Betty Lorraine Werst Cone RIP

Dear Grandparents,
Just to let you know that you are being reunited with my mother Betty Lorraine Werst Cone today. She left us this afternoon after a long struggle. We are grateful that her passing was calm and peaceful. She will be greatly missed by her children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, sister, nieces and nephews as well as friends.

She is surround by her children in this photo taken in October 2012

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I've been thinking about how many of you she will be wanting to see. Her husband, Charles Newton "Chuck" Cone, Jr. who died in 1992 will probably be first on the list.

Betty and Chuck pictured at son Rusty's wedding to Patty Gorman June 28,1979.

She was very close to her mother Grace Colby Werst Branchflower who left us in 1973.

I fervently hope that she will be reunited with her father Cecil Oscar Werst who died before she was two when he was only 27. She was the apple of his eye and I'm sure it must have seemed very cruel to have been parted from him so early.

After his death, Betty was sent to live with her Aunt Madge Colby Massey and her husband Hal in Pendleton, Oregon. She lived there until she was reunited with her mother and sister Helen and they went to live with her maternal grandfather on Pinelawn Farm in Newberg, Oregon. William Wallace Colby died in 1936.

W. W. Colby with Grace, Betty and Helen at Pinelawn Farm circa 1935.

My sister Leslie, husband Ed and I were able to be with Mom when she died. We were able to tell her we love her and ease her passing.  In looking back a few hours later, I am wishing that I had time to mention a list of you grandparents that I really want her to contact and find some way to send back the answers to some of my brickwalls.

I know you will welcome Mom with open arms. I do wish you would find some way to drop me a few clues.... just asking...

Love,
Cecily

Surname Saturday COLBY

Dear Grandfather and Grandmother Colby,
It is not often when I am drafting these letters, that I can combine a Surname Saturday article, with a brick wall post and a commemoration. We'll start with the celebration. Today we are remembering the 158th anniversary of the day you married. William Henry Colby and Fannie Hutchison Hunnewell were united in marriage 11 May 1855 in Lake County, Illinois, the record is 093M088. Your marriage lasted 55 years, till Grandfather Colby died January 3, 1911.

I know a lot about Grandmother Colby's family, the Hunnewells back to their immigration from
Devonshire, England in the 17th century. The Colby's however are a brick wall. I have not found a clue that identifies the names of your parents.

Each time you were asked to identify the state of your birth, you said New Hampshire. That connection in New England may well tie your family to Anthony Colby one of the original settlers of Salisbury, Massachusetts. He was of English origin and immigrated to Boston with the Winthrop Fleet about 1630.  Anthony's descendants are organized, with website, The Colby Family Association , reunions ,etc. He was one of the founders of Amesbury, Massachusetts and one of the properties he owned still exists.

Macy-Colby House purchased by Anthony Colby from Thomas Macy
in 1654. Today it is on the National Register of Historic Landmarks.
This photo is from the Colby Family Association Website
 

This rear view of the home is from The Macy-Colby House web site.
The home is open for tours Memorial Day through Labor Day.
Special private tours can be arranged for family members.
 

Alas, as much as I would like, I can not claim relationship to Anthony Colby's clan for you. It does seem likely, but we must find proof. There are also Colbys of German origin who have anglicized their surname for Kolbe, as well as Norwegian. The surnames all seem to indicate people who have come from regions where coal was found.

So Happy Anniversary and any help in tracking down your parents would be much appreciated.
Love,
Cecily
P. S. Your Granddaughter and my Grandmother was very proud of her Colby heritage. I named a daughter for her so you have a 3rd great granddaughter named Colby.

Help break down a brickwall - Lydia Hayes

Dead ends for Genealogists are referred to as "brick walls"

 

Dear Grandmother Lydia,

I really need your help. No Cone family researcher has been able to identify your parents. We have your birth date as Feb. 2, 1771 and place as New London, Connecticut. We believe that you married Ira Cone about 1795 probably in Connecticut and moved to Laurens, Otsego County, New York the next year.

According to records you had two sons, Lyman born 18 Apr 1799 and Naaman born 11 Sep 1804, both born in Laurens. Some researchers believe that there may have been other children who did not survive infancy but we do not have their names.

From the minutes of the Butternuts Monthly Meeting of the Society of Friends, we know that you and Ira were Quakers and requested in 1811 that Lyman be admitted to the meeting. He was accepted on the 1st day of the 5 month (May) that year.

The Friends' Intelligencer, Volume 12 published some excerpts of the "Autobiography of Samuel Comfort" in August 1870 which contained a description of his visit with you and Ira , "His wife's (Lydia's) health appears to be pretty good, but she goes half bent, and walked so to meeting. Says she cannot get into a carriage." Page 24. Google Books

As a genealogist, I believe strongly that you want to be found. Your parents await identification and any hints that you can send would be greatly appreciated. Were the Hayes family Quakers or did you and Ira become join after your marriage? Perhaps one of your other descendants has the clue and will share it when they see this letter.

Love,
Cecily Cone Kelly

P.S. For family members Ira and Lydia Hayes Cone were parents of Naaman Cone, who's son William Warner Cone's son Frederick Naaman Cone is my great grandfather.

Update to Surname Saturday... Puterbaugh to Puderbaugh

Dear Grandfathers Jacob,

I wrote an earlier post about your surname PUDERBAUGH and the challenges of the many spellings. After finding photographs of your headstones, I've decided that if each of your families' spelled the name as above, I should use the spelling you used.

Jacob Puderbaugh 1788-1865 was buried in the Ozawkie Cemetery in Jefferson County Kansas
Photo is from www.findagrave.com, originally submitted by Raymond Riley and used with his permission.
I believe the original site of the cemetery is now under a reservoir and the cemetery was moved to higher ground.

Jacob Puderbaugh 1757-1822 was buried in Darke County Ohio

Both headstones us the Puderbaugh spelling.

I continue to search for the origin of the surname. From on site research in Maryland, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Indiana, I believe the family was associated with the Dunkard or Brethren sect of Anabaptists. These Churches are off shoots of a church group that was founded near Schwarzenau, Germany about 1708. Today there are several communities named Schwarzenau in Germany and Austria. The village associated with the Brethren is located near Bad Berleburg in the Siegen-Wittgenstein district of North Rhine Westphalia, Germany. Wikipedia has maps and information on the location at Schwarzenau, Bad Berleburg. So far, I have not found any Puderbaughs in Germany, but I am still looking.

Love,
Cecily