It pays to go back and search a source again. Some time ago, Ancestry introduced its Pennsylvania and New Jersey Church and Town Records database. When it first came out, I searched it for all of my Pennsylvania and New Jersey ancestors. I found baptisms and marriages and burials. It has been a great source for my genealogy.

I think they must continue to work on the index because lately new hits have been turning up in that database. For example, I recently found the marriage of Joseph Funston to Frances Miller. I mentioned my third great-grandmother Frances “Fanny” Funston  in my January bucket post as a big mystery. I knew Joseph divorced her, but then, to me, she disappeared. I was excited to find this marriage record and to at least be able to put a tentative surname to her.

Then, I found a marriage record of a George W. Bieber and Frances Funstone in 1865. Five years before the divorce of Joseph and Frances, but stranger things have happened. I looked for George and Frances Bieber in the census to try to confirm this was my Frances, but came up empty.

And there it stood, until an unrelated Funston researcher came across my bucket list and mentioned the Bieber-Funstone marriage and an 1870 census record I had found and filed years ago:

George & Fanny Beaver above Joseph & Sarah Funston, 1870 census

 At the time I had not noticed Frances Beaver directly above Joseph and Sarah Funston (her children). And thanks to a certain young pop star I know that the pronunciation of Bieber is similar to Beaver. So, it also pays to review sources you saved and filed years ago. Now that I was certain this was my third great-grandmother I felt energized to search GenealogyBank, another database that has been of immeasurable help to my research.

And I found this:

Fanny Bieber obituary, Philadelphia Inquirer 27 Sep 1873

BIEBER — On the 24th inst., FANNY, wife of Geo. W. Bieber, and daughter of the late John and Mary Miller, in the 44th year of her age.
The relatives and friends of the family are respectfully invited to attend the funeral, from her late residence, No. 1938 Trenton avenue, on Sunday afternoon at 1 o’clock. To proceed to Palmer Street Ground.

Fanny Bieber, formerly Frances Funston(e), was the daughter of John and Mary Miller,
and thus was Frances Miller when she married Joseph Funston. It all ties together and I feel confident that I have found my previously lost ancestor.

By appearances, Fanny did not have an easy life. She was only about fifteen when she married Joseph, a man ten years her senior. She remarried in 1865 while still legally married to Joseph, for reasons unknown. I do know that Joseph joined the military in 1861 at age forty-two and served four years, leaving Fanny to raise four children, ages 5-14, alone. I still need to review his pension file to see if I can glean some more information about this time period, but I have transcribed some of it here. According to court records, Fanny did not respond to Joseph’s 1870 petition for divorce and it was therefore granted in 1871. She was married to George Bieber for eight years and was only 44 when she died in 1873.

I am not one for the whole bucket list idea, but as we pass from one year to the next I recognize there are some genealogical mysteries I would like to solve in my lifetime.  Here is an incomplete list in no particular order. Some are things that are likely never to be answered. Some are only a matter of time.

1. The disinheriting of Charles H. Ware.  In his will, Uriah Ware very explicitly excluded his son Charles. For the longest time, I was unable to prove the whereabouts of Charles after he left home. I have since discovered him in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania which seems a long way from Camden County, New Jersey. How did he end up there and why did his father disown him? I may never know.

2. What happened to Frances Funston? Joseph Funston was married twice according to his Civil War pension file. His first marriage to Frances ended in divorce. She was the mother of his children and according to what was found in the pension file, did not appear to contest the divorce. Joseph remarried right away. I have never found Frances in any record after the divorce in 1872, not alone or with any of her children who were by then grown. She likely remarried, but to whom I have no idea. (Update 7/17/14: I found her!)

3.  May Whitaker? When talking about her family, my grandmother always said there was a Whitaker in there somewhere. On death and marriage records for her uncles and mother, it was their mother who was listed as May (or Mary) Whitaker. I have her on the 1880 census with her husband Joseph and children, and with a Mary Partington who is identified as Joseph’s Mother-In-Law. Then she died in 1886. Did her mother remarry a man named Partington? Was the family wrong and May’s last name was really Partington? I have found no other records of her or her mother, under Whitaker or Partington. May was born in England around 1852. I have no immigration date so I do not know if she came over as a child or adult. Based on the ages of their children, she and Joseph married around 1871. There is still a lot more searching to be done on this one.

4. What ethnicity and religion were the Carmans? There are several Carman lines in the eastern United States. There was an Englishman who settled in Long Island and his ancestors stretched south into New Jersey and east into Pennsylvania. There was a German who landed in Philadelphia whose name became anglicized as Carman. My Carmans have been in the Philadelphia area a long time. My latest research suggests they were in Montgomery County in the late eighteenth century and likely well before that. Are they connected to the Germans, the English or some other Carman line? My 3rd great-grandparents were Catholic and their church was set on fire during the Riots of 1844. From what I read, it was the two Irish churches which were targeted while the nearby German church was left untouched. Were they Irish? My 2nd great-grandfather married a German Protestant. Was this when the Carmans became Protestant? The more I learn about this family, the more questions I have.

5. French! My grandmother had no idea where her Carmans came from and she knew there was a Whitaker but not who it was. Another thing she always used to say was that she had French in her, but she did not know from which line. My family ethnicity is fairly boring: lots of German, English, Irish, Scottish and way back on my father’s side a bit of Scandinavian  But mostly just lots and lots of Germany and British Isles. What I am trying to say is that French would be exotic. Ironically, the closest I have come to finding it has been through the only ancestors I have traced back to Germany: the Hornefs.  The area of Germany they lived in was near the border which by the little I have read moved around a bit. There was also the movement of people as Protestants sought safe havens. I have found church record indexes with their names in German and French. (Georg Peter/George Pierre) Is this the French my grandmother heard about? Since most of my grandmother’s ancestry has brick walls in the United States I may never know for sure.

6. The princess in the hogshead. I’ll end on this one, because it’s a bit silly. In the seventeenth century a young Swedish princess had to flee her home due to political troubles. She stowed away on a ship by hiding in a hogshead. The ship wrecked off the New Jersey coast and she washed up alive but destitute. A trapper, John Garrison, found her and eventually married her. And thus, all Garrisons in Southern New Jersey are descended from Swedish royalty. Or, so we claim. Who is ever going to prove otherwise? 🙂

Certificate of Death
25 Ward, Philadelphia, 2091 E. Somerset
Joseph Funston

Sex: male

Color: white
Widower
Date of Death: 1 – 1 – 1921

Date of Birth: Nov 28th 1850
Age: 70 yrs, 1 mth, 3 days
Occupation: Boxmaker
Birthplace: Philada
Father: Joseph Funston
Father’s birthplace: Philada
Mother: Not reported
Informant: John H. Funston, 4619 A St.

… Cause of Death:
(Ill?) Gas Poisoning
probably accidental
(signed) Wm. H__ght, Jr.

Former or usual residence: Amber & Somerset, 25 Ward

Place and date of burial:
Greenmount Cemetery, Jany 4 1921

1850 Census: PA Phila
5th Wd, Kensington, p807/403
Date 23 Jul 1850

Funston, Joseph 31 M Carter Penn
        Frances 21 F        Penn
         Hannah  3 F        Penn
         Joseph  1 M        Penn
Haggerty, Catherine 65 F    Penn

1860 Census: PA Phila
18th Wd, p206
Date 26 Jun 1860

1310 1469 Joseph Funston 40 M Carman 100(personal) Penna
          Fanny          31 F                      Penna
          Hannah         13 F                      Penna
          Jos.           12 M                      Penna
          Sarah           9 F                      Penna 
               (attending school)
          John            4 M                      Penna

1870 Census: PA Phila
11th Wd, p58
Date Jun 1870

762 992 West, John 49 M W Iron Moulder     NJ
         Elizabeth 50 F W Keeping House    NJ
            Lillie 17 F W [indecipherable] PA
   Funston, Joseph 57 M W Foreman, C&A RR  PA 
                      (father of foreign birth)
  Rhinehardt, John 45 M W Shipsmith        NJ
     Vanaman, Mary 18 F W Corset maker     NJ
           Rachael 16 F W Corset maker     NJ

1880 Census: PA Phila
T9-1189, p325A

  Joseph Fonson Self    M M 33 PA PA PA    Boxmaker
    Mary Fonson Wife    M F 28 ENG ENG ENG Housekeeper
 William Fonson Son     S M  8 PA PA ENG   At school
    John Fonson Son     S M  6 PA PA ENG   At school
Annie M. Fonson Dau     S F  4 PA PA ENG
Mary Partington MotherL W F 58 ENG ENG ENG Nurse

1900 Census: PA Phila
ED784, p2B
Date 2 & 6 Jun 1900
1910 Firth St.
117 118 Funston Joseph Head W M Nov 1849 50 M        PA PA PA  
                            Foreman Box Factory R H
                  Mary Wife W F May 1862 38 M 18 2/2 MD CA GER

1910 Census: PA Phila
ED320, p3B-4A
Date 19 Apr 1910

2422 Fifth Street
Funston, John H. Head    M W 36 M1 12     PA PA ENG  Boxmaker Wood W
       Josephine Wife    F W 33 M1 12 2/2 PA GER GER None
     John Joseph Son     M W 11           PA PA PA   None
Walter Frederick Son     M W  7           PA PA PA   None
          Joseph Father  M W 62 Wd        PA PA PA   Boxmaker Wood W
         William Brother M W 37 S         PA PA PA   Cloth [ ... ]

1920 Census: PA Phila
ED1557, p3B
Date 7 Jan 1920

4619 A Street
73 75 Funston, John H. Head     O M M W 46 M PA PA PA  
                    Foreman/Factory
             Josephine Wife         F W 44 M PA PA GER 
                    None
               John J. Son          M W 21 S PA PA PA  
                    Electrician
             Walter F. Son          M W 16 S PA PA PA  
                    Salesman/Jewelry (attending school)
            Mildred E. Daughter     F W  8 S PA PA PA  
                    None (attending school)
               William Brother      M W 47 S PA PA PA  
                    Examiner/Cloth

1920 Census: PA Phila
ED940, p4B
Date 7 Jan 1920

2314 [National?] Street
73 74 Funston, Joseph H. Head O M M W 39 M PA PA PA 
                    [work indecipherable]
         Funston, Amelia Wife     F W 32 M PA PA PA 
                     None
            Funston, Ira Son      M W 13 S PA PA PA 
                     None (Attending School)
         Funston, Eugene Son      M W 12 S PA PA PA 
                     None (Attending School)

1930 Census: PA Phila
ED28, p38B
Date 15-16 Apr 1930

6414 [Argyle?]
501 560 Funston, Josephine P. Head       O $6500 R No F W 52 Wd 
                          PA GER GER None
                      John J. Son                     M W 31 S  
                          PA PA PA   Clerk Railway
                      William Bro-in-Law              M W 57 S  
                          PA PA ENG  [indecipherable] Cloth

1930 Census: PA Phila
ED28, p14B
Date 17 Apr 1930

1819 [street indecipherable]
145 146 Funston, Joseph Head O $7650 R No M W 50 M 24  PA PA PA 
                     Assembler Electric Power
                 Amelia Wife              F W 42 M 17  PA PA PA 
                     None
                 Ira D. Son               M W 24 S    PA PA PA 
                     Foreman Electric Power
                 Eugene Son               M W 23 S    PA PA PA 
                     Assembler Electric Power

Civil War Pension File: Funston, Joseph. (1819-1887), Co. A & L, 6 PA Cav.

Declaration for an Invalid Pension
State of Pennsylvania
City & County of Philadelphia
On this Seventh day of August A.D. one thousand and seventy one personally appeared before me Prothonatary of the Supreme Court of Penna a Court of Record within and for the County and State aforesaid, Joseph Funston, aged fifty two years, a resident of the City of Philadelhpia, in the State of Pennsylvania, who, being duly sworn according to law, declares that he is the identical Joseph Funston who enlisted in the services of the United States at Philadelphia Pa in the State of Pennsylvania, on or about the 31st day of October in the year 1861 as a private afterwards Sergeant in Company “A” commanded by ——— transferred to Company “L” in the 6th Regiment of Pennsylvania Cavalry Vols, commanded by ———- in the war of 1861, and was honorably discharged at Middletown in the State of Virginia, on or about the 31st day of October in the year one thousand eight hundred and sixty-five; that while in the service aforesaid, and in the line of his duty, on or about December 13th 1862, at the battle of Fredericksburg Va, in action with the enemy, his horse in jumping a ravine fell with him and badly injured his right leg from the knee including the knee down, his leg and ankle now greatly swelled from it.
Treated as follows: Remained with the Regiment till about July 10th 1863 then sent to hospital at Frederick City, Md. Kept one night thence to West Building Hospital Baltimore Md. Kept two or three days thence to Naval School Hospital, Annapolis Md. Kept about one month ha… twenty days furlough to Philadelphia Pa. there reported to Hospital at Broad and Prime Sts, Philada. Pa. Kept one day thence to Satterlee Hospital, West Philada. where he remained nine or ten months thence to Company and Regt till discharged and further declares that he has not
been in either the military or naval service of the United States since his discharge October 31st 1864, before stated.
That since leaving the said service, this applicant has resided in the City of Philadelphia, in the State of Pennsylvania and his occupation has been assistant at Rail Road depot (Camden & Amboy Rail Road) mostly.
That prior to his entry into the service above named, he was a man of good, sound physical health, being when enrolled a “Carman”
…
That his domicile or place of abode is at No. 25 Brown Street Philadelphia Pa.
Joseph Funston

—

Officer’s Certificate of Disability
New York June 26th
claim no 167979
I William P.C. Freickle, late major of the 6th Regiment of the Pa Cavy Vols, certify on honor that Joseph Funston was a Sgt in my Regt and is, as I am informed, an applicant for an Invalid Pension.
And I further certify, that the said Joseph Funston at the time we went out was a sound able bodied man. He was an unusually strong fearless & intrepid soldier & performed his duty with credit to himself and honor to his country. I remember that said Funston had received an injury to his leg by his horse falling on him but I cannot recall the
(…) to justify me making oath to the occurrence. I know that for some time he (continued) to discharge his duty with great difficulty & I remember telling him to go to the hospital but he was a man of courage & did not want to give up, until finally compelled to. I regret not being able to give him the cert. he desires to secure his pension. I have every confidence in his word & (…) that any statement he might make in connection with his injury is honest & true. The said Funston while in the Regt was a man of perfect truth, of good moral character & a faithful soldier at the time of his alleged injury I was Captain of Co “A” 6th Regt PaCavy. I am well acquainted with
(Henrie ..) B. Hayes & Samuel R. Lenhart of Co. “A” & are worthy of belief.
WPC Freickel
late Major 6th Penn Cavy

—

Adjutant General’s Office
Washington, D.C. Dec 19, 1877
Sir:
I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 6th day of December 1877, requesting a “Statement of Service” of Joseph Funstion. The following information has been obtained from the files of this Office and is furnished in reply to your inquiry.
In the case of Joseph Funston there is no original Enlistment of Muster-in Roll showing him to have been enrolled or mustered into the service of the United States as an enlisted man in Company A of the 6th Regiment of Penna Cavy Volunteers, on file in this Office up to date.
The Muster-Rolls of Company A of that Regiment contain the following evidence of service: it is stated he was enrolled for 3 yrs Nov 1″61 at Philadelphia; from enrollment to June 30″ 1863 present. July and Aug 63 Absent sick since July 16″63 same report to June 30″64. He was transferred to Company L said Regt in Aug 1864-Roll of that Co for July and Aug 64 does not bear his name. He was mustered out with Detachment of said Company at Middletown Va Oct31″64 by expiration of term of
service. Co and Regt Books furnish no evidence of alleged injury.
I am, sir, very respectfully,
Your obedient servant,
(…) Benjamin

—

War Department,
Surgeon General’s Office,
Record and Pension Division,
Washington, D.C., december 4″, 1877.
(Transcript from Records)
It appears from the records filed in this Office that J. Funston, Sergt. Co. A 6″ Pa Cav. was admitted to the G.H. Frederick Md. July 18″ 1863, with diarrhoea & transf’d July 19″ 1863. He entered Div. No. 1 G.H. Annapolis, Md. July 22″ 1863 (as Joseph Funston …) with Rheumatism and was transf’d Oct 2″ 1863- He entered Satterlee G.H. Phila. Pa. Oct 25″ 1863, with Rheumatism & ret’d to duty Oct. 12″
1864. Records of West’s Buildings G.H. Balto. Md & of Broad & Prime St. G.H. Phila. Pa. for 1863 furnish no information in this case. Regimental register of (…) prior to Jany 1″ 1865 are not on file-
J.J. Woodward
Surgeon, U.S. Army

—

Application for Accrued Pension (widows) 10 Dec 1887
State of Pennsylvania, County of Bucks
On this tenth day of December, 1887, personally appeared Anna Maria Funston, who, being duly sworn, declares that she is the widow of Joseph Funston, deceased; that he died on the 28th day of November, 1887; that he had been granted a pension by Certificate No. 193916 which is herewith returned; that he had been paid the pension
by the Pension Agent at Philadelphia up to the 4th day of September, 1887; after which date he had not been employed or paid in the Army, Navy or Marine services of the United States, except Co. A 6th Regt. Pennsylvania Volunteers Cavalry; that she was married to the said Joseph Funston on the fifth day of February, 1871, at Philadelphia,
in the State of Pennsylvania; that her name before said marriage was Anna Maria Leeti; that she had (or had not) been previously married; that her husband had (or had not) been previously married; that she hereby makes application for the pension which had accrued on aforesaid certificate to the date of death; and that her residence is
Doylestown, County of Bucks, State of Pennsylvania, and her Post-office address is Doylestown.
Anna Maria Funston

—

Widow’s Claim for Pension
State of Pennsylvania
County of Bucks
On this tenth day of December 1887, personally appeared before me, a Clerk Court Common Pleas of a Court of Record in and for the County and State aforesaid Anna Maria Funston a resident of New Britain Township in the County of Bucks and State of Pennsylvania aged 58 years, who being duly sworn, makes that following declaration,
in order to obtain the Pension provided by the Act of Congress, approved July 14, 1862.
That she is the widow of Joseph Funston who was a private in Company A commanded by Wm P.C. Frieckel in the 6th Regiment of Pennsylvania Volunteer Cavalry in the War of 1861; that her maiden name was Anna Maria Leeti and that she was married to said Joseph Funston on or about the fifth day of February 1871 at Philadelphia in the County of Philadelphia abd State of Pennsylvania by Rev. J. Henry Beale…
She further declares that said Joseph Funstion her husband, died the service of the United States as aforesaid at Doylestown in the State of Pennsylvania on or about the 28th day of November 1887,
of “Injury of right leg and resulting varicose veins and oedema of same.”
…
Anna Maria Funston

—

Feb. 5th 1871. Funston – Leeti – Mr. Joseph Funston to Anna Maria Leeti-

I hereby certify the above is a correct copy of the marriage of Joseph Funston to Anna Maria Leeti by the Rev. J. Henry Beale as found in the marriage records of the 1st Presby-terian Church (Kensington) Phil. Said records are in my possession.
J. Henry Beale
Pastor of 1st Pre. Ch. (Kens. Phil.)

—

In the Court of Common Please
No. 4
For the County of Philadelphia

Of Sept Term 1870
No. 17 Subpoena Sur Libel for Divorce

Joseph Funston
versus
Frances Funston

And now, the Eleventh day of February Anno Domini 1871 on motion of (Waxler) Esquire, Attorney for the Libellant, rule granted on Respondent to show cause why Divorce should not be granted, returnable the Eighteenth day of March A.D. 1871.
And on the Eleventh day of March Anno Domini 1871 the return of John Cochran Esq Examiner, of the depositions of witnesses, taken before him on the part of the Libellant, was presented and filed.
Whereupon, the Court, on the Eighteenth day of March in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and seventy one (1871) after mature and solemn deliberation, being satisfied therewith, and proclamation being duly made for the Respondent to come forth, and she not appearing, the Court do order, adjudge and decree, that the said Joseph Funston the Libellant, be divorced and separated from the bond of matrimony contracted with the said Frances Funston the Respondent,
and that all and every the duties, rights and claims accruing to either of the said parties, by reason of the said marriage, shall henceforth cease and determine.

County of Philadelphia, ss.
I do hereby certify, That the forgoing is a true Transcript of the Record of the Decree of the said Court in the above case.
In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the seal of the said Court of Common Pleas, the Twelfth day of January in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and eighty eight (1888)
Chas H. White
Prothonotary

—

I Anna Maria Funston of the County of Bucks State of Pennsylvania widow of Joseph Funston being duly sworn according to law do depose and say that I have been twice married the first time to Amos Leeti on the fourth day of September 1844 by Alderman Brazier whose office at that time was located on Fifth Street above Race Stree in the City of Philadelphia That there were present at said marriage four witnesses James Martin and Eliza Martin his wife (my uncle and aunt) Lucinda
George and Mary A. Bruce. That the marriage certificate has long since been lost or mislaid and after dilligent search cannot be found and the first three witnesses to said marriage are dead and the said Amos Leeti died many years ago and after a lapse of several years after his death I married the said Joseph Funston who is also since deceased And the Alderman Brazier is also since dead and I have been unable to
find or learn of any records of his office being in existence.
Anna Maria Funston
…27th day of December 1887

I Mary A. Bruce of the City of Philadelphia Singlewoman being duly sworn according to law do depose and say that I have known the said Anna Maria Funston for about fifty years That her maiden name was Anna Maria Hall that I was present at Alderman Brazier office on 5th St above Race on the Fourth day of September AD 1844 at the
time of the marriage of said Anna Maria Hall to Amos Leeti and was a witness to said marriage. That James Martin and Eliza his wife and Lucinda George were the other witnesses & were present at that time and that they now are all dead.
her X mark
Mary A. Bruce
…27th day of december AD 1887

I John A. Harris of the City of Phiadelphia being duly sworn according to law do depose and say that Anna Maria Funston widow formerly the widow of Amos Leeti is my sister and that the facts in both the aforegoing affadavits are true to the best of my knowledge and belief.
John A. Harris
…27th Day of December AD 1887

—

War Department
Quartermaster General’s Office
Washington D.C. Jany 3, 1888
Respectfully returned by direction of the Quartermaster General to Mr. John A. Harris, 1909 North 7th St, Philadelphia, Pa.
The records of this office show that Amos Leeti, civiliam teamster, is
reported by Capt. J.J. Dana, A Inf Washington, D.C., as having died June 17, 1862…