Abraham Strayer's 1889 Civil War Pension Deposition

I received a copy of my great-great-grandfather, Abraham Strayer's Civil War disability pension file from the NARA a while back and have finally finished sorting through and organizing it. In 1889, he was trying to get his Civil War disability pension extended. His payments had only covered from his discharge through Sept 1881. He was deposed in his home town of Milan, Rock Island Co, IL on 3 Oct. 1889 by C. C. Horton, a Special Examiner of the Dept. Of the Interior's US Bureau of Pensions. Mr. Horton's handwriting is wonderfully illegible, but I've managed to make my way through the first of ten pages. Here is what it says (as near as I can tell):

My age is 67. I was formerly a farmer, not now able to work.

My P.O. address is Milan, Ill.

I was late pri D, 17th Iowa Vols [He was a private in Co. D of the 17th Iowa Infantry.]

 I enlisted March 17, 1862 and was discharged from the hospital at Keokuk Iowa for disability Jany 28 1863.

No other service.

I claim pension for rheumatism + chronic deirrhoen [sic]. I did apply for  poisoning but I don't know but what I thought to be poisoning was simply the result of rheumatism and deirrhoen [sic]

I was fully swollen in hands, in fact all over. When I came home, a Dr. Pesser of Brighton, Iowa told me I was poisoned. That is all I know about it, and that is why I made that claim. The Dr. did not examine me or treat me, just looked at my hands at a sale. I was also ruptured in service, but I do not know as there is any use in putting in a claim for that, as I did not show it to anyone. I have also been troubled with a trouble about my heart. I can not get my breath at times. All ways have been troubled with shortness of breath since the war.

You can see what I mean about it being tough to read. Here is what the word that I take to be "diarrhea" looks like. 

Even being generous, I cannot give Mr. Horton credit for having spelled that correctly.

More of this soon.

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun: Where I'm From

Wow! I feel very honored that Randy Seaver used my suggestion for a SNGF prompt. I got the idea from a Facebook posting from my niece.

Here's my poem.

I am from toy soldiers, cap guns and cowboy hats. From warm, home-made Nestle’s Tollhouse Cookies dunked in glasses of cold whole milk delivered in cartons weekly by Cliff the milkman.

I am from the small, frame house on Meade St. with its huge metal drums of sweet-smelling flour and sugar in the basement, which we fetched in plastic storage tubs for my mother to use. From my father’s vegetable garden of corn, carrots and tomatoes, which I hated to weed.

I am from the lilac bushes in the back yard and the peonies in the front. From wild chokecherries made into jelly and wild raspberries on cereal when we were camping. From Ponderosa Pines and Black Hills spruces.

I am from a bowl of ice cream every night before bed and from dour myopia. From Aunt Sis, Aunt Babe, Aunt Toots and Uncle Bud, whose real names I can recall only with an effort. From the Ogdens, loyal to England and the King, the Johnsons from Sweden, the Kennedys and the Kains from Ireland. From the Prussians and other Germans we did not talk about. From the faint traces of Dutch and Scottish ancestry.

I am from the long-living and the land-tillers.

I am from always expecting the worst and not believing in one’s self.

I am from my parent’s compromise on the Episcopal Church and a higher power, as I came to understand God.

I am from the Great Plains and the Black Hills of South Dakota and the Sand Hills of Nebraska. From stalks of grains standing tall and burrowing root vegetables. From granite spires and lakeside campgrounds.

I am from a whimsical, jokester of a grandfather that I never knew. From a kindly grandmother who I only saw lose her temper once, at the burial of her abused daughter. From another pair of grandparents, quiet and stoic, hardened by the Protestant ethic and a living that did not come easy. From a father quick to anger and just as quick to laugh, with a special gift for making friends. From a well-organized and matter-of-fact mother who expressed her love through the daily baking of pies and cakes and cookies, which we ate without ever understanding what they were meant to say.

I am from vacation and holiday slides kept in metal boxes and projected on a folding screen for visiting friends and relatives.  From my grandmother’s cast iron skillet that I still use. From the wooden lamp my grandfather made, beside me on a table as I write this.  From the blue and green afghan my mother knitted for me, which still keeps me warm in the cold of winter.  From the wooden folding table that was in our camping trailer.

I am from people, places and things that are only hundreds of miles away, yet there is no way back to there.

The picture is of my immediate family at my parents' 60th anniversary.

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun - Your "Heritage Pie" Chart

Here's Randy Seaver's blog prompt from last night:

1) List your 16 great-great-grandparents with their birth, death and marriage data (dates and places). [Hint - you might use an Ancestral Name List from your software for this.]

2) Determine the countries (or states) that these ancestors lived in at their birth and at their death.

3) For extra credit, go make a "Heritage Pie" chart for the country of origin (birth place) for these 16 ancestors.[Hint: you could use the chart generator from Kid Zone for this.] [Note: Thank you to Sheri Fenley for the "Heritage Pie" chart idea.]

4. Tell us about it in your own blog post, in a comment to this post, or in a post on Facebook or google+.

Here are my 16 great-great-grandparents:

1. Evert Huigen, son of unknown parents, was born on 6 December 1827 in the Netherlands. He died on 27 February 1864, probably in Marshall Co., IL. He married Catherine Toemmes on 3 June 1854 in Marshall Co., IL.

2. Catherine Toemmes, daughter of Johann Toemmes and Maria Schmitt, was born on 6 January 1827 in Trassem, Kreis Saarburg, Prussia. She died in Jacksonville, Morgan Co., IL.

3. Johann Wimar Fitzler, son of Wimar Fitzler and Anna Margaretha Felder, was born on 23 July 1832 in Wolperath, Rhein Province, Prussia. He died between 1885 and 1900, prbably in Marshall Co., IL. He married Anna Helene Schmitt on 10 July 1858 in LaSalle, LaSalle Co., IL.

4. Anna Helene Schmitt, daughter of Johannes Schmitt and Anna Helene Peters, was born on 17 August 1833 in Eischeid, Rhein Province, Prussia. She died on 20 May 1904 in Creighton, Knox Co., NE.

5. John Kain, son of unknown parents, was born on 11 June 1819 in Armagh, County Armagh, Ireland, UK. He died on 16 November 1893 in Lyons, Clinton Co., IA. He married Mary Fox on 2 July 1848 in St. Louis, St. Louis Co., MO.

6. Mary Fox, daughter of unknown parents, was born on 29 September 1823 in County Leitrim, Ireland, UK. She died on 12 May 1890 in Lyons, Clinton Co., IA.

7. John Kennedy, son of Micheal Kennedy and an unknown Nolaurd, was born on 2 June 1826 in King's County, Ireland, UK. He died on 6 November 1913 in Clinton, Clinton Co., IA. He married Hanora Collins Wallace on 10 November 1854 somewhere in the USA.

8. Hanora Collins, daughter of unknown parents, was born on 25 March 1830 in Glenbrohane, County Limerick, Ireland, UK. She died on 24 November 1888 in Clinton, Clinton Co., IA.

9. James Robert Ogden, son of Robert Ogden and Frances Amelia Morrell, was born on 9 February 1836 in New Brunswick, Canada. He died on 6 August 1910 in Rapid City, Pennington Co., SD. He married Hannah Gibbon on 12 November 1861 in Grey Co., Ontario, Canada.

10. Hannah Gibbon, daughter of John Gibbon and Margaret Davidson, was born on 10 February 1837 in Chinguacousy, Peel Co., Ontario, Canada. She died on 18 April 1827 in Rapid City, Pennington Co., SD.

11. John Frederick Herren, son of John Herren and Anna Bruns, was born on 1 November 1846 in WI. He died on 8 May 1920 in Charles Mix Co., SD. He married Julia Ann Adelbush on 27 June 1868 in West Bend, Washington Co., WI.

12. Julia Ann Adelbush, daughter of John Jacob Adelbush and Gertrude A. , was born on 13 June 1850 in WI. She died on 24 Aug 1912 in Charles Mix Co., SD.

13. Carl Jacob Johnson, son of Johan Peter Karlsson and Stina Greta Jacobsdotter, was born on 1 July 1832 in Vrångfall, Locknevi, Kalmar, Småland, Sweden. He died on 17 October 1915 in Orion, Henry Co., IL. He married Christina Charlotta Jonsdotter on 4 September 1863 in Locknevi,Kalmar,Småland,Sweden.

14. Christina Charlotta Jönsdotter, daughter of Jonas Nilsson and Lisa Persdotter, was born on 4 July 1839 in Slottsbäcken, Locknevi, Kalmar, Småland, Sweden. She died on 10 October 1919 in Gordon, Sheridan Co., NE.

15. Abraham Strayer, son of Andrew Strayer and Catherine Schaeffer, was born on 2 September 1822 in Dover, York Co., PA. He died on 13 February 1893 in Milan, Rock Island Co., IL. He married Harriet Alice Howard on 10 June 1947 in Clark Co., OH.

16. Harriet Alice Howard, daughter of Samuel Howard and Sarah Bolten, was born on 30 April 1829 in Dayton, Montgomery Co., OH. She died on 2 April 1914 in Davenport, Scott Co., IA.

I'm going to ignore that all of Ireland was part of the United Kindom when my ancestors were born there and treat them all as having been born in Ireland. I'm sure they would have agreed with that sentiment.

So here is my pie chart.

Surname Saturday - 51: Davidson

The Davidson family is the only other of my Scottish lines I know about, other than the Gibbon family.

1. Kevin Joseph HUIGENS

2. Joseph Anthony HUIGENS
3. Shirley Ann OGDEN

6. Emery Julius OGDEN (b. 9 Sept 1896 in Elk Point, Union Co., SD, USA, m. 19 Mar 1929 in Gordon, Sheridan Co., NE, USA, d. 8 Apr 1984 in Martin, Bennett Co., SD, USA)
7. Esther Louise JOHNSON (b. 23 Feb 1902 in Milan, Rock Island Co., IL, USA, d. 24 Mar 1984 in Rapid City, Pennington Co., SD, USA)

12. William Fredrick OGDEN (b. 10 Oct 1871 in Simcoe, Norfolk Co., Ontario, Canada, m. 25 Jan. 1895 in Elk Point, Union Co., SD, USA, d. 19 May 1951 in Platteville, Grant Co., WI, USA)
13. Mary Elizabeth HERREN (b. 22 Dec 1873 in Batavia, Scott Twp., Sheboygan Co., WI, USA, d. 14 Nov 1938 in Mission, Todd Co., SD, USA)

24. James Robert OGDEN (b. 9 Feb 1836 in New Brunswick, Canada, m. 12 Nov 1861 in Grey Co., Ontario, Canada, d. 6 Aug 1910 in Rapid City, Pennington Co., SD, USA)
25. Hannah GIBBON (b. 10 Feb 1837 in Chinguacousy, Peel Co., Ontario, Canada, d. 18 Apr 1927 in Denby, Shannon Co., SD, USA) 

50. John GIBBON (b. 1803 in Scotland, m1. about 1830 in Scotland, m2. 15 Nov 1849 in Toronto, York Co., Ontario, Canada, d. 1889 in Scotland, Bon Homme Co., SD, USA)
51. Margaret DAVIDSON (b. about 1810 in Scotland, d. Aug 1842 in Chinguacousy, Peel Co., Ontario, Canada)
51a. Isabella DAVIDSON (b. about 1811 in Scotland, d. 1890 in Bon Homme Co., SD)

About 7 years after the death of his first wife, my 3rd-great-grandfather married another Davidson. Was she a relative of his first wife? Maybe a sister or a cousin? John and Margaret named their last child Isabella. That would seem to indicate a possible connection. Yet another in the list of mysteries to investigate.

The second marriage is documented in "Marriage Registers of St. James Anglican Church/Cathedral, York (Toronto), 1800 to 1896, as recorded in "Landmarks of Toronto", volume 3, pp.395 ff., by John Ross Robertson (including biographical notations on some individuals and families by J.R.R.)" according to a RootsWeb post in the archive at http://listsearches.rootsweb.com/th/read/ONTARIO/2001-02/0981527532 (last accessed 18 Jul 2011). The marriage was performed by the Rector of St. James, the Rev. H. G. Grasett. The text of the entry reads:

15 November, 1849, by license, John GIBBON, of the township of Chinguacousy, widower, and Isabella DAVIDSON, of the same place, spinster.

Two years later, John and Isabella appear in the 1851 Canada Census in Chinguacosy.

Here's a picture of them in South Dakota with their grandson, my great-grandfather William F. OGDEN.

May 2011, Week 2: Marriage of John Huigens

My great-grandparents John HUIGENS and Mary FITZLER were married in Henry, Marshall Co., IL at St. Mary's Catholic Church. The priest was Father Carl Hout.  The only thing I'm not sure about is the exact date of the marriage. Back in the 1990s my mother got an abstracted Certificate of Record of Marriage from the Marshall County Clerk. That document gave the date of the wedding as 29 Jan 1884.

In 2006, I obtained a similar certificate from the same place. As you can see, the date listed on that one was 24 Jan 1884. To further complicate the issue, I found a marriage announcement in the microfilmed Henry newspaper from Feb 1884. The wedding date listed in that article was 1 Feb 1884.

So which date is correct?  I think that the 24/29 is a transcription error where a 4 was mistaken for a 9 or vice versa. I also thank that date is the date on which they obtained the license and not the actual date of the ceremony. The three dates fall on a Thursday, a Tuesday and a Saturday.  (Gotta love those on-line calendars for any month and year!)  I think it's more likely that the wedding was on Saturday, 2 Feb 1884.  Seeing the actual marriage license at the county courthouse will resolve the conflict. I was hoping to to find the license on the microfilmed Marshall Co. records at the Illinois Records and Archives Depository in Normal, IL. Unfortunately 1884 was one of the years that was not filmed.  Drat!

I was able to tie Fr. Hout to the specific church thanks to on-line transcripts of newspaper announcements for other Henry marriages in the 1880s here. St. Mary's was the German Catholic Church in Henry. Like many towns across the mid-west in the 1800s, Henry had two Catholic churches, one for the Irish and one for the Germans. That way both of the two main immigrant groups of the period could have homilies and hymns in their native language.

One of John and Mary's wedding gifts was a clock that my dad now owns.  This summer I'll get a picture of it.  It's wonderful to have something that ties back to an event from over 125 years ago.