Sunday's Obituary - William Gerald Dawson

To go with my last posting, of Wednesday, here is the obituary for William Gerald Dawson, who was called Gerald.  [I made the photocopy of the obituary from a scrapbook located at the Edgar Co, Genealogy Library, Paris, IL in May 2010.]

In Memory of William Gerald Dawson

   Gerald, son of Mr. and Mrs. T.V. Dawson, was born in Freeport, Stephenson, Co., Illinois, February 21st, 1910.
   He died in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, April 27th, 1918, after a brief illness.
   He leaves baby-sister, father and mother, his grandparents and many relatives and friends.

We know that brother is not dead -
Although his voice to us seems stilled,
He speaks - as yet- in accent clear,
And all our hearts with love is filled.
We loved his happy childish ways,
To all - he to our hearts endeared,
His way he won through paths of love,
Towards things sublime - and never feared.
As memory calls to mind all Good -
His form will rest beneath the sod,
His Soul lives on throughout the years
For this is Life - and Life is God.

   Funeral services were conducted at the Scottland Methodist Episcopal church, Scottland, Ill., April 30th, at 10 a.m., by Rev. F.P. Bonnefon, pastor of Edgar circuit.  The pall-bearers were four of his cousins.
   The burial was in the Chapel cemetery.

Genealogical Coincidences

It has happened twice this month!  I'm entering data on Find A Grave and decide to search the cemetery's memorials.  A name from my family tree has recently been entered - Elizabeth Digby Dawson.  I did not have a death date nor burial location for Elizabeth.  I began to link some of her children's memorials to Elizabeth's memorial.  I found someone had posted photographs of the individuals on their memorials.  I emailed the contributor and find out that she is a daughter that I didn't know about and we are "cousins" . . . AND she is interested in genealogy.  Both of us have summer travel plans, but hope to share our information soon.

The second time occurred last night.  I had found a book published in 1930 that listed some family names, death dates, and burial locations.  After updating my database, I entered the information on Find A Grave.  I searched, by last name, the site verifying that a memorial had not already been established for one individual at Earlham Cemetery, Richmond, Wayne Co, Indiana and found that his father's memorial had been entered that day.  The same day that I'm entering his children's memorials!  Now I was able to link together more family members.

I just love when some of the puzzle pieces click together so easily!  Don't you?

Traveling

Yesterday I drove 13 hours from Virginia to Florida - a long trip alone by car.  On the trip, I thought about my ancestors and all their travels.  My mother made the following transcription on a trip to Illinois from Pennsylvania in 1951.  The pages she copied were stuffed inside the family Bible at her cousin's house.  Wayne T Dawson's mother Ida May (Rodenberger) Dawson was the younger sister of my great-great-grandmother, Iona Celeste Silvana (Rodenberger) Dawson.  Both sisters married brothers:  Iona married Taylor Dawson and May married Doug Dawson.

"Iowa - November 13, 1855
Charley's birth - November 18, 1857 in Iowa
First trip west - Boonsborough, Iowa 1856
South to Bourbon County, Kansas - July 1858
Trip North to Boonsborough, Iowa after household goods, 1859
$8 - clarinet
$10 - violin in exchange for homemade violin made of curly sugar tree brought from Iowa
Buffalo Hunt, September to October 1860
Back to Indiana, December 1860"

I believe the transcription is in error for Iowa - Nov. 13, 1855.  I believe it should be Iona instead.  Iona was born on that date in Clay Co, Indiana.  I found Iona's father, John Harland Rodenberger, his wife Elizabeth, and daughter Sylvana, age 1, and John's 4 brothers enumerated in the 1856 Iowa State Census in Boone, Boone Co, Iowa.  John, Elizabeth, Celestia, and Charles C were enumerated in the 1860 Census of Bourbon County, Kansas Territory.  John and Elizabeth's 3rd child, Clara Melvina Rodenberger, was born July 19, 1861 in Indiana.  In the 1870 Federal Census the John H Rodenberger family was enumerate in Sheridan Twp, Cherokee Co, Kansas.

Now that is a lot of travel . . . and not in the comfort of an air conditioned car with restaurants along the way.

Wedding Wednesday - Taylor and Iona Dawson

My great-great-grandparents, William Taylor Dawson and Iona Celeste Silvana Rodenberger, married 13 September 1874 in Cherokee Co, Kansas.  Iona was 19 and Taylor 25 years old.

"In 1870, . . . I followed the advice of Horace Greely and went west.  I landed in Kansas,  "  by Taylor Dawson, in a 1936 article published in the Chrisman Courier, reflecting on his family's history.  Taylor lived in Edgar Co, Illinois prior to his move to Kansas.  He and Iona, with their family, moved to Edgar Co, Illinois between 1885 and 1887. 

Taylor and Iona had 7 children:  Dottie Maud, Judge Leighton, Lois Lacona, Talmage Virgil, Dixie Beryl, Dudley Theo, and Challis Carmen Haddon Dawson. 

Amanuensis Monday - 1895 Postcard, Kansas to Illinois

"Mr. Taylor Dawson, Scotland, Edgar County, Ill."

"Hallowell, Kans
July 18 -95 -

Dear Bros. & Sisters.  Iona seems to be some better today.  Had a light chill not so hard as yesterday.  We are fighting them as hard as we can with hot brick last night & today.  We feel in hopes maybe we can keep another bad one off.  Will let you know.   Can never tell when she takes one & not live an hour.  Your sister Elsie."

I don't know what illness my great-great-grandmother, Iona (Rodenberger) Dawson had at this time.  I do know that, at some point, she had typhoid fever.  Iona must have been visiting her parents, John Harland and Elizabeth Lowry (Spring) Rodenberger at their farm near Hallowell, Cherokee Co, Kansas.  Iona and her husband Taylor Dawson and their six surviving children lived in Scotland, Edgar Co, Illinois, near Taylor's family. 

Taylor's younger brother, Stephen Arnold Douglas "Doug" Dawson, married Iona's younger sister, Ida May Rodenberger.  Doug and May, with their three sons, at this time, also lived in Scotland, Edgar Co, Illinois.  Iona and May's siblings remained in Kansas.

The postcard is dated July 18, 1895.  Did Iona go visit because her mother was ill?  Her mother, Elizabeth L (Spring) Rodenberger died September 8, 1895.