Salisia Fox's parents

Salisia Fox (born around 1859 in Illinois) was born after her mother died. Which leaves me to believe that I have the wrong person for her mother, and probably for her father as well.

Salisia appears in only one record I've found so far: the 1860 census. In this census, Salisia (age 1) is living with Samuel Fox (age 64). Her mother Dorothy is not in the record, and I have other records indicating she had passed away in 1854, 6 years prior.

Other Fox's in the household include Jarusha (F 35), Ransom (F 22), Michael (M 18), and Mary (F 17). Perhaps one of these Fox's is one of her parents. Or perhaps the parents are not living in the household.

Samuel Fox	M	64	N H
Jarusha Fox	F	35	N Y
Ransom Fox	F	22	Ohio
Michael Fox	M	18	Ohio
Salisia A Fox	F	1	Ill
Geo W Calder	M	8	N Y
Peter Calder	M	6	Ill
Mary L Fox	F	17	Ohio

So far, I have not been able to find Salisia in other records.
For next time: search for a birth record for Salisia Fox, hoping her parents are listed.

Laurel Keith/Fox/Thompson

We're on a quest to figure out who is Edward Samuel Fox's wife.
His death record states that his wife's first name is Laurel.
His 1930 Census states that he is divorced.

We found some records of a Laurel Keith that look like they might be the right person. Here's why:
A 1920 Census lists Edward S Fox living with his wife Laurel Fox and step-daughter Letha Keith.

Looking for Laurel and Letha in other records gives us the following information:
A 1910 Census lists Laurel Keith and Letha Keith, living with her grandmother Eliza Burke and her likely-uncle Harry Burke. Laurel is widowed, suggesting she was married to a Mr. Keith, the father of Letha Keith.
As we said earlier, the 1920 Census lists Laurel Fox and Letha Keith living with Laurel's husband Edward S Fox. This suggests Laurel remarried after being widowed, and Letha kept her birth lastname.
In the 1930 Census, we find Laurel Thompson with Letha Keith, this time with Laurel married to Henry Thompson. In the census, he was 58 years old and his first marriage was at age 58, suggesting the couple had been married less than a year. Laurel was 46 years old in this census, and her first marriage was at age 22, affirming that her first marriage was around age 24. Her daughter Letha is 23 years old in this census, which matches up.
There's a marriage record in 1934 between Letha Keith and Earl Gundelach.

In the 1940 Census, Laura Thompson is living with Earl Gundelach, Letha Gundelach, and baby Earl Gundelach. Laura is widowed at this point. Letha is married and has taken on the last name of Gundelach.

In the Social security death index, Letha Gundelach is listed as having been born 2 Feb 1907, died April 1986 in Illinois. Note that she died with the last name of Gundelach.

Letha and Earl G. Gundelach share a headstone in the Clarendon Hills Cemetery. 

Next time: look up information on:

The Burkes (in 1910 census. Is Laurel's maiden name Burke?)

Mr. Keith (Laurel's first husband, who passed away by 1910)

Henry Thompson (1930 spouse)

Earl Gundelach (Letha Keith's husband)

Viola Smith: Amasa's mystery daughter?

Amasa Smith (1820-1885) and his wife Charity Ann have several children listed in census records. These include Amasa Jay (1857), Luella Audentia (1859), Addie Cordelia (1860), Etta (1866), William A (1870), Charles Avery (1872), Archie (1875), and Ernest Leroy (1868).

However, family records indicate there may have been an oldest daughter named Viola, born around 1853 in Minnesota. 

I have not found any records of her birth or residence with the family.

Did she actually exist? 

Did she die young?


Update: I found her in an 1865 state census record. So she was actually living with the family and could have been a daughter. 

Russell Smith Munson's Wives

According to The Munson record : a genealogical and biographical account of Captain Thomas Munson (a pioneer of Hartford and New Haven) and His Descendants, Russell Smith Munson--son of Charles P Munson and Urania C Case--was married 4 times. The record lists 3 of his wives: 1 Sarah Jackson. 2 Eliza Green. 4 Lizzie W Kittridge. 

I have found no record of Eliza Green or the third wife, so I would like to confirm those and find out if he had children with any of his wives, aside from Kittridge Ford Munson, son of Lizzie.

Orrin E Walker's Ancestors

One of my ancestor's descendants is Abbie Eliza Munson. According to her headstone, she was married to Orrin E Walker. Since Orrin's ancestors aren't my ancestors, I don't plan to research his line. But in case anyone is looking for more information on him, someone posted some really detailed research on findagrave.com.
Orrin E Walker (1857-1926) was the son of Gilbert Eno Walker (1831-1872). Also in the Mount Hope Cemetery of Belchertown, Massachusetts, are Gilbert's parents Orin and Mary and Gilbert's siblings Mary Rebecca, Edson Montague, James Orrin, and Alva Sikes. Several of these siblings have more information of their parents and children on their own findagrave memorial pages. 

Irwin F Monroe and family

One of my ancestor's descendants is Jay Case. According to his marriage certificate, he married Wilda Monroe, daughter of Irwin Monroe and Harriet Pugh. In searching for her family, here's a quick compilation of what I found:
1870 Census lists Francis I Monroe, son of Levi and Clara, and brother to James, William C H, and Hattie B. It says he was born in Iowa.

1889 Marriage Record lists Irvin F Monroe, born in Germany to Levi Monroe and Clara Polson. He married Harriet M. Pugh, born 1873 Iowa to Jackson Pugh and Martha Sieffell. They married 27 February 1889 in Prescott, Iowa.

1895 Census lists Irvin F, Hattie, Wilda, and Letha. 

1896 Birth Record for a female Monroe born to Irwin F. Monroe and Harriet M. Pugh on 26 Feb 1896 in Polk, Iowa.

1899 Birth Record lists Odresa F Monroe, born 9 Feb 1899 in Des Moines, Iowa to I. F. Monroe and Hattie Pugh.

1900 Census lists Irwin, Hattie, Clara W (I think that Clara W. and Wilda C. are the same person), Letha May, Hazel F, and Actressa F. It also says Hattie--the mother of the family--had 8 kids, 3 of whom are still living. That's confusing because there are 4 kids listed in the household.

1903 Birth Record lists Geo Irvin Monroe born 04 Jul 1903 in Des Moines, Iowa to Irvin F Monroe and Harriett Pugh.

1905 Census I don't have a visual on and the people are listed as individuals instead of families. But Irvin F, Letha, Actressa, and Clara W are a few of the 23 Monroes in Polk, Iowa. Probably others on that list are related to them. 

1906 Birth Record lists Jas E Monroe born 6 Jun 1906 in Des Moines, Iowa to Irvin F Monroe and Harriet Pugh.

1908 Birth Record lists Evalyn Martha Monroe, born 07 Oct 1908 to Ervin Frances Monroe and Hady Pugh in Des Moines.

1910 Marriage Record lists Wilda C Monroe, Irvin F Monroe, and Harriet Pugh. She married Jay Case, son of Jos. W. Case and Ida Bailey in Des Moines, Iowa  on January 10, 1910. 

1910 Census lists Irvin, Harriet, Letha, Hazel, A?tressa, George, James, Evelynn, and Welda & Jay Case.

1912 Birth Record lists Alice B. Monroe born 22 Sep 1912 in Des Moines, Iowa to Irvin F Monroe and Harriett Pugh.

1917 Birth Record lists Marilyn Maxine Monroe born 22 Mar 1917 in Des Moines, Iowa to Irvin Frank Monroe and Harriett Malinda Pugh.

1920 Census lists Irving, Hattie, George, James, Evelyn, Bernice, Maryline (all are their children)

1924 Marriage Record for Geo. I. Monroe. Lists Geo's parents as Irwin F. and Hailey Pugh. Geo's wife is Edith L. Hanns, daughter of Frank Hanns and Mary Feist.

1925 Marriage Record for Frank Edwards son of Wm Edwards and Adaline Hoffman, who married Pherne Monroe Miller (born 1898), daughter of Irvin F. Monroe and Harriet Pugh. They married 11 May 1925 in Adel, Iowa. 

1930 Census lists Irvin F Monroe, Harriet, Evalyn, Bernice, and Marilyn.

Because this family is not directly the descendants of any of my ancestors, I think I'll stop here for now.

If I do revisit the line, I'll want to collect the vital information and family members of Irvin's parents, siblings, and children.

Riley Case research

Today’s post is a summary of my research for Riley Case and his family. Riley is related to me through the Dodge line: he is Truman Dodge’s grandfather (Jane Case’s father).

Riley Case. I found town records for Barkhamsted, Connecticut, which were really helpful for information on Riley and his siblings and parents. I want to revisit them to look for more information about Riley’s own family later on. But they list his birth date as January 19, 1816. I also found his headstone on findagrave.com, which lists his birth as 1816 and his death as 1886. The text on findagrave suggests Riley’s death date is July 2, 1886, but I haven’t found a source to confirm that.

Mariah (Riley’s wife). I haven’t found her maiden name. But I did find her headstone on findagrave.com—it’s right next to Riley’s in the Baldwin Cemetery, and it says “Mariah 1818-1915.”

Mary A Case (Riley’s daughter). According to census records from 1850 and 1856, she was born in 1841 in Connecticut.

Jane Case (Riley’s daughter). Jane’s my direct ancestor, so I already had a good amount of information on her.

Joseph W Case (Riley’s son). I haven’t done much research on Joseph.

Truman Case (Riley’s son). It looks like Truman married a woman named Catharine, and I’m trying to solidify her maiden name and their children.

In the 1880 census, a Truman Case of the right age lives next door to Riley and Maria, and he is married to a Catharine (2 years older than him) who was born in West Virginia. Catharine’s last name isn’t listed.

There’s a birth record for A. C. Ben Case, born to Truman Case and Catherine H. Baker in 1882. Also on Truman Case: the Truman Case who lives near Riley and Mariah had no kids in 1880. In the Iowa 1885 census, Truman and Catherine have 2 kids (Mary G (4) and Ben (2)). So I think the birth record and census records match, suggesting Catherine’s maiden name is Baker.

Back to the 1880 census, the closest Baker family to the Cases are listed 3 pages earlier: John and Juliana Baker, age 45. Catharine may be their child or another relative.

Albert R. Case (Riley’s son). In 1880, Albert R Case and his wife Margaret (3 years younger, born in West Virginia) live next door to Riley and Maria. I found a marriage record of Albert R. Case to Margaret Nine, from February 7, 1875 in Jasper, Iowa. In the 1880 census, they have 2 children together: Henry (3) and Charles (1), both born in Iowa. Albert’s headstone in the Baldwin Cemetery lists his birth as May 30, 1855 and his death as Aug 6, 1895. I also found death records and headstone for Henry and Charles (both died young, within a few days of each other). Also in the cemetery is WmCase--I found a birth record for Wm Vernon Case born Jan 8, 1882 to Albert R and Margaret V. (I’m not sure what the V stands for, but the V initial is also on Henry and Charles’ headstones, so I believe it is the same woman.)

Eliza A Case (Riley’s daughter). Eliza shows up in the 1860 census, but then she passed away in 1863, when she was around 5 years old. (The middle initial “A” comes from her headstone.)

Questions I still have:

When did Riley and Mariah get married?

What is Mariah’s maiden name?

Is Riley’s death date July 2, 1886, as someone suggested on findagrave?

I’ve seen circumstantial evidence that Riley’s daughter Mary A Case may have married Daniel Gifford. Is that true? Is there a source to confirm it?

Is Truman really married to Carherine Baker?

All but 2 of the Case’s in the Baldwin cemetery are in this family, so I’m guessing these are also their relatives. How are they related? Hiram J Case. Maudie B Case.

Is there any more information about this family in the Connecticut Barkhamsted records ?