Census Sunday

Finding Your Ancestors in Censuses

Census records are a valuable resource for family historians. They have the potential for information that connects one generation to the next. Census records can reveal details about your ancestors and can give you a snapshot of their lives at a particular time in the past. When searching for your ancestor in the U.S. censuses verify the correct ancestor by looking at the whole family – his wife, children, parents, etc. Families migrated in groups and tended to keep close and stay together. As you collect information from the censuses about your ancestor you will see a profile emerge. As you look at a census compare it to the previous census. Take notice of any contrasting information and make note of it.

   

Family historians can access censuses from 1790 to 1940 and the information for each census year varies from census to census.  Information is a little more difficult to glean from censuses before 1850; however, if you have information for an ancestor such as birth information you can look to the head of the family, the age categories and estimated birth years and identify possible ancestors. I have an ancestor Jordan Lee who left only fragments of a paper trail and has been one of my most difficult ancestors to research. Jordan Lee has been listed on censuses in South Carolina in the area where Benjamin Hodge and John Rains (Jordan’s wife Lidia’s family) was listed. I have carefully looked through each census from 1810 to 1840 hoping to find a clue that will lead me to vital information about Jordan Lee.

Jordan Lee was either born in South Carolina or Ireland. It was important to remember the possibility that he was an immigrant to the colony of South Carolina and that he wouldn’t be named on records prior to 1810. The information that I had to begin my research came from Lee relatives. They have researched the Lee line and the information provided by them was vital in jump starting my research for my grandmother’s ancestors. Although I knew very little about my Lee ancestors. I used the information with sources that they provided, then verified it using records that were available. Censuses were found for Jordan Lee in 1810 to 1840, and he is named on a land record, estate record for Thomas Hodge, and a record for Benjamin Hodge, his father-in-law.  With this information about Benjamin Hodge, Thomas Hodge, and John Rains I kept a close eye on the neighbors or those people listed on the censuses with Jordan Lee. Also, I looked for any familiar names such as the brothers-in-law of Lidia Hodge Lee. Those names were clues when searching for Jordan Lee and that I had the correct ancestor.

As I looked at the 1810 Richland, South Carolina census I noticed in the left column the words Columbia town and Richland District were written down the side of the census. That caught my eye since there was not a heading on the census. The name of town, city, or county, names of heads of families, free white males, free white females, and all other persons were on page one and since my ancestor was on page 5 of the census, I had to refer to page one for the age categories. There is a Jordan Lee on the 1810 Columbia, Richland District, South Carolina census. His estimated birth year is 1778 and on the 1810 census is one free white male listed in the column that shows the age category of 26 and under 45 including heads of families. Jordan Lee would be about thirty-two years old at that time. Lydia his wife would have been about twenty-five years old. A free white female is listed in the age category of 16 under 26 including heads of families.

Since I had a location for Jordan Lee, I continued my search in Richland, South Carolina. Next was the 1820 census. I noticed on the 1820 census there were categories that I had not seen before.  The 1820 census shows additional information added such as: Number of foreigners not naturalized, Number of persons engaged in agriculture, Number of persons engaged in commerce, Number of persons engaged in manufacturing, and Number of slaves, Number of other free persons, except Indians, not taxed.

The 1820 Richland, Richland District, South Carolina census has a Jordan Lee listed on it; however, in the column that states “Foreigners not Naturalized” there is no check leading me to believe that he isn’t an immigrant. A male is checked in the age category of free white males of twenty-six and under forty-five including heads of families. There is a female in the same category for free white females and possibly his wife Lidia. One interesting note is Benjamin Hodge father of Lidia, wife of Jordan Lee, is listed on the census one page to the left of the page where Jordan Lee is listed. The column for “Foreigners not Naturalized” was not checked for Benjamin Hodge either, indicating to me that he most likely was born in the colonies.

I had difficulty reading the headings on the 1830 Richland District, South Carolina census so I used a blank 1830 census form to determine what information was in the columns. There is a mark in the of fifty and under sixty age category so possibly this is Jordan Lee and he would be about fifty-two years old at that time and a female with a mark in the same female age category. There are not any marks in the “Aliens – Foreigners not naturalized column.” Family stories passed down have said that Jordan Lee was a young boy when they immigrated from Ireland.  What is his father’s name? There are nagging questions that need to be answered.  First, did the census taker ask “Aliens – Foreigners” information? Second, was Jordan Lee an immigrate to the colonies? Lastly, what is his father’s name?

Each census question is answered by an informant (or someone who gave the information). That person was anyone who answered the door when the census taker came to the door. The 1840 U.S. Census requested persons who were “pensioners for Revolutionary or military services” to indicate that information. That information was not noted on the census for Jordan Lee and no military records have been found for him. That is a question that I have asked repeatedly but can’t answer since I haven’t found records for him.

Researching further I followed Jordan Lee to the 1840 census and found a Jordan Lee listed on the Tallapoosa County, Alabama 1840 census. He is listed in the free white persons including heads of families in the 60 and under 70 age category for males and there is a female in the 40 to 50 female age category. Lidia’s estimated birth year is 1785 therefore she would be about fifty-five years old. Is that female Lidia? Lidia Lee is listed on the 1850 Tallapoosa County, Alabama census living alone, she was born in South Carolina, she is sixty years old, and her estimated birth year 1790. Based on the previous censuses and the 1850 through 1870 censuses I concluded this to be Lidia Lee. There is a land record for Jordan Lee for 40.14 acres dated 1 June 1845 Tallapoosa County, Alabama. 

 




Although the question of whether or not Jordan Lee was an immigrant was answered by researching the 1820 through 1840 censuses there are questions about Jordan Lee that I will research to answer. Who are his parents? Did Jordan Lee serve in the military? He would have been about thirty-two years old when the War of 1812 was going on. What was his religious affiliation? I haven’t found church record for him. I continue to research and hope for more records to be added online that will help in answering these questions and others that might come up.

Sunday's Censuses and More

The Life Story of Santa Clause

Now for all of you doubters of whether or not there really is a Santa Clause this is a fact, “there is a Santa Clause!” Santa Clause was born April 4, 1887 in Liberty, Saline County, Missouri, to William and Henrietta S. Clause. Missouri is a great place for him to be born because he didn’t have to travel from far to deliver all the children’s toys. The best I can tell is that Santa had nine siblings and their names were Emma, William, Pearl, Nellie, Earl and Harvey. Yes, I know this is a bit confusing for you since initially Santa employed six elves. But the more help available the better for Santa Clause! Right!

Santa's father tells the census taker that his father's birth place was Germany. If the family was of German descent this brings to mind interesting questions.  How was Clause pronounced in German? How did this family pronounce the Clause? Was the name originally Klaus? Or Claus? 

As you can tell from the census in 1900 Santa was living in Liberty, Missouri with his parents and siblings and he was thirteen years old. Both of Santa’s parents were born in Missouri. In 1910 Santa Clause was twenty-three years old and working as a hired hand on a farm, and still living in Liberty, Missouri. On June 9, 1912 Santa Clause found the woman of his dreams who would be a lifetime partner and a helpmate. As you can see on the certificate her name was Minnie Mabel Hill and they were married in Marshall, Saline County, Missouri.

 

He signed up for the draft and  he is listed on the U. S. World War I Draft Registration Card 1917-1918 living in Powers, Colorado on Lamar Route A. He states he is a natural born citizen of the United States. At that time, he was a farmer and employed by J. W. Paste. He was married and his wife and two  children living with him. He states he is a Caucasian. Contrary to what we all believe Santa Clause had light brown hair, medium build (not short and not heavy built), medium height, not tall and not short. His eyes were blue, and he wasn’t bald. And there was no mention of a white beard! I know that this is disappointing to us but that is his description of himself. Therefore, it is a fact!

Well, by 1920 he was back in Missouri living as a border in his brother Earl Clause’s household.  Dear old Santa Clause was thirty-one years old and living in Blackwater in Pettis, Missouri and the census states that he was single. Where is Minnie? Or is that a census taker’s error that he was single? He might have been; he might have been away working; they could have been separated at the time of the census taking; or he might have been divorced. We don't know his marital status at that time, so we just have to save the information on that census and continue our fact hunting of Santa Clause. 

Whatever the case in 1920 by the taking of the 1930 census Santa Clause was back in Saline County, living in Marshall on South Redman Avenue and he was married with six children living in his household with him and Mabel his wife. Santa Clause was a laborer working in River Construction and forty-two years old. Santa and his wife didn’t own a radio at that time. His home value was $15.00 so he most likely couldn’t afford a radio. Remember that one of the questions added to the 1930 census was do you own a radio?

On the 1930 census Santa’s age at the time of his first marriage was twenty-four years old. The census showed that poor Santa didn’t attend school; however; on the previous censuses it stated he was in school. His wife was giving the census taker the information and she probably didn’t know since she was busy taking care of her husband and seven children. How did I know that his wife gave the census taker the information for the census? On the census if there is an x looking mark by the person’s name, that is the person who gave the census taker the information for that household. Anyhow, Santa could read and write so, he either attended school or was self-taught. Santa’s occupation was a laborer in River Construction as shown on this census, so was he a minister or not? He possibly was a minister and just worked on the weekend and Wednesday for Wednesday night service. 

 

In 1940 Santa Clause is living on West Jackson Street in a house that he was renting and his house number was 796. He was no longer living on a farm near town. His occupation was a sewer man and the industry was drainage work in private work. That is what it stated on the census, and that would be a job where you get your hands dirty unlike his job as a minister. In 1936 though he worked sixteen weeks, and his income was $268.00. His wife didn't work outside the home and her employment as shown on the census was housework. Anyone who has a family as large as the Clause family knows housework is a full time job. It stated on the census that Santa had no other source of income and was looking for work. Mrs. Clause was not getting paid but she was most likely frugal with their resources. Santa was giving the census taker the information, and there was nothing stating that he was a minister. Maybe Santa had given up the ministry. His age on the 1940 census is fifty-two years. 

Santa Clause had three sons who signed up for the World War II Draft Registration. William Clause son of Santa's Army discharge card shows the person who will always know your address is Rev. Santa Clause, his father. During those war years families went through some difficult times so he probably was working and another job to support the Clause family.

In 1942 Santa Claus signed up for the World War II Draft Registration and he signed his name as Rev. Santa Claus. He was a minister in Saline County. He was fifty-four years old. This draft is what some call the “old man’s draft registration.” The question is was he a minister or not? Will look for records to determine if he was a licensed minister. This particular draft was needed in case they had to start calling up these men during World War II. I was conflicted as to why Santa Clause would be in Colorado in 1917-1918, well I concluded after analyzing the 1940 census and the World War II Draft Registration Cards for himself and his sons that he was a minister when he was living in Colorado. Why else would he be so far away from Missouri?  He lived in Missouri the remainder of his life.

His son Raymond Claus is shown as the name and address of person who will always know Rev. Santa Claus' address. On this form Santa's birth year is 1888; however, I am leaving the birth as 1887 since the 1900 had his birth year as 1887 this year was closer to the event and he was living in his parents household and the father gave the information to the census taker. 

In September 10, 1953 things were getting tough for dear old Santa Clause and and he was getting up in years so he went to the Social Security Office and made a claim. Santa was now sixty-five years old and had worked most of his life and was ready to retire. His social security number was 487161823. Santa Clause is ready to relax and enjoy life now. However, his retirement was short lived because in three years Santa Clause is dead. 

Santa Clause died at the age of sixty-eight in Marshall, Saline County, Missouri.  Was he ill when he retired? Did he die suddenly? If you look at the death certificate the cause of death is on there. Whatever his health was during those last three years Santa left a legacy. Santa Clause and Mrs. Clause had seven children and that is enough heirs to carry on his work. He had nine siblings so their descendants are left to continue what he started so many years ago. Santa is buried in the Blue Lick Cemetery in Saline County, Missouri where he lived most of his life. According to a comment on Ancestry from the contributor who shared Santa Clause's headstone, "The "E" was added to the headstone around 2005." He didn't know if the family added the "E" to the end of the surname or if the church officials. 

His death date on his Find A Grave memorial is April 1, 1957. Dates needs to be verified using other records. In his memorial it states his occupation: Retired Minister. Santa Clause is now at peace and can rest after all his many years of hard work and sacrifices as a laborer and minister. One can only surmise how shocked folks were when they heard that Santa Clause had died. His lifetime partner and helpmate Minnie Mabel Hill Clause died January 29, 1944 at the age of 49 in Marshall, Saline County, Missouri. 

This is the story of the life of Santa Clause. Now, do you believe there really is a Santa Clause?

Sources

1900-1940 United States Censuses

U.S. Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-20007

Missouri, Marriage records, 19=805-2002

U.S. World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918

U.S. World War II Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947

U.S. World War II Draft Registration Cards 1942

U.S. Find A Grave Index, 1600-Current

Online Family Tree with sources as a guide in my research

Photo from Ancestry tree originally shared by wilmclause 4 Jul 2012

Santa Clause 

Maternal Monday

Nancy Caroline Hodges

Researching my Mother’s female maternal line ancestors has been challenging, especially since there are no family stories, family Bibles, photos, or records passed down to me. I have researched her maternal female ancestors infrequently and irregularly because of lack of information. I thought eventually there would be records added online for them, but they are limited for this particular ancestor – Nancy Caroline Hodges. However, honoring her in a blog post may touch one of her descendants somewhere who has information they are willing to share.

Nancy Caroline Hodges was born about 1819 in South Carolina. Online family trees are great sources to use if they have records to back up the information. If there are no records the trees are useless and unreliable. I took the information from family trees that had records and searched the records to verify the information. The research lead me to conclude that Nancy Caroline was the oldest child of Edmond and Martha Hodges, and that she married at a young age to my second great grandfather, John Lewis Coon born October 6, 1814 in Pike County, Mississippi. The 1820 Pike County, Mississippi has Edmond Hodges head of the home, and listed is one female under ten. One male twenty-six thru forty-four, one male under ten, and one female sixteen thru twenty-five.

Listed on the same 1820 Pike County, Mississippi census is Jacob Coon, father of John Lewis Coon, Wm. Hodges, Sidney Hodges, Jesse Hodges, Drure Hodges along with Edmond Hodges. I have concluded that Drure Hodges is the likely father of Edmond Hodges since Drure’s age was forty-five and up. Drure is listed living in the next household near Edmond on the census. There was a white female forty-five and up also listed. Therefore, I concluded these are the parents of Edmond Hodges. Jesse, Sidney, and William all had children listed in various age categories on the census. Those three Hodges males could be brothers of Edmond. I haven’t found Edmond on the 1830 census; however, he is on the 1840 census living in Pike County, Mississippi.

Listed as head of the family is one male in the fifty thru 59 age category and I concluded that would be Edmond. Edmond’s age in 1840 would be about fifty-one years. There is one female in the 40 thru 49 age category and I conclude that is Martha his wife since she would be about 56 in 1840. There were two males in the five thru nine age category, two females under five, two females ten thru fourteen, and one female fifteen thru nineteen which I concluded to be Nancy Caroline. I continued my research and found Edmund Hodges still living in Pike County, Mississippi and place of birth in South Carolina and age sixty-one. That would make his estimated birth year 1789 so I believe that I have the correct Edmond Hodges father of Nancy Caroline.

By the time of the enumeration of the 1850 census Nancy Caroline was married and she and Lewis Coon had five children. There is Martha M. (Miranda) eleven-years-old living in the household, so Nancy Caroline’s estimated marriage is about 1838. Nancy Caroline’s age is twenty-eight making her estimated birth year 1822. Sarah J. the next daughter was eight years old making her estimated birth year 1842. John C. age seven, Talitha age five, William C. age 4, and Edmund T. age 2. Their family continued to grow and by the 1860 census they were still living and Pike County and had three additional children – Polly Ann age nine, Isham age seven and Phillip age one.

Finding the Coon family in the 1870 census was more difficult. The tip to keep in mind when researching the censuses is to look at all spelling variations and initials. Well, Caroline was listed on page 29 on the census as N. C. Coon and was forty-eight years old and her place of birth was South Carolina. She had a real estate value of $200 and personal estate at $500. Living in Dwelling No. 219 was N. C. Coon and living with her were I. S. Coon male age seventeen, Polly female age sixteen, Phillip H. male age ten, Summers Vic female age twelve. Living nearby Dwelling 220 was E. T. Coon her son and his wife Jane A. Then, living in Dwelling 221 was Martha Miranda (M. M. McDavid) and her family.

Lewis Coon was listed as L. C. and was living with W. C. age twenty-three. In Lincoln County. I tracked the family down by looking at various spellings of the name variations. The other tip when looking through censuses is to look at the pages to the right and pages to the left of the page where you find your ancestor. That is the tip that I used and looked on the next page 30 and found L. C. (Lewis). On the 1870 census living in Dwelling 214 was Martha Hodges age seventy-five Nancy Caroline’s mother her place of birth was South Carolina and her value of real estate was $500 and personal estate $125.

On the 1880 census Caroline was sixty-one years old and Lewis was sixty-five. H. Phillip was living at home and he was twenty-one years old and the family was living in Lincoln County. Lincoln County was formed from Pike County in 1870. The family didn’t move the county line changed. 

After researching the available records and analyzing them carefully I feel confident that Nancy Caroline Hodges’ father is Edmond Hodges and her mother is Martha. Nancy Caroline died October 2, 1897 in Lincoln County, Mississippi and is interred in McDavid Cemetery in Lincoln County, Mississippi. John Lewis Coon died February 19, 1898 and is interred in the same cemetery where is beloved wife Nancy Caroline is interred.

Sentimental Sunday

Lillie Dorothy Lavada Coon Age 16
Yearbook Date 1953 Thomas Jefferson High School 

Lillie Dorothy Lavada "Bobbie" (Coon) Underhill

Sympathy Saturday

Jimmy Dale Lee 

July 2, 1942 - January 14, 2016

Jimmy Dale Lee, 73 of El Dorado, passed away Thursday, January 14, 2016, at the John R. Williamson Hospice House.

He was born July 2, 1942, to Axion H. and Nola Mae Evans Lee in Oak Grove, LA. He was the Owner of Lee’s Trucking and was of the Baptist faith.

Preceding him in death are his parents; son, Guy Dale Lee; one sister and two brothers.

Survivors include his wife of 55 years, Patsy Lee; two daughters, Lisa Owens (Toby), Tonya Chadwick all of El Dorado; six grandchildren, Jessica Lee (Jamie), Brandy Gaffney (Gary), Kristi DeTraz (Kyle), Cheryl Williams, Cody Chadwick, Chasity Chadwick; and nine great grandchildren.

Funeral services will be held at 3:00 p.m. Sunday, January 17, 2016, at Young’s Chapel under the direction of Young’s Funeral Directors with Bro. J.D. Weido officiating.

Memorials may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 262 Danny Thomas Way, Memphis, TN 38105; or to the Arkansas Children’s Hospital, 1 Children’s Way, Little Rock, AR 
72202.

Source

Dignity Memorial Funeral Home https://www.dignitymemorial.com

______________________________________________________________________

Jimmy Dale Lee was born in Oak Grove, West Carroll Parish, Louisiana to Axiom Harrison and Nola Mae (Evans) Lee. Jimmy Dales’ father was known by the nickname Tack. Tack was daddy’s first cousin. Axiom Harrison “Tack” Lee’s father was James William Lee and his mother was Nancy Matilda (Winn) Lee. Tack was one of fourteen children of James and Nancy.

Jimmy Dale was a second cousin on my paternal Lee family line. I was looking for a male Lee cousin who would submit a sample for YDNA testing so that I could verify our Lee patrilineal line. When I was looking for a Lee male cousin to YDNA test he gladly volunteered to submit his sample. I called him to set up a meeting at the Cracker Barrel Restaurant and took the cheek swab before we ate a delicious meal. Then, we then had an interesting conversation about family and growing up in West Carroll Parish. Jimmy Dale was the type of person that was interesting to talk to and one felt at ease with him, and he could tell family stories that made you feel as though you were there when the event was happening. We chatted a while then we went our separate ways and I didn’t see Jimmy Dale again before he died. I was surprised when I heard of his death since he looked to be in good health when we had our visit.

Well, I submitted his sample for testing and the results came back and I was shocked. There were no matches to the Lee YDNA 67 marker test results. I mistakenly thought there would be several matches since the Lee surname was so widely used. There are the Lees from Virginia; everyone has heard of Robert E. Lee; the Lees from North Carolina, the Lees from South Carolina, the Lees of Maryland, Pennsylvania, Washington DC, and Florida to name a few of the Lee families in America. My Lee family doesn’t link to any of those Lees. My patrilineal Lee is in a subgroup alone and from England. Eventually after a two year wait a match came back and the two share a common ancestor Jordan Lee; however, I am hoping more Lee descendants of this patrilineal line will YDNA test at least at the 37-marker level.

I am grateful to Jimmy Dale for volunteering for the Lee project.  He has passed on, but his DNA is stored in the Family Tree Testing Company lab.

Friday's Sentiments

Gone but not forgotten

Dorothy Lavada “Bobbie” Coon was my double first cousin and was born to Irma Kamile Coon my father’s sister, and her father was Morris Clifton Coon brother my mother’s brother. Bobbie as her family and cousins called her, was born 5 September 1934 in Lake Providence in East Carroll Parish, Louisiana the second child of Irma and Morris. Morris Clifton was the oldest child of Clifton and Lavenia “Venie” Coon, and Irma Kamile was the second child of Alice (Lee) Eley. My cousin Bobbie and I were unable to visit while growing up since we lived so far apart. West Carroll Parish, Louisiana and Jefferson County, Texas were miles apart. Bobbie’s father was born and reared in Brookhaven in Pike County, Mississippi. His mother died mysteriously about 1926 and the family was working through their loss. Sometime after her death the family migrated from Mississippi and headed west.

The Coon family migration from Brookhaven in Pike County, Mississippi was after the 1920 census since the family was enumerated on the 1920 census. By April 1, 1930 census enumeration they were living in Ward Four, West Carroll Parish, Louisiana surrounded by Coon and related families from Mississippi.

In 1930 Morris Coon was twenty-one years old living with his Uncle E. “Edward” M. Coon, Clifton’s (his father) brother and cousin Henry Hampton. As I looked at the West Carroll census, I noticed the majority of people living around the Coon family were from Mississippi. Why was that? Life in Mississippi was difficult after the Great Depression. Agriculture was the main income for the majority of the residents living in Mississippi. My Coon ancestors were all farmers with a limited education. There was widespread unemployment, poverty, and lack of food for some families during the Great Depression years. One of the questions on the census was did the family own a radio and the Coon family didn’t own one. Industrial jobs were also impacted by the Great Depression. During those years there was a serious racial divide in the state. Rural schools were affected by the economic difficulties during the 1930s and children suffered because of lack of funding. Most rural families couldn’t afford supplies and were unable to attend school throughout the 1930s explaining why so many of my ancestors had a limited education. I noticed on the 1930 census that Uncle Morris could read and write but he had no school. However, as I looked back at the 1920 District 92, Ruth Precinct, Lincoln County, Mississippi census Uncle Morris had attended school, and he was eleven years old at that time.

Social services in Mississippi during the 1930s were almost non-existent so families had nowhere to go for help. Folks in Mississippi weren’t the only ones suffering all America was experiencing nationwide suffering and deprivation in the 1930s. In 1935 America was dealing with the Great Depression and inching towards World War II. All the events were reasons families were leaving small town Brookhaven in Pike County, Mississippi looking for better opportunities.

Then, by 1935 they were in West Carroll Parish, Louisiana. On the 1940 census Morris Coon was thirty-one married and had three children living in his household. Mary Alice’s birth year was conflicting with the other dates in my mind and I couldn’t understand how the children were born in East Carroll Parish and they were living in West Carroll Parish. True that East Carroll borders West Carroll Parish and Ward 4 is in close proximity to Lake Providence, but I had to resolve these dates and where they were living. It was time for a courthouse research road trip. I made a trip to the courthouse in Oak Grove to research. I hit the jackpot! I found marriage records on several family members including Morris Coon and Irma Ealy (Eley). That was one of those genealogical aha moments when I found those marriage records! I examined Morris Coon and Irma Eley’s marriage certificate and discovered they were married in Oak Grove, September 27, 1930 after the April 1, 1930 census was taken. Therefore, I determined they moved to East Carroll Parish after they were married. The family was living in on 120 Hudson Street, Ward 3, Lake Providence in East Carroll Parish, Louisiana. Dorothy Lavada was six years old on the 1940 census, Aunt Irma was twenty-nine, Mary Alice eight years old, born in 1932, and David Lloyd was three. The census taker listed David as a daughter. This is an example of why it is important to carefully analyze records and verify information found on them. That is the place they were living in 1935 also. Uncle Morris’s occupation was listed as an Ind wood salesman and the industry was firewood. Aunt Irma wasn’t working at that time. They were renting their home at that time and paying six dollars monthly. Prior to the census he worked forty hours. He was self-employed. Mary Alice was in the second grade and Dorothy Lavada and David Lloyd hadn’t started school. 

The next record that I searched for to track the family to determine where they were living was the U.S. WWII Draft Card for Young Men 1940-1947. The Morris Clifton Coon family were still living in Lake Providence in East Carroll Parish when Uncle Morris registered for the draft. He was thirty-one years old, so he possibly signed up in 1940 since he was listed as thirty-one years old on the census. He was born 7 November 1908 in Pike County, Mississippi. I searched for a Social Security Application form for him but couldn’t find one; however, on the Social Security Death Index it show he signed up before 1951.

He apparently signed up for Social Security sometime before 1951 in Louisiana. Therefore, I concluded he signed up and his Social Security card was issued in Louisiana before leaving East Carroll Parish.

The 1950 census has not been made public yet, so I had to look at other sources to track the family’s migration. Five years ago, I made a trip to visit my cousin, Bobbie’s oldest sister, for an interview. She gave the details of their journey from East Carroll Parish to Port Arthur. The trip from Louisiana to Texas was a long difficult journey. Mary Alice said she was in school when they moved from Louisiana and that Uncle Morris worked along the way. Mary Alice said her parents placed her in school wherever they stopped for Uncle Morris to work. They were traveling by automobile and headed west. She said she went to a few schools along the way. She is now eighty-six years old and her memory is unable to recall facts from that long ago. After, interviewing Mary Alice I continued searching for records for Morris and Irma Coon.

By 1953 Morris and Irma were divorced and Morris had a son Morris Clifton, Jr born 12 May 1954 in Santa Monica, California. Morris Jr. died 1 Jan 2003 in Los Angeles California. Emma Delvin Copes was Morris Clifton’s second wife and mother of Morris Jr. In 1953 Morris and Irma’s daughter Lillie Dorothy Lavada Coon was about sixteen and her picture was in the Thomas Jefferson High School Yearbook. Dorothy Coon was listed in the 1953 Port Arthur, Texas City Directory living 2220 Seventh Avenue and listed as a student. Neither of her parents were listed in the directory.

Then 12 June 1954 Lillie Dorothy Lavada “Bobbie” Coon married George Joseph Underhill. They married in St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Port Arthur. Father Crosswaite officiated. Like most newly weds they were happy and began their lives as a couple. The marriage record for the couple shows that Bobbie’s name was Lillie Dorothy Lavada Coon. Where did the given name Lillie come from? I don’t know. I only knew her by the name Bobbie. I recall that she had pretty red curly hair and she was pretty. When I discovered picture in the yearbook, she looked like I remembered her.

Morris, Irma and Bobbie are all three gone now but they aren’t forgotten. Memories of them are etched in the minds of their loved ones. Aunt Irma was my favorite aunt out of all the aunts on both sides of the family. She was a kind generous person. In my mind’s eye from when I was a young girl she always was dressed to perfection. She made several trips to Louisiana to visit family, and when I heard she was coming I very excited. My mother from the family stories I’ve heard took care of her brother Morris. He died of cardiac arrest on 8 March 1977 in Silsbee, Hardin County, Texas. Irma Kamile died 7 Dec 2001 in Port Arthur, Jefferson County, Texas. Bobbie their beloved daughter died at the young age of thirty-five 4 September 1969 in Port Arthur, Jefferson County, Texas leaving behind her five children and a family who loved her and misses her to this day.

Bobbie leaning out the window. Uncle Morris with the cigarette 

hanging out his mouth. Aunt Irma was taking the picture. Uncle 

George in the uniform. This photo was taken in Feb 1944 in 

West Carroll Parish, Louisiana. Picture from the author's 

private collection. 

Traditional Genealogy and Genetic Genealogy

Everyone at some point in life have thought about the origins of their families and have got involved in genealogical research to learn about their family’s origin. When I began researching family over fifteen years ago there was lots of legwork in researching family. Trips to libraries, courthouses and cemeteries where our families lived was a laborious task but one where research skills were honed and over time you became an experienced genealogists. When preparing for research trips to courthouses it took planning to be successful in searching the records. It is important to learn such things as the hours, what department to go to once there at the courthouse, what records are there, where they are located, how to find them. You also need to know what you are allowed to bring in whether a camera, iPhone, small scanner, or if they makes copies of the records and the cost of each page. As you walked cemeteries you learned the layout of the cemetery plots, how to look for family, and folks connected to them. Today with all the large record collections online those days are all but gone. However, there are search tips you need to know to have successful online searches.

Entertaining ad campaigns for DNA testing companies have made the public aware of DNA testing for genealogy and increased public interest in genetic genealogy. Genealogical DNA testing is an essential tool for genealogical research. People are interested to learn about their genetic ancestry and their family origins. One of the misconceptions people have is they no longer need to do the research that the DNA will tell them everything.

Traditional genealogical research is a needed tool along with DNA testing to determine relationships between individuals and identify family lines. When you use DNA testing it is helpful to test multiple descendants of an ancestor, so you will need to document as many descendants of an ancestor as possible using traditional research. You will be researching the parents, their children, and their descendants and documenting your research as you go along. DNA testing prices are now affordable, and a useful tool used to connect to living cousins and the cousin matches will increase as long as DNA testing continues to gain in its popularity. 

Reasons for getting involved in genealogical research and genetic genealogy varies depending on who you talk to. I became interested in genealogy research when I asked my Mother about family and she knew very little about her family or Daddy’s family. Not knowing about the Coon or the Eley families set me on a quest to learn about family and where our origin began. Then, when DNA testing for genealogy was made available, I got involved in it to prove or disprove family stories and to verify family lines. Using DNA test results to identify living relatives is both complex and challenging but worth the time and energy. The rewards come when finding new cousins and collaborating with them to identify our common ancestor couple. 

DNA test results is a tool in the family researcher’s toolbox, but it is an evidence-based tool. One that all serious genealogists needs in their toolbox along with traditional genealogical research.

Dorothy Lavada "Bobbie" Coon married 

George Joseph Underhill 12 Jun 1954. From

the author's personal collection. 

Tips for researching an elusive ancestor

In the years that I’ve been researching the progenitor of the Lee family line, Jordan Lee, I have used various strategies in my research. I had to find new ways of researching this elusive ancestor because I didn’t have any information for him and there were very few records for the Lee family. Genealogists at some point in researching their ancestors come across one who is difficult to find records for or link to parents. It is difficult to know where to start looking for records when you have no information such as family stories, or conflicting information from online trees for the Lee family, and you have an ancestor who didn’t leave a paper trail. There are strategies that I have used when researching this elusive ancestor with few records.

Since I wasn’t fortunate to have family information passed down about Jordan Lee, I had to rely on online family trees to start my search for him. My oldest sister knew about our immediate Lee family. Being the oldest child, she was privy to the family information and she was an inquisitor so very little information got by her. She loved family history and got me started on the way as family historian. Lee cousins who are older than me who were also privy to family information and stories helped in verifying the information that I had about the immediate family. I knew my paternal grandmother Alice Lee and I knew that her father was William Alfred Lee. I also knew that William Alfred was born in Alabama and Alice was born there but William Alfred had migrated with his family and a group of families to Jackson Parish, Louisiana in the early 1900s. After I had gathered all the information for my immediate Lee family, I researched them until I was confident this was my Lee family. Along the journey I connected with long ago cousins and found new cousins and they have helped by providing tidbits of information in the research of this elusive Jordan Lee family.

Using online family trees and verifying information from them. Online family trees are a great source when there is very little information to go on. I took the information from online trees and looked for records to verify it. There were census records and a land record for Jordan Lee. He is mentioned in estate papers for Thomas Hodge, Lydia (Letty) his wife’s relative. He and his wife Letty is mentioned in the probate record for his father-in-law Benjamin Hodge. I am feeling confident now that I have the Jordan Lee who is the progenitor of the Lee family.

What do I know about my ancestor?

Writing down the information that I already knew about my ancestor helped me see where I needed to begin my research. I wrote down life events from birth to death and filling in the years in between as I found information to verify it. A timeline is a great tool to write down life events and will show gaps in your research. If you missed a census record you will see that you will need to go back and look for that census year.  While looking at the census analyze it thoroughly looking for clues for relatives living nearby or any other family with a familiar surname. Those families may provide valuable clues for your research. Save any information that will be of value later on. Once you have written down the information that you already know about your ancestor you are ready to move on to what you want to know about this ancestor. What is it you are trying to find?

What do you want to know about your ancestor and what are you looking for?

What fact are you trying to verify?  I want to know who the father of Jordan Lee is. I am looking for the father of Jordan Lee and verify Jordan Lee’s parentage. Your results will be more effective if you focus on one piece of information at a time or one question at a time to answer. By doing that you will be more focused in your research and won’t be chasing other interesting ancestors that get you off topic. Keep copies of information that may be helpful later on and if possible, keep a record of searches so that you won’t go back to the same records over and over. Do thorough searches until you feel confident that you have explored every record in that collection.  

Research the whole family not just your direct line ancestor.

Your ancestor most likely had siblings so research them looking at name variations and initials in records. They may provide important information about your ancestor. You may find a parent living with one of your ancestor’s siblings or children. I found Letty Lee living with her daughter Naomi Hasten and her family. However, Naomi was listed as N. Hastin, because I had researched Lydia’s children, I knew Naomi had married Hugh Hastin. Naomi and her family along with Lydia Lee were living in Butler County, Alabama in 1860. I had searched for Lydia Letty for a while and couldn’t find her. Then researched the children of Jordan and Lydia and found her living in their household. The same thing happened with Druecila Lee widow of Benjamin Lee, son of Jordan and Lydia. Druecila was living with her daughter, Frances Drucilla Emmaliza Lee. However, on the 1880 Hackneyville, Tallapoosa County, Alabama census Frances was listed as Fannie E. Tompson. This was Druecila’s daughter who married Clem Thompson. Had I not researched the whole family I would have missed finding the daughter and Druecila.

Names are important make sure that you don’t get locked into one name. Look at all possibilities. There are numerous online trees that have my ancestor’s name as Thomas Jordan Lee. I haven’t found any record to verify that his name was Thomas Jordan. I am not saying it isn’t his name, but the proof isn’t there yet. Others have his name as Jourdan. Again, the proof isn’t there yet; however, there is a Jourdan on the North Carolina censuses, but the best that I can’t tell from my research that is another Lee line. Never just search what you believe is a known name, search to prove or disprove the name variations. There are numerous online family trees that have Jordan Lee’s parents as John Lee and Elizabeth. I have not found the records that link Jordan Lee to John and Elizabeth, and the records shown with the couple are not proof of anything. The link from parent to child isn't in those records. It is just folks copying trees and adding records that don’t prove anything.

Incorporate YDNA test for the male Lee surname and autosomal test results for all others and use the results with traditional genealogy to verify your genealogy research.

Genetic genealogy and traditional genealogy research are my passion. Even though I am not a professional or certified genealogist I do have a graduate degree from an accredited college, and I do my best to follow the Genealogical Proof Standards (GPS) or the best practices for genealogy. I work to come as close as possible to identifying my ancestors and making sure I have the correct line of ancestors in my family tree. Using DNA testing along with traditional genealogy gives me the feeling of confidence that I have fulfilled the reasonably exhaustive research for those elusive ancestors. I have autosomal (atDNA) tested family members and paternal first cousins, half first cousins, and second cousins. There have been several Lee cousins who have tested with Ancestry and 23andme Testing Companies making it helpful to identify the cousinship on the paternal Lee line.  Those cousins are from second cousins to fourth cousins and beyond. Also, I have YDNA tested one of my Lee male cousins and autosomal tested him. The YDNA test results for our Lee line shows that our Lee line isn’t related to the Lees from Virginia, North Carolina, Maryland, or Robert E. Lee. Our Lee line is in a lone subgroup. Possibly from England. If folks took the time to look at the DNA and analyze the results, they would know which Lee line their Lees descend from. By doing that they could prove or disprove those stories that grandma told them. 

Search for neighbors of your ancestor. 

Your ancestor’s neighbors are probably related to the family or connected to the family in some way whether by the same religious beliefs, migrated together, or through intermarriage. Look at those neighbors thoroughly and look closely at names and places of birth. Families migrated in groups and they usually stayed together in community clusters. Look through the censuses not just the page where you find your ancestor. More than likely there are other family members living nearby.  Marriage records have names of witnesses on them so take the time to research them and find how they are connected to the family. There are usually relatives or people named on wills or probate records who are connected to the family, so take the time to determine how they are connected to the family. 

Everyone at some point in researching their ancestors will experience an elusive ancestor. There will be times that you can’t find a particular person or family in an online record collection. Keep looking and use strategies that you have not used before. If you keep using the same strategies over and over and they aren't producing results, then it is time for new strategies.

I have a relentless “track-em-down” attitude and I am persistent in finding the parents of Jordan Lee.  So, the search continues using YDNA test results, autosomal DNA, and traditional genealogy to prove and disprove the parentage of Jordan Lee.

William Alfred Lee and Emer Meadows his wife. My great 

grandparents the parents of Alice Lee my grandmother. 

The Elusive Lee family of Richland District, South Carolina

The Jordan Lee family of South Carolina has been an ongoing research project for over fifteen years. Progress has been made in tracking down the Lees and their descendants. I began researching family before the internet and online resources became available for the family historian. My research experience came about by traveling to cemeteries, researching in courthouses, libraries, and archives; reading genealogy books, going to genealogy seminars, conferences, watching webinars, and genealogy videos.  If you have not realized it already, not everything is online. You may need to take a research trip and walk a cemetery to find an ancestor’s grave or research in a library or archive where your ancestor lived. I use online resources and love to use those while researching various family lines. It can be challenging to know what online resources are available for genealogists. Also, to get the most from your searches you need to know how to search and avoid random searches. The Jordan Lee paternal line has been a challenge and one that has tested my skills as the self-appointed family historian.

The research question that I am working to answer is, who are the parents of Jordan Lee? There are family trees online that have parents but there are no records that link the son to the parents. There are records attached; however, linking child to parent isn’t possible with the records that are there. Sadly, those family trees have been copied along with the records and people mistakenly assume these are their ancestors. Cousins have Lee lines in their trees that are incorrect according to the YDNA test for Lee male cousins test results. Who will tell them they have an incorrect Lee line in their family tree? 

Strategies that I have used in searching for Jordan Lee and his parents have helped me to feel confident that I am researching the correct line. I have searched by putting the surname Lee in the search box Camden District, South Carolina for the 1790 census and there was no results or Lees on the census. Then, I changed the location to Richland District, and there is a Mary Lee living in the area with three free white males under sixteen years of age and four free white females with the number of household members seven. Is Jordan Lee one of those males? Possibly! He would have been about twelve years old.  The next thing that I did was look for other Lee heads of household, related families such as Benjamin Hodge, father-in-law of Jordan Lee, John Rains Benjamin’s father-in-law, and any one who are known who is associated with the Lee family.  Lydia (Letty) wife of Jordan Lee’s sisters married, Brown, Grant, Cusard, and Martin men. Living in the area was my maternal direct line fifth great-grandfather Caspar Coon and his sons Lewis and Adam. Caspar Coon was an immigrant from Switzerland in 1749. Heads of Households with those surnames were living in the Richland District area in 1790. The next search that I did was the to search through the 1790 Fairfield District, South Carolina census.

Fairfield District borders Richland District so there is a possibility there are Lee heads of families listed on the census along with related families. I found living in Fairfield District Burrill Lee with two free white males under sixteen including heads of family and four free white females including heads of family. Is Jordan Lee one of the males? Possibly! But how do I prove it? Jordan and Lydia had a son named Burrell, so if I look at the naming patterns this is a possibility. So, I searched through each page looking for familiar names. Burrell Lee is a name that I will store and work to make a connection to Jordan Lee. Isam Lee is the other male Lee head of family living in Fairfield District, South Carolina in 1790. There were two males and one female and total of four listed. I ruled out Isam because I haven’t found that name in Lee family members through the generations. Living in Fairfield District is Conrad Koon son of Caspar Coon whom I found living in Richland District and his two son Lewis and Adam. There is a Joseph Sims that is a familiar name. Benjamin Hodge’s daughter married a Sims. Living nearby Joseph Sims is Benjn Hodge, father-in-law of Jordan Lee, and he is head of family and with seven females. Aha! Benjamin Hodge and Nancy had all daughters, so this is a promising lead that this is our Benjamin Hodge. His daughter Lucy married John Sims. Also, living nearby was Thomas Hodge brother of Benjamin Hodge.

Cousins who have contacted me said there are family stories that were passed down to them stating that Jordan Lee came to the colonies as a young boy from Scotland. There doesn’t seem to be evidence to authenticate those stories. There is a Thomas Lee who arrived in America in 1774. Departure was London at Middlesex which encloses the city of London. Is this Thomas the father of Jordan Lee? Possibly! There is a convict list with people from the 1700s who were deported to the colonies from England and I keep an open mind that this is a possibility for the father of Jordan Lee. The article that I read about these people who were deported painted a picture of the crimes being minor offenses. It was a sad situation because the people didn’t have a choice in the decision of being deported.

There are numerous online family trees with Jordan Lee’s name as Thomas Jordan; however, all the records that I have found for Jordan Lee have his name as Jordan Lee. The search continued in Fairfield District by searching the 1800 census looking for any Lee living there, and related families to the Lee family. 

Living n Fairfield County, in 1800 is Burrell Lee, Burrell Lee, Jr., Francis Lee and Stephen Lee. Again, I considered the naming patterns that would fit into the Lee family and recalled the son of Jordan named Burrell. Burrell Lee was a possibility as the father of Jordan and he has a son named Burrell.  Burrell Jr. and Stephen Lee are listed as living nearby Burrell Sr.  Francis Lee is on the following page of the census where Burrell Lee, Burrell, Jr., and Stephen are listed. There may be a connection to the four families. This is the same census that Benjamin Hodge and John Rains are listed on. Therefore, there is a possibility that Burrell Lee is connected to Jordan Lee. The quest continued on with the search of the 1810 Fairfield County, South Carolina census.

John Rains father of Benjamin Hodge’s wife Nancy is living in Fairfield County in 1800. Isom Lee was living in Fairfield with three in his household. Thomas Hodge brother of Benjamin was also living there. A familiar named that showed up was John Hastin. One of Jordan Lee’s daughters, Naomi married a Hugh Hastin. John Grant was living in the county. Remember one of Benjamin’s daughters married a Grant. There was only one Lee family listed on the Fairfield County 1800 census. The next census was the Richland County, 1810 census and that is the place where Jordan Lee was living. Related families in the nearby Fairfield County are John Rains, Jordan’s grandfather-in-law, John Rains, Jr., Dennis Hodge, and Thomas Hodge.

Also living nearby his son-in-law Jordan Lee’s family in Richland, South Carolina in 1810 was Benjamin Hodge, Joseph Martin, Benjamin’s son-in-law, Lewis Coon my fourth great maternal grandfather, and James Strange. Jordan’s daughter Margaret married John Strange.  The Jordan Lee family was the lone Lee family living in Richland County in 1810. Then I moved on to the 1820 Richland County, South Carolina census and continued the search for Lees living in the area during that time period.

The search continued for the parents of Jordan Lee and searching for evidence to link son to father using all the tips that I could find in researching elusive ancestors.

Living in the household was Jordan Lee head of the family, one free white male under ten, two males sixteen to eighteen, one male twenty and under forty-five. Two females under ten years, two females ten and under sixteen, two females sixteen and under twenty-six, and one female twenty-six and under forty-five. There was a Timothy Lee living in Richland County in 1820, but I haven’t made a connection to that family. John Rains, Benjamin Hodge’s father-in-law was deceased by 1820.  Those were the only two Lee families that I found living in Richland County in 1820. So, I moved on to the 1830 Richland County census.

Jordan Lee is head of the family with one male under five, two males five to ten, one male fifteen and under twenty, two males twenty and under thirty, and one male of fifty and under sixty.  There were one female of fifteen and under twenty, three females of twenty and under thirty, and one female of fifty and under sixty. Then by the next census taking the family was on the move and was living in Tallapoosa County, Alabama in 1840. Benjamin Hodge died in 1837 and his estate was probated, and Jordan Lee was mentioned in the estate papers in 1843. Jordan Lee and wife Letty were listed as “living out of state.” By the 1850 census Jordan Lee was named on the census or any other census thereafter. He died about Dec 1847 in Tallapoosa County, Alabama.

The one dilemma that I have about Jordan Lee is that he acquired land in Tallapoosa County in 1845. What happened that he died? Was there a disease that struck him? Was he suddenly killed? I guess that I will never know. Benjamin, Jordan’s son seems to have died suddenly before the taking of the 1860 Tallapoosa County, Alabama census. Both Benjamin and his daughter Elizabeth were listed with other family members on the 1850 Tallapoosa County census but neither Benjamin or Elizabeth are found on any records afterward.

Research is on going on the Lee family line.