News Article Gibson Co., TN

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Russ FORTH, 33, actor, his wife, Irene, 24, and their daughter, 4, formerly of Evansville, Ind., were burned to death in a rooming house at Houston, Texas.

Source: Dyer Reporter (newspaper of Gibson County, TN), 17 Apr 1924, pg. 4.

- Submitted by Taneya Koonce.

Note: From the Browning Genealogical Online Database ~

Mr. Forth, wife and daughter died 01 Apr 1924 in an apartment building fire.  Russ jumped from the second story apartment followed by his wife who was holding the daughter.  They landed in a pile of bricks & glass badly burned.  He was the manager of a stock company playing in Houston.  Formerly, he was with the Orpheum Theater in Evansville.

Allan Forth, a brother died in Palisades Park, N. J. in 1953 at age 60.  Allan was born and raised in Evansville, member of theatrical family started at the old Orpheum Theater.  He managed, acted and produced vaudeville shows.  He had two brothers Russell and Ray who had died many years before him that also was in show business.

TSGS News

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TSGS May 2012 Meeting Highlights

President Don Counts opened the meeting with some brief business. John West, Nominating Committee Chair, announced the slate of candidates for the 2012-13 year: President – Don Counts; Vice-President – John G. West; Treasurer – Diana Davis; Recording Secretary – Kim Nightingale; Corresponding Secretary – Sue Hebbeler; Packet Editor – Brenda Legate; Program Chair – Bettie Cummings Cook, CG with the following Directors: Rena Goss, Larry Goss, Becky West, Karin Maria Kirsch, Mary Lou Bevers.

In the absence of the current Program Chair Becky West, John West introduced the guest speaker... Jeannie Browning Hester, CEO & Owner of Browning Funeral Home. Jeannie presented a slide presentation that was followed by a live online demonstration of the Browning Genealogy Online Database. Several new features were shown with examples of information on some of our TSGS members that can be found on this database. Perhaps the most used is the obituary collection from the Evansville newspapers from 1900 to the present that were compiled by Charles H. Browning over most of his life. There was lots of interaction throughout the program of the near 20 persons present.

After the program, the Browning family gave everyone a delicious cookie for attending, plus they donated a restaurant gift certificate for a drawing... with Carol Lantaff winning it. Another drawing for a genealogy T-shirt donated by Gloria Strott was won by Betty Counts! [Corrected donation of T-shirt from Gloria Strott... thanks, Gloria!]

- Compiled by JGWest

TSGS Meeting - Tonight!

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TSGS Meeting Notice... Tonight!

When: 08 May 2012 Tuesday Night - Tonight

Time: 7:00 PM

Where: Willard Library - 2nd. Floor

What: Monthly Meeting

A drawing for an attendance prize will be awarded at close of meeting... you must be present to win.

The Tri-State Genealogical Society will have a brief business meeting followed by a presentation by Jeannie Browning Hester ~"The Browning Online Genealogical Database."

Anyone interested in genealogy or history is invited... you do not need to be a member to attend the society's monthly meetings.


Donald R. Counts, TSGS President

TSGS Meeting Reminder - 08 May 2012

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TSGS Meeting Notice... Reminder!

When: 08 May 2012 Tuesday Night

Time: 7:00 PM

Where: Willard Library

What: TSGS Monthly Meeting

The Tri-State Genealogical Society will have a brief meeting followed by a presentation by Jeannie Browning Hester ~"Browning Online Database."

Anyone interested in genealogy or history is invited... you do not need to be a member to attend the society's monthly meetings.


An attendance prize will be awarded to someone attending, must be present during drawing to win.

Donald R. Counts, TSGS President

TSGS Meeting Announcement

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On Tuesday Night...

08 May 2012

the Tri-State Genealogical Society will have the honor of having Jeannie Browning Hester as the guest speaker. She will present an overview of the Browning Online Genealogical Database and give some tips on how to get the most from the site. Through this site the Browning family has made a major contribution to regional history & genealogy; and, it is being updated daily! The TSGS meeting begins at 7PM with a brief business meeting followed by this program. Location is the second floor of Willard Library. You do not need to be a member to attend the TSGS meetings. Anyone interested in genealogy or history will want to see this program.


Announced by Becky West, TSGS Program Chair

Tombstone Thursday - Stone

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Oak Hill Cemetery
Evansville, Indiana
Cicero Stone* 1878-1920
Section L, Lot 72, Grave 4

[Click on photo for a larger image. Note: the Masonic symbol.]
* Listed as Cercero J. Stone in the Oak Hill Cemetery online index of the death cards. http://www.evansvillegov.org/external/index.asp?site=http://www.evansvillegis.com/cemeteries/oakhill.aspx&type=City

In the Browning Online Genealogy Database http://browning.evpl.org/ shows that Cicero J. Stone died on 15 Feb 1920, survived by wife Maude; daughters - Ardath, Blanche & Beatrice; son Kenneth.

- Photo by JGWest

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

Tombstone Thursday - Dennedy

Oak Hill Cemetery
Evansville, Indiana
Section E, Lot 130
James H. Dennedy
and his wife
Hazel M. Derrwaldt
Above is the Dennedy family plot in Section E.

To the left is J. [James] Howard Dennedy's tombstone and to the lower right is his wife's marker - Hazel M. Derrwaldt.

Below are three obits for the two above and their son, James D. Dennedy. He died in New Mexico and was cremated in 1984. He was a well decorated soldier in WW II with the Silver Star Medal & the Purple Heart!

Below is the father's obit: James H. Dennedy who died in 1951. He was an Engineer and invented the Coldspot Refrigerator!!! [See obit for more information.]

Below is the mother's obit: Hazel Dennedy [nee Deerwaldt]. She died rather young at the age of 42 in 1942. She was a teacher.

This information above was assembled by me (JGWest) to help with a school project, see the email below:

TO: Tri-State Genealogical Society

Students in our 20th century Honors U.S. History class are researching cadets who served in World War II. One student is researching James Derrwaldt Dennedy of Evansville, IN. James D. Dennedy was born in Indiana 7 SEP 1925, the son of Hazel D. Dennedy & James H. Dennedy, an engineer.

The 1930 U.S. census indicates his family was living on East Mulberry Street in Evansville at the time. While he was at St. John's (FEB 1940 - JUN 1943), the family lived at 1319 East Chandler Avenue.

James D. Dennedy graduated from St. John's Military Academy in 1943. He entered the U.S. Army from Indiana and served with the 387th. Infantry in Germany. 2nd LT Dennedy was awarded the Purple Heart in APR 1945, and was awarded the Silver Star for gallantry in May 1945. He attended Indiana University in Bloomington after the war.

James D. Dennedy died in Albuquerque New Mexico in September 1984.
Do you have any additional information about James Derrwaldt Dennedy or his family? We are particularly interested in obituaries, marriage or birth announcements or other news articles. Please contact me with any further questions. Thank you very much for your help.

Sincerely,
~Peg Koller~
Librarian, NHS Advisor

St. John's Northwestern Military Academy

*********************************************

[If anyone can provide any additional information, I have her postal address, email & phone number. - JGWest]

- Blog compiled by JGWest

- Tombstone photos taken by JGWest

- Obituaries from the Browning Online Database -

http://local.evpl.org/

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

Tombstone Thursday - Fenn

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Oak Hill Cemetery

Evansville, Indiana

Russell Fenn

1896-1918

Section L, Lot 72, Grave 3

[Click on photos to get larger images]

These two cards were copied from the Browning Genealogy Database Online

- Tombstone photo taken & submitted by JGWest

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

"Who Do You Think You Are? - Review"

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Kim Cattrall is like many people who may not be interested in following their ancestry back to the Civil War or Revolutionary War, but rather want to know about one person in the family. Usually it is a mystery or has been a family secret. In Kim's case it was a mystery of 70 years ago when her grandfather abandoned his wife & three daughters. Kim's mother was the oldest daughter at age 8. They never saw or heard of him again. They did not even really know what he looked like. The 25 Feb 2011 episode of "Who Do You Think You Are?" NBC TV show was one of the best in my opinion and Kim used a lot of genealogical methods to track down her missing grandfather.

Kim found that her grandfather married another woman less than one year after he had left his family. From this she was able to use city directories and church records to find where he had gone & to track down some living children of the second marriage. This was a very sad story as Kim's family lived a very rough childhood, while her grandfather & his second family lived quite well.

My wife had a mystery that plagued her all of her life, but when she was 42 years of age, we found her birth parents' names and found them in Evansville city directories the year of her birth. Then we simply followed them back until her father was living without his wife. Then we looked for a marriage application and found it that provided her maiden name with his & her parents' names. Then we checked the Browning Obituary microfilm for deaths and found both of her parents listing their surviving children. Back to the city directories tracking down my wife's siblings... then we made a phone call and connected with all of her sisters & brothers. From her siblings (all older than her, she was the baby of 7 kids) she learned of the circumstances of her adoption! What she wanted to know her entire life was now known.

If you missed this episode or any of the others of season one or two, go to NBC.com to view the entire episodes.

- Review written by JGWest

From My Email Box - "Links & Other News!"

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Ohio Valley SAR Chapter member John Van Zandt sent me this info: "This email came to me from the Mississippi Society President on 7-13-2010." Hopefully by this time next year, you will be able to view SAR applications on Ancestry.com. The SAR has signed a contract with Ancestry which provides that Ancestry will digitize and index ALL SAR applications, and will post on their website those applications that were approved through 1970. - Joseph W. Dooley, NSSAR Genealogist General

This is a neat photo gallery that Don Counts forwarded to me: Captured: America in Color from 1939-1943 – Plog Photo Blog... These images (70), by photographers of the Farm Security Administration/Office of War Information, are some of the only color photographs taken of the effects of the Depression on America’s rural and small town populations. The photographs are the property of the Library of Congress and were included in a 2006 exhibit Bound for Glory: America in Color. This is on the DenverPost.com site.

Virginia L. Aldridge sent this via the invander@rootsweb.com email list: Subject: Re: [INVANDER] Browning Funeral Home Records [Her message was in response to people posting that they could not get the Browning Online Genealogical Database to upload.] "I had a similar experience recently. I believe they might have changed the name for the web page, as when I did a Google search I had no trouble locating it. Here is the link I put on my Resources Online page: http://browning.evpl.org/ "

This from TSGS Program Chair Becky West: "Remind everyone that starting at our 14 Sep 2010 meeting, we will begin the meetings at 7:00 PM this is one half hour earlier than it used to be... this is the new time as voted into practice by the TSGS members."

Deborah Hull sent this via the MyFamily.com site - Our Breckinridge, Hancock and Ohio County Cousins: "Found this at Access Genealogy." http://www.accessgenealogy.com/worldwar/kentucky/breckinridge.htm

Access Genealogy claims to be the largest free genealogy web site not owned by Ancestry.com! And it has some great data... check it out.

Tombstone Thursday - Gaultney

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Locust Hill Cemetery

Evansville, Indiana

Civil War Section

Fleety Gaultney

Died 12 July 1930

Accoring to the Browning Online Genealogy Database, he died on 19 Jul 1930 and he was only 49 years old... died at the Marine Hosptal. He was survived by wife Hattie and 3 sisters: Mrs. Emma Parker, Mrs. Joe Haas, & Mrs. Edgar Schmitt.

- Photo taken & submitted by JGWest

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

Navigating Along the River - Research Tips

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Obituaries...

As time goes on, more databases are posted on the Internet. Many of these are not known to us genealogists & family historians. Of course the online obituary sites are great for getting additional information about our families. Remember, however, that the information is only as good as the informant or compiler of that info. The newspaper will make mistakes, too. Most is correct, but it needs to be verified (documented) as we do everything else in our research.

I just learned about the Owensboro, KY Obituary Index from Bettie Cook [click on link to go to that site]. I have some Owensboro area family that have died... I searched for them and find all that I checked for, but I have many, many more to search for later. The index is full of information for the period of 1842-1919 and 1990-present with these two periods listing: Name, Obituary Date, Age, Birth Date, Birth Place, Death Date, Death Place, Cemetery, Cause of Death, Survivors, Comments! A third section from 1920-1989 only has a brief abstracts of the obituaries: Name, Obituary Date, Age, Death Place, Birth Place.

Most reading this blog already knows about the Browning Genealogical Database with obituaries posted from the early 1900's to date. This database also includes a "People Studies" section that has newspaper articles about people in the Evansville & tri-state area as reported by the Evansville newspapers.

These are only two of the obituary indices online. Perhaps our TSGS Webmaster might begin to compile a list of obituary websites in the tri-state area to help our researchers. I will discuss this with Terry Winchester to see what he thinks. In the meantime, seen me any links you have found concerning obits in the area... I will review them and then they can be put together on the website.

- Owensboro Obituary link provided by Bettie Cook.
- Article written by JGWest

"Chalet Dedication at Burdette Park 23 July 1993"

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At Burdette Park there are 5 very nice chalets ...

I have wondered about the dedication of one chalet for a long time, it is the only one with a thin metal plate that has tarnished somewhat. Here is what it says: "Dedicated to David S. Garrett July 23, 1993." I asked about him about 10 years ago and someone on the Burdette staff said that he was an employee who had died in an accident. Recently, I was at Burdette Park and noticed the plaque and took a picture of it with my new cell phone (below).
I checked the online Browning Database to see when he died and maybe what happened to him. Garrett died on a Sunday 07 Mar 1993 from a motorcycle accident onUS 41. He was 32 years old. He was an ironworker and carpenter at Burdette Park.

- Compiled by JGWest

Tombstone Thursday - Fisher

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Private First Class Jewell Ray Fisher
Oak Hill Cemetery
Evansville, Indiana


PFC Fisher was killed in action in Korea during the Korean War on 25 April 1953 according to the Browning Obituary Database. Note the photo (damaged) with him in uniform and the flag dangling around the staff in a horizontal position. You can just barely see the stars in the flag.

- Photo taken & submitted by JGWest

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

Marker/Plaque/Monument Monday

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Albert M. Bishea...
26-year Vanderburgh County Agriculture Extension Agent


The Vanderburgh County 4-H Center on US Highway 41 North is dedicated to youth in his honor. He was the Extension Agent from 1940 until his retirement in 1967.


At the time of his retirement, Mr. Bishea was serving on the Burdette Park Board. The Board named one of the park's rental buildings (Shelter House) after him known as the Bishea Building (or the Bishea Shelter House).

According to the Browning Genealogy Database , Albert M. Bishea died 1n 1975 at the age of 74. He became the Agriculture Advisor on WGBF radio right up to within a week of his death. A graduate of Purdue University, he was born in Ripley County, Indiana. He was a past president of the Evansville Downtown Kiwanis Club.

- Photos taken & submitted by JGWest

From My Email Box - Joe Cook & Lyles Station

Email follow-ups on "Who is Joe Cook?" that was the subject of this past Monument Monday. And a link to a site for Lyles Station, a significant African-American community in Southwestern Indiana.

From Don Counts: A biography of Joe Cook from Juggler's World: Vol. 38, No. 1 http://www.juggling.org/jw/86/1/yesterdays.html

From Joe Weiss: See Browning [Online Database] obit for Joe Cook died 15 May 1959 in NY
http://browning.evpl.org/ Cook, a nationally known comedian, left Evansville in 1907. His parents had a grocery at 4th. & Oak Streets in Evansville where the Elks placed a plaque to honor Joe Cook and the Elks made him their first “Life Member.”

From Don Counts: This web site will be of local historical value concerning Lyles Station - http://www.lylesstation.org/geneo/messageboard.html


From Don Counts: September 11, 2009 Special Edition Heroes for The City-County Observer. This issue will be dedicated to the men and women serving in the United States Armed Forces. Here is where Don needs our help, he is going to be the Editor for the Special Edition Honoring Heroes. Please email him a story about your hero. It can be a person or group that served in the Military, Fire Department, EMS, police or sheriffs deputies. Heroes should be from Posey, Vanderburgh, or Warrick Counties. Please send those stories as soon as possible. Don's email: "Don Counts" dcounts@insightbb.com

- Compiled by JGWest

Paddling Back Up-River - Article Follow-Up

This is a follow-up of the Actor Frank Vincent Kiefer article. Nora Smith was one of the genealogical researchers, besides Brenda Jerome, to answer the challenge to learn more about this mysterious local actor. Nora sent me a lot of data with references, although some was from other people's research that did not have all of the sources listed. I will attempt here to briefly summarize what she sent me... with the hope others will help to unravel the mystery further.

Frank Kiefer is found in the 1900 U.S. Federal Census as being born in May 1874 (Indiana) living in Pigeon Township of Evansville, Indiana. By 1910, he was living with his brother-in-law's family (Edward Rabin) where he was listed as an Actor (age 38, single, both parents born in Germany). Then in 1920 U.S. Census, he was 44 with spouse Mary (Mary Josephine Haag, dau. of Peter Haag). Mary Haag Kiefer 1872-1948. There is another Kiefer that was an actor also.

Nora said she could not find a Frank Vincent Kiefer in Ancestry.com, but did find a Vincent Kiefer in 1880, Mt. Vernon, Indiana born about 1872.

The Frank that died in 1955 and buried in St. Joseph Cemetery in Evansville was the one that was married to Mary Haag (and listed as "Frank W.") and apparently not the same one with tombstone at Oak Hill Cemetery that died in 1833! So, who is he in relation to our actor Frank? From a scrapbook of Anna Thomas Loehrlein, there is newspaper clipping "Aged Man Kills Self with Gun: Health Blamed." What the clipping says is not available at this time!

According to Ancestry.com "One World Tree:" Mary Josephine Haag (wife of Frank W. Kiefer) is buried at St. Joseph Cemetery & had 3 children - one William Kiefer owned Terry's Steak House. Some information from the Browning Database.

- Submitted by Nora Smith... Compiled & edited by JGWest

"The Kiefer Mystery Case"

Frank Vincent Kiefer

Yesterday for Tombstone Thursday we featured the grave marker for Frank Kiefer. Several odd pieces of information has made him a bit of a mystery. The marker states he is an actor... so one would wonder, what type of actor - and was he local, regional or on a larger stage? That is just mere curiosity, however. The mystery is a little more than that. His marker states he was born on"Friday May 26, 1873" & died on "Friday May 26, 1933" - for any genealogist this looks suspicious and sticks out like a sore thumb! One of those "Friday May 26" engravings is probably incorrect! Now, Brenda Jerome reported that the 1930 Census lists a Frank Kiefer who would be about the right age living with his family on Emmett Street in Evansville, Indiana. Now, in the Browning Obits Database there is a Frank Kiefer age 79 that died in 1955 with the similar survivors as the Keifer family in the 1930 Census living at 1303 Emmett Street. At age 79 in 1955 (if that is the right age) this Frank Kiefer would have been born about 1876 (close enough to suspect he is the same man).

So, what is the scoop on this guy? Genealogists, historians, mystery lovers... I challenge you to unraffle this man's life so we will know his story! Write to me or comment on this blog. Here is my email addy: jgw.mylines@gmail.com

- Submitted by JGWest

Tombstone Thursday - (Actor) Frank Vincent Kiefer

Actor Frank Vincent Kiefer

(Note the curtain across the top!)

There is a curious tombstone in New salem Campground Cemetery on
Campground Road in Evansville. The inscription reads as follows:

The Final Curtain For Actor
Frank Vincent Kiefer
Born Friday May 26, 1873
Died Friday May 26, 1933

Did not find an obituary for this man, but he is listed on the 1930
Vanderburgh County census on Emmett Street in Evansville. His
occupation is listed as a saleman at a flour mill.

The tombstone was photographed 25 April 2009 by Brenda Joyce Jerome and submitted by her.

Note: We have not found anything on this "actor" - maybe someone can find something more about him! Browning Database Obits list a Frank Kiefer that died in 1955 & had lived at 1303 Emmett Street... is this the same man? - JGWest

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

THE CAPTAIN'S LOG -TSGS News

We had a very nice sized crowd at our March meeting last night - the room was full with people sitting back in the microfilm reader area! Mary Lou Bevers started everything off with a great HELP Session that she had to finalize her notes with little notice to substitute for a cancellation. Her subject was "Falsified Legal Records" and was very interesting. Special thanks to Mary Lou!

I think we had a good meeting. It was reported that the latest membership count of paid members is 312 for 2008-2009 which is 20 higher than what was reported in the last few days here.

The Good News is that the society members voted to spend up to $5,000 for microfilm of county records in Kentucky & Virginia plus the Draper Manuscripts. We will only be able to buy about 35% of this great collection, but the owner has promised to hold off sale elsewhere for us to have a chance to buy more later.

I have been impressed with the Browning microfilmed obits from the Evansville Newspapers since before 1990 and was nearly overwhelmed with the Browning Online Database when it came out. Last night the Browning Genealogy Foundation impressed me even more! They brought with them about 10 people that work with the Foundation including Mrs. Browning. Dr. Mark Browning led a power point presentation and went online to show us some very neat data that has recently been added... incredible! Mr. Charles Browning (deceased) started saving obits from the newspaper and put them on filing cards. He was owner and funeral director of Browning Funeral Home in Evansville. Now, his wife, son and daughters are expanding what he started. Visit their newest home page: Browning Obituaries (& other databases).

The President appointed the Nominating Committee for the 2009-2010 Officers & Directors: Bettie Cook (Chair), Brenda Jerome & Don Counts.

John G. West, TSGS President