2010 Summer Contest Winners Announced!

2010 SCHGS Summer Contest Winners Announced!

L-R: Kris Arbuckle, Caldwell, Adult Division Winner with Elaine Clark

L-R: Jordyn Young, Winner of 12 & Under Division with Elaine Clark

Congratulations!  Contest Winners Announced!

On Monday, August 23rd, the Sumner County Historical & Genealogical Society met at Sumner Regional Medical Center and announced the winners for the Sumner County Summer Genealogy Contest.

Remembering Robert Wilson Willet...
Kris Arbuckle, Caldwell, won the adult category. Arbuckle's lively Powerpoint presentation with period music detailed the history (and family history) of major league baseball player Robert Wilson Willet, who is now buried in the Caldwell Cemetery.

Arbuckle, who had tears in her eyes, stated that when she asked cemetery caretakers how many people visited Willet's grave she was told that "only a few" came each year, and that's when Arbuckle decided to enter the contest and make sure that others knew the story about Willet so he "wouldn't be forgotten."
 
Her Ancestor Sang for Abraham Lincoln...
Eight-year-old Jordyn Savannah Young, Wellington, won in the twelve and under division with her story and research about her Great-great-great Grandmother, Maggie Corson McGinnis, who sang for Abraham Lincoln when she was a young girl growing up in Illinois. Young said that she became interested when her grandmother received a package with pictures and newspaper articles in it chronicling (and verifying) the family legend that Maggie had met, sang for, and spoken to Abe while he was campaigning to become president.

Prize winners presented their winning entries at the Monday, August 23rd SCHGS meeting.

The 2011 Contest begins in January...
The Sumner County Summer Genealogy Contest will begin in January, so start gathering up your family histories! The 2011  Rules and prizes will be announced at a later date.

Amanuensis Monday - John A. Bishop Obituary

John A. Bishop Obituary
(born December 25, 1819 - died July 4, 1900)

John A. Bishop died at his home on North Heron/Herson avenue Wednesday morning at 10:50 o’clock after a lingering illness.  The funeral was held at the residence at 4 o’clock next afternoon, conducted by Rev. J. C. Ball, pastor of the M. E. church.

John A. Bishop was born in Ashtabula, Ohio, December 25, 1819, and died July 4, 1900. In the home of his birth he spent the years of his childhood, and also the earlier period of his boyhood until he was 15 years old.  Then he went to Lee county, IA and engaged in farming.  

In the more than forty years of his residence in Iowa, he had a varied occupation.  At one time he was in the mercantile business and afterwards was sheriff of his county for three terms.  

When the civil war broke out, he was among the first to respond to his country’s call and helped to raise the 1st Iowa regiment, of which he became a lieutenant, and served the full term of his enlistment, three years.  After the war he returned to Lee county, and in 1876, he came with his family to the farther west and settled in New Mexico, thence in 1878 to Kansas, and settled in Sumner county, where he had continued to reside.

Thirteen years ago he became a citizen of Wellington.  He was an industrious, active, helpful man, generous and always ready to lift up and lend a hand, and many an unfortunate one has felt the touch of his sympathy through his practical ministration to their needs.  He was especially fond of children, an affectionate and loving father and friend.  

He did not enter into churchly forms but was not indifferent to religious principles, hence he never belonged to any church, but believed in all that makes a Christian life; and in his last days, seemed to trust in Jesus for his salvation and readily yielded himself to be brought in prayer to a throne of grace.  

He was married in 1854 to Alice A. Cartwright in Farmington, IA.  She died in 1879, leaving him and seven children – two daughters and five sons, to mourn her loss.  All of these, except one son, still survive.  And three of them, one of whom crossed the continent to bring his presence to cheer the dying hours, were present to follow the broken weary form to its resting place.

The above information was transcribed by Sherry Kline from a photocopy of the obituary that was located in the Bishop Family Files located in the Pioneer Settler's Files at the Sumner County History and Genealogy Center.  There are many more files of Pioneer and early Sumner County Families located in the SCHGS Center files, and these are available for research on Tuesday from 10 a.m. to Noon, and 1:00 to 4:00 p.m.; other days by appointment.
E-mail:  schgs@sutv.com or scgs67152@yahoo.com

Mail:  Sumner County Historical and Genealogical Center
or  SCHGC
P.O. Box 402
Wellington Kansas 67152