Helbling Family

Some would say that family historians/genealogists are obsessed with the dead, and that perspective is somewhat understandable.

Some would say that family historians/genealogists find it hard to stop researching the dead and spend more time on the living- occasionally that is true as well, especially at 2am.

Some would also say it is just weird that family historians/genealogists remember the special days of the dead, such as birthdays, anniversaries, or death dates; that assessment may have some element of truth as well.

It can be argued, however, that the yearning to know more about those who have gone before, to hold them close in one’s heart, is really what drives those who spend countless hours searching for the minutiae of a life. It can be the need to tell an ancestor’s story, so that they are not forgotten; it can be a way to hold on to them just a bit longer, to not let them go “to the other side” just yet, especially for those the family historian has known in this life and loved deeply. It can be a way to not say a final “good bye” so soon, to help a loved one linger in the hearts of others for just a bit longer, too.

Family historians/genealogists also want to understand their inner selves more, to know where this trait or that look came from, and connect themselves to those who have gone before through these commonalities. How can we know our place in the universe without the context of our being?

Sharing the lives of our ancestors is a gift that family historians/genealogists wish to give to their own descendants, their collateral kin, and even the world- history is the story of every life, truly, not just those who fought wars or those who started them.

Becoming a family historian/genealogist is not always a conscious choice- a muse, an inner drive, or even the voices of our ancestors move us to travel along their journeys. We want to leave a legacy of that knowledge for those we love now, and those we will love in the future, even after we are gone.

Family historians/genealogists LOVE, and are a part of the chain of love that is family.

Today we celebrate the anniversary of the birth of Mary Theresa Helbling McMurray, a woman full of love.

Notes, Sources, and References: 

1) Family treasure chest of photos.

2) See also, “Sentimental Sunday: Mary Theresa Helbling McMurray“: http://heritageramblings.net/2014/03/16/sentimental-sunday-mary-theresa-helbling-mcmurray/

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Original content copyright 2013-2015 by Heritage Ramblings Blog and pmm.

Transcription:

This

Certifies that

the rite of

Holy Matrimony

was celebrated between

Samuel T. Beerbower of Marion Ohio

and Irene L. Peters of Marion Ohio was

on the 18th [1867 written above] day of January 1867 [written in] at Bucyrus Ohio married

by the Rev Harmount

                                                                         Witness       S E Ramsey

                                                                        Witness      E B Ramsey

Samuel Taylor Beerbower (1842-1902) was the son of Eleazer John Beerbower and Matilda Louise McKelvey (MacElvey) Beerbower.

Irene L. Peters (1846-1924)  was the daughter of Nathan Peters (1799-1881) and his second wife, Mrs. Mary Russell Ballantine Peters (1820-1830).

Notes, Sources, and References: 

1) Image courtesy of the Marion County Historical Society, Marion, Ohio, from the Samuel Taylor Beerbower Family Bible.

Please contact us if you would like a higher resolution image. Click to enlarge image.

Original content copyright 2013-2015 by Heritage Ramblings Blog and pmm.

➡ Beerbower Family

Tuesday’s Tip: Contact the local historical society where your ancestors lived. They may have a treasure trove of family information!

We were very lucky because the Marion County Historical Society (MCHS) found and contacted us through the blog. Our Beerbower family lived in Marion County, Ohio for a number of generations, and a Beerbower family bible was donated to the Society, along with photographs that were found inside. The MCHS is planning an exhibit and they would like to learn more about the Beerbower family.

Alas, like so many photos, there are no names nor dates on the majority of the images (though we are lucky with this one). We are putting these images up on the blog in hope that someone will recognize some of these folks, and let us know. The MCHS has kindly shared all the images of Beerbowers and Bible pages to help us piece together more of our family history.

This Bible is known as the Samuel T. Beerbower Bible. Samuel was the brother of our direct ancestor, Edgar Peter Beerbower, who married Anna Missouri Springsteen. He was thus an uncle to Anna May Beerbower, who married Gerard William Helbling. (If you are a grandchild of May and GW, Samuel would be your great-great uncle.) See the Beerbower Family Tree on the blog for more information.

So who are the people in this image?

Known Data:

Clue #1– The image was found in the front of the Bible.

Clue #2– The Bible the picture was found in is called the Samuel T. Beerbower Bible.

Clue #3– The reverse of the image notes the photographer as “Wm. H. Moore, Third Story, Bennett’s Block, Marion, Ohio.”

Clue #4– “1878” is handwritten on the reverse of the photo.

Clue #5– The image shows a man and a woman.

Analysis:

Clue #1– The image was probably of two people very important and/or closely related, to the family, since it was in the front of the Bible. That would often be parents.

Clue #2– Although the bible is called the Samuel T. Beerbower Bible, the notations inside suggest it may have been the Bible of Nathan Peters, Samuel’s father-in-law, and passed down to Irene L. Peters, Samuel’s wife. There are mostly Peters family member listed, and just a few Beerbowers. Instead, it may have been Irene’s Bible into which she copied the names from her father’s Bible.

Clue #3– Research on this photographer indicates he was a daguerreotypist 1857-60 and had studios in Cinncinnati 1857-97 and Marion 1859-97. There was also a “Moore’s Photographic Gallery” on Bennet’s Block in Marion, but no date noted. The History of Marion County, Ohio, 1883, notes that his Bennet Block studio was established in 1855, and at the time of the writing of the county history, published in 1883, he had moved to Main Street. If a photographer had a large stock of backings, this one may have been still used after moving to the new location, but for now, we will use 1855-1883 as the time range for the Bennet location.

Checking for W. H. Moore in Marion city directories will help to narrow the time frame a bit.

Clue #4– It is unknown who added the date to the photo. The date does fit with the known dates of the photographer’s location. The photo appears to be a ‘cabinet card’ which was introduced in the early 1870s, so the date of 1878 still is very plausible. Analyzing the style of clothing and hairstyles may help to narrow the date range of the image.

Clue #5– The man and woman in the image are posed as married persons are often posed. They appear to be in their 30s-50s.

My hypothesis (which remains to be proven) is that the first image is Nathan Peters with his wife, probably his second wife, Mary Ballantine Peters. They married on 02 Jan 1842, and Irene L. Peters, their daughter, was the Bible owner at one point.

Mary B. Peters died on 18 Dec 1850, however, so could not have been in a photo taken by WH Moore, since his business started in 1855. I am wondering if this could be a copy of an earlier photo, possibly a daguerrotype; this appears to be the case with another photo in the collection. Nathan would have been 79 in 1878, so that would be older than the man in this picture, thus reinforcing the idea this is a copy of an older image.

We have no evidence that Nathan remarried after the death of his second wife. Censuses show some of his children living with him on the farm in his later years, plus a servant for the household and a farm laborer, but no wife is listed. (We have been unable to find him in the 1850 census, although his 1850 Agriculture Schedule is available.)

Note the cheekbones and jawline of the man in the couple picture, and his ears- they look somewhat similar to the drawn portrait of Nathan that was in the county history, which might vary somewhat as it was an artist’s conception of a photo. The hairline and brow seem similar, too.

The Bible has mostly Peters information, and very little on the Beerbowers, so that is another clue that suggests this first image in the Bible might be Nathan Peters and wife.

What do you think?

It is so wonderful that Historical Societies and scholars are finally working with family historians- that is the only way to tell the whole story of history.

And please, if you know anything about the couple in this image, contact us!

Notes, Sources, and References:

1) Image courtesy of the Marion County Historical Society.

2) Ohio Photographers: 1839-1900 by Diane VanSkiver Gage, Carl Mautz Publishing, Jan 1, 1998. https://books.google.com/books?id=LChcvLOmf-UC&pg=PA81&lpg=PA81&dq=Wm.+H.+Moore+photographer+marion+oh&source=bl&ots=_MClGo0rAD&sig=XL9n5rCyt7z-j3m1tpdO68C8XVk&hl=en&sa=X&ei=nJb-VOX0IoiUNtPXgfAI&ved=0CC8Q6AEwBA#v=onepage&q=Wm.%20H.%20Moore%20photographer%20marion%20oh&f=false

3) “History of Marion County, Ohio,” Leggett, Conaway, 1883, p226. https://archive.org/details/historyofmarionc00legg

4) Family Tree of Anna May Beerbower:  http://heritageramblings.net/family-trees/the-helbling-beerbower-springsteen-family/

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➡ Beerbower Family, Helbling Family

Transcription:

Mr. Robert W. Beerbower,

and

Miss Anna Josephine Reiffel,

Married,

Tuesday Evening August the 23rd, 1898.

Indianapolis, Ind.

At Home:

After September the First,

920 Fletcher Ave.

Reverse- transcription:

21 years& 9 mnth- 10 days. at date of mar

– riage

This age refers to Josephine, as she was 21, and Robert 24, when they married.

Josephine and Robert’s second anniversary was bittersweet. They anticipated the birth of their first child in 1900, but sadly, Robert had become ill. He went to Denver for his health, but died there of consumption on 12 September 1900. Their daughter Roberta Pearl Beerbower was born the next month.

Thanks so much to Cousin SA for passing on this beautiful little card that came down through Robert and Josephine’s daughter Roberta P. Beerbower and then her son with James Franklin Wertz, Robert Eldon Wertz, and Robert’s wife. Robert had no children so sadly this direct line has ended. SA was so thoughtful to send it to me- she was actually born into the Wertz line, and Robert Wertz was her cousin, as his father James Wertz was the brother of SA’s grandmother, Annette Wertz Kinsey. She thought it should belong in with Beerbower memorabilia. It will be cherished!

[Editor’s Note:  I had one part of this post wrong. Cousin SA , was not a ‘married in’ as I originally wrote. The post has been corrected to show the true relationship.  Thanks for keeping the blog accurate, SA!]

Notes, Sources, and References: 

1) See other posts that include Robert Warson Beerbower:

Beerbower Family Bible Series, which starts here- http://heritageramblings.net/2014/12/31/beerbower-family-bible-dec-31st-1873/

Treasure chest Thursday: Roberta P. Beerbower Wertz-

http://heritageramblings.net/2015/02/12/treasure-chest-thursday-roberta-p-beerbower-wertz/

2) ‘At Home’ card currently in possession of author- thanks again, SA!

Please contact us if you would like higher resolution images. Click to enlarge images- it may also make them sharper.

Original content copyright 2013-2015 by Heritage Ramblings Blog and pmm.

➡ Beerbower Family, Helbling Family, Lee Family, Cooper Family, McMurray Family, Whitener Family

My mother always told me that I was here on earth because two people fell in love, but Brad Paisley’s hit song said it in a slightly more catchy way:

“There ain’t nothin’ not affected
When two hearts get connected…

Every one of us is here
All because two people fell in love.”

The Brad Paisley song, “Two people fell in love” is delightfully sweet, whether one is a country fan or not.

Brad Paisley goes on to sing:

“I’m glad your dad could not resist
Your mama’s charms and you exist
All because two people fell in love.”

Take a look at the full lyrics here. They are very sweet- as are these pictures of ancestor couples.

Thank you, dear ancestors, for falling in love.

Have a love-ly Valentine’s Day!

Notes, Sources, and References: 

1) “Two People fell in Love” by Tim Owens, John Lovelace, Copyright: Emi April Music Inc., Sea Gayle Music, Love Ranch Music- http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/bradpaisley/twopeoplefellinlove.html

Portions of the lyrics posted for educational use only.

2) Photos from family treasure chests.

Please contact us if you would like higher resolution images.

Copyright 2013-2015 by Heritage Ramblings Blog and pmm.

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