Joel Meader is one my 4th great grandfather's on my mother's side. He apparently died between 1840 (he is found in the 1840 census for Elkhart County, Indiana) and 1850 (he is not found in the 1850 census and his wife Rebecca is found residing with her son David in Elkhart County) but the exact date or even year is unknown. The other day while during some research I found a deed for a farm he bought in Elkhart County in June 1847. This now narrows the probable time of death for Joel to sometime between June 1847 (when he bought the farm) and July 1850 (when the census was taken for his wife).  ¶ 12:45 PM 0 comments

 
My gg-grandfather Lorenzo Dow Weinhart lived in Ankeny, Iowa from about 1900 to 1940. He made his livelihood by selling chickens and eggs. In Ankeny he was known as the 'chicken man'. The map shows Ankeny and surrounding towns. Ankeny is in the center lower left. Some of the towns where he sold his eggs and chickens are Slater (top left), Maxwell (top right), and Mitchellville (lower right). Other towns on the map where he sold eggs and chickens at are Elkhart, Cambridge, Alleman, Polk City, Crocker, and Shedahl.  ¶ 11:32 AM 0 comments

 
This is a picture of the Dyrdal farm. It is overlooks the Sognefjord in Norway. This is the farm where my g-grandfather Sjur Markusson was born and raised. He was born there in 1827. His father was also born there as well as his father and his father. Sjur left the farm in 1854 to come to America with his older brother Lars. They ended up in Goodhue County, Minnesota.  ¶ 9:37 AM 2 comments

 
A relative recently sent me some information about my gg-grandparents Lars and Ragnhild Haselhaugen who origninally were from Buskerud, Norway but had settled in Barron County, Wisconsin. Lars had a younger sister by the name of Randi and Ragnhild had a younger brother by the name of Lars. Lars and Randi married and had seven children and after Randi died Lars remarried and had six more children. Twelve of the thirteen children came to the United States with Barron County being their initial destination. The pictures shows you information about Randi, her husband Lars and their children.  ¶ 12:50 PM 0 comments

 
This is an newspaper ad for James Buchanan for president and John C. Breckinridge for vice president from sometime during 1856. Though this particular copy came from a Randolph County (Indiana) paper, I am sure similar ones would have been seen by my ggg-grandparents John and Mary Young in Tipton County, Indiana.  ¶ 1:26 PM 0 comments

 
My gg-grandmother Florence Archer Weinhart made the 1880 census twice. The first time on June 8 and the second time on July 12. On June 8th she was living at her aunt and uncle's house in Grove Township, Adair County, Iowa where she was employed as a domestic. She was eighteen at the time. On July 12th she was back living with her parents Lester and Lucinda Archer in Washington Township, Adair County, Iowa. The picture shows the 1880 census record for Florence living with her aunt and uncle.  ¶ 11:45 AM 0 comments