Journeying with Jacque

I Can Identify – Generations Cafe Ancestry Challenge

Posted on February 24, 2023 by Jacque

Unknown Influence

Grand-aunt Winifred Watkins had a photographic memory. My dad was a bit in awe of her. I don’t know if she truly had a photographic memory or if that is something she convinced her younger brother, my grandfather Donald, of. Regardless, she was smart, poised, confident, and paid attention to detail.

Winifred was born on May 6, 1897, 58 years and 2 days before me. She was born in Neal, Kansas, the oldest of nine children. Her parents were John Calvin Watkins and Lavina Clark.

“Neal was named for a minor official of the Missouri Pacific Railroad. It gained a post office in June 1882. In the beginning, Neal was but a flag station on the railroad, but a depot was built in the town in 1883. Situated within the Bluestem region of Kansas, where cattle have been fattened every spring for decades, this began during the wild days of the Texas cattle drives, from 1866 to 1885 (Neal, Kansas Legends of Kansas).” In 1900, Neal had a population of 150. In the 2020 Census, it had a whopping population of 37.

According to the 1910 Census, when Winifred was just 12, she was living with her grandmother, uncle, and unmarried aunt in Polk County, Arkansas instead of in Plum Grove, Kansas with her immediate family. (Her younger brother, Charles, was born in Polk Country in 1917.) Have you ever seen the movie, Shooter, starring Mark Wahlberg? It’s based on the book Point of Impact, part of the Bob Lee Swagger series by Stephen Hunter. The main character was inspired by “Vietnam War sniper and U.S. Marine Corps legend, Carlos Hathcock (Point of Impact).” The main character in these books is from Polk County, Arkansas.

Winifred was a career woman. She primarily worked as a clerk, bookkeeper, or in accounting. In the 1920 Census it states that Winifred was a lodger in the home of Harry and Blanche Adams and was a clerk in the Wichita Casket Company which was very well known and considered a “Wichita Institution.” In the 1925 Kansas Census, she was 27 and lived in Wichita with her parents and seven of her brothers and sisters. Winifred met and married Charles Walker who also worked at the Casket Factory. Winifred was 28 when she married.

Wichita was breaking gender barriers in broadcasting at KFH Radio in both the artistic side and the business side of the business. Winifred was part of this endeavor. The Wichita Eagle highlighted many of the “success stories” that evolved from this station.

I only met Grand-Aunt Winifred a couple of times, but immediately felt that we had a connection. When I was about 19, Winifred and one of her sisters and one of her brothers drove to Coffeyville, had lunch with us, and spent several hours just chatting. I immediately connected with her. She shared some family stories (oh how I wish I had asked more questions and taken notes so that I remembered what she divulged.) One of the special stories that she disclosed was a story about my great grandfather, John Calvin Watkins. I wrote about this story in my blog on July 15, 2021.

Transportation – Week 28 of 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks

As I stated in this blog, “My grand-aunt, Winifred Watkins Walker, told me that her father, my great grandfather, John Calvin Watkins, shared the story with his children of him joining a cattle drive at the age of 12 as he headed west to Kansas. She didn’t tell me if she believed it. (A dry sense of humor seems to be a shared family trait; this was certainly true with my grandfather, my father, and my brother.) In the 1790s there were cattle drives from Tennessee to Virginia, but I could find no evidence of any cattle drives between West Virginia and Kansas. According to Wikipedia, between 1850 and 1910, “27 million cattle were driven from Texas to rail yards in Kansas for shipment to stockyards in Louisiana and points west.” By 1890, “the long trail drives increasingly became more difficult because the open range was divided up with barbed wire fences (www.cowboysindians.com).”

While visiting us, Winifred wanted to make sure that I was aware of health issues common in the family (pernicious anemia, narcolepsy, and heart issues). She also told me that she was really glad that someone finally inherited Grandma’s red hair. (Okay, I had a little help…I had the lead role in the Philadelphia Story and Tracy Lord {the role Katharine Hepburn made famous} had red hair so I used a bit of artificial enhancement to accentuate my hair (when my dad grew a beard it was red so the genetics were always there). I’m not sure which grandmother had the red hair but it was either Susanna Osborn (1824-1911) or Rebecca Frances Parsons (1852-1914).

Winifred influenced me in ways that there was no way she could have known. I appreciated her intelligence, diligence, determination, and creativity. Winifred never had children and I hope that I have channeled some of her outstanding qualities into my life and so have been able to honor her. I have definitely been able to identify with her.

Sources

“Neal, Kansas.” Edited by Kathy Weiser, Legends of Kansas, Nov. 2020, https://legendsofkansas.com/neal-kansas/.

“Neal, Kansas.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 6 May 2022, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neal,_Kansas.

“Point of Impact (Stephen Hunter Novel).” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 23 Feb. 2023, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Point_of_Impact_(Stephen_Hunter_novel).

“Polk County, Arkansas.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 21 Jan. 2023, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polk_County,_Arkansas.

Posted in Genealogy, Watkins | Comments Off

Wordless Wednesday 2/22/23

Posted on February 22, 2023 by Jacque

Posted in Coble, Wordless Wednesday | Comments Off

Wordless Wednesday 2/15/23

Posted on February 15, 2023 by Jacque

Posted in Anthony, McLeod, Wordless Wednesday | Comments Off

Oops – Month 2 of 12 Ancestors in 12 Months

Posted on February 12, 2023 by Jacque

Confused Yet?

Francis Warman (1697-1743) married Frances Hanslep (1701-1750) and had a daughter, Frances Hanslep Warman (1765-1787) who married Stephen Watkins (1735-1828) and they had a son, Joseph Hanslep Watkins (1786-1870), my 3rd great grandfather. But oops! The dates don’t work.

As I began researching Joseph Hanslep Watkins and his father Stephen Watkins who was in the American Revolutionary War, I discovered many Franci(e)s Warmans and many Stephen Watkinses. It became very hard to sort the various people out. Many of the various Francises and Stephens became interchangeable and putting the correct facts with the correct individual was challenging. In addition to direct lineage, there were siblings, cousins, nephews, and children with actual documentation very limited. When I looked at the information in other people’s trees it was just a mix of facts added very haphazardly without coherent thought concerning those facts (and the reality was that there were indeed many people with the same name).

According to the dates that I had, Frances Hanslep Warman who was born in 1765 would have had to have been born after both of her parents died. I obviously skipped a generation. I also skipped a generation with her husband, Stephen Watkins (1763-1838). Many people added facts about Stephen and his father Stephen interchangeably. Again there were siblings, nephews, cousins, and children also named Stephen Watkins. I was able to sort the various Stephens out by using the Daughters of the American Revolution information. DAR verifies the information. Of course this is also where I discovered more confusing information: there were two John Calvin Watkinses who were first cousins. I was confident of the details concerning my great grandfather, John Calvin Watkins, father of my grandfather Donald, so I was easily able to differentiate the two.

My ancestry tree now reflects that Francis Warman (1697-1743) married Frances Hanslep (1701-1750) and they had a son, Stephen Warman (1722-?) who married Ann? and Stephen and his wife had a daughter Frances Hanslep Warman(1765-1787). There is very little information on this Stephen Warman and even less on his wife Ann so I will continue to look for more facts. Frances Hanslep Warman married Stephen Watkins (1763-1838) who was the son of Stephen Watkins (1735-1828) and Elinor Boyd (1738-?). Frances Hanslep Warman (1765-1787) and Stephen Watkins (1763-1838) had a son, Joseph Hanslep Watkins (1786-1870) who was my 3rd great grandfather.

Now just to add to the confusion a little, Stephen Warman (1670-1740) and Sarah Warman (1679-1700) are the 2nd great grandparents of Joseph Hanslep Watkins on his paternal side. But wait…Stephen and Sarah are also Joseph’s 2nd great grandparents on his maternal side. Mary Warman (who married John Elfreth Watkins) was the sister of Francis Warman who married Frances Hanslep. I created a colored coded chart showing the connections (this is why Joseph is listed twice as well as his parents).

Ah, genealogy research is definitely not linear. And the research continues.

Posted in Genealogy, Watkins | Comments Off

Wordless Wednesday 2/8/23

Posted on February 8, 2023 by Jacque

Posted in Vaughters, Wordless Wednesday | Comments Off

Wordless Wednesday 2/1/23

Posted on February 1, 2023 by Jacque

Posted in Coble, Watkins, Wordless Wednesday | Comments Off

Wordless Wednesday 1/25/23

Posted on January 25, 2023 by Jacque

Posted in Watkins, Wordless Wednesday | Comments Off

Education – Generations Cafe Ancestry Challenge

Posted on January 23, 2023 by Jacque

57 Years in School, One Way or Another

It’s 2023; fifty years ago in 1973 I graduated from high school.

I always enjoyed school and was very active. In high school I was also a bit idealistic.

I started school when I was five and didn’t stop until I retired at the age of 62; sometimes I was a student, sometimes a teacher, sometimes both.

Education has been my life; it has defined me (I am very fortunate to have married a man who had the same educational goals and values that I did so that we supported each other in our chosen lifestyle). I have always loved learning and sharing my knowledge. After high school, I went to Coffeyville Community College for one year before attending Oklahoma Christian College where I received a wonderful education and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education, specializing in reading and language arts. I began my teaching career the fall after graduation in 1977. I continued my education and received two Masters of Science Degrees, the first in Secondary Counseling from Pittsburg State while I was living in Chanute and the second in Library and Information Science from San Jose State while I was teaching in Desert Hot Springs. I also have about a gazillion other credits as I always continued taking classes while moving over on the salary schedule, for professional development, or just because there was a class I found interesting.

However, I was a bit of an anomaly. The 1940 U.S. Census asked the question, “What was the highest grade of school completed?” I checked the 1940 Census for all of my direct ancestors who were alive at that time and discovered that none of them had much formal education. On my dad’s side, his father, Donald Watkins completed 8th grade and his step-mother, Alta Jones completed her first year of high school. (I cannot find his mother in the 1940 Census under either her name, Fannie Van Dyke, or the name she began calling herself, Delores Frances. However, I doubt that she had much education because she married at either 15 or 16, though at the time she claimed she was 18.) Fannie’s mother, Elvira Estep, completed 8th grade. My dad’s paternal grandfather, John Calvin Watkins, only completed 2nd grade, while his paternal grandmother, Lavina Clark, completed 4th grade.

My mother’s side didn’t have much education either. Her father, Malcolm Bruce McLeod, completed 7th grade while his father, John McLeod completed 3rd grade and his mother, Sarah Liggett completed 4th grade. My mother’s mother, Anna Anthony, completed her 2nd year of high school according to the 1940 Census. (I have a picture of her with what looks to be a diploma and my uncle labeled the picture as my grandmother’s high school graduation picture in 1921; however, she was just 16 when the picture was taken.) My mother’s maternal grandmother, Gertrude Anthony, completed 6th grade.

Since my parents were just children in 1940 the education question in the census did not apply to them; however, they both did not graduate from high school. My father quit at 17 to join the Air Force and my mother quit at 15 when she and her mother moved back to Beaumont from Aguanga. However, both of my parents later received their high school equivalency diplomas: my father on May 25, 1953 and my mother on October 1, 1977. They both went on to post high school education: my father continued his education at the Tulsa Welding School and received a certificate for “combined pipeline welding and refinery and industrial pipe welding” while my mother took two classes at Coffeyville Community College.

My parents were both readers and valued education. Their support and encouragement of my education was very important; I went on to have a very fulfilling 40 year career in education. I taught elementary school, remedial reading, 9th grade in a junior high setting, middle school, and a junior college enrichment class for senior citizens. As a Teacher Librarian I presented at the California School Library Association Convention a couple of years. I was also privileged to receive several teaching honors: I was Teacher of the Year at Corsini Elementary and twice was elected Teacher of the Year at Desert Springs Middle School. I also was selected PSUSD District Teacher of the Year.

My ancestors may not have had much education but they were intelligent, hard-working people. They struggled and survived. I hope that I have honored their legacy.

As my career ended and I moved into my next phase, I discovered my retirement hobby, genealogy, which has been the perfect activity for me. I’m still learning and have been able to share some of my knowledge with members of our Ardiente Genealogy Club (though I’ve definitely learned more than I’ve shared.) I also continue to take classes through Generations Cafe or YouTube and there’s lots more to learn.

Posted in Coble, Genealogy, Watkins | Comments Off

Wordless Wednesday 1/18/23

Posted on January 18, 2023 by Jacque

Posted in Anthony, Wordless Wednesday | Comments Off

Favorite Picture – Month 1 of 12 Ancestors in 12 Months

Posted on January 13, 2023 by Jacque

The Coble Homestead

Nine Generations and Counting

It was the summer of 1989. Gary and I got married in June, then drove over to Las Vegas where we saw Jerry Lewis and Sammy Davis Jr. before heading to our honeymoon in Jamaica. Shortly after returning, we flew to Pennsylvania to attend the reunion on the Coble Family Homestead. I come from a smaller family so this was quite the experience for me and I really love this photo of many members of the extended family. I have recently been going through Grandma Coble’s genealogy book and have enjoyed seeing the history behind the homestead.

Currently we are at nine generations of family continuously living on the homestead.

It all began with Christian Schneider (Shnyder, Snyder, Sneider). Christian was born in Kennemerland (Kennerland), Holland on May 25, 1725 to John (Johannes) and Susanna Baumann Schneider. (John was born in 1697 in Kennemerland, Holland; his father was Jacob who was born in Germany in 1663; his father was Peter who was born in Switzerland in 1590; his father was Jacob who was born in Berne, Switzerland in 1561; and his father was Hannes who was born in Berne Switzerland in 1534.) Christian and his family immigrated to America 1736 on the ship, The Harle.

Much of the information on the Schneider family comes from the 1564 Schneider Bible which contains “an original German hand-written family register that is badly worn after hundreds of years of deterioration. However, in the 1890’s, Ezra Eby translated what was still decipherable of the original registry and neatly wrote it down in English, along with his own insights (Register).”

According to this Bible:

“After the decease of my father Jacob Schneider February 17th 1727, I received this old bible purchased by Hannes Schneider, my grandfather’s grandfather in 1564.

I, John Schneider the eldest son of the last named family was born June 13^th 1697. On the 12^th October 1721 I was married to Susanna Baumann, a native of Holland. She was born December 13^th 1700 and died in Pennsylvania December 13^th 1745. In April 1736 we, my wife and family with others moved or emigrated to America and settled in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania where John Schneider died October 13^th 1763. His family consisted of five children. Their names are as follows:

Christian Schneider was born May 25^th 1725.

Susanna Schneiderwas born August 10^th 1723, died December 14^th 1748.

Jacob B. Schneider was born April 2^nd 1727, died April 9^th 1803.

David Schneider was born February 17^th 1729, died in 1744.

Andrew Schneider was born February 12^th 1732, died in 1740.”

Later, Christian (Gary’s 5th great grandfather) obtained land in Pennsylvania and raised his six daughters.

According to Christian’s will, Christian left his youngest daughter, Veronica (Feronica) his “plantation and tract of land” for her and her heirs.

At the time, Veronica was the only daughter who had not married. Veronica later married Jacob Kobel (Coble) in 1795. Veronica and Jacob’s descendants have resided on and operated this property ever since:

Christian Schneider
Jacob Kobel
Christian Coble
John H. Coble
Amos G. Coble
John Ira Coble
David S. Coble
Jonathan Coble
Jonathan’s children

There is also a Coble cemetery on the property. Gary and I visited the cemetery many, many years ago (before cell phones) and we have no pictures but Grandma Coble provide a list of people buried here along with their locations.