[or-roots] why I can't stay focused

[Leslie Chapman]

Okay; George Ross got me going with his letter, he mentioned his father was
born in Coos Bay and that is jut too close to home to not check out. I'm
thinking none of his surnames would show up in my family file though.

WRONG; first thing I try is Huntley and sure enough I have one Emily W.
Huntley in my family file, she married my cousin Phoebe's great grand uncle
John Fitzhugh as second wife in April of 1886. So I am looking in Census for
them in 1900 to get more of a clue who Emily's parents might be when my wife
asks me a question about one of the cousins in "The Highlights of a Lowlife"
the autobiography of the fellow who it is easiest to identify as MMM the
third.

I go to look at the family file to try and figure out who it is she is
asking about; I'm pretty sure it is either Evelyn or Anna Viola and I
stumble across another blank spot in my family file. Wisely I ignore it and
instead to try and solve the mystery turn to the "Letters to Grandma" book.
Eventually I conclude from Nina's further reading that in guess it was one
of two out of three I was wrong, Va mentions husband Jack who I am sure is
John Whyte and so I return my search for the Huntleys.

But I can't find John and Emily in the 1900 hundred census so I start
casting a wider net; and find another mystery, Melvin who is obviously part
of the relevant clan stumps me for a while until I discover he is Richard
Melvin Fitzhugh. I guess he didn't like being called Dick or something??

Oh and somewhere in there I wandered into the Hansen clan for a little bit,
I discovered great Uncle Jens on a page with a Fitzhugh in 1900 and checked
to see if I had him.

so the sum total of my evening's accomplishment is saving one George F
census I wasn't even looking for, so far I have had no luck finding John and
Emily as a married couple, no sign of Martha L. Turpin, his first wife, I do
find

Name Death Date County Certificate #
Fitzhugh, Emily  September 12, 1910 Marion 2966

That could be the person I am looking for, but she isn't in the 1910 Census
as near as I can tell and in fact the only one of Solomon's descendants I
can locate is George. By George he is always easy to find!!

Les C