News from Blooming Rose 1913

 Reading news of family and friends in other neighborhoods was very  important to the residents of Western Kentucky. Travel by road might be difficult, but the local newspaper could bring the news to them. The following news from the Blooming Rose community appeared in the Crittenden Record-Press (Marion, Kentucky) on 23 October 1913. These items were especially interesting to me as J.J. Croft was my great-great grandfather and Nettie Vaughn, my grandmother, is the third person from the left in the front row of the photo below. 

Molasses making is the order of the day in our neighborhood.

Mrs. Lala Watson, of Paducah, is the guest of her parents, Mr. and Mrs. John Malcom, this week.

J.J. Croft and wife, Dunk  Garnett and wife and little son, Iva, and John Croft’s folks, of Tolu, were guests of W.T. Croft Sunday.

Miss Nettie Vaugh [Vaughn] was the guest of her sister, Mrs. Eddie Pittillo, Sunday.

An angel visited the home of Frank Watson Monday and took their little son, Joe. The burying took place at the Watson graveyard Tuesday afternoon. Little Joe leaves a mother, father, sister, three brothers and a host of relatives and friends to mourn his loss.

W.T. Croft was in Carrsville Friday.

Eula Little and little sister, Opha, were guests of their aunt, Pearl Kimsey, Saturday.

Mrs. Lockie Large and Mrs. Ruth Vaughn went to Amplius Watson’s store shopping Tuesday.

School is progressing nicely with Homer Johnson as teacher.

Blooming Rose School ca 1911 - 1913

Students of  Blooming Rose School

Published 15 Dec 2020, Western Kentucky Genealogy Blog, http://wkygenealogy.blogspot.com/

John V. Bateman 1867 - 1948

John V.

Bateman

June 19, 1867

Sept. 18, 1948

Buried New Union (Ditney) Cemetery, near Lola, Livingston County, Kentucky. Tombstone photographed 8 July 2014.

John V. Bateman was the son of Samuel and Nancy C. (Vaughn) Bateman, who had married 16 Jan 1862 Crittenden County, Kentucky.[1] The family moved to Randolph County, Arkansas, where they are found on the  1870 census living next to former Crittenden County residents, David W. Kimsey and his wife, Mary S. (Vaughn), and their children. [2] 

The Bateman family eventually returned to Kentucky.   John V. Bateman married his first wife, Martha Walker Davenport 4 September 1890 in Pope County, Illinois. [3] John V. Bateman's second marriage was to Delia A. Wright on 30 January 1898 in Crittenden County. [4]  He married his third wife, Elizabeth Dycus, 1 August 1939 in Charleston, Mississippi County, Missouri. [5]

Although he had married in 1939, John V. Bateman was enumerated in the household of his son-in-law and daughter, Winfield M. and Vera Clopton in Paducah, McCracken County, Kentucky in 1940.[6]

Bateman was a farmer and veterinarian.

John V. Bateman died in Metropolis, Massac County, Illinois on the 18th of September 1948 at the age of 80, according to his obituary in  the Paducah Sun-Democrat on Tuesday, 21 September 1948. Survivors were his wife, Elizabeth; three daughters, a daughter in law, two sisters and  two brothers. The funeral and burial were at Ditney (now known as New Union) Church and cemetery  

---

[1] Kentucky County Marriages 1783-1965, Crittenden County 1862, Ancestry.com

[2] 1870 Randolph County, Arkansas census, Current River, Roll M593_63, p. 427A, Ancestry.com

[3] Judy Foreman Lee & Carolyn Cromeenes Foss. Pope County, Illinois Marriage Register A-1  1888-1898, Vol III, (Evansville, IN: Evansville Bindery, 1992) 43.

[4] Kentucky County Marriages 1783-1965, Crittenden County 1898, Ancestry.com

[5] Missouri Marriage Records 18 05-2002, Mississippi County 1937-1940, Ancestry.com

[6] 1940 McCracken County, Kentucky census, Roll m-t0627_01334, p. 2A, E.D. 73-19, Ancestry.com

Published 18 July 2019, Western Kentucky Genealogy Blog, http://wkygenealogy.blogspot.com/

What if ...?

It is easier to believe our ancestors played by the rules and were honest, respectable citizens, but that is not always true. Just like people of today, they broke the rules - had children out of wedlock, ran off and left their families, got into debt and lost their farms and did not always tell the truth. Keep this in mind when you can't find a record. Ask yourself "What if ..."  It may lead you to records you had not previously considered.

Many descendants of my great-great-great- grandmother, Rebecca Vaughn, list her in their family trees as Mrs. Rebecca Vaughn, widow. They have assumed she was a widow as she had children before her marriage to John Jacob Burner in 1834.[1] The problem is no marriage before 1834 has been found for her in Kentucky or any place else. Also, Rebecca was not listed as a widow when she married Burner.  Sarah Vaughn, who was likely a sister to Rebecca,  married George Fisher[2]  and Fisher was surety on  the marriage bond of Burner and Rebecca. And there were other connections.

Rebecca is listed as Rebecca Barner [Burner] on the 1840  Livingston County census records and as Rebecca Vaughn on the 1850 census. The 1860 census lists her as Rebecca Barner [Burner] -  17 years after Burner filed for divorce from Rebecca.[3] 

My theory is Rebecca was a single mother prior to her marriage to Burner and so far, all signs point that way.  Do you have research that indicates if this theory is correct or incorrect?

---

[1] Livingston County, Kentucky Original Marriage Bond and License,  John Jacob Burner and Rebecca Vaughn, 21 April 1834. Surety: George Fisher.

[2] Livingston County, Kentucky Original Marriage Bond and License,  George Fisher and Sarah Vaughn, 23 May 1828. Surety: Daniel Vaughn.

[3] Burner vs Burner, Caldwell County, Kentucky Circuit Court, filed 31 July 1843; granted and recorded 25 June 1844.

Published 30 August 2018, Western Kentucky Genealogy Blog, http://wkygenealogy.blogspot.com/

The Story of William and Martha Rebecca Lewis

About 1839 William Lewis and Martha Rebecca Vaughn pledged their love for each other "for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health."  Like many promises, this one was broken. Their marriage likely started out all right, but perhaps too many children and the  hardships of life  wore them down.

They had lived in Bedford County, Tennessee since the time of their marriage about 1839. About 1853 they moved to Crittenden County, Kentucky.  In January of 1854, William and Martha bought 100 acres of land on the waters of Claylick Creek and set about rearing their growing family, which consisted of John, James, Richard, William, Rebecca Jane and Herod, all of whom were born in Tennessee, and Mary E. "Lennie" and Sarah C., who were born in Kentucky.[1]  Lennie was my great-great-grandmother.

Life was no easier for the Lewis family in Crittenden County.  John, the oldest Lewis son, was mustered into Co. E, 48th IL Infantry on the 14th of September 1861 and died at Shiloh in Tennessee on the 5th of April 1862.[2] His brother, James, also enlisted in Co. E., 48th IL Infantry. So, two sons were off fighting in the war. William had already mortgaged his land and crops and a judgment had been placed against him for non-payment.[3]  He was not in good shape financially and add the worry over the loss of his oldest son to that burden. Perhaps it was too much for him. He abandoned his wife and children in 1863[4] and left Kentucky.

The 1870 Posey County, Indiana census shows William Lewis, age 52 and born in Tennessee, as head of household. Other family members were Charlot [sic] B. Lewis, age 29 and also born Tennessee; Charlie Lewis, age 6 and born Indiana; America Lewis, age 2 born Indiana and Florence A. Belt, age 11 and born Kentucky.[5]

Charlot Lewis was born Charlotte Green in Rutherford County, Tennessee and married John Summers Belt 28 July 1854 Crittenden County.[6]  Two children, Florence and Sarah E. were born to this union, but only Florence survived infancy.  The couple divorced in 1859[7] and Charlotte and her daughter Florence were living with the Isaac F. Sisco family in 1860.[8] Charlotte was listed as Charlotte Green.  The next time we find William Lewis and Charlotte is when they were living as a family in Posey County in 1870.

While William was living in Posey County, his wife, Martha Rebecca, was dealing with her own hardships in Crittenden County. The second oldest son, James Lewis, was home on leave from the army in 1864 and while on the street in Marion, he was shot and killed by a bushwhacker or ex-confederate soldier simply because he was a "yanky soldier." [9] Martha Rebecca had depended on James for support of the family after William Lewis abandoned the family. In 1873, she listed her only property as one horse and 10 acres of land, which was later sold. [10] She applied for a mother's pension based the military service and financial support of her son, James.

According to Martha Rebecca, her husband provided no support to their family after he abandoned them. She stated he died "about August 1872" at the age of 57.[11]  William's place of death and burial are unknown.  He was enumerated on the 1870  Posey County, Indiana census, but is found in no other records in that county or adjoining counties. One researcher suggested he died in Hardin County, Illinois, directly across the Ohio River from Crittenden County. A courthouse fire in 1884 destroyed almost all records, including death records, prior to that year. A search of newspaper items in the pertinent time period revealed no death information for William Lewis.  A search of census records for 1880 and later was made for Charlotte, Charlie/Charles and America Lewis or Belt or Green but nothing was found. Charlotte's daughter, Florence, later lived and died in Crittenden County. Her obituary and death record both state she was born in Indiana.  Her death record gives her parents' names as John Belt and Charlotte Green.[12] No siblings are listed among survivors on her obituary.[13] If not for the 1870 Posey County census, I would never have known Charlotte, Charlie and America ever existed.

Martha Rebecca Lewis died 14 March 1897 and is buried at Chapel Hill Cemetery in Crittenden County.

 The story of this family is not finished as there are many unanswered questions. Writing what I do know helps me see what I must find out. I would like to hear from anyone who descends from William and Martha Rebecca Lewis or William and Charlotte Green Belt. Please contact me through this blog.

---

[1] 1860 Crittenden County, Kentucky census, Marion, Roll M653_363, p. 301, dwelling 1, family 1, household of William Lewis, Ancestry.com.

[2] Illinois Adjutant General's Report,  http://www.archive.org.stream/reportofadjutant03illi1#page/469/mode/1up

[3] Crittenden County, Kentucky Deed Book D:405, 9 July 1856, William Lewis to James H. Maxwell; also Deed Book F:519, 26 July 1862, William Lewis to D. & R.H. Woods.

[4] Declaration for an Original Pension of a Mother, No. 299.777, Declaration of Martha Lewis, 11 December 1882.

[5] 1870 Posey County, Indiana census, Mt. Vernon, Black Twp., Roll M593_352, p. 197A,  household of William Lewis, dwelling 19, family 19, Ancestry.com.

[6] Brenda Joyce Jerome. Crittenden County, Kentucky Marriage Record, Vol. 1 1842-1865 and Abstracts of Wills  Book 1 1842-1924, (Evansville, IN: Evansville Bindery, 1990) 50.

[7] John Belt vs Charlotte Belt, Divorce, Filed 28 April 1859, Crittenden County Case File #192, Kentucky Dept for Libraries and Archives.

[8] 1860 Crittenden County, Kentucky census, W. half of county, Roll M653_363, p. 353, family of Isaac F. Sisco, dwelling 371, family 371, Ancestry.com.

[9] Declaration for an Original Pension of a Mother, No. 299.777 of Martha Lewis, mother of James Lewis, testimony of H.C. Hill, 11 December 1886.

[10] Declaration for an Original Pension of a Mother, No. 299.777, Schedule of Property 1866 - 1873, by D. Woods, Clerk of Crittenden County Court.

[11] Declaration for an Original Pension of a Mother, No. 299.777, Declaration of Martha Lewis, 11 December 1882.

[12] Kentucky Death Certificate #9494, Florence Bell Asher, died 8 March 1941 Crittenden County, Ancestry.com.

[13] "Mrs. F.B. Asher Buried at Dunn Springs," obituary of Mrs. Florence Belle Asher, Crittenden Press 14 March 1941.

Published 26 July 2018, Western Kentucky Genealogy Blog,  http://wkygenealogy.blogspot.com/

Tombstone Tuesday - George Washington Vaughn

G.W. Vaughn

Born

Sept. 19, 1880

Died

Nov. 7, 1913

Asleep

Buried in Watson Cemetery, Crittenden County, Kentucky. Tombstone photographed 8 May 2017.

George Washington Vaughn was born in Crittenden County and was the son of David Vaughn and Margaret C. Riley. His delayed death certificate gives his death date as 7 November 1912.[1] David and Margaret C. (Riley) Vaughn were my great grandparents and are buried at nearby New Union (Ditney) Cemetery.

George Washington Vaughn married Miss Lela Belt on Christmas Day, 1906. He was 26 years old and she was 24. They were enumerated together on only one census - the 1910 Crittenden County census. In their household was their son, Shelby, and Lela's father, Benjamin Belt.[2]

---

[1] Kentucky Death Certificate #29435 of Geo. Washington Vaughn, Ancestry.com, accessed 26 May 2017.

[2] 1910 Crittenden County, Kentucky Census, Population Schedule, Mag. District 5, database on-line, E.D. 0050, page 3A, Ancestry.com, accessed 27 May 2017.

Published 12 September 2017, Western Kentucky Genealogy Blog, http://wkygenealogy.blogspot.com/

Oh, Those Middle Names!

Do your ancestors have middle names?  Are those middle names clues to be used in your research? Sure they are, but watch out for false clues!

As an example of a false clue, look at the case of my great-great grandfather Chester C. Bebout, born in 1854. He consistently used the middle initial "C."  At some point, someone decided his middle name was Coleman and if you go to those public member trees on Ancestry.com, you will see many  listings for Chester Coleman Bebout. Keep in mind, though, there is not one record spelling out his full middle name in Livingston or Crittenden County, Kentucky.  No Chester Coleman Bebout - only Chester C. Bebout. So, did he have a middle name or just a middle initial?  It's hard to be sure.

Wait a minute ... There was an attorney and businessman named Chester C. Cole  who lived in Crittenden County before moving to Iowa in 1857.[1]  Could Chester C. Bebout have been named for this prominent citizen?  Maybe .. or maybe not, but the Bebout family did have business dealings with Chester C. Cole. Still not enough proof. This ancestor will have to continue as Chester C. Bebout in my records until other information is found. Hearsay isn't good enough; there must be a record showing his entire middle name.

Then there is my great-grandfather, David Vaughn.  This situation is similar to that of Chester C. Bebout ... well, sort of. Many researchers have his full name as David Marshall Vaughn. The only problem is no record gives his middle name as Marshall.  The 1850 Livingston County census shows a Gustavus Vaughn, age three, the right age in the right family to be my David Vaughn. The 1860 Livingston County census lists him as David A. Vaughn.   He is listed as David Vaughn on his own death certificate and as David or Dave Vaughn  on the death certificates of several of his children. His name was given as David Vaughn when he married Sarah E. Myers in 1872 and Margaret C. Riley in 1875. It was still David Vaughn in a court case in 1876, in court minutes of the 1890s and finally, in his will dated 1917.

So, was his name David Gustavus, David A. or just David Vaughn.  Could it have been David Gustavus A. Vaughn, after a prominent doctor, Gustavus A. Brown, who lived and died in Smithland? There is no proof and without proof, I will have to be satisfied with calling him just David Vaughn.

Middle names can provide clues to ties with family and friends, but they can also cause us to follow false leads, especially when only an initial is used.

 

---

[1] "Chester C. Cole," DrakeApedia, <http://drakeapedia.cowleswiki.drake.edu/Chester+Cole>, accessed 25 May 2015.

Published 28 May 2015, Western Kentucky Genealogy Blog, http://wkygenealogy.blogspot.com/

W.E. McCrosky 1801-1856

William McCrosky was a prominent and influential businessman in early Livingston County, Kentucky. He and John Bayliss were partners in a mercantile business and saddler shop in Salem. He never married, but named a daughter, Mary C. McCrosky, in his will [Livingston County Will Book B:167]. Also mentioned in his will were Sarah M. Corbitt, daughter of John Bayliss; sister Sarah Wilson; brother Joseph McCrosky and William Vaughn, son of Julina Vaughn and a half brother to my ancestor, David Vaughn. What relationship, if any, existed between William McCrosky and William Vaughn is unknown.



 W.E. McCrosky
 born in Scott County, Ky.
 Sept. 22, 1801
      Died
 October 23, 1856

I was thrilled to find the name of William Smith and H. Staub on the H.F. Given Tomb in Smithland Cemetery. That monument was probably constructed in the 1860s so imagine my excitement to find that William Smith also constructed the tombstone of William McCrosky, who died in 1856 and is buried in Mills Pioneer Cemetery. This makes two tombstones constructed by the same local stone carver prior to the Civil War.

Notice it states Wm. Smith - Smithland, Ky. Since William Smith moved to Port Gibson, Mississippi before 1860, the McCrosky tombstone definitely predates the H.F. Given Tomb.

The following artwork on the McCrosky tombstone is unusual. The handshake signifies a welcome into heaven and the star may symbolize the achievement of the highest level (heaven).

The symbol of McCrosky's Masonic membership is barely visible in the following:

The following is a testament to his character:

He was benevolent

Charitable and

an honest man

The McCrosky tombstone is impressive and fitting for one who was a prominent businessman of Salem. He and John Bayliss were in business together when Salem was the Livingston County seat and even after 1842, when most of the businessmen moved to the new county seat in Smithland.

All photographs by Jerry Bebout.
Published 16 January 2014, Western Kentucky Genealogy Blog, http://wkygenealogy.blogspot.com/

Civil War Letter from T.J. Flanary

Family letter written by Thomas J. Flanary of the 3rd Kentucky during the Civil War. Original letter in the possession of Nancy Weldon Hodge of Marion, Ky. Translation and footnotes provided by Marty K. Hodge, who retains copyright of this letter. Please do not copy without consent.


-Page 1-
Mr Wm Flanry
Camp Boon[i] ten Sept 11th 1861
dear sir I take the opportunity
of wrighting you a few lines
to let you no that I am
Stil here and well and hoping
you the same I don’t know yet
what us crittenden boys are a
going to do if capt meriwethers
gets his company which i expect
will be a cavelry company and if
the boys that come with me goes
in to it ishal goto we are furnished
a horse if we cannot get one
but if we get our horse we are alud

-Page 2-
twelve $ amonth and if he gets
and we don’t we alid pay for
him it don’t make much differenc
with me calvelry or in fantry
iexpect that the regiment will leav
in a bout too weeks if it don’t
leav in that time we will be in
a cavalry they have got to thouses
navyes for the cavalry it is
for one year the en listment
i rote you a letter the other day
not noing whether you would
receive it or not will wright you
a few more lines if we goin infantry
or cavalry iexpec we will go to padducah
general pillow[ii] with fifteen thousand
men is now on his march to
that plac when he gets there it
will be in his possession tell the
crittenden boys if they are coming
to this brigade it is time they
are coming tell henry cook

-Page 3-
that if he comes that he must
learn how to cook and if
any of the boys comes here to mind
how they can the oath that we take
it for three yrs or during the
war in the in fantry the [torn]
one year in the in fantry [torn]
are aloud forty days in [torn]
unless we are in battle some
of the men here are disheartened
a bout our pay but when our
officers gets there commission we
will be paid I have spent
a bout to dollars sine I have bin
here for nicknacks but that
is stoped for ther was no use of it
for we get plenty to eat her
James Vaughn is here he has had
the measles but is getting well
I would like to see you all
and per haps will shortly
So no more at present T.J Flanry

___________

[i] Camp Boon was located near Clarksville Tennessee on the Tennessee-Kentucky
border.
[ii] Brig. Gen. Gideon J. Pillow

In Memory of David Vaughn 1846 - 1924

David

Vaughn

Aug. 7, 1846

Dec. 26, 1924

Vaughn

This blog entry is in memory of my great-grandfather, David Vaughn, who died 86 years ago today.

The son of Julina "Lina" Vaughn and an unknown father, David Vaughn lived much of his life near New Union "Ditney" Cemetery, where he is buried. The above photograph of his tombstone was taken 20 March 2010.

David Vaughn married Sarah Myers 1 April 1872 in Crittenden County, Kentucky and then married Margaret C. Riley 24 January 1875, also in Crittenden County. My grandmother, Nettie C. Vaughn, was from the second marriage.

 Published26 Dec 2010, Western Kentucky Genealogy Blog,  http://wkygenealogy.blogspot.com/

A Visit to Lola, Kentucky

Copyright by Brenda Joyce Jerome, CG

 



One of the many little villages dotting the western Kentucky countryside is Lola, in Livingston County. As a child I often visited my cousin and her family and remember several businesses, including my aunt's grocery store, home of the famous Mustard Jar.

A recent visit to Lola shows a different picture. The stores are all closed and the only activity was centered on a house where a woman was moving out. The post office has been closed for several years and my aunt's store, which adjoins the post office, is also vacant.

Melva's Store and Post Office

Just across the road is the store once operated by Tommie May. This brick building was built in 1896 from bricks made from material taken from a nearby slough.

Tommie May's Store

Traveling down Hwy. 838, Lola Baptist Church is on the left. This neat, well-kept church fairly glistened in the bright sun.

Lola Baptist Church

The destination of this trip came as we turned off onto New Union Church Road. Many of my Vaughn ancestors are buried in the cemetery adjoining New Union church and my great-grandfather, David Vaughn, lived just over the hill. While the church is now called New Union Church, my family never called it anything but Ditney. In addition to Vaughn, other names found on the tombstones are Wright, Belt, Dalton, Curnel, Champion, Singleton, Damron, Tabor and many others.

New Union Baptist Church

Several members of my aunt's Fisher family are buried here, but most do not have tombstones. Among those buried here with no tombstones are the following:

Martin Van Buren Fisher born 19 May 1835, died 21 April 1926
Horace Greely Fisher born 15 May 1882, died 1 January 1916
Mary Fisher Hosick born 20 Dec 1841, died 19 June 1919
Katharine Fisher Smith born 19 Dec 1844, died 19 May 1926
The information on these folks comes from their death certificates.

It was a beautiful day for a trip to Lola and it brought back many memories of times past.

Vaughn Family of Livingston County, Kentucky

Above is a photo of David Vaughn, his children and his mother. David is holding my grandmother, Nettie C., who was born in 1897. The older woman in the long black dress is Julina "Lina" Vaughn, David's mother.

Everyone has at least one brick wall in their research. I have several, but one of the families that has been most difficult to research is my Vaughn line of Livingston County, Kentucky.

I have solid documentation back to my great-grandfather, David Vaughn and to David’s mother, Julina Caroline Vaughn (July 1827 - after 1900). From Julina backwards, the picture gets murky. It appears that Julina, aka Lina, had four sons, William (ca 1844-before May 1859), David (1846-1924), W. Richard (1854-1930) and Jackson (1859-after 1910) and one daughter, Eliza J., a twin to William. The murkiness partially stems from Lina’s inability or refusal to acquire a husband. Researching unmarried mothers and their ancestors presents a challenge.

In his will, William McCrosky of Salem left to Lina’s “oldest son William 10 shares of capital stock in the Southern Bank of Kentucky, being $1000 in my own name on the books of the bank, certificate dated 17 October 1853.” Whether there was a blood relationship between McCrosky and William Vaughn remains a mystery, but it is hard to believe that he would single out this child if there was no connection. If McCrosky was the father of William Vaughn, he had to have been the father of William’s twin, Eliza J. [aka Jennie]. Why did he not leave any property to her?

I haven’t a clue about the father or fathers of the other children. A number of years ago, an older relative said she thought David Vaughn’s father was named Howard. She also said Mr. Howard went away to war, possibly the Civil War, and when he came home, Lina had made different living arrangements. Search for a Mr. Howard did not reveal any likely candidates and the Civil War was just a bit too late to fit what I have documented.

Another brick wall within this brick wall family has to do with Rebecca Vaughn, who most likely was Lina’s mother. Almost every researcher of this Vaughn family has stated that Rebecca’s maiden name is unknown and she was a widow when she married John Jacob Burner the 21st of April 1834 in Livingston County. Maybe, but I think not. I believe the marriage to Burner was her first - no matter how many children she had before that marriage. Perhaps she started the tradition of children before marriage in this family.

Rebecca was born between 1810 and 1812, either in Kentucky or Tennessee, depending on which of the two 1850 Livingston County census listings you favor. In one census, she is listed as head of household and in the other she is a member of the household of Henry and Elizabeth Vaughn, likely her son and daughter in law. I believe she had several children, including Julina Caroline, born 1827 and died after 1900; William Henry, born circa 1829, married Eliza Jane Hull 8 January 1850 and died before 15 June 1853; George W., born circa 1838, married (1) Susanna Morgan 1857 and (2) Amanda Martin Porter 1867, moved to Dunklin County, Missouri; and Jerome, born circa 1841 and died during the Civil War in 1864.

So, if Rebecca Vaughn married Mr. Burner in 1834, what happened to him? He is not on the 1840 Livingston County census, but Rebecca appears and is listed as Rebecca Barner. There is an older man, between the ages of 70 and 80, in her household, but seems much too old to have been Mr. Burner. My hunch is that older man was Rebecca's father. On the 1850 census, Rebecca is once again Rebecca Vaughn.

Quite by accident, I found that John J. Burner filed for divorce from Rebecca “Faughn” in 1843 in Caldwell County. He stated he lived with her from the time of their marriage [1834] until about five years ago, at which time Rebecca “voluntarily abandoned ... and positively refuses to live with him any more” and he prays for a divorce. Andrew Brown gave a deposition, in which he stated that he saw Rebecca when she was “moving and heard her say she had left Jake ... and would never live with him again.” Brown also stated he saw her “suckle a child which she claimed as her child that must have been born more than a year after she left her husband.”

The divorce was granted, Rebecca became Rebecca Vaughn again and John Jacob Burner disappeared. Often in early Kentucky, a woman was summoned to the county court to name the father of an illegitimate child so the child would not become a charge on the county. In other cases, the family of the husbandless mother would take on the responsibility of the support of the child and there might not be a record in the county court minutes. Possibly this was the case with Rebecca and Lina Vaughn as no bastardy bond or summons to court for either of them has been found.

Now, the next brick wall. Who was the father of Rebecca? There are two candidates: Daniel Vaughn and Hector Vaughn. According to the 1810 and 1830 Livingston County census records, Hector was born between 1770 and 1780. Daniel was born between 1780 and 1790. At this point, it is impossible to determine if Daniel was a younger brother or a son of Hector. He may not have been either, but they lived in the same general area and I feel there was a close relationship. Also, I feel it is likely that Sarah Vaughn, who married George Fisher in 1828 and who was enumerated a few households away from Rebecca and family on the 1850 census, was a close relative, maybe a sister, to Rebecca. For the most part, the Vaughns and Fishers are buried at Ditney (New Union) Cemetery near Lola, Kentucky.

I still have much to do, but, bit by bit, I am adding pieces to this puzzle. Anyone had any luck with seances?

Published 30 November 2008, Western Kentucky Genealogy Blog, http://wkygenealogy.blogspot.com/

Blooming Rose School

The above photograph is supposed to be of students at Blooming Rose School in Crittenden County and was given to my mother not long before her death. No date is given, but it is believed that my grandmother, Nettie C. Vaughn (1897 - 1958), was about 14 or 15 years old at the time. It struck me how much my mother looked like her mother and how much I resemble both of them. Note how it seems as if each person is lost in his own thoughts, including the two little faces looking out the window. A moment in time captured forever.

The persons are identified thusly:
Back Row: Claud Belt, Harry Johnson, Kenny Clark, unknown
Front Row: unknown, unknown, Nettie (Vaughn) Croft [my grandmother], Hollis Franklin, teacher who later became President of Farmers Bank, Florence (Clark) Suits, Eva (Croft) Belt.

Published 23 Nov 2008, Western Kentucky Genealogy Blog,  http://wkygenealogy.blogspot.com/

Barner vs Burner

From the two articles on Miss Pattie Barner of Smithland, you have probably guessed that I am very interested in her family. My interest in the family came about because I thought that one of my probable ancestors married into the family. What a lesson learned of the value of going to the original sources! Let me give you a bit of background to explain what happened.

The mother of my great grandfather, David Vaughn, was Julina Caroline Vaughn, who was born in July 1827, according to the 1900 Livingston County census. Working backward through the census records, I found Julina, who never married, with her children living with Rebecca Barner in 1860 Livingston County. In 1850, Julina and her children were also living with Rebecca, but Rebecca’s last name was Vaughn. Rebecca Barner appears on the 1840 Livingston County census. Various Vaughn researchers have said that Rebecca Vaughn, a widow, married John Jacob Barner in 1834, but a search through original Livingston County marriages records shows that his name was, in fact, John Jacob Burner and Rebecca is never listed as a widow.

Well, that put a whole new face on the problem! There were other clues that John Jacob was not related to the Barner family. While I still know little about John Jacob Burner, I do know the Barners lived in Smithland and the Vaughn family lived quite a distance away in a completely different part of the county. The Barners were merchants and business people and the John Jacob Burner and Vaughns were farmers. The Barners were Cumberland Presbyterian and as long as I can remember, the Vaughns have been Baptist. There were simply too many differences between the two families.

In a later blog, I’ll tell you what happened to John Jacob Burner and Rebecca Vaughn.

Published 13 September 2008, Western Kentucky Genealogy Blog, http://wkygenealogy.blogspot.com/