Grandmother Mary Ellen Gee’s Scrapbook

Grandmother Mary Ellen Gee’s Scrapbook

A couple of years ago my cousin Loni Hackworth told me about a scrapbook that she had acquired and wanted to know how to scan it into digital format.  She took it to a local place, but the pages were too large for an ordinary flatbed scanner.  I persuaded her to send me the book and I would see what I could do with the digitalizing of the book.  The pages were 15’x12’ and the scrapbook paper was friable and disintegrating at the edges.  The paper was pulp paper and not acid free.  It was evident to me that this treasure of historical documents would soon be lost.  It would not be a good idea for this to be sent to every descendant to look at.  The solution was to digitize it.  Since I could not find a ready access to a large flat bed scanner, I opted to take my digital camera and photograph the pages.  I proceeded to do this and made a file on my computer with the results.

I was not particularly happy with the results, because there were some booklets that grandmother pasted into her scrapbook that I wanted the information from that I could not acquire easily with the digital camera.  I put the scrapbook in our records closet with all of the genealogy and photographs that we have accumulated and thought that I would wait until I had some time and see if I could resolve my problem.  From time to time I would see the scrapbook and say to myself that I needed to get back to it.  Well time has a way of flying by!

Last fall we took a cruise from Rotterdam to Scotland, Shetland Islands, Norway, and Denmark.  They had a computer class on the ship.  As you probably know I am interested in computers.  I thought that I might be able to learn something new, so I took a number of the classes.  I did learn some things that I found quite helpful.  One of the things that I found useful was stitching photos together.  This was usually used to make panorama shots from a series of individual photos.  I experimented and found that it worked quite nicely.  Wondered if I could use this technique to scan in documents that were too large for my scanner.  In particular, I wondered if I could scan grandmother Gee’s scrapbook, but you know how things go, we get so busy we don’t get things done that are not on our top priority list.

One morning last week, I woke up early and couldn’t get back to sleep.  I thought I needed to try and scan that scrapbook.  I had written a short piece for my “Letters from Grandpa” blog about my musical experiences and included some photos.  My wife Alice said she did not have something like that to write about.  One of our children commented that she did not know that her mother had taken piano lessons as a young girl.  Alice said she could write about that aspect of her life and proceeded to do just that.  We suddenly realized that our children knew only what they had experienced while living with us and little about what happened before they came into the family.  To illustrate the chapter in her life, she wanted a photo of the singing group that she was in when we lived in Lander.  We went to the records closet looking for photos of the singing group, which we found.  Alice noticed grandmother Gee’s scrapbook and mentioned that I ought to scan the book in.  The spirit’s promptings had fallen on deaf ears, but now I was moved to action.

I spent part of two days scanning in the pages of the scrapbook.  I have four scanners in my possession; a HP scanner copier printer, an Epson flatbed scanner, a Fujitsu Scan Snap and a Cannon portable flatbed scanner that my wife bought me for a present.  I wanted a portable scanner to take with us when we went to libraries, so I would not have to pay for copies of books and documents.  This was the best copier to use for this task and it allowed access from all sides.  I found that the pages of the scrapbook would fit nicely and cover the whole platen and extend about 5 inches on one side.  This allowed me to take just two scans for one page.  The next thing I needed to do was to stitch the two scans together.  My Cannon scanner came with some photo editing software by Arcsoft.  I used the help feature to find out if there was a stitching accessory.  It did have one and I stitched my first two scans together.  The result was passable, but as I went further into the scanning, I found that the results of the stitching were not acceptable.  There was overlap and shadowing.  I had to see if the program that I used on the cruise would produce better results.  The Arcsoft program required the left and the right side to be lined up in that order.  Windows Live Photo Gallery panorama option does not require the photos to be lined up right or left, it takes the two scans and merges them into one document correctly.  I was impressed.  I am now in the process of stitching the scanned pages together.   It may take a few more hours to complete the project, but it will look much better and be more readable than the digital photograph method.

The parable of the apple tree

When I was young I used to like to eat apples.  We would go to the tree and pick the apples that we could reach, but when we picked all the apples below, we had to climb the tree and go down the branches in order to get the apples.

The same principle applies to family history.  When we use Family Tree to find individuals in need of ordinances, especially for those of us who are descendants of the early LDS pioneers,  we find most, if not all, of the ordinances have been completed.

My grandparents and great grandparents were active in collecting genealogy and having the ordinances performed for many of the ancestors.  They went up the family tree and got as many ancestors and their families as was possible for their era. 

Think about some early member who had a number of children.  They may have as many as five or six thousand linear descendants in five generations.  If all these descendants were active members of the church, then there would be very few ordinances available. 

The solution is to climb the trunk of the family tree for five or six generations and then go down the branches.  Not every descendant of most family trees was a member of the church or even associated with the church. 

In my own family I have a third cousin who not only is not a member of the church, but was amazed that she was a descendant of one of the early Mormon general authorities.

With census records on-line and better access to recent records, it is much easier than finding ancestors in the 16 or 17 hundreds in lands outside the United States.

There are records in Family Tree that need ordinances, but most of them are out on the branches and not near the trunk of the tree.  It is our responsibility to find all the apples on the tree.

More connections with Wilma and a clarification

June Robert Hogg the son of Robert Hogg and Zina Jane Buttars was married to Wilma Alphadine Martindale Tadlock  on 01 Dec 1933 in Rupert Minidoka, Idaho.  Apparently this marriage did not work out and he was then married to Lola Mae Winds or Windes 23 August 1947 at the age of 43.  Lola was 34 at the time.

The Western States marriage Index lists it as such:

Groom Last Name:       HOGGE (Note the spelling)

Groom First Name:       Gene R. (He changed his name for the marriage license)

Groom Residence:        Burley, Cassia, Idaho

Bride Last Name:         WINDES ( spelled Winds in other records)

Bride First Name:         Lola Mae

Bride Residence:           Burley, Cassia, Idaho

Place:   Burley

Date:    23 Aug 1947

County of Record:        Minidoka

State:    Idaho

Volume:            5

Page:    168

I searched the obituaries in Idaho for Hogge and found the following:

From the obituary

http://minicassiavoice.com/obituaries-2/obituary-hilda-m-haynes/

Rupert—Hilda Mae Haynes, of Rupert, returned to her Heavenly Father on May 13, 2012, due to a lingering illness.
Hilda Mae was born on February 27, 1935, to Dewey D. “Jake” Davis and Lola Mae Windes in Manchester, Oklahoma.   Lola and children later moved to Burley, Idaho in 1943 where Lola met and married J.R. “June” Hogge, who became a loving father to Hilda Mae and her siblings Helen Louise Davis, J E “Sonny / Dave” Davis, Keith Henry Davis and  Anna Christine Hogge.

Hilda became a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints when she was 15 years old, and she deeply loved and cherished the gospel in her life.  Hilda then met the love of her life Wayne Haynes at the Burley roller rink.  They became quite the roller rink dancing couple, and they loved to skate.

Wayne and Hilda were married on September 24, 1951, in Burley, Idaho.  They were later sealed for time and all eternity in the Idaho Falls Temple on March 6, 1976. This year they would have celebrated their 61st Anniversary.

Wayne and Hilda lived in Burley and later moved to Paul for a while where Wayne worked on the family farm until 1960 where they moved to Heyburn for a year and then to Rupert where they currently reside.

Hilda worked at Ore-Ida and then at Magic Valley Foods when it opened until 1985.  She also worked at May’s Country Living where she found her calling—working , giving and sharing her love with those who needed taken care of.

Hilda was an angel to all those who knew her.  She touched so many lives in the time she was here on earth.  Her grandchildren adored her, and loved being around her.
Hilda loved the gospel and held numerous callings in the Church: Den Mother, Scout Leader, Relief Society Secretary and Visiting Teacher Supervisor. Hilda and her companion Esther Chandler were faithful visiting teachers for 25 years, never missing the monthly visits to their assigned sisters and tending to their needs.
In Hilda’s later years she became dear friends and helper to Marie Norby and Clara Shelton whom she grew to love dearly.

Hilda was always willing to deliver a meal to anyone in need.  She sacrificed much for her family and her church because she just loved doing it.

Hilda is survived by her husband Wayne Haynes; children Robert (Sara) Haynes, of Burley,  Teresa (Bill) Baldauf, of Arizona, Dennis Haynes, of Burley and Steven (Terra) Haynes, of Washington;  12 grandchildren Brandon (Jamie), Trevor (Karie), Jason (Julie), Cory (Cassie), Kelli, Jenna, Tyler, Holly, Makenzie, Courtney, Josh, Brady; 12 great-grandchildren; her siblings J E “Sonny / Dave” (Maureen) Davis and Christine (Gene) Simons, both of Twin Falls; and nieces and nephews, Christy, Jody, Carol, Kenneth, Eric, Aaron and Dawn Michelle. They were all the light of Hilda’s life.
Hilda was preceded in death by her parents, her brother Keith Davis, sister Helen Davis Boswell and a grandson Nathan McKague.

Funeral arrangements are being taken care of by Hansen Mortuary of Rupert.
The viewing will be held at Hansen Mortuary in Rupert, on Sunday, May 20, 2012, from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m., funeral services will be Monday, May 21, 2012, at 11 a.m. at the Rupert LDS 1st Ward with Bishop Clint Crane officiating.  Burial will follow at the Paul Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers contributions can be made, in honor of Hilda’s endless giving to others, to The Humanitarian Services, c/o LDS Philanthropies, Joseph Smith Memorial Building, 15 E. South Temple St. #2E. Salt Lake City,

Her PIN is: KWZD-GQK  From this information I learned that June had changed his name to Gene.  I found that his middle name was Robert after his father. He had a child after the marriage to Lola Mae.  It is not stated in the records what happened to Dewey D. Davis. 

She is also found on Find A Grave:

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=Haynes&GSfn=Hilda&GSbyrel=all&GSdyrel=all&GSst=15&GScntry=4&GSob=n&GRid=90231795&df=all&

 

 

 

 

Searching sometimes brings up unexpected surprises

Wilbur Garrett Leigh 1901-1997 was listed in my missing individual ordinances list.  I did not have his endowment and sealing to parents dates.  I usually find the person’s PIN and look on Family Tree to get the ordinance information.  I have a number of individuals in my database that I am not familiar with.  Wilbur was one of them.  As I looked him up, I found that he was married to Wilma Alphadine Martindale.  I immediately recognized the family connection. She was Lysander’s great granddaughter.  I got most of this information from my third cousin Adrian O. Gee from Oakley, Idaho.  I wanted some further documentation, so I went to the BYU Idaho website that contains a Western States Marriage index.  This would give me the marriage date if it was in the database.  I did find a marriage date for Wilma Alphadine Martindale to her first husband George Oliver Tadlock.

Western States Marriage Index

Groom Last Name:        TADLOCK

Groom First Name: George Oliver

Groom Residence:        Oakley

Bride Last Name:        MARTINDALE

Bride First Name: Wilma

Bride Residence:        Oakley

Place:        Burley

Date: 04 Mar 1919

County of Record:        Cassia

State:        Idaho

Volume:        2

Page: 285

The link to this Internet record is:http://abish.byui.edu/specialCollections/westernStates/westernStatesRecordDetail.cfm?recordID=57066

I reasoned that if I could find Wilma and George’s marriage, I ought to be able to find Wilbur and Wilma’s marriage record as well.

I found a marriage record for Wilbur, but there was a surprise, as you will see.

Western States Marriage Index

Groom Last Name:    LEIGH

Groom First Name: W. Garrett

Groom Residence:        Burley, Cassia, Idaho

Bride Last Name: HOGG

Bride First Name: Wilma A.

Bride Residence:        Burley, Cassia, Idaho

Place:        Rupert

Date: 05 Nov 1938

County of Record:        Minidoka

State:        Idaho

Volume:        4

Page: 105

 Here is the link:

http://abish.byui.edu/specialCollections/westernStates/westernStatesRecordDetail.cfm?recordID=437882

The groom had the same name, but the bride had a different surname.  Could it be that Wilma had been married to a man named Hogg after the marriage to George Tadlock? I decided to do some further sleuthing.

I looked for a groom with the surname Hogg and see if there was any information.  Let us see what the record showed.

Western States Marriage Index

Groom Last Name: HOGG

Groom First Name: June R.

Groom Residence:   

Bride Last Name:        TADDLOCK

Bride First Name: Wilma A.

Bride Residence:   

Place:        Rupert

Date: 01 Dec 1933

County of Record:        Minidoka

State:        Idaho

Volume:        3

Page: 279

Link to June R Hogg and Wilma Tadlock marriage

The next thing to do was to look on Family Tree and see if Wilma had three husbands.  She did not, only two were listed; George Oliver Tadlock and Wilbur Garrett Leigh.  I added June R. Hogg as a spouse.  When you add a person to Family Tree the computer looks for a match for that person in the system that may not be linked.  I found no such a match, so June is now in there, linked to Wilma as a spouse.  We have documentary evidence to support such a conclusion.

In my searching I found a Draft Registration for George Tadlock and found him listed in the 1900 census in his parents home.  I always look in Find A Grave to see of I can find any information about an individual.  George was buried in Wells City Cemetery in Wells, Elko, Nevada.

In searching for June R. Hogg, he seems to be one of those elusive characters.  I do not know if he changed his name.  I wonder secretly if he changed it to Pigg instead.  Or maybe he was teased unmercifully about having a girl’s given name.  There is a chance perhaps, that I can find him eventually. 

There are more surprises in store.

Anyone from Wales?

Today I found a site on the Internet for Welsh Mormon Immigrants.  It is under the auspices of BYU.  I found Thomas Lamrock Butler and his wife Dinah David and their son Job Butler and daughters Jane (my great grandmother) and Maria.  Since these records contained photos for Thomas and Dinah, I added them as sources to Family Tree.

I have been to the cemetery in Spanish Fork and visited the grave of Thomas.  Relatives have already been on Family Tree and added a number of sources.  Fortunately they gave contact information, which I did not have.  Now we can communicate and do cooperative research. Click on the names below to see the information.

Thomas Lamrock Butler 

 Dinah David