An Anniversary of Sorts

It's hard to believe that it was 30 years ago today. May 29, 1979 was the "official" date of my discharge from the U. S. Navy. After 9 years 6 months and 15 days of service, it was time to move on to another phase in my life.

With three weeks of leave still on the books I departed Yokosuka, Japan on May 1st for separation at Treasure Island, California. After spending a week there (having a final physical, dental checkup, seeing a recruiter who tried to convince me to stay in the Navy, and doing other things that I don't recall) I was bid adieu on May 7th. The next two months were spent traveling and living in my car, a dark blue AMC Hornet Hatchback that I had purchased brand new when I left Iceland in January 1974. "Old Blue" had been put in storage in California for two years. We had an amazing summer and then it was back to "real" life.

My Navy career began on November 14, 1969 with the swearing-in ceremony in Indianapolis and the journey to Bainbridge, Maryland for basic training. But the process had started months before. Since my early teenage years I've struggled with my weight and I had to lose some of those "extra" pounds in order to meet the Navy's enlistment requirements. It wasn't easy and it took a long time, but I finally reached their goal. And then I was on my way towards a "grand adventure" that would take me to many wondrous places and to some places where I really didn't want to be. Such is life, and especially life in the military.

Why the Navy? Well, partially because my older brother had spent three years in the Navy having been discharged in March of 1968, and my younger brother had joined a year later, in the spring of '69. There were other reasons, too, which I wrote about a bit in Two roads diverged... but it mostly had to do with wanting to be somewhere else and the yearning for a change.

And was it ever a change! Like nothing I had experienced before or since. It had it's ups and downs as all things seem to have but I was able to see and do things that I had only dreamed of and some things that I'd never even thought about. It's a cliché to say that a certain experience was life-changing, but it was. I gained confidence in my abilities. I was challenged. I learned a lot about human behavior. Especially when it came to men having to take orders from a woman ;-)

Basic Training was at the Naval Training Center in Bainbridge, Maryland where Waves had been trained since World War II. I was nominated and served as an officer of my company, was a member of the Drill Team, and was honored to carry the Stars and Stripes as part of the Regimental Staff during my company’s graduation ceremony. When I enlisted I was “guaranteed” that I’d receive training as a photographer or a journalist upon completion of boot camp – but as I soon learned, there were no guarantees in the military!

After graduation from Basic Training I was sent to the Naval Air Station in Norfolk, Virginia and was assigned to Barracks Duty. This consisted of keeping the public areas of the women’s barracks clean (toilet areas, showers, community rooms, etc.) and serving as a receptionist answering the phone. Certainly not what I had in mind when signing up!

After about three months I was assigned to Special Services, also known as the Recreation Department. I worked in the base library for a while, then as administrative assistant to the Chief in charge. Some of my other duties included popping and selling popcorn, seating patrons at the base theater, and running the projectors to show the movies. They even sent me to the Great Lakes Naval Training Center for two weeks of schooling to learn how to run the old carbon arc projectors. (YouTube video) Now that was quite an experience! You really had to pay attention to what was going on. More than once the film broke, portions sometimes melted, and then it would take a while to patch the film to get it running again. Believe me, a theater full of rowdy, impatient sailors is not a good thing!

In the spring of 1971, I finally started the training that had been promised when I enlisted - a time I thought would never come! I was sent to Pensacola, Florida to attend the Naval School of Photography. After completion of training in August I found myself back at the Naval Training Center in Bainbridge, Maryland assigned to the base photo lab and one of two photographers for the base newspaper. In January 1973, I was transferred once again, this time to the Naval Station in Keflavik, Iceland. The Naval Station was just a small part of the NATO base, which included personnel from the U.S. Air Force as well as some international military forces.

Just a week after my arrival in Keflavik, Mother Nature’s wrath was felt with the eruption of a volcano on the Island of Heimay on January 23rd. The various military forces from the NATO base stepped in and helped airlift out many of the residents, human as well as the animals. After the main eruptions, military personnel were sent to the island to help shovel volcanic ash off of the roofs of the houses and other buildings in an attempt to prevent them from caving in. Several women, myself included, volunteered for this duty but we were not allowed to participate. However, I did make it to the island to take photographs several times over the next couple of months to help document the damage and recovery process.

It was mid-winter when I arrived in Keflavik and the daylight hours consisted of about an hour of twilight – the sun would come up over the horizon and then almost immediately set. There were blizzards and whiteouts and times when you went to the mess hall hanging onto a rope strung between the buildings. A normal tour of duty in Iceland was one year. At the time I didn’t think arriving in the middle of winter was such a great thing, but after spending a year there, I felt that I was quite fortunate because I didn’t have to spend a full winter there. Summer in Iceland meant 18-22 hours of daylight. Believe me, it was really strange to be playing softball outdoors at 10 p.m. without lights!

I purchased a clunker of a car and, along with a couple of friends, would take day or weekend excursions to see the sights in Iceland. We went to various towns, visited the hot springs and the glaciers and the black sand beaches. All in all it was quite a year.

In January 1974, I returned to the states, taking about a months leave to go home and then to Pensacola, Florida for two months schooling at the Advanced Naval School of Photography. Then it was to Point Mugu Naval Air Station near Oxnard, California. The Photo Lab there was quite large, with about 45 personnel. The lab performed the same basic functions as any commercial photography studio along with tasks that were unique to a military environment. This included some flight crew training, missile testing, and investigative photography. Duties included the gamut of tasks ranging from taking pictures to developing and printing. For the most part, workdays were routine.

One of the assignments I had during this time was to photograph weapons-handling techniques for audio-visual training for Navy personnel. I was assigned to two weeks temporary duty onboard the U.S.S. Enterprise while it was in port in Oakland. This was before women were routinely assigned to shipboard duty, so, technically, I guess that I was the first woman assigned to an aircraft carrier. Days were spent onboard the ship while nights were spent at the women’s barracks at the Naval Station. I did eat lunches in the ship mess hall, and, needless to say, got my fair share of odd looks from many of the sailors. There were also a few times when I had to show my orders when reporting for duty in the mornings when the officer of the day didn’t believe what I told him. Most days there was an escort from the ship’s photo lab waiting to take me to the days work site, partially so that I wouldn’t get lost on the ship but also to “protect” me from inquiring sailors.

In May 1977 my tour of duty at Point Mugu ended and I was transferred to the photo lab at the Naval Station in Yokosuka, Japan. Here again, the duties were similar to a commercial civilian photo lab. A year later, an opportunity at the base newspaper became available and I was assigned to the staff of “The Seahawk”. This was a really rough job, part of which entailed traveling to various sites in Japan, photographing them and writing about my experiences in getting there and describing the attractions. I climbed Mt. Fuji, went to the winter festival in Sapporo, visited a Sumo wrestling stable, and other attractions, all courtesy of the U. S. Navy! In addition to taking photographs and writing articles, I was also involved with layout and design of the newspaper and occasionally taking it to Tokyo for printing at the office of the Stars and Stripes. The department put together a booklet titled “How to Get There” that included many of my articles and photographs that had been printed in the base newspaper. The booklet was made available to new arrivals at the base.

All in all, I'd say I had a rather interesting career. I've never regretted my decision to leave the Navy and certainly never regretted the decision to join. But, I'll admit, there were times when I wondered what the heck I was doing there! It's still hard to believe that it's been 30 years since I got out. Some days it seems like it was yesterday although other days it seems so long ago, another lifetime. It was the best of times, and yet, it was the worst of times. There are some things that happened that I'd like to be able to forget but so many other memories of my time in the service that I treasure. As with most things in life you have to take the bad along with the good, perhaps so you can appreciate the good stuff even more!

The Final Scanning Spree!

Ten days ago I began the final push to get the last of the family pictures scanned. This scanning project was actually started in mid-April of last year. Four months later I reported that I was nearly done with my own pictures and my Mother's albums, except for those of my sister's family, which my niece was going to sort and organize. My original goal had been to have them scanned by the end of March of this year. In January she handed the box of pictures over to me but then I got sick and the best laid plans were put aside. . . Only two months behind schedule, but the family picture project is finally finished. Yaaay!

Actual time spent scanning during those ten days was 30 hours and probably just as much time spent doing a final sort of the pictures, trimming them, attaching them to acid free card stock, and adding a brief caption (who was in the picture and a date). This scanning spree generated 1233 image files that now consume 1821mb (1.8gb) of my hard drive. Most of these photos were snapshots 3x5" or smaller so they were each scanned at 600 dpi using the Canon CanoScan LiDE 90 scanner. No color corrections or contrast adjustments were done during scanning. The goal was simply to get them scanned!

After scanning, the completed pages were inserted into plastic protective pages and put into 3-ring binders, which took a few more hours ;-) The albums were delivered to my Mother yesterday afternoon. She was very happy to get them back and I am extremely happy to be done with them!!!

This picture of my sister, taken in 1954, certainly needs some retouching done on it, which may be beyond my current abilities. Thank goodness, most of the other pictures were in much better condition than this one.

This little cutie, my sister's grandson, graduated from 8th grade tonight. He'll be 15 in October and is now nearly 6' tall. He towers over most of the kids in his class.

Wordless Wednesday :: Schooldaze ~ Second Grade

Tombstone Tuesday :: The Charles Shuder Family

The Charles Shuder Family plot in North Webster Cemetery, Tippecanoe Township, Kosciusko County, Indiana. It is in the same row as that of his parents, Isaac and Nancy Shuder, and two of his brothers.

The large, center marker is that of his first wife Dessie Alene Wissler. Dessie passed away a month after giving birth to her daughter, Audrey Gwendoline. Charles' brother, George, was married to Dessie's twin sister, Bessie. According to my Aunt Pat (who, since her marriage in June 1945, has lived in the neighborhood where the Wiseman and Shuder families lived), after his wife's death Charles carried his little one-month-old daughter over to his brother and handed her over to George and Dessie. I don't know whether George and Bessie officially adopted Audrey or not but they raised her as their own. In 1912, Charles married Ina Myrtle Kitson and they had three children: Milton Shuder, Neva Marie Golden and Wilma Beard.

DESSIE WIFE OF / CHARLES J. SHUDER / MAY 27, 1883 / FEB. 26, 1907
CHARLES J. SHUDER / 1883 - 1963
INA M. SHUDER / 1880 - 1952

Photos taken July 12, 2007 - Copyright © 2007 by Rebeckah R. Wiseman

Memorial Day :: Remembering

My grandfather Rolland Victor Phend, shown in a 1983 photo with his WWI portrait, enlisted in the United States Army on September 19, 1917 as a substitute for a man who had been drafted. He was very proud of the fact that he had enlisted rather than waiting to be drafted. Grandpa was sent overseas shortly after his basic training and served in France with Company C, 309th Engineers. By the time he was discharged on June 19, 1919 he had achieved the rank of Sergeant. Grandpa suffered from the affects of gas poisoning for the remainder of his life, astounding physician's who said he wouldn't live beyond the age of 30 - he passed away on June 18, 1991 just one day before his 98th birthday!

Stories about Grandpa:

• Two Fellows Home From Camp Taylor
• Vic Phend Writes From France
• Grandpa Vic :: a Biography
• Grandpa Vic and Some Grandkids
• Grandpa's Candy

Grandpa is buried at South Park Cemetery in Whitley County, Indiana next to his parents and two brothers.

My Grandfather is just one of the many ancestors and relatives who have served their country in the military. The post, The Veterans in my Family, briefly describes my ancestors and their siblings who served during nearly all of the wars in which the United States was involved.

Last year I went through my genealogy database in an attempt to find all relatives that had served in the U. S. military, these are the ones that I know of, I'm sure there are others.

• War of 1812 and the Civil War
• Spanish American War and World War I
• World War II, Korea, and Vietnam

This past Friday, I took my Mother to visit the graves of family members buried in Whitley County, leaving little bouquets along the way. She tires easily, so after taking her back home, I continued my cemetery tour into neighboring Kosciusko County visiting the grave sites of ancestors on my Dad's side of the family. We really couldn't have asked for a nicer day with a cloudless blue sky and temperatures in the upper 70s. It was a perfect day!

Wordless Wednesday :: Schooldaze ~ First Grade

Dontcha just love the hairdo? What was my mother thinking?

Tombstone Tuesday :: Isaac and Nancy Shuder Family

The Shuder family plot at North Webster Cemetery in Tippecanoe Township, Kosciusko County, Indiana. Looking east. Buried here are Ezra, William, Nancy and Isaac Shuder. The grave site of Charles and Elsie (Shuder) Wiseman is across the lane and two rows down. Ezra, William and Elsie were the children of Nancy and Isaac. Another son, Charles, is buried in the same row, to the north of Nancy and Isaac. Yet another son, George, is buried in another section of the cemetery. Another daughter, Minnie Belle Larabee Linville is reportedly buried in the cemetery but I haven't located her grave yet. Nancy and Isaac had eight or possibly nine children.

EZRA SHUDER / 1895 - 1957
(Ezra was a veteran of WWII)
WILLIAM H. SHUDER / 1876 - 1946
SHUDER
NANCY J. / 1854 MOTHER 1954
ISAAC / 1846 FATHER 1905
Photos taken July 12, 2007 - Copyright © 2007 by Rebeckah R. Wiseman

Who Was My Inspiration - SNGF

It's time for Randy's Saturday Night Genealogy Fun challenge: What event or person inspired you to start your genealogy research?

If I had to say there was just one person who inspired me to begin genealogy research, it would have to be my maternal grandmother. In the early 1980s I "discovered" the family genealogy book she had been working on since the 1960s. It had family group sheets, ancestor charts, and photographs. I was especially enthralled with the photographs, particularly those of the ancestors.

The weird thing is that when I actually started research a few years later it wasn't grandma's ancestors that I worked on - rather it was the lineage of my maternal grandfather which occupied my time for the next 15 years!

In 1983, Mom's first cousin, Richard Phend, had put together a large chart showing the descendants of their great-grandparents, Jacob and Louisa Fisher Phend. I couldn't believe all of those people were descended from just two people and they were all related to me! LOL, how naïve I was.

Among the many other people who have inspired me along the way was Lowell Yarian, whom I met in 1985. He had an RV with cabinets full of 3-ring binders filled with family group sheets. Lowell and his wife traveled throughout the United States in search of anyone and everyone named Yarian, and any variation thereof.

If you'd like some "additional reading" I recommend the 17th Edition of the Carnival of Genealogy. The topic was "acknowledging and giving thanks to those who have inspired our genealogy research and helped us along the way." It was a small carnival, just 8 posts submitted, but well worth the time to read. My contribution is here.

Joslin Family :: Summary of Evidence

As stated in the first post in this Joslin Family series, there isn't any documentation that explicitly states that my 3rd great grandfather, Lysander Price Joslin, is the son of James and Abigail (Goodrich) Joslin. In correspondence (1968-1982) between my grandmother, Irwin Joslin, and Mrs. Edith Wessler the "connection" was made between Lysander and James and Jonas Joslin, in Delaware County, Ohio.

This series of posts has presented the documents and evidence that has been found in the last twenty years or so. We still don't have "that" one document stating a relationship but I do think the cumulative effect of the evidence available is sufficient to "prove" that Lysander is the son of James and Abigail Joslin and that James is a son of Jonas and Ruth (Dyer) Joslin.

Utilizing census records, we have shown that there was only one Joslin family in Delaware County, Ohio during the time period in question (1820-1850) consisting of Jonas and his children. And, in Whitley County, Indiana in 1840-1860, there was only one Joslin family consisting of James and Abigail and their six children. Death records are not available for the two oldest children, Lysander and Fanny, but records for two other children confirm that their mother was Abigail Goodrich. The death record for another child gives her name as Mabethy Goodrich.

Records in Delaware County, Ohio

• In 1818 Jonas Joslin purchased land in Delaware County, Ohio.
• The only 'Joslin' families in Delaware County, Ohio during the 1820-1840 time period were Jonas Sr., James, and Jonas Jr. The two Jonas' remained in Ohio.
• There were nine 'Joslin' families found in the 1820 Ohio census index at ancestry.com but Jonas Joslin was the only one in Delaware County, Ohio.
• In 1822, the land purchased by Jonas Joslin Sr. in 1818 was sold by Jonas and his wife Ruth to James Joslin and Jonas Joslin Jr. with the stipulation that Jonas Sr. and Ruth were to retain use of the premises during their lifetimes. This would seem to indicate transfer of property to their children.
• According to his family Bible records, Lysander Price Joslin was born on May 1, 1825.
  Lysander was most likely named after Price Goodrich, his mother's brother. Both Price and Abigail were undoubtedly named after their father's mother, Abigail Price. Future posts will provide evidence that Abigail is the daughter of Bela Goodrich and granddaughter of John and Abigail (Price) Goodrich.
• No record for the marriage of James Joslin and Abigail Goodrich has yet been found. However, newspaper abstracts indicate that James and his wife Abigail were married prior to July 13, 1826.
• In the 1830 Delaware County, Ohio census for James Joslin, Lysander would "fit" in the family as the one male 5-10 years of age.
• James Joslin sold his land in Delaware County to Jonas Joslin Jr. on August 29, 1837 and sometime thereafter removed to Whitley County, Indiana. That land had been purchased from Jonas Joslin Sr. in 1822.

Records of James and Abigail Joslin, and children, in Whitley County, Indiana

• On September 20, 1837 James Joslin purchased land in Whitley County from the United States. It was patented on August 20, 1838.
• We don't know exactly when the Joslin family arrived in Whitley County but the county history books state that James Joslin was among the 12 residents of Troy Township to cast a vote in the first Presidential election held there on July 4, 1839.
• According to the online index on ancestry.com there were two households with the surname of Joslin and one Joselin living in Indiana in 1840. Also one household with the spelling of Jocelin and two with Jocelyn. However, there was only one Joslin family in Whitley County, Indiana in 1840 and that was the household of James Joslin. Lysander would "fit" into that family as the one male 15-20 years old.
• In 1841, Lysander purchased 40 acres of land from James and Abigail Joslin. This is a portion of the land that James Joslin "of Delaware County, Ohio" purchased from the Federal Government in 1837. At the time the deed of sale was signed, Lysander was only 16 years old.
• On January 16, 1843 Fanny Joslin was married to Joseph Shoemaker in Whitley County. Fanny was about 16 years old at the time of her marriage. As an underage minor it would be extremely unlikely that she would not be living with her family. She "fits" into the family in the 1840 census as the one female 10-15 years old.
• On August 21, 1843 Lysander Price Joslin married Lydia Robison in Whitley County.
• The 1844 Tax Duplicate for Whitley County shows that both Lysander and James were property owners.
• In 1844, Lysander was taken before a local court for nonpayment of a debt. Naby Joslin testified that Lysander was a minor when the debt was incurred back in January 1843. Could this be considered evidence that Naby is Lysander's mother?
• Also in 1844, James and Nabby Joslin sold the remainder of their land to Edwin and Joseph Joslin. Edwin was only 14 years old at the time of the transaction and Joseph was a month shy of 12 years. Would they sell their land to two minor boys if the boys weren't their children?
• In the 1850 Federal Census for Whitley County, Indiana, Lysander P. Joslin is listed on page 471b. The James Joslin family is on the next page (472a). There were no other Joslin families in Whitley County at that time.
• No further record of James Joslin has been found beyond the 1850 census. There is no estate file for him in Whitley County, Indiana nor is there a guardianship record for the minor children.
• All of the census records found for them show that Lysander, Fanny, Edwin, Joseph, and Emily Joslin were all born in Ohio. The last child of James and Abigail, Mary Lucicia was born after the family came to Indiana.
• On January 21, 1851 Lysander purchased 20 acres of land from Edwin Joslin, which James had sold to Edwin in 1844. Lysander also purchased Joseph's 20 acres on November 1, 1853. Thus he became the owner of the original 80 acres that James had bought from the U. S. Government in 1837.
• On October 12, 1854 Emily Eliza Joslin was married to John Long in Whitley County, Indiana. Emily "fits" into the Jonas Joslin household in the 1840 census as the one female under 5 years of age. She is also listed with the family in the 1850 census.
• Edwin M. Joslin married Sarah Fellows on November 9, 1854 in Whitley County, Indiana. In the 1830 census, Edwin "fits" into the Jonas Joslin household as the one male under 5 years of age. In 1840 he would be the one male 10-15 years old. He is listed with James and Abigail in the 1850 census.
• In the 1860 Federal Census for Whitley County Abigail Joslin, Price Goodrich, Silas Goodrich and Lysander P. Joslin are all listed on page 762. There were no other Joslin families in the county at that time.
• On June 2, 1861 Joseph A. Joslin was married to Prudentia Noble in Whitley County, Indiana. Joseph "fits" into the Jonas Joslin household in 1840 as the one male 5-10 years old. Joseph is listed with James and Abigail in 1850 and with Abigail in 1860.

The place of birth for James and Abigail

• In the 1850 census, James was listed as born in L C (probably Lower Canada) and Abigail was born in Connecticut. The 1860 census gives her birthplace as Ohio. In 1870 and 1880 (as the wife of Samuel Pingree) her birthplace is given as Connecticut.
• Though not all of the census records for their children agree, the majority indicate that James was born in Canada or Vermont and that Abigail was born in Connecticut.
• The 1880 census (Cheyenne Township, Barton County, Kansas, page 93) for L.P. Joslin shows that Lysander's father was born in Vermont and his mother in Connecticut.
• In 1880, the census (Lewisburgh Township, Montgomery County, Kansas, page 21) shows that Fanny's father was born in Canada and her mother in Mass.
• The 1900 census (Antelope Township, Logan County, Oklahoma, page 1) Fanny's father was listed as born in Canada (Eng) and her mother in Connecticut.
• The 1880 census (Michigan City, La Porte County, Indiana, page 38) shows that Edwin's parents were both born in Vermont.
• In 1900 (Island Grove Township, Sangamon County, Illinois, page 109) and 1910 (Perry Township, Tippecanoe County, Indiana, page 59) the census records show that Edwin's father was born in New York and his mother in Connecticut.
• The 1880 census (North Township, Marshall County, Indiana, page 38/34b) shows that Joseph's parents were born in "Penn" [Pennsylvania].
• In 1900 and 1910 (North Township, page 12b and 167 respectively) the census shows that Joseph's father was born in Vermont and his mother in Ohio.

Death Records and Obituaries

• Lysander's obituary (transcribed, near bottom of post) published in the Columbia City Weekly Commercial May 31, 1899 states that he was born near Columbus, Ohio. It does not provide the names of his parents or siblings.
• No death record is available for Lysander. He died May 14, 1899 in Keighley, Butler County, Kansas and is buried in Lyndon, Osage County, Kansas.
• There is no death record available for Fanny Joslin Shoemaker O'Bryant who died on June 6, 1905 in Lincoln County, Oklahoma. No obituary has been found for her either.
• Edwin's death certificate gives his mother's name as Mabethy Goodrich. His father's first name is not given. Edwin died on April 6, 1916 in Tippecanoe County, Indiana.
• Joseph's obituary in The Weekly Republican, Plymouth, Indiana of June 26, 1919 does not give the names of his parents but it does say that he was born in Delaware county, Ohio.
• Joseph's death record in Marshall County, Indiana (Book CH-30 page 113) does not give the name of his father but it does show that his mother was Abigail Goodrich.
• An article in the Columbia City Post of January 3, 1914 announced the death of Prudentia (Noble) Joslin, wife of Joseph. It stated that she was an aunt of Mrs. William Brubaker of this city.
• The death record for Emily Joslin Long in Whitley County (#108-29) shows that her father was Thomas Joslin. He was born in Canada. There was no Thomas Joslin in Ohio or Indiana. Emily's mother was given as Abigail Goodrich, born in Ohio.

Additional Evidence

• Donna Shoemaker Ihns, a descendant of Fanny Joslin Shoemaker O'Bryant, submitted a supplemental application to the DAR in 2005 for the service of Joseph Josselyn, aka Joseph Joslin (1743-1829). I contacted Donna recently and learned that her application had been approved even though she had no "direct" evidence to "prove" that Fanny was the daughter of James and Abigail Joslin. Her evidence consisted primarily in the census records showing that there were no other Joslin families in Ohio or Indiana in which Fanny could belong. Also the two land records - the one of 1822 which gives Jonas Sr. and Ruth use of the land during their lifetime, and in 1837 where James sells that land to Jonas Jr. Additional evidence given was the fact that Fanny was underage at the time of her marriage to Joseph Shoemaker, presuming that as a minor she was still living with her family.
• A journal entry made by Elizabeth Quillen, daughter of Della Joslin Quillen and granddaughter of Lysander Joslin, dated February 21, 1917 stated: "My grandfather Joslin's mother was English. She was a Goodrich." Elizabeth was 24 years old when the journal entry was made. The journal information was received in 2004 from Jocelyn Camp, niece of Elizabeth Quillen.
• The sixth child of James and Abigail is Mary Lucicia Joslin. She is listed with James and Abigail in 1850 as Mary L. and as Lucicia with Abigail in 1860. She *may* be the Mary Joslin who married J C Whited on July 3, 1862 in Henry County, Illinois. In 1880 John Whitted and Mary were still living in the town of Hanna in Henry County. She may have died there or in Omaha, Nebraska where her husband was found in the city directories 1887-1896. A son also lived in Omaha. Additional research needs to be done to determine if Mary Joslin Whitted is the daughter of James and Abigail.
• Lending to the veracity that the Mary Joslin who married John Whitted is the daughter of James and Abigail, and that the Mrs. Abigail Joslin who married Samuel Pingree in Henry County, Illinois is "my" Abigail Joslin, is the fact that Edwin Joslin, listed as Edwn Josslyn, was residing in the town of Hanna in Henry County in 1860 (page 952 of the census). Samuel and Abigail Pingree were living in the town of Phenix in Henry County in 1870 and 1880. Google Map of Hanna and Phenix.

For reference: Index to all posts on the Joslin Family

Abigail Joslin :: 1870 Marriage to Samuel Pingree

Photocopies of the marriage record for Abigail Joslin and Samuel Pingree were received in October 2004 from Jon Pontzius. He had received them from Donna Shoemaker Ihns sometime in 2003. Jon and Donna are both descendants of Asa Shoemaker. Jon is also a descendant of Price Goodrich and Donna is a descendant of his sister, Abigail Goodrich Joslin. Thus they are double cousins to each other and each is also related to me! Confusing, eh? What would we do without fellow family researchers willing to share information?



Front of packet:
Marriage License No. 418
Samuel K. Pingaree and Abigal Joslin
Issued June 25, 1870
Married June 30, 1870
Registered July 7, 1870
on page 30 of Marriage Register
F. G. Newton, Clerk

=+==+==+=

Marriage License
State of Illinois, Henry County

To any person legally authorized to solemnize Marriage
Greeting:
You are hereby authorized To join in the Holy Bonds of Matrimony and to celebrate the Rites and Ceremonies of Marriage between Mr. Samuel K. Pingree and Mrs. Abigal Joslin according to the usual custom and laws of the State of Illinois, and you are required to return this License to me within thirty days from the celebration of such Marriage, with a Certificate of the same appended thereto and signed by you under the Penalty of One hundred Dollars.

In Witness Whereof I have hereunto set my hand and Seal of said County this Twenty Fifth day of June AD 1870
F. G. Welton, By L. C. Caufield [?] Deputy County Clerk

State of Illinois, Henry County } SS
I James Shelten a Preacher of the Gospel hereby certify that on the 30th day of June 1870 I joined in Marriage Mr. Samuel Pingree with Mrs. Abigail Joslin agreeably to the authority given in the above License & on the custom & laws of this State. Given under my hand and seal this 30th day of June AD 1870. James Shelden, seal.

=+==+==+=

Samuel and Abigail were found in the 1870 census residing in Phoenix, Henry County, Illinois (page 12/130, dwelling 83, household 83): Saml K Pingree is 61 years old and is a Domestic Servant. He was born in Maine and cannot read or write. Abigail is 65 years old and keeping house. She was born in Conn [Connecticut) and cannot read or write. Also in the household is Ester, 91 years old and born in N.H. [New Hampshire]. Most likely she is Samuel's mother.


They were found in 1880 in Phenix, Henry County, Illinois (page 6, dwelling 59, household 60): Samuel Pingree is a 71 year old farmer. He was born in Maine and his parents were born in New Hampshire. Abigal is his 75 year old wife. She is keeping house and was born in Connecticut. Her parents were born in Connecticut.


The census records "fit" the information that is known about Abigail Goodrich Joslin. She was born about 1805 in Hartford County, Connecticut.

Additional research by Donna did not uncover a cemetery or burial record for Abigail or Samuel in Henry County. She did find a record of Samuel selling his land on March 12, 1888 to Nicholas O'Bryan. Samuel Pingree was "of" Marvin, Phillips County, Kansas at the time. Donna did not find any record of Samuel owning land there or a cemetery record for Samuel or Abigail.

Donna also said that Joseph Shoemaker (husband of Fanny Joslin) was buying and selling land in Henry County but she didn't give me any dates. By 1860 Fanny and Joseph were living in Page County, Iowa. They were still in Whitley County, Indiana in 1850. Donna stated that records in other states (Iowa and Oklahoma) show that Joseph was a land speculator, buying and selling land wherever they lived.

We know that Edwin Joslin, Fanny's brother, was residing in Henry County, Illinois in 1860. So it is likely that Fanny and her husband were there also. Perhaps Abigail followed them shortly after the 1860 census (she was still in Whitley County then). It is also possible that the Mary Joslin who married J C Whited on July 3, 1862 in Henry County is Mary Lucicia, daughter of James and Abigail Joslin. Additional research needs to be done to try and verify it, but it does seem feasible.

(Almost) Wordless Wednesday :: The View from the Other Side

Say Cheeeez! Taking group pictures at the Joslin Reunion on November 23, 2007 in Springfield, Missouri: Missy, Sue, George, Babs, Tim, Jim, and Linda.

Tombstone Tuesday :: Samuel Bray Wiseman Family

Samuel Bray Wiseman, his wife and one son are interred at Washington Union Cemetery in Tippecanoe Township, Kosciusko County, Indiana. Samuel and Amanda (Alexander) Wiseman are my great grandparents. Their son Scott, not quite eight years old, died of diphtheria. According to Kosciusko County death records, his full name was Ray Scott.

SCOTT - Son Of / Mr. & Mrs. S. B. / WISEMAN / BORN July 31, 1894 / DIED May 18, 1902
SAMUEL B. / WISEMAN / SEPT. 23, 1855 / MAR. 19, 1944
AMANDA WISEMAN / SEPT . 25 . 1860 / JUNE . 2 . 1950
All photos Copyright © 2007 by Rebeckah R. Wiseman (they were taken July 12, 2007)

Jonas Joslin :: 1850 Ohio Census

The Jonas Joslin family was originally found on microfilm of the 1850 census in Liberty Township, Delaware County, Ohio. Knowing that the surname was misspelled by the census taker as "Gloslin" an alternate name request was submitted to ancestry. As a result, they now show up in the online index when searching for Joslin.

Page 417/208a Dwelling 1511 Family 1514

• Jonas Gloslin, 81, Real Estate valued at $1500, born Mass
• Jonas Gloslin Jr., 42, born Canada
• Lucy Gloslin, 42, born NY
• John Gloslin, 21, born Ohio
• Leucretia Gloslin, 19, born Ohio
• Nancy Gloslin, 16, born Ohio
• Jane Gloslin, 15, born Ohio
• Wm Gloslin, 14, born Ohio
• Mary Gloslin, 9, born Ohio
• Elisabeth Gloslin, 7, born Ohio
• Charles Gloslin, 2, born Ohio

Page 418/208b continuation of Dwelling 1511 Family 1514

• Fanny Gloslin, 40, born Canada

Page 418/208b Dwelling 1512 Family 1515

• Benjamin Bartholomew, 70, born Conn
• J Gloslin, 21, born Ohio
• Lovina Gloslin, 21, born Ohio
• Franklin Gloslin, 1, born Ohio

==+====+====+==

Note that Jonas Sr. is listed with a real estate valuation rather than Jonas Jr., which I find a bit odd since James Joslin sold the original homestead to Jonas Jr. in 1837. The land records need to be checked to see if there are other transactions for them, it could be that Jonas Jr. sold that land.

The J Gloslin enumerated in the household of Benjamin Bartholomew is probably John Joslin, son of Jonas Jr., although John is also listed in the household of Jonas Sr. (John H. Joslin was married on June 13, 1848 to Lovina M. Pain).

The other item of interest revealed in this record is birthplaces: Jonas Sr. was listed as born in Massachusetts; Jonas Jr. and Fanny were both born in Canada.

Jonas Joslin :: 1840 Ohio Census

Several years ago I found Jonas Joslin in the 1840 census in Delaware County, Ohio - by viewing the microfilm and looking through all of the pages for Liberty Township. Luckily there are only a few pages for Liberty Township.

A recent search of the online index at ancestry.com for the 1840 Ohio census for "Josl*" turned up eight results. Jonas Joslin was not among them and there was no "Joslin" family listed in Delaware County, Ohio.

Jonas Joslin is indexed as 'Jonas Joflin' in the ancestry index. I finally found him in the index by searching for first name of Jonas and last name blank in Delaware County, Ohio. A correction has been submitted to ancestry to aid others in finding him.


Liberty Township, Delaware County, Ohio - Page ?? I have "30" written in my notes, probably from the microfilm. The ancestry image has "0100" stamped along the right side. There is "186" written in the upper right corner but it is crossed through. It is Image 3 of 6 for Liberty Township.

In the 1850 census, Jonas Sr. is listed as head of the household with Jonas Jr. and his family in residence. Based on that, I've made the assumption that in 1840, Jonas Sr. was the head of household and Jonas Jr. and his family resided with him. But I could be wrong ;-) Ruth, the wife of Jonas Sr. had passed away on August 27, 1830.

The probable household of Jonas Joslin in 1840:

• 1 male under 5 [1836-1840... William, son of Jonas Jr., born 1836]
• 1 male 10-14 [1826-1830... John, son of Jonas Jr., born 1828]
• 1 male 30-39 [1801-1810... Jonas Jr. born 1807]
• 1 male 60-69 [1771-1780... Jonas, Sr. born 1769]
• 3 females 5-9 [1831-1835... 3 daughters of Jonas Jr., Lucretia, Nancy and Jane]
• 2 females 30-39 [1801-1810... Fanny, daughter of Jonas Sr., born 1810, and Lucy, wife of Jonas Jr., born 1807]

The Death of Ruth Joslin :: 1830

Official death records were not kept in the early days in Ohio. Then, as now, people often relied upon the local tabloid for news of their friends, neighbors and relatives.

Carol Willsey Bell compiled "Delaware County, Ohio Genealogical Abstracts" in 1980 and on page 51 we find the following entry, citing the Ohio State Gazette: "Sept. 16, 1830 - Died in Liberty Tp. on 27th ult, MRS. RUTH JOSLIN, w/o Jonas, age 59 years." The term "ult" refers to the previous month, i.e. Ruth died on August 27th 1830.

In 1992, Mary V. Reed compiled "Abstracts from Miscellaneous Delaware County Ohio Newspapers 1821-1857" and on page 49, citing the Ohio State Gazette and Delaware County Journal of September 16, 1830 is the entry: "Died in Liberty Township on the 27th ult. Mrs Ruth JOSLIN, aged 59 years wife of Mr. Johns JOSLIN."

From another "Joslin" researcher, I found out that Ruth's tombstone resides within the confines of the Delaware County Historical Museum, or at least it did several years ago. The inscription was transcribed as "Ruth wife of Jonas Joslin died Aug 27, 1830 aged 59 Years."

In this online listing, Ruth is shown as having been buried in the "Joslin Cemetery" along with Jonas Sr. The cemetery is shown as #9 on this map and was located in the southern portion of Liberty Township near the Franklin County line. From its location, I am presuming that the cemetery was on the Joslin farm.

James Joslin :: 1837 Sale of Land to Jonas Jr.

On January 10, 1822 Jonas Joslin Sr. and his wife Ruth sold 100 acres of land to James Joslin and Jonas Joslin Jr. with the stipulation that Jonas Sr. and Ruth would have use of the land during their lives. In 1822, James would have been about 26 years old and Jonas Jr. was not quite 15 (he was born on February 25, 1807).

Probably in preparation for moving his family to Whitley County, Indiana early the next year, James sold that same land to Jonas Joslin Jr. on October 28, 1837. It does not contain the clause giving Jonas Sr. and Ruth use of the land. I'm wondering now if I didn't miss a land record. It seems odd that the amount of land in this 1837 transaction is 100 acres, the same as in 1822. Perhaps, it is because James and Jonas Jr. owned the land jointly. The important thing, for me at least, is that the record still shows that James Joslin's wife was named Nabby! This 1837 record was found in Delaware County, Ohio Deed Book 16, pages 249 and 250.

[Bottom of page 249]

Filed & Recorded 28th Oct 1837
A Picket [?] Sr. Recorder. Delaware County Ohio
James Joslin deed to Jonas Joslin Jr.}

Delaware County Ohio, to wit; Know all men by these presents, that we James Joslin and Nabby Joslin, wife of said James Joslin of Liberty Township, Delaware County and State of Ohio for and consideration of the sum of Five Hundred Dollars paid (or Secured to be paid) by Jonas Joslin Jun'r of Liberty Township County and State aforesaid the receipt whereof is hereby acknowledged, have remised, released and forever quitclaim unto the said Jonas Joslin Junr his heirs and assigns all the estate, right, title and interest whatsoever, both in law or equity which we the said James Joslin and Nabby have in and to the following described land namely, lot No Sixteen, in the East tier of lots in the fourth section of the third Township in the Nineteenth Range of the United States Military lands and within the said County of Delaware, supposed to contain one hundred acres more or less, so that we nor either of us, our heirs or assigns or any other person or persons in trust for either of us or them, shall or will have any claim, right, title or interest in and to the same or any part thereof, but that we the said James Joslin & Nabby Joslin our heirs and assigns and every of them from all estate right, title and interest in and to the Same, shall be by these presents forever debarred. In witness whereof the said James Joslin and Nabby Joslin have here

[Top of page 250]

unto set their hands and seals this twenty ninth day of August Anno Domini Eighteen hundred and thirty seven.

Executed in presence of
P. E. Buell
William Hills

[signed by]
James Joslin {seal}
Nabby Joslin {seal}

State of Ohio Delaware County SS. Personally came James Joslin and [blank space] Joslin his wife signers and sealers of the above instrument and acknowledged the same to be their voluntary act and deed for the purposes therein expressed. The said [blank space] Joslin wife of the said James Joslin being by me first examined by me separate and apart from her said husband and the contents of the above deed by me made known to her, declared that she did voluntarily sign seal and acknowledge the same and that she is still fully satisfied therewith. Witness my hand this twenty ninth day of August AD. 1837.
Philaster E. Buell. Justice of the peace
A Picket. Jr., Recorder, Delaware County, Ohio
Filed and Recorded 28th Oct. 1837.

Edwin M. Joslin :: 1916 Certificate of Death

This week I received several death certificates that had been ordered from the Indiana State Board of Health, among them that of Edwin M. Joslin. His father's name is not given and his mother's name is listed as Mabethy Goodrich. That information was provided by Edwin's daughter Nellie Gunkle. To me, it seems feasible that "Mabethy" could be a corrupted version of "Nabby" which is how Abigail Goodrich was found in several other records, or perhaps it is wishful thinking - but at least his mother's maiden name was given as Goodrich!


357 stamped in upper right corner
13939 stamped on left above name

Place of Death: County of Tippecanoe, Township of Perry
Indiana State Board of Health / Certificate of Death / Registered No. 115

PERSONAL AND STATISTICAL PARTICULARS

Full Name: Edwin M. Joslin
Sex: Male
Color or Race: White
Widowed
Name of Wife: Sareph A.
Date of Birth: Dec 17, 1829
Age: 86 years 3 months 20 days
Occupation: Retired Farmer
Birthplace: Ohio
Name of Father: --- Joslin
Birthplace of Father: unknown
Maiden Name of Mother: Mabethy Goodrich
Birthplace of Mother: unknown
Informant: Mrs. Ed Gunkle
Address: La Fayette, R.R.L.
Health Officer: Dwight R. Baker

MEDICAL CERTIFICATE OF DEATH

Date of Death: April 3, 1916
Cause of Death: Arterio Sclerosis
Duration: two years
Signed: J. E. McCabe, M.D.
4/6, 1916
Address: Buck Creek
Place of Burial or Removal: Isley
Date of Burial: 4-9 1916
Undertaker: Dwight R. Baker

One Lovely Blog Award 2X (make that 3X)

Thank you to Harriet at Genealogy Fun and Greta at Greta's Genealogy Bog for bestowing the "One Lovely Blog Award" on kinexxions! 'Tis appreciated.

Update May 9th: Thanks also to Granny Pam at Granny's Genealogy for the award.

As part of the award, I am to pass on the link love to seven other blogs...

• Genealogy Bug by Kate Keller
• Janet the Researcher by Janet Iles
• Jennifer's Genealogy Blog by Jennifer Trahan
• Random Relatives by Diana R
• Still Digging for Roots by Cherie
• Tangled Trees by TCasteel
• The Educated Genealogist by Sheri Fenley

Joslin Family :: 1830 Census Delaware County, Ohio

The 1820 census of Delaware County, Ohio included only one Joslin family, that of Jonas Joslin. The 1830 census includes just two Joslin families: Jonas and James, both in Liberty township, listed seventh and fifth from the bottom of page 85. Additional research provides us with the names and ages within the square brackets.

The probable household of Jonas Joslin:

• 1 male under 5 [1825-1830... grandson, John, age 2, born June 1828]
• 1 male 20-29 [1800-1810... son Jonas Jr., 23, born February 1807]
• 1 male 60-69 [1760-1770... Jonas Sr., 61, born March 1769]
• 2 females 15-19 [1811-1815... daughter Fanny, about 20, born about 1810 and one other, name unknown]
• 1 female 20-29 [1800-1810... Lucy, 23, wife of Jonas Jr., born August 1807]
• 1 female 50-59 [1770-1780... Ruth, 59, wife of Jonas Sr., born 1771]

Elizabeth, aged 16-25 in the 1820 census, was married to Milton Bartholomew according to "Abstracts from Miscellaneous Delaware County Ohio Newspapers 1821-1857" extracted by Mary V. Reed, Delaware County Genealogical Society, 1992, page 38. Citing the Franklin Chronicle, Worthington, Ohio of March 19, 1821: "Married on Thursday 15th inst. in Middlebury, Delaware County by Nathan Carpenter Esq. Mr. Milton Bartholomew to Miss Elizabeth Joslin." There were no entries for the two unknown females aged 16-25 that were in the Jonas Joslin household in 1820.

From published newspaper abstracts we learned that James and Abigail Joslin were married prior to June 30, 1826. The 1850 census and additional research gives us the names and dates within square brackets.

Probable members of the James Joslin household:

• 1 male under 5 [1825-1830... son Edwin, age 1, born December 1829]
• 1 male 5-9 [1820-1825... son Lysander, age 5, born May 1825]
• 1 male 30-39 [1790-1800... James, about 34, born about 1796]
• 1 female under 5 [born 1825-1830... daughter Fanny, about 4, born about 1826]
• 1 female 5-9 [born 1820-1825... Unknown]
• 1 female 20-29 [born 1800-1810... wife Abigail, about 25, born about 1805]

I Doubt that they were Family Pets...

"All Creatures Great And Small" is the topic for the 13th Edition of Smile For The Camera. When I was growing up, the only pets we had were dogs, with creative names such as Buster, Rover, and Bootsie (my post written for the 50th Carnival of Genealogy). I went through nearly every image folder on my hard drive trying to find some other "animal" pictures and re-discovered those below, which were loaned to me for scanning by Aunt Phyllis about four years ago.

Given the size of this horse, I'd have to guess that it was one of the working farm horses. Of course, it may not be as big as it appears - Aunt H. was only about five feet tall.

Bill was my grandmother's brother, William Hale Brubaker (1905-1979). Thag was my grandmother's first cousin, Thagrus Asher Burns (1917-2008). Aunt H. was my grandmother's aunt Hazlett (Wise) Burns (1885-1977). Date of photo unknown but Thag looks to be maybe 3-4 years old so it was probably taken about 1920-21.

Uncle Harl was Harlo Asher Burns (1880-1952). He was the husband of Hazlette Wise. I didn't know or remember him since I was only 4 years old when he passed away but according to my mother and her sisters, Uncle Harl was a rather large "somewhat uncouth" man but he loved his family - and his horses! Date of photo unknown.

Uncle Harl in the field with his horses. Date of photo unknown.

Tombstone Tuesday :: Jack and Fredona Wiseman

My father and his third wife are buried at Salem Cemetery in Washington Township, Noble County, Indiana. Jack William Wiseman was the son of Charles and Elsie (Shuder) Wiseman. Fredona was the daughter of Abie and Vera (Surfus) Stump.

WISEMAN
JACK W. / JAN 29, 1924 / DEC. 18, 1995
FREDONA M. / SEPT. 28, 1925 / JAN. 23, 2005

Photo Copyright © 2005 by Rebeckah R. Wiseman (taken August 16, 2005)

Jonas Joslin Sr. :: 1822 Land Sale to James and Jonas Jr.

On January 10, 1822 Jonas Joslin Sr. and his wife Ruth sold 100 acres of land for $800.50 to James Joslin and Jonas Joslin Jr. with an important clause that gave them (Jonas Sr. and Ruth) use of the land during their lives. This would seem to indicate some degree of relationship between Jonas Sr. and Ruth with James and Jonas Jr. This was the same land that Jonas and Ruth had purchased for $1,050 on October 20, 1818. The record can be found in Delaware County, Ohio Deed Book 5, pages 526-528.



[page 526]
Jonas Joslin
To } Deed
James Joslin & Jonas Joslin Jr

This Indenture made and concluded this 10th day of January in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and twenty two by and between Jonas Joslin & Ruth his wife of Delaware County in the State of Ohio of the first part and James Joslin & Jonas Joslin Junior Witnesseth that the said Jonas Joslin & Ruth his wife for and in consideration of eight hundred Dollars fifty cents to them in had paid or secured to be paid the receipt whereof is hereby acknowledged

[top half of page 527]
527 } given granted bargained sold released conveyed confirmed and by these presents give grant bargain sell release convey and confirm unto the said James and Jons Joslin Junior and unto their heirs and assigns forever a lot of land viz; lot number sixteen in the west tier of lots in the fourth section of the third township in the nineteenth range of the United States Military lands and within the said county of Delaware and supposed to contain one hundred acres more or less To have and to hold the above described premises with all the privileges and appurtenances thereunto belonging or in any wise appertaining unto him the said Jonas Joslin Jr and James Joslin and unto their heirs and assigns forever and the said Jonas Joslin & Ruth his wife for their heirs executors and administrators covenant and promise to and with the said James and Jonas Joslin Jr their heirs and assigns that they are lawfully seized of the Premises aforesaid that they have good right and full authority to sell and convey the same in manner aforesaid and that the said Premises are free and clear from

[bottom half of page 527]
all encumbrances. And Further that they the said Jonas Joslin and Ruth his wife their heirs executors and administrators will well warrant and truly defend the premises aforesaid unto the said James and Jonas Joslin Jr. and unto their heirs and assigns forever against the lawful claims of any persons or person whomsoever except a reservation of the use of the above described premises during our lives. In testimony whereof the part - to the first part here hereunto set our hands and seals the day and year above written.
Jonas Joslin {Seal}
Ruth Joslin {Seal}
Signed Sealed and Delivered in presence of}
Nathan Carpenter}
Sophia Weaver}

The State of Ohio Delaware County}
Personally appeared before me Nathan Carpenter one of the Justices of the Peace in and for said County the within names Jonas Joslin and Ruth his wife Who she being first examined separate and apart from her husband both acknowledged

[page 528]
the foregoing instrument to be their free act and deed for purposes therein mentioned Given under my hand and seal this
Nathan Carpenter JP {seal}
Reced & recorded this deed Feby 14th 1822
J A Hughs Recorder Del Cty

Joslin Family :: The Marriage (?) of James and Abigail

Somewhere in the deep, dark recesses of my memory is a nagging thought that the early marriage records for Delaware County, Ohio were "lost" in a fire or flood or something. I don't have the marriage record for James Joslin and Abigail Goodrich. I can't imagine making a trip there (which I did in the late 1980s) and not obtaining the record if it was available.

A place search for "Delaware Ohio" in the Online FamilySearch Library Catalog shows two entries for Delaware County marriage records.

• The early marriage bonds of Delaware County, Ohio, 1832-1865 Daughters of the American Revolution. Delaware City Chapter (Delaware, Ohio). Microreproduction of typescript (3 volumes) written 1940, in the State Library of Ohio, D.A.R. Collection, Columbus, Ohio.
• Marriage records, 1835-1951 Ohio Probate Court (Delaware County). Microfilm of original records filmed at the Delaware County courthouse and Delaware County Records Center, Delaware, Ohio. Includes general index to volumes 1-4; remaining volumes individually indexed.

From that we can see that the earliest recorded marriages that are most likely available are from 1835 (or perhaps they haven't been filmed) with some bonds from as early as 1832. But if these are all that are available, 1835 is too late for my Joslin family. According to his family bible records, Lysander Joslin was born May 1, 1825. Presumably, his parents would have been married prior to that date ;-) but perhaps not. We have no record of their marriage. Not in the official records nor in any personal family records.

However, several intrepid souls have literally scoured the early Delaware County newspapers for articles relating to marriages and other vital records and abstracted them for publication. For which I am very grateful!

In "Delaware County, Ohio Genealogical Abstracts" by Carol Willsey Bell, 1980 we find this entry from the Delaware Patron & Franklin Chronicle of July 13, 1826: "James Joslin vs. Abigail. Wife Abigail left my bed & board at Liberty Tp., will pay no debts."

A similar entry was found in "Abstracts from Miscellaneous Delaware County, Ohio, Newspapers 1821-1857" compiled by Mary V. Reed and Sharlene Shoaff, 1992. From the Delaware Patron of Thursday July 13, 1826: "Whereas my wife Abigail has left my bed and board - I am determined to pay NO debts of hers. James Joslin. Liberty June 30th, 1826.

This evidence seems to indicate that James and Abigail were married sometime prior to June 30, 1826. Assuming that Lysander is their son and first child, Abigail would have been pregnant with her second child at that time, Fanny Philanda Joslin was born in October 1826. Apparently James and Abigail reconciled as they had more children and in 1838 moved to Whitley County, Indiana.

Simply Dazzling

It's been a little quiet here at kinexxions the past few days. I've been busy, just not writing and blogging. You see, a friend, a young fella I used to work with (who just *might* be my 5th cousin once removed - if we can prove his ancestor was a son of Bela Goodrich), contacted me the other day and, among other things, we discussed converting VHS tapes to digital format. I've got 17 VHS-C tapes from about 10-14 years ago that I'd like to convert. Like I really need another project to work on right now! I still haven't started on that last box of my sister's family photos (but it is in the dining room, waiting, where I can see it, calling me every day) and there are still some genealogy files to be scanned.

Anyway, it seems he has video capture hardware and software that I can borrow! So, last Wednesday evening he comes over, gets the hardware and software (Dazzle and Pinnacle Studio) installed on my laptop, and shows me how to use it. A little over an hour later, he's gone, and I'm on my own! Within about two hours after he left, I had a "finished" movie! It had been converted, edited, and a few scene transitions were added. It does take some time, but I was surprised at how easy it was to learn. Of course, I haven't gotten into adding music or menus, and that first video/movie was only 12 minutes long. I've digitzed two more tapes but haven't edited them yet. But it is a start. Only 14 more tapes left...

Out of curiosity, I did a bit of looking on the 'net this morning for the Dazzle and must say that many of the reviews I saw were not very favorable. Some of those reviews were several years old though. It looks like people either hate it or love it. Guess it depends to some degree on the Dazzle model and the other (computer) hardware used, and their results. Based on those reviews, I'm not sure I would have purchased it. I'm not technologically sophisticated, i.e. I don't know whether my results are "good quality" or not, but I'm happy with the results thus far, and I guess that's what really matters.