Help me celebrate my great-great-grandmother's birthday!

Question

My Grandfather's grandmother was born today in 1871 in Cornwall, Litchfield, Connecticut, United States. While I feel somewhat confident I've been able to identify her father, I do not have sufficient information to identify her mother. Including details below in case you can help me! Thank you!

Birthplace: Cornwall, Litchfield, Connecticut, US. 

Father: Charles H. Smith

Answer 1

I haven't found the smoking gun yet, but this might be a clue... 

I suspect this is your g-g-grandmother's family in the 1880 census, with 10 year old "Nellie L" being your g-g-grandmother Ellen Smith Wells (the marriage record of her son Leroy Myron gives his mother's name as Ellen Lucy Smith, so the "L" matches with that also).  Note on the census her mother's name was also Ellen, and it appears that her maternal grandparents were living with the family - Francis A. and Mary M. Bemis.   So, it's likely her mother was Ellen Bemis.  I did a quick search for marriages between a Charles Smith and Ellen Bemis and haven't found one yet, I'll keep poking around if I have time.  You might want to research the siblings listed on this census record and see if you can find a mother's maiden name on marriage or death records for one of them.  

Comments

I'd be grateful to hear what you learn, Roxanna! Thank you! I feel like I've seen multiple public records that could be her, but I haven't felt confident. 

Answer 2

She is some relation to Horace Clark Sickmund trying to work out how - Horace Chandler Sickmund is with the family in 1870.

Comments

This mentions Ellen wife of Charles H and the Bemis Family Francis and Mary just realised this is a transcribed of headstones BUT an Ellen M and Horace Sickmund are mentioned in the pension files of Horace Clark Sickmund so maybe her first husband.  

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Boom!  I think you nailed it!  I found this on Ancestry, from Horace Sickmund's military records:  Ellen Bemis (Bemiss?) was his wife, he died in the civil war, and Ellen married Charles Smith.  So, the marriage we'd be looking for would be Ellen Sickmund and Charles Smith, between 1864 and 1870.  Still haven't found it, though.... 

Name	Horace C Sickmund
Enlistment Date	29 Dec 1863
Enlistment Rank	Private
Muster Date	29 Dec 1863
Muster Place	Connecticut
Muster Company	G
Muster Regiment	2nd HA
Muster Regiment Type	Artillery
Muster Information	Enlisted
Casualty Date	1 Jun 1864
Casualty Place	Cold Harbor, Virginia
Type of Casualty	Wounded
Muster Out Date	14 Jul 1864
Muster Out Information	died
Side of War	Union
Survived War?	No
Injured in Line of Duty?	Yes
Residence Place	Cornwall, Connecticut
Burial Place	Cornwall Bridge, Connecticut
Cemetery	Calhoun Cemty
Additional Notes	Wife: Ellen Berniss
Title	Connecticut: Record of Service of Men during War of Rebellion; Research provided by HDS subscriber

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It looks like Horace Sickmund, Jr., was born 14 Feb 1864 and died 26 Nov 1907.  I can't find a death certificate or obituary online, but if you could, it might help confirm who his mother was... https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-99F5-3H1B?cc=2658554&personaUrl=%2Fark%3A%2F61903%2F1%3A1%3AF7JL-HY8

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Excellent Roanna :)

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Oh my goodness! I can't believe how quickly all this information was unlocked for me! Thank you! I'm so grateful to you both, Heather & Roxanna. 

Give me a minute to sort through it all. This is exciting!

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I did a little more searching for marriage records, but I can't find any.  I haven't done any research in Connecticut before, but it looks like they unfortunately do not have a lot of marriage and death records online at FamilySearch or Ancestry.  But I'm pretty confident this is the timeline you're looking for:  

Ellen Bemis, daughter of Francis and Mary Bemis.

*about 1842-1843 Ellen is born in Connecticut

*about 1863 - marries Horace C. Sickmund (possibly earlier, but not later)

*Feb. 1864 son Horace C. Sickmund is born 

*July 1864 Husband Horace Sickmund dies in the Civil War

*About 1865 - Ellen Bemis Sickmund marries Charles Smith (estimated based on estimated birth year of their first child being 1866)

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I was looking at Horace Chandler Sickmund to see if I could find any details and up popped another Horace Chandler Sickmund born much later so got suspicious and he's the son of Clarence unfortunately I couldnt connect to Horace Chandler Sickmond Snr (maybe a mistranscription) but cannot find the 1900 or 1910 Census details for either Horace Snr or possible son Clarence Teeter Sickmund born 1894.

Answer 3

Happy birthday grandmother!