$$$Aunt Ludie Finds Money$$$

12/04/2000

Dear Readers,

I thought this might make an interesting note for some of my genealogy
friends.  Several months ago while watching a Good Morning America segment,
they were featuring State Treasuries that had lots of money in the poke for
fortunate people who could prove ownership, or kinship to claim the money.
Just for the fun of it I quickly surfed in to all states and used all the
surnames of my families, septs, (allied families).  Looking in the state of
Texas I pulled up my grandfathers surname Hastey.  I immediately recognized
a first cousin of my mothers that I knew had died about two years ago.
Knowing of course there could be more than one Doyle Hastey last known
address Riodosa, I posted on my family surname site and retrieved promptly
his brother Kenneths phone number and address. I called the cousin and told
him of the find, and I must say I thought it probably was a utility deposit
or something minimal. Last evening I received a call from Kenneth Hastey
and the find was certainly more than a $75.00 utility deposit. It turned
out to be $3500.00 that the state of Texas had for the family of Doyle
Hastey. You can imagine the elation of found monies, but what we also found
was another person unknown to our family was trying to establish their
eligibility to the money also.  I wanted to share this with you, that money
could be awaiting you.


** I will be teaching an armchair genealogy class at the Stamps Public
Library Tuesday December 18, and 19.  Two sessions per day will be offered
4:00 P.M.-5:30 P.M and 6:00 P.M.-7:30.  At these classes you will learn
quick access to land grant information, important sites for all major wars
and muster rolls, efficient time finds of counties, and census.  The cost
of the course will be free and taught by Aunt Ludie. I would like to
encourage you to bring canned food, or grains to assist in our county food
drive for the holidays.  This of course is optional, but cash would be
accepted to give to churches  also preparing food baskets for the holidays.


** The latest publication of our Lafayette Historical Lookback is indeed
one of the best of the past. I will post a few snip-its, this one is
definitely worthy of joining our Historical Society.  This issue includes:
History of Baker Drug Store, excerpts from Ethan Allen Murphy (of
Kentucky), The Willard Hurd Family, (with pictures), first airplane in
county, picture of old courthouse, The James E. Barmes Family of North
Lewisville, (some wonderful pictures of the home and the farm operation,
picture of the Isenhour house in Old Lewisville also known as LaBatt.  A
wonderful story of McMurrough History written by R. D.McMurrough December
1985, this is a must to read. A murder mystery involving John O. Hightowner
(Judge) and defendant William H. Garland.  I will contact the McMurrough
family for permission to reprint the wonderful McMurrough story, but you
can have them delievered to your door now.  Membership in the Lafayette
County Historical Society is fifteen dollars per year, and  $6.50 for back
issues if they are available.  Contact Lafayette County Historical Society
at 719 Hope Road in Stamps, Arkansas 71860.

A wonderful friend of mine, and the Lafayette Historical Society, stopped
in last evening and brought the census of the Buckner Cemetery.  I will
start adding this after the first of the year.  We all need to say a big
Lafayette Thank You to Reverend Charles Walthall for this and other
cemetery tasks he is undertaking.  The Lakeside cemetery is on line as well
as Mars Hill, however to find Lakeside all I did was type in Lakeside
Cemetery Stamps, Arkansas.  I also was contacted indirectly by Mrs. Nellie
Robinson and will have updates for the Mars Hill Cemetery very soon.

A visitor from Ronoake,Alabama, searching surnames of Moncus and Hanson
visited in our county lst week.  We visited Mt. Vernon Cemetery, Mars Hill
Cemetery, and Liberty Cemetery.  Time didn’t permit much at local paper
office or the court house, however a lot of pertinent data was gathered for
processing later.  To give you a teaser of the story coming on Elizabeth
Moncus and James Hanson is most interesting.  The Moncus clan raised a very
fine breed of horsesin Alabama.

Their reason to quickly leave the Alabama area was to keep their fine
horses from being confiscated by either the confederates or the union
troops.  A wagon trained was formed, however the horses were herded
distances from the wagon train which was the decoy.   When meals were
prepared enough had to be prepared to send out to the others that were
herding the horses.  They came through Columbia County and crossed Dorcheat
to Walker Creek where they stashed their fine breed of horses.  It was
really interesting finding a genealogist that had much of the history on
the beginning and then being able to show her the area they came to.  Some
of the Moncus stayed here, but the quest for more land more went on west.
Just this week I found a Moncus in Tucumcari, New Mexico that fit in this
puzzle too.  A moncus cousin visited him in the 1960’s and established
their kinship.  Remember it is never too late to start your search.

Aunt Ludie