Finding John R: 6. Call Shirley

Genealogists say that 90% of genealogical facts exist in books, court house documents, local records and not on the internet. We have done all the internet searches we can think of. No more John R. records are falling from internet heaven.

OK. Back to the phones. Stella searches the number of Texas' Wood County Historical Society and calls. She gets Shirley on the line.  She chats. Shirley says to write her our facts. She composes a note with all our facts about John R and his family in Hawkins, Texas. Stella attaches the family photo of John R's children.  Shirley writes back:

"Those are beautiful young people, I hope you had the good luck to inherit their genes.  I have some relatives on my father's side who are ugly as sin, but luckily I don't look like them..."  Shirely Bates, Wood County History Association.

Katie, Harry Craig, Ralph Stannard, Sam Evans, Annie B Allison circa 19..?

Shirley Bates went to work on our behalf. She checked cemetery records, marriage records, her library.  

From: "Batescatwoman@aol.com"
To: stellaallison@yahoo.com Sent: Saturday, March 9, 2013 10:24 AM
Subject: Re: Fw: links to John R. Allison in Wood County Texas

 I didn't find much, mostly the same things you had found.  I searched through the Pennsylvania Marriage Records for 1700 to 1896, but I didn't find Allison.  Also, the Wood County History 1850-1900 had his name as a Post Master but nothing else.  We have some of the 1900 census for Wood County but he wasn't in it either.  But you had said that the 1900 US census showed the children living with Mary Catherine's sisters in Wise County.  You said you don't know where or when John R. died.  Now you said that his wife might have died in 1894, and I looked through the cemetery books because it was possible they were in Texas (according to my thinking), but it could have been another county.  Here's what I'm understanding so far, correct me if it's wrong.  John R. Allison (your great grandfather) was born about 1844 in PA.  In the 1880 Wood County census he was found with his wife and 1st baby.  His father was from PA and his mother from MD.  He apparently had moved to Texas early in his marriage.  He was the Post Master in Hawkins in 1892.  His wife might have died in 1884.  He was in Greencastle, PA in 1850 and 1870 census. Mary was child shown only in 1850 census, she was born in 1842,  Your grandfather was Harry Craig Allison, born 1882, your father was Lewis Franklin Allison.  What was John R's wife's name.  Any additional info would be helpful.  Please correct anything on this and return to me.  Thanks, Shirley

Eureka ! Her records tell us John R. was postmaster for Hawkins, Texas. 

This is a fact match. Lewis Allison, our dad, mentioned the postmaster position. I thought the story was about his father Harry Craig. But it is likely the story was about his grandfather and I misunderstood. Family stories get scrambled in the telling and retelling. 

More threads….. but we still are stumped about John Rs parents