In trying to understand some of the places my ancestors settled and their reason for their move there, I’ve found a transcription of The Golden Jubilee of German-Russian Settlements of Ellis and Rush Counties, Kansas very helpful. The following are the towns that related to my family lines as I’ve researched thus far:

The Volga-German Mother Colonies:

Map of the Volga-German colonies of Russia highlighting the towns of Pfeifer, Herzog, Mariental and Obermunjou Russia

PFEIFER (GNILUSHKA)

Other Names:
Faifer, Fajfer, Feifer, Gnilushka, Gniluschka, Gnilyshka, Gvardeiskoye, Gvardeyskoye, Pfeifer, Pfeiffer

Location:
50º39′ N 45º24′ E

History:
Pfeifer was founded on the right bank of the Ilava Rover on 15 June 1767 by the Government as a Roman Catholic colony. Pfeifer is 117 versts from the provincial capital of Saratov, 65 versts from the district capital of Kamyshin, and 6 versts from the local administrative center of Kamenka.

From the beginning of the colony, there was parochial education available in Pfeifer. The students were taught reading, writing, and religion by a local schoolmaster under the supervision of the parish priest. In 1888, a government school was constructed in the colony.

My Family Names: Pfeifer
Johannes Pfeifer (1793-1798) imigrated from Orb Germany to Russia and on June 15, 1767, at which date they arrived, Colony Pfeifer was founded. Originally believing Johannes (my 6th Great Grandfather) originated from Ulm, Germany, we later discovered that the Ulm was one of the gathering places for colonists leaving for Russia. His birthplace was probably Orb, Germany. The German immigrants were housed in temporary housing by the recruiter sent from Russia who arranged for their passage to Seritov and the Russian colonies. At the point of debarkation in Russia to go to their new land (colonies) when they arrived from Germany, respective leaders were chosen from their groups to lead them to their new homes. Thus the naming of Colony Pfeifer was taken after their leader, Johannes Pfeifer. Johannes Pfeifer’s grandson Adam Pfeifer was the first Pfeifer to leave Colony Pfeifer and cross over into Herzog with his family in 1828.

Read more information about Pfeifer at the Center for Volga German Studies.

HERZOG (SUSLY)

Other Names:
Herzog, Susly, Sussly

Location:
51º29′ N 46º43′ E

History:
Herzog was a Roman Catholic colony founded on 14 July 1766 by LeRoy & Pictet.

My Family Names: Pfeifer
My 4th Great Grandfather Adam Pfeifer left Colony Pfeifer and moved his family to Colony Herzog, Russia, in 1828. He was the first Pfeifer in Colony Herzog. It is not known to me at this time why he moved to a colony so far away. My only guess is better land. Adam’s son, Johannes Adam Pfeifer, Sr., was the first Pfeifer to immigrate to America in 1878.

Read more information about Herzog at the Center for Volga German Studies.

OBERMONJOU (OBERMANSHU)

Other Names:
Krivovka, Kriwowskoje, Obermonjou, Obermunjour, Ober-Monjou, Ober-Monjour (after 1941, Krivovka)

Location:
51º44′ N 46º51′ E

History:
Ober-Monjou was founded as a Roman Catholic colony on 5 March 1767 by Baron Caneau de Beauregard.

In 1859, a daughter colony was established by colonists from Ober-Monjou seeking additional farm land. The daughter colony was called Neu-Ober-Monjou.

Read more information about Obermonjou at the Center for Volga German Studies.

A slightly different version of the history I located online at www.volgagerman.net:
Two German-speaking Frenchmen by the name of Munjou were made the leaders of the two groups. The older of the two, Otto de Munjor, became the leader of the Catholic group which settled along the Volga, north of Saratov. The younger Munjou established a colony of Lutheran people considerably down the river. Both towns were named Monjou, which soon caused confusion. The civil authorities eliminated the confusion by referring to the Catholic colony located on the upper as Obermunjou and the down strean village as Niedermonjor. During the founding years of these colonies, 1764 – 1768, 104 colonies were established, 44 on the Berseite (Mountain side) which was west of the Volga and 60 on the Wiesenseite (Meadow side) which was located on the east side.

My Family Names: Rupp
The record of my 2nd Great Grandmother Cecelia Rupp (1866-1930) has her birthplace listed as Obermunjou, Russia. I am still working on the origins of the Rupp family line, but I recently noticed an Anton Rupp (Her father’s name) mentioned in one of the largest group of immigrants to leave Saratov. The article, transcribed from The Golden Jubilee of German-Russian Settlements of Ellis and Rush Counties, Kansas is entitled “LARGEST EXPEDITION LEAVES SARATOV”. It includes in its list of immigrants hailing from Herzog a “… John Leiker, Anton Rupp, Caspar Rupp and Jacob Rupp, from Obermonjour, Russia.” I’m not quite sure if this is my Anton Rupp, as they say the ship he sailed on was the Mosel. (My Rupp family sailed on the Suevia arriving 3 Aug 1876)

MARIENTAL (MARIENTHAL)

Other Names:
Dubowoi, Mariental, Marienthal, Pfannenstiel, Sovetskoye, Tonkoshurovka, Tonkoschurowka

Location:
51º26′ N 46º45′ E

History:
Mariental was founded on 16 June 1766 by LeRoy & Pictet as a Roman Catholic colony.

Read more information about Mariental at the Center for Volga German Studies.

My Family Names: Zimmerman and Ochs
My family records show that my 3rd Great Grandfather Daniel Zimmerman (1845-1865) was born in Marienthal, Russia. His son Rochus who married Helen Ochs also has in-laws born in Marienthal.

If you’re related to this family or have more information about them including stories, pictures and dates and family member names, I’d love to hear from you. Please leave a comment below or email me directly from the About Us page.

Henry Lee Montgomery, Dr.
Birth – 26 Sep 1866, Mississippi
Death – 17 May 1952, Yell, Arkansas

While talking to another online researcher about my Crawley family line (Rick Lawrence), he shared with me some memories from him and his mother about Dr. Lee, who was the area doctor. I enjoyed hearing about them, and he granted me permission to share them on my blog.

Memories of Dr. Lee Montgomery

My mom, who is 74 this month (Sept 2002), recalls that Dr. Tom Montgomery lived in Bluffton, while his brother Dr. Lee lived in Gravelly. Dr. Lee was their family doctor…

She [told] me that my father had the back of his head split open in a sawmill accident in the late 1940′s and that Dr. Lee sewed him up. She said my dad used to imitate Dr. Lee perfectly. If you owed him $3.00 and handed him a five, he would say, “Now son, that should just about cover it” and keep the change.

I thought this morning about Dr. Lee’s house…it’s on the road to the Mulberry area from Gravelly….

Dr. Lee was of course the doctor for that area of the valley. He was treating my mother’s older brother for measles and was getting better when he suddenly got sicker and complained his side was hurting. Dr. Lee was sent for but before he could get there he died. A knot was discovered on his side just before he died so he probably had a ruptured appendix along with his measles. This would have been in the early 1930′s. Mom also told me this morning that Dr. Lee’s wife was a slight or petite woman and suffered from severe rheumatoid arthritis. She and another woman, a cousin of mine named Tommy Rhoades had that real bad back then. Anyway, Dr. Lee had a housekeeper who helped care for his wife and of course the general housekeeping chores. She doesn’t remember if the woman lived there or not nor can she remember her name. I asked if she was black or white and of course she was white. For your edification, there were no blacks living in that area of the valley back then as the citizenry would run them off (or worse). Apparently, after the Civil War, what few slaves were in the area did not stay around and went to Little Rock or elsewhere. My uncle lives over in Rover and there is a spot on his family land that is believed to have been the site of a couple of slave graves.

My mom’s brother, Weldon Charles “Uncle Dick ” Parker, remembered that Dr. Lee use to park his car in the driveway of Bill Byrd’s Garage in Gravelly, much to Bill’s chagrin. One day, several of the boys including my uncle, rigged up a smoke bombed on the car. When Dr. Lee got in it, it exploded and of course smoked like he had blown up the engine. Uncle Dick said he was real mad when he found out what the boys had done…and he never parked his car there again.

Mom remembered that her family called Dr. Tom “Uncle Tom” whenever they saw him. Mom always assumed that he must have been an uncle to her mother. Actually, he would have been a cousin by marriage only.

My Uncle Dick Parker, one of the culprits involved in putting the smoke/cherry bombs on Dr. Lee’s car (which, by the way, was a 1940 Plymouth) reminded my mom that Dr. Lee usually prescribed the same medicine for almost everything (that was minor of course). It was some type of cherry red liquid – who knows what – that he would put into a water glass and have you fill up 3/4′s of the way with water and then take a drink every so often. If your throat got dry or your face turned red, then you would wait a little longer before you used it again. Another Uncle Dick, Uncle Dick Jones (he wasn’t actually my uncle…just everyone called him that – he was actually my Uncle Walter Jones’ older brother) accidentally drank the whole concoction one time. He said his throat never did get dry nor did his face turn red so he figured the medicine wasn’t any good and would never you use it again.

My Uncle Dick, also remembered what I had told you earlier about how if he told you that you owed him a couple dollars and you said that all you had was a $5 he would say, “Why, why that ought to just about cover it”. Uncle Dick said Dr. Lee used the term “Why, why” a lot, like someone who would use “You know” or By Gad”, etc. “Why, why” was his “by” word or phrase. He also was not very tall and was a little portly.

“It was 1922 and Dad decided to try his fortune in Canada. We, the family and some relatives, went to the docks and saw him sail off. The name of the boat was the Athenian. He located in the city of Lethbridge, where his brother John was living.”

The following is his Declaration of Passenger to Canada form. I have transcribed most of the information in case it’s difficult to read at the size I’ve posted it.

S.S.: Athenia [Athina Livanos], Class: 3rd, Date of Sailing: 20 July
Inland routing: C.P.R. [Canadian Pacific Railroad], to: Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada

DECLARATION OF PASSENGER TO CANADA

1. Name: Garrett, Charles, Age: 38
2. Sex: Male, Are you married, single, widowed or divorced? Married
If married, are you accompanied by husband or wife? If so, give name of husband or wife: No
3. Present occupation: Miner, Intended occupation: Miner
4. Birthplace: Irelas Lesmahagow, Race or people: British Scotch
5. Citizenship: British, Religion: United Free Church
6. Object in going to Canada: To Settle
7. Do you intend to remain permanently in Canada? Yes
8. Have you ever lived in Canada? No
9. Why did you leave Canada? -
10. Money in Possession belonging to passenger: £90
(I am aware that I must have on my arrival in Canada the sum of: $£10)
11. Can you read? Yes, What language? English
12. By whom was your passenger paid? Myself
13. Ever refused entry to, or deported from Canada? No
14. Destined to: Lethbridge Alberta going to my Brother John Garrett 635, 13th Street. Y? Lethbridge Alberta Canada
15. By which Canadian railway are you traveling to destination? Canadian Pacific
16. Nearest relative in country from which you came: Wife. Mrs. Sarah Callan Garrett, Middlemuir, Coalburn, Lanarkshire
17. Are you or any of your family mentally defective? No, Tubercular? No, Physically defective? No, Otherwise de____red under Canadian Immigration law? No.

Signature of Passenger: (Signed Charles Garrett)
Sig of Booking Agent: (Signed Edward McLuskie at Lesmahagow)

The back of the form is stamped March 12, 1922.

The Declaration of Passenger to Canada form for Charles Garrett (1884-1942)

If you’re related to this family or have more information about them including stories, pictures and dates and family member names, I’d love to hear from you. Please leave a comment below or email me directly from the About Us page.

Charles Garrett
Birth – 22 May 1884, Douglas, Lanark, Scotland
Death – 24 Aug 1942, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada
Burial – Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada

Father – John Garrett (~1853-1923)
Mother – Mary Gallacher (1853-1933)

Married:

Sarah Callan
Marriage – 19 Jun 1908, Lesmahagow, Lanarkshire, Scotland
Birth – 19 Dec 1887, Crowhill, Lesmahagow, Lanark, Scotland
Death – 22 Jun 1964, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada
Burial – 26 Jun 1964, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada

Father – William Callan (1858-1939)
Mother – Sarah Burns (1857-1901)

Their Children:

1 M – Charles Callan Garrett
Birth – 11 Nov 1908, Coalburn, Lanark, Scotland
Death – 4 Jul 1979, Salem, Marion, OR
Spouse – Jean Wall
Marriage – 5 Apr 1937, Raymond, Canada

2 F – Sarah Garrett
Birth – 24 Oct 1909, Lesmahagow, Lanarkshire, Scotland
Death – 16 Aug 1939, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada
Spouse – Theodore Wilson
Marriage – 9 Oct 1932, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada

3 F – Mary Garrett
Birth – 15 Mar 1913, Lesmahagow, Lanark, Scotland
Death – 29 Nov 1977, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada
Spouse – Charles Frederick Smeed
Marriage – 2 Oct 1936, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada

If you’re related to this family or have more information about them including stories, pictures and dates and family member names, I’d love to hear from you. Please leave a comment below or email me directly from the About Us page.

My 3rd Great Grandfather and 2nd Great Grandfather are listed on the same passenger lists with their families. It reads: Daniel Zimermann (age 46), with his wife Elisab (age 45), and children Franz (age 22), Katta (age 19), Michael (age 7), Maria (age 6), Ana (age 4) and Elisab (age 2). Daniel’s Eldest son is listed next as Rochus Zimmermann (age 24) is listed with his wife Helena (age 24), and daughter Katta (age 2).

The ship they arrived on:

Ship Name: Maasdam; Aliases: Vittoria (1902), Citta di Napoli (1902), Ex-Republic (1889)
Shipping Line: Holland-American; Years in service: 1889-1902
Ship Description: Built by Harland & Wolff, Ltd., Belfast, Ireland. Tonnage: 3,984. Dimensions: 420' x 40'. Single-screw, 15 knots. Compound engines. Four masts and one funnel.
History: Service: Rotterdam-New York, 1889- 1901. New triple expansion engines and boilers installed in 1890. Renamed: Vittoria (1902), (b) Citta di Napoli (1902). Scrapped in 1910. Ex-Republic (1889).

The families:

The passenger list showing my GGG Grandfather Daniel Zimermann and family, as well as my GG Grandfather Rochus Zimmerman and his family.

The passenger list:

The passenger list, close up.

If you’re related to this family or have more information about them including stories, pictures and dates and family member names, I’d love to hear from you. Please leave a comment below or email me directly from the About Us page.

The article was published in The Hays Daily News on February 19, 1934.

HAYS FARMER AND TWO SONS FREEZE TO DEATH

Adam A. Pfeifer, 39, and His Sons, William, 15, and Gilbert, 12, Are Found Dead In Snow, In a Field Northwest of Hays

SEEKING SHELTER AFTER CAR GOES INTO A DITCH

Deaths Occur Saturday Night, But Bodies Not Found Until Late Sunday; Trajedy Recalls Similar Fate Which Befell Victim’s Sister-In-Law On Same Date Eight Years Ago; Leaves Widow and Six Small Children

Adam A. Pfeifer, 39-year-old Ellis county farmer, and his two sons, William, 15, and Gilbert, 12, died in the snow-storm which swept this region Saturday night. The frozen bodies of Mr. Pfeifer and the boys were found late Sunday afternoon in the John Denning pasture one-half mile south of the Pfeifer Farm, which is seven and one-half miles northwest of Hays.

Mr. Pfeifer and his sons left home Saturday afternoon at 5 o’clock to go to Ellis for medicine for Mrs. Pfeifer, who has not been well. As nearly as can be learned, they left Ellis to return home at 9 o’clock that night. They had car trouble and had gone to a garage in Ellis, leaving there at 9 o’clock. The car was found Sunday in a ditch one-half mile northeast of Yocemento.

High Wind Drives Snow
A heavy rain Saturday, accompanied by a high wind, turned to snow at 10 o’clock at night and for a time a terrific storm raged. It is believed the car went into a ditch, and Mr. Pfeifer and the boys, after attempting unsuccessfully to get the machine back into the road, had started to walk home, or at least to find shelter.

At the place where the car was found there were some fence posts and indications were the man and the boys had tried to use them in getting the car out of the ditch.

Bodies Huddled in Blankets
John Denning found the three frozen bodies in his pasture at 4 o’clock Sunday afternoon. The bodies were lying close together and there were blankets around them. Members of the family believe they took blankets from the car to protect them from the wind when they left the car. Apparently the three became exhausted from fighting their way along and succumbed to the cold. Mr. Pfeifer, a brother Anton, said today, had suffered from ill health.

After the bodies were found J.T. Brock, the county coroner, and county officers were called and went to the Denning farm. The bodies were then brought to Hays.

On Anniversary of Tragedy
The deaths of Mr. Pfeifer and his sons occurred on the eight anniversary of the death of another member of the Pfeifer family, Mrs. Alex Pfeifer, who was frozen to death in a snowstorm, Feb. 17, 1925. Mrs. Alex Pfeifer was a sister of the widow of the man who perished Saturday night. Alex Pfeifer and Adam A. Pfeifer were brothers who had married sisters.

Surviving members of the family are Mrs. Pfeifer, the widow, and these children: Arthur Charles, Benigns, Leland, Harold, Adam Jr., and Theresa. Mr. Pfeifer is also survived by these brothers and sisters, Anton A. Pfeifer, Hays, Alex A. Pfeifer, Hays, Andrew A. Pfeifer, Kansas City; Joseph A. Pfeifer, Kansas City; John Pfeifer, Kansas City; Mrs. John Paul, Kansas City; Mrs. Elizabeth Montgomery, Russell and Mrs. Clem Denning, Hays. A sister, Mrs. Anna Karlin, preceded her brother in death.

Mr. Pfeifer was on the relief work list for Ellis county and was to have gone to work this morning.

Funeral services will be at 9 o’clock Tuesday morning at St. Joseph’s church here. Burial will be in Hays.

Front page news of the tragic death of Adam A. Pfeifer (1895-1934)

Hugh Tinnin
Birth – 1800, Tennessee
Death – 13 Dec 1869, Burleson Co., Texas

Father – John Tinnin (1770-1835)
Mother – Elizabeth “Betsy” Moore (1775-1840)

Married (1):

Betsy Rutherford
Birth – Mississippi
Death – bef 1836, Mississippi

Father – John “Jack” Rutherford (~1780-~1858)
Mother – Winnifred “Winnie” Grigsby (~1785-~1865)

Their Children:

1 F – Rachel Tinnin
Birth – 15 Jan 1826, Mississippi
Death – ABT 1903/1904
Spouse – Andrew Alexander Crawford

2 F – Elizabeth Tinnin
Birth – 17 Aug 1827, Mississippi
Death – aft 1850

3 F – Lucille Jane Tinnin
Birth – 12 Aug 1828, Clinton, Mississippi
Death – 9 Aug 1893, Prairie Grove, Washington Co., Arkansas
Spouse (1) – William Thomas Neal Col./Col.
Marriage 19 Nov 1846, Prairie Grove, Washington, Arkansas
Spouse (2) – James Preston Neal Col./Col.
Marriage Jan 1869, Prairie Grove, Washington, Arkansas

4 M – Granville Tinnin
Birth – 19 Sep 1829, Hinds, Mississippi
Death – 1840

Married (2):

Fanny Rutherford
Marriage – aft 1829
Birth – abt 1808, Tennessee
Death – 1846, Washington Co., Arkansas

Father – John “Jack” Rutherford (~1780-~1858)
Mother – Winnifred “Winnie” Grigsby (~1785-~1865)

Their Children:

1 M – John Tinnin
Birth – 7 Jul 1836, Arkansas

2 F – Harriet Tinnin
Birth – 22 Jul 1839, Arkansas
Spouse – Richard S. Barron
Marriage – 16 Aug 1869, Washington Co., Arkansas

3 M – William Hugh Tinnin
Birth – 13 Aug 1840, Arkansas

4 F – Emiline Tinnin
Birth – 1842, Arkansas
Spouse – John Ray Billingsley
Marriage – 7 Jul 1864, Travis Co., Texas

5 M – Hugh Tinnin
Birth – 12 Dec 1843
Death – 21 Feb 1846

Married (3):

Helen Mary Kirkpatrick
Marriage – aft 1843
Birth – abt 1825, Kentucky
Death – 24 Jun 1893, Austin, Travis Co., Texas
Burial – Oakwood Cem. Austin, Travis Co., Texas

Their Children:

1 M – Albert Tinnin
Birth – 8 May 1849, Arkansas
Death – 1875

2 F – Mary Melvina Tinnin
Birth – 15 Aug 1850
Death – 25 May 1851

3 F – Cleopatra “Miss Clippy” Tinnin
Birth – 24 May 1852
Spouse – Henry Roberts

4 M – Pinckney Tinnin
Birth – 12 Mar 1854
Death – 30 Aug 1916
Spouse – Effie Littlepage

5 F – Susanella Tinnin
Birth 25 Aug 1855

6 M – Matison Tinnin
Birth – 1 Feb 1857, Austin
Death – 14 Feb 1931
Spouse – Elizabeth Angeline Willoughby
Marriage – 13 Jan 1884

7 M – Eddie Tinnin
Birth – 25 Aug 1860
Death – 29 May 1861

I believe he was born in the city of Marienthal, and the region of Odessa in the country of Russia, though I’m not quite that far in my research. (He lists Odessa as his place of birth, and my records say Marienthal)

Daniel Zimmerman
Birth – 8 Sep 1845, Marienthal, Russia
Death – 16 May 1925, Park, Gove Co., Kansas

Father – Michael Zimmerman (1801-)
Mother – Maria (~1805-)

STATE OF KANSAS
State Board of Health – Division of Vital Statistics

1. PLACE OF DEATH: County: Gove, Township or City: Park, Registered No.: 32 W

2. FULL NAME: Daniel Zimmerman, Residence: Park
Length of residence in city or town where death occurred: 25 yrs, How long in U.S. if foreign birth: 25 yrs

PERSONAL AND STATISTICAL PARTICULARS
3. SEX: Male
4. COLOR OR RACE: White
5. Single, Married, Widowed or Divorced (write the word): Married
5a. HUSBAND of: Anna M. Zimmerman
6. DATE OF BIRTH: (month, day, and year): Sep-8-1845
7. AGE: 79 yrs 6 months – days
8 OCCUPATION OF DECEASED: Retired
9. BIRTHPLACE: Odessa, Russia
10: NAME OF FATHER: [check mark]
11. BIRTHPLACE OF FATHER: Russia
12: MAIDEN NAME OF MOTHER: [check mark]
13. BIRTHPLACE OF MOTHER: [check mark]
14. Informant: Rochus Zimmerman, Address: Park, Kansas
15. Filed: June 4, 1925, Anton Feldt

MEDICAL CERTIFICATE OF DEATH
16. DATE OF DEATH: May 16, 1925
17. I HEREBY CERTIFY, That I attended deceased from May 14, 1925 to May 16, 1925 and that I last saw him alive on May 14, 1925 and that death occured, on the date stated above and 12-m.
The CAUSE OF DEATH was as follows: Cerebral Hemmorage, (74a) duration: 2 days.
Signed Fred C. Carr, M.D., Address: Grainfield.
19. PLACE OF BURIAL: Park Kans, DATE OF BURIAL: May 18, 1925
20. CARETAKER: Faimly, Address: Park Kans

The death certificate of Daniel Zimmerman (1845-1925)

If you’re related to this family or have more information about them including stories, pictures and dates and family member names, I’d love to hear from you. Please leave a comment below or email me directly from the About Us page.

Martha Azle (Mercer) McCall or “Miss Azle” as I knew her was the second wife of my Great Great Grandfather John Keener McCall (1 Oct 1872) and married him when he already had a large family of 8 kids. They had two more children together. Currently I have no record of who her parents were or what family she came from, but I do have quite a few guesses. I thought I’d write the trail I’ve come across thus far and see if it makes sense.

What I know:
1. I have her obituary: Sublimity – Martha Azle McCall, 99, died Jan. 7, 1992. She was born Dec. 1, 1892 in Danville, Ark. She moved to Stayton in 1938 from Carlsbad, N.M. She settled in Sublimity seven years ago. She married J.K. McCall on Sept. 22, 1918 in Gravely, Ark., he died in 1966. She is survived by her sons, Charles W. of Sublimity and J.B. of Cottage Grove; stepsons, G.D. of Stayton and Troy of Carlsbad; stepdaughter, Prue Sadler of Stayton; several grandchildren and several great-grandchildren. Services were held Jan. 10 at Weddle Mortuary, Stayton. Interment followed at Lone Oak Cemetery, Stayton.

2. I know that my Great Grandmother Etoyl (Montgomery) McCall who was married to Azle’s eldest step-son Robert Lee McCall said that they called her Dad “Pappy Mercer”, and she came from a poor, lower-class family. I also have some minor details about her life with her husband that was shared with my sister in a letter from the local historical society where she died.

3. I know she was born 1 December 1892, and died 7 January 1892 and was buried in the Lone Oak Cemetery in Stayton, Oregon on the 10th of January 1992. She married J.K. McCall 22 September 1918 in Gravelly, Yell County, Arkansas when she was 25 years old.

4. I know that her future husband John Keener lived with his first wife in Danville – her birthplace as listed on her obituary – in the 1900 Census. (She would have been 7 yrs old) The next census, however, him and his wife are living in the Herring Township.

5. In the 1920 Census, Azle lists her father as born in Mississippi, mother in Arkansas. In 1930, she lists both parents as being born in Arkansas.

What I’ve done:
Since I’m a self-taught amature genealogy researcher, I don’t always know the best place to start to find out what I don’t know on a person or family line. But this is what I’ve done.

1. I assumed that since she was born in Danville, she might have lived there as a child. I went through the entire Danville 1900 US Census for a Mercer family with no luck.

2. I did an open US Census search for a Martha Azle Mercer, and focused the search around Yell County, Arkansas where she was born. I found a Martha A. in Briggsville in the 1910 census, which is just 15 miles from Danville where she was born. Azle should have been 17 when the Census was taken at the end of April 1900. This “Martha A. Merser” was listed as 16, birthplace Arkansas. Her parents are listed as Silas W. (age 40, b. MS) and Martha A. (age 36, b. AR). They were married at 17. She had siblings Dovey, Dewey, Myrtle and grandfather Byrant.

Martha A. Merser - Briggsville US Census, 1910

I saw the difference in age of this Martha, and ended up putting my research to the side. I’ve been trying to focus on primary family lines first, and so I went back to the McCall side. While searching through some WW1 draft papers I ran across a Dewey S. Mercer, who stated that his nearest relative was C.W. Mercer. This sounded familiar, and I was excited to find another Mercer nearby all my McCalls so I started searching again.

The WW1 Registration of Dewey Sampson Mercer.

I decided to see if the family of Silas W. and Martha A. Merser mentioned in the 1910 Census appeared in other US Census records. After a couple frustrating name searches, I ended up going through the Briggsville Census records by hand and was lucky.

3. In the 1900 US Census I found a Wess Messer (age 30, b. MS) and his wife Minnie (age 26, b. AR) living in Briggsville, Arkansas with children named Martha, Dova and Dewey. This Martha is listed with a birthday of December 1893, and age 6. Still one year off from my Martha, but in the right month of December.

Martha Messer - Briggsville US Census, 1900

4. In the 1920 US Census I found Dewey S. (age 21) living with his father W.C. Mercer (age 48, widowed), but not Martha.

Martha's family (No Martha) - Briggsville US Census, 1920

5. I decided to focus on Dewey S. Mercer. After a few searches, I found that he had married Millie Ornduff (b. 1897, Oregon -1979, Oregon) and died in Tillamook, Oregon 17 Jan 1986. Could it be a coincidence that he ended up in Oregon, and met a wife there and died there? Perhaps this is my Martha in these census records, and she convinced her brother to come to Oregon where she was living, and there he married (perhaps a second wife). The local Tillamook historical society had a website where I got his death information, and so I emailed them for his obituary. We’ll see where the trail leads from there.

What’s next:
That’s where I’ve reached thus far. My next step is to keep following up about Dewey S., and to order Martha’s Death Certificate to see if she lists her parent’s names. I also seem to remember that there was an article written in the local paper about her because of her longevity, so that’s another avenue to explore. I’m hoping by putting this research out there, I may find a decedent of this family who’s interested in genealogy.

If you’re related to this family or have more information about them including stories, pictures and dates and family member names, I’d love to hear from you. Please leave a comment below or email me directly from the About Us page.

William Furlsbury Carter is my 3rd Great Grandfather through his wife Roxena Mecham and their daughter Junietta Carter who married John Henry Wall.

It mentions in his history that “…he was a blacksmith, wagon-smith, horse-shoer, mechanic and a carpenter. He repaired musical instruments, guns, watches, clocks, he forged knives and tools of all kinds, made hobbies, chins and parts for broken equipment…” So I was excited to find what looks to be an notice or classified advertisement place in an unknown paper (Probably Utah) the 29th of November, 1851.

It reads:
BLACKSMITHING.
THE subscriber is prepared to shoe Horses and
Oxen, &c., at his residence, 2nd Ward, and
will take wood, lumber, &c., in exchange.
nov29-2-7t WM. F. CARTER.

Here’s a close-up of the ad:

Blacksmith Ad/Notice by William Furlsbury Carter (c. Nov 1851)

Here’s some other ads and notices that appear with it:

Blacksmith Ad/Notice by William Furlsbury Carter (c. Nov 1851)

If you know more about this ad, or the paper it was published in, I’d love to hear from you. Please leave a comment below or email me directly from the About Us page.