Starting my Genealogy is intimidating?

Hi Peeps, and Happy New Year 2018!! I've joined a challenge for my genealogy that's called "52 weeks of 52 ancestors". Amy Johnson Crow came up with this challenge, gives you prompts for your 52 weeks, and... it's free. You can sign up anytime by clicking Here for the details.

Week #1  Start
I began my genealogical roller coaster ride in 1986, a year before my dad died, when I was 39 years old. I was never intimidated when I started, even though I didn't know how to go about such a thing.

About 3 years after I started I decided it might be a good idea to join a genealogical group in my town if there was one to be found. There was, Summit County Chapter of the Ohio Genealogical Society, and I joined. This allowed me to talk to people with the same interest and to learn how to actually start having successful researches.

I grew up hearing about the family of my mom's [Martha Ellen Renner Dailey] family through her and her mother, my grandmother, Nellie Ruth [Hitchcock] Renner. However, I had literally no knowledge of my dad's [Martin John Dailey] family. Now we lived with Grandma Dailey until she died when I was 12 years old, but she never talked about her family or my Grandfather's family.

I knew that Grandpa Dailey was Charles Dailey, and that he died when dad was a young boy. I also  knew that the name of my Grandpa Dailey's father was Joseph Dailey and his wife's name was Elizabeth, possibly Cowdrey or Corder.

The Dailey family moved from Chillicothe, Ross Co, Ohio to Akron, Summit Co, Ohio when my dad was about 3 yrs old, or around 1911. We would randomly make trips to Chillicothe to see some of dad's cousins but if they talked about the earlier generations I never knew about it.  Dad didn't have many memories of  my Grandpa since he was so young when Grandpa died. But he did say he would have to go to "Zimmerman's" bar to fetch his dad home from drinking, and that when he worked he was a carpenter. Sadly, that was the end of my knowledge about my Dailey ancestry.

I have been trying, off and on, since 1986 to find information on my Gr Grandfather's parents and family but still only have possibilities. I've fared a little better with [Philomena 'Minnie' Margaret Mathias Dailey] my Grandma Dailey... but that's for another day.

Well peeps, that's how I got started in the search for ancestors... and it continues today. Thanks for stopping by... and have a wonderful day. I welcome all comments.

#52ancestors

Grandma Minnie

I'd like to tell you some things about by Grandma Minnie (Philomena Margaret Mathias Dailey). Dad was the last of grandma's children to get married, and when he and Mom got married they moved in to grandma's house to take care of her. I grew up with grandma in the house, she died March 17, 1959 when I was 12, but I have to say I know very little of her.

Grandma Minnie in our kitchen in the 1950's

a. Grandma didn't say much unless it was important, but she had an expression for every occasion.

b. I don't ever remember Grandma talking about her side of the family other than her sister Lizzie and her brother Joseph.

c. I remember a friend of Grandma's, that I called Aunt Kate, would come and visit her every once in a while and they always had a good time.

It wasn't until I started researching the Mathias family that I found out most of my information. For example:

Grandma was born in 25 November 1874 and her mother Margaret Schuees Mathias died when she was a few months old.

Grandma was raised by her grandfather Joseph Mathias, her dad John Mathias' dad. So there's the question of why she didn't live with him. My dad later told me these two things.

Well, I discovered Grandma's mother did die in March 1875 when grandma was 4 months old. Her dad John did, in fact, remarry to a Mary Kelller who by chance, had a daughter from a previous marriage by the name of Kate Keller. This second marriage took place in May 1875. Kate was about the same age as grandma and her name, at the time I knew her, was Mrs Kate Bockwitz.

A photo of Aunt Kate Bockwitz on the left, and Grandma Minnie of the right.

I still haven't resolved why grandma lived with her grandfather Joseph. It wasn't unusual at that time for a widower to have family raise small children, However, her dad remarried right after his first wife Margaret's death so I'm at a loss for a reason. Maybe it had something to do with the Roman Catholic faith at that time. Maybe grandma's step-mom Mary Keller Mathias was a Protestant and her dad John married her anyway, outside the church. It must have been something, because when grandma's grandfather died all of his children, except grandma's dad, were given a 5th share of the estate. Grandma and her younger, minor siblings shared their father's 5th of the estate.

It just goes to show that for every question answered, three new questions arise needing answers.

Our Branch of the Tree

All of us “Dailey Cousins” are from one of the children born to Charles Dailey and Philomena ‘Minnie’ Margaret Mathias. As one can imagine the name Dailey can be found spelled many ways, and sometimes on the same document. My dad, Martin John Dailey, said he heard the family is of Irish and German ancestry. There is plenty of documentation of the German ancestry, but I have not found anything to support the Irish ancestry legend.

My dad, Martin, didn’t remember his dad Charles that well because he died when my dad was very young. From Census records I have found Charles, as well as his father Joseph, were Carriage Makers/Woodworkers. Long after my dad died my mom, Martha, showed me an old wooden box in the basement that was full of old wood working tools. Mom said dad told her they belonged to his dad.

Charles Dailey

Philomena "Minnie" Margaret Mathias Dailey

Philomena "Minnie" Margaret Mathias Dailey as most of us remember her.

Charles Dailey was born 10 April 1866 in Chillicothe, Ross County, Ohio to Joseph & Elizabeth Dailey. Minnie Mathias Dailey was born 25 November 1874 in Chillicothe, Ross County, Ohio to John and Margaret Mathias. Charles and Minnie were married in Chillicothe 15 May 1892 by Reverend J. C. Cupp. Together they had 6, possibly 7, children who were all born in Ross County, Ohio except the youngest who was born in Summit County, Ohio.

Children of Charles and Minnie Dailey

1 Albert Joseph Dailey

Born:  9 November 1892 in Chillicothe, Ross Co., Ohio

Died: 15 Apr 1931 in Barberton, Summit Co., Ohio

Legend has it that Albert had a twin who died at birth. I have not found anything to prove or disprove this legend.

            Married Ruth E Baughman

                        Barbara Dailey Rohrer

2 Herbert Anthony Dailey

born: 16 October 1894 in Chillicothe, Ross Co., Ohio

died: 15 Jan 1975 in Barberton, Summit Co., Ohio

            Married Vera Fern Gaugler

                        Virginia Dailey Bohm

                        Ruby Dailey Crispin

                        Edna Dailey Barnes

3 Charles Roland “Dick” Dailey

born: 16 June 1900 in Chillicothe, Ross Co., Ohio

died: 1 Sep 1970 in Ontario, Canada

            Married Anna Josephine Tompkins

                        Richard Dailey

                        Joanne Dailey Dowler

                        Gordon Dailey

4 Ernest Dailey

born: 17 March 1905 in Chillicothe, Ross Co., Ohio

died: 2 Aug 1958 in Akron, Summit Co., Ohio

            Married Edith Lila Wolfenbarger

                        Margaret Dailey Schoolcraft

5 Martin John Dailey

born: 5 May 1908 in Chillicothe, Ross Co., Ohio

died: 6 Mar 1987 in Barberton, Summit Co., Ohio

            Married Martha Ellen Renner

                        Marlene Dailey Travis Diefendorf

6 Margaret Philomena Dailey

born: 7 April 1913 in Kenmore, Summit Co., Ohio

died: 22 Jul 1936 in Akron, Summit Co., Ohio

Never married.