Author: cathmary1030

Copples in the News – Beulah Copple marries Sam Long

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Beulah Elaine Copple, daughter of Henry Ellis Copple and Julia (Williams) Copple was possibly my 4th cousin 4 times removed (a descendant of Nicholas Copple who died in 1808 in Rowan County, NC, and his wife).   

Beulah was born in 1892 in South Carolina, married Rev. Samuel Long in 1916, and had two sons.  She died at the age of 50.

The wedding notice ran to two columns, and was quite detailed about what the bridal party wore.  Here is only the first column. 

Beulah Copple m Sam Long

“Monroe [Beulah Copple marries Sam Long],” The News and Observer (Raleigh, North Carolina), 3 Sep 1916, pg 7, col 6; Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com : accessed 31 August 2020).

In Memoriam — Elizabeth (Holst) Diamantini

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Today, August 17, 2020, it is 80 years since my grandmother died at the tender age of 26 — an age I reached and passed decades ago.   Such a short life! 

My heart hurts for my mother, who was only a toddler and never got to know her mother, and my heart hurts for my grandfather who was only 25 when he lost his wife.  I wrote about her here in this blog.

In the photo below, Elizabeth is the second from the left amongst her high school friends, and, to my mind, the resemblance between her and my own mother is quite strong.

Eliz with hs classmates

In the photo below, she and my grandfather at the service station in Tracy, California, that my grandfather managed.  It was probably taken in the late 1930s.

My Maternal Grandparents

Finally, this photo is a copy of the one that resided on my mother’s dresser when I was growing up, and is the picture that immediately comes to mind whenever I think of my grandmother.

Eliz age 17 - Copy

May you Rest in Peace, Elizabeth, and may we someday meet across the veil.

Ancestry Segment Count Update

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Hurray!  It’s finally arrived!  My dad and I took Ancestry DNA tests 8 years ago in the fall of 2012, and it’s always bugged me that Ancestry said we shared 55 segments of DNA when we know the true biological number is 22 shared autosomes and 1 shared X chromosome, the full length of the chromosome.  So we should have seen 22 all these years (because X isn’t counted).

Well, it still isn’t 22, but it’s a darn sight closer!

Ancestry Segments Update

The shared segment count with Mom is still pretty far off, but at least it’s not 77 any more.  I suspect the count is due to Ancestry’s algorithms and/or the chip that was used for her test which was done in fall 2018.  Mom also tested at FTDNA (a native kit, not a transfer) and that FTDNA test was the one uploaded to MyHeritage; they’re largely in agreement as one would expect.

The 1st cousin relationship looks fairly consistent the board.

I also noticed that the segment count for my Mom’s Ancestry matches mostly remained the same past 2nd cousin, down to matches of 30 cM, while my matches and my Dad’s matches down to 30 cM showed more adjustment in the segment numbers.  Just a fluke? Or something to do with the testing chip used?

Did you see changes?  There are polls being done at the Genetic Genealogy Tips and Techniques Facebook group here.  

 

Copples in the News — Little Clifford dies during the 1918 epidemic, but not from influenza

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In the midst of this current coronavirus epidemic, I wondered if any of my distant Copple kin had suffered from influenza during the 1918 pandemic.  I know my great-grandmother’s brother, George Englehart, was a victim of the 1918 flu; his mother was a Copple.  But that’s a separate story.

A search on newspapers.com brought up little 8 year old Clifford Copple dying in Nov 1918 in Coos Bay, Oregon.  He was my 4th cousin 3 times removed, twice over.  Born to William Alonzo and Frances R (Center) Copple, he had two sisters and four brothers.  A number of his paternal extended family lived in the area, originally coming to Oregon by way of Washington, Illinois, Missouri and Indiana.

Clifford apparently suffered from influenza in the fall of 1918 — which would have been during the “second wave“.  (So it is quite possible — but unknown — if members of his family had it as well.)  However, he recovered, and then came down with meningitis, which was fatal to him.

Little Cliff’s death (and possible illness of other family members) probably wreaked havoc on William and Frances’ marriage.  As of the 1920 census (on April 1st), Frances was living with her children and her marital status was listed as “widowed” (although William did not die until 1928).  By May 1920, Frances had married James Weaver Cole.

CliffCoppleDies1918

Clifford’s great-great grandparents were Jacob [Peter] and Elizabeth (Wright) Copple.  Jacob Jr. was the son of Jacob [Peter] Copple and Mary Elizabeth Garren [or Foutz?], who are also my ancestors.

Elizabeth (Wright) Copple was the daughter of Benjamin Wright and Barbara Morgan.  Benjamin was the son of Richard Wright and Ann [unknown surname], who are also my ancestors.

 

“Son of W.M. Copple Dies,” The World (Coos Bay, Oregon), 16 Nov 1918, pg 6, col 1;
Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com : accessed 20 March 2020)

Copples in the News – Claiborne Copple “smells a rat”

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As best as I can determine, Claiborne Copple of Jackson County, Indiana — who, in this article is apparently suspicious of his wife’s fidelity — is a possible distant cousin of mine via his father David (1794 – 1835) and grandfather John (1768 – 1838).

Claiborne was born circa 1827 probably in Kentucky (but possibly in southern Indiana), likely one of at least 10 children.   He married Mary Holt, his first wife, in Clark County, Indiana in 1856, and resided in Clark County at the time of the 1860 census.  By 1863, though, when he signed up for the Civil War draft, he was in Jackson County, Indiana.  His wife died circa 1876, and he remarried to an Elizabeth King in 1877.  

He was found in the 1880 census in Jackson County, Indiana.  (As an aside, I have not found any information on when he died, nor have I found him on the 1850 and 1870 censuses.)  It is apparently wife #2 (Eliza) who was “in the company of James Cole”.

Claiborne Copple

“He Smelt a Mouse,” Jackson County Banner (Brownstown, Indiana), 2 Nov 1882, pg 5, col 4; Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com : accessed 7 February 2020).

cathymd, “Copple/Wright Line – DNA Kinship — Working Data Tree”, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/62591313/person/36185456378/facts : accessed 7 February 2020).

 

 

 

 

 

Copples in the News — Benjamin G Copple accused of attempted murder

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In October 1924, a teen-aged Benjamin Garl Copple (c 1906-1986) was accused of attempted murder of a young woman and man, while he was under the influence of liquor. Ben was married at the time, to a Bernice Amott his “child bride”, who was only 15 at the time of the article in February 1925.  Ben had reportedly been working for the sheriff until the day before, under an assumed name (not given in the article) and an assumed age (22).  His father, A. M. Copple [Alpheus Marvin] testified on his behalf.

Ben Garl Copple was born sometime between 1903 and 1907 probably in Colorado to Alpheus Marvin Copple (1881 – 1944) and Lucinda Mary Whitlock (1884 – 1978), both natives of North Carolina.  The family was living in Las Animas County, Colorado in 1910, and in Salt Lake City in 1920.  

After the shooting incident in October 1924, Ben married Bernice Amott (who was with him on the day of the shooting, per the article below) on 26 January 1925.  The article states Bernice was filing for an annulment of the marriage and that must have gone through, as Ben married Edith Olga Shafer on 27 June 1925.

The 1930 census found Ben and Edith, with their daughter Joyce, in Salt Lake City, and Ben worked as a laborer.  In 1940, they were in the Los Angeles area, where Ben worked as a truck driver.

Benjamin Garl’s paternal grandfather shared the same name as my 3rd great grandfather: Benjamin Franklin Copple, but that Ben Copple lived his entire life in North Carolina.  Ben Franklin Copple’s parents were Henry and Frances “Franky” (Miller) Copple.  Henry’s parents are unknown; however Frances Miller’s father Isaac Miller lived in the vicinity with 3 Copple households in Davidson County, NC, which I’ve traced as my kin.  It is possible — but not certain — that Henry’s parents were Jacob Copple and Delilah Plummer.

If so, these Salt Lake City Copples are distant cousins to me.

Benjamin Garl Copple attempted murder

“Got Liquor as Undercover Man,” Salt Lake Telegram (Salt Lake City, Utah), 18 Feb 1925, pg 2, col 8; Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com : accessed 13 January 2020).

 

 

 

 

 

Copples in the News – Glenn Copple appointed deputy DA

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Glenn Copple (1888 – 1965) was appointed Deputy to Yuma County (Arizona) District Attorney Henry C. Kelly.

Glenn was born in Nov 1888 in Centralia, Illinois to Silas Bryan & Julia (Roper) Copple, who married in 1884.  He was their second son.  Silas Bryan Copple’s paternal great-grandparents were Jacob [Peter] Copple and [Mary] Elizabeth Garren [Pfoutz?], who are my 6th great-grandparents.

Glenn was in the military from Aug 1917 to July 1919, and after arriving home back in Centralia, was a lawyer.  He moved to Yuma, Arizona prior to January 1925, which is when he became the assistant District Attorney.

He married Janet Anne Burnell in 1934 in Phoenix, Maricopa County, and they had a son Gordon Burnell in April 1936 in Los Angeles County, California.  The family was back in Yuma County, Arizona as of the 1940 census.  Glenn died in Oct 1965, presumably in Arizona, but is buried in San Diego County, California.  His widow died in 1982, and his son Gordon died in 1987 at the age of 51.

Glenn was my 3rd cousin 4 times removed.

Glenn Copple Promoted to Asst DA

 

“Attorney Glen Copple is Named,” The Morning Sun (Yuma, Arizona), 2 Jan 1925, pg 1, col 6; Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com : accessed 13 January 2020).

 

 

 

Looking forward to #SLIG2020

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Have you ever attended a genealogical institute?

I am a genealogical institute newbie!  (I did sign up for IGHR for 2019, but then withdrew due to other commitments — a new job, actually.) So, when I did withdraw, I decided I absolutely would sign up for January 2020 SLIG (Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy) — it’s just too easy for me to slide into “bad habits” (searching instead of researching, mindlessly clicking on Ancestry tree hints, etc. ) unless I give myself regular doses of high-quality learning.

So, here I am back in Salt Lake City for the first time since 1994!  (I can’t believe it’s been that long.)  And it’s snowing, woo-hoo!  (At least it was when I arrived.)  Not a huge change for me, though, even given I’m arriving from Texas, as we had — surprise! — flurries, sleet and a light dusting of snow just yesterday!  

IMG_20200112_162040

The view from my window

So, this is my first time at a genealogical institute AND my first SLIG.  I’m signed up for Richard and Pamela Sayre’s “Advanced Research Tools: Land Records” class.  While I’ve used Deed Mapper, the BLM site for my ancestors in federal land states (esp. California, Missouri and Indiana), the land tract books on FamilySearch.org, I’m hoping this class will help me get the most out of land records in general and help clue me in on evidence I might be missing.  

I’ve heard nothing but positive things about the Sayres, although I have never attended a lecture or class presented by them before, so I’m looking forward to it.  They lead the class, but there will be other instructors assisting.  

Orientation starts shortly; I hope to meet up with some of my classmates from the BU Genealogical Certificate course I took in 2018 if not tonight, then sometime during #SLIG2020!

 

 

Copples in the News – James Copple came to Logansport, Indiana

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James Garfield Copple may be my 3rd cousin 5 times removed.   He was born either in Sep 1882 (according to the 1900 census) or on 8 Sep 1883 (according to the Draft Registration he filled out for World War I) or on 8 Sep 1884 (according to the Draft Registration he filled out for WWII).  

His parents were Lemon Copple (c 1837 – c 1888) and Elizabeth (Daniels) Copple, who married in 1865 in Douglas County, Kansas.  He married Jeanette Thomassen by 1916, when they were both living in Tulsa, Oklahoma.  (The article below references the fact that he was a Tulsa businessman.)  By 1920, he and his wife had 2 children, and were living in Indiana.  As of 1930, when this article was published and during the census enumeration, the family was living in Cass County, Indiana, which is where Logansport is.  Some time after 1942, he and his wife had moved to Tucson, Arizona, where he died in 1949.

James’ father, Lemon, was likely the son of Jacob Copple and Malinda Everman.  After that, it gets unclear.  There are numerous Jacob Copples and John Copples (the possible grandfather of Lemon) which are not clearly sorted out by most Ancestry.com users.  But many Ancestry trees have Lemon in Illinois or Indiana, whereas he was clearly — at least according to the Federal Census records — in Kansas.

James G Copple in LogansportIndiana

 

“How Did you Happen to Come to Logansport,” Logansport Pharos-Tribune (Logansport, Indiana), 9 May 1930, pg 4, col 4; Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com : accessed 27 Dec 2019).

F is for Future Research Plans: Blalock/Blaylock

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Margaret [J?] (Blalock) Copple (b. ca 1810 in Kentucky – d. 1892 in Newton County, Missouri) was one of my 4th-great grandmothers, and is a “dead end” ancestor.  I do not know her parents, but I do have some leads.  I really need to make finding her parents one of my future research goals – and the “future” is arriving now, in 2020.

What do I know about her right now?  And what leads do I have?

The Basics, Documented (in my Ancestry tree)

  • Born in Kentucky (per her responses on census records) – where exactly I don’t know.
  • Was in Washington County, Indiana by December 1827, when she married Jacob Copple on 6 December
  • Not (yet) found in the 1830 census. Presumably in Indiana.
  • Was in Vigo County, Indiana at the 1840 census
  • Was in Newton County, Missouri at the 1850 census
  • Was in Newton County, Missouri at the 1860 census
  • Not found in 1870 census for either Newton or Jasper counties
  • In Newton County, Missouri in 1871, as administrator of her late husband’s estate
  • Reportedly died in 1892 in Newton (or Jasper) County, Missouri
  • Is buried in Jasper County, Missouri

Other Clues

  • Two men, a Jeremiah Blalock and a Thomas Blalock, both old enough to be Margaret’s father, were in Washington County, Indiana in 1830.  They lived next to each other.
  • A Jeremiah Blalock married a Louisa Dosier in 1835 in Vigo County, Indiana — the same county Margaret lived in at the 1840 census.
  • A “Jer [for Jeremiah?] Blalock” lived in Lancaster, Garrard County, Kentucky in 1810.  A female < 9 years old resided in the household.  Could this be Margaret?  A “Jer Blalock” lived in Rockcastle County, Kentucky in 1820.  In that household was a female 0-9 years, and a female 10-15.  Could the 10-15 year old female be Margaret?
  • A David M Blalock married Lucy Carey in Washington County, Indiana in 1831.  Lucy Carey and David have at least 4 children before Lucy dies ca. 1840.
  • Lucy Carey was the daughter of John Carey and Polly Hungate.
  • David M Blalock married Mary “Polly” Norton in 1841.  They had a daughter Margaret Jane.  All are on the 1850 census.  David was of an age to be a possible brother of Margaret (Blalock) Copple.
  • David apparently died ca. 1853 because Polly (Norton) (Blalock) marries again ca. 1854.
  • Andrew J Blalock, son of David and Lucy and possible nephew of Margaret (Blalock) Copple, lived in a Hungate household in 1860 in Washington County, Indiana.
  • The youngest son of David M Blalock, his namesake, born ca. 1850, was married in 1879 in Jasper County, Missouri.  What brought him south to Missouri?  Could it have been a family connection to a paternal aunt and cousins?

DNA Clues

Through DNA clustering tools, I’ve been able to determine that Mom (and I) have segments on chr 9 and chr 13 which are almost certainly inherited from Margaret (Blalock) Copple rather than her husband Jacob.  There is also a third Blalock segment which shows up in clustering tools

Numerous DNA matches of Mom have Blalock/Blaylock in their trees (where trees exist), but there is no consistency in the names and locations, as there was for my Copple line.

Some DNA matches of Mom have Hungates in their trees, and some of those have Hungates living in Washington County, Indiana at the same time Margaret’s family lived there.

A fairly large number of Mom’s DNA matches which cluster in the “Blalock” cluster have a shared common ancestral couple: Thomas Hemphill and Mary Mackie.  Other matches share a common ancestral couple who are Thomas Hemphill’s parents.  If the ages in the trees are to be believed, these couples would be of an age to be Margaret’s grandparents or great-grandparents.  The DNA link may not be with the Hemphill line at all, but without further investigation on my part, I cannot rule it out.

Next Steps
Research all of the Blalocks living in Washington County as of 1830, including census, marriage, land deeds, court records, etc., in particular both Jeremiah and Thomas Blalock.
Continue to attempt to sub-cluster Mom’s matches by Blalock common ancestor, if there is one, focusing particularly on Blalock connections in southern Indiana, and Kentucky.