Genealogy Gaps...

Recently a friend asked me to "teach" her how to find her ancestors... my advice was to "start with yourself, your parents, your grandparents, their siblings, their cousins... then you can dig deeper." With that advice I realized that I have some major gaps in my more recent genealogy.

This photo of the girls by the old car is my grandma Lash with her siblings & cousins. I realize I have lots of empty spots under their names. I have filled out my grandma's information but not her sisters or cousins. It was taken at my great grandmother Elizabeth Webster's funeral, so it was in July 1921. Right to left I will place what I do know about each child in the photo.

Maxine M. Mohney (in the dirty looking dress, I think she is like me, I'm sure she was all clean & as soon as possible she got in the dirt... yep that's how I was LOL!) She was born in 1916 in Michigan. She was the 3rd daughter of Nora Delle Webster & James Clarence Mohney. I found her in the 1930's Census living with her sister Ruth & Ruth's husband Clarence Cook in Kalamazoo, Kalamazoo County, MI. And in Ruth's obituary in 1999 Maxine had already passed.

Alice J. Webster (in black dress with white colar - also photo to the right with Edith) born February 24, 1908 in Lawton, Van Buren County, MI oldest child to Bert Alvin Webster & Elizabeth Ann Tyrrell. I found her in the 1920 Census with her parents in Genesee County, MI. The first marriage record I found of her was to Frank J. Glimos, but she had already been married to a Mr. Flintoff - but I can not find any record of her first husband. She married Frank Glimos on July 26, 1947 in Genesee County, MI. He died in 1962 in Saginaw, Saginaw County, MI. Alice died March 1, 1977 in Genesee County, MI. She is buried in Grace Lawn Cemetery, Flint, Genesee County, MI (same cemetery as her parents). Alice & my grandmother Edith were very close & spent a lot of time together.

Ruth Carol Mohney (white'sh dress with the baby in front of her - mother Ruth Ann was named after her; the photo to the right is Ruth) was born December 3, 1909 in Lawton, Van Buren County, MI. The oldest child & daughter of Nora Delle Webster & James Clarence Mohney. First record I found of her was with her husband Clarence Cook in the 1930 Census in Kalamazoo, Kalamazoo County, MI. Clarence & Ruth must have divorced, since he died in 1968 & she married Jack C. Haas in 1938 in Kalamazoo, Kalamazoo County, MI. Ruth died on March 26, 1999 at the Lifecare Center in Plainwell, Allegan County, MI, her funeral was held on March 28, 1999 at the Rupert, Durham, Marshall & Gren Funeral Home Vicksburg Chapel in Vicksburg, Kalamazoo County, MI. Ruth was buried at the Oak Grove Cemetery in Lawton, Van Buren County, MI (as well as her 2nd husband Jack.)


Rosetta "Betty" Webster (the baby in front of Ruth; she is the little girl to the right) born 5 months before her mother Elizabeth died on February 13, 1921 in Lawton, Van Buren County, MI. Youngest child/daughter to Bert Alvin Webster & Elizabeth Ann Tyrrell. She moved in with her Aunt Nora after her mother died. Betty died on September 24, 1929 in Kalamazoo, Kalamazoo County, MI of Primary Lobar Pneumonia (Aka: Tuberculous). I haven't found where she is buried, but I am assuming Kalamazoo or Flint. I would love to find out more about her, but since she only lived 8 years, it's harder.






Edith Irene Webster (in black sailer type outfit; this is my grandma Lash) she was born August 31, 1914 in Lawton, Van Buren County, MI. She is the second child/daughter of Bert Alvin Webster & Elizabeth Ann Tyrrell. She married Ray (Roy) Lash on December 31, 1936 at the Mt. Morris Methodist Church in Mt. Morris, Genesee County, MI. They had 12 children, and lived in Flint, Genesee County, MI until they moved to Chesaning, Saginaw County, MI in 1960's. She lived in Chesaning until the time of her death on June 21, 2007, where she passed away at her home surrounded by loved ones. She is buried in Wildwood Cemetery in Chesaning, Saginaw County, MI next to her beloved husband Ray. I have many memories of my grandma. She told me that she loved hummingbirds because her mother loved them, that Elizabeth (called Lizzie) had a vine outside her kitchen window so the hummingbirds would come. Edith also loved butterflies because her mother thought they were beautiful.

The last child is Lurena W. Webster (she is looking down) she was born on August 14, 1919 most likely in Lawton, Van Buren County, MI (haven't found the record, grandma told me the birthdates of her sisters). She was the 3rd child/daughter of Bert Alvin Webster & Elizabeth Ann Tyrrell. She married a Mr. Papple (can't find any record of this yet), but when she married her 2nd husband Howard B. Welch on June 14, 1945 in Genesee County, MI she was Lurena Papple. Howard died in 1955 in Genesee County, MI & is buried in Gracelawn Cemetery in Flint, Genesee County, MI. Lurena later married Harry Quinn on September 22, 1984 in Genesee County, MI. Lurena was named after her mother's sister Lurena Tyrrell & also my grandmother named one of her daughter's Lurena. Lurena died January 19, 1996 in Genesee County, MI and is buried in Gracelawn Cemetery.

The following photo is of Bert & his 3 grown up daughters sometime in the early 1960's, from left to right is Lurena, Bert, Edith & Alice.