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UPDATE: 09/08/2008 ----- Check back often as this is a work in progress.
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The Ramsey Family
Ancestors of Betty Ramsey Whiteside |
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James S. Ramsey (d. 1846)
Elizabeth James (1850-after 1870)
James S. Ramsey was born, probably in Kentucky, but unfortunately, that is the extent of the information we have about him at this point. Research is ongoing.
Elizabeth James was born in Union County, Kentucky, in about 1850, the third of ten children of Gideon James (1765 SC- 1835 Union Co., KY) and Catherine Baker (1794 SC-1835 KY). [1]
James Ramsey and Elizabeth James were married 10 March 1835 in Union County, Kentucky.[2] They had four sons:
i. Thomas G. Ramsey b. 1838 ii. Robert M. Ramsey b. 1839 m. Lucy iii. John Ramsey (1843-1918) m. Minerva Ann Floyd iv. James A. Ramsey b. 1846
James S. Ramsey died about 6 December 1846 in Union County Kentucky.[3]
His widow, Elizabeth James Ramsey, remarried nearly two years later, on 2 September 1848, to James Riggs[4], who was born in 1825, making him about ten years younger than she was. They had three sons together: George W. Riggs b. 1849, Sylvester H. Riggs b. 1853, and Stanford B. Riggs, born 1855.
The family appears in the 1850 Union Co., KY census, p. 482, as follows: James Riggs 25, Elizabeth 35, Thomas Ramsey 12, Robert Ramsey 22, John Ramsey 7, James Ramsey 5, and George Riggs 1.
The family appears in the 1860 Union County, Kentucky census as follows: James Riggs 35, Elizabeth 45, George 9, Sylvester 7, Stanford 5, Robert Ramsey 21, John Ramsey 17, and James Ramsey 14. Living next door to them is Thomas Riggs 23, his wife Ann 20, and daughter May 6 months. It is possible he is the same person as the Thomas Ramsey, age 12 in the 1850 census, who has taken the Riggs name, or his name was mistakenly recorded as Riggs. However, in the 1870 and 1880 census he is listed as Thomas Ramsey and has no wife or child.
In June 1862 Elizabeth became a widow once again when her second husband James Riggs died.[5]
The 1870 Webster Co., KY census, Ancestry.com image 7 lists Elizabeth Riggs 53, with her three younger sons, G.W. (George) 20, S.H. (Sylvester) 18, S.B. (Stanford) 15.
In 1870 Thomas Ramsey and James Ramsey were still single, according to the census:
1870 Webster Co., KY census, Ancestry.com image 1: Thomas G. Ramsey 32 farmer, Mary Kesee 53 housekeeper; on same page as his brother James Ramsey.
1870 Webster Co., KY census, Ancestry.com image 1: James A. Ransdell 24, living next door to William Ramsey 63, Mary T. 57; these people were not found in any previous census but are likely some relation.
Robert and John Ramsey were married by 1870, according to the census:
1870 Webster Co., KY census, Ancestry.com image 34: Robert Ramsey 30, Catharina 24, Ulysses 3, Mary B. 4 mos.
John Ramsey was married to Minerva Floyd by 1870 and had two sons. They were living with Minerva’s mother.
Elizabeth Riggs does not appear in the 1880 census, thus I assume she died before that time.
Her son Thomas G. Ramsey is living with the Jim and Catherine Kuykendall family, and he is listed as a nephew. Catherine Kuykendall was Catherine James, youngest sister of Thomas’ mother Elizabeth.[6]
Her son Robert Ramsey appears in the 1880 census as follows: 1880 Webster Co., KY census, Ancestry.com image 38: R.M. Ramsey 40, Lucy C. 33, Miles E. 13, Mary B. 10, Allie 7, Clarita 3, Rulof 7 mos. [on same page as Robert's half brother Sylvester Riggs]
Her son John Ramsey appears in the 1880 census as follows: 1880 Webster Co., KY census: John 33, Mary A. 32, Robert W. 13, Dyson (male) 12, James T. 6, Allie B. 3.
Her son James Ramsey was not found in the 1880 census in Webster County, Kentucky; beyond that, the name is very common so it is difficult to determine if it is the same person.
Sylvester Riggs is the only one of Elizabeth’s sons by her second marriage to appear in the 1880 census, as follows: 1880 Webster Co., KY census, Ancestry.com image 38: Silvester Riggs 27, wife Elizabeth 38, Emily 4, Stanford Y. 2, Sarah F. Oakley 13 sister-in-law.
Since we know John Ramsey was in Kansas by 1881, it could be his brothers and half brothers also headed west. |
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John Ramsey 1843-1918
Minerva Ann Floyd 1847-1926
Minerva Floyd Ramsey
John Ramsey was born 1 June 1843 in Union County, KY.[7] He was the third of four sons of James S. Ramsey and Elizabeth James. (see information on James family on my Rootsweb posting.)
Minerva Ann Floyd was born 21 March 1847 in Union Co., KY,[8] the daughter of William J. Floyd and Ally Pullam.[9] (see FLOYD and PULLAM.)
Unfortunately, John's father died soon after the birth of his youngest son, in December 1846. In September 1848, John’s mother married again, to James Riggs, and she had three more sons with him.
The family appears in the 1850 Union Co., KY census, p. 482, as follows: James Riggs 25, Elizabeth 35, Thomas Ramsey 12, Robert Ramsey 22, John Ramsey 7, James Ramsey 5, and George Riggs 1.
Minerva Floyd is found in the 1850 Union Co., KY census, p. 470, as M.A. Floyd, age 3, living with her parents W.J. Floyd 33, a farmer, Alley Floyd 31, a sister Matilda 5, and a brother N.T. 1.
John Ramsey, age 17, is found in the 1860 Union Co., KY census, p. 454, with the same family mentioned above: James Riggs 35, Elizabeth 45, George 9, Sylvester 7, Stanford 5, Robert Ramsey 21, John Ramsey 17, and James Ramsey 14. Living next door to them is Thomas Riggs 23, his wife Ann 20, and daughter May 6 months. It is possible he is the same person as the Thomas Ramsey, age 12 in the 1850 census, who has taken the Riggs name. However, in the 1870 and 1880 census he is listed as Thomas Ramsey and has no wife or child.
Webster County, Kentucky, was established in 1860 from parts of Union, Hopkins, and Henderson Counties. In a history written in 1877[10] Webster County is said to contain "much bottom land with rich soil... there is much fine land in the county yet unsettled—hickory, poplar, white oak, and dogwood being the principal forest growth. Tobacco is the great staple. In 1870 Webster was the 8th largest tobacco-growing county in the state; corn, wheat, and oats are extensively cultivated." For further information, see the Webster Co., KY website at http://www.kygenweb.net/webster/index.html.
Minerva's two younger sisters, Mary and Margaret, were born in 1851 and 1853, and in 1854, their father died, leaving his widow Ally with five children.
Minerva Floyd is found in the 1860 Webster Co., KY census, Dixon post office, p. 550, age 13, living with her mother Ally, a widow, age 41, and siblings Matilda 14, Nathaniel 11, Mary F. 9, and Margaret C. 7.
John Ramsey and Minerva Floyd were married 8 December 1864 at the home of the bride's mother Alla Floyd.[11] The marriage bond indicates the residence of both bride and groom to be Webster County, and birthplaces of them and their parents to be Kentucky.
John and Minerva had the following children:
i. Robert William Ramsey (1865 KY-1946 Washington) m. Bertha Fritts
ii. Dyson P. Ramsey (1868 KY-1940 ID)
iii.
James Thomas Ramsey, b. 1874 Kentucky, m. Rosa Belt 1898; d. 1955
iv.
Elizabeth (Betty) Ramsey (1876-1960) m. Amos Henry Whiteside
v. John J. (Doc) Ramsey (1881 Kansas-1961 CA) m. Mary
vi. Bessie Ramsey (1884 Kansas-1966 California) m. Nathan T. Mays
vii. Cleave G. (possibly Grover Cleveland) Ramsey b. 1886 Kansas
viii. Laura Ramsey (b. 1890 Kansas) m. Bert Hall
In the 1870 Webster County, KY census, the family appears as follows:
Ramsey, John 26 Minerva 22 Robert W. 4 D.P. 1 (male) Floyd, Alley, widow, 52 (Minerva's mother) N.T., male, 21 (Minerva's brother Nathaniel) Margaret E. 17 (Minerva's sister)
In the 1880 Webster County, KY census, the family appears as follows:
Ramsey, John 33 Mary A. 32 (this is Minerva) Robert W. 13 Dyson 12 Allie B. 3 (This must be Betty; she may have been named after her grandmother and called this when she was small)
I did not find Minerva's mother Ally Floyd in the 1880 census of Webster County, Kentucky.
Sometime in 1880 or 1881 John and Minerva and their family moved to Reno County, Kansas, where their son John was born in 1881, a daughter Bessie was born in 1884, a son Cleave was born in 1886, and a daughter Laura was born in 1890.[12]
Betty married Amos Whiteside in 1895 in Reno County, Kansas.
By the 1900 census, the four oldest children had left home, and the family appeared in the 1900 Reno County, Kansas, census as follows:
Ramsey, John 56 farmer Minervy A. 52 John 18 Bessie 15 Cleave 14 Laura 10
Robert Ramsey, the oldest child, moved to Washington state about 1905.[13] Betty and her husband Amos Whiteside moved first to Oregon and then to Washington by 1908. James Ramsey remained in Kansas and married Rosa, where they had a son, then moved to Washington state where they had a daughter, and returned to Kansas by 1910.
The family appears in the 1910 Reno County, Kansas, census, p. 1, as follows:
Ramsey, John 67 Minerva 63 Dock 29 (this is John) Bessie 26 Allie 92 (this is Minerva's mother Allie Pulliam Floyd)
James T. Ramsey and family were found in the 1910 census of Wayne, Edwards, Kansas,[14] as follows: James Ramsey 35, first marriage, married 12 years, born Kentucky, both parents born Kentucky; wife Rosa 26, also first marriage of 12 years; son Robert W. 10, born Kansas, and daughter Mable 8, born Washington.
Pat Whiteside Mason , daughter of Roy Whiteside, granddaughter of Betty Ramsey Whiteside, and great-granddaughter of John and Minerva Ramsey, tells this story: "Dad [Roy] tells of going to Kansas with his mom [Betty] and some of the kids each year to visit Grandma Minerva. She was terrified of the thunderstorms and tornados. At the least little breeze, she made everyone go to the root cellar. After several hours, one time, at night, in the dirty, muggy cellar, Grandmother Betty said she had had enough, and went into the house and they all went to bed."
Sometime after 1910 John and Minerva moved to Los Angeles, California, where their son John and daughter Bessie were living. John’s death certificate indicates he had lived in California for five years, thus they probably moved there in about 1913.
John Ramsey died 28 October 1918 in Los Angeles, CA and was buried there.[15]
The 1920 Yakima, Washington, census shows Minerva Ramsey, age 72, living with her son Robert and his family. (Robert W. Ramsey 54, Bertha 44, daughter Freida 10.) However, her great-granddaughter Pat Whiteside Mason , says that Minerva preferred the warm climate of Los Angeles and lived there most of the time.
When Minerva was visiting in Washington, she spent some time with her grandson Roy and his wife Daisy. Their daughter Pat Whiteside Mason wrote, "Mom really liked Grandma Minerva. She was very undemanding and easy to get along with. She liked to go to town but wouldn't get out of the car. When asked if she could get her anything, she would say, 'Well, maybe a chaw of bacca,' and Mom would try to find a nickel to get her some."
Minerva Ramsey Floyd died 13 December 1926 in Washington, age 79, while visiting her son. She had been there about one month. Her funeral record indicates her usual residence was Los Angeles, and she was taken there for burial beside her husband.
Robert Ramsey, 64, his wife Bertha, 55, and their daughter Freida, 20, were found in the 1930 Yakima, WA census, page 2A. Robert William Ramsey died 24 December 1946 in Yakima, Washington.[16] His wife Bertha died 25 June 1951 in Yakima, Washington.
Dyson P. Ramsey was found in the 1920 census of Benewah Co., Idaho, p. 2A, as Dick P. Ramsey, 51, single, birthplace Kentucky, birthplace of both parents Kentucky. His occupation was woodcutter. Living with him was his brother James T. Ramsey, who was divorced. (Also in Benewah Co., ID in 1920 was Virgil Whiteside, oldest son of Amos and Betty.) D.P. Ramsey, Idaho, was listed as a survivor of his mother Minerva in 1926, but he was not listed as a survivor of his brother Robert in 1946. He was not found in the 1930 census. Dyson Pierre Ramsey died 3 November 1940 in St. Maries, Idaho. [17]
James T. Ramsey was also found in the 1920 census of Benewah Co., Idaho, p. 2A, age 45, divorced, birthplace Kentucky, birthplace of both parents Kentucky; occupation woodcutter. In the 1930 census of Miami Co., KS, James T. Ramsey, age 55, was living with his son Robert W. Ramsey and his family. James T. Ramsey of Kansas was listed as a survivor of his mother Minerva in 1926, brother Robert in 1946, and his sister Betty Whiteside in 1960. Apparently, the family had lost touch with him, because a California death record shows James Thomas Ramsey died on 10 April 1955 in Los Angeles, California; father Ramsey; mother Floyd.
John J. (Doc) Ramsey of Los Angeles, CA was also listed as a survivor of Minerva, Robert and Betty. He was found in the 1920 census of Los Angeles, CA, p. 10B, as John J. Ramsey, 40, b. Kansas, with his wife Mary, 46, born Ireland. The couple were also found in the 1930 Los Angeles, CA census, ages 50 and 55. John died 12 February 1961 in Los Angeles, CA.[18]
Grover C. Ramsey was listed as a survivor of his mother Minerva Ramsey in 1926. C. G. Ramsey of Castle Rock, WA was listed as a survivor of his brother Robert in 1946, and Grover Ramsey listed as a survivor of his sister Betty in 1960. Grover Ramsey died January 1967 in Castle Rock, Cowlitz Co., WA.[19] (Since his name appears in various places as Grover, Cleave, and C.G., I wonder if his name is actually Grover Cleveland, after the president who took office in 1885, the year before he was born.)
Mrs. Phil Ward of Ellensburg, WA, was listed as a surviving daughter of Minerva Ramsey. (I assume this is Laura). Mrs. Laura Hall of Los Angeles, California, was listed as a surviving sister of Robert Ramsey in 1946 and Betty Whiteside in 1960. No death record has been found for her. |
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[1] William Compton Kerr has a posting on Ancestry.com giving information on the James family from the immigrant ancestor James Thomas James, born in Wales, died in Chester Co., PA. Gideon James is the 5th generation, and Elizabeth James is the 6th generation. [2] Union County marriage record. [3] Abstracts from Union County KY Will Book, Book B, page 521: James S. Ramsey appraisal and inventory of estate: 5 Dec 1846. [4] Union County Marriage record. [5] Abstract from Will Book Union Co., KY, Book B, page 521: James D. Riggs, inventory and appraisal of estate, 20 Jun 1862, recorded 6 Apr 1863. [6] Sarah Blackwell posting on Ancestry.com [7] P. Mason , their great-granddaughter. Funeral record of their son Robert Ramsey gives their birthplaces as Clayville, KY, which I could not find. . [8] Ibid. [9] Funeral record of Minerva Ramsey gives her parents' names. [10] Collins' History of Kentucky, 1877. [12] Birthdates from 1900 Reno Co., KS census. [13] Robert W. Ramsey funeral record biographical information. [14] Page 66A. [15] P. Mason, his great-granddaughter, provided this information. California death cert. [16] Funeral record. [17] Idaho Death Index. [18] California Death Index online. [19] Social Security Death Index |
-- Any corrections, additions, and kind, constructive criticism are welcome. Full credit will be given for anything you submit. -
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© 2004 JANE MARIE HOPSON MCCLURE |
