Would like to identify mother, father and birthplace of Olympus Ferguson in Masschusetts?

Question

Olympus Ferguson was born on 15 April 1850 and died on 3 November 1897 in Waelder Texas. Buried in Luling Texas cemetery with tombstone by Woodmen of the World. Somehow he got from Masschusetts to near Oxford Mississippi and married Alice Fondren and family today has no clue of how other than perhaps during the late Civil War or as part of reconstruction.

Answer 1

I have to agree with Wendy.  I was unable to find anything like Olympus Ferguson.  I tried born MA, died anywhere, born anywhere, died TX.  I found a number of Alice Fondrens in MS but nothing close to Alice Ferguson in MS or TX.  

I haven't been doing this as long as most but it's unusual not to find at least one birth, census, marriage or death date that matches given the dates & places seem to be so well known.  Any way you could start with any of his children or perhaps siblings.  Is there anyone from his family still living?  Perhaps they can remember other details.

Answer 2

Dave, the consensus seems to be that Olympus shows up NO WHERE that anyone can find, in the census. I also searched for him, with no luck.

Here's my suggestions, and thoughts- SOMETHING in the records does not fit.  Thus, if it were me, I would be going back to review the documentation concerning what is believed about him.  Not only do I not find him, I don't find Alice anywhere, even 1900 in Texas. I see no children (recognizable) in Caldwell co, Texas. but you did not include any names. I would want to look at those children, especially to pin down a pattern of migration.  HOW are you certain that he was born in Massachussetts? And, what record do you have, showing that he and Alice married in Miss? could the above Alice Fondren be the correct person, who CAME from Miss, and married her husband in Texas?

Here's why your scenario is really tough.. he died 3 yrs before 1900, and there is no 1890 census. The last one we would hope to find is 1880.  Since this is also the first one that includes both his place of birth AND for his parents.. it is very important.  The next best thing would be census records for his children (preferably with mom) in order to look at the pattern.  I am not saying he WASN'T born in Mass., but I am saying that it is VITAL to have some independent record to confirm this.  I am skeptical, to be honest.

Given his name.. the odds are good that he went by either a nickname, or initials (Texans are big on that one).

Please.. feel free to drop me a direct note, if you like. I am just concerned that perhaps the tombstone and those dates are the only solid record.  My experience with road blocks like this.. is that FREQUENTLY someone may be relying on family memories, and the memories are not consistent with factual documents. My early work was held up for at least a year, looking for a place called Walesford, before I stumbled onto the correct name of Hale's Ford.  The one letter, mistranscribed, stopped me dead in my tracks.

Answer 3

I can't find Olympus either, but there's an Alice Fondren already in Texas in 1870, born about 1857.

1870; Census Place: Precinct 2, Colorado, Texas; Roll: M593_1580; Page: 48; Image: 97

Post Office: Oakland

Fondren, William, 42, farmer b Alabama

Martha, 35, b Mississippi

Alice P, 13, b Mississippi

Rebecca, 4, b Texas

Elizabeth 1/12, b Texas

Campbell, A C, 21, farm laborer, b Mississippi

Woodmen of the World was founded in 1890 in Omaha Nebraska as a fraternal organization and insurance company for its members. That was a very common way to save for a funeral at that time.

Answer 4

I could not find an Olympus Ferguson in ancestry.com.  Could that have been a nickname or middle name?

Answer 5

You can check and see if the Woodmen are still around, or if their records are being kept anywhere, like Library of Congress, that might help find a bit of the puzzle.

Somewhere there is probably an old old family bible with some of what you want, now you just have to track it down.

Answer 6

have you tried the us census? the 1890 census is incomplete, but you could try 50, 60, 70, and 80. try ancestry.com or familysearch.org