Not exactly of the "Ride 'em Cowboy" genre..

There were no "pony" pictures taken of us kids while growing up. We lived in the country so the fellows that went around to the "big city" with their ponies, didn't come our way. Although, there is one of my Uncle Bill taken about 1940 (give or take a couple of years), and I found one of two of my cousins taken about 15 years later that looked like it was the same horse! But then, last week I was scanning the last box of my Dad's pictures and discovered this…

I absolutely fell in love with this picture - it is a photo postcard and because it only filled up 2/3 of the front of the card I've cropped out the borders and enlarged it a bit to show the details. There is so much going on - the colt in front, the chickens scurrying around the horses hoofs, the barefoot girl atop the horse, and the man holding the reins. It's static, yet dynamic, at the same time!

The postcard was sent to Amanda Wiseman, Warsaw Ind RR#1 and postmarked at 6 PM on Jul 23. The city is not legible and the year is missing. The one-cent stamp has "909" stamped in ink, perhaps it is the year 1909? Eileen Hover, the little girl on the horse, was born April 21, 1904.

My Dad wrote at the top of the postcard "Uncle Hank Hover & Allein" and on the next line "Bessie, Edie, & Charlie Hovers father"

The message, written by Lue Hover, says "Dear Sister will Write a few lines to let you know we are all well it is raining to day Smith is up stairs a sleep Will write more soon if you answer the letter I did write"

Hank Hover's full name was William Henry Hover. He was the fifth of six children born to George and Rachel (Van Curen) Hover. George passed away in 1855, just three years after Hank was born. In 1859, Rachel married William Alexander. Their first child was Amanda Alexander who married Samuel Wiseman - they are my great grandparents.

I'm not sure exactly where Hank Hover and his family lived but it couldn't have been too far from the farm of Amanda and Sam Wiseman, perhaps a few miles - they both lived in Tippecanoe Township, Kosciusko County, Indiana. [Update 31 May 2014: William H. Hover (Henry) was found in the 1910 census in Pleasant Valley, Cowley County, Kansas with his wife Frances L. and five-year-old daughter Allien (should be Aileen). From a review of the back of the postcard, I am pretty sure the postmark is Winfield, Kansas. Winfield is the county seat of Cowley County. Henry had a sister, Sarah Hover Summerville who lived in Sumner County, which borders Cowley County on the East. About 1919 or a little earlier, Henry and family returned to Indiana, settling in Milford, where he died on 22 February 1920. ]

Last year I posted a photo of the Hover children, Bessie, Edith and Charlie. They were Hank's children from his first marriage with Elizabeth Biltz. Eileen Hover was Hank's daughter from his second marriage to Lula Crawford, the writer of the postcard.
This post was written for and contributed to the 78th edition of the Carnival of Genealogy :: Ride Em Cowboy: Let's See Your Pony Pictures!

Tombstone Tuesday :: William and Rachel Alexander

The east end of the Morris Chapel Cemetery in Washington township, Kosciusko County, Indiana. The small stone on the right is that of my 2nd great-grandfather William Alexander. To the left of his stone, hidden by vegetation, is the stone for his wife and my 2nd great-grandmother Rachel Van Curen Hover Alexander. The cemetery is on private land and the brush has been removed several times but it is really something that needs to be done every spring. All photographs taken by me on July 11, 2007.

Wm. ALEXANDER / 1805 - 1899

William was the son of William Washington Alexander and (probably) Lucy Sprague. I'm not certain that Lucy is William's mother as that information was given to me by another researcher, with only a newspaper article as evidence. I haven't taken the time to either prove or disprove it. It's on my (never-ending) list of things to do.

His obituary was published in the Northern Indianian on April 20, 1899

William Alexander was born in Erie county, Pennsylvania, Nov. 20, 1805 and died April 7, 1899, aged 93 years, 4 months, 11 days.

In his early life he was of a roving turn of mind and made many trips down the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers on a flatboat to New Orleans, that being their way of marketing their surplus products in those days. During the year 1838, he was married to Nancy Tway and moved to Kosciusko county settling at Chapman's sawmill at the outlet of Little Eagle Lake, where he engaged in the saw-mill business for a short time sawing lumber for the early pioneers that were settling up the country, and while he lived there the first election was held, the polls were opened at Leesburg for the entire county where he cast his first ballot. He was a tailor by trade and did quite a business in that line with the early settlers, making the wedding suit for the late Daniel Groves, father of George Groves, who resides east of Warsaw.

After a residence of four or five years in this county he removed to Bartholomew county, this state, when he lost his wife and married his second wife, Elizabeth Mackadew. After a few years residence there his second wife died. He then moved to Union county, Ohio, remaining there only a short time, moving back to Kosciusko county, and in the year 1859, was married to Rachael Hover. There were born by his first wife four children, the second five, and by the third four; four of whom have preceded him to the spirit land. Father Alexander united with the M.E. church when a mere boy, and was a devoted member of that organization throughout his long life. The last two years of his life was one of great suffering, and he bore his affliction with great patience, always ready to go when the summons came, which was April 7. After an interesting discourse by Rev. Stoneburner he was laid to rest in Morris Chapel cemetery, followed by a large concourse of neighbors and friends.

RACHEL HOVER / LATE WIFE OF / WM ALEXANDER / DIED Dec. 20, 1891 / AGED 67 Y. 3M. 15D.

Rachel Van Curen, daughter of Henricus and Rebecca (maiden name may be Ostrander) Van Curen, was born September 5, 1824 in New York state. Prior to her marriage to George Hover in 1843, she had moved to Kosciusko County, Indiana with her parents. Four of her siblings would also marry into the Hover family. When George Hover passed away on June 14, 1855, Rachel was the mother of six children, ranging in age from 11 years to a daughter about 1 month old.

On June 28, 1859 Rachel was married to William Alexander in Kosciusko County. She was his third wife. William and Rachel would have four children together. Their first child, Amanda Minerva (1860-1950) would marry Samuel Bray Wiseman and they would become my great-grandparents.

The Hover Children :: All Dressed Up

The Hover Children. Probably about 1886-1887.
Edith was born in 1873, Bessie in 1883, and Charles in 1882.



Their relationship to me is Half 1st Cousin Twice Removed. They are the children of William Henry "Hank" Hover and his first wife Elizabeth Biltz. Hank was one of six children born to George and Rachel (Van Curen) Hover. George passed away in 1855 and Rachel married William Alexander in 1859. William and Rachel are my great-great grandparents.

Contributed to "Smile For The Camera :: Crowning Glory"