52 Ancestors 2015: #1 Susan Driskill, Civil War Widow

"Love's Melancholy" by Constant Mayer, 1866
Public Domain from Wikipedia Commons

On August 18, 1862, Susan Driskill Latham's life was changed forever. Her husband of nearly 22 years, the father of her seven children, died from typhoid fever in a military hospital in Nashville, Tennessee.

Susan H. Driskill was born in 1827 in Kentucky.  At the age of 17, she married James Harvey Latham on September 25, 1844 in Clarksville, Tennessee.  They settled in Todd County, Kentucky, where they lived at the time the 1850 census was taken. Sometime between 1854 and 1856, the Lathams moved to Greeneville, Muhlenberg County, Kentucky.

James and Susan had nine children; seven of them survived childhood.  Two year-old Cordelia and baby Stephen, just 11 days old, died from scarlet fever in 1856. James and Susan's youngest child, Harvey Edward Latham, was born less than a month before his father was mustered in with his regiment on October 10, 1861.

It is doubtful that James Harvey Latham ever saw his wife or children again -- he died less than a year later. On the day of his death, he was quickly buried at the Nashville City Cemetery, then was later re-interred at the Nashville National Cemetery.  It does not seem likely that Susan would have been able to visit her husband's grave.  She had young children to care for, Nashville was over 100 miles away, and wartime made it unsafe to travel.

At the start of the Civil War, Kentucky was one of the neutral "border states", split in two over the issues of slavery and seccession.  Since it was a strategically important stronghold to both the North and South, Kentucky saw many fierce battles, many of them not far from where the Lathams lived. Perhaps this explains why Susan Latham and her seven childen moved to Hamilton County, Illinois between 1863 and 1864.

On October 12, 1864, Susan married Edmund Hawthorn, a widower, in Hamilton County.  She was 37; he was 51.  Edmund became the guardian for Susan's younger children, and his signature appears on the marriage license for my third great grandfather, John Wesley Latham.  Edmund and Susan had one daughter, Ida, who was born on June 13, 1867.  Susan's three oldest children (George, John, and Sophronia) were married and lived nearby -- and Susan now had three grandchildren.

Then, on November 20, 1869, Edmund Hawthorn died in Logansport, Illinois.  Susan was widowed twice by the time she was 42 years old.  But what happened to Susan after Edmund Hawthorn died? Unfortunately, I don't know.  Susan Hawthorn appears in the 1870 census with her four youngest children, but I haven't been able to find her in any records after that.  Perhaps she married a third time, or maybe she died before the 1880 census was taken.

Recently, I was able to connect with a cousin partly because of this blog!  She read my post on James Harvey Latham and visited his grave in Nashville a few weeks ago.  I have wanted to visit his grave myself for a long time, and it would be even more meaningful now that I know about Susan.

52 Ancestors: #39 Mary Gertrude Resslein, the Ship's Cook

"Scene Between Decks", The Illustrated London News, July 6, 1850.

In the summer of 1850, my great-great-great grandmother, Mary Gertrude Resslein, left her homeland of Bavaria and boarded the ship Marathon at the Port of Le Havre, France.   Captain Henry S. Tyler commanded the 890-ton ship, which was built in 1849.  A thorough study of the ship manifest reveals that she was 28 years old and had brought 2 chests with her. A family story is that Gertrude worked as a ship's cook to earn her passage. There were 408 passengers listed on the ship manifest; two young women died from a fever during the voyage.

Gertrude's granddaughter, Stella McCammon, wrote a letter to her sister Bertha describing the
voyage. The wind blew the ship off course, and they ran out of drinking water. According to Stella, Gertrude slipped food to a stowaway from Luxembourg on the ship.  His name was George Holzlider.   Gertrude and George disembarked from the Marathon at New York on July 26, 1850. Less than a month later, they were married in Hamilton County, Ohio.

Hamilton County, Ohio Marriage Certificate

At some point, the Holzliders moved to Decatur County, Indiana and eventually to North Vernon, Jennings County, Indiana. They raised five children, including my great great grandfather, William. Gertrude died at North Vernon sometime between 1880 and 1897.   It is not known where she is buried, but she may have been buried at a Potters Field in North Vernon.

52 Ancestors: #27 Caywood Davis, Man of Many Names

Davis family c, 1900. Back row: Rose, Belle, Lawrence.  Front row: William, Caywood, Paris, Sarah, Milton.

I have had a hard time researching my third great-grandfather because his name has been spelled many different ways: Chaywood, Kaywood, Raywood, Leawood, Chawood, Taywood, Cawood, and Charwood. 

Caywood Davis was born September 6, 1856 in Illinois.  He was the son of William Cors Davis and his second wife, Mary "Polly" Nicholson.  Caywood had a younger brother, Warner, and an older sister, Sarah, along with six older half siblings. 

Caywood married Sarah Richardson on October 4, 1874 in McLeansboro, Illinois.  They were both seventeen so they had to have consent from Caywood's father on the marriage certificate.

Caywood was a farmer for at least 20 years.  In 1880, the family lived on a farm in McLeansboro.  Their neighbors included Caywood's brother, Warner, and two of Sarah's sisters, Mary Ann and Lorinda Jane.  By 1910, Caywood had stopped farming and worked as a janitor at a church.  The Davises relocated to Vincennes, Indiana by 1920, and Caywood began a furniture business with his oldest son, Milton.

Children of Caywood and Sarah: Milton, William, Lawrence, Rose, Paris, Belle.

Sometime before 1930, Caywood and Sarah moved to Connersville, Indiana -- maybe because two of their children were living there.  Their daughter, Mrs. Belle Mount, had been living in Connersville since 1920 and ran her own salon, "La Belle Beauty Shop".  Their son, Paris, lived with Belle's family.  He later lived with Caywood and Sarah and was employed as a printer.  Caywood worked as a janitor at the Central State Bank.  He also was an employee at the Spicely Drug Store.  Caywood and his wife were members of the Grand Avenue Methodist Church in Connersville.

On April 9, 1947, following a long illness, Caywood Davis died.  His wife died ten days later.  They had celebrated their 72nd wedding anniversary the year before.

52 Ancestors: #26 George Holzlider, Stowaway from Luxembourg

Port of Havre, France, in 1841.

My 3 times great-grandfather, George Holzlider, had to flee for his life because he accidentally killed a rabbit.  His job was to flush out game for noblemen to hunt on the King's grounds in Luxembourg. In those days it was a crime to kill animals belonging to nobility.  After hiding in a dry well for a few days, George ventured his way to the French coast.  He stowed away on a ship that set sail from Havre, France bound for America.

According to George's granddaughter, Stella McCammon,  George became friends with the ship's young cook, who secretly gave him food.  Her name was Mary Gertrude. On August 13, 1850, George married her in Hamilton County, Ohio.  They were both 29.  He was a devout Protestant, and she was a Catholic.

George and Gertrude had two children while they lived in Ohio: Anna Mary and William (my great-great grandfather.)  Three more, Edward, Julia, and Lena, were born after the Holzliders moved to Jennings County, Indiana.  Lena, the youngest, was just six months old when her father enlisted in Co. D, 7th Decatur County Indiana Infantry on September 13, 1861.  He was discharged on September 20, 1864, after being wounded in the leg.  As a Civil War veteran, he received a pension of fourteen dollars a month.

After his wife died, George went to live with his granddaughter, Stella Holzlider McCammon, in Pierceville, Indiana. Sometime soon after, he fell out of a haymow and broke his hip.  George lived for two more weeks, then died on September 6, 1897 and was buried at St. Denis Cemetery in Zenas, Jennings County, Indiana. 

52 Ancestors: #15 Hester Florence Latham's Living Room

I wish I could travel back in time and walk into my great great-grandmother Hester's living room. Whenever I look at this photo, I wonder what books she has on her shelf and what color the velvet sofa is.  I wonder if the African violet on top of the shelf needs watering. (I raise violets myself.)

I wonder what the rest of the room looks like.

Hester and Milton on their 50th anniversary.
Back row, from left: Edith, Virgil, Mildred, Merle, Goldie.
Front row, from left: Pauline, Hester, Milton, Paul.

Hester Latham

Hester Latham, born March 11, 1878, was the daughter of John Wesley Latham and Harriett L.York.  She had an older brother, Joseph Daniel (1869), and a younger brother, Oscar (1881).  Hester grew upon a farm in McLeansboro, Illinois.

At eighteen, she married Milton Davis on September 28, 1896, in Hamilton County, Illinois.  Their first child, Edith, was born in 1897.  They had six more children: Goldie (1901), Virgil (1903), Merle (1906), Mildred (1910), and twins, Paul and Pauline (1916).

Between 1910 and 1914, the Davis family moved from McLeansboro to Vincennes, Indiana.  Milton opened a furniture store there.  (Maybe that's where she got the nice furniture in the photo.)  Hester died in Vincennes on May 7, 1951.

In addition to the pictures of Hester, I also treasure the topaz necklace that she owned.

52 Ancestors: #11 Sarah Elvira Richardson, Horseback Bride

The Richardson siblings. Standing, from left: Henrietta, Amanda, Rose, Elizabeth, Mary Ann.
Seated, from left: Millage, Lucetta, Sarah, Henry.  The eldest sister, Lorinda, had died before the picture was taken.

Sarah Richardson and Caywood Davis were married for 72 years!  The young couple (both were 17) married on October 4, 1874 in McCleansboro, Illinois at the home of Sarah's parents.  Following the ceremony, the couple rode on horseback to the home of the groom's brother, William C. Davis, for the wedding dinner. 

Sarah Elvira Richardson, my 3rd great grandmother, was born on October 14, 1855 in Tennessee.  Her parents were Henry Woodward Richardson and Angeline Hedgecock.  She was one of ten children; eight were girls.  By 1863 her family had moved to Illinois.  Her grandfather, Willis Hedgecock, was a Union captain in the Civil War.  In his wartime diary, Captain Hedgecock mentions visiting Sarah's family after he was discharged.

After Sarah and Caywood were married, they had eight children: Milton, William, Belle, Rose, Lawrence, Millage, Paris, and an infant who died.  They raised their children on a farm in Illinois, but by 1914 they had moved to Vincennes, Indiana.  Caywood started a furniture store with his oldest son, Milton.

Sarah and Caywood Davis with two of their sons.

By 1923 Sarah and Caywood had moved to Connersville, Fayette County, Indiana. Sarah died in Connersville, Indiana on April 19, 1947, ten days after the death of her husband.

52 Ancestors: #7 Milton M. Davis, Vincennes Furniture Merchant

Milton M. Davis, c. 1896

I am here to sell.  You people of Vincennes and neighboring Indiana and Illinois cities who have attended my auctions know that I MEAN BUSINESS when I say "I WILL SELL EVERYTHING TO THE BARE WALLS."  I will be pleased to meet all of my old friends and buyers at the Davis Furniture Company. 

My great-great grandfather Milton M. Davis published these emphatic words in the Vincennes Sun Commercial on September 24, 1935.  For 25 years, he owned and operated the M. M. Davis Furniture Store in Vincennes, Indiana.

Milton was born to Caywood Davis and Sarah Elvira Richardson in Illinois on December 10, 1875.  He had six younger siblings: four brothers (William, Lawrence, Millage, and Paris) and two sisters (Rose and Belle.)  The Davis family lived on a farm in McCleansboro, Hamilton County, Illinois.  On September 28, 1896 Milton married Hester Florence Latham in McCleansboro.  By 1900, they had rented a farm next to Milton's father.  Hester's mother, Harriett, lived with them for a while.  They had 5 children while they lived in McCleansboro: Edith (1897), Golda (1901), Virgil (1903), Merle (1906), and Mildred (1910).  In the 1910 census, Milton was described as a handyman.

An advertisement for Milton's furniture store.

Milton's family and his parents crossed the Illinois border into Vincennes, Indiana sometime between 1910 and 1914.  He and his father opened a furniture store together.  On February 25, 1916, Milton and Hester's last 2 children were born -- twins, Paul and Pauline.

Milton in front of his store in Vincennes.

After nearly ten years of partnership with his son, Caywood left the furniture business and moved to Connersville, Indiana.  Soon afterwards, Milton made an investment in some land, which turned out to be a mistake.  He was sued by the bank for foreclosure in 1924.  Milton was able to hold on to his furniture business and employed his daughter Goldie as a bookkeeper.

His son Virgil, my great grandfather, also began working as a salesman in his father's store.  Virgil and Goldie took over management of the store when Milton retired in 1935.  Milton still continued to have a hand in the family business.

A fire in 1939 caused severe damage to the building of the Davis furniture store.  The store had to be completely remodeled, but the business recovered from the fire and was still operating in 1954.  I'm not sure when the store finally closed down.

Milton died on August 27, 1953 in Vincennes, Indiana, two years after the death of his wife.