I’ve been entering data into my genealogy program. These are files which I had collected in a folder on my computer. I started with 1419 on January 19th, and worked my way down to 1440 1140 on January 23rd. Today I am happy to report that I have 837 items left to deal with.

To be absolutely fair, I have found that some of the data had been dealt with, kind of. That means that perhaps an obituary was transcribed, but the reference wasn’t entered, or the files weren’t linked. And, some of these files were simply gravestone photos to be linked, not a heavy-duty job. But, others were wills to transcribe, and I am holding off on a group that will take some heavy duty transcription. Anyway, it does look good to see my tally list down to 837, meaning I have completed 582.

What does that have to do with Mary Ann Lamunion? I ran across her in the pile. Mary Ann was the second of eight known children of Rescum Lamunion/Lamunyon and his wife Miranda Jones, an older sister of Papa’s great-grandmother, Belle Lamunion. Mary Ann and John Henry Murray were married 4 January 1874, according to a transcription of the Rescum Lamunion family bible. The marriage probably took place in Allegan county, where the family appeared in the 1880 census:

Year: 1880; Census Place: Wayland, Allegan, Michigan; Roll: 569; Family History Film: 1254569; Page: 223A; Enumeration District: 012; Image: 0449 at Ancestry.com:

dwelling 5, family 5,

Murry, John, white, male, 33, head, married, farmer, unemployed 3 months, born Ohio, father born Ireland, mother born Germany.
Mary A., white, female, wife, married, keeping house, born New York, both parents born New York.
La Munyan, Rescum, 73, father-in-law, widower, farmer, born New York, both parents born Rhode Island.
Murry, Wm H., 5, son, single, born Michigan, both parents born New York.
Louisa J., 3, daughter, single, born Michigan, both parents born New York.
Belle I., 2, daughter, single, born Michigan, both parents born New York.

Later, John and Mary Ann had three more children.

I was entering birth records for the children, when I ran across this (click to enlarge):

From the Michigan birth returns at familysearch.org, returns of births in the county of Allegan for 1876, page 55, #784. The record has been corrected by an affidavit filed on 29 May 1944. The name changed from Louisa to Eliza J, the date of birth changed from October 30 to October 31, and John Murray’s name has “Henry” added.

I went scrambling back for the bible transcription. the transcription was done by two descendents of another Lamunion line, in 1975. At that time the bible was in the possession of Hulda Aurilla Carter Terwilliger of Grand Rapids, Kent County, Michigan. Mrs. Terwilliger (1897-1977) was a granddaughter of Rescum through his daughter Emily, who married Andrew Jackson Carter. It said, “Eliza J. Murray, born Oct 31nd 1876.” Eliza can be a nickname for Louisa, or Elizabeth, or a name on it’s own.

So the census in 1880 said Louisa J., and the bible said Eliza J. The cards sent by the Murray family to Belle were signed, Eliza, so I know that is who Eliza thought she was. I wonder if there is any significance of the date of the correction to the birth record? Eliza would have been 68 years old in 1944. I wonder if she was applying for Social Security and needed a birth record to match the bible record? According to the Social Security website, “Regular ongoing monthly benefits started in January 1940.”

Next: Another correction.