Newspapers-Vital Records-DNA To the Rescue!

Johannes and Maria Stein - 2nd great-grandparents

Johannes born 8/16/1840, German died 7/29/1906, Maryland

Maria born 11/22/1843, Germany died 2/15/1908, Maryland

Immigrated 11/22/1880 - Baltimore, Maryland

This is the only photograph our family has of Johannes and Maria Stein. Family lore states this was their wedding day. Records indicate they were married in 1863. Johannes was about 22 years old. Maria would have been 20 years old. Aren't they a lovely couple? 

For years, I have been trying to verify Maria's birth name. Researchers have used the surnames Feltman, Feldman and Feldner. The problem is, we didn't have documentation to support any of these surnames.

The Baltimore Sun Newspaper - November 30, 1888 - Newspapers.com

On Newspapers.com I located a marriage announcement for Louisa Stein. She was the oldest daughter of Johannes and Maria Stein (my great-grandmother). The article gives information about her marriage to Charles Wakefield, my great-grandfather. We are told the marriage occurred "at the residence of the bride's parents". 

Since the marriage took place in her parent's home, I figured most of the attendees would be family and close friends. I began the task of tracing surnames to see if they help with research.

I created an Ancestry tree for the couples listed. Beginning with Mr. and Mrs. Charles Uhl. Using Ancestry clues and newspaper articles, I built a family tree. Charles and Lena (Helena, Helene) Uhl had a daughter named Helena. Is she the Lena Uhl listed as bridesmaid in the article for Wakefield marriage?

Marriage record for John Bensel and Helene Uhl

Maryland State Archives

Here is the record for Helena's marriage to John Bensel. This will become an important hint.

Death certificate - Helena Bensel 

d. October 26, 1912, Baltimore, City, Maryland

Above we have the death certificate for Helena Bensel. We see the father listed as Conrad Uhl. With additional research, I found he was the Charles listed in the announcement. His first name was Charles, but used his middle name, Conrad, in life and on documents. From past German research, I found this to be a common practice. Her mother is listed as Louisa Feldner!

Obituary - Louisa Uhl 

Der Deutsche Correspondent; 13 Mar 1893; Monday; pg. 6

Newspapers.com

Next, I found the above obituary for Helena's mother, Louisa Uhl. As you can see, it was located in a German language newspaper. Not a problem. I uploaded to the Facebook Group, "German Genealogy Translations".

"Louise nee Feldner, widow of master butcher Conrad Uhl, born in Philippinenhof near Kassel, Kurhessen [=Electorate of Hesse], on 2 Oct. 1845, died on Thursday 9 March at age of 48 y, funeral: yesterday at 3 p.m. at Baltimore Cemetery, funeral service in the home of the dead in 301 North Broadway held by Pastor Ed. Huber of St. Matthäi [=Matthew] Community. She leaves behind 2 sons, 2 daughters, 1 son-in-law, 1 brother-in-law (restaurateur Joh. Uhl in Frederick Avenue). Her husband died 2 ½ y ago."

Another Feldner! But, am I related to this family? Next DNA.

Using AncestryDNA, I searched for the (possible) Feldner line. A cousin connection came up with the surname Bensel! Helena's married name. This match was for the great-granddaughter of Helena Bensel. She is my fourth cousin 1x removed

With additional information, we verified my Maria (2nd great-grandmother) and Louisa (Helena's mother) were sisters. Feldner sisters. The match is my fourth cousin 1x removed. 

Now I have the correct surname to research the line back generations. Love when a research plan solves a brick wall mystery.

Henry Wakefield ~ Elusive Ancestor

Image by congerdesign from Pixabay

Henry Wakefield, 2nd great-grandfather, has proved our most elusive ancestor. I have been researching Henry for over twenty years. Trying to discover the when and why of his life. Birth? Marriage? Death? Immigration? None of these have revealed themselves as factual. Most information about Henry has been by word of mouth from various sources.

Researching census records for Henry's son, Charles F. Wakefield (great-grandfather) proved frustrating as well. On several, he lists his father's place of birth as England. On another he lists Wales. Even more confused.

Here are records I found where Henry appeared.

Maryland State Archives

Baltimore City Court of Common Pleas (Marriage Index, Male) 1851-1885 CM205

Possible marriage record for Henry and Elizabeth. This record agrees with Elizabeth's age, but her last name is different. She was from Germany, so did the person recording the record think she said Young instead of Judd?

                                                                

Trinity German Lutheran Baptisms (record from Baltimore County Genealogical Society)

On line 237 we have the baptism record for my great-grandfather, Charles (Carl) Wakefield. Listed are Heinrich Wakefield as father and Elis. Jud as mother. We knew this family was of the German Lutheran faith, all the way down to my mother's line.

Family lore has always been that Henry died at sea. I tried to discover where this tale came about. Seems every family member was not sure of its origins. But, it became fact. When I researched other family trees, there it was, Henry dying July 01, 1871, at sea. Also, listing him as second mate on a ship called the Callaloo. Serving in the United States Navy.

Wakefield Memorial, Comprising an Historical, Genealogical and Biographical Register of the Name and Family of Wakefield by Homer Wakefield; published 1897;  Bloomington, ILL. Privately Printed    

Copy of book in personal collection    

Several years ago, I stumbled upon the above publication on eBay. Also, I found the book on the Internet Archive website.

Listed above we find Henry Wakefield and his descendants. There is no indication where the information was obtained. No notation of sources. I can see where those tales came into being! Family reading this memorial have taken the information as fact.

I have Googled and researched other sources in the hope of verifying the memorial entry. No luck! Even using the name of the supposed ship, nothing. Nothing on Google, newspapers or military sites. 

And then ... researching Ancestry, I came upon the following.

U.S., Civil War and Later Wars Index to Remarried Widow Pension Applications, 1848-1934 ~ Ancestry.com

The above record was as a hint to Henry's widow, Elizabeth Judd Wakefield Horn. Elizabeth married Henry Horn in 1872. Henry passed away on May 12, 1915. Is this a record for my Elizabeth? Is she filing for her first husband's pension on September 19, 1916? Did Henry Wakefield serve in the United States Civil War? 

I believed enough lined up to acquire the pension record. During my various social media travels, someone recommended Gopher Records for retrieval of these files from the U.S. National Archives. I went on the site to look at the terms and fees. Very reasonable! Considering the time and expense of traveling to Washington, D.C., this was a great deal.

I put in my request, crossed my fingers and waited to hear back. Immediately, I got an email that the request was in process. Gopher Records said I should hear back with the results in the next several weeks. 

My poor husband had to hear over the next few days ... "Do you think this is my Henry?" He was so patient. One week later, I received an email saying the file had been uploaded. I went on the website and downloaded the documents. 

Above we find the first informational page in the file. My second great-grandmother, Elizabeth Horn, resided in Delaware, Pennsylvania in both the 1910 and 1920 United States Federal Census. YES, this pension was for my 2nd great-grandfather, Henry Wakefield!

So much information that proved and disproved previous facts. From birth and death date, place of birth and death, marriage and military service.

With that being the case, I decided to do a series on Henry and his pension. Piece by piece, putting the puzzle together. 

Hope you come along for the many discoveries. At the end, we have a wonderful surprise.

Uncovering George aka Bernard ~ When Records Disagree

 Image by Mohamed Hassan from Pixabay

Today was a Gephardt/Gaphardt research day. The surname fluctuates back and forth with these spellings. So, it has been a bit tricky finding records.

I decided to review my research log, checking for missing birth and death certificates. Luckily, Marylanders can locate records on Internet Archive. No more traveling to Annapolis! Comfy clothes in front of the computer. 

First up is my granduncle, Bernard John Gaphardt. Here is his Maryland State Department Of Health Certificate of Death.

Facts from record:

• Father - Sylvester Gaphardt
• Mother - Ann Jarousek
• Date of Birth - 7/6/1920
• Place of Birth - Baltimore, Md.
• Date of Death - November 15, 1966 
• Place of Death - Rosedale

The only deviation on the record would be the spelling of his mother's maiden name.  It should be Jerousek. The other facts are correct according to family knowledge.

Now we have the supposed Health Department - City of Baltimore - Certificate of Birth for Bernard John Gaphardt.

George? Do I have the wrong record? 

Facts from the record:

• Name - George Gebhardt
• Father - Silvester Gebhardt 
• Mother - Anna Geronsick 
• Birth Date - 7/6/1920
• Place of Birth - Balto. MD
• Address - 2115 McEldry St
• Parents age - both 40
• Number of children born to this mother, including present birth - 10

Known facts:

• Name - should be Bernard John Gaphardt
• Father's name - correct with new spelling "Gebhardt" (adding to research list)
• Mother's name - correct with new spelling Geronsick (adding to research list)
• Date of birth - correct from certificate of death
• Place of birth correct - Balto. MD from certificate of death and census records
• Address correct - 2115 McEldry. The 1920 United States Census lists family residing at 2115 McElderry Street
• Number of children including present birth - 10 is correct. Bernard John was 10th child
• Parent's age correct according to their birth, death and census records

In conclusion, this IS the Certificate of Birth for Bernard John Gaphardt. At first, they named their son after Sylvester's father, George Gaphardt. Sometime after birth, they changed their minds. Not sure where Bernard comes from.

Other thoughts. Why didn't they do an amended certificate? I didn't find one as of yet. Also, wonder if this caused issues for Bernard when needing verification of birth. When I showed this to my husband he said "I don't know how you family researchers find things!". Too true! 

This started me thinking about primary and secondary evidence when researching. From FamilySearch.org Wiki a primary source is "any record created during the time you are researching - an eyewitness account." 

This should describe the birth certificate. Eyewitnesses present. When the record was recorded by the midwife, Mrs. H. Kron, the child's name was George. All other information was correct except for variations of parent names. 

Secondary evidence according to the Wiki is "a record created later by someone who did not experience the time period or events you are studying". The person giving information on Bernard's Certificate of Death was his wife, Helen. She may have not known her husband was originally named George. In fact, not even sure Bernard knew! 

 

What did I learn from this puzzle? You have to do your research! Don't take everything as hard facts. Nothing is 100% correct. This was an interesting family history challenge.

Say hello to my granduncle, Bernard John Gaphardt aka George Gebhardt.

In the News! ~ Discovery with Cluster Research

https://pixabay.com/vectors/newspaper-article-journal-headlines-154444/

Newspapers! One of a family historian's best research tools. They are rich with information about our ancestor's lives. From birth to death, the details we find are pure gold. Every day, I'm digging into these sites, searching for hints.

Democratic advocate

Friday, Dec 29, 1911

Westminster, MD

vol:47, pg. 2 

GenealogyBank

Often times, a small article can lead to interesting family stories. That is what happened when I discovered this tidbit from a Westminster, Maryland newspaper for Frederick Walther.

You may wonder how I found the clipping with Walther surname misspelled. Actually, I was researching James Fraley, husband of Cecelia Kreymborg.

How are Cecelia and James connected to Frederick N. Walther, Jr.? Here is the relationship:

• Lillian G. Kreymborg - my son-in-law's great-grandmother
• George W. Walther - husband of Lillian G. Kreymborg - son-in-law's great-grandfather
• Frederick N. Walther, Jr. - brother of George W. Walther - son-in-law's 2nd great-uncle
• Cecelia Kreymborg - sister of Lillian G. Kreymborg - son-in-law's 2nd great-aunt
• Stuart S. Fraley - husband of Cecelia Kreymborg - son-in-law's 2nd great-uncle by marriage

James was the husband of Frederick's sister-in-law's sister. A little convoluted, but shows how doing cluster research is very important. Without James, I most likely would never have found this article.

I discovered the information using a method called cluster research. Many times, cluster research helps answer questions. Cluster research is defined as "a research technique employed by genealogists to learn more about an ancestor by examining records left by the ancestor's cluster. A person's cluster consists of the extended family, friends, neighbors, and other associates such as business partners"

The newspaper article gave us new family information to research. When did they purchase property in Westminster? As far as I knew, the family always resided in Baltimore City, Maryland.

Also, the amount of money that changed hands. Checking a conversion website, $1,250 dollars in 1911 is worth $36,933.16 today. Where did James acquire these funds? In the post "The Bride Wore Gray", we learn both of Cecelia's parents passed away by 1910. Did she and her sister, Lillian, receive an inheritance? Enough to purchase this property? 

By searching this ancestor's in-law, we discovered an interesting family story. Additional research is needed to discover the Walther family's connection to the town of Westminster. Off to find records to answer these questions!

Several excellent resources for using cluster research in genealogy.

Free Genealogy Help: Cluster Research by the Occasional Genealogist

How to Use Cluster Research a.k.a. FAN Club Research from GenealogyTV

My Bohemian Lineage ~ Origin

Son visiting Branice (homeland of ancestors)

When I was young my mother's family talked about our Bohemian line. The elders would speak of the "old country" and share various recipes.

Being a kid, I didn't pay much attention to this discussion. The cousins were more concerned about spare change for the corner store. I should have paid more attention and soaked up information from these family members. Most are no longer with us.

As a teenager in the 70s, the idea of being Bohemian had a very different meaning. I'd tell friends "Yes, I'm a hippie!" Wearing peasant blouses and funky jewelry. To me, this heritage suddenly meant I was cool. Mom would just shake her head and try to explain. But, you know, teenager.

Fast forward to my forties and I began this "family history" journey. The first line to research had to be the Bohemians. 

Bohemia from Wikipedia:

"Bohemia is the westernmost and largest historical region of the Czech Republic. Bohemia can also refer to a wider area consisting of the historical Lands of the Bohemian Crown ruled by the Bohemian kings, including Moravia and Czech Silesia, which case the smaller region is referred to as Bohemia proper as a means of distinction."

Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=70254

An 1892 map showing Bohemia proper outlined in pink, Moravia in yellow, and Austrian Silesia in orange

I began research with my great-grandmother, Anna Jerousek. Anna was born in Baltimore, Maryland on July 13, 1879. Her parents were (my 2nd great-grandparents) Frank Joseph Jerousek and Barbara Fuka. This was our Bohemian ancestral couple.

Finding records for Anna on Ancestry proved challenging. I couldn't locate her family on the census records. Spelling variations for Eastern European ancestry proved very tricky for a novice researcher. I found several online articles about the topic. 

Lisa Alzo wrote several were extremely helpful:

Introduction To Researching Eastern European Ancestors 

How to Overcome 5 Brick Walls in Eastern European Genealogy

A wonderful book that Lisa published is "The Family Tree Polish, Czech and Slovak Genealogy Guide: How to Trace Your Family Tree in Eastern Europe".

Also, from several websites, I learned an excellent research technique. You leave out those pesky surnames. Use first names of family members, birth dates, where born and where resided.

Using these methods, I located the family in the 1880 United States Federal Census. They were listed as "Gerushek". Without help from more seasoned researchers, I never would have located them!

1880 United States Federal Census for Frank Jerousek 

Enumerated as Frank Gerushek

Looking at the record the surname is listed as "Yerushek". Sharing this with my mother proved interesting. As a child, she heard the surname was spelled with a "y" instead of "j." The moral of the story, talk to the older generation before hitting your head on brick walls! 

We see Frank and Barbara declaring they were born in Bohemia. 

Anna Jerousek baptism record; Maryland State Archives

St. Wenceslaus Catholic Church; Baltimore, Maryland

Knowing the Jerousek family were Catholics, I researched church records on the Maryland State Archives website. Pay dirt! So excited to see the town where Frank and Barbara were born in Bohemia! Branice.

When I researched this town on Wikipedia there was a small entry that stated:

"Branice is a municipality and village in Pisek District in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 300 inhabitants".

Wonder if I'm related to all of them.

On the page was a link to the town. Listed is the historical information about the town, photographs, virtual tours, societies and additional links. 

This brings us to the photograph at the top of this post. Several years ago my son was trekking in Eastern Europe. On his list was Prague. Right away I started researching how close Branice was to his destination. It was a little out of the way, down a long and winding rural road. I asked him if he had time he could swing by and get a picture.

Imagine my surprise when I got a text message with the photograph attached! He fit in a few minutes for a picture under the town sign. Maybe someday he will get the genealogy bug and revisit his Bohemian roots.

Springer Fortune ~ Family Lore

Image by Annette from Pixabay

My favorite part of family history is discovering fantastic stories. All the rumors, secrets, scandals and scalawags hanging about the tree.

For years, my mother-in-law would entertain us with tales of the "Springer Fortune". A story of hidden treasure passed down through generations. My husband's paternal grandmother, Emma Springer, supposedly shared this "legend" with her children and grandchildren.

When I started researching the family line, my husband constantly asked "have you found the fortune yet?" To appease his curiosity, I did a cursory search. Imagine my surprise when this bit of lore was true! Well, sort of.

I discovered many newspaper articles about the fortune on the Chronicling America newspaper website. It was fun to read about various members of the Springer family coming forward for their piece of the pie. 

First up is "The Spirit of Democracy" from Woodsfield, Ohio, dated January 20, 1880. Here were learn about "heirs of the celebrated Charles Christopher Springer estate" making their bid for the fortune. Fun to find the genealogies of claimants listed. 

• The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio), 20 Jan. 1880. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress. 

So, maybe there is or at least was a vast fortune. Before linking my husband's line to Charles Christopher Springer, I did a little more newspaper research.

And then we find ...

• The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.), 14 Feb. 1909. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress. 

So, the family fortune is a hoax. Hubby was so looking forward to a treasure hunt. 

Interesting to discover others being "told about it by their fathers and grandfathers". Same fashion the tale was shared in our Springer family.

No great bounty was unearthed. Just an interesting bit of family lore. Do you have a tale of fortune and treasure?

Wikipedia has the following entry about the subject:

"The Springer Hoax was a scam starting in the mid 19th century, often using a phony genealogy in various ways to collect money based on the supposed estate of prominent colonialist Carl Christopher/Christoffersson Springer and debts said to be owed to him by various government agencies of Wilmington, Delaware and Stockholm, Sweden. The alleged estate was said to include 1,900 acres of land, 228 acres of which ran though the center of Wilmington, worth up to $150,000,000. Other claims included $100,000,000 deposited in a Stockholm bank."

Further reading about the hoax:

Rootsweb: Springer Hoax

"The fabulous Springer fortune" of Wilmington Delaware from Widener Law Blog, Delaware Library

"Springer Estate" Papers (aka Springer Heir Hoax) from the Springer, Miller & Allied Families Website

Our Ancestor Was ~ a Missionary

Emma Naomi Ruth Shellabear, husband's aunt

b. 11/26/1886 - d. 05/14/1972

A favorite website for researching ancestors is the Library of Congress newspaper website, Chronicling America. I have been fortunate enough to find tons of interesting articles. Also, additional information was discovered on Newspaper.com.

While researching Rev. C.W. Ruth (husband's grandfather), I discovered this unknown family history story about my husband's aunt, Emma Naomi Ruth.

Naomi was Christian's oldest daughter. She was born November 26, 1886. She began missionary work at a very young age. Over her lifetime, she traveled to many out-of-the- way places. I discovered the above photograph on her passport from Ancestry.com, dated September 13, 1916.

Doing further research, I located the articles, which detailed a very anxious time for the entire Ruth family. For a while, they didn't know where Emma was during an earthquake that struck in the path of her travels.

The Sun. (New York, NY) 31 Dec. 1908. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, www.loc.gov/item/sn83030272/1908-12-31/ed-1/.

 

The Indianapolis Star: 31 Dec, 1908; Indianapolis, Indiana; Newspapers.com

The Indiana Star; 01 Jan, 1909; Indianapolis; Indiana; Newspapers.com

The Fairmount News; 06 Apr, 1909; Fairmount, Indiana; Newspapers.com

Can you imagine how harrowing this was for Naomi's parents?! Especially in a time period where communication was not as readily available. 

To learn more about the disaster, searched Chronicling American for "messina".  

          

New-York tribune. (New York, NY) 30 Dec 1908. Retrived from the Library of Congress, 222.loc.gove/item/sn830214/1908-12-30d/ed/1.

Many at Funeral of Daniel Green

Daniel Green 

1st cousin, 4x removed of husband

photograph taken about time of Civil War

born December 05, 1838, Hazlettville, Kent County, Delaware

died August 25, 1916, Newport, New Castle County, Delaware

The News Journal - Monday, August 28, 1916

Wilmington, Delaware, United States      

It's A Small World ...

While working on my son-in-law's family tree I made an interesing discovery. Son-in-law's 2nd great-aunt lived down the street from my mother! 

According to the 1940 United States Census record:

Herman and Elise Vollmert Darr (son-in-law's 2nd great-aunt and her husband) resided at 1508 N. Madeira Street.

My grandparents, Charles F. and Anna E. Wakefield, lived at 506 N. Maderia. Included in the household, was my five year old mother.

 

Maderia is a long city street. Doubtful they were borrowing a cup of sugar. But, each family had children in the same age range. Did they attend school together? Play in the park? Shop at nearby stores?

Fun to think, my mother and one of my son-in-law's cousins may have been playmates.

It is indeed a small world.

Finding Ezra J. Starr ~ One Puzzle Piece At A Time

One truth we learn as family historians - data may not always be true. People may not know the information, have part of the facts, or outright lie. We hope what our ancestors share is gospel. But, that is rarely the case.

Incorrect information caused years of confusion locating my husband's 3rd great-uncle, Ezra Starr. Brother to his 2nd great-grandfather, Alfred Platt Starr. We have very few facts about Ezra. His approximate birth date, place of birth, and the profession of blacksmith. Sometimes he used the middle initial "J". Surprisingly, there are few Ezra's fitting the description.

Several years ago, I discovered what was to be the first puzzle piece. Or, was it?

Here we have a Kentucky death certificate for Ezra Starr [1]. Correct name, age and occupation. But, we see him born in Germany, along with his parents. My husband's Starr line came from England, to the United States, in the late 1600's. This doesn't seem to be our guy. But, just because you never know, I saved the record to my Shoebox on Ancestry.com. Didn't want to lose the "possible" information. 

Kentucky Post

Covington, Kenton, Kentucky

23 Sep, 1904

During my weekly "Starr" family newspaper searching [2], came across the next piece of the puzzle. Located in Covington, Kenton, Kentucky. Same town referenced in Ezra's death record. We link Alfred and Ezra! The case received lots of press. Giving details, confirming the relationship between our Starr brothers. But, why Germany on Ezra's death certificate?

This Starr line moved from Massachusetts, to Connecticut, to New York, to Pennsylvania. Once in Pennsylvania, they settled in and around Littlestown, Adams County. Most of the family records are located in this town.

A podcast led me to the final puzzle piece. One favorite is Research Like a Pro with the Family Locket Genealogists. Listening again to all the previous episodes. Sometimes we miss information that may be vital. A light bulb went off with an episode about locality research. Did I miss something in Pennsylvania?

FamilySearch has wonderful locality pages. Researching the Adams County, Pennsylvania Wiki page [3] we discovered the answer. Listed are boroughs, unincorporated communities and townships. One of the townships being Germany Township.

"Germany Township is in southern Adams County, along the Maryland border. It borders the west and south sides of the borough of Littlestown. Pennsylvania Route 97 passes through the township, leading northwest 9 miles (14 km) to Gettysburg and south 12 miles (19 km) as Maryland Route 97 to Westminster, Maryland. Pennsylvania Route 194 crosses Route 97 in Littlestown and passes through the township, turning to Maryland Route 194 and leading southwest 5 miles (8 km) to Taneytown, Maryland."

Ezra most likely told his fellow Kentuckians he was from Germany Township. The official filling out the death record may have interpreted this as a country. Having no knowledge of the area in Pennsylvania, they wouldn't know about the township. Not a lie, just a case of misunderstanding the facts. We see this in many records.

All the pieces have come together. Solving the mystery of Ezra J. Starr. Also, we now have the story of a family law suit. 

Moral of the story? Keep records, even when they seem not to be part of the puzzle. Don't stop digging. Connect with other researchers, in every format possible. And, never give up! The puzzle piece you need to complete the story, could be around the corner.

______________________

Sources:

[1] Kentucky, U.S., Death Records, 1852-1965; indexed database and digital image, Ancestry.com (https//www.ancestry.com : accessed December 8, 2020), "City of Covington, KY, Department of Health,Bureau of Statistics", page 206 (image 223 of 1092), Ezra Starr death entry, February 19, 1904.

[2] "Want Settlement of an Estate, Heirs Filed Suit Against the Administrator," Kentucky [Covington, KY] Post newspaper, Friday, Sep 23, 1904, page 5 column 3, GenealogBank.com (https://www.genealogybank.com : accessed December 8, 2020).

[3] Adams County, Pennsylvania Genealogy Wiki Page, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org) : accessed December 8, 2020), 

Tracking Ancestors with City Directory Spreadsheet

https://pixabay.com/vectors/cityscape-city-town-row-houses-2747226/

If you have been reading the blog, you know that I love spreadsheets. Using them has helped me organize information. And best of all, answer questions.

A research problem has been our Gaphardt/Gephardt surname. At times, my ancestors used one or both of these spellings. Trying to determine relationships has been overwhelming. That is when I began using city directory research spreadsheets. 

This is the template I created. Named with directory title and date range. Added title of each individual directory. Now I can copy for each surname I wish to research.

Located the Digitized Baltimore City Directories on University of Maryland website. These are digitized from Internet Archive. Also, available on Ancestry.com. I find these directories easier to negotiate. Also, placed a link to the website, ensuring I have exact location the information was obtained.

Here is the first entry for my 2nd great-grandfather, George C. Gaphardt. Another surname spelling! Gephart  is now added to the growing list.

By 1871, we see my 2nd great-uncle, John C. Gaphardt appear in the directory. Verifying address for the family. My 2nd great-grandfather is listed as Gaphardt and Gephardt! No wonder I'm having such difficulty with this ancestral line.

Adding subsequent directory information, we discover the family relocating many times. Also, tracked their movements during gap created by the loss of the 1890 United States Federal Census. During this time span, the family relocated three times. Several of the addresses have previously been unknown. I will be searching the Maryland Land Records website for possible deeds. These may have important clues.

By 1901, my line settles on Gaphardt. In each succeeding record, they use that surname. But, we still see the Gephardt surname. This spreadsheet has given me a place to gather facts, and hopefully, discover relationships. I know from DNA matches, both of these surnames are indeed related.

With the directories, I made a fun discovery. How my 2nd great-grandmother met her second husband. 

According to the directories, by 1860 the Judd family was residing at 20 Walker. The last entry for them and this address being 1882.

Looking at the 1868-1869 city directory we see:

• Henry Horn - tailor - 11 Walker (future 2nd husband of Elizabeth Judd Wakefield)
• Philomena Judd - tailoress - 20 Walker (2nd wife and widow of 3rd great-grandfather Mathias Judd, step-mother of Elizabeth Judd Wakefield Horn)
• Henry Wakefield - tailor  - 290 s Ann (2nd great-grandfather, 1st husband of Elizabeth Judd)

This is the last record we found for Henry Wakefield. I believe he passed away somewhere between 1869 and when Elizabeth remarries. The hunt continues!

By 1870 United States Federal Census [1], Elizabeth is residing with Phillipina Judt. Along with her young son, back to the family home.

On October 27, 1872 [2], Elizabeth weds neighbor, Henry Horn. The young widow and little boy, begin a new life. With the widower and his two small daughters. The couple would go on to have seven children. A combined total of ten children.

By the way, did you catch they were all in the tailoring business? Another connection revealed by the directories. 

Love when stories come alive using the records.

Here are a few links about using city directories in family history research:

City Directories for Genealogy When There's Been a Loss of Vital Records by Amie Bowser Tennant on The Genealogy Reporter

Directories: City, County, Address, etc. - General Resources on Cyndi's List

How to Use City Directories in Your Genealogy Research by Lisa Lisson of Are You My Cousin?

United State Directories - FamilySearch

______________

Sources 

[1] 1870 U.S. census, Baltimore City, Maryland, population schedule, Baltimore Ward 6, page 224 (penned), dwelling/family 1859, Phillipina Judt household; digital image, Ancestry.com (https://ancestry.com : accessed 04 December 2020); imaged from NARA microfilm 552073, roll M593_574

[2] Henry Horn entry, Baltimore City Court of Common Pleas, marriage index (marriage index, male), 1851-1885, CM205, reel CR 1672; Maryland State Archives