We could not tell the story any better than this article.
Lizzie (Helbling) Spahn-Frank Brussman marriage clipping, unknown source, part 1.
The story continues:
Lizzie (Helbling) Spahn-Frank Brussman marriage clipping, unknown source, part 2.
Notes, Sources, and References:
Mary Theresa (Knipshield) Helbling (1810-1891), mother of Elizabeth “Lizzy” Barbara (Helbling) Spahn (1839-1928), would have been the cause of the “interference” that broke off the original betrothal.
Frank Brussman (1839-1898) was originally “Francis” and his name is often spelled “Bussman.”
Frank Spahn (1862-1882) was the son who drowned; the other son was Frederick A. J. Spahn (1865-1937).
Family clipping.
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Family history is meant to be shared, but the original content of this site may NOT be used for any commercial purposes unless explicit written permission is received from both the blog owner and author. Blogs or websites with ads and/or any income-generating components are included under “commercial purposes,” as are the large genealogy database websites. Sites that republish original HeritageRamblings.net content as their own are in violation of copyright as well, and use of full content is not permitted.Descendants and researchers MAY download images and posts to share with their families, and use the information on their family trees or in family history books with a small number of reprints. Please make sure to credit and cite the information properly.Please contact us if you have any questions about copyright or use of our blog material.
William, James, and Elizabeth are three of the most common names used by Murrells across the country. In researching some of the ancestors in the trees of one of our DNA matches, we came upon “Chronicle,” published by the Campbell County [Virginia] Historical Society. There are two Murrells listed in the article, “Campbell County in War Times January-March 1863, Part 6 of a series,” by Amelia A. Talley.
Information from Order Book 28 of the Circuit Court:
12 January 1863– A report was received by the court concerning the division of slaves from the estate of the deceased James Murrell, and orders to record it were noted. (Page 6 of “Chronicle”)
[This short Order gives us a lot of information! It tells us that a James Murrell had resided in Campbell County, had died, and his will was being probated in the county. We now know he died before 12 Jan 1863, and he owned slaves. These are hints to look at censuses, slave schedules, deeds- slaves may be recorded in deed books, and he likely owned property if he had slaves to work it- and also the probate files for Campbell County. The probate file probably contains an inventory, administration papers, etc., if it has survived.
This James Murrell is most likely Major James Murrell, husband to 1) Obedience Rudd, and 2) Nancy Cobbs. The Major died 25 Dec 1859. One of his sons with Nancy was John Cobbs Murrell, probably the John C. Murrell listed below.]
2 March 1863– John C. Murrell furnished an acceptable, able-bodied substitute, and thus was exempted from military service. (Page 7 of “Chronicle”)
[The Confederate forces of Virginia were in need of more able-bodied men by March of 1863, and thus an “Exemption Board” was created to examine male residents ages 40-45 who had claimed to not be required to serve. Up until that time, those in certain professions had been exempted, such as those who had large plantations- this is probably the origin of the “rich man’s war, poor man’s fight” saying. (See page 8 of “Chronicle” for more information on plantation owner exemptions.)
Of those men who had claimed exemptions for various reasons, the Board determined that 24 of the men were indeed exempt due to “permanent bodily infirmity.” Additional allowed exemptions included two local doctors who were needed in the community, however, if they stopped practicing, they would be required to serve. Two of the previously-exempted men had exceeded the age of 45 years and were therefore legally exempt. Eight other men had petitioned for exemption and the court overruled all of them; an additional five were determined to not be exempt, but they wished to appeal, and were granted a furlough of twenty days in which they could file and complete the appeal. John C. Murrell was one of five other men in this age group who furnished “able-bodied substitutes” that were accepted by the military, so John was then not required to serve in the Confederate Army.
This entry gives us some of the context of the times as well as individual detail. The Confederacy was in need of suitable soldiers, but had already enlisted or drafted all the young men it could. Next they had to find the most fit of the older generation, aged 40-45, to draft them into the Army. The “Exemption Board” held the lives of these men in their hands, and the lives of their families as well, so it must have been pretty tense in that courtroom. These men were able-bodied enough to run the farms, mills, businesses, and stores to keep a family and a town going, although the women and children most likely had to help out since the younger men were gone. With these older men now going off to war, getting crops planted and harvested, grain ground, etc., was going to be difficult, and protecting the homestead or other property from soldiers (on both sides!) would be even more challenging. Families knew what might be ahead for then- hunger, fields unused and businesses closed, goods and livestock looted or destroyed, and families torn apart by distance and the worst- the possibility that a loved one would not return.
We now also know a bit about the economics of the area- there were five men aged 40-45 who were affluent enough in 1863 to be able to pay a substitute to serve in their place. The cost of substitutes ranged from about $1,000 at the beginning of the war to $3,000 (over $56,000 in 2017 money), or maybe even more in the South where eligible men were scarce.]
9 March 1863– John C. Murrell was the Administrator of the estate of Anthony W. North, and as Administrator was taken to chancery court by North’s two underage daughters. The court appointed a guardian for three other children (presumably) of the deceased, and John was required to sell the slaves listed by the plaintiffs to the highest bidders. (Page 7 of “Chronicle”)
[John C. Murrell was a lawyer, per censuses and the “Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography”:
He then [after about 1844] studied law and was admitted to the bar of Campbell county, where he entered upon legal practice, and continued with unvaried success along the same line for the remainder of his life. He served in the capacity of commonwealth attorney from 1865 until his death, a period of almost a decade and a half. He was held in high esteem by his fellow citizens, occupying a prominent position, his advice and counsel being eagerly sought and followed.”
John would have been the lawyer for Anthony W. North, or was a close friend asked to be his Administrator.]
Notes, Sources, and References:
Tree-shaped word cloud made on WordArt.com. They can use the art to print t-shirts, bags, etc.- very easy, very cool, and lots of options.
“Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography,” Vol. 4, page 176.
Note: The entries above have not been taken word-for-word from “Chronicle” but the abstracts have been used with additional research to tell the stories of the Order Book entries.
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Family history is meant to be shared, but the original content of this site may NOT be used for any commercial purposes unless explicit written permission is received from both the blog owner and author. Blogs or websites with ads and/or any income-generating components are included under “commercial purposes,” as are the large genealogy database websites. Sites that republish original HeritageRamblings.net content as their own are in violation of copyright as well, and use of full content is not permitted.Descendants and researchers MAY download images and posts to share with their families, and use the information on their family trees or in family history books with a small number of reprints. Please make sure to credit and cite the information properly.Please contact us if you have any questions about copyright or use of our blog material.
The Edge family married into the McMurrays on 13 Feb 1868 in Cedar County, Iowa when Newton Jasper Edge married Anna Maria McMurray, daughter of Henderson McMurray and Mary Ann (Horn) McMurray. The oldest son of Newt and Maria was Lewis Grant Edge, who became the husband of Katharine Loomis in 1896 in Jasper County, Iowa.
Katharine had been born in Jasper County to William A. Loomis and Anna Penman. Kate’s sister Lizzie Loomis was one year older, and Mary Loomis, four years older.
Kate and Lewis had one son, Mac H. Edge.
Notes, Sources, and References:
Another special thank you to Cousins Cindi and Julie for sharing this funeral card.
Newton Jasper Edge (1846-1921), Annie Maria McMurray (1844-1880), Henderson McMurray (1819-1906), Mary Ann (Horn) McMurray (1824-1891), Lewis Grant Edge (1869-1950).
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We would love to read your thoughts and comments about this post (see form below), 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.
Original content copyright 2013-2018 by Heritage Ramblings Blog and pmm.
Family history is meant to be shared, but the original content of this site may NOT be used for any commercial purposes unless explicit written permission is received from both the blog owner and author. Blogs or websites with ads and/or any income-generating components are included under “commercial purposes,” as are the large genealogy database websites. Sites that republish original HeritageRamblings.net content as their own are in violation of copyright as well, and use of full content is not permitted.Descendants and researchers MAY download images and posts to share with their families, and use the information on their family trees or in family history books with a small number of reprints. Please make sure to credit and cite the information properly.Please contact us if you have any questions about copyright or use of our blog material.
Our search for the parents of Wiley Anderson Murrell (1805-6 to 1885 ) continues with reviewing another of our DNA matches.
Did you notice the marriage date? Obviously, then, it appears this William Murrell (there are thousands of Murrells named William, it seems) who married Nancy Mitchell in 1829 could not be Wiley’s father, since they were married long after Wiley was born.
Title- Transcription/abstract of William Murrell-Nancy Mitchell marriage bond, 19 Oct 1829, Hardeman Co., Tennessee.Transcription/abstract of William Murrell-Nancy Mitchell marriage bond, 19 Oct 1829, Hardeman Co., Tennessee.
Technically, however, this William could be Wiley’s father, if it was a second or third marriage for him. Other options include this William being a cousin, uncle, etc. Technically, he might even be a brother, if the family named more than one child William and called one Wiley- unusual, but still a possibility. We need to learn more details about this family to further assess this DNA match.
Notes, Sources, and References:
Online records.
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Original content copyright 2013-2018 by Heritage Ramblings Blog and pmm.
Family history is meant to be shared, but the original content of this site may NOT be used for any commercial purposes unless explicit written permission is received from both the blog owner and author. Blogs or websites with ads and/or any income-generating components are included under “commercial purposes,” as are the large genealogy database websites. Sites that republish original HeritageRamblings.net content as their own are in violation of copyright as well, and use of full content is not permitted.Descendants and researchers MAY download images and posts to share with their families, and use the information on their family trees or in family history books with a small number of reprints. Please make sure to credit and cite the information properly.Please contact us if you have any questions about copyright or use of our blog material.
The Jasper County, Iowa farm of George Anthony Roberts and Ella Viola (Daniel) Roberts was very close to the one-room schoolhouse that their three children, George Anthony Roberts, Jr., Ethel Gay Roberts, and Edith Mae Roberts attended. Edith described the proximity in one of the stories she wrote for her grandchildren. She was a captivating writer, and set the scene remembered from when she was just four or five, even before she described anything about the school. She called her story, “A Winter Afternoon 1904.”
“Mother and I had had a nap and I was playing in the kitchen, while Mama was taking out of the oven huge loaves of bread and a pan of six inch high biscuits.
“There must have been a dozen in this particular pan she always used for these biscuits. The fragrance from the freshly baked bread was delightful. The golden-browned tops were well greased, making them even more delicious to eat. Mother used a potato water starter. I don’t know just how she did it. I do know that sister was always warned not to upset the cup of starter on the table in the pantry. She baked once a week.
“These winter afternoons were quiet and comfortable as I think back on them.”
Jasper County, Iowa schoolhouse, taken about 1972. The image would have been taken probably in mid-July, judging by the stage of the corn around it.
Edith continued:
“It was about time for the kids to come home from school. If I timed it right I could stand on a chair and watch for them to leave the school grounds. We were just a quarter of a mile from the school-house.
(The Roberts farm was in Mound Prairie township, in Section 25 and 26 in the years these photos were taken. Their house sadly burned down sometime around the 1970s.)
As an adult Edith could not stay still- always working, doing something with her hands while listening to her favorite farm programs or PBS shows, or a good conversation. She must have been a very busy child, and admitted that in the following:
“This afternoon I was standing on a chair jugging from one foot to the other with a carpet ball in my hands. A big basket of them was under the resevoir [sic]. Also near the stove was a tall can of thick cream. It was being warmed to churn the next morning. Mother had warned me to be careful. Finally, while I was shouting; “They are coming, they are coming.” she said sharply; “Edith Mae Roberts, if you drop one of those carpet balls in that cream you will get a hard spanking.” Under my breath I said; “I wish my name was not Edith Mae Roberts.” I was teased about this for years. “So you don’t want to be called Edith Mae Roberts huh?”
Apparently the carpet balls (torn up old clothing that would be made into a household carpet) did not end up in the cream- or, Edith never admitted they did. The most important thing at that moment was the schoolhouse, as the two siblings she loved so dearly were running out the door, running up the hill, and coming home to her:
“The kids came in all hot and breathless and covered with snow. All hungry as little bears. I knew mother would fix them one of those fresh biscuits and I would get half of one too, with either plum butter or apple butter on it. Delicious! I can almost taste them now.”
Georgie and Ethel may have spent the last part of their school day thinking of the delicious treat they might find when they got home- they knew which day of the week was baking day! The two of them may have run the whole quarter mile home to get to that biscuit faster- and get out of the cold Iowa snow.
The biscuits were a wonderful treat, to be sure, but their after-school snack was also fuel for hardworking farm youngsters on a cold winter day with snow to trudge through as they did their after-school work. Georgie was 15 years old in 1904, and Ethel 13; they were expected, by that age, to do practically the job of an adult on the farm.
“Brother and sister would change their school clothes and get outside to do the chores. If I didn’t have a cold I could go too. What fun it was to tag my brother through the snow. Gathering a few eggs in the chicken nest, and leading the horses to water, and putting corn and oats in their feed boxes. The barn was warm and noisy with their movement and eating. We would go up in the hay mow and throw to put [it] in their mangers. Brother helped mama milk, and I would have to go Protesting to the house, because I couldn’t be in the cow-barn where they were milking. Sister would start supper, and another winter afternoon had come to a close.”
Edith was protected for a while longer from the dangers of farm life, such as a restless cow kicking her or a large work horse not seeing her and smashing her against a wall. She most likely protested quite heartily as she was scooted to the house, and knowing how spunky she was, she likely would have been persistent as well, but her safety would have won out.
She understood why, and that the family loved her:
“As I look back on my early childhood, I seem to remember this feeling of contentment, happiness and always being busy as were everyone in the family. We were happy and had concern for each other. Of course there were spats with each other but when we needed each other [all] the family rallied around. There was not much show of affection, in fact I can’t remember ever seeing my mother or father being hugged or kissed by sister or brother. I think it was frowned on. Not me. I loved them all and showed it, but I was the baby. Maybe this is what made the difference.”
Edith would go on to attend that same one-room schoolhouse, but she would take her education even farther than did her brother or sister. But that is another story.
Notes, Sources, and References:
Family treasure chest of photos, stories, and memories.
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We would love to read your thoughts and comments about this post (see form below), 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.
Original content copyright 2013-2017 by Heritage Ramblings Blog and pmm.
Family history is meant to be shared, but the original content of this site may NOT be used for any commercial purposes unless explicit written permission is received from both the blog owner and author. Blogs or websites with ads and/or any income-generating components are included under “commercial purposes,” as are the large genealogy database websites. Sites that republish original HeritageRamblings.net content as their own are in violation of copyright as well, and use of full content is not permitted.Descendants and researchers MAY download images and posts to share with their families, and use the information on their family trees or in family history books with a small number of reprints. Please make sure to credit and cite the information properly.Please contact us if you have any questions about copyright or use of our blog material.
