Family Lore: Whatever happened to Uncle Judson?

 When I first started researching my family tree, one of the earliest questions I received was, "Can you find out what happened to Uncle Judson?" "Uncle Judson" was a maternal uncle to Mildred Bellinger Strand. He was the youngest brother of her mother, Elnora Truman Bellinger. According to family lore, Uncle Judson had traveled out west to Oregon and was never heard from again. What happened to him? Had he met with an unfortunate accident, or had he simply never found the time or willingness to sit down and send his family a letter or make a telephone call?   Let's investigate!

Judson Elwyn Truman was born May 28, 1880 in Little Rock, Arkansas. He was the youngest of the 5 children born to Madison Truman and Harriet Mabbs. Judson was born in Arkansas shortly after the family moved there from Michigan. So far no evidence exists to explain why the family moved to Arkansas. They didn't remain long and by 1884 the family was back in Michigan, where Madison passed away. Harriet remarried and gave birth to 5 more children with her second husband. As the youngest son, Judson stayed on and lived with his mother and stepfather. On the 1900 Federal census Judson is listed as a boarder and working as a farm laborer with his mother and stepfather.

After this Judson decides to go out west. On May 29, 1904 he marries Mary Elizabeth 'Bessie' Malcolm in Columbia, Oregon. They were married by a Justice of the Peace at Bessie's father's house. Judson and Bessie quickly start their family. Daughter Mildred is born in 1905. Sadly, she dies of cholera in 1907. Only son Reuben is born next in 1907. He's followed by 5 sisters: Hazel, Mary Lou, Edith May, Dorothy, and Myra. The paperwork isn't clear, but I think Hazel may have had a twin sister named Sally. Sally would have died as an infant or child as no other record is found of her.

Judson and his family start off living in Goble, Oregon, but then buy a ranch and move to Astoria, Oregon around 1920. On a side note, while Ray Bellinger talks of finding Uncle Judson in the summer of 1915, he mentions looking for him in Seattle or Portland. Judson lived in Goble the whole time. It's no wonder Ray never found him. :)

Judson's occupation on the 1910 and 1920 Federal census records is listed as a farmer. By 1930 the country was in the midst of the Great Depression. Judson must've been affected by it as he and his family are now living in Lewis and Clark, Oregon and his occupation is as a laborer on public docks. He does own his home, valued at $2000, and has a radio. In 1940 Judson is now employed as a truck driver for a lumber company. He says he has other sources of income, and that the highest schooling he achieved was 2nd year of high school. In 1950 Judson is retired and has moved back to Astoria, Oregon. He and Bessie have 2 of their grandchildren living with them. 

Judson dies on August 29,1957, still living in Astoria, Oregon.

Judson's children all married and had children of their own. The granddaughter who lived with him in 1950 just recently passed away in December 2020. On a side note, I found a petition for divorce from Bessie, filed back in 1928. There was a note on it saying, "Error, withdrawn." 

Judson seemed to have a pretty good life in Oregon. Perhaps he just wasn't good at writing and keeping the family back home informed of what was going on with him. I wonder if his family in Oregon knew about their father's extensive family back in Michigan? I haven't found any pictures of Judson but I do have pictures of his children Reuben and Edith.

And that is the tale of what happened to Uncle Judson. 

You Wouldn't Believe It!

 This week's prompt is "You wouldn't believe it." I've uncovered a lot of surprising things about my ancestors and relatives over the past few years. One of the facts that I really found surprising was when my mom told me that her father, Raymond Henrickson, had surprised her and her siblings by playing a bit of a tune on a piano one day. No one knew that he could even play the piano!  I dug deeper into it.

Raymond Henrickson was the 9th child born to George and Malvina Henrickson. Ray most likely learned to play the piano from his parents. Both Malvina and George played the organ at the local Lutheran church. Malvina had even helped donate money, and traveled to Detroit, Michigan to bring back the first organ for the church. From Allegan to Detroit and back again with a horse and wagon. Ray wasn't the only child of theirs to play. Oldest daughter Selma also is listed in the church records as church organist for a time. I'm unsure if any other of Ray's siblings knew how to play the piano/organ, but I'm sure there must've been others.

After establishing where Ray and his siblings learned to play the piano, the next question is how did George and Malvina learn to play? Malvina already knew how to play the organ when she met George. Her parents, Carl and Ulrika Anderson, had immigrated from Sweden. Carl was a farmer, as he had been in Sweden. Both came from poor families. Carl had worked at a railroad station and Ulrika had worked for many different families as a maid before they met and married. After marrying, Carl farmed. It seems unlikely either family had a piano. Ulrika's parents were both dead by the time she was 7. Perhaps she learned somewhere along the way from one of the families she worked for? 

George Henrickson immigrated from Sweden as a 17-year-old boy. His family also was poor, but his maternal uncles were a bit better off. One immigrated to America in 1869 and became a successful farmer. Another one worked as a tailor in Sweden, and then in America. George also had a maternal aunt who worked as the local schoolteacher. It seems music and dancing seemed to be fun pastimes in his mother's family. I found this excerpt from a letter written by one of his sister's descendants: 

 Karl and Sven George Henrickson were handsome men, several of the Fahnstrom's and the Johnson's were good looking people, also musical and some loved to dance, guess that's something I inherited. Grandpa George and his sons played accordion by ear, Great Uncle Fred's sons, Wesley (Jack) Elmer (Unk) and Leslie (Pete) were very good and played accordion, guitar and banjo for dances.

At this Mid-summer picnic George was enough of a singer to be part of a quartette, singing, so he must've enjoyed it, and had a good voice!

Our ancestors, especially the ones who lived in Sweden, had hard lives. They weren't easy, filled with hard work. Oftentimes working from sunup to sundown. But, I'm glad that they did make time for fun. That they celebrated and sang and danced, with family and friends.