Well, hello there

June, we hardly knew you.

I spent this still cold March day at my home away from home, the Minnesota Historical Society library, doing research. I decided to see if I could find some probate records or wills of ancestors. I found the will of two of my 3rd grand-uncles, George F. Dickinson and Norman L. Dickinson. Lo and behold, it seems George had a son I had never heard of or seen any records of whatsoever. His name was June Russell Dickinson. Now, I thought, it can't be that hard to find records for a man named June. I finally found birth records for two men born in the 40's whose father was Russell June Dickinson - and from there I found Russell June's death record, which contained the name of his father (sure enough, George Dickinson) and mother, Julia Burkhardt. I did several searches through census records and finally found a June Dickinson who, at age 7, was living with a Edward and Julia Monroe in 1895.

Well, before you know it I've created all sorts of stories - what happened that little June was separated from his daddy before he was 7? Were George and Julia married - it would apear so, since June is named "Dickinson." How often did June and George get to see one another over the years? They did not live in the same county, and this was the early 1900's after all.

The will leaves June a sum of $25.oo, and George's other three children with his (second?) wife, Nettie, were left acerage, the remainder left to Nettie.

Hmmmm. Looks like another blended family mystery to unravel. My next move is to map out June's stepfamily as best as I can, track their locations and his half-siblings. If I get lucky I may be able to connect with one of his children or grandchildren, and fill in some of the mystery. I already feel emphathy for this stranger/cousin. Did he go to war? Was he surprised by his father's will? Did he always wonder how things might have been if his father was around? Was his stepfather kind to him?

I will never know all the answers, but one thing my research has taught me very well - everyone has a story. Sooner or later, we encounter the hard bits of life. For June, it looks like it might have been sooner.

UPDATE: 3-31-08

I have found June Russell's mom and stepdad in the census in Oregon in 1900 and 1910, along with his half brother, Louis. Russell (from now I'll just call him Russell) is not with them. He was only 12 in 1900, so he must be living with someone, somewhere. I have searched all the census records with every sort of configuration and misspelling I can think of, but can't find him anywhere. This is where all my persistence will have to kick in. He can't keep hiding from me forever!!!! I have found his social security number, and have written to the SSA for a copy of his original application, under the freedom of information act. I will try to track down Russell's children if they are still in the area.

I have also determined that Russell's parents, George and Julia, were indeed married at some point - the census shows that Julia's marriage to Edward Monroe is the second for them both. So perhaps I will be able to find a marriage record and divorce decree. With this adventure I have also found two other 'lost boys', Floyd and Earl, first cousins of Russell, nephews of George, living with George's brother, Norman, in Red Wing. Floyd and Earl's father, Charles, appears to have died, along with his wife, when the boys were young. Norman raised them, but later Floyd worked for George on his farm ( according to Floyd's WW1 draft record). So why were Floyd and Earl taken in by the family and working the land of Russell's dad, but Russell is not?

Why was Russell left behind when his mom and stepdad and brother went west? And who took him in? I just can't imagine leaving a 12 year old (or younger) in Minnesota while the rest of the family traveled to Oregon, maybe never to return. There were no quick forms of transportation in those days, no jets or super fast trains. Julia had to know she would rarely or never see Russell after leaving.

The immediate goal is to find Russell in the 1900 US census, the 1905 Minneosta census, and go from there. Since I have no other information on Julia's family, I will have to find out who they were as well, in case he is living with them and the census taker wrote his last name as Burkhardt instead of Dickinson.

stay tuned......

UPDATE 4/1/08

Yesterday evening I had a little tickle in my mind while working on this puzzle. I thought I remembered finding a little blurb in an old Pine Island Minnesota paper about George visiting Pierre, South Dakota with his brother Ed. There was a great migration to the Dakota territory in the latter half of the 19th century, the land was opened up for homesteading, and the newspapers of that era are full of notes about families packing up and heading out west. My own gggrandad lived near Pierre for a few years, one of his sons was born there. He faced numerous disasters there and returned to Minnesota - as did many families. Turns out the free land wasn't always worth the price. I looked through my postings on Ancestry.com for George -and sure enough, there was the item from October of 1885, George and his brother Edward had returned from a visit to Pierre, their former home. My gggrandfather was still living there in 1885, his son was born in 1887. Hmmm. Maybe this is why they are not in the Minnesota census in 1885. However, I'm not sure how this will help - unless it turns out Julia's family was also in Dakota, and they met there. I've got to get back to the library and figure out when George took over the farm in Minnesota. And look back over those old newspapers from the area with an eye to finding Russell in school records or - AH SCHOOL RECORDS!!! Why didn't I think of that before? Russell had to be in school somewhere. Down the rabbit trail I go. Wish me luck.

Stepmom

I have been a stepmom for 12 years, and most of the time, it is the world's most thankless job. In spite of loving my stepson like my own, I am always aware of my 'label' and the limitations it implies, both in the eyes of the culture and in practical ways. My stepson is delightful and we enjoy a close relationship, but his biological mother is, and should be, number one. I am blessed with a husband who values my relationship with his son, and my stepson's mother also is respectful of my role. I know many other stepmoms (and stepfathers too) that do not have those blessings. Regardless, to love without expectation is our lot, and it isn't easy. I recently discovered in my family research a letter from a stepmom's heart, written by a simple woman in her country way, full of tender love for the motherless children that became her own. I want to share a little of that story and honor her sacrificial love.

Mollie Sydney Vaughan married Samuel Houston Jolly in 1883 in Texas. She moved with her new husband to Mississippi and had three children, Sydney, Laura and Leroy. In 1890, Mollie passed away. I have a letter from Mollie written in January, 1890, less than 9 months before her death. Here is the last paragraph:

"Roy wants to help me write and is bothering me so I will have to quit. You must excuse this short letter for I am not well enough to write at all will do better next time. Write soon to: Your loving sister, Mollie S. Jolly"

The next letter mentioning Mollie and Sam's family took me a while to decipher. The letter is from a Alma Jolly, written to Mrs. S. E. Vaughan in 1894. I eventually determined that it was written by the stepmother of Mollie's children, to their maternal grandmother. Here are some of the touching contents:

"Okolona, Miss
April 15th 1894
Mrs. S. E. Vaughan,
. . .The children are well and growing very fast. Roy is very near as large as Edna and he is just as cunning as he can be. And Edna don't like very much of being as tall as Sidny, and she is just as smart as she can be. She learns fast and can do so many things for a little girl her age and she is just as merry as a little bird and I think she is very pretty. Sidny is a very quiet child but he is the nicest child I ever saw to be a boy. I wish you could hear him spell he can spell very near every word in his word book ...Roy learns so fast that he hardly needs a book to get his lesson in. It would make you laugh to see him spell and wink his cunning eyes. . .
I don't have any trouble with the children whatever, they seem to think a great deal of me. I try to do my duty towards the children best I can. I know that I can't fill the vacancy in every respect - but I will ever endeavor to try to do my duty in every way. . .
Well I guess you would like to have a description of myself so I will give you a dot or two. I am a chunky little girl and only weigh 150 lbs., have dark hair and blue eyes. . .Mrs. Vaughan, I will correspond with you if it suit you. Yours most respectfully, Alma Jolly"

Almira Abernathy Jolly was Alma's full name, and sadly, she also died a few years later, leaving Laura, Sidney and Leroy motherless once again. Their father did remarry again, but I have no correspondence past the letter from Alma.

My heart goes out in sisterhood to other stepmoms, who have gotten a bad rap for hundreds of years. We understand how it feels to feel "second" best, to be left out of decisions about a child you love, to be judged based on your status of "step", stereotyped as evil, not given the courtesy of recognition as an important part of 'our' children's lives. We love anyway, and in that way learn a little how God asks us to love - unconditionally, freely, without hope of anything for ourselves. If the child succeeds in life, stepmoms will not usually be given credit. If the child has problems, the stepmom will often come up as a source of blame. It takes a lot of humility (and a good dose of keeping one's mouth shut!)to be a good stepmom. Heaven help(s)us.

I honor Alma for her love to the three children she treasured. I believe they were her own in her heart. Bless you little Alma.