My brother-in-law is getting into genealogy. He chose a line of the family I haven’t done any research on and got really excited to see the the work that was “already done.” His excitement quickly turned into annoyance when he discovered that none of what he found in online trees was sourced and that he had wasted a lot of time adding three generations to his tree that may not even be related! As I talked with him during our Thanksgiving get-together, I tried to emphasize the one big thing to remember:
If it doesn’t have a source, it’s not true (yet).
Yes, the topic of sources is a big one and the nuances of each source type and its veracity in relation to any particular event or fact could be, and has been, discussed in depth. However, put very simply: I may suspect something, and possibly use family “knowledge” to help guide my search but until I have proof, it’s not true. It’s a frustrating lesson to learn but a very important one.
The ancestor in question: Mary Ann Waller (Mills).
At the party we were unable to find her death certificate online at the Utah State Archives…I was hoping to show him what kind of information he could get from that kind of record. Later, at home, I did find it:
Here’s part of the email I sent my BIL with suggestions on where he may look next:
I have also attached Mary Ann Waller (Mills) (Hatton)’s death certificate. She did remarry, which is why we didn’t find her death certificate the other day. I have not yet updated my database. This is the information I currently have for her:
Mary Ann Waller
b: 16 Jun 1838, Bagshot, Surrey, England, United Kingdom
d: 25 Oct 1925, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah, United States
m: 1855 to William Mills
Parents: Sammuel Waller and Diana Wild
Children: Annie Chelsea Mills
I don’t have any verification for any of it! I’m sure she had more children. I don’t know if she was married in England or in Utah.
Here’s the interesting thing about her death certificate – It has slightly different dates and names for her parents.
Mary Ann Mills Hatton
Born: 16 January 1838, England
Died: 29 October 1928 (at home – 1788 So. 11 East, SLC)
Parents: Josiah Waller and Margaret Wild
The Informant was Edith P. Fowler who may be related…a married daughter, perhaps? Not sure.
I don’t know for sure that this is our Mary Ann but I believe that it is.
From here we could try to find her in a census record living with Richard Hatton. Since William Mills (her first husband) died in 1887 she may be in the census with Richard as early as 1890 (which was destroyed), but also in 1900, 1910, or 1920. If some of her other known children (which we don’t know yet but will have to find) are also living with her, that would be evidence that this Mary Ann is our Mary Ann.
To find her other children, we can try to find her in censuses with her first husband, William Mills. I’m not sure when they immigrated to the US but we could start with 1860, then go on to 1870 and 1880.
Source: Paraiba, Brazil, Cartorio do Registro Civil, death certificate Book no. C001, sheet 13, no. 49 (18 May 1987), Joao de Souza Lima; Distrito de Mangabeira, Municipio de Joao Pessoa.
Transcription:
República Federativa do Brasil
Cartório de Registro Civil
Estado de Paraíba
Comarca de Cartório “Pereira Lima”
Municipio de João Pessoa
Distrito de Mangabeira
Raimundo Pereira Lima
Oficial Efetivo do Registor Civil
Certidão de Óbito
Certifico que, em data de 20 de maio de 1987, no Livro No 001, à fls. 13, sob o No 49, foi feito o Registro de óbito de JOÃO DE SOUZA LIMA, casado com a Sra, LINDALVA FERREIRA DE LIMA falecido, em 18 de maio de 1987, às 20:05’ horas, neste Distrito em João Pessoa-Pb do sexo masculio de cor morena, profissão Aposentado natural de Cajazeiras – Paraíba domicilado e residente R. Cecília Rodrigues de Siqueira, 53 – Bancários. com sessenta e um ( 61) de idade, estado civil casado, filho de MANOEL DE SOUZA LIMA e de HOSANA MARIA DA CONCEIÇÃO, ambos fale- cidos.
tendo sido declarante LINDALVA FERREIRA DE LIMA e o óbito atestado pelo Dr. José Ricardo de Moura Coelho que deu como causa de morte Parada Cardio Respiratória e Infarto do Mio- cárdio. e o sepultamento foi feito no cemitério de Nossa Senhora Apaarecida – Cajazeiras – Paraíba Observações: Deixou bens. Caderneta de Poupança. Não deixou bens, Digo: filhos de menor idade.
O referido é verdade e dou fé. João Pessoa-PB, 20 de maio de 1987 Raimundo Perira Lime
Translation:
Death Certificate
I certify that, on the 20th of May of 1987, in Book No. 001, on sheet 13, under No. 49, there was made a Registration of death of JOÃO DE SOUZA LIMA, married to a Mrs. LINDALVA FERREIRA DE LIMA deceased, on the 18th of May of 1987, at 20:05 hours, in this District in João Pessoa-Pb of gender male, of color brown, profession retired native of Cajazeiras – Paraíba living and residing at R. Cecília Rodrigues de Siqueira, 53 – Bancários. with sixty and one (61) years of age, status married, son of MANOEL DE SOUZA LIMA and of HOSANA MARIA DA CONCEIÇÃO, both deceased.
as the informant LINDALVA FERREIRA DE LIMA and the death confirmed by Dr. José Ricardo de Moura Coelho who gave as cause of death Sesation of Heart and Breathing and Miocardial Infarction and the burial was done at the cemetary of Nossa Senhora Apaarecida – Cajazeiras – Paraíba Notes: He left property. Savings account. He left no property, I mean, minor children.
I verify the above is true. João Pessoa-PB, 20th of May of 1987 Raimundo Perira Lime
I’m still working on the descendancy for Didrich and Karen Lund. The Jensen’s (their oldest daughter’s family) are taking a time-out, so I’ve shifted my focus to their oldest son, Hans Peter Funch Lund and his descendants.
I found the death certificate for Annie Emilia Lund (Draney) (Wheeler) on the Utah State Archives website. For a better idea of how she connects to my husband, Troy, here’s the relationship chart –
So, Annie is Troy’s First Cousin, 3 times removed. Their common anscestor is Didrich and Karen… Troy’s 3rd great grandfather and Annie’s grandfather.
It is interesting to note that Annie is the daughter of Hans Peter and Bertha. Hans died young, in Sept 1872 at the age of 28, leaving Bertha with two young daughters – Annie (age 2) and Mary (not quite 1 yo). Mary died that same year, in Nov of 1872.
Then, Bertha married Hans’ youngest brother, Willard Richard Lund and had two more children with him.
So, Willard was Annie’s step-father/uncle and her half-brothers were also her cousins!!!
Anyway, on to her death certificate:
Source: State of Utah, Utah Death Certificates, 1904-1956, entry 23956, state file no. 52 29 0426, Annie Emelia [Lund] [Draney] Wheeler, 15 July 1952; digital images, Utah State Archives and Records Service, Utah State Archives (archives.utah.gov : downloaded 12 April 2012); Series no. 81448.
Transcription:
1 Place of Death
County or
City or Town or
Length of Stay
Full Name of Hospital or Institution
Weber
Ogden
10 days
Dee Hospital
2 Usual Residence
State
County
City or Town
Street Address
Utah
Weber
Plain City
3 Name of Deceased
Annie Emelia Wheeler
4 Date of Death
7 15 52 [July 15, 1952]
5 Sex
Female
6 Color or Race
White
7 Married, Never Married, Widowed, or Divorced
If Married, Widowed, or Divorced
Widowed
8 Date of Birth
4 19 70 [April 19, 1970]
9 Age
82
10 Occupation
Kind of Business or Industry
Housewife
Home
11 Birthplace (City and State or foreign country)
Plain City, Utah
12 Citizen of What Country?
U.S.
13 Father’s Name
Birthplace
Hans Peter Lund
Arnagee Bornholm, Den.
14 Mother’s Maiden Name
Birthplace
Bertha E. Anderson
Christensana, Norway
Husband or Wife’s Name
George William Draney
Frederick Wheeler
15 Was Deceased ever in U.S. Armed Forces
No
16 Social Security Number
[blank]
17 Informant and Address
W E Draney 3270 Stevens Ave
18 Cause of Death
Disease or Condition Leading to Death (a)
Due to (b)
Due to (c)
Other Significant Conditions
Coronary occlusion
19 Date of Operation
Major Findings of Operation
20 Autopsy
21 (a) Accident/Suicide/Homicide
(b) Place of Injury
(c) City or Town / Country / State
(d) Time of Injury
(e) Injury Occurred (While at work/not while at work)
(f) How did injury occur?
22 I hereby certify that I attenden the deceased from ___, 19___, to ___, 19___, that I last saw the deceased alive on ___, 19___, and that death occurred at 7:00 p.m., from the causes and on the date stated above.
In one of my Family History Library trips I found a book containing the cemetery records for the Plain City Cemetery. I copied the pages with Lund’s and Taylor’s then added them to my database. Under “LUND” there was an entry for Verla.
Source: Evelyn B. Christensen Harris, Plain City, Weber County, Utah cemetery records, typed by the Genealogical Society of Utah (N.p.: The Genealogical Society of Utah, n.d.), 26.
Verla, b. 20 Jan. 1922, Plain City, Ut. child of Victor Erastus Lund & Edith Pearl Taylor, d. 29 Jan. 1933.
This young girl died at 11 years old! At the time I didn’t continue my research, but since I’ve been looking at census records for Victor Lund’s family I found Verla’s name again. In the 1930 census she was 8 years old. How did she die? To find out I went to the Utah State Archives and found her death certificate.
Source: State of Utah, Utah Death Certificates, 1904-1956, Series 81448, Entry 14159, Verla Lund, 29 March 1933; digital images, Utah State Archives and Records Service, Utah State Archives (archives.utah.gov : downloaded 4 March 2012); Series no. 81448.
Transcript:
1 Place of Death
County or
Precinct or
City / no. / ward
Weber
Ogden / Dee Hospital
2 Full Name
Residence No. / St.
Length of residence in city or town where death occurred (yrs. mos. ds)
How long in U.S., if foreign birth?
Verla Lund
Plain City, Tuah
3 Sex
Female
4 Color or Race
White
5 Single, Married, Widowed, or Divorced
If Married, Widowed, or divorced, Husband of (or) wife of
Single
6 Date of Birth
January 20, 1922
7 Age
11 yrs. 2 mos. 9 ds.
8 Occupation
Student
9 Birthplace (City or town)
Plain City
(State or Country)
Utah
10 Name of Father
Victor Erastus Lund
11 Birthplace of Father (State or Country)
Plain City, Utah
12 Maiden Name of Mother
Pearl Taylor
13 Birthplace of Mother (State or Country)
Plain City, Utah
14 Informant
Mrs. R. F. Cottle
Address
2975 Jackson Ave, Ogden
15 Filed / Registrar
Mar 30 1933 / N. H. Savage
16 Date of Death
March 29, 1933
17 I hereby Certify, That I attended deceased from Feb 28, 1933 to Mar 29, 1933 that I last saw her alive on Mar 29, 1933 and that death occurred, on the date stated above, at 5 PM.
The Cause of Death was as follows: Ruptured appendicitis and peritonitis Duration: 31 ds.
18 Where was the disease contracted if not at place of death?
Did an operation precede death?
Was there an autopsy?
What was the confirmed diagnosis?
(Signed), M.D.
Date/Address
Plain City, Utah
No
No
—
(signed)
3-30, 1933 / Ogden, Utah
19 Place of Burial, Cremation or Removal
Date of Burial
Plain City, Utah
April 2, 1933
20 Undertaker
Address
Lindquist & Sons
Ogden, Utah
21 Registered No.
126
22 no of Burial or Removal Permit
12
Cause of death is listed as “ruptured appendicitis and peritonitis”. So for 31 days this young girl not only had endured the pain of a ruptured appendix but the subsequent infection that ultimately took her life. How overwhelmingly sad. The more I research family history the more grateful I am for the blessings of living in the modern world, and especially for modern medicine. This cause of death would be unheard of in the USA today.
I’m not sure who the informant, a Mrs. R.F. Cottle, is. The only Cottle in my database is a Laurence Nelson Cottle, who married Victor’s aunt Lettie Rosella Lund. Could the R.F. refer to one of their son’s meaning the informant was his wife, making her Victor’s Cousin-in-law? Alternatively, perhaps one of Edith Pearl’s sisters married a Cottle.
The death date is listed incorrectly in the cemetery records.
Why, its the study of the Lund's, of course! I am jumping in to researching our family history and seeing where it takes me. We are the Lund's. We come from Lund's, Ranson's, DeMacedo's, Lima's, Anderson's, Warner's, Ferreira's, Da Silva's and beyond! Since my own side of the family is from Brazil, it is quite difficult to track things down. Troy's side, on the other hand, has proven to be much easier. So, I'll be jumping back and forth and all around to learn about where we come from.
Are you related to us? I'd love to learn more about you and share what I know about our common ancestors!
