#twistingtreeancestry

[twistingtreeancestry]

Not Again. . .

Does anyone remember roughly two months ago when I posted Back to the Roots—an essay detailing how I had to restart my original family tree (with 7,000+ individuals) from scratch due to my own pre-hobbyist negligence catching up to me?

At the time of that post, I already had 30 individuals nestled into my new, pristine tree. Since then, I've added another 150 meticulously researched and cited individuals to keep all entries consistent and verified.

Last night, I realized with a frustrated heart that I forgot I decided I wouldn't add transcribed-only data to the verified information pool, but that was definitely what I'd been doing with the new tree. I don't know how many individuals were affected by this oversight.

I have to give myself some grace, though. Suddenly changing up a long-standing habit is difficult. All I can do now is fix the issue before I go any further.

Do I start completely over again? That's certainly an option, but one I'll use as a last resort. With only 180 individuals, it should be relatively easy to go through them all to discover which ones need damage control. If the undertaking becomes more trouble than it's worth then I'll likely start fresh.

Wish me luck, everyone! If you're curious how my genealogy journey will go, give me a follow! I have some interesting upcoming essays concerning my spouse's family that you won't want to miss!

[twistingtreeancestry]

It's my 1 year anniversary on Tumblr 🥳

Image Description: A purple numerical 1 is postured in the center of the image against a light blue top to bluish-white bottom ombre background. A single magenta balloon icon floats to the top left of the 1 with a light purple string tied at the balloon opening.

Image provided by Tumblr.

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Woohoo! One year of sharing my genealogical stories and discoveries! Thank you to anyone who has taken an interest and/or helped me to invite those long-gone souls back to life, if only for moments!

My Twisting Tree of Ancestry was started with the hopes of exploring my roots and the history of Southwest Louisiana, as well as immortalizing and connecting those who:

are within my family, be they close, family friends, extended, so extended we're not even related now, disowned, estranged, etc.

reside within the cemeteries that I visit

become memorials that I manage on Find a Grave

for any other reason drift into my life

If that intrigues you, make sure to follow me to ensure you see my future posts~

[twistingtreeancestry]

Fallen Branches

Image Description: A flat pink granite gravemarker that reads, "CLIFTON Hugh D. 1919-1974 and Ruby Hughen 1920-2007".

Image by Jill Wave, Find A Grave member ID 48865354.

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Ruby Jewell Hughen is my maternal great-grandmother. She was the second child born to Sadie Thornton and James Hughen in Alabama, USA in 1920. She was 24 years old in 1944 when she married 25-year-old Hugh Clifton in Bay St. Louis, Hancock County, Mississippi, USA.

Hugh Clifton was the second child of Maggie Hobbs and Hilton Clifton Sr. in Pensacola, Escambia County, Florida, USA. He was a "semi-skilled chauffeur and driver, bus, taxi, truck, and tractor" and "worked as an Automotive Mechanic in Air Transportation". A U.S. WW2 Army Enlistment record from 1941 states he was a Private. In 1942 in Walton County, Florida, USA, Hugh married Annie Sowell. Annie then divorced him in 1944 on the grounds of desertion exactly 2 months and 18 days before he married Ruth.

Ruth's oldest two children—daughters—were born in 1940 in Roanoke, Randolph County, Alabama, USA, and in 1942 in Alabama, USA respectively. Her youngest two children—sons—were born in 1947 and 1951 (likely in Alabama, USA) respectively. Perhaps if I had paid attention to the dates a recent reveal by my mother wouldn't have been so shocking (or too late to save me from a countless amount of time researching in the wrong direction).

About 3 weeks ago I learned that Hugh was Ruby's second husband. I can't even find the words to describe the whirlwind that consumed me in the following moments. Lightning quick, I began interrogating my mother for more information to fill in this sudden void in my ancestry. All she could remember was that her mother told her that her real surname was Singleton.

The name plucked familiarly at my brain, yet I couldn't think why. It was only later that night when I sat down to figure this all out that I realized why the name was so familiar. Tucked into the ignored hints on my Ancestry account under Ruth's profile was a U.S. WW2 Draft Card which listed a Ruby Jewel Singleton and her spouse Joseph David Singleton.

Following that vein, I discovered a Mississippi, USA marriage record between a Joseph D. Singleton and a Ruby J. Hughen in 1938. The discrepancy with this record is that it lists both parties as being of color. My mother and other documents can verify that Ruby and my grandfather were white, and the draft card indicated that Joseph was white as well. While I've learned that this can be a frequent issue with historical records, I can't definitively verify the couple listed on the record as my ancestors despite the dates and locations matching up.

Without knowing who Joseph really is and whether or not he's actually my great-grandfather, this branch of my tree is stumped. I'm hoping to discover more information regarding this little twist in my family history. Perhaps it will soften the blow of losing 50+ "direct" relatives through Hugh.

Until then, I'll keep trying to build up my ever-twisting tree and keep y'all updated on the interesting stuff that I find along the way.

[twistingtreeancestry]

The Tragedies of Levi Oscar Smith and His Wives

TRIGGER WARNING TRIGGER WARNING TRIGGER WARNING This work discusses severe injury, burns, different types of death, manners of death, symptoms of death, causes of death, and possibly other unpleasant topics that may be triggering or upsetting. Please carefully consider whether you're in a good space and/or mature enough to read further. TRIGGER WARNING TRIGGER WARNING TRIGGER WARNING

Who is Levi O. Smith?

Levi is one of my spouse's great-grandfathers. He was born in Indian Territory (McAlester, Pittsburg County), Oklahoma, USA in 1898. At 20 years old, he married his first wife, Opal Alsus Jackson, 17 years old, on 1 Jun 1918 in Holtville, Imperial County, California, USA. They had their first child, a son named Eugene Ellis Smith, in October of 1919. Eugene was followed by the birth of Louis M. Smith in 1921, then Raymond Leroy Smith in February of 1924. Sometime around the beginning of 1925, Opal became pregnant with Vivian Louise Smith.

Opal Alsus Jackson

Opal was born in 1901 in Oklahoma, USA. In 1910, she and her birth family were listed on two census records—one under General Population and one under Indian Population. On the General Population record, she, her mother, and her siblings were listed as white while her father was listed as Indian. On the Indian Population record, her father was listed as Indian, her mother was listed as white, and she and her siblings were listed as half-Indian, half-white.

According to events detailed by The Bulletin (Pomona, Los Angeles County, California, USA) and Riverside Daily Press (Riverside, Riverside County, California, USA) newspapers, respectively, indicate that the tragedy of Opal Alsus Jackson began on 17 Oct 1925.

While starting a fire at her mother's home in Corona, Riverside County, California, USA, Opal sent her 3 or 4-year-old son Louis to fetch her kerosene. Instead, Louis mistakenly brought back a jar of gasoline. This resulted in an explosion that set the house, and her clothes, aflame.

Despite her condition, the pregnant and burning Opal managed to get all three of her children out of the house before she "fell into the flames". Eugene and Raymond's conditions were never noted and Levi wasn't mentioned at all, but devastatingly, Louis succumbed to his injuries a few hours later. "At almost the hour of his death", Opal gave birth to Vivian, who seemed healthy and suffered no ill effects from the traumatic situation that resulted in her birth. Louis was laid to rest four days later.

Opal was admitted to Cothe Rona Hospital (which I cannot locate) where her chances of recovery were described optimistically due to her having "such remarkable recuperative power". It was stated that 80% (or, alternatively, 4/5ths) of the surface of her body was severely burned. She stayed in the gray zone between life and death for just over a month before "unfavorable symptoms developed". She succumbed to her injuries on the morning of 21 Nov 1925 at just 24 years old. She was laid to rest with Louis the next day, and they now share a gravemarker.

Her baby daughter, Vivian, lived to be 89 years old with a husband, children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. According to her obituary, she served as a civilian staff car driver at an Ontario, CA military base during WWII, and she worked for 40+ years "for General Electric, both the Iron Plant downtown Ontario and the Aircraft at the Ontario Airport". It appears she lived a full, healthy, and happy life. She was preceded in death by Eugene, Raymond, and her half-brother, Jay, as well as her husband and her son.

Raymonde Victorine Louise Aubry

Raymonde was born in 1912 in France, Europe. She immigrated in late 1986 from Paris, Île-de-France, France, Europe at 13 years old aboard the S.S. Niagara with her parents and little sister. Their destination was Ontario, CA, but they made port in Galveston, Galveston County, Texas, USA on 4 Oct 1926, and must have navigated northwest to California afterward.

Next, she appears as "Ramon" in a 1930 census in Ontario, CA as the 17-year-old new bride of 31-year-old Levi Smith, with Eugene, Raymond, and Vivian in their household and listed their children. It was recorded that she could read and write, spoke English, and also spoke French at home before she immigrated. Over the following years, she and Levi birthed their children: a daughter, Lela Faye Smith, and two sons, Jay Loren and Jimmy Dale Smith.

I've gathered from articles in The Los Angeles Times, The Pomona Progress Bulletin, and The San Bernardino County Sun that Raymonde's tragedy started when Levi picked her up from Sunday church on the evening of 30 Jul 1939.

He told Deputy Coroner W. J. Weller that shortly after the service, Raymonde allegedly began to accuse Levi of adultery while she was attending church. He insisted that after he dropped her off at 7:15 p.m. he visited a beer parlor until it was time to retrieve her at 9:15 p.m.

Later that night, Raymonde joined Levi in the bedroom and he heard her whisper "goodbye" to her 3-year-old son (and youngest child), Jimmy. He then asked her where she was going, to which she replied, "I've done it. I've taken poison."

Levi immediately took her to the hospital where she was declared dead on arrival at just 26 years old. It was later reported by Coroner R. E. Williams that she'd ingested strychnine—the poison, which Deputy Coroner Weller alleged she'd taken in three previous death attempts, was referred to by one article as a "fatal potion". Levi claimed the poison was used to exterminate gophers and that Raymonde knew where it was kept. He also admitted that she'd threatened to ingest the poison when they were arguing, but he hadn't believed her until she told Jimmy goodbye.

Williams stated an inquest into her death would likely be unnecessary, and her death was ruled as death by suicide via poisoning. She was laid to rest five days later.

What happened to Levi?

After being a farmer since 1918, Levi became an irrigator at a tree nursery by 1940 before becoming a truck driver of farm produce by 1941.

On 21 Feb 1941, 42-year-old Levi was fatally injured in an accident while falling from a truck. His death certificate states he died of shock due to a brain aneurysm created by a brain hemorrhage three miles east of Perryville, Maricopa County, Arizona, USA. A newspaper article named Buckeye, Maricopa County, Arizona, USA as his place of death, which is approximately 3 miles east of Perryville.

Levi was buried in the same cemetery as his second wife, Raymonde. While they didn't end up in the same section, their sections butt up against each other.

34 years later, his 40-year-old son Jay, a truck driver for Midwest Growers Association, would die in a trucking accident "25 miles east of Lordsburg" in Grant County, New Mexico, USA. I believe he died on I-70 in Wilna, Grant County, New Mexico, USA.

That's all, for now!

If you made it this far, thanks for sticking with me and learning about some of my spouse's departed family. Make sure to follow me so you don't miss my future posts about genealogy and family history, or random historical finds I think are interesting!

[twistingtreeancestry]

Fallen Branches: An Update!

In my post, Fallen Branches, I talk about how I discovered the man I've always believed to be my great-grandfather—Hugh Dorsey Clifton Sr.—wasn't my ancestor after all. Instead, my great-grandfather was a man named Joseph David Singleton.

Thankfully, I had forceful determination and a draft card to lead the way down this unknown trail. From there, I found a 1940 census record that verified Joseph Singleton was my great-grandfather! Next, I found an obituary that sadly didn't list any known relatives (my great-grandmother or their children together).

Among many other things, one of my research methods has been to seek out DNA relatives that have "Singleton" as one of their listed names. I made a hit on GEDmatch and even made contact with a cousin! I couldn't believe it!

So imagine my surprise when I recently made contact with another Singleto-related cousin on 23andMe! Bless them with the greatest luck, because they just helped me to confirm not only that the man in the obituary is my great-grandfather, but gave me knowledge about Joseph's relatives as well!!

To say I'm excited is a drastic understatement! I've gone full genealogical geek mode!!

As much as it pains me to say it, though, I'm still nowhere near ready to do anything with this information. While my new tree is coming along nicely, I'm not even on my family yet! I've been filling out my partner's family info first since fewer individuals on his side have been added.

I'm still taking notes for when I'm finally prepared to venture down this new avenue of my family history. Until then, I won't forget that I promised some interesting peeks into my partner's familial history!

As they stay, stay tuned for more!

[twistingtreeancestry]

Back to the Roots

Image Description: Many dark brown twisting branches of a strong and tall tree in Englewood, Colorado, USA splay starkly against a grayish-blue sky.

Image by Keekalee Photography.

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I've been researching my genealogy on and off for over a decade but began earnestly working on my family tree four years ago.

Unfortunately, when I began this later leg of my journey in early 2020, I didn't know what doing my due diligence entailed. While I always intended to go back and verify entries, my passion and curiosity would often sweep me away before demonstrable connections could be made.

This unintentional messy start to my research created the unstable foundation upon which my current tree, consisting of 7,070 people and innumerable hours of research, is built.

My technique has thankfully improved tremendously over the years. What good is that, though, when I constantly need to go back and fix things when errors are discovered? I've deleted entire family units, such as discussed in my post Fallen Branches. I also have information in my tree from records that I never saved that are no longer available to me.

It's time to amend this lapse. I'm starting over.

So far, replanting my familial tree is slow going. I've been learning The Chicago Manual of Style for proper citations (which have never been a strong suit of mine). I already have thirty members meticulously entered into my new tree.

Every entry of information has a coinciding image of the original document as well as a citation. Any entry without an image of the original document is listed separately and isn't used to establish information, though I will add a note that the information correlates with other established information or may provide me with additional information upon further research.

While starting over is certainly intimidating, it'll ensure that my future research is sound and will hopefully stand up to recreation should others need to verify portions of my tree. It also gives me a great opportunity to revisit stories to share here.

Until one of those stories comes my way, I'm gonna get back to filling out these rascally branches and let you know when I find something interesting. Remember to give me a follow so you don't miss my new posts!