Randy and Roz first meet

-------- Forwarded Message --------
Subject: 	Re: Horr surname database on rootsweb.com
Date: 	Thu, 25 Jun 2009 15:44:32 -0400
From: 	Roz Edson <mrsrozedson at gmail dot com>
To: 	randy at modiharr dot com
Hi Randy,
 
You've asked some really good questions. 
 
As to your question "A".....you really (already) answered it in 
your "PS"....you wrote:  "It is because of your different names 
for Orville that I even discovered the connection and finally 
determine through other records that Jesse Horr changed his 
last name."
 
In order to answer your question "A" I need first to explain that 
I am a genealogy hobbyist, not a licensed researcher, but I am 
a careful, dedicated, and thorough genealogy hobbyist.  I take 
it very seriously, in other words. 
 
I will not be able to duplicate (to show you) all the places I 
found the various spellings for both "Orwell" and "Horr".  In a 
nut shell I look for information, but I have no idea, when I find 
it,  if it's correct or not (census records, for an example)....in 
other words, I can't prove anything beyond what I find in legal 
documents, and I don't come across those very often (legal 
documents, that is). 
 
Sooo, when I find a name that has a different spelling given, I 
add the different version, basically for people, like you, who will 
best be able to determine which is correct. 
 
The census records are notorious for mis-spelling peoples 
names.  The "O" in Horr can be written to look like the "O" is 
an "A" and vice-versa.  First names may have been heard wrong, 
thus recorded wrong, and I think some people simply spelled 
names the way they sounded (phonetically), and to make things 
even more confusing, I've found a number of census records 
where the first and middle names were interchangeable over the 
years (census years).
 
I'd say that the majority of "different spellings" , that I've found, 
come from census records.  I put the info out there hoping that 
more people like you will write and make corrections so that the 
info is as near correct as possible when there is no other proof to 
be had.
 
Orwell's dad was Peter.  I'd love to know Peter's parent's names if 
you should ever discover them.
 
In reply to your question "B". My grandfather was James Webster 
Horr...we pronounce Horr as Haw (as in Hee-Haw, or saw).  But...
other people pronouce it as whore. 
 
Re:<<I have seen some references claim the name comes from 
England where it was written Hoar.  Others claim Danish or German 
descent.>  All are correct.  My grandfather's ancestors spelled their 
surname Hoar ...from England.  As far as descents you can add Irish 
also.
 
Hope to hear from you again with more updated and corrected info. 
 
Kind regards, Roz
 
On Thu, Jun 25, 2009 at 11:19 AM, Randy Harr <randy at modiharr dot com> wrote:

    A few questions if you do not mind:

    (a) You list Orville Horr with many variations of spelling (both given
    and surname).  What are the references that caused you to do this?

    (b) Have you found a more definitive reference of how the last name
    "Horr" is generally pronounced?

    In all the records I find for Orville, he is always listed as "Horr"
    with an "O".  Hence why I wonder about the variation you provided.

    I am a third generation "Harr" but it looks almost certain that the name
    was changed/created from "Horr".  Orville's son and a nephew are known
    to have made this change directly.  Just wondering if Orville also made
    the change at some point.  I have not found Orville's death record yet;
    likely in Keokuk, IA.

    I do not know anyone with the last name "Horr" and have not found any
    entymology or pronunciation references on the web that would indicate
    the conventional pronunciation.  My father seems to think "Horr" is
    pronounced the same as "Harr" anyway (i.e. like the beginning of Hardy
    or Hart). I have seen some references claim the name comes from England
    where it was written Hoar.  Others claim Danish or German descent.  It
    has been a surprise to us to learn by great-grandfather changed his last
    name.  My grandfather never mentioned anything like this.  He is the
    Walter Harr in the 1905 Iowa census with Mahala in Burlington, Iowa.

    Once I confirm everything absolutely a little more by getting copies of
    some documents, I will be able to confirm, correct and refine your Peter
    and Elizabeth Horr area of the Horr tree.  There are a lot of common
    mistakes others have made in this area as there were a lot of similar
    names with similar characteristics around that time.  For example,
    Mahala Caroline Dennis father is Harvey Dennis.  There was a Harvey
    Dennis born in Greene Tennessee who married Rebecca Jane More there as
    well (have certificates).  But in that same year there was a Harvey
    Dennis born in Greene County, Illinois.  Harvey Dennis from Tennessee
    moved with his wife to Fulton County, Illinois.  So you see the
    confusion by many.  So I would be most interested in the sources for
    information in the Peter and Elizabeth Horr family ancestry before I can
    accept information you have.

    Randy Harr

    P.S. It is because of your different names for Orville that I even
    discovered the connection and finally determine through other records
    that Jesse Horr changed his last name.