Tombstone Tuesday: Ulysses and Sadie Jollett

Tombstone Tuesday is a daily prompt at Geneabloggers which asks bloggers to create a post including an image of a gravestone of one or more ancestors; it may also include a brief description of the image or the ancestor.

My great grand uncle Ulysses Jollett and my great grand aunt Sadie Janiera Lamb Jollett are buried in Coverstone Cemetery (formerly the EUB Church Cemetery) in Shenandoah, Virginia.

JOLLETTE

Ulysses Finks     Janeiro S. Lamb

Jan. 26, 1883       July 7, 1880

Jan. 30, 1931       Feb. 5, 1961

©2014, Wendy Mathias.  All rights reserved.

Census Sunday: Among the missing

In 1940, four of the Jollett siblings were noticeably missing.  Of course, William Isaac was last enumerated in 1900 because he died quite young, so I didn’t expect to see him.  But the other three …?  The oldest and youngest brothers Burton Lewis and Ulysses Finks had only recently passed away, Burton in 1934 and Ulysses in 1931.  Their beloved sister Leanna died in 1936. 

But what of their spouses?  Both of Burton Lewis’s wives were long gone, so there’s nothing left to say there.

Sadie and Ulysses Jollett

Ulysses’ widow Sadie is a puzzle.  I have been unable to find her in 1940.  She was living in Baltimore, Maryland during the 1930 census, and she was there when my great grand uncle died in 1931. It’s reasonable to assume she either stayed there or returned to Virginia to be closer to family.  However, the only Jolletts in Maryland were the family members of Clarence Jollett, son of Burton Lewis Jollett, and John Jollett, son of John Wesley Jollett.  No Sadie there. 

I thought maybe Sadie could be living with her daughter Vessie Steppe in King George County, Virginia, but no.  No Sadie there. 

I even tracked down Sadie’s brothers and sisters thinking surely she would be close to them in Greene County, Virginia, but no.  No Sadie with any of them.

I’m left to assume that her name has been misspelled or transcribed incorrectly, possibly both.  Her parents didn’t make it easy for us.  Her name:  Sadie Janiera Lamb Jollett.  Sadie is not the problem.  But Janiera!  Her tombstone even says Janeiro S.  In one document she is referred to as “Jenniey.”  Sometimes she’s Lam and other times LamB.  Jollett or Jollette.  Perhaps Jolliett.  

I know she must be in the census somewhere because she didn’t die until 1961, according to her tombstone. 

Next week:  Mitchell Knight, widower of Leanna Jollett Knight

©2014, Wendy Mathias.  All rights reserved.

Sepia Saturday: A hat for all ages

Sepia Saturday challenges bloggers to share family history through old photographs.

This week’s Sepia Saturday photo prompt of a hurling team presented a real challenge for me since I have NO hurlers in the family, if you can believe that.  I did consider this photo of my grandfather’s cousins who appear ready to HURL themselves off the Skyline Drive to the valley below:

I don't know what year this was, but it must have been
in the early years of the Skyline Drive.  The overlook
appears not to be paved yet.

OK, so they don’t look like they’re in any hurry to jump.  I really just needed an excuse to use this picture!

I wish I knew who these 2
boys were.  It is dated 1925.
They were either cousins or
neighbors of the Davis family
in Shenandoah, Virginia.

The flat caps worn by the 1921 Leinster Senior Hurling team of the prompt photo caught my eye.  Many young boys of Page County, Virginia wore the flat cap in the 1920s, too.

Judging by my collection of old family photos, the flat cap was the signature accessory of several generations of Davis men.

Orvin Davis, about 1910

My grandfather Orvin Owen Davis sported one as a child,

and as a young man, probably a teenager,

Dude with attitude

Orvin Sr. and Jr. 1927

and as a young father.

His father and my great-grandfather Walter Beriah Sylvester Davis owned at least one such cap. Here he is swinging on the front porch of the Sears catalog Craftsman-style home that he built sometime in the early 1920s.  My aunt (widow of my uncle Orvin Jr.) still lives in that very house in Shenandoah, Virginia. 

My great-aunt Velma Davis (later Woodring)
about 1924.  Her dad is on the swing.

Walter wore a cap while driving a car; I wonder if he was wearing his flat cap while driving nails.

A day along the river in the spring of 1927 could find all three generations of Davis men in flat caps.  Here’s Walter with his first grandchild, my uncle Orvin Jr. who was wearing a flat cap just like the big boys.

Walter Davis and my uncle Orvin Jr.

And Granddaddy and Grandma with Orvin Jr.

My grandparents Lucille
and Orvin Davis with
Orvin Jr. 1927

Grandma's toes were gripping the ground
as hard as her fingers were gripping
Orvin Jr's strong little hand.

Walter clings to
his little grandson.

It seems Orvin Jr. was determined to hurl himself into the river!

Grab your hat and hurl yourself over to Sepia Saturday to see how others have been inspired by the hurling team of Kilkenny.

©2014, Wendy Mathias.  All rights reserved.

Wordless Wednesday: A Tricky Treat

Wordless Wednesday is a daily prompt at Geneabloggers that asks family historians to create a post in which the main focus is a photograph or image. 

I myself was wordless that Halloween evening of 1966 or 1967 when I answered the door.  I was too old for trick or treating, so I was prepared to give out treats to all the little gypsies, princesses, witches, cowboys, and skeletons.  But instead I was met with these two full-grown trick-or-treaters:

My grandmother on the left and cousin Bobbie on the right.

Weren't they tricky?

©2014, Wendy Mathias.  All rights reserved.

Mystery Monday: Just in - update on William Jollett

Mystery Monday is a daily prompt at Geneabloggers that asks us to share mystery ancestors or mystery records – anything in our family history research which is currently unsolved.  With any luck fellow genealogy bloggers will lend their eyes to what has been found so far and possibly help solve the mystery.

What I know about the William Jollett – William Boyd mystery is complete, with the exception of one interesting addition.

It’s a newspaper clipping that arrived in my email just the other day thanks to Jan Hensley, an online friend with whom I have swapped genealogical information for several years.  (In fact, her work to find the grave of her patriot ancestor and organize a ceremony to dedicate a new tombstone inspired me to pursue DAR membership.)  Jan found this brief mention of William Jollett’s run-in with the law:

News clipping courtesy of Jan Hensley

A man giving his name as Wm. Jollett, was arrested on the 26^th  ult., by Wm. Campbell, constable of Page county, suspected of having stolen a bay mare, which he had in his possession.  He was committed to jail by Justice T. M. Almond.  He has light hair, fair complexion, about 22 or 23 years of age, and has a conspicuous scar upon his neck.  The mare, which is now in possession of Mr. Campbell, is a dark bay, with hind feet white, a narrow blaze in the forehead, about ten years old, and in good condition.

Harrisonburg Rockingham Register

September 3, 1868

I'm glad to know that William's crime made the news, but now I wonder what caused that conspicuous scar.  There's just no end to this mystery.

©2014, Wendy Mathias.  All rights reserved.

Census Sunday: The Breedens

Decatur and Vic Breeden

During World War II, many of my ancestors left the Shenandoah Valley that had been their home for many generations to seek work in Washington DC. And that’s exactly where I found my great-grand aunt Victoria Elizabeth Jollett and her husband Decatur Breeden in 1940. 

Click to enlarge

They were renting an apartment for $35 a month from William and Sarah Moore on Twelfth Street.  The Breedens had not been there very long, it seems, as they said they were still living in Shenandoah, Virginia in 1935, where they had been living all their married lives since 1902. 

Decatur was an engineer with the Navy Yard earning $1820 for a full year’s work in 1939, roughly $30,300 today.  He worked 39 hours during the last week of March 1940. Although Vic claimed to be UNABLE to work, she actually never worked, according to previous census records.  She suffered from asthma for many years.

There is no informant indicated, so it’s unclear who gave incorrect information about Vic’s and Decatur’s ages.  They are recorded as 58 and 54, respectively; however, the ages should have been Vic 62 and Decatur 63.

An interesting story about them is not to be found in census records.  Vic and Decatur were actually first cousins once removed.  Now here’s a tangled mess when figuring out relationships.  Vic’s father James Franklin Jollett and Decatur’s grandmother Lydia Jollett Breeden were brother and sister; therefore, Decatur’s grandmother was Vic’s aunt.  Let’s keep going.  Decatur’s father James Madison Breeden was then Vic’s cousin as well as father-in-law.  Decatur was not just the husband of my great-grand aunt but also my second cousin twice removed.  

Vic at a Jollett Reunion

©2014, Wendy Mathias.  All rights reserved.

Sepia Saturday: Women in Bonnets

Sepia Saturday challenges bloggers to share family history through old photographs.

This week’s Sepia Saturday photo prompt suggests several themes:  umbrellas, rain, wet streets, big clunky shoes, women wearing bonnets, even ugly women.  That poor ol’ gal looks like she might read someone’s fortune any minute. 

I have two old photos of a woman in a bonnet.  First up:

Ok, I’ll say it since you’re probably thinking it – yes, she’d qualify for the “ugly women” theme too.  And she might even be able to deliver one wicked fortune.

However, the truth is, I SUSPECT this might be my great-great grandmother Martha Ann Willson Davis.   What makes me think so?  In the photo album belonging to my great-grandmother Mary Frances Jollett Davis, there are only four portraits from Star Studio:  Mary Frances and Walter Davis, 

and “Ugly Woman” and “Burly Man.”  

Possibly Mitchell Davis
1820 - 1890

Possibly Martha Ann Willson
1832 - 1905

In these photos, Walter and Mary Frances were young, so maybe they are wedding portraits.  Since the Jollett family seemed to like a different photographer, I am reasoning that maybe the Davis family ordered the portraits and that they preferred Star. 

There are no other photos that look like Ugly Woman and Burly Man, but certainly Mary Frances and Walter would have wanted at least ONE picture of Walter’s parents.  Right now, they’re the likely candidates for these unidentified portraits. 

The next photo of a woman in a bonnet is on heavy brown cardboard that has been cut to fit into SOMETHING, a frame maybe. 

On the back written in pencil is “This is Mrs. B. C. Coldorn 305 Penn. Ave, Hampton VA” with a circle around it. Below that is this address:  “122 East 42^nd St, NY 17, NY.”  

I have looked for that name in FamilySearch as well as Ancestry and have come up with nothing that explains who Mrs. B. C. Coldorn was, who owned this picture, or how it came to be passed along through several generations to me.  

I even Googled “B. C. Coldorn” and got “Do you mean Cold Corn?”  

I just love Google – always trying to help me out.

I’ll need a special Magic Thinking Bonnet to figure out who these women were.

Grab an umbrella, a bonnet and your big clunky shoes and make your way over to Sepia Saturday to see what others have made of this week’s theme.

©2014, Wendy Mathias.  All rights reserved.