Veterans in my Family Tree

Today I would like to recognize ancestors and family members that were veterans.  I'm sure I'm missing some but I will continue to update this post as I continue to research.  I am including my husband's side of the family as well.

I would like to take the time to honor their service to our country.

Modern:

Cody Schaal *husband(AF & Navy)

Ethan Schaal *son (Navy)

Clay Bowen *cousin (Army)

John Schaal *father of husband(Army)

Vietnam:

Wade Curran *cousin (Army)

Ted Schaal *uncle of husband (Army)

Korea:

Donald Curran (Army) stationed in Germany

WWII:
Lewis Curran, JR *Grand uncle (Navy)

Elmer Jack Laycox (Army & AF)*Grandfather of husband,**have record

Homer Carl Curran *Grand uncle  (Navy)

Herbert Albert Waller *Great Granduncle (Navy) S2c V6. Enlistment date: 27 Nov 1942,
      Received onboard USS Burke (DE 215) 08/20/1943 Service number: 637 77 37 

      Discharge date: 16 Oct 1945

Chester Vonner Laycox *Granduncle of husband  Honorable discharge: 12 Jan 1946 

   TEC 5 US Army

Robert E Laycox *Granduncle of husband  Enlisted 25 Jul 1942, Camp Forrest, TN
  Service number 14133960, Air Corps, Discharged 22 Mar 1946. PFC, 991st MAT Sq

Samuel Groom JR *Great Granduncle of husband, Enlisted 24 Mar 1942, Peoria, IL.  

    Service number 16055064, US Army, 503rd Engr L Pon Co, Pvt,  Honorable discharge

     15 April 1943

WWI:
James Jefferson Bussey *uncle (Army) **have record 

John C. Bussey (Army) stateside, Signal corps **have record

John William Curran *uncle (Army)

Charles Terance Curran *uncle (Army) died 1918--Spanish Flu

Thomas James Curran  *uncle (Navy)
Willis C. Bussey, *Great GrandUncle (Private, Artillery, Georgia Co B) 6months. **on WWI Draft     Card

Samuel L Waller, *2nd Great Granduncle (Army) Sept 7, 1918, Co G 161 Inf  Served overseas 

         Oct 3/1918 to April 5/1919, Honorably Discharged May 12/1919 Army serial # 4,881,876
        Interred National Cemetery Marietta Georgia

Claude L. Thomason, *Granduncle, (Army) Enlistment date: 27 Aug 1941 Private, 

          Service number: 34087445 Discharge 11 Nov 1945

Volunteer Service:

Richard Bird Laycock, Great Granduncle of Husband,(Army), Enlisted 23 Jun 1898,

  Madisonville, KY, Pvt, Company A 3rd Ky Vol Infantry, discharged 16 May 1899, Savannah, GA
  Medical Discharge

Abraham Lawless, 5th Great Grandfather of husband, (Marine), Enlisted 4 Oct 1824, Pvt, 

   Mustered as present on board USS Ship Falmouth Oct 1828

Civil War:

Henry Valentine *4th Great Grandfather (Confed Army) then (US Navy)

Levi “Doc” Marlow *3rd Great Grandfather (Confed Army Virginia)

Joseph Marlow *4th Great Grandfather (Confed Army Virginia)

Thomas Lowers *4th Great Grandfather (Confed Army Virginia) 19th Regiment, Virginia Cavalry

William Deem *4th great granduncle (Union Army) W. Virginia

Washington “Sandy” Deem *4th Great Granduncle (Union Army) Sgt. A 15 WV Infantry

William E. Day *3rd Great Granduncle  (Union Army) Ohio

Jesse Yonally, *4th Great Granduncle (Union Army) Ohio

George Forshey *4th Great Grandfather, Pvt, 62 Ohio Infantry, Company K. 1 yr 4mos 8 days

           (Union Army)

Thomas J. Bussey, 3rd Great Grandfather, (GA). Volunteer GA Militia1864 Macon GA, Co H 7th   

           Reg Ga Military. 10 months.  “In April 1865 at Macon GA was paroled or discharged

           By the Yankee authorities”  Battle of Griswoldville, GA Nov 1864.  Left hip and Leg 

           The explosion of a shell  Jun 1864-April 1865

Dempsey J. Bussey, 3rd Great Granduncle, ( GA) Confederate.  Prvt May 18, 1861. 

           Died at Christian’s Factory at Lynchburg, Va. Dec 2, 1862. Buried in Conf. Cemetery 

           There.. No 9, 1st line, lot 78. *CompanyA, 8th Reg, GA Volunteer Infantry Army

            Of Northern Virginia C.S.A. Floyd County, Georgia (“Rome Light Guards”)

Henry Aaron Waller, *4th Great grandfather, Confed, (GA) GA regiment, 27th company, E
            Buried at Hollywood Cemetery in Richmond VA.  Died of measles

William Lewis Thomason, *3rd Great Grandfather, Confed (GA) Enlisted as a private in Co. B, 25th Battn. Ga. Provost Guards Inf. Sept. 25, 1862. Transferred to Co. H, 5th Regt. Ga. Inf. Apr. 6, 1863; to Co. A, 2d Battn. Ga. Sharpshooters in 1862. Captured at Missionary Ridge, Tenn. Nov. 25, 1863. Released at Rock Island, Ill. June 25, 1865. Storied to have walked home from Illinois barefoot.

Isaac Sanford Thomason, 3rd great granduncle, Confed (GA) GA Company K, 64th Infantry

       Imprisoned 16 Aug 1864 Deep Bottom, VA; died Jackson Hospital, Richmond, VA. 

       Died of disease.  Buried Hollywood Cemetery, Richmond, VA

Gideon A. Thomason, 3rd Great granduncle, Confed, (GA) Private Enlist 21 Sep 1861, GA 

       Company G, 35th infantry, Out 28 Feb 1865, AOL 

Benjamin F. Thomason, *3rd Great granduncle, Confed, (GA), killed 30 Aug 1862*2nd Manassas

        Enlisted 21 Sep 1861, private, Georgia Company G, 35th Infantry, KIA

David Richmond Allen, *4th great grandfather, GA, Confed.  Enlisted 16 Sep 1861, Private,

        Georgia, Company G, 35th Infantry, Muster Out 25 July 1862 due to disability.  Died on the

        Way home of dysentery in Augusta GA. Died 28 Jul 1862, buried in Augusta.

John Fields Chapman, *3rd Great Grandfather, Confed GA, Enlisted 15 Sep 1861, Private,

         GA Company I, 8th Infantry, Greene county, GA **taken prisoner at Richmond, Va in Mar ‘65,

         Held in prison in Washington DC

 John W. Welch, * 3rd Great Grandfather, Confed GA, Enlisted Private, 9 Sep 1861 muster out 11  Dec  1861 discharge disability     Company H, 27th Infantry

John Lloyd Ivey, 4th Great grandfather, confed, GA, Private, 16th Regiment, Georgia Infantry, Company G

Amos J. Stapler, 3rd Great Grandfather, Confed, GA, Private, Company E, 34th Regiment, Georgia Infantry. 

Isham Akin, 4th Great Grandfather, Confed, GA Pvt, Co G, 53rd GA Infantry.

Phillip Schaal, 3rd Great Grandfather of husband, Union, Missouri/Illinois, 2nd Regiment, Missouri Infantry, Company I, Private, medical discharge  **immigrant ancestor

Michael Roth, 4th Great Grandfather of husband, Union, Illinois **immigrant ancestor

David R. Laycock, 3rd Great grandfather of husband, Union, Tennessee, Enlisted 8 Mar 1864,

  Pvt, Muster date 21 Mar 1864, Company F, 2st Mtd Infantry

Thomas Jefferson Whittaker, 4th Great grandfather of husband, Confederate, Tennessee, 

  Pvt, Huggins’ Company, Tennessee Light Artillery

Drury Hyder Bagwell, 4th Great Grandfather of husband, Confed, TN Enlisted 15 Sep 1861, 

   1st Sergt, Muster date 15 Sep 1861, Company A, 28th TN Infantry. (2 Mountain Reg’t, Tenn.

    Vols.)  Died 6 April 1862 at the Battle of Shiloh

War of 1812:

James Marlow *6th Great Grandfather (Virginia)

Aquila Marlow *5th Great-Granduncle (MD) *British Invasion of Maryland

Peter Tennant *5th Great Granduncle  (Virginia) Sgt 6 Regiment Virginia Militia

William Tennant *5th Great Granduncle (Virginia) Pvt Cpt Samuel Kennedy’s Co, 2nd Regiment 

       Artillery, Virginia Militia. 

Alexander Tennant *5th Great Granduncle (US Rangers) Pvt, Capt McCormick         

Joseph Tennant *5th Great Granduncle (Virginia) Pvt 6 Regiment Virgina Militia

      Capt James Hurry’s Company.  

Abraham Tennant *5th Great Granduncle (Virginia) Pvt 6 Regiment, Capt Hurry’s company

Jacob Tennant *5th Great Granduncle (Virginia) Pvt Capt Jesse Ice’s Co, 1st Reg Connell’s

Abraham Deem *4th Great Granduncle (Virginia) 6 Regiment Virginia Militia

John Day, *5th Great Grandfather (Virginia) Sgt Army

James Boothe *6th Great Grandfather 

Solomon Forshey *5th great grandfather (PA)

Gibson Maynard (Manor) * Great Grandfather (SC) Austin’s Reg’t, South Carolina Militia, Private

Jonathan Odle *6th Great grandfather of Husband, In Service at Lewiston, NY.  Under Capt. 

  Samuel Jennings in the Company of Col. Philetus Swift.

Indian War

Jacob Deem SR, *5th Great Grandfather, Scout on the Frontier

Revolutionary War:

John Nighswanger *6th Great Grandfather (Virginia, Continental Troops) Sgt

Richard D.Tennant II, *6th Great Grandfather, (Virginia) Drummer, Capt Parsons, McIntosh’s Company

Peter Haught JR (II), 6th Great Granduncle, (Lord Dunmore’s Army)

Jacob Deem SR, *5th Great Grandfather **Rejected pension due to Indian wars on the frontiers.

Michael Cox, *5th Great Grandfather, Private, Pennsylvania

Thomas Forshey, *6th Great Grandfather (PA) 1775-recruiting officer.  1776 Ensign in 8th Pa. 

              Rel. commanded by Col. Enos McCoy, and in the company commanded by Capt. John

             Wilson.  

Richard Wells, *6th Great Grandfather (PA) **application for pension/bounty land warrant?

Henry Wells, *6th Great Granduncle (VA) Sgt in Col. Burgess Ball’s Co, 1st Virginia Regulars 

             Commanded by Richard Parker

Alexander Wells, *7th Great Grandfather (MD) appointed Captain of MD Militia June 6, 1776

Samuel Whatley, *5th Great Grandfather, wounded at Long Cane, S.C. Dec 10, 1781

              Served under Capt. Macajah Williamson in the company of mounted militia under
              Elijah Clarke.  Taken prisoner by the British. Siege of Augusta. Shot in the left arm.``Twice

               Frozen, once perished & drowned, once hung and twice shot for his unflinching zeal in

               The defense of Liberty and American Independence.”

Martin Dial, 6th Great Grandfather (SC).  Per SOAR application:  Private soldier in Col Hays 

              Regiment of SC, also Capt. Kilgore’s SC Regiment.  He served several months in

              Capt. John Ridgeway’s SC Co.  He was w Capt Ridgeway when “Bloody Bill 

              Cunningham’s tory Gang” attacked them at a place on the Saluda River, now known as   “Cane- Brake Massacre by the Cunningham tory Gangy”  Martin Dial was one of the few soldiers who escaped.  Martin Dial was taken prisoner on two occasions by the British Army.  His brother, Hastings Dial, an officer of some rank in the British Army affected his release. Granted   326 acres of land in the 96th Dist of Laurens county SC.  Pension-R*13777

John Ephriam Mayo, *6th Great grandfather NC. Received a pension and land.

Benjamin Thrower, *6th Great grandfather, NC, Private, received a pension.

John Patrick McMullin *5th Great grandfather, is rumored to have made the first suit that George 

           Washington wore it after becoming General or something like that.  No evidence.

Johannes “John” Dingler, 7th Great Grandfather, Dragoons US Army Revolutionary War, Continental Troops

Samuel Paschall, 8th Great Grandfather, Mar 1779, Continental Troops, Artillery in the Battalion, Bombardier

Jonathan Terwilleger, 7th Great Grandfather of husband, is found on the following Pay Roll.
  “A Payroll of Capt Jacobus Roos’s Company in Col Jonathan Hasbrouck,s Regiment who marched on the night of the 25 Apr last on an alarm of an insurrection of a Body of Tories” April 1777

Always learning

 I've been paused on my research for a little while because I've been taking in several webinars to increase my skills.  While I"ve been researching family history for many, many years I am so far from an expert.  Sometimes I need to take a break and gain a new perspective  

Recently I watched a webinar that absolutely gave me some fresh ideas on how to try and narrow down who may be the father of one of my 3rd Great Grandmother Alice Lawrence Ledbetter using DNA.  I'm going to write down my ideas and place them in my research plan binder. 

I have found that the webinars presented by Family Tree Webinars are some of the best out there.  I love that they offer free webinars weekly.  I used them so frequently that I decided to purchase a membership so I could always see the webinars and get the syllabus/handouts provided by the speakers.  Because I live in Okinawa, the presentation times do not always work out for me, but I am able to watch them in the webinar library at any time with my membership.  

I only recommend things that I have used myself and enjoy. 

If you are interested in your own membership or just to see what free webinars are available please click here.  *(As an affiliate I earn a small commission if you purchase through my link at no additional cost to you).  Remember many of the webinars are FREE!  

Potential Revolutionary War Soldiers

The following names and descriptions are of potential Revolutionary War Veterans on my side of the family.  These are from my notes. I failed to use proper citations in my notes.  Most of the information I gathered was from online family trees.  Even though I have been researching for years,  I still make mistakes and am always learning.    

I have one of these men in mind as the one I can easily connect to that already has been proven and I can hitch up to one of my cousins that have already submitted an application. 

Revolutionary War:

John Nighswanger *6th Great Grandfather (Virginia, Continental Troops) Sgt

Richard D.Tennant II, *6th Great Grandfather, (Virginia) Drummer, Capt Parsons, McIntosh’s    

          Company

Jacob Deem SR, *5th Great Grandfather **Rejected pension due to Indian wars on the frontiers.

Michael Cox, *5th Great Grandfather, Private, Pennsylvania

Thomas Forshey, *6th Great Grandfather (PA) 1775-recruiting officer.  1776 Ensign in 8th Pa. 

              Rel. commanded by Col. Enos McCoy, and in the company commanded by Capt. John

             Wilson.  

Richard Wells, *6th Great Grandfather (PA) **application for pension/bounty land warrant?

Henry Wells, *6th Great Granduncle (VA) Sgt in Col. Burgess Ball’s Co, 1st Virginia Regulars 

             Commanded by Richard Parker

Alexander Wells, *7th Great Grandfather (MD) appointed Captain of MD Militia June 6, 1776

Samuel Whatley, 5th Great Grandfather, wounded at Long Cane, S.C. Dec 10, 1781

              Served under Capt. Macajah Williamson in company of mounted militia under
              Elijah Clarke.  Taken prisoner by the British. Siege of Augusta. Shot in left arm.``Twice

               Frozen, once perished & drowned, once hung and twice shot for his unflinching zeal in

               The defense of Liberty and American Independence.”

Martin Dial, 6th Great Grandfather (SC).  Per SOAR application:  Private soldier in Col Hays 

              Regiment of SC, also Capt. Kilgore’s SC Regiment.  He served several months in

              Capt. John Ridgeway’s SC Co.  He was w Capt Ridgeway when “Bloody Bill 

              Cunningham’s tory Gang” attacked them at a place on the Saluda River, now known as   “Cane- Brake Massacre by the Cunningham tory Gangy”  Martin Dial was one of the few soldiers who escaped.  Martin Dial was taken prisoner on two occasions by the British Army.  His brother, Hastings Dial, an officer of some rank in the British Army effected his release. Granted   326 acres of land in the 96th Dist of Laurens county SC.  Pension-R*13777

John Ephriam Mayo, *6th Great grandfather NC. Received a pension and land.

Benjamin Thrower, *6th Great grandfather, NC , Private, received a pension.

John Patrick McMullin *5th Great grandfather, rumored to have made the first suit that George 

           Washington wore it after becoming General or something like that.  No evidence.

Johannes “John” Dingler, 7th Great Grandfather, Dragoons US Army Revolutionary War, Continental Troops

Samuel Paschall, 8th Great Grandfather, Mar 1779, Continental Troops, Artillery in the Battalion, Bombardier

Should I join a Lineage Society?

 What is a lineage society?  It's a group that has specific requirements in order to join them.  There are many out there.  The one I'm looking at is DAR or Daughters of the American Revolution.  

I have known a few people that have applied and been accepted into the DAR but I haven't taken the time to do so myself.  I have good intentions but I lack follow-through.  My one son in high school has expressed an interest in being involved with the Sons of the American Revolution.  His interest had me seeking more information and realizing that there is a National Society of the Children of the American Revolution youth organization.  As I was going through the requirements to join each group I realized they were virtually the same.  I would need to connect us to our Revolutionary War Soldier.  Since I have completed a lot of research on my family tree, mind as well use it to join a group.  

So I guess my answer is yes, I should join a lineage society.  I better get to researching more and getting my documentation together.  

Motivation for Sharing Family History

 Wow. I have taken quite a hiatus from this blog. 

 I've been doing genealogy research all along but have been reluctant to share it.  A while ago I had a cousin attack me online regarding our shared family history.  While this cousin was quite angry and called me a liar and claimed that I had fabricated information; they also refused to tell me what I had fabricated.  I was honest and told them I would happily change anything that I was mistaken about.  All I needed was for them to show proof of where I was wrong.  They would never answer me other than to call me a liar.  That experience was painful and I became reluctant to share it here.  This cousin questioned my motives for sharing information here.  This gave me pause.  

What is my motive for sharing my family history?  Is it for my own benefit?  Am I looking for fame?

I pondered this question for a long while.  

I concluded.

I am sharing the information I find because I think that being truthful with history is essential.  I'm sharing these ancestors and relatives because their lives mattered.  They were full-fledged human beings with complicated lives and deserve to be celebrated and known.  I want to share information for other researchers to find.  I want distant cousins to reach out and let me know their side of the family's stories. 

Do I sometimes give the blog post a fun headline?  Yes, because I want people to read and learn about them.  I do not however embellish or lie about the facts that I have gathered. 

I am excited to pick this back up and share my journey in celebrating my family history.  I hope you enjoy learning about my relatives and maybe yours.  I plan on sharing my research notes and more on how I research and how I reach the conclusions that I do.  

I will state the following.  I am not an expert.  I will make mistakes.  I will always try to cite my sources and be open to hearing ideas and thoughts from others.  

Now let's start searching for our roots!

Pardon me...wrong Robert Wuerz

It happens to all of us eventually.  We think we have the right person and we set off researching and detailing their life, searching back further and further until...you realize you are not searching the right person after all.  It's easy to do with common named ancestors and when there are cousins and uncles and even brothers with similar or same names. 

I recently realized that I was chasing the wrong Robert Wuerz on my husband's family tree. The Robert Wuerz I was chasing was an interesting fella with some newspaper articles of the illegal variety and came from a wealthy family.  Turns out this guy is not our guy.  The Robert Wuerz I'm looking for is my husband's 2nd Great Grandfather.  

So here is what I do know about our Robert Wuerz.  

Robert Wuerz was born sometime between 1873 and 1876 in Chicago, Illinois.   He married Annie Lawless 16 May 1898 in Alton, Madison County, Illinois.

I ordered their marriage record from Madison County.  From this document, I see that his name is Robert Wuerz, lives in Granite City, his occupation is Bookkeeper, his age at his next birthday is 25 years and he is white.  Born in Chicago, Illinois.  Fathers name Robert Wuerz and mother's name May Law? *name is so hard to read.  This is his first marriage. 

For Annie we see her name is Annie Lawless, lives in Alton, age at next birthday is 19 and she is white. Born in Jerseyville, the father is William Lawless and her mother's maiden name appears to be Ritter (but it Minard, so I'm not sure why this is incorrect).  This is her first marriage.  

They were married by the Justice of the Peace.  I cannot read the Justice's name.  I do know that Annie's family was Catholic however they were not married in the Church, at least not in the records available for the Church her family went to, St. Peter and Paul, Alton, Illinois.

 

1899 City Directory for Alton, Illinois.  He is listed as Robert W. Wuerz (wf Annie) lab, r 618 Summit.  

Now I have a middle initial.  W.  It doesn't seem to help in my search though.  

29 June 1900  Their son Conrad Francis Wuerz is born.  I do not have a birth record for Conrad but I do have his baptism and it lists his father as Robert Wuerz. While digging through the Church records for St. Peter and Paul I came across the baptism of another child of Robert and Annie!  I do not know what happened to this other son.  

Ancestry.com. Illinois, U.S., Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield Sacramental Records, 1853-1975 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2018.
Original data: Accessed 16 Dec 2020

Joseph Shaffer Wuerz born on 12 May 1902 and baptized on 21 May 1902.  

Ancestry.com. Illinois, U.S., Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield Sacramental Records, 1853-1975 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2018.
Original data:  Accessed 16 Dec 2020

The odd thing is that Annie marries James Frasier on 20 Aug 1902 in Alton.  Three months after this baby, Joseph was born and Baptised!  

Ancestry.com. Illinois, U.S., County Marriage Records, 1800-1940 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2016.

Original data: Marriage Records. Illinois Marriages. Various Illinois County collections.
Accessed 16 Dec 2020

The only other record I have located with Robert Wuerz in it was the 1901 City Directory where he is listed the same as in 1899. 

What happened to Robert Wuerz?  Did he die?  Did Annie and he get divorced?  And now, what about this baby Joseph?  There has been NO indication of this child at all!  Did he also pass?  


So I am still at a loss with what happened to Robert Wuerz.  Grandma Marion only provided me the following  information, "My Dad was born a Wuerz but raised a Frasier."  I have found evidence of her father, Conrad actually using the Fraiser last name until he had to use Wuerz legally when he got married.  She never knew or she never told me what happened to Robert and definitely nothing about this baby Joseph.  

As usual, more questions than answers. Y'all got any ideas?