My Trails into the Past

Some advice I like to give in my genealogy classes is to dig a little deeper. Each document that we find on genealogy websites tells us more than what is on the surface. Yeah, that 1900 census gives us the names of everyone in the household along with their birth month and year and their occupation. There are twenty-eight columns plus the information written at the top of the page. About Their Address For example, my great-grandparents are listed on the Anaconda, Deer Lodge County, Montana 1900 census page as living at 709 West Commercial Avenue. [1] What can I do with that information? I can start by using a Google Map and see what that address is today. [2]   I can search in newspaper databases for the address, as I have done here. This is a notice from an 1896 newspaper about a lost or stolen sorrel mare with a complete description. [3] I am not sure if the owners are my Sullivans, as there is no name attached to the notice.   Number of Children Let’s dig deeper int...

Calling all Genea-Musings Fans: It's Saturday Night again - time for some more Genealogy Fun!! Here is our assignment from Randy Seaver of Genea-Musing : 1) Pick a great-grandparent of yours - any one of your eight. Tell us three (or more) things about him or her. I have selected my paternal great-grandmother, Anna Marie Gleeson. She was born 13 February 1860 in Carleton County, Ontario, Canada, to John Gleeson and Margaret Tierney. She came to the United States with her parents and nine brothers and sisters around 1879. It is likely the family came to Dakota Territory because of the draw of free land through the Homestead Act. Four of the Gleeson family obtained land: her father, John, her brothers, Martin and John James, and Ann herself. She received a patent for 160 acres in Davison County, Dakota Territory. She purchased the land for $200 at $1.25 per acre. Because she was a single woman, she was allowed to petition for the land. This land was located the northeast quarter o...

This is my fourth year working on this year-long 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks prompt, hosted by Amy Johnson Crow. I will write each week in one of my two blogs, either Mam-ma’s Southern Family or at My Trails into the Past. I have enjoyed writing about my children’s ancestors in new and exciting ways. My grandmother, Anna M. Sullivan, was born in Anaconda, Montana, the youngest child of five. She had just one brother, Jack, and three sisters, Helena (Nellie), Loretto, and Ethel. [1] After attending the Normal School in Dillon, Montana, she then taught school until her marriage to William Cyril Hork on 30 Nov 1922. [2] Shortly after their marriage, the couple moved to Los Angeles, California. [3] They did make visits back to Montana over the years. I have a photo of their first child, Lorene in Hamilton, where Cyril was from. After Anna and Cyril separated, Anna made several trips to Montana to visit her sister, Nellie, who lived in Anaconda. One of the trips in 1946, her sister,...

Today, April 6, is the 103rd anniversary of the United States declaring war on Germany and the beginning of our involvement in the “War to end all wars” (i.e. World War I). In the beginning, President Woodrow Wilson hoped that there would be enough volunteers to support the U.S. army, but by six weeks later, only 73,000 men had volunteered. [1] Congress enacted the Selective Service Act of 1917. The first of four registrations was conducted on June 5, 1917 and all males between the ages of 21 and 30 were to register. [2] My great-uncle, John Cyril “Jack” Sullivan, is not listed in this draft. [3] There may be two reasons. First, he enlisted in the army on 4 June 1917. [4]  Second, he had already turned 30. [5] It wasn’t until the third registration on 12 Sep 1918 that men 18 to 45 had to register. [6] It is important to understand why someone is not in a record when one expects them to be there. One way is to understand why the record was created. Usually there is...

I am working on this year-long prompt, hosted by Amy Johnson Crow . I will write each week in one of my two blogs, either Mam-ma’s Southern Family or at My Trails Into the Past . I’m looking forward to writing about my children’s ancestors in new and exciting ways. My aunts all married, so I have no maiden aunts, though one had no children. However, my grandmother, Anna Sullivan, had three aunts who never married: Elizabeth M. Gleeson, Helena M. Gleeson, and Margaret T. Gleeson. One thing these sisters had in common was they were school teachers. In 1900 in Anaconda, Montana, Helen M., Elizabeth M., and Margaret Gleeson were living together at East 5th Street. Helena was the school superintendent, while her sisters were teachers. [1] City Directories give more detail: Helena M. was principal at Bryan School, located at 4th Street at the southwest corner of Washington, and Margaret was a teacher at Prescott School, located at Park Avenue at the southwest corner of Elm, in 190...

Michael J Sullivan & Sarah Ryan, 30 Apr 1900 My great grandfather’s brother, Michael J. Sullivan had three children: Margaret Mary Sullivan, Daniel J. Sullivan, and John M. “Jack” Sullivan.  Michael’s wife was Sarah V. “Sadie” Ryan and they were married in Anaconda, Deer Lodge County, Montana on 30 April 1900. [1] This family lived in Butte, Montana most of their lives and I searched the Silver Bow county records for Michael’s and Sadie’s marriage but couldn't find it. Well, today, I had luck. I found marriage indexes and images at FamilySearch.org. There they were, right in Deer Lodge Co in Anaconda. Why were they married there?  Well, the marriage record gave Sadie’s residence, and she was a resident of Anaconda! Still don’t know how they met. The marriage included the license so I learned that Michael Sullivan lived in Butte, was 31, and born in Michigan to Jerry Sullivan and Mary Sheehan. Sarah Ryan was 25, lived in Anaconda, born in Iowa to Dave Rya...

This is a blogging theme for the month of March which is Women's History Month. I'm a bit behind but do want to participate in the daily blogging posts. These 31 posts will be posted between my two blogs " My Trails Into the Pas t " and " Mam-ma's Southern Family ." March 19 — Have you discovered a surprising fact about one of your female ancestors? What was it and how did you learn it? How did you feel when you found out? My grandmother, Anna M Sullivan's aunt was Helena M Gleeson.  Helena never married and was a school teacher at Prescott School in Anaconda, Montana.  What surprised me was what I found in a city directory:  in 1936, she was listed as Principal! Anaconda City Directory, 1936, p 32 Now I need to do some research about Prescott School in Anaconda.  I will contact the Historical Society and the School District to see what I can find about her career there. Copyright © 2011 by Lisa Suzanne Gorrell, My Trails into the P...

Anna Marie Sullivan 1892-1979      My grandmother, Anna Marie Sullivan was born 15 Oct 1892 in Anaconda, Deer Lodge Co, Montana to John H. Sullivan and Anna Marie Gleeson.  She was the last of six children (four girls and one boy).      She was baptized 19 Oct 1892 at St. Paul's Catholic Church in Anaconda.  I have a copy of her baptism certificate but it is not the original.  This certificate is dated 1953.  I don't know why my grandmother obtained a new copy of her baptismal certificate but she must have done so while on a trip to Montana in 1953. Baptismal Certificate for Anna Marie Sullivan dated 1953 The transcription reads: Certificate of Baptism St. Paul's Church Anaconda, Montana This is to Certify The Baptismal Register records the following: That   Anna Marie Sullivan                           Child of      John S...

Anna Marie (Gleeson) Sullivan born 13 Feb 1860 in Carleton Co, Ontario, Canada died 3 Jan 1912, Anaconda, Deer Lodge Co, Montana, USA buried Mt. Carmel Cemetery, Anaconda, Montana Copyright © 2011 by Lisa Suzanne Gorrell, My Trails into the Past