Tag Archives: California

2025 Week 3

19 Sunday Jan 2025

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Making headway in the Rhodes branch of the Cox family this week. YAY! Time was spent building out the family of Anna Rhodes Meehan. The migration of this family was somewhat interesting and seems to be driven by Anna’s husband, Walter. Walter had been married twice before Anna, and she was a bit older than most first time brides at 34. Walter was originally from Iowa and had lived for a time in Gallatin County, Montana. I’m not exactly sure how he became connected with Anna who had lived her entire life in Perry County, Indiana. I do not see anything obvious in my tree where Walter would have crossed paths with a Rhodes or Cox family member in either Iowa or Montana. There could have been a friend of a friend who put them in contact with each other. Or Anna could have been a mail order bride. According to newspaper announcements of their marriage, he was highly respected by his pastor. This would support the first theory. It is an interesting question to pose, but not one I have the time to explore fully. After returning to Iowa for a few years, the Meehans moved to South Dakota until the late 1930s when they relocated to Merced County, California.

A mail-order bride was a woman whose introduction to her husband came through the mail, and one who made plans to marry him before meeting in person. -National Postal Museum

Just two Rhodes children to finish researching. I should be able to complete this task by month end.

Beginning of Week: 26,878 people
End of Week: 26,954 people
Change = +76 people – GOAL MET!
Goal for coming week: Add 50 new people

Roland Rudolph Willard

01 Monday Jun 2020

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Roland Rudolph Willard was born June 1, 1816 in St Louis City in what was then the Missouri Territory. His parents were Elinor McDonald and Alexander Hamilton Willard. Alex Willard was the youngest member of the Expedition of Lewis and Clark (1804-1806) which attempted to find a waterway that connected the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean. Led by Sacagawea, more than one hundred new animals and almost 200 new plants were documented during the first trip that explored the western territories of the United States.

Roland was one of twelve children born to Elinor and Alex. Those that have been identified include: Austin, Alexander II, Eliza, Christiana, Joel, Narcissa, Ellen, Lewis, George, and Nancy. The family lived in Missouri until about 1826 at which time they relocated to the Wisconsin Territory, living in Grant County.

Alex and four of his sons, including Roland, fought in the Black Hawk War. The Black Hawk War was a brief conflict between the United States and the Native Americans residing in the state of Illinois and Michigan Territory. The war lasted from April to August 1832. Other notable figures who also participated in the fighting included Abraham Lincoln, Zachary Taylor, and Jefferson Davis.

For a period of time around 1835, the family lived in Morgan County, Illinois, however, that was brief and they returned to Wisconsin Territory. Roland and his brother-in-law John Crawford purchased land in Iowa County in 1839. Roland sold off his lands in Wisconsin in 1847 and it is believed he, along with his brother Alex and John Crawford, headed west for California during the time of the Gold Rush. Alex and John were in Placerville listed as traders in the 1850 Census.

Roland’s whereabouts are a bit of a mystery until the state census of 1852. He is listed in Sacramento next door to John Crawford and family with the occupation of farmer. Little else can be found about Roland until his sudden death on Jun 11, 1859. He is buried in the Franklin Cemetery. His brother Lewis served as executor of his estate which appeared to be rather extensive. Probate documents indicated that his father Alex was the sole heir to the estate which would indicate that Roland was not married and had no children. However, there is a twelve year old Jackson Willard born in California listed in the 1860 Census with Alex and Elinor. It’s not clear who’s child he is, but some researchers have assigned him as Roland’s son.

Roland Rudolph Willard was my 2nd cousin 5x removed on my dad’s side.

REFERENCES

  • United States Census: 1850, 1860
  • California State Census, 1852
  • Illinois Compiled Census and Census Substitutes Index, 1835
  • California County Birth, Marriage and Death Records
  • California Wills and Probate Records
  • US Army Indian Campaign Service Records
  • US General Land Office Records
  • Find a Grave website
  • The Black Hawk War at Wikipedia
  • Lewis and Clark Expedition at Wikipedia

Mary Ann Pilard

03 Sunday May 2020

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Mary Ann Pilard

On May 3, 1848 in Knox County, Indiana, Susan Bayard and Marie-Ambrose Pilard welcomed to this world their second of three daughters, Mary Ann.  Mary was sandwiched between her older sister Suzanne and younger sister Clotilde.  in 1854, Marie-Ambrose passed away at the age of forty, leaving Susan well provided for to raise the girls into adulthood.

In 1885 at the age of 37, Mary Ann met and married an Irishman by the name of John T Young on August 25 in Knox County.  They immediately started their family which consisted of four children who all lived to adulthood.  Thomas and Helen were born in Vincennes.  Around 1889 or 1890, John and Mary Ann moved the family to Colorado where Bayard and Ambrose were born.  Not long after the birth of the boys, it had been reported that John suffered from a ruptured appendix and did not recover.

Mary Ann went on to raise the family in Denver.  As the years passed, all but Ambrose married and started families.  On August 2, 1932, while visiting friends in Roseville, California, Mary Ann passed away at the age of 84.  She was laid to rest in Denver.

Mary Ann Pilard

Mary Ann Pilard was my 5th cousin 4x removed on my mom’s side.

REFERENCES

  • United States Census, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1910, 1930
  • California Death Index
  • Indiana Marriage Index
  • Indiana Select Births and Christenings
  • The Press-Tribune, Roseville, CA, August 5, 1932 via Newspapers.com