Genealogical Gems

I am working on genealogy goals for the New Year for the hubby’s side. While mine will mostly focus on my immigrants and ancestral homelands, I think for his I may concentrate on confirming documentation across the board and researching one or two lines in more detail. I have his Eckman line dated back to the mid 1600’s to the birth of his 7 th great grandfather, Ulrich Eckman. The Eckmans are from Roamnshorn, Canton of Thurgan in Switzerland . This is definitely one branch on which I would like to confirm documentation. The Deyoe line is another I would like to work on documenting more. This past summer we took a few days and went up New York . We gained a lot of information that I am still in the processing of transcribing all the data. The shortest line I have is that of his maternal grandfather’s mother, Louise Sharp. She has been a bit of a mystery. She was, according to several census records, born in 1838 in Delaware County , New York . I believe her mother’s first...

Louise Sharp has always been a bit of a mystery for me. She is my husband’s great grandmother. His family had stories but no facts about her. I first “met” Louisa in those family stories that all state she was a Native American - a story whose pieces did not fit right. Over the years I have filled in some blanks and have (mostly) put to bed a rumor with DNA testing but still have many questions, including her lineage.   To find Louise, I started with her son (and hubby’s grandfather) Morgan Deyoe. I traced him back to the 1880 Federal Census. I found the family in Lexington , Greene County , New York . Daniel G, age 44, is a white male farmer. His wife, Louise, is a 42 year old white female. This puts her born approximately 1838. Their son Morgan is five. Living with them also is a nine year old white male named William Parker. He was adopted by Daniel and Louise. All four were born in New York State , as were their parents.   So today – on Surname Saturday – I am...

This week’s prompt for Amy Crow’s 52 Ancestors Challenge is: We will likely be plowing through a lot of snow by this time. What ancestor had a lot of struggles to plow through? Or take it more literally… It’s up to you. I have decided to take it literal. Hubby’s mother was a Deyoe by birth and her grandfather, and his father before him, was farmers in New York . While the Deyo family there is widely recorded, there is little about the Deyoe family, who may or may not be related.     My husband’s maternal grandfather was Morgan Gramelia Deyoe (1877-1944). He was born in New York to Daniel Gramelia and Louisa Sharp Deyoe. Morgan was born in Greene County , NY but did not take to farming. Instead he ends up in Philadelphia working on Hog Island . There he was, in 1918, a mechanic for the International Ship Building .   I have never been able to confirm when exactly Daniel died. I found Louisa, a widow, living in New Jersey in 1910. In researching for ...

Louis Sharp is one of my husband’s mystery women. She has a shroud of mystery and rumor that surrounds her. Family stories about her enthrall many and yet … who is she? In searching for Louise, I thought I would combine Census Sunday today with a timeline for her. I find timelines are often very helpful. The 1850 Census She first shows up in the 1850 Census, at age 12. She and 32 year old Sarah Sharp live in the Western Half 15 th Ward of New York State.   No occupation is listed for Sarah. Both ladies list New York State as their birthplace. The 1850 Census does not reveal much more, except that a 40 year old Richard Goddard, a merchant, and presumably his four year old son Thomas Goddard reside with them. Marital status is not asked on this census so it is unclear is Sarah Sharp is married, widowed or a single unmarried mother. Relationships are also not identified on this census so again Louise is presumed to be Sarah’s daughter and the Goddards are presumed to be boar...

In researching my husband's DEYOE line, I have started to seek out maps from that time frame which might lend a clue. I wish I could recall where I acquired this map. It is an 1829 map of Greene County, NY. Hubby's maternal grandfather was MORGAN DEYOE. Morgan did settle in Philadelphia but the rest of the Deyoes are in Greene County, NY. Morgan was the son of Daniel G. Deyoe and Louise Sharp. Louise is my mystery woman for that line!

Louise Sharp Deyoe is quite hard to find. Family rumors have circled about her origins and one goal is to confirm or deny them positively. She is my husband's maternal great grandmother and they family has always claimed that she is a Mescalareo. No one however has any proof. One of my goals (continued over from last year) this year is to confirm her ancestry - be it Native American or not. Louise was born in 1838 in New York State, according to the 1850 and 1880 censuses. She married Daniel G. Deyoe in 1870. An internet source agreed on the year and included Claverack, Columbia, NY as the marriage location. Their son Morgan is my husband's grandfather. He was born in NY and came down to Philadlephia for work, met Julia Coursault, married and stayed in Philadelphia. Louise eludes me though. I can find no record of her father. I found a 12 year old  Louise Sharp on the 1850 NY Census living with a 32 year old Sarah Sharp. Both claimed to be white and from NY. Now the fami...