MyFamilyRootsRunDeep: My Family Roots Run Deep .... Visiting My Ancestors One Cemetery to the Next part 1 Adam and Rachel Millsap Zion Colorado

Saturday, February 6, 2010

My Family Roots Run Deep .... Visiting My Ancestors One Cemetery to the Next part 1 Adam and Rachel Millsap Zion Colorado

Where are they buried? Where is the is the final resting place of my ancestors. My ancestors are buried across the United States. I want to visit them, to lay a flower on their grave and hopefully to let them know I am thinking of them and wondering about them. Who were they? What was their life like? Their loves and their dislikes. What was happening around them? How can I get to know them better. I hope by being able to visit their last resting place I will learn more about them and their time living and loving those around them.

Well if I was to plan a trip to see who could I find where would I start? First stop Craig, Colorado and the gravestones of my great grandparents Jonathan Adam and Rachel ( Millsap) Zion. This trip would take us 20 1/2 hours and 1236 miles from where I am today in Richmond, Texas.
http://www.mapquest.com/maps?1c=Richmond&1s=TX&1y=US&1l=29.5819&1g=-95.760597&1v=CITY&2c=Craig&2s=CO&2y=US&2l=40.515301&2g=-107.545799&2v=CITY
Jonathan was born in Decatur, Iowa to John Henderson and Mary (Cassell) Zion in 1861.
Rachel was born to Flavious and Anna ( Woodmansee) Millsap April 19, 1862 in Mount Ayr, Ringgold county, Iowa. The years they were born the president of the United States was Abraham Lincoln and the United States was involved in a Civil War.

Adam and Rachel met and married in Iowa February 11th, 1886. <>

It was in Iowa where their five children were born. Perry the oldest is my grandfather on my dad's side. Perry was born 1886, Norton 1889, Mary Etta 1893, Anna Gertrude 1894 and Bessie 1898.

In 1902 they moved to Bemidji, Minnesota and two months later went to Wilton to homestead some land. For some reason they never finished this transaction and in 1906 to 1907 they moved to Burwell, Nebraska. It was in 1909 that they rented property in Custer, Colorado ( Sargent) near the line close to Taylor. There they worked and were active in Church. In the fall of 1915 a group of relatives went to Moffat county , Colorado to investigate the range homestead. They then moved in 1916 to Moffat county where he did homestead some land.
The picture below is of my great grandfather Adam , great grandmother Rachel. Their youngest daughter Bessie is seated between them. Back row left to right is my grandpa Perry, then Mary Etta, Norton and last is Gertrude.

My great grandfather was black smith by trade. He worked for twenty years doing this until the hard work finally wore his health down and he retired to the farm.

April 7, 1927 Adam passed away in Craig Colorado.
The last years of Rachel's life she lived in the state of Washington near her daughters Alta and Gertrude.
I am lucky to have a letter she wrote to my mother, father ( her grandson) and my grandma Day on November 23, 1943. She writes of not being able to be at my parents wedding and hoping they will come and visit in Washington where she will have a gift for them. Will not be expensive as she is not a rich woman. She talks about having five children, 30 grandchildren and 16 great grand children. It is so nice to have her handwriting and thoughts in pencil.
After her death on Mother's day 1945, she was returned to Craig to be buried next to Adam.