John C Bionaz Burial

Not all people are actually buried. My grandfather, John C Bionaz had his ashes spread over a National Forest

Tombstone Tuesday

This is the tombstone for my great-grandma Orpheline Boche Bionaz and for her oldest child Charlotte Bionaz. Orpheline was born in Italy and Charlotte was born in Pennsylvania.

Burial:Italian Cemetery

Colma
San Mateo County

California, USA

Plot: 125

Orpheline Charlotte

1885-1956 1901-1929

BIONAZ

Monday Memories

My paternal grandmother, Lucy Mary Huyck Baker, family had a story that went like this: Robbie Joe, grandma's adopted brother, was adopted because his mother died shortly after he was born and that her mother, Minnie Estella Miner Huyck, had just lost a child. In 1889 bottles and baby formulas were not common and so a young child's best chance to survive was to be breastfeed.

Thus giving me the problem of finding the child that died. Unfortunately the child that died is not listed with any family records.

Below is a copy of the adoption order.

Order for Adoption
State of Wisconsin
Polk County

In County Court
In the matter of the petition of C.A. Huyck and Minnie E. Huyck his wife for leave to adopt.
Joseph Smith Klinck
a male child

Upon the verified petition of C.A. Huyck and Minnie E. Huyck of the town of Loraine in said County for leave to adopt Joseph Smith Klinck, a male child. It appearing to the satisfaction of the court.
That said petitioners are inhabitants of the state of Wisconsin, residing in the town of Loraine in said County of Polk, and are lawful husband and wife.
That said child is the son by birth of Joseph S. Klinck and Effie J. Klinck his wife, and called by the name of Joseph Smith Klinck and was born at Loraine in said county on the 26th day of December A.D. 1890.
That the mother of said child is dead, and that Joseph S. Klinck, the father of said child has given written consent to such adoption in presence of Witnesses.
That the petitioners are of sufficient ability to bring up and furnish suitable nurture and education for the child having reference to the degree and conditions of its parents, and that it is proper that such adoption shall take effect.
Therefore, It is Ordered, that from and after the date of this order, such child Joseph Smith Klinck shall be deemed to all legal interests and purposes the child of, said petitioners, C. A. Huyck and Minnie E. Huyck.
It is further Ordered that the name of such child be changed from Joseph Smith Klinck to Joseph Smith Huyck, the name of the parents by adoption.

Dated Osceola February 3rd A.D. 1891.
By the Court
Ole Larson
County Judge


Found on the bottom sideways on the above papers

Polk County Court
~~~~~~~~~~~
In the matter of the
Petition of
C.A. Huyck and wife
to adopt
Joseph Smith Klinck
~~~~~~~~~~~
Order for adoption

Recorded in Vol 3, Page 121

Filed February 3rd 1891
Ole Larson
County Judge

Dilaplain Ridgway Research Plan

Here is a research plan I made for Dilaplain Rdgway. It turns out I will be making several for him in an effort to document his life. He lived in both Burlingham County New Jersey and Philadelphia Pennsylvania (both locations being near each other). He also did a lot of buying and selling land in Philadelphia.

Objective: Is the Delaplain Ridgway that married Dorothy Reed in 1803, the widower of Hannah Coulton, who died in 1802 leaving small children. Both of these Delapalins were Bricklayers and connected to both Mt Holly, New Jersey and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in the early 1800's.

Research: Locate Dilaplain Ridgway's will and probate record.

Know: A Dilaplain Ridgway is found on the tax rolls of Northampton, Burlington, New Jersey (tax rolls found on Ancestry.com).

• 1793 June Tax List: Dilliplain Ridgway



• 1810 Tax List: Diliplain Ridgway



• 1810 Tax List: Deliplain Ridgway and Thomas Ridgway



• 1820 Tax List: Deliplain Ridgway est.

Deliplain Ridgway with wife Dorothy Reed was selling property in Philadelphia before 1810.

Hannah Coulton Ridgway died in Philadelphia in 1802.

Where to look:

1. New Jersey Wills: Wills, v A-B 1804-1820 FHL Film 832912 and Wills, v C-D 1820-1836 FHL Film 832920



2. New Jersey Probate Records: To use the probate records for Burlington county find the descendant's name in the Estate index. The index gives the volume and page number where that person is found in the Proceedings index. The Proceedings indexes the various probate records for this county, except the "Miscellaneous Records" which have their own index. Estate index, P-S 1785-1970 FHL Film 832909 and Inventories, v A-B 1804-1826 FHL Film 832947



3. Possibly the Guardian records: His children with Hannah would have been between the ages 18 and 23 in 1820 (with a son about 18). Any children with Dorothy would be younger than 18. Guardianship and administration, v A-B 1804-1864 FHL Film 832957 and Guardian accounts, v A-B 1800-1829 FHL Film 832963.

Wordless Wednesday

This is a 4-Generation picture of the Bionaz/Boche side of my family. My 2great-grandparents Peter and Charlotte Boche, their daughter my great grandmother Orpheline Boche Bionaz, my grandparents John and Elizabeth Hawke Bionaz aand the little girl is my mother Elizabeth Joan Bionaz Baker.



This picture was taken about 1934. How I dated it was the little girl in the picture is my mother and she was born 4 Aug 1931 and her sister was born in 1936 and their mother, Elizabeth Hawke Bionaz does not look like she is pregnant.

The drawing was sent to me by my Sister-In-Law Lisa. I do not know who drew it, but it is a lot easier to tell who is who. Especially when the picture is of a large crowd.

Goals

Well it has been about 2 weeks since I posted a list of goals for the week. I post from Wilson L Starkey's mother's pension record, I have been indexing at least 700 names each week, this past week I finally started updating the citations for the information I received from my cousin (I even did several short FGS), but I still have not got back to Second Life. I worked a little on the research plan for Delaplaine Ridgway and I did some research using FamilySearch.org and entered the information with citations into RootsMagic (the genealogy program I am using)
I really do need to get organized and busy.
This week I am going to try and
1) Continue indexing at least 700 names during the week
2) Post at least one other blog
3) Type up what I have so far for Delaplain Ridgway's research plan
4) Re-evaluate at least 1 land deed and try to finish the transcription of it. (I have 1 very long land deed, it has to do with the partition of an estate, and 1 or 2 others, that I think are almost done. Possibly needing just a final proof read)

I think I will go with that and if I get into second life it will be a plus.

Wilson L Starkey official Death Record

This week I'm posting the official death certificate for Wilson L Starkey. Wilson L Starkey died during the Civil War and his mother Mary Ridgway Starkey Lewis applied for and received a mother's pension based on Wilson's Military Service.
The official death certificate states Wilson died on the 27th of July 1862. Throughout the pension packet you will find the death date listed as 26 July 1862. All that I can figure is he died during the night and the person reporting his death to Wilson's family assumed he died before midnight and the doctor filling out the certificate assumed he died after midnight. Below is a statement of death from his company, which lists the death date as 26 July 1862.

Goals for this week

I am having trouble staying busy this summer and decided to post goals on the blog in hopes of staying organized and focused.
1) Index at least 700 names this week.
2) Post something from Wilson L Starkey mother's pension file.
3) Work on a research plan. This week for Delaplain Ridgway.
4) Redo citations for 1FGS received from Jean Belbutowski.
5) Spend some time in Second Life.
Note: My great-grandmother Minnie Miner Huyck's sister joined the LDS Church towards the end of the 1800's. Since then her family has been working on that line of my family. I meet her daughter while attending BYU and at that time copied quite a few FGS that were in her collection. When I transferred from PAF to RootsMagic the citations transferred as free form, so I need to go back and redo the citation.

Surname Sunday

There is an interesting pattern to some of the men the women I my mother's family married. See if you notice it.
Starting with my great-grandmother.
Mary Orpheline Boche, married John Elere Bionaz.
Her son John C Bionaz, married Elizabeth Grace Hawke. (Here it kind of skips a generation, but it makes up for it in the next generation.)
My mother Elizabeth "Joan" Bionaz, married James Edward Baker Jr
Her sister my aunt Jacqueline Carol Bionaz, married Arthur Stuart Backer (Yes, my mother married a Baker and her sister married a Backer)
Me, Betty-Lu Baker, married a Burton.
Did you notice the pattern? All the last names that start with a "B". I just think it is interesting and wanted to share this with others.

Looking at Yesterday with Today's eyes

I am indexing Ontario Birth records right now and apparently we are reveiwing another sites index for these records. I find it interesting how the previous indexer assumed certain things.


Like the registration year as being the same as the birth year. There have been some families that when they register a birth, they register the previous one or two births at the same time. The difference in registration year and actual birth year can be important. My grandpa Johnny Bionaz was born in 1904, but the birth registry says 1905. When you look at the page in the registry and the date of registration you realize the register wrote down the wrong year. The birth is given as 21 Oct 1905, but was registered in May 1905. the register was just used to writing 1905 that he did not catch the late registration.


Also how the previous indexer applied today's last names to these records. It was common back then to use the mother's surname as part of the child's middle name. Well the previous indexer assumed that the child's surname was a combination of both parents surname and indexed it as such.


Also, I have research that was compiled a long time ago that has problems with dates and Counties. The problem with the dates is the researcher used the New Calendar when transcribing Old Calender dates, thus putting the months wrong. The problem with the counties is that Counties can change and some of the records contain the old county and some contain the new county and yet the town and state are the same.


We need to remember as we work on our Genealogy that times have changed and that we need to record or at least note the original otherwise it may confuse someone else. And that someone else might actually be ourselves.

James Edward Baker Jr, Biography

I was going to spotlight my dad and than I realized I did one on him last year for Father's Day. So this year I am going to say abit more about him. His life was cut short in 1975. He died at the age of 49 of heart dease.
James Edward Baker Jr or Eddy for short was an avid Boy Scouts, although he nor any of my brothers received their Eagle Badge (than very few under the age of about 17 could get their Eagles Badge, unlike today where most are getting it at 13 and 14) he was very active in Scouting for over 20 years. He was a Scout Master in San Jose and I remember going with him often to the weekly meetings and accompanying the troop to Summer Camp. As the only girl in the family I did get dragged to a lot of Boy Scout stuff.
Eddy also was an accomplished swimmer and enjoyed being in the backyard pool with his family
He also not only learned to Square Dance, but for awhile he even was a Square Dance Caller. And I learned how to Square Dance at an early age, so my brothers would have someone to dance with!
My father started college at San Mateo Community College where he received his Associate Degree. He always wanted to be a Music Teacher, but the War and Military Service got in the way. In the late 1940's and early 1950's it was very uncommon for men to go back to College after being out. By the time he would have gone back he was married and had children. Even though he never finished his dream he always encouraged us in music and became good friends with the Music Teachers at Oak Grove High School, where his children went to school. I remember being amazed on the few occasions my father would sit down at a piano and play from memory beautiful pieces!
As you can tell I really loved my dad and spent many an hour with him, from camping to music to dancing to swimming to working out in the yard. I just wish he could have lived longer.

Daddy I Love you

Wilson L Starkey Marriage

Here is one of the two letters enclosed in the pension packet that indicate that Wilson L Starkey had been married once. The letter is from his ex father-in-law. This was one of the last pages in his mother's pension packet, so would not have been included in a partial packet. Through out the rest of the pension, Wilson is listed as being unmarried and without heirs. Come to find out that only means he was unmarried without any heirs at the time of his death. It did not mean he had never married.

This is one of two such letters. The other one lists the name of his wife and her death date.

Wilson L Starkey Pension Papers

Over the next few posts I am going to be posting various pages from Wilson L Starkey's mother's pension file. There are about 62 pages in the file, so it would be difficult to post all of it at one time.

Here is the official Service Record/ Statement submitted by the Adjutant General's Office

Wilson L. Starkey

Corporal Wilson L. Starkey

Co. "C" Illinois Volunteers

Died at the age of 27 while assigned to Signal Duty

On the Hospital Ship "Red Rover"

Died apparently during the night of July 26th 1862

Service records put his death on the 26th or the 27th.

Official death certificate states 27 July 1862.

He was buried at Spanish Moss Bend on the Mississippi River, Louisiana

Wilson L Starkey was the son of Benjamin Starkey and Mary C. Ridgeway. His brother William Coulton Starkey is my 3great-Grandfather. Wilson was married for a short time to Eleanor R. Stone, who died in March 1860 (She died at her parents house in Rockport Illinios). Wilson was born in Greece, Monroe County, New York.

The information came from his mother's pension records. She had claimed a mother's pension on his service. The mother's statement only stated that he was unmarried and had no living heir. However, in the pension file there are affidavits that state he was married, but his wife had died leaving no heirs.

The year after Dad died

My mother, Elizabeth Joan Bionaz Baker, was half Italian and at times would show the hot Italian temper. My father, James Edward Baker Jr, was the more calming influence in the home. When I was 16 and a Jr in High School my father died. He went to sleep and never woke up, my mother found his cold body when she went to bed later. I was left in the house with 2 hot tempered Italians, my mom and my younger brother. Unfortunately the other brother near by also could be hot tempered at times. I knew shortly after my father died that my younger brother blamed himself for dad's death. now of course my brother did not kill my father, but as a somewhat rebellious teenager he wasn't all that cooperative around the house. My brother felt that had he been more helpful and less rebellious our dad would not have died. then years later I found out that my mom had also blamed herself for my dad's death because she had given him a mild muscle relaxer before he went to bed. he had been complaining of pain in his shoulder and she thought he had just pulled a muscle or something. In 1975 they did not know all that much about heart disease, which was what killed him. During the next year life was not very good as my mom and brother would get into a fight of some sort.There were times my mom would be so scared of my younger brother that she would come and get me and we would leave the house. There were also times I would get so scared that I feared for my own safety. Sometimes she would called and have my older brother come over,, but that didn't always help because now there were 3 hot tempered people in the house. Eventually things quieted down and my mom and younger brother got along again. They say time heals, but sometimes during that time life can be a nightmare or even a living hell.

Research Goal

This week My research goal is to clean up my sources/citations in my data base. Awhile ago I switched from using PAF to using RootsMagic, RootsMagic has better resources/ templates to make better citations. This week I'm going to clean up my Baker line and the other Loyalists that moved to Canada after the Revolutionary War.
RootsMagic offers free webinars and the other day I watched one on Sources and Citations and it explained how to make better citations. It also explained that when you move a GEDCOM from PAF to RootsMagic the citations do not always transfer very well. Some of the Source information can end up being hidden, because the Source templates are different.
This will also give me a chance to reevaluate what I've done and what still needs to be done.

Tony's finger

I have an older brother named Tony who was known as being "accident prone" when he was younger. The first story of his "accidents" was a story told to me about when Tony was about 3 years old. Since I am younger then him I will have to tell you from what I remember hearing.

Tony was outside playing and some how a big got turned over with the wheels up in the air. The wheel was spinning and Tony decided to stop it. Well being a 3 year old and not knowing much about things, he stuck his index finger into the spokes and tried to stop the wheel from turning. Well as the story goes his finger ended up in bad shape, or as it was explained to me, it was hanging by 3 strands. Now you need to realize this was back in the mi 1950's long before doctors learned how to reattach body parts! But the doctor managed to put his finger back together and it even grew as he grew.

Now saying it grew normally would not be right. The finger as it grew so did the scars and so he had a constant reminder of the accident. It also turned out that he did not have full use of the finger either. When Tony got older he learned to play the trumpet and then the sousaphone. One day he complained about how one of the valves on his instrument was bent. All mom said was "Just be glad you have a finger." It turned out that when that finger pressed down on the valve it caused the valve to bend.