NEW! Family genealogy web site

I purchased the new version RootsMagic to store my genealogy data. It allows users to post their working file on the Rootsmagic web site. You can click on this link http://my.rootsmagic.com/Stoney439/index.html to view the latest posting. It is kind of difficult to navigate so read the help section first. It has a picture of Pop that I scanned from the back cover of his book. Check back often as I will be updating it from time to time.

New family members found!

Pop’s brothers William Franklin and George Wesley moved west as young men. William settled in eastern Colorado and moved to Cedaredge in western Colorado in 1929. George Wesley settled in southern California. I have been trying to located any of their descendants for a long time. Recently I renewed my efforts with Internet searches and a subscription to a background check web site. These efforts have been successful!

George Wesley married Ella Hesse in San Diego (date yet unknown). They had two boys, George b. 1912 and Ralph (Pop’s namesake) b.1917, and three girls Francis b. 1909, Barbara b. 1921 and Alma Lee b. 1924. I found Ralph’s son Christopher age 60 living in Oregon. He told me that Alma is still alive and living in Washington DC. I connected with her son David Pansegrouw. He lives a block from Alma who lives alone and drives her Toyota 5 speed pickup at age 88. Chris and David are going to help me find out more about George Wesley’s family group.

William Franklin married Zelia Griffin in 1914. They had four sons William W. b. 1916, Calvin E. b. 1918, Sydney O. b. 1919 and Eugene M. b. 1923. The younger three are a complete wash. I can find nothing about any of them. From some documents in grandma Theresa’s things I knew that William W. was a missionary in Alaska. His wife’s name was Zelma Eckles and they had two daughters Zelanna and Nelda. With some intense Internet searching and a little luck I found Zelanna with a valid email address. I fired off a message and got a reply. I hope this leads to some valuable information about that family group.

Great Grandmother’s grave found

Grandma Theresa’s father was Edward Boyle according to information she gave to my brother Dave in her later years. I cannot find anything about him. Evidently he was not a very nice man. He and Theresa’s mother Ella were divorced after she had Theresa, Mamie, and Ruth. Ella married Warner (or Werner) Schatti in 1997. He was born in Switzerland. They had Olive, Clara, and Charles and stayed together until his death in 1917.

Many of Pop and Theresa’s relatives are buried at Riverside Cemetery in Moline, IL. I knew that Ella died in 1935 while living with Theresa. I suspected she might be at Riverside and I found her grave about 100 yards from the rest of the family. This is a picture of the headstone.

I am certain that the date is incorrect. Ella was born October 11, 1862 in Tonganoxie, Kansas.

Pop’s second marriage explored

Grandma Theresa shocked me years ago when she mentioned Pop marrying someone named Bess when he and she were divorced for several years. I found them in the 1930 census records living in a house in Jefferson City, Missouri. It said he was employed as a chef in a hotel. The house is still standing. the picture is from Google Maps street view.

I don’t have a marriage date but it must have been in the late 20’s. Bess was born Bessie Rees on February 17, 1889. She was previously married to Harold Rank and her 14 year old daughter Catherine Rank was living with her and Pop. Bessie Rees Rank Stone died September 23, 1935 in Lincoln, Kansas at the age of 46.
 
I don’t know if she and Pop were still married at her death. He remarried Theresa a year later. The picture is from another family tree that includes her on ancestry.com. Someone added the comment “ Bessie Rees Rank Stone – husband Stone was a cook and a drunk”. Catherine Rank died in Winetka, Illinois in 1997 at the age of 81.

Stone ancestors traced to North Carolina

I have had clues that the Stone line came from North Carolina but I could not verify it. I am learning other means of searching besides Ancestry.com. I found some resources on the Internet that are helpful. I knew Pop’s grandfather and grandmother were Solomon and Elizabeth Fletcher Stone. I have learned that they were born in 1790 and 1794 in Surry, North Carolina and married there February 4, 1812. Elizabeth’s parents were William and Sarah Burcham Fletcher also from Surry, NC. This is from family tree data on the web. Further searching suggests that Solomon’s parents were Solomon and Elizabeth Ladd Stone. I cannot verify this yet. This couple lived in North Carolina (also in Surry I believe). A bio on him says he served in the Revolutionary War and was a wealthy Irish slave owner.

Mystery solved

This picture was in Grandma Theresa’s things. She wrote on the back “Grandma Heed mother of Rilla Stone with Rilla’s children”. Rilla was Pop’s oldest sibling. This confused me because in her notes Theresa mentions Nancy Heed. Pop’s mother was Nancy but never had the name Heed. The names of the girls are listed. The baby is Pearl Brittendall who was born in 1903 and only lived 11 months. This means the picture was taken in 1903 or 1904. Pop’s mother Nancy would have been about 47 years old. Nancy’s mother Sarah would have been about 73. This woman is at least that old. So this is Sarah Norris Farrington Heed who was Pop’s grandmother and great grandmother to these girls.

This is further verified by the 1910 Census which lists Nancy’s brother George living in Ellsworth, Kansas with his wife, children and mother Sarah Heed age 78. Pops’ mother Nancy was the oldest of nine children that Sarah had with James Farrington. He died in 1882 when she was 49 and still had young children. She apparently married a Heed at some point. I have no information on him. Sarah died in 1915 at 83 still living with son George. Theresa was in her late 80’s and living in rest home when she labeled some pictures and made a few notes for my brother. She obviously made a mistake identifying Sarah who was on Pop’s side of the family and someone she probably never met.

Update I just found Sarah A. Heed in the 1885 Census married to Samuel A. Heed. He was eight years younger than her. There were three young Heed children and five Farrington children in the household. All the names, ages, and places of birth are correct.

Another generation found

  I had a very successful search session today. This picture was among Grandma Theresa’s things. She had written that it was Olive Hatchel who was her great grandmother. I found several references to her. She was born in 1823 in North Carolina. She married John G. Hatchel and had several children including Jane L. Hatchel who married Lindley Cook. Their daughter Ella was Theresa’s mother. Olive lived out her life in Leavenworth, Kansas. She was still alive in 1905 at age 82. Theresa would probably have known her as a child. I  never imagined that I would be able to track my ancestry back 6 generations and nearly 200 years. I am getting close to solving a mystery that has bothered me since I started this. Stay tuned.