Fleming Smith Roop and Sarah Ann Hall

It's interesting how researching one's family history can take all kinds of twists and turns. Records can sometimes show up in the oddest of spots.  Recently, a friend was walking along a street in Christiansburg, Virginia, when she spotted an old photograph laying on the sidewalk near a dumpster.

She picked up the photo, and it was of Fleming Smith Roop, and his wife Sarah Ann Hall.  She took the photo home and safely tucked it away.  Awhile later, she shared with friends about her finding the photo.  Word soon got back to me that this photo was of Fleming Roop and his wife, Sarah.  I got a call a few nights ago from my friend Kathy.  When Kathy told me of the photo, she commented to me, "Don't you have Roop's in your family line?  Do you know a Fleming Roop?"  I replied that yes, Roop's were one of my family lines, but the name Fleming was not familiar. After a bit more conversation, I hung up the phone, eager to see if this Fleming Roop tied into my family line.

It did!  Fleming Smith Roop is the son of Joseph Roop, grandson of Heinrich (Henry) Rupe of Montgomery County, Virginia.  Joseph Roop and my third great grandmother Catherine "Caty" 

Roop were brother and sister.  Fleming would be Caty's nephew! 

In my further research on Fleming, I learned that he was a Civil War Veteran; having served in the 11th Virginia Infantry.  He was in many of the major battles of that war, including the bloodiest battle at Antietam, where he was wounded.  He was part of Pickett's Charge at Gettysburg, and one of five out of his regiment of sixty-seven to survive the battle.  After the war, he returned home to Montgomery County, Virginia; where he married Sarah Ann Hall.  They were the parents of eleven children.  Fleming died on 7 December 1908, in Snowville, Pulaski County, Virginia.  He is buried on the old Rupe homeplace in Riner, Virginia.

Carnie and Vinita are heading home

The long awaited day has come.  These sweet pictures of Carnie Finley and his baby sister Vinita are finally heading home to their rightful family.  How thrilled I was to finally get in touch with Carnie's descendants to tell them of these sweet pictures!  It has been almost six months since I first found Carnie's pictures in an antique store in Christiansburg, Virginia.  For six months I have looked upon these pictures in the hopes of finding one of Carnie's descendants. I searched extensively, with little success.  Sometimes the photos would be carefully put away in my desk drawer; other times they sat upon my desk, nagging at me to search once again.  Such was the case a week ago, when once again, I gazed upon the photo and decided to search once more to see if I could find one of Carnie's descendants. This time in my search, I found an obscure reference to an obituary of Carnie's grandson who had passed away in 2012.  In the obituary, it gave the names of his two siblings.  Using that information and a bit of technology, I was finally able to contact the family.  Tomorrow, these pictures will return home to the family, who I know will cherish these photographs of their grandfather Carnie and his baby sister, Vinita.
                                       

                                                  

An honorable life: a priceless legacy

From time to time I have been dabbling in researching my Ernst ancestral line.  With the busy semester I have had in finishing up my bachelor's degree in Family History, I haven't had much time to do any research.  Early this morning, (about 3 a.m.) I was playing around on the computer again.  I usually do this when I can't sleep very well.  Once again, the computer called to me, and I felt compelled to dabble a bit more on researching my Ernst line.  My 3rd great grandfather is Henry (Heinrich) Moritz Ernst; born 8 January 1802, and died 11 February 1892.  I knew his father was John Zachariah Ernst.  The family had immigrated to the United States about 1806 and settled in the frontier town of Cincinnati, Ohio.  I had found a reference to Henry Ernst on Ancestry.com about a year ago; in which his name was in a book entitled, "Cincinnati Sonst Und Jetzt".  The book is written in German.  Well, I can't read much German, so I used Google Translate to help me decipher what the reference said.  The book was not only referencing my Henry Ernst, but someone had actually interviewed him!  How thrilled I was to not only have Henry's life story in his own words, but there was also a lithograph picture of him!

                       

As I continued my translation of this chapter on Henry, I learned that his family had immigrated when he was about 3 and a half years old.  The translation left some questions for me.  Why did the Ernst family leave their German homeland and come to America?  I did not know the circumstances surrounding immigration of this family.  It wasn't until I found the obituary of Henry's older brother Andrew early this morning, that I learned the story behind their immigration.

Andrew H. Ernst (1796-1860)

The following is Andrew's obituary:

"

"Andrew H. Ernst, who died at his residence in Spring Garden, February 13th, 1860, was born in Koringen, Germany in 1796.  His father and grandfather had both held the office of Burgomaster in their native city - which involved the duty of Commissary to collect the supplies for the army of Napoleon; frequently requiring them to take the last sous from a widow and her destitute children - made such by the bloody wars so recklessly entered into for his aggrandisement.  This so affected the warm humanity of the father's heart, as to induce him repeatedly to request permission to resign his office.  But being steadily refused, he at last determined to leave his country at all risks, which he did with his family.  In 1806 leaving his house as it was, with the furniture standing, lest he should be prevented from his purpose, and expecting it to be sent after him.  This, however was never done, and he arrived in this country with his wife and children, Andrew H. being the oldest - then ten years - a stranger to the language and the people.  Cincinnati at that time had few houses and none of brick, and he did what all of that day did, just what his hand found to do.  He apprenticed his son to the baking business, and afterwards went into it himself, with him.  Proving unfortunate, they lost everything, and the Father died leaving the subject of this notice with a family of six to provide for and the burden of debts to settle.  It was at this time he taxed his iron frame and indomitable energy of mind to pay these debts by his confectionary and baking establishment, which he did and won for himself the honor and respect from the community he has always loved so well.  He then entered into the grocery business, but too generous and unselfish, he was never made for trade, and the bulk of his fortune was made by shrewd and judicious investments in Real Estate.  After a few years, he left the grocery business to devote himself to horticulture, which had been a life time passion with him.  His early dream of happiness had been to own a beautiful garden home, and for thirty years this had been his aim and study.  How far this has been realized those can say who have shared his hospitality and enjoyed his lovely bowers and vine covered trellises.  He was a consistent and warm hearted Abolitionist of "the Political Party", although respecting the rights of private judgment in those of the more ultra school.  His honorable life is a legacy for his children; may they imitate his virtues."

I can't even begin to imagine the hardships this family faced as they immigrated to the United States during a time of war and upheavals in their homeland.  They surely must have faced political persecution for John Zachariah's resignation of the title of Burgomaster during the Napoleonic Wars of the late 1700s in Germany.  Escaping and leaving behind all their worldly possessions to face a new life in a frontier town; crossing ocean and mountain in search of a place where they could reside in peace. How it warms my heart to know that he stood for a just cause in the face of so much persecution!  He remained true to his values and principles, which in turn carried forth to his posterity.  It is a reminder to me that I too, can act courageously in the face of opposition.  

Garth L. Mangum and Marion

I recently acquired an old photo album dating from the late 1940s-early 1950s.  A lady in my church congregation had moved to Oklahoma, and had left the photo album of her late husband with others.  Eventually, it made its way into my hands.  What I discovered as I leafed through the pages of the album were bunches of photos of LDS (Mormon) missionaries that served with the late husband in the Eastern States Mission of the United States in the early 1950s.  Many of the photos had names as well as home addresses of the missionaries.  Using the clues found on the backs of the photos, I've once again been able to trace with some certainty, their descendants.  One such photo wass of Elder Garth L. Mangum.  The youthful young man was handsome.  Posted on Ancestry.com was an older photo of Garth.  Comparing the two, I felt sure they were the same person, so I contacted the descendant who had posted the more recent picture.  It turns out the photo was indeed her grandfather, who had just passed away back in June of 2014.  The photo meant so much to the woman who had posted the photo on Ancestry.  Her grandmother she later told me, had also served a mission in the same area.  So back to the album I went again.  And there amongst the pages was a picture of her grandmother as well.  The photos are now safely tucked inside an envelope, awaiting to be mailed on Monday to the woman in Utah.

Finding Carnie and Vinita

Another picture I came across in the antique store was a picture of a little boy with his baby sister. On the back of the picture were the names Carnie Finley and Vinita Finley.  Given that the names were so unusual, I felt sure I might be able to locate descendants of the family.  I haven't as yet, but I have been in touch with a man who did know the family.  He, in turn, is asking around to get an address or other contact information on the Finley family.  He did let me know that all of the immediate family of Carnie and Vinita were deceased, but he thought there was a granddaughter of Carnie's living in the midwest; and a grandson living in New Zealand.  Once I made contact with him, I went back to the antique store on another errand; to look for more Steinmetz pictures that I had seen there previously.  Lo and behold, I found another picture of Carnie, this time as an infant.  Carnie was born about 1909.  His sister was born about 1915.  I hope that Carnie's descendants can be located, so that these pictures can make their way home to the family.  I did post copies of the pictures on the Find-a-grave website for Carnie; along with details of the pictures and that I would like to get these photos back to the family.  Hopefully, some descendant of the family will one day contact me.

Returning Mary

Having found Maude and returning her to her rightful family, I just had to go back to the antique store again to see who else I could find.  This time, it was Mary Steinmetz, who married William Shearer.  Mary lived in Ohio from what I could learn about her.  She was the daughter of John and Cora Steinmetz.  Again after careful tracing on the Family Trees on Ancestry, I was able to track down the most likely direct descendant of Mary's.  This lady, Marcia lives in Ohio; not far from where the Steinmetz family had lived.  An email was sent, and communication quickly went back and forth.

Marcia was overjoyed to get a picture of her ancestor.  It just breaks my heart to see these old pictures cast aside in some antique store, when they could be treasured by the family.  I know how much the old pictures of my ancestors mean to me.  I treasure each and every one!  Anyway, the photo was mailed off to Marcia.  I received an email from her yesterday, letting me know how much the photo had meant to her.  She mentioned in her email of how Mary Steinmetz was her third cousin three times removed.  Both were descended from Jacob Steinmetz, a Revolutionary War Patriot.  Marcia then proceeded to tell me the story of Mary Steinmetz Shearer and her husband, William.  It seems that they opened a grocery store and operated that for years until they retired.  They had two sons, Howard Hiram and Nelson Elias. Howard and Nelson became partners and took over the running of the store.  Nelson, who was called Jack, had married Ester and had one son, Jack Jr.   Jack Jr. married Rosemary.  Rosemary began making kettle cooked chips and selling them in the store in the 70s, and thus began Shearer Chips.  I enjoyed learning more about Mary and her family.  Each person has a story to tell.  I guess that's why I hate to see these forgotten photos in the stores.  Because each photo represents the life of someone who had hopes and dreams; who had families that loved them; who made a difference in this world.

Marcia has taken up the cause to get the picture back to the family, a closer relation than she.  She has been reading obituaries and city directories in order to trace the family more.  Canton and Massillon, Ohio are not far from where she lives....about an hour and a half away.  She mentioned how she wished she was a closer relation to Mary, but said that she would trace the family more in order to get  the picture back to the family who would cherish the picture.  One thing I do know, is that it sure gives me that warm, fuzzy feeling deep inside to know that the little bit I am doing is making a difference in reuniting these forgotten ancestors with their families.

Finding Maude

Finding Maude

My husband and I visited an antique shop recently in Christiansburg, VA.  There amongst the assorted furniture and other things from the past was a stack of old vintage photographs.  My husband picked up the stack and was leafing through them, when one particular picture captured his attention. He found me in the store, and asked if I had seen the picture of Maude.  I replied that I hadn't, and asked for him to show me.  He took me to the place where the picture was, and showed me the vintage photo of Maude and her siblings surrounding their mother.  There was an arrow pointing to a little girl who looked about the age of eight.  On the reverse of the photo was handwritten, Maude Elizabeth Castle Salt.  The front of the photo listed the name of the photography studio in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada.  There was something about Maude that, like my husband, captured my attention.  I could not leave Maude to languish in the store, but had to take her home with me.  We paid the few dollars for the photo, and left.  Upon arriving at home, I immediately went to my computer to find out more about Maude.  Searching Ancestry.com, and using the few clues I had from the picture, I learned that she was born about 1882 in Ohio.  Her father was Joseph Castle, and her mother, whom I assume is the woman in the photo, was Eleanor Ann Quay.  Maude's mother died in 1891. Her father remarried a few years later to a woman by the name of Ada.   Maude married Stuart Albert Salt on 3 November 1910 in Ontario, Canada.  Later searching revealed that she was the mother of at least four children, the first two were twin girls born in 1911.

I was able to locate a descendant who tied in to Maude's family tree.  I contacted him via Ancestry.com's messaging system.  I really didn't expect to hear from him anytime soon, since it had been about three months since he had last logged in to Ancestry.  I received a reply from him by the very next morning! He told me that Maude was his great aunt.  After some exchanging of emails and information, I was able to send the vintage photo back to him.  Maude is now safely back in the care of her family.  How she managed to get so far from home remains a mystery.  The five older girls in the picture also remain a mystery.  The woman in the photo, I feel sure though, is Maude's mother Eleanor.  The younger three children in the foreground I assume are her siblings.  Florence, Stella and William. I made those assumptions from information found on the 1901 census record. 

I don't quite know what it is about these vintage photos that speak to my heart.  But I know that they do.  Behind the eyes of the people in these photos, is a story waiting to be told; and a family waiting to be found.  And so begins my quest....to reunite these forgotten ancestors with their families.