Discovering a 35 year old connection between 3 families

I’m easily amazed. And happily so. I love discovering connections as I do my genealogy research and am so often amazed by them. They surely have no significance to anyone else, but they expand my horizons and broaden my thinking. And they cause me to see the Lord’s hand in my life and my work.
As I’ve had vacation days through these 2017 end-of-year holidays, I’ve completed a scanning project of our family photos, to the tune of 2550 pictures. When I found this one of my son in the pits in front of a stock car, it brought back memories of the days when my son was small and our family attended Stock Car Races at 81 Speedway in Wichita, Kansas throughout the summers.

In this picture, my son Matt Klein is standing on the trailer that bears the stock car #7 driven by Clarence “Clay” Bontrager. His dad, Bill Klein, is behind the car in the cowboy hat.
Clarence was one of our favorite drivers on the stock car racing circuit. The picture below shows Clarence giving special attention to a blind man. allowing him to become acquainted with the car through touch.


At the time my family attended the races in the late 1970s and 1980s, the Bontrager name only referred, in my mind, to a favorite Stock Car driver in Kansas. But in the 1990s I learned of a new instance of the Bontrager name. I remarried in 1994 to Larry Jamison and learned that his former mother-in-law’s maiden name was Bontrager.  In the following years, I became interested in family history and have been able to prepare this brief chart to show that there is a close connection between Clarence Bontrager and Anna Mae Bontrager, Larry’s former mother-in-law. They are second cousins.

Another fact that amazed me as I continued to research this connection is that Clarence “Clay” Bontrager just passed away December 16, 2017. Just barely over two weeks ago. I hadn’t thought about him or the stock car races for 30 years, and as I’m scanning pictures on Dec 30, I see my son standing by his car and then learn of his recent passing. I’m simply amazed. And easily so.

Helen Marker Jones's funeral book is full of surprises

Helen Wilma Marker Jones
11 Apr 1904-8 Apr 1949

I recently scanned the funeral book of Helen Wilma Marker Jones, the mother of my step-mother Phyllis Jones. Helen died in Great Bend, Barton, Kansas at age 44 of cancer. At the time of her mother's death, Phyllis was single at age 25, living at home, and employed in their family business, Jones Laundry. 

Phyllis Jones standing at the
front door of Jones Laundry

Phyllis Jones at left. Her mother
Helen Jones at right. Jones
Laundry was at 1501 E. 8th.
Phone number was 394. 

In April 1949 my dad was married to my mother, Ruby Flanders, and my twin brother Dennis and I were almost 1-1/2 years old, living at 2201 Jefferson in Great Bend. 

Ernest, Ruby, Dennis and Becky Margheim 1949

By late 1949 my parents were separated and then divorced early in 1950. Dad met Phyllis in the Fall of 1950 so I didn't ever have a chance to know Phyllis's mother. But Phyllis reminded us of how old Helen would be each year on the 11th of April. I knew she loved her mother very much and was very devoted to her. I've been happy for Phyllis that as she was adjusting to losing her mother, her future husband came into her life, with his little twins, and partially filled the void Helen's death had left.  

As we grew up in the household of Dad and "Mom", Dennis and I followed the court-ordered visitation with our mother, Ruby, and her husband Don Craine until we were 12 years old, when that was discontinued, also by court-order. We knew our mother's immediate family, that of Milo and Nannie (Becker) Flanders, but we weren't allowed to mention them or acknowledge their existence when we were residing in Great Bend with Dad and Phyllis. Phyllis just wouldn't allow it. Consequently, we developed a mental scenario of complete division between our two families. There was no mingling of the relatives, no mention of one side of our family when we were in the company of the other side. I thought of them as two different worlds, with nothing in common except me and Dennis. 

As I've done family history research my eyes have really been opened. My first "shock" was in looking at the 1930 Federal Census for Great Bend, KS as I saw that 5-year-old Ruby Flanders lived one block away from 6-year-old Phyllis Jones. And Phyllis's two cousins, Marj and Dot Jones lived one house away from Ruby Flanders and her family. I KNOW they all must have played together. It was 1930! Kids played outside as often as possible and played with all the kids in the neighborhood. 

As I've recently reviewed the Funeral Book of Helen Jones, I've deliberately studied the entries of the guests. Again, I've been shocked. Not just amazed or interested, but shocked. Many of the guests were neighbors, as I've determined by studying City Directories and City Censuses for Great Bend, KS. Since I've worked the past 17 years researching my family history, I now recognize more names than I would have in the past. I'm going to show some of the entries and explain how they're connected to Helen Jones or to me, because many new stories have emerged. 

The first name that called my attention was Mrs. and Mr. C. W. Hand. A few years ago I helped Karen (Hand) Jaynes do some research on her family. Karen also serves as a Consultant in our local Family History Center and is married to Terry Jaynes, the brother of my husband's ex-wife. I referred to my RootsMagic database and determined that Karen was indeed the Grand-Niece of C. W. Hand. Dad had told me at the time of my research that Karen's grandfather and granduncle had been employed at Great Bend Packing Co., where my dad also worked for 54 years. As I reviewed the census, it showed that C. W. Hand was indeed a butcher at the "Packing Plant". I'm still amazed that my husband's former sister-in-law's granduncle was in attendance at my step-grandmother's funeral in Great Bend, KS. Neither Larry's ex-wife nor her sister-in-law were from Barton County, KS. I met Karen in church here in Canon City, CO in 1996. 

The surprises just kept coming. Look at this entry for Mr. and Mrs. E. A. Flanders. FLANDERS! The name we were not allowed to utter in the household of Ernest and Phyllis (Jones) Margheim. And yet they provided flowers and attended the funeral of Phyllis's mother! This was Everett Albert "Johnny" and Irma (Cook) Flanders. I learned by looking at the census that Johnny and Irma Flanders lived at 1416 8th St in Great Bend, just 1/2 block from the home of Jim and Helen Jones, who lived at 1501 8th St. In fact, I drove past their house for several years as I worked at that laundry through high school and college and had no idea my cousins were living there. Johnny Flanders was the son of Merritt Flanders, brother of my grandfather Milo. I knew Uncle Merritt, but had never met his son. I do have a lot of photos from the high school years of my mother Ruby with Johnny's daughter Betty.

This entry shows Mr. and Mrs. Harley Price. I recognized them as the grandparents of a high school classmate, Steve Price. And my database shows that Harley and Helen Price's daughter Judith married John Franklin Smith, the son of Ray Ross and Edna (Becker) Smith. Again another surprise. Edna Becker was the sister of my maternal grandmother, Nannie Becker, the mother of my mother, Ruby Flanders! There's the Flanders connection again, at the funeral of Phyllis Jones's mother! 

I've highlighted from this page the name of Mr. and Mrs. Harvey McCarty. Harvey's wife Laida played the piano in a western swing band that Dad played guitar and sang in when he was married to Ruby Flanders. Also noted on this page are Mr. and Mrs. James Hoge. I learned that James Hoge's wife Viola is the daughter of L. A. Palmer, Sr, and sister of L. A. Palmer, Jr, whose names follows hers on the register. I've prepared a chart that you'll see later in this post that shows the connection of the Hoge family to my husband Larry Jamison!

This page brought another surprise. I was aware that Mrs. Alvina Buehler was a close friend of Helen Jones, as I've written about previously here. Alvina was a first cousin of Ernest Margheim! Her father George Koleber Jr and Ernie's mother Amalia (Koleber) Margheim were siblings. I was really surprised when I saw the entry for Mrs. Herman Margheim. Remember this was April 1949. Phyllis Jones had not even met Ernest Margheim, but there's a Margheim at her mom's funeral. And Herman Margheim is a 4th cousin, once removed of Ernest. I found that Mrs. Herman Margheim was Georgianna Noblitt and the Noblitts were neighbors of Jim and Helen Jones.  

It's indicated on this page that Mr. and Mrs. Charles Pizinger and their son Donald were in attendance and provided flowers at the funeral. Phyllis attended a dance in Great Bend in the summer of 1950 with Charlie, Rose, and Donald Pizinger. It was Ernest Margheim who noticed her as he played his guitar on stage as a member Earl Haines's band. He asked her to dance. They were married 18 March 1951. 

Ernest & Phyllis (Jones) Margheim
114 E. 6th St, Hoisington, KS
at the home of Ernest's parents,
John & Mollie Margheim

I've prepared quite an extensive chart that illustrates many of the connections that I've discussed here. I'm going to prepare a short video to narrate these connections tomorrow and will post it here. All the names in red were present at Helen Jones's funeral 

You might think it's not a big deal to find connections and relationships among visitors at a funeral in a town the size of Great Bend, KS in 1940. And I agree. But what still stuns me is the presence of family members from my mother's side of the family at a function of the Jones family, my step-mother's family, since I was raised keeping those two sides of my family VERY separated and distinct, with not even a mention of their names (allowed) in each of the others' households! Oh, the things we aren't privileged to know as we grow up. But so blessed to learn about as we study our family's rich history. 

"Small World Dept": Jamison-Jaynes Cousin Connection

The chart above shows that both my husband Larry C. Jamison and Lloyd L. Jaynes are descendants of Andrew and Mary M. Wilson Christie. Lloyd Jaynes's father was Orville S. Jaynes who was a descendant of Chester and Eliza Dee Janes. Also a descendant of Chester and Eliza Dee Jaynes is Clinton R. Jaynes, Jr. who is the adoptive father of Michele A. Jaynes, ex-wife of my husband Larry Jamison.

 

It’s interesting to note that both Larry C. Jamison and his ex- wife Michele A. Jaynes are cousins of Lloyd L. Jaynes, who was very well-acquainted and well-respected in the business world by the mother of M. Rebecca (“Becky”) Jamison, Larry’s second wife.   

*Lloyd Lincoln Jaynes was a resident of Hoisington, Barton, Kansas, where he was a partner in Suburban Laundry and Dry Cleaners. During the time of that employment he was often called in as an expert boiler-repairman by Phyllis J. Margheim, Manager of Jones Laundry in Great Bend, Barton, Kansas. Phyllis’s daughter is M. Rebecca (Margheim) Jamison, wife of Larry C. Jamison, as noted in the above diagram.

My Husband’s Ancestral Connection to His First Wife

My research tonight uncovered a connection that I’ve displayed on the above pedigree diagrams. In the top pedigree you see Philip Cochran and Susannah Sturgis had a son named Philip Cochran, whose wife was Barbara LaTurner. Their son Frank Cochran had a son Paul who had a daughter Michele Jaynes (born Cochran).
In the pedigree below that, you see that Philip Cochran and Susannah Sturgis also had a son John, who with his wife Orpha Green, had a son Newton J. Cochren. Newton and his wife Lucinda Drake had a daughter Mary Elizabeth Cochren. Mary  and her husband George Pew had a son Dale Pew. Dale was married to Gladys O’Connor. Her pedigree is represented in the third pedigree on the page. Gladys’s mother was Anna Baker, the daughter of George Baker and Annary V. Hayes. George Baker’s parents were George Baker and Annie Kendall, Annie being the daughter of Samuel Kendall and his wife Mary Shuman.
The pedigree at the bottom of the illustration shows Larry Jamison at left, his parents being L. R. Jamison and Irene Roberts. L. R. Jamison’s father Paul Jamison was the husband of Rhea Haught, whose parents were Lafayette Haught and Priscilla Yost. Lafayette Haught’s mother was Catherine Campbell, daughter of Dennis Campbell and Ellenor Kendall. Ellenor was the daughter of Samuel Kendall and Mary Shuman. So Ellenor Kendall, my husband Larry’s 3rd great grandmother was the sister of Annie Kendall, Gladys O’Connor’s great grandmother. This makes Gladys and Larry 3rd cousins, twice removed.
Gladys’s husband Dale Pew is a 3rd cousin of Michele Jaynes, visible in the top pedigree. And Michele Jaynes is my husband Larry Jamison’s first wife.
I’m always, always amazed when I discover connections like this. It sure makes the study of our family histories interesting.

A Mailbox FULL of Family Photos

This was my mailbox yesterday, Feb. 13. When I saw the package it held, I had to grab my camera and take a picture. A scene like this is every genealogist's dream--to walk to the mailbox and open it to find a bulging, heavy, large package that contained a much-awaited collection of family photos, documents, records, and news clippings.

Let me set the stage for this delivery. In 2005 my friend Shelly enlisted my help in researching some of her family as she had hit a "brick wall". I devoted 5 weeks to intense study, research and analysis and was able to identify many of her ancestors, after which I printed a large Family History Book for her. After I posted my findings online, I was contacted by one of Shelly's cousins, Debbi. We established a friendship over the months that followed, each sharing stories, names, dates, and photographs to the other's collections. Our communications with each other have become less frequent in the last few years as we've each been consumed with other family activities and responsibilities.

I happily discovered a letter from Debbi last week in my inbox, explaining that, while her grandmother (and Shelly's aunt) had passed away 10 years ago, her grandmother's second husband passed away just recently. Debbi and her sisters were engaged to go through his possessions. Debbi was granted permission to keep all family heirlooms related to the family's history. And through what I call a blessing from God, Debbi recalled that I'd assembled quite a family history on her family for her cousin Shelly (with whom she had not been acquainted) and she thought I might be interested in receiving the photos and other paperwork that she now possessed that related to Shelly's family.   

I could scarcely write back quickly enough with my reply "YES!". Upon assuring her that I'd love to have the photos and documents, I promised to also deliver them into Shelly's hands, their rightful owner. I'm the friend and researcher, but the photos are of Shelly's immediate family and they belong to her. I cried with happiness and true joy as I delivered this wonderful and surprising news to Shelly. She cried as she responded to me with initial disbelief and gradual astonishment at her good "fortune". We waited so very impatiently for Debbi to send the promised treasure to us.  

After I brought this package in from my mailbox, I excitedly called Shelly and told her to come over. I got everything ready. Soft drinks: check; scissors: check; camera: check; and a box of Kleenex for us crybabies: check!

Shelly carefully opened the large envelope, being sure not to cut any of its contents. Would you believe me if I told you we were both shaking with excitement and anticipation? Prior to this, Shelly owned NO family photos, was raised by a step-father and mother following the divorce of her parents when she was 7 years old. She'd never seen her parents' wedding pictures, she had NO pictures of herself as a small child, she had no pictures of her father in his younger life and she had no pictures of his parents or brothers. Maybe you can understand her excitement and near "disbelief" at receiving this package.

 This is the first picture Shelly examined, with tilted glasses for increased sharpness and clarity. And below you can see that the glasses finally came off as the dozens of pictures were exposed and viewed and cherished. You can see that the box of Kleenex has been moved closer and have been dabbing at tears of joy too!

One of the photos Shelly found was this one of her father receiving a Distinguished Service Medal during his Army Air Corps service in Africa in 1942.

To honor her personal privacy, I'm not posting any more photos here, but I just wanted to share her "blessing" and our excitement at being recipients of such prized possessions- treasured photos and documents of family members who are long-since deceased, but still very much loved and remembered. 

We especially thank cousin Debbi for her act of Genealogical Kindness in passing these cherished heirlooms  on to the rightful descendants and for bringing blessings into Shelly's life that were totally unexpected but gratefully accepted!