Crawford County | Genealogy Lady

Well, this update is not about the book because I am on book hiatus until the end of October. [Insert crying face emoticon here] I have too many other projects on the stove cooking at the moment to devote time to the book. I am frustrated by this lack of time. I want to be able to focus on the book completely instead of stealing a moment here or there. But the time just is not there at the moment, and I have to be realistic.

My main focus is writing my proof argument for my ProGen Study Group. The first draft was due September 25^th which I turned in a few days early. After I wrote mine, I had to review the four papers of my group mates. We have such different writing styles and research problems. It is great to see what we are all working on. This next month we have to take the comments and suggestions of our group mates and polish up our first drafts into the final arguments.

I chose a research problem which I have been working on for 20 years, since I first starting working on Gladys’ family. One branch of her family has Quaker ancestry which stretches back to the early days of Pennsylvania and William Penn. Due to all the various migrations across the eastern part of the United States in the early years of the nineteenth century, some records are non-existent. The purpose of a proof argument is to gather indirect and direct evidence together in one place, and to write an argument “proving” whether or not events occurred. In my case, I have been searching for the parents of Alfred M. Dicks, Gladys’ great grandfather.

I believe I have a very solid argument. My first draft was 18 pages long, and over 6,000 words. I received some good feedback from some of my study group mates, and now I am beginning to make some corrections and additions. It is also my plan to publish the argument as an eBook when I am done in October.

In my genetic genealogy work, my father’s mtDNA results came in last week. I have two exact matches, but I think they are several generations too far away to help me at present. Mitochondrial DNA is the type of DNA which was used to prove that the bones buried under a parking lot in England belonged to Richard III. My goals are a little less lofty, but no less important to me. I am hoping to prove the connection between Sarah Ann (Jewell) Rea and her parents with mitochondrial DNA. The most plausible candidates are John P. Jewell and his wife Mary (Hoagland) Jewell. My father’s haplogroup is H1g1. This haplogroup appears to be more common in Germany and the Northern European countries. If Sarah’s mother was Mary Hoagland (who was of German ancestry), and I can find another of Mary’s descendants who matches, then I may have solved this mystery.

Last night, as I was searching for more information about Crawford and Clark counties (in Illinois) where Gladys’ family lived, I discovered that the Marshall Public library has begun digitizing the local county newspapers, back to the 1850s. This is AMAZING news! I have been stymied by the lack of records access in these two counties for the last two decades. I finally had to step away from the computer at midnight, but I could have gone on for hours more. The website says that they are still scanning and adding more newspapers, so patrons should check back often! [Can you see me doing Snoopy’s happy dance?] I was able to find the obituary of Gladys’ great grandmother, Belinda C. Foster, which previously I had only been able to find in a transcription, and many other little tidbits of gossip about my ancestors.

I will leave you with a small sample from the weekly news gossip column of West York, Illinois, from March 1896, announcing the marriage of Gladys’ parents.

Foster-Lawhead Marriage Announcement, 1896

Clark County Herald (Marshall, Illinois), 11 March 1896, p. 5, col. 2.

Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2014/09/27/progess-september-27/

James Henry Lawhead

Was born in the state of Ohio, January 5, 1840, and departed this life at his daughter-in-law, Mrs. J.F. Lawhead Feb. 18, 1920, aged 80 years, 1 month and 13 days. He was united in marriage to Martha Burch, near Bloomfield, Ind. To this union were born three children. His wife and three children preceded him in death. He was again married to Margaret Rea, near Bloomfield, Ind. To this union were born seven children. The wife and four children preceeded him in death a number of years ago. He united with the M.P. church at York, Ill., some thirty years ago and lived a faithful Christian to the end. He leaves two daughters and one son, one step daughter and one step son, a number of grandchildren and eighteen great, grand children to mourn his departure. He had been a sufferer since N [?] But bore his suffering with patience always trusting in his blessed Savior. Only last Sunday he told the relatives and friends that “he wanted to go home to Heaven if it was the will of God.” Thus reconciled with all men and with his God he passed over the mystic river and is now at rest in the land that is fairer than days. May his mantle fall upon another and his good work go for others.

The funeral service took place at U.B. church, Robinson, Ill. Rev. W. H. Duncan was in charge and interment took place at Hutsonville cemetery.

-Newspaper Unknown, likely published in Hutsonville or Robinson, Illinois, 1920.

Minerva with her father James Lawhead, son James R. and grandson (c1908)

James Henry Lawhead was the second known son and child of Joseph and Cassandria (Harding) Lawhead. He was likely born in Marietta, Washington County, Ohio as reported on his death certificate.[1] The family migrated at least twice during his childhood. The census records the family living in Guernsey, Ohio in 1850,[2] and then moving onto Greene County, Indiana by 1860.[3] As a young man, James worked as a farm laborer in nearby Lawrence county, Indiana and was enumerated a second time.[4]

James married first Martha (Lafoon) Burch on 3 November 1861, Greene County, Indiana. They were the parents of three children: James Francis, Margarett A. and a third unknown child (presumably an infant which died young). At the time of their marriage, Martha was a widow with three children: Paris Burch, Ortha E. Burch and Ruth Burch. It is likely that this marriage ended in divorce. James was married again in 1868, and Martha was still living in 1870.[5]

James married second Margaret A. Rea, the daughter of George and Sarah (Jewell) Rea, on 5 December 1868 in Greene County, Indiana. They were the parents of seven children: Jasper R., Emily H. “Emma” and Minerva [twins], Saphrone, Parey, Casan and Joseph. The last four all died as infants. James and Margaret did not remain in Greene County, but moved to Crawford County, Illinois soon after their marriage.

Sometime between 1900 and 1910, James and Margaret moved to Peach Orchard, Arkansas for a while. Their son Jasper had settled there. After Margaret’s death, James married for a third time in Arkansas, a widow named Cora Perkins, on 5 December 1908. James later returned to Crawford County where he died in the home of his daughter-in-law, Belle Lawhead.

Even though James’ obituary states the he was buried in Hutsonville Cemetery, no grave has been found.

[1] Illinois Department of Public Health, death certificate no. 24333, James Henry Lawhead (1920); Division of Vital Statistics, Springfield.

[2] 1850 U.S. Census, Guernsey County, Ohio, population schedule, Seneca Township, p. 474 (penned), dwelling 3045, family 3067, Joseph Lawhead: NARA microfilm publication M432, roll 684.

[3] 1860 U.S. Census, Greene County, Indiana, population schedule, Center township, P.O. Jonesborough, p. 75 (penned), dwelling 530, family 530, Joseph Lawhead; NARA microfilm publication M653, roll 262.

[4] 1860 U.S. Census, Lawrence County, Indiana, population schedule, Spice Valley township, P.O. Bryantsville, p. 149 (penned), dwelling 1910, family 1910, Wm McNabb; NARA microfilm publication M653, roll 276.

[5] 1870 U.S. Census, Greene County, Indiana, population schedule, Centre township, P.O. Solsberry, dwelling 21, family 21, Martha Lawhead; NARA microfilm publication M593, roll 318.