Amanuensis Monday: Mabel Fulkerson is Hit by a Car - November 1961

Amanuensis: A person employed to write what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another.

I continue my project to transcribe family letters, journals, newspaper articles, audiotapes, and other historical artifacts. Not only do the documents contain genealogical information, the words breathe life into kin - some I never met - others I see a time in their life before I knew them.

Today I’m sharing the transcription of three newspaper articles concerning my wife's great grandmother, Mabel (Fulkerson) Gober (1901-1991). In November of 1961 she was hit by a car, and she remained in the hospital until February of 1962.

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WOMAN HURT WHEN STRUCK BY AUTO IN FRONT OF HOME 

St. Louis Post Dispatch, 26 Nov 1961, Page 12 

Mrs. Robert L Gober, 60 years old, suffered fractures of the jaw, ribs and right hip last night when she was struck by an automobile in front of her home, 4111 Jennings Road, Pine Lawn. 

The driver of the automobile, Harry B. Frye, 9834 Colony drive, Bellefontaine Neighbors, said he was driving south in Jennings road when Mrs. Gober stepped into the path of his car from between two cars which were stoped in the northbound lane. She was taken to St. Louis County Hospital. 

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from NEWS IN BRIEF 

Daily Standard, Sikeston, Missouri, 07 Dec 1961, page 3 

Word was received Wednesday from Mrs. Mabel Gober, a patient in St. Luke’s Hospital, St. Louis, that she is still on the Improving List. Mrs. Gober’s room number is 5109. She is a sister of Mrs. Ellis Alcorn, Sikeston; Mrs. Virgie Williams of Sikeston, who is spending the winter in Memphis; and Mrs. John Healy of Dexter. 

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from NEWS IN BRIEF 

Daily Standard, Sikeston, Missouri, 08 Feb 1962, page 6 

Mrs. Ellis Acorn reports that her sister, Mrs. Mabel Gober of St. Louis who was struck by a car in St. Louis, November 25, was released from the St. Luke Hospital, this past Sunday. Mrs. Gober is now able to be around in a walker and wishes to thank all friends and relatives who were so kind and thoughtful doing her stay in the hospital.

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Notes

I was already aware of the names of Mabel's brothers-in-law so the traditional naming format wasn't particularly frustrating. If I hadn't been, identifying which sister married which man could be my next challenge. Julia Fulkerson married Virgil Williams, Wrista Lou Fulkerson married Ellis Alcorn. Bertha Priscilla Fulkerson married John Healy.

I doubt a newspaper today would print the hospital room someone was staying in. It appears after being taken to St. Louis County Hospital (a 200-bed facility that opened in 1929 and closed in 1986), she was later transferred to St. Luke's Hospital for her recuperation.

Amanuensis Monday: Newton Fulkerson and Jerry Usrey - January 1933

Amanuensis: A person employed to write what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another.

I continue my project to transcribe family letters, journals, newspaper articles, audiotapes, and other historical artifacts. Not only do the documents contain genealogical information, the words breathe life into kin - some I never met - others I see a time in their life before I knew them.

Several articles from Sikeston, Missouri area newspapers tell the story of two deaths in a family a few days apart.

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Sikeston Standard Oct 21, 1932, p. 5

Oscar Blackman, who has been visiting with his sister, Mrs. Newt Fulkerson for the past month, accompanied them to his home in Carrier Mills, Ill. We are glad to report that Mr. Fulkerson's conditions is somewhat improved. He has been suffering for some time with heart trouble.

Benton Scott County Democrat, January 19, 1933, p. 1

NEWT FULKERSON DEAD AT McMULLIN

Newt Fulkerson, aged and respected citizen of McMullin, died at his home there Sunday and burial was made at Blodgett Monday. He was sick three or four weeks and was about 80 years of age. Several children survive, among whom are Mrs. Robert Gober of Vanduser and Will Fulkerson of near Sikeston.

The Sikeston Standard, Jan 24, 1933, p. 1

RITES FOR VANDUSER CHILDS HELD SATURDAY

Funeral services were conducted Saturday afternoon from the residence of Mrs. Robert Gober of Vanduser, for her 4-year-old son, Jerry Wayne Usrey, who died Friday of a throat infection. Rev. D. M. Margraves officiated.

The child was buried beside the grave of his grandfather, Newton Fulkerson, who died January 15. Besides his mother and step-father, Robert Gober, he is survived by the following half-sisters and brothers: James W. Usrey, Mrs. Jean Berry and Miss Anna Lee Gober of Vanduser, Raymond Usrey of Cape Girardeau, and Harold and Miss Melba Usrey of Morehouse.

The Sikeston Standard – Jan 24, 1933 p.4
CARD OF THANKS

We wish to thank our many friends for their great kindness during the illness and death of our loved one, Newton Fulkerson. We especially desire to express appreciation to Rev. Margraves and the singers, also the undertaker, Geo. Dempster, and all those who sent floral offering. May God bless each and every one.

Mrs. Newton Fulkerson and Children
The Grandchildren

The Sikeston Standard – Jan 24, 1933 p.8.

Those from Illinois who attended the funeral of Newton Fulkerson were R.S. Hart, Mr. and Mrs. Hosie Blackman, Mrs. Pear King, Mrs. Ella Spears, Mrs. Veda Fulkerson, Lem Fulkerson and daughter, and Oscar Blackman.

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Notes:

1) My wife's grandmother, Anna Lee Gober, is mentioned as Jerry Usrey's half-sister.
2) The Sikeston Standard was published twice a week. I checked the January 17th and January 20th issues, but there was no obituary. My general search for "Fulkerson" in January 1933 papers turned up the Benton obituary using the nickname, 'Newt.' I hadn't seen that nickname before; another search retrieved the October article indicating that he had been suffering heart troubles.
3) I didn't make any changes to spelling and grammar. I believe there are a couple misspelled given names in the last article.

Amanuensis Monday: James Herman Fulkerson - Tuberculosis - Age 36 - 1931

Amanuensis: A person employed to write what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another.

I continue my project to transcribe family letters, journals, newspaper articles, audiotapes, and other historical artifacts. Not only do the documents contain genealogical information, the words breathe life into kin - some I never met - others I see a time in their life before I knew them.

A couple articles concerning the death of James Herman Fulkerson, brother of my wife's great- grandmother, Mabel Fulkerson Gober.

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Sikeston Standard, March 31, 1931, page 1.

FARMER NEAR MOREHOUSE SUCCUMBS TO TUBERCULOSIS

James Herman Fulkerson, 36 years old, died Sunday evening about 5:00 o’clock, following an illness with tuberculosis. Mr. Fulkerson has been bedfast for about five weeks gradually becoming weaker. He leaves his wife and seven children, all of the home place, to mourn his death.

Funeral services will be conducted Tuesday morning at 10’oclock at the family residence near Morehouse, with Rev. A.C. Rudloff of the First Baptist Church of Sikeston officiating. Interment will be in the Dexter Cemetery with Dempster in charge.

In addition to his wife and children, Mr. Fulkerson is survived by his brother, Willie, of near McMullin, and five sisters, Mrs. Virgil Williams and Mrs. John Healey of Sikeston, Mrs. Ellis Alcorn and Mrs. Sam Usrey of McMullin and Mrs. E.P. Huey of Mountain Grove.

Sikeston Standard, April 4, 1944, page 6

IN MEMORIAM

Gone but not forgotten, though it’s thirteen years, dear brother Jim, since you left us waiting here. We miss your sweet smiles more each day. The voice we loved so well we can hear no more. God knew you were one of the best, so he called you home to rest. God bless you, Brother, in your home above are the prayers from those you loved. Until some fair sweet morn when our hands shall join.

Sadly missed by a sister,
Mrs. Robert Gober.

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Notes:

1) In 1931, Mabel was a widow, as her husband Samuel Usrey had died in 1929. She would marry Robert Gober shortly thereafter, as their daughter Anna was born in June of 1932.

Frederick Fulkerson (1759-1824) and Elizabeth Pottinger

Frederick Fulkerson (1759-1824) is one of my wife's fifth great grandfathers.

The phrase "Frederick married to Elizabeth POTTINGER (in 1799) and several others" appears in a handful of places on the internet. And countless other people have copied the facts of a 1799 marriage, and additional unnamed wives. Inevitably, with a few exceptions, five children are attributed to Frederick and Elizabeth, all with dates of birth prior to 1799.

I have a difficult time imagining the logical processes of a family historian who notes Frederick had multiple wives, married one of these wives in 1799, and then assumes that this wife is the mother of Frederick's five children, all born prior to their marriage.

It's certainly possible the 1799 date for the marriage is wrong. If it were wrong by 10 years, that is if the correct marriage year was 1789, that would help with two of the five (three if we allow for a January marriage while Elizabeth was in her final month of pregnancy. That type of thing did happen.) My wife's ancestor, Richard Fulkerson, was the one born January 29, 1789.

Allegedly. I haven't seen the records from which any of the dates involved are taken.
I have not recorded Elizabeth Pottinger as my wife's fifth great grandmother.

I suggest anyone reading this who have Frederick and Elizabeth in their database as ancestors should put a huge question mark beside Elizabeth's name in their notes. Unless they have records to back it up. In which case, please contact me.

Amanuensis Monday: Obituary for Verba Ella Fulkerson - 1947

Amanuensis: A person employed to write what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another.

I continue my project to transcribe family letters, journals, newspaper articles, audiotapes, and other historical artifacts. Not only do the documents contain genealogical information, the words breathe life into kin - some I never met - others I see a time in their life before I knew them.

I began this project back on February 16, 2009. Since I began, many others have joined in on the meme. I am thrilled that this meme I started has inspired so many to transcribe and share their family history documents. Why do we transcribe? I provide my three reasons in the linked post. You may find others.

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This week I transcribe the obituary for my wife's second great grandmother, Verba Elle (Blackman) Fulkerson.

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Mrs. Fulkerson Dies at Daughter’s Home

Mrs. Verba Elle Fulkerson, 89, died at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Robert Gober, of near Morley, Wednesday morning, after a prolonged illness.

Born December 10, 1857, Mrs. Fulkerson had been a resident of Morley and vicinity for 40 years.

She is survived by five daughters, Mrs. Virgil Williams, Memphis, Tenn., Mrs. John Healy, Dexter, Mrs. Ella Huey, Mountain Grove, Mrs. Ellis Alcorn, Sikeston, and Mrs. Robert Gober, of near Morley, One son, W.O. Fulkerson, Bloomfield, 46 grandchildren and 62 great grandchildren.

Funeral services will be held Friday afternoon at 2 o’clock with Rev. Freeman Unsel officiating. Burial will be in Blodgett cemetery. Welsh service.

Sikeston Standard (Sikeston, Missouri) · Fri, Jan 31, 1947 · Page 2

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Notes


1) I've previously transcribed a news article for Verba Fulkerson's 83rd birthday. There it stated she had 62 children and grandchildren present. Her obituary states she was survived by 6 children, 46 grandchildren, and 62 great grandchildren. I'm aware of 10 children, seven with offspring, and have only identified 35 grandchildren. (It's certainly possible there are several offspring I haven't identified yet.)

2) Mrs. Virgil Williams is her daughter, Julia, Mrs. John Healy is her daughter, Bertha, Mrs. Ellis Alcorn is her daughter, Urista, and Mrs. Robert Gober is her daughter, Mabel. The daughters are listed in chronological order. W.O. Fulkerson is William Otis Fulkerson.

3) "Welsh Service" is a reference to Welsh Funeral Home, which today is Ponder Funeral Home.

Research All Names

When a family historian is looking at ancestral documents it is important to give consideration to the other names one finds in the document. Friends, Business Associates, Witnesses - conducting at least minimal research on these individuals is advisable. Not doing so may lead to missing out on some major discoveries.

Examples from my own research:
(Links are to past entries where I discuss these instances in greater detail)

1) Max Wieselman - Selig Feinstein's business partner

My second great grandfather, Selig Feinstein, set up a business with Max Wieselman as horse shoers during the 1890s in St. Louis. (They also filed a patent together.) It wasn't until I conducted some research on Max and his wife that I realized Max was likely born in the same Ukranian town as Selig. This **could** be a coincidence. Coincidences happen. But there could also be a relationship. Unfortunately, the records I need aren't online. Barring localized research in the Ukraine, which may be beyond my abilities, my best shot is to find a descendant of Max and ask them to take a DNA test. If they're related, that wouldn't tell me *how*, but a DNA test should tell me one way or another whether more research is necessary.


2) Michael Flynn, County Clerk for Clifford Cruvant's name correction

The digital copy of Clifford Cruvant's name correction doesn't have a date. (Whoever did the scanning didn't get the whole document.) However, by researching the County Clerk's name, I was able to narrow down the possible years. I could order the document from the current County Clerk, but for now knowing that it was after 1930 is enough information. I haven't been able to find either Clifford or his mother in the 1920 or 1930 census, but I know they were alive, somewhere.


3) Marcus Hast, cantor at the marriage of Sol Newmark and Sarah Nathan

If I hadn't conducted research on Marcus Hast, the cantor who performed the wedding for my great grandfather's brother, Sol Newmark, and his wife Sarah Nathan, I would never have realized he was from Warsaw, Poland, not far from where the Newmark family was living before immigrating to England. I also wouldn't have discovered the scores for the wedding music that he had composed. It's not definite that it is the same music that was played at the Newmark-Nathan wedding, but there is a strong likelihood.


4) Bessie and Iva, friends of Mabel Fulkerson, and fellow heroines

When I discovered the news story about my wife's great grandmother's efforts as a girl of 14 to prevent a train wreck, I was amazed at the presence of mind and the physical effort put forth by her and her two friends. However, if I hadn't researched the names of the other two, I wouldn't have realized they were her nieces. (Due to the age difference between her and her two oldest sisters, she was actually younger than her two nieces.)

Amanuensis Monday: Jasper Fulkerson and the Wind Mill

Amanuensis: A person employed to write what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another.

Despite an absence of Amanuensis posts for awhile, I continue my project to transcribe family letters, journals, newspaper articles, audiotapes, and other historical artifacts. Not only do the documents contain genealogical information, the words breathe life into kin - some I never met - others I see a time in their life before I knew them.

I began this project back on February 16, 2009.  Since I began, many others have joined in on the meme. I am thrilled that this meme I started has inspired so many to transcribe their family history documents. Why do we transcribe? I provide my three reasons in the linked post. You may find others.

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This week I look at a newspaper article found at ChroniclingAmerica, mentioning a possible relative of my wife's.

Amanuensis Monday: Biographical Sketch of Newton Fulkerson - 1893

Amanuensis: A person employed to write what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another.

I continue my project to transcribe family letters, journals, newspaper articles, audiotapes, and other historical artifacts. Not only do the documents contain genealogical information, the words breathe life into kin - some I never met - others I see a time in their life before I knew them.

I began this project back on February 16, 2009.  Since I began, many others have joined in on the meme. I am thrilled that this meme I started has inspired so many to transcribe their family history documents. Why do we transcribe? I provide my three reasons in the linked post. You may find others.

***
This week I look at a rather extensive biographical sketch of my wife's second great grandfather, Newton Fulkerson. The sketch was published in 1893.

Amanuensis Monday: A Feat of Heroism - 1915

Amanuensis: A person employed to write what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another.

I continue my project to transcribe family letters, journals, newspaper articles, audiotapes, and other historical artifacts. Not only do the documents contain genealogical information, the words breathe life into kin - some I never met - others I see a time in their life before I knew them.

I began this project back on February 16, 2009.  Since I began, many others have joined in on the meme. I am thrilled that this meme I started has inspired so many to transcribe their family history documents. Why do we transcribe? I provide my three reasons in the linked post. You may find others.

***

I discovered the following news story at ChroniclingAmerica, a digital collection of newspapers belonging to the Library of Congress. I had conducted a search on "Mabel Fulkerson," my wife's great grandmother. Born on June 14, 1901, she had just turned 14 years old at the time of the article.

Amanuensis Monday: Verba Fulkerson's 83rd Birthday

Amanuensis: A person employed to write what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another.

I continue my project to transcribe family letters, journals, newspaper articles, audiotapes, and other historical artifacts. Not only do the documents contain genealogical information, the words breathe life into kin - some I never met - others I see a time in their life before I knew them.

I began this project back in February of 2009, and since then, many others have joined in on the meme.  Why do we transcribe? I provide my three reasons in the linked post. You may find others. If you participate, feel free to leave a link to your post in the comments.

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This week, in a first, I transcribe a document relating to the ancestry of my fiancée. This is a newspaper article from The Sikeston Herald noting the 83rd birthday of her 2nd great grandmother, Verba Blackman Fulkerson (1857-1947). [The article was found at NewspaperArchive.]