New Year's Resolution Update

The "eat less, exercise more" part of my New Year's Resolutions aside, here's where I am on Week 8 of my genealogy goals for 2011:

My current focus is on my Clarke, Gury, Littrell, and Schmitt lines. Still haven't found the country of origin for the Clarkes or Littrells and progress on both has been painfully slow. 17th and 18th century French Gury and Schmitt records are keeping me busy though so I am still somewhat productive.

Received disappointingly little information from St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Funkstown Maryland, but I am so appreciative of their efforts on my behalf! The pastor and his wife offered wonderful suggestions for further research.
Time to focus on the coroner's report that slipped through the cracks last year.

My first cemetery road trip of 2011 is scheduled for May. Hope all the snow melts before then! Oakwoods is at the top of the list.

Shared a Grandma story or two during my last visit. More incentive to jot down my memories before my memory fails me.

The local genealogy society isn't working for me. Need more idea generation and fewer lectures. Where are my peeps?

Chose this year's conference; FGS in Springfield Illinois in September. Husband will join me making the trip even more fun. Hope to meet some of the bloggers I follow and make a new gen-bud or two!

Photo sorting continues, but grudgingly. Must sprinkle in some creativity to retain my interest. Chose six topics about which I can cut and paste. This week I'll start arranging pictures. That oughta inspire me!

Cleaning and organizing computer files to save space (and sanity).

Back on track at Find A Grave - whew! Contributing during my lunch hour works great (until it's warm enough to walk outside).

And from now until then I'll be Living in the Past Lane.

Sunday's Obituary ~ Lyman John Clarke

From the February 14, 1948 issue of the Chicago Tribune;  

"Lyman John Clarke Sr., Feb. 12, of 605 S Clinton avenue, Oak Park, beloved husband of Marion, father of Lyman J. Jr., and Violet Irene Barlean, grandfather of Linda Diane Clark, son of Elmer E. and Susan Berg Clarke, brother of Clifford and Elmer Clarke, Mrs. Zora Blake, Mrs. Stella Rudolph, Mrs. Edna Hansen, Mrs. Alice Jenkenson, Mrs. Eloise York, Mrs. Irma Froberg and Mrs. Dorothy Thompson, brother-in-law of Mrs. Josephine Bapst. Services Saturday, Feb. 14, 2:30 p.m., at chapel, 124-126 Madison street, at Lombard avenue, Oak Park. Interment Arlington. Member of Prospect lodge, No. 957, A.F. & A.M., Euclid Avenue Methodist church, of Oak Park, and Manager of Darnell Corp."

Lyman was my first cousin thrice removed. His father Elmer Eugene Clarke and my second great-grandfather William Penrod Clarke were brothers born in Funkstown, Washington, Maryland.

Wordless Wednesday ~ Clarke and Littrell

Mary Ella (nee Littrell) and William Penrod Clarke

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.

Tombstone Tuesday ~ Elmer Eugene Clarke

Elmer Eugene Clarke was my 2nd great-grandfather's younger brother.

He was born in Funkstown, Washington County, Maryland December 3rd, 1865.

Elmer and two (or more) of his brothers relocated to Chicago where he met and married Susan Berg. Together they had 10 children; Lyman, Clifford, Zora, Elmer Jr., Stella, Edna, Alice, Eloise, Irma, and Dorothy.

From the November 19, 1952 edition of the Chicago Daily News, page 55; CLARKE - Elmer E, Clarke Sr., Nov. 18, dear husband of Susan, fond father of Zora Blake, Stella Rudolph, Edna Hanson, Alice Jenkinson, Eloise York, Irma Froberg, Dorothy Thompson, Clifford M., Elmer E. Jr., and the late Lyman John Clarke. Services Friday Nov. 21, 2 p.m., at funeral home 301 S. 5th-av., at Maple-st., Maywood. Interment Arlington Cemetery. FIlmore 4-0100.

A special thank you to Grandson #3 for locating the headstone above after we walked and re-walked all the likely rows in Section 11 at Arlington Cemetery. And for his cheerful willingness to help Grandma fill Find A Grave requests while we were there.

Tombstone Tuesday ~ Norman A. Clarke

Norman A. Clarke was born in Funkstown, Washington, Maryland on March 30, 1862. As a young man, he and his brother traveled from Maryland to Springfield, Clark, Ohio where he married Hester Ann Leffel in November of 1887.

The couple moved to Dayton Ohio, where Norman was a foreman in a manufacturing shop. Hester died in 1912.  Norman brought her body back to Springfield to be buried with her birth family. They had no children.

I lost track of Norman for a bit, but caught up with him through a marriage certificate filed when he remarried in Chicago where his brothers lived. Adele Curie(?) had also been married previously and she had a young son.

Norman and Adele move to Lafayette, Tippacanoe, Indiana where Adele had family. Norman worked as a foreman in a card factory. By 1930, Norman had retired. He and Adele lived out their last few years in Dayton. They are buried at Woodland Cemetery near Adele's son Charles Leigh Paulus.

Norman is my 2nd great-grandfather's brother. He left a better paper trail than ggg William Penrod Clarke. Through Norman, I have been able to learn a tremendous amount about William and their nine siblings. Knowing Norman was in Ohio when William was in Illinois helped verify the identity of my 3rd great-grandfather back in Funkstown, Washington county, Maryland.

Recently Norman provided another clue that may help explain how, when, and why the brothers traveled to Ohio. "Early Clark County Ohio Families Vital Statistics" states Norman's sister-in-law Ada Mary Leffel married Clinton L Reese who was born January 11th, 1857 in...drum roll please...Washington County, Maryland.

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.