Hi all, I always like reading about people's genealogical success stories, so on those rare occasions when one happens to me, I like to share them - I think it gives a good burst of energy to those who are feeling stymied at a brick wall. Last summer, while on a trip around the country to visit various places that my family had lived, I ordered some probate records from Cook County, IL, including ones for Felix Ward SCUDDER, a descendant of my GGrandfather Oscar Hayden WARD through his daughter Belle Peabody WARD's first marriage to William Byrd SCUDDER. In those papers was a deposition from John Hayden Wilson, my Dad's first cousin, and a son of Belle WARD's by her third marriage to Edwin WILSON. Among other things, it told of John WILSON's kids: Juliette Thorne WILSON and William Henry OLDACRE III, both listed as minors in 1964. I reasoned that there probably were not too many William Henry OLDACREs in the US, and sure enough, there was only one (he had been adopted, hence the different last name). When I contacted him, it was indeed he, and he put me in touch with John H. WILSON, who was still living at age 85. When I spoke with him, he told me of relatives that I didn't know I had, that lived in Northern California, less than an hour from my house in Oakland. There were 4 kids, all living in San Rafael, CA with the surname TILLSON, all descended this way: Oscar Hayden WARD m. Juliette Granville Wightman William H. WARD m. Mary B. Miller Marion WARD m. Paget Cady Mary Lee Cady m. Harold Gordon Tillson 4 kids - Marian, Jim, Steve and Tom I first met Marian, and she showed me a binder with a LOT of old photos and papers - things like a wedding anniversary invitation from my GGrandfather Oscar WARD. Fantastic - pictures that I had never seen before... Anyway, Jim was there too, and a one point said, "Wait - I have a couple of other things you might be interested in." He came back with a pair of portraits of...my Great Great Grandparents, William Warren WARD and Maria Jane PHILLIPS, (Oscar Hayden WARD's parents) painted in 1843, which he then *gave to me.* Unbelievable. So when you feel like you're getting nowhere, remember that one little piece of info like a probate record of a not too close relative can yield a treasure trove. All the best to you, world wide. Bob Bob Ward Acting Principal Horn San Francisco Symphony researching: WARD, PHILLIPS, COLE, ROWE, WIGHTMAN, MCMURPHY, HARTMAN, RUSSELL, WEYMOUTH, CURTIS, PUSHOR, HANSON, TRUE, CAMPBELL, MACOMBER, WEST

Ah Bob, I am so doggone envious of you....what a wonderful story...!!!!! from Freda in Wayne County, MO. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Bob Ward" <rnward@earthlink.net> To: <WARD-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Wednesday, April 10, 2002 7:13 PM Subject: a success story > Hi all, > > I always like reading about people's genealogical success stories, so on > those rare occasions when one happens to me, I like to share them - I think > it gives a good burst of energy to those who are feeling stymied at a brick > wall. > > Last summer, while on a trip around the country to visit various places > that my family had lived, I ordered some probate records from Cook County, > IL, including ones for Felix Ward SCUDDER, a descendant of my GGrandfather > Oscar Hayden WARD through his daughter Belle Peabody WARD's first marriage > to William Byrd SCUDDER. In those papers was a deposition from John Hayden > Wilson, my Dad's first cousin, and a son of Belle WARD's by her third > marriage to Edwin WILSON. Among other things, it told of John WILSON's > kids: Juliette Thorne WILSON and William Henry OLDACRE III, both listed as > minors in 1964. > > I reasoned that there probably were not too many William Henry OLDACREs in > the US, and sure enough, there was only one (he had been adopted, hence the > different last name). When I contacted him, it was indeed he, and he put > me in touch with John H. WILSON, who was still living at age 85. When I > spoke with him, he told me of relatives that I didn't know I had, that > lived in Northern California, less than an hour from my house in Oakland. > There were 4 kids, all living in San Rafael, CA with the surname TILLSON, > all descended this way: > > Oscar Hayden WARD m. Juliette Granville Wightman > William H. WARD m. Mary B. Miller > Marion WARD m. Paget Cady > Mary Lee Cady m. Harold Gordon Tillson > 4 kids - Marian, Jim, Steve and Tom > > I first met Marian, and she showed me a binder with a LOT of old photos and > papers - things like a wedding anniversary invitation from my GGrandfather > Oscar WARD. Fantastic - pictures that I had never seen before... > > Anyway, Jim was there too, and a one point said, "Wait - I have a couple of > other things you might be interested in." He came back with a pair of > portraits of...my Great Great Grandparents, William Warren WARD and Maria > Jane PHILLIPS, (Oscar Hayden WARD's parents) painted in 1843, which he then > *gave to me.* > > Unbelievable. > > So when you feel like you're getting nowhere, remember that one little > piece of info like a probate record of a not too close relative can yield a > treasure trove. > > All the best to you, world wide. > > Bob > Bob Ward > Acting Principal Horn > San Francisco Symphony > > researching: > WARD, PHILLIPS, COLE, ROWE, WIGHTMAN, MCMURPHY, HARTMAN, RUSSELL, > WEYMOUTH, CURTIS, PUSHOR, HANSON, TRUE, CAMPBELL, MACOMBER, WEST > > >