Who was the man in these photos? The search for Leo W.

Goodine

Photo 1: Leo and family and my outbuildings, hen house and shop. Leo x Ethel x Genn x Helen.

Photo 2: "When I got home from the army. Leo W. Goodine."

I have had the above photos in my genealogy files for several years, but had never managed to connect the people in the photos to our family. Not knowing any family stories about Leo Goodine and having been unable to find him in any historical records, I couldnt confirm exactly how the Leo W. Goodine in this photo was related, although I was working on the assumption that he was a descendant of George Winfield Goodine, Alfred Shorty Goodines elder brother. New records have come online since my last search for Leo W. Goodine. At FamilySearch.org, I was able to find military records1 indicating that he enlisted in the United States Army in West Virginia in 1941, along with death records showing that he died in West Virginia in 1954 (see death certificate at end of document). I was confused by the enlistment records indicating that he was single and without dependents, because of the nearly grown children in the photo, but I kept looking, assuming it would eventually make sense. Searching West Virginia records located his marriage certificate to Edith Sprinkle (see image on next page), who had two children from a previous marriage: Eugene & Helen, finally allowing me to identify the full family in these photos. Having confirmed that I had the right Leo Goodine, I knew that his father George Winfield Goodine, listed on his marriage certificate, was indeed the same George Winfield Goodine, brother to Alfred Shorty Goodine, son of Reuben & Amelia Goodine.
1

Enlisted on January 6, 1941 at Martinsburg, West Virginia. Born 1905 in Maine; Education level: Grammar school; Civilian occupation: Carpenter; Marital status: Single, without dependents; Military rank: Private; Army branch: Infantry; Army component: National Guard; Serial number: 20545458; Affiliate publication title: Electronic Army Serial Number Merged File, ca. 1938-1946; Affiliate ARC identifier: 1263923; Box film number: 03513.73. "United States World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/K8GG-YYY : accessed 05 Jan 2014), Leo W Goodine, 06 Jan 1941.

Knowing that Leo was born in Maine in 1905 and now having his mothers name (Elizabeth), I searched birth records & census records. The Maine archives have many vital records online and I was able to find a record of Leo Goodines birth on March 10, 1905, with the full names of both parents: George Winfield Goodine & Elizabeth Lizzie McIntyre (see birth record at end of document). So far, I have yet to find Leo Goodine on any census except for the 1940 census when he was living as a lodger with his soon-tobe wife, where his name was written as Leo Goodwin (see image below). While this may lend credence to a family theory that Alfreds brother George changed his surname to Goodwin, I believe it is more likely to be an error on the part of the census taker. Part of my rationale is that Leos birth certificate clearly gives the family name as Goodine, but I also believe I found Leos parents on the 1900 Maine census, and their name was Goodine at that time (see image on next page).

Leo Winfield Goodine

Relationship: Charity Bulmer to Leo Winfield Goodine

Leo Winfield Goodine is the grand nephew of son-in-law of Charity Bulmer

In 1900, George and Elizabeth Goodine were boarding with Charity Bulmer a name I vaguely recognized. Searching my records, I realized that Charity Bulmer's daughter, Rachel, had married Alfred Murphy, Amelia (Murphy / McDonald2) Goodine's brother, which means that George Goodine was living with his uncle's mother-in-law. The census indicated that George and Elizabeth Goodine had been married for 6 years, pre-dating their arrival in the United States. I have checked the New Brunswick archives and but found no record of their marriage. I also checked Maine archives, just in case, but had no luck there either. Another missing piece of the puzzle

Self Charity Bulmer b: d: 1829

Daughter Rachel Ida Bulmer b: d: 1858 New Brunswick 04 Mar 1944 Carleton County, New

Son-in-law Alfred Robinson Murphy b: d: 08 Dec 1859 Jacksonville, Carleton, 10 Jan 1926 Woodstock, Carleton, New Sister of son-in-law Amelia Melissa Murphy

Depending on the census year, the childrens surnames were sometimes listed as Murphy and sometimes as McDonald. This is from errors by the census takers due to the confusing dynamic of the family. Amelias mother was Elizabeth Robinson, whose first husband, Jonathon McDonald, died at some point before the 1861 New Brunswick census. Elizabeths second husband was Denis Murphy. Amelias older brother Charles was a McDonald (b. 1853) and her younger brother Alfred was a Murphy (b. 1859). Not having the dates of John McDonalds death or Elizabeths marriage to Denis Murphy, Im not sure which man is Amelias father.

b: d:

1855 Woodstock, Carleton, New 05 Feb 1880 Woodstock, Carleton, New

Nephew of son-in-law George Winfield Goodine b: d: 1874 New Brunswick

Grand nephew of son-in-law Leo Winfield Goodine b: d: 10 Mar 1905 Houlton, Maine 10 Nov 1954 Berkeley, West Virginia

I am also still missing information regarding when and where George Winfield Goodine and his wife died. Hopefully, Ill track down all of that information eventually. In the meantime, here is that section of the family tree, with the information I have to date:

1851 - Unknown

Reuben Goodine

1855 - 1880

Amelia Melissa Murphy

George Winfield Goodine

1874 -

Elizabeth (Lizzie) McIntyre

1878 -

Alfred Robert Goodine

1878 - 1967

Leo Winfield Goodine

1905 - 1954

Ethel Virginia Siler

1902 -

Helen Sprinkle
1927 -

Eugene Mayberry Sprinkle

1924 -

Marie Eleanor Allen

1924 -

Addendum: Interestingly, on the 1900 Maine census, in the house next door to George Goodine & Charity Bulmer, lived a Frank Goodine, also from Canada. I've traced his marriage to Edith Burpee in Burton, Sunbury County, New Brunswick. Frank Goodine is also on the census in Burton, NB after his marriage. Prior to his marriage, he lived near the other Reuben Goodine, which is how I refer to the Reuben Goodine born 10 years after our Reuben Goodine (and married to Margaret Hanscombe, with a son also named Reuben Goodine), whose genealogy has already been well researched. Questions: Is Frank Goodine a red herring or a new lead? Where were George and Elizabeth married? Where are they on the census after Leo was born, where did they die, and where are they buried? These are some of the questions I'm hoping to answer next for that branch of the family. Next instalment: James Murphy Before Alfred Shorty Goodine met Madeline Thomas, he lived for a few years in Minnesota with his uncle James Murphy and James' wife Annie Smith, a member of the White Earth Ojibwe Nation.

Appendix A: Leo Goodine, Record of Birth

Appendix B: Leo Goodine, Certificate of Death