52 Ancestors: #40 ~ Samuel Waterman, A Revolutionary War Surgeon's Son

This is part of the "52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks" Challenge begun by Amy Johnson Crow, author of the blog No Story Too Small. 

In last week's 52 Ancestors post I shared a photo of Dr. Luther L. Waterman's grave marker. Luther was my 4th great-grandfather and served as a surgeon in the American Revolutionary War. He and his wife, Phebe  Barker, were the parents of nine children. Samuel Waterman was their oldest child.

Samuel was born on 4 April 1778 in Connecticut. He married Lydia Edgerton, daughter of Zebulon Edgerton, Jr. and Abigail Palmer.

Samuel and Lydia were the parents of eight children.

1. Betsey M. Waterman (1804-1869)
2. John Barker Waterman (1806-1845)
3. Luther Waterman (1812-1852)
4. Anna Waterman (1814-After 1869)
5. Caroline Waterman (1816-1851)
6. David Waterman (1820-1896)
7. Zebulon E. Waterman (1823-1883)
8. Reuben Waterman (1828-?)

In 1850, Samuel and Lydia Waterman were living in Troy Township, Athens County, Ohio.¹ The image below is a cropped portion of the 1850 federal census for Troy Township, Athens, Ohio. At the time this census was taken Samuel was 72 years old. His occupation was listed as a farmer, his property was valued at $1,000, and his birthplace was Connecticut.

Some of Samuel and Lydia's children were living with them in 1850 – Betsey, Anna, Caroline, David and Reuben. David's wife, Mary Ann, and their baby, James, were also living with them as well.



The image below shows the full page from the 1850 census that lists Samuel and Lydia Waterman and their family.



When looking at census records, it's important to see who's living next to or near our ancestors. On this page we see that Samuel's younger brother, David Bassett Waterman, was living next to him. He's listed as D. B. Waterman.

Samuel Waterman passed away on 28 May 1857 in Coolville, Athens, Ohio.

Thanks for reading!

Jana

© 2014 Copyright by Jana Last, All Rights Reserved 

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1 "United States Census, 1850," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-11779-141880-28?cc=1401638 : accessed 04 Oct 2014), Ohio > Athens > Troy > image 14 of 34; citing NARA microfilm publication M432.^↩

52 Ancestors: #2 ~ Amanda Melvina Carlisle

This is part of the "52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks" Challenge begun by Amy Johnson Crow, author of the blog No Story Too Small.



This is a photo of Amanda Melvina Carlisle, my maternal 3rd great-grandmother. Doesn't she have a sweet face? She looks like she was a kind and gentle woman.

Amanda was born on 31 October 1819 in Ohio. On 9 July 1835, she married my 3rd great-grandfather, Moses Augustine Webster, in Meigs County, Ohio. Here is their marriage record.¹



Moses and Amanda were the parents of eight children:

1. Ebenezer Perry Carlisle Webster (11 August 1838 – 6 May 1915) [my 2nd great-grandfather]
2. Asbury Bateman Webster (20 October 1840 – 2 December 1849)
3. Watson Emery Webster (27 May 1843 – 26 January 1882)
4. George Washington Webster (8 September 1845 – 11 March 1927)
5. Basil Marion Webster (22 January 1848 – 6 March 1919)
6. Mary Irene (Irena) Webster (28 April 1850 – 11 February 1853)
7. Albert Gallitan Byers Webster (26 September 1858 – 22 February 1862)
8. Fred Lincoln Webster (28 October 1863 – 21 August 1877)

I wish the marriage record for Moses and Amanda had listed Amanda's parents, because that's been a bit of a brick wall for me. Just who were Amanda's parents?

According to the History And Genealogy of the Gov. John Webster Family of Connecticut,² Amanda's parents were Basil and Arena Carlisle. Unfortunately, there aren't any sources listed in the book to prove this information.

I've also seen Amanda's parents listed as Basil Carlisle and Nancy Burnes on some Ancestry.com family trees.

Amanda passed away on 29 September 1871 in Blairstown, Benton, Iowa. I wondered if her death certificate would help me find out who her parents were, but it turns out that pre-1904 death certificates in Iowa don't list the parents of the decedent.

So, it looks like I will have to find other records to prove just who Amanda's parents really were.

Thanks for reading!

Jana

© 2014 Copyright by Jana Last, All Rights Reserved

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1 "Ohio, County Marriages, 1789-1994," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1-18059-120369-5?cc=1614804&wc=M94Q-K4F:1317686713 : accessed 09 Jan 2014), Meigs > Marriage records 1819-1852 vol 1.^↩

2 Webster, William Holcomb, and Melville Reuben Webster. "Chapter 26." History and Genealogy of the Gov. John Webster Family of Connecticut. 1st ed. Vol. 1. Rochester, NY: E.R. Andrews Print., 1915. 618. Print.^↩

Wednesday's Child ~ Remembering Asbury

From FindaGrave.com
Photo by Crystal Vannest Danko

Asbury Bateman Webster was born on October 20, 1840 in Racine, Meigs, Ohio.  He was the son of my maternal 3rd Great-Grandparents, Moses Augustine Webster and Amanda Melvina Carlisle.  Asbury was the second of eight children born to Moses and Amanda.  He passed away on December 2, 1849 at only nine years of age.  According to the United States Census (Mortality Schedule) for 1850, Asbury's cause of death was "Inflammation of the Lungs" with the duration of the illness being 60 days.¹

I wondered what "Inflammation of the Lungs" meant in today's medical terminology.  I also wondered if this term meant Asbury could have had Asthma.  My understanding is that the tendency to have Asthma can run in families.  Asbury's older brother, Ebenezer (my 2nd Great-Grandfather), suffered from Asthma.  How did I find out my 2nd Great-Grandfather had Asthma?  It was documented in his Civil War Pension File.

In today's medical terms, Inflammatory Lung Disease includes Asthma, COPD, Cystic Fibrosis, etc.  But, what did "Inflammation of the Lungs" mean in the 1800s?

I checked the website Nineteenth Century Diseases, and it stated the following:

"In the last century, cause of death often was listed as inflammation of a body organ; such as, brain or lung, but this was purely a descriptive term and is not helpful in identifying the actual underlying disease."

I did a bit more sleuthing and found different information in the website  eHistory's Common Civil War Medical Terms.  According to this website, "Inflammation of the Lungs" was the equivalent to pneumonia today.

So, with conflicting information, I guess it's really not clear what the underlying cause of death was for poor little Asbury.

Unfortunately, Asbury wasn't the only child of Moses and Amanda's children who died before reaching adulthood.  They lost three more children:  two under the age of five, and one when he was fourteen years old.

If you'd like to check out Asbury's FindaGrave memorial page, just click the following link:  Asbury's FindaGrave.com Memorial Page

Thanks for reading!

Jana

© 2013 Copyright by Jana Last

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1 "United States Census (Mortality Schedule), 1850," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/M36N-P4J : accessed 30 Jan 2013), A B Webster, Meigs county, Meigs, Ohio, United States; citing NARA microfilm publication M432^↩

Tombstone Tuesday ~ Ella Eliza Engle Gray

In a previous post, I introduced you to Sarah Amanda Waterman, my 2nd great- grandaunt, who lived to be 103 years old.  She was married to Richard Engle, a Civil War soldier.

Today, I’d like to introduce you to one of Sarah and Richard’s daughters, Ella Eliza Engle.

Ella Eliza Engle Gray

Photo Courtesy of Norma Gardiner

Ella was the first of seven children born to Sarah and Richard Engle.  She was born on June 16, 1858 in Plymouth, Ohio.  Ella married John O. Gray on April 7, 1880 in Blackhawk County, Iowa.  They were the parents of five children:

1. Baby Boy – born in 1881
2. Carl William Gray – (1883-1935)
3. Earl Gray – (1883-before 1900)
4. Mary Luella Gray – (1886-1969)
5. Harold Edwin Gray – (1891-1973)

Ella’s death certificate states she was a retired school teacher.  And according to the obituary for her mother, Sarah, in the South Pasadena Review newspaper, Ella was also the principal of the Marengo School in South Pasadena.

Ella passed away on December 10, 1951 in Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California.  She was 93 years old at the time of her death.  Ella’s grave is located at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Glendale, California.



If you’d like to view Ella’s FindaGrave.com memorial page, just click HERE.

Thanks for reading!

Jana

Copyright © Jana Last 2012

Treasure Chest Thursday - My Webster Family: Coming Full Circle - From The U.S.A. to Brazil and Back Again - Part 2

This is part of a series of posts dedicated to the immigration story of Debs Webster and his family. 

Debs Warren Webster

Mr. Harper C. Pendry and my grandfather Debs Warren Webster apparently became friends following the amazing assistance Mr. Pendry provided to my grandfather in helping him connect with his Webster family here in the United States.  The following is a letter from Mr. Pendry to my grandfather written in January of 1952. 

Click Image to Enlarge

I’ve included the envelope for this letter as well. I like how my grandfather wrote the word “valuable” on the outside of it. Yes, grandpa, you were right, this is very valuable!

Click Image to Enlarge

Transcription of Mr. Pendry’s letter:

Dear Dr. Webster:

The day I received your welcome Christmas card a reporter from the local paper dropped in and was fascinated by the story I told him about our correspondence.  From the file he wrote up a short story about the incident which was carried in the Athens Messenger on January 1, 1952.

I enclose the page on which your story appears.

My best wishes for a happy New Year.

Yours very truly
ATHENS BOARD OF TRADE

Harper C. Pendry
Secretary-Manager

So, how cool is it that my grandpa’s story was written up in The Athens Messenger newspaper?  My grandfather saved the newspaper article and I am including it in this post, with the permission of The Athens Messenger.

Click Image to Enlarge

Transcription of newspaper article:

Board of Trade Search Finds Brazil Man’s Kin
By Charles Woodruff

You may suppose that the Athens Board of Trade is only interested in affairs connected with commerce, that it is a completely impersonal thing.

But you’d be wrong.

Take the recent case of the South American dentist for an example.

Dr. Debs Warren Webster, of Sao Paulo, Brazil, wrote to the Athens board asking for information.  Dr. Webster said that he was hoping to locate relatives in Athens because his father had been born here.

The letter, written in an ornate script reminiscent of old world handwriting, said that his father’s name was Frederic Emory Webster; his grandfather, Abenezer Webster, and his grandmother, Cinthia Maria Webster.

Dr. Webster concluded that the reason he wanted to locate his relatives was because “I intend to go back to the states as soon as I get in touch with them.”

Harper C. Pendry, secretary-manager of the Athens Board of Trade, got hold of the letter last August, and things began to happen.

He acknowledged the letter to Dr. Webster and asked for more definite information, meanwhile conducting local inquiries and writing to the Brazilian Embassy in Washington, D. C.

Pendry asked old-timers around Athens if they knew anything about a family of Websters.  He learned that the only Websters in the county lived in Canaanville, and that they were not related.

The next letter from Dr. Webster provided the clue that ended the search.  After relating that he was born in Santos, Brazil, in 1914, three years after his father went there, and that his mother, a native Brazilian, died in 1920, the dentist described a visit to the United States in 1921.

It was while he was in Chicago that he met an uncle, Rollin Waterman Webster, his father’s younger brother, who worked in a pumping station for the New York Central Railroad.

From there on it turned out to be easy for Pendry.  He merely swiveled around in his office chair, took the Chicago city directory off the shelf and looked up Rollin Waterman Webster.  A quick letter to the Chicago uncle followed, and Pendry soon learned he had the right party.

The board secretary wrote a letter to Dr. Webster giving him the good news on Sept. 29.  Dr. Webster wrote back on Oct. 15, an excited letter offering profuse thanks and sending a picture of himself.

No, sir, you never know what job might fall to a board of trade office.

(In the newspaper article it states that Debs' mother was a native Brazilian.  That was incorrect.  She was actually born in Mexico.)

Mr. Harper C. Pendry and my grandfather must have kept in contact over the years because I have a letter from Mrs. Alice E. Pendry to my grandfather dated July 10, 1961 informing my grandfather of  the death of Mr. Pendry.  Here is her sweet letter:

Click Image to Enlarge

Transcription of Mrs. Pendry’s letter:

July 10, 1961

Dear Friends,

This note is to inform you of the passing of my beloved husband and your friend, Harper C. Pendry on June 16, 1961.

I wish to extend deep appreciation for the many kind notes and letters which brightened his days through his prolonged illness.

Sincerely,

Alice C. Pendry


Thanks for reading!

Copyright © Jana Last 2012

Tombstone Tuesday–Civil War Soldier: Richard Engle

This is the tombstone of Richard Engle, the husband of my 2nd Great-Grand Aunt Sarah Amanda Waterman.  You may remember Sarah Amanda Waterman from a previous post.  She lived to the remarkable age of 103 years old.  Richard and Sarah are buried at the Mountain View Cemetery in Altadena, Los Angeles, California.  Below is a picture where you can see both of their grave markers (Richard on the left, Sarah on the right) with the “Engle” marker above their individual grave markers.



Richard was born on 8 November 1831 near Barnesville, Belmont, Ohio and passed away on 26 April 1917 in South Pasadena, Los Angeles, California.  He was the son of Caleb Engle and Sarah Fawcett, both from Ohio.

Richard served in the U.S. Civil War in Company G of the 63rd Ohio Volunteer Infantry.

 Richard's Find A Grave Memorial

Thanks for reading!


Copyright © Jana Last 2012

Treasure Chest Thursday - My Webster Family: Coming Full Circle - From The U.S.A. to Brazil and Back Again - Part 1

This is part of a series of posts dedicated to the immigration story of Debs Webster and his family.

Debs Warren Webster

Rollin Waterman Webster

Who would have thought that a simple letter of inquiry to the Athens Board of Trade in Athens County, Ohio, would result in the reuniting of my grandfather with his uncle.  But it did!  It's even more amazing because my grandfather, Debs Warren Webster, was living in Brazil, and his uncle, Rollin Waterman Webster was living in Chicago, Illinois at the time.  Why was Debs living in Brazil?  Well, actually, he was born there!  He was the son of Watson Emory (Frederick) Webster, a.k.a "The Traveling Dentist."  I have written about Frederick in several blog posts.  So, if you have read these posts, you know why my grandfather Debs was born in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

In September of 1951, my grandfather sent a letter to the Athens Board of Trade in hopes of finding information regarding his family there in Athens County, Ohio because his father, Frederick Webster, was born there.  A kindly gentleman named Mr. Harper C. Pendry replied to my grandfather.  Below is his letter of reply -

I can't imagine how excited my grandfather must have been to receive Mr. Pendry's letter!  And when my grandfather received this letter from Mr. Pendry, he found his Uncle Rollin's letter to Mr. Pendry included as well.  Here is Rollin's letter of reply to Mr. Pendry:

Page 1

Page 2

Page 3

Our sweet Uncle Rollin was 81 years old at the time he wrote this letter.  You can see a picture of a younger Rollin from a previous post HERE.  Just in case it's difficult to read Rollin's letter, I've included a transcript below - I have included some, but not all, corrections in brackets.  I used to work as a Proofreader for a major corporation many years ago, so it has taken a lot of will power to keep from correcting more.  But I wanted to keep it as close to the original as possible for historical value, thus, the brackets.


Chicago Ill 20

Mr. Harper C. Pendry

I received your letter the 26 Sept, yes you telling me about Debs Webster,  His father Fred and the 3 children from Sapaula [Sao Paulo], South Americ [South America], came here from there to 319 E. 41^st St, Chicago after their visit, they went to Arkansa [Arkansas], doing Dental work, and to Louesana [Louisiana], and later went to Old Mexic [Old Mexico] where one of his daughters died her name was Edna.  Charlotte[Carlota] got married in Mexicoto a Mexican She stayed there and Debs and his father went back to Sapaul [Sao Paulo], So, America [South America].

Ebenezer Parry [Perry] Carlile Webster, my father, was born in Pomeroy Ohio, my mother’s name was Cinthia Maria Webster, her maiden name was Waterman, she was born in Athens.  My father mooved [moved] to Illinoisand then to Iowawhere I was born.  I was the youngest in the family.  My oldest sister Mary died in infantry [infancy].  Laura [Lura] Elizabeth died 1932, Watson Emory, Debs' father who changed his name to Fred in early days, you say “1946 died.”  Dr. Frank Summers died 1941, a Dentist.  Lillian died at the age of 46.  So you see I am the last Webster left,  I was born 1870.  I am retired from the Santa Fe R.R. since 1937.  I had 31 years R.R. service as Stationary Eng.  I worked 10 years for the I.C.? R.R., 21 years Santa Fe R.R.  I started with the Denver & Rio Grand Western, with Debs’ father 1890 he was a Coach Trimmer of R.R. coaches, for the Rio Gr R.R. in 1890.  Now you see Dr. Debs surley [surely] have found his relative for sure and tell him to write to me, and I thank you very much for your trouble.  Please write me soon.

Rollin Waterman Webster

8937 S. Paulina

Chicago 20
Ill,

P.S.  If you want to you may send this letter to Debs

This letter from Uncle Rollin is just filled with genealogical treasures!  For one thing, it helped to prove (in addition to Frederick's death certificate and Frederick's father's pension file) that my great-grandfather Frederick truly did change his name from Watson Emory to Frederick Emory.  It also provided details about Debs' sister Edna's death and his sister Carlota's marriage in Mexico, plus other details about Rollin's siblings.  I wonder if Rollin was unaware of the death of his brother Frederick because he said in his letter, "Debs' father who changed his name to Fred in early days, you say '1946 died.'"  That makes it sound like he didn't know about that.  How very sad!

I am so grateful to Mr. Harper C. Pendry for going above and beyond his normal duties in his job at the Athens Board of Trade in helping my grandfather find his family here in the U.S.A.

I will continue the story of "My Webster Family:  Coming Full Circle–From The U.S.A. to Brazil and Back Again" in a future post. J

Thanks for reading!

Copyright © Jana Last 2012

Tombstone Tuesday–Ebenezer Perry Carlisle Webster

Photo by Dave Avery 2010 from Findagrave.com

This is the tombstone of my 2nd great-grandfather, Ebenezer Perry Carlisle Webster. He was born on 11 August 1838 in Racine, Meigs, Ohio and died 6 May 1915 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois. Ebenezer's parents were Moses Augustine Webster and Amanda Melvina Carlisle.

Ebenezer married Cynthia Maria Waterman on 25 July 1858 in Athens, Ohio. Cynthia was the daughter of Asher Waterman and Bathsheba Paulk. I first introduced you to Asher Waterman in my post Sunday's Obituary - Asher Waterman.

Ebenezer and Cynthia were the parents of six children, one of whom was my "Traveling Dentist" Great-Grandfather Watson (Frederick) Emory Webster. I introduced the rest of Ebenezer's and Cynthia's children in my post The Webster Brothers.

Ebenezer served in the U.S. Civil War in Company E of the 74th Illinois Infantry. He didn’t serve for very long and was discharged due to health problems.

I found this interesting document on Ancestry.com. It's a page from the U.S. Civil War Draft Registration Records.  Ebenezer is listed on line 18.  It states that Ebenezer had six months of former military service. This reflects his previous service during the Civil War. He first enlisted on 7 August 1862 and was discharged for disability on 18 February 1863.



Source Citation: National Archives and Records Administration (NARA); Washington, D.C.; Consolidated Lists of Civil War Draft Registration Records (Provost Marshal General's Bureau; Consolidated Enrollment Lists, 1863-1865); Record Group: 110, Records of the Provost Marshal General's Bureau (Civil War); Collection Name: Consolidated Enrollment Lists, 1863-1865 (Civil War Union Draft Records); ARC Identifier: 4213514; Archive Volume Number: 2 of 3.

Source Information:

Ancestry.com. U.S., Civil War Draft Registrations Records, 1863-1865 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.

I have Ebenezer’s Civil War Pension File and will be posting more about him in a future post.

Ebenezer Perry Carlisle Webster's FindaGrave Memorial

Thanks for reading!


Copyright © Jana Last 2012

Sunday’s Obituary–Asher Waterman

This is Asher Waterman, my 3rd great-grandfather.  He was married to Bathsheba Paulk.  They had 12 children, all of whom were born in Athens County, Ohio:  Eliza, William B., Charles Wesley, Eunice, Homer Clark, Jerusha, Jason C., Nancy Jane, Sarah Amanda, Cynthia Maria (my 2nd great-grandmother), Lucy Mae, and Lewis.

In a previous post I wrote about The Waterman Family Books by Donald Lines Jacobus.  In Volume 1, page 565, the recollections of a niece of Asher Waterman are quoted.  She said, "Asher Waterman was a man of great piety and some learning, also strong and handsome.  The Bible and Clark's Commentaries were his chief reading.  When a thunder-storm came on at night, he had all the family get up and dress and he read the Scriptures till the storm passed over. Sunday was kept in as great strictness as was possible and all misdeeds were strictly punished on Monday morning by Solomon's rule, and the boys, being the chief offenders, were more anxious to get to the fields to work or to the hills for the cattle than on any other morning in the week.  They were Methodists.”

The following obituary notice was from The Athens Messenger dated 4 Feb 1875:

Ancestry.com. The Athens Messenger (Athens, Ohio) [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2006.

Original data: The Athens Messenger. Athens, OH, USA. Database created from microfilm copies of the newspaper.

Transcript of Obituary:

"During the past week our vicinity has suffered by death, the loss of two of our most prominent and respected citizens, whose death requires something more than a mere passing notice.  Asher Waterman was born in Duchess county, New York, in the year 1792, came to Ohio and settled in the neighborhood where he has always lived, Troy township, in the year 1810.  He died January 19th, 1875, in the triumph of the Christian faith.  He joined the M. E. Church in 1819, under the labors of the Rev. Curtis Goddard and ever after lived to exemplify his profession.  He was a member of Capt. Gregory's Company and served in the war of 1812.  The death of Father Waterman has caused a vacuum which, perhaps, will not soon be filled.  For sixty-four years he lived and worshipped in the same neighborhood, and his life is a part of the history of Athens county."

Thanks for reading!

Jana

Copyright © Jana Last 2012

Sepia Saturday–The Webster Brothers

Sepia Saturday provides an opportunity for genealogy bloggers to share their family history through photographs.

The Webster Brothers

No, "The Webster Brothers" is not a singing group, comedy act, or even a group of traveling salesmen.  (Oh, wait a minute, one of the brothers did do a bit of traveling, didn't he?) J

This handsome trio are, left to right: Rollin Waterman Webster (age 13), Frank Summers Webster (age 18), and Watson Emory (Frederick) Webster (age 20).  The picture was taken around 1884.  Watson (Frederick) is my Great-Grandfather whom I have written about in several posts on my blog.  You may remember him as "The Traveling Dentist."  I first introduced you to Rollin with my post linked HERE.

Watson (Frederick), Frank, and Rollin are the sons of Ebenezer Perry Carlisle Webster and Cynthia Maria Waterman, both from Ohio.  Ebenezer and Cynthia had six children:

1. Mary Alice - born in Winnebago, Winnebago, Illinois on 28 August 1859; died there on 8 March 1862.
2. Lura Elizabeth - born in Winnebago, Winnebago, Illinois on 4 October 1861; died 12 January 1946 in Alhambra, Los Angeles, California.
3. Watson Emory (Frederick) - born in Coolville, Athens, Ohio on 14 February 1864; died 21 July 1946 in Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil.
4. Frank Summers - born in Blairstown, Benton, Iowa on 19 April 1866; died 25 February 1939 in Carthage, Jasper, Missouri.
5. Lillian Dell - born in Blairstown, Benton, Iowa on 17 January 1868; died 28 August 1914.
6. Rollin Waterman - born in Blairstown, Benton, Iowa on 21 October 1870; died 9 October 1962 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois.

I will be writing more about this Webster family in future posts.

Thanks for reading!


Copyright © Jana Last 2012

Tombstone Tuesday–Sarah Amanda Waterman Engle

This is the tombstone of Sarah Amanda Waterman Engle.  She is my 2nd great grand-aunt.  Yes, you are reading those dates correctly!  1836-1939…This remarkable lady lived to be 103 years old!

Sarah was born on March 15, 1836 in Coolville, Athens, Ohio and passed away on December 5, 1939 in South Pasadena, Los Angeles, California.  She is buried at Mountain View Cemetery in Altadena, Los Angeles, California.  Sarah parents’ are Asher Waterman and Bathsheba Paulk.

I will definitely be writing a follow-up post (or two) about Sarah.



Sarah Amanda (Waterman) Engle

Sarah's Find A Grave Memorial

Thanks for reading!


© 2012 Copyright by Jana Last

Thankful Thursday: 52 Weeks of Abundant Genealogy Week #18 - Historical Books

The Genealogy Community really is a generous and helpful group, and for that I am truly thankful!  I learned this firsthand early on in my family history research.  One instance that sticks out in my mind, and which was extremely helpful by the way, was back in 1997 when I found Mr. William Waterman from Ohio on Cyndi's List.  I contacted Mr. Waterman by email.  This is what I wrote to him -

“Hello Mr. Waterman, My name is Jana Last and I am trying to find the parents, grandparents, etc. of one of my ancestors named Asher Waterman.  I found your name on the home page of Cyndi and Mark Howell.  I wondered if you could check your genealogical records to see if there is an Asher Waterman in your ancestors.  This is what I know about my ancestor named Asher Waterman – He was born around 1792 in New York.  This is according to an 1850 census from Athens County, Ohio.  He married Bathshaba (Bathsheba) Paulk on December 22, 1816 in Athens, Ohio.  They had 12 children.  Their names were Eliza, William, Charles Wesley, Eunice, Homer, Jerusha, Jason, Nancy Jane, Cynthia Maria (my great-great grandmother), Sarah Amanda, Lucy, and Lewis (Louis).  Lucy and Lewis were twins.  Several, if not all, of these children were born in Ohio.  If you have any of these people in your records, I would really appreciate hearing from you.”

That same day, I got the following response from Mr. Waterman -

“Hi Jana, This must be your lucky day.  There are three Waterman Genealogy books that take us back to about 1635.  I have these books.  I can bring you up to date on all of Asher’s line."

Wow!  This was exciting!!  I was so amazed, grateful and happy that Mr. Waterman had the information on my Waterman family and was so willing to share it with me.  I, of course, emailed him back a.s.a.p!  Mr. Waterman was so kind and helpful.  He not only gave me information on Asher Waterman's family, he also gave me information on Asher's brothers and sisters too!  And he gave me information on the three Waterman Genealogy books he had and how I could buy copies of these books.  The books were authored by the renowned genealogist, Donald Lines Jacobus.  Here's the info. for these Waterman genealogy books:

1. The Waterman Family, Volume 1, Descendants of Robert Waterman of Marshfield, Massachusetts through seven generations.  Based on the public records and several collections of family data, notably that of Edgar Francis Waterman under whose direction these records were compiled for publication.  1939
2. The Waterman Family, Volume 2, Descendants of Robert Waterman of Marshfield, Massachusetts from the seventh generation to date.  Based on the public records and several collections of family data, notably that of Edgar Francis Waterman under whose direction these records were compiled for publication. 1942
3. The Waterman Family, Volume 3, Descendants of Richard Waterman of Providence, Rhode Island together with records of many other family groups of the Waterman name.  By Donald Lines Jacobus and Edgar Francis Waterman. 1954

The first two volumes pertain to my family tree, as I descend from Robert Waterman, but there are some additions to the Robert Waterman family in the third volume.

Now, as all good genealogists know, we shouldn’t just accept as gospel truth anything that is written in a book or that is found on the internet, etc.  We need to make sure the information is accurate.  The great thing about these Waterman books is that they are sourced very well.  With that being said, in general, it's still a good idea to check the accuracy of genealogical material you find, especially if it's unsourced.  I think the phrase, "trust, but verify" works well here.

Okay, back to these fantastic books...I purchased them from the Higginson Book Company.  The Higginson Book Company website says that they specialize in American local history, genealogy, Civil War books and historic maps.  If you click on the Genealogies tab, you will see alphabetized links to genealogy books available.

I also found that the Higginson Book Company had a two-volume book set on my Webster family history as well.  So, we were able to purchase those too.  For anyone descended from Governor John Webster of Connecticut, here’s the info. on these books:

History and Genealogy of the Gov. John Webster Family of Connecticut with Numerous Portraits and Illustrations. By the Late William Holcomb Webster, Washington D.C. and Rev. Melville Reuben Webster, D. D., Rochester, N. Y., Final Author, Editor and Publisher. Volumes 1 and 2, 1915.

I highly recommend you check out the Higginson Book Company website.  And thank you Mr. William Waterman for answering my email and for being so kind and generous!

Thanks for reading!


Copyright © Jana Last 2012

Thriller Thursday - Sleepwalking Can Be Dangerous

Source Information

Ancestry.com. Newark Daily Advocate (Newark, Ohio) 13 December 1889 "Jumped to Death" [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2006.

Original data: Newark Daily Advocate. Newark, OH, USA. Database created from microfilm copies of the newspaper.

Charles L. Crippen, the unfortunate sleepwalker who plunged to his death on 12 December 1889, was my 1st cousin 3 times removed.  He was born in Ohio on 25 September 1869.  Charles’ parents were Lawrence C. Crippen and Lucy Mae Waterman, both from Ohio.  I first discovered the cause of Charles’ untimely death when I found a newspaper article attached to his Find A Grave Memorial.  I did a bit more digging and found another newspaper article (above) about poor Charles.  What a tragic death!  Also, I just can’t imagine how terrible Charles’ dad must have felt since he was the one to wake Charles in the first place.

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Copyright © Jana Last 2012

Wordless Wednesday - A Picture from the Photo Boat

This is a picture of Cynthia Maria Waterman, taken on the Photo Boat belonging to her son, Frederick Emory Webster.  You remember him don't you?  He is my great-grandfather, the "traveling dentist" you met in my previous posts. Cynthia was born on May 21, 1836 in Coolville, Athens, Ohio and died on September 22, 1895 in Marysville, Marshall, Kansas. Her parents were Asher Waterman and Bathsheba Paulk.

If you'd like to see a photo of Frederick Webster's Photo Boat, check out my post linked here -

The Traveling Dentist


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Copyright © Jana Last 2012

The Traveling Dentist - Part 1

Allow me to introduce you to my great-grandfather, Watson Emory Webster, aka Frederick Emory Webster.  He was born in Coolville, Athens County, Ohio in 1864.  He was the son of Ebenezer Perry Carlisle Webster and Cynthia Maria Waterman.  His siblings were Mary Alice Webster, Lura Elizabeth Webster, Frank Summers Webster, Lillian Dell Webster, and Rollin Waterman Webster.

Watson changed his name to Frederick sometime during his lifetime, so that's what we'll call him from this point on.

I never knew Frederick, but my mom remembers him as being a good grandpa to her in Brazil.  Brazil you ask?  Well yes, Frederick was, after all, our family's "traveling dentist."

In this old photo we see Frederick's Dental Boat docked next to his Optical Boat at Natchez, Mississippi.  Oh ya, I didn't yet mention that he apparently expanded his profession from Dentist to include Optician as well.

I love how in this photo we see Frederick's sign on the Optical Boat that reads "Eyes Tested Free."

And did I mention that Frederick also was a Photographer?  Yes, that's his Photo Boat docked next to his Dental Boat.  This time he's at Lake Charles, Louisiana, circa 1890-1902.

More about Frederick Webster's life in my next blog post.  See you then!

Thanks for reading!


Copyright © Jana Last 2012