Part 743p – Smith Groh Genealogy – The Mystery of Brayton C. Placeway – Clooz 3 Reporting

Good Day,

Alleluia, alleluia… A new upgrade to Clooz. Clooz 3.0 is now available. I have been a long-time user of Clooz and I am a strong proponent of the organizational and electronic filing cabinet capabilities.

With a Masters in Organizational Management, I am delighted to have an electronic tool that provides me a software that assists me and supports my research. It is “THE database for systematically organizing and storing the clues to your ancestry...”

I immediately have created a Smith Miller Groh Clooz database… and of course, this new creation goes hand-in-hand with my writing and research of the Mystery of Brayton C. Placeway. The following is the first summary report of Census, Census Substitute and Document Records (CCSDR) for ggg-grandfather Brayton C. Placeway.

The summary report includes documents I have on file that are specific to ggg-grandfather Brayton. I created this CCSDR report in hierarchical order beginning with the earliest document I have on file, beginning with the year 1888. The data included in the CCSDR report originates from the information that I have extracted from the associated documents.

The furthest left column of the CCSDR report includes Personal File Numbers (PF#s). I have generated the PF#s. The coding is my own format. Clooz allows each user to create her/his own system and method of coding.

For this introduction here are the explanations of the coding that I use. These PF#s are only specific to this Brayton C. Placeway report.

PF# B000001 = Birth 000001
PF# CUSMI000001 = Census United States Michigan 000001
PF# CUSVA000001 = Census United States Virginia 000001
PF# DI0001 = Divorce 0001
PF# CUSWI000002 = Census United States Wisconsin 000002
PF# CUSIL000001 = Census United States Illinois 000001
PF# M00001 = Marriage 00001
PF# M00002 = Marriage 00002

I have approached the creation of this Clooz database as a new user. As time progresses I will be creating and migrating my related genealogy research data and information to Clooz 3.0.

If you have any questions, thoughts, and ideas regarding my research please feel free to contact me.

Enjoy,

Jim

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Part 742p – Smith Groh Genealogy – The Mystery of Brayton C. Placeway – Updated Life Timeline

Good Day,

And as promised here is the newly updated Life Timeline for ggg-grandfather Brayton C. Placeway.

As always new and updated data may be highlighted in red.

It appears that I have reached the width limitation of a legible presentation of the Life Timeline. I am using the software SmartDraw VP. Going forward it looks like I may have to create the Brayton C. Placeway Life Timeline Part II. Stay tuned.

Enjoy,

Jim

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Part 723p – Smith Groh Genealogy – The Mystery of Brayton C. Placeway – Updated Life Timeline

Good Day and Happy Canada Day,

Genealogy allows me to understand a life and the events that make up a being of an ancestor. For some time now I have been researching the life of ggg-grandfather Brayton C. Placeway. To date, I have discovered a trove of documents that have allowed me a small glimpse into only 42 years of his life. And there is more to come.

I have been able to find a photograph from 1915 and in the latest 1917 WWI Registration Card I now that he was of “medium” build and height and he had brown hair and blue eyes.

The following is my update of the Brayton C. Placeway Life Timeline.

If you any questions, thoughts, ideas, and comments please contact me.

Enjoy,

Jim

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Part 722p – Smith Groh Genealogy - The Mystery of Brayton C. Placeway – 1917 WWI Draft Registration – Livingston County, Michigan

Good Day,

In my genealogy hunt sometimes I have to go backwards to go forwards to discover that of our ancestors… Researching and searching for documents connected and pertaining to ggg-grandfather Brayton C. Placeway we step back in time to 5 June 1917.

On 18 May 1917, the Selective Service Act was passed immediately after the United States declared war on Germany. The Act authorized the President to increase the military. The First Registration on 5 June was for men aged 21 to 31; men born between 6 June 1886 and 5 June 1896. GGG-Grandfather Brayton definitely was a targeted candidate.

Here are the two pages of the 1917 Registration Card and Registrar’s Report. These pages were downloaded via Ancestry.com from The National Archives. World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918 and World War I Selective Service System Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918. Washington, D.C. Source Citation: Registration Location: Livingston County, Michigan; Roll: 1675809; Draft Board: 0.

My transcription -

Form 1 1076 REGISTRATION CARD 502 No. 18

1 Name in full – Brayton C. Placeway Age in Years - 29
2 Home Address – Howell, Mich
3 Date of birth – April 17, 1888
4 Are you (1) a natural born citizen, (2) a naturalized citizen, (3) an alien, (4) or have you declared your intention? – Natural Born
5 Where were you born? – Pinckney, Mich
6 If not a citizen, of what nation are you a citizen or subject? - Citizen
7 What is you present trade, occupation, or office? – None 30
8 By whom employed? – Nobody Where employed? –
9 Have you a father, mother, wife, child under 12, or a sister or brother under 12, solely dependent on you for your support? – Wife
10 Married or single? – Married Race? – Caucasian
11 What military service have you had? Rank - Fireman branch - Navy years - 11 months Nation or State – United States
12 Do you claim exemption from draft? – None

I affirm that I have verified above answers and that they are true.

Brayton C. Placeway

(Signature or Mark)

REGISTRAR’S REPORT A 21-3-13

1 Tall, medium, or short? - Medium Slender, medium, or stout? Medium
2 Color of eyes - Blue Color of hair - Brown Bald – No
3 Has person lost arm, leg, hand, foot eye, or both eyes or is he otherwise disabled? – None

I certify that my answers are true , that the person registered has read his own answers, that I have witnessed his signature, and that all of his answers of which I have knowledge are true, except as follows –

Oscar Schoninhale

(Signature of Registrar)

Precinct – Genoa
City or County – Livingston
State – Mich

June 5, 1917

(Date of Registration)

If ggg-grandfather Brayton completed and signed this Draft Registration on 5 June 1917 Line 10 and 11 above could possibly mean that he was referring to his wife Johanna (née Plischke). The notice of request for divorce was published in The Flint Daily Journal 17 November 1917. (See Part 697p.) There appears to be no reference to either of his children gg-grandmother Edith or gg-granduncle Robert.

The Mystery continues. The next location I find ggg-grandfather Brayton C. Placeway is in Cook County, Illinois. Stay-tuned.

Enjoy,

Jim

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Part 716p – Smith Groh Genealogy – The Mystery of Brayton C. Placeway – Updated Life Timeline

Good Day,

The first 32 years of the life of ggg-grandfather Brayton C. Placeway most certainly were busy, for the lack of a better term.

In genealogy once I can gather and corroborate the events, information, data, and dates I can definitely get a glimpse into the life and key points of one’s life. At this point in the creation and updating of ggg-grandfather Brayton C.’s Life Timeline I most definitely am discovering and unearthing a possible and exciting short 32 years.

Here is the latest update of the Brayton C. Placeway Life Timeline.

The search and research of the genealogy and life events of ggg-grandfather Brayton C. is most certainly, in my opinion, a genealogist’s dream example. The only issue at this juncture is that the expansion of the physical Life Timeline is getting somewhat crowded… And this will continue. Just wait until you see what I have found.

As a note of information, I have altered this new update of the Life Timeline. I will now include my new and latest updates in red. All events and incidences typically can be read about in various Postings in A Genealogy Hunt. All-things-being-equal I will shortly be including a cross-reference to the Part number.

Enjoy,

Jim

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Part 713p – Smith Groh Genealogy – The Mystery of Brayton C. Placeway – 1916 Flint to Perry

Good Day,

Here is another article, actually a social news-note that I just stumbled upon, in my genealogy search to reconstruct the life and times of ggg-grandfather Brayton C. Placeway is dated 29 November 1916. This note is from the “Perry Paragraphs” of The Flint Daily Journal. “Mr. and Brayton Placeway… motored to Perry, Sunday…”

A logical conclusion could be that this was ggg-grandfather Brayton and his second wife, Johanna (née Plischke). The month is November 1916; the notice for his subsequent and intended divorce from Johanna appeared in The Flint Daily Journal a year later in November 1917.

A quick search of information of Flint, Michigan, details that the population of the area increased from about 13,000 in 1910 to somewhere in the vicinity of 86,000 in 1916. That is about a 560% increase. Astounding… and then I learned that in 1908 one William Durant organized the General Motors Company and these were the early boom years of the automobile industry. Sort of explains why “Mr. and Mrs. Placeway motored to Perry”, a short 35 miles away.

Now my curiosity is peaked. It is recorded that gg-granduncle Robert Arthur Placeway, all-things-being-equal was ggg-grandfather Brayton C.’s son, was born on 9 July 1916 in Cook County, Illinois. And then ggg-grandfather Brayton is living, as reported by the 1920 US Census, with his first wife, ggg-grandmother Mary (née Seigel), their daughter, gg-grandmother Edith (née Placeway) and son, gg-granduncle Robert. I need to now find the Birth Registration for gg-granduncle Robert Arthur Placeway.

This is getting a wee bit confusing… and I was warned.

Enjoy,

Jim

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Part 710p – Smith Groh Genealogy – The Mystery of Brayton C. Placeway – Whatever Happened to Johanna (née Plischke) Placeway?

Good Day,

Sometimes in the search and understanding of genealogy, documentary information and data may provide an answer. And then, sometimes the information does not get you any further ahead.

Accordingly ggg-grandfather Brayton C. Placeway filed for a divorce from his 2nd wife Johanna (née Plischke) of Austria, per The Flint Daily Journal of 17 November 1917. (See Part 697p.) Also I have the 1920 US Census that on 9 January 1920 ggg-grandfather Brayton was living with his first wife, ggg-grandmother Mary (née Seigel), his children, and his in-laws. They were living in Wauwatosa City, in the County of Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

I chanced upon the 1920 US Census for one Johanna Placeway. This Johanna Placeway is a roomer on 8 January 1920 at 816 Buckham Street in Flint City, in the County of Genesee, Michigan. She was employed as a "Drill Press Operator" at an "Auto Factory".The distance between Johanna and ggg-grandfather Brayton is one day, per the dates of the Censuses, and due west across Lake Michigan about 250 miles, as the crow flies.

There are a couple of points recorded in the 1920 Flint City Census that peak my interest and genealogical curiosity. The Johanna Placeway enumerated on the Census has to be ggg-grandfather Brayton’s wife or ex-wife. Her birthplace, as well as that of her parents, is listed as “Bohemia”. (See Part 694p.) And of course these listed points raise some questions.

1. Johanna Placeway is noted as Married – “M”. My question – When did ggg-grandfather Brayton’s and Johanna (née Plischke)’s 17 November publication for divorce become final?

2. The year of immigration to the United States recorded for Johanna is “1900”. She is also listed as “Na” – “Naturalized” in the year “1915”. The year 1915 makes sense; based on the 1 February 1915 Emergency Passport Application issued at the American Embassy in Berlin, Germany to both ggg-grandfather Brayton and his wife Johanna. My question – Did Johanna visit/come to the United States in the year 1900? Why?

3. Was ggg-grandfather Brayton C. Placeway legally divorced from his first wife, ggg-grandmother Mary (née Seigel)?

And I guess I just keep on searching…

Stay tuned, and enjoy,

Jim

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Part 709p – Smith Groh Genealogy – The Mystery of Brayton C. Placeway – Updated Ancestral Mapping

Good Day,

Visual tools are complimentary in genealogy to the detail and information found. I have used Ancestral Atlas, an ancestry mapping software, to provide a graphic mapping and overview of key pinpoints and locations that ggg-grandfather Brayton C. Placeway.

This current mapping begins with the pinpoints of ggg-grandfather Brayton’s birth in 1888 and follows through to the enumeration and recording of his residence with his family per the 1920 United States Census. I have added the connecting red dotted lines to provide the connection between key locations.

As I follow the life and times and mysteries of ggg-grandfather Brayton C. Placeway, I will be adding key pinpoints to track his various locations and occupations.

To date, and between 1888 and 1920 these are the various recorded and reported jobs attributed to ggg-grandfather Brayton.

1888 – 17 April – Birth of twin brothers Brayton C. and Clayton C. Placeway, Putnam, Livingston, Michigan, USA

1900 – 11 June – Student, Putnam, Livingston, Michigan, USA

1906 – 1915 – Employed with Barnum & Bailey Circus, Europe

1910 – 15 April – Apprentice Seaman, U.S. Navy, Portsmouth, Virginia, USA

1906 – 1915 – English/German Interpreter, Gas Company, Gablonz, Austria (albeit Jablonec nad Nisou, Bohemia)

1915 – 1 February – Theatrical Artist, Berlin, Germany

1920 – 9 January – Stuffing Clerk, Express Company, Wauwatosa City, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Definitely to be continued. Stay tuned.

Enjoy,

Jim

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Part 708p – Smith Groh Genealogy – The Mystery of Brayton C. Placeway – Updated Life Timeline

Good Day,

As a compliment to my genealogy research to the mystery of the life and times of ggg-grandfather Brayton C. Placeway, I have created an evolving Life Timeline. This Time Lifeline is a means and way to see a quick overview and diarized picture of ggg-grandfather Brayton’s life and the events as I discover them.

All-things-being equal, ggg-grandfather Brayton C. Placeway’s Time Lifeline will get longer and more details will be added. To date I have included that which I have found for his first 32 years.

I have created this Time Lifeline using SmartDraw VP. If you have any comments, thoughts, ideas, and questions please feel free to contact me.

Enjoy,

Jim

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Part 707p – Smith Groh Genealogy – The Mystery of Brayton C. Placeway – 1920 US Census – Some Confusion?

Good Day,

Following up with my genealogy search and the mystery of ggg-grandfather Brayton C. Placeway I now move from 17 November 1917 to 9 January 1920. The 17 November 1917 date is the reference to the newspaper clipping regarding his request for a divorce from his second wife, Johanna (née Plischke). See my Posting Part 697p for the details.

We now move forward to the registration of the 14th Census of the United States on 9 January 1920. According to the actual page of the 1920 US Census ggg-grandfather Brayton C. Placeway is now living at 173 Chestnut Street in Wauwatosa City, in the County of Milwaukee, in the State of Wisconsin.

He is living with his first wife ggg-grandmother Mary (née Seigel) and their two children; gg-grandmother Eideth (aka Edith) and gg-granduncle Robert. The house and residence is actually owned by his in-laws gggg-grandparents Charles and Ulricha (née Manthye) Seigel. Also in the house are ggg-grandmother Mary’s two brothers and one sister; ggg-granduncles Walter E. and Arthur R, and ggg-grandaunt Helen J.

Here are the listed residents at 173 Chestnut Street –

Charles Seigel – Head – Age: 74 years
Ulricha Seigel – Wife – Age: 58 years
Walter E. Seigel – Son – Age: 24 years
Arthur R. Seigel – Son – Age: 21 years
Helen J. Seigel – Daughter – Age: 19 years
Brayton Placeway – Son in law – Age: 31 years
Mary Placeway – Daughter – Age: 29 years
Eideth Placeway – Grandaughter – Age: 10 years
Robert Placeway – Grandson – Age: 3 5/12 years

And now for the bit of confusion. GG-Granduncle Robert, ggg-grandparents Brayton and Mary (née Seigel) Placeway’s son was born about July 1916. GGG-Grandfather Brayton’s notice for divorce from his second wife Johanna (née Plischke) was published in The Flint Daily Journal on 17 November 1917. (See Part 697p.)

The timing of events seems to be somewhat puzzling. But it is not necessarily the above-mentioned birth and divorce dates that are confusing. What I have not been able to find, at this point in my search and research, is documentation that ggg-grandfather Brayton ever divorced and re-married his first wife, ggg-grandmother Mary (née Seigel), who he had married initially on 9 September 1908. (See Part 675ps.)

A quick summary of dates and events concerning this period of ggg-grandfather Brayton’s life are:

9 Sep 1908 – Married 1st wife, ggg-grandmother Mary (née Seigel) in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin

22 Jul 1909 – Birth of daughter, gg-grandmother Edith (née Placeway) in Pinckney, Michigan

Circa Nov 1914 – Married 2nd wife, Fraulein Johanna (née Plischke) of Austria

Circa Feb 1915 – Returns with 2nd wife, Fraulein Johanna (née Plischke) to New York

9 Jul 1916 – Birth of son, Robert Arthur Placeway in, as indicated in some records, Cook County, Illinois

17 Nov 1917 – Notification of divorce proceedings against his 2nd wife Fraulein Johanna (née Plischke) issued in Flint, Michigan

9 Jan 1920 – Living with 1st wife, ggg-grandmother Mary, his two children and his Seigel in-laws in Wauwatosa City, Wisconsin

Did ggg-grandparents Brayton and Mary (née Seigel) Placeway ever divorce before ggg-grandfather married his 2nd wife Johanna (née Plischke) of Austria? That is my question. I will keep looking.

I will soon be updating the Brayton C. Placeway Life Timeline. Stay tuned.

Enjoy,

Jim

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Part 697p – Smith Groh Genealogy – The Mystery of Brayton C. Placeway – 1917 Divorce Notice

Good Day, and Happy Memorial Day,

In this genealogy research, the date is now 17 November 1917. I have found a small clipping in the News In Brief section of the Saturday Edition of The Flint Daily Journal. The following is most definitely a part of the mystery of ggg-grandfather Brayton C. Placeway.

GGG-Grandfather Brayton is now asking for and filing for divorce from his second wife, Johanna (née Plischke). This marriage lasted approximately three years as he married her around November of 1914 while he was touring Austria and Europe.

I discovered the following clipping at Genealogy Bank.

I am currently working on ggg-grandfather Brayton’s Time Line Chart and his journey in the mapping from Ancestral Atlas.

If you have any questions, comments, thoughts, or ideas, please feel free to contact me.

Enjoy,

Jim

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Part 694p – Smith Groh Genealogy – The Mystery of Brayton C. Placeway – Is Gablonz, Austria, Jablonec in the Czech Republic?

Good Day,

Could this genealogy research get a bit more confusing? Yes, of course it can… And I can guarantee that the research and search of information and data for ggg-grandfather Brayton C. Placeway is going great. I definitely feel like a life-detective as I try to piece each part of his puzzle into the credible story of his life.

According to the 25 February 1915 Pinckney Dispatch front page article, ggg-grandfather Brayton worked, at some time, for a gas company in Gablonz, Austria. It also indicates that his second wife, Johanna (née Plischke), whom he married around November 1914 was from Austria. Of course the question I immediately ask – “Was Johanna Plischke from Gablonz, Austria?”


And where is this Gablonz, Austria?

From Wild Things Beads

The German bead industry is still alive, but only just. It is based out of southern Germany, in the Bavarian city of Neu Gablonz, named, of course, after Gablonz, the Bohemian city which was the capital of the Austrian bead industry during the Austrian Empire, and later Czechoslovakia, when the name was changed to Jablonec nad Nisou. The local chamber of commerce dates Jablonec back to 1356 when it was first mentioned in documents, but permanent settlement only occurred in the 16th century when a glass works was established in Mseno, which is now incorporated inside the city limits of Jablonec.

When I try to understand the timing of ggg-grandfather Brayton’s travels and journey, I do have a bit of confusion as the 25 February 1915 article in the Pinckney Dispatch relates that ggg-grandfather Brayton was in “absence about nine years which time has been spent in roaming through nearly every land in Europe.” In Part 691p I discuss the time frame calculation and confusion.

Further on in the article it states that “For 4 years Mr. Placeway has not known the taste of pie. Upon his arrival in New York, pie (good old American desert)… (and not my spelling mistake)… was the first delicacy he devoured with keen delight. Mrs. Placeway did not know the existence of such a food until her first taste in New York.” If I read this literally, I would calculate that ggg-grandfather had not had any apple pie since 1911. Again I’m perplexed at the time factor.

Okay here’s a real puzzler. GGG-Grandfather Brayton, according to the article, had not had apple pie in four years, and his wife, Johanna (née Plischke) did not have any inkling regarding pies… GGG-Grandfather Brayton had worked in Gablonz, aka Jablonec for some time. From Wikipedia “the town’s name means “place with apple trees”. And then I think, what about apple strudel? Well, again I search, and according to Wikipedia “Strudel is most often associated with Austrian cuisine but is also a tradintional pastry in the whole area formerly belong to the Austro-Hungarian empire.” Yes I know pie is not strudel… but… What can I say?

Stay tuned for more revealing facts and information into the reconstruction of the life and times of ggg-grandfather Brayton C. Placeway.

Enjoy,

Jim

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Part 692p – Smith Groh Genealogy – The Mystery of Brayton C. Placeway – Barnum and Bailey Circus – Gablonz, Austria

Good Day,

At this point in my genealogy search of the information and data of ggg-grandfather Brayton C. Placeway, I have to make sure that I can disseminate noteworthy news and records.

From the 1 February 1915 Emergency Passport Application and the 25 February 1915 Pinckney Dispatch article “Just Arrived From Germany – Brayton Placeway and Wife Reached Here Last Week”, I learned that ggg-grandfather Brayton had married his second wife, Johanna (née Plischke) sometime around November 1914. I also find out that Johanna (née Plischke) was “of Austria”.

According to the Pinckney Dispatch article ggg-grandfather Brayton had worked and toured Austria and Germany with the Barnum and Bailey’s Circus. The Emergency Passport Application lists that his occupation as of 1 February is that “of Theatrical Artist”. Who knows what type of job he may have had with the Circus?

The Pinckney Dispatch further states that he had been a “Germany-English interpreter for a gas company in Gablonz, Austria.”

Three leads begin to open up a number of research paths. The three leads are:

1. Theatrical Artist and Barnum and Bailey Circus
2. Johanna (née Plischke) of Austria
3. Interpreter for gas company in Gablonz, Austria

And where does ggg-grandfather as a Theatrical Artist fit into a role with the Barnum and Bailey Circus? Did he tour with the Circus and eventually meet Johanna while on tour in Austria?

Information and dates from the Princeton University Library and the McCaddon Collection of the Barnum and Bailey Circus, 1871-1907, expand that:

1897-1902: 5-year Barnum and Bailey European Tour. Ringling Bros. Circus becomes dominant American Circus

1907: Ringling Brothers purchase “Barnum and Bailey Circus” (shows remain separate).

1919: “Ringling Brothers Circus” combined with “Barnum and Bailey Circus” to create “Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus”

And of course this leads me to the questions, based on the presumption that ggg-grandfather was, as listed in the 1910 US Census as of 15 April 1910 an Apprentice Seaman with the US Navy and a patient at the United States Naval Hospital in Portsmouth, Virginia:

1. During what years was he with the Barnum and Bailey Circus?

2. When did he work as an interpreter for a gas company in Gablonz, Austria?

3. And what type of "Theatrical Artist" was he with the Barnum and Bailey Circus?

I have to ask these questions. It is all a part of my research into the past life or lives of ggg-grandfather Brayton C. Placeway. And the more and more I read, the more and more curious and inquisitive I tend to become.

Enjoy, and stay-tuned for more...

Jim

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Part 691p – Smith Groh Genealogy – The Mystery of Brayton C. Placeway – And Where Were You On 25 February 1915?

Good Day,

And this is where in genealogy I must be careful what, and how I read something. In my search for documentation and newsworthy items regarding the life and times of ggg-grandfather Brayton C. Placeway, it is amazing that of which I have been able to stumble upon.

Front page news on the Pinckney Dispatch, of Pinckney, Livingston County, Michigan, and on Thursday, February 25, 1915 reads “Just Arrived From Germany – Brayton Placeway and Wife Reached Here Last Week”. The article begins “Brayton Placeway has returned to Michigan after an absence of about nine years which time has been spent in roaming through nearly every land in Europe.”

Now the strain I have is with the text “to Michigan after an absence of about nine years…” My simple math abilities calculate from 1915 back about 9 years is the year 1906. And this is where I get a wee bit confused. GGG-Grandfather Brayton’s daughter, gg-grandmother Edith Placeway was born 22 July 1909 in Pinckney, Michigan.

If I read the 25 February 1915 news article as it is written, I understand that ggg-grandfather Brayton, gg-grandmother Edith’s father was in Europe before and after she was conceived and born. The article postulates that he was not in Michigan from about 1906 to 1915… Huh? What gives?

But my confusion does not stop there. According to the 1910 US Census, on 15 April 1910 ggg-grandfather Brayton was a patient at the US Naval Hospital in Portsmouth, Virginia. (See Part 673p.) But the Pinckney Dispatch reporter intimates in the news article that ggg-grandfather Brayton may have been somewhere in Europe. Again… Huh?

Now I will concede that the article does state that ggg-grandfather Brayton “has returned to Michigan…” by 25 February 1915. This could be the reporter’s spin that ggg-grandfather Brayton was absent from Michigan only during the supposed “nine years” to add some foreign spice for the readers of the small town. (As of the 2000 US Census, the population of the village of Pinckney, Michigan was 2,141 people.) But I am a muddled when I try to superimpose the years and time and the actual locations of note in the life of ggg-grandfather Brayton.

Here is the complete article from the 25 February 1915 Pinckney Dispatch.

Oh and just a note, this is where I discovered, according to the article that ggg-grandfather Brayton's second wife, Johanna's maiden name was Plischke. And, that she was from Austria.

Enjoy,

Jim

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Part 686p – Smith Groh Genealogy – The Mystery of Brayton C. Placeway – 1900 US Census – Putnum Township, Livingston, Michigan

Good Day,

Sometimes in the trek of genealogy one has to take a step backwards to go forward. In the case of my search to re-construct the live and times of ggg-grandfather Brayton C. Placeway I am now going back in time 15 years, from my last Posting Part 685pp and his crossing the Atlantic from Liverpool to New York.

I have discovered the Placeway Family on the 1900 US Census, dated 11 June 1900, in Putnam Township, Livingston County, Michigan.

In the family house in Pinckney are ggg-grandfather Braten C. (aka Brayton) and his twin brother, ggg-granduncle Claton C. (aka Clayton) and their parents, gggg-grandparents William H. and Arvilla L. Placeway. Also in the house is one Nellie G. Tish, a Servant, and Frank Newman, a Lodger. It appears that Frank Newman, a “Farm Laborer” must have worked for gggg-grandfather William as he is recorded as a “Farmer”.

Both boys, Brayton and Clayton are enumerated at 12 years old and listed that their birthdays are in April 1888. Both are also listed as “At school”.

Another critical piece of information is that the US Census notes that gggg-grandparents William and Arvilla had been married for 17 years. This would, roughly calculated indicate that they were married circa June of 1883.

The source of the 1900 US Census is the United States of America Bureau of the Census. Twelfth Census of the United States, 1900. Washington, DC: National Archives and Records Administration, 1900, T623. I was able to download the image from Ancestry.com.

Another piece of the puzzle of the life and times of ggg-grandfather Brayton is now in place. I will be updating my Timeline shortly.

Enjoy,

Jim

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Part 685pp – Smith Groh Genealogy – The Mystery of Brayton C. Placeway – 1915 S.S. Tuscania Manifest

Good Day,

Following up to my Posting Part 680p it appears that ggg-grandfather Brayton C. Placeway upon getting his and his wife Johanna's Emergency Passport, they must have traveled from Berlin, Germany to Liverpool, England between 1 February 1915 and 7 February 1915.

Ain't Genealogy fun... especially when I am trying to piece together the life and times of an ancestor. This ancestor is ggg-grandfather Brayton C. Placeway.

Based on the Manifest of the S.S. Tuscania, ggg-grandfather Brayton C. Placeway and his second wife, Johanna (née Plischke) sailed from Liverpool, England 7 February 1915 and arrived at the Port of New York 16 February 1915.

There is limited information on this page List of United States Citizens of the Manifest regarding the ggg-grandfather Brayton C. and his wife, Johanna. It does indicate that Johanna “If Naturalized, Give Name and Location of Court Which Issued Naturalization Papers, And Date of Papers” is a naturalized to the United States" “By Marriage”.

The source of this document is The National Archives: Year: 1915; Microfilm Serial: T715; Microfilm T715_2397; Line 9; Page Number 81. Passenger and Crew Lists of Vessels Arriving at New York, New York, 1897-1957. I downloaded the page via Ancestry.com.

Typically Passenger Manifest pages consisted of two completed pages of information for each passenger. I can only find one page referencing ggg-grandfather Brayton. I have searched all the pages as presented of this specific voyage. And now another question, “Why is there only limited information on the Manifest for ggg-grandfather Brayton C. and his second wife Johanna (née Plischke)?

Just a couple of notes that I discovered regarding the S.S. Tuscania. The SS Tuscania, a luxury ship of the Cunard subsidiary Anchor Line, was launched September 1914. It carried 2,500+ passengers... and was torpedoed and sank in 1918 by the German U-boat UB-77 while carrying American troops to Europe. (From Wikipedia).

Check out the Brayton C. Placeway Life Timeline. You can pull the Groh pull-down menu at the top of the page.

Enjoy,

Jim

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Part 682p – Smith Groh Genealogy – The Mystery of Brayton C. Placeway – Updated Life Timeline

Good Day,

And now the bugs, that I created, are out of my SmartDraw software package I can update my ggg-grandfather Brayton C. Placeway Life Timeline.

As I progress in any genealogy and life history of an individual in my search and research, I find it more beneficial to me to visually depict their life history on a Time Line Chart. This is especially certain in the case of ggg-grandfather Brayton C. It is easy to read the documents and place the documents “side-by-each” but without extrapolating and noting the details in each document sometimes a clue or lead may be lost.

I have now added the elements of ggg-grandfather Brayton’s live as I have presented them in my recent Postings – Part 675ps, Part 676p, Part 677ps, and Part 680p. And there is still more to come…

Any Timeline charting function can be used. I just like the presentation capabilities and the freedom of SmartDraw to be able to add or amend items as I create the Timeline. There is a wee bit of a learning curve to begin with SmartDraw but once one is over the first initial stages there is so much more that it just boggles my brain.

If you have any comments, thoughts, ideas, and questions please feel to contact me.

Enjoy,

Jim

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Part 680p – Smith Groh Genealogy – The Mystery of Brayton C. Placeway – 1915 Emergency Passport Application – Berlin, Germany

Good Day,

And the mystery begins to unfold…

Based on what I have read and from US PassportNOW “Passports had been used for centuries in the US as well as a number of other countries, but were not actually mandatory for international travel until 1918.”

So the question arises “Why did ggg-grandfather Brayton and his second wife Johanna (née Plischke) complete an Emergency Passport Application at the American Embassy in Berlin on 1 February 1915?”

His reasons are “for the purpose of travel in Europe and identification”.

The above inserted photograph is of ggg-grandfather Brayton Placeway and his wife Johanna. It was discovered attached to the Emergency Passport Application.

Okay, the Passport makes logical sense… especially for one who “follow(s) the occupation of a (travelling) Theatrical Artist”. But if ggg-grandfather Brayton had left the United States “on the 28 day of October, 1911”, what caused him to immediately need a passport on 1 February 1915 “for the purpose of travel in Europe…”

Here are the pages of ggg-grandfather Brayton's Emergency Passport Application. The source of this document is the National Archives and Records Administration, Washington, D.C.; Emergency Passport Applications, Argentina thru Venzuela, 1906-1915; Collection Number: ARC Identifier 1244183 / MLR Number A1 544; Box #:4584; Volume #:173.

Here is my transcription of the amended Department Passport Application form. I have not included the crossed out portions, which you can see in the image of the actual document.

Emergency PASSPORT APPLICATION

5830
NATIVE.

Issued, Feb. 1, 1915

I, Brayton Placeway, a NATIVE AND LOYAL CITIZEN OF THE UNITED
STATES, hereby apply to the American Embassy, Berlin for a passport for myself, accompanied by
my wife, Johanna.
I solemnly swear that I was born at Pinckney, in the State
of Michigan, on 17 day of April, 1888;
that my father was native citizen of the United States; that I am domiciled in the United
States, my permanent residence being at Pinckney, in the State of Michigan
where I follow the occupation of Theatrical Artist that I left the United States on the 28 day
of October, 1911, * and am now temporarily sojourning at Berlin,
that I intend to return to the United States within 3
_____ with the purpose of residing and performing the duties of citizenship therein; and that I desire for the
passport for the purpose of travel in Europe & identification.

I have not applied elsewhere for a United States passport or for consular registration and been refused.

OATH OF ALLEGIANCE

Further, I do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies,
foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I take this obligation freely, without
any mental reservation or purpose of evasion: So help me God.

Brayton Placeway

American Embassy at Berlin
Sworn to before me, this day of February, 1915

Roland B Haney

2nd Sec. of Embassy

of the United States of America

DESPCRIPTION of APPLICANT.

Age: 26 years.
Stature: 5 feet, 10 ½ inches, Eng.
Forehead: Normal
Eyes: Blue
Nose: Pominent
Mouth: Medium
Chin: Square
Hair: Brown
Complexion: med dark
Face: Oval

IDENTIFICATION

- Nothing filled in at this part of the Application
Identifying documents submitted as follows: Consular Certificate of Registra-
tion from Reichenberg Austria Marriage Certificate
Certificate from Notary Public from Livingston County, Michigan

I, solemnly swear that I desire the passport
for which I have applied on the annexed form
for use in visiting Germany and
returning to the United States
via Holland and England

Brayton Placeway

American Embassy at Berlin,
Sworn to before me, this 1st day of February 1915.

Roland B Haney

2nd Sec. of Embassy

Secretary of the Embassy

of the United States of America.

Holder of Emergency Passport No. 4962
issued Feb. 1st 1915 at Berlin

Brayton Placeway

And the mystery of ggg-grandfather Brayton continues. Check up the new updates.

Enjoy,

Jim

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Part 671p – Groh Smith Genealogy – Updated and Divided Placeway Descendant Chart – The Cloud Does NOT Have All The Answers

Good Day,

I continue my journey into the reaches and discovery of the Placeway Family Line… specifically that of soon-to-be great-great-great-grandfather Brayton C. Placeway. All-things-being-equal I have chanced upon, in the Cloud, notation, information, and data back until the 7-times great-grandparents Robert and Mehitable (née Hamilton) Placeway (aka Plaiceway).

And here is where I most certainly do NOT “throw caution to the wind”.

As you know A Genealogy Hunt is my journal.

It is the chronicle of my work and effort to search and research those branches and family lines and ancestors that are in some way connected. But I have to keep reiterating to myself “Prenez garde!” I need to ensure that I check all sources of information and data. I need to ask myself “And where did that piece of newsflash come from?” There is a great deal of data and information, via the Internet, that is not sourced nor cited. And further I want to know “Where the hell did that bit of detail come from?”

Information discovered on the Internet, aka extracted from the Cloud, is a great stepping-stone. It is that nugget that can either provide the answer, or lead you through a doorway that may provide you with the sources that you are searching.

My work and efforts in the realm of genealogy lead me down many paths. Each doorway is a panorama of that which passed by in a brief moment of time.

With the newly added figures to my original Placeway Descendant Chart, I have had to divide the single Chart into two… otherwise I will have to provide a bevy of magnifying glasses for all readers. Here are the new Placeway Descendant Charts I and II.

The Placeway Descendant Chart I now includes the conceivable addition of 7-times great-grandparents Robert and Mehitable (née Hamilton) Placeway and of 6-times great-grandparents William and Mercy (aka Mary) (née Robbins) Placeway.

The Placeway Descendant Chart II includes the conceivable addition of ggg-grandfather Brayton C. Placeway’s second wife Johanna Plischke.

If you have any questions, comments, and ideas, make sure that you contact me.

Enjoy,

Jim

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