27 May 2015

Shared online documents


As my readers know I've been on a quest to find as many of the smaller Frederick County cemeteries as possible. My process before was to go to the cemetery, try and get the best photos I could, come home and put each cemetery in to its own folder and then rename each of the photos to the name(s) on the tombstone. I now have almost 100 cemetery folders, though many of them are not complete as they are the larger cemeteries and I was there to just confirm that the coordinates and name were correct.

After quite some time I began to realize that I needed more than just the photos so I started making spreadsheets as well. I took the names and information that I could make out from the stone and if need be crosschecked it with Names in Stone. Sometimes it's hard to find all of the names that Holdcraft found because it's in alphabetical order. If I didn't find a stone from NIS then I noted that, and if I found more stones I noted that as well.

There are some cemeteries that I'd like to find so I make a spreadsheet on those so when I do hopefully find them I know what to look for. I know that some cemeteries have been moved, the Kline family cemetery, 9A, in Wolfsville, at least two of the stones were moved to Saint Marks. Also in Wolfsville the entire Maugans family cemetery, 12A, was moved to Salem United. Three of the four stones from the Kemp family cemetery, 202, were moved to Mount Olivet.

I have created a new Google account, Catoctin.history, to store all of these documents so others can use. You can find the spreadsheets here. Please remember that these are still in a raw format. If there's no survey date then I haven't found the cemetery yet. My notes shouldn't be too hard to understand but they might be. I do not list Jr, Sr, III, or any other prefix or suffix, nor do I list husband/wife. I do try and say when two or more people are on the same stone. I also put each name as I have found it on the stone and did not try and change the name as Holdcraft sometimes did.

Each sheet is done by the Holdcraft number and then name he gave each cemetery. I have put leading 0s so that the numbers come out in order correctly. For example, the Kline family cemetery is named 009A Kline Family Cemetery. Cemeteries that Holdcraft did not catalog, and there are a few, have not been given a number and just named as best as I could.

Let me know of any problems you may find.

26 May 2015

Lakin Family and African cemeteries

A couple of weeks ago I was at the Historical Society and a group of women came in looking for some information on the Lakin family. They were looking for where the family lived and I was able to help them a bit, using the Titus atlas helped out a bit as well. They also asked if I knew where the family cemetery was located at. Looking at my spreadsheet I found a location and gave it to them. They thanked me and went on their way to find the cemetery and land.

The next day I decided to go cemetery hunting, and since I hadn't been to the Lakin cemetery I decided to go there. Using the original coordinates I had put me in the wrong place. I knew I should have been close as I was on the correct road, but couldn't find it. Around where the cemetery was supposed to be located at was a house and people were having a cookout so I stopped and asked them. They said that the same women had stopped by the day before and gave them directions on how to get there.

When I got to the right place the man who lived there told me it was located behind the old house. Going down the correct driveway was fun as it was mostly grass, which on a motorcycle is interesting because of not being able to see holes and other obstacles. When I got behind the house all I saw was a fence and no cemetery right there. The man came out of his house, about 100 yards away, and yelled if I had found it, when I said no, he told me it was in the field. I walked a bit up the field and saw a fence way up on the hill. Since he had told me to "Just go on and ride your motorcicle up there," I did just that, right across a cleared field.

The trees down at the bottom is where the road ends.
Many of the stones were still in good shape, though there were a couple that unreadable. There were also a couple of stones that Holdcraft did not catalog.
Lakin Family Cemetery

After I also photographed a couple of African cemeteries, both of which had been mostly put on Find a Grave. The first was the Point of Rocks Colored Cemetery, the other was the Sunnyside United Methodist Church Cemetery. The Point of Rocks cemetery was kept in nice condition and most of the stones were readable.

When I arrived at the Sunnyside cemetery I was greeted by the pastor and he took me around the cemetery and gave me a bit of history. He was very appreciative that someone was taking photos of the cemeteries. He was also interested in the Point of Rocks cemetery as he had not heard of it.

Sunnyside United Methodist Church

12 May 2015

Kenderson Taylor Castle

For Amanuensis Monday, I have decided to post the will of Kenderson Taylor Castle,  1848-1929, who is my third great grandfather. The transcribed will is at the end of the post.

Kenderson Castle  was born 23 June 1848 (Maryland Certificate of Death), and died 28 May 1929 (ibid.) He married Elizabeth Young, abt. 1852-1915, on the 22 May 1870 (Frederick County Marriage licenses.) Kenderson's parents I believe are John and Malinda (nee Smith) Castle of Middletown, Maryland. While I have not been able to confirm it yet I believe John fought in the Civil War and died in 1868. John can be found in the 1850 and 1860 censuses for Middletown, Kenderson does not appear with John in 1860.

Kenderson and Elizabeth had 14 children, 12 of them were still alive when the 1910 census was taken. I have not fully traced all of his children, but I do know 13 of the 14. Della Irene, Alberta Gertrude (my second great grandmother), Washington Sylvester, Hattie Pearl, Clara Blanch, Martin Luther, Thomas Jefferson, Clora Augusta, John William, Annie, Stella, Flora and Mary. Della was born in 1870 and died in 1873, I do not know the other child who died.

Kenderson's tombstone in Zion Lutheran Cemetery.
According to the census records and his obituary, Kenderson was a farmer in the Middletown Valley. He and his wife are buried in Zion Lutheran Cemetery in Middletown.










If anyone happens to be a descendant of Kenderson, knows more information, or better yet has photos, please contact me.

Kenderson's will follows.


KENDERSON T. CASTLE                                                                                            I, Kenderson T. Castle, of Frederick
WILL                                                                                                              County, in the State of Maryland, do make this
CENTRAL TRUST CO. OF MD.                                                       my last Will and Testament, in the manner following,
EXECUTOR                                                                                                                                                         that is to say:

After the payment of all my just debts and funeral expenses, I give, devise and bequeath my estate as follows:

First: I hereby authorize, will and direct my Executor, hereinafter named, to convert all of my property and estate, of which I might die seized and possessed, into cash, with full power to sell and convey any real estate of which I might die seized and possessed, wheresoever situated.

Second: I will and direct that my said estate shall then be divided into twelve equal parts.

Third: I give, devise and bequeath, absolutely, in fee simple, unto my daughter, Mary E. Gregory, one of said equal parts. Unto my daughter, Alberta G. Kessler, one of said equal parts. Unto my daughter, Flora W. Stone, one of said equal parts. Unto my daughter, Stella A. Heim, one of said equal parts. Unto my daughter Clara B. Cline, one of said equal parts. Unto my son, Thomas J. Castle, one of said equal parts. And unto my daughter, Clora A. Castle, one of said equal parts.

Forth: The other five equal parts of my estate I give, devise and bequeath unto the CENTRAL TRUST COMPANY OF MARYLAND, located at Frederick, Maryland, and its successors, in trust, nevertheless, to pay the net income from one of said equal parts unto my daughter, Annie C.V. Snurr, during the term of her natural life and after her death in further trust to pay the corpus of said equal part unto her children and their descendants, per stirpes; and further, to pay the net income from one of the said equal parts to my son, John William Castle, during the term of his natural life and after his death in further trust to pay the corpus of said equal part unto his children and their descendants, per stirpes; and further, to pay the net income from one of said equal parts to my son, Washington S. Castle, during the term of his natural life and after his death in further trust to pay the corpus of said equal part unto his children and their descendants, per stirpes; and further, to pay the net income from one of said equal parts to my daughter, Hattie P. Castle, during the term of her natural life and after her death in further trust to pay the corpus of said equal part unto her children and their descendants, per stirpes; and further to pay the net income from one of said equal parts unto my son, Martin L. Castle, until he arrives at the age of fifty years, then in further trust to pay the corpus of said equal part absolutely, in fee simple, unto the said Martin L. Castle. And in the event the said Martin L. Castle should die before he arrives at the age of fifty years, then in that event the said equal part in further trust pay the same to his children and their [page 67] descendants, per stirpes, and if he leaves no children, then to his next of kin, per stirpes.

Fifth: I will and direct that the distribution of said trust funds to the parties entitled thereto under this Will, after the death of the life tenants, respectively, shall be made and administered in a Court of Equity, in the case in which the Court assumes jurisidiction [sic] of this trust.

Sixth: I do hereby constitute and appoint the CENTRAL TRUST COMPANY OF MARYLAND, located at Frederick, Maryland, to be the Executor of this my last Will and Testament, hereby revoking all other wills and codicils by me heretofore made.

IN TESTIMONY WHEREOF, I have hereunto unsubscribed my name and affixed my seal, this 18th day of June, in the year nineteen hundred and twenty-three.

K. T. CASTLE (SEAL)
Signed, sealed, published and declared by the above-named Testator, as and for his last Will and Testament, in the presence of us, who, at his Request, in his presence and the presence of each other, have hereunto subscribed our names as witnesses.
                                                                                                                                                                    ARTHUR D. WILLARD
                                                                                                                                                                        EDITH E WICKHAM
Maryland, Frederick County, to-wit;
On this 4th day of June, 1929, came Foster C. Remsburg and made oath in due form of law that the aforegoing instrument of writing is the true whole Will and Testament of KENDERSON T. CASTLE late of Frederick County, deceased, that has come to his hands and possession; that he received the same from the Safety Vault of Valley Savgs. Bk. of Middletown where it had been place by the Testator for safe keeping, and that he does not know of any other of a later date; That said KENDERSON T. CASTLE died on or about May 28, 1929.
                                                                                                                                                      TEST: CHARLES E. V. MYERS
                                                                                                                REGISTER OF WILLS FOR FREDERICK COUNTY.

State of Maryland, Frederick County, to-wit:
On the 6 day of June, 1929, came Arthur D. Willard and Edith E Wickham the subscribing Witnesses to the aforegoing last Will and Testament of KENDERSON T. CASTLE, late of Frederick County, deceased, and made oath in due form of law that they did see KENDERSON T. CASTLE the Testator therein named, sign and seal this Will; that they heard him publish, pronounce and declare the same to be his last Will and Testament; that at the time of his so doing he was, to the best of their apprehension, of sound and disposing mind, memory and understanding, and capable of executing a valid deed or contract, and that they respectively subscribed their names as Witnesses to said Will, in the presence of and at the request of the Testator and that they did also see each the other subscribing Witness sign his and her name as Witness to said Will, at the request of the Testator in his presence, and all in the presence of each other.
                                                                                                                                                      TEST: CHARLES E. V. MYERS
                                                                                                               REGESTER OF WILLS FOR FREDERICK COUNTY.


In the Orphans’ Count of Frederick County:
The Court, after having carefully examined the above last Will and Testament of KENDERSON T. CASTLE late of Frederick County, deceased and also the evidence adduced as to its validity, Orders and Decrees, this 6 day of June A. D., 1929, that the same be admitted to probate in this Court as the true and genuine last Will and Testament of the said KENDERSON T. CASTLE, deceased.
                                                                                                                                                                  HENRY P. MUSSETTER
                                                                                                                                                                              WM. C. HOWARD
                                                                                                                                                                     C. NEWTON THOMAS
                                                                                                                                         JUDGES OF THE ORPHANS’ COURT.

Liber/Folio CHB-1-66 Frederick County, Maryland
Transcribed 27 March 2010.

05 May 2015

Joined Geneabloggers

As you may, or may not, notice there's a link on the sidebar that links to Geneabloggers. I added my blog there a few days ago and hopefully their blog will give me some ideas for future posts. They have a list of Daily blogging prompts, some of which might prove to be interesting. Tombstone Tuesday should be an easy one for me. There's also Mappy, yeah not going with mappy, Monday. Black Sheep Sunday, I've a few of those. And one interesting one called Amanuensis Monday, which means to copy what has been written by another, something I should do more of.

I have a nice collection of maps at home, some of which might be interesting to review. I also have a handful of wills and letters transcribed, those might come in useful for people searching that particular name out.