Madness Monday - Changing and Adding People to Trees at FamilySearch (Late Post - obviously not a Monday)

 I resolved to not go down the "Madness Monday" path when I reviewed my tree information at FamilySearch. And that's why this is not posted on a Monday. 😏

But I just couldn't help myself. The frustration of having added wives to my ancestors and changing child relationships is - well - just plain ridiculous.

Someone added another wife for my 2nd great-grandfather, John David Baldridge. He was a man who married a lot because every wife died after having children, it seems. 

First, John Baldridge married M.E. Johnson on 7 Nov 1871 in Gonzales, Texas. In the copies of the bible pages I have, she is listed as Margaret Johnson. They had three children, Anna Sue, Lewis Eugene and Edwin Carter Baldridge (all listed in the bible).

Margaret Johnson Baldridge died after 23 Apr 1876 when Edwin Carter Baldridge was born in Waelder, Gonzales, Texas, and before 27 Jun 1877, the marriage date of he and his Second wife, Jemima E. Stroud. She's listed as "Jimima Stroud" in the bible. This is where it gets tricky because Nina re-writes what is in the bible and changes her parents wedding date and her own birthdate to make her look ten years younger than she really was. 

But the records show that Jemima and John David married on 27 Jun 1877 in Lockhart, Caldwell County, Texas; not in 1886 as Nina would have us to believe. NOTE: She always dyed her hair and my mother said there was a joke in the family as to "wonder what her real age is?" Oh, my Nina, who we called Mama Dennis. 

Jemima died after giving birth to John William Baldridge on 4 Aug 1882 at San Marcos, Hayes County, Texas. Nina changed the bible birth date to "August 4 18-90". According to Nina, her baby brother died soon after birth as did her mother. 

Now the Third wife comes along. 14 May 1884 in Waelder, Gonzales County, Texas, John David marries M.A. Johnston. In the bible, she's listed as "Jannie" and the marriage date? You guessed it. Nina re-wrote it as "May 14 18-94". One thing's for sure, Nina was consistent with her dates when adding years to them. 

My cousin who descends from Anna Sue Baldridge (married a Wood) knew that M.A. "Jannie" was called "Janey". No record of Janey's death has been found, but she is believed to have died before 1889 when J.D. Baldridge and Mary Susan Caperton married, according to the 1900 U.S. Federal Census, Justice Precinct 7, Gonzales, Texas, for J. D. Baldridge household. 

Nina lived in the household with Mary "Mollie" Caperton Baldridge and her father, J. D. Baldridge. Stories passed down include Nina leaving the household and going to live with an older brother after "squabbling" with her step-mother. 

Revis

Family Recipe Friday: Drop Cookies (Aunt Ida)

 

I remember making these drop cookies years ago. I admit I haven't made anything but Christmas cutout cookies in the past few years and that's because my grand-daughter's love to decorate cookies.

This Drop Cookies recipe I got from my "Aunt Ida". She was my grandmother's older full sibling in a family made up of "yours, mine and ours" way before The Brady Bunch tv family was streamed into our homes. 

Polly Ida Kolb, my grandaunt, was the daughter of Robert Franklin Kolb (b. 15 Jan 1858-Grapeland, Houston Co., Texas, d. 02 Dec 1957-Sweetwater, Nolan Co., Texas) and Neoma Ida Martin (b. 1873-Webster Parish, Louisiana, d. 07 May 1937-Rotan, Fisher Co., Texas). Polly Ida Kolb married Tom Helm (from original Marriage Certificate #10982 at FamilySearch), on 23 Dec 1924 in Anderson County, Texas. I knew Tommie Coin Helm as "Uncle Tommie" growing up. 

Aunt Ida was about seven years older than my grandmother Cauble. Growing up we joked at how Aunt Ida and the older sister, Aunt Luna, checked up on little sister Neoma as if she was still a little child. 

Today I find it refreshing (is that the right word, not sure) that my grandaunts Ida and Luna still cared for their little sister enough to check on her almost every day if she didn't answer her phone. 

And I have to wonder if Polly Ida Kolb Helm served her Drop Cookies when the sisters got together and chatted about their children and grandchildren. 

Revis