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Wordless Wednesday 3/23/22
Posted in Coble, Padilla, Vaughters, Wordless Wednesday
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St. Patrick’s Day
Paying Homage to my Irish Ancestors
While St. Patrick’s Day was originally celebrated in Ireland as a religious holiday, today it’s a holiday where everyone claims to be Irish, wears green, drinks green beer, bakes Irish soda bread, and has a wonderful meal of corned beef and cabbage.
I am lucky to be able to actually claim Irish heritage on both my maternal and paternal ancestral lines. I am able to trace my roots to three surnames:
- McElroy which means son of the red-haired lad;
- O’Rea which means having a gentle disposition;
- Ligget or Leggett which means ambassador or deputy.
According to the Irish Genealogy Toolkit, “In 1771-1773, more than 100 ships left the Ulster ports of Newry, Derry, Belfast, Portrush and Larne, carrying some 32,000 Irish immigrants to America.” They came for religious freedom (they were often Protestant) and cheap, plentiful land. My 4th great grandparents, Thomas McElroy and Elisabeth O’Rea emigrated in 1773. They were the parents of Margaret McElroy who married Joseph Hanslap Watkins.
Thomas was an interesting person. Even though he only lived in America since 1773, he enlisted in the American Revolutionary Army in Chester, Pennsylvania in 1776. As I stated in my blog post on June 4, 2021 titled Military, “Thomas served as a wagoner or wagon driver. The American colonies at the beginning of the Revolutionary War were mostly rural. Much of the land consisted of forests, marshes, and swamps. The terrain was extremely rugged. Existing roads were inadequate. Travel was slow. Because of these issues it became policy to hire wagons and drivers to provide transportation for the troops and supplies. Sometimes local people were hired for this duty while at other times, soldiers (such as Thomas) were given this responsibility.”
After the war, Thomas applied for his Revolutionary War pension since he was a soldier in the American Revolutionary War in his newly adopted country. Sadly, his claim for a pension was denied because the job of a wagoner was not considered military service.
My maternal Irish 2nd great grandfather, Oliver Ligget or Leggett, immigrated to Canada from Armagh, Northern Ireland. Oliver was a farmer and it is possible that he emigrated because of the devastation of the Irish potato famine. (He married Catherine Stewart in Canada. Catherine was born in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, Canada. According to the 1891 Canadian Census, both of her parents were born in Scotland. According to her obituary, Catherine moved with her parents to Bruce, Ontario, Canada when she was a young girl.)
Oliver settled in Bruce, Ontario where he met Catherine. They had two children including my great grandmother, Sarah Jane Ligget McLeod.
As you celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, enjoy those characteristics that truly make each one of us Irish including being charming, a dreamer, a storyteller, passionate, good-natured, friendly, easy going yet a bit stubborn.
“May the luck of the Irish be with you!”
Sources
“Discover the Meaning and History behind Your Last Name.” Last Name Meanings and Origins | Search Surnames at Ancestry.com®, https://www.ancestry.com/learn/facts.
“Irish Emigration to North America, Britain and Australia. Coffin Ships.” To North America, Britain and Australia. Coffin Ships., https://www.irish-genealogy-toolkit.com/Irish-emigration.html.
“Rea Coat of Arms, Family Crest – Free Image to View – Rea Name Origin History and Meaning of Symbols.” IrishNation.com, https://www.irishsurnames.com/cgi-bin/gallery.pl?name=rea&capname=Rea&letter=r.
“Thomas McElroy Sr. (1751-Unknown) – Find a Grave…” Find a Grave, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/83439990/thomas-mcelroy.
Year: 1891; Census Place: Bruce, Bruce West, Ontario, Canada; Roll: T-6328; Family No: 1
Posted in Genealogy, McLeod, Watkins
Tagged Elisabeth O'Rea, Oliver Ligget, Thomas McElroy
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Wordless Wednesday 3/16/22
Posted in Coble, Wordless Wednesday
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Females – Month 3 of 12 Ancestors in 12 Months
Coffeyville Drum and Bugle Corps
Being a member of the all girl Drum Corps was an important part of my high school years and had an impact on my life. I had the privilege to be part of this exemplary female group during my junior and senior years at Field Kindley High School in Coffeyville, Kansas. The group originated on January 2, 1935 when “the Student Congress of FKHS granted a charter to the Drum and Bugle Corps” as an all female organization. The inspiration for this group came from an unexpected source; Ruth McFerren*, the school librarian, was recovering from a car accident when she came up with the idea. “Only girls were eligible to join (Turner).”
But wait…there’s more to the story. In 1888, three different newspapers (Elk City Eagle, Cherryvale Bulletin, and Weekly Star and Kansan) mention the Coffeyville Drum Corps. The Elk City Eagle newspaper declared that the “Coffeyville Drum Corps is composed of a gentlemanly set of boys” while the Weekly Star and Kansan stated that “the corps wore nice uniforms and consists of twelve players, a drum major and a color bearer.” In 1916, the Sun again mentioned this group when it asserted that the Coffeyville Drum Corps and Coffeyville Concert band “aided and abetted” a “rally parade” as it passed through the downtown streets. (I found no mention of this group after 1916.)
The modern Drum Corps (1935-1986**) was steeped in tradition. Only a certain number of girls were allowed in the organization. “The first Corps consisted of 16 members plus a drum major…During the 1935-36 school, membership of the Corps rose to 25 (Turner).” During my years, the number was 33. To determine who participated, interested students took a music test and were required to have a teacher recommend them. Director Harvey Lewis made the final selection.
This YouTube video was posted by Andy Taylor on June 2, 2010:
Finding out that you were selected to become a member of the Drum and Bugle Corps was an adventure in itself. The date was a closely guarded secret and did not leak out. On that special day, early in the morning while it was still dark and everyone was still asleep, the current members arrived at each new girl’s house, honking car horns, banging on things, and altogether making a tremendous amount of noise, waking the girl and her family (as well as the neighbors) and dragging the girl out of her bed. Everyone gathered together (the new inductees still in their pajamas and nightgowns) and the girls marched as members of the Drum and Bugle Corps for the first time. Then it was back home in time to get ready for school. The girls were given three dimensional construction paper drums to wear around their necks so everyone at school knew who the new members were.
Even though Drum Corps was a daily class, members lived by the philosophy that “Drum Corps is a way of life.” The girls had a lot of fun and developed a special camaraderie with other members while living up to high expectations and demonstrating a strong work ethic.
We performed year round in parades and at pre-game and half-time shows for football and basketball. According to the 1972 yearbook (my junior year), “For the first time ever, the Drum Corps was featured on nation-wide television for a TU basketball drill.” Additionally, the DC members were ushers at the Coffeyville Inter-State Rodeo every August. We had two sets of uniforms depending on the season. (One of the more unusual expectations was that we had to wear a girdle under our uniforms.)
Socially, Drum Corps was known for their slumber parties. Okay, there was no “slumber.” We gathered at someone’s house after performing at certain games. I remember lots of talking, laughing, and eating. The party ended in the early morning hours.
One of the main Drum Corps events was the annual reunion. This formal event was planned and organized by the current corps. Many hours were spent in making decorations and in the actual decorating itself. All past and current Drum and Bugle Corps members were invited to dinner with time for various recognitions, speeches, and the announcement of the new drum major. Then we moved to the gym for marching afterwards. Past members got to get together with their peers and marched together. Once a Drum Corps member, always a Drum Corps member. The evening ended with the basketball half-time show performed by the current group of DC members.
The Coffeyville Drum and Bugle Corps also had a strong tradition of sisters belonging to this organization. My sister, Becky, and I continued this tradition.
I am proud to have had the opportunity to be part of this all female group. I made good friends and it helped prepare me for college. “The Drum and Bugle Corps became one of the most outstanding organizations at the school (Turner).”
*The Coffeyville Journal on September 11, 2005 stated the DC organizer’s name as Ruth Ferrin while the 1937 Field Kindley High School yearbook states her name as Ruth McFerren.
**Director Harvey Lewis “Papa Lewis” was director from 1944 until his retirement in 1974 and was the face of the Coffeyville Drum and Bugle Corps. Changes were imminent in the 1980’s because of changes in leadership and society. Sometime in the 1980’s boys were permitted to join because of equal rights. The Coffeyville Drum and Bugle Corps “ceased to exist in 1986 (Turner).”
Sources
“17 Aug 1888, 1 – the Elk City Eagle at Newspapers.com.” Newspapers.com, https://www.newspapers.com/image/489337478/?terms=Coffeyville+Drum+Corp&match=1.
“20 Oct 1888, 3 – Cherryvale Bulletin at Newspapers.com.” Newspapers.com, https://www.newspapers.com/image/489088796/?terms=Coffeyville+Drum+Corp&match=1.
“28 Sep 1888, Page 6 – the Weekly Star and Kansan at Newspapers.com.” Newspapers.com, https://www.newspapers.com/image/117944305/?terms=Coffeyville+Drum+Corp&match=1.
“7 Nov 1916, 5 – the Sun at Newspapers.com.” Newspapers.com, https://www.newspapers.com/image/417776655/?terms=Coffeyville+Drum+Corp&match=1.
“Alfred M. Landon’s Notification Day Parade … – Kshs.org.” Kansas Memory, The Kansas Historical Society, 2022, https://kshs.org/km/items/view/100418.
“Coffeyville Drum Corps.” Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/coffeyville.drumcorps.
Taylor, Andy, director. Coffeyville Drum and Bugle Corps.m4v. YouTube, YouTube, 2 June 2010, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bWJvYmsja-0. Accessed 25 Feb. 2022.
“Tornado Drum Corps, 1948-1949 by [Americana – Kansas] – 1949 – from Johnson Rare Books & Archives (SKU: 72098).” Biblio.com, Americana-Kansas, 1 Jan. 1970, https://www.biblio.com/book/tornado-drum-corps-1948-1949-americana/d/1359715420.
Turner, Ursula. “Drum and Bugle Corps Members Reunite.” The Coffeyville Journal, 11 Sept. 2005, pp. 6B–8B.
“U.S., School Yearbooks, 1880-2012”; School Name: Field Kindley Memorial High School; Year: 1972
Posted in Bernal, Genealogy, Padilla, Watkins
Tagged Coffeyville Drum and Bugle Corps, Coffeyville Drum Corps
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Wordless Wednesday 3/2/22
Posted in Anthony, Wordless Wednesday
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Wordless Wednesday 2/23/22
Posted in Anthony, McLeod, Wordless Wednesday
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Wordless Wednesday 2/16/22
Posted in Coble, Wordless Wednesday
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Maps – Generations Cafe Ancestry Challenge
Differentiating between the two John Calvins
Multiple people having the same name can be a challenge to the amateur genealogist. Often the people are not related and it’s imperative to verify information in order to correctly identify the person who is in your ancestry line. Other times there may be multiple people with the same name in your line and it is essential to find the precise data that matches the intended ancestor of your search.
I discussed some of my confusion when searching for the “correct” Stephen in my February 3, 2002 post. In this same post, I shared my discovery of two cousins, one my great grandfather, with the same name – John Calvin Watkins. Both of them have history in West Virginia.
This week’s theme is Maps. I decided to use Google My Maps to help clarify which John Calvin is which.
Both of the John Calvins have roots in Pennsylvania (both of their fathers were born in Fayette County, Pennsylvania) and West Virginia. John Calvin, son of William, was born in Fayette, Pennsylvania then moved to West Virginia and married there, remaining in West Virginia the rest of his life (his map markers are in red). My great grandfather, John Calvin, son of Samuel, was born in West Virginia then moved to Kansas with his mother after his father died. He moved around some, mostly in Kansas and Oklahoma with a stop in Arkansas (his map markers are in purple – if you don’t see the purple marker in West Virginia just scroll out; also click on each marker to see the name of the town).