Where is Emma A. (Dean) Tyler?

Most of my readers are familiar with Sylvia Lewis Tyler, of Sylvia's Diary fame. Today, my post is going to focus on her daughter-in-law, Emma A. Dean. Emma married Abel and Sylvia's son Abel Royce (known as A.R.). Emma is a bit elusive and I've struggled trying to find information on her, vital records included.  Here is what I know:

In 1852, Emma Dean and Abel Royce Tyler were married in Vienna, Ohio. The Trumbull Co. Ohio Marriage Record Index 1800-1900 lists their marriage as follows:

Tyler, Abel Royce & Dean, Emma age 16 of Vienna married 9 Sept 1852 by U K Booth JP; mother, Lydia Dean consented.

I was unable to located Emma and/or Abel in the 1860 US Census. Their children were all born in Wisconsin, so maybe they were in Wisconsin at this time. In the 1870 US Census they are living in Rochester, Minnesota, which is not that far from the area of Wisconsin where they had family and later settled.

By 1870, Abel and Emma (listed as Alell and Emma) were living in Rochester, Minnesota with four children and a domestic servant. Abel was a physician and Emma was keeping house. All four children in the household were listed as having attended school in the past year. David, Abel's child from his first marriage to Eunice A. Waldorf, is listed as age 14. Charles is listed as 11 and daughter Mary is listed as 2 years old.

Tragedy struck in Abel and Emma in the 1870's when three of their daughters died in their youth. Exactly what happen to their girls is unknown, but by the the close deaths of Nellie and Mary Ella, it might have been some kind of illness.

• Ruthie, who was only 5 months old at the time, died June 25th, 1873. 
• Nellie E. born May 17, 1875, died on February 5th, 1877. 
• Mary Ella, born September 17, 1868, died on February 14th, 1877. 

Abel died, in 1879, just two short years of the death of their daughters. He is burried in St. Johns Cemetery in Moscoda, WI next to his three young daughters.

The real question is: What happened to Emma?

Using Technology to Connect

After connecting with a distant cousin on Twitter last weekend I decided that I need to do a better job of publishing my research. Over the years, I have discovered a lot about my family online. When I first started exploring my family history I wasn't citing sources or even writing everything down. I would just add their information to my tree and called it research. As I have gotten more involved in my research I have started to rely on my online finds to provide me with starting points to continue or expand my research. By posting my research, brickwalls and all, I hope that I can make a connection or two that expands my research or the research of another researcher. So here it goes...

Like Father, Like Sons

Wordless Wednesday:

James L "Poots" Lindley (1929-1984) with his brother and parents before he left to fight in the Korean War.

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun: Best Genealogy Moment if 2009

Once again, genealogy great Randy Seaver (of Genea-Musings fame) has his Saturday Night Genealogy Fun challenge up. The question this week asks us "What was your best Genealogy Moment during 2009?"

Anyone who has been reading my blog, or is following me on Twitter, knows that the discovery that my 5th great-grandmother, Sylvia Lewis Tyler, had written a diary that still exists was, by far, my greatest genealogy moment of 2009. I had once wished to find something "interesting" about a family member, knowing that we were just normal, hard working farmers for the most part. Well, in May of 2009, I learned that genealogy dreams do come true!

From this discovery, I have one specific moment that meant more to mean than any other::

"I opened one of the folders and stared at the diary laying inside. I honestly wasn't this nervous on my wedding day. I ever-so-lightly brushed two fingers across the cover that simple stated "1808". I felt as if my dear Sylvia was standing over my shoulder telling me to turn the page. I did and a flood of tears poured down my face. With each page I turned they continued to pour. My husband and the curator each placed a gentle hand on my back and said nothing. They knew how much Sylvia meant to me and let me have my time with her."

If you wish to read more about what led to this moment you can do so here. Also, I have blog entries on my discovery of the diary, my visit to her grave, Sylvia's background, and a detailed look into the diaries themselves. I feel so blessed to have experienced all of this in one short year.

Genealogy Goals: January 2010

Taking a cue from several other genea-bloggers, I will begin the new year by setting a few genealogy related goals for myself.  Instead of doing a list of year-long goals I have decided to set monthly goals for myself in hopes of streamlining my research.  I am a part-time genealogist and would like to have a more defined focus for the short time I have to do research, which should allow me to make bigger dents in solving the unknown and breaking down brickwalls.

I have set three goals for myself this month:

1. Read the book "William Semans" by Mary McRoberts that my G-Ma gave me. It is thick and held together with rubber bands. Apparently there is mention of my GGGrandfather Ulysses G. Lindley and his shared ancestors with William Semans.
2. Try, again, to locate a passenger list for Hans J and Antonette (Hoff) Hanson who sailed from Norway to America before 1880. I'm not even sure they came over together, so this should be interesting!
3. Research different ancestral DNA tests so that I can purchase the one that best fits my needs.