"Death of a Librarian" - Evansville Native

In 1903, the San Francisco Call reported the death of Miss Sarah Elizabeth Baker, a librarian at San Rafael's Public Library in Marin County, California. Sarah was born in Evansville around 1853.



Source: "Death of a Librarian." San Francisco Call 10 Oct. 1903. California Digital Newspaper Collection. http://cdnc.ucr.edu/.

- Submitted by Taneya Koonce

"MARRYIN’ POLLY"

Transcribed from the Evansville Courier, Friday, 16 July 1909



Boonville, Ind., July 15 – Polly Weed Baker Shippert, married ten times, may have a chance to marry the eleventh time. Today acting through her attorney, A.J. Ruttledge of Newburg, she filed a suit for divorce against her husband Simon Shippert, to whom she was married in Evansville on March 29 last by Magistrate Eben C. Poole. They separated on July 3.



Mrs. Shippert is 70 years old and says in her complaint that Simon treated her in a cruel and inhuman manner making her do all the drudgery while he sat around smoking and chewing and making her home unpleasant. She also says she is afraid he will do her some bodily harm and asks for the full possession of her property which was hers before her marriage to Shippert.



Mrs. Shippert has probably been married more times and had more husbands than any other woman in America. A majority of her former husbands were divorced. A few days after her recent marriage, one of her friends asked her if she thought it would be her last marriage and to this question she is said to have replied: “I do not know. If I should lose Mr. Shippert I might try again. I live married life.”



The divorce case will be tried before Judge Roscoe Kiper of the Warrick County circuit court some time next term. If Mrs. Shippert is given her divorce, she will retired to Newburg where she has a home and is comfortably fixed.



The fact that the last matrimonial venture of Mrs. Shippert was a failure was a surprise to many of her friends at Newburg. On Decoration Day in May she and her husband went arm and arm together to the cemetery at Newburg, where she decorated the graves of her former husbands who are buried there. Mr. Shippert carried the large basket that contained the flowers while the aged woman did the work of decorating the graves. She is said to have remarked at the time while she loved all her former husbands at one time, she believed she thought a little more of Mr. Shippert than any of the rest.



Shippert’s former home was in Burlington, Iowa, where he was engaged in the insurance business. It is probable he will return to the Iowa town where he will try to forget his marital troubles



While Mrs. Shippert has been married ten times she has had but nine husbands as she married one husband the second time, having obtained a divorce from him and afterwards consenting to be his wife again.

- Submitted by Brenda Joyce Jerome, CG

Tombstone Thursday - Banks

Oak Hill Cemetery

Evansville, Indiana

Section 64

These two markers have a unique design with Preston P. Banks (1887-1948) showing that he is "Father" whereas Marjorie's marker above (1914-1946) indicates she is a "Sister." This suggests that a child or children of Preston Banks designed these markers for the father and their sister.

-Photos taken & submitted by JGWest

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

From the FIRST MATE's PHOTO ALBUM...

Willard Library's

Midnight Madness Class

Brenda Joyce Jerome, Certified Genealogist presents "Blogging for Beginners"

Brenda (in the center of this photo with the multi-colored sweater) is using her laptop to give a live online presentation on how to create a blog on the Internet. There were several that wanted to set-up a blog for genealogical purposes. Brenda gave a great program with easy to follow steps to create a blog. Brenda had a very good handout for everyone to use to take home and start their own blog. Brenda Jerome is the newly elected Secretary of the Tri-State Genealogical Society.


- Photos taken & submitted by JGWest

NAVIGATING ALONG the RIVER - Research Tips

Global Positioning System (GPS)

The idea for this blog came from a family working on their 4-H Genealogy Project for the upcoming county fair. The mother of the 4-H member was asking me a few questions on how to cite their documentation for the notebook exhibit. She mentioned that her cousin used GPS to mark locations of ancestors' property once it was found.

I have known a lot of people who have used GPS cooridinates to designate where cemeteries were located (including graves), but really did not think of using this for locations concerning family sites of importance. You can easily identify all of your genealogical locations!

GPS definition from Whatis.com: The GPS (Global Positioning System) is a "constellation" of 24 well-spaced satellites that orbit the Earth and make it possible for people with ground receivers to pinpoint their geographic location. The location accuracy is anywhere from 100 to 10 meters for most equipment. Accuracy can be pinpointed to within one (1) meter with special military-approved equipment. GPS equipment is widely used in science and has now become sufficiently low-cost so that almost anyone can own a GPS receiver.

Use this map to look for this house where Gum Street in Evansville, IN stops at College Highway ~ 37 degrees, 58 minutes, 2.18 seconds Latitude & -87 degrees, 32 minutes, 25.14 seconds Longitude. This home is a long time dream house for my wife & I.

- Submitted by Sheila of Tippecanoe County, Indiana

Marker/Plaque/Monument Monday

Beautiful White Marble Plaque

1931 Dedication

Downtown Central Library

The city built a very nice, larger, new library downtown and this building was adopted by the Children's Museum of Evansville (AKA: cMoe). My wife & I took our grandkids to this marvelous building that has been restored and preserved and being used for kids of all ages to have a lot of fun and learn, too! If you have not been there get your kids, grandkids or the neighbors' kids and go... you will be proud of what Evansville has to offer our kids!

-submitted by JGWest

Brief TSGS Officer Profiles - Becky West

Becky West was recently elected to the Board of Directors of the Tri-State Genealogical Society. She was recently photographed at the Louisville Zoo and seems to have wings like an angel! Believe me, as her husband for 40 years, this was a staged photo! But like the volunteers of TSGS that are willing to serve as officers and committee members, they are all truly angels!

Becky graduated from Bosse High School, attended Lockyear Business College, got married and started raising a family that consisted of 3 sons and a husband. When the youngest was 10 years old, Becky entered the world of employment outside the home. Most of that time has been at the Little Sisters of the Poor nursing home in Evansville as a nurses aide.

For almost 40 years, Becky has served as her husband's personal secretary for his many non-profit organizations & political community service involvement. This was the Young Democrats (YD's), 4-H, Sons of the American Revolution (SAR), TSGS (over 30 years). She assisted her husband in each of these organizations as advisor, sounding board, secretary, remedial task master, and supporter. She has become one of the most experienced organizational "non- board member" to get elected to a Board of Directors! :)

Becky was a runner-up in the first Miss Evansville Pagent in 1967, was elected President of the Eighth Congressional Young Democrats (YD's), was a volunteer Adult 4-H Leader for over 20 years and is currently very active with the Ladies Auxillary of the Sons of the American Revolution. With the members of the Ohio Valley Chapter of SAR, Becky and a few other wives march (in Colonial dresses) with the SAR Color Guard in parades & other events. Becky was adopted as a baby and finally found her birth family at the age of 42... she has developed an interesting presentation for interested groups concerning her "Journey to the Beginning - An Adoption Story" to discovery her birth family. Becky wrote a poem to her deceased birth mother that most have stated was a real "emotional"message. She not only assists with my SAR "Flags Over America" programs, but she serves as the "pack-horse" helping me pack, load, carry, set-up and take down over 160 flags used in the presentation. Come to think of it maybe she is an angel... she has to be after putting up with me for 40 years!

Thanks for serving, Becky... and Welcome Aboard TSGS!

- Submitted by JGWest