Wandering Around The Family Tree

In the past few days, I've found several passenger arrival records that shed new light on the Schickler and Haufler families immigration pattern to the U.S. We'd known that  my great grandfather William Frederick George Schickler (1873-1936) had immigrated to the U.S. in 1887 after his parents died. We knew there was a Haufler aunt married to a man named Beller who was a baker. And that there was one other Haufler uncle in New York. We also knew that at some point, William's brother George immigrated. And we had a hint that there was another Haufler aunt who was dead by 1899 and that her husband was somewhere in America. But we didn't know when people arrived, and in what order.  The first member of the family I've found who immigrated to New York was Christiane Wilhelmine Haufler. (1856-1889) She was born on August 25, 1856 in Marbach, Wurttemberg, the daughter of Gottlieb Friedrich Haufler (1820-1899) and Christine Catharina Haas (1819-1904). She was the younge...

One of the photos in my great grandfather's collection of photographs from Keystone Academy in 1889-1891 is identified on the back as J.B. Everett of Waukesha, Wisconsin Based on what I've been able to find online, I believe James B Everett (abt 1872- bef 1928) Information about James B Everett was very hard to find. I only found one mention of him in the Keystone Academy catalog - in 1889-90 - as a junior from West Pittson, Pennsylvania The photograph was taken at the studio of E.H. Paige on Clinton St in Waukesha, Wisconsin.  There is a James B Everett in the Waukesha City Directories from 1891 - 1899, living at the same address as Rev. Peter S. Everett, Maud, Helen and Carl Everett.  So then I went to look in census records and totally struck out. I found Peter S Everett in Waukesha on the 1890 Veteran's Schedule. And Lucy, a widow, in 1900 with Maude, Carl and Helen. But no James in 1900. There is a James (no age specified) in Waukesha Village in 1895.  The o...

I can't imagine what Christmas Day was like for my great-grandfather Wilhelm Friedrich Georg Schickler in 1887. What I do know is that he was 14 years old. His parents were dead.  He was on the ship Rotterdam a day out of the port of New York. And that he was traveling alone to a new life. Was he thinking of his family so far away in Stuttgart? Was he wondering how his younger brother Georg - his only living sibling - left behind in Stuttgart with their grandparents was doing? Was he remembering his father and five siblings who had died in recent years? Was he thinking about his mother who had died just a month ago on November 24? Or did he see the Statue of Liberty as his ship arrived? Was he looking forward to a new life with his mother's sister and her husband? Wilhelm was born on November 6, 1873 in Ludwigsburg, Wurttemberg, Germany, the son of Gottlieb Wilhelm Schickler (1848-1885) and Marie Frederike Haufler (1846-1887). He was baptized on November 23 1873. His pa...

One of the photos in my great grandfather's collection of photographs from Keystone Academy in 1890-1891 is identified on the back as C.E. Decker of Clark's Green, Pennsylvania  Based on what I've been able to find online, I believe Clarence Emerson Decker (1874-1948) A few minutes research on the web and Ancestry reveals basic information about Clarence Emerson Decker 1874  May 28      Born in New Albany, Bradford, PA. Son of George Decker and Mary Alice Moon 1880                     Lived in Clinton, Clinton, Iowa 1890-1891           Student at Keystone Academy in Factoryville, PA 1898                     Lived in Le Raysville, Bradford, PA 1898   July 11     Enrolled in Pennsylvania National Guard at Towanda, PA. Spanish-American War 1898   Oct 28      Mustered o...

If you only looked at the 1910 Census and a few other sites on the web, you might think that my Great Grandparents, Charles Joslin Call and Elizabeth Ann Coe lived in New York their entire lives. After all, the 1910 census states that not only were both of them born in New York, but all of their children were. They, and their parents, are all buried in Genesee County, New York. Many of their descendants still live in the area. But as with many other stories, this one isn't as clear cut as the 1910 census would make you believe. While Charles Joslin Call and Elizabeth Ann Coe lived much of their lives in Genesee County, there was a several year period where they lived in Wichita, Sedgewick County, Kansas. Charles Joslin Call was born in Stafford, Genesee County, New York on March 28, 1859, the son of Robert Call (1831-1913) and Charlotte Joslin (1834-1908). Elizabeth Ann Coe was born in Pavilon, Genesee County on October 8, 1862, the daughter of  Albert Coe (1827-1907) an...

One of the photos in my great grandfather's collection of photographs from Keystone Academy in 1890-1891 is identified on the back as Willie  Davis of Scranton, Pennsylvania  Based on what I've been able to find online, I believe Willie J Davis is William Jeremy Davis (1874-1951) of Scranton.  A few minutes research on the web and Ancestry reveals basic information about William Jeremy Davis 1874 20 Feb      Born in Scranton, the son of Evan J Davis and Elizabeth Jeremy 1880                 Lived in Scranton with his parents. His father was listed as a merchant 1889-1892       Attended Keystone Academy in Factoryville, Pennsylvania 1894                 Attended Bucknell University 1900                 Lived in Scranton with his parents. Occupation listed as bookkeeper 1902 about    ...

This week's prompt for  Amy Johnson Crow's 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks project  is Long Line. I had a couple of ideas for this week and finally settled on the long line of extended Call and Joslin family members who immigrated from Devonshire to the United States between the 1830s and early 1900s.  I have to wonder if in 1851 when my great great grandparents Robert Call and Charlotte Joslin were both servants on the farm of Robert Reed in Chawleigh, Devonshire, England if they had any idea how many members of their extended families would immigrate to the United States.  As far as anyone knows, Robert and Charlotte met at the Reed farm. Within two years of the 1851 census, Robert had immigrated to the Boston, Massachusetts area. A year later, Charlotte followed and they were married in Fitchburg, Massachusetts on July 16, 1854.  1835 The first member of Robert's family to immigrate that I've identified was his maternal uncle William Paine . Wi...

One of the photos in my great grandfather's collection of photographs from Keystone Academy in 1890-1891 is identified on the back as D.C. Davis of Shamokin, PA  In the Keystone Academy catalogs and alumni booklets - he was identified as David Charles Davis of Shamokin, PA A few minutes research on the web and Ancestry reveals basic information about David C Davis 1865 May 30  born in Donadlson, Schuylkill, Pennsylvania. Son of Evan Davis and Rachel Price (both born in Wales) 1870                 lived with his parents in Norwegian, Schuylkill, PA. His father is a miner 1880                 lived with his parents in Coal, Northumberland, PA 1890                 member of the middle class at Keystone Academy 1891                 member of the senior class at Keystone Academy 1892  ...

This week's prompt for  Amy Johnson Crow's 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks project  is Favorite Photo. When i saw the prompt, I knew immediately what photo I'd be writing about - the Six Joslins photo from 1904.  I first read about a photograph of my great great grandmother Charlotte Joslin Call and her five siblings taken at the 50th anniversary party for Charlotte Joslin and Robert Call in 1904. There wasn't a copy of the photo in my family and I wasn't sure I'd ever see a copy.  When the family gathered in 1904, it was the first time the six siblings were together since the oldest left England in 1852. Going back - let me introduce the family.  Robert Bird Joslin (1801 - 1881) married Mary Ann Adams (1808-1872) in Filleigh, Devonshire, England on 24 May 1832.  Their first child, William, was born on Oct 27, 1832 in Filleigh. William arrived in Boston, Massachusetts on 27 March 1852 and lived the rest of his life in the Boston area. He married Charlotte B...