DNA Testing - My Closest Match Yet

My grandfather got a “close match” recently, falling between 2nd and 4th cousins on FamilyTreeDNA. Out of all eight kits that I manage, this is the first time I have seen a “close match.” I didn’t pay it much attention at first because the surnames he had listed were Davis, House, and Nix which I’ve found are common in just about every single one of my grandfather’s matches. But I kept it in my radar because his match also listed Missouri in his location list.

A couple of months went by and then I received an email from this match’s wife. She was proposing a possible connection based on some documentation she also sent to me. Her husband’s ancestor was Winnie Frances NIX Crafton. She wanted to know if it was possible that Winnie was the daughter of John NIX of Marshall County, Tennessee, and if so, did my Nix ancestor also happen to descend from the same John Nix.

The John NIX she referred to was enumerated on the 1870 Obion County, Tennessee Census Report.[1] According to the census report, John was 45 years old, placing his date of birth around 1825. Although relationships are not indicated on the 1870 census, it is implied that the next person in the list, Elizabeth Nix, is his wife. She was ten years younger, born about 1835 in TN. There were ten additional people listed in the household, including my ancestor, Dora G NIX, 6 years old, born approximately 1864 in TN. Also living in the household was a Winnie F NIX. According to the people who transcribed this census report, her name looked more like Minnie and was indexed as such. Someone made a correction to her name, though, and changed it to Winnie F NIX. Winnie F Nix was 13 years old, born about 1857 in TN.

1870 Obion Co., TN Census Report for John Nix

Here is an abstract of the above census report -

1870 Obion Co., District 3, TN census report:
21 July 1870 225/225
John Nix, 45 yo (b. abt 1825), TN
Elizabeth Nix, 35 yo (b. abt 1835), TN
Milton M Nix, 16 yo (b. abt 1854),  TN
Mary S Nix, 15 yo (b. abt 1855),  TN
Winnie F Nix, 13 yo (b. abt 1857),  TN [Indexed as Minnie] ← My match’s ancestor
John Robert Nix, 12 yo (b. abt 1858) TN
Minerva P Nix, 9 yo (b. abt 1861),  TN
Sarah I Nix, 8 yo (b. abt 1862), TN
Dora G Nix 6 yo (b. abt 1864),  TN ← My Ancestor
Tennessee F Nix 3 yo (b. abt 1867),  TN
Zilpha L Nix, 2 yo (b. abt 1868),  TN
Acy N Nix, 7 mo (b. abt 1870),  TN
NARA Film M593, Roll 1552, Page 91 (penned)

In 1860, John and Elizabeth NIX were living in Marshall County, Tennessee, which is located in the middle of the State of Tennessee. Evidently they moved “West” between 1860 and 1870 as Obion County, where they were enumerated on the 1870 census, is in the North Western part of the State. There are about 225 miles between Marshall and Obion Counties today.

According to the 1860 census [2], John NIX was 36 years old, born about 1824 in Tennessee. “Winnie” NIX was 3 years old, born about 1857 in Tennessee. My ancestor, Dora NIX, was not yet born. Monroe, Mary, John and Minerva were also living in the household along with his presumed wife, Elizabeth NIX. They were still living in the house on the 1870 Obion County, Tennessee census as well, so I’m certain these two families are one and the same.

1860 Marshall Co., TN Census Report for John Nix

Now you might be wondering how we were so sure that this was the right family for our Winnie and Dora Nix. Good. Because I did just that too. If you question your own work, that means others will question it too. And if that happens, then that just means you haven’t built a solid enough case to prove your point. And we don’t ever want that to happen, now do we? The key to conducting good research is to follow all leads. In this case, that means looking at the other family members.

My ancestor Dora Nix married to William or James Davis about 1882. To date I have not found any documentation of this marriage which probably took place in either TN or AR. The date of 1882 is estimated from the birth of their first known child, Lou Ella Davis. She was born either 1882 or 1884 in Hardy, Sharp County, Arkansas. Her date of birth is unclear because her death certificate says she was born in 1882 [3] and her headstone says she was born in 1884 [4]. But that’s a story for another day. Also, it is unclear what the name of Dora’s husband was because the death certificates of her two daughters had two different names listed - one said Bill Davis [5] and the other said James Davis [6]. I will eventually need to come back to this conflicting information and resolve it. But for now, let’s move on.

On February 12th, 1890, Dora remarried to William Carpenter in Sharp Co., Arkansas [7], with whom she had four more children, and they were enumerated together on the 1900 Sharp Co., Arkansas Census Report [8].

William Carpenter had also been previously married to a woman named Catherine Warren. Their daughter Ellenora Carpenter married Dora and Winnie Nix's brother John Robert Nix about 1880. They had six children before Ella Nora died in 1898. She was buried in the Old Baptist Cemetery in Ash Flat, Sharp Co., Arkansas along with her father William Carpenter, husband John Nix, and several children [9].

Did you catch the fact that Dora Nix's brother John married to Dora's step-daughter? Sigh. Well yeah, that's how things were done back then I guess.

Back to the DNA....

I gave you the story about Dora and John Robert who both moved from Tennessee to Arkansas, but what ever happened to their sister Winnie Frances Nix? Well we know that she got married and had children because one of her descendants came back as a DNA match to my grandfather. It just so happens that Winnie married to William Robert Crafton in 1871 [10]. They had six children together, all born in Tennessee. In fact my grandfather's match's family remained in Tennessee while my family remained in Arkansas. There is no indication that the families knew one another.

Before I learned about my grandfather's match, I had no information about his ancestor, Winnie Nix. After corresponding with his wife, however, I was able to fill in a good chunk of information about her and her family, thus expanding my tree out even further. This is the fun part about corresponding with your matches. I also learned that my grandfather and his match are third cousins once removed. This means they share the same set of 2nd great-grandparents. However, because they are "once removed," my grandfather's match has one more generation between them; therefore John and Elizabeth Nix are his 3rd great-grandparents. I have included their relationship report below:

Relationship Report between my Grandfather and his match

Family Tree DNA predicted they were 2nd to 3rd cousins, so an actual relationship of 3rd cousins, once removed falls right into line with that prediction. They share a total of 126 cM of DNA between them with the longest segment of 29.39 cM being on Chromosome 1.

I hope this blog post will help to encourage you to work with your matches and to keep digging for those common ancestors. More and more testees are being added to each of the three testing companies' databases each month. I know it is overwhelming at times, but finding a connection such as the one outlined in this post can be very rewarding!

I'd love to hear your success stories. Please feel free to leave a comment below or email me.

Sources:
[1] 1870 US Federal Census, Obion County, Tennessee, population schedule, District 3, Troy and Union City, Page 91 (penned), dwelling 225, family 225, John Nix; digital image, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : downloaded 24 September 2013); NARA Film M593, Roll 1546.
[2] 1860 US Federal Census, Marshall County, Tennessee, population schedule, District 12, Page 11 (penned), 105 (stamped), dwelling 92, family 75, John Nix; digital image, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : downloaded 4 November 2013); NARA Film M653, Roll 1265, FHL Film 805265.
[3] Oklahoma State Department of Health, Death Certificate No. 10879, Ella Otten, 1 August 1947; Vital Records Service, Oklahoma City.
[4] Lou Ella Otten grave marker, Fairview Cemetery, Shawnee, Oklahoma, Photographed by Ginger Smith, researcher, November 2007.
[5] Death Certificate of Ella Otten, 1947.
[6] Los Angeles County, California, death certificate (22 March 1955), Oceola Clark; County of Los Angeles, Registrar-Recorder / County Clerk, Norwalk. (See her post here)
[7] Michael L Peters, grandnephew of Lou Ella Davis.
[8] 1900 US Federal Census, Sharp County, Arkansas, population schedule, Highland Township, enumeration district (ED) 119, page 44, William Carpenter; digital image, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 08 November 2013 ); NARA Film T623, Roll 77.
[9] Old Baptist Cemetery, Ash Flat, Sharp Co., AR. Visited by author, May 2009. Also, see Find-A-Grave Memorial No. 21767505.
[10] 1910 US Federal Census, Houston County, Texas, population schedule, Justice Precinct 4, enumeration district (ED) 71, dwelling 112, family 112, William R Crafton; digital image, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 23 October 2013); NARA Film T624, Roll 1565, FHL Film 1375578; William Crafton was listed as having been married 39 years which in 1910 would have put their date of marriage around 1871.

Treasure Chest Thursday – Death Certificate of Osceola Davis Clark

Two years ago I wrote about my 2nd great-grandmother Lou Ella Godwin (See Lou Ella Godwin puzzle post # 1 here, post # 2 here, and post # 3 conclusion here) who’s parentage had both my grandfather and I stumped for a couple of years due to a discrepancy between a marriage record and an obituary. 
According to their marriage certificate, Lou Ella DAVIS married my 2nd great-grandfather, Alvin Godwin in 1899, however, Lou Ella’s obituary stated she had 3 brothers, Marland, William, and Ernest CARPENTER, one sister, Mrs. Ed Clark, and one half sister, Mrs. Roy Eckert.
The 1900 Sharp County, Arkansas census report corroborated this obituary with the head of household being William Carpenter, his wife, Dora Carpenter, daughter Lou A CARPENTER, step-daughter Osceola DAVIS (Mrs. Ed Clark from the obituary), and sons Acy, William, Marlin, and Ernest CARPENTER.
How could Lou Ella have been both a Davis and a Carpenter? I posted a copy of Lou Ella Otten’s death certificate (Shawnee, OK) in the conclusion (post # 3) of my story and it clearly stated that Lou Ella’s parents were Bill DAVIS and Dora NIX, therefore Lou Ella’s maiden name was DAVIS and not CARPENTER.
The 1900 Sharp County, Arkansas census mentioned above in the household of William and Dora Carpenter had an Osceola DAVIS listed as a “step-daughter” to William Carpenter.  I contacted Osceola’s grandson, Michael Peters and got a copy of Osceola’s death certificate from him. It turns out that her father was also a DAVIS , albeit not exactly the same name – her father was listed as James F DAVIS (Lou Ella’s father was Bill DAVIS ) and mother was Dora NIX. I’m not too worried about this discrepancy though. Osceola and Lou Ella were very close, even though one lived in OK and the other lived in CA. In fact we have pictures of both and could not even tell them apart. Michael Peters had to tell me which one was which when I showed him the pictures.
Here is a copy of Osceola’s death certificate:

A copy of this death certificate was sent to me by Osceola’s grandson, Mike Peters on 19 Sept 2008.  The original was obtained from the Los Angeles County Clerk Registrar/Recorder’s Office of the State of California Department of Public Health.
I learned the following from this certificate:
Name: Osceola Clark
Born: 20 Jan 1885
Father’s name: James F. DAVIS , birthplace unknown
Mother’s name: Dora NIX, birthplace unknown
Died: 22 Mar 1995 at St. Vincent’s Hospital at 2131 West 3rd Street, Los Angeles, CA from colon cancer
Burial: in Park Lawn Cemetery in Montebello, CA
Informant: Gladys Loyd Peters (Osceola’s daughter)
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By the way, as a side note, I wouldn’t have been able to make this find without the help of Mike Peters.  I found his file and his name and address on the FamilySearch.org website and I actually sent him an old fashioned snail mail letter with stamp and envelope and he wrote me back!  You can read about our initial exchange in my post “Lessons Learned about Family trees on Rootsweb.” I sent him quite a few pictures of his family that my grandfather had in his collection because Osceola and Lou Ella traded pictures and wrote back and forth quite a bit. I hope to be adding more posts on these two families soon!

Wordless Wednesday - Osieola Davis (1885 – 1955)

Osieola Davis was the sister of my 2^nd great grandmother, Lou Ella Davis Godwin. She lived in Los Angeles, CA. She was very close to my Godwin family and sent pictures to my great grandparents often. Many of these pictures were recovered from my grandfather and his sisters’ collection of photos. Osieola was often mistaken for my 2^nd great grandmother, Lou Ella in the pictures. I have sent copies of the pictures to Osieola’s grandson, Michael L. Peters to verify his grandmother was in them. Here is a snapshot of Osieola’s life:


Osieola Davis was born 20 Jan 1885 in Arkansas, the second child of James F Davis and Dora Nix (1). In 1890 her mother Dora Davis remarried to William Carpenter in Sharp County, Arkansas (2). Osieola, her sister, Lou Ella Davis, and 4 half siblings were enumerated with their mother and their step father William Carpenter on the 1900 Sharp County, AR census report in Highland Township (3). 

Osieola Davis married Samuel Loyd 19 Oct 1902 in Sharp Co., AR. Osieola and Samuel Loyd moved to Oklahoma sometime between 1900 and 1910. They were enumerated on the 1910 Hulbert, Cherokee County, OK census report. Their two children, Gladys and Davis Loyd were enumerated with them, along with Samuel’s widowed mother Malley Loyd. Samuel Loyd was a stock tender(4). He did not apply or receive any land grants in OK (5).

Osieola Davis Loyd remarried to Ester V Clark sometime between 1910 and 1920. They were enumerated with Osieola’s two children on the 1920 Jasper County, MO census report in Joplin, MO (6). Ester was enumerated as “Edward Clark.” He was a bartender in a saloon. He was from Missouri.

Osieola and Ester Clark removed to Los Angeles, CA sometime between 1920 and 1930. They were enumerated on the 1930 Los Angeles County, CA census report in Montebello Gardens, Whittier Township. Osieola’s son Davis was enumerated with them. According to the census report, they lived at 761 Elnora Street (7).

Osieola Clark died of colon cancer 22 Mar 1955 in Los Angeles, CA (1). I obtained a copy of Osieola’s death certificate from her grandson, Michael L Peters. Mike and I were not able to find an obituary for Osieola Clark. She was buried in Park Lawn Cemetery (or Memorial Park) in Commerce, Los Angeles Co., CA.

Osieola and Samuel Loyd had two children, Gladys Irene Loyd and Davis T. Loyd. Gladys Irene Loyd married Rulon Richard Peters; she died 4 Mar 1997 in Thousand Oaks, Ventura Co., CA (8). Davis T. Loyd married Annie May Stumpf; he died 18 May 1996 in Lake Isabella, Kern Co., CA. Davis and Anne had no children (9).

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Picture of Lou Ella Davis Godwin Otten on the left in the solid dark dress and her sister, Osieola Davis Clark in the print dress on the right. Original photo privately held by Lou Ella’s grandson, Lawrence Godwin, Fort Smith, Arkansas.


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Osieola Davis Clark and her dog Butch and her 1937 Dodge. Original photo privately held by Lou Ella’s grandson, Lawrence Godwin, Fort Smith, Arkansas.


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Sources:

1. Osieola Clark, death certificate, 22 Mar 1955, Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk Office, State of California.
2. Sharp County Marriage Records, user submitted files, online.
3. 1900 Sharp Co., Highland Twp., AR census report, 4-5 June 1900, Series T623, Roll 77, p 44.
4. 1910 Cherokee Co., Hulbert Twp., OK census report, 29 Apr 1910, Series T624, Roll 1244, page 5B, ED 12, Image 693.
5. BLM GLO records, land patent search, online.
6. 1920 Jasper Co., Joplin, MO census report, 6 Jan 1920, p. 5A (Edward V Clark, head)
7. 1930 Los Angeles Co., Montebello Gardens, Whittier Twp., CA census report, 9 Apr 1930, Roll 175, page 7B, ED 1558, Image 1119.0
8. Gladys Peters, death certificate, 4 Mar 1997, Vital Records Section, Ventura County Public Health Department, State of California.
9. Personal correspondence with Michael L. Peters, 11 Sept 2008

Lessons Learned about Family trees on Rootsweb

A fellow Godwin researcher sent me information from some family trees that were posted on rootsweb.com about the Dora Nix and James F. Davis family. I contacted the researchers who posted these trees to get more information about their research and to find out more information about this elusive James F. Davis.

In both of the trees, there were two daughters listed as children of Dora Nix and James F Davis. They were Osceiola Davis and Tillie Davis. According to the trees, Oscieola Davis married Samuel Walker Loyd and Tillie Davis married William E. Carpenter. William E. Carpenter was the son of Dora Nix Davis and her second husband, William Carpenter. If Tillie Davis were really the daughter of James F. Davis and Dora Nix, then that would mean that Tillie Davis married her half brother Willie Carpenter!

I questioned that situation and started digging. One of the trees referenced the file of Mike Peters. After some digging, I found a Pedigree Resource file Mike Peters had posted to the familysearch.org website. Sure enough, there was Dora and James F . Davis with two daughters: Tillie Davis (married William Carpenter) and Osieola Davis (married Samuel W. Loyd).

Mike Peters also posted marriage information on William Carpenter to Dora Davis to the Sharp Co., AR Marriage Record website. I found Mike's address and I wrote him a letter. In the letter, I asked him for source information for James, Tillie, and Osieola Davis.

My letter was received and answered!

In an email, Mike said he had the death certificate of his grandmother, Osieola Davis Clark (Los Angeles, CA). The certificate listed James F. Davis as Osieola's father. He also confirmed that Tillie Davis who married William E. Carpenter was not James and Dora Davis' daughter.

While looking through other files on familysearch.org, I found another user submitted Family Data Collection file posted by Nellie Mae Conklin on one Otala "Tillie" Aldrich who married William Carpenter, son of William Carpenter and Dora Nix Davis Carpenter! Tillie and William Everett Carpenter's death records can be found on the CA death record site.

Nellie Mae Conklin has published several books that are available in libraries across the country. She did submit to the LDS FHL a book on Tillie's Aldrich family, with some entries on the Carpenter family. However I was not able to borrow it through my local FHL because evidently they don't allow unmicrofilmed books to leave the library in Salt Lake City.

So...with the success of my last letter writing excursion fresh in my mind, I set off to write another letter to the 89 year old Nellie Mae Conklin in which I requested either a copy of the book or a copy of her Carpenter family entries from the book.

I am eagerly awaiting her reply.

There are many lessons learned in this essay:

Use user submitted rootseb family tree files as a guide only and don't believe everything your read as fact
Remember to dig deeper to find the actual sources of information
It illustrates how one small printed mistake can be reproduced for many years
Letter - writing can be successful!