When I went to my Email account this morning I had a "Discover Your Ancestor's Marriage Event" message from my Family Search website. My first thought was, "Oh, cool, a Valentine's wedding". But when I opened it, I found that it was sent yesterday. So, an 'almost Valentine's wedding'.
My great-grandparents, Bernard (Barney) Thomas Lynam and Nancy Emma Gravett were married 135 years ago, February 13, 1888 - a Monday. This family photo was most likely taken around 1899 because that little boy, my great-uncle Ralph Vincent Lynam (1895-1974), was born in 1895 and looks to be three to four years old. Others in the photo are my grandpa, George Albert Lynam (1891-1947), great-aunt Agnes Lulu Lynam Thomas (1888-1964) and great-uncle William James Lynam (1889-1960).
Great-great Grandma Nancy was born in 1869 and died in 1914 - the same year as her father. She was only 45 years old. What I read about her death was that she had attended the funeral of a friend, went home and suffered a stroke and died three days later.
Great-grandpa Barney was born December 16, 1863 and died September 20, 1919, at the age of 55. I found a copy his death certificate signed by G. H. Sumner, M.D. (a name I had never run across before) which, though barely legible, reads cause of death as "Cancer of Oesophagus". Again, something I didn't know.
As long as I had her page open, I decided to look again at the Gravett family tree. I knew she came from a large family as I have this Gravett family photo. In 2010 when I wrote about them I said there were ten surviving children and five deceased.
I was wrong - they had seventeen children. Poor great-great-grandma Malinda Jane - pregnant or nursing from 1863 to 1900. The children were: William Ellis (1863-1934), John Wilson (1865-1916), Frank M. (1867-1911), Nancy Emma (1869-1914), Sylvester Crane Isaac (1871-1955), Roiena (1873-1879), Della (1873-1874), Mertilla (1874-1875), Kattie Rowena, (1875-1877), Stella (1878-1879), George Washington (1879-1951), Lulu Grace (1881-1958), Beulah (1881-Deceased), Elma Viola (1883-1973), Jeanette Mabel (1885-1940), Joseph Cecil (1887-1971), Kattie (1890-1890).
Great-great-grandpa George Washington was GWII, meaning the George Washington born in 1879 was GWIII. Jeanette's daughter-in-law, Bernadette, was the woman who gave me the Gravett family photo after her husband, Paul Hunt, died. I don't remember Lulu Grace, but I worked in the school library for her daughter, Ruth Wyatt, who was the highschool librarian. Uncle Joe, I did know and remember. I also remember seeing some of the graves of at least three of those little girls in the Findley Cemetery. (There's more about the Gravett's in my blog post of October 22, 2010.) I'm curious about Elma Viola, who lived until 1973. I don't remember ever hearing anything about her, but without a married name, I doubt I'll be able to trace her. But I'm going to try!
I hope you are enjoying the day - Happy St. Valentine's Day! 💘
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