Ahnentafel #27 - Lou Speer

Lou Emma Speer

Lou, seated second from left with Sunday School class

Born: December 31, 1865, Jeffersontown, KY
Died: December 6, 1957, Fairfield, IL

Buried:  Thomason Cemetery, Wayne City, IL

Married: James Robert Gurley, December 28, 1892 at Louis Gurley's home in Glenarm, IL

Religious affiliation: member of Wayne City Christian Church

Migration:
Lou may have met J.R. while visiting cousins living in central Illinois.  Her aunt, Fannie who was only four years older had met J.R.'s older brother Louis.  They married in Oldham County, Kentucky.  It is possible that J.R. went with Louis to Kentucky for the wedding or they met at Louis & Fannie's home in Glenarm, IL.

Ahnentafel #26 James Gurley

James & Lou (Speer) Gurley Family ca. 1917

James Robert Gurley aka J.R.

Born: January 23, 1866, Wayne Co., IL
Died: July 4, 1941 Wayne City, IL

Buried: July 6, 1941 Thomason Cemetery, Wayne City, IL

Married: Lou Emma Speer, December 28, 1892 at his brother Louis Gurley's home in Glenarm, IL. 

Religious affliation: member of the Wayne City Christian Church

Occupation:  farmer

February 24th - Feast of St. Matthias the Apostle

St. Matthias or Matthew was one of the seventy disciples of Jesus.  He replaced Judas Iscariot as an apostle and eventually wrote the New Testament book of Matthew.  Passed that there a couple of contradictory stories about what became of him.  

The first is that he preached the Gospel in Judea and then in Ethiopia where he was crucified.  Another states that while he preached in Ethiopia he died at Sebatopolis and was buried there.  A third tradition holds that Matthew was stoned by Jews in Jerusalem then beheaded.  The Greeks maintain that Matthew ministered in Cappadocia and along the Caspian sea staying in Issus.

Regardless of what happened to him, February 24th became a feast day in his honor in the 11th century.  In 1969 the Catholic Church moved the feast day to May 14th so as not to have a feast in mid-Lent.

Ahnentafel #25 - Fredericka Probst

Fredericka Probst

Fredericka & Henry Erkman

I have no record of Fredericka's middle name, but she is referred to as Rachael in the 1870 census and as Rosa in the 1900 census.  It's possible that the 1870 census taker didn't understand the name Fredericka and wrote it as Rachael.  It is also possible that Fredericka went by a nickname or that her middle name was Rosa. Two of her granddaughters were named Rose and could have been named for her.  Family names are used repeatedly in this family.

Born: July 30, 1845, Germany or Prussia
Died: May 31, 1913, White Co., IL

Buried: Newman Cemetery, White Co., IL

Ahnentafel #24 - Jacob Erkman, ver. 2

Jacob & Fredericka (Probst) Erkman

Jacob Erkman(n) - his father and some of his children used the name Erkmann.  Jacob appears in most records as Erkman.  Erkman is used on his tombstone.

Born: May 5, 1835 Hesse-Darmstadt, Germany
Died: August 13, 1908 at home near Enfield, White Co., IL about 2:00 AM of cerebral hemorhage

Buried: August 14, 1908 Newman Cemetery, White Co., IL

Immigration: 
1839 came to the U.S. with his parents at age 4.  The family settled first in Holmes Co., Ohio.  
Between 1846 and 1850 the family moved to White Co., IL.  
Jacob moved to Posey Co., IN between 1850 and 1857.
1869 moved his family back to White Co., IL.

Ahnentafel #23 - Mary Maulding

standing Anna, Etta, John
seated James, Jennie, Mary

Mary A. Maulding may have been named Mariah

Born: September 22, 1847 in Hamilton Co., IL
Died: November 28, 1910 Wayne Co., IL

Buried: Salem / Mateer Cemetery, Wayne Co., IL

Married: James Henry Robertson, March 1, 1868 at her home in Middleton, IL.  Her father, Rev. Andrew Maulding performed the ceremony.

Census:
1850 Wayne Co., IL - living with her parents age 4

1855 Wayne Co., IL - living with parents, age 8

1860 Wayne Co., IL - living in Middleton with her parents, she was 13

1865 Wayne Co., IL - living with her parents age 18

Snow Day Research

I found this correspondence housed at the Indiana Historical Society, SC2685.  The first letter was written by A. Lathrop from Maysville, KY to Caroline Ward Campbell in Dearborn County, Indiana.  There is a note from an E. Lathrop attached.  People mentioned in the letter:

• Caroline Ward Campbell
• A. Lathrop - probably a woman, could this be Abi (Potter) Lathrop?
• Brother E. Lathrop - could this be Rev. Ezra Lathrop?
• Harvey Lathrop
• Will 
• Pa Potter, was Nathaniel Potter a minister?
• Lucy Smith
• Mr. Campbell
• Mr. Hargett
• Mrs. Gibbs
• Dickey
• Gardner
• Gene 
• Sheldon

Ahnentafel #22 - James Robertson, ver. 2

James Henry Robertson

Born: April 28, 1839 Lawrence Co., OH
Died: March 31, 1929 Wayne Co., IL

Buried: Salem / Mateer Cemetery in Wayne Co., IL

Married: Mary A. Maulding, March 1, 1868 in Middleton, IL.  The service was performed by her father the Rev. Andrew Maulding.

Migration: moved with his parents from Ohio to Illinois ca. 1846 at the age of 6, family history that they came down the Ohio River on flat boats.  To Macoupin County, IL ca. 1855 with his parents.

Occupation: Farmer, he owned a farm west of the Keenes black top, south of Four Mile, west of where Von Anderson lives now.  John Robertson's family lived in the house after his parents' death.

Disregard of the Law

Feb. 7, 1664/5 William Shurtliff sued Thomas Little for carrying off trees Shurtliff had felled and squared.  Major Alden (some relation to the famous John Alden) and Joseph Beedle were to settle the bounds and Little to return the trees, but final judgment to await the return of the bounds.  

March 7, 1664/5 Constable William Holmes successfully sued Thomas Little for £5 in damages for misleading Holmes into unjustly attaching the belongings of Nathaniel Winslow.

June 9, 1665 Thomas Little fined £1, 10s, "for disclosing grand jury proceedings."

Ahnentafel #21 - Florence Gentle

Florence Dora Gentle

George & Florence

Born: Jan. 9, 1862 Edgar Co., IL
Died: Sep. 19, 1938, Bluford, IL

Buried: Sep. 21, 1938 Mt. Olive Cemetery, Jefferson Co., IL

Married:  Nov. 5, 1882 George Butler at Florence's mother's home by Rev. Calvin Richardson

Census:
1870 Webber Twp., Jefferson Co., IL age 8 with her parents

1880 Webber Twp., Jefferson Co., IL with her widowed mother, one sister and nephews and niece of her deceased sister, age 17

1900 Webber Twp., Jefferson Co., IL age 38 with husband George Butler and three living children

February Holy Days

St. Valentine

Feb. 1 - St. Bridget of Ireland - a friend of St. Patrick who baptized her parents.  Bridget founded a double monastery at Kildare.

Feb. 3 - St. Blase - patron saint of throat illnesses - feast day included the blessing of the throats because St. Blase cured a boy who had a fishbone stuck in his throat.

Feb. 5 - St. Agatha - a Sicilian martyr, patron saint of bellmakers, protector in fires

Feb. 10 - St. Scholastica - a sister of St. Benedict who founded a monastery, as Benedict's sister she became the patron saint of all nuns.

Feb. 14 - St. Valentine - A depiction of a St. Valentine.  Valentine was Roman priest during the reign of Claudius II.  It is said that he and St. Marius helped Christian martyrs being persecuted.  One of the ways in which he helped them was to perform marriages.  He was arrested, beaten and refused to renounce his faith after which he was beheaded on February 14, 269.  February 14th coincided with a Roman feast of Lupercalia which was a bizarre fertility rite complete with matchmaking lottery.  It was also Galatin's Day "lover of women" celebrated by the Normans.  Chaucer is credited for making Valentine's Day synonymous with romantic love through his poetry.

Feb. 16 - St. Juliana of Nicomedia - patron of sickness, she was martyred for refusing to marry a pagan

Feb. 22 - St.Peter's Chair- commemoration of the creation of the See of Antioch by St. Peter

Ahnentafel #20 George Butler

George Frederic Butler 

George & Morton Butler

Born: Jan. 1861 Illinois
Died: Jan. 8, 1946 Jefferson Co., IL

Buried: Mt. Olive Cemetery, Jefferson Co., IL

Married: Florence Dora Gentle, Nov. 5, 1882 in Jefferson Co., IL at her mother's home

Occupation: farm laborer, farmer

Census:
1865 Four Mile Twp., Wayne Co., IL age 4

1870 Pendleton Twp., Jefferson Co., IL age 9

1880 Webber Twp., Jefferson Co., IL age 18 living with his father and step mother Lucinda Mathis and the children of his former stepmother Catherine Haney.

Ahnentafel #19 Nancy Hunt

Nancy Jane Hunt

Born: 1849 Indiana
Died: between Nov. 1888 and Sep. 1891 Wayne Co., IL

Buried: Salem / Mateer Cemetery, Wayne Co., IL

Married: William M. Dove, Aug. 15, 1869, Brown Co., IN

Census:
1850 Brown Co., IN living with her parents, age 1 or 2, difficult to read.

1860 Brown Co., IN living with her widowed mother and siblings age 11

1870 Four Mile Twp., Wayne Co., IL with William Dove and his four children by Martha Rainwater, Nancy was 21.  The kids ranged in age from 5 to 13. 

1880 Four Mile Twp., Wayne Co., IL with William Dove, four children, three step-children and William's son-in-law

Ahnentafel #18 William Dove

William M. Dove

Born: Dec. 9, 1838, Casey Co., KY
Died: April 14, 1918, Wayne Co., IL

Buried: Salem / Mateer Cemetery, Wayne Co., IL

Married: 1) Martha Rainwater, Feb. 18, 1856 Pulaski Co., KY 2) Nancy Jane Hunt, Aug. 15, 1869, Brown Co., IN and 3) Alice Mariah (Goss) Jones Sep. 23, 1891, Fairfield, IL

Occupation: farm laborer in Kentucky, sawyer in Minnesota, farmer in Illinois

Military Service: Served in the Company D of the 3rd Kentucky Volunteer Infantry which was organized at Camp Dick Robinson, near Danville, KY under Colonel Thomas E. Bramlette and mustered into U.S. service on October 8, 1861  by General George H.

Ahnentafel #17 - Louisa Draper

Frances Louisa Draper

Born: Oct. 7, 1825 Indiana
Died: May 22, 1867, Lawrence Co., IL, age 41

Buried: Lone Tree / Prairieton Cemetery in Lawrence Co., IL

Married:  Levi Lathrop Nov. 3, 1842 in Decatur Co., IN married by Levi's brother Rev. Erastus Lathrop

When Levi and Louisa moved to Illinois they sold land to Richard Harbourt.  Louisa had an uncle named Richard Harbourt and she may have had a cousin by the same name.

Census:
1830 living with her parents in Decatur Co., IN, age 5

1840 living with her parents in Ripley Twp., Rush Co., IN age 15

Ahnentafel #16 - Levi Lathrop, Ver. 1.1

Levi Lathrop

Born: July 3, 1820, Franklin Co., VT
Died: March 27, 1873 Lawrence Co., IL

Buried: Prairieton / Lone Tree Cemetery in Lawrence Co., IL.

Migration: Levi moved with his parents to Indiana when he was sixteen years old.  He lived in Johnson County, Indiana from 1843 until he moved his family to Lawrence Co., IL in the summer or fall of 1851.  He was selling land in Indiana from February through July of 1851 and bought land in Lawrence Co., IL in November 1851. 

Married: Louisa Draper Nov. 3, 1842 in Decatur Co., IN.


Occupation: Levi was a farmer, sometime between 1857 and his death he served as representative of Petty Township on the Lawrence Co., IL Board.

February 2nd - Candlemas

Candlemas also known as the Purification is a three for one feast day. It is a celebration of 1) the presentation of the Jesus as a baby, 2) Jesus' first entry into the temple, and 3) Mary's purification after the birth of Christ.

Luke 2:22-32
And when the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the law of the Lord, "Every male that opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord") and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the law of the Lord, "a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons."  Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous an devout, looking for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him.  And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he should not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ.  And inspired by the Spirit he came into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the law, he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said,

"Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word; for mine eyes have seen thy salvation which thou hast prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to thy people Israel."

Because Jesus is known as the light of the world candles are blessed on this day.  Candle-lit processions are used in the mass. 

February

February

 

 

 

 

A typical winter's day with peasants warming themselves by the fire, chopping wood and going to market.  There are sheep in the pen and barrels for storing something and a silo.