Tombstone Thursday - Williams

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Oak Hill Cemetery

Evansville, Indiana

Richard T. Williams

Patience A. (his wife)

Section 7, Lot 58

(Click on images to enlarge)

-Photos taken & submitted by JGWest

[Tombstone Thursday is dedicated in memory of Donald G. West 1952-2000]

From the FIRST MATE's PHOTO ALBUM...

APRONS...

...The common everyday apron that Mom wore almost everyday around the house!

Remember... making an apron in Home Economics Class in School or for your exhibit at the County Fair for the 4-H Clothing Project? I remember about 50 years ago watching (with 3 of the boys of my 4-H Club) the older Mike Phillips & Anthony Long (the two being cousins to each other) wearing aprons that they had made in the 4-H Dress Revue. They were laughed at in those days since boys were not expected to wear house aprons, but they were showing that boys could do what girls do. In those days girls/women were trying to show that they could do what the boys/men could do. It was the beginnings of the “Battle of the Sexes!” The four of us pledged to do the same for the next year... it is hard to believe how foolish young boys can be!!! My sister Tina can back me up on this story. Dennis Avery, Dana Hart, Freddie Isaac and myself made our aprons (not an easy task using that old foot-pedal Singer sewing machine). Freddie “chickened-out”... but Avery, Hart & I walked on stage and modeled our aprons during the 4-H Dress Revue. We got even more laughter than Phillips & Long! Amazing that Phillips & Long became attorneys and very active politicians along with Avery becoming an Indiana State Representative (Phillips became the Speaker of the Indiana House of Representatives). In politics, I became the Superintendent of the Evansville/Vanderburgh Levee Authority and later Evansville City Manager of Locust Hill & Oak Hill Cemeteries. Hart had a life-time career with Alcoa. I had heard that Isaac had a career in the coal mining field. I wonder what happened to that blue apron with clouds & sailboats that I had made & never worn except on stage for that 4-H Dress Revue? - Written by John G. West

The Apron Pattern photos and the History of Aprons were found on the Internet & sent to me by Don Counts.

The History of Aprons

I don't think our kids know what an apron is. The principal use of Grandma's apron was to protect the dress underneath,because she only had a few, it was easier to wash aprons than dresses and they used less material, but along with that, it served as a potholder for removing hot pans from the oven. It was wonderful for drying children's tears, and on occasion was even used for cleaning out dirty ears.. From the chicken coop, the apron was used for carrying eggs, fussy chicks, and sometimes half-hatched eggs to be finished in the warming oven.
When company came, those aprons were ideal hiding places for shy kids. When unexpected company drove up the road, it was surprising how much furniture that old apron could dust in a matter of seconds. And when the weather was cold grandma wrapped it around her arms. Those big old aprons wiped many a perspiring brow, bent over the hot wood stove.
Chips and kindling wood were brought into the kitchen in that apron. From the garden, it carried all sorts of vegetables. After the peas had been shelled, it carried out the hulls. In the fall, the apron was used to bring in apples that had fallen from the trees. When dinner was ready, Grandma walked out onto the porch, waved her apron, and the men folks knew it was time to come in from the fields to dinner. It will be a long time before someone invents something that will replace that 'old-time apron' that served so many purposes.

From My Email Box - "Kentucky Records Resurface! & Free Ancestry Magazines"

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From Carole Palmer (via KYGenWeb Coordinator's List):

Old Ky. Records Resurface, Prepared for Public (The Associated Press)
LEXINGTON, Ky. -- Kentucky land, census and marriage records from the late 1700s to the 1900s have recently resurfaced and are being prepared for public inspection.

The Lexington Herald-Leader reported the books are being indexed to make information easier to find and documents are being scanned so they can be made available for public viewing.
The original record books will not be available for the public.
"The documents are so old and the pages are so fragile that I really would not be willing to put them out there for the public to peruse through," Deputy Fayette County Clerk Linda Potter said.

Potter found out about a volume of land patents containing the names of the commonwealth's earliest settlers, called the "Doomsday Book." The book, originally in the clerk's office, had been moved to Frankfort in the early 1970s. Microfilming at the Department of Libraries and Archives should be complete within two weeks, said Barbara Teague, state archivist and records administrator. The Doomsday Book contains the names of settlers who applied for land patents from 1779 through 1780, when Kentucky was still part of Virginia. Kentucky became a state in 1792. Kandie Adkinson, an administrative supervisor in the Kentucky Land Office, said the books are important for genealogists who want to document history and traditions of family members.

"Additionally, by determining if an ancestor received a commissioners' certificate for settlement prior to 1792, individuals may qualify for membership in First Families of Kentucky," a hereditary society established in 2005, Adkinson said.
Another record book recovered by Fayette County clerks, the "Land Entry Book," contains similar information from 1783 to 1784. Several years' worth of marriage licenses were also found in the county clerk's storage area. The clerk's office also recovered several books containing Fayette County school census records from 1896 to 1909 for both white and black students. The census books contain students' names, addresses, names of parents and siblings, and dates of birth. Potter said the school records are a "significant discovery" for black genealogists. "Unfortunately, the Fayette County clerk's office doesn't have a lot of records for black people to go on," she said.

[Information from: Lexington Herald-Leader, http://www.kentucky.com]

From Don Counts: Through Google Books you can get back issues of the Ancestry magazine free... here is the link to the Jan/Feb 2009 issue ~ http://books.google.com/books?id=FTgEAAAAMBAJ&printsec=frontcover&lr=lang_en&as_pt=MAGAZINES&rview=1#v=onepage&q=&f=false

You can also pull up all back issues!

"Using Family Names For Computers!"

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The backyard Garage is finally torn down!

With all of the rain this year (plus not feeling well & a sundry of other excuses), it has taken me almost the whole year to finally tear it down. But, yesterday, a friend & his boys helped me. Busy from 6AM until the friend got here, I was tired, cold and really out of the mood to go through with it. But, with others to motivate me, we were done in about three hours. I still need to haul the debris to the dump, but the garage is down.

This is why I did not have time to post anything yesterday, nor for today. However, I was reading Facebook posts and one of my friends is Bill West (no known relation to me) who puts out a very nice genealogy related blog of his own... had an interesting topic about naming computers. Bill named his computers after TV show characters. One of the comments came from a Diane who said she named her computers for family members citing her two aunts. I got the idea that it would be cool to name my computers after my ancestors. So, I added the following comment to Bill's Facebook entry: "Diane, that is a neat idea... naming computers after family! Ignatius West was born in 1750 in Granville Co., NC and is the brother of my direct ancestor Thomas West, Jr. Thus, Iggy (my nickname for him) is an Uncle many "greats" back. So, I, hereby name my computer "Iggy"!"

We all have some cool names in our ancestry that are interesting, neat, special or highly unusual like my direct ancestor Littleberry Woodis. I could name a computer "Littleberry" or even "Woodis"! I could name one "Cincinnati" after my Great, Great Grandmother Cincinnati O. [Williams] West (I still do not know what the "O" stands for and it was used many times in records). My father, brother & nephew were all named "Gaither Glennis West" with either of the given names would make great names for a computer. Mom's name was Bernadine... not a bad computer name. Powerful names like James Tobias Long or Mary Bright Rogers. Another one John Barton Haynes. My favorite is Arthur Sylvester Mays husband of Susan Apalone Lewis. The name Ap(p)olone was used a lot in my Mattingly family.

We could name all sorts of items for our ancestors. Since we travel a lot to Ohio to see the grandkids in the Cincinnati area... I think I will name the car in honor of my GGGrandmother "Cincinnati!" My cell phone "Littleberry!" (Well, they have "Blackberry" phones, don't they?) Davy Crockett named his long rifle "Old Bess" - so, why not name important items we use? I wonder what is showing on "Tobias" today?

Oh, if I still had a garage, I could have named it "Woodis!"

- Written by JGWest

Merry Christmas From TSGS

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Happy Birthday, Jesus!

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year from all of us at TSGS!

Photo of the West family's 2009 Nativity Scene. The set is a large 8 inch display set-up on top of the entertainment case.

Close-up looking down on baby Jesus with Joseph & Mary (and 2 of the 3 Wise Men).

- Photos taken and submitted by JGWest

"Genealogist's Christmas Eve"

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Genealogist's Christmas Eve

'Twas the night before Christmas

When all through the house

Not a creature was stirring,

Not even my spouse.

*****

The dining room table with clutter was spread

With pedigree charts and with letters which said...

"Too bad about the data for which you wrote;

Sank in a storm on an ill-fated boat."

*****

Stacks of old copies of wills and such

Were proof that my work had become too much.

Our children were nestled all snug in their beds,

While visions of sugarplums danced in their heads.

*****

As I sat at my table I was ready to drop

From work on my album with photos to crop.

Christmas was here, and such was my lot

That presents and goodies and toys I'd forgot.

*****

Had I not been busy with grandparents' wills,

I'd not have forgotten to shop for such thrills,

While others bought gifts to bring Christmas cheers,

I'd spent time researching those birth dates and years.

*****

While I was thus musing about my sad plight,

A strange noise on the lawn gave me such a great fright.

Away to the window I flew in a flash,

Tore open the drapes and yanked up the sash.

*****

When what with my wondering eyes should appear,

But an overstuffed sleigh and eight small reindeer.

Up to the house top the reindeer they flew,

With a sleigh full of toys and 'ole Santa Claus, too.

*****

And then in a twinkle, I heard on the roof

The prancing and pawing of thirty-two hoofs.

As I drew in my head, and bumped it on the sash,

Down the cold chimney fell Santa--KER-RASH!

*****

"Dear" Santa had come from the roof in a wreck,

And tracked soot on the carpet, (I could wring his short neck!)

Spotting my face, good 'ole Santa could see

I had no Christmas spirit you'd have to agree.

*****

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work

And filled all the stockings, (I felt like a jerk).

Here was Santa, who'd brought us such gladness and joy:

When I'd been too busy for even one toy.

*****

He spied my research on the table all spread

"A genealogist!" He cried! (My face was all red!)

"Tonight I've met many like you," Santa grinned,

As he pulled from his sack a large book he had penned.

*****

I gazed with amusement--the cover it read

Genealogy Lines for Which You Have Plead.

"I know what it's like as a genealogy bug.

"He said as he gave me a great Santa hug.

*****

"While the elves make the sleighful of toys I now carry,

I do some research in the North Pole Library!

A special treat I am thus able to bring,

To genealogy folk who can't find a thing."

*****

"Now off you go to your bed for a rest,

I'll clean up the house from this genealogy mess.

"As I climbed up the stairs full of gladness and glee,

I looked back at Santa who'd brought much to me.

*****

While settling in bed, I heard Santa's clear whistle,

To his team, which then rose like the down of a thistle.

And I heard him exclaim as he flew out of sight,

"Family history is Fun! Merry Christmas! Goodnight!"
--Author Unknown

"A family tree can wither if no one tends to it's Roots"

- Submitted by Don Counts

From the FIRST MATE's PHOTO ALBUM...

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Early Christmas with our grandchildren in Cincinnati 19 Dec 2009.

Evan West (4) is playing with the battery operated drum sticks that was surprisingly a very big hit!

Halle West (7 in Jan.) loves to read books and she liked this one on the planets of our solar system.

It is such a joy to see them enjoy some of the more basic things of life: music & books!

- Photos taken & submitted by JGWest

Genealogist's Christmas Tree

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Genealogist's Christmas Tree

- Submitted by Don Counts.

Marker/Plaque/Monument Monday

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Jefferson Academy...
Now Vincennes University

Rev. Jean Francois Rivet

(1757-1804)

First Headmaster

- Photo taken & submitted by JGWest

"Tekoppel School - 100 Years Old"

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Happy birthday to one of Evansville's oldest elementary schools!

Tekoppel School on the Westside of Evansville was built in 1909 and this year marks the 100th. year that it has been in use.

Friday, we posted a school from Parker Settlement that was built in 1892 but is no longer in use. This is one that has survived!

- Submitted by Don Counts

Media Release From Vand. Co. Health Dept.

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Media Release
Vanderburgh County Health Department
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
435-5681
EVANSVILLE, December 18, 2009; 3 pm
The Vanderburgh County Health Department (VCHD), in order to comply with State law and Secure ID requirements, is instituting new guidelines regarding the documentation necessary to obtain birth and death certificates from the Vital Records Division of the VCHD. This change will reduce the chances Vanderburgh County residents will become victims of identify theft and fraud. The changes impact both who may obtain a birth or death certificate, as well as make it clearer which types of identification are needed to obtain the certificate.
Attached with this press release are the eligibility and identification requirements necessary to obtain birth or death certificates as of January 1st, 2010. Please note only one primary or two secondary I.D. documents are required. Birth certificates at the VCHD only cover Vanderburgh County births. Individuals requiring birth or death certificates from other counties must contact those counties’ health departments for records.

Please call the Vital Records Division of the VCHD at 435-5681 or 435-5814 if you
have questions.

Getting a Birth or Death Certificate?
As of January 1, 2010
To Get A Certificate ~ Here is What You Need…
Who’s Eligible to obtain a Certificate:
1. The individual can complete form with proper info and ID.
2. Person named on record over 18 (under must have letter from parent).
3. Parents of person named on record (must be listed on record).
4. Sibling over 18 with proof of relationship to at least one parent.
5. Grandparents (must be parent of a parent on the record & show proof of relationship).
6. Child over 18 of person named on record with proof of relationship.
7. Spouse, with proof of relationship (ex: marriage license, birth record of child, insurance card).
8. Court Appointed Legal Guardian (must provide guardianship papers with seal).
9. Attorney representing person named on record (must have I.D. for self and I.D. with permission letter from person named on record.).
10. Caseworker from Division of Family & Children with court appointed guardianship paper (must show I.D.).
11. Law Enforcement personnel with I.D. and court order.
12. Adult child or grandchild (proof of relationship).

Secondary Documentation 2 required:
Police report (if individual reports their I.D. has been stolen).
Fire report (if individual reports their I.D. was destroyed in fire).
Employment I.D. with signature, photo, date of employment or employee address.
Copy of signed employment application.
Bankcard with signature (not credit cards) or personal check with current information.
Voter Registration with signature.
Vehicle Registration with signature.
Previous year’s tax return with signature and social security number.
Welfare, Food Stamp or WIC I.D. cards.
Probation documents or statement from Probation Officer on letterhead, including person’s name and date of birth.
Letter from BMV or Social security Administration that shows individuals name and date of birth.
Certified copy of marriage license application showing individuals name, date of birth, parents and signature.
Signed Leases or loan agreements.
Expired driver’s license (not more than 6 months).
Club membership card with signature or photo.
Gun permit with signature.
Social Security card.

Primary Documentation (All documents MUST be current and valid):
Valid Driver’s License, Military I.D., State I.D. card, Valid Passport.
Department of Correction I.D. (issued within past 6 months).
School I.D. with signature and photo.
Court Order (must order local health dept. to release record to person named on the record).

- Submitted by Don Counts from Chris Allen MT (ASCP) SH Laboratory Director

"Old School Houses"

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Just like old barns, we can find old school buildings that are just abandoned... left to fall down and eventually vanish along with its history.

This small brick school house (School No. 4) is located in Parkers Settlement in Posey County, Indiana.
The building seems in reasonably good shape, considering it was built in 1892 as indicated by the corner stone pictured below. I tried to learn what I could about this school and the names listed in the Posey County history books at Willard Library, but I did not find anything.

Abandoned schools made of wood or bricks can be found throughout the tri-state area. Some have recorded histories, but for many the building has lasted longer than its students and anyone that knows about any part of its history.

- Photos taken & submitted by Linda L. Young-Niemeier

Tombstone Thursday - Moss

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Here lies Doug Moss...

Not all was a loss,

Cause Doug got his wish...

That last big fish!

- by JGWest

- Photo submitted by Don Counts (twice) & Ken Gilkey (once). Photo from FunPics.com

[Tombstone Thursday is dedicated in memory of Donald G. West 1952-2000]

From the FIRST MATE's PHOTO ALBUM...

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Photos with a horse were very common in the early 1900's as was someone holding a pistol or rifle.

The photo below was given to me by a cousin from the John Logan Long family (brother to my ancestor, Byron Allen Long). We do not know who this is... he may be from the Long line or the Gardner line. John's wife was Ruby Gardner.
If anyone should happen to know, please let us know!

- Submitted by Lori Hanes

NAVIGATING ALONG the RIVER - Research Tips

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I spent about 20 hours in St. Mary's Hospital Sunday evening through half of Monday... I had chest pains. It was discovered that it was not my heart (I had a heart attack in 1992). My diabetes was really the culprit with my sugar reading being consistently very high. I am doing well, now. I mention this because it reminded me of when I had my heart attack and while there, with the doctor's permission, I judged the Warrick County 4-H Genealogy Project Notebooks for the County 4-H Fair in my hospital room while my heart was being monitored.

When I give genealogy workshops to 4-H'ers, I point out that birth & death certificates are issued in the county that the event occurred, not necessarily where they lived. For example, many from Warrick County should suspect that missing vital records (birth or death) might be found in Vanderburgh County where there have been at least 3 hospitals that these events might have happened.


Now, Warrick County has a hospital in Boonville. Even with the fact that there is a hospital in the county where your ancestor lived, the family might prefer another hospital in a nearby county. St. Mary's Hospital is Catholic based and might attract Catholics from counties that may have another hospital. Evansville's St. Mary's and Deaconess Hospitals are large and might be used at the doctor's request or because of the ability to perform certain procedures that smaller facilities can not.

The tip is to look for these types of records (if not found in county of residence) in nearby counties with hospitals.

- submitted by JGWest

"Captain of Coal Industry is Dead"

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Evansville Courier Tuesday, October 19, 1909

David Ingle, Sr., wealthy coal mine operator of Oakland City, who was born in Evansville and had hundreds of friends here , died at 6:15 o'clock yesterday evening of typhoid fever. His end was not unexpected. Mr. Ingle was a grandson of the original John Ingle who came to America in the early nineteenth century and located at Inglefield, a town later named for him. The Ingles were prominent in the development of the city. John Ingle, Sr., built the house at First and Cherry streets where Judge Gilchrist now resides. It was in this building that David Ingle, who died yesterday, was born.


Shortly after his marriage to a Miss Burbank, daughter of a wealthy farmer living on the Stringtown road, Mr. David Ingle removed to Oakland City. This was more than 25 years ago. he has lived there ever since and had acquired a fortune of at least a quarter of a million dollars in coal mine properties. Mr. Ingle was a frequent visitor to Evansville. He was known as a man of indaftigable energy plain in his speech, simple in his habits and an enemy to frills of all kinds. He was of sterling character, a conservative investor and always made his word as good as a bond. He was admired by everyone who knew him or was fortunate enough to be listed among his personal acquaintances. Among the coal operators of this end of the state he was a towering figure whose judgement always carried great weight and whose advice was nearly always found to be right.


Mr. Ingle was 58 years old. He had been ill for three weeks with typhoid. His nephew, Dr. Ingle, of Evansville, and Dr. Edward Linthicum, of Evansville, were called in as consulting physicians a week ago when his care grew alarming. A wife and four children: David, Jr., William D., and Miss Catherine of Oakland City, and Mrs. William Debb of Los Angeles, survive. A brother, Robert Ingle, lives in Princeton. There are two brothers in California. Mr. Ingle was interested in the Ingle mines in Evansville for a time but sold them recently to James Moore and his local associates. He owned a tract of land known as the south end of Coal Mine hill, which the city has been desirous of purchasing. He owned mines at Ayrshire, Linton, Jasonville, Terre Haute, Danville, Ill. and was interested with partners in other mines. News of his death was received by his long time friends in Evansville with great regret last night. The funeral arrangements have not been made.

- Submitted by Taneya Koonce

"Power Passed From Generation to Generation"

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Christmas 2009 is almost here... Many of my SAR friends marched in the 2009 Downtown Christmas Parade as a Revolutionary War Color Guard. This same parade back in 2002 was my first local Color Guard event. This year, I was not able to participate. A friend, Don Counts, is a member of my SAR Chapter and is in the Color Guard, but like me, he could not march either. Back in 1994, Don Counts took his grand daughter to this parade. In the Evansville Courier picture below is Nikki Ervin with Santa... Don provided the "power" for Nikki's wheelchair.
Below is a photo of Nikki today with her son Ryan reading a book to him. Nikki is still in a wheelchair, but this one is battery powered. Ryan is Don's fourth generation descendant.

Nikki has come a long way since that 1994 Holiday Parade.

- Commentary by JGWest

- Photos submitted by Donald Counts

"Yes, Mary Jane... there is a Spirit of Genealogy!"

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Dear Librarian,

I want to know my family roots. Is there truly a “Spirit of Genealogy”? Some of my friends say it can’t be done. My mother says that if you see it in “The Handy Book” or on “Ancestry” it must be true. Please tell me, is there a Spirit of Genealogy?

Mary Jane


Dear Mary Jane,

Your friends are wrong. You can find your family roots and the Spirit of Genealogy will help you. The Spirit lives in the memories and records of all your ancestors. On Christmas Eve, the Spirit flies through the air on a Conestoga wagon, pulled by dray horses. She visits all the libraries and courthouses. She goes to the cemeteries and newspapers and the National Archives, and she leaves clues about your family for you to find during the year. When you write your letter to her, be sure to tell her everything you’ve found and send her copies of your charts and group sheets. She will reward your efforts by putting research hints in your stocking or on Face Book.

Yes, Mary Jane, there is a Spirit of Genealogy and she will live as long as people cherish their families and want to know about those who went before us and made us who we are. Happy Hunting and Merry Christmas!

Your Librarian

[Copyright 2009 by Lyn Martin]
The above was written by Lyn Martin, Director of the Special Collections Department of Willard Library - used here with special permission. The letters are published on a large parchment paper and on special display in the case at the top of the stairs to the Genealogy & History Department.

Tombstone Thursday - Hansel & Dorcas Ingram

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Selvin Cemetery

Selvin, Indiana

Northeastern Warrick County

Hansel & Dorcas Ingram

[Photo taken after a snow in Feb 2009]

[Click on photo to enlarge the image]

- Photo taken & submitted by JGWest

[Tombstone Thursday is dedicated in memory of Donald G. West 1952-2000]

From the FIRST MATE's PHOTO ALBUM...

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Photos taken by Brenda Jerome of our Christmas Social last night. Despite the terrible rainy night most of the TSGS officers and some of our local members made it out to Willard Library to enjoy holiday snacks & treats and fellowship with each other. Larry Goss brought his Keystone steropticon that shows pictures in 3-D... really cool. This gadget was the front runner of the View Master with its round disks.
L-R: TSGS Treasurer Bettie Cook; Board Director Janet Mann; John Scherer.

L-R: TSGS Corresponding Secretary Sue Hebbeler, Vice President Doug Korb; Dan Korb; President John G. West (laughing at something Larry Goss was joking about).

L-R: TSGS Board Director Becky West; Program Chair Mary Lou Bevers; Treasurer Bettie Cook; Board Director Janet Mann; John Scherer.

L-R: TSGS President John G. West (who probably should go on a diet!); Board Director Larry Goss; Board Director Rena Goss; Board Director Becky West. Other officers attending, but not pictured were TSGS Board Director Don Counts & Secretary Brenda Jerome (photographer for the night). And also attending was Lyn Martin (TSGS Ex Official Board Member representing Willard Library). Many of our members and officers take a quick punch & snack break and then back to researching! Some sat around and told jokes & stories.

I told the story that happened at my mother's funeral in 1997. Mom and her brothers were all Catholic, but Dad was not... so all of us were not raised Catholic. When the Priest came to the visitation at the funeral home to perform the Rosary... Mom's three brothers and families (all Catholic) slipped out the back door. I looked around and suddenly noticed there were no Catholic visitors present. I went to the Priest and introduced myself and informed him that the only Catholics present was my mother & him. The Preist said, "You mean the only two Catholics here is me and the deceased?" He laughed and said this will be a first! He gave as good a Rosary as I had every heard, but he did cut it short.

- Photos taken & submitted by Brenda Joyce Jerome, CG. Commentary by JGWest

"Elder Benoni Stinson"

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My connections to Benoni Stinson...



As a kid growing up in northeastern Warrick County, Indiana, I attended a small General Baptist Church in Heilman, Indiana. The church often spoke of the Oakland City General Baptist College (now University) and one of its founders, Benoni Stinson. He organized the Liberty Church in Evansville in 1823... now known as Howell General Baptist Church. He founded the present day General Baptist denomination.



Later in life, during the summers between attending classes at Evansville College (now University), I worked at George Koch Sons where I met Allan Puckett, who was my age and was an associate pastor at Evansville General Baptist Church. I began attending this church on a regular basis with Reverend Floyd Kirves the head pastor. I learned a lot of what a Christian was all about from Rev. Kirves and Brother Puckett. Just before, I answered the call to service during the Viet Nam conflict, I moved to Sterling, Illinois to help Allan with his first church... I was appointed the Sunday School Superintendent... here I was baptized in the General Baptist denomination. While I was in the U.S. Air Force, I met and fell in love with Becky and was married in a Southern Baptist Church by a General Baptist preacher, Allan Puckett (one of my two best friends). Dennis Avery was my other friend who served as my "best man."



After serving my 4 years in the USAF, Becky & I came home to Evansville and began raising a family and began attending Rev. Kirves' General Baptist church again. I had worked on my family history research since I was 12 years old, but did little letter writing or research while in the service. I got back into working on my family history. I learned and have documented that Benoni Stinson married a family member Ruth Martin. Ruth's father was John Martin, Jr. brother to my direct ancestor Thomas Martin. My ancestor Joseph Martin was the son of Thomas and a first cousin to Ruth Martin who married Benoni Stinson! I had grown up admiring Benoni Stinson not knowing that he had married into my father's family.



The December issue of our society's quarterly journal Tri-State Packet will have an article submitted by a Stinson descendant that includes Benoni & Ruth Stinson. Below are photos connected with Liberty General Baptist Church in the Howell west side neighborhood of Evansville. Click on photos for a larger, better image of each.

There are several grave markers for Benoni located in many sites... this is one erected in honor of his establishment of the Liberty Church

This is the south side of the former Liberty G.B. Church.

Above is a full view of the front side of the church.

Above the front doors of Howell General Baptist Church is the former Liberty name engraved in white stone.

As you could see in the photos of the church building there were several additions. Across the street to the west is the newest addition to Howell G.B. Church - the Family Life Center.

Be sure to read more about the Stinson family in The Tri-State Packet (edited by Brenda Legate).

- Photos taken & submitted by JGWest. Article written by JGWest.

Marker/Plaque/Monument Monday

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Hose House #9...
is one of Evansville's newest fire stations located on Keystone Drive.

It was built in 1989, just north of Morgan Avenue & east of Green River Road.

[Click to enlarge image]

A very large "9" helps to identify this building, perhaps the smallest in size.

The fire fighters proudly fly the U.S. flag out front of the building. It looked very beautiful the morning this photo was taken!

- Photos taken & submitted by JGWest

NAVIGATING ALONG the RIVER - Research Tips

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As blogs become more popular, we will all be able to find blogs that interest us... if only we have time to read them!

You can search for genealogy related blogs, here is one site: http://blogfinder.genealogue.com/ You can also Google 'Genealogy Blogs.'

In an article I wrote concerning genetic DNA testing "Why DNA?" was the following statement: And as Beau Sharbrough pointed out in his article in the Ancestry Daily News, “DNA has replaced blood in the determination of ‘blood relationships.’” Sharbrough worked for Ancestry.com then he went on to Footnote.com and since has left them. According to Eastman, this puts Beau in a good "insiders" position to evaluate what is happening with these companies. Dick Eastman has a very good blog to keep up with what is going on in genealogy advances, changes and special interests: http://blog.eogn.com/ To see Beau Sharbrough's blog go here: http://tufblog.com/ Another great blog, perhaps the best, is Dear Myrtle: http://blog.dearmyrtle.com/

At least one TSGS member has a blog... Brenda Joyce Jerome, CG. Check out her Western Kentucky Genealogy Blog at http://wkygenealogy.blogspot.com/ Here are a few that I like to check out when I have time: Bill West's West in New England http://wkygenealogy.blogspot.com/ and Randy Seaver's Genea-Musings http://www.geneamusings.com/ Let us know your top genealogy blogs!

- Compiled by JGWest

From My Mother's Scrapbook

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My mother, Bernadine Long West, saved newspaper clippings and all sorts of interesting things. I came across some of her scrapbooks yesterday. What a collection of obituaries, stories, events, etc. She often added notes of how she was connected to that particular clipping. This feature will show-up when I do not have anything in particular to post here. I will call it "From My Mother's Scrapbook" and it will be dedicated to Mom.

Willard Library has long been associated with "The Lady in Gray" ghost and this newspaper clipping is the photo that accompanied an article by Marilou Berry in the Evansville Couier & Press (Sunday 06 Oct 1985)... "Maybe Ghost at Willard Just Enjoys a Good Book."

Miss Margaret (as all would call her - was the Children's Librarian) appears as a ghost in the photo while past Head Librarian, Willard Library Director Don Baker, reads about ghosts! Margaret Maier graduated with my mother at Evansville Central High School in 1939.

- Compiled by JGWest

[Dedicated to the memory of my mother, Bernadine Long West (1921-1997)]

THE CAPTAIN'S LOG –TSGS News

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The Tri-State
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Genealogical Society
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officers invite everyone

to our Christmas Social this coming Tuesday night (December 8th.) at Willard Library. Come & go as you please between 7:00PM & 8:30PM. If you wish you can bring some cookies, dip & crackers, cheese ball or other snacks. We will have fruit punch prepared by Bettie Cook. This is an informal event to enjoy each others fellowship and exchange ideas & problems concerning genealogy (or whatever) while enjoying some great snacks. You do not need to be a member to attend.

John G. West, TSGS President

Tombstone Thursday - McKinnis

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Oak Hill Cemetery

Evansville, Indiana

Section 62, Lot 117, Graves 1 & 2

Claude & Emma McKinnis

- Photos taken & submitted by JGWest

[Tombstone Thursday is dedicated in memory of Donald G. West 1952-2000]

From the FIRST MATE's PHOTO ALBUM...

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Union Soldiers buried in...
Rose Hill Cemetery
Newburgh, Indiana

(Click on photos to enlarge the image)
- Photos taken & submitted by Brenda Joyce Jerome

Cyndi's List

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Cyndi's List? What in the world is that?

What is Cyndi's List?
A categorized & cross-referenced index to genealogical resources on the Internet.
A list of links that point you to genealogical research sites online.
A free jumping-off point for you to use in your online research.
A "card catalog" to the genealogical collection in the immense library that is the Internet.
Your genealogical research portal onto the Internet since 1996!


When I first started being active on the Internet with my first web sites back in 1996, I began with Larue County, Kentucky for the new network called the KYGenWeb Project. Soon the project expanded to become a the USGenWeb Project. Late 1996 or early 1997, a housewife by the name of Cyndi Howell asked if us KYGenWeb folks would consider listing our sites on her site called Cyndi's List. We all wanted as many people to come to our sites as possible... so most was happy to have her list our sites. I visited her "list" and was impressed because she had about ten thousand (10,000) links to all kind of things related to genealogy & history. She had at least 40-50 categories with some really cool sites listed. I wrote to her requesting her to link my Larue County site and mentioned that we had an adoption site. She wrote back that she visited the adoption site and had just started a new category - "Adoption" and Becky's was one of the first five listed.

Today, Cyndi's List contains 257,600 in 180+ categories, 9,520+ new & un-categorized for a total of 267,130+ links for family history! Visit her site: http://www.cyndislist.com/

- Compiled by JGWest

Marker/Plaque/Monument Monday

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Willard Library Flag Pole & Dedication Plaque...
Please click on photos to enlarge the image. Because of the flowered foliage, the date is hidden. The last line partially covered states: "Dedicated October 1, 1989."
Below: A few years ago before one of the Sat. morning Ohio Valley Chapter, the library staff (on duty that morning) did not know how to put the flag at half mast. So, our Color Guard members did the honors of putting the flag at half mast. It had been ordered by the Mayor for a funeral of a young soldier that had been killed in the war.

SAR members (L-R): J.D. Stouth, Don Counts, Ken Gilkey.

- Photos taken by Chris Myers

General Thomas Posey Grave Dedication (2004)

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[This would normally have been posted on Thursday in the regular weekly feature "Tombstone Thursday," except that was Thanksgiving Day... so, I am posting this today. Click on photos for larger images.]

General Thomas Posey (name sake for Posey County, Indiana) is buried in Shawneetown, Illinois. The Illinois Society Sons of the American Revolution (SAR) invited the Gen. Thomas Posey Chapter of the Indiana Society to provide a Color Guard for the Grave re-dedication ceremony on 16 Oct 2004. Robert Hall & I being members of that chapter, as well as, the Ohio Valley SAR Chapter answered the call with another member of the OVC Color Guard. It was a cold windy, but sunny day!
Photo of the new marker dedicating Gen. Posey's tomb... many may not know that he was Lt. Governor of Kentucky, a Governor of the Indiana Territory, a Louisiana Senator, an Indian Agent & an Aide-De-Camp to General George Washington during the Revolutionary War. He died of typhus fever on 19 Mar 1818 and is buried in Westwood Cemetery.

Members of the Ohio Valley SAR Chapter Color Guard (L-R): Robert Hall, Ruth Hall, Wil Teague (Capt. of the Guard), Becky West, John G. West (carrying the 13-Star "Betsy Ross" Flag).

Will Teague & John West posing by the tomb of Gen. Thomas Posey.

One of my SAR friends, Wade Harshman, posted on Facebook for me... a link to Wikipedia for Gen. Thomas Posey, I have incorporated some of its information in this blog. Thanks, Wade! Here is the link for more info on General Posey. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Posey

- Photos submitted by JGWest

[Tombstone Thursday is dedicated in memory of Donald G. West 1952-2000]

RIVER DEBRIS –TSGS Dock of Shame

On September 26, 2009, we selected the murderer of a Census Taker for the "Dock of Shame" -

"A part-time Census Bureau field worker was found hanged in Kentucky 12 Sep 2009 with the word "fed" scrawled across his chest, according to a law enforcement source. Bill Sparkman, 51, was found at the Daniel Boone National Forest in rural southeast Kentucky."

[http://tsgsblog.blogspot.com/2009/09/river-debris-tsgs-dock-of-shame.html]

Recently, his death has been reported as a suicide that was perpetrated as a murder to ensure that the insurance proceeds would be paid.

According to a news report by Ian Urbina for The New York Times (24 Nov 2009):

"The Kentucky census worker found hanging from a tree with the word 'fed' scrawled on his chest staged his death to look like a homicide so that his son could collect his life insurance, the authorities said Tuesday. 'We believe this was an intentional act,' said Trooper Don Trosper, a Kentucky State Police spokesman. 'We believe the aim was to take his own life.' ”

It, now, appears that it is not a "murderer" of a Census Taker that is "river debris" that deserves to be in the TSGS Dock of Shame, but, rather, the Census Taker himself... Bill Sparkman.

- Compiled by JGWest

“For My Sister, Tina”

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This is the first edition of a new feature that I am calling “For My Sister, Tina.” It will be labeled for the right side index as "For Tina." One of the missions of the TSGS Cruiser Blog in addition to news of the society & genealogy is little tidbits or glimpses of the tri-state area for our members, friends & family that live away from the Evansville area. Tina, my sister, moved to Charleston, SC almost 30 years ago near where our older brother Glen lives. Much has changed since 1980, here and everywhere. She has a subscription to the Evansville Courier & Press and she visits Evansville when she can, but even then things have vanished, changed or new things have been created that she does not know about.

She will send me ideas to report on for her... and I encourage everyone interested to submit ideas for me to report on the blog. This will not be a regular weekly feature like the “Monument Monday” or Wednesday's “First Mate's Photo Album” or “Tombstone Thursday,” but will be posted when I have something to report. Ideas could include: what is new, what is no longer, what has changed, what is special.

Please send me some ideas! John G. West, TSGS Blog Master

From TSGS to All...

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From the Officers of the Tri-State Genealogical Society...

Happy Thanksgiving Day!

West family Thanksgiving yard decorations.

- Photos taken & submitted by JGWest

"From a Jewelry Store and a Hotel..."

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From the past we save some elegance & beauty...

Evansville's Artes Jewelry Store & the Acme Hotel gave some of their greatest fixtures to the Evansville C.K. Newsome Community Center: a world award winning bar plus crystal chandeliers from around the world. From a newspaper story, I found this concerning the bar ~

Spirits of the Past
Ornate bars of Evansville are an elegant toast to the city's history
By SARA ANNE CORRIGAN Courier & Press correspondent
Posted December 5, 2007
Although not in use as a center for serving of alcoholic or other beverages anymore, there is a beautiful old canopied bar with beveled mirrors and massive carvings on the front columns installed in a banquet/meeting room at the C.K. Newsome Community Center on Walnut Street at Heidelbach Avenue. It is strikingly out of place in the contemporary structure that replaces an earlier community center at Eight and Main streets, which was razed to make way for the Civic Center Complex. That building had an earlier life as a CE&I Railroad depot; the columns that make up the centerpiece of the Four Freedoms monument on Evansville’s riverfront were also salvaged when that building was razed. But the bar, according to Dan Kollker, was moved there from an even older and long-since forgotten venue, the Acme Hotel, in Downtown Evansville.
Here is the bar at the Community Center. Click on photos to enlarge images.

The east end corner column topped with a hand-carved lion's head with close-up below.

Click on photos to enlarge the images.

Here is the East corner of the bar showing the marble hand rail.

View of the back side of the bar.

Close-up view of the bar.

These two photos highlight the crystal chandeliers.

From other news accounts, I discovered the following ~

Built about 1866 at 22 NW 2nd. St. near the Old U.S. Custom House & Post Office building, the Acme Hotel stood on the Southwest side of 2nd. Street between Sycamore & Main. The hotel was closed 25 July 1956 & razed in August 1956. The hotel, once one of Evansville's finest, was known up & down the Ohio valley for its cuisine. One news report stated that travelers considered there was no finer place to eat on the river and no finer wine cellar. The bar room with its cut-glass crystal chandeliers became known as the Acme Crystal Room and for a few years considered Evansville's most popular beverage spot. The chandeliers were part of the original Artes jewelry store which had imported them from Czechoslovakia made for the Palace of Versailles. Each chandelier contains 1200 prisms and more than a score of light connections.
The old oaken relic bar with its beveled glass canopy (193 mirrors), is said to have won a prize at the Chicago World's Fair in 1893 as the finest bar on exhibit. Made in Italy, it features hand-carved lions heads at the top of each end. Twelve feet tall and thirty foot long, the bar has a marble hand rail and brass foot rail. The hotel was torn down & replaced by a hard-surfaced parking lot.

- Photos taken & submitted by JGWest. Article compiled by JGWest