One of my favorite ways to identify cousins I never knew I had is through “Google Alerts”. Essentially, this is a free tool that scours the web looking for new content that contains keywords that are of interest to me. In my case, the keywords are the relevant surnames that appear throughout my family tree. When the tool finds a match, it alerts me by sending an email.

I receive an email almost every day alerting me that yet another person has put a Biesemeyer fence or some other type of Biesemeyer tool up for sale on eBay or craigslist. These are not exactly the kind of alerts I had in mind. After about the 25th consecutive email, I decided it was time to investigate whether or not there is a connection between these tools and my Biesemeyer ancestors. It’s not much of a stretch admittedly.

Bill Biesemeyer was the inventor behind the Biesemeyer T-Square® saw system. In 1983, the system was recognized as “the greatest contribution to woodworking for the period 1980-1982”. In 1995, DELTA International Machinery Corporation purchased the company which Bill and his wife, Joan, had grown to $4 million in annual revenue. I learned this from DELTA’s website.

At this point, I had a name and a logo. Next, I found Bill’s obituary from 2013 which indicated he was born in Marshall, Missouri. The chances of us not being related were shrinking by the hour since my Biesemeyer ancestors lived due east of Marshall in Warren County, Missouri. The Biesemeyer branch of my family tree is one that I hadn’t really explored yet so I had my work cut out for me. I learned that Bill’s father was Arthur Biesemeyer. His father’s name was Friedrich as was his father’s and his father’s before him. The fourth Friedrich in the line was our common ancestor. He was born in 1774 and died in 1845.

The emails for Biesemeyer tools continue to land in my Inbox. At least now when I delete them, I know the cousin behind the popular brand name.

Kenfolk: Tranthams
Relations: 4th cousin, 1x removed
Common ancestors:  Bill’s  3rd great grandparents, Friedrich Christian and Anna (Eikermann) Biesemeyer, are my 4th great grandparents

Reference:
http://www.deltamachinery.com/about-us/biesemeyer-history

I am grateful that my parents did not name me Martin Trantham. There’ve been enough of them already. I think my mother summed up the problem of there being too many of them perfectly when she wrote “…one can easily become overwhelmed with all the information and misinformation which circulates regarding all the Martin Tranthams…”.

She was very wise and I should have heeded her warning. I’ve probably revised this section of my family tree a dozen times. The latest iteration is below. This most recent revision happened after I received a very detailed email from Susan, a distant Trantham cousin and talented genealogist. She is a descendant of Robert Floyd Trantham, my direct ancestor’s uncle and namesake. When it comes to sorting out the many Martins, Susan is probably the most knowledgeable person on the face of the planet. She and my mother corresponded via email more than 10 years ago and thankfully I was able to track her down again. I had a few things wrong in my tree which Susan’s feedback helped me correct.

By my count there are 11 different Martin Tranthams dangling from family trees all over Ancestry.com. There are probably 11 or more versions of those trees that don’t agree entirely about how the Martin Tranthams were related to each other, who they married, the names of their children, etc. Unfortunately, there a likely 2 to 3 more Martin Tranthams that are missing but I’ve yet to figure out how they fit into this puzzle. It’s a bit challenging because the historical documents linking them together are few and far between. One the Martins who is missing allegedly fought in the Revolutionary War, had a wife named Jane or Jean and three children – none of whom were named Martin. The public library in Huntsville, Texas has on file documentation which reportedly supports this idea. It was compiled by Herbert R. Trantham who is now deceased. I’ve ordered photocopies of his work so we’ll see.

The tree below is my best guess, at least for now. It is based heavily on the work my mother did and feedback from Susan. You’ll notice a few question marks here and there which are open items on my “to do” list. The first names of my direct ancestors are capitalized. Not all their children are included. Also, I’ve used the “Trantham” version of the last name even though it’s highly likely none of the Martins shown below would have spelled it that way. I figure it’s my blog and I can spell it however I choose.

#1 on the list supposedly came to America from Staffordshire, England before 1700. His son, #2, had a son, #3, who had two sons named Martin Trantham (#4 and #5) by two different wives. Thankfully, #3 left a will in 1783 identifying #4 and #5. Naming two sons Martin seems to have been an idea #5 liked so he apparently did the same thing. Incidentally, I have identified half of dozen DNA-matched cousins who are descendants of #5, the half-brother of my direct ancestor #4.

#4 married Elizabeth Eppinger who allegedly lived to be 149 years old. (I have serious doubts about her legendary age.) He and “Betsy” made their way from South Carolina to Tennessee about 1800. Their son, #6, also made his home in Tennessee. “Massey” was his first wife. His second wife might have been my 4th great grand aunt, Rachel Holladay. Or she might have been the wife of #9, my 4th great grand uncle.

Confused? Welcome to my world!

Kenfolk: Tranthams
Relations: Crystal clear to fuzzy
Common ancestors: Even more Trenthams or Tranthams

I opted to steer clear of images of the iconic cars that bear the Duesenberg family name and head in a less obvious direction for the first official entry on Fred and August Duesenberg, my 1st cousins, 3x removed. More than one hundred years after their introduction, Duesenberg automobiles still show up in the headlines thanks in large part to avid collector Jay Leno and the occasional gathering of Duesenberg car enthusiasts.

The Library of Congress recently added images and schematics of the second Duesenberg Automobile Factory to its collection of historic buildings. According to their website, the company relocated its operations from Newark, New Jersey to this site in Indianapolis in 1921. Located at 1501 West Washington Street, the factory holds historic significance having produced “America’s first vertical eight cylinder passenger car”. I am not much of a car person but I know that means those cars could really get up and move.

The factory’s office building:

The factory site plan – note the Duesenberg logo:

The 1st and 2nd floors of Building 1:

For the record, like Jay Leno, I own a Duesenberg which I’ve restored. Mine, however, is the Matchbox version. It’s supposed to be sitting on top of my desk. But, having just moved, I realized that it was still packed away and not where it belongs. This morning I found it and have since restored it to it’s rightful place.

Kenfolk: Tranthams
Relations: 1st cousins, 3x removed
Common ancestors:  Fred and August Duesenberg’s paternal grandparents, Johann and Katherine (Nacke) Duesenberg, are my 3rd great grandparents.

References:
http://www.loc.gov/photos/?fa=segmentof%3Ahhh.in0283.sheet%2F%7Ccontributor%3Ahistoric+american+buildings+survey&c=150&st=gallery&sb=shelf-id

Tracing my Wessel roots has been a bit of a challenge beyond my 3rd great grandparents. Fortunately I’ve met a Wessel cousin (DNA-matched!) and kindred spirit through Ancestry.com who shares my passion for family research. We’re both on the trail of our common Wessel ancestors.

Marsha Fitzgibbon, my 4th cousin, 1x removed, is a direct descendant of Elise “Eliza” (Wessel) Giese Theermann, who came to America in 1845 aboard the same ship as my ancestor, Wilhelm Wessel. Elise’s age was recorded on the passenger list as 18 and Wilhelm’s as 33. Wilhelm’s wife, “Maria”, and his two oldest children were with them. Marsha’s mother believed Elise arrived with her siblings. I am inclined to agree.

After disembarking in Baltimore, Maryland, Wilhelm and his family went to Wheeling, West Virginia. From there, they traveled by covered wagon to Warren County, Missouri in 1850. Elise probably came with them, followed them or led them as she shows up later in Warren County as well.

It appears other Wessel family members lived in Wheeling which is probably why they stopped there first. Elise’s cemetery record in Warren County indicates the name of her father was “Rudolph Wessel”. Marsha came across another likely sibling, Johanna (Wessel) Delbrugge, who is buried in Wheeling and whose parents are listed as “Johann Rudolph Wessel” and “Catherine Marie Piepmeier”. There is a strong possibility that “Johann Rudolph” is Elise’s “Rudolph”.

Marsha and I have been exchanging information and family documents. Just recently, she shared one of her most prized family possessions with me: a picture of her son, James, who graduated from the prestigious United States Military Academy at West Point in 1992. It’s become one of my favorite documents, too, as James, my 5th cousin, is the first West Point graduate that I know of in my ever-expanding family tree.

Kenfolk: Tranthams
Relation: 4th cousin, 1x removed
Common ancestors: The Wessels of Germany

In 1859, my 4th great grandfather, Jesse Trantham, purchased 120 acres of land in Greene County, Arkansas. He packed up his belongings, his 2nd wife and his large family and he left Tennessee. My mother speculated that he made this move attempting to avoid the “looming war between the states”. Things must have been getting tense in Tennessee. Jesse’s brother Robert Floyd and son Hiram also purchased land in Arkansas about this same time.

Since Jesse purchased the land in Arkansas from the Federal Government under a Land Patent, all of the relevant documents are available on the U.S. Department of Interior – Bureau of Land Management’s website. Once I found the documents, I set out to find the exact location. (Interesting side note – Jesse’s middle initial on the certificate appears as “N”. I should also mention that the certificate clearly displays his last name as “Trantham” and not “Trentham”. This might be first instance of an historical document with the spelling variation!)

The land was situated in Section 12 of Township 18 North of Range 6 East. In the image below, borrowed from the Bureau of Land Management’s website, the darker orange square represents Section 12.

Based on the legal description, Jesse’s 120 acres was located in the southeast quadrant and looked something like this:

On a modern-day aerial map, the shape of his land can be clearly seen thanks to the tree line that forms a perimeter:

As a point of reference, the city of Marmaduke, Arkansas is located just south of Jesse’s land:

I am not sure yet who owns the land currently; but, the next time I am in Arkansas, I may just drop in for a visit. I borrowed the aerial maps from Google.

Kenfolk: Tranthams
Relation: 4th great grandfather
Common ancestors: Tranthams, Tranthams, and more Tranthams

References:
https://www.google.com/maps
http://www.glorecords.blm.gov/search/default.aspx

Digitized collections of historic newspapers are becoming more and more available on the Internet. Most of the websites that offer these treasure troves of genealogical information charge some type of fee. But, the convenience of being able to search from your own home usually makes it worth the price. Plus, character recognition software coupled with modern-day indexing makes finding the name of that long-lost relative buried deep in an article on the back page a snap. No more microfiche-ing required.

If you’re lucky enough to find a relative’s hometown newspaper that’s been digitized in one of these collections, you might also be lucky enough to gain insight into their personal life. Assuming, of course, they did something newsworthy.

Such is the case of Levi R. Trantham, whose name appears here and there in the Commerce Journal of Commerce, Texas between 1902 and 1918.

In 1906, Levi ran unsuccessfully for constable of the 6th precinct of Hunt County, Texas. His wife, Olga, must have been ill for a good portion of his campaign. Levi sent a letter to the newspaper in July explaining to potential voters that his wife’s illness had prevented him from meeting all of them. He implored them not to hold that against him on election day.

The letter did not sway the voters as Levi lost to Roy Harrington in the primary. (Levi came in last place with 32 votes!) The loss probably brought a lot of tension into the Trantham home which might have been getting a tad overcrowded. Four years after the election, Levi appears in the 1910 census as the head of a household that included his wife, Olga, her parents Calvin and Mary Sims, two of his wife’s sisters – Ella and Eunice Sims, and two of his brother’s daughters – nieces Bennie Bell and Gladys Trantham.

My 2nd cousin, 1x removed, Kay, told me her grandmother, Bennie Bell, indicated life with her Uncle Levi was unpleasant. I can imagine that it was. But, I don’t think Levi was a bad person. He did, after all, provide a home for quite a few people. Between his wife’s lingering illness, his defeat at the polls, and a house full of relatives, it’s possible that Levi was under a bit of stress those days.

Levi’s name appears in the Commerce Journal on a few more occasions. His “brother in from Tennessee” came for a visit in 1902 apparently looking to buy land. In 1917, Levi donated $2.50 to a college fund alongside other members of the community.

Finally, in 1918, Levi gave a testimonial about the power of advertising in the Commerce Journal. Thanks to an ad he had placed (which I could not locate), he received more hog-killing business than he admittedly could handle. (Bad news for the hogs in town but at least, I suppose, he had a way of relieving some of his stress!)

Kenfolk: Tranthams
Relation: 2nd great grand uncle
Common ancestors: Levi is the younger brother of my 2nd great grandfather, Campbell Jackson Trantham

References:
Newsy Nuggets From Northeast Corner. (1902, May 2). Commerce Journal, p. 8.
Announcements. (1906, June 1). Commerce Journal, p. 2.
Announcements. (1906, June 29). Commerce Journal, p. 6.
A Word To The Voters. (1906, July 20). Commerce Journal, p. 1.
Contributions To College Fund. (1917, August 3). Commerce Journal, p. 14.
Proof That It Pays To Advertise. (1918, January 10). Commerce Journal, p. 7.

Special thanks to the fine folks at the Gee Library Special Collections section at Texas A&M University for confirming the results of the 1906 election.