Joseph Warren Shively And Wife, Amelia L. Kent Of Portage County, Ohio

Civil War Navy Survivors Certificate

Recently on Footnote a unique set of records were located entitled Navy Survivors Certificates from the Civil War.  These records are the pension applications for the veterans who served in the Navy.  Included in these records is the application for Dr. Joseph Warren Shively.  The records within this application are a wonderful history source for the genealogist working on this Shively line.

Dr. Joseph Warren Shively enlisted in the Navy on January 15, 1861 and was discharged on March 18, 1865.  He held the rank as surgeon ranking with Lieutenant and was stationed in Cairo, Illinois.  His original pension was issued as $12.50 from October 31, 1885.  On May 25, 1889 this amount was increased to $18.75.  The justification for the pension were listed as disease of the heart and nervous system.  Reasons listed on the application for the pension included rheumatism, pain in right shoulder, affliction of the heart and bladder and general neurosis.

  Included in the pension information is a copy of the marriage certificate for Joseph W. Shively and Amelia L. Kent.  They were married in Cuyahoga County, Ohio on 5-October-1863.

 Also included in the information is a death certificate from the District of Columbia for Joseph Shively.  The date of death is listed as February 14, 1897 at the age of 63 years.  It states he was born in Columbiana County, Ohio.  He was buried in Kent, Portage County, Ohio.  

  Following is part of the information extracted from the application:  I am the claimant & base my claims for a pension on the following grounds.  When I entered the U.S. Naval Service in 1863 I was a healthy man as the act of the Medical Board which passed upon my professional & physical fitness will attest & when I left in 1865 I was broken in health as the Medical Survey held upon me a few month previously will show.   After my resignation which was chiefly due to ill health I resided for one year at Massillon, Ohio, my former home.  I then suffered from palpitation, irregularity & other abnormal symptoms of the heart.  I was afflicted with frequently recurring carbuncles & boils.  I suffered from a wearing pain in my right scapula & shoulder.  I also had frequent attacks of bladder irritation.  These symptoms have followed & clung to me ever since.  Sometimes better, sometimes worse.  A close correlation seems to exist between them.  Of late years, say four or five, my heart has been better but my shoulder & bladder are getting worse.  The trouble in my shoulder consists of pain, numbness, & loss of power & motion of the muscles attached to the scabula & supper arm.  I have no rhumatism in these parts of the body.  The bladder trouble consists in frequency of micturation with pain & distress and atony of that organ.  The urine is sometimes loaded with the urates & phosphates & sometimes perfectly normal.  I have found both sugar & albumen in it.  For about ten years after moving to my present residence, E, I, from 1866 to 1875 I was engaged in the drug business, thinking my health was better suited to it, then home country practice.  Since 1875 I have been engaged in the practice of medicine doing an office village practice chiefly but whether practicing my profession or otherwise employed I have been fearfully handicapped by my infirmities in the race for success.  During the first ten years after my resignation, I depended mainly for medical advice & treatment upon my former preceptor & friend Dr. A. Metz  of Massillon O. now deceased who were he alive now might (    ) testify to my continued ill health  after leaving the Navy & to my good health prior to entering it.  I have also consulted my medical colleagues of this place (Drs. Sawyer, Sherman & Price).  I have been largely guided by their advice & suggestions.  But treatment has uniformly failed or been at best only palliative.   I have found the best treatment to consist in general tonics such as strychnine  (  ) & (   ) & rest.  I formerly fancied my heart trouble to be organic, that of my shoulder to be due to aneurism or tumors beneath the capaula.  My bladder affliction to depend upon enlarged prostate. But later I have come to the conclusion that all my troubles are  ( ) neurotic dependent upon a broken down (   ) or on some profound & permanent derangement or injury of the nervous system caused, brought about, by over work & ailments malarial, climatic & other unsanitary influences, to which I was exposed during my service in the Navy.   One thing is certain, that I entered the service a strong & healthy young man, and that I left it & since remained a broken down man.  That pains & infirmities have been my constant  companions that I have been more or less incapacitated from doing the common acts of life properly let alone performing manual labor.

      Witness

        S. P. Wolcott                                            Joseph W. Shively

        R. A. Thompson

   

Twila Shively - Member Of The All-American Girls Professional Baseball League

Twila Shively,  daughter of Glenn Shively and Eva Bryant, played softball for the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League.  Twila played for the Grand Rapids Chicks from 1945 to 1947 and the Peoria Redwings from 1948 to 1950.  The All-American Girls Professional Baseball League existed from 1943 to 1954.  The league was began by Philip K. Wrigley,  of the chewing gum family, who had inherited the Chicago Cubs major league baseball franchise from his father.  It should be remembered that Mr. Wrigley conceived his idea for the girls league while the United States was involved in World War II.

“It was after the 1944 season when it was evident the major leagues would be not affected by the war, that Wrigley sold the league to Chicago advertising executive Arthur Meyerhoff.  It was under Meyerhoff that expansion and publicity of the league reached it’s peak.  In the first three years after World War II, teams often attracted between two and three thousand fans to a single game. “

“In 1943 when the league began, the girls were actually playing fast-pitch softball using an underhand pitching delivery but with certain variations to make the game faster.  Runners were allowed to lead off and steal, and the size of the diamond was larger than the field used in softball but smaller than a baseball diamond.  As the leagues grew in number of teams and fan support into the postwar years, fast-pitch softball rules were modified.  For example, the circumference of the ball was decreased in increments from the original 12-inch ball in 1943 to 10 3/8 inches in 1949 and finally to 9 inches, regulation baseball size, in mid-1954, the league’s final season.  The pitcher’s mound was moved further from home plate in gradual steps, from 40 feet in 1943 to 50 feet in 1949, to 55 feet for the next four years, and finally to 60 feet in 1954.  Also, a cork center and red seams were added to the ball in 1948.  Combined with overhand pitching, which also began in 1948, the smaller and livelier ball led to an increase in batting averages during the last half of the league’s existence”.

            Twila Shively was featured in an article on the girls league in the Saturday, August 29, 1942 issue of The Chicago Daily News: “She’s Hedy Lamarr of Softball, Twila Shively Looks Like Model, Runs Bases Like Ty Cobb. 

Has Baseball “Savvy” Plus Pretty Face by Carl Guldager

This is Twila Shively.  Sure you’ve met girl softball players before but never a girl like Twila.  No bone-crushing handshake, no deep-voiced “Howdy”, no female version of Jimmy (“The Beast”) Foxx – just a demure quiet girl.  But don’t take our word for it.  Look at those pictures. (The article includes 4 pictures of Twila).  Miss Shively is not a model, “Twi” is an athlete.  She is a veteran in softball competion, an expert swimmer, and she rides in a civilian defense cavalary unit.  “I’ve been playing softball for eight years”, she said softly as though that were all there was to it.  But we have it on the best authority that the brand of ball played by Miss Shively is the finest outfielding the top-bracket Metropolitan league can offer.  The fastest fly chaser in the business is “Twi”.  A deadly certain fielder, her accurate arm and baseball “savvy” combine to rate her tops on the field.  “But I don’t hit so much” she offered just a bit regretfully.  However once on base her speed again makes her a constant worry to pitchers.  She can run and slide with the grace and skill and spike-flashing daring of a femme Ty Cobb.  Last year when Twila was playing for the Garden City girls she was first choice in the draft that follows the end of the regular season.  The winning teams are allowed to draft two players from teams not in the Amateur Softball Association championship tourney.  The Rockola Music Girls chose “Twi” as the most valued supplement to their team. 

Twila’s death was mentioned in the Tuesday, November 30, 1999 issue of the South Bend Tribune.  “Twila Shively, former ballplayer and teacher, dies”…Shively and other young women wowed the nation in the pro baseball leagues, inspiring the 1992 movie “A League of Their Own”.  Shively inspired kids for nearly 30 years as a teacher at South Bend’s Washington High School. Shively died on Thanksgiving last week at the age of 79.  Four years of Alzheimer’s disease and a yearlong fight with lung cancer finally caught up with Shively in the Douglas, Michigan, nursing home where she stayed.  Born in Decatur, Illinois, her pro baseball career spanned from 1945 to 1950 in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, where she played first base and outfield and started in almost every game.  She excelled in stealing bases.  She played for the Grand Rapids Chicks, whom she helped lead to a 1947 championship along with the Chicago Colleens and the Peoria Redwings.  She went on to study at Illinois State Normal and Indiana University and immediately landed a job as a physical education teacher at Washington.  She also coached the school’s softball and volleyball teams to city championships.

Thank you to Arleene Johnson Noga, a former AAGPBL player, for kindly sharing information on Twila and the AAGPBL.  Quotations regarding the AAGPBL are from the information on their web site on the Internet.  Thank you  to Jerry Shively for sharing information on Twila’s lineage and her carrer.  Also thank you to Richard Shively and Paul Nitchman for information they submitted.

Francis M. Shively And Wife, Emily Crites In Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, Ohio

Who are Francis M Shively and wife, Emily Crites who are located in Cuyahoga County, Ohio records? There are several records which were located that give the researcher working on this family some clues.

The following article gives interesting information regarding the family: 

Cleveland Plain Dealer, Thursday, April 5, 1917, Page 4, Column 4:

Wedding Germ Surely Struck These Families

Three Marriages Among Kin Take Place In One Day

Is there a matrimonial germ and is it contagious?

That is the questions asked by Mrs. Anna Rapp, 891 E. 73^rd street, and Mrs. Emily Shively, 1202 E. 170^th street, five members of whose homes, together with a neighbor of Mrs. Shively, were principals in three marriages yesterday.

It all began when a week or so ago Guy C. Campion, 30, pressman with the Cleveland Press and son of Mrs. Rapp, announced he a Miss Beaber, 23 who had been making her home with her fiance’s mother, were to be married yesterday.  Not to be outdone by his brother, Ray Rapp, 22 motion picture operator, and Miss Eva Shively, 20, 12 E. 170^th street, decided Tuesday to make it a double wedding.

At the last moment Joseph F. Shively,  29, brother of Miss Shively, made it known that he and Miss Ruth Prill, 20, a neighbor living at 1136 E. 169^th street, had likewise determined to get married.

Licenses were issued yesterday to all there couples.  The first two couples were married in the forenoon by Justice W. J. Zoul.  Mr. Shively and Miss Prill were married by Rev. Jacob H. Merkel, 65 Emily stree, East Cleveland.

The marriage for Francis M Shively and Emily Crites is located in Wayne County, Ohio.  Per the record they were married on July 24, 1882.

The 1900 Cuyahoga County, Newburgh Township, lists Emily Shively as head of the household.  She records that she has given birth to eight children and that all eight are still living.  Listed on this census are seven of the eight children.  Also living with the family is her father, John Crites, a widow, who was born September 1832 in Ohio.   Listed on this record are the following children and dates of birth for Francis and Emily:  Ella M born July 1883; Edwin W born April 1885; Joseph F born December 1887;  Glen born June 1892; Earl born April 1894; twin sister Pearl born April 1894;  and Eva born June 1896.    It is not known why Emily’s husband, Francis Shively, is not listed with the family.  A date of death  was not located for him but he does not appear on any of the census records with the family.  Most of the 1890 census records were destroyed but had they survived it is probable he would have been located with the family. 

           Emily Shively is listed on the 1910 Ashtabula County, Ohio census with a job listed that she runs the district school wagon.  Emily is listed in the Ohio death records as being born on December 27, 1864 and died August 7, 1925. She was buried in the Lakeview Cemetery.  Her parents are listed as John Crites and Mary Weinner (Waisner).

           Francis M Shively is listed on the 1870 and 1880 Wayne County, town of Wooster, Ohio census records.  He is in the household of Joseph A Shively and wife, Margaret.  Records show that a Joseph Shively married Josephine Margaret Poncler in Cuyahoga County, Ohio on 29-August-1857.   From these census reports Francis M Shively would have been born about 1861. 

 

George Shively (Sheively) Of Charleston, South Carolina

1818 Inventory Of George Shively

  Little documentation has been preserved by the Shively researchers for George Sheively (Shively) who is located in the early records of Charleston, Charleston County, South Carolina.   Did George Shively have a family and are there descendants living today?  

 George Shively is listed on the 1800 and 1810 Charleston County, South Carolina census records.  From these records it would appear that George did have a family.  Listed in the 1800 household are 2 males under 10 and 1 male between 26 and 44, 1 female under 10, 1 female between 10 and 15, and 1 female between 26 and 44, and 1 slave.  Listed in the 1810 census record are 1 male between 10 and 15, 1 male over 45, 1 female under 10, 2 females between the ages of 10 and 15, and 1 female over 45. 

   The death of George Shively is listed in the Commercial Advertiser, New York, Saturday Evening, Septemeber 12, 1818, Page 2, Column 4.  From the article, "DIED    At Charleston, Mr George Shively, 65.    From this article we have an estimated year of birth as 1753.

    The WPA information from the index of the wills of Charleston County lists an entry for a will for George Scheively, Volume 34 (1818-1826), Page 1114.  A copy has been requested from the Charleston Public Library where copies of the wills are located.     The above picture is a  copy of the inventory for George Shively from Book E, Page 93, November 1818.  

   There are numerous advertisements for George Shively, also listed at times as George Sheively, in the old newspapers for seed that he has for sale.  From these ads it is known that he had a Seed Store in Charleston located at 117 Meeting Street.  

    One interesting article found in the City Gazette and Daily Advertiser, Tuesday, December 22, 1812, Page 3, Column 1 describes the following shipment being sent to George Shively: Ship News, Port Of Charleston,   Information has been received that the schooner Fanny & Maria, Miller, and sloop Mary-Ann, Williams, both from Philadelphia bound to this port, have been captured on their passage by the British brig Sophie.  The cargo of the Fanny & Maria was consigned to the following persons:---John Hoff, Wm. Burgoyne, Wm. DeBow, Bates & Perkins, T. Johnson, Thos. Flemming, London Paine,  B. Palmer, Brooks & Potter, John White, Geo. Shively, M. Miller, C. F. Deliesseline  and others not listed for this blog. 

    One note of interest is that the surname of Strobel appears with many of the pieces of information found for George Shively.  It appears that the Strobel family had a business next to the seed store of George Shively.  

      Additional information regarding the history of George Shively is requested.  If anyone has additional information and would be interested in sharing it would be appreciated.  

Samuel Burdette Shively, Cedar County, Nebraska

The old newspapers can be a great source of genealogy information.  An interesting article of history was recorded for the family of Albert Shively and wife Dora who lived in Laurel, Cedar County, Nebraska.  It must have been of great concern to the parents when they discovered their son, Samuel Burdette Shively, was missing.  Following are the newspaper reports which recorded the incident.

Evening World-Herald, Omaha, NE, Saturday, July 11, 1914, Page 7, Column 5:

Disappearance Of Boy Arouses Whole County

Burdette, 19-Year-Old Son of Mr. and Mrs. Bert Shively, Mysteriously Missing

Hundreds on foot and in Autos With Boy Scouts Scour the Country in Vein.

Special Dispatch to the World-Herald.

Hartington, Neb., July 10 – A young man answering the description of Burdette Shively, the young man who disappeared from his home near Laurel July 4, was seen near Crofton, twenty miles northwest of here.  The young man was inquiring for work on a farm.  Investigation is being made to learn if he is the missing party.

One hundred dollars reward is offered by the lad’s father, Bert Shively, for his son’s recovery.

Young Shively, in company with many others, came to this city to celebrate the Fourth and remained to return on the night freight, leaving this city at about 1 o’clock.  With other young men, among them his brother, he was seen at the station platform before the train pulled out, but after that no one remembers seeing him.

His parents became alarmed as he is very much attached to his home.  Monday, as nothing was heard from him, searching parties numbering nearly 100 men were formed, who walked on each side of the railroad tracks from Laurel to  Coleridge and from Coleridge to this city searching for traces.  It was feared he might have fallen from the train and crawled into the grass or brush near the right-of-way or have been slugged and thrown from the train.  This search proved fruitless.  Neighboring towns were furnished with a description of him.

He is described as follows:  Height, 5 feet 8 inches; weight, 135 pounds, straight dark brown hair, hazel eyes, smooth shaven, tanned, shoulders sloping, walks very erect with head thrown well back; wore blue serge suit, name and address attached in inside pocket of coat, permanent crease sewn in trouser, white soft shirt with narrow stripe, oxford shoes and gray checked summer cap.

A large number of autos from this city,  Laurel and Coleridge vicinity were out looking for traces of the boy.

The boy scouts patrol of twenty scouts went out to join in the search.

The World-Herald, Omaha, NE, Saturday, July 18, 1914, Page 11, Column 7:

Young Shively Home, Refuses To Explain

Special Dispatch to the World-Herald.

Laurel, Neb., July 17 --  There is great rejoicing here over the return of Burdette Shively, who disappeared the 4^th.  Foul play was suspected.  Citizens searched for days, his father, Bert Shively, a prosperous farmer, scarcely pausing to sleep or eat.  The young man is 19 and of the highest reputation.  He was finally located near Gayville, S.D.  He declines to say why he caused his friends so much worry, but insists there was nothing wrong at home.  He is prominent in church work and a teacher in the Presbyterian Sunday school.  His mysterious disappearance caused the greatest sensation every known to this community. 

The family of Albert Shively and wife Dora are found on the 1910 Nebraska census in Cedar County, Precinct 21.  Listed in the family are Albert B Shively, age 39, born in Michigan and wife Dora H, age 39, born in Michigan. The following children were all listed as born in Nebraska: son Samuel, age 14; son Bert, age 12; son Elmer, age 10; daughter Grace, age 8; son, Clarence, age 6; son Clyde, age 6; daughter Olive, age 4;  and son William, age 2.   Albert and Dora continue to reside in Cedar County in 1920 and 1930. 

Several members of the family are buried in the Laurel Cemetery, Laurel, NE, Cedar County.  There is one large family stone with the surname Shively which is surrounded by the smaller stone with the name of the deceased and year of birth and year of death.   Buried in the family plot are:  Albert Shively 1870-1931, Dora Shively 1871-1949, Samuel 1895-1953, Bert Dewey 3-Sep-1897 died 11-May-1918, Elmer 1899-1963, Clarence 1903-1967, and Clarence 1903-1972.  Also buried are the following spouses:  Edna A Shively 1896-1978, wife of Samuel; Luella M Shively 1905-2001, wife of Clyde; Ethel M 1902-1986 wife of Clarence; and Florence O. Shively 1909-1992 wife of William. 

Further research of the newspapers in Cedar County might produce obituaries for these family members.  There is a newspaper that is published in Laurel, Nebraska by the name of the Laurel Advocate.   With only the dates of death for the family members it is a little more difficult to locate the obituaries.  Many of the small newspapers publish a review of the year including those who have passed.  It would be fortunate for those researching this Shively family if this was the case for the Laurel Advocate.