Another Man's Trash is Another Man's Treasure - Woman's That IS!

14 Apr 2020
Ultimate Blog Challenge

Continuing with the theme of Genealogy, I want to share a story about another man's trash is another man's, well WOMAN's treasure in this case.

Several years ago my husband and I had traveled to Illinois to visit his family. I transplanted him to Texas a year after we were married. We celebrated 21 years in February 2020.

It was a Sunday morning and we had just finished loading the car to begin our trek back to Texas. From where we were to where we lived was almost a sixteen-hour drive. As we were saying our 'goodbye's and giving the family hugs, my sister in laws say's, 'wait a minute - I want to give you something'. During this trip, I had given her a Family Scrapbook that I had been working on for several months. It was a surprise.

When she returned to the garage that is set up like a man cave - she looks at her brother and I and begins to say, "I think you (looking at me) should have this stuff because you are the family genealogist. I'm not sure what it is, but mom found it junkin' one day and maybe you can use it crafting or in your genealogy research'.  We thanked her and continued our goodbye hugs.

In the garage with us, was my husband's Uncle; his nephew; his brother-in-law; his sister, him and I. His Uncle being curious - knowing we were about to head out, asked what the papers were. The papers were the 'stuff' my sister-in-law had given me.

I glanced through them when she had given them to us but really didn't pay much attention as we were needing to get on the road. It was later than usual when we were trying to leave and we were facing a 16-hour drive. Work would be waiting for both my husband and me first thing Monday morning.  Realizing we were already behind schedule, I began reading one of the pages out loud...

CORONER HILL

HELD GRAHAM

INQUEST TODAY

______

Mine Accidents Have Kept Mr. Hill on the Go Friday & This Morning

______

Coroner John Hill went to Kincaid this morning to conduct an inquest over the body of John Graham 50 years old, a track later who was killed while at work in the Peabody Coal Mine No. 8 at Tovey Friday at 11:45 a m. 

(I continued reading)...

The verdict returned about noon said that Mr. Graham came to his death by being struck by a string of loaded mine cars that had broken loose from the motor that had been pulling them. 

Mr. Graham stepped out of the way of the motor to let the cars go past. When the last car passed he stepped back on the track to resume his labor and was run down by half the string that had broken loose and was following under the momentum gained before the coupling broke loose. 

(From the Breeze, 1 Feb. 1918

followed by the Inquests from the mine explosion at Stonington)

(I stopped reading)...

As I finished reading, I asked who was John Graham? Everyone looked at each other and my husband's uncle said, 'That was our people'. Our grandparents were Graham's! At this point, we were all just looking at him with this expression of WHAT? As you can imagine, my wheels were turning in my mind. I need to get on the family tree - I need to research this right now. We CAN'T leave!!! 

I looked at another page. I began to read...

ANDREW RYAN

A FARMER HERE

50 YEARS DEAD

______

Native of Ireland Passes Away at Local Hospital

at 2 A. M. 

Andrew Ryan aged eighty, for fifty years engaged at farming in Christian County, passed away at 2 o'clock this morning at the St. Vincent hospital in this city, to which institution he was brought Friday suffering from complications accompanying old age. He had been in ill health for a number of years, but took a sudden turn for the worse on Sunday, at his country home nine miles north of this city. 

Funeral Monday

The funeral will be held at 10 o'clock Monday morning, at the Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Stonington with Rev. Father J. J. Corcoran presiding. Interment will follow in the Oak Hill Cemetery, in this city. 

Biography

Andrew Ryan was born June 6, 1839, in Ireland, a son of Thomas and Johanna (Gean) Ryan. Fifty-three years ago he came to the United States living for two years in Sangamon County, moving then to Christian, he having resided in this county since that time. In 1868 he was married at Elkhart, Ill. to Miss Mary Coady, who survives him. Also surviving are three sons, Patrick of Sicily, and James A. and T.D. of Stonington; two daughters, Mrs. John Graham of Taylorville and Mrs. Patrick Graham of Sicily; twenty-one grand children and one great-grandchild. 

(Taken from the Daily Breeze Saturday June 21, 1919)

As I finished reading this last one...again, the uncle says - these are OUR people! Little did we know that in my hands were the actual Coronor's reports, newspaper articles and documentation for several people in my husband's family. His mother had found this stack of papers and a Family Bible (which we still have) junkin' on her one her daily excursions. In this stack of papers was this newspaper article...

Mrs. Owens Files Suit

For Separate Maintenance

______

Mrs. Mamie Owens filed suit for separate maintenance against her husband, Otis Owens in the circuit court today. She charges adultery, and in her bill names Edna Matthews as corespondent. 

The couple was married in this city March 26, 1923, and lived together until August 14, 1928. They have two children, Loena May, aged 18 months and Rita Madonna, 2 years old. Mrs. Owens in her bill says that her husband is capable of earning $100 per month on the railroad and asks that the court compel him to contribute to the support of her and the children. 

Mrs. Owens is represented by Attorney Harry B. Hershey. 

15 Aug. 1928

It is now almost 11:00 a.m. Sunday morning and we still haven't left for Texas!!! My husband and I decided to stay for lunch then get on the road. The garage was buzzing with conversations around these papers I now have in my possession. I asked how John Graham and Andrew Ryan was related to the family, but no one knew and I couldn't get to a computer. I was itching to unpack my laptop at this point...but I didn't. 

We ate lunch, then we left. That 16-hour drive seemed like forever...we couldn't get to Texas fast enough. I have a gold mine sitting in my hands that I need to research. Not tomorrow, not next week - - but NOW!!! It's all I could think about as my husband was driving the first leg. I continued reading through the papers and the stories that I was holding were very sad and yet at the same time, a bit comical. 

There were a total of 21 pages. Four of them were Family Group sheets listing the family of Mr. Graham and Andrew Ryan. Three were newspaper articles and the rest were actual Coroner reports. Another man's trash is another man's treasure. In this case, MY treasure! 

My husband and I talked about these items his mother uncovered unbeknownst to her and the rest of the family. We couldn't ask her where she found them sitting on the curb waiting for the trash because she passed away several years prior. These are the kind of things that make me cringe as a genealogist...knowing that people throw papers, photos, and history away without knowing the value of them. 

We finally arrived at home - it was very early on Monday morning - both, my husband and I called into work. I couldn't sleep. I immediately retrieved the papers and fired up my computer. Looking at my husband's family tree - I determined that Mrs. Owens who filed the suit mentioned above was my husband's great grandmother. She was John Graham's daughter. He was my husband's 2nd Great Grandfather. 

Mamie Owens, my husband's Great Grandmother

Andrew Ryan was my husband's 3rd Great Grandfather. 

I uploaded these documents into my husband's family tree and a few weeks later, I had several inquiries of people thanking me for doing so. I don't know who these people are, other than they are distant relatives who share these three common ancestors with my husband and his family. 

To date, I haven't been able to uncover any photos of the Great Grandfathers, but I'm very thankful to my mother in law for retrieving these treasures out of the junk that day in Illinois. It's hard for me to think about what would have become of them had my sister in law not said she had something to give us that day before we headed home. Sadly, they probably would have found their way to a junk pile on the side of the curb. 

This goes to show that another man's trash is another woman's treasure!!! 

Walking with the ancestors - - it's in my blood. It's documentation, stories, and articles like these mentioned above that I search for in my research. PRICELESS!!! 

Heart to Heart Soul Creations

H2hsc2020

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