52 Ancestors 2015: #14 Little Napoleon

James Cyrus Green, c. 1898
H. S. Stephens, Rushville, Indiana

This is my great-grandfather when he was about four years old.  I wonder how he felt about wearing this outfit.  The enormous bow tie and the tall button boots must have been very uncomfortable for him, but perhaps it made him feel special to be all dressed up.  The riding crop and bicorne hat seem unusual to me -- maybe they are props from the photographer.  I think they make him look like a little Napoleon Bonaparte.

James Cyrus Green (called Cyrus) was born on September 12, 1894 in Arlington, Indiana.  His parents were John D. Green, M.D. and Lavanche Emarine Trees.  He had two younger siblings, a sister named Mary Catherine and a brother named Maurice Thomas.  As a young man, Cyrus attended Sewanee Military Academy in Tennessee.  On June 12, 1916, Cyrus married Mary Ida Sefton in Greensburg, Indiana.  He died June 25, 1964 in Rushville, Indiana.

52 Ancestors: #11 Henry Sefton of County Antrim

Giant's Causeway, County Antrim, 2011.
Photo taken by my brother.

Four years ago, my brother spent a whole semester in Ireland.  He even celebrated St. Patrick's Day in Dublin!  I am still jealous.

At the time, I didn't know about my Irish 5th great grandfather, Henry Sefton.  If I had known, I would have asked my brother to do some research for me.  He was probably too busy anyway ... climbing hills and bodhran-drumming and step-dancing and eating at pubs (and maybe studying).

Although I didn't get to travel to Ireland, I was lucky enough to inherit some notes about the Sefton family that were handwritten by Henry Sefton's 2nd great grandaughter, Nettie Ryan Hamilton.

According to Nettie, Henry Sefton was born in Ireland on November 10, 1767.  His father, John Sefton, a Protestant, had fled England due to religious persecution and afterwards became an officer in the Army of Ireland.  Henry married Elizabeth Boyes in 1799 in County Antrim, now part of Northern Ireland.  In 1803, Henry, along with his wife and two children and his brother William, left Ireland to come to America, settling in Butler County, Ohio.  Over the next decade, the Sefton clan grew to include eight more children, including my 4th great grandfather William O. Sefton.

In the early 1830s, a cholera epidemic swept across the midwest.  Henry's young daughter, Charlotte French, and her husband Jeremiah died in June 1834, leaving their infant son an orphan.  Then, on July 27, 1834, Henry Sefton fell victim to the dreaded disease.  He was buried at New Haven Cemetery in Cincinnati, Ohio.

One Year Blogiversary!

One year ago today I started my blog!  Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to read my posts.  Here are a few from the past year that are my favorites.

First post:  Mary Ida Sefton and Her 29 Roses

Most viewed post: Carrie C. Fields, Red Skelton's Aunt

Favorite post:  Fanny Gowdy and an American Romance in Paris

Longest post:  The Wartime Diary of Captain Willis E. Hedgecock

Shortest post: Nancy Tombaugh, Midwife of Richland County

Saddest post: Little Mary Catherine Green

Funniest post:  Nancy Oliver, Who Waited 3 Years For Groceries

And finally, the post with my favorite picture:

Dola M. Worland, Gold Star Mother

52 Ancestors: #30 William O. Sefton, "Ohio Billy"

Edward Bebb Sefton, son of William O. Sefton, and his family.  They are standing in front of the farmhouse William built.

My 4th great-grandfather, William Sefton, was born in Butler County, Ohio on February 22,1806. His parents, Henry Sefton and Elizabeth Boyes, were immigrants from County Antrim, Ireland.  At the age of 25, William married Catherine Shuck on October 20, 1831. Seven years after they were married, the couple decided to begin farming in Decatur County, Indiana.  In order to prevent confusion, William added the middle initial "O" to his name, since there was already another William Sefton living in the same township.  The initial stood for his native state of Ohio.

William, Catherine, and their five children settled in a log cabin which  had been built on land owned by his father, Henry Sefton.  My great-great-great grandfather, Edward Sefton, was the first to be born in that cabin.  Over the years, as William grew in wealth, the log cabin was expanded into large farmhouse to accommodate his growing family.  He owned about a thousand acres of land, the end result of many years of toil and effort.

William O. Sefton was a Democrat in his political views, and though he was popular with his party, he never aspired to office.  He once served as a trustee, at a time when it took three men to transact all the business for the township of Clinton, where he lived.

"He was cautious and conservative in his business operations, and seldom made mistakes in his investments. Personally he was a man of fine character, social in his disposition, of undoubted integrity, and honored in all his dealings. He had a high standard of morality, never having used any bad language, and lived up to the commandments to the best of his knowledge, although he never united with any church." (from A Geographical and Biographical Record of Decatur County, Indiana by the Lewis Publishing Company, 1900, p. 374)

William O. Sefton died of an " attack of pneumonia" on October 29, 1862, when he was 62.

52 Ancestors: #9 Mary Edna Bird, Young Poet

Mary Edna Bird was a great admirer of poetry and even wrote some poems herself.  "Many were the beautiful words that Mary saved from different books and papers.  Often when she found something that she thought was nice, she would come bringing it to her husband or sisters and say, 'Listen to what a beautiful piece I have,' and read it to them." (From her obituary in the Greensburg Standard.)

At the age of 19, Mary composed the following poem in remembrance of her mother, Sarah Lane Bird, who died after childbirth, leaving Mary motherless at two years old. 

She slept.  We stood beside her

My great great grandmother, Mary Edna Bird, c. 1891

And watched her as she lay
With clasped hands on her bosom,
Like children when they pray.

The west was bright with sunset;
We knew that night was near,
And whispered to each other,
"O, would the moon were here!"

Night fell.  The peaceful moonlight  
Came in and kissed her face
So worn with pain and waiting,
Yet full of sweetest grace.

We heard far down the meadow
One lonesome whipporwill,
And with hushed voice we whispered,
"Dear mother sleepeth still."

She slept but ne'r to waken
To earth and sorrow more.
We heard the angels singing
Some song on heaven's far shore.

Mary's poem, in her own handwriting.

We knew the mystic boatman
Had sailed across the sea
And bourn the soul of mother
To God's eternity.

Gone home!  O,  angel mother
Sometimes from heaven's far strand
We hear your dear voice calling.
We see your beckoning hand.

And though between our pathways
There rolls so deep a tide,
We know you love your children 
The same as when you died.

The Bird sisters: Mary (left), Nina (top), and Grace (right.)

Mary Edna Bird was born January 22, 1871 in Decatur County, Indiana to James Harvey Bird and Sarah Ann Lane.  She had two older sisters, Nina and Grace, and six older half siblings: Leonidas, William, Alice, Ida Mae, James, and Martha. 

Mary married Romie Michael Sefton on December 21, 1891.  On October 12, 1893, she gave birth to healthy twin daughters, Mary Ida and Ruth Edna.  Tragically, Mary Edna had a "severe attack of heart disease" and died six hours later, one year to the day after the death of her father. 

After Mary died, her sister Nina stepped into the role of the twins' mother.  Nina and Romie were married in November of 1894.

52 Ancestors: #6 Romie Michael Sefton, "My Favorite Person in the World"

Romie Michael Sefton

One day while visiting my grandfather, I found a large picture stashed behind a cabinet.  When I showed it to him, he said, "Hallelujah!  That's my favorite person in the world!"   The picture (shown at right) was of his Grandpa Sefton. 

Romie Michael Sefton was born November 11, 1868 in Decatur County, Indiana.  His parents were Edward Bebb Sefton and Caroline Kenney Smiley.  Romie had three brothers and two sisters: William (who lived less than a year), Willamina, Henry, Ella, and Edward Jr.

Nina, Ruth, Mary, and Romie Sefton c. 1895

On December 21, 1891, Romie married Mary Edna Bird.  She died October 12, 1893, after giving birth to twin daughters, Mary Ida and Ruth Edna.  It must have been a very difficult time for him.  A year later, he married Mary Edna's older sister, Nina Bird, on November 29, 1894.  She became the twins' mother.

The Indianapolis Star, March 25, 1939

Romie lived in Decatur County his entire life and was a successful farmer.  I have several pictures of him with his farm animals, which included pigs, chickens, cattle, sheep, geese, and draft horses.  One of his cows, Daisy, was so clever that she learned how to feed herself by pulling a rope attached to a feedbox.  He seemed to be very fond and proud of all his animals.

Romie and his draft horses

Romie visiting his daughter Ruth's home

Romie liked to played the fiddle and listen to country music on the radio.  He also enjoyed playing practical jokes.  Here's my grandfather's account of one of Romie's pranks:

At least once each winter Gramp would get me with one of his favorite practical jokes.  On a very cold morning, he would sometimes find a frozen egg.  I remember his coming in the house with the egg basket crooked on his arm, but he would also have something in his hands.  He would say, "Johnny, I have a present for you," and with his hands closed together, he would have me hold out my hands.  Cautioning me to be careful, he would try to transfer the present to my hands.  Of course, he would be sure that it would fall to the floor with a loud thud.  My heart would leap to my mouth as I saw the egg fall.  I knew Mother would be angry because we got the floor dirty.  A solidly frozen egg, however, makes no mess and Gramp once again had his joke on me.

Romie died on August 25, 1949 at the age of 80 and was buried at Shiloh Cemetery in Decatur County.

His house still stands today.  It is located just off of I-74 in Greensburg.  In recent years, a new Honda manufacturing plant and a hotel have sprung up beside the old farmhouse. My family and I visited the house about seven years ago.

52 Ancestors: #1 Mary Ida Sefton and Her 29 Roses

Mary Ida Sefton Green and her roses.

My great-grandmother, Mary Ida Sefton, loved gardening.  She was especially fond of roses.  She carried a huge bouquet of pink Sweetheart roses at her wedding.  At one time, she had 29 different varieties of roses growing in her garden in Decatur County, Indiana.  She even started her own gardening club -- the Give-and-Take Garden Club. 

My grandfather remembers that she always kept a large planter of moss rose in the summer.  This inspired me to plant some last summer and they have become one of my favorite flowers.

Mary Ida and her twin Ruth Edna

Mary Ida and her identical twin sister, Ruth Edna, were born on October 12, 1893 in Decatur County, Indiana.  The twins shared their mother's names: Mary and Edna.  Sadly, their mother, Mary Edna Bird, died only hours after they were born at the age of 22.  Someone was sent in a horse and buggy to a neighboring town in search of a wet nurse; otherwise, the twins wouldn't have survived.  A year later, their father, Romie Sefton, married Mary Edna's sister Nina Bird, and together they raised the little girls.  Ruth and Mary often dressed in matching clothes.

It seems like Mary had a fun childhood.  She grew up on a farm in Greensburg, Indiana.  I have many pictures of her with her sister and their friends.  She had lots of aunts and uncles and cousins.  While in high school, she won a Brownie camera and left behind an album full of snapshots of Decatur County.  In 1904, she went with her family to the World's Fair in St. Louis.  I have souvenir bookmarks that Mary and Ruth bought there.

Mary (on the left) and Ruth wearing matching coats and hats.

Mary's bookmark

Mary Ida Sefton, c. 1912

Mary Ida married James Cyrus Green on June 12, 1916.  They lost their first child, James Sefton Green in 1920.  Their only surviving child, John Richard Green, is my grandfather.  Several times, my grandfather confused his aunt Ruth with his mother.   Even now, he has trouble telling them apart in pictures.

Traveling was something Mary clearly enjoyed.  In the 1930's, she and her husband took a trip by automobile to Mexico, something very uncommon at that time.  The family went on a trip to North Carolina in 1938.

Mary was involved in the Decatur County Republican Committee.  In 1940 she met Mrs. Wendell Wilkie on a campaign in Rushville, Indiana. 

Mary died in 1941, with her twin by her bedside.  My grandpa was only a teenager and was working at the Grand Hotel in Mackinac Island at the time.  Her death was greatly mourned by her family and her community.

The brick house she and her family lived in still stands today.  I visited the house a few years ago with my grandpa, and he showed me where the rose garden used to be.