Who was Oscar's Dad?

For years now, I have been working on the life and family of Oscar Fitzallen Brown. We know quite a bit about him, really, but the one mystery that has plagued me is his father. If I can find his father, than I can find his mother: of that I am quite certain. But the father... who is this guy?  He's starting to get incredibly frustrating. Yesterday, I once again sent out an email plea for help from any family member that may be able to shed light on this particular issue. Here are the details...

Oscar was born in New York in 1832. Somewhere between the ages of 2 and 5 the family moved to Michigan to farm, and this is where he was raised. As a young man, he moved to Missouri and lived with his sister's family in Shelby County. Oscar joined the Union forces and fought nearly the entire length of the war, and then moved back to Shelby County, where he served for a time as Deputy Sheriff. Eventually, he claimed his homestead and settled in Colfax County, Nebraska. He married Frances E. Lawrence and had six children. He passed away in 1906 and is buried in Richland.

The candidates for father are...

1. William Brown: I am fairly certain that Oscar had a sister named Mary. She was born in 1817 in New York, and died in 1879. On Christmas Eve of 1835, she married Josiah H. Collins in Pittsfield, Washtenaw, Michigan, and they had five children; Henry, Charles, Mary Elizabeth, Josiah Jr. and William B. When Mary died, her death record states that her father was William Brown and her mother, Mary. It would make sense that she was named after her mother, and that her children carry some of the family names, also. 
2. Abraham Brown: This is the name given in Oscar's obituary as his father. No other evidence of an Abraham Brown can be found. 
3. Isaac C. Brown: He had at least two sons, Charles F. and Oscar F., and he lived in the same area of New York that we suspect the Brown family came from when they moved to Michigan. However, he never left New York (that we know of). Isaac left a will stating that his two sons (listed above) both residing in Colfax County, Nebraska, were to be left portions of his estate and Charles was the executor. I feel that this is the least likely answer at this time. Just something in my gut, I guess. 
4. Tolman (or Talmon or Talman) Brown: Born in 1791 in New York, he is listed as Oscar's father n the county books for Oscar and France's marriage. His wife was listed as Mary Morvie (1782-1836), once again supporting the idea that Mary was a family name. Talmon did own property in Washtenaw County, Michigan, beginning 1 Sep 1826. 

There is some speculation that William and Talmon are in fact the same man. There are branches of the family, through the Collins', that have notes indicating as such, and Mary (Brown) Collin's [see#1] headstone reads, "wife of Josiah, daughter of Talmon". 

Mary (Brown) Collins. Her headstone gives the best connection between William and Talmon Brown.

Headstone of Mary (Brown) Collins

Let's go back to the beginning for just a moment. I stated earlier that Oscar went to live with his sister's family in Missouri before the onset of the war. We learn about his sister through letter's in Oscar and Frances' pension file. Jennie Yoe and her husband Thomas Yoe wrote general letters to the pension board after Oscar's death in support of Frances receiving a widow's pension, stating that she was the only wife of Oscar, never remarried, and that they had known her for some time and thought her to be honest and upstanding. In the letter, Jennie states that she is the niece of Oscar, and if you back track their family, you find Jennie's mother, Harriet Brown, which you must conclude to be Oscar's sister.  One would think that I could look up her parents and be done with this whole issue... but her parents have disappeared, also. I cannot find any record of her life before her marriage. The one fact that does help in this search is that Harriet and Warren were married in Washentaw County, Michigan. All roads seem to lead us there. Washentaw County is a common factor for both William and Talmon, and I have not been able to connect the other two potential fathers, Abraham and Isaac, to Michigan at all. 

So it would seem that circumstantial evidence, or simply secondary information with indirect sources, have built a case that leans toward two assumptions: 1. William and Talmon are in fact the same person, and 2. William Talmon Brown is the father of Oscar F. Brown. How does this lead to frustration, you ask? Very simple in that it's not good enough to stand up to a systematic review in the genealogical community. I just simply don't have enough direct, first hand sources to prove or disprove any of the above. 

The search continues... 

The Key Elements

Someone recently asked me how I do what I do. I wasn't able to answer that question succinctly on the spot, but I think I've got it now.


There are three elements that are vital to anyone interested in taking on a genealogical research project.

1. Patience
2. Commitment
3. Time

Perhaps not what you were expecting? I believe, without those three, you have nothing. Allow me to elaborate some...

Patience is number one on my list, and yes, that matters here. I do searches on the same top 5 individuals I am looking for every week. I sit down every Sunday morning and run through the exact same series on Google, Bing, and Yahoo. Sometimes I find something new, most of the time the results are identical to the week before, which are identical to five years ago. The rewards, however, when something new does pop up are remarkable. 

Two weeks ago, when I ran through my list, I was stopped in my tracks by the very first name. Captain Oscar F. Brown, the person I most want to find that missing piece to, suddenly appeared in an index in Shelby County, Missouri. We knew he lived there with his sister before the war, but the years after his service ended and when he arrived in Nebraska were empty. No information, no leads. Just a big ten year gap in his life. For the first time, there he was, listed along with two members of his sister's family, as having signed the "Oath of Loyalty" in 1865 so he could serve as Deputy Sheriff in that area.  Thanks to volunteers in that area running a free genealogy resource website, the list was made available via the internet, and became an extremely valuable piece of his personal timeline in our research. 


Commitment. The above example should show this for you. If you are not solid on your decision to engage in this work, and repeatedly search for those names week after week, you probably won't ever scratch the surface. You won't get past that first year of success (which most people have, especially with online research.)  You must take the 60 seconds out of an exciting new source find to document that source correctly, or you will lose it tomorrow. All the old photos should be scanned, all the records requested via the mail which feels like it takes forever these days, the time spent digging through your libraries' card catalog to find that one forgotten book that might someone's name in it. Genealogy consumes your life when you are really making progress: everything else stops. A bomb could go off in my kitchen, but if I am on a new idea or realizing that a possible source just turned into an actual source, I would never know about that ridiculous, annoying, "getting in the way of my research" bomb.


Of course, time. It takes hours to digitally record a cemetery. Not just finding the headstones, cleaning them so they are readable, taking the right picture with not too much shadow or other interfering light... but then getting them home, editing the file, uploading to whatever website or creating a album for preservation purposes. All of that is, usually, beyond the scope of your own family research. 


For me, genealogy is a passion. I would not be willing to do all of this, and more, without the emotional rewards I receive in the end. I have been known to do a little jig around my house when I find something good. Preserving the past matters to me, realizing the people I came from, not just their names, but who they were and what made them that way, matters to me. Without it, everything else is just data. My 2x great grandfather Oscar was not made up of data - he was a person, and he was unique. He created a family, that family grew with grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. Those folks were a part of my childhood, they were a part of influencing who I became. They are where I came from.

Who I Came From...

Missouri's Oath of Loyalty... if you haven't heard of it, its worth reading about.
http://www.civilwarstlouis.com/history/oathofloyalty.htm

Month 1: Puzzles of Your Past

This past week I had the first of many meetings with the Leadville Girl Scout Troop, in our series entitled "Puzzles of Your Past".  Leading up to this project, I have been very excited to get going, but when the day finally came, I found myself somewhat anxious and yes, even a little nervous. What right do I have to teach genealogy concepts? And at that, what right do I have to teach them to a group of 7-10 year old's; the next generation of ancestry research?  My own three nieces, sitting front and center, looking up at me to guide them into what will surely be an exciting adventure into their past. What if I am boring?  Sin of sins! That was the worst thing for me at that age - a boring instructor. What if I'm that person? What if I talk down to them? What if I talk completely over their heads and they are totally lost? The whole project depends on them understanding the vocabulary and concepts being introduced in tonight's meeting!

I was nearly in a panic.

I arrived. Things were hectic. The Daisy troop were making tye-dyed t-shirts and most of the bigger kids were on the playground showing anybody who would look their endless energy.  Oh, boy.

Armed with a glass of water, some very familiar pedigree charts, and a laptop, I started to set up. The leaders had been through my material; they assured me it was great. I had reviewed the "must" list several times over the past hour. I had pictures, cartoons, even Darth Vader in my presentation! How can it possibly go wrong? Darth Vader!?!?!? He's too cool.

We started in. I was introduced, or rather, re-introduced to most of the girls. They all sat there, mostly attentive, and you could see those that were genuinely excited about this endeavor. We'd been talking to them about this for a couple of months, getting them ready. Making sure they knew this was going to require extra work. Trying to dig out of their brains where to focus, what would motivate them, which stories to tell, which questions to answer. There were a couple parent volunteers there, not many, and some afterwards that asked questions. For the most part, though, it was just me and the girls. Probably around 15 kids in my audience that night, and after a minute or two, I settled into my knowledge base and hoped for the best.

There were questions, sure, but not as many as I expected. They had a harder time making notes than they did understanding the difference between an ancestor, a descendant, and a direct or indirect descendant. They laughed at my jokes (whew!), they were quiet when asked to be quiet, and they asked - and answered - good questions.

We ended up having a great time.  What a relief.

Nearly all of them brought their "homework"; their pedigree charts given to them at the last meeting (without me).  Most of them seemed ok with the idea of being assigned more homework... but then, they have a month to do it in.

Here is what we covered, week 1:

• What is genealogy, and why should I care?
• The difference between "family history" and genealogy.
• How did my ancestors make an impact on me?
• Where to start.
• Historical Timelines, and they created a historical timeline on themselves.
• Pedigree charts
• Vocabulary: genealogy, family tree, ancestor, descendant

Next time, we will start researching... talking about where to research, what kind of documents or sources can be helpful and how to properly document that source. We'll look up a couple people from the SSDI and show them how a phone book can help in your genealogy project. 

I am not nervous.

Summit County, Colorado Trails to the Past!

A month or two ago, I decided to join the Trails to the Past community, and volunteered to host two sites: Summit County, Colorado and Colfax County, Nebraska. I am pleased to announce that Summit County is now up and running... my first website!  A great project, and one I am proud to be a part of. Check it out!

http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cosummtp/

Tuesday Tombstones

Tombstones can tell an amazing story. Not just of the person remembered there, but of the family or friends that left the marker, of the community and of the social status of the area as a whole. See below for a variety of examples and a short description. Not all of these people are family members, but some are!  Most of the photos' are from the Valley Brook Cemetery in Breckenridge, Summit County, Colorado.

**All photos copyright of the author.**

Warren Lawrence Brown. This example is for a relatively common military style headstone.

Oscar F. Brown. Headstone was placed well after he passed away by descendants.  Although he served in the United States military and it is recognized on the stone, it is not a traditional military marker.

Good example of a family marker - shared by a couple, and these at times will include children, especially if they die young. These stones are also quite expensive, so it indicates that the family was in fairly good financial standing at the time of death, or the couple paid for it themselves prior to death.

Common scene at a United States cemetery. Although they are now intended to be places of peace and quiet respect, cemeteries were once at the heart of the social activities for communities, and included bandstands, picnic areas, and designated "parks" or wilderness walks. 

Headstone and Toe Stone: generally the toe stone only includes initials or abbreviated names and runs the length of the  grave.

The lamb is very common on children's graves; this example only having lived from April to July.

A truly wonderful example of a wooden tombstone, which is still readable. Most now have deteriorated well past the point of being able to gain any information.

Some cemeteries are known for a certain style that remained popular through the years. This example show's a family plot in the Valley Brook Cemetery of Breckenridge, Colorado that is gated. The gates were ornate and are seen throughout the cemetery, even backed up to one another. 

Another example of the use of gates in Breckenridge... this one is around a single grave.

Headstones can of course be very ornate, or incredibly simple.

This marker, including the cross, is well over 8 feet tall. 

Unfortunately, remains are not always identified. The original cemetery was abandoned, and the remains moved into a mass grave site.

A unreadable wooden marker with a newer stone marker added to the site. 

This is a marker from the mortuary, and is intended to be temporary while the headstone is being made. There are of course instances where this is the only marker left, or it is not removed when the headstone is put in, leaving two markers side by side of the same person. 

Many headstones reflect the personality of the individual, or tell a unique story. After ten years, this is the only marker I have ever found that is made to look like a Forest Service or BLM geographical marker. See plaque below. 

Not only does this indicate a double grave, it is a bench, which is commonly used by family members to indicate the deceased is at rest, or used when they expect to spend a lot of time next to the grave. 

Unique regions come with unique markers... in the mountains, you see a lot of boulders, stones, or large rocks used as headstones (above and below). Near the ocean, people may have them shaped into shells, or surfboards. 

Another wooden marker, unreadable. This is an odd shape, and probably indicated a family plot, not an actual person. It is too narrow to engrave anything on.

A wooden cross that is being lost. It has sunk into the ground as far as the cross bar will allow.

Another bench example, however, this one tells a much more detailed story, including four different people in the immediate area of the bench. How did the end up here, and how were they connected? It answers those questions. It also tells us that someone, a man with whom one lady had a relationship, was buried near by, but far enough away to not give anything away to those they left behind. 

A family plot, with the boundaries marked.

Photo headstone, which were very popular in the 1970's, 80's and 90's and continue on today.

A common military marker. This happens to be a son back to back with his father, both having served.

Describing the deceased in some detail, indicating their preferred lifestyle, or the thing that was most important. 

A T.O.T.E. marker, for an individual belonging to a fraternal organization. This style is common for the Masons, Rebekah's, I.O.O.F., Eagles, etc. 

The unknown. Typically simple, metal plaques left to mark the grave itself, not necessarily remember the individual. 

Emma and Paul Tober

My great grandmother was a tough lady. I never had the pleasure, but memories run strong in my father's generation.

The Kitzman Homestead, Alberta, Canada

Emma Kitzman was born in the Volhynia region of Russia on 16 October 1891 (happy early birthday!). On the 22 of March, 1911, she married Paul Tober, in Canada, and they immigrated to the United States in November of 1916 through the Canadian/Montana border, coming across in Sweetwater, Montana. They had two children, Leo G Tober (born 7 March 1912 in either Edmonton or Strathcona, Alberta, Canada) and Elsie H Tober (my grandmother). Elsie was born six years later on 13 June 1918 in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Paul had a homestead in New Sarepta, Alberta in 1903, and he was one of the founding members of the New Sarepta Moravian Church. He was listed at this time as a citizen of Canada, however, he was also born in Zhitomir, Volhynia, Russia.  He later became a naturalized citizen of the United States.

Both are found in the 1920 Census in Tacoma, Pierce County, Washington, but divorced on 20 Feb 1929. From our families oral history, the marriage was not a happy one, and Emma was remembered as mistreated. The family has always had the impression that Paul deserted Emma with the kids, and ran off to a new life. He was not talked about very much when Elsie was still alive, as she regarded him very negatively.

In 1930, Emma was listed as a server in a cafeteria in Sumner, Pierce County, Washington, and in 1937 married her second husband, Ludwig Hiller.  "Grandpa Hiller" was born in Russia on 11 October 1884. Both Emma and Ludwig passed away and are buried in Tacmoa, Pierce County, Washington. Oral history again brings us tidbits of information, and one of the family remembers that Ludwig thought Hitler was an "ok" guy, because he brought Germany out of a depression prior to WWII and he never believe that the holocaust existed.  Emma never allowed her children to speak German, and always enforced the English language in the home, even though she spoke little of it herself. Emma, Paul and Ludwig were all "Germans from Russia", part of a historic religious freedom migration, dating back to the 1400's. Many family members of the Moravian faith stayed in Alberta, and their descendants live there today.  Some of the original homesteads still exist, mostly considered historical ruins.

New Sarepta, Alberta, Canada Moravian Church