This was originally posted over at The Georgia Anna Project
The past two weeks have been pretty exciting, because I was able to send two photographs home to their families! The two photographs were originally posted nearly three years ago on my personal genealogy blog Digging Up Your Family.
The first photo found its way home thanks to Facebook. Vicky had decided to do a spur of the moment Google search for her husband’s great-aunt, and that led her straight to me.
Anna Eliza Topping was born on January 16, 1874 in Jackson, Pike County, Ohio to parents John Rufus Topping (1844-1914) and Emily M Hamm (1854-1907). She married Arthur Harrison Hosley on April 20, 1891 in Gallia County, Ohio. Together they had ten children. Anna Eliza Topping died on November 30, 1957 in Bowling Green, Wood County, Ohio, and she is buried in the Willow Cemetery, Oregon, Lucas County, Ohio.
I am so pleased that Vicky decided to search “one more time” (we all know how that goes, right?). After mailing off the photograph of of Anna Eliza Topping, I started thinking about Cleo Mericle Leatherman. Back in 2011, I had written (on Digging Up Your Family):
I actually had a few of people respond with information about the first one, Cleo Leatherman, and they appear to be related to her, however they don’t seem to want the photo, nor do they seem interested in seeing the other two photos.
Since then I have contacted a few other people, but never received a response. I had figured I would end up keeping the photograph of Cleo, framing her and adding her to my family portraits. I didn’t want to her to not be wanted. However, last week I did a quick search and found Cleo’s descendants!
(This contains corrections from the original post)
Cleo Fayette Mericle was born on September 22, 1887 in Paulding County, Ohio to parents Isaiah Mericle (1858-1929) and Mary C Gusler (1860-1949). She married Franklin Hiram “Frank” Leatherman (1887-1955) on June 21, 1908 in Van Wert County, Ohio. Together they had three children. Cleo Fayette Mericle died on September 12, 1969 in Sylvania, Lucas County, Ohio, and she is buried in the Fort Meigs Cemetery, Perrysburg, Wood County, Ohio.
My search for Cleo’s descendants led me to her son’s obituary. With Facebook, I hunted down, first, one of his daughters. Since Facebook sends all messages from unknown people to the “Other” folder (remember to check that folder, readers! You never know who might be trying to contact you!), I searched for a phone number. When I was unable to find her phone number, I conducted a search on another daughter and sent her a message (again, to the “Other” folder). Then I looked up her phone number, took a deep breath, and made a cold call. Carol was pleased to receive the photograph and immediately helped me figure out some information I had wrong (such as death dates for both Cleo and Frank, as well as Frank’s name). Carol also told me that her grandmother Cleo “made the best chicken and noodles EVER!”
I still have one photograph of the three that needs to find its way home.
I had written in 2011:
The last photo is another that the handwriting is kind of hard to read, but I believe it says Augusta and Mary Roake. Though I was unable to find a Mary Roake, I was able to find an Augusta Roake. A marriage record for a Ruth Edna Beale lists Augusta Roake and James M Beale as parents. If this is the correct Augusta Roake then she was born about 1870. She had at least three children with James M Beale: Marion A (or Marian or Marion), Ruth Edna and Coleridge L. I wish I could find Mary.
The photo was addressed to Mrs. JF Leatherman in Fort Jennings, Putnam County, Ohio. I believe this may have been Catherine “Kate” Huston (1870-1912) who was married to Joseph Frank Leatherman (1865-?)
Are Augusta and Mary in your family?
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