Monday, August 25, 2014

Brickey Brick Wall

I have several brick walls in my tree that are tantalizingly close to revealing their secrets. This low hanging fruit - just out of reach - includes the identity of Mary Jane's birth mother, and the name of Thomas Stevens' "aged mother".

Add to these my Brickey brick wall.

Annie Charles Winkler - my 2nd great-grandmother - was born in June 1884 in Washington County, Arkansas. According to her obituary, she was the "daughter of Henry and Pauline Brickey Winkler". Both of her parents disappeared from her life, which has created considerable trouble in confirming their identities and tracking their paths after her birth.

I found a September 1883 marriage record for James H. Winkler (spelled Winkley) and Miss Paulina Brickey in Newton County, Missouri. This is the only record I've uncovered that links these two individuals in life.


Family stories suggest that James Henry Winkler (Jim) left Pauline to raise Annie alone. For whatever reasons, Pauline didn't take up the mantel. Annie is first documented in the 1900 US Federal Census living in Prairie Township, Washington County, Arkansas with an aunt - Matilda Wilson. Her parents are not in the household. Have they deserted her? Are they even alive? What I wouldn't give for the 1890 census!


I don't yet know Matilda Wilson's maiden name. Given her age, 73 years, it's most likely that she's an aunt to either James or Pauline. A son of Matilda's is living in the household. His surname is Phelan.

To advance my research, I next returned to Newton County, Missouri (where James H. Winkler and Pauline Brickey were married) to see if I could locate the Brickey or Winkler families.

In the 1880 census, there were no Winklers in Newton County. However, there was a widowed Elizabeth Brickey living with several children. None of them were named Pauline. I traced Elizabeth back to 1870 when she's living with Nelson A. Brickey (presumably her husband). There is a daughter in the household named Mary S. P. Brickey. In the 1860 census the name is spelled out as Samantha P. Brickey. It's the only female child with a "P" in the name. Is this Pauline?

I expanded my search to Washington County, Arkansas where Annie was born. The broadened search turned up a December 30, 1891 marriage record between J.R. Lee and "Mrs. Pauline Winkler". The Mrs. instead of Miss suggests to me that she was previously married.


Combined searches of Ancestry.com public family trees (gasp!) and FindAGrave.com pointed me to James Russell Lee who was married several times, including to Mrs. Pauline Winkler. Pauline Lee passes away in 1899 and is buried in Mars Hill Cemetery in Barry County, Missouri. I hypothesize that this is Pauline (Brickey) Winkler. If that's the case, Pauline's 1899 death would explain why Annie was living with an aunt in the 1900 census.

My search also indicated that J.R. and Pauline had a son Elmer F. Lee who was born in 1894 and passed away in 1966. An online family tree gives Elmer's mother's name as "Poleen Bricklin". Unfortunately, the connection is unsourced. However, I wonder if the name comes from Elmer's death certificate? Perhaps an informant was trying to recall his mother's maiden name and confused Pauline Brickey?

I'm hoping that an 1899 obituary or death notice was published in the local paper and can help source Mrs. Pauline Lee's origins. A copy of Elmer's death record or SSN application with his mother's maiden name could also help to substantiate my theory. Frankly, a divorce record between Pauline and James Henry would be handy, too!

Perhaps I'm close to smashing through the Brickey brick wall. Now where in tarnation is James Henry Winkler?

4 comments:

  1. Have you seen this entry of a tree at Family Search? There is a Matilda Barron married first to William Phelan (with a son William Phelan Jr.) and then married to William F. Wilson.

    Interestingly, there is a 'History of Washington County Arkansas' mentioned as a source.

    https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.2.1/SPNJ-7S8

    Many greetings,
    Susanna Rosalie

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi Susanna,

    Thank you so much for your comment. I hadn't see that family tree. I knew James Winkler's mom was Mariah Baron, but I hadn't yet mapped out her family. So Matilda is her sister. More of the puzzle is coming together.

    Again, thank you for directing me to this great new lead.

    Mike

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hi Mike!

    This is what I found, you might already know this or not:

    Here is an entry at Family Search: Mariah Barron marrying Samuel Winkler (born 1837) in Washington County, Arkansas. Are these your ancestors?

    https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/FQLD-MJN


    If so, this family tree entry regarding Samuel Winkler (born 1831) might be interesting to you.

    https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.2.1/3QRK-54S

    The '7' in the birthdate 1837 of Samuel Winkler could have been easily misread transcribing the record, because the other birthdate is given as 1831 (or the other way around).

    As a source 'Public Member Trees at ancestrydotcom' is named. Did you already submit your data there? Or how much have you explored that source for your research? (I do not have an account with ancestry.)

    Have a great day!
    Greetings from Germany,
    Susanna Rosalie

    ReplyDelete
  4. Thanks again, Susanna, for these great pointers. I really appreciate your generosity of time!

    I had come across the marriage record between Mariah Barron and Samuel Winkler, but the tree was new to me. I do have an account with Ancestry, but the tree is private so shouldn't be the source information (I don't believe).

    These are great leads that I'm hoping I can prove with a paper trail.

    Best,
    Mike

    ReplyDelete