The Graveyard Rabbit of the Runnells Iowa Area

Blogging Woeful Wednesday

2009-07-22T14:53:00.001-07:00

I've been horrible at posting lately....my apologies! Tis Renaissance Faire season, and I've been very busy vending at Faire.

Then, I injured my back and have been preoccupied by PAIN...

I will post on all my blogs SOON!!

Tombstone Tuesday

2009-03-31T09:18:00.001-07:00

Mary Elizabeth (Ferguson) Warren, my maternal gggGrandmother.
She is buried in Warren-Powers Cemetery, Adelphi, Polk, Iowa, where my mother is buried.
Mary's husband is William James Warren.

Wordless Wednesday

2009-03-04T10:57:00.001-07:00

My grandmother, Bernice Gazelle (Bullington) Halterman, born in Runnells, Iowa, with her son, Irvin Halterman (aka "Buddy") ca: 1940

Swan, Iowa is near Runnells, Iowa

Well, Now I Know Why I Have Pointy Ears! I Think I'll Move Back to Roan Inish.

2009-03-03T16:26:00.001-07:00

My great-great grandmother was a McDuffey. I'll bet she had little pointy ears, too!

My maternal geneology can be traced back to the Isle of Colonsay off the West coast of Scotland. My ancestors were the McPhies--which at one point in time governed the whole island.

The island of Colonsay lies in the Hebrides off the west coast of Scotland. Fifteen miles to the north lies the island of Mull; the eastern and southern horizons are bounded by the islands of Jura and Islay; and to the south west, just visible from a high point on a clear day, is the coast of Donegal in Ireland. To the west lies the Atlantic, with only the Du Hirteach lighthouse standing between Colonsay and Canada. Together with its semi-detatched neighbour Oransay, it forms an island group roughly ten miles long and two miles wide.With just over one hundred inhabitants and its nearest neighbouring community almost twenty miles distant, Colonsay constitutes one of the most remote communities in Britain.

Various families have governed Colonsay: the MacDonalds, the McPhies, the McNeills and the Strathconas.

McPhies,McPhee,MacPhee,McD

uffie,MacDuffie (Mc Duffey)---we're all related somehow.

The earliest form of the Macfie surname was Mac Dubhsithe or 'Son of the Dark One of Peace'. The People of Peace was the euphemism used to speak of those that lived under the hill - the Fairy Folk.

The name Macfie is also said to derive from its older version MacDuffie which is itself derived from the Gaelic Mac Dhuibh-Shith meaning 'Son of the Dark Fairy or Elf'. In ancient times, fairies were not the tiny, cute, winged creatures as they are now portrayed. In fact, the word "banshee" means simply 'woman fairy'. This stems from the tradition that the Macfies had been in touch with the fairy folk that lived under the hills and in many countries the remnants of the original bearers of the name have been conferred with mystic powers. In modern Gaelic this name is written as 'Maca'phi'. In 1164 Duibhshith was known to have been 'ferleighinn', or 'reader', at Iona when Malcolm lV was king. Mac means "son of". The "Ph" family was used in the regions of Lochaber, North and South Uist and Mull.

Tradition asserts that the Macfies/MacDuffies are descended from a Selkie or seal woman who cast off her fur to become a beautiful woman and marrying the first Macfie who hid her fur so that she could not return to the sea. Even in a country so steeped in mystery and mysticism as Scotland, you would be very hard pressed to find a clan whose roots are so dark and mysterious.

We are told by Dr. George F. Black in The Surnames of Scotland that the name Macfie is 'one of the oldest and most interesting personal names we possess'. Dr. Gillies adds in Place-names of Argyllshire that 'It is plan and concept go far away beyond those of even our old names'. The MacFies are also said to hail from Kenneth MacAlpine, King of Scots, although there is no recorded early history of this side of the clan. Based on the carvings found on MacFie tombstones the clan was made up of warriors and churchmen, the clan was also Royalist. A Clan presence in Lochaber, Galloway and on several other Hebridean islands is also evident from the earliest times.

The Clan founder could have been Murdoch, son of Fearchar Ruadh, son of Cormac; 1st Bishop of Dunkeld, who was probably a priest of the Celtic Catholic Church in the 12th century. Earle Douglas MacPhee's research points to the clan migrating to the island of Oronsay off the west coast of Scotland around the 10th to 12th centuries. The ancestral home of the Macfies is the island of Colonsay, a small island about 2 miles by 10 miles among the Inner Hebrides, off western Argyllshire. The clan's burial place was the island of Oronsay.

Well. Call it Roan Inish. I'll be there!

McPhie Tartan

Wordless Wednesday

2009-02-11T16:55:00.001-07:00

Grace and Glory: Jackson and Mary Phelps Blood

2009-02-10T12:03:00.000-07:00

Grace and Glory: Jackson and Mary Phelps Blood

The Blood and Phelps Families

2009-02-10T11:56:00.002-07:00

I'm always amazed at finding connections, and this time it really tickles me to find a connection with a fellow blogger and FaceBooker...Becky Jamison. Rather than tell the entire story here, I'll post the link to Becky's Blog: Grace and Glory and you can read it for yourselves. Mind you, read my comments at the end and you will see how our Blood and Phelps' families interconnected.

Even though Becky is not related to the Bloods 'by blood', and neither am I...we both have ancestors who are. My ancestor, who ended up in Runnells, Iowa, was Ada Belle Martin (sister to my great-grandmother, Iva Martin). Ada married Arthur Otis Blood.

To read Becky's story about these families, and our connection, go here:

Grace and Glory http://beckysgraceandglory.blogspot.com/2009/02/jackson-and-mary-phelps-blood.html

Tombstone Tuesday - Monument Artist in Iowa: Roy Dixon

2009-02-10T07:55:00.003-07:00

His site says: "The artwork on these stones was all done by hand using engraving tools, chisels and scribing tools. Hand etching is much more artistic and allows me to do things that can't be done with the laser. A simple way to put it would be... The laser is like a scanner and printer, while a hand etched monument is more like a painting."

Roy Dixon's Monument and Memorial Studio and Shops are Located at 1500 Osborn Street in Burlington, Iowa. You can view his site at: http://www.themonumentartist.com/index.html

Wordless Wednesday

2009-02-04T14:47:00.001-07:00

Iowa...still pulls at my heart(land) strings...

Tombstone Tuesday

2009-01-20T17:02:00.002-07:00

The Columbarian Wall in the Prescott National Cemetery where my father, Rex Hoover, Sr., is interred. He was in the U.S. Navy during WWII on the ship the U.S.S. Helena - in 7 major sea battles in the Pacific arena.

My father was also at Pearl Harbor, on the Helena, on December 7, 1941.

Thought I would post this on such an historic day (the inauguration of Barack Obama) as my father was one of "The Greatest Generations" and I have hope that his great-grandchildren will take up the torch and become another "Great Generation".

Wordless Wednesday

2009-01-14T08:18:00.005-07:00

Nancy Caroline Neal
daughter of Z Thomas Neal and Mary Polly Smith
wife of Anderson Martin (my second great-granduncle)
Nancy was born 29 Oct 1845 in Albany, Clinton, KY and died 11 Sep 1925 in Runnells, Polk, Iowa.
She was Cherokee, from the Old Settlers who left the Carolinas before the Trail of Tears.

Weekly Genealogy Blogging Prompt #1

2009-01-10T09:45:00.004-07:00

A series of blogging prompts, one a week. There will be a new prompt each Sunday.

Week #1: Upload your favorite picture and talk about it on your blog. Answer the who/what/when/where/why of the subject matter and explain why it is your favorite.

John Robert McDuffie, Jr., my 4th great-grandfather. John was born 25 Nov 1785 in Pennsylvania.

His father and mother, John, Sr. and Rachel Murlie, and their family, moved from Harrison County KY to Rush County Indiana in 1826.

John, Jr. married Sally S. Taylor in Kentucky. They both died in Rush County, Indiana.

Their son, John Bonaparte McDuffey and his wife, Nancy Ann Selby (aka Shelby) migrated to Runnells, Polk County, Iowa, through Christian County, Illinois.

The name McDuffey many times is spelled McDuffy or McDuffie depending on the various families. Since family members spelled the name differently the correct spelling from all of John Bonaparte's descendants is McDuffey.

The name is Irish and the ancestry is supposed to be traceable to Ireland.

TransylvanianDutch: How Genealogy Can Determine Your Age - 2009

2009-01-09T20:02:00.000-07:00

TransylvanianDutch: How Genealogy Can Determine Your Age - 2009

Wordless Wednesday

2009-01-07T10:22:00.003-07:00

My Grandmother, sister and brother

GRANNY KILLS CHICKENS!

2009-01-05T14:37:00.004-07:00

My little brother was terrified of our Granny.

The last memory he had of her was a visit to her little farm before we moved to Arizona. Brother was 4 years old.

As we pulled into the farm’s lane, we saw Granny…hair standing on end, wearing an apron, a knife in her hand and blood spattered all over her!

Granny, Iva Persilla Martin Bullington, was killing chickens that day, culling the flock and getting ready for a nice chicken dinner for her family who was coming to visit.

As Granny ran to greet us with wide open arms and bloody apron, my brother screamed at the top of his lungs and ran as fast and as far away from this grisly image as he could.

We older ones were all used to seeing Granny this way. She was as farm as farm gets. Living in rural Runnells, Iowa in Polk County since she was a girl, a little chicken blood never bothered her. Or us. Just brother. And it bothered him the rest of his life, leaving a lasting impression of our beloved Granny burned into his memory banks of a scary, ghastly killer come to get him - Aaack! - and she wanted to hug him!

My memory of that day was much more pleasant. I remember the fried chicken, cozy kitchen, and the long visit afterward sitting on the front porch.

The next time I saw my Granny, I was a grown woman with a son of my own and we all had five-generation pictures taken. Our Granny, her eldest daughter Bernice, Bernice's eldest daughter, Patsy (my mother), Patsy's eldest daughter, Cheryle (myself), and my eldest son, Michael (yes I 'blew it' - no eldest daughter!).

I would post that picture here, but my son has it. I'll have to ask him if I can borrow it someday.

Here's a picture of her:

My brother? He can’t even say the word “Granny” without remembering chicken blood and hair that stood on end in the wind, but MY Granny made the best fried chicken in the world.

Memories. They are what make us who we are.

The Martin Family of Christian County, Illinois

2008-12-21T20:08:00.004-07:00

The Martin family resided in Christian County, Illinois before moving to Runnells, Polk, Iowa.

Wilson Willis Martin was born Jul 1858 in ,Hawkins,TN. He died: Abt. 1929 in Runnells, Polk, Iowa. He married Martha Jane McDuffey on 17 Dec 1886 in Christian County, Illinois.

They had the following children:

Ada Belle Martin born: 18 Mar 1890 in ,Christian,Illinois. She died: 1986 in Iowa.
Ada Belle Martin married Arthur Otis Blood on 30 Oct 1905 in Runnells,Polk,Iowa.

Iva Persilla Martin is my great-grandmother. She was born: 30 Jan 1896 in ,Christian,Illinois and died on 07 Mar 1976 in Des Moines,Polk,Iowa.

IVA PERSILLA MARTIN

Iva Persilla married French Bullington in Iowa. These people are my direct ancestors.

FRENCH HAROLD BULLINGTON

Willis Wilson Martin's first wife, Martha McDuffey died in ,Polk, IA, USA on 29 Dec 1906.

Willis Wilson then married Martha's sister, Sarah Elizabeth McDuffey. Martha and Sarah's parents were John Boneparte McDuffey (whose father was John Robert McDuffey, Jr., shown in photo below) and Nancy Ann Selby. They were from Kentucky and Indiana, respectively, and both died in Runnells, Polk, Iowa.

Willis Wilson Martin and Sarah Elizabeth McDuffey had the following children:

Bert Albert Martin 15 Feb 1877
Charles Spindle Martin 19 Mar 1880
Anna Menerva Martin 21 Feb 1882
Bertha Rosella Martin 11 Mar 1884

These children were all born in ,Christian,Illinois

Sarah Elizabeth (McDuffey) Martin died 15 Sep 1885, leaving Willis with four small children, plus two from Martha.

Somehow, the younger children, by Sarah, were left in the care of the Kettlecamp family in Christian County, Illinois, while Willis Wilson took his two eldest children, Ada and Persilla, to Runnells, Polk, Iowa. One son, Bert Albert Martin, ended up in Runnells.

All of elder daughter, Ada (Martin) Blood's children were born and died in Iowa.
All of Iva (Martin) Bullington's children were born and died in Iowa.

Rising Sun Cemetery

2008-12-19T21:40:00.000-07:00

Across from 6390 E. University, Pleasant Hill, Iowa 50327

Lat: 41° 35' 58"N, Lon: 93° 28' 53"W
Four Mile Twp, R23W Section 2

In Pleasant Hill, Iowa drive east on E Oakwood Drive for 3 miles. Turn left onto Rising Sun Road and continue north for 1/2 mile. The cemetery will be on the east or right side of the road at the intersection with E University Ave (Hwy 163). It is 1/2 mile north of the community of Rising Sun.

Wicker Cemetery

2008-12-19T21:26:00.000-07:00

Polk County, Iowa - WICKER Cemetery
Camp twp. Polk Co., Iowa

Sometime called "CLARK" cemetery. Located in Camp twp. Polk Co. in the NW corner of section 32. Cemetery is on top a hill, north side of the road which runs between the abandoned town of Adelphi and the town of Runnells. Residents of the area tell the story that the first people buried there were 2 transients who fell ill and died while camping in the area. No stones mark their place of burial. Earliest stone found in the cemetery is for Nancy Wallace who died 1849. Many stones are missing from this cemetery. Residents report of seeing a pile of broken headstones, which mysteriously disappeared and were never found. The old part of the cemetery is on the north east side of the road that which runs through the cemetery. -Polk County IAGenWeb site

Lowman Cemetery

2008-12-19T21:10:00.001-07:00

Lowman Cemetery

The cemetery is on SE 56th just west of Hwy 376, which is about 2 miles NW of Runnells.
The land was donated years ago by the Samuel and Elizabeth Lowman family. It is on the hill outside of Runnells, in Polk County, Iowa.

In Memorial to my Mother

2008-12-19T20:25:00.001-07:00

Patsy L. West nee: Halterman

Buried in Warren-Powers Cemetery, Adelphi, Polk County, Iowa, USA

The Halterman Family

2008-12-19T15:43:00.001-07:00

The Halterman family settled in Runnells, Polk, Iowa in the 1800's. This is my mother's paternal side of the family. Many Haltermans are buried in the Warren-Powers Cemetery in the (used to be)town, called Adelphi. I will have to find out the earliest burial there, and let you know.

Here is a headstone of Irvin C. (Christian) Halterman. He is my mother's grandfather:

Warren-Powers Cemetery in Adelphi, Polk, Iowa

2008-12-18T19:16:00.000-07:00

I have many ancestors in this cemetery. My mother is there, along with many paternal relatives.

Here is the entrance of Warren-Powers Cemetery in Adelphi, Polk, Iowa: