Skeletons in My Closet, Part 2

On 3 March 2017, I had dinner with my “new” cousins in Valdosta, Georgia. I met Dottie and Sherrie, two daughters of my possible half-uncle, and Devon, one of his granddaughters.

An Alabama birth certificate of Charles Edward Butler was obtained by my uncle. This was actually an amended birth certificate which was issued as the result of a name change that occurred 31 January 1994.¹ I mentioned this to Sherrie and Dottie. They said when their father retired, he had a problem receiving his social security benefits. He discovered that his surname at birth was O’Mary instead of Butler which he had been using all his life. Charles spent a few days in Alabama trying to locate his birth certificate. This may explain the sighting of the man in Jasper who looked just like Lester O’Rear (my grandfather).

My mom has requested birth certificates of two more children of Grace O’Mary. The vital records office in Alabama is having difficulty locating the certificates. A trip to the Lamar County Probate Court may be necessary.

Below is a link to a chart of my 2nd great-grandparents, William Richard O’Mary and Amanda E. Harrison listing their daughter Emma Caroline (my great-grandmother) and Grace (mother of Charles).

O'Mary Chart

I have not yet located a marriage record for Grace and Howard Butler (my great-grandfather). She was 15 years of age when their daughter Iva Lee was born.

Grace’s son Burtis never married nor had any children so the identity of his father may never be found. Doris did have children and so did Willa. I have not made any contact with them yet.

Grace married E. Lester Johnson and had 3 sons with him and all 3 are now deceased. They may have known some family information.

The three sisters have submitted their DNA to Family Tree DNA and their results are estimated to be available by the end of April. I can't wait!

¹Alabama Department of Health, amended birth certificate no. 101-33-54378 (1933), Charles Edward Butler, formerly “Charles Edward O’Mary”; Center for Health Statistics, Montgomery.

Skeletons in My Closet, Part 1

My genealogical world was turned upside down last week while attending a maternal uncle's funeral. The family was in the church's social hall having lunch between the service and the burial. I noticed that there was quite a bit of animated conversation going on at the table in front of me. I looked at my sister who was seated there, and she kept saying to me, "Did you know? Did you know?"

I went over to her and asked what she was talking about. She asked me if I knew that my grandfather had an illegitimate son. I looked around at the table and heads were nodding yes. It seems that the secret had been revealed to an uncle recently by my aunt. My other aunt spoke up and said she was planning to tell us at our annual trip to St. Simons Island in May. My sister and I asked my mom about it. She also knew and was rather upset that the cat was out of the bag. She thought that it was a secret only known to the three sisters and she had wanted it kept that way. A few days later I was told that my other two uncles had known.

Story is that some of my family had been attending a family reunion in Jasper, Alabama, a number of years ago. A relative had mentioned that there was a man in Jasper that looked just like my maternal grandfather. My grandmother's sister told my aunt that she knew who the other man was. This aunt is also a genealogist and she tracked down a couple of the man's daughters and actually met with them a couple of times. I've been involved in genealogy since 1995. Why wasn't I told?!

The mother of the illegitimate son was a woman I know about from my research. Her name was Grace. Grace was my grandmother's maternal aunt. Grace was my grandmother's step-mother. And most likely Grace was the lover of my grandmother's husband (my grandfather).

Researching the life of Grace has moved to the top of my to-do list. I'll also be reviewing my family's DNA results and looking for some new subjects to test.

My Black Friday Deals

A couple of weeks ago I discovered I had five ancestors buried about an hour from my daughter's house in Franklin, North Carolina. Since we were going there for Thanksgiving (my in-laws also live in Franklin), I decided to take advantage of the opportunity to go cemetery exploring.

In the Newfound Baptist Church Cemetery in Leicester, Buncombe County, North Carolina, I found a set of maternal 4th great-grandparents (David Cole and his wife Rachel Thrash) and their fathers (my 5th great-grandfathers), Joseph Cole (Revolutionary War veteran) and Valentine Thrash (Revolutionary War veteran).

Barbara, the wife of Valentine Thrash, is buried about 14 miles south in Candler, Buncombe County, at the Hominy Baptist Church Cemetery.

Newfound Baptist Church Cemetery

Hominy Baptist Church Cemetery

I am sure I will be making future trips to Buncombe County for additional research.

Happy birthday, Daddy!

Today would have been my dad's 87th birthday. The last one we celebrated with him was in 1968.

Allen Henry Campbell was born 19 December 1928, in Springfield, Clark County, Ohio, to Henry Clinton and Leona Myrtle Allen Campbell. He was their 4th child and only son.

Dad was a great bowler and played in several leagues. His first job was as a pinsetter at Shamrock Lanes in Springfield when he was only 14 years of age.

I got my love of animals from him. His hobby was raising beagles and he had many over the years. I knew all of their names, every single one. He was a member of the American Kennel Club and was registered as Allen's Royal Beagles. Dad participated in many field trials throughout Ohio and bordering states. My sister Kelley and I used to attend them with him (my brother Jim also did before we were old enough to go). We even had our own corduroy jackets with Allen's Royal Beagles embroidered on them.

Happy birthday, Daddy! We love you and think of you often.

A Very Special Gift

My dad was Allen Henry Campbell.  He was born 19 December 1928, in Springfield, Clark County, Ohio¹, to Henry Clinton Campbell and Leona Myrtle Allen.  He was their 4th child and only son.

Dad died 11 July 1969, in Springfield, Clark County, Ohio², and is buried in Ferncliff Cemetery, Springfield, Clark County, Ohio³.  At the time of his death,  I was 9 years old, my sister was 7, and my brother (actually my 1/2 brother from my mom's first marriage) was 21.  My mom was 3 months pregnant with my youngest sister.

I don't remember visiting my dad's grave before we moved away to Georgia in 1973 and do not know if my mom ever did.  It wasn't until I visited it in 1995 that I noticed something was wrong.  It was a military stone and the information stated he served in World War II.  He would have been too young to serve in that war.  Sometime after I returned home, I ordered his military files from St. Louis.  His records stated he served in the Korean War.

I had thought about ordering a corrected marker, but I never did anything about it.

In April 2014 when I was visiting my brother, he gave me a flash drive and asked what I thought.  There were tombstone photos in the file.  I wasn't sure if he wanted me to research the names.  He said he wanted my opinion on the stones.  He said he was going to replace my dad's stone with a new one that would have the correct information on it.

The stone was ordered and we were not sure when it would be set as the cemetery office said it would be at least several months.  I was hoping it would be there by my October 2014 Ohio trip, but it was not.  A few months later the stone had arrived, but my dad's name had been misspelled so the process had to start again.

This morning I received an email from my brother with photos.  The stone is in place and it looks beautiful.  I am in tears and thankful for this gift my brother has given my father. A man who was not his biological father, but a man who became a part of his life when he was 10 years old.

1. Clark County, Ohio, birth certificate no. 110317 (1928), Allen Henry Campbell; Clark County Health Department, Springfield.
2. Ohio Department of Health, death certificate 049089 (1969), Allen H. Campbell; Division of Vital Statistics, Columbus.
3. Ibid.

Exploring the Y-DNA Trail

My paternal grandfather Henry Clinton Campbell had only one son, my father. I have a brother (actually a half-brother) from my mom’s first marriage, but not a Campbell brother.

I found a second cousin (a double second cousin) to perform a Y-DNA test for me in 2012.  The results I received in May of that year¹ and additional information from the Campbell surname project administrator² links us back to the Campbells of Argyll.

My daughters, mother, and I visited Scotland in September 2012. As soon as I departed the train at Edinburgh Waverley Station, I felt I was at home.

We did a castles and lochs tour and one of our stops was in the town of Inveraray.  It is where Inveraray Castle,  the ancestral home of the Duke of Argyll, Chief of the Clan Campbell, is located.  Unfortunately we did not have enough time to tour the castle.

I want to visit Scotland again in the near future and do some research.  But I do want to get my Campbells across the pond first.

My earliest known Campbell is my 4^th great-grandfather, Abraham Campbell.  The oldest record I have of him in Rockbridge County, Virginia, is his marriage bond to my 4^th great-grandmother Elizabeth McCormick dated 7 August 1793. 

There have been several books written about the Campbell families of the Orange, Augusta, and Rockbridge Counties of Virginia, but I did not find any potential link to my line.  I have also researched at the courthouse and library in Lexington, Virginia, which did not provide me with any additional Campbell information.

In the Family Finder Y-DNA report, there are 106 matches to my cousin’s DNA at the 67 marker level.³

The closest match at a genetic distance of 1 is a known descendant of a brother of my 3^rd great-grandfather⁴, and he has no additional information on Abraham’s ancestry.  The next match is a genetic distance of 2⁵ and there is no contact information for this person.  In fact, the name is only listed as Campbell.  At the genetic distance of 3, there are 3 matches and 2 of them list the same ancestor, a Lt. Joseph Campbell (1778-1850s).⁶

From the Y-DNA report of a 25 marker level I received from the Campbell project administrator, I have genetic distance of 1 for a Col. Aeneas Campbell (ca 1730) of Maryland and Virginia.⁷

I supposed I need to begin my research with Joseph and Aeneas and hope I can find some information about my Abraham.  Hopefully I will have enough information to visit Scotland within the next couple of years (if not, I may go anyway).

1.  Family Tree DNA, "Y-DNA Matches," Family Tree DNA (http://familytreedna.com : 12 May 2012), Thomas Campbell.

2.  Kevin Campbell, Alexandria, Virginia,[E-ADDRESS FOR PRIVATE USE),] to Yolanda Campbell Lifter, e-mail, 22 June 2012, “Campbell DNA Project Analysis,” Campbell Research Files; privately held by Yolanda Campbell Lifter, [E-ADDRESS AND ADDRESS FOR PRIVATE USE],Malabar, Florida, 2012.

3. "Y-DNA Matches," Family Tree DNA
4. Ibid.
5. Ibid.
6. Ibid.
7. Kevin Campbell e-mail.

Benjamin Campbell and Elizabeth Stoops of Ohio

My 3rd great-grandparents, Benjamin Campbell and his first cousin (yes, it happens, and has occurred several times in my lines), Elizabeth “Betsy” Stoops, married in Highland County, Ohio, 11 March 1819.¹

Benjamin was the son of Abraham Campbell and Elizabeth McCormick and Elizabeth was the daughter of Philip Stoops and Ann(e) McCormick.

The Campbells, Stoops, and collateral families of Sharp (Robert Sharp and Grisela McCormick, Henry Sharp and Esther McCormick) and Spence (John Spence and Isabella McCormick) left Rockbridge County, Virginia, and arrived in Ohio between 1810 and 1820, settling in Adams, Clinton, Highland, and Ross Counties.  Descendants of these families moved to Clark, Fayette, Marion, Shelby, and Warren Counties.

In 1820, Benjamin and Elizabeth are living in West Union, Adams County, Ohio.² By 1830, they have moved to Chester Township, Clinton County, Ohio.³

The 1840 census has Elizabeth listed as the head of the household living in Paint Township, Highland County.⁴

I have not found a death date (Ohio death records do not begin until 1867 although a few counties have them for 1856-1857) or burial location for Benjamin.  

There is an 1878  death record for a Benjamin Campbell in Harveysburg, Warren County, Ohio,⁵ which lists his parents as Abram Campbell and Eliz. Stoops. I am not convinced that this is my 3rd great-grandfather.  I have not been able to locate him in the 1840-1870 censuses.  I need to do some newspaper research to see if there may be an obituary.

In 1850, Elizabeth is still living in Paint Township, Highland County, Ohio,⁶ and listed as 60 years of age. Living with her are daughter Anna Belle McCoy, son-in-law Edmund McCoy, granddaughter Elizabeth, and sons Daniel and John.

In 1860, Elizabeth is missing.  She is not in Highland County or other Ohio counties.  I don’t think she was too far away as she was close to 70 years of age and was probably missed in the enumeration.

In 1870, Elizabeth is listed in the household of her son-in-law Edmund McCoy and family living in Fairfield Township, Highland County, Ohio.⁷ She is listed as 88 years of age and an invalid.

                                                                                                             

Elizabeth died 6 September 1874 in Centerfield, Fairfield Township, Highland County, Ohio.⁸  She is buried in the Fall Creek Cemetery, Liberty Township, Highland County, Ohio.⁹  (The cemetery books states her death year as 1875.) I have visited the cemetery numerous time and have yet to find her tombstone. I also need to check Highland County newspapers for an obituary for her.

1. Highland County, Ohio, Marriage Index, entry for Benjamin Campbell and Betsey Stoops, 11 Mar 1819; Probate  Court, Hillsboro, Ohio. (The original record books are blank and the returns of marriage are lost for part of 1816 to part of 1820.)
2. 1820 U.S. Census, West Union, Adams County, Ohio, population schedule, p. 2, line 9, Benjamin Campbell; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 2 August 2015); citing NARA microform publication M33, roll 86. 
3. 1830 U.S. Census, Chester Township, Clinton County, Ohio, p. 232 (handwritten), line 20, Benjamin Campbell; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 2 August 2015); citing NARA microform publication M19, roll 129.
4. 1840 U.S. Census, Paint Township, Highland County, Ohio, no page, line 14, Elizabeth Campbell; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 2 August 2015); citing Family History Film 0020168.
5."Ohio, County Death Records, 1840-2001," database,  FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org : accessed 2 August 2015), entry for Benj. Campbell, 07 June 1878. 
6. 1850 U.S. census, Highland County, Ohio, population schedule, Paint Township, p. 189 (stamped), dwelling 2047, family 2057, Elizabeth Campbell; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 2 August 2015); citing NARA microform publication M432, roll 694.
7. 1870 U.S. census, Highland County, Ohio, population schedule, Fairfield Township, p. 105 (stamped), dwelling 436, family 437; Edmund McCoy household; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 2 August 2015); citing NARA microform publication M593, roll 1222.
8. "Ohio, County Death Records, 1840-2001," database,  FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org : accessed 2 August 2015), entry for Eliz. Campbell, 06 September 1874.
9. David N. McBride and Jane N. McBride, Cemetery Inscriptions of Highland County, Ohio (1954; reprint, Hillsboro, Ohio: The Southern Ohio Genealogical Society, 1972), 263.