Newsletter
The Hinchman Heritage Society Chronicles
Volume 14, Number 2, Winter 2009-2010
Photos in printed copy of newsletter
Melvyn Chester “Mel” Hinchman celebrates 100th Birthday
Photo 8-15-2009, Birthdate 10-12-1909
Melvyn Chester “Mel” Hinchman was the guest of honor at a 100th birthday celebration on August 15, 2009. He lives with his daughter Sharon Hinchman in Indianapolis.
Pictured above are the 8 surviving (of 10) Hinchman cousins–grandchildren of Chester A. and Flossy Cloud Hinchman. L to R standing around Mel Hinchman – Jeanne Yater Birdwell, Mary Alice Yater Foy, Sondra Hinchman Parker, Donna Hinchman Trimpe, Joellen Kuerst Bland, Judy Hinchman Bryant, Jerry Hinchman, Sharon Hinchman. Deceased – Dorothy Anne Yater Kirkland and Sue Hinchman Hamm. Since Jerry and his wife have no children, sad to say, the Hinchman name in this line dies with this generation.
Melvyn, a son of Chester Atherton and Flossie May Cloud Hinchman, married Elizabeth Katherine Tibbs on September 28, 1935. His wife passed away on May 5, 1995. Their two daughters are Judith Diane Hinchman Bryant and Sharon Elizabeth Hinchman.
Melvyn’s great-great-grandfather Andrew settled in Rush Co., Indiana about 1840. Andrew Hinchman’s parents were William and Mary Symms Hinchman, son of John and Sarah Vincent Hinchman, son of William and Elizabeth Hinchman of Dorchester Co., Maryland and Monroe Co., VA-WV. See next page for additional information about Melvyn’s family.
THE ANDREW HINCHMAN FAMILY
OF RUSH AND MADISON CO., INDIANA
4. ANDREW HINCHMAN: was born 12-10-1819 Monroe Co., Virginia (West Virginia) and died
1-8-1873 or 1-28-1873 Rush Co., Indiana, age 53-0-28. He was the son of William and Mary Symms Hinchman and grandson of John and Sarah Vincent Hinchman all of Monroe Co., Virginia (West Virginia). Andrew and his wife are buried in the Hinchman Cemetery, Rush Co., Indiana.
Andrew married MARY ANN SMELSER 2-24-1846 in Rush Co., Indiana by Rev. George Campbell. Mary Ann was born 12-10-1830 IN and died 1-15-1894. She was the daughter of John and Sally Smelser of Jackson Twp., Rush County. In, 1866, Andrew and Mary Ann were living in Indiana when his father’s estate was settled in West Virginia. Mary A. married (2) Jacob Cross 5-22-1878 in Rush Co., IN. Jacob and Mary A. were living in Jackson Twp., Rush Co. in 1880.
On 6-26-1837, Andrew’s father William purchased one-hundred sixty acres in Madison Co., Indiana from his brother John and wife Margaret of Rush Co., Indiana for $400.00. The deed was witnessed by William’s brother James Hinchman, justice-of-the- peace. A notation – “Andrews deed” – is written on the outside of the deed.
5. William M. Hinchman, b 7-13-1847 IN, d 8-23-1847
5. Sarah Ann Maria Hinchman, b 7-18-1852 IN, d 6-13-1934 Rush Co., IN
mar 9-24-1871 Rush Co., IN, William Harve Smelser (b 5-3-1851, d 10-17-1927)
5. James E. Hinchman, b 10-12-1856 IN, mar Missouri Fannie Smelser
5. Charles N. Hinchman, b 1857 IN, res: Topeka, Kansas City
5. Cary S. Hinchman, b 1864 IN, d 1905, mar 3-12-1899 Grant Co., IN, Elva B. Smith
5. James Emmerson Hinchman: b 10-12-1856 Jackson Twp., Rush, IN, d Rushville, IN
mar 4-4-1878 Rush Co., IN, Missouri Fannie Smelser (b 9-29-1856)
5. Rufus Estell Hinchman:
b ca 1854 Rush Co., IN, d 5-29-1921 Indianaolis, Marion Co., IN
mar 9-10-1874 Shelby Co., IN
Permelia “Mele” Augusta “Gustie” Branson (b 7-31-1855 IN, d 10-3-1921)
6. Virginia L. Hinchman, b 8-1879 IN
6. James Blaine Hinchman, b 7-11-1884 Van Buren, IN, d 6-1969 Indpls, IN
mar 6-22-1912 Marion Co., IN, Emma Wasser
6. Flossy Hinchman, b 9-10-1886 Shelby Co., IN
6. Virginia Hinchman, b 5-9-1891 Indpls, d 6-25-1917 TB
6. Ella Hinchman, b 1-21-1894 Indpls, d 2-1965 Lakeland, FL
mar 11-21-1906, Marion Co., IN, William H. Anthony
6. Chester Atherton Hinchman, b 5-8-1882 Rush, IN, d 1-24-1963 Indianapolis, IN
mar 12-10-1904, Marion Co., IN, Flossie May Cloud
(b 1-21-1885 IN, d 10-9-1970 Indpls, IN)
7. Dorothy Margaruite Hinchman, b 12-4-1906, d 2-1996 Cooke Co., TN
7. Melvyn Chester Hinchman, b 10-12-1909 Indpls, IN
7. Earl Laurence Hinchman, b 11-8-1911 Indpls, IN, d 4-17-1993 Indpls, IN
7. Vernon Kenneth Hinchman, b 8-14-1913 Indpls, IN, d 3-19-1992 IN
7. Ruth Bernice Hinchman, b 11-10-1916 Indpls, IN, d ?4-27-2001 Lexington, VA
Find A Grave . Com
Five Hinchman family members are currently using www.Findagrave.com to record and share family history information, obituaries, photographs, and relationships. These five are Nancy Truxall Eller, descendant of Henry Hinchman of New Jersey and Ohio: Michael Wallace, descendant of Dr. John Hinchman of New Jersey; Sharon Woods Cornell, descendant of John K. Hinchman, son of William Hinchman of Monroe Co., WV and Logan Co., WV; Shannon Stiles Hinchman, who’s husband is a descendant of John Hinchman of Monroe Co., WV and his son John Hinchman of Rush Co., IN; and Mary Wilhelm Hinchman, who’s husband is a descendant of William Hinchman of Dorchester Co., MD and Monroe Co., WV. Currently 480 Hinchman names and 10 Henchman names are on the www.findagrave.com website.
Sharon Woods Cornell – s19kayc@verizon.net
This is my Hinchman Line so far – William I of Monroe Co., VA-WV; William II of Logan Co., VA-WV; John K. of Cass Co., MI; and Virginia Hinchman Woods. Guy S Pound gave my Dad and me the first info on the Hinchman line, and got me hooked on genealogy.
My next big find was Mary Hinchman, her books and the HHS – Hinchman Heritage Society.
Cathy O’Hare, has helped me with letters from William Hinchman, Rich Creek, VA to his daughter Amanda Hinchman Clendenin and granddaughter Mary Ann Clendenin, in Cass County, MI, dated March 14, 1850 and March 31, 1851. Cathy also sent me a page from Burwell Hinchman’s Bible. She said that Lyman Earl Bybee was cleaning out his parents old house in Niles, Michigan and found the Bible in a utility cabinet.
Then last year Kelly Jerue took my Cousin, Terry, his wife Linda and me to the Old California Cemetery. I just love this little cemetery, even though most of the stones are broken or gone. I took pictures of the stones, and posted them on Find A Grave.com.
If anyone has not been on the Find A Grave.com site, they are really missing out. This site is one of my favorites.
Shannon Skiles Waggoner – sbwaggoner@comcast.net
My name is Shannon Skiles Waggoner. I became interested in genealogy about 10 years ago when my dad shared the Skiles family tree book with me. You could say I was bitten by the genealogy bug and it’s become somewhat of an obsession for me. My husband, Brandon Waggoner, is the grandson of Howard Hinchman. Howard descends from John Hinchman, II. I am the family genealogist and Brandon is the Hinchman family descendant.
One of my favorite parts of genealogy has been “cemetery stomping”, as I like to call it. I visit local cemeteries, record the information on the headstones and take pictures. Then I upload that information to Find-A-Grave (“FAG”). FAG (www.findagrave.com) is a free site in which they are trying to record for posterity all the information found on the headstones in cemeteries. I’m sure if you’ve ever visited an old cemetery you’ve noticed the state of the headstones and how rapidly they are deteriorating. I think that’s one of the main reasons I’m drawn to FAG: it’s the volunteers’ mission to document as many cemeteries as we possibly can.
If you’ve ever wanted to see your ancestor’s grave but it’s in another state, you have the ability through the volunteer network. Once you have registered with FAG (it’s free), you can request a photo of a headstone. A volunteer in the area will photograph the headstone and notify you when they have the picture. Granted, you may have to wait for a volunteer to be in the area, but it’s worth the wait. I’ve personally uploaded over a thousand pictures and memorials now. A way to repay this genealogical act of kindness is to volunteer in your neighborhood.
Another neat thing about FAG is that you can add obituaries, family history and personal family photos as “memorials”. FAG also has the ability to “link” family members. When families are scattered across many states, it’s nice to be able to keep track of the family members in other cemeteries and states. Most recently I have been working on the Hinchman family and linking everyone who is related. I’ve documented most of the Hinchman graves in Rush County and am moving on to Hancock County, Iowa and even Kansas, trying to find all the siblings and linking them together. Here’s an example of Sanford Hinchman’s memorial page to give you an idea of the capabilities: http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=39259437
If I can ever be of help to you in the Central Indiana area, you can find my profile at http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=mr&GRid=39259437&MRid=46939657& or email me direct at sbwaggoner@comcast.net.
Hinchman Family Birthdays
January 2 Dan Widzowski William III West Virginia
January 8 Sharon Hinchman Tebben Dr. Ulysses West Virginia
January 11 Ronald Tebben Dr. Ulysses West Virginia
January 12 Linda West Haberkorn Joseph West Virginia
January 14 Alicia Gibson Kimmel Joseph West Virginia
January 29 Tony Haberkorn Joseph West Virginia
January 29 Pat Hinchman Dr. John New Jersey
February 13 Walter Ronald Hinchman Dr. Ulysses West Virginia
February 23 Joan Hinchman Gibson Joseph West Virginia
March 3 Norman Hinchman Dr. Ulysses West Virginia
March 19 Joe Hinchman William III West Virginia
March 21 Stephen Hinchman William III West Virginia
April 15 Christi Gibson Brown Joseph West Virginia
May 1 Bill Hinchman Dr. John New Jersey
May 15 Ted Hinchman Dr. John New Jersey
May 22 Wilma Hinchman William III West Virginia
June 25 Cheri Hinchman Widzowski William III West Virginia
June 28 Nedra Hinchman Dr. Ulysses West Virginia
July 15 Mary Hinchman William III West Virginia
July 16 Marjorie Hinchman Dr. John New Jersey
August 10 Ken Hinchman Milton West Virginia
August 14 Charlotte Hinchman Oselador Dr. John New Jersey
August 22 Kevin Hinchman William III West Virginia
August 26 Don Hinchman William III West Virginia
Sept. 8 Mary Hinchman Milton Michigan
Sept. 11 Marilyn Hutton Chamberlain Allen West Virginia
October 8 Tom Gibson Joseph West Virginia
October 12 Paula Hinchman Willis William III West Virginia
October 24 Sharon Woods Cornell John K. Michigan
November 22 Marlon Willis William III West Virginia
December 13 Russ Kimmel Joseph West Virginia
December 19 Sam Brown Joseph West Virginia
December 31 Barbara J. Hinchman Joseph West Virginia
December 31 Esther J. Hinchman Dr. Ulysses West Virginia
U.S. Census – 2010
During 2010, the U.S. government will conduct a population census as they have every ten years since 1790. Below is a sample of how the Jamaica, Long Island, New York census looked in 1800. This census page includes two Hinchman names – Joanna and Sarah. Only the heads of households were named from 1790 to 1850. The 1810 Monroe Co., VA-WV census shows Wm. Hinchman; Wm. Hinchman; and Philip Ellis who was probably the son-in-law of the elder William Hinchman. Scanned images and / or transcribed pages can be located on the Internet at various websites including www.ancestry.com, http://pilot.familysearch.org/recordsearch/start.htm#start, and www.cyndislist.com, as well as some local public library websites. For additional information see Cheri Hinchman Widzowski’s article “Making Sense of the Census” in The Chronicles, Vol. 13, No. 3, Spring 2009.
U.S. Census for Kids
http://factfinder.census.gov/home/en/kids.html
2008 Hinchman Deaths
Hinchman, Betty Lou, b 7-21-1932, d 10-4-2008, Sugar Land, Fort Bend, TX
Hinchman, Mary A., b 8-28-1916, d 11-6-2008, Rossville, Walker, GA
Hinchman, Myrtle L., b 1-1-1914, d 9-27-2008, Roxbury, Litchfield, CT
Hinchman, Randall L., b 10-31-1947, d 12-6-2008, Hillsboro, Highland, OH
Savage, Marie Noel Hinchman, b 12-25-1920, d 7-21-2008, Richmond, VA
2009 Hinchman Deaths
Hinchman, Charles W., b 6-18-1945, d 6-7-2009, French Creek, Upshur, WV
Hinchman, Daniel Roy, b 1-27-1944, d 8-3-2009, Modesto, CA
Hinchman, Donald T., b 11-26-1948, d 5-8-2009
Hinchman, Evalyn M., b 9-14-1913, d 1-15-2009, Pine Grove, Schuylkill, PA
Hinchman, Flora M., b 10-10-1921, d 5-5-2009, Saltsburg, Indiana, PA
Hinchman, Jane K., b 3-22-1914, d 3-6-2009, Bloomington, Monroe, IN
Hinchman, John A., b 5-19-1929, d 2-25-2009, Sedro Woolley, Skagit, WA
Hinchman, Leslie R., b 3-23-1931, d 1-30-2009, Harrison, Boone, AR
Hinchman, Loretta, b 4-1-1919, d 1-29-2009, South Burlington, Chittenden, VT
Hinchman, William A. “Sonny”, b 1-11-1966, d 7-17-2009, Baghdad, Iraq
The Hinchman Family in America from 1637 to the Present
Go to www.rootsweb.com and search for your favorite Hinchman.
Most of the names in The Hinchman Family in America are recorded there. Personal names and birthdates of living family members are not listed.
Hinchman Heritage Society Cookbooks
Paula Hinchman Willis collected recipes from Hinchman Heritage Society members to create a cookbook using Hinchman favorite recipes and photographs. These cookbooks were presented at the summer conference in Lexington, Kentucky to members who had attended at least ten meetings between 1993 and 2008. Books were presented to the following: Esther Hinchman 16; Ron and Sharon Tebben 15; Tom and Joan Gibson 15; Joe and Mary Hinchman 14; Barbara Hinchman 12; Tony and Linda Haberkorn 10; and Ken Hinchman 10. Books were mailed to Bill and Margie Hinchman 13 and Charlotte Hinchman Oselador 14 who could not attend this summer. Paula created the books using the www.bookemon.com website.
Federal Genealogical Society www.fgs.org
2010 – Knoxville, TN – August 18-21
2011 – Springfield, IL – Sept. 7-10
National Genealogical Society www.ngsgenealogy.org
2010 – Salt Lake City, UT – April 28 – May 1
“Follow Your Ancestral Trail”
Letters to the Editor
Milton Hinchman: I found your web site today while I was doing research. Milton Hinchman is my 2nd Great-Grandfather; I have just started doing research on the family. My grandmother is Effie Carpenter Barbour her mother was Milton’s daughter Valarie. Therefore I am interested in your book The Hinchman Family in America from 1637 to the Present. What is the cost and where do I get it? Mary Elizabeth Barbour Johnson whitelizard@sbcglobal.net
Hinchman Book: Sorry I was to late for your book but am glad that I have found someone who might be of help in my research. I am having a hard time finding stories about my direct line some I had found don’t add up date wise. Thanks for your help in sending my e-mail on. Mary Elizabeth Barbour Johnson
Dr. John Doherty: Yes, Dr. John Doherty Hinchman was my grandfather and Dr. John Henry Hinchman was my Great-grandfather. I have portraits of John Henry and My grandfather and three of his siblings, Harry, Stuart, and Erina in my home. I can send copies if you can use them. We have some detailed family tree information that we can copy and bring to the conference. It may fill in a few holes. Thanks for all your good work in keeping the family archives available.
Jim Savage, jjsav@comcast.net
Mary Hinchman Willet: Can you tell me if Mary Hinchman, the daughter of Major John Hincksman was married to William Bloodgood before she married Col. William Willet Jr.? Lisa Grenci lgrenci@optonline.net
2010 Reunion: Ron and I are working on the details for next year’s reunion. We would like to have lunch at our house on Saturday and I’ve been thinking about having a cookie exchange for the dessert course. No one would be obligated to bring cookies but those who could easily do so could bring a dozen of their favorites, along with the recipe, and you could use the recipes in future newsletters. Do you think that would work?
My mom is fine…..just renewed her driver’s license for another five years. The clerk at the DMV told her they would have a cake with 100 candles for her at her next renewal. Sharon Tebben. sharontebben@verizon.net