Plan of Action: Discovering William Preston Ford, Part I

The purpose of this post is to research my paternal great-grandfather, William Preston Ford. I know very little about him or where he came from. His parents have been a mystery. I am hoping that by writing down the bits of information I have, and coming up with a list of questions to guide me, that I can  to begin to unravel this mystery. 

This is the information I obtained during family interviews:

• William Preston FORD was married to Leona Frances SHARP before he married my great-grandmother, Sarah Elizabeth DODD. They had one son, George William Ford. Leona died 8 days after giving birth to George William.
• My grandmother, Ethel FORD, nee WICKLIFFE, stated that my grandfather was only about 12 years old when his dad, William Preston Ford died.
• She further stated that William Preston Ford was very young when his dad died. She stated that because my grandfather Arthur Elisha Ford, was one of the youngest children in the family, they never learned much about his father's side of the family.

Records I have uncovered previously:

The transcription:

Application and Affidavits 

       -for-

Marriage License

     No. 11

      issued

W.P. Foard Aug. 20, 1881

Mr. W.P. Foard

       -to-

Miss S.E. Dodd

__________________________

This paper must be returned to the office of

Recorder of Deeds before a license can be issued.

The source citation for this marriage record is:

Missouri, Marriage Records, 1805-2002, database and digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 08 Jun 2009), W.P. Foard entry, citing Missouri Marriage Records, Jefferson City, Missouri: Missouri State Archives. Microfilm.

Next, I found the 1900 Harris Township, Stone, Arkansas for William and Sarah.

The transcription for this 1900 Harris Township, Stone, Arkansas is as follows:

• William Ford, head, white male, date of birth - Jan 1854, 46 years old, married 19 years, born in Arkansas and both parents were born in Arkansas, farmer, can read, write, rents farmhouse.
• Sarah Ford, wife, white, female, Mar 1865, 35 years, married 19 years, mother of 7 children, 6 still living, born in Arkansas, both parents born in Arkansas, can read, write
• Thomas Ford, son, white, male, Feb 1882, 18 years, single, Arkansas, can read, write
• Mary Ford, daughter, white, female, Oct 1884, 15, single, Arkansas, can read, write
• Jesse Ford, son, white, male, Jan 1889, 11, single, Arkansas, can read, write
• Elisha, son, white, male, June 1894, 5, single, Arkansas
• Alice G., daughter, white, female, Jan 1900, 4/12, single, Arkansas

The citation for this 1900 Census is:

1900 Census, Stone County, Arkansas, population schedule, Harris, enumeration district 133,

page 9B, dwelling 154, family 157, William Ford household; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 07 Jan 2015); citing NARA microfilm publication T623 roll 77. 

According to this census, Sarah had 7 children, 6 still living, so who would be the 6th child?

 Is Sarah counting George William, her stepson, as her 6th child or was there another child born into the marriage living? That seems doubtful, due to the fact that Thomas, the oldest listed, is 18 and Sarah and William have been married for 19 years. Who was the 7th child?

The last piece of information is William Preston Ford's headstone.

The citation for this headstone is:

Find A Grave, Inc., Find A Grave.com, digital image, (http://www.findagrave.com : accessed 08 Jun 2009), photograph, “gravestone for W.P. Ford (04 May 1856 - 06 Nov 1908), Memorial No.18069442 , Records of Beech Grove Cemetery, Arkansas.” 

William Preston Ford's headstone in Beech Grove, Greene, Arkansas lists his date of birth as 04 May 1856, which contradicts the 1900 census.

In a review of all the information, I have developed a list of questions to guide my research.

1. When was William Preston Ford born? 04 May 1856 or Jan 1854?
2. Who are William Preston Ford's parents?
3. Were Leona Frances Sharp and William Preston Ford married? If so, where and when?
4. Where was William Preston Ford living at the time of George William's birth?
5. Where was William Preston Ford in the 1880 census?

My plan of action:

1. I will send off for the marriage records of William and Sarah to see if that holds any information.
2. I will look for marriage records of William Ford and Leona Frances Sharp.
3. I will search for William Ford in the 1880 census. He should be enumerated with either Leona or with George William, an infant.
4. I will search for death records on Leona Frances Sharp Ford.
5. Research the 1880, 1870, and 1860 census records to see other Ford families in the area that might be linked to William Preston Ford.

As I uncover information, I will post the news.

I hope you have found this post useful. Let me know what you think in the comments. I would love to hear from you.

Thanks,

The Genealogy Grandma

Tech Tip Tuesday: How to Add a Custom Fact in FTM 2012

I have had several people ask how to add the custom fact into Family Tree Maker, so I wanted to share the steps with you. I have FTM 2012, but it is probably similar in FTM 2014.

First, in the People Workspace, click on Customize View (at the bottom).

This brings up the Customize View screen. Down at the bottom click on New Custom Fact and then OK.

This gives you the Add Custom Fact screen. Under the Fact label, type in what you want: GoOver, Verified, Proved, etc. and check whether it is to be an individual fact or shared fact and what information you want to show: Date/Place, Description Only, etc. Then click OK.

This puts the new fact under Selected individual facts (or shared facts, if you chose it). Next, click OK.

It automatically adds it to your People Workspace.

I hope this helps. Thank you to all those who viewed my post.

Easter Memories

As I reflect upon this Easter Sunday, I can't help but remember those that have gone on before me. When I was young, my grandmother used to tell me wonderful stories of her childhood. She talked about growing up in church and living a "good life." She didn't just talk the talk, she walked the walk. Oh, she made mistakes, as we all do, but she loved God and was a faithful servant to Him. Of all the people I have known, I know she is in Heaven waiting for me.

I remember a conversation I had with my grandmother, back in the '80s. I thought she grew up Pentecostal, but she told me that she nor my grandfather had grown up Pentecostal. She had been Methodist and he was Lutheran, and when they got married they couldn't decide where to attend church. They compromised and joined the Pentecostal church. They raised their children in that faith and later, her grandchildren.

My fondest memory of Easter as a child, was my grandmother making pretty Easter dresses for my two sisters and me. We were close in age, and my grandmother would always make our dresses the same, with only one little thing different; maybe a little trim around the sleeves on one, around the hem on the other, and around the collar on the third. People would say we looked like triplets. I loved my new dress each year and it made me feel special.

Another memory I recall with fondness is the Easter egg hunts we had immediately following Easter church service. All the parents brought the boiled and dyed eggs to church and the Sunday school teachers usually hid them during the Church service. It was so fun to learn about Christ and Resurrection Sunday and then find the eggs that symbolized renewal and rebirth.

As I remember the Easters of my youth, I am filled with love. Love for my family, young and old, past and present. This Easter, I got the news that I am to be a grandmother again. This will be grandchild number nine and I am tickled pink! More love to go around.

(Not so) Wordless Wednesday - Clay Ford Visits Grandchildren

I'm posting old family photographs from my collection on Wednesdays, but they won't be wordless posts like others do. 

Here is one of my favorite images from my collection:

 This picture was taken in 1994. My dad, Clay Ford, is spending time with his grandsons, Terry and Elisha. He would always sing songs and play with them like he did with my sisters and me when we were little. His favorite song to sing was "And the Green Grass Grew All Around." He would sing it until he became out of breath. The boys would always beg for that song when he came for a visit.

(Not so) Wordless Wednesday - Clay Ford - Air Force, circa 1955

I'm posting old family photographs from my collection on Wednesdays, but they won't be wordless posts like others do - I simply am incapable of having a wordless post.

Here is one of my dad from my family collection:

I don't know much about this photo. Maybe some of you out there can help. My dad, Clay Ford, is on the left. This picture was taken about 1955-1957. Not sure where it was taken. Does anyone know who the two men are with him?