Maiden Archives

Were they really cowgirls?

2011-12-22T16:09:00.000-08:00

Friendship is such a wonderful thing. After a series of career moves over theyears, we’ve chalked up a healthy list of people we consider good friends –from Iowa and Oklahomato Mississippi and Pennsylvania.

Except for Nebraskafriends with whom we grew up, most of those friendships were established anddeveloped over just a few short years. But in manyinstances, we’ve kept in touch with these friends from elsewhereand continue nurturing the friendships.

We’re intrigued by the fact that so many people of ourparents’ generation were often life-long friends. People with whom they went to school, worked,and grew old. Friends who confided inone another and – during good times and bad – helped each other.

Such was the special and long-time friendship of LettieMiller and Gladys (Warren)Beamish.

We’ve heard stories of how these ladies, hard working butfun loving, used to celebrate Halloween to the fullest extent – dressing up insome remarkably innovative costumes.

It tickled us recently when we came across this old photo –taken in about 1947 on the Vince Braddock place north of Chadron. We don’t think it was Halloween, although itmay well have been in October. No doubtabout it, they were in costume!

Billy Beamish – about four years old – is shown at the leftwith his dog Ringo. They both seem a bitbewildered by the antics of the two gunslingers on the right, Lettie (Maiden)Miller and Gladys (Warren)Beamish.

This image, we think, captures the light-hearted antics thatthese two ladies shared with one another. Perhaps folks who’ve known them and their spouses -- John Miller and Warren Beamish -- might contend that the girls' tomfoolery was a way ofcomplementing the more reserved (some might say dour) personalities of theirhusbands!

Far be it from us to assign such motives. In any event, these two ladies did have fun!

Lettie Miller passed away in Chadron in 1998 at age 77. Gladys Beamish still lives in Chadron andremains quite active for a young lady in her 80’s!

Were you there?

2011-12-20T14:18:00.000-08:00

The little lapel pin shown here was generated to promote a Maiden Family Reunion over the 4th of July holiday in 1984.

Only trouble is, we don't know which Maiden family line was promoting the event -- or where it took place!

We'll have to admit that our memory chip isn't as robust as it once was, but these little pins (we found two tucked away in a chest) have really befuddled us.

At first, we confused it with a family reunion that took place out in the Pacific northwest in about the same era. Then, we recalled that the gathering was actually a reunion of Durham family members. Our records include a written notice about a "Durham Family Reunion" on August 14, 1982 at the Rainier Sportsman's at Rainier, Washington. It was organized by Helen Vincent and Tom Durham. Tom, we believe, was a grand nephew of Leota Irene (Durham) Maiden. We did not attend that reunion.

Our Maiden family tie with the Durhams was through Leota Irene Durham (1891-1951), the daughter of David and Alatha (Norman) Durham. She married William J. Maiden (1886-1972), the son of William H. and Dora (Derrick) Durham at Belle Fourche, South Dakota, 15 December 1915.

We'll hope that a Maiden cousin somewhere might happen across this posting and provide us with information about the 1984 Maiden reunion.

The Maiden kids - late 1930's

2011-12-07T00:08:00.001-08:00

While preparing a new picture calendar for 2012, I was digging for some old photos that might help spur memories of years gone by. This one popped up, and I was delighted to include it in the calendar.

I had seen this photograph before, but it'd never captured my imagination the way it did today. Perhaps it's the unique personalities of the six Maiden girls -- and one boy -- reflected in their faces and clothing. Or it might be the contrast of the dry earth barnyard with Grandpa Maiden's bold new barn looming in the distance. Whatever caught my attention, it's allowed me to examine more closely and enjoy this glimpse of yesteryear out on White River in Dawes County, Nebraska. There's no date on this photo, but from the apparent ages of those in the picture, I'm guessing this was taken in the late 1930's.

In the rear (left-to-right) are Nettie, Henry, and Betty Maiden. In the middle are Lettie, Minnie, and Dorothy. Jackie is in front. I can't see clearly enough to determine who is to the rear right, closer to the barn. Perhaps Ray Scott -- Minnie's son -- is the boy, but I can't be certain. I don't believe that's Grandpa Maiden back there, but again, that's just a guess.

I wish I could remember that barn. I've been told that Grandpa William J. Maiden was very proud of it.

From Harding County to the Space Station

2011-03-14T19:27:00.000-07:00

If ever someone "bridged the gap" between yesteryear and the world of tomorrow, it could well be young Maiden relative Brandon Tenold, whose family ranches near Reva, South Dakota. Brandon is a great-grandson of Betty (Maiden) Love Jolovich, and a grandson of Gene and Janice (Love) Tenold. We were delighted when we learned of Brandon's interest in amateur radio and extremely pleased that he's continued to pursue this hobby -- with considerable success, we might add. Our good friends at the Nation's Center News shared the following story with us. It was written last fall and published in their September 30, 2010 edition, but it's worth sharing again!

As the International Space Station orbits the earth, ham radio operators in the United States, Canada and other countries try hard to be able to communicate with it. With so many radio operators on the air, while it is not difficult to contact the space station, it is very difficult to be able to conduct a very long conversation with the crew, for the station is traveling at 5 miles per second.

Brandon Tenold "on the air" from Harding County

However, Brandon Tenold, the 13-year-old son of Dustin & Dana Tenold of Reva, made strong contact with Colonel Doug Wheelock on the International Space Station on Monday, September 20, 2010. Brandon made contact as thestation was crossing the western edge of Montana and stayed in contact until it was just getting above Minnesota.

Dustin and Brandon became licensed as amateur ham radio operators in February 2010. They studied together at home for nearly six months before taking their technician exams at South Dakota School of Mines and Technology in Rapid City. The FCC has 35 different tests for technicians, and those taking the exam so not know until the exam starts which one will be administered.

“The number of tests makes studying a long process,” explained Dustin.

Since that time Brandon has visited with a multitude of people all over the central states. He has participated in several weather nets and flood nets which are situations in which ham operators from all over the state report adverse weather conditions and flood conditions to the National Weather Service and other agencies. Ham radio communication is the only form of long distance communication that will work when all other forms, such as telephone, internet and satellite, have failed.

At 4:30 pm on September 20, as the international space station made a direct pass over South Dakota, Brandon, call sign KD0KMT, made contact with Colonel Doug Wheelock (call sign NA1SS) with his 75-watt 2-meter ham radio. He had a conversation about the weather, Mount Rushmore and local landmarks. With the direct overhead pass, Brandon was able to carry a good signal to space and hold that signal for a long duration, allowing them more time to visit.

The International Space Station Fan Club has its own link on the Internet which gives some more information about contacts, orbit and history of Ham radio on the space station.

If one goes to www.issfanclub.com, he can actually hear part of the conversation between Brandon and Colonel Wheelock because a record of contacts is maintained on the website.

While some people are texting their friends or visiting with them on cell phones, Brandon has taken communication to another level. Being able to speak directly to a member of the International Space Station is quite an experience.

Apples from the John C. Derrick tree

2011-01-23T16:24:00.000-08:00

Some years back, while researching the 1927 drowning of William Weston in White River north of Chadron, Nebraska, we had the pleasure of chatting by telephone with Winfred Dalrymple, a distant "cousin." He told me that he and his family were visiting the Maiden family north of Chadron when young William drowned while trying to save his sister. She survived the ordeal.

Winfred's grandfather was Albert John Derrick, a son to the much-discussed John C. Derrick. Also, his grandmother, Martha (married to Albert John), was a Maiden.

It's another example of the maze of relationships that would result when someone married into a family to which they were already related by marriage. We've found it several times in the Derrick family -- with both the Maiden and Miller families. And -- more than once -- its complexity has caused this writer to fall into a "relative" stupor.

Alas, we've lost touch with the Dalrymple clan, but hope that we can reconnect one day soon. He lived in the Seattle vicinity when we chatted in 1994. Finding the photograph above, which was tucked in the back of an envelope, was quite fun -- especially since someone had taken the time to write down who was in the picture! If only they'd also dated it!

I find it intriguing that many of these old photos reproduce so well. This original black & white photo is 2 x 3 inches. It hasn't been particularly cared for over the years, but the clarity and resolution is still pretty good -- a testament to the quality of the camera and lens used in capturing the image.

We're guessing the photo was taken in about 1924 or 1925, before young Weston drowned. Shown left-to-right are Dorothy Maiden, Bobby Dalrymple, Henry Maiden, Winnie Dalrymple, and Lettie Miller.

Teddy in Kansas

2010-03-14T21:33:00.000-07:00

Nearly a century ago, then "former" president Theodore Roosevelt became disenchanted with president William Howard Taft and decided to run against him in 1912. This picture postcard from 1912 shows Roosevelt coming through Blue Rapids, Kansas, where the card to Mrs. Ben Weston was posted. Losing the Republican primary to Taft, Roosevelt helped form the Progressive Party -- also called the "Bull Moose" party, since TR said he was "fit as a moose."

His whistle-stop tour through the heartland eventually took him to Milwaukee for a speech.

On October 14, 1912, saloonkeeper John Schrank shot Roosevelt in the chest, but the impact of the shell was mitigated by Roosevelt's eyeglass case and a 50-page speech folded in his jacket pocket. While the bullet penetrated his chest, Roosevelt declined to go to the hospital until after he delivered his 90-minute speech!

Seems he really was a "Bull Moose."

Mrs. Ben Weston (Leota Durham Weston) was then living in Hulett, one of many places she lived before marrying William Joseph Maiden in Belle Fourche and settling down along White River in Dawes County Nebraska.

Meet Joe Maiden

2009-12-10T00:53:00.000-08:00

One of the more interesting Maiden ancestors I've discovered during my years of poking around cemeteries and courthouses is a great grand-uncle named Joseph Maiden.

Born to George and Jaley Maiden in Lawrence County, Indiana, in 1841, Joe's mother died in late 1844, and the family then moved to Whiteside County in western Illinois, where his father bought property and took a new wife, Sara Templeman. We know little about Joe's activities in those early years, but he married Maria Grant in December of 1861 in Carroll County, Illinois. Within a couple of years, they were in the vicinity of Tama, Iowa, where most of their eight children would be born and raised. A look at our on-line Maiden database provides additional details about their children. The last of Joe and Maria's children was Albert, born in Tama, Iowa, in 1879.

For some years, rumors abounded that Joe's wife, Maria Grant, was related to President Ulysses S. Grant. We've found no evidence to support that claim, but it does make a nice story.

By 1884, it appears Joe and his family arrived in northwest Nebraska. He and a friend, George Lowery, drove a team of horses and a wagon from Valentine to Chadron, since the Fremont, Elkhorn and Missouri Valley Railroad (FE&MV) had not yet laid track into communities beyond Valentine. The line had already been taken over by the Chicago and Northwestern Railway, but the name FE&MV remained until 1903.

Joseph Maiden was the first of the Maiden clan to live in the White River area of northwest Nebraska. Chadron was then a part of Sioux County; however, in March 1885, the Nebraska legislature partitioned it into three counties: Sioux, Dawes, and Sheridan. First county elections were conducted in June of that year.

In October 1885, Joseph Maiden was chosen to be the Democratic nominee for Assessor of Chadron Precinct in Dawes County. The Chadron Democrat newspaper wrote that Maiden had "been in this couintry longer than anybody" and was "too well known to require (more) mention" among the candidates. "They are all good men."

Joe Maiden won the November election and became one of the first Assessors in the county.

Information about Joe's personal life gets a bit muddled at this point. We've found no record of what was happening with his family during that period in the early 1880s, but the seven children would have been teens or younger. We did find that he Joe married a Julia Kernell in Chadron in 1888, and another Maiden researcher says he found evidence that Maria Grant Maiden went to the west coast and died in Los Angeles in 1913. Did Joe and Maria divorce?

Joe Maiden was reportedly active in civic affairs and was listed among the members of the International Order of Odd Fellows (IOOF) in Chadron. Following the death of his father in 1891, Joe bought the house and lot in Tama, Iowa, that had belonged to his father. He paid $200. His father's attorney, J.W. Willett, detailed the distribution of proceeds in a letter to recipients dated July 8, 1894. Joseph and Julia Maiden appear to have returned to Tama and had a daughter, Minnie, in 1893. Some years later, in December of 1909, he wrote from Tama to John C. Derrick, "I am thinking of going to some new country...."

Within the next few years, in about 1910 or 1911, Joe moved to a farm in Pennington County, South Dakota.

Following the death of his half-brother, William Henry Maiden in 1911, Joe wrote a touching letter to Henry's widow, Dora, in which he described his own dire circumstances and urgiing her to "forget the past" and think of the present and future.

During the next decade of his life, almost nothing is known about Joseph Maiden. He is pictured at left in a four-generation photograph with his daughter Martha Derrick, grandson Marvin, and great grandson Harold Derrick. The picture is believed to have been taken on the west coast -- probably Oregon, where Martha and her family had settled. You may click on the photograph to see a larger image. Whether Joseph had moved to Oregon or was only visiting is not known. His great grandson, Ron Maiden, wrote us some years back that Joseph Maiden died in 1928. We've subsequently received further information that Joe Maiden is buried in a cemetery at Coquille, Oregon, just a few miles up the Coquille River from Bandon, Oregon, where Karen and I visited an old lighthouse last summer.

Alas, ours was not a family research trip, so another chance to learn more about our Maiden family slipped from our grasp. An opportunity to learn more about great grand-uncle Joe!

Two Durham cousins pass away

2009-09-07T12:02:00.000-07:00

Two elderly Durham cousins passed away in August.

Daisy (Durham) McGuire of Cedar Falls, Iowa – formerly of Chadron, Nebraska – died August 20th at the Western Home Communities Health Center in Cedar Falls. It was just one day after her 91st birthday.

Nine days later (8/29/09), in Spearfish, South Dakota, 90-year-old Merle (Durham) Wolfskill – a life-long resident of Crook County, Wyoming – passed away.

Daisy Durham McGuire was born August 19,1918 in rural Chadron. She was the daughter of Harold and Elsie (Grimm) Durham. Her cousin, Merle Durham Wolfskill, was born to Tom and Ada (Bear) Durham on their homestead near Seeley, Wyoming, on May 4, 1919.

Harold and Tom Durham were brothers.

Above is a photograph of the Tom and Ada Durham family, probably taken in the late 1930s. Merle is shown on the far left; then her mother, Ada; her brother, Gale; and father, Tom. Gail Durham was killed in action during World War II fighting in France.

Unfortunately we have no similar photo of the McGuire family. We are posting links to the obituaries of both Daisy McGuire and Merle Wolfskill. To see some other photos of the Durham family, you can visit our Maiden-Durham Gallery.

A 4-generation Maiden photograph

2009-08-22T09:04:00.000-07:00

This is one of our favorite photographs -- a superb four-generation photo of Joseph Maiden and three of his descendants. Therein is the problem, since we don't know when or where the photograph was taken -- or who those descendants are. We do know that Joseph was a half uncle to William Joseph Maiden -- born near Chadron, Nebraska in 1886. Our best guess is that the lady seated in front here is Joeseph's second daughter, Sara Jane (Maiden) Zering Derrick Martin. The younger gentleman standing would be her son, Roy Martin, and Roy's son -- unnamed -- is at left in front.

Regrettably, these identifications are only suppositions, but perhaps someone will happen across this photograph and be able to assist us in identifying those in the picture with greater certainty. This photograph was probably taken sometime in the 1920s. You may click on the photo to see a larger image.

A Linklater - Durham link?

2009-03-18T15:06:00.000-07:00

We’ve grown a bit weary of brick walls in family research.

However, on-line solicitations for assistance can sometimes help to level the playing field; so here’s our latest challenge. Perhaps someone will happen across this plea for help!

The card above was postmarked August 27, 1913 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and sent to Leota Weston in Hulett, Wyoming, c/o “Durhams.” The text of the message says:

"Dear Mrs. Weston: …hope you get this card. I did not get a chance to see you before I left. How’s the S.S. getting along. Wish I was out there with you again cause I miss all of you. With love, Claudia. 836 N. Minn. Ave., S.F."

My question is simply: Might this card be from Claudia Johnson, who would wed Henry Sidney Lawrence Linklater in 1920? They settled in Crook County Wyoming and had at least two children – Claude Arthur Linklater and Harriet May Linklater.

Harriet married Hank Maiden in 1947. Hank was the son of Leota (Durham) Weston Maiden – recipient of the above postcard.

That the card was, indeed, written by Claudia (Johnson) Linklater seems to be a likely scenario, but it’s not a certainty. Anyone who might be able to shed some light on our dilemma is encouraged to contact us by posting a comment below. Many thanks!

Drullinger family circa 1936

2009-02-15T21:19:00.000-08:00

This is believed to be the family of Claude C. "Jack" Drullinger (at right) of Chadron, Nebraska, probably around 1936, although there's no date or other identification with the photo. I believe it may have been taken at the 50th birthday celebration for William J. Maiden at the Maiden homestead on White River about 14 miles northeast of Chadron, Nebraska. Here's the link to the Maiden line: Jack was married to Martha Durham, whose sister, Leota Durham, married William Joseph Maiden in December of 1915.

You can find a bit more information about the Drullingers and Durhams -- as well as the Maidens -- by visiting our on-line database. It's a fairly comprehensive collection of data from all of the many family lines we're research. Among others, it includes these key surnames: Miller, Maiden, Durham, Eckerdt, Derrick, Galey, Cunningham, Thompson, and Milleson. If you visit our Galey and Miller Family History site, we include a few pictures and other information.

If you can help us identify any or all of the individuals in this photo, please drop us an email at galey@rushmore.com

Thanks!

Marlin Matthew Mosley obituary

2009-01-13T14:20:00.000-08:00

The following obituary appeared in the Sheridan (WY) Press on December 31, 2008.

Marlin M. Mosley, 33, of Casper, formerly of Sheridan, died of natural causes Friday, Dec. 26, 2008, in Casper. Visitation will be 1-4 p.m. Friday at Kane Funeral Home. Funeral services will be 1 p.m. Saturday at Ranchester Community Church with Pastor Jeff Browning officiating.

Born Sept. 8, 1975, in Sheridan to Bob and Sandra Mosley, he was known to family and friends as "Bouncer" or "Bounce." He grew up and attended school in Gillette. He attended trade school to become a mud engineer and worked in the Wyoming oil fields. He enjoyed spending time with his children, camping, fishing, and motorized dirt biking.

Survivors include three children, Layne, Marlayna and Daltyn, all of Gillette; his mother, Sandra Love Jolley, and stepfather, Ed, of Sheridan; his father of New Mexico; a grandmother, Betty Love Jolovich of Dayton; six siblings, Marla, Rus, Becky, Bobby, Jessica, and Jayne; five stepsisters, Debbie, Syna, Laurie, Eydie, and Marjorie Jolley; and several nieces and nephews

More sad news...

2009-01-02T15:44:00.000-08:00

We regret to report another death within the Maiden family line.

News was received this week regarding the death of 33-year-old Marlin Matthew Mosley of Casper, Wyoming, son of Sandra (Love) Mosley Jolley of Sheridan. He passed away in Casper of natural causes on December 26, 2008. He was a grandson of Betty (Maiden) Love Jolovich of Dayton, Wyoming.

Funeral services for Marlin Mosley will be held at 1:00 p.m., Saturday, January 3, 2009, at the Ranchester Community Church on with Pastor Jeff Browning officiating. A visitation was scheduled earlier at Kane Funeral Home.

Injury, illness and death have been far too prevalent in Sandra's family over the past few months. We'll keep Sandra and her family in our prayers as they deal with these difficult times.

Ric Crosby (1950-2008)

2008-12-28T08:26:00.000-08:00

We were saddened to learn that Richard “Ric” Crosby – husband of Dorothea (Dee Dee) Maiden Crosby – has died in Woodbridge, Virginia, after a long illness.

Richard D. Crosby III was a retired Colonel in the U.S. Army, Infantry. He died July 10, 2008 at the age of 57 after a long illness. His funeral was at the Fort Myer (VA) Old Post Chapel; he was buried July 28th with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery outside Washington, D.C. In addition to his wife Dee Dee, Colonel Crosby is survived by a daughter, Andrea Young, and son, Richard D. Crosby IV; his parents, Colonel (R) Richard and Ann Crosby; a sister, Jennifer McCormick, and brothers Dr. Michael Crosby and LTC Jonathan Crosby.

A touching collection of Crosby photographs – showing Ric from his childhood to becoming an adult – can be found at a special website entitled Warhog07. It is replete with tributes, anecdotes, and other memorabilia commemorating Ric's life. Richard Crosby and Dorothea Maiden were married August 4, 1979 at Fort Lewis, Washington. Ric’s father, too, was a career Army officer. Dee Dee Maiden is the daughter of the late Hank and Harriet (Linklater) Maiden, who also traveled the globe during Hank’s career in the Army.

The only time it was my good fortune to meet Ric was when my son Brad and I journeyed to Europe for a couple of weeks in 1984 and were able to visit Ric, Dee Dee, and their young family when they were stationed in Germany. They were kind enough to allow us to stay with them for a day or two during our travels. They were a delightful family, and we have fond memories of our visit.

While our thoughts and prayers have been with cousin Dee Dee and her family, all of us can appreciate the warmth, humor and love contained in the eulogy delivered by Ric’s brother, Michael.

For Maiden family everywhere...

2008-12-25T13:04:00.000-08:00

Homesteading in Wyoming

2008-11-20T14:21:00.000-08:00

This photograph was probably taken in about 1912 or 1913 on the Crook County Wyoming homestead of Leota Weston. In 1915 she married William J. Maiden and moved to the Maiden homestead northeast of Chadron, Nebraska. In this photo are: William Weston, Leota Weston, and Minnie Weston. Leota (Durham) Weston Maiden's homestead is believed to have been not far from the almost forgotten village of Terhune, Wyoming.

A conversation with Betty (Maiden) Love Jolovich

2008-09-08T18:44:00.000-07:00

We had some great fun at the end of August, visiting with aunt Betty Love Jolovich and family. She's the sole remaining child of William J. and Leota Maiden, who raised their family on land his father had homesteaded in northern Dawes County Nebraska in the late 1880s.

Some months back, Betty's youngest daughter Jan contacted us about doing a video interview with her mother. Of course, I thought it was a terrific idea, and I was delighted that she called me to help put it together. We spent several hours with aunt Betty and her husband Paul Jolovich. In addition to Janice, her older sisters Sandy and Beverly were on hand for the tapings.

We conducted the interviews in three segments of about 45 minutes each. There's a lot of anecdotal side conversation during the video, and we'll edit out most of that and probably end up with a final interview of about 45 minutes to an hour.

Betty talks about growing up on the farm northwest of Chadron, Nebraska, the trials and tribulations of a farm kid going to school in town, meeting her "pen pal" Marlin Love, whom she then married. There's lots of fun information in this discussion, including a description of one of the most hilarious honeymoons anyone could imagine!

Lots of projects going on these days, but this is near the top of the list, and we hope to have a final video completed by the end of the year.

A soldier and his family

2008-09-08T18:08:00.000-07:00

This is one of my favorite Maiden family photographs -- probably taken in late 1952 in Germany, where Hank Maiden was serving a hitch in the U.S. Army. On Hank's lap is younger son, Jim, while the oldest child, Bill, is behind mother Harriet, who is holding baby Dorothea.

Hank was the only surviving son of William J. and Leota (Durham) Maiden, who raised their family -- comprised mostly of girls -- near the banks of White River about 13 miles northeast of Chadron, Nebraska. Harriet was the daughter of Henry and Claudia (Johnson) Linklater and grew up near Hulett, Wyoming. Both Hank and Harriet are deceased; last we knew, Bill was living in Vancouver, Washington; Jim was in Idaho; and Dorothea (DeDe) and family were in Viriginia.

So Long, Shad!

2008-05-18T20:53:00.001-07:00

With three years under his belt as a member of a National Guard medical evacuation unit in Rapid City, South Dakota, Shad Tenold is about to “ship out” for an overseas tour of duty in Kosovo. It was only fitting that many family and a few friends would gather to help send him off. That gathering took place today (May 18, 2008) at the Perkins Restaurant in Spearfish, South Dakota.

Here’s Shad with his grandmother, Betty Jolovich. His parents are Gene and Jan (Love) Tenold, who ranch near Reva in northwestern South Dakota.

We’ve posted a few other photos from the gathering at So Long, Shad!

It's all John C. Derrick's fault

2008-05-18T13:02:00.000-07:00

In shaking the family tree for information, relationships sometimes get a bit bewildering. A classic case is the relationship between the Derrick, Maiden and Miller families of western Nebraska, and it all seemed to start with this old guy.

John C. Derrick was probably born in Holland, although we’ve not been able to document it. We do know he married three times and that his second bride was Adelia Pamelia Kellogg. They had two children together – Walter Earnest in 1860 and Dora Ellen in 1862. While the family was living in Carroll County Iowa in 1880, Dora married William H. Maiden, whose family came from Tama County Iowa. They moved to Dawes County Nebraska, where their only child, William Joseph Maiden, was born in 1886.

Pretty easy, so far, huh? Continue to the next level: William J. “Bill” Maiden married Leota Irene Durham in 1915; they had seven children together – one of whom was Lettie, born in 1920. In 1938, Lettie married John Miller, whose sister, Marie, was already married to William Derrick, son of Walter Earnest and a grandson to John C. Derrick. So Lettie and Bill were cousins – as well as brother/sister-in-law.

Oh, did we forget about another son of John C. Derrick -- Albert? He was the son of John C. and his first wife, Martha Hulbert. Born in 1857, Al was just a few years older than his half-brother, Walter Earnest, and his half-sister, Dora Ellen. When he was 21 years old – living in Tama, Iowa – Albert took a bride, Martha Maiden. Martha was a daughter to Joseph Maiden – a half-brother to William H. Maiden.

Not yet confused? Visit the Maiden Genealogy web site and you’re bound to become even more disoriented. Happy hunting!

Warren Beamish and the Warren girls

2008-05-18T09:57:00.001-07:00

Members of the Maiden family likely became acquainted with a Michagander named Warren Beamish when he took a job working on the Maiden place northeast during the Great Depression of the 1930s. It was probably around the same time that they came to know the Warren girls -- Maude, Gladys, and Ellen.

Maude married a Pace, Ellen a Crowe, and Gladys married Warren Beamish. Some of the family may be just as surprised as we were, when we learned about the wartime heroics of the guy known simply as "Slim." That was a subject of this Tribute to Slim story that we wrote in 2007.

Happy Holidays!

2007-12-26T13:30:00.001-08:00

We extend our best wishes to

MAIDEN and DURHAM families everywhere!

MERRY CHRISTMAS and a HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Lettie's Little Red Book

2007-12-04T13:57:00.000-08:00

Kids have a fun way of leaving their mark in history. Oh, sure, they can become rich and famous, but harken back to their youth, and you'll find kids are pretty much the same everywhere -- more than a bit nonsensical!

In foraging through materials belonging to my mother, Lettie Miller, I came across a delightful little "Autograph Book."

Long before television and computers (text messaging was sending morse code via Western Union!) these little autograph books were one way that youngsters could pen a message to their sweethearts and other friends. Little would they realize that most of the kids who signed these books would depart their lives for marriage, the military, or otherwise to seek their fortune elsewhere in the world.

This has dozens of entries -- most penned by friends of my mother. Some of them were written by teachers or parents, and it's easy to identify them -- they're a bit "less clever" and more philosophical. Since there are many entries from young people in Lead, South Dakota, I believe she had the book both in Lead and later in Chadron, Nebraska, which is where she spent virtually her whole life, except for that one snippet of time in Lead. She stayed with her older sister, Minnie (Maiden) Scott.

I've transcribed a few of these messages, and they're a hoot! I found many of the poems and sayings repeated by several of the youngsters, so few of the items can truly be considered "original." Nonetheless, it reflects the youthful lightheartedness that kids bring to every generation. Some would call it foolishness. I call it fun!

YOUR MOTHER / EILEEN MEYER / ELIZABETH BUTLER

SISTER MINNIE / ETTA RED BOY / LUCILLE MORRIS

MARGARET ROBERTS / SISTER BETTY / LOIS CASEY

CLARA LIDMAN / WARREN BEMISH / ARTHUR EDLUND

DELIA MARGARET HOPPE / FRED MILLER / NETTIE MAIDEN

DORIS WEYMOUTH / JOHN MILLER / MAUDE PACE

LILA NIXON / BESSIE GILLAM / W.J.M. (FATHER)

WM. HENRY MAIDEN / LAWRENCE DRULLINGER

ARLENE CAVANAUGH / EARNEST NORMAN, JR.

Maiden Family History

2007-11-29T07:10:00.001-08:00

This site is a collection of notes and essays about the Maiden family that settled in western Nebraska in the late 1800s. Their ancestors came from Iowa, Indiana, and other points "back East."

In coming days, we'll be adding notes, photos, and essays not only about the MAIDEN family, but related DURHAM, DERRICK, and NORMAN families.

We encourage Maiden "cousins" and other visitors to leave comments and contribute to this site.

Thanks!