Monday, July 29, 2013
Julia E Saviers
If there is one thing I can say about Cousin Julia, aside from being the most notorious ancestor so far, is that she knew how to avoid being in public records during her lifetime.
Researching Julia has been quite a challenge, with the exception of her notorious act in Stockton, California in 1871. The only records I could find for her was the 1870 and 1880 U.S. Federal Census, a marriage in Shasta County in 1855, a San Francisco Directory listing in 1889, the mortuary bill from San Francisco when she died, and one possible marriage record in Burlington, Vermont from 1854.
Information from the Census records state Julia was born about 1831 in New York. If I recall correctly, one newspaper article from Northern California stated she was born in LeRay, Jefferson, New York. Julia's parents were Ira Glynn and Rhoda Russell.
Ira Glynn was born in Vermont. He served in the army but the experience was not a positive one. He was convicted of theft and, later, was sentenced to prison for desertion. His profession was as a dentist and he moved his family to Placerville, California, opening up his dentistry office and becoming a well-respected member of the community.
Rhoda was born to Reuben Russell and Lydia Vaughan, making her the sister of my 4th great-grandmother. As far as we know, when Ira and Rhoda removed to California, Julia, along with her brother, Frederick, moved with them. The entire family are found living, at one time or another, in Placerville.
According to newspaper reports, it was reported that Julia was married 3 times - Frank Guy Seeley, Arthur J Spencer and Nelson James Saviers. It was her third marriage to Nels Saviers that resulted in the public notoriety in 1871.
The 1870 Census reports that Nels and Julia were living in Carson City, Nevada. Nels was a telegraph operator by trade, but the census indicates that they may have been operating a boarding house or some sort as Nels was listed as the head of household and there were several unrelated single people living in the household, too.
In the same 1870 Census for Carson City is a listing for G.M. Lake and his wife, J.A. This is Augustus aka Gus Lake and his wife, Julia. Also living in the household are Julia's two young sons from a previous marriage.
Why did I mention the Lake family? Because in June of 1871, Nels Saviers and Julia Lake arrived by stagecoach in Stockton claiming to be husband and wife. Nels gained employment at the Telegraph office and the couple took up residence at the Grand Hotel.
Approximately one month and 11 days later, on the 31st of July, Julia Saviers arrived by stagecoach and immediately procured a room at the Yosemite Hotel.
After making inquiries around town concerning her husband - where he worked, where he resided and with whom = she secured a room at the Grand Hotel, insisting on a room on the same floor that her husband's room was located on. One newspaper reported the room being across and down the hall from Nels.
At approximately 8:30 pm, Julia knocked on the door of her husband's room. Mrs. Lake answered and after a short conversation, Julia drew a six-shooter and shot Mrs. Lake 3 times. Julia left the hotel and went to the telegraph office accompanied by a man who had agreed to show her where the Sheriff's office was located.
Julia told Nels that she had shot her 3 times and will now shoot him, drawing the pistol, but the man who accompanied Julia to the Telegraph office wrestled the gun from her. Nels accompanied his wife to the Sheriff's office, where both were arrested after discovery of the shooting.
Mrs. Lake stayed at the hotel, attended by a doctor, until she died from her injuries two days later. Nels was released from custody and stayed by her bedside until her passing. Afterwards, he left for Sacramento.
Newspaper reports state that Ira and Rhoda arrived by stagecoach to attend to their daughter during her incarceration and subsequent trial. There were also reports that Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton visited Julia while in jail, but the reports ere false and the papers printed a retraction. The two famous women were in San Francisco, but had gone to Yosemite National Park and knew nothing of the shooting.
Julia was described in the papers as fragile and sickly. She was attended by a doctor while in jail and, during her trial, was taken from the courtroom after falling ill. Public sentiment was on the side of Julia at first, being the scorned woman; but after Mrs. Lake died, sentiment turned against her. Newspapers across the country reported disdain for Julia, California and law enforcement, stating that society was tired of these types of crimes and not enough was done to prevent them. One particular article from a newspaper in Arizona stated, in essence, that in California, if you don't like your marital situation, it was okay to shoot your spouse.
Aside from public opinion, Julia was acquitted of all charges by reason of temporary insanity. In other words, she got away with murder.
After the trial, Julia moved to Placerville with her parents. Nels went to San Francisco, where sometime later, he encountered Gus Lake in a bar. They somehow ended up in a back room of the bar when a worker walked in and prevented an ugly confrontation between the two men. Authorities ordered the two men to leave town and they complied - taking opposite directions. Nels later appears in census' after 1900 in Santa Rosa with a wife and children.
Julia stayed with her parents and caring for them until their deaths. Rhoda died in 1881 and Ira in 1883.
After her father's death, Julia moved to San Francisco where she was employed as a housekeeper at the Palace Hotel. She was later admitted to the Crockers Old People's Home. It is believed that she resided there during the 1906 Earthquake. Although, I'm not to sure on this point as I seem to recall a letter from Julia talking about the earthquake. Needless to say, the Palace Hotel where Julia was employed - was heavily damaged in the earthquake.
Julia died in 1908 at the Crocker Old People's Home of pneumonia. The Rebekah Lodge IOOF in Placerville paid to have her remains transported to Placerville. She is buried with her parents and brother in Union Cemetery. The grave marker is four sided with each side representing a member of the Glynn family.
Researching Julia has been quite a challenge, with the exception of her notorious act in Stockton, California in 1871. The only records I could find for her was the 1870 and 1880 U.S. Federal Census, a marriage in Shasta County in 1855, a San Francisco Directory listing in 1889, the mortuary bill from San Francisco when she died, and one possible marriage record in Burlington, Vermont from 1854.
Information from the Census records state Julia was born about 1831 in New York. If I recall correctly, one newspaper article from Northern California stated she was born in LeRay, Jefferson, New York. Julia's parents were Ira Glynn and Rhoda Russell.
Ira Glynn was born in Vermont. He served in the army but the experience was not a positive one. He was convicted of theft and, later, was sentenced to prison for desertion. His profession was as a dentist and he moved his family to Placerville, California, opening up his dentistry office and becoming a well-respected member of the community.
Rhoda was born to Reuben Russell and Lydia Vaughan, making her the sister of my 4th great-grandmother. As far as we know, when Ira and Rhoda removed to California, Julia, along with her brother, Frederick, moved with them. The entire family are found living, at one time or another, in Placerville.
According to newspaper reports, it was reported that Julia was married 3 times - Frank Guy Seeley, Arthur J Spencer and Nelson James Saviers. It was her third marriage to Nels Saviers that resulted in the public notoriety in 1871.
The 1870 Census reports that Nels and Julia were living in Carson City, Nevada. Nels was a telegraph operator by trade, but the census indicates that they may have been operating a boarding house or some sort as Nels was listed as the head of household and there were several unrelated single people living in the household, too.
In the same 1870 Census for Carson City is a listing for G.M. Lake and his wife, J.A. This is Augustus aka Gus Lake and his wife, Julia. Also living in the household are Julia's two young sons from a previous marriage.
Why did I mention the Lake family? Because in June of 1871, Nels Saviers and Julia Lake arrived by stagecoach in Stockton claiming to be husband and wife. Nels gained employment at the Telegraph office and the couple took up residence at the Grand Hotel.
Approximately one month and 11 days later, on the 31st of July, Julia Saviers arrived by stagecoach and immediately procured a room at the Yosemite Hotel.
After making inquiries around town concerning her husband - where he worked, where he resided and with whom = she secured a room at the Grand Hotel, insisting on a room on the same floor that her husband's room was located on. One newspaper reported the room being across and down the hall from Nels.
At approximately 8:30 pm, Julia knocked on the door of her husband's room. Mrs. Lake answered and after a short conversation, Julia drew a six-shooter and shot Mrs. Lake 3 times. Julia left the hotel and went to the telegraph office accompanied by a man who had agreed to show her where the Sheriff's office was located.
Julia told Nels that she had shot her 3 times and will now shoot him, drawing the pistol, but the man who accompanied Julia to the Telegraph office wrestled the gun from her. Nels accompanied his wife to the Sheriff's office, where both were arrested after discovery of the shooting.
Mrs. Lake stayed at the hotel, attended by a doctor, until she died from her injuries two days later. Nels was released from custody and stayed by her bedside until her passing. Afterwards, he left for Sacramento.
Newspaper reports state that Ira and Rhoda arrived by stagecoach to attend to their daughter during her incarceration and subsequent trial. There were also reports that Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton visited Julia while in jail, but the reports ere false and the papers printed a retraction. The two famous women were in San Francisco, but had gone to Yosemite National Park and knew nothing of the shooting.
Julia was described in the papers as fragile and sickly. She was attended by a doctor while in jail and, during her trial, was taken from the courtroom after falling ill. Public sentiment was on the side of Julia at first, being the scorned woman; but after Mrs. Lake died, sentiment turned against her. Newspapers across the country reported disdain for Julia, California and law enforcement, stating that society was tired of these types of crimes and not enough was done to prevent them. One particular article from a newspaper in Arizona stated, in essence, that in California, if you don't like your marital situation, it was okay to shoot your spouse.
Aside from public opinion, Julia was acquitted of all charges by reason of temporary insanity. In other words, she got away with murder.
After the trial, Julia moved to Placerville with her parents. Nels went to San Francisco, where sometime later, he encountered Gus Lake in a bar. They somehow ended up in a back room of the bar when a worker walked in and prevented an ugly confrontation between the two men. Authorities ordered the two men to leave town and they complied - taking opposite directions. Nels later appears in census' after 1900 in Santa Rosa with a wife and children.
Julia stayed with her parents and caring for them until their deaths. Rhoda died in 1881 and Ira in 1883.
After her father's death, Julia moved to San Francisco where she was employed as a housekeeper at the Palace Hotel. She was later admitted to the Crockers Old People's Home. It is believed that she resided there during the 1906 Earthquake. Although, I'm not to sure on this point as I seem to recall a letter from Julia talking about the earthquake. Needless to say, the Palace Hotel where Julia was employed - was heavily damaged in the earthquake.
Julia died in 1908 at the Crocker Old People's Home of pneumonia. The Rebekah Lodge IOOF in Placerville paid to have her remains transported to Placerville. She is buried with her parents and brother in Union Cemetery. The grave marker is four sided with each side representing a member of the Glynn family.
Saturday, July 27, 2013
The Spencers, The Curtiss', and The Russells
Before moving on to Mom's family lines, I need to tell the story of the mysterious Julia Saviers. As I mentioned before, Julia's name popped up in an excerpt from a letter she wrote to Rodolph Spencer that appeared in one of the Bundock newsletters. My Aunt, who published the newsletter, nor any one else in our family knew who Julia was or how she was connected in the family. All anyone knew was that she was a cousin.
But to tell Julia's story, a bit of family history needs to go back a few generations more to establish her connection.
George Bundock's wife, Lilla Florence Spencer, was the daughter of Rodolph Ambrose Spencer and Emma A Curtiss. Rodolph was the son of Ambrose Spencer and Mercy Ann Russell and Emma was the daughter of Kelsey Curtiss and Eliza Rebecca Sutliff.
Histories on the Spencers, Curtiss' and Sutliff's will be in later blogs, but for now I want to follow the Russells.
Mercy Ann was born to Reuben Russell and Lydia Vaughan (some say her name was Lydia Lemon Vaughan although I don't find a connection for the Lemon name).
Reuben's family originated out of Massachusetts and Lydia's family originated out of Connecticut. Of course, both family lines came from England, but both also moved on to Oneida County, New York. It was in this county that Reuben and Lydia married and produced fourteen children. Along with Mercy Ann, some of their most researched children were Calvin Follett and Cyrus Paddock, of whom both moved to Canada; Stephen Webster Russell removed to Michigan and Olive Russell who married Ozias Whitney and moved to Wisconsin.
Wisconsin was also where Reuben and Lydia moved along with their daughter, Mercy Ann and her husband, Ambrose Spencer.
But our focus will be on the little known daughter of Reuben and Lydia - Rhoda. Nothing was known about her with the exception of her birth year. That is, until the search for Julia started.
I began searching for Julia in the Federal Census' - a reasonable place to begin, although I did not know if her surname was a married or maiden name. The 1880 Census reported a Julia Saviers living with an Ira Glynn and his wife, Rhoda in Placerville and she was listed as their daughter. It wasn't until a connection with another Spencer cousin that it was discovered that Rhoda was the sister of Rodolph's mother, making Julia and Rodolph first cousins.
But the story doesn't end there. In fact, I got what was probably the first genealogical shock in my research when I did an internet search on Yahoo for Julia E. Saviers.
A picture of Julia that was shared by a Bundock cousin a few years after we discovered the story of Julia.
But to tell Julia's story, a bit of family history needs to go back a few generations more to establish her connection.
George Bundock's wife, Lilla Florence Spencer, was the daughter of Rodolph Ambrose Spencer and Emma A Curtiss. Rodolph was the son of Ambrose Spencer and Mercy Ann Russell and Emma was the daughter of Kelsey Curtiss and Eliza Rebecca Sutliff.
Histories on the Spencers, Curtiss' and Sutliff's will be in later blogs, but for now I want to follow the Russells.
Mercy Ann was born to Reuben Russell and Lydia Vaughan (some say her name was Lydia Lemon Vaughan although I don't find a connection for the Lemon name).
Reuben's family originated out of Massachusetts and Lydia's family originated out of Connecticut. Of course, both family lines came from England, but both also moved on to Oneida County, New York. It was in this county that Reuben and Lydia married and produced fourteen children. Along with Mercy Ann, some of their most researched children were Calvin Follett and Cyrus Paddock, of whom both moved to Canada; Stephen Webster Russell removed to Michigan and Olive Russell who married Ozias Whitney and moved to Wisconsin.
Wisconsin was also where Reuben and Lydia moved along with their daughter, Mercy Ann and her husband, Ambrose Spencer.
But our focus will be on the little known daughter of Reuben and Lydia - Rhoda. Nothing was known about her with the exception of her birth year. That is, until the search for Julia started.
I began searching for Julia in the Federal Census' - a reasonable place to begin, although I did not know if her surname was a married or maiden name. The 1880 Census reported a Julia Saviers living with an Ira Glynn and his wife, Rhoda in Placerville and she was listed as their daughter. It wasn't until a connection with another Spencer cousin that it was discovered that Rhoda was the sister of Rodolph's mother, making Julia and Rodolph first cousins.But the story doesn't end there. In fact, I got what was probably the first genealogical shock in my research when I did an internet search on Yahoo for Julia E. Saviers.
A picture of Julia that was shared by a Bundock cousin a few years after we discovered the story of Julia.
Friday, July 26, 2013
J.S. Bundock and the Inheritance
One of the most interesting research discoveries in the Bundock history was just how close the Bundock family came to being wealthy. In researching news articles of the day, and through family stories, Samuel's wife, Mary Ann Dister (also spelled Diester), came from a prominent family lineage although further research has been unable to document her lineage.
But, apparently, Henry and his brother, John Samuel, received a missive from a Solicitor in England sometime in the early to mid - 1890s. The Solicitor stated that the brothers were heir to an estate through their mother.
According to Dad, Henry was not interested in pursuing the claim the brothers had to the estate - but John Samuel was very interested. He procured the services of the Solicitor and, although it took several years, the claim appeared solid.
According to various news articles (all of which had facts in error in one form or another), the estate in question had been held in chancery for about 200 years. It consisted mainly of prime real estate in the heart of London among other items of value.
When the Solicitor assured John Samuel that his claim was valid and he was confident that John would inherit a portion, at least, of the estate, preparations were made for the trip to England. It had been decided that John Samuel would be accompanied by his son Emmet (John Emmet) who at the time lived in Hawaii.
Emmet sailed from Hawaii to San Francisco in 1900 and joined his father on the trip cross country to New York where they would sail to England.
Unfortunately, JS and Emmet never reached New York as John Samuel died in his sleep at the Nicholas Hotel on a stopover in Jefferson City, Missouri. According to the Coroner's Inquest, John Samuel died from a pre-existing heart or stomach ailment.
Emmet stayed in Jefferson City to take care of the arrangements for his father's remains. Apparently, it was decided to have him buried in Jefferson City rather than transport the remains back to California.
Emmet did make it to England a year later, but he came home "empty-handed". One can only surmise that it was either too late to lay claim on the estate or that he was ousted out of the claim by other inheritors. Needless to say, it was a tragedy to a family that struggled financially after the death of John Samuel.
Bundock Branch Intro
The Bundock family line extends back to the 1500s in Essex County. Thanks to cousin Ian in England, I have been able to add to the tree seven generations of my direct Bundock ancestors.
Ian's line branches off from a common ancestor and it was this line that the Bundocks were boat builders. My Bundock line became potters. There is still much work to be done on this line - mostly with the females. Surnames such as Carter, Salmon, Potter, Thibald, Galliway and Downes have very little information and history.
This picture is from descendants of John Samuel Bundock, Grandpa Henry's brother. It is an example of the pottery that the Sacramento/Bundock Bros. Pottery produced in their business. The writing says a "3/4 gallon Butter Pot" and is inscribed with "J.S. Bundock to C. Bundock".
John Samuel Bundock died in 1900, so I think it's safe to say, if he produced this piece, that this was pre-1900.
Both immigrant Bundock Brothers, Samuel and Henry, died in Sacramento. Samuel in 1882 and Henry in 1894.
When Samuel died, the Sacramento Pottery passed on to his sons, Henry and John Samuel. It later became the Bundock Bros. Pottery, but that did not last long. Disagreements between the brothers and John Samuel's desire to pursue a different career soon resulted in J.S. leaving the business and moving to the Bay Area of San Francisco. It was here that word came from England of an inheritance through the lineage of their mother, Mary Ann Dister, who died in England in 1848, before Samuel immigrated to the U.S. in 1855.
Henry had no interest in laying claim to this inheritance, but J.S. felt it worthwhile and had a solicitor in London pursue the matter.
Ian's line branches off from a common ancestor and it was this line that the Bundocks were boat builders. My Bundock line became potters. There is still much work to be done on this line - mostly with the females. Surnames such as Carter, Salmon, Potter, Thibald, Galliway and Downes have very little information and history.
This picture is from descendants of John Samuel Bundock, Grandpa Henry's brother. It is an example of the pottery that the Sacramento/Bundock Bros. Pottery produced in their business. The writing says a "3/4 gallon Butter Pot" and is inscribed with "J.S. Bundock to C. Bundock".
John Samuel Bundock died in 1900, so I think it's safe to say, if he produced this piece, that this was pre-1900.
Both immigrant Bundock Brothers, Samuel and Henry, died in Sacramento. Samuel in 1882 and Henry in 1894.
When Samuel died, the Sacramento Pottery passed on to his sons, Henry and John Samuel. It later became the Bundock Bros. Pottery, but that did not last long. Disagreements between the brothers and John Samuel's desire to pursue a different career soon resulted in J.S. leaving the business and moving to the Bay Area of San Francisco. It was here that word came from England of an inheritance through the lineage of their mother, Mary Ann Dister, who died in England in 1848, before Samuel immigrated to the U.S. in 1855.
Henry had no interest in laying claim to this inheritance, but J.S. felt it worthwhile and had a solicitor in London pursue the matter.
Thursday, July 25, 2013
Bundock Pottery Picture
Bundock Family History
Kate Bundock was the daughter of George Frederick Bundock and Lilla Florence Spencer.
Lilla had a previous marriage to Arthur Eugene Hagen and they had two children, Curt and Nodene. Curt and Nodene were quite young when George and Lilla married, and, so, they were raised by George.
George and Lilla had 6 children of their own, but Lilla died shortly after the birth of their twins, Lilla and Robert. Robert would later die at the age of 1 year and 4 months.
Lilla was the daughter of Rodolph Ambrose Spencer and Emma Curtiss.
George was the son of Henry Frederick Bundock and Lucy Long Wright.
George worked in a variety of jobs, but mostly with the pottery business that started with his grandfather, Samuel. The business was located in Sacramento and went through a variety of names, such as Sacramento Pottery and The Bundock Bros. Pottery.
George never remarried after the death of his wife. The family story says it wasn't that he didn't want to re-marry, but he received major opposition from his children in doing so.
Henry Bundock emigrated to the U.S. with his father, Samuel, and his Uncle Henry from Chelmsford in Essex County, England. Samuel's wife, Mary Ann Dister, had passed away shortly after the birth of their daughter, Mary Ann. The baby Mary Ann also passed away shortly after her birth.
The two brothers, Samuel and Henry, settled for a time, together, in Illinois. While Samuel remained in Illinois, running a pottery business, Henry removed to Iowa and married Elizabeth Green. Henry and Elizabeth would go on to have seven children.
Samuel remained in Illinois until after his son, Henry, married Lucy Long Wright. Two of Samuel's children would later migrate to the U.S. from England - John Samuel and Isabella (with her husband, George Muddox).
Eventually, the Bundock family would remove to California - first to the Oakland area, than to Sacramento.
Lilla had a previous marriage to Arthur Eugene Hagen and they had two children, Curt and Nodene. Curt and Nodene were quite young when George and Lilla married, and, so, they were raised by George.
George and Lilla had 6 children of their own, but Lilla died shortly after the birth of their twins, Lilla and Robert. Robert would later die at the age of 1 year and 4 months.
Lilla was the daughter of Rodolph Ambrose Spencer and Emma Curtiss.
George was the son of Henry Frederick Bundock and Lucy Long Wright.
George worked in a variety of jobs, but mostly with the pottery business that started with his grandfather, Samuel. The business was located in Sacramento and went through a variety of names, such as Sacramento Pottery and The Bundock Bros. Pottery.
George never remarried after the death of his wife. The family story says it wasn't that he didn't want to re-marry, but he received major opposition from his children in doing so.
Henry Bundock emigrated to the U.S. with his father, Samuel, and his Uncle Henry from Chelmsford in Essex County, England. Samuel's wife, Mary Ann Dister, had passed away shortly after the birth of their daughter, Mary Ann. The baby Mary Ann also passed away shortly after her birth.
The two brothers, Samuel and Henry, settled for a time, together, in Illinois. While Samuel remained in Illinois, running a pottery business, Henry removed to Iowa and married Elizabeth Green. Henry and Elizabeth would go on to have seven children.
Samuel remained in Illinois until after his son, Henry, married Lucy Long Wright. Two of Samuel's children would later migrate to the U.S. from England - John Samuel and Isabella (with her husband, George Muddox).
Eventually, the Bundock family would remove to California - first to the Oakland area, than to Sacramento.
Konrad Herrmann and Magdalena Marsch
Magdalena's Diary pages
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Pages of Lena's diary. I have darkened a few of them for better reading. All of these are copied from xerox copies made by a cousin years ago. The location of the diary is unknown today. It was last in the possession of Konrad and Lena's son, Fred.
The Herrmann History
Dad never talked about his family or the history of his family. He avoided all questions for years. And to honor his privacy and memory for the personal reasons he had for doing so, I will not go into the personal aspect of it.
Dad was born in Sacramento to Conrad Herrmann and Kate Bundock. Dad was the oldest of three children. He also had two younger sisters.
Conrad was the son of Konrad Herrmann and Magdalena Martsch. They came from the Black Sea region of Russia and were known as the Volga Germans.
Konrad emigrated to the U.S. with his mother, Fredericke Schumacher. They settled in Fessenden, North Dakota. This is, presumably, where Konrad met Magdalena (Lena) and, presumably, where they married.
Konrad and Lena had many children. Some family members say 15 or 16, while others say 12/13. Lena had a diary in which she had recorded the children. It is written in Old German and there are many different translations of it by various people and each one translates it differently.
Either way, out of all those children only a handful survived into adulthood. They were - Lucille, Ben, Lydia, Fred, Conrad and Freda.
The family moved from North Dakota to Oklahoma for a short time, than onto Colorado where my grandfather, Conrad, was born. They eventually moved to California.
I can trace Konrad's parents to Conrad Herrmann and Fredericke Schumacher. Conrad the elder died in Russia and Fredericke died in Colorado. Two of Konrad's sisters emigrated to the North American continent. His sister, Karoline, settled in Canada and his sister, Wilhelmina, settled in California.
There is a story in the family that says there were so many Herrmann's moving about the two continents, that two of them (not sure which ones) passed one another at the annual Expo in Sacramento and didn't recognize each other right away. The one sibling had no idea the other sibling had emigrated.
Magdalena's parentage is my major brick wall. Mostly due to her surname. No one knows of the exact spelling. It has been spelled Martsch, Martch, Martz, and even, perhaps, Matz, as there is a person with the surname Matz in her diary. A marriage record for Conrad and Lena has not been found yet, and no one seems to know or can find an immigration record or year for Lena.
Dad was born in Sacramento to Conrad Herrmann and Kate Bundock. Dad was the oldest of three children. He also had two younger sisters.
Conrad was the son of Konrad Herrmann and Magdalena Martsch. They came from the Black Sea region of Russia and were known as the Volga Germans.
Konrad emigrated to the U.S. with his mother, Fredericke Schumacher. They settled in Fessenden, North Dakota. This is, presumably, where Konrad met Magdalena (Lena) and, presumably, where they married.
Konrad and Lena had many children. Some family members say 15 or 16, while others say 12/13. Lena had a diary in which she had recorded the children. It is written in Old German and there are many different translations of it by various people and each one translates it differently.
Either way, out of all those children only a handful survived into adulthood. They were - Lucille, Ben, Lydia, Fred, Conrad and Freda.
The family moved from North Dakota to Oklahoma for a short time, than onto Colorado where my grandfather, Conrad, was born. They eventually moved to California.
I can trace Konrad's parents to Conrad Herrmann and Fredericke Schumacher. Conrad the elder died in Russia and Fredericke died in Colorado. Two of Konrad's sisters emigrated to the North American continent. His sister, Karoline, settled in Canada and his sister, Wilhelmina, settled in California.
There is a story in the family that says there were so many Herrmann's moving about the two continents, that two of them (not sure which ones) passed one another at the annual Expo in Sacramento and didn't recognize each other right away. The one sibling had no idea the other sibling had emigrated.
Magdalena's parentage is my major brick wall. Mostly due to her surname. No one knows of the exact spelling. It has been spelled Martsch, Martch, Martz, and even, perhaps, Matz, as there is a person with the surname Matz in her diary. A marriage record for Conrad and Lena has not been found yet, and no one seems to know or can find an immigration record or year for Lena.
Looking Back and Continuing Ahead Part 3
The family website at MyFamily, started in 2003, continued on until 2009, when MyFamily decided to do away with the free limited space and the cost for more and more web space became to much money per year.
But during those years, the research was progressing by leaps and bounds. It had become an extended family site and we had members from all over the world. By the time it closed down, we had over 100 members and over 4000 posts of pictures, stories, articles, etc. We even had a section for family recipes.
Some of the research that developed will be added to future blog posts. A few that we discovered was Herman Sjoholm's parentage, who the mysterious Julia was, and the roots of Edith's mother, Maggie Morris.
The one thing that wasn't solved during the family site years was Hilmar's parents, Andreas and Gustava. We had made some discoveries with Gustava's parentage, but finding Andreas' parentage in Sweden when most of the time he just wrote his birthplace as "Sweden" was very frustrating. One literally has to know exactly where in Sweden they were born in order to find the correct records. Geez, Gramps, couldn't you have put at least the parish?
However, when one perseveres, the discoveries are made. And even though it was after the family site closed - Andreas' parentage was discovered. More on that later.
But during those years, the research was progressing by leaps and bounds. It had become an extended family site and we had members from all over the world. By the time it closed down, we had over 100 members and over 4000 posts of pictures, stories, articles, etc. We even had a section for family recipes.
Some of the research that developed will be added to future blog posts. A few that we discovered was Herman Sjoholm's parentage, who the mysterious Julia was, and the roots of Edith's mother, Maggie Morris.
The one thing that wasn't solved during the family site years was Hilmar's parents, Andreas and Gustava. We had made some discoveries with Gustava's parentage, but finding Andreas' parentage in Sweden when most of the time he just wrote his birthplace as "Sweden" was very frustrating. One literally has to know exactly where in Sweden they were born in order to find the correct records. Geez, Gramps, couldn't you have put at least the parish?
However, when one perseveres, the discoveries are made. And even though it was after the family site closed - Andreas' parentage was discovered. More on that later.
Looking Back and Continuing Ahead Part 2
My journey resumed for a short period in the early 1990s when my Aunt started a Bundock Newsletter. Internet was still in its infancy for the average person, and even though I had a computer, I did not use an internet connection. MS-Dos was the O.S. and Windows was either non-existent or I was not aware of it yet.
But the Bundock Newsletter was a great boost in researching Dad's maternal line. The newletter lasted for about 2 years and, in that time, I would glean every scrap or hint of family history and visit the local Family History Library to search for more information.
Memories that come to the forefront of the newsletter years are finding out my Great-Grandfather's nickname. George F. Bundock's nickname was Cholly. And a mystery ensued that would last for many years - A letter from a Julia to Rodolph on advice concerning George's children. Who was this Julia? And how did she fit in with the family? The family tree was shored up, too. Errors and clarifications were made in birth/death/marriage dates and names (such as Uncle Dan was William Nelson, George's brother, and Aunt Une was Eunice, George's sister). The newsletter years were very productive.
The next big spurt in tracing the family tree lasted for about 7-8 years. I was driving long haul in 2003 and had my laptop in one of the driver's lounge of our company's terminal when another driver noticed I was working on genealogy. He told me about this website, MyFamily, where you could sign up and get a certain amount of space for free. It was a private website that could only be viewed by invite only and you could post pictures, stories, messages, etc.
So, I opened an account and started posting family history that I had gathered over the years. I invited my brother to join and he invited more family members. I also invited distant cousins I had corresponded with online. That was when the family tree really began to grow big and strong.
But the Bundock Newsletter was a great boost in researching Dad's maternal line. The newletter lasted for about 2 years and, in that time, I would glean every scrap or hint of family history and visit the local Family History Library to search for more information.
Memories that come to the forefront of the newsletter years are finding out my Great-Grandfather's nickname. George F. Bundock's nickname was Cholly. And a mystery ensued that would last for many years - A letter from a Julia to Rodolph on advice concerning George's children. Who was this Julia? And how did she fit in with the family? The family tree was shored up, too. Errors and clarifications were made in birth/death/marriage dates and names (such as Uncle Dan was William Nelson, George's brother, and Aunt Une was Eunice, George's sister). The newsletter years were very productive.
The next big spurt in tracing the family tree lasted for about 7-8 years. I was driving long haul in 2003 and had my laptop in one of the driver's lounge of our company's terminal when another driver noticed I was working on genealogy. He told me about this website, MyFamily, where you could sign up and get a certain amount of space for free. It was a private website that could only be viewed by invite only and you could post pictures, stories, messages, etc.
So, I opened an account and started posting family history that I had gathered over the years. I invited my brother to join and he invited more family members. I also invited distant cousins I had corresponded with online. That was when the family tree really began to grow big and strong.
Looking Back and Continuing Ahead
Now that the basics are down, I will look back at my research. I actually started my family journey when I was about 13 years old. When Grandma Bjorkman (Ragnhild) passed away in 1974, all of her belongings were brought to Mom and Dad's house. A lot of boxes were stored in the laundry room and I use to sneak back there and rummage through the boxes; carefully, of course, because it wasn't just papers and documents and pictures. It was also glassware and knick-knacks. I knew I would be in a world of hurt if I broke anything. I also put things back in the same place as I didn't want Mom to know what I was doing.
Anyway, I came across Grandpa Bjorkman's (Hilmar) Memorial Book from when he passed away. Inside this book was a sort of family tree with the names of his parents. Naturally, curiosity got the best of me, but at that time, there was nothing that I knew of to pursue the curiosity.
A few years later, the miniseries, Roots, aired on television. In our household, we watched what Dad watched on TV. Fortunately, he watched Roots - and so did I. Thus began a lifelong journey into my own roots.
When Roots aired, an explosion of genealogy hit the country. There were books sold all over the place on how to trace the family tree. Along with these books were "kits" with genealogy forms and resources of where to write for which record, etc.
So, I saved my babysitting money and bought Gilbert H. Doane's book and kit. I still have original forms from that set.
Of course, being the age I was and the internet not available yet, my research was short-lived. I did write to the National Archives with information on when Grandma Bjorkman arrived in the U.S., but they replied back that they found nothing. I spent, for a time, reading about Sweden and Norway. As far as my paternal line, Dad would not talk about his family at all. He had his reasons, but it didn't help me with my research at all. So, my journey was put on hold for several years.
Anyway, I came across Grandpa Bjorkman's (Hilmar) Memorial Book from when he passed away. Inside this book was a sort of family tree with the names of his parents. Naturally, curiosity got the best of me, but at that time, there was nothing that I knew of to pursue the curiosity.
A few years later, the miniseries, Roots, aired on television. In our household, we watched what Dad watched on TV. Fortunately, he watched Roots - and so did I. Thus began a lifelong journey into my own roots.
When Roots aired, an explosion of genealogy hit the country. There were books sold all over the place on how to trace the family tree. Along with these books were "kits" with genealogy forms and resources of where to write for which record, etc.
So, I saved my babysitting money and bought Gilbert H. Doane's book and kit. I still have original forms from that set.
Of course, being the age I was and the internet not available yet, my research was short-lived. I did write to the National Archives with information on when Grandma Bjorkman arrived in the U.S., but they replied back that they found nothing. I spent, for a time, reading about Sweden and Norway. As far as my paternal line, Dad would not talk about his family at all. He had his reasons, but it didn't help me with my research at all. So, my journey was put on hold for several years.
Hilmar and Ragnhild Bjorkman
My maternal grandparents - Hilmar Eugen Bjerkmann (Bjorkman) and Ragnhild Amalia Hermina Sjoholm. Hilmar was known as Gene and his parents were Andreas Olsen Bjerkmann and Gustava Norgren. Even though Hilmar was born in Norway, both of his parents were born in Sweden.Ragnhild was the daughter of Herman Justus Sjoholm and Alma Lindhe Latt. Ragnhild was born in Sweden.
Hilmar emigrated to the U.S. in 1912, and Ragnhild followed about 6 months later (1913). They married a month after Ragnhild's arrival in Illinois.
Wally and Kate Hewitt
The other set of my paternal grandparents - Kate Bundock and Wally Hewitt. Kate was the daughter of George Frederick Bundock and Lilla Florence Spencer. Wally was the son of Homer Dexter Hewitt and Lydia Mae Childs.
Conrad and Edith Herrmann
This is one set of my paternal grandparents - Conrad Herrmann, son of Konrad Herrmann and Magdalena,
and Edith Armstrong, daughter of William Armstrong and Margurette Morris.
Welch Mitchell
This is my Mom's first husband, Welch James Mitchell. The little boy in the pic is my oldest brother, Mike. Everyone knew Welch by his nickname - Rocky. He was the son of Bart Mitchell and Ellen Welch.
The Beginning
So, this is Dad and Mom. Ray is the son of Conrad Herrmann and Kate Bundock. He is the step-son of Edith Armstrong and Wally Hewitt. Mom is the daughter of Hilmar Bjorkman and Ragnhild Sjoholm.Introduction
My name is Carol. Young people call me a "Old Head". Funny. Maybe I am - for a woman in her 50s, although I still feel the same in my 50s as I did in my 20s. Well, emotionally, psychology and spiritually; physically is something different altogether.
This blog is about family history - my family history. There won't be any organization to it. It will be random thoughts, pictures, stories, history, etc.
In genealogy, a person always starts with their self and works backwards in time with their mother and father's family lines. I'm going to be a little different here. I have four older half-brothers from my Mom's first marriage. So, their father's branch will be included. Than, my paternal grandfather had 2 marriages. Even though his second marriage produced no children, I didn't know she was not my blood-related grandmother until I was about 13 years old. She was my grandma, so her family lines will be included.
Than, there is my paternal grandmother. She married twice - and my father has half-siblings. That makes them family in my book, so they will be included, too.
So, essentially, the main surnames in my family will be Herrmann, Bundock, Armstrong, Hewitt, Bjorkman, Sjoholm and Mitchell.
Other surnames I will be talking a lot about will be Van Cleave, Morris, Martsch, Spencer, and Wright.
Of course, I may refer to my children's paternal line - Hardin.
So, begins the blog.
This blog is about family history - my family history. There won't be any organization to it. It will be random thoughts, pictures, stories, history, etc.
In genealogy, a person always starts with their self and works backwards in time with their mother and father's family lines. I'm going to be a little different here. I have four older half-brothers from my Mom's first marriage. So, their father's branch will be included. Than, my paternal grandfather had 2 marriages. Even though his second marriage produced no children, I didn't know she was not my blood-related grandmother until I was about 13 years old. She was my grandma, so her family lines will be included.
Than, there is my paternal grandmother. She married twice - and my father has half-siblings. That makes them family in my book, so they will be included, too.
So, essentially, the main surnames in my family will be Herrmann, Bundock, Armstrong, Hewitt, Bjorkman, Sjoholm and Mitchell.
Other surnames I will be talking a lot about will be Van Cleave, Morris, Martsch, Spencer, and Wright.
Of course, I may refer to my children's paternal line - Hardin.
So, begins the blog.
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