52 Ancestors 2018 #3

Longevity

Last week I shared photos of my great-grandfather Thomas Edwards. He died in a mining accident when he was 42. His wife, however, lived much longer. I met her once when I was only 3 or 4 years old. I have no memory of this, but my parents have photos from the family reunion that prove it. My great-grandmother Flora Sophia Maggie Hasemeyer lived to be 102.

She was born in 1889 in Colorado. Her parents were both German immigrants who ended up in Colorado, got married and stayed there. She married Thomas Edwards when she was 20 years old. They made their first home in the Gunnison area of Colorado. By 1920 they had moved to Carbon County Utah, where Thomas was a coal miner. When my grandfather was only 9 his dad, Thomas was killed in a mining accident. This left Flora alone with 4 children. A few years later her oldest daughter died, so she took in 3 grandchildren to raise as well.

Eventually she remarried. In 1943 she married William Monte Pilling, a divorcee with 5 children of his own. Sadly he passed away only 3 years later. Again Flora was a widow.

She stayed in Carbon County for the rest of her life, which lasted until 1991. She wasn't the only long lived in her family, she had a brother who lived to 93 and a sister to 91. I don't know the secret to her long life, but it seems at least a little of it was inherited.

Flora as a teenager

Hasemeyer Family - Elmer, Mabel, Clyde, Flora (back row); Magda and Dietrich

Edwards Family - Thomas, Elizabeth, Edward, Flora, Helen

Flora and Monte Pilling

Flora and her family in Utah

Flora at home

52 Ancestors 2018 #2

Favorite Photo

Ok, so these probably aren't my most favorite photos of an ancestor, but I do like them a lot. My great-grandfather, Thomas Edwards, was a coal miner in Utah. He died fairly young, in a mining accident. I find these old photos of his life in that mining town very interesting. The area was in Spring Canyon, Utah. The city was names Storrs and people only lived there a short time. It's now just a few piles of stone foundations and wilderness. But when my family lived there it was a town full of life.

For comparison, here is what it looks like now (taken in 2016)

And some of my relatives who still live in the area helped put up this memorial. My grandfather's name is on the right-most column.

52 Ancestors Week 48 - Mary Ann Alderson

Mary Ann Alderson was born  around 1831 in Oldbrough, Yorkshire,  England. Her parents were John and Ann Alderson.
On May 5, 1850 she married Robert Gregoryin  Stanwick St John, Yorkshire. According to the 1851 census he was an Ag. Laborer. They soon had a child named Mary Ann.
Right after having her they up and moved to Durham County (a couple miles away really) to work
in the coal mines. They lived in Newfield for a while, having more kids. Eventually Robert started working at the Castle Eden Colliery, and moved his family into housing there. They had at least 8 children together.

*****

Parents

John Alderson 1799–?

Ann Alderson 1801–?

Siblings

Stephen Alderson 1829–?

Helen (Ellen) Alderson 1835–?

Spouse

Robert Gregory 1823–1897

Children

Mary Ann Gregory 1852–1926

Jane Gregory 1857–1930

Robert Gregory 1860–?

William Gregory 1862–1900

Isabella Gregory 1864–?

Margaret Ellen Gregory 1865–?

Elizabeth Gregory 1868–1901

John S. Gregory 1874–1951

52 Ancestors Week 47 - Thomas Edwards

Thomas Edwards was born somewhere near Buckley or Mold, Wales around 1815. In the 1830’s or 40’s, in Wales he married Elizabeth Crofts. It’s possible he was married prior to this, but it’s still unclear. Between 1845 and 1847 he and his family moved to Durham, England where they worked in the coal mines there. They had 9 children. Thomas died between 1891 and 1901 (probably in 1893 in Hartlepool, England).

*****

Parents and Siblings:

Unknown at this time

Spouse:

Elizabeth Crofts 1815-?

Children:

John Edwards 1836–?

Thomas Edwards 1838–?

Joseph Edwards 1840–?

Sarah Edwards 1842–?

Ann Edwards 1845–?

Margaret Edwards 1847–?

Edward Edwards 1848–1923

William Edwards 1850–?

Peter Edwards 1853–?

52 Ancestors Week 41 - Robert Gregory

Robert Gregory was born in Aldbrough, Yorkshire, England sometime around 1823 or 1826. I'm not completely sure which. Some of the censuses say 1823, others say 1826. There are also christening records from the small area for early 1824 and one from 1827 for the name Robert Gregory. So, I think he is either the child of William and Margaret Gregory or John and Hannah Gregory. Again, I'm not sure which it is. One of these days I'll send a request for his marriage record, which should have at least his father's name on it.

In the second quarter of 1850 he married Mary Ann Alderson. According to the 1851 census he was an Ag. Laborer. They soon had a child named Mary Ann. Then, they up and moved to Durham county (a couple miles away really) to work in the coal mines. They lived in Newfield for a while, having more kids. Eventually Robert started working at the Castle Eden Colliery, and moved his family into housing there.

Sometime in the second quarter of 1897, in his 70's, Robert died in Easington, Durham, England.

*******
Spouse:
Mary Ann Alderson 1831–?

Children:
Mary Ann Gregory 1852–1926
Jane Gregory 1857–1930
Robert Gregory 1860–?
William Gregory 1862–1900
Isabella Gregory 1864–?
Margaret Ellen Gregory 1865–?
Elizabeth Gregory 1868–1901
John S. Gregory 1874–1951

52 Ancestors Week 30 - Elizabeth Croffts

This weeks theme over at No Story Too Small is "Challenging". Until a couple months ago I didn't even know the name of my 3rd great-grandmother. It was challenging to find the information needed to even find her name. And once I ordered the records from England, it was challenging to wait for them to come in the mail! Now that I know who she is, I can move on finding out more about her. Here is what I know so far.

Elizabeth Croffts was born in Hawarden, Wales around 1815. Some time in the 1830's or early 1840's, in Wales, she married Thomas Edwards (who may have been a widow with some children). Elizabeth, Thomas, and children moved to Monk Hesleden, Durham, England to work in the coal mines sometime between 1845 and 1847. According to various census records, we have identified 9 children in this family.

She died sometime after 1881, the last census she is found in (possibly died in 1890 in Easington, England).

******
Parents and sbilings:
unknown so far

Spouse:
Thomas Edwards (1817-?)

Children:
John Edwards (1836–?)
Thomas Edwards (1838–?)
Joseph Edwards (1840–?)
Sarah Edwards (1842–?)
Ann Edwards (1845–?)
Margaret Edwards (1847–?)
Edward Edwards (1848–1923)
William Edwards (1850–?)
Peter Edwards (1853–?)

52 Ancestors Week 23- Mary Ann Gregory

Mary Ann Gregory was born on April 30, 1852, in Yorkshire, England to Mary Ann Alderson and Robert Gregory. She was the oldest of 8 children. Shortly after her birth the family moved to Durham county.
Mary Ann married Edward Edwards on November 6, 1869, in Durham, England, when she was 17 years old.
In May 1875 Mary Ann and Edward immigrated on the Adriatic from Liverpool to New York. They moved directly to Pennsylvania where they had 3 sons. Then they started moving west. In 1887 they had another son in Iowa, and then moved on the Nebraska where they had 2 more sons. By 1909 they had moved to Colorado.
In 1923 Edward died. Mary Ann Gregory died on May 5, 1926, in Paonia, Colorado, when she was 74 years old.

*******
Parents
Robert Gregory 1826–?
Mary Ann Alderson 1831–?

Siblings
Jane Gregory 1857–1930
Robert Gregory 1860–?
William Gregory 1862–1900
Isabella Gregory 1864–?
Margaret Ellen Gregory 1865–?
Elizabeth Gregory 1868–1901
John S. Gregory 1874–1951

Spouse
Edward Edwards 1848–1923

Children:
John Edwards 1877–1953
Eddie Edwards 1879–?
William Edwards 1882–1909
Henry Edwards  1887–1912
Thomas Edwards 1888–1931
Robert Edwards 1894–1961

52 Ancestors Week 19 - Edward Edwards

My great-great-grandfather has long been a brick wall for me. Until recently that is. Thanks to various genealogy websites (Ancestry.com being the most helpful for this) I believe I have broken through the wall, and moved up the family tree a little further.

The basic information I knew was that Edward Edwards was born in either England or Wales in Nov 1848 (according to the 1900 census), married Mary Ann Gregory in England, immigrated to the US in 1875, had 6 sons and died in Colorado in 1923.

Here is the story I have recently pieced together from various censuses, ordering birth and marriage records from England, and other detective work.

Edward Edwards was born in the Hetton Le Hole area of Durham County England, Nov 12 1848. His parents had recently moved there from Wales for the coal mining. His parents were Thomas Edwards and Elizabeth Crofts. He had 5 brothers and 3 sisters. The oldest 5 children were born in Wales, then the family moved to Durham county between 1845 and 1847. There they had their other 4 children.

On Nov 6, 1869 Edward married Mary Ann Gregory in Monk Hesledon, Durham, England. In May of 1875 they immigrated to the United States on the ship Adriatic. They had 3 boys while living in Pennsylvania, then 1 boy while in Iowa, and 2 more in Nebraska. In the 1880 census, in Pennsylvania, he was working as a coal miner, in the 1900 census he was a farmer in Nebraska. Also in the 1900 census they had 13 children, but only 5 were still living. We only know the names of 6 of these children.

By 1909 Edward and Mary Ann were living in Colorado with 4 of their boys, and in 1910 and 1920 censuses he is listed as having a fruit farm in Paonia Colorado.

He died Dec 18, 1923 in Paonia, and was buried in the Cedar Hill Cemetery, Colorado. He was 75 years old.

******
Parents:
Thomas Edwards  (1817 – ?)
Elizabeth Crofts (1815 – ?)

Siblings:
John Edwards (1836 – ?)
Thomas Edwards (1838 – ?)
Joseph Edwards (1840 – ?)
Sarah Edwards (1842 – ?)
Ann Edwards (1845 – ?)
Margaret Edwards (1847 – ?)
William Edwards (1850 – ?)
Peter Edwards (1853 – ?)


Spouse:
Mary Ann Gregory (1852 – 1926)

Children:
John Edwards (1877 – 1953)
Eddie Edwards (1879 – bef 1900)
William Edwards (1882 – 1909)
Henry Edwards (1887 – 1912)
Thomas Edwards (1888 – 1931)
Robert Edwards (1894 – 1961)

52 Ancestors Week 16 - Flora Hasemeyer

When I saw the 52 Ancestors theme this week at No Story Too Small was "Live Long", I knew exactly who I'd write about. My great grandmother lived to be 102 years old.

Flora Sophia Maggie Hasemeyer was born in Pueblo Colorado March 31, 1889. Her parents, Dietrich Hasemeyer and Magda Schmidt had both immigrated to America from Germany, and met and married in Colorado. She was the oldest of 4 children.

In 1909, at the age of 20 she married Thomas Edwards. The moved to Carbon County Utah where Thomas worked as a coal miner. Together they had 4 children (2 girls, 2 boys). After 22 years of marriage, Thomas was killed in a mining accident. With 4 teenagers to support (well, the youngest child was only 10) she went to work. Her mother also moved in with them. Then, in 1937 Flora's oldest child Elizabeth died in childbirth, and she took in her son-in-law and 3 young grandchildren to help raise them.

In 1943 she got remarried, to a local Mormon named William Monte Pilling. By then her own 3 living children were out of the house, as were William's 5 children. He died just 3 years later.

Flora continued to live in Utah until her death on Aug 27, 1991, at the age of 102 and 5 months. She was buried in the Price City Cemetery, where both her husbands were also buried (but not actually next to either one).

************
Parents:
Dietrich Henry Hasemeyer (1859-1925)
Magda Elizabeth Schmidt (1865-1949)

Siblings:
Mabel Wilhemina Etta Hasemeyer (1890-1982)
Clyde Frederick Henry Hasemeyer (1893-1986)
Elmer August Hasemeyer (1894-1979)

Spouses:
Thomas Edwards (1888-1931)
William Monte Pilling (1895-1946)

Children:
Elizabeth Maryanne Edwards (1911-1937)
Edward Henry Edwards (1912-2012)
Helen Evaline Edwards (1913-2011)
Wilford George Edwards (1921-2008)

52 Ancestors wk 8 - Thomas Edwards

This week I'm going to write about my great grandfather Thomas Edwards. He was born May 21, 1888 in Chase Nebraska. His parents immigrated from England in 1875. They lived in Nebraska for about 20 years. By 1909 they were living in Colorado. Thomas married Flora Hasemeyer on June 30, 1909 in Florence, Colorado. By 1917 they had moved to Carbon County, Utah, working in the coal mines.

On March 21, 1931, at 42 years old, he was killed in a mining accident, leaving behind his wife and 4 children.

*****
Parents:
Edward Edwards (1848-1923)
Mary Ann Gregory (1855-1926)

Siblings:
John Edwards (1877-1953)
Eddie Edwards (1879-?)
William Edwards (1882-1909)
Henry Edwards (1886-1912)
Robert Edwards (1894-1961)


Spouse:
Flora Sophia Maggie Hasemeyer (1889-1991)


Children:
Elizabeth Maryanne Edwards (1911-1937)
Edward Henry Edwards (1912-2012)
Helen Evaline Edwards (1913-2011)
Wilford George Edwards (1921-2008)