Missouri

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.

 

Copples in the News — Thelma Irene gets married

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Thelma Irene (Copple) Selsor (1910 – 1995) was born either in Missouri, or in West Frankfort, Illinois, to Gaither Calvin Copple (1878 – 1947) and Eva (Martin) Copple (b. 1888).  She was born 18 April, a few days after the official 1910 census date, but a few days before her neighborhood was enumerated.  A child named “Myrtle” was listed as aged 1/12 (presumably 1 month old) in the household. [1] Could that be Thelma?

As indicated in the article, Thelma Irene married Lawrence Marion Selsor  (1911-1972) in Jonesboro on July 24, 1942.   Thelma worked at the (local?) air base, while Lawrence was with the Works Project Administration.  They took a honeymoon to Memphis, Tennessee. 

A quick search for Thelma Selsor on Ancestry’s page for U.S. city directories (1822 – 1995)  seems to indicate that the Selsors made their home in Jonesboro, Arkansas, after they married.

I did not do enough research on Thelma to determine if she had children.  However, it appears her paternal grandparents were Levi and Malinda (Dobbs) Copple and her great-grandparents were William and Abigail (Handley) Copple.  William’s parents were both Copples, being cousins to each other, and Thelma was likely my 4th cousin 3 times removed.

Thelma Irene Gets Married

“Selsor-Copple Rites are Performed Here,” The Courier News (Blytheville, Arkansas), 31 Jul 1942, page 2, column 1; Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com : accessed 22 September 2019)

[1] 1910 U.S. census, New Madrid County, Missouri,  population schedule, Enumeration District (ED) 108, Hough, page 2B, family 43, Gaither [indexed as Garther] Copple household; digital images, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/ 1910uscenindex/: accessed 18 Oct 2019); citing National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) microfilm publication T624, roll 802.

Copples in the News — Estate of Philip Copple (1784 – 1850), my 5th great-granddad

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This particular court notice from early 1853, Washington County, Indiana, is intriguing because I recognize the family group as the likely children and in-laws of my 5th great-granddad Philip Copple.  At the same time, there is more to research — not all the family group is listed here: why?  Certain heirs are mentioned as not being [any longer] residents of Indiana — I can document some but not all.

Philip’s likely daughter Catherine (ca. 1822 – aft 1900) married a William Sluder (c 1828 – c 1878) in Oct 1849 in Washington County, Indiana.  William’s possible father was Henry Sluder (c 1809 – c 1870).  Was the Henry C. Sluder petitioning for a deed or title bond the same man?  And just what is a title bond?

So, clearly, more to research — but here’s what I do know (below article)…

Henry Sluder vs Heirs of Philip Copple

Jacob was Philip’s eldest son, and was my 4th great grandfather.  Margaret (Copple) Sutherland was a sister of Jacob; her husband was Samuel Sutherland.  The Sutherlands lived near the Jacob Copple household near the Newton / Jasper County line in Missouri in 1850.  So, yes, they were not Indiana residents in February 1853 when this notice was published.  John Copple, a brother to Jacob and to Margaret, was also in Newton County, Missouri in 1850.    So far as I know, though, Abraham Copple, likely son of Philip, married Rosanna Hauger in 1847 in Washington County, Indiana, and resided there in 1850, next to Philip Copple [1] (whose third wife, incidentally, was Catherine Hauger).  

Abraham Copple 1850 Washington Co IND

However, since I only recently came across this article, it is possible that I have my Abraham Copples misidentified.  Surely the persons identified in the notice would have known which of their siblings was no longer living in Indiana!  (More research needed here.)  Or, Abraham could have resided a short time outside Indiana in the 1853 time frame, only to return by 1860. 

The other persons mentioned are Joshua Barr [Bare], Betsy Ann Barr [Bare], and Nancy Barr [Bare].  Joshua and Nancy’s names were already familiar to me as the children of the late Nancy (Copple) Bare, another daughter of Philip.  Nancy married in December 1830, so in February 1853, those three children could have been of age.

To summarize, the questions I have which need answering are:

  • Do I have Abraham Copple correctly identified?
  • What is a title bond?  And why was Henry Sluder fighting for one?  And, if he was indeed the father-in-law of Catherine (Copple) Sluder, why was he involved, and not his son?
  • Why weren’t the rest of the heirs involved in this?  Philip had other children living in February 1853, and Nancy (Copple) Bare was survived by additional minor children.

 

“Henry Sluder v Heirs of Phillip Copple,” The Washington Democrat (Salem, Indiana), 11 Feb 1853, pg 3, col 1; Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com : accessed 20 September 2019)

[1] 1850 U.S. census, Washington County, Indiana, population schedule, Posey Township, page 239 (stamped), dwelling 509, family 522, Abram [“Abren”] Copple household; digital image, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/1850usfedcenancestry/ : accessed 17 October 2019); citing National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) microfilm publication M432, roll 179.

 

Who is the Mother of Samuel Englehart?

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sam

Sam Englehart, my great-great grandfather

Samuel A Englehart was born in March 1852 (or possibly 1853) in Missouri, likely in Jasper County, and traveled with his family to California in 1856.  The family settled in Healdsburg, Sonoma County, and Sam lived out the rest of his life there, growing up, getting married in December 1878 and raising a family, and finally dying in November 1925[1].  He gave his age as 26 on his marriage record, dated 22 December 1878.[2]  His daughter Hazel gave his birthdate as 21 March 1852 for his death certificate[3] and his age at death as 73 in various obituaries[4], which, for a November 1925 death, would correspond to an 1852 birth date.  However, other records (discussed below) seem to imply an 1853 birth date.  No document yet found names his mother, who reportedly died on the California Trail.[5]  However, it is very likely his mother was Hannah Hill, (born circa 1828 – died 1856) whom his father James married in Guernsey County, Ohio, in 1846.[6]

James, the Probable Father of Sam

After Sam’s father James Englehart died on 29 March 1890, an obituary was published in the Sonoma County Tribune, which gave a brief biography of James’ life and named his 3 surviving children: Sam, his older sister Eliza, and his older brother, Andrew.  James’ late wife is not mentioned.[7]

The obituary’s biographical information was likely provided to the Sonoma County Tribune by one of James’ children, probably Sam or his sister Eliza.  Other salient facts in the obituary include:

  • Born in Pennsylvania, 17 June 1821
  • When young, moved to Ohio, and lived there until 1848.
  • Moved to Missouri in 1848, remaining there 8 years until 1856.
  • 1856 went west to California, settling in Healdsburg

Therefore, we could expect to find James Englehart in the Healdsburg area for the 1880, 1870 and 1860 census enumerations, and somewhere in Missouri for the 1850 census enumeration, when he would have been 28 years old, and quite likely already married.  He was either married in Missouri or in Ohio.

James Englehart died intestate, and in the Decree of Distribution of the Estate on 26 Jan 1891, the administrator, Joseph Winder, names James’ three surviving children:[8] Andrew Allison Englehart, Samuel Adams Englehart, and Mrs. Eliza Ellen Winder[9].  The property inherited by and distributed to the three children is also listed, specifically land: the South half of the Southwest Quarter of Section 15, the Northeast quarter of the Northeast Quarter of Section 21, and the Northwest quarter of the Northwest Quarter of Section 22, all within Township 9 North, Range 11 West of the Mt. Diablo Meridian.  This acreage is the same land that Sam sold to his father on 27 Nov 1886.[10]  Sam originally received this land on 10 October 1882, under the Homestead Act of 1862.[11]

On the same day Sam sold his homestead land to James, James in turn sold a lot in the town of Healdsburg to Sam.[12]  The lot sold to Sam was adjacent to a lot James deeded also on the same day to his daughter Eliza Ellen Winder [13].  In deeding the lot to Eliza Ellen, James specifically refers to her as his daughter, giving her the land “in consideration of the love and affection which [James] bears for [Eliza Ellen]”.

Census Enumerations for the James Englehart household

Turning to the census enumerations for the period of 1850-1880, can we link Samuel, Eliza Ellen and Andrew with James Englehart, and potentially a wife? Sam’s relationship to James (as James’ son) is identified in the 1880 census enumeration[14].  While the informant for this census is not known – it could be James, Sam, or Sam’s wife Libbie — the 1880 census is the only document yet found which states the relationship between Sam and James, and was created during James’ lifetime.

The information provided for James correlates with his obituary; he was listed as being born in Pennsylvania, and was 58 years old, which is correct for a June 1 enumeration date if he was born on June 17.  He was also listed as widowed.

1850 Census[15] 1860 Census[16] 1870 Census[17] 1880 Census
James Englehart, 28, Penn James Englehart, 37, Penn James Englehart, 49, Ohio Jas. Englehart, 58, Penn. Widowed.
Hannah Englehart, 22, Ohio
Andrew Englehart, 2, Ohio Andrew Englehart, 13, Ohio Andrew Englehart, 22, Ohio
Eliza E, 10, Missouri Eliza E, 19, Missouri
Samuel A, 7, Missouri Samuel A, 17, Missouri Sam A., 27, Missouri.  Son
John E R, 5, Missouri
Libbie, 18, Calif., dau-in-law

 

In 1870, the census taker arrived at the house on 15 July.  James was already 49 at that point, and his birthplace is given as Ohio – where he did reportedly live – so it is possible one of his children provided the information on his behalf.  Also on this census, the 3 children named in the probate decree are residing with James. Sam, at age 17, was exactly 10 years younger than in 1880, and very likely to be the same person as the Sam who resided in the James Englehart household in 1880.

In 1860, the information provided to the census taker is in line with the family information as enumerated in 1870.  There is a fourth child, John, 5 years old and born in Missouri, who was not enumerated in later censuses.  He died in December 1865, at the age of 10, and is buried in Healdsburg’s Oak Mound Cemetery, where his gravestone inscriptions states he is the “son of Jas. & Hannah Englehart”.[18]  Sam was listed as aged 7, which corresponds to an 1853 birthdate, if he was born in March (as his daughter Hazel Holst stated in his obituary).  Sam consistently aged by 10 years for the two censuses following 1860. If he (or his father)  provided the information, it is inconsistent with Sam’s marriage record, and the information provided by his daughter Hazel Holst after his death, in that it implies an 1853 birth year.

Finally, in 1850, the James Englehart household consisted of James and Hannah, as well as a 2 year old child Andrew, almost certainly the Andrew enumerated with James in 1860 and 1870, as well as named as surviving heir and child of James in the probate distribution decree.  A marriage record for James Englehart and Hannah Hill, married 10 December 1846, was found in Guernsey County, Ohio.[19] This marriage date is in line with a first child being born sometime in 1848 (month unknown) and Andrew Allison Englehart appears to be that first child.

Summing up with a compilation of the stated and implied relationships of Sam and his siblings to James and to Hannah, the wife of James, in the chart below points to the likelihood that Hannah (Hill) Englehart, born circa 1828 in Ohio, and who died on the trip out to California in 1856, was the mother of all of James’ children.

 

Child’s Name Relationship to James Relationship to Hannah, wife of James
Andrew Allison Englehart Named as James’ child in James probate decree.  Sibling relationship with Eliza and Sam implied.

 

Is in the James Englehart household from 1850 through 1870.

 Resided with Hannah and James in 1850 per the census.

Hannah, as wife of James, is the implied mother of Andrew.

 
Eliza Ellen (Englehart) Winder Named as James’ daughter in 27 Nov 1886 deed.  (James the likely informant.)

Named as James’ child in James probate decree. Sibling relationship with Andrew and Sam implied.

 

Is in the James Englehart household in 1860 and 1870.

 

 

 No document found directly associating her with Hannah, but she lived with Andrew, who was enumerated with Hannah in 1850, and also with John, whose gravestone states he is son of James and Hannah.
Samuel Adams Englehart Named as James’ son in 1880 census.  (James the possible informant.)

 

Named as James’ child in James probate decree.  Sibling relationship with Andrew and Eliza implied.

 

Is in the James Englehart household for the census year 1850 through 1880.

 

 

 No document found directly associating him with Hannah, but he lived with Andrew, who was enumerated with Hannah in 1850, and also with John, whose gravestone states he is son of James and Hannah.

Implied sibling relationship with Eliza per her obituary; information likely provided by Sam himself.[20]

 
John E Englehart Named as James’ son on his gravestone.

 

In same household in 1860 with James, and the 3 children named as James’ children in probate in 1891.

 

 Named as Hannah’s son on his gravestone.

 

 

In conclusion, Sam was named as James’ son in the 1880 census, and in James’ probate, and was linked with James particularly in census records and land records. He was also linked with Eliza Ellen (Englehart) Winder, named as James’s daughter, throughout his life.  As stated in his obituary, his sister was the “late Mrs. David [sic] Winder” and Sam lived on the Winder property in the last few years of his life, and Eliza Ellen deeded the property to him just before she died.[21]  Reference to this deed was found in a Healdsburg newspaper online.[22] However, Sonoma County deeds after 1901 are not online, and would have to be accessed in Santa Rosa, California.  The deed would be worth reviewing on a future research trip to see if Eliza Ellen names Sam as her brother.

Given that James Englehart married Hannah Hill, and their youngest child John is identified as a son of James and Hannah, and their oldest child Andrew was found in the household with James and Hannah in 1850, and Eliza Ellen was identified as James’ daughter during his life in conveying property to her, and Sam was named as James’ son in the 1880 census enumeration, it is likely that the mother of Sam was James’ wife, Hannah (Hill) Englehart.

[1] “Pioneer Dies After Seventy Years Here, ” Healdsburg Tribune (Healdsburg, California), 7 November 1925, page 1, column 6; digital images, California Digital Newspaper Collection, Center for Bibliographic Studies and Research, University of California, Riverside, (http://cdnc.ucr.edu : accessed 30 October 2018).

[2] Sonoma County, California, Marriage records, Volume F, page 205, Sam Englehart and Libbie Jewell, 22 Dec 1878; digital image, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:939V-MJ1N-R?i=19&cc=1804002 : accessed 29 October 2018), image 20; citing FHL microfilm 1,031,224.

[3] Sonoma County, California, death certificate state file no. 25-053875, Samuel A. Englehart (6 November 1925), informant Hazel Holst; Sonoma County Clerk-Recorder, Santa Rosa.

[4] “Sam Englehardt Resident for 70 Years, Crosses, ” Sotoyome Scimitar (Healdsburg, California), 7 November 1925, page 1, column 6; digital images, California Digital Newspaper Collection, Center for Bibliographic Studies and Research, University of California, Riverside, (http://cdnc.ucr.edu : accessed 30 October 2018).

[5] “Pioneer Local Woman is Dead, ” Healdsburg Tribune, Enterprise and Scimitar  (Healdsburg, California), 11 March 1920, page 6, column 3; digital images, California Digital Newspaper Collection, Center for Bibliographic Studies and Research, University of California, Riverside, (http://cdnc.ucr.edu : accessed 30 October 2018).

[6] Guernsey County, Ohio, Marriage records, Volume D 1844-1864, page 100, item 5033, James Englehart and Hannah Hill, 10 December 1846; digital image, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/search/film/004701460?cat=265414 : accessed 29 October 2018), image 83; citing FHL microfilm 894,936.

[7] “Obituary – James Englehart, ” Sonoma County Tribune (Healdsburg, California), 5 April 1890, page 3, column 6.

[8] Sonoma County, California, Probate Minutes [of] Superior Court, volume 14, p. 44-47, Decree of Distribution of Estate of James Englehart, 26 January 1891; digital images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/search/film/007601408?cat=614908 : accessed 29 October 2018), images 350-351; citing FHL microfilm 1,428,306.

[9] Sonoma County, California, Marriage records, Volume F, page 205, Joseph Winder and Eliza Ellen Englehart, 15 Sep 1878; digital image, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/search/film/004666584?cc=1804002&cat=239451 : accessed 29 October 2018), image 638; citing FHL microfilm 1,031,223.

[10] Sonoma County, California, Deeds 102:581-582, Sam Englehart to James Englehart, 27 November 1886; digital images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CS5L-2QD5-J?i=831&cat=613304 : accessed 29 October 2018), images 833-834; citing FHL microfilm 1,420,591.

[11] Samuel A. Englehart (Sonoma County) homestead file, final certificate no. 8307, San Francisco, California, Land Office; Land Entry Papers, 1800-1908; photocopy of file in possession of Cathy Dempsey; Record Group 49: Records of the Bureau of Land Management; National Archives, Washington, D.C.

[12] Sonoma County, California, Deeds 102:583-584, James Englehart to Sam Englehart, 27 November 1886; digital images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CS5L-2Q6Q-D?i=832&cat=613304 : accessed 29 October 2018), images 833-834; citing FHL microfilm 1,420,591.

[13] Sonoma County, California, Deeds 108:81-82, James Englehart to Eliza Ellen Winder, 27 November 1886; digital images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CS52-R9TL-8?cat=613304 : accessed 29 October 2018), images 693-694; citing FHL microfilm 1,420,597.

[14] 1880 U.S. census, Sonoma County, California, population schedule, Enumeration District 128, Healdsburg, page 1A, (stamped) page 183, dwelling 8, family 8, Jas. Englehart household; digital image, Ancestry.com (https://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=6742 : accessed 29 October 2018); citing National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) microfilm publication T9, roll 84.

[15] 1850 U.S. census, Jasper County, Missouri, population schedule, District 41, page 53 (penned), page 385 (stamped), dwelling 354, no family number, James Englehart household; digital image, Ancestry.com (https://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=8054 : accessed 29 October 2018); citing National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) microfilm publication M432, roll 402.

[16] 1860 U.S. census, Sonoma County, California, population schedule, Mendocino Township, page 80 (penned), page 467 (stamped), dwelling 640, family 640, James Englehart household; digital image, Ancestry.com (https://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=7667 : accessed 29 October 2018); citing National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) microfilm publication M653, roll 69.

[17] 1870 U.S. census, Sonoma County, California, population schedule, Healdsburg, Mendocino Township, page 20 (penned), dwelling 175, family 161, James Englehart household; digital image, Ancestry.com (https://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=7163 : accessed 29 October 2018); citing National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) microfilm publication M593, roll 91.

[18] Ancestry, Find A Grave, database with images (http://www.findagrave.com : accessed 29 October 2018), memorial 43428210, John E Englehart (1855- 1865), Oak Mound Cemetery, Healdsburg, Sonoma County, California; gravestone photograph by Susan Faught.

[19] Guernsey County, Ohio, Marriage records, Volume D 1844-1864, page 100, item 5033, James Englehart and Hannah Hill, 10 December 1846; digital image, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/search/film/004701460?cat=265414 : accessed 29 October 2018), image 83; citing FHL microfilm 894,936.

[20] “Pioneer Local Woman is Dead,” Healdsburg Tribune, Enterprise and Scimitar, 11 March 1920, page 6, col. 3.

[21] “Sam Englehardt Crosses, ” Sotoyome Scimitar, 7 November 1925, page 6, col. 1.

[22] “Deeds, ” Press Democrat (Santa Rosa, California), 17 March 1920, page 12, column 2; digital images, California Digital Newspaper Collection, Center for Bibliographic Studies and Research, University of California, Riverside, (http://cdnc.ucr.edu : accessed 30 October 2018).

Jacob Copple and Margaret (Blalock) Copple… Data Viz of their DNA-tested descendants

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My Copple line was one of my “brick wall” lines, meaning I did not know the identities of  my great-great grandmother Libbie (Copple) Englehart’s parents, not to mention the fact I did not know for certain Libbie Englehart was even a Copple!  Thanks to DNA testing, it appears that the family oral history that Libbie was in fact a Copple appears to be true.

Below is a chart which shows Libby’s likely paternal grandparents Jacob and Margaret (Blalock) Copple, her father Ben and some of his siblings who have living descendants who have DNA-tested AND who match my mom.

I say “likely” paternal grandparents, meaning they are the best possible candidates for her grandparent

This particular data visualization is called the “McGuire Method” after Lauren McGuire, who developed it; her explanation of the chart can be found here.

McGuireMethod_Visual_CoppleFamily

What does this chart tell us?  It gives us an straightforward visualization of how the various descendants of Jacob and Margaret, my 4th great grandparents, relate to my mother and to me.

Jacob and Margaret are listed at the top, and are shown as the parents of Ben F Copple, Sarilda Copple, Jacob W Copple, and Sanford H Copple.  (Jacob and Margaret had 5 other children who reached adulthood, but those children either don’t have any descendants alive today, or don’t have descendants who have tested AND match my mom.)  Matching my mom is critical, if we are to use the DNA matches to validate the “paper trail” of documentation for the ancestors back to Jacob and Margaret.

Ben Franklin Copple is my 3rd great-grandfather, and the eldest son of Jacob and Margaret.  He was married twice — first to Phoebe Harvey, the mother of his 4 (possibly 5) daughters, and then to Susie, the mother of his 3 sons.  Libbie, my great-great grandma, and her sister Mary have descendants alive today who have gotten their DNA tested and match my mother and me.  In addition, a descendant of Ben’s son Nathan has tested and matches my mom.

Ben’s sister Sarilda has a descendant who has tested (called “M” on the chart), as does Ben’s brother Jacob Washington Copple.  Ben’s brother Sanford Howard Copple has numerous DNA-tested descendants, not all of whom are shown here.  Tested matches include descendants of Sanford’s daughter Margaret and Sanford’s son William. 

The two lines at the bottom of the chart are the key to the “McGuire Method” of visualization.  The first line shows the amount of DNA (in total centiMorgans) that my mom “A” shares with the tested cousin(s).   What is a centiMorgan?  The most simplistic explanation is that it’s a logical — not physical — unit of length of an unbroken sequence of the bases (adenine (A), thymine (T), cytosine (C), and guanine (G)). 

Your longest unbroken string of base sequences for each of your chromosomes would be shared with your mom and your dad — that is, from one end of each chromosome to the other.  More distant relatives, like 3rd cousins, may share only one or two segments of DNA — or none at all.   (For more detail on centiMorgans, see here, here and here.)

Amounts of shared DNA highlighted in yellow on this chart are based on the AncestryDNA test; amounts highlighted in purple are based on FamilyTreeDNA’s test.  Below the centiMorgan (cM) amounts is the relationship (e.g., “4C” = 4th cousin, “2C1R” = 2nd cousin one generation removed).

Below my mother’s shared DNA amounts is my own shared amounts with those same cousins.  With certain matches, I inherited less than half of mom’s shared DNA; in other cases, I inherited essentially all of it.

Since I first created this chart, a descendant of another of Ben Copple’s sons — brother to Nathan shown on the chart — has had their DNA tested and shares DNA with my mom.  In addition, at least one descendant of a third child of Ben’s brother Sanford has tested, and they, too, are a match.   As additional descendants test — and match — my mother, this strengthens the case I am making (based on the paper trail) that this is Libbie (Copple) Englehart’s family — her dad, her paternal aunts and uncles, and her paternal grandparents.  And hence my mother’s family and my own as well.