Mail Delivery

These are bad times for the US Postal Service.  Even with all the postage I spend sending self-addressed stamped envelopes to random courthouses (and for all the cartoons Mom clips out of the newspaper to send for me to put on the fridge) the USPS recently announced it would be cutting back services to 5 days a week.

Newspapers often printed names of locals who had unclaimed mail awaiting pick-up.  Sometimes I don't pick up my mail for a few days (which is why husband insisted on taking over that job).  But mail service, for all its woes, could be worse. 

But before the Rural Free Delivery Service was enacted in 1896 people who lived in rural areas usually had to travel quite a distance (by horse, or shank's mare) to a general store to pick up their mail.  Sometimes mail would be picked up by private contracters who would gladly deliver it to a settler's door, for a fee. 

Imagine setting aside a day's worth of travel to retrieve a long awaited word from family back home, only to arrive at the general store to find out your letter never arrived or was lost. Bummer.  Newspaper's often ran ads to try to coax readers into picking up their mail.  

So we are spoiled.  Sure, it looks like my very important letter from the amazing gentlemen at the Washington County Free Library was attacked by squirrels.  But at least I didn;t have to get saddle sores to retrieve it.

Marr Line

My poor, good-sport of a mother.  She volunteered to go on a scouting mission to the Fountain County Genealogical Society.  I gave her a list, but the folks at the FOCOSO were so amazingly helpful, that they tore through the list in no time flat.  She called with some info, and some questions.  she thought she hung up, but I was left yelling into the phone "No! No!!! Peter Smith was in the Civil War! Not 1812!  Not 1812! Civil!!! Hello? Civil War!!"  My husband is becoming immune to this behavior.

Normal people do not have an app on their phone to keep these names and dates straight.  Also, normal people do not have dreams about family history research.  So for you normal people, here is the makings of a family tree.  But it is just a baby start.  Direct line names are in yellow.  There is still years of work to be done.  The Hewitts and the Keefers, especially, have long roots here.

William Jennings Smith (1897-1968) married Margaret E Marr (1895-1958).  They lived in Fountain County, Indiana and had one son, Chester Lee Smith.

Margaret Marr was the daughter of John Edward Marr (1863-1940) and Mary "Molly" Belle Redman Marr (1863-1920).  Both lived their lives in Fountain County, Indiana.  Their children are Hester (b 1889); Sarah (1892-1959 m. Fred Gayler, mother to Harold and Hubert); David John (b 1893 m. Blanche Auter, c Donald J. Marr) ; Martha L  (b 1897 m. Mr. Wright); Mary A.  (b 1899 m. Borden Abolt, x Marvin Dean, Milford, and Robert Lee); Evalyn E Marr (b 1902 m. John R. Brown)

Molly Redman is the daughter of David and Sarah McConnell Redman.  David (b 1832 in Ohio) and Sarah (b. 1832 in Ohio) settled in Fountain County, Indiana.  The had two other children, John (b 1859) and Jane (b 1866)

John Edward Marr is the son of John C. Marr (b 1840) and his first wife, Hester A. Keefer (1840-1876).  John had two sisters: Mary B (b 18660 and Gertrude K. (b. 1878).  John C. Marr was born in Fountain County, Indiana.  Hester Keefer was born in Ross, Ohio.  After Hester's death, John married Ella m. Simpson (b 1857 in New Jersey, but moved for Fountain Country sometime before 1870).  John and Ella had 5 children: Roscoe Patrick (1887-1916); George Harold (b 1879 m Pansy); Thomas G (1881-1918,  m Ethel c Ruth, Milred); Cary D (b 1884); Ralph (1895); Ralph (1895)

John C Marr was the son of John Patrick Marr (1812-1860?) and Anna Shull (b1810). John Patrick was born in Ireland, and immigrated to first to Hagerston, Maryland then to Fountain Couny, Indiana about 1838.  Ann Shull was born in Hagerstown Maryland. Their children were James W. Marr (b 1833 and died as a child); John C (1840); Mary (1836); Sarah E (1838); Thomas (1845).

Ann Shull was the daughter of Jacob Sholl and Maria Bixler Sholl.  Jacob and Maria had three other daughters: Catherine, Elizabeth and Mary.