by Rocky Macy
Genealogists love cemeteries. There is so much good family data to be gleaned from tombstones...and it's getting better! Many grave markers now carry not only the names of the deceased along with birth and death dates, but also names of the deceased's parents and children as well. These stones are three-generation records that will stand as guideposts to of of those family tree researchers yet to come. What a great idea!
Harriett K. (MICHENER) WALTERS (1203 South 4th Street, Effingham, IL 62401) recently sent a query to the Genealogy Friends of the Library of Neosho, and those good folks have forwarded her request on to Rootbound. Harriett is seeking to learn more about her great-grandparents, Abram (Abraham) and Elizabeth (MENDENHALL) YORK.
Elizabeth MENDENHALL YORK was born in 1815 and died in 1891. She was reportedly buried in Neosho. Harriett would like to find out where her great-grandmother is buried, and she also wishes to know Elizabeth's place of birth and the names of her parents. A death notice or documents of any kind would be greatly appreciated.
Abram YORK supposedly died at the home of his son, Andrew, in Anderson, MO, and was buried there because slick roads prevented the funeral gathering from getting to Neosho. While exploring the Anderson Cemetery listings, Rootbound has discovered the following: Abraham YORK (1/25/1810 - 3/16/1898), Andrew YORK (5/26/1836 - 2/19/1923), and Maria YORK (10/15/1835 - 3/8/1909). James YORK (born 1 June 1838) was another son of Abram and Elizabeth. According to Harriett WALTERS, Abram and Elizabeth were ancestors of the MATTERS family of Neosho. Those of you with additional information about Harriett's ancestry should take pen in hand and share it. She's waiting to hear!
Mrs. James W. SMITH (8029 Redwood Drive, Ft. Worth, TX 76116) is tracking her forebears across Missouri and Arkansas. One of them was Jacob WENDT who came from Germany and settled in Little Rock, Ar. His wife was Eliza, and the children were Sallie, Minnie, Lizzie, and Louisa. Sallie married John or Mathecus HOFFMANN/HOFFMAN on 27 Mar 1872 in Little Rock.
Another ancestor on Mrs. SMITH's list is William Madison CARROLL/CARRELL, a native of Jefferson City, MO. He migrated to Wise County, TX, at the age of twelve along with his mother, Jane BAYLOCK CARROLL, and John A. GOSE, his step-father. Other children in the household were Samuel CARROLL (age 4), Margaret CARROLL (age 9), and step-brother John A. GOSE (age 18 months). Jane CARROLL married John A. GOSE in Sullivan County, MO, on 6 Feb 1849.
Mrs. James W. SMITH is interested in learning if her family left any trails across the Ozarks. If they did, hopefully some of our wonderful readers will get that information to her.
The GRAVES family, with all of its lines and variant spellings, will be the subject of a new newsletter, GRAVES Give and Take, which will start quarterly publication in August of 1989. Interested persons are asked to share family pedigrees, histories, stories, reunion dates, book reviews, military records, and other pertinent data. For further information, please contact Pat MOORE Publications (111 Ardmore Drive, Billings, MT 59102). And remember to tell Pat that Rootbound sent you!
Note This: Rootbound will be happy to search the files to see who else is barking up your tree. Just send a list of your Ozark surnames to Rootbound in the Hills in care of this newspaper along with a stamped, self-addressed envelope. What could be easier!
Since this week's column began in the cemetery, it seems a fitting place to end it. Aside from factual data, tombstones occasionally exhibit literary merit. Take for example the following lines of "earthy" poetics that were found on the grave marker of Sarah BEACH (1807-1878) in the Butler Creek Cemetery near Noel.
"In passing by remember me,
My grave you see.
As I am now, you soon may be,
Prepare for death and follow me."
Words to live by! Happy trails!
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