Scovill, Scovil, Scoville --

The very first thing I did with genealogy was search for my father's mother -- Ruth Henrietta Scovill.  I had no idea who she was, where she was from.  I had no idea HOW to search, how to use a census, how to diagnose information. I was just clueless.

Now, I don't know how I did it, but one day, after work I was inspired to visit the Mormon church over in Fort Myers.  No, I'm not a Mormon -- I'm a Luthern -- but I heard they had a lot of genealogy stuff and I figured if since their library was in their church that maybe they would be nice and maybe bump me in the right direction.

There was a man and a woman in about a 1000 square feet of space.  I would find out later that they were volunteers.  And that it was always volunteers who ran the library.  I introduced myself, pulled out my dozen sheets of scribble family tree and told them I really wanted to find my grandmother, Ruth Henrietta Scovill who married a Don Dee Drake.

Now let me add here that this wasn't like a typical library where someone walked around shushing anyone who spoke above a whisper.  There were people in this library who were talking about researching and discussing various methods of research and where would be a good place to look next.

I was pretty uncomfortable.  I kept waiting for them to ask me for my Mormon card and when they found out that I wasn't a Mormon, they would toss me out.  But that didn't happen.  The gentlemen who helped me suggested that because there were so many ways to spell Scovill that perhaps I should do a Soundex search.  I know.  What?  We'll get into a Soundex search later, but just let it be enough right now for me to say, the gentleman showed me how to do it.  He then said that it would cost $3.00 for The Church of the Latter Day Saints to send me this reel of microfilm.  $3.00.  That was it.  We'll, I didn't have a machine to read the microfilm.  The man looked it me like I was mad.  "You can use one of ours," he said.  Duh!  Well, I had to tell him.  "I'm not a Mormon," I whispered.  "It doesn't matter," he whispered back.  Mmmmmm.  Yeah, we'll see about that.

Okay.  Soundex.  According to Wikipedia, Soundex "is a phonetic algorithm for indexing names by sound as pronounced in English."

So I gave him $3.00 and filled out a little paper work.  He told me that they would let me know when the microfilm came in.  He also encouraged me to look around and brought me a couple of books that I might be interested in.

Less than a week later, I got a postcard from the Family History Center that told me my microfilm was in.  It made me crazy because it was almost a week before I was able to get back over the river to check it out.

A different volunteer couple was working in there, but the man took my postcard, retrieved the roll of microfilm, beckoned me to follow him into a room filled with all kind of mechanical devices.  He strung the film onto the machine, showed me how to work it, showed me how to take a picture of the image if I found it.  He wished me good luck then flipped the light switch.  I sat in the dark room, slowly winding me way through Scovills, Scovilles, Schovilles, Skovils and on and on.  And there it was.

Ruth H. Scovill.  My grandmother.  The gran I never knew.  The gran that died young.  The gran who birthed 3 wild and crazy children that all died before the age of 40.  Her father was William H Scovill.  And her mother was Martha Scovill.  MARTHA.  My name.  Ruth had eventually named her only daughter Martha.  In turn, my dad had named HIS only daughter Martha.  I sat there and cried like a baby.  Not just little tears oozing out the corner of my eyes.  But great, heaving sobs.  Smearing mascara, and lots of snot.

About an hour later, I handed the reel back to the volunteer, keeping my chin tucked so he couldn't see the mess I was.  He smiled at me and said, "That happens to all of us."

I sat out in my truck and wondered what the hell had just happened.  And, I'll tell you, that wasn't the last time I cried like a baby over finding another family member. It's what I do.

Right now I am wading through a tome called A Survey of the Scovils or Scovilles in England and America: Seven Hundred Years of History and Genealogy by Homer Worthington Brainard.  And -- here's a link where you can get it FOR FREE -- http://books.google.com/books/about/A_Survey_of_the_Scovils_Or_Scovills_in_E.html?id=Qe4UAAAAYAAJ

I'm warning you -- it's over a 1000 pages.  Personally, I find it fascinating and so far have resisted jumping to the end to find my family.  It is magnificent.  But, I must caution all you new genealogist, just because it is in a book doesn't necessarily mean that all the information is true.

Calling All Drakes -- I Need Your Help!

I'm going to teach you a lesson today.  Hopefully two things will happen:

     1)  You will learn from my mistake.
     2)  You just might have the information that I'm looking for.

One of the things that happened in my generation was the Internet.  Before that, most of family tree research was spent writing letters, physical trips to the area you were researching and copying.  When the Xerox machine came along, we all thought how much time that was going to save us.  Can you imagine the meltdown the Internet created for the genealogist?  Yeah, I know. I'm still sitting on 6 banker boxes filled with information that needs to be validated, notated and filed.

On one of those pieces of paper is the information that I found -eureka- on a gentleman named Howard Drake.  I remember finding him in a census while tracking down a whole 'nother side of them family.  He was there and his daughter Marjorie.  I have the very minutest of memories but here is what I know.  First off, I'm assuming that his last name was Drake.  The last time I saw him was in June 1967 or '68 at my grandpa -- Don Dee Drake's funeral.  After the ceremony, we all went to his farm.  His granddaughter was named Marti Manigold and she was less than a year younger than me, meaning she was born in 1955 or 1956.  I thought it was way cool to have a cousin my own age that had the same name.  While at Uncle Howard's farm, Cousin Marti Manigold and I rode on a pony all afternoon. Uncle Howard raised trotters.  If he was old enough for my dad to call him Uncle Howard, that would mean he was probably born around 1900.  I believe his daughter was named Marjorie Manigold.  I found an obit for Marti on one of those class reunion sites.  She went to high school in Niles.

I am hoping that one of you out there has information on Howard Drake.

The lesson to be learned?  As tempting as it is to race through the Internet and amass all the information on your family that has ever been printed ... go slow. Make a file folder.  Make a notation where you got that information.  I spent 10 hours today looking for that one piece of people.  I'm exhausted and didn't make any progress on my tree at all.  Don't let this happen to you!

Learning the Lingo -- Genealogy Speak

I'm always sad when I hear about someone who started out so passionately on their family tree research, but got  beat down by all the technicalities AND overwhelmed with all the paper that they generated.  Genealogy, family tree research, family history -- whatever you want to call -- it has a learning curve.  And like any other profession or hobby, it also has its own lingo.  The problem is that so much of the stuff we need to read is boring, dry, yawning, mind numbing.  So-- if you are a new genealogist and you want to learn about the who, whats, whys, whens and hows -- let me recommend my favorite genealogy book:  The Essential Guide to Unpuzzling Your Past by Emily Croom.  Probably not the most technical book out there, but it's actually a fun read.

You'll see as you get deeper and deeper into your family history research that there are more and more things that you need AND want to know, but you can't spend every waking minute researching.  Sometimes you just want to be entertained, so how about a book that is entertaining AND educational AND amazing.  This book is an absolute must read for anyone who has a female in their family tree.  There were parts of this book that made me furious.  And sad.  And breathtakingly proud of America's women.  This isn't about the famous dames in America's history, but about the average, every day gal.  Do yourself a favor and check it out of the library first.  I bet you'll buy your own copy.  Check out:  America's Women:  400 Years of Dolls, Drudges, Helpmates and Heroines by Gail Collins.

In Memory of Martha Jane Drake Dietz

 Martha Jane Drake Dietz

 Born: 04 Jan 1923

Died:  13 July 1960

 One of the things I love the most about family tree research it the constant ferreting out of clues, using information about one person to find information for another.  Here is my latest discovery -- and I'll let you know my results in the next couple of days.

Martha Jane Drake was my dad's sister.  And not just any sister.  His only sister.  His beloved sister.  The one who took care of him after their mother died and their dad gave them away.  He named his only daughter after her (that would be me).  I didn't know much about her because she died when I was 5 years old.  What I remember about her was that she looked a lot like my dad, Dobbie Drake, and my grandfather, Don Dee Drake, and while that may be handsome in a man, not particularly attractive in a woman.  I know that my dad always acted a little silly when she was around and if any one was the boss of my dad, it was Martha Jane.  And I remember him weeping like a little child when she died.

So I found this funeral card and I have no idea where it came from.

Let me back peddle for a moment -- for 5 years I've been looking for information regarding my grandmother Ruth Henrietta Scovill Drake.  It particularly bothered me that I didn't know where she was buried.  So here's what I'm thinking -- would a beloved sister, a DIVORCED beloved sister, just be shoved in the ground anywhere?  Would you think that they would think that she should be buried near family/with family.  So I'm thinking that maybe the buried her near her mom.  So over the next couple of days, I'm going to check out Highland Cemetery in Ypsilanti, Michigan.

Another thing that bothered me is a man that I found in my mother's and father's address book called Uncle Souse.  I know that we got a Christmas card from him every year, and that my dad would sometimes talk to him "long distance" gasp.  Now I know that my gran Ruth Scovill Drake had a younger brother who went on to be a doctor.  And as you can see there is a Dr. H.A. Scoville as a casket bearer.  In the Federal Censuses, he was listed as Aaron.  It also concerns me that the Scoville is spelled with an E and in my family we are sans E.  I will have to ask my friend Mike Wooden, who was my German teacher in high school and also married to a German gal, if Souse is some sort of endearment.  And Souse is pronounce like Dr. Suess -- not souse like louse.  I also wonder who the 6th pallbearer was -- an Errol Lee.

I have a pretty good memory.  Well, it's more than pretty good.  I'm a damn marvel, and for the life of me I don't remember going to my Aunt Martha Jane's funeral.  I can't imagine that my dad would let that happen.  But after looking at the date she died  -- 13 July 1960 -- explains it.  On June 28, 1960, my mother had given birth to my youngest brother, Scott.  I'm pretty sure she stayed home with the newborn.  Now, I'll need to check with my older brother to see it he went, but I'm pretty sure I was left at home to tote and fetch.

My memories of Martha Jane Drake Dietz are very few.  She was a big woman and she scared me a little.  But what I remember is how much my dad loved her and even as grown adults, my dad and Uncle Jack missed her terribly and they never seemed to get over it. 

It's In the Genes

I could do genealogy stuff all day long -- and all night long, too.  I love to read about it, I love to do it, I love to think about it, I love to learn about it and I love to talk about it.

But when I try to talk to my hubby about it.  I watch his eyes glaze over and he looks like a wolf with his foot caught in a trap.  I thought maybe he's just not interested in MY family.  Maybe I could find out about his family and that would pique his interest.

"Here," I said.  "Here is the manifest for when your family came to Ellis Island.  That whole thing about changing the family name from Bischoff to Bishop?  Yeah, that's not so.  Your family was Bishop before they came over.  Your grandfather was married twice did you know that?  He joined up with his brother in Richland, did you know that.  Did you know that Uncle Tom worked at a celery plant? Here's a copy of the 1920 Federal Census.  Here's your family.  Your dad hasn't been born yet..."

His eyes glazed over and he looked like a wolf with his foot caught in a trap.

This weekend I was reading Your Guide to Cemetery Research by Sharon DeBartolo Carmack.  In it she writes:

                          "Did you know that scientists have isolated the gene that makes
                            certain people predisposed to an interest in genealogy and cemeteries?"


All my life I've been attracted to cemeteries.  I thought it was because my parents died when I was so young and there were many times I'd drive out to the cemetery, lay down between their graves and think.  It was probably the only place I could go to hide.  When my kids were little, and we happened to be back in Michigan when there was snow, I'd take them to the cemetery with me and we'd make snow angels.  That resulted in the fact that my kids like cemeteries, but I don't think any of them give a rip about genealogy.  Maybe that's because they have been lucky enough to have close family still alive and up in their businesses.

Illda Martha Hughes -- Where Did You Go?

So Dennis E Austin died 02 Aug 1912.  I don't know if it was as bad for Illda and Minnie as it was for a lot of other women, because Minnie ALWAYS worked -- either for milliners or had her own shop.  But still -- something happened.  And I don't think it was a happy something either.  I still haven't worked out all the kinks yet -- and this will later be divulged in a generic genealogy tip -- but let us say that by hook or by crook Illda Martha Austin and her mom, Minnie, ended up in Denver, Colorado.

I have several letters from Illda to her grandmother, Elizabeth "Libbie" Moore Austin, and it was through one of these that I finally figured out what Daniels family I'm part of.  Illda mentions that her Aunt Addie had been to Denver.  I actually remember Illda talking about her Aunt Addie.  I knew that Minnie had been born in Michigan.  So I started looking for all the Daniels in Michigan in the United States Census 1870 and 1880.  There was only one family that had a Minnie AND an Addie that were the correct ages.  Years later I found that I was on the right track.

Minnie Daniels Austin died in Denver, Colorado.  I think that Illda was probably around 16 or 17 years old. She spent several weeks getting her traveling suit ready and a new set of teeth.  I know she went to nursing school and worked as a nurse. On the FamilySearch.org website, I found a wedding license for Cleo Mallison Hughes and Illda Martha Austin that said they were married on 28 Nov 1920.  Here's the fun stuff: in 1920 Cleo Mallison Hughes claims to be 21 years old.  On that same document, Illda Martha Austin claims to be 22 years old.  Now, let's do a little math:  Cleo was born in 1903.  So in 1920, he would have been 17 NOT 21 a difference of 4 years.  Illda was born in 1895.  In 1920 she would have been 25.  My grandma was a good person and a hard worker.  But, if my son would have ever brought home a bride 8 years his senior, the SH*T would have hit the fan.

A couple of things that still confuse me:

* I'm pretty sure they were married in March.  At least that's when they celebrated it.  Illda Martha Austin and Cleo Mallison Hughes were both born and March -- or course I could be confused.
*  I found a document on Ancestry.com  -- a directory entry from 1921 that has Illda as Illda Martha Austin, nurse, employed at Nichols Memorial Hospital.

In another directory from 1922, I found Illda and Cleo Hughes living at 13 Roseneath Avenue in Battle Creek Michigan.

Illda Martha Austin Hughes -- The Quiet Ones are Usually Trouble!

Here's another picture that I posted over on Ancestry.  I think Illda was about 3 years old which would put this around 1898. There is no identifying marks, but I know that face like I know my own kids.

When Illda was living with me, I asked her where she got the name Illda from.  She told me that her mother named her after a heroine in a Russian novel.  Part of the problem with her name is that I've seen it spelled:  Illda, Ilda, Illdah, Hilda, Hildah -- and some of these mistakes were made by people in her own family!

I asked her about school and all, and she said she went to school for one day and it was so traumatizing that her mom didn't make her go back.

What I know about Illda:

*  She first shows up in 1900.  Darling daughter to Dennis E Austin and Minnie M Drake.  I have seen a few things where Minnie's middle name is Martha.  Which would make sense because Illda's middle name is Martha -- and so is mine.  Illda was born in March of 1895, making her 5 years old in June 1900, when the 1900 United States Census was taken.  (Pay attention to the dates here.  You'll see about them later.)  Illda Austin was living with her parents at 743 East Marietta, in Decatur, Macon, Illinois.  She was born in Toledo.  Minnie Daniels Austin was a milliner and Dennis E Austin worked for the Railroad and I think because of the railroad, they moved around quite a bit.  


* By the 1910 United States Federal Census, Illda Austin and parents had moved to Houston Heights, Texas.  Minnie Daniels Austin is once again listed as a milliner and Dennis E Austins occupation was a decorator/painter/paper hanger.  Illda Austin does not have an occupation listed.  However, she is 15 years old.


*  A telephone directory from 1911 has the entire Austin Family listed at 601 W 17th Street, still in Houston Heights.  I am lucky enough to have quite a few letters from Dennis and Minnie as well as Illda back to their families in Michigan.  Miss Illda Austin is not listed with her parents in the directory, but on her own.  It also says that she was a milliner and worked for the milliner Mrs. Minnie D. Austin.  

*  Dennis Austin died on 02 Aug 1912 in Houston Heights, Texas.  And things kind of went to hell in a hand basket for Illda Austin and her mama, Minnie.  Which is where we'll pick up tomorrow.

There's More to Me Than Being a Drake

Sometimes I get hung up on my families.  It's fun researching the Drake side of me for several reasons.  First, there is a paper trail.  When we start getting way back, many of my family were men who owned their own businesses and men of the sea -- not just sailors, but men who owned their own boats.  Later we became farmers, but that was much later.  Most of the men in the family read.  We came from money and I think we treated our women -- wives, mothers and daughters as equals.  There has been a lot of stuff written about the Drakes.  And, you can spend weeks and weeks jumping from Drake family tree to Drake family tree on Ancestry.com.

But sometimes I've got to suck it up and spread my time around.  I mean, why continue to go over someone else's research on an already well documented family.  So today I'll give you a little background on Illda Martha Austin Hughes.  

Considering she lived with me for about a year, I really don't know much about her.  I know that she was born 15 Mar 1895 in Toledo, Lucas, Ohio.  Her mother was Minnie M Daniels, a milliner, and her dad was Dennis E Austin, a railroad man.  As a kid, I knew that Illda LOVED Texas.  I remember them closing the store for a few weeks and racing off to Texas.  Galveston.  I knew that Illda and her husband Cleo, had bought land in Texas and were planning on retiring there.  I knew that at one time, Illda had been a nurse.  She had bad eyes, she had bad feet, and she had bad legs.  She was a good cook and a good artist.  She was very quiet and shy, but every once in a while, she would whisper a zinger that would have me laughing all day.  She had a temper.  She always told me that she was Irish.  She worked like a dog in their grocery store.  She wasn't very tall.  By the time she came to live with me, I towered over her.  I'm thinking she was around 5'0" or 5'2"

Here is a picture of her:

Cemetery Research

One of the things I love to do on Saturdays is spend the entire day working on the family tree.  I don't answer the phone, I don't cook, I don't do anything but work on the family tree.  Usually I've got the whole day's worth of research planned out, but right now I'm feeling a little perplexed. And burned out.  I've been working on the family tree of John Stout Drake and Lucia Cahoon Drake every night this week until about 2 in the morning.  And I feel like I'm banging my head into the wall.  On the one hand, I seem to be spinning my wheels, going over and over the same small bits of information, hoping to find something -- anything -- that I've missed.  On the other hand, I learned that Jane C Drake -- who married George Priestly -- went by the name of Jennie or Jen.  Which makes me believe that I should continue to go over and over information, beat the proverbial dead horse if you will.

And John Stout Drake and Lucia Cahoon aren't my only relatives nor my only mysteries.  Perhaps tomorrow I'll try to figure out what is up with the four sided head stone for John Stout Drake.  I was right there at the Drake/Baker Cemetery in Hillsdale, Michigan and I can't believe I didn't record Mary M. Pease's side or Elinor's.  I should also do some research regarding the customs of headstones.  I think it might have been one of Mary M Pease's kids who went to the trouble to get the stone made.  That could explain the descrepency of dates.  But where do I go to find out who had the stone cut?  I would also like to find the death certificates of both John Stout Drake and Lucia Cahoon Drake.  And, I've practically given up on ever finding out what really happened to Allison Royce Drake. And how could there be no pictures?

Here's a picture of John Stout Drake's head stone:

All it says on John Stout Drake's side is his name, died June 29, 1994.

On Lucia Cahoon Drake's side it says:  "Lucia A."  To the best of my knowledge, her middle name started with an M.  Then it has her death date of Oct. 9, 1871 and then her age in years, months and days.  Then there is a line and under it:  "Johnie S.  Son of J.S and L.A. Drake.  Died Aug 31, 1871" and then his age in months and days.

From a few documents I've seen, Johnie S.  was really Johnie C -- the C standing for Cahoon.  Also, who spells Johnie like that?  I've never seen it spelled for a boy that way. Usually it's Johnny or for a girl Johnnie.  Also, the 1870 United States Federal Census has John Stout Drake married to an Elinor.  It's a conundrum.

Lucia Cahoon Drake? Or is it Lucia Cohoon Drake? Or is it ---

Lucia Cahoon Drake

I can't tell you how many hours I've spent trying to figure out this old gal's last name.  These are the names that I've been working through:

Lucia Cahoon
Lucia Cohoon
Lucia Comoon
Lucia Cohoom
Lucia Cohone
Lucia Calhoun

This weekend I'll write down my research and how I determined that her last name is Cahoon.  Actually, I contacted a gentleman who is kind of the grand master of the Cahoon name and he told me that originally the name was Colquhoun.  And that is Scottish.  Which I will gladly claim.

Anna R Drake: No Home of Her Own

Anna R Drake was the first daughter born to John Stout Drake and Lucia Cahoon Drake.  A copy of her death certificate states that she was born on 31 Jan 1850.  Her death was reported by her brother-in-law George Priestly, but I think that he would know as Anna lived with him and Jennie (Jane) for many years.

The 1850 United States Federal Census has her living with her grandparents Amos and Catherine Drake.  At the time of the census she was about four months old.  There were 14 people living with Amos and Catherine.  I wonder what had happened for Lucia to let her daughter go to the grandparents?  Lucia had been a teacher and maybe she was teaching.  Or maybe she was overwhelmed with having three kids under 3.  I don't know.

In the 1960 Federal Census, Anna R Drake is listed with her parents, John Stout Drake and Lucia Cahoon Drake, along with her two older brothers, James Amos and Eugene Emery.  In the 10 years since the 1850 Census, there had been another 4 children born:  Sidney, Mary, Alfred and Allison.

1870 is still a mystery to me.  Elinor is now the wife of John Stout Drake.  But we'll get into that later.  This entry is about Anna.  In 1870 she is twenty years old and she is "at home" in the John Stout Drake household.  There were still plenty of kids running around.

By the 1880 United States Federal Census the John Stout Drake household had dwindled to just 4.  Himself, his new wife Mary Pease Drake (who was only 13 years older than Anna) and Lucy M. who was sixteen.  Mary was still in school, but it appears as if Anna had started to do housekeeping.  Her job is "housekeeper"  as opposed to "housekeeping" which usually next to the wife's name.

In 1884, John Stout Drake will die.  Since there is no 1890 United States Federal Census, I have no idea where Anna R Drake was living.  Did step mom Mary Pease Drake sell the house?  Did Anna have to get out?

In the 1900 United States Federal Census, I found Anna R Drake living in Springport, Jackson, Michigan.  She is a "servant" for a widow woman named Sarah A Oyer and her son Andy M Johnson.

By the 1910 United States Federal Census, Anna R Drake has gone to live with her little sister, Jennie (Jane) Priestly.  George and Jennie are listed in the census along with two of their children:  Katie and Henry.  Anna is listed as "Drake Ann Priestly."  They are living in Orange, Kalkaska, Michigan.  George is a farmer, but Anna does not have any job listed.

At present I am not able to find Anna R Drake in the 1920 United States Federal Census or the 1930 Census for that matter, but I intend to work on that this weekend.  Correction:  I just enlarged her death certificate and realized the date was 1912, not 1932.  No wonder I couldn't find her in the 1920 or 1930 Census.  However, I do have a copy of her death certificate:  She was living in Orange, Kalkaska, Michigan.  She was a white female and single.  And yet it says her job was "housewife."  Her father was John S Drake and he was born in New York.  Her mother was Lucia Cahone (EGAD -- yet another spelling of that name), and her mother was born in Michigan.  Her date of death was 15 Jun 1912.  She died from chronic nephritis.  The place of burial is either Lodi or Sodi -- but I'm pretty sure it's Lodi.  When I can figure out how to do it, I'll put a copy of her death certificate right here.  And so I did. 

Are Alfred B Drake and Bird A Drake One and the Same?

While under the family group sheets that I've checked out of John Stout Drake and Lucia Cahoon, there are 11 children listed.  There is an Alfred B Drake born 1859 and a Bird A Drake, born 1857.  But lately I've found references to an Alfred Bird Drake and a Bird Alfred Drake.  Another conundrum.  I have found Alfred B Drake married to an  Ella Conway Ryan.  And I have a Bird A Drake married to Eugenia Priestly.

The 1860 and 1870 Federal Census adds to the confusion.  In the 1860 Federal Census, Alfred B Drake was listed as 4 years old.  Bird A Drake isn't on that census at all.  In the 1870 Federal Census Alfred is listed as 11 years old.  If he was 4 in 1860, then he should be 14 in 1870.  Also in the 1870 Federal Census Bird is also listed, and it says that he is 13 years old, which is closer to14 years that Alfred is supposed to be.  However, 1970 is where "Elinor" shows up as the wife.  Maybe she didn't know.

Another thought is "Was Bird a child of Elinor's who John Stout Drake adopted?"

The Children of John Stout Drake and Lucia Cahoon

As I continue to work the family group sheet for John Stout Drake and Lucia Cahoon, I find myself in a rush to get down every thing I'm working on as well as all the questions.

So I was researching Jane Drake.  Not a lot of information out there.  But I know, that her ancestors think that she was THE most important of all the John Stout Drake and Lucia Cahoon's children.  Personally, I thought she died young. According to what I could find out about her -- and remember that this isn't documented yet so I can't officially insert it into my family tree -- she was born in Hillsdale, Michigan on 23 Apr 1861.  I also found information that says her name was Jane Carel Drake and she went by Jennie.  Well hot diggity dog.

One of the questions I've been carrying around was this:  In the 1880 United States Federal Census, I have found Allison Royse Drake listed under John Sprawls in Hillsdale, Michigan.  In regards to his relationship with the head of the house, John Sprawls, it is said "servant."  Also listed in that household is Jennie C. Drake who is also listed as servant.  Up until now, I had no idea what their relationship with each other was. And now I believe that they are brother and sister.

On some of the public family trees on Ancestry.com, it is said that she married George Priestly and had three (all unnamed) children.  And I've found one tree that says there is a daughter named Kate.  There is a good chance that this could be true, as Jen's brother, Bird A Drake, married Eugenia Priestly.  Now I have to dig around and see if they were brother and sister as well.

There is also an individual on Ancestry involved with the Hoag family line that feels like a kindred spirit.  It's a hunch, but I thing it is a cousin that comes down John Stout Drake and Lucia Cahoon, to Allison Royse Drake to Hattie Gavena Drake who was my grandfather Don Dee Drake's sister.

When the Drakes Fell Apart

This is what I thought I knew about my line of the Drakes.  We stick together.  We don't move away from each other.  We always married into the Stouts.  We name our children after our favorite relatives.  That's why there are so many Johns, Amoses and Williams.  We don't leave our children.  It is not uncommon to see whole pages of the Federal Census filled with Drakes -- side by side.

I've been trying to figure out what happened to the John Stout Drake and Lucia Cahoon kids.  Allison Royse Drake turned out to be a mean drunk, but hopefully I'll be able to shine a little light on that later.  I am pretty convinced that Sidney S Drake, moved to Arkansas where he met and married Sarrah Staggs.  There is a Sidney S  Drake living in Atkins, Pope, Arkansas who was born in Michigan.  His father was born in New York.  Unfortunately, 1910 Federal Census says that his mother was born in New York as well -- which isn't the case for my Sidney S Drake.  His mother -- Lucia Cahoon was born in Plymouth, Wayne, New York.  Of course, if it was his wife giving the info to the census taker, she might not have known and just assumed.  If this Sidney S Drake, is my Sidney S Drake, he had one child -- a daughter named Lucredia.

Now there is Emery Eugene Drake -- or it could possible be Eugene Emery Drake -- I've seen it both ways.   I have found him in Family Search marriage license.  In 1884 he was living in Travis City.  On October 28, 1884, he married Jennie O'Connell.  He was 42 years old.  His dad, John Stout Drake, died May of 1884.  I wonder if Emery moved before or after.

I also wonder if these kids were all trying to escape John Stout Drake or had travel and communications just made it easier to get up and go?  I sure wish I could find information regarding John Stout Drake's character.

I have signed up to take a class on genealogy through social networking.  It is on August 4 at the main branch of the public library.    

John Stout Drake -- Where do I Start?

Too many unanswered questions and not enough resources.  I feel that all it would take would be a couple of days at the Hillsdale Library.  Maybe this fall!  It seems like every article I read about the Drake family, the writers say that there has been so much written about this pioneer family that they aren't going to go into it.  Where is all this stuff that's been written about  us?

I guess I need to get an actual death certificate for Lucia Cahoon.  Then maybe some people on Ancestry have an Elinore Drake on their tree.  Next I need to find a marriage license for John Stout Drake and this Elinore woman.  Perhaps she was from Ohio?  Seems like the Drakes went back in forth over the state line.  Then I guess I should call JM Converse.  I consider him the patriarch of the family and he might remember something.  And then write Jeanne Converse his mother.  Jeanne was married to  John Converse.  John Converse's mom was Lucia Drake, daughter of Allison Royse Drake and Jane Myers.  Allison was a son of John Stout Drake.  Jane Myers eventually lived with Lucia Drake Converse and Lucia Drake Converse ended up living with John and Jeanne Converse on the farm.  Wouldn't it be great if there was something in the attic?  I got to get on it.  Jeanne has got to be in her mid-90s.  When I talked to JM over Thanksgiving, he said that she was still sharp as a tack, but her eyes are going.

I will continue to develop the family group sheet starting with John Stout Drake and Lucia Cahoon.  I never really much cared about doing family group sheets, but they give such a better picture into what was going on in any particular family.

I also intend to start a John Stout Drake page on Facebook.  I have signed up for a class at the public library for August 4.  It's how to use social networking in genealogy.  I just know there are cousins out there that have the information I need.

John Stout Drake and Lucia Cahoon Drake. What Happened?

John Stout Drake and Lucia Cahoon Drake are buried in the Drake/Baker Cemetery in Hillsdale, Michigan. It is listed as an abandoned cemetery.  About 5 years ago, on a whim and on our way from Kalamazoo to Ann Arbor, I convinced my husband to take the highway running parallel with I 94  in hope that we would just come across it.  And we did!

I was expecting a run down, overgrown place, but I was wrong.  It was small, but the stones were erect and in place and the grass was cut.  Yes, there were some very old plastic flowers on the some of the graves.

5 years ago, I was still pretty new to genealogy and made some mistakes.  I took pictures of the headstones instead of writing down the information.  In other words, the pictures aren't very good.

John Stout Drake has a large 4 sided head stone.  John Stout Drake is on one side.  Lucia Cahoon Drake has another, as well as "Elinor Drake" and Mary M. Drake.  I have found the marriage license for John Stout Drake and Mary M. Pease.  So far I have found nothing on Elinor.

Lucia Cahoon Drake died on 9 Oct 1871.  On her head stone, she is called "wife of J.S. Stout."  Also buried with her is a child Johnie S Drake -- son of JS and LA Drake.  Johnie S Drake died on 31 Aug 1871.  Lucia was only 47 when she died, but that is also kind of old to be having a baby.

The 1870 United States Federal Census has John Stout Drake as head of household.  Elinor Drake is listed as wife.  But Lucia Cahoon Drake didn't die until 1971.  So where was Lucia for the 1870 United States Federal Census.  I can find no divorce record.  Could she have been in an institution?

I thought that perhaps the census taker just assumed that Elinor was the wife and maybe she was the housekeeper, but she is buried with John Stout Drake.

One more thing, I have seen a birth record and a death record for Johnie Drake.  In both cases, his middle initial was C, not S.

I guess maybe, however bought the stone and had it cut, could have been mistaken about Lucia's death date.   I have yet to see the death certificate.

John Stout Drake -- He's Making Me Crazy

John Stout Drake:

Here is what I know:

John Stout Drake was born 24 Oct 1824, in Lyons, Wayne County, New York.  He was the son of Amos Stout Drake and Catherine Whaley.  He married Lucia A Cahoon on 02 Nov 1845.  The licensing information said that they were to be married in Plymouth, Wayne County, Michigan.  He would have been around 21 years old.  He was a farmer.

John Stout Drake and Lucia Cahoon had 11 children.  The first born was James Amos Drake, born around 1847.  The reason I mention him is because there are a few public family trees on Ancestry that have him marrying Mary Pease.  I know he did marry a Mary, but Mary Pease was John Stout Drake's third wife.

The second child born was Emery Eugene Drake in 1848.

The third child born to John Stout Drake and Lucia was the first girl, Ann or Anna R. Drake.  She was born in 1850.

Number 4 was Sidney S. Drake, born about 1852.  Up until recently I didn't know if Sidney was a boy or girl, but recently I found out -- IT"S A BOY.

Mary Serenus Drake, the second girl, came along about 1854.  I have sometimes found her middle name spelled Cyrenus.

Bird A Drake was born in 1857.  Then Alfred B Drake in 1859.  I've seen a lot of information being switched around.  For a while, I considered that Bird A and Alfred B could either be twins or the same person ... that he was Alfred but went by Bird.  I think that Bird is an unusual name and it will be explained in later entries -- hooking him to a James Cahoon.

In 1859, my great grandfather, Allison Royce Drake was born to John Stout Drake and I'm thinking that Lucia was exhausted by now.  Allison was born in Amboy Township, Hillsdale, Michigan.

Next Jane Drake was born around 1861.  Followed by Lucy Drake on 14 Nov 1863.  She, too was born in Amboy Township, Hillsdale, Michigan.

The last child to be born to John Stout Drake and Lucia was John C Drake.  He arrived on 27 Apr 1871 in  Amboy, Hillsdale, Michigan.

John Stout Drake: Farmer AND Preacher?

It's hard enough keeping track of relatives who behave like normal people.  But when they start showing up in places they have no business being, it sends me off the rails.  Recently I've been trying to solve a mystery involving regarding John Stout Drake and his three wives.  It's a date issue.

So, I'm here:  https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-11593-119369-51?cc=1452395 at the Family Search website, looking at John Stout Drake's marriage license to third wife Mary M. Pease.  Just before I jumped out of the website, I happened to notice the top entry.  Over in the category regarding who performed the marriage license, is John Stout Drake.  What?  As far as I know, John Stout Drake was a farmer.  And, witnessing this marriage to Renaldo Everett is a Mary Drake -- who could very well be Mary Pease, and Anna Drake who was a daughter from his first marriage.

And if that craziness isn't enough, Renaldo Everett is marrying a Francis McLain, from Ohio.  I have a Francis McLain cousin from Ohio on the other half of my tree.  

I have no idea where to start trying to figure out how John Stout Drake was qualified to marry anybody.