Albert Bishop (1838-1865)

Albert F. Bishop, a resident of Freedom in Portage County, Ohio, was 
my husband's great-great-grandfather. He suffered an untimely death
146 years ago this week, as noted in the Portage County Democrat:

“Died.

BISHOP—in Freedom, on the 28^th inst., of consumption, Albert F. Bishop,

son of F. and S. A. Bishop, aged 26 years.

         The deceased was an excellent young man, and bore his long and

painful illness with Christian composure and resignation, and leaves

behind him as a testimony, for the comfort of surviving friends, his

expression of unshaken confidence in his salvation, through the

atonement purchased by the blood of Christ. He selected a text for his

funeral sermon, Psalms 93:4. Though I walk through the valley of the

shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me; thy rod and thy

staff they comfort me. He requested Rev. William Potter, to preach the

sermon.

         Thus in early manhood has passed away a kind and dutiful son, an 

affectionate and loving husband and father, leaving behind him the savor

of a good name.

         He leaves a wife and one child, and parents and brothers and

sister, to mourn this sad bereavement, but not to mourn as those who

have no hope, for in his case hope is full of a blessed immortality.”


It appears from his obituary that Albert fought consumption 
(tuberculosis)for quite awhile--long enough to reach a stage of 
acceptance and plan his own funeral service. He would have been too 
sick to fight in the Civil War, which ended shortly after he lost his own 
battle. His widow, Augusta, now faced raising their five-year-old son, 
Theodore, alone. She was just 24. Both she and the country had some 
healing to do over the next few years.

Citations:

Albert F. Bishop obituary, Portage County Democrat (Ravenna, Ohio), 1 February 1865, p. 2, col. 8. (Transcribed August 2010 by Shelley Bishop)

Freedom West Cemetery (Freedom, Portage County, Ohio), Albert F. Bishop marker, lot 91; photographed by Shelley Bishop, 2009.


Related Posts:
More Questions than Answers: Augusta Bishop
The Final Days of Fitch Bishop
Lettie A. Bishop
The Short Story of Walter H. Bishop
Walter F. Bishop, Aged 20 yrs.

Striking gold in Salt Lake City

I’m writing this from Utah, where I’m attending the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy (SLIG) this week. I’m learning a lot from the class that Paula Stuart-Warren, CG, is teaching on “American Records and Research,” and having fun talking genealogy with classmates and friends. But another great thing about being here is the chance to do research at the Family History Library. I’m spending virtually every spare minute there.

Yesterday, after cranking many rolls of microfilm, I loaded up #1514064 and made an exciting discovery: my great-great-grandparents’ marriage record. There it was, plain as day, in the record book of St. Peter’s German Evangelical Church in Cincinnati. Yes! Although the family has an oral tradition that John George Herrel and Wilhelmina Mueller were married here in the U.S. after emigrating separately from Germany, no one has seen a marriage document, and the date was unknown. They came too late for the 1880 census, so aren't found until 1900 in Cincinnati. Since the Hamilton County Courthouse was completely destroyed by fire in 1884, a church source like this may be the only surviving record.


Even though it is written in German, and I have no skill or experience in reading the language, it's not hard to decipher. Here’s what it looks like:

They’re number 12 on the page. The microfilm is a little streaked, but my (admittedly rough) translation is:

(married)   Johann Herrel with Mina Mueller
(marriage date)  25^th January 1883
(license date)     25^th January 1883

I think the last column is for the clergyman, but can’t make out his name. Any ideas?

I can’t wait to show this to my Herrel relatives at home. We had a big reunion last summer, so I know they’ll be interested. And as exciting as this strike was, I found some equally interesting nuggets on different family lines. But since there’s still a lot to do and only a little time left, those will be stories for another day…

Source: St. Peter’s German Evangelical Church (Cincinnati, Ohio), “Copulationen, Confirmanten, St. Peters Gemeinde, Angefangen 1874,” p. 152, no. 12, Johann Herrel and Mina Mueller (1883); Family History Library microfilm #1514064, citing original records at Wright State University (Dayton, Ohio).

Going out on a limb

Ok, I’ll admit I’m a little uneasy with putting my genealogy goals out here for all to see. What if I fall flat on my face and don’t get any of them accomplished? Public goals are so, well, public. And sometimes, even when I set out with all good intentions, real life interferes and things don’t quite go the way I planned. But I guess I’ll risk it. Besides, even though I’m relatively new to blogging, you all seem to be pretty understanding and supportive. If I run into problems or get stuck along the way, maybe you can help me out.

With that in mind, here are my three main Research Goals:

1.      Research my Ballenger ancestors back to at least the early 1800’s, and complete an OGS Settlers & Builders of Ohio application for them.

2.      Find the parents of Carrie Beum, who married John Evans and was the mother of Ruth (b. 1898) and Leatha (b. 1900) Evans. Carrie died when Leatha was five months old, and not only were the connections with her family lost, but records of her seem to be hiding as well.

3.      Research the ancestry of my husband’s grandmother, Annah L. Crites.

And here are my three main Writing Goals:

1.      Write research reports for my own files as I complete segments of research on particular questions or individuals.

2.      Complete writing assignments for remaining lessons in the NGS Home Study Course and ProGen Study Group.

3.      Create a narrative summary or mini-book out of the research I’ve done on the Bishop-Crites family.

That last one will be a real challenge. But it deserves to be a top priority, because I’d like to make something I can share with my father-in-law, who is probably my #1 fan when it comes to genealogy. He’s a World War II vet, and as we all know, that generation isn’t getting any younger. So it’s something I’ll have to figure out. Looks like I’ve got my work cut out for me in 2011! 


Written for the 101st edition Carnival of Genealogy, "Research/Writing Goals for 2011"

Welcome 1-1-11

Wishing all of you a new year full of good health and happiness!

Ten "Ancestor Approved" Discoveries

I was thrilled earlier this month when Linda McCauley, who writes Documenting the Details, gave me the “Ancestor Approved Award.” The award was created by Leslie Ann of Ancestors Live Here in March 2010, and has been passed along to many genealogical bloggers. I am honored to be in such wonderful company. Thank you, Linda, for the unexpected but much-appreciated recognition!

Recipients are asked to make a list of ten things they have learned about their ancestors that have humbled, surprised, or enlightened them. Then they are to pass on the award to ten other bloggers who are doing their ancestors proud. Because I had to replace my computer’s hard drive and was busy preparing for the holidays, it took me a little while to compile my list. It’s been a good wrap-up exercise for the end of the year, though. Here are my ten:

1.    I was surprised to find my ancestors Samuel and Matilda Wright living in the area served by the Dublin, Ohio post office in 1870. This is the community where I now live. It’s nice to know I have roots here that go back deep into the city’s 200-year history.

2.    I was humbled by the hardships suffered by two of my Civil War ancestors, Newel King and John Steele. Newel contracted measles in camp, and endured seizures and ill health the rest of his life. John fell sick on a march, which left him permanently weakened and unable to work. They were just ordinary soldiers, but their stories make the sacrifices of that generation real to me.

3.    I was humbled, too, by the fortitude of the women of the Civil War generation. Mary Steele applied for a widow’s pension as soon as she was eligible, but it took over a decade of continuously submitting affidavits and forms before her application was approved. In the meantime, she was destitute. Somehow she managed to raise her kids and survive.

4.    It was enlightening to discover what my 7^th great-grandfather, Johan Adam Rausch, likely experienced when he immigrated to the colony of Pennsylvania in 1736. It was a long, hard journey from the German Rhineland to Philadelphia, with an uncertain future upon arrival. There are so many questions I would love to ask him!

5.    It was enlightening to learn about the Revolutionary War service of my 6^th great-grandfather, Jacob Roush, who served in a Virginia militia from Dunmore (now Shenandoah) County. He also fought in the Battle of Point Pleasant in Lord Dunmore’s War (October 1774)—a fascinating story of miscommunication and bravery.

6.    I was excited to find Jacob Roush then bought land in Gallia County, Ohio, along the Ohio River, in April 1803—just a month after Ohio became a state. His descendents remained in Gallia County for nearly a century. Maybe that’s why I feel a special affinity for southeastern Ohio. I have a long kinship there. Two of my children have carried the connection forward as students at Ohio University in Athens.

7.    I was thrilled to discover the original baptismal Fraktur of two of my great-grandparents, John Llewellyn Eberhard and Mary Madina Comfort, in my aunt’s possession. These beautifully illustrated parchments, characteristic of the “Pennsylvania Dutch,” document their births in Lehigh County and are priceless family heirlooms.

8.    My husband’s ancestors are just as interesting and inspiring as my own. It’s been tremendously satisfying to trace six generations of his family in Portage County, Ohio, and to locate the graves of his 3^rd great-grandfather, Fitch Bishop, and 4^th great-grandfather, Eli Barnum—both previously unknown. Sharing what I’ve found with my father-in-law has been one of my highlights  as a family historian.

9.    I am deeply indebted to the ancestors who took up the role of family historian long before me. Christine Steele, Harold Crites, and Harriet Boynton Whiting left written chronologies and summaries that have proven invaluable. Even though they are gone, I feel a sense of partnership with them, almost as if we are collaborating through some transcendence of time.

10. It’s amazing to realize how far back I can go with people I actually knew. I remember my paternal great-grandmother, Irene (Clark) Ballenger, who was born in 1887. My memories of my maternal great-grandmother, Mabel (Seely) Herrel, born in 1891, are even clearer. Of course I knew these women late in their lives, and only from a child’s perspective. But still, that’s a long reach, and it makes me realize I need to write those memories down. Now.  

If choosing ten things about my ancestors was hard, choosing just ten bloggers out of the dozens that I read was even harder! There are so many talented and interesting writers in the genealogical blogosphere. And you are all doing your ancestors proud! I tried to identify bloggers who may not have received the Ancestor Approved Award before, though there's probably some overlap:

1.    Malissa at Family Epic

2.    Rita at Tattered Past

3.    Teresa at Teresa’s Tangled Roots

4.    Kelly at Sunny Ancestry

5.    Elizabeth at Genealogy Geek

6.    Cheryl at Have You Seen My Roots?

7.  Caroline at Family Stories

8.  Diana at Random Relatives

9.  Travis at TJL Genes

10. Jenna at Desperately Seeking Surnames

Tombstone Tuesday-Benjamin Hanby: "Up On the Housetop"

Otterbein Cemetery, a pleasant and peaceful graveyard in Westerville, Ohio, is the final resting place of many of my Ballenger ancestors. Near their graves is a prominent marker for Benjamin Russell Hanby. Hanby wrote the Christmas carol “Up On the Housetop,” and I thought the holiday season would be the perfect time to share his memorial.

His tombstone reads:

         Over the Silent Sea Passed

         Benjamin R. Hanby

         Mar. 16, 1867;

         Aged 33 Yrs.

         W. O. Hanby, M. D.

         Died Oct. 19, 1879

         Aged 32 Yrs.

         Brainerd O. Hanby

         1859 –1944

         The Last Man - Editor

An accompanying sign, posted by the Westerville Historical Society and Ohio Historical Society, reads:

BENJAMIN RUSSELL HANBY, 1833-1867

Song writer and minister of the United Brethren Church. Hanby was an Otterbein College graduate, class of 1858, known throughout the world for the inspiring songs, “Darling Nellie Gray,” “Up On the Housetop,” and “Who is He in Yonder Stall?”

Hanby House in Westerville is maintained as a memorial honoring Benjamin and his father, Bishop William Hanby.

The song’s lyrics give a glimpse into popular toys of the mid-1800s:

Up on the housetop reindeer pause,

Out jumps good old Santa Claus,

Down thru’ the chimney with lots of toys

All for the little ones, Christmas joys.

Ho ho ho, who wouldn’t go!

Ho ho ho, who wouldn’t go!

Up on the housetop, click click click,

Down through the chimney with good Saint Nick.

First comes the stocking of little Nell,

Oh dear Santa, fill it well,

Give her a dolly that laughs and cries,

One that will open and shut her eyes.  (chorus)

Next comes the stocking of little Will,

Oh just see what a glorious fill,

Here is a hammer and lots of tacks,

Also a ball and a whip that cracks.  (chorus)

Hanby wrote over 80 songs in his short life, according to Ohio History Central. One of these was “Darling Nellie Gray,” an popular anti-slavery song. Hanby and his father were abolitionists who actively participated in the Underground Railroad, sheltering runaway slaves. In 1842, a runaway named Joe Selby died of pneumonia while hiding at the Hanby house. The story Selby told the Hanbys of his quest to be reunited with his sweetheart, Nellie Gray, before he died made a deep impression on Benjamin, who was nine years old at the time.

Who would think that a simple Christmas carol could lead to such interesting stories?