Gravestones 30 thru 32 East Maplewood Cemetery, Anderson, IN

 Edna (nee Groff) and Willard Clement Cookman, my great grandparents. East Maplewood Cemetery, Anderson IN.

 

Belle (nee Sharpe) and Martin Luther Forkner, my great grandparents. East Maplewood

 

 Samuel Forkner's obelisk, my great great grandfather. East Maplewood. He's near his son Martin.

 

Close up of Samuel Forkner

Gravestones 21 thru 28, West Maplewood Cemetery, Anderson, IN

 

Daisy (nee Hollingsworth) Clifford, my great great grandmother on the Forkner-Clifford line. West Maplewood.

 

Hadley Clifford, my great great grandfather on the Forkner-Clifford line. West Maplewood.

 

Hannah (nee Irish) wife of Alfred Makepeace, my 4th great grandmother on the Forkner-Clifford line. West Maplewood.

 

Letitia (nee Makepeace) Clifford, my third great grandmother on the Forkner-Clifford line. West Maplewood.

 

Lieut. Emery Clifford, my third great grandfather on the Forkner-Clifford line. West Maplewood.

He served in the Civil War, in Company G of the 17th Indiana Infantry. From my research, it looks like he was promoted twice (sergeant to 2nd lieutenant to 1st lieutenant) and he served for several years. The 17th was part of Wilder's Lightning Brigade. As I'm sure you can imagine, I was beyond happy to find a Civil War veteran in my family tree!

 

Mary (nee Sangston) wife of Isaac Clifford, my 4th great grandmother on the Forkner-Clifford line. West Maplewood.

 

George and Sallie Groff, my great great grandparents on the Cookman-Groff side. West Maplewood. Sallie's name was Sarah Elizabeth Dobell, but they called her Sallie.

 

Minter Bailey and Sarah Jane (nee Meade) Cookman, my great great grandparents. West Maplewood Cemetery, Anderson, IN. Minter is pretty much the farthest back I've found on the Cookman line.

Most Recent Immigrant Ancestor

Most recent immigrant ancestor - Edwin Bishop Dobell. He was born in 1818 in Staplehurst, Kent, England. He married Harriet Luck on Oct 5 1840 in Cincinnati Ohio and died in the early 1900s there. He was a furniture maker and his parents were Joseph Dobell and Mary Ann Bishop.

Edwin and Harriet had a daughter named Sarah Elizabeth who married George Albert Groff. They had a daughter, Edna, who married Willard Clement Cookman. Edna and Willard are my grandfather Donald's parents.

So my 3rd great grandfather is the most recent immigrant that I am aware of.

Fearless Females March 6 - Heirlooms

March 6 — Describe an heirloom you may have inherited from a female ancestor (wedding ring or other jewelry, china, clothing, etc.) If you don’t have any, then write about a specific object you remember from your mother or grandmother, or aunt (a scarf, a hat, cooking utensil, furniture, etc.)

I have several family heirlooms.

I used to have my great grandma Fern’s wedding ring but I lost it. It was a gold band with flowers and leaves on it. My mother said it was cursed. Apparently my great grandfather had bought it at a pawn shop and the owner had told him that the original owner had divorced. My great grandparents also divorced. I wore it for years and in my senior year of high school, took it off during art class while working with clay and left it (and my graduation ring) on the table. Never saw either one again. I still miss my rings. I also have a gold locket with a diamond in it that's engraved that was Grandma Fern's and a gold pocket watch as well. Its also engraved. The locket has flowers, the watch a cross (I think). Oh and I almost forgot the most important thing! My sewing machine was Grandma Fern's as well! I use that more than I use about anything. And its even named Fern after her.

I also have furniture from the Fink side of the family – a dresser and a mirror. They were Aunt Nora’s but I got them when I was about seven. Nora was the daughter of John and Annette Fink, my 3^rd great grandparents, so I guess that makes her my 3^rd great aunt. From what my great aunt Esther Jo said, they may have been brought to Ohio from Pennsylvania when Jacob and Nancy Fink (my 4^th great grandparents) migrated.

I also have a huge woven basket and an abalone shell that belong to my great grandmother Edna’s on the Cookman side (she was a Groff). It took me years to get that basket from my mother. My argument was that I should have it because she was only a Cookman by marriage, not blood. I wonder what she used the basket for...

I don’t know if it’s really an heirloom, but today I’m wearing a top that my grandma Jenny made while she was in the hospital. My mother wore the top and now I wear it. It’s a 70s cream polyester pullover with hand embroidery.