Digging Up Your Family

Comfort’s Wheel Chair Club, Mildred A Carden, Vence Leroy Holt, and Helen M. Wysong

Usually I have a little advertisement on Sundays that I post, and this is still an advertisement of sorts, but it’s a little different.

Comfort Magazine was published by WH Gannett from 1888 until 1942 in Augusta, Maine. According to a few websites, the magazine started as a way to sell his patented nerve tonic called Oxien. However, the magazine became hugely popular because he had offers for goods and services at great prices in exchange for the readers, who were mainly rural women, signing up more subscriptions…things like teapots and rings were pretty much the norm.

I was flipping through the February 1931 issue of Comfort Magazine looking for a great advert to share today, but I found something more interesting than a regular old advertisement for Black Leaf 40 (nicotine insecticide that was banned some time in the 1990s). Comfort Magazine had a wheelchair club. In the words of the publisher:

For the information of our many new subscribers, let me explain that for each $75.00 worth of subscriptions to COMFORT, at 25 cents a year, two years for 50¢ or 4 years for $1.00, sent in either singly or in clubs by persons who direct that they are to be credited to COMFORT’S WHEEL CHAIR CLUB instead of claiming the premium to which they would be entitled, I give a FIRST-CLASS INVALID WHEEL CHAIR to some needy crippled shut-in and pay for the freight, too. It is a large and expensive premium for me to give for that number of subscriptions, but I am always glad to do my part a little faster each month than you do yours.

Sincerely yours,

W.H. GANNETT

Publisher of COMFORT

For the February 1931 issue is the following:

Two Wheel Chairs in December

1011 Is COMFORT’S Total To Date

Two children are the lucky ones this month and the wheel chairs will be sent to them as soon as it is possible to do so. They are: Mildred Carden, 11 years, Henrysville, Route 1, Tenn., and Vence Leroy Holt, 13 years, Denning, Ark.

These children will, I feel sure, get a lot of pleasure out of their chairs and will be able to get a little of the sunshine of life. Mildred Carden has been crippled nearly all of her life. She had some kind of paralysis somewhat like infantile paralysis. Most of the trouble seems to be in her hips. She has pretty good use of her hands, legs and feet.

Vence Leroy Holt has been crippled all of his life and was in the hospital for four month. He has the use of his legs above the knees.

OF COURSE I looked them up.

Mildred A Carden was born October 6, 1919 in Lawrence County, Tennessee to parents Elzie B Carden and Stella Mae Laney. She never married. She died on October 10 1971. She is buried in a triple plot between her parents in Garden of Memories Memorial Park, Salinas, Monterey County, California.

Vence Leroy Holt is a little harder to track. His father was either John or James J Holt and his mother’s first name was Buena. His siblings were Esther Holt, Carl Holt, Ida Holt, Irene Holt, Estelle (Gussie?) Holt and John Holt.

Now, besides the little blurb about Mildred and Vence Leroy, was a photo that was sent in: Dear Mr. Gannett:

I am sending you a picture of Helen to publish in the COMFORT Magazine, and I hope to see it soon. Thanking you again for the chair, as it is such a great help in caring for Helen.

Yours truly,

Mrs. Goldie Tobin

Helen Marguerite Wysong was born August 12, 1912 (though I am also seeing 1913) in Montgomery County, Ohio to parents Vernon Roscoe Wysong and Goldie E Christman/Chrissman. Her father died in 1920 and her mother remarried to John Tobin. Helen married Robert Charles Orndorff sometime prior to 1947, when they appeared in the October 16, 1947 issue of the Billings Gazette (Billings, Montana-found on Ancestry).

Crippled Parents have Healthy Child

Robert Vern Orndorff, 7 weeks old, will be the only one in the family who will not need (a) wheelchair when he is old enough to walk. His father, Robert Orndorff, suffers form (sic) sleeping sickness, while his mother is paralyzed from the waist down by (a) childhood injury. The Orndorffs support themselves by making jewelry in their Dayton, Ohio home.

Helen passed away on July 24, 1976 in Dayton, Ohio. She, sadly, outlived her husband who passed in 1951 and her son who passed in 1970.

I am now wondering how many more Comfort Magazine issue I own.

Timothy Demonbreun Part One: Birth

I have decided that I need to write about Timothy Demonbreun before I can write about his son Jean Baptiste Demonbreun because 1) he’s an interesting character in my collection of ancestors, and 2) without explaining him, then the reason behind Jean Baptiste’s name change won’t make sense. I am breaking the story of Timothy Demonbreun into a series of shorter posts because there is a lot, and I do mean A LOT, of information for him.

My 5th great-grandfather Timothy Demonbreun was born Jacques-Timothé Boucher Sieur de Montbrun on March 23, 1747 (also his baptism date, according to the records of the Catholic church) in Boucherville, Quebec, Canada to parents Jean-Etienne Boucher Sieur de Montbrun and Delle Marie Madeliene Racicot.

Timothy’s baptism record from the Catholic church, now part of the Drouin Collection. Sorry, this is as good as it gets right now. And I don’t know French, so I can’t transcribe it. Not that I can read anything except the names, anyway.

Jean-Ettiene was the son of Pierre Boucher de Boucherville, the man for whom Boucherville is named. I’m not going to go into an entire history on Jean-Ettiene or Pierre right now since they deserve their own posts, but let’s just say that the Boucher family was French Canadian royalty thanks to King Louis XIV.

Jean-Ettiene and Delle had several other children: Marie-Charlotte, Jean-Baptiste, Marie-Béatille, Charles, Marie-Apolline, Pierre-Phillipe, Marie-Louise, Catherine, Charlotte, Marie-Louise (yes, a second one..the first was born in 1757 and the second in 1763) and Etienne-Timothé.

A little Demonbreun surname fact: you’ve probably already guessed that Demonbreun is just another form of de Montbrun. And it means “from the brown mountain” or “of the brown mountain”. There are many, many variations of the name Demonbreun: DeMumbrie (my line), Demumbry, Demumbra, Demumbreun, Demonbrum, etc, etc. But, just remember that all of those variations came from de Montbrun.

A Few Stewart County, Tennessee Court Records

These are just a few interesting court records/minutes from Stewart County, Tennessee that I noticed while I was clicking around doing research. These and more can be found by clicking HERE. Also, the links to the pages where they were actually found are listed.

I will most likely have several posts like this, mainly as a reminder of what I need to look up the next time I go up that way!

May 5, 1829 (click here)

Thomas Lankford-(also mentions Alexander Brown and William Trousdale) “Appointed commission to settle with Alexander B. Outlaw, guardian of Indiana Wilson, formerly Indiana Outlaw.” (I wonder if Indiana Outlaw was the sister of Tennessee Porter Outlaw?)

May 6, 1829 (same link as above)

Valentine Stalls-the State v. Valentine Stalls on the charge of bastardy (who is this!?)

August 4, 1833 (click here)

Thomas Lankford and William Lankford-transfer of deed for 112 acres, mentions John Lankford and James Lankford

August 8, 1833 (same link as above)

Thomas Lankford-appointed as a juror

November 4, 1833 (same link as above)

James Stalls-“Allowed $50 for keeping Susan Wooden, pauper, for 12 months”

November 2, 1835 (click here)

LM Manning-assigned work as overseer on road

March 3, 1845 (click here)

Allen Duffel-assigned work as overseer on road

Joseph Duffel-assigned work on road

William A Duffel-assigned work on road

FM Lankford-assigned work on road

James Lankford-assigned work on road

John Lankford-assigned work on road

Rosebud Perfume Company 1923

Todays advertisement for Rosebud Perfume Company comes from the July 15, 1923 edition of Southern Ruralist.

As usual, the first thing I do is look up to see if I can find information about the company. And it was easy to find for Rosebud Perfume Company. Mainly because they are still in business, though not in the exact same location.

Rosebud Perfume Company was founded by Dr. George F Smith in 1895 in Woodsboro, Maryland. According to Rosebud Perfume Company’s website, the walls even smell like rose oil today.

So, back to the advertisement. I can’t help but wonder how much a rugby football was selling for back then. Or how many boys took part in this offer. Or, of course, how many boys may have sold the salve and kept the money for themselves…even though they were TRUSTED to send it back.

Look Boys!

We will give you a real Rugby Football with genuine leather cover and extra heavy rubber Bladder, for selling only 8 boxes of Rosebud Salve at 25¢ per box and returning the $2.00 to us. Large Catalogue of other find premiums sent with salve. Old reliable Co., established 30 years. We Trust You. Order salve today.

ROSEBUD PERFUME CO.

Regarding the Death of George W Freeland

I got all excited last week because I saw on the Lauderdale County, Mississippi website that there was a file concerning the estate of George W Freeland, the brother of my 4th great-grandmother Elizabeth Freeland (the same brother, if you remember the posts concerning her divorce from Peter McQueen, that took care of her after Peter ran off). I was actually hoping it was his will, but it is paperwork concerning the administrators of his will and money owed him. I am still trying to find his will. A very lovely woman working in the probate court in Sumter County, Alabama (where George died) has been trying to search it out for me. Even though it seems in the records below that they did not know of any will, there was a will that was filed in July 1836 in Sumter County, Alabama that named his wife Eleanor “Nelly” Stalsworth giving her land to pay off debts (which, actually, explains why he was still selling off land years after his death…). Apparently his will also states that he was about 30 years old when he died, so I am very curious as to how he died.

Below is an exact transcription, errors and all, of the court records.

Administration Bond

of William Lee Esq

Isaac Barr and

Duncan Calhoun

Securities

Know all men by these presents that we William Lee of Sumpter (sic) County in the State of Alabama and Isaac Barr and Duncan Calhoun both of the County of Lauderdale and State of Mississippi are held and firmly bound unto Owen Lee Judge of the Probate court in and for the County of Lauderdale and State of Mississippi and his successors in office in the sum of four thousand dollars good and lawful money of the United States to be paid to said Owen Lee or his successors in office: To which payment will and truly to be made we do bind ourselves and ~~heirs~~ each of us by himself our heirs, executors and administrators and every of them firmly by these presents Sealed with our seals, dated this twenty fourth day of October One thousand eight hundred and thirty six

The conditions of this bond is such that if the said William Lee administrator of the goods and chattels of credits of George W Freeland, deceased, do make a true and perfect inventory of all and singular the goods and chattels and credits of the said deceased, which have or shall come to the hands of possession or knowledge of the said Lee, or in the hands or possession of any other person or persons for the said Lee, and the same so made to exhibit into the Probate Court of Lauderdale County, when he shall be thereunto required by the said court, and such goods chattels and credits, do well and truly administer according to the law, and further do make a just and true account of his actings and doings therein. When thereunto required by the said court and all the rest of the said goods chattels and credits which shall be found remaining upon the account of the said administrator the same being first examined and allowed by the said court shall deliver and pay unto such persons respectively as are entitled unto the same by law. And if it shall hereafter appear that any last will and testament was made by the deceased, and the same be proved in court and the executor or executors obtain letters testamentary, and the said Lee, do in such case being required, rend and deliver up his letters of administration, then this obligation to be void, else to remain in full force.

Test

Owen Lee J.P.C.L.C.

William Lee (L.L.-his seal)

Isaac Barr (L.L.-his seal)

Duncan Calhoun (L.L.-his seal)

The State of Mississippi

Lauderdale County

November Term 1836

Circuit Court

William Lee administrator of the estate of George W Freeland deceased, who was surviving partner of the firm of George W Freeland and Henry Holloway by attorney complains of Benjamin Walker, in custody of the Sheriff, in a plea of trespass on the cause in assumpsit. For that whereas, the said defendant heretofore, to suit on the 25^th day of June 1834 at to wit in the county aforesaid, made his certain promissory note in writing bearing date the day and year last aforesaid wherein and whereby he promised one day after date (meaning one day after the day and year last aforesaid) to pay to George W Freeland and Henry Holloway partners, merchants trading under the firm and known by the name style and description of GW Freeland & Co on bearer the sum of ninety four dollars and two cents for value received by means of the said promissory note, and by force of the statute in such case made and provided, the said defendant became liable to pay the said plaintiff the said sum of money and being so liable he the said defendant in consideration thereof afterwards, to wit, on the day and year last aforesaid, at to wit in the county aforesaid undertook and then and there faithfully promised the said G.W. Freeland and Co or bearer to pay them the said sum of money, in the said promissory note specified, according to the tenor and effect of the said promissory note, when he the said defendant should be thereunto afterwards requested nevertheless the said defendant hath not paid the said G~~eorge~~ W Freeland & Co in their lifetime nor the said plaintiff since their death, the said sum of money, nor any part thereof although often requested so to do, but the same to pay hath hitherto wholly failed and refused, and still doth fail and refuse to the damage of the plaintiff of two hundred dollars

He therefore sues

The said plaintiff brings here into court the letters (of administration of the Probate Court of Lauderdale County, Mississippi, which gives sufficient evidence to the said court here, of the grant of administration to said plaintiff as aforesaid, the date where of is the 24^th day of October AD 1836.

James Hair Attorney for the Plaintiff

Yeah, run-on sentences.

Now, when I wrote back asking if this was all there was concerning George’s estate I was sent some maps, that apparently show his taxable land…in 1841, 5 years after his death. I wonder how long it actually took his wife to sell it all, and how much did have throughout Mississippi and Alabama? And I can’t help but wonder if he is buried in the cemetery by his land.

Willie Dinges Sanders

Look what I found! A delayed birth certificate for Bluford Napoleon Richards’ wife! I have thought this whole time that her name was Willie Dee Sanders. Come to find out, it’s actually Willie Dinges Sanders. Interesting.

And because of this delayed birth record, I was able to look up her death. Willie died on July 26, 1978 in Denison, Grayson County, Texas.

Now, to find her family in Texas!

Willie Dee Sanders

I don’t have much information on Willie Dee Sanders. I know, from stories, that she was a very sweet woman. What follows is what my mother told me:

Great Aunt Dee was Great Uncle Blu's wife (Bluford Napoleon Richards). She was a very interesting animal lover, probably because they had no children of their own. She had a parakeet that she loved a lot. I don't remember it's name, but I think it was a blue one. She would chew food, open her mouth, and the bird would fly to her and eat what she had chewed . . . from her mouth, that is. I was always amazed at that. Our parakeets didn't do that at our house. She also had a white poodle, and I also don't recall it's name or gender. That was the first time I'd seen a toy box and special bed for a dog. It was a cute little thing, and she spent a lot of time playing with it and treating it as if it were a baby. Uncle Blu was killed in a car accident when I was in 1st or 2nd grade. There was a handy man who would take care of their house after that and would drive Aunt Dee wherever she wanted to go . . . in the yearly brand new car she would buy. She decided at some point, maybe in the early 1970s or late 1960s, that she would move from Memphis to Texas to be near her family. Out of gratitude to the handy man, she gave him her house. I believe it was on Cherry Drive in Memphis. Soon after my uncle was killed she gave me his tie stick pin made into a necklace. It was filigree with a diamond in the middle and 2 sapphires, one at the top and one at the bottom, on a platinum chain. I wore that necklace all the time, until the night we were in San Diego, California in the mid-1970s. It somehow fell from my neck without my realizing it and was lost, probably around Coronado Hotel. I cried for a long time having lost that bit of him, but I still have the memories of visiting the two of them in Memphis.

Court Records Concerning the Children of Josiah Cathey

These records were sent to me by a distant Cathey cousin, “Sis”.

Mecklenburg County Court Records, 175-1785

Mecklenburg County, North Carolina

1778. October Session.

Ordered that Letters of Administration issue to Rachel Cathey, Widow & Relict of Josiah Cathey decd., who produced for her Security Thomas Polk and George Cathey [who were] bound in the sum of £1400, Admrx. sworn.

1781. October Session.

Alexander Elliot in Rite of his wife as Admn. of the Estate of Josiah Cathey, Decd., Settled said Estate after deducting his wifes third and the Sum of £20 allowed by the Court to Sd. Admr. for their Service etc. There remains in the the Hands of Said Admn.the Sum of £270.00.11 which he now paid to the Guardians Viz: Geo. Cathey, Henry Benson & Margaret Benson as Admst. of Jas. Benson, Decd. Returned Inventory & account Sales Amounting to £2,401.19.6 and produced Vouchers against Sd. Estate Amounting to £800.3.6 [leaving a] Balance in their Hands [of] £1,601.16.0.

1781. October Session.

Ordered that Geo. Cathey be Guardian of the Children of Jos. Cathey [page broken away] gave bond & Robert Mitchell Security in the Sum of £800.

(Geo. Cathey mentioned in both October Sessions is not George, the some of Josiah, but George the father of Josiah)

1783. October Session.

On Motion, Ordered that Alexander Elliott have leave to remove out of this County the Orphan Children of Josiah Cathey, deceased, who offers for his Security Francis Moore & Isaac Milligan [who] were bound in the Sum of £200, Condition that the said Elliot furnish the said Orphans with the several necessaries Which they may from time to time have occasion for, and on Notice produce the Same into this Court that further proceedings, if required, thereon may be had.

Stephen W Wood Tidbits

I found two little blurbs about Stephen W Wood in the 1852 book Transactions of the Southern Central Agricultural Society, from its organization in 1846 to 1851: with an introduction giving the origin and brief history of the society by David W Lewis, Esq. (Secretary of the Society).

Page 34, under ON BLOOD HORSESFor the best “thoroughbred blood Stallion” the Committee award the premium to the celebrated Blood Race Horse “Steel” by imported Fylde, entered by STEPHEN WOOD of Meriwether.

Page 35A number of very fine horses and colts were also exhibited, among which the Committee feel it a duty to name a fine Bascom Colt four years old, called “John B. Crowell,” dam Thomas’ Sir Andrew, offered by Mr. ELBERT PHIPPS of Harris County; and another Bascom Colt offered by Mr. STEPHEN WOOD of Meriwether County; a very fine bay horse named “Gano” entered by Col. BEALE of Columbia County - also some fine Brood Mares and Fillies – a fine Mare called “Hornett,” by “Sir Walter” – dam by “Sir Andrew,” with two fine colts, a three and a four year old, offered by Mr. A. F. WOOLLEY of Cass County; a fine four years old Mare “Florazelle,” by “Labestus,” offered by Maj. W. P. FARRAR of Putnam County; a bay Mare “Flora Jane,” by “Jewet,” dam by “Young Wonder,” offered by Mr. Wm. VAUGN of CLOPTON’S Mills, Putnam County; and a fine Mare called “Kitty Hays” by “Imported Glencoe,: dam “Lady Lyon,” offered by Mr. M. C. NISBET of Macon.

Photo of Emmie Stewart

Months ago I received a copy of Lucy Johnson Breedlove’s Bible from a distant cousin, Linda. Along with the copy she sent the copy of a photograph of a woman asking if I knew who she was. I didn’t know and I asked around, but no one seemed to know. Well, today I found out that the photo is Emmie Stewart (1860-1928), my great-great-grandmother on my father’s paternal side. Emmie was married to Isaac T Vincent (1854-1921).

Emmie is the daughter of Lewis Stewart and Rebecca Adkins.

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