A Shaking Leaf Told Me So

 I know that we like to make fun of Ancestry's little shaking leaf, but it really cleared up a mystery for me recently.  Actually, it was a mystery that I had even forgotten about.  In an old box of pictures that my Grandma Ritchie gave me - many of which were picture of my Grandpa Ritchie's family - was this adorable picture.  As you can see, it was taken in Scotland.  On the back, in my Grandma's handwriting it says, "Bill & Hildegard".  At one point she and I had gone through these pictures because "Ritchie" is added in my handwriting.  I didn't think to ask her how it was possible that Bill & Hildegarde, both born in Cleveland, Ohio happened to have their pictures taken in Scotland.  I have to admit that at the time I was so wrapped up in names - either added them to my genealogy or making sure I knew who was in all the pictures - that I never asked any OTHER questions.

So, many, MANY years later I came across this picture and couldn't figure it out. 

I put the picture away and forgot about it - totally forgot about it.  Then, a few weeks ago I was going through my hints - the shaking leaves - and got a hint for Hildegarde Ritchie.  The hint said it was an arrival record in 1905.  Well, I KNEW that was wrong because Hildegarde was born in this country.  Still, it's not that common a name, and I always like to look at a hint before I dismiss it, so I clicked on the actual record.  I was so surprised to see a record for Mary, William and Hildegarde Ritchie - with both of the children noted as "US born".  So this was "my" Hildegarde!  I never knew that my great-grandmother went back to Scotland to visit her family.

Seeing this tickled something in my mind and I remembered seeing this picture - it all came together.  I know this is hardly a stunning discovery - or even a brick wall.  But it was a proof that the names on the back of this picture were correct and it also gave me a look into the life of this family that I hadn't known.  Mary Benzie was only 17 when she came to the USA.  Here she was, 10 years later, coming back from a visit to her parents in Scotland.

52 Ancestors 52 Weeks: #8 ~ Happy Birthday Grandpa Ritchie

Written for Amy Johnson Crow's Challenge 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks. (click on the icon in the sidebar for details at Amy's blog) 

First, just the facts:
Name: David Washington Ritchie
Born: 22-Feb-1908, Cleveland, Ohio
Married: Lela Saurer 05-Jul-1933, Cleveland, Ohio
Died: 16-Jan-2000, Wayne County, Ohio [Find-A-Grave memorial]

Relationship: Paternal Grandfather

I am descended through:
- his son, my father, Donald John Ritchie
 
There are two things I always remember my Grandpa Ritchie telling me.  The first is that he was named David Washington because he was born on Washington's birthday.  The second is that he was "the youngest of the oldest four."

You can barely see him in this picture but he is the baby being held in the backseat by this mother [Mary Benzie]

Dave is the younger boy here - with the rather intense stare.  He is with his older brother Tom and their father [Thomas Leopold Ritchie.]  I can't image dressing boys in all white like that - I wonder how long they stayed clean?








And here are the "older four" Ritchie's - l to r:
William Alexander, b 25-Apr-1902
Thomas Albert, b 11-Sep-1906
David Washington, b 22-Feb-1908
Hildegarde Moore, b 15-Aug-1904



Dave would have four more siblings - the younger four l to r:

Windsor Benzie, b 18-Feb-1911
George Foster, b 30-Jan-1914
James Swinton, b 07-Mar-1912
front: Cora Black, b 25-Jan-1921







I don't have many pictures of Dave as a young man, but I do have this snap of him with his young family and his in-laws.




Of course this is how I remember my Grandpa Ritchie.  One of the first stories told about Grandpa and me - and one he liked to repeat - had to do with a time when I was very young, maybe 4 or 5.  Apparently we had been several places visiting Grandma's friends - probably showing off the grandchild! - and one of the ladies asked me what we were doing next.  I replied that Grandpa said we would go get ice cream.  In the teasing way that people sometimes like to talk to children, she asked if I was sure we were going for ice cream and I said yes, Grandpa said so.  Then she asked, "Yes, but did he PROMISE that you were going for ice cream?"  I looked at her and said, with hands on my hips, "No, but when my Grandpa says something it's the same as a promise!"  I probably got an extra scoop that day.


When Grandpa was retired, he and Grandma would go down to Florida for the winter.  When I visited he would ALWAYS insist on checking the oil in my car.  I'd tell him it didn't need it, but he's always make me pop the hood. Then he'd slip me $20 "just in case."  Everyone has different ways of saying they love you.





Happy Birthday Grandpa ~ wish you were still here to tell me to check the oil and not drive so fast!

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun ~ A Tad Late

I know that's I'm late to the party - and on top of that, I'm going to cheat! Several years ago we did a similar exercise for SNGF and I've mostly copied it here. I did do the extra credit pie chart for this go round.

So, here is our "mission" from Randy Seaver over at Genea-Musings:

1) List your 16 great-great-grandparents with their birth, death and marriage data (dates and places). [Hint - you might use an Ancestral Name List from your software for this.]

2) Determine the countries (or states) that these ancestors lived in at their birth and at their death.

3) For extra credit, go make a "Heritage Pie" chart for the country of origin (birth place) for these 16 ancestors. [Hint: you could use the chart generator from Kid Zone for this.] [Note: Thank you to Sheri Fenley for the "Heritage Pie" chart idea.]

4. Tell us about it in your own blog post, in a comment to this post, or in a post on Facebook or google+.

 Here is mine - copied from my original post from August, 2009.

1. James Ritchie ~ born on 4 May 1844 at Blebo Craig, Kemback, Fife, Scotland. He married on 26 Jun 1868 in St. Andrews, Fife, Scotland. He died on 7 Oct 1891 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Ethnicity – Scottish.

2. Jane Swinton ~ born on 13 Aug 1846 in St. Andrews, Fife, Scotland. She died on 31 Dec 1912 in Strathmiglo, Fife, Scotland. Ethnicity – Scottish.

3. William Benzie ~ born on 18 Oct 1843 at Oyne, Scotland. He married on 20 Jun 1874 at Inverurie, Scotland. He died on 3 Mar 1922 at Inverurie, Scotland. Ethnicity – Scottish

4. Hellen Lumsden ~ born in 1849 in Udney, Scotland. She died on 16 Apr 1919 in Inverurie, Scotland. Ethnicity – Scottish

5. John Ulrick Saurer ~ born on 23 May 1823 in Berne, Switzerland. He died on 24 May 1899 at Apple Creek, Ohio. Ethnicity – Swiss-German.

6. Caroline Flory ~ born on 20 Mar 1844 in Wayne County, Ohio. She died on 16 May, 1884 in Apple Creek, Ohio. Ethnicity – Swiss-German.

7. Rudolph Graber ~ born on 13 Sep 1853 in Berne, Switzerland. He married on 15 Mar 1881 in Apple Creek, Ohio. He died on 5 Aug 1918 at Apple Creek, Ohio. Ethnicity – Swiss-German.

8. Emma Zaugg ~ born on 13 Sep 1860 at East Union Twp, Wayne County, Ohio. She died on 7 Sep 1919 at Apple Creek, Ohio. Ethnicity – Swiss-German.

9. Edwin S Quick ~ born circa 1855 in Maryland. Ethnicity – Unknown.

10. Susie H Hungerford ~ born 09 April 1867 in Prince Frederick, Maryland. She died 02 Jul 1937 in Baltimore, Maryland. Ethnicity – possibly English.

11. William Eickelberg ~ born on 24 Mar 1863 in Mecklenburg Strelitz, Germany. He married on 1 Jan 1884 in Charleston, West Virginia. He died on 11 Dec 1934 in Denver, Colorado. Ethnicity – German.

12. Nellie Auflick ~ born on 29 Apr 1864 at Minersville, Ohio. She died on 27 Sep 1940 in Pomeroy, Meigs County, Ohio and is buried in Denver, Colorado. Ethnicity – English.

13. Henry Evans ~ unknown

14. Alma ~ unknown

15. August Heinrich Nissen ~ born abt 1850 in Schleswig Holstein, Germany. He died 06 Apr 1914, Broomfield, Colorado. Ethnicity – German.

16. Anna Elizabeth Parkson born abt 1856 in Ohio, Died 11 May 1900 in Broomfield, Colorado. Ethnicity – German.

This was a very interesting exercise! My ethnicity is 25% Scottish, 25% Swiss-German, 18.75% German (or 43.75% Germanic), 12.5% English and 18.75% anybody's guess.

And here is my extra credit pie chart:

This was fun ~ thanks Sheri & Randy!!

Fearless Females ~ Day 3 [a little bit late]

Fearless Females: 31 Blogging prompts to celebrate National Women’s History Month is brought to us by Lisa Alzo at The Accidental Genealogist. Be sure to take a look at her post showing the whole month’s worth of prompts and then jump in and play along!

March 3 — Do you share a first name with one of your female ancestors? Perhaps you were named for your great-grandmother, or your name follows a particular naming pattern. If not, then list the most unique or unusual female first name you’ve come across in your family tree.

Hildegarde M Ritchie

My name, Diana, is not one that is anywhere in my family tree. My Dad used to tease me, however that they ALMOST named me after his Aunt Hildegard!! My Mom always said that they never even considered that, but to this day my Dad will sometime says, “We really should have named you after Hildegarde and maybe she would have left you some money” or variations on that theme.

I do something very similar with my nieces. I tell them from time to time that I wanted their Mom to name one of them Magdalena. That is a name that appears on the Swiss-German side of my Dad’s family.  I rather like it myself, but my sister wouldn’t go for it. Like my Dad, however, that doesn’t keep me from bringing it up to them in a variety of ways.

What I Am Doing To Overcome GADD...Genealogical Attention Deficit Disorder!

In a recent post I mentioned that I intended to, “…pick someone in my database….ANYONE….and do a little researching!”  Well, I have decided to pick two people instead – my Father’s paternal grandfather and my Mother’s maternal grandmother and here's why.

My first choice, Thomas RITCHIE, I picked because I know quite a bit about him already. I have many documents including birth, marriage, census and naturalization records and a number of pictures. That might seem counterintuitive, but I have two goals here.

First I want to really work on my source citations within my genealogy program. Using Tom as my subject gives me many different types of documents to use. I feel that once I’ve gotten every piece of data I have for Tom properly documented and cited, I’ll have a better understanding of how to handle a wide range of sources. This goal is related as much to better understanding and utilizing my software as it is to source citations.

Second, because I have so much information on Tom it will allow me to work on my overall organizational strategy as well. I’m going to think of it as a mini-project. If I can get all the pictures and documents, both digital and paper, in a form that makes sense then I’ll be in good shape for working on those ancestors where I have much less to go on.

Marker of Gertrude's mother

Which leads me to choice number two, Gertrude A. NISSEN. I’ve chosen her specifically because I have so little information about her! Until just a few years ago I didn’t know anything more than her name. I am going to use her as my research opportunity. By concentrating on her, and not allowing myself to be side tracked into wandering after my step-grandmother’s brother’s second wife’s sister (an actual example, by the way) I should be able to accomplish so much more ~ an astonishing revelation, I know - which is why I am sharing it here!

By having these two goals in front of me - and ONLY these two – I should be able to overcome some of the debilitating effects of that disorder I have – GADD. I’ve written about it before and it still haunts me ;-) In addition, having a very narrow scope will allow me to use what little time I have without being overwhelmed just trying to decide where to start.

Up next, what I know and don't know about Gertrude and a few wild-eyed theories as well.  I hope some of you out there will stop by to poke holes in my theories or offer some words of wisdom or both!

Weekly Events ~ January 24 - 30

January 24th ~ This day is marked by the death of Margaret BEVERSTOCK in 1858 in Durham, England. I believe that she is my 4x great-grandmother.

January 25th ~ On this day in 1921 my grandaunt, Cora Black RITCHIE is born in Cleveland, Ohio. I have no pictures of Cora when she was young. I guess as the youngest of a large family, there was no time for baby pictures! This day is also marked by the death, in 1985 of one of Cora's older brothers, my granduncle, Thomas Albert RITCHIE.

January 28th ~ This day is marked by the death of my great-grandfather, Thomas Leopold RITCHIE in 1953 in Ravenna, Ohio. He was born in St. Andrews, Scotland, came to Canada when he was around 9, ended up working in Massachusetts by 1900 where he met and married his wife and then moved to Ohio where he raised a family of 8 children and lived the rest of his life. I would loved to have talked to him!

January 29th ~ On this day in 1775 Margaret KIRK, my 4x great-grandaunt is baptized in St. Andrews Scotland.

January 30th ~ On this day in 1698 my potential 7x great-grandfather, Niklaus ZAUGG is born in Eggiwil, Bern, Switzerland. Also on this day, in 1831 in St. Andrews, Scotland my 2x great-granduncle, Thomas SWINTON is born.

Also born on this day in 1914 is another Ritchie sibling, my granduncle George Foster RITCHIE. Uncle George was definitely a "character."  He was the story teller in the family and he always embellished those stories quite a bit.  He gave me some great information on the family history, but I've had to go over every piece to find the actual truth to the story.  I don't have many pictures of Uncle George - he was one of the younger children in the family of 8.  In the picture to the left I think he looks quite a bit like his older brother, my grandfather David Ritchie.

Finally this day is marked by the death, in 1985 of my granduncle Clair Raymond SAURER.  I always remember that Uncle Clair and Aunt Temp lived next door to my grandparents and they had a dog that was scary!  Uncle Clair loved that dog but we were always warned not to run up to it or even go near it unless Uncle Clair was around.



[this post was originally written in 2010 and has been slightly modified for 2011]

It Looks So Obvious Now ~

I've admitted it before - I'm the family historian. I'd like to be the family genealogist, but don't always have the time to research as much or as thoroughly as I'd like.  So, as I can, I'm going through my database and looking at ancestors where I think I know everything (all the bmd dates/places) and checking on how and why I think I know.  I've started ordering copies of certificates if I don't have them and I if find they are available.  

I found that the Massachusetts Archives had a searchable index for vital records covering the years 1841 - 1910 so I thought I'd see what they had for the marriage of my great-grandparents, Mary BENZIE and Thomas RITCHIE.  Of course I already KNEW when they were married.  I have this great wedding booklet signed by both of them as well as the minister.  I have always recorded their wedding at 17-Oct-1900.  Their first child, William, was born on 24-Apr-1902.  Very respectable!

It took me a few tries, but finally I found a listing in 1901.  I thought, "Well obviously a well-meaning indexer just has a slip of the finger there!" Anyway, off went my check and request.  On Friday in the mail I received a copy of that marriage record.  Not only did I receive a nicely typed out "official" copy, but for my $3.00 (!!) I also received a photocopy of the page in the register showing the original information.  Big as life it is 1901.

So, let's take another look inside the wedding booklet with the date of 1900:

It now appears that the last zero in the date might have started life as a one!  It gives a somewhat different spin on the wedding in October.  There was Mary, already 3 months pregnant, with her male cousin as witness at her wedding.  Was the couple already planning their move to Ohio?  Certainly by the time their son is born, six months later, they lived in Cleveland, Ohio.  In Cleveland who's to know which year they actually DID get married!

I've looked as several other documents I have - Thomas's petition for citizenship where he give the 17-Oct-1900 date, the 1930 census that asks for age at first marriage.  Both Tom and Mary give ages that would be consistent with a marriage in 1900.  So, I guess I thought I had every reason to use that date - every reason but the best one...consulting a primary source!

Family Events ~ February 21 - 27

February 21 ~ This day is marked by the death of my great-grandmother, Mary BENZIE in 1961 in Garretsville, Ohio. The picture to the right has a notation on the back "Ma Ritchie at the farm." I don't remember her as I was barely past 2 when she died, but I do remember visiting the farm. Her son Tom lived there all of his life.

February 22 ~ On this day in 1908 my grandfather (and son of Mary BENZIE), David Washington RITCHIE is born in Cleveland, Ohio. (Born on the day celebrated as Washington's birthday, thus his middle name)

He was "the youngest of the oldest four" as he always liked to say (in a family of 8 children.) So, that would make him the scowling youngest child in this picture. Maybe he didn't care for the hat??

This day is also marked by the death of my step-great-grandmother, Lena VENETTE DUNCAN in 1923 in Boulder, Colorado. She is buried with her mother Mary LEGAULT VENETTE BOWLEN and her daughter Melva Marie DUNCAN in Green Mountain Cemetery in Boulder, Colorado. This is a huge cemetery and I was fortunate to find a full index and map on-line (click the link above) that allowed me to locate this grave several years ago on a trip to Boulder.


February 24 ~ This day is marked by the death of a potential 7x great-grandmother, Barbara HUNZIKER in Staffelbach, Aargau, Switzerland.

February 26 ~ On this day Isabella DAVIDSON, my 4x great-grandmother is born in Aberdeenshire, Scotland.


February 27 ~ This day is marked by the death of my grandaunt, Pearl Emma SAURER BIDLE in 1998 in Wayne County, Ohio.

One thing I remember about Aunt Pearl is visiting her when I was a teenager. I am 5'2" on a good day and Aunt Pearl is a good 3-4 inches shorter than I am. She was cooking something for us, I don't remember what, and she asked me to take a skillet off the burner. It was a huge old cast iron skillet and I used both hands to lift it. She later walked over and was slinging it around with one hand as it it weighed nothing at all!! Even then - and she must have been near 70 since she was my grandma's older sister by 10 year - she was stronger than I was. I guess living on a farm most of her life was better conditioning than 10 Minute Abs or Sweatin' to the Oldies ;-)

Family Events ~ January 31 - February 7

[Yes, I know - February 6th should be the last day...but I have a special reason for including it here!]

January 31st ~ On this day in 1901 in Edinburgh, Scotland William Hannan RITCHIE, my 2nd cousin twice removed is born. He will only live for 4 days.

February 2nd ~ On this day in 1838, marriage banns are read for David RITCHIE and Agnes GOURLAY in Ceres, Fife, Scotland. They are my 3x great-grandparents. This day in 1993 is also marked by the death of my granduncle, Windsor Benzie RITCHIE in Ohio.

February 3rd ~ This day is marked by the death of James KIRK, my 5x great-grandfather in 1829 in St. Andrews, Scotland. I am fortunate that there is a marker for him in St. Andrews, erected by his son and that I got to see and photograph it! It was an early Tombstone Tuesday post last year.

This day is also marked by the death of Selma EICKELBERG, my great-grandaunt in Denver, Colorado in 1913. She was just 5 days shy of her 19th birthday.

February 4th ~ On this day in 1897 Edna SAURER is born in Dalton, Wayne County, Ohio. She will become the wife of my great-granduncle Raymond GRABER. She will also cause be no end of problems early in my genealogical "career" as she was born Edna SAURER and became Edna GRABER while her sister-in-law, Raymond's sister, is born Edna GRABER and becomes on marriage Edna SAURER!!! Even when people noted names on the backs of pictures it all depended on who was doing the labeling as even after marriage both women might be noted by a maiden name.

And now for the most special days of this week:

February 6th AND February 7th ~ On these days, some years ago, right before and right after midnight my twin nephew and niece are born. My niece, the one born on the 7th used to say that the 6th was always, "the worst day of the year for me" because on that day her brother would tell her, and anyone who would listen, that HE was a year older! "I'm already x but you are NOT" I'm sure any of you with brothers can imagine. While they are teenagers now, I just couldn't resist using their one-year old birthday party pictures.

Happy Birthday Twins!!

Family Events ~ November 22 - 28

November 22 ~ On this day in 1873 my 2x great-grandaunt, Sophie EICKELBERG is born in Minersville, Meigs County, Ohio. My mom says that as a very young girl she can remember going with her grandma to visit Aunt Sophie. Also on this day in 1895, Sophie's first child, William L HAZALETT is born in Meigs County, Ohio. William is my my 1st cousin 3x removed.

November 25 ~ On this day, in 1846 in Oyne, Aberdeen, Scotland,my 2x great-grandaunt, Mary BENZIE is born.

November 26 ~ This day is marked by the death of my Grandma, Lela Mable SAURER RITCHIE in 1991. There is a picture of her gravestone here as it was an early "Tombstone Tuesday" post.


November 27 ~ This day is marked by the death in 1847 in England of my 4x great-grandfather, John HANNINGTON. This day is also marked by the death, in 1858 of my 4x great-grandmother, Margaret LOUDEN RITCHIE in Blebo Craig, Fife, Scotland. [This Margaret and her husband, David RITCHIE are the common ancestors of my recently discovered cousin in Scotland!]

Family Events ~ October 4 - 10

[Wow, I've been a slug the last week. It's just been SO crazy at work! I know I am late, but didn't want to let this week pass by without posting at least a few family events.]

October 4 ~ This say is marked by the death, in 1985, of my great-grandaunt, Hilda Lena [GRABER] BUPP.









October 7 ~ On this day in 1876 my great-grandfather, Thomas Leopold RITCHIE is born in St. Andrews Scotland. I don't have any pictures of Tom when he was young so I am using my favorite picture of him pictured with 2 of his own sons - the younger boy on the left being my Grandpa, David Ritchie.


This day is also marked by the death, on Tom's 15th birthday in 1891, of his father James RITCHIE in York, Ontario, Canada.

Once again - something I never knew. How hard it must have been for Tom that his father died on his birthday.