I heard a story recently which occurred on my father’s side of the family which happened in the late 1800s with my 2nd great grandfather and grandmother: Selestine & Isabelle (Fischer) Horney. It is a story of infidelity… or is it?
The story, as I heard it from my Aunt Helen, goes something like this…
My grandfather had an uncle that no one seemed to know where his grave was located. But my grandfather knew, and he showed my Aunt Helen. It was totally separate from the rest of the family. He seemed to be the black sheep of the family.
It seems that Selestine came to the United States before his wife; and when she later arrived, brought with her an infant son born in Germany. The child was younger than the time span when Selestine and Isabelle were last together. It turns out that this grand uncle, named Marcel, although the son of Isabelle Fischer was NOT the son of Selestine.
Selestine remained married to Isabelle and gave the boy his last name. He promised, however, that Marcel would receive no other inheritance.
So… there you have it! But… does it fit the documentation?
So let’s look at when Selestine came to America…
It turns out that he was born in February 1855/1856 in Alsace, France and he came to New Orleans on the ship John Merrick with his father, Nicolas, in January 1860. From there his family moved to Goliad, TX where they lived for 30 years. Sometime in the early 1900s the family moved to Emory, TX where he died in June 1929.
Now for a quick summary of Isabella’s journey to America…
Isabella was born in 1867 in Alsace, France and was still living in France in 1872. Now I haven’t yet found a passenger list with Isabella nor her family when they immigrated to America. However, depending on which U.S. Federal Census you believe, she immigrated between 1887 and 1890. The 1887 date is too early as you’ll see when we talk about her son’s birth in Europe. The earliest census of 1910 (to me would be more accurate since it documents the information closer in time to the actual event) has her immigrating in 1889. The next year she married Selestine. She moved with her husband to Emory, TX and died in March 1948.
Both are buries in Dunbar Cemetery in Emory, Rains, Texas, USA.
The Child in Question… Marcel
The bulk of the documentation found (Federal Census, WWII Draft Registration, Death Certificate) has Marcel being born in Jan 1888 in Germany. However, his WWI Draft Registration has him born in Jan 1889 in France. During the 1910 Federal Census, Marcel indicated he immigrated to the U.S. in 1890… (you have to love the inconsistencies of peoples’ memories). Regardless, I expect he, as an infant, came over with his mother.
Marcel and his wife’s tombstone just a few feet away from his parents.
An analysis of the dates…
Let’s look at the timeline:
1856 Selestine was born
1860 Selestine comes to America (about age 4).
1867 Isabelle was born
1888-1889 Marcel was born
1889-1890 Isabelle and Marcel come to America (about age 21 and 1 respectively)
1890 Selestine & Isabelle marry (about age 34 and 21 respectively)
I see no opportunity for infidelity in this situation since they were not yet married when Marcel was born. A history of the early Fischer family by Norma Lee Lauderdale simply states that Selestine and Isabelle had six children (Marcel is one of the six) and then goes on to say “Marcel born in Germany (before she married Selestine).”
So it is obvious that Marcel is NOT the biological son of Selestine since he and Isabelle hadn’t even met yet. What isn’t clear is the circumstances of Marcel’s birth. Was it casual sex or, heaven forbid, rape? Was she previously married? We don’t know and likely never will.
Back to the initial story
Did Isabelle cheat on Selestine? No.
Did Marcel get Selestine’s last name? Yes.
Did he get nothing else? I don’t know as I haven’t yet looked into the probate records.
Was he ostracized or kept from the rest of the family? I don’t think so since his grave is right there with all the other Horneys.
Moral of the Story
I love the stories I hear from my relatives concerning ancestors… there’s usually some truth in everything they say. Sometimes it even matches up with the documentation.
But you can’t just rely on people’s memories when doing genealogical research!
It’s been over two years since I blogged about my grandfather’s merchant marine history and the stories as his sons knew it. Mostly I’ve been waiting until I was able to make it to San Francisco to be able to view some records for the ships that he was stationed on. Today I made that trip! Today begins the “rest of the story” as Paul Harvey used to say.
Now the stories heard and retold will have some basis of truth proven or disproven. And some of the stories remembered are grandpa stretching the truth – he was known to be a good story teller!
Before I get to that… where is this information coming from? The short answer – the National Archives and Records Administration – specifically records found at the National Archives at San Francisco, CA which has the original log books for the ships we know my grandfather to be stationed aboard and the training records from the Merchant Marine training center. A couple years ago the researchers at the National Archives sent me grandpa’s training service record. Today I made the trip to view the original log books of his three known ships:
It is suspected that he was on another ship; but, without knowing the name, to find proof about this would require reading every ship’s log books. To say the least, that’d be difficult.
So, what have I found?
Training Records
Starting with his training records… It appears that he started enrolling in the Merchant Marines on March 18, 1944 which took a couple weeks to complete. Apparently, this required his current employer to release him from their employment which they did.
Clifford Collins Released for Maritime Service
One thing family researchers need to be aware of is that we might find information that could be embarrassing or surprising. Other than grandpa being good at telling tall tales, I didn’t find anything negative in my research. I did, however, find some interesting facts that were unknown to me:
He didn’t graduate from high school; he completed two years.
He had a “color vision defect.”
Smoked about 15 cigarettes a day.
He was assigned to the U.S. Maritime Service Training School for Apprentice Seaman training in Avalon, CA about April 5, 1944. Then, on May 11, 1944 he was transferred to the US Maritime Graduate Station in San Francisco, CA as a Stewards Mate 2nd Class. (This is interesting since his background was in construction he was made a steward!) He was then transferred to his first duty on May 15, 1944 to the MV White Shoals (a sea-going tug).
Each ship was required to keep a log book.
Official Logbooks (which should not be confused with narrative-account logs) were required for all foreign voyages mandated by legislation enacted in 1872, and were occasionally filed for coastal voyages when a birth or death occurred during the voyage. These logbooks were submitted to the newly-created Office of Shipping Commissioners.
Much of the rest of the following information comes from these log books or war diaries that I’ve found on www.fold3.com.
MV White Shoals
MV White Shoals Log Book
It didn’t take long; but grandpa went to sea pretty quickly. He was stationed aboard the sea going tug MV White Shoals as a messman (cook) on the voyage from San Francisco between May 18 and August 8, 1944.
The White Shoals was part of a three-ship convoy that left the area on 18 May 1944 as noted in Northern California Western Sea Frontier war diary. The other two ships were another tug and the USS Vega (AK-17).
This was also recorded in Vega’s war diary of May 18, 1944 which indicates that the White Shoals was towing the USS Flint. There is no indication of what the USS Flint actually is. I expect it was the name of a barge or floating drydock. [EDIT: After further research, I found the USS Alkes’ war diary indicates the Flint was a concrete barge.] It makes no sense for them to be towing a ship that could make its own way. The convoy arrived in Eniwetok Atoll, Marshall Islands on June 16, 1944.
While at Eniwetok, the tug went through at least one general alarm due to enemy aircraft in the area. This occurred July 4. At some point, they travelled to Kwajalein.
Commander Service Squadron Ten’s war diary has the Shoals towing a barge YF-786 departing Kwajalein on July 10 and headed for Eniwetok Atoll with an ETA of July 13. They actually arrived July 15th.
From there the Shoals headed to Honolulu and arrived there on July 30th. Based upon the ship’s log book – they returned to San Francisco on August 8, 1944.
The White Shoals took part in a larger convoy starting August 21st pulling parts of the floating drydock. This corresponds to our family’s understanding of what grandpa did. However… based upon the CINCPAC’s war diary, the White Shoals was still enroute to the Manus Islands on August 31 and, according to the Manus Island Admiralty’s war diary, they didn’t arrive until October 4th. Another fact is that a letter written to him in August 1944 from my grandmother was returned due to him not being aboard.
SS Guatemala Victory
SS Guatemala Victory Log Book
At this point I seriously doubt grandpa was on the White Shoals while it was towing the dry dock. His name is on the roster of the SS Guatemala Victory starting on September 6th. On October 8, grandpa’s ship was part of a convoy designated as Task Unit 16.8.12 with three escorts (the escort commander was on the USS Sederstrom DE-31) and eleven ships being escorted. They arrived at Eniwetok Islands on October 17.
On October 19 they started out as Task Unit 16.14.2. This time they were headed to Ulithi Island. They were escorted by three destroyer escorts. The convoy commander was on grandpa’s ship.
This ship, it seems, decided to put grandpa’s skills to work. Instead of keeping him on as a steward, they made him the ship’s carpenter! This means that he likely had something to do with the necessary repairs of his ship when the LCT-999 put a small hole into the side of the Guatemala Victory when they were coming alongside sometime in November.
Another close call in November of 1944 occurred when a Japanese midget submarine sunk the USS Mississinewa (an oiler) while in the Ulithi harbor – the SAME harbor that the Guatemala Victory was in.
There are a lot of holes in the dates that I have for this ship. There isn’t much available, that I’ve found, on the specifics of where this ship went or what it carried while in the western Pacific Ocean.
This voyage ended on December 11, 1944. Unfortunately, I have no indication what grandpa might have been doing or where he may have gone for several months. My next piece of official paperwork trail starts May 4, 1945 on the SS. Bernardo Higgins. However, I also have a letter written from grandpa to grandma in January 1945 that indicates he was still on the Guatemala Victory. Guess I need to contact the people at the NARA again.
SS Bernardo O’Higgins
SS Bernardo O’Higgins Log Book
This ship’s master was a bit more verbose (or had a lot more things happening) so he had two volumes of logs: Volume 1 and Volume 2. Unfortunately, I have a difficult time finding anything concerning the Bernardo O’Higgins in the war diaries.
This voyage started on May 4, 1945 and Cliff Collins was placed as a carpenter on this ship as well.
This next story is interesting in that it is the basis of one of grandpa’s stories which isn’t quite the truth! Three weeks after departing San Francisco (on June 15, 1945 at 1330) grandpa “got a steel splinter in his eye while drilling a hole in a steel deck with an electric drill.” It didn’t get better by the next day but nothing could be seen in his eye. On June 18th he was sent ashore at Tacloban, Leyte, Philippine Islands where a splinter was removed and the eye treated. He was seen again in Manila on June 24, June 30, and July 5 at the 80th General Hospital. His vision had become impaired by a scar encroaching on his pupil. A medical report, however, stated his vision was improving satisfactorily. What we all thought was that his ship hit a mine and that’s how the metal got into his eye. That’s not how I read the log however 😊.
Another story we heard was that he was on a ship who was hit by another ship which sliced off the bow of this ship that he was on! Here’s the story in the log [items in bracket are my comments]…
9/5/45 – 1134 While vessel was at anchor off San Francisco due to intense fog she was rammed by the S.S. Burbank Victory. The ship’s bell of the S.S. Bernardo O’Higgins was being rung continually due to the condition of the weather. The ramming vessel hit this vessel along the starboard side causing #1 life raft to be torn from rack, #1 lifeboat torn off, #2 life boat severely punctured, bulwark & hull plating completely torn from after end of #1 hatch extending forward to carpenter’s shop [this was grandpa’s shop] and from main deck to tween[?] deck level. The colliding vessel with Captain Lauraas[?] as master was traveling at an excessive speed under the prevailing conditions of the weather giving her no chance to stop to avoid an accident within the limited range of visibility. Immediately after the collision bilges were sounded and found to be dry, whereupon the master of this vessel deemed the vessel to be safe but not seaworthy.
Although scary I’m sure – not the doom and gloom from my grandfather’s story!
So what’s next? Maybe I’ll put all of this together and send it in to get grandpa a DD-214 which means he’d be eligible to receive a military marker for his service in the merchant marines! Heh – dealing with the Department of Defense, Coast Guard and the Veteran’s Administration – won’t that be fun!
Well… Ancestry.com has really helped the masses find family and research their ancestors. And now that AncestryDNA is available, more people are jumping on the bandwagon as it were. And, since its “DNA” it has to be true. Unfortunately, many of these people are missing one major aspect: verification.
As a technical writing instructor at our local community college, I try to teach people to think logically and question everything. Somehow, I think this same skill set needs to be taught to new genealogists as well. All data should be verified!
One example is my 4th great-grandfather Isaac Shannon (I’ve mentioned him in a previous blog concerning his slave ownership). My AncestryDNA found a 4th-6th cousin of mine with Isaac Shannon also being this person’s 4th great-grandfather. This is a cool feature in that I can sometimes find new or missing information from other peoples’ research which saves me a LOT of time. Unfortunately, that is the problem with many people. They save the time; but don’t check the facts.
Here’s the basic facts of Isaac’s life as reported by many people using Ancestry: He was born about 1799 in Kentucky. He likely married Jemimah Black in about 1821 in Texas. And then he died during or after 1863 in either Texas (major consensus) or Illinois.
So how true is any of that?
Well, I believe the birth information is likely true. He (or someone who knew him at his residence) reported to the census takers in the Federal Census of 1850 and the 1860 Federal Census that he was born in Kentucky. Also the reported age was 51 and 61 years old respectively both of which point to his birth being in 1799. And I do believe the census information I’ve found corresponds to the correct Isaac Shannon (there were a few that I’ve found so far).
This Isaac Shannon was living in the expected county and state and was married to a person with the expected first name. Does this make the information absolutely true? Not necessarily – there could have been multiple Isaac Shannons each married to a woman named Jamimah all living in the same county in Arkansas! But that’s not very likely. So the information is as accurate as we can make it since they didn’t have birth certificates back then and no known Bible exists with the information in it.
The marriage information is less guaranteed in my opinion. The information comes from a “… unique collection of records … extracted from a variety of sources including family group sheets and electronic databases.” This means that the source is from unverifiable information. Not only that, but Isaac was born in Kentucky, and Jemimah was born in one of the Carolinas about 1804. Everything I have found has them living in Arkansas from at least 1821 (via tax records) to 1863. It’s possible, but I don’t see them both travelling from their birth states to Texas – find each other – get married – and then move to Arkansas in the same year. You gotta remember – any travelling would have been in horse drawn carts or the like. So, is the date accurate? Could be; but I’ve found no real proof. Is the location accurate? Who knows – I sure don’t.
Finally, the death of Isaac has two different locations and years. A prevailing number of Ancestry trees has him dying in Texas in 1865. Others have him dying in Illinois in 1863. The first is interesting in that the sources used to show that he died in 1865 in Texas are other peoples’ Ancestry trees – which is to say – there is no proof.
The second death date was actually fun to disprove. If you search Ancestry for “Isaac Shannon” you will find all sorts of information. And, if you go to Fold3.com (a military records resource) and do the same search you will find even more information. I’ve found a minimum of three that were living during the Civil War era: a 60 year old man living in Arkansas, an 18 year old man in Texas, and a dead Union soldier with orphaned children in Indiana (who is clearly not my ancestor).
First off… there IS an Isaac Shannon that died of unknown causes as a prisoner of war at Camp Butler, Illinois in February 23, 1863 after being captured a month earlier. However, if someone were to ask questions – one of them might be “Why did an Arkansan join the Confederate Army in Texas?” Another question might be “Why is a 62 year old joining the Texas Cavalry?”
So I did a little more digging at Fold3.com (which is a subscription service). If we look at the 25th Texas Cavalry Isaac Shannon, we find out he was 18 years old when he joined (see the picture above)! He actually joined an infantry regiment that was later transformed into the cavalry regiment. This is obviously not my 60 year old Arkansan 4th great-grandfather.
So… did MY Isaac Shannon die in a prisoner of war camp in Illinois? I’m pretty sure the answer is “No.” However, one word of mouth story has reached me that he and his family did move to Texas for the duration of the war. If that is the case, then it must have happened after he signed the Bond of Obedience in Arkansas.
So when and where did he die? Well, the 1870 Federal Census has a J. Shannon (Jemimah?) living with a W. H. and Sarah Shannon (which just so happens to match William Henry – Isaac’s and Jemimah’s son’s initials) back living in Arkansas. There is no sign of Isaac Shannon in this census. So maybe the word of mouth fact of them moving to Texas to wait out the rest of the Civil War and the unproven statements that he died in Texas about 1865 are true? I honestly don’t know – but it’s a place to start searching for old newspapers, tombstones, and the like.
It’s been over two years since I 
Shannon's Genealogy 
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