Chasing the Shadows

Simon Schama wrote, "Historians are left forever chasing shadows, painfully aware of their inability ever to reconstruct a dead world in its completeness however thorough or revealing their documentation. We are doomed to be forever hailing someone who has just gone around the corner and out of earshot."

Family historians can identify strongly with those words, and, yet, we continue the pursuit. And sometimes those shadows we are chasing take form and substance and we can at least sneak a peak into the lives of our ancestors. It's worth the chase.

* * * * * * * * * *


Monday, January 18, 2010

Julia Ann Miller Holt Holt and her second husband, Eliphaz




Meet Julia Ann Miller Holt, the mother of Alfred Lewis Holt, and Eliphaz Holt her second husband and my paternal maternal great great grandfather. Julia lived from 1840 - 1901. Julia was my paternal maternal great great grandmother. As a school aged child, I corresponded with their son, my paternal maternal great grandfather, Alfred Lewis Holt, until his death in 1966.

Julia Ann was the second child of William M. Miller and Arrena Howell Miller. She was born in Daviess County, Indiana and she passed away in Cowley County, Kansas at the age of 60. The 1900 US Census shows Julia's occupation as farmer in Richland Township, Cowley County, KS. Her husband Eliphaz had been dead three years at the time of the 1900 US Census. (I will write more about Eliphaz at a later date.)
Julia Ann Miller Holt was first married to Calvin Holt in 1859. Calvin and Julia Ann had four children. Calvin died on 15 Apr 1866, the day before Julia Ann gave birth to their fourth and final child. His corpse lay in the house as she was giving birth to Calva Merle Holt.
Julia Ann then married my paternal maternal great great grandfather, Eliphaz Holt, on September 7, 1867. This marriage produced four children. Alfred Lewis Holt was the youngest child of this second marriage. (Calvin Holt and Eliphaz Holt were first cousins.)
My Great Aunt Mary Holt Hatchett, a granddaughter of Julia Ann Miller Holt, wrote to me on October 31, 1981:"Grandpa and Grandma Holt (Eliphaz and Julia Ann) are buried in the northwest corner of the Wilmot cemetery. . . . I don't know why I didn't know about the Indian strain in Julia Ann's relatives until just recent years. My father said at one time that people called her "Mammy" . . . that was Julia Ann's mother. You probably got her real name from Betty (Holt), Arena Howell, I believe.My father (Alfred Lewis Holt) had told Aubrey (Holt) that Grandma Julia Ann (Miller) Holt was dark but her pictures don't show it. I don't know how much Indian was in her mother but I understand she was part Indian."
Then, Betty Bals Holt, wife of Aubrey Sheldon Holt, a half first cousin once removed of my father wrote to me on January 25, 1995:"Dorothy Dearth who lives in Wichita and helps out at the Midwest Historical and Genealogical Society Library . . . told me her ancestor was John Miller, half brother to William (Miller - Julia Ann Miller Holt's father). She (Dorothy) had heard that he was part Cherokee Indian and I have heard several ways that Julia Ann was one-fourth Cherokee, so it must be the Millers, not the Howells. (I suppose it could be both)."
A copy of a genealogy family sheet sent to me by Marilyn Holt Hahn of Atlanta, KS, postmarked May 15, 2006 shows Julia Ann Miller as being one-fourth Cherokee. It does not indicate from what side of her family Julia Ann Miller Holt inherited this ancestry.
My Great Grandfather Alfred Lewis Holt had this to say about his mother in a genealogy he wrote for me in January 1966:"Julia Ann, his wife and my mother, was his (Eliphaz Holt) equal in every way, so I hope their pictures can be buried with me in my grave. Julia Ann passed away May 26, 1901, next day after her 61st birthday."
The following is a transcription of a letter written by Julia Ann Miller Holt to her oldest child by her first husband Calvin Holt, Emberson Holt. It has been transcribed exactly as written with no corrections in punctuation and or spelling. (The information in parenthesis was added by me.)
"January the 10 1885, Friday morning
Dear Son I hope you are well. Alfa (Alfred Lewis Holt who was 6 at the time of this writing) missed the chills 3 weeks this time and I hope he is done with them the rest of us are well except Cora She fell on the ice last Friday coming home from school and bent her wrist or we are not certain but it is broken it is sweled badly though she goes to school she only missed 2 days we have lots of company Jim Read and Annie and Willie Holt and his wife came last Saturday and stayed till Wednesday (?)nerables (?) was here Sunday and several others Albert and Lizzie Sunday knight and yesterday Willises folks Nan Tommy Ben and Calvey vick and Sam Dody & Mamy, Jon and Nora was here and Minnie Stuber come home with the children from school and Last knight Mr. Hooker and Rosa come from Burden and couldn’t cross the creek and stayed all knight we have had snow and rain and cold for along time and now there is mud how is it there are you married yet I hope you will get a good woman and then you must treat her good tell me where she lives and what her given name is and who her mother was and before you get her make the contract with her to come to Kans why didn’t you say you thought I made you a new coat out of your old one I was ashamed to send that comfort it was so dirty but it was nearest the rite size to go in the trunk was your trunk broke any I can’t find the key any where I saw a ? in the rafter but no key there we have got our house plastered it cleared off the knight wrote to you before and stayed nice a few days ben has plastered his house I am going up there to day to help make Della a coat Alfa wants me to write about him he got made at me the other day and said he wished Emma (Emberson) was back here to scold me and he always wants me to read about him don’t write any more without writing about him I read a lot to him once that you would come home and run a race with him and in the next letter you wrote like not comeing and hurt him ben has come after me. Write soon
/s/ Julia to Emberson

No comments:

Post a Comment