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Thankful Thursday- A Thanksgiving List

Edith Roberts Luck with her first granddaughter in 1954.
Edith Roberts Luck with her first granddaughter in October, 1954.

As a family historian and history buff, sitting down to write a list of things I am thankful for is daunting, even when I limit it to genealogy- there are so very many.

1. Of course, I would need to start with the family that was close, and who shared their stories with me from the time I was a young child. I always wanted to hear more of the good stories, and had a thirst for digging deeper into them. The budding journalist even back then always asked the 5 W’s and How: Who was it? What did they do for a living? Where did they live/move? When was it exactly? Why would they do ___? and How do you know that? How did they accomplish that? Questions, questions, questions… (Sorry, Mom, Dad, grandparents, etc.)

Family stories integrate history and help children better understand context, timelines, and their place in them. A fifth grader I knew had trouble understanding which persons he was studying in social studies were still alive- he couldn’t remember if Ben Franklin or George Washington were still living. This was a child who sadly did not have family stories…

David Allen Lambert recently wrote a good post discussing this on the blog Vita Brevis entitled “The gift of family history.” As I read it, I remembered how the Civil War came alive to me in my classes only because I knew I had a great-great Uncle who was “the youngest drummer boy in the Civil War” per family stories. My mother would bring out his picture occasionally, and he looked so young and vulnerable in his new Union uniform and cap. As we learned about boring battles, I could imagine dear little Abram Springsteen marching off, beating his drum with head held high, with his mother and sisters shedding briny tears, and his father proudly knowing that he would come back a man, even though he was only 12 years old as he left. I was proud that my family fulfilled patriotic duties, and relieved to know that Abram survived. The story of him stealing eggs and putting them in his drum to take back to camp for a delicious repast for his comrades in arms turned out to be true; as a child, it made me realize that I too could do things that mattered and that helped adults. Part of his legacy was thus given to me- a gift of family history passed down through the years.

Studies show that children who know the family stories have a better sense of who they are, where they came from, more confidence, etc. The best part is that they can pass on those stories to their children and grandchildren too. A person’s history is usually lost within three generations, since the fourth most probably will never have met the eldest. Using images and the wealth of the family stories and current availability of genealogical data, we can keep that from happening.

Grandma Edie (above) always told us, “You come from strong pioneer stock- you can do anything you set your mind to.” That sentence has kept me going through adversity from the we-thought-it-was-the-end-of-the-world silly junior high sort to much bigger, scarier, life altering things. I think I finally truly believe it.

Franz Xavier Helbling (1800-1876) and his wife Mary Theresa Knipshield (1810-1891)
Franz Xavier Helbling (1800-1876) and his wife Mary Theresa Knipshield (1810-1891). Photos sent by a kind distant cousin who paid to have the Helblings researched in Germany. She very kindly shared all her research with me, even though I had nothing to contribute except a bit of an update on more current family.

2. Back in the days before computers, genealogical research was a slow task with so many dead ends, and it depended on strangers being interested enough to answer your query if you could not travel to every needed repository. I cannot imagine the reams of paper and piles of envelopes I mailed out  after reading a query in a genealogy magazine, enclosing my SASE (self-addressed stamped envelope, so the person did not have to use their own stamp to reply- quaint, isn’t it in these days of instant emails and messaging?), or writing to a local courthouse or historical society. Often, by the time one got a reply months later, one had almost forgotten the details of why they wrote. Despite all that, the kindness of strangers and very distant family was often overwhelming, and helped advance my research one family at a time.

1920 US Federal Census for Elsie Janis (Beerbower)
1920 US Federal Census for Elsie Janis (Beerbower). I had been only able to find the 1910 census for her  even though I searched for years. Yesterday’s look on FamilySearch.org turned up the family in the 1920 census, and I was then able to find the image on Ancestry.com. Knowing some of the servant’s names helped me to actually find the image- it did not come up in a search for Elsie nor Josephine (AKA Jane Elizabeth Cockrell Beerbower), her mother. The chauffeur’s name led me then to the 1930 census for Elsie and her mother. Still searching for them in the 1900 census…

3. I have been researching since a teen, and thirty years of personal visits to families and repositories plus SASE were totally eclipsed once I found Ancestry.com, FamilySearch.org, and the myriad other online databases now available. In just a few months my family tree doubled in size, reaching many generations higher. Of course, it would not have been an accurate tree without all the information I had so painstakingly gathered in all those previous years. Indexers have made this material accessible, and I hope to be able to do more indexing in the future myself. Online databases are the gift that keeps on giving- more comes online daily and I just love the newspapers now online-  they give such interesting details about daily life, something dry vital records cannot do.

Obituary of Margaret Ann Hemphill, 23 December 1915, Prairie City News, Prairie City, Iowa, page 1.
Obituary of Margaret Ann Hemphill, 23 December 1915, Prairie City News, Prairie City, Iowa, page 1.

4. Being able to write about my research and findings has been the culmination of all my research- what good is all that paperwork/pixels if it doesn’t tell a story to someone? Writing it down has helped me to realize where there are holes, and then I research some more- it’s a wonder that I ever get a blog post finished. (I think my fastest was only 8 revisions and I know there are still typos and awkward sentences here and there- sorry.) Writing out the stories is also a way of analyzing what one knows, and sometimes new connections are evident. I am still challenged by some of the technicalities of using a blog, and it isn’t the pretty blog I visualized because I don’t have the skills to make it so, but overall it makes me happy to share these stories of family.

c1914- Edgar Helbling reading.
c1914- Edgar Helbling reading.

5. Having people who actually read the blog is so wonderful. Writing a blog IS a lot of work (thank you, dear husband, for your patience when I am writing), and it saddens me that there are not very many readers out there. It is a niche blog though, written for family, so I really don’t expect large numbers. (It would be nice though to get as many real people comments as spam comments.) We have found some cousins through the blog (one of the reasons we started this), and I am sure there are others reading but not commenting, subscribing, or sharing. Oh well, I do hope that they will one day, but in the meantime, I have been charged with telling these stories for current and future generations, and that is what I will do. Thank you to Uncle Jim who pushed me to get this thing started. To the family and friends who read the blog, I say a heartfelt thank you- you keep me inspired to keep telling the stories.

My genealogical journey has been a part of me for a very long time and I am grateful to be able to share it with family.  I am so thankful for all the assistance along the way, from the kind humanity of researchers and government employees to the non-human databases that contain so many tidbits of clues and information. I am grateful to all the wonderful ancestors who came before to make me who I am and keep me busy at the computer and off the streets because I am so deep into research I cannot stop to eat or sleep or get in trouble.

In the end, though, the thing to be most thankful for, this day and every day, is… family.

 

 

Notes, Sources, and References: 

1) Family photo archives.

2) 1920 US Federal Census for Elsie Janis: Source Citation: Year: 1920; Census Place: North Tarrytown, Westchester, New York; Roll: T625_1276; Page: 16A; Enumeration District: 68; Image: 599. Ancestry.com. Accessed 11-19-14.

3) Vita Brevis, a blog of the New England Historic Genealogical Society (NEHGS)- http://vita-brevis.org/2014/11/gift-family-history/#more-2593

 

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Copyright 2013-2014 by Heritage Ramblings Blog and pmm.

 
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Mystery Monday: What is the Birth Date of Little Johnny Beerbower?

This entry is part 4 of 1 in the series The Beerbower-MacElvey Family
24 July 1883 visit of Mrs. Jennie Beerbower and her son Johnny to Samuel T. Beerbower. The Marion Daily Star (Marion OH), volume VI, number242, page 6, column 2 .
24 July 1883 visit of Mrs. Jennie Beerbower and her son Johnny to Samuel T. Beerbower. “The Marion Daily Star” (Marion OH), volume VI, number 242, page 6, column 2 .

This 1883 article in The Marion Star is curious, for it seems to describe the visit of Jane Elizabeth (Cockrell) Beerbower (1857-1930) with her little son John Beerbower. The problem is that all the birth dates I have found for their only known son, Percy John, state that he was born 18 Jan 1885- two years AFTER this news story.

Johnny Beerbower, the popular young clerk in the Post Office, is John Eleazer Beerbower (1858-1929). He did live with his brother Samuel Taylor Beerbower’s family and is enumerated  there in the 1880 census on 19 Jun 1880. Johnny was listed as a clerk in the Postmaster’s Office, and Samuel was listed as the Postmaster. (Surely no nepotism here…) So that part of the story fits well.

Sometime in 1880 Johnny moved to Indianapolis from Marion, Ohio, and on 01 May 1881 he married Jane Elizabeth Cockrell, also known as Jennie.

One explanation for the above story might be that the young John that visited was actually a first child named after his father who died young, after this visit. Then son Percy John may have been born on 18 Jan 1885. Another scenario is that little “Johnny” and Percy John are one and the same. I have never seen Percy John called “John” but that is not impossible in German households, where people switched first and middle names back and forth, often throughout their lives. Jane Elizabeth used various names throughout her life too, including Jennie as a young woman, and later Josephine Janis.

It is interesting that the issue of little Johnny never came up in my research before, as I have read quite a lot about this family while searching for sibling information on Edgar Peter Beerbower, my direct ancestor and brother to Johnny Eleazer Beerbower, Jennie’s husband. I have done extensive research on their daughter Elsie Janis, born Elsie Beerbower in 1889, who was a comedienne, actress, singer, impersonator, song and screenplay writer who began her career on the stage as a young child. She was wildly popular and famous at the turn of the twentieth century, and was later known as “The Sweetheart of the A.E.F.” (American Expeditionary Forces, who went to Europe to help fight WWI). Elsie and her mother travelled to Europe during World War I to entertain the troops- there was no support from the military, Elsie put her career on hold, paid for the trips herself, and traveled on ships across the Atlantic that could have been easily sunk by German submarines. See Wishful Wednesday: Elsie Janis for a bit more information about Elsie, and I will have more in upcoming posts about her life.

If anyone out there has more information that could help solve this mystery, please contact us!

 

Notes, Sources, and References: 

1) Mrs. Jennie Beerbower visit: The Marion Daily Star (Marion, OH), volume VI, number 242, page 6, column 2. Posted with kind permission of the newspaper.

2) 1880 US Federal Census for the Samuel T. Beerbower household: Year: 1880; Census Place: Marion, Marion, Ohio; Roll: 1046; Family History Film: 1255046; Page: 197B; Enumeration District: 099; Image: 0720. Accessed 11/5/14 on Ancestry.com.

3) Wishful Wednesday: Elsie Janis: http://heritageramblings.net/2014/08/27/wishful-wednesday-elsie-janis/

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Copyright 2013-2014 by Heritage Ramblings Blog and pmm.

 
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Funeral Card Friday: Jefferson Springsteen

This entry is part 3 of 3 in the series Jefferson Springsteen's Obituary
Jefferson Springsteen Death Notice in Washington DC Newspaper. Jeff's son, Abram Springsteen, was celebrated as the youngest drummer boy in the Civil War in Indiana, and he worked for the government in the Pension Office.
Jefferson Springsteen’s Death Notice in an unknown Washington DC Newspaper. 

Sadly, we do not have funeral cards for Jefferson Springsteen in our family, but there were a few death and funeral notices published in the newspaper for him, including one in the Washington DC newspaper. (Jeff’s son, Abram F. Springsteen, was celebrated as the youngest drummer boy in the Civil War in Indiana, and he worked for the Federal government in the Pension Office.)

See the originals of Jeff’s obituary and death/funeral notices that we have at “Wishful Wednesday: Jefferson Springsteen was “Lured by the Sawdust Ring…

Here are the transcriptions:

WILL BE BURIED TUESDAY

Funeral Services of Jefferson Springsteen at Home of Daughter

The funeral of Jefferson Springsteen, who for seven months had been confined

to his bed at the residence of his daughter, Mrs. J. F. Beckwith, 1118

Bellefontaine street, with whom he made his home, will take place from there at

2 p.m. tomorrow. The burial will be at Crown Hill cemetary. His wife died

twenty-two years ago. He is survived by the following children: Abram F.

Springsteen of the pension department, Washington, D.C.; Robert Springsteen,

this city; Charles Springsteen, Champaign, Ill.; Mrs. E.P. Beerbower and Mrs.

J. F. Beckwith, this city; also by eight grandchildren and eleven

great-grandchildren.

His death occcurred Saturday afternoon. He was born at Harrison, O.

February 14, 1820 and when a boy ran away with a circus, but soon gave up the

sawdust ring. He came to Indianapolis in 1835 and when sixteen years old was in the employ of the government carrying the

mail on horseback between this city and Winchester, a trip of sixty-five miles.

In 1837 he went to New York, where for some time he had a restaurant at the

old Fulton market. He married Anne Connor of Brooklyn and in 1852 they came to

this city for permanent residence. He was a Democrat and soon became a leader

in his party in local politics. In 1854 he was made “captain of the watch” and

between 1855 and 1861 served as city marshal. He was well known as a

contracting painter for many years, but retired from active business life

twenty years ago.

————————————

CARRIED MAIL ON HORSEBACK

Public Service Began When 16

Over 65-Mile Route- Later

Democratic Politician.

Jefferson Springsteen, one of the oldest pioneers of Indiana, died at 8

o’clock yesterday afternoon at the home of his daughter, Mrs. Joseph Beckwith,

1118 Bellefontaine street, closing an eventful and interesting career of

ninety years. The funeral will be held at the home Tuesday afternoon with

interment at Crown Hill Cemetary.

—————————————-

SPRINGSTEEN, JEFFERSON – Died in his ninetieth year at the home of his

daughter, Mrs. Joseph Beckwith, 1118 Bellefontaine street. Funeral notice

later.

—————————————–

SPRINGSTEEN – Jefferson Springsteen, age [?] years. Funeral Tuesday, September

28, at [?] p.m. at the home of his daughter Mrs. [?] Beckwith, 1118 Bellefontaine

st. Friends invited. Burial private.

 

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Copyright 2013-2014 by Heritage Ramblings Blog and pmm.

1) Family Treasure Chest

2) Abram F. Springsteen HeritageRamblings blog posts:

Sibling Saturday: Happy Birthday, Abram F. Springsteen! Part 1
 
 Sentimental Sunday: Abram F. Springsteen, Part 2
 
 
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Those Places Thursday: Indianapolis and Jefferson Springsteen’s Obituary

This entry is part 2 of 3 in the series Jefferson Springsteen's Obituary
Indianapolis, Indiana, in 1914, just 5 years after the death of Jefferson Springsteen.
Indianapolis, Indiana, in 1914, just 5 years after the death of Jefferson Springsteen. When he arrived in 1835, Indianapolis was just a few houses. Public Domain, Wikimedia. (Click to enlarge.)

Indianapolis in 1835 was a small village with just a few houses on South Illinois Street when Jefferson Springsteen arrived. He was probably on his own after being with the circus, and still a young teen.

“Before he was 16 years of age he was a government mail carrier with a route extending from lndianapolis to Winchester through Strawtown. He made the journey of sixty-five miles on horseback and encountered numerous hardships of winter snows and spring freshets which furnished data for many stories which he loved to relate to his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. At Strawtown, near Noblesville, he was compelled to pass through a settlement of lndians and he gained the friendship of many of the redskin tribe.

Many years after this settlement was broken up and the state was settled by white men, an old lndian, whose acquaintance he had gained at Strawtown, came to lndianapolis to visit him. The Indian was cordially received.”

See: 1836 A New Atlas Map Of Indiana with its Roads & Distances to see Jeff’s route as a mail carrier through rural Indiana. His route covered five counties. He would have ridden northeast from Indianapolis to Noblesville, then further north to Strawtown, and then east to Winchester. (Map cannot be posted due to copyright, but may be used for personal genealogical use. I was going to post a Google map, but one from the time period is so much better.)

Following is a transcription of the remaining obituary and additional newspaper notices:

… [The first two paragraphs were transcribed in yesterday’s article. “Wishful Wednesday: Jefferson Springsteen was “Lured by the Sawdust Ring…”; third and fourth paragraph quoted above. See actual image of obituary and funeral notes also at previous post.]

Had Rugged Constitution

This rugged life developed a body of steel and enabled him to keep his health until about one year ago. His death came from general debility and was without suffering.

He induced his father to come to lndianapolis. In 1837 [?], with his father, he went back to New Jersey to visit his grandfather. From there he went to Brooklyn, where he conducted a restaurant at the famous Fulton Market. He married Anne Connor at Brooklyn.

In 185? [poss. 1852] he started back to lndiana with his bride. Most of the trip was by water. They were shipwrecked on Lake Erie in a storm, but landed safely at Erie, Pa. They made their way to the less turbulent waters of the Ohio, on which stream they drifted down to Madison and hence to lndianapolis.

When the couple arrived they stopped at Little’s Tavern, a national road stage coach inn located at New Jersey and Washington streets.

Later his father bought a piece of ground on New Jersey street, between New York and Ohio streets. At this time he was ridiculed by the [citizens?], who predicted that the city would never grow that far from the center, which was then located on South street, around the old Madison Railroad Depot and on Illinois and West Washington streets.

Was Diversified Painter.

He was a painter by trade and painted everything from a landscape in oil to a house. Mrs. Beckwith still retains several of his paintings, which are said to reveal true artistic talent.

In 1854 he was appointed “captain of the peace” and served four terms as town marshal between 1855 and 1861. He was a prominent Democratic politician.

In 1856 he was elected when the Democrats carried the full ticket, with the exception of prosecuting attorney, which office Benjamin Harrison won.

1888- Home of Benjamin Harrison in Indianapolis, Indiana. He became President in 1888. Public domain, Wikimedia.
1888- Home of Benjamin Harrison in Indianapolis, Indiana. He became President in 1888. Public domain, Wikimedia.

He was too old to be a soldier, but contributed two sons to the Union army, John and A. F. Springsteen. The last named was a drummer boy and enlisted at 11 years of age. Mr. Springsteen followed his trade for a long time after the civil war, but retired many years ago.

He leaves a sister, Mrs. Eliza Hanna, Fortville, mother of Judge Charles Hanna; Three sons, A.F. Springsteen of the Pension Department, Washington, D.C. ; Charles of Champaign, Ill., and Robert E. of 41 0 North Meridian street; two daughters, Mrs. Joseph Beckwith and E. P. Beerbower, North Delaware street.

Eight grandchildren and eleven great-grandchildren survive him.

Tomorrow: Part 3 with the remaining death and funeral notices of Jefferson Springsteen.

 

Notes, Sources, and References:

1)  1836 A New Atlas Map Of Indiana with its Roads & Distances: http://www.mapofus.org/_maps/atlas/1836-IN.html

2) Jefferson’s father was John Springsteen (1782-1867), but his grandfather is unknown to us.

 

 

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Wishful Wednesday: Elsie Janis

Sheet music cover for "Bless Your Ever Loving Little Heart," from "The Slim Princess."
Sheet music cover for “Bless Your Ever Loving Little Heart,” from “The Slim Princess” stage musical. (The movie used a different actress.)

Elsie Janis’ real name was Elsie Bierbower (or Elsie Beerbower), so if you are a Helbling or Bierbower cousin, you may be related to this very-famous-in-her-time comedienne, actress, singer, mimic, and entertainer of our troops in World War I. Those troops gave her the nickname, “Sweetheart of the A.E.F. (American Expeditionary Forces)” and she truly earned the accolade.

Why is this a “Wishful Wednesday” post? It is because Elsie’s 1st cousin once removed, Mary Theresa Helbling, wanted so much to be a singer like Elsie. Mary’s mother, Anna May Bierbower Helbling, was Elsie’s cousin, and talked about her often as Mary grew up. Mary also loved the movie magazines and cut paper dolls from them, when she was allowed to have such expensive and scandalous magazines. By that time Elsie was mostly a writer for the movies- she never transitioned well from the stage to talkies as an actress. Elsie led a glamorous life though, and was often pictured in the magazines. Mary, when young, wished she had a life like that too.

Mary Theresa Helbling- 1940s Glamour Pose
Mary Theresa Helbling- 1940s Glamour Pose

Mary also loved to sing- she had a very beautiful voice. She loved listening to light opera and singing along to it and all the wonderful old movies with Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy, and the fabulous musicals of the 1950s and 60s. Her voice was good enough to have sung on the radio back in the late 1930s or 1940s- wish I could remember more about that. Later, Mary and the love of her life, Edward A. McMurray, Jr., would sing together around the house, with a beautiful harmony and sometimes mooney-eyed in-love looks at each other even when they knew the kids were watching.

This is also “Wishful Wednesday” because I wished for so many years to be able to hear Elsie’s voice. There was a university in Idaho, IIRC, that had old recordings, including those of Elsie. Back then, I wrote a letter on paper (!) and sent it to them, asking if there was any way they could record Elsie’s voice on reel-to-reel tapes (!!) for me. No answer, despite repeated requests, even once the internet started up and I sent an email. (Maybe because I was not a scholarly researcher?) Many years later, there are now digital recordings of her music available to the public- even on iTunes. Wonder what Elsie would make of that???

Elsie Janis-Sweetheart of the AEF Audio CD Cover
Elsie Janis- Sweetheart of the A.E.F. Audio CD Cover

Downloading Elsie’s music was my first time for music with ‘Explicit’ material. I was sort of shocked- why would Elsie’s music be labeled as such? I then realized that some of the material was racist, such as that from minstrel shows or musicals that showed the races in the context of their times, the late 1800s-early 1900s, not our times. (Still hard to listen to some of those songs because of that.) I have also been able to buy one of her records on eBay, but no longer have a turntable so have not been able to listen to it.

The internet sure has made the amazing world of the past available to us all in seconds, and even while in our pajamas! It is wonderful to have my wish to hear Elsie come true; sure wish Mary would have had that opportunity.

More to come about Elsie’s interesting life!

 

Notes, Sources, and References:

1) See the International Movie Database at  http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0006059/ for details about the stage musical and movie, “The Slim Princess.”

2) Elsie Janis Find a Grave Memorial # 10334. The bio is inaccurate although I have contacted the person many times. The family links were finally changed but it still erroneously states that she was the daughter of Lou Bierbauer. See also the memorials for her family members on Find a Grave. http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=10334. A Bierbower researcher had also added a memorial for her: Memorial # 33617289 at http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSvcid=186286&GRid=33617289&.

3) “Sweetheart of the A.E.F.” is the title of the audio CD that contains 20 of her most popular songs. It is available on smile.Amazon.com and iTunes.

4) Remember Mitch Miller and Sing Along with Mitch? It ran from 1961-1966 on NBC. Mitch had a male chorale and also featured other excellent singers, like Leslie Uggmans, on the show. (Bob McGrath was one of those in the chorale; he later went on to be a long-time host of Sesame Street.) Mitch is regarded as the inventor of today’s karaoke, as the program featured the words shown on the screen, so the whole family could sing along. (There was no bouncing ball though.) For more information, see the Archive of American Television– http://www.emmytvlegends.org/interviews/shows/sing-along-with-mitch. YouTube has videos of some performances: Sing Along with Mitch, Part 1 of 4– https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9dY9gtYeHhk. (The commercials are wonderful- frozen foods were just becoming popular. I remember the whole family eating frozen TV dinners on the folding metal TV trays while watching Mitch!)

5) Sheet music and photo of Mary Helbling in personal collection of the author.

 

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Copyright 2013-2014 by Heritage Ramblings Blog and pmm.

 
We would love to read your thoughts and comments about this post, and thank you for your time! All comments are moderated, however, due to the high intelligence and persistence of spammers/hackers who really should be putting their smarts to use for the public good instead of spamming our little blog.