Unfortunately, we I first began researching my family tree, I didn’t realize the importance of documenting sources for EVERY fact I from my research. Also, I made the mistake that many beginners do, and think that everything someone else shares with me is accurate. So, before I say anything else, I want to stress the importance of recording your sources. You may think, “Oh, I will remember where I got that from”, but believe me, once man years pass by and you find something that contradicts your information, if may not be so easy to remember where the heck it came from! Regardless of how insignificant you think the piece of information is, SITE YOUR SOURCE! Believe me, it will save you a lot of time and headache down the road!
After sixteen years of researching, a couple branches of my tree have very complete with as much sourced documentation as I can find. Now that I have concentrated so much of my research efforts on particular branches of my tree, I am now focusing on the lines that I have not put as much effort into.
My first quest on this project is the Ansell branch of my ancestry. My maternal grandfather’s names was Ulysses Ansell Phillippo. Most people knew his as “Ansell”. His middle name, Ansell, was his mother’s maiden name. Also, she had a brother names Ulysses, so grandpa was named after family. Grandpa Phillippo was raised in Greene County, Illinois.
Grandpa’s father, James Vincenzo Phillippo, who was born in Italy, came to Greene County via the Orphan Train, and was raised by the Elias Doyle. Lettie Lorena Ansell, grandpa’s mother, was born and raised in Calhoun County, Illinois, a neighboring county of Greene County. She worked for the Doyle family, and that is how they (grandpa’s parents) met. They were married and raised five children. (More on the Phillippo ancestry is in another blog).
Lettie’s grandfather, Jacob Ansell, along with many members of the Ansell, Cloninger and Foiles families, migrated to Calhoun County, Illinois between 1850-1860. Those that research any of these three surnames will see that there was quite a bit of intermarrying between the families. (Lettie’s mother was a Cloninger).
In the mid to late 1990’s, my mother (Brenda) and I took a research trip to Huntington, Cabell County, West Virginia to research the Ansell and Cloninger lines. While we were there, we met a wonderful woman named Violet Bowen Hysell. She had done extensive research on the Wentz family. Two Wentz sisters married two Ansell brothers. (Elizabeth Wentz married Melcher Ansell - who were great grandparents of Lettie; and Hannah Wentz married Martin Ansell - the remained in the Cabell County, WV / Lawrence County, OH area.) Violet so graciously shared her many years of research on the Wentz and Ansell families with us, which I added to my database years ago.
Now that I have time to go back and work on the lines that I have neglected, the Ansell family has become my starting point. I am going thru my notes, names, records, etc. and making sure that everything I have is properly sourced. In addition, I am going thru the file, one name at a time, and making sure to add the census images to their individual scrapbook in my tree, so at a quick glance I can see where that person lived at the time each census was recorded during their lifetime (as I have already done with the Elzy line of my ancestry). To date, I have almost completed the descendant of Melcher & Elizabeth (Wentz) Ansell. Once I complete their line, I’ll move on to Melcher’s sibling families, then the Wentz line, and then the Cloninger and Joy lines. Once these side are complete, I’ll move on to Grandma Phillippo’s (Agnes Nadine Carlyle) and begin her ancestry - but at that time I’ll start a new blog explaining about her heritage.
After sixteen years of researching, a couple branches of my tree have very complete with as much sourced documentation as I can find. Now that I have concentrated so much of my research efforts on particular branches of my tree, I am now focusing on the lines that I have not put as much effort into.
My first quest on this project is the Ansell branch of my ancestry. My maternal grandfather’s names was Ulysses Ansell Phillippo. Most people knew his as “Ansell”. His middle name, Ansell, was his mother’s maiden name. Also, she had a brother names Ulysses, so grandpa was named after family. Grandpa Phillippo was raised in Greene County, Illinois.
Grandpa’s father, James Vincenzo Phillippo, who was born in Italy, came to Greene County via the Orphan Train, and was raised by the Elias Doyle. Lettie Lorena Ansell, grandpa’s mother, was born and raised in Calhoun County, Illinois, a neighboring county of Greene County. She worked for the Doyle family, and that is how they (grandpa’s parents) met. They were married and raised five children. (More on the Phillippo ancestry is in another blog).
Lettie’s grandfather, Jacob Ansell, along with many members of the Ansell, Cloninger and Foiles families, migrated to Calhoun County, Illinois between 1850-1860. Those that research any of these three surnames will see that there was quite a bit of intermarrying between the families. (Lettie’s mother was a Cloninger).
In the mid to late 1990’s, my mother (Brenda) and I took a research trip to Huntington, Cabell County, West Virginia to research the Ansell and Cloninger lines. While we were there, we met a wonderful woman named Violet Bowen Hysell. She had done extensive research on the Wentz family. Two Wentz sisters married two Ansell brothers. (Elizabeth Wentz married Melcher Ansell - who were great grandparents of Lettie; and Hannah Wentz married Martin Ansell - the remained in the Cabell County, WV / Lawrence County, OH area.) Violet so graciously shared her many years of research on the Wentz and Ansell families with us, which I added to my database years ago.
Now that I have time to go back and work on the lines that I have neglected, the Ansell family has become my starting point. I am going thru my notes, names, records, etc. and making sure that everything I have is properly sourced. In addition, I am going thru the file, one name at a time, and making sure to add the census images to their individual scrapbook in my tree, so at a quick glance I can see where that person lived at the time each census was recorded during their lifetime (as I have already done with the Elzy line of my ancestry). To date, I have almost completed the descendant of Melcher & Elizabeth (Wentz) Ansell. Once I complete their line, I’ll move on to Melcher’s sibling families, then the Wentz line, and then the Cloninger and Joy lines. Once these side are complete, I’ll move on to Grandma Phillippo’s (Agnes Nadine Carlyle) and begin her ancestry - but at that time I’ll start a new blog explaining about her heritage.
