My Trails into the Past

A new month, a new surname. My great-grandfather, Thomas N. Johnston, was born 25 July 1885 in Texas to Reuben M. Johnston and Olivia Jane Jones. The tombstone photo showing his birthdate is consistent with other records created in his lifetime: [1] July 1885, living with his parent Reuben M and Jane Johnson in 1900 [2] 25 July 1885, as stated on his WW I draft registration card [3] 24 July 1885, as stated on his WW II draft registration card [4] 25 July 1885, as stated on his death certificate. His wife, Rose Johnston, was the informant. [5] 25 July 1885, on the funeral notice. [6] However, his place of birth has conflicts: The obituary and death certificate said he was born in Montague County. [7] The WW II draft card he supplied the information for said Coleman County. [8] His parents were living in Comanche County in 1880, making this his likely place of birth. [9] Likely the same informant provided the information for the tombstone, death certificate, and funeral notice. H...

Last week I wrote about a research trip to Texas and the many cemeteries I visited in Comanche County. One such cemetery, Union Cemetery, has the tombstone of my great-grandmother, Nell L. (Hutson) Johnston. It is an unusual tombstone. It is shaped like a tree trunk and has these words around a symbol: In Memoriam Woodmen Circle.” Nell L. Johnston was born on 8 February 1888 to Sarah H Selman and Peter H Hutson. [1] She married Thomas N. Johnston on 6 June 1907 in Comanche County, Texas. [2] They had six known children. She died after a sudden illness on 14 July 1919. [3] She was only thirty-one years old and left two children under five and three children six to ten years old. My grandfather was only 6. Tom would not remarry until twelve years later. Her obituary says very little. She died on a Monday at home and was buried on Tuesday in Union Cemetery. “The many friends of the family will learn with keen regret of Mrs. Johnson’s untimely death, passing away as she did in the p...

This is my third year 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 have enjoyed writing about my children’s ancestors in new and exciting ways. Olevia Jane Jones, my fourth great-grandmother, was born 22 February 1859. [1] Her parents were Benjamin W. Jones and Amanda A. Haley. [2] She was the fifth and middle child of nine. There is no census that lists all of the children together. In 1860, she was the youngest of five. [3]   B.W. Jones, 38, male, farmer, VA, $2842, $8323   AA Jones, 31, F, MS    MF Jones, 13 F, MS   WA Jones, 11, male, MS   TW Jones, 9, male, MS   EB Jones, 5, F, MS   OJ Jones, 1, F, MS   David Gillman, 20, male, dressier, MS By 1870, her father is gone, having died sometime and someplace during the Civil War, and only eight children are enumerated, as the elde...

This week I have been working on Hutson family, specifically, Peter Hayden Hutson. There is much discussion on what his first name was. Some say Payton.   However, all of the documents I have found either list his name as P. H. or Pete. He was known in the Gustine, Texas area as “Uncle Pete.” I wrote about Pete back in 2014 when I participated that year in 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks. That post is here . Since I wrote that post, I have learned a little more about him. On 13 April 1905, P. H. Hutson purchase a piece of property from R. L. Selman and his wife, Julia P.  This piece of property was located in Gustine, Comanche County.  He paid initially $350 and secured three notes to be paid in 1906, 1907, and 1908, which totaled $400. The land was two acres. [1] R.L. Selman was Pete’s wife, Sarah’s brother, Robert Louis  (1855-1931). The interesting thing about the land, was it wasn’t filed until 27 December 1919. So the next task is to try to figure out: What p...