Find a Grave

The other night I received a message on Ancestry.com from an archivist at Monocacy Cemetary in Beallsville, where many of my maternal grandmother's family are buried. He was looking for a better picture of my great-great grandfather than one I had posted on the site, so that he could post it on his findagrave.com page. When I went to his page and then followed the links of several others that he sent me, I found some great photos and a lot of details I didn't know before. Great site for family history diggers!

Some other family grave pages I came across:

• Mary Astlin - Great-Grandma Beall's mother
• George Astlin - Great-Grandma Beall's father
• Benjamin R. Poole - Granddaddy's grandfather
  

Ancestry: Beth-Judy-Helen-Charles Wade Poole-John Elgin Poole

Raymond

On Monday, I went down to Poolesville to join my mom, aunts Susie, Deatle, and Maggie, and Uncle Robert at Poolesville United Methodist Church for Raymond E. Poole's funeral, internment, and celebration of life. Raymond was my Grandma's first cousin; the picture below shows her (Helen Poole Null) on Raymond's left and another cousin, Mary Jo Horn, on his right.

Raymond's father Ethan Poole and Helen's father Charles Poole were brothers. Also, Raymond's mother (Sarah) Anna Beall and Helen's mother Edna Beall were sisters. Doubly first cousins!

Raymond was well known around those rural parts of Montgomery County; he and his family had run Poole's General Store at Seneca Creek for many years. When I was a child and teen, we spent every Memorial Day Sunday at the reunion picnic that they hosted on their family lawn adjacent to the store and in front of their house.

photo source

Mr. Tipton, an articulate gentleman and old friend of Raymond, spoke so well about Raymond's life and how he came to have to give up the store. He recounted old stories of his brother Whistle, himself, and Raymond to illustrate how Raymond had deep roots in Poolesville and how he had developed a solid business and nurtured a loving family there. We were all touched by Mr. Tipton's kind words about Raymond and his loving wife Billie.

The funeral was in the same church where Raymond and Billie married many years before. My Grandma and Papa also wed in this sanctuary in December of 1947. This window is dedicated to Captain John T. and Mary Poole; I will have to do a bit of research to see how they are related.

Raymond was laid to rest in Monocacy Cemetery in Beallsville among many of his ancestors.
We returned after the reception to visit the graves of my great great-grandparents Pearl and "Jimmy Dean" Beall (Edna and Anna's parents -- he was a locktender at Edward's Ferry, where he raised his family) . . . . . . and the grave of my grandmother's parents, Charles Poole and Edna Beall Poole. My mom, aunts, and Uncle Robert promise to return with me soon to do the grand tour of the cemetery. More gravestone pictures to come!

Zeppy Snow

My great-grandmother's brothers were a little odd (see pic below); Clifton and LaVerne Zepp were both artists -- photographers and painters -- and they lived together in Taneytown in a big yellow house on Mill Avenue until they died. For a long while their mother Lizzie lived with them too and at some point their grandmother also. I'm not sure if the house was originally one of their parents'; I'll have to research that a bit more.
The house is now apparently owned by Antrim 1844, a fact I discovered this week when I was looking through their website to prepare for a stay there in February after the 2nd Annual Tanner's Touch Valentine's Day Gala. As I was looking at their rooms, I happened upon The Zepp House, which according to the map, must be their former house.

Both brothers were painters -- I believe they favored oil -- I clearly have more research to do in that area. But I remember that I was so proud that my elementary school had a huge purple and pink colored mural of a pond and swan scene in a stairwell that one of them had painted. I can't imagine it's there any longer. But our family does have many of their paintings -- most of them are Impressionistic in style of farm and woods scenes. I remember at least one of Antrim and another of Crouse Mill. I'll post photos of those in another post with more details about them. But today I'll share two photo slides of theirs; I'm not sure which took them. The first is of Antrim, likely from their house, in the snow.The second is of an unknown creek, I'm sure in the Taneytown area.My grandmother, their sister Gladys, also produced hundreds of photo slides -- I have many of them in my basement. Her favorite theme was clouds.

The siblings got their talents honestly; on the 1900 census, their father Edward Peter Zepp describes his occupation as "artist." He had a professional photography studio above the square in Taneytown. He was also a local band leader and music teacher.

Ancestry: Beth-Judy-Charlie Null-Gladys-Edward Zepp

Hubert & Gladys

Today is the 84th wedding anniversary of my maternal great-grandparents, Hubert & Gladys Null. When I was a child, we celebrated New Year's Day by celebrating their anniversary, usually in a building on the Taneytown carnival grounds with a big potluck meal and entertainment provided by singing grandchildren (myself included).
I remember Papa (pronounced Pup-pa) and Grandma as a little old loving couple, but in their younger years they were a vibrant, strong farming pair.
Hubert grew up on his father's family farm -- Michael's Home -- and raised his family of four children there with Gladys. Hubert was a faithful man who dutifully contributed to Trinity Lutheran Church in Taneytown throughout his life. Gladys carried out her family's artistic gene (her father was the town's professional photographer and her brothers were both professional painters) by taking many photographs (especially of clouds) and playing the piano.
Both are remembered for their generosity and devotion to each other and their family.

Addicted to Ancestry.com

Anyone who has forked out the money to get a premium account at Ancestry.com is likely to know what I'm talking about here . . . -- there's something very satisfying about finding little tidbits about your family (or your husband's family, in my case). I get into this predicament about once a year -- usually over Christmas break -- when I have a little time on my hands. I've built a fairly nice couple of trees using both the Internet and our families' documents, which I've been gathering. I would link you right to our trees, but that's where Ancestry gets -- if you want to see the goods, you have to pay . . . I am happy to send you an invitation so that you can see - just send me your email address.
My favorites come from George's family so far; his kin seems to have the most colorful details -- the ones who lived right down here! My favorite name so far is Inez Dewdrop Otzelberger, a little tyke who only lived less than a month down here in Frog Hollow. My favorite story is actually quite morbid -- another Otzelberger - this time Charles Franklin. He is George's 3x great uncle (Dewdrop's brother). Here's the story of his death as told in the Herald Mail on Aug. 4, 1924:

Sunday Ends With Tragedy at a Resort

Charles Otzelberger, Holding Babe, Shot Down; Wilson Held

Tragedy marked the close of Sunday at Riverview Park, a dance resort near the settlement of Frog Hollow, about four miles from Sharpsburg, when Charles Otzelberger, aged 35, was shot and killed by James Wilson, the bullet being meant for John W. Zimmerman, it is said, with whom Wilson had trouble over a girl. Otzelberger was shot while holding his infant in his arms.

Otzelberger died a few hours later at the Washington County Hospital where surgeons attempted to remove the bullet, which passed through his abdomen. Wilson, who received a severe beating before he was subdued, was arrested and residents of that section brought him to Hagerstown. Warrants were swore out before Justice Bower charging Wilson with the shooting. A coroner's inquest will investigate the shooting at 3:30 o'clock this afternoon.

Zimmerman was talking to the girl in front of the dance hall and restaurant of E. W. Ewing when Wilson is said to have struck him a blow in the eye and, taking the girl by the arm, lead her into the restaurant.

Fired At Zimmerman

When the couple left the restaurant Zimmerman, who had waited outside, attacked Wilson and struck him a blow in the eye. Wilson is said to have whipped an automatic revolver from his pocket and fired at Zimmerman. The shot went wild and struck Otzelberger in the abdomen. His infant child fell from his arms. His wife, who was standing at his side at the time, fainted and had to be carried from the scene.

Wilson, according to witnesses, was about to discharge the weapon again when Zimmerman, his brother, C. S. Zimmerman, E. W. Ewing and Wilbur Ewing set upon him and succeeded in wrestling the weapon from his grasp.

Wilson suffered a severe beating at the hands of the men who placed him under arrest. It was necessary for him to have his injuries dressed and while this was being done at the office of Dr. W. B. Morrison, Wilson fainted. He was later taken to jail.

Wilson told Sheriff Duffey and officers working on the case that he didn't know why he shot, "was just jealous because he had the girl, I guess" he is said to have told officials at Police Headquarters.

Following the shooting Deputy Kaylor went to "Frog Hollow" to make an investigation of the affair. Evidence obtained by him is said to have substantiated the testimony of witnesses at Police Headquarters last night.

Authorities claim that Wilson was in possession of a quart bottle partly filled with moon-shine whiskey at the time of his arrest and of an automatic revolver of 38 calibre from which one shot is said to have been fired.

Besides his wife and child, Otzelberger is survived by his parents, Mr. and Mrs. George Otzelberger and several brothers and sisters.

This is the third murder case in Washington County in the past thirty days.

The picture is of Mary Catherine Gift Otzelberger, Inez and Charles' mother. Looks like she's holding a stick . . .

Laying Down Roots

We make our home above Frog Hollow, a little place south of Antietam in Washington County, Maryland. My husband George grew up in Frog Hollow, and his family has lived here for many years, reaching back to times of moonshining and living off rough mountain land. I've discovered that my ancestors too roamed these hollows and river bottoms many years ago.

Now, George and I are raising two spirited girls on a little rise above Frog Hollow, where spring peepers ring in the warm season. I'll record some of my musings on our lives here, especially in connection with our families' histories and this rugged land.