Stories from my family research
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Note’s From Nana
Nantucket Memories 2
We revisited Nantucket in 2009 to celebrate our 40th wedding anniversary. While there we also had the opportunity to enjoy not only the beauty of the island, but to also explore some of its rich history. Ruth's grandmother, Susan Hervey Wales’ (1889-1989) great...
How Searching Google Books Led Me to More Goff Family Records
For the last few years part of my research has focused on Licking County, Ohio, about 30 miles east of Columbus. There my 3rd Great Grandfather, Abner Goff and his father, Daniel purchased 200 acres for $1,000 in 1813 after moving from Clarendon, Rutland, Vermont. In...
Goff-Gough Family Association Website Components Photos Newsletter Archive Blog FamilyTree Database Membership Management
20 Tools
In March 2017 I presented a lecture on "20 Tools I Used to Break Down a Brick Wall I Never Knew I Had." Following extensive research on my paternal grandmother's family, I discovered in September 2015 that my father was adopted! Thus began a whole new search for...
Finding Treasures in the Un-indexed Records On FamilySearch.org
A few years ago I received the will of my third great grandfather, Abner Goff (1782-1857). For more than three decades Abner Goff was a Methodist Circuit Rider, serving churches in central and north central Ohio. For me three things about the experience of...
Emma (Emily) Sears (1856-1932) – Looking for the Rest of Her Story
Ruth’s great grandmother, Emily Sears married John Frank Templeton on 29 June 1873. Their first child, Hermon was born in 1874 and Fred in 1876. Sadly, John died sometime in 1879, leaving Emily with two young children, 5 and 3, at the age of 23. Emily disappears...
Peter Geib – Naturalization 1838
This week I discovered the court document for Peter Geib’s naturalization on 29 October 1838 in Mercer County, Ohio. Previously I noted that Peter and his family arrived in New York from Germany on 19 July 1836. 16 months later he purchased land just east of New...
Peter Geib – Germany to Ohio – 1836
On July 19, 1836, 180 years ago today, a young Peter Geib, his wife Elizabet, along with her parents, Valentin and Margaretha Keller, arrived in New York City from Le Havre, France aboard the ship “Baltimore.” Also on the passenger list was a one year old child,...
Job Lane House
Job Lane (1689-1762) On a sunny August Sunday afternoon in 2008, Ruth and I visited a home first built by Ruth’s 7thgreat-grandfather, Job Lane (1689-1762). Located on the Old North Road, just north of Bedford, Massachusetts, the home was built by Job Lane for his...
Who Were the Parents of John Gifford Who Married Comfort Hart?
There is conflicting evidence regarding the parents of John Gifford who married Comfort Hart. John Gifford died in Little Compton, Rhode Island on 18 Dec 1802 "in his 95th year." One line claims Christopher Gifford and Deborah Perry as his parents; the other, Jeremiah...
How did “Dorothy” Become “Susan Hervey” Wales?
We have always known Ruth's grandmother as Susan Hervey Wales Rollason. In researching her birth documentation, we found a record of a Dorothy Wales on Family Search, born to George R Wales and Mabel Hervey in Brookline, MA on 2 November 1889. Correct...
John Wales – Stories from a Store Ledger (1794-1795)
Tucked deep in the back of the drawer of John Wales Rollason’s desk was this very old book, about 15” tall by 6” wide. Found again after his death in 2008, we discovered that the book is a store ledger from 1794-1795. The shop keeper was also a John Wales...
From a Goff Family Summer Home to a Sonoma Winery
(Is a Goff family ghost still there?) On a trip to California in June, we visited the Chateau St. Jean Vineyards in quiet, scenic Kenwood, located in the Sonoma valley. While we are familiar with some of their wines, we wanted to see Chateau St. Jean because of its...
William Sears Will – 1885 – Piscataquis County, Maine
On our recent visit to the Moosehead Lake area of Maine, I located the will of William Sears, father of Emily Sears Templeton, and my wife's great-great grandfather. The will was executed in 1885, about three years before his death. William left eight of his nine...
Looking for the family of William Inhoff
Today I added this page detailing what I know so far about my paternal grandfather, William Inhoff, who came as a 14 year old from Germany to Hardin County, Ohio. In searching the ship's list of passengers, I can't find any family names that I recognize. Could he...
John Kilborn – A 300 Year Journey Back Home
300 years ago this week (November 25, 1711) John Kilborn, one of the founders of Glastonbury, CT died. According to a family history [1], John was instrumental in providing the land and building the parsonage for the first pastor, a requisite for establishing a new...
Emily (Emma) Sears Templeton Jenkins – Some Questions Answered – and New Ones to Ponder
We have been searching for the the missing 53 years of the story of my wife's great grandmother, Emma (Emily) Sears Templeton Jenkins (more detail here). One of the tasks I listed was to request the Social Security application for a Harry Templeton, who was living...
Rev. Abner Goff (1782-1857)
One of my most cherished church records is a tribute to my 3rd great grandfather, Rev. Abner Goff published in the Minutes of the Ohio Annual Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1857, the year of his death. Born in 1782 in Vermont, the Goff family came to...
Still Making Canoes at the Age of 76
During our recent trip to Moosehead Lake, Maine, we visited the Moosehead Historical Society in Greenville Junction. This was just a short walk from where Ruth's mother grew up. Following an excellent guided tour, we stopped in the office to see what they might...
Geneabloggers
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