Shakin' the Family Tree

Sentimental Sunday: Thinking about Hetty Hill...

2012-09-02T14:44:53Z

Over at 2338 W Washington Blvd., Margel wrote about the struggle of a widow to get financial support from her deceased husband's estate, finally having to sue.

It's a very interesting post, and according to my own family research, not an uncommon event. There are widows in my family tree who, having been given the family home and land, had no financial means to pay the taxes, hire the farmhands, or whatever was needed. In some cases, after debts had been paid, there was only a pittance in cash left over. Some of those widows applied for their husband's military pensions (as their widows), and then had to fight to get more than a few dollars a year.

Margel listed some of the expenses of the estate, with scans of receipts. One of the expenses she mentioned was for the burial of Thomas Gilshannon - $35 for a shroud, coffin and box.

I noted in a comment that the funeral expenses for Hetty Hill were included the 1897 accounting of the guardian of her brothers as an expense against their deceased mother's estate. (And Margel, I was wrong - $7.50 was half the cost of her coffin. My great granddad - the boys' guardian - paid the other half.)

The psychological specter of Hetty Hill continues to flit in and out of my thoughts.

She was the only daughter of 5 - or perhaps 6 - children my g-g-grandfather, James Littleton Burris had with Martha J F (Vick) Hill between 8 Apr 1869 and 10 Mar 1883.

While he was still married to my g-g-grandmother, Elizabeth Adeline Ashmore.

I wrote about my discovery of granddaddy's other family, our 150 year old Burris family secret, in the fall of 2010.

The whole thing still bugs me.

But Hetty is one of the parts of it that bug me the most.

According to a cemetery book painstakingly researched and published by Lina and CL Boyd, Martha J F Vick Hill is buried beside her youngest son, Charley L Hill, in St Joe Cemetery. Not far from where my dad lives.

The book says there are no dates of birth or death for her from the records of her burial.

And there is no marker. There is a rock deliberately placed in the ground next to Charley's grave.

So in records of the cemetery, Martha's burial is simply noted. That's all.

And I don't care what century it was, or how anyone might have felt about Martha and James screwing around...if you can call evidence of a relationship that lasted at least 14 years (and probably all the way up to her death in 1893) screwing around.

That's just wrong.

But what about Hetty?

Where is she buried?

The 1897 annual estate accounting lists Richard and Charley Hill's half share of Hetty's coffin as $7.50. George W Burris, Sr., the guardian, paid the other half.

That accounting was filed with the Clerk of Court on 28 Jan 1897. So Hetty died before that date.

I don't know if she was married or not at the time of her death. The itemization for the expense simply says, "Coffin for sister (1500) 1/2 of which is $7.50."

According to the 1880 census, Hetty was 5 at the time the census was enumerated. So if she were born in 1875, and died before 28 Jan 1897, she would have been 21 or 22 at the time of her death.

And there is no record that I can find of her burial.

But there are a few more "deliberately placed" rocks in the area of Charley, James (and wives) and Martha Hill's graves.

And all over the cemetery. Every time I walk through there, taking photographs, I have to pause by one and another of a few those rocks that are just out on their own - not close to any family plot.

And I wonder. Is Hetty buried under one of those?

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More new (to me) Burris family photos

2011-12-04T00:25:25Z

These are courtesy of a newly discovered cousin who found the blog.

George Washington Burris Sr., and wife Mary Mathilda Wharton, undated photo

George Washington Burris, Sr., undated photo

Left to right: Dora Emma (Burris) Crites, Ottis Gileston Burris and wife, Gertha Leah Hill, on the occasion of what we believe was Ott and Gertha's 55th wedding anniversary in 1971.

Thanks to my cousin for sharing.

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It's raining new-found cousins...

2011-10-16T22:04:57Z

A probable Meek cousin, from some of my entries at Find a Grave...

A for real second cousin of the Burris kind, whom I'll get to meet in person on October 28, when we rendezvous at a gas station at the Atkins exit of Interstate 40, on our way to St. Joe Cemetery...

And bless his soul...a cousin several times removed, who found my online tree and is now catching up on the 140 year old Burris secret after emailing me to ask if I knew who his grandfather's father was...His grandfather was James L Hill.

If you've been putting your family history out on the internet and are wondering if it's worth all the time and effort you've put into it...

Let me assure you, it is.

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Treasure Chest Thursday: Lina Hill Holmes

2011-07-27T01:18:49Z

This is another of my recent eBay purchases.

Back of the photo was labeled.

And ding! ding! ding!

I think we have a winner.

According to several Ancestry family trees, this was probably a young Lina Blanche Hill, daughter of William F Hill and Mildred Collins.

According to those trees, Lina was born on 24 Jan 1891 in Westford, Crawford Co., PA, and died 31 Jan 1979 in Holidaysburg, Lycoming Co., PA. She married John B Holmes on 27 Nov 1912 in Crawford Co., PA.

So I'm off to see if someone would like to add this photo back into their treasure chest...

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