What a wonderful trip! I had hoped to get to Licking Co this summer but didn't make it that far - perhaps next year. But I did get to eastern Nebraska/western Iowa for research and I find it a whole different world from California.....so green everywhere and the people are unbelievably helpful in the mid-west! Congrats on a great trip. Donna Madrid Fremont, CA ----- Original Message ----- From: "gfinney" <gfinney@comcast.net> To: <OHLICKIN-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Saturday, September 13, 2008 9:26 AM Subject: [OHLICKIN] My Trip to Ohio > Good Day Everyone, > > I posted a message to several message boards that surrounded Coshocton and > Tuscarawas Counties in early August prior to my trip from California to > Ohio. I wanted to thank everyone that replied with information on the > Finney family. I was asked from several to let them know how my trip went > and that is the reason for this post. > > I flew into Columbus and then rented a car and drove to Zanesville where I > had room reservations. I made the journey with a co-worker who was going > to > be researching in Circleville so we decided to stay in Zanesville so we > each > would have a fairly equal distance to drive to our research locations. > All > the way to Zanesville I was in awe of the beauty of Ohio. There were so > many trees and everything was green, it was beautiful. It is nice in > California where I live but we get temps that average around 110 in the > summer and everything turns brown so it was a great pleasure to see so > much > green. > > The next morning we drove to Gilmore, Ohio to visit the West Union Church. > I was pleasantly surprised to see that the church was still in use. I > began > to take some pictures of my ancestors headstones while church was in > service. It was a touching personal moment for me when I found the > headstone of Isaac B. Finney, my great great grandfather. Not far away I > found my great great great grandparents, William and Ann Orr. I praised > God > for allowing me to visit the resting place of my ancestors. When church > services concluded I went inside and spoke with the Pastor. She told me > that the Church has been in continuous service for 139 years. She was very > kind and allowed me to photograph inside the church. > > Prior to my visit to Ohio I had written Letters to the Editor of the > Bargain > Hunter newspaper in Tuscarawas and the Coshocton Tribune. On Friday > August > 28th, 2008 the Bargain Hunter ran an article on my visit that included a > picture of my great grandfather Lewellis Finney. The story told about my > visit and what I was looking for. It briefly mentioned my families history > and a little bit about how the children of Isaac B. Finney and Rachel Orr > Finney were taken in by Josiah Murphy and was appointed guardian of the > Finney's minor children, this was in 1885. To my great pleasure a man who > currently resides in Tuscarawas read the article and came to the cemetery > with his wife. His name was John Murphy and he was a descendent of Josiah > Murphy. Teri Stein and her husband also was in attendance at the > cemetery. > Teri is a free lance writer who writes stories for the Bargain Hunter and > she wrote a follow up story that appeared in the Bargain Hunter on Friday, > September 5th. A reporter from the Coshocton Tribune was supposed to > attend > but she went to the wrong cemetery. She went to West Lafayette and we were > at West Union. Her photographer did find his way there and he took > several > pictures and the Coshocton Tribune ran a story of me on the front page > with > a pic of me at the gravesite of my Civil War ancestor, Isaac B. Finney. > The > story ran on September 02, 2008. > > We compared notes on our families and then he offered to provide me with a > personal tour of Washington Township in Tuscarawas. He showed me the > homes > of Josiah Murphy and James Finney. I had the pleasure of meeting with the > current owners who allowed me to take pictures of their property. > > I later found out that a local group of people mostly children from the > FFA > had went to West Union Church the night before my visit and mowed the high > grass down around all five acres of the cemetery. They did not know which > headstones I wanted to view so they mowed it all. This was the most > touching part of my visit. I have written letters since my return > attempting to find out who mowed the cemetery so I could personally thank > them. The people of Ohio are AWESOME!! > > My good luck continued when I had arrived to the Tuscarawas Genealogy > Society. When I signed in I noticed the signature of a man named Lloyd > Kail. I immediately went to talk to this man as we are related from a > marriage between Anna Finney and Leonard Kail that occurred in 1880. I > really enjoyed the time I spent talking and comparing family notes with > Mr. > Kail. This man was just like everyone else I had met so far, kind and > open > to share. > > Everywhere I went to research I found people who took a genuine interest > in > my visit and offered to assist me without any solicitation. During the > entire trip I was overwhelmed by how nice everyone was. It made me proud > to > have ancestors that came from Coshocton and Tuscarawas Counties. > > I found birth records for three of my great grandfathers siblings as well > as > found a book that contained information on the Miller family of Tuscarawas > that Lewellis' sister Mary married into. This find will save me hours of > research and I thank the Miller family for donation of the book to the > Tuscarawas society. I found death dates for two of the four James > Finney's > that lived in the area. I did not find Isaac's parents as hoped but > perhaps > got some new leads on who they might have been. With the assistance of > John > Murphy and his wife Gracie I was able to locate the land that Rachel > Finney > owned near Gilmore. Once again the owner of the property was nice and > allowed me to take pics of her property. She showed me where there was an > old basement on her property when she bought it in the 1940's. The > basement > was long since removed and replaced with a tractor shed but at least I > knew > the location where my Finney's lived in Tuscarawas. I will never forget > the > kindness of John and Gracie Murphy and their relentless assistance. May > God > Bless them. > > I discovered the name of the wife for Joe Finney, which was Nellie > Matthews. > I found from a obituary a couple of other new names that will require > research. I found out that Robert E. Finney passed in 1974 and left a > step > daughter named Mrs. (Wayne) Pat Graef. I will also be looking for a > granddaughter named Mrs. James Doolan. I made about 80 photocopies of > documents and I haven't even begun to sort them out yet. I took 496 > pictures on the trip that I hope to eventually get on the net for everyone > to see. > > I did not get to visit the Finney family cemetery in Muskingham County due > to its difficult terrain and it being on private property. I have found > a > cemetery list and a list member who has pictures of the Finney Headstones > but it appears they are not willing to share. I am hopeful when they read > this they will reconsider and send me the pictures. > > It was also a great pleasure to finally meet a very nice lady that I have > been corresponding with for years. Peggy Brown of the Tuscarawas > Genealogy > Society was an angel and helped me with great patience when I was > researching micro film records. I want to thank Peggy and all of the > volunteers who work at the Tuscarawas Genealogical Society for all of > their > assistance. I know I am repeating myself but everyone there was so nice > and > friendly. I was touched by there willingness to stop what they were > working > on to assist me. Once again I was proud to have Tuscarawas ancestry. My > wife was not able to join me on my journey this time and I have been > advised > that I wont be able to run off like that again so we will be returning > someday as I want my entire family to see the beautiful counties of > Coshocton and Tuscarawas and meet my new found friends. > > That is all for now. If you ever get a chance to visit the Ohio county > you > are researching, take it. The state is beautiful and the people are nice. > Even after my return I was mailed something from the Tuscarawas Historical > Society. I received obits for a couple of Finney's and death record. > There > was no letter included with the records and I don't know who mailed them > to > me in California, but God Bless you for your efforts. > > I LOVE OHIO!!!! > > Gerald Finney > Fresno, California > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > OHLICKIN-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message