Years ago I transcribed this obituary for Mrs Charlotte Ilsley Tinkham in pencil on the back of a photocopy of a biography of Capt. Samuel Shackford which I did source. I kept the pages in a file labeled Samuel Shackford, but didn't make it clear where I got this obituary. My folder does include another piece of paper with the notes "Reviewed scrapbook sent by Samuel S. Otis 516 Walnut St Winnetka IL 8 Apr 1960 to Chicago Histo Society Had clippings saved by Samuel Shackford" but I have no idea if the transcription of Charlotte's obituary came from a clipping in that file at that library or was possibly from a different trip to a different library. (There is another piece of paper that explains the pencil - a page called USING THE RESEARCH CENTER revised 6/98 states that pencils must be used but doesn't mention what research center I was in.)
But as I said, I'm very lucky! I did keep each person's source information in a folder with that person's name on it. Because the obituary was so well written, I was able to figure out what date it was written (another article mentioned that the funeral was on Saturday and I knew Charlotte died on June 4, 1885 and so I was able to figure out the article must have been published on June 6, 1885). I looked through each page of the June 6, 1885 Chicago Tribune which fortunately has a BETA version that currently allows readers to look at it's archives and found the obituary! It was wonderful to find the article but the process of doing work twice reminded me of the importance of documenting sources properly the first time I find a document.
Charlotte's obituary helps us learn that Samuel Shackford's wife, Mary Maria TInkham, had three older brothers who moved from Maine to Chicago where they became very successful businessmen. Mary Maria's mother had also moved to Chicago in 1842. This may have been one of the reasons that Samuel Shackford left the sailing business and moved to Chicago. Here's a copy of Charlotte Ilsley Tinkham's obituary:
MRS. CHARLOTTE ILSLEY TINKHAM.
Mrs. Charlotte Ilsley Tinham, whose family
has earned an honorable name in the commer-
cial and municipal annals of Chicago, died
Thursday afternoon at 4 o'clock in the 90th
year of her age. In spite of the burden of so
many years she was an active and sprightly
woman until the very day of her death.
Wednesday she walked a distance of five
blocks and amused and entertained a party of
friends the night before she died. The family
physician ascribed her sudden death to acute
inflammation, but it was merely the results of
natural decay. She lived with her son-in-law,
Samuel Shackford, at No. 248 La Salle avenue.
Mrs. Tinkham was born at Portland, Me., in
the year 1795. The family consisted of herself;
and four brothers, all of whom were alive at
the opening of the present year. The youngest
of the brothers is Mr. Charles P. Isley, 78 years
of age, long time editor of the Portland
Transcript, and now a well-known resident of
Cambridge, Mass. She married in Portland
Abiel Wood Tinkham, a merchant engaged in
extensive foreign commerce, to whom she bore
one daughter and four sons, Smith T., Edward
Il, Abiel W, and Joseph. The daughter is Mrs.
Shackford, with whom she has lived for some
years past. All the sons are dead, Smith T.
Tinkham, the eldest, engaged in the lumber
business in Chicago and was also known among
the bankers of the city. He died in 1857.
Edward I. Tinkham, who died in Switzerland
ten years ago from the effects of exposure
upon the night of the great Chicago fire, was a
prominent banker of this city, first as original
cashier of the old Marine Bank, and afterwards
as Vice-President of the Second National Bank.
Abiel W. was perhaps the best known of the
sons. He was Secretary of the Board of
Public Works, and died just before the fire in
1871. Joseph, the youngest son, died in early
manhood. There are several grandchildren
and great-grandchildren alive.
Mrs. Tinkham followed her sons to Chicago
about 1842. She was formerly a member of
the New England Church, but the gathering in-
firmities of age forbade frequent attendance
in recent years. The funeral services will take
place at 2'o'clock this afternoon at the house,
and the body will be buried in Graceland
Cemetery.