What a Tangled Web We Weave :: Part Three

If you haven't already done so, you may want to read part one and the 2nd part of this series.

Since there was no estate recaord for JR Joslin or guardianship records for his children, the only other thing I could think of was perhaps he owned land when he died. So over to the Recorders office we went. I searched the General Index to Deeds looking for any land transactions for Joseph or JR Joslin or variations of the surname.

Several transactions were found where Joseph R. Joslin purchased 4 lots in the town of Port Mitchell, which is in York Township, midway between Albion and Wolf Lake in the south-central part of Noble County. Joseph and his wife Almira subsequently sold 2 of those lots on October 20, 1845. That was the last transaction I found for Joseph. And what of the other 2 lots?

Well, in the 1870 census, Almira Walker is enumerated with her son Wash Joslin and family. She was the owner of real estate valued at $400 though a confusing notations states that she “lives with sister.” Cemetery transcriptions show that Almira Walker died on April 24, 1874 (the stone is illegible so we have to go by the transcription).

On April 27th, just three days after Almira's death, Ora Weeks and William Weeks her husband of Noble County and George W Joslin and Matilda Joslin his wife of Lincoln County in the State of Kansas sold Lots 49 & 50 in Port Mitchell. . . “being all of the Estate right title interest claim and remand of the said Ora Weeks and George W Joslin in and to the said premises as the Children and heirs at Law of Joseph R. Joslin deceased.”

Does it get any better than that?

Portion of Noble County, Indiana Deed Book 35 page 233
Showing the heirs of Joseph R. Joslin

Lots 49 & 50 were purchased on May 2, 1844 by Joseph R. Joslin and they are probably the real estate for which Almira was listed as the owner in the 1870 census and which was valued at $400. Ora and George sold the lots for $40 to Peter Elser. Ya gotta wonder whether Peter was related in some way. Why did he get the lots so cheaply?

George W Joslin moved to Kansas, first living in Lincoln County and later in Leavenworth County where on June 16, 1921 he passed away at the Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers in Leavenworth, Kansas. JM is a descendant of his son Schuyler Colfax Joslin while JJ descends through his son William Tecumseh Sherman Joslin.

But what became of Ora, wife of William Weeks, and sister of George W. Joslin?