Joseph Willard McMaster 1861-1941
A Thumbnail Biography by David C. Procuniar
All Rights Reserved Last updated: 31 Aug 2001
Joseph Willard McMaster; son of Andrew McMaster & Margaret Jane Ryan; Joseph was born on 05 Feb 1861 in Dayton, Montgomery County, Ohio, died on 30 Dec 1941 in Sidney, Ohio; Joseph married Anna Virginia Gates on 04 Jul 1889. Anna was born on 01 Aug 1859 ion Frederick County, Maryland, died on 16 Oct 1921 in Shelby County, Ohio.
Children: (1) son of Joseph McMaster & someone named Betsy ... see Note! below:
Note!
Joseph was added today May 9, 2002 to my family database when Elmer McMaster came by my house while visiting his family in Sidney, Ohio. Elmer is living in California in May 2002. Elmer showed me a census with Joseph and the rest of his siblings then gave me the rest of the lineage from Joseph down to Elmer. Elmer said that Joseph and Anna were living together in Sidney, Ohio when this girl named Betsy (I think) aged 14 came to live with Joseph and Anna and she is shown on the Sidney, Ohio 1900 census. No reason was given as to why or how this Betsy came to live with Joseph and Anna. Low and behold about 14 months after Betsy came to live with Joseph and Anna, Betsy gave birth to a son. Now for some reason Joseph drove Betsy from Sidney Ohio way over to Richmond, Indiana to a hospital there to have Betsy's baby. Family story is that Joseph returned home with the baby and Betsy never was heard from again. Joseph placed his name on the birth certificate as being the father and they named the baby Fern Everett McMaster. However on the 1910 census in Sidney, Ohio shows Joseph and Anna McMaster's living with Fern who is listed as an adopted son. If this is true then Fern is not of the McMaster blood line and any of her descendents are not of the McMaster lineage. However Ferns son Elmer McMaster said today that since his grandfather Joseph McMaster is listed on Fern Everett McMaster's birth certificate as the birth father then Fern is only the adopted son of Joseph McMaster's wife Anna Virginia Gates McMaster and not the adopted son of Joseph himself. Sounds a little fishy to me but I have nothing to prove otherwise?
A neighbor to Joseph McMasters says that Joseph's wife Anna was so angry at Joseph for impregnating their young 14 or 15 year old female guest that she wouldn't have much to do with her adopted son Fern for the first few years of Fern's life? dcp 5-9-2002
Main Source:
Elmer McMaster epmcmaster@yahoo.com
David Charles Procuniar 3598 Harry Truman Drive, Beavercreek, Ohio 45432-2272
Another Source:
The Andrews, Clapp, Stokes, Wright, Van Cleve Genealogies
Note:
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