Where to find my family tree

Here's where I have my family tree data posted on-line, just copy the link below into your browser.

http://wc.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=:2341912

This was uploaded several years ago, so it's not as up-to-date as it could be.

This website works pretty well for navigating through the tree, but it's not as handy as having it in a family tree program on your own computer. If you're interested in loading it into genealogy software, let me know and I'll send you the data in a form you can import.

Civil War letter

(click on the letter to enlarge)


This is a letter from James L. Gray to his son James William Thomas Gray, my GG and G-Grandfathers respectively. It has been passed down through my family. On the back it says "Jimmy's Letter"

I understand that James L. Gray served in the Union army in the Civil War, so I am guessing that this is why he was away from home at this time. James was a Northerner from PA, but his wife Harriet was a Southerner, having come from KY, and in fact Jimmy grew up to marry a southern girl who's father was killed on the confederate side.

I find the letter to be readable, so I haven't typed the content here, please let me know if you want a transcript of it, and I'll add it here.

Some of the people mentioned in the letter need some explanation,

Ma is of course Harriet Gray, Jimmy's mother.

Grand Ma and Grand Pa are Harriet's parents, William and Martha Thomas.

The Dear Little Sisters are his sisters Mattie and Eugenia.

Little Gilson is his younger brother, Gilson Berryman Gray.

I don't know who Sammy, Blanchy or Sarah Martha are, possibly friends or cousins.

Jimmy Meador is his step-cousin James Meador Jr. His aunt Henrietta was married to James Meador Sr, but she was his second wife, and not James Jr's mother.

For more on this family, see the previous post.

Gray/Thomas family plot, Woodlawn cemetery, Independence, MO

My GGG-Grandparents, William and Martha (Berryman) Thomas, were early settlers of Independence, MO, just on the other side of metro Kansas City from my home. They are buried there with many other family members.

When I moved to the area, I was sure that they were buried in this cemetery, but I didn't have any information about where the plot was located. I looked all around one day, and must have walked right by the big central stone without seeing it. Once I found the person who was writing the guide book to the cemetery, she was able to point me right to it.

(To see any of the photos larger, just click on it)



This large stone is a recent addition to the plot (in this case, "recent" means "during the 20th century"). At the time that my GG-Grandmother, William's daughter Harriet, passed away in 1916, her oldest son, my G-Grandfather James William Thomas Gray, was living in Colorado, and I'm almost sure that the base of this stone is made of Pikes Peak granite from Colorado, this is an unusual stone color in this cemetery.

Below are closeups of the sides of the stone.

This side lists William and Martha



This side lists their daughter Harriet, my GG-Grandmother, and her husband, James L. Gray, as well as their infant son Ernest C. Gray.



This side lists James and Harriet's daughters, one who died as a teenager and the other as a young wife.



There are also original stones for William, Mattie and Eugenia, shown below, William's is well-preserved for its age. If there were old stones for the others, they are gone, but several "foot stones" with initials are still there.





Harriet's sister, Henrietta Meador. She kept a family bible, of which I have copies. I will publish this in the blog later.



Harriet's brother, Willoughby Mortimer Thomas, his wife Fannie, and their daughter, Eugenia Thomas.

Joseph Clark, Oscar Clark, Albert Clark

This picture is of three of my GG-granduncles, Joseph, Oscar and Albert Clark. I think they are in that order from left to right, at least that's how they are listed on the back. The writing on the back reads

This photo taken Oct. 15th 1895
Joseph Clark born June 4th 1830
Oscar Clark " Mch. 10th 1833
Albert Clark " Jany. 16th 1836
" " " Died May 1896

I know that the other two lived a number of years after this was taken.

Joseph never married, and lived part of the year with Albert in Nebraska, part of the year in their hometown of Cadiz OH with another brother, Ephraim. At least once, he was counted both places in the census!

Oscar settled in Walton, KS.

Albert lived in Burt Co. NE where many other Clark's lived, including all of their brother Ingram's surviving children, and many of Ephraim's children. He is buried at Craig NE. His family moved on to Idaho after his death.

A Nebraska photo collector obtained this photo at a flea market, and was kind enough to send me a scan of it.

Several years ago, I was in touch with a descendant of Oscar, but I have lost touch with her, if you are related to any of these men PLEASE contact me, I can give you a high-res scan that you can print large.

Henry and Polly (Buttles) Billings, tombstones

Here are some pictures of the tombstone of Henry and Polly Billings, my GGG-Grandparents. They are buried in the cemetary at Pine Island, MN, which is in Goodhue county, near Redwing. When they died, they were buried on their farm, and moved to Pine Island later. I took these several years ago on a trip to MN.

There are four more generations of their descendants buried nearby, but none are my ancestors, if you're interested in who they might be let me know and I'll post their names here, I have photos also.