Pat Weeks Family History

Descendants of Joseph Weeks of Virginia

I feel this is the time that I should share with family members the stories and pictures that have been so generously shared with me. I am not a Weeks; I was married to a Weeks, Bud Weeks. In 1970 his aunt, Mary Freda, more lovingly referred to as Aunt Fred, moved out to Southern California and we became dear friends. It was Aunt Fred who introduced me to genealogy and showed me how to pursue this quest. She and I would drive to East Los Angeles from Dana Point, a good 40 miles in those days, to work on hand cranked microfilm readers for the limit of 2 hours, and with no copy machines available, would write out everything we saw on the film to paper.She was my mentor. Most of what I know of the Weeks family is what Aunt Fred gave to me, the stories, the photos, the passion of family lore. I need to share it with you at this time in my life.

Generation 1. Aunt Fred and I agreed that Joseph Weeks seems to be the earliest in our Weeks line to these shores. Joseph was an attorney who settled in Westmoreland County VA. He probably was from Devon County England. Joseph was married first to Sarah Blagdon, and second to Mary Pope.

Not is much known of their lives, but there is an interesting story about Sarah Blagdon which you may read here.

Joseph and Sarah had two children, William (1704 – 1776) and Sara (1705 - ) William is the progenitor of this Weeks line. By Joseph's second marriage to Mary Pope he had three children, Benjamin, Jane and another daughter, name unknown. Joseph’s will, presented January 1716 was signed by a relative of Mary Pope, Augustus Washington, George Washington’s father. Mary Pope married again to William Elliott, and a third time, to Charles Kill.

Generation 2. William, the eldest son, was born around 1704. He married Mary Alderson, daughter of George Alderson and Mary Baxter. Three sons, James, George and Alderson were given properties in 1771 by their father, still living. Two other sons were Joseph and William, Jr. William Sr. died around 1775 in Stafford County VA.

Generation 3. Alderson, born about 1745, was a planter and a baptist minister. His wife’s name was Jane. Their children were Elijah, Susannah, Polly, Peggy, Nancy and Celia. Alderson died in 1808 in Bedford County VA. Their daughter Celia married her first cousin, Elijah Weeks, who was the son of George Weeks, brother to Alderson.

Alderson's brother, George, was born about 1743 and died in 1828 in Bedford County. Children were Elijah, William, Mary, Minna, Nancy, Peggy, and Serepta.

Generation 4. About 1805 Elijah and Celia left Virginia and settled first in Bullitt Co KY where Elijah farmed. When Elijah's father, George, died in 1828, sister Serepta moved in with them. Family tradition says that Serepta's presence was considered the reason that Elijah and Celia separated at this time. Two of their children remained in Kentucky, they being Matilda and Silas Garrett Weeks. The other three children, Jane, Barsheba and George Washington moved to Illinois. George Washington Weeks is of this direct line. Of this separation, Aunt Fred wrote "At the time of Elijah's death, he and Serepta were living in Jefferson Co KY. Estate records show that she was administrator of his estate. This property was bought by Cyrus Miller. In Sept 1837 Serepta and Cyrus Miller were married. It is thought that Serepta had persuaded her brother Elijah to put his Jefferson Co property in her name".

Another family story that Aunt Fred wrote about was "when George Washington Weeks was living in Coles Co IL and heard that his father was very ill, he returned to Kentucky riding a pure-bred mare that his father had given him as part of his wedding present. Serepta and 'the white-man overseer' locked his horse in the barn and refused to let him (Geo W) have it, saying that it was Elijah's property. George W walked back to his home in Illinois".

Generation 5. George Washington Weeks was born 9 September 1808 in Bullitt Co KY. He married Ellen Lavina Powers and they had the following children: Celia, Delphenia, Lavina E., Annie Rebecca, Elizabeth Jane, and sons Charles Powers, James Elliott, William Harrison (this direct line), and George Finley. After their marriage in KY they moved to Coles County Illinois. A neighbor was a former neighbor from Kentucky,Thomas Lincoln, father of Abraham Lincoln. Of course, George W was a farmer, as were most men of that time, but he also was the schoolmaster for a few years. By 1860 this couple had moved to Madison County Iowa.

George Washington Weeks and Ellen Lavina Powers

Generation 6. William Harrison Weeks, (1837 - 1915) lived in Coles and Peoria Counties Illinois until 1859. He first moved to Madison County Iowa where he bought land. He built his own cabin, a single room with a loft and a fireplace. Upon completion of the cabin, he wrote to his folks to come live with him while he went to hunt work. The family who came were his parents, George W. Weeks and wife Lavina, one brother, George, and three sisters, Annie, Lavina and Elizabeth.

William Harrison Weeks, meanwhile, had moved to Ray County MO. where he bought a small grist mill and a saw mill on the Crooked River. There he met and courted Mary Ann Davis, whom he married in 1861. A month after their marriage he enlisted in the Union Army (MO State Militia). While away with the army, Mary Ann lived with her sister whose husband was in the Confederate Army. In the spring of 1862 William and Mary Ann packed up and moved to Madison Co Iowa and lived with his family in that one room cabin William had built earlier. When Mary Ann came to Iowa she brought her riding horse, Fancy, and her dog, Ring, with her. She also brought her 19 dresses with her to that one room cabin where 6 others were already occupying that one room. While living at the log cabin, six children were born to Mary Ann and William. Alva, Mary Ette, William E., Lizzie, Edgar D. and Henry H. In the summer of 1875 William built a larger farmhouse, which is still standing. It was originally the two story portion and the one story section was added much later. The barn was also standing as late as 2000. The last four children, Clyde C., Daisy May, Jessie Blanche and Alta Maude, were born in this farm house. William was referred to by the family as "Pap". Mary Freda described her grandfather, William Harrison as "a tall man with rather narrow sloping shoulders. He had a long thin face with extremely heavy bushy eyebrows and lashes so long that they had to be trimmed each time he received a haircut. His hair and beard were white, as she remembered him, but they had originally been a deep auburn, and that many redheads had appeared in her family." To see pictures of them in later life, click here.

William's wife, Mary Ann, was born 13 September 1842 in Monroe County Missouri, the daughter of Evan Davis and Malinda Williams, both natives of Kentucky. When Mary Ann was three, her father enlisted with Col Price and went off to Santa Fe New Mexico, where he died 23 Dec 1846. Aunt Freda could never find out how Evan Davis died, but suspected he might have been killed in a quarrel. While he was off to Santa Fe, his wife, Malinda, went to court and obtained a divorce from him, citing his cruelty toward her, calling him "Cruel, rash and abusive, and addicted to habitual drunkeness" and, "frequently and falsely charged her of having committed adultery." Malinda married again the following August to Martin Dunklin. She married a third time to a William Shipley. She was known as a midwife, and lived until 1907.

William Harrison Weeks died 24 March 1915 and his wife died 9 May 1927. Both are buried in Hamblin Cemetery in Madison County Iowa as are George Washington Weeks and wife Lavina and many other family members.

Generation 7 William and Mary Ann's eldest son, Alva B. was born on the farm near Winterset on 14 April 1863. Alva was an enterprising man, first owning a store with his brother Clyde in Madison County Iowa. In his early twenties he moved to Colorado to mine. There he married Nina Christine Schmidt in 1892. She was born in Goppingen, Wurtemberg Germany in 1870 and had migrated to the US when she was 19 years of age. Alva was called "Poppa" by his family. Alva appears to be a "jack of all trades". He had many occupations; miner, farmer, carver, baker, store proprietor. It is his years in Colorado City carving and selling souvenirs at the Garden of the Gods that hold the most interest.

John Thomas, a grandson, has written an article concerning "Poppa" which depicts his years in Colorado and his personality.

In 1911, The whole family moved to Palm Beach Florida where Alva built a house. Shortly thereafter he moved the family to Iowa again and lived with his parents until he, Nina and son Albert went to Germany to visit Nina's family. Ila and Freda stayed in Iowa with Alva's younger sister, Alta and husband, Elvin Tilton.

When they returned to Iowa, Nina gave birth to her last child, Kenneth, in 1914. Shortly thereafter, Nina became ill. She eventually was diagnoses with stomach cancer, and passed away in Winterset on 14 June 1916. In August 1917 Alva married Nina's sister, Pauline Schmidt Kloe, sold the farm, and moved to Seattle, Washington. Baby Kenneth was left with his aunt Alta who then raised him In Seattle Alva and Pauline's brother opened a furniture store. In 1918 he and wife, Mary Freda and Albert moved to San Francisco CA. By 1920 he was divorced. He eventually ended up in Lincoln Nebraska where he owned a bakery and a wallpaper store. Alva married two more times. The third wife was named Lila Hibberd, and the fourth wife was Virginia Brown. Alva B Weeks passed away at Lincoln Nebraska on 21 June 1945

Generation 8. Alva and Nina's four children were:

Ila, born 16 April 1897, Madison Co Iowa. Married Clyde Campbell 1916 divorced. Married Clyde Burcham second. died 1987, San Clemente CA

Ila was a very reserved staid widow lady, but at the same time she adored having Bud come over to tell her dirty jokes. She would stay up all night playing cards with her brothers Al and Ken. She was a marvelous cook and her family was her social life. In her earlier years, she kept close to her father and worked for a time at the wallpaper store. She also owned and operated a dance hall in Lincoln for period of time. Ila and her and second husband, Clyde Burcham, lived in a one room apartment with a two burner cook stove for many years. Ila didn’t need much to make her content. She had a wonderful dry sense of humor. Ila left behind multiple scrapbooks she had worked on for years which contained cutouts of heads of animals pasted onto cutouts of peoples bodies. She always referred to any one in the family as "one of Freda’s relatives".

Albert B. born 26 August 1899, Madison Co Iowa. Married Esther Matilda Caves,

divorced. Married 2nd Margaret Fiebig

died 25 June 1968, Seal Beach, CA

Albert, my father-in-law, a very debonair man, Bud raved about how intelligent his father was, and I cannot dispute that. Al went his own way and pursued his many interests. One was his fascinating interest in whales which he read in-depth. He also perfected the game of pool, and in truth, he made money at it. He was a pool shark. In 1969 Al and his second wife Margie were living in the Leisure World Seal Beach and he and Margie stopped for a short dance at the clubhouse when he had a massive aneurysm and died immediately, a wonderful blessing to him, but a devastating loss to Margie, his widow.

Mary Freda born 27 August 1904, Westcreek CO. Married Enoch Thomas, divorced.

Married 2nd Max Marshall, divorced. died 1997, E. Arlington VT

Freda – well, the mentor of my life. Freda left Lincoln early in her married life, and lived out in western Nebraska. She pursued developing her own life, branching out into genealogy research. She was a whiz! I am amazed at how accurate the research she did during the 40s the 50s, She had a true passion for her ancestors. Freda was a soft spoken, contented and inspiring lady. She lived with sister Ila for many years here in Capistrano Beach. She refused to play cards with Ila and Ken, she had better things to do, like genealogy!

Alvin Kenneth born 5 January 1915, Madison Co Iowa. Married Ruth Burcham 1935.

died 11 Feb 2002. Capistrano Beach CA

Kenneth was the youngest and was raised by his aunt, so really didn’t get to know his sisters and brother until well into his teens. Ken graduated from high school two years earlier than he should have, he was extremely intelligent. He was allowed to skip two full years of school. Ken took up the piano as well as the trumpet, on his own, self taught. Ken was through and through a family man. He idolized his wife and children. He was a very intelligent man, well read and interested in everything and was an avid sports fan of anyone in the family. He went to every game and cheered on his children and grandchildren. Ken also had that droll, dry sense of humor, like his siblings.

Joseph Weeks Outline Descendants Tree

Joseph Weeks Direct Descendants Tree

Sarah Blagdon (Joseph Weeks' first wife)

Map of Westmoreland County Virginia

George Washington Weeks and Ellen Lavina Powers

Sons of George Washington Weeks

William Harrison Weeks and Mary Ann Davis

William and Mary Ann in Later Life

Malinda Williams Davis (Mary Ann's mother)

William H. Weeks' Barn

Alva B. Weeks' Family

Nina Christine Schmidt