Surname Saturday ~ July Birthdays

Happy July birthday to my niece Christine; my cousins Cynthia and Ernie Lynn; my 3rd cousins once removed James, Pat, and Steven; and my 4th cousin-in-law Michael. Birthdays from the past include:

George BORST born 26 Jul 1861. George was a postman in Chicago Illinois and lived to be 90. He married Nana Elizabeth PLUM born 21 Jul 1872.

Esther Ingeborg CLARIN born 07 Jul 1890 was the first child born to Swedish immigrants Carl and Bengta Clarin in Chicago Illinois. Mabelle Theresia CLARIN born 09 Jul 1894 was Esther's younger sister. The girls' grandfather Lars PETERSSON was born in Fultofta, Malmohus, Sweden 21 Jul 1800.

Mary CLARKE, born 24 Jul 1869, was the eighth of 11 children. Her parents were Morgan and Susan (nee Shank) Clarke of Funkstown Maryland.

Carl ERSSON born in Börstil, Uppsala, Sweden 14 Jul 1807 is my third great-grandfather. He and his wife Brita Carin ANDERSDOTTER had seven children, among them my second great grandmother Maja Stina KARLSDOTTER born 02 Jul 1839.

Alice Louise GILES born 31 Jul 1913 lived to be 90. She was the first family historian I knew. Her sister Fern Mary GILES was born 3 Jul 1922. In her later years, Alice gave her genealogy files to Fern for safe-keeping.

Vernie G HIGHBARGER was born 22 Jul 1887 in Washington County Maryland. She married William F King and lived in Baltimore. Her parents John and Zora (nee Clarke) Highbarger lived with Vernie the last 10 years of their lives.

My second great-grandfather Herman Friedrich Carl MANGELS was born 04 Jul 1845 in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany and immigrated to Chicago about 1882. The family story is that his wife Mary (nee BUKMAKOFSKY) banished Herman to their enclosed porch one January night after he'd been drinking and he froze to death. But his death certificate says he died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Carl Jules SCHMITT was born 17 Jul 1881 in Ohio. Carl's father Jean Nicolas SCHMITT moved his family to Chicago where he opened a bakery and restaurant. Carl became a commercial artist.

Edward Arthur THOMPSON born 25 Jul 1895 in Chicago Illinois was the youngest child of Peter and Mary (nee PETERSON), Scandanavian immigrants.

Jacob Wilhelm TOLF was born 05 Jul 1826 in Lindefors, Jönköping, Sweden. His father (my 4th great grandfather) Carl Jonas TOLF was a blacksmith. Carl died at just 38 years old leaving a widow and seven young children.

My grandmother Harriet Kathlyn TOLF born 02 Jul 1909 and her brother
Oliver TOLF born 05 Jul 1915 lived in Chicago their entire lives. As an adult, Ollie legally changed his name to Donald. Both siblings died in their forties; Harriet in 1954 and Donald in 1961.

Clockwise Julia (nee Thompson), Earl, Oliver and Harriet Tolf.

Sunday's Obituary ~ Zora E. Clarke

From the January 26, 1940 edition of the Funkstown (Maryland) Daily Mail;

"Mrs. Zora Highbarger, widow of John Highbarger, died at the home of her daughter, Mrs. William King, Woodburg, Baltimore County, on Thursday afternoon, at 2:00 o'clock.

She was born and reared in Downsville but has lived in Baltimore for the past 20 years. She was a member of the Zion Reformed Church.

Surviving are: daughters, Mrs. Rena McGill, Washington, D.C., and Mrs. Vernie King, Baltimore, and two grandchildren. The body will be brought here on Saturday morning at 11:45 o'clock with services at 12:30 o'clock at Funkstown cemetery by the Rev. Scott R Wagner.

Friends and relatives will meet at the A.K. Coffman Funeral home at 12:00 o'clock."

Zora E. Clark(e) Highbarger is my 2nd great-grand aunt, born 19 Aug 1857. She lived in Maryland her entire life and died there 25 Jan 1940. Zora's unique name has been priceless in my search for her parents and 10 siblings.

Morgan H. Clarke's Well-Written Obituary

There's nothing like a well-written obituary; a death notice that contains the names of people and places connected to the deceased. Yesterday I received a copy of such an obituary from Joseph Berger at the Washington County Free Library in Maryland.

For some time I have been trying to clarify the relationship between my grandfather and a gentleman who might be his great-grandfather. I located a likely candidate, but it was hard to decide if it was the real deal or just a maze of interesting coincindences.

Harold Clarke Mueller's grandparents Ella and William Penrod Clarke lived with his family in the 1920 Chicago census. William and both his parents had been born in Maryland. As a young man, William traveled to Springfield Ohio where his daughter (Harold's mother) Ellen Gertrude was born.

Norman Clarke also lived in Springfield. There was reason to believe he and William were brothers, but not enough evidence to prove or disprove this theory. While William relocated to Chicago, Norman and his wife Hester moved to Dayton Ohio. Hester died and Norman later remarried in Chicago. Another coincidence, or proof of a relationship between these two men?

William and Ella moved to Michigan in late 1910. According to the 1920 and 1930 censuses, they farmed in Van Buren County. Harold visited his grandparents often. He liked Michigan and moved there after retiring from his trucking job.

In the meantime, Elmer Eugene Clarke appeared in Chicago. He and his parents had been born in Maryland. His children had names similar to those listed with my likely candidate in an earlier census. Not names like John or Mary, mind you, but names like Lyman, Zora, Morgan, Hester, and Stella. But how to prove these three men were brothers?

Enter that well-written obituary. According to the August 30, 1910 issue of the Daily Mail (a newspaper in Hagerstown Maryland), 80 year old Morgan H. Clark died at the home of his daughter Mrs. John Highbarger (Zora). He was survived by (among others) the following children; William Clark, Michigan; Norman, Dayton, O; and Elmer, Clarence, and Harry in Chicago. Bingo!

Of course there are other ways to confirm the connection between these men and I'm hot on the trail of several. But Morgan's obituary confirmed that I am barking up the right family tree.