Happy Find Friday

     If you read the About Me section of my blog, you know how I got started in genealogy research. This photo was from grandma's collection that she gave me. The photo is a torn piece of a cardboard photo. The only clue that was on the photo was the name "Lizzie". I knew this photo belonged to a larger photo, but there was nothing in the box that went with it. When I first started going through the photos, I separated them into different categories. This one was in the "Hopefully Identify Later" category along with a few other photos. I was hopeful that one day I might have an answer. Fast forward a few years later, that day finally came.

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     I was going through my tree on Ancestry checking hints when I came across a hint for Nancy Elizabeth Wheeler nee Damesworth, my great-grandma. She died when my grandpa, Les Wheeler, was just a baby, so he never knew his mother. I didn't even have a picture of her. At least that's what I thought. When I checked the hints for Nancy, I couldn't believe what I was looking at. Check this out.

     As you can see, this is the full photo of the piece that I had in my possession. This photo was attached by a long lost cousin I had recently gotten in contact with. So this photo was of my great-grandma Nancy Elizabeth Damesworth, "Lizzie". Ah... the name makes sense now. She is pictured here with three of her siblings.
     I share this with you to emphasize how important it is to NOT throw away any photos of people in your collection you do not know. You never know when you may find out who that person is. If I would have thrown that photo away, I wouldn't have figured out, this was my great-grandma and that she was called Lizzie.

William Ilg - Eligible for a Medal: UPDATE

     On November 7, 2019, I went to the mailbox and found the envelope I had been waiting for. The response from the Army Review Board regarding William Ilg's eligibility for the Purple Heart Medal. I almost screamed with excitement. I knew what I had to do. I had to get set up and open up the envelope on camera as a big reveal. I wasn't sure what to expect when I opened it up, but I was in for a surprise. Watch the video below:



     As you can see, I didn't get the response I was hoping for. I was crushed. I knew there was a chance they wouldn't give me an actual medal, but I wasn't expecting them to just flat out reject it. At first, I was just going to let it go and move on, thinking there was nothing I could do. Well, after talking with some friends and family along with doing some research on the web, I have to say, I don't agree with the decision. Their criteria clearly state:

"The Purple Heart is awarded in the name of the President of the United States to any member of an Armed Force or any civilian national of the United States who, while serving under competent authority in any capacity with one of the U.S. Armed Services after 5 April 1917, has been wounded or killed, or who has died or may hereafter die after being wounded..." Read the full description here at Recognize The Sacrifice

The response I got from the Army Review Board:

Army Regulation 600-7-22 (Military Awards) govers the award of the Purple Heart. Pleasenot the Purple Heart was established by General George Washington on August 7, 1782 for the Revolutionary War and the award was then reestablished by the President of the United States per War Department General Orders Number 3, 1932. Therefore, the Purple Heart was not an active award when PVT Ilg was killed in action on November 8, 1918 during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive.

     Their response does not match up with what the criteria state. Plus, I have also found a few articles online about WWI vets receiving the Purple Heart posthumously for the same campaign my 2nd Great Uncle fought in; The Meuse-Argonne Offensive. Why were they awarded, but my Uncle isn't? I need someone to explain this to me. I made another video about my frustration.



     I am serious when I say I am not going to let this go. Until they give me a more valid reason why William Ilg doesn't deserve the Purple Heart citation for his sacrifices, I am going to keep fighting for this. William paid the ultimate sacrifice for his country: his life. And according to the criteria, he deserves a Purple Heart to be added to his record.

Below are some links to some news articles about WWI vets receiving the Purple Heart for their service.

• 100 years later, WWI Soldier awarded Purple Heart 

• Purple Heart medals awarded to World War I Coast Guardsmen 

• CASEY: Glenvar students seek Purple Heart for fallen 'Great War' soldier 

• WWI veteran’s family accepts Purple Heart 100 years after war’s end 

• After 101 years, local World War I veteran receives his Purple Heart

     To figure out what the next step should be I wrote to the National Archives in St. Louis, the ones who gave me the information on who to contact in the first place. I got a response from Susan, the archival specialist who was helping me:

I'm disappointed to hear that. My research indicates that in April 2018, the Army decided to discontinue the issuance of WW1 medals. This decision was based on the belief that, for almost 100 years, the Army has met its obligation to World War I veterans and their descendants by issuing and reissuing medals. It is not economically feasible for the Army to provide medals to all future descendants of Army war veterans. I am assuming this also pertains to determination of entitlement to a decoration such as the Purple Heart, but I'm not sure. The fact that it "wasn't an active award at the time of his death" should not make any difference; if he is entitled, he should receive the Purple Heart. My instructions say "It is also awarded posthumously to the next of kin of personnel killed or having died of wounds received in action after April 5, 1917." It has been awarded retroactively to WW1 veterans since 1942. And in the case of WW1 veterans it is also awarded for mustard gas exposure. The problem is that the 1973 fire destroyed most WW1 Army service records but there are plenty of alternate sources showing entitlement; you have 2 attached to your first email. Possibly someone at ARBA is not fully aware of the procedures or interpreted them differently. I would keep pursuing this issue.

     She has also provided me with another office to contact. The Army HQ in Fort Knox, Kentucky, where they determine Army awards. So according to her, the Army does not actually award medals anymore for WWI vets. Which I didn't expect to get anyway as I am not a descendant of William Ilg, but only a 2nd Great Neice. My goal from the beginning was to have this award added to his record. And that's what I am going to see happen.
     Follow along with me on this new journey and hopefully, we will get William the award he deserves. I will be writing to the Army HQ in Fort Knox and if I don't get anywhere with that, Susan suggested I contact my Congressman or Senator. You bet your butt, that's what I'm going to do. Stay tuned...

Week 46: Poor Man

     I've heard many stories about my dad and his siblings growing up. A lot of them are riddled with humor. Every gettogether I hear a new story I had never heard before. I am trying to record as many of them as I can to preserve the history of our family. I've heard stories about my Aunts & Uncles playing circus in the barn they used to live in. I've heard stories about Christmases and who got what. I've heard stories about gardening and food they used to eat. But the most important thing I would hear in all the stories was no matter what little money they had, their mom, my grandma, always made sure the kids were fed, clothed, warm and always had Christmas presents. Why was this such an important fact? My Papa and Grandma were by many standards, poor. 

     My Papa was a very skilled carpenter. He could build just about anything from the ground up. One of his specialties was concrete. Dad told me how talented he was when it came to forming things with concrete. Sadly, there were times he was out of work, so money was very scarce. Papa also had a drinking problem, which added to their rough circumstances. 

     My dad also told me about all the places they had lived. They lived in Kirkwood, Missouri for a few years, in houses my Papa built. They tried acquiring a restaurant in Arnold, Missouri, but that fell through. After that, they had to live in a small clubhouse that was situated on the Big River and Meramec River near House Springs and Eureka, Missouri. My Papa closed it up the best he could to keep the family safe from the outside elements. Dad said he didn't have the best memories from living there. Then they were trying to also buy a house in Times Beach, a small town next to Eureka, Missouri, but that also fell through. It was that event that caused them to move into the barn in High Ridge, Missouri.

     The barn was just exactly what you would expect. A barn with a loft. The lower level was the kitchen and living room, and the loft was where everyone slept, where the only walls/divisions were curtains. Growing up in the barn wasn't easy for my Dad and his family. But they sure made the best of it. And like I mentioned above with all the stories I have heard, even though my family didn't have a lot of money, they were definitely rich with love. I'm working on putting together a small video of my Dad and his family talking about the barn. My Uncle Marty owns the property now. To this day, all my family gets together for gatherings all the time. We are up to four living generations. I am definitely blessed to have the family I have. We are not perfect, nor are we all the richest, but we have each other and that is priceless.

These are photos of the Barn they lived in

My Uncle made this frame out of the barn wood and glass

My dad and his Siblings

Christmas 2018

My Dad, Siblings and some spouses

Christmas 2018

All us cousins

Christmas 2018

My dad and his siblings

Easter

My Papa and Grandma

My Papa and Grandma

1980, the year my grandma passed away

Week 45: Rich Man

     This week's prompt for the 52 Ancestors Challenge is Rich Man. Out of all the research I've done on my family and my husband's family, there is only one man that can even come close to this title. That man is Thomas H. Swope, my husband's 1st cousin 4x removed. I know I had to go around a long way to get to that one. The reason I know about him is there is a story behind him.

     Col. Thomas Hunton Swope was one of Kansas City, Missouri's most prosperous land developers, who donated tracts of land for a hospital and a city park. Born in Kentucky in 1827, the Yale-educated Thomas Swope speculated in mining and real estate in New York and St. Louis before moving to Kansas City at the age of 30. Once there, Swope entered into the real estate business and eventually owned more land than anyone else in the city. One of his most notable real estate ventures, known as "Swope's Addition," was located at 10th Street and Grand Avenue. [1]
     Swope is best remembered today not for his real estate activities, but for his gift of Swope Park to Kansas City. The park's expansive 1,334 acres, located adjacent to the Blue River, provided a space where eventually the city's residents could enjoy picnics, a night

at Starlight Theater, trips to the Swope Park Zoo (now the Kansas City Zoo), and golfing. When the park opened in 1896, nearly 18,000 people arrived to celebrate. Swope, who was a bachelor, lived in an Independence, Missouri mansion with other family members. [1]
     Over a hundred years ago, however, mention of the name "Swope" would instantly summon conversations about a string of mysterious deaths in the Swope family. On October 3, 1909, just two days after the unexpected death of the executor of Swope's will, Thomas Swope himself died of an apparent "cerebral hemorrhage." More family died while others became violently ill within a very short time of each other. Suspicion fell upon the family doctor, who was also Thomas Hunton Swope's nephew, Dr. Bennett Clark Hyde. Hyde was charged, tried and convicted on May 16, 1910, of the murder of Thomas Swope.[1] On appeal, the verdict was overturned on procedural grounds. Three more trials, seven years and a quarter of a million dollars later, the charges against Hyde were dropped and he was released. [2] To learn more about this tragic story, pick up the book, Deaths on Pleasant Street by Giles Fowler
    Eight and a half years after his death, Col. Thomas Swope was laid to rest in Swope Park. On April 8, 1918, he was buried high on a hill amid a forest of trees, overlooking his gift to Kansas City. His remains lie beneath a Greek temple of white granite, guarded by a pair of stone lions.

Mark's great-grandpa James Albert Swope in front of the Memorial

Sources:
[1]  Dr. Hyde & Mr. Swope
[2] Wikipedia
Photos: kchistory.org and personal collection