Month: April 2017

Ancestral Clues and Lessons: Annie (Murphy) Neill (about 1840-1897)

Annie (Murphy) Neill was born about 1840 in Ireland. She married Samuel Neill in New Brunswick, Canada, in 1864 and died in St. Albans Township, Hancock County, Illinois. From Annie, I learned: Unfortunately some women leave behind few records. Annie only left behind a death certificate, marriage record, and census enumerations in 1870 and 1880. […]

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Ancestral Clues and Lessons: Samuel Neill (1838-1912)

This is part of a series of short posts focusing on what I have learned about research (or life in general) from an ancestor. These may or may not be entirely serious. We will leave up to the reader to decide–after all, research is about evaluation of evidence šŸ˜‰ ) Samuel Neill (1838/1839 County Derry, […]

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17/18 Disabled in 1893

In 1893, Charles Hartsell filed another application for an increase in his Civil War pension for service in the 102nd Illinois Infantry based upon “heart problems” and wounds he received while in the service. Hartsell has now moved to Shannon City, Iowa. His apparent examination by the surgeons for his pension increase was in Mt. […]

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Charles Hartsell 1/3 Disabled in 1886

Reading through medical reports and submissions in a United States Civil War Union pension case can be exceedingly tedious. Sometimes the amount of detailĀ seems excessive, but one has to remember that these submissions were used to make decisions regarding whether a veteran was qualified for a pension and, if qualified, how much that allowance would […]

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A 1933 Death in Hanoi

Ancestry.com’s “Reports of Deaths of American Citizens Abroad, 1835-1974,” usually contains a one page form titled “Report of the Death of an American Citizen” or something very similarly named. That’s what was located for George Washington Drollette who died in Hanoi on 3 November 1933. It’s always advised to maneuver forward and backward when any […]

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Who Drove Grandma Around the Lake in 1959?

Mrs. Luella Barnett drove Mrs. Cecil Neill around the Carthage Lake in September of 1959. That’s what the clipping “Surprise Family Get-Together” says. A reader wondered if the driver of the car was actually Luella Barnett’s husband and not her. Perhaps he was in the car and he just wasn’t mentioned. It was a good […]

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Headed to Polo in 1906

“Joe Neal and daughter Jennie and Mrs. Harper and daughter Anna returned home last Friday after a two weeks visit with relatives in Polo, Mo.” I’ve mentioned numerous times the little “visiting” references one often encounters in US newspapers from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. I’ve used them as examples in lectures, etc. […]

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