Genealogy Happy Dance Lets Celebrate Obituary for my Flaviouse Armenious Milsap/ Millsap

Turned on ancestry this morning and found a new leaf hint for my second great grandfather on my paternal side.
I have expanded my ancestry to give me newspapers and found the obituary of Flavious Armenous Milsap.  Yah what did I learn?  A child died in infancy, he had a stroke four days before death and he had been blind for several years.

Here is the obituary for Flavious Armenous Milsap.  If you have him in your family tree please feel free to save and print.

The St John Weekly News (St John, Kansas) Friday 29th of April 1910.

     Died at his home near Syracuse Kansas, of a paralytic stroke after an illness of four days. Deceased had been blind for several years. His death came as a surprise as he wasn't thought so bad off.  Funeral services were conducted from the Methodist church at 1 o'clock Monday afternoon by Rev Carter and remains laid away in Syracuse cemetery.
     Flavious Armenious Milsap was born in Lawrence county, Indiana November 10th 1832. Deceased moved when yet a young man with his father to Iowa where he was married to Anna Woodmansee in 1856 and lived ear DeCatur, Iowa until the year 1886 when he moved to Hamilton county Kansas. To this union eleven children were born, one died in infancy.. Five girls and five boys survive their father. Their mother died July 2nd 1904. The children living are Rachel Zon Sargent, Nebraska; Mary Ferguson Hope, Idaho; George Milsap Strafford Massachusetts; Eula Johnson Lacrosse, Kansas; Susie Pfister Great Bend, Kansas; Frank, Arthur, Carl and Ora of Syracuse, Kansas.
     Mr Milsap joined the Baptist church st St John, Kansas for several years. He always lived a good honest Christian life and was loved by all who knew him.

Saturday Night Fun With Randy Seaver My Top 12 Surname Names

Saturday Night Fun with Randy Seaver 

Each week on Randy Seaver’s Genea-musings blog he has a post for Saturday night Genealogy fun. Because of the time difference, I have called my series Sunday Afternoon Genealogy Fun. This week’s mission was:

1) Go into your Genealogy Management Program (GMP; either software on your computer, or an online family tree) and figure out how to Count how many surnames you have in your family tree database.

2)  Tell us which GMP you’re using and how you did this task.

3)  Tell us what the top 20  surnames are in your database and, if possible, how many entries.  How many different surnames are in your family tree?

4)  Write about it in your own blog post, in a comment to this blog post, in a status or comment on a Facebook post.

I Went to my Roots Magic and pulled the report of my Surnames

I have a total of 282 Surnames at this time.  My top 12 names are 

Zion 117 earliest 1765 

Coleman 107 earliest ?

Milsap/ Millsap 77 earliest 653 

Day 93 earliest 1575

Lockwood 71 earliest 1568

Lovejoy 50 earliest 1622

Anderson 50 earliest 1742

Cheuvront 41 earliest 1757

Woodmansee 34 earliest 1670

Chapman 32 earliest 1760

Rouse 32 earliest 1760

Cassell 26 erliest 1775

What I have learned from this exercise is that I do not believe everyone I have in my ancestry tree is in my rootsweb tree. I need to figure out why since I go to ancestry and thought I was downloading to rootsweb. 

I am open to suggests to ideas to correct what I think is a problem. 

Mabel Jane Coleman (1872 - 1946) is #11 on my ahnentafel, my great grandmother who married

Mabel Jane Coleman (1872 - 1946) is #11 on my ahnentafel, my great grandmother who married 

#10 Arthur Hall (1863 - 1919) on 28th of August 1891 in Colorado.  

I am descended through their daughter # 5 Alta Louisa Hall (1892 - 1944) who married # 4 Perry G Zion

 ( 1886 - 1958) in Taylor Loup, Nebraska. 

Mabel was born to John Henry Coleman and Alta Angeline Cheuvront.  1st of July 1872 in Greenwood
Nebraska. Mabel was the second of five children 

Child 1 Elic Lemuel Coleman (1868-1944)
Child 2 Mabel Jane Coleman (1872 - 1946)
Child 3 Elmer Coleman ( 1875 - 1947)
Child 4 Myrtle Alta Coleman (1876-1939)
Child 5 Mary (1880- 1964)



The Coleman family lived in Greenwood, Cass County Nebraska.
The first school was a mile or south of town. In 1878 a school with a " seating capacity of 100" was built. The first class to graduate was in 1890, and a new schoolhouse was built in 1907.
In 1880 Greenwood had three elevators.
Mabel lost her paternal grandfather Elic Chalker Coleman 01 September 1873 at the age of 1 and her paternal grandmother Catherine Beiler Coleman 01 December 1884 in Greenwood Nebraska when she was 12 years old.
During her early years the president was Ulysses S Grant ( 1869 - 1877 ) Rutherford B Hayes who served 1877 - 1887 ).
Mabel continued to live in Nebraska with her family until she met and married Arthur R Hall in Denver Colorado 28 August 1891. Soon after the happily married couple left Nebraska to live in Chicago for four years. This was during the period of the 1893 Chicago World's Fair and Arthur was a carpenter and probably worked on the building of the fair. Mabel and Arthur then returned to Nebraska settling on a farm in Geneva. Arthur and Mabel had three daughters Alta Louise born 26 June 1892 in Evansville Wisconsin , May Belle 25 July 1895 in Chicago, Illinois and Pearl 11 April 1901 in Geneva, Nebraska. The family continue to make Nebraska their home until Arthur passed away 19 September 1919. Mabel remained in Nebraska for awhile. The 1920 census has her living with her parents in Taylor Loop Nebraska. Mabel's father John Henry passes away 20 September 1922. Sometime around 1930 Mabel moves to Custer South Dakota to be near two of her daughters. This is where she is found in the 1930 census. Mabel's mother Alta passes away 28 September 1937, sister Myrtle Alta on 11 December 1939 and her daughter Alta on 21 February 1944. Mabel lives to be 73 years old and dies 14 March 1946. There is a bit of confusion to where Mabel died. My aunt Alice the genealogist wrote that she died in Arkansas and Ancestry has a death certificate for Mabel J Hall dying in South Dakota the same date. Either Aunt Alice miss wrote the place of death or the death certificate was for a different Mabel. This is one mystery to further search. I know little about Mabel other than the details from census and other family notes with birth dates and death dates. I wish I had some letters or stories about her. Will continue to do my searches and hopefully will find something someday.

Read more on the Colemans here

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Week 6 Same Name

Amy Johnson Crow has a prompt for each week this year. This is week 6 and this is my first post of the year. I may go back and pick up some of the past weeks prompts. Time will tell. This weeks prompt is same name and it fits perfect with my name Grace Alta.  I am so proud of both of my names since my maternal grandma was Grace and my paternal grandma was Alta.

 I was not lucky enough to know my grandma Alta physically but feel her presence near me at times. I sometimes think she is whispering in my ear. I adored my grandma Grace and have fond memories of her.

Grace Celeste Daly Esler was born the 6th of July 1892 to Catherine Ellen Gallaher and Andrew Daly.  They never married. My great grandma Catherine was shunned by her parents for having a child out of wedlock. Catherine married Appleton Esler and they had a long and happy marriage. He raised grandma Grace as his.  Appleton had been married before and had two children Tillie and Russell. Together Appleton and Catherine had two children Merle and Wayne. They were a happy blended family and I was lucky to know all of my great aunts and uncles. Grandma passed away August 18, 1972.

Alta comes from my paternal grandma. She was born the 26th of June 1892 to Arthur Hall and Mabel Coleman Hall.  Alta passed away from cancer the 21st of February 1844.

Alta was named after her grandma Alta Angeline Cheuvront 1848 -1937.

Hope that you enjoyed my same name different Alta or Grace

Amanuensis Monday Harmon Carpenter Sr / Carpender Last Will and Testament 1780 - 1860

Today for Amanuensis Monday I am transcribing the Last Will and Testament of Harmon Carpenter Sr .
This was found on Oneida.nygenweb.net and I would like to thank Dawn Holst who was so
 kind to transcribe and share. Without her work I would probably not have this piece of history.

Will of Harmon Carpenter 1780 - 1860 note spelling of Carpenter and Carpender.

     The last will and testament of Harmon Carpender of Rome in the country of Oneida and of New York.
     I Harmon Carpender of Rome aged seventy six years, considering the uncertainly of life and being of sound mind and memory do make and publish this my last will and testament in manner following that is to say.
 FIRST  I give and bequeath to my daughter Betsey Christman ten dollars to be paid to her after my death by my son David Carpender of Floyd as her portion of my estate.
SECOND I give and bequeath to my daughter Harriet Chrisman ten dollars to be paid to her after my death by David Carpender 2nd as her share of my estate
( NOTE this is Harriet's son by her deceased first husband. David was legally adopted by Harmon and his name was changed from Chrisman to Carpenter. also at the time will was drawn Harriet had was married to  Levi Anderson  )
THIRD I give and bequeath to my son Harmon Carpender Junior five dollars when demanded after my death to be paid by my grandson David Chrisman now called David Carpender 2nd as his share of my estate.
NOTE (Harmon Carpender is a problem son and has spent time in prison more information needed here.)
FOURTH I give and bequeath to my son David Carpender of Floyd all that piece of parcel of land situated in Floyd containing sixty eight acres more or less and adjoining the farm of David Carpender and to his heirs forever and after the payment of ten dollars to my daughter Betsey Chrisman.
FIFTH I give and bequeath to my grandson now called David Carpender 2nd and the son of my daughter Harriet all my homestead farm on which I now reside containing about fifty seven acres more or less for himself and his heirs forever. Also that other piece  or parcel of land  called Levi Anderson lace and now occupied by my daughter Harriet, containing about twenty six acres of land more or less to his heirs for ever. Also all my cattle, horses, sheeps, hogs, farming utensils together with all my ready money, bonds, mortgage notes, accounts and other evidence of debts where in due or owing or which may become due an owing from any person or persons whom ever after the payments of my just debts and after the erection of suitable monuments at my grave and the grave of my wife and the payment of ten dollars to Harriet Christman and five dollars to Harmon Carpender Jr.
SIXTH and last I hereby appoint my son David Carpender of Floyd sole executor of this my last will and testament and revoking hereby all wills by me formerly made.
In witness where I have here unto set my hand and seal of Rome this  5th of December 1857.