Posts Tagged Pittman
#52Ancestors: Week 24 – Olga Cartwright – Planted a Family Tree
Posted by Caroll in 52 Ancestors, Genealogy Blog on July 5, 2015
This is week 24 of the 2015 #52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge where a group of u
s blog about a different ancestor for each week of the year. To learn more about the 52 Ancestor Challenge visit Amy Johnson’s site at Amy’s website.
On a far off branch of the Pittman section of my tree lies the Cartwright family. And wouldn’t you know it…the Cartwright family included a son named Ben Cartwright. Cue! Bonanza. “On this land we put our brand, Cartwright is the name, fortune smiled, the day we filed the Ponderosa claim.” Yes, there were lyrics to the opening tune. Humming the theme song now, aren’t’ you?
Olga Cartwright married John Barnett in 1912. This couple starts the twig in the line that descends down to lost cousins I have yet to connect. They are the grandparents to Kenneth Ralph Barnett, written in the 2014 series of #52Ancestors – No. 33.
Olga is the daughter of Mathew Thompson Cartwright (1857-1935) and Susan J. Melton (1859-1930). She had nine siblings including her brother Ben. The family lived in Cleaton, Muhlenberg Co., Kentucky. The unincorporated town south of Central City, KY, still has a rural appeal.
Olga and her husband John had a total of 12 children. John earned his living a miner in the coal mines. Olga lived from 1893 to 1974. Her relationship to me is labeled as mother-in-law of first cousin twice removed.
Bonanza Lyrics written by Jay Livingston and Ray Evans. http://ponderosascenery.homestead.com/lyrics.html
#52Ancestors: Week 16 – Pittman Family Longevity – Medical History Clues
Posted by Caroll in 52 Ancestors on April 19, 2015
This is week 16 of the 2015 #52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge where a group of us blog about a different ancestor for each week of the year. To learn more about the 52 Ancestor Challenge visit Amy Johnson’s site at Amy’s website.
This week’s theme inspiration from the 52 Ancestor Challenge is “Live Long” applies to ancestors who lived to 100. The only centenarian in the tree that I know of, is the mother-in-law of a great half uncle. Mildred Doty McGrath (1899-2006) lived to be 106 years old and sharp as tack. I do have several ancestors who did “live long“. In the 2014 Edition of the challenge, I wrote about my 2nd great grandfather, John Thomas Pittman, who lived to age 93.
Currently, there are two living family members who are in their early 90’s. One is a grandson of John Thomas Pittman. The other is on my Polish side. Each of these individuals knew my great grandparents. I have spoken to both to glean some stories from the past.
Pittman Longevity
John’s daughter, my great grandmother Mable Pittman, lived to the age of 83. My grandmother Olive, lived to be 86. Where there any other Pittman’s who lived into their late 80’s or 90’s?
Yes, two of John’s younger brothers. Brother, William S. Pittman (1878-1963) was octogenarian, passing away at age 85. Also a nonagenarian, was his brother James Alexander Pittman, lived to be 90. James was the only brother who never married.
John was married twice. Of the four children from the second marriage, his daughter Tena, lived to 84. Mable’s sister, Kit (Mary Katherine Pittman Jackson) lived to be 77. Two of her children lived into their early 80’s.
Pittman Family Longevity and Medical History
Am I going to get Alzheimer’s, some other health condition? Maybe, maybe not! Depends on all of the genetic DNA mix that created me, along with environmental agents and health lifestyles. I am acutely aware of the medical conditions in my maternal line. There is a pattern that occurs in John, Mable, Olive and her siblings, and my mother’s siblings. My health report from the DNA test I took at 23andMe, states there is a probability that I may get this or that. Nothing is conclusive.
I am anticipating that I will make to 85 years of age. That is the age I am using to make sure there is enough money the retirement nest egg. Spend less, save more is my motto. I buy life experiences that some of my family members don’t understand as they pile useless junk in the garage. Saving a little more now to use later is actually prudent for me. Plus, if/when the time comes for me to move into a nursing home, I hoped the savings will cover a great facility.
Now I just need to pick the right niece or nephew who will put me in a great place and not use the money to buy things.
After all, only time will tell.
#52Ancestors: Week 5 – Plowing Through Snow or Cornfields
Posted by Caroll in 52 Ancestors on February 1, 2015
This is week five of the 2015 #52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge where a group of us blog about a different ancestor for each week of the year. To learn more about the 52 Ancestor Challenge visit Amy Johnson’s site at Amy’s website.
This week’s theme is Plowing Through. Whether it is plowing through snow, not likely here in the Pacific Northwest. The last snow I saw was two inches back around Thanksgiving. Or, plowing through online databases trying to find records about your ancestors. I chose to post a couple of family photos of shoveling snow and those turning up the earth.
Plowing through Snow
My grandfather Hugh A. Howes (1902-1961) is shoveling snow in front of the family home on Bennett street in Dearborn, MI. The date listed on the back in on the back says. This is most likely the first winter back in Michigan. The family owned the house in the mid-1940’s. My great Uncle Borden (Bob) Baumgartel and his wife Doris lived in the house for a period when my grandparents moved to Florida around 1945.
My grandparents along with my mother only stayed a couple of years in Florida and returned to Michigan. By this time, Hugh’s oldest sons were either married or serving in the military and would not have been home to shovel the snow.
Hugh A. Howes shoveling snow in 1949
The photograph shows that there are not many houses on the street. These tracts were once farmland and the west side of Dearborn was growing quickly. The photo graph below is a screen capture of Google Maps (2011), showing a view of Bennett street. The house was sold about 1957. With all their children out of the house, they moved into a apartment.
Google Map view of Bennett street
Turn up the earth of with a plow
Below are photos of two great uncles on the Pittman side of the family. Hugh Pittman (right photo) is using a hand plow to turn over the dirt in the cornfields. The photos were taken in the early 1940’s. The Pittman family was living on Park street in Central City, Kentucky, per the 1940 Census.
Left photo – Clarence Pittman ||| Right – Hugh Pittman and Hugh O. Howes (young boy)
Clarence and Hugh Pittman, though in there mid-30’s, were still living with their father, John T. Pittman, subject of the 2014 series of 52 Ancestors – No. 9. Their brother, Finis, and their sister Tena and her husband were also living on the farm. The family suffered economic hardship during the 1930’s Great Depression.
#52Ancestors – No. 52 – Miranda Jane Guynn – More Triple In-Laws
Posted by Caroll in Genealogy Blog on December 28, 2014
This is the last post in the series of the #52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge where a group of us blog about a different ancestor for each week of the year. To learn more about the 52 Ancestor Challenge visit Amy Johnson’s site at Amy’s website.
I can’t believe a year has gone by since starting this endeavor. The goal of #52 Ancestors was to create a habit of writing more frequently on our blogs. There is some interest in continuing the series, but I am not sure if I will participate. I will continue to blog about my ancestors and those of my clients (with permission).
Miranda Jane Guynn
Miranda Guynn (b. 1827 – d. 1903) is the wife of my fourth great uncle. She is the daughter Richard Guynn and Eliza Gaines Fisher. Richard came from Rockingham, Virginia to Cadiz, Kentucky. Eventually the family settled in Muhlenberg County, KY. I haven’t found the sources yet to verify the right Guynn line. There are trees that have the Guynn line going back to Wales.
Miranda married into the Pittman family. Her husband, Buris Eskridge Pittman (b. 1806 – d. 1879) carries the name of a family friend, Burris Estridge who lived in Orange Co., North Carolina in the late 1700’s. The name Burris Estridge and it’s variant spelling has been passed down in several lines.
Triple in-laws and cousin in-laws
Miranda and Buris had nine children. Three of their children married Lovel siblings, children of John Lovel and Mary Ann Ingram. Another daughter, Emma married a Lovel cousin.
I just wish there was a report function in Family Tree Maker that would allow me to crosswalk the intermarriages between families in my tree. I will probably have to build some type of pivot table in Excel.
Five letter last name – so many ways to spell “Guynn”
In trying to learn more about the Guynn family to see where they came from in Europe, I found quite of number of variants for this surname. It is amazing to see how one name can create a myriad of other names. The name is said to be derived from Welsh gwyn which means, “white” or “fair hair” or “fair complexion”, or it could be a variant of French name “Guyon.”
Here is a list of some of the variants: Guynn, Guin, Gynn, Gewin, Gynne, Guen, Gynn, Guine, Guevin, Gwin, Guin, Wynn, Gwynn, Guinn, Gwynne, Guwin, Gwinn, Gwynne, Gwinnett, Gwyn, Gwynett, Gwynn, Gwyyns, Wyn, Wynn, Wynne.
My Guynn line was recorded under varying spellings of the name in census and land records. It is important to write down a list of name variations to help you find your family in records. So many people assume their name was not changed over time, or do not consider how a recorder would enter a name.
Posts on the Pittman Line
#52Ancestors – No. 39 – Nancy E. Fortney
This post is number 39 in the series of the #52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge where a group of us blog about a different ancestor for each week of the year. To learn more about the 52 Ancestor Challenge visit Amy Johnson’s site at Amy’s website.
I know I should be doing the happy researcher’s dance when I find an abundance of information on one Ancestor. However, I lament because there are many ancestors I just cannot find a snippet of information. It’s fall and my bountiful basket is filled with photos and stories in my Fortney line. Best of all, sources that can be verified.
My first cousin, four times removed is Nancy Elizabeth Fortney. Our common ancestor is Eli Alexander Fortney and Cynthia Nancy Scott. She is the daughter of James Scott Fortney and Netie Elizabeth Case or Cox. Born in Iowa on 14 March 1858. Nancy Fortney Hayes, died in 1941 in Ellensburg, WA. Just a short 2.5 hour drive from where I live now. Looks like she may be the first of my ancestors to migrate to Washington State. She and her husband, James T. Hayes, married in Missouri, they steadily went west to Colorado, Nebraska and then on to Ellensburg, WA.
Their trip west to WA probably took a month or two. I first migrated to Washington from Michigan using a U-haul trailer and car hauler in 1999. It took about three days. I moved back from Florida where it was too hot for me, and it took me about seven days.
One of their descendents, L Hayes posted several photos of Nancy’s family on Ancestry. The photos are from the late 1880’s to early 1930’s. The couple had ten children. They lost two young daughters, Elsie, age 5, died in Colorado. Daughter Cora, died in Ellensburg, WA at age 4.
Below are photos posted by L. Hayes at Ancestry. The three photos show Nancy over her life.
Nancy Fortney Hayes from 1880’s to 194’s.
Sources:
An illustrated history of Klickitat, Yakima and Kittitas counties; with an outline of the early history of the state of Washington. http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/2097023
Hayes-Meadows Family by L. Hayes, Washington State
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