Monday, November 28, 2011

Amanuensis Monday - Irvin Johnston's Will

From the Huntingdon County, PA Will Book No. 9, 1878-1882,  page 33, located at Huntingdon Co. Court House, Huntingdon, PA -

Huntingdon County ss:
     Before me, Register for the probate of wills and granting Letters of Administrations in and for said county, personally appeared J. Wesley Johnston, who, being duly sworn, doth depose and say that Irvin Johnston, late of West Township died on or about the 25th day of November 1878 at 4:35 oclock a.m. to the best of his knowledge and belief.
Sworn and subscribed this 3rd day of March A.D. 1879 before J.D. Kuntzelman, Register. 

The abstract of Irvin Johnston's Last Will and Testament -
Irvin Johnston of the township of West in the county of Huntingdon… To my beloved wife Tiney Johnston, all my household furniture that is now in my house and in my possession, also my horse, carriage and carriage harness, two cows, three young cattle, six heads of hogs and three hundred dollars of money out of the sale of my personal property…Executors will lease my farm on which I now live for the sum of three years after my decease and then put it to sale.  My wife Tena Johnston to remain in the house until the expiration of the lease…bequeth to my wife Tenay Johnston five hundred dollars out of the sale of the farm to be invested in a homestead…I do hereby bequeath to my son Wesley Johnston three hundred dollars…the balance of my money…shall be equally divided between the following names heirs:  Alfred Johnston, Wesley Johnston, Franklin Johnston, Howard Johnston, and Molley Johnston, my five children and I do further bequeath to Teney Johnston my wife all the firewood she may need during the term of the lease on the farm… appoint my son Wesley Johnston of Fulton County, Pennsylvania, Executor of this my will.  In witness whereof, I the said testator Irvin Johnston have to this my last will and testament set my hand and Seal the 14th day of November A.D. 1878.
Signed Irvin Johnston by his mark
Witnesses:  Ephraim Fisher and Henry Davis, Jr.

The Huntingdon Journal
Huntingdon, Pennsylvania
Friday, October 8, 1880
[Source:  Newspaper Archive]
Orphans’ Court Sale of Valuable Real Estate (Estate of Irvin Johnston, Deceased.)
     By virtue of an order of the Orphans’ Court of Huntingdon county, Penn’s, the undersigned will expense to sale, on the premises, in West township at one o’clock, p.m., on Tuesday, October 26, 1880, the following described valuable real estate, vis:  A tract of land situate in West township, Huntingdon county, Pa., adjoining land of Henry Davis, Jr., Richard Cunningham’s heirs, John Cunningham, John Gregory, and others, containing 117 ACRES, all cleared and tillable limestone land.  It is in the Shaver’s Creek Valley, about three miles from Petersburg, and has thereon erected a GOOD BRICK HOUSE, BANK BARN, NEW WAGON-SHED AND CORN-CRIB, SPRING HOUSE, GOOD FRAME HOG PEN, and other outbuildings.  There is a never-failing spring at buildings, running water in barnyard and in six of the fields.  A good apple orchard of nursery fruit, belle pears, cherries, etc., with church, schools, mill and stores all convenient.  Possession given April 1st, 1881.
TERMS OF SALE:  One-third of purchase money at confirmation of sale, balance in two equal annual payments with Interest, to be secured by judgement notes or bonds or mortgage of the purchaser.
J.W. Johnston, Admr.of Wells Tannery, Pa.


Final Account of J. Wesley Johnston, Executor of Irvin Johnston, Late of West Twp.  Book 5, 1881 No. 205, page 412 - The complete Executor’s report is recorded.
Irvin Johnston’s five children, as listed, W. A. Johnston, T. F. Johnston, Howard Johnston, J. Wesley Johnston, and Mary M. Baumgardner, received distributions of  1/5 of 2/3 of his estate, in the amount of  $313.93 each. 
Signed by William A. Johnston for himself and as Grantee of Interest of T.F. Johnston and Howard Johnston; J. Wesley Johnston; and Mary M. Baumgardner.
[Source: Huntingdon Co. Court House, Huntingdon, Pennsylvania]

Notes of interest:
Irvin's will mentions each son by their middle name.  In the Final Account, three of the sons are referred to my their first and middle name initials with W.A. signing as William A. Johnston.  Howard is Henry Howard Johnston.

In the time between the will and the final account, Molley Johnston became Mary M. Baumgardner.

Why did William A. Johnston sign the Final Accounting for himself and two of his brothers?  I found all three brothers and their families living in El Paso, Woodford Co, Illinois in the 1880 U. S. Federal Census.

Sunday, November 27, 2011

Sunday's Obituary - Donald Blessing

The Daily Californian
News in Brief: UC Hall of Famer, Olympian Dies Friday, July 7, 2000
Don Blessing, Olympic Gold Medalist and UC Hall of Fame member, died Tuesday. He was 94. After leading an undefeated UC Berkeley crew team as coxswain, Blessing won a gold medal for the U.S. in the 1928 Olympics, according to his grandson, Warren
Fallat.
"Cal was the only university that has had three Olympic champions (for crew)," Fallat said. "(Blessing) was good friends with all the Cal coaches."
He said Blessing was one of the eight original owners of the Oakland Raiders football team and was inducted into the National Rowers' Hall of Fame in 1967. Blessing was also a founding member of the San Francisco Grid Club, which raised money for UC Berkeley's football program.
"He was an avid sportsman," Fallat said. "It was my grandfather who showed up at all my football games. He took me hunting and fishing. He was one hell of a fisherman."
Avril Fallat, Blessing's granddaughter-in-law, said Blessing also had a knack for making people feel good.
"He really was the most energetic man, even at his advanced age," she said. "And he was ferociously loyal to Cal."
A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. Monday in the Travers Big Game Room in the Memorial Stadium.

Don Blessing 2nd from left
Other names:  Ray Anderson, Pete Donlon, Dean Witter, Jim Lemmon
[Source:  Warren Fallat]

Saturday, November 26, 2011

Sports Center Saturday - Donald Blessing, Olympian

Don Blessing married Nola Dillon, daughter of John Laban and Lu (Lawrence) Dillon. Don, with his teammates, won an Olympic gold medal at the 1928 Summer Olympics in Amsterdam.

Donald F. Blessing (December 26, 1905 – July 4, 2000) was an American coxswain who competed in the 1928 Summer Olympics, held in Amsterdam. Don was born in Holister, California.
In 1928 he was the coxswain of the American boat, which won the gold medal in the eights. Don was the Most Valuable Man as voted by his teammates on the UC/USA crew. The USA eight was composed of men from the University of California and was the first of 3 Olympic eights that would come from Cal and win gold. The University sent gold medal-winning crews in 1932 (Los Angeles) and 1948 (London) as well.
Don Blessing was also one of the original eight owners of the Oakland Raiders Football Club (AFL, now the NFL) and was a lifelong Californian, residing in Piedmont, CA and Belvedere, CA for most of his adult life. He also was a lifelong Bear Backer, a charter member of the San Francisco Grid Club and among the first group of inductees to the University California Hall of Fame.
[Source:  Wikipedia]

SS President Roosevelt Manifest
Sailling from Cherbourg, France on Aug 14th, 1928
Arriving Port of New York on Aug/ 22nd, 1928
Line 8 - Blessing, Donald
[Source:  Ancestry]
Oakland Tribune, California
August 31, 1928, Page 3
[Source:  Newspaper Archive]
The Bears Who Rowed Their Way to World-Wide Fame Are Home
     Hailed as "the greatest ambassadors we have sent to Europe since the signing of the peace treaty," and loaded down with congratulations and gifts of a more substantial nature, the University of California's Olympic championship crew is home.  Enthusiasm transcending that of the biggest "big game" ever held rocked the college city yesterday when members of the crew and their coach, Ky Ebright, arrived on the Gold Coast Limited and passed through streets lined with thousands of cheering citizens to the university campus.   There the university welcomed them home, and students staged a rally in the Greek theater to mete out their praise and their greeting to these heroes.  Last night the city claimed them back again for a mammoth banquet, once more paying tribute to the sturdy boys who pulled the hearts out of the best crews the rest of the world had to offer.  Pictures show:  Left, DON BLESSING, diminutive coxswain, being greeted by his mother, MRS. IVY BLESSING; lower right, first greetings at the Berkeley station - left to right, JACK BRINCK, MARVIN STALDER, MAYOR M. B. DRIVER, PRESIDENT W. W. CAMPBELL, CARROLL DRESSLER, COXSWAIN DON BLESSING, and AL RYDLANDER; upper right, view of a small section of the crowd gathered at the station. - TRIBUNE photos.

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Wordless Wednesday - Hallowell, Kansas Farewell Party

Not Thanksgiving gathering, but a family/friends gathering - Farewell party to the John Beamers, August 1909, Lem Holmes' home in Hallowell, Cherokee Co, Kansas. 







Photos:  Lucy Beamer's Beamers Photo Album.

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Tombstone Tuesday - John Wesley Johnston

John Wesley Johnston, son of Irvin and Christina (Nelson) Johnston, was born in August 1846 in Pennsylvania and died 16 May 1907 in Minneapolis, Hennepin Co, Minnesota.  He married Mary Elizabeth Porter about 1867 in Pennsylvania.  Wesley and Lizzie had four children:  Elmer Porter, James Edwin, William Howard, and Ida Mable.

J. W. Johnston (1846 - 1907)
Lakewood Cemetery, Minneapolis, Hennepin Co, Minnesota
Wesley J Johnston
Lakewood Cemetery burial
[Source:  MN Historical Society]
Lakewood Cemetery, Minneapolis, Minnesota
James E. Johnston, age 72, died Apr 9, 1943
 J. Wesley Johnston, age 59, died May 16, 1907
Mary E. Johnston, age 89, died Dec 13, 1934
Beatrice Johnston age 12, died Feb. 13, 1919

Thursday, November 17, 2011

FGS - John L Spring and his two wives

Family Group Sheet for John L. Spring and Margaret Williams

Husband – John L. Spring
                                Born:                     12 February 1794 in Massachusetts
                                Spouse:                 Margaret Williams
                                Married 1:            27 August 1818 in Harrison Co, Ohio
                                Spouse 2:            Martha L. Moreland
                                Married:               7 September 1830 in Miami, Ohio
                                Died:                     Before 3  January 1872
                                Buried:                 Old Hill Cemetery, Brazil, Clay Co, Indiana
                                Parents:

Wife 1 – Margaret Williams
                                Born:                     11 March 1792 in Virginia
                                Died:                     19 January 1830 in Ohio
                                Buried:                 Terre Haute Cemetery, Terre Haute, Champaign Co, OH
                                Parents:

Child 1 – John Finley Spring
         M                   Born:                     3 February 1821
                                Spouse:
                                Married:
                                Died:
                                Buried:

Child 2 – Mary Ann Spring
        F                      Born:                     30 August 1824 in Ohio
                                Spouse 1:            John W. Getty
                                Married:               15 April 1850 in Owen Co, Indiana
                                Spouse 2:            ---- Jenkins
                                Married:
                                Died:
                                Buried:

Child 3 – Sarah Williams Spring
         F                     Born:                     1 December 1826 in Piqua, Ohio
                                Spouse:                 Paul Rodenberger
Married:              10 July 1854 in Owen Co, Indiana
Died:                     28 June 1915 in Cherokee Co, Kansas
Buried:                 McKee Cemetery, Hallowell, Cherokee Co, Kansas

Child 4 – William Waitt Spring
        M                    Born:                     16 May 1828 in Ohio
                                Spouse:                 Amy Coffelt
                                Married:               26 October 1854 in Owen Co, Indiana
                                Died:                     14 May 1916 in Ames, Story Co, Iowa
                                Buried:                 Ames Cemetery, Ames, Story Co, Iowa
               
Wife 2 – Martha L. Moreland
                                Born:                     21 February 1803 in Carlisle, Pennsylvania
                                Died:                     12 August 1841 in Putnam Co, Indiana
                                Buried:                 City Cemetery, Greencastle, Putnam Co, Indiana
                                Parent:

Child 1 – Rachel Byers Spring
         F                     Born:                     25 March 1832 in Ohio
                                Spouse:                 William B. Holt
                                Married:               7 September 1851 in Owen Co, Indiana
                                Died:
                                Buried:

Child 2 – Martha Lowry Spring
        F                      Born:                     27 August 1835
                                Died:                     22 August 1836
                                Buried:

Child 3 – Elizabeth Lowry Spring
         F                     Born:                     28 April 1837 in Ohio
                                Spouse:                 John Harland Rodenberger
                                Married:               27 April 1854 in Owen Co, Indiana
                                Died:                     8 September 1895 in Cherokee Co, Kansas
                                Buried:                 McKee Cemetery, Hallowell, Cherokee Co, Kansas

Child 4 – David R. Spring
        M                    Born:                     About 1838 in Putnam Co, Indiana
                                Died:                     24 January 1840 in Greencastle, Putnam Co, Indiana
                                Buried:                 City Cemetery, Greencastle, Putnam Co, Indiana

Child 5 – Alexander Bayley Spring
        M                    Born:                     10 August 1841 in Greencastle, Putnam Co, Indiana
                                Died:                     16 August 1841
                                Buried:

Child 6 – David Baber Spring
        M                    Born:                     10 August 1841 in Greencastle, Putnam Co, Indiana
                                Died:                     August 1841
                                Buried:

Child ? – Margaret Humphrey Spring
       F                       Born:                     Before August 1841 in Putnamville
                                Died:
                                Buried:

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Tombstone Tuesday - John L. Spring

I don't have a photograph of John L. Spring's grave marker.  At the  Clay Co., Indiana Genealogy Society, in Center Point, Indiana, there is a Civil War History Binder that listed the Burial Places of Soldiers, surveyed May 1907.  One item was Hill Cemetery – John L Spring [Brazil].

From family records, John L. Spring was born 12 February 1794.  From various census records, John was born in Massachusetts.

1794 - February 12 -  Massachusetts - Birth of John L. Spring
1818 - August 27 -     Ohio, Harrison Co. -  Marriage to Margaret Williams of Virginia

John Spring to Margaret Williams
27 August 1818 in Harrison Co, Ohio
[Source:  Ray Beamer]

1830 - January 18 -    Ohio, Champaign Co - Death of Wife, Margaret Williams Spring
1830 -                         Ohio, Champaign Co, Mad River Twp. - Federal Census
1830 - Sept. 7  -         Ohio, Miami Co. - Marriage to Martha L. Moreland
1835 - Sept. 8 -          Ohio, Zanesville Land Patent Office to John Spring of Harrison Co, Ohio

John Spring of Harrison Co, Ohio
Dated 8 Sept 1835 under President Andrew Jackson
[Source:  Bureau of Land Management]
1838 - June 27            Indiana, Putnam Co, Madison Twp - Land Grant

John Spring
Madison Twp, Putnam Co, Indiana Patent Grants

1840 -                        Indiana, Putnam Co, Greencastle - Federal Census
1840 - Nov. 10 -        Indiana, Crawfordsville Land Patent Office to John Spring of Champaign Co, Ohio

John Spring of Champaign Co, Ohio
Dated Nov. 10, 1940 under President Martin Van Buren
[Source:  Bureau of Land Management]

1841 - August 12 -     Indiana, Putnam Co. - Death of Wife, Martha L. Moreland Spring
1848 - Feb. 29 -         Indiana, Owen Co. - Purchased Land, John Spring of Putnam Co., Indiana

29 Feb 1848 Land Purchase in Owen Co, Indiana
[Owen Co., Indiana Court House Deed Book 9, Page 665]
1850 - October -         Indiana, Owen Co, Jackson Twp. - Federal Census
1860 - July -                Indiana, Owen Co., Jackson Twp. - Federal Census
1860 - August 14 -      Indiana, Owen Co. - Sold land

1860 Land Sale in Owen Co, Indiana
[Owen Co.Court House, Spencer, Indiana ]

1866 - June 4 -           Indiana, Clay Co, Brazil - Last Will and Testament written
1870 -                           Indiana, Clay Co, Brazil - Federal Census, living with daughter
                                      Indiana, Clay Co, Brazil - Burial at Old Hill Cemetery
1872 - January 2 -      Indiana, Vigo Co. - Last Will and Testament entered into Probate