Update from Salt Lake City :: Week Two

In the “early years” of on-site research (back in the 1980s) I usually just abstracted deeds and estate records. Very seldom did I get copies of an entire estate file. The few copies that I did make back then have faded over the years and many of them are no longer legible. In addition, there are estate and other records that I “know” are there – from information obtained from published indexes or other researchers. So, I've been concentrating on obtaining digital copies of those records as well.



It's not super exciting or anything but it's nice to know that I'll be filling in some of the blanks – at least as far as some records are concerned - those that are available here at the Family History Library! As a result of that strategy (gathering records, so to speak), there still haven't been any big breakthroughs although I have found some rather interesting things – some that have generated additional questions, as so often happens.



So far I've scanned deed records for 15 ancestors as well as the complete estate files for the following ancestors, amounting to several hundred pages:

• James Ball 1830, Owen County, Kentucky


• John D. Berlin, 1879, Elkhart County, Indiana


• Susan Berlin, 1880, Elkhart County, Indiana


• Henry Bray, 1798, Nelson County, Kentucky


• Christian Schuder (Sr), 1842, Montgomery County, Ohio


• Casper Stiver (Casper Stoever III), 1821, Montgomery County, Ohio


• Eli Yarian, 1895, Elkhart County, Indiana

As Randy Seaver says, these will provide plenty of “blog fodder” in the future!





Receipt slip signed by my 2nd great-grandparents Lovina Yarian and Eli Yarian.Elkhart County, Indiana Estate file D25. Microfilm No. 1711412.Estate of John D. and Susan Berlin.Susan died before John's estate was settled and her estate was combined with his.

Los Padres View

Los Padres View, originally uploaded by ParsecTraveller.

A view into Los Padres National Forest and Grass Mountain, seen from Figueroa Mountain. Poppies and goldfields are in the foreground, while vast sheets of lupine carpet the distant hills.

The Huffman-Hoffman Kinexxion :: Heirs of Michael

The first document listing the heirs of Michael Hoffman was dated May 15, 1778 and was the Petition for Partition of the Real Estate.








Estate of Michael Hoffman

Berks County, Pennsylvania Probate Files

Family History Microfilm 1653590 Accessed February 11, ..

To the Honorable the Justice of the Peace of the County of Berks at an Orphan's holden at Reading the 15th day of May in the Year of our Lord 1778.

The petition of Martin Hoffman, eldest Son and Heir at Law of Michael Hoffman late of Alsace Township in said County Yeoman deceased.

Humbly Sheweth That your said Petitioners Father Michael Hoffman died the 6th Day of January Anno Dom. 1777. leaving a Widow, named Mary and twelve children, to wit. Your Petitioner aged thirty six Years, Dorothea Now the Wife of Henry Shedler of the Age of thirty Years, Burghard Hoffman of the Age of thirty three Years, Dietrich of the Age of Twenty seven Years, Christian of the age of twenty three Years, Elisabeth of the Age of Nineteen Years, Henry of the Age of Eighteen Years, Catherine of the Age of fifteen Years, Barbara of the Age of twelve Years, Michael of the Age of twelve ten years, John the age of six Years & Mary of the Age of four Years all thereabouts.

That the said petitioners Father died Intestate Seized in his Demise as of Fee of and in A certain messuage on Tenement and Tract or Parcel of two hundred Acres of Land Situate in Alsace Township aforesaid.

Your Petitioner therefore humbly prays your Honours would be pleased to award an Inquest to divide the Said Estate among the said Children, if the Same can so be, without prejudice to or Spoiling the same, and if not to Value and Appraize the said Real Estate of the said Decedent, Agreeable to the Directions of the Law in Such Case made and provided.

And your Petitioner as in duty bound will pray, Martin Hoffman

The next document, also dated May 15, 1778 was the Inquisition ordering the Sheriff to have an appraisal made of the land which Michael Hoffman owned. I'm not going to transcribe the entire thing here because it basically reiterates what was in the Petition for Partition listing the heirs. However, even though it still says there were twelve children, the name Philip is inserted after Martin's age and just before the name of Dorothea.







Top portion of a document in the probate file ordering the Sherriff to have an appraisal made of the land which Michael Hoffman owned.



On June 9, 1778 the real estate was appraised by “twelve free honest and lawful men” who found that the land could not be parted and divided among the children “without prejudice to or spoiling the whole thereof” and it was appraised at seven hundred pounds.







Petition of Maria Hoffman stating that there were 13 children of Michael Hoffman and requesting that guardians be named for the four minor children under the age of 14.

To the Honble the Justices of the orphans Court of Berks county held at Reading the 14th day of August 1778.

The petition of Maria Hoffman Administratrix of Michael Hoffman Late of the said County Yeoman Deceased



Honorably Showeth That the said Michael Hoffman Lately died Intestate leaving 13 Children and a Considerable Real & Personal Estate to and among whom the same does Descend.

That our Petitioner has administered to the said Estate as the Widow & Relict of sd Decd.

She therefore humbly prays your honour Would be pleased to appoint Some proper persons As Guardians to take care of the persons & Estates of the the Minor Children of the said Deceased, to wit, Barbara, Michael, John & Maria All under the age of fourteen years.

And your Petitioner Will over & pray.

Maria Hoffman {her mark}

The Orphan's Court Journal (v2 p248) shows that Jacob Lanciscus and Paul Feger were appointed Guardians of the four minor children under the age of fourteen. Also, guardians were appointed for the four minor children above the age of fourteen: Henry chose George Babb, Elisabeth chose Frederick Shleare, and Catherine chose Jacob Lanciscus.



On that same day (August 14, 1778) a document setting forth the amounts to be distributed to the heirs was filed (see below). However, the distribution wasn't actually made on that day. It seems that “Martin Hoffman Should hold & Enjoy the Real Estate of his said father Valued as aforsd to him & his Heirs forever According to Law” but that Martin was to pay equal shares to the younger children.



There is a document in the probate file showing that Dietrich filed a claim and was paid his share (₤33-6-8) of the real estate on August 16, 1779. Martin then sold the land for ₤1500 Pounds on October 1, 1779 to Daniel Schrader (Deed Book 7 p199). The land had been appraised at ₤700 and Dietrich received his distribution based upon the appraised value. I wonder what Martin paid the other children?



As an aside, the deed tells us that Michael Hoffman purchased the tract of land, which was then in the County of Philadelphia, and which contained 166 acres, on February 22, 1768 from Bernhard Keller.








Distribution of Real Estate of Michael Hoffman

Berks County, Pennsylvania Probate Files

Family History Microfilm 1653590 Accessed February 11, ..


Combining information from baptism records and documents in the probate file, we can say with some degree of certainty that the heirs of Michael Hoffman were (ages, thereabout, given as of May 15, 1778):

• Martin, age 36, born about 1742


• Philip, age not given (probably 34-35 years old, born about 1743-1744?)


• Burghard, age 33, born about 1745


• Dorothea, age 30, wife of Henry Shedler, born about 1748


• Dietrich, age 27, born about 1751


• Christian, age 23, born about 1755


• Elizabeth, age 19, born about 1759


• Henry, age 18, born about 1760


• Catharina, age 15, born about 1763


• Barbara, age 12, born about 1766 (Anna Barbara, born October 22, 1765)


• Michael, age 10, born about 1768


• John, age 6, born about 1772 (Johannes, born May 03, 1770 – perhaps he died young and John born 1772 is really the second John?)


• Mary, age 4, born about 1774

Now, I don't know about you, but that's quite a span of years with the oldest child being 36 and the youngest being only 4 years old. Call me skeptical, but I'm thinking that Maria Engel may have been Michael's second wife. If she is the mother of all 13 children, she would likely be into her 50s when she had the last child. Possible, I suppose. But I don't have a date of birth or place of birth for Maria or Michael.



I also find it curious that Dorothea is listed “out of sequence” given that her age is 30 and Burghard, who follows her in the lists of children is 33 years old.



I've barely started research on this family; obviously, additional research is needed. And, I'll repeat what I've said before – If anyone researching this family finds these posts, please contact me at kinexxions “at” gmail “dot” com.



Update April 10, ..: Please see Questioning the Status Quo :: Oh, Maria! for my theory regarding the maiden name of Maria Hoffman.

Leavenworth Givler's Dome ..

Adam and I discussed an outing, but I had to be back in town in time for my class. So cragging was an obvious choice. I wanted to do something that involved placing gear and not just clipping bolts, so I convinced Adam to head to Leavenworth. Being that it is November we didn't get an early start, as it is usually a little too cold in the mornings to make climbing not fun. When we arrived in the Icicle, the temp was around 36° and clouds/fog were keeping us from direct sunlight.

November morning in the Icicle

Our plan was to hike up to Givler's Dome to climb Givler's Crack. This extra 45 minutes of hiking would give us more time for the day to warm up. Within ten minutes or so we were above the fog and receiving the warmth of the sun. We got off route a few times on the way up and had to scramble a bit to get back on track, but eventually made it to the base.

Since Adam was not up to leading the route, I would lead both pitches. And for whatever reason, the first pitch scares me. Perhaps because I flailed on it the first time I climbed the route. I've climbed it twice since then with no problems though. I placed a nut high and started up. I found the hands difficult as I had placed the piece where it interfered where I wanted to put them. I down climbed to the ground and restarted. After a few moves, I placed a second piece which then interfered with further hands. But I was able to move past it and continue. I finished the pitch feeling like it was the worst I had ever climbed it.

I brought Adam up and he had to hang on the rope to remove my stuck #4 from down low. He then climbed the second half of the pitch not using much crack technique for his hands. He arrived at the belay stating the first section wasn't as hard as I made it look.

Adam on the first pitch

We exchanged gear, and I was off leading the next pitch. I don't recall how I previously climbed it, but this time I wanted to try and keep my feet in the crack as much as possible. This proved a bit uncomfortable, but I persevered. Instead of going all the way to the top, I set up an intermediate belay once the angle eased, so I could see Adam climb. Unfortunately, the best spot for a comfortable belay did not offer a good view of the pitch, and I only got pics of him on the last portion of the pitch.

Adam on the second pitch

When Adam arrived at the belay, he kept going to the top finishing with the easy section to the boulder. We quickly hiked down to our packs. We took a lunch break and basked in the sun before heading to another destination, Rare Earth.

Adam finishing the route

For the second time this year, the Rare Earth crag has eluded me. Adam and I hiked around trying to find it, but wasted all of our time. Even consulting the newer guide book was unhelpful as it shows the crag to be down and right of Mastodon Roof. Turns out it is really down and left of it. After almost two hours of scrambling, hiking and bushwhacking, we found it but not with enough time to complete it and get back to Seattle. So we made note of where it was at, and hiked out.

It was great to be out on such a beautiful November day. It was a bummer that we only climbed one route. And even though we pitched it out to three pitches, it really is only two. I think we'll have a better idea of how to find Rare Earth the next time as well. I think this trip satisfied my urge to get out and rock climb, and perhaps my next trip this year will be to climb snow or ice.

Tombstone Tuesday :: Malcomson Family

The topic for the premier edition of the Graveyard Rabbits Carnival is "exceptional finds - share with us those rare and unique cemeteries, gravestones, monuments, memorials, inscriptions, etc."

This post is going to do "double duty" by being my "Tombstone Tuesday" post this week as well as my contribution to the Graveyard Rabbits Carnival.

McKay Cemetery in Craig Township, Switzerland County, Indiana is located on Patton Hollow Road approximately one mile North of State Road 56. It is the resting ground for several of my Wiseman and Bray ancestors. While taking pictures there last November, I also took some pictures of some of the more "interesting" stones. As far as I know, the Malcomson family is no relation to me. The monument stands about six feet high and I think it is made of poured concrete. As always, click on the images for a larger version.

Engraving on the South side of the monument:
JOHN S. / DEC. 29, 1842-APR. 24, 1914
EMILY J. HIS WIFE / MAY 10, 1842-JUNE 11, 1919

Engraving on the North side of monument:
(across the top of the scroll) MARY E.
DAUGHTER OF / J.S. & E.J. MALCOMSON /MAR. 28, 1878-SEPT. 3, 1897
DELLA B. SMITH / JAN. 3, 1868-JULY 9, 1902

Seven year old John Malcomson was found in the 1850 census in the household of William and Jennet Malcomson in Craig Township, Switzerland County, Indiana. In 1860 he was 17 years old and listed in the household of Jennet Malcomson. John was 28 years old in 1870 , the head of his household, with real estate valued at $2400 and a personal estate of $2600. Also listed with him in Craig Township was 28 year old Emily, 4 year old Pearly and 2 year old Della.

John and Emily Malcomson were also living in Craig Township in 1880, 1900, and 1910. John's occupation was listed as farmer, and, their children, according to these census records, were Pearlie, Della, William J., Justi T., Mary, Frank B., and Edna G.

Muir Snowfield and Camp Muir

Muir Snowfield and Camp Muir on May 21 2006

There is great coverage all the way up. Most people are still using the winter trail up to Pan Point. Beyond that the trail is very well wanded all the way to muir. There has been a lot of traffic on it and there is a great boot pack all the way to Muir. Even though it is pretty soft if people stay in the boot track they only end up post-holing in a few places. The skiing on the snowfield is excellent right now. Yesterday we got a dusting of snow and had perfect corn underneath that above 8500'. Today all of that froze and the snow was rock hard down to about 8500', but below that it was a wonderful 3" of soft wet snow on top of a frozen base so it was fun fast skiing. The chute down onto the Nisqually was stellar and fairly easy to traverse back up to the main trails at the glacier vista overlook (we did not have to put our skins back on). There are also two really fun kickers just below glacier vista :)

All in all its in pretty darn good shape for skiing. I would say folks don't need crampons unless they plan to travel really early or really late in the day. Skis or a board will make it lots of fun and I don't think snowshoes are that helpful since the boot pack is so well traveled.

The Camp Muir Public Shelter was significantly refurbished in 2005. The new interior design increases the usable space markedly. The bunks are organized to accommodate more people, as is the storage and cooking space. So far, the comments have been very positive; in particular, many expressed appreciation of the increased lighting.

If you plan to stay in the public shelter, please keep it clean! Always secure the door when leaving, as a small crack will fill the hut with snow during storms. Never leave anything (food, gas, and gear.) Also, overnight travelers should consider brining own shelter in case they’re unable to make it to Camp Muir. At this time, the public shelter and toilet are accessible.

Please do your part to keep the mountain clean. Petrified feces and toilet paper flags strewn along the climbing routes and crusted on rocks near bivi sites are unsightly and unsanitary. Remember that everyone on the mountain melts snow for drinking water. All parties are required to pack their solid human waste off the mountain when not using the toilets at Camp Muir and Camp Schurman. Blue bags are available with climbing permits. Blue bags may be deposited in the large black barrels at Camp Muir or at Paradise. The barrel at Paradise is located in the restroom tunnel next to the men’s room.

Local Birds

some of the quail that stop by everyday for a drink of water and then go on their way. You can see the one quail going through the slightly larger space in the fence that we cut for them so they don't have to squish through the smaller spaces.















A raven that stopped by to chat with my mare the other day.

Overlook

On the way down the mountain we stopped at an overlook were you could see across the Strait of Jaun de Fuca and into Canada. I didn't get to go there but I did get to see it, even if it was from a long distance. It isn't even very clear but according to the sign there that is what is in the far, far distance.

But now they only block the sun...

Sunday morning (August 15th) I woke up early and was just lying in my cot looking out the window when I noticed the sky getting brighter. Then when I looked toward the eastern sky it was filled with a beautiful pink and orange glow. I quickly changed clothes, grabbed the camera and walked to Land's End on the tip of the Homer Spit.

6:09 am
6:12 am
6:18 am
6:20 am
6:22 am
6:40 am
The colors began to fade as the sun started to make its appearance. I say “started” because the lower bank of clouds/fog quickly grew and the sun was hidden for yet another day.

I've cropped off the bottom portion of all photos except for one because that part didn't really add anything to the beauty and simplicity of the clouds and the colors.

The title of this post comes from the song Both Sides Now by Joni Mitchell.

Morning Glory

A picture of a morning glory I took last year.

Claret Cup Cactus

I took a series of photos of my claret cup cactus as it is the only thing in my dirty, windblown, dreary yard that is bright and cheerful.

Laura's last free days

Well I'm sad to report that my faithful climbing partner has decided to become a full time student starting next week. This leaves me well... needing partners. This was her last free week to get out and climb as much as possible, not an easy task given the current weather trends. Today we made the best of things (again) and since she's never been to Rattlesnake Rocks, we decided to hike there and make a day of it. We had fun climbing the short, but challenging routes. Here's a few highlights of Laura involved in some "mixed" action today. (If you look closely there is a wee bit of ice located in some of the cracks) This may be the closest thing Laura gets to winter climbing before school starts. Best of Luck in school Laura, you'll be greatly missed as my daily partner.

Laura making some moves

Into the Ice Cave

Here is one of my favorite ice shots from this weekend. This "ice cave" was actually the hole in Hollow Rock, at Hollow Rock Resort in Grand Portage, MN. The hole was absolutely FULL of icicles, and was fascinating to photograph.

STEEP! The movie?

I've made a point of commenting on a lot of ski gear recently and how skis can be better used in the mountains as tools for transportation.



The obvious over lap between skiing and climbing has some history to it. One exceptional look at that historyis the movie "STEEP!"



"It started in the 1970s in the mountains above Chamonix, France, where skiers began to attempt ski descents so extreme that they appeared almost suicidal. Men like Anselme Baud and Patrick Vallencant were inspired by the challenge of skiing where no one thought to ski before. Now, two generations later, some of the world's greatest skiers pursue a sport where the prize is not winning, but simply experiencing the exhilaration of skiing and exploring big, wild, remote mountains."







STEEP from The Documentary Group on Vimeo.



The movie is available for under $10. from Amazon.com.



And one I first missed but by popular demand...added in. Thanks guys. Great film!







And a good example of what locals are doing in the PNW today.



http://cascadeclimbers.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/1016396/TR_Shuksan_Variation_to_Hangin#Post1016396





Drew Tabke Xtreme Verbier from Drew Tabke on Vimeo.

After A Bath

This is Stormy. He was yawning after getting the spa treatment. I gave him a good bath. He looked so shiny and cute.

Tombstone Tuesday :: Robert Quillen and His Wives

The remains of Robert Quillen and his second wife, Marcelle Babb, reside in a mausoleum at Cannon Memorial Park in Fountain Inn, Greenville County, South Carolina. He was the son of James Downey and Mandella (Joslin) Quillen and a grandson of Lysander and Lydia (Robison) Joslin. Robert was my 1st cousin 3 times removed.

For some reason, being in the mausoleum was a bit of a 'disturbing' experience for me. One of the custodians of the cemetery unlocked the building and went in with me to find the Quillen vault, and I'm glad he was there. It was dark inside, even with the lights on, and was just plain creepy. I get goose bumps just looking at these pictures and thinking about it. I have no such qualms about going to a cemetery and spending hours there. Perhaps it is the confined space of the building and the closeness of the remains that bothers me...

The Quillen crypt is the middle one in the photo above.

QUILLEN
MARCELLE BABB / JANUARY 16, 1898 / JUNE 9, 1971
ROBERT / MARCH 25, 1887 / DECEMBER 9, 1948

Robert's first wife, Miss Donnie Cox, is buried in the Fountain Inn Municipal Cemetery, Greeneville County, South Carolina in the same plot as his parents, J.D. and Della (Joslin) Quillen.

MISS DONNIE / WIFE OF / ROBERT QUILLEN / 1882 - 1922

Alpental ..

Used my other free pass for Alpental today. A completely different experience from when I went a few weeks ago. All the lots were full when I arrived at 10am! For my first ride on chair 2, I probably waited 20-25 minutes. This was probably one of the busiest days at Alpental all season. The crowds were somewhat disappointing.

Even the snow was somewhat disappointing. By the time I got to the top of the mountain, most everything was tracked out. I did not get to practice my deep powder skiing like I was hoping to. However, the skiing was great, and after being turned off by the wait for chair 2, I rode chair 1 most of the morning with very short lines. I explored a few runs that I had not been down before on the lower mountain as well: Ingrid's Inspiration and Dom. Ingrid's is a really nice run that can be done in the trees, or just under the cliffs. I was really enjoying that run.

Once Noon rolled around, I figured people would be heading home, or at least breaking for lunch. I jumped back on chair 2 for a few more runs down from the top. One of which was my first double black diamond run, Schluct. I eyed it up last time, and again today on a few rides up the lift. It didn't look significantly harder than the single blacks on the mountain, so I figured I'd give it a go. Once in the chute, I quickly realized the difference between single and double black diamond. (Even if Schluct is a mild double black.) There was a 20-25' section of the chute that was noticeably more steep, and it was narrow as well. I skied it without falling, but not without a little stalling. It wasn't my prettiest run of the day, but it was fun to ski it.

After my experience on Schluct, I headed for the lodge to end on a high note. My legs were tiring, and I had logged over 10000' of vertical again. When I got to the lodge, I ended up doing two more runs up chair 1 as I was attempting to get to my car in the high lot without having to take my skis off.

Overall, it was a fun day and great to be out. Nothing gets you practice on skis more than lift serve. Also, the powder was so deep today, that I saw no less than three people digging in the snow trying to find a lost ski. Yipe.

First ride up.

Top of chair 2.

Edelweiss Bowl.