#52ANCESTORS: Sabra TOWERS, 1805-1869 New York

This is the first post in the #52Ancestors this year, a genealogy challenge by genealogist Amy Johnson Crow. I've done several years in the past, and last year I managed about 50%. This year I'm starting the challenge with Sabra TOWERS, my 3rd great-grandmother on my mother's line. 

What do I know about Sabra-? Aside from her slightly unusual name, I do know her father is listed on the Syracuse Onondaga NY Oakwood Cemetery burial register as "S. Towers." Simon? Stephen? Samuel? Silas? Solomon?  Other possibilities? Sigh. 

Sarah TOWERS was born 22 Aug 1805 in Schaghticoke, Rensselaer, New York. Schaghticoke was originally in Albany county until 1791 when Rensselaer County was formed. Sabra married Jacob ORMSBEE about 1823-24, in Onondaga County, New York.  I'll make the assumption Sabra's parents were married in late 1700s, probably in Schaghticoke,and likely living on land bought or leased from the Albany Corporation Land. R. Beth Kloppott published "History of the Town of Schaghticoke" in 1981, and more information might be found there or in other records of these  early settlers. To find more information on Sabra's husband, search by his name in the search box on the right of this blog. 

Sabra and Jacob ORMSBEE's known children: 

1.  Lucius Jared, b. 31 Aug 1825 Manlius NY, d. 29 Jul 1911 Syracuse NY; m. Caroline C. Combs 19 May 1847; 2 boys, 1 girl known
2.  Harriet Philena [ancestor], b. 28 May 1827 Manlius NY, d. 20 Aug 1929, Englewood NJ; m. 26 Sep 1850 to Charles Giles GRAVES, Syracuse NY; 3 daughters [yes, she was 102 when she died]
3.  Anna C., b. Jul 1829 Manlius NY, d. after 1910 Elbridge NY; m. 1850 to John Leary in DeWitt NY; no children
4.  Sabra J., b. 28 Feb 1831 Van Buren NY, d. 30 Jul 1842 Baldwinsville NY. Buried in Baldwinsville, moved to family plot in Oakwood Cemetery Syracuse NY
5.  Mary J., b. Jun 1832 Van Buren NY, d. 9 Jul 1836, Baldwinsvile NY. Buried in Baldwinsville, moved to family plot in Oakwood Cemetery Syracuse NY

The family moved from Manlius NY to Van Buren NY, to Syracuse NY, to DeWitt NY, and back to Syracuse NY.  Jacob was a well-known carpenter, and I suspect these moves were for projects he worked on. 

Her two youngest girls died quite young, the younger one Mary, died in 1836 only 4 years old. The fourth daughter - named for her mother - died in 1842, aged 11 years. I only found about these two children when I found information on the burial register for Oakwood, that they were disinterred, moved from Baldwinsville, and reburied in the family plot at Oakwood Cemetry in Syracuse. 

Sabra died in Syracuse NY, on 13 Aug 1869, only 63 years of age. She is interred in the family plot [Ormsbee/Graves] in Oakwood Cemetery. Her husband Jacob, is also buried there, after his death on 30 Mar 1893, aged 86 years.

I know nothing about Sabra's friends, her activities, or interests. Possibly I may still find more about Sabra TOWER in various articles, newspapers, or diaries. I am still hopeful, although so far I have little to show for my research! 

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If these are your ancestors, I am happy to share what little I have on these ancestors. And if there are errors, please do let me know, via calewis at telus dot net, or in the Comments below and I will get back to you either by email or in the Comments. I appreciate the opportunity to correct any issues in these family trees.

Blogger - or my computer - is still not letting me "reply" to your comments, for some unknown reason. If I don't reply to your Comment, please know that I'm totally thrilled you came to read my post and commented!  You truly make my day!!

Arnold ORMSBEE/Ormsby abt 1770-1830s, New York - So many questions

My 4th great-grandfather on my maternal lines, Arnold ORMSBEE, alternately spelled Ormsby, born about 1770, died likely before 1830.

Early censuses in New York state show him with his family on the 1810 Census in the village of Manlius, Onondaga, New York, and in the 1820 Census, again in Manlius. Manlius is/was a small village about 10 miles southeast of Syracuse. On the 1810 Census, there seem to be 6 children under 15. To date, I have only identified three. Where are those other children? And the ages of the children don't seem to allow for all of them to be the eldest woman's children. Is she his second wife? And who is his wife? See snippet below...

1810: [All are Free White Persons] Manlius NY
  Males under 10  :    2
  Males 10 thru 15:    1
  Males 26 thru 44:    1  [this should be Arnold]
  Females under 10:   3
  Females 16 thru 25: 1 [this should be mother of children/wife of Arnold]
 Total in household : 8
I do wonder about the Females 16 thru 25 - surely it should be in the next column? But I checked the blank form, and it is very clear. The third column past the double lines is for 16 thru 25.  Letting her be 25 [maybe turning 26 later that year], that teenaged boy 10 thru 15 could only be hers if she were married at about 14-15 years. Very unusual.

1820: [All are Free White Persons] Manlius NY
  Males under 10    :  1
  Males 10 thru 15  :  1
  Males 16 thru 18  :  1
  Males 16 thru 25  :  2 [i.e., 1 male 19-25]
  Males 45 and over:  1 [this should be Arnold]
  Females under 10 :  1
  Females 10 thru 15: 1
  Females 26 thru 44: 1 [this should be mother of children/wife of Arnold]
   Total in household: 8

Arnold and his wife appear to have had about 7 children, from approximately 1795 to 1816: 4 boys, 3 girls. Of course, at least one of the children on a census might possibly be a neighbour's child, or a relative's child, helping out. No assumptions. The children I have been able to identify are the following:
   1)  Jacob ORMSBEE [ancestor] b. 21 Jun 1806 Pompey NY, d. 1 Apr 1893 Syracuse NY; m.[1] Sabra TOWERS abt 1824?, 5 children; m.[2]  Emily Hurd Dec 1869 Syracuse NY, no children.
  2)  Stephen Decatur Ormsbee b. 13 Jan 1816 Pompey NY, d. 30 Jul 1893 Syracuse NY; m. Martha Durston abt 1840; 4 children
  3)  Hannah Ormsbee, b. May 1818 Manlius NY, d. bef 1893 Onondaga Co., NY; m. Henry James Coon abt 1836 in Van Buren Onondaga NY; 5 children.

Clearly, I'm missing possibly 2 males, and 2 females, one of whom [Hannah] would have been only 2 yrs old for the 1820 Census - where was she this census day? Confusing.

In addition, there is a tick mark indicating the Enumerator saw that Arnold was involved in Manufacturing, as were half a dozen other individuals in the same neighbourhood.  What could it have been?

Also, I note the residence change for Hannah's birth, b. 1818. [see above]. Either the family moved or, Arnold's wife first deliberately birthed her children in Pompey, then stayed in Manlius for Hannah's birth; between 1816 to 1818 - Manlius lies about 8 miles north of Pompey. This gives me many more questions. Were her parents or at least her mother living in Pompey? Perhaps her mother died between 1816-1818? Did Arnold still have manufacturing concerns in Manlius earlier than 1820, but stayed in Pompey? Note, as a village, Pompey was established in July 1790 by the Land Office Commissioners [New York].

I have been unable to find further details of Arnold and wife. One family tree indicates her name was Hannah/Ann Sherman, but provided no sources. I have found no information of Arnold's wife, including no details of her death date/place. If Arnold died before her, she might well have lived with one of her children - or possibly a sister. But teasing out those bits of information can be quite difficult.

And of course, it could be that I have stumbled on the wrong ORMSBEE in Onondaga county, New York. Although a number of these Ormsbee individuals and their spouses, children, were all buried in the same large plot in Oakwood Cemetery, Syracuse, Onondaga, New York [graves of Graves and Ormsbee]. I do believe I'm correct, but of course, everything could be different!

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 If these are your ancestors, I am happy to share what little I have on these ancestors. And if there are errors, please do let me know, via calewis at telus dot net, or in the Comments below. I appreciate the opportunity to correct any issues in these family trees.

Blogger - or my computer - is still not letting me "reply" to your comments, for some unknown reason. If I don't reply to your Comment, please know that I'm totally thrilled you came to read my post and commented!  You truly make my day.

52 ANCESTORS, 52 THEMES, NO. 48: Sabra TOWERS, 1805-1869, New York

This year's challenge by Amy Crow is to write a weekly blog based on Themes; I often don't use the themes, but I'm working my way through my original immigrants to North America, plus other interesting-to-me ancestors.  They're all valuable... because they have contributed to my being here! This week, the challenge is Thankful, and I'm thankful for them all.  I have chosen to write about another woman ancestor about whom I know extremely little:  my 3rd great-grandmother, Sabra TOWERS.

I researched female names, and learned that Sabra may be a nickname for Sabrina... or, not.  But it gives me another name to put on the list when I'm going through databases, books, and other records.

Here's the current bits and bobs I've found out about Sabra:

Sabra was born 22 Aug 1805 in Schaghticoke, Rensselaer, New York, as stated in the Oakwood Cemetery burial register book in Syracuse, Onondaga, New York.  Her father is known only as "S. Towers" as written in the same burial register book, The Towers family likely moved to the region which may have included one or more of the towns of  Baldwinsville, Manlius, Van Buren, and Syracuse, somewhere before 1824.  The distance is about 150 miles due west.

Around 1824, she married Jacob ORMSBEE, likely in either Pompey or Baldwinsville, Onondaga, NY. I have no document as yet about this marriage; note that her husband was born in Pompey.   Jacob and Sabra had the following five children:

1. Lucius Jared, b. 31 Aug 1825, Manlius NY, d. 29 Jul 1911; m. 13 May 1847 in Jordan NY to Caroline C. Coombs; 3 children
2. Harriet "Hattie" Philena, [ancestor], b. 28 May 1827 Manlius NY, d. 20 Aug 1929, Englewood, Bergen, NJ; m. 26 Sep 1850 in Syracuse NY to Charles Giles GRAVES; 3 daughters (middle one is direct ancestor).
3. Anna Caroline, b. July 1829, Baldwinsville NY, d. 4 May 1910 Elbridge NY; m. abt 1850 to John Leary, no children.
4. Sabra J,, b. 28 Feb 1831, Van Buren NY, d. 30 Jul 1842 Baldwinsville NY; grave removed to Syracuse 23 Oct 1869 and buried in family plot.
5. Mary J., b. 14 Jun 1832, Van Buren NY, d. 9 Jul 1836 Baldwinsville NY; grave removed to Syracuse with sister's, 23 Oct 1869 and buried in family plot.

I have not as yet found any censuses with S. Tower(s)  in the region around Baldwinsville or Manlius in Onondaga county.  However there is a Luke Towers listed in Schatighticoke tax rolls from 1799-1803... Is it possible an L was read as an S, on Sabra's death registration?  I have copied some records and will try to follow any of the Towers individuals I've found in the early 1800s - Luke, Reuben, and a woman, Jemimah who shows up only once, on the 1801 Tax Assessment roll for Schaghticoke. Crumbs of clues to follow.  And of course, they may not be related at all! 

Aged 63 years, Sabra died of "Jaundice" on 13 Aug 1869, and was buried two days later in the Oakwood Cemetery, in the ORMSBEE/GRAVES family plot, in Syracuse, New York.  

The very helpful FindAGrave volunteers there are transcribing data from the burial register books and adding them to the appropriate grave memorials, over time, (there are over 58,000 burials!). Thank you Tom and your friend(s) for all your help! 

If you know anything more about Sabra (TOWERS) Ormsbee, I would be so pleased for more details. Contact me at my address at the bottom of the page, or in the Comments section.

Sometimes my Blogger account seems not to allow me to "reply" to your comments. Do know that I value your comments immensely. You make my day! Thanks for stopping by to read my personal genealogy posts.

52 ANCESTORS, 52 THEMES, No.33 : Emily, 2nd wife of Jacob ORMSBEE

This year's challenge by Amy Crow is another weekly blog based on Themes. Last week's theme was 32 [e.g., we have 32 3rd greatgrandfathers].  This week's theme is "Defective, Dependent, Delinquent" - that column in some of the US Censuses for identifying such individuals in families. I've only found one to date, so here's Emily, 2nd wife of Jacob ORMSBEE, whom I've written about previously. Jacob is my 3rd great-grandfather on my mother's maternal line.

Jacob ORMSBEE, b. 21 Jun 1806 in Pompey, Onondaga, NY, married first to Sabra TOWERS, b. 22 Aug 1805 in Schaghticoke, Rensselaer, NY, in about 1824 in New York state, likely in Baldwinsville, Manlius, or even in Syracuse.

Sabra died 13 Aug 1869, aged 63, in Syracuse, and is buried in the family plot (ORMSBEE-GRAVES) at Oakwood Cemetery, Onondaga, New York.

In December 1869, only 4 months after his wife's death, Jacob, a successful builder/carpenter, married a much younger woman, Emily.

Jacob, 68, and Emily, 40, are found on the 1870 Census for Syracuse, Onondaga, NY, with another woman, Sarah Hurd, aged 69 - her mother.  Both Emily and Sarah note they were born in Vermont, and can be found living in Syracuse on earlier Censuses, where there is stated relationship of mother-daughter. Emily also had a son, Henry Lafayette Palmer, named after her 1st husband, Lafayette Palmer, who seems to have died shortly after/around the time their son was born.  He does not show up on the 1870 Census.  On this 1870 Census, Emily shows she owns real estate [independent of Jacob] and personal value, similar to her new husband. The Lucius Ormsby below, is Jacob & Sabra's son.

Something happened in the next 10 years, however, as we look at the 1880 Census for Syracuse.

As you can see, Emily, now aged 53, has a tick in the Health section column for "Idiotic".  That would likely refer to her being unable to speak/converse, or having a severe brain injury of some sort.  A severe stroke might have caused this description, as well.  There was a scratch-out in the column of "insane".  Oh dear.

Living with Jacob and Emily is a Housekeeper, Hannah Coon, aged 64, labelled "Sister" - which would be sister to the Head of House, Jacob.  This is a new person for the Ormsbee line, and I can hardly wait to research more about Hannah.  (Sidebar: I found Hannah married to Henry James Coon, with 5 children including only son James; both Hannah and James are buried in Oakwood Cemetery in the Ormsbee-Graves plot - confirming her relationship with Jacob. However there is no death/burial date for either person. Perhaps they are simply listed on a memorial plaque?)   

Unfortunately, the 1890 Census is not available to see if Emily is alive at that time. In addition, I have been unable to confirm the death of Emily Ormsbee/Ormsby so far.

Jacob died 29 Mar 1893, aged 86, in Syracuse, and was buried at Oakwood cemetery in the family plot ORMSBEE-GRAVES.  There is a long obituary glued into my Terwilliger Souvenir Album, plus other little notes about his death. Absolutely nothing is said of either wife.  I might assume therefore, that Emily died in the years between 1880-1893.  She is not buried in the family plot at Oakwood Cemetery, according to the Burial Registration Book.

A mystery.  Who was Emily?  Why did he marry such a much-younger wife only a few months after his first wife died, after 45 years of marriage?  Did he know her and her family, perhaps do business with them?  And why on earth was she NOT buried in the same family plot as Jacob, her husband?  I have many questions and no answers at all.

Obviously if you have any information about Emily Hurd, her death, her family of origin, or where she may be buried, I would be very pleased to receive this.  You may send details through my email at bottom of page, or in the Comments section below.

Blogger - or my computer - is still not letting me "reply" to your comments, for some unknown reason. If I don't reply to your Comment, please know that I'm totally thrilled you came to read my post and commented!  You truly make my day.

52 ANCESTORS, 52 THEMES, No. 16, LIVE LONG: Harriet "Hattie" Philena ORMSBEE

This year's challenge by Amy Crow is another weekly blog, but based on Themes. Last week, it was How Do You Spell That?  This week, the theme is LIVE LONG.   
Please note that photos are copyright to me, and may not be copied.  Contact me if you are a relative and wish me to send you a copy.

In the above photo, taken the summer of 1924, from the left:  great-grandmother, Clara Augusta "Gussie" GRAVES Terwilliger (67 yrs), Harriet "Hattie" Philena ORMSBEE Graves (97 yrs), my mother Mary (2 yrs), and my grandmother, Marguerite TERWILLIGER Kuhn (44 yrs).  All but my mother were long-lived: Clara lived to be 98, Harriet to 102, my mother to 70 (cancer/dementia), and Marguerite to 93 yrs (cancer).  Harriet's three girls all lived over 90 years.

I have a few long-lived ancestors, but the closest one is my maternal great-great-grandmother, Harriet "Hattie" Philena ORMSBEE. 102 years. Her middle name is sometimes seen as Philomena; sometimes she is named as "HP" as a nickname.

Hattie was the second child of Jacob ORMSBEE & Sabra TOWERS, born 28 May 1827, in Manlius, Onondaga, New York.  On 26 Sep 1850, she married a wealthy businessman, Charles Giles GRAVES, in Syracuse, Onondaga, NY. 

She and Charles lived in the village of Jordan, in the area of Syracuse for much of her life, moving to Englewood New Jersey after her husband died in 1902.  Her daughter Clara and husband James Grover "Grove" TERWILLIGER lived in Englewood, and the extended family lived together. I have a typewritten transcribed memoir from my grandmother, describing the beautiful home in Englewood NJ where she grew up. 

Hattie & Charles had 3 girls, born in Jordan, Onondaga, NY, just outside Syracuse:

1. Lillian Adele, b 25 Nov 1853, d 5 Jan 1949 aged 95; m 11 Jul 1877 to Gabriel W. Wisner; children - Charles Kenneth, Florence "Ethel" Sheridan, John Lawrence, Rae Burton.
2. Clara Augusta "Gussie" [ancestor], b 5 Nov 1857, d 30 Oct 1955 aged 6 days short of 98; m 2 Oct 1879 to James Grover "Grove" TERWILLIGER; children - Marguerite Josephine [ancestor], [m. Charles Edward KUHN]; George Walter m. Hazel Belle Hubbard; Harold "Hal" Graves m. Carola Bischoff.
3. Florence Estelle, b 3 Feb 1860, d. 6 Apr 1954 aged 94;  m. 6 Sep 1893 to Ernest F. Tyler; children - Lillian G. [m. Tony Petrucelli]

Hattie lived with her daughter Clara after Charles GRAVES died in 1902; and continued until her own death 20 Aug 1929 in Englewood NJ.  She seems to have had quite a social life, enjoying musical activities, as did her daughters.  My grandmother played the piano, the organ, sang, and enjoyed live theatre (acting as well as in the audience), and it seems the family all enjoyed these activities.  

I do wish I had more photos to share of the ORMSBEE, GRAVES and TERWILLIGER families. Unfortunately at least one or two of their several large family albums had been in the care of an aunt, Dorthea Kuhn, who became demented and needed hospitalization in New York City. Somehow in the chaos of closing down her apartment and Dot going into care, Dot's large albums were... lost... and only a tiny WW2 album was saved.  Perhaps "someone" in the family still has a few photos. Wouldn't it be lovely if a cousin saw this post and contacted me?  I would be thrilled! 

If any of these people are your ancestors as well, please contact me via calewis at telus dot net, or in the Comments below.  I would love to learn more about my ancestors. 

Blogger is still not letting me "reply" to your comments, for some unknown reason. If I don't reply to your Comment, please know that I'm totally thrilled you came to read my post and commented! You make my day.

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY - Lucius Jared ORMSBEE 1825-1911

Lucius Jared Ormsbee, is the only son of my 3rd greatgrandfather, Jacob ORMSBEE (see previous posts), so he is my 2nd granduncle.  Lucius was born 31 Aug 1825 in Manlius, Onondaga, New York, the eldest of 5 children.  My direct ancestor is the second child, Harriet "Hattie" Philena ORMSBEE, b. 28 May 1827.

Lucius married Caroline C. Coombs on 13 May 1847 in Jordan, Onondaga, New York, and they had 3 children:  Lucius "Frank" Ormsbee, Henry Jerome Ormsbee, and Caroline "Carrie" Ormsbee.  Lucius died 29 July 1911, in Syracuse, Onondaga, New York, 9 years after his wife died in 23 Jan 1902.

I'm sharing this photo from the Syracuse Journal, July 29, 1911, the day of his death;  newspaper article found searching through Old Fulton NY Post Cards (& Newspapers).

I have no photo of his father Jacob, or of his mother, Sabra/Sally TOWERS, so this is the closest I can get to an image.


If you are a relative, or know more about his ancestors - father Jacob, and grandfather Arnold - do contact me, I'd love to share any details or information I do have on the Ormsbee family.

ASK - Just Ask!

The other day I was digging around online in the hopes of finally finding more information and documents on my 3rd greatgrandparents on my mother's line (mother's mother's mother's mother and father).  The ORMSBEE line, sometimes spelled Ormsby.  I could find them back to the early 1800s, but no further.  One more of those brick walls that didn't seem to have any chinks at all.

I had first discovered my greatgrandmother's parents' surname Ormsbee from a wedding invitation pasted in my greatgrandfather's Souvenir Album.  (See my other blog  in which I am slowly going through every page of the Album, inventorying and identifying items pasted there - I'm only up to page 7!).  Oh good, I had  thought at the time several years ago - an interesting unusual name to research.  Surely I'll be able to find these ancestors!  But I could not find much at all past a few Censuses, a few social notes in old newspapers, and an obituary for Jacob ORMSBEE.  On a limited budget and living on the opposite side of the continent,  I am quite dependent on free online or local resources for these New York and other New England region ancestors, as well as one commercial site. Plus WorldCat of course, for any published items available within a few hours' drive from Vancouver BC!

This weekend, I'll be having a short consultation with a local genealogy expert (as part of a genealogy visit), and I had put forward Jacob ORMSBEE as the person I wanted some assistance on finding his ancestors.  I suspect he must have been listening to me choose him for research...  Because this is what I found the very next day - here below is just one of the several photos (used with permission) from the recently updated FindAGrave Memorial page for Jacob.

I casually wandered over to FindAGrave to his grave posting, only to find an updated Memorial page for Jacob and his wife Sabra, sometimes known as "Sally".  In this posting was new information:  his parents' names - Arnold & Hannah Ormsbee, and his wife's father as S. Towers.  The posting also listed two more little girls after the three children I already knew of: one living to age 11, the other to age 3.  Sad, so sad to lose children at any age, but to lose two of one's children, the younger ones, seems so sad to me.  I found new wealth of detail ... "interesting but not impressive",  as my rather sarcastic mother used to say.

Where was the source to back up all this new-to-me information?  Was it credible?  Just because it's posted doesn't mean it's accurate, as anyone who does family history will know!  So I decided to write the photographer and ask where he got all this new information?

I immediately got back a quick reply that he and his friend are methodically updating memorials on this large cemetery with the details found in the Cemetery office Burial Register books.  Whatever was written down at the burial, in the book, details about relationships, dates, names, all usually given by the family. Amazing.  Relatively credible, so to speak (sorry for the bad pun). 

After several emails back and forth, I have given him more details about a missing older sister of my greatgrandmother, and clarified a few more details, as well as asking him more about the very large ORMSBEE-GRAVES obelisk on the plot. Unfortunately there's almost nothing engraved on the obelisk - it's more of an identifying post for the entire plot.

This morning he let me know he's emailing me a copy of the Cemetery burial register page which has details for "everyone buried in the plot"  - 16 people, several generations, with the cause of death for each one (if given) as well. Imagine!

All this wonderful information, just by asking politely.  And thanking very appreciatively, as well!

Ask.  Just ask.  You never know what you'll receive in return.