The Bixler Bachelors

courtesy of Stephan George

courtesy of Stephan George

James Bixler and Addie McCord were married in 1898 at Denison, Iowa.  She was the daughter of  David McCord & Phebe Schouten (her grandmother Hannah Smith traces back to the Vincents via the Rogers line).

Addie & James had 8 children: Harry, Frank, Carl, Bertie, Clarence, Arthur, Alice, and Joseph – all young when she died. 

courtesy of Holly Sommer Dutton

Of the 8, three boys, Harry, Frank and James, never married and like their father were farmers.  They lived together, worked together and well, are buried together!

courtesy of Christine Bartels

Land Ownership Map - Halfmoon

Me and 'collectin' - This map caught my eye simply for all the Vincent family connections

North of the word SMITHTOWN – Mrs Vincent; to the south the Nessles…..then lots for Houghtaling, Philo, VandenBurgh, Flagler, Smith, Rosekrans and more!

Ancestry - Saratoga, 1866 - US Indexed County Land Ownership Maps

Tragic Tuckers

”Another great affliction” That’s what caught my attention.

Portsmouth Herald, Tues, 4 Oct 1910
Rests At Harmony Grove - A Tribute to the Memory of the Late Daniel R Tucker. The funeral of Daniel R Tucker was held this afternoon at half past two o'clock from his late home on Gates Street, Rev C H Emmons officiating.  Interment was in Harmony Grove Cemetery.  The funeral director was H W Nickerson.

Another great affliction fell upon the home of Mrs Tucker on Gates Street, when there occurred on Friday evening the death of Daniel R Tucker after a lingering illness from consumption.  Although in failing health for about a year, Mr Tucker kept at work a great part of the time until he was finally obliged to give up.  He was a man of noble characteristics and a quiet disposition.  One to whom nothing was dearer than his home and family.

Mr Tucker was a native of Cape Breton, but has been a resident of Portsmouth during the past twenty-eight years.  He is survived by his wife, four daughters, one son, and his mother, one brother, also a sister, Mrs Dodge of South Orrington, ME.

courtesy of June S

Daniel Robert Tucker married Marie Marguertie Arbuckle, the daughter of James Arbuckle & Olivia Dempsey, from New Glasgow, Nova Scotia.   

Of 10 children, only 4 girls lived into old age – their only son died at 32 leaving a 7yr old girl fatherless.

The tombstone reflects the number of losses they suffered in a short time frame including the death of the father......

And Daniel wasn’t the only one in this family to die of tuberculosis – their first two children did as well, Rachel at 18, Olivia at 20.

Portsmouth Herald, Mon, 6 Apr 1903
Rachel Tucker, daughter of Mr and Mrs Daniel R tucker, died at the home of her parents at eleven o'clock on Sunday forenoon, aged eighteen years, six months and eighteen days.  She had been ill since last December of tuberculosis and her death was not unexpected.  Miss Tucker was a member of the Universalist Church and the Young People's Christian Union and was a teacher in the Sunday School.  She leaves besides her parents, five sisters, one brother and a host of friends.  The funeral will be held from the Universalist Church on Wednesday afternoon at three o'clock.

Also in 1910, the two baby girls Sabrina aka Sabina died at 7 & Rachel S died at 6 of diphtheria.

Their only son, William Herbert drowned at the Panama - his first adventure from home

The Portsmouth Herald, Thurs, 2 Nov 1922, pg 4, col 6

Ambiguous Evidence - Charles Arbuckle & Jemima Robertson

Here's another situation where I nearly messed up a family.

courtesy of Jody MacKeil

If we look at the tombstone, it shows that Charles was born in 1860; however, the various censuses place his YOB at 1863/64/65 with our favorite birthday source in the absence of birth registrations- the 1901 census - putting his DOB at 5 Apr 1863.  His death registration shows his YOB at 1863 and his obit is 1862 - I went with 1863 despite the stone.

Now let's look at the obit....

Eastern Chronicle, Thurs, 23 Nov 1944
Merigomish - On Thursday, November 9th, Mr.Charles Henry Arbuckle passed away at his home at Ponds.  Mr. Arbuckle had been ailing for some time.  He was born, April 4th, 1862.  He married Miss Mary Robinson, formerly from Prince Edward Island who predeceased him in November 1900.  He leaves to mourn three daughters, Mrs. Charles W Mason, Ponds, Merigomish; Mrs. Florence Turner, Ponds, Merigomish; Mrs. Georgie Gratto, Cambridge, Mass; and two sons, Irving Arbuckle, Egerton and Edison at home.  Also surviving are 24 grandchildren and 7 great grandchildren.  Mr. Arbuckle was the possessor of a most friendly nature, a good neighbour and beloved by all who knew him.  The very large funeral and profusion of flowers were a tribute to the esteem in which he was held.  The service was conducted by his pastor, F.G. MacDonald.  Favorite selections of the deceased were tendered, "The Lord's My Shepherd" and "What A Friend We Have In Jesus" and "Abide With Me". The pall bearers were: Messers. Cecil MacKay, Chandler Murray, Charles F.Arbuckle, Otto Christenson, C.W. Mason and Harry Murdock.  Interment was at Murray Point cemetery.

What's misleading is that his wife is listed as Mary Robinson but according to the marriage entry, he married his cousin Jemima Robertson, the daughter of James Robertson & Catherine Arbuckle.  

And then the "daughter" Georgie Gratto -  I could not find any proof for this girl until....at one point I had thought they had taken in his Aunt Jennie's granddaughter Georgie?!

Until I found the obit for their daughter Florence Turner (nee Arbuckle) 

Chronicle Herald, 18 Apr 1995
TURNER, Florence Charlotte (Flo) - 95, The Ponds, Merigomish, Pictou Co., died April 17, 1995, in Aberdeen Hospital, New Glasgow. Born at The Ponds, she was a daughter of the late Charles and Jemima (Robertson) Arbuckle.  She was a homemaker; an adherent of St. Paul's Presbyterian Church, Merigomish and was very active until the last couple years. She was the last surviving member of her immediate family.  Surviving are daughters, Lorna MacPhee, Stellarton; Sylvia (Mrs. John Mason), Merigomish; Martha Turner, at home; son, Harold, Ardness; 14 grandchildren; 16 great-grandchildren; several nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her husband, Harry; daughters, Rena, Laura; son, James; sister, Bessie Mason; brothers, Edison, Irving; half-sister, Georgie.  Visitation 2-4, 7-9 p.m. today in P&K MacDonald Funeral Home, New Glasgow. Funeral 2 p.m. Wednesday in St. Paul's Presbyterian Church, Merigomish, Rev. Alex MacDonald and Mrs. Jessie Johnson officiating. Burial in Murrays Point Cemetery. Donations to Murrays Point Cemetery or St. Paul's Presbyterian Church building fund.

Half-sister!!  No wonder I couldn't find anything.  Based on the records I found, Georgie was the daughter a George Robertson &  Jemima Robertson, born in PEI - 0y! Gratto/Robertson marriage, she later remarried and it too lists the parents. 

It gets more confusing because a travel manifest indicates that her mother as Jemima McKay??