Reconstructing Army Service Files - Available Records at the National Archives: Washington, D.C.

I have recently returned from my second trip to the National Archives in Washington, D.C., and I have completed the reconstruction of David Nemetzky's Army service record from the available records that are housed there. The records I have searched to reconstruct his Army service record are:

- Muster Rolls of Regular Army Organizations: 1784 - October 31, 1912 (NAID 654583)

- Enlistment Papers: 1798 - October 31, 1912 (NAID 300390)

- Records of Physical Examination of Recruits: 1864-1912 (NAID 655603)

- Carded Medical Records of the Regular Army: 1894-1912 (NAID 655639)

- Personal Papers: 1812-1912 (NAID 654713)

- Court Martial Case Files: 1894-1917 (NAID 5916762)

- Document Files: 1890-1917 (NAID 300367)

- Special Orders, including: Department of the East (1907-1909; NAID 620381); Western Department (1914-1918; NAID's 4734549 & 4734554); Department of the Gulf (1904-1906; NAID 4914507); Division of the Philippines (1912-1914; NAID 4713736); Fort Morgan, Alabama (1905; NAID 1122317); Fort Porter, New York (1907-1908; NAID 1079985); & Presidio of San Francisco, California (1915-1918; NAID 1089702). The National Archives did not have any Special Orders available for the Presidio of San Francisco for 1914. 

I was unable to locate Special Orders for Fort Barrancas, Florida for the year 1906 and Fort Riley, Kansas for the year 1908. The Special Orders for these specific years no longer exist.

Other Record Series I searched through included:

- Returns of the Hospital Corps: 1887-1911 (NAID 656634) This record series contains monthly returns for Hospital Corps personnel stationed primarily in the Philippines. However, I was able to locate David Nemetzky in the Monthly Returns for Company C, Hospital Corps (June - August 1909), and Camp of Instructions, Camp Fort Bliss Texas (August 1916 - February 1917). I was surprised to find that this series contained Returns through 1918.

- Descriptive Lists: 1901-1914 (NAID 12060449) This record series did not contain any information for David Nemetzky. It is likely that any information from this series may have been moved to his 201 File, which is presumed lost and destroyed in the 1973 National Personnel Records Center Fire.

Another record series, Retained Medical Cards: 1907-1919 (NAID 655652), is currently scheduled to be digitized by the National Archives. There is no estimated time of completion for digitization. Until it is digitized, it is unavailable for in-person research.

I have included the National Archives ID Number with each of the Record Series I searched. This is so you can locate each of these series in the National Archives Online Catalog, as well as find a detailed description of the records contained in each series. (https://catalog.archives.gov/advanced-search)

Muster Rolls of Regular Army Organizations: 1784 - October 31, 1912

This series is the most important series to research when reconstructing Army service records. The National Archives in Washington, D.C., houses the Muster Rolls through October 31, 1912. The Muster Rolls from November 1, 1912 and forward were escheated to the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis following the NPRC Fire in 1973. The Muster Rolls from November 1, 1912 through December 31, 1939 are presently digitized and available on Family Search. However, the muster rolls that are available online are taken from microfilm images that were completed in the 1950's, and the image quality of the microfilm images does vary greatly. Also, the original documents for the digitized muster rolls no longer exist.

The Muster Rolls that are housed in Washington, D.C., were recorded bi-monthly (at the end of the month for February, April, June, August, October & December of a given year). They are organized by unit (Cavalry, Coast Artillery, Infantry, etc.), and then by date. The Muster Rolls for the Hospital Corps are organized by State. The Muster Rolls for the Hospital Corps for detachment locations (Panama, Philippines, China, etc.) are organized by detachment number, which appear to have been assigned upon receipt of the Muster Roll by the Adjutant General's Office. 

There are also Muster Rolls for various training schools that are maintained separately from the other Army units. However, these muster rolls are organized by date. For David Nemetzky, he attended the School for Bakers and Cooks at Fort Riley Kansas between January and June of 1908. However, I only found two of the three Muster Rolls for him, as the Muster Roll for January & February of 1908 no longer exists. 

The Muster Rolls contain the following information on each soldier, including:

- Name (whether present or absent) of the Soldier 

- Rank and Enlistment Information

- Remarks about Soldier during the bi-monthly period

- When Soldier was last paid

The National Archives has a complete index of the Muster Rolls, which includes the exact location within the Archives, making a request to locate and research a specific muster roll very easy. 

Here is a link to the Muster Rolls I was able to find for David Nemetzky through October 31, 1912.

Enlistment Papers: 1798 - October 31, 1912

The Enlistment Papers are another important series to research when reconstructing Army service records. The National Archives in Washington, D.C., houses the Enlistment Papers through October 31, 1912. The Enlistment Papers contain two documents that were completed by the soldier upon their enlistment or reenlistment. The first document is the Enlistment Contract. The Enlistment Contract gives the name, age, occupation, place of birth, physical description, next-of-kin, and date and place of enlistment of the soldier.

The second document is the Descriptive and Assignment Card of the soldier. This card gives much of the same information that is on the enlistment contract. The Descriptive and Assignment Card also lists the unit where soldier was assigned to. Both the Enlistment Contract and the Descriptive and Assignment Card also indicate whether the soldier was previously discharged.

The Enlistment Papers after October 31, 1912 for David Nemetzky would have been in his 201 File located at the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis at the time of the NPRC Fire in 1973.

Here is a link to the Enlistment Papers I found for David Nemetzky through October 31, 1912.

Records of Physical Examination of Recruits: 1864-1912

The Records of Physical Examination of Recruits is yet another important series to research when reconstructing Army service records. The National Archives in Washington, D.C., houses the Records of Physical Examination of Recruits through 1912. The Records of Physical Examination of Recruits were completed at the same time as the Enlistment Papers for the soldier. 

As opposed to the Enlistment Papers, the Records of Physical Examination of Recruits lists the exact date of birth of the soldier. For David Nemetzky, his physical examination papers for 1904 list his date of birth as April 15, 1881. On his physical examination from 1907, he lists his date of birth as May 15, 1881. On his physical examinations from 1908 and 1911, he lists his date of birth as August 15, 1881. Each physical examination form also indicates his previous military service.

The Records of Physical Examination of Recruits also goes into greater detail regarding the soldier's parents, including whether both of his parents are living, his father's occupation (his father was a wine dealer), nationality (Russian), and also asks is any of his siblings are deceased. The physical examination from 1904 indicates that he had three brothers that are deceased. The physical examinations for 1907 and 1908 indicate that he had one sister who was deceased (I found the birth and death record for a sister, Rachel Nemetzky, in New York City in 1894). 

The Records of Physical Examination of Recruits also goes into detail about the physical condition of the soldier at the time of their enlistment (or reenlistment). The physical examinations for 1904, 1907 & 1908 go into detail regarding various aspects of his physical health. The physical examination from 1911 was completed on a different form, but asks for much of the same information as the previous forms. 

The Records of Physical Examination of Recruits after 1912 for David Nemetzky would have been in his 201 File located at the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis at the time of the NPRC Fire in 1973.

Here is a link to the Physical Examinations I found for David Nemetzky through October 31, 1912.

Carded Medical Records of the Regular Army: 1894-1912

The next series of records to research is the Carded Medical Records of the Regular Army. The Carded Medical Records of the Regular Army are also housed at the National Archives in Washington, D.C. This series are carded index records of medical treatment that the soldier received while serving in the Army. This series is organized by unit (Cavalry, Coast Artillery, Infantry, etc.), and then by last name. I located several Carded Medical Records for David Nemetzky. He suffered two fractured ribs by being kicked by a horse in March of 1904 while serving in the Cavalry (he was only 5'3", and had a difficult time learning to ride horses). Immediately after transferring to the Coast Artillery, he fell ill for several months with stomach, liver and intestinal pain, no doubt related to being kicked by a horse. While serving in the Infantry, he had an operation for hemorrhoids in early 1909. Finally, he was hospitalized at the Division Hospital in Manila, Philippines in 1912 for dengue. 

As mentioned earlier, there is another record series, Retained Medical Cards: 1907-1919, that is also housed at the National Archives in Washington, D.C. In my research, I found that he was hospitalized following an automobile accident in El Paso, Texas in 1916, and again at the General Hospital #2 at Fort McHenry, Maryland in October of 1919. It is likely that the medical cards for these admissions are in this series. This series is presently being digitized. When a record series is being digitized, it is unavailable for in-person research. There is currently no timeframe as to when these records will be available to the public. 

I also have copies of Carded Medical Records for David Nemetzky from Letterman General Hospital in San Francisco, California from 1921, 1922 & 1930, which are part of his Reconstructed File housed at the National Archives in St. Louis.

Here is a link to the Carded Medical Records of the Regular Army I found for David Nemetzky.

Personal Papers: 1812-1912

Another series to research at the National Archives in Washington, D.C., is the Personal Papers series. This series contains papers related to the soldier's military service, medical treatment, and other areas of the soldier's medical service. This series is organized by unit, and then by last name. For David Nemetzky, I found personal papers for him in the Coast Artillery and the Hospital Corps. I did not find anything in the Personal Papers for him in the Cavalry or the Infantry. For the Coast Artillery, I found his hospital treatment at Washington Barracks, D.C., including his medical chart. For the Hospital Corps, I found a descriptive list for him from 1909, and a hospital transfer card from 1912.

Here is a link to the Personal Papers I found for David Nemetzky through 1912.

Court Martial Case Files: 1894-1917

What military record would be complete without a court martial case? The Court Martial Case Files that are housed at the National Archives in Washington, D.C., are an important part of a soldier's military service file. They show the challenges of serving in the Army, and the importance of following and understanding orders. The National Archives has a complete index of the Court Martial Cases, which includes the exact location within the Archives, making a request to locate and research a specific Court Martial Case very easy. 

It should be pointed out that these Court Martial Case Files are for General Courts Martial. Summary Courts Martial records are included in the Descriptive Lists series. 

For David Nemetzky, records of two of the General Courts Martial he faced are housed at the National Archives in Washington, D.C. He faced a third General Court Martial in 1918. The record of this General Court Martial is housed at the National Archives in St. Louis. I have previously posted on the details of each of his General Courts Martial. 

His first General Court Martial was in July of 1904. He deserted the Army in April of 1904 after being repeatedly injured while learning to mount a horse during his time in the Cavalry. He was found guilty of desertion and sentenced to be dishonorably discharged. However, the General Court Martial board recommended clemency and that he be sentenced to two months imprisonment at hard labor. 

His second General Court Martial was in March of 1912. He was to travel on board the Army Transport Ship Logan from Manila, Philippine Islands to Tientsin, China in January of 1912. He boarded the Transport Ship, but failed to remain on board, and as a result, missed the boat to China (literally). He was found guilty of AWOL (absent without leave), and sentenced to two months imprisonment at hard labor.

The Court Martial Cases are transcripts of each of the General Courts Martial and include testimony of each of the witnesses called. They also include testimony of David Nemetzky and his explaining the circumstances of his committing each offense.

Here are links to the 1904 and 1912 Court Martial Case Files I found for David Nemetzky.

Document Files: 1890-1917

The Document Files are a series of correspondence files that are either from or regarding a soldier and his service. The index for this series is found on Family Search under the title: 'Index to General Correspondence of the Adjutant General's Office: 1890-1917'. The Index is organized alphabetically, with each index card containing an Index Number assigned by the Adjutant General's Office. 

The Document Files series is organized at the National Archives in Washington, D.C., by Index Number. Much of the correspondence is filed under the initial Index Number assigned by the Adjutant General's Office. For David Nemetzky, the initial Index Number for his Document Files is 902071. The initial correspondence is him requesting a transfer from the Cavalry to the Coast Artillery following his General Court Martial in 1904. Other correspondence for him includes reenlistment correspondence, transfer requests, and request for discharge by purchase. Even though each additional piece of correspondence was assigned an Index Number, many of these additional correspondence items are filed with the initial Index Number.

However, not all of the correspondence for him that is referenced in the Index is available. There are at several pieces of correspondence that deal with his reenlistments that no longer exist. The most important piece of correspondence that no longer exists is his promotion to Sergeant in 1916. This most likely would have been placed in his 201 file, which is considered destroyed and lost due to the NPRC Fire in 1973.

Here is a link to the Documents File that I found for David Nemetzky.

Special Orders

Special Orders were issued by different posts, stations, forts, departments and headquarters within the Army, from the War Department, to different geographical departments (Eastern Department, Western Department, Department of the Gulf. etc.), to the posts, forts and stations where a soldier served (Ft. Morgan, Alabama; Ft. Porter, New York; Presidio of San Francisco, etc.). 

If a soldier was being transferred to a different fort or post for duty, or if a soldier was being transferred to a different department within the Army (for example: transfer from Cavalry to Coast Artillery; or transfer from Infantry to Hospital Corps), then the Special Order would be issued by the geographical department where they were presently stationed. If a soldier was being assigned to a specific duty within the post where they were stationed, then that post would issue a Special Order. 

There are also General Court Martial Orders that were issued. These were issued by the geographic department where the General Court Martial was held. These Orders would provide a summary of the General Court Martial, as well as the results and how a sentence was to be carried out. For David Nemetzky, each General Court Martial also contains Orders on the General Court Martial, as well as orders on the sentence that was passed and how that sentence was to be carried out.

The Special Orders issued by the geographic departments contain an alphabetical index, making it easy to locate a Special Order for a soldier. The Special Orders issued by the different posts, stations and forts are not always indexed alphabetically. However, all Special Orders are kept in chronological order.  Special Orders were issued almost daily, and almost always there were several Special Orders issued every day. The remarks section for each soldier listed in the Muster Rolls contains references to the Special Orders that were issued for that particular soldier. I was able to locate several Special Orders for David Nemetzky for the following departments & posts:

- Department of the Gulf (1904 - 1906)

- Department of the East (1908-1909)

- Division of the Philippines (1912, 1914)

- Western Department (1914-1917)

- Fort Morgan, Alabama (1905)

- Fort Porter, New York (1907-1908)

- Presidio of San Francisco, California (1915-1916, 1918)

There are other Special Orders that are referenced for him in the Muster Rolls that I was unable to locate. These are Special Orders that would have been issued by posts where he was assigned (for example: Fort Barrancas, Florida in January, 1906, Fort Riley, Kansas in June, 1908, and Presidio of San Francisco for 1914). The National Archives was unable to locate these specific Special Orders, even though they have Special Orders for other years available from these specific places. There are Special Order for other posts, such as Fort Wadsworth, New York, that have not survived, and no longer exist.

Here is a link to the Special Orders that I found for David Nemetzky. 

As an explanation, the last two Special Orders for David Nemetzky in the link are from 1924. The first, from January, 1924, was contained in his Reconstructed Military File housed at the National Archives in St. Louis. The second, from March, 1924, is housed at the National Archives at College Park, Maryland (the National Archives at College Park, Maryland, houses the Special Orders that were issued during the 1920's and 1930's). I was able to obtain a copy of the second Special Order from 1924 because I had found the specific Special Order referenced in the Morning Reports Series that is available on fold3.com. 

Returns of the Hospital Corps: 1887-1911

This Series was an interesting one to go through. This Series of records is housed at the National Archives in Washington, D.C., and consists of 59 boxes. The index for this Series is found in the last box. The Series contains monthly returns from various posts, stations and forts where Hospital Corps personnel are stationed. Many of these returns are for posts that were overseas. Unlike the title suggests, this Series actually contains returns through 1918. This Series did contain two specific returns that were helpful in reconstructing the Army service file for David Nemetzky:

- Company C, Hospital Corps (June - August 1909)

- Casual Camp for Enlisted Men, Camp Fort Bliss, Texas (August 1916 - February 1917)

The Returns for Company C, Hospital Corps are a nice complement to the Muster Rolls for Company C. The Returns contain a monthly record of his activities while assigned to Company C, including showing that he was in training at Sharpsburg, Maryland, and showing that he went AWOL in early August of 1909. The Returns also indicate that he was sentenced to three days imprisonment for going AWOL, in addition to paying $5.00. The three days' imprisonment is not indicated in the Muster Rolls.

The Returns for the Casual Camp for Enlisted Men, Camp Fort Bliss, Texas, was quite a surprise to find. These Returns were actually recorded bi-monthly (except for February 1917), and contain the same notes as are found on the Muster Rolls. Finding the Return for February 1917 was an exceptionally nice find, as the Muster Roll for that same timeframe no longer exists.

Here are links to the Returns of the Hospital Corps for Company C, Hospital Corps and Casual Camp for Enlisted Men, Camp Fort Bliss, Texas that I found for David Nemetzky.

Descriptive Lists: 1901-1914

As I mentioned earlier, this record series did not contain any information for David Nemetzky. It is likely that any information from this series may have been placed in his 201 File, which is presumed lost and destroyed in the 1973 National Personnel Records Center Fire.

Conclusion

As indicated above, there are many available records at the National Archives in Washington, D.C., that can help reconstruct a soldier's service record. The staff at the National Archives are wonderful to work with, and are very helpful and professional. There resources to help locate these records, both online and in person, are very helpful in determining which records are available to research. The resources and staff have helped me tremendously in reconstructing the Army service record for David Nemetzky.

Probate Record for Frances Cleveland (Dodge) Nemetzky - Part II

Here is something I have been hoping to find for a very long time…and I found it this last week. I found the Probate Case for Frances Nemetzky thanks to the Sacramento Legal Press, which is available online at Newspapers.com. This is a newspaper that published legal notices for the Sacramento County Superior Court. My previous post talked about the legal notices that were published.

I received a copy of the Probate Case this week from the Sacramento County Superior Court. Reading through the case, I am surprised by how this case played out, and especially by how this case ended. The link to the copy of the probate case I received is here:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Rrv89BNvcTaqEUY7mFjxYvlsKatobOPl/view?usp=drive_link

Frances passed away on October 3, 1955 in Sacramento. Prior to her death, she was living with her sister, Ann (Dodge) Graham in the town of Broderick, a suburb of Sacramento. On October 17, 1955, Ann filed a Petition for Letters of Administration of Frances Nemetzky’s estate. Ann states in her Petition that where was no will, and none had been located, that the estate was valued at approximately $10,000, and that the next of kin and heirs at law were as follows: 

Ann Graham (Sister), residing at 520 5th Street, Broderick, California

Rachel Newitt (Sister), residing at 311 S. 9th St, Tacoma, Washington

William Morgan (Nephew – child of Clara Belle Morgan, deceased sister), residing at Wilkie, Saskatchewan

Mary Morgan McNab (Niece – child of Clara Belle Morgan, deceased sister), residing at Calgary, Alberta

Robert Dodge (Nephew – child of James Dodge, deceased brother), residing at 636 Davis Street, Rawlins, Wyoming

Alfred Dodge (Nephew – child of James Dodge, deceased brother), residing at 636 Davis Street, Rawlins, Wyoming 

As a side note, there was one brother, Dwight H. Dodge, who was still alive and living in Midland, Oregon, but all contact with and from him had been lost at this point for about 35 years. Another side note: William Morgan was living in Lloydminster, Saskatchewan; Alfred Dodge was living in Minot, North Dakota; and Robert Dodge was living in Clearfield, Utah. 

Ann’s Petition was granted on October 27, 1955, and she was appointed as Administratrix of her sister’s estate. The inventory of the estate was taken in early 1956 and consisted of the following: 

Real Property located in Marin County, California; valued at $500.00

Promissory Note dated January 1, 1952 executed by Warren David in the amount of $4,800.00; valued at $100.00

Promissory Note dated July 30, 1952 executed by Warren David in the amount of $6,250.00; valued at $100.00 

A separate case was filed by Ann Graham, as Administratrix of the Estate of Frances Nemetzky, against this Warren Davis. Judgment was entered for the Estate for the total amount of $16,857.84 (this included the principal amounts due, incurred interest, and attorney’s fees). However, there is no indication whether the judgment was ever collected. 

Ann also disclosed that she had paid an inheritance tax in the amount of $872.70 on money she claimed to have received from Frances before her passing. On the Report of Inheritance Tax Appraiser, Ann states the following: ‘That said decedent, prior to her death and in contemplation of her death, transferred to Ann Graham, sister, without valuable or adequate consideration, in money or moneys worth, the following described property and that said transfer was also made in lieu of the passing of said property by will or by the laws of succession: Bank accounts, in the sum of $20,626.42.’ 

The disclosure of this transfer of funds caught the attention of Ann’s sister, Rachel (Dodge) Newitt. In May of 1956, Rachel filed a Petition for Removal of Administratrix. In her petition, Rachel stated that the following were grounds for Ann to be removed as Administratrix: 

1. Rachel was a sister of the decedent, and the decedent did not have any surviving spouse or children.

2. That Ann failed to disclose the following property of the estate, including:

$20,626.42 was property of the decedent at the time of death,

Two diamond rings, valued at $600.00,

United States Savings Bonds, and

Various items of personal property.

3. Rachel states that the $20,626.46 was always the property of Frances and was solely entrusted to Ann for covering expenses of the decedent, and that the remaining balance was to be included in the estate. 

Ann filed her Answer on June 21, 1956, and denied these specific allegations. Trial was initially set for July of 1956. The trial was initially moved back to October of 1956. However, the trial was postposed through the remainder of 1956, and through 1957 and 1958 and into 1959. The last documents in this probate case are dated February 24, 1959, with trail on the Petition for Removal of Administratrix scheduled for April of 1959. This is where the Probate case ends…without any resolution or conclusion as to the Petition for Removal of Administratrix or a final accounting as to how the estate was disbursed. I reached out to the Sacrament County Court to ask if anything may have been missed in their providing the Probate case to me. I am currently waiting for a response. 

There is one part of the Probate case that does have a (partial) resolution. Ann disclosed that there was a parcel of property in Marin County, California that was in Frances’ name. In August of 1957, a Notice of Sale of Real Property was filed with the Court. The sale was held on September 23, 1957, and the property sold for $200. However, it isn’t known how or whether the funds from the sale of the property were disbursed. 

I do know that by 1959, Ann had left California and returned to Colorado Springs, where she had previously lived until 1942. Ann and her husband, Earl Graham, moved to Salt Lake City in 1942, and later to Broderick, California, where some of Earl Graham’s siblings lived. Ann would pass away in Colorado Springs in January of 1961. Rachel passed away in Tacoma in May of 1977.

It is possible (dad mentioned this to me) that the Probate case was resolved out of Court and the hearing ultimately dropped, which would explain why the Probate Case abruptly ends here. 

Probate Record for Frances Cleveland (Dodge) Nemetzky

I just found something this morning that I have been wondering about for a long time. I found on newspapers.com a newspaper titled Sacramento Legal Press. This newspaper was a weekly publication that gave notice of the court proceedings for the Superior Court in the County of Sacramento. In this newspaper, I found three references to the Probate case for my great-grandfather's sister, Frances Cleveland (Dodge) Nemetzky. She lived in San Francisco for many years, and owned and operated the Fogalsang's Pru-Nut Creams candy store there. She moved to the town of Broderick, California (a smalltown just outside Sacramento) in the early 1950's. Frances passed away on October 3, 1955 in Sacramento.

Soon after her death, a probate case was filed in Superior Court, County of Sacramento. Below is the first clipping I found this morning. 

This first clipping was published on October 21, 1955. A hearing was scheduled for October 27, 1955. This hearing would have been to appoint an administrator for her estate.

The second clipping I found was published on May 25, 1956. This would be for a hearing scheduled for May 29, 1956, requesting the removal of the administratrix (female administrator) of the estate. 

The third clipping I found was published on October 4, 1957. This would be for a hearing scheduled for October 11, 1957, regarding the sale of real estate that would have been in her name. 

A very long time ago, I found a letter that her sister, Rachel (Dodge) Newitt wrote to my grandpa in October 1957. This letter explained that their sister, Ann (Dodge) Graham, said nothing of Frances' death to anyone and took over her estate without anybody's knowledge. Once Rachel and the other family members found out what was going on, they hired an attorney to put a stop to Ann's handling of the estate. Rachel also explained in this letter that there was a will that spelled out what everyone was to receive. My grandpa, Robert Dodge, his brother, Alfred, as well as the children of their oldest sister, Clara Belle (Dodge) Morgan, Bill Morgan, and Mary (Morgan) McNab, were all to have received an inheritance from this will. I still have a copy of this letter.

As a side note, their oldest sister, Clara Belle (Dodge) Morgan, immigrated to Canada in 1911, and passed away in 1943. Another side note - they had a brother, Dwight Dodge, who was still alive and living in southern Oregon during this time, but all contact with him had been lost after he left Colorado in 1920.

The reason Ann would have been involved with Frances' estate in the first place was that Frances was living with her and her husband, Earl Graham, in Broderick, when Frances passed away. Ann and Earl Graham moved to Broderick in the late 1940's, following their move from Colorado Springs to Salt Lake City in 1942. They would return to Colorado Springs around 1958, shortly after this probate case was completed.

I am going to request a copy of this probate case from the Sacramento Superior Court. It will be interesting to see how this probate case played out. 

1924 Election for Justice of the Peace and Tiebreaker for N.T. Dodge

I just found the following article from The Salida Record dated January 9, 1925. In the 1924 election, Nathaniel T. Dodge ran for the office of Justice of the Peace in Buena Vista. There were two positions available, and he was one of three candidates running. He ran against James Garrahan and I.C. Terry. James Garrahan won the first position, and Nathaniel tied with I.C. Terry for the second position. The Salida Record reported on the tiebreaker as follows:

In the recounts of votes in the November election, it was found that a tie existed between N.T. Dodge and I.C. Terry, for the office of constable. The matter of choice has finally been made by the tossing of a coin which resulted in favor of Mr. Dodge. The following from Judge Charles L. Poston and Judge Charles F. Catlin, is explanatory: “As members of the Canvassing Board at the Recent General Election and at the request of Mr. F.A. Bromley, County Clerk and Recorder, we have this day determined the tie vote at the said election between you by throwing a silver dollar in the air three times, each of us choosing either heads or tail which resulted in favor of Mr. N.T. Dodge. This was done in the presence of Mayor W.S. Buchanan, Mr. F.A. Bromley, Mrs. Cora Davidson and Mrs. F.A. Bromley. We sincerely trust that this will prove satisfactory to each of you as we assure you it was done absolutely fairly and without any personal choice or desire.” Charles L. Catlin. Justice of the Peace.

Below is the published newspaper article. Even though the article says he was elected to the office of Constable, it should read Justice of the Peace. Nathaniel served in this elected position until January of 1926, when he resigned due to health issues. Following Nathaniel’s resignation, Mr. I.C. Terry was appointed to take his place. In my previous research, I found that Nathaniel had won the tiebreaker, but until now, I didn't know how he won the tiebreaker. This is such an interesting story from the life of my ancestor. How neat would it be to go back in time and watch this unfold.

Finding Original Forms in Genealogy Research

The goal of genealogy research is to find your family. You find your family in the records that you research. Whether those records are vital records, census records, family records, newspapers, directories, or other sources of information, each available record provides valuable information that not only identify those in your family, but can also help tell the story of their lives. One of the most important sources of information that is available are forms and applications that your ancestor has filled out themselves. This not only provides you with a tangible piece of information that they provided themselves, it also shows how much information they would have known, or were willing to share, about themselves and their family. Below are several different records that I have found that were completed and/or signed by several ancestors I have found over the years.

The first example is the U.S. Penitentiary Form for McNeil Island for Sherman E. Dodge (also known as F.E. Dodge). He signed this form on December 27, 1909, after being received at McNeil Island (sadly, there is no mugshot available for him, as many of the mugshots of the prisoners from this time have been lost). The form is double-sided, and contains information such as: his year and place of birth, his occupation, age, height, weight, and information on his father. Below is a copy of both pages of this form, which he signed.

He states that he was born in Gardiner, Maine in 1875. He worked as a Restaurant Man and Machinist. He was able to read and write. He states that his parents were living, and on the back identifies his father as N.T. Dodge, who resided as Buena Vista, Colorado, along with his mother, brothers & sisters His states that he is a widower. Through previous research, we know this information is incorrect. He was divorced from his wife in 1903. It is likely that he lied about this information as divorce was frowned upon at that time and would have added to his already questionable character as a prisoner.

The next example is the World War One Draft Card for John Edward Dodge from September 12, 1918. He gives his date of birth as January 28, 1882. He worked in Teaming, which meant that he worked with horses. He lists his parents as Nat Dodge and Fannie Dodge and states that they, as well as he, resided at Buena Vista, Colorado. Below is the front of the World War One Draft Card showing this information.

The next example (below) is from the marriage record between Goodwin O'Grady and Clara Belle (Dodge) Morgan from Saskatchewan, Canada from June of 1929. Clara lists her age as 40 (she would have been 45 in 1929). She stated that she was a widow (as her first husband had abandoned her and she did not know at that time that he was still alive). She lists her place of birth as Beuna Vista (Buena Vista, Colorado), with the place of birth being spelled out as it is commonly pronounced. She lists her father as Nathaniel Dodge and her mother as Fanny Stevens. Even though her name is spelled Clara Bell Morgan on the marriage record, she signed her name as Clara Belle Morgan.

The next example is the Social Security Application for Rachel Elizabeth (Dodge) Newitt from April 25, 1972. At the time Rachel applied for a Social Security Number, she was 85 years old. However, the information she provided is 100% accurate. She lists her date of birth as January 6, [18]87, and place of birth as Buena Vista, Colorado. She gives the complete names of her parents: Fannie Harris Stevens & Nathaniel Toothaker Dodge. As a side note, until I had a copy of this SSN Application, the spelling of her father's middle name was up to debate. The SSN Application is below.

The last example is the Application for Benefits for James Robert Dodge that was completed in 1923. This form was part of his VA Claims File, which I received in June of 2022. Out of the examples I have given, this one is the best example of information provided by an ancestor as this form was filled out by him. He lists information on himself, including date and place of birth (although his year of birth should be 1894 instead of 1893), information on his military service, and listing the names of his parents (N.T. Dodge and Fannie H. Dodge). The completed form (three pages) is shown below.

These are just some of the examples where ancestors have either completed forms or provided information for different forms to be completed, and signing that the information provided is true and correct. Finding any form that an ancestor has completed and signed is always a jewel of a find because it shows what information they have provided, or are willing to provide.

Annulment Case of Goodwin O’Grady and Clara Belle Morgan

After several months of waiting, I received a response from the King's Bench in Saskatchewan regarding my request for a copy of the annulment case for Goodwin O'Grady and Clara Belle Morgan. Before I talk about what I received from the Court, I want to mention a brief newspaper article I received from the Provincial Archives of Saskatchewan. This newspaper article (shown below) is from The Wilkie Press dated March 22, 1935.

The Wilkie Press: March 22, 1935 - Provincial Archives of Saskatchewan

This newspaper article states that when Clara married Goodwin O'Grady in 1929, she believed that her first husband, William J. Morgan (identified as J.W. Morgan) was deceased. The newspaper indicates that he was living in Ontario, but does not indicate how she found out that he was still alive. Clara had not heard from her husband since 1922 or 1923, according to the article. This corresponds to the timeframe when his homestead was foreclosed.

And now...my response from the King's Bench. Below is the ruling that I received. I will admit that I am disappointed in this response.

While the Court did verify the date of the annulment as March 19, 1935, my request for a copy of the annulment file was denied for the following reasons:

1. I already had considerable information concerning the parties. Prior to requesting a copy of the annulment case, I had located their marriage record, as well as a single newspaper article stating the reason for the annulment. However, I was also hoping to find out the circumstances (when and how) regarding how Clara found out her first husband, William Morgan, was still alive. This information was not provided by the Court, and was not disclosed in the newspaper articles that I found.

2. I explained that the parties are, and have been deceased fore more than 80 years, and this case is nearly 90 years old. The Court responded by explaining that 'Although the parties may now be deceased, family law files are confidential in nature as they often contain very sensitive and personal information. The passage of time does not alter the private nature of such information.' 

I will admit, I am disappointed, as well as dumbfounded, as to why the Court would make such a decision. While I understand that cases of this nature do contain sensitive information, the fact that all parties are now deceased should not prevent the release of such information when requested for genealogy research. In Canada, there is a 92-year wait for Census records to be released, which is understandable (it is a 72-year wait for U.S. Census records), as there is identifying information recorded in Census records. In addition, I have obtained copies of the 1940 National Registration Cards from Canada by providing proof of death for those individuals concerned. In the U.S., I have been able to obtain unredacted copies of Social Security Number applications by providing the requested proof of death. In addition, the cause and results of this case were published in the Saskatchewan newspapers (I have found two newspaper articles so far), making this matter very far from a private one. I wonder if providing copies of the death certificates (which I have, but did not provide) for Goodwin O'Grady and Clara Belle Morgan would have made a difference in their decision.

I do not believe that any privacy or confidential laws should remain in effect in perpetuity beyond the death of an individual. If such were the case for any historical or genealogical record, then genealogical research of any kind would be fruitless and in vain. If there is information that is recorded for an ancestor that is out there, access to that information, regardless of the source, should be granted for genealogical research. When that ancestor is deceased, if a proof of death is needed, I am happy to provide proof of death, as that should be sufficient proof that privacy/confidential rules are no longer in effect. If my descendants want to find information on me that may have been classified as confidential or private, they should be able to do so without facing the roadblock of privacy or confidentiality laws. This is a needless roadblock to successful genealogy research, as learning about your ancestors provides a better understanding of who you are, where you came from, and how your personal history fits in to the larger picture of history we are all here to learn from.

20th Century Phone Directories - Part 2

The last post looked at some of the 20th Century Phone Directories I found on the Library of Congress website for Colorado Springs, Colorado. This post will look at some of the 20th Century Phone Directories for San Francisco, California.

We will begin by looking at the phone directories for Berenice Newitt. After her retirement from the Army Nurse Corps in 1937, she lived in San Francisco. Below are the phone directories for Berenice Newitt for 1937 and 1938:

She lived at 2200 Francisco and her phone number was WEst-5908. As a side note, immediately below is the phone directory listing for her brother, Clarence Keith Newitt. In 1940, Berenice moved to Glendale, California. However, I did not find her in the phone directories for the Los Angeles area until 1951, which is shown below. This listing for Berenice remained the same through the 1950's. Her address was 820 S Maryland in Glendale, and her phone number was CItrus 3-7663.

In 1959, her phone number was shortened to CI 3-7663. In 1963, her phone number changed to 243-7663. Below are the phone directories for 1950 and 1963:

Berenice moved to 328 North Louise in Glendale. She was listed there in the available phone directories from 1967 through 1975. Below is the phone directory for Berenice from 1967.

As mentioned earlier, her brother Clarence Keith Newitt also lived in San Francisco. Below is the earliest phone directory I found for him in 1927. His address was 440 Masonic and his phone number was West-9254.

During the 1930's, Keith lived on Cotter Street; first on 245 Cotter Street, and then on 43 Cotter Street. Below are the phone directories for Keith from 1931 and 1937. Even though he moved down the street, he kept the same phone number: ELkridge-0201.

In 1945, he moved to 2965 24th Avenue in San Francisco, and his phone number changed to LOmbard-6-7543. He had this phone number until 1965, when it was updated to 566-7543. He would move from San Francisco after 1965, so that was the last phone directory entry I found for him. Below are the phone directories for Keith Newitt from 1945 and 1965.

Finally, we will look at Frances Nemetzky and Fogalsang's Pru-Nut Creams. Fogalsang's Pru-Nut Creams is first found in the 1927 phone directory, with the phone number of Franklin-369. This was updated to Franklin-0369. In 1937, the phone number was changed to TUxedo-0369. Fogalsang's Pru-Nut Creams was list listed in the phone directories in November of 1943. Below are the 1927 and 1937 phone directories for Fogalsang's Pru-Nut Creams.

As a side note, the Fogalsang candy box that I have has the TUxedo-0369 phone number listed on it, which means that the candy box was made between 1937 and 1943.

The residence at 59 Collins Street is listed under the name of David Nemetzky. The 1931 phone directory lists their phone number as WAlnut-2341. By 1936, their residence phone number changed to WEst-5281. Below are the 1931 and 1936 phone directories:

In 1946, they moved to 1234 39th Avenue. Their phone number changed to MOntrose-7499. The following year, their phone number was updated to MOntrose 4-7499. Frances is last listed in the San Francisco phone directories in 1953, when she moved to Broderick, California to live with her sister. Below are the 1946 and 1953 phone directories for David and Frances Nemetzky.

It is interesting to look through these old phone directories. They not only list their addresses and phone numbers, but also help pinpoint when my family lived at specific addresses and when they would have moved. It is also interesting to see how their phone numbers have evolved over the years, going from the word prefix to the seven digit phone numbers that we know and use.

20th Century Phone Directories - Part 1

I recently found the U.S. Telephone Directory Collection on the Library of Congress website. The web address is: https://www.loc.gov/collections/united-states-telephone-directory-collection/. This collection contains telephone directories from a number of cities and states covering a good portion of the 20th Century. I found telephone directories for San Francisco; Los Angeles; and Colorado Springs. I will start with the telephone directories from San Francisco.

I will start with the Pru-Nut Creams store on 669 Geary Street. The store opened at 669 Geary Street in March of 1925, having moved from 871 Geary Street. The first telephone directory on the website is November of 1927. The image below is taken from the September 1933 Directory.

The phone number that is listed is FRanklin-0369. To dial the number, one would use the first two letters from the word Franklin, and then the four digits following the word. The phone number for the store changed in 1937. The image below is taken from the November 1937 Directory.

The phone number changed to TUxedo-0369. The candy store remained open through 1943, as the candy store is last found in the November 1943 directory. The candy box I have has the TUxedo-0369 phone number on it, which means that the candy box I have is between 80 and 86 years old.

Staying in San Francisco, we will now look at the telephone directories for David & Frances Nemetzky. They are first found in the August 1931 Telephone Directory. The phone directory for August 1931 is below.

Their phone number is WAlnut-2341. They are next found in the March 1936 Telephone Directory (the are not listed in the available directories for 1933-1935). By this time, their phone number had changed. The 1936 Telephone Directory is below.

Their phone number changed to WEst-5281. They would have the same phone number until 1946, when they moved to a different part of San Francisco. The November 1946 Telephone Directory is shown below.

With moving to a different address, their phone number once again changed, this time to MOntrose-7499. In 1947, an additional number was added. The August 1947 phone directory is shown below.

The phone number was now MOntrose 4-7499, which is the precursor to the seven digit phone number that would be implemented during the 1960's. Although David Nemetzky passed away in 1947, his wife continued to live in San Francisco through 1953, as she is last found in the July 1953 Telephone Directory.

The next post will look at additional telephone directories in California.