Amy Johnson Crow has been sharing on her Generations Cafe Facebook Group a prompt each day for May. They are based off of her book 31 Days to Better Genealogy that you can buy on Amazon (shown below).
Day 2 of 31 Days to Better Genealogy is: Make a Timeline. The ancestor that I’ve chosen to make a timeline of is Cornelia Barber. She is my 2nd great-grandmother and married Nelson Johnson.
Cornelia’s timeline:
- 1838: Cornelia was born March 1838 (source 1900 Census) (Johnson Family Reunion book states it was 1837) in Chautauqua County, New York State (source 1855 NYS Census). She was the daughter of Allen Barber (1808-1883) born in Vermont and Clarisa (unknown surname though online trees indicate it may be Phillips) (abt. 1816-1841).
- 1840: Cornelia was listed as a tick mark as a female under the age of 5 on the 1840 Census in Stockton, Chautauqua County, New York where her father’s occupation was a farmer.
- 1841: Cornelia’s mother, Clarisa, died at the age of 25 when Cornelia was about 3 years old in 1841.
- Abt. 1845: Allen Barber married a second time to a Celestia (unknown surname though online trees indicate it may be Cooley) (1818-1896) born in Chautauqua County, New York. Celestia would have been the woman that raised Cornelia.
- I do not yet know when Allen married Celestia, but online trees indicate they had their first child together in 1846 indicating a marriage perhaps around 1845 meaning that Cornelia would have been without a mother from 1841 – 1845.
- 1850: Cornelia was found on the 1850 Censes at the age of 12 living with her father, Allen, her step-mother Celestia, and two younger half-siblings named Orange and Cynthia in Stockton, Chautauqua County, New York. Allen’s occupation was a farmer.
- 1855: Cornelia was found on the 1855 NYS Census at the age of 17 living with her father Allen, her step-mother Celestia, and three younger half-siblings named Jason O (Orange?), Cynthia, and George Kossath in Stockton, Chatuaqua, New York. Allen’s occupation was a farmer.
- 1860: Cornelia was found on the 1860 Census at the age of 22 living with her father Allen, her step-mother Celestia, and five younger half-siblings named Orange, Cynthia, George, Flora, and Frederick in Stockton, Chautauqua, New York.
- I wonder if Flora and Frederick were twins as they were the same age. Allen’s occupation was a farmer.
- Abt. 1862: Cornelia (aged 24) married Nelson Johnson in 1862 (source of the 1862 date is that in the 1900 Census they were married for 38 years). Nelson Johnson (1835-1906) was born in Stockton, Chautauqua County, New York.
- Cornelia and Nelson were only aged a few years apart and both grew up in Stockton. I wonder if they knew each other for their entire lives.
- 1863: Cornelia (aged 24) and Nelson had their first child, Bruce Orange Johnson, born 31 Jan 1863.
- I think it is safe to assume that they gave Bruce his middle name in honor of Cornelia’s half-brother.
- 1865: Cornelia (aged 27) was found on the 1865 NYS Census with Nelson and their baby Bruce on the 1865 NYS Census in Pomfret, Chautauqua County, New York. Nelson was a farmer and an owner of land. They had a border named Delbert Duglas living with them.
- 1868: Cornelia (aged 29) and Nelson had their second child, Edith J. Johnson, born 1868.
- Interestingly, Edith went on to marry a man named William Silsby Barber which is the same surname as her mother’s (Cornelia’s) maiden name. I wonder if they were of relation to each other.
- 1870: Cornelia (aged 30, but should be 32) was found on the 1870 Census with Nelson and their children Bruce and Edith in Portland, Chautauqua, New York. Nelson’s occupation was a butcher and Cornelia’s was keeping house.
- 1871: Cornelia (aged 32) and Nelson had their third child, Allen Titus Johnson, born 1 Jan 1871.
- I assume that Allen received his first name in honor of Cornelia’s father Allen and that Allen’s middle name was in honor of Nelson’s father Titus. I love that they honored their family in this way and wonder if the rest of their children’s names were also namesakes (like Bruce’s middle name being Orange – was Bruce also a family name).
- 1875: Cornelia (aged 37) and Nelson had their fourth child, Frank DeForest Johnson, born 9 Apr 1875.
- Frank is my great-grandfather.
- 1875: Cornelia (aged 35, but should be 37) was found on the 1875 NYS Census with Nelson and their children B.O., E.L., A.T., and Baby in Portland, Chautauqua County, New York. Nelson’s occupation was a laborer.
- 1880: Cornelia (aged 41, but should be 42) was found on the 1880 Census with Nelson and their Edith, Allen, and Frank along with a brother Charles Johnson in Portland, Chautauqua County, New York. Nelson’s occupation was a farmer and Cornelia’s was keeping house.
- 1883: Cornelia’s father Allen Barber passed away on 2 Mar 1883. Cornelia was 45 years old at the time.
- 1892: Cornelia (aged 56) was found on the 1892 NYS Census with Nelson and their son Frank in the 1892 NYS Census in Portland, Chautauqua County, New York. Right below their names are their children Allen (with his wife Belle) and Edith (with her husband William). Nelson along with Allen and Edith’s husband William were all listed as Grape Growers.
- I wonder if they all lived together on the same farm or if they were neighbors.
- 1900: Cornelia (aged 62) was found on the 1900 Census with Nelson on the 1900 Census in Portland, Chautauqua County, New York. Edith, her husband William and their son Ralph, were listed right above Nelson and Cornelia. Nelson was listed as a farmer. Cornelia said that she was a mother of 5 children of which 5 were still living. This is very interesting as only four children are known to the couple.
- I’m leaning towards that it was an error to list 5 children in the Census but further research will need to be done to prove or disprove that point.
- 1904: Cornelia passed away on 8 Oct 1904 at the age of 66 years old.
My timeline was a bit more of a narrative style rather than a chart of straight facts and took me hours to do, but I’m glad that I figured out so much about her as I have neglected this area of my family tree.
***********************************************************************
So, I spent hours creating that time line above and working on attaching all of the Census records, fixing Cornelia’s mother to be the correct mother, adding her half-siblings, etc. When I got to the last bullet point of her death, I knew that I had ordered her death certificate a year ago but still haven’t received it. I looked to see if I had an obituary and I did not.
I spent about an hour trying to find a newspaper for her obituary and I finally did by going page-by-page on Fulton History. I found it! I found her obituary!! Not only that, it was an AMAZING obituary! It listed her date of birth, marriage, and death. Her parent’s names including her mother’s maiden name! All of her children and the groups she was involved with and the Church of which she was a member!! What an obituary!!
Obituary.
Mrs. Cornelia Johnson died Saturday night, Oct. 8, after a brief illness.
She was born in the town of Stockton, March 21st, 1838, and was the daughter of Allen and Clarissa Phillip Barber. She was married to Nelson D. Johnson, Jan. 1st 1861, and for the past 35 years they have lived in Brocton. She is survived by her husband, one daughter, Mrs. Edith Barber of Brocton, and three sons, Bruce Johnson of Fredonia, Allen Johnson who has been living in Spokane, Wash., and Frank Johnson of Randolph, N.Y. Three brothers and one sister are also living. Mrs. Johnson was a devoted wife and mother, and was loved and respected by all who knew her.
She was a member of the M. E. church, also of the W. C. T. U. and the Grange, in all of which she was an active worker. The funeral, which was held at the residence Sunday, Oct. 16, was largely attended by friends and relatives, many of them from a distance. The floral offerings were many and beautiful. Among them were pieces from the Grange, W. C. T. U. and Rebekah lodges, also one from her children, and large quantities of cut flowers from sympathizing friends.
The services were conducted by Rev. Overs, assisted by Rev. Branfield at the grave. The burial was in Evergreen cemetery, the sons and sons-in-law acting as bearers.
We have laid her to rest, but the memory of her beautiful unselfish life will remain with us, her cheerful untiring energy will be an inspiration to us and while we mourn for her we know that a noble christian woman has gone to her reward.
B.
Wasn’t that a wonderful obituary! I feel connected to Cornelia and loved reading about her kind and volunteer nature. The groups mentioned were:
- M. E. Church – Methodist Episcopal Church. There is an M. E. Church in Stockton and FamilySearch does have a record for that church (DGS 7900317). The film notes say: “Microfilm of original records at Mary E. Seymour Memorial Free Library, Stockton, New York. The Methodist Episcopal Church at Stockton was known as Delanti Methodist Episcopal Church before Delanti was incorporated with the Village of Stockton. Contains baptisms 1860-1875, marriages 1860-1885, brief history of Delanti Methodist Episcopal Church 1857-1861, probationers including deaths 1861-1876, alphabetical list of members including deaths 1857-1875, record for the classes severally including deaths 1861-1886.”
- The obituary says that she lived in Brocton for the past 35 years. If she passed away in 1904, that means she would have lived in Brocton since 1869. There are no church records for Brocton. Brocton and Stockon were right neighboring towns, so I wonder if the Stockon Church is the correct one. I will have to look through that film and do further research.
- W. C. T. U. – Woman’s Christian Temperance Union. Wikipedia says: “The Woman’s Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) is an active international temperance organization that was among the first organizations of women devoted to social reform with a program that “linked the religious and the secular through concerted and far-reaching reform strategies based on applied Christianity.” It went on further to say: “It plays an influential role in the temperance movement. The organization supported the 18th Amendment and was also influential in social reform issues that came to prominence in the progressive era.”
- The 18th Amendment established the prohibition of alcohol in the United States.
- The Grange – Google gives the definition of Grange as: “(in the US) a farmers’ association organized in 1867. The Grange sponsors social activities, community service, and political lobbying.”
- I’d be very curious to search in the Brocton Mirror in which I found Cornelia’s obituary to learn more about the Grange.
- Rebekah – The Daughters of Rebekah were, according to wikipedia, a service-oriented organization and a branch of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows.
- If Cornelia was a member of Rebekah, was Nelson a member of IOOF?
Now that I have found Cornelia’s obituary, here is her updated timeline:
- 1838: Cornelia was born on 21 March 1838 in Stockton, Chautauqua County, New York State. She was the daughter of Allen Barber (1808-1883) born in Vermont and Clarisa Phillips (abt. 1816-1841).
- 1840: Cornelia was listed as a tick mark as a female under the age of 5 on the 1840 Census in Stockton, Chautauqua County, New York where her father’s occupation was a farmer.
- 1841: Cornelia’s mother, Clarisa Philips Barber, died at the age of 25 when Cornelia was about 3 years old in 1841.
- Abt. 1845: Allen Barber married a second time to a Celestia (unknown surname though online trees indicate it may be Cooley) (1818-1896) born in Chautauqua County, New York. Celestia would have been the woman that raised Cornelia.
- I do not yet know when Allen married Celestia, but online trees indicate they had their first child together in 1846 indicating a marriage perhaps around 1845 meaning that Cornelia would have been without a mother from 1841 – 1845.
- 1850: Cornelia was found on the 1850 Censes at the age of 12 living with her father, Allen, her step-mother Celestia, and two younger half-siblings named Orange and Cynthia in Stockton, Chautauqua County, New York. Allen’s occupation was a farmer.
- 1855: Cornelia was found on the 1855 NYS Census at the age of 17 living with her father Allen, her step-mother Celestia, and three younger half-siblings named Jason O (Orange?), Cynthia, and George Kossath in Stockton, Chatuaqua, New York. Allen’s occupation was a farmer.
- 1860: Cornelia was found on the 1860 Census at the age of 22 living with her father Allen, her step-mother Celestia, and five younger half-siblings named Orange, Cynthia, George, Flora, and Frederick in Stockton, Chautauqua, New York.
- I wonder if Flora and Frederick were twins as they were the same age. Allen’s occupation was a farmer.
- 1862: Cornelia (aged 24) married Nelson Johnson on 1 Jan 1862. Nelson Johnson (1835-1906) was born in Stockton, Chautauqua County, New York.
- Cornelia and Nelson were only aged a few years apart and both grew up in Stockton. I wonder if they knew each other for their entire lives.
- 1863: Cornelia (aged 24) and Nelson had their first child, Bruce Orange Johnson, born 31 Jan 1863.
- I think it is safe to assume that they gave Bruce his middle name in honor of Cornelia’s half-brother.
- 1865: Cornelia (aged 27) was found on the 1865 NYS Census with Nelson and their baby Bruce on the 1865 NYS Census in Pomfret, Chautauqua County, New York. Nelson was a farmer and an owner of land. They had a border named Delbert Duglas living with them.
- 1868: Cornelia (aged 29) and Nelson had their second child, Edith J. Johnson, born 1868.
- Interestingly, Edith went on to marry a man named William Silsby Barber which is the same surname as her mother’s (Cornelia’s) maiden name. I wonder if they were of relation to each other.
- 1870: Cornelia (aged 30, but should be 32) was found on the 1870 Census with Nelson and their children Bruce and Edith in Portland, Chautauqua, New York. Nelson’s occupation was a butcher and Cornelia’s was keeping house.
- 1871: Cornelia (aged 32) and Nelson had their third child, Allen Titus Johnson, born 1 Jan 1871.
- I assume that Allen received his first name in honor of Cornelia’s father Allen and that Allen’s middle name was in honor of Nelson’s father Titus. I love that they honored their family in this way and wonder if the rest of their children’s names were also namesakes (like Bruce’s middle name being Orange – was Bruce also a family name).
- 1875: Cornelia (aged 37) and Nelson had their fourth child, Frank DeForest Johnson, born 9 Apr 1875.
- Frank is my great-grandfather.
- 1875: Cornelia (aged 35, but should be 37) was found on the 1875 NYS Census with Nelson and their children B.O., E.L., A.T., and Baby in Portland, Chautauqua County, New York. Nelson’s occupation was a laborer.
- 1880: Cornelia (aged 41, but should be 42) was found on the 1880 Census with Nelson and their Edith, Allen, and Frank along with a brother Charles Johnson in Portland, Chautauqua County, New York. Nelson’s occupation was a farmer and Cornelia’s was keeping house.
- 1883: Cornelia’s father Allen Barber passed away on 2 Mar 1883. Cornelia was 44 years old at the time.
- 1892: Cornelia (aged 56, but should be 53) was found on the 1892 NYS Census with Nelson and their son Frank in the 1892 NYS Census in Portland, Chautauqua County, New York. Right below their names are their children Allen (with his wife Belle) and Edith (with her husband William). Nelson along with Allen and Edith’s husband William were all listed as Grape Growers.
- I wonder if they all lived together on the same farm or if they were neighbors.
- 1900: Cornelia (aged 62) was found on the 1900 Census with Nelson on the 1900 Census in Portland, Chautauqua County, New York. Edith, her husband William and their son Ralph, were listed right above Nelson and Cornelia. Nelson was listed as a farmer. Cornelia said that she was a mother of 5 children of which 5 were still living. This is very interesting as only four children are known to the couple.
- I’m leaning towards that it was an error to list 5 children in the Census but further research will need to be done to prove or disprove that point.
- 1904: Cornelia passed away on 8 Oct 1904 at the age of 66 years old. She was said to have been a devoted wife and mother and that she was loved and respected by all who knew her.
***********************************************************************
I have spent the past 8 – 9 hours working on this timeline. I feel really good about the work that I’ve done and I very much appreciate the task that Amy Johnson Crow shared with creating a timeline.
Further Research:
- Look for obituaries of Cornelia’s half-siblings, her father, and step-mother
- Work on building up the profiles on Cornelia’s half-siblings
- Build down the tree of Cornelia’s and Nelson’s children to see if there are any DNA connections
- Do a research trip to the Brocton/Stockon area to see what records I may be able to find.