This semester I've been doing 100-hour 3-generation research project on the Bennett family. The three generations I'm studying are:
1. John Earl Bennett, son of...
2. William Jasper Bennett, son of...
3. John H. Bennett.
I have to admit. This project is for two classes, and my two professors have had me search several different places so far. Finding information on these folks has been quite difficult. I have a lot of clues, but it has been hard to track down solid information on these men. Some of the information I have is in the family tradition, but how much of that tradition is true?
As I've been searching for more clues to the puzzle, I've been thinking a lot. These men were ordinary folks, and we believe they were country folk, at that. (I love country folks. :) I've been able to find a few dates and places, but, as a girl, I want details. Who were these men? What did they do their whole lives? What was life like for them? What sort of struggles did they have? What were their triumphs? How was their family life? What can I learn from them, and how can I relate to them?
This gets me thinking even more. What will it be like for my descendants when they are looking for information on me? Will they know what I was like? Will they want to know what I was like? What sort of legacy will I leave behind in records for those who come after me to remember me by?
These three men are important to me; I wouldn't be here without them! I believe that, although they lived long before me, some of our experiences in life wouldn't be so unrelated after all. While I will never be able to learn their whole stories in this life, I can at least learn from the clues and try to imagine what life must have been like for them.
When I meet these ancestors in the next life, hopefully I'll be pleasantly surprised at how much I know about them already.
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Another clue about John's parents
John H. Bennett was enlisted in the military for the US Civil War. He applied for pension later on in life.
At the bottom of the General Affidavit that was filed in McDonald County, Missouri on 8 June 1909, John listed some information about his parents.
What a find! We've been stuck on finding his parents for years. I believe there probably are some records out there that John either didn't know about or didn't have access to.
I searched on FindAGrave.com to see if anything came up, but no luck as of yet. I did a search on FamilySearch.org, and there are definitely some microfilms that I want to look through. Maybe I can send for the death certificates. I swear I just learned something about where to search for midwestern vital records...like this week. It's time to search my notes from class.
Any suggestions?
At the bottom of the General Affidavit that was filed in McDonald County, Missouri on 8 June 1909, John listed some information about his parents.
"As stated to me by those who claimed to know, I am 72 years old next September. My father died in 1847 and my mother one week later. This occurred in Edwards County, Illinois. They left no family records."
What a find! We've been stuck on finding his parents for years. I believe there probably are some records out there that John either didn't know about or didn't have access to.
I searched on FindAGrave.com to see if anything came up, but no luck as of yet. I did a search on FamilySearch.org, and there are definitely some microfilms that I want to look through. Maybe I can send for the death certificates. I swear I just learned something about where to search for midwestern vital records...like this week. It's time to search my notes from class.
Any suggestions?
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Family Bible information...
My grandparents sent me a package a while back with some information about John and Mary. My grandparents have been heading all of the research on John and Mary up to this point.
Grandma and Grandpa have been keeping in touch with a distant cousin (Bonnie) who has also been doing some family history research. My grandparents sent me a copy of a letter that Bonnie sent to them dated August 8, 2005.
Here's a quote from that letter dealing with Mary C. Welty and her family:
WOW! First of all, who knew there was a family Bible?
It's cool to have all that information about Mary's parents--and about John too! I'll have to look for John on FindAGrave.com since a cemetery is listed for him.
My grandparents also sent me a copy of John's war pension application that was filed by Mary. I need to look through the pension record more closely. It's interesting to think that John served in the military (at the very least for a short while).
Granted, there could be some faulty information here. Mary was older when she gave this information, and memory is fallible. I also don't know if she wrote down the information or if someone else acted as scribe. If the latter was the case, then there is a possiblity of something not being recorded correctly. Then there's the fact that this information was transcribed by another person, Bonnie, and sent in a letter to my grandparents, who then copied the letter and sent it to me. There were several opportunities for the information to be corrupted, although one can only hope that that wasn't the case...
I think it's time to find more proof. Family history research is sort of like a treasure hunt, isn't it?
Grandma and Grandpa have been keeping in touch with a distant cousin (Bonnie) who has also been doing some family history research. My grandparents sent me a copy of a letter that Bonnie sent to them dated August 8, 2005.
Here's a quote from that letter dealing with Mary C. Welty and her family:
"I [Bonnie] am also going to quote what I have written in my family Bible.
" 'Information about Welty family, given by Mary C. Welty in Nov. 1917: Daniel Welty, her father, born Dec. 24, 1815, died Sept. 22, 1890. Her mother, Hannah Burget (or Burger, unclear) was born Oct. 19, 1822, died Nov. 14, 1897. Daniel Welty and Hannah L. Burget were married Nov. 12, 1840.
" 'Mary C. Welty was born Nov. 15, 1844 in Pike County, Illinois. She married John H. Bennett on Feb 2, 1865. John H is buried at New Bethel Cemetery, near Anderson, MO. This information is from a claim filed by Mary Welty for John's war pension after his July 12, 1917 death. Claim filed Nov. 29, 1917.' "
WOW! First of all, who knew there was a family Bible?
It's cool to have all that information about Mary's parents--and about John too! I'll have to look for John on FindAGrave.com since a cemetery is listed for him.
My grandparents also sent me a copy of John's war pension application that was filed by Mary. I need to look through the pension record more closely. It's interesting to think that John served in the military (at the very least for a short while).
Granted, there could be some faulty information here. Mary was older when she gave this information, and memory is fallible. I also don't know if she wrote down the information or if someone else acted as scribe. If the latter was the case, then there is a possiblity of something not being recorded correctly. Then there's the fact that this information was transcribed by another person, Bonnie, and sent in a letter to my grandparents, who then copied the letter and sent it to me. There were several opportunities for the information to be corrupted, although one can only hope that that wasn't the case...
I think it's time to find more proof. Family history research is sort of like a treasure hunt, isn't it?
Saturday, January 23, 2010
A clue!
I was doing a bit of research the other day and came across an exciting bit of information. I found John H. Bennett on the 1880 U.S. Census, and it listed where his parents were born: Kentucky.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This might not seem like the biggest deal, but it was to me. You see, John H. Bennett was orphaned when he was 10 or 11, and so far we haven't been able to figure out who his parents were or even where they were from. You can't imagine how ecstatic I was when I found John, Mary, and their seven children on the census record--and where John's parents were born!
It's definitely a step towards the goal of finding out who John's parents were. Hooray!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This might not seem like the biggest deal, but it was to me. You see, John H. Bennett was orphaned when he was 10 or 11, and so far we haven't been able to figure out who his parents were or even where they were from. You can't imagine how ecstatic I was when I found John, Mary, and their seven children on the census record--and where John's parents were born!
It's definitely a step towards the goal of finding out who John's parents were. Hooray!
Friday, January 15, 2010
Opening Photograph
I received the photograph at the top of this blog from my grandparents. It is a photo of John H. Bennett and his wife, Mary Catharine Welty. I'm not sure when it was taken, and the resolution isn't that great, but I consider it a treasure and am grateful to have it in my possession!
The family story says that Mary C. Welty was half Cherokee Indian. I find that interesting to think about when I look at this photograph. Although the photo quality isn't fabulous, I have to wonder if Mary really was half Cherokee.
If she was, that makes me 1/64 Cherokee. :)
The family story says that Mary C. Welty was half Cherokee Indian. I find that interesting to think about when I look at this photograph. Although the photo quality isn't fabulous, I have to wonder if Mary really was half Cherokee.
If she was, that makes me 1/64 Cherokee. :)
Welcome!
Welcome to my blog! This blog is dedicated to the research of John H. Bennett and his descendants.
John H. Bennett was married to Mary Catharine Welty. While a great deal of research has been done on Mary's line, John was orphaned when he was 10 or 11, and the identity of his parents is still unknown.
John and Mary had a son named William Jasper Bennett.
William Jasper Bennett had a son named John Bennett and another son named Samuel Harrison Bennett.
Samuel Harrison Bennett, "Granddad," was my great-grandfather.
My hope is to learn as much about this family as I can. I hope to learn more than just dates and places; I want to learn as much as I can about who they were and how they lived. I hope to post my findings to this blog so that you, too, can learn about these people.
John H. Bennett was married to Mary Catharine Welty. While a great deal of research has been done on Mary's line, John was orphaned when he was 10 or 11, and the identity of his parents is still unknown.
John and Mary had a son named William Jasper Bennett.
William Jasper Bennett had a son named John Bennett and another son named Samuel Harrison Bennett.
Samuel Harrison Bennett, "Granddad," was my great-grandfather.
My hope is to learn as much about this family as I can. I hope to learn more than just dates and places; I want to learn as much as I can about who they were and how they lived. I hope to post my findings to this blog so that you, too, can learn about these people.
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