It's Done

It's done

 It's done

 It's done

 It's done

Well, sort of. 

The indexing is finished and I am doing a final reading. Anyone who wants a copy to review before it goes to press, to correct stupid and possibly scandelous errors, email me and I will send an electronic copy. I am particularly interested in corrections from the vast number of contributors, all of whom have my email address, and many of whom will be receiving a free hardbound copy.

And who are the contributors? Credited in my book are the following in surname alphabetical order:

Ben Ames, who provided scanned documents and family history for Ernest Andrew Tapscott, helped immensely in unraveling Andrew Tapscott’s line. Kathleen Pohlman Beckom provided photos for the Tynan family. Jacqueline (“Jackie”) Bell contributed a detailed genealogy (coauthored by Chris Childs and Shirley Bays) of the Mathias Siverly family. Terry Bullock was a cornucopia of information, articles, and photos for the Sanders family and their Tapscott relatives, often digging up what I had totally missed. Judy Cooke, an expert on the Iroquois Theater fire, was a source on both the fire and the victims, one of them a Tapscott descendant. In my very early days of family history research, Phillip Cunningham shared his research on the descendants of Fairy Lowry, helping unravel the genealogy of James Cunningham, Emma Tapscott’s son-in-law. Debra Lea Hawkins Erwin, a dedicated genealogy researcher, helped with photos and information when I stumbled on a new (to me) descendant of Sarah Ann Tapscott. Ritch Fuhrer provided photographs and information about the descendants of Nancy (Tapscott) Siverly. Scheryl Jean Gaylor was a wonderful source of material on the Sweets, much of it first-hand. Paula (Gray) Bennett, contributed photographed documents and held my hand as I stumbled through the tangled web of William and Laura Ann (Sanders) Gray. Linda (Rogers) Grinnell supplied family stories concerning the connection of Isaiah Grant Wright, Grant Tapscott, Mary Emma Sanders, and Joseph Tapscott. She was also the source of a large amount of hard-to-find information on the Lowrys, particularly on the descendants of Jackson and Eliza Ann (Sweet) Lowry. Michael L. Hébert supplied detailed information and reliable sources about Leslie Sweet, a Tapscott descendant I had worked on for weeks, and he did it in days. Rev. & Mrs. Frank and Teresa Helton contributed photos, research results, and valuable discussions about the Rev. Richard Wright family. Thanks to Sherri Lenz for connecting me with David Teel, who in turn connected me with Karen Giffin, all three sources of information on the Teel family and on Ruth and Alice, the orphaned children of Aden and Lydia Moore. John David Massey generously supplied Massey family photos. Meredith and LeAnna McGuire were a treasury of photos and valuable information about the descendants of Major Josiah Tapscott. Indeed, were I more altruistic, LeAnna would be listed as a co-author. Marilyn McKittrick was a great source of information and discussion regarding the Spencer family. Cheryl (Pickett) Naegel was a prodigious source of amazing photos and information for Susan (“Susie Bell”) Tingley and her progeny. Had it not been for Cheryl, I would never have figured out what became of Susie. Pamela Loos-Noji, a thorough, efficient, and highly knowledgeable genealogist, obtained Civil War pension records for Wesley Tapscott. Patricia Phillips kindly provided information and photos concerning the Grant Tapscott family. Sharon (Bruner) Poteet supplied abundant photos, obituaries, and information and pointed out my blunders about the descendants of Joseph and Mary Emma (Sanders) Tapscott. Dan Reedy gave me a copy of his book on Clark Co history, Growin’ up on Big Crick, allowed me to duplicate a newspaper-published passage for my book, and was a great source of information on the Milbourns, Moores, and Siverlys. Nancy (Martin) Rhoades furnished photos and innumerable, valuable communiques with information on the descendants and siblings of Nellie Mae Tapscott. Gail Ann (Reed) Schenck contributed greatly to discussions about the Wrights and furnished information about Wright relatives. Brian Scott supplied photographs and stories about the Mallorys and the Scotts. Patrick Joseph Shade, who understands the meaning of “reliable documentation,” was a great information source for Rev. Richard Wright and supplied a photo of the preacher. Minga (Buckle) Stivers supplied information and photos for the William Henry Day family and connected individuals. Robert Dean Tapscott provided data on the Forrest William Tapscott family. My late brother Jim, sister Mary Ann, niece Kirsten, sister-in-law “Liz,” and wife, Mary Frances, spent hours in the Clark Co courthouse transcribing documents. This book would have been nothing without the John Wesley Tapscott family history and old letters contributed by Edgar and Marjorie Tingley. Jeff Wallace, a thorough researcher, provided highly valuable information about the Wallace family into which William Tapscott married. Pat Anderson Wallace and Loistel Delp Summerville provided stories and photos about Harold Bernard Sweet and the Hurt family into which he married. Bob Walls was a prolific source of well-researched genealogy and copies of records concerning Flora Bell Walls, her descendants, and their Tingley, Sweitzer, Clouse, and Tapscott connections. Kathy Wienrank, an exceptionally thorough and accurate researcher, brought to my attention a possible illegitimate child of Andrew Tapscott, son of Jacob, and then went on to supply records, documents, and photos, leading me by the nose through a detailed investigation of the descendants. Marianne (Bruner) Wilson contributed a transcript of family information from Mary Emma Tapscott’s Bible, was an informative contributor to Grant Frederick Tapscott discussions, and provided information about the Bruner family. I am particularly grateful to her for showing me the location of the William and Mary (Wallace) Tapscott farm, where her great uncle “Tinker” (Millard) Tapscott had also lived.

Thanks, Thanks, Thanks

Tapscott Family Cemetery

In Fauquier Co, Virginia, is situated the Tapscott Family Cemetery. In 2007 Mary Frances and I got to visit this beautiful cemetery and pay respect to our relatives.

2007

Recently David Dowell, a Fauquier Co Tapscott descendant and my 6^th cousin once removed, visited the cemetery and published on FaceBook eleven photos of markers for some of the Tapscotts and relatives. I hope he doesn’t mind, but I have made exact transcriptions of the markers from his photos. Here they are for those of you interested in Tapscott family history. Thanks a lot cousin David.

CATHERINE DOWELL
1919 - 1990
CAROLYN ANN DOWELL
1953 – 1956

TAPSCOTT
SISTER
EVLYN M
FEB. 28 1912
FEB 8, 1934
BROTHER
HERMAN S.
NOV. 13, 1917
FEB 6, 1934

PORTER
ALICE C.
JULY 5, 1911
JAN 1, 1998
ZEFF W
OCT. 27, 1909
DEC. 27, 1995

HARRIS
PEGGY S.
JULY 29, 1932
SEPT 24, 2017
CASPA L. JR.
MAY 20, 1928

HARRINGTON W. HARRIS SR.
APR. 9, 1934 - APR. 2, 2009
As I sat quietly holding your hand, you slipped peacefully
away to God's promise land, So be happy my darling
until I get there. We'll have a big party and I'm sure
God won't care. Your Loving Wife Eva

HUGHES
CARLTON C.
FEB. 22, 1917
DEC. 24, 2011
TOMASHA M.
NOV. 10, 1923
FEB. 17, 2005

BELOVED FATHER
CONWAY G.
COLVIN
JULY 1, 1929
DEC 31, 2004
YOUR LOVING SON BRITT

TAPSCOTT
WILLIAM D.
APR. 30, 1914
FEB. 8, 2005
LOUISE H.
JUNE 12, 1922
FEB. 23, 1980

HANUSKA
PAUL D.
JULY 11, 1944
DEC. 9, 2012
NADINE E.
NOV. 3, 1925
SEPT. 10, 2016

JOYCE EVELYN TAPSCOTT
SEPT. 2, 1949 - JUNE 2, 2017
"FOR ME, TO LIVE IS CHRIST
AND TO DIE IS GAIN." PHIL. 1:21

SAMUEL LEON
TAPSCOTT
1926 - 2020

Another Brick Wall Demolished

 On 23 Aug 2020 I blogged about “The Mysteries of Susie,” stating that I was about to give up on Susan ("Susie") Bell/Belle Tingley’s missing thirty plus years and the identity of her later husband “Sturdevant.” No more! The mystery has been solved.

Susie spent most of those missing years, between 1900 and her death in 1930, in Decatur, Illinois. This was always suspected but the name changes that came with marriage made confirmation difficult. I use the plural “name changes” since Susie married three times. The first was, of course, to that scalawag Samuel. Then, when Samuel died in 1903, Susie married Henry Dieckhoff about the same year. Or perhaps I should say she had a relationship with Henry since I can find no marriage record. (Of course, marriage records are often difficult to locate.) Susie and Henry appear together in the Decatur, Illinois, 1910 census, which reports that the couple had been married seven years.

Henry and Susie's Fairlawn marker, but
 she's not buried here. (Find A Grave)

 Henry Dieckhoff was born 2 Nov 1859 (or 2 Nov 1860) in Illinois to German immigrants. He grew up in DeWitt Co, Illinois, but moved to Decatur in Macon Co, Illinois, around 1881 and was followed by his parents, Herman and Mary/Maria (Peters) Dieckhoff around 1888. In Decatur Henry worked as a carpenter and cabinet maker. When he married Susie he was a 44-year-old bachelor with no known prior attachments. The marriage ended with Henry’s suicide on 2 Jan 1918. Henry hanged himself on his back porch, despondent, it was claimed, due to long-term cancer. His grave marker in Fairlawn Cemetery, Decatur, gives the spelling of his name as “Deickhoff,” but that was a name given him by some in his later years. The German spelling “Dieckhoff” was used during most of Henry’s life. The cemetery marker is also inscribed with Susie Belle’s name and her date of birth (knocking off four years, but keeping the day and month, 4 Jul, the same as given elsewhere). But the marker’s date of death for Susie is blank. When Henry died it was expected that Susie would one day be buried with him, but that was not to be.

The twice-widowed Susie continued living in Decatur, supporting herself by working as a seamstress. Then on 6 Sep 1923, the Decatur Herald reported that “Susie Deickhoss” married A. J. Sturdevant in Decatur the previous day. Her name is shown as “Susie Dieckhoff” in a list of marriage licenses in the same newspaper.

“A. J. Sturdevant” was Andrew J. Sturdevant, born 15 Apr 1854, 15 Apr 1858, or Apr 1855 in either Indiana or Illinois. We know almost nothing about Andrew’s early life before he arrived in Decatur around 1896, other than he had married Susan M. Simmons in Johnson Co, Illinois on 25 Feb 1876. (Two Susans. That certainly muddles things.) The couple had seven children, but four died young. Then, on 2 Dec 1921 Andrew’s first wife, Susan, died in Decatur.

Andrew’s second marriage, to Susie, was very short owing to Andrew’s death 14 Apr 1928 at his East Waggoner Street home in Decatur. Actually, it was Susie’s home, the one in which she and Henry Dieckhoff had lived. Andrew had moved in with Susie when they were married. He was buried in Fairlawn Cemetery, Decatur, where his first wife was interred.

And that’s the rest of the story. Sort of.

William Fred Switzer

I’m doing what I hope is the final edit of the draft of Henry’s Children, the Tapscotts of the Wabash Valley, and I’ve run into a bit of mystery for a great grandson of Henry Tapscott, the Traveler. Perhaps someone out there can help.

Born “William Fred” (or possibly “William Frederick”) Sweitzer on 4 May 1906 in Marshall, Illinois, to Edward Clinton and Mary Catharine (Hartzler) Sweitzer, the great grandson went almost solely by “Fred Switzer.” Fred was married twice, or at least cohabited twice, but we only know the first names of his companions and know nothing of the marriages. We don’t even know when or where he died. (If he is not deceased, he would be 114 years old today!)

Fred is found in neither the 1930 nor 1940 federal census, but does appear in eleven Danville city directories from 1924/1925 to 1945, including the 1930 and 1940 directories. Only the 1924/1925 directory lists his name as “Sweitzer.” In the others he is listed as “Fred Switzer,” “Fred W. Switzer,” or “W. Fred Switzer.” In Danville Fred worked primarily as a salesman and/or driver for dairy companies, Illiana and Bredehoft. He was what was called in the day, a “Milkman.” Remember them?

Starting in 1929, he appears with a spouse, Anna or Anna M., but no minor children. Then, in 1940 his WWII draft registration gives his contact as “Mrs. Anna Marie Switzer,” “Ex Wife.” Anna appears living by herself in the 1943, 1944, and 1945 directories (with a name change to “Ann” in the latter two) and then disappears, never to be seen again. Fred is found in the 1945 directory with a new companion, Emma, and a new job, awning worker, then he and Emma, like Anna, also disappear.

And that’s the story of Fred. What became of him? Or Anna? Or Emma?

It’s surprising that in the 20^th century a person can disappear completely.Our problem really stems from the fact, as far as we know, Fred and his five siblings had, at most, a single child among them, and that child was probably illegitimate. Thus, there was only a single descendant, if that, to carry on the history of the Edward Clinton and Mary Catharine (Hartzler) Sweitzer family, or to even give a damn.

Anyone out there know what became of Fred? How about his five siblings Ernest C., Alice G., Walter Everett, Edward Clinton Jr., or Robert C. Sweitzer/Switzer (they went by both names)? We don’t know much more about them than we do Fred.

Spencer Case, The Rest of the Story

 

Almost three years ago, I posted the story of the Spencer Case (Tapscott Family History: The Spencer Case). And I promised a future post on the fate of the rascal William Woodrow Rease. Here is, finally, his somewhat mysterious story.

In 1940, as a result of the outcome of the Spencer Case, William was an inmate at the Illinois State Penitentiary, in the town of Pontiac, Livingston Co, Illinois. After release he joined his mother, Emma Curtis (her married name at the time), in the town of Mount Carmel, Illinois, where they were living in 1943. In Mount Carmel, William was married 5 Dec 1947 to an Edna Smith. Then in October 1950 and October 1951 the Mount Carmel Daily Republican-Register published a series of announcements:

“NOTICE WILLIAM REASE is no longer employed by the Electomic Chemical Corporation on River Road.

Had William strayed again? And why were the notices posted only in October?

On 18 Oct 1956 in Lewistown, Fergus Co, Montana. Edna and William were divorced. Edna claimed desertion, and that is likely true. It is known that William, possibly while living in Phoenix, Arizona, did some traveling around Mexico in 1956. We don’t see William again, for certain, after that year. When his mother, Emma Arnold Ramsey (yet, another marriage, it is claimed), died on 14 Aug 1979 in Mount Carmel, her obituary stated that her son, William W. Rease, was deceased. But, since she had no close living relatives (other than possibly her son) at the time, the obituary information is suspect.

Now, the Mysterious Part

The 23 Dec 1977 edition of the El Paso Times relates a detailed interview by a reporter of William “Cherokee” Rease. Rease, self-described as the stubborn son of a Comanche-Cherokee mother and an Irish-Cherokee father, claimed to be seventy-nine years old (born 1898) and to have worked as a gas station attendant, inventor, sign painter, school teacher, magazine writer, Fort Worth cop, private investigator, and man-about-Las Vegas. And he was an autobiographer, authoring his life’s story, which formed the basis of the newspaper article (and all his claims).

El Paso Times.

He was also, it turns out, a wife-killer. On 29 Oct 1977, in a rented barn 25 miles from Van Horn, Texas, Rease put three bullets from a high-powered rifle into the skull of the woman he loved, Jacquelyn Rae ("Ray") Rease. It was her 43rd birthday. Nine days later, District Court Judge William H. Emory told Rease he would probate his sentence in exchange for a plea of guilty to the charge of murder. Rease agreed and walked free.

Rease’s autobiography was apparently never published, and in August 1987, Cherokee Bill died while still a resident of El Paso. His SSDI (Social Security Death Index) year of birth was given as 1907, considerably different from the year of 1898 indicated by the age he claimed during his interview by the El Paso Times reporter. Apparently Bill liked to stretch things.

A William Rease born around 1907 (excluding one or two who are ruled out by race or location) is first documented in the record of his marriage on 9 Feb 1977 in Chambers Co, Texas, to Jacquelyn R. Johnson, the woman he murdered later that year. In his interview, William said that he had been married twice before that. And before his death, he was married once more, to Carmen Leyva on 28 Feb 1983 in El Paso. With the possible exception of the SSDI, a 1907 William Rease appears in no record prior to the 1977 marriage record.

But, of course, that William Rease of El Paso born in 1907 cannot be found in early records does not prove a connection to our William Rease born in 1914. But there are two things strongly evidencing this. First, the middle name of William Rease of El Paso was “Woodrow.” Second, the SSDI birthdate of William of El Paso was 2 Feb 1907. William of the Spencer Case was born 2 Feb 1914. Could our William have changed his birth year, perhaps to obtain retirement benefits? Birthdate changes, not at all uncommon, usually involve only year changes. Are the two William’s the same? Probably. What are the odds for two William Woodrow Reases born on 2 Feb? And the William of El Paso was issued his SSN in Michigan, where William of Princeton, Indiana is known to have lived, at least for a while.