Friday, June 18, 2010

My WDYTYA Episode - Uncle Andy B's Two Wives

My research indicates that Uncle Andy B. had at least two wives. Wife #1 was named Margaret Morse Bullock and Wife #2 was named Carolyn Bullock (maiden name not known at this time.) The names of these two wives were discovered through various sources (a family property deed, military records, marriage index, funeral program, social security death index, and cemetery records.) These sources were obtained through the Internet, family sources, and from the county deeds office.

Wife #1
Early on in my research, I discovered the name of a wife (Margaret) in a 1928 deed for Uncle Andy B's family property in Vance County, NC. He and his wife Margaret were living in New City at the time of this deed transaction.

Within the last few weeks, I discovered two other documents which mention the name of Wife #1 (Margaret.) Both items were found on the Internet. The first was a marriage index found on the website of the New York Public Library. Though this online index, I learned that the maiden name of the first wife was "Morse" and that she an Uncle Andy B. married on May 28, 1924 in the Manhattan area of New York City. I plan to order microfilm from the Family History Library which contains this couples' marriage license.

The second document where Wife #1 was mentioned was on Uncle Andy B's 1942 WWII draft card which was part of the "old man's draft registration." This document was found on http://www.ancestry.com/.

The combination of these three documents indicate that Uncle Andy B. and his wife, Margaret, were married at least for 18 years (between 1924 and 1942).


Wife #2

By the time of his death in March 1972, Uncle Andy B. had another wife who was named "Carolyn." Many years after I began researching, I re-examined the 1982 funeral program of my great-great grandmother, Bell Bullock Johnson. In the list of her survivors was noted "one sister-in-law, Carolyn Bullock, of St. Albans, NY." I learned from family members that "Carolyn Bullock" was the wife of Uncle Andy B. who was a brother of my great-grandmother.

After this discovery, I searched for Carolyn Bullock 0n the social security death index. The results of this search gave me her date of birth (June 9, 1901) and the month and year of her death (January 1995). The social security death index also indicated that her middle initial was "J."

Another Internet search on http://www.ancestry.com/ directed me to the above cemetery record for her which indicated that she was "the wife of Andrew Bullock" and was buried in the Long Island National Cemetery next to her husband.

One thing that I learned through discovering Carolyn J. Bullock is to re-examine or re-read records. If I had not looked at my great-grandmother's funeral program again, I would have missed this valuable clue. These three records found on Carolyn Bullock give indicate her the years of her lifespan.

A few weeks ago, I requested a search for the funeral programs of Andrew and Carolyn Bullock from the Queens, NY Library. Library staff searched the local newspaper where this couple lived, but did not find newspaper obituaries for either one of them.

And so the search continues...



Stay tuned. . . Coming Up! – Final Scene - Professor Dru Summarizes What She Has Learned and Makes Plans for Further Research.

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