So last week I asked for suggestions on a new challenge for this blog this year. Thanks to those who responded with suggestions. I did look  into the alphabet challenge and several others that are out there. This is what I came up with. 12 family lines in 12 months. Each month I will take one family line and look at my research on that line. I will strategize, collate, update files and basically clean up my files on that line and find what I need to further research. During that month I will write about my progress on that family line. At the end of the month I will put that family line aside and move on to the next line. So by the end of the year I should have reviewed all the information I have on 12 lines in my genealogy. This is something I could potentially continue for over two years. Currently I have 26 lines identified.

Right now I have two boxes of genealogy “stuff” under my desk that needs to be sorted and filed. I’m debating on where to start. Do I start with my surname and work backwards or do I go alphabetically? When I did 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks I did not have an order. Now when I want to see who I have covered I have to look at my list. I have my binders in order on the shelf. So if I take them in alphabetical order maybe I won’t become confused.

All that to get to #1 – The Batson Line

Well this is a Paternal line. If you recall my sister, Madeleine, is working on and has done the herculean effort on our father’s side of the family,  but that does’t mean I have no records or can not delve into the unanswered questions. I hope she will chime in if she sees something gone astray or has more information to share on those lines.

Caroline or Carrie Batson is where we pickup this line. She was my paternal great grandmother. Her parents were John R. Batson and Sarah Dick. John’s parents were William Batson and Catherine Aldrage.

Caroline Batson b. 17 January 1866 in Mt Sterling, Muskingum Co., Ohio¹

m. 30 March 1888, to Gilmore Francis, in Zanesville, Muskingum Co,. Ohio²

1870 US Census Hopewell, Muskingum, Ohio

1880 US Census Hopewell, Muskingum, Ohio

Daughter, Etta Jane, born to Carrie and Gilmore 26 June 1889

Daughter, Grace, born to Carrie and Gilmore 05 April 1891

1900 US Census Tulare Co., California

1910 US Census Orasi Township, Tulare Co., California

1920 US Census Visalia, Tulare Co., California

1934 California Voter Registration, Rt. R Box 356, Visalia, Tulare Co.

d. 12 August 1937¹

My next post will continue the Batson Line.

¹ Source: State of California, Department of Public health, Vital Statistics, Standard Certificate of Death N0, 294, Local Registered No. 48, Certified copy from Tulare County.

² Source: Certified Copy of Marriage Record, The State of Ohio Muskingum County Court of Common Pleas, Probate Division, copy from record No. 10-401 Filed and Recorded March 30 1888.