Saturday Night Genealogy Fun: What Was Your Biggest Genealogy Wild Ancestor (Goose) Chase?

I'm sure everyone has had at least one wild goose chase that would qualify for tonight's Saturday Night Genealogy Fun challenge from Randy Seaver, right?

Come on, everybody, join in and accept the mission and execute it with precision.

1.  All genealogists are human, and most of us have made gone on wild ancestor (goose) chases in our genealogy research careers.  What was one of the wild ancestor chases in your research?  Explain the situation and how you (hopefully!) solved the puzzle.

2.  Tell us about your biggest genealogy wild ancestor (goose) chase in your own blog post, in a comment on this post, or in a Facebook post.  Please leave a link on this post if you write your own post.

I've written previously about my biggest wild ancestor chase.

Way back when I was 13 and started researching my family, my father, my aunt, and my grandfather told me that my great-great-grandmother was Kate Moore and treated her name as though it were her maiden name.  So that's what I wrote down and then began to look for.

I searched for a Kate/Katherine/Catherine Moore marrying a Sellers and having a son named Cornelius Elmer Sellers for years and couldn't find her.  I searched lists of marriages and other records with no success.

I even bought a book about the Moore family of Burlington County, New Jersey, because that's where my family was from.  I found a Catherine Sellers who married George W. Moore, but that didn't fit what I was told, which was Kate Moore marrying a Sellers.  I kept the book, though.

Not long after I had read the book and decided it didn't have the person I was looking for, I spoke for the first time with my grandfather's last surviving sibling, Aunt Betty, the baby of the family.  After warming up to me, she was giving me information about the family when I said something about her paternal grandmother, Kate Moore.  She responded, "Well, you know that Moore was her second husband."

Well, no, I didn't know that.

Aunt Betty explained that her father's father had died young and that her grandmother had remarried, to George W. Moore, a few years after that.  That's when she became Kate Moore.  And George and Kate had a son, Howard Evans Moore.

Whoops!  Time to restart all my research!

That conversation was on a Sunday.  The next day at work, we were having our staff meeting and talking about what we done over the weekend.  I was telling them about my talk with Aunt Betty when I suddenly remembered the book about the Moore family, which was still sitting in my van a month after I had read it.  I jumped up, ran down to the van, got the book, and ran back into the office.

I excitedly found that entry about Catherine Sellers marrying George W. Moore and looked to see if they had had any children.  Well, whaddaya know?  They had a son named . . . Howard Evans Moore!

So I accidentally had found Kate Moore after all.  Her maiden name, by the way, was Catherine Fox Owen.

The second half of the wild goose chase, however, came when I learned through DNA testing that my grandfather — and by extension my entire family line descended from him — was a Sellers through informal adoption.  Elmer Sellers was not the biological father of my grandfather; he had married my great-grandmother when my grandfather was seven months old and had raised him as his own.  All the research I had done on the Sellers family, back to Hans Georg Söller, born in 1615 in Weinheim, Baden, had been on my adoptive line.  Still my family, just not in the way I had originally thought.

I'm still working on that part of the puzzle.

Twelve Mothers

Cornelius Elmer Sellers, November 7, 1874–September 14, 1918

Laura May (Armstrong) and Cornelius Elmer Sellers

Today, September 14, 2018, is the 100th anniversary of the death of Cornelius Elmer Sellers, my great-grandfather.  None of his grandchildren knew him, because he died well before any of them was born.  This is some of the information I have learned about him through my research, none of which my family knew previously.

Elmer, as he was known, was born November 7, 1874 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the son of Cornelius Godshalk Sellers and Catherine Fox Owen.  His father died when he was 3 years old, and his mother remarried in 1882 in Mount Holly, New Jersey, to George W. Moore.  The family appears to have stayed in the Mount Holly area from that point on.

Cornelius and Catherine Sellers had three children who died young, and George and Catherine Moore had at least two children, only one of whom survived to adulthood.  Elmer's surviving sibling was Howard Evans Moore.

On November 7, 1903, Elmer married Laura May Armstrong and accepted her 7-month-old son, my grandfather Bertram Lynn Armstrong, and raised him as his own.  They went on to have eight additional children I have documented, three of whom lived to become adults.

Elmer was in the New Jersey National Guard.  In 1905, he received a service medal for five years' service, which was reported in the Trenton Times of March 20.  After five years, he was still only a private.

Elmer registered for the World War I draft on September 2, 1918, only two days before he passed away.

Elmer's occupation was listed as plumber on his 1903 marriage record, farmer in the 1915 New Jersey state census, and ship builder on his 1918 draft registration, but I have been told that the family was always poor and never really had any money.  When Elmer died, however, the funeral home costs were more than $100.  It took me a while to figure out where the money had come from — Elmer's mother had paid for the expenses.  She outlived him by five years.

Events in My Family Tree: May 22

After a few days with not very many events, this is a pretty busy day.

Births

Franklin Sellers, son of Cornelius Sellers and Rachel Kelly, was born May 22, 1830 in Doylestown, Bucks County, Pennsylvania.  He is my 1st cousin 4x removed.

Mary Ann Yost was born May 22, 1832 in Pennsylvania.  She was married to Henry S. Sellers, son of John Sellers and Mary Stifer/Schleifer, who is also my 1st cousin 4x removed.

William Lippincott Gaunt, son of Benjamin Franklin Gaunt and Mary A. Woolman, was born May 22, 1880 in Burlington, Burlington County, New Jersey.  He is my 3rd cousin 2x removed.

Walter Henry Hazelett was born May 22, 1909 in Fort Wayne, Allen County, Indiana.  He was married to Rachel Lovena Gaunt, daughter of Charles Jacob Gaunt and Clara Louise Rathert, who is my 5th cousin once removed.

Bertha May Gaunt, daughter of William Alvin Gaunt and Mamie B. Mitchell, was born May 22, 1914 in Kings County, California.  She is my 4th cousin 2x removed.

Mary Jane Lotter was born May 22, 1922 in Fort Wayne, Allen County, Indiana.  She was married to Edward Lee Gaunt, Jr., son of Edward Lee Gaunt and Ethyl Fay Davison, who is my 5th cousin once removed.

Jean Howard Moore, daughter of Howard Evans Moore and Edith E. Wells, was born May 23, 1924 in Mount Holly, Burlington County, New Jersey.  She is my 1st cousin 2x removed on my Sellers line through the Moores.

Anita Clarice Loveman was born May 22, 1926 in Burlington County, New Jersey.  She was married to my paternal grandfather, Bertram Lynn Sellers, and is the mother of my aunt Carol Sellers.

Gerald Robert Parker was born May 22, 1938 in New Jersey, probably in Burlington County.  He married Gloria Jean Allen, daughter of Clarence Allen and Agnes Viola Ledger, who is my 5th cousin on my Gauntt line through the Allens.

Robert Allen Dodge, son of Walter Garland Dodge and Lois Elizabeth Higgins, was born May 22, 1943 in Yuba City, Sutter County, California.  He is my 6th cousin on my Gauntt line through the Higginses.

Marriages

James Richard Suciu and Mary Jo Bonifas, daughter of Charles D. Bonifas and Janell Wilkinson, were married on May 22, 1971 in Fort Wayne, Allen County, Indiana.  Mary Jo is my 6th cousin once removed on my Gauntt line through the Bonifases.

Leonard Isaac Leven, son of David Leven and Esther Garfinkel, and Joanne Watt were married on May 22, 1979 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.  Leonard is my 3rd cousin once removed on my Meckler line through the Garfinkels.

David Bernard Garfield, son of Harry David Garfield (originally Garfinkel) and Susan Loffler, and Carole Michelle Solomon were married on May 22, 1994 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.  He is my 4th cousin on my Meckler line through the Garfinkels.

Deaths

Henry Sellers, son of Samuel Sellers and Elizabeth Barton, died May 22, 1906 at the age of 46 in Allen or Auglaize County, Ohio.  He is my 4th cousin 3x removed.

Elsie Robinson died May 22, 1918 at the age of about 78 in Dallas, Polk County, Oregon.  She was married to David Sellers, son of George Sellers and Eleanor Wallick, who is also my 4th cousin 3x removed.

Jessie Lenora Crisler, daughter of Wesley Crisler and Phoebe Emily Gaunt, died May 22, 1932 at the age of 47 in Kansas, probably in Sumner County.  She is my 4th cousin 2x removed via the Gaunts.

Selma Loretta Larsen died May 22, 2003 at the age of 83, probably in California.  She was marrid to Everett Elwin Gaunt, son of Walter Everett Gaunt and Norma Marguerite Prusso, who is another 4th cousin 2x removed.

Events in My Family Tree: March 9

This is another one of those days when many of the individuals are not related to me but were married to my relatives.  Every death for this date was a spouse of a relative.

Births

Sophia Bodder, daughter of Peter Bodder and Regina Ditor, was born March 9, 1762, probably in Pennsylvania.  She is my 4x-great-grandmother.

Joseph Gantt (originally Gaunt), son of Joseph Gaunt and Mary A. Lobaugh, was born March 9, 1796 in Pennsylvania, possibly in Perry County.  He is my 1st cousin 5x removed.

Joseph Sellers, son of John Leonard Sellers and Elizabeth Wenger, was born March 9, 1828 in Waynesboro, Franklin County, Pennsylvania.  He is my 3rd cousin 4x removed.

John L. Bauer was born March 9, 1907 in Trenton, Mercer County, New Jersey.  He was married to Elizabeth E. Moore, daughter of Howard Evans Moore and Edith E. Wells, who is my 1st cousin 2x removed on my Owen line through the Moores.

Dorothy A. Pollack, daughter of Isaac Pollack and Bessie Brainin, was born March 9, 1916 in Manhattan, New York County, New York.  She is also my 1st cousin 2x removed, but via the Brainins.

Arthur Levy, son of Charles Levy and Elaine Gordon, was born March 9, 1955 in Brooklyn, Kings County, New York.  He is my 2nd cousin once removed via the Gordons.

Sharon Mae Carter was born March 9, 1960.  She is my 5th cousin 2x removed on my Gauntt line.

Marriages

John Longanecker and Mary Mack, daughter of Jacob Mack and Nancy Moser, were married on March 9, 1841 in Pennsylvania.  Mary is my 2nd cousin 5x removed.

Charles S. Gaunt, son of Hananiah Selah Gaunt and Margaret S. Scott, and Susan A. Haines were married on March 9, 1912, probably in New Jersey.  Charles is my 1st cousin 3x removed.

Joel Rothwax and Ellen Beth Millstein, daughter of Irwin Millstein and Julia Baena, were married on March 9, 1974 in Connecticut.  Ellen is my 2nd cousin once removed on my Gordon line through the Millsteins.

Deaths

Elizabeth Kirby died March 9, 1869 at the age of 75, probably in New Jersey.  She was married to John Gaunt, son of Samuel Gaunt and Achsah Taylor, who is my 2nd cousin 5x removed.

Mary A. McGowan died March 9, 1878 at the age of 72, probably in Pennsylvania.  She was married to Joseph Gantt (see above under Births) and died on her husband's birthday.

John Bowker died March 9, 1910 at the age of about 79 in Trenton, Mercer County, New Jersey.  He was married to Louisa J. Armstrong, daughter of Joel Armstrong and Catherine Stackhouse, who is my 3rd-great-grandaunt.

Neil Bethell Sinclair died March 9, 1956 at the age of 70 in San Bernardino County, California.  He was married to Elizabeth A. Johnson, daughter of John Daniel Johnson and Elizabeth S. Atkinson, who is my 2nd cousin 3x removed on my Fox line through the Johnsons.

Joseph Henderson died March 9, 2014 at the age of 73 in Seneca, Oconee County, South Carolina.  He was the third husband of Carol Beth Sellers, daughter of Bertram Lynn Sellers, Sr. and Anita Clarice Loveman, who is my paternal aunt.

Events in My Family Tree: February 21

It's always sad to find the deaths of very young children, but less surprising somehow when they occur before the 20th century.

Births

Elizabeth Holsinger, daughter of David Holsinger and Lydia Mack, was born February 21, 1811, possibly in Franklin County, Pennsylvania.  She is my 2nd cousin 5x removed via the Macks.

Andrew L. Long, son of David Long and Margaret Mock, was born February 21, 1843 in Knox County, Ohio.  He is my 4th cousin 4x removed via the Mocks.

Mary Frances Sellers, daughter of Peter Franklin Sellers and Rachel Godshalk, was born February 21, 1853 in Norristown, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania.  She is my great-great-grandaunt.

Dorothy Simcox, daughter of Russell Simcox and Eleanor Malinda Eckman, was born February 21, 1925 in New Jersey, probably in Burlington County.  She is the 1st cousin once removed of my 1st cousin Albert Lore.

John Howard Bauer, son of John L. Bauer and Elizabeth E. Moore, was born February 21, 1941 in Mount Holly, Burlington County, New Jersey.  He is my 2nd cousin once removed on my Owen line through the Moores.

Abby Jennifer Bernstein was born February 21, 1968 in New York.  She is my 2nd cousin once removed on my Gordon line.

Jordan Taylor Ortiz was born February 21, 1995 in Huntington, Suffolk County, New York.  He is my 3rd cousin on my Gordon line.

Deaths

Mary Kinsey died February 21, 1825 at the age of 56, probably in New Jersey.  She was married to John Gaunt, son of Joseph Gaunt and Elizabeth Borton, who is my 4th-great-granduncle.

Enoch A. Gaunt, son of Benjamin Selah Gaunt and Hannah Ann Peters, died February 21, 1849 at the age of 2 days, probably in New Jersey.  He is my 1st cousin 3x removed.

Catherine Fisher died February 21, 1877 at the age of 87 in Hainesport, Burlington County, New Jersey.  She was married to John Fox, son of Emanuel Fox and Anna Margarethe Mack, who is my 4th-great-grandfather.

Paul B. Lavin died February 21, 1964 at the age of 2 months, probably in Montclair County, New Jersey.  He is the second cousin of my half-sister Laurie Sellers.

Events in My Family Tree: February 17

It's very sad to see the two young Fuller children who died on the same day in 1882.  My guess is that they both died of the same cause, maybe some sort of illness.

Births

Enos Sellers, son of Abraham Sellers and Catharine Kulp, was born February 17, 1797 in Franconia, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania.  He is my 2nd cousin 5x removed.

Jeffrey Allen Gaunt, son of Robert Gaunt and Mary Evelyn Westbrooks, was born February 17, 1957.  He is my 6th cousin.

Heather Renee Wright was born February 17, 1975.  She is also my 6th cousin, coincidentally through my Gauntt line.

Jill Hunter was born February 17, 1981.  She is my 5th cousin 2x removed on my Gauntt line.

Jeremy Leal was born February 17, 1989, possibly in Canada.  He is my 4th cousin on my Meckler line.

Marriages

Victor Claude Palmer and Catherine Johnson Deacon, daughter of Benjamin Deacon and Sarah Fox Johnson, were married on February 17, 1909 in Mount Holly, Burlington County, New Jersey.  Catherine is my 2nd cousin 3x removed on my Fox line through the Johnsons.

Shane Freitag, son of Benny Freitag and Dobby Kushner, and Sharon Aizanman were married on February 17, 1985 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.  Shane is my 4th cousin on my Meckler line through the Kushners.

Deaths

Peter Sellers, son of Philip Henry Söller and Catharina, died February 17, 1820 at the age of about 83, possibly in Hilltown, Bucks County, Pennsylvania.  He is my 5th great-granduncle.

Elizabeth Schellenberger died February 17, 1845 at the age of about 51, probably in Pennsylvania.  She was married to Thomas Sellers, son of Samuel Sellers and Catharine Yost, who is my 1st cousin 5x removed.

Carrie L. Fuller, daughter of James H. Fuller and Lorina G. Tripp, died February 17, 1882 at the age of 5 in Stony Creek, Warren County, New York.  She is the 1st cousin 2x removed of my aunt Mary McStroul.

Eddie Fuller, son of James H. Fuller and Lorina G. Tripp, died February 17, 1882 at the age of 4 months in Stony Creek, Warren County, New York.  He is also a 1st cousin 2x removed of my aunt Mary McStroul.

Charles F. Gaunt, son of Daniel F. Gaunt and Mary E. Hancock, died February 17, 1935 at the age of 68 in Camden County, New Jersey.  He is my 3rd cousin 2x removed.

Charles S. Gaunt, son of Hananiah Selah Gaunt and Margaret S. Scott, died February 17, 1963 at the age of 76.  He is my 1st cousin 3x removed.

Esther Wells Moore, daughter of Howard Evans Moore and Edith E. Wells, died February 17, 1998 at the age of 79 in Belle Mead, Somerset County, New Jersey.  She is my 1st cousin 2x removed on my Owen line through the Moores.

Events in My Family Tree: February 3

I don't have many events for February 3, but one of them illustrates how extended the family is in my family tree program.  One of my Schneiderman cousins had a small treasure trove of telegrams sent for wedding wishes but didn't know how the people who sent them were related to him.  So I did some research, figured out the connections, and then entered everyone into my database so I could more easily share the information with him.  It's a somewhat convoluted path to describe how the first person listed under Deaths is connected to me.

Births

Nellie Elizabeth Sellers, daughter of Cornelius Elmer Sellers and Laura May Armstrong, was born February 3, 1912 in Mount Holly, Burlington County, New Jersey.  She is my grandaunt.

Herbert Kanovsky was born February 3, 1931 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.  He was married to Evelyn Golub, daughter of Harry Golub (originally Golubchik) and Dora Sorin, who is my 3rd cousin once removed on my Meckler line through the Golubchiks.

Hans Joachim Rocke was born February 3, 1939 in Wuppertal, Rhine Province, West Germany.  He was married to Yedida Marcia Amine, daughter of Moshe Amine and Florence Meckler, who is my 1st cousin once removed via the Mecklers.

Coulette Moore was born February 3, 1963 in Mount Holly, Burlington County, New Jersey.  She is my 2nd cousin once removed through my Fox line.

Amy Ann Bennett was born February 3, 1975.  She is my 7th cousin once removed through my Sellers line.

Deaths

Sarah Maurion died February 3, 1964 at the age of about 80 in St. Joseph, Buchanan County, Missouri.  She was the second wife of Frank Owstrach, whose first wife was Eva Petranovsky.  Eva's sister was Annie Rachel Petranovsky, who was married to Sam Schneiderman, son of Joine Schneiderman and Anna Ida.  Sam is my great-great-granduncle, brother of my great-great-grandmother Esther Leah Schneiderman Gorodetsky.

William Kester Allen, son of Cyrus Kunze Allen, Jr. and Clara Barton Shinn, died February 1968 at the age of 60.  He is my 4th cousin once removed on my Gauntt line through the Allens.

Abbie Walton Sellers, daughter of Elmer Ferguson Sellers and Minnie B. Frey, died February 3, 1984 at the age of 87.  She is my 5th cousin 2x removed.

Dorthea Virginia Lynch died February 3, 1994 at the age of 74 in Wabash, Wabash County, Indiana.  She was married to Charles Robert Clark, son of Oren Wilson Clark and Anna Gaunt, who is my 4th cousin 2x removed via the Gaunts.

Events in My Family Tree: January 3

I found a surprising number of births in my database for January 3.  I was happy to see that one of the marriages for this date was that of my cousin Janis, with whom I share kind of the same name.

Births

William Sellers, son of Abrakuham Sellers and Catharine Kulp, was born January 3, 1814 in Franconia, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania.  He is my 2nd cousin 5x removed.

Lela Maud Easlick, daughter of Allen Severs Easlick and Mary E. Shemeley, was born January 3, 1892.  She is my 3rd cousin once removed on my Gauntt line through the Easlicks.

Ruth Irene Waybright was also born January 3, 1892.  She was married to Orlan Fay Gaunt, my 4th cousin 2x removed.

Paul Sayer Bowen, son of William H. Bowen and Catherine S. Dunn, was born January 3, 1905 in South Orange, Essex County, New Jersey.  He is the granduncle of my half-sister, Laurie Sellers.

Thomas W. Fowlie was also born January 3, 1905, possibly in New Jersey.  He was married to Esther Wells Moore, my 1st cousin 2x removed through my Sellers great-grandfather's half-brother.

Harry William Hudson, son of Harry J. Hudson and Irene Allen, was born January 3, 1936.  He is my 5th cousin on my Gauntt line through the Allens.

Elizabeth Giacomozzi was born January 3, 1941.  She was married to George Richard Hudson, another son of Harry J. Hudson and Irene Allen, and also my 5th cousin.

John Wickham was born January 3, 1965 and is the 3rd cousin of my sister Laurie.

Michelle Allen was born January 3, 1966 and is my 5th cousin 2x removed.

Edward Hunt was born January 3, 1970 and is also my 5th cousin 2x removed through the Allens and Gauntts.

Alexandra Gaunt was born January 3, 1972 and is my 6th cousin once removed.

Gwen Lynn Ellis was born January 3, 1977 and is my 2nd cousin once removed on my Gauntt line.

Jarrod Kushner was born January 3, 1993 and is my 4th cousin once removed on my Meckler line.

Marriages

Abraham Darstein and Maria Polly Rinker were married on January 3, 1815, possibly in Pennsylvania.  He is my 2nd cousin 5x removed on my Sellers line.

Henry Crawford and America Brooks were married on January 3, 1878 in Moscogee County, Georgia.  They are the great-great-grandparents of my not-quite-cousin Angela Williams.

Victor Gordon and Betty Lorraine Ellett were married on January 3, 1960 in Reno, Washoe County, Nevada.  Victor is my 1st cousin 2x removed through my maternal grandmother's father's line.

George Steven Monat and Janis Susan Brainin were married on January 3, 1988 in East Windsor, Hartford County, Connecticut.  Janis is my 2nd cousin once removed through my maternal grandmother's mother's line and is named after the same person I was.

Deaths

Thomas Clapshaw died January 3, 1846, probably in England.  He was married to Caroline Heath, the great-great-grandaunt of my aunt Mary McStroul.

Cora May Golden, daughter of John Golden and Caroline, died January 3, 1951, probably in New Jersey, at the age of about 72.  She was married to William Clarence Bowker, my 1st cousin 4x removed on my Armstrong line.

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun: Which Relative Gave You Family Information?

Jacquie Shattner is again the inspiration for the challenge in this week's Saturday Night Genealogy Fun from Randy Seaver.

Here is your assignment if you choose to play along (cue the Mission:  Impossible music, please!):

1) Was there a relative that was a big help in giving you family information?  Who and how was he/she helpful?

2)  Share your response in a comment on this blog post, in your own blog post (and provide a link in a comment on this post), or on Facebook or Google+.

This is one of those times when I knew immediately what my answer was to the week's challenge.  I had different helpful people for different sides of my family, however.

On my mother's side, she and my grandmother were the people who gave me the most help with family information.  I have written previously about hearing all kinds of family stories from them while I was growing up.  My mother was close to her family, and keeping up with how everyone was doing was normal.  She was also helpful with information for my father's family, often remembering more than he did.  As a little girl I already knew many names, dates, and places associated with my family.  When I was asked to create a family tree tracing my family back four generations as a junior high school assignment, I was well prepared.

In addition to my mother, the other person who helped a lot with information for my father's family was my grandfather's youngest sister, Betty.  I first spoke with her in 2000, which is when I learned she was still living.  She broke through my brick wall concerning my great-great-grandmother "Kate Moore" by letting me know that Moore was her second husband, not her maiden name, which was how it had been presented to me all those years ago when I had started my research.  Once I knew that, I was able to find records on Kate (born Catherine Fox Owen) and figure out who her parents were.  Aunt Betty also told me about my great-grandfather Elmer's half-brother from that second husband, and I did a lot of research on him.  (It isn't Aunt Betty's fault that I discovered my grandfather wasn't Elmer's biological son, so all that research was on my adoptive family.)  Without Aunt Betty I might still be stuck looking for a Kate Moore who married a Sellers.

She Was in the Book!

Catherine Fox Owen
Sellers Moore

I have been interested in my family history since I was very young, because my mother and grandmother always spoke about family members.  I grew up knowing names, relationships, birthdays, and anniversaries and hearing lots of stories.  But what really got me hooked was an assignment in junior high school to fill in a family tree back four generations.

I still have that purple mimeographed tree (that special smell is long gone, though).  I also have all the notes I made when I interviewed my relatives.  I knew a fair amount about my mother's side but not as much on my father's.  To learn more, I spoke with my dad, my aunt who lived nearby, and my grandfather.

One of the facts that everyone seemed to agree on at the time was that my grandfather's paternal grandmother was Kate Moore.  Everyone told me that.  So I dutifully wrote it down (no personal computers with family tree programs back in the mid-1970's) and began my search for her.

Over many years of searching I was not able to find a Kate or Katherine/Catherine Moore who married a Sellers and had a son named Cornelius Elmer, but I kept looking.  Sometime around 2000, I found a book on eBay about the Benjamin Moore family of Burlington County, New Jersey, the county in which the family lived for many decades.  It wasn't going for much money, so I figured I'd give it a shot.

The book arrived just before Labor Day weekend.  I was going to a convention in Los Angeles for the weekend and brought the book with me for "light reading."  I checked the index and found one mention of a Sellers, but it was for a Catherine Owen Sellers marrying someone named Moore, which didn't fit what I had been told.  In addition, there was no son named Cornelius Elmer.  I read through most of the rest of the book, which seemed well put together, but it didn't appear to be my family after all.  When I packed up to return home at the end of the convention I tossed the book into the van with everything else.

A month later, I discovered that one of my grandfather's sisters was still alive (you'd think someone in my family would have already mentioned this to me, wouldn't you?).  Of course, I immediately wanted to talk with her.  My aunt gave me Aunt Betty's phone number, and I settled in on a Sunday afternoon to call her.

When Aunt Betty answered, I introduced myself and told her I was the granddaughter of Bert (her brother) and that I wanted to talk to her about family history.  She sounded suspicious but said, "Tell me what you know," in a no-nonsense tone.  I ran through a quick overview of the information I had.  She started to warm up to me, so I figured I must have been reasonably accurate.  Then I mentioned that I had been told Kate Moore was the mother of Cornelius Elmer (Aunt Betty's father).  She said, "Well, you know that Moore was her second husband."

What??!

Aunt Betty proceeded to explain that Kate's first husband, Cornelius Elmer's father, had died young and that she had married George W. Moore a few years later.  That's how she became Kate Moore.  She also told me that George and Kate had a son, Howard Evans Moore.  Cornelius Elmer had loved his stepfather so much he named one of his own sons after him:  George Moore Sellers (who later was known as Dickie).

Wow!  That was certainly going to change my research.  I thanked Aunt Betty and wrapped up our call.  I went through my notes and made sure the scribbles were legible, then called my dad.  When I told him that Aunt Betty had been very short and matter-of-fact at the beginning of the call, he said, "Yeah, that's Aunt Betty, all right."  He also was surprised to hear about Kate Moore's second marriage.

The next morning I was telling someone about my conversation with Aunt Betty when I suddenly remembered the book I had read a month previously.  I jumped up and said, "I'll be right back!"  I ran out to my van, got the book (yes, it was still in the van a month later — don't ask), and ran back inside.  Lo and behold, when I looked again at that Catherine Owen Sellers, whom did she marry?  Why, George W. Moore, that's who.  And wouldn't you know, they had a son named . . . Howard Evans Moore!  So she was in the book after all!

In 2002 I made a special trip to Florida to meet Aunt Betty in person.  We had a great time and got along beautifully.  I'm really glad I was able to go when I did, because she passed away less than two years later.  Thanks for your help, Aunt Betty!  You are still in my thoughts.

My Many Mothers

Wordless Wednesday