November 1, 2012

Roxanna Huffman

Oh these Huffmans. They will be the death of me. I have been looking for all of them for years and I still can't figure out several of them. 

1850 US Federal Census
Rovena/Roxena Huffman living several lines above her mother Mary, brother Oliver and sister Jane Huffman (family171). She is living with Silas and Elizabeth Funk (family 169). --in Shreve, Wayne County, Ohio, USA. She is listed as 11 years old, being born about 1839, so most likely 1838/


1860 US Federal Census
Roxanna Huffman is living with her sister and brother-in-law, Austin and Louisa Huffman Morgan and next door to her brother, Oliver Huffman and his family. She  was born about 1839 and is listed as being born in Indiana.-Porter, Porter, Indiana, USA.

Year: 1860; Census Place: Porter, Porter, Indiana; Roll: M653_289; Page: 386; Image: 388; Family History Library Film: 803289.



I need to dig it out, but Roxanna is mentioned in Austin Morgan's will when he dies in 1863. The estate owes her $400.

1870 US Federal Census
Roxanna Huffman is still living with her sister, nieces, nephews and mother in Porter County, Indiana. Also, I believe her cousin Henry Hoffman (son of Christoph Huffman) is living with them. 



 1870; Census Place: Porter, Porter, Indiana; Roll: M593_351; Page: 100A; Image: 203; Family History Library Film: 545850.

1880 US Federal Census
That's it. I can't find her in the 1880 census. 

I've been looking for Roxanna, leaving the name blank, born in Ohio and lived in Indiana. Roxanna isn't a very popular name around this time, so there aren't a whole lot of records. However, there isn't a marriage record in Indiana for Roxanna. Familysearch.org brings up nothing, either. 


October 27, 2012

Male descendants of Oliver Huffman.

I'm totally geeked out right now.

Reading throughout the (sparse) blog, you'll find a common link. From where was William Huffman? Who are his parents? I've taken several approaches, researching all other Huffmans in Wane County, OH and Porter County, OH to try and find a connection. I have diligently looked for Oliver Huffman's children (not documented here, but rather in my ancestry.com file). Looking for Oliver Huffman's children would potentially have y DNA tested to link to a documented Huffman.

A lot of Oliver's grandchildren were female and I lost hope. However, with the release of the 1940 census, new information on his children was available to search for their children. My efforts have focused on finding descendants of these children in recent weeks.  

I. Oliver Huffman m. Margery Moore
  1. Winfield Huffman
  2. Emma J. Huffman
  3. Samuel Huffman
  4. Elmer E. Huffman
  5. Morgan A. Huffman
  6. Albert Huffman
  7. Marvin V. Huffman
  8. Florida Huffman
  9. Marion C. Huffman
Sounds like it'd be an easy job, right? 7 boys out of 9 children. There's got to be a direct male line, right?


I.1.Winfield Huffman m. Maria A. Allenbadt
  1. Inez Huffman
  2. Clarence I. Huffman m. Laddie Bush
    • I have yet to find a census with them listing any children
  3. Alta Grace Huffman
I.3. Samuel Huffman m. Louise C. Hardesty
  1. Nina Huffman
  2. Delta Ann Huffman
Two girls, so Samuel doesn't help.

I.4. Elmer E. Huffman m. Edith L. Averson Aberson
  1. Ethel Hoffman
  2. Chauncy Verl Hoffman m. Aimee Shine 1915
    • 1920 Census they have no children
    • 1930 no children
    • 1940 no chidren
  3. Ferol Hoffman
  4. Delza Hoffman
I. 5. Morgan A. Huffman b. 1863 m. Anna Laura True 
  • The couple married in 1894 in Porter Co., Indiana
  • They were living in 1900 in Porter Co., Indiana
  • By 1920, they were living in Huntington Co., Indiana
  • As far as I can tell, here are their children:
  1. Myrtle Marie Huffman
  2. James Oliver Huffman (1899-1987) m. Ethel Naomi Uhl. 
    1. Female 1
    2. Female 2
    3. Female 3
    4. Female 4
    5. Robert E. Huffman (1851-2012)
      • three sons listed in obituary. However, none have last name of Huffman. Two have one last name and other has different name. They could have maternal last name if Robert and mother weren't married.
    6. Male 1 lives in Ontario, OR
      1. Male lives in OR/ID
        1. Male lives in OR/ID
Yes! These are my direct descendants of William Huffman and Oliver Huffman. William was James' Oliver Huffman's g-grandfather. I found I.5.6.1.1 on Facebook. I hope he emails me back. Otherwise, I will do the cold calling of Male 1 (I.5.6) that lives in OR. 

I.6. Albert Huffman 
  • Thus far, I have not found anything about him within census records or Porter Co., marriage records. 
I. 7. Marvin V. Huffman m. Jessie Doak
  1. Marvin R. Huffman or perhaps Russel Marvin Huffman
    • going by Russell Huffman in 1940, 1930 and 1920 census
    • in 1940, he is 36 living at home with his parents, listed as single. 
  2. Marjorie E. Huffman
I.9. Marion Huffman m. Lillie Coneway
  1. Maylen Huffman
  2. Harry C. Huffman (1902-1951) m. Honour Huffman (1904-1991)
  • They were living in Logansport, Indiana in 1949. Harry died in 1951.
    1. Marilynn Huffman
    2. James M. Huffman b. 1939
      • Obituary of Honour lists him living in WI (Milwaukee county) in 1991
      • Looking through whitepages, he may have died in 2002. His wife maybe Judith A. Huffman and perhaps they have a child James L. Huffman??
      • I need to find James M. Huffman obituary.
      • All my hopes of getting a yDNA test seems to hinge on a bunch of men named James Huffman.

April 5, 2012

Looking for more family in the 1940 Census

In Gary, Indiana, there should be a large number of my family. The following were listed in the 1941 Gary, IN city directory:

Caulk F. L. (Gertrude) h723 Connecticut
Baker Clarence L (Hazel M) janitor City Bd Park Comnrs r Clark Station
In the 1930 census, the Bakers were living at 445 Maryland St, which looks like it is at Maryland/5th Ave (US 20/12)

Let's start with the Caulks.

743 Connecticut Ave. is bounded by 7th and 8th Ave. This puts us with ED In the 1940 census, this area is with ED95-10 and ED95-9. Let's go

On page 10 of ED95-10 is 744 and 742 Connecticut St.
On page 17 of the same ED, 749, 745, 741 Connecticut St.

Hm. OK.

@749 are the Reynolds (Frank)-they are living here in 1941, too. and in the 1940 census
745 are the Grogats (Vade or Vacle Angeline)
741 are the Beres, Dan and Victoria are listed at 741 Ct. in the 1941 Directory. They are listed in the census, too.

Were the Caulks just not home? Is that why there were houses missing?
Were they not living there in 1940?

Note: Edward Moore is living on page 27.

What about the Bakers?
They're living in Clark Station. Previous chats with people who grew up in Clark Station say it is by the airport. Most of the houses are missing today. This area is at N. Clark Ave. and Birch St.

OK. So let's look at the maps for the districts. ED-27 and/or ED-26. Let's start with 27, as this is where the airport is at.

Ahha! Listed as Clark Station, Gary, Lake, Indiana. As expected.

1940 US Census, Enumeration District 95-27, page 61A

1940 Census: Poparads

The 1930 census showed the Popereds living in Gary, Indiana. By the 1940 census, two daughters have left and they are now living in Porter County, Indiana. This should be the spot where the farm house was built and we now know as 1137 Salt Creek Road. Emil would go on to build at 1141 Salt Creek Road. His son, William, would be the last Poparad to live in the farm house. It was torn down and stood vacant until Angella Knapp, Emil's granddaughter, would build her house with her husband Jared and they would move in in 2009. Emil's daughter Marlene lives in the house Emil built.




Ann Poparad was now Ann Toth, living with Bill Toth. They moved to what is now the "S" curve of Old Porter Road. There is a strawberry patch there now. Either way, they are listed a few pages back in the same enumeration district:



I'm still needing to find Jeanne Westberry and her husband, but I think they were living in Lake County at the time.



April 4, 2012

Ernest Estepp in the 1940 Census

So, back to the search for Ernest Estepp in the 1940 census. Yesterday I made it through some of the shorter EDs of Mingo County, WV. Now, time to keep searching:

ED 2:Nothing
ED 3:Nothing
4-9 from yesterday
ED 10: Runyons
ED 11: Nothing
12-13 from yesterday
15: Dewey and Tennessee Estepp, nothing else
16, 19 from yesterday

Looking back at George Estepp's death certificate in 1938, the family was living in Holden, Logan, WV. It has district 2321 up on the top. Let's go back to Logan County

ED 23-19:Nothing
ED 23-20:Nothing (from yesterday)
ED 23-21: Nothing (from yesterday)
ED 23-22:Nothing
ED 23-23:Nothing
ED 23-24:Nothing
ED 23-31:Nothing (from yesterday)
ED 23-32:Nothing

I made a map and looked at what was missing. I figured I should go through district 1 in Mingo County. It's up in the left part of the county:

1: Hitting lots of Ootens, Runyons
Edward Estep and his wife Lena, page 31 (s.o. Rhodes and Polly Runyon Estep)
John and Mollie Estepp, pg 73
Kennith and Ella Deskins? Polly Estepp is living with them. Ella is short for Lewella (1905-1976)

Holy heck. On page 78:





Looking for the Estepps

The 1940 Census is the first in which Ernest Estepp should be marked in a census. In 1930, his parents, George and Nettie Estepp, were living on Trace Road, Logan, Logan County, West Virginia, ED 23-16. Using the ED conversion, this puts us in:

Ed23-20: Nothing. A few Runyons, Blankenships, Marcums
ED23-21: Nothing
ED23-31:OMG. More workmans! More Maynards! No Estepps

Given where the area was that they ended up, let's look around there. This is in Mingo County, Trace Creek, Right Fork/Left Fork area by the Estepp cemetery. Here is the area in real life:

http://www.epodunk.com/cgi-bin/genInfo.php?locIndex=186371

So, lets look at those areas, 30-10 and 30-5.

Nothing. A couple of Estepps and Stepps family.

Let's move out from those two:
30-8: Stepp, Cora Estepp (pg 29) S. many. Marcums
30-6:Homer Estepp with wife Juanita, Stuart Estepp

OK, let's go 5-10
30-7:Emma and Raymond Estepp, pg 7Not mine
30-9:Wilbur Estep with Edna (pg 11)

Now let's just go:
30-4: John Estepp with wife Mary and kids Wanda, Robert, Calvin, betty
30-12: Nothing
30-13: robert Estepp with Dorothy, Betty, Glen, Lear. Wheeler Estepp with Ruby Doris Marie
30-16:nothing
30-19:nothing

Back tomorrow.

April 3, 2012

1940 Census Release

Well, yesterday April 2, 2012, the 1940 Census was released. Of course, it is not indexed, but it was pretty easy to find the Johnsons and Poparads. The Poparads have lived in the same area now for over 70 years. The Johnson's house just burnt in 2011, though no Johnson descendant has lived there for several years.

In the 1940 US census, Indiana>Porter>Westchest> Enumeration District 64-26, page 4 are the Poparads, with George, Anna, George, Nick, Dan, Rosie, John and Emil. On page two of the same ED is John and Ann Toth. I still need to find the Westberrys.

There is much more for which to search, including the Bakers, but that may have to wait a bit.

March 10, 2012

Who do you think you are?

I really enjoy this show. I do. You would think, though, that I hated it and I'm pretty sure my husband would agree. My main problem with this show is that they make it look so easy. I'm sure that's part of the premise so that ancestry.com subscription increases, ie, Look! It's so easy! But it's not. Even as I attend monthly meetings at CDGS, I'm amazed at the people who have made so much progress without the technology that I have available today.

Even so, with the resources that are available for the public online in this day and age, it is still necessary to 1) write, call, beg for someone to get the documents one needs from the far away land or 2) travel to the far away land and get them for one's self. The show makes it look like 2 is the easiest option, when in fact, it can be very difficult to actually do so. In my life, I have dreamed of going to Wayne County, Ohio to look at the original land owned by my ancestors. Living in NY, I still have trouble getting to the genealogy section of NYS library that is a mile away.

Jobs, life, family and money all play a factor in getting to the original sources. While I enjoy the show, I wish they would put in one non-celebrity to show how it's a difficult, but full-filling hobby.