Funeral Card Friday - Lottie Williams Tompkins

Tuesday's Tip - Citation Suggestion

My well-worn copy of Agards in America
previously owned by Merritt and Maude Agard

I wonder if Tuesday's Tip can be posted on Wednesday?  At any rate, that is exactly what I am going to do.  

Today I am researching and filling out the John Branch of Frederick Browning Agard's book, Agards in America. This process takes me to several websites as I search and read books about the history of the Upstate New York towns where this family settled. Not only am I learning about my ancestors, but about the areas in which they lived.  I am making notes as I go along, so I can add a shaded box within my monograph to include a little bit about the town or county's history.  

I am careful to cite my sources, but what I haven't done in the past is also record exactly WHERE I found the online book.  That has cost me some time lately as I try to remember the source. So today I am putting in brackets after the footnoted citation the website in which the information was found, i.e. [HeritageQuest] or [Archives.org].  

I hope this hint saves you some time. 

Elizabeth Nunn Siebert - Our Heroine

Elizabeth Nunn Siebert
abt 1946
One year before she died of pneumonia

It was June 1900 and the Nunn family, who lived at 2030 First Avenue, New York, was struggling. Katherine, the mother, had just given birth to her ninth child, Charles Casper, born in May. Her husband, Joseph, died in early June 1900.[1]  Katherine’s mental and physical health was frail, and thirteen-year-old Elizabeth was left to care for the family while attending to the final accounting of her father’s harness making business. It was a losing battle. On June 12, the City of New York’s Department of Public Charities arrived at 2030 First Avenue and took the children, with the exception of Elizabeth and infant Charles Casper. The children were placed with the Sisters of the 3^rd Order of St. Francis St. Joseph’s Home in Peekskill, New York. Elizabeth might have stayed with the Louis family who lived in the same building, and would have needed help with their large family.

And so it is Elizabeth who holds the answers to my many questions about this family. It was she who cared for her siblings when her parents no longer could; it was she who at the age of thirteen managed her father’s affairs and came out with $300 – an amount she entrusted to her neighbor, Mrs. Louis.

Elizabeth married Louis Siebert on 25 June 1905,[2] and as soon as they were married, Elizabeth “Lizzy” Nunn Siebert began the process of having her siblings released from St. Joseph’s Home and placed in her care. 

The story goes on as this feisty, devoted young woman made sure she brought her siblings safely back under her wing.  At the age of 18 she sued her neighbor, Mrs. Helene Louis for the $300 Lizzy gave to her in 1900 for safekeeping.  Of course the money was gone, probably paying for rent, food and clothes for Mrs. Louis’ eight children. Lizzy won the lawsuit, and the article made the 19 April 1905 New York Times.

Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would ever see a picture of Elizabeth Nunn Seibert. But thanks to my newfound second cousin, Jeanne, Elizabeth’s granddaughter, I now have a photo.  Thank you!!

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[1] 1900 U.S. Census, New York, NY, Population Schedule, Manhattan, ED 905, P. 2B, “Joseph Nunn,” digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.Ancestry.com); accessed 7 Nov. 2012. NARA 1900, T623, 1854 rolls.  In this census, Katherine states she is a widow, age 59. The family name is listed under “Joseph,” probably the census taker didn’t understand the last name of “Nunn,” and when pressed for a name, Katherine, in her health state, gave her husband’s first name.

[2] Marriage Certificate number #14058.

Bird by Bird

In her book Bird by Bird, Anne Lamott tells the story of how her brother, ten at the time, was faced with a report on birds due the next day.  He had put it off for three months and now was faced with what appeared to be an insurmountable task.  Their father sat down next to his son and said, “Bird by bird, buddy. Just take it bird by bird.”

This is also sage advice to genealogists when taking on large projects.  This quote came to mind when I thought about the huge project of supplementing the research of Frederick Browning Agard.  I shall fill out the lives ancestor by ancestor.

In that vein I went to HeritageQuest (free through our public library) with the goal of revisiting Mary Louise Catlin Cleaver’s book, The History of the Town of Catherine.  My search on the name “Agard,” did not bring this book up in the listings, but as I scrolled through I found the most interesting typewritten manuscript by Louise Huntington Bailey Jarvis.  The manuscript, dated 1947, contains short biographical sketches on a variety of family names. The title is: Some Ancestors and Descendants of Samuel Agard and Florence Williams Huntington Bailey.  I found birth, marriage, and death information on both Dr. Gilbert David and Anna Maria Agard Bailey.  I learned when the Bailey name changed from Baley and that the name is of Kelto-British origin.  I will go back to this document to glean more nuggets on the Agard family line.

This manuscript is a gem, and I just happened to stumble on it.  I encourage researchers to keep HeritageQuest in mind for its unique census search applications as well as digitized books, and PERSI.  

Mystery Monday – Jacksonville Community United Methodist Church History

On 20 January 1955 Ulysses Town Historian Jessie Tucker Agard wrote in her diary:

 “Started writing the church history manual. I have copied it all on loose leaf notepaper. I began writing church history for my own pleasure in 1935. They heard about it at the church and asked me to read it one “Old Home Day” that was the start. Later I bought a manuscript book, paid $10 for it and I have copied my notes from the “Old Records,” and gave them to the church. That was finished in 1946. Last summer Dr. Moody and later D. Crumb asked me if I would bring the book up to date. That is what I have been doing this fall and winter. – ( A big job).”

As I work my way through Jessie’s diaries, I find multiple notations about working on the church history.  In her January 1947 diary she mentions purchasing her manuscript book at Miller’s Paper Store in Ithaca for $10.  Through the first half of 1955 Jessie works almost every day on copying over and updating the church history. On Sunday 1 May 1955 she took the updated history to the church.

Jessie mentions she developed the history from local records. I am curious as to what records she used and exactly what possible genealogy information might be contained therein.  But, to this point, no one is able to locate the church history.  Another mystery to be solved. 

Sunday Morning Coffee

When faced with a difficult and therefore unpopular decision, my Irish boss (named Jim) would mutter, “Everyone’s out of step but Jim.”   This refers, of course, to the story about a proud Irish mother watching her son, returning from World War II, marching with his company down New York’s Fifth Avenue.  The proud Irish mother says to the person next to her, “Everyone’s out of step but Jim.”

I was reminded of this quote very early this morning while curled up on the couch with my iPad attempting to read today’s Geneabloggers entries.  I don’t visit that site every day, but do make it a habit on the weekend, particularly because I so enjoy learning about the new blogs. 

I don’t know when the changeover occurred, but I was most distressed that I could not read the new entries without first signing up with Pinterest.  This was most annoying and I could hear myself saying – Google Reader – where are you???? I am not a fan of Pinterest.

I admit I am part of the problem. First, I have a first generation iPad that is getting slower by the day.  Second, with all the identify theft I am reluctant to give websites (or anyone else) my information.  I did finally sign up from my main computer and was relieved they didn’t want any information than an email.  I suspect I will get annoying email ads from WordPress that I will have to unsubscribe to.  So, back to the original issue – why can’t we just read posts on Geneabloggers like we used to without going through all this hassle??

On a lighter note, I received an email yesterday from a new cousin who is thinking along the same lines as I – continuing with Frederick Browning Agard’s book, Agards in America.   We are in the same branch, but following different lines. We will be collaborating and figuring out how best to proceed with publishing a supplement to Agards in America.  An exciting, if not daunting adventure ahead!!!

Oh, and thanks for letting me vent!

Sunday's Obituary - Deborah E. Myers - Another Newfield NY Polio Victim

Deborah E. Myers
Polio Victim

Earlier this week the Tompkins County Historian, Carol Kammen, informed me that BeechTree nursing home in Ithaca, formerly the Reconstruction Home, began in 1920 as a hospital for children with polio.  She thought they might have information on the 1950s era vaccinations. Alas, after talking with the gentleman who recently went through the stored files before they were donated to the History Center in Ithaca said he saw nothing in their files related to the vaccines.