52 Ancestors,
in 52 Weeks
Week 26:
Gathering
Family Finds Charter Oak

Gathering Family

When I read this weeks prompt, I thought, “I am regularly gathering family when I do genealogy research.” I now realize the prompt may have meant something different. But, it is timely, because I have identified a couple I believe are among my unknown 4th great-grandparents. I discovered them by gathering a variety of data together. This is a case that required searching through many online document images, analyzing the public family trees of DNA matches, applying the FAN Club principle, and using the “All Text Search” at Family Search.

Breaking Down a Brick Wall

George Koontz, ca. 1810-1858, [1] has been a brick wall for me. He is a 3rd great-grandfather on my maternal grandfather’s line. And, even to this day, I am not certain of his year of birth or death. I wrote about my records search for George Koontz for the week 13 prompt in 2020. I did find George in an 1836 tax record for Knox County, TN. He was reported as a single poll but owning no land. [2] There is also a record showing George married Sally Ezell in 1837 in Knox County, Tennessee. [3] These are the only records I currently have for George. Discovering George’s parents, or even more about George, proved to be a challenge. I wrote about this research for the week 5 prompt in 2022.

I have previously written posts about my Koontz ancestors:

Ancestry DNA Matches

I originally searched through my matches on Ancestry DNA looking for those with the name Koontz, or one of it’s many variations, in a family tree. If the tree had an ancestor in the right time period and place, I added them to my tree as George’s parent. Then, I used the Ancestry DNA tool called “Thru Lines” to identify DNA matches for the ancestor. These matches, and their trees, became leads for me to evaluate. This was tedious, but ultimately led me to two trees with a woman named Mary Koons, 1795-1832, who married in Knox County in 1816. [4] Although she was not the right age to be my George’s mother, she lived in the right place and I decided to see what clues she could reveal. Unfortunately, neither of the trees I found with Mary Koons had parents attached to her. But, the man she married was named John McCloud, 1791-1875. There is a John McCloud on the same 1836 tax record, living in the same district, as the one with my George Koontz. [5] This was a good lead.

Koontz v. Kuntz

One of my biggest stumbling blocks is the fact I have ancestors named Kuntz on my maternal grandmother’s line. So, many of the matches I viewed were linked to that line.

Family Search Results

I decided to turn to the All Text search at Family Search, see box below for more information. I began with various search combinations using Koontz AND McCloud for a time period of the early 1800s, in Tennessee, North Carolina, and Virginia. The results included estate filings from 1817, in Knox County for a Philip Koons with John McCloud named as one of the administrators. [6] Another administrator was named Barbara Koons. The estate papers did not clearly identify Barbara Koons as the widow of Philip, but it seemed a safe assumption. Using what I could surmise about Barbara and Philip, I added them to my tree and let the “Thru Lines” do it’s job. I got 24 matches!

Family Search Labs

From the main page of Family Search, scroll down and find, on the right, a pop-down box titled ‘FamilySearch Labs’. Click the button for ‘View Experiments’ which will take you to their page of various experimental products. [7] The ‘Full Text Search’ product is in the center of the top row, select the button ‘Try It’ to turn on this experimental product. Currently the search is limited to just a few document types, for the US that is land and probate records. There are other experiments available, let me know about your success using them.

Circumstantial Evidence

The 24 matches in the Thru Lines for Philip Koons were through 5 children: Jacob, John, Mary, David and Catherine. I used these names and dates to search for more records and found four of them in the marriage records for Knox County. I also found a fifth Koons in the marriage records, named Susan, who I eventually connected to Philip and Barbara. But, I have not found a will for Philip that clearly names his children. What is encouraging, the family trees that many of the DNA matches have include a son named George, born 1806 to 1810. This would be MY George.

Estate Records of Philip Bly

Most of the family trees that include Philip Koons who died in 1817 in Knox Co, TN, give his wife as Barbara Rhymer. I looked for records for Barbara Rhymer on Ancestry and Family Search, using various combinations and dates, and found nothing. Using the All Text search with Barbara AND Coons AND Philip returned estate papers from 1786 in Shenandoah County, Virginia for a man named Philip Bly. [8] In his will he names his son-in-law as Philip Coons and his daughter as Barbara Coons. He also names his wife as Magdalen and his other children: Jacob, George, John, Philip, and Elizabeth. I believe this record is compelling, and I am willing to assign Bly as the surname for Barbara until new evidence comes to light.

portion of Philip Bly's will

Conclusion

The records I have for establishing the parents of George Koontz, ca. 1810-1858, do not meet the genealogical standard of proof. However, I evaluated the family trees for the DNA matches I have and the record trail from each to the presumed siblings of George are solid. This is part of the challenge of researching ancestors who lived in rural, frontier areas, and prior to the 1850 census. I am still looking at documents and records, published genealogies and local histories. There must be evidence that will clearly tie all these people together. So, the search continues.

SOURCES:

  1. Profile for George Koontz, ‘Osborn‘ family tree, Ancestry.com; https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/13493206/person/12585375147/facts
  2. Tax Record for George Koonts, Ancestry.com. “Tennessee, U.S., Early Tax List Records, 1783-1895” Knox County, 1836, image 55 of 82. Original data: “Early Tax Lists of Tennessee”, Microfilm, 12 rolls. The Tennessee State Library and Archives, Nashville, Tennessee.
  3. Marriage record for George Koons, Ancestry.com. “Tennessee, U.S., Marriage Records, 1780-2002”, Knox County 1793-1956, image 107 of 853. Original data: “Tennessee State Marriages, 1780-2002”, Nashville, TN, USA: Tennessee State Library and Archives. Microfilm.
  4. Marriage record for Mary Koontz, Ancestry.com. “Tennessee, U.S., Marriage Records, 1780-2002”, Knox County 1793-1956, image 1533 of 1813. Original data: “Tennessee State Marriages, 1780-2002”, Nashville, TN, USA: Tennessee State Library and Archives. Microfilm.
  5. Tax Record for John McCloud, Ancestry.com. “Tennessee, U.S., Early Tax List Records, 1783-1895” Knox County, 1836, image 55 of 82. Original data: “Early Tax Lists of Tennessee”, Microfilm, 12 rolls. The Tennessee State Library and Archives, Nashville, Tennessee.
  6. Full text search results for “Koons” and “McCloud” in “1800’s” images, at FamilySearch; “Knox. Probate Records 1812–1819” images, at FamilySearch.org; https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QHV-135R-RDHP?view=fullText&groupId=M9VD-F1D : accessed: 28 Sep 2024, image 239 of 269
  7. Website, Family Search: Labs; accessed: 19 Aug 2024; https://www.familysearch.org/en/labs/
  8. Full text search results for “Barbara” AND “Coons” AND “McCloud” in “1700’s,” images, at FamilySearch; “Will Book B, 1783–1789, Shenandoah County, Virginia” images, FamilySearch.org (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C9PF-HF4C?view=fullText), image 154 of 290

3 Comments

  1. Paula Keyes

    Your research is compelling, Barbara. I’m amazed on the steps you’ve taken using the tools in Ancestry and Family search. I would have never thought of using DNA matches thru lines that way. George’s son, James E Koontz is my husband’s 2nd Great Grandfather. ( James E. Koontz, Eliza Ann Koontz Keys, Oscar Keyes, Tinsley Keyes, D. Keyes)

    Reply
    • Susan Blakley

      DNA matches are a tool for the bricks walls. The surname spelling can throw a curve ball to the research as well. Thanks for sharing Barba.

      Reply
    • Barb LaFara

      Paula, Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment. We’ve exchanged email on the Koontz’s over the years. Does your husband’s DNA matches tell a similar story? Do they link to the children of Philip and Barbara Coons/Koons/Koontz?

      Reply

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