Friday, July 25, 2025

It happened again: Related to my Client??

     It happened again! It's as if God brings clients to me whom I am supposed to research to find out that I might be related to them. This has happened multiple times. I found out I was related to a client I knew in Colorado. I've also learned I'm related to a friend of mine, although she wasn't a client. But learning of this connection really blew my mind.

    An associate I volunteer with at the Franklin County Historical Society hired me to do some research on her family in St. Louis. Since my family is from St. Louis, I have experience in that area. She wanted me to trace the lines to see if there were any living relatives. So off I went, building out her tree. This was a new challenge for me as my client is black. Researching records for black or African American roots can be difficult, depending on the time period and area. But I was enjoying tracking down her family.
    One of the lines I was tracing (Turner) had a girl who married a man with the last name of Hooper. But that's not what got my attention. The gentleman was born in Waverly, Tennessee. Now, if you have followed my blog and read about my family, you will know my Wheeler line is from Waverly, Humphreys County, Tennessee. My grandpa, Les Wheeler, was born there. 

Leslie Woodrow Wheeler
Born Dec 18, 1918
White Oak Creek, Humphreys County, TN

    And one of the jokes was, "If you are related to someone in Waverly, you are related to all of them." What led weight to this fact was that I did have Hooper's in my tree. So I immediately started looking closer into that line.
    I found James Ira Hooper's family in Humphreys County in the census records. First, I found the 1910 census. Thomas Hooper is the father of James Ira Hooper. The family is listed on line 45 on sheet 12A. (This is important to note)

Thomas Hooper & Family
1910 United States Federal Census
Sheet 12A; Line 45
District 60, Humphreys County, Tennessee
Source: Ancestry.com

    When I began researching my Wheeler family in Humphreys County, Tennessee, I learned quickly that they all lived very close to each other and appeared on the same pages of census records. So I decided to look at the lines above and below this Hooper family to see who would have been their neighbors. 


Read "Wheelers and Damesworth and Curtises... Oh My!"


    I scrolled up to line 33 and thought, "Hey, I recognize those names!". It turns out that it is my great-grandfather, James Benjamin Francis Wheeler, my great-grandmother, Elizabeth Wheeler (nee Damesworth), and their children. My grandpa, Les Wheeler, wouldn't be born until 1918. My family lived right near my client's Hooper family! Then I looked right below the Hooper family and found my great-grandfather's Uncle, George Smith, and his wife, Georgia Smith (nee Wheeler).

Thomas Hooper, James B Wheeler & George Smith
1910 United States Federal Census
Sheet 12A; Lines 33, 45, & 50
District 60, Humphreys County, Tennessee
Source: Ancestry.com


    If that wasn't enough, if you scroll up higher on this sheet, you will find my great-grandmother's parents: James Dillard Damesworth and Willie Damesworth (nee Thompson). They are on line 5 of the same sheet! This is insane! But wait, there is more. Right above my Damesworth family is Thomas Hooper's PARENTS!

James Damesworth & William Hooper
1910 United States Federal Census
Sheets 11B & 12A; Lines 98 & 5
District 60, Humphreys County, Tennessee
Source: Ancestry.com

    While they are listed right next to each other, we need to remember this is farm country. So the census taker would have walked many miles to the next property. They could have been crossing the road to the next farm. So it's possible the families lived across the road from each other and not next door. But still, the fact that they literally lived right by my family blew my mind. What are the odds? And this is just the 1910 Census. Let's go back to the 1900 Census.

    In 1900, William Hooper, father of James Ira Hooper, lived in Humphreys County District 18. And right underneath their family was James Damesworth, my 2nd great-grandfather. 

William Hooper & James Damesworth
1900 United States Federal Census
Sheet 4B; Lines 88 & 98
District 18, Humphreys County, Tennessee
Source: Ancestry.com 

    I have yet to prove any relation to this line of Hooper's. And if there is a connection, it would only be through the short marriage of James Ira Hooper and Margaret Turner, but a connection is still a connection. And I would be excited to be connected with my colleague. I just hope the connection is a positive one.

Just one of the exciting findings in my research. Stay tuned for more!



Friday, July 11, 2025

Friday Finds - House for Sale in Newspapers!

 Before there was Realtor.com. Before there was Zillow. Before we could simply hop online and search for houses for sale in our area, people used to check newspapers. Real Estate agents and owners would list their houses, descriptions, and even prices, trying to get the attention of prospective buyers.

So I went in search of ads for homes when they were listed for sale. And here's what I found.


This is the house where Mark grew up, and his parents still live in today. The ad ran for almost a year until they purchased it in 1984. Some ads will contain more information about the house.

2458 Cecelia2458 Cecelia, Brentwood
 18 Nov 1984, Sun
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
(St. Louis, Missouri)
Newspapers.com

2458 Cecelia2458 Cecelia, Brentwood
24 Jun 1984, Sun
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
(St. Louis, Missouri)
Newspapers.com

Here's my childhood home, which my mom recently sold. It's interesting to see what they advertised and what they thought would draw people in. This house was for sale for about two years before my parents purchased it. They said they wanted to be in before Christmas, and we were.

49 High View Dr, Eureka49 High View Dr, Eureka
29 Jun 1985, Sat
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
(St. Louis, Missouri)

Newspapers.com

49 High View Dr, Eureka, MO49 High View Dr, Eureka
04 Oct 1987, Sun
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
(St. Louis, Missouri)

Newspapers.com

I was excited to find this ad. This is for the house my Fuchs family had for a few years in Times Beach, near Eureka, Missouri. They moved in 1951 to this property, and then the floods came in May 1957.

516 Hawthorne, Times Beach516 Hawthorne, Times Beach
07 Oct 1951, Sun
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
(St. Louis, Missouri)

Newspapers.com

I've been having so much fun going through newspapers on Newspapers.com. I will keep looking through the pages to find more gems.

What have you found in Newspapers?



Tuesday, July 1, 2025

How Newspapers Can Lead to Other Sources

     One of my favorite sources to browse is newspapers, as you probably guessed. As a birthday and Christmas gift from my mom, I have a subscription to Newspapers.com. I visit this site almost every day, not only to track down ancestors and information about their lives but also to explore local history. You can learn a wealth of information about the era your ancestors lived in as it was happening. Historical events like The Great Depression, World Wars I & II, the moon landing, and much more. But that's a story for another time.

    When I start researching a new family member, couple, or family line, after entering some basic details into my tree, I go to newspapers.com to see what information appears. Depending on the year and location, you can find quite a few clues for additional sources. Newspapers were known for publishing a lot of personal information, especially if it involved court cases. And it's these published details that can help you discover more documents, sources, and information about your ancestor. So, let's look at some examples.

Marriages
Licenses - When licenses were obtained, they were listed in the newspaper with the date the license was acquired. This will lead you to the license itself. 

Marriage License - Edward Hilke & Mary Schulling
Marriage License
Edward Hilke & Mary Schulling

11 Mar 1904, Fri
The Journal-Democrat
(Warrensburg, Missouri)

Newspapers.com
Marriage of Bunch / Krumsick
Marriage of Bunch / Krumsick
08 Nov 1912, Fri
The Alma Enterprise
(Alma, Kansas)

Newspapers.com

Engagements/Announcements/Showers - These will include more details about the couple, including parents' names, friends, a church, or addresses. If a church is named, you might be able to acquire a copy of the church register. From there, depending on the church, the register might also include baptism information, which could then lead to finding a copy of the baptismal certificate. Addresses could be used to confirm family in census records and city directories.

Surprise Shower for Pearl McGrew
Surprise Shower for Pearl McGrew
02 May 1932, Mon
The Maryville Daily Forum
(Maryville, Missouri)

Newspapers.com
McGrew-Swope Marriage
McGrew-Swope Marriage
03 May 1932, Tue
The Maryville Daily Forum
(Maryville, Missouri)

Newspapers.com

Wedding Details - This will usually be shared after the wedding has taken place. It can include names of the wedding party and their relationship, parents, the location where the wedding took place (whether a house or church), and even who officiated the wedding. If an announcement hadn't been published, this could be just as helpful to track down more sources and documents. 

Nancy Ann Seidel weddingNancy Ann Seidel Wedding
18 Apr 1973, Wed
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
(St. Louis, Missouri)

Newspapers.com

Births
These are hit and miss but can still be helpful with adding a birth year to your tree. Names of the children are not always given, but the names of the parents are given. This can lead to birth records and baptismal records.

Birth Recorded - Valdes
Birth Recorded
J R Valdes

8223 Michigan
21 Jun 1938, Tue
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
(St. Louis, Missouri)

Newspapers.com
Jerry Valdes Birth
Jerry Valdes Birth
21 Jun 1938, Tue
The St. Louis Star and Times
(St. Louis, Missouri)

Newspapers.com

Deaths
There are quite a few articles that you could look for that can help with the death information of an ancestor.

Obituaries
- these can be a treasure trove of information about an ancestor's life and their relations. Also the location of the burial. This can lead to death certificates, church registers for deaths and burials, burial permits, and possible funeral home records. Depending on how detailed the obituary is about the ancestor could lead to other records such as military, marriage records, city directories, and more. 

Obituary for ALBERTA V. Huerner
Obituary
ALBERTA V. Huerner

01 Feb 1978, Wed
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
(St. Louis, Missouri)

Newspapers.com
Obituary for LOUISE K. Strawhun
Obituary
LOUISE K. Strawhun

20 Feb 1971, Sat
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
(St. Louis, Missouri)

Newspapers.com
Obituary for Wilbert H.Obituary
Wilbert H. "Buck" Strawhun

27 Aug 1979, Mon
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
(St. Louis, Missouri)

Newspapers.com

Burial Permits - Not every city requires one, but St. Louis did. I've had quite a bit of luck with burial permits thanks to newspapers publishing the list. This is especially helpful if an ancestor died before death certificates were standardized. 

Louise Strawhun Burial Permit
Louise Strawhun Burial Permit
25 Feb 1971, Thu
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
(St. Louis, Missouri)

Newspapers.com
Robert Strawhun Burial Permit
Robert Strawhun Burial Permit
22 Nov 1970, Sun
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
(St. Louis, Missouri)

Newspapers.com

Card of Thanks/In Memoriam - Families of the deceased will sometimes submit a card of thanks for the newspaper to run to thank all those who called upon them during their time of grief, which can include organizations there were a member of and even the funeral home where you can contact for records as well. This will connect the deceased to the living family. Or sometimes they will publish an In Memoriam of the deceased. If you don't have a death date, this may be the only hint you have to try to locate more sources. 

In Memoriam of Edward Sleets
In Memoriam of Edward Sleets
20 Dec 1963, Fri
The St. Louis Argus
(St. Louis, Missouri)

Newspapers.com
Card of Thanks - Edward J Buer
Card of Thanks
Edward J Buer

10 Feb 1929, Sun
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
(St. Louis, Missouri)

Newspapers.com

Notice of Letters/Administrative Notes - When an ancestor dies without a will, their estate is processed through the Probate Court. An executor will run a notice in the newspaper for anyone who has an account to settle with the decedent. This will not only tell you that your ancestor has passed away, but that you should look for a probate record. Now, these can go on for years, so keep that in mind when you are trying to determine the date of death.

Z. T. McGrew estate
Z. T. McGrew estate
16 Dec 1915, Thu
The Blackwell Weekly Sun
(Blackwell, Oklahoma)

Newspapers.com
Administrator's Notice - Sophia Buer
Administrator's Notice
Nicholas Buer

21 Oct 1870, Fri
Jefferson Democrat
(Hillsboro, Missouri)

Newspapers.com

Special Articles - If this were a case that had special circumstances, depending on what happened, you might find a court case if it was a murder, or you might find coroner records if the death was suspicious.

Inquests Held in deaths of three killed by trainsInquests Held in deaths of three killed by trains
28 Sep 1934, Fri
Sedalia Weekly Democrat (Sedalia, Missouri)
Newspapers.com

Property/Real Estate Transfers
These announcements will mention the names and possible property location. This will lead you to the deed paperwork. And if the location is given, you can look up the property on plat maps.

Real Estate Transfer from Bogert to Otte
Real Estate Transfer
Bogert to Otte

08 Sep 1960, Thu
Washington Missourian
(Washington, Missouri)

Newspapers.com
Transfer of Real Estate from Morton Jackson to Charles Yancy
Transfer of Real Estate
Morton Jackson to Charles Yancy

10 Jun 1886, Thu
Union Record
(Union, Missouri)

Newspapers.com

Court Cases
These can be as simple as name vs. name or a whole newspaper article about the event that took place. This will lead to court records. Sometimes they will have court cases listed under headings such as Probate Court Docket or Circuit Court Docket. Other records you could locate based on the articles: divorce records, guardianship records, custody records, or penitentiary records (if convicted).

George Sleet charged with assault
George Sleet charged with assault
14 Aug 1936, Fri
The Gerald Journal
(Gerald, Missouri)

Newspapers.com
Divorce - Winnie Yancy vs. William Yancy
Divorce
Winnie Yancy vs. William Yancy

25 Jul 1924, Fri
Franklin County Tribune
(Union, Missouri)

Newspapers.com
Probate Court Docket - Sleets, heirs, minors, Richard Lane, gd (guardian)
Probate Court Docket
Sleets, heirs, minors, Richard Lane, gd (guardian)

28 Oct 1910, Fri
Washington Citizen
(Washington, Missouri)

Newspapers.com
Flossie Peterson vs George Fuchs, suit on note
Flossie Peterson vs George Fuchs
suit on note

10 Nov 1960, Thu
Jefferson County Record
(Hillsboro, Missouri)

Newspapers.com


Military Records
Depending on the article, it can lead you to many different military records.

  • If your ancestor was drafted, his name and number could be in the newspaper, as that was sometimes the best way to notify a person quickly. That draft number can lead you to transport records and military files. 
  • If your ancestor went to basic training somewhere or graduated, you might find records from that training facility or locate a yearbook. Ft. Leonard Wood had yearbooks for its graduates. (See my website)
  • If your ancestor was KIA, there could be a Burial Case File at the National Archives. 
  • If they were captured and a prisoner of war, there could be prisoner of war records. 
  • If letters were sent home, you could check with family members if anyone has them or remembers details from the letters. 
  • And of course, if their unit was listed in the newspaper, you can look up information about that particular unit, including maps from the battles they participated in. 

World War I Draft Drawing
World War I Draft Drawing
12 Oct 1918, Sat
Carthage Evening Press
(Carthage, Missouri)

Newspapers.com
Killed in Action - William Ilg
Killed in Action
William Ilg

20 Dec 1918, Fri
Columbia Missourian
(Columbia, Missouri)

Newspapers.com
Frank Marquart Jr finishes basic at Ft. Leonard Wood
Frank Marquart Jr finishes
basic at Ft. Leonard Wood

26 Sep 1957, Thu
Franklin County Tribune
(Union, Missouri)

Newspapers.com
Captain Joseph H Rickards arrived
Capt Joseph Rickards, 12th Calvary
26 Sep 1863, Sat
The St. Joseph Herald
(St. Joseph, Missouri)

Newspapers.com

Organization Membership
Some organizations have memberships and keep records. These organizations will sometimes list the names of their members and if they hold certain positions. This can lead to documents and records.

GAR Elect officers - Wm McKinley Post 324
GAR Elect officers
Wm McKinley Post 324

16 Dec 1904, Fri
Sullivan Sentinel
(Sullivan, Missouri)

Newspapers.com

Schools
Graduations, school programs, conerts, theater, etc will lead you to possible school records or at the very least the name of the school your ancestor attended. Then you might be able to find yearbooks.

Writing Rags to Riches Story at Northwest High School - Dennis Fuchs
Writing "Rags to Riches" Story at Northwest High School - Dennis Fuchs
27 Oct 1960, Thu Jefferson County Record (Hillsboro, Missouri) Newspapers.com

Businesses
If your ancestor ran a business, it could appear in the newspaper for many reasons. Which can lead to business licenses, addresses that can be used to locate on a map or in city directories. Even tax papers. If your ancestor owned a farm and operated a dairy business, cattle business, etc., these articles could lead you to farm censuses. Plus, check with local historical societies if they have any information about your ancestors. They receive items all the time related to businesses and farms.

Moonlight Tavern, Thomas FuchsMoonlight Tavern
Thomas Fuchs

25 Apr 1940, Thu
The Ellington Press
(Ellington, Missouri)

Newspapers.com


I hope this gave you additional ideas on how to use newspapers to find more sources and documents. I can't tell you how many times newspapers.com has been helpful. Time to dive back into my research!

Do you have any other tips on how useful Newspapers can be when researching your family?