Ghosts of Christmas

GHOSTS OF CHRISTMAS PAST

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Every year at Christmas time I get a bit nostalgic. Christmas as a child was usually a quiet affair, just the five of us and my paternal grandparents. When I met my husband I was a bit overwhelmed by the size of his family and their Christmas tradition of all gathering on Christmas eve to have a good meal and exchange presents and I grew to both love and dread holiday. Over the years our families grew up, new members were added by marriage and birth and we became scattered. Our final large family gathering was at my home in 2001 and was one of the best in my memory.

If I had to pick my happiest Christmas, it would be 2002. My husband's employer forced us to move across the state and I was dreading Christmas on the road to see my children and grandchildren. They shocked me by deciding that Christmas should be at our house and they all made the two hour drive to be with us. Some stayed over, some came for just the day, but we were all together, there was no tension and we had a wonderful time!

After that year many changes occurred and while there were still family celebrations they were held a week or two before Christmas and none had that same happy feel.

GHOST OF CHRISTMAS PRESENT

This was our first Christmas spent in the Sunshine State. I have hated to be cold for as long as I can remember and I have had no use for snow since about the age of ten! I have long dreamed of moving to a warm climate and this was the year the dream came true. I struggled with the guilt I felt at not being with family but I was eventually able to set that aside and really enjoy the season. It was an unseasonably warm year here and my memories of my first Christmas here will be of shorts, open windows and warm breezes. Traditional Christmas decorations with snowmen and icicle lights seem so out of place here that they made me smile. Christmas day was a quiet but pleasant day spent with my husband's sister and her husband.

GHOST OF CHRISTMAS FUTURE

Peering into my crystal ball to "see" what the future holds I envision a Christmas far into the future, when my grandchildren are all grown and have babies of their own. The entire family is able to travel at the same time, here to Florida and we have a week filled with days at the beach, in the pool and undoubtedly at a theme park or two culminating with squeals of delight as great-grandchildren discover that Santa can find you wherever you may be..........

This was written for the 114th edition of the Carnival of Genealogy, A Charles Dickens Christmas, to be hosted by Jasia at Creative Gene. Poster courtesy of footnoteMaven.

Thomas Berry and the Church of England

Thomas David Berry was born 8 September 1829 in Blockley, Worcester, England and Baptized on Sunday 18 October 1829 at St Peter and St Paul's Church in Blockley. So began Thomas' lifelong association with the Anglican Church. 



St Peter's and St Paul's sits in the center of town and a church (perhaps the original foundations of the current church) are traced back to at least 1086 and the Domesday Book. In The history of Blockley in the county of Worcester, Alfred J Soden 1875 is found:

In his collections, Bigland describes the parish church of Blockley as consisting of a "spacious nave, and north aisle of the middle ages. The chancel, of the Saxon style, is probably the same structure that is described in Domesday Book."

Rev Soden describes in detail many of the changes, reconstructions and additions made to the church. A major renovation was undertaken in 1838 but overall I believe the church appeared as depicted in this 1871 picture for all of Thomas' time in Blockley.

Also included in the book is this diagram of the inside of the church.

I was unable to find any photos of the inside of the church that I can share here but there are photos of St Peter and Paul's Church, at Church Crawls. The pictures of the interior make the church seem much smaller than the outside views. I wonder at the age of the baptismal font. Was it the one used when Thomas was baptized or was it the one used when for his children?

The Berry family were poor and the men worked six days a week as agricultural laborers and the women and children worked in the silk mills. I don't know how much of a role the church would have played in their day to day life. I assume, but have not verified, that his parents and two of his children are buried in the cemetery. Thomas, his wife Jane and five of their seven children left the poverty of Blockley behind in 1874 to start a new life in Canada.

The family was enumerated on the 1881 census in Gloucester, Russell County (now part of Ottawa, Carleton County), Ontario, Canada. Dist 104, sub dist E, div 2. pg 31, family 142. Thomas gave his occupation as miller and for religion was written England. I have not discovered which church they would have attended at that time but that is where Thomas' youngest child, Amelia, would have been baptized.

Thomas moved to the Bytown section of Ottawa by 1899. On the 1901 census he listed his occupation as sexton. I also had recorded that he was listed as sexton and that he lived at 118 Nelson St. in the 1899 city directory so I started looking on google maps for Anglican churches near Nelson St and I quickly found two. All Saints on Chapel St wasn't old enough but St Alban's on King Edward Ave seemed very likely and I learned quite a bit about the history of the church but found nothing to link the Berry family to it.

So I decided to revisit the city directories to see if I could determine when he moved to Nelson St and when he was first listed as sexton rather than laborer. He is found just outside the city in the 1888-1889 directory and at 66 Nelson St in the 1889-1890 edition. His occupation was given as laborer until the 1895-1896 Ottawa City Directory when he was listed as the sexton of St. John's Church.


I quickly found St. John the Evangelist Church in Ottawa but after reading the history of the church I learned that the current St John's was Grace Church until 1913. The St John's that Thomas Berry was the sexton of was located at the corner of Sussex and Rue George, less than 3/4 of a mile from where Thomas lived. St John's on Sussex St burned in 1912 so there are no recent photos of the church. I was able to find a photo from c.1870.

Thomas died in 1907 and his wife, Jane, in 1914 and with their deaths my branch of the Berry family's association with the Anglican church ended. My great-grandfather Joseph and my grandfather, Kimberly were both members of the Congregational Church.

In writing this for the 109th edition of the Carnival of Genealogy I spent several hours learning more about the Church of England and learned much about the history of the religion and a little of the theology but I am left with many unanswered questions such as how Thomas felt about his church and why he chose St John's rather than another?

Carnival Poster by footnote Maven.

The Envelope Please!

Jasia has rolled out the red carpet at Creative Gene for the 4th annual iGene Awards.


I would like to thank the Academy of Genealogy and Family History and everyone who has followed along with me! Without further ado here are the winners at Apple's Tree.




Best Picture

The judges just couldn't resist the picture of my granddaughter, Sprout and therefore chose Faces of my mtDNA. Does the fate of our line of mtDNA rest solely with her? Meet her female ancestors as we explore the possiblities.


Best Screen Play / Best Comedy

The judges decided to combine these two categories after reading SNGF - WDYTYA Starring Apple! Follow along as Lisa Kudrow's production team takes on two of my brick walls. I will play myself, however we may have to hire actors to portray my grandchildren as they are holding out for more money! Steve Danko, Lisa Alzo and Dr. Blaine Bettinger have all been cast as themselves. The role of the anonymous professional genealogist is still being cast and suggestions are welcome. (This is actually my personal favorite post of all time - I really had fun with it.)


Best Documentary

The judges had a little more difficulty in this catagory, finally settling on David, Daniel, Donald! Tracking him down through census and newspapers took determination and a couple of creative searches.


Best Biography

The judges immediately chose Sarah Ann Wisner Camfield 1817 - 1912. Sarah's life unfolds in a four part series starting with a time-line and moving through her early, middle and final years. It was written for the 91st edition of the Carnival of Genealogy and I was very honored to be chosen as the featured author.


Best Infomercial

In the unofficial Infomercial category the judges have chosen Winter on the Tug Hill. I was very weak in this category as evidenced by the choice of a repost from 2008. Something for me to think about in the year to come!

My Plan for 2011

Last year I had really had only one goal and that was to get to Michigan and retrieve the remaining letters. It didn't happen.

2011 promises to be a year of big changes for me. In another few weeks I will finally be a snow bird and I am so looking forward to that! I think a warmer climate will go a long way to enabling me to recover my health and that will be my number one priority. I am much too young to feel so old! A new home and new community will surely take up much of my time. Due to our delay in leaving New York I had to order kerosene today and that effectively reduced my genealogy budget to $0.00.

So where does that leave me as far as genealogy research and writing?

I intend to refocus on the letters. I have decided to end the current batch of letters with Sarah Ann's death. Any letters after that also fall into the Carlisle set and I will add them there. I anticipate that many of the Carlisle letters will lead to further research of both people, places and events.

I have not researched my early New England ancestors because so many others have already done so. It's about time that I gathered and verified  information on my own and with so many of the early records available online for free it seems like a logical step to make. I do know that I will not find everything online but by finding what I can this year I can hope to search for and order records at some future date. At least I'll know what I have and what I lack. New research will of course lead to new things to write about ;-)

Almost all of what I consider to be my best writing has been either for the Carnival of Genealogy or some other prompt given me by someone else. Not knowing what the topics will be it's hard to plan too far ahead and I think I actually do better with a limited research/writing window.

While having nothing to do with my own research I hope to spend some time giving back by adding more memorials to Find A Grave. If any opportunities come along to transcribe newspaper articles or documents that would help a large number of people I hope to be able to do so and contribute to GenWeb.

I rarely know where a research trail will take me or when I'll veer off to some totally unplanned direction but I've found that those unplanned paths are always the most fun!

Bring on the new year - I'm ready!

Written for the 101st edition of the Carnival of Genealogy.
Thanks for the posted fM!

A Most Memorable Year

In every family, perhaps every few generations, there is a year that stands out. For my Carlisle ancestors certainly 1862 was their year. Two sons and their step-mother off to war, their house burned down and most of their possession lost. A daughter forced to take a job she did not want and that set her on a very interesting course for the rest of her life.

Years such as these, though they have a deep impact of the family, are not necessarily talked about and future generations may have no idea how greatly they impacted the family.

For my family the year was 1984. The year started out well. Plans were being made for my wedding. We had decided that after the wedding I would leave my job and become a full time mother. On the day that I gave my notice the company announced layoffs that would have included my position so we considered ourselves lucky that it worked into our plans.

The wedding was a small affair and went well despite despite the winter weather. We had decided to postpone our honeymoon and we quietly began our life as a blended family.

Less than a week later we received the shocking news that my uncle had died while working away from home. His date of death was also my brother and sister's birthday. Not the 18th birthday every girl looks forward to. My husband's introduction to my father was at the calling hours. Not the introduction any of us had envisioned. My grandfather was battling cancer and unable to attend. I feel that the loss of his youngest son sped his decline.

My first husband did not take the news of my remarriage well and started a custody battle that would drag on for years and profoundly affect all of us. The next few months were spent with lawyers. We also were dealing with combining two families and very different parenting styles. My grandfather and his wife needed my help and I often found myself torn between helping them and preparing for court. My daughter became a favorite of the residents of the nursing home but was terrified every time we visited.

There was more good news on the horizon however. My sister graduated from high school and was making plans for college. My brother and his fiance were planning their wedding. It would be a traditional wedding with many attendants and a large reception. I feel I let them down with my legal problem taking up my time.

Just three days before the wedding my grandfather lost his battle with cancer. We held a hurried funeral, followed by the rehearsal dinner. While his death did overshadow the wedding somewhat, it was a beautiful ceremony and we did have a good time at the reception. My brother and new sister left on their honeymoon.

Tragedy would quickly strike again. A week to the day after my grandfather's death, his wife and caretaker died. She had not been obviously ill and I believe that she died of a broken heart. I missed the funeral because I was in court, my brother was on his honeymoon, and my father had returned to Texas so the only one left to represent the family was my sister.

The rest of the year was, thankfully, uneventful.

1984 was was both the best of years and the worst of years.

This was written for the 100th edition of the Carnival of Genealogy: There's One in Every Family, to be hosted at Creative Gene. Jasia is looking for 100 posts for this edition - let's no let her down!

Thanks for the poster fM!

David, Daniel, Donald!

In early August I was contacted by a young woman asking if I had information on her ancestor, Daniel. She was struggling because one census record listed him as Danial and another as Donald and it made no sense to her. I checked my files and even though I have a very large data base for the surname that she is researching I had nothing on this man. I explained that the only reason I could think of for the census discrepancies was an error on the part of either the census taker or the person that supplied the information.

I was intrigued by her request because the only persons with the surname she is researching in the Syracuse area seem to be descendants of my 4th great-grandparents. I decided to see what I could find for her.

A month earlier and I would have just logged onto Ancestry.com and searched several data bases at once, however I gave up my paid subscription at the end of July. I was forced out of my comfort zone.

My first stop was Family Search. I tried both the Labs and Beta sites and came up with only the 1930 census where he was listed as Donald, living in the home of a married daughter. One of his sons was also living there. He was recorded as Danial on the 1910 census and the 1910 census is not available anywhere for free. (She later provided me with a copy of the 1910.) Let me say that this is a surname that can be misspelled a dozen different ways

My next stop was Old Fulton Post Cards to see what I might find in the newspapers. I quickly found three articles, all of them sad. They did place the family in Syracuse in the 1915 - 1916 time frame and provided me with the names of some of the children.

Through emails I learned a little bit more about what she already knew about the family and some of the things she had been told. She was expecting Native American and Irish ancestry. (I believe she will be disappointed.)

I went back to the newspapers and did some very creative boolean searches. I found an obituary for Mrs. Charles _____, 1903 in Oswego County, just north of Syracuse. Daniel was listed as one of her survivors living in Hastings. But was this the correct Daniel? I went back to Family Search and tried to find him on the 1900 census. First I tried searching for just the surname in Oswego, New York. I found one of the other sons mentioned in the obituary but not Daniel. Next I searched for him with just a first name, year of birth +/- 5 years. No luck. Next I searched for just his wife's first name, Ida,  year of birth +/- 5 years. BINGO! I had never seen the surname spelled with an s in the middle and he was listed as DAVID! The children were the same as listed on the 1910 census so I'm fairly certain it is the correct record.

So now I had David on the 1900 census, Danial in 1910, MIA in 1920 and Donald in 1930. But where was the rest of the family in 1930? Ida and their youngest child were living with another family and she was listed as a domestic. My best guess is that times were tough in 1930 and Ida took a job when it was offered. Both of them listed their marital status as married so I don't believe they had divorced. I have been unable to locate Daniel on the 1880 census but I did find Ida with her parents. [Update below]

Frustrated with the census I returned to newspapers. I found an obituary for Charles ____  from 1906 that listed the same sons as the Mrs. Charles ______. This time Daniel was said to be of Amboy. There are two Amboy's, one in Oswego County and the other in Onondaga County. I found several article about the other sons of Mr and Mrs Charles ______ but they didn't help me any with tracking down Daniel.

I started looking for Charles in the census. The only record I found was for a Charles born abt 1836, one town west of where I had been looking. He was living with his parents, Egbert and Charity. This couple was in my file however I was chagrined to realize that I had Egbert as a son of John but with no firm source. This would be a distant cousin and I had never followed up.

Partly due to frustration, mostly due to life I put this project aside. As I was writing the above I decided that I WOULD find Daniel, hopefully with Charles and the siblings I had listed. And I did! I finally found them by going to the original FamilySearch.org, choosing just the 1880 US census to search and looking for a family from the 1900 census. After only two tries I found myself in the town I wanted and clicked through, household by household. Another odd spelling of the surname. Then the masochist in me went to the Family Search Beta site and searched for Charles with the birth year +/- 5 years, residence in 1880, Oswego, New York. Of course the record came right up. Previously I had searched for Daniel with the wrong year of birth as shown on the 1900 census.

Meanwhile I put my tree for the surname on Ancestry and extended her an invitation. As I found things I added them to the tree and she was able to access them there. I transcribed some of the newspaper articles I found and placed them there too. She can easily evaluate what I've found and post it over to her tree as she sees fit. If we can ever find a source naming Egbert as a son of John she will have one line of her family tree back to 17th New York, perhaps with a couple of other glitches too.

It was interesting working on a line I knew nothing about. Because I have previously (as in several years ago) researched the surname in the area I think I actually handicapped myself, thinking I knew more than I did. I also learned how to more effectively search at Family Search and that switching between their three sites can be beneficial. I also should have tried to find records at both Footnote and World Vital Records but even though I have subscriptions to both, I find them frustrating to use. Many newspapers have been added to the OFP site and I found many articles that weren't available a few years ago.

I expect to continue to work on this because I love a good puzzle. Next I need to tackle the 1860 and 1870 censuses. And while I was searching for this group of _____ I found others that didn't already reside in my tree so I'll be taking another look at them to see if / how they connect to me.

This was written for the 97th edition of the Carnival of Genealogy, Research From Scratch, to be hosted by Jasia at Creative Gene. The task was to spend 3-5 hours of online research to get someone else started. Jasia is just too funny! Who could stop at just five hours?


Thanks for the poster fM!

2010 Swimsuit Edition

I have no old photos of family members in swimsuits. So instead, I thought for the Annual Swimsuit Edition of the Carnival of Genealogy, I'd share some swimsuit silliness from a few years back.

Our anniversary is in February and we decided on a Valentine's cruise to renew our vows for our fifteenth. Several members of our family and our best friends came with us. Memories of Christmas hadn't yet totally faded and I got it into my head that it would be great if we could send out Christmas cards with us in Santa Hats and swimsuits so a pair of hats were packed.

This is the result. We never did have the cards made up.

Our oldest took a turn with the hat for a photo op too but never had the picture made into a card either.

Our friends had to also have their turn with the hats. They did use the photo for their Christmas cards that year!

Now when we travel with these friends the Santa hats have become a tradition. Here are the three of us in Jamaica a couple of years later.

We'll be sure to have some Santa hats on hand at our new place for our dear friends or anyone else that wants to join us for some silliness.

Sarah Ann Camfield - The Final Years

When I first "met" Sarah Ann it was 1876 and she was 59 years old. She and Mike were living in Burr Oak, Michigan and she was writing to her daughter, Anna, a week before Anna's marriage to Ashley Carlisle.

Burr Oak Sept 26 1876

Dear Anna do just as you like as far as we are concerned it makes no difference as I know of if you are coming so soon I can not tell any news in fact there is nothing to tel only Charley starts today for california I suppose he left here with that intention

From your affectionate Mother

My first impression was that she was a little brusk! But as I worked my way through the letters Sarah Ann's story began to unfold.

In 1877 it appears that Sarah Ann and Mike were sharecropping in Burr Oak, Michigan and they, along with several others, were forced to move and lost the wheat crop that they had planted the previous fall.

wel this place was sold Monday all that Sutherlands mortgage covered he bid it in for $10,000 dollars we all loose our wheat Parker 20 Franke Graves 25 acres Robison 7 Scurvin 20 our 40 all goes with the place the 80 and the wood lot is to be sold in about 5 weeks we dont know what we are going to do yet or where we are going but suppose we shall find aplace some where

How heart breaking that that their lives could be so upset by the decisions of others! They did find another place to live in Burr Oak but did not stay long before they moved to Noble, Michigan where they rented a farm from Henry Bogardus, who Sarah Ann would have known from her childhood. They seemed to have a good relationship with the Bogardus' and Sarah Ann often mentioned them. Mike worked long days in the fields often taking his dinner with him and Sarah Ann felt isolated and lonely. Loneliness is a theme that carried throughout Sarah Ann's letters. Several times she mentioned not having seen another woman for weeks at a stretch.

Money was always an issue for Mike and Sarah Ann and there were periods of incredible poverty and some of her letters just broke my heart. In 1880 she had only one "whole" dress:

You sent pieces of new dresses while you was in the dress business why did you not make two or three I have had only 1 dress made since you made one for me on the Gates place Mrs Bogardus made the calico one she gave me when we live on the Boil farm that is all I have had I guess you wil think I kned a some one to make me some that dark calico one you made for me when I was at your house is my dress up one it has never been washed it is the only whole one I have

Because Mike had had no education, keeping track of the finances fell to Sarah Ann and she recorded both the cost of goods and what they were able to make from their labors. Mike worked the fields and raised horses. Sarah made butter to sell and raised lambs, sometimes keeping them in the house as pets. There was fruit to dry and food to be canned, cooking, sewing and work of some sort or another that never seemed to end. Being in their sixties and suffering from various illnesses off and on there was often more work than they could manage on their own and their finances would take a hit when they had to hire help both for Mike in the fields and Sarah Ann in the house. Off and on during the early 1880's their oldest grandchild, Fred Camfield, would stay with them which was added work for Sarah Ann but he was also company and she adored him.

They continued to save every penny that they could and I was excited by Sarah Ann's letter of 17 October 1884:

Wel I have been going to write you every day since we bought our farm but have put it off til now which was 4 weeks last tuesday we bought a 74 acre farm in Indiana three and one half mile east of Orland is 5 miles south of here so we will be 5 miles south and 3 ½ east of here I cannot describe it you wil have to come and see it we are to pay 18 hundred dollars for it it looks like a big job for a couple of old folks but if our life and health is spared we hope to be able to do it it is in Stueben CO Millgrove township Fawn River is the south line of the farm there is some marsh down by the river good mowing marsh and a good for fish they say

Alas, it was not to be! I'm not certain what happened but instead of the farm in Indiana they bought a 40 acre farm in Noble, Michigan, not far from where they had been living. It was located on the south east corner of the Bronson-Orland Road and what is now Slisher Road, 4 miles south of Bronson, Michigan. I wonder how much has changed in 125 years?

The buildings on the farm were in need of lots of work and a stable had to be constructed for the animals before the next winter which left little money for repairs to the house. In an uncharacteristic splurge, Sarah Ann paid someone to wallpaper the parlor:

I got the prettiest wall paper that could be and got the rom papered and my best carpet down and I did feel proud of it we got windows with 4 glass in a window it cost 2 dollars and 1 shilling to get the paper put on and it is all cracked to pieces come loose fromtop to bottom you never saw any thing like it I feel so bad about it but that dont help it

Sarah Ann and Mike never could seem to get a lucky break! They finally had a place of their own but life continued with the same tedious rhythm of work and want that they had known for years. She was often frustrated with Mike and I assume he with her. At one point she complained to Anna, "Father is no more company than a stick of wood." Their grandson Fred came to live with them full time in the late 1880's and was a great help to them and company for Sarah Ann. She loved to visit with her neighbors and travel to visit her children and grandchildren but the demands of the farm and the cost of travel made visits few and far between.

As Mike and Sarah Ann aged they had more and more trouble working the farm. She tells of him being unable to work because his shoulder was lame and complained that writing and chores were painful due to her lame hands. Gradually Fred took over responsibility of the farm. When he married Libbie Warner in 1897 Mike and Sarah Ann rented out their farm and moved with the newlywed couple to a farm in Batavia, Michigan. In early 1899 Mike and Sarah Ann both became seriously ill. Mike did not have the strength to recover and he died there on the 18th of February. Sarah Ann did recover and lived a while longer with Fred and Libbie but soon her care became too much for the couple. I don't know how the arrangement was decided on but she would spend the remainder of her years living winters in South Bend, Indiana with her son Joe and summers in Buchanan, Michigan with her daughter, Anna.

It was only in these final years that Sarah Ann seemed truly happy.

Dec 29 1899

Dear Children and grand Children

I will try to write once more to let you know that I have not forgotten you we are all well as usual and trying to be happy as we can I have every thing I kneed to be comfortable I have my bed here in the front room and agood coal fire in the other room night and day Joseph sleeps on the couch by the stove so I am not alone we have plenty to eat and why not be happy and content and I am..........

She was being cared for by her children and grandchildren and her worries were few. She was able to make calls on the neighbors and attended church as often as she felt up to it. Even though her hands were crippled she could not sit idle and so she spent countless hours piecing quilts and sewing carpet rags. In 1960 her granddaughter, Tamerson Calisle Binns, wrote of the years that Sarah Ann spent in Buchanan:

Grandmother Camfield never interfered in anything + was a model grandmother. Read her Bible, sang hymns + knit + made quilts which mother + I quilted.

Sarah Ann lived a very long, hard life and I'm glad that her final years were happy ones. She died in 18 February 1912 at the age of 94 and was laid to rest beside her husband, not far from where they had lived in Noble.

This is the fourth and final installment in a series written for the 91st edition of the Carnival of Genealogy: A Tribute to Women!



Sarah Ann Wisner Camfield Timeline
Sarah Ann Wisner, The Early Years
Sarah Ann Wisner Camfield, Marriage, Children and Migration
Sarah Ann Camfield, The Final Years

Also see:

Family of William Wisner
Badgley and Wisner Deed Abstracts, Onondaga, NY
Henry Bogardus, Shirt Tail Cousin

Thanks for the poster fM!

Sources:

Camfield, Sarah Ann Wisner. (Burr Oak, MI) to “Dear Anna”

[Anna Camfield Carlisle]. Letter. 26 Sept 1876. Digital Image.

Privately held by Apple, [ADDRESS FOR PRIVATE USE,]  New York. 2008. 

[Carlisle Family, Box #1, Correspondence, 1875 - 1876,

Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan. 2008.] 

Camfield, Sarah Ann Wisner. (Burr Oak, MI) to “Dear Children”

[Anna Camfield Carlisle]. Letter. 21 March 1877. Digital Images 1-2.

Privately held by Apple, [ADDRESS FOR PRIVATE USE,] New York. 2008.

[Carlisle Family, Box #1,Correspondence, 1877 - 1879,

Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan. 2008.]

Camfield, Sarah Ann Wisner. (Noble Center, MI) “You sent pieces of new dresses” [Anna Camfield Carlisle]. Note. Undated, found between letters dated 18 October 1880 and 12 November 1880. Digital Image.

Privately held by Apple, [ADDRESS FOR PRIVATE USE,] New York. 2008. [Carlisle Family, Box #1,Correspondence, 1880,

Bentley Historical Library,University of Michigan. 2008.]

Camfield, Sarah Ann Wisner. (Noble Center, MI) “letter no1”

[Anna Camfield Carlisle]. Letter. 17 October 1884. Digital Images 1-2.

Privately held by Apple, [ADDRESS FOR PRIVATE USE,] New York. 2008. [Carlisle Family, Box #1, Correspondence, 1884 - 1886,

Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan. 2008.]

Camfield, Sarah Ann. (Noble Center, MI) “I suppose you are”

[Anna Camfield Carlisle]. Letter. 7 January 1889. Digital Images 1-2.

Privately held by Apple, [ADDRESS FOR PRIVATE USE,] New York. 2009.

[Carlisle Family, Box #1, Correspondence, 1887 - 1889,

Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan. 2008.]

Camfield, Sarah Ann (South Bend, IN) to “Dear Children and grand Children”

[Anna Camfield Carlisle]. Letter. 29 December 1899. Digital Images 1-2.

Privately held by Apple, [ADDRESS FOR PRIVATE USE,] New York. 2009.

[Carlisle Family, Box #1, Correspondence, Apr - Dec 1899,

Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan. 2008.]

Binns, Tamerson Carlisle. (Buchanan, MI) to “Dear Vivian”

[Vivian Carlisle LaValle]. Letter. 28 October 1960. Digital Images 1-9.

Privately held by Apple, [ADDRESS FOR PRIVATE USE,] New York. 2008.

[Carlisle Family, Box #1, Genealogical Papers,

Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan. 2008.]

Sarah Ann Wisner Camfield - Marriage, Children and Migration

Marriage, Children and Migration


Family lore is that Sarah Ann met her future husband, Michael Camfield, on the banks of the Erie Canal. In 1995 my cousin, Cecil Camfield, wrote a brief history of the Camfield family which included this:

The next I know Mike is driving horses on the Tow Boats on the Erie Canal. Sarah Wisner liked to sit on the Canal bank, where it ran through her father's farm, and met Mike, two years her junior. Can you imagine the furor in the Wisner family when Sarah announced she was marrying that Mike Camfield (his Master had Anglicized his name) who couldn't speak passable English. I don't know when they married, but when Fred (my father, Mike and Sarah's grandson) lived with them, 1887 - 1896, he learned a lot of German because Mike's English was so broken.

Based on the land records that I've found I'm not certain that this is entirely true. In the early 1830's land was sold and other acreage bought but in 1841 her father bought a large parcel of land in Clay, and the family moved there. The Erie Canal did not run through this parcel but it is possible that a feeder canal did. But no matter, I'm certain that there is some truth to the story and obviously Sarah Ann and Mike did meet as they were married on Christmas Eve, 1846.

What was there about Mike that captured Sarah Ann's heart? On the surface it appears that they had very little in common. She was literate, Mike was not. She came from a family of means, Mike had spent seven years as an indentured servant. When she married she was 29 years old. Was she worried about becoming an old maid? How I wish she had retold the story of their courtship in one of her letters!

I don't know if Mike continued to work on the canal after they married or if he switched to farming at that time. I don't know if they lived with Sarah Ann's family or if they set up housekeeping on their own. I do know that their first child, Joseph Harrison Camfield, was born 25 November 1847.

Family legend is that in 1849, William Wisner packed up his family and traveled by wagon to Lake County, Illinois. His son Anthony remained behind and was living (presumably) on the Wisner property in Clay, where he is found on the 1850 census. Sarah Ann and Michael remained behind also, and on the 1850 census are found in Salina, farming land that they did not own.

On 5 Aug 1853 a baby girl was born but the names of her parents remain a mystery. Our oral history is that a man brought the infant to Sarah Ann and Mike and asked them to look after her for which they were originally paid. At some point the payments stopped but the child was loved and Sarah and Mike raised her as their own. Nothing was ever said about her mother nor is it clear if the man was her father. I do not know if the name Sarah Ann was given to her at birth or by her adoptive parents but she was called Annie or Anna. Joseph and Anna were the only known children of Sarah Ann and Mike and in a time when large families were the norm I've often wondered why there were not more.

I loose track of the family for about 15 years; I've yet to find them on the 1860 census. Based on letters between Anna and her cousins, I believe that Sarah Ann and Mike moved their family to Avon, Lake County, Illinois by about 1865. Cecil Camfield's history places the family "near Waukegan" and further says that Mike worked in Chicago. My mother told me a wild story regarding Anna's birth that had her born in Chicago. While I've proven my mother's story wrong it is possible that the reference to Anna being born in Chicago is true and that they were in Lake County much earlier than I can find evidence of. I have found no record that Mike served during the Civil War but Sarah Ann's brother did go to war and died of disease 17 April 1865.

By 1870 they had again moved, this time to Buchanan, Berrien, Michigan. What took them to Buchanan? Another mystery that I do not know how to unlock. For reasons unknown they packed up and moved again about 1875 to Burr Oak, St. Joseph, Michigan. I believe they were either renting a farm or sharecropping. The farm they were living on was sold and on 21 March 1877 Sarah Ann wrote to Anna that they had to move. Not only did they loose their home but also the wheat that they had planted. They found another place in Burr Oak and their son, Joseph, his wife and two children lived with them briefly.

They did not stay in this home for very long either. By January 1880 they had rented a farm house in Noble, Branch, Michigan that was owned by Henry Bogardus, who Sarah Ann would have known from her early days in Manlius.

So while I know more or less where Sarah Ann was living while she was raising her children I know very little about what life was like in the family. Anna went to school and eventually became a teacher for a short time. Joseph however could barely write. I have to infer from the number of moves and the fact that they seemed to be sharecropping that life was difficult. Even difficult lives can be happy and I believe that Sarah Ann was happiest when she lived near family or friends so at least for some of these years I choose to believe that Sarah Ann knew some happiness.


This is the third in a series written for the 91st edition of the
Carnival of Genealogy: A Tribute to Women!



Sarah Ann Wisner Camfield Timeline
Sarah Ann Wisner, The Early Years
Sarah Ann Wisner Camfield, Marriage, Children and Migration
Sarah Ann Camfield, The Final Years

Also see:

Family of William Wisner
Badgley and Wisner Deed Abstracts, Onondaga, NY
Henry Bogardus, Shirt Tail Cousin

Thanks for the poster fM!

Sarah Ann Wisner, The Early Years

The Early Years

The first record I've found for William Wisner is a record of a land purchase in 1812. At that time he was 29 years old and paid $1662 for just over 268 acres in lot 42, Manlius, Onondaga, NY. While not wealthy, the sum paid indicates that William was doing well financially. It is unclear whether he already knew Elizabeth Badgley when he settled in Onondaga County or if they met there. Nor do I know when or where they married. But they settled on his land and began clearing it and shaping it into a farm. Their first child, Prentice, was born there in 1815. This is how we find the family on 9 October 1817 when Sarah Ann was born.

 

Sarah Ann was born the same year that work was begun on the Erie Canal and if you look closely at the map above you will see where the canal ran through the middle of the map. The family home would have been just north of the canal in the box with the M. With the canal came prosperity for the region.

Other than her birth date and where she lived I have no other hard and fast facts for Sarah Ann. I have no idea what type of home the family lived in. Was it constructed of logs, lumber or stone? Was it a single story or two? The winters in Onondaga County are long and cold so there might have been a fireplace or perhaps just a wood stove. The kitchen would have been where the family gathered. Sarah may have had a mattress stuffed with hay and placed of the floor or perhaps she had a slightly more comfortable rope bed.

There must have been some time for play while Sarah Ann was growing up but during the period when she was born life would have consisted of lots of work. As the oldest daughter she must have learned to help her mother at a very early age. While her father and uncle worked on improving and farming the land, her mother would have been responsible for the household including the care of the children (there were seven more after Sarah Ann, one about every second year), all of the cooking which would have been done on a wood stove, housework, sewing, washing and surely there was a large kitchen garden to tend. Most likely there were chickens and a cow or two to care for too.

Sarah Ann would have known her maternal kin. In 1820 her Uncle Egbert Badgley is listed just after her father. It is possible they were living in the same house. Her grandparents, Anthony and Mary Badgley, lived a short distance away in what was then Orville but today known as Dewitt however Mary died just before Sarah Ann turned three. Other aunts, uncles and cousins also lived nearby. I have so far not discovered which of the four available churches the family attended but religion would always play an important role in her life.

There was a school nearby and since Sarah Ann could read, write and do math I assume that she attended school during the winters, at least for a few years but it is possible that she was educated at home.

I have many more questions than answers about Sarah Ann's youth. The family did sell the land in lot 42 and by 1831 were said to be of the town of Salina just a little to the west. I do not know exactly where the family was living but my cousin, Cecil Camfield, wrote in a short history of the family that their farm was on the banks of the canal. You can still make out the path of the old canal in some of the roads today and my mother and I often detour down Towpath Road on those rare occasions when we visit the old Orville Cemetery.

Why have I mentioned the Erie Canal so many times? Sarah Ann's story continues tomorrow.

This is the second in a series written for the 91st edition of the
Carnival of Genealogy: A Tribute to Women!



Sarah Ann Wisner Camfield Timeline
Sarah Ann Wisner, The Early Years
Sarah Ann Wisner Camfield, Marriage, Children and Migration
Sarah Ann Camfield, The Final Years

Also see:

Family of William Wisner
Badgley and Wisner Deed Abstracts, Onondaga, NY
Henry Bogardus, Shirt Tail Cousin

Thanks for the poster fM!


Sources:
David Rumsey Collection: Map of the County of Onondaga. By David H. Burr. Published by the Surveyor General, pursuant to an Act of the Legislature. Entered according to an Act of Congress Jany. 5th. 1829 by David H. Burr of the State of New York. Engd. by Rawdon, Clark & Co., Albany & Rawdon, Wright & Co., New York. - Images copyright © 2000 by Cartography Associates. Images may be reproduced or transmitted, but not for commercial use. For commercial use or commercial republication, contact mailto:carto@luna-img.com This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License. By downloading any images from this site, you agree to the terms of that license.


Google Maps

Sarah Ann Wisner Camfield - Timeline

1812. Father, William Wisner, bought 258 acres in Lot 42, Manlius, Onondaga, NY

1815 - Oct. 26. Brother, Prentice M. Wisner born in Manlius, Onondaga, NY.

1817 - March 14. James Monroe becomes U.S. President

1817 - July 4. Work begins on the Erie Canal

1817 - October 9.  Sarah Ann Wisner born in Manlius, Onondaga, NY

1819 - Nov. 28. Brother, Anthony B. Wisner born in Manlius, Onondaga, NY.

1820. Census. Sarah Ann was living with her parents in Manlius, Onondaga, NY. Next door is the family of her maternal uncle, Egbert Badgley. Many more maternal relatives live nearby, including the Bogardus family.

1819. Stethoscope invented.

1820 - Sept 23. Death of maternal grandmother, Mary E. Bookhout Badgley.

1821 - March 4. James Monroe starts his second term as U.S. President.

1821 - Oct. 14. Sister, Maryette Wisner born in Manlius, Onondaga, NY.

1824 - April 2. Brother, William Abner Wisner born in Manlius, Onondaga, NY.

1825 - March 4. John Quincy Adams becomes U.S. President.

1825. Erie Canal completed.

1826 - July 21. Brother, Henry S. Wisner born in Manlius, Onondaga, NY.

1829 - March 4. Andrew Jackson becomes U.S. President.

1829 - May 24. Brother, George A. Wisner born in Manlius, Onondaga, NY.

1829 - July 29. Death of maternal grandfather, Anthony Badgley.

1830. Census. Sarah was living with her parents in Manlius, Onondaga, NY.

1831. Father sold land in Lot 42, Manlius, Onondaga, NY. Family moves to Salina, Onondaga, NY

1831 - Sept 16. Sister, Margaret E Wisner born in Onondaga, NY.

1833 - March 4. Andrew Jackson starts his second term as U.S. President.

1833 - Dec. 29. Brother, Marshall Wirt Wisner born in Salina, Onondaga, NY.

1836. The Syracuse and Utica Railroad chartered. It ran along near the Erie Canal.

1837 - March 4. Martin VanBuren becomes U.S. President.

1837 - May 10. Panic of 1837 begins

1839. Daguerreotype photography invented

1840. Census. Living with parents in Salina, Onondaga, NY

1841. William Wisner moved to Lots 90 & 91 in Clay, Onondaga, NY. It is assumed that Sarah Ann moved with him.

1841 - March 4. William Harrison becomes U.S. President.

1841 - April 6. John Tyler becomes U.S. President.

1844 - Aug. Sister, Margaret E Wisner dies.

1845 - March 4. James Polk becomes U.S. President.

1845. Elias Howe invents a sewing machine

1846 - May 13. United States declares war on Mexico.

1846. Telegraph line completed between Albany and Buffalo.

1846 - Dec. 24. Sarah married Michael Camfield in Onondaga, NY.

1847 - Nov. 25. Birth of son, Joseph Harrison Camfield.

1848 - Feb. 2. War with Mexico ends.

1849 - March 5. Zachary Taylor becomes U.S. President.

1849. Father and several siblings move west to Avon, Lake, IL.

1850. Census. Salina, Onondaga, NY. Farming but do not own the land.

1850 - July 10. Millard Fillmore becomes U.S. President.

1853 - March 4. Franklin Pierce becomes U.S. President.

1853 - Aug. 5. Birth of adopted daughter, Sarah Ann Camfield.

1857 - March 4. James Buchanan becomes U.S. President.

1860. Census. Unable to locate.

1861 - Feb. 4. Confederate States of America was formed.

1861 - March 4. Abraham Lincoln becomes U.S. President.

1865 - March 4. Abraham Lincoln begins his second term as U.S. President.

1865 - April 9. Civil War ends.

1865 - April 15. Andrew Johnson becomes U.S. President.

1865 - April 17. Brother, Anthony B. Wisner dies near Nashville, TN. Civil War soldier who died of disease.

c.1865. Avon, Lake, IL, living near her parents and sister, Maryette Wisner Hall.

1869 - March 4. Ulysses S. Grant beomes U.S. President.

1869 - May 10. The Transcontinental Railroad is completed.

1870. Census. Buchanan, Berrien, MI

1871 - Dec 24. 25th Wedding Anniversary

1872. A.M. Ward issues the first mail-order catalog.

1873 - March 4. Ulysses S. Grant begins second term as U.S. President.

1873 - May 8. Joseph Harrison Camfield married Susan "Rose" Graham in Berrien County, MI.

1874 - Nov. 29. Grandson, Frederick Harrison Camfield born in Niles, Berrien, MI.

1875. Burr Oak, St Joseph, MI
1876. Burr Oak, St Joseph, MI

1876 - Aug. 15. Granddaughter, Mabel "Belle" Camfield born in Allegan County, MI

1876 - Oct. 2. Sarah Ann Camfield marries Isaac Ashley Carlisle in Berrien County, MI.

1877 - March 5. Rutherford Hayes becomes U.S. President.

1877 - March. Burr Oak, St Joseph, MI. The farm on which they had been living was sold and they had to move.

1877 - April. Burr Oak, St Joseph, MI. Daughter-in-law, Rose, and grandchildren living with them. Son, Joseph had gone to South Bend, IN looking for work.

1877 - May. Rose and the children had joined Joseph in South Bend, IN.

1877 - July 22. Death of mother, Elizabeth Badgley Wisner in Avon, Lake, IL

1877 - Aug. 25. Death of father, William Wisner in Avon, Lake, IL

1878 - May 18. Grandson, Francis Ashley Carlisle born in Buchanan, Berrien, MI.

1879 - April 30. Brother, Prentice M. Wisner dies in Chicago, Cook, IL.

1880. Census. Noble, Branch, Michigan.

1881. Noble, Branch, MI. Grandson, Fred Camfield stayed with them for the summer.

1881 - March 4. James Garfield becomes U.S. President.

1881 - Sept. 20. Chester Arthur becomes U.S. President.

1882. Noble, Branch, MI. Grandson, Fred Camfield lived with them part of the year.

1883. Noble, Branch, MI. Fred Camfield moved in with his grandparents.

1883 - Feb. 4. Earthquake in Kalamazoo, MI.

1884. Noble, Branch, MI

1885 - Feb. 19. Grandson, Daniel Michael Carlisle born in Buchanan, Berrien, MI.

1885 - March 4. Grover Cleveland becomes U.S. President.

1885 - March 24. Sarah and Mike Camfield purchase their first farm of their own in Noble, Branch, MI.

1886. Noble, Branch, MI

1886 - July 14. Granddaughter, Pearl Vivian Camfield born in South Bend, St. Joseph, IN.

1887. Noble, Branch, MI.

1887. Gramophone invented.

1887 - April 12. Granddaughter, Tamerson Carlisle Binns born in Buchanan, Berrien, MI.

1888. Noble, Branch, MI

1888. Sister, Maryette Wisner Hall died in Monaville, Lake, IL.

1888 - April 24. Granddaughter, Ruby Blanche Camfield born in South Bend, St. Joseph, IN.

1889. Noble, Branch, MI

1889 - March 4. Benjamin Harrison becomes U.S. President.

1890. Noble, Branch, MI

1890 - March 24. Grandson, Leroy Eastwood Camfield born in South Bend, St. Joseph, IN.

1891. Noble, Branch, MI

1892. Noble, Branch, MI

1893. Noble, Branch, MI

1893 - March 4. Grover Cleveland becomes U.S. President.

1894. Noble, Branch, MI

1894. Telephone service becomes available in rural communities

1895. Noble, Branch, MI

1896. Noble, Branch, MI

1896 - Dec. 24. 50th Wedding Anniversary.

1897 - Jan. Noble, Branch, MI

1897 _ April. Sarah and Mike had moved to a new home in Batavia, Branch, MI and were living with grandson, Fred Camfield and his family.

1897 - March 4. William McKinley becomes U.S. President.

1898. Batavia, Branch, MI

1898. Spanish American War. Her grandson, Francis A. Carlisle joins the army and is sent to Cuba.

1899 - Jan. Batavia, Branch, MI.
1899 - Feb. 18. Death of spouse, Michael Camfield, Batavia, Branch, MI. Burial Pleasant Hill Cemetery, Noble, Branch, MI.
1899 - Oct. Sarah was still living with her grandson, Fred Camfield, in Batavia, Branch, MI and had sold her farm in Noble, Branch, MI.
1899 - Dec. Sarah was living with her son, Joseph and his family in South Bend, St. Joseph, IN

1900 - Census. South Bend, St Joseph, IN Sarah Ann spent part of the year with her son Joseph Camfield and was living with him at the time of the census.

1900 - Sarah lived part of the year with daughter, Anna Carlisle and her family in Buchanan, Berrien, Michigan.

This arrangement would last the remainder of her life.

1901 - March 4. William McKinley begins his second term as U.S. President.

1901 - Sept. 14. Theodore Roosevelt becomes U.S. President.

1905 - March 4. Theodore Roosevelt begins his second term as U.S. President.

1905 - Aug 10. Brother, George A. Wisner died.

1905 - Dec 31. Brother, William Abner Wisner died in Washington, Washington, KS.

1907 - May 26. Brother, Henry S. Wisner died in Seymour, Eau Clair, WI.

1909 - March 4. William Taft becomes U.S. President.

1910. Census. Buchanan, Berrien, MI. I believe Sarah was still splitting her time between South Bend, IN and Buchanan, MI but she may have been living with Anna year round.

1912 - February. Death of Sarah Ann Wisner Camfield, Buchanan, Berrien, MI. Burial, Pleasant Hill Cemetery, Noble, Branch, MI. 

.

This is the first in a series written for the 91st edition of the
Carnival of Genealogy: A Tribute to Women!

"Write a biography about a woman on your family tree starting with a timeline of their life."

I have included not only family events but also other events that I think would have made an impact on Sarah Ann's life. Undoubtedly there are many other events I might have included and possibly a few I missed.


Thanks for the poster fM!



Sarah Ann Wisner Camfield Timeline
Sarah Ann Wisner, The Early Years
Sarah Ann Wisner Camfield, Marriage, Children and Migration
Sarah Ann Camfield, The Final Years

Also see:

Family of William Wisner
Badgley and Wisner Deed Abstracts, Onondaga, NY
Henry Bogardus, Shirt Tail Cousin

Sarah Ann Wisner Camfield - 1817 - 1912

For the 91st edition of the Carnival of Genealogy: A Tribute to Women! I will be sharing with you my second great-grandmother,
Sarah Ann Wisner Camfield.

Of all my female ancestors I feel that I have come to know Sarah Ann the best of any, other than my mother. She died more than 45 years before my birth, however I was able to get to know her through her letters. The letters span her later years and I've learned much about that period of her life, the trials she faced, the things that made her happy or sad and her day to day thoughts.


Sarah Ann Wisner Camfield - Timeline
Sarah Ann Wisner - The Early Years
Sarah Ann Wisner Camfield - Marriage, Children and Migration
Sarah Ann Camfield - The Final Years


Also see:

Family of William Wisner
Badgley and Wisner Deed Abstracts, Onondaga, NY
Henry Bogardus, Shirt Tail Cousin



Thanks for the poster fM!

3rd Annual iGene Awards

The nominations have been made, the votes tallied and it is time to roll out the red carpet for the iGene Awards.

The nominees for Best Picture are........

• Winter in Pictures
• Nameless Faces
• Trip of a Lifetime

And the winner is.......

• Winter in Pictures! Winter in Pictures was written for the 64th edition of the Carnival of Genealogy, Winter Photo Essay. It easily won the Best Picture Award for the pure joy captured in the 5th photo in the set.

 The nominees for Best Screen Play are.......

• Hospital Waiting Room
• Blizzard of '93
• Time on the Farm

And the winner is.......

• Time on the Farm! Time on the Farm was written for the 73rd edition of the Carnival of Genealogy which was hosted here at Apple's Tree. All my grandchildren will have parts so they can experience farm life as I did. Nikki will get the lead because she loves horses. Mike will play the part of one of my cousins so he can fearlessly climb to the top of the tobacco barn. The part of my father will have to be played by my son, BJ, as he is the only one to have inherited Dad's bald head. We'll have to think long and hard on who should play the part of my step-mother. For the sake of the safety of the actors we'll need a pony that won't bolt and a cow that doesn't kick!

The nominees for Best Documentary are......

• Tippancanoe Place
• Buchanan Fire of 1862
• Eckley Miners Village 

And the winner is.......

• Buchanan Fire of 1862! Written for the 77th edition of the Carnival of Genealogy, Disaster, Buchanan Fire of 1862 told the tale of a fire that affected my ancestors directly. This will be a big budget production with scenes of the fire and the destitute family in it's aftermath along with  a cut away shot of a war weary Hannah sitting in a Civil War Post Hospital, surrounded by injured soldiers, opening her letter and seeing the warning Unpleasant News.

The nominees for Best Biography are......

• Abraham Jay Buckles
• Anna
• Rose

And the winner is......

• Rose! Written for the 85th edition of the Carnival of Genealogy, Orphans and Orphans, Rose told the sad the story of my great-grandmother and how she was effectively an orphan despite the fact that both her parents were alive and well.

The nominees for Best Comedy are.....

• Princess for a Day
• Dad's Campfire Songs
• Fun Charting Relationships

And the winner is......

• Dad's Campfire Songs! Written as my take on one of Randy's Saturday Night Fun prompts, this post was a double winner. The songs were funny and so was Jasia's reaction when she read it! Be sure to read her comment for a good laugh.

Here at Apple's Tree there is a new award this year, Best Infomercial. Which was my best how to tip that I shared in 2009? The nominees are.....

• Ancestry's Member Connect 
• Creating a Blog Index
• Apple's Apple Butter 

And the winner is........

• Ancestry's Member Connect! This was written when I saw several negative posts on a feature that I was quite happy with. I'm pleased with the presentation I made and hope that it cleared up some points.

And that concludes this edition of the iGene Awards. I want to thank our hostess, Jasia, at Creative Gene for throwing out the Red Carpet again this year!

Written for the 90th edition of the Carnival of Genealogy.