History – iSeeAncestors

Eureka!

At long last I discovered the parents of my great-grandfather Joseph Voisin (1855-1916) of Beal City, Michigan. Here I describe my initial findings about his birth, childhood and teenage years in Welland County, Ontario.

The childhood of my great-grandfather, Joseph Voisin (1855-1916), remained a stubborn mystery after many years of genealogy research. In other essays I described the known facts and many hypotheses. I explored genetic genealogy and used DNA testing to identify numerous distant cousins. However the lack of traditional genealogical evidence like birth, marriage, and census records did not shed light on Joseph’s birth or who his parents were.

Until now. While analyzing my DNA test results, I noticed several distant matches who did not fit my known family tree. I had to determine their lineages based on scant information. Next I found matches we shared in common and I determined their lineages too. I began to identify more and more distant cousins who descend from one man, Theobald Koebel.¹

Dating a Postcard

Several clues determine when a hand-colored photograph of Sacred Heart Academy in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan was originally taken.

Here are two postcards from the early twentieth century showing Sacred Heart Academy in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. ² The first can be dated accurately. I evaluate several clues to estimate the date of the second postcard.

Netherby, Ontario

My great-grandfather Joseph Voisin wrote in his journal from Netherby, Ontario in 1875. I investigate the former village for clues about his parents and childhood.

When my great-grandfather Joseph Voisin (1858-1916) was 17 he wrote a whimsical poem in his journal. He signed his name and indicated he was at Netherby, Ontario on November 19, 1875. I’ve yet to discover who his parents were so here I explore the former village of Netherby for clues.

Russell Thomas Stewart: A Retrospective

This is a biography of my granduncle, Russell Thomas Stewart, who was killed in action during World War I. It summarizes my earlier articles, which provide more details.

Russell Thomas Stewart was born September 16, 1889 in Buffington Township, Indiana County, Pennsylvania. He was a son of John Galbreath Stewart and Mary (McKee) Stewart. He was probably born on, or near, the Stewart homestead, a farm originally settled by his great great-grandparents, John and Margaret (McFarland) Stewart about 1796. When Russell was five years old his father died, and his mother moved the family to Turtle Creek, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Pittsburgh.

Zeelandia

The USS Zeelandia was a Dutch commercial passenger ship converted for use by the United States Navy as a troop transport during World War I. She carried my granduncle, Russell T. Stewart, to France in 1918.

The Zeelandia was a passenger ship converted for use as a troop transport by the United States Navy during World War I. My granduncle Russell T. Stewart sailed on the USS Zeelandia on her first voyage to France in 1918. While researching his experiences, I discovered some interesting facts about this ship.

Shown here at New York harbor on May 10, 1918, the ship had been newly outfitted. She sports a new coat of paint known as dazzle camouflage, also called razzle dazzle. Rather than conceal the ship, it was intended to make it difficult for enemy submarines to determine the ship’s range and speed.

The Zeelandia was a Dutch commercial passenger ship named after Zeeland, the westernmost province of the Netherlands. She was built in 1910 in Scotland, and owned and operated by Koninklijke Hollandsche Lloyd (Royal Holland Lloyd) based in Amsterdam. How she became a US Navy transport is interesting.

Intersection at Imécourt

A newspaper article brings new details of Imécourt, France, where my granduncle, Russell T. Stewart, was killed in action during World War I. Another rare photograph depicts a remarkable intersection of family history with world history.

A Pittsburgh newspaper article published three months after the end of World War I highlights the battle at Imécourt, France. ³ It was of particular interest to Pittsburgh readers because most of the men who fought there were from Pittsburgh. It was the final battle for the 319^th Infantry Regiment, part of the 80^th Division. Several men were killed in action there, including my granduncle, Russell T. Stewart. ⁴

A Grim Task: Reburial

Exhuming, identifying and reburying our fallen troops in World War I was a grim task. This is what happened to the remains of my granduncle, Russell T. Stewart.

There are new details to report about my granduncle, Russell T. Stewart, who was killed in action during World War I. It was common to bury fallen soldiers near where they died. For several years after the war, their remains were subsequently exhumed and their identity confirmed. They were then reburied in France, or returned to their families in the United States for funerals here.

It is somewhat fortunate that Russell was first buried at a relatively nice place, rather than in an open field or dense forest. He died during a battle just northwest of Imécourt, France on November 2, 1918. His body was returned to the town of Imécourt and buried by a regimental burial detail on the grounds of the Chateau d’Imécourt. There were eighteen altogether. In fact he was buried next to Grover D. Selvey and Aaron Carter, and all three were in Company M.

Memorial Day Tribute

This is a Memorial Day tribute to Pfc. Russell T. Stewart, my mother’s uncle, who was killed in action in the woods northwest of Imécourt, France early on the morning of November 2, 1918. He served in Company M, 3^rd Battalion, 319^th Infantry, 160^th Brigade, 80^th Division. The Division earned the motto, “Only Moves Forward,” having fought in all three phases of the Meuse-Argonne Offensive, from September through November, 1918.

Adding Perspective to History

Although a picture captures only a moment in time, several pictures can give perspective.

A motion picture is a series of still photographs displayed in rapid succession. You probably know the line spoken just before the photograph at left was taken. That’s because you already saw Gone With the Wind. If you hadn’t, I could show you more and more still photos until eventually the scene came to life.

A historical photograph is an instant in time. Like a single frame from a movie, it provides limited information. When you can add additional photographs taken about the same time, you get a better perspective and therefore a greater appreciation.

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Father of Immigration

Families of emigrants camped at the port of Le Havre, 1843 [efn_note]New York Public Library Digital Gallery, Digital Image ID #833602 (http://digitalgallery.nypl.org).[/efn_note]

Johann Fuchs (1777-1847) and his wife Anna Maria (Schüller) Fuchs (1788-1860) immigrated to America from Langenfeld, Germany in the fall of 1840. They probably made their way via the Erie Canal to Buffalo, New York, where they spent the winter of 1840/1841. Johann wrote several letters home to his grown children, and his relatives and neighbors. In these glowing letters he espoused the abundance and virtues of America in hopes of persuading them to make the same journey.

In the 1930s, researcher Joseph Scheben solicited letters received by families in Germany from their relatives in America. He studied several hundred such letters to trace the origin and final destination of German emigrants in America. One community he studied was Westphalia, in Clinton County, Michigan just west of St. Johns. It so happens Johann and Anna Maria Fuchs settled in Westphalia in the spring of 1841. Scheben studied at least one letter by Johann Fuchs and found it so endearing that he transcribed it in his book about the community. He calls Johann Fuchs the Father of Immigration.

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Was Grandpa a Northern Secessionist?

In a previous essay I explored whether my great great-grandfather, Jacob P. Yuncker (1837-1905), served in the Civil War. Apparently he was drafted in August 1863, but I could find no record of him actually serving. I concluded he was probably granted an exemption to care for his sick wife Rosa. Or perhaps he had already left the area either coincidentally or to avoid the controversial draft. I have since discovered more of his story.

An 1855 plat map of Erie County, New York shows the house where Jacob’s parents lived, and no doubt where Jacob and his siblings grew up. ⁵ It is a nondescript community half way between Lancaster and Alden, just east of Buffalo, New York. The map indicates it is “Town Line” post office and it does straddle the boundary of both Lancaster and Alden townships.

When Sacred Heart was St. Charles

Sacred Heart Catholic parish has been a fixture of the Mount Pleasant, Michigan community for generations. You may not know that it began as St. Charles parish. In the late 1860s and early 1870s, a priest would come from a neighboring town like Saginaw, and several families celebrated mass held at various homes. About 1872 they decided to build a church. After obtaining the land and raising the money, construction started on January 25, 1875. The church was a wooden structure that measured 38 by 60 feet and was 24 feet high. ⁶

My great-grandparents, Joseph and Mary Ann (Yuncker) Voisin were married in this church on February 16, 1885. This was a few years after the church was completed about 1877. They were married by the first resident priest of the parish, Reverend James J. McCarthy. Joe and Mary lived near Beal City. Although the first St. Philomena church was completed there in 1882, Fr. McCarthy traveled from Mount Pleasant to say Mass there only once every three months.

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Glück Auf!

Three Generations — Mary (Bittner) Pohl, her daughter Ida Stewart, and her daughter Ruth Voisin (standing)

“Glück Auf” has been the traditional greeting used by miners. No doubt my ancestors, who were coal miners, used this expression daily. In German, it means “good luck.” Not only did miners wish each other luck in finding and extracting the minerals they sought, but it was a wish that they also come back alive.

Pécsbánya is a coal-mining district about three miles northeast of Pécs, Hungary. The area was also called Pécsbányatelep. Literally translated they mean Pécs-mine and Pécs-mine-settlement. Pécs was known as Fünfkirchen by the Germans. For 250 years, more than 35 different coal mines operated at one time or another and 40 million tons of coal were produced here.

The Danube Steamship Company (Dunai Gőzhajó Társaság, or DGT) was a large consumer of coal. In 1852 it expanded into ownership of coal mines. To house workers for its growing operations, DGT started a “colony” in 1855, named Colonia. It was located on Gesztenyés hill ridge near the András (Andrew) mine. The first settlers there were Hungarians, Germans, Czech-Moravians, Slovakians, Bosnians and Slovenians.

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There is No Glory and No Flying of Flags

I must admit I was not very familiar with World War I history. I had studied it in school history classes, watched the old movies and read a couple books on the subject. I never really appreciated the courage and bravery of those who served in that war until I investigated the life of my mother’s uncle, Private First Class Russell Stewart. He served in Company M of the 319th Infantry Regiment, 80th Infantry Division. He died at the battle of the Meuse-Argonne on November 2, 1918, just as the war was ending.

In reading the relevant regimental and divisional accounts of that battle, I found the most interesting and moving account of all. It was written by Lieutenant Colonel Ashby Williams (1874-1944) ⁷ in his book, “Experiences of the Great War” (Roanoke, Virginia: The Stone Printing and Manufacturing Company, 1919). He started out as commander of Company E, 320th Infantry and was promoted to battalion commander, with the rank of Major, over Companies A, B, C and D, of the 320th. Although he was an officer, he endured only slightly better conditions than his men. He describes in great detail the experience of the Meuse-Argonne Offensive.

The 320th and 319th were in the same brigade, the 160th, and undoubtedly shared the same locations, movements and conditions. Therefore his is probably the closest description of what my granduncle experienced. I have included here the most poignant and eloquent passages from Lt. Col. Williams’ book. His words describe the indescribable horrors of existence and death in the trenches. It is something the world often forgets, as I did, in my generation. But now I remember.

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A Curtiss JN-4 Jenny

Curtiss Jenny My great-granduncle John Yuncker was a piano sales manager in Los Angeles during the early 20th century. Here he participated in aviation history by taking one of the first-ever commercial passenger trips on August 30, 1919. As I describe in a previous post, he flew from Los Angeles to Santa Barbara to close on the sale of a very expensive piano.

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A 1927 Waco 10

Waco 10 This is my grandfather Ernie Voisin standing with his daughter, my aunt Nora May as a little girl. This was taken at Houghton Lake, Michigan on July 4, 1927. ⁸ They went for a ride in this airplane, which appears to be a 1927 Waco 10.

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A Ford Model-T Coupe

My granduncle George Voisin was my grandfather’s younger brother. He apparently owned a Ford Model-T Coupe, which is pictured in a few old family photographs from the mid- to late-1920s. ⁹ It appears to be a 1924 or 1925 Coupe. Here it is along with a montage of an unrelated, restored 1925 Coupe. ¹⁰

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A 1917 Dort

It was an automobile I had not heard about until I saw this old family photo. This is a snapshot of a 1917 Dort owned by my great-grandparents, Lorenz and Louisa Rademacher, who lived in rural Isabella County, Michigan. ¹¹

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Corporal Pollock’s Account

Corp. Arthur Pollock — Cpl. Arthur Pollock

Corporal Arthur Nelan Pollock served in Company F, 320th Infantry Regiment, 80th Infantry Division during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive in World War I. Amazingly, he kept a diary. It so happens he got separated from his regiment and became attached to the 319th Infantry. This was the same regiment in which my granduncle Russell Stewart served, as I describe in a previous post.

It is enlightening to read Corporal Pollock’s account of the battle. Since both men were then in the same regiment, this is very likely what Russell Stewart also experienced. Here is an excerpt of Corporal Pollock’s account from September 26 to October 2, 1918. It was originally published in the Pittsburgh Press, April 20, 1919 and continued on May 18, 1919. This excerpt was transcribed by Lynn Beatty and the full text is found at the Allegheny County, Pennsylvania USGenWeb. ¹²

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Call of the Wild

What motivated my fourth great-grandparents John and Margaret (McFarland) Stewart to settle in the wilderness of western Pennsylvania near the end of the Revolutionary War? There may be a very simple explanation: They saw a newspaper ad.

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Russell Stewart: Only Moves Forward

My granduncle Russell Thomas Stewart was my maternal grandfather’s younger brother. In a family tree published by my second cousin, Robert M. Stewart, there is a somber copy of a telegram addressed to my great-grandmother, Mary (McKee) Stewart, and dated December 5, 1918. ¹³ It was news that her son Russell Stewart was killed in action November 2, 1918.

Finding no other information, I decided to investigate the short life of my granduncle, who I had never heard about. I was able to find a little more about him, but his story is mostly the tragedy of World War I and the sad ironies of its end.

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Civil War Draft

An article in the August 12, 1863 edition of the Buffalo Daily Courier lists names selected for conscription in the federal army during the Civil War. ¹⁴ Included was the town of Alden, near Buffalo in Erie County, New York. A Jacob Yuncker is listed among the 57 names selected in the previous day’s draft.

Since he was living in Alden, this is very likely my second great-grandfather, Jacob P. Yuncker. In the 1855 New York state census, 17 year old Jacob is listed as living in Alden with his parents Hubert and Barbara Yuncker. ¹⁵ A few years later, several tax assessment rolls ¹⁶ from the Internal Revenue Service show Jacob P. Yuncker paid taxes on boots and shoes, which were probably part of his shoe making business. These rolls span from September 1862 to June 1863 and they show his business was at Alden, New York. Jacob was a shoemaker like his father Hubert.

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A Brush with Aviation History

John E. Yuncker circa 1923 — John E. Yuncker
circa 1923

One of my great-granduncles, John Ernest Yuncker (1881-1962), was my paternal great-grandmother’s younger brother. He is mentioned in his mother’s 1921 obituary as living in Los Angeles, California. I had found him listed in the California death index years ago, but I never traced him further. I recently did so and I found that he made quite a name for himself and even had a brush with history.

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Overlays Make Old Maps New Again

google-earth-00 In a past posting I described how I located the homestead of my great-grandparents Albert and Mary Pohl near Turtle Creek, Pennsylvania. I’ve since found that Google Earth is another tool to further visualize the location. It is helpful in modernizing old maps to better understand where my ancestors lived.

What I did is add an overlay of an old map to the modern world shown in Google Earth. This allows you to see precisely where a road, building or property once stood in relation to what’s there now.

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Animated Pennsylvania Counties

Those researching their ancestors in Pennsylvania know that county boundaries changed frequently in the years since 1682. To make these boundary changes easier to see, I animated them.

I used portions of the “Genealogical Map of the Counties” available at the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. I simply snipped the individual images in their sequence of state maps that show county boundaries and made a short flash animation.

Unfortunately these maps do not show cities and towns, but if you know the county you are interested in, you can see when it was created and how it changed over the years.

View an animated history of Pennsylvania Counties.