Those Places Thursday - What Darlington Means to Me

Darlington Main Street, 1950s.

From the DUMC Collection.

Courtesy Wikipedia.

On Thanksgiving Friday, hubby and I took a well-deserved extra day off work, and spent the afternoon in the town of Darlington, and trolling through Darlington Cemetery, about an hour's drive from home.

The big annual event there is the Darlington Apple Festival, held every year in October.  It's already set for Saturday, October 6, 2012.  Got the picture? 



Darlington is a tiny farming community here in Maryland, to the north, almost at the Pennsylvania state line.  For a town whose main street is about three buildings (not blocks!) long, it surprised me to learn that Darlington has more than 100 properties on the National Register of Historic Places.  Its Historic District was placed on the list in 1987.   

The properties include farming-related structures such as barns, chicken houses and similar outbuildings, plus three currently-working farms.  Others are the buildings found in any community, such as a lodge hall, a grammar school, shops and a Friends Meetinghouse.  Darlington Cemetery is also on the list.   

This rare old photo is from the 1950s and was found in the collection of the Darlington United Methodist Church.  Except for the models of the automobiles, not much has changed.  At least now the road is well-paved with painted lines.  I think we may have even come across at least one stop light!



Main Street of Darlington today.
Courtesy Wikipedia.



I'm not making fun, I think it's charming.     

I find it especially charming because the town and the cemetery hold interesting history for my line.  The death certificate of my 2x-great grandfather, Oliver Perry Jordan, indicates that he's buried at Darlington.  However, I know for a fact that he's at Parkwood Cemetery, in Baltimore City.  I still haven't gotten to the bottom of this.  I got caught up in this thing called a blog, and some of the research is back-burnered by my current fascination. 



Nevertheless, having a sun-shiny free day at hand, we decided to see what we could see in Darlington.



This signs says it all.
My Photo, 11/25/11.



Its Welcome sign says it all:  Welcome to Darlington.  Then it lists the five houses of worship, with times of service.  That's what is important to people here!  And it's quite evident in the cemetery, with plenty of Scripture quotes on the stones.   



In the historic cemetery, we looked at every stone.  There were only one or two with the surname "Jordan."  However, we found dozens by the surname of "Jourdan." 

Different spelling.  Different pronounciation ("joor-dan" vs. "jer-dan," respectively).  Same family.  The actual connection and the story of the "split" are still undetermined.  I'll get there.  I've only been on this journey for less than a year, and then there's that darn blog thing getting in the way! 

 

Another true bonus: finding a few stones with the maiden names of my 3x- and 4x-great grandmothers!  This gives me some of their relatives to follow!

 

But besides all this joy, the best outcome of the day was experiencing Darlington.  Oliver and his wife Annie, plus at least two generations back (that I've found), lived and raised their children in the Darlington area.  That one day out gave me real insight into their lives.  I wondered, and fashioned answers for questions like where they lived, how far they had to walk to town, where they got the things the couldn't grow themselves, how they got into into Baltimore City to visit family. 

And standing in the cemetery, looking across the hills, I got a true feeling that they must have stood in the same place and looked at those same trees on at least one occasion.



Darlington Cemetery.
My photos, 11/25/11.

Tombstone Tuesday - Jordan

Saturday was a bright and crisp day in Baltimore, one of those lovely, sunny autumn days I recall once January and February have set in. 

Realizing that we may not have too many of these beauties left for a while, hubby and I took advantage and decided to accomplish some outdoor "to do" tasks.  Not leaves this time, though!

We traveled to the other side of town and visited Baltimore National Cemetery on Frederick Road in Catonsville, in search of my great-uncle Benny's gravesite. 

This was a fitting way to spend the Saturday of Veteran's Day weekend.  We were humbled and silenced as we stood at the top of entrance driveway and looked down at the rows of erect stones, standing with typical military precision.  All these headstones, each representing a brave person.  Most of these are soldiers who returned home to live their lives, we said in unison.  It was astounding to look around, begin to rack up numbers of soldiers and wars in my head...so many, so many. 

Marker between Sections J and I.

Before we had left home, I double-checked Uncle Benny's section and plot information at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Nationwide Gravesite Locator.  I also printed out a map of the cemetery, which was easy to follow.  Just find the appropriate section marker, then look on the back of any stone; it will be engraved with that individual's site or plot number.  Then just start walking in the right direction, for higher or lower numbers.  

I'll say this for the military, they are excellent when it comes to organizing a cemetery.  



Benjamin M Jordan
Maryland
TEC5
Signal Corps
World War II
January 30 1915
September 13 1964

Even though we came prepared, for someone who may not be, the cemetery provides plenty of information, which is available even when the office is closed.  There are two large binders with a listing of interments; these are kept on an enclosed shelf to protect from the elements.  They also have an electronic kiosk that is linked to the Nationwide Gravesite Locator mentioned above.  The kiosk's keyboard was not the typical QWERTY type, but rather an alpha order board - A - B - C and so on.  I'd never seen one like that before.  Still, it was all easy to use.  Maps are also available at the kiosk. 

This was my first visit to Uncle Benny's gravesite.  I know it will not be my last.  Besides fulfilling my own genealogy-related task, this visit pleased my mom.  We stopped by see her after leaving the cemetery.  She was happy to see the photo of Benny's stone, and touched that we thought to visit him.  She is proud of his service.  We sat together quietly, as Mom recalled childhood memories of her beloved Uncle Benny. 

Mystery Monday - Is There A Steamboat in My Past?

Today is the 246th anniversary of the birth of Robert "Steamboat" Fulton.

Big deal, you may say.  I would have too, until I learned he might actually be a relative of mine. 



Robert Fulton
Wikipedia Image

 Robert Fulton was born on November 14 in 1765.  In his short lifetime, he became an engineer and inventor.  He is widely credited with designing the first steamboat, in the early 1800s.  His partner in this venture was Robert Livingston, though Livingston receives little credit for his involvement.  Prior to the steamboat, Fulton designed the first known submarine in history, at the commission of Napoleon Bonaparte. 

Fulton was born in Pennsylvania, studied in Europe, married Harriet Livingston (his steamboat partner's niece), and eventually moved to New York, where he died on February 24, 1815, at the young age of 49.

But back to his possible connection with my family. 

When I first saw my maternal grandmother's birth certificate, I smiled to read her father's name:  John Fulton Jordan.  I'd never heard his full name.  But I didn't think twice about it.  Then I started going through Ancestry.com census, marriage and other records.  Here's what I found:

My great-grandfather John Fulton Jordan's parents were Oliver Perry Jordan and Ann Wright, who married in Harford County, Maryland on February 6, 1868.


Statue of Robert Fulton in the
National Statuary Hall Collection
at the U.S. Capitol.
Hubby's photo, September 2011.



Oliver's parents were John Jordan and Henrietta Prigg, who married in Harford County, Maryland on February 2, 1841.  I have documents that indicate this John's middle initial is either an "F" or a "P."  It's simply unclear.  I haven't been lucky enough to find anything with his full middle name.

John Jordan's parents were (yet another!) John Jordan and Rachel Fulton, who were married in Harford County, Maryland on December 14, 1813.

Again working on Ancestry.com, I received a hint from another family tree.  After communicating with a Fulton family member also on the website, I learned Rachel was a distant niece of the famous Fulton.  I thought, "Even if it's a distant connection to a famous inventor, hey, I'll take it!"    

But I quickly calmed down and thought hold on, girl.  I had taken a very good genealogy starter course, so I knew:  until I can document these branches of the family tree for myself, take it with a grain of salt.  So I'm working on it.  I've had a few trips to the county historical society.  Next up will be a review of land records and wills, as they're available.  And maybe a Jordan or Fulton will come forward with new information.   Until this research can be completed, this connection remains a Mystery.

(Not So) Wordless Wednesday

My mother's family:

[Left to right] - Emil Kinling;

Adeline (Schmidt) Jordan, in flowered dress;

[my maternal grandmother] Mae (Jordan) Morgan, in back;

headless man, in back;

Annie (Jordan) Kinling, in front, wearing white hat;

headless woman, in back; and two women we can't identify. 

The little ones in front are cousins Cassie Jordan and Billy Baxter.

Unfortunately, I have no idea where, when or or why the family is gathered for this photo.

Funeral Card Friday - Lucy Emma Jordan

This is the funeral card of my great-grandmother, Lucy Emma Jordan, lovingly known by family and neighbors alike as Ma Jordie.  Ma Jordie died when I was just over 5 years old, my first experience with death.  My journey into family history only began this year, so if I ever saw this card, I do not recall it.    

Though worn with age, this card is still quite beautiful.  It's made of soft, cream-colored paper, the "Perpetual Service" clock image on the front is embossed with what looks like gold leaf; the trees are embossed a deep green.  So different from the funeral cards seen at services on the Catholic side of the family.  And certainly more decorative than those we see now.  For me, it's very peaceful to read this card.  Ma Jordie had an extremely difficult life; this poem reassures me that she received a reward in her afterlife.   

The Beyond

It seemeth such a little way to me

Across to that strange country,

The Beyond;

And yet, not strange, for it has

Grown to be

The home of those of whom I am so fond.

And so for me there is no Death;

It is but crossing, with abated breath,

A little strip of sea,

To find one’s loved ones waiting

on the shore,

More beautiful, more precious

than before.

                        Ella Wheeler Wilcox

--

In Loving Memory of

Lucy Emma Jordan

Died January 22, 1963

[Aged 80 years, 19 days]

Services From

Wm. Cook-Blight, Inc.

Funeral Home

6009 Harford Road

Saturday, January 26, 1963

10 a.m.

Clergyman Officiating

Rev. Carl W. Molter

Interment

Parkwood Cemetery

APPRECIATION

In behalf of the family, we wish to express their gratitude for your many kindnesses evidenced in thought and deed, and for your attendance at the memorial service.

Wm. Cook

Inc.

Funeral Mansion

St. Paul at Preston Street

Other Convenient Locations

Wm. Cook-Towson, Inc.                                                     Wm. Cook-Blight, Inc.

1050 York Road                                                                6009 Harford Road

Tombstone Tuesday - Oliver Perry Jordan

Oliver Perry Jordan

Born 1 March 1846

Died 7 July 1925

Aged 79 years, 4 months, 6 days

Unusual looking tombstone, wouldn't you say?

This tree kind of marks the otherwise unmarked grave of my great-great-grandfather, Oliver Perry Jordan, in Parkwood Cemetery, Baltimore.  The tree just happens to be there, it wasn't specially planted to mark his grave, at least not that I have been able to ascertain.  It would be a nice gesture, though.

In April 2011, with the help of a Parkwood Cemetery employee, I was able to find this tiny Jordan plot, where two others are also buried.  I'm still working on information for them.

This same employee taught me to how to read a cemetery map, and directed me to the marker for Anne C. Magill, Oliver's nearest neighbor with a grave marker.  It was the three-digit number in the lower left corner on her grave marker that enabled us to determine that the large, unmarked area directly in front of the tall tree must be the three Jordan family members. 

Anne C. Magill

Born 30 October 1903

Died 6 June 1985

I'm 99% certain that the Jordans and the Magills did not know one another during their lifetimes.  Yet, as is said, you cannot replace the helping hand of a good neighbor.  Thank you, Anne, for being a good neighbor to Oliver and guiding me to him. 

(Not So) Wordless Wednesday - Kinling

Grand-aunt Anna Elizabeth (Jordan) Kinling, holding the first of her three sons, Bill.

Aunt Annie was born February 20, 1903, died December 1978.
Daughter, sister, wife and mother, grandmother, altogether awesome person.

William Jordan Kinling

Born March 29, 1921

Died July 27, 1999
Son, grandson, brother, WWII fighter pilot, husband, father and much more.

Photo ~1922, somewhere in Baltimore City or Baltimore County.

Love the shoes!

Military Monday

On a sunny afternoon in August 1942, an unknown family member or friend took this photo of my grand-uncle Benny.  Benny was my mother’s uncle, my maternal grandmother’s younger brother.  In the doorway stands his older brother Jim (James Edgar).

The family bible tells me that Benny was born on January 30, 1915.  According to Baltimore Sun newspaper archives, military records, and the Maryland State Archives, he died on September 13, 1964. 

Family lore tells me that Benjamin McGown Jordan:

fought in United States Army during World War II,

parachuted to the ground on D-Day,

broke both ankles during the landing,

and was awarded the Purple Heart for his injuries received in battle.

Ancestry.com* reveals that he enlisted on February 12, 1941.  At the time, his “civil occupation” was a plumber’s apprentice.  He completed a “grammar school” education.

Uncle Benny was laid to rest in Baltimore National Cemetery.  His grave marker transcribes thus: 

Benjamin M. Jordan

1913-1964

TEC5, US ARMY

I have recently learned that a TEC5 (also known as a Technician Fifth Grade) was one of many technicians who held positions like driver, machinist, cook, and similar positions.  In other words, these were the people who were necessary to keep the military corps running, but not the guys who fired the big guns.  So why was he parachuting in on D-Day? 

I’m not sure about that one…even a new genealogist like me knows to take “family lore” with a boulder-sized grain of salt.  Nevertheless, serve he did, break both ankles he did, and receive the Purple Heart he did.  My nephew holds it to this day.  So it looks like another visit to the National Archives is in order for me.

Hmmm, should this be Military Monday or Mystery Monday?

*National Archives and Records Administration. U.S. World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2005. Original data: Electronic Army Serial Number Merged File, 1938-1946 [Archival Database]; World War II Army Enlistment Records; Records of the National Archives and Records Administration, Record Group 64; National Archives at College Park, College Park, MD.