Sunday, June 2, 2013

Thank You - St. Louis Public Library

In trying to document an elusive collateral line, I discovered that the St. Louis Public Library has an online index to the obituaries published in the St. Louis Post Dispatch.

St. Louis Public Library Obituary Search 

Not only do they have the obituaries indexed online but their staff will supply photocopies of those obituaries at a very reasonable cost via snail mail! Below is a copy of the obituary I recently received from them.

anna lighter kuithe obituary

St. Louis Post Dispatch Tuesday 11/8/1994 page 4B

This wonderful service is much appreciated.

Friday, April 5, 2013

Found at Last

In trying to help a fellow researcher with their Wells family, I’ve been going back thru my Wells line to make sure that I have the census records on the descendants of Ozias Wells from 1850 to about 1900. In the process, I have finally found Thurston Kennedy Wells in 1860 — AND — he is in Kansas! This supports family legend but I hadn’t been able to prove it before.

Tonight, I did a search for William Wells born in 1857 and lo and behold there is a William Wells born in 1857 and a Franklin Wells born in 1854 and a K T Wells born about 1830 living in KANSAS TERRITORY! They are living in a household with James Londers age 60 who was born in Pennsylvania and his daughters, Martha age 15 and Sarah age 17. Also in the household is Benj. M. White age 42 who was born in Indiana. My initial reaction is that James Londers and Benj White are not relatives but I will have to do more digging to verify that.

The census verifies that William Wells, age 3, was born in Kansas. It also indicates that Franklin was born in Michigan. Since many other members of the Wells family migrated to Michigan from New York, it makes sense that this family also was in Michigan.

1860 US Census Lykins Kansas Territory showing K T Wells and Franklin and William

Friday, March 15, 2013

Wells Residency 1775-1785

A fellow researcher is looking for proof of residency for Nathaniel Wells who was married to Alinda Swain to complete an application to DAR.  The son of  Nathaniel and Mary Thurston Wells, the family was living in Saratoga County, New York in 1790. George, a brother to Nathaniel, married Eunice White in 1784 in Hadley Massachusetts.

Reference to military service from American Ancestors

DAR Patriot Index Information for Nathaniel and Polly (Thurston) Wells


Wells Residency 1775-1785

A fellow researcher is looking for proof of residency for Nathaniel Wells who was married to Alinda Swain to complete an application to DAR.  The son of  Nathaniel and Mary Thurston Wells, the family was living in Saratoga County, New York in 1790. George, a brother to Nathaniel, married Eunice White in 1784 in Hadley Massachusetts.

Reference to military service from American Ancestors
nathanielwells military

DAR Patriot Index Information for Nathaniel and Polly (Thurston) Wells

nathaniel wells dar