Wren Kin

Wren Reunion coming up in Lampasas

Bonnie Wren — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 23:10:23 +0000

We got this note from Marilyn Taylor:

Please pass this on to other Kin that you may know email or addresses to. Thanks so much…lets try and get this to be a GREAT Reunion this year….We are BACK AT THE PARK!! That is something to CELEBRATE!!!!!

Have A Blessed Day
Marilyn

“Who the heck is that?”

Bonnie Wren — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 18:18:22 +0000

I depend very heavily on census information. And thanks to modern databases, what used to take my mother weeks of correspondence with the National Archives in order to look at a census page now only takes seconds in the comfort of my oh-so-cushy sofa.

“How could Mother have another child that I somehow forgot? How could my brother and I not remembered our very own sister?”

But how accurate are censuses? I’ve often heard stories about census-takers who were too drunk to do their jobs properly, or stories about those census-takers who depended upon neighbors to tell them about families nearby rather than walk the entire neighborhood.

We’ve all seen the crazy misspellings and “off” birth years and birth places, but for the most part the censuses are my favorite resource, providing family relationships and useful hints as to where vital records may be found.

And yet… I just had a brush with a census record that is obviously, blatantly, amazingly incorrect. It’s not a Wren census, but it is interesting enough I thought I’d share it with you.

(Click on this image for a larger view)

While you can see the family in the image above, I removed the surname because the dear lady still surviving from that family would like her privacy protected from Google searches. But you can click on the image for a larger view.

I had pulled up this census as a favor to my friend Bettie, who was glad to receive it. But when she took it home and examined it she received an enormous shock: according to the census image she and her brother had a sister!

“Goodness,” she told me on the phone. “I thought, ‘How could Mother have another child that I somehow forgot? How could my brother and I not remembered our very own sister?’”

What was even more shocking to Bettie was the idea that the lost sister could’ve been a twin (please note that the ages given on the census for Bettie and Jane-Anne were crossed out and rewritten.)

Bettie was 6 and her brother was 10 when this census was taken, certainly old enough to remember a sister, or at the very least remember a cousin or a friend who might have been living with them at the time, but she couldn’t remember any family members with that name. “I couldn’t remember a neighbor named ‘Jane-Anne’, either.”

Still, Bettie didn’t immediately assume the census was in error. She thought perhaps she and her brother DID have a sister, and perhaps that sister was lost to the family in such a traumatic way that she and her brother couldn’t remember her.

“You do hear about such things happening,” she said. “I doubted that happened to us, but I thought it could be possible.”

So before she called me she contacted all her surviving relatives who were old enough to remember the early 1930s and asked them if they remembered a little Jane-Anne. Nobody could.

Then she asked them if they’d ever heard of Bettie’s mother having two girls instead of one. Nobody had.

She looked through all her old photo albums. No luck, there, either.

Since any children living in the neighborhood would’ve attended the same school as Bettie and her brother, she looked through all her old yearbooks, but again, found nothing.

She finally called me. “The idea that my brother and I could’ve lived our lives not remembering a sister was an incredible shock, but after talking to my family, I have to tell you: I think that census is wrong.”

I turned to the California birth index and quickly found Bettie and her brother listed as born in the 1920s, but I couldn’t find a Jane-Anne with that surname. I searched by surname (just in case Bettie’s father had a previous marriage) as well as Bettie’s mother’s maiden name for all counties in California, but could only determine that Bettie’s mother had only two children in the state of California. And since Bettie’s mother was born and raised in San Diego County, it seemed unlikely she would’ve left the state to have a third child.

Thinking perhaps Jane-Anne was a relative or a friend after all (despite Bettie’s research), I then searched the CA birth indexes for any child of that first name, or combination of first names, but found no one of the right age.

I then searched through the California Death Index for a person named Jane-Anne who might have died in California after 1930. When that proved fruitless, I made separate searches by first name only, surname only, mother’s maiden name only, and birth year only, but I couldn’t find any person who matched.

While it is possible that there actually was a Jane-Anne out there somewhere who happened to be in the house when the census was enumerated, Bettie and I concluded that this really was just a census-taker error, probably one of the most blatant ones I’ve ever seen. But then the problem became: “How do we alert future generations to this error?”

Some possibilities we discussed included her writing a letter she could keep in her family Bible, copies of which she could tuck into all her family photo albums; a letter explaining what had happened when she first viewed the 1930 census, and how after interviewing her surviving relatives, she concluded the census-taker had made a mistake.

(If you readers have any more suggestions, I’d love to hear them.)

After Bettie and I hung up, I realized how often I depend upon family relationships listed in censuses, and yet I rarely have the luxury of a living relative to check them over and say, “Yes, that’s right” or “Who the heck is that?”

Bettie and I may never solve the mystery of Jane-Anne. But the missing little girl is a excellent reminder to remember that censuses can have more than just odd little errors; they can have some whopping big ones, too.

Y-Chromosome DNA test 50% off through Sept. 30

Bonnie Wren — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 13:47:12 +0000

PLEASE NOTE: THIS SALE IS FROM 2008!

Ancestry may have another sale soon, though, but at the time of this update (14 July 2009) the Ancestry Y-Chromosome DNA test ranges in price from $79 to $149. The good news is that the price has gone down since Ancestry first introduced Y-Chromosome tests. Hoorah.

By the way, I recommend taking the $149 test, because if you get a match, you’ll want to purchase more markers anyway, so you might as well do them up front!

And now back to the old post….

Here is a little “push” for those of you who are sitting on the fence about taking a Y-chromosome DNA test.

Exclusive offer for Ancestry.com Members:
Save 50% on Ancestry.com DNA Testing
FOR A LIMITED TIME

This is an incredible deal. Normally prices are $199 for the 46 marker test, and $149 for the less-helpful (but no less valid) 33 marker test. But if you get in on this deal, it will only cost you:

$99.50 for the 46 marker test and $74.50 for the 33 marker test.

Please consider taking this test! The more results we have, the more useful each result will be not only for us, but for all future W(R)en(n)s looking for their roots.

UPDATE 1 August 2008:

Someone just told me they believed they were not eligible for this discount because they are not a member of Ancestry.com. This is not true.

Ancestry offers a free membership option. You may purchase the test using the link above, and then create a free account with Ancestry. Or you may create the free account first, and then purchase the test, whichever you prefer.

Ancestry will not charge you for membership unless you opt to upgrade. They will, however, charge you for the cost of the test.

You can read more at the DNA Ancestry FAQ: “Will I have to become a paying Ancestry.com subscriber to view my results?”

A DNA Match!

Bonnie Wren — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 02:54:45 +0000

We’ve had an interesting DNA match in our DNA surname project, with some exciting implications.

Here are the details of the match:

Participant #1: A Wrenn from Tennessee, who says he can trace his line to Albert Walker Wrenn (1813-1889, Spotsylvania, Virginia).

Albert Walker Wrenn may be found on pages 99, 112, and 158 in John Howard Wren’s book, “Wren’s of Virginia.”

Participant #2: A Wren from California, who traces his line to Thomas W. Wren (b. 1836 in Haywood County, Tennessee, d. 1923 in Wood County, Texas).

Thomas W. Wren has been a brick wall in my research, as I’ve been unable to identify his father.

The DNA test resulted in a match of 42 markers out of 43, or a most recent common ancestor (MRCA) within six or seven generations (depending on what DNA charts you read; it could be six, it could be seven).

If the Wrenn from Tennessee is descended from Albert Walker Wrenn, then he is also descended from Nicholas Wren and Margaret Bell of Virginia, Albert’s ancestor…

…and if the Wrenn from Tennessee is descended from Nicholas Wren and Margaret Bell of Virginia, then so is the California Wren!

We can’t depend completely on DNA results to fill out our genealogy charts, but we can use it to point us in the right direction. Most of it still depends on our careful documentation of family connections. There is a chance that the paperwork isn’t complete to prove the above connection, but it doesn’t change the fact that the Tennessee Wrenn and the California Wren are still related.

What we must do at this point:

1. Cite all the paperwork documenting the Tennessee Wrenn’s line
2. Drum up more DNA participants!

The more participants, the more matches we’ll have to W(R)en(n)s from all over the world!

Wouldn’t it be grand if one day we find a documented male W(R)en(n) descendant of a cousin of Sir Christopher Wren — who is interested in joining the DNA project? That will be the day when we may finally put to rest — or hold up high — the long-disputed tradition in so many Wren(n) genealogies: that most American Wren(n)s are descended from Sir Christopher Wren.

What can DNA testing do for your W(R)en(n) research?

Bonnie Wren — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 13:33:20 +0000

Very interesting article on this topic, here.

Database updates:

I recently started inputting into our database the research of noted Wren researcher, John Howard Wren, author of “The Wren’s of Virginia.” Mr. Wren traced his line back to Nicholas Wren (1631-1701) and Margaret Bell (1650-1701), English immigrants to Virginia.

Mr. Wren very kindly gave me his permission to use his data some time ago but I have not yet had a chance to do it until now. I will be adding it over the next few weeks.

Wren Kin Updates

Bonnie Wren — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 05:50:17 +0000

I’ve been feverishly going through the backlog of data submitted to me since early January. I’ve added quite a bit to our database in the last two weeks, but if you don’t see what you’ve sent, please drop me a line and ask me about it.

Alvin Lee Wren, 1929-2007

Bonnie Wren — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 14:00:37 +0000

Mr. Alvin Lee Wren was the son of James Milam Wren (born 1862 in Smith County, Texas), the grandson of James C. Wren (born 1832 in Tennessee), and the great grandson of William Wren (born about 1802 in Kentucky).

Alvin’s great-grandfather William Wren was brother to Nicholas Wren, the Texan war hero mentioned several times in the memoirs of Noah Smithwick, “The Evolution of a State.”

There was no braver or better man in the service than Lieutenant Nicholas Wren. I know not whence he came, nor whither he went, but had I been sent on a perilous mission, I know of no man I would have chosen before him to bear me company.

Noah Smithwick, “The Evolution of a State, or Recollections of Old Texas Days”

Nicholas and his brother William are solid brick walls in many a Wren researcher genealogy. The loss of Mr. Alvin Wren is a sad break in our tenuous link to the past.

His grandson kindly sent me a link to this obituary:

Alvin Lee Wren, 78, died peacefully Thursday, September 20, 2007, at his home.

He was born in El Dorado to Ollie Izora (Duggar) and James Milam Wren. He graduated from El Dorado High School in 1946, and belonged to the Delta Sigma fraternity. He was a businessman and entrepreneur. Among his businesses he either owned or co-owned at one time are Wren Realty, El Do Plastics, Plastic Sign Suppliers, and Signs and License Plates. Alvin loved the outdoors, especially his gardening and fishing on his beloved North Two and his nephew’s Forever Farm (which he named). He made an annual trip each year for over 50 years to Bear Creek Lake with friends and family. He was El Dorado’s Outstanding Jaycee of the Year in 1954.

While he was able, he loved traveling and taking his family and friends on vacations. Some of his favorite places to visit were relatives in South Louisiana, relatives at the Red River Ranch in Idaho, Bill Lindsey’s in Heber Springs, and casinos.

Alvin will be remembered for his excellent cooking, hosting, and distinctive laugh. He was the best cook and if you did not believe it, he would be glad to tell you. He loved telling funny stories from his life adventures.

Survivors include two daughters, Lynda Wren Cheek and April Wren; one son, David Lee Wren; one sister, Altha Dean Nash; two granddaughters, Carrie Oswalt and Mary Wade all of El Dorado; two grandsons, Odie Blackmon of Nashville, Tennessee, and Sean Wren of Knoxville, Tennessee; and eight great-grandchildren; several nieces and nephews; and a host of friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents, one brother, J. Milam Wren, and one sister, Edith Wren Reed.

He was especially fond of his trusted Hospice nurse, Andy Guinn, who he only knew a short time but looked forward to his visits each day.

The funeral will be at10:00am Monday in Young’s Chapel. Burial will follow at Arlington Memorial Park under the direction of Young’s Funeral Directors.

Visitation is Sunday from 5:00pm to 7:00pm.

Memorials may be made to Life Touch Hospice, 2301 Champagnolle Rd., El Dorado, AR 71730, Arkansas Children’s Hospital Burn Unit, P. O. Drawer 2222, Little Rock, AR 72203-9984 or to the charity of the donor’s choice.

Obituary: “Alvin Wren,” Youngs Funeral Home, El Dorado, Arkansas, downloaded 2 January 2008.

15% Off DNA Coupon for W(R)en(n) Family Project Participants

Bonnie Wren — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 18:48:20 +0000

Based on a lack of any vigorous protest against Ancestry.com maintaining our DNA project, I’ve decided to remain with Ancestry.com.

But we’re in a transition time, which means that if you want to take the DNA test this month, then there’s a special little procedure we have to follow (I’ve outlined it below.)

To make up for this inconvenience, Ancestry is giving us a 15% coupon off the DNA test. Normally prices are:

$149 for the 33 chromosome Paternal Lineage Test
$199 for the 46 chromosome Paternal Lineage Test

These prices are a little better than those at Relative Genetics — and 15% off means you can save a little over $22 on the 33 chromosome test and a little over $29 for the 46 chromosome test. (Go for the 46 chromosome test! Go for the 46 chromosome test! Goodness… did I just say that out loud?)

PLEASE NOTE: We are only working with the Paternal Lineage Test. The Maternal Lineage Test (Mitochondrial DNA) is of no use to our W(R)en(n) DNA surname project (although you may still want to take it for other genealogical purposes).

Instructions for Ordering a DNA test:

You may order by phone. If so, use this toll free number 1-800-958-9124 and skip to step 3 , or…
Go to www.DNA.Ancestry.Com
Click on the “Get Started” button, or the “Order” button, or use this link.
Make sure to use the Wren 15% discount coupon below. (Enter this in the coupon box before you check out, or tell the Ancestry associate if you are doing this by phone.)
Project Wren
Code 49HXVLX
Expires 03/31/2008
FINAL AND MOST IMPORTANT STEP: When you receive your DNA results in the mail, send me a copy, and I will manually enter the data into my project at Relative Genetics.

After March 31 they’ll merge all data over to Ancestry.com, but for now this is how we’ll have to do it.

The Fountain of Chaos

Bonnie Wren — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 00:43:57 +0000

I was so cocky!

When the hot water fountained out of our concrete slab in the first week of January, I immediately started some heavy lifting (moving our office furniture, our workout equipment, ripping up the flooring, etc.)

“All I need is a plumber!” I cried as I flung it all hither and yon. “A few fans! We’ll be OK! Back to normal in no time at all!”

That’s what I said.

What actually ensued was almost three months of chaos, with me wildly insisting all would be okay “by next weekend!” to anyone who asked me how I was doing. Lordy, was I deluded, or what?

As it turns out, when you are recovering from a major home repair there is not only the debilitating chaos of Repairing the Home. There is also the mega chaos of Putting Everything Back the Way It Was Before, Especially After You Flung It So Energetically Into The Living Room.

My office is finally put back together, and now I am going through the correspondence that has piled up since early January. To all who have waited patiently for a response from me, I apologize profusely. To all who believed me when I said I’d be back online “this weekend!”… goodness, will you ever trust me again?

I’m so sorry, thank you all for your patience, and whatever you do, don’t ever underestimate the impact of a little hot water spouting out from under your tub.

Alexander Wren: VA -> OH -> IL -> IA -> KS -> OR -> ID -> ?

Bonnie Wren — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 17:59:54 +0000

I had a fine time following Mr. Alexander Wren (and his wife, Amarilla S. Wood) from state to state.

Born in Virginia in May 1831 according to the 1900 U.S. Census, I tracked him from Warren County, Illinois in 1850 and 1860, to Appanoose County, Iowa in 1870, to Mitchell County, Kansas in 1880, to Umatilla County, Oregon in 1900, to Nez Perce County, Idaho in 1910.

His wanderlust probably came naturally. In the 1850 census his parents (John and Esther Wren) reported that Alexander’s younger siblings were born in Ohio.

Amarilla passed away between 1900 and 1910, as Alexander reported himself as a widower in the 1910 Census. I couldn’t find him in any other records between 1910 and 1920 but I did find some World Connect databases that say Alexander’s middle name was Andrew and that he died in December 1910 in Canada. Unfortunately they provide no sources I can check so I’ll leave him in Idaho in 1910, unless someone would like to provide more details about this family.

Speaking of sources, I want to thank a recent registrant who found some unsourced data in our Wren Kin database. As a rule I’ve tried to add only sourced information, but since that heads-up I’ve found more unsourced entries, most of them omissions I made while inputting data (a good reminder for me to SLOW DOWN).

In the meantime, if you find unsourced data or other errors, please remember that I welcome all corrections, additions, suggestions, etc.