Probate Gold- The Children and some Grandchildren of Jonathan Randell and his Two Wives

My last post about the Bennem family was a good example of why we should look beyond just wills for our direct ancestors. My next two will be about why we should look beyond our direct line for those siblings in the wills and probate records.

Edmund L. (possibly LeRoy) Randel was one of the youngest children born to Jonathan Randel (1818-1888) and his second wife Catherine Maria Randell (1832-1883). He married Lena Vogel but died without issue in 1928. His probate was filed 10 December 1928 with his heirs being his wife, siblings and his deceased sibling’s children. So how much can be found in a probate file?  Edmund’s was over 100 pages long. Included in the paperwork were names, relationships, and addresses of all people with a claim to his estate. 

One page of the file is a gold mine to any genealogist and helps bring light to some of the 13 children and some of the grandchildren of Jonathan Randell. There is also a two page list with more detailed information about each person but does not give who is the child of which sibling.

Heirs of Edmund L. Randel- Probate of Edmund L. Randel, Number 1187, 1928, Mixed Proceedings, Case #1171-1193, 1928, Ancestry.com New York, Wills and Probate Records, 1659-1999 [Database on-line], Provo, UT, USA, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2015. Original Data: New York County, District and Probate Courts.

The information from the probate is as follows:

Children of Jonathan Randell and Jane Ellen Van Wickle (1820-1851)

o   Mary Haight, half-sister, who died 8 July 1917. Children:

-  Charles Haight, half-nephew

-  Laurie Haight, half-niece

-  Nellie Haight, half niece

- Julia Haight, half niece

o   Jonathan Randel, half- brother, who died 23 August 1908. Children:

-  Jonathan Randel, half-nephew

-  Josie von der Hayden, half-niece

o   Cornelia Reycraft, half-sister, who died 29 July 1918. Children:

-  Mae Beulah R. Gray, half-niece

-  Nellie Reycraft, half- niece

o   Sarah Valentine, half-sister, who died 1 May 1927. Children:

-  Sarah Bergen, half-niece

-  Cornelia Salg, half-niece

-          Children of Jonathan Randell and Catharine Maria Randell

o   Frank (Francis Morris) Randel, brother

o   James Randel, brother

o   Frederic Randel, brother

o   Walter W. Randel, brother

o   John Randel, brother, who died 20 February 1919. Children:

-  John Randel, nephew

-  Ethel M. Van Velson, niece

-  Mary Supple, niece

-  Nellie Hanft, niece

-  Sue R. Fridge, niece

-  Katherine R. Weight, niece

-  Emory Randel, nephew

-  Le Roy Randel, nephew

-  Edna Randel, niece

-  Bessie Dorn, niece. My great-grandmother

o   Minnie Syme, sister, who died 1 July 1907. Children:

-  Edmund E. Syme, nephew

-  Viola Thurston, niece

-  Flora Clarke, niece

All four children of Randell and Van Wickle are mentioned. For the children between Randel and Randell all but a son, Charles Mortimer Randell, is listed. All I know about Charles is that he married Emma Weed in 1890 but have nothing beyond that. He may have died without issue prior to Edmund’s death.

As you can see the amount of information from the probate was well worth the time to locate it even though Edmund is not my direct line.