Since doing all of this sleuthing on my mom and the hunt for her birth father, I have read over and over again that the DNA does not lie. I believe it. But people lie. And that is what makes this so hard. Why would people lie about things that were so important? Even not telling anyone is a lie so why? I understand in the thirties how this would have been a problem but to keep the information all of your life well past the turn of this century does not make sense. Honestly, for a long time I thought the possibility was that my mother might have been the product of incest. I can understand how someone would want to keep that private. Fortunately for GEDmatch, the test, "Are your parents related?", ruled that completely out for my mother.
So, here we are again, why not tell the truth? Here's the truth because the DNA does not lie. My mother's birth mother is Nellie Melrose. We knew this as she was able to obtain her initial birth certificate in the fifties where it listed Nellie as her mother (plus, the Blanchard postmistress knew the story about Nellie's pregnancy--small town gossip can sometimes be true). The father is listed as "unknown". In addition, her half-sibling took a DNA test and showed up as "close family" with extremely high confidence results. In my mother's case, this only confirmed what she already knew about that side of her family. Through her first cousin match on the paternal side, we were able to determine that she shared the same grandparents and his maternal grandparents are the relation. The maternal grandparents only had three children (two twin fraternal girls and a boy). So the boy is her birth father: Marion Alonzo Holden. He was 18 in 1932 in Blanchard, Oklahoma. He either graduated in 1931 or 1932 from Blanchard High School. Nellie graduated in 1932. Nellie became pregnant in March of 1932 (my mother was born December 28, 1932).
Either Nellie did not tell him she was pregnant or refused to marry him. We are sure from the Holden family members that Marion's mother (Electa) would have required them to get married. It's possible Marion was already going to school at Oklahoma A & M (going to college was also an Electa requirement) so maybe that would have taken Nellie too far away from her family. In addition, we understand that Marion had an aunt and uncle that had moved to Alaska with the promise of the government giving them land. Marion had desires to move there, too (and did after school). Alaska was a wilderness then (and much of it is still now). If Marion had made these wishes known, it's possible that Nellie just didn't want to have any part of it.
Because of this, maybe that's why Nellie pinned the birth father on Homer Pilgrim. The only information we ever received from Nellie or her sister, Leona, was this: Leona said the birth father was the tallest boy with blonde hair and blue eyes in Nellie's graduating class and that she told her daughter, Joyce Ann, that he had died in a car wreck. Honestly, it's possible that Nellie did not even tell her sister who the real birth father was. Nellie only said once to my mother, when she asked, "I can't give you the name of a dead man." That could apply to Homer or Marion. But if that is what she told people back then, then there was no way for her to get married to Homer as everyone knew he had died (and she would have gained a fair amount of sympathy from relatives for this kind of loss, rather than getting pregnant from someone who she could have married).
We know that Homer died February 29, 1932 and never graduated high school. We aren't sure how he died although I have been able to confirm the date through the state. It seems a bit early since we calculated that Nellie did not get pregnant until March but it's possible they fudged on my mom's birth date. Things like that happened back then. We saw the high school picture and, indeed, Homer was the tallest. However, Leona didn’t say he was the tallest boy in that picture. The tallest boy might have missed picture day. In the picture, Homer was not listed as graduating.
Marion was not in the picture nor listed as a graduate for 1932. We didn't look at 1931 but do plan to go back and do so. But none of Homer's ancestors match in my mom's DNA. I've gone through three family trees and cannot find any matching grandparents, great-grandparents, great-great grandparents nor great-great-great grandparents. However, on Marion's side, we have matching grandparents through the first cousin, great-great grandparents (through three second cousins) and great-great-great grandparents (through three third cousins). The DNA does not lie. So there you have it, it's Marion Alonzo Holden.
My mother, since she believes Leona, thinks there is a glitch in the DNA but when I compare her DNA directly against her first cousins in GEDmatch, they match in large segments (large enough to be first cousins) on almost all chromosomes. That isn't a glitch, it's the reality. I personally think Nellie didn't tell Leona the truth either, for whatever reason. I am sure Nellie would roll over in her grave if she knew we could simply buy a DNA test and it would tell us the secret she kept so long.
My mom can be proud that she came from a family like Marion's. They seem so similar to the Buckner family. Well-preserved pictures of large family get togethers just like our Buckner family. And he died serving his country during WWII at Guadalcanal--how honorable is that? He didn't have to join the navy, he volunteered. And for this service, he was honored with a purple heart. I can't think of a better person to call my grandfather, for my nephews to call great-grandfather and my great-nieces and great-nephews to call great-great grandfather.
Sunday, August 26, 2018
Thursday, August 9, 2018
And I sit by myself, Like a cobweb on a shelf, By myself in a lonely room
The previous post was actually written in December 2015. I am not sure why I did not publish it back then. However, as I write that, I do know. Investigating my dad and his family made me miss my dad all the more. He wasn’t there to ask questions and he never would be. That reality sent me into a depression that I couldn’t admit to anyone. It just was like the lyrics in the title to this post. I was in a lonely room.
I’m not sure I will ever snap out of it but it’s better now. I still cry when I watch the video from his funeral but I can talk about it now, or at least on this blog. It’s a wonder we found so many pictures of him laughing; he hated posing for pictures and tried his best not to let a smile out much to the chagrin of my mother.
But the reality was that was who he was before his heart surgery or at least how I remember him. After heart surgery, it changed him. He became more scared of the world and isolated himself more often in his safe house. Perhaps that was his lonely room.
Then after his death, it was like we lost an essential part of a machine. Without him, nothing seemed to work like it should. Without my dad alive, it was if mother had been transformed into another person. She too became more scared and helpless. Before my dad's death, she would call me everyday to check on me, but after his death weeks would go by until I called her. I noticed it immediately and even tested it out. Perhaps she also was in her lonely room.
As I said, I am better now, not perfect but I want to get back honoring his family. What sort of spurred this on was the re-occurrence of my mother’s lymphoma. You would think this would have me spiraling into the depths of depression but it has rather pushed me forward. We were talking and I asked her if she still thought about contacting her real life half siblings who did not know she existed and she said yes. She already had her life story ready to mail to each of them but just hadn’t done it. And she still wondered about who her birth father was. I mentioned that we could do a DNA test to see if anything came up. To my surprise, she wanted to do it. We went through the motions of getting her DNA analyzed through Ancestry. It would take about four to six weeks.
In the meantime, I revisited my ancestry account which I had not done since 2015. It made me remember that the absence of a real family on my mother’s side was more than fulfilled when she married into the Buckner family. This was a family that celebrated as a family and came together for just those reasons. Thanksgivings, sometimes Christmases, Easters (does anyone remember the glorious coconut cake Grandma Buckner used to make?), annual summer family reunions.
I remember the kids table at dinner time and drinking the best cold water ever out of brightly colored metal glasses. I remember opening the picket fence gate that slammed behind you and walking on the smooth stone pathway, admiring the beautiful flower gardens on either side, to what I always thought was the front door (it turns out that was actually the back door as it went immediately into the kitchen). I remember entering the kitchen with the glass-paned cabinets and built-in Hoosier cabinet and the center island where it always seemed Grandma Buckner was at work preparing her next delectable meal. I remember walking into the living area where Grandpa Buckner would hold his court from a recliner. I used to think this house was so large but now when I look at it, it’s tiny. How we held so many people in that same living room for dinners is beyond me but it never seemed cramped. Grandpa Buckner would urge us kids to eat our carrots as they would make our eyes blue. I wonder now if all of us did have blue eyes?
I remember the bedrooms and how cool the blankets always felt and the plushness of the feather pillows. I remember the dirt floor cellar on the side of the house and how cool it was on a hot day but also how spooky. I always wondered what Grandma Buckner kept down there? I remember what I thought was the back of the house (which was actually the front) with a covered long porch with sweet-smelling roses growing nearby and outdoor lounge chairs scattered about. It looked out to an expanse of green lawn with large Cedar trees at the fence line. It felt private and I would sometimes catch my Grandma taking a rest there while my cousins and I wreaked havoc in the yard.
Beyond the house on the other side were the barns across the road. They were painted that classic barn red and had a huge Osage Orange tree growing on the side. Grandpa Buckner would remind us to never eat the horse apples (that’s what he called them) or we would get “real sick”. Brightly colored chickens were scattered about clucking around and the air smelt of a mix of manure and hay. Down across the road a bit were huge grain silos. That was another warning from Grandpa—never go to the silos by yourself. When they opened the door to them when they were empty, they looked harmless. Not until I was an adult did I ever understand how dangerous a silo can be. I remember the long roads on either side of the house that took us to and from the big town of Savanna and beyond.
All of these memories rush back to me about the sense of place and people. It is almost as if I am in a virtual reality game and I can almost reach out and touch these things and people—they live in my memory that strongly. And I am sure they do for my relatives. I hope they will either comment on their memories here or start their own blogs to keep these memories alive. Well, I have gone on, haven’t I? And no pictures! Frankly, I’ve almost forgot how to do all that fancy-smancy stuff but I will get it together. These Buckner people and others are depending upon it. I’ve decided to include in this blog my mother’s search for her family. It will make sense as I tell you her story because her story is quite similar to our very own Grandpa Buckner.
I will end this post with my Ancestry profile which I wrote about six weeks ago but seems apropos for here.
Between the Spears family on one side and the Mears family on the other, divorces, children borne out of wedlock, names that weave throughout generations, families with dozens of children (those women deserve medals), Glory, Texas!, those who fought for our country (thank you Henry Buckner--I can now be a DAR), slaveowners (very sad) and possible African ancestors (Cecily Collmore, St. Bart’s or Liberia origins?), those who fought for the union and fought against it, the rebel rousers (thank you Charles Nevill, Earl of Westmorland for my fighting spirit), I am trying to find the truth in my own family tree. What I have found so far is that the world is so much more complex than any of us can ever really know or understand.
I’m not sure I will ever snap out of it but it’s better now. I still cry when I watch the video from his funeral but I can talk about it now, or at least on this blog. It’s a wonder we found so many pictures of him laughing; he hated posing for pictures and tried his best not to let a smile out much to the chagrin of my mother.
But the reality was that was who he was before his heart surgery or at least how I remember him. After heart surgery, it changed him. He became more scared of the world and isolated himself more often in his safe house. Perhaps that was his lonely room.
Then after his death, it was like we lost an essential part of a machine. Without him, nothing seemed to work like it should. Without my dad alive, it was if mother had been transformed into another person. She too became more scared and helpless. Before my dad's death, she would call me everyday to check on me, but after his death weeks would go by until I called her. I noticed it immediately and even tested it out. Perhaps she also was in her lonely room.
As I said, I am better now, not perfect but I want to get back honoring his family. What sort of spurred this on was the re-occurrence of my mother’s lymphoma. You would think this would have me spiraling into the depths of depression but it has rather pushed me forward. We were talking and I asked her if she still thought about contacting her real life half siblings who did not know she existed and she said yes. She already had her life story ready to mail to each of them but just hadn’t done it. And she still wondered about who her birth father was. I mentioned that we could do a DNA test to see if anything came up. To my surprise, she wanted to do it. We went through the motions of getting her DNA analyzed through Ancestry. It would take about four to six weeks.
In the meantime, I revisited my ancestry account which I had not done since 2015. It made me remember that the absence of a real family on my mother’s side was more than fulfilled when she married into the Buckner family. This was a family that celebrated as a family and came together for just those reasons. Thanksgivings, sometimes Christmases, Easters (does anyone remember the glorious coconut cake Grandma Buckner used to make?), annual summer family reunions.
I remember the kids table at dinner time and drinking the best cold water ever out of brightly colored metal glasses. I remember opening the picket fence gate that slammed behind you and walking on the smooth stone pathway, admiring the beautiful flower gardens on either side, to what I always thought was the front door (it turns out that was actually the back door as it went immediately into the kitchen). I remember entering the kitchen with the glass-paned cabinets and built-in Hoosier cabinet and the center island where it always seemed Grandma Buckner was at work preparing her next delectable meal. I remember walking into the living area where Grandpa Buckner would hold his court from a recliner. I used to think this house was so large but now when I look at it, it’s tiny. How we held so many people in that same living room for dinners is beyond me but it never seemed cramped. Grandpa Buckner would urge us kids to eat our carrots as they would make our eyes blue. I wonder now if all of us did have blue eyes?
I remember the bedrooms and how cool the blankets always felt and the plushness of the feather pillows. I remember the dirt floor cellar on the side of the house and how cool it was on a hot day but also how spooky. I always wondered what Grandma Buckner kept down there? I remember what I thought was the back of the house (which was actually the front) with a covered long porch with sweet-smelling roses growing nearby and outdoor lounge chairs scattered about. It looked out to an expanse of green lawn with large Cedar trees at the fence line. It felt private and I would sometimes catch my Grandma taking a rest there while my cousins and I wreaked havoc in the yard.
Beyond the house on the other side were the barns across the road. They were painted that classic barn red and had a huge Osage Orange tree growing on the side. Grandpa Buckner would remind us to never eat the horse apples (that’s what he called them) or we would get “real sick”. Brightly colored chickens were scattered about clucking around and the air smelt of a mix of manure and hay. Down across the road a bit were huge grain silos. That was another warning from Grandpa—never go to the silos by yourself. When they opened the door to them when they were empty, they looked harmless. Not until I was an adult did I ever understand how dangerous a silo can be. I remember the long roads on either side of the house that took us to and from the big town of Savanna and beyond.
All of these memories rush back to me about the sense of place and people. It is almost as if I am in a virtual reality game and I can almost reach out and touch these things and people—they live in my memory that strongly. And I am sure they do for my relatives. I hope they will either comment on their memories here or start their own blogs to keep these memories alive. Well, I have gone on, haven’t I? And no pictures! Frankly, I’ve almost forgot how to do all that fancy-smancy stuff but I will get it together. These Buckner people and others are depending upon it. I’ve decided to include in this blog my mother’s search for her family. It will make sense as I tell you her story because her story is quite similar to our very own Grandpa Buckner.
I will end this post with my Ancestry profile which I wrote about six weeks ago but seems apropos for here.
Between the Spears family on one side and the Mears family on the other, divorces, children borne out of wedlock, names that weave throughout generations, families with dozens of children (those women deserve medals), Glory, Texas!, those who fought for our country (thank you Henry Buckner--I can now be a DAR), slaveowners (very sad) and possible African ancestors (Cecily Collmore, St. Bart’s or Liberia origins?), those who fought for the union and fought against it, the rebel rousers (thank you Charles Nevill, Earl of Westmorland for my fighting spirit), I am trying to find the truth in my own family tree. What I have found so far is that the world is so much more complex than any of us can ever really know or understand.
Tuesday, August 7, 2018
Starting as a farmer with a brand new wife- Soon be livin' in a brand new state! Brand new state - gonna treat you great!
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Marion Buckner circa 1900
|
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| Elsie Oriella Spears? |
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| Biardstown, Texas circa 1909 Delmar, Claud, Viola May, Oriel Spears |
Oriel School Picture--year, place unknown--she is in back row, middle with a bob haircut and big smile
I looked for Glory, Texas (Lamar County) on Google maps and found this: https://goo.gl/maps/eKEtRPuhmnt Initially,
the picture of Grandmother Buckner in front of her homestead said
"Beardstown" but I found on the map of Texas that it is actually
Biardstown. I wonder if they actually lived there--I'm still searching
early census info on them.
GLORY, TEXAS. Glory is on Farm Road 1498 nine miles
south of Paris in south Lamar County. It was established in 1880 and
named by post office officials in response to the enthusiastic
description of the area given by store-owner Nick Ratliff, who had
requested the name Richland. The post office operated from 1881 until
1915. By 1884 the community had several businesses, including three
gristmills, a general store, and a blacksmith shop, and shipped cotton,
corn, and wheat. The population was 150 in 1884 but had dropped to
twenty-five by 1890. In 1914 the population was again recorded as 150,
and a Baptist church was located in Glory. In the 1930s the town had
three hotels, rows of dwellings on both sides of the main street, and a
school. It maintained a population of 100 and two businesses until 1950,
when the population fell to fifty. In 1990 Glory had a population of
thirty, a church, and a business. The population remained at thirty in
2000. https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/hng16
BIARDSTOWN, TEXAS. Biardstown is on Farm Road 1497
six miles south of Paris in south central Lamar County. It was
originally called Baird in honor of a founder, John W. Biard,
whose name was miswritten Baird. The post office opened in 1880 as
Baird but was renamed Biard later that year. In 1883 the name was
changed to Biardstown. The following year postmaster W. A. Milling, who
also served as justice of the peace, reported a population of 100. The
town had become important in cotton shipping, and its businesses
included a cotton gin, two flour mills, a general store, two blacksmith
shops, a cobbler's establishment, and two doctor's offices. In 1890 a
new carpenter shop had opened. Two years later the mail was arriving on a
daily basis, and a district school had been organized. Another general
store had opened, and four new physicians had moved to town. Municipal
officials were Sheriff James W. Biard, Justice of the Peace W. C. Gross,
and Constable J. R. Scott. In 1896 the school enrolled seventy-seven
students and employed one teacher.
The number of residents had increased to 163 in 1904, and in 1914 residents had access to a telephone exchange. From 1925 through the 1940s the population was 163; the postal service was discontinued during this period. Maps for 1936 identified two businesses, a school, and a cluster of dwellings. The population peaked in 1950, when the town had 250 residents and eight businesses. By 1957 local students attended school in the Delmar Independent School District. No businesses were reported in 1970, although residents still numbered 250. The population fell by 1974 to seventy-five. Most of these residents were part-time farmers who worked in nearby Paris. In 1984 Biardstown had several dwellings and one church. In 2000 the population was seventy-five. https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/hnb36
Vista K. McCroskey, "BIARDSTOWN, TX," Handbook of Texas Online (http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/hnb36), accessed December 31, 2015. Uploaded on June 12, 2010. Published by the Texas State Historical Association.
The number of residents had increased to 163 in 1904, and in 1914 residents had access to a telephone exchange. From 1925 through the 1940s the population was 163; the postal service was discontinued during this period. Maps for 1936 identified two businesses, a school, and a cluster of dwellings. The population peaked in 1950, when the town had 250 residents and eight businesses. By 1957 local students attended school in the Delmar Independent School District. No businesses were reported in 1970, although residents still numbered 250. The population fell by 1974 to seventy-five. Most of these residents were part-time farmers who worked in nearby Paris. In 1984 Biardstown had several dwellings and one church. In 2000 the population was seventy-five. https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/hnb36
Vista K. McCroskey, "BIARDSTOWN, TX," Handbook of Texas Online (http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/hnb36), accessed December 31, 2015. Uploaded on June 12, 2010. Published by the Texas State Historical Association.
It's a scandal, it's an outrage!
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Newspapers.com - The Indianapolis Journal - Thu, Nov 7, 1895 -Page 6 Charles Frederick Koehler and Laura Vance (Buckner) Koehler |
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Newspapers.com - The Indianapolis Journal - Sat, Nov 14, 1896 -Page 3 Laura Koehler files lawsuit for support. |
So it looks like in 1896 she filed for support (go Laura!).
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Charles Frederick Koehler and Laura Vance (Buckner) Koehler granted divorce. |
The above says:
Tue, Jan 19, 1897, Indianapolis, Indiana
Laura Vance
(Buckner) Koehler wins divorce lawsuit from Charles Frederick Koehler
and $300 alimony. The Indianapolis Journal, 19 Jan 1897.
According to my inflation calculator, $300 then is worth about a little more than $9,000.00 today. That was probably a significant sum. From what I can tell, Charles Koehler went back to Indiana and married Constance Grauel who then had several children. They had a large grocery store there for some time:
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Charles F. Koehler obituary with photo, The Indianapolis News, 09 Feb 1938, Wed. |
It looks like Laura Vance never saw him again. It's my guess that Charles Koehler's wife and children never knew about his previous marriage nor child. What we don't know is why he left her? After I finish my mom's search, I plan to do my DNA and figure out if there are still Koehler relatives there in Indiana. I believe there are. As for Laura, it looks like she went between Kentucky and Tennessee running boarding houses. Possibly she owned one? I will have to sleuth that out another day. I do think, though, that Thelma and Marion were only half-siblings since it looks like Charles Koehler was long out of the picture once Thelma came along. Oh, the mysteries of life!
Monday, November 23, 2015
Plenty of Heart and Plenty of Hope
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| The Buckner Family Summer 1954 |
Back row (at the top): Charles, Bill, Mary, Delbert holding Gail, Monroe, Jean, Reedis, Herbert holding Sylvia
Middle row: Joyce, Margaret, LaRue holding Jerry, Max holding Bobby, Clara Nell, Thomas, Geneva Lois holding Tommy Walter, Laura Ann
Front row: Delmar Dan, Van Layton, Lynn, Grandma Buckner holding Ann, Duane, Grandpa Buckner holding Ron, Michael Ray behind Grandpa Buckner, Linda Kay
Very Front row: Marilyn (looking up at the sky), Loy, Truitt, Larry, Roger
The day after dad's funeral, we (mom, Carol, Morgan and I) went back to the cemetery. On our way home, I was playing songs from a CD from the state's centennial (located here). One of the songs on it is "Oklahoma" from the musical--we all sang it, even Morgan. The prologue to the song ends with the phrase, "Plenty of Heart and Plenty of Hope" which I think describes dad's life, as well as his parents, growing up in southeastern Oklahoma.
The above picture made me think about doing this blog. On the back of these pictures (there's another one just like it except further away), every person is identified except the child in Grandpa Buckner's lap. We finally compared the family tree with who was there and it turns out the only child not identified was Ron--born in 1953. So we are pretty sure that he got the honor of sitting on Grandpa Buckner's lap. That's Marilyn standing next to them looking up to the sky (I love that) and Linda (caty-korner behind her) looking so prim in her white dress.
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| Herbert, two hounds (and a coon? or a cat?) and turkeys! |
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| Turkeys, Marion, Herbert or Delbert, 1940 |
 |
| Thanksgiving at Grandpa Buckner's (kids table in the background) 1969-- that's my brother Bob in the ever popular 1960's olive shirt and, I think, my dad beside him. Grandpa Buckner sits at the head of the table--not sure who is sitting by him? Frances? I think the boy in yellow in the background might be my brother, Terry. |
If you have any memories of Thanksgiving at their house, please post in the comments.
Update: My nephew, Jason, reminded me that this week is the "great listen" on Storycorps at NPR. There is a free app available to do the recording. Make a plan to interview someone you love on Thanksgiving!
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
Saturday, November 7, 2015
Why should a woman who is healthy and strong, Blubber like a baby if her man goes away? A-weepin' and a-wailin' how he done her wrong, That's one thing you'll never hear me say!
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|
Charles Frederick Koehler
|
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| Laura Vance Buckner Koehler |
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| Maggie Lucetta Kirkpatrick Spears and her husband, Tom Spears |
So we
aren't quite at the beginning but before the beginning. Here's what we
know:
THE SPEARS (Grandma Buckner's parents)
Tom Spears was born February 01, 1872 in Rookwood,
Tennessee. Maggie Lucetta Kirpatrick
was born February 10, 1877 in Glory, Texas. They were married and had Elsia Oriella Spears on March 30,
1898. Although I haven't been able to trace history on the Spears side, Maggie's side is quite different. Her ancestors, Moses Kirkpatrick Sr. and Jr. are listed in the Frank and Jesse James lineage website: http://www.ericjames.org/html2014/fam/fam29616.html. A current day picture of their barn in Kentucky and their family cemetery is here:
This website (which is now problematic) used to have a picture of the house which I cannot find now: http://membersb.heritagesports.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=cr&GRid=24214537&CRid=74742& My recollection of the house was it was a really large log cabin that had been partly covered with siding. Here's what this site (https://digitalcommons.wku.edu/mc_bldgs/28/) says about the Moses Kirkpatrick Barn:
This structure is located .6 mile SE of the junction of Route 100 and Route 212 on Route 212 in the Vernon Quad. This is the barn on the site of the house of Moses Kirkpatrick, who moved from North Carolina, to Virginia, to Center Point, Monroe County. Here, he became quite the businessman within the realm of flat-boating. The original house, ca. 1790-1810, is the oldest of only three brick houses in rural Monroe County. Pictured are the double crib log barn and another outbuilding.
Here's another website with pictures of the graves there: http://www.so-ky.com/cem/monroecem/k/kirkpatrick/kirkpatrick-idx.html It sort of reminds me of the gravestones outside of an old church in the English countryside that mother and I visited--you could barely read the names and dates on the stones since they were so old. Here's an interesting history of Moses Kirkpatrick: http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~kymonro2/land/eastern.html This is an application for the National Register of Historic Places--in it is a review of Moses Kirkpatrick (see page 4, on page 3 it sites that this is the same area that Daniel Boone explored): http://focus.nps.gov/pdfhost/docs/NRHP/Text/64500238.pdf. Even more interesting is that there was mention in some of these about another early explorer, Thomas Lincoln, of that same area of Kentucky. Apparently there is some debate about where Thomas' son, Abraham (later to become President Lincoln), was born--read here: http://www.glasgowdailytimes.com/news/lifestyles/was-abe-born-in-monroe-county/article_84be00cc-d28b-5949-9f2c-1ebb53d2f698.html More information on Moses here: http://www.usbiographies.org/biographies/read.php?446,3341 and here: https://geesnmore.wordpress.com/charles-gee-bridget-neville/children-of-charles-and-bridget/ However, there is some controversy about whether the Thomas Lincoln that is mentioned is Abraham's father or cousin: http://digitalcommons.wku.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2628&context=dlsc_mss_fin_aid Several years ago, when I traced back Maggie's line in the Mormon website, I was able to find that she was a descendant of Elizabeth Woodville, the White Queen (but don't be too surprised--apparently a large chunk of English people can trace their lineage to her). Once I find the links again for that, I will place it here.
Our cousin, Marilyn Carr (Margaret and Bill Smith's daughter) has done some work on myheritage.com. Here's information that she has on Maggie's background: http://www.myheritage.com/site-family-tree-224586911/smith?familyTreeID=1&rootIndivudalID=1500017#!profile-1500095-info
THE KOEHLER/BUCKNERS (Grandpa Buckner's parents)
Charles Frederick Koehler, was born in Germany. He married Laura Vance Buckner and they had Marion Adolph on May 25,1896. The story goes that when Marion turned 4 years old, Charles went back to Germany and was never heard from again. Laura dropped her married name, Koehler, and went back to her maiden name "Buckner". Laura was born December 12, 1876. She was buried in Jellico, Tennessee. When I looked for information on Charles, I found this on the myheritage site but couldn't access it: https://familia.evemor.com/FP/genealogy-search-ppc.php?type=&action=person&siteId=224586911&indId=1500024&origin=profile
Here's what we don't know:
This website (which is now problematic) used to have a picture of the house which I cannot find now: http://membersb.heritagesports.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=cr&GRid=24214537&CRid=74742& My recollection of the house was it was a really large log cabin that had been partly covered with siding. Here's what this site (https://digitalcommons.wku.edu/mc_bldgs/28/) says about the Moses Kirkpatrick Barn:
This structure is located .6 mile SE of the junction of Route 100 and Route 212 on Route 212 in the Vernon Quad. This is the barn on the site of the house of Moses Kirkpatrick, who moved from North Carolina, to Virginia, to Center Point, Monroe County. Here, he became quite the businessman within the realm of flat-boating. The original house, ca. 1790-1810, is the oldest of only three brick houses in rural Monroe County. Pictured are the double crib log barn and another outbuilding.
Here's another website with pictures of the graves there: http://www.so-ky.com/cem/monroecem/k/kirkpatrick/kirkpatrick-idx.html It sort of reminds me of the gravestones outside of an old church in the English countryside that mother and I visited--you could barely read the names and dates on the stones since they were so old. Here's an interesting history of Moses Kirkpatrick: http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~kymonro2/land/eastern.html This is an application for the National Register of Historic Places--in it is a review of Moses Kirkpatrick (see page 4, on page 3 it sites that this is the same area that Daniel Boone explored): http://focus.nps.gov/pdfhost/docs/NRHP/Text/64500238.pdf. Even more interesting is that there was mention in some of these about another early explorer, Thomas Lincoln, of that same area of Kentucky. Apparently there is some debate about where Thomas' son, Abraham (later to become President Lincoln), was born--read here: http://www.glasgowdailytimes.com/news/lifestyles/was-abe-born-in-monroe-county/article_84be00cc-d28b-5949-9f2c-1ebb53d2f698.html More information on Moses here: http://www.usbiographies.org/biographies/read.php?446,3341 and here: https://geesnmore.wordpress.com/charles-gee-bridget-neville/children-of-charles-and-bridget/ However, there is some controversy about whether the Thomas Lincoln that is mentioned is Abraham's father or cousin: http://digitalcommons.wku.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2628&context=dlsc_mss_fin_aid Several years ago, when I traced back Maggie's line in the Mormon website, I was able to find that she was a descendant of Elizabeth Woodville, the White Queen (but don't be too surprised--apparently a large chunk of English people can trace their lineage to her). Once I find the links again for that, I will place it here.
Our cousin, Marilyn Carr (Margaret and Bill Smith's daughter) has done some work on myheritage.com. Here's information that she has on Maggie's background: http://www.myheritage.com/site-family-tree-224586911/smith?familyTreeID=1&rootIndivudalID=1500017#!profile-1500095-info
THE KOEHLER/BUCKNERS (Grandpa Buckner's parents)
Charles Frederick Koehler, was born in Germany. He married Laura Vance Buckner and they had Marion Adolph on May 25,1896. The story goes that when Marion turned 4 years old, Charles went back to Germany and was never heard from again. Laura dropped her married name, Koehler, and went back to her maiden name "Buckner". Laura was born December 12, 1876. She was buried in Jellico, Tennessee. When I looked for information on Charles, I found this on the myheritage site but couldn't access it: https://familia.evemor.com/FP/genealogy-search-ppc.php?type=&action=person&siteId=224586911&indId=1500024&origin=profile
Here's what we don't know:
Why did
Charles Frederick leave Laura? What happened to him? How did Laura view
all of
this? Was she remarried? It seems there was movement of the Kirkpatrick family from Virginia and/or North Carolina to Kentucky and then to Tennessee? What took the Kirkpatrick family from Kentucky to Tennessee? What took them from Tennessee to Oklahoma? I can't find much back history on the Buckner side of the family. Perhaps someone knows more information?
For the title of this post, I turned to Rodgers and Hammerstein's
lyrics to "Many
a New Day" from Oklahoma. I sort of think that Laura handled it that way but maybe
not?
On a personal note, one of my favorite heroines is Lucetta "Lucy" Honeychurch from E.M. Forster's novel, A Room with a View; so it seems somewhat befitting that is also my great grandmother's name.
On a personal note, one of my favorite heroines is Lucetta "Lucy" Honeychurch from E.M. Forster's novel, A Room with a View; so it seems somewhat befitting that is also my great grandmother's name.
If any one finds more information, I will be glad to post it here. For now, you can place it in the comments area.
Update 11/11/15:
Mom's former nurse, Joe, is married to Lori who I consider an expert at family history. Here's what she found on Laura and Charles:
1880 census - Laura is in Kentucky
1895 - Marriage in Indiana of Charles Koehler and Laura Buckner
1896 - Birth of Marion Koehler/Buckner in Tennesee
1902 - Birth of Thelma Koehler/Buckner in Kentucky
1910 census - Laura is in Kentucky
1930 census - Laura is in Tennesee
1871 - Charles Koehler born in Germany
1892 - An Indianapolis City Directory lists this (https://archive.org/stream/polksindianapoli1892unse/polksindianapoli1892unse_djvu.txt
1892 - An Indianapolis City Directory lists this (https://archive.org/stream/polksindianapoli1892unse/polksindianapoli1892unse_djvu.txt
Koehler Bros (Wm and Charles), meats 453 Clifford ave. Koehler Charles F (Koehler Bros), b 246 Keystone ave.
1895 - Marriage of Charles to Laura
1899 - Charles is listed as a clerk in an Indianapolis City Directory: http://www.mocavo.com/Indianapolis-City-Directory-1899-Volume-45/350673/545
He was also listed there in 1891: http://www.mocavo.com/Polks-Indianapolis-Marion-County-Indiana-Directory-1891/117384/425
1900 census - Charles is in Indiana
1899 - Charles is listed as a clerk in an Indianapolis City Directory: http://www.mocavo.com/Indianapolis-City-Directory-1899-Volume-45/350673/545
He was also listed there in 1891: http://www.mocavo.com/Polks-Indianapolis-Marion-County-Indiana-Directory-1891/117384/425
1900 census - Charles is in Indiana
1900 - Marriage in Indiana of Charles Koehler and Constance Granel
(Saw spelling as Granel and Gravel....think Granel is the correct
spelling)
1901 - Birth of Arthur Koehler: http://www.familytreenow.com/records/census/koehler/arthur/jowp_aub_45sdewghh0tfq
1905 - Indianapolis City Directory https://archive.org/stream/polksindianapoli1905unse/polksindianapoli1905unse_djvu.txt
Koehler Bros (Wm F and Charles F), gro- cers 2122 E 10th. Koehler Charles F (Koehler Bros), h 911 Hamilton av.
1905 - Indianapolis City Directory https://archive.org/stream/polksindianapoli1905unse/polksindianapoli1905unse_djvu.txt
Koehler Bros (Wm F and Charles F), gro- cers 2122 E 10th. Koehler Charles F (Koehler Bros), h 911 Hamilton av.
1905 - Birth of Carl Koehler
1909 - Birth of Harold Koehler
1910 census - Charles is in Indiana
1914 - Birth of Herbert Koehler
1920 census - Charles is in Indiana
1930 census - Charles is in Indiana: http://www.mocavo.com/1930-United-States-Census/126213/004950628/302#row-30
Sheryl's note: I found the same thing on Charles (but I couldn't see all the information). Maybe he didn't make it back to Germany like everyone thought?
Update on November 17: I provided some links to the things that Lori found and then I found this in a book called, "INDIANA AND INDIANANS" page 1685-1686 (ugh--it may be more than what we really want to know) https://archive.org/stream/3868300/3868300_djvu.txt:
CHARLES F. KOEHLER is a well known Indianapolis merchant whose career has been out of the ordinary, both with respect to its experiences and its accomplishments. He was born in Saxony, Germany, Feb- ruary 12, 1871, son of Charles F. and Car- oline (Wirrgang) Koehler. In the -old country his father was a miller. In 1885, when Charles F., Jr., was fourteen years old, the family came to America and lo- cated at Indianapolis. Here the father learned the trade of carpenter, and he con- tinued to follow that vocation as long as he was physically able. He is still living in Indianapolis. His wife died here in 1908. The second in a family of ten children, Charles F. Koehler had a common school education during his life in Germany. When the family came to Indianapolis they were in humble circumstances and Charles had to assume some of the respon- sibilities of providing for his own way and keeping the household in food and cloth- ing. The day after his arrival in the city he was sent into the country and secured employment on a farm for a man named Lucas. This farm where he had his pre- liminary labor experience in America is located on the Churchman Pike. This and other work busied him for two years, and then came the opportunity which he made the opening for his real life work. Mr. Koehler was put on the payroll of the Queiser Grocery House on Virginia Avenue as delivery boy and clerk. There was nothing about the store in form of work which did not come within the scope of his experience and his assignment dur- ing the next few months. But busy as he was in the day he helped to improve his education by attending a night school. Thirty years ago Mr. Koehler with his brother William opened the store at 2122 East Tenth Street, and in that locality he has been ever since. His entire personal capital at the beginning was only six dol- lars. Having ability and some friends he borrowed two hundred dollars, and that was the foundation of a rapidly increasing enterprise which was soon more than pay- ing its own way and giving the brothers opportunity to discount their bills. They continued the partnership twenty-two years, when William withdrew. Since then Mr. C. F. Koehler has continued busi- ness alone and has a large and well equipped grocery store and meat market. His success is due to the application of fundamental business principles and eth- ics, and it stands out the more remarkable because at the start he was little more than a green German boy without even the ability to express himself in the Eng- lish language. In 1900 Mr. Koehler married Miss Con- stance Grauel, who was 'born in Wisconsin, daughter of Julius Grauel. They have four young sons, Arthur, Carl, Herbert and Harold. Mr. Koehler and wife are active members of the Butler Memorial Reformed Church. He is a member of the Grocers Association, and fraternally he has affilia- tions with Brookside Lodge of the Knights of Pythias and with Lodge No. 18 of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. A few years ago Mr. Koehler bought a farm of eighteen acres near the city on Pendle- ton Pike, and this is the summer home of the family. Mr. Koehler is extremely loyal to the land of his adoption, where his opportunities developed themselves, and recently he has responded generously to the cause of this country's prosperity by investing heavily in Liberty Loan Bonds and Thrift Stamps.
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| 1910 U.S. Census Charles F. Koehler Family, Indiana
Name origin http://www.familytree.com/surnames/Koehler:
Koehler Family Name
A German surname which meant a man making charcoal from wood. In England just Lancashire county had Koehler families.
Various spellings include Kohler, Kolar, Koelar, Koellar, Coler, Kolar, Coeler and Koelle.
Early Koehler families came to Pennsylvania to settle in the 1740s and
1750s. By the 1800s the Koehler families had mostly resettled in New
York, Ohio, Illinois and Indiana but many remained in Pennsyvlania.
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