Welcome to the World Sullivan Arig!

Congratulations to Chris and Gina on the birth of their baby boy, Sullivan Arig who came into this world on Tuesday! Congratulations also to my cousin Amy and her husband Greg who are the paternal grandparents! 

Dear Sullivan,

Welcome to the world precious little boy!

I hope you have eyes that are filled with wonder.

I hope you are mischievous as all little boys tend to be.

I hope your laugh sounds like a big deep belly laughs.

I hope your heart is full of grace.

I hope you reach for the stars and the moon and everything this world has to offer.

Most of all little boy, I hope you know just how much you are loved!

Love,

Dawn 

 

Who Was the First President Your Ancestors Could Vote For?

Katherine R. Willson of Social Media for Genealogy wrote a post yesterday, My Grandparents' First U.S. Presidental Election. It made me want to take a look and see who my parents, grandparents and great grandparents could have voted for in their very first election. Thank you, Katherine for such a great idea! 

Now, I have chosen to include my great grandparents, because my great grandmothers' would have been the first women in my family able to vote in a presidential election. 

My Great Grandparent's

My paternal great grandfather's are William Points Williams who was born in 1877 and Robert Lincoln Rich who was born in 1885. They would have been able to vote in their first elections in 1900 at the age of 25 and at age 23 in 1908 respectively. The candidates for the 1900 elections were William McKinley (Rep.), William J. Ryan (Dem. People's Party) and Eugene V. Debs (Socialist). The candidates for the 1908 elections were William H. Taft (Rep.), William J. Bryan (Dem.) and Eugene V. Debs (Socialist).

My maternal great grandfather's are William Joseph Rueff, Jr who born in 1874 and Dr Raymond Alexander Behrle who was born in 1880. They would have been able to vote in their first elections in 1896 and 1904 respectively. The candidates for the 1896 were William McKinley (Rep.), William J. Bryan (Dem. People's Party), John M. Palmer (National Democrats) and Joshua Levering (Prohibitionist). The candidates for the 1904 elections were Theodore Roosevelt (Rep.), Alton B. Parker (Dem.) and Eugene V. Debs (Socialist). 

My paternal great grandmother's are, Sarah Elizabeth (Lucas) Williams was born in 1879 and Lillian Bergamot (Lanahan) Rich was born in 1886. My maternal great grandmother's are Ann Marie (Kirn) Rueff was born in 1874 and Pauline (Orth) Behrle was born in 1888. All of these women would be able to vote in the 1920 elections Sarah would have been 41, Lillian would have been 34, Ann would have been 46 and Pauline would have been 32. The candidates for the 1920 elections were Warren G. Harding (Rep.), James M. Cox (Dem.), and Eugene V. Debs (Socialist).

My Grandparents

My paternal grandparents are William Elmer Williams and Peggy Scott (Rich) Williams. William was born in 1910 and Peggy in 1911. Both William and Peggy would have been able to vote in the 1932 election. The candidates for the 1932 election were Franklin D. Roosevelt (Dem.), Herbert Hoover (Rep.) and Norman Thomas (Socialist).

My maternal grandparents are George Kenneth Rueff and Mary Myrtle (Behrle) Rueff. George was born in 1905 and Myrtle was born in 1913. George would have been able to vote in the 1932 elections as well. Myrtle's first election would not be until 1936 and the candidates for that election were Franklin D. Roosevelt (Dem.), Alfred M. Landon (Rep.) and Norman Thomas (Socialist). 

Peggy was 8 years old and Myrtle was 6 years old when the 19th Amendment was ratified in 1919 giving women the right to vote. I can't help but wonder if they were even aware of such an important amendment to our Constitution at those ages. Knowing what I know of my great grandmothers I don't believe any of them participated in the women's suffrage movement, at least no evidence I have been able to find anyway to support that they did.

My Parents

My Mom and Dad would be married for a little over 5 years before they would be able to vote in their first election in 1960. They were living in Florida at this time. The candidates for the 1960 election were John F. Kennedy (Dem.) and Richard M. Nixon (Rep.).

Me

I registered to vote on my 18th birthday in Montgomery, Montgomery County, Alabama for the 1980 election. The candidates for the 1980 election were Ronald Regan (Rep.), Jimmy Carter (Dem.) and John B. Anderson (Independent). Unfortunately, I didn't get the chance to vote in 1980 because I was in the hospital recovering from anaphylactic shock from penicillin. I would have to wait another 4 years to be able to vote in my first presidential election.


Sources: 

Infoplease (http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0781450.html : accessed 15 November 2016), "Presidential Elections, 1789-2012".

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org), "Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution," rev. 19:00 UTC, 15 October 2016.        
                    

Movin' On Up!

My son David is a Parts Manager at a Toyota dealership here in South Carolina. He has done very well for himself with his current company. He recently learned there was a job opening for a Parts Manager position at a different Toyota dealership, in another state and applied for the position. Needless to say he was offered this position. David and Cassie decided that this position was a great opportunity for him and their family. David has accepted the position and begins next week.

Now my son is going home! Home to Greensboro, North Carolina where he was born and raised. I know that this is a great opportunity for David and Cassie, especially with a new baby on the way too! While I won't be living as close to them as I have been for the last seven years but I know that in Greensboro they will have much more family support! My parents still live there along with two of my sisters so there will be plenty of babysitters for Easton!

I am very happy for David & Cassie and I know that good things are happening for them. I am also very proud of David. I am proud of the boy I raised and the man he has become through hard work and determination. He is a loving husband and father. 

Congratulations, David! 

All my love,

Momma

Defending Freedom Memorial ~ Local 9/11 Memorial

Back in April of this year, my husband and I had the opportunity to visit a few memorials in the Las Vegas area. The first one was the Silent Heroes of the Cold War National Monument (you can see that post here). Next we went to the Defending Freedom Memorial at Red Rock Canyon. 

This memorial was built to honor members of the United States Military from Nevada who have died since the beginning of the war with Iraq and Afghanistan. A war which was a direct response to an attack on America. That attack occurred on Tuesday, September 11th, 2001 at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon in Washington, DC and a field in Pennsylvania where passengers and flight crew died as a result of these attacks. This memorial is beautiful and simplistic in a setting that can take your breath away. My pictures don't do it justice but they are all I have to show.

The memorial stones sit in a semi-circle.

Stone # 1: PVT Joshua M Morberg USA, SGT Gordon F Misner II USA, CPL Shawn T Lasswell Jr. USA, 1st SGT Carlos N Saenz USA, SPC Teodoro Torres USA, SGT John C Griffin USA, SSGT Emmanuel L Legaspi USA, PFC David N Crombie USA, SPC Ignacio Ramirez USA, LCPL Jeremy Z Long USMC, PFC P. Brandon Williams USA, SGT Kenneth E Bostic USA.

Stone # 2: SGT David Joseph Drakulich USA, SSGT Sean Michael Gaul USA, PFC Willington M Rhoads USA, CW2 Christian P Humphreys USA, SGT Ezra Dawson USA, SPC Thomas F Lyons USA, PFC Kevin Thomson USA, SPC Kimble Han USA, SGT Josue Hernandez-Chavez USA, PFC Roger A Suarez-Gonzalez USA, SSG Sean Derrel Diamond USA.

Stone # 3: PFC John Lukac USMC, SPC Daniel F Guastaferro USA, SGT Eric W Morris USA, LCPL Richard Perez Jr. USMC, CPL Jesse Jaime USMC, MM2 (Seal) Shane Patton USN, CPL Joseph L Martinez USA, SGT Patrick D Stewart USA, CPL Seamus M Davey USMC, PFC Thomas C Siekert USA.

Stone # 4: SPC Jason A Disney USA, CPL Matthew A Commons USA, LCPL Donald J Cline Jr. USMC, LCPL Michael Williams USMC, SSG Cameron B Sarno USA, SPC James L Beckstrand USA, A1C Jesse M Samek USAF, LCPL Nicholas H Anderson USMC, CPL Christopher L Weaver USMC, SSG Donald Griffin Jr. USA.

Stone # 5: Defending Freedom. "It is wrong to mourn the death of men like these. Rather we should thank God that such men lived." General George S. Patton. ALL GAVE SOME...SOME GAVE ALL.

Stone # 6: SPC Brian Tabada USA, SGT Matthew Hennigan USA, SGT Frank Zaehringer III,USMC, 1st Lt Joel Gentz USAF, SSgt David Smith USAF, Capt David Wisniewski USAF, SrA Michael Buras USAF, SGT Ken Hermogino USA, SPC Douglas J Green USA, SPC Dennis James Jr.USA, SGT Timothy Sayne USA, CPL Jon-Luke Bateman USMC.

Stone # 7:  CPL Stanley J Lapinski USA, SPC Anthony S Cometa USA, 2nd LT James J Cathey USMC, CW3 John M Flynn USA, SSG Kerry W Frith USA, CW2 John D Smith USA, 2nd Lt Frederick E Pokorney USMC, CPT Joshua T Byers USA, SFC Raymond E Jones Jr. USA, CPL William L Salazar USMC.

Stone # 8: LCPL Budd M Cote USMC, SSG Coby G Schwab USA, SSG Michael L Townes USA, Capt Kermit O Evans USAF, SGT Anthony J Schober USA, LCPL Raul Samuel Bravo II USMC, PFC Alexander R Varela USA, CW02 Joshua R Rodgers USA, SPC Joshua S Modgling USA, SPC Travis M Virgadamo USA, 1st LT Nathan M Krissoff USMC, SGT Alfred G Paredez Jr. USA.

Genealogy Education ~ Researching Civil War Ancestors in South Carolina

This past week I had the opportunity to attend a workshop at the South Carolina Department of Archives and History (SCDAH). The workshop, "Sources for Researching Your Civil War Ancestors"¹ was presented by Mr. Wade Dorsey, an archivist at SCDAH. 

Brief History of The Archives & History Center

In 1891, the South Carolina General Assembly established the Public Records Commission of South Carolina. In 1905, the name was changed to the South Carolina Historical Commission. The first paid employee of the South Carolina Historical Commission was Alexander Salley. Later, the South Carolina Historical Commission would become the South Carolina Department of Archives and History.

You may recognize the name, Alexander Salley, he is a well known author in the genealogical community. One of his jobs was to provide proof of Confederate Service to surviving veterans and their widows for pension applications. This was free to the soldiers and their widows. 

Today, that service is still provided for free. If you provide the name, unit, regiment and company of your ancestor SCDAH will search their records and provide an abstract of your Civil War ancestor on official letterhead. Included with that is the information to purchase copies of the records they used to write their abstract.

It should be noted that SCDAH does have subscriptions to Ancestry.com and Fold3.com.

Civil War Resources Available at SCDAH

Union Records

You will not find many records for Union soldiers at SCDAH, however you will find "Compiled Military Service Records of Volunteer Union Soldiers" who served with the United States Colored Troops. These records are on microfilm from the National Archives for the "1st S.C. Volunteers (Colored)" and the  "1st US Colored Infantry, Co. A 1st Colored Infantry (one year)". These records are arranged alphabetically. You will also find these records at Fold3. 

The next record set for Union soldiers would be the veterans and widows pension records. The US Troops were paid by the US Government. You can find the pension record index at Ancestry. You can also find both the index cards and pension applications for these records at Fold3. 

Using the information provided in the workshop I found the following pension record for
Patsy Brooks². Patsy's husband, Allen Brooks served in the 35th Regiment of the US Colored Troops. Her application packet has more than 200 pages! Her pension application is below.

Image from https://www.fold3.com

Another record set you may find Union soldiers on is the 1890 Census. Yes, I know the 1890 Census was destroyed in a fire but there is a surviving list available for Union Veterans who were living SC at the time of the 1890 Veterans Schedule. The SCDAH has these records on microfilm and a printed index. You can also find these records at Ancestry.

There is one last set of records that you may find Union soldiers in and those are the 1910 and 1930 census records. I have to admit I didn't know this! I knew about the 1840 Census which tracked veterans of the Revolutionary War. I can't help but wonder if veterans from WW 1, WW 2, Korea, Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan have been included in more recent census records. Known of my Confederate veterans survived to be in these census records so I don't know if their records are marked or not.

In the 1910 Census, you will find the question for veterans of the Civil War in box 30 and if the answer was yes it was denoted with a check mark and the initials UA. Here is the
1910³ census for my children's 2nd cousin, four times removed, Calvin C. Kitts showing the designation. I wish it was larger but I have the entries for Calvin.

Image from https://www.familysearch.org

And here is Calvin's 1930⁴ Census record.

 Image from https://www.familysearch.org

Confederate Records

The Department of Archives and History maintains many various record series that can help you identify your ancestor who served in the Civil War from the state South Carolina. Many of them can be found at Fold3, however there are some that can only be found at SCDAH.

The most important records you will find at SCDAH are the "Compiled Service Records" of South Carolina soldiers who served in the Civil War. These records are available for South Carolina units and include a index that is Confederacy wide. These records are arranged by branch of service. In order for SCDAH to assist you in your search you will need to know which branch of service your ancestor served in (Artillery, Cavalry or Infantry). There is a printed index of South Carolina troops in the Reference Room at SCDAH.

These compiled service records can include the following information: muster rolls which were taken every two months, promotions/demotions, branch of service, rank, unit, date/place of enlistment, who enlisted them and for how long. You may also find surrender and parole information, captures, prisoner of war information, what POW camp they were taken to, desertions, wounds, hospital rolls and death information. These are the primary records used to prove that your ancestor served in the Civil War.

The SCDAH also has "Compiled Service Records of General and Staff Officers and Nonregimental Enlisted Men" on microfilm from the National Archives. This series is done alphabetically and does not have an index. These compiled service records are for General Officers like General Wade Hampton and also includes Surgeons, Ordnance Officers and Quartermasters among others. These men usually did not fit into the typical regimental structure. These records are also available on Fold3.

Also on microfilm are records that pertain to the Navy and Marine Corps personnel. Like the Army you will find service cards, hospital and prison records and are arranged alphabetically.

Memory Rolls

The official name of these records is "Roll of South Carolina Volunteers in the Confederate States Provisional Army" however, they are commonly referred to as "Memory Rolls". The "Memory Rolls" were created by the Office of the Confederate Historian. The "Memory Rolls" were an attempt by South Carolina to recreate a list of Confederate serviceman after Federal troops captured all official records of the Confederate military. These rolls were compiled using questionnaires that were sent to surviving soldier (most often officers). Roll were also taken at  Survivor's Association meetings. 

This is a series of five oversized folio volumes which are arranged in the following order: branch of service, unit and company. In this record series you may find information on soldiers who do not have a compiled service record. The fifth volume in this series is about servicemen from the militia, state troops and other miscellaneous units. This volume is not indexed. However the men who don't have compiled service records in this volume have been added to the Confederate Abstract database at SCDAH and can be checked by the Archives staff.

The Roll of Honor and The Roll of the Dead

"The Roll of Honor and The Roll of the Dead" are another series that was created by the Confederate Historian office. It is a compilation of South Carolina deceased servicemen who were either killed and/or died while serving the Civil War. Both rolls were started during the war and were completed in the 1870's. While they contain the names of the dead they are not complete. In these rolls you may find the following information: name, age, rank, company, regiment, home district, date and place of death and cause of death.

A more complete listing of South Carolinians who died in the Civil War is the book, "Broken Fortunes" by Randolph Kirkland. Another good resource is a multi-volume series by Herbert "Bing" Chambers is "And Were the Glory of Their Times". The Archives has both of these available in the Reference Room. It should be noted that they currently only have volume one of Mr. Chambers series.

Pension Records

In 1887, South Carolina enacted a law to provide Confederate pensions to veterans and their widows. The first payments were made in 1888. There are very few pension applications that exist prior to 1919 however a list is available at the Archives. In 1919, the state required all veterans and widows receiving benefits to fill out new applications. You can find these applications at SCDAH by county with the exception of Williamsburg County. You can also access these records via the SCDAH's Online Records Index.

Also in 1888, South Carolina began making a yearly list of pensioners. These lists are done by county and classification. These lists were then published each year in a report by the Comptroller General to the South Carolina General Assembly.The pension lists generally contain the veteran's name, county, unit and the date he entered the pension roll. Also check the county in which your veteran lived as he maybe listed on a county level in the "Board of Honor".

While South Carolina did not have any units that were composed of black soldiers there were black men who served as cooks, musicians, servants or attendants. It is rare to find them in Compiled Service Records because they are generally listed by their first name, usually with the designation of "colored" and their owners name are usually listed. Below is an example that was used in the workshop which I was able to find on Fold3⁵. This is the muster roll for Lotte, a colored cook in Capt. Walter's Company (Washington Artillery), South Carolina Light Artillery.

 image from https://www.fold3.com/image/271/73854210

I should also note that beginning in 1923, black men who served as cooks, musicians, servants or attendants could apply for a Confederate pension.The surviving applications can be found at the Online Records Index. You can also find a list in "South Carolina's African American Pensioners" by Alexia Helsley.

Other Records Available at SCDAH

The next few record sets are new to me and you can bet I will be exploring them very soon! In 1909, The "Infirmary for Confederate Veterans (Confederate Home)" opened in Columbia, South Carolina. In the beginning only two veterans per county could be sent to the home. Later on the home began accepting widows, daughters and nieces of Confederate veterans. SCDAH has the infirmary applications for the home available. Below is an example of an application for the Confederate home. Below is the application for J. T. Calmeas⁶ which I found in the Online Record Index for SCDAH.

 images from http://www.archivesindex.sc.gov/onlinearchives/Thumbnails.aspx?recordId=312046

Another interesting record set found at SCDAH is "Records of Artificial Limbs". Records were kept from 1866. However there is an exception, during the Reconstruction period the convening authorities declined to supply Confederate veterans with artificial limbs. It was the General Assembly who would occasionally authorize payments for Confederate veterans who had lost arms and legs in the War. 

I purchased a small book, "Artificial Limbs for Confederate soldiers" by Patrick J. McCawley which gives a history of articial limbs and includes an index to "Artificial Limbs and Voucher Applications". I also picked up two other books by Mr. McCawley, "Guide to Civil War Records: A guide to the records in the South Carolina Department of Archives and History" and "South Carolina Department of Archives and History - Selected Civil War bibliography".

Records of Exemptions

Do you have ancestor who was the right age to have served in the Civil War but you can't find any records to document his service? Have you heard of Conscription laws? Well these particular laws exempted many persons from service including slave owners who had a certain number of slaves as well as those who were overseers on plantations.

The SCDAH has a list of exempted Overseers in South Carolina from 1862-1864. These records show the name of the overseer, the district in which he lived and the name of his employer. South Carolina also had state conscription laws that exempted, teachers, doctors, ministers and railroad employees. Some of these petitions for exemption still exist and can be found in the records of Adjutant General for the years 1865-1865. Others appear in the papers of Governor Andrew Gordon McGrath however they are filed chronologically with his correspondence.
 
Sources:
1. Dorsey, Wade, "Sources for Researching Your Civil War Ancestors," South Carolina Department of Archives and Records. Columbia, South Carolina (11 August 2016).

2. Application for Pension, 31 July 1866, Patsy Brooks, widow's pension application no. 130,887, certificate no. 100,993; service of Allen Brooks (Co. H, 35th USCT., Civil War); database with images, Fold3 (https://www.fold3.com/image/295587047 : 12 August 2016) citing Case Files of Approved Pension Applications of Widows and Other Dependents of Civil War Veterans, ca. 1861 - ca. 1910; Case Files of Approved Pension Applications and Other Veterans of the Army and Navy Who Served Mainly in the Civil War and the War With Spain, compiled 1861 - 1934; Record Group 15, National Archives, Washington, DC.

3. 1910 U.S. census, Union County, Tennessee, population schedule, Old 4" District, Enumeration District (ED) 177, sheet 1-A (penned), dwelling 1, family 1, Calvin Kitts digital image, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MGNW-39G : accessed 12 August 2016); citing NARA microfilm publication T624.

4. 1930 U.S. census,  Union County, Tennessee, population schedule, Old 4" District, Enumeration District (ED) 47-42, sheet 9-A (penned), dwelling 176, family 196-A, Calvin Kitts; digital image, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:SP4L-WSG : 12 August 2016); citing NARA microfilm publication T626. 

5. Compiled Service Record, Lotte (Blank), colored cook, Captain Walter's Company, South Carolina Light Artillery, p2, digital image, Fold3 (https://www.fold3.com/image/271/73854210 : 12 August 2016); citing Compiled Service Records of Confederate Soldiers Who Served in Organizations From the State of South Carolina; citing NARA Publication number M267, State: South Carolina, Record Group 109, Roll 0107.

6. "Applications for Veterans' Admission (Confederate Home)", database with images, South Carolina Department of Archives and History (http://www.archivesindex.sc.gov/onlinearchives/Thumbnails.aspx?recordId=312046 : 12 August 2016), image copy, "J. T. Calmeas, of Newberry County application for admission to the Confederate Home, Service in Company C, Third Regiment, Infantry".

What Else Can I Do to Prove These Are Two Different People?

I am trying to prove that Victoria J Neel and Victoria Spradling are two different women. I have been told that they are the same person but I just don't see how that is possible considering where the two women were born, raised, married and died. 

To give you an idea of the area I am looking at on a map and where I am looking for records here is a map from Alice Lloyd College in Eastern Kentucky. It is a map of their service area but I found it showed the region I am looking at very well. I also wanted to get an idea of the distance between where these two Victoria's spent their lives so I went to Google Maps and did a check on the distances from Bland County, Virginia to Kanawha County, West Virginia is by today's calculations 108 miles. I then checked the distance between Kanawha County, West Virginia, to Gallia County, Ohio and by today's calculations it is 196 miles. Keep in mind I did not use specific addresses, just one county to another so the mileage is off for one specific location to another.  It should be noted that Bland County was formed in 1861 from the Virginia counties of Giles, Tazewell and Wythe ¹.

Photo Credit: Alice Lloyd College ²
                                                                                              
Victoria J Neel

Victoria J. Neel is the 2nd youngest daughter of Thomas A. Neel and Sarah Fortner Neel. She was born on 10 July 1856 ³ in Tazewell County, Virginia. She has numerous census records as well as marriage and death records.  

Victoria is 4 years old when she appears in the 1860 ⁴ census. She and her family are living in the Eastern District, Tazewell, Virginia. In the 1870 ⁵ census, Victoria and her family are living in Clear Fork, Tazewell, Virginia. She is listed as 16 years of age putting her year of birth at 1854. Between the 1870 census and the 1880 census, Victoria's mother, Sarah dies. I don't have a confirmed date or year but most online trees have her death year as 1875. Her father, Thomas is remarried prior to the 1880 US Census.  

Victoria is listed in the 1880 ⁶ census in the home of William and Elizabeth Kitts. She is listed as 21 years of age which puts her birth year about 1859. Her occupation is listed as servant/cook. I don't know how long Victoria held this position in the Kitts household but I do know that Elizabeth dies in August of 1885. On 20 October 1887 ⁷, in Bland County, Victoria marries William Kitts. Victoria and William have one child, James Martin Kitts born on 6 March 1889 in Bland County. Sometime between 1889 and 1900 William dies. 

The 1900⁸ census shows Victoria and James living in the home of Alexander Neel (possibly her brother) in Sharon, Bland, Virginia. She is listed as a boarder, a widow and her occupation is as a housekeeper. Her age is listed as 40 years old putting her birth year at 1860. The 1910 ⁹ census shows Victoria living in the home of her sister in law, Mary M Neal and two nephews. Victoria is 58 years old putting her birth year at 1852 and no occupation is listed for her.  

By the time of the 1920 ¹⁰ census, Victoria is living with her son, James, his wife and their three daughters. They are living in Seddon, Bland, Virginia. She is listed as 66 years old putting her birth year at 1854. In the 1930 ¹¹ census Victoria is still living with her son James and his family. They are still living in Seddon, Bland, Virginia. Victoria's age is listed as 79 putting her birth year at 1851. 

On 8 December 1932 ¹¹, tragedy strikes when Victoria's son James dies suddenly in Sharon, Bland, Virginia. His death certificate says that the cause of death was heart, angina pectoris, most probably a heart attack. How sad that it is so close to the Christmas holiday. James was 43 years old and left behind his mother, wife, Leota and 4 daughters to mourn his death. Sadly, Victoria dies almost 18 months later on 26 May 1934 ¹² in Sharon, Bland, Virginia. Her cause of death is listed as vascular heart trouble and arteriosclerosis.

Using Google Docs I created a timeline for Victoria J Neel below. Below is an image capture of my timeline to see the timeline sheet you can click here.

 
Victoria Spradling

Victoria Spradling is the daughter of James W. Spradling and Mary Ann Hunt Spradling. Finding records for Victoria has been a challenge and some of the records I would like to have for her are scarce, the few records I have been able to find indicate that she spent most of her childhood in West Virginia and Ohio. 
 
Victoria was born on 24 December 1860 ¹³ in Field's Creek, Kanawha, West Virginia. The first census record she should be on is the 1870 census and I cannot find this family on that census. I have tried numerous wildcard searches, variations on the spelling of her first and last name and nothing. I know from birth records that three of  Victoria's siblings were born in Gallia County, Ohio in 1868 ¹⁴, 1873 ¹⁵ and 1884 ¹⁶. Obviously the family was back and forth between West Virginia and Gallia County, Ohio. So where were they in 1870?  

The next record I find Victoria in is the 1880 ¹⁷ census. She is living in the home of her parents in Pocatalico, Putnam, West Virginia where she is listed as 21 years of age and her occupation is domestic labor. 

The final record I find for Victoria is her marriage record to John Aaron Kitts* (see note at the end of this post). The license was issued on the 22 March 1884 ¹⁸ and they were married on 22 April 1884 in Gallia County, Ohio. On 12 December 1884 ¹⁹, Victoria gives birth to her only known child, Ella Ann Kitts in Kanawha County, West Virginia. Biology tells me that more than likely Victoria was already pregnant when she and John married however the math tells me that Ella could have been at least a month early if Victoria did not get pregnant until wedding night or shortly thereafter. This is where Victoria's paper trail ends.

Victoria's daughter, Ella appears on the 1900 ²⁰ census, living with her father, John, in Guyan, Gallia, Ohio and his marital status is listed as divorced. Ella's father died on 14 April 1907 ²¹ and his obituary²² states he was married five times including Victoria.
In the same 1900²³ census, Victoria parents and 5 of her siblings are practically living side by side on the same street. I also noticed that Mary Ann Spradling states she is the mother of 12 children and that 8 of her children were still living in 1900.
 
Below is an image capture of the timeline I created for Victoria, to see her timeline sheet click here.

Conclusion 

Using only the records I found at Ancestry, FamilySearch, Find A Grave and Fold3, such as birth, census, marriage, newspaper, obituary and death records, it is my conclusion that these two Victoria’s are in fact two different women. I can't even find a place where they might have crossed paths during their lifetimes.

So now I am asking you, my readers and fellow genealogy lovers to please let me know what your thoughts are on my research of these two women. Is there something I am missing? Have I missed a record set somewhere along the way?


Sources:

1. Wikipedia Contributors. "Bland County, Virginia," Wikipedia The Free Encyclopedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bland_County,_Virginia : 3 August 2016).

2. Map of the Service Area for Alice Lloyd College, Alice Lloyd College (http://www.alc.edu/about-us/our-service-area/ : 3 August 2016). 

3. Find A Grave, digital image, (www.findagrave.com : 3 August 2016), photograph, single stone for Victoria Neel Kitts (born 10 July 1856-died 26 May 1934), Red Oak Cemetery, Ceres, Bland, Virginia, USA; Find A Grave Memorial no. 4961139, image submitted by Marvin and Samme Templin, 4 July 2014.

4. 1860 U.S. census, Tazewell County, Virginia, population schedule, the Eastern District, p. 83 (penned), dwelling 566, family 538, digital image, Fold3 (https://www.fold3.com/image/81453373 : accessed 3 August 2016) entry for Victoria Neel in the household of Thomas Neel; citing NARA microfilm publication M653, roll 1412, Record Group 29.

5. 1870 U.S. census, Tazewell County, Virginia, population schedule, Clear Fork, p.67 (penned), dwelling 139, family 139, Victoria Neel in the household of Thomas Neel, digital image, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MFGD-VYF : 3 August 2016); citing NARA microfilm publication M593, n.d.

6. 1880 U.S. census, Bland County, Virginia, population schedule, Seddon, enumeration district (ED) 6, p. 1 (penned), sheet 376-A (stamped), dwelling 8, family 8, Victoria Neel in the household of William Kitts, digital image, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MCPK-JH1 : 3 August 2016); citing NARA microfilm publication T9, roll 1356, n.d.

7. "Virginia Marriages, 1785-1940," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XRDK-ZS6 : 5 December 2014), Wm. Kitts and Victoria Neel, 20 Oct 1887; citing Bland County, Virginia, reference Reg. of Marr., P. 27; FHL microfilm 30,630.

8. 1900 U.S. census, Bland County, Virginia, population schedule, Sharon, enumeration district (ED) 4, sheet 7-B (penned), dwelling 107, family 109, Victoria Kitts in the household of Alexander Neel, digital image, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MMFV-6H4 : accessed 3 August 2016); citing NARA microfilm publication T623.

9. 1910 U.S. census, Bland County, Virginia, population schedule, Seddon, Enumeration District (ED) 4, sheet 12-A (penned), dwelling 220, family 221, Victoria Kitts in the household of Mary M Neal, digital image, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MPGJ-KTX : accessed 3 August 2016); citing NARA microfilm publication T624.

10. 1920 U.S. census, Bland County, Virginia, population schedule, Seddon, Enumeration District (ED) 5, sheet 10-A (penned), dwelling 162, family 162, Victoria Kitts in the household of James M Kitts; digital image, Family Search ((https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MJFN-NWH : accessed 3 August 2016); citing NARA microfilm publication T625.

11. 1930 U.S. census, Bland County, Virginia, population schedule, Seddon, Enumeration District (ED) 11-3, sheet 11-A (penned), p. 42 (stamped), dwelling 182, family 188, Victoria Kitts in the household of James M Kitts; digital image, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:C82R-ST2 : 3 August 2016); citing NARA microfilm publication T626.

11.  Virginia Deaths 1912-2014, Virginia Department of Health, "Virginia Death Records, 1912-2014," database with images, Ancestry (www.ancestry.com : 3 August 2016), entry for James Martin Kitts, certificate no. 28749, (1932).

13. Virginia Deaths 1912-2014, Virginia Department of Health, "Virginia Death Records, 1912-2014," database with images, Ancestry (www.ancestry.com : 3 August 2016), entry for Victoria Kitts, certificate no. 11857, (1934).

14.  "West Virginia Births, 1853-1930," database, FamilySearch (www.familysearch.org : accessed 3 August 2016); citing West Virginia Vital Research Records, Birth Registers, database with images, West Virginia Division of Culture and History, (http://www.wvculture.org/vrr/va_view2.aspx?FilmNumber=521730&ImageNumber=78 : 3 August 2016), entry for Victoria Spradling, 24 December 1860, page 70, line 167.

15. "Ohio, Births and Christenings 1774-1973," index, Ancestry (www.ancestry.com : accessed 3 August 2016), entry for female Spradling, born 28 September 1868 to James Spradling, Clay, Gallia, Ohio.

16.  "Ohio, Births and Christenings 1774-1973," index, Ancestry (www.ancestry.com : accessed 3 August 2016), entry for H.A. Spradling, born 6 January 1873 to James Spradling and Mary Ann Hunt, Clay, Gallia, Ohio.

17.  "Ohio, Births and Christenings 1774-1973," index, Ancestry (www.ancestry.com : accessed 3 August 2016),entry for Carrie Mae Spradling, born 18 June 1884 to James Spradling and Mary Ann Hunt, Chambersburg, Gallia, Ohio.

18. 1880 U.S. Census, Putnam County, West Virgina, population schedule, Pocatalico, enumeration district (ED) 111, p. 12 (stamped), p. 49 A (stamped), dwelling 88, family 90, database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M6T7-37F : 3 August 2016), entry for Victoria Spradling in the household of Jas Spradling; citing NARA microfilm publication T9, roll 1412.

19.  Gallia, Ohio, Marriage Records, vol. 5, p.574; image,  "Ohio, County Marriages, 1789-2013," FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XDWP-29N : accessed 3 August 2016); citing Gallia, Ohio, United States, FHL microfilm 317655.

20. "Public Member Trees," database, Ancestry (www.ancestry.com : accessed 3 August 2016), "Davis Family Tree," entry for Ella Ann Kitts (b. 12 December 1884); submitted by cherylmyers100.

21.  1900 U.S. Census, Guyan, Gallia, Ohio, population schedule, enumeration district (ED) 32, sheet 1B, dwelling 14, family 14, database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XDWP-29N : 3 August 2016) entry for Ella Kitts in the household of John Kitts; citing NARA microfilm publication T623

22. "Gallia County Cemetery-King-Lanvin," database, Gallia Genealogy (http://www.galliagenealogy.org/cemeteryrecords/cem_king_lan.htm : 3 August 2016) entry for John Kitts.

23. "Gallia County Newspaper Obituaries," database with transcriptions, Gallia Genealogy (http://www.galliagenealogy.org/Obituaries/obits_k.htm#JohnKitts : 3 August 2016) entry for John Kitts.

24. 1900 U.S. Census, Charleston, Kanawha, West Virginia, population schedule, enumeration district (ED) 43, sheet 2A, dwelling 18, family 18, database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-D4GS-QHV : 3 August 2016) entry for Mary Spradling in the household of James W. Spradling; citing NARA microfilm publication T623.

Note: It should be noted that while Kitts family is one I have researched since 1980, this John Aaron Kitts is from a line of Kitts in Pennsylvania and at this time I cannot connect our line to this one.