Monday, May 25, 2020

Memorial Day 2020 - The fallen crew of the USS Thresher, gone but not forgotten!

My thoughts on this Memorial Day are of the fallen crew of the USS Thresher (SSN-593).

"On 10 April 1963, Thresher sank during deep-diving tests about 350 km (220 mi) east of Boston, Massachusetts, killing all 129 crew and shipyard personnel aboard."

My Dad served briefly on the USS Thresher, but decided the submarine service was not for him. He knew crew members who lost their lives and always remembered those who lost their lives in that tragedy.



Among his mementos, my Dad kept the following



as well as a thank you letter for those who contributed to the education fund for the crew's children.

USS Thresher motto: Vis Tacita (Silent Strength)

May God bless all the armed forces who gave "their last full measure of devotion" on the altar of freedom for the United States of America.  And may God bless their loved ones.

They may be gone from us, but they are not forgotten!

Thresher Base United States Submarine Veterans

Thursday, May 21, 2020

More information on Thornton Carothers

Thornton Carothers is the older brother of Clark Carothers.  Occasionally I see if I can turn up anything new about Thornton.  The 1860 reference to him is the last I know about him, see my blog entry Thornton Carothers in California in 1860.

In the 1860 US Census Thornton was a farm laborer on the farm of Henry Reed.  I found the following newspaper reference to Henry in 1867.


"Marysville Daily Appeal, Volume XVI, Number 79, 2 October 1867"

This likely narrows down exactly where Thornton was in 1860, "Reed's Ranch" in Dry Creek, West Bear River Township, Yuba County, California.  G.E. Chittenden is listed in the 1860 US Census along with Henry Reed and Thornton and quite a few other farm laborers.



"Marysville Daily Appeal, Volume XVI, Number 52, 31 August 1867"


Sunday, January 26, 2020

Phebe Kendall candidate in 1870 US Census, Leavenworth County, Kansas

Leavenworth County Kansas



Phebe Crawford is a Phebe Kendall candidate in the 1870 US Census, Leavenworth County, Kansas.
Note that Douglas County is adjacent to Leavenworth County.  Phebe Kendall is listed in the 1860 US Census in Douglas County as 14 years old.  Phebe Crawford is 24 years old and born in Kentucky.



William Crawford is listed in the 1860 US Census with Phebe Crawford as his 17 year old wife with a 7 month old child, so I think it is safe to discount Phebe Crawford as the Phebe Kendall I am looking for.  Not because Phebe is 17 years old, as that is likely a fib as she is likely 14 years old and doesn't want to admit it. The following lists Phebe's age for each census.

1860  17
1865  22
1870  24
1875  28
1880  37
1895  52

Rather it is the 7 month old child.  I think there would have been a shot gun wedding a bit sooner, but I could be wrong!




Relevant Kansas Maps for William Kendall Family


Douglas County, Kansas
















Morris County, Kansas
















Kansas County Map





Friday, January 24, 2020

William Kendall Through Time - Source Records

The following are the currently known source records for William Kendall's family:

US Census 1850 - Morgan County, Kentucky
















US Census 1860 - Willow Springs, Douglas County, Kansas




Kansas Census 1865 - Clarks Creek Township, Morris County



US Census 1870 - Clark's Creek Township, Morris County, Kansas



US Census 1880 - Clark's Creek Township, Morris County, Kansas




Thursday, January 23, 2020

Phebe Kendall in 1860

William and Elizabeth Kendall are listed in the 1860 US Census in Willow Springs, Douglas County, Kansas.  Their children from the 1850 US Census in Kentucky are also listed as having been born in Kentucky and have the right names and ages.  The youngest known child is not listed as he will be born in 1861.  Phebe is a candidate for Francis Kendall who married John D. Herring and gave birth to William Francis Marion Herring in 1864.  Note the Kendall family and the Herring family are both located in Douglas County, Kansas during this time.  The Kendall family is in Willow Creek township and the Herring family is in the adjacent Clinton township.


It is interesting to note that this family moved from Kentucky to Kansas and appears to have moved back for the duration of the Civil War, moving back to Kansas afterwards.

Sunday, January 12, 2020

The Steele Creek Historical and Genealogical Society Of the Old Steele Creek Township Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. Families of Steele Creek: Carothers

The Steele Creek Historical and Genealogical Society
Of the Old Steele Creek Township
Mecklenburg County, North Carolina

Families of Steele Creek: Carothers

Eli Washington Caruthers (26 Dec. 1793 - 14 Nov. 1865)


Here is a link to Eli Washington Caruthers (26 Dec. 1793 – 14 Nov. 1865)
Eli was born in Rowan County, near Salisbury and was the second of seven children. His parents were James and Elizabeth Lawrence Caruthers. I don't think I am a descendant, as Eli appears to have not married, nor had children. However his parent's family was not too far from Mecklenburg county and he was born about 8 years after William. Their families could be closely related, maybe even first cousins. The search goes on.


My Carothers Line

Time to work on the Carothers line again.  I am at a brick wall with William Carothers, born in 1785 in North Carolina.  My wonderful sister is pursuing using DNA in her genealogy research.  I am quite interested in this subject, but knew nothing about it.

So I went to the Orange County Family History Expo last year and the keynote speaker was Colleen Fitzpatrick, PhD on the subject "The Forensic Genealogy Revolution"!

The following is the Doctor's bio from the expo flyer:

"Colleen Fitzpatrick; PhD, the founder of Identifinders International, is widely recognized as the founder of modern Forensic Genealogy. Most notably, she is credited with solving the first cold case using Forensic Genealogy – the 1992-1993 Phoenix Canal murders. Dr. Fitzpatrick is also Co-Executive Director of the DNA Doe Project (DDP), a nonprofit corporation whose mission is to use genetic genealogy to identify John and Jane Does and return them to their families. She is the author of three books, and has lectured widely in the US, Canada, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. She has appeared in hundreds of domestic and international newspapers and magazines, and on international radio and television programs.”"

Colleen could have spoken for hours and hours.  Her speech was very interesting and informative!

I had already taking a autosomal DNA test and was busy learning how it might help me with looking for my Carothers connections.  And when the end of the year DNA sales started, I took a Y-DNA test.  The company has a Carruthers project which I joined and there are numerous matches.  I am working on contacting matching individuals.  I also joined an associated society, the Clan Carruthers Society International (CCSI).  They provide genealogical research assistance for the Carruthers (Carothers) lines.

Clan Carruthers Society International

Of course, this research will mostly involve tracking down source records to prove my family line.

2020 is looking good to break down my William Carothers brick wall.  Wish me luck!