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Estate settlement records often identify married names of daughters, confirm parentage, establish migration patterns, and more. Estate settlement records go beyond wills. Even if your ancestor did not leave a will, other records created during the estate settlement process may answer genealogical questions. This article focuses on records created by the probate court. Property records, chancery, common pleas or other court records may also be involved in estate settlements and may contain additional family information. See the “Terminology” on page 3 for definitions of terms in bold-face type in this article.
Genealogical Questions Answered by Estate Settlement Records
A myriad of questions may be addressed all or in part by estate settlement records. It may be necessary to use multiple records and the law to answer questions.
• When were my ancestor born?
• Who were my ancestor’s parents?
• When did my ancestor marry? How many marriages?
• Who were my ancestor’s children?
• When did my ancestor die?
While many questions may be answered by estate records, there are limitations. Your ancestor may not have been wealthy enough to have his estate probated. Alternatively, ancestors may have avoided probate—transferring their estate using other mechanisms. Fortunately, avoiding probate was less common in the past. Even when records were created, they may name “wife and children” or “heirs of” rather than identifying specific individuals.
Volume 37, No. 2 ISSN 1942-1044 May 2018
Butler County Chapter of The Ohio Genealogical Society P. O. Box 13006, Hamilton, OH 45013 - www.butlercountyogs.org
Research in Butler County Estate Settlement Records By Liz Stratton
Educational Program MidPointe Library in West Chester 7:00 pm
Tuesday, May 15, 2018 “Kentucky Online Resources: Maximizing Your Search
of the Bluegrass State” presented by
Elaine M. Kuhn, MLS Free and Open to the Public
Inside this issue:
Research in Butler County Estate Settlement Records 1
President’s Message 2
Memoriam for Pam White and Bob McMaken 7
Find a Grave Has Changes 9
Is there a DNA Test for Native Americans 10
Members Only 11
Queries 12
2018 Calendar of Genealogocal Events 13
New Ways to Discover Local History at the MidPointe Library 14
~ Continued on Page 3 ~
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President’s messageSpring time greetings to everyone! I hope this newsletter finds everyone healthy and overcoming those brick walls in their research. This year we are celebrating our 40th Anniversary, so HAPPY ANNIVERSARY BUTLER COUNTY CHAPTER OF OGS!!!
I would like to take a moment to thank the current board members for everything they do, as we continue to tackle the issues that impede our society from becoming even more amazing and relevant. There has been new content added to the “Members Only” portion of our website and more is in the works. Our web designer has been working to fix some of the issues wIth the site and to make some necessary updates. Please stay tuned.
We are still in dire need for volunteers. Our Society relies heavily on volunteers to accomplish our day to day tasks, as well as special projects every year. Most non-profits rely on volunteers within their operations and our society is not any different. It is our intention to work to build our volunteer network, and I would like to encourage you to contact us at [email protected] if you have an interest in serving. Please keep in mind that you do not need to be local in order to volunteer.
I would like to take a moment to remember Pam White, the former President and friend to this society…you will be
greatly missed. James A. Dowler, President
Exective Committee President: James Dowler Vice-President: Debbie Newman Recording Secretary: Nancy Porter Corresponding Secretary:Vacant Treasurer: Sharon Williams Committees Educational Programs: James Dowler Membership: Nancy Porter
[[email protected]] Public Relations: James Dowler
[[email protected]] Newsletter:
[[email protected]] Research:
[[email protected]] Webmaster: James Dowler
Query Policy Queries are free for members. Non-members may submit queries for $2.00 each, which includes a copy of the issue of Pathways in which it appears.
Research Policy Research will be done for $10.00 an hour for members and $20.00 an hour for non-members (2 hour Minimum). Send check with information about research request to P.O. Box 13006, Hamilton, OH 45013.
First Families of Butler County First Families is the lineage recognition program of the Butler County Chapter of the Ohio Genealogical Society. It is open to anyone with ancestors in Butler County by December 31, 1820. Applicants must be members of the society and pay a $20 application fee.
BUTLER COUNTY is one of the original eight counties in OHIO. The cities of Hamilton, Fairfield, and West Chester make up the southeast quarter; Middletown, Monroe, and Trenton the northeast; Oxford, home of Miami University, the northwest; Shandon and Okeana, the southwest.
SUPPORT BUTLER COUNTY HISTORY! Single Membership…………………………………… $14.00 E-membership…………………………………………… $ 9.00* *Same as single but with an email version of Pathways Family membership (same address)…………. $16.00 Sustaining membership…………………………….. $25.00** ** Members unable to volunteer time, but want to sustain Chapter with additional donation.
Gift Certificates available for your favorite genealogist.
Members receive the quarterly newsletter, Pathways access to the “Members Only” section of our website, and may submit free queries for publication in the newsletter.
VOLUME 37, NO. 2 MAY 2018
Emile Herren (Endres), my Great
Great Grandmother who migrated
to Cincinnati from Eyerhausen,
Bavaria, Germany in 1897
Emile Endres (nee Endres) (1879-1968)
Court with Estate Settlement Jurisdiction in Ohio
Estate settlement records are maintained at the county level. Look for records in the county as it was at the time your ancestor died. Butler County was formed from Hamilton County in 1803. For earlier estates, look for records in Hamilton County. Fires destroyed many Hamilton County estate records—some fragments remain.
The court responsible for hearing estate settlement cases varied over time—Probate Court Division of the Court of Common Pleas (1912-present), County Probate Court (1851-1912), Court of Common Pleas (1803-1851). Early in Ohio’s statehood, federal courts had original jurisdiction over estates spanning state or national borders.
Legal issues may have come up during the estate settlement process (probate). Disputed estates might be referred to the Court of Common Pleas, Chancery Court (before 1852), or other appeals courts. Look for referals to other courts in probate records.
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VOLUME 37, NO. 2 MAY 2018
Tuesday, May 15, 2018 7:00 pm
West Chester MidPointe Library 9363 Centre Pointe Drive, West
Chester, Ohio
“Kentucky Online Resources:
Maximizing Your Search of
the Bluegrass State!”
This presentation highlights the many avenues for online research of Kentucky records. Resources
covering the entire state as well as region-specific collections will be
discussed. Presented by
Elaine Kuhn Elaine is the Local History and Genealogy Services Coordinator
for the Kenton County Public Library in Kentucky. She is a
member of the Ohio Genealogical Society and the Hamilton County
Chapter of OGS. She also serves on the boards of the Historic Linden
Grove Cemetery and Arboretum in Covington, Kentucky, and the
Kenton County Historical Society.
Terminology
• Administrator/Administratrix— court appointed individual who manages the estate settlement
• Beneficiaries—people receiving property by will (testate) • Curtesy—widower’s right to a lifetime portion of his wife’s
estate • Decedent—a person who has died • Dower—widow’s right to a lifetime portion of her husband’s
estate • Executor/Executrix—administers the estate settlement (testate) • Heirs—people receiving property by distribution rules
(intestate) • Infant—anyone not of full legal age • Intestate—decedent had an estate but left no will • Jurisdiction—types of matters that a court can rule on • Life estate—lifetime right to use property • Probate—process of settling the estate of a decedent • Testate—decedent left a will • Widow—wife of a deceased husband • Widower—husband of a deceased wife
More legal terminology Black’s Law Dictionary First Edition/Black’s Law Dictionary Second Edition give the historical meanings of legal terms. The second edition is available online at Google Books, https://books.google.com/books?id=R2c8AAAAIAAJ.
Estate Settlement Process
Estate settlement procedures varied over time and by geography but generally followed the steps outlined in Table 1. Some original documents were recorded into court books before being filed. Court books are particularly beneficial when original files do not survive or are not accessible.
Table 1
Estate Records that may identify Families
WillsWills may or may not name all heirs. A child may be omitted if the parent has already given them their share.
Petition for Probate, Administration Application or Petition, Determination of HeirsPetitions for probate or administration were filed to start the estate settlement process. Heirs of the decedent may be listed. Courts may require ‘determination of heirs’ forms for intestate estates. Names of these records vary by state.
Final Account, Decree of Distribution, Final Distribution, DivisionAccounts were kept tallying the payment of expenses and the collection of debts owed the deceased. The final account distributed what remained after the payment of expenses. This account often lists the final payment to heirs—frequently naming them and the amount of payment. Share distribution can be used to infer relationships. In Butler County, look for accounts in Testamentary Records.
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VOLUME 37, NO. 2 MAY 2018
Will presented and proven, executor appointed, OR intestate estate entered, determination of heirs filed, administrator appointed.
Original Documents Court Record Books
Will File, Probate Packet or Case File created Will (if any) recorded in will book; appointment recorded in appointment book; docket started, and case number assigned
Appraisers appointed, inventory made of estate
Original inventory Inventory record in court books
Publication, notification of heirs, accounting and settling of debts and credits
Accounts, receipts, etc. filed in probate packet or case file Accounts recorded in court account books
Guardians appointed as needed—maybe in a different court
Guardianship file created Guardian appointment book record and docket created, and case number assigned
Real property transferred—may or may not involve the probate court
Court ordered land sales books or Recorder’s Officre deed books
Final distribution of personal property—final account
Receipts, Final account as submitted to the court, etc. Final account recorded in court account books
GuardianshipsWhen minor children (infants) inherited property, guardians were appointed to oversee their property until they attained majority. Guardians were required to post a bond, submit accounts, and look out for the welfare of the children. Records may include apprenticeships and real estate sales made on the children’s behalf. Records were sometimes maintained by the probate court but often in different books and files than the estate. Birthdates can be estimated based on when children received their inheritance.
Estate Distribution Rules (Intestate Estates)In the case of wills, the decedent decided how the estate should be distributed. Estate distribution rules applied to intestate (no will) estates. The law determined the heirs and the share of the estate that they should receive.
Typical Historic DistributionHistorically, spouses received a life estate of a portion of the estate. The widow received a dower right and the widower a curtesy. The heirs were children and/or their heirs. Distribution rules are more complex when no children, grandchildren or great-grandchildren survived. Parents would be next to inherit. If no parents survived, then the estate would be divided between the siblings of the deceased (see Table 2: Typical Historic Estate Distributions). Distribution rules vary by state and time.
Table 2: Typical Historic Estate Distributions
Decedent Parents (4) Grandparents (9)
Children (1) Brothers or sisters (5) Uncles or Aunts (10)
Grandchildren (2) Nephews or nieces (6) First cousins (11)
Great-grandchildren (3) Grandnephews or nieces (7) First cousins, once removed (12)
Great grandnephews or nieces (8) First cousins, twice removed (13)
First cousins, thrice removed (14)
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Tuesday, July 10, 2018 7:00 pm
West Chester MidPointe Library 9363 Centre Pointe Drive, West Chester, Ohio
“Genealogy Apps for Smartphones:
2018”
Smartphone applications are constantly being updated with newer capabilities and many get abandoned. New Genealogy applications are constantly introduced. I’ll cover genealogy-
specific applications. These applications make a smartphone the perfect companion in any location from Courthouse to Graveyard. As new hardware is introduced and operating
systems for smartphones are updated, recommendations from just a few years ago
may not be valid.
Presented by Mark Middleton
Mark Middleton is a highly experienced digital technologist that has been working in the computer technology field since the 1990’s. Mark has personally lead efforts to create and update mobile applications
as well as using many online technologies. Mark’s takes technology and brings it to a level that can be understood and used by
all genealogists. His experience and education allows him go beyond the
limited technology recommendations of many speakers and provide accurate and actionable steps a genealogist can take.
VOLUME 37, NO. 2 MAY 2018
Property Distribution per Stirpes Distribution per stirpes is the most common way that an estate was distributed. Shares were distributed equally among the children. If one of the children had already died (B), their portion would be equally divided amongst their children (B1 and B2).
Distribution methods vary considerably by location and time. In Colonial times, primogeniture was followed. Primogeniture gave most or all the real property to the eldest surviving male.
Correlate Results with other RecordsIn estate research, records may only give indirect evidence of family members. Relationships can often be established using the law, distribution rules, and other records.
Published Indexes and Transcripts—Butler CountyPublished indexes and transcripts of estate records speed research as they often provide enough information to determine if a record pertains to your ancestor or someone else with the same name. A few Butler County, Ohio published sources include:
Bell, Carol Willsey. Ohio Wills and Estates to 1850: an Index. Columbus: self-published, 1981. Brien, Lindsay M. Miami Valley Will Abstracts for Counties of Miami, Montgomery, Preble, Warren, and Butler, Ohio. Dayton: n.p., 1940. Christ, Mary, Ellen Essig, and Elinor Edmundson. Indexes to Wills and Estates, 1803-1900, Butler County, Ohio. Middletown: Butler County Chapter of the Ohio Genealogical Society, [201-?]. Hacking, Anne Smyth. Early Butler County, Ohio Will Abstracts, 1803-1847. Middletown: self-published, 1989. Skinner, Jane Knox, and Alma Kramer Todd. Ohio Cemetery, Marriage, Wills Record, Butler County. Oxford: Caroline Scott Chapter DAR, 1963. —. Wills and Inventories Pertaining to Oxford Township and Vicinity of Butler County, Ohio. [Oxford:] Caroline Scott Chapter DAR, [194-?].
Butler County, Ohio Online Records—Digital Images on Ancestry and FamilySearchAncestry To find estate records on Ancestry, drill down to “Wills, Probates, Land, Tax & Criminal” as indicated by the following way-points.
Ancestry, https://www.ancestry.com/ > Search > All Collections > Ohio > “Ohio Wills, Probates, Land, Tax & Criminal” > “View all Ohio Wills, Probates, Land, Tax & Criminal”
Use the search box with the name and county. If county boundary changes affected your ancestor, search in both the historic and contemporary county. Not all records are indexed. For unindexed records, use the “Browse this collection” feature and search records the way you would at the courthouse. Look for an index to the records or search each volume’s self-indexes covering the relevant date. See Table 3 for online Butler County records as of April 2018.
Alternatively, search the “U.S. Wills and Probate Records,” https://www.ancestry.com/cs/probatesandwills2015. Use the filters on the left to narrow your search.
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VOLUME 37, NO. 2 MAY 2018
THE BUTLER COUNTY
CHAPTER OF THE OHIO
GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY NEEDS VOLUNTEERS!!!
We are in need of volunteers in order to keep our soc iety going. There are s e v e r a l B o a r d Member Posit ions a n d C o m m i t t e e C h a i r s t h a t a r e v a c a n t . A s o u r m e m b e r s h i p s continue to grow, the need for dedicated individuals to assist with the day to day tasks and special projects is even more pressing. You don’t need to be local to give your time. We are asking that if you can give your time please reach out to us at
[email protected] or (513)
371-1332
SOME OF THE POSITIONS ARE:
~ Continued on Page 8 ~
• Webmaster • First Families • Indexers • Newletter
Editor • Content Editor
On Tuesday, 3 April 2018, Pamela E. White passed away after a courageous battle with pancreatic cancer. Pam had been the president of the Butler County Chapter of the Ohio Genealogical Society for the past several years up until the end of 2017 when she stepped down due to her health. She had been actively involved with the Executive Board since 2008 holding various positions of responsibility.
Pamela Ellen White was born on 17 October 1949 in Hackensack, New Jersey to the late Frederick Zott and his wife, Ethel Hosek. In 1971 she married Lanny White whom she had met while he was a cadet at the US Military Academy at West Point. They enjoyed more than 47 years of marriage. To this union was born two children: a daughter, Jennifer, and a son, Jeffrey, who proceed his mother in death. Pam had four grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
Pam was passionate about genealogical research. She was a professional genealogist and owner of Key Genealogy. Butler County research was one of her areas of expertise and she applied her knowledge in helping others research their ancestors in the county by volunteering her time at the Butler County Records Center and Archives in Hamilton. She was also the local expert on using DNA in genetic genealogy research having taken several intensive courses offered at the Genealogy Research Institute at Pittsburgh (GRIP) along with various other institutes for continuing education. She was instrumental, along with Kathy Reed of the Hamilton County Chapter of OGS, in starting the DNA Interest Group that meets bi-monthly at the West Chester Branch of the Midpointe Library System to help area genealogists and family historians learn more about using DNA in their research. She was in the first ProGen Study Group and later facilitated a group. She was a huge source of encouragement and instruction to up and coming genealogists in her sphere of influence. She was willing to freely give of her time and knowledge to help others hone their skill.
Pam will be deeply missed by the Executive Board and all who knew her.
MCMAKEN, Robert L. Age 87 of Hamilton, passed away at Good Samaritan Hospital on Friday, April 20, 2018. Bob was born in Lima, Ohio on August 9, 1930 the son of John A. and Norma (Goetz) McMaken. He received his Bachelor's Degree in Photo Journalism from Kent State University in 1951. Bob was a veteran of the Korean War with the United States Army from 1951 to 1953. On May 5, 1956 in Newark, Ohio he married Judy Bentz. Bob was a longtime employee of Ohio Casualty Insurance Company and retired in 1993. After retirement he began a second career as the train conductor at Kings Island Amusement Park. Bob was very active in the Knights of Columbus and was an avid genealogist who devoted many volunteer hours at the Butler County Records Center. Bob is survived by his wife, Judy McMaken; four children, Kathryn Wellington, John A. (Maryjo) McMaken, Phillip L. McMaken, and Sara (Paul) Lynn; one sister, Elizabeth (William) Murphy; fourteen grandchildren; one great granddaughter; and numerous other relatives and friends. He was preceded in death by his parents.
Mass of Christian Burial was held at St. Joseph Catholic Church, 171 Washington St., on Tuesday, April 24, 2018 at 11:00 AM with Fr. Dale Peterka, Celebrant. Visitation was held at the Brown Dawson Flick Funeral Home, 330 Pershing Avenue, on Monday from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM. Published in Journal-News on Apr. 22, 2018
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VOLUME 37, NO. 2 MAY 2018
In Memoriam Pamela E. White
(1949~2018)
In Memoriam Robert “Bob” McMaken
(1930~2018)
Table 3: FamilySearch and Ancestry Records
Ancestry FamilySearch
“Ohio, Wills and Probate Records, 1786-1998,” https://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=8801 > Browse this collection, select Butler. The drop down list will be populated identifying the records listed below
State level probate record collections: “Ohio, probate records, 1789-1996,” https://www.familysearch.org/search/collection/1992421 > Browse through... > Select “Butler”
Various probate record collections at the county level. See the record description for a link to the card catalog entry. Click on the camera icon next to the descriptions to see the record.
Court Minutes and Journal, 1852-1916 The collection “Court Minutes and Journal, 1852-1916,” https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/261811 contains Court Minutes and Journal, 1852-1916 as an earlier filming. Use Minutes and Journals instead.
General Index to Descendants and Estates, Vol. 1-2, 1851-1929
Index of decedents and estates 1851-1929 vols. 1-2
Guardian Inventory, 1867-1951 Guardians inventories 1867-1951
Guardianships, 1951-1960 Guardianship records 1951-1960
Journals vols. 6-18, 22-30 (1883-1900, 1903-1916)
The collection “Court Minutes and Journal, 1852-1916,” https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/261811, contains Journal, vols. 6-30, 1883-1916
Minutes vols. 1-5 (1852-1883) The collection “Court Minutes and Journal, 1852-1916,” https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/261811, contains Minutes, vols. 1-5, 1852-1883
Misc. Probate Records, vols. 1-6 (1882-1921)
“Miscellaneous record 1882-1921 vol. 5” corresponds to “Miscellaneous Probate Records, Vol. 1-4, 1882-1921,” on Ancestry. “Probate records 1903-1908 vol 6” corresponds to Ancestry’s “Miscellaneous Probate Records, Vol 5, 1903-1908.” Ancestry’s description appears to be correct based on the first page of the volume. “Estate records 1911 vols. 1-4” corresponds with Misc. Probate Records vol. 6, 1911 on Ancestry.
Probate Records, vols. 1-4, 6-21 (1876-1903, 1908-1939)
Probate records vols. 1-4, 6 [see above], 6-21 (1876-1903, 1908-1939)
Testamentary Record of Administrators and Executors (1852-1874, 1876-1884)
Testamentary records (1852-1874, 1876-1884)
Will Records, vol. 1-12 (1851-1912) Wills vols. 1-12 (1851-1912)
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VOLUME 37, NO. 2 MAY 2018
Records at the Butler County ArchivesDespite the plethora of online records, not all Butler County probate records have been digitized and made available online. Some records are at the Butler County Archives, http://www.butlercountyohio.org/records/. For more recent estates, contact the Butler County Probate Court, http://www.butlercountyprobatecourt.org/. Of particular importance are the probate packets. These packets contain the original records that were later recorded into court books. Packets include receipts and other information not available in court books.
Butler County Archives Probate Records: Testamentary 1803 – 1923+ Will records 1803 – 1923+ Estate packets 1803 – 1999 Estate inventories 1803 – 1907
Search StrategyEstate records often identify ancestral families and link generations. Begin by searching published indexes and online databases. Online databases may use different indexing systems—search at both Ancestry and FamilySearch even though the records are the same.
Not all online records are included in the databases. Browse the original record books using the same strategy you would in the courthouse. Look for a general index or search the self-index to each volume for the relevant time period.
Once you have exhausted online records and have identified your ancestor’s estate, get the records that are not available online from the Butler County Archives or the Butler County Probate Court.
Examine estate records for family relationships or ancestral clues. Even in estates with no will, families are often identified or can be inferred using distribution rules and the shares received.
On 8 November 2017 findagrave.com changed. Some changes are cosmetic, while others are functional. A map feature has been added. The home page has become a photograph with a few menu selections across the top. That page is dominated by the search panel, which functions largely as it did in the past and with the same options for every search box except those related to location. The old search panel specified location via pull-down lists for country, state, and county. The new search panel offers a single box for location, in which you are supposed to type the name of a place. As you begin to type a city, county, state, or country that box auto-fills with suggested place names which you can select with a mouse click. Use the American English equivalent of a country name; Germany works but Deutschland doesn't. The new home page's menu bar goes across the top of the screen. Clicking CEMETERIES takes you to a page that lets you hunt cemeteries in either of two ways. Near the top left of the page is a search box where you can
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VOLUME 37, NO. 2 MAY 2018
Find-A-Grave Has Changes By Ted Bainbridge, Ph.D.
type a cemetery name. This auto-fill box works as above. When you select a name, you see a hit list of cemeteries with that name. Each entry on the hit list displays some facts about that cemetery, and a link to its information page. That page contains a search box that you can use to hunt for a person's name. Instead of using that cemetery-name search box, you can use the cemetery-place search box to its right. Clicking a place name produces a map of cemeteries near that place. You can zoom the map in or out, and can pan it in any direction. (If the map doesn't display any marker pins, zoom in.) After a name is in that search box, clicking Search leads to a hit list of cemeteries near that place. Use this hit list the same way you use the other cemetery search box.
“My DNA test didn’t show any of my Native American heritage. The results are wrong,” said Susie. Have you thought the same thing as Susie? DNA testing may be the future of genealogy, but it’s new and complicated. If you are having trouble believing your test results regarding your Native American ancestry, this might be why.
I can’t even begin to number the people in the U.S. who are upset and angry that their DNA test did not show a Native American result. There are many reasons why this might have happened.
Let me ask you a question….when I ask, “Are you Native American?” are you actually hearing “Are you Cherokee, Seminole, Shawnee, Apache, or a descendant of the other hundreds of Indian tribes that once lived all over the current day United States?” If that is how you interpreted the question, it is completely understandable. But guess what…DNA companies are not necessarily using that interpretation. When they say “Native American,” their definition refers to peoples who are indigenous to the Americas. And that includes, Inuits of Alaska and Mayans of South America, just to name two!
In fact, if you took a test at 23andMe and your ethnicity results showed up as “Native American,” you should realize your sample was referenced next to peoples of Colombian, Karitiana, Maya, Pima, or Surui ancestry. That’s it. These are peoples of the South American continent for the most part. [The Pima are a group of Native Americans living in the area of what is now central and southern Arizona.]
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Is there a DNA Test for Native Americans? February 9, 2018 Blog by Amie Bowser Tennant
• Maybe your family isn’t actually Native American, after all.
• Maybe the Native American person in your family tree is so far removed from the person tested that it didn’t “show up.”
• And, maybe it’s because of a misunderstanding on our part.
A portion of the Reference Populations white paper found at 23andMe. To see entire paper see the following url:
https://customercare.23andme.com/hc/en-us/articles212169298#East_Asian_Native_American
VOLUME 37, NO. 2 MAY 2018
At Family Tree DNA, their reference groups include a population cluster for North & Central America and another for South America. [Read their full statement here.]
For the North & Central American group, they state the following: “The North and Central America cluster consists of present day Native American populations that span from southeastern Alaska down through the western half of the United States and end at the top of Nicaragua.”
For the South American group, they state: “The South America cluster is found in present day Native populations who inhabit Cuba, the Caribbean islands, the regions south of Nicaragua, and as far south as Argentina and Chile.”
In any of these statements, did you read that the reference population is that of known Cherokee, Choctaw, Seminole, Utes, Ojibwe, etc.? Nope, you didn’t. And yet, we continue to be upset when our DNA test results don’t include the results of ‘Native American’. So, unless your ancestors were from these reference populations (mostly South American peoples), your saliva it is not going to end in test results saying you are Native American.
So, What Should We Do Now?
My opinion is…get that DNA test done anyway! Your Native American ancestry can be proved through good old fashion paper trails and exhaustive research. DNA testing is valuable for many reasons, not just to give you an ethnicity report. DNA test results are not ‘wrong’…at least that is not the correct word. Instead, we might say DNA test results are complicated, becoming more accurate over time, and will help the majority of genealogists in their quest to learn their story.
We have added the Holthouse Descendants Books to our “Member’s Only” portion of our website. This is a series of 7 books and Master Index by Marilyn Holthouse that include listings of descendants of some of the first Amish-Mennonite settlers in Butler County. These books include:
The Descendants of Nicholas Augspurger Vol 1; The Descendants of Jacques (Jacob) Augspurger Vol 2; The Descendants of Christian Augspurger Vol 3; The Descendants of John Gingrich; The Descendants of Johannes/Hans Kennel, Sr.; The Descendants of John Slonaker; The Descendants of…. Master Index Companion to 1 May 2007 Descendant Books.
These books have been made available to our members by the Friends of Chrisholm and are also available for purchase at https://www.masthof.com.At MidPointe the buzzword is
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Welcome New Members!` 1. Sharon Williams, West Chester, OH 2. Terry Atkinson, Lewiston, MT 3. Larry Collins, West Chester, OH
4. Sandra Maher, Libert Township, OH 5. Phil Morrical, Liberty Township, OH 6. Margaret Keltner, Hamilton, OH
VOLUME 37, NO. 1 MAY 2018
Surnames Barnes (2) Ruble (2) Miller (5) Morrical (5)
Morricle (5) Morgel (5) Wilson (2)
Deadline is July 11th
The last day to Submit Articles
and Queries for the next issue of
Pathways is July 11, 2018
Send To:
Butler County Chapter of OGS
P.O. Box 13006
Hamilton, OH 45013
or
“Members Only” What’s New on Our Website
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VOLUME 37, NO. 1 MAY 2018
LOOKING FOR THAT LONG-LOST PERSON…. NEED HELP BREAKING
THROUGH THAT BRICKWALL…
Submit your Queries to be added to our society’s website and to be included in our next newsletter. You never know
who might come across it.
Here is how you do it: Members can submit queries for free. If you are not a member, there is a $2.00 fee for each one. This will include a
copy of the issue of Pathways in which it appears.
Go to: www.butlercountyogs.org/services/
or Send Check and Queries to: Butler County Chapter of OGS
P.O. Box 13006,
Hamilton, OH 45013
Surnames Researching in Butler County:
Wilson, Barnes and RubleSubmitted by Terry Atkinson [email protected]
Priority in Theodore Wilson. The only census I found him in was 1860 Butler County. Shows birth as abt 1 8 2 1 D e l a w a r e . M a r r i e d t o Nancy(Ruble) age 24. Children are Cassius(Edwin Forrest) age 7, Mary age 5 and Frances age 3. He married Nancy 27 Oct 1851in Butler county. Served in Co. F Ohio Inf 69th Reg. Headstone provided shows he died 8 Jan 1867 and is buried in the Venice Cemetery. It appears that headstone is missing. Theodore is my 3x grgrandfather. His daughter, Mary, my 2x grgrandmother. Found Mary and Nancy early in my research, Took a lot of searches before I found Theodore. Unfortunately Theodore Wilson is a more popular name than you would think. The name also shows up in Delaware county, Ohio.
If someone is researching this family please help us connect.
Hornaday and Sparks FamiliesSubmitted by James Dowler [email protected]
My link to Butler County, Ohio. John Hornaday was the son of Christopher Hornaday (1753-1841) and Mary Ann Copeland (1750-after 1836) of North Carolina, married Naomi Ward the daughter of William Ward (1754-1818) and Lydia Chamness (1758-1850), also of North Carolina. They married in 1804 in Cane Creek, Mitchell County, North Carolina. On the 30th of January 1807 they had a daughter, my GGGG Grandmother Mary Ann (Polly) Hornaday in Cane Creek, Mitchell County, North Carolina. Mary Ann (Polly) Hornaday had 12 siblings: Lydia (1808-1883) born in NC; Christopher (1811-1850); Nancy ( 1 8 1 3 - ) ; W i l l i a m H a r v e y (1816-1868); Nathan (1818-1882); Isaiah (1821-1882) born in Butler County, Ohio; Samuel (1823-1907) born in Rush County, Indiana; Lucinda (1827-1828); John William (1830- ); Louisa (1833- ); Naomi ( – ); Sarah ( – ).On the 21st of July 1825 in Rush County, Indiana, Mary Ann (Polly) Hornaday (1807-1884), married a native of Butler County, O h i o W i l l i a m Jo h n S p a r k s (1800-1875). William’s parents at this time are unknown.
Any additional information would be greatly appreciated.
QUERIES
Please note our address has changed: Butler County Chapter of OGS
P.O. Box 13006 Hamilton, OH 45013
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Mon. May 7th 6:00 p.m. Discovering Your Genealogical Roots (Education) Greenhills Branch Library
8 Enfield Street, Cincinnati, OH 45218
Fri. May 11th 2:00 p.m.
A Checklist of African American Resources by Angela Walton- Raji
Legacy Family Tree Webinars (Free) familytreewebinars.com
Sat. May 12th 12:30 p.m. AGF: Cluster Analysis (FAN) (Education) PLCH North Central Branch Library Meeting Room,
11109 Hamilton Ave., Cincinnati, OH
Sat. May 12th 1:00 p.m. Research Military Records & Unit Histories Dayton Metro Library, Community Room 2-B
215 E. Third St., Dayton, OH 45402
Tues. May 15th 7:00 p.m.
Kentucky Online Resources: Maximizing Your Search of the Bluegrass State by Elaine M. Kuhn, MLS - Hosted by the BCOGS
MidPointe Library 9363 Centre Pointe Dr. West Chester, OH
Tues. May 15th 2:00 p.m.
Good Research Habits by Paula Stuart-Warren, CG, FMGS, FUGA
Legacy Family Tree Webinars (Free) familytreewebinars.com
Sat. May 19th 10:00 a.m. Foundations 1: What's in a Name? (Education) Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton Co.
800 Vine St., 3rd Fl., Cincinnati, OH 45202
Wed. May 23rd 2:00 p.m. Quaker Migration into America Legacy Family Tree Webinars (Free)
familytreewebinars.com
Wed. May 30th 2:00 p.m. The Palatine Immigrants: Tracing and Locating 18th Century... Legacy Family Tree Webinars (Free)
familytreewebinars.com
Sat. June 2nd 1:00 p.m. Foundations 2: Making Sense of the Census (Education) Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton Co.
800 Vine St., 3rd Fl., Cincinnati, OH 45202
Sat. June 2nd 1:00 p.m.
5 Ways to Enhance Your Genealogy Research with Old maps + Sanborn Fire Maps (Education)
Doris Wood Library 180 S. 3rd Street, Batavia, OH
Wed. June 6th 2:00 p.m. What Your Ancestor's Neighbors Can Tell You Legacy Family Tree Webinars (Free)
familytreewebinars.com
Sat. June 9th 1:00 p.m.
Foundations 3: Extra! Extra! Read all about your Ancestors in the News (Education)
Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton Co. 800 Vine St., 3rd Fl., Cincinnati, OH 45202
Tues. June 12th 7:00 p.m. Southwest Ohio DNA Interest Group MidPointe Library
9363 Centre Pointe Dr. West Chester, OH
Wed. June 13th 2:00 p.m. Easily Read Old Style American Handwriting Legacy Family Tree Webinars (Free)
familytreewebinars.com
Tues. June 15th 8:00 p.m. Using Maps in Genealogical Research Legacy Family Tree Webinars (Free)
familytreewebinars.com
Tues. June 19th 2:00 p.m. You Need a Search Strategy: Maximizing Your Results with... Legacy Family Tree Webinars (Free)
familytreewebinars.com
Wed. June 20th 1:00 p.m. Tracking Family Footprints Using U.S. Land Records Warren County Administration Building
406 Justice Drive, Lebanon, OH (Class is $10)
Sat. June 23rd 1:00 p.m. Foundations 4: It's Vital to Find Births, Marriages, and Deaths (Education) Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton Co.
800 Vine St., 3rd Fl., Cincinnati, OH 45202
Sat. June 30th 1:00 p.m.
Foundations 5: Published Genealogies and Histories, and Cousin Connections (Education)
Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton Co. 800 Vine St., 3rd Fl., Cincinnati, OH 45202
Sat. July 7th 1:00 p.m.
5 Ways to Enhance Your Genealogy Research with Old maps + Sanborn Fire Maps (Education)
Doris Wood Library 180 S. 3rd Street, Batavia, OH
Tues. July 10th 7:00 p.m. Genealogy Apps for SmartPhones: 2018 MidPointe Library
9363 Centre Pointe Dr. West Chester, OH
Fri. July 13th 2:00 p.m. Freedmen's Bureau Records - Valuable to ALL Southern... Legacy Family Tree Webinars (Free)
familytreewebinars.com
Wed. July 18th 1:00 p.m. German Handwriting Warren County Administration Building
406 Justice Drive, Lebanon, OH (Class is $10)
Wed. Aug 1st 1:00 p.m. Irish Research Warren County Administration Building
406 Justice Drive, Lebanon, OH (Class is $10)
Wed. Aug 1st 2:00 p.m. Jewish Genealogy for the Non-Jew: History, Migration, DNA Legacy Family Tree Webinars (Free)
familytreewebinars.com
Wed. Aug 8th 8:00 p.m. Genealogical Proof for the Novice Genealogist Legacy Family Tree Webinars (Free)
familytreewebinars.com
Tues. Aug 14th 7:00 p.m. Southwest Ohio DNA Interest Group MidPointe Library
9363 Centre Pointe Dr. West Chester, OH
Tues. Aug 21th 8:00 p.m. GPS: Finding Your Way Through Tough Research Problems Legacy Family Tree Webinars (Free)
familytreewebinars.com
Wed. Aug 22nd 2:00 p.m. Researching Forces Ancestors (England and Wales) Legacy Family Tree Webinars (Free)
familytreewebinars.com
2018 CALENDAR OF GENEALOGICAL EVENTS *All times are Eastern Standard Time
"History." Not only do we enjoy learning about the past but we enjoy making history available to you! Here's how:
The spacious, newly named Local History and Genealogy Gallery at our Middletown location. Located next to the long-established Ohio Room, the Gallery offers patrons a wealth of material which they can check out: books and magazines on the how-tos of genealogy, histories, biographies and memoirs of local interest, pictorial exhibits and more.
Their new, 70-inch interactive local history touchscreen. Mounted on the south wall of the Local History and Genealogy Gallery at Middletown, the touchscreen proves that history is just a fingertip away! Currently the screen displays a locally-produced timeline of African American history, photographic exhibits of historic Middletown and Monroe, and a "memory match" game involving local historic logos. Another future exhibit, prompted by the return of our old friend, the Bookmobile, after a 30-year hiatus will recall Bookmobiles that served library patrons from the late 1930s to the late 1980s.
T h e n e w " T h r o w b a c k T h u r s d a y " b l o g a v a i l a b l e a t www.midpointelibraryblog.org/blog features a vignette of local
h i s t o r i c a l i n t e r e s t e a c h w e e k . A n d d o n ' t f o r g e t : www.MidPointeDigitalArchives.org remains a substantial source for your local history research needs.
Let’s Welcome their New Librarian
Erica Stepler-Cavin is the new Librarian at the MidPointe Library System, and has a focus in local history and genealogy. She is available at the Middletown location to help with family or property research for individuals and will be establishing a series of programs on genealogy and history topics in the upcoming months for the enjoyment and edification of our library patrons.
She most recently worked at Kenton County Public Library's Local History and Genealogy Department, where she took advantage of a well-rounded team to learn about wide ranging subjects and develop various research skills. Though relatively new to librarianship, having completed her degree in 2016, she has spent her career at the intersection of people and history; this includes time as an historical archaeologist and volunteering at museums. She particularly enjoyed the once-in-a-lifetime experience of helping to store away the archival and history objects of the History Museum before the Cincinnati Museum Center closed for renovations. Erica is eager to share her passion for history, and most particularly, she is eager to learn from you.
Feel free to contact her with research requests or questions; please also let her know what days and times work best for programs, and if there are topics of special interest that you would like to have covered.
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New Ways to Discover Local History at the MidPointe LibraryThe Wicked Trade
by Nathan Dylan Goodwin
Genealogical crime mystery author, Nathan Dylan Goodwin has just released his latest story, entitled The Wicked Trade. The novel is set in Kent and Sussex during the turbulent 1820s, when smuggling was rife in the area. The story revolves around the protagonist, Morton Farrier using his skills as a forensic genealogist to work to untangle the life of a disreputable criminal, Ann Fothergill from the notorious Aldington Gang and her connection with the brutal killing of Quartermaster Richard Morgan.
This story, based on some actual events and real characters, is the seventh book in the Morton Farrier genealogical crime mystery series, and is available in paperback and Kindle editions and has already received over twenty-five 5* reviews. It can also be purchased in combination with the preceding short story, The Suffragette's Secret.
For more information, see the author’s website at
www.nathandylangoodwin.com
VOLUME 37, NO. 1 MAY 2018
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The Butler County Chapter of the Ohio Genealogical Society
is celebrating its 40th Anniversary
HAPPY 40TH !!
BUTLER COUNTY CHAPTERTHE OHIO GENEALOGICAL SOCIETYP. O. BOX 13006Hamilton, OH 45013
ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED
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Central Ave, Middletown, Ohio 1955
From the collection of Suzanne Zelling
![[PRESIDENTIAL DECREE No. 1083] A DECREE TO ORDAIN AND](https://img.pdfslide.us/doc/110x75/61f56ce7a52ced50911a3e98/presidential-decree-no-1083-a-decree-to-ordain-and-.jpg)
