Tag Archives: Wandler

Surname Saturday – Templeton

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“Surname Saturday” is a prompt used by a lot of genealogy bloggers. I’m trying out using prompts to see how I like it. It’s a bit embarassing to start with the family of Viola Templeton because I know so little about them. But I’ve been sharing a little about my (step) grandmother Viola Templeton Hockensmith this week, so it is what it is.

Viola and Timothy Templeton

Viola Nell Templeton was born May 1, 1902 to Ernest M. Templeton and Erma Wandler Templeton on the family farm near Junction City, Kansas. She had one brother, Timothy, born about 1904. Viola lived all of her life in Geary County, Kansas.

Viola’s father, Ernest M. Templeton was born about 1874 in Michigan. In the 1880 census, he is 6 years old, living with his family in Perry, Shiawassee County, Michigan. The other children in the home are William J., age 16; Mryta (or Myrtie?), age 14; Marion L., age 12; and Allen T., age 10.

At age 32, Ernest M. Templeton is married to Emma Wandler and living in Lyon, Geary County, Kansas with their children Viola and Timothy.

Ernest M. Templeton is the son of Timothy M. Templeton and Hannah J. ?. Timothy M. Templeton was born in New York in November of 1834.

That’s all I’ve got.

I hope that these posts the last few days about Viola Templeton will inspire my Hockensmith kin to share what they know about the family. I’d love to know if Viola shared any stories about her childhood with you, if you have any of her recipes, if you have pictures, and just your memories of time spent with her. Please comment or email and we’ll continue the conversation.

 

Another Grandmother – Viola

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Glenn and Viola (Templeton) Hockensmith July 1961

Although this blog bears the name of my grandmothers Abbie and Eveline, they are not my only grandmothers. I was blessed with an additional set of grandparents when I was seven. I’ll say right now that I don’t like using “step” or “half” to describe my familial relationships. I suppose I’ll have to do that sometimes in the confines of this blog to distinguish where people fit in my genealogy, but that is not the designation that people hold in my heart.

Viola Nell Templeton Hockensmith is the name of my 3rd grandmother. This picture was taken when we first met – on the occasion of my mother’s marriage to her son. There were no other grandchildren at the time and they accepted me into their family as their own. Like my other grandmothers, Viola was a warm, loving, hard-working woman of faith. I often spent a week every summer with my Hockensmith grandparents on their farm and, like my other grandmothers, Viola included me in her daily activities and hobbies and made me feel as though she enjoyed having my company.

Viola Templeton, November 1902

As luck would have it (since I didn’t know when I would get this blog up), I am posting this on the anniversary of Viola’s birth 110 years ago. Viola Nell Templeton was born May 1, 1902 to Ernest M. Templeton and Erma Wandler Templeton on the family farm near Junction City, Kansas.

I don’t have as many pictures or stories about Viola since we didn’t meet until I was seven and we were always separated by distance. I hope my Hockensmith family will be sending both!