Geneabloggers - New Genealogy Blogs

This is shamelessly silly, but I'm excited about it.  I've been featured as one of the new blogs of the week "discovered" by GeneaBloggers!  I put discovered in quotations because I recommended myself to them, but it is exciting to see my blog listed up there with all of the other new blogs discovered this week.  It's also been fun to have my daily post listed in the roll-up widgets of the daily blogging prompts.  They also list "holidays" for each date of the year.  For example, did you know that yesterday was National Hairball Awareness Day?  I do now, unfortunately.

I'd like to tout another very exciting and cool blog, under the GeneaBloggers umbrella:  GeneaWebinars.  There is a calendar widget on there that lists all upcoming "webinars", or online classes/seminars, many of which are FREE.  I was lucky enough to attend only one National Genealogical Society conference back in 1995, and I've craved and missed that for the last 16 years.  It so happened that I was married shortly after that and between finishing my degree and entering into my first and most beloved profession of motherhood (second only to genealogy) I haven't been able to afford, either financially, or as life went forward, time-wise, to go to another genealogy conference.  My time is coming.  But I was absolutely thrilled to discover these webinars because I can continue learning from home.

There is also a weekly radio broadcast at blogtalkradio. You can listen to back episodes for FREE, and I'm looking forward to adding that to my weekly educational and social calendar.

I'm really loving this new community and hopefully when things settle down in my personal life (aka finishing up the school year with five kids before mom goes crazy) I'll be able to delve even more into learning about the abundance of technological advances that have entered the scene since I was last really active in the online community of genealogy research.  I'm embarrassed to say the last time I was technologically savvy in that area, it was when newsgroups were the cool new "in" thing.  What's a newsgroup?  Yeah.  It's that old.  Thank you, THANK YOU, GeneaBloggers and Thomas MacEntee for such a wonderful resource.  I'm more fired up than I've been in a long time and ready to enter the 21st Century.

Follow Friday - Genealogy for Kids

I saw that someone else recommended Genealogy for Kids today, as well.  I found Jennifer Holik-Urban's blog, Generations, a month or so ago, and started following it and her Genealogy for Kids blog in my blog reader.  I started reading the Genealogy for Kids to see what tips I can find to help my kids as they start into their genealogical journeyings with me, and have found that there are some great tips for me, too.  One that I was pretty excited about was:

Tuesday's Tip - Research Question Checklist

Through her blogs, I discovered Geneabloggers, and I decided that I needed to start my own genealogy blog.  So.  Here we are!

Thankful Thursday - My Grandma

Grandma at her 90th birthday bash

I'd like to take this opportunity to say a big THANK YOU to my grandmother, Eva.  This amazing woman is a walking encyclopedia of knowledge, and has been one of my biggest resources when it comes to family history.  She'll be 91 years old next month, and she still remembers the most wonderful memories and stories about her own family and my grandpa's.  In face, she's probably the sharpest person I know.  My grandpa, Gene Rhinehart, saw me once when I was a baby, and died when I was a little girl. I never met his mother, Goldie Agatha Myers, she died long before I was born.  But because of my research and talking about them to Grandma "P", I feel a closeness and a relationship with them that all of you genealogists out there know what I'm talking about.

Besides her fountain of knowledge, she was also my biggest supporter in college and my early genealogy career.  She would drive one hour to pick me up from college, along with my dirty laundry, drive me an hour north to the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, take my laundry home and wash and fold it, pick me back up, and drive me back to Provo.  Sometimes she would just sit and read next to me while I did hours of research.  And after all of that, she'd take me out to the Olive Garden and then grocery shopping.  She traded her Buick station wagon for a little car for me to drive.  And once I graduated and starting taking clients, she would watch my baby for me so I could spend more hours at the library, until I got too far along with my second child and had to give up professional research for a while.

For my graduation present from college, she gave me the Cambridge Glass Company glassware, with the Rosepoint design that my great-grandmother had etched herself, and which she had given to my grandma for her wedding.  She also gave me some beautiful crocheted doilies that her own mother had made.  She even let me borrow the beautiful brown dress with the suede collar and cuffs that she bought and wore for my grandpa when he was sent home with malaria from the Guadal Canal during World War II, for a Big Band era dance, even though my waist wasn't nearly as tiny as hers was and we both worried the old stitching might not hold (it did.)

She's endured tape- and video-recorded sessions for life story classes and papers, with me and my children, has been my friend and confidante, has inspired my children with a love for nature and birds and rocks and history, taken us on discovery outings, traveled with us on family trips, let us all camp at her house when we've come in from out of town, and been a lovely and wonderful person to know.  She still works out three times a week, "pumpin' iron", as she says, at the gym. And she always has cookies for us in her tupperware container. 

Thank you, Grandma!

Riding in a racecar on her 90th birthday

Wedding Wednesday - My Granddaddy and Grandma!

Eugene Victor, aka Gene, Rhinehart and Eva Collier on their wedding day - She's wearing the locket!!!

These are my beautiful, movie-star good lookin' grandparents!  Eugene Victor Rhinehart married Eva Collier on June 14, 1920 in Vernal, Uintah County, Utah.  There's a romantic story associated with these sweet people. 

Following is a little history I wrote about the two of them in college, with the help of my grandmother's keen memory:

A Romantic Bridge

    It was a crisp evening in February of 1940 in Vernal, Utah.  Actually, it was Valentine's Day, and two lovers were walking hand in hand down an unpaved road towards the Vernal Mill, which was less than one mile north of Vernal.  Near the mill ran a branch off of Ashley Creek, over which a small bridge stood.  This was a favorite spot for the two lovers, and their destination for the evening.  The night was cold, but beautiful, and a full moon could be seen rising through great, leafless branches in Split Mountain Gorge.  It was a special night for Gene and Eva - one that would change the history of the Rhinehart and Collier families forever.
     Eugene Victor Rhinehart, otherwise known as Gene, was a son of Ernest Rhinehart and Goldie Agatha Myers of Cambridge, Ohio.  He had come from Ohio with the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) to learn how to run construction machinery, which trained him for his life-long career in construction.  In 1940, Gene was a handsome, well-liked nineteen-year-old with black, wavy hair and twinkling green eyes.
     Eva Collier was born in Vernal, and had lived there all her life.  Her parents, James Edwin and Lena May (Palmer) Collier, were active members of the LDS Church and of the community.  At nineteen, Eva was beautiful, with brown, curly hair, green eyes, and a slim figure.
     Gene and Eva first met in July of 1939 while walking down the street in Vernal.  Eva and two of her friends saw Gene and his two friends on the other side of the street.  They chatted and moved on.  They met again that evening at a dance, which was the main activity for youth in Vernal.  Vernal had as many as four dances a week in The Imperial Hall, which had the only spring floor west of the Mississippi.  Gene and Eva spent many of their evenings at the dances.
     As mentioned, walking was their other main activity.  Seven months after they first met, on Valentine's Day, Gene and Eva reached the little bridge and sat down on the railing.  Gene pulled something out of his pocket - a gold heart locket with a tiny diamond chip in it.  He carefully clasped it around Eva's neck and asked her to be his bride.  She still has the locket today.  They were married three months later on June 14, 1940.
     Seven years later Eva gave birth to a little girl named Victoria Jeen (named after her father.)  That little girl is my mother.
    The Vernal Mill probably no longer stands, replaced by newer technology.  No longer do the residents of Vernal bring their wheat, corn, and oats thee in the fall to be ground.  The gravel road that was once Main Street is now paved, and the little bridge is now a memory.  But over 70 years ago a young man proposed to a young woman, which was the beginning of a new family.  That little bridge is thus an important historical site in my family's history.

And those three girls married those three boys.

Tombstone Tuesday - Andrew Myers

Photo from findagrave.com, taken by Gary Chambers

This grave marker is for my great-grandfather, Andrew Myers (I wrote about his military experience yesterday).  It doesn't have any dates, but it does list his regiment in the Civil War:  Co L 6th W VA INF.  He is buried in the Quiet Dell (Wise) Cemetery in Aleppo, Greene County, Pennsylvania.  He was born March 1843, and died April 29, 1908.

Military Monday - A Midnight Romp

My great-great grandfather, Andrew Myers, who was born in March of 1843 in Greene County, Pennsylvania, entered the fray of the Civil War in October of 1861, enrolling for duty in Cameron, Marshall County, Virginia (later to become West Virginia), and was mustered in to Company L or the 6th Regiment Virginia (West Virginia) Infantry as a Private.  He was 18 years old.  He re-enlisted in December of 1863 as a veteran.  He was in action at New Creek on November 28, 1864, according to his pension records. 

In September of 1863, he was charged with "Absence without Leave":

"Specification, In this that the said Andrew Myers a private of Co L 6th Reg. Va Infy. U. B. Vols did on or about the 22d day of Sept 1863 without permission from his commanding officer and without other authority leave his Company and Regiment for Green Co Pa and was arrested the following day at Cameron WVa. from there taken to the Provost Guard House at Wheeling, from there he was sent to Guard house at Clarksburg, and returned to his Company under arrest on or about the 28th of Sept 1863, all this at Rowlesburg WVa."

The company muster roll for September and October 1863 list him as "Absent" with the remarks, "On a scout in Tucker Co WVa.  Forfeits 30 days pay by sentence of Regt. Court Martial."

This was not his only "vacation":

"Charge 1 - Absence without leave
Specification - That Private Andrew Myers Company L 6th Regiment West Virga Vol Infantry was absent from his Company without permission from proper authority on the night of the 10th of April 1865  This at Grafton WVa

"Charge 2 - Disorderly and riotous Conduct
Specification - That Private Andrew Myers Company L 6th Regiment West Virga Vol Inftry was whilst absent from camp, on the night of the 10th of April 1865, engaged in disorderly and riotous conduct in breaking open the houses of Private Citizens at Fetterman WVa"

Andrew pleaded guilty to both counts.  His muster roll for March and April 1865 say that he is absent, "In Guard house Clarksburg WVa"  He was honorably discharged on June 10, 1865.

In his pension application, dated 21 December 1888, he says "he was injured in the Righ Shoulder caused by a fall while Passing over a Ditch.  And on or about Latter Part of June 1865 at or near Moundsville WVa was Ruptured on left side caused by falling off a train.  And on or about 5 day of June 1865 at Wheeling WVa Contracted Chronic Diarrhaea."  He further states that he is "unable to earn support by reason of rupture left side, ulcers left leg, injury to right shoulder, Diarehaea, Piles, Eyes affected   Unable to Perform Manual Labor."

He is described as 5 feet 6 inches, with light complexion, light hair, and blue eyes.

His wife, Emeline, reported the following after his death (April 29, 1908, Cameron, Marshall County, West Virginia):

"I can not give the affidavit of any Physician as to his death for the reason we had no doctor to see for 5 or 6  months prior to his death in the fall of the year before his death He had a stroke of Paralesis and we had a doctor to see him and was told he could do nothing for and directed us how to take care of him which we did as best we could untill his death, He died from the Paralesis, for a long while at times his mind was bad, we were verry poor people and had to do the best we could and had no other means to live on but his pension."

In a March 1st, 1889 affidavit, John Black, Commissioner, asserts the previous injuries, and says, "If there is a charge of desertion against Claimant can the same be removed".

In the pension records, both Emeline and Andrew assert that they were not married to anyone else prior to their marriage on 17 Feb 1875 in Greene County, Pennsylvania.  Interestingly, I can find no record of Andrew from June 1865 until the 1880 Census, which lists he and Emeline along with their 3 oldest children, Mary, Lena, and Loucena (Lucinda?).  I can't find him on the 1870 Census, and he's 31 years old at the time of his wedding.  I've wondered if he served time in prison for his misdeeds or if he just laid low during the ten years after the war ended.  I would dearly love to know where he was and what he was doing.  Emeline was almost 15 years younger than him, she would have only been seven years old when he was discharged.  One of my many family mysteries...

Sunday Obituary - Goldie Agatha (Myers) Bonnell Justice

Goldie Agatha Myers Rhinehart, about 1929

Mrs. Elmer Justice
     Mrs. Goldie A. Bonnell Justice, 68, wife of Elmer Justice, former resident of 416 W. Main St., who for several years had been living in Cambridge, died Tuesday in Guernsey Memorial Hospital, Cambridge, after a long illness.
     She was the daughter if Andrew and Emeline (Duncan) Meyers [sp], and a native of Waynesboro, Pa.  Surviving are her husband; three sons, William Rhinehart of Cambridge, Eugene Rhinehart of Las Vegas, Nevada, Donald Rhinehart of Newark and a step-son, Robert Justice of Willowwick; four daughters, Mrs. Florence Davis, Mrs. Esther Gibson and Mrs. Patricia Kennon of Newark, Mrs. Evelyn [Ethelyn] Rowland of Hamilton; also 14 grandchildren; one great-grandchild; two brothers, Ensil Meyers of Newark and George Meyers of Moundsville, WVa; one sister, Mrs. Anna Crawford of Baltimore, Md.  Three brothers and seven sisters are deceased.
     Services will be held at 1 pm Friday in a funeral home in Cambridge with the Rev. Fred Lemasters officiating and burial will be in Northwood Cemetery.  Friends may call at the funeral home." Newark Ohio Advocate, ancestry.com.

Goldie

From Tiffany:  A little more information about this lovely woman, who happens to be my great-grandmother:  She was born 5 Dec 1893 in Big Tree, Greene County, Pennsylvania to Andrew and Emaline (Duncan) Myers, the 10th of 13 children.  Her father, Andrew, had served in the Civil War and was not in good health by the time she was born.  He ended up passing away on 29 Apr 1908 in Cameron, Marshall County, West Virginia, after lingering from a stroke for some time.  They were extremely poor, possibly living in a shack-like home near the railroad.  Her mother couldn't even afford to have a doctor attend to her father.  She finally had one come, and he told her that he'd had a stroke and the end would come.  It took months.  The boys all worked for the railroad, and the girls married young.  The military pension helped a little, but once the children turned 16, their mother lost their portion of the pension.

Her family moved to Moundsville in Marshall County, and at the age of 16 she found herself pregnant with her first child, Florence L. Hagerman, who was born 28 Aug 1910.  She married the father, Joseph Hagerman, on January 1, 1910 in Moundsville, but was living at home with her mother in the 1910 Census.  They were divorced at some point and on June 28, 1913, she married Ernest Lawrence Rhinehart in Cambridge, Guernsey County, Ohio.  She gave birth to another daughter, Esther, on 9 Oct 1913, but called her Esther Hagerman.  Ethlyn Rhinehart was born 9 Aug 1916, William Joseph on 19 Aug 1917.

In 1920, Goldie was living separately from Ernest, he was living at his parents' home with Ethlyn and William, and she was 8 months pregnant with Eugene Victor Rhinehart, who was born 22 Jun 1920.  Eugene was later told by his sister, Ethel (Ethlyn), that his mother had had an affair with a salesman named George Swick (Zwick?), and that Eugene was his child, not Ernest's.  Supposedly, so were the next two children, Donald Leo, born 28 Feb 1924, and Patricia Mae, born 16 May 1927, although they were given the Rhinehart surname.  Goldie and Ernest eventually divorced.

Goldie later married someone with the surname of Graham, which is her last name in the 1930 Census.  There is a family story that one of her husband's put her children in an orphanage, or told her she needed to choose between the children and him.  The children stayed.  I will say here that from all accounts, while she may have had her flaws, she was a very loving mother and her children stayed close to her, emotionally, if not geographically, their whole lives.

Goldie later married Erville Ray Bonnell, known as Butch.  He was a butcher, and my grandpa, Gene (Eugene), loved him very much and would get up early in the morning to go work with him.  I'm told they were very close.  Butch got sick and Goldie moved him to a different location for health reasons.  She worked for many years at the Cambridge Glass Company, etching the Rosepoint design into plates, teacups, goblets, etc.  While Butch was sick she worked at a hospital.  After he died, she later married Elmer Justice.  From family interviews, I've learned that he was not very nice to Goldie, putting her down, saying unkind things.  Goldie died May 8, 1962 in Cambridge.  

From interviewing my grandma, Eva Collier Rhinehart Pendleton (Eugene's wife), and Goldie's daughter, Pat (Patricia), I learned that Goldie was a very warm, kind lady with a wonderful sense of humor.  She was devoted to her children, joined several churches - from the Methodists to the Pentecostals, she loved to have her family around her - they often had Sunday dinners, and I have pictures of her and her family sitting on the front porch.  She was close to her siblings, as well.  My grandma remembers a get-together with the family where they were all laughing and telling jokes and seemed like a really fun group of people.

Goldie with her grandson, Stanley Dale Gibson.  Behind her are her daughters, Esther and either Florence or Patricia (can't tell which)

Goldie and "Butch" Bonnell

Goldie (in truck) with Patricia (holding kitten), Donald (holding dog), and Eugene

 

Goldie and Butch

Goldie and Butch

Goldie, Florence, Ethel, and Esther

Goldie

Goldie

Welcome!

I've been wanting to start a genealogy blog for a long time, and today is the day!  First off, a little about me:  My name is Tiffany.  I love genealogy and family history!  I love learning about the past, about how historical events shaped and affected my ancestors lives.  I love the stories, the colorful, the heartache, the joy, the romance, and the every day details that filled up their lives.  I love that sense of self that I get as I learn more about the people who paved the way for me, it gives me a feeling that if they could endure, I can, too.  And it makes me look forward to my own children and grandchildren, and beyond.  What legacy will I leave for them?

Besides just being personally passionate about genealogy, I also earned my degree from Brigham Young University in 1996 in Family History/Genealogy, with an emphasis on US research.  I have spent the past 15 years doing personal research, as well as volunteer and paid research for others. I've also spent the past 15 years working on my own "family history", as a stay at home mom of five wonderful children.

My main goal for this blog is to share the stories and research I've gleaned from my family history discoveries, and to connect with other genealogists.  So, welcome to Who's Your Granddaddy!