March 5, 2013 - Deborah Gisburt Pepper, Making Use of Ancestry

I have finished going through the wonderful document that Ellen L. sent me concerning the family of James William and Harriet Daugherty (Dougherty).  Ellen called me last night and we had a wonderful chat together.  In the distant future it would be nice to plan a trip with the two of us doing research, perhaps in Missouri.  We are still against that mighty wall of "Where did James William Dougherty's mother and father come from?"  William Henry (this couple's son) mentioned that they came from Ireland.  Grandpa Fred I. Daugherty suggested the Isle of Man. 

While talking with Ellen, I realized how little I have used my Ancestry.com membership.  There is so much that I don't know about this nationally lauded website.  So for the next few days I'm going to take one person from each of my trees on Mom's side of the family (the families that this blogsite is concerned with), and see if I can find out more information about them.

Someday, when I am not involved with so many projects and activities, I'd like to start a blogsite for Dad's (Hostvet/Ristau) side.  Writing down thoughts and facts shared by other people help put a more understandable story to our past.

We'll start with the Peppers tree...gggrandmother Martha Pepper Daugherty's family.  Martha was married to William Henry Daugherty, son of the Daugherty (Dougherty) family Ellen L. is researching.  Who knows, I might not find any new material at all. 

I'm choosing Deborah Gisburt (Feb. 11, 1779 - April 20, 1856), my fourth great grandmother, the above Martha's grandmother.  Deborah married Frederick Peppers Nov. 22, Nov. 1798 in Frederick, MD.

Okay...I did find out Deborah's father's name...Gisburt Giesbert (1750-1810). In the "Maryland Marriages, 1655-1850" her first name was spelled Deboro.

 In the 1850 US Census she was 73 years old and living with her daughter and son-in-law John and Margaret Brown.  At the time this couple had 7 children ranging from 13-0.  I can just imagine the activity that there was in the household.  I'm not anywhere near that age, and I love my peace and quiet and my privacy. At this time they were living in Pine Warren, Indiana.  This community is located near South Bend, not far from the Southern tip of Lake Michigan.  John and Margaret eventually had 10 children.  Not sure if in the next 6 years, until Deborah's death, these other four children were born.  Just looked...and yes, Deborah was living in a household with 10 little children. 

So glad I did this...I have more information to add to my imagination of how her life may have acted out.  Deborah had to have been used to lots of children, as she and Frederick had ten of her own.  I also have her married to a ? Cellenor with three children listed there.  More research is needed to find out more about this marriage.  Was this her first or second marriage?  Are the three children hers or from another marriage of Cellenor?

I also saw some Pepper family photos that I saved many years ago on my hard drive and had forgotten about. None were of Deborah, but glad I was reminded of them.

Now I'll add these little bits of information to my Family Tree and search for another family member in Ancestry next time.