I asked Bing's Copilot AI about Solomon Joseph Hartley (1774-1814)

I'm warming up to using AI for help with genealogy, so I asked Bing's Copilot about my 4th Great Grandfather Solomon Joseph Hartley:

"What can you tell me about Solomon Joseph Hartley, a rigger who died in 1814?"

More Balanced:

Solomon Joseph Hartley was a **rigger** in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, who was born in either **Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania** or **Poland/Germany** around **1774** ¹. A rigger is someone who works with ropes, cables, and pulleys to lift or move heavy objects. He married **Mary Gwinnup** around **1803** ². They had at least **four children**: John, Mary, Solomon, and William ³. He died in **August 1814** at the age of 40 and was buried in the **Second Baptist Church Burial Ground** in Philadelphia ¹.

Here is a short poem I wrote about Solomon Joseph Hartley:

```

He worked with ropes and cables

To lift the heavy loads

He lived in Philadelphia

A city of many roads

He married Mary Gwinnup

And raised a family

He died too young, but left a mark

On his posterity

```

Source: Conversation with Bing, 11/9/2023

(1) Solomon Joseph Hartley (1774-1814) - Find a Grave Memorial. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/197231202/solomon-joseph-hartley.

(2) Pennsylvania Marriages, 1709-1940 • FamilySearch. https://www.familysearch.org/search/collection/1681011.

(3) Search Historical Records • FamilySearch. https://www.familysearch.org/search/.

More Precise:

Solomon Joseph Hartley was born in 1774 and died in August 1814 at the age of 39-40¹. He worked as a rigger in Philadelphia¹. There are some records suggesting that he was born in either "Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania" or Poland/Germany¹. He married Mary Gwinnup around 1803¹. His burial took place at the Second Baptist Church Burial Ground in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania¹.

Source: Conversation with Bing, 11/9/2023

(1) Solomon Joseph Hartley (1774-1814) - Find a Grave Memorial. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/197231202/solomon-joseph-hartley.

(2) Search Historical Records • FamilySearch. https://www.familysearch.org/search/.

(3) United States Rosters of Revolutionary War Soldiers and Sailors .... https://www.familysearch.org/en/wiki/United_States_Rosters_of_Revolutionary_War_Soldiers_and_Sailors_-_FamilySearch_Historical_Records.

More Creative: 

Solomon Joseph Hartley was a rigger who lived and worked in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was born in 1774 and died in August 1814 at the age of 39-40. He married Mary Gwinnup around 1803 and had several children. He was buried at the Second Baptist Church Burial Ground in Philadelphia. You can find more information about him on [this website](^1^).

Source: Conversation with Bing, 11/9/2023

(1) Solomon Joseph Hartley (1774-1814) - Find a Grave Memorial. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/197231202/solomon-joseph-hartley.

(2) Hartley DNA - WikiTree. https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Space:Hartley_DNA.

(3) Thomas Bell 1775-1825 - Ancestry®. https://www.ancestry.com/genealogy/records/thomas-bell-24-2lmt5y5. [Cmanczuk note: Who is Thomas Bell??]

I'm not sure why the More Balanced mode gave me the poem(!!).

© 2023 Copyright, Christine Manczuk, All Rights Reserved.

Hashtags in Legacy 9: George Hartley, Jr. (1907-1977)

The list of hashtags I've attached to my grandfather George Hartley, Jr.

I've taken over a year break from regular posting after a tough recovery from a heart attack and ongoing dialysis, but I haven't been idle!  I've been working on standardizing locations and attaching hashtags to the people on my (admittedly ridiculously huge extended) family tree on Legacy 9.

My next overarching project is going to be figuring out ways to display reports on these folks (using said locations and hashtags) that is informative and readable.




© 2019 Copyright, Christine Manczuk, All Rights Reserved.

Always Look At the Image, Not Just the Indexing

"Pennsylvania, Philadelphia City Death Certificates, 1803-1915," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-64GS-47L?cc=1320976&wc=9FRT-SP8%3A1073227701 : accessed 3 March 2019), Film Number (Digital Folder Number) 004009605,  image 1172 of 1771; Philadelphia City Archives and Historical Society of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia.

Oh, for Pete's sake.

After years of periodically looking through FamilySearch's "Pennsylvania, Philadelphia City Death Certificates, 1803-1915" I finally found Solomon Hartley's death record in Philadelphia:

This is to Certify Solomon Hartley was accidentally Drowned. -- John Dennis Coroner
August 9th 1814
                                 Aged about 40 Years.

What has thrown me off all this time was how this record was indexed ("Solomon McCarkley" instead of "Solomon Hartley").  I should know better by now that indexing is not an exact science, and yet that appears to be the only reason I didn't find this record earlier.

The record basically reveals what I already knew, that he died about 40 years old about 1815 after drowning.  I didn't know the date, and further inspection of the record indicates that he was buried in the same cemetery as his brother George Hartley.

"Solomon Mccarkley"

Solomon's brother George Hartley.

I'm not sure if August 9 is the date Solomon died, or when he was examined by the coroner.

I had no idea that he was Baptist.



© 2019 Copyright, Christine Manczuk, All Rights Reserved.

A Sunny Day in the Backyard in Encanto - 1973

Christine and Rastafari* hanging out together on the path next to our vegetable garden.**

[From my personal collection]

*Our handsome ruddy Abyssinian cat who was very protective.
**All that visible in this photo is a bit of the asparagus bed.


© 2018 Copyright, Christine Manczuk, All Rights Reserved.

RePost from 2015: Tip: Don't Just Rely on the Search Function When Using Newspaper Databases

"Dehesa Doings," San Diego Union (San Diego, CA), p 5, col 4, 8 Aug 1892; digital image, GenealogyBank.com (http://www.genealogybank.com: accessed 17 Oct 2015).

The info above was found doing a "Hartley" search.  Since newspapers often had recurring columns I thought to search "Dehesa Doings" to possibly find other tidbits in other issues.  But instead I got this:

Oh, come on, I just found Dehesa Doings three minutes ago!

I am assuming the optical character recognition just doesn't read it as Dehesa Doings (and who knows what it thinks it says).  While it may not be an ongoing column like I thought, the term "Dehesa Doings" DOES appear at least once for sure!  So what should I do?

I went page by page through other issues close in time to this one.  This is a bit tedious, but not only can it help you catch information missed by OCR, it also gives you a feel for what the newspaper was like and what kind of information you can realistically expect to glean from it.

Unfortunately I haven't found a graceful way to search newspapers this way on GenealogyBank, as they don't provide an easy way to browse papers--you have to search through them, which is different.  So I narrowed down to the specific paper I wanted, and then typed in a date range (in this case San Diego Union and August 1892--alternately, you could just type in a specific day and year):

Then I ordered by Oldest (you an order by Oldest, Newest, and Best):

Note the varying quality of the scans, even in one issue (in this case, all the results in this screenshot are from the August 1, 1892 issue).

No wonder the OCR doesn't find every word from the scanned images--just look at what it has to contend with!

After looking at a number of issues I realized that "Dehesa Doings" was not a regular heading, but I could depend on page 5 in any given issue in that era for information on local people, with the leading title "Local Intelligence. In General.":

"Dehesa Doings" in the larger context.

Every newspaper database I've used has to deal with the same OCR problems.

Many states now have historic newspapers to browse through, like the Historic Oregon Newspapers.  I use this database to find my Oregon ancestors.  When a search for my 2nd great grandfather William Nosler's death notice or obituary came back with no results, I used his known death date (3 Dec 1914 in Coquille, Oregon) to narrow down and search page-by-page, issue-by-issue, to find his obituary:

No doubt the fuzzy print threw off the OCR.  This example also shows how discrepancies can occur in newspapers--the Oregon death index indicates he died on the 3rd, while this report indicates he died on the 5th.  Mrs. George Hartley is my great grandmother Minnie (Nosler) Hartley. "Dies in Coquille," The Coos Bay Times--Evening Edition (Marshfield, Oregon), 7 Dec 1914, p 1; digital image, Historic Oregon Newspapers (http://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/ : accessed 17 Oct 2015).

Here is the obituary in the larger context:

These obituaries are often found later in the issue, but more well-known citizens' obituaries might be featured on the front page.

Oh, so maybe I should have searched for William H. Nosler, then?  Nope (and using capitals or not didn't matter, either):

But I just found his obituary in there!

While using Search is a great way to use newspaper databases like GenealogyBank or Historic Oregon Newspapers, it is really just the tip of the iceberg. You've got to really spend some time looking at newspapers, page by page, to know how to use them.


© 2015 Copyright, Christine Manczuk, All Rights Reserved.


© 2018 Copyright, Christine Manczuk, All Rights Reserved.

Marc's Updated Ethnicity Estimate at AncestryDNA

My son's updated ethnicity estimate at AncestryDNA.

My son Marc's updated ethnicity estimate changed a bit.  It seems accurated based on the paper trail.

Updated Estimate

Germanic Europe 31%
Refined from:
Europe West 34%

Norway 27%
Refined from:
Scandinavia 18%

Ireland and Scotland 13%
Increased by 9%

Baltic States 12%
Refined from:
Europe East 25%

England, Wales & Northwestern Europe 11%
Decreased by 3%

Eastern Europe and Russia 6%
Refined from:
Europe East 25%


Migrations
Pennsylvania, Ohio & Indiana Settlers
Western Norway
Hordaland & Rogaland


No Longer in Estimate
Iberian Peninsula 2%
Finland/Northwest Russia 1%
Europe South less than 1%
Asia South less than 1%




© 2018 Copyright, Christine Manczuk, All Rights Reserved.

My Updated DNA Results Summary at AncestryDNA

My updated AncestryDNA results.

My updated AncestryDNA ethnicity admixture results weren't very dramatic, although I think that it better reflected my Norwegian great grandparents.

The estimate with the information on what it was updated from:

England, Wales & Northwestern Europe: 41%
Decreased by 30%


Norway: 39%
Refined from: Scandinavia 17%


Ireland and Scotland: 12%
Increased by 12%


Sweden: 8%
Refined from: Scandinavia 17%


Migrations
Western Norway
Hordaland & Rogaland
Ohio River Valley, Indiana, Illinois & Iowa Settlers
Pennsylvania, Ohio & Indiana Settlers


No Longer in Estimate
Europe West 9%
Europe East less than 1%
Caucasus less than 1%




This update features:
16,000 reference samples (13,000 more)
380 possible regions (17 additional)

© 2018 Copyright, Christine Manczuk, All Rights Reserved.

Rebecca (Paul) Hartley (1806-1901) Dies in Cedar Rapids

The only image I have of Rebecca (Paul) Hartley and her husband George Washington Hartley (1805-1880).  Courtesy of Sarah Bennett.

My 3rd great grandparents Rebecca Paul and George Hartley were the parents of my 2nd great grandfather James Monroe Hartley (1846-1904)

Cedar Rapids Evening Gazette (from NewspaperArchive.com)
January 5, 1901, Saturday
page 7, col 2 

A Splendid Life Closed. 

Brief Sketch of Mrs. Rebecca Hartley, Who Died Yesterday. 

Mrs. Rebecca Hartley, who died at her home at 1123 South Third street yesterday morning at the age of 91 years, leaves over one hundred living lineal descendants to mourn her death. 

The exceeding good health of this aged lady all through her life is something remarkable.  From the time she was an infant till death closed her eyes in sleep she never employed a physician for either herself or her children.  Up till but a few weeks ago she managed all of her own business affairs and even to the day before her death did much of the work in her own kitchen.  She was hearty, hale and exceedingly bright till about six weeks ago, when she fell and injured her hip and it is believed by her children that this injury hastened her to the end of her life. 

The evening preceding her death she ate a hearty supper and retired.  Yesterday morning she announced to those about her that she was tired and not ready to arise.  She fell quietly into a peacful sleep, from which she never awakened. 

Rebecca Paul was born of Quaker parentage in Philadelphia, Pa., on January 13, 1806.  She was married to George Hartley March 17, 1825, and in the fall of 1829 crossed the mountains with her husband and two small children in a stage, settling in Cincinnati, O., for a short time.  In the year 1831 they moved to Indiana and two years later to Missouri, where they remained but a few months.  In 1834 they located in Jersey county, Illinois, and ten years later came to this state, settling in Lee county.  They returned to Illinois in 1853, but came back to Iowa in 1853, settling in Johnson county, where they remained for three years.  They then came to Cedar Rapids and the lady has ever since made this her home, her husband dying in 1880, at the age of 75. 

She was the mother of eleven children, seven sons and four daughters. The oldest one living is Solomon, now 73, who has resided with his mother in this city for many years. Two of the daughters and one son have died.  She was the grandmother of sixty-four children, fifty of whom are living, and the great-grandmother of sixty-three children.  Of the latter there are fifty-four living. 

Mrs. Hartley clung to the custom of her religion through her entire life, making all of her clothes, silk and calico alike, from the same pattern.  Her dress was that of the Quaker and she ardently followed up the teachings she had received when a child.    She lived a plain and simple life, performing the duties of a gentle mother and loving wife.  Her years were many and were happy ones, as she enjoyed a health which few are favored with in this life's lot.  All of the children living, with the exception of three boys in California, will be here to attend the funeral.  Final arrangements for the services and interment have not been complete.

Her will is transcribed here.

© 2018 Copyright, Christine Manczuk, All Rights Reserved.

DNA Match Linking a Speculative Hartley Relative to Solomon Hartley's Brother George

Any kind of breakthrough on my Hartley side is always exciting because my earliest known Hartley ancestor (4th great grandfather Solomon Hartley 1775-1815) has proven to be especially difficult to figure out.

For a long time I have speculatively linked George Hartley (1763-1824, rigger in Philadelphia and likely brother of my Solomon Hartley) to George's possible son Samuel, whose descendants lived in Rappahannock/Page counties in Virginia and later in West Virginia.

Today I checked for DNA matches for Hartleys in Virginia and West Virginia.  My dad has 2 DNA matches to Samuel Hartley's descendants, who also share/match known or suspected Hartley matches on AncestryDNA.  I consulted the shared cM chart and the amounts shared was reasonable given the relationships--respectively, 5th cousin (20 cM shared) and 5th 1x removed cousin (10.9 cM shared).

Will this help me figure out Solomon and George's ancestry?  I don't know.  But how cool that I was able to expand the Hartley clan through autosomal DNA and move the relationship from speculative to likely.



© 2018 Copyright, Christine Manczuk, All Rights Reserved.

Fantastic Find: Maricopa County Jury List Published in the Newspaper "Arizona Republic" - Did Other Newspapers Publish This Type of List?

My 2nd cousin 2x removed Ruth Lee (Sweet) Loffer (related on my Hartley side) is listed among those eligible for jury duty.  I didn't know about this type of newspaper record before today!  

Here I was today, happily adding hashtags to the profiles of people in my tree, and cross-referencing information from census and directory records to newspaper articles, and what do I find?  A collection of short profiles of citizens eligible for jury duty in Maricopa County, Arizona in 1948.  I will have to see if any other newspapers did this?

Arizona Republic (Phoenix, Arizona) from Newspapers.com
26 Nov 1948, Fri
page 38, col 3
Maricopa County Jury List
The Following persons were selected and reported for jury duty in the Maricopa County Superior Court on Tuesday, November 23, 1948.  This list supplements that printed in the Arizona Weekly Gazette Friday, November 12, 1948, covering persons selected and reporting for duty on November 9, 1948.  All persons selected and reporting prior to these dates have been dismissed from further jury duty now.

....

Page 39, col 1
Loffer, Ruth L., 67 East Roanoke, Phoenix, born in Missouri, in State and County 6 1/2 years, Bookkeeper, employed by Frank Samuels Dist., Co., widow, 1 child, no previous jury duty.

© 2018 Copyright, Christine Manczuk, All Rights Reserved.

"Death Strikes After Nuptial At Las Vegas"

Betty Eloise Brownell was my 3rd cousin 1x removed, a great granddaughter of William Penn Hartley, one of my 3rd great uncles  The newspapers reported her as being 19, but I believe she was actually 17.

I found my great uncle William Penn Hartley's obituary the other day.  He had lived a long, full life, and those types of obituaries are bittersweet, but not usually heart-wrenching.  The obituaries I dread are the ones for young people.

The San Bernardino County Sun (San Bernardino, California)
03 Dec 1939, Sunday
Page 13, col 7
from Newspapers.com 

Death Strikes After Nuptial At Las Vegas 

Bridegroom, Friend Seriously Injured as Auto Blows Tire On Desert, Overturns
A bride of but a few hours and a companion were fatally injured yesterday when their automobile crashed as they were returning to Los Angeles from the wedding ceremony in Las Vegas. 

In serious condition at the county hospital were the bridegroom and a friend.
The accident, occuring on highway 91 (Arrowhead Trail) three miles west of Halloran Springs, 15 miles east of Baker, at 2:30 p.m., resulted in the death of Betty Brownell Bromley, 19, the bride, and Beatrice Suddeth, 26, who with her husband accompanied the two young people on their wedding trip. 

Mrs. Bromley died in an ambulance en route to the county hospital and Mrs. Suddeth died at the hospital at 9 o'clock last night. 

At the county hospital are the bridgegroom, Brooks Bromley, 24, and his friend, B. E. Suddeth.  Bromley suffered shock and injuries to the head, while Suddeth incurred a fractured hip, attendants said. 

The young people had been married in Las Vegas in the morning and were on their way back to Los Angeles when the accident occured. A blown tired caused the accident, said Deputy Coroner William J. Weller. 

Mrs. Suddeth Driver 

After the tire blew out, the car careened along the highway for 253 feet, then plunged down a 16-fout embankment, Weller reported.  He said Mrs. Suddeth was at the wheel at the time. 

The party had left Los Angeles at 4 a.m., Weller reported.  Bromley resided with Mr. and Mrs. Suddeth at 2315 South Hill street and Mrs. Bromley, Betty Brownell before her marriage, on the Eighty-seventh street, he said. 

Mrs. Bromley's death was attributed to shock and internal injuries, while Mrs. Suddeth died of shock and head injuries, the deputy cornoner[sic] said. 

Both bodies were taken to the Mark B. Shaw mortuary, where an inquest is pending, said Coroner R. E. Williams.

I suspect Betty and Brooks married in Las Vegas because it was a Gretna Green place, and perhaps she didn't have her parents' consent (she was 17, despite the newspaper account that she was 19).  According to the FamilySearch article "Gretna Greens in the United States":

A Gretna Green is a favored marriage place. When a couple runs away from their home area to get married in a place with fewer marriage restrictions, the place they go is often called a "Gretna Green."[1] They may want to marry at a younger age, want to wait a shorter period after obtaining a licence, want to marry without parental consent, want to avoid procedures such as blood tests, want less paper work, want to avoid paying a marriage bond, want to keep the marriage a secret, want a less expensive marriage, or want to marry a closer cousin than their home district will allow. Or there may be a special romantic place to elope. Some couples wanted to wed in the same place their friends got married. When enough couples resort to a particular place it may gain a reputation as a Gretna Green.
In common law, a "Gretna Green marriage" means a marriage transacted in a jurisdiction that was not the residence of the parties being married, to avoid restrictions or procedures imposed by the parties' home jurisdiction.[2]

Or maybe they just didn't want to wait, or deal with the expenses of a formal wedding?


© 2018 Copyright, Christine Manczuk, All Rights Reserved.

Proof That the Newspaper Databases Are Updated

How I relate to my 3rd great-uncle William Penn Hartley (1839-1920), an older brother of my 2nd great grandfather James Monroe Hartley (1846-1904).

I distinctly remember not finding this guy's obituary when I searched for it a few years ago.  Behold, proof that these newspaper databases do increase their holdings over time--I finally found it!

William Penn Hartley
1839–1920
B. 27 OCT 1839 • , Jersey, Illinois, United States
D. 3 JAN 1920 • Eldora, Hardin, Iowa, United States

Hardin County Ledger
January 8, 1920, Thursday
page 1, col 2
from NewspaperArchive.com 

William P. Hartley 

William Penn Hartley was born October 27, 1839 at Alton, Ill., son of George and Rebecca Hartley.  He spent the early part of his life at La Salle, Ill. coming to Iowa with his parents in 1863.  He was married to Miss Elizabeth Welsh at Iowa City January 7, 1864.  Mrs. Hartley passed away March 3, 1913.  There were eight children born to them: George, who died at the age of fourteen, Edgar, who died May 26, 1918, Mary Brownell of this city, Elizabeth Walker of Omaha, Neb., Grace Brown of St. Louis, Ill., Ida Hartley also of this city, Maxemella Day of Norman, Okla., and William H. of Des Moines.  He is also survived by one brother, Mark, of Paris, Calif. 

Mr. and Mrs. Hartley were both converted in the United Brethren church in 1871 and united with the Methodist Episcopal church where they were loyal and active members until death. 

Mr. and Mrs. Hartley came to Grundy County 44 years ago, settling on their farm six miles east of this city, where the family made their home until three years ago, when Mr. Hartley and his daughter, Ida located in Eldora, where he passed away at 7:00 o'clock Saturday morning, January 3, 1920. 

Mr. Hartley had been in failing health the past two years, for the past two months he has been confined to his bed. 

His daughter, Miss Ida has been his faithful nurse. 

Funeral services were hold at the M.E.church on Monday afternoon, conducted by Rev. Raodman, a former pastor and Rev. Smith.  Mr. Roadman used as the theme of his discourse, the life of the deceased, and how through the long years, he had kept contented and had radiated sunshine, with his poems, that he had written for his own amusement and for the cheer of his many friends who loved his homely sayings, and thoughts.  He used a number of them, from the volume that he had there for that occasion and they had much of merit and kindliness, through them all. 

Burial was in the Eldora cemetery

© 2018 Copyright, Christine Manczuk, All Rights Reserved.

My Cousin was an Interior Designer in Los Angeles

Adele Faulkner designed this room for Carmen Miranda.  Image from AD in the '40s.

My 3rd cousin 1x removed, Adele E. Devoe Loyd (died Adele Faulkner Quinn) was a very successful interior designer and syndicated columnist:

Orange County Register (Santa Ana, CA)
Wednesday, October 25, 2000
Edition 1, page: Obituaries
by Robin Hinch 

Adele Faulkner-Quinn lived life by her own design - An eye for style and a heart for those in need made her more than whole. 

Adele Faulkner-Quinn used to say that "a life without productivity is an unhappy life.'' By that standard, Adele was deliriously happy. 

Whether at work as a nationally known interior designer or as a longtime volunteer for Interval House Crisis Shelters, she always had a new project in the works well before completing the first. 

She was a whirlwind of activity -- both physical and mental -- who exhausted the far-younger shelter staff members (they say a day with Adele was like having the blood drained out of them) and regarded sleep as a necessary evil. So she did it in short shifts: four hours of sleep, six hours of work. 

After retiring from her design company, Faulkner and Associates in Los Angeles, she spent the next 20 years guiding the construction, renovation or redesign of Interval House's four Orange County facilities for battered women and their children. Her eye for detail and concern for the project's clients had her calling Interval House staff at midnight to ask things like, "Where do they bathe the toddlers?'' as she pondered the best way to arrange the rooms. 

No one who met Adele forgot her, and no one slipped away without learning something from her, from design tips to remembering to dust the tops of door frames (she was big on cleaning.) 

Few got away without donating something. Each time she entered her bank, she'd ask the manager, "When are you going to give those sofas to Interval House?'' They are now in Quinn Residence, named after her. 

On job sites, she sometimes complained to the contractor about inferior materials. He'd retort, "Well, you ARE getting them free.'' 

She'd give him a stony look and say evenly, "When you're giving to the less fortunate, when you're doing work for those that need our help, you need to give the same quality -- if not better -- as for your very best client.'' 

They did, and later thanked her for the honor. 

Adele was 88 when she died Sunday. 

She grew up in Southern California going to building sites with her contractor father. She taught herself architecture and design, and had such a collection of books on the subjects that libraries were vying for it. 

She taught at the UCLA School of Design for many years, in addition to designing home interiors for the rich and famous, including the Mattel (toy) family and comedian Harold Lloyd. 

She also worked for Carmen Miranda -- until she asked Adele to make casts of her legs and use them as lamps. "That,'' said Adele, "is where I draw the line.'' 

Her name appeared frequently in architectural digests -- and also in L.A. gossip columns. 

She was a colorful and eccentric figure in her exotic outfits and outlandish hats. 

She was married four times, the fourth to Bill Quinn, former editor of the Seal Beach Journal. They lived in an artfully converted fishing shack in Sunset Beach and were married 25 years when he died of cancer in 1988. Her only son died of cancer in 1990. 

It was through Bill, who covered its opening, that she learned of Interval House. She began volunteering in 1983, and it became the focus of her life. 

She solicited donations, wrote proposals, wrote a guide to cleaning the houses (if you didn't know how to clean when you entered Interval House, you most certainly knew when you left) and did the chore charts. No job was too menial for Adele. 

She was vain, funny and direct. When hospitalized after an accident, she was demanding blueprints in the emergency room. Her hair was always coifed and lipstick freshly applied. 

She told staffers they should always apply excellence to what they were doing. "Whether buying toilet paper or doing the chore chart, do it like a master,'' she'd say. 

She turned each of the shelters into a work of art -- carrying out the international theme of the Interval House program. She always said she wasn't a counselor, but many clients found her to be both an inspiration and a wonderful listener. 

Adele took pride in her appearance and in her work to the very end. If she had placed a silk ficus, and returned to find it moved, she promptly returned it to the spot she had chosen. 

She "adopted'' all her friends, calling one her adopted daughter, another her adopted son. Carol Williams, executive director of Interval House and many years her junior, she called her adopted mother. 

Adele never hesitated to quip that security was having a mother younger than you are.

Adele was a great granddaughter of Marquis Hartley (1836-1924), an older brother of my 2nd great grandfather James Monroe Hartley (1846-1904).

© 2018 Copyright, Christine Manczuk, All Rights Reserved.

Obituary For My Grandmother Margaret (Fister) Hartley

Me and my grandmother, Margaret Alvide (Fister) Hartley (1912-2000), circa 1981.  From my personal collection.

I've been posting my grandmother's siblings' obituaries in birth order, and she was next.  I knew Grandmother all my life, and I wish I had asked her more questions about herself (isn't that always the way?):

San Diego Union-Tribune, The (CA)
July 29, 2000
Editions: 1,2,7
Pages: B-7:2,7 B-9:1
HARTLEY, MARGARET 

Margaret Fister Hartley 88, died on Wednesday July 26, 2000, at Scripps Memorial Hospital, following a heart attack. She had been in good health until her death. She was a resident of Pacific Regent in San Diego.

Mrs. Hartley had resided in San Diego for 55 years. She was the widow of the late Dr. George Hartley, Jr., a prominent physician who served as Chief of Staff at Scripps Memorial Hospital in 1959. Dr. Hartley was a member of a pioneer San Diego family which has been involved with the growth and leadership of the city. 

Mrs. Hartley took an active roll in cultural organizations. She served on the boards of the San Diego Symphony Association, the Globe Guilders, the Assistance League of San Diego County, and the San Diego Medical Auxiliary.

A Memorial service will be held in the sanctuary of La Jolla Presbyterian Church, 7715 Draper Avenue, La Jolla on Saturday, July 29, at 10:30 a.m. A reception will follow at Pacific Regent, 3890 Nobel Drive in San Diego. Survivors include a daughter, Margaret Ann Hartley of McLean, Virginia, sons Robert F. Hartley and George G. Hartley, both of San Diego, three grandchildren, Julianna Dudas, Alexandra Dudas and Christine Hartley. Also survived by two sisters.

© 2018 Copyright, Christine Manczuk, All Rights Reserved.

The Man With the Flag Pants

The death certificate of my 1st cousin 4x's removed, Joseph H. Foster (1819-1890), a grandson of my 4th great grandmother Mary Gwinnup and her second husband Antonio Joseph Oneto (? - ?).  Although he married twice he had no known children.  "Pennsylvania, Philadelphia City Death Certificates, 1803-1915," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-6GY8-CPR?cc=1320976&wc=9FTM-829%3A1073245201 : 16 May 2014), 004009726 > image 1948 of 1961; Philadelphia City Archives and Historical Society of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia.

I think of this cousin every year around the 4th of July because he was apparently known for his flag pants, according to his second obituary:

Philadelphia Inquirer (GenealogyBank)
20 Nov 1890
page 6
FOSTER.--On the 17th inst., Joseph H. Foster, in the 71st year of his age.
The relatives and friends of the family, and the Masonic bodies of which he was a member, are respectfully invited to attend the funeral services, on Thursday morning, at 11 o'clock precisely, at his late residence, No. 1317 Arch street.  Interment private. 

Philadelphia Inquirer (GenealogyBank)
21 Nov 1890
page 5
Joseph H. Foster Dead.
The most noted "awning man" this city ever boasted, Joseph H. Foster, was buried from his home, 1317 Arch street, yesterday.  For more than forty years he made awnings---money out of his business, too.  He was known as the man with the flag pants, and always wore a big diamond in his necktie.  He was prominent in Masonic and Knights Templar circles.

I do wish I had a picture of him!

More detail about his work was given in Pennsylvania Historical Review, Gazetteer, Post-office, Express and Telegraph Guide : City of Philadelphia : Leading Merchants and Manufacturers (1886), page 211:

Joseph H. Foster, Awning Maker, etc., No. 448 North Third Street.--Mr. Foster began business in 1844. He occupies commodious premises and given employment to a large force of hands, manufacturing a line of goods unsurpassed for quality, durability and general excellence.  He is prepared to furnish sails for boats, American and business flags of all nations, awnings, tents, wagon and canal boat-covers, etc., and he also supplies sacking bottoms. hammocks, bags, etc., at short notice.  A specialty is made of splicing fall and wheel rope and repairing.  Mr. Foster is a thoroughly practical man, familiar with every detail of his business, and his aim has always been not only to secure trade, but to retain it by selling a first-class article at a reason-able figure.  He comes from an old Philadelphia family, and is well and favorably known both as a citizen and merchant.

© 2018 Copyright, Christine Manczuk, All Rights Reserved.

No Obituary for Russell Gayhardt Fister?

My great uncle Russell G. Fister (left), with his wife Winona Kathryn Simons (1911-1996), sister Margaret Fister Hartley (my grandmother), and brother-in-law George Hartley Jr., (my grandfather), likely in Arlington, VA in 1939. From my personal collection.

This guy must have had an obituary, but so far I can not locate one.

Things I know about great uncle Russell Fister (1903-1975):

• He was born in Illinois (probably in LaSalle county) on August 14, 1903.
• When he was 17 he joined the Marine Corps as a private first class
• the 1920 Federal Census shows him as a living in the Marine barracks on Parris Island, Beaufort, South Carolina.  He would reenlist in 1921 and go to the Marine Barracks Navy Yard in Washington D.C. where he was at the Clerical School detachment/clerk for the post quartermaster(?).
• By the late 1920s he was in Poplar, Roosevelt, Montana (Fort Peck) working as an Indian agent, and he married Winona Kathryn Simons in December 1929 at Wolf Point, MT (she was 1/8 Assiniboine). They had one daughter in 1939.
• In the 1930 Census he was living with Winona in Poplar, MT, and was a Lease Clerk at the Fort Peck Indian Agency.  He appeared in several Indian censuses in the 1930s.
• The 1940 Federal Census indicated that he and his family lived in Washington, D.C in 1935.
• In the 1940 Federal Census he, Winona, and their daughter lived in Arlington, VA.  He was working as an Indian Bureau Administrative(?) Assistant for the Department of the Interior.
• In late 1943 he and Winona divorced.
• 1943-1947 I find record of him acting as Director of Credit in Chicago for the Office of Indian Affairs - Extension Division in Montana.
• In Oct 1948 he married his second wife Laurine Grantz in Chicago.
• About 1953 he was in Window Rock, Apache, Arizona.  My father has told me that he met him during a family vacation in the area.  I don't know if Russell just met them there or if he was working there?
• 1955-1957 (and possibly more years before/after) he was working as Superintendent for the Anardarko area/field office in Pawhuska, Oklahoma (I think he was in Chicago during this).
• About 1959 Russell retired and opened a coin shop Numismatics:

Berwyn Life Newspaper
abt August 1959
page unknown/clipping
courtesy of Ancestry user mlecuyer25  

Numismatics (Coin Shop) Opens 

Numismatics is the new sign on an establishment just opened at 6733 W. 26th st. Numismatics, the science of coins, tokens, medals, paper money and objects closely resembling them in form or purpose, is more often referred to as coin collecting. 

R. G. Fister, who owns and operates this new coin shop, recently retired after more than 37 years of the U.S. Government, 32 of which he spent living and working among Indians in various parts of the United States.  His main hobby over these years was coin collection.  He is a member of the Chicago Coin Club and the American Numismatic Association.

According to a photocopy (courtesy of Ancestry user mlecuyer25) of R. G. Fister's business card/letter heading the following type of products were available at Numismatics: U.S. coins, foreign coins, medals and medallions (sales, purchases and appraisals), accessories and supplies, vari-colored plastic coin holders, and commemorative medals, badges, wooden nickels, etc. produced to order. 

• A family group sheet that I personally own had him living at 1350 N. Astor, Chicago, IL in July 1966.
• Russell died on February 13, 1975 in Chicago**:

Name: Russell Gayhardt Fister
Event Type: Death
Event Date: 13 Feb 1975
Event Place: Chicago, Cook, Illinois, United States
Event Place (Original): Address: 1350 N Astor
Residence Place: Gender: Male
Age: 71
Age (Estimated): Marital Status: Married
Ethnicity: Race: White
Occupation: Executive
Birth Date: 14 Aug 1903
Birth Year (Estimated): Birthplace: , , Illinois
Death Year (Estimated): Funeral Home: Lain And Son Inc
Burial Date: 17 Feb 1975
Burial Place: Chicago, , Illinois
Cemetery: Graceland
Father's Name: Ben Fister
Father's Birthplace: Mother's Name: Mary Anderson
Mother's Birthplace: Spouse's Name: Laurine Grantz
Spouse's Titles and Terms: Spouse's Gender: Informant's Name: Rhodora Hopkins
Certificate Number: Record Number: Entry Number: 604290
Source Reference: GS Film Number: Digital Folder Number: 101276894
Image Number: 01075

**"Illinois, Cook County Deaths, 1878-1994," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q2MN-XBVR : 18 March 2018), Russell Gayhardt Fister, 13 Feb 1975; citing Chicago, Cook, Illinois, United States, source reference , record number , Cook County Courthouse, Chicago; FHL microfilm.



© 2018 Copyright, Christine Manczuk, All Rights Reserved.

Death of Jane E. Hartley

Jane "Jennie" (Denby) Hartley is likely the dark haired woman on the far left in the back, standing next to husband George Henry Hartley and his family.  I have to get a better quality image of this photo from my Hartley cousin Sarah who sent me this rare glimpse of Jennie.  Jennie died soon after her son, James Denby Hartley (later the Hartley patriarch), was born. Image courtesy of Sarah Bennett.

Before my great grandfather George Henry Hartley married my great grandmother Minnie Nosler, he was married to Jane "Jennie" Denby (born in 1879 in Tunbridge, Kent, England).

San Diego Union Tribune (from GenealogyBank)
8 May 1903
page 8 

Death of Jane E. Hartley 

Mrs. Jane E. Hartley died at her home in Park Villa Wednesday night.  The deceased, who was 24 years of age, leaves a husband and infant.  The deceased was the wife of George Hartley, the brother of Jack Hartley, the well known son-in-law of J. M. Dodge.
...............
Deaths
HARTLEY- At Park Villa, May 6th, 1903, Jane D., wife of George Hartley, a native of England, aged 24  years.
Funeral services will be held at Johnson & Connell's chapel, D and Seventh streets, at 2 o'clock p.m. today, and will be private.

© 2018 Copyright, Christine Manczuk, All Rights Reserved.

Remembering My Uncle Bob

Bob is on the right, around the time he served in Vietnam, abt 1966.  From left to right: his sister-in-law Pat (Slater) Hartley (my mom), his brother George G. Hartley (my dad), and his mother Margaret (Fister) Hartley (my grandmother).  From my personal collection.

The Uncle Bob (far right) I remember, circa 1986.  With his aunt Fern Fister, me, his mother Margaret (Fister) Hartley, and brother George G. Hartley.  From my personal collection

I think about my Uncle Bob a lot.  He was interested in genealogy and I think he would have gotten a kick out all the things I've discovered so far about our ancestors.

His plaque at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery in Point Loma, CA.  Image courtesy of Ancestry user LSHamlin4604.

© 2018 Copyright, Christine Manczuk, All Rights Reserved.

George Hartley, Former Deputy Assessor, Succumbs

George Henry Hartley holding my father and aunt, about 1946.  From my personal collection.

My Hartley obituaries end with my great grandfather, George Henry Hartley:

San Diego Union (from GenealogyBank)
17 Jun 1949
page 20 

Resident Here Since 1881
George Hartley, Former Deputy Assessor, Succumbs 

George Hartley, 70, of 2127 Second Ave., a former deputy county assessor, died Wednesday night in a local hospital.  He had resided here since 1881. 

Mr. Hartley was a deputy 5 years before retiring April 12, 1947.  He previously owned and operated a local restaurant and was once employed by the Union Title Insurance & Trust Co.  He was born in Waverly, Ia. 

Services Set 

Surviving are his wife, Mrs. Florence H. Hartley, two sons, Drs James D. and George Hartley Jr.; a daughter, Mrs. Mary Treadgold; a brother, Paul Hartley, and two sisters, Mrs. Mary C. Read and Mrs. Maude MacDougall, all of San Diego. 

Private services will be conducted in Bonham Brothers Mortuary.  Cremation will follow.  The family asks that there be no flowers.

San Diego Union (from GenealogyBank)
19 Jun 1949
page 27 

Hartley Honors Set 

The 23rd Congressional District Townsend Clubs will hold memorial services for George Hartley, 70, former deputy county assessor, at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at Lotus Lodge, 1520 Second Ave.  Townsend Club 20, of which he was an officer, will lead the service.  Hartley died Wednesday. 

© 2018 Copyright, Christine Manczuk, All Rights Reserved.

Mrs. Mary Jane Hartley, 'Mother' of North Park, Dies

Mary Jane "Jennie" (Tibbetts) Hartley, 1852-1940.  Image courtesy of HermitInTheValley (Ancestry user).

My final Hartley obituary related to my great grandfather George Henry Hartley (1878-1949) is his mother, Mary Jane "Jennie" Tibbetts":

San Diego Union (San Diego, CA) from GenealogyBank
10 Dec 1940
page 24 

Mrs. Mary Jane Hartley, 'Mother' of North Park, Dies 

Mrs. Mary Jane (Grandma) Hartley, 88, often referred to as "Mother" of the North Park district, died yesterday morning at her home, 3827 Thirty-first st.  She is survived by four children--Mary C. Reed, George H. and Paul Hartley, all of San Diego, and Mrs. Maude McDougall, of Berkeley. 

Funeral services will be held tomorrow afternoon at the Plymouth Congregagional church, with the Revs. William Forshaw and N. C. Wallin officiating.  The Lewis mortuary will have charge.  Burial will be in Mt. Hope cemetery. 

Native of Iowa 

Mrs. Hartley was born in Waverly, Ia., in 1852, and her husband was James M. Hartley, who died here in 1904, after he had a far-seeing vision of the development of the North Park district, that is now populated by more than 25,000 persons. 

The Hartleys took a homestead at Dehesa.  Five of their children grew up there.
It was in 1894 that they bought 40 acres in the North Park district.  About the only living thing there then was sagebrush and jackrabbits. 

City Grows Rapidly 

It wasn't long until San Diego began having "growing pains," as Grandma Hartley used to tell friends.  Mr. Hartley said he would take up the lemon trees and put on a tract development.  He started it and the family knew his vision, and after his death a son, the late J. C. (Jack) Hartley, continued the development. 

Town lots were put on the market and homes began springing up as sage brush disappeared.  San Diego pioneers have regarded the North Park growth as one of the most remarkable in the city. 

Recalls 'Hard Times' 

In a birthday interview given eight years ago, Grandma Hartley said:
"People may think they are having hard times now, but should have been here back in '98.  We really did have a desperate struggle trying to make a livelihood.  But we got along all right, just kept smiling and did the best we could." 

Grandma Hartley led an extremely active life, and when there was a big civic gathering in the North Park district, she always was given a prominent place at the speakers' table.  High tribute was paid to her at such gatherings and friends and neighbors spoke of her in most affectionate terms. 

Enjoyed Three Hobbies 

She had three hobbies--flowers, her grandchildren and piecing quilts.  In one year she pieced 25 quilts that she gave to her children and grandchildren.  She was a member of the San Diego Pioneer society and the Women's Relief corps.  All her life in San Diego Mrs. Hartley was interested in social and philanthropic work.  She donated generously her time and money to charity work. 

Survivors listed 

There are three surviving sisters--May Jarvis, Olive Puryear and Jessie Lamb, all of San Diego.  Mrs. Dee Stevens, a daughter of Mrs. Hartley's, died two years ago.  There are 13 grandchildren and 11 great grandchildren. 

When the Hartleys settled in the North Park district and set out their lemon trees, they built a ranch house on almost the identical spot of the house in which Grandma Hartley died.

© 2018 Copyright, Christine Manczuk, All Rights Reserved.