This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Surnames: ARMSTRONG, SANDEFER, RITCHIE, TURNER, COPELAND, MILLS Classification: Query Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/rw/mV.2ADI/606 Message Board Post: A tremendous resource has just been released to subscribers at Ancestry.com, and I've been very busy mining the World War I draft registrations records for Sharp Co., AR connections. In 1917, every U.S. male (of any race) between the ages of 18 and 45 was required to register under the Selective Service act. These registration cards, filled out in the presence of the registrant and signed by him, carry a variety of genealogical information that I frankly don't imagine I'd find anywhere else. Not all cards are identical-- there seems to be three types, with slightly different questions on each. But for me, the most fascinating are the questions that tell me the registrant's height, build, hair and eye color, and any disability he might have -- a physical description of ancestors and collateral kin that makes them much more alive to me. And the breadth of this picture is enormous. As Ancestry puts it: "In 1917 and 1918, approximately 24 million men living in the United ! States completed a World War I draft registration card. These registration cards represent approximately 98% of the men under the age of 46. The total U.S. population in 1917-1918 was about 100 million individuals. In other words, close to 25% of the total population is represented in these records." I have an ongoing project to track the migration of several white family lines from Sharp Co., AR who relocated in North Texas during the 1870s to 1890s, primarily in Montague Co., TX. They also spread out into Oklahoma. These families include the Ritchies, Turners, Sandefers, Armstrongs, and intermarried lines. This was a serious mass translocation, a cultural event. (Thanks here to Dr. George Schweitzer for the training which taught me that the notion of an individual pioneer family harking off West into the wilderness is an American myth. Most of the time, migration was a collaborative effort between a group of intermarried families of no fewer than 40 individuals, and knowing this makes a critical difference in trying to trace/prove movement using just census records, which is often all we have.) I wanted to share the extraction I've done over the last week regarding some of these lines whose origins were in McNairy Co. Please note: I have faithfully copied the o! riginal spelling on these cards, which is for me settling many disputed variations on name spelling. If a man signs his name with a particular spelling, that's a primary source record and good enough for me. Also, not EVERY scrap of info on these registrations are reproduced below -- go to the original record for that -- but I believe I've included everything of general genealogical use. If you are an Ancestry subcriber, I encourage you to use this resource to track your own lines -- the results are worth the effort. Enjoy. -- Meg Barnett World War I Draft Registration Records Sharp Co., AR --Cleo Littleton Sandefer: Date of birth 24 September 1899; age 18; permanent address Center, Sharp Co., AR; laborer for Maude Sandefer, Center, AR; next of kin Martha A. Sandefer, Center, AR; short, slender, black hair, black eyes, no disability. Note: Barely able to sign own name, left letters out. --Everett Ritchie: Date of birth 24 July 1892; age 24; permanent address Ash Flat, AR; born in same; school teacher at Greenfield Public School, Greenfield, AR; has wife and one child; seeks exemption because of dependent relatives; tall, clender, gray eyes, light hair, not bald, no disability. --James Harve Ritchie: Date of birth 23 December 1880; age 38; permanent address Ash Flat, Sharp Co., AR; farming for self in Ash Flat, AR; next of kin is wife Ota Ritchie in Ash Flat, AR; tall, medium build, gray eyes, dark hair, no disability. --Jessie Harmon Ritchie: Date of birth 23 February 1879; age 39; permanent address Kings Mills, Sharp Co., AR; farming for self in Kings Mills, AR; wife Amy Ritchie in Kings Mills; short, slender, blue eyes, dark hair, no disability. --Joseph Henry Ritchie: Date of birth 7 June 1873; age 45; permanent address Ash Flat, Sharp Co., AR; farming; next of kin Maggie Lou Ritchie in Ash Flat, AR; medium height, stout build, gray eyes, black hair, has one eye. --John Van Ritchie: Date of birth 9 February 1879; age 39; permanent address Center, Sharp Co., AR; farming in Center, AR; next of kin Oda Ritchie, Center, AR; medium height, slender, blue eyes, light hair, no disability. Montague Co., TX --Albert B. Sandefer: Date of birth 10 December 1890; age 26; permanent address Stoneburg, TX; born in Sharp Co., AR; farming for self on father's farm; married with one child; seeks exemption because of wife and baby; medium height and build, blue eyes, black hair, no disability. --Virgil E. Sandefer: Date of birth 4 December 1892; age 24; permanent address Nocona, TX; b. Stoneburg, TX; barber; has wife; medium height, slender build, gray eyes, light brown hair, no disability. --William Alexander Sandefer: Date of birth 19 December 1885; age 32; permanent address Nocona, TX; barber in Nocona; next of kin is wife Edna Sandefer, Nocona; medium height, slender build, brown eyes, dark hair, no disability. --Eugene Elmo Ritchie: Date of birth 24 January 1895; age 22; permanent address Montague, TX; born in Montague, TX; farmer employed by A.W. Ritchie in Montague; single; medium height, slender, blue eyes, black hair, has one blind eye. --Lenard West Ritchie: Date of birth 12 August 1895; age 21; permanent address Rte. 5, Bowie, TX; born in Stoneburg, TX; farming for self, employed at J.F. Yowell's farm in Stoneburg; has wife; claims exemption for "family occupation"; medium height and build; light blue eyes; light brown hair; not bald; no disability; signs as L.W. Ritchie, so cannot tell if "Lenard" is his spelling or that of record-keeper. --Marshall B. Ritchie: Date of birth 23 August 1891; age 25; permanent address Bowie, TX; b. Stoneburg, TX; farmer for self; has wife; claims exemption to support wife; tall, slender, blue eyes, light brown hair, not bald, no disability. --(Note: Mills intermarried with Turners in Montague Co., these are some of their descendants:) --Charles Otis Mills: Date of birth 19 February 1900; age 18; permanent address RR 2, Nocona, Montague Co., TX; farmer employed by Mrs. M.E. Mills, RR 2, Nocona, TX (who is also his next of kin); tall, medium build, gray eyes, dark hair, no disability. --Edd Marvin Mills: Date of birth 11 March 1895; age 22; permanent address Rte 2, Nocona, TX; born in Dallas, TX; farming for self 6 miles west of Montague; has wife and 1 cild; seeks exemption because of "family to support"; tall, medium build, blue eyes, brown hair, not bald, no disability. --Ernest Luther Mills: Date of birth 21 June 1892; age 25; permanent address Nocona, TX; b. Dallas Co., TX; farmer for self in Montague Co.; has wife and child; seeks exemption for "dependent family"; tall, slender, blue eyes, blonde hair, not bald, no disability. --Homer Clyde Mills: Date of birth 5 April 1898; age 20; permanent address Rte 2, Nocona, Montague Co., TX; farming for self; next of kin Jessie Belle Mills, Rte 2, Nocona, TX; medium height and build, blue eyes, auburn hair, no disability --Hope Mills: Date of birth 7 March 1896; age 21; permanent address Rte 2, Nocona, TX; b. Montague Co., TX; farming for self and mother near Montague; has 4 sisters under 12 who are dependents; single; tall, medium build, blue eyes, brown hair, not bald, no disability. --Walter Mills: Date of birth 26 April 1890; age 27; permanent address Rte 2, Nocona, TX; b. Dallas Co., TX; farmer for self in Nocona; has wife and child; seeks exemption; tall, medium build, blue eyes, blond hair, not bald, no disability. --(Note: Copeland married a Turner, these are some of their descendants:) --Hill E Copeland, b. 27 Oct 1893, age 23, permanent address Belcherville, TX; born in Belcherville, TX; employed as a dairyman by L.A. Claury? Co., Los Angeles, CA; single; no next of kin listed; tall, medium build, blue eyes, brown hair, no disability --Isaac Hubert Copeland, b. 8 Dec 1897, age 20; perm address RFD1, Belcherville, Montague Co., TX; employed in farming; next of kin Martha S. Copeland, Belcherville, TX; tall, slender, blue eyes, brown hair, no disability Taylor Co., TX --Jefferson Davis Sandefer Jr.: Date of birth 29 October 1899; age 18; permanent address on N. Hickory, Abilene, Taylor Co., TX; student at Simmons College; next of kin Jefferson Davis Sandefer Sr., N. Hickory, Abilene, TX; Washita Co., OK --James R. Armstrong: Date of birth 19 May 1876; age 45; permanent address RFD 1, Dill, OK; farmer; next of kin Goldie Armstrong, Dill, OK; short; medium build; gray eyes; dark hair; no disability. --Loyd T. Armstrong: Date of birth 16 December 1896; age 21; permanent address Rte. 1, Dill, OK; b. AR; works for self on farm; wife Nannie Armstrong, Dill, OK; medium height and build; brown eyes, brown hair; no disability

Hello Meg Barnett, Would you have any other info about this family listed below? I think that Oda Ritchie was a TINDEL by birth. Thanks for your posting. Ginny xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx --John Van Ritchie: Date of birth 9 February 1879; age 39; permanent address Center, Sharp Co., AR; farming in Center, AR; next of kin Oda Ritchie, Center, AR; medium height, slender, blue eyes, light hair, no disability.