Genea-Blogger Group Games – Final Tally

I completed my last task early this morning in the GBG games.  Whew!  I was able to get quite a bit completed – though I would like to have done more.  I think this has challenged many of us in the genea-blogging world the last two weeks.  Thanks to Thomas MacEntee, Miriam Robbins Midkiff and Kathryn M. Doyle for being the administrators for these games as well as the Genea-Bloggers Group on Facebook.  You all really keep us on our toes and make us strive to research deeper, keep proper documentation, stay organized, remember to keep back-ups of our information, and to write what we know.  Thank you!

So without further ado – these are my final stats:

1. Go Back and Cite Your Sources – completed over 50 citations using John Wiley’s “How to Cite Sources”. Platinum Medal

2. Back up Your Data – didn’t complete.

3. Organize Your Research:
   A) 0
    B) More than 20 – complete
    C) 0
    D) More than 20 – complete
    E) Created at least 20 new entries in the database; scanned over 20 photos – Complete
    F) Didn’t complete
Three Tasks – Gold Medal

4. Write! Write! Write!
    A) Wrote a Summary of my blog
    B) Participated in several of these
    C) Prepared at least 3 items in draft mode and published later.
    D) Wrote a Bio of my ancestor (finished today!)
    E) Didn’t do
Completed 4 Tasks – Diamond Medal

5. Reach Out and Perform Genealogical Acts of Kindness
    A) Commented on several new (to me) blogs
    B) Joined more than 5 new blog networks
    C) Sent an invitation to another genealogist to join Facebook
    D) Didn’t do
    E) Indexed gravesites for Find-a-Grave (over 20)
    F) Didn’t do
4 Tasks Complete – Diamond Medal

Congratulations to all the participants and to all those who won any level of medals!

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James Emory House

James Emory House, born 2 May 1842, was my great-grandfather, born over 100 years and dying 35 years before I was born.  Yet it is this man that I return to in my family tree to seek out more information.  His is a fascinating story, and my father was privileged to be a small child in his company.

 

 

The House family originated in England and migrated to the United States in the 1600s settling in the Glastonbury area of Hartford County, Connecticut.  The family had married into the Loveland, Hollister, Risley, Bidwell, and Bigelow families.  When Allen House (son of Lazarus House and Rebecca Risley) was a very young man, he served in the War of 1812 from July 18 to Sept. 16, 1813. He and Editha Bigelow had been married less than a year.  In 1816 the couple moved from Connecticut to New York and became members of the Methodist Church in Ovid.  They moved then to Seneca County, New York. ⁽¹⁾  They are found in the 1820 census for Ontario and Steuben counties living in the town of Jerusalem. ⁽²⁾

 

By 1835 the family migrated to Michigan via Buffalo, New York (via Canal) then to Detroit (via steamboat) and settled in Oakland County.  He received a government land patent for Section 7, Milford Twp. Oakland Co., MI.  He had 91 acres and not much money left over.  ^{(3) (4)}

 

Allen (b. 13 Jun 1791 d. 1 Sep 1845) and Editha (b. 19 Apr 1791 d. 20 Oct 1865) had five children – Nelson W. House b. 13 Jan 1815 in Glastonbury, CT; Amasa G. House b. 26 Sep 1817 in Yates, NY; Florus Allen House b. 05 Jan 1813 in NY; Eli H. House b. 16 Feb 1824; and Abigail House b. East Hampton, Middlesex County, Connecticut.  The couple is buried in Oakgrove Cemetery, Milford, Michigan.

 

Florus Allen House married Julia Ann Lewis (b. 24 Dec 1815) before 1838.  Florus received government land in Livingston County, Michigan.  He first acquired 80 acres in 1835 and then120 acres in 1837.  The family is found in the 1850 Census taken on October 23, 1850.  They lived in Linton Twp, Coshocton County, Ohio.  Florus was 37, Julia (listed as Julianna) – age 34.  Their children were Emily (12), Wm R. (10), James E (8), Margaret (4), Sarah E. (3).  Emily is listed as being born in Michigan and the rest in Ohio. ⁽⁵⁾

 

The family is also found in the same township in the 1860 census.  By the 1870 census they were living in Tuscarawas Twp in Coshocton County where they were still living in the 1880 census. In addition to the children listed above, the family also included Emma, Nancy and John. ⁽⁶⁾ 

                                             

 

The nation was being torn apart – the north and south ripped asunder as the War Between the States dawned.  On the day following Christmas in 1861, James House, age 19, enlisted in Company “H” of the 80^th regiment of the Ohio Volunteers commanded by Col. Ephraim Eckley.  Two months later the regiment left Ohio and began its trek toward battle in Corinth, Mississippi.  It was near Corinth in April 1862 that James became seriously ill with catarrh of the stomach.  This was a particularly debilitating illness with symptoms of moroseness, weakness, chills, and paleness.  One’s stomach would feel full and sore to the touch, the appetite would be non-existent, yet thirst is great.  In addition to that, there would be bloating and constipation.  James suffered with this illness for the rest of his life.  During war time he was treated in St. Louis and Tennessee hospitals without much relief. ^{(7) (8 )}

 

 

March of 1863 saw the 80^th regiment moving along the Mississippi River to join General Grant’s forces at Vicksburg where there is a special monument erected in honor of the 80^th.  In June of 1864 the men joined with Sherman on the March to the Sea and took part in the Siege of Savannah.  The men took part in many other campaigns as the Great Rebellion started coming to an end.  At some point President Lincoln saw his regiment and it has been reported by his grandson (my father) that James shook hands with the 16^th president. (I have been unable to document a time or location that this could have taken place.) ⁽⁹⁾  James was honorably discharged on May 27, 1865 in Washington D.C.

 

James married Barbara Shryock in the mid 1860s.  She was born in Guernsey County, Ohio to George Shryock and Abigail Easter about 1843.  Barbara (also listed as Barbary in some documents) and James had one son, Edward, and two daughters, Belle and Lucina. Barbara died on July 10, 1872.  Soon, Frances V. Ogan, was helping James take care of his house and his children.  She gave birth to the first of their eight children in April 1873 – one month prior to their marriage.  The couple married on May 26, 1873 by J.P. Robinson in Washington, Guernsey County, Ohio. ⁽¹⁰⁾  The family included besides Florus Allen (named after his grandfather) b. 21 Apr 1873 – John W. (b. 31 Aug 1874), Alford Elmer (b. about 1878), James W. (b. 20 Jun 1879), Julia Ann (b. 20 Sep 1880 – named after her grandmother), Ella M. (b. 22 Jun 1882), Charles (b. 1884), and Alva Lester (b. 9 May 1886).

 

The family is found in the 1880 Census living in Tuscarawas Twp, Coshocton County, Ohio on June 9, 1880.  This is the only record of Alford E. at age 2 years old as he died at the age of 4. ⁽¹¹⁾  Charles would only have been recorded in the 1890 census as he died at age 12 in 1896 due to a farm accident.  ⁽¹²⁾ In 1900 the family is recorded living in Bethlehem Twp, Coshocton County, Ohio on June 14, 1900. James listed his birthplace as Ohio and that his father was born in Connecticut and his mother born in Ohio.  He owned his home and it was not mortgaged.  Frances listed that she was the mother of eight children and only six were living.  In addition to their children living with them, the household also included Mary J. Ruby (listed as Ward).  Mary was James’ granddaughter – child of his daughter Belle and her husband Thomas Ruby. ⁽¹³⁾  On April 15, 1910 the family is enumerated as living at 423 N. Eleventh Street in Tuscarawas Twp, Coshocton County, Ohio.  Besides Frances, their son, (Alva) Lester and his wife, Mary (Lucy Besser) together with their son Arthur, were living with them. ⁽¹⁴⁾

 

The family not only had lost two of their sons, Charles and Elmer, but also their oldest daughter, Julia.  She and Percy J. Tuttle had married on Christmas Day 1906.  Almost a year later she died from blood poisoning following childbirth.  The baby lived only a few hours. ⁽¹⁵⁾

 

On February 18, 1915 Frances died of Pulmonary Tuberculosis at the age of 68 years, 2 months, 19 days.  She was buried two days later in Prairie Chapel Cemetery in Roscoe, Coshocton County, Ohio near her daughter. ⁽¹⁶⁾

 

James is found still living in Tuscarawas Twp in the 1920 US Census dated Jan. 8, 1920.  Also in the household are his son, (Alva) Lester, daughter-in-law, Mary Lucy, granddaughter, Georgia and grandson, Jerrold. ⁽¹⁷⁾

 

Soon after that he went back and forth between living with his kids and the Ohio Soldiers and Sailors Home in Sandusky, Ohio.  His granddaughter, Marie, wrote, “My mother’s father, James House, lived with his kids off and on when he got older and when he couldn’t stand the kids, he would go to the Ohio Vets home in Sandusky.  I think he had T.B. in his later years because when he lived with us (I remember him) Mom used to scald all the dishes he used.” ^{(18 )}

 

James passed away at the age of 82 on October 1, 1924 at the home of my grandparents, Lloyd and Ella (House) Amore on West Lafayette Road in Coshocton County.  His obituary stated that he was a member of the United Brethren Church.  He was buried with his wife, Frances, at Prairie Chapel Cemetery.  He left behind four sons, three daughters, three sisters, and numerous grandchildren. ⁽¹⁹⁾

 

My great-grandfather had enough influence on his grandson that he was proud to carry the name James as his middle name in honor of him.  I wish I could see a picture of James in order to see what this man who fought in the civil war looked like.  And to know that he served in the military under my favorite president and one I have studied, is thrilling.

 

Rest in Peace, Great-Grandfather.

 

 

Footnotes:

(1) Information from Florence Wenk Woodard Barrett, descendant of Nelson W. House, son of Allen and Editha House.

(2)  1820 US Census

(3) Related by Descendant of Nelson W. House

(4) Government Land Records (digitized copy in possession of Wendy Littrell)

(5) 1850 US Census (digitized copy in possession of Wendy Littrell)

(6) 1860, 1870, 1880 US Censuses (digitized copies in possession of Wendy Littrell)

(7) James House’s Declaration for an Original Invalid Pension, 6 Sep 1887 (copies from National Archives in possession of Wendy Littrell)

(8 ) Special Pathology and Diagnostics with Therapeutic Hints By Sigmund Raue, C. G. Raue

Published by B. Jain Publishers, 2002

ISBN 8170210798, 9788170210795

Pages 436-427

(found on books.google.com)

(9) 80^th Ohio Volunteer Infantry

http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~keller/ovi80/work/index.html

Charles Paul Keller, author of the website (his source is: from Volume 6, Ohio Roster Commission; Official roster of the soldiers of the state of Ohio in the War of the Rebellion, 1861 – 1866; Cincinnati, Wilstach, Baldwin & Co. 1886-95.)

(10) Dept. of the Interior; Bureau of Pensions

Certificate No. 418793 (copy from National Archives in possession of Wendy Littrell)

(11) 1880 US Census (digitized copy in possession of Wendy Littrell)

(12) Letter written by Alva Lester House to his niece, Gertrude Amore Shackelford, dated January 25, 1963.  (Copy is owned by Wendy Littrell.)

(13) 1900 US Census (digitized copy in possession of Wendy Littrell)

(14) 1910 US Census (digitized copy in possession of Wendy Littrell)

(15) Newspaper; Coshocton Age; Thursday, November 28, 1907 (digitized copy in possession of Wendy Littrell)

(16) State of Ohio, Bureau of Vital Statistics, Certificate of Death, Number 6761 (digitized copy in possession of Wendy Littrell)

(17) 1920 US Census (digitized copy in possession of Wendy Littrell)

(18 ) Email from Marie Quirk to Wendy Littrell on Feb. 9, 2000

(19) Coshocton Newspaper (digitized copy in possession of Wendy Littrell)

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So Many Challenges, So Little Time

This morning I received an invitation to join the “Getting to Know You Challenge for Bloggers” in order for those of us in the Genea-Bloggers group to glean more information on each other’s blogs.  There is also the upcoming Carnival of Genealogy 55th Edition – Show and Tell, 5th Edition Smile for the Camera – Crowning Glory, Blog Action Day on October 15th – Poverty, the on-going Genea-Blogger Group Games on Facebook, and my own Freaky Friday challenge.  The meme’s “Stores of Yesteryear” and “The Soundtracks of my Salad Days” have already been written.

And I’m partially done with writing a biography on one of my ancestors for the Group Games.  Looks like some great challenges coming up which give me a chance to flex my writing muscles (as opposed to those leg or arm muscles being used by the athletes at the Olympics!) in order to publish some wonderful posts.

Yesterday I noticed that footnoteMaven wrote an article on Using Family Photographs on Shades of the Departed on how to create a MOO greeting card. This looks like something (as a digital scrapbook artist) I would like to do – which means one more thing to add to my list!

I want to thank the hosts for these carnivals, meme’s, and challenges.  If you have not joined the Genea-Blogger group on Facebook, I urge you to do so.  You aren’t required to participate in any or all of the challenges however the topics do provide inspiration.  If you have tons of documents and photographs that need to be scanned – you are also encouraged to participate in Scanfest happening this coming Saturday.  I won’t be participating as I hope to be car shopping (and buying) on Saturday.

If you have Central European or Irish Ancestry, there are also the 10th Edition of Carnival of Central and European Genealogy hosted by Jessica at Jessica’s GeneaJournal and Carnival of Irish Heritage & Culture hosted by Small Leaved Shamrock.

I urge you to give any one of these challenges a look and serious thought to participating!

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Are They Dead / Game Stats

I spent a couple hours yesterday evening on the Rootsweb Social Security Index page in an attempt to check on death dates for people in my Amore family (and extended family, in-laws, out-laws, etc.)  I was able to find dates for over 20 people and make the correct citations for my sources!  I plan on doing more of the same today.

My genea-blogger game stats as of today stand at:

1. Go Back and Cite Your Sources – I had completed 50 citations and have actually done several more – Platinum Medal

2. Back Up Your Data – have not done any of this yet.

3. Organize Your Research – B. Complete; D. Complete; E. Complete (both adding people to the database and scanning in over 20 documents/photos) – Gold Medal

4. Write! Write! Write! – A. Complete; B. Complete (I’ve participated in both the “Smile for the Camera” – Favorite Photograph; “Carnival of Genealogy – 54th Edition” – Family Language”; “Stores from Yesteryear” (meme); “The Soundtracks of My Salad Days” (meme); as well as Wordless Wednesday, Tuesday Thingers, and have started my own challenge – “Freaky Friday”. C. Complete – I think I’ve completed 3-4 draft mode posts that I publish within a few days of drafting.  Working on currently – D. Write a Brief Biographical Sketch.  Gold Medal

5. Reach Out and Perform Genealogical Acts of Kindess – A. Complete; B. Complete (I’ve joined several); C. Complete; E. Complete (Find a Grave). Diamond Medal

I think I’m pretty much on track with my goals – and then some.  I’ve also spent time entering documentation into my research log.  For ease I started with my children since I know pretty much where all legal or offical documents are located or have already entered the information; then myself; my parents and grandparents. If I move from myself backward I find that I have more official documentation and can see exactly what I still need (censuses, death records/certificates; obituaries; baptismal; etc.)

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Yesterday’s Game Stats

Actually yesterday I worked some more on tagging photos and making sure I had good descriptions.  It was Texas Tax Free Weekend and I had yet to get my grandson some new school clothes and shoes. So to take advantage of no sales tax, we went shopping yesterday afternoon.  I also thought a lot about the biography that I will be writing about one of my ancestors. I have decided who I’m going to spotlight so stay tuned for that post! 

I also spent yesterday looking at other genealogy blogs and signing up to participate in the Songs that Shaped My Youth meme.  I found out that there is a national blogging day in October and the theme will be on Poverty so have been thinking a lot about how to tie in genealogy and poverty as it applies to my ancestors.

Today I’m enjoying the rain in North Texas. We’ve had some lately but no where near enough.  But today it’s been pretty steady so far.  Hopefully our grass will be greening up!

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Day 7 Stats

I didn’t have much time yesterday to post about my daily progress in the GB group games due to the rain (in North Texas we were asking ourselves – what is that coming down from the sky? And enjoying it!), work, and daily household stuff!

Yesterday evening I scanned 24 photos as part of Category 3: Organize Your Research, part E. Create at least 20 data entries in your database, or scan 20 photos, or scan 20 documents.  After scanning, I went through and added Descriptions, who was the photographer (if known), who was in the picture, where it was taken, why it was taken (reunion, party, holiday, etc.), year it was taken (if known), how those in the picture are related, and who has ownership of the original photo.  My software asks for Keywords instead of Tags so I inserted all the keywords I could think of in that area.  I also made sure they were in the correct digital files.

So for that Category, I am now up to the completion of 2 items which gives me a Silver Medal.

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Day 5 Game Stats

Unfortunately I didn’t get much done in the way of research, sourcing or writing.  I had to spend two hours listening to a Webinar on doing the elementary school’s web site.  I’ve built two web sites and use a template to manage my high school class’ site, so most of it was pretty boring.  At least I can add that to my list of PTA Accomplishments!

I did spend some time reading many of the Genealogy blogs especially the posts on Stores of Yesteryear and other new tidbits of information.  There are some great writers out there!

Tomorrow I’m hoping to get some sourcing done and perhaps some scanning as well.

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Day 4 Stats

Today I have actually tried to do more research than work on my goals for the Genea-Blogger Group Games.  I did write one post that I scheduled to be posted at another time (part of Write! Write! Write!).  The research I was doing today consisted of gathering information so I could write a thorough biography on one of my ancestors.  I will either be writing about my maternal grandfather, Col. Glen R. Johnson, or my paternal great-grandfather, James Emory House.  Both of them were military veterans.  Grandad (Glen) served from WWI through the Korean War and James was a Civil War infantryman.  Since writing about my grandfather would be much easier because he lived until I was in my 20s and I knew him personally, it may challenge me to write about a man I didn’t know and don’t have much information about except for what my dad and aunt have told me.

So stay tuned to see what decision I’ve made.

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Status Update – Day 3

Already been pretty busy this morning.  The tasks I’ve completed this morning include:

Write! Write! Write!
Task A.  Write a summary of what your blog is about and post it on your blog – you may not have done this since you started the blog and it is a great way to have new readers learn more about your site.

The Post Below is my submission for that task.  I also added a New Page to my blog.

Reach Out and Perform Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness
A. Comment on a new (to you) genealogy blog.

I just started reading Rainy Day Genealogy Readings the first day of the competition but today was the first day I posted a comment.

B. Join another Genea-blogger’s blog network on Facebook Blog Networks.

Yesterday (as I posted in Day Two), I joined these  5 Blog Networks: Elyse’s Genealogy Blog, 100 Years in America, Gtownma’s Genealogy, Home Town Edition – Kratochvil & Secor” (I also confirmed the author), and Small Leaved Shamrock.

C. Invite another genealogist to join Facebook.

I sent an email to Jeanna from Roots Reading inviting her to join Facebook. (I’ve also sent invites to about 3 other bloggers on the Genea-Bloggers group to join my blog network.)

On Friday evening I completed a task for Organize Your Research. 
D. Organize at least 20 digital photos into folders, label, add metadata, add descriptions, add tags, etc.

This was probably the easiest as the first photos that popped up on my ACDSee program were from my vacation in July.  They were already in the correct folder, the metadata was added automatically when I uploaded them.  I went through and labeled all of them with date the picture was taken, where it was taken, the people in the photo and how they were related, what ocassion it was, and other “fun” and historical information.  I also included the name of the photographer.

So my tallies so far:
Gold Medal in Reach Out and Peform Genealogical Acts of Kindness
Bronze Medal in Write! Write! Write! (I will be working on B. C. & D. of this event as well and hope to finish with a Diamond Medal.)
Bronze Medal in Organize Your Research (I will be working on B. E. & F. of this event and hope to finish with a Diamond Medal.)

The only category that I have not started working on is Cite Your Sources.  I have saved the information from John Wiley’s “How to Cite Your Sources” and hope to begin doing this soon. I would love to be able to cite 50 sources and achieve Platinum Medal status!

I didn’t list that I would compete in the Back Up Your Data challenge.  However I have a brand new flash drive that is just begging for data to be added to it!  Since I did not list this as a goal I would work on, I’m not sure if I would be “disqualifying” myself by competing in this category.  No matter what – I do need to back up my data a lot more than I do now!

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Day 2 – Organization & Genealogical Acts of Kindness

I’ve discovered that I might need to write a few posts each day on my statistics as time has a way of getting away from me plus other people use the same computer!

Today I’ve participated in Part B of “Reach Out and Participate in Random Acts of Kindness”.  I’ve joined 5 Blog Networks: Elyse’s Genealogy Blog, 100 Years in America, Gtownma’s Genealogy, Home Town Edition – Kratochvil & Secor” (I also confirmed the author), and Small Leaved Shamrock. I’ve also joined the Friends of the National Archives and Records Administration group.

As part of the “Organize Your Research”, I’ve set up folders on my computer within my Genealogy folder.  These folders are Family Name, Death Records, Newspapers, Maps, Military Files, and Miscellaneous Photos.  I’ve distributed 163 digital files into those new folders which will help me find my information faster.  I will not be counting those as part of the organization until I’ve added the descriptions, authors, and other metadata that is required.  Will post when I’ve done that.

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