James McKeddie Mystery

[shellyesq]

You're welcome!  There should be something out there.

Regarding Andrew & Elizabeth's son Thomas, I think this is his WWII draft registration card, as it gives a birthplace of Newburg, NY:  https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F3FD-BMJ

Considering his wife's name on there, this may be him in 1910 - https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MP1S-3P5

The 1920 census shows him with a son named after his father:  https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MJT3-NM4

Based on his birthdate on the draft registration card, his Social Security claim indicated that Thomas died 4 Aug. 1949.

[shellyesq]

Looking more closely at the 1900 census, it looks like Andrew & Libbie had only been married for 2 years and she had no children, so it seems like the children were not hers.  Too bad, because I figured maybe her maiden name would show up in the children's records. 

This looks like Andrew & family in 1880 - https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MZXT-QDN  A possible marriage record for son William gives his mother's name as Agnes Black.  https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:24Z6-9R1

[bonniej]

yes, i did note that they were only married 2 years in 1900, that's why i'm so frustrated that I can't find their marriage anywhere...!  I thought her death records would also show her maiden name, but no luck there either.  I can't find them even on the death index that you mention, no graves that I can find...  I think she went by Lizzie, but I'm not sure why my Grampa called her Jessie, I'm thinking that this must have been transcription errors based on his VERY thick Scottish accent!

[shellyesq]

New York state death records from that time frame are not generally online.  The death certificate would need to be ordered from the town or the state.  From what I hear, the town is usually faster.  The state charges $22 and usually takes over 6 months if you send it by mail.

If they married in Newburgh, which seems likely, there are not currently any records or indexes for those marriages online.  There is a group called Reclaim the Records that has filed suit to get an index for New York state, as explained here - https://www.reclaimtherecords.org/records-request/9/  They have been successful in a suit to get the NY state death index, so hopefully they will again.  The New York state death index can be viewed year-by-year here:  https://archive.org/details/nydeathindex or searched on Ancestry.com.

[bonniej]

thanks again, so the mystery continues!
Appreciate all of your help.  Will let you know if i ever figure this out!

[shellyesq]

I found a funeral notice for Andrew Rea at the bottom of the page here - https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=AyhHAAAAIBAJ&sjid=CjQNAAAAIBAJ&pg=1278%2C6813385  It said his funeral would be held at the United Presbyterian Church and internment at St. George's cemetery.

[bonniej]

interesting info, but my quest is for Lizzie Rae, I'm desperate for her maiden name!  It's such a mystery because I know all of my Grampa's direct aunts (or so I think!) and why would he be sending his army pay to her in 1917 - right after her husband died - this would indicate a rather close relationship I think...she's the right age to be a relative of his father, but everything states that she was born in New York which throws the entire search out of wack because his direct relatives are from Scotland...

[shellyesq]

Sometimes it helps to search out all the family members.  I thought she might have been buried with him, which could have led to further information there, but it looks like she wasn't.

I found an obituary for Elizabeth Rea in the Middletown Times Herald from 6 Nov. 1939. It said she was the oldest member of the Brick Reformed Church of Montgomery.  It says she was born in Montgomery to Henry and Susan Merle Lineburgh Smith.  Elizabeth was first married to Charles B. Couch in 1870 and he died 21 years later.  It says she married Andrew in 1898 and he was an elder of the United Presbyterian Church.  Internment would be at the family plot, Brick Church cemetery, Montgomery.  No survivors were mentioned one way or the other.

[shellyesq]

I think this is her parents' marriage - https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F6HP-LPK 

I found some Dutch Reformed church records that seem to list her parents' death
It looks like Susan is buried as Lineburgh - http://www.interment.net/data/us/ny/orange/germanreform/german_reform_amc.htm and Henry Smith appears to be the one who died in 1849 - http://www.interment.net/data/us/ny/orange/germanreform/german_reform_miz.htm