Tuesday, August 2, 2016

What's in a Name?


Until our Grandfather Fritz married Lina Althaus and emigrated to the United States, men in the Wanzenried lineage were named Christian and tended to marry women of Italian descent.  

Ancestor name
Spouse
Year Married
Number of Children




Fred Wanzenried (1915-1996)
Margaret Ellerton (1917-1967)
1942
5
Friedrich “Fritz” Wanzenried (1884-1964)

Lina Althaus (1893-1981)
1914
3
Christian Wanzenried (1846-1919)

Rosa Voegeli (1853-1925)
1878
8
Christian Wanzenried (1817-1876)
Elisabeth Stucki (1821-1777)
1839
10
Christian Wanzenried (1778-1852)

Catharina Galli (1780-1860)
1805
1
Christian Wanzenried (1749-1830)

Anna Spycher (1753-1829)
1776
5






Sunday, June 26, 2016

Small World Story: Reunings, Voegelis and the Wanzenried Families



This is a needle in the haystack story.

It provides another insight into the life of Fritz Wanzenried, our grandfather.

As I was shutting down the Ancestry.com part of my daily research one day last year, I notice the following notation:

  2 photos were added to Ida Voegeli in virginia1185's tree. View Ida Voegeli
Because Voegeli is the name of Rosa Voegeli (1853-1925), the wife of our great grandfather, Christian Wanzenried (1846-1919), I decided to take a look. 
I am glad I did. 

It turns out that Ida Voegeli is the daughter of Johann Voegeli (1837-1908) and niece of Rosa Voegeli, who was Johann's older sister. 

The upshot is that Ida is a cousin of our grandfather, Fritz Wanzenried's cousin. 

After marrying Ernest J Reuning in 1895, Ida came to the United States, first settling in Pennsylvania and then in Wellsville, New York (circa 1900). 

When I looked more closely at the tree, I was stunned to see the inclusion of what the owner of the tree, Virginia Bergis, identifies as the 'Wansenried' family. The given names, however, and their dates of birth and death are a spot on match. Fritz Wansenried is called "Freddy." 

It has been very unusual when any tree includes our relatives. But, this tree also includes what the owner terms an autobiography, which is really more of an extended diary compete with dates and locations in both Switzerland and the United States. 

Based on my reading of the entries, it very evident that during her youth, Ida spent a lot of time in Oberdiessbach and in the company of Rosa (Rosina)Wanzenried, Fritz Wanzenried's older Sister (and very probably with Fritz, as well).

Here is where the story becomes more intriguing. 

When Fritz, who has from Oberdiessbach, entered the United States in October 1911, he listed his destination as Wellsville, New York. I always wondered why and just assumed that in was relatives on the Wanzenried family side. There are, after all, Wanzenrieds in central New York state, although I have found no connections with our family.

Now, I am nearly certain that Wellsville was his destination to stay with relatives on the Voegeli (Vogeli) side.

1. Ida Vogeli (1873-1967), returned to Switzerland in October 1909 for a visit. I have to wonder if she and Fritz crossed paths while she was there.

2. Ida was back in Wellsville in time for the 1910 US Census, most likely in May or June of that year.

3. Fritz arrived in October 1911. The record of his entry with the Wellsville destination is attached to the document that neither of you can open (New York Passenger Lists (1820-1957)). 

Further, Ida's younger sister, Sophie (1876-1971) emigrated to the United States in 1897 (or 1899), married Carl Graf (1861- ) in 1902 and was living in Wellsville in 1910.

Finally, in another document, Ida's younger Brother, Emil (1885- ), sailed from Bremen and arrived in the United States April 1914. (Swiss Overseas Emigration (1910-1953). He shows up in the Reuning household in the 1915 New York State Census.

From the Census (both New York and US) information alone, it is obvious the home of Ida and Ernest served as a receiving household for newly-arrived Swiss.

After what I believe was a layover in Wellsville, Fritz settled in Los Angeles, California in 1911 or 1912. As you know, he was a butcher. His first job in Los Angeles was a dishwasher.

By 1914, Fritz had returned to Switzerland, married our grandmother, Lina Althaus (1893-1981), and returned to Santa Monica, California.

The first documentation of his (and Lina's) residency in southern California is his registration for the draft for World War I on 12 September 1918.

This is important for a second reason. 

An individual named Emil Vogely (sic), whose biographical information matches Emil Voegeli's almost exactly, registered for the draft on 18 September 1918 in Los Angeles. 

I am nearly certain, this Vogely is Ida's Brother.

Further, he listed his closest relative as "Mrs. Julia Bellinger" of "Wallace, Idaho." The form does not indicate it, but "Julia" is most likely his older Sister, Juli Voegeli (1880- ). Juli's presence in northern Idaho is chronicled in Ida's journal.

When he registered for the draft, Emil listed his address in Los Angeles as 452 South Main Street. At the same time, Fritz and Lina lived at 9123 South Figueroa Street, about 8 miles away.

Coincidence?

Don't think so.

Tuesday, June 21, 2016

The Katy



In the US Census and Denison city directory information available between 1895 and 1900, Kenneth Ellerton and his siblings, Maude and George, worked for the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad.

The railroad was dubbed “The Katy.”

As you can see from the map, its operations extended from St. Louis to Houston and the Texas Gulf Coast.





Most casual observers of railroads are familiar that the transcontinental railroad was joined at Promontory Point, Utah on May 10, 1869 celebrated by great pomp and circumstance. Just three and one-half years later, amid virtually no fanfare, the North-South connection of America’s burgeoning railroad system was consummated at Denison, Texas, when The Katy and the Houston and Texas Central Railroad connected on Christmas Day 1872.

Denison is home to the Red River Railroad Museum.

In 1896, at the same time our ancestors were employed by The Katy, there was a notable incident that befitting the expression, “A train wreck waiting to happen.”

As its passenger ridership declined, The Katy challenged its passenger agent for Texas, George Crush, to revive its sagging fortunes. He invited the public to attend a staged, head-on train collision.

The rest is history.




Monday, June 20, 2016

Wanderlust


Our great-great grandfather, Samuel Ellerton (1808-1884), married Eliza Hight (1811-1886), a daughter of Samuel Hight (1767-1850) and Elizabeth Wilson (1740-1818).

Samuel had a great grandson named Knox Pope Hight (1865-1960), who married Eva May Boone (1872-1976).

Eva was a great-great-great Granddaughter of Squire Boone, Sr (1696-1765) and Sarah Jarman Morgan (1700-1777).

Her branch of the Boone family descended from a Son of Squire named Squire Boone II (1744-1815). 

Squire II had an older Brother named Daniel Morgan Boone (1734-1820). 

Yes, that Daniel Boone, the famous woodsman.

For an engaging read about him, check out Boone - A Biography by Robert Morgan.

Thursday, June 9, 2016

The Ellertons: Networking with Relatives in the 1920's


So, why did Kenneth and Louise Ellerton move to California in 1916-1917?

And, more specifically, why did they move to northern California?

And, then in 1921-23, why did they move to southern California?

Two words: Opportunity and Family.

Bear in mind: All of this is speculation.
__

To be clear, we don’t know where the couple lived immediately prior to the move to the Bay Area.

[They married in Houston in September 1916.]

In an earlier posting entitled, “Kenneth Eugene Ellerton, 1879-1951,” you will recall passing reference to Kenneth’s cousins living in the area.

He had a lot of cousins whose families had lived in the region for quite some time and were, therefore, likely well connected.

Louisa and Harry Schwatka

In 1916-1917, Kenneth’s cousin, Harry Schwatka (1858-1944), lived in Emeryville, California, less than 7 miles from Alameda, where the Ellertons lived. The Schwatka family had come to northern Californnia by way of Oregon in the early 1860’s.

Guide to Kenneth’s cousins living in northern California, 1850-1930)


Nancy Dunn (1841-1911), Keneth Ellerton’s Mother and our great grandmother, had an older sister, Louisa (Louise) A Dunn (1825-1891). In 1849, she married Andrew Schwatka (1823-1898).

Louisa and Andrew had five children:

Gabriella (1851-1851)
Owen (1852-1914)
Harry (1858-1944)
Minnie (1860-1929)
Hugh (1865-1940)



Harry was twenty-one years older than Kenneth and had lived in the rea all of his life. In 1900, when he was 42 years old, the US Census lists his occupation is “Teamster,” in 1910 he was a “Wagon Driver at a lumberyard in Emeryville,” and in 1920 a “Night watchman” in Emeryville.

When Kenneth registered for the draft in 1918, his occupation was listed as “Railway Station Inspector.” In the 192 US Census, Kenneth’s occupation is “Shipping Clerk” in the warehouse industry. My guess is that Kenneth landed the job by ‘networking’ with Harry and, perhaps, other Schwatkas.

Harry Schwatka had children living in the area. They would have been young contemporaries of Kenneth:

Fred (1893-1975), who worked as a longshoreman and stevedore.

Julia (1896-1956), who married William Conradi, who, according to the 1920 US Census, worked for a steamship company in San Francisco.

Julia and James Thomas

Julia was another cousin living in the area. 

In 1870, Nancy Dunn’s younger sister, Julia Augusta (1846-1930) and Kenneth’s Aunt married James Thomas (1849-1924). In the 1910 US Census, James’ occupation was “Bookkeeper” for a plumbing company in San Mateo, just across the bay from Alameda. By the 1920 Census, he had retired but he and Julia still lived in San Mateo. 

All of this is intended to demonstrate that Kenneth and Louise were not on their own.

OK, so Kenneth and Louise have started a family and he is gainfully employed.

At some point between 1920 and 1923, the family moved to Pasadena, California.

I haven’t divined an explanation. 

A recession set in following World War I and lasted until July 1921. It was characterized by severe deflation, the largest one-year percentage decline in around 140 years of data.[2] The Department of Commerce estimates 18% deflation, a stunning decline in demand for just about everything.

So, it is quite possible Kenneth had been laid off and was unemployed.

Remember, in 1921 he and Louise lost a daughter at childbirth.

For these and other reasons, the family relocated to southern California.

Were there family connections?


Yes. Augusta Gertrude Ellerton, Kenneth's older sister,  moved to Los Angeles from Denver in 1920-1922. In 1922 she was registered to vote at 5212 Pasadena Avenue, Pasadena. The same year, Kenneth was registered to vote at 958 Stevenson Avenue. Those addresses are about 7 miles apart. 

Not:e They both registered as Republicans.  

Augusta would return to Denver in the late 1920’s, but by 1935 she was back in Los Angeles. Louise would die in 1937.

Mabel Dunn (1870-1960), a cousin, also lived in Los Angeles.

In 1873, Mabel married Leroy Cheston Skeels (1868-1929). By 1910, by way of Washington state and Oregon, they lived in Antelope (Los Angeles County), California. In the 1920 US Census, the Skeels lived at 5962 Hayes Avenue, about 8 miles from the Stevenson/ Del Mar address the Ellertons would call home a short time later. (Same address for 1930 and 1940 Censuses).

The Skeels had a son and daughter living and working in the area in the 1920's and 1930's. 

Katherine Elarton

The most intriguing possibility is that Kenneth was in contact with a distant cousin in the Robert Elarton branch of the family.

An earlier posting, “Posting Migration of Two families: Tabb and Ellerton,” discusses the origins of the two families.

The patriarch of the Ellerton branch, William J Ellerton, had a son named Robert (1819-1903). He spelled his name ‘Elarton.’

Robert was born in Ohio and in the late 1850’s moved his family to Iowa, perhaps to be with his mother, Sarah, after William died in 1859. Robert then served in the Civil War from Iowa and finally settled in Kansas in the mid-1870’s.

One stem of this branch ended up in southern California by way of Missouri and Colorado. Following the death of her Father, John (1853-1917), Katherine Elarton (1894-1978), moved in with a brother named Ora. Katherine likely moved from Colorado to southern California shortly after Ora died in 1921. She married Harry Cole (1897-1953) in Riverside, California in 1923.

The point is that she may settled in Los Angeles at about the time Kenneth and Louise were planning their next move.

In 1920, Harry, who was living in Compton California, listed his occupation as “Switchman” for a steam railroad and in 1930, a “Checker” Shell Oil, 1940 “Warehouse[man]” at an oil refinery.

Thursday, June 2, 2016

Wanzenried-Randolph Connection


Here is another intriguing connection.

Nancy and Jerry are related to one another.

Of course, they are married, but they also share common ancestors.

From an earlier post, you will recall Mary Marshall Tabb, a pivotal figure in connecting Wanzenried with an array of well-known individuals.

She's back
___


Wanzenried/ Ellerton/ Tabb: We have a distant cousin named Mary Marshall Tabb (1737-1814). She was a granddaughter of John Thomas Tabb (1676-1739) and Martha Purefoy Tabb (1676-1739), our great-great-great-great grandparents.

Randolph: Jerry's great (x 10) grandfather is William Randolph (1572-1660). He married Dorothy Lane (1589-1656).


Randolph Half - The basics

Dorothy and William had a great-great granddaughter named Jane Isham Randolph (1720-1776), who married Peter Jefferson (1720-1757).

Jane and Peter had a famous son, named Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826).

 Jane and Peter's fourth oldest daughter (and Thomas' younger sister) was named Martha (1747-1811)

 Martha married James Bolling (1735-1804).


Wanzenried/ Ellerton/ Tabb Half - The Basics

James Bolling (1735-1804) had a Grandfather named John Fairfax Bolling (1676-1729).

John's younger Brother, Robert Bolling II 1682-1747), married Anne Cocke (1690-1743).   

Anne and Robert youngest child was named Robert Bolling III (1730-1775), who married Mary Marshall Tabb (1737-1814).

Wednesday, June 1, 2016

Ancestors with Profile




The Wanzenried family tree I have compiled includes over 16,000 names.
One of them is Mary Marshall Tabb (1737-1814). In 1758, she married Robert Bolling III (1730-1775). Their marriage is significant in that it served to connect two families and, in the process, to connect a remarkable number of historic figures with the Wanzenrieds.
The connections are very, very indirect.
But, they are connections nonetheless.
___
First, we need to connect the Wanzenried family with Mary.

The great-great-great-great grandparents of our grandmother, Louise Baker Tabb (1883-1937), were named John Thomas Tabb (1676-179) and Martha Purefoy Hand (1676-1739).

Louise’s branch of the Tabb family descends from their son named William Henry Tabb (1701-1765).

William had a younger brother named Thomas Tabb (1718-1769). Mary Marshall was his daughter. 

Connection #1

A great Granddaughter of Mary and Robert, Mary Tabb Bolling (1846-1924), married William Fitzhugh Henry Lee (1837-1931).

William was a son of Robert Edward Lee (1807-1870) and Mary Anna Randolph Custis (1808-1873).

Robert E Lee was the commander of the Confederate Army.

Connection #2

Mary Anna Custis had great grandfather named Daniel Parke Custis (1711 -1757), the first husband of Martha Dandridge (1731-1802). You likely know Martha better by her second husband, George Washington (1732-1799), the first President of the United States.

Here is an interesting story about how Daniel and Martha met, courted and married.

Martha and George had no children together, but raised Martha’s two surviving children, including John Parke Custis through whom the lineage extends to Mary Anna Randolph Custis. (See above.)

Conection #3

Mary Tabb Bolling’s great-great-great Grandfather was Robert Bolling (1646-1709).

Robert was married two times. Mary’s (and our) lineage descends from Robert Bolling’s second marriage: Anne Stith (1646-1710).

Robert’s first wife was named Jane Rolfe (1655-1676), a Granddaughter of John Rolfe and Pocahontas. (1596-1617).

Pocahontas accomplished a great deal for a 21 year-old


Connection #4

Jane and Robert Bolling had only one son, John Fairfax Bolling (1676-1729), before she died.


John’s great-great-great-great granddaughter was Edith Bolling (1872-1961). She married Thomas Woodrow Wilson (1856-1924), the 28th President of the United States, afterhis first spouse, Ann Axson (1860-1914), died. Some historians suggest that following Wilson’s stroke, Edith was the de facto President for the balance of his term.

Pocahontas was her great-great-great-great-great Grandmother.


Connection #5

Finally, Martha Jefferson (1747-1811), a younger sister of Thomas Jeffferson, the 3rd President of the United States, married James Thomas Bolling (1735-1804), a Grandson of John Fairfax Bolling (see above) and a great Grandson of Robert Bolling (1730-1745). Another one of Robert’s grandson was Robert Bolling (1730-1775), the Robert Bolling who married Mary Marshall Tabb.

Next: The Wanzenried-Randolph connection