Mary Jane Vincent 1837-1927 - an Army widow & survivor

Mary Jane Vincent was the daughter of John Vincent and Mary Ann Addy – their family migrated to Michigan in 1850.  She was born in Colchester Co, NS and would marry twice.

She first married a military man by the name of Horace A Egbert, the son of Andrew W Egbert and Margaret Crandall out of Veterans, NY. 

He was a 1^st Lt for the Union in the 47th Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry that were sent to Clarksburg, WV to report to General Rosecrans where it was divided into companies - Horace was assigned to Co I.  

In October of 1861, after heavy rains, a group was sent out to recon Fayette with orders to cross the Gauley River.  However, the materials needed to build a raft were on the opposite side.  Horace and 2 others volunteered to cross the river but were swept away in the waves at the mouth of the Meadow where the boat was swamped and carried over the falls.  Horace had enlisted in Jun of 1861 and died not knowing that his son John Vincent Egbert would die 2 years later at the age of 5.  Father and son were buried at the Woodlawn Cemetery in Monroe, MI.

By 1868, Mary's heart had healed and she had been won over by Andrew Forbes, a Scotsman who ran a livery business out of Sioux City, IA.  Andrew's obit outlines his life once he landed in California:

Sioux City Journal, 5 May 1888
FORBES - Died, at the home of his sister, Mrs Daniel Don, seventeen miles south of Sioux City, Saturday May 4, 1888, at 11 am of dropsy, Andrew Forbes, aged 64 years.

Mr Forbes was born in Scotland, leaving that country when 11 years of age for New York.  He remained there until 1849, when he went around Cape Horn to San Francisco.  He came to Sioux City from California in 1868, and engaged in the livery business.  He established a wide circle of friends here, and "Andy" Forbes for a number of years was one of the best known characters of the city.  He became interested in Colorado mining property, and left Sioux City in 1874 to take up his residence in Chicago, where he continued to reside until last September when he came back here.  In the meanwhile, he had made and lost a fortune, and he returned broken in health.  But he seemed to be improving until about six weeks ago, when he began growing worse.  Previous to his death, he had not lain in bed for eighteen months and the day before his death he measured fifty-three inches around the waist.  His son, A B Forbes, of this city, went out to see him on Friday, and left him Saturday morning at 9 o'clock believing him to be better, but two hours later he died suddenly.  He had just spoken to his brother-in-law, saying he had never felt better, when, with a gurgle in his throat, his head dropped back in his chair, and "Andy" Forbes was dead -- genial, generous "Andy" Forbes.

 Andrew is buried at the Floyd Cemetery in Sioux City.

Mary and Andrew had 3 children together, Don Francisco, George West and James - James was only found on the 1880 census in IA, perhaps he died young and is buried with his father.  Don and George married but neither had children.

Mary moved in with her son Don and died in Reno in 1927 outliving both husbands.

Reno Evening Gazette, Mon, 21 Mar 1927
FORBES - In Reno, March 21, 1927, Mary J Forbes, beloved mother of Don F Forbes of Reno and George W Forbes of Fallon.  A native of Nova Scotia, aged eighty nine years, eleven months.  Funeral services private.  Interment, Masonic Cemetery.

 Mary & Don are buried at the Masonic Cemetery while George was buried at the Churchill County Cemetery, all in Nevada.

The Folly of Blind Faith in Genealogy

Once again, I am baffled by the amount of misinformation there is to be found within the world of genealogy.  How, many of us excited to fill in missing information, get sucked in. 

It takes a great deal of effort to look at information objectively, critically; sometimes, it’s  easier to simply go along with the pack.  I am guilty, I admit it.  Then kick myself once I realize that I did it again! 

I am revisiting research that I had completed nearly 3 years ago and I have just spent the better part of two days, digging through newspapers and records for a family that is not mine! Putting together the pieces of a complicated blended family - because - I realized the mother was wrong.

Specifically, Isaac Schouten – the son of Cpl William Schouten & Hannah Smith out of Halfmoon, NY married a Sarah Titcomb in 1876 and she was reported to have been the daughter of Stephen Titcomb and Harriet Rogers.

But Sarah is not Harriet's daughter!  

Harriet had been married twice.  First in 1828 to one Egbert Bratt Grandin – he was the publisher of the very first Book of Mormon being a printer in Palmyra, New York and owner of the Wayne Sentinel. In researching this a bit further, I discovered that they had had 6 children together by the time he died in 1845.  In 1848, she married Stephen Titcomb.

But here’s the rub - Sarah Titcomb was born about 1835 in Waterford – how did I miss this the first time around 3 years ago?   

Because I didn’t look for dates – such a simple step, one that doesn't require too much effort – I didn’t do it!  UGGG

So off I went on the hunt for Sarah’s mother, pissed at myself for falling for it again; guilty of putting the wrong information out there for others to use.   I had to make this right.

Harriet had 6 Grandin children and those living were named in her will; she did not name any of Stephen’s children.  Stephen’s will provided for Harriet in the event of his death, otherwise, the inheritance went to his single daughter still living at home – Sarah Titcomb , and 2 children living in Illinois– not named in Harriet’s will.

 

Stephen had 5 children that I could find and as I was working through his son John's family, I tripped over a leaf on ancestry and lo-and-behold, the researcher, Elizabeth Thompson, had his mother’s name!  

Unabashed, I trolled through the family on her tree to see where she had found this information – I wanted it, and I wanted it to be right!

Elizabeth had made a note that she found the name with the burial information for Stephen's daughter, Jane who had been buried in 1861 at Oakwood Cemetery in Troy.  Sure enough I confirmed it via a link to the records – listed under mother - Jane Reid!

I am very happy that I stumbled onto this error.  Elated that I was able to find the mother and correct my tree.  However, I am almost certain it won’t be the last of my own foibles – this one – settling for the easy way out!

Two days of research – gone, in the wrong direction, uggg

Joseph Hood & Caroline Downing

Caroline A Downing was the daughter of Hiram Downing and Nancy Vincent.  Hiram and Nancy had 4 children according to sites that I visited but it appears that only Caroline had any family.

Caroline married a farmer named Joseph R Hood who was born in 1831 at Colchester Co, NS, the son of John Hood & Helen Stewart who were from Scotland.  James & Caroline had five children in Nova Scotia and then relocated to Franklin, MA where they had their last child. 

Joseph had become a stone mason in the US and died tragically....

Chester Times, Wed, 1 Sep 1886
A Fatal Refuge From Rain
Franklin, Mass - Sept 1 - Hugh McCloskey and Joseph Hood were run over and killed by a railway car under which they had taken refuge from the rain, supposing it to be detached from the engine.

Once Joseph died, Caroline relocated to Michigan with her youngest and his wife and died in 1921.

courtesy of Susan Connelly & James Bianco

Of their children, Mary Emma married a Herbert Alvin Cook and they are buried at the Union Street Cemetery in Franklin, MA with their 3 children.

courtesy of James Bianco

Elizabeth ‘Lizzie’ Marion married twice, first to a Joseph Johnson and had one son and then Benjamin Franklin Flagg who she out lived by nearly 50 years.  Benj received a military burial at Riverside Cemetery in Royalston, MA.  Elizabeth was buried at the Forest Lawn Memorial Park cemetery in Glendale, LA where she lived with her son.

courtesy of James R Mason

Los Angeles Times, 13 Aug 1940

Flagg - Lizzie Flagg, beloved mother of Albert Johnson.  Services Wednesday 2 pm from the chapel of Graham and Isbell.

John Thomas married a Marie Bourbeau and she is buried in her father’s family plot at St Mary’s Cemetery, Franklin, MA but I couldn’t find a burial location for John.  He was a blacksmith who might have owned his own shop in Franklin and the family never lived in Rhode Island but that is where John died. 

George William married an Alice Coburn and they lived in California with their children.  George was a milk inspector and is buried at the Angelus Rosedale Cemetery in Los Angeles, LA.

Los Angeles Times, 20 Feb 1941

Hood - George W Hood, beloved husband of Alice T Hood; father of Mrs Olive Clare, Mrs Constance Goodykoontz, Mrs Anita Boughman, Albert E, Roy C, and George W Hood Jr.  Services Friday, 2 pm, from the chapel of Graham & Isbell.

Nancy Ellen married William Albert Hewes and they too lived in California, I didn’t find any children for them.

Los Angeles Times, 4 Mar 1930

HEWES - Mar 1, Nancy Helen Hewes, beloved wife of William A Hewes of 2310 Harcourt Street.  Funeral services Tuesday, 2 pm from the Armstrong Funeral Home, 769 Venice Boulevard.

Their baby boy who was born in Massachusetts was James Robert Hood and he married a girl by the name of Cora Angeline, u/k last name.  He died in Merced, CA but I couldn’t find an obit or where he was buried.  

What’s interesting about him was that he a Telephone Installer turned farmer who never owned a phone!