Was Great Great Great Grandpa Coleman Counted Twice In The 1860 Census?

Just this week I was on http://www.ancestry.com/ and searching for information on my Coleman line. My great great great grandfather Alexander ( Elic ) Coleman was born 10 January 1805 in Connecticut, traveled west and ended up in Nebraska where he passed away on 01 September 1873

I found him in the 1860 Iowa census on 21st of July listed as Alexander. Living with him is his wife Kate and 9 children.

I was on the hunt for Alexander in the 1870 census and could not find him. At this time I decided to add his nick name of "Elic' at http://www.ancestry.com/ and a leaf came up with a hint.

I though Yea it is the 1870 census, but no it was another 1860 census for Elic Coleman. First thought was no way but went and looked at it. It was from the area in Nebraska where he had lived but I did not recognize any names of the people in the house he was living There was another Coleman listed in the home . I left that census and keep searching for him in 1870 with still no luck.

I then decided to go back to the 1860 Nebraska census and look again to the name of a Coleman man living in this house with Elic and it was William which was one of Elic's son's name.

I looked at the others living in the area and they are all names that I recognized.

This census was taken 17th August 1860. It seems that Alexander / Elic was in Iowa when that census was taken then left and traveled to Nebraska with his son William to visit family and friends and get land to settle with his family.

So while being counted twice in the 1860 census can be confusing, I did find when he went to Nebraska to settle, bringing the rest of his family at a later time.

The Nebraska state census taken in 1877 I have found Alexander's son John Henry and his family.

Checking the 1880 census I found Catherine as head of house and living with her is daughter Jane and a Hester Paul. Hester was unknown to me but by looking at the relationship I found that she was the younger sister of the head of house and that she was widowed. I now have a sibling of Catherine that I did not know of. A new relative to search in the future.

The census's are great tools. They can tell us where our family lived and who were their neighbors.

The hunt continues another day..

Thanks for stopping by.. Grace

Tombstone Tuesday Margaret Maston Loder at Shaffer Cemetery

Today for Tombstone Tuesday I am highlighting my

Margaret Maston Loder

born 2 March 1811 and died 23 Nov 1884

Margaret is buried in Sheffer Pioneer Cemetery in Nebraska

Margaret was married to William Loder

Margaret is not directly related to me . She is the mother in law of my 2nd Great Grand Uncle

Elic Chalker Coleman Jr who married Nancy Jane Loder

Sheffer Cemetery is a small cemetery in Nebraska with tombstones of mainly Colemans, Loders

and Shaffer's. It is one of those cemeteries that is on my wish list to visit some day.

Thanks for stopping by for Tombstone Tuesday.. Grace

I received a friendly reminder that I should source this picture which is very accurate. I found this photo on www.ancestry.com and Susan Peterson was kind enough to take it and post it.

She is also related to Margaret so some how Susan and I are related. Will be contacting her to find out how. Thanks again Susan

Meet My Great Aunt 3x Removed the Postmistress of Greenwood Nebraska

I have seen ads on the TV for http://www.ancestry.com/ with someone stating my ancestor was a postmaster. Little did I know I had not only a postmaster in my family but a postmistress.

I have been working on getting to know my Coleman line lately. Tonight while searching old newspapers on http://www.ancestry.com/ with the name Coleman listed I found a small statement on my 2nd great grand uncle Elic Chalker Colman Jr.

In the Nebraska State Journal ( Lincoln Nebraska) Jan 24 1900 it is written E.C. Coleman was today appointed postmaster at Greenwood, Cass county, Nebraska. Elic is one of my great great grandfather John Henry's brothers.

Next went and searched the 1900 census to see if this was my E C Coleman and sure enough he is listed in the census as the postmaster. The census was done the 13th and 14th days of June.

Elic is 57 years old and living with his wife Nancy ( Loder), daughters Catherine, Isa, Martha, Lula and sons Lloyd, Myron and Elmer. Elic and Nancy have been married 32 years.

In the 1910 census Elic is still listed as the postmaster of Greenwood. He is listed as 66 years old and lives with wife Nancy, daughter Catherine and sons Lloyd and Elmer.

One more census to check is the 1920's and he is now 77 years old and listed as a farmer. Living him is his wife Nancy , daughter Catherine and son Lloyd. Lloyd is listed as having no occupation but Catherine is listed as the postmistress.

This is the 1920's also known as the roaring twenties or the Jazz age. Warren G. Harding becomes the president after Woodrow Wilson.

The Women's suffrage campaign leads to numerous countries granting women the right to vote and be elected. I was curious how a woman was treated in the postal system in the 1920's and before. I found this interesting article at http://www.postalmuseum.si.edu/WomenHistory/women_history/history_reconstruction.html

Women were encouraged to not marry if they wanted to work in the postal system in the early 1900's. Catherine never married and in the 1930's census she is listed living alone and renting.

Catherine was born November 3rd 1868 and died November 20 1942.

I think Catherine was a pioneer for women and I am proud that she is my first cousin 3 times removed. I look forward to seeing if I can find more about her in my future searches.

I have more interesting information on my uncle Elic Jr and will share that soon, but for now I can do a TV ad about have a postmaster in my family.