Showing posts with label Hale. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hale. Show all posts

Saturday, December 29, 2012

Wise 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 Wise and allied families (Hale, Hoffman, Kircher, Mohler, Shidler, etc.). Please contact me at kinexxions@gmail.com if you are researching this family or have additional information on them.

This research is my attempt to identify the twelve children of Peter and Christina Wise and trace their descendants. Though it is highly probable and likely possible that those listed below are their children, only one has thus far been positively proven (Eliza Jane Wise Hoffman).

Peter and Christina Wise
William Wise
Rebecca Wise Shidler
Catherine Kircher
Rosanna Wise Hale
Jacob Wise
John Wise
Eliza Jane Wise Hoffman, confirmed daughter of Peter and Christina Wise
Elmina Ella Mohler
Hannah Wise
  • In the 1860 census with Peter and Christina there is a Hannah, age 29, born in Ohio and in 1870 Hannah is 44 years old, born in Pennsylvania. This would seem to indicate that she was born in 1826 or 1831, or possibly somewhere in between. Hannah is not included in the published cemetery records for Miami County so, as far as I know, she is not buried in Gilead Cemetery where Peter and Christina and other family members are interred.
Elizabeth Wise
  • Elizabeth is listed with Peter and Christina Wise in the 1850 census in Miami County, Indiana. She is buried in Gilead Cemetery, in the same row, though some distance away from Peter and Christina. Elizabeth was born 24 Jan 1837 in Ohio and died 24 May 1854 presumably in Miami County, Indiana.

 Originally Posted on March 5, 2008 :: Last Updated on December 31, 2009. 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.

Posted by Becky Wiseman at 3:55 AM 0 comments
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Thursday, March 20, 2008

The Estate Settlement and Some Conjecture

Christina Wise's estate was valued at $3891.33 at the time of her death on April 25, 1884 and consisted of nine notes that were due her. Some of the notes had been made by Peter and some by Christina. When Peter Wise died on January 29, 1875 they still owned three lots in the town of Gilead and five acres bordering the west side of the town. The five acres were sold in April 1877 and the town lots were sold in September. The final report in the estate settlement was filed October 4, 1877 and paid claims amounting to $3176.40 - there had been other claims filed and paid in the intervening years.

The notes that were due the estate, and the final disposition:
  • John Wise $300 valued at $450 - the principal "is not to be paid during her lifetime, then it shall be mine by inheritance." Note was dated Feby 3, 1876 at West Salem, Ohio.
  • A. W. Hoffman $275 valued at $458 - insolvent - his notes were "declared valueless" [He was the husband of Eliza Jane Wise Hoffman.]
  • William Wise $400 valued at $709 - insolvent - "The note of William Wise is uncollectible, said Wise being a non-resident of the state and insolvent." [He may have moved to Sumner County, Kansas by 1885.]
  • John J. Mohler $430 valued at $706 - He "is a non-resident of the state and is insolvent, except to the extent of his claim and his notes are to be surrendered to him in satisfaction of his claim." [John and Elmina Wise Mohler moved to Meade County, Kansas in 1885.]
  • George Shillinger and Samuel Seitner $375 - collected
  • A. K. Madeford $25 - collected
The notes of George Shillinger, Samuel Seitner, and A. K. [Alvin] Madeford were repaid by them before the final settlement. These men appear to have been neighbors as they were all living in Perry Township, Miami County, Indiana in 1880. It is possible that they are related but since they repaid their debts to the estate, that is doubtful ;-)

Apparently there was not going to be enough money from the estate to pay the claims in full as the claimants agreed to accept 83% of their claim to avoid additional expenses in the event the estate was declared insolvent.

The claim of John J. Mohler was for a total of $735.09 for boarding 156 weeks at $3.50 per week between 1876 and 1884. Also 7 weeks in Oct & Nov 1883 during last illness. Services caring for deceased in last illness while at Wm. Kirchers, 30 days at $1.00 per day. Plus additional charges for telegraphing, a shroud, bath and sundries, and interest. He released his claim against the estate in return for the surrender of the notes he owed. [John and Elmina Wise Mohler had moved to Meade County, Kansas in 1885.]

William Kircher's final payment was $1286.62 against his claim amounting to $1400.76 which included ten line items for washing & attendance [of the deceased] at $3.50 per week. Apl 10/75 to Apl 10/78, Oct 19/78 to Jan'y 26/79, Mch 3/79 to July 13/79, Sept 1/79 to July 29/80, Oct 15/80 to Apl 1/81, Sept 1/81 to Feby 1/82, Apl 1/82 to July 20/82, Oct 14/82 to Apl 15/83, may 20/83 to Aug 15/83, and during her last illness from Sept 21/83 to Apl 25/84. He also paid for a deed Jan'y 31/84, 400 ft lumber at $1.50 pr 100, 32 fence posts, paid taxes 1878 and 1879, Clover seed, nails & Lumber, and $5.00 cash for daughter. [Is that cash for his daughter, or for Christina's daughter?]

It looks as though Christina alternated spending time between the Mohler and Kircher households. Catherine Kircher, William's wife, died on February 5, 1884 and Christina Wise died on April 25, 1884.

Rosanna Hale's claim against the estate of Christina Wise was for $80.00 for "Care of, and attendance in the decedents last sickness." Rosanna made her mark, witnessed by Luella Culbertson. She received $77.27 as payment. She made her mark on the receipt and it was witnessed by M. H. Grunden. [He was her son-in-law. Rosana and her family had moved to Dauphin County, Pennsylvania between 1860-1870.]

The claim of Luella M. Culbertson was for $62.00 for "Service as nurse 31 weeks at $2.00 per week." She received $60.03 for her claim. [Luella was the daughter of Catherine and William Kircher.]

There are no direct relationships recorded in any of these documents although John Wise stated that the principal of his note "is not to be paid during her lifetime, then it shall be mine by inheritance."

Of the ten children of Peter and Christina Wise that have tentatively been identified, three had died several years before Christina (Rebecca Shidler, Jacob Wise, and Elizabeth Wise) and six (or their spouses) are mentioned in the estate papers: John Wise, A. W. Hoffman [Eliza], William Wise, John J. Mohler [Ella Elmina], William Kircher [Catherine], and Rosanna Hale. The whereabouts of the tenth, Hannah Wise, is unknown. According to the obituary of Eliza Hoffman, she was one of twelve children. Census records substantiate that number, so that still leaves two children yet to be found.

Just as a point of interest, and realizing that naming patterns are sometimes helpful clues in determining family relationships, here is a listing of probable children and grandchildren of Peter and Christina Wise.
  • William and Mary Ann Wise - 5 children - Newton, Samuel, Wealthy, Emeline, Cecillius
  • Rebecca and Jacob Shidler - 2 children - Jane Ann, William
  • Catherine and William Kircher - 1 child - Luella
  • Rosanna and Jacob Hale - 1 child - Mary Alice
  • Hannah Wise - ? -
  • Jacob and Malissa Wise - 7 children - William Pythagrus, Mary Ellen, Sarah Jane, James Roscoe, Christina, Sylvester, Rosilla
  • John Wise - ? -
  • Elizabeth Wise - no children, died at age 17
  • Eliza Jane and Anthony Hoffman - 5 children - Minnie, Dayton, Effie Idella, Ella, Jennie Mae
  • Ella Elmina and John Mohler - 2 children - Stella Rose, William Peter
For the grandchildren, the name that is repeated most often, three times, is William. The older brother must have been well-liked. Or, perhaps, William was the name of the father of Peter or Christina? Jane is used twice, once as a first name and again as a middle name. Rosilla and Rose are variations of Rosanna. Mary is also used twice. Were they named after William's wife, or not? Ellen could be a variation of Ella. Peter is only used once, and that as a middle name. And only one grandchild is named Christina.

Does the fact that Jacob named one of his daughters Christina prove anything? Probably not, but the name Christina does not appear in Malissa's family (Stem and Sisley). No sisters, no aunts named Christina there. It would have been nice if Jacob and Malissa had named their son William Peter rather than William Pythagrus! Where on earth did they come up with that name anyway? (Probabaly a mis-spelling of Pythagoras?) No wonder he always went by William P. Wise. Come to think of it, I've never seen "Pythagrus" on any "official" document. It's what grandma has on her family group sheet. And one of his grandchildren was name Thagrus!

Ah well, I think this will about wrap up my discourse on the Wise family for a while. Then again, maybe not. If you've gotten this far, and if you're still interested, additional information and a listing of all the posts I've written about the search for the children of Peter and Christina Wise can be found at Wise Family - Index to Posts!
Posted by Becky Wiseman at 2:10 AM 0 comments
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Wednesday, March 12, 2008

All in all it was a good day

Went to Peru. . .

The Marriage Record for May Hale and George Armstrong did not include parental information.

The Death Record for May L. Armstrong (Miami County Health Dept. Book C-5 page 5, December 18, 1899) gives her parents as Albert Hale and Elizabeth Foutz. So she is NOT the daughter of Jacob and Rosanna (Wise) Hale. I didn't get a death certificate as it would have cost $10. I was fortunate that the clerk allowed me to look at the record. Afterwards, she said "for future reference" in case I needed additional searches, they are supposed to charge $35 per half hour for lookups, plus the charge for the certificate!

The Estate Packet for Christina Wise was found in the archives building! Got my hands dirty ;-) I "made copies" of all the documents in the file using my camera since photocopies were $1 apiece! Most came out quite well, with a few being a little soft in focus, but they can be read.

In addition to the people already named in a previous post, there are documents that mention William Wise and John Wise, though no relationships are given.

There was a statement (see image below) signed by Rosanna Hale (her mark) and witnessed by M. H. Grunden which fits in quite nicely with the census information found by Pseudo-Anonymous Gary earlier this week (which also prompted this overdue visit to Peru). In the 1900 census for Steelton Borough, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania (page 55B), Rosana Hale is listed in the household of Martin H. Grunden as widowed, mother-in-law.


There is no date on this document, but similar ones for William Kircher and Luella Culbertson were dated October 4, 1887. It reads: "Whereas, the assets in the hands of William Kircher, Administrator of the Estate of Christina Wise, deceased are insufficient to pay the claims allowed against the same in full - to avoid the additional expense of settling said estate as insolvent, I, Rosanna Hale, consent to accept, and hereby acknowledge the receipt of about eighty-three per cent of my claim against said estate, to-wit: Seventy-seven & 27/100 Dollars, in full payment and satisfaction of said claim. Witness M. H. Grunden. Rosanna x Hale, her mark."

Found the deed book entry where Peter Wise and his wife, Christina, sold their 180 acres of land on April 5, 1866 for $8,000.

On May 14, 1866 Peter purchased town lots 5, 6, & 7 in Gilead. On October 26, 1868 he purchased 5 acres of land that was bordered on the east by the town of Gilead.

Those two entries in 1866 were in one of the books I had skipped on my previous visit to the courthouse a month ago. The reason I had skipped over them was because in the 1870 census it still showed that Peter owned land. What didn't "click" though was the fact that in 1850 his real estate was valued at $4,000 while in 1870 it was only $1,000. Lesson learned: Check all records for the time period of your ancestor, not just the years you think there "might" be transactions.

However, I didn't find the records for the sale of the lots and 5 acres under the Wise surname. So I checked for transactions by William Kircher, the administrator of Christina's estate, and found the record of the sale of the five acres on April 15, 1887 and the sale of the town lots on September 10, 1887.

As a point of reference, this is a portion of the 1860 census for Seward Township, Kosciusko County, Indiana page 60. After looking at it for a while I can now see that it could be Mary A. rather than May A., but then again, maybe not.

Posted by Becky Wiseman at 10:30 PM 3 comments
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Tuesday, March 11, 2008

Pseudo-Anonymous Gary Comes Through Again, Maybe

At first I was going to call him Anonymous Gary but since he has a name he's not really anonymous. But his Blogger profile has no details! So, who are you Gary? Whatever you want to call him, Gary has left another comment and information (greatly appreciated, by the way) on one of my posts, this one on Rosanna Wise Hale.

He says:

Well, Becky, you keep posting interesting puzzles and I can't help but investigate. :) If I'm right, the Jacob & Rosanna Hale you found in Kosciusko Co, IN moved to Dauphin Co, PA. Here is a summary of the census records I found.

1870, PA, Dauphin Co, Baldwin (pg 699B)
Jacob Hale, age 46, b. PA
Rosanna Hale, age 45, b. OH
Mary A Hale, age 15, b. IN

1880, PA, Dauphin Co, Halifax Twp (pg 71D)
J Hale, age 52, b. PA
Rosianna Hale, age 53, b. OH
H Brunden (grandson), age 6, b. PA

1900, PA, Dauphin Co, Steelton Borough (pg 55B)
Martin H Grunden, age 54, b. PA
Mary A Grunden, age 45, b. PA
Rena E Grunden, age 23, b. PA
Alva A Grunden, age 20, b. PA
Rosana Hale (widowed mother-in-law), age 74, b. OH

So, if correct, these records present a conflict with information you have already found in that the Hale daughter would actually be "Mary" and not "May". Now the question becomes, is there another May Hale in Miami Co, IN that could be the May Hale that married George Armstrong?

Let's face it, you're going to have rummage around in that courthouse until you're satisfied that the probate case file for Christine Wise has indeed been lost. :)

Good luck, Gary
Those census records do look promising, and as he says, if those records are correct, then May A. Hale who married George Armstrong is NOT the daughter of Jacob and Rosanna (Wise) Hale. It won't be the first time I was wrong! And likely not the last, but if his lead proves out, then all the better.

On my "to do" list is a note to check the marriage records and death records in Miami County for May Hale Armstrong. She was married in 1888 and died in 1899 so there is a chance, albeit slim, that her parents were noted in those records. It just depends upon when Miami County started recording that information. Maybe I'll get lucky.

In addition to those two records, I still need to look for Christina's estate packet. When I visited the Clerk's office five weeks ago we couldn't find the ledger books referenced in the one record we did find on Christina's estate. The clerk said we could go next door to the archives but that the man with the key was out to lunch. I went to the Library but didn't make it back to the Clerk's office that day.

The other record that needs to be found is the deed entry for the sale of Peter's land. If for no other reason than to satisfy my curiosity. But I really want to find that estate file. So, perhaps tomorrow, I'll go rummaging around in the courthouse at Peru!

In addition to the records found by Gary, I also found the following:

1880, PA, Dauphin, Steelton Borough, Second Street, page 21
Martin H. Grunden [indexed as Grunten], 31, Laborer
Alice, 25, wife, keeps house, born Indiana, father born Penna, mother born Ohio
Hale, 6, son [also listed with J. and Rosianna Hale as H Brunden, 6 year old grandson ?]
Rena, 4, daughter
Alva, 1, son

1910 - didn't find Alice/Mary Grunden in Dauphin, County PA

1920, PA, Dauphin, Steelton Borough, Pine Street, pages 1b and 2a
James B. Detweiler, 44, coal merchant
Rena E., wife, 42
Vance G., son, 16
J. Austin, son, 12
Mary A. Grunden, Mother in Law, 64, widowed, born Indiana

www.ancestry.com Harrisburg, Pennsylvania Directories, 1887-90
Four entries for Martin H. Grunden, all the same, no dates, Location 1: 240 S Front, Location 2: 273 S 2d, Occupation: coal and wood dealer, City: Steelton. Also, three entries for Rosanna Hale, widow of Jacob: Two with location of 301 S 2d and one with location of 273 S 2d, both in Steelton.

A short biography of Martin Grunden was found in the Biographical Encyclopedia of Dauphin County, 1896, page 1039 available on ancestry. He served in Co. E 12th Pennsylvania Cavalry 1863-1865, married Miss Alice, daughter of Jacob Hale of Steelton in 1873; three children, Rena, Alva and Hale - Hale died 11 Feb 1894 at 20 years of age. There's more but that's the "important" stuff.

There is a Public Member Tree at www.ancestry.com (registration required to view the tree) for Martin Henry Grunden. He was born 28 Mar 1846 and died 22 Sept 1902 Steelton, Dauphin, PA. His wife, Mary Alice Hale was born 15 Nov 1854 in Indiana and died 19 Nov 1939 in Harrisburg, Dauphin, PA.

One child is listed for Martin and Mary: Rena Elizabeth Grunden born 14 Nov 1875 Steelton, Dauphin, PA and died 6 Sept 1926 Steelton, Dauphin, PA. She was married to James Prowell Detweiler who was born 10 May 1875 Goldsboro, York, PA and died in 1949 Steelton, Dauphin, PA.

One child listed for Rena and James Detweiler: James Austin Detweiler, born 8 Jan 1908 Steelton, Dauphin, PA and died 1 Jan 1985 Waynoka, Woods, OKLA. His wife was Helen Margaret Walker, born 19 Mar 1916 Houston, TX and died 11 Mar 1995 Moscow, Latah, ID.

Obviously, this is going to take additional research... Did I jump the gun by proclaiming that May Hale Armstrong was the daughter of Jacob and Rosana Hale? Perhaps. On the other hand, if I hadn't posted that information, would the new information have come to light? Possibly. Should I have done additional research before posting? Maybe.
Posted by Becky Wiseman at 6:25 PM 0 comments
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Wednesday, March 05, 2008

Rosanna Wise Hale

Rosanna Wise Hale, possible daughter of Peter and Christina Wise, was born about 1827 in Ohio, she could be one of the three females aged 10-14 listed with Peter Wise in the 1840 census of Wayne County, Ohio (Perry Township page 25).

Rosanna is not listed with Peter and Christina in the 1850 census of Wayne County, Ohio. There is a Rosanna Wise who married Jacob Hale on March 20, 1851 in Wayne County, Ohio (Wayne County, Ohio Marriage Index 1813-1898, Wooster, Ohio, 1997 page 559). And then, in 1860, there is a Jacob and Rosanna Hale residing in Seward Township, Kosciusko County, Indiana which is just a few miles north of Gilead, Miami County. Based on the 1860 census she was born about 1827 - Rosanna Hale is listed as 33 years old and born in Ohio.

Rosanna Hate [probably Hale ?] is one of the four claimants in the October 25, 1887 final report of the estate of Christina Wise. Rosanna received $80 on July 10, 1884 and $80 again on November 11, 1884. There is probably additional information in the estate packet and the court books referenced in that journal entry, but the packet and referenced books have not been located yet.

Rosanna married Jacob Hale on 20 Mar 1851 in Wayne County, Ohio. According to the 1860 census, Jacob was born in 1828 in Ohio.

1860 Kosciusko County, Indiana (Seward Township, PO Beaver Dam page 60)
Jacob Hale, 32, male, farmer, Real Estate valued at $700, Personal Estate valued at $300, born Pennsylvania
Rosana Hale, 33, female, born Ohio
May A. Hale, 5, female, born Indiana
Luther Wade, 7, male, born Indiana

Jacob and Rosanna Hale have not been found in any other census records. I did "all kinds" of searches in the census indexes but haven't come up with anything yet that even comes close to being them. If we assume that she was living in 1887 when she was listed as a claimant in the estate of Christina Wise, the question arises - where was she living?

Research was continued with the assumption that May A. Hale, age 5 in 1860 was the daughter of Rosanna and Jacob Hale.

* * * UPDATE *** March 12, 2008 * * *
The May Hale who married George Armstrong is NOT the daughter of Jacob and Rosanna Hale. According to the Death Record for May L. Armstrong (Miami County Health Dept. Book C-5 page 5, December 18, 1899) her parents are Albert Hale and Elizabeth Foutz.

Jacob and Rosanna Wise Hale may have moved to Dauphin County, Pennsylvania after 1860 but before 1870. See this post for additional information.

May Hale was born in 1855 in Indiana. She married George W. Armstrong on 20 Sep 1888 in Miami County, Indiana (WPA Index to Marriage Records, Miami County, Indiana citing Book C 8 page 192).

May Armstrong died on 18 Dec 1899 in Miami County, Indiana at age 44 (WPA Index to Death Records, Miami County 1850-1920 citing Book C-5 page 5). No obituary for May Armstrong was found in the index at the Peru Library. I need to get a copy of her death record to see if the names of her parents were included.

George W. Armstrong was born on 15 Aug 1861 in Indiana or Ohio and died on 16 Feb 1934 in Miami County, Indiana at age 72. (The Peru Republican, Miami County, Indiana dated Friday, February 23, 1934 p1c2-3). His obituary stated that he was born in Ohio but all of the census records in which he was found show that he was born in Indiana.

The obituary of George W. Armstrong was published in The Peru Republican, Miami County, Indiana on Friday, February 23, 1934 p1 c2-3. His is a long obituary, a full column and a partial column on the front page. George was a well-known and apparently popular man in Deer Creek township. For now, I'm only pulling out a few paragraphs, midway through the article, that contain family information.

George W. Armstrong, son of John and Louisa Armstrong, was born in Ohio, Aug. 15, 1861 and departed this life, Feb. 16, 1934. When he was two years old, the family, consisting of the parents, five boys and one girl moved to Indiana. They moved to Miami County where Mr. Armstrong lived the rest of his life.

On Sept. 20, 1888, he was united in marriage to May Hale who preceded him to the grave thirty-four years ago. To this union two children were born, a son, Luther, who died in infancy and Mrs. Hazel Armstrong Busby who has always resided with her father. He took into his home a niece, Jessie Hale Pfleger, when but a young girl, to whom he was as a father. Surviving besides those mentioned, he leaves one brother, T. D. Armstrong, of Kokomo, several nieces and nephews and many friends.

Mr. Armstrong owned and operated the general store in Miami for forty-three years. In this capacity he proved himself honest and upright in all his dealings.
Hazel B. Armstrong, daughter of George W. Armstrong and May A. Hale, was born in Feb 1890 in Indiana. She married Russell Bugbee about 1925. Russell was born in 1896 in Indiana.

The Armstrong/Bugbee families were found in the following census records:

1900 Miami County, Indiana (Deer Creek Township page 11b)
George W. Armstrong, head of household, white, male, Aug 1861, 38, widowed, born Indiana, parents born Ohio, Clerk - general retail
Hazel B., daughter, Feb 1890, 10, born Indiana, parents born Indiana, at school
Jessie Hale, servant, Dec 1880, 19, single, born Indiana, parents born Indiana, House servant

1910 Miami County, Indiana (Deer Creek Township page 208)
George W. Armstrong, 48, married once, first married at age 21, born Indiana, parents born Ohio, Salesman, Gen Store
Hazel B., daughter, 20, single, born Indiana, parents born Indiana, no occupation

1920 Miami County, Indiana (Deer Creek Township page 4a)
George W. Armstrong, head, 58, widowed, born Indiana, merchant gen store
Hazel B., daughter, 29, born Indiana

1930 Miami County, Indiana (Deer Creek Township page 8b)
Russell Bugbee, head, owns home valued at $800, 34, first married at age 29, born Indiana, fireman on Rail Road, veteran of WWI
Hazel, wife, 40, first married at age 36, born Indiana
George W. Armstrong, Father-in-law, 68, first married at age 27, born Indiana, Merchant General Store

That is all the information that I've found so far on the Hale, Armstrong and Bugbee families. If anyone reading this is related to these people or has any information on them, please contact me! kinexxions "at" gmail "dot" com

* * * UPDATE *** March 12, 2008 * * *
The May Hale who married George Armstrong is NOT the daughter of Jacob and Rosanna Hale. According to the Death Record for May L. Armstrong (Miami County Health Dept. Book C-5 page 5, December 18, 1899) her parents are Albert Hale and Elizabeth Foutz.

Jacob and Rosanna Wise Hale may have moved to Dauphin County, Pennsylvania after 1860 but before 1870. See this post for additional information.

Wise Family - Index to Posts
Posted by Becky Wiseman at 8:46 PM 2 comments
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