What's in a Note?

Well, here I am again. Obsessing about Mack seems to be my favorite past time. Notice I didn't say "new" favorite past time.

In searching records of the White River Valley Historical Quarterly Society, a publication with interests in counties in Southern Missouri and Northern Arkansas, including Stone, Taney, Green and Ozark Counties, I ran across this note:




If you notice in the first paragraph the writer out lines the names listed in the old notebook. Frank Hinkle and Dan Hinkle are included - followed a few names later by Mack Adair.

Pure speculation on my part at this time, but Minnie (Mack's wife) has brothers named Frank & Daniel J. Hinkle.  Could that be the same Frank and Dan Hinkle listed and maybe even working with Mack Adair? Is that maybe how Mack and Minnie met or Minnie's brothers helped Mack find work?  From records found previously in the "Jungles" Mack seems to be fond of religion and the United Brethren in Christ church is an evangelical Christian denomination with roots in Mennonite and German communities in Pennsylvania.  The Hinkles are originally from Pennsylvania and of German ancestry, so it would make sense they were associated with this type of church.  

Mack and Minnie were married by the 1880 census and living in that area. It's the right county and right time frame. Again, I may just be desperately looking for a connection, but I'm going to hold on to this just in case.

Adairs or Not? That is the Question

Family history is a lot of making contacts and exchanging information. I've connected with several of our Adair family's distant cousins and we've kept in touch and shared information.

Mack & Minnie

• Jessie Adair (1881-1882) did not have children
• Mary Adair (1883-1895) did not have children
• Cora J. Adair (1884-1925) - cousin connection (Lynn)
• Eva Mae Adair (1886-1970) 
• James Harrison Adair (1889-1950) - our line
• Beatrice Adair (1891-1959) - cousin connection (Marsha)
• William Bolen Adair (1893-1994) did not have children
• Emma Adair (1895-1962) 
• Josephine Adair (1897-1993) - 2 cousins connections (Sandy & Jo)
• Mack Adair, Jr. (1899-1986) - cousin connection (Chelsea)

Chelsea, this new cousin I recently connected with, is a descendant of Mack Adair, Jr. We shared information and what our sources were. I asked her what she knew about Mack Sr. this was her reply:

"So, as far as finding more on Mack Sr., it is hard and I am not sure we ever will. The story I have always been told about him (and it seems to be a story that was told often as everyone here seems to knows it) is that he was adopted into the Adair family as a baby. He was a member of a Native American tribe that was massacred and as far as we know he was the only living survivor. On census records they did not list him as Native American or Indian because of the stigma and prejudices then. Regardless, I have not been able to even find his adopted family, but I am always searching. I am not sure if that is the full story or even a true story, but I have always been at a wall with him as well and that would make sense to me as to why."

From what our cousin has been told Adair is the family who adopted him.  I'll have to look into this further.

Am I My Own Grandpa?

Josh Renfro married John Anna Brown.  Who are they to us?  

I cannot get over his overalls with his nice jacket!  They are adorable.

Their daughter is Margaret Elizabeth Renfro Henry Thornsbury.  Great Grandma – Zola’s mother.

This picture is Zola with her Grandma and Grandpa Renfro.  My understanding is this was when she went to tell them goodbye as she and Lester were getting ready to move to the Pacific Northwest.  That blonde baby . . . . in her arms?  That's Bob; I'm guessing this was taken around 1941 - 1942.

Josh Renfro’s mother Drucilla Jane Barnes married three times.

First to Josh’s father, Joshua Benjamin Renfro.  You might remember, Joshua was killed by lightening during the civil war.

Second, Drucilla married a Isaiah Moore and I only have his name, nothing else. 

Third she married William W. Manuel.  William was first married to Mary Emeline Brown.  Who is Mary Emeline Brown?  She is John Anna Browns sister.  

Wait what?  John Anna was Josh’s step-father’s former sister-in-law.  No blood relations there, we’re safe.  

Mary Emeline Brown would be our great great Aunt.  Great Grandma Thornsbury's aunt.

James Harrison Adair

We are hideous!  
Take a seat and prepare yourself 

Who is James Harrison Adair to us?  Lester's father, Jim Adair.

I found great-grandpa Jim's WWII registration card.  He was 5'10" in height, 150 pounds with blue eyes and brown hair.  He was light complected AND MISSING HIS RIGHT BIG TOE!  WHAT?  

How can we be this deformed, I'm blaming him for everything now #thanksjim

The Buschjost Family

The Buschjost Family - spell it anyway you want, matter of fact the more letters the better.  

Buschjost

Bushjost

Buschjoest

Buschgort

H.C. Buschjost and Mary Jane Lawing married October 23, 1893 in Pottersville, Howell County, Missouri.  H.C. was 27 years old and Mary was 16 years old, which required her father's consent to the marriage.  Interestingly, this was not Mary Jane's first marriage.  Her first marriage was to Emmett J. Wells in 1891 when she was 14.  My research has found Emmett married with a family in later years, so I believe they divorced; however, I have not found any records of that so far.

Together H.C. and Mary had seven children:

Clara Buschjost Adair 1895 - 1918 (Lester's mom)
Ceclie Buschjost 1897 - 1990
Nadine Vena Buschjost Gardner 1898-1956
Harry Jackson Buschjost 1900-1966
Charles F. Buschjoest 1904-1974
Hazel E. Buschjost Long 1909 - 1975
Hattie G. Buschjost (DiCarlo or Allen) 1911-2003

The 1900 Federal Census record shows the family living in Benton, Arkansas in a town called Hico which is now Siloam Springs.  Notice H.C. is listed as Charles H. Buschjost born April of 1851 in Germany.  Interestingly if he were born in 1851 he would have been 42 at the time of their marriage, yet the marriage certificate indicates he was 27 making him born about 1866 (which other records match).  This could be an error on the census takers part, or did Charles misspeak?  Did an accent make him harder to understand?  Clara (our great grandmother) was born in Missouri and so was Cecil.  Cecil was listed as a son, but I know she is a daughter.  It can be challenging weeding out the incorrect information from what is accurate.

In the 1910 Federal Census record taken in April of 1910 the Buschjost family is living in Nash Township in Muskogee County Oklahoma, or Indian Territory at the time.  The area was opened to non-indian settlement during the Cherokee Outlet Opening in September of 1893.

 

Again, the names and information can be confusing.  H.C. Buschjost is listed as 46 years old making him born in 1864.  Cecil(e) is listed as a daughter and there are 3 more kids.  If you notice Mary J.'s listed as wife, female, white, 33 years of age, married for 16 years, the 7 & 6 column is the number of births to that woman - 7, the next number is the number of living children - 6.  This means they lost a child.  I have not been able to located any records yet  as to when this might have been.  Oklahoma did not legally require birth or death certificate filings until 1917, with the earliest birth records they have being from 1908.

1920 Federal Census, we find the family in Hulbert, Oklahoma.  This is about 15 miles north east of Nash Township (basically Fort Gibson, OK)

H.C. is not listed, with Mary J. being listed as the "head of household" and a new daughter Hattie G. was 8 years old.  Clara is not listed, and neither is Nadine.  

Since the 1910 census, Clara had married James Harrison "Jim" Adair in 1912 and had her little family daughter Lois in 1915, son Earl in 1916, Lester in 1917, and Maxine in 1918, passing away three weeks later.  I did obtain a copy of her death certificate which was completed by her mother (previous news articles indicated her husband, Jim was very ill with pneumonia when Clara passed).  Her mother lists Clara's father as Charley Buschjost born in Germany.  The "C" in HC is Charles . . . .  Clara's cause of death says:  influenza, pneumonia, with the secondary cause:  child birth.

Nadine married Robert C. Gardner in 1917 but had not had any children that I know of yet.

This got me digging, where did H.C. go?  Looking through old Fort Gibson newspapers, I found this notice - March 23, 1916

This little notice tells me so much - they had lived in the Muskogee area for the past 15 years.  He died of pneumonia (probably the beginning of that horrible pandemic that took his daughter's life), he left five daughters: Cecil (who had been listed as a son and daughter on different census records), Nadine, Mrs. James Adair, and the two younger girls, who are Hazel and Hattie.  Two sons Harry and Charley.  This again, verifies the information I had tracked down, hoping it was our Clara's family.

From here I have not been able to find anything specific on Mary J.  Harry, Charley, and Cecil all lived together until 1933 when Cecil is committed to a hospital for the insane.  The Eastern Oklahoma State Hospital at Vinita.  She was diagnosed as having delusional persecution disorder, where the person believes they are being slandered, mistreated, drugged, spied on etc.  In those papers it indicates her father died at age 56 of pneumonia (would have made him born in 1860) and her mother died at "47 cardiac."  I've basically given up on H.C.'s age - he's worse than a woman ;-)  But I am going to continue looking into Mary passing at age 47 to see if there is anything to verify this.  Cecile was released and living on her own again by 1940 in Tulsa and working as a "presser" in a local laundry business.

1.  Cecile Buschjost (in Zola's handwriting on back of photo). Ideas on how to pronounce her name?  Suh-seal?  It looks like the male spelling of See-Sul?

2.  Harry married Enid Kincaid in 1933.  World War II registration records give the following info on Harry,  Height:  5'8"  Weight: 170  Hair:  Black/Brown  Eyes:  Grey  Build:  Tall/Slender  Complexion:  Dark

3. Marvin Lawing and Charley Buschjost 
An interesting note on this picture is for years I had no idea who Marvin Lawing was.  When I found the name of Clara's mother as Mary Jane Lawing with a brother Marvin it clicked.  Marvin would be the Clara's uncle or Lester's great uncle.  One more piece to help confirm we had the right information.  Charley's World War II enlistment records when he was 38 years old indicate he was 5'7" and 160 pounds.

4.  Hattie Buschjost Stock (L) and Hazel Buschjost Long (R)

As I've said before, nothing earth shattering or amazing.  I just love knowing all the info I can.  Also, I totes love the overalls . . . . the beginnings of Lester's love for cover alls?

Love you fam.

UPDATE: Minnie Hinkle

Minnie Hinkle Adair

Who is she to us?  She is Lester's paternal grandmother.  She and her husband Mack (of the jungles) raised Lester and his siblings after his Mom died of pneumonia.  (Do you see Lester in her face?)

Researching women can be a bit tough due to maiden/married names but from what Zola told me and from the records I found I believe Minnie's name is Arminda Ellen Hinkle or Amanda Ellen Hinkle.  "Minnie" for short.

Minnie is the daughter of William and Alvira (Winstow or Winslow) Hinkle, born  August 8, 1865 in Missouri.

I found a book:  "A Reminiscent History of the Ozark Region" by Goodspeed Brothers Publishers 1894, that includes a biographical sketch of the Hinkle family.  What?   We are famous?  I always knew it.  Goodspeed Publishing was a Chicago company that published many works on local American history and biographies in the 1880's.  They are viewed as a significant resources for historians and genealogists because they contain personal biographies of many prominent American citizens, and they provide an important snapshot of the lives and economic situation of that era.

This was an excellent find and I learned Minnie's father (William) was a native of the Keystone* State and of German descent.  He moved from Pennsylvania to Iowa and from there to Lawrence County, Missouri where he remained until 1870.  He finally settled in Taney County and passed away in 1876.  William was a blacksmith and worked in that trade as well as farming all his life.

*Sorry Mama and Mr. Rossbach I had to look it up - the Keystone State is Pennsylvania

Alvira Winstow or Winslow (dang I wish I'd know her name when I was pregnant with Emma - Alvira Jade Hansen has a nice ring to it, huh?) was born in Pennsylvania and in 1894 was living a comfortable life with her son Henry J. Hinkle.

They were the parents of eleven children who are listed as follows:

Henry J.
Frank, who is a farmer near Sparta
Albert, residing in Taney County
Minnie the wife of Mac Adair of Indian Territory;
Daniel, a farmer of Taney County
Ida; the wife of George Bullock of Clay County
Lillie a widow, residing in Clay County
James
Mahala
and two infants deceased

The family attended the Christian Church and Mr. Hinkle was a wealthy man, a good citizen, and was well liked by all acquainted with him.  Mrs. Hinkle reared a large family, and is a most estimable lady of about 60 years of age now.

The things we learn from this article!!!  It's is a treasure trove (toilet paper word of the day).  We learn several things - Minnie had 10 siblings.  Her mother's maiden name (kinda) and birthplace and her birth year - approximately 1834.  We learn her father's profession and that it seems he did well and people liked him.  He passed in 1876 in Missouri.  To tie it all together, I mean what if this isn't our Minnie, it says she was the wife of Mac Adair of Indian Territory (Oklahoma).  Minnie was most likely born in Lawrence County - other records indicate she was born in Missouri, this timeline says that by 1870 the Hinkle family settled in Taney County.  Minnie was born in 1865, so before they moved to Taney County.

As I searched census records I have found these siblings with their respective spouses and this gave me something to go off of.  Frank's name is actually William F. Hinkle on many records, now I know they called him Frank.  Ida's name looks like Luda on several records as well and we have her married name.  Darn, we don't know Lillie's married name, but I know she was a widow by 1894.

So much information from one little article, here is some more.

Minnie's brother Henry J. Hinkle seemed to be the main subject of the biography and it says he secured a fair education in Missouri.  He also learned the blacksmith's trade and when he was a grown man started a shop for himself in Taney County at Kirbyville where he stayed for 6 years.  Then he moved to Texas to pursue farming .  I am assuming this is Texas County Missouri, not the state.  He then moved to Sparta Missouri in 1883 and opened a shop working there until 1892.  Then he opened a hardware business and has always been successful in all his pursuits.  The man didn't have enough to do so he opened a hotel and that is what he was doing at the time of the article in 1894.  He has a comfortable home in Sparta attended to by his wife - formerly Miss Mariah Ellen Stephens of Illinois.  She is the daughter of Thomas A. and Elizabeth (Davis) Stevens of Taney County.  Notice the two different spellings of the name Stephens/Stevens?  Great . . . .

Henry J. and his wife had five children, two dying in infancy - William T., Jasper N. and Tulela A (excellent names).  I love that the article mentions that Mrs. Hinkle is a lady of much capacity and performs the duties of landlady with "command and great ability."

Again - look at all that information.  I've been matching up census records, marriage records, wills/estates and having a hay day!  Jealous much?

Do you wanna know what got me really excited?  Because I know Minnie's brother's name is Henry and Henry's wife is Mariah Ellen, when I found them on an 1880 census record it made me wonder if Minnie was anywhere around them.  One street over I found Mack and Arminda Abrita - as I examined the census closer I swear it says Adair not Abrita.  The ages Mack - 21 and Arminda  - 15 are exactly right for Mack and Minnie.  I sent a correction for consideration - and they approved it.  In examining the original record the National Archives agrees that it is Adair not Abrita. Oh my exciting.  I've been looking for some proof of Mack before 1900's and this is the only thing in 25 years I've found.  It indicates on the census they are married and they live in their own household in Oliver, Taney County Missouri.  The 1870 census shows Minnie as a child in her father William's home - this 1880 census record is the earliest record I have of Mack.

When I finally was finally able to obtain a copy of Minnie's death certificate it listed her father as Henry Hinkle and her Mother as Alvira Hinkle.  So unless her father's name was Henry William  or William Henry Hinkle, I think her daughter Ava (who provided the information) didn't know her grandfather's name for sure or just mixed it up with her uncle's name.  She also listed her grandmother's maiden name as Winslow  - the article reports it as Winstow.  I realize in the 1880's Facebook and the internets wasn't as popular as it is today, so they didn't have the same contact with family members who weren't nearby.

It's tough to read, but Minnie's cause of death?  says "don't know, probably due to ongoing head lesion, she died suddenly."  I am not sure I am reading it correctly though . . . .

Do you know your parent's parents names?  Including maiden names?  The information on a death certificate is provided by a family member.

Remember when I said I would tell the good the bad and the ugly?  Family stories have it that Mack and Minnie were strict, even mean.  I've often wondered about it, and in their pictures they look grumpy, but really - what does one picture say about someone?  I mean, I think we all should be remembered for 1 snapshot of our lives.  Right?

What if Mack & Minnie were worriers?  What if they were stressed about raising snot-nosed kids who don't know how to work when their 4 grandchildren came to live with them?  What if farming is super hard work and they needed everyone to pull together and work hard?  We just don't know . . . were they mean and ornery?  Were they strict?  Is that a fine line?  Maybe one day we will know.

I do know I love Minnie, as I've search and learned about her - as I look at her picture and see my grandpa in her face . . . . It's still surprising to me that I can have so much love for people I haven't met.  Blood is blood, right?

I love you all, so much.  When I'm having a tough day - I think of you, and I love you and my heart swells.  "Oh, I'm a lucky man to count on both hands the ones I love."    We may be a small clan, but our love is mighty.

UPDATE:  I received a copy of the Record of Funeral from Leschers Funeral Home who are still operating and in business in Fort Gibson Oklahoma.  They were wonderful and so helpful in searching for information for me.  Here is some of that information:

Mack made the arrangements for Minnie with the help of their daughter Ava Barnett.  Minnie passed away at 7:00 p.m. at home on May 4, 1946.  Funeral services were held at 2:00 p.m. on May 8, 1946 at their home in Fort Gibson.  Reverand George. T. James officiated.  Minnie's cause of death was clarified a bit . . .  "unknown, probably due to heart lesion, died suddenly."  These may be silly details, but I just like to know all I can, she had a "steele gray plush, half couch casket" and the form even indicates her hair and her dress was done by a professional.  Her funeral cost $592, which is equivalent to $8,018 in our day.  

UPDATE: Welcome to the Jungle? MC or Mack Adair

This post may be a bit of a wandering, but when is talking with me not?

Who is MC or Mack Adair to us? Mack is Lester's paternal grandfather. James Harrison Adair's father. 

Mack and Minnie lived most of their lives in Fort Gibson, Oklahoma.  In early census records, the area they lived in was considered Indian Territory.  Oh my - GET OFF MY LAND.  Just kidding, but I did get really nervous that I would find out that either Mack or Minnie are Native American and Bob and Pam are really cousins.  That would explain a lot for the Bob Adair clan, but so far - we are safe.



As you read earlier, James (Jim) Harrison Adair and Clara Buschjost are Lester's parents. Clara died from complications of the flu and pneumonia 3 weeks after giving birth to Lester's youngest sister, Maxine (Decmeber of 1918). From the records I've found Jim left his small children, Lois, Earl, Lester and Maxine with his parents Mack and Minnie. By the 1920 census Jim was in Tulsa living with his oldest sister and her husband.

I've heard several stories about how strict Mack and Minnie were. When I found a cousin from that side of the family several years ago, she said that she heard the same kind of stories about them. I imagine having 4 small children under the age of 5 dropped off for you to raise at the age of 60 might make me a bit cranky too. As a side note, life expectency for a male in 1920 was 68 years old although Mack lived to be 92.

Well, on with the story, the Jungle . . . I've been reading old newspapers trying to find any information about Mack's parents. When I was about 14 years old Zola gave me his name and the little info she had about Mack and I've been looking since. Starting in about 1900 to the 1920's there are strange, very strange articles in the paper about different people meeting the devil or having meetings in the jungle. This confused me and after reading more of the context I've come to the opinion that the devil is alcohol and the jungle is where they went to drink - basically they were holding keggers.

Prior to 1907 statehood, Oklahoma and Indian Territories (twin territories) had different liquor policies. Oklahoma Territory laws allowed the sale of alcohol, but in Indian Territory it was illegal to distribute intoxicants. According to the Oklahoma Historical Society website, it was more than a decade before statehood where powerful groups - Anti-Saloon League and the Women's Christian Temperance Union fought against or as the website says "waged war" against the legalization of the sale of liquor in Oklahoma Territory and wanted stricter enforcement in Indian Territory. With the pressure of these groups and Protestant churches anti-liquor laws were included in the state's constitution. These laws mandated prohibition for 21 years. The act did allow the establishment of a "dispensary" or liquor agency to handle the sale of alcohol for medicinal purposes.

This lead to some strange - really strange news articles about Mack.


I think you get the idea . . . but this is about a fourth of the jungle, snake medicine, and devil meetings I found. Also, it appears Mack and John Mounts were nothing but trouble together. They lived near each other according to the census records. Interesting W. H. Peoples is either the future husband or the future father in law of Mack's oldest daughter Cora (Lester's aunt). She married a William H. Peebles from Ft. Gibson. Mountain Dew then was moonshine, and Town Mule - well it's a mule, vodka.  There were other interesting articles too.



It appears Mack ran for the office of constable and won, several times. He also bought a fancy car - a 1920 Auburn, new. They had a price tag of $800 which is equivalent to $10,000 now. Did you notice Mack's brother? James Adair, returned home after several weeks visit with his brother Mack Adair. He was a Federal (Union) soldier and a good man. This is the first hint that Mack has other family. At first I thought it was James Harrison, but at the time he would have only been 11 years old. He wouldn't have moved out yet. Maybe James Harrison is named after his uncle? It's not much, but it was worth it!

Did you notice Mrs. Mack Adair took socks to the Red cross? 2 pair . . . she did this monthly. She also took her grandchildren to visit their father, her son J. H. Adair.

Mack's obituary stays he was born in Stone Missouri, and settled in Fort Gibson 65 years prior to his death in 1951. It says he was a member of the Holiness Church of Fort Gibson; Masonic Lodge No. 12 and IOOF (International Order of Odd Fellows) Lodge of Fort Gibson. The Masonic Lodge is still there and I've emailed them to see if they have records for that time period. I'm working on the Odd Fellows - have not heard of them before. Bob, Gary & Dean are part three of the 42 great-grandchildren.



So, while there isn't anything super exciting in Mack's world that I've discovered yet, he lived. He participated in his community, his church, his "jungle" and provided for his children and even grandchildren. 

Not to sound morbid - but I look forward to meeting him when the time comes for my passing. I wonder if he will know - we are trying to know him.

UPDATE:  In searching for Mack's parents I requested several records, death certificate, burial permit, and funeral home records.  Leschers Funeral Home is still in business in Fort Gibson Oklahoma and they were kind enough to search for me too.  Here are some of the things I learned:

Mack passed away January 29, 1951 at 5:30 p.m.  Funeral services were held February 3, 1951 (Mack's 92nd birthday) at 2:30 p.m. at the Fort Gibson Methodist Church and officiated by Rev. G. B. Snoddy.  Cause of his death was listed as "anemia" which I found interesting, I didn't know it could actually cause death.  But anemia reduces the oxygen in your blood, leading to enlarged heart.  It's also part of the aging process.  Mack was buried in a normandy grey half couch steel casket and dressed in a suit.  His costs were $509 equivalent to $5,800 now.  Interesting the value of a dollar between 1946 and 1951.  

None of Mack's records give a clue or hint to his parents.  But I haven't given up.  I sure hope I don't have to head to the jungles and I hope I don't get into any snakebite medicine.