Desperately Seeking John H. Schofield

I’ve been on a bit of a genealogy bender lately. Last night, I put my Lien tree on hiatus and started working on my Coe roots.  Phebe Desdemona Coe was born in Gustavus, Trumbull, Ohio and married John H. Schofield sometime before 1870.  My great-great-grandmother, Clarissa Francis Schofield was a product of that union.  However, something happened to Phebe and John by 1880, because Clara was living with her aunt, Frances Priscilla Coe and her husband, Henry S. Benedict.  I do not know when Phebe and John got married, I do not know when they died (or how or why), and for that matter, I don’t know much about John Schofield either.  I do know he was born around 1834 in Manchester, England.  I’ve searched the 1841, 1851, and 1861 census records for England and may have a few leads – would love to be able to just go search in person.  Now wouldn’t that be a trip: Manchester, England; Ontario, Michigan; Gustavus, Ohio; and  Vernon, Iowa.  It’s times like these that I really wish I had a bank full of money so I could just journey out to research. In the meantime, I’ll just depend on the kindness of strangers through the World GenWeb volunteers.  Would really love to knock down this brick wall.

Wedding Wednesday ~ Nels Andrew Lien & Hilda Gurina Larson

My Great Grandparents:

Hilda Gurina Larson (1874-1956) and Nels (1871-1933) were married in 1894 in Albert Lea, Freeborn County, Minnesota. Hilda was the daughter of Susannah Olsdatter and Svenning Larsson who immigrated from Aust-Agder, Norway. Nels was the son of Anders Gunnarsson Lien and Sigrid Andersdatter Eltun who immigrated from Vang, Oppland, Norway.

Nels & Hilda had 8 children and later homesteaded in Burke County, North Dakota.  They are buried at the Bethel Lutheran Cemetery outside of Powers Lake, North Dakota.

Tombstone Tuesday ~ Lillian Blanche Hughes Menholt (1891-1973)

 

Lillian Blanche Hughes was born on April 23, 1891 in Iowa, the daughter of Charles Wesley Hughes (1856-1935) and Clarissa (Clara) Francis Schofield (1870-1934).  Her parents later homesteaded in Savannah Twp, Becker County, Minnesota.  Lillian was the granddaughter of another one of my elusive relatives – George Arthur Russell Hughes.

In 1912, Lillian and her young son traveled to South Dakota, eventually landing in Burke County, North Dakota.  To date, I do not know what brought her to the Dakotas; she did not have direct family that lived there.

In 1913, Lillian married Peter Hansen Menholt (1876-1959), an immigrant from Hjørring, Denmark.  They homesteaded in Burke County, North Dakota had 5 children.

Grandma Menholt was alive when I was born.  I do have small memories of her – I remember she liked to play cards and had a boisterous laugh.  I still hear that laugh – her daughter (my grandmother) had it, my mom has it, and so do I. Laughter is a great thing to pass down the family line, don’t you think?

My Genealogy Mystery #2 ~ Solomon Farley

Solomon Farley was a soldier during the Revolutionary War.  For a day.  Then he ran for Canada.  I don’t know much about him except he was from Deerfield, Massachusetts when he enlisted, and he is thought to be the son of Timothy Farley and Sarah Mary Richardson from Billerica, Massachusetts. But so far, I have found no proof of that, or how he is connected (or if he even is!) to the Farley family of Billerica, Massachusetts.

Here is what I know:
Solomon Farley was my g-g-g-g-grandfather. He was born in 1746 in Massachusetts – it is thought that he was born in Boston, but it could also be Billerica, or even Deerfield.  He deserted the Army in 1777 (after his 3rd enlistment) and resided in Peel, Carleton, New Brunswick, Canada.  In 1780, he married Mary Margaret Gallup from Massachusetts and they had 10 children.  Some of their descendents later moved back from Canada to Arostook and Washington Counties, Maine. Solomon died March of 1819 in Peel.  Mary died March 1845 in Centreville, New Brunswick, Canada.

My Solomon Farley Wishlist:
*I’d like to know who his parents were;
*I’d like to find how he is connected to the other Massachusetts Farleys;
*I’d like to find out where he was buried and get a photo of his grave;
*I’d like to feel like I know more about him than what I don’t know.

Genealogy Mystery #1: Julia Fluur

Today’s Genealogy Mystery:

My grandmother was born in 1917.  She and her twin sister Adeline were adopted and of course, it was right at the time that Minnesota started sealing adoption records.  If an adoption record is sealed, you have to wait 100 years from the date of the adoption before the record is available. 

I know bits and pieces.  Grandma thought her birth mother’s name was Julia Fluur.  I’ve later discovered that it could also be Fluhr, Flohr, Fleur, or Fleury. I don’t think she was from Minnesota because I can’t find records on her anywhere.  Then again, we could be way off on the name. Who knows how much information was shared with Grandma growing up?  I know she always knew she was adopted, so it’s possible Bill and Elsie (her adoptive parents), shared the information they knew.  Unfortunately, Grandma’s gone now.  She passed away in 2005.

So, what does an amateur genealogist that doesn’t want to wait 7 years for access to the information do?  She petitions the courts, of course.  I did that last month.  Well, Kandiyohi County anyway.  I could also petition Hennepin County since that’s where Grandma and her family were living in 1920. It could make sense that the adoption took place there, although Grandma was raised in (and her adoptive family are all from) Kanidyohi County.  Spicer, to be exact.  Or Wilmar. Both, really.

So far I haven’t heard anything back.  Which could mean that the adoption didn’t take place in Kandiyohi County….and I may have to proceed with petitioning Hennepin County.  Which is okay – I’ve got the necessary paperwork already notarized.  I was just……..waiting, for whatever reason.

Now as far as Grandma’s adoptive family goes, I’ve gotten lots of information.  At least on her adoptive mother’s side.  Unfortunately, her adoptive father Bill Stevens (also known as Charles Stevens, William Stevens, Charles William Stevens, William Charles Stevens) seems to be as big of a mystery as her birth family.  I think he was a preacher.  Or a businessman.  I’ve heard both.  Maybe he was both.

Grandma’s adoptive mother, Elsie Masters, was a direct descendent of Silas Foot.  The Foot family were the first settlers in Wilmar, MN.  Several lakes in that area are named after them. Silas was also involved in the Sioux Uprising of 1862.  More information on that family can be found here.