Benjamin Eggleston

April 5, 2023 by Karen Stark

Samuel and Rebecca Eggleston family

When I began researching, family records only listed two children of Samuel and Rebecca Eggleston – Samuel Jr. and Ambrose.

Samuel Sr. and his wife Rebecca moved from Argyle, Washington County, New York to Marcellus, Onondaga County, New York early in the 1800’s. A deed shows that they sold their land in Argyle in February 1801. On July 22, 1801, Samuel bought land in Marcellus from Luther Manley. This land was 100 acres of Lot #52.

I found two other deeds, which turned out to be my discovery of two other sons of Samuel and Rebecca. March 16, 1809, Samuel deeded about one third of this land to Nathan Eggleston for 50 cents and “for and in consideration of the natural love and affection he hath and beareth to his son the said Nathan.” June 29, 1810, Samuel deeded the remainder of his land to Benjamin Eggleston for $300. There was no “love and affection” clause with this deed, but all indications were that Benjamin was also his son. Samuel Jr. had bought his own land nearby.

This is my abstract of the deed of land from Samuel to Benjamin:

29 June 1810 SAMUEL EGGLESTON of Marcellus sold to BENJAMIN EGGLESTON for $300 part of Marcellus Lot 52 bounded on the west by lands owned by WYLLYS MANLY and LUTHER MANLEY and on the north by land owned by NATHAN EGGLESTON containing 68 and 2/3 acres. Signed: SAMUEL EGGLESTON. Witness: DANIEL KELLOGG 29th June 1810. Recorded DANIEL KELLOGG. (Onondaga Deeds Book P p. 382-383 FHL film 0870719)

Searching for Benjamin Eggleston

Samuel Sr. was not listed in the 1820 Census, but that year Benjamin Eggleston had an extra male over 45 in his household. In 1830 this was an 80-90 year old, and in 1840, 90-100 years old. It appears that Benjamin took over his father’s farm and cared for him until his death.

1830 Census Skaneateles, Onondaga, New York

1840 Census Skaneateles, Onondaga, New York

Burial and Probate Information

The discovery of these land records led to more research which found burial and probate records. More information was found through research on Benjamin’s wife Elizabeth Wiltse.

I found in a History of Spafford, Onondaga, New York a bio of Deacon Benjamin Eggleston. It quoted from his and family members’ headstones. (His and his wife’s are shown below) Most of the information here seems to have come from his will, dated February 18, 1865 and probated March 23, 1868. Mentioned were his wife, Elizabeth and children: Myron; Rolfe; John; Theodore, who married Sarah A. Gardner; Delilah Goodridge; Adeline Wood; Catherine Coon; Rebecca, who married Austin Wyckoff of Navarino, NY; Mary, who married Augustin Vanderburgh, son of Stephen and Maria (Calkins) Vanderburg; Ruth M. Eggleston and Sarah E. Patterson. (Spafford, Onondaga Co, NY 974.765/S1 V3c FHL)

This gave me enough information to add Benjamin and his children to the family and fill in as many details as I could find in census and other records.

Discovery

After doing this research for some time and piecing together Benjamin’s family, I finally discovered something that had been under my nose – literally – for some time. As I was cleaning up my messy desk one day in early 2001, I discovered a note I had scribbled and the lights went on in my brain. Occasionally as I researched and made connections online, people would ask me about various Egglestons. This note was about a contact from Barbara about a Berry or Benjamin Eggleston. At the time I had been contacted by Barbara, this name meant nothing, so I just put the note with others. Now it all made sense.

I was able to contact Barbara and we shared information. She sent me copies of some correspondence from 1987, information that appeared to have been compiled by some local historian, and a copy of a “Family Record” written for a 1911 family reunion. This had wonderful information about Benjamin’s children, including a son I was not aware of because he had died as a child and was not listed in Benjamin’s probate record.

The 1911 Eggleston Family Record

The “Family Record” is a brief history of the family of Benjamin and Elizabeth written for a family reunion held in 1911 in Chautauqua County. by C. W. Patterson. His record begins and ends with these statements:

More than a century ago the great, great grand parents of some of this gathering were born. Berry Eggleston in the year 1783 and his wife, Elizabeth Wiltsie was born Jan 1, 1789. They were married in 1808 and came to Onondaga Co. where they took up and cleared their farm on which they lived until their death, Benj. in 1868 and Elizabeth 6 years later, 1874 . . .

All this family were all of the old New England type being large of frame, strong and robust, upright and honest of character, sober and industrious and God fearing people, an honor to any community. We can any of us be proud to be descendants of these honorable forefathers.

Correspondence

This is the letter Barbara received with information on this family, which references the above family history:

Barbara told me that she had gotten information from her uncle, Ralph Scott before he died. He was mentioned in this letter’s P.S. as being at a more recent family reunion. Ralph was the one who told Barbara that Benjamin’s son Franklin had died at age 3, which was obviously the reason he was not on other records. She mentioned that her uncle had in his basement in Detroit, family bibles, old letters, post cards, and pictures.

Interestingly a typed sheet, prepared by CNYGS (Central New York Genealogical Society) in Syracuse, included mention of the Administration of the estate of Thomas Tanner, among other details about various Egglestons. This note from “Memoirs of Phillipe Maton Wiltsie and His Descendants” by Jerome Wiltsie Sr. (1908) p 123 was in the middle of that sheet:

“Benjamin Eggleston m Elizabeth Wiltsie dau John & Polly (Burns) Wiltsie. She was b 1794, died in 81st year. Son: Theodore Eggleston, b 1830, res Sherman, Chautauqua Co.”

Benjamin’s Life

With this new information I was able to get a better picture of Benjamin’s life and family.

Benjamin was born in 1783. His birth place is different in different Census records: Washington County, New York, Connecticut or Rhode Island. Most likely he was born in the Stonington, Connecticut area.

Benjamin married Elizabeth Wiltse in 1808. Elizabeth was born January 1, 1789 in Vermont, a daughter of John Wiltse and Mary Burns. John Wiltse was one of the early settlers of Marcellus and was a neighbor of the Egglestons.

Information in a Wiltse history mentioned that Elizabeth and her husband Benjamin Eggleston resided in a house that her father built at Marcellus until 1865 when they moved to Sherman, Chautuaqua, County. It appears from census, land, and other records mentioning the “Eggleston farm near the Wiltse farm”, that the Wiltses were neighbors of the Egglestons. Benjamin bought his father’s land in 1810, when he had only been married a short time. Perhaps his father-in-law did build his house, but it likely was on his father’s land.

Benjamin did purchase some land in Chautauqua County, which he later sold to sons Myron and Rolfe. But it does not appear that he ever lived there himself. If he did, it would have been for a very short time. The Family Reunion sheet seems to say he lived in the same place until his death. Benjamin was buried in Marcellus, in the Thorn Hill Cemetery. Theodore however, though living with his father until 1865 at least, and possibly until his death, did move to Chautauqua County where he died and was buried.

It appears that Benjamin became quite a prosperous farmer and respected member of the community. A history of the town of Spafford listed Benjamin among the early settlers of the area. Since Benjamin was quite young at the time his father came to Marcellus, it is most likely he came with him. His brothers also probably came about the same time. The reason Benjamin was listed and not his father or brothers, is probably because he stayed and became a prominent member of the community, rather than that he came first. Benjamin also acquired a good deal of land in the area. He sold land in Marcellus to his sons Theodore and John.

In his later years Benjamin apparently lived with Theodore. Theodore and his wife Sarah did not have children for many years, so as Benjamin aged it would have placed a great burden on Theodore to farm his land. In the 1860 Census there appears to be hired laborers listed with the family. (This Census is very difficult to read and the names cannot all be made out). Benjamin’s daughter Ruth did not marry until she was quite old. She was living with them and probably helped to take care of her aging parents.

Marcellus Church Records

Benjamin and his wife Elizabeth were baptized and joined the Thornhill Baptist Church May 21, 1828. He would have been about 45 years old, so joined the Church at a much older age than his brothers had and after Samuel and Nathan had moved away. Why he was not baptized at a younger age is unknown. Perhaps his brother’s later experiences with being excluded from the church influenced him.

From the time of his baptism, Benjamin was very involved in the Church. In May 1837, he was chosen chairman of the board of trustees of the First Baptist Religious Society of Marcellus. In 1841, he and Stephen Vandenburgh were chosen trustees. He would have been involved in decisions and planning for the original church building and the present building, which was built in 1849. Benjamin was mentioned in Mortuary Notes and also in a newspaper notice of his daughter’s marriage as “Deacon”. As Deacon, Benjamin had many assignments to visit brethren and sisters, participated in meetings, and other activities.

Benjamin’s son Theodore married Sarah A. Gardner, whose father Sylvester Gardner, was the Pastor of the Thorn Hill Baptist Church at the time. This family was also a neighbor as they were listed next to each other on the 1850 Census.

In August 2001, I was able to visit this Church in Marcellus, New York. The Pastor showed my father and I the church records and allowed us to make some copies. We were also able to visit the graves of Benjamin and his wife Elizabeth in the cemetery there.

Death of Benjamin Eggleston

Benjamin died January 9, 1868 and was buried in the Thorn Hill Cemetery behind the Church in which he was an active member. His headstone inscription reads: “Our Father Dea Benjamin Eggleston left us January 9, 1868, in the full assurance of a blissful immortality, through Christ his Saviour, age 85 years.” The Spafford Mortuary Records published by the Onondaga Historical Association also added the line “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the Death of his Saint.”

Headstones of Elizabeth and Benjamin Eggleston — Headstone of Benjamin Eggleston behind the Church. Elizabeth’s stone is lying on the ground. (Photo taken in 2001)

Elizabeth died August 31, 1874. She was buried alongside her husband in the Thorn Hill Cemetery. Sadly upon our visit in August 2001, we found her headstone lying on the ground. The inscription reads: “Our Mother Elizabeth, wife of Dea Benjamin Eggleston Departed this life August 31, 1874, age 85 years, 5 months.” The Mortuary Records added the phrase “With a good Hope in Christ of a Blessed and glorious Resurrection to Eternal Life.” The 1875 New York Census listed deaths during the year ending June 1, 1875 and listed Elizabeth Eggleston age 85 died August 31 of old age. A Wiltse Family history gave Elizabeth’s birth as 1794 and indicated she died in her 81st year.

GATHERING THE FAMILY OF SAMUEL AND REBECCA EGGLESTON

March 31, 2023 by Karen Stark

The Samuel and Rebecca Eggleston Family

When I started research, according to existing records, the family of Samuel and Rebecca Eggleston consisted of them and only two children: Samuel Jr. and Ambrose. These were the only two children listed in Orson Hyde Eggleston’s records of temple work done, and I am sure that his records were the source. I have always doubted that Ambrose was a member of this family. I have never found any other records showing that he existed. Maybe Orson had heard his father talk about “Uncle Ambrose” and placed him here? Orson’s father Samuel did have a brother Ambrose, most likely named after his mother Elizabeth’s father Ambrose Hill. Samuel Jr. and Elizabeth named many of their children after Hill family members. I haven’t seen other Ambrose in our particular Eggleston line, so the inclusion in Samuel’s family seems a mistake to me.

Finding Benjamin and Nathan through the Land

I started digging into land records after taking a class at our local Family History Center on “U. S. Migrations”. I poured through indexes and deed books on microfilm at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City. This first page of a letter to Uncle Theron from a genealogists he hired, mentions a deed where Samuel sold land in Marcellus to Benjamin Eggleston.

This is my abstract of that deed:

This deed hints strongly that Benjamin was Samuel’s son, which is further confirmed by Census records below.

Apparently however, this researcher or the people he contacted in Onondaga County missed this earlier and more enlightening deed:

16th March 1809 SAMUEL EAGLESTONE of Marcellus sold to NATHAN EAGELSTONE for and in consideration of 50 cents . . paid by NATHAN EAGELSTONE. . and more particularly for an in consideration of the natural love and affection he hath and beareth unto his son the said NATHAN EAGELSTONE part of Marcellus Lot 52 containing 31 and 1/3 acres. Signed: SAMUEL EAGELSTONE. Witness: DANIEL KELLOGG. Recorded 16 Feb 1836 A. EDWARDS, Clerk. (Onondaga Deeds Book 61 p. 35-36 FHL film 0869687)

Deeds don’t get better than this one for proving a relationship. Samuel Sr. had originally bought 100 acres of land in Lot #52 in 1801, so these two deeds split that land. Samuel Jr. had bought 52 1/2 acres of land nearby in Lot #59, which he sold in 1817 when he moved to Springwater.

Census Hints

When I looked at Census records, I found Samuel Sr. was no longer listed on Census records after 1810. There was no Samuel in Marcellus in 1820. Samuel Jr. had moved to Springwater, Livingston County, New York before 1820. But Benjamin had an extra male over 45 with him in 1820. In 1830 I found Nathan and Benjamin next to each other in Skaneateles, which had been created from the part of Marcellus where they lived. Benjamin had an 80-90 year old man living with him.

In 1840, Benjamin had a male in the 90-100 year age category. Samuel Sr. died June 20, 1840, apparently not long after this census was taken. I felt confident that Benjamin was his son. Benjamin, the youngest in the family who was living on land his father had purchased, was taking care of him in his old age.

Finding Phoebe and Karen Tanner

It was indirectly through this Nathan that I found two sisters. Settlers of the Beekman Patent by Frank J. Doherty, mentioned that a Nathan Eggleston had been granted guardianship of the children of Thomas Tanner of Marcellus. (Vol. 4 p. 678.) Doherty mistakenly attributed this record to Nathaniel, son of Samuel’s brother John. Being from Onondaga County Probate Records, (Onondaga Co LofA 3:23, 97) it appeared to me to be this Nathan of Marcellus. (The summary of Samuel’s family on p. 677 of Vol 4, is very brief and only lists son Samuel.)

This bio of Nathaniel Eggleston summarized, between mention of records from a variety of New York Counties, “Nathan (sic) Eggleston of the Town of Marcellus was appointed guardian 13 July 1819 over Amos Tanner, age 16 and Asa Tanner, age 16, sons of Thomas Tanner dec’d. He was also appointed guardian over Solomon Tanner, Phebe Tanner and Van Rensselaer Tanner on the same date, different document.”

In looking up these Tanner children, I benefited from work done by the Tanner family and posted on FamilySearch. They identified Thomas’ wives as Phebe Eggleston and Karen Eggleston. It was especially exciting for me to find Karen, since we share the same name.

Thomas had first married Phebe Eggleston, probably in Washington County, New York sometime before 1790. Thomas Tanner was on the 1790 Census of Argyle, Washington County, NY with 1 male over 16, 1 male under 16 and 1 female. He brought his family to Marcellus before the Egglestons all came, being one of the first settlers of the town. He was on the 1800 Census there, while the Egglestons were still in Argyle.

Phebe and Thomas had children:

Thomas Jr. who would have been the son in the 1790 Census. He died before December 22, 1814, near the time that his father did, and possibly in the War of 1812; Samuel Tanner who was born in 1792 and was the administrator of his father’s estate; Nathan Tanner, who would have also been an adult when his father died; Amos and Asa listed as 16 years old in the guardianship record may have been twins or the record may have been indicating that they were over 16 but still minors. Amos is the only one with a known birth date of 1800; Phoebe, listed in the guardianship record, was born in 1805; Solomon was born in 1808 and is also in the record; and other records list a Rebecca born about 1810, who apparently was no longer living when her father died. She may have been born around the time that her mother Phebe died, perhaps both dying during or shortly after childbirth.

The names of their children make sense considering that Thomas Jr. was named after his father Thomas; Samuel was named after Phebe’s father Samuel; Nathan was named after Thomas’s father Nathan Tanner (and Thomas’ brother); and Rebecca was named after Phebe’s mother Rebecca (and Phebe’s sister).

Karen Eggleston had married Peleg Cornell back in Washington County, New York. Peleg Cornell was in the 1800 Census of Hebron, Washington County with 2 males under 10, 3 females under 10, he a male 26-45 and she a female 26-45. I have not been able to identify all of their children. I suspect Peleg Cornell born in September 1795 who later lived near other family members in Chautauqua County, New York, was their son. He married Hannah Wiltse, sister of Benjamin’s wife Elizabeth.

Karen’s husband Peleg Cornell seems to have died around the same time that her sister Phebe died. Karen then married Thomas Tanner, who died in 1814.

Van Rensselaer Tanner, mentioned in the guardianship record was the son of Karen and Thomas Tanner. They apparently also had William born 1813 in Skaneateles and possibly an unnamed daughter who died as an infant.

Marcellus Baptist Church Records

The Marcellus Baptist Church records mention almost all of these family members, but not many relationships. Early members were Samuel Jr., Nathan, Thomas Tanner. Benjamin was baptized later, but then became a Deacon.

This was the family composition at the time I wrote the Eggleston book. I included Ambrose because he was on databases. I also mentioned the possibility that John Eggleston who was also in Marcellus early on, might be a son.

Adding Rebecca

One day while on FamilySearch I saw that Deborah, the wife of Winlock Eggleston now had a last name – Earll. Her parents were Nathaniel Earll and Rebecca Eggleston. There were no sources attached that would indicate where this information came from. I did find an email of someone who had submitted information and contacted her. She said that she had gotten information from an Ancestry database. This person remembered a handwritten family genealogy dated 1935. She found a note, but not a copy of this and I have not been able to find it attached to any of the Ancestry Trees. There are several of those which list a number of children for Nathaniel and Rebecca. Marcellus Deeds do have the name Rebecca as wife of Nathaniel Earll. Octogon School Cemetery Records give a death date for Rebecca, wife of Nathaniel Earll as September 7, 1847.

It all started to make sense. The 1790 and 1800 Census of Argyle had more females in Samuel’s family than were previously accounted for, so I had looked for another daughter. The 1810 Census of Marcellus paints a more complete picture. Nathaniel Earll was right in the middle of all the Egglestons on that Census.

In the center of this record can be found the whole family. On the left is Thomas Tanner, probably with wife Karen Eggleston Cornell and many children. Next to Thomas is Nathan Eggleston and then Samuel Eggleston Jr. (Simeon Skeels was the father of Isaac Skeels who later married Samuel Jr.’s daughter Anna).

On the right is Jno Eggleston Jr. and Joseph Eggleston. Joseph had a son John, but there was also another John Eggleston in early Marcellus. Next to Joseph is Nathan J. Eggleston, who probably also is a son of Joseph. (Putting together Joseph’s family was a bit more challenging and deserves it’s own post)

Nathaniel Earll is right next to Samuel Eggleston, his father-in-law. Benjamin is next to his father Samuel and next to Benjamin is his father-in-law John Wilsie.

The Children of Samuel and Rebecca Eggleston

Samuel Eggleston Jr. was born about 1770, possibly earlier. He died October 4, 1830 in Springwater, Livingston, New York. He married Elizabeth Hill.

Phoebe Eggleston was born about 1769 and died about 1810. She married Thomas Tanner before 1790 in Washington County, New York.

Karen Eggleston was born about 1771. She first married Peleg Cornell, probably in Washington County, New York. After his death, Karen married Thomas Tanner about 1810.

Nathan Eggleston was born about 1774. He died February 2, 1854 in Chautauqua County, New York. He married Mary.

Rebecca Eggleston was born March 24, 1781. She died September 7, 1847. She married Nathaniel Earll.

Benjamin Eggleston was born in 1783. He died January 9, 1868 in Marcellus, New York. He married Elizabeth Wiltse, daughter of their neighbor John Wiltse.

Building upon the Work of Past Genealogists

March 25, 2023 by Karen Stark

As I have done genealogical research over the years, I occasionally find myself returning to the same families and records, and after a while things look familiar and I realize that I am doing work that I have already done. At one point, in my attempts to organize and clean out some paperwork, I happened upon some old research correspondence of my Great Uncle Theron. He apparently had paid a professional genealogist to do some research on the family of Samuel and Rebecca Eggleston. This letter was among the files I received from his daughter Ruth years ago and I am sure that I read through it then. I received it after I had already found the deeds and most of the documents mentioned. Through my research I had added children to the family.

Genealogy the Old-Fashioned Way

I began genealogical research before digital took over, but I am impressed by the information gleaned in 1961 by this researcher who had to hunt down records in different locations. This involved more work than my scrolling through microfilm at the Family History Library, and certainly more than done by clicking around on websites. This researcher likely contacted the Onondaga County Historian and requested all the information they had available. This included deeds, which I found at the FHL by searching indexes and deed books on microfilm and then making copies to take home and study. It is interesting to me that he found the deed where Samuel Sr. sold land to Benjamin, but not the deed where Samuel sold land to Nathan for “love and affection”. This would have been very helpful to Uncle Theron. That Benjamin was Samuel’s son wasn’t specified in the deed, but on page 3 of this letter, he suggests “there may have been a son Benjamin”.

He did present the possibility of a son Nathan on page 3: “there may have been another son Nathaniel, but we are not sure about this.” He gave detail about Benjamin’s family, but for some reason Theron didn’t add Benjamin to the family records. Records of the Rose Hill Baptist Church would also have been helpful if the Onondaga County Historian had searched them.

This researcher did determine through a Pension Record, that the Samuel Eggleston buried in Shaneateles was not the same one who served in the Revolution (bottom of page 1). He also pointed out an apparent conflict with a former researcher’s conclusion that the Washington County Eggleston’s were not ours. To clarify, he employed a researcher in Washington County, New York.

Also cited and discussed was the work of an earlier researcher, Frank E. Robbins, who wrote a paper in 1941 on The Egglestons. Robbins “Eggleston in the Michigan Census” published in Nov/Dec 1944, DSGR Magazine, has been very helpful to more current researchers. This researcher, however, didn’t just take Robbins word on the family as quoted on page 2. He sought to verify that information. The enclosed copy of notes accompanying this letter, consists of a nine page Research Log of his search of Connecticut records. It includes searches of deeds, probate records, Church records (what appears to be the Pendleton Hill Baptist Church provided more information that the Congregational Church records) and the well known sources of the Barbour and Hale Collections. These were sources that I also searched.

This researcher seemed to reference Henry R. Stiles work “the author of the Eggleston family in Windsor”. He concluded, as I and most everyone has, that Joseph of R. I. and Stonington could not have been the son of Bigot born in 1651, but could be a grandson. (page 2 ) He also concluded, as most early researchers did, that with the exception of Elisha, Isaac’s family all went to Washington County, NY.

It took much more study of deeds and other information not available at that time, to confirm that Isaac’s son Joseph stayed in Connecticut and it was Joseph’s son Joseph who went to Washington County with Isaac’s sons. (See my Article published in the Connecticut Nutmegger June 2005) Now we are pursuing a theory that some of Elisha’s sons may have gone there as well.

He mentioned a couple of marriage records that remain a mystery to me: Mary Eggleston in 1740 and Isaac in 1755.

Toward the end of the letter, he brought up Anna Browning, and mentioned the Rhode Island William Browning who married Mary Wilkinson, as a clue since Anna named a son Wilkinson. There seemed to be some confusion about Anna’s supposed birth date not fitting with the family. Many have been confused about the birth dates of this family. I have changed them back many times to my estimates on FamilySearch and others have changed back to some that I know can’t be right. I do think Anna belongs to this larger R.I. Browning family, but haven’t determined exactly where.

Earlier Eggleston Research

Also in Uncle Theron’s records were some letters from the 1930’s. The first addressed to his sister Florence, which referred to “instructions of your brother, Theron”, who apparently initiated the research. The intent seems to be preparing names for Temple work on both the Eggleston and Burgess families. There is not much detail given, but apparently the researcher felt confident in proceeding with Temple Work.

In 1933, Theron wrote to a researcher in Washington D. C. who he apparently found mentioned in “The Handbook of American Genealogy” as being connected to Egglestons. The information Theron gives in this letter obviously comes from the Temple work done by his father Orson Hyde Eggleston.

Theron suggests that dates may not correct. I eventually learned that some of the other information was not correct, or at least incomplete. Most dates are obviously estimates, and places as well. Orson may not have known that the family was in Connecticut before migrating to New York, where he and his father were born. These records do give us a good idea of what Orson knew, had been told, or assumed, and also what Theron knew and assumed.

Orson’s Temple Work

Orson Hyde Eggleston gathered genealogical information and went to the Logan Temple in 1914 to do proxy Temple ordinances for a number of ancestors. My father was given these handwritten sheets by a cousin. Later when I visited cousin Ruth, Theron’s daughter, she gave me similar sheets that her parents had apparently filled out for work that they had done. I found the microfilm of the Temple work done in the Logan Temple in 1914, handwritten in the margin of the pages as film #177873. These indicate that the work was done “instance of Orson Hyde Eggleston”, though others were proxy for some of the ordinances.

Compiled sheets of Temple Work done by Orson Hyde Eggleston – legal sheets folded to show relationships

Pages from the Logan Temple microfilm showing corresponding men and women

The first sheet shows the Mr. Eggleston born 1700 – #27 with Orson’s relationship as 3rd great grandson. Mrs. Eggleston born born 1702 – #26, is the woman who corresponds with him. Isaac born 1723 is 2nd great grandson – #25, with Joseph next to him as 2nd great grand nephew – #26. Anna Browning corresponds as the wife of Isaac with relationship also as 2nd great grandson. She is #7 on the page, which doesn’t show in this image. It is interesting that wives are not listed in the far left column for these two as with many others. The woman who corresponds with Joseph’s relationship is #44 Karin Springer born 1727, 2nd great grand nephew-in-law. Samuel Eggleston #20, born 1748 is great grandson. There is no corresponding great grandson for a woman, except Mrs. Ambrose Hill, #31, who would be the mother of Samuel Jr.’s wife Elizabeth Hill. Rebecca Eggleston #29 born 1750 is listed as 4th Cousin.

The typed pages from the Logan Temple microfilm when placed with the men and women side by side seem to match up: Mr. and Mrs. Eggleston as 3rd great grandparents, Isaac and Anna Browning as 2nd great grandparents, Samuel and Rebecca as great grandparents/4th cousin, and Samuel Jr. and Elizabeth Hill as grandparents. In between are Joseph and Karin Springer 2nd great grand uncle and aunt.

My Conclusions

Through my research, I concluded that there probably wasn’t an Ambrose Eggleston, son of Samuel and Rebecca #20. I found no records for such a person, but have left him on FamilySearch because I know if I delete him, someone will add him back on. Samuel Jr. and Elizabeth Hill did have a son Ambrose, likely named after her father Ambrose Hill. I think Orson was confused and put an Ambrose in both generations when there was only one.

I concluded that Samuel’s wife Rebecca was Rebecca Eggleston. Orson’s record of Temple work and the genealogical information he submitted to the Utah Genealogical Society gives her name Rebecca Eggleston. I think Orson knew that was her maiden name, but Theron assumed her maiden name was unknown (in the letter) and that Eggleston was her married name.

Orson’s did Temple work for both Samuel’s father Isaac and his brother Joseph and who appears to be Joseph’s wife Karen Springer, but no other members of their father Joseph’s family. This raises the question of why he even knew that Isaac had a brother Joseph. I determined that Joseph and his wife Caron were the parents of Rebecca. That is why their work was done and Orson knew that. Theron didn’t mention Karen in this letter, probably because she is listed on the Temple record as Orson’s 4th cousin. She was his 4th cousin, because she was her husband Samuel’s first cousin. She was also Orson’s great great great grandmother. Further confirmation of this is the will of Joseph Eggleston which names his wife as Coran. It also lists daughters who would have all been married at the time, with the first one as Rebecca Eggleston.

Using Work of the Past to Create a More Complete Record

I have come to realize that part of my research must be looking at the work of previous researchers, taking another look at the same documents they saw, and asking questions about what they knew and how they came to certain conclusions. I feel that I have benefitted from partnerships with those who did research long ago and are now on the other side helping out.

We are fortunate to have the information Uncle Theron gathered. I have to wonder how many of younger generations are gathering information quickly online that has already been researched and compiled. Sometimes I wonder if we are all doing the same things over and over again, just with newer technology? And gathering data does not always result in coming to correct conclusions.

Gallery of Mom’s Art: Other Media

June 2, 2021 by Karen Stark

Throughout her life, my Mother, Joan Eggleston, created a great deal of art work. She left us many beautiful paintings, but that is not all she did. She was a continual art student. I recall her taking many community education art classes, mostly at Ben Lomond High School where my Dad worked. She even taught some of those classes herself. Through the years, she at least tried most kinds of art, creating more with some than with others. Here are some of her lesser known artistic works.

Pottery and Ceramics

Many people are aware that my Dad bought a kiln and molds for porcelain figurines and other objects. They gave many of these for wedding and other gifts. Much earlier, however, Mom took community art classes and made pottery. I don’t know what has happened to all of the pots she made. When we cleaned out the house, I only saw a few things. I took one pot home because I remember the specific process involved. She was very excited about it. It is called Raku and involves taking the pot quickly out of the kiln and while still hot putting it into a bucket with something like wood chips (I don’t recall exactly what was in there, possibly water as well). The effect was different for every piece and not known until it was finished. Usually there was a metallic look with the glaze that she used.

Mom used a variety of glazes and made different kinds of objects. At one time she made many small clay tiles that she was going to put together, but I don’t recall it ever being finished.

Dried Flowers

Mom was very skilled at arranging flowers. She made beautiful arrangements of fresh flowers, silk flowers and dried flowers. I don’t think she could stand to have an empty basket, pot or vase – she always put some kind of flowers in them. Her home had floral displays everywhere.

She learned to dry flowers using sand. Not any old sand. This required sand from the Great Salt Lake. Fortunately, the lake wasn’t too far away. I left a rather large pile of sand in the yard when the house was sold. I dumped several containers and then kept finding more cardboard boxes and plastic ice cream buckets full of sand. Mom had been gone for over 20 years when Dad sold the house, but there were still flowers in boxes of sand. She arranged these dried flowers in vases and baskets and encased them in frames and glass cases. Dried flowers last much longer than fresh ones, but still over time they can get looking pretty shabby, especially if displayed in baskets or vases. They break easily and get very dusty. Not many of those arrangements have survived, and I confess I tossed a few when we cleaned.

I remember making some of these framed dried flower pictures with Mom. I took this one home, partly because I really like the wood that the frame is made of. My Dad and Grandfather made these shadow box frames.

Painting on Wood

Tole Painting was very popular in years past. It is the kind of painting I did – I got kind of addicted for a while. Mom was much better at it than I was. She painted on many everyday items, and some more artistic ones. Her father worked in wood and carved many ducks. Like the empty baskets and pots that needed flowers to be complete, Mom painted ducks so they wouldn’t be naked.

Jewelry

Mom made jewelry. She used a process using wax molds, which were filled with silver. Silver was her metal of choice and the silver sometimes came from coins that were melted down. She loved turquoise, but she also used other stones. I found rocks when we cleaned out the house – gemstones, actually. Some polished and ready to use. Others still rough. Mom really liked jewelry and often bought pieces when the traveled. She also gathered and bought stones in rock shops. In cleaning out the house, I found her jewelry making tools and brought them home. Though I did learn to make jewelry in art classes, I doubt I will be using them.

Cake Decorating

Mom was a skilled cake decorator. She made all kinds of cakes, including all of our wedding cakes. My wedding cake also made use of her floral decorating skills.

Porcelain Dolls

Her artistic skills were combined with her porcelain dolls – ceramic finishing, painting and sewing intricate clothing and accessories. She named all the dolls and designated certain ones for each of her granddaughters. Some granddaughters left their dolls at my house where the next generation has played with them.

I do remember the name of this doll – Bunny – partly because of the stuffed bunny, but also because Mom did write the name on a sticker on the base.

Other Artistic Expressions

I remember Mom making collages and other things when she took art classes. She did calligraphy, which in the old days meant hand lettering posters, cards and things. I found her calligraphy pen tips at the house, too. Mom was an expert seamstress and quilter. She made most of our clothes and also made drapery, pillows and all kinds decorative items. Her needle arts will have to be covered in another post.

Mom left a legacy of art to her children and grandchildren, as well as passing on degrees of her talent. (I got much less talent than others did). Some have carried on with art forms she used, while others have expressed their artistic talents in other media.

I probably have missed some types of Mom’s art as I have written about these. Feel free to share anything I may have missed in the comments. I can always edit the post.

Steps at the End of the Line

May 19, 2021 by Karen Stark

Remnants of Lives Lived

When my mother-in-law passed away, we had the unpleasant task of the dispersal of all her stuff (and she kept everything). There were of course, items like her journal, letters and photographs which chronicle her life. The decision there was how to preserve and share them. This experience, however, also included a totally unanticipated dilemma. For it to make sense, I might need to share some complicated family history.

Step-Relationships

My mother-in-law was married four times. The first very brief marriage produced my husband. The second marriage produced two other children. Both of these marriages ended in divorce and both husbands married others. The third marriage was to the love of her life. He also had been married previously and had a daughter. He passed away rather young and then my Mother-in-law married number four.

Husband number four had been married twice before. The first marriage produced two sons, the second no children. His second wife had one son from her previous marriage. They passed away in this order: First, the 2nd wife of husband #4 (before his marriage to my Mother-in-law); second, the only son of husband #4’s 2nd wife ; third the 4th husband; and then lastly my mother-in-law. The only daughter of husband number three passed away a few years before my mother-in-law. (Husband #1 passed away earlier but that is another complicated story)

There was stuff left behind by both husband number three and four, as well as additional stuff of the wife and son of husband number four. All this remained at the house which had been the home of husband #4 and his second wife, which my mother-in-law moved into after their marriage. Now that I have you totally confused, we will move on to the stuff.

Remnants and Traces

There was no issue with the stuff left behind that had monetary but no sentimental value, other than maybe bringing out the greed in people. Selling their things was unemotional. Some items were taken just because someone liked them – no feeling attached there either.

It is the stuff that chronicles lives that had me in a quandary. It has no personal significance to me. But to toss it seems too much like dismissing their lives as disposable and forgotten.

The personal stuff of husband number four was given to his sons. A few things belonging to husband number three were meaningful to those of us who had known him as step-father and grandfather. The stuff belonging to the deceased wife of husband number four and her only son left us with no one to give them to – no living descendants or other family members that we knew.

The son was a playwright and among the stuff left at the house were copies of plays he had written, sheet music, cassette tapes, and 45 records of songs from the plays. Attempts to find a local playhouse to take them were not successful. I did post some pictures as memories on FamilySearch, but the son’s journal seemed way to personal for that. I read it and felt somewhat like a voyeur. The journal was from his College days. We had both attended the same College at the same time and I knew him, though not as well as I knew some of the people he mentioned in the journal. I remembered some of the events he wrote about. I also remember attending a play that he had written which had been performed on campus. There were programs and memorabilia from that play, including a scrapbook. A name in the scrapbook indicated who had created it, and I learned that she was the sister of a friend. So, I passed that scrapbook on to him to send back to his sister in another state. I am not sure how she felt about having her gift returned, but I felt relief having something so personal off my hands.

Sadness of Traces Unsaved

“You can’t take it with you” people say of all the stuff we accumulate throughout our lives. For the stuff that is just stuff, temporarily used and disposable, that seems no great loss to the deceased or any great gain to anyone else. Perhaps it will be sold or given to someone to be useful for another lifetime.

But you also can’t take the meaningful stuff with you. You might hope that by its remaining here, it might leave some trace of you to perpetuate your memory to those who knew you. But that may depend upon leaving behind significant others to whom your significant stuff would seem meaningful enough for them to save. Without anyone to keep the stuff or at least to hold on to some memories, what does that leave of a life?

Dairy Farmer Joseph Eggleston

May 17, 2021 by Karen Stark

My grandfather, Joseph Eggleston, was a dairy farmer. After finding some interesting records, I thought it would be good to document his dairy farming history. He had a ranch on Mormon Row in Jackson Hole, then sold it and returned to Eden, Utah where he had been born and where he farmed for the rest of his life.

This Eden farm was the only home I remember of his. I remember the barn, though I personally didn’t spend much time there. Most of my memories include the smell of the barnyard, drinking warm fresh milk and the butter Grandma Stella made.

Joseph Eggleston was a card carrying member of the Utah State Farm Bureau Federation.

Grandpa’s Brand

Herd-Record Books

Being a city girl, I had no idea that Herd Books were even a thing. Then when I was going through documents from Dad’s house I came across two booklets titled “Herd-Record Book”. One was dated 1938-1939 and the other 1946-1947. These were prepared by the United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Administration, Bureau of Dairy Industry, for the Dairy Herd Improvement Association. Sounds like a lot of bureaucratic layers – with an additional layer in the later book. It appears that these were used to research and record the productivity of dairy herds. There were “testers” involved in filling out these records. The purpose for this study was to “identify the low-producing cows so that they may be discarded.”

These booklets are full of meticulously recorded information. It appears that grandpa participated in this testing at least two different times, but it probably wasn’t a regular thing. These records do give an idea of what was involved with dairy farming and help us become acquainted with grandpa’s herd.

The 1938-1939 Herd Record Book

Cover of the Herd-Record Book dated July 1, 1938-June 30, 1939

The Book was designed to record 20 Cows. These are the names of the cows listed on the inside cover of the book. There are a few added after the 20.

This Yearly Summary at the end of the book lists all of the cows again with data.

Ir looks like 10-year-old Strip produced the most pounds of milk at 10,538, but 7-year-old Pet had the highest value of skim milk $156.94 and the most pounds of butter-fat.

The milk production of each Cow was recorded on separate pages in the Herd Book. Some with additional information.

Midget had a female calf born on March 28, 1939. There is no milk production recorded for February and March.

Poor Pansy, at 12 years old was going dry.

These Monthly Summary pages show how much milk and butter fat was produced each month, as well as how much feed the cows consumed during the same period of time. It really was a science.

The 1946-47 Herd-Record Book

This Herd-Record Book covers the year from March 1946 to February 1947. This booklet is not as complete as the earlier one. The inside cover which should include a list of the cows was not filled out. Though the book has space for 20 Cows, there are only pages recording 16 cows, with the last page being another titled Judy but only covering the month of February, and the next to last page for Lill includes only the month of February.

The Monthly Summary shows 14 cows in March through May, then 13, and later down to 11.

Most of the names of the cows in this later book are different than in the first one. The five that are the same are Judie/Judy, Patty, Spot, Lady and Beauty. They were some of the younger ones on the Yearly summary list of the earlier book – ages 2-5. It appears that the “low producing” cows were “discarded” by being sold for beef.

Rose was one of the cows sold for beef that year.

Judy was also sold for beef. If she was the same Judie as listed in the earlier book she would have been almost 14 years old, which was older than any of the cows in 1939.

This later book does not have the Yearly Summary pages filled out, which suggests that either the study was not completed or just not done as thoroughly.

The Milk Route

Grandpa was not only a dairy farmer, but he delivered milk to the dairy. In 1938, he contracted with the Weber Central Dairy to collect milk from dairy farms in Eden and drive it down Ogden Canyon to the dairy in Ogden City. He later added the town of Liberty to his route. It was said that Grandpa was very punctual with this job. It required that he milk his own cows very early in the morning before picking up milk from the other farmers. He had acquired a milking machine, but with 20 cows it still would have taken considerable time.

Grandpa recruited his sons to join him in this work. The older sons, Orland, Mel and Dale would pick up milk from Eden farmers, while Grandpa picked up milk in neighboring Liberty. They would meet and load all the cans into the truck which Grandpa would drive down the canyon to the dairy. Later, after Orland left home and Doc got older, he would accompany his father through Liberty while Mel and Dale would gather the Eden milk. During the school year, all of the milk gathering had to be completed before the boys would need to catch the bus to school. During the summer months they could accompany their father to the dairy in town.

This is one of Grandpa’s Milk cans. He would have gathered many of these from his own barn and from the neighbors to take to the dairy.

This label is on the milk can. (Someone spelled his name wrong) I am not sure if all the cans had these labels or if some just had a painted mark like the red one or some other way to identify whose can it was. Grandpa would have had to return the empty cans to the right farms.

Cream O Weber Dairy in Ogden Utah. — This is a photo of the Cream-O-Weber Dairy on Ogden Avenue in Ogden with all the milk trucks – those like Grandpa’s filled with cans being brought in and the white ones that delivered milk to customers.

Note: I did scan all of the filled in pages in the two Herd-Record books, so they are available if anyone is interested. The photo of the brand is from Candy Vivey Moulton’s book Legacy of the Tetons: Homesteading in Jackson Hole.

Gallery of Mom’s Art: Drawings and Etchings

May 14, 2021 by Karen Stark

Though my Mom, Joan Eggleston, was a prolific painter, she did work with a variety of mediums during her lifetime. Drawing is an essential element of any art, yet it was not something Mom usually did as a finished project. Drawing is also basic to any art education. I can relate somewhat, because that is about as far as my own art developed. Mom’s art education of course included drawing and most of what she did there has not survived.

Drawings

We found only a couple of drawings in the house when we cleaned it out. These first two were folded and in a box with other papers. These were probably done when she was studying at Weber College.

This drawing may have been done in High School

Etchings

For those not familiar with the process, etchings are created by scratching a design into a metal plate which is then covered with ink and the image pressed onto paper. This process makes it possible to produce multiple copies of the same design, even using different colors of ink. Usually artists will number the prints.

I eventually found the actual etching plates for these etchings. So, we could print more.

These are the etching plates. It was hard to get a good photo because they reflect light like mirrors

Framed Etchings

These three etchings were framed. There were some unframed prints of the same ones.

Unframed Etchings

I found copies of this one printed in different colors.

Gallery of Mom’s Art: Paintings

April 10, 2021 by Karen Stark

I don’t know when my mother’s interest in art began, though I suspect it was pretty early in her life. I just remember it filling her life from the time I can first remember. Twenty years after her death, we cleaned out the house and moved my father in with my brother. In that process we distributed much of her art work. This post will focus on paintings, with others to follow for other mediums.

This is by no means a complete gallery of Mom’s art. During her life she gave many paintings away. I hope they are still being enjoyed as much as we enjoy these.

Childhood Paintings

In the drawer of the cedar chest we found some small canvases with what appear to be very early, even childhood paintings.

College Art Student

My mother, Joan Wheelwright, attended Weber College in Ogden, Utah as an Art Major. At that time Weber was a Two Year Junior College. Her education refined her natural talent. She created a number of works at Weber College and had some exhibited.

This painting hung in my Grandparents’ house from my earliest memories until after Grandpa’s death. It is signed Joan Wheelwright. It was probably painted when she was in College.

This painting is also signed Joan Wheelwright, so is an early work. It had been given to a neighbor when Mom was still living at home. This neighbor’s grandson found it when he moved into the house and felt it should be returned to family. He gave it to my cousin who had bought our Grandparents’ home after Grandpa died. She then gave it to me. It It was not in very good shape – some warping and water damage. I had it reframed and now it hangs in my home.

Though no signature is visible, this also appears to be an early painting.

This is one of several unframed water colors we found in the drawer of the cedar chest. This one is signed Joan Wheelwright, so likely done in College.

This one also appears to be signed John Wheelwright

Early Paintings

These other unsigned and unframed water colors appear to be early paintings. They were found in the cedar chest and other places around the house.

Portraits were something that Mom didn’t really paint, so finding this was kind of a surprise. Possibly it was done as an assignment in College?

This one has a smudge in the corner which may be a signature, though it doesn’t resemble hers. It might be someone else’s work, but I have no idea why she would have kept it if it wasn’t hers.

Other Early Paintings

Mom and Dad married in 1951, just before Mom turned 20 years old. These paintings are signed Joan W. Eggleston, so done after their marriage, but probably when she was still young.

I remember this painting hanging in the house forever. My siblings and I still wonder what the dark thing on the right is supposed to be.

Landscapes in Oil and Acrylic

Through the years, Mom painted many landscapes. I remember camping trips where we kids would be running around exploring while Mom sat and painted the scenery. At some point she started using a pallet knife to get more texture. Earlier landscapes were desert scenes or ones with fall colors.

This one was given to my sister. It has been newly reframed after the frame fell apart.

This is a really small painting in a frame that Mom covered with gold leaf.

These were probably the last acrylic paintings Mom did. In her later years she went back to water colors. The three small paintings hung over Mom and Dad’s King size bed.

Seascapes

Mom gave this painting to her brother Bob for his birthday in 1967.

This large seascape was painted to hang over the fireplace.

Flower Paintings

Mom painted many flowers – some oil or acrylic, and in her later years all water colors, including the one at the beginning of this post.

This one hung in my room when I lived at home.

This is an unframed one that we found in the house.

This was the first painting that I specifically asked for. The photograph doesn’t do it justice. It is in an amazing antique frame that appears to need some repair.

This is the one that there was almost a fight over. The colors look better in person.

Water Color Landscapes

Besides flowers, Mom did several water color landscapes. After she redecorated with blue, she painted and matted most of these to match the color scheme.

A Few Small Still Life Paintings

This small simple still life is unframed

To Be Continued

We found this unfinished painting and wondered what to do with it. Fortunately, there are several artists among Mom’s posterity. One grandson stepped up and offered to take and finish it. We will have to see how it turns out.

Note: Most of these photographs were taken to send to family members so they could choose which painting they wanted. Unfortunately, I didn’t think ahead to doing something like this, so the quality of the photos is not great.

Shift to Blue – The Story of Mom’s Art Journey

April 10, 2021 by Karen Stark

My Mom was an artist. She had a gift, one which some of her posterity have inherited to some degree or another – I much less than others. Part of her gift was an eye for color. Where I might see merely brown, she could distinguish the subtle variations and hues, and blend to make new shades. Her art went through many phases and multiple mediums through the years. She liked to take art classes through community education and even taught some herself. I remember her painting, making pottery and jewelry, drying and arranging flowers, and making porcelain dolls with intricate clothing. She was also an expert seamstress and quilter, her eye for matching and combining colors evident there as well.

My early childhood memories seem to be in black and white, perhaps because all the photos were. I do have early memories of turquoise, popular in appliances of the day which were in our kitchen, but also used in glazes and the real turquoise jewelry Mom created.

New House

When I was 12, we moved to a new house which gave Mom the opportunity to decorate from scratch. The “quality industrial grade” carpet picked out for the whole house, which remained in two upstairs bedrooms until the house was sold because it never wore out, was a blend of browns and orange. Those are the colors I remember for years filling our home and Mom’s art. Mom’s earliest paintings were with oils and then acrylic, some of those being fall or desert scenes typical of southern Utah. Her paintings, along with some from other artists, covered our walls like a gallery.

I remember this painting hanging in our house for years, then Mom donated it to be hung in the new Church. After many years it was found in a closet at the Church and returned to Dad. It has now made its way to my home.

The first painting to break the color mold, was a large seascape that was placed over the fireplace. Even it had a good deal of brown in the rocks on the shore, but the look was the first of the blue.

The Shift from Orange to Blue

Because it happened after I was married and immersed in my own life and family, I do not recall exactly when or how came the shift from orange to blue. With more money for remodeling and redecorating, Mom and Dad replaced the tan wood siding on the exterior with blue vinyl. With new off-white carpeting in the living room, Mom stenciled a blue design as a border on the walls. They put blue carpet in the master bedroom and Mom made curtains and a beautiful blue quilt to cover the bed. Blue wallpaper replaced the orange in the kitchen and bathrooms. When the younger children moved out, the largest bedroom downstairs became Mom’s Blue Room. It was intended to be a TV room, but after Mom passed away, Dad didn’t spend much time there. It was always Mom’s room, and always blue. A curio cabinet housed her dolls, those she had collected for years and the many porcelain dolls she had made. A collage of prints she acquired on trips covered the wall.

The shift to blue was accompanied by a change of medium as well. Mom turned to water colors, painting delicate flowers and winter scenes to replace the autumn ones. One of the now empty upstairs bedrooms became her studio. As her health worsened and became an excuse for not doing many things, she still found energy to paint.

Blue painting sitting on the old orange and brown carpet in the bedroom that became her studio.

Blue to the End

When we met with funeral directors after Mom’s death, they offered to get a nice casket spray of red roses. No! Though red roses are beautiful and this was a nice gesture, that was not right. We went to a florist and ordered one of delicate blue and white flowers. The shift to blue complete.

Stories about the Stuff

March 31, 2021 by Karen Stark

Almost five years ago I wrote a blog post about stuff – stuff with meaning, specifically family heirlooms, along with stuff without meaning, and decisions about what to do with it all. In the years since, I have had the task of going through the stuff of three individuals, deciding with others who should take what, what to toss, and what to give away. Now that the stuff has been disbursed or disposed of, I am feeling a need to record and share the stories about the stuff. But first the stories about distributing the stuff. . .

My Three Adventures in Distributing Stuff

The decisions about what to toss and what to take are complicated by the closeness of the relationships with the previous owners of the stuff, as well as by the relationships with the other people who are involved with deciding. My first experience was going through my brother’s storage unit after he was placed in a care center. Not being too attached to his stuff, I looked more at usefulness with most of it. We had a garage sale, which I vowed would be my last. I took some useful items that didn’t sell and a few I just liked. Other family members took some things. We donated most of the rest to thrift shops. I ended up with a bin of personal items and a file box of his records that I felt responsible to hold on to, just in case he might need them.

Dispersing my mother-in-law’s stuff was a little contentious in the beginning, with some eyes on the monetary value of things. Eventually however, we all just wanted to get it gone. I took less of useful things, and more of the things that I just liked. One surprise with this endeavor was the question of what to do with the stuff from the deceased steps – her husbands’ (my husband’s step fathers – yes, two of them), the last husband’s previous wife (who actually had some lovely things I took, but also other family history type stuff no one wanted) and that husband’s wife’s deceased only son. Look forward to more on this complicated stuff in another post.

The last adventure was with my Father’s stuff, which included my family’s heirlooms and stuff. At age 94, we finally convinced Dad to move in with my brother and sell the house – the house he had built and lived in for almost 55 years. Yes, there was lots of stuff. Because we moved him first and had him pack up what he wanted and thought he would need, we didn’t feel much urgency with this. The problem was that it drug on for weeks, even months, of Saturday visits to the house, with him included. Dad kept finding more stuff to take to my brothers, and unfortunately for me, I managed to take another box or two of random stuff back to my house after each trip.

Tossing Stuff

I always thought tossing stuff would be easy for my kids and their cousins, but we found it otherwise with their Grandma’s stuff. We got a big dumpster and some of us started tossing stuff in. There was really a lot of plain garbage in the house, or so we had determined. What ended up happening was some serious dumpster diving. Family members were pulling treasures out of the dumpster almost as fast as others were tossing in, validating the saying “one person’s trash is another person’s treasure.”

With my Dad’s disbursement taking so long and I being the one living closest to his home, I had the weekly task of filling up the garbage cans and putting them out to be picked up. It seemed rather never-ending at some points, with the cans being filled up right after being dumped and more bags full and waiting for the next week. Even the recycle bin filled up quickly with all the small boxes Dad had saved (not really big enough to haul stuff away in, but saved for wrapping gifts), plastic containers (that had been reused) and bottles that served as water storage. After weeks of this, we started filling up truck beds and making weekly trips to the dump. Those included the 50 year old wheat and food storage no one dared to take, along with building materials and spare parts for everything.

Dividing up Family Heirlooms

My Dad tried to give away some of family heirlooms earlier, but somehow no one wanted to take anything out from under him leaving gaping holes on his walls and in the rooms he lived in. Some things had names put on them from when he had told his grandkids to do this at his 90th Birthday. There were other things that one or another of us had put dibs on or he had promised to us. I will have to share the stories of this meaningful stuff in separate posts.

I have a really hard time with meaningful stuff like family heirlooms being given away or sold to strangers. My tendency is to take what others don’t just so it stays in the family. I took more of that stuff than I intended because somebody had to keep them in the family, right?

As the designated Family Historian, I was tasked with going through the boxes of certificates, old letters, journals, unidentified photographs, and Mom’s youthful scrapbook full of ticket stubs, old programs and commemorative paper napkins. I did some tossing as I went through, with lots of scanning to digitize the memories, without having to keep all the stuff.

family heirloom books — Just a few of the many shelves of books in Dad’s house

Dad had a library that seemed to go on and on, with many old, rare books. I ended up with more that I had space for so I ended up taking home a small bookcase which I immediately filled up. Mom was an artist, so the house was filled with her art work. Dad wanted every one of his children and grandchildren to have a painting. I think we eventually fulfilled that.

I attempted to keep with my hoarding-resistant pattern of getting rid of something when I acquire something new. This worked well with some pieces of heirloom furniture which replaced some things I donated to charity. I was amazed though at how a box full of random small stuff could so easily fit into my drawers and closets and on shelves – kind of like sand filling in the spaces between rocks in a jar.

To Sell and Not Really Make Money

We went through Dad’s house in winter, so rather than one big estate sale, we posted things online and ended up with several min-estate sales. At least we were able to keep going through cupboards and closets while waiting for the people who said they were interested in furniture, but never came. We had a few productive sale days. What was satisfying to me was sending items off with someone who I felt would give them a good home, either because they really needed something or because they loved those things.

One day someone who was interested in a family heirloom that no one in the family had a place for, showed up with two other women. They ended up going through the whole house and bought many things, including that heirloom cupboard which was quite a feat to get up the stairs and into their truck. This woman loved this cupboard and I shared the story of it with her. It had been in my Grandparent’s house in Jackson Hole where Grandpa homesteaded. In talking we found out that she knows a cousin well, one whose own father was born at that house in Jackson. She later sent me a picture of the cupboard in her house, all decorated for Christmas.

family heirloom cupboard — Family heirloom cupboard that ended up looking so much better here in its new home than it did in Dad’s basement.

Giving Away Stuff and Memories

I felt good about other items finding good homes. There was a soup tureen from Mom’s stoneware set that was left in the house when she had given my brother the set. I sold the set to a friend when going through his stuff. She was excited to get the whole set. Then I gave her the tureen just in time to use for Thanksgiving dinner. We were able to find a good home for my brother’s large aquarium with a local non-profit. I took a whole carload of my mother-in-laws suits to the local women’s shelter.

Mom and Dad had made porcelain figurines for years and often gave them for gifts. They made good Christmas gifts, as did the books, movies and CD’s that went to a Veteran’s home. Blankets were given to those in need. I took a case of soap to a homeless shelter. Some things we just offered to whoever would haul them away. Because we were doing my Dad’s house during COVID, it was a challenge donating to thrift stores. We had to make appointmentsm, so tried to maximize with as much as we could take at a time.

Finally Dad’s house was empty, but there was still stuff in sheds in the yard when we put it up for sale. The people who quickly bought the house are now the new owners of some of that stuff. Sometimes leaving stuff behind is all you can do.