William Stewart, 1854 to before 1910, Ireland, Illinois

I've spent another fruitless night searching for information on William Stewart and his family members. Here's what I know.

William Stewart (s/o unknown Stewart and Ann unknown)
b. Aug 1854 Ireland...came to U.S.A. at age 6
d. Before 1910 possibly in Illinois but who knows?
m. Where? When?
Ella Jane McKinley (d/o Robert W. McKinley and Sarah McKee)
b. 12 Apr 1863 Randolph County, IL
d. 10 Jan 1910 Iola, Allen County, KS

William and Ella had the following children:

Child 1:
Ruana Stewart
b. 8 Apr 1882 IL
d. 6 Mar 1915 Vega, Oladham County, TX
m. 5 Sep 1900 Prosperity UP Church, Sadowa, Randolph County, IL
Herbert Glenn Green (s/o Benjamin Parker Green and Sarah Gette or Getting)
b. 27 Feb 1876 Saint Clair County, IL
d. 23 Feb 1949 Vega, Oldham County, TX

Child 2:
William Melvin Stewart
b. 30 May 1884 Pickneyville, Perry County, IL
d. 17 Apr 1979 Hereford, Deaf Smith County, TX
m 22 Aug 1912 where?
Margaret Carrie Taylor
b. 1 Jan 1891 Gainesville, Cooke County, TX
d. 25 Sep 1977 Deaf Smith County, TX

Child 3:
Robert Blanchard Stewart
b. 14 Jul 1886 Swanwick, Perry County, IL
d. 18 Oct 1967 Freeburg, Saint Clair County, IL
m. 5 Jun 1912 Belleville, Saint Clair County, IL
Ella Winterbauer (d/o Charles A. Winterbauer and Rosa C. unknown)
b. Mar 1894 Illinois
d. 14 May 1979 Red Bud, Randolph County, Illinois

Child 4:
Wesley James Stewart
b. 18 Aug 1887 Swanwick, Perry County, Illinois
d. before Oct 1967 perhaps in Texas...Can you help?
m. Where? When?
Lela G. Eshelman (d/o William Eshelman and Olive E. Blanche French)
b. Feb 1891 Indiana
d. Where? When?

Child 5:
Ella Ethel Stewart
b. Jul 1893 Illinois
d. Where? When?
m. 5 Jan 1915 Wichita Falls, Wichita County, TX
George Hal Shirey (s/o George H. Shirey and Mary Gates)
b. 28 Oct 1888 Loogootee, Martin County, IN
d. Where? When?

The first time I can pick up William Stewart is on the 1880 census. He's living with his brother Samuel and his mother Ann in Grand Cote, Perry County, IL.

William marries in 1881 and the children are all born between 1882 and 1893...during the dead zone created by the burned 1890 census.

The next time I'm able to find something on William is the 1900 census. The family is living in Marissa, Saint Clair County, IL.

I'm speculating that William dies between 1900 and 1910 because Ella dies on 10 Jan 1910 in Iola, Allen County, KS. She appears to be living with her son Wesley and his wife Lela. Wesley and Lela appear on the 1910 census in Iola and no other family member lives in the area. According to an index Ella is buried in Tilden, IL.

To date, I haven't found an obituary for William or Ella Stewart...and it's not for lack of trying. Notice that many of the children are in Texas. William and Ella's son, William Melvin Stewart leads the move south to Texas, moving to Deaf Smith County, TX in 1908. His sister Ruana and her family are in Deaf Smith County by the 1910 census. Youngest sister Ella Ethel Stewart is also in Texas by 1910. Wesley is in Iola, KS; however, the 1920 census placed Wesley in Cement City, Dallas County, TX. Only Robert Blanchard Stewart stays in the Illinois area. Robert works in his Uncle Lemuel's business, L. R. McKinley and Sons Chevrolet Company.

The scattering of the children at such an early age speaks to William Stewart's early death. I can't tell if he dies in Illinois, Texas, or Kansas...my best guess is Saint Clair County, Illinois. I've looked in all three places with no luck. Unless someone reading this posting has more information, I'm assuming finding a death date and location for William will have to hold until I am able to get to the Randolph County Genealogical Society library in Steeleville, Illinois. Even then I'm not assured of success. When William's wife Ella Jane dies in 1910, it's her father Robert McKinley who pays her passage home and pays for her burial...somewhere in Tilden, IL. Alas, under the circumstance, William might be anywhere. If you have more information, I'd love to hear from 'ya.

Sorry to have disappeared...

I've been steeped in work for the Florida State Genealogical Society. Their annual conference is this weekend in Maitland. I've been working on the conference syllabus and banquet program. I'll be sure to tell you how the documents turned out.

Also, my presentation partner, Pattie, and I are doing two presentations and we've been working on them too. I'm sitting here tonight cutting 100 CDs with handouts, presentations, etc. for attendees. Hopefully, we'll have someone to give the CDs to! We're doing presentations on using Paint to create graphics from webpages (kinda backdoor PDFing) and conducting a family survey (sort of a cold mailing to people you don't know but think you're related to).

Another item of note...I received an email today with a PDF of an article of mine that's going to be in Internet Genealogy. Exciting stuff! The article is on how to use Joliprint to create PDFs from webpages.

Pattie and I have also decided to go to RootsTech...so I'll diappear in February for a week too. RootsTech should be lots of fun...probably somewhat of a mystery at times.

Anyway, things should be back to normal next week and I'll start posting regular research postings again.

Edna Irene (Woodside) Monia, 1876-1956, Illinois to Nebraska to California to Oregon

Medford Mail Tribune, 23 May 1956, Page 15

MRS. EDNA MONIA

Funeral services for Mrs. Edna Monia, 80, who died Monday in Jacksonville, will be held in Conger-Morris chapel at 1 p.m. Thursday. The Rev. William Piper of the First Christion church will officiate. Committal will be in Brownsboro cemetery.

Mrs. Monia was born Feb 4, 1876, in Coulterville, Ill. In 1898 at Guide Rock, Neb., she was married to Jacob Monia, who preceded her in death in 1926. She was a member of the First Christian church.

Survivors include two sons, Clarence Monia, Medford, and Bill Monia, Central Point; three daughters, Mrs. Mary Charley, Central Point, Mrs. Velda Dahlke, Medford, and Mrs. Donna Charley, Crescent City, Calif.; one brother, Albert Woodside, San Bernardino, Calif.; 17 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren. Another son, Ivan Monia, preceded her in death.

The details that get included in an obituary vary based on the time, location, and newspaper. They can also vary based on who provides the information. Here are the vitals on Edna and her family.

Edna Irene Woodside d/o James Martin Woodside and Mary Agnes Campbell
b. 4 Feb 1876 Coulterville, Randolph County, Illinois
d. 21 May 1956 Medford, Jackson County, Oregon
m. 27 Apr 1899 Red Cloud, Webster County, Nebraska
Jacob Monia Jr.
b. 1 May 1857 Berne, Switzerland
d. 6 Apr 1926 Medford, Jackson County, Oregon

Child 1:
Mary Estella Monia
b. 3 Mar 1900 Guide Rock, Webster County, Nebraska
d. 6 Aug 1982 Central Point, Jackson County, Oregon
m. 23 Oct 1917 Roseburg, Douglas County, Oregon
Floyd Sharpe Charley
b. 30 Apr 1892 Brownsboro, Jackson County, Oregon
d. 10 Oct 1965 Central Point, Jackson County, Oregon

Child 2:
Clarence Vernon Monia
b. 5 Nov 1901 Beaver Creek, Webster County, Nebraska
d. 5 Sep 1967 Medford, Jackson County, Oregon
m. 22 Jun 1930 probably in Oregon but have no proof
Dorothy Eleanor Wilhite
b. 1912 Oregon...need complete info
d. Don't know where or when...Can you help?

Child 3:
Ivan Russell Monia
b. 18 Jan 1904 Beaver Creek, Webster County, Nebraska
d. 20 Jan 1919 Brownsboro, Jackson County, Oregon

Child 4:
Velda Evelyn Monia
b. 17 Aug 1906 Guide Rock, Webster County, Nebraska
d. 29 apr 1992 Medford, Jackson County, Oregon
m. 1926...need complete info
Henry Frank Dahlke
b. 2 Aug 1899 Hokkah, Houston county, Minnesota
d. 31 Dec 1962 Medford, Jackson County, Oregon

Child 5:
Eldred Eugene Monia
b. 28 Feb 1910 Long Beach, Los Angeles County, California
d. 8 Sep 1982 Central Point, Jackson County, Oregon
m. 9 Dec 1936 Medford, Jackson County, Oregon
Opal Adell Charley
b. 17 Feb 1919 Climax, Jackson County, Oregon
d. Don't know where or when. Can you help?

Child 6:
Donna Lucille Monia
b. 2 Dec 1914 Eagle Point, Jackson County, Oregon
d. 15 Dec 2007 Central Point, Jackson County, Oregon
m. 27 Dec 1935 Medford, Jackson County, Oregon
Lincoln Stanford Charley
b. 27 Dec 1914 Climax, Jackson County, Oregon
d. 27 Dec 2008 Medford, Jackson County, Oregon

I'll write more about this family...there's lots to write about...they are an interesting ranching family with deep roots in Jackson County, Oregon.

Earl Renwick McMillan 1893-1982 Illinois, Washington, California

Every family tree has its black sheep and its stars. Earl Renwick McMillan is a family star. Here are the vitals:

Earl Renwick McMillan
s/o Randle S. McMillan and Nancy Harriet McKinley (d/o Robert McKinley and Sarah McKee)
b. 12 Dec 1893 Marissa, Saint Clair County, Illinois
d. 1 Dec 1982 Sacramento, Sacramento County, California
m. Where? When? Can you help?
Anna Shampaign
d/o Charles E. Shampaign and Margaret Cavanaugh
b. 21 Feb 1896 Saint Louis, Saint Louis City, Missouri
d. 22 Feb 1989 Sacramento, Sacramento County, California

Earl and Anna had two children: Edward and Margaret.

As you'll see from Earl's obituary, this family spent the majority of their lives in the Seattle area.

So why is Earl a star? I'll give you a hint before you read his obituary. Earl is personally responsible for countless hours of summer time family fun around a barbecue. Ready for his obituary?

The Seattle Times, Wednesday, December 15, 1982, Page F15

Rites for Earl McMillan, 89, inventor of charcoal briquettes

Memorial services for Earl R. McMillan, 89, former mining engineer, will be at 2 p.m. next Wednesday at the Bellewood Presbyterian church in Bellevue. He died Dec. 1 in Sacramento, where he has lived the past several years.

McMillan was the manager of coal operations and the chief mining engineer for Northern Pacific Railroad from 1946 to 1962, when he retired. Prior to that, he worked for the firm’s subsidiary, the Northwestern Improvement Co., managing coalmining operations in Roslyn and Cle Elum from 1930 to 1945.

He was part owner of the Northwest Briquetting Co., which made briquettes out of coal, a method he invented. He also served as a mining consultant and was assistant superintendent for the Bureau of Mines here.

McMillan, a 1917 civil engineering and geology graduate of the University of Missouri, received honorary mention on the All American football team and was captain of the school’s championship baseball team.

He also received an advanced mining degree from the University of Washington in 1919.

He was past president of the West Coast Minerals Association, past chairmen of the North Pacific section of the American Institute of Mining Engineers and an elder of the Laurelhurst and Bellewood Presbyterian churches.

He was also a member of Seattle Rotary, the Arctic club and was a Mason. He served in the Army during World War I.

Surviving are his wife, Anna; a daughter, Margaret Ann, Sacramento; a son, Edward, Bainbridge Island, and a sister Bessie Orr, Springfield, Ill.

Remembrances are suggested to the Seattle Rotary Foundation or to Bellewood Presbyterian Church.

So the next time you pull out a hibachi and fire up the coals, be sure to hoist a beer in tribute to Earl.

Notice that there's no burial spot for Earl mentioned in his obituary. His wife's obituary also contains no burial location. Therefore, there are no Find A Grave memorials...yet. So I guess I'll be sending for death certificates (if I can) to see if they include burial information. I've already written to Earl's son and he indicated that the family has no interest in this project.

On another front, if you've never looked for patents or scholarly papers, you should. You might be surprised to find an inventor or two in your family. In Earl's case, his name appears on many patents based on his work and his published scholarly papers are cited. You can do a general Google search and many of these types of items will be included in the returns. However, you should also check Google's dedicated searches. On the Google home page, click the More link, and then click Even more. A list of dedicated searches sorted into groups displays.   

I had occassion to point out the patent search during a presentation. The next time I went to a meeting a lady walked up to me and told me that a relative of her's had a dozen patents. She wouldn't have looked had I not mentioned the patent search in passing.

Based on my experience, it's always worth a quick check while I'm watching TV.

While I've been hacking and coughing...

I've had the worse cold this week, including a burning chest and eyes. As a result, I haven't gotten squat done. The one interesting thing that has happened is an email exchange with a Booth descendant. She emailed me at an old AOL account that I've kept because I still have people find that address and contact me.

Here's Alicia's line: granddaughter of William Bailey Uptergrove and Cora Sue Henderson; great grandaughter of Hezekiah Othnell Henderson and Lucinda Ann Booth; great great granddaughter of Ananias Jackson Booth and Mary Jane McKee, great great great granddaughter of Joseph G. McKee and his unknown first wife.

I've sent Alicia a gedcom so she can cross check and explain the error of my ways to me. When working with the Booth's, I'm using documents only. While that usuallly works, wierd stuff can happen. For example, a Booth contacted me about a Find A Grave location. Turns out that I was right about the original burial location...I had all the documents...except that afterward, the family had the body moved. You can't beat firsthand knowledge. Needless to say, I fixed the Find A Grave memorial.

Find A Grave (FAG) Bullies

After spending an absolutely wonderful day at a genealogy conference (John Philip Colletta, PhD...adore the man's mind), I find myself being hounded via email by what can only be described as a FAG bully. She has one family member that married into my family (a second marriage with no children yet!) and she's sending me "corrections" for problems that I've resolved long ago.

Don't get me wrong. I love FAG. But every once in a while you encounter some driven individual who seems not to understand that when you write you adopt a tone. This woman is sending me emails that all but scream, "Do what I tell you NOW!"

I decided to visit her profile. Low and behold...it's filled with tone too. I haven't lost my temper yet; however, I'm just about to ask her who at FAG appointed her hall monitor.

So wish me luck (and self-control!) in dealing with this unwelcomed intrusion into an otherwise lovely day.


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Another Encounter with a Kind Librarian

I asked and Deb delivered.

Late (too late) last night, I emailed The Millicent Library asking about the procedure for requesting an obituary, and if there was a fee, could I send it electronically. I've learned from past requests to include the details of what I'm looking for. In this case it was an obituary for Alfred John Chasse.

Before noon today I had the scanned obituary in my email.

Fairhaven Star, Fairhaven, Massachusetts, 25 Jun 1964

ALFRED J. CHASSE

Funeral services for Alfred J. Chasse, 69, of 14 Harbor View avenue took place Friday morning at the Fairhaven funeral home. Mr. Chasse died June 16 at Union hospital, New Bedford.

A native of Biddeford, Me., he had lived here for the last 27 years. Prior to his retirement, he was employed by Revere Copper & Brass, Inc., New Bedford. He was a veteran of World War I.

He leaves his widow, Mrs. Sarah Jane (Anderson) Chasse; a son, John A. Chasse of this town; a daughter, Mrs. Homer Gracia, also of Fairhaven; a brother George Chasse of Staten Island, New York City; five grandchildren, and three great grandchildren.

Again I have no burial location. I've created a Find A Grave memorial for Sarah (76103139) and I requested a photo, hoping to get a shot of a double stone with Alfred. I'm assuming he was buried back in Biddeford with Sarah. I'll check with the funeral home if possible too but I haven't had much luck with that method. The other option, since I now have a complete date of death, is to look for a death certificate and see if the burial location is on it. I'll update when I find out more.