On this date in our family history . . . the 14th day of January . . . in the year 1899 . . . Betsey T. Smith Hutchins nee Flood dies at home in Kennebunkport, Maine . . . this Betsey is the mother of Atwood F. Smith (1837-1907) who is father of . . . Thomas Warren Alonzo Smith (1866-1920) who is father of . . . Elizabeth Marilla Henry nee Smith (1912-1932) who is the mother of my beautiful Mom . . .
Biddeford Daily Journal. Biddeford, Maine. Monday Evening, January 16, 1899. Mrs. Betsy T. (Smith) Hutchins, who for many years resided in this city and was well known here and for the last few years has resided in Kennebunkport, having married Edward S. Hutchins of that place, died Saturday afternoon at 4 o'clock, after a brief sickness lasting only a few hours. An attack of the grip was followed by heart failure. Her age was 82 years and five months. She was a member and prominent worker in the Foss street Methodist church in which she had many friends. She was also a former member of Evangeline lodge of Rebekahs. She leaves a husband, Edward S. Hutchins of Kennebunkport, three children, Atwood F. Smith and Josiah H. Smith, both of this city, and Sylvanus S. Smith of Concord, N.H., one sister, Mrs. Add Chadbourne of Saco, and four grandchildren. The funeral will be held at the residence in Kennebunkport on Tuesday afternoon at 1 o'clock. The burial will be at the Greenwood cemetery at the convenience of the family.
Biddeford Weekly Journal - Jan 20, 1899. Kennebunkport. . . . Mrs Betsey, widow of the late Edward Hutchins, died last Saturday afternoon at an advanced age. Joseph Fairfield and wife have made their home with her for a few years. Mrs. Fairfield was a step daughter of Mrs. Hutchins, but was absent at the time of her death: being with a sick daughter. Mrs. Hutchins will be much missed in the Methodist society.
100-year-old 1911 Calendar Postcard from private collection of benotforgot . . . and you are welcome to save a copy of this for your own personal use . . .
One hundred years ago today . . . on the 1st day of January . . . in the year 1911 . . . I wonder . . . were our ancestors recalling the events of the year 1910 . . . and at the same time wondering what the coming year would bring in their lives . . . three of my grandparents were born during the first decade of the 20th century (one grandma would not be born until 1912) . . . all eight of my great-grandparents were alive at that time . . . but only six of my sixteen 2nd great-grandparents are known to have still been living as of the 1st of January in 1911 . . .
One hundred years later . . . on the 1st day of January . . . in the year 2011 . . . I am so very blessed and thankful for my family (L-U-V y'all) . . . for my health (and that's a big one) . . . for a warm roof over my head . . . for dear friends who actually know what it means to walk the talk . . . for a God who loves me and has collected all my tears in a bottle (and there have been a lot of them since the 7th day of April) . . .
On a lighter note . . . I am also thankful for my constant companion and foot-warmer, Riley (Bennie's poodle) . . . and for the new toys I received for Christmas . . . one being a new Canon EOS Rebel D-SLR camera (Bennie always enjoyed giving me tech gadgets for gifts . . . so this was a gift to myself, a long-needed upgrade from our original vintage Canon AE-1) . . . but the best gift (mostly because of the thoughtfulness and love behind it) I received (besides time spent with family) was the Flip-Pal Mobile Scanner my family surprised me with . . . we do what I will refer to as (because our Mom was born in Massachusetts) a Yankee Swap . . . so there are not supposed to be any exchanges of gifts between individuals . . . my baby sister (who was the instigator on this little project) told me the surpise gift was to show appreciation for all the work I've done on gathering and sharing our family history . . . [note to self . . . be careful about entering those contests on facebook . . . some family members actually read that stuff!!!] . . . sooo . . .
Most of the following items have been on my mental to-do list for a while . . . but only because Jasia has challenged us to commit to some genealogy goals in 2011 for her 101st Carnival of Genealogy . . . (and with the qualifier used by my 2nd great-grand-uncle almost 150 years ago . . . whether God will permit me to live, to keep the records of another year, is more than poor mortal man can know, but trusting in His mercy I shall enter upon the trials of another year, with hopes of future success & prosperity through His goodness & favor.) . . . I am stating to whoever is listening that . . . the good Lord willing and the creeks don't rise . . .
I plan to keep on keeping on . . . with the daily postings at The Journal and On This Date . . . and an occasional family-related quote at And I Quote . . . and getting together some new posts here at benotforgot.com . . . and continuing to transfer info from an expired rockdale.myfamily.com to Rockdale - My Hometown . . . and figuring out how to stay organized once I actually get organized (i.e., putting photos, books, files back where they belong instead of in convenient stacks and piles around my computer area) . . . and consistently paying attention to the reminders to do backups . . . and to learn to use the new toys (camera and portable scanner)!!! . . . and to use that camera when visiting cemeteries and photographing grave markers and then posting them on findagrave (with appropriate genealogical info) . . . and to use that portable scanner when I do onsite research at various libraries and research centers in Texas, as well as on visits to family members throughout Texas . . . AND . . . to research and shop for a new desktop computer (had a power surge that may have killed the old desktop . . . awaiting a final diagnosis from the nephew-in-law / IT guy) . . . and then purchase and install Family Tree Maker 2011 and learn to use it (having some issues with FTM 2010) . . . whew . . . I'm exhausted already . . .
- I wanted a perfect ending. Now I've learned, the hard way, that some poems don't rhyme, and some stories don't have a clear beginning, middle, and end. Life is about not knowing, having to change, taking the moment and making the best of it, without knowing what's going to happen next. ~ Gilda Radner
- Never part without loving words to think of during your absence. It may be that you will not meet again in this life. ~ Jean Paul Richter
- Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened. ~ Theodor Seuss Geisel, attributed
Dallas Morning News. December 20, 1902. Murder in Second Degree. Verdict of Jury in Connell Case at Belton -- Twenty-Five Years in the Penitentiary. Special to The News. Belton, Tex., Dec. 19. -- "We, the jury, find the defendant guilty of murder in the second degree and assess his punishment at twenty-five years in the penitentiary," was the verdict of the jury in the John Connell homicide case. Connell was charged with the killing of his father in May last.
See also :-
Dallas Morning News. December 19, 1902. Awaiting the Verdict. Jury in Connell Case at Belton Out All Day with No Prospect of Agreement Before This Date. Special to The News.
Belton, Tex., Dec. 18. -- A night session of the District Court was held last night, when District Attorney W.W. Hair closed the argument in the Connell homicide case. Judge Furman delivered his charge to the jury at about 11 o'clock. The jury has been out all day, with no prospect of a verdict before tomorrow.
See also :-
Dallas Morning News. December 18, 1902. State Brevities. Special to The News. . . .
Belton, Tex., Dec. 17. -- The entire day has been consumed in argument of the Connell homicide case. John B. Durrett opened for the State and was followed by Hon. Winbourn Pearce and Judge T.S. Henderson of Cameron for the defense. District Attorney W.W. Hair will close for the State tomorrow.
See also :-
Dallas Morning News. December 17, 1902. M'Connell [sic] Homicide Case. Testimony All in and the Argument of Counsel Begins Today at Belton. Defendant Examined.
Special to The News. Belton, Tex., Dec. 16. -- The testimony in the John Connell homicide case was concluded at 6 o'clock this afternoon. Court adjourned until tomorrow, when argument of counsel will begin. Much of today was spent in the examination of the defendant. This is the eighth day of the case.
See also :-
Dallas Morning News. December 16, 1902. Belton Court Proceedings.
Special to The News. Belton, Tex., Dec. 15. -- The taking of testimony in the John Connell homicide case was resumed in the District Court this morning. Much of the day has been spent in the examination of Mrs. Jane Connell, wife of the deceased. It is likely that both sides will conclude their testimony tomorrow.
See also :-
Dallas Morning News. December 14, 1902. Connell Homicide Case at Belton.
Belton, Tex., Dec. 13. -- The State rested this afternoon in the John Connell homicide case, and the defense began the introduction of its testimony.
See also :-
Dallas Morning News. December 13, 1902. Connell Homicide Case. Jury Empaneled and Taking of Testimony Begins at Belton.
Special to The News. Belton, Tex., Dec. 12. -- It was not until 3:30 this afternoon that a jury was completed in the John Connell case. At the night session of court last night the special venire was exhausted with only ten jurors. Judge Furman adjourned court until today at 1:30 o'clock, and forty additional men were summoned from which the jury was completed and the taking of testimony was begun. There are a large number of witnesses fro this and Williamson County and the case will consume a greater portion of next week.
See also :-
On this date . . . the 13th day of December . . . in the year 1902 . . . in the extended branches of our family tree . . . the following article ran in The New York Times . . . the ex-Speaker Reed mentioned below is my 5th cousin 5 times removed, Thomas Brackett Reed (1839-1902) . . . he had fallen ill and died in Washington, D.C. on the previous 7th day of December . . . shortly after attending the 67th birthday party of his friend (and another of our distant cousins), Mark Twain . . .
Incredulity has been excited in some quarters by the statement that ex-Speaker Reed belonged to the eighth generation of a Portland family. This statement appeared in several obituary articles, and it did seem inconsistent with general impressions as to the antiquity of American families and towns.
Portland, however, was not founded yesterday or the day before, and Mr. Reed took more than usual pains to look up the records of his forbears, making the task the amusement of an active life, of course, instead of the business of an idle one, and thereby avoiding any possible criticism on the subject of his genealogical tastes.
His investigations carried him back to one George Cleeve, who settled in 1632 on what was then called Falmouth Neck, first as the agent of Sir Ferdinando Gorges, who owned all the land thereabout, and remained in a similar capacity for Alexander Rigby, who, exercising authority derived from Cromwell, erected the region into a province named Lygonia, and made Cleeve Governor of it.
Cleeve had no sons, but his only daughter, Elizabeth, married an adventurous Irishman, Michael Mitton, who had drifted to the colony, and one of her daughters, in turn, married the famous Indian fighter, Anthony Brackett, from whom Mr. Reed derived his middle name. The remainder of the line, as Mr. Reed himself once gave it, runs --
- Anthony Brackett of Portsmouth
- Thomas Brackett (killed by the Indians in Portland)
- Joshua Brackett
- Anthony Brackett
- Thomas Brackett
- Mary Brackett (married Joseph Reed)
- Thomas Brackett Reed, Sr.
- Thomas Brackett Reed, Jr.
The fancy may be innocently, if not very profitably, exercised in crediting to one or another of these ancestors the various elements in Mr. Reed's character. Many a European nobleman cannot trace his descent so far, or with so much reason for honest pride and personal satisfaction, as the ex-Speaker could. Several times, as now, the house had depended for perpetuation upon an only daughter.
Dallas Morning News. December 12, 1902.
Page 3. Newspapers as Evidence. Publishers of Bell County Press Summoned in Connell Case.
Special to The News. Temple, Tex., Dec. 11 -- The District Court at Belton is engaged in trying the case of John Connell, charged with the murder of his father at Belton. The defendant is seeking a change of venue, and all the publishers of newspapers in Bell County were served yesterday with instanter summons to appear before the court with copies of their papers of the dates about the time the offense was committed, in May of this year.
Page 10. Connell Homicide Case. Judge Furman at Belton Overrules Motion for Change of Venue. Special to The News. Belton, Tex., Dec. 11. -- At the opening of court this morning, Judge Furman overruled the motion for change of venue in the John Connell homicide case and Connell was placed on trial for the alleged killing of his father. The entire day has been consumed in the examination of special venire for jurors, and up to the adjournment of court at 6 o'clock this afternoon, only seven jurors had been secured. A night session is being held tonight, and it is likely that the remaining five jurors will be secured. A great deal of interest is being manifested and large crowds are in attendance owing largely to the fact that the deceased was well known in Bell and Williamson Counties, where he had lived for more than forty years.
See also :-
There is a place within our hearts
where we keep our favorite memories
the ones that never fail to make us smile
those are the dearest memories of all.
Wishing you a Christmas filled with
the warmth of caring
the joy of togetherness
the love of friends and family
and happy memories that linger
long after the season is gone.
That verse by Amanda Bradley is featured on the ca. 1996 Christmas page on the left of this collage . . . and that page also appears in my Advent Calendar blogpost about Tearbottle Ornaments (which highlights memories of our first Christmas without my Dad) . . . we have quite an assortment of photos of Dad in front of the family Christmas trees over the years . . . but this one from the mid-1970s is definitely one of my favorites . . . the name card is from his 1945 high school graduation announcement . . . prepared for Grab Bag Day on the 2010 Advent Calendar of Christmas Memories . . .
FYI . . . this scrapbook page was created in Picasa using the collage feature with a scan of an open book as the background . . . the image used for the photo corner mounts is actually a ribbon from a dingbat font called WWDesigns . . .
Dallas Morning News. December 7, 1902. Notes Cases at Belton. Special to the News. Belton, Tex., Dec. 6 -- The John H. Connell case is set for the 9th instant. Connell is charged by indictment with the killing of his father in May last. A special venire of 200 men has been ordered.
See also . . . Son kills father in 1902 . . .
The two adorable girls in the collage to your right are my little sisters, writing their letters to Santa ca. 1958.
They also appear in the dere santey claus collage in footnoteMaven's 2009 Holiday Edition of Shades the Magazine.
In the excerpt below you will find what I imagine the letter they are writing might have said, as well as samples of some letters to Santa as published in December of 1899 in the Dallas Morning News. Since I am online via a dial-up connection at my home, I like to download Shades from it's bookshelf at issuu.com, and then view it page-by-page in PDF format.
During the month of December . . . in the year 1902 . . . in the extended branches of our family tree . . . the Dallas Morning News ran at least 15 separate articles on the trial of one John H. Connell of Belton, Texas . . . who had been charged by indictment with the killing of his father in May last (May 1902).
The deceased was my 1st cousin 4 times removed, John Connell, Jr. (1833-1902), who was the son of John Connell and Matilda Connell Allen Allen nee Roberts (1808-1879). This Matilda is an older sister of my 3rd great-grandma, Mahala Lee Sharp Hall nee Roberts (1816-1885).
This story was completely unknown to me . . . until I found it last week while browsing around in the online archives of the Dallas Morning News . . . and as of this date, I have not been able to make a connection with any living descendants of John Connell, Jr. During the course of this 1902 trial and subsequent appeal(s), the Defendant testified as follows:-
"I saw my father drive up that evening and noticed some children with him. He called out to Darling [Defendant's brother] to 'Come and get the papers.' At that time I had been to the gate and was coming back to the house after bedclothes, and was right at the southwest corner of the house. When he called to Darling I made the remark that Darling was sick and that I would get them. I turned then and walked out towards where he was to get the papers. As I walked up to the fence I asked him 'Where in the hell he stayed last night.' He said it was none of my God-damned business, and I said I thought it was, and he said, 'You are a God-damned lying son of a bitch.' By that time he started towards me. I was stooping, picking up the papers, and just as I raised he kind of grabbed at me with his left hand. I tried to dart back a little, but he caught me in the collar and struck at me and came at me with a knife, and in an instant as soon as I saw the knife I cut him. I had the knife buckled in a leather strap at my belt. I did not have on a coat or vest, and my suspenders were down. I struck my father to get loose from him and when I got loose I went immediately to the house. He turned me loose when I cut him. I did not intend to kill him, but I cut him to get loose because I saw he would cut me if I did not."
There is more to this story . . . and I will be posting more details during the coming weeks . . . stay tuned . . .
On this date in our family history . . . the 5th day of December in the year 1975 . . . my youngest sister, Pam, marries the love of her life, Mike . . . and in that same year . . . I married my Bennie in February . . . and we moved to Flint, Michigan . . . and I hated it there . . . and we came back to Texas . . . and my middle sister, Rebecca, gave birth to her 2nd son, Monty, in June . . . and we threw a surprise party for Mom & Dad's 25th anniversary in October . . . and then another wedding in December . . . 1975 wound up being a rather busy sewing year for my Mom . . . she made my blue velvet wedding dress as well as the dresses for my two sisters (my attendants) . . . and then she made our dresses for this December wedding, and her dress, as well as all sorts of table coverings, etc. for the receptions . . .
In the photo . . . Bennie (1948-2010) & Vickie . . . Robert (my brother) . . . my Dad, Forrest Lee (1927-1996) . . . Pam & Mike . . . my Mom, Roberta (1932-2023) . . . Rebecca holding Monty . . . Dennis (1953-1990) holding Trent . . .
The dolls my sister and I are holding in this photo were Christmas presents from our Uncle Bob (1930-1997). The tree is a live cedar like many of those brought in by my Dad during the years of our childhood . . . he would go out into the woods somewhere around Rockdale or Tanglewood, select what he deemed to be a suitable tree, cut it down, and bring it home. With the allergies he had (and so generously passed on to most of us), I don't know how we endured having those cedar trees in the house. I actually do not remember a huge problem with allergies when I was young, but by the time I was living in Austin in the 1970s, I was taking allergy shots, with cedar big on the list of known allergens.
This particular collage was originally created for Captured Moments in the 2009 Holiday Edition of Shades the Magazine. And > HERE < is my blogpost for the 1st day of December for the 2009 Advent Calendar of Christmas Memories.
This is posted for inclusion in the special holiday meme known as the Advent Calendar of Christmas Memories. Now hosted through Geneabloggers, it was originally dreamed up back in 2007 by Thomas and Jasia (aka the Queen of the Carnival).
There's One in Every Family . . . somewhere in the family tree, every family has at least one . . . that extra-special aunt or uncle . . . the childless aunt who raised her sister's fatherless child . . . the uncle who made the merry-go-round that is still a favorite part of childhood memories . . . the unmarried aunt who stayed home to care for her widowed mother . . . the newly married uncle who assumed guardianship for his orphaned younger sisters . . .
And 150 years ago in Oktibbeha County, Mississippi . . . as this country teetered on the edge of a deep chasm that would someday be referred to as the Civil War . . . 8-year-old Mary Annie "Mollie" West was on the verge of becoming dependent on a very special aunt and uncle for her very safety and well-being . . .
On the 27th day of November in the year 1860 . . . Mollie's Aunt Mary and Uncle Bill were observing the 26th anniversary of the date when a then 20-year-old Mary became the bride of a 33-year-old widower by the name of William Noel Valentine (aka Uncle Bill) . . .
Aunt Mary . . . aka Mary F. Valentine nee Carter . . . was an older sister to little Mollie's (widowed?) Mother, Sarah West nee Carter . . . and and on the 1860 census for Starkville, Oktibbeha County, Mississippi, Mollie (i.e., Mary) and her family are near-neighbors to this Aunt Mary and Uncle Bill . . .
During the years of the war between the states, Mollie's immediate family members often sought shelter with this Aunt Mary and Uncle Bill, who lived in a home of six rooms, a long wide hall, two large porches and a portico in front of Mary's room. Mollie said she spent many pleasant hours in their well-stocked library, where losing herself in books allowed her to briefly escape from the harsh realities of those years.
In later years, Mollie would say of this safe-haven that, "There was also a large cellar under the house with two huge boxes in it that held apples from the orchard across the road from the house. I can see and smell those blossoms yet when Spring comes each year! The house was surrounded by a picket fence that enclosed a large yard. The walk from the front yard gate to the house was lined with jonquils, daffodils and snowdrops. The house itself was white, set on brick pillars. So it was a pleasure to be there out of our little cramped home."
The following links will take you to more information on these and other families in and around Oktibbeha County, Mississippi during the years of the war between the states :-
This blogpost was prepared in honor of all of those special aunts and uncles in the family tree . . . and in celebration the 100th edition of the Carnival of Genealogy over at Creative Gene . . . where the geneablogger known as Jasia just recently celebrated her 5th Anniversary as the Keeper of that blog. Thanks for being a part of our geneablogging world, Jasia!
