Rupert Family :: Index to Posts

An Index Post is how I keep track of all of the blog posts that have been written on a family line. It helps keep me organized and allows visitors to easily find information on that family. This post will be updated as new blog posts are written on the family. Please contact me at kinexxions@gmail.com if you are researching this family or have additional information on them.

John Rupert and his wife Barbara are my 5th Great Grandparents, through their daughter Eva who married Conrad Yarian. They moved to Hanover Township, Columbiana County, Ohio between 1803 and 1808, probably from Adams County, Pennsylvania.

A recent research trip (May-June 2011) to the Family History Library in Salt Lake City resulted in several “big finds” in regards to John and Barbara, namely his estate file and his will, which named his living children!

Below are the posts that have been written thus far on John Rupert and his family:

• They were Shouting “Hey! What About Me?” - - June 20, 2011

• Father of Eva Rupert :: Is it John or Adam? - - June 21, 2011

• Delving into the Deeds - - June 22, 2011

• Oh, John? I'm Looking for You! - - June 23, 2011 Land records provide a clue.

• Ah, Yes! John Rupert... - - June 24 2011 Includes image and transcription of his will.

• The Estate of John Rupert :: Executors Bond  - - June 25, 2011

• The Estate of John Rupert :: Goods and Chattels - - June 26, 2011

• The Estate of John Rupert :: Bill of Sale - - June 27, 2011

• The Estate of John Rupert :: Widows Allowance - - June 28, 2011

• The Estate of John Rupert :: The First “Final Account” - - June 29, 2011

• The Estate of John Rupert :: The final “Final Account” - - June 30, 2011

• Data Mining :: Who is Who? And how do they fit? - - July 5, 2011 A compilation of Land Patents, Property Tax Lists, and Census Records for Rupert families in Columbiana County, Ohio

• John Rupert and Family - - July 9, 2011 A summary of what is known about John and his children.

If you are related to any of the Ruperts mentioned in these posts or are researching the Rupert family, please contact me at kinexxions@gmail.com


Originally posted on July 2, 2011 :: Last Updated on July 9, 2011
Post date adjusted December 29, 2012 so that when a search for the surname is done on the blog this post will appear first the search list.

The 2011 iGene Awards for Kinexxions

It's time for the Annual iGene Awards in which we announce our “best” blog posts from last year in five categories. Created by Jasia at Creative Gene for the Carnival of Genealogy, this year marks the 5th anniversary of the awards.

And this year, the ceremony for kinexxions is coming to you from Salt Lake City! What better place for such an event? And now, the winners...

Best Picture: Going through my Mother's papers after her death last February, I discovered a photograph that I had never seen before. In Mom :: Before she was Mom I presented that photo and several a lot of others. Is this my Mom?

Best Screen Play: The post Joslin Rendezvous :: The Homestead discusses a few of the trials and tribulations encountered by Virgil Joslin when he homesteaded in South Dakota in the early 1900s. Additional material written by his son Irwin would be used to create a feature-length movie that would star Sam Elliott and Meryl Streep as Virgil and Mary Joslin.

Best Documentary (investigative research): This past summer I decided to take on my Switzer family in Columbiana County, Ohio and found that there were Not One, Not Two, Not Three, but Four of Them! with “them” being men named Jacob Switzer. One of them was my ancestor, but which one? Yes, this is one of a series of posts, all of which are listed here.

Best Biography: The rules are going to be stretched a little in that two series of posts are being selected, neither were actually “written” by me. The Life of Hazlette Brubaker presents the story of my Grandmother's life, as told in her own words, in a series of 15 articles.

The Berlin Family :: John D. and Susannah is the first in a series of articles that includes family Bible Records as well as 35 letters written between 1861-1895 between family members. (Links to those documents are included at the bottom of the selected post.)

Best Comedy: Humorous writing is not really my forte (I've often been told that I have a very dry sense of humor, almost humorless.) At any rate, I've selected One Half of an Old Mare called Van Dora for this category. Maybe you “had to be there” but finding Van Dora in the inventory of the estate of William B. Jones had Carol and me cracking up for several days.

And that brings to a close the iGene Award Ceremony for 2011... hmm, well, not just yet. Since I've been doing a bit of traveling I thought I'd modify the categories in several areas and present a “travel” version also...

Best Picture: Nature's Trifecta

Best Screen Play time with Geneabloggers: Ah... Anastasia and St. Augustine

Best Documentary: It Sounded Too Good to Pass By

Best Biography Unique Event: Badlands :: Where the Buffalo Do Roam

Best Comedy: A Great Big Ball of Twine

Written for the 114th edition of the Carnival of Genealogy.

I Think I Have it! Maybe...

As I alluded to in this post, for the past week or so I've been working on a digital file naming scheme for my ancestor research.

I realize that some people are advocates for letting the computer find a specific file by searching for a term with the documents or by using tags and other file properties. Using that premise, file names don't really matter.

However, for me, there is another factor involved in naming files. And that is my desire to make it easier for those who come after me to know what it is they are looking at and some way for them to know what is “most” important. Hopefully, someone will care enough about what I've done to even look at this stuff and know how to access it. And I think I'll still be able to find those somewhat elusive files (“I know I've got it, but where is it?”) using the inherent search capability of Windows.

I'd appreciate some feedback on what my readers think about this “system” of storing files. After writing this post, it seems somewhat complicated but I hope it really isn't. The post is a little long - I get somewhat "long-winded" with the descriptions...  As always, double-click on the images to view a larger version.

The basic folder structure is probably similar to what most people use. It includes two “primary” folders – one for the family lines of my Mother and the other one for my Father. Within those primary folders are surname folders for each family line for which some research has been done. This was done because two separate databases are maintained in Legacy – it's just easier for me to keep the various surnames straight. So far it hasn't caused any issues with “crossover” families (same family in both lineages).

That first folder at the top “ADD-to-LEGACY” includes recent data that has not yet been entered into the Legacy database. It primarily includes folders for the families that I did research on while in Salt Lake City last year – families that had not previously been researched: Brinker, Daniel, Dietzler, Ellis, Leatherman, Neel, Rupert, Switzer, Veatch, and Williams.

The folders at the bottom that begin with “z” are research files that, for various reasons, I may want to keep together. Actually, I haven't quite decided what to do with them yet!

For instance, “z-Grandmas-Files” contain photos and information that could be put in with the specific ancestor but I'm thinking that I want to maintain the integrity of that “collection” of data by storing it in all in one place... but I'm just not sure!

The “z-Multiple-Families-Info” folder contains scanned pdf documents of “paper files” such as land records, biographies, death records, marriages, and obituary notices, usually within a specific location (county). As the folder name implies, multiple surnames are contained within each type of document file. Eventually, each of those pdf files will have a corresponding “index document” associated with it and that data will be included in a “master pdf index” file. Index documents have already been created on some of those pdf files, thanks to a project completed several years ago by my niece Tami.

The “z-New-England-Lines” folder includes pdf files on all research done on the lines that connect to the Goodrich and Joslin families, most of which is from published sources. Dealing with those files will be a future project but most of them have been indexed according to the surnames mentioned within.

Back to the surname folders... One of my “requirements” was to create a “system” that would (hopefully) make sense to a non-genealogist family member as well as for me to be able to see everything on each family-line in one place, more or less. So the number “01” folder is the most recent ancestor. In all cases except one that ancestor will be a female (the exception, of course, being the Wiseman surname). So the name of the “01” folder “directs” you to the folder of the person she married, such as the “01-Margaret-see-Benjamin-Foster” folder. The only information or documents that will be in her folder are those that pertain to her prior to her marriage. In the vast majority of cases, that will only be the marriage record. In some cases that folder will be empty and is simply a place-holder that makes the “link” between that family and the one she married into.

The “02” folder will be her parents, and the “03” folder will be her grandparents, etc. with each successive number being the next generation.

In some cases , such as the Hazlett line, there is no information on the siblings. If you look in the Myers folder for “02-John-Margaret” you'll see two folders, which (I think) are self-explanatory. Basically, any information on the ancestors (John and Margaret) is going into the “01-Ancestor-Info” folder. Any information on their children, with the exception of daughter Margaret who married Benjamin Foster, is being put into the “02-Family-Info” folder. Not much research has been conducted on her siblings yet so there isn't a lot of data there. At some point, if more research is done, sub-folders may be created for each of the children of John and Margaret.

In both the Hazlett and Myers family, some research has been done on what may be the next generation. Another folder has been inserted “0Xa-Generation-Below-Not-Proven” to indicate that those possible ancestors have not yet been confirmed. A text document will be included within that folder that provides a summary of the research as well as my reasoning for including that person. This will actually be a modified Legacy report since the data will have been entered in the Legacy database. Hopefully. Someday.

For most of the ancestors, information gathered on both husband and wife are in the same folder, but, of course, there are always exceptions. Because I have so much information on my grandparents, I've separated them into two folders (which seems appropriate since they were married twice and divorced twice).

The naming convention decided upon (for the most part) is:

“Surname-Given Name-Date-Document Type-additional information”
“Phend-Victor-1917-WWI-conscription-record”

This provides a time-line, of sorts, for the ancestor. In most cases the year alone will be used in the date position, but where there are multiple records for the same year I've included the month and day as well.

The files in the “02-Family-Info” folders will be listed in alphabetical sequence by surname then first name, as shown above. If sufficient research has been done on each of the children, separate folders will be created for them.

Because my grandmother was married three times, she posed a bit of a problem. In order to create a “time-line” for her information, I moved the date to the beginning of the file name.

But I'm not sure that I like the idea of having my grandparents in separate folders...

So I renamed a sampling of Grandpa's files with the date first and put them together with some of Grandma's files. This resolves the issue of various names, shared events, and gets them back together again. But the file structure is different...

As another “test” of sorts, I worked with some of the files for Jacob and Catherine (Brinker) Switzer by putting them all in date sequence. The left-hand panel also shows the various folders for the other Switzer families in Columbiana County that were researched to sort out those families. Much of that data, shown above, still needs to be sorted and renamed.

For the older generations I have mostly deed records, tax lists, and estate files as well as some military and pension files. If the estate and pension files are large then they will go into a separate folder (see “02-Eli-Lovina”). Eli's file contains 90 images and Lovina's has nearly 60 images.

This is still in the testing or preliminary phase. It makes sense to me but does it to anyone else?

I severely dislike having to click through multiple levels to get to a document. So, to eliminate another level of sub-folders I am thinking of changing the folders for the “02-Family-Info” where there are folders for the children. In other words, in the Switzer folder for example, rename the “Barbara-Jacob-Manaweck” folder to “02-Family- Barbara-Manaweck” and “02-Rebecca-Peter-Buchecker” to “02-Family- Rebecca-Buchecker”, etc. and move them up one level eliminating the “02-Family-Info” folder. Does that make sense?

If you've read this far, I Thank You, and I hope it hasn't been too confusing. I'm trying to make it simple yet functional. Is it understandable to anyone besides myself? Your thoughts and ideas are most welcome and greatly appreciated...

Published under a Creative Commons License.
Becky Wiseman, "I Think I Have it! Maybe," Kinexxions, posted January 26, 2012 (http://kinexxions.blogspot.com/2012/01/i-think-i-have-it-maybe_26.html : accessed [access date])

Adieu. Adios. Auf Wiedersehen. Au Revoir. So Long 2011.

It's been a strange year with more than the usual ups and downs for me, personally. The year started with some not very good news and then it just got worse, especially the first four months. But it did get better, and it turned out to be one of my best years ever for genealogy research!

I returned to Indiana in mid-December when I was informed that my Mother's physical ailments were more than we had been told. She was diagnosed with cancer and started treatments on January 10th. She did very well the first three weeks then went downhill fast and passed away on February 15th. As you can imagine, it was a very rough time, to say the least.

Three weeks later, after getting Mom's apartment cleaned out and her things taken care of (with considerable help from my niece Tami) I headed out on the road again. Georgia was the first major stop - to visit another niece and her family to deliver some things Mom wanted her to have. I also enjoyed a few days on the beaches of Anastasia Island in Florida and a visit with Denise Barrett Olson, author of the Moultrie Creek Gazette.

I was in southwest Georgia on March 17th, just 10 days after leaving Indiana, and on my way to points further west when I was informed that a dear friend, Lorene Joslin, had a series of strokes and there was nothing more they could do for her. I met up with my cousin Babs and we went to Springfield, Missouri in order to help the family in whatever way we could. Lorene passed away on March 25th. Getting to know and enjoy these two little girls and their parents was a real joy during that time of sorrow.

After getting Babs back to her home in Alabama, I continued traveling westward. I made it through Texas and barely into New Mexico, experiencing high winds and soaring temperatures along the way. Dealing with a nagging knee/leg injury and (I'll admit) probably a bit of depression, I returned to Indiana in April for a short time and a visit to the doctor.

On May 2nd I was heading westward once again. After a brief stop in Topeka to visit a very, very, very distant Joslin cousin I took a meandering route through Kansas, into Colorado and then northward to GeneaMecca where I met up with Carol Stevens on May 19th. We spent nearly three weeks together there (she stayed on for a week longer). Along with some intense research which resulted in several Happy Dances, we enjoyed lunchtime strolls through Temple Square with the beautiful, amazing varieties of flowers and meeting new friends.

But all good things must come to an end. On June 9th I left Salt Lake City and went back to Indiana for a doctor's appointment and to spend some time with family and friends. A few weeks later I was in eastern Ohio to do some onsite research on the Rupert and Switzer families. A heat wave making its way across the midwest cut short my visit to Columbiana County and I headed northward into Michigan and the Upper Peninsula. A highlight for me was visiting the house in Traverse City where my Grandmother had lived a hundred and two years ago!

Before I knew it August had arrived. The drive through the Upper Peninsula of Michigan was wonderful – cooler weather, waterfalls, gorgeous sunsets, and strange creatures. By the middle of August I had made my way west to South Dakota and the Joslin Family Rendezvous.

Then it was on to the Badlands National Park where I had an incredible experience with a herd of Buffalo! In Wyoming I had several more Close Encounters of a different kind and also spent a few days at Yellowstone National Park.

Montana was the place for me in September! I stayed for a few weeks at the vacation home of friends, saw Creatures Great and Small, rustic barns, beautiful sunsets, and spent a few days with Sue and Fred in Glacier National Park.

With intentions of staying on the coast for a while, I made it to the Pacific Shores of Oregon. The beaches were lovely but after traveling for most of the last 2+ years, I realized I was just plain tired and decided to take another break. And where does a family researcher go to get “refreshed”? Why, to Salt Lake City, of course!

Seven weeks were spent in GeneaMecca and I must say, it was incredible! I gathered a tremendous number of deeds and estate files as well as other records, and even found another ancestor.

Hoping to find warmer weather for December I was southward bound. A few hours at Bryce Canyon and a night at Zion National Park, and then I was out of Utah. Mother Nature was not at all cooperative the first two weeks of December and I made a change in plans. After a short visit with my friend/cousin Diana in San Antonio and an even shorter visit to Padre Island, I made it “home” to Louisiana for the holidays.

So, with that, I bid the year 2011 farewell. When I first started writing this post I started it by saying that I was glad it would soon be over. But I took that out, because, you know, after reviewing the year, I think it turned out pretty darned good overall...

And this has got to be the most "link intensive" post I've ever written ;-)

The Dunfee Family :: Are Jonathan H. Hoff and John H. Hoff the same man?

This post continues with the search for Jonathan H. Hoff, son of Aquilla and Eliza (Dunfee) Hoff. My intent was to possibly locate living descendants in the hope that they might have additional information on the Dunfee and Hazlett families.

As noted in the previous post, Jonathan was not found in the online census index after 1880. I did find a John H. Hoff in Kansas census records, 1900 through 1930, that I think is a likely candidate to be Jonathan H. Hoff, son of Aquilla and Eliza. However, there is a 5-6 year discrepancy in their ages. This John H. Hoff was recorded consistently as born in 1859/1860, sometimes in Ohio and other times in Indiana. However, census records for Jonathan H. Hoff (1860 through 1880) consistently report that he was born about 1854 in Ohio.

But, this John H. Hoff has a daughter, his first born child, named Eliza... and his middle name is Hazelet!

It should be noted that Jonathan H. Hoff was living with his father, Aquilla, in Drum Creek Township, Montgomery County, Kansas (in the south east corner of the state, on the border with Oklahoma). His mother had passed away on August 6, 1876 in LaGrange County, Indiana. Aquilla returned to LaGrange County, Indiana where he died on June 27, 1883.

In 1900, John Hoff was found in Lyon Township, Decatur County, Kansas (page 6b). Decatur County is in the north west corner of the state, on the border with Nebraska, about as far away as you can get from Montgomery County and still be in Kansas!

John, age 40, born Nov 1859 in Ohio, was residing with his father-in-law James Wilson. John's parents were both listed as born in Ohio; his occupation was Clergyman; he had been married 8 years. His wife Mary was 32 years old and the mother of 3 children: Eliza, age 7 born May 1893; Grace, age 3 born Nov 1896; and his son Joyce, age 3/12 born Feb 1900. There were others in the household of James Wilson but for my purposes, at this time, they aren't important.

In the 1910 census, John H. Hoff is listed as the head of household, still in Lyon Township, Decatur County, Kansas (page 3a). He is age 51, born in Ohio. His father was born in Maryland and his mother in Pennsylvania. He is a farmer doing general farm work. There was no marital status given for John.

His wife and four children were found in Clay Center City, Ward 3, Clay County, Kansas (page 106) in 1910. Clay County is in the northeast corner of the state. Mary Hoff is the head of household, 42 years old, married once for 18 years with 4 children, all living. Mary's occupation was listed as janitor and she worked in a school building. Daughter Eliza was 16 and worked for board with private families. Daughter Grace was 13, sons Joyce and Eryll were 10 and 1, respectively. All of the children were born in Kansas.

The 1915 Kansas State Census has the family residing in Lawrence, Douglas County, Kansas (page 28). Douglas County is southeast of Clay County, one county away from the Missouri state line. John Hoff is age 55, Mary 47, Elisa is 21, Grace 18, son Joyce is 15 and son Ehryll is 6 years old.

1920 finds the family living on Ohio Street in Lawrence, Douglas County, Kansas (page 15a). John H. Hoff is 60 years old, born in Indiana. His parents were born in Ohio. He was a dishwasher in a cafe. His wife, Mary F., was 51 and also a dishwasher in a cafe. Listed with them were their two sons, Joyse W, age 19 and Eryll F, age 10 and daughter Grace E., age 23. There was also a roomer, Matthew B. McIntee who was 36 years old and was born in Connecticut.

The 1925 Kansas State Census tells us that they were still residing in Lawrence (page 36). John H. Hoff was 65 years old and born in Indiana. He came from Missouri and is a cafe keeper and is able to read and write. His wife, Mary F. Wilson Hoff came to Kansas from Indiana. She is 57 years old and a house keeper. Their sons, Joyce W. and Eryll F. were living with them. Joyce was 25 years old and a cafe keeper. Eryll was 15 years old.

In 1930, John H. Hoff is still living on Ohio Street in Lawrence, Kansas (page 7a). We learn that he rent his home for $12, is 70 years old, was born in Ohio. His parents were born in the United States. He was first married at age 32 and has no occupation. His wife Mary F is age 62 and was first married at age 24. Son Joyce W. is 30 and a waiter in a restaurant. Son Eryll F. is 21 years old and a reporter for a newspaper.

The family of John H. Hoff appears to be:

• John H. Hoff, born Nov 1859 in Ohio or Indiana (father born Ohio or Maryland, mother born Ohio or Pennsylvania)
• married about 1892 to Mary (Wilson) Hoff, born Jan 1868 in Indiana

Their children:

• Eliza Hoff, born May 1893 in Kansas
• Grace Hoff, born Nov 1896 in Kansas
• Joyce W. Hoff, born Feb 1900 in Kansas
• Eryll F. Hoff, born about 1910 in Kansas

Previous searches for Aquilla Hoff/Huff born 1815 in online trees produced no results. A few days ago, as I was preparing this post, I did a search for Eryll Hoff, born 1910, in the ancestry public member trees. I chose him because of the rather unusual spelling of his name. Yeah, I do all this census stuff (he really was easy to find) and then look at the online trees. For various reasons, I often wait until I've done some initial research on a family before looking at the online trees.

Anyway, the search for Eryll Hoff returned nine results. Six of those trees gave his parents as John Hazelet Hoff and Mary Fiducia Wilson. One listed his father as John Sherman Hoff with the same mother. The other two did not give his parents.

A search for John Hazelet Hoff also returned nine trees, some different than in the search for Eryll. Three of those trees gave John's parents as Emil Hoff and Mary Martha Emiline Jane Cowper/Cooper and one listed them as Kingsbury Hoff and Cora Matilda Hadley (with John's year of birth as 1865). None of the trees provided sources for the parents.

The entry for John Hazlett Hoff in “The Van Sickler Family Tree” (no parents) provides some nice photographs and one story for John. (I think you have to be signed in to ancestry.com for the links to the trees to work.)

“from the life story of Grace Elizabeth Hoff concerning her father John Hoff: Papa, the only child of along-toward-middle aged parents, had a father "mostly" German born in the United States. His mother, Irish, was born in Ireland and came to the U.S. in her seventeenth year.

I believe Papa inherited the Irish characteristics. I never knew them nor much about them They both died during Papa's early teen years, and he lived with an uncle. This uncle had a family of several big rough boys who picked on and teased their younger, smaller, and somewhat delicate cousin. However, there was money inherited from his parents' estate for his education. He attended Seminary in Indiana and became a Methodist minister.”

From this information it sounds like they don't know anything about the parents of John H. Hoff. Darn. I was really hoping they would have more information on them. I haven't yet, but will be sending a “member connect message” to the owners of “The Van Sickler Family Tree” (with the above story) and “Coghlin / Griffitts Family” tree (which has his father as Emil Hoff but also mentions La Grange, Indiana).  I'm not saying I'm right, but I am interested in hearing what they think of my "theory" that Jonathan and John are the same person even though their ages are different. The daughter named Eliza and his middle name lends credence to this theory, I think. What do you, Dear Readers, think?

I wanted to get this post and the previous one with information on Aquilla and Eliza (Dunfee) Hoff published first so I could send those contributors the links rather than trying to explain everything in a message. Hopefully, I will get a response (maybe after the holidays). If not, I'll try the owners of the other trees.

See the Index for previous posts on the Dunfee family.

The Dunfee Family :: Eliza and Aquilla Hoff

Eliza is presumed to be the daughter of James and Sophia (Hazlett) Dunfee. The primary link is the fact that Eliza was living with Jonathan Haslett in Mifflin Twp, Ashland County, Ohio in 1850. We're making the assumption that Jonathan is probably the father of Sophia. Bottom line is that I really don't have any “proof” that Eliza is the daughter of James and Sophia.

Census records put the year of birth for Eliza Dunfee at 1811, 1813, or 1815 and place of birth in Maryland or Pennsylvania. In 1850, she is 39 years old and born in Maryland. In 1860 she is 47 and born in Pennsylvania. And in 1870 she is 55 and born in Pennsylvania. Chances are, her age in 1850 is probably closer to the truth ;-) since she seems to lose a few years with each census.

Eliza married Aquilla Hoff on September 4, 1851 in Ashland County, Ohio as recorded in volume 2, page 70 (license 1134) of Ashland County Marriage Records.

The image above is from the FamilySearch online database of Ohio County Marriages. There seems to be some “confusion” on the part of the clerk that recorded the marriage or the “authority” who performed the ceremony. Under “Names of Parties” it shows that the record is for Aquilla Hoff and Eliza Dunfee. In the far right column, it states that R. D. Emerson is certifying that “on the 4th day of September Eighteen hundred and fifty one I joined in Marriage Mr. George W. Brown and Miss Eliza Dunfee.”

In actuality, it was Eliza Dunfee who married Aquilla Hoff. When the property of Jonathan Hazlett was sold on October 25, 1853, the majority of the items were sold to Aquila Hoff.

Sale Bill from the estate file (#190) of Jonathan Hazlett. Ashland County, Ohio.

The last entry in the above image (a portion of page 299 of the Ashland County Tract Book) shows that Luke Selby, administrator of the estate of Jonathan Hazlett sold in March 1854 the land that had been owned by Jonathan to Aquilla Hoff. The transaction is also recorded in Ashland County Deed Book 10 page 206.

Aquilla Hoff and his wife Eliza, sold that land to Christian Vesper on March 27, 1857 (Ashland County Deed Book 15 pages 162-163).

That was, essentially, all the information I had on Aquilla and Eliza. Until in November 2010, when I received an email in response to an 11 year old query I had posted on the Hoff Family Genealogy Forum. My correspondent passed along the information that Aquilla and Eliza had moved to LaGrange County, Indiana where she had found them in the 1860 census.

I'm guessing that they probably moved to LaGrange County in the spring of 1857 after they sold the land that had belonged to Jonathan Hazlett. They are listed in the 1860 and 1870 census in Bloomfield Township, LaGrange County, Indiana.

Aquilla Hoff is 45 years old in 1860. He is a farmer with real estate valued at $3000 and a personal estate of $342. He was born in Maryland. Listed in his household was Eliza, age 47 and born in Pennsylvania; Jonathan, age 6 and born in Ohio. Also included was Lucetta Dumbar, 12 years old and born in Indiana.

In 1870, Aqula Hoff is 54 years old. He is still a farmer but has real estate valued at $5000 and a personal estate of $1000. He was born in Maryland. Included in his household were Eliza, now 55 but still stating she was born in Pennsylvania; and Jonathon, who is 16 years old and born in Ohio.

Eliza (Dunfee) Hoff died on August 6, 1876 and is buried in Greenwood Cemetery, Lagrange County, Indiana. There is a memorial for her on Find A Grave. Looking closely at the photo of her gravestone it appears that the word “AGED” is written below the date of death. If so, it might pinpoint her year of birth a little better than the census records.

In the 1880 census, Aquilla Hoff was found in Drum Creek Township, Montgomery County, Kansas. He was 65 years old, retired and born in Maryland. Listed with Aquilla was his son, Jonathan H. Hoff, who was 26 years old, a farmer, and born in Ohio. He gave his father's place of birth as Maryland and that of his mother as Pennsylvania.

According to my correspondent, Aquilla Hoff was born February 15, 1815 in Washington County, Maryland and died June 27, 1883 in LaGrange County, Indiana. However, I suspected that he died in Kansas since that was where he was living in 1880. Turns out, Aquilla really did die in LaGrange County. There is an entry for him in the book “Indiana Deaths, 1882-1920” that was compiled by the W.P.A. (Works Progress Administration). It shows that he died in Newbury Township and was 68 years old.

What happened to their son Jonathan H. Hoff? Jonathan does not appear to be in the census records after 1880 (ancestry online index).

I did find a John H. Hoff in Kansas census records, 1900 through 1930, that I think is a likely candidate to be Jonathan H. Hoff, son of Aquilla and Eliza. However, there is a six year discrepancy in their ages.

But, this John H. Hoff has a daughter, his first born child, named Eliza... and his middle name is Hazelet!

See The Dunfee Family :: Are Jonathan H. Hoff and John H. Hoff the same man?

See the Index for previous posts on the Dunfee family.

The Hazlett-Dunfee Connection :: On to Pennsylvania

In this previous post we saw that the families of Jonathan Hazlet and James Dunfee arrived in Wayne County, Ohio prior to 1830 when they were found in the census for that county in Plain Township.

In 1820 Jonathan Hezlet and James Dumphy are on page 17 and George Dumphy is on page 16 in Liberty Township, Adams County, Pennsylvania (see census details below). So this brings the families together in Pennsylvania.

Since it makes a little more sense to work from the past to the present the timeline below will show what I know of these families starting from the earliest date through 1820.

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

1755 – or before - George Dumphy was born. He was over the age of 45 in the 1800 census.

1756/1765 - Mary, wife of George Dumphy was born. She was age 26-45 in the 1800 census and over 45 in 1810.

1762 – Elizabeth, future wife of Jonathan Hazlett, was born.

1771 – August 15th - Jonathan Hazlett was born, possibly in Maryland [date of birth calculated from gravestone, place of birth from census record of 1850]

1788 – James Dunfee was born in Pennsylvania.

1790 – George Dunfee is enumerated in Berwick, Cumberland Township, York County, Pennsylvania (p440) with one male over 16 [born before 1774... George], one male under 16 [born 1774-1790... James Dunfee, presumed to be a son, was born about 1788], and one female [Mary?, wife of George]

1794 – May 10th – Sophia Elzabeth Hazlett was born in Pennsylvania (one record says she was born in Maryland, all others say Pennsylvania).

1799 - George Dunphy, weaver, was listed as one of the original tax payers of Adams County, Pennsylvania with assessed value of property of $127. (History of Cumberland and Adams Counties, Pennsylvania; Beers, 1886 p242)

1800 – ?? - There is a Jonathan Haslet enumerated in Emmitsburg District 4, Frederick County, Maryland (p177) with one male under 10 [born 1791-1800], two males 16-25 [born 1775-1784], one female under 10 [born 1791-1800], one female 16-25 [born 1775-1784]. However, the Jonathan we are looking for was born in 1771, thus would have been about 29 years old in 1800. I don't think this is “my” Jonathan, but I could be wrong.

1800 – January 22 – Parts of York County, including Cumberland Township, became part of newly formed Adams County

1800 – George Dumphy is listed in Cumberland Township, Adams County, Pennsylvania (p473) with one male under 10 [born 1790-1800... unknown], one male age 10-16 [born 1784-1790... James, presumed son, was born about 1788], one male over 45 [born before 1755... George], one female under 10 [born 1790-1800... Catharine, probable daughter, was born in 1793], one female age 26-45 [born 1755-1774... wife, Mary ?]

1801 – July 2 – George Dumfey purchased land from James Cox for 150 pounds in Cumberland, Adams County, Pennsylvania. [Book A p442 - I neglected to view this record while in Salt Lake City... my notes from 1986 left out crucial information.]

1810 – March 31 – George Dumphey purchased 163 acres in Liberty Township for 980 pounds 11 shillings from John Spear and Sarah his wife. Recorded October 3, 1812. (Deed Book F p98-99)

1810 – George Dumphy is enumerated in Straban Town, Adams County, Pennsylvania (p44) with two males 16-26 [born 1784-1794... James 1788, the other unknown male was under 10 in 1800], one male over 45 [born before 1765... George], one female 16-26 [born 1784-1794... Catharine born 1793], one female over 45 [born before 1765... wife, Mary?].

1810 – There is a Jonathan Hayzlet listed in Straban Town, Adams County, Pennsylvania (p45) with one male under 10 [born 1800-1810], one male 26-45 [born 1765-1784...Jonathan born 1771], one female 10-16 [born 1794-1800...Sophia born 1794], one female 26-45 [born 1765-1784 wife of Jonathan].

1810–1812 approximate date – Sophia Hazlett was married to James Dunfee. No marriage record has been found, yet. Their first (presumed) child, Eliza, was born between 1811-1815. Another (presumed) child, George, was born in 1814.

1813 – October 15 – George Dumphey and Mary his wife, for 154 pounds, sold a tract of land lying in Liberty Township containing 14 acres and 15 perches to William Grayson. Recorded November 1, 1813. (Deed Book F p313-315)

1817 – April 17 – George Dumphey and wife sold sold 90 acres of land in Liberty Township to George Patterson. Recorded September 10, 1907 (From General Index to Deeds, citing Deed Book 63 p279. I did not get a copy of the record on my visit to Adams County in 1984. The microfilm for Book 63 is not at the Family History Library.)

1820 – George Dumphy is listed in Liberty Township, Adams County, Pennsylvania (p16) with one male 10-16 [born 1804-1810... unknown], one male 26-45 [born 1775-1794... unknown, he could be the male under 10 in 1800 and 16-26 in 1810], one male over 45 [born before 1775... George], one female 26-45 [born 1775-1794... Catharine born in 1793], one female over 45 [born before 1775... Mary].

1820 - James Dumphy, presumed son of George, is also enumerated in Liberty Township, Adams County, Pennsylvania (p17) with two males under 10 [born 1810-1820], one male 26-45 [born 1775-1794… James], three females under 10 [born 1810-1820], and one female 26-45 [born 1775-1794… Sophia]

1820 – Jonathan Hezlet is enumerated in Liberty Township, Adams County, Pennsylvania (p17) with one male under 10 [born 1810-1820], one male over 45 [born before 1775... Jonathan born in 1771], one female under 10 [born 1810-1820], one female 16-26 [born 1794-1804], one female over 45 [born before 1775... wife] and one person engaged in manufactures. [Note: There appears to be a young woman with two children living with Jonathan and his wife.]

I did not find a record in the General Index of Deeds for the sale of the remaining 59 acres of land in Liberty Township owned by George Dunfee. (163 acres were purchased in 1810; 14 acres sold in 1813; and 90 acres sold in 1819 though not recorded until 1907).

I have no further record of George and Mary Dunfee. James Dunfee and Jonathan Hazlett moved to Plain Township, Wayne County, Ohio prior to 1830.

The deed records found for George Dumphy where he was selling land list his wife's name as Mary. This coincides with the Whitley County, Indiana tombstone inscription of “Catherine dau of G. & M. Dunfee” who died July 27, 1851 aged 57y 9m. This bit of information is the only thing that I have that links to George and Mary Dumphy as being the parents of James Dunfee. And the fact that Jonathan Hazlett lived in the same localities as the Dunfee/Dumphy families is the only link between him and Sophia Elizabeth Hazlett.

Obviously, more research is required, but George & Mary Dunfee and Jonathan Hazlett are the only candidates I have at this time for parents of James Dunfee and Sophia Hazlett. I have not ventured into Maryland records other than census records and that basically just to see if there were Hazlett and Dunfee families there. Results were inconclusive since more information is needed and research into other records is required. I'm not sure that they would shed any light into the relationships between Sophia and Jonathan Hazlett or James and George Dunfee/Dumphy. Perhaps church records would provide the answer if I only knew what religion they professed. Were the Hazlett and Dunfee/Dumphy families Scotch-Irish as the biographies of some of their children indicated?

If anyone has any information that would shed more light on these families, it would be appreciated if you would contact me at kinexxions “at” gmail “dot” com!

The Hazlett-Dunfee Connection :: Back to Ohio

Continuing from this previous post on the Hazlett-Dunfee connection and working our way back in time...

Indiana

James Dunfee, age 71, was listed in the 1860 census in Jefferson Twp, Whitley County, Indiana. He was a farmer, born in Pennsylvania, had Real Estate valued at $50, and a Personal Estate valued at $175. In his household were Elisabeth, 66, born Pennsylvania; Lucy, 25, and Sarah, 20, both born in Ohio. This confirms Sophia's middle name. In most records she was found as Sophia E.

On March 15, 1855 James Dunfee had purchased two acres of land from James H. Dunfee and his wife Elisabeth in Section 5 of Columbia Township, Whitley County. James H. owned additional land in Section 5 as well as in neighboring Section 4. William H. Dunfee also owned land in Section 4. This land was sold by Wm H. and Catharine B. Dunfee on January 30, 1864 for $100 to George Ream. This was 2 months before the death of Sophia (Hazlett) Dunfee and two months shy of 3 years after the death of James Dunfee.

From this land record we can infer that James and Sophia probably came to Whitley County, Indiana in the spring of 1855, or before. However, it seems likely that they came shortly after the census of 1850 – according to Evergreen Cemetery transcriptions, Catherine Dunfee (possible sister of James) died July 27, 1851. Only the portion of the tombstone bearing her name and “Dau. of G. & M. Dunfee” was in existence in November 1985. It seems unlikely that Catherine would have come to Indiana by herself.

Ohio

Searching the 1850 census for any Dunfee or Hazlett families in Ohio I found James Dunfee in Washington Twp, Holmes County, Ohio (p287): James was 60 years old, a laborer and born in Pennsylvania. Listed with him were Sophia, age 56, born in Pennsylvania; Lucy, 16; and Sarah, 11, both born in Ohio.

Also found was Jonathan Haslett in Mifflin Township, Ashland County, Ohio (p293/147). He was 78 years old, a farmer, and born in Maryland. Residing with him were Eliza Dunfee, aged 39, born in Maryland and Eliza A. Haslett, aged 13, born in Ohio. [I made the assumption, whether true or not that Eliza Dunfee was probably the daughter of Sophia Hazlett & James Dunfee.]

Additional research showed that Eliza A. Haslett was the daughter of David Hazlett. Relationship of David to Jonathan is not known at this time. A future post will detail what I found on David. At this point, I'll just say that he was born about 1805 and died in May 1844 leaving behind seven children. Eliza Dunfee was married in Ashland County, Ohio on September 4, 1851 to Aquilla Hoff. Jonathan Hazlett, died September 16, 1853 and the proceeds from his estate went to Eliza and Aquilla Hoff. A little over a year ago I wrote about a response I received on an 11 year old query posted on Eliza and Aquilla.

On November 17, 1849 Jonathan Hazlet sold four acres of land in the SE ¼ S12 T22 R17 in Ashland County, Ohio to Christian Vesper. This was part of the land he had purchased in 1831, which at that time was in Richland County. It should be noted that Ashland County was formed on February 24, 1846 from parts of Richland, Huron, Lorain, and Wayne Counties. This included Mifflin Township.

Elizabeth Hazlett, wife of Jonathan, died March 5, 1848 at age 86. She is buried beside him in Strickland/Twin Cemetery, Vermillion Twp, Ashland County, Ohio.

In 1840 Jonathan Hazlett is enumerated in the census in Mifflin Township, Richland County, Ohio (p87) with one male under 4, one male 20-30, one male 60-70, two females 20-30, one female 70-80. It appears that another family was residing with Jonathan and his wife.

I found no record of any land transactions for James Dunfee in Holmes County, Ohio. I also have not found him or David Hazlett in the 1840 census records (online indexes).

On November 12, 1831 Jonathan Hazlett purchased 80 acres of land in Richland County, Ohio from William Maxwell and his wife Elizabeth (N ½ of the SE ¼ S12 T22 R 17). Jonathan sold 4 acres of this land in 1849. The remaining land was sold by Aquilla and Eliza Hoff after Jonathan's death in 1853.

The Hazlett and Dunfee families were found in Plain Township, Wayne County, Ohio in the 1830 census. Jonathan Hazlet is on page 33 (3rd line from the bottom) with one male 50-60 and one female 50-60. James Dunfe is also listed on the same page (4th line from the bottom) with the ages of the members of the household corresponding to what is known regarding their children. David Hazlett and family is listed on page 32.

Wayne County, Ohio Marriage Records Volume 2 (1819-1825) page 38 show that “David Hazlet of Armstrong County State of Pennsylvania and Jane Maxwell of the county of Wayne and State of Ohio” were married on August 29, 1822. So it appears that David Hazlet arrived in Wayne County, Ohio prior to his marriage on August 29, 1822 and that the families of Jonathan Hazlet and James Dunfe came before 1830. I found no land records for any of these families in Wayne County. In fact, I haven't found any land records for James Dunfee in Wayne, Holmes, or Ashland counties.

When did they leave Pennsylvania?

To be continued...

The Children of Sophia Hazlett and James Dunfee

I thought that before going further back in time, I'd provide a brief synopsis of what is known of the (presumed) children of James and Sophia (Hazlett) Dunfee. If you are a descendant and you see this, you will contact me, won't you? Please leave a comment or send me an email at kinexxions “at” gmail “dot” com. Especially if you can provide additional clues on the parents of James Dunfee and Sophia Hazlett. Future posts will provide details on these families.

This chart, created by my grandmother in the 1960s, shows what she knew of the family of James and Sophia (Hazlett) Dunfee and was the starting point for my research.

In the 1882 biography of Jonathan S. Dunfee it stated that he was one of 13 children. I am fairly confident that the 10 listed below are the children of James and Sophia (Hazlett) Dunfee though I have found no substantiating “proof” for several of them. I am "missing" 3 children. If anyone knows who they are or where they lived, I'd appreciate hearing from you ;-)

A letter, written in 1849 by Sophia (Hazlett) Dunfee to William and Catherine Dunfee mentions six family members, presumed to be their children: George, Mary, Jonathan, Henry, Lucy, and Sarah. And of course, the letter confirms that William is their son, giving us the names of seven probable children. The letter also states that William's baby was their 21st grandchild. I have found 16 of those 21 grandchildren who were born by the time the letter was written. In all, I have found 58 grandchildren of James and Sophia, born 1837-1879!

• Eliza Dunfee. Census records put her year of birth at 1811, 1813, or 1815 and place of birth in Maryland or Pennsylvania. Eliza married Aquilla Hoff on September 4, 1851 in Ashland County, Ohio. They were the parents of one son. A little over a year ago I wrote about a response I received on an 11 year old query posted on Eliza and Aquilla. In the 1850 census of Ashland County, Eliza Dunfee was residing in the household of Jonathan Hazlett. Eliza Hoff died on August 6, 1876 in Lagrange County, Indiana. I have no “proof” that Eliza is a daughter of James and Sophia. The fact that she was living with Jonathan Hazlett in 1850 is really the only connection.

• George Dunfee was born November 22, 1814 in Pennsylvania and died November 3, 1871 probably in Dekalb County, Indiana. He is buried in Corunna Cemetery, Fairfield Township, Dekalb County, Indiana. His wife's name was Nancy and they were the parents of five children. On February 21, 1848, Jonathan S. Dunfee of the county of Holmes, State of Ohio, sold 160 acres of land in Dekalb county, Indiana to George Dunfee of the county of Ashland, State of Ohio for $600. (NW 1/4 S24 T35N R12E). This land was not far from that of David and Sophia Dunfee McNabb.

• Mary Dunfee was born March 19, 1816 in Adams County, Pennsylvania. She was first married to Isaac Bonnet on March 25, 1836 in Wayne County, Ohio. He died on February 2, 1846. Two years later she was married to James Hanson Lovett. Mary Dunfee Bonnet Lovett died on March 25, 1900. She is buried in the Pioneer/Old Sixteen Cemetery in Lake Township, Ashland County, Ohio next to her first husband. Mary was the mother of eight children, five with Isaac Bonnett and three with James Lovett.

• Catharine Jane Dunfee (known as Kitte Jane according to my grandmother's notes) was born April 13, 1818 in Pennsylvania. She married Moses Tryon on December 29, 1836 in Wayne County, Ohio. She died January 5, 1893 in Noble County, Indiana and is buried next to her husband in Allen Chapel Cemetery in Allen Township, Noble County, Indiana. They were the parents of ten children.

• William Hamilton Dunfee was born April 10, 1822 in Adams County, Pennsylvania. He was married to Catherine B. Jones on March 5, 1848 in Whitley County, Indiana. He died May 29, 1888 in Columbia Township, Whitley County, Indiana. William and Catherine are my 3rd great grandparents. They were the parents of seven children of whom only three survived to adulthood. Their second child was Sophia Elizabeth Dunfee (named after her grandmother, Sophia Elizabeth Hazlett). Sophia Dunfee married William Pythagrus Wise. They are my 2nd great grandparents. They named their fourth and last child Hazlette, turning a surname into a first name - and, my grandmother was also named Hazlette.

• Sophia Dunfee was born August 13, 1824 in Adams County, Pennsylvania. She married David McNabb on October 18, 1842 somewhere in Ohio (no record has been found in the areas where the family lived). They moved to Dekalb County, Indiana prior to 1850 and were the parents of eight children. Sophia died on December 31, 1905. She and David are buried there in Corunna Cemetery in Fairfield Township. The 1885 biography of David McNabb (History of Dekalb County, Indiana Vol 2, Interstate, p577-578) states that she is “a daughter of James and Sophie (Hazlett) Dunfee who moved from Adams County, Pa., to Ohio in 1833.” In addition, the WPA publication of Dekalb County Death Records 1899-1920, p214 gives her father as James Dunfee, born Pennsylvania, and her mother as Sophia Hazellet, born Pennsylvania.

• Jonathan Smith Dunfee was born June 9, 1826 in Adams County, Pennsylvania. He was married on October 19, 1848 in Holmes County, Ohio to Mary Ann Quick. They moved to Whitley County, Indiana prior to 1860 where they raised their family of seven children. Jonathan died on April 22, 1900 and he and Mary Ann are buried in Evergreen Cemetery in Jefferson Township. The 1882 biography of Jonathan (Counties of Whitley and Noble, Indiana; Goodspeed, 1882 p394-395) states that he “is a son of James and Sophie (Hazlett) Dunfee.” His death record lists his parents as Jas. Dunfee and Sophia Hazelot.

• James Henry Dunfee (aka Henry or J. Henry) was born about 1828, probably in Adams County, Pennsylvania. He was married on June 25, 1854 to Elizabeth Moores (Moor in the marriage record) in Ashland County, Ohio. They moved to Whitley County, Indiana shortly after their marriage but at some point moved to Aboite Township, Allen County, Indiana where he died on July 3, 1872. James Henry and Elizabeth are buried in the Masonic Cemetery in Columbia City, Whitley County, Indiana. They were the parents of eight children. A land transaction links James Henry to James and Sophia but does not conclusively prove that he is their son: James H. Dunfee and his wife Elisabeth sold two acres to James Dunfee for $10 on March 15, 1855.

• Lucy Dunfee was born September 17, 1834 in Ohio. She came with her parents to Whitley County, Indiana about 1855. She died there on December 28, 1870 and is buried near her parents in Evergreen Cemetery, Jefferson Township, Whitley County, Indiana.

• Sarah Ann Dunfee was born August 27, 1839 in Ohio and also came with her parents to Whitley County, Indiana about 1855. Sarah was married to Charles Henry Gillespie on August 7, 1862 in Whitley County and they had one child. It is not known what happened to Mr. Gillespie but on June 8, 1873 Sarah was married to John Robinette in Whitley County. They were the parents of three children. Sarah died on August 8, 1914 and is buried next to husband John in the Sandbank-Jefferson Chapel Cemetery in Jefferson Township, Whitley County, Indiana. The transcribed Whitley County, Indiana Death Records for Sarah Robinette gives her father as James Denfen and her mother as Sofia Hasht. I viewed the record book but was unable to obtain a copy of the record. The names looked to me like James Dunfee and Sofia Haslet.

For additional information see Dunfee Family :: Index to Posts

Chasing Elusive Ancestors :: The Hazlett-Dunfee Connection

Last month I posted photos of the gravestones for Jonathan and Elizabeth Hazlett in Ashland County, Ohio who may be my 5th great-grandparents. I say “may be” because all I have to go on is circumstantial evidence, and that is rather “iffy” to say the least.

According to her gravestone, Elizabeth was 86 years old when she died on March 3, 1848 which indicates that she was born about 1762. The date of birth of Jonathan, based on his age given on his gravestone, calculates to August 15, 1771. So, if this information is correct, then Elizabeth was about nine years older than Jonathan. Somewhat unusual, to be sure.

The gravestone of Sophia Elizabeth Hazlett Dunfee in Evergreen Cemetery, Whitley County, Indiana shows that she died March 13, 1864 aged 69y 10m 3d, which calculates to a date of birth of May 10, 1794. If Elizabeth, wife of Jonathan, is the mother of Sophia then Elizabeth would have been about 32 years old when Sophia was born, not unreasonable. Jonathan would have been not quite 23 years of age. Rather unusual to have that age difference. So, I have my doubts that Elizabeth is the natural/birth mother of Sophia. A more likely scenario is that Sophia's mother died and Jonathan later married Elizabeth.

And how do I know that Jonathan is her father? I don't know for sure that he is. But my “gut feeling” tells me it is so. This is what we do know:

Sophia Elizabeth Hazlett was the wife of James Dunfee, born about 1788. The 1850 and 1860 census records show that they were both born in Pennsylvania. The 1880 census records for five of their children living at the time also show that their parents were born in Pennsylvania. The one exception is the youngest daughter – the 1880 and 1900 census records for her both show that her father was born in Pennsylvania and her mother was born in Maryland.

Biographies of three children and two grandchildren were published in local county history books. These provided clues as to where James and Sophia were born, in most cases corroborating the information from the census records.

• A biography of William H. Dunfee states that he was born in Adams County, Penn., April 10, 1822, and came with his parents to Ohio in 1831. (Counties of Whitley and Noble, Indiana Historical and Biographical; Goodspeed, 1882 p280) His date and place of birth is the same in his obituary.

• In a biography of Jonathan S. Dunfee it states that he is a son of James and Sophie (Hazlett) Dunfee, the former a native of Pennsylvania and the latter of Kentucky. Jonathan was born in Adams County, Pennsylvania on June 9, 1826... being one of thirteen children... he was taken to Wayne County, Ohio when but five years of age. (Counties of Whitley and Noble, Indiana Historical and Biographical; Goodspeed, 1882 p394)

• A biography of Frank E. Lovett states that his father, James Hanson “married Mary, daughter of James and Sophia (Hazelete) Dunnfee, who were of Scotch descent, and came from Pennsylvania to Ohio in 1830. Mary (Dunnfee) Lovett was born March 19, 1816 in Adams County, Penn., and came to Ohio with her parents. James Dunnfee was born in North Carolina in 1786, and died at the age of seventy-six years; his parents came from Ireland. Sophia (Hazelett) Dunnfee was born in Pennsylvania, her parents having been driven from Scotland during the religious persecutions.” (Commemorative Biographical Record of Wayne and Holmes Counties, Ohio; Beers, 1889, p641)

• The biography of David McNabb states that he “was married Oct. 18, 1842 to Sophie Dunfee, a daughter of James and Sophie (Hazlett) Dunfee, who moved from Adams County, Pa., to Ohio in 1833.” (History of Dekalb County, Indiana Vol 2, Interstate, 1885, p577-578)

• A biography of Warren McNabb, son of David and Sophia (Dunfee) McNabb, states that Sophia was “the daughter of James and Sophia (Hazlett) Dunfee, who removed from Adams county, Pennsylvania, to Ohio in 1833.” (History of Dekalb County, Indiana; Bowen, 1914, p422)

The biographies for the three children state that they were all born in Adams County, Pennsylvania and all of the biographies show that James and Sophia came from Adams County, Pennsylvania to Ohio, sometime between 1830 and 1833, with one providing the name of the county in Ohio – Wayne – and telling us that James and Sophia had 13 children.

Another clue resided in the family coffers – the files of my grandmother Hazlette Brubaker Phend (named after her Aunt Hazlette who was named after her great-grandmother, Sophia Hazlett Dunfee) – in the form of a letter written on March 16th 1849. Although signed “James and Sophia E. Dunfee” it was clearly written by Sophia (in Lakeville, Holmes County, Ohio) to their son William H. Dunfee and his wife Catharine in Columbia City, Indiana. The letter gives a brief statement regarding the health and well-being of various members of the family. From that letter we learn that William's baby is the 21st grandchild of James and Sophia. Family members mentioned were Lucy, Sarah, father, George, Henry, Mary, Aunt, your father, Jonathan and Marye An, and Oliver Quick.

I think that “father” is Sophia's father (thus still living in 1849) and that “your father” is William's father James, thus Sophia's husband. Oliver Quick was a brother of Marye An who was the wife of Jonathan.

No where in all of this do we derive a clue as to the name of the parents of Sophia Hazlett or James Dunfee.

However, a tantalizing clue for James' parents comes from the gravestone of “Catherine Dau. of G. & M. Dunfee” found in a heap with other gravestones in Evergreen Cemetery – the same cemetery in which James and Sophia are buried in Whitley County, Indiana. Thankfully, a local researcher had transcribed the stones in the cemetery many years ago and from that publication we learn that Catherine Dunfee died July 27, 1851 aged 57y 9m and that she was buried in the same row, next to James and Sophia. Catherine's date of birth calculates to October 27, 1793. James Dunfee was born about 1788. Is Catherine a sister of James? And who are G. & M. Dunfee?

A pile of gravestones in Evergreen Cemetery, Whitley County, Indiana. The marker for Sophia Dunfee was intact and can be seen behind that of Catharine Dau. of G. & M. Dunfee. Photo taken in November 1985.

To be continued....

Update from Salt Lake City :: Nearing the End

Two more days... then the Research Marathon will be over. It has been an incredible seven weeks (and a few days) and I feel so fortunate to have been able to spend so much time here. Now all I have to do is find (or take) the time to go through all of the stuff that I've gathered.

The majority of my time was spent on the second floor using the microfilms – nearly 500 rolls have been pulled and reviewed. Of course, some of them were used only for a few minutes but others yielded numerous documents. Everything was scanned – microfilm to jpg files and books to pdfs, which resulted in nearly 2,000 new files. Several estate packets yielded 40 to 90+ documents and confirmed relationships previously found in undocumented publications!

Midst all the wonderful documents collected there was some degree of frustration now and then. Microfilm images were not always of the greatest quality. Some were downright awful - faded or extremely dark or handwriting that was totally illegible. And then there were the record groups you wanted to view but were not available at the library. Yes, believe it or not The Library does not have everything! LOL.

This is one of the better quality images – clear and sharp. But the handwriting leaves a little to be desired. The sixth entry from the top is my guy – Christian Schuder/Shuder in the 1842 tax list for Jefferson Township, Montgomery County, Ohio. The only way I knew for sure it was him is the first name is legible as is the description of the land '5 3 25 26' (R5 T3 S25 & S26) that he owned.

But just being here and having the opportunity to access so many records in one location was absolutely marvelous. All in all, I've tremendously enjoyed my stay here in Salt Lake City and have gotten a lot accomplished - almost everything that I had hoped to get and so much more. Of course, there is always more research that could be done but I think I need to spend some time to review and absorb all that was gotten – and get the information entered into my Legacy database!

I'll be leaving Monday morning – heading south, hopefully toward warmer weather in southern Arizona or perhaps southern California. I haven't decided on a specific destination yet but do know that I'll be returning to Salt Lake City in February - for the RootsTech conference! I'm excited about that. I was really disappointed to miss it last year. It couldn't be helped and hopefully nothing will come up that will keep me away this year! I'm looking forward to the conference, attending the sessions, and seeing some of my genea-blogging friends again!

Speaking of genea-blogging friends, I'd like to thank A. C. Ivory for stopping by to say “Hello” whenever he was at the library (did you hear about his sky-diving escapades?). Also, thanks to Ruby Coleman for spending time with me when she was here in October working on her new book. It was great to see you both again!

The Next Best Thing?

Some of the other genealogy bloggers have been posting their Mayflower Lineages for Thanksgiving. As far as I know, I don't have any ancestors that arrived on the Mayflower. However, there are two that came a little later... Francis Sprague and William Bassett.

The Sprague Project, developed by Richard E. (Dick) Weber and maintained by Albert Arnold Sprague IV, has an incredible amount of information on the various Sprague families in America. In fact, it's almost overwhelming.

The family page on Francis Sprague tells us that he "came in the good ship, Anne, which sailed from London, England, and arrived at Plymouth in July 1623. He was one of those "passengers" who, as Morton writes, "seeing the low and poor conditions of those that were before them, were much daunted and dismayed, and according to their divers humors, were diversely affected. Some wished themselves in England again; others fell to weeping, fancying their own misery in what they saw in others; other some pitying the distress they saw their friends had long been in, and still were under."

Another tidbit provides a small window into his personality: "It appears that grave and sober though he was, he did not wholly escape the displeasure of the scrupulous magistrates of those days. The Court records disclose the fact that he was several times brought before them for what they considered departures from the strict line of duty. A fair interpretation, however, of the evidence, drawn from the Old Colony Records, warrants the conclusion that Francis (Sprague) was a person of ardent temperament and of great independence of mind; in short, that his sympathies with the principles of the Puritan Fathers did not go to the length of Passive acquiescence in all the enactments of their civil code. We know that he was the head of a most honorable and respected family of descendants."

• Me
• Jack William Wiseman (1924-1995) and Virginia Rose Phend (1928-2011)
• Charles Wilson Wiseman (1885-1943) and Elsie Shuder (1885-1926)
• Amanda Alexander (1860-1950) and Samuel Bray Wiseman (1855-1944)
• William Alexander (1805-1899) and Rachel Van Curen (1860-1950)
• Lucy Sprague (1787-1816) and William Washington Alexander (1777-1871)
• Thomas Sprague (1741-Bef 1793) and Hannah Cobb (1747-1833)
• Perez Sprague (1705-1758) and Tabitha Burt (1700-Aft 1784)
• Ephraim Sprague (1684-1754) and Deborah Woodworth (Bef 1682–1726)
• John Sprague (abt 1656-1727) and Lydia (1658-1725)
• John Sprague Sr (abt 1630-1676) and Ruth Bassett (abt 1633-Bef 1700)
• Francis Sprague (abt 1590-1676) and unknown wife

The other early ancestor is William Bassett, father of Ruth who married John Sprague Sr. William Bassett arrived in Plymouth in 1621 on the Fortune.

Now, for the disclaimer. I personally have done little research on the Sprague line to confirm the relationships. Other folks have done considerable research for me and I prefer to spend my time working on lines for which there is little information readily available.

I do think the connection of Lucy Sprague to Thomas and Hannah is a little weak but it is plausible. The Marysville (Ohio) Tribune published a lengthy article on July 17, 1888 regarding a reunion of the children of William Washington Alexander. In that article it stated that William W. Alexander was “married in 1803 to Miss Lucy Sprague who belonged to one of the first families of Rhode Island and who was a sister of Col. Pierce Sprague, a soldier of 1812.”

Lucy reportedly died about 1813-1814 sometime after the birth of her last child, Pierce Alexander. William Alexander, son of William W. and Lucy Sprague Alexander was reportedly born in 1805 in Erie County, Pennsylvania. I have found census records for Lucy's (presumed) parents, Thomas and Hannah (Cobb) Sprague, who were residing in Springfield, Erie County, Pennsylvania in 1800. The Sprague and Alexander families show up together in the Mount Vernon area of Knox County, Ohio about 1810.

A blog post I published in January 2008 tells a little about the discovery of the “Sprague Homestead” of Andover, Connecticut. It was exciting to discover the website mentioned and to learn about how people, specifically Ephraim Sprague and his family, lived in the early 1700s.

It was Just a Matter of Time...

On my meandering drive through Ohio back in September 2009, I stopped at the Strickland Cemetery in Vermillion Township, Ashland County where Jonathan and Elizabeth Hazlett are buried. They may be my 5th great-grandparents. I haven't been able to prove the connection yet but they are really the only candidates that I've found thus far. I'll have more on them in a future post.

A previous visit to the cemetery in October 1999 had resulted in rather poor non-digital photographs of their gravestones, which appeared to be very worn and not very legible. Pouring a little water on the stones brought out the engravings somewhat – enough to verify the transcriptions that had been previously published.

Since I had been to the cemetery before, I knew that their gravestones faced west and timed my visit so that the sun would be in an advantageous position. But I got there a little too soon.

The photo above was taken at 11:39 am. The inscriptions are barely noticeable. The stone on the left is for Elizabeth and the one on the right is for Jonathan. Since time was not an issue, and it was a beautiful day, I walked around the cemetery a bit then fixed a sandwich and had lunch while waiting for the sun to move a little further west.

Taken at 12:15 pm, the inscription on Elizabeth's stone is starting to appear.

I was amazed when, 18 minutes later (at 12:33 pm) the inscriptions were completely visible and could easily be read. All it took was some time and a little patience...

ELIZABETH

Wife of

JONATHAN HAZLETT

DIED

March 3, 1848

Aged 86 Years

JONATHAN HAZLETT

DIED

Sept. 16, 1853

AGED

82 Ys. 1 Mo. 1 D.

Photographs were taken September 18, 2009 at Strickland Cemetery in Vermillion Township, Ashland County, Ohio.

Did you notice anything unusual with the inscriptions?

Elizabeth appears to have been about nine years older than Jonathan!

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun :: Eli Yarian

Randy Seaver's challenge for this Saturday night is to pick an ancestor or relative with a military record and a gravestone then write about them.

I've chosen Eli Yarian, my 2nd great-grandfather, primarily because I haven't written about him previously!

Eli and his brother Benjamin enlisted in Battery D, 1st Regiment Ohio Volunteer Light Artillery on January 28, 1862 and were mustered out on July 15, 1865. Their brother David enlisted with Battery A, 1st Regiment Ohio Volunteer Light Artillery on August 11, 1862 and was discharged with the regiment in 1865.

Another brother, Jonathan, served with Company A of the 35th Regiment Indiana Infantry in which he enlisted in September 1864 while living in Noble County, Indiana. He and his wife, Jane Hook, had moved there in the summer of 1860. Jonathan joined General Thomas' command in Tennessee, and was with his regiment during the concluding campaign in the western part of the Mississippi Valley. He fought at Spring Hill, Franklin and Nashville. On December 16, 1864, during the second days battle at Nashville, Jonathan was severely wounded and taken to Cumberland Hospital, where his left leg was amputated. He was honorably discharged on May 26, 1865 and returned home to Noble County, eventually moving to Nappanee, Elkhart County, Indiana.

Some of the battles that Eli and Benjamin participated in were:

Munfordville, Kentucky... September 14-16, 1862
Lavergne, Tennessee... December 26, 1862
Siege of Knoxville... November 17 to December 4, 1863
Kingston, Georgia... May 24, 1864
Siege of Atlanta... July 28 to September 2, 1864
Franklin, Tennessee... November 20, 1864
Nashville, Tennessee... December 15-16, 1864

Eli was wounded at the Battle of Nashville, but not seriously. He was transferred to the Eastern Army at Fort Fisher and then to Cleveland where he was discharged in July 1865. In the spring of 1866, Eli and Benjamin moved to Elkhart County, Indiana and made their homes in Locke Township. In the fall of 1866 they both got married. Eli on the 22nd of September to Lovina Berlin and Ben married Eliza Coppes on the 25th of December. Lovina's family had lived in Portage County, Ohio and moved to Elkhart County in 1864 so it is likely that Eli and Lovina knew each other prior to coming to Elkhart County. Purely conjecture on my part, but it's possible that the reason Eli came to Elkhart County after the war was because Lovina was there! Maybe, maybe not.

I'm very fortunate to have a photograph of Eli, which was sent to me in May 2006 by Kathy Foster who is distantly related to William Walker, the husband of Eli's sister Susanna. I wrote about that “Happy Dance” moment in February 2009.

Eli's life came to a tragic end at about noon on Monday January 28, 1895 as he was assisting a neighbor in cutting down a tree. It fell in the opposite direction than was expected, striking him in the head. Death was instantaneous.

Eli is buried alongside his wife Lovina and two young daughters in South Union Cemetery, Locke Township, Elkhart County, Indiana. Note that his inscription has the year 1894. His obituary was published in the Nappanee News on January 30, 1895 and his estate entered probate on March 1, 1895. This photo was taken on July 12, 2004. I've visited the site several times since then, the last time being in the spring of 2009.

The inscription on the gravemarker reads:

Yarian

Lovina

1845 – 1932

Eli

1839 – 1894

The inscription on the footstone reads:

ELI YARIAN

CO. D.

1ST OHIO L.A.

Eli and Lovina were the parents of seven children:

1. Estella E. Yarian (29 Oct 1867 – 07 Feb 1935) married Theodore B. Irvine and had two children: Harry and Frederick.
2. Willis Oscar Yarian (18 May 1870 – 07 Dec 1948) married Grace Melvin and had two children, Harold and Grace Maxine.
3. Susie Lula Yarian (05 Jan 1872 – 29 Apr 1956) married Henry Phend and had 10 children. See Phend Family Index to Posts. Susie and Henry are my great-grandparents.
4. Edith M. Yarian (19 Feb 1875 - 01 Mar 1875)
5. Lydia Blanche Yarian (17 Sep 1878 – 03 Jul 1889)
6. Mary Winifred Yarian (26 Dec 1881 – 22 Mar 1945) married Earl Glen Rosbrugh, had three children: Pauline, Mildred and Glenwood.
7. James Arthur Yarian (31 May 1884 – 12 Feb 1930)