Project: Finding George H Reynolds

George Henry Reynolds; where did he come from and where did he go?   These are the question I have about my great grandfather.

Shortly after the death on my mother Mary M Herrick Reynolds, Jan 2001, I realized I knew so very little about my families tree.  Sure, I had the bits and pieces like my father's family is back east and my mother's family is out west in Washington state.  I even had a hint of a great aunt in Florida.  So, I gathered up my mothers belongings and started to piece the tree back together.  It's been better than twelve years putting things together and along the way I have found relatives all over the place.  And now communicate with many.  But, that is another story, so back to George.  When I started digging, I didn't know my great grandfather by name and knew even less about his wife, my great grand mother.

In my mother's papers was a crude tree outlining my father's side, in which it listed my grand father as George Henry Reynolds.  To this point I only new George Reynolds as my uncle.  So, armed with just these small pieces I started researching the Reynolds in Lowell Massachusetts.   It wasn't  long that I discovered my great grandmother; Elizabeth Anna Wat(t)ers Reynolds, her children James, George and Flossie living in 1900 Lowell Massachusetts.  This find explored into finding the rest of my Reynolds family in Lowell.  However, George is still a mystery!

Along the way a documents came to light putting the family in 1892 Woburn Massachusetts and revealing for the first time my great grandfather was also a George H Reynolds.  So, there were three George's in consecutive generations.  The document was a birth certificate for Flossie Jane Reynolds listing Elizabeth Wat(t)ers as mother and George H Reynolds as father.  George is a mason from England and Elizabeth is from Nova Scotia. Then, my grandfather's birth certificate was found in 1891 Woburn.  This certificate conflicts with the 1900 census claiming he was born in Rhode Island.  This birth certificate also listed Elizabeth of Nova Scotia and George a mason from England.

Soon, I had Elizabeth's family in Nova Scotia outlined, include two sets of 3x great grandparents.  However, nothing more was found about George.  No marriage record for George and Elizabeth.  No birth record for first born son James who was born in 1889 Westville or Truro NS, prior to the family coming to the states.  A good thing happen while searching for George in NS, I found living Watters relatives.  It has been so great to communicate with them.

But, and that is a Big But... no George H Reynolds of England.

So, after many years searching and searching for George without finding a hint, I brought in a professional Genealogist to help.  The following is the new findings that were produced.

George H Reynolds b. Nov 1868 England.  The birth date was found in a document from the Lowell Overseers of the Poor Collection 1896 intake record for Elizabeth Wat(t)ers Reynolds.

George Reynolds, mason, age 24, was living at 15 Centre St., Woburn MA in 1892, “residence the previous year, Providence, Rhode Island.   This information was found in a document List of Polls.

1893 Woburn City Directory

George H Reynolds was living at 20 Hovey Street Woburn in 1893.  He is a Currier.  A Currier is a leather worker, so a bit of conflict with being a mason.  A very interesting and supporting find William D Watters,   William is Elizabeth's younger brother.  He too is working as a Currier.    Upon reviewing the document, it reveals three other George Reynolds living in Woburn MA and working as Currier.  I wonder if there is any family connection.  Something to look into.   This document was a city directory for Woburn MA, which I've seen before but had no supporting data to put claim.  William being in the same house is support enough.

In the Overseers of Poor record for Elizabeth, she states that she separated for George in 1894 and at the time of the intake, she thought he was dead.  No records have been found for support the death.

In the Overseers of the Poor record for Elizabeth, she states that George (my grandfather) was born in Providence.   So, it is my thought that the birth wasn't recorded until the family settled in Woburn, thus a registry for George's birth in Woburn setting up the conflict.

No additional records have been found for George H Reynolds thus far, so the search continues.

Armed with the birth date of 1868 for George, I have enlisted three amateur genealogists in the Truro, Stelleraton and Westville Nova Scotia area to dig into finding any information; migration, marriage, birth of son.  Anything to link George to Elizabeth and James.

Looking for Virginia Tutt

Virginia Tutt, who is she and where did she come from and go?  Virginia, I learned quite some time ago, was my fathers first wife from 1943 to 1952.  As mentioned, Virginia was once part of the family and oral family history mentions there might be children.  So, I've been interested in finding out if I have siblings out there unknown to me or not.  In researching Virginia, I've found many facets of her life a mystery because of  incomplete records, no records or misinformation on the record.  These issues aren't unique to Virginia's research at all.  Its actually quite common to have incomplete data recorded on the many records that shadow our lives.

Tracing Virginia through genealogy records has been a bit of a challenge as I didn't have enough information about her in the first place and very little to make any concrete connections with records found, so nothing much beyond the information I had at hand.  I started the search with what I had; a marriage and divorce documents, of neither had a lot of information, but it was a start.

Virginia married William Reynolds in 1943 Lincoln Nebraska.  The record offered some hints such as; Virginia's date of birth, which is about 1914. This proves later not to be the case.  Also, this was Virginia second married.  Again not the case.  The record indicates that Virginia's parent were Berl Tutt and Nellie Murphy of Illinois.  The record also gave up the name of Virginia's previous marriage surname of Rhodes.

You would think the above was enough information to continue researching Virginia, but it proved a bit difficult as the data was not accurate and left many questions during the search.  For example Virginia's fathers name was Bert not Berl.  Actually, his name was Gilbert.  So, searching for a Berl Tutt and variation was not profitable.  Lots of records, but nothing making a solid connection for me.  If you have read any of my other genealogy post, I have a rule of three.  I need to have at least three solid connections to a record before I will accept it.  Some will say that's a bit picky and others will say not picky enough.  For me, it has worked out as I have made no connections that later proved wrong and caused me to back up.

The next record to investigate was the divorce document between Virginia and my father in 1952.  Nothing there to help this research.  Interestingly however, it was my mother that filled the petition of divorce for my father in Washington state of which she lived.  No indication of Virginia's where abouts was noted on this document.  The research at this point peters out, though I have revisited it a few times over the years, nothing more have I found to progress the search for Virginia.

Yesterday, I have received a hint that moved the research along.   The hint was Virginia's middle name and believe it or not that clue was enough open a few doors and solidify some records.

First, I discovered Virginia's first marriage, then a 1910 census for Chicago Illinois, then another marriage and a 1940 census for California.  The 1910 census records Virginia with her parents in Chicago Illinois at the age of one. The census also provides a name correction for Berl Tutt to Gilbert Tutt.  Gilbert is a clerk in the Dry Goods industry.  Virginia is recorded as being born in Wyoming.  Thus far, the family was in Illinois prior to Virginia's birth and after.  So, for me Wyoming as a birth place is a question mark!  I wonder if Nellie gave birth during a vacation trip to Wyoming or some other place west.

The first marriage for Virginia was to a Herbert Rhode in Jun 1931 Washington D.C.  Then, in November 1937 she remarries to a James Howard in LA California.  I must say, Virginia sure did a lot of traveling in her time.  In the 1940 census, Virginia is still listing herself born in Wyoming, she is living with her husband James, mother Nellie Tutt and a daughter; Gloria.  Gloria is eight years old and was born in Washington D.C.  Doing the math, Gloria is a product of Virginia's first marriage to Herbert.

These discoveries opened the door to yet more hints and more possibilities, but nothing more on Virginia after the 1952 divorce.  So, I still don't know if any children were produced during the years marriage to my father or to where Virginia got off too!

Where did the hint of Virginia's middle name come from in the first place.  Well, yesterday, my older sister who is also doing genealogy research told me about a very recent contact by one of Virginia's half-sisters; Janet. I should mention that my sister had already made some progress in her research of Virginia that made possible the this contact from Janet.  Thanks Phyllis!

Fingers crossed more hints to come......

UPDATE:  More information has been found and some shared by an anonymous commentator.  So, a follow up blog will post soon about the Vampire of Chicago!

McLeese in the Heaney House

Recently, I found a Neil McLeese with a 1953 connection to Agnes McComb of 557 Chelmsford Massachusetts.  The connection was a U.S. National Homes for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers, 1866-1938 form, which listed Agnes McComb as the point of contact.  The house on Chelmsford street was the home to William Heaney prior to his move to 60 Cosgrove street Massachusetts in the 1920.  Many of William's family, children and siblings, lived at this house one time or another. So, who is this Neil McLeese and how is he connected to the family, if at all? Well, I know he is some how connected for he shares a given surname of another before him and the previously mentioned connection to Agnes.  But, how is the question?  These questions opened up some more research and discovery into my family tree.

U.S. National Homes for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers
Click me

First, let's discover a little of  what is known about the Heaney and McLeese lines. The McLeese name comes from Ireland as many of my ancestors did and this is where I find that a McLeese has married into the Heaney family.  My great great grandfather John Heaney and Ellen McLeese started their marriage in 1845 Antrim County, Ireland prior to coming to the states in the 1870's. After finding out Ellen Heaney was a McLeese, which added a new name to the tree, I naturally became interested in finding out more.  Well, believe it or not, Ellen's father is a Neil McLeese, my 3x great grandfather, but I am sure the Neil I am seeking is not my great grandfather, for he didn't come to the states, as far as I know,  and if he did, he would be well over a 100 years of age in 1953. Not impossible, but I doubt it!

Obituary
Click Me

So, the question remains!  How does this Neil McLeese connect to the my tree.  The story starts to unravel with the discovery of two pieces of information; an obit for Neil in the Lowell Sun newspaper 1953, in which reveals a little about Neil's military time and his final resting place.  And a copy of Veteran's Compensation Application stating that Neil was name after his mother's father; Neil McLeese my 3x great grandfather.  Neil's mother is Sarah McLeese and father James Jinkins.

Veteran' Compensation
Application
Click Me

In June of this year I requested some information from the Edson Management Cemetery management office in Lowell Massachusetts about Neil.  Yesterday, Aug 13 2013, I  received information back from the Edson staff that relieved the connection to the family.

Update:  Neil's relationship trace to Agnes;  Neil's mother is Sarah McLeese who is sister to Ellen McLeese Heaney,  who is the mother to Annie Heaney McComb, who is the mother of Agnes.  So, they are cousins and both 1x cousins 2x removed to me.



Neil McLeese resting in McComb's family plot in Edson Cemetery, Lowell MA.

Neil McLeese served in the U. S Army K 5 Infantry from 1900 -1903.  This unit seen active duty in the Philippine, though Neil's records indicate no time served in any fire fight.

Rest in Peace

Please consider following my blog and please leave a comment or question if you like.

Hodge!

Not long ago I posted about finding what happened to my grandfather; George H Reynolds.   The posted include the marriage certificate between George Reynolds and Edith R Heaney, on which I noticed that this was George's second marriage.  I am pretty sure that I noticed when first I received the document, but it didn't stick, but this time it did.  So, tonight I was browsing through documents for Lowell Massachusetts looking for James and hit on a record for a marriage between George and a Margaret L Hodge, 27 Jan 1915.  George is listed a railroad man and his mother is listed as Hannah E Watters.  Ugh, back to the two "T"!   Now, if you have been following along, George marries my grandmother in November of 1916.  So, what happened to Margaret?  You guessed it... more digging required!

The entry is about 7th from the bottom.

Well, I have found more information about Margaret L Hodge this year in the Lowell Sun Newspaper.

   Matrimonial

REYNOLDS - HODGE

A pretty marriage took place Wednesday afternoon at 6 o'clock when George H Reynolds 

and Miss Margaret L. Hodge were united in the bonds of matrimony, the ceremony being  performed by Rev. Henry A. Cornell at his home 21 Blossom street.  The bride wore a gown of imported ivory silk over ivory liberty satin and carried a bouguet of bride's roses.  She was attended by her sister, Miss Jessie E. Hodge, who wore a similar gown to that of the bride.  The best man was Rev. Reginald G. Tulleck, acting pastor of the Immanuel Baptist church of which the bride and bridegroom are members.  Miss Harriet  Gellrelt  acted as ring-bearer.  After the ceremony a reception was held at the home of the bride's mother, Mrs Jennie Hodge, 11 Main Street.  The users at the house were Thomas S Gellrelt and William Kershaw.  The happy couple left in the evening for Westville, Nova Scotia, where they spend their honeymoon.  They will at home to their friends at 77 Main Street after Feb 20.

Here is the cutting from the Lowell Sun Feb 1916.

Unfortunately, nine months later, Oct 28, 1916, Margaret passes away at home.  Though the obit, below, doesn't say it, I think Margaret passed in childbirth.

 

Recently discovered that Margaret passed due the Lobar Pneumonia which was quite a problem in 1915-1916

Grandfather found!

George H. Reynolds
circa 1940

I've been looking for my grandfather, George Henry Reynolds, since beginning this ancestral quest started ten plus years ago.  Recently, I was given a newspaper clipping of an obit that had some details about my grandfathers passing, from which I was able to extract a few hints. 

First, George was the second son to George H Reynolds and Elizabeth A Waters, of whom I have written about in earlier posts.  His date of birth is 27 April 1891.  It is said that he was born in Providence Rhode Island, but there is no records confirming this as of yet.  I did find his folks in Woburn Massachusetts where his sister Flossie was born in 1892.  At the turn of the century, George's father was no longer in the picture.  At this time, the family unit consisted of Elizabeth, James, George and Flossie and were now residing in Lowell Ma.   You can read more about Elizabeth Watters Reynolds; Waters or Watters. This seems to be starting point of the this Reynolds family in Lowell.  However, there are other Reynolds of similar first names living the area.  I wonder if there was a reason for the move to Lowell, either family or ethnicity. I was able to track the family forward to the year 1907, where Elizabeth is remarrying to a James McArdle of Lowell Ma.  And then again I found them in the 1910 census, where young George and Flossie are with their mother Elizabeth and step-father James in Lowell.  Then, in the winter of 1916, George gets married to Edith Ruby Heaney.  Edith is daughter of one William Heaney and Margaret Caldwell of Chelmsford Ma and Ireland.  This is George's second marriage according to the marriage certificate of 18 Nov 1916.  I have no record as of yet of George's first marriage, but I would think it would be in Lowell also, more research needed. Updated Aug 2012, read more about first marriage here; Hodge.  Well, shortly after my grandparent marriage, my uncle George came along.  Yes, another George!! Then in 1919 uncle E. Arthur and then my father William Caldwell in 1920.  I am sure you can figure out where my father got his name from... So, all the way up through to the 1930 the family is together, then George (my grandfather) is out of the picture.  Why,  I don't know, divorce I guess.  The three boys were were enumerated in the Ayer home for boys in Lowell on, 2 April 1930 as Wards of the state.  Then, but a few days later on the 8 of April 1930 they were enumerated again at home with their mother on Bleachery street in Lowell. 

So, what happen to George H Reynolds?  Up to this point, I found bits and pieces, some possible hits, but nothing to solidify his where abouts. Then a week ago or so, a cousin told be that he had moved to New York state and was working in a hospital.  Quite a change in careers, as George started or at least for awhile was a railroad man.  He worked for the Boston and Maine Railroad company at the time of his marriage to Edith.  Did he start there cause of his father?  Hmm, something to ponder!  Ok, back to the hospital job.  I had discovered a George years ago working in New York as an Orderly.  Is this him?  Then, the same cousin sent me an obit for George that she dug up in her files.  The obit didn't have a date or a newspaper name, but it did have a funeral home name, a city and state, and a cemetery name. I was had enough to start digging again for George.   All weekend I searched and searched the city records, but nothing except dead ends.  The cemetery didn't have a contact point like the Edson cemetery in Lowell, so I moved onto the funeral home.  This morning, after some simple digging for a Burnette Funeral Home of Middletown NY, I found a reference to a Applebee-McPhillips Funeral Home.  They had change their name from Burnette in the early 1960's.  I found a contact email address to which I sent a request for record and confirmation that it was the same funeral home.  I was told that it was and that the records back int he 30's 40's and 50's were sparse.  So, at this point I am waiting for something more from the funeral home.  But, in the meantime, I chatted with a few genealogy researcher from the Middletown area and we came up with the same obit that was earlier mention, plus another clipping from a different newspaper that reported the death of George.

I have three clippings below.  

Middletown Times Herald

 Thursday 17 Oct 1946

Middletown Times Herald

Friday, 18 Oct 1946

Middletown Times Herald

Friday, 18 Oct 1946

Funeral Announcement

There are no markers for George in the Hillside Cememtay according to the management office. The grave is located at Section 5, Single Grave 310 in the Hillside Cemetary, Middleotown NY.

Get photo of plot

More information updating record for George.  According to the above mentioned death, George passed away in Middletown New York.  The death accouncement suggests that George worked in the Middletown State Hospital, as an ordealy I assume. During this period of time (1940s) George was documented in WWII draft records for older men.  His listed his mailing address as Camp LaGuardia Chester NY and living in a shelter in Middletown NY.  His place of death was in a restaurant on Centre Street in Middletown NY called Long's Restaurant.  I should mention that Long's Restaurant no longer exists.

Camp LaGuardia was a woman's prison 1914-1934 called Camp Greycourt prior to NY purchasing the prison an thus renaming it in honor of Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia.

Get photo of camp

Through Death!

Recently, I found my Grandmothers resting place again, she is resting in the Edson Cemetery in Lowell Massachusetts!  I say again, because the last time I was there was 1968 when we laid to earth Edith Ruby Reynolds nee Heaney, I was about 12 years then.  What I didn't know was that Edith Ruby was buried in a family plot next to her father; William Heaney, her mother; Margaret J Caldwell and her son; E Arthur Reynolds and his wife; Daisy M. Reynolds nee Ritchotte.  Upon finding the resting place through the Edson Cemetery Management office, I was able to get copies of the plot records.  Nothing really out of the ordinary was found on the records, so I put them aside for future reference.  Shortly there after, a researcher for the Ritchotte posted an obit for Jeanne Reynolds, who was the daughter of Arthur and Daisy Reynolds.  While reading the obit a name popped up that I had just recently read on the plot record for William Heaney.  So, I started searching for a Wendi.  I found her in living in Lowell Massachusetts.  We started to correspond with each other about family history and just a reconnecting a lost family link.   Through our talks, finding my Great Mother Elizabeth Waters resting place is possible.  And a new mystery of  two unknown child who also buried the Heaney family plot.

Elizabeth was born in Nova Scotia Canada and came to this country in 1891.  I found Elizabeth and her family in St. Mary's River, Nova Scotia and again in the 1900 US census in Lowell MA, where she is a widow with three children. Her husband ,George Reynolds, apparently died between the years of 1894 and 1907.  I haven't found what happen to George as of yet.  But, in 1907 Elizabeth remarries to a James P McArdle of Lowell.  From there I loose her trail until now.   I hope to have the details of Elizabeth resting place later this week.

The children I didn't know about until Wendi asked me about them and she knew very little.  Not knowing, I again contacted the Edson Cemetery in hopes they had information.  Yesterday, I got a reply from their office.  The children, which there are three are; 

10/24/1876  Ann. J. Heaney    2years.7 months
11/30/1876 Walter Heaney     4 years 5 months
7/28/1980 Ellen May Heaney  2 months 16 days  Correction: 7/28/1880

What does this mean?  Well, it means more digging on who these children are and how the are connected to the Heaney family.  New stuff all the time.

And through death, a connection with lost family ties have started to reconnect.  I look forward to find more of the Reynolds family back east..  Thanks Wendi!

Bitsy Babe

1952 Bitsy Babe

My dad was in the military during WWII and the Korean War. Today, I recently found images of him posing with the aircraft that he helps maintain, a F-84 Fighter/Bomber named Bitsy Babe. This fighter/bomb was flown with the identifcation numbers of; FS-115 A.  I did try to find the flight records for the aircraft, but was only able to find a basic fact sheet about the F-84.  The picture of Bitsy Babe and my dad as taken in 1952 somewhere on Japanese soil I am sure. The F-84 Fighter played a major role in keeping the enemy's fighters at bay.

Remembering!

I don't know why! Or why now, but my thoughts are racing towards memories on my grandmother Edith Reynolds.  It has been a busy day here today as I finished off a major database move from one server to another.  Lots of updates, broken links, users not able to log in and now I am taking a break as the phones are quiet... This is when my grandmother came to mind and I don't know why!  I didn't know her very well at all.  I did meet her in the spring of 1968 when she came to visit us in Arkansas.  I don't recall her voice, her appearance or her eyes, it was such a short visit there just wasn't time.  I do remember that she could recite the alphabet backward faster that I could forward.  She taught me to spell Mississippi with humpback, dotted and crooked letters.  She tricked me into a game of  "Who could count to one hundred" the fastest!  She said start and off I started counting as fast as a 12 year old could.. 1,2,3...21,22,23.  But! But, she wasn't counting yet... I got to 90 and she rang out 10, 10, double 10, 45, 15. And then declared that she won...  Sitting there confused, she had me add up the numbers... we laughed!  She was with us for three or fours days before she passed away. She had seen me as a baby and a boy, as we traveled with the military to an oversea duty station and back.  She, however had not met my youngest sister to this point, who was now about 6 years old. Grandma made sure that she was able to see us all again and then left.  The only other memory I have of my grandmother Edith R. Reynolds is, she loved the song Old Rugged Cross, which was played at her Wake.  We laid my grandmother to earth in the Edson Cemetery in Lowell Massachusetts. One of these days I will revisit my grandmother and tell her that I love her.

Did you know....

Do you know who Passaconaway is?  I bet the answer for most is no! Passconaway is an anglicized translation of Papisse Conewa which means Son of Bear.  He was the Sachem of the Pennacook tribe of the New Hampshire and the Massachusetts area back in the 1500's.  Passconaway is one of the most important Sachem in the Americas, but few have ever heard of him.  It was his people that kept the early Pilgrims from starvation and from being over run by the powerful Mohawks.  For some time, the Europeans and Pennacook lived in peace, traded goods and knowledge, until the Europeans started to get land greedy.  

Back in 1899, the Improved Order of Red Men of Massachusetts erected a bronze statue of this great sachem, which others theft upon.  My first introduction to the sachem was 1968 when we laid my grand mother, Edith Ruby Heaney Reynolds to earth.  I was a 12 year old at the time. My elders (aunts and uncles) told me about the sachem's statues, that stands in the same cemetery where my grand mother rests; Edson Cemetery, Lowell Massachusetts.  They said that we are related to the sachem through my Great Grandmother; Elizabeth Anna Waters Reynolds.  Thus far, I haven't been able to prove this link at all, but it is an interesting story and possibility.  The sachem's statue over the years has been vandalized; tomahawk, spear, hand and other parts carried off to no regard at all who he was and what he did in life.  I can only imagine that on some bookcase somewhere a green patina hand, or spear standing in a corner collecting dust. And no more a thought!


Provided by
Edson/Westlawn Cemetery
2010

The good news is that the statue of the Great Sachem, Passaconaway has been restored this year 2010.  Though an incorrect depiction of the a Pennacook of the time, it is still a good thing.  It's a good thing to remember our past and those who made it possible for the rest of us.