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Subject: Re: Mary Josephine Fordick Benedict
Date: 12 Dec 2005 16:47:16 -0700

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David Morris - I am a cousin of Katy Lunde and have been searching for info on our (yours, mine and Katy's) common GG Grandfather, Frank Vordick. With the new census records now on line I have done some tracing and found info on most of Frank (or Francis) Vordick's second family. I am attaching a summary I wrote up recently to help me when I start again on the search for Frank. I'd like to see your research and maybe we can solve this mystery
Les Benedict


THE MYSTERY OF FRANK VORDICK

“Frank Vordick” is the father of Mary Josephine Vordick, who married George C. Benedict. That makes him the great great grandfather to all of Ica Belle Benedict’s grandchildren. Little is known about Frank Vordick , except that he was born in France, his parents were French, he was a stone mason, and he had a second family after Mary Jospehine. We don’t know exactly when and where he was born and died, or anything at all about Mary Josephine’s mother.

Benedict family word-of-mouth indicated great grandmother Mary Josephine Vordick was born in France. Rosa (Benedict) Smith indicated this was not true. This is corroborated by Mary Josephine Benedict’s 1943 newspaper obituary which states she was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, in 1861, and raised in a Catholic convent at St. Joseph, Missouri, from the age of 3 to 15. She lists her birthplace as Louisiana in several Census years. She married George C. Benedict in Iowa, a month after she turned 17.


When and where in France was “Frank Vordick” and his first wife born ?
From his age on the census forms we can estimate about 1834.
He indicates he was born in France in the 1870 and 1880 censuses.
Mary Josephine lists both her parents as being from France on several census forms.

CHECK FOREIGN CENSUS RECORDS AND IMMIGRATION RECORDS ?
DID HIS PARENTS IMMIGRATE WITH HIM AS A CHILD, OR DID HE AND UNKNOWN FIRST WIFE IMMIGRATE AS MARRIED ADULTS ?


What was his actual name ?
“Francis Vaadock” in 1870 Census - “Frank Vordick” in 1880 Census.
Family history calls him “Frank Vordick” but it has been spelled a number of ways.
His son Willie had it indexed as Vordick, Vordeck, Verdick, and Vordik in 1910, 1920, and 1930 censuses. Soundex would indicate Fordick, Fordix, and Vordix as variations.
“Vaadock”, as found in 1870, could be a census taker’s literal transcribing of the French pronunciation of “Vor...” or perhaps “Voir...” ? Sort of a “Vwaa” sound.

Being from France, his first name is more likely “Francis” than “Frank” and his grandson,
“Francis (Frank)” Milfred Benedict may be an indicator - in the tradition of naming the
first-born son after one of his grandfathers (the other grandfather was Norman George Benedict).
Milfred also may be a clue to Mary Josephine’s mother’s name ??








When and where did “Frank Vordick” die ?
His second wife, Catherine or Kate, and their children are with him in Plum Creek, Mitchell, Kansas in the 1880 Census.
(1890 Census records are scanty due to a fire in the government record building)

Kate is found in Boise, Idaho, as a “mother in law” in the 1900 Census, living with Clara Morris,
her daughter. She is listed as a “Widow” who had 5 children with 5 still living. (In 1880 Census she and Frank had only four - the fifth child is explained later).
Under “Number of years of present marriage” it looks like 20 or 22 (hard to read). That would have Frank Vordick dying in about 1889 to1891, assuming he married Kate in 1869, a year before their first child, Nellie, was born. (about 1870).
A search of death and cemetery records has, so far, turned up nothing on Frank.

Why pursue the information on Frank Vordick’s second wife, Kate ?
Because there may be more information embedded about him - grandchildren named after him, or info in family genealogy trees under the surnames of his married daughters, etc. - and also to verify he is the “Francis Vaadock” listed in the 1870 census.

Follow up searching on Kate Vordick and her children revealed that Katherine Vordick (also Kate or Catherine in various records) died in 1907 in Lewistown, Montana.
According to her Montana death certificate she was widowed, born in Pennsylvania, her father’s name was John Quigley and her mother’s name was Katherine Ryan and they were both born in Ireland. The Informant was her daughter, Amy Foster.

Katherine’s 1907 obituary, in the County Argus (Lewistown) newspaper says “Catherine Vordick” died at the home of her daughter, Mrs. E.A. (Amy) Foster, and the funereal was held at the Catholic church. (The Catholic religion is probably the connection between Frank and Kate - Mary Jospehine was brought up in a convent and was a strong Catholic all her life. So Frank was probably French Catholic. Kate was probably strong Irish Catholic. Did they meet through the Church - Are there records ??)

Kate’s obituary also states: “Mrs Vordick was a native of Pennsylvania, having been born in that state in 1835. She spent a great portion of her life at Dubuque, Iowa, but for the past 10 years had resided in Montana. She leaves five children, Mrs. E.A. Foster, Mrs. Zeb Goodrich, Mrs. Robert Deffenbaugh of Lewistown, and Mrs. J.P. Morris of Oregon, and a step daughter
Mrs. George Benedict, who resides at Sheridan, Wyoming.” (That would, of course, be Mary Josephine ! - the Benedicts came to Wyoming and homesteaded near Sheridan just prior to 1907)

Although she leaves “five children” - only four were named, and they all seemed to be married women. Three of them living near Lewistown. Frank and Kate’s children in the 1880 Census are Nelly (1870), Willie (1872), Clara (1873) and Amy (1878).
Why was Willie not named. He was still alive at that point. Was he simply forgotten in the stress over Kate’s death, or had he fallen out of favor with the family ??

The last bit of information, linking Catherine Vordick to Josephine (Mrs. George Benedict) as a step-daughter is fairly conclusive proof that “Francis Vaadock” in the 1870 Census is the same person as Frank Vordick. (also the ages, dates, occupation, and places of birth of parents are good matches).

Following up on Kate’s married daughters, it was found that Nellie married a Deffenbaugh, Clara married a Morris, and Amy married a Foster. In checking out Zeb Goodrich, he was married to a Mary E. (or C ?) In looking at the 1870 Census info again, it was noticed that there was a Mary Sherman, age 15, living in the Vaadock household with Francis, Catherine, Nellie, and Josephine.

Searching for Kate’s parents revealed that “John Quigley”is a very common Irish name, as is “Catherine Ryan,” but a John and Catherine Quigley living in Dubuque, Iowa was found in the 1860 Census. It is a very large household and it seems probable these were her parents.
There are two younger Quigleys - brothers, perhaps twins. A Thos. Fitzpatrick who is listed under the “Over 20 yrs who cannot read or write” - an 8-year-old boy, and then Thomas, Catherine and Mary Ellen Sherman. Thomas and Catherine are probably the parents of Mary Ellen, which would explain the Mary Sherman in the Francis Vaadock 1870 Census. Kate was either widowed or divorced when she married Francis (Frank) Vaadock (Vordick). Both Kate’s and Mary’s ages and birthplaces match closely with subsequent census info. And Mary Ellen would make the “five living children” in the 1900 census correct. This also matches the name of the woman married to Zeb Goodrich, named in the obituary.


So, this is what is known or surmised about Frank Vordick to date. His daughter Mary Josephine was born in New Orleans in 1861. Her mother is unknown. Frank married again, about 1869, to Kate (Quigley) Sherman and in 1870 was living near St. Joseph, Missouri with his daughter Josephine, Kate’s daughter by a previous marriage, Mary Ellen, and their first child, Nellie. In 1880 Frank was living near Plum Creek, Mitchell Co., Kansas, with Kate and their four children, Nellie, Willie, Clara and Amy. Frank probably died about 1889. His widow lived with a daughter in Boise, Idaho in 1900, and then she and three of her children were living in or around Lewistown, Montana in 1907, when she died. The Catholic religion was probably a factor in getting Frank and Kate together.













1870 Census - Buchanan Co., St. Joseph, Missouri

Name Age Sex Color Estate Occupation Place of Birth
Francis Vaadock 32 M W 1000 Stone Mason France
Catherine “ ” 30 F W Keeps House Illinois *
Nellie “ ” 1 F W Milker Missouri
Josephine “ ” 8 F W At Home Illinois *
Mary Sherman 15 F W At Home Illinois

* Probably census taker error

Josephine is probably Mary Josephine Vordick - she is also listed as Josephine in a later census.
Mary Sherman is probably Catherine’s daughter by an earlier marriage. See 1860 Census for John and Catherine Quigley.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


1880 Census - Mitchell Co., Plum Creek, Kansas

Name Rel. Marital Gender Race Age Birthplace Occupation Father Mother
Frank Vordick Married Male W 47 France Stone Mason France France
Kate Vordick Wife Married Female W 46 Penn. Keeping Ireland Ireland
Nellie Vordick Dau. Single Female W 10 Missouri At Home France Penn.
Willie Vordick Son Single Male W 8 Missouri At Home France Penn.
Clara Vordick Dau Single Female W 7 Missouri At Home France Penn.
Amy Vordick Dau Single Female W 2 Missouri At Home France Penn.
_____________________________________________________________________________

1860 Census - Dubuque Co., Jefferson township, Iowa

Name Age Sex Occupation Birthplace
John Quigley 65 M Farmer Ireland
Catherine “ 56 F
Patrick “ 24 M Farm laborer Pennsylvania
William “ 24 M “ ” “ ”
Thos. Fitzpatrick 30 M “ ” Ireland
William Broken 8 M Iowa
Thomas Sherman 29 M Contractor Ireland
Catherine “ 27 F Pennsylvania
Mary Ellen “ 4 F Iowa

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