GeneaBlogs

• ID: I649291648
• Name: Emma Frances POST
• Given Name: Emma Frances
• Surname: Post
• Sex: F
• Birth: 4 Jul 1848 in Kane, Green Co, IL
• Death: 1926 in Larned, Pawnee Co, KS

• Note: “Ancestors Robert Kitchell, Rev. Abraham Pierson, John Cory, Obadiah Bruen, Jean Genung, Edward Ball came to America over 300 years ago. Her grandfather Jacob Post, and a great grandfather Joseph Wood, were born in New Jersey and fought in the Revolutionary War. ”

Mrs. Leasure was born in Illinois and came out to Larned, Kansas, in 1873. She had the spirit and enterprise of the true pioneer and before her first marriage she took up a pre-emption, plowed the furrows for setting out a row of hedge, and built a shack. She was the first woman married in Pawnee County after its organization. She was married in 1873, at Larned to Capt. Daniel Bright. The license for her marriage was issued by Captain Bright himself, who was then serving as probate judge. Mrs. Leasure and Mrs. Tompkins, wife of the first newspaper man of Larned, made the first flag which was raised in the new county to celebrate the Fourth of July celebration in 1873. This flag was made of strips of red, white and blue torn from old clothing.

Transcribed from A Standard History of Kansas and Kansans, written and compiled by William E. Connelley, Secretary of the Kansas State Historical Society, Topeka. [Revised ed.] Chicago: Lewis Publishing Co., 1919, c1918. 5 v. (xlviii, 2530 p., [155] leaves of plates): ill., maps (some fold.), ports.; 27.

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   Ralph C. Vest, 82 of Aldrich, Mo., passed away at Cox Medical Center South, on Sunday December 27, 2009 at 8:55 p.m. Ralph was born near Walnut Grove and was a lifelong resident of the Walnut Grove and Aldrich areas. He was a farmer and retired rural mailcarrier retiring in 1987 after 30 years of service. Ralph was active in the Rural Letter Carriers Association. He was a 60 year member of the Eudora Baptist Church and was a World War II Navy veteran. He was a graduate of Marion C. Early High School in 1944. Ralph and Betty Dobbins were united in marriage on July 3, 1949. To this union two children were born. Together they were privileged to share over 60 years. He was preceded in death by his parents, James E. and Nannie Lowery Vest; four brothers, Arley, Victor, Floyd and Coy Vest; and two infant sisters. He is survived by his loving wife, Betty; one son, John and wife Donna Vest of Lebanon, Mo.; daughter Judy and husband Gary Parkison of Walnut Grove, Mo.; two sisters-in-law, Hannah Vest and Martha Coble; five grandchildren, Becky Vest, Joni and husband Gavin Floyd, Jamie Vest, Jeff and wife Kim Parkison and Kevin and wife Shylena Parkison; and two great-grandchildren, Zianna Parkison and Grayden Floyd; and anxiously awaiting the arrival of the third great-grandchild. Services will be held on Thursday, December 31, 2009 at 1:30 p.m. in the Eudora Baptist Church with Revs. Jim White and Lon Killingsworth officiating. Interment will follow in Greene Lawn Cemetery, Walnut Grove under the care and direction of Wilson-Brim-Daniel Funeral Home, Walnut Grove. Friends may call after 4 p.m., Wednesday, in the funeral home chapel where the family will receive friends from 6 to 8 p.m. Memorials may be given in his memory to the Eudora Baptist Church Activity Building Fund.

~ The Shared Ancestors and GeneaBlogs family extends condolences to member Blanche and the Vest/Lowry/Lowery family for their loss ~

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Born: 27 May 1672 in Skelton, York, England
Married: Jane Worrilaw on 10 Oct 1696
Died: 1749 in West Town, Chester, Co., PA
Buried: Edgemont Township, Chester Co., PA

Daniel Hoopes fought in the war with Cromwell. In company with an unmarried brother he came to this country in the year 1683 on the Ship Providence. The brother, soon tiring of the pioneer life, returned to his home in England. Therefore, Daniel and family were the first of the name in America. Daniel Hoopes first settled farther north in this State [PA] but soon after procuring the right of 64 acres from William Penn in what is now Chester and Delaware Counties and in the township of Westtown, made that his home. It is related that some of the older children were born in a cave, which was the first home of the family and, in those primitive times, not an exceptional case. The line of Delaware county runs through the lower portion of the estate. On the main portion of the land there was built in 1723 what at that time was considered an elegant mansion. It contained about twelve rooms and has its secret closet, etc. This house has quite a history. The old homestead is still standing and looks as though it would for several years to come.

Of interest is the obituary of Joshua Hoopes, grandson of Daniel:
“Joshua Hoopes, aged 88 years and 7 months; the oldest of the name of Hoopes in the country. At Downingtown, on the evening of the 11th of same, granddaughter of the above; aged between 3 and 4 years. In Sadsbury, on the 25th of the same Francis W. Hoopes, grandson of the above Joshua; age near thirty years (not 40 as stated) He has left a widow and three small children.
As instances of longevity are occasionally noticed, the following may not be uninteresting. Daniel Hoopes, grandfather of the above named Joshua Hoopes, was married in 1696. The issue of that marriage was seventeen children; nine of whose ages averaged more than 84 years; and seven of the nine were living about 100 years after the union of their parents. The last of them died about 120 years after her parents marriage. The sum of the ages amounts to about 1036 years. If we add the ages of Daniel and his wife, we have about 1200 years. There are probably very few instances in modern times of the immediate issue of a single marriage enjoying 1036 years of life.
When a boy Daniel came into this country with his father Joshua Hoopes, in company with William Penn. Joshua took an active part in the Government; it also appears that Daniel was a member of the Legislature in the years 1708-9; since which the family seem not to have engaged much in public business. From Daniel are descended all the Hoopes of America.”

Daniel Hoopes’ signature on a land deed dated 5 Dec 1730. He transferred 200 acres to his son of the same name.

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Will of Henry Hayes
The first day of Aprile in the Year of our Lord one Thousand seven hundred and fourty five

I Henry Hayes of East Marlborough in the County of Chester and Province of Pensilvania Husbandman Do Make Constitute and ordain This my Last will and Testament that is to Say: I Give dispose and bequeath as in forme and Manner folloing: Imprimis. I give Unto My Son Joseph Hayes & my son James Hayes Whome I Likewise Constitute Make and Ordain My only and Sole Excetors of this My Last Will and Testament of all and Singular my Goods And Chattels Whatsoever that are or Shall bee found belonging or appertaining to Mee Except what Shall bee hearafter Excepted and Specefyed to bee Given.

Item. I give to my son John Twenty pounds: I give to my son William one shilling. I give to my son Stephen ten pounds to be paid att any time when my Executors thinks proper. I give to My Daughter Mary one Shilling. I give to my Daughter Joanna one shilling and I also Give to my Executors five pounds apiece: And all the remaining part of my Rail and personal Estate after Just Debts and funerall Expenses bee paid Except What is before Expresed too bee Given I Give to be Equally Divided between my Daughter Margaret & my Daughter Elizabeth: & my Daughter Anne & my Daughter Rachel and my Daughter Ruth and my Daughter Lydia and I also Give to my Daughter Margaret Twenty Pounds More than Either of my Daughters above Mentioned and my Daughter Rachel have had Seventeen pounds Twelve shillings and sixpence which I order to bee Deducted out of her share: & my Daughter Lidia have had fifty pounds which I order to bee Deducted out of her share: and I also order my personal and Real Estate to bee Sold by my Executors att any time after my Deceas: and the money of all my Personall and Real Estate to bee Immediately paid According to the Derection of this my Last Will and Testament. And I Do Impower my Executors to Defend my Estate by Law or otherways and the Cost to bee paid out of my Estate and further more I Do alow this and no other to bee my last Will and Testament in witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and Seal the Day and Year above Written.
[signed]
HENRY HAYES (Seal)
Signed published Delivered and pronounced by the afforesaid Henery Hayes to bee his Last Will and Testament in the Presence of us the Subscribing Witnesses Viz
Jonathan Jackson
George Carson

   The will of Henry Hayes, which was probably written by Jonathan Jackson, was duly proved by the witnesses on the 30th of December, 1745. An inventory of the estate was taken on the 5th of 11th Mo. 1745-6, by Aaron Baker and William Harlan, and amounted to 726 pounds, 7 s[hillings], including the plantation of 177 acres, valued at 250 pounds. There is reason to believe that the last wife of Henry Hayes was a comparatively young woman. One Isabella Hayes, widow, purchased 208 acres of land in Salisbury Township, Lancaster County, March 8, 1746-7. She married Andrew Caldwell, of Leacock, and by him had sons Andrew, Robert, Charles and John Caldwell. Andrew, the father, was a widower in Londongrove Township in 1760, married a second wife, Jane, and died in Lancaster County in 1768.

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Alexa Sevilla Evans

    Alexa Sevilla Evans was born in Nantahala Township, Macon County, North Carolina on 19 April 1889 to a farmer and his wife who eventually had 16 children, 13 of which lived to adulthood. She grew up in the Deep South, in and around the Macon County area. By the time she was three she was picking cotton and working in the fields. She told of backbreaking work, the constant bending over, the heat and humidity. Of how heavy her long skirt and petticoat were, adding that she would lift them up and tuck them in at the waist so she could get a little breeze on her legs. When she grew into woman- hood many heard of Alexa Evans and how pretty she was with her long, black hair and beautiful blue eyes.

    When she was eighteen she met and married Michael Ghormley, always affectionately referred to by Lexie as “Mikey”. Neither Lexie nor Mike liked her given name so she changed it, and from then on was known as “Lexie Willie”. She and Mike had two children, a son, Jesse Bernard, and a daughter Loise; the daughter would die young of pneumonia, as would Mike. Lexie always spoke highly of her “Mikey” stating, “He was always good to me.” Sometime after the death of Loise and her beloved Mikey, about 1912, she and Bernard moved to Georgia where her parents had already relocated a few years before. She began to work in a mill and she spoke of taking homemade pickles and crackers for her lunch everyday; life was hard for a widow with a young son to support.

    About 1913 she met, probably at the mill she was working in, and married Ellis Garrett. They had two sons and a daughter and then, in 1921, the couple decided to move to Missouri, possibly because Ellis had family there, or maybe for better employment opportunities. For whatever reason, they packed up what belongings could be put on a covered farm wagon, and the kids, and set off for the long hard journey to Missouri. Rush, Lexie’s brother, accompanied them to help with the move, later returning to Georgia. Lexie walked most of the journey from Georgia to Missouri behind the wagon, carrying baby Lottie Mae and tending her three sons, Bernard, Sherman, and Coleman. Shortly after arriving in Missouri, Pauline was born in October of the same year so Lexie must have been pregnant when she walked those many miles. Ellis and Lexie would have three more daughters, Mary Belle, Willie, and Lucille.

    Life wasn’t easy for Lexie; Ellis was a drinker and abusive, especially to his stepson Bernard. He would hang around long enough to get her pregnant, grab what money he could, and then he would disappear for long periods of time. Lexie continued to work out in the fields of their farm, taking in extra work as she could, in order to support the family. Lottie Mae tells of her mother working long, hard hours and coming into the house every evening exhausted. One of the kids would always run and get a pan of warm water for her so she could soak her feet. Lottie Mae said there were many times her mother would have her get a pen and paper and Lexie would dictate letters to her while she soaked, many to her father and to her Aunt Bunie. The last child, Lucille, was born in 1929; soon after that Ellis left for the last time and never returned. Years ago Coleman and his wife, June Baker Garrett, were staying with Lexie and June spent many afternoons talking with her. June asked Lexie why, when Ellis had been so abusive, she had stayed with him. Lexie told her that she had left Ellis three times but that each time she left him, her family, most notably her father, made her go back to him. Most likely the thought of her father’s censure would have been more difficult and painful for her to face than Ellis’ abuse.

    After Ellis left for the last time, Lexie bought a cafe in Willard, Missouri and it became known as “Garrett’s Cafe.” Lexie worked long hours in the cafe, as did the children. The kids would get out of school and go to the cafe to help out; Lexie had indeed taught her children the meaning of “good work ethics”, which stayed with all of them throughout their lives. About 1944 or 1945, before WWII ended, Lexie sold the cafe and moved to Springfield. All of the family remember well the big, two story house on Robberson Street. By this time Lexie had many grandchildren, and as the years went by there would be great, as well as great-great-grandchildren and many family get-togethers in the house on Robberson Street.

    In Feb 1982, at the age of 92, Lexie broke her hip. While in the hospital she was told by the doctors that she could not return home until she could walk and that usually took about 6 months (medical science, of course, not being like it is today). Lexie walked out of the hospital in 27 days. Soon after, the house on Robberson Street was sold and she moved into a mobile home behind her daughter Pauline’s house. About six months after she left the hospital, Lexie suffered a stroke which paralyzed her left side and affected her speech. The next few years must have been torture for a woman who had always been so independent. But Lexie, as she had always done, met this challenge and coped with her disabilities with grace and dignity.

    Lexie Evans Ghormley Garrett passed away 3 Sep 1986, leaving behind a loving family and a legacy that will not be forgotten. During her lifetime, she saw 17 United States presidents take the Oath of Office, her country involved in 5 wars – not counting the “Cold War”, man’s first flight in an airplane and his first steps on the moon, the sinking of the Titanic and the Lusitania, the discovery of antibiotics, diseases such as polio and smallpox eradicated, and the introduction of AIDS. She was a strong woman with true, pioneering grit and an indomitable spirit.

~ written by granddaughter Debra Hayes Brodbeck ~

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Rev. William C. Harris,  1811—1861

Minutes of the 38th Session of the Methodist Episcopal Church,

Carlinville, Macoupin Co., IL.,

11 Sep 1861 to 14 Sep 1861

     ”Rev. William C. Harris was born March 17, 1811 in Elizabethtown, Carter County, Tenn. In 1831 he emigrated with his parents to Illinois. Under the Labors of Rev. Elijah Carrington he was, in the year 1842, converted to God; was licensed to exhort by Rev. J.B. Houts, on Whitehall Circuit in 1843, and in 1854 licensed to preach. In the fall of the same year he was admitted on trial in the Illinois Conference held in Springfield; and from that time until his death faithfully served the church as an itinerant preacher. His first appointment was to Hillsboro Circuit, where he remained two years, and where his labors were greatly blessed in the building up the church, and gaining accessions to its numbers. He was next appointed to the Martinsville Circuit, where he also remained two years, and was greatly prospered in his Master’s work. His next appointment was Marshall Station. After one year’s labor there, he was appointed to Vermillion Circuit, in which he had almost completed two years of faithful labor, when he was suddenly called away from earth, on the 5th of August 1861, without a moments’ warning, but not without the notice and permission of Him who knows the end from the beginning. He was smitten down by the lightning’s stroke, and called at once from labor to rest. He could leave no dying testimony to the strength of divine grace to support and comfort in the last struggle, but the consistency of his Christian life, with his zeal and fidelity in the performance of his Masters’ work, assures us that though his departure was sudden, he was not unprepared for it. It is due to the memory of a sainted mother to state, that Bro. Harris had early impressed on his young mind the precepts and teachings of our holy Christianity, by which he profated above many. He possessed very respectable preaching talents, but the secret of his success as a minister was doubtless owing to the “power from on high”, with which he was richly endowed. But “he rests from his labors and his works follow him.” He leaves a wife and several children to the care of God and the Church.” – N. Cloud, Chairman.”

A handwritten copy of the above was found in Ada Luella Harris Sutphin’s papers after her death. Ada Luella was the daughter of grandson Charles Lysander Harris.

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Before the 20th century, divorce was quite uncommon and in some areas, even illegal. Because of this history, divorces that occurred before the 20th century are not always documented, but the information that can be contained in their paper trails makes them worth pursuing.

Until the mid-1800s, divorces were granted by courts and through specific acts of state legislatures. In 1866, the federal government declared that a legislative divorce was illegal. Since then, and in many states well before then, divorce has been a civil action determined in local courts. Divorce records, therefore, are found in court volumes containing normal court cases, in separate records books designated just for divorce cases, or in specialized records books.

Court docket books list the plaintiff and defendant and the date the divorce case started. Divorce records contain the court’s judgment. Files in the divorce case include vital facts about the parties to the divorce and their children. Marriage data is also included. Rights to privacy sometimes cause divorce records to be closed for a period of years, so they can be accessed only with the permission of the divorced parties.

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A little knowledge about naming patterns can help you guess at missing children or even the name of previous generations. For instance, if you know the names of the children of a couple, you can make an intelligent guess at the names of the couple’s parents. These patterns varied widely by ethnic and religious groups, but bearing in mind these numerous exceptions, it is still possible to identify a common pattern found prior to the latter half of the 20th century:

1st son = father’s father
2nd son = mother’s father
3rd son = father
4th son = father’s oldest brother
5th son = father’s 2nd oldest brother or mother’s oldest brother
1st dau = mother’s mother
2nd dau = father’s mother
3rd dau = mother
4th dau = mother’s oldest sister
5th dau = mother’s 2nd oldest sister or father’s oldest sister
2nd wife’s oldest daughter = named after first wife, using full name

Our ancestors often used the above naming procedure when picking out a name for a new child. This explains why certain names are very common in a given family line. Watching for these patterns can help in your genealogy research.

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Have you ever wandered through a cemetery and wondered about the meanings of the designs carved on old gravestones? Thousands of different religious and secular symbols and emblems have adorned tombstones through the ages, indicating attitudes towards death and the hereafter, membership in a fraternal or social organization, or an individual’s trade, occupation or even ethnic identity. While many of these tombstone symbols have fairly simple interpretations, it is not always easy to determine their meaning and significance. We were not present when these symbols were carved into the stone and can’t claim to know our ancestors’ intentions. They may have included a particular symbol for no other reason than because they thought it was pretty.

While we can only speculate what our ancestors were trying to tell us through their choice of tombstone art, these symbols and their interpretations are commonly agreed upon by gravestone scholars:

* Alpha and Omega – represents Christ
* American Flag – courage, pride, a veteran
* Anchor/Ships – hope, safety, or seafaring profession
* Angel – spirituality, guardian, messenger between God and man
* Angel that is flying – rebirth, resurrection.
* Angel with trumpet – Resurrection.
* Angel with tears or weeping – grief and mourning.
* Arch – victory in death.
* Arrow – mortality.
* Bird – eternal life.
* Bird that is in flight – resurrection.
* Book – representation of a holy book: i.e. the Bible.
* A pair of Holy Books on Mormon (LDS) headstones indicates the Bible and Book of Mormon
* Three Holy Books on Mormon headstones indicates the Bible, Book of Mormon, and Doctrine & Covenants – all of which are scripture to the LDS Church.
* Breasts (Gourds, Pomegranates) – nourishment of the soul, the church.
* Bouquets/Flowers – condolences, grief, sorrow
* Broken Column – loss of head of family, shortened life, died young
* Broken Ring – family circle severed
* Buds/Rosebud – mourning of life or renewal of life
* Bugles – resurrection and the military
* Butterfly – short-lived, early death
* Calla Lily – majestic beauty,marriage, or resurrection
* Candle being snuffed – time, mortality
* Celtic or Irish cross – eternity
* Cherub – angelic
* Coffin, Father Time – mortality
* Columns and Doors – heavenly entrance.
* Corn – ripe old age
* Cross – emblem of faith
* Crossed Swords – high-ranking military person
* Crown – glory of life after death.
* Cup or Chalice – the Sacraments.
* Dove – purity, devotion.
* Dove that is flying – resurrection.
* Drapes – mourning, mortality.
* Flame or Light – life, resurrection.
* Flower – fragility of life.
* Flower, Severed Stem – shortened life.
* Flying Birds – flight of the soul
* Fruits – eternal plenty
* Full blown Rose – prime of life
* Garland or Wreath – victory in death.
* Grim Reaper – death personified.
* Hand with finger pointed up – pathway to heaven, heavenly reward.
* Hand with finger pointed down – represents God reaching down for the soul
* Hands that are clasped – The goodbyes said at death.
* Hand (of God) chopping – sudden death
* Handshakes – farewell
* Harp – praise to the Maker
* Heart – love, love of God, abode of the soul, mortality.
* Horns – the resurrection
* Horseshoe – protection from evil, a lover of horses
* Hourglass – passing of time.
* Hourglass with wings – time flies.
* Imps – mortality
* Ivy – friendship, fidelity and immortality
* Lamb – innocence.
* Laurel – fame or victory
* Lily or Lily of Valley – emblem of innocence and purity
* Lion – protection, courage, bravery, the lion of Judah.
* Morning Glory – beginning of life
* Oak Leaves and Acorn – maturity, ripe old age
* Open Book or Bible – deceased teacher, minister, etc.
* Pall – mortality.
* Palm Branch – signifies victory and rejoicing
* Pick – death, mortality.
* Poppy – sleep
* Portals – passageway to eternal journey
* Rod or Staff – comfort for the bereaved.
* Rooster – awakening, resurrection.
* Roses – brevity of earthly existence
* Scythe – death; The divine harvest.
* Seashell – resurrection, life everlasting, life’s pilgrimage.
* Sheaf of Wheat – ripe for harvest, divine harvest, time
* Skull – mortality.
* Skull with crossed bones – death.
* Skeleton – life’s brevity.
* Snake (Tail in Mouth) – everlasting life in heaven.
* Spade – mortality, death.
* Stars and Stripes Around Eagle – eternal vigilance, liberty
* Sun Rising – renewed life.
* Sun Shining – life everlasting.
* Sun Setting – death.
* Thistle – Scottish descent.
* Thistles – remembrance.
* Tombs – mortality.
* Torch Inverted – life in the next realm or a life extinguished.
* Tree – life.
* Tree Sprouting – life everlasting.
* Severed Branch – mortality.
* Tree Stump – life interrupted.
* Tree Stump with Ivy – head of family, immortality
* Tree Trunk – brevity of life.
* Tree Trunk Leaning – short interrupted life.
* Trumpeters – heralds of the Resurrection
* Urn – immortality (ancient Egyptian belief that life would be restored in the future through the vital organs placed in the urn).
* Urn with Wreath or Crepe – mourning
* Urn with Blaze – undying friendship
* Weeping Willow Tree – mourning, grief, nature’s lament.
* Willows – earthly sorrow
* Winged Face – effigy of the deceased soul; the soul in flight.
* Winged Skull – flight of the soul from mortal man.
* Wreath – victory.
* Wreath on Skull – victory of death over life.
* Wheat Strands or Sheaves – the divine harvest.

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Learn how to use another important research tool: Google:

1. Take time to read the Help files at http://www.google.com/support/?ctx=web
2. Start by reading the Basics, even if you think you’ve already had enough experience using Google. It is never too late to learn something new.
3. Read the Advanced search help files to learn a new trick or two.
4. Keep a research workbook open on your computer (a word processing file for your research notes) while you are visiting web sites.
5. Copy and paste directly from the web browser window to your notes the search terms you use, the sets of results you get back, ideas you have for future searches, etc. Keep a running log of what you are doing so that when you step away from the computer you can later pick up again where you left off.

Basic Search:

* Google is not case-sensitive for keywords, so uppercase or lowercase letters will each return the same results. Boolean operators are case-sensitive (AND, OR, NOT).
* Google automatically uses “and” in the query, returning hits that include all of your keywords.
* Google allows up to 10 words to be used in a search. Use your 10 words wisely.
* Use distinct keywords unique to your query: a place name, a unique given name or surname, a year, etc.
* Don’t use common words or phrases such as: the, of, is, but (these waste your 10 words). For example, instead of The Genealogy of the Johnson Family in Iowa enter a simpler, more specific query with unique keywords such as: genealogy peter johnson iowa sweden

A Slightly More Advanced Search:

* Place quotes around a set of words to keep them together as an exact phrase. In the example above I would use them if I want to be sure to get returns that include exactly the name “peter johnson”
* Use + in front of a search term to insure it is included (although Google does default to assume this)
* Use – in front of a search term to exclude a keyword or a phrase. In my example I could exclude possible hits returned that might include Norway: genealogy peter johnson iowa sweden -norway
* Use OR in a phrase to include results, but not necessarily all of the words in your query. In my example I could use OR to look for variant spellings on the surname: genealogy “peter johnson” OR “peter johnsen” iowa sweden.

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