Maytor McKinley

This and that about my side of the Maytor H. McKinley clan.

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Location: Mount Holly, North Carolina, United States

Friday, August 25, 2006

The Pictures are Posted!

Please click here to get to my homepage. At the top of the home page are six links, and the last three are all related to the Family Tree Trip to the Midwest.

Thursday, August 17, 2006

Pictures

I sent the film in yesterday; it takes about a week. After I get back the CDs, I will be able to edit and choose the best. I will probably have more than one link. I'll describe each one so you can pick which one(s) you want to review.

Sunday, August 13, 2006

Sunday

Twins game. Enjoyable since it was indoors and it rained like crazy outside.

check back in about 10-14 days for a link to pictures.

Thanks!

Saturday, August 12, 2006

August 12 - Athens, WI and Minneapolis, MN

I was determined to actually spend a little time in an "open" Athens, so I drove back this morning and had lunch at the cafe that is normally closed on Mondays. I then drove around and took a couple of pictures. While refueling, a local lady came in with a box of t-shirts for the gas station to sell that were in celebration of the Athens World Fair (they obviously have a sense of humor). These were being sold in anticipation of this weekend's fair and Centennial celebration of the town's founding. The only problem is that the town, as stated on the shirt, was founded in 1904.

I heard on the radio that the president of Iran has created a new law that outlaws certain foreign words. Pizza is now elastic loaf; cabin is now small room. I imagine that "hut" will be coverd by "small room." Thus, whenever my wife wants to order a delivered pizza, we will know call Elastic Loaf Small Room. MMMMMM, yum!

Speaking of odd sounding things heard on the radio (and, no, I do not mean Air America), one d.j. in Houghton had a very thick "hot-dish" accent. He wondered "if Madonna had ever been on viagraphy." After about the third time, I figured out he was trying to say "Biography" as in the show on A&E. He wasn't trying to be funny, but he was. Actually a show called "Viagraphy" would probably sell.

Let me get out of the gutter. I am going to St. Boniface Catholic Church tonight for Mass. I thought I might as well stay with the ancestry theme and attend a church that was originally founded by German settlers.

Last point: the name of the restaurant I went to last night was The Pub at the Inn on Madeline Island. It really isn't a pub at all, and can be described as upscale. It also appears to have nice accomodations, and it is located right on Lake Superior, so you can swim as many people were doing last night (along with the ducks and some geese).

Friday, August 11, 2006

Friday, August 11

Through research I was able to find three relavent addresses in Ashland today and check them out. Pictures will be posted later.

1) Barney and Mary Hoppenyan's house at the corner of 12th and Main (Main used to be Second Street). There is a house there, but from the looks of it, I think it is probably not the original. It is exactly two blocks away from my dad's old house at the corner of Eleventh Avenue and Third Street.

2) The site of the first Funeral Home (Smith and Hoppenyan) which is kiddie corner from Our Lady of the Lake (St. Agnes) Catholic Church. That makes sense as S & H bought to the old building that the church used. It is a parking lot for a discount store (Dollars and Cents which used to be a Piggly Wiggly supermarket).

3) The final site was the Bardon Building on Main (formerly second) which was the site of a bank and the Bardon & Kellog Grain company. Edward Hoppenyan (Barney's son) was a clerk and later a driver for them. According to a local history book, the hall on the second floor was sometimes used for Mass prior to the construction of a more permanent church.

On a side note, I discovered that Edward was one of the founding officers of the local Knights of Columbus council that still exists today.

I went to Madeline Island and had dinner. It was an absolutely gorgeous day.

Thursday, August 10, 2006

Thursday, August 10

Not much to report today as it rained and the lake is choppy. Thus I did not make a return trip to the cemetery, play golf, nor go to Madeline Island.

I did, however, drive past my grandparents' old home in Marengo, where I chatted with my Uncle Gerry Meyer for about four hours. He is packing up and getting ready to leave. The house is for sale, but action is slow. He did provide me with a book that provides several generations of information about the Lange (Ida's side of the family) that traces the family back to East Prussia which is now in Poland. After I process all that information, I will add the pertinent information here.

Wednesday, August 09, 2006

August 9 - Day - Ashland, WI

Wednesday
After an uneventful drive from Hancock, I arrived in Ashland in the early afternoon, and headed directly to the cemeteries. After checking on the Meyer side, I drove to the Catholic Cemetery across the street.

I first stopped at the Hoppenyan monument that I had seen on my last trip. After some investigation, I realized that I was looking at the Edward J. section of the family (Barney's son). Buried there are his wife, Kathryn M., his son, James, and James' wife, Martha. There is also a grave for Ann Frances (1900-1923); she must be a daughter who has not shown up in previous research. James and Martha are the direct link, it appears, to the Hoppenyans who live in Duluth and other areas of Minnesota.

While checking on my grandmother's grave (Eleanore - MH's first wife) and that of her parents, I noticed in the next section over a "Sommers" monument. Thinking that coincidence in a small town was unlikely, I ventured over and found that this was the family plot of MH's second wife, Eleanor Lynn Sommers (although she is not buried there).

The Sommers' plot is the final resting place for Eleanor's parents Charles H. (1887 - 1973) and Emma (1885 - 1935), and there son Carl Robert (previously referred to in this blog as Robert, 1921 - 1987). Also in this section were the graves of Mary Collins (1899 - 1973) and John Collins (1900 - 1983). Given their location and the type of material used for their headstones, it appears that Mary is a daughter of Charles and Emma. I will research this point more at a later date.

Since I had not found Barney and Mary's plot, I decided to roam a bit. Eventually I saw their very large crucifix with the family name. At this plot, the following Hoppenyan's are buried: Bernhard "Barney" (1833 - 1914), Mary B. "Healy" (1844 - 1928), a previously undiscovered daughter, Frances (1884 - 1948), a previously undiscovered daughter Nellie (1882 - 1930); Nellie was marrie to John J. Gallagher (1880 - 1940) who is buried in this same section. John and Nellie appear to have had a sad life as there are three additional markers that appear to be the names of their children who either died as infants or early in life: Eleanor (1912), Bernardine (1914) and Ellen (1919). Also in this section is Barney's son, Bernard (no "h" in the first name, 1879 - 1948) and his wife, Alma M. (1888 - 1955).

Directly across the little road in the cemetery is the final resting place of more Hoppenyan's: Barney's son, Thomas B. (1869 - 1939) and his wife, Ann Edna (1872 - 1946).

I took several pictures, and will include them in a post after they are developed upon my return. This includes pictures of all of the grave markers so that those who are interested may select and download the ones of particular interest to them.

In case you ever want to visit these plots, the following is a list of the locations based on their proximity to "street" names in the cemetery:

1) McGeehan - the southeast corner of Second Street and St. Mark;

2) Sommers - Between St. Matthew and St. Luke on the south side of Second Street;

3) Barney and Mary Hoppenyan - the southeast corner of Second Street and St.Anthony; his son Thomas and wife Ann are directly across the road to the west;

4) Edward J. Hoppenyan (Barney's son) - is just west of First Street south of the main entrance; enter, make an immediate left and the site will be on your right before you get to St. Mark (I forgot to write down the cross street).

Tuesday, August 08, 2006

August 7 (p.m.) and August 8 - Keenewaw Peninsula, MI

AUGUST 7 - EVENING

After my post of yesterday, and since it stays light so late here this time of year, I decided to visit the Church of the Resurrection in Hancock to see if there were any visible traces of the gravesites of Kate Hoppenyan (who was MH's aunt if I am keeping this all straight in my head) and the graves of Maytor, Nellie and Belinda Healy, the first two being my great-great-great grandparents (thus MH's grandparents and his aunt who died in her twenties).

Had I paid closer attention to my own research I would have realized that the Diocese of Marquette made a poor decision in the early 1970s when it needed to consolidate parishes due to dwindling parishoners (I'm okay with that)... but they decided to eradicate the old St. Joseph's cemetery to build a new church, the Church of the Resurrection, on top of it! What relatives they could find were contacted so that they could move the remains if they so desired. The rest were left; their tombstones and plaques removed and buried in a trench at the present day site. The new church does not have a basement (gee, guess why!). There is, however, a plaque commemorating those who are buried there as well as a what appears to be a tombstone marker for the original parish priest who most likely was the parish priest of the Hoppenyans and Healys. I will post his name and a related pictures after I return home and have had a chance to develop the pics.

The new priest of the parish, who has only been there a month, was kind enough to show me around a bit after I rang the doorbell to the parish office/rectory. Actually, he initially just let me roam alone, but I guess curiosity got the best of him and he joined me a few minutes later. He had no clue as to who was buried there (in that he did not know of any individual's history although the church has a written record) so he was quite interested in the information that I was able to provide him. Keeping with the fine tradition of Catholic immigrants to the area, he is from INDIA!

I joked that "God didn't call you to the priesthood, he kidnapped you!" I'm not sure he understood me, but he was quite a pleasant fellow.

I spent the evening hours talking to some locals at the Downtowner Lounge which has a nice deck overlooking the drawbridge and canal.

AUGUST 8 - DAY

After a big sleep in and lunch, I went to the Quincy mine that overlooks the canal and Houghton and is located at the top of the hill in Hancock. This is the mine in which Maytor Healy worked. The census of 1870 and 1880 has him listed as working in the mine at the ages of 53 and 63 respectively. In 1880 his son, Maytor Jr., had joined him (he was 16 at the time of the census). From the tour guide, I learned that Maytor Jr. would have likely begun his lovely career in the mine at age 11 or 12. He would have been given a position working with transportation of copper ore within the mine because he was a miner's son, and he would have earned $1.00 a day for a ten hour shift. His father, as a miner, earned $2.00 per day. Additionally, depending on which level of the mine in which they worked, travel time could take an hour each way as the access to the levels in the early decades of the mine was by ladder. Additionally, lighting was minimal. When Maytor Healy, Sr. first started his "career" in the mine, he most likely worked with two other men with a single candle to guide them as they prepared the wall for blasting by drilling holes into it. By "drilling" I mean one guy held a big metal rod and the other two whacked at it with a sledgehammer. I was able to experience what it was like when the candle went out - TOTAL DARKNESS. Sr. and Jr. may have been fortunate enough to work when various lamps and power tools were introduced in later years, but at first in was all single candle power.

Being in that mine really caused the concept of what my direct ancestor had to ordeal in order to survive and raise a family to hit home. I cannot truly imagine what it would have been like to make the trip from Ireland (or Germany for that matter) to Canada and then to the U.P. to work in those dark wet, and likely hot (the lower levels reached temperatures of 90 degrees at about 1 and 1/4 mile down at level 90; at level 7 where the tour goes, it is a cool 43 degrees). God Bless him, and may his soul and the souls of all the faithful departed rest in peace.

I then ventured off to Copper harbor. I really had no clue that so many mines existed (and some, it appears, still do in an active fashion) in the U.P. Along the way I stopped in Calumet when I spied what turned out to be the spires of St. Paul the Apostle Church, originally St. Joseph's, church. Like in Hancock, the diocese was forced to close parishes as the population dwindled with the closing of the mines. I saw two other closed Catholic churches less than 1/4 to 3/4 of a mile away (depending one which one you drove to - I am guestimating the distance, but they were very close). In an act of stupidity and in the name of "a fresh unifying new start" the diocese renamed St. Joseph's in 1966 when it shut down the other churches. Brilliant move... the name "St. Joseph's" is engraved in big letters in stone over the main entrance.

Be that as it may, the church, especially the stained glass windows, are gorgeous. I will post pictures when I get home.

Copper Harbor is a small but beautiful little place. I had "lunch" at 4:00 p.m. at a German gausthaus called the Harbor Haus that was very German and un-German at the same time. Although the decorations and the outfits of the waitressess (I think I had the only one who was actually from Germany) are very German, the food is not. Only three items were authentic (I had the veiner schnitzel, and it was quite good); the rest of the items looked like they belonged on a California cusine menu. Part of me wishes that I had been an hour later as they were having prime rib... BISON prime rib. Ah, well, how authentic would that have been? At least I was able to have a Warsteiner (they had one German beer on tap - Spaten, which I prefer but was informed about after I had the Warsteiner). The history of the building is interesting, and I wish it was posted on their website. From what I remember from the luncheon placemat (they have linen for dinner) the building was the original U.S. government building from 1848 or so.

On the way back, I stopped in Phoenix, MI which was the home to yet another mine. About all that is left in the main town center are the ruins of the school building (and one or two others) and the original Catholic Church - the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary which, in keeping with the tradition of the area, was originally St. Mary's. My pictures will be posted in due course.

I also went to the bathroom at an Amoco station...Thankfully, no pictures were taken nor will be posted.

Monday, August 07, 2006

August 5th-7th; MN/WI/MI

August 5th

The plane trip on Northwest was relatively uneventful (I'll save you the details on the goofy family that sat near and around me). Upon arriving at the MSP airport we (meaning Teresa's grandmother, Karen, and I) by no baggage and no one to pick her up. The baggage arrived at the carousel an hour after we did, and no one ever did show up for Granny.

So poor Granny had to hoof it around the airport, take two elevators, a tram, and walk about 1/2 mile (or so it seemed) to the car rental area.

After I dropped off Granny in Blaine, MN at her friends house (now I know why she went! The Champions Tour was in town, and she was looking to bag a rich old pro golfer!), I hightailed it out of MN to WI. I made good time (making up for the lost 2:30), and got to Eau Claire in time to relax a bit. One comment about and to the government of Blaine: TWO STREETS (89th Avenue NE and Van Buren Avenue NE) INTERSECTING AND CREATING FOUR RIGHT ANGLES CANNOT, LOGICALLY, HAVE THE WORD "NORTHEAST" IN THE NAME!!!!!!

The hotel has a pub called O'Leary's. I should have been "leary." The pub/hotel was hosting a 10th year high school reunion, and a sort of combined bachelor and bachelorette party. Additionally, some cover band kicked off after 9:00, and it appears that O'Leary's is a bit of a hang out for locals as well.

The early part started off okay as I watched the Packers' Family night scrimmage on television.

Then things got weird. Not dangerous, just weird. I'll leave those details for private discussions, but you can probably create a good story in your head that is just as interesting and entertaining.

August 6

After a good sleep-in, I headed off for Mass at St. Mary's Catholic Church in neighboring Altoona. It was the first time that I had participated in a Latin Mass in person. I can understand why so many Catholics, even ones who cannot stand the trendiness of today's Church, do not want to go back to the old Rite as they may "feel" that they are not part of the praying of the Mass. However, given the abuses that are ever growing, especially in Los Angeles, I'll take the old Mass anyday. Even if they just convereted the old Mass into English and stopped fiddling around we would all be better off... okay, enough!

I then ventured off to Medford, WI for the night. Medford was almost closed. Not "Pecos closed" (for those of you who remember my TX adventure in 1990-1991), but it was the last day of the Taylor County Fair which is held in downtown Medford. So, almost all of the restaurants, and every bar, was closed. I guess in order to have a fair, very few people can actually work or the competition will shut the fair down.

August 7

I had planned on eating breakfast after about a 30 minute drive to the birthplace town of my mother, Sylvia. Silly me! The only restaurant in town that serves breakfast in Athens is closed on Monday's during the Summer (as posted on a sign in the window).

The town does, however, have a large WW II era tank in the park (thankfully pointed away from the local
Catholic Church and school).

Before I reached Athens, I saw an old Amish woman driving her horse and buggy. I also saw a pelican. I am not sure which surprised me more...

I then began my drive towards the U.P. hoping to find something to eat in Little Chicago. Little Chicago is too little to have food conveniently for sale. It is so little that the town sign doesn't even bother to tell me that it is unincorporated (which every other bump in the road "town" has in WI). It does, however, have an open Chrysler/Jeep/Dodge dealership.

I eventually found a Hardee's (Carl Jr.'s brother chain in the midwest).

I think the town that got my attention the most was Watersmeet, MI - Home of the Nimrods!. Now, really... shouldn't they change the name of that school's mascot? Now I know that orginally the term was a positive one, but its modern usage is usually one that calls into question one's intelligence.

Not too soon after that I passed another little sign that indicated I was now in the Easter Time Zone. This seemed to really rattle the driver of the minivan in front of me as he began to weave for about 1/4 of a mile.

So as to not forget late, I decided that I should change the clock in my car and on my watch...and I began to weave. I think I will change my watch and the car in the clock prior to departure on Wednesday.

I wandered a bit (by car) around Houghton and Hancock before checking into my hotel. I even drove around the campus and athltetic fields of Michigan Tech.

Tomorrow I will venture out a bit on foot to visit some sites that may have been of attraction to my ancestors.

Saturday, August 05, 2006

Beth Durner

My research on Beth Durner relies heavily on a submitted tree to Ancestry.com by some distant relative. If any of this information is factually incorrect please add a comment or e-mail me so that I can correct here and in my database.

Here goes!

Beth "Lulu" Durner was born on 24 October 1914 and passed away on 25 June 2005. I do not have a marraige date for her and MH. Beth and Maytor had two children: Mary Beth (20 April 1943) and William James (29 December 1945).

Beth's parents were James Durner and Virgie Elise Gentry. I have no information on the Durner side beyond that; however, on the Gentry side, Virgie's parents were John Martin Gentry and Mary Emeline Bussy of Arkansas. Virgie was one of 12 children.

John Martin was one of 13 children. His parents were Wesley William Gentry and Melvina Whited of Arkansas.

Wesley William Gentry was also one of 13 children. His parents were John Gentry and Priscilla Graham (originally of TN, but they apparently moved to AR). John was born in 1792 in Dandridge TN.

John was the oldest of seven children. His father, Martin, was born in VA in 1763, and his mother, Sarah was born in 1767 in either TN or NC.

Martin's parents were Robert Jentry and Judith Joyner. Robert was born in 1730 in Hanover, VA, and Judith was born in 1733 in Albermale, VA. Martin was one of nine known children.

Robert Jentry's parents were Nicholas Gentry and Mary Brooks. Nicholas was born 30 May 1697 in New Kent, VA; Mary was born about 1700 in Hanover, VA. Robert was one of 12 children. Well, sort of. Mary was Nicholas' fourth wife, and there were other children from the previous marriages that I have not included in the count.

Nicholas Gentry's parents were Nicholas Gentry and Lucy Cornelius. There were also multiple wives here as well, so the child count may be off. Nicholas (Sr. I guess) was born in 1655 in Essex England. Lucy waws born in 1660 In New Kent, VA.

Nicholas Sr.'s parents were Samuel Gentry and Margaret Draper. Once again, there are multiple wives involved. Samuel was 16 Dec 1627 in Thaxted, Great Dunmow, Essex, England. Margaret was born in 1627 in the same place.

Samuel's parents were Samuel Gentry (Sr.?) and Elizabeth Wade. Samuel Jr. was one of 12 children. Samuel Sr. was born in 1585 in Thaxted; Elizbeth was born 26 March 1587 in the same place.

Samuel Sr.'s parents were Simon Gentry and Alice Finch. Simon was born in 1549 in Lindsell, Essex England; Alice was born in the same place in 1533. Samuel was one of five children.

Simon's parents were John Gentry and Agnes (maiden name might be Lnu), and he was one of seven children. Each parent was born in Lindsell; John was born in 1510, while Agnes was born in 1514.

That's as far back as I can go on this particular line!

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