Genealogue Challenge #55

This one may be trickier than it appears.

When did Cab Calloway's father and paternal grandfather die?

Genealogue Challenge #54

Frances Bavier is best known for her role as Aunt Bee on The Andy Griffith Show.

When did her mother die and in what city was she buried?

Genealogue Challenge #53

What was the maiden name of the wife of the doctor who attended the death of actor Don Knotts's father?

The End of Illegibility?

CMU professor Yang Cai has developed software that can decipher illegible inscriptions on ancient tombstones. He's testing it on stones at Old St. Luke's Church in Carnegie, Pennsylvania.

During the past two weeks, Cai's research team trekked through the church's three-acre cemetery, scanning unreadable gravestones and then storing the images on laptops.

"We are exploring new 3-D reconstruction technology to decipher the gravestone names," said Cai. "Essentially, we reconstruct the tombstone surfaces by applying filtering and detection algorithms for revealing the words on the archaic surfaces," he said.

In addition to discovering who is buried in the church cemetery, Cai is developing a digital cemetery for Old St. Luke's Church. [Link]

Animated Ancestors

The Glasgow City Council has added Scrooge McDuck to its list of famous Glaswegians.

[A spokeswoman said:] "We have carried out some research and were delighted to discover that Scrooge McDuck hails from Glasgow."

McDuck's nationality is obvious given his surname and his lugubrious Scottish brogue, but his hometown remained a mystery. But an obscure US comic called The Life And Times Of Scrooge McDuck, published in 1996, depicts the eponymous web-footed hero growing up as a humble shoeshine boy in Glasgow, which is shown as a grey metropolis of smoking chimneys and cobbled streets. [Link]

In case you're interested, here's the Duck family tree. Like mine, it has its share of loons and coots.

Genealogue Challenge #52

Let's start with this article from The New York Times of Sept. 19, 1884:

The gossips of South Oyster Bay and Smithville South, Long Island, are busy discussing the alleged marriage of Conklin Vandewater and Miss Cornelia Mann. Mr. Vandewater, who is 19 years of age, is the son of the late Conklin Vandewater, and when he attains his majority will become the possessor of a moderate fortune. For the past year he has been employed as bookkeeper in a wholesale coal yard in Brooklyn, paying occasional visits to South Oyster Bay to see his mother, who resides a short distance from the village. The villagers noticed that when he went to see his mother he was very attentive to Miss Mann, who always happened to be at the railroad station when young Vandewater alighted from the train. He usually accompanied her home, and, it is said, always kissed her "good-bye" at the gate.

Vandewater was in the village on Sunday, and, in company with other young men, imbibed somewhat freely of Oyster Bay whisky. He left his companions in the evening and called on Miss Mann. He had no recollection of what occurred after, but when he awoke on Monday morning he found the fair Cornelia beside him. He was surprised and asked for an explanation.

"Why, Conkey dear, don't you know that we were married last evening?" and, putting her arms around his neck, she kissed him repeatedly.

Vandewater thought she was joking, but when she exhibited a marriage certificate he thought the thing was getting serious. He left the house and returned to his mother. He stoutly denies that he was married, and says if he was that he must have been drugged. When he left the residence of his alleged wife her mother, Mrs. Mary Jane Mann, followed him and informed his mother of what had occurred. Mrs. Vandewater was thunderstruck and ordered Mrs. Mann out of the house. Mrs. Mann went away, threatening to have Vandewater arrested for abandonment. She has not put her threat in execution.

Miss Mann is a handsome brunette, 17 years of age, and said to a reporter yesterday: "On Sunday Mr. Vandewater, who has been paying attention to me, came to our house and asked me to marry him. I objected at first, but he was so persistent that I finally consented, and we went and got married. That is all there is about it. I know that Conkey loves me, and but for his mother he would be living with me now. But I know he'll come back." The young woman declined to say by whom they had been married. Mr. Vandewater was not at home when the reporter called, and his mother positively refused to speak about the matter. She intimated, however, that if they had been married her son would commence divorce proceedings at once. The villagers are about equally divided for and against the marriage story. A strange feature of the marriage certificate is that Miss Mann will not allow anybody to examine it, nor can she be induced to disclose the name of the clergyman. [Link (pdf)]

The 1900 census reveals that "Conkey" and Cornelia had indeed been joined in marriage.

Who performed the ceremony?

Genealogue Challenge #51

The house where I grew up in the village of Locke Mills, Maine, was previously owned by a different family for more than half a century. Some of the kids in that family carved their initials on a wall in the barn, including E.W.K., L.W.K., and C.C.K.

When did their parents marry?

Genealogue Challenge #50

Loretta Lynn's paternal grandmother's paternal grandmother died in 1911.

How long had she been ill?

Genealogy Shouldn't Hurt

If you're ever approached by Arkansas Supreme Court Justice Jim Gunter to swap genealogy data, just walk away. Quickly.

According to a police report on the Sept. 2 altercation, Justice Jim Gunter asked his sister, Janet Gibson, for some genealogy papers he had left with her for a family reunion that day. When Gibson told Gunter that she was not through with the papers, he began screaming at her and backhanded her across the mouth, knocking her into a dresser, the report said. [Link]

A Centenarian's Shocking Secret

Rose Elliot was ready to celebrate her 100th birthday on September 16, 1907.

But after her niece, Doreen McWhirter from north Belfast, checked her birth certificate, she discovered her aunt was actually born on September 28, 1905 - making her 102.

"It was a real shock," Mrs McWhirter said.

"The nursing home she lives in was all set for a big party and I had already bought her a 100th birthday card.

"I told them that we had a wee bit of a hiccup and explained about the birth certificate and her birthday being on the 28th. They were shocked, too." [Link]

Genealogue Challenge #49

For this challenge, I want you to abstract the following record from the first book of Essex County deeds. (Click on the image to enlarge, or click here to view the original TIFF image.) For extra credit, make it a complete transcription.

The Mummy May Return

Janice sends news that DNA tests will be conducted on the famous mummy of Concord, N.H.

The testing could allow Charles Peavey to put the mummy, dubbed Baby John and believed to be about 90 years old, back in it[s] glass display case in the Peavey living room.

The mummy has been held at the state medical examiner's office in Concord since police confiscated it last year. Earlier this month a judge ordered Peavey to bury Baby John because there was no evidence that it was a member of the Peavey family. [Link]

Hmm, as long as it's a relative you can display a corpse in your living room? That's good to know.

In related news, 92-year-old Rita Rich has some theories about the identity of a mummified infant found under the floorboards of her childhood home in Toronto wrapped in a newspaper from 1925. She's quite sure it wasn't the child of her aunt Della, with whom she lived.

For one thing, Della was certain she could never become pregnant. If she had by some miracle become pregnant, she would have had no reason to hide the baby, says Rich.

Besides, Rich adds, except for a few weeks in summer when she went to visit relatives in the U.S., Rich was always with Della.

It would have been impossible for Della to carry a baby to term without Rich noticing.

Nor does she think the baby was her father's (he didn't date after her mother died), or the boarder's ("He was a perfect gentleman, and if he had gotten a girl pregnant, would have married her").

Rich thinks it's possible the baby may have belonged to Della's much younger sister, Alla Mae, a beautiful, blue-eyed blonde, who would have been in her early 30s in 1925. [Link]

Genealogue Challenge #48

Myrtle Gonzalez was born on this date in 1891. She was one of the first Hispanic actresses in Hollywood, and died in the influenza pandemic of 1918.

When did her child die?

Genealogue Challenge #47

Robert De Niro says he wants to investigate his Irish ancestry.

What were the full names of his Irish-American great-grandparents?

Extra credit if you can trace his Irish heritage one more generation through either of these great-grandparents.

You Can't Get That Kind of Service on eBay

Russell Crowe's great-grandfather was an auctioneer in Kelowna, B.C., "known for breaking plates and reciting poetry."

"[Mr. Crowe] wasn't the greatest auctioneer in the world; he liked to talk too much instead of sell," [Bill] Whitehead recalled. "He used to tell stories about how you could pick up a heavy dinner plate and pound a nail into a wall without hurting it. He'd ask for a 10-cent bid on something and somebody would offer a nickel and he'd get mad and throw the cup on the floor."

Instead of turning off potential buyers, Mr. Whitehead said the trick got customers' attention and turned into a regular feature. He added that Fred Crowe used to frequently recite verses while selling items, a favourite being about blue willow pattern of china. [Link]

Genealogue Challenge #46

When did the half-sister of actress Frances Farmer die?

Genealogue Challenge #45

Tuesday was the anniversary of Shel Silverstein's birth.

When did his maternal grandfather die?

Steve's Colorful Family History

I've always thought that World War I happened in black-and-white, but Steve Danko has proved me wrong.

Now I can't help but wonder what color the original census schedules are. Chartreuse?

A Born-Again Christian Criminal

From The New York Times of Aug. 1, 1880:

Infancy has its privileges. A woman was arrested in Presburg, Hungary, for receiving stolen goods. She was by birth a Jewess, but six months previous to her detection had been baptized into the Roman Catholic Church. When put upon her trial she pleaded that she was an infant, and could not, therefore, be held answerable for what she had done—the date of birth in Hungary running according to the date of baptism—and after serious cogitation the tribunal declared the defense a good one, and that she, a woman of 40, was legally but six months old, with a score of years before her which she might turn to dishonest account with impunity.—Chamber's Journal [Link (pdf)]

Lambs Are Sometimes Birds

Vickie Wendel guides cemetery tours in Anoka County, Minnesota.

Interpreting the carvings is not a perfect science, she said. For instance, a Victorian-era gravestone featuring a rosebud or lamb might indicate a child's grave. However, Wendel saw a lamb on the gravestone of an 80-year-old woman. And she was told about a family in the 1890s that planned to bury the bird it kept for a pet. Uncertain how to carve a bird, the stonecutter made a lamb instead. [Link]

Genealogue Challenge #44

This challenge comes from Genealogue reader Debbie Atchley. It concerns American civil rights leader Benjamin Hooks, who was executive head of the NAACP from 1977 to 1992. His paternal grandmother was the second black woman in the U.S. to graduate from college.

When did she marry his paternal grandfather?

An extra credit challenge from me: When did she marry her previous husband?

Stones Tell Stories

The October issue of BBC History Magazine will feature Britain's strangest epitaphs, including:

Robert Millthorp, died December 13, 1826, aged 19

Epitaph: He lost his life by inadvertently throwing this Stone upon himself.

Location: All Saints Church in Darfield, near Barnsley

Little is known about the farm labourer, except that the stone which killed him was turned into his tombstone by his employer.

Edward Purdey, died August 9, 1743, aged 35

Epitaph: The debt I ow'd that Caused all the strife Was very small to cost me my Sweet life

Location: St John the Baptist Church, near Melton Mowbray in Leicestershire

Purdey had been drinking at his local inn but when it came to pay the bill he was a halfpenny short. The landlady apparently threatened to bewitch him if he did not pay up - and then her dog savaged him to death. [Link]

Fertilize Your Family Tree

Don't miss The Ancestry Insider's latest news on the Nervous Green Duck. Mighty oaks from little duck droppings grow.

Oregon Offended By Udinks

The state of Oregon wants a family to return their vanity license plates because their surname is offensive.

The plates, UDINK1 UDINK2 and UDINK3 are on the vehicles of Mike and Shelly Udink and their son Kalei.

Last summer, Kawika Udink's application for UDINK4 was rejected and the state ordered that the other three plates be returned.

The panel's ruling surprised Mike Udink, whose name is Dutch. He says it is a common last name in The Netherlands.

"Since when can a panel dictate whether your name's offensive or not?" asked Udink, a lineman for Pacific Power. [Link]

[Thanks, Nancy!]

Genealogue Challenge #43

Amedeo Obici—co-founder of the Planters Peanut Company—was honored Saturday in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. No less than two Mr. Peanuts attended.

When and where did he become a naturalized citizen of the United States?

Genealogue Challenge #42

On what date were Mariah Carey's paternal grandparents married?

Extra extra credit: In a recent interview, Mariah said that she may be related to a certain other famous singer because of a shared family name. Can you prove her right or wrong?

Towns Have Boundary Issues

Mary Moore has lived for 83 years in Jackson, New Jersey. Or so she thinks.

Keith Kugel ... is suing Jackson and Howell, claiming that in the 1960s officials from both towns secretly moved the border that divides the two towns and separates Ocean and Monmouth counties. According to the Jackson resident's conspiracy theory, 8 square miles of northeast Jackson really belong to Howell.

Nonsense, said Moore, who was born and raised in those 8 square miles and who raised her own family there.

"It's still Ocean County, Jackson Township, and it will always be," she declared, echoing the sentiments of officials in both towns who called Kugel's contention baseless. [Link]

Couple Joined in Acrimony

Eugene J. Mandziuk is suing Diana Lynn Hickson for not really being his wife.

The couple participated in a wedding ceremony in Warren in the summer of 2005 in front of 90 guests.

The Rev. Larry Sullivan signed the wrong line on the marriage license, according to the lawsuit, and Hickson was supposed to correct the oversight.

She never did, the lawsuit says.

Last March, Hickson told Mandziuk about the situation and said she didn't want to live with him any longer, the lawsuit says. [Link]

Mandziuk wants to be compensated for the cost of the wedding ring, as well as the wedding and reception.

Genealogue Challenge #41

This challenge will test your ability to read a few words of an incomprehensible foreign language and decipher patronymics. It concerns my great-grandfather, Toivo Tamlander, a Finnish immigrant.

On what date did his parents marry?

Extra credit: What was the first name of his mother's maternal grandfather?

It may help you to know that Toivo's sister, Saida, also emigrated to the United States.

Gravestone a Perfect Fit

A minister in Aquebogue, New York, received a letter from Washington in 1900 concerning the whereabouts of a tombstone.

The letter, which was sent to the clergyman as an old resident of the part of the country where that tombstone was placed over the body of one of the early inhabitants, a man named Beale. This man died many years ago, on a date which the tombstone alone can tell, of smallpox, and was buried, according to the custom of the time, in the orchard of the farm.

The stone was laid flat upon the grave. When, a good many years after, strangers bought the land, they started to put up a house, and the stone was incorporated in it. There was a place in the chamney into which the tombstone would exactly fit, and the builders, having no sentiment concerning it, used it. That was the end of the second chapter of the tombstone.

The house with the tombstone in the chamney was burned after a time, and the ruins, with the old stone, were left until another family came to put up another house. When this one was finished it lacked a doorstep, and the old stone was again just the size for the purpose required, and was put into place, and performed its third service. But from that time the history is lost, and the Washington people would like to learn something of it. [Link (pdf)]

Genealogue Challenge #40

Today is Mickey Rooney's 87th birthday. After divorcing Mickey's mother, his father married a second wife.

Find the name of this second wife, and the names of her four siblings.

Genealogue Challenge #39

The inimitable comedic actress Alice Ghostley died Friday in California.

Where are her parents buried?

Extra credit: At what hospital did her father die?

Can't Quit the Obits

Marilyn vos Savant may or may not be a genius, but she's definitely not a genealogist.

My husband and daughter read the obituaries daily, which I find strange. Why do some people like to do this?
—Merla Long, Morristown, Tenn.

I’ve wondered the same thing, so let’s ask. Readers, if you scan obituaries often, e-mail marilyn@parade.com and say why. A few sentences will do. For example, “I enjoy looking for my ex-husband’s name.” I’ll print the results. [Link]

They Can't Give Brides Away in Sweden

A priest in Stockholm has refused to honor a bride's request to be given away by her father.

"This symbolizes that the father is the owner of the daughter and that he is giving her away to her new owner," said Rev Eva Brunne, diocesan dean and assistant to Bishop of Stockholm Caroline Krook.

Brunne told The Local that the tradition of giving away a woman was un-Swedish. Traditionally, Swedish couples walk down the aisle to the altar together.

The practice of being given away "only came into our church in the seventies and eighties through American TV shows," she said. [Link]

[Thanks, Nancy!]

Nothing Will Save Us From Boredom

Mike Elgan—who finds genealogical research "boring"—looks forward to "