Monday, September 12, 2011

REBECCA MYERS WILLIAMSON ROUSCH (1851-?)

The more I look into this woman's life, the more questions I have.  Another mystery.  Rebecca is the sister of my descendant, John Harvey Moyer.  This should not be confused with John's daughter, Rebecca Ann Moyer Donnelly, who died and was buried in 1919.  I find it endearing that that John Harve named a daughter Rebecca and then his sister Rebecca actually names one of her sons John Harve.
Rebecca was born February 1851 or 1854 in Indiana.  Her birthday is listed as 1851 on the 1900 census and on the 1880 census, it states that she is 30.  When she was 6 years old her family is listed on the 1860 federal census in Hickory Grove, Wisconsin.  She married Franklin Lafayette Williamson on 17 November, 1870 in Saunders County, Nebraska.  She was 16 years old at the time and he had returned from serving in the Civil War for three years.  This leads me to believe that her birth year was 1854, but it will get even more confusing.
In 1880 the family is living in Benton, Iowa.  At this time there are five children in the family, Elizabeth, George, John Harve, Bert and Charles.  By 1885 they have moved across the border to Plattsmouth, Nebraska and we are lucky to have a state census that year.  Rebecca is 29 and has six children.  Her first child, Elizabeth is listed as Lizzie Cunningham and step-daughter to Frank Williamson.  Frank is listed as a farmer.
In 1900 the family is living in Nebraska City, Nebraska.  Rebecca lists 11 of 12 children living.  She has 7 children at home.  Frank's occupation is listed as a teamster.
Here's where it gets real interesting.  I was able to locate an Iowa marriage certificate for a Rebecca Williamson who's parents were George Myers and Sarah Beasly.  She states that she is WIDOWED!  Her new husband is an immigrant from Germany named John Rousch.  He was 38 at the time of the marriage and Rebecca lists her age as 47.  Anyone interested in viewing the information can find it by clicking on this link:  https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.2/M6QL-SY6/p1
The next document I look to is the 1910 census.  First I find Rebecca and John Rousch living in Nebraska City and Rebecca's daughter Louise and her husband, John Petty is living with them.  The only weird thing on this census is that Rebecca's name is listed as Helen on the census.  But don't doubt this is our Rebecca because you will see that she lists 11 out 12 children living.  She is 50 years old and living next door to her other daughter, Hattie Biggs, and her family!
Where is Frank living in 1910?  Frank is also living in Nebraska City doing odd jobs.  He is also listed as being a widow.  Makes things a bit confusing, eh?  Maybe it was cheaper than a divorce......
I haven't been able to pin point Rebecca's death date or where she is buried but in 1925 and in 1930 Rebecca's second husband, John Rousch is found living with Louise and her husband still.  This happens to be Louise's second husband, Bert Musselman.

Here is a list of her children:

Elizabeth (Cunningham) is found on two censuses living with Rebecca.  The 1880 Federal and the 1885 Iowa state census.  She is listed as a step daughter with the last name of Cunningham on the 1885 state census.
George, born about 1872 in Nebraska, married Rosa Pool 1895 in Nebraska and they had one child, Bessie R Williamson who was born 1905 in Nebraska, in 1906 George married Louisa Hammond at Council Bluffs, Iowa.  No known death date.
John Harve, born December 22, 1873 in Nebraska. He married Cora or Clara Crow about 1899.
Bert, born March 22, 1875 in Nebraska.  He married Ella Howery September 3, 1907 in Nebraska.  He died December 1967 in Nebraska City, Nebraska.
Charles Edward was born about 1880
Bessie Mae was born February 7, 1883 in Nebraska
Hattie Belle, a twin born February 5, 1886.  She married Jonathan Biggs July 18, 1900 in Nebraska City.  She was only 14 years old at the time.  She died  August 19, 1933 in Omaha, Nebraska.
Mattie, a twin born February 5, 1886.  I have two marriage certificates for her.  On March 6, 1902, she married Guy Pearman in Nebraska City.  Then on April 10, 1911, she married Ezekial Dutton.
Roy was born 1890 in Nebraska.  He married Myrtle Anna Horner on November 14, 1914 in Nebraska City.  I do not have a death date for him.
Louise, born January 18, 1894, married John S. Petty on October 12, 1908 when she was 14 years old.  She later married Bert Allen Musselman on October 11, 1911. Both marriages were recorded in Council Bluffs, Iowa.  
Olive Pearl was born June 3, 1897 in Nebraska City.  She married Abraham Lewis on September 25, 1916 in Council Bluffs, Iowa.  She went by Ollie and she is buried at the Hazel Dell Cemetery in California.  She died on May 12, 1983.
Here are the questions I have about Rebecca:  Did she have a daughter Elizabeth with another man before she married Franklin Layfette Williamson?  Why did she and Frank list themselves as widowed?  Where and when did Rebecca die?  What was she like?  Did she have contact with her brother, John Harve, and my great great great grandfather?  Maybe these questions will never get answered but my inquiring mind just can't help but wonder!

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Elsie May Moyer Stanfield 1883-1943

One of the many mysteries has been solved.  Doing family history is so fun in that there are so many ways to find clues and get the answers to the many questions that arise.  This time, just being snoopy helped me.  My great great grandmother had two sisters by the same mother.  Their dear mother, Nancy McQuinn, died eight years after marrying their father, John Harve Moyer.  They were raised by him until they were married and they were all quite young when she died.  I was lucky enough to get information about the youngest sister Rebecca or Becky, but the only information I had was from the 1900 census that listed Elizabeth as the other sister.  I took a peak at someone else's family tree and noticed that they listed the sister as Elsie May.  I am always skeptical about assuming someone else's work is accurate, but since there were no other leads, I decided to look into it.  I am happy to report that when I received a copy of Elsie's obituary, it was confirmed that Mrs. O.W. Montgomery was indeed a living survivor as Elsie's sister.  The obituary also mentioned a surviving brother, Ed Moyer living in Miles City, Montana. 
I have found varying information about Elsie's date of birth.  Her obituary says she was 60 at the time of her death and that she was born February 27, 1883.  I find this peculiar because in my great great grandmother's obituary it says that she was born February, 17, 1883!  That would only make them ten days apart.  Just shows that sometimes the person who is giving the information to the newspaper doesn't always know the right dates or possibly the newspaper made a mistake.  I recently recently read an obituary of a relative where I know the information was incorrect.  It's all a part of the adventure!  The 1900 census lists the girls names and birthdays like this:

Stella, daughter, Nov 1881, age 18, actual birthday 17 February 1883
Elizabeth, daughter, Nov 1883, age 16
Rebecca, daughter, Nov 1884, age 15, actual birthday 22 June 1885

This is the census that has a lot of errors concerning the family.  I keep trying to figure out who it was that gave the information.  It may have been the grandparents of these three sisters, George and Sarah Myers, or maybe it was one the nieces or nephews that were living with the family.  It would make sense that they might not necessarily know everyone’s birthdates.  My theory is that if I do enough research about each person on that census and I find whoever has the correct birthday is probably the one that gave the information!  It could also have been John Harve, himself.  Sometimes dads don’t always remember the birthdates of their children.  It is also curious that all three of the girls have November birthdays. 
It is interesting to note that the surname Myers is listed on this census and that Elsie's children all list her maiden name as Myers on their marriage certificates as well as she used it on her own marriage certificate.  Both Rebecca and Estella use the name Moyer on their own marriage certificate.  See my post on that controversial subject of Moyer vs. Myers.
Elsie May was born in McPaul, Iowa.  I am assuming that she was the middle child of the three girls.  The only thing that gives me that information is the 190o Federal census that lists the girls in the order of Estella being the oldest and Rebecca being the youngest.  This is the only census that I have with the girls living in the same household before they all go and get married.
Elsie married Isaac Huff Stanfield on October 28, 1900 in Harpster, Idaho.  He was a native to the Dayton, Washington area.   On the 1900 census, he is living with the Calkin family in Mt. Idaho, Idaho.  Mrs. Millie Calkins maiden name is Myers and she is the daughter of George and Sarah Myers and sister to John Harve.  She is Elsie’s aunt.  Isaac is doing farm work for them on their farm.
Isaac and Elsie lived in the Dayton area for awhile and then around 1918 they are living in American Falls, Idaho.  Before 1930 they return to Dayton, Washington and Isaac dies on October 20, 1938.  Elsie passes away five years later on April 18, 1943.  They are both buried in the Dayton City Cemetery in Dayton, Washington.
They had five children, but only three lived past childhood.  They are as follows:

Clarence Stanfield, not sure on the dates
Tabitha Elizabeth Stanfield Workman Abraham, born March 13, 1905
Mabel Irene Stanfield Stevens Tate, born July 13, 1907
Anna May Stanfield, born March 29, 1910 and died May 6, 1911
Lucile Stanfield Skelton Stump, born in 1914