Monday, June 5, 2017

My great-grandparents

I came across this photo while clearing my parents' home.  The subjects of the photo are my great-grandparents.  Lois L Dawson married Albert Leroy Dillon in June 1901.  They lived in Chicago while he attended medical school.  In November 1903, ALD purchased land in Hume, Edgar Co., Illinois where there son was born in September 1904.  Lois and Albert divorced in March 1908.

This is the first photo that I have seen of them as a married couple.  It is very much treasured!

Lois L. (Dawson) and Albert Leroy Dillon
Chicago, 1901-1903

Friday, November 6, 2015

Photo Album by Sallie Dawson, About 1910

I found this photo album among my mother's genealogy collection.  I believe it was made by Sallie Dawson, b.1875, daughter of John William Dawson and his wife, Lucia Baird. 

Front cover

 
Add caption

Father washes out the clothes
Mother hangs them up to dry

 
 
Nor will our Dad his milk job shirk
And he must feed our chickens too.
 
Mother, Mother, Father
 
 
Our Young Lady
A graduate
In winter garb
A student
 
One day in June
 
Our grandchildren.
Russel, Helen, John.
John D. Jr.
 
The whole family.
Jessie, Helen, Darkey, Coon, Biddie & her brood (top)
Jessie, Bob, Mother (bottom left)
Mother (Lucia), Nettie (Ben's wife), Ben, Father (John William), Russel, Jessie, Bob. In front, Jno. and Helen.
 
Yours truly.
Sallie D.
 


 
 
 
 
 

Monday, October 5, 2015

Irvin Johnston's Estate


 

___________________________________________________________

p. 79 Orphan’s Court Docket Book M or N #248
Order to sell Real Estate of Irvin Johnston, Late of West Twp., 1880

 Was sold privately to Albert Myton for $4150. confeyied absolute Nov 12, 1880
 J.W. Johnston ex makes the report

____________________________________________________________

Orphan’s Court Docket Book M or N
Huntingdon Co., Pennsylvania

Johnston, Irvin
1881 #147 Page 166

Executor ordered to invest $784.34

_____________________________________________________________

Account and Report Docket, Book 5
Final Account of J. Wesley Johnston, Executor of Irvin Johnston, Late of West Twp.  Book 5, 1881 No. 205, page 412

The complete Executor’s report is recorded.
Irvin Johnston’s five children, as listed, W. A. Johnston, T. F. Johnston, Howard Johnston, J. Wesley Johnston, and Mary M. Baumgardner, received distributions of 1/5 of 2/3 of his estate, in the amount of  $313.93 each. 

Signed by William A. Johnston for himself and as Grantee of Interest of T.F. Johnston and Howard Johnston; J. Wesley Johnston; and Mary M. Baumgardner.


 

 

Sunday, October 4, 2015

Irvin Johnston's Last Will and Testament, 1878


Will Book 9 (1878-1882)   #7 – Huntingdon Co., Pennsylvania

Last Will of Irvin Johnston, decd

In the name of God, Amen.
I, Irvin Johnston of the township of West in the county of Huntingdon in the State of Pennsylvania being of sound mind and memory and considering the motaly of this frail and transitory life do thearfore make, ordain, publish and declare this to be my last will and testament. That is to say:  First:  After all my lawfull debts are paid and dischargd the residue of my estate, real and personal, I give and bequeath and dispose of as follows, to wit:

To my beloved wife Tiney Johnston, all my household furniture that is now in my house and in my posestion, also my horse, carriage and carriage harniss, two cows, three young cattel, six heads of hogs and three hundred dollars of money out of the sale of my personal propertey. I do hearby order that my Exachtors hearin after mentiond to leas my farm on which I now live for the sum of three years after my decease and then put it to sale.  My wife Tena Johnston to remain in the house untill the expiration of the leas and have all hur stock on the farm untill the expiration of the leas of said farm.  I do further bequeth to my wife Tenay Johnston five hundred dollars out of the sale of the farm. The said five hundred dollars to be invested in a homested property whear the said Teney Johnston may select which shall be hur property in fee simple during hur natural lifetime.  At her decease it shall become the property of the several legatees hearin after mentioned.  The five hundred dollars invested in property hearin mentiond shall not be a bar to Tenay Johnston lengal right of Dower in the farm after sale.  I do hearby bequeath to my son Wesley Johnston three hundred dollars and having paid two hundred for him, it will refund the money I got of him when he was a minor; the balance of my money accruing from notes, bank accounts, sale of personal or real estate shall be equily devided between the following named heairs:  Alfred Johnston, Wesley Johnston, Franklin Johnston, Howerd Johnston, and Molley Johnston, my five children. and I do further bequeath to Teney Johnston my wife all the fierwood she may nead during the term of the leas on the farm. I do hearby object to my son Wesley charging aney intrest on the three hundred Dollars set out in this will. And I do hereby nominate, constitute and appoint my son Wesley Johnston of Fulton County, Pennsylvania, Executor of this my will.  In witness whearef, I the said testator Irwin Johnston have to this my last will and testament set my hand and Seal the 14th day of November A.D. 1878

                                                                                    Irvin X Johnston (his mark)

Signed, Seald, published and declared by the said testator Irwin Johnston, as and for his Last Will and Testament in the presence of us, who in his presence and at his request have subscribed our names as witnesses thereto:

            Ephraim Fisher 
            Henry Davis Jr.

 

 

Will Book 9  Huntingdon Co., Pennsylvania p.33

Date of Death of Irvin Johnston, decd

Huntingdon Co Ss:
            Before me, Registrer for the Probate of Wills and granting Letters of Administration, in and for said county, personally appeared J. Wesley Johnston, who, being duly sworn, dot depose and say that Irvin Johnston, late of West township, died on or about the 25th day of November 1878 at 4:35 oclock, a.m., and further said not.

                                                            J. W. Johnston

Sworn & subscribed this 3rd day of March A.D. 1879, before J.D. Kuntzelman,
Register

Wednesday, August 19, 2015

Chloe Ann (Southard) Wells

Chloe Ann Southard was the 3rd child of Sarah Alameda "Meda (Dawson) and Oliver W. Southard.  Chloe was born in January 1882, Illinois and died 27 November 1924, Kansas during childbirth with twins.  Chloe married William N. Wells sometime before January 1920. 

These photocopies and the actual photo were in my mother's genealogy collection.

Will and Chloe Wells

William Wells, Chloe Southard Wells, Ray and Elnora Southard

Chloe Southard Wells


Tuesday, August 18, 2015

Meda (Dawson) Southard

Sarah Alameda "Meda" Dawson was the 6th child of Thomas Lewis and Rebecca Ann (Taylor) Dawson.  She was born 3 April 1853 in Illinois and died 30 April 1937 in Scottland, Edgar Co., Illinois. 

On 15 September 1875, in Edgar Co., Illinois, Meda married Oliver W. Southard.  The had 6 children:  Millie Cecil, Charles Clarence, Chloe Ann, Laura Celesta, Chancy, and Ray C.



From Challis Dawson's 1947 manuscripts to his son, while Gerard was attending Harvard University, page 104.  The originals are located at the Nansemond-Suffolk Historical Society, Suffolk, Virginia:
   "This path led to the back pasture, and also to Aunt Meda's home.  Aunt Meda was Dad's sister, and almost his same age.  She was married to a man by the name of Oliver Southard, . . . Every one called him "Oll", for short. . . They lived in a log cabin surrounded entirely by second or short growth timber.  It was a large log cabin, really a story and a half house, built with logs and thoroughly tight, made so by plastering the chinks between the logs with some material resembling cement.  I frequently would cross this path to Aunt Meda's, when large enough, and I loved to visit her.  Aunt Meda put up every summer a spread called plum butter, but it was mixed with apple butter to tone down the sour red plum taste.  It remained a beautiful red color, given by the plums.  Aunt Meda made a large, soft and light type, of biscuit.  These we would open in half, spread heavily with good fresh made butter, add the other spread and go to town.  The biscuits were always eaten fresh and hot from the oven.  I was always exceedingly fond of going through the woods to her place.  It always seemed like going through the real wilderness, even if it was only about one half mile, and it was an adventurous travel."

Wednesday, June 3, 2015

Aunt Janie's Lime Pickles

While scanning recipes from my mother's collection, I came across the handwritten recipe received from my Great-Aunt Opal (Grindstaff).  She wrote that the recipe is "Aunt Janie's"  I think Aunt Janie married into the Harrison line.