Hello, List! Is it a common occurrence, back in the late 1800's, for the men to just up and disappear? I've noticed several messages that say their ancestor was never heard from again. I'm just wondering because, in my husband's BALLOU line, it seems that at least two, if not more, of the men (they were brothers) left their families and no one ever heard from them again. Was it THAT frowned upon to get a divorce or what? I think it would be interesting to hear from everyone that had someone "vanish", so we can compare the circumstances surrounding it. Thinking out-loud. <puzzled grin> Tracey _____________________________________________________________________ You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail. Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com Or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866]

Hello, Lisa- For the past 3 yrs. we have lived in Cliff, NM. Before that I live in Sapulpa, Creek Co., OK. Although I have been doing genealogical research for quite a few years, I was still learning when I lived there, and it is sort of a touchy subject with my Grandma. She will talk about it, if she didn't I wouldn't know what I do know, but she's just now realizing how important genealogy is to me. I did think of Grandma's birth certificate, but she had a "delayed"? one. She had to send for it herself, and send various proofs as to who she was, so she put her father as Alvin GOWER. =o( I was really hoping that would not be the case. But she didn't know of any of the story about her birth, and father, until she was in her 20's. Lucy's father is suppose to have been full blood Cherokee, or something like that. He was suppose to be on one Roll or another, but he felt that it was charity, and would not have anything to do with it. So, I'm stuck there. I recently found out that he was born in KY. I do not know if the Cherokee was fromhis father's line or his mother's. I guess to be full Cherokee, it would have to be from both, but as I said, I dont' really know how much he was. His name was John Pryor McGUFFIN and he married Mattie Lee BRITTAIN. Do you know of any McGUFFIN's? I've asked, on the Creek Co., OK list, if someone could do a look-up for me, but no takers. =o( That's a great idea, about the search! I'll have to see if they'll do that at the Creek County Clerks Office. If not, I may just have to bribe my sister-in-law (from my husband's line) and see if she will do it for me. I'm jsut about the only person in my family that is interested in all of this. Oh, everyone is interested, once I come up with the information, just not interested enough to help me dig. <VBG> Thank you again! Trac _____________________________________________________________________ You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail. Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com Or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866]

Hi, Chris- Thank you for the ideas. Until 3 yrs. ago, my husband and I lived in Sapulpa. Now we live in Cliff, NM and I've learned more in the last 10 months about genealogical research than I have in the last 10 years. *BUT*, now I don't have access to the various information that would probably solve everything. =o( My G-Grandpa, Robert Cearley, lived in Bristow, as did most of my older relatives, until he d. in 1996. Now, I think, my Aunt, Wanda SPARKS, is the only one that lives in Bristow. Well, except for her children and probably some relatives that I don't know about. As a matter of fact, my G-Grandma , Hazel (Wadley) Cearley worked at the Rainbow Nursing Home until she got sick. She died abt. 1971. Lucy has a sister, who is still living, Dovie Laundis(I'm not sure if that's how you spell her last name). I'm not sure where she lives, and have thought of writing to her, surely she'd remember something about her sister's first child's husband! BUT, I'm not sure how my Grandma would react to me asking about it. Especially asking someone that could give me an answer. I think Grandma is sort of scared of the truth.... ya know? Thanks again- Tracey _____________________________________________________________________ You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail. Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com Or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866]

Speaking on behalf of my girlfriend who is doing her husband's history: Their family story was that the husband left town and never came back. He was from West Virginia. They assumed he was dead since there was no reason to never come back (got along with family). My girlfriend found him by accident one day while searching for more family in the NY area. He had remarried and had more children and had moved from West Virginia to NY. Thank goodness that was in the late 1800s. I couldnt imaine explaining that to his family! She hasnt found out yet why he may have left town and moved that far away. Still digging. In a message dated 6/19/98 6:45:28 PM, jly-pio@juno.com wrote: <<Hello, List! Is it a common occurrence, back in the late 1800's, for the men to just up and disappear? I've noticed several messages that say their ancestor was never heard from again. I'm just wondering because, in my husband's BALLOU line, it seems that at least two, if not more, of the men (they were brothers) left their families and no one ever heard from them again. Was it THAT frowned upon to get a divorce or what? I think it would be interesting to hear from everyone that had someone "vanish", so we can compare the circumstances surrounding it. Thinking out-loud. <puzzled grin> Tracey ______________________________________>>

My Danish immigrant grandmother had a first cousin who disappearred from Waterbury, CT in June of 1911. His name was John Bj�rnstrup. He used the nickname "Jack". He disappeared 14 Jun 1911, according to a letter his sister wrote to me in January 1964. His disappearrance was reported in the Waterbury American newspaper, 21 Jun 1911, pg 3: "RELATIVES WORRIED ------- "John Penstruk Missing and Police Asked to Help Find Him - Lived on North Main. "John Penstruk is missing, and his friends and relatives have started to worry concerning him. He lived on North Main Street until a week ago, when he gave up his employment in one of the local factories without notifying his foreman, and his whereabouts since then are a mystery. "The young man's disappearrance was reported to the police this afternoon by his uncle, N. F. P. Hansen, who said he didn't know where his nephew was, and that none of the young man's relatives or friends were aware of his wherebouts. They fear that something serious has happened to him and want the police to investigate." My grandmother said that she and her brother and John all went to a dance together one night and John accompanied them back to their home, then left for his house and was never seen again. She was 17 and he was 21 at the time. John was born 7 Apr 1890 in Denmark, the son of Johanne Emilie Caroline Hansen (1856 - 1929) and Niels Christian Bj�rnstrup (1846 -1905), both of whom lived and died in Denmark. He had two sisters: Mary Bj�rnstrup b: 8 Aug 1884 d: Abt Mar 1969 in Copenhagen and Emily Bj�rnstrup b: 5 Aug 1887 d: 8 Apr 1946 in Copenhagen (neither of whom married). He had one brother, Charles Emil Christian Bj�rnstrup (Burney) b: 5 Jun 1898 at Copenhagen, Denmark d: 5 Aug 1986 at Waterbury, CT. After John's disappearrance, his brother Charles came over from Denmark to look for him and ended up settling in Waterbury. Charles changed his last name to "Burney". I have traced Charles's descendants (my third cousins) and they, too, would like to know what became of John. There is some thought that he had cousins in Nebraska (on the Bj�rnstrup side of his family, but not necessarily with the surname Bj�rnstrup). If he did not meet foul play, where-ever he went he never made any contact with his family, either in Waterbury or in Denmark. Would like to know any information about what became of him. Bill (BillJosey@aol.com)

Hi Tracey, Curiousity got me, so I checked the USGENWEB project to see if Newspaper archives from the 1900s were still avialable. You have a tough search with the info you have, but some persistent searching you might have luck. I did see a discussion group list for Creek Co. OK, as well, so maybe someone on that list is still local. USGENWEB main map: http://www.usgenweb.org/statelinks.html With Map search at USGENWEB for OK Dustin OK is in Hughes Co. Kellyville OK is in Creek Co. or Ottawa Co. This is the USGENWEB site for Oklahoma Newspapers for Creek Co. since 1914 http://www.rootsweb.com/~okcreek/creeknws.htm Please forgive me if you've searched these sites already. Best of Luck. Cheers Murray McCombs

Dear Puzzle-Solvers: I am doing some research on the world's oldest record, the kind that preserved the human voice. The machine that was found dated from 1878, in Brooklyn, NY. It was made by Frank Lambert who had emigrated to the US from France in 1876. When he settled in Brooklyn, he also had with him his brother John. They were both boarders in the home of John Simonet on Grant Street, in Flatbush, Brooklyn, NY. (in the 1880 census). But what happened then is a little odd. Frank Lambert married (supposedly - there is no marriage certificate) the "widow" of John Simonet (Jeanne-marie Donval) and his brother John Lambert married the daughter Emma, who was in her teens (April 18, 1881). Several interesting things. John Simonet disappears from all traces, no death notice, etc. When his daughter Emma married John Lambert, they were wed by the mayor of Brooklyn. (he only married about 3 or 4 couples a year - in his office). In June 1881, a child named John Lambert died at Kings County Hospital at the age of 2 months. If this was John and Emma's child, she must have been very pregnant at her wedding. Frank Lambert became an inventor, worked for Ansonia Clock Co., developing an early typewriter, an improved water-meter, and a machine that would record the human voice on a lead sleeve for Thomas Edison. The machine was recently discovered and is mentioned in the latest edition of The Guinness Book of World Records. His voice, which has been restored, is now considering the oldest sound recording in the world. (120 years old!) Frank did not die until 1937 (he's at Green-wood, in a solid copper casket), but no marriage certificate for him and John Simonet's "widow" could ever be found, and the death certificates for him and his "wife" Jeanne-marie do not mention John Simonet at all. So what really happened here? How were the two Lambert brothers able to marry the wife and daughter of their landlord, John Simonet? And why is there no record of John Simonet anywhere after the 1880 census, where he was listed as a "furrier". No death notice, nothing!! I have made up a little poster with all these known details and can send it to anyone as an attached file in WORD format. Thanks for your interest. Allen Koenigsberg Brooklyn, NY

Thanks for a great Website and also for the concern for all of us.I really enjoy these unsolved mysterys and I am glad to be a part of this. Thanks ,Jackie

I'm looking for a Wood family, and have been for some time. In March or April of 1833, a well-dressed gentleman applied for a change of name in New Orleans, Louisiana. He claimed to be a James Vargas, a merchant from Seville or Madrid, Spain. He was granted his wish, and became John Wood. In three months, his wife Mary gave birth to a little girl, which they named Harriet Wood. Harriet was 165 years old this year as she was born May 10,1833. As a young teenager, she became an actress, and later, a famous Yankee spy. She gained the admiration of people all over the country when they realized the danger she had faced in service to her country. As all of us discover, after our fifteen minutes of fame is over,her drawing power as an actress and a speaker lessened as time went on, and she went through many husbands and sadly, her several children died. Pauline Cushman died, December 3rd.,1883, broke and alone, and was buried in her Major's uniform that she had worn for so many evenings as she told of her exploits during the Civil War. Years later, she was reburied with great honors in the Precidio in San Francisco where her grave can still be viewed. We are searching for relatives of this interesting lady who placed her country before her own safety.There may be a book and a movie in the offing ! If you have any inkling of people who are related to her, please have them contact us. They might be named Wood or Vargas. J.K.Kidd kiddo@dfn.com

*Please accept my apologies if this is a repeat, I never saw it come through when I sent it the first time, so I thought I would try it again and see if I was just blind that day. <VBG> Thanks for your patience! Trac ***************************** Hello! First let me say, I hope this is the type of message that is allowed on this list. It is a murder mystery and I'm at a loss as to how to find out anything about it. My G-Grandmother Lucy Lillian McGUFFIN b.1912 in Dustin, OK or Kellyville, OK married(?) a man by the name of Orby YORK? or RHINEHEART? or RHINEHOLD? she had a child in July 1933 in Kellyville or Bristow and her husband(?) was found murdered in a field in the Kellyville/Bristow area. His name may have just sounded like one of the above names, we don't know for sure. We don't know for a fact that Lucy married the man, and wonder if that may be why he was killed. Some family members say the man was married at the time that Lucy ended up pregnant, and that's why he ended up dead. But no one has ever said WHO killed him. So...... We would really like to find out what his name was, and who his family was. And we would like to know exactly what happened to him. Of course, the story could be something entirely different from what we've always been told, but that's all I have to go on. Does anyone out there have a relative that was murdered around 1933 in the Kellyville or Bristow, Oklahoma area? I can't be positive that's the area it could even be somewhere in Oklmulgee Co., OK OR Maybe heard about this happening OR Seen a newspaper article about it, way back when? He probably had reddish-blonde hair and blue eyes, and was fair complected. This is what my Grandma looks like and her mother was very definitely Cherokee. I'm wondering if maybe he was Irish or Scottish, something like that, because of his, possible, name and the way my Grandma looks. In the end, Lucy married Alvin GOWER sometime around 1933, their next child (actually their first together) was born in Dec.1934.(They had 7 in all) The family has always been told that Lucy was an indentured slave? Don't know how true that is, but that's what my Grandma has always said. Alvin loved Lucy very much, so maybe he killed her husband to get her, I don't know???? Does anyone know if the name LETHA is a surname? That's what my grandma's first name is, and I can't find it anywhere else in our lines. Any help and, or, ideas very welcome! Thanks- Tracey JLY-PIO@juno.com _____________________________________________________________________ You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail. Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com Or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866]

Almost 100 years have passed and the women of our family are talking, to this day, about the mystery surrounding John Kelly. The men of the family have long forgotten the story. My greatgrandfather, George Wesley Kelly, son of Louise Shaw and John W. Kelly, was the "Keeper of Lake Clifton" (maintained the water supply for part of Baltimore by adjusting the valves) from before 1900 until about 1932. George Kelly had a brother, John Kelly, and two sisters, Laura Kelly (unmarried) and Ida Kelly (husband Perry Gorsuch and daughter Lula Montague). The brother, John Kelly, was involved in the artesian well business and apparently lived out of state most of the time with West Virginia and Virginia having been mentioned by the family. From time to time during the early 1900's, John stayed in Baltimore in the home of George and Annie M. Kelly which was on the grounds of Clifton Park. One morning, as was her usual habit, my greatgrandmother Annie, made a lunch for her brother-in-law John. She tied it in a linen napkin and handed it to him as he left for work that day. This was not just any linen napkin but one with a monogram...the letter "K" for Kelly. John Kelly did not return for dinner that evening and, in fact, he was never seen again nor were any messages received in regards to him. The ladies of the family are still pondering the fate of the missing John Kelly, especially since he had one of the good linen napkins! If anyone happens upon a single linen napkin marked with the letter "K" or knows what happend to John Kelly, please contact us at: austpat@prodigy.net Many thanks! Pat Platz

You havent said where you are from (if you did I missed it). Has anyone gone to the courthouse in the county where these towns are located and looked up old marriage certificates? If they were married, there most certainly must be a marriage certificate somewhere. And you said she was Cherokee? Can I ask where she got the name Lucy Lillian McGuffin? Also is there a birth certificate for your grandmother? I am sure you tried this avenue.......just curious if there was a father listed for her.........a name to go by. I know with my state (not sure about others) for a fee they do a ten year search of death and births. You may be able to do a search. Dont know if any of this helped. Hope so. Lisa Burger Northeast PA In a message dated 6/19/98 4:18:37 PM, you wrote: <<*Please accept my apologies if this is a repeat, I never saw it come through when I sent it the first time, so I thought I would try it again and see if I was just blind that day. <VBG> Thanks for your patience! Trac ***************************** Hello! First let me say, I hope this is the type of message that is allowed on this list. It is a murder mystery and I'm at a loss as to how to find out anything about it. My G-Grandmother Lucy Lillian McGUFFIN b.1912 in Dustin, OK or Kellyville, OK married(?) a man by the name of Orby YORK? or RHINEHEART? or RHINEHOLD? she had a child in July 1933 in Kellyville or Bristow and her husband(?) was found murdered in a field in the Kellyville/Bristow area. His name may have just sounded like one of the above names, we don't know for sure. We don't know for a fact that Lucy married the man, and wonder if that may be why he was killed. Some family members say the man was married at the time that Lucy ended up pregnant, and that's why he ended up dead. But no one has ever said WHO killed him. So...... We would really like to find out what his name was, and who his family was. And we would like to know exactly what happened to him. Of course, the story could be something entirely different from what we've always been told, but that's all I have to go on. Does anyone out there have a relative that was murdered around 1933 in the Kellyville or Bristow, Oklahoma area? I can't be positive that's the area it could even be somewhere in Oklmulgee Co., OK OR Maybe heard about this happening OR Seen a newspaper article about it, way back when? He probably had reddish-blonde hair and blue eyes, and was fair complected. This is what my Grandma looks like and her mother was very definitely Cherokee. I'm wondering if maybe he was Irish or Scottish, something like that, because of his, possible, name and the way my Grandma looks. In the end, Lucy married Alvin GOWER sometime around 1933, their next child (actually their first together) was born in Dec.1934.(They had 7 in all) The family has always been told that Lucy was an indentured slave? Don't know how true that is, but that's what my Grandma has always said. Alvin loved Lucy very much, so maybe he killed her husband to get her, I don't know???? Does anyone know if the name LETHA is a surname? That's what my grandma's first name is, and I can't find it anywhere else in our lines. Any help and, or, ideas very welcome! Thanks- Tracey JLY-PIO@juno.com _____________________________________________________________________ You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail. Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com Or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866] ==== GEN-UNSOLVED-MYSTERIES Mailing List ==== To contact the owner use, dwburgess@worldnet.att.net ----------------------- Headers -------------------------------- Return-Path: <GEN-UNSOLVED-MYSTERIES-L-request@rootsweb.com> Received: from relay13.mx.aol.com (relay13.mail.aol.com [172.31.109.13]) by air18.mail.aol.com (v45.6) with SMTP; Fri, 19 Jun 1998 16:18:33 -0400 Received: from bl-30.rootsweb.com (bl-30.rootsweb.com [207.113.245.30]) by relay13.mx.aol.com (8.8.5/8.8.5/AOL-4.0.0) with ESMTP id QAA28146; Fri, 19 Jun 1998 16:17:13 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from slist@localhost) by bl-30.rootsweb.com (8.8.5/8.8.5) id NAA22845; Fri, 19 Jun 1998 13:16:20 -0700 (PDT) Resent-Date: Fri, 19 Jun 1998 13:16:20 -0700 (PDT) From: jly-pio@juno.com Old-To: GEN-UNSOLVED-MYSTERIES-L@rootsweb.com Date: Fri, 19 Jun 1998 14:01:25 -0600 Message-ID: <19980619.142041.3222.6.JLY-PIO@juno.com> X-Mailer: Juno 1.49 X-Juno-Line-Breaks: 2-5,8-9,14,16-17,19,22,24-25,27,30-34,37,39,45-46,48-53 Subject: [GEN-UNSOLVED-MYSTERIES-L] OK Murder Mystery c1933; McGUFFIN; LETHA; GOWER Resent-Message-ID: <"Y1ClKD.A.FkF.Tcsi1"@bl-30.rootsweb.com> To: GEN-UNSOLVED-MYSTERIES-L@rootsweb.com Resent-From: GEN-UNSOLVED-MYSTERIES-L@rootsweb.com X-Mailing-List: <GEN-UNSOLVED-MYSTERIES-L@rootsweb.com> archive/latest/47 X-Loop: GEN-UNSOLVED-MYSTERIES-L@rootsweb.com Precedence: list Resent-Sender: GEN-UNSOLVED-MYSTERIES-L-request@rootsweb.com >>

The oral history of his family says that Roswed MADDEN died or was killed on a trip to New Orleans sometime around 1818 - 1820. Various records misspell his given name differently in every record (Raswald, Rasway, Rosewide, Rarewed, Riswell, Rowzewed, Rozwood, Rawzwed, Rosswood, Rauzewood, Roswell, Rosswed). One grandson was named Roswed, so this spelling has more credibility than others. He was born about 1781 in VA. Appears on a tax list in Hampshire Co., WV, in 1802. He and his wife Martha MARQUISS married in VA and had five children, John S., Richard, William, Anna and Cynthia, born between 1805 and 1818. Moved to Pickaway Co., OH, with his wife and children where he first appears on a jury list in 1810. In 1813 served in the Army. The Ancestral Files of the Mormons show that he died in New Orleans, but we believe this was an interpretation from the oral history handed down via other descendants. Four of his five children and his widow moved to Piatt Co., IL, between 1834 and 1840. The MADDENs and CRONINGERs of that county are his descendants. Any information about him or his death would be appreciated. Please contact Alora M. Cope; 6206 Bluff; Ludington, MI 49431; Via email: wcope@lumanet.org.

C.P. WILLIAMS, The Klondike was the territroial responsibilties of the RCMP. The Gold Rush had petered out by 1904. The Canadian Bank "CIBC" had established themselves in the Klondike by this time. I wonder if you want to search for unclaimed Bank Accounts?? There is a web site that allows you to type in the name and it reveals whether there is an abandoned Bank Account. Can't find the URL, but I did find a couple of hundred myself (my own accounts from University days) and the cost was $17.00. Cheers Murray McCombs mmccombs@interlog.com

C.P.Williams, > he never returned, although his friend did..his friend told Christopher's >wife > Hannah that Christopher had been shot and killed, this happened in 1904. > We have no idea where he died or what the circumstances were. This is a tough one. If he was searching for gold on the Canadian Side (Yukon), Law enforcement would fall under the domain of the RCMP. These records would be sent to Ottawa, and you may find them there at the National Archives, or quite possibly through the RCMP themselves. If on the Klondike. I'm not sure who had enforcement responsibilites. Good Hunting Murray

Hi to all, I am looking for William S. Law. William S. Law is my great-grandfather's (John Peter Law) brother. William S. Law's father was Green C. Law. William S. Law was born December 13, 1860. According to William's grand-nephew George Law; William came up missing while traveling from West Virginia to Virgian in the early 1900s and he was never heard from again. The Law family originated from Virginia, and my side of the family moved to the Northwest part of Virginia (now West Virginia). I would guess that William was going back to see family in Virginia and then came up missing. If anyone has any knowledge of this William S. Law please E-Mail me. Thanks ''~`` ( o o ) +-------------.oooO--(_)--Oooo.---------------+ Michael Law E-Mail: mlaw@canuq.ang.af.mil

-----Original Message----- From: CPWilliams <cpwill@globalnet.co.uk> To: GEN-UNSOLVED-MYSTERIES-L@rootsweb.com <GEN-UNSOLVED-MYSTERIES-L@rootsweb.com> Date: 18 June 1998 19:00 Subject: Christopher T Garvey Hi, I am new to this list but we have an unsolved mystery in our family. My great-grandfather Christopher T Garvey left Dublin at around the turn of this century. Himself and a friend went to Alaska to look for gold, one member of my family says it was the Klondike, another says the Yukon, he never returned, although his friend did..his friend told Christopher's wife Hannah that Christopher had been shot and killed, this happened in 1904. We have no idea where he died or what the circumstances were. No death certificate was ever produced.we realise that the times were harsh and conditions were bad. Would appreciate any suggestions on where to look. We have surfed and posted at most of the Alaskan Gold mining sites. Really would appreciate any help. C.P.Williams

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