Author: Kathleen

George Yohn… again

Posted on by Kathleen

I received my order of records from the New Jersey State Archives on Saturday. The record you see above was too big to fit onto my scanner, so I tested out the app recommended to me for my iPhone. It worked pretty well! Especially under the conditions I was trying. It would have probably worked a bit better in daylight on a flat surface.

Anyway, onto the record. The record I sent for was the marriage record for George Yohn and Josephine Doremus. I’m currently trying to figure out if George Yohn is in fact George Thorward. What I like about the above record is that the marriage date fits with what I know for George and Josephine. I also like that Josephine Doremus is listed. There was another Josephine Doremus in the 1870 census but she was living in Newark and not Caldwell. In 1880 there is no trace of Josephine and George Yohn. Only Josephine and George Thorward. Everything about the above record fits with George Thorward except the Yohn last name. It is a bit disappointing to see the parents names listed as “Not Known” for George. Though it raises another question. Did George lose his parents when he was young? Did that prompt his immigration to America?

I did search the online index for name changes on the State Archives website but I found no trace of any Yohns or Thorwards. I’d love to get my hands on some local history books from the church or even the newspapers. My Grandpa told me that there is some stuff in local books about the Thorwards because they were integral in the Methodist Church of Caldwell.

Included in the envelope with my records was a note from the Archives. They explained to me that they included the entire page as counties were only required to report once a year the births, marriages, and deaths from their county. Individual records weren’t issued by the State until June 1, 1878. So the record they sent me is actualy for the whole period of May 1871 to May 1872. So to me that tells me, if another Josephine Doremus had married George Thorward in November of 1871, it most likely would also be listed on this page.

I’m getting closer and closer to confirming my assumption that there was a name change. Once that happens, I’ll have more questions. Was Thorward the original German name or was Yohn? Did George adapt Yohn when he immigrated and then wanted to change it back? Were the children born under the name Yohn? Will this impede me in finding their birth records?

Previous entries in the George Yohn craziness:

More Webb Confusion

Posted on by Kathleen

Okay, so I thought if I took a little time to do some Webb family research, it’d be a break from the frustration of the Mays family. I was wrong. In fact, I was so wrong I might be right. After finding the treasure trove, I wanted to take another look at the information it gave for Reuben H Webb and his wife Ann Thompson. I’m not doubting the biography but there was something that stood out glaringly for me. I don’t know what to do about it. However, it kind of fits in with the fact that Reuben moved around a bit after losing the land he cleared initially.

You see, on FamilySearch.org it has in two separate databases that Reuben Webb married Ann Thompson on 15 Feb 1806. Why my original family file says 1805, I’ll never be able to tell you. That’s how crazy my file is.

Continue reading “More Webb Confusion” →

Webbs in the Civil War

Posted on by Kathleen

I was a little blocked about what to write about next on the blog. Then Ancestry.com released new Civil War documents!

In the Civil War Draft Registrations Records, 1863-1865 database, I found both Reuben Thompson Webb and his sons Reuben Horace and James A! Unfortunately, I’m still finding no proof that Reuben’s brother James ever served in the Civil War. Hopefully this changes soon. The family legend says that he died of injuries and gave his death date as September of 1863. Maybe this just means that I haven’t found him in the records yet. I’m still looking!

Planning Tips Welcome

Posted on by Kathleen

I don’t know if my title is explanatory enough. I wanted to call it ‘Planning Trips Tips Welcome’ but that sounded weird. So we’re left with just tips. I’m hoping to make some genealogy trips this summer. One to Ohio and the other to New Jersey. So before I’m in the car on the way there, I want to make a list of the things I’d like to look up.

One of the many things I have to do is update my family file for my Mom’s Ohio side. My Dad’s New Jersey side is as up to date as I can get it. I’m ahead of the game there. I plan on taking my laptop and a written list. However, I recently was able to get a cell phone upgrade. I bit the bullet and got an iPhone. I quickly downloaded the free Ancestry.com app, and I’m pretty sure that if I get my private tree up to date, it will help immensely on a research trip. I don’t know if there will be restrictions, natural or otherwise, that will keep me from having my laptop at my disposal.

Ancestry.com app for iPhone

Having a basic version of the family file available on my phone is a godsend for me.

Okay, onto the hard part. I need to make a basic list of which records I’d most like to get while I’m in each place. Most likely I will make an Excel file and have it in my Gmail account so that I can view it from my phone.

Here is what I plan on doing over the next two months:

  • Look up the libraries/court houses/archives I plan on visiting and get their address and hours. This way I’ll know exactly where I need to be and when. Hopefully they have a set of rules online that I can also read, so I know what I’m walking into.
  • Make a list of vital records I want to find and sort them by date, surname, and location.
  • Make a list of secondary records that I can look for if I’m faced with more then I expected. For example, in Salisbury there are many, many alternative resources for the Taylors. (Court records, Land records, Research Papers, Biographical Histories, etc)
  • Make a list of cemeteries and who I need to get photographs for.
  • Make a RootsMagic CD of the family tree for all those interested in having a copy of the current version. There have been sparks of interest over the last year or so.

So I think that’s enough to keep me busy, along with my newfound love of quilting. So hopefully I’ll get enough done to be more prepared for research when I’m there. Luckily enough, most of the things above coincide with my 2011 goals. So I’ll be knocking both lists out.

Feel free to leave some tips or tricks for me about researching on location! I could use all the help I can get!