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Showing posts from June, 2019

Burial of Centennarian

Green Bay Press Gazette, Sept 23, 1899 After posting my previous article " Following a lead on Martin Woodruff ", Newspapers.com uploaded more copies of the Green Bay Press Gazette for the years 1870-2019.  I searched Martin Woodruff and the first result was his obit from Sept. 23rd 1899!   Sure enough, it mentions that he was living with his daughter, Mrs. Gravy at 334 Maple av.  It feels good to have my previous research confirmed.  The more sources, the better able we are to form a picture of someone's life. See my article Martin Woodruff: The Elder for more about him.

Following a lead on Martin Woodruff

   I found Martin Woodruff's death noted in the registry at the Address is 334 Maple Ave. Wisconsin Historical Society.  It lists his mother's name as Anna and his wife's name as Anna.  It also gives his residence as 344 Maple Ave. in Green Bay, Wi.  This is the first actual document, besides newspapers, that I've found for Martin. I've searched and searched the census records and haven't been able to locate him.  So it's nice to find an address.  Perhaps if I search the city directory for Green Bay at that time, I can find him that way. The location of Martin Woodruff's grave. Also, Martin kept popping up in the Find-a Grave database for the Woodlawn Cemetery in Green Bay.  According to a friendly Find-a-Grave user local to the area, there is no grave marker for Martin Woodruff, but the designated spot is shared with a tombstone for the Johnson family.  What is his connection to the Johnsons?  Are they relatives...

Rose Peshek-Jolley (1882-1957)

My 2nd great-grandmother Rose Peshek-Jolley was raised in Appleton, Wisconsin, by her mother Mary along with one younger sister, Jessie Ida.  The Appleton Post-Crescent lists her marriage announcement to Alex Perrodin.   Wedding Announcement in the Appleton Post-Crescent, June 9th, 1900 On the wedding register, Rose lists her name as Rose Peshek Jolley, but lists her father as Frank Joseph Jolley.  Peshek is not her mother's maiden name, Woodruff is her mother's name.  So where does the name Peshek come from? Wisconsin Marriage Index, from the Wisconsin Historical Society             Later, in the 1910 Census of Grand Rapids, Wisconsin, two nieces are listed as living with Rose and Alex; Blanche Gegay, 17, and Ruby Gegay, age 16.  Who are the Gegays?  They are not the daughters of  Rose's sister Jessie, because she never had children.  Alex had two sisters, but neither one married a Gegay. 191...

Bohemia

      Bohemia is a region of modern day Czech Republic.  It is bordered by Bavaria to the West, Saxony to the North, Poland to the Northeast, and Austria to the South.  During the time of the Holy Roman Empire, Bohemia was it's own kingdom until 1526, when it came under Austrian rule by the Hapsburg Monarchy.  Prague was even capital of the Holy Roman Empire at one point!  Under Hapsburg rule, Bohemia became increasingly more German, with the German language being spoken predominantly.  In 1848, many Czech nationalists revolted and wanted to restore Bohemia as Czech and independent, apart from Austria.  The revolution failed and Bohemia did not become independent until after WWI, when it became know as Czechoslovakia.  Pamphlet in German extolling the climate and soil of Wisconsin                  My 4th great-grandfather Martin Woodruff came to the States in 1854, from Bohemi...

Martin Woodruff (1795-1899): The Elder

Who is Martin Woodruff?  Martin is my 4th great-grandfather.  The only information I have to support this are a few newspaper articles from the Appleton Post-Crescent. from the Appleton Post-Crescent, Sept. 30th, 1898. And then almost exactly a year later, his obituary appears. from the Appleton Post-Crescent , Sept. 28, 1899, Thursday. From these articles we get his approximate birth date, February 1795, in Bohemia.  His arrival in the States in 1854, residence in Milwaukee, and then death date of September 21, 1899, in Green Bay. I can't find him anywhere in the census for Milwaukee, or Green Bay.  His death doesn't appear to be noted in the Green Bay newspapers.  Why did he move to Green Bay, if his only child lived in Appleton?  Does he have other relatives?  Is Woodruff even his birth name?  If he is from Bohemia, its probably changed to sound more American.  What other name variants should I be looking for?  Wotruf?...