Barnum Family Genealogy

I am sure some of you may be wondering why this site has not been updated in some time. There is a very good reason for it. You see, this was my mother’s site… she was the one with the interest in genealogy. I merely oversaw the basic maintenance of barnumfamily.org, and honestly, I had been neglecting that in the months prior to an event that changed my, our lives forever.

You see, in the month of September, 2011… my mother was diagnosed with pancoast lung tumor. In a bit of an ironic twist, the actual date was September 11th, 2011. I believe in the beginning she thought very little of diagnosis. I think she believed it would merely be another set back in what had been a bit of a rapid whitewater of a life.

It, however, soon proved to be too much of a struggle even for her. Unlike her struggle with breast cancer in 2008, she was not going to overcome her battle with lung cancer. In November of 2011 she entered Hospice. I think at this point I was in even more of a denial stage than she was.

Her physicians had advised me that she likely would not see the New Year… maybe not even Thanksgiving. Thankfully she did, however, make it into 2012. She did see the new year. For this I am grateful. She, however, passed away on January 4th, 2012. It was unexpected for me, and was rather devastating.

I have wanted to do this post since the day after her death. I, however, have been unable to until now. I am not sure what stopped me. Maybe in some rational, the more I postponed it, the more it didn’t happen. This website after all had been a joint venture between the two of us. So in posting this, I am giving some finality to one of her life’s projects. Yes, I believe that is it.

I could close this by preaching about the ills of smoking or advising an individual to get a second opinion about possible treatment options if facing a possible terminal diagnosis. I, however, will not. It is your life; do what you want. Instead, I will merely state that I hoped this site in some way has helped you with your genealogy research. I know that would make my mother proud.

So in closing mom, I would like to merely state that I really do miss you. Things have simply not been the same since your passing. I not only lost my mom, but my best friend with your death.

Love… your son,

Jeff

My mom’s obituary:

http://lacrossetribune.com/lifestyles/announcements/obituaries/virginia-kay-porter/article_da93de24-3986-11e1-89f8-001871e3ce6c.html

Moody, Pauline F. of Menomonee Falls, WI, died on Sunday, February 15, 2009, following a stroke suffered the previous Wednesday. She was born August 15, 1926, in Barnum, WI, to LaVern and Cora Barnum, who preceded her in death. Pauline married Jack Gasser of Boscobel, WI. A navigator in the Air Corp in World War II, he was killed in the line of duty. They had a son, Thomas Gasser, and Pauline worked at the munitions works in Badger, WI during the war. She married Robert E. Shellman in 1947 and raised a family in Oconto Falls, WI. Pauline returned to school and earned her RN degree from the Bellin School of Nursing in 1967 and became the Director of Nursing Services at Community Memorial Hospital in Oconto Falls, WI. Later she moved to Florida and then Louisiana where she attended Charity Hospital in New Orleans to become a Nurse Anesthetist. Pauline later married Delbert Moody. Together they provided anesthesia services to hospitals in Morgan City, LA, and later to hospitals in New Mexico, Arizona, and Wisconsin. Pauline and Del retired to Barnum, WI, where he died in an auto accident in 1990. Pauline remained in Barnum until moving to Menomonee Falls in 2007. Pauline is survived by her four sons, Thomas (Catherine) Gasser, Cheyenne WY, Robert L. (Jolene) Shellman, Pewaukee, WI, Roger (Eileen) Shellman, Green Bay, WI, and Stephen Shellman, Manitowoc, WI; six grandchildren, Kira (Michael) Turner, Austin, TX, Lara Gasser(Paul Jeffery), Fort Collins, CO, Glenna and Charlo Colina, Austin, TX, Sarah Shellman, Tampa, FL, Zachary (Michelle) Shellman, WI, and Reanna Shellman, WI; and seven great-grandchildren, Calvin, Carson and Lila Turner, Austin, TX, and William, Olivia, Charles and Grace Shellman, Green Bay, WI. She is also survived by two sisters, Dorothy Spiegel, Milwaukee, WI, and Hazel (Thomas) Helgerson, Sussex, WI, and one brother, Conrad Barnum, IN. Pauline is also survived by a special friend Ben Logan. She was preceded in death by one brother, Vern. A celebration of her life will be held at the Dommersnaes-Bertram Family Funeral Home, 211 State Hwy 131, Gays Mills, WI, on February 28, at 11:00 AM. HARDER FUNERAL HOME Brookfield (262)781-8350 www.harderfuneralhome.com

Published in Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on 2/19/2009

I do not have birth dates on Living people for security sake. Companies and people try to get birth dates on living people for many issues including exploding people to credit reports and fraud.

Edward Seth Barnum (January 19, 1828-February 24, 1899) Married
Hannah Rebecca Bennet (Nov 9, 1837-Apr 19, 1914)

Marion Richard Barnum (March 22,1862- May 16,1941) Married
Panthea Cordelia Haskins (June 9, 1873-July 23, 1959)

Children:
Elizabeth(Bessie) Barnum (Kreutz) (March 6, 1895- December 20,1979)
Ella (Goldie) Barnum (December 7,1896- April 25,1982)
Esther Barnum (1899-1899)
Lavern Marion Barnum (April 18,1900-1986)
Hazel Barnum (Young) (April 1,1902-1942)
Wilma Sadie Barnum (McCormick) (August 31, 1904 – December 14, 2003)
Mildred Ruth Barnum (Porter) (March 22, 1907-November 27, 1999)
Frank Haskins Barnum (March 8, 1909- 1964)
Edward Sylvester Barnum (January 25, 1916-May 9, 2005)

The old Edward Seth Barnum House still is there, even though the Barnum family does not exist anymore.
Grandfather & Grandmother Barnum moved into the house, when Uncle Lavern(her son) and his wife (Cora) took over the farm. They lived in the house for many years-He died in 1941, she died in 1959.

Left: Goldie (1896-1982) Mildred (1907-1999) Bessie (1895-1979) Panthea (1873-1959) Hazel (1902-1942)

Barnum Family in Front yard of Barnum House-Barnum, Wisconsin

1941-Barnum family at Marion Richard Barnum’s Funeral-Barnum, Wisconsin

I have been looking for this picture for months

Left: Wilma(1904-2003)-Edward(1916-2005)-Mildred(1907-1999)-
Vern(1900-1986)-Bessie(1895-1979)

After both parents were gone (Marion-1941, Panthea-1959)-the family got together for a meeting every year.