This image may not seem to exciting at first glance.  But we have finally found a record of Jane Caldwell Waite's original baptism into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  It is found on FHL film #183426, pg 452.  This film is primarily proxy baptisms at the Nauvoo temple.  However, there is one or so pages of live baptisms which also took place in the temple font.  Thus, Jane Caldwell Waite was baptised Sep 1842

Work continues on documenting the lives of Jane Caldwell Waite Kelsey Dunn...her ancestors and descendants.  Please contact me if you would like to coordinate research.

This is the family of Parmenas Woodworth and his children.  His son, Darius Woodworth, married Lucena Waite, daughter of Jane Caldwell Waite.  I was surprised to learn that Parmenas Woodworth had also lived in Nauvoo and joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  In 1853, the entire family moved from Missouri to Sonoma County, California where they lived the rest of their lives.  As always, as interesting story.

Mary Jane Waite

Currently, I am tellling the story of Mary Jane Waite as it comes to me through the records we research.  As always, her story amazes me.  Contact me if you want more information.

Nice visit with Naomi

Thank you Naomi on your research into Simeon Adams Dunns Brigham City home. It was great to get the story and then drive by where the home would have been. I think the best view is from 100 North and 200 East in Brigham City. Google earth it and take a look.

Jane Caldwell Waite Kelsey Dunn

I have started researching the life and family of Jane Caldwell. Currently working on a chronological timeline. If you are interested or related, contact me.

Finally Dunn!!! Books on Simeon

After several years of research and month and months of proofreading, the two books on Simeon A. Dunn are finally finished. They are being prepared for publication and then will be available for purchase at lulu.com at cost. Hurray!

DNA Test Results Are IN!!!!

It is a match! When comparing these results with other results found on DNA testing sites such as the Sorenson Site, FamilyTree DNA Dunn Project (also known as worldfamilies), and Ysearch... it becomes evident that Simeon A. Dunn is the biological father of Joseph Moroni Dunn

It is DUNN!

So for anyone interested, the following have been placed in the Dunn dropbox for review:

1) Simeon Adams Dunn: A Chronological History, second edition
2) Thoughts, Theories, and Impressions of Simeon Adams Dunn, his Ancestors & Descendants

We are looking for photos to add and corrections.

to get into the dropbox email cameron.wilde@gmail.com
my email is karenrasmus@yahoo.com

Yea...this part of the narrative is done!

Today I finished writing about Abigail Brandon. It turned out longer than I expected. If I could cut and paste, I would put it on the blog. But I am tired, so if you want to read it, email me. karenrasmus@yahoo.com

New grandbaby should arrive tomorrow.

Hmmmm....exciting possiblity

So, this week I continue to work on the narrative of Simeon Adams Dunn. More precisely, I was going over the records that involved Jane Caldwell. I began to wonder who the other women were that Eli B. Kelsey was sealed to and what became of them. So I looked at Black's early LDS and the patriarchal blessing index. I sent what I found to Paula.

Paula made an exciting connection. THANK YOU Paula. It appears at the moment that Mary Forcyth who was sealed to Eli B. Kelsey is Mary Bennett Forcyth. Mary Bennett Forcyth appears to be Jane Caldwell's mother.

We are still working all the peices, but it is looking pretty good. What a great connection possibility.

Jane Caldwell

Today I resumed work on the narrative of the life of Simeon Adams Dunn. I've had all day to work on it. I made steady progress in the morning and was able to complete the story up through the death of Margaret Snyder. Now it was time to explain Simeon's relationship with Jane Caldwell.
Gee...what do you say. How do you explain it. So I have spent the rest of the day going over Waite and Caldwell records again, hoping this time it will make perfectly logical sense. Well... I'm still working on it and still waiting for that "this makes sense" moment.
In the back of my mind, I wanted to compare it to this woman who Harriett Atwood Silver mentions in a letter to her parents.
She writes: "You seem to think it is very strange that Mrs. Ann Brook should have left her husband in the way that she did and that Sister King you mention. But did you ever think what the Savior said concerning such matters? He said, he that would not leave Father and Mother and sister and brothers, wives and husbands and go for my name's sake was not fit for the Kingdom of Heaven and the same causes will produce the same affect in these days as they did in those days. In regard to the case of Sister King it was not as you stated. For she and myself, in connection with Sister Ann Brook, came in company together and there was no Mormon Elder that ran away with any of us. But with our own accord we left the land and home that gave us birth for the purpose of being numbered among His people and to have our names written in the Lambs Book of Life. And I as yet have no reason to be sorry, neither am I. I would not go back again to live for a world but the desire of my heart is to be on the march for my new home in the far distant west. And if you were only along with me, and my brother and sisters, I should feel happy."
I tried a bit to figure out what happened to Mrs. Ann Brook, but with no real success. I hope it was less confusing and messy than the story of Jane Caldwell. In her defence, I did read her patriarchal blessing. This phrase kept catching my attention: "and if there is sin there remaineth a scourge, nevertheless, there is no desire to do evil and for your heart of integrity there is a reward laid up for you." I'm glad we are not called to judge.
DNA testing is is the works for a descendant of Joseph Moroni Dunn. It will be fascinating to see how it all comes out.

Refford Harrison...probate packet

Refford Harrison holds an interesting place in the intertwined lives of the "Big 8" and our Dunn ancestors. He is the son of John Harrison of the "Big 8 early Groveland settlers." His wife is Ann Keyser. Ann is the daughter of Isaac Keyser of the "Big 8" and Elizabeth Adams. Elizabeth Adams is the daughter of James Adams from Sussex, New Jersey. Two of Ann Keyser's sisters (Sarah and Catharine) marry two sons of Albert Acker of the "Big 8" (Nathan and Samuel). These sisters and families move to Ohio. But Refford and Ann stay in Groveland. Ann dies in 1855. Refford dies in 1865. At the time of his death, he has three living children. His son, William, has moved to Michigan. His daughter, Adaline, who appears to have never married, is living at Groveland at the time of his death but later moves to Michigan as well. His other daughter, Frances, is living in Livonia. However, in the 1860 census, Frances is still single and living with her father. There are two other people living in the household, an Elizabeth Holbrook, same age as Frances (26) and a ten-year old boy, Frank Prior. Who are these people?

Elizabeth Holbrook's name comes up in the probate papers (see above). So, who is she?

Albert Acker...probate inventory

Above is the probate inventory for Albert Acker. It is simplier than the one for Levi Dunn, and fun to read. It includes: two horses and harnesses, steers & yoke, plough & harrow, wheat and rye on the ground, eleven sheep and four lambs, one old wagon, one light wagon, one cow, fanning and mill, bed and bedding, old wooden clock, one cupbard, table, furniture, a lot of hollow ware [was this the precurser to Tupperware?], copper kettle, brass kettle, tin oven, lots of tin ware, washtub, cedar barrells, loom & tackling, two little wheels and one big wheel, buffalo robe, kitchen table and stand, and one crane.

It makes you wonder (and a little nervous) what they would say about your own house if it were inventoried at that level... one old swingset, one old carpet, one (no several) old beds, lots of genealogy papers, one old computer, lots of old tools, two little saws, one big saw, etc.

Probate Inventory for Levi Dunn

When you visit the Surrogate Court in Livingston County, you can ask to see the probate packets. These have been digitized. So you look up the file or packet # in a book book, find the # on the CD's provided, and send them to the printer. The pictures above are from that printout. They are of the inventory for the estate of Levi Dunn b. 1773, died Groveland.

Several of the "Big 8" show up in this document. Benjamin Parker is one of the executors. Daniel Kelly is another executor, if I had made it the Big 9, he is the one I would have included. Isaac Keyser is shown as owing the estate $3.75. And the estate owes Patrick Nixon $1. This is another instance of how the lives of these men were intertwined.

I am a bit surprised by one thing. I took the list of names who either owed the estate money or who the estate owed money, and tried to compare it to the list of heads of families shown in the 1830 Groveland census. Many are definitely there, but I was surprised by how many were not. Sometimes there is a family with the same surname, but not the same given name. I suppose this may be one more evidence that there were many more adult males incorporated into other households which may not show up on any of the early census records. I suppose this could give us hope that Simeon Dunn b. 1774 did really exist.

The handwriting and quality of copy is not easy to read. Many of the items listed in the inventory I believe are farming implements that I do not recognize. Nevertheless, here are a few of the interesting items on the inventory:

white faced heiffer

brindle bull

red and white faced calf

bull calf

small calves

yearling colt

grind stone

barrells of cider

hives of bees

cribs of corn

bunches of shingles

sled

sleigh

plows

bushels of potatoes

washtub

baskets

saddles

bags

spinning wheel

bushels of buckwheat

rifle

chains

table

clock and case

looking glass

washstand

yards of fabric

hay in stacks

hay in barn

oats

rye

wheat

grain on the ground

and other items I can't read

Parker Cemetery Lot at Lakeview Cemetery

Charles Parker headstone

Benjamin Parker headstone

Headstone, Lakeview Cemetery

More...Benjamin Parker...cemetery pictures

Benjamin Parker and some members of his family are buried in Lakeview Cemetery in Groveland. This cemetery is down near the lake, near the site of the Groveland Ambuscade. There is a pioneer section in the upper corner where several of the "Big 8" are buried. But the Parkers are buried just inside the first entrace on the right on a strip of grass. Here are some pictures.