How many clues have you overlooked?

I think we all know how important it is to take note of all the information on a document that concerns our ancestors, but who hasn't quickly scribbled down the important parts and then forgotten to go back and do things properly? Today I finally got back to one and I'm kicking myself!

Here's what I knew: Martha Harless was born in Tennessee some time in October 1860 to William Harless and Matilda Jackson. On 13 September 1877 she was married to R. F. Hailey in Falls County, Texas. In the 1880 census Martha is the head of a household in Falls County, Texas with her two eldest children, Olly, b. ca. 1878 and Carl, b. ca. 1879. In 1910 she is in the household of R. F. Hailey, her husband, in Robertson County, Texas with their children, Birde, b. ca. 1885 and Jessie, b. ca. 1891. This census reports that she was the mother to five children and all five were still living, but as yet I do not know the name of the fifth child. On 8 February 1926 Martha Hailey died in Cameron, Milam County, Texas. She was buried in Little River Cemetery.

Today I took a closer look at her death certificate and took note that her father was listed as "J. Harless" and her mother as "Don,t know". Also notable was the date of birth Oct 1860 with "DK" for the day and her age given as 65 years 4 months and "Don't Know" days. So who was the source of this information? Surely her husband (it said she was married, not widowed) or children would know her birthday, even if they didn't know her mother's name. D. S. Shuffield of Maysfield, Texas. Who?

I quickly searched Family-Search for D. S. Shuffield with a Texas residence and immediately spotted an interesting result in Texas Deaths and Burials, 1903-1973: D. S. Shuffield father, spouse: Jesse Haily, child: Winford Shuffield. Winford Shuffield was born 22 May 1914 in Milam County, Texas and died on 13 October 1930 in Maysfield Precinct, Milam County, Texas. His parents were as given in the search result and the informant was Harmon Shuffield of Maysfield, Texas. His burial place was Little River cemetery.

It was starting to look as though Martha Harless's daughter Jessie Hailey had married D. S. Shuffield, but I wanted to make sure this wasn't just a coincidence so I searched Family-Search for "Jessie Shuffield" with a Texas residence. There were a few interesting results.

1. Jessie Shuffield, b. ca. 1891 was the head of a household in the 1940 census in Milam County, Texas, with children Willard, Dorothy, Adelle and Elmo.

2. Jessie Shuffield, b. ca. 1891 was the wife of Dorchie Shuffield in the 1920 census in Milam County, Texas, with children Winford and Harmond Shuffield. 

#2 looked good - if this was the right Jessie it would give me the name Dorchie for D.S. and Harmond could be the Harmon Shuffield who gave the information for Winford Shuffield's death certificate, but it was result #3 that really caught my eye.

3. Texas Deaths, 1890-1976: Jessie Pearl Shuffield birth: 8 February 1891, Texas. death: 16 March 1972, Calvert, Robertson, Texas. father: Robert Hailey. Robert? Was this R. S. Hailey? Once again the death certificate had an unknown person as the informant: Elmo Neal Sr. He apparently did not know the name of Jessie Pearl's mother as that is listed as "Unable to Obtain" Jessie was buried in Little River Cemetery.

If Little River was a small cemetery I would be more convinced that Jessie Pearl Shuffield was the daughter of Martha Harless, so I checked the cemetery at Find-a-grave. Find-a-grave lists 1,281 interments, so it isn't really a family cemetery.

I searched it for the name Shuffield - 49, including a Dorchie S. Shuffield and a William Winford Shuffield, but no Jessie Pearl Shuffield.

I then searched the cemetery for the surname "Hailey" and the results showed Martha Harless Hailey and Jessie Pearl Hailey Neal.

Unfortunately there was no photograph of Martha's grave and the entry leads me to believe it was from her death certificate rather than her tombstone.

There was a photograph of Jessie Pearl Hailey Neal's grave marker, there is no indication on it that she was ever the wife of D. S. Shuffield, but the notes list her first husband as Dorchie Speed Shuffield and her second husband as Elmo Lon Neal.

Obviously I have lots more researching to do, but putting everything together it appears that Martha Harless married Robert F. Hailey and that their daughter Jessie Pearl Hailey married Dorchie Speed Shuffield.

All of these new clues came from the one overlooked name on a death certificate.  How many clues have you overlooked?

Last Will and Testament of John Harliss of Hardy County, 1829

I John Harliss of Hardy County and State of Virginia do hereby make my last will and testament in manner and form following, that is to say 1st it is my will and desire that all my debts and funeral expences be first paid. 2nd I give and bequeath unto my two son in laws Samuel May and Michail Handgardner the tract of land they now live on to be equilly divided between the two be it further understood the tract or part of tracts of land that belongs to me joining George Fitzwater on the north east I will and bequeath unto them their heirs executors administrators and assigns forever it is my wish and desire for them to keep same parts they now have in possession. 3rdly I give and bequeath unto my son Isaac Harliss all the rest of my lands lying on Crab run at the mouth of long lick hollow being in two tracts to him his heirs administrators and assigns forever 4thly it is my will and desire that my son Isaac Harliss must pay unto my sons Joseph Harliss John Harliss George Harliss and my two daughters Elizabeth Harliss wife of A. Harliss and Margaret Harless out of the value of his land so as to be equal with himself if they cant agree amongst them selfs the value must be ascertained by three disinterested men be it understood that my six last mentioned children is to be made equal only my son Isaac is to hold the above said land it is my will and desire that all of my personal estate shall be sold and equally divided among all my sons and daughters and lastly I do hereby constitute and appoint Samuel May and Jacob Miller executors of this my last will and testament In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed my seal the 11 day of April 1829. Signed sealed and delivered as and for the last will and testament of the above named John Harliss in the presents of us} John Harless his mark seal Levi Claypool George Fitzwater Christemy Morris

Lloyd Charles Harless 1921-1944

I look through a lot of records, some are quite boring if I'm perfectly honest, but most are interesting or informative and once in a while one makes me smile. Today I smiled. It wasn't a happy subject. I was searching through military headstone applications on Ancestry.com, which right away tells you the subject matter is pretty gloomy.

The record that brought a smile to my face was that for Lloyd Charles Harless. On 29 December 1939, just 8 days after his 18th birthday, Lloyd enlisted in the United States Army.

World War 2 had begun, but the United States was not militarily involved and the Selective Training and Service Act of 1940 was not yet instituted. This meant that Lloyd had not been required to register for the draft and so by all accounts his enlistment in the army was a voluntary one.

As the oldest son, perhaps he felt it was his duty, or perhaps he wanted to follow in his father's footsteps. Lloyd's father, Lissus H. Harless, had served in World War 1 when he too was just a teenager.

I don't know much about Lloyd's military service. I do know that in 1940 he was stationed at Fort Preble in Maine and that he served in the 439th Anti-Aircaft Artillery Battalion.

On 31 July 1944 Lloyd Charles Harless was killed in action. He was 22 years old.

I have not searched the Graves Registration Records as yet, but from his unit information it appears he was killed in Italy fighting in the Rome-Arno Campaign when the 439th was temporarily converted to infantry duty in Task Force 45.

From the headstone application made by his father and shown here, we know that his body was returned to his family for burial in the US.

I know you are wondering how any of this could have made me smile.

I smiled because I checked the reverse of the card. How many times do we forget to do that? We've seen the front, we have the information we were looking for, on the back we expect to see nothing more than an address or a few date stamps, but when I checked the back of Lissus H. Harless's application for a military headstone for his hero son, I saw his pride.

I saw his pride and that made me smile.

"We don't need this permit. Beech Grove is the Harless Cemetery for 5 generations given by Lloyds grand parents for that purpose." Lissus Harless 'Father'

I hope it made you smile too.

Here is where I found the record, there are several more Harless soldiers in the collection.

U.S., Headstone Applications for Military Veterans, 1925-1963

Harless's Store

The Tennessee Valley Authority, Family Removal and Population Readjustment Case Files, 1934-1953 on Ancestry.com make for emotional reading - all of those people, families, house, farms and communities relocated. So many people had lived in the same place for their whole life, relocation was going to be hard.

I'm sure the workers meant well, but it is heartbreaking to read the descriptions - were the people educated? Were they proud housekeepers? Were they healthy? The most important questions were also asked - how do you feel about relocation and where will you go?

If there were any wealthy people relocated I haven't found them yet.

I'm still searching and putting the pieces together, but I had to share the one item I found that made my day - a photograph of Harless's Store!

Harless's Store in the Friendship Community of Sullivan County, Tennessee was owned by Martin Alexander Harless and it was in the way of the reservoir.

Martin Alexander Harless was the great-grandson of Abraham Harless who in turn is the 4th great-grandfather of my husband and the reason I began this whole project in the first place.

I do not know if Martin moved the store "to land just outside the reservoir" as he planned, but in 1950 he had reportedly "removed his house intact to land which he owned and which TVA did not acquire, located above pool level on Sharp's Creek, in the Friendship community." Hopefully he was also able to remove the store.

Heirs of Joel Tillman Harless, Madison County, Alabama

On 8 September 1847, Joel Tillman Harless, along with his wife, Sarah, sold 80 acres of land in two parcels to Benjamin R. Harris and his wife, Caroline. Unfortunately for Benjamin, the deed was written incorrectly and he needed to have it corrected. I do not know when he first noticed the error, but by the time he got around to getting it put right, Joel T. Harless had died. Benjamin's misfortune is our good fortune, because now he had to bring suit against the heirs of Joel T. Harless and his own children (as the error in the deed had made the property over to them).

On 6 November 1854, Benjamin R. Harris and his wife, Caroline A. E. Harris (nee Vann), brought a bill of complaint against: Thomas Harless, John W. Harless, Charles Harless, Tib Allison, and his wife, Matilda, formerly Matilda Harless, Thomas Harris, Martha S. Harris, Nancy Harris, and Rosaline Harris [the 4 children of Benjamin and Caroline], of the county of Madison, State of Alabama, Andrew J. Middleton and his wife Rebecca, formerly Rebecca Harless, of the county of Jackson in said state, Sarah S. Harless of the county of Marshall in said state, and David Harless of the county of Marengo in said state.

The complaint goes on to explain how the errors with the deed came about and why it has not been corrected:

"...since the making of the conveyance, the said Joel T. Harless has departed this life, intestate, leaving the following named persons, his heirs at law, viz: Thomas Harless, David Harless, John W. Harless, Charles Harless, Matilda Allison formerly Harless, Rebecca Middleton, formerly Harless. The said Matilda has intermarried with and is not the wife of one Tib Allison, and the said Rebecca has intermarried with and is not the wide of one Andrew J. Middleton. The said Joel T., also left surviving him, a widow, one Sarah T. Harless."

The heirs at law listed for Joel Tillman Harless are his siblings and, as mentioned, his widow. In my records, I have that Sarah gave birth to a posthumous son of Joel and remarried a year or so later. BUT I believe that an unborn child would have been entitled to a share of the estate (if they lived). Eldrid Harless is listed in the 1850 Census in the household of Sarah and her second husband, Willis Kirkland, showing that if he was the son of Joel he had indeed survived and would be the lawful heir. Unfortunately for us there is nothing in the chancery case to show whether or not Benjamin R. Harris was mistaken in his listing of heirs.

Live By The Sword... or gun

The newspaper headline was tantalizing - "Twists of Fate. Man Slew Ex-husband First Wife; Slain Himself" and the article didn't disappoint, but it left me confused.

Birmingham, Ala. Jan. 21. (UP) -
The first time Charlie C. Graham, 45, married a divorcee, he killed her former husband.
He went to prison on a life sentence, but was paroled and married another divorcee.
Friday night the second husband killed Graham.
Eleven years ago Graham walked up to the automobile in which Glenn Harless was seated and shot Harless after an argument.
Friday night Graham walked up to the automobile where J.B. Rylant, 45, was seated, got into an argument, and Rylant killed him. They had been friends since boyhood.
Coroner __ M. Evans reconstructed the shooting today, and ordered Rylant held under $2,500 bond in a murder charge.

I was unsure who had married whom and when. All I really knew was that Charlie seemed to argue a lot and he was killed in circumstances very similar to those in which he had killed Glenn Harless. This is what I found out.

The murdered Glenn Harless was, in fact, Glen George Harless, son of Benjamin Franklin Harless and Sarah Fannie Leonard. Glen was born in Calera, Shelby County, Alabama on 28 November 1890. On 13 June 1915, he married Cory May Smith, it would prove to be his undoing. The marriage lasted until at least 1920, but on 31 May 1928, Cora married Charles Crisp Graham in Blount County, Alabama. Her name is given in the record as Miss Cora May Harliss, but the newspaper article calls her a divorcee. I wonder if Charles was aware of this prior to the marriage, but he certainly knew it afterwards. Just five months after the marriage, Charles Crisp Graham shot and killed Glenn George Harless. Charles was sentenced to a life term and he can be found in the 1930 Census in Kilby Prison. I do not know when he was released.

In 1934 Cora and Charles were divorced and on 23 December 1938 Charles married Bessie L. Haley in Anniston, Calhoun County, Alabama. Bessie had been married twice previously. Her latest marriage, to J. B. Rylant had ended in divorce in 1938.

On 20 January 1939, Rylant killed Charles Crisp Graham in Birmingham, Alabama.

I do not know what happened to Cora or Bessie, or even Rylant, but Glen George Harless did not appear to have had any children with Cora.

Emiline Niday Re-Visited!

Genealogy is only as good as the next record you find! I was reminded of this all too clearly today when Pamela McCunn kindly shared a copy of the death record for Sarah Nida. Although there were several Sarah Nida's, this record clearly stated that this Sarah was the daughter of Ferdinand and F. Harless.

Sarah Nida died 20 Apil 1859 in Roane District, Roane County, West Virginia. Cause of death was fever and ague. Her age was 65 years. Her parents, as noted, Ferdinand & F Harless. She was born in Giles Co., Va. The person giving the information of death was Emaline Stump, and if that wasn't clear enough, in the column for designation of informant we are told Emaline was her daughter. The column for "consort of, or unmarried" was left blank, indicating her husband had predeceased her.

I began this series wondering if Emiline Niday was the daughter of John Nida or Jacob Nida and that mystery is not resolved. If she was the daughter of Jacob, was this the Jacob Nighdy who took out a bond in Giles County, Virginia to marry Salley Kessinger on 16 March 1812? Or was she the daughter of the John Nida/Nidah/Niday who took out a bond to marry Sarah Harless on 23 October 1818 in Giles County, Virginia?

In the first instance we have a Jacob Nida marrying Sarah, but not as Sarah Harless - was she previously married? In the second instance we have a Sarah Harless but not a Jacob Nida.

For now I am going with Sarah Kessinger being one and the same as Sarah Harless daughter of Ferdinand and Frankie, but I am desperately hoping to find the next record!

Emiline Niday Wrap Up

A few days ago I was questioning the identity of the Emiline Niday who intended to marry Greenberry Stump in Giles County, Virginia in 1847. The marriage bond named her father as John Nida and I believed that to be the John Nida who married Sarah Harless. Could I prove that, I asked. The answer is no, I can't. Does this mean I believe the marriage records were wrong and that she was the daughter of Jacob Nida? No. I found no evidence to support that either. I'm disappointed, but I have removed Emiline and her descendants from the Harless family tree until I find strong evidence that that is where they belong. Now to check out the other Emaline Nida who really may be a daughter of John and Sarah Harless Nida.

Stumped! Who Was Emiline Niday?

Our first introduction to Emiline Niday is when she planned to marry Greenberry Percy Stump. In Therese A. Fisher, compiler, Marriages in the New River Valley (Bowie, MD: Heritage Books, Inc., 1991), page 229 is the entry: "STUMP, Green B. & Nidah, Emaline (d/o John Niday); 18 Jun 1847 (GB)" Spelling inconsistencies aside, this tells us that a marriage bond was taken out for the marriage of Green B. Stump and Emaline Niday on 18 June 1847 in Giles County, Virginia, and that Emaline was the daughter of John Niday. In the introduction to this book, the compiler tells us that she made no assumptions regarding parentage (even when it seemed to be made quite evident) and so we can safely assume that Emaline's parentage was explicitly stated in the record.

John Vogt and T. William Kethley, compiler, Giles County Marriages, 1806-1855 (Athens, Ga.: Iberian Publishing Co., 1985), page 123 adds a little more detail in the entry: "Nidy, Emaline & Green B Stump 17 Jun 1847; perm- John H Nidy, father  wit- James G Stump, Jacob Nidday  b- 18Jun by Jacob Nidey, John P Johnston." The two dates in this entry puzzle me; according to the introduction the date should be assumed to be that of the marriage with any conflicting bond dates noted, but it seems unlikely that a bond would be needed on the day following the wedding. That aside, we do now know that John H Nidy, Emaline's father, gave permission for the marriage, indicating that Emaline was not yet 21 years old. We also have the names of the two bondsmen, Jacob Nidey and John P. Johnston.

Two things these entries agree upon - Emaline Niday was the daughter of John Niday and she intended to marry Green B. Stump.

Recently I came upon another researcher's work where this is disputed. That author believes the transcriptions to be in error and that Jacob Niday should have been listed as the father of Emaline. The author bases this belief on two factors, one the mistaken belief that "Bond is generally given by the father" and the other, that "No record of a John H. Nidy corresponds with the time frame for this marriage that I can find." I certainly can't know what this researcher has or has not found, but not finding something is not at all the same as that thing not existing. Like this researcher, I have not found any contemporary record for a "John H. Nidy", but there is good evidence of a contemporary named "John Nida" or "John Nidah."

John Nida/Nidah/Niday was born in Virginia circa 1797, took out a bond to marry Sarah Harless on 23 October 1818 in Giles County, Virginia and later moved to Ohio and then Iowa. It is this John Nida who I believe to be the father of Emeline Nida, but can I prove it?

Got My Favourite Database Back Online Today.

I absolutely love "On This Day in Harless History." I know that sounds a bit vane considering I created it, but although I am proud of it, that isn't really what I mean. I developed this database as a fun thing so people could see who they shared a birthday with. I thought it would be a good way to introduce children to their heritage and genealogy - on their birthday go to the Harless Homepage and see how many of their Harless ancestors were born on the same day. I didn't really think of it as any more than that, but after a while I noticed how often I checked it myself.

I maintain several large genealogy databases using a few different genealogy programs, but the bulk of my personal research is in my Harless database that I have in The Master Genealogist (TMG). This database has almost 81,000 people in it and I add to it most days when I get a chance. But five minutes here and there isn't enough time to check every fact for every one of those 80,000+ people. One thing TMG does is keep a record of the last time you edited anything in the record of a given person. I do not recall exactly when I switch over to TMG (I used Roots4 before that, so genealogy tech nerds will probably know the exact date! lol). What I do know is that I have people in this database that I have not edited since 11 June 2000 because that is the date shown for the random person I just selected in that database.

If I come across a new collection at a library, archives, online etc., obviously I revisit the people who are or might be covered by that collection. The next reason is when I get an email - people ask me where I got a certain fact or offer to update a line - when that happens I usually work on their line for a few days until I am satisfied I haven't missed anything. But if I have no new collections and no emails, how do I pick which line, which family, which person, to check? I go to the "On This Day in Harless History" database and pick the first name that comes up! I love it. No over thinking, no picking easy lines or favourite states (yes, I will admit to it - have you seen the collections WV has put online?)

I would love it if everyone who came to the Harless Homepage looked at On This Day in History and checked their own lines. Perhaps you know it is your ancestor's birthday and I don't have them listed - if they aren't on the page it either means I don't have any information or I only have partial information. As soon as I have the full date and the name of their spouse for the marriage entries, I can add them to the list.

On This Day in Harless History

Webpage Overhaul

I spent today giving the Harless Homepage a new look - it was long overdue but it is one of those things that aren't really urgent enough to make it to the top of the to-do list. One thing that was much higher up that list was getting some of the databases back online. These were incompatible with the (new a few years ago) server and I knew I needed to write a new script and make new databases - those things are just about as boring as they sound - so obviously I put that off in favor of the fun things like research.

Today I finally finished the first database makeover and I was feeling very pleased with myself right up until I remembered I still hadn't given the page it's new look. But I am invincible. I decided to update the site before I took the database live. And then I decided the blog needed an updated look. And then I decided the family tree needed a new look too. Nearly 2,000 pages in total. And I did it! Yes, I'm bragging. I usually don't, but this is a huge chunk of my very long to-do list cleared. Christmas shopping is now at the top of that list, but I have plenty of time for that, right?

Go check it out and let me know what you think of it.
Newly Renovated Harless Homepage

Harless Family Tree Updated

Yesterday I wrote about the big corrections I had to make to the family of Anthony Harless Sr. I worked on it most of yesterday and today I have uploaded the latest version of the family tree. There are now 71,704 people. Lots of the new people are in Anthony's line, but also lots of new people and details from Indiana.

http://harless-homepage.com/tree/index.htm

Correcting Errors - an ongoing process

I have always tried to be quite clear that I make mistakes and implore people to point them out to me. My Harless database is quite large and contains over 70,000 people. I work on parts of it at a time - and here is something I don't think I have ever mentioned before, but if you want me to add more to your branch the best way to get that done is send me an update. Every time I receive updates and corrections I make those amendments but then I spend a couple of days checking and making my own corrections and additions to that branch of the family.

Why am I posting this today? I was transcribing a record to share on the blog when it occurred to me I should make sure I had already entered all the information into my own research database - and I hadn't!

Susannah B. Harless is getting a new daddy today (I had long doubted the accuracy of my data on this, but now I have convincing evidence to support the correction).

Francis Harless, wife of Enoch Lafon, is also getting a daddy today. I am now convinced and able to offer good evidence that she and Susannah B. Harless were sisters. I do not know who their mother is though.

I will upload the corrected family tree in an hour or two - if this is your line, please check your own records to see if they agree and let me know if they don't - and why!

Sporting Saturday - Taught Notre Dame How to Play

William Warren Harless

University of Michigan

William Warren Harless was a natural athlete and handsome with it. Born on 9 March 1867 in Chigago, Illinois to Thomas Henry and Barbara Ann King Harless, he was the youngest of 8 children (2 older half-siblings had died as children almost 20 years before William was born). William Warren was only 3 years old when his father died, but his mother was well provided for and was able to raise her children by herself until she chose to remarry when William was 11 years old.

William Warren Harless began his higher education at Notre Dame but transferred to the University of Michigan because Notre Dame did not play football.

For the 1886 season William was a substitute player, but was a rusher for the 1887 season and was invited, with his teammate, George Dehaven, back to Notre Dame for a training session to teach the Fighting Irish this new game. Perhaps William was a better player than a teacher, but when Notre Dame played their first ever game, against Michigan, they were defeated 8-0 and it would be 32 years before the Fighting Irish would achieve victory over the Wolverines.

William played football as a center, a rusher and a guard, but this was not the only sport he participated in. In 1887, he came first in putting shot (29' 3"), and the hammer throw (56' 10 7/8"), but was defeated by W. C. Malley in heavy weight wrestling. It was noted that both the hammer and the shot were overweight and that otherwise the distances might have been greater. The prizes were of interest too, a set of George Elliot's works for the hammer throw and Paradise Lost for the hammer throw.

After university William Warren Harless became a civil engineer and married Mary Jane Lennon in 1896. William and Mary had no children, and when the Spanish-American war broke out, William joined the US Army as a quartermaster in the 7th Illinois Infantry.

Following his stint in the army, William became the manager of an insurance company, but his love of sports had obviously not left him, as he served as the Secretary of the West Golf Association for a number of terms.

Thriller Thursday - Stabbing Affair In Evanston Leads to Operation

Stabbing Affair In Evanston Leads to Operation

To escape from under the shadows of the gallows through a surgical operation performed upon another man, was the peculiar, if not harrowing, experience of Jack Harless, an Evanston, Wyo., railway clerk, last Sunday. The man who underwent the operation is J. R. Schillerman, telegraph operator, who is now confined in the Dee hospital with a fighting chance for life.

Schillerman, according to reports from Evanston, was seriously stabbed by Harless last Wednesday, with a pocket-knife, the assault following a trivial quarrel. He received long and deep wounds across the abdomen, right breast and right shoulder. Harless was arrested on a charge of assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill and his victim was given surgical attention at the Evanston hospital.

Saturday night, the wounded man's condition became so serious that the attending physician apparently fearing on account of the depth of his abdominal wound that the intestines had been penetrated and that the infection had set in, order [sic] the man removed to the Dee hospital in this city. This was done and a thorough examination of Schillermn's condition by Dr. R. S. Joyce revealed symptoms of appendicitis. An operation was performed and the Ogden physician's diagnosis proved correct. It was found that the wound made by Harless had not penetrated through the abdomen, but that Schillerman's appendix had burst, causing his serious condition.

In the meantime, a rumor became current at Evanston that the operator was dead and Harless, who had been released on bond, was rearrested and charged with murder. He was again released, however, when the report was sent in Evanston that his victim was still alive.

Stabbing Affair in Evanston Leads to Operation, The Ogden Standard, Ogden, Utah, 8 August 1916, page 7, column 3.

Harless Family Tree Updated

I have just uploaded a new Harless family tree update. Over 450 new people have been added and a few duplicate entries were removed. Hundreds of records have been updated or corrected. In all there are now 71,354 people on 1,789 pages in the online tree. Most of the new entries are from the Ohio Marriage records, but I was surprised to see people from Indiana, Alabama, Michigan, Kentucky and West Virginia made up as many of the happy couples as Ohio born people did.

Click on this link to check it out and see if I have the correct information for your Harless family.

http://harless-homepage.com/tree/index.htm

Military Monday - Killed at Camp Perry

Charles Horneff [sic], Jr., of Wadsworth, a private in Company G, Eight Regiment, Ohio National Guard, was struck in the abdomen by a bullet from a rifle accidentally fired by an unknown member of Company F, Eighth Regiment, of Akron, at Camp Perry last Friday evening and almost instantly killed.

Later it was learned that the shot was from a rifle in the hands of Okey Harless who had borrowed the gun and thought it to be unloaded. The bullet went through five haversacks, a tent pole and heavy supply chest before striking the victim, 30 feet distant. Harless was exonerated by verdicts of the coroner and a military court of inquiry. This was the first fatal accident at Camp Perry since the camp was established.

Killed at Camp Perry, The News-Herald, Hillsboro, Ohio, 5 August 1909, page 4, column 1.

The dead man, Charles Hornoff, Jr., was just 23 years old, the same age as Okey Harless. Charles was born on 13 May 1886 in Guilford, Medina County, Ohio, to Charles Hornoff, Sr. and Emma M. Hartman.

Charles Hornoff, Certificate of Death number 37351 (30 July 1909), Bureau of Vital Statistics, Ohio.

Okey Harless was the son of William Henry Harless and Frances Fernelia Keffer. He was born on 11 June 1886 in Iola, Roane County, West Virginia. Okey died on 7 March 1957 in Vienna, Wood County, West Virginia.

Military Monday - Cpl. Fred Harless

Cpl. Fred Harless Cited For Bravery

Seng Creek, March 14 - Mr. and Mrs. Fred Harless, of Seng Creek, have just received word that their son, Cpl. Fred Vernor Harless, recorder for Battery C., 30th F.A. Battalion, displayed unusual bravery and quick thinking during the recent exercise Leap Year in Erlangen, Germany.

Cpl. Harless, who is in the U. S. Army in Germany, was near a combat-loaded tank when it went out of control on an icy road, struck two trees, slid across the road onto a bridge then off into a 15-foot ditch, overturning and trapping the crew inside.

When some other soldiers yelled that the tank had overturned and was on fire Harless ran to see what could be done. Seeing the fire he ran back to a truck and grabbed the fire extinguisher.

Soldiers stopped Harless when he returned to the scene saying the tank was loaded with shells but Harless broke away and began trying to put the fire out. Before he could open the escape hatch of the tank the fire gained new fury. He finally succeeded in extinguish it and managed to get the escape hatch open allowing the crew to escape.

Cpl. Harless' display of bravery beyond the call of duty to release the tank crew when the ammunition might have exploded gained the everlasting thanks of the tank crew. Every member of his battalion is also proud of his action in saving both human lives and valuable equipment. 

Cpl. Fred Harless Cited For Bravery, Beckley Post-Herald, Beckley, West Virginia, 15 March 1952, p. 9, column 1.

Friends of Friends Friday - Henry Harless Estate, 1857

"Alabama, Estate Files, 1830-1976," digital images, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org : accessed 27 September 2013), image copy, Sale of Negroes, dated 13 January 1857, Greene County Estate Files, Henry Harless #1316

An Account of Sales of negro Slaves of the Estate of Henry Harless, deceased, sold by attorney R. Davis the administrator on the 5th day of January AD 1857 upon a credit of twelve months -

Negro Bob to Tabius T Hill – for	$1730.00
[Negro] Jerry [to] Tabius T Hill [for]	$1700.00
[Negro] Georgiana [to] Mary M Harless [for]	$1000.00
[Negro] Fanny [to] D. T. Harless [for]	$240.00
	$4670.00

Subscribed and sworn to this 13th day of January 1857 Before me N C Oliver judge.

A R Davis adm.

Friends of Friends Friday is a way to share “records of enslaved ancestors, whether they are your own ancestors or not…” I haven't come across very many mentions of slaves in my search for Harlesses and I like to think this is because so few Harlesses were slave owners, but the ones I do come across will be shared on Friends of Friends Fridays.

Wedding Wednesday - Marie Harless and Norman Brogan

The Charleston Gazette, Charleston, WV, 27 September 1940.

Almost 73 years ago, Marie Harless, the 17 year old daughter of Belva Lockwood Brown and Lightburn Bernie Harless, married Norman B. Brogan in Russell, Greenup County, Kentucky. I have often wondered if the couple chose to marry in Kentucky because Marie was under age to marry in West Virginia without parental consent.