 Opel Kadet Station Wagon. There were rules that came with it. They would pay the insurance and the gas to go to and from school and church. And...oh, I must also take my brother where he needed to go. If I wanted to go anywhere else, I had to pay for it. That was fine with me. Gas was $.25 a gallon and I had a part-time job at the library.

I can't even tell you how many trips this car made to Huntington Beach. Oh, the surfers, sun, and the food at Zack's.

In 1967, when I graduated from high school, my parents thought I needed a more reliable car to go to the local junior college. So, they bought a brand new Toyota. It was also good on gas and not likely to break down.

Unfortunately, in September of 1968, I had to give this car up. My boyfriend and I decided to get married and my parents told us we needed to be responsible for our own transportation. The payment of the Toyota was more than we could afford at the time so my mom traded the Toyota for the 1957 Chevy she had been driving.

Not new like the Toyota and not good on gas like the Opel, we started our married life with the Chevy and a 1957 Volkswagon Bug.

 I look at these pictures today and wish I still had all four cars. My brother destroyed the Opel. I eventually took over the payments on the Toyota and drove it until it quit at 300,000 miles. I gave the Chevy to my brother who destroyed it too. He was hard on cars. The Volkswagon went to my ex-husband in the divorce. I look at these pictures and am filled with fond memories of the cars and the places they took me.

Week two of the Genealogy Do-Over - Memorial Service for Uncle Howard

One of the goals for week two is to interview family. I spent the weekend in Walnut Creek, California attending the memorial for my Uncle Howard who recently passed away at age 95.

It was a seven hour drive but I was able to spend two nights with my Aunt Anne and cousins Stuart and Bill. I haven't seen them in years so it was a chance to catch up.

My Aunt Anne is 91 years old and her memory is not quite as good as it used to be. She is reeling from the death of her husband after 67 years but still holding on.

Aunt Anne and Uncle Howard at the Grand Canyon, many years ago. 

I didn't interview her because it was neither the time nor the place but she had some things she wanted to share. One of them was how wonderful the bread was that my grandma used to make. She also shared that my grandfather liked a nip or two from his bottle of alcohol. These two things are new to me because as a child, I wouldn't have noticed.

She told me that my mother talked too much. She said my dad was mean. While I don't agree, I can see where she got those opinions. I will take what she had to say for what it is because she knew them on a different level.

The memorial was held in a restaurant in Downtown Walnut Creek. My cousin Patty and her husband, Adam, organized the gathering.  Adam created a beautiful and touching video that had all of us in tears and laughter. It was truly a celebration of a long and interesting life.

While I didn't do a family interview, I learned more than I expected. Sometimes it is best to just sit back and listen.

Pulling out my already thinning hair! Do-Over day one of week one is much bigger than I thought.

The magic email from Thomas MacEntee arrived in my email at 9:00 pm last night. That must mean he's three hours ahead of me. I am in Southern California.

I read through it and then read it again. No problem, I got this!

Jumping out of bed this morning, I headed for my computer to get started. I've read all the posts and suggestions from my fellow Do-Overer's so I was fairly confident that I could play with the big kids. After all, I have been doing this a very long time.

Wrong...I am in no way prepared for this task. Yes, I have scanned photos with tags. Yes, I have a few documents scanned and tagged. But, I have not sorted or cataloged the boxes of information my mother gathered in the 1980's, nor have I gone through all the files of paper I started on a long time ago and gave up on.

So today, I will attack the avalanche of paper from the boxes and file drawers. I will follow one of the suggestions I read on Facebook, which was to touch each piece of paper only once.

I am going to open the top drawer on the filing cabinet and pull out the first piece of paper. I will read it, decide if the information should be saved, scan it, tag it and if important, add it to my research log. It will get filed it in an appropriate paper folder and in the digital file. It may take several weeks but until I get a handle on the paper, I cannot begin my Do-Over research. This will also give me a way to identify what is missing and what else I need to find.

Ready, set, go!

Genealogy Do-Over Week 1

It's January 1, 2015. Happy New Year and Happy Birthday to my great grandmother who was born on January 1, 1848. I have chosen her as my focus person for the do-over. I know a great deal about Martha Jane McCollum and yet, many of the facts still allude me.

The do-over actually starts tomorrow with topics for the week:
1. Clean house
2. Prepare to research
3. Review the Golden Rules

I don't know what any of this means.

Clean house I can guess at and I've already spent several hours this morning working on cleaning up my photos. I've scanned about 3000 and although they are in good shape, there are some unnamed and duplicates out there. I also think cleaning house means I need to start a brand new tree. I am going to use RootsMagic. I deleted the other tree so it's empty except for me and some records that I added with sources cited.

I hope prepare to research doesn't means I have to scan the other three or four thousand pictures still out there. I can't wait to see what preparing to research really means but I know it's something I need to do.

I'm interested in learning the Golden Rules. I sure I have broken most of them so it will be nice to have a set of rules to adhere to.

Week one will also be interesting because I am making a trek to the San Francisco area next week for a family gathering. In one of my other posts, I wrote about my uncle who passed away in November. The family is getting together to do a memorial, very low key, just family and a few of his friends. I have gathered newspaper articles from the Billings Gazette to take with me so I can share his life in the eyes of the newspaper. Sad event but I am looking forward to be a part of the celebration of his life.

I am wishing today away because I am exited to begin the Do-Over tomorrow. I plan to post once a week to share what I have learned. The best part of this is the amount of information I have picked up from the other Do-Over folks. I read everything that was posted and feel privileged to be in such good company.

Changing families for the Do-Over

Thomas McEntee started the Genealogy Do-Over.  I was instantly in, planing to do the Yeakley side of the family until today. I know it needs work and it is missing sources. I was pretty excited.

Today while waiting for the Do-Over to start, I read through the posts on Facebook and the blog. I thought I'd do something proactive.

I pulled the 1920, 1930, and 1940 Census for my dad's family. My uncle recently passed away and there is a family gathering next week. I wanted to take something with me to share about my uncle. I printed the blank forms and started to fill in the data, translating the codes for employment. I found some things I didn't know or didn't take the time to understand. I was pretty happy until I realized that on two of the census reports, my great grandmother's birthplace was listed as Virginia. That can't be right since she was born in Tennessee. Or was she?

My mom did genealogy for 30 years, tramping through graveyards and traveling from courthouse to libraries. I never questioned her research, she has a lot of documentation. She did cite sources. However, I found nothing on the birthplace for my great grandmother. Is it wrong?

I need a do-over. If I can miss something so different in a census report, something I have looked at multiple times, how much more information have I missed assuming the answers were right. I can't wait to get started!

Sheldon Livesay - Someday an ancestor but right now, please help him feed the hungry in Eastern Tennessee

Someday Sheldon will be an ancestor. Our grandfathers were brothers. They lived in Sneedville, Tennessee where they eked out a living farming land along the Clinch River. The beauty of the area is breathtaking. Unfortunately, this portion of Appalachia is one of the most depressed areas in our country. While we support all the other causes around the world, this little area is overlooked. Children are hungry here. 

Along comes Sheldon Livesay, who says that God called him to involve himself in helping the poor where he lives. It has became much bigger and from there it became Of One Accord Ministry. With a small staff and wonderful volunteers, they are making a difference. 

My cousin Patty and I, traveled there in 2013 to see where our family came from and to meet Sheldon. It was a remarkable trip where we learned more about our family history but what we came away with was an appreciation for how fortunate we are. Sheldon and the people in the area run an outreach program that not only shares the message of God's love, they make a real difference in the lives of the people in their area. 

Patty at Amis Mill Eatery where Sheldon took us to eat. The mill was part of our family history. 

News report about "Of One Accord Ministry". This is the story Sheldon told us at lunch that day. 

Older "Of One Accord Ministry" video but does show all the ways they make a difference. 

At Christmas, when we fill red buckets for the Salvation Army and donate for the food drives in our area, please think about sharing a little with Sheldon and "Of One Accord Ministries".  

Howard Farris Rhea 1919-2014

My uncle died this week and I am sad on many levels. He was a big part of my life growing up and the last living member of my father's family. As a family history fanatic, it is a big loss because he had information he took with him. As an uncle, he was always very good to me and I have fantastic memories. As a member of the human race, his loss will be felt by many. 

Howard Farris Rhea was born in 1919. He was 95 years old when he passed away. He leaves a wife of 67 years, a daughter and two sons. He had another daughter and son who left us too early. 

He was a successful attorney who, like his brothers, was a workaholic. He was a good provider and his kids benefited from his labors. He was a good husband, son, brother, and so much more. 

The photo was taken at Christmas 1962 at my grandparent's home in Billings, Montana. Standing are: Uncle Ralph and Aunt Bernice, Uncle Howard and Aunt Anne, and my dad Ernest and my mom Ruby. The front row is my cousin Gary (who passed away as a youngster at age 14), my cousin Patty, Me, my Grandpa William, my brother Marlin, my cousin Stuart, my granny Mellie, and the most adorable cousin Billy. This picture makes me smile because we had a lot of fun that year. 

Uncle Howard will now be reduced to dates. His birth date, marriage date, census dates and death date. All of those are important but the dates don't define who he was. Uncle Howard died on November 17, 2014 but he lives on in the hearts of those who knew and loved him. So, let me show you a little about him. 

                        

Top, at age 93 and as a baby. Below that is the three boys as kids. The bottom is camping with our family in Sequoia, middle, Howard with Aunt Anne (not sure if they were dating or married), and on the right, paying chess with my dad. There are tons of other pictures showing him in various stages in his life all of which will be posted on Ancestry.com and other sites so he will continue to live in memory.

Today, as we get ready for Thanksgiving, I will be celebrating his life and all of the family, living or already gone because when we gather together to ask the Lord's blessing, we know we have already been blessed.

Prayer of Thanksgiving

The Farris Girls, Three Letters from 1905 - 1932

The Farris Girls are my grandmother and her sister

Mellie is my grandmother and Bertie is her sister. In 1905, my grandmother was 25 and Bertie would have been 18. Both of the Farris Girls were living with other families as hired help. Their step-mother was the original evil one as depicted in the movie Cinderella (probably based on my grandma's step-mother) but that's a different story. I have copied the letters here.

None of the spelling or grammar has been corrected. I do have the original letters in my possession. The Gene in the letter is their brother who also lived in Missouri and would have been 20.

Letter from Bertie to Mellie. Postage stamped on envelope, Russelville, MO - June 25, 1905 - 8 am.

Letter and envelope to faded and fragile to scan

Miss Mellie Farris.

Dear sister

I will try to write you a few lines this evening as I have nothing to do. You must forgive me for not writing sooner but I dont think you would be mad if you know how much work I have to do. I will try to give you a list of what I done this week. I made me a blue lawn dress for the fourth washed and ironed done the housework picked awful big patch of raspberries every other day. besides I have went to meetings the last three nights at the Christian Church went to Sunday school this morning and to meeting at the Baptist church. Mrs and Mr Short are camellights or Christians. I dont think they like for me to go to any other church but I am going to any church I want to. Mrs. Short is always talking about religion, She said she believed the Christian church was nearer right than any other. I told her yes everybody thought their own church was the best. She has been trying to get me to join. The preacher has been here two nights and two days he give me a good talk this morning. I dont think it is any better than some others.

When are you and Mollie coming down. I can meet you at the depot any time you get ready to come. You must come for I want to see you both. Cant you both got to Olean with me for the fourth. You can get on at Enon. Me and Daisy Musick are going on the train together. I have me a blue lawn dress to wear trimmed in lace insertion a new corset and corset cover embroidery and insertion and trimmed in blue ribbon a new underskirt to tom in embroidery white ribbon for my hair neck and waist 2 new handkerchiefs am going to get me some white gloves and some slippers. You and Mollie mus be sure and go with us. Daisy is an awful pretty girl. She is as good as can be. We are big chums. She just lives a few steps away from here.

i got a letter from Gene did you. He said he was going to write to you. he said he wanted to come to the fourth. It would be nice if we could all go together. Write and tell me if you can go. There is not going to be any here. Papa was here to see me Thursday. he done the only bragging on me I ever heard him do. He said I was always good when I was at home and minded him well. I was awful glad to see him. I got letters from Maggie and Beulah. Well I must close and tell you the rest when I see you.

Write soon.

From your loving sister B

Letter from Mellie to Bertie. Postmarked stamped on envelope, Van Buren, Arkansas (registered letter) April 6, 1912

Mrs. Bertie Enloe

Bagnell, Mo

Van Buren Ark

March 6, 1912

Dear Sister Bertie

How are you. I am well. I read your card you wrote to Maude Allard. Would not give Maude the money to send for you. So Maude said I don't think she wants him to, you know how they are. Do you sill want to come down here if I was not here. I would not come. I may go to Cal next week. Write and tell us if you still want to come. If I were you, I would not say another word to Maude about coming nor mother either. They think they are smart but don't say anything. Me and Gene will try to send for you after awhile if I don't go off sometimes. I just think I wont stay in this town.

I may come back to Mo after strawberrie time. I have been working for a woman here, worked eight weeks but I am through now. I am going to send you two dollars and want you to get on the train and go down to Enloes and stay till you can hear from me again or you can go to uncle Enoch and stay. Aunt wrote to me and told me she would give me two dollars a week and you need not be afraid to go the Enloes for he told me you are welcome any time you wanted to come. If they have someone it no difference you can go there and you go say I wrote to you two letters you never got. I sent you a valentine and a letter and you never said anything about it and ask why I did not answer your letter.

Gene and Delia and my self are going to move this week. Be sure and write to me as soon as you receive this. I will send envelope and stamp and tell us all about it. Don't stay any longer if you are in trouble. You wont get any better and I would go if I was aiming to soon. Do just as you please about coming here but mother is not able to do nothing but if you had the money to come or was here you could make a living this summer.

I will close. Write soon, kiss Jewell for me. Your sister, Mellie

Mellie with Ralph 1918

Bertie with Eugene 1911

Letter from Mellie to Bertie, Postmarked December 22, 1932 

Wm Rhea, RR2, Billings, Mont

Mrs. Bertie Rasmusson

Metzger, Oregon

Dear Sister Bertie and family

After a long time I will write you a few lines. Well here it is Xmas again how time flies why dont you write. I was sure I wrote after I was up there in June but now I am not so sure. It is almost as easy for me to take a trip to Portland as to write a letter and you know how hard it is to take a trip. How are you all by now. We have colds so much flu here now. The weather has been very cold but is warmer now. What are you all doing by now. Wm still works be we cant sell anything we raised. Have so many squash here just shriveling. I have been render lard today. We killed a hog have three more to kill, they are sure cheap. I am getting about a dozen eggs a day. They are thirty cents per dozen now.

How is times there? Now we had quite a political change in (unknown). Did Eugene vote? How is all the children. Now is Soren still planning to go to Alaska? Have you heard from Genes, what are you planning for Xmas? Guess we will stay at home may go to the show or to church. We have a nice car and plenty to eat and a warm fire for which I am thankful. With you could be with us Xmas. I am sending you a dollar buy something you want. Wish I had more to send but we still have to put our middleboard up and the floors are not all down. Well I must close. Hope to hear from you all soon. Love and best wishes for a merry Xmas.

Your sister,

Mellie Rhea

PS there is a dime for the three little folks.

Mellie and Bertie, Billings, Montana 1950's

"Sherman set The WABAC Machine to 1884"

As a child, my favorite cartoon was Mr. Peabody and Sherman. Actually, it still is. 

Mr. Sherman and Peabody

What does this have to do with the Rhea/Farris family history? Quite a lot really. 

On the Worldwide Genealogy site, there was a post titled Rear View Mirror. It caught my attention so I had to go see what it was about. Basically, it referred to a post on History Today titled Mirror Year: How old are you really?  OK, even more interesting, what is a mirror year? 

According to the articles, a mirror year is as far back into the past as you are old. For example, I am 65. If I take my birth year (1949) and subtract my age, the WABAC Machine sends me to 1884. We tend to define modern from our birth year but the past holds surprising information that impacts who you are today. 

For instance: September 21, 1884 - My great grandfather was murdered by John Brewer. My grandpa was 2-years-old and my great grandmother was expecting the 8th child. That event changed the family dynamics. What if John Carter Rhea had survived the gunshot? We will never know but it shaped our family and who we are today. 

Harry Truman (the 33rd President) was born in Missouri on May 8, 1884. He was the sitting president when I was born. Although I don't remember him (my memory of president begins with Eisenhower) Truman had a big impact with the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945. He changed the world forever. His actions also plunged us into the Cold War and all those years we ducked and covered expecting to be vaporized by Russian bombs. Watch this cheerful public service film made for the schools of New York. 

Other 1884 events that are a part of my life. 

May 19, 1884 - the premiere of the Ringling Brothers Circus

May 31, 1884 - "Flaked cereal" patented by Dr. John Harvey Kellogg

July 4, 1884 - Statue of Liberty presented to the United States in Paris, France and on August 5th, the cornerstone for the statue was laid on Bedloe's Island in New York City. 

December 1884 - The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain was published in England. 

As far back as 1884 seems to me, there were many things that happened that are so much a part of our lives, it seems inconceivable that they weren't always there. 

1. 
   

Abijah Rhea, Abijah Ray

My great grandfather's brother was Abijah Rhea. It is difficult finding information for him. He was born in 1836 in Hancock County, Tennessee. He was a Confederate soldier in the 29th Tennessee Infantry. On January 9, 1862, he was captured by the Union army at the Battle of Mill Springs in Kentucky.

This is where the water gets a little murky.

On the "Selected Records of the War Relating to Confederate Prisoners of War 1861-1865". he is listed as Abijah Ray. One has to guess that his name was listed phonetically and not as it was spelled at the time. It has the right infantry division and the right county. The time frame is correct.

However, if you search the records, there is another Abijah Ray. Without careful consideration, it is easy to confuse the two although they are related.

The Reverend Joseph Rhea was born in 1788, the son of John Elijah Rhea Sr. Joseph had a son named James Northcross Rhea born in 1816. His son is the "Other" Abijah born in 1864.

The Reverend Joseph Rhea had six siblings.

John Elijah Rhea Jr. born in 1803, married Lucy Jones and they had 11 children. My great grandfather, John Carter Rhea, was born in 1842. He married Martha Jane McCollum and they had nine children. My grandfather, William Ogden Rhea, was born in 1882. He married Mellie Farris and moved to Montana where my father was born.

The other sibling that figures into this is:

Martha Pricilla Rhea born in 1790 was also a sibling of the Reverend Joseph Rhea. She married John McCollom. They had a son in 1820 named James Northcross McColloam. The reason James Northcross McColloam figures into this mix is because he married Mary Polly Gray and they had three children. One of them, Martha Jane McCollum, married, John Carter Rhea. They were kissing cousins.

There is a pattern here. It is meant to confuse future family history researchers. Both of the siblings named their children with the same name, born 4 years apart. The McCollum's also spelled their name any way they wanted. So with two Abijah's, two James Northcross' and the McCollum's spelling, getting this right was an issue.

Thanks to Kaye for contacting me and the the rest of the Ray clan for inviting us in. With their help, I finally get all of this!

23andMe and Ancesty DNA, trying to track down relationships

I have now done the Ancestry.com and 23andMe DNA. I had hoped it would be more helpful but has yet to meet my expectations. With that being said, it did spur me on to check for a name. Faye, a new"family" member at 23andMe, contacted me to see how we're related.

She sent me a list of family names. The only one I could find was a Collins.

Ida Belle Tyler, my 1st cousin, 2x removed, (meaning, she was the daughter of my great grandmother's sister), married Landon Haynes Collins and had one child, Robert Jesse Collins. Given the relationships, Robert is my 2nd cousin, 1x removed. None of them live in the places Faye mentioned but it didn't stop me from doing a little more research.

Landon's father was Bailey Collins, 1868 - 1897. He is related to me by marriage so that throws off the DNA as far as the Collins goes. However, doing a little more research, I discovered that Bailey Collins married Melissa Rhea. The name was familiar so I did a little more digging.

Melissa Rhea is the daughter of Samuel Rhea. Samuel Rhea is my 1st cousin, 3x removed. I had to figure this one out step by step.

John Elijah Rhea Sr married Febra Northcross. They had 7 children.

Joseph Rhea is the 1st child. He is the father of Samuel who is the father of Melissa who married Bailey Collins.  

Martha Pricilla Rhea is the 3rd child. She is my 3rd great grandmother and married John McCollom. Their son is James Northcross McCollom.

John Elijah Rhea Jr. is the 4th child. He is my 2nd great grandfather. He married Lucy Anderson and their son, John Carter Rhea married Martha Jane McCollom, the daughter of the above mentioned James Northcross McCollom.

This is where I stop because I just can't think about it anymore.

Meet Mellie Farris

Mellie Farris is my grandmother. She was a spitfire in a small body and no one messed with her. She was loving but ruled with an iron hand. This photo is probably around 1914 when she married my grandfather.

My dad, uncle, and Granny taken about 1942 in their home in Billings, Montana. 

The Granny I remember with the smile that brightened a room. 

Mellie Farris was the oldest child of Oliver Valentine Farris and Matilda Jane Pitchford. She was born in Eldon, Missouri on January 20, 1883. We have no documentation on her birth nor do we know if Mellie is her only name. On one family tree, they have her name as Mellicene but no documentation to back it up. 

Her childhood was less than ideal and I will cover that later. In the end, she created a life that suited her and I think she was quite content. To me, she was just Granny and a major part of my life.