Treasure Chest Thursday - the KOLP family bible from Ohio and the Kolb-Kulp-Culp family of Pennsylvania

Anyone that knows me well, knows that I love old photos, bibles and other family memorabilia. Old photos of my Grandmomie Dennis-Stuart are what got me started in this addiction called genealogy. 

I used to scope out Ebay regularly hoping to find long lost family bibles or other treasures. I don't spend much time doing that these days.

In 2017, my "cousin-in-love" and fellow Kolb family researcher, Marika, contacted me about a bible that was being sold on Ebay. I checked it out and saw that it was for a KOLP family out of Ohio. Some of the names in the bible I recognized as from our own Dielman KOLB lines out of Skippack, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. I didn't know any of the Kolb-Kulp-Culp families spelled their name "Kolp". 

Long story short is I bought the old German bible. It's been in my safe since 2017. Today I brought the bible out and looked at the family photos. Inside the bible is "The Kulp Family" genealogy for this line. Also included is a copy of the bulletin inviting family members to the Seventy-Second Annual Reunion, Kolb-Kulp-Culp Family, Perkiomen School, Pennsburg, PA, Saturday, August 14, 1999. This is my family in Pennsylvania and I've attended a family reunion there in Skippack. 

The KOLP family name out of the KOLB-KULP-CULP family reminds me of a conversation I had recently with a beginning researcher. The comment was made regarding the spelling of a surname. I told the person to not be stuck on one spelling - example: my STUART's are actually STEWART's out of Augusta County, Virginia back to Scotland and Ireland. 

I didn't know that the KOLP spelling was part of the Kolb-Kulp-Culp family. I'd never seen that variation of the spelling. I'm glad Marika took a look at this bible despite the different spelling because it's a treasure. 

And it's a treasure that I hope can someday be handed back to the KOLP family it belongs to. 

Carey Kolp with dog

Is this your family? If so, please contact me. 

- Revis

 

Friday's Faces From the Past: Lea (Ham) Chance Child

Looking through the old unidentified pictures I had scanned that were in my mother's possession - again - and I ran across this one that has written on the back "Lea Ham child". 

Lea HAM (b. 9 Jan 1892-TX - d. 28 Sept 1981-San Diego, CA) married Basil Houston CHANCE on 4 Jan 1912 in Tishomingo, OK. 

Lea was the younger sister of my great-great-grandmother, Jennie HAM Teel, the wife of William Perry TEEL. 

Another sister to Lea was Mary HAM King, wife of Butler KING.

Sisters Jennie and Mary were older than Lea and born in Bibb County, AL, and their father was Jordan HAM (b. 1840-AL - d. 19 Dec 1929-Tishomingo, Johnston Co., OK).

Their mother, Jordan's wife, was Francis "Fannie" PARKER (b. Jan 1849-AL - d. 7 Dec 1927- Tishomingo, Johnston Co., OK).

Now, for my questions: 

Is this a boy or a girl? I think it's a boy, but I'm no expert with photos. In my tree information, I show Lea and Basil Chance with three children, a girl and two boys. 

Do you know who this child is? If so, please comment or message me. Thank you!

-Revis

 

Sunday Obituary: John Mark HARDIN (born 1849-probably Cedar Co., MO; died 1933-Wichita Falls, Wichita Co., TX)

My daddy called John Mark Hardin "Uncle Mark Hardin". So did my paternal grandaunts, the daughters of Helena Olivia ZIEGENFUSS and her husband, James Andrew CAUBLE. James "Jim" Cauble was the son of Julia HARDIN and William Jefferson Lonzo (called "Bill") CAUBLE. 

The first time my daddy told me about "Uncle Mark Hardin" (always using the last name, never just "Uncle Mark"), I was like, "Ummm, wait a minute. He died in 1933 a few months after you were born. You talk like you knew him." 

My daddy laughed and said, "Oh, we all knew about "Uncle Mark Hardin". He lived at times with the Caubles. Something happened with him and his wife, and she left him for another man." I asked about children. Daddy didn't know anything about children, if any.

I left it at that and pondered on "Uncle Mark Hardin". My grandaunts had the same story my daddy had told me, but they knew that he did have children. I searched for several years to find more out about this man everyone called "Uncle Mark Hardin", and I did come to know some of his descendants, my cousins, through genealogy research. I learned the story passed down in their family about his wife leaving him. And then one day, I hit the jackpot in Knox County, Texas. But I'm saving that story for another day! 

This is about his obituary. 

On 24 July 1933 (a Monday), the Wichita Falls Times (Wichita Falls, Texas), page 7, the obituary of J.M. Hardin can be found here at Newspapers.

 J. M. Hardin

   J.M. Hardin, 85, died Sunday

night at his home southeast of

Wichita Falls. The body was taken

in charge by the Thomas Funeral

home of Burkburnett. Relatives in-

clude a nephew, J.W. Cauble, 1004

Eighth street, Wichita Falls, and a 

niece, Mrs. J.B. Basham of Roby. 

That's it??? I'd hoped it would shed more information on this 2nd great-granduncle of mine. But it wasn't full of names or information like I'd hoped. You know the kind of info we genealogists want - his parents' names, the children, what his occupation was, etc. Sometimes we just get what we get. 

The two people named in the obituary I recognized: 

(1) J. W. Cauble was James William Cauble, the son of Arrenia Malinda Hardin (sister to my Julia Hardin Cauble) and James Monroe Cauble (brother to my Bill Cauble). 

In other words, two Hardin sisters had married two Cauble brothers down in McLennan County, Texas. Arrenia and James Monroe married in 1869; Julia and Bill married in 1875.  

(2) Mrs. J. B. Basham named as a niece is Louisa Mae Cauble, a daughter of Julia Hardin and Bill Cauble. I knew the Basham name because Louisa Mae and her husband, J. P. (not J.B.) - John Peter Basham - were my daddy's grandaunt and granduncle. 

Even though I wished there had been more details about "Uncle Mark Hardin's" life in his obituary, it did give a glimpse of what I'd find in upcoming research. Later findings would answer some of my questions about the obituary, such as why weren't any of his children named in it. 

Stay tuned as I'm not finished with the Hardin's of Missouri, Arkansas and Texas yet. 

-Revis

 

Wordless Wednesday: Working Cattle, the River Place, Fisher County, Texas

 

-Revis

Sentimental Sunday - "Pa Jim" Cauble's Snuff Glass

As I put clean glasses up in the cabinet, I looked at one glass which was given to me years ago. It belonged to my paternal great-grandfather, James Andrew Cauble, known to me and family as "Pa Jim". 

Pa Jim Cauble's snuff glass and one 
I bought at an antique store years ago.

My grand-daughters love to use this glass. In fact, the girls would fight over who would use that glass, and that led me to search antique stores to buy at least two more glasses like Pa Jim's. 

Imagine the kids surprise when they learned that the glass they loved to drink out of was, in fact, a snuff glass. They know about Copenhagen and "dipping" because we live in Texas and some cowboys in the family (or friends of their older sisters) "dip snuff". 

So when I described what went in these glasses, they all said, "Yuck", "Gross", "No way!" Yes, girls, yes way! 

If you're like my grands, and curious about a snuff glass, well, it was a glass container that held powdered tobacco. 

After the powdered tobacco was used, families would use the containers as drinking glasses. Our families back in time didn't throw items away like we do in today's world. They were what I call the great recyclers.

What made me think of James Andrew Cauble (born 18 Mar 1880-Putnam, Callahan County, Texas, died 20 May 1962-Fisher County, Texas) and his snuff glasses? 

Well, this weekend I was going through tubs of sentimental and antique items I've kept through the years. 

And guess what? I have another one of his glasses. Will it go in the cabinet? Yes, it will. 

What better way to honor an ancestor than to use something that belonged to them. Even if it is a snuff glass. 

Do you have unusual items from your family that you use every day? Drop a message and let me know. 

-Revis 

Summer is for Family Reunions!

Some of my families are back at having reunions after cancelling them due to the Covid pandemic. Summer in Texas is scorching hot, but that's usually when we hold our reunions. Pools, lakes, rivers or bounce house water slides are almost a necessity so the kids (and sometimes parents) can keep cool. 

This past weekend we experienced fun and family time at a new venue for us - the Rest Yourself River Ranch near Mineral Wells, Texas. Good times were had by all with lots of good food, including my uncle Roy's barbecue from Natty Flat Smokehouse. 

It was a steep hike down to the Brazos River and back up the hill to the meeting place. 

I didn't get pictures, but family members kayaked, fished, and swam in the Brazos River. 

Our family supports our reunions by having both silent and live auctions. Live auction items are either handmade or old family items (pictures, tools, etc). Current and past auctions have included some awesome items. 

My grand-daughter's painting in memory of her five friends

who died in the Robb Elementary (Uvalde) school shootings. 

Does your family hold auctions during reunions? What kind of items are sold? I'd love to hear how your family supports your family reunions - by auctions, donations, raffles, or other means to raise money to help with the expenses, other than registration fees. 

-Revis

Family Reunions of the Past

When you hear that your family (or someone else) is having a "family reunion", what are the first thoughts that run through your head? I know some think, "OH NO!"  "No way, I'm going." "I'm busy that weekend."  "Will ____ be there?" You fill the name in on that last thought!

Or are you one of those people who are glad to hear about a family reunion because you want to go and talk to people who may know the family's stories. And people who might know the old ones - your great-grandfather or great-grandmother or possibly even your great-great-grandparents.

I fit in the latter train of thought. I like to go to family reunions. I have traveled to many by myself. I have conned - I mean, talked - my sister into going to some with me over the years.

One of the first family reunions I got my sister to attend with me was the 300th Anniversary of the Kolb Brothers Coming to America. It was held in Skippack, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania in 2007. In order for her to come with me, I had to promise we'd go over to Lancaster County and go antiquing. I agreed. We also have roots in Lancaster County, but I didn't tell her that until we got there. Then my mother asked to join in on the trip. Mind you, these Kolb's are my dad's mother's family, but he wouldn't go with us.

Top Photo: Cemetery
Middle Photo: Mother and sister with my Texas cousin and a new Missouri cousin
Bottom Photo: Lowe Skippack Mennonite Church, Montgomery County, PA 

At this Kolb reunion, we met my Texas cousin - a great-grandson of my Kolb great-grandfather's brother. And Y-DNA results had come in right before the reunion. We laughed that maybe we all were not going to be descendants of Dielman Kolb ("old Dielman Kolb") of the Palatinates, but we'd have fun with his descendants anyway. It turns out our Kolb's of Texas were Y-DNA matches to the other sons of old Dielman Kolb. Testing of family members at AncestryDNA, Family Finders, My Heritage and 23andMe also gives us matches that are out of the Kolb related lines in our "paper" tree.  

Our paper genealogy was done in 1996. The Kolbs - Some Roots and Branches by Ruby G. Peters and Doris G. McGrew (with help and information gathered from the research of Avery E. Kolb and Erby R. Kolb) is detailed with names and other family information. But it lacks the source information of the records they used for the book. Those records are, hopefully, being stored by their families. 

Oh, and by the way, my sister and mother had a great time at the reunion. 

Shortly after this reunion, the Kolb's in Texas (mainly me and my 3rd cousin, Susan, who lives in the same town as I do) decided to try and "revive" our family reunions. In 2008, we had a reunion less than two months after we sent out the invitations to all of the descendants of Henry James Yancy Kolb's (b. 19 Aug 1835-Jackson Co., Georgia - d. 18 Jan 1873-Elkhart, Anderson Co., Texas) sons, Robert Franklin Kolb (b. 15 Jan 1868-Grapeland, Houston Co.,, Texas - d. 02 Dec 1957-Sweetwater, Nolan Co., Texas) and William Henry Kolb (b. 10 Feb 1866-Texas - d. 07 July 1955-Grapeland, Houston Co., Texas) that we could find addresses for. Cousins who hadn't seen each other in years or who never met were excited to come. We were not a large group, but numbered about 20. 

Texas Kolb attendees look at pictures and genealogies (2008-El Progreso Memorial Library, Uvalde, Texas)

Robert Franklin Kolb, son of Henry James Yancy Kolb

Henry James Yancy Kolb

William Henry Kolb, son of Henry James Yancy Kolb

I'd like to leave you with this quote from Edward Sellner. It's especially fitting if you don't know your family - as I'm learning that I'm fortunate that I did know my older family members growing up. 

We inherit from our ancestors gifts so often taken for granted. Each of us contains within this inheritance of soul. We are links between the ages, containing past and present expectations, sacred memories and future promise. – Edward Sellner

-Revis