Still Looking

I already know what is going to keep me busy through the winter.  Sewing and genealogy.  And maybe a jigsaw puzzle thrown in now and again.  Anyhow, I found a website yesterday that let me look at old newspaper articles.  A free website and I'm especially fond of those.  I was putting in various search words and just about to give up when I hit on my g.grandfather's notice of death.

I had his obit write-up from another source but this was a front page newspaper item and it listed his month and day of birth, which I didn't have. There were 8 surviving children listed although I know there were actually 9.

One was J.G. Blankenship of Eugene who I think was probably L.G. Blankenship (my grandpa)  Figured it was a typo as they were common.  Lew Gene did live in the area in 1911 so I'm fairly certain that was him.  Not listed was James who was living in Dayton, WA the year before and his middle name was Summer.  Either way, Lew Gene and James were both alive in 1911.

Also listed was Charles in California.  That is the second reference I've found to him being in the family so now I'm gungho to get going on researching who this elusive relative was.  I'm not sure how I'm going to find this but there must be some avenue I haven't walked down yet.  Unfortunately, Charles Blankenship is a very common name on genealogy websites.  And I don't really know if Charles was his first or middle name or how he spelled it; if he went by a nickname; or maybe he changed his name altogether.  He could have been adopted too so these are all questions I intend to find out.  Hopefully, before my obit appears.  Ha!

I'm big on lists so I made yet another of grandpa's siblings' births and deaths and ages when they died.

Georgie: 1861    died 1935     age 74        parents:        Lewis Marion – died age 70

Lizzie 1863          died 1927   age 64                          Jane Downs Blankenship   died age 58

John 1865           died 1948    age 83                              (had 13 kids- 4 died early)

James 1867         died 1949   age 82

Henrietta 1871   died 1957    age 86

Mattie 1873        died 1961   age 88

Zed  1875             died 1932   age 57

Gene  1877          died 1960   age 82

Charles 1881?  (Mar 15)

Eventually, I hope to discover what killed each of these g. aunts & uncles of mine. I know. I'm weird.

But still, it is of interest to me.  Lizzie, for example, died of liver cancer.  Mattie died of kidney failure.  I suppose those in their 80's probably suffered with heart disease but I''m curious what killed Zed before he was 60. Also can't help but wonder about Jane Downs, the mom, who died before she was 60. ' Course she had a total of 13 kids so fatigue may have done her in.  Times were hard for women in those days.

Another small article I found was on the son of Georgianna (Georgie listed above).  Georgie and Jake had several hotels and I've always been especially interested in the comings and goings of their children.  They had four kids, 3 girls and a boy. Lola, Ailene, Inez, and John.  Inez taught in Seattle schools and was a twin of John.  The article I found on him was small but still of interest to me.

This was in the Eugene Register on Dec. 26, 1913

Time to get busy around here.  My notes definitely need cleaning up and arranging. Something I always enjoy.