After John’s death in 1858, Lydia moved her family to Pine Creek, Ogle, Illinois, then to Bethel, Clark, Ohio, before finally settling in Pittsburgh.

John Upton Wakenight

Born: 28 FEB 1821 in Boonsboro, Washington County, Maryland

Father: Daniel Wakenight (1792 to 1866)
Mother: Isabell Powell (1798 to 1881)

Spouse: Lydia Ann Young (6 JAN 1824 to 2 JAN 1911)

Married: 24 MAR 1848 in Washington County, Maryland

Children:

George Upton Wakenight (2 MAY 1850 to 14 FEB 1909)
Daniel Scott Wakenight (17 DEC 1851 to 6 AUG 1930)
William Oscar Wakenight (SEP 1855 to 12 DEC 1944)
Mary Ella Wakenight (MAR 1857 to 14 AUG 1942)

Photo courtesy Find A Grave member, Amber N (46777566).

Died: 1858 in Bethel, Clark County, Ohio

Burial: Donnelsville Cemetery, Donnelsville, Clark County, Ohio

Probate:  15 SEP 1858 in Clark County, Ohio

Timeline:

1848 Marriage to Lydia
1850 Boonsboro, Washington County, Maryland
1850 Birth of son, George
1851 Bethel, Clark County, Ohio
1851 Birth of son, Daniel
1855 Birth of son, William
1857 Birth of daughter, Mary
1858 Death and burial

Occupation:  laborer (1850)

Records:

1830 to 1850 US Census Records
Maryland Marriages, 1655-1850
Ohio, Wills and Probate Records, 1786-1998
US Find A Grave Index, 1600s-Current

Variations of Surname: Waicknight

Spouse:

Lydia Ann Young was born on 6 JAN 1824 in Boonsboro, Washington County, Maryland.  She died on 2 JAN 1911 in Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania.

Lydia’s father was George L Young.  He was born on 24 MAY 1784 in Boonsboro, Washington County, Maryland.  He died on 10 MAR 1848 in Mapleville, Washington County, Maryland.

Lydia’s mother was Malinda Sanner.  She was born on 13 MAY 1799 in Boonsboro, Washington County, Maryland.  She died on 24 FEB 1884 in Donnelsville, Clark County, Ohio.

Photo courtesy Find A Grave member, David M (46499754).

Find A Grave volunteer, David M (46499754), transcribed Malinda’s maiden name as Sanner.  Yet, I have my doubts.  If you look at the photo, it does not look like two n’s in the word Sanner.  If you compare these to the “n” in the name Malinda, the second one does not look like an “n”.

The information on Lydia’s death certificate was supplied by her son, Daniel.  As you can see, Malinda’s maiden name is listed as Souder.

And, if Daniel was correct that Malinda was born in Boonsboro?  If you are researching family histories in Washington County, Maryland, I would love to hear from you.  You may be able to supply some answers to Malinda’s real surname.

Daughter:

Mary Ella Wakenight was born in 1857 in Pine Creek, Ogle County, Illinois.  She died on 14 AUG 1942 in Troy, Miami County, Ohio.

Ella never married.  Neither did her brother, William.  They lived with their mother until her death in 1911.  They then lived with their brother, Daniel, until his death in 1930.  By 1940, they were living in Tippecanoe, Miami County, Ohio.  Ella and William are buried in the Donnelsville Cemetery in Donnelsville, Clark County, Ohio.

Notes:

After John’s death in 1858, Lydia moved her family to Pine Creek, Ogle County, Illinois.  This is confirmed in the 1860 US census record.  The 1870 and 1880 US census records show that the family moved back to Bethel, Clark County, Ohio.  As the 1890 US census was destroyed in a fire, we have a 20-year gap in time between 1880 and 1900.  The US census records for the years 1900 to 1930 show that the family lived in Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania.  They lived in Pittsburgh because Daniel was the sole wage-earner in the family.  He worked as a news reporter for the Oil City Derrick.

For more information on this part of the Wakenight family, please visit Sharon Strow’s website, “Descendants of Daniel Wakenight.”

Creating Your Family Tree

Interested in building a great family tree? Remember these important steps:

Look in your photo albums. You may have old pictures that your parents or grandparents gave you. Or, ask them for copies of photos that they have in their possession. Many people will write names and dates on the backs of photographs. Letters, diaries, and family bibles are also excellent sources for births, marriages, and deaths.

Talk to your older relatives to find out about your ancestry. They may relate stories about an ancestor that you can add to your family tree. Family history is usually not found in newspapers. It is more of a verbal memory that is passed down from generation to generation.

Find the right family tree builder that suits your needs. You can choose one that has a paid subscription like Ancestry.com. There are also free sites like FamilySearch.org.

When you start building your family tree, add documentation to your ancestor’s profile. The records can include birth, marriage, death, census, military, city, and county directory listings. Any information that you can find will help create a life story about your ancestor.

If you have a unique surname, like Wakenight, you may find databases on the internet that are useful in your search. I use SurnameDB.com for my English surnames. There are many others on the internet for other countries like Ireland, Italy, and Germany.

Genealogy is the study of a person’s “line of descent.” As you create your family tree, you would typically start with one individual and go “back into time.” You would add their parents, grandparents, and so on.  There are also family trees that go “forward into time.”  Many of these family trees start with a famous person, such as a president or royalty, and move forward into the present time.  The purpose of this type of pedigree is to establish a person’s bloodline to that famous person.

There is no limit on how big your family tree can grow. The blank canvas is there for you to use. Cherish your family history, and it will be there for generations to come!