Cole Family Bible

Cole Family Bible

Three pages of information copied from the Cole Family Bible and one page of remarks were sent to me in 1987 by Ruth Cole Sauter.  At that time (1987) Ruth said the Cole Family Bible was in the possession of a cousin who would not let anyone see or touch it.  But earlier in 1955 when the bible had been in the possession of Ruth's aunt, a paid researcher by the name of Almon E. Daniels was allowed to see the Cole Family Bible and record the information from the bible.  Other family records were also examined and recorded by the researcher, such as information from the family hair sample book. (Remember that 1955 was before the age of Xerox copy machines.)

The Family Bible belonged to Joseph and Rhoda (Gifford) Cole.  Joseph Cole was the son of Nathan Cole and Judith Colburn.  During the last years of her life, Joseph's mother, Judith Colburn Cole (wife of Nathan), lived with him and his wife, Rhoda.  Therefore, Judith would have given input into the information contained in the bible and hair sample book.  By 1977, the hair sample book was missing and not found.

Cole Family Bible Transcription

Cole Family Hair Sample Book Transcription

Obituaries found in the bible.

Remarks about bible information

Transcription of the Bible information:

Nathan Cole born 31 July 1760 died 29 Dec 1827 in his 67th yr.

Judith Cole born 22 July 1767 died 28 Feb 1854 (7?) in her 90th yr.

Luther Cole born 22 June 1790

Sabra Cole born 15 Aug 1792

Nathan Cole, Jr. born 15 Sept 1794

Joseph Cole born 20 Dec 1796 died 16 Oct 1871, aged 74 yr. 9m. 26d

Betsy Cole born 8 June 1799

Judith Cole born 10 Jan 1802

Roce.enath Cole born 30 May 1804

William H. Cole born 13 Mar 1810

James M. Cole born 13 Dec 1823

Julia M. Cole born 25 Apr 1828

Frank M. Cole born 4 Dec 1856 died 17 Mar 1923

Mary F. Cole born 22 Sept 1858

Joseph Cole married 21 Mar 1823 to Rhoda Gifford

James M. Cole married 15 Feb 1854 to Julia M. DeWitt

Frank M. Cole married Feb 1876 to Ida Jane Bull

Rhoda Cole baptized 13 Sept 1829

James M. Cole baptized 9 Feb 1840

Frank M. Cole baptized 29 Jan 1871

Additional Posts about Nathan Cole:

Nathan Cole - Patriot

Nathan Cole's Revolutionary War Button

Wilson Affidavit of Heirship

This Affidavit of Heirship was found in papers belonging to Charles B Wilson.  The affidavit appears to have been created to prove the heirs of William Wilson, the father of Charles B Wilson. There is no record of it being filed with a court in Oklahoma or Colorado.  It was working copy, because there were still dates and places that needed to be filled out and it was never signed by a Notary Public.

Affidavit of Heirship pg1

Affidavit of Heirship pg 2

Affidavit of Heirship pg 3

Transcription of Affidavit:

OK-5724

AFFIDAVIT OF HEIRSHIP

THE STATE OF COLORADO

COUNTY OF MONTEZUMA

CHARLES B. WILSON, of lawful age, being first duly sworn upon his oath deposes and says:

That he is 73 years of age, and that his post office address is Cortez, Colorado.

That he was personally and well acquainted with William Wilson, commonly known as Bill Wilson, during his lifetime, having known him for more than 40 years; that the said William Wilson is dead, having departed this life at Orr, Love County, Oklahoma, on or about the ___ day of July, 1918, being of the age of 83 years, or thereabouts, at the date of his death, and at which time he was a resident of Love County, State of Oklahoma.

Affiant further states that he is a son of said decedent, and that he was personally and well acquainted with the family and near relatives of said decedent, and those who under the laws of the State of Oklahoma, may be his heirs; that the statements herein made are based upon the personal knowledge of this affiant, and are true and correct.

Affiant states that said decedent died intestate, and that no administration proceedings were ever had on the estate of said decedent, and that all debts, including doctor bill, expenses of last sickness and funeral expenses have long since been paid.

Affiant further states that the said William Wilson, commonly known as Bill Wilson, was married but one time, and one time only, and then to Mary Huff, which marriage was solemnized on or about the ____ day of ____ , 1859, unto which union

[Page2]

the following children were born, to-wit:

Doris Fanning, nee Wilson, a daughter, born ______ 18__, who married John Fanning; moved to Montana many years ago; affiant has not heard from them, or either of them in more than 45 years and believes both are deceased.

William (Billy) Wilson, a son, born _____ 18__, who after attaining the age of majority, or thereabouts, being about 50 years of age, became engaged in a quarrel with one of his brothers, which quarrel terminated in a fight and William (Billy) leaving the country, taking with him his personal belongings, including his saddle, saddle horse and pack horse, and this affiant nor any member of his family have heard from or of him since, and believe that he died many years ago, and that he was single and unmarried.

Laura Means, nee Wilson, a daughter, born May 10, 1868, who married John M. Means.  John M. Means died January 1, 1936, and Laura Means, nee Wilson, died May 19^th, 1938.

Rosa V. Baugh, nee Wilson, a daughter, born ______ 18__, married Daniel Baugh, who is now living at La Junta, Colorado.  Rose V. Baught, nee Wilson, Died on or about  ____ 1901.

Lillian Marrs, nee Wilson, a daughter, born ______, 1882, married John Marrs, who is now living at Ellscott, Alberta, Canada.  Lillian Marrs, nee Wilson, died November 21, 1915.

James E. Wilson, a son, born March, 1865, married Melissa King, who died July 8^th, 1938; James E. Wilson died November 20^th, 1941.

Charles B. Wilson, a son, this affiant, born April 6^th, 1876, now living at Cortez, Colorado.

Affiant states that the said William Wilson, commonly known as Bill Wilson, died leaving surviving him the following named persons as his heirs:

Laura Means, nee Wilson, a daughter, now deceased,

James E. Wilson, a son, now deceased,

Charles B. Wilson, a son, now living at Cortez, Colorado,

and the following named grand-children:

William L. Baugh, a grandson, being the only child of Rosa V. Wilson Baugh, a deceased daughter of said William Wilson, deceased, now living at Dallas, Texas.

and

[Page 3]

Charles L. Marrs, a grandson

Nellie M. Burrus, a granddaughter, and

Irene Marrs, now Chaney, a granddaughter,

Being the only children of Lillian Marrs, nee Wilson, a deceased daughter of William Wilson, commonly know as Bill Wilson, deceased.

Affiant further states that the said Mary Huff Wilson wife of said William Wilson, commonly known as Bill Wilson, predeceased her said husband by many years, having died about the year 1898 at Quinlan, in the Cherokee Strip, now Woodward County, Oklahoma.

Affiant further states that the said decedent, William Wilson, commonly known as Bill Wilson, left no other child or children, nor any child or children of a deceased child or children, other than these above named; nor was there an adopted child of said deceased.

Further affiant sayeth not: 

Charles B. Wilson, Affiant

Subscribed and sworn to before me this __ day of April, A.D., 1949.

Notary Public, ________ County, State of Colorado, My commission expires: ________. 19__.



Related Posts:
William and Mary Huff Wilson
Mystery Photo Identified
William B. Wilson Confederate Veteran

Cotter-Morris Pedigree Chart

This chart was given to me about 25 years ago by my aunt.  She had received it from Grandma.  Not sure who gave the chart to my grandma.  Several people have asked me if I had ever seen the chart or knew of it's whereabouts, so I though I would post it.
Someone went to a lot of work to make it.  I think it was originally made to show the relationships of the John and Lizzie (Morris) Cotter Family.  On the chart, John and Lizzie are the two branches that merge together at the top

The surnames contained in the chart are: Copelin, Moser, Gray, Morris, Cotter, Whizenant, Box, Leffel.

The chart is quite large -- 24x36.  I scanned the chart full-sized and have a PDF which can be found on Ancestry.com or FamilySearch.org.  It can be found attached to the main people on the tree -- John and Lizzie (Morris) Cotter and their close family.  You can download it from those sites or email me so I can send it to you.
I'll add the pdf to this post when I figure out how to.:)

John Edgar Cotter was my mother's cousin.  John, the son of John Cotter and Susan Leffel, was born in 1904 in Chichasha, Oklahoma.  He married Lizzie Ellen Morris on 20 November 1927 in Chickasha.  Lizzie was the daughter of Joseph L Morris and Sarah E Copelin and was born in 1909 in Oklahoma.  They were the parents of eight children.  John and Lizzie are both buried in the Gruver Cemetery in Gruver, Texas.

Lillie Hatfield Smith

Lillie

Lillian Victoria Hatfield Smith was the older sister to my great-grandmother, Minnie Pearl Hatfield Wilson.  During the last few years of her life, Lillie lived with her sister, Pearl, in Pearl's small house in Cortez, Colorado.   I would often walk with my Grandma Maymie from her house across town to visit with her mother Pearl and her Aunt Lillie. I remember that Lillie was taller than my great-grandmother.  Lillie was always nice,  and she must have worn a floral perfume because she smelled like flowers. 

Ray and Lillie Smith

Lillian Victoria Hatfield was born 9 April 1884 in Jewell County, Kansas.  She was the third child and first daughter born to Martin and Nancy (McNeil) Hatfield.  When Lillie was about 14 years old the family moved to Oklahoma.  Her father, Martin Monroe Hatfield, homesteaded land in Woods County, Oklahoma. 

Wedding Photo for Lillie and Ray

Lillie married Ray Ruggles Smith on 7 Jun 1905 in Alva, Woods, Oklahoma.  Lilly was 21 years old and Ray was 26 years old.  Their wedding photo is shown above and Lillie's record of their marriage from her family bible is shown below.  The only witness is Myrtle Hatfield, wife of her brother John.

Lillie's Baby

By 1910, the Smith's had moved to Sidney, Nebraska.  Three years later, their son Ray Douglas Smith was born in Sidney on Thursday, 4 Sep 1913, at 6 o’clock pm.   The only record that I have been able to find for Lillie's son is a bible record and a notation inside a photo album. 

Ray Douglas Smith - 4 months

It is not known how long little Ray lived, but there are no photos of him except for the two baby pictures shown here.  I have been unsuccessful in finding a record of his death or where he was buried.  But, I do remember Lillie showing me these pictures of her son.  At the time it made me sad to think she lost her little baby boy - maybe because she was sad when she told me about him.  I'm not sure why Lillie did not make a record his death.  Perhaps, she could not bring herself to think about it.  

Lillie and little Ray

In 1918,  when Ray registered for the WWI draft, he and Lillie were living in Malta, Phillips County, Montana.  Ray stated that his occupation was in Real Estate and that his next of kin was his wife, Mrs. Lillie V. Smith.  Ray was 39 years old and his physical description was tall, stout build, blue eyes, and dark hair.

Move to Florida

The Smith family cannot not be found in the 1920 census, so it is not known where Ray and Lillie were living at that time.  By 1929, Ray and Lillie were listed in the city directory of Miami, Florida.  In the 1930 census, Ray and Lillie were living in Hialeah, Dade County, Florida.  Lillie gave her occupation as a dress maker in dress factory.  In the photo below, Lillie is seated at the sewing machine in the back (3rd from left).  Not sure if this is part of the dress factory or not? 

Lillie Smith working as a dress maker.

In the 1932 city directory for Miami, Ray’s occupation is listed as a clerk for the law firm Jarrell, Brooks, and Rogers.  But, in the 1940 census, Ray’s occupation is real estate.  Below is a photo of Ray working at his desk in his real estate office. 

Ray Smith sitting at his desk in his real estate office.

Ray and Lillie Smith

 Ray died in March 1956 in Dade County, Florida.  After the death of her husband, Lillie moved to Cortez, Colorado and lived with her sister, Pearl.  Lillie made a notation in her bible that stated she "arrived in Cortez, Colorado from Miami on June 27, 1956."

The photo below is of Lillie, her mother Nancy, and her sister Pearl.  Since Nancy died in 1946, Lillie must have made the trip out to see her mother prior to that time.

Pearl, Nancy, Lillie

Lillie died on 20 July 1959 in Cortez.  She is buried next to her brother, Charles, in the Dove Creek Cemetery in Dove Creek, Colorado. 

To view Lillie's Find-A-Grave memorial page: click here.


Since Lillie had no living descendants, Maymie ended up with the few photos that told Lillie's story.  Eventually, I ended up with the photos and some memories, and knew they needed to be shared.

  

Searching for the ‘Hidden Half’ of our Family

Searching for the ‘Hidden Half’ of our Family

March is Women’s History Month and it’s soon coming to an end.  Women’s History Month is an observance and celebration of the vital role of women in American history.  As a family historian, I am glad we celebrate Women’s History.  But in some ways, the phrase "Women’s History" is an oxymoron.  Throughout the early part of America’s history, most women are not only difficult to find, their history is almost non-existent.

Finding female ancestors is challenging at the best and almost impossible at other times.  Women changed their name when they married and took their husband’s name.  So, unless a marriage record can be found, a woman's maiden name is often elusive.   Laws, legal rights, and social mores further complicates the finding of information about our female ancestors.  Under common law, a husband controlled everything – even land or money given to a woman by her father.  

Prior to 1850, the United States census only listed the head of household.  So, if a woman was married, only her husband would be listed by name, while the wife and other household residents were enumerated by tick-marks in columns.   

Obituaries are wonderful sources of genealogical information, but women were often shortchanged in their own obituaries.  Married women were quite frequently referred to by their husband’s name -- such as “Mrs John Doe”.   Sometimes their own given name is not even mentioned!  Click here for an example of Pearl Hatfield Wilson's obituary.  Note that all of Pearl's daughters are referred to by their husband's name, not their own name.

In a husband’s will, women were often referred to as “my wife”, or in a probate she might simply be called the “Widow”.  A father's will might also refer to his daughter by her husband's name - although she can be referred to by her name.

It was not until 1920 when the 19th Amendment was ratified that women were granted the right to vote.  Prior to that time women did not even show up on voter lists or in poll books. 

DNA Testing to Help Find Maternal Ancestors

DNA Testing might be one of the best ways to find female ancestors.  

Autosomal DNA will connect to all relatives within the last 5 generations.  

Mitochondrial DNA will connect with maternal-line heritage.  Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is given to us by our mothers.   Mothers pass mtDNA to all of their children - both male and female, so we all have mitochondrial DNA.  But, only females can  pass it down.  That means our mtDNA came from our mother, who got it from her mother, who in turn got it from her mother, and so on, back to the beginning of time.

DNA testing is a great way to find missing women in your family tree.  At the bottom of this post are several links to posts about finding women using DNA.

Remembering the Women in My Family

My goal is to remember the women in my family history and try to find their stories.  Below are photos of the grandmothers in my family.  They were the very heart 💗 and soul of their families.  They settled new lands, traveled in wagons, gave birth at home with only their husband or neighbor to help, cooked over campfires or wood stoves, washed clothes on a washboard, grew gardens, made bread, preserved their own food, sang lullabies to their babies, taught their children to believe in God, buried their children and husbands, had faith to carry on, and most of all they loved their families.  We would not be here without their love, strength, and courage.

3 generations of grandmothers from my family tree

I have spent countless hours searching for the “hidden half” of our family.  Many of our female ancestors have stories written and/or photos posted on this blog.  They are listed below by generation.  Just click on their name to go to their story.

Grandmothers:

Mabel Leffel Baldwin

Maymie Wilson Martin

Great-Grandmothers:

Elizabeth Dorothea Weiss Martin

Minnie Pearl Hatfield Wilson

Mary Jane Stewart Baldwin

Caldona Jane Box Leffel

2^nd Great-Grandmothers:

Catherine “Kate” Kastner Martin

Anna Maria Heim Weiss

Mary Polly Huff Wilson

Nancy McNeil Hatfield

Mary Sadler Baldwin

Bettie Medlin Stewart

Susan E West Leffel

Roenna Johnson Box

3rd and 4th Great-Grandmothers

Barbara Maendle Weiss

Martha Ann (maiden name unknown)

Martha Jay Hatfield
Sarah M Cole McNeil

Jane (maiden name unknown)

Basheba Lindley Sadler

Sarah Brown Stewart

Sally Carr Brown

Rebecca ‘Beckie’ Morgan Medlin
Sarah Gilbert Stewart

To view posts about all female ancestors, click here

Using DNA to Help Find Women: 

Finding Family With DNA 

Finding More Family With DNA 

DNA Solved Another Family History 

A Gypsy? Who Me?

"Wedded Bliss"

John Martin and Elizabeth Weiss

John S Martin and Elizabeth D Weiss were married on 21st day of November 1882 in Rural Township, Rock Island, Illinois.  John was thirty-five years old and Elizabeth was twenty-five years old at the time of their marriage.

Marriage Record: John S Martin and Elizabeth Weiss

Their marriage was reported in the Rock Island Argus newspaper with the title, "Wedded Bliss".  The news article gave detailed list of the wedding presents, also, wedding guests and large circle of friends who gave the presents.

Rock Island Argus, 23 Nov 1882

Related Posts:

John Stephan Martin

Mother & Daughter Die On Same Day

John and Lizzy Martin Family Photo

Our 'First Families' in America

'First Families' are considered those who have high social status, or those of descent from the first settlers of a place.  Our family fits into the second category: first settlers of a place.  I have joined several 'First Families' groups/organizations representing states, regions, or counties within the United States.  For the purposes of this blog post, our 'First Families' will be those ancestors who were our family's first immigrants to America.

I have written about a few of our immigrant families, but to tell the truth I don't know a large majority of them.  Most of our ancestors are still stuck in South Carolina or Virginia in the early 1700's, Northwest Territory in the late 1700's, or east Tennessee in the early 1800's.😞
This list of 'First Families' will hopefully grow as more of our immigrant ancestors are found.

Coming to America
Harbor at Charles-Town, South Carolina, ca 1770  (loc.gov)

The 'First Families' will be separated into my four grandparent lines.  Both husband and wife will be listed, even if they immigrated together as a family.  If a direct line ancestor came over as a child, that ancestor will be listed along with his/her parents.

If an ancestor's story is in this blog, their name will be the link.

The list will give name, country of origin, date of immigration (or about date of immigration), and first place of residence in America.

'First Families' of the Martin-Weiss family lines:
Johann Mathias Martin: Germany 1847, Wisconsin
Catherina Kastner: Germany 1849, Wisconsin
John Stephan Martin: Germany, Came as child with mother, 1849, Wisconsin
Philip Jacob Weiss: Germany 1848, died shortly after arriving
Maria Barbara Maendle: Germany 1848, Illinois
Johann Michael Weiss: Germany 1852, Illinois
Anna Maria Heim: Germany 1852, Illinois

'First Families' of the Wilson-Hatfield family lines:
James Cole: England, 1633, Massachusetts
Mary Tibbs: England, 1633, Massachusetts
Captain John Luther: England, abt 1634, Massachusetts
Elizabeth Turner: England, abt 1632, Massachusetts
Henry Lake: England, abt 1635, Massachusetts
Alice Lake: England, abt 1635, Massachusetts
Thomas Cornell: England, 1631, Massachusetts
Rebecca Briggs: England, 1631, Massachusetts
Richard Foxwell: England, 1631, Massachusetts
Edward Gray: England, 1643, Massachusetts
Dorothy Lettice: England, 1935, Massachusetts
Robert Abell: England, 1631, Massachusetts
Thomas Butts: England, 1660, Massachusetts
Anthony Chamness: England, 1724, Maryland
John Coddington: England, 1635, Massachusetts
Philip Hoggatt: England, abt 1700?, North Carolina
Henry Reynolds: England, abt 1670, New Jersey
Thomas Goble: England, abt 1630, Massachusetts
Alice Mousall: England, abt 1630, Massachusetts
Nathaniel Colburn: England, 1630, Massachusetts
Priscilla Clarke: England, Massachusetts
Stephen Cawood: England, 1670, Maryland

'First Families' of the Baldwin-Stewart family lines:
James Lindley: Ireland, 1713, Pennsylvania
Eleanore Parke:  Ireland, 1713, Pennsylvania
Thomas Lindley: Ireland, Came as a child with parents 1713, Pennsylvania
Ruth Hadley: Ireland, Came as a child with parents 1715, Delaware/Pennsylvania
Simon Hadley: Ireland, 1715, Delaware/Pennsylvania
Ruth Keran Miller: Ireland, 1715, Delaware/Pennsylvania
Robert Parke: Ireland, 1713, Pennsylvania
Nicholas Pyle: England, 1683, Pennsylvania
Abigail Bushell: England, abt 1683, Pennsylvania
John Whitley: England, 1650, Virginia

'First Families' of the Leffel-Box family lines:
Balzar Leffel: Germany, 1750, Pennsylvania
Reinhold Abendschon: Germany, 1749, Pennsylvania

Other Family Lines:

John Alden, 1620 on Mayflower, Plymouth 

Priscilla Mullins, 1620 on Mayflower, Plymouth 

Our Weiss Immigrant Family

Our First American Ancestors in the Weiss Family

Philip Jacob Weiss & Maria Barbara Maendle

Philip Jacob Weiss was born 14 December 1794 in Uhingen, Wurttemberg, Germany.  He was the third child of Michael Weiss and Catherine Traub Weiss.  On 18 June 1822, he married Maria Barbara Maendle.  Barbara, the daughter of Johann Michael Maendle and Susanna Kissling, was born 6 Apr 1802 in Uhingen, Wurttemberg, Germany.

Below is a copy of the Parish Family Record for the Philip Jacob Weiss family. It is from the Family Register of Uhingen, Vol II, page 426.

Family Register; Uhingen, Wuerttemberg, Germany

Philip Jacob Weiss and his family emigrated to America from their home in Uhingen, Wurttemberg, Germany.   The German people were tired of religious persecutions, wars, political oppression, and social unrest.  And, the Weiss family was looking for a better way of life and a place to raise their children.

The Weiss family sailed from Havre, France on the ship “Seth Sprague”, which was captained by Alexander Wadsworth.  

Ship Seth Sprague, Captained by Alexander Wadsworth

Passenger list of the ship Seth Sprague.  Weiss family starts on line 23.

After a three month voyage, the Weiss family arrived at New Orleans on June 17, 1848.    Soon after, the family started their travel up the Mississippi River to St. Louis, Missouri.  Jacob Weiss became ill and died of cholera in St Louis.  He was buried in a cemetery that was later destroyed by fire so no trace of his grave has ever been found.

After the death of Philip Jacob Weiss, the family continued by boat up the Mississippi River to Rock Island, Illinois.  There was a large German settlement in Coal Valley Township, Rock Island County and it was there that Maria Barbara Weiss and her family settled.  It is possible that they located in that particular area because neighbors or friends in Germany may have located there before the arrival of the Weiss family.  In a short time after their arrival Maria Barbara purchased a two hundred acre farm for which she paid $1,060.00.

It is not known where the Weiss family stayed when they arrived at their destination. After they settled in their new home, a log house, members of the family started getting the farm ready for crops.   While their log house was not very large it always had room for others.  Many people coming from Germany stayed at the Weiss home until they could locate a farm of their own.  As in all German families everyone worked, including the younger children.  They were sent to the store, a distance of about fourteen miles.  They carried butter which was wrapped in a shawl and this was exchanged for necessary supplies.

Pages from the Weiss Bible brought from Germany

Maria Barbara Weiss only lived ten years after coming to America, passing away in 1858. She was buried on the Weiss homestead, Rural Township, Rock Island County, Illinois.  The small cemetery, located north of the house of John Michael Weiss, is now abandoned and supposedly has three tombstones, and several more unmarked graves.  The cemetery is on private property and was posted with a "No Trespassing" sign in 1997.  Alta made the following chart of the cemetery.

Much of the above story came from the book, Weiss Family by Alta Sherrard Waugh.

Sources:

Family Register: 

Evangelische Kirche Uhingen (OA. Göppingen), Parish Record; Uhingen, Donaukreis, Wuerttemberg, Germany; Uhingen Kirchenbuch, 1634-1900.

Ship Passenger List:

Ancestry.com. New Orleans Passenger Lists, 1820-1945 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA. Original data: New Orleans, Louisiana. Passenger Lists of Vessels Arriving at New Orleans, Louisiana, 1820-1902. Micropublication M259. RG036. Rolls # 1-93. National Archives, Washington, D.C.

Weiss Family Book:

Waugh, Alta S., Weiss Family 1600-1983.  Washington, District of Columbia: American Memoirs Publishing, 1983.  First edition in possession of blog author. 

See post about the book, click here.

Related Posts:
Weiss Family 1600-1983
Elizabeth Dorothea Weiss Martin
Our First Families in America

Weiss Family 1600-1983

While in college (1970), I took a beginning genealogy class taught by Instructor J. Grant Stevenson.  Prior to that time I basically knew almost nothing about my family's history.  Stevenson encouraged us to write to family members to gather information.  My paternal grandfather (Elmer Martin) had died a year earlier.  Since I had never met any family members from the Martin side of my family, I thought I would start with researching the Martin family.  I corresponded with Elmer's brother, Wilber Martin, who lived in Milan, Rock Island, Illinois.  He put me in touch with several other family members and eventually I came in contact with Alta Waugh.

Alta Sherrard

Alta Sherrard Waugh (1904-2004) was the daughter of Frank Wesley Sherrard and Emma Weiss.  Her mother, Emma Weiss, was a half-sister to my great-grandmother, Elizabeth Weiss Martin.  At the time I was corresponding with Alta, she was in the process of gathering material to write a book on the Weiss family.  She recognized the "budding genealogist" in me and encouraged my genealogical endeavors by sending me information, research, and photos of the Weiss family.

Alta obtained the help of German genealogist, Frederick von Frank, to gather records from Germany for the Weiss and Maendle families.  She also contacted descendants of the Weiss family from across the United States for much of her material.  

Fortunately, I was able to obtain a copy of Alta Waugh's book , Weiss Family, 1600-1983.  Below is copy of the title page, dedication page, and book cover. The book has been digitized and can be viewed by all.  It is found on FamilySearch.org in the Family History Books.

Alta dedicated the book to her mother, Emma Weiss Sherrard.

Book Cover

To view the digitized book on FamilySearch.org, click here.

Other Blog Posts about the Weiss Family:

Philip Jacob Weiss and Maria Barbara Maendle, our first American Ancestors 

Elizabeth Dorothea Weiss Martin