Do you ever feel like you are on a wild goose chase when researching a suggested DNA ThruLine? In an effort to verify that Elizabeth Barr is a sister to Hannah Barr Ralston, I started researching one of the ThruLines going thru Elizabeth Barr.
The Ancestry hints for Elizabeth and her husband James Steel supported the family shown on FamilySearch. One of those hints was a death certificate for their daughter Margaret Garriott. Armed with the death certificate, I thought I could also locate an obituary.
Deaths
Margaret T. Garriott one of the pioneers of Hancock county, died at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Garriott, in Wilkinson, September 4, aged eighty-seven years, five months and four days. Funeral at residence Sunday at 2 p.m., Rev. Hufford officating. Interment in Simmons cemetery.
“Deaths,” The Hancock Democrat (Greenfield, Indiana), 20 September 1906, page8; digital images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : viewed online 19 February 2024).
Axtell & Condo.
Wilkinson, Ind.
Indiana Deaths
“Indiana Deaths,” The Indianapolis News (Indianapolis, IN), 15 September 1906, page 22; digital images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : viewed online 19 February 2024).
Greenfield, Ind., September 15 — Mrs. Margaret T. Garriott, a pioneer of this county is dead at Wilkinson. She was the widow of William L. Garriott, and was born in Ohio eighty-eight years ago. Two children survive, Henry Garriott and Mrs. Sarah Powers, of Wilkinson.
While the obituaries did not raise any red flags, the will I found in the papers did.
Will of Margaret Garriott
“Will of Margaret Garriott,” The Hancock Democrat (Greenfield, Indiana), 20 September 1906, page 1; digital images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : viewed online 19 February 2024).
The last will and testament of Margaret T. Garriott, of Brown township, was probated in open court Monday morning. After the payment of her just debts, if there be any, she bequeaths the residue of her estate both personal and real, as follows: To her son, Henry C. Garriott, one-half; the other half to the chidren and grandchidlren of her deceased daughter, Martha A. Woods, viz: Sarah A. Burk, John C. Woods and Pearle Gibbs, and to the children of Ollie Perin, deceased, viz: William Lindley, George Perin and Charles Percie, share and share alike, except the children of the said Ollie shall take the share of their mother as tenants in common and not each to share equally with the children of said Martha A. Woods, deceased. The will bears the date of August 7, 1903, and was witnessed by Horace A. Brewer and George H. Blakely. Charles O. Garriott is named as executor.
This will is fantastic in that it names grandchildren. Unfortunately, the will disagrees with the family shown on the Family Search tree for Margaret Garriott’s daughter, Martha.
The will idenfifies the following family members:
- Henry C. Garriott – son
- Martha A Woods – daughter
- Sarah A Burk – granddaughter
- John C. Woods – granddaughter
- Pearle Gibbs – granddaughter
- Ollie Perin — grandchild
- William Lindley — child of Ollie Perin
- George Perin – child of Ollie Perin
- Charles Percie — child of Ollie Perin
A search of Ancestry for Martha Garriott’s marriage record found one showing a marriage to William S. Wood in Hancock County, IN in 1864.
A search of the 1870 census for Hancock county shows the family of William S. Wood, including children Olive and Sarah.
A search for the family in the 1880 census turns up a slightly different family structure. Ollie Woods and Sadie Woods are identified as step-daughters and not daughters. The head of household is shown as Newton C. Woods instead of William Wood.
Another search of Indiana marriage records shows that Martha A. Wood married Newton C. Woods in 1879.
These two census recods and the accompanying marriage records helped me locate the grandchildren on the FamilySearch tree as the children of William S. Wood.
Now, I need to add the sources to the FamilySearch tree and connect the William S. Wood children to their mother, Martha Garriott.