In this second part of the missing years of Henry Thompson covering the years 1870 - 1890, I try to follow him as he moves to Chicago and Michigan. By using clues he left in his depositions for his military pension applications I find more previously unknown family members.
Civil War pension records can be an invaluable resource when trying to piece together the years between records in a veteran's life. In this case, there is information included that would not likely have been found in any other source. Henry Thompson survived his time in the American Civil War, but then went missing from his family for several years before turning up in a soldier's home in California in the early 1900s. His pension file answers some of the questions about where he was after the war, and as always, raises new questions for further research. This is part 1 of Henry's lost years: 1850 - 1870.
A pretty little portrait on Facebook marketplace leads to a distant relative and a fascinating story about riverboats and opera houses in Saint Paul, MN
Henry Thompson Henry Thompson was born 28 December 1843 in Liverpool, Lancashire, England. He was the third of four children born to Henry Thompson Sr., a cordwainer, and Ann McCabe Thompson in Liverpool. Henry was an American Civil War veteran. According to his obituary, Henry spent time trying to homestead in Michigan after the war … Continue reading Portraits
A Case for the Parentage of Ruth Foster Sharp Dunham (Part 1) I hate having empty branches on my family tree. Empty branches mean unanswered questions and unsolved mysteries. A few years ago I was able to break through a brick wall to find the parents of Harriet Elizabeth “Libby” Sharp Ehle and that breakthrough … Continue reading Foster Family
We are aboard! I am happy to report that our application for membership to the General Society of Mayflower Descendants was accepted and my husband is now a member of the GSMD! We attended our first members meeting and my husband received his certificate last Fall. The final piece of documentation was submitted in March … Continue reading Mayflower Update
Time to get outdoors and do some cemetery research. If you have ancestors buried in Marshfield, Wisconsin, the Marshfield City Cemetery Viewer makes it easy to find your family.
An Under-Utilized Resource in Genealogy Nora Schmidt Widman Funeral Cards, Mourning Cards, Memorial Cards – whatever you call them - can be a helpful resource for your genealogy research. These cards are an often overlooked source of birth and death information for our ancestors. The history of funeral cards started in the Victorian Era. The … Continue reading Funeral Cards
Using Find A Grave to Fine Tune the Family Tree I have recently begun getting serious about the site Find A Grave. I have used Find A Grave as a source for several years and have at times been surprised by the details and photographs I have found on memorials there. My new passion for … Continue reading Family on Find A Grave
Thanks for joining me! Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton
WitzEnd Family History 