Surname Saturday – Bookless

My great-great-grandmother Louisa Bookless is the ancestor closest to me with the surname of Bookless. She was born to David Bookless and Mary Cartmell in Coshocton, Ohio on April 13, 1834. She was the fourth of five children; the others were Anna, an unnamed infant daughter, William, and James Scott. In early Coshocton county records, the surname was often spelled Buckless. At the age of 5, Louisa lost her mother and at 12 her father. She was living in the James Rice household at the time of the 1850 census along with her older brother William. When she was 18, she married William Washington Werts. The couple had 2 chidren – my great-grandmother Mary Angeline Werts and George Wesley Werts. In April 1857, Louisa’s husband died leaving her with a 4 year old son and 2 year old daughter. Louisa sent her children to live with relatives as she was unable to provide for them.

Louisa married John Simon on April 28, 1861, and the couple had one daughter, Sarah Ellen Simon – my great-grandmother’s half-sister. Louisa died on July 26, 1912 at the age of 78. The obituary in the Coshocton Tribune on July 27, 1812 on page 8 is filled with errors. She is listed as “Mrs. Eliza Simmons” instead of Mrs. Louisa Simon. My great-grandmother often went by a shortened version of her middle name – Annie –  but she is listed as Anna, and her widower is not listed in the obituary even though he also lived with my great-grandmother. John died two years later. The couple are buried together at St. Paul Cemetery in Coshocton, Ohio.

David Bookless was born in Coshocton county in 1808 and only lived to the age of 40. While in Coshocton, David became it’s very first coroner as referenced by a news article in the Coshocton Tribune on May 6, 1952. Before he died, David moved to Iroquois county, Illinois – even though he still had minor children in Coshocton. Perhaps he went looking for work. He and his wife Mary are buried in the Bookless Cemetery in Iroquois county.

David’s father was William Bookless, and presently I do not have any documented information on him.

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Oh My Darling, Clementine (52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks – Week 6)

My family tree has many Johns, Josephs, James, Peters, Williams, Marys,Marthas, Sarahs, Elizabeths, and Catherines but not too many Clementines. There are exactly two. Clementine Romaine Adney, daughter of Henry Harrison Adney and Elizabeth Jane Blazer was born in Holt, Missouri on January 29, 1873 and died on December 23, 1952 in Benton, Oregon. Clementine was my second cousin three times removed. Our shared ancestors are Philip Blazer and Elizabeth Kingsley.

The other Clementine is my great-aunt; sister of my paternal grandfather. Her birth name was Louisa Clementine Amore. Her first name was in honor of her mother’s mom – Louisa (Bookless) Werts Simon. Yet, she was “Clemmie” to everyone else.

Aunt Clemmie was born on March 12, 1874 in Lafayette township of Coshocton county, Ohio to William Henry and Mary Angeline (Werts) Amore. She was the oldest of seven and the only girl. When she was 12, she was an exemplary student with perfect attendance and a grade of 100. Unfortunately, her education went to 8th grade but not beyond according to the 1940 census.

At the age of 19, Clemmie married Benjamin F Baker on December 7, 1893 in Coshocton, Ohio. The couple had four children: Donald Francis, Anna Belle, Clara Ethel, and Charlotte (Lottie) Christina. Ben Baker died on May 19, 1936 leaving Clemmie a widow. Their children were all grown and married by then. The 1940 census lists Clemmie living in the Curtis Davis household on S. Eureka Avenue in Columbus, Ohio as a housekeeper. She had worked every single week of the previous year with an annual income of $260.

At the Amore-Baker reunion in 1951, Clemmie posed with her six brothers for a photo. Left to right: my grandfather Lloyd, Rollo, Clemmie, Zade (Isaiah), Roy, Clarence, and Herbert. It is one of only three I have of Clemmie and her brothers. She died on April 4, 1956 in Springfield, Ohio at the home of her daughter and son-in-law, Anna and Harrie Foster. Her brother (and my grandfather) Lloyd had passed away the year before. Her obituary stated that she was survived by her four children, 12 grandchildren, several great-grandchildren, and five brothers. Aunt Clemmie was laid to rest next to her husband at Sunset Cemetery in Galloway, Ohio.

This is a post in the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge for Week 6. For more information or to sign up to participate (all free!!), check out Amy Johnson Crow’s post: 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks.

(Clementine graphic: Wikimedia Commons – public domain. All other digital photos in possession of Wendy Littrell)

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Genealogy Road Trip – Part Six

Map of Coshocton and Roscoe

(Links to the Parts One through Five are at bottom of this post.)

Since my grandson had endured without too much complaint many, many hours stuck in the genealogy room of the Coshocton Public Library the day before, I told him that our last full day in Coshocton would be spent doing something fun. We headed in to Roscoe and before going on the tour, we went up the Hill so I could take photos of my great-parents’ home (William Henry and Mary Amore). My cousin Bill had confirmed on Tuesday that what I was correct on which house had been theirs.

The picture below is the reason I was 98% sure that this was correct.

See that little shed back there? That wasn’t just your ordinary run-of-the-mill-store-stuff-in shed. That was William Henry’s cobbler shop! Below is a cropped photo.

In a letter dated February 9, 2000 my Aunt Marie wrote: “When us kids were younger, we used to go over to Roscoe to visit my grandparents (Pop’s mother and father). Grandpa had a shoe shop in one end of the kitchen and then later he did have a little shop just down on the hill about one half block from their house.”

After I had gotten the photos I wanted, we went on back down Hill Street to where it intersected with Whitewoman Street toward the Historic Roscoe Village Visitor Center. (Whitewoman Street is named after Mary Harris who was living amidst the Native Americans in what would become the Coshocton area in the mid-1700s. You can read about her here.) I stopped mid-way at the photography studio as it hadn’t been opened when we had driven by it before. Portraits in Time Photography offers all types of photos – studio, location, family, individual, and more. They also have many costumes so you can get a photo in old period costume as a keepsake of your visit to Roscoe. I received permission from the photographer (Mary Cameron) to post the photo.

Copyright © Portraits in Time Photography (used with permission)

After we had fun doing that, we went to the Visitor Center to purchase our tickets for the walking self-guided tour. Please note that you can walk along the road in Historic Roscoe Village and enter any of the stores you want, but in order to go inside the historic buildings and have the docents give you the history, you must purchase a ticket.

Roscoe Village sprung up as a canal town in the 1830s and within the Center is a diorama of the Canal and lock system.

As we were looking at other items, we were told that the movie “Ditches of Destiny” was ready for viewing. This is a very brief history of the Canal system and those who worked it. My great-great-grandfather William Amore was a mule driver on the Erie Canal so I was excited to see the film. My grandson told me that he hoped he could stay awake because he thought it would be bo-ring – but he really enjoyed it! I learned exactly what role a mule driver played giving me a better understanding of William. We were informed that there were canal boat rides on the Monticello III but decided not to do that due to the time it would take to walk to where the boat was moored and wanting to make sure we saw everything in Roscoe Village on our last day. The ticket for the canal boat ride is extra. So we finished exploring the Visitor Center. I bought a coffee mug at the gift shop. We saw a Regina Style 25 music box. On the lower level I took a photo of my grandson next to the mural, and a photo of Ohio sandstone. As we left to begin our tour, we saw the Ohio Historical Marker about the Underground Railroad Agents.

There are still some privately owned residences on Whitewoman Street that are beautifully kept. The gardens outside the Visitor Center are lovely and peaceful. We stopped at Roscoe Village Sweets & Treats. They have candy that makes you feel nostalgic for your childhood – whatever era that might be! We stopped in at The Craftman’s House which was owned by Daniel Boyd. It was built in 1825 – the oldest home in Roscoe. Boyd was a weaver and a docent worked on the loom explaining how it worked.

We stopped in at another shop, Canal Cargo just to see what they had. There were candles, a wine cellar, soaps, scarves, and much more. At Dr. Maro Johnson’s office built in 1842, we were treated to a tour guide dressed in period clothing, and who enthusiastically explained some of the surgical/medical techniques the good doctor used in the 1800s. He used both floors of the building.

When we left the doctor’s office, we went next door to his home that was built in the 1830s. We quickly saw a difference between the wealthier doctor’s home and the working class craftman’s home.

A replica of a canal boat is at the end of one side of the street – the Caldersburg Pearl. We saw it on the previous trips down Whitewoman Street but were able to go aboard with our living history tour tickets. I was excited to see it up close and personal as I knew that almost 170 years ago, my great-great-grandfather saw real canal boats up close and personal. We saw the area where the captain’s family would be, the stove to keep the occupants warm, harnesses for the horses, and learned more about what was on a canal boat. I had my grandson take a photo of me on the replica.

We stopped at the River Ridge Leather Shop and watched the owner work on some leather goods. I purchased four leather coasters. Let me tell you – it smelled so good in there! Then we went to the Annin Flagmakers Showroom and saw tons of American flags in all sizes made right there. It is located in the Daniel Carroll house built around 1850-1860 and housed a grocery store at that time.

In the one room Roscoe School, we were given information about what school was like for the children who attended. There were display cases with several items and an 1872 Steinway piano used for music.

The Calderburg Trading Company is located in the only duplex on Whitewoman Street. It was built about 1887 and today – with the wall separating the two “homes” removed, it has two front doors and two staircases. The shop boasts an assortment of women’s clothing, antiques, gifts, jewelry and more! Oh to have a lot of time to shop there!

My grandson was excited to see the Village Smithy because he has been learning how to forge from a local blacksmith.

At the Hay Craft Learning Center, we saw how brooms were made and also saw an 1870s printing press. We received a fresh print and my grandson was able to make his own print on a smaller press. I used to work for a printing company in the early 1980s so I really enjoyed seeing all of the printer’s blocks, type and the presses.

After several hours of learning about the history of the town my ancestors had settled in to live, it was time to head back to the hotel. I had laundry to do so we could pack up. The laundromat was clean and kept cool with large fans. After I posted my location on Facebook, one of my daughter’s commented that it was right next to a cemetery too! Yes, it was close to South Lawn Cemetery where we had gone two days previous! Then it was time for dinner so we went back to Bob Evans next to the hotel. One last time, my grandson chose double chocolate hotcakes to eat. I was really going to miss Coshocton and Roscoe Village. I had crammed in as much genealogy and fun as possible in the four days we were there, but it was time to head to our next destination – my mother’s hometown.

Next: Anderson, Indiana and vicinity

Please go back to Part One
Part Two
Part Three
Part Four
and Part Five if you need to catch up!

(All photos copyright Wendy Littrell – except the one by Portraits in Time Photography)

 

 

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Genealogy Road Trip – Part Five

(Links for the first four parts are at the end of this blog post.)

My grandson and I got an early start on Wednesday, July 13, and headed to get breakfast. By the way, did I mention that beginning the very first night we checked in to our hotel, we had flushing issues with the toilet? They left a plunger with us but it was still not flushing correctly so when we left the hotel to begin our day on Wednesday, I more or less gave the hotel an ultimatum – fix it or move us. (The maintenance man finally fixed it during the day while we were out!)

There were many things I had wanted to cram in to our day, and the first item on the agenda was finding and taking photos of the houses my ancestors had lived. Luckily, with a borrowed GPS, it made my job easier to find the homes. I had five addresses – one home looked pretty trashed (a lot of junk piled around outside) and another one had been torn down.

This was the home my grandparents, Lloyd and Ella (House) Amore lived in during the 1930s and 40s. In fact my Uncle Bervil Amore’s son, Bill, was born upstairs.

I believe the house above is the last home my grandfather, Lloyd, resided before his death in 1955. This is the house my sister remembers visiting him.

This house was the home of my great-grandparents – James and Frances (Ogan) House – in the early 1900s. After Lloyd and Ella moved to the farm owned by her parents, James and Frances bought the new home in 1915 just prior to Frances’ death. The 1,228 square foot home has three bedrooms and one bath. The total lot size is 6,300 square feet (home details from Trulia.com). James and youngest son, Lester, continued to live in the home until James went to the Sandusky Soldier’s and Sailor’s home in the early 1920s – where he lived on and off until his death on October 1, 1924. This was the home where Lester’s second wife, Pearl Davidson, took her own life on the morning of April 5, 1945 via a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.

I took this photo of the Church of the Nazarene after I drove by and remembered my cousins telling me that my grandmother Ella had attended this church. I turned around and parked across the street to take this shot.

Following our morning criss-crossing Coshocton, we headed toward Historic Roscoe Village. We wanted to visit the Johnson-Humrickhouse Museum. The name comes from the union of Mary Susan Humrickhouse and Joseph Johnson. Their sons – John and David Johnson – collected many items and artifacts from their many trips around the world. They left all the items to the village of Roscoe. (Sources: Wikipedia: Johnson-Humrickhouse Museum and J-H Museum brochure)

Outside the museum is the cut-out (shown above in photo) so I had to take a photo of it with my grandson! The other photos (above) were taken in the Historic Ohio gallery and consist of the village shoemakers tools (which I had to get a picture because my great-grandfather and my great-great-grandfather were both shoemakers and one was located in Roscoe Village!), furnishings from a log house, and 18th & 19th century firearms.

The American Indian gallery exhibits included the Zuni Turquoise and Squash bracelet and necklace and Coral Squash necklace (top right), the Chippewa cradleboard (center right), Native American coiled baskets. and the Sioux Elk Hide Dress (left).

Other items displayed included the early Ohio typewriter (top right), Italian accordian decorated with mother-of-pearl (center right), early Ohio spinning wheel (bottom right), a walrus tusk with Inuit Scrimshaw artwork (bottom left), and the Newark Holy Stones (top left). The stones were reported to be found in 1860 among the ancient Indian burial mounds in Newark, Ohio. For more information, you can read about the stones here.

Along with the Newark Holy Stones exhibit on the second floor, is also the Golden Gallery. Items in the “Victorian Nook” include a 1930s silk wedding dress and 19th century men’s suit (left), a white lawn dress, and a studio camera.

Sharing space in the Golden Gallery, are many printers tools and objects. A separate room on the second floor is used for Special Exhibits. During the time of our visit, the exhibit was “Grafted to the Past” – art that was inspired by objects in the museum to commemorate its 85th anniversary. The photo on the above left is Rounce mixed media artwork done by Curt Derby. Besides printers blocks, quoins, and tools on the right hand side above, there is a Washington press and a model of the Gutenberg press. These exhibits appealed to the graphic artist side of me! I absolutely adored them.

Two exhibits included in the Asian Gallery were the Japanese Samurai and Buddha. Located in the Historic Ohio Gallery was the Stock tray (center bottom) first made in Coshocton. The 1850s square grand piano at the top right was used in the first Roscoe Hotel during the Civil War. Below that is a photo of a page from a 1570 Bible. The Boston Parlor Organ was manufactured in Coshocton in the 19th century. Lastly, on the bottom right corner, is Lord Baltimore’s prayer book dated 1632.

I recommend a visit to this museum if you are ever in the Coshocton area. It won’t take up all of your day but it is well worth the small admission cost. There is also a gift shop on the first floor. I made a purchase of a book about Ohio’s Canals and my grandson – after seeing many, many arrowheads in the American Indian Gallery, bought some arrowheads!

After we left the museum, we headed to the Coshocton Public Library. I wanted to do some in-depth research in their genealogy room. Had I realized that most everything I thought I would be able to find was already digitized or my cousin had sent it to me, I would not have spent as many hours (6+) there. I also would have urged my grandson to find a nice cozy chair in the main part of the library – where there was an electrical outlet for his phone and hand held gaming system – so he wouldn’t have been as bored as he was. Lesson learned.

I pored over many books and items from the vertical files. Unfortunately, the very limited amount of microfilm readers were being used most of the time I was there – at least the one with the copier attached. Finally, the user left and I was able to delve in to the wills and probates microfilm. Bingo! I found my great-grandparents’ (James and Frances House) wills. That is something I need if I ever decide to apply for the Daughters of Union Veterans Lineage Society as it proves that my grandmother is James’ daughter.

Next – Historic Roscoe Village Tour

Links to the first few parts:
Part One
Part Two
Part Three
Part Four

(All photos copyright Wendy Littrell, address for private use.)

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Mining the Agricultural Census for Clues (31 Days to Better Genealogy, Day 3)

Amy Johnson Crow is hosting an online learning experience called “31 Days to Better Genealogy.” If you haven’t signed up for this, you can do so here. There is also a closed Facebook group that you can request to join after you sign up for the daily newsletter. You will receive a daily email and during the day, Amy posts a live video on the Facebook group. All members of the group are encouraged to work on the tip of the day, report their results, help and encourage each other.

Yesterday’s topic was “Explore Your Ancestor’s Occupation” and one of the items listed included looking at the Agriculture Census if your ancestor was a farmer. The ancestor I wanted to explore was my great-grandfather, James Emory House, born in May 1842 and died in October 1924. For most of his life he lived in Coshocton county, Ohio and indicated on the US Censuses that he was a farmer. His daughter – my grandmother’s sister – Julia Ann House had graduated high school (as did most of the eight children in the family), and when Julia married on Christmas Day in 1906, her dress was “white silk draped in chiffon.” Not only was it out of the ordinary for a family to afford to give their daughter a lavish wedding but to purchase a silk wedding dress for her. Those things indicated that James House had a substantial income.

I turned to the Non-Population Schedule in Agriculture for 1880. It showed that my great-grandfather owned 50 acres of improved land, 10 acres of woodlands with a total value of $2700. He owned two horses, 4 dairy cows, 5 other cattle, 8 swine, and 50 barnyard poultry. His chickens laid 200 dozen eggs in 1879. There were two acres in apple orchard with 50 fruit bearing trees and one acre in peach orchard with 40 fruit bearing trees. In 1879, five acres were grass mown and six acres of hay harvested. Crops included Indian corn – 4 acres/150 bushels; Oats – 2 acres/50 bushes; Wheat – 10 acres/170 bushels; and Irish potatoes – a quarter acre/20 bushels. Today, that $2700 would be close to $60,000.

This census provided me insight as to how well-to-do my great-grandfather and his family were back in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

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Genealogy Road Trip – Part Four

(You can catch up with Part One, Part Two, and Part Three prior to moving on if you have not read those already.)

I was up bright and early on Tuesday, July 12, ready for an adventure I had spent the previous fifteen years dreaming about! I had contacted my first cousin once removed, Bill, in 2001 (I think!) after I found his post on a message board concerning our shared Amore family. We spent quite a bit of time emailing back and forth as we shared information and documents with each other as well as becoming family. And very soon, I would get to meet Bill and his wonderful wife, Becky, in person! By the time they drove in to the hotel parking lot, I was filled with emotion and overjoyed to be able to hug them and talk to them in person.

Bill navigated while I drove. The first place we ventured was back to Roscoe Cemetery since it was not too far from the hotel. They had been to most of the cemeteries we planned to visit. While Bill had seen my great-grandparents’ grave (William Henry Amore and Mary Angelina Werts), and I had seen a photo of the stone, it took a bit of time to find. Just about the time, we were all splitting up to look for it, I looked out the window of the car and pointed it out!

Our adventure that day took us to (these are in no particular order!) Mount Zion Cemetery, Orange (Richmond) Cemetery, Prairie Chapel Cemetery, Plainfield Cemetery, Coshocton Memory Gardens, and South Lawn Cemetery. At Mt Zion, I saw the stones for my 2nd great-grandparents – William Amore and Charlotte Reed Amore, along with their young sons and infants of William and his third wife, Elizabeth Spencer.

Amore sons, Charlotte & William Amore, Oliver Amore

My 2nd great-grandparents on the House side (Florus Allen House and Julia Ann Lewis) are also buried at Mt Zion. Their gravestones were remarkably still easy to read.

Orange Cemetery – also called Richmond Cemetery – located in what used to be called Evansburg – a village in Oxford township (Evansburg does not exist any longer). To get to the cemetery, we had to cross private property. Bill indicated we should stop at the farm house to let the owners know why we were parking on their property. Becky and my grandson stayed in the car while Bill and I made our way up a hill to the cemetery. Although none of our ancestors are buried there, William Amore’s first wife is and her stone is one we hoped to see. Unfortunately, due to erosion and the fragility of the stones, Frances Price’s stone was not there. It may have been one of the many that the person mowing the cemetery had leaned next to the fence. Bill showed me where he remembered it being, and I snapped a photo of that area.

Richmond Cemetery

Coshocton Memory Gardens lies off of Ohio state highway 621 less than 15 minutes from my hotel. That cemetery is very large and mostly unshaded. With the morning sun beating down, the four of us split up in order to look for my Uncle Norman Amore. I knew he had a double stone with his wife and a military marker with flag. Passing by single stones quickly, we all took sections and walked up and down the hill. At one point, I looked up to the heavens and said, “Uncle Norman, where are you?” Just then, Becky called out that she had found him! It was back down the hill again to his stone.

I did not have Plainfield Cemetery on my list because I just hadn’t thought there would be time to go. It wasn’t that far out of the way. When we drove in, I wasn’t sure if we would be able to locate any of the Amore graves. My great-grandfather’s brother, George Washington Amore, and his wife are buried there. Just like what happened at Roscoe Cemetery, we were driving through when it was pointed out that there was an Amore gravestone.

Not only did we find George Washington Amore but his wife Catherine Burden Amore, sons – Jesse and Stanley Amore, his two granddaughters and husbands – Corle and Hayden Roahrig and Kathryn and Chester Williams. When we saw the small stone in front of George’s headstone, our first reading of it was W. Amore. Bill and I thought we’d hit upon someone earlier than William Amore – but upon closer examination, realized it was George’s footstone and it read G W Amore.

Moving on to South Lawn Cemetery, we stopped at the cemetery office first as it is a very large cemetery that is spread out in many sections. We weren’t sure if the office was open but as providence would have it – a very helpful and knowledgable woman was on hand to provide immense help. She took the list of names, looked up each one, and then marked the plot on a map she gave to us. Without her help, we would not have been able to cover that entire cemetery in the short amount of time we had. On the Amore side, we found our Uncle Zade (Isaiah) and his wife Rose, Uncle Rollo and his wife Alice Belle, Uncle Herbert and his wife Fannie (and their son, Ernest).

The photo located above at the lower right is the area where my dad’s baby sister, Mae Maxine, is buried. She never received a marker. In the cemetery books, she is listed as “Infant of Lloyd Amore.”

On my grandmother’s House side of the family, we found her half-sister, Lucina Conger (yes, her stone reads Lucinda but her name did not have the “d”), and her husband John Allen Conger. Their stones were a bit difficult to photograph as they are directly behind the stone that marks their plot.

My great-grandfather’s sister, Sarah House Chamberlin along with her husband Benjamin Chamberlin’s stone was found by my grandson. He asked if we were still looking for them and told us where the plot was located.

William Riley House, brother of my great-grandfather, James Emory House, is buried close to his daughter-in-law, Anna Ruby House. Anna’s daughter from her first marriage, Juanita Burch Kah and son-in-law, John I Kah, are buried next to each other. Anna Ruby is the daughter of my grandmother Ella’s half-sister Belle Dora House Ruby. So . . . first cousins ended up getting married (each was their second marriage) and there were no children born.

After lunch we went back to the hotel so Bill and Becky could get their car. We were headed to get gas and then I would follow them to the last cemetery on our list – Prairie Chapel – before they headed out of town toward home. The last time I was at that cemetery, I was a small child. Those who are buried there include my paternal grandparents, Lloyd and Ella (House) Amore, my great-grandparents James Emory and Frances V (Ogan) House, and my grandmother’s siblings and their spouses.

There wasn’t a flag at James House’s grave even though other veterans had flags (similar to my grandfather Glen R Johnson’s grave in Ohio). Recently, I have found the correct organization to contact in order to rectify that in the future. Julia’s and Charles’ inscriptions (my grandma’s older sister and younger brother) are on the other side of the stone in the above picture. Julia died a year after she and Percy J Tuttle were married and during childbirth. Charles died at the age of 12 in a farming accident.

Grandma Ella’s youngest brother, Alva Lester ‘Doc’ House and his wife are also buried there. Lester died at the age of 81. His second wife, Pearl, died at the age of 51 by her own hand.

My great-uncle John House and his wife, Lulu Peer House – their stone is below.

My grandmother’s older brother, Florus A House and his wife, Emma (Stacer) House’s stone (below). Their infant son, Welby, is also buried there.

All too soon (it seemed), the day had flown by and Bill and Becky had to return to their home. We hugged goodbye and then left in different directions. After my grandson and I relaxed a bit at the hotel, it was time to figure out what we were going to have for supper. We decided to head to the local Pizza Hut. I had to take a photo of the license plate on the wall – “Birthplace of Aviation”!!!!

Next – fun at the museum.

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Genealogy Road Trip – Part Three

If you need to catch up on Part One and Part Two, I’ll wait . . .

So now the time had come for the next leg of my journey – my dad’s hometown of Coshocton, Ohio. Coshocton is located in west central Ohio near the foothills of the Appalachian mountains and just under 3 hours from where we were outside of Dayton. Knowing the horrible traffic and road construction of I-71 and I-70 through Columbus, I chose to spend most of the drive via the country. We headed toward Xenia and then north to Columbus on 70 but went around the city eastward. Before reaching Zanesville, we headed north and then east on 16. As we drove through Newark, I pointed out the Longaberger Basket Building to my grandson. He just had to get a picture as we passed by!

I had left my cousin’s house earlier than planned so we arrived at our hotel before noon. Even though the hotel check in was later in the day, they had our room ready for us so we got our luggage and settled in. Then we set out to explore a bit. We headed toward the courthouse square and passed the Presbyterian church where my grandparents – Lloyd Amore and Ella House – were married in 1903.

Presbyterian Church (left) and Chapel (right)

We walked around the square while we were there. The Coal Miner’s Memorial is dedicated to all those men who worked in the mines and those who lost their lives. It was very important for me to see as not only did some of my dad’s cousins work in the coal mines but so did my grandpa Lloyd Amore. The Bicentennial Time Capsule is special to me because a letter was placed in it from my Great-Uncle, Rev. Isaiah H (“Zade”) Amore. The front page of the November 21, 1976 edition of the Coshocton Tribune reports: In his letter he states that Coshocton has been good to him and has taught him how much people need one another. Rev. Amore strikes a humorous note in his letter, as he often did in the sermons that made his ministry so successful, when he concludes with “I have had my share of weddings and funerals.” Uncle Zade had just celebrated his 100th birthday and due to health reasons, he was unable to be present at the ceremony that day. I am thrilled that in the fall of 2076 someone will open that time capsule and read his letter! The Coshocton County War Memorial is a part of other memorial markers in front of the courthouse. (Photo of the square below.)

Bob Evans restaurant was right next door to our hotel, so we went there for a late lunch. My grandson was excited that they had double chocolate hotcakes on the menu (wait a minute, I thought we were there for lunch?)!

After lunch, we headed just around the corner from our hotel to Historic Roscoe Village. I wanted to do a quick check on things just in case we weren’t able to do the tour later in the week. Many years ago, my dad sent me some photos from his last visit to Coshocton. On the back of one, he wrote “Coshocton General Store, some of my brothers and sisters were born upstairs.” That picture has been posted here on the blog quite awhile ago. When we walked in the store, I told the lady at the counter that my grandparents had lived in the upstairs room in the early 1900s and some of my dad’s siblings were born there. She was very excited and told me there were antiques for sale in the upstairs room so I could go up the steps and stand in that same room. After we came back down, we did a bit of shopping and my grandson bought a ball cap before leaving. I stood across the street and took photos of the store. However, and this made me feel sad later – the photo my dad had sent to me and labeled the General Store was not, in fact, correct. I did take a picture of the correct building later – even though I never went in and upstairs – mainly because I was still under the impression that it was the General Store where my grandparents’ home had been.

In the photos above, you will see the picture my dad sent to me, then the one I took of the General Store, and finally of the Roscoe Village Suites – the correct building. (I am not sure why I didn’t look at the picture on the blog before deciding I had the right building – let that be a lesson learned.) I can take comfort knowing that my grandparents and great-grandparents probably did shop at the General Store even though I now know that they didn’t live there.

I captured more photos while on our walk down Whitewoman Street through Historic Roscoe Village. After we left, we went up the hill in Roscoe and passed the home I believed to be where my great-grandparents, William H and Mary Angelina (Werts) Amore lived. Up from their house was the Roscoe Cemetery. I drove through but didn’t see their graves. It would be the next day when I would spend more time at the cemeteries in the area.

Our late dinner was spent at McDonalds – grandson’s choice. Then we went back to the hotel to just rest and relax. The next day – Tuesday – was going to be one filled with tons of walking up and down hills.

Next – meeting new cousins and visiting ancestral graves.

 

 

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Travel Tuesday – Summer 2016 Road Trip

Readers may notice that there has been a lull in recent blog posts. This is in part to several things but the most important was a road trip I took in the early part of July. The main purpose for my trip was to fulfill my dad’s wishes to have his ashes interred beside his second wife, Dottie, at Royal Oak Memorial Gardens in Brookville, Ohio – just outside of Dayton.

Once my time in the Dayton area was complete, my 15 year old grandson and I traveled further northeast to my dad’s hometown. I hadn’t visited Coshocton, Ohio since I was a child so it was a joy to be able to see it as an adult especially after extensive genealogical research on the paternal side of my family. After spending a week in Coshocton, I headed west toward home with a three day stop in Anderson, Indiana – my mom’s hometown as well as her dad’s.

Following our twelve day vacation, we began our journey home – stopping in Springfield, Illinois to visit President Lincoln’s home and his tomb.

It was a welcome break for me and even though he wasn’t too thrilled with spending seven hours at the library on one day and two hours another, my grandson enjoyed some perks.

There will be more blog posts to come with details of the what, who, where, why, and how! It was a trip filled with many blessings!

(Digital Photo: Monarch Butterfly Garden at Falls Park, Pendleton, Indiana; 16 July 2016; photographer: Wendy Littrell; copyright 2016. No unauthorized use of photo. Original digital photo in possession of Wendy Littrell – Address for private use.)

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A Snippet of a Life

Today marks the 95th anniversary of my dad’s birth. He’s no longer here to celebrate a birthday. He passed away on December 3rd – ironic because that was the day he and my mom were married in 1943. Ironic because they were divorced in 1973. It was also the day of my baptism in the early 70s. The funeral home that handled the arrangements was less than competent and never published a correct obituary. To honor my dad, I’m posting the full obituary – without worry of copyright infringement because this is the first time it has been published. I wrote it the day after he died. As the family historian, I’m like that. Yet, this obituary only gives a short snippet of who my dad was in life. It’s the first time since he’s been gone, that I’ve been able to publicly write about his life. I’m hoping to tell you more about the man I knew as Dad in the next few weeks.

Eugene James Amore (“Gene”) passed away at Tri-County Nursing Home in Fanning Springs, Florida on December 3, 2015 at the age of 94 from complications of a stroke and pneumonia. He was born to Lloyd W. Amore and Ella Marie (House) Amore on April 4, 1921 in Coshocton, Ohio. He was preceded in death by his parents; siblings: Gertrude Shackelford, Gail Amore, Marie Quirk, Paul Amore, Norman Amore, Bervil Amore, and Maxine Amore; son James G. Amore; and stepson Edward Mottl. He was also preceded in death by his wives, Dorothy (Thackston) Amore and Florence (Smith) Amore. He is survived by his wife Joan Bateman of Chiefland; daughters: Michele (Bill) Broughton of Bonham, Texas and Wendy (Charlie) Littrell of Mendon, Missouri; stepdaughters: Joan Michele of Ocala and Gail (Bob) Kane of Tarpon Springs; stepsons: Tom (Debbie) Mottl of Bellview and Pete (LaVonn) Bateman of Houston, Georgia; grandchildren: Patrick (Toni) Newhouse, Penny (Shannon) Cornelius, Brian Amore, Shannon (Phil) Haney, Teresa (Alan) Coleman, James Sumner, and Jasmine (Ivan) Hammon; seven great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild; numerous step-grandchildren and great-grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.

Gene enlisted in the Army Air Corps on November 16, 1939. In August 1942, he was assigned to Reykjavik, Iceland to train as an airplane mechanic with the Air Transport Command and returned to Coshocton in December 1943. From there he went to Milwaukee, WI; Great Falls, MT; Tachikawa AFB in Japan; Tokyo, Japan; Cincinnati, OH; Columbus, OH; and Panama City, FL. He retired as a MSgt from the US Air Force in 1960. He was employed in civil service – transportation and logistics at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base outside of Dayton. He retired from civil service in 1972.

Gene had his pilot’s license and while living in Japan, was a member of the NCO Aero Club. He enjoyed listening to Country and Western, singing karaoke (especially “That’s Amore’”), and playing keyboard. Gene was raised in the Salvation Army and the Nazarene church. As a young man, Gene took after his older brothers and had a paper route in Coshocton. He played the trumpet in the Salvation Army band as a youngster. He was a Golden Gloves boxer in Coshocton in the late 1930s.

Gene and Joan were married in 2003, went on a cruise and spent time traveling to visit family. They were regulars at VFW Post No. 5625 in Chiefland, Florida and the Suwannee River Moose Family Center 325 in Fanning Springs, Florida. Gene was a Life Member of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post No. 8532 in Coal Hill, Arkansas. Up until his stroke on October 12, Gene regularly fed the birds (and squirrels) in his backyard, mowed his lawn, and took care of little things around the house. His daughters, grandchildren and family members have always remarked on Gene’s sense of humor, positive attitude, and longevity. He will be remembered with love, affection, and admiration from not only his family, but a whole host of friends and extended family.

Gene did not want any services. His ashes will be interred at Royal Oak Memorial Gardens in Brookville, Ohio in July 2016. As a remembrance, raise your glass to him.

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Sympathy Saturday – Baby Clothes

When I was about 6 or so, I learned that my dad wasn’t the youngest of seven born to Lloyd and Ella (House) Amore. A sister had been born a year and a half after him. I was told her name was Maxine. She had died as a baby.

Fast forward some 30 plus years when I started in depth research on my family history to a letter I received from my dad’s sister, Marie. I had contacted her to obtain all the names, dates, places, etc. of all the immediate Amore family. If anyone would know birthdays and anniversaries, it was my Aunt Marie. I sent her a list of names for her to fill in the blanks. That’s when I discovered that Maxine was born Mae Maxine Amore on November 19, 1922. I also learned that she died the same day.

It wasn’t until a few years later, that I discovered my dad’s baby sister was stillborn. She was buried the very next day. Her grave at South Lawn Cemetery in Coshocton, Ohio doesn’t have a marker. The cemetery book only lists her as Infant of Lloyd Amore. The Ohio Department of Health lists her name as “Stillborn Amore.” How very sad that Mae Maxine doesn’t have an official name in the books nor a headstone. She’s not even buried in the same cemetery as my grandparents.

Recently, I found a For Sale ad in the December 9, 1922 edition of The Coshocton Tribune that was heartbreaking.

My grandmother, Ella, was parting with the brand new outfit she had hoped to dress the newest member of the family in. I don’t know if she was asking the same price she paid or a little less, but $7.50 for a new baby outfit back in 1922 was a lot of money – especially for a large family. Perhaps, she realized that this would be her last baby, or with each child, she purchased one new article of clothing.

This summer, when I’m in Ohio and can (finally!) visit my dad’s hometown of Coshocton, I plan to go visit the gravesite of his baby sister and let her know that even though she didn’t take a breath on earth, she will always be remembered as a part of the Amore family.

SOURCES: 

Death Record: Ancestry.com and Ohio Department of Health. Ohio, Deaths, 1908-1932, 1938-2007 [database on-line]. Citing Stillborn Amore. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2010. Ohio. Division of Vital Statistics. Death Certificates and Index, December 20, 1908-December 31, 1953.State Archives Series 3094. Ohio Historical Society, Ohio.Ohio Department of Health. Index to Annual Deaths, 1958-2002. Ohio Department of Health, State Vital Statistics Unit, Columbus, OH, USA; digital image, accessed 18 Mar 2016.

Newspaper Ad: Ancestry.com. Coshocton Tribune (Coshocton, Ohio) [database on-line] 9 Dec 1922, pg 5, Col 1, Citing Ella Amore. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2006.  Coshocton Tribune. Coshocton, OH, USA. Database created from microfilm copies of the newspaper, digital image, accessed 18 Mar 2016.

Photo of baby clothes: Infant boy’s cap, bib, and shirt set… , Patricia Harris Gallery of Textiles & Costume, Royal Ontario Museum, Daderot, 20 Nov 2011, Wikimedia Commons, Public Domain. Accessed 18 Mar 2016.

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